Chapter 1

April, 2350

Prince January was getting married.

And it wasn't to the person anyone would have guessed.

Bianca Snow didn't give two shits, though. The royal wedding was the last thing on her mind, even as she stared up at the palace she was quickly approaching.

No, what was on her mind was the fact that she was now an orphan and that now this was going to be her new home and how she was going to be living with a bunch of people she had never even met before. She had been told that they were childhood friends of her parents, and had offered to take her in after the incident.

She leaned up against the back of her seat, and closed her eyes. Really, she didn't think it was necessary for the royal family to send a fucking limo to come pick her up. She was perfectly capable of finding her own way to get to the palace-and besides, it wasn't as if she was anyone important. These "friends" of hers were just gardeners for the royal family. They weren't Prince January or Prince Loke, or anyone related to them. Just a bunch of lowly farmers.

A chunk of hair fell into her face, which she quickly brushed back before she got a good look at it. She hated everything about it-well, actually, she hated everything about her looks. Her short black hair that fell to her mid neck and flipped out at the ends, her dark brown eyes, and her stupid pasty skin. It was as if her body couldn't decide as if she were supposed to be a dark, mysterious girl or a bright, cheery girl.

"The prince and princess are saying their vows." the driver told her, tilting his head back.

"Mmm..." Bianca really didn't want to hear about how happy the prince was, when her whole world was falling apart. It hadn't even been a full forty-eight hours since her parents had died. How could anyone expect her to be happy for a couple of people she'd never met before?

"Princess Cinnamon wants to know if you would like to join the after party." he continued, not seeming either notice or care about her lack of response.

No, she did not want to attend any stupid after party for some damned princes, but she didn't know how to say that. You didn't say "no" to the royal family, even though legally speaking you were allowed to.

"She understands if you don't, though." he was still saying, though and then he chuckled. "As a matter of fact, she was pissed when she found out you were arriving at the same time as her wedding. Claimed it was insensitive to be having both on the same day. She tried to postpone it for a week, but the queen absolutely would not allow it."

Bianca really didn't understand why he was telling her this. It wasn't has if she had anything against the princess. She was just in one of those moods where she hated everyone, and it didn't matter how high up they were on the social ladder.

"She forbid your family from staying for the whole wedding though. Said that they had to be there when you arrived."

It was at that point that Bianca began to zone him out. She clutched the black teddy bear she'd had ever since she was a baby to her chest and buried her face in the top of its head. This was so unfair. She hadn't done anything wrong. Why was she the one being punished? Did God have something out for her?

She bet that the princess came from the perfect family-actually, scratch that, she knew that the princess came from the perfect family. Parents that were still married to each other, even over twenty years after their marriage, and a younger brother who was probably the one behind the camera for their wedding right now.

Not too long ago, she had most of that too. Oh, she'd never gotten a sibling, as her mother had had to have emergency surgery after she was born, but her parents still loved each other. As a matter of fact, it was only two weeks ago that her mom and her had watched the proposal on television. Back then, she'd actually cared about the fact that their prince was getting married. And for the first time ever, it wasn't to someone who had been pre-picked out by the king!

They pulled up to a large, golden gate that probably cost more than all the houses in Bianca's hometown put together. She felt her eyes grow wide as she stared up at it. Or at least, she would have, had she given a shit about the fact that it was huge.

There was a two minute wait, before the gates slowly opened inward. The car began to inch in and Bianca was caught with a view that almost nobody got to see in real life. The palace from inside the wall that separated it from the rest of the world. There was still an insanely large garden between them, but somehow it still looked almost more beautiful from this angle than anywhere else.

"Breath taking, isn't it?" the driver breathed.

Bianca couldn't help but stare in awe at the building. She may have thought it was gaudy and overused three days ago, but now all she could imagine was living in there with her family.

"Don't worry, milady." he continued. "You're going to love it here."

Bianca nodded and held back a snort. Yeah, they'd see about that. She was incapable of loving anything, anymore. It only led to pain that she could no longer afford. She was going to make sure to never grow too close to anyone ever again.

No matter what.