1 Chapter 1- Golden Seas

If you were ever given another chance at life, would you take it? Would you sacrifice the peace and rest, at an opportunity to reset your life, do the things you've never done? Right the wrongs you've ones you've wronged?

Exhaustion dripped from my eyelids. It took all my strength to push them wide open. Slowly, light entered my eyes. I groaned as I tried to sit up, my throat as coarse as the desert. My eyebrows joined each other as I scanned the room. A large white room displayed in front of me. Little by little, I made out a wardrobe, window and large doors. The doors were grand, with both of them heavily embellished in gold and white. The softness below me pulled me in as I took in the scene in front of me. Just then, I realised a figure slumped on the corner of the bed I was on. My body jolted. The figure, a girl, got up and stared at me, her eyes wet and her cheeks flushed, her face turning from sorrowful to shock. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Ugh." I groaned. I brought my hand up to my forehead and slowly trailed down to my throat. A dizzying ache clawed at my head, a sharp pain ringing around my throat.

"You're alive, my queen!" The girl shrieked, grabbing my hand in hers.

Queen?

Who was this young woman in front of me? She was pale, but her body was tattooed in light brown freckles. Her eyes were a beautiful glint of green, similar to fresh leaves after a rain.

Green. Freckles. Air quickly entered my mouth as I inhaled sharply. Where am I? I looked around the room again. Large white walls, gold doors and- I looked down. A beautiful white dress hugged my body, a deep crimson staining the entrance of the dress. How did it take me this long to realise? I am definitely not home.

I looked at the girl in front of me. Definitely not even in my home country. Most of us are naturally brown or black-haired. In a busy mall, all you can see would be a sea of blackness.

"Princess Hana…I- You!" She stuttered, falling on her words. Her eyes shot everywhere before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. I studied her body, the baby fat, youthful glow- she couldn't be over 13. She opened her eyes. How beautiful were those big green eyes? She smiled at me gently. Soft drops of tears slid down her rosy cheeks.

"You do not know how I regretted not shielding you, your majesty. I cannot fathom why you would protect a lowly servant like me. It seems like you have saved me countless times."

Princess Hana? Alright, cut the cameras. Where's the hidden mic, camera? I've watched enough of those pranks videos on Ytube. Not to mention, I haven't even seen this girl before.

Bang! A loud sound reverberated outside the room. My head turned to a door, expecting someone to barge in. The girl in front of me, too, whipped her head to the door, then back at me. She swiftly wiped her tears, her red eyes growing even more swollen. Her grief-stricken face quickly turned, blanched with seriousness.

"I must get you out of here, my mistress. For all I've heard, you are the sole survivor." She explained as she stood up, rushing to the side of the room where she pushed the windows open. Love turned on her heels and pulled out a cloth, where she laid a book, an embellished box and a bunch of clothes she pulled out of a wardrobe. She gathered the things onto the cloth and tied them up, making a makeshift bag. A loose and heavily stained green dress and white apron trailed behind her hurried movements. And let me say, what a poor fashion choice.

"You must go, your majesty. Run to the east and there, when you see the golden seas of wheat, cross it. There, a group of survivors will lead you to safety." The girl pulled me to my feet, a strong feat from someone as scrawny as her.

Dang girl, I don't even know where I'm at. How the hell would you expect ME, a person with no sense of direction, to go east?

She dragged me to the windows and ushered me to leave. As she pulled me away, the reflection of the window panel showed me of the state I was in. My hands flew to my throat. Then I felt the large gaping laceration, winding from below my left to my right ear. A sound squeak leaped out of my throat as I tried to ask the woman in front of me what happened, panic rising in me. But she paid me no mind, she kept trying to push me down a window. I held down onto my throat to stop anymore of my blood leaking but the site, other than the blood-soaked skin, wasn't wet anymore. I wasn't bleeding any longer. Which was virtually impossible given the hanging slit in my throat.

The girl stopped and handed me the makeshift bag and pushed me towards the window. I looked down the window. It was a little less than a storey's drop. I turned to look at her, her eyes enormously huge, as if urging me to jump. Did she want me to jump? No way in hell am I jumping down that window. Especially since SHE is telling me. Hello? I'm older than you-

"Hurry!" She scolded.

Not wasting any time, I climbed onto the ledge, collecting my wits when thunderous footsteps bouldered on closer and closer to the room I was in. I wanted to chastise her for her demands, but she beat me to the chase. Who would expect such a strong bellow from her? I pulled onto the edge of the girl's sleeve, motioning her to jump with me, but she looked at me poignantly. Her eyes softened and her eyebrows lowered.

"No, your majesty. I have to hold the soldiers back."

Soldiers? I didn't know what the hell she was saying but when what sounded like a horde of elephants were running towards this room, there was no way I was leaving her behind.

I glared at her and pulled her as I jumped down.

"Yelp!"

I closed my eyes, waiting for impact, hugging her body close to mine. I was afraid that if I didn't cushion her fall, she'd shatter like a plate. My feet grabbed me from falling on my back, the ground moaned underneath them.. Haha, you should've seen her face- 'twas priceless.

"Your majesty- I!" I smiled at her sheepishly, my curled lips contrasting to hers, which were in the shape of an 'O'. I lowered her onto the ground, grabbing the contents of her arm. One hand on her makeshift bag, and another extended for her hand. She stared at me, stunned for a few moments, before grabbing my hand, shuffling her dress and mumbling about how 'that was dangerous, your majesty.'

I groaned. How much longer do I have to walk? It's been hours, maybe even half a day, since we began walking. And I've yet to see the 'golden seas' that she's mentioned. The girl in front of me must have heard my sigh because she turned to me and motioned to my dress.

I glared at her and shook my head. She turned and continued on walking. Halfway through our journey, she gripped onto the corner of the white dress I'm wearing and motioned as if she wanted to rip it out. I vehemently defended the dress I was wearing, being chased and pulling away from her being some of my efforts.

"It's for mobility." She said, causing me to sneer at her. Does she know how expensive a white European dress is? Oh, right.

Maybe it was the frenzy of running, or maybe it was the adrenaline. But I have fully come to terms with this entire story unveiling itself in front of me. Turns out, from the many ramblings of the girl in front of me; whose name I've learnt is Love. I am a princess. Well, now that all of my siblings, half siblings and distant relatives are dead, I am the sole heir to the throne. I have to admit, Queen Mayang has a nice ring to it. Unfortunately, I wasn't reincarnated into this world with my name in lieu. I am Princess Hana, the thirteenth princess. With little academic as well as royal background, I'm just one of the many offspring the emperor had. From the way Love had described my 'family' and I's relationship, I get the feeling that we weren't so close. Me being a woman, and with no redeeming qualities, there wasn't really an importance to my being. In the end, I kinda became forgotten. Surprising how Love could've held a conversation by herself.

"We're here."