Ok, so I am not dead yet. But, I know, I certainly don't feel very alive either..
Ugh.
She has done it again.
How can my step-sister be a master in destroying my happiness, even though I know, I owe her perfectly nothing.
I confess, I hate her.
I hate the day she entered my life. I hate the way she thinks every little thing in the world revolves around her. I hate her innocent smile. I just hate everything about her!
But, whatever that doesn't change the fact that I am now locked in the Palace Prison like an immoral criminal.
The feeling of cold sticky mucus dripping from the rooftop utterly disgusted me, a former nobel, especially at the sight of rats scurring around the dirty stone walls of the dungeon. A vile stench threatened to empty my stomach and puke rainbows.
The few groans let out by some prisoners did nothing, but made me feel more and more miserable of my current loneliness.
I missed my home. I missed the cute laughter of my little sister, Dizzie-chan, the only one who I know loved and trusted, the useless me with all her heart. I missed my black cat, Luciper which definitely might have crept out of our house for food as my mother always forgets to feed him. And, more than anything, I missed my mother and wished from all my heart for her to be safe.
Leaving all that aside, it has been nearly a week since I had started calling the miserable prison, my new home. It's quite fortunate that I had always been very good at adapting.
But, there was one thing I needed to figure out.
Who kidnapped Cinderella and framed me in place of them?
I narrowed my eyes and the atmosphere around me dropped to the freezing point.
And, then I smiled again. The angle at the corner of my lips hooked up perfect and revealed my natural look as the supreme villaness.
Well I swear, I'll make them regret, this is the worse mistake they had ever done.
But, oh well. I guess, I might forgive them, for now. Revenge is such a pain in the ass and coming up with tactful plan drains way too much effort.
I thought gently leaning my back on the cold wall, when the big heavy prison door creaked open revealing my most frequent visitor inside it.
"Oh, It's you, Royal Counseler-sama.. In for another session with the arrogant new prisoner..?"
"Yes.. King's orders.. And, No-one dares to disobey him. It was good to hear how righteous and wise, the First Prince was for wanting the villainess's head to be chopped off for her obvious crimes. But, unfortunately, his father, the lousy Emperor of Fairytale wanted a 'justice' enquiry before a person has been officially beheaded. And so here I am.. "
"Eh.. Must be hard, Royal counseller-san. And, I heard this one's tough. She never opens her mouth to anyone expect to humiliate them harshly".
"Yes.. But.. huughh. Well, What can I say, rats are always be rats as villainess are always villainess. No-one can change their fate, that's already been inscripted on their fairytale plotlines. That's how things are in Fairytale, after all."
I hear the Jailer and the Royal counseller mock me.
Hearing that, I clenched my fists in frustration.
And, He expects me to tell all my where and abouts to a person like him? I must be an idiot, if I do that..
Few sounds of laughter echoed the prison doors and soon footsteps thomped the floor vibrating all the tiny pebbles that were shabbily scattered all over.
I rolled my eyes.
Oh great.
"The nuisance has come back."
I mussed to myself and quickly got into the hard low lying wooden bed that was hung on the wall but, miserablly ended up banging on it. Ow, Ow.. I rubbed my forehead and panicked noticing the steps become more louder.
I soon, abruptly hopped into the thick torn blanket covering my face and pretend to be asleep. My habitual facede.
"Lady Rottenstein, Will you please fill us with the details that had happened before the disappearance of Lady Cinderella..?" He asked poking his feather pen on a plain writing pad and sat down opposite to me.
I flinched my shoulders but said nothing.
The Royal Counseller let out a deep sigh. "Lady Rottenstein, I do not know, why you fail to understand that, this enquiry is solely promoted for your own welfare."
Lies.
"And, I cannot help you, if you don't justify your innocence by stating your perspectives. "
"To a stinky wretch like you.. Argghhh.. I must be so disgusted. Go away from this prison, insect shoo.. I am tired. I wanna sleep" I stated blankly without even fulfilling the polite curtsy of looking at his face.
Silence filled the gaps.
Suddenly, the temperature of the room raised to an alarming rate of the boiling point. Enormous drops sweat drooled from my putrid mismatched dress. My long red hair abruptly turned wet and matted my head. My muscles ached and flashes of contained fire attracted my attention towards the Royal Counseller.
His arms sparked with a bright glow and the heat of the strong Fire Magic made me tremble with fear.
I slowly moved backwards but felt the giant wall hit my back shivering.
"You, Rotten Bit*h!" hissed the pervert man as he grabbed my hand and thrust the maginitude of a giant fire ball upon my face with a great force.
I flinched and tried to escape as a little spark of the fire touched my wrist. But, I was trapped. My voice tried to scream but realized it couldn't. I closed my eyes wishing how happy, I was to finally meet my death when..
"Return thy self to the depths were you formeth, Heed and retreat, and nullify all Thy forces"
An oppressive spell was chanted making the fire utterly extinguish from the arms of the Royal Counseller.
The Royal Counseller abruptly looked back trembling at the sight of the familer magic and immediately fell down before the powerful looking man (probably the head of the chanter) standing admith all his subordinates, begging for mercy.
"I am so sorry. Your Majesty. Please forgive.. "
"How dare you raise your hand against the major witness of the crime scenario.. Do you realize the seriousness of your mistake?! Guards, chop of the hands of this vermin!" ordered the Young Royal.
"Forgiveness please, your majesty! The lowly one knows his mistake!! Please forgive me.. " sobbed the Royal Counseller grovelling under the feet of the young prince and begged for mercy.
The Prince suddenly looked at the weakened me.
The burnt, I had gotten from the close contact with the firemagic released a terrible pain on my wrist. But, other than that, my body was completely fine. Thanks to my quick thinking of laboured breaths with long repeatation of inhalation and exhalation, I had already received a little comfort.
The prince slowly averted his deadly gaze to the Royal counseller again.
"Ick.. Get lost, then!"
"Y-Yes, thank you so much, your majesty".
"And, the next time I see you raising your magic on anyone unnecessary..."
A deep, cold dark glare that would immediately make anyone feel the shundders of entering into the cave of a bloodthirsty dragon appeared on his face.
"I'll kill you, myself !.. "
said he as the Royal Counseller fled away tripping his steps.
The young prince turned to me.
The glow radiating from him, that would make all the country ladies impossible to ignore or look away, shone brightly just like it does every single time he visits my prison cell.
He was 185 centimeters tall, had chiseled cheeks, sharp nose, thin lips and dark blue eyes that reflected the same color of the ocean. His outstanding well-built body was clothed in a fine dark blue tunic richly embroided with golden designs. And, yet he looked so simple that if it weren't for his long silky golden cloak and his silver crown beautifully dazzling over his bouncy short hair, he would easily be mistaken as a normal nobel.
But, he was no ordinary nobel.
He was a Charming. Prince Zenon Altizer Charming of Fairytale (affectionately called as Prince Zeno). The second son of the great country's emperor. The little step-brother of the prince who had accused me as criminal (though I am ironically the villaness) and also the man who saved by life. Being a son of a concubine, his presence isn't known to many, unlike the other prince. And, the details about his character and his other activities are completely mysterious to many nobels, myself included.
He looked at me intently. Then, raised his hand to push back his silver blonde hair, showing me a perfect demon-like scary face.
He let out a deep sigh.
"How do you always manage to get into these nasty situations?" he asked me.
Even his voice was flawless. It was not too high, too low. It had exquisite features of a young lad- soft and magnetic, I noticed.
"Psst.. " I psst him snottily dodging his question and looked away before facing the dungeon wall again.
"Your Majesty!" cried one of the guards who stood beside him acknowledging how badly I had dishonored their master,
when the prince signels them to leave the room.
They soon make a deep bow and exit the cell to wait outside.
"Well, now.. Is this the way you behave towards the man who saved your life..?" He asked politely, now that everyone else had left the room leaving us alone in darkness.
"Whatever, I already told a million times. I didn't ask for your help." I clenched my palm.
The burnt in my wrist still hurts badly. I wish, I hadn't froze pathetically like that before the irksome Royal Counseller.
I admit, it's very frustrating. But, if it weren't for this guy, I would have probably had my head hanging without it's body. It is true that Prince Charming after realizing, the love he danced around with in midnight was kidnapped, suspected and sentenced me to death. And, to my despise it turned out that, the exact same man I had bumped into and left without a single apology, had to be the one who saved my life in moment of destitute from the wrath of his brother.
The story of Cinderella's kidnapping was sent through out the entire kingdom and thanks to the young prince's official request to the Royal Highness, search hunts for the true culprit is being undertaken while I, the major suspect ( granted for my role as the villaness of Cinderella story and my gifted haughty behavior towards everyone who talks with me) is being kept in the prison for custody.
The contact of the prince's gentle fingers suddenly, touch my burnt hand immediately vanquished my string of thoughts and made my arms pop like goose skin while my unguarded heart beat involuntarily starts sprinting.
He gently took my hand, poaked his pockets to take a roll of cotton bandage and wrapped it.
He nursed my burnt hand with an angelic patience.
"You don't have to act so tough, princess". said the handsome prince with a smile.
"I am not a princess, I already have a proper name christined by my beloved mother, remember? "
"OK, Lady Rottenstein".
His soft voice blended in the atmosphere like the gentle breeze blown during the autumn. He never failed to emphasis the respect he had over the name of a nobel, even though I was just a prisoner in a dungeon, now, just like he always does, being the other frequent visitor besides the Royal Counseller.
I bit my lips looking away as the band-aid in my hand twisted and turned before forming a perfect knot.
"W-Why.. ? Why are you so nice? Wh-what do you want from me..? "
I asked him snottily trying my best to hide the shiver in my voice and the trembling of my tone.
Now, I know, that the only reason people act nice to each other is when they need something from them, it can either be for a material profit, a social upgradation through a relationship or to live up to the appearances in front of other's eyes. And, especially within us the nobel, it can be said, we are the masters of disguises.
He looked at me abruptly as a cheeky smile twisted the curves of his lips.
"What I want from you, Eh..?" His eyes suddenly emitted a naughty twinkle.
"..Will you marry me, then..Lady Anastasia De Rottenstein? "
He asked shamelessly without even a tiny bit of hesitation forcing me to stare at him in bafflement, blankly for a few awkward seconds.