AZALEA

I stayed up almost all night, thinking of how hard and cruel Celeste had to live her life. She slowly lost the people who mattered the most. She lost her baby. She couldn't even defend herself to fight for the truth about being a witch. She couldn't even see the face of the king who promised to protect and love her for the rest of her life.

And somehow I sympathized with her pain and grief and bitterness. I somehow understood how she ended up cursing this kingdom. She had so much pain in her heart that she could no longer contain and thus she uttered the curse with utmost vengeance and anger.

I hoped this curse really appeased her sad soul—since a hundred years already passed—and now is the time to end it.

And it felt like this history would repeat itself soon if I was not vigilant. It felt like I was being warned through those visions. I felt like I must always prepare for the worst if I didn't want to end up like her.

I slightly yawned as Yumi combed my hair. Cherry and Sabrina were fixing my bed and cleaning my room. I was already dressed in my training clothes and was ready to head to the training grounds when I heard a commotion outside my room.

Several impatient knocks interrupted us. I noticed how startled Cherry was. Maybe she was still afraid of the outcome of her actions. Maybe she somehow knew what was coming next. Well, I already told her that her family was safe now so there was no need to worry anymore. She just needed to act normal and act oblivious of the scheme against me.

Sabrina bit her lower lip and hesitantly turned to me while Yumi glanced at me on my reflection in the mirror—her inquisitive eyes asking if she must open the door.

"Lady Azalea, open the door. Her Majesty, Queen Adriana, just arrived," a lady announced outside my door.

I nodded at Yumi and she made her way to open the door. I stood up and walked to the center of the room. Queen Adriana gracefully walked inside my chambers. She looked around with a stern look upon her face—checking every corner of my room.

"Greetings to the moon that lights this kingdom, Your Majesty, Queen Adriana," I said while I curtsied together with my maids.

"At ease," she said in a cold and authoritative tone.

We all stood straight while my maids quietly stepped back and stood at the far end corner of the room.

My eyes narrowed a little as Lady Candice walked behind her. She seemed to be the mastermind of this witchcraft scheme. I didn't have any proof yet but I would definitely catch her soon. For now, I would just let her be. I would just focus on the problem at hand.

"There is a report of your illegal use of witchcraft. I will issue a search in your room to confirm the allegations," Queen Adriana directly said. Well, I was not even surprised but I was supposed to so I followed through with the act.

"I—what witchcraft? I'm afraid I'm not aware of what Your Majesty is talking about." I turned to my maids who were uneasy with the situation. Sabrina and Cherry looked concerned and worried and somehow afraid. Only Yumi looked at me with faith. "My maids know that the allegations aren't true."

I turned to Queen Adriana. "But may I know who reported this?" I asked with slight confusion.

Queen Adriana's gaze turned to Lady Candice as if she was allowing the lady to speak.

"It's my maid, Lady Azalea," Lady Candice answered. "She heard about your possible connection with the witch and she suspects you're also using witchcraft to bewitch the Crown Prince. Well, we all know what happened with this kingdom's history. Please bear her no ill. It was an accident that she overheard your conversation with the Crown Prince. That you are related to the witch and maybe your death is also the only way for us to be freed from this curse."

My eyes narrowed. Her maid? I didn't remember that her maid wandered in the garden at all—at that specific time when we discussed that matter. There were only three maids with me—Yumi, Cherry and Sabrina. We also discussed my possible connection with the witch in the library but there was no maid allowed inside.

So who exactly betrayed me? Someone from my maids eavesdropped on my conversation with the Crown Prince.

But I didn't have time to mull over it for now. I chuckled at her words. Why would she go this far? What does she want? The power of a queen? I wondered. She was already the daughter of a duke.

"How can you be certain that your maid heard it right? And it is an offense to gossip amongst the nobles and royals. Is she prepared for the consequences of her actions if she was proven to accuse me wrongly?" I meaningfully asked.

Lady Candice swallowed hard but she hardened her resolve. "But what if she's right with her accusations? Are you just saying this to run away from your crimes?"

"Your Majesty, if that's what Lady Candice is saying then please feel free to search and investigate."

Queen Adriana stared at me for a while before she let out a short nod. "Servants! Quickly search every corner of Lady Azalea's room. Show me if you find anything suspicious."

A bunch of maidservants entered the room and searched all over the place. Good thing, they all seemed empty handed and I was a bit relieved that another plot to frame me wasn't possible. They flipped the blankets and checked even underneath the bed and thick mattresses.

They checked my closet, jewelry boxes and drawers, shoes and even the dressing room, messing all the things inside. They checked the study table and the couches to ensure that everything was clear of witchcraft materials. They even checked the bathroom. I watched them pace back and forth with a little bit of doubt—thinking that maybe there was something that escaped my attention but gladly, they didn't find any witchcraft materials.

When they were done, they reported to Queen Adriana.

"Your Majesty, we didn't find any items related to witchcraft. Lady Azalea's room is hereby cleared," the head maid announced.

Queen Adriana nodded. She turned to me. "It seems it is a false accusation."

"Your Majesty, we must hold someone accountable. Someone accused me of witchcraft without any evidence at all. Please uphold justice for me, Your Majesty," I asked with a determined look upon my face.

Lady Candice's face turned sour.

Queen Adriana turned to Lady Candice with narrow eyes. "So who is that maid who falsely accused Lady Azalea? She must be punished for the wrong accusation and for gossiping amongst the royals and nobles." Her voice was stern and she was definitely annoyed that her precious time was wasted by this farce.

Lady Candice ruthlessly turned to one of her maids who widened her eyes in surprise. "Ella, you have sinned by wrongly accusing Lady Azalea."

So she had a scapegoat. I secretly and bitterly smiled.

The maid who was called stared at Lady Candice with utter shock. She was taken aback but she tried to open her mouth. "But Lady Candice—I have never accused—I never did—" She trembled in fear as if she didn't know what to do.

"Are you going to come clean now?" Lady Candice narrowed her eyes. She turned to Queen Adriana. "Please arrest her now. I'm afraid she might cause further damage to any of our reputations." She also innocently turned to me. "I'm sorry Lady Azalea. It's my fault that I believed her ungrounded accusations."

Ella cried hysterically and knelt before everyone of us. "Please believe me, Your Majesty. Please further investigate this matter. I have never—I would never—"

We were all startled when Lady Candice suddenly slapped the maid who was dumbfounded. I clenched my fist, if only I had some evidence to prove Lady Candice's crimes.

"You even dare to lie! Alaena even heard you when you talked about what you heard," Lady Candice turned to another handmaiden.

Alaena stepped forward with a straight look upon her face. "Lady Candice is telling the truth, Your Majesty." Ella continued to scream and insist her innocence. If she was not the one, then maybe, Lady Candice just couldn't openly admit that she planted a spy within my circle—amongst my maids. I guessed I should investigate this matter secretly.

Queen Adriana exhaustedly sighed and shook her head. She waved her right hand in the air. "Knights, arrest this imbecile."

Knights rushed into my room and dragged Ella out.

"Now that everything's clear, I'll retire into my chambers now," Queen Adriana said in an annoyed tone.

We bowed our heads as she walked out the room. Lady Candice was left with me.

"I'll return to my room now, Lady Azalea. I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. I will see to it that Ella will receive her punishment accordingly," Lady Candice said.

I timidly nodded. I was already tired of playing her games so next time I would definitely look for evidence to prove her ill intentions against me.

With heavy steps, Lady Candice walked out of the room. I wondered what expression she was making with her back facing me. Maybe she was so pissed about what happened today. She humiliated herself too because of the false accusation. Maybe she wanted to take an easier path to become queen.

I turned to my three maids. "Please clean up. Since I'm already late, I will be heading first to the training grounds—alone. Yumi will take charge while I'm gone."

Yumi nodded. "Be careful on your way to the training grounds, Lady Azalea. We will fetch you for lunch."

Sabrina and Cherry seemed to ease the tension on their stiff shoulders. I wondered who betrayed me among these three. But I needed to show that I wasn't suspecting them yet.

"Thank you." I walked out the room alone while carrying the bow and arrows gifted by Prince Dion. With a heavy sigh, I headed straight to the training grounds with all these worries weighing in my mind. I just realized how hard it was to survive. I needed to be vigilant. I must not keep my guard down.

Knight Gabriel was about to train me but I waved my hand in the air to dismiss today's training with him. "I'll be training on my own. I already know the basics. You may now focus on your own training."

Knight Gabriel hesitantly nodded. "As you wished, my lady." He walked away but I noticed how he worriedly glanced back. Maybe he already heard about the commotion this morning. Several knights were also discreetly turning their heads to my direction with curiosity so I assumed that the news already travelled all over the palace.

They probably wondered if I was really the reincarnation of the witch. What if they wanted to kill me just to test if my death could really end this curse? These thoughts sent shrivels down my spine. I was actually—totally—afraid of this possible outcome. What if they all come after me—to kill me?

I almost jumped to my feet when someone lightly tapped on my right shoulder.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry. You look pale. Are you alright?" Prince Dion's blue eyes gazed at me with concern. I didn't even notice how he advanced near me.

Damn! I suddenly lost my self-awareness because of such dark thoughts. Sometimes our minds can become poisonous too. I bit my lower lip. I must gather myself together. I couldn't be this frightened or scared. This won't do me any good.

"I heard about the commotion. It seems you handle the problem well. Do you still need some help?" Prince Dion continued when I didn't speak.

"It's already taken care of but I need someone to investigate my maidservants. The three of them. Lady Candice seemed to plant a spy among them," I whispered. Just the thought of being betrayed leaves me cold.

Prince Dion nodded. "I will appoint someone to do that."

"Thank you." I notched an arrow on my bow. "Lady Candice failed to accuse me today. I don't think she will stop. I need to prepare myself for the worst."

Prince Dion nodded. "We need to expose her as soon as possible. I'll find a way to stop her schemes. Please wait for a while and hang in there."

"Alright. And about the rumors going around me, I'll hand it to you to tame that wildfire."

"You can count on me."

A loud thud slammed against the target board. This time, I perfectly hit the bullseye.

~~~

The bustling day of the hunting competition arrived. My black hunter boots crushed the dry leaves under my feet while I was wearing a black hunting clothes and trousers. I walked to the event as I left my tent and stood next to Lady Candice who was wearing blue hunting clothes with white tassels.

Riding on their carriages, the nobles and the members of the royal family arrived. And the servants set up their tents to protect them from the stinging rays of the sun starting this afternoon. There were also some tents for the ladies to enjoy tea. Well, some of these ladies who visited the hunting ground just want to enjoy their leisure time and to socialize and meet some good prospective husbands.

They were all here to expand their connection.

Lady Candice smiled a little to greet me. "I heard you took extra lessons for this hunting competition, Lady Azalea. It seems you are really determined to win this competition."

She stared at me with confidence as if she was not worried at all by the preparations I made. Maybe she was actually secretly sneering at my efforts.

"I have to be diligent if I want to beat you on this, right?" I knowingly smiled. "You're hearing a lot of things about me, Lady Candice. It seems you're always first in line to hear these gossips."

Lady Candice didn't lose her pretty smile. "You're quite popular in the palace. It can't be helped. But good luck in this hunting competition. It's not like I'm above you in archery or anything. We never know what can happen in the hunting field. Sometimes a competition also depends on someone's luck," Lady Candice humbled herself.

I shrugged my shoulders. I was sure she was not being genuine.

I tilted my head to the side and stared at her. Her silky black hair was tied in a high ponytail. I noticed she was wearing small sapphire earrings that went well with the sapphire cufflinks on her hunting suit.

"Then I hope I'm lucky enough to win this hunting competition," I said.

She smiled confidently at me. "I wish you a bountiful hunt."

"Same. I wish you the best in this competition Lady Candice. Let's fight fair and square," I said before whipping my head to the front stage where King Arthur and Queen Adriana were sitting.

King Arthur finally rose from his seat and walked to the center of the stage. Everyone bowed, curtsied, and knelt to give respect to the crown of this kingdom.

"At ease."

We finally stood and gazed at him, anticipating today's speech.

"Welcome, everyone. I hope everyone finally settled. Today, we will hold our annual hunting competition. Everyone is welcome to participate—ladies and gentlemen. Of course, we have something in store for the one with the most number of hunts. The heir of the crown, our beloved Prince Dion, will lead the opening of this hunting competition. The remaining Crown Princess candidates will also join in the fun. I hope you will all enjoy yourselves. Let me call on Steward Alexander to announce the additional details of this hunting competition."

Steward Alexander went to the center stage where the king was standing. He held the unrolled paper in his both hands.

"Good morning everyone. Please listen carefully to some of the reminders of this hunting competition. The hunting competition ground is about two hectares. You will notice some colored ribbons tied on the tree branches. This is to indicate when you already reached the dangerous area of the hunting ground. Blue ribbon—this indicates that small animals are lurking in that area. Yellow ribbon—an area for medium-sized animals. And red ribbon—this is where the dangerous part of the hunting ground starts. Huge and dangerous animals can be found there. Please be cautious and enter at your own risk. A prize will be granted to the winner of this hunting competition—a title and a piece of land to rule."

King Arthur smiled and looked at all the nobles who would participate in this competition. "The Crown Prince is already waiting at the entrance of the hunting ground. I wish you a bountiful hunt. Now, let the hunt begin."

Trumpets were blown and the hunting competition began and everyone applauded the king's opening speech. The nobles rode their horses and the ladies went inside the tents to enjoy their tea.

I saddled on my horse and Lady Candice did the same. We walked to the entrance of the forest where Prince Dion was waiting. Torches were lit and one by one the nobles entered the hunting ground where we could see the blue ribbons tied on the tree branches.

When we were about to enter, Prince Dion nodded at us. "Good luck ladies. And be careful when hunting your prey. Keep alert and be aware of your surroundings." His ash blue hair was slicked back and he was wearing a midnight blue hunting suit. He even smiled a little at me when our eyes met.

Lady Candice answered first with a small smile. "Please be careful on your hunt too, Your Royal Highness."

Prince Dion nodded and then he turned to me as if he was waiting for something but I just frowned. His smile widened because he definitely knew I wouldn't be wishing for his luck so openly. I was afraid I would feel a little embarrassed.

"See you around then," he said with a little nod.

Lady Candice turned to me. "Have a bountiful hunt, Lady Azalea. Please take care of yourself."

A small smile curved on my lips. "Thank you. Have a safe hunt, Lady Candice."

We went our separate ways and galloped into the woods.

My horse walked to the woods where we found some blue ribbons tied to the branches. I stopped under an oak tree as I inspected the bow and arrows given to me by Prince Dion. Everything seemed good and the surroundings were a little quiet. I could hear some horses galloping from afar.

After the inspection, I let the horse walk a little farther from the camp. Some rabbits were running scared when I passed through them. I didn't think these small animals were enough for me to win the selection so I walked a little farther—looking for some average prey.

The ribbon on the branches were finally yellow and I could tell I was already far from the camp. I already passed a meadow and entered another forest. I noticed the deers running around. Some were discreetly watching me from afar. I also heard some noises of the arrows slamming against the animals and some loud animal shrieks which secretly startled me. I was a little uncomfortable but I must do this—for the sake of the selection—for the sake of my fragile heart.

While wandering around, I suddenly saw a fox calmly drinking water in the river. I stopped the horse and tied it to a tree.

When it was done drinking, I carefully trailed the fox that lumbered along. Sometimes, the fox would stop and look around, as if it sensed my presence. Maybe I was not discreet enough as I followed its trails. After it ensured its safety, it continued moving through the woods. I silently took the bow out and notched an arrow as I waited patiently.

The air was crisp in my lungs and the breeze somehow bites at my cheek. I inhaled and exhaled as steady and quiet as possible. My fingers tightened on the bow I was holding.

I moved a little to the side to carefully follow the fox and before I could even release an arrow, an arrow suddenly passed next to me—which missed me by a hair's breadth. I almost shuddered from fear with the realization that it almost killed me. Even the fox was startled that it rushed to run away.

"What on earth. . .?" I almost cursed under my breath. I would probably be dead by now if it ever managed to hit me. I whipped my head at the back. A dark figure lurked behind a tree branch and he notched another arrow on his bow. He was wearing black clothes and even his face was covered so that I could only see his eyes.

Chills traveled through my skin. He was here to kill me and luckily, he just missed a shot. I immediately rose to my feet and ran for my dear life. I no longer cared if I was running right through the bushes. I just thought it would be harder for that assassin to kill me if he didn't have a direct and unhindered view of me.

I tried to fight back and target the assassin while I was hiding behind the bushes but he managed to avoid it. I hissed under my breath as I ran again.

The assassin chased after me. I already forgot about my horse as I ran, wishing that someone would accidently cross my path and save me. My heartglass was frantically beating against my chest. Unfortunately there was no one yet hunting in this area. I wondered why.

I was already out of breath and when I looked at the tree branches, I saw the red ribbons. I was already too far from the camp. My heart thumped inside my chest like hell and I couldn't properly catch my breath as my feet turned numb from running.

Arrows chased behind me as I tried to hide behind the trees and rushed straight to the bushes for cover. My clothes were already in tatters and my pale skin already had some small cuts. I could just feel how those small wounds stung. I released some arrows and somehow I managed to shoot him through an arm but he was persistent with the chase.

I ran to the grassy part of the forest, crushing twigs beneath my feet. I was already near my limit. For a moment, I faltered. I cowered. I stumbled over my legs into a tipped over log and fell backwards, landing on my back. With clenched fists and gritted teeth—out of frustrations—I quickly scrambled on my feet to run—to run for my dear life while tightly holding the bow in my one hand.

But despite my determination to escape, an arrow cut through my left arm. I whimpered from the pain. Blood gushed from my open wound and then suddenly a huge bear rushed between us—separating me from the assassin. Even the assassin took a step back. But this man won't stop unless he witnesses that I already stopped breathing. He wanted another shot—another sure shot.

So from a distance, he notched an arrow on his bow but when the bear noticed his threatening stunt, it loudly roared in anger and wildly moved towards him for a direct attack using its huge and sharp claws.

The assassin panicked and pointed his arrow at the bear because it was about to kill him. He released a shot but the bear still moved. I slowly stepped back until I distanced myself from them. Maybe this was the luck Lady Candice was talking about. Claws slammed against the assassin but he still managed to run a little farther though the bear still chased after him.

I was about to flee when a figure blocked my way. Footsteps approached me and my vision slowly recognized the person.

"So you're not dead yet," Lady Candice said with a frown on her face.

I was already bloody and bruised and yet she was not even sorry about my current state.

I paused for a moment, my upper lips curled in disgust. "So you're out here to kill me," I said.

"You're quite lucky. I have to make sure everything is going according to plan," Lady Candice said, cruelty visible to her face.

"Why are you doing this? Are you that desperate to be the Crown Princess?" I asked with a scrunched forehead. "You're not even in love with the Crown Prince to go this far, right?"

Her lips curled into a wicked grin. "I think it's time to end the rule of the Harrisons in this kingdom. They are the reason why we are cursed so they should just step down and surrender their power. They brought this curse upon us."

I stared at her with disbelief. "So you're actually planning a rebellion?"

"Yes. And you're in the way of all our plans. You must die," Lady Candice said. Lady Candice notched an arrow on her bow. But I also did the same. I won't let myself die in vain. "And I also want to know if your death could really free us from the curse. I think this will also benefit the greater good."

I bitterly smiled. I didn't sign up for an ending such as this. We both swiftly moved away from our position and released an arrow which hit us both. But for Lady Candice, I only managed to hit the cufflink on her hunting clothes and cut through the small skin on her wrist. While she managed to hit me on the side of my right arm. 

I grumbled to myself due to the excruciating pain and the thick blood gushing from my right arm. Blood even stained the bow I held on hand.

A thundering roar behind me startled us. It seemed the bear was back and it won't stop from attacking humans. So did the bear manage to finish off the assassin? Maybe?

Lady Candice put down her bow. Lips curled into a wicked grin. "Guess, the bear is here to take care of your corpse. You're out of luck now, Lady Azalea."

I frustratedly bit my lower lip. I couldn't even move an inch or else the bear behind me would definitely kill me without a second thought.

"Goodbye, Lady Azalea. You won't definitely see the light of the day anymore," Lady Candice said as she walked away and saddled on the back of her horse.

I could only watch as her horse ran away from this area. I steadied my breathing as I tightly gripped my bow in silent panic.

Now, I was left with the bear and I had nowhere to run—as if I could even run. All the strength I got already disappeared.

Is this really the end for me?

***