Ruby got into her carriage and also got ready to leave. While all the carriages made their way to the city, her carriage took a sharp turn into another path. A dark and hidden path. A course that no one dares to take. Further and further the carriage headed away from society. Towards the Forbidden Mountain the carriage went.
The carriage came to a stop in front of two boulders. At a certain angle the boulders look like dragons, but to everyone else it looks just like rubble of rocks. "We've arrived," said the coachmen. He didn't even bother to help Ruby off the carriage.Ruby said thanks to him.The coachmen huffed and turned on his heels and walked away. Even he was disgusted with her hideous look. Slowly the carriage disappeared from her sight. Sighing Ruby look at the cold, dark, and mysterious mountain.Some say that evil spirits haunts the mountain. Rumors of strange monsters roaming the hilltop. Horrendous creatures prowl through the nighttime, waiting to devour the virgins. While everyone called this place eerie and avoided it like a plague, to her this place is her home. This forsaken place was her heaven! For she lives in harmony with it. In the Forbidden Mountain, precious plants grow, remarkable herbs are seen, exceptional flowers grow to great beauty, rare animals roam the mountain, and the trees grows miraculously. The untold secrets of the mountain was hidden from the world. Ruby inhaled the clean and fresh air of the mountain. She sighed peacefully. The peace and tranquility that this place gave her was warmth. Ruby have come to love and adore this Forbidden Mountain that everyone fear. This place was her oasis. She was permitted to live on the Forbidden Mountain by the previous Emperor. The previous Emperor owed her grandparents and parents a lifetime of gratitude, so he took her as his adopted granddaughter. Without him, she wouldn't have survived this harsh world. Because of his help she had a place to live, and a place to call home. Without this mountain to shield her, she would have died. Walking closer to her small, cozy cottage home, she feel a sudden sigh of relief. She can hear the waterfall and smell the crisp river in her nostrils. A massive peach blossom tree stood in front of her home. It was a beautiful and miraculous looking tree. The tree blossoms all year round and never withers away with the seasons. The peach blossom tree is like no other, it's special to her. It is her Grandmother Willow's spirit. Even life after death, her grandmother's spirit have stayed with her all these years. Protecting her and guiding her. Without her Grandmother Willow's spirit, she would have been lonely on the Forbidden Mountain.As her footsteps got closer to the house, the peach blossom branches was waving excitedly at her. She smiles as she feels the warmth emitting from the tree. Her heart thumps in excitement as the tree's branches welcome her into its arms. "Oh, Grandmother Willow," said Ruby. Tears swelled into her eyes. Running to the tree she hugged it's trunk and embraced her warmth. The tree's branches hugged her tightly.Like always, no matter how long she was gone, or wherever she's been, the peach blossom tree will always be waiting for her.As Ruby sniffled her tears, she thought, "Grandmother Willow will you wait like this for forever?" In a voice, only Ruby could hear her Grandmother Willow say, "My dear child. You..." The voice stopped when she looked at Ruby's face, it was covered in tears.Grandmother Willow's spirit stepped out of the peach blossom tree. She was an elderly woman with great beauty. Even though she was old and of age, she had a beautiful face, with long grey hair, and blue eyes. "There, there, let me wipe your tears away," she said.When she heard her Grandmother Willow's gentle voice soothing her aching pain she wept into her arms. After a long while she stopped crying. Ruby asked, "Grandmother Willow, why do I have appeared ugly, with scars, and fat to everyone?"Grandmother Willow patted the little girl on her back, and her branches mimicking her movement was also brushing alongside her side. Grandmother Willow replied, "Look into the stream, what do you see?"The river is a crystal clear, blue water. It's water comes from the top of the Forbidden Mountain where it's the purest. Following the path down the mountain, it creates a magnificent waterfall as it tumbles down the rocky and blue cliff. It have a deep swimming hole that emits the color green the deeper it goes.Ruby look into the water where sees her true self. She have seen herself a million times. Her flawless beautiful face. Her v-shaped face shows no fat lining her cheekbones, and her pink full lips. She have big blue eyes with jet black hair, and milky white skin. Ruby chuckled and slapped the water. Smashing away at her reflections until the water splashes on her face. Angry and frustrated she kept pounding on the water that was causing ripples throughout the river. "Why can't anyone see the REAL me? Why can't this be true in everyone's eye but ours?” whimper Ruby. "Dear child, you hold such great powers, that your beauty was hidden by the "ugly" spell.""Ugly Spell?""Yes. I was hoping that the prince would be able to see through all your ugliness and love you for who you are. I was hoping he would break the spell for you. However, he seems to be the type to love the outer appearance more," said Grandmother Willow. She turned away from Ruby and started to cry. Tear streaks fell onto her pale face. "Grandmother Willow, don't cry. I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you worry. I will get Prince Eric to love me, you'll see."Grandmother Willow looked at her innocent granddaughter and smiled. She replied after kissing her on the forehead, "Yes my dear child. Let's keep trying.""Grandmother Willow, don't cry. I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you worry. I will get Prince Eric to love me, you'll see."Grandmother Willow looked at her innocent granddaughter and smiled. She replied after kissing her on the forehead, "Yes my dear child. Let's keep trying." Ruby hugged her Grandmother Willow's spirit.After a while Ruby calmed down and lay on her Grandmother's lap. Curiously she asked, "Grandmother Willow will you tell me the story behind this ugly spell?" "Alright child, I will tell you." "One thousand years ago, there was a creature that descended from the heavenly world to the human world. She was the most powerful of them all, the Phoenix Goddess. Her powers were so great that creatures of all kinds and sizes would bow down to her. With her great power she was able to unify the world together in peace. Once the world was able to live peacefully and prosperously, she had to return to the immortal realm. However, she was poisoned by her lover and lost all her d
"Alright. I am heading to the palace. Wait for me, I will be right back." Grandmother Willow nodded.Ruby went inside her house and grabbed a small bottle of ointment. She opened up a portal and she stepped inside to enter the palace. Ruby knocked on Prince Eric's door. There was no reply, it was silent."Prince Eric. It's me, Ruby. I came to see you," said Ruby. The door opened to her surprise. She was happy. For the first time ever, he opened up the door for her. He was willing to see her after all the issues that had happened that afternoon. She imagined his handsome face looking at her and apologizing for breaking his promise. However, she was disappointed. His face was cold, and his eyes were staring at her with anger. Like always he never greets her with warmth the same way he looks at Samantha."What do you want?" asked Eric. "Um, um, I wanted to give you some ointment for your face." He smiled wickedly at her, then suddenly she felt his hand on her wrist. With force he pu
The aching pain in her heart made the restless tears drip down her face once again. Wiping it away, she stumbles to get up from the ground. Walking past him she puts down the ointment on his dresser. "Please use whatever is left of it to treat your wounds." With those words she walked out of his room. As soon as the door closes, Eric sighs in relief. He was glad to finally get rid of Ruby. He knew that if he didn't open the door, she wouldn't leave him alone. It was best to have her come into his room and be done with it. How he wish she would just disappear. Eric thought to himself that it be best for him to go to the frontline for the next few years. He needed to avoid the growing problem. Especially her. Through the next few years, it will give him enough time to cool off.During those times he will grow stronger and more powerful. When he comes back with victory in hand, then the Emperor won't be able to hold onto him anymore. He will be known as the Prince Regent. He has too. O
"Oh, Emperor, I do have a matter to discuss with you," said Duke Henry."Yes, what is it?" asked the Emperor."As you are well aware of the scandalous that happened this afternoon, I want an explanation.""What is that you want?""I want Prince Eric to be responsible for what he have done to my granddaughter.""Why do you say that?""It takes two to make an affair work. Don't you think so?""What makes you think they were both in it together?""As far as I was told, Prince Eric has claimed to marry my daughter after he lay hands on her. And I was also told it was very hot as well, since they were found with clothes half undone."Ruby recalls Eric and Samantha's little rendezvous. Even if the thunder lashes out her eyes the images of them in the bushes won't wipe away her memories of them embracing each other.The Emperor didn't say anything.With no response, Duke Wild tenses and continues to say, "You are well aware that with this issues, it will stain her reputation. It will ruin my
"Damn, they have been at it for hours," said one of the soldiers patrolling. "Hey, she's a hot babe," replied one of the other soldiers.Covering her face with tears flooding down her cheeks, she ran out of the palace. The next following day Prince Eric woke up with Samantha in his arms. Pushing aside his hungover, he looked at the woman beside him. She was beautiful in his eyes. Then suddenly disappointment hit him as he realized that in a few hours he would be leaving for the frontline. He thought to himself that in the next few years, the person he loved most would be the one whom he misses the most. How Samantha will be in his thoughts all the time. This woman is dear to him, his childhood friend, and his first love. Then in the moment of his thoughts Ruby's face came into mind, but only for a split second and he shook his head that he must be crazy to even imagine her while holding his love in his arms. He looked back at Samantha's sleeping face and gave her a kiss on her foreh
Even though he denied not seeing Ruby, his eyes was searching for her. He wonders why he would do that, especially when he hated the ugly fat girl. A weird feeling overcame him, as he thought of the promise. He doesn't like that hideous girl, so he wouldn't care whether he kept or broke the promise. Broken promise. Ping! An ache came to his heart. He gasped at the sharp pain that suddenly came to him. Shaking off the feeling, he ignored it. As he left the capital that day, an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him. As they got further away from the palace and towards the countryside, Eric saw the Forbidden Mountain. He frowns as he wanted to avoid it at all costs."Kevin, make haste towards the west," said Eric."West?" asked Kevin."Yes.""Alright."Oddly enough they walked the whole day and still ended up coming back to the Forbidden Mountain. "What?" asked some of the soldiers."Kevin!" shouted Eric."Yes," replied Kevin in a nervous tone. "What is the meaning of this?""
"What? You mean FAT! Or even better, SCAR! What happened to your face? It used to just be pimples, then it became scars!" He jabbed his index finger at her head and with a push she fell backward. She fell and scrapped her hands on the ground as she was trying to brace for her fall. Her hands were bleeding and she felt like crying."For her, you will push me, call me names, humiliate me, and make me bleed." Eric saw what he did to her, and he brushed his hand through his hair. He looked at her hands and saw that they were really bleeding. Without sympathy he said with annoyance, "Get out." "What if I don't want to. What if I want to spend the night here with you?" asked Ruby hugging herself on the floor."What?""You heard me.""If you don't get out of here, I will personally drag you out myself.""Why won't you be with me tonight, the same as you spent last night with her.""How-how did you know?" asked Eric, shocked and surprised."Rumors tend to spread very quick.""I guess it did
"I will make you change your mind one day.""How? When you got nothing compared to Samantha.""I'm Ruby Scarlet. I'm ten times better than Samantha. No. I'm a million times better than her." Eric pushed her away from him. Annoyed that this argument is getting nowhere. “You need to leave." Eric looked at her with agitation.“Why?” asked Ruby with tears falling from her eyes.“You know why. You don’t need me to tell you the reason.” Eric turned away from her. "You're judging me before you know me, you're hating me before you got to understand me, you're despising me before you know the truth. How are you so mean? How did I even fell in love with a jerk like you!""I never asked you to fall in love with me,” said Eric whipping around to look at her. "How do I tell that to my aching heart?” asked Ruby clutching her chest. "I don't give a f*ck what happens to you and that trash heart of yours," smirk Eric. "I'm your true love, Prince Eric.""Stop saying that!" Eric was boiling with ra