1 THE AWAKENING

The constant ringing of the alarm made Samera jolt from her deep sleep. She was confused and she was still panicking from everything that had happened to her. Her robe was spoilt with sweat as her breathing was still ragged. It felt like she had been running for a very long time and only now was she able to take a deep breath and slowly realize that her surroundings has changed, she suddenly left out a small yelp.

Confusion and hysteria were both running wild into her head that she stopped moving for a minute. She processed everything slowly as she observed her new surroundings.

From the cold breeze of the night to a warm embrace of the dawn, from the men chasing her behind to her wound-free feet, and from the endless trees and dark unknown pathways, to where she was now-- lying on her bed comfortably in her nightgown. Everything was a little bit hazy and bizarre.

She clearly remembered running into the dark forest after her mansion was invaded by The King's royal guards. Then she found herself in the middle of nowhere trying to run for her life. It was a nightmare for a businesswoman and a mistress to a King like her who had never exercise before and so not even fifteen minutes later, she was already out of breath.

However, she has to continue crossing the Synx river. She knew it wasn't that far away from her isolated mansion and she knew it was a border from her Kingdom to a different Kingdom. She hoped that once she had successfully reached the other side, the King's men could no longer touch her and she would live a free life. Starting all over again.

" I must make haste! They were as of now catching up on me. I must make it to the other side," she said consoling herself, or more like giving herself a false hope.

However, the river of Spynx was known to have dangerous currents and deadly whirlpools. Out of the twenty people who crossed the infamous river within the span of a year after Prince Reagan was announced the New King, only five of them make it safely into the other side.

Besides, the river was wide and deep. For a five-foot woman like her, she could be carried away by the river flow effortlessly and died of drowning. Still, she took her chance. She would rather die in the river than in the hands of her perpetrator because that would only rule out an accidental drowning. Her family would not endure the results of being derided by high-ranking families just because a relative of theirs had angered the King, and was assassinated. Something that was distant from the truth, and one thing she needed to avoid.

Imagining the disappointed faces of her cousins, her uncle Leo, and her aunt Lizzie, who had adopted her after her parents died, was too much for her to take. She never wanted them to badmouth her for the rest of their lives and the little care they have for her would vanish like a water vapor into thin air as she would be buried all alone in an unmarked grave. Being forgotten by the rest of the world was worse, but being forgotten by your own family was even worst.

In the last second of hesitation, Samera bounced into the frigid water of Synx and close her eyes as she disintegrate into the icy cold water that was piercing her like a small needle. She opened her eyes and looked down to see nothing but vast emptiness and an unending abyss. She gathered all her strength to paddle her way up to the other side as she watched in blurry vision the roots of the trees that were sticking out of the water not that far from where she was.

'I just have to put all my energy into reaching and clinging to that roots and I'd be free,' she persuaded herself.

With each ounce of her energy spend on rowing, she was getting out of breath so she decided to stick her head into the water just to gasp for some air. Unfortunately for her, the royal guards had been waiting for her to bring her head out of the water so they can start shooting her. Once she did, they carefully pointed out their riffle at her and shoot her. The first shoot was a missed and so Samera did her best to dive back into the water.

However, since she had been running for thirty minutes and now she had been paddling into the cold icy water, she lost all her strength and in a split second, she was hit with a bullet. The last thing she remembered was being surrounded by cold water mixed with her warmblood as she lost her consciousness.

Twenty years ago, when she was still a young and innocent 23-year old who inherited her father's watchmaking business, she fell in love with the future King. His charms and good looks really made him wrapped her all around his fingers like an obedient dog just waiting for her owner to come around. Unfortunately, she had never realized that her deadly infatuation towards the Crown Prince would make her the great enemy to his fiance, 3rd cousin, later Queen Consort, Princess Donna.

Although her name means Lady, she does not act like a proper lady at all. She was overzealous of her, and would always plot something that will make her a laughing stock in front of the Royal crowds.

Back when the Prince was still not a King, he would always defend her but after he had become one, defending a mistress could no longer bring him a better reputation for his people. What kind of people would support a King who preferred his mistress more? So with that, he started becoming cold to her and within ten years after she become his official concubine, he had finally decided to get rid of her.

After she had come to her senses and calm down, she realized that she was in her old room and not inside the unloving cold mansion she used to sleep in for the last 20 years of her life before her eventful end. She started panicking once again.

"This isn't genuine! What was befalling of me? What am I doing here? For what reason am I back?"

She pulled her hair to affirmed in case she was simply dreaming or was this because she had reached her afterlife where all of her troubles fade into one blissful memory that she started hallucinating the past.

"This can't be. This shouldn't be my hereafter!--Or perhaps, this should be the thing I had been needing since the time I chose him over-- No! I ought not to make reference to that obnoxious Hornswoggler*. He and his Queen should both go to hell!"

As she was about to stand up and look around the room, she heard a knock on the door. She embraced herself and prepared for the worst. This might be the Death trying to take away her only illusion and peace, wanting her to go back to the underworld. She hesitated for a bit after hearing it knocked twice again as she went back to her bed. Not wanting to ever go away from this fantasy that she was indeed back into her old life 20 years ago.

However, as she continued to not respond to the knock on the door, and the man didn't wait much farther and open the door to himself which frightened Samera. He had look at her confusingly as she continuously gaze at him with wide eyes. He realized he might have frightened the young mistress and so he bowed down and apologized for his sudden intrusion.

"I am very sorry for disturbing your slumber, Madam. I'm only here to convey this to you. You just got a morning letter from your dear cousin--Belle. She wanted me to personally deliver this to you asap and told me that you should be prepared for tonight's ball."

Sam could not believe her eyes. Her butler and her assistant of five years, Mr. Winstsler, had been dead for more than ten years ago. he had died of tuberculosis and serve her until his death. He was actually his father's assistant, personal servant, and close companion. They grew up together, and her father trusted him with all his heart. His father being born into a middle-class family had helped his best friend have a stable job and feed his family by giving him this job. Now he continued to serve his daughter after his untimely passing and he become her second father.

Sam was as perplexed as she'd ever been. Why is her loving relative also present if this is her afterlife? Could it mean...

"Mr. Winstler, may I inquire as to the current date?"

Taken aback by the young mistress's question, Mr. Winstler began suspecting that something was very wrong with her. She seemed very adamant and out of touch with reality as soon as he open the door.

However, knowing how busy she was these days after opening a boutique for her designed clothing, he couldn't imagine the mistress forgetting the passage of time, so after noticing her rather surprised expression, he responded:

"Madam, it was the 10th of October,"

"What year is it?"

He mentally rolled his eyes. Even the years had faded from the young Madam's memory. She appeared to have amnesia overnight. Nonetheless, he provided her with the much-needed information she requested.

"Madam, this is the Year of the Lion, the First Day of Cherry Blossoms, and the Era of Telephones, Mechanics, and Automobiles. Exactly one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years after King Raj established our empire."

Hearing him recite the year on which she would be considered 23 years old, Samera opened her mouth in disbelief. She will be 43 in 20 years and will be assassinated. Despite this, she still was able to run into the forest until she ran out of energy and accepted her faith. In 20 years, she'll be a well-known mistress of King Reagan the 8th, and everyone will despise her for it. Until the one and only man she had ever loved turned his back on her in order to gain support and abide by his wife.

"Mr. Winstler, I desired to be alone. Also, could you please inform the caretaker not to bother me till I get downstairs?"

The old butler was still perplexed, but since his mistress had ordered him to keep a safe distance from her, he had no options but to obey her.

"Certainly, madam."

Sam remained motionless in her bed for a long time after the door was shut. She couldn't believe she'd traveled back in time. Today, at the Birthday ball of her cousin, Belle's younger sister's Amber, Belle would announce to everyone that she was getting married to a high-ranking military official that serve the present King for a very long time until his death.

Then the officer would retire from his position and would bring Belle away from the central town and into a semi-rural village near the countryside where she would visit them frequently to bring her some of her favorite chocolate bars. She and the General married for love, something that was still very rare nowadays, but they never had a child, but they are content with their lives. She would catch a glimpse of them and feel envious of the life they both had.

She recalled the time Belle asked her,

"Why won't you just marry an eligible bachelor, Sam? I've heard that the Duke of York is still unmarried and that he's very alluring. You two would be perfect. Besides, I am confident that he would adore and care for you. You just don't get anything from that haughty King!"

"Shhh shhh...If the King heard you talk to him like that on his back, he had already guillotined you."

"So what? I don't care. I don't mind. He merited it for causing you torment! Particularly with his two-faced Queen who never looks twice at the mirror to see how greatly she fell behind of your beauty. If only I were more powerful than him, I would have already expelled them from this Kingdom!"

"You would not do that Isabela."

"Yes, I will Samera!!!"

"Isabela-"

Back then, Sam would only laugh at her cousin's dark jokes, and she would just go with the flow, but now that she's looking back, she came to realize she should have listened to her cousin instead.

In the King's Palace, he was pleased to be liked and accepted by people who respected and obeyed him. Meanwhile, she was living alone in a cold mansion with servants and maids who were equally unresponsive to her presence.

The only time she'd be happy was when her Prince Charming would pay her a visit and they'd go on a date after he'd traveled abroad, which only happened three times a month. He wasn't going to stay long. He had never stayed for more than two days. In fact, it seemed like his tender affection towards her had faded after years, and she felt like he had started adoring his wife.

She deeply regretted the times when Belle would scold her about her romantic feelings to the King and after she was glazed with a scandal--she was no longer able to visit her beloved cousin until her death at the Spynx river. She has nothing to blame but herself. If only she had to look around and find love for someone else, her death would not have happened. She wondered if things would be different if she agreed to be set up with the Duke of York.

She had never seen this infamous first cousin of the Crown Prince. He was one of the reasons why the King wanted her to bear his child because he didn't want her cousin, the Duke of York to get his position after he died. Sam knew how the Crown Prince despise the Duke and that he would often bring his name whenever they would cuddle naked to the bed.

"I loathe my cousin. He thinks he's bigger than me because he protects the borders from invaders and that the people in the South trusted him more than me! He ought to keep in mind that I am the Heir to the throne of this country! He must still obey me, but he still acted arrogantly and humiliated me before the royal court this morning! Did you know he called you my "pleasure doll"? That was so ill-bred of him!"

Back then she would always coax him and say words like, "Gracious you're the most prominent King this country ever has, and he would just remain the Duke of York. You were the bigger man, and he was nothing in comparison to you, Majesty!" or "How uneducated he was to insult you like that! He even believes you have a poor taste in women..." However, times have changed. She was always there for him back then. She now believed it was best to support the Duke and remained on his side instead.

"Now I know that I can use your insecurity against you, Your Majesty."

She was momentarily been cut off on her deep thoughts when the telephone started ringing continuously. She went to pick it up and heard the voice she had not heard for a long time. Her cousin---Belle.

"How are you doing?" With a worried tone, she inquired.

"Belle, I'm fine. What motivated you to call?"

"Mr. Winstler notified me that you did not wish to be disturbed. You locked yourself in your room again. Is there something that had occurred? Are you unwell? Please inform me, my dear cousin."

'(Even if I told you the truth, you'd never believe me.)'

"Oh, nothing at all. I suppose I'm just tired."

"Gracious! I'm very sorry to hear that you won't be fortunate enough to attend the ball tonight,"

"Oh. No. No. I'd still go to the ball tonight, Belle."

"There's no need, my dearest. I already informed Ambrosia that you would be unable to attend due to illness. Don't worry, my sister and I will pay you a visit tomorrow morning."

"Are you certain you'd be fine?"

"Yes. It's fine. Your Prince Charming is the only thing that won't be fine tonight."

When the Prince was mentioned, painful memories began to flood her mind, causing Sam to unconsciously grip the phone tightly.

She only recalled that the Prince had attended her cousin's birthday in her previous life, disguised as being there to support the General, Belle's fiancee but in fact, he went there so he could spend more time with her.

'I don't want to see him tonight,'

She paused briefly before Belle called her name, and she realized she was still on the phone with her.

"Are you still around, Sam?"

"Yes! I am, indeed."

"You became silent,"

"No-no-no! I am just thinking of what gift that I needed to buy so I could make up with Amber."

"No need for that. She had a lot of gifts from her politician godfather and godmother. Anyway, I'll just send you a voicemail tomorrow once we leave the house. I have to go now! I have still many things to do and prepare. Just wait for us tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Bye."

It has been almost sunset and Samera still never left her room. She didn't even eat her breakfast nor her lunch. Although her shock and disbelief had diminished these past few hours, she could still not diminished the worry in her heart.

'I need to find a way to get back at them,' she gritted her teeth.

'Surely, this plan would cause your entire clan to be distroyed.'

She said this while peering menacingly through her tainted window at the people below. An all-powerful feeling of satisfaction comes from watching people go about their daily lives.

She recalled the scandal that had destroyed her life and caused the King to turn his back on her. She didn't know how to wield a sword, and she wasn't a skilled knight. She was just a businesswoman who happened to write, and she knew that spreading gossip about the higher-ups was the most effective weapon for all. It will not only destroy them, but it will also break their facade in front of the masses, and even more so, it will bring chaos and death---just like what had happened to her.

'This time, I'm not the one being decimated. This time, I'll be the one using words to destroy you.'

She took up her pen and began to write.