The Rose of Syltrea: A Novel

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Syltrea, there lived a noblewoman whose name was Ivelianna. She was the only daughter of Marquis Julius Avantes of House Avantes. Ivelianna's beauty was ethereal and captivating, radiating purity and innocence that captivated the hearts of those around her.

Her features were delicate, her eyes sparkling with kindness and compassion, and her smile like sunshine, lighting up the world around her. It wasn't just her physical appearance that made beautiful, but also the kindness and strength that shone from within which made her truly remarkable.

One fateful day, she encountered the Crown Prince of the empire and even though she knew she and the Crown Prince were worlds apart, she could not stop herself getting drawn to him. 

Nikolai von Leynthall, the crown prince of Syltrea was known for his cold and aloof demeanour, but one could not overlook how handsome of a man he was. With blond hair and forest green eyes, a well-sculpted face and tall height, the prince was the epitome of handsome. His regal bearing commanded attention, and his presence was magnetic, drawing others to him effortlessly.

Numerous girls and women fell for him but he liked none, except for the one woman who he saw on the ball night. The woman who captivated his thoughts like no other. So he went to look for her. 

A love story bloomed between the crown prince and the marquees daughter. They were happy with each other, but like in every love story, a love without obstacles and problems is not a great love story. Like in every story, if there is a hero, a villain is bound to exist. 

Lexzandra von Leynthall, the only princess of the Syltrea empire, the step-sister of Prince Nikolai and also the villainess of this story. Though she had the princess title before her name, she was nothing more than an outcast in the palace. With her given personality and deeds, people viewed her with disappointment and hatred. 

Lexzandra hated Ivelianna. It wasn't because of the crown prince, but for someone else she had feelings for.

The Duke of House Waymont, Aballach Waymont who also had feelings for Ivelianna. Lexzandra had loved the Duke ever since she laid her eyes on him at the age of eleven. In all these years, she had held onto the hope that the Duke would notice her and eventually fell in love with her, just like she did.

However, the Duke didn't like her at all. He had shown his resentment towards her with every occasion he had got, but even after that, Lexzandra remained clueless and stubborn. She could not let him go. 

So when she saw the Duke confessing his love to Ivelianna, she was filled with wrath and jealousy. She thought it was that marquees girl who had trapped him.

What could you even expect from a girl who had never known the difference between right and wrong? The girl who was casted aside in the palace with no one to help or care for her. 

Lexzandra wanted revenge. She wanted to throw Ivelianna out of this kingdom for good, however, it became a hindrance for her because the crown prince was involved. The crown prince and she never shared any cordial relationship and it worsened with every passing year. Nikolai simply forgot about her existence in the palace. 

Lexzandra did whatever she pleased to humiliate Ivelianna. She would intentionally try to befriend her and would make a clown out of her in front of others. She would use cruel words, calling her a slut and a snake.

Lexandra had believed by intimidating Ivelianna, she could win the Duke back, but how wrong and naive was she? This led to the path of her being the 'villainess'. 

Lexzandra was restless because no matter how much she tried to harm Ivelianna, there would always be someone to help her, whether it was the crown prince, the Duke or the Imperial Knight.

Even after the warnings and threats of the crown prince, she didn't stop. Lexzandra did hate Ivelianna, but it wasn't to the extent to kill her. It only intensified when the Duke chose Ivelianna over her. No, she was never an option. Lexzandra never existed for him.

On that particular rainy night, Lexzandra went to the Duke's mansion to confess her feelings for the nth time, but before she could make it to the inside, she witnessed something that awoke something dark and cruel within her.

She heard the Duke say, "Even if you don't love me, even if you love someone else, I, Duke Aballach Waymont of House Waymont, give you my word to love you till the day I die. I'll protect you with my life."

Hurt wasn't the word that she felt. It was betrayal. The Duke betrayed and shattered all her hope. In all her life, she had loved only one thing, and it was him. But to realise she had lost him too, it drove her crazy. 

She lost her sanity, buried her love for him, and went on to the mission of killing Ivelianna. If the Duke was not hers, she wouldn't let anyone else have him. 

Syltrea Empire was where magic existed but it wasn't legal to use it as magic and sorcery were dangerous. That was what the royal family had made the people believe. Lexzandra was aware but to quench her thirst for revenge, she chose to break the rules. 

Darkness covered the entire Kingdom, with chaos surrounding it. And in the midst of the chaos, stood Lexzandra on her way to annihilate Ivelianna. 

The price for which she obtained the dark magic powers was her own life. She traded her own body and her life and let the darkness consume her wholly.

Defeating the knights who were appointed to guard Ivelianna, Lexzandra took her by force and prisoned her inside the dungeon. A laughter erupted from her, mocking Ivelianna for her not-so-happily-ever-after. 

Lexzandra believed this was the end for all, that after she killed Ivelianna, she would be at peace. But she was wrong. She forgot that there are people who promised to protect Ivelianna with their life. 

The Rose- Ivelianna Avantes- was saved by the Crown Prince and Lexzandra was held captive by him and the Duke.

Lexzandra had killed the Imperial Knight and many other people because they came in her way, but it was the dark magic etched in her soul that made her do things she never thought she would. 

It was difficult to keep Lexzandra captive and with the magic she possessed, no human strength could tie her down. Nevertheless, in every fairytale, the victory over evil is a must. Darkness was to fade and light to spread across the kingdom.

To stop Lexzandra, the god of justice granted Ivelianna the power of light. And with the power gifted by the God of Justice, Ivelianna and others were able to defeat Lexzandra and stop the mayhem caused by her. 

For all her crimes, the biggest of all was to hurt Ivelianna, Lexzandra was sentenced to death by the Crown Prince. She was beheaded in front of all the citizens of Kingdom Syltrea, the kind of death befitting for a villain where everyone hated them till the very end. 

A year later, the Crown Prince and Ivelianna got married and lived happily ever after. Nikolai was crowned as the Emperor while Ivelianna became the Empress of the Syltrea Empire. 

~

A strange atmosphere. The young woman slowly opens her eyes and an unfamiliar environment greets her. She winces as she tries to sit up. "Princess!" a panicked voice calls out.

'My head feels as though it has been crushed by a truck,' the young woman thinks. Her eyes scan the room, taking in the foreign objects she has only seen in movies. 'Where am I?'

"Oh Princess! You have awakened!" another woman, dressed in ancient attire, exclaims with relief, clasping the young woman's hands in hers. The young woman is puzzled, having no idea what is happening. "You don't know how relieved I am…" the woman sniffles, tears streaming down her cheeks.

This lavish room adorned with rich tapestries and ornate furniture, this strange woman who speaks a different language that she inexplicably understands, and the title with which she is being addressed—all of it is too strange for her to comprehend.

"Who are you? Is this the afterlife?" the young woman asks innocently. The other woman blinks at her for a moment, then begins crying harder.

"Oh my God! The princess has lost her memories!" she wails, creating a commotion.

"Why are you cry—" The young woman halts as her headache intensifies beyond her control. Her head feels as if it is being crushed by a grater, and suddenly, a reel of memories plays in her mind.

The young woman's eyes widen, her chest rising and falling with fear and shock. Her fingers tremble as she reaches for her throat. She swallows hard, trying to calm her nerves.

"Princess? Are you feeling well?"

"Wh-what is my name?" the young woman asks in a fearful whisper.

Confused, the other woman responds, "You are Princess Lexzandra von Leynthall, the only princess of the Syltrea Empire."

The young woman's eyes widen in horror, and her face turns pale. It cannot be. She abruptly gets out of bed and rushes to stand before the ornate mirror.

She nearly loses her footing upon seeing the face in the mirror, as if she has seen a ghost. "I have become a villainess? Why?" she exclaims.