Chapter 2 Prince Marice

16 years later

Marice's POV

I gripped the hilt of my sword, feeling the weight of it press against my palm as the sun bore down on the training ground.

My muscles burned, my breath came ragged, but I refused to yield.

By my left, General Dorian, the Commander-in-Chief of my father's army, stood motionless. His cold eyes were assessing my stance.

"Again!" he barked.

I launched forward, my blade cutting through the air.

"You're not cutting leaves, boy! You're a warrior. Again!" He roared, and I stepped back and launched a much fiercer attack with my sword.

"Good! Good! Again!"

I went on and on, until my hands grew weak. I was losing the grip of my sword.

"Sloppy," Dorian sneered. "A future king does not hesitate when he spots his enemies!"

I clenched my jaw.

He didn't know the truth. No one did.

I had spent my entire life training to be the perfect prince, strong, ruthless, and untouchable.

My father, King Hezekai, had raised me to be his heir, the kingdom's warrior, the leader who would bring Vortania into a new age of conquest.

I was not allowed to be weak. I was not allowed to make mistakes.

But the truth? The truth was carved into my very skin, bound beneath layers of deception. I was to be the Princess of Vortania, not the Prince.

The ache in my chest had nothing to do with my harsh training. Knowing that my existence was built on a lie, it was a burden I had to carry for eternity.

For fifteen years, I had lived with the weight of an identity that was not my own. I dressed as a prince, spoke as a prince, fought as a prince... but inside, I was something different.

A woman.

"Stand up," General Dorian ordered.

I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the sting in my wrist.

The knights watching from the sidelines muttered among themselves, their voices hushed but filled with judgment. They expected perfection from me. They expected a king.

And I would give them one.

I raised my sword once more, shifting into a defensive stance. This time, when Dorian moved, I was ready.

Our blades clashed in a fury of steel and sweat, and when he aimed for my side, I made a swift move just in time, landing a sharp kick to his ribs and sending him to the ground.

He tried to pick his stance, but my sword rested on his neck, forcing him into submission.

A round of applause from the men behind erupted.

Dorian stepped back, eyes narrowing. For a moment, I thought he might be proud, but then he smirked. "Your Highness fights like a man possessed."

I wiped my brow with the back of my glove, swallowing the bitterness rising in my throat.

Before I could respond, a deep voice rang out from behind us.

"That is enough."

I turned and felt my chest tighten. My father, King Hezekai, stood at the edge of the training ground, his expression unreadable.

The sickness had taken its toll on him. His once powerful frame had begun to thin, his skin paler than I remembered.

He stepped forward, eyes locking onto mine. "Come with me, Marice."

I nodded, sheathing my sword as I followed him through the palace corridors.

The tension in the air was thick. My father was not a man of words. If he had summoned me personally, it meant something important.

We reached his war chamber, the doors closing behind us with a heavy thud. He walked to the massive map spread across the table, his fingers tracing the edges of our kingdom.

"You will turn sixteen soon," he said, voice slow and measured. "It is time we discuss your future."

A cold sensation slithered down my spine.

He turned to me. "You've come of age, Marice. So you will take a wife," he said.

The air vanished from my lungs.

I stiffened. "Father?? I..."

"There is no debate," he interrupted.

"It is your duty. The kingdom needs an heir. You will wed a daughter of another nobleman and produce a son to continue our bloodline."

My pulse pounded in my ears. How could I give him a son when I was not even the man he believed me to be?

The walls of the chamber felt like they were closing in. My throat tightened. If I refused, he would suspect something. But if I agreed...

How long could I keep up this lie?

How long before the truth unveils itself?