Chapter 1
There was a time for my glory, the time when I can dance without a blood-stained my dress, a time when I felt the warmth of love, a touch, a kiss, a time when I can giggle and laugh in happiness, a time when I can see my mother smiling so dearly to me.
I have to admit, she was the prettiest woman that I ever saw. She is kind, graceful, and diligent, nevertheless, she was notorious for the murder of the emperor's favorite concubine. But what can she do really, she was overwhelmed by her own jealousy.
Although the fact that she is an empress. She was an abandonment for the emperor, she was so lonely and heartbroken. Betrayed by her own love, she realized how foolish she was thinking that her engagement was caused by love but it was merely an old fantasy. She realized that she was married due to political foreplay, from there on she was shamelessly having an affair with the dukes, pouring her self with liqueur, money, and sex.
Her life as an embarrassment to the royal family finally have cut to an end, she was beheaded due to a murder act.
I still remember that night, when she called me to her room.
"Forgive me, my child," she said with her tears flowing from her eyes down to her neck.
"Please forgive me, your foolish mother, because, in the end, I cannot handle my own emotions. Would you forgive me ?" she said desperately with a pity full smile.
"yes, mother I never once blame you, I always have my love for you," I said.
"Thank you, hick--, Thank you, now my child. Listen tomorrow it will be my last, I'm afraid I have to leave this place, but if it is possible. May I have a last favor to ask?"
"Yes mother, what is it ?"
"Would you like to conduct an act of revenge for me?" she said with her thumb brushing at my cheeks
"revenge?"
"yes revenge, you must take that tyrant life and the crown for me," she said with a stern eyes
"yes, mother," I said obediently.
"Good, thank you, darling. Its time for you to go to sleep" she said with a helpless smile and kiss in my forehead.
That was her last kissed to me, I was too naive to understood.
I never thought that my mother will die in such a humiliating way. That day a soldier came to my room without manner nor words, he grabbed my arms with his rough palm and dragged me out from my bed. He walked at a fast pace until I can feel my body walk pass through the wind outside the castle.
"where are we going?, please let me go," I ask him nicely, but he didn't answer
"Mr.soldier?" I said once again seeking an answer.
my eyes flooded with tears, I was scared of his actions, I called him for the second time with my cracking voice, I still remember his face, a man with eagle eyes and cold expression. he never looked back after hearing my second call and still walk forward leaded by the sunlight.
When we move closer outside, I heard voices scream in hatred, sadness, and disappointment. At first, it was only mumbling until later I realized that it was voices of people screaming to a figure on top of large wooden stage.
"Shame on you!!"
"You whore!!!"
"Shame on you!!"
I saw a figure, it was a woman with ginger hair which is wrapped neatly in a bun with a small yet elegant hairpin, her sad green eyes reflexes her own guilt.
The sunlit up her white jasmine dress and her accessories, as she stand and then prone in front of an enormous guillotine, she prayed to God as she put her neck into the guillotine, as I run and scream.
"Mother no!-Mother!!" I ran with my small legs, trying to break thru a group of people, but all I can do is scream and cry while she whispered with the motion of her lips saying.
"don't forget about me," she said again with her pitiful and helpless smile, just a second before the blade dropped, where it sliced her neck, and her head fell hard at the floor.
Her head dropped right in front of my eyes, at the edge of the stage. My own vision shook my body, and I cannot believe what I just saw. As I reach my shaken hands to her head, touch her ginger hair. Slowly facing her eyes, nose, and her cold mouth while I kept calling her desperately.
"Mother, don't leave me, mother......"
At that moment, suddenly our eyes meet. I saw her eyes half open and looked directly at my eyes, a glimpse of hope appear in my voice,
"Mother, can u hear me, mother?" I ask her while shaking her head a bit.
But I guess it was impossible to hope for her life back, cause that miracle only happened in a short time, the light in her eyes already dead. She finally look at me with a blank cold stare, my body respond to this strange incident it gives me chills. I kept staring at her dead eyes, still hoping that she would look at me once again, and I can finally say goodbye to her.
In that moment of my grieve, a man came and grabbed my mother's hair. As he raised her head to the crowd, while smeared by a proud face and then just drop her bloody head casually.
"Mo-mother......" I said while I stretch my arms to catch her head.
As soon I grabbed it, I fell to the ground. At that time all I can do is just cry and hold my mother's head tightly. My white dress was drenched with blood and dirt, just like that I was strayed at the same spot.
The soldier that took me before never came to pick me up, while all I can do there is just stare into the darkness of night. Trying to accept all this pain, while still drenched in blood
My mother's head was taken from me by a soldier, I was holding it tightly but he just pulled it from my embrace aggressively and pushed me to the dirty ground. my eyes seem so empty and hollow while my world seems to became darker as hours passed by, there are no longer colorful memories everything turned into black void. Just like that the revolt of my logic has annihilated my emotions and my fear, the resentment started to corrupt my innocent soul.
Days flipped by like an old fairy tale after that incident everything came back as the way it usually be. Nobles with their carriages, slaves dying on the ground, people come and go with a smile on their faces. The reek of garbage and sweat enveloped my body, no longer I can see the white color in my thin dress. My ginger hair started to lose its volume, it became so messy and dirty, similar to a bird's nest. My finger is also covered with blood stain and dirt, I am starved for days, I have lost my nobility. Can you even imagine it?!, even an old lady does not feel any pity over me, well I have to admit I was lucky enough to survive, once in a rare occasion someone would actually gave me a slice of bread.
Slowly I am aware that my own father threw me away for his own good, he never once tried to search me seems like it was already planned. He must ordered that rude soldier who dragged me out form the castle to dump me, I am certain with my own doubts this time, even tho I am still too young to speculate this world and people in it. In fact, never once I heard rumors such as "the king is searching for his beloved daughter" not even once, all I heard is " the king has confirm that the princess Adna is a bastard child". This awareness turn into flame of anger, he is the one who made my mother suffer, sinned, and died.
So this is what it felt, the thirst of revenge. I once again remember her last wish, at first, I did not know why she said the word "revenge". But now seeing it and experience it my self, it has awoken a demon inside me, and it made me wanted to tear apart the perception of the perfect life after all, perfect life is a lie upon itself.
I began to live my life with agony and hatred, sitting in the dirty street staring at the empty space thinking how?, how am I get my revenge to that old fart?. I am simply a young fragile little girl, with no nobility. All I have is just my dignity and determination of winning.
Fortunately, a big wagon stopped in right front of me. A big platinum black wagon with a noble emblem coated in gold in the middle was pulled out by elegant white horses with angelic wings. And when the door opened there was an old man with a noble suit, there is no such thing as suspicion. Because He is my grandfather, his green emerald eyes resembled my mother's eyes which resembled mine too. While, he loses his ginger hair, yet he still looked kind. It's been so long since I saw him in person. He looked at me with his concerned eyes it almost looked like he is going cried.
"good evening, Adna," he said with a forceful smile. I can see the crack smile of him almost leak out his sadness.
"Good evening, Duke" I answer.
"would you care to join me for dinner? young lady" he said, as he held out his black-gloved hand.
"But I'm dirty, I smelled like garbage," I said with an embarrassed face.
"its okay Adna, we can take care of it later on," he said with a warm smile.
With hesitation, I held out my dirty hands towards his hand but, before I can put my hand to his palm he decided to grabbed my hand first.
"are you okay? your hand is freezing, you looked haggard my child, and a bit pale" he asked with concern face
"yes, grandpa. I'm fine" I answer with an honest happy smile.
Just like that, my life is saved........
Continue......
