Chapter 01: Do you believe in Fairytales?

***

"Do you believe in fairytales?" he asked.

Instead of giving him the answers that I have, I remain silent and kept on looking at the horizon in front of us. We're at the beach where my family owns. It is the island between our two countries. A beautiful island where we always go when we want to be with each other. The loud laughters at the back of us were proofs that our families have their own world aside from us.

I kept on savoring the beauty of the different color of the sky. It was a sunset. A beauty that was made by the great creator. I always admire it that it never fails to captivate my heart.

"Do you believe in them, Verena?" he asked again. Getting impatient of my silence. I look at my side where he was. "In fairytales?"

Sitting beside each other on the sand with an inch away were too close but my safest place. My own horizon that always captivates me. Those magical eyes he have were always bright when it looks at me. He is the color at the full brightness. My own kind of safest place. The comfort zone. My home.

"What you do think witches choose to be a villain?" instead, I asked.

He seems to think about that he paused for a few seconds and answer, "Because they don't have their own fairytale? They don't have their own prince and own castles. And maybe they are not pretty at all." he chuckled but stopped when I never even laughed at his own joke.

"Witches are the prettiest, Joaquin." I stated the fact. Good thing he's listening. "They are the princess that was promised to be saved but wasn't." I explained and look deeply in his eyes. "The prince, who promised them forever, abandoned them. That's why witches create curses and casted it upon the kingdoms and nations to show them what kind of princess they made." I smirk when I saw a hint of fear in his eyes and avoid my gaze.

He, immediately, stand and offer his hand. I reach his hand and helped my to stand up. We watched for the last time the horizon until the sun take his sleep. It was the time when we look up to the moon and let her captivate our hearts by it's beauty. That night, we enjoy the bonfire made by the elders of the family and listen to the stories of bravery they have.

By midnight, Joaquin and I, decided to sit again on the sand and feel the midnight breeze of the ocean. We look up to the stars and admire it's beauty.

"What do you think about stars, Joaquin?" it was my time to asked him. Without looking back at me, he remain his eyes up to the sky then answer me,

"They are majestic." he smile with his answer.

"Stars are the shattered pieces of the moon's heart, Joaquin. There will always a beauty in broken pieces." I explained to him and it is the time when he look back at me with questioning eyes.

"You will marry me even with those theories you have, Verena." He countered and stand up and offer his hand again.

When I reach it and stand up, he still never let go of my hand. Instead, he put his another hand on my waist. The other one puts my both hands on his shoulders and slowly sway our bodies. We dance with our own music by the waves of the ocean.

"You won't abandon me, right, Joaquin?" I asked while slightly looking up at him. He is towering me by his height, I'm envious.

"I won't." he smile gave me assurance that he won't break it.

"You will still by my side even if I am not that kind?" I asked, again.

"I will be your fire in the cold world you have. I will be you sun in the darkness. And you stars that will guide you towards the right path. I will be your lighthouse in the terrible ocean that will guide you to the safe island." he was full of emotion when he tell it to me. As if he was saying his vows. He look at me with his magical eyes and I can see my future in his eyes. "I will be your safest place. I will always be your home that will always welcome you."

I smile at him that made him stilled for a second and continue to sway slightly our bodies. It was one of the rarest occasions when Yva Verena Salvatore, smiles.

But years have past, the happiest moments of my life were shattered into pieces. As I watched someone burning by those terrible flames and screaming my name. Telling me to save her but all I did was watch her burn. I can still feel the frightening scene and the hotness of the flames. My trembling body never calms down as my family was furiously walk back and forth to think of something that might help me. They can't ask me anything that might trigger the trauma that I have experienced from the kidnappers. It was the psychiatrist advised.

Days have passed, I can still feel the fear they inject inside me that gave me sleepless nights. The murder in their eyes makes me remember the misery that they gave me. I can't stop from crying. Wanting someone that might give me the warmth that I need. But even my family can't give me. I search for my little fire. My sun. My home. The one who promised me.

There I found him.

In the island that I thought would gave me the healing I need. I look into his eyes only to see the coldness it has. The cruelness it has just like what those monster have.

"You never save her. You just let her die. Why can't you just die, Verena?" he utter with full of hatred and anger. "Why did you survive when all of them died! You weren't worth of living! You cold hearted witch!" he shouted again.

My family and his run towards us and was about to tear us apart to avoid some bickering again when I spoke up, "Are you abandoning me, Joaquin?" I finally asked when with pain in my eyes. Wishing that his answers won't be the one that creep in my mind. But then, just like how the stars shines in the night sky, I was also a broken one. That moment when he look at me. There was no emotions in those. No softness anymore. It was full of hatred. And at that moment I knew, I lost my mother and the remaining affection from my family and now, I was about to loss my safest place. I was about to loss my lighthouse who promised me a safe path. My reason to live.

"Yes. I'm abandoning you, Verena." he answers straight into my eyes.

And that was the moment, darkness welcomed me.

***

I close the book that I finished and sip on my cup of coffee. I savor it's bittersweet flavor and close my eyes for a second. I reminisce the words and the scenery the book brought me. Exactly, how tragic the story is just like what I have.

The girl in the story live her life with so much coldness and cruelness in her heart. She became the bravest Lady in her land that other nation's envied. She was feared the most. Just like what she wants. She has everything. The luxury. The money. The fame. The title and position. But all of it never gave her the true happiness she want to attain.

"What a tragic story," I whispered.

I step out from my car and go towards a nurse beside an old woman sitting on her wheelchair. We're at the garden of a hospital where persons have mental illness stay and heal. The wrinkled-face of the old woman lift her gaze and look into mine. I gave her a smile when her trembling hands start to point on me. Her glaring and scared eyes were visible in me. I motioned the nurse to left us and give us privacy. She gave me a perplexed expression because of the behavior my grandmother was giving me. I smile at her with assurance that everything is okay.

I kneel one my knees to clearly see her face. "Did you miss me, Josie?" I asked with an eerie smile on my lips. Her frightened eyes are looking at me. "Do you enjoy living here?" I asked, again. I grab her pointing hand and held it, tightly. I look at her wrinkled skin. "What a shame. You're already an old being." I chuckled and lift my head to see her. "Do you really have dementia? How could you forget those times that we always play?" my smile disappeared. "After being away, you are the first person I wanted to see, Josie."

"Die." she whispered. Her trembling lips and the difficulty to maintain her calm breathing can't voice out the words she wanted to spite on me. Just like how the old times. The coldness of my eyestare the the old woman infront of me gathering her stregth to get away from my grasp. She cast away my hands from her and lift both of her hands to reach my neck. She was about to choke me but I grab both of her arms. "Dieee!!!!!"

"I can't die, Josie." I stated and leaned to her face even more. "Witches casted spells into their bodies to avoid death." I whispered with my eerie voice. I glance on her frightened eyes. "How could you forget the witch who gave you the right to live?" I accused with painful in my voice but I just chuckled a bit. "How could you forget me?" I asked with resentment in my voice. She stilled when I let go her left arm. I raise my hand and reach her face. Mas lalo siyang natigilan ng marahan kong haplusin ang kaniyang kulubot at maputlang pisngi at mas lalo pang nabigla nang ilapit ko ang kaniyang kaniyang palad sa aking pisngi. I can feel her soft hands that I closed my eyes for a few second.

And when I open it, I look at her with bloodshot eyes. Her eyes slowly widened and start to resisting from me. "You will breath because I want to. You will talk because I let you. You will live because I said so." I stare at her with murder in my eyes. "You will die whenever I want, Josephine Sotelo." I casted and stood up letting go of her arms.

Her wobble and shaky body rest on the backrest of her wheelchair. The caregiver turn her wheelchair and started to walk away.

I turn my back from them and return to my car. I will make sure that this is not the last time we will see each other, Josephine.

Few hours past, we arrived in a two story house. I roam my eyes at the tall trees around it. It has a dark eery ambiance. After a decade, I'm back.

To the cursed castle.

"Welcome home, Lady Yva." the servants lined up on the entrance and bow their heads. There is no changed. All the same.

Still cold.

Still alone.

Nothing has changed

One of the servants gladly guide me towards my old room. They opened the two-door entrance of my room and when I stepped in, they closed it. It was still the same. From the huge yet soft bed to the bookshelves where my mother used to read for me before I sleep. I trace my hand to the shelves to make sure if it was clean. I am impress on how they maintain everything from here.

I look at the side table beside my bed to see the picture frames where our family photo was in there. My lips twiched when I recall those happy moments of us. I reach the photo frame and hide it at the drawer of the table.

These room is where I can feel a bit of safe place. The vintage style of our palace never goes out of style. I changed my clothes into a night gown and get my glass of wine — that I order from one of the servant to get me one — to make me sleep tonight. I am a liqour dependant when night comes. I have to drink or I will have another set of sleepless nights. I open the glass door to enjoy my full view of the city lights in my balcony. I took a sip of my wine and look up to the sky.

I savour the cold wind of the starry night and close my eyes as I reminisce the old times.

"Do you believe in fairytales?"

A smirk crept in my lips as I open my eyes and look at the city lights. Avoiding the shining moon on the sky and the beauty of the stars. They all just give me heartaches. All of the things that I think beautiful were the ones whose giving me heartaches. Only pain. I hate it. I don't want it.

That's why I don't like fairytales, but I believe in them. They give us the fantasy that were never exist. This is the reality. If they choose to be a damsel in distress kind of princess, or a Prince that would save them, or a Queen that would rule a Kingdom, or a King that would slay any dragons that can destory his empire, I will be the witch in those stories.

I will decide on how the story will go. I will give them my curses and will cast my spells. I will end some love stories and give them the tragedies. I won't turn them away from the real world because fairytales are only dreams they wanted to have, they wishes to have.

They have to wake up from those dreams. And I will be that wicked beautiful witch.