PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
|| Violence Ahead!
CLARA NYMERIA ABELLONA
“Those Whom I Mark For Death…”
I mumbled through clenched teeth, pulling my knees closer to my chest as my whole body was trembling from the trauma— Not from coldness— Of those people who threw me away, visited me for mockery, and worst of all, took away my innocence without my permission. It all comes down to losing my title as the Princess of Abellona.
“I will kill you all… I will kill you, I will kill—” My voice cracked from the strong emotion I am feeling, “I will make sure every one of you suffers.” I clenched my teeth tighter, feeling the fury inside of me. Tears blurred my vision— Not just because I’m sad but from the anger filling inside of me, as a flashback happened to show me what I have been through— My mind kept echoing one word: vengeance.
As the sound of the horses’ hooves clapping to the ground, we’ve finally arrived at my kingdom. My people; I did not expect them to throw stones at me when I arrived.
The knights quickly shield me with their shielding magic. I was startled by the events, I expect my people to respect me, but this? This was unexpected; they were enraged.
“You failed to protect your people!”
“How dare you show your presence!”
“Leave this kingdom!”
Were the things I have heard—What can I do? Nothing. I held back tears, and it started to blur my vision, but I kept my composure until I was inside the kingdom. A slap echoed inside the kingdom, bringing hissing pain to my right cheek.
“You ungrateful child! You are such a shame to this kingdom!”
I looked back at my father in bewilderment, with my hand on my right cheek as tears started to roll down from my eyes. Father was filled with rage and disappointment, and as for my mother, she just stood there, snickering at the situation that I am having with my father.
“I have tried to defend our kingdom…” I looked down, biting my lips as my hands formed a fist— Restraining my emotions, “we will never get involved in this war if you have listened to me!” I lifted my head with a glare.
“SILENCE!”
Father raised his hand and struck me again, “you failed your duty as the princess of this Kingdom! From this day on ward, your title as the princess of Abellona will be remove—”
“That is absurd!—” I was cut off with another slap across my cheek. There was a moment of silence between me and my kin, at this point I could not do anything to defend myself.. I thought frustratingly.
“Take her to the dungeon and imprison her.”
I looked at my father, “no, no, no, wait! You cannot do this to your own daughter— Father, please!” I begged as I was on my knees, looking up at him with teary eyes, and grabbed his hand.
He looked down on me with disgust written all over his face, “well then, I might as well disown you.” His words stabbed me in the heart, my eyes widened in shock. He pulled his hand away, wiping it through his coat, “take her away, now.”
He walked away with mother beside him. My gaze followed them as I sat there, not knowing what emotions to feel as his words echoed inside my head; so many emotions bottled up inside me.
The knights helped me get up from the ground and took me to the dungeon. I was ruined, I could not do anything to defend myself, nor to make things right. Just because I failed to defend my kingdom.
Three days had passed. I am sitting down on the cold, hard floor with my back leaning on the wall while biting my thumb nail. I was going crazy, I’ve been in this chamber for three consecutive days with no food or even water that should quench my thirst.
As I remember that moment with my kin, pure rage rose in me. “Thou shall not kill, thou shall not kill, thou shall not kill—” I whispered soothingly to myself, trying to calm myself down— The rage inside of me only kept growing and growing as I had another flashback.
My eyes widened in shock as those voices came closer to my chamber, and I felt hope rising in me, “friends! You’re here! Please help—”
I was cut off due to the vibe they were giving me that I could not understand, “friends? Sorry, we cannot be your friends in this state, Princess— Oh, wait, I meant to say Clara. I forgot you are no longer the princess of this kingdom, how sad,” Davian snickered.
“Davian, please. Have some respect, she’s still our ‘friend..’” Villiara said, hooking her arm with his and leaning into him. I was relieved but somehow her words sound sarcastic.
A knight then came by and opened my chamber, “thank you. You may go now,” Villiara smiled at the knight before he left. In a blink of an eye, my body flew against the wall as I was pinned by the vines.
This.. This magic, this is—
“Angel, don’t be so hard on her, please?” Villiara clasped her hands together with a smile, and leaned.
Something’s not right… This feeling that I’m having tells me that somethings wrong.. My thoughts trailed off as soon as I saw Villiara’s true intentions, everything was in slow motion— Seeing her sweet smile turned into a smirk.
“She’s still our ‘friend’~”
I screamed in agony as the vines grew thorns, piercing through my arms and legs.
“Thou shall not kill, thou shall not kill—” I kept whispering through biting my thumbnail.
I coughed up blood as my whole body was in a state of becoming a corpse, I sat up with my whole body trembling. A punch landed on my stomach again, I grunted and whimpered from the pain it gave me constantly.
I lied on the floor, catching my breath while blood was dripping from my mouth. A hand grabbed my face, forcing me to look at them, “let me leave a mark on you, shall we?” Angel smiled viciously. I shook my head rapidly, for I was afraid of what would happen next. She snickered— Intense pain struck my shoulder, making my eyes widened— I was terrified.
My eyes slowly glanced down on my shoulder as my mouth was slightly opened. My whole body was shaking as I saw what was on my shoulder— A rose embedded on my shoulder. I started tearing up as I looked at Angel, begging for her to stop while I shook my head. But she laughed hysterically and embedded it deeper in my shoulder.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
My breathing was starting to become rapid and more tense, “thou shall not kill…” Another flashback occurred.
“Isn’t she pretty, Davian?” I flinched, she grabbed a full of my hair and lifted up to show my face to Davian, who I saw a glimpse of an expression I could not describe, huh?... I thought suspiciously.
“Whatever you say,” Davian looked away while Villiara was clinging onto him, “don’t be harsh on her, please?.. She’s still part of our group…” Something in me triggered, making charge toward Villiara.
“Kyaa!”
I tackled her down and started choking her as she breathed for air, looking at me petrified. I wasn’t showing any expression, I just kept choking her until Nicholas and Davian got me off from her. I started throwing tantrums, “let me go! Let go of me!” Completely ignoring the harsh pain my shoulder was going through.
In slow motion, I saw a person who was a little distant from us— Looking at me with pity and she looked sort of scared to come forward, Sasha?... I thought, and I was confused why she was a little far from this group.
Now that I realized, where are the other knights?.. I thought suspiciously as my eyes scanned the dungeon.
I was thrown back in my chamber, while hearing Villiara coughed for air, and Nicholas’ snickering, “you are sure strong. Which means another mark to leave—”
“No, no, no. Please, no more, no more!” I begged, backing away with my back hitting the wall. Nicholas, who bent down to my height with his knees, “don’t worry, mine is going to be later~” He brushed his hand across my face.
His face was suddenly blurry as my attention focused on Davian who looked— Angry?... I was confused, and Nicholas must have noticed that I wasn’t paying attention to him as he suddenly slapped me.
“Nicholas, that’s enough!” Davian abruptly yelled. I heard him walking toward me and Nicholas, who got up, “woah, relax. Then it’s your turn, my friend~”
Shivered ran down my spine when I realized they were not done with me yet. I looked up and saw Davian in front of me with a dagger in his hand, “Davian, please.. I beg of you..” I then saw another glimpse of that same expression I saw a while ago.
He bent down with his legs giving him support, “are you going to do it or not? Or perhaps… You are a coward?” The moment Nicholas questioned whether he was scared or a coward, Davian dug the dagger on one of my thighs, making scream in pain.
“Please, stop! Please! I beg of you, Davian!” I begged looking at him, holding his hand as I tried to make him take out the dagger, and the way he looked at me, made my eyes wide and will forever stay in the back of my head.
It was getting hard for me to breathe as I kept chanting the same thing, “thou shall not kill…” While I recalled all those memories, my vision got blurry as the darkness overcame my vision.
“Thou shall not kill…” Something in me snapped, making me scream out loud in agony, feeling my body burning as if I was being burned alive and then, everything went dark.
“We’ll be leaving now. Nicholas, are you coming?” Angel asked.
I was lying on the floor with my whole body aching in pain, going through a lot. Dried tears resting on my cheeks, eyes aching in pain, as for my shoulder was still embedded with a rose.
“Yes, I will follow later. You and the others can go ahead,” with that, it was just me and Nicholas.
The atmosphere of the chamber I’m in suddenly changed to something more menacing than ever, before I knew it— The most viscous and devilish of them all, was someone who was left behind with me.
“Now that everyone is gone. I wonder what kind of body figure you have beneath those dirty clothes, hm?”
I shook my head once again, crying as I begged for mercy, “please, no more…”
Dear Almighty God, please make it stop!.. I thought, losing hope.
He only smirked as he licked his lips.
“Your highness?..” Voices echoed in my ears. I flinched from the feeling of someone touching me, and opened my eyes slowly.
“Oh, my goodness. She’s in a bad condition!”
My vision was still blurry as I opened my eyes completely, and blinked a few times until it was stable. Casimir helped me sit down, using his body as a support for me to lean on, “Your highness, please, stay still. This is an antidote given by the Empress of Rose— Though it may heal you but the wounds will be scarred,” he placed the bottle of antidote near my lips while I opened my mouth lightly.
Is it from Sasha?.. I thought— Relief that I still have a friend. Casimir poured the antidote in my mouth, and felt my body suddenly becoming light as a feather. I sat up properly and reached my hand to my shoulder where the rose was embedded, now gone and was replaced with a scar instead.
I looked at Casimir and then around us, there were a few people who I knew and served me: The Head Maid, The Lord Commander, along with the three personal knights that my kin gave me, had seen me in this state as they all seemed to be devastated and shocked.
The Head Maid gasped as she looked at me, “yo— Your eyes… You have the late king’s eyes, your highness…”
Hmm… Is that why I felt like my body was burning? Was it a sign of change in my body? Have I perhaps awakened my grandfather’s bloodline?..
“Y— Your highness, I sincerely and deeply apologize for not—” I raised my right hand, the Lord Commander flinched and looked down, “I am no longer the Princess of Abellona, instead—..”
I looked at each of them as they waited for me to finish what I was saying. I smiled evilly, “I will be your future Empress..”
The Head Maid and the Lord Commander looked at each other in shock. As for Casimir, he helped me get up, “are you all willing to help me escape?” I smiled brightly, but deep down I want and will kill everyone who was in my way of revenge.
Vengeance will come to each of you..
