Staggering back to her feet, Cerdina walked on, looking at her surroundings. The distant sound of music caught her attention, the sound of voices singing, and she headed toward them.

Approaching with difficulty, she leaned against a wall and watched a group of Tomaris gathered together, chattering merrily. But as soon as they saw Cerdina, they went still. She forced a smile.

“Brothers and sisters…” Her voice was dry and squeaking. She hadn’t had even a sip of water in so long. Cerdina lifted the corners of her mouth, whispering. “Help me.”

The Tomaris looked at her in dismay.

“You must pay for your sins,” a Toma man said after a while.

The corners of her mouth twitched. She wanted to slap him to teach him his place, but that was impossible. She fought to hold back her anger.

“You would rather follow the barbarians than someone of your own blood?!”

“You were the one who betrayed us first.”

“Shut up!”

She ended up shouting anyway. The thought of having to bow down to these lowly creatures and ask for help was unbearable. Once she regained her power, she would trample them beneath her feet.

Shooting them a look filled with malice, she walked away, unaware that they were watching her and clicking their tongues as she staggered off. But that was only the beginning of her difficulties.

Cerdina had been a noblewoman all her life. She could never have imagined how a normal woman could survive on the streets of the capital, let alone a woman without arms. It was the first time she had ever experienced hardship.

Cerdina never imagined that just living could be so difficult.

All night long, she shivered, tormented with cold. When she could no longer bear her hunger, she ate food that had fallen in the street. Strangers looked at her with pity.

She didn’t even have a blanket to protect herself from the cold. It was a rat-like existence, obsessed with food, and she suffered phantom pains in her amputated arms again and again.

There came a day when the streets were crowded with people. Cerdina had found a bit of moldy bread and was eating it quickly from the ground; she could not even pick it up, without arms. Only once it was gone did she lift her head to see what was happening.

All the people were waving small banners, cheering and tossing flower petals into the air. A band marched by, playing music as they went.

Cerdina moved to a discreet corner where she could watch, chewing her lower lip. Her eyes were bloodshot.

The cries of the people swelled louder and louder, and a carriage appeared, drawn by six white horses. It was a triumphal progress, and the people were cheering for Leah de Estia, the new Queen of Estia.

“Wow!!!”

Amidst the outpouring of joy, Cerdina huffed. That glorious crown, the red cape, the royal palace and that silver hair…all those things belonged to Blain. Leah had stolen all of it from him and was smiling nonchalantly. Cerdina’s eyes bored into her.

It happened then. Leah was waving to the crown when suddenly her head turned, and through the masses of people, their gazes met.

Cerdina’s eyes widened. She shrieked curses, but the words were covered by the cheers, and there was no hope of making her way through the crowd.

For a moment, Leah stared, taking in Cerdina’s pathetic appearance, then turned away.

She was treating her as if Cerdina was worthless.

Fury roared up through her, and Cerdina screamed. But suddenly there was a blow to the back of her head, and she dropped instantly into unconsciousness.

A splash of cold water woke her up, and Cerdina regained her senses, dripping with icy water. Shivering, she looked around. It was a very familiar place.

She was in a large hall with the royal flag of Estia hanging overhead, and at the end of the great hall, two marble columns stood on either side of a throne on a high dais.

Leah was seated on the golden throne, looking down at the kneeling Cerdina.

“Long time no see,” she said.