Prince Peter Milo Cato was not a stupid man. He knew to get what he wanted from life he had to take it.. and what he wanted was to be King.
He despised Princess Sophia, he always had. If he had been able to arrange a betrothal with her, he may have been able to usurp his bastard brother as the Crown Prince.
He had had his aides send Sophia love letters and gifts throughout the years but she had responded only once to say she was Prince Daire's fiancé.
Prince Milo realised his hands had fisted thinking about the beautiful brunette Princess. Uniting the two kingdoms - hers being the Kingdom of Heridien and his the Kingdom of Cadilani - was a great boon and had she agreed to becoming his wife he knew he would have become the future King.
Prince Milo was not a stupid man, he knew if he bided his time he could have his vengeance on both his brother and the Princess.
He decided to make her unmarriageable so he had had some of his staff start rumours that she was unkind and villainous. Rumours alone wouldn't have cemented her reputation as an evil woman of course.
Prince Milo sneered, remembering how pitifully easy it had been to set up the timid and sweet Princess Sophia over and over again. His brother had been away on official business for the Kingdom and had not met Sophia until her name as the 'Villainous Princess' was already cemented.
Prince Milo remembered with pleasure when Daire had returned - he had heard all the evil things Sophia had done and rejected her. She had taken her own life that very night.
Prince Milo knew he could use this situation to cause strife between the two Kingdoms and have his father turn from Daire. He would be the new Crown Prince by the end of the month.
Prince Milo felt no regret or sorrow for the innocent Princess whose life he had destroyed. She had had her chance to be his but she had spurned him so she had deserved every moment of agony she had suffered.
An urgent knocking sounded at the entrance of Prince Milo's quarters and the face of his aide appeared. His aide, Parker, was the brother of Mary the lady's maid to Princess Sophia.
"Your Highness, I came as soon as I heard.. the Princess.. she was saved.. she is alive and well.."
Prince Milo plucked a pretty vase from the table in front of him and threw it at Parker's head. Parker ducked quickly, used to his master's rages.
Prince Milo was a smart man, this was a setback but he would be victorious. Princess Sophia was not long for this world. He would make sure of it.
* * *
"What game are you playing?"
I sucked in a breath at Prince Daire's words.. so he had realised I'd been talking of Sophia as if I weren't her.
I racked my brains to come up with a believable excuse.. the Prince clearly would have preferred had Sophia died and if I wasn't careful he could put me to death!
I decided it would be best to stick to the truth and just not say anything about my previous body.
"I don't know how to explain it.. I recognise you as the Crown Prince and I know other things like what year it is but I have no memories of who I am. I know that doesn't sound believable but I swear it's true. Well no actually I know I am Princess Sophia but that's all."
The Prince studied me suspiciously, as if he could see straight through me, his sapphire eyes gleaming with an unknown emotion.
"Why did you cry like that when you woke? Why did you not seem surprised that you had committed suicide?"
I ran my fingers through my hair frustratedly, how could I explain this to him?
"I woke up and I didn't know who I was.. then a rush of memories hit me, I saw this body crying as you rejected her then I saw her kill herself and then I passed out and when I woke again, realising it hadn't been a dream, that I didn't know who I was, I was overwhelmed and cried. Is that okay with you?!"
One eyebrow raised at my tone and I tried to remember I was talking to royalty and one who already hated me.
"I agree you seem.. different. I'll have the Royal Physician check you over."
I nodded in agreement and he turned to leave but I needed to know something first.
"You seem to really hate Sophia.. may I know what she did that was so terrible you would regret she survived?"
Prince Daire's face hardened and he closed in on me where I still sat in the bed. Reaching out one long, slender hand, he clasped my chin tightly and spoke with deadly seriousness.
"She hurt the innocent and was a mean tempered and evil woman. You had better make sure you don't go down the same path again or I'll make sure next time you stay dead."
My teeth gritted as he spoke, I had only had a flash of her memory but she didn't seem like an evil person. She seemed sad and hopeless.
"What proof do you have that she hurt the innocent? I would like a detailed report of everything she has been accused of so I can see for myself what kind of person I used to be."
The Prince released me and strode to the door.
"You, Sophia, are in no place to make demands."
"You, Daire, have no right to call me by my first name."
Throwing a furious look at me over his shoulders, his gorgeous almost white blonde hair falling over one eye, he slammed the door behind him without another word.
I don't know what kind of person Princess Sophia was but I had the gut feeling she was NOT the Villain everyone had made her out to be.
I would find out, and I would take revenge against those that had hurt her and those who had hurt the old me.