"DON'T LOOK AT HER IN THE EYES, DAI, SHE'S NOT USING her blindfold." The Queen yelled, startling both her son and myself. Come on, it's not like I'm a dangerous person. I looked away from her and her husband, trying to hide my annoyance.
"Pardon me?" Daisuke exclaimed, and by how his voice got even deeper than normal, I knew he must be dying to kill me right now. "How dare you do this to the Queen and the King of the Kingdom, you little whore," he exploded, catching me with all his strength by my forearm, and I managed to avoid his gaze.If I hadn't spent all those years training my body as I did, he would probably have broken my arm on the spot. "You weren't satisfied with causing my sister's death and then you came after my parents?" His grip got even harder and I bit my lips, using all of my strength to hide my feelings from him and dressing a poker face on. "Do you have a death wish?""Why are bringing me closer, Crown Prince? Do you want me to look at you in the eyes, Your Royal Highness?" I spoke with a cold voice. "Believe me, I would do it gladly if your parents weren't here!" I whispered the last part and he let go of me.My eyes fell on my forearm, and I saw the red mark of his long hands on it. It's going to become a very purple bruise. Then I turned my attention to his parents, "Your Majesties, I promised you that I wouldn't tell a soul about it, so even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to. Then can you please not leave him in the dark? Otherwise, he might break my arm, and although I know none of you care about that, I do. So, uh, can you please tell him?""Tell me what?" He yelled, at me. "Mom? Dad? What is this bitch talking about?" What a gentleman he is… not to say otherwise.Avy's parents sighed and turned to their son, "We ordered her to come to us, see our deaths and tell us about them. Then we made her swear in front of the Gods that she would never tell anything about it to anyone. That's also why she can't talk about it, no matter how many times someone asks her!" Just like Avy did."But there aren't any blood tears on her face- When did you make her do that if it was not today?" He asked after a silent minute."She was 3 years old. It was right when she awakened her power. We had to know, and so she kept a secret. Not even Avy knew about it," the Queen explained.Ha, she could have done so before her damn son harmed me like that. She must hate me more than I thought at first. But I'm not surprised at all."Then I guess it couldn't be helped," of course, he would say that. I rolled my eyes annoyed. "Now about Eileithya," he spoke as if I wasn't here. "She must participate on the Trails! So I ask you to not do what she asked," this motherfucker-"Your Majesties-" I tried, but they made a sigh for me to shut up."We'll do as you asked, son," his mom said, and I felt sick. They don't know what they are doing. "You will have to participate in the Trials, Eileithya," now she isn't calling me by my nickname, because he's here. "Liking it or not. It's only a year of your whole life anyway, it won't make a difference!" She spoke as If it was nothing.I felt my legs suddenly get weak and I fell to my knees. My vision got blurred and I felt oblivious to everyone else. I heard someone else joining us, but I couldn't pay attention to it. I heard the rulers talking but I couldn't understand a word."Please, Your Majesty, I can't spend a year here. I… I can't! Please, reconsider!" I tried, ignoring everyone else but them. Refused to look up or let them see my death. "Please…""…Thya!" I still couldn't understand anything, lost in my own mind."Please, Your Majesties! I don't want to be a noble anymore. I don't want to be a Princess anymore. I can't spend 12 months living here just so your son can torture me! I… Please!" My voice was shaken and I felt a person who wasn't here before, put me on my feet again.And then the tall person held my chin and made me look up. When my eyes focused again, I saw Rai's face. "…Nsomi!" He called me again. "Nsomi!""What do you want?" I asked with my teeth clenched."I'm sorry for my next words, Your Majesties," he said and looked at me again. "What the fuck do you think you are doing, Nsomi Eileithya D'Arcy?" He seemed angry. "How dare you to ask the King and Queen to take your titles always from you? What did you see to make you act like this?""What do you mean, Prince Izan?" I heard the King's voice, but I kept staring at my brother. "Did she see someone's death again?"At that, Daisuke laughed acidly, "It seems like she's addicted to destroying people's lives!" Can't he shut the fuck up?"Who was it, Prince?" The Queen asked, abruptly. "Whose death did she see?"Rai stared at me while he said, "When I came to see her with Aeneas this morning, we saw her blindfold on the ground and her face wet with the blood tears…""And she was in front of the mirror!" Aeneas finished for him when Rai's voice suddenly stopped.His words were enough to make the whole chamber go silent. Even Daisuke stopped breathing. I laughed like a psycho and raised my brows, "Why are you all so silent? It's not like I don't know that all of you want to see me dead."But they ignored me. The Queen focused on Rai. "What did she see?""When is it going to happen?" The King asked."She refused to tell us!" Aeneas spoke."Although she said that she's still going to live some decades," Rai started and stared at me again. "I believe she's lying!"To my surprise, the Queen got up from her throne and came to where I was. "Tell us, Eileithya! Tell us everything!""I'm sorry, Your Majesty," I spoke, with a grin on. "But I refuse!""You-" the King started."Don't get me wrong, Your Majesty, but this has absolutely nothing to do with any of you! It only concerns me. And no one in this world will make me tell you. But don't worry, death comes to everybody. I'm no exception. I'll die when I have to die." My voice was firm enough to make all of them stop touching that matter. "One last time I'll ask you, will you reconsider my wish, Your Majesty?""No!" She said together with the King."Okay," I pushed Rai away from me and wiped the tears from my eyes. "At least you know how hard you tried, Thya!" I said to myself but all of them heard it and stared at me as if asking themselves if I had indeed lost my sanity. "Thank you, for nothing." I bowed. "I'll excuse myself now, if you allow me, Your Majesty!"Both the King and the Queen nodded and I got out of there, ignoring everyone else and lost in my own thoughts to a point where I couldn't care less about anyone in my way. Although they all acted scared when they saw me as if I was about to murder all of them and their families too.Daisuke's point of view • • •IT WAS STRANGE.The last time I saw that girl so shaken was when my sister died. I got speechless when I heard what Rai said. Shouldn't I be happy that she saw her own death and was disturbed like that? Then why do I feel so uncomfortable? When you tell others about their deaths is one thing, but when you saw your own death happening with your own eyes, it's a totally different story. It's not surprising that she seemed to have lost her mind. That's probably what passed through all of our minds. She's right, we all hate her, but deep inside of us, I believe all of us know that she isn't the one who caused all those peoples' deaths. That's why we all froze when her brothers said that. She was so oblivious to her surroundings that she didn't even realize it when her brothers, my sisters, and Princess Elodie joined us. And when she got out, the look on her eyes was frightening… it didn't seem like her. I turned my attention to her brothers, and f
Thya's point of view • • • WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE D'ARCY MANOR THAT DAY, after losing my mind in the palace and losing track of the time I spend on their training grounds without their knowledge, I had a very bad argument with my father and my stepmother. Especially because Rai and Aeneas made everything difficult for me, telling them about what I asked the King and the Queen. They got mad at me saying I was an ungrateful daughter for wanting to have my title taken away from me when I'm a child of House D'Arcy and some shit like that. But I got tired of it, feeling like all of my energy had been dried up, and let them keep talking until they let me off and got me on three-day-long probation. Probably because they were afraid that I could run away. Or because the King and the Queen advised them that I would certainly run away if they stopped paying attention to me for even a second. And so, they ordered a load of Knight to stay around me, as if I was a Gods-damn criminal. It wa
THERE HE WAS.The literal bane of my existence and cause of my death. And he came prepared, with sunglasses on, probably expecting me to come like this. The same could be said about his two loyal dogs.Adonis and Sohan. Both are also the first children of their respective Houses, of the same rank as Elodie. And well... Us.But their pride was too big to handle. And they also hate me, and would very much gladly kill me if anyone asked. Oh, they blame me for Avy's death as well.In summarizing, they are just as hostile toward me as everybody else. Not a surprise. They only lose to Daisuke, of course.Speaking of him, even though he was using sunglasses, I could feel his stare burning my skin. He must have planned so many things to make me miserable. And I can't even blame him."Why are using your blindfold on your neck and not covering those cursed eyes of yours, little wrench? Are you going to keep doing this now?""Why so lovely at this hour in the morning, your royal highness?" I smi
Sohan's point of view• • •ALRIGHT, I'LL ADMIT THAT MAYBE WE WENT A LITTLE OVERBOARD with Nsomi. Talking for the both of us, we just got blind with hatred when she began speaking like that, purposely provoking us. However, we indeed may have done more than we should have.But it's not like anyone will know, right? Daisuke doesn't have to know at least. Although I kind of think he wouldn't mind that, once he's the one who loathes this girl the most.We sat in front of Avyanna's chambers door, resting our back on the wall. I confess that I'm feeling a bit bad for her because although we blame her for Avy's death and everything else, she isn't to blame for that. She doesn't have control over the power she possesses, and it's not like Nsomi asked for it.I think everybody knows this. No one is stupid enough to believe she causes those deaths, and now that she saw her death, it's even more obvious that she doesn't cause it. Although, at this point, after all that happened with Avyanna and
Rai's point of view • • •PRINCE DAISUKE BROUGHT ME, ELODIE, AND MY BROTHER TO his castle, then he told us that we would be settling down there. But not Elodie, once she would have to compete in the Trials as well because she was single and all of that. Aeneas, curious as always, asked where the girls would be staying, and when he smirked, deep down inside of me, I knew what was the answer."Avy's castle!" His expressions were vicious, and we didn't need to think so much to know that he was doing that purposely to hurt Nsomi.I, more than anyone, know his hatred towards her because I feel the same way. But I confess that I'm feeling strange since the moment I saw her staring at herself in the mirror with blood tears rolling down her eyes. She hadn't noticed me before, but I was there for enough time to see how shaken and broken that made her.That is why I don't believe she will have that long. Yes, we are all pissed with her for what she can do, but it's not like she killed them.A
Daisuke's point of view• • •I FROZE WHEN I SAW MY MOTHER KNEELING DOWN ON A LAKE OF Eileithya's blood, holding the unconscious girl in her arms, with a desperate look on her eyes. And I hated it. I hated how helplessly desperate I felt.But I was only able to react when Rai fainted right behind me, shocking me even more. It seems like he doesn't hate her as much as he pretends to. "Take care of your brother, damn it!" I exclaimed to Aeneas, who caught him on his arms."She... She... She... She isn't dead, right?" Elodie asked shaking like a fish out of water. "Did you do this?" My mother questioned me with fury in her eyes. And here I thought she wanted the girl dead. "Did you asked the boys to do this?" The boys?Adonis and Sohan? No way. There's no way they did this on her. "Mother, I don't think this was their doing!""Where is the fucking physician?" She screamed and at that moment, two physicians came inside, and behind them were my best friends. "Fast. She's almost not breath
Thya's point of view• • •WHEN I WOKE UP, MY HEAD WAS HURTING MORE THAN EVER, and I felt cold sweat in my forehead. My vision was blurred and couldn't a thing, but I felt people around me, although I didn't quite recognize their energies.I tried to say something, but my throat was dry, my lungs weak, and I couldn't say a word. But I heard people talking about how I was awake, and calling for a physician. And I wanted to know why they were acting like that, I wanted to know what had happened.My headache began to get worse than I was already used to it, and even my eyes, nose and ears began to hurt. The pain was horrible, but not compared to the pain I felt from my chest. Probably caused by the ribs Sohan and Adonis broke.They are going to pay for that. I'm not letting them slide for beating me like that.The more I began to regain conscience, the harder it was to stay awake, and the stronger the pain grew up. I felt tears rolling down my eyes, but I didn't utter a sound.And just l
I FELT BETTER WHEN I OPENED MY EYES THIS TIME, my body didn't hurt that much. My headache was there, but lighter than before. And my ribs didn't seem to be broken anymore."Are you awake, child?" It was Hov.Slowly, I opened my eyes. "Yes. How long was I asleep?""Only five days, don't worry," Gods above."ONLY?" I joked and he giggled. "30 days in the total. Now I have 23 months, great!"He seemed sad to hear me say that, and I sighed. "It's not like you missed anything good, though!" That's reassuring."Everybody must have been so happy to see me almost dying," my sarcasm made my voice bitter. "I wish I had seen their faces when they heard I was going to survive.""I don't know how was your relationship with the people here, child, but I don't think some of them hate you as much as you may believe they do," as if."That's called, pretending, Hov. None of them can fool me with their faked kindness," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm myself. "You should know that
IF I ENDED UP ANSWERING THIS QUESTION wrong, I would anger the Gods' Temple, and that would definitely be terrible for me. "The oracles were once humans, but when the Gods bestowed them their power to see the future of anyone and of the world, they become Saints protected by the Gods Temple!" I'm sure this is right because it was the oracle back in the D'Arcy territory who told me this when I asked him what he was exactly.Rai let out a soft breath of relief behind me. And Daisuke seemed annoyed for me not falling into his trap. "To whom do they answer?" Only to the Gods.But that's not the answer they expect to hear. "To the Gods through the Gods' Temple, and to the rulers of the Kingdom!" Because they need the illusion that they aren't the ones who answer to the Gods' Temple."Last question, what is the Houses ranking in power in the Maximillian Kingdom?" So, he decided to end with an easy question, hm? Or doesn't he expect me to know basic politics?"From top to bottom, in powe
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE BEST THING in this whole situation? The fact that it's all being broadcasted to the entire Kingdom. That's probably why the Queen didn't scream at me and Rai as she probably would in private, and why she tried to brush away the fact that the Crown Prince hurt me.You see, the science here is quite good, and they can broadcast through a kind of water image that allows the people to see what's going on in the Crowned Princess Trials. Hov explained it all to me, so I could make better use of my situation, by bringing the people to my side, even if the people here all hate me. After, they may not be the ones to vote, but their voices are louder, and if they like me, the people here will hesitate to treat me like shit during the evaluations.However, Hov told me that it's only broadcasted during the girls' evaluations, like today.That's why I decided to give a strong impression because all the others have been in the view of people for about five weeks, plus tod
THE ATMOSPHERE AROUND THE GARDEN ENTIRELY changed the second my high-heels touched the grass gracefully. I could feel it, and I also heard lots of feminine dramatic gasps. Sohan had intertwined our arms, probably not trusting me not to fall, and Adonis was right on my other side, cursing non-stop almost whispering.I could tell that there were about fifty girls here, with Daisuke and the Queen. Fifty-one with me. That was a sign that I was an extra, someone who wasn't here to actually participate in the trials but to be humiliated. They couldn't be more wrong.Taking my arm away from Sohan's, I elegantly walked in the Queen's direction, then I bowed. "Your Majesty, it's an honor to be in your presence this morning." Then I turned to where Daisuke was and bowed again. "Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince, it's present to be here as a member of the trials. Although I wasn't in my rightful mind when you insisted that I came, now I understand why. I'll do my best," then I focused my atten
I CONFESS IT WAS AMUSING TO SEE THE SHOCK ON their faces when they saw me all dressed elegantly. "What are you scheming?" Adonis hissed, suspiciously."Good morning, for you two," I said calmly and smiling when they refused to look in my eyes. "And I am not scheming anything, do not worry, Prince Adonis," I could see how he flinched to hear that. "Prince Sohan," I said to the other dog, who grinned amusedly."You are acting very strangely today, Princess," Sohan said, caressing his chin. "It's better than your usual arrogant self, though. So, I don't mind." He turned to Adonis, "Let's not judge her without knowing anything, alright? Remember what Dai did last time he judged her with no proof!"Holding the urge to arch my eyebrows and ask what he knew about that, I stayed composed. "So, are you both here to accompany me during my day?"Adonis was staring at me as if another head had grown in my neck. "This is giving me goosebumps, go back to being a terrible human being," ha, he wa
Thya's point of view ··· IN THE END, DAISUKE'S LITTLE JOKE caused Hov to be mad at me for not being careful. But who would have thought that just throwing me to the wall would cause so many problems? It seems like that assholed is stronger than he looks like, or my body was really weaker than normal. The latter wouldn't be a surprise, once Hov advised me that I wasn't totally healed just yet. "Thya, Thya, Thya," he stared at me after bandaging me all over again. "If you don't act carefully, you will get hurt again, and will have to stay on the bed for another month, immobilized, is that what you want?" I gulped. "No, Hov. I'll try being careful. But in my defense, as I said before, it wasn't my fault, okay? That bastard didn't even say anything, he just came and did this to me," I growled. "Seriously, Hov, I hate him so fucking much. It makes me desperate to see him miserable," a mischievous smirk took over my lips, "and by something that will definitely be my fault!" Hov clicked
Rai's point of view· · ·AGAIN, I'VE BEEN FEELING ODD WHEN it came to matters related to Nsomi. I don't know what's happening to me, but I just felt like something had broken inside of me since I learned that she probably has just a few years or even months to live. And when I heard that asshole saying he threw her to a wall, I just got alarmed.She may not know, but I've been around her during this entire month, coming and going just to see if she had gotten better. Although I made Doctor Hov promise he wouldn't tell her anything. But I just couldn't handle the anxiety I was feeling. After all, she could die today for all we know.It's not like I don't hate her anymore, because I do. But every time someone brings up her possible death, I just feel sick. That may be why I impulsively rushed together with the nurse to where Doctor Hov was, to see if it was actually because of her or not.They were in her chambers, which made me even more uneasy. The nurse entered first, but I fro
Daisuke's point of view· · ·I WATCHED AS SHE LEFT, SILENTLY, paying attention to how she was walking awkwardly pending more to the right, but with confidence. Damn, I acted too rashly and on impulse when I saw Elodie on the ground. I shouldn't have throwed her on the wall with so much strength like that. Especially when she has just barely recovered from what happened.But by how I saw the situation, I knew she had done something to Elodie, because of how scared she looked. Otherwise, why would she be so scared of the girl, if she hadn't done something? It can't be just because of her cursed eyes, after all, she spends most of her time at the D'Arcy's manor with Rai, so she must have gotten used to Eileithya as well, right?There's no way she's innocent.And what did she meant by that? Does Elodie likes girls as well? Then did her parent made her take part on the trials unwillingly? But she seems so fond of me, am I mistaken?Sigh. "Do you want us to deal with that cursed woma
REBEKKA DIRECTED A DEADLY GAZE AT THE DOGS, and that was so adorable that I chuckled. "And why are they here now? Are they trying to harm you again?""Queen's orders. They hate me. I hate them. So, she decided to punish them by making them take care of my safety until the end of the trials!""We won't!" Sohan exclaimed with his hand in the air."You are the only one we despise," Adonis added with a smirk."Oh, darling," I bowed, mockingly, "I feel so special knowing that I'm the only target of your delightful hatred!" My sarcasm made the girl laugh."How does it feel?" Rebekka asked."What?""How does it feel to see people's death? Don't get me wrong, I always wanted to know," my jaw dropped."No one ever asked me that," I chuckled awkwardly. "But in what sense do you want to know?""I want to know if it feels like a faint dream, if you see from the person's perspective, or if you see as if you were there and it was real? Maybe others also have this curiosity but are too afra
NOTHING LIKE AENEAS, WHEN EVERYBODY KNEW what he felt for Avy. "I... I was just walking around... I didn't mean to bother any of you," she spoke without looking at me in the eyes. "I'm sorry. Please, don't kill me.""Close your eyes, Rebekka," my voice was gentle, and she did as I said. I got closer to her, leaving my weapon on the ground. "Don't worry, I am not going to hurt you. Neither am I going to let any of them harm you, okay?" She nodded, trembling.I petted her hair."Why are you in the trials, Rebekka?"She gulped. "My... My dad made me come. I don't want to be your enemy, please, don't get me wrong. I don't... I don't want anything with the Crown Prince!"That made me giggle. "Neither do I, Rebekka. You don't need to worry about me. I'm also here because they made me come. The Queen and the King, to be precise. Just so their son could torture me," I took a deep breath. "But that's not important now. I'll guide you to sit down, okay? Keep your eyes closed, because I don't h