CHAPTER 01

CHAPTER 1: THE THRESHOLD

In life, what do you cherish the most? Money? Your pride? Your family? Your friends? In my case, I don't know. As the next in line, I was taught to love my people the most more than myself. I need to prioritize them as what my father always says, your people is like a cell in your body, if one doesn’t want to respect you, they will spread like a virus that's why you need to inject fear to them or they will slowly kill you without you knowing. 

As a child, I complied. I learned how to mask myself. Many want to befriend me but when they started to get close to me, they will start to distant their selves from me. That's when I found out, they are afraid of me and of what I am capable of doing to them if they mess up. Funny. Sometimes they said they couldn’t stay long with me because I’m scary and they all got scared that I will devour them whole just because I don't like them, their words not mine. I wonder who spread those rumors of me devouring them. My face might be scary but the truth is, I’m the one who's scared of them. I’m scared with their eyes, their words. 

I’m scared of the fact that they know me too well but I only know their name and their family name, which is a must so it's a given. But aside from that, I don't know them anymore. With those judgmental eyes, I might actually die early. But yeah, let's not think about it anymore. I closed the book I read multiple times already but I still find myself reading it again and again It's just that I love how the story ends. As I look at my window, the wind blows in my face making my hair fly together with it freely. As I fix my loose strand of hair, I sighed. I want to have a happy ending like how the story I read finished in peace. 

What a great morning to start the day. As I was putting the book back on the shelf, I heard a loud thud making me turn my head to it. I lazily rolled my eyes when I noticed who did it. This early? Seriously? 

"As expected, your highness. Early as ever!" Clara shouted with glee. 

"Clara tone down your voice, in this state you might alert the guards like last time," I calmly said as I started walking to my closet to get ready for the day. 

She's as noisy as ever, but I like her more than anyone in here. Clara Watson, my lady in waiting. A perfect straight blonde hair and a pair of black pearl-colored eyes. She’s the only girl who survived being with me until now. Funny it may seem but we literally started as an enemy. Yeah, enemy. To make the long story short, she is a bratty type of girl who would collide against anyone she doesn't feel like. And yeah, I am one of them. 

She’s angry at me because I did ignore her hardcore and that’s why she tried to trip me and that's how our story together started up until now, and yes she is still the bratty type of girl and the most annoying one. I even think of getting rid of her from me but no effect. She kept adhering to me all the time that I got used to it already. 

"Well, believe it or not the guards already knew if it was me now- oh pick the emerald Lolita dress - that perfectly suits you!" she exclaimed confidently. When it comes to picking clothings, she is a professional. 

"You think so?" I said, referring to the dress. I already knew the guard will easily figure that it was Clara because no one in the palace can defeat Clara for being the noisiest. She's on top of the chain. 

"Yup. Especially if you braid your hair and yes I will braid it today for you, your highness," she stated and I nodded back as a sign that I approved her remarks. Many minutes have passed and I am completely ready to go. Though I don't want to but I still need to. An opening banquet will happen this afternoon in the Southwest City called, Shadense. 

They will open Shaport, the newly-built port for ships, especially for exporting the kingdom’s products. And unfortunately, the imperial family is invited and that means I must also go there. After taking my breakfast alone, well, I always eat alone on ordinary days. My parents will only eat together with me occasionally. So back to the topic, Clara and I decided to wait in the carriage that will send us to The Southwest, the city of Shadense, and from there a parade will happen going to the port to hold the ceremony. And by thinking all of that, I started to feel the weariness of my body. Ugh, I hate this. As the carriage started to move, the power of Dormancy also started to overpower me that even Clara's voice couldn’t stop it. Before totally closing my eyes, I can still hear Clara's spouting nonsense and that's when I realized sleeping is better than listening to her for 3 hours straight. 

Sorry Clara, next time, next time I will listen to all of your rants. I promise. As for now, I really need to sleep. I shouldn’t have slept late yesterday. I WOKE UP due to the loud noises of drums and horns and I almost fell when the carriage abruptly stopped but Clara is not lucky enough to avoid it. 

"Holy Mother of Christ!" she shouted in surprise. 

"What the hell is happening oh goodness my back hurts like hell!" she angrily bleated. 

Her reaction is understandable, no one will be happy being awakened in such a harsh manner. I don't know what to do, should I help her first or should I ask what happened but Clara already did both. She stood up and forcefully opened the door and shouted at the coachman. Oh right, I literally forgot how impatient this lady is, the coachman will surely be scared by her now. I sighed and decided to get out in the carriage to breathe some fresh air.

It seems that we already arrived in the city. I turned my head around and saw how colorful and lively the place is, this is really the city. I could not retain myself just by seeing this beautiful scene and energetic people in the streets. This is amazing. 

"Wow, this is wonderful!" I unconsciously said. 

"Well, yup. This is a city your highness, not the boring castle of yours no offense," Clara surprisingly said in my left ear. 

"Here,” she said and handed me a hat. “Wear this temporarily and make sure you don't lose it if you want to stroll down in the city. We should not lose our guards down while enjoying ourselves at the same time. Thieves are very common in here your highness or should I call you Vienna for now since we are not in the palace?" She said beaming at me. 

“Well, that’s if you don’t mind me calling you by your name of course!” she nervously stated that made me smile and nodded in response. She's right. 

I’m not the crowned princess here, let’s just say I am an ordinary tourist trying to join the festival so let's forget it at this moment and enjoy myself to the fullness. Clara nodded in response and smile mischievously at me, Am I going to regret this at the end? I hope not. The guards are keeping close eyes on us while the coachman focused himself on the road. 

"Now, Lady Vienna here's my plan. You see that group of people there?" she explained, referring to the group who are walking in our direction. 

"When the guards blink move as fast as you can to blend with them, never look back until I pat you back, okay?!" she added but I am not convinced because how the hell are we gonna do that? In a blink? Like 0.000001 seconds? Seriously? 

"Don't look at me with that face, trust me, it will work. Tried and tested." she proudly said. 

"With whom?" I questioned her while raising an eyebrow. 

"With my dogs of course ha-ha. c'mon, when I say go you go, okay?" she whispered at me. 

Seriously? I sighed. 

"Oka--" 

"G0!" she said and pushed me together in the crowd. 

That girl, really! I'm nervous as hell while walking together with the crowd and tried convincing myself not to look back or we're both doomed. As I am following the crowd I noticed a group of performers. They are singing and dancing and some of the bystanders give them gold coins. Oh busking! So this is what busking looks like in real life, I only read it in a book. I never had a chance to watch something like this, this is the first. 

The performers are very energetic that everyone who hears it will also clap their hands rhyming the music. They are so cool. I tried getting near to them and that's when I clearly saw the performers. A beautiful blondie girl singing while a little boy playing the flute may be around thirteen. Around 20 years old man is also playing the harmonica while stumping his feet. They’re so good. While watching, the wind blew and it almost take my hat thank goodness I immediately hold it before the wind totally blew it away. And that's when I realized what situation I am in now. I turned around and I couldn’t see Clara nor the carriage only the packs of people walking and talking. I almost jumped in glee when a hand tapped my back. 

Clara! She said she'll tap my back when she saw me. Thank goodness. I thought she had already forgotten about me. 

"Clara, you're late!" I automatically turned back and found nothing, just the buskers and some crowds. "Huh?! Clara?" 

I gulped and looked around more to check. Who the hell tapped my back?! Does ghost really exist? Do they want me because I’m the most ignorant here?! Oh goddamn, this is getting more serious. I may be frail-looking but I know how to use swords, bows, and arrows. Anything as long as I can protect myself, but today is different like someone is watching me silently. I’m feeling goosebumps. 

The wind blew again which bring shivers in my entire body and it blew my hat off, and this time, I couldn’t stop it and watched it fly away from me. I remained standing while still hugging myself when I noticed something is off. My necklace! My necklace is gone! Wait? Oh god, a thief! That means the one who tapped my back was also the one who stole my necklace, that bastard. What should I do? Should I turn back? but I don't remember where is it. Should I shout? No, they might know who I really am. Uh goodness. I panicked. I started to walk backward while comprehending the situation. 

"Am I really lost?!" I nervously said to myself and I froze when I accidentally bump into someone. 

"You sure are!" a cold voice said. I turned around and saw a tall man in a cloak, he is tall and buff. He removed the hood in his head and look at me directly in the eyes with his hazel-nut eyes. The way he stared directly into my eyes gives me various feelings that I myself, can't understand. His stares are too deep and I’m afraid that it will drown me and no one will help me swim back to the surface. I gulped.