The main palace of the Emperor was buzzing with workers, servants and maids; all in a mess since the dawn because of the grand event that was on the horizon.
The banquet that would be held in the evening would gather all the important figures of the empire to witness the coronation of the rumored adopted princess of the intimidating emperor of this world. .
*****
"I can't help but feel so eager to see what she looks like."
"What's the reason of adopting her anyway?"
"Rumors say the Emperor decided to take her as his child once his eyes lied on her frail face."
"People say she was found on the edge of death."
The mouths of people could not stop blabbering about what they heard, whether true or falsehoods, and waited with impatience for the Sun to wave its farewell and for the reddish evening to cast its shadows over the ClaraBelle.
There was not even a second of chance for anyone to have a breath or wipe a bead of sweat, all unaware of the sudden absence of the main star of this fancy night without any preceding warning.
*****
"How pitiful. . . They will not even realize this until it's only time to put that shitty crown on this effulgent head of mine. "
I poorly sighed to no one but the pathetic me.
And there was I, quivering like a wet cat inside a dim cave, located in the very depth of the forest of the palace. Moreover, I was all tied up. There was even a snowy white cloth neatly tied to my face to shut the heck of my mouth that spoke with cute cruelty.
There were noisy crickets accompanying me, and big muscled rats guarding me. They were seven in total; each one carried a look of curiosity, and questions that roamed inside their heads, but no words spoken.
All they did was dragging me here, throwing shits of glares at me, and standing there like pillars and having their cigarettes. Finish one, have another one.
Perhaps they wondered why I didn't show any kind of resistance, or maybe about my calmed face and eyes. Everything went smoothly for them that even one weirdo asked me why was I so easy with them and just chuckled at that.
They never knew; I would be thankful for that reckless kidnap, even though it would be a failure that would cost them their lives.
This adoption, after all, was by force. I was never ready to have a new family; to lose and cry my heart out over them. Nevertheless, this wicked old snowman trapped me between corners and left me no choice but to bitterly accept.
~When you're a princess, you will have power that you seek for the revenge.
Power and revenge. That word was a sensitive spot in me. He said it in a way that shook my whole being and dipped it into a black hole of the past.
My past . . .
Something that he always tried to dig into it and know about me. However, I just burst into his face and run away, or turn my eyes away and leave. I wanted to forget everything about those days, and I tried, but failed. At the end, I gave up, and allowed it to engulf my soul for no matter how long.
~OR, you shall be an obedient maid serving the palace.
Once I heard about this, I immediately shot him a 'yes' without a second thought, that was, until he said that.
~Oh, my bad! Did I forget to mention that you'd be my personal maid? I feel so lonely these days that I need someone to entertain me and play with me things . . .
He was definitely playing on me malicious tricks.
~What do you mean by 'things'?
He just replied with a devilish disgusting ear-to-ear smile and squirmed his glittering bloody eyes at me in a way that my badass started to imagine unholy predictions that a ten-year-old child shouldn't think of.
And by that, I hated myself much more than ever. Now, they would be placed in an embarrassing situation because of my horrible absence that I would like to watch in happiness.
**********
In the palace...
"Zhan."
That decisive and tough voice of his called through the walls of his large office only for the door to be opened reviewing the meant one.
"Yes, father."
"Go and call Claire. I have a few things to discuss before the ceremony starts. "
When Zhan thought of a word to tease, he was shot with flaring dead glares that shut the heck of his ass.
"Alright," was all he could say in defeat?
Zhan headed to the young lady's room to pass the orders, followed by his personal knight, receiving bows of the workers on his way.
"Your Highness."
"Say."
"I can't help but worry about the suspicious shadowy figure that was witnessed on the lands of the palace."
"Let the tonight mess end, and I would deal with it myself, with a number of skilled knights that you yourself would choose and chase it down," Zhan uttered as he took a right turn, causing his front hair to fly on his face and making the passing maids squeak and die from his princely look.
Once he was in front of the destined door, he took a breath and knocked at it once, but received no answers.
He knocked twice.
Knocked thrice.
The next attempt was a flying door that revealed an empty room. Not even a breath of a soul was inside.
"Your Highness?" It was none other than Cade, Claire's personal maid, who happened to pass by chance and meet the Crown Prince in front of her master's room. She couldn't do anything but feel curious.
"You.. Where's lady Claire? " He acquired in panic. Some sort of feeling inside told him no good.
"The young lady went out for a walk in the palace's garden as she asked for some fresh air."
"And what are you doing here leaving her?" He unintendedly bellowed at her, causing the woman's little heart to dance.
"Sh- She asked for no one to come with h- her -"
"Damn it!" He irritatedly cursed and spurred without another word left behind.
"Your Highness! Where a-"
"Louise! Gather the knights and come after me right away! "He shouted to the speechless man and darted his mind to the direction of the outside.
[" It may be impossible, but I hope we aren't late. At least stay one piece without a scratch. "]
**********
It was evening. Few hours has passed and it was a matter of a couple of hours for the banquet to start, while I was spending the whole time dying from the nauseous breaths of those yellow-teethed men.
I closed my eyes, begging for some rest. But as soon as I saw darkness, the images of these souls fogged my vision again, leaving me in no rest.
~Why?
~Why did you leave us?
~What sin did I do to die?
~Was it amusing to see me die?
~You even didn't try to help.
[" Leave me! Go away! "]
[" I never wanted this! "]
This was horrible that I regretted the moment I thought of rest. My eyes couldn't open, and I felt of something grabbing my neck. I stayed in such a state for I didn't know how long, that was, until a sudden sense of danger stabbed me that these sapphire orbs fluttered in alert.
I looked around but did not find any change. I could feel the cold sweat sliding down my face and neck. That was a devilish nightmare indeed.
A second later, came in five more men into the cave and the most disgusting grand one among the approached me.
"So, this is the kiddo that will bring us the banks of millions, huh? How funny. For some reason, my eyes see you as a scared kitten, "he sarcastically and so casually murmured to me, but that hit me as a blow of storm.
[" K- Kitten? Kitten? "]
The word was like a heated metal bar placed on the flesh of my heart. The 'voice of the past' echoed through the walls of my mind, driving all my senses to madness.
Sound of tinnitus ringed in both my ears, causing mh hands to instantly cover them, trying to endure the hammer-like throb I felt in mh head.
~Now now~ be my obedient pet kitten and . . . And come with me without baby cries and headache, honey.
"Huh? What's happening to ya? Why are trembling so vigorously? Is it really that cold? "The man asked me while he studied my horrible state, but all I could hear was that voice.
~You! You will never eat, or drink. Like hell! Even the air you breathe! Without. My. Word. You aren't allowed to step a foot. I dare you! Claire Glowstone! Do it! And your corpse shall lie between my hands straightforward!
I felt of rubatosis pouring inside my ribcage. My eyes were sturdily shaking, and my breaths . . . I doubted whether my lungs were functioning, because I couldn't feel any air inside them. Everything in my self was going wild.
His voice refused to retrieve from my head. Moreover, his image floated in front of me, blurred because of my unstable vision. But all I could see well was his demonic smile that could shake the ground under the feet, and those piercing glares that resembled death.
~You are no more than a doll I'll toss here and there! Could you imagine the fun we will have together, kitten?
~Seeing you in pain and cries, for some reason, comforts me.
This stabbing pain that hit my the walls of my head whenever this sound rang through it was driving me wildly insane.
[" Y- you . . Y- y- you . . Are gone . . You are gone . . You aren't here. Not inside my head "]
I tried to convince my soul that what I was seeing wasn't that demon but all hallucinations. I could hear those sobs that betrayed and escaped my lips. Holy shit.
The man who was watching my pathetic state shrugged his shoulders and stood to leave. All he cared about was the fact that I was still with a soul to live, or all he did would evaporate in the thin air.
"Go! Leave me! LEAVE ME! "I cried out loud and kowtowed, leaning my head against the ground to shut the hell of those hallucinations. Everyone around started to worry and wonder if I was a psycho. But when their boss opened his mouth, they all shifted their attention from me.
Then, a noxious power started to rage inside me with unbearable heat and towards my chest, taking down my consciousness.
"So, here's our plan. We'll move to another state as soon as possible before the banquet starts. Then only could we leave our message to the emperor an-"
"AARGH!"
All the men who stood there, were all fuddled and taken aback from their boss' sudden scream. He stood with eyes widely opened and gargled out a blackish blood, frozen for a second or two, and all his mighty and vicious being and height collapsed. All was left behind was an image of me. But a different me, another version.
All that power and red aura that surrounded me. All the bloodthirstiness that outraged me. I was never conscious of my actions, or my senses, or anything. All I remembered was the darkness I drowned into. The tears were all seen drifting down my cheeks and those white teeth that gritted against themselves, along with harsh breaths to add an intimidating vibe of a monster.
I couldn't remember when did I took out the dagger, or when did I charge and stab that man. However, he deserved this, after all.
"Y- you bastard! What did you! "
One of those idiots took his gun and pressed the trigger to fire at me without a moment of thought. It was so sudden that it barely hit me. My precio- *cough* life.
I quickly responded to that, and dodged it, tilting my head to the side. It was aimed at the center of my head. I was definitely lucky.
That ringing sound inside my ears and now my head made it hard for me to stand straight. I felt my knees would fail to hold me and collapse. I needed to escape first. I looked forward and caught a glimpse of the cave's exist and rushed to it. None of those eleven trashes was able to catch a glimpse of my celerity.
It wasn't easy to run away as I felt my body swinging to the sides, but I was quite able to run for a long distance from those gobsmacked-frozen statues, all thanks to the power I got. Thanks to the cursed crystal tangling from my neck.
I kept sprinting through all the trees, taking random turns from left and right, until I made it sure that they lost me.
However, what stopped me from completing my way was the oxygen I ran out of. I was completely knackered and driven out of energy. I pressed my fingers against my forehead and pinched my eyebrows trying to ease the pain that started spreading like a blazing fire to my lungs, and felt the liquid collected in my nose to bleed.
Horrible me.
I chose a good tree to climb, and rested on a branch that could handle the weight of my petit body. I rested my head backward and my eyes were locked with the sky, trying to distract my consciousness to something else. However, I was startled with the picturesque scene before me.
The atmosphere felt peace and quiet for a good moment of time.
[" This feeling is so . . . "]
For the first time, a chilling sensation crawled up, pushing the paranoia of my life away even if it was for a femtosecond.
The clear blue of the sky caused my senses to be distracted and allowed my mind to swim into the nothingness and never think of anything. My breaths were stable and quiet, and my body felt like water.
"Find her at any cost! You all will lie dead if I didn't see her rotten in front if me in the next hours! You Bastards! "
[" Holy shit . . Peace can't stay for a couple of minutes. . Ughh! "]
I had to fight.
I had to weave through this whole mess of life, and let them pay the cost. . .
The cost of shedding the blood of the innocents, and the blood of my beloved I found my hands drenched in.
I swore . . .
~I swear upon my soul and name! I won't be Claire, if I didn't let them vomit blood. Let the death be my mattress and Hell my eternity if I didn't keep my words then!
And then, I remembered what a fake acceptance I gave myself . .
The pretended complacency I gave to myself to accept this adoption. . .
What a joke!