Alaia suddenly sat up from the bed, eyes wide open staring at an empty space. Sweats are forming on her forehead and running down her chest, coating her white thin shirt.
"Dreamed about it again?"
Alaia raised her eyes and saw her right hand, Leo, in his human form, standing in the doorway and holding the doorknob, looking like he just opened the door.
Alaia just averted her eyes from Leo and heaved an exasperated sigh. She pushes her body down to the mattress, making a squeaking sound then pulled her blanket and covered her whole body. She no longer has any plan of sleeping and just wants to lie down while thinking of nothing.
"Do you want me to send a breakfast for you, Your Highness?"
Alaia removed the blanket over her head and just stared at the ceiling.
"No need Leo. I'll go and get one. Just inform Jace that we'll leave later after I ready myself."
"As you wish Your Highness," Leo uttered and vowed before leaving Alaia alone and closing the door.
Now that she was alone, her dream crossed her mind again.
Oh, right, today is my death's anniversary, at least that's what Julian and his bitch mother are thinking. Six years quickly passed since that nightmare happened. There's no way I will ever forget that day. There's no way I will ever forget what happened that night and everything that I heard. That event turned my whole life in a hundred and eighty degrees. That event made my life a living hell.
A miracle? That's what the angel said when she and Alaia first met. Alaia can't even distinguish if they met in the real world or in the other world. And if they met in the other world, were they in heaven? In hell? She doesn't know. She can't fully remember what exactly happened that time or how that even happened. The only thing she can remember is what the angel said at that time.
"I am Ruth and I am an angel that's just been exiled from heaven. I heard your cries and regrets. I felt your strong determination to get revenge on the people who betrayed you. I'll give up my whole life and give my breath and power all to you. You will be resurrected and you will attain powers that a mere mortal will never get no matter what they do. Time will pause for you as you won't get old. You will only die when you finally get the revenge that you want: to kill the people that killed you and your loved ones. Go, kill them, mercilessly."
When Alaia opened her eyes after hearing those words, she was brought back into life and all her fatal wounds suddenly healed. She's still wearing the clothes she wore the night she died. Her clothes are all torn with blood-stained but she no longer cares about that. When she woke up she was in a forest that she had never gone by before. She assumed that her bitch mother and brainless brother had decided to just throw her body far from their kingdom and let the wild animals devour her. Miraculously, her body parts are still complete.
When her eyes caught a glimpse of the stars again while lying on the moist grassland, she wanted to push herself up and proceed with revenge since that's the only way why she was given the second chance to live. She isn't feeling at least a bit of fear or worry if she can actually take her revenge alone. She felt like what happened changed her whole personality. She's no longer the soft and princess-like Alaia. She realized the most important thing, that even the people who are blood-related to you can betray you just for power and selfish reasons. You shouldn't trust anyone, especially mortals because it can kill you just like what happened to her.
It's not like Alaia is no longer working or interacting with humans, she is. She actually has one loyal human servant that is the one who's interacting with the people of different Kingdoms. His name is Ivan. Alaia saved him in a near-death situation and since then he never left Alaia's side. He said that his father disowned him when he learned that Ivan isn't swinging the way he wants. Putting it into simple words, Ivan isn't interested in women. Alaia never wants to take Ivan with her. Ivan is a mortal and she doesn't have trust in them but Ivan is persistent. He begged and proved himself countless times so, in the end, Alaia gave him a chance.
Ivan isn't the only whose working for Alaia. She got a bunch of creatures, yeah, creatures, that are now serving her with all their lives. Most of them are doing it to repay the favor that Alaia did for them. While others just don't have a place to go so they decided to just serve the princess upon learning the blessing she received from an angel. They knew what happened to the princess, Alaia didn't hesitate on telling them and they swore to support and help the princess until she gets her revenge.
Her right hand, named Leo is a werewolf but can take the human form. As well as Jace, which is a white-winged horse. All creatures that are living with her can take the human form, as Alaia granted them the privilege. She said that it would be more convenient and easy to work on with the said form.
After eating her late breakfast and preparing to leave, Alaia exited the palace she built and went to an open field where she made a grave for her brother Easton and father. Of course, their bodies aren't there but in the Kingdom of Floria. She knew too well that she won't be able to enter the kingdom so she just made graves for her two loved ones. The guards, the people, and of course her brother Julian will recognize her since it hasn't been that long since she died, at least that's what they knew.
Alaia wondered what will be her brother's reaction. She pictured that scene a thousand times already. She pictured the shocked expression or how will he beg and cry for forgiveness that Alaia will never give. She will make him suffer little by little and then kill him mercilessly. The thought of it is making her really excited. She knew that wishing a bad thing for someone or being happy to see someone suffering is unscrupulous but does it still matter in her situation? Can she really be blamed? She didn't deserve to be killed that night and yet her brother and mother didn't even hesitate in stealing her life away. If lives are what they stole then isn't it right to steal the same thing?
With the help of Ivan, she got to enter the Kingdom of Floria. She's wearing a mask, a white mask that is covering half of her face, along with a dark green cloak. Alaia has two masks she's using when she's stepping out of her palace. She's wearing her white mask if she will enter the Kingdom of Floria. While her other mask, her beast mask is for intimidating someone or when she will face a mortal or any creature outside the Kingdom. Just like how she met the creatures who are willingly serving her right now though she doesn't understand why they ended up being loyal to her than being intimidated and running in fear. She guessed, maybe she was still too soft for someone who's wearing a beast mask.
Alaia looked around, watching the people, wondering what they are doing and what they are talking about. Julian may be bad and selfish as a brother and prince but not that bad as a king. Throughout all the years that Alaia's been watching her brother and the whole Kingdom, she clearly saw that the Kingdom is becoming wealthier and more powerful. If Alaia will disregard how the fact her brother became the king, then he will see him as a great King, but no- she no longer cares about those things. What's only important for her now is to get her revenge, to kill her brother.
Alaia didn't stay there for too long. She just looked around and then left. She wanted to keep a low profile and she doesn't want any of the royal family or anyone directly serving them to see her. They will surely find her suspicious with that cloak and mask. If that happens, her identity will surely be revealed and her plan to get perfect revenge will just remain a plan.
"Ivan, I'll get back now, continue with your business here."
"Yes, Your Highness. I'm wishing you a safe trip on your way back to the palace." Ivan said and bowed his head. He only lifted it up when Alaia had already left.
On her way home, Alaia was lost in her thoughts while riding Jace. She was devising a plan. She's thinking of a kind of revenge that would be perfect when Leo interrupted her thoughts while running side by side with Jace.
"Two people were running on our way, Your Highness. I can smell danger. They looked like running away from someone or something. What will we do? Are we going to change our route or just let them pass while hiding our presence?"
"Let's do the latter." Alaia calmly answered and immediately wear her beast mask. The three stopped and hid in the thick grass and trees. They waited patiently for the two people to come closer and just past them.
Alaia furrowed her brows at the sight of a pregnant woman and a man who are both in their mid-40s already, running away in fear. Because the woman is pregnant and looked like she's only a month away from giving birth, they are having a hard time running away. Alaia is sure that whoever's chasing them will sooner or later reach them.
Alaia cursed at the idea that squeezed itself into her mind. There was a part of her mind that was saying that she should save the two. She doesn't want to stick her nose into other people's businesses but maybe because Ruth was once an angel, she always has that soft side and desire in saving people.
"Let's help them," Alaia uttered while keeping her eyes on them. Jace and Leo no longer became shocked to hear that from Alaia, they kind of expected that already.
Alaia slowly stepped out with Leo walking behind her while Jace was left behind in the tall grass since he can't be of any help when it comes to fighting.
When the old man and his wife saw Alaia with her beast mask and Leo in his wolf's form, they trembled even more in fear. The first thing that crossed their mind is Alaia and Leo are accomplices of the bandits that were chasing them. Feeling hopeless, the old man fell to his knees and lowered his head until it touched the ground.
"I'm begging you. Please have mercy on us. We didn't do anything wrong. We're from the Kingdom of Carval and on our way to the Kingdom of Floria. We're just normal citizens. Please let us pass."
The pregnant woman can't kneel and beg just like her husband but she did lower her head, closed her eyes, and lifted her clasped hands up to her lips while mumbling the words "Please spare our lives."
Alaia just watched them beg. She didn't say any word until the bandits that were chasing the two, appear. The bandits stopped running and stared at them, assessing the situation while the old man and his wife just kept their heads low, trembling even more in fear.
The bandits whispered at each other, asking each other if they knew who's the person behind the beast mask but no one has any idea. Alaia no longer waited for the bandits to say something and just stared at them behind her beast mask. Without looking back at Leo, she said in a fake heavy beast-like voice, "You know what to do."