AZALEA
Snow rampaged against the windows as the clock continued to tick. It was already two in the morning but I was still thrashing on my bed. I was already covered with a thick blanket but I couldn't sleep.
It had been days since I had that vision. I also went back to the library to check on that specific book about soul fragments and reincarnation. I just wanted to be certain that the visions and images were not connected to me. . . that I was not connected with the witch but I couldn't just prove it.
I sighed as the back of my left hand rested on my forehead. According to the book, it was possible to remember things from your past lives if you were reincarnated but it was a rare occurrence. The present and the past had only one soul essence. But if someone had another soul's fragments then it was not the whole same soul that was inside a person. It was just a part of the soul and they were completely different from each other. Like a different existence and there was a possibility that the original soul was already living somewhere if it was already reincarnated.
It was actually a complicated concept that I was having a hard time deciding if Celeste was reincarnated to be me or if it was just her soul fragments. Of course, I didn't want to accept that I was one with Celeste. So I opted that these memories were just from her soul fragments.
Maybe a part of her soul was left here and I just happened to trigger it? Maybe when she was burned, her soul fragments were just scattered somewhere in this kingdom.
Maybe she just had so many regrets from her past life that a part of her couldn't completely leave this world?
And I felt like deep within me, I was different from the witch. We were not the same person.
Or maybe I was just in denial. I couldn't accept that if Celeste and I were one then I had to sacrifice myself because that was the only way to free this kingdom from this curse. The curse was only leading to one answer—death. But if that was true, why would Celeste kill herself again? She wanted to free herself through death? Or maybe she uttered those words without thinking?
Damn! I was so done with this curse. Prince Dion and I were still searching for ways to fix the curse but it was so hard to decipher.
Maybe we must visit all the places the witch had been to find answers? And a true love's kiss was just so cliché.
I was so confused that I couldn't sleep. My mind was a mess and my head was already throbbing in pain. I was delving too much into this curse.
I bit my bottom lip and sat upright as I combed through my red locks.
I should sleep now.
When I finally decided to lay down on my bed and stop thinking, I suddenly caught my breath. There were faint sounds of footsteps from the balcony. I sneakily peeked in between the gap of the thick drape and I saw a silhouette standing next to the glass door. The sliding glass door even creaked a little and I could hear the rampaging snow blizzards entering the room.
The room turned cold. My right hand instinctively reached out for the knife under my bed. I carefully unsheathed it. I slowly hopped from my bed and stood next to the bed's pillar to hide myself. If that person chose to attack me while thinking I was still sleeping in bed, I would make sure I hit him first—despite my slightly trembling hands.
I slowly succumbed to fear as I thought of the possible scenarios and outcomes of this encounter. Because what if I die here? I heaved a deep breath as the footsteps came near. I listened to the subtle sounds in the room with unwavering bravery and focus.
Who was that? An assassin? I remained unmoving as I stood still in the dark corner of the bed, next to the pillar. There were secret guards but I was not sure if they were around since a snow storm was rampaging outside. My right hand gripped on the knife tightly.
My heart pounded against my chest. My forehead was already covered in cold sweat despite the freezing temperature of the room.
I raised the knife when the intruder was about to approach my position. I was already ready to swing and to fight back when I suddenly heard a loud thud on the floor.
My eyes widened. Something fell on the floor and when I peeked outside the canopy bed, a man wearing black with his face covered with a silver mask knocked down the intruder.
I froze when the masked man turned to my direction. He noticed my presence and I felt like my knees started to melt from fear. My eyes were wide open because what if he was the real assassin? With trembling hands, I managed to point the knife in his direction.
I won't easily give up on this life of mine.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to hide the fear in my almost shaking voice.
"I was sent by His Royal Highness to guard and protect you, my lady. Rest assured. You are now safe from harm," he answered without any emotion at all. But he kneeled down on one knee—maybe to quell my suspicion and fear against him.
The man had a deep baritone voice and I noticed the Crown Prince's seal engraved on the forehead of his silver mask that I could confirm that he was a royal knight.
I felt a slight relief. My eyes wandered at the man on the floor who had his throat slitted and blood pooled from his neck. I was stunned by the sight that I didn't manage a reply.
"I have to clean this mess, my lady. I thought you were sleeping and I was planning to clean as quietly as possible. My hands were a little numb from the cold that his body slipped from my grasp. My apologies," he explained further.
My gaze went back to him. I was a little guilty that he had to protect me even when there was a snow storm. "Thank you for saving me. You may now stand. You can stay here for a while. To warm yourself," I said. His clothes were a little drench from the snow.
The man nodded. "Thank you, my lady. Please excuse me. I have to check his body." He began to inspect the dead body.
I stood up to close the balcony's glass door. Gladly, the fire in the hearth was still ablaze but I fed some firewood in it.
When I looked back he was already checking every part of the man's dead body. As if he was looking for something. He even carefully inspected the marks on the assassin's sword.
"Are you the only one who is guarding me?"
"No. I was taking shifts with another royal guard, my lady. Since we were inside the palace grounds, we didn't expect a lot of assassins to be sent to you."
"Can you identify this assassin? And the master he is serving?" I asked. I sat on the nearest couch.
The royal knight shook his head. "He didn't leave anything on his body to be identified. Even the sword doesn't have any special marks on it. It's a little hard. I need to further investigate his origin and master. I will let His Royal Highness know about this. He will definitely fill you up with the details if I found something."
The royal knight pulled out a black cloth to clean the blood on the floor. And then he lifted the dead body over his shoulder. I even noticed the sheathed blade of pure silver attached on his waist—probably the sword he used to silence the assassin.
"I will be going now, my lady. I can't stay here any longer. I will ask someone to take over on my shift. You may continue your rest now," he formally said. It was so straight and emotionless that I didn't know what to feel. He was just doing his duty diligently and I wondered if he cared that I was actually trembling in fear from this incident. I haven't used a knife before. . . to kill. . . but I mustered all the courage to do it tonight for my own survival.
I listlessly nodded. He quickly jumped from the balcony. I wasn't even able to ask if he was going to be okay with that heavy luggage in such a snow storm. Guess he will be fine.
I frustratedly combed my hair. Damn! Surviving was just too hard. The process of becoming a part of the royal family was already tough. What more when I finally become a part of it?
I stared at the faint blood that was left on the floor and the memories suddenly rushed in.
Celeste screamed in panic. It was just a few days since her wedding with King Steve and yet, an assassin already intruded in her room. Tonight, the king was not sleeping in her palace. Maybe the mastermind took this chance to eliminate her.
Celeste trembled in fear as she watched the crimson body fall on the floor. Thankfully, the guards rushed into her bedroom when they heard her screams and took down the assassin who was about to slit open her throat.
"I will report this to His Majesty right away, Consort Celeste. Please take your rest. Some guards will be sent to guard your door to keep you safe," the royal guard said. Some of them were already cleaning the whole messy scene.
Celeste nodded despite the distress written on her face. Her head throbbed in pain. She didn't mean to fall for the king. It was so sudden and the king asked for her hand in marriage. The queen regent was definitely angry that the king had to marry a lowly maid—a slave even. Even the nobles were against their wedding but they couldn't go against the king's wishes.
So the king gave the Ruby palace to her—his late mother's residence—so that she could avoid crossing paths with the queen.
She anxiously combed her red long hair as she sat on the couch and stared at the fresh blood on the floor. It was tough to be a part of the royal family.
At first, Celeste refused his love but he was also persistent to capture her heart that she couldn't help but fall for him. King Steve also investigated the black market and demolished the slave market that she secretly started to admire him. He was such a good king—a good man. How could she refuse a good man?
She laughed at herself. She certainly knew that the reason why she married him wasn't just about love. She really had an ulterior motive. She was just selfish too that she also thought about her status as a slave. She could only be freed from this hell once she became powerful. And being the king's consort was another way to attain the freedom she was longing to have. She wanted to escape from this unfair life.
She just desired a peaceful life and a love that could last forever.
~~~
My head was in pain when I woke up in the morning. I didn't notice that I fell asleep on the couch. And the memories last night were a little traumatizing. I was really triggering Celeste's soul fragments. My head was already about to explode because of all the things that were happening to me. I didn't sign up for this kind of life. I wish I could just return to my normal routines as a seamstress and designer.
My maids entered the room and were shocked when they saw me lying on the couch. They helped me to dress up. The classes today were already cancelled due to the heavy snow yesterday. But the snow storm already stopped and once again, it was a peaceful day.
I went straight to the dining area for breakfast. The three ladies were already waiting, quietly drinking some hot tea. I secretly scanned their faces. There was nothing unusual with their reactions when they saw that I was still alive—safe and sound.
Lady Jaera subtly bit her bottom lip and continued chatting with Lady Shirdine.
"So I noticed that you're spending more time with Prince Dion these past days," she carefully said. "Is there something going on with the two of you? It was unusual. He was walking with you more often."
Lady Shirdine blushed and shook her head. "He is just being kind. I thought he also spent time with the three of you."
Lady Candice nodded a little at me when I sat down but she also quietly listened to the ongoing conversation of the two ladies.
"Well, not as often as you. Maybe you are his favorite. Even Lady Azalea is spending less time with His Royal Highness than anybody here," Lady Jaera said. And I was not sure if she was directly mocking me.
I smiled a little. Well, the queen didn't want Prince Dion to spend more time with me. I was not even bothered by it.
"Maybe he suddenly has a change of feelings. Maybe he is now more interested in Lady Shirdine than Lady Azalea," Lady Candice commented with a blank face. But it seemed she was not also bothered that Lady Shirdine was leading among us in this race.
Lady Shirdine smiled a little.
"But Lady Shirdine, you must be wary not to fall in love. What if the Crown Prince won't choose you in the end? It will definitely break your heart," Lady Jaera added with fake concern.
My eyes narrowed a little. I was not sure if she was doing this on purpose.
"Or worse, what if his attention switched to someone else when you're already used to his attention?" Lady Candice carefully added.
Lady Shirdine's innocent smile slowly faded away. She was not happy at all and worry started to crept on her face. I started to worry too.
Are they subtly pitting us against each other? They were intentionally feeding Lady Shirdine with false hopes. I couldn't even say anything to appease Lady Shiridine. I would only look like a narcissist and everything won't be in my favor. They could use my words against me.
I was certain that they were waiting for me to speak.
I must say something but I didn't know how to effectively break this tension.
Damn! These two were already making their move huh. Are they wishing for someone's heart to break? Damn! They're so cruel in the guise of fake concern. It was nauseating. My head was already spinning from last night's incident and yet I still had to face these vicious women.
I was already tired of this. Gladly, the servants already served our food and we had no choice but to quietly eat. But the clinking of the dining utensils was adding more pressure to me.
When we walked out the dining hall, Prince Dion stood from the couch he was sitting on. He seemed like he was waiting for someone. His right hand man who was wearing glasses was next to him. It was rare for Trevor to accompany the Crown Prince to the Ruby palace.
He walked towards us and smiled. He casually greeted the ladies and we offered a small curtsy.
"You're early today, Your Royal Highness," Lady Candice said, offering a sweet and demure smile.
"Are you here for someone, Your Royal Highness? Maybe you're here to see Lady Shirdine?" Lady Jaera asked with a small smile.
Lady Shirdine's face flushed but she smiled a little too without saying a word. Maybe because she was naturally the shy type.
But I was kind of hopeful that he came to see me. Because I wanted to know the details of the investigation of last night's incident. Maybe he already found the mastermind.
Prince Dion smiled a little. "I'm here to spend some time with Lady Azalea." His gaze focused on me. "I heard you don't have classes so how about a walk? Or some tea in my palace?"
I didn't expect him to come to me this fast. Did he really get some information? I was suddenly expectant.
I smiled a little. "It's my pleasure to walk with you, Your Royal Highness."
When I turned to the three ladies, I spoke. "I will be heading out first." Lady Jaera frowned a little. Lady Shirdine seemed disappointed but Lady Candice maintained a blank expression. They nodded at me.
"Please go ahead, Lady Azalea. Have a great time with His Royal Highness." Lady Candice was the first to speak.
I nodded. I walked side by side with Prince Dion. Trevor was following us from behind as we walked out the Ruby Palace.
Prince Dion looked back and smirked at Trevor. "Just return to the office, Trevor. I promise to return as soon as I can."
Trevor had long dark brown hair which was tied in a low ponytail. The brown eyes behind his spectacles narrowed a little. "You have so many things to attend to, Your Royal Highness. And you shouldn't spend more time with Lady Azalea. The queen will not be pleased." He was so straightforward and strict.
"Please handle those things while I'm away. I really need to speak with this lady. It's urgent."
"You know your responsibilities, Your Royal Highness. You must not fall in love and cross the line," he honestly reminded him.
Prince Dion chuckled. "You're so stiff as always, Trevor. You don't have to worry about me. I know my limitations. Just return to your work. I promise to finish those documents today."
Trevor sighed. "Alright. I'll sort those documents first. I'll leave you alone for now."
Prince Dion smiled widely. "Thank you."
Trevor left us and walked straight to the Crown Prince's office inside the palace.
"Let's go somewhere. It's a little chilly in the gazebo and garden."
My brows furrowed but I followed him. We entered a greenhouse made of glass and the flowers and plants inside it were in full bloom and full of life. The dome of the greenhouse was covered in pure white snow. There was a small swing covered in vines near a small gazebo.
My lips gaped in awe with such a beautiful sight.
"It's not that cold here," Prince Dion commented.
"This place is beautiful," I blurted.
"Not as beautiful as you," he countered and my heart skipped a beat. I hated that feeling.
I frowned. "So you're saying that as well to the other ladies? To Lady Shirdine?"
Prince Dion furrowed his brows in confusion. "What? That compliment?"
I abruptly nodded. "She looks like she's into you now. Since you're spending more time with her. Are you using those tricks to get to every lady's heart? What if you break her heart?"
Prince Dion had a complicated look on his face as if he couldn't understand me. But he tilted his head, his hand lightly holding his chin, as if he was trying to remember something. His blue eyes were confused. "I don't usually directly compliment them. For Lady Shirdine, she's the quiet type so she's easy to get along with. But most of the time, we were talking about art. Since she's into painting. I do compliment her paintings and skills. And I usually listen to her perspective about her art. I think she's interesting when she talks about art. She's bearable."
"For Lady Jaera. . ." He chuckled. "Well. . . I don't really like ladies who are a little aggressive and showy. So I usually don't ask her out. For Lady Candice, she seems good. She's so formal and fine. But I don't like her either because I feel like she's not being herself and she's hiding something from me. I have to commend her for wearing her mask so well. Maybe because she's a daughter of a Duke that she doesn't want to show any weakness. Really. . . I never directly complimented them when I'm with them."
I frowned. I couldn't understand what he meant to say. "Then what about me?"
He turned to me with a soft gaze and smiled. "You? You're just. . . you. You're just being you. I like that about you."
I caught my breath and I felt like heat travelled to my both cheeks. I panicked. "So did you already know what happened last night?" I deliberately changed the topic because the irregular beat of my heart was kind of scary. And I don't like it.
His eyes suddenly turned stern. "I heard about it. How are you feeling? Are you afraid?"
"Maybe. . . But I survived last night and I feel a little better now. Did you find the mastermind?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Not yet. That man doesn't have any existing family at all. He was raised to be an assassin."
My eyes narrowed a little. "Then if he was raised to be an assassin, he was definitely raised by someone powerful."
Prince Dion agreed. "But the royal family will never raise an assassin, Lady Azalea. It can't be the queen. I believe someone else is targeting you. And the next high ranking noble in this kingdom—who has the power to raise assassins—is a Duke."
My eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me to not let my guard down around Lady Candice?"
"I don't want to assume things but I will look into this. For now, don't let your guard down against anyone."
I raised a brow. "What about you?"
He smiled. His hand reached for the loose stray strands on my face and tucked it behind my ear. "I will be honored if you want to trust me."
My cheeks turned red as if it was burning. I was burned by his touch and I hated my body's abnormal reaction. I sighed. I looked him straight in the eyes. I badly wanted to tell him about those images and visions but I was scared. I was so scared of what the future holds for me.
"They say curses decrease in power as generations go on. But why does this curse seem permanent?" I asked without thinking.
"Maybe it's not permanent. There must be a way out. The curse was due to my bloodline. It's my responsibility to end it."
I sighed helplessly.
Maybe the curse is not your responsibility—maybe it is mine to end.
***