《Talipandas》 Prologue 1: Darkness A strong wind blew past, and something touched my face. I gasped as I woke up lying on the ground, leaves and dirt stuck on my naked being. Something soft floated down and landed at my perky bosoms, and only then did I realize that something was covering my eyes. Chills ran down through my spine as stories of kidnappings and abductions flashed through my mind. I tried to sit up, but my body was sore; the kind of soreness someone feels after overworking their body. I calmed myself down, breathed three times, and slowly reached for the thick blindfold to undo the knot. My trembling, weak hands were of no use, however, and only then did I realize how little energy I had. I was weak, vulnerable, helpless, and alone in this quiet, desolate abyss. I shook tremendously and waited for at least a percentage of my strength to come back. I gulped as I tried to wet my dry lips with my saliva; sadly, my tongue was also dry. I was famished and dehydrated. ¡®How long was I unconscious? Where am I, and who brought me here? Where are the perpetrators? Are they nearby? Do they know that I¡¯m awake now? What will they do to me?¡¯ Countless questions ran through my mind as I let time pass. After a while, I carefully and slowly sat up and felt my surroundings. I puffed as quietly as I could, afraid to alert anyone nearby. When I felt that everything was alright, I stood up and leaned on the tree that I was under, leaving me feeling drained. A sudden, blazing light appeared the moment I touched the trunk of the tree. Albeit blindfolded, the light passed through the thick cloth and blinded my eyes. I squinted but to no avail, my eyes teared up as they burned. I raised my palm to cover my eyes when I looked for the source of light but froze. Although my eyes were still covered, I could see. I could see the light coming from the trunk; my heart thumped loudly as I watched it form an eye. My legs wobbled as my body slumped on the ground. Scared, I scrambled away as the eye looked at me with malice ¡ª enjoying my squirming. The tall tree grew even taller and became sturdier as it stared back at me. I felt weak, like a specimen under a microscope and I could feel how much the tree loved seeing my small, naked, vulnerable frame. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Without breaking eye contact, I forced myself up. I had no idea why, but I knew I needed to get out of here. So, I ran. But then, I bumped into another tree ¡ª not as big as the former but still as scary. It also glowed like the other, but it didn¡¯t form an eye. Instead, it played my life at full speed. I saw everything play out, the blindfold seemingly useless. Confused and bewildered, I ran. I ran as fast as I could, not stopping even though my feet bled. Every time I stumbled, the voices of people I knew filled the eerie place. Everything I touched glowed and played a clip of my life. The trees were chasing me without moving; they were after me and I had no idea why. All I knew was they were laughing at me and that they were loving this show of me growing slowly more insane. I stumbled and tripped. The ground swirled, and a mouth emerged from below. I jolted and sprinted away. I ran fast, parting whatever was obstructing my escape ¡ª branches slapped my face back and cut my body. Sharp stabs tugged at my lungs, and I was getting out of breath. My breaths became sharp and frantic; tears filled my wide reddened eyes. My ears rang as I heard the loud pounding of my heart, beating in sync with the thumping of my feet on the ground. Everything started to blur as I ran for my life; my lungs strained, my thoughts swirling. I just could not take it anymore. Tired and exhausted, the multitude of thoughts of giving up and succumbing to whatever was after me started to pop in my head. ¡°Just give up, you can''t escape,¡± it said. Broken and bruised, black and blue, I started to believe the monster that was eating away my mentality and draining my will to escape this forsaken, man-eating place. Then a warm, welcoming light showed itself from afar. It was still far away, but it gave me hope nonetheless. I smiled like a fool and sprinted into the unknown. Prologue 2: Light Thump, thump, thump. My heart beat fast, desperately trying to pump blood through my heavily bruised, cut body. The blindfold slowly slipped down my face, the bright sunlight blinding me. I immediately closed my eyes but didn¡¯t stop running. It took me a moment to adjust, but when I did, I saw a paradise, an oasis. Running water, birds chirping and other kinds of animals could be heard not far from where I was. But what captivated me the most was the green lush mountain ranges full of trees, with the sun resting between mountains. I quickened my pace until each step became leaps, my feet flying over the green grass. I could feel the wind whip my hair back from my face. Overwhelmed with emotions, I screamed freedom the way William Wallace did in Braveheart before he was decapitated. The air started to feel light, the hair on my body no longer standing up and the chills fading away the moment the ground I was running on became wet and soft. I knew I had escaped, I knew I was safe so I stopped running but my feet kept going. I tripped and fell onto the dewy grass. As I touched the green grass, calmness started to wash over me. ¡°Haha,¡± I laughed, relieved. ¡°Hahaha!¡± I hugged the ground and rolled over to lay on the grass to rest. I laid there, thinking about how peaceful everything had become. It was all quiet. The beating of the blades in my ears had gone, and the pain in my chest disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± I smirked and started laughing out loud again. I sat up and looked at the horizon. I felt like I was on cloud nine. I started running again, but this time I took the time to appreciate my surroundings. I ran around flinging my arms in the air, not minding that I was fully naked. I skipped around. I felt light, like a cotton ball, like a dandelion seed being blown away by someone. Delighted, I jumped around and realized I could fly. So, I flew up the sky and pierced through cloud after cloud until I exhausted myself. The lake below me glistened as it reflected the light coming from the sun. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I watched as the sun set and everything slowly succumbed to darkness. My smile faded, and my anxiety came back. I felt my stomach churn and my guts twist. ¡®What if the forest swallowed me again after dark? I don¡¯t want to experience that again, it feels like hell.¡¯ Enveloped in fear, I flew towards the sun. I planned to catch it, to hold it in my arms so that this paradise did not fall into darkness. I pushed harder and flew faster. The cold air bit into my lungs but I didn''t mind. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as a thin layer of sweat covered the nape of my neck. I reached my hands out as if welcoming a long-lost friend onto my arms. But I was too late; my ability to fly nullified as the sun hid behind the mountain. My eyes shut tight as I started to fall into the dark pit of the lake. There was nothing that could stop my fall as gravity pulled me down. After a long, sheer drop, I felt a whiplash on my back as I flopped on the water. I could not comprehend how, but my body slammed to the bottom of the lake onto a pointy rock. It pierced through me, and blood escaped my body. Out of nowhere, a sharp wind penetrated the lake, and the water parted. The tornado-like wind rapidly went down and struck me right through my heart. I laid there, with a hole both in my back and in my chest, in emptiness. My eyes were wide open, not feeling anything, emotionally or physically. With the water parted, I saw lights appear in the sky, twinkling like stars. Suddenly, a surge of pain enveloped me. I cried out loud as I felt my insides burning. I curled myself into a fetal position in an attempt to control the pain. I writhed in pain for who knows how long; all I knew was the moment it stopped. My body, drenched in sweat, let exhaustion take over as the blinding light appeared yet again and a warm feeling of human touch enveloped my whole body. Then it all went black. Chapter 1: The Curse The curse was cast upon the Amari nobility way back in the day. No one remembered who cursed the kingdom and how they did it, but everyone knew that they were still paying the price of what their ancestors did many generations ago. Back then, the nobility only laughed it off. ¡°What bosh!¡± they all said. ¡°A thousand cuts on whoever speaks about this atrocious thing,¡± their King decreed. ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. After all, it is only a hoax; can a woman even do anything? The people scoffed. Oh, how wrong they were. Little did they all know, their descendants would suffer from that grave mistake. Years passed, the nobility noticed the constant change in their lives and became alarmed. ¡°How could it happen? How could it be like this?¡± Everyone thought the same, but no one could voice their concerns as the topic was taboo. Even the then King thought the matter was alarming but didn¡¯t revoke his decree, due to pride. So, they let the issue go. They could only hope that it would pass and everything would go back to normal. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But, no. Small trees grew and turned into shades to shelter people from the sun¡¯s scorching heat. Green leaves turned yellow and fell to the ground. Fashion changed yet again. Time went by, and another generation took over the kingdom. But the curse didn¡¯t go like the former generation. They finally took action, but it was already late. The curse fed from the inside, eating away, little by little, the very core of the once-prosperous kingdom. Well, it is still prosperous, but now rotten; lichen and moss already stuck to the kingdom¡¯s walls. No one can undo the curse. The blue blood realized how grave the situation was. The people had tried everything that could be done to undo the curse, but with no proper knowledge and written records, they could only search in the dark ¡ª not knowing who or what to search for. If you ask someone on the streets what the origin of the curse was, they would probably tell you that it happened during the dark times of Amari Kingdom, and it was something that¡¯s eating away the kingdom even now. If asked who did it, they would answer, ¡°Talipandas.¡± Talipandas. Ungrateful. Insolent. Lewd. Wench. Hypocrite. Chapter 2: The Prophecy Ten years ago, the smallest country in Doroveya Continent sent their thirteen-year-old princess to the Amari Kingdom alongside their yearly tribute to keep the peace between the two countries. The young Luna Elicid Alanis y Maoridom then wed the thirty-seven-year-old Damaris King, Adrian Benedictus Gracia y Lazuli. Ten years and she has yet to give birth to a child. No conspiracy happened; it is only because she was unable to up until nine months prior to this day. It was a typical night for King Adrian; he had just come back from his royal duties and planned to spend a night with Concubine Luna. Nothing suspicious transpired; nothing out of the ordinary happened. The moment he entered the room, he snatched the Concubine¡¯s hand as usual and kissed her passionately, sucked her lips, and battled her tongue for dominance. He won, just like the other times. The woman moaned in his embrace, and he got excited. He didn¡¯t wait any longer and tore his wife¡¯s nightgown right there and then. He carried her back to her bed, not breaking the kiss as saliva drooled down their chins and unto her bare bosoms. As his penis pushed into her vagina, heavy rain started to pour on all Damaris land. But the two didn¡¯t notice the loud banging on the veranda as the strong wind and raindrops hit the windows and doors, as well the splatter of water on the castle grounds; they were busy succumbing to hunger and lust. Cries that had not been heard for generations suddenly echoed throughout the land, awakening everyone from their slumber. Sprouts of the mythical flower popped up from the ground of the Royal Garden. Morning came, and what happened during their lovemaking was reported to the King. He immediately ordered his vassals to investigate the matter and to report back to him, but no one knew why the phenomena happened and what caused them. All the Damaris people panicked and frequented Bergamota temples asking for forgiveness ¡ª everyone suddenly remembered and confessed to all their sins, as they promised not to do them again. Nobles were on edge, afraid that the curse had already reached its final stage and would finally end the long history of Damaris¡¯ blood. Neighboring kingdoms started to plan for actions ¡ª awaiting confirmation of how the phenomena would benefit them. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Every day, whenever the clock struck twelve, the unfamiliar raspy cries from the unknown creature are heard throughout the land. Little by little, it started to become part of people¡¯s daily lives. The cries got louder, and a never-before-seen kind of mystical flower budded inside the Royal Garden as days went by. Rain also frequently fell from the sky ¡ª a jinx from some, a blessing for others. The Royal Castle became busier than ever, the people having no clue what was happening. However, the Galagaian Princess became nauseous six weeks after King Adrian visited her residence. Everyone stopped their search and concluded what was actually happening ¡ª the prophecy. ¡°The moon is shy ¡ª only shows her full self once in a while. But fret not, as when she takes shape, everyone will sigh, The Hope of the Kingdom will appear, as Kismet sheds tears.¡± Everyone refocused their attention and worked hard to welcome the answer to the generations-long ordeal of the kingdom. Flowers were cultivated. Raw meats and other ingredients were bought and reserved. Boutiques, ateliers, jewelry shops, and other stores got booked in advance. Everyone knew, a celebration would be held thirty-six weeks from that day. They were right. A week before the full moon, heavy rains poured down on the whole country. Two days later, Janome birds that people only saw in history books roamed the city sky, and the Neverendin flower opened their petals. And on the day the moon showed its full glory, Concubine Luna went into labor. Chapter 3: The Birth of the Princess, the Hope of the Kingdom ¡°Is my child born yet?¡± The Amari King asked for the nth time, like a broken clock that still cuckoos even after being slammed multiple times. The man who was known for his iron hand and towering figure was currently pacing back and forth nervously, his hands trembling as beads of sweat formed on his forehead and nape. Sometimes, his lips would quiver and he¡¯d let out a shaky sigh once in a while. ¡°Not yet, Vhar Haluman,¡± answered his aide, Arman. [1] A lady snapped her fan close and rolled her eyes. ¡°You must calm down, My King. Conceiving is hard and tiring for everyone.¡± Her high-pitched voice was full of lasciviousness. She tried to divert her husband¡¯s attention as she straightened her posture and subtly pushed her bosoms forward. ¡°I agree with Royal Consort Alicia, My King,¡± Avria said. ¡°Hearing you pace back and forth and ask if the princess is born yet; the midwives might think that you are getting impatient and try to speed up the process.¡± ¡°What Royal Consort Alicia and Concubine Avria said were correct, Vhar Haluman,¡± Arman seconded. Upon hearing this, the King tried to calm himself for he didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to either his wife or his child. Although he no longer walked back and forth and was now standing in place, his stance was not that of a king nor of a proud man. He was putting his weight in one of his feet, tapping his thighs continuously with his fingers. No one bothered to tell him how much of a joke he looked right now in fear of angering him and complicating the already complicated birthing. The three heavily dressed women almost simultaneously rolled their eyes. The King already had seven sons, two of which are a pair of twins. He had been in the waiting side of the delivery room six times and he had never acted the way he was acting right now; which irritated Royal Consort Alicia as she was one of the people who gave birth to his children. This made her detest the soon-to-be mother and child pair more and more as time ticked by. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The King started to pace back and forth once again, biting his fingernails in the process as he attempted to stop himself from asking if his wife gave birth already. He didn''t know what he was feeling; he was both excited and frightened at the same time. His whole life, he prayed for this day to finally come. But now that his prayers were being answered at that very moment, he had become agitated and anxious. He could feel butterflies in his stomach but he could also feel his insides churn. Even though he already went through with this for seven times, he could not help but feel as if this was his first time being a father. Well, this was his first time fathering a princess. He could not put a word to the emotions surging through him at that point; all he knew was how he wished he was the one giving birth instead. Not because he is worried for his wife, but because he wanted nothing bad to happen to the child. The door that was laced with protective circles and silencing spells opened and a cry was heard from the inside. A midwife walked out of the room and announced, ¡°It¡¯s a princess, Vhar El Haluman. Concubine Luna has given birth to a very beautiful princess.¡± [2] The King¡¯s eyes widened as he excitedly entered the room. Concubine Avria and Concubine Mehia, with Royal Consort Alicia in the middle, followed behind the staggering man alongside Arman de Vuch. The Queen couldn¡¯t attend as she was tasked to handle the Court matters while the other wives found excuses to ditch this historical day, so the three were the only ones present among the many wives the King had. As he entered the room and the door was closed behind them, he saw a young midwife holding a white-haired baby. His heart thumped harder while seemingly skipping a beat. He stopped in his tracks; tears formed on his now swollen eyes, and his lips twitched. ¡°A princess¡­ it¡¯s a girl¡­ my daughter¡­¡± ----- [1] Vhar Haluman = literal Damari equivalent for the term Your Majesty. [2] Vhar El Haluman = literal Damari equivalent for the term Your Royal Majesty. A more formal way of addressing a monarch. Chapter 4: Death of Oneself My body is stiff and goo-ey all over. I feel light, like a paper plane soaring through the air ¡ª but never landing on the ground. I feel liberated, somehow free but not entirely, flying in the air but tied down like a kite. I feel like I am suffering from lucid dreaming. Ah, but how could a dead person dream? ¡°Sshhh¡­¡± I hear a voice coo at me. ¡®Nana? Why is she here?¡¯ I could hear my dead grandmother¡¯s voice¡­ Does this mean I have also died? ¡®Am I in heaven? But people say that people who did what I did won¡¯t end up in heaven. But Nana is here; I doubt I¡¯m in hell. My Nana was the nicest person I know.¡¯ ¡°Shkrishi,¡± Nana said. I can¡¯t see her clearly, but I know that the person holding me is her; her sweet melodious voice is just how I remembered it to be. [1] I snuggled into her embrace. ¡°Vemos kevriya tuldos tu¡¯a ekwana.¡± A high-pitched voice rings in the background. I didn¡¯t understand what the woman was saying, but I could feel the disgust in her voice. [2] ¡°Di. Di. A dayang.¡± This time the voice belongs to a raspy voice of a man. Although rough, his resonant voice is filled with love. He talked again, but in a different tone, like a general commanding his subordinates. I couldn¡¯t follow what he said, but I heard quiet yet hurried shuffles of people¡¯s feet on a concrete floor. [3] [4] If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I squirm from Nana¡¯s hold after feeling suffocated. She had always been overprotective of me, but not to this extent. Is this her way of preventing me from doing what I did? I wriggled a little bit, but it only made her hug me closer to her chest. She walks forward, cradling me in her arms, when all of a sudden, she trips and falls on her knees. ¡°Ah!¡± she grunts. She held me tight in an attempt to protect me from the fall, but it became harder for me to breathe as her right hand clasped the back of my neck. ¡®Wait¡­ something is wrong. Nana¡­ this woman isn¡¯t my grandmother! This woman isn¡¯t protecting me.¡¯ This woman is choking me! ¡®She¡¯s trying to kill me!¡¯ ¡®But how? I already died. How could a dead person be killed again? How could a dead person feel pain? Is this really hell? Will I experience torture for eternity just like what the myths say?¡¯ I thrashed around and cried as hard as I could, trying to catch people¡¯s attention, and I heard voices and footsteps approaching. ¡°Iris!¡± I heard a woman¡¯s feeble and panicked voice shout. I have no idea who the voice belongs to, this is my first time hearing it, but I feel something inside me move. I feel my heart falter, and a sense of familiarity rushes over me. That voice¡­ her voice made me cry harder for no apparent reason. It becomes harder to breathe, so I flail more, trying to get out of the evil woman¡¯s grasps. ¡°Stop, you¡¯re choking me!¡± I shouted, but no words came out of my mouth except the loud uwaaahs. I wanted to tell whoever was holding me that I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I tried to push her, but I had no strength at all. Maybe because she has been choking me for a long time now. Or perhaps because this is my eternal punishment, and I could not do anything to stop it. All I could do was flail my hands and kick my feet in an attempt to at least injure the woman who has the same face and voice as my grandmother. But my body felt foreign; I couldn¡¯t control it. I couldn¡¯t exert the force I wanted to, and my limbs couldn¡¯t reach the woman¡¯s face that I so wanted to punch. ¡®What is happening? What kind of punishment is this, God of Death?¡¯ Chapter 5: New Life I feel myself slip out of consciousness when a gust of wind blows past, and a blinding light enveloped my surroundings. A deafening silence followed suit as I felt myself float midair and a warm sensation touched my forehead. I opened my eyes, and the moment I adjusted to the light, I gasped. These people¡­ I don¡¯t know who they are. I didn¡¯t know any of them! A group of foreigners is inside a grandiose room that is divided in two by a gauzy curtain. The place screams rich. It seems to belong to a set for musicals or a Disney Princess movie. Everything is majestic and cut out from history ¡ª which part, I do not know, but this looks like any Barbie as a Princess kind of set. The room is similar to palace museums I used to frequent as a child. The walls are primarily white, with the hint of the faintest pink, and the furniture is magenta. Everything looks so regal. I see a worried, worn-out woman covered in sweat lying in bed, reaching her hand out, in one side of the room. Two women wearing the same blue outfit stood on either side of the bed with their heads bowed. There is also a man wearing a Prince Charming costume on the other side of the curtain. Behind him is a slightly aged man in a black tailcoat. Three women wearing floor-length, intricately designed crinoline ball gowns are on the left corner of the prince¡¯s side of the room. Across are four other women with mobcaps; one wears a simple beige dress, and the rest wear the same outfit of light mustard. In front of the prince is an older woman wearing a similar beige dress with a pained expression on her face. She is kneeling on the ground while tightly holding a blooded child wrapped in a white cloth. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®Wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ My eyes grew bigger as I realized something. The newborn being strangled to death while others try to pry the hands of the suspect away from the child¡­ This scene in front of me is what I was experiencing just earlier. That child is¡­ me? ¡®What kind of sick fuck is this?¡¯ ¡®What the hell is happening?! Something is wrong. Something¡¯s definitely wrong!¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ this is the place where humans get judged after they die¡­ a place between life and death? ¡®Oh, no! Is this some kind of judgment hall? If it is, how cruel of them to use my grandmother¡¯s face to judge me.¡¯ I frantically look for the exit, but I notice that these people are not moving as I roam my sight. It¡¯s as if time stopped for them. Confused, I look to check myself. I gasped. I was shocked, not because I was glowing, but because I have a body of a newly born child. Chapter 6: A Promise ¡®Is this my punishment for what I did when I was still alive? But it¡¯s not my fault. I didn¡¯t want it to happen! I was a victim. I needed to do it to save myself, to prevent myself from hurting someone innocent, so why am I here?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± A familiar voice echoes from nowhere. It is sad but the voice feels like a lullaby. I look up and see a voluptuous body of a person. Even though she is literally glowing and blinding my eyes, I can still see her sadness and sorrow. Just like me, she is also floating midair. She glides towards me and reaches for my cheek, and I grow back into my twenty-six-year-old self just by her touch. My body shakes as soon as her hand touches me; I can¡¯t control my emotions, and tears start to roll down my cheeks. I put my hands atop of hers and wept. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s okay. No one will hurt us anymore,¡± she says. The person in front of me is someone I knew very well ¡ª the one who knew everything about me and the one I knew everything about. She is in her prime, a very beautiful lady carved to perfection¡ª my creation, my ideal self: Mariana. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Her smile didn¡¯t waver; the love and concern in her eyes are still evident up until now despite everything. As I meet her gaze, everything comes flashing back to me. Her tears fell the moment she closed her eyes, as she rested her forehead on mine. I understood. I knew¡­ I did it. There¡¯s no turning back. Sorrow, regret, repentance, satisfaction, acceptance, peace. I feel everything surge within me. I look her in the eye. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. Trust me; I won¡¯t lose this time.¡± She didn¡¯t say more and only smiled back at me. We didn¡¯t break eye contact as I watched her fade away. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure there will be no regrets this time,¡¯ I promise myself. Oh, how I wish I am only lucid dreaming; there is a side of me wishing for all of this to be just a fantasy, but most of me is hoping it is real. I truly wished for the pain to disappear and I got what I hoped for. There is no turning back as I felt myself getting sucked into the newborn¡¯s body¡­ into my new life. Chapter 7: New Family Everything went back to normal the minute my soul merged with the newborn¡¯s body. Then, I felt being forcefully yet carefully taken away from the grasps of the person holding me by the prince. He then passed me onto the older man wearing a butler¡¯s uniform, who took me gently without question. ¡°Urgh!¡± I heard a thud as the perpetrator¡¯s body flew and hit the ground after the prince kicked her hard in the chest. She heaves as she struggles to sit back up but slumps back on the floor every time. ¡°Vhar! Mhuye hastep unat vhar dre kuman vhar-i?!¡± [1] The older woman paled and immediately kowtowed in front of the prince. I hear thuds as countless knees make contact with the carpeted floor, probably from the other uniformed women in the room. ¡°This impudent one tried to kill the Princess in front of me,¡± the prince says. Albeit not having any idea of what he was saying, I could feel how venomous his voice was. The woman trembles. ¡°I dare not Vhar El Haluman! I tripped¨C¡± The prince did not listen to what the woman was saying and roared, ¡°Guards! Seize this midwife at once!¡± The veins in his temples pop as he shouts, and the double door swings open. Four armored people rush inside the room to hold the crying, hyperventilating woman. ¡°Heed my orders: This woman committed an act of treason and tried to assassinate the Princess. Everyone present, from servants to nobles, currently in the Royal Capital must gather at the Hall of Punishments and witness the execution of this impudent woman¡­ death by a thousand cuts!¡± ¡°AAAAH! Noooo!¡± One of the armored people covers the woman¡¯s mouth while she is struggling to free herself. ¡°Hadidi, Vhar El Haluman!¡± the four armed people reply in unison. [2] ¡°All three generations of her family are to be reduced to slavery for five generations. Her corpse is to be displayed in the Square to serve as a reminder for everyone who thinks of bringing harm to my daughter.¡± His voice is void of any emotions¡­ no, he spoke with venom in his voice. ¡°Noooo! Hwan! Please believe me! I dare not harm the Princess!¡± the woman pleads again. [3] Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°How dare you say you did not harm my daughter? Are you saying that I am the one who lied?!¡± he roars. ¡°N-no¡­ I-I didn¡¯t¡­ but I also didn¡¯t¡­ no¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°All members of her family are to be flogged every month until death,¡± he says with finality as he waves his hand in dismissal. ¡®This man is scary¡­ he¡¯s crazy. I should not get on his wrong side.¡¯ The mad prince is enraged. He looks back at the person holding me. Without exchanging any words, the butler gave me to him and left the room, followed by all uniformed women except for the two kneeling by the bed. The woman who looks like Nana is forced to stand up and is dragged out of the room. Her pleas echo as the mahogany doors close. ¡°I was only protecting Saridayang! Nooooo! Hwan! Please forgive this servant for what she has done! Please!¡± [4] It is quiet for a while until a woman wearing an exquisite yellow crinoline dress says: ¡°My King, maybe she was just really protecting Saridayang. No one would dare harm her as she is your child. Not to mention that you are here in person and that this is a heavily guarded place; no one would dare commit treason in this situation.¡± The prince¡¯s head snaps in her direction, his eyes full of rage. ¡°Are you saying I lied, Alicia?¡± ¡°Eh? N-no, My King¡­ of course not. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s absurd that she would just kill the Princess right in front of you,¡± she reasons, her voice trembling. ¡°Are you saying that I overreacted, then? This child is the hope of my kingdom, the answer to all our hardships. If you think that this matter is only small and what I did was too much, then I don¡¯t see any reason for you to be by my side any longer since you failed to see how important this child is to the kingdom¡¯s future.¡± Upon hearing what the prince said, the woman immediately kneels and asks for forgiveness; however, he no longer pays her attention. Instead, he walks towards the other woman lying on the bed. He sits down on the edge of the bed and hands me to her. She kissed me on the head and started to hum while he moved some strands of her hair stuck on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Thank you for giving birth to a healthy daughter,¡± he whispers to her. ¡°Rest. Don¡¯t worry about anything. I¡¯ll make sure that nothing of this sort will ever happen again.¡± He lovingly caresses my face before leaning in to kiss me. Afterward, he turns his attention to the three women still inside the room. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard what I said earlier? I instructed everyone to be present in that midwife¡¯s execution, so why are you still here?¡± Sensing that the man is still furious with what had just transpired, the three hurriedly exit the room. His attention went back to us, and his soft countenance came back. He holds the woman¡¯s hand and massages it a little. ¡°I need to go now.¡± He smiles once more before ultimately leaving the room with the rest tailing him, leaving only the woman in the bed and me alone. The woman adjusts herself and pats my back gently. She starts to sing a lullaby that I¡¯m not familiar with but still makes me relax. I soon fell asleep while listening to her soft voice, and I felt my soul drifting away from this body again. Chapter 8: The God Shortly after, I found myself standing in the middle of a vast ocean with lotuses and daffodils of different sizes floating atop the glittering water. I am now back at my adult self before that happened. I see a familiar yet unfamiliar ginormous castle made of reflective glass at a distance. I gulp before I start walking towards its gigantic doors. It slowly opens when I reach the front, so I just enter the castle. ¡°Mariana?¡± I call her name, and a naked figure emerges from atop the stairs. Just like the way I pictured her to be: a redhead with a Coca-Cola body with non-existent nipples and body hair ¡ª just like a barbie doll. My eyes follow her as she walks down the stairs, her hair swaying with the movement of her waist. ¡°You¡­ this¡­ looks like Elsa¡¯s castle,¡± I say. ¡°Really? I think so too. You were really into Frozen when you were a kid, and I think that¡¯s why,¡± she comments. ¡°That¡¯s why what?¡± I said, asking for her to elaborate. She did not answer my question. Instead, she opens her hands wide and shows her toothpaste commercial-worthy smile. ¡°Welcome to my humble abode.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead, right? I died.¡± I went straight to the point. ¡°Is this what¡­ a judgment hall or something? The first person I met was Nana, are you supposed to be the second one? Like in the Five People You Meet In Heaven?¡± I ask. ¡°Is that even real? Kudos to Paulo Coello, then.¡± She laughs. ¡°Silly, no.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then where am I? What is this place?¡± She looks away and pretends to busy herself observing her castle. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, I swear. All I know is one day, this castle appeared in front of me, and as if possessed, I just accepted this as my home.¡± With nothing to say, I just bobbed my head. She smiles. ¡°I may not have created this world, but I created the world you were in. Not Earth, but the one you were in just now.¡± She starts pacing the empty floor. ¡°I am Kismet, the Creator of All, the God of Gods. And you, you are this Creator¡¯s creator. This place ¡ª¡± She spreads her arms wide, ¡°¡ªis the one you sketched as a kid. You made this. You made me.¡± ¡°I¡­ what? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I was a figment of your imagination when you were a kid; I played with you. I jumped from place to place avoiding lavas. I rode the broomstick with you as you aim for the moon,¡± she reminisces. ¡°I was there your whole childhood. And as you grew older, you never forgot about me. You made me join you in your journey ¡ª your teenage life until adulthood. I was there; I was there. I listened. You wrote to me. You talked to me. You didn¡¯t see me, but I was there. With you. But then you died¡­ and even then, you thought of me¡­ I was the last thing you thought of¡­ I was there, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t touch you; I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop it; I couldn¡¯t warn anyone. After all, I was but a figment of imagination.¡± I watch her talk as her face changes expressions as if she¡¯s a mad scientist not getting the result she wanted. ¡°I was¡­ after you died, I woke up in this place; built everything the way you imagined. You were right, oh, how nice is it to stay in this place¡­ it¡¯s a dream come true indeed¡­ but, no. You¡¯re not with me. You¡¯re not here, so I did what I had to. And for you to be here, I needed to make a world for you to live in. Thankfully, you already have one built ¡ª the one you created for the story you were doing! I made what you¡¯ve envisioned; I made Imaginan! Welcome! To Imaginan!¡± ¡­ ¡°What?¡± I ask, dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ how?... eh?¡± My brain is having a hard time processing what she said. ¡®She¡¯s crazier than the prince.¡¯ ¡°Welcome to Imaginan,¡± she repeats. She spreads her arms wide and flashes me that toothy smile once again. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I shook my head. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t¡­ is this a fucking Truman Show? Am I in a show¡ªis this a prank? Yari Ka?¡± [1] ¡°No.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me you built this world?¡± ¡°No! You built this world.¡± ¡°But I didn¨C okay¡­ let¡¯s just say I built it. What did you build?¡± ¡°That world. The world where you were just in earlier. The mortal realm. I built it. You built the Immortal Realm¡­ I built it too, but without you, there¡¯s no me who¡¯d build it, so¡­ yeah¡­ I mean¡­ you built both worlds.¡± I put my fingers in my temples, trying to understand what she had just said. After a while, I ask, ¡°So, I¡¯m here because¡­.¡± ¡°Because you live here now. Not here, here, but there ¡ª¡± she points her hand at the door, indicating where I came from. I knitted my brows. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because I took you from that place ¡®cause I know you don¡¯t want to be there ¡®cause you don¡¯t believe in them,¡± she answers vaguely. ¡°Excuse¡ªwhat?¡± I feel my stomach churn as I¡¯m having a bad feeling about all this. ¡°I took your soul and put it to the world you love,¡± she says as if it¡¯s nothing important. ¡°What?! What did¡ªare you saying that you took my soul ¡ª that is on its way to heaven ¡ª and threw it in there? In that medieval bullshit kind of place where I almost died right after I woke up?! I¡ªyou¡­¡± She smiles widely. ¡°Yes! Now you get what I was trying to say. It¡¯s a good thing that you haven¡¯t reached that place yet, or you¡¯ll be devastated,¡± she comments, still oblivious to what I was feeling. ¡°Bullshit! Take me back!¡± I scream at her as I start to pace back and forth, formulating a plan on how to go back to heaven. ¡°But you don¡¯t believe in Him and you love this place¡­ you love me¡­.¡± ¡°No. Bring me back. Bring me back, now!¡± ¡°But if I send you back, then you¡¯ll live somewhere you don¡¯t wanna live,¡± she reasons. ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna live here. Bring me back, bring me back now!¡± Her smile drops. She becomes hysterical and keeps talking to herself, asking where it went wrong and how it turned out this way. Seeing an opportunity to get out of her place, I didn¡¯t waste time and ran out of the castle. However, I caught her attention; a gust of wind passed me, and the door slammed in my face. ¡°Kyaah!¡± I scream. ¡°Santa Maria¡­ Ave Maria¡­ Diyos ko¡­¡± I start praying desperately as I try to pry open the door. Her eyes turn bloodshot, and her hair starts to float midair. ¡°Lumayo ka demonyo!¡± I blurt out and make a sign of the Cross. [2] ¡°What are you doing? Who are you?! What did you do to my Ari? Ari doesn¡¯t want that! Ari doesn¡¯t believe in that!¡± She screams, and in a matter of seconds, she speeds to me and cocks her head left and right as she examines me. I close my eyes shut as I chant Our Father, but I am abruptly stopped as she slammed her fist on the door next to my head. ¡°Ari hates praying. Ari doesn¡¯t do that! What are you doing to my Ari? Who are you!¡± ¡°Stop, please, stop¡­ What do you want? I¡¯ll do whatever you want, so please¡­ I wanna go home¡­.¡± I plead and beg her to release me. ¡°I am Mariana!¡± she frustratingly shouts. ¡°You cried on my shoulders just a while ago!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monster! You¡¯re derailed!¡± Tears start to trickle down my face once again. ¡°Please¡­ let me go¡­ let me go¡­.¡± She observes me as I bawl my eyes out, trembling and on alert if she ever tries to do anything. She sighed, and her eyes went back to normal. She walks back to give us space, and I slump down the floor. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Pity is evident in her voice. ¡°What I did was¡­ I thought you wanted this. I thought I knew you, but it turns out I didn¡¯t¡­ sorry¡­ but, I can¡¯t. Really. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Let me go. I wanna go back...¡± I plead once more. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry. It pains me to see you cry.¡± She walks towards me, but I push myself more against the door, so she stops. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to go back. Your soul has already reincarnated, and the only way to go back is for you to die again, and I¡¯m not even sure if you¡¯ll be able to go back since you¡¯re in a different universe now. God doesn¡¯t exist here; there¡¯s only Kismet. There¡¯s no heaven here, just a spirit world.¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why me? Why me?¡± I ask repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll do everything I can to give you the life you want. I¡¯ll make you a queen, or an empress, a saintess even! Just¡ªjust don¡¯t leave me. I did this for you. I want you to ¡ª I did this for you. Please?¡± She tried approaching me again; this time, I let her. Chapter 9: A Princess Now on the way to another room, Mariana and I walk the long hallways of her castle. On the walls are pictures of people in white clothing with their names at the bottom of the frames. ¡°I have five Immortal Children: Limunsudan, Adarna, Mayon, Lupine, and Ningning. My firstborn, Limunsudan, was created from the tears I shed when you died and the blood I spilled when I tried to follow you to the afterlife. Adarna was created when I breathed the moment I accepted my fate. However, their quick and light forms caused this place to freeze whenever they played, so I pulled out strands of my hair and ignited them. Mayon was born from that very fire, but she was born weak and couldn¡¯t play with her elder siblings, so I created Lupine, a Child who loved staying in one place, to accommodate her.¡± She smiles briefly, recalling the memories of the olden days. ¡°With four energetic Children playing nonstop, I got tired and exhausted from taking care of them, so I created my last child, Ningning. With her help, the night was created,¡± she continues. ¡°I finally got time for myself, so I started creating the world you once imagined as a child. But I wasn¡¯t successful; this place ¡ª¡± She waves her hand around, ¡°¡ª feeds from my very core, and that world is too much for me to handle. I sent my Children out and told them to build it for me instead; it took them centuries to create Imaginan. I called them back to accompany me once again after that.¡± ¡°You already created the world you wanted. You¡¯re already a god, someone who controls everything in this world. Shouldn¡¯t you be satisfied already? Why drag me here too?¡± I want to ask more, but after noticing a change in her expression, I decided against it. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t say anything anymore, but I want you to promise me one thing. You¡¯ll be at my disposal. I created you; without me, you won¡¯t be able to achieve what you have now, so technically, you owe everything to me.¡± ¡®I¡¯m already here; why not seize the opportunity to tilt things in my favor?¡¯ She stops in her tracks and whips her head towards me. She bobs her head enthusiastically as she says, ¡°I understand. I know, I know. I¡¯ll do everything you tell me. Everything! I¡¯ll be your slave.¡± ¡°What the heck! Fuck off!¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°But you love BDS¡ª¡± I cut her off by telling her to shut her mouth, which she does by covering it with both of her hands. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but Imaginan is the same as the setting of Vendetta and Inamorata, right?¡± Vendetta is a book I wrote when I was still alive. I was so into worldbuilding that I spent three years building the whole world where the book is setting place. Its story is about women in a patriarchal and oppressive society. The book was full of gory scenes and ideologies that a ¡°woke¡± person wouldn¡¯t want to read, much less live in. Wait. ¡°Please tell me this is not Vendetta.¡± ¡°Oh, no. No.¡± She shakes her head vigorously. ¡°That turbulent time happened years ago, decades ago. It is already in the past.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, I¡¯m now in Inamorata¡¯s timeline?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not part of the story? Am I a side character? A villain? Please tell me I¡¯m not a villain. I don¡¯t wanna fight white lotuses. Did I write a santa-santita character? Oh, no. I did. Or did I?¡± [1] ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± she answers. ¡°But, no. You¡¯re not in that timeline¡­ technically.¡± ¡°By technically, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re before that. But it will happen in your timeline¡­ if you live long enough¡­ I mean, of course, you¡¯ll live long enough, what am I rambling about¡­ I mean¡­ I just¡­ Anyway, you¡¯re not part of that story¡­ technically.¡± I waited for her to elaborate, but she didn''t, so I stomped my foot in annoyance. ¡°Oh, tell me already! Stop with the cliffhanger.¡± ¡°You are not the main character of Inamorata. You are also not the villain or part of any squad. When you wrote Inamorata, you barely talked about the person you are currently in.¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°The princess.¡± Chapter 10: The Deal ¡°You are the princess ¡ª the only daughter of King Adrian Benedictus Gracia y Lazuli of the Amari Kingdom where both Vendetta and Inamorata took place. That man you saw, he¡¯s the King. The woman currently lying in bed with you is Concubine Luna from the Galagaia Kingdom and is one of the King¡¯s wives. The three other women are Royal Consort Alicia, Concubine Mehia, and Concubine Avria. The older man is the head secretary of your father. The rest are the Royal Knights and midwives, as well as the ladies-in-waiting of your mother.¡± So he wasn¡¯t a prince, I thought. Then another thought pops into my head. ¡°A princess who¡­?¡± She cocks her head to the side, not understanding my question. ¡°Is arranged or not with someone?¡± ¡°Oh, arranged marriage. No, no, you¡¯re not.¡± I nod my head. ¡°I am also a princess who is¡­¡± I waited for her to continue but I got the same response as before. ¡°Come on! Fill in the blanks. I need answers.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, right. Uhm¡­ you¡¯re a princess who¡­ uhm¡­ ahh¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything. Sorry.¡± I sighed and gave up. ¡°You¡¯re like a child¡­ a nude child,¡± I comment as I look at her search for words. ¡°Let¡¯s do this my way, then. First, no arranged marriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not on me. That¡¯s on your parents, plus the queen.¡± ¡°Then show up in their dreams and tell them not to arrange one for me or write an oracle, or you know, send a sign or something. Your choice.¡± She opens her mouth to talk, but I proceed to tell her my other conditions. ¡°Second: I do what I want. Do not meddle with what I do unless I tell you to. Never do anything that you think would help me or make me happy without consulting me, because let¡¯s be honest, I won¡¯t. No surprises. Third, since I¡¯m not part of the story, I won¡¯t experience the things that happened in the book, and that¡¯s okay because everything was cringe-y and full of bull; I wrote it when I was sixteen. Fourth¡ª What¡¯s the first?¡± ¡°No arranged marriage.¡± ¡°And the second?¡± ¡°Do not meddle with your decisions.¡± ¡°And the third?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You just told me that Inamorata is a cringe-y story because you wrote it when you were sixteen.¡± ¡°Oh. Third! No spotlight. I don¡¯t wanna be in the spotlight. I want to be the puppeteer, you know, manipulating everyone in the background. That¡¯s cool. That¡¯s cool. No spotlight. That¡¯s the third rule. Fourth¡ª¡± I stop talking again when I see her brows knit and lips tremble. ¡°What?¡± I snap and she takes a sharp breath. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the third one. And the second and the first.¡± ¡°What?¡± My expression turns grim. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s only one thing, but it kinda overlaps with everything. You see, I kinda did something that I thought would make you happy, and that made me meddle in your business which is wrong because it won¡¯t make you happy because you don¡¯t like the spotlight¡­ which is the third rule.¡± I step back and squint my eyes at her, ready to bolt and run away from this place once again. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t,¡± she pleads with me knowing what I intend to do. ¡°What is it?¡± I say in a whispery, exasperated tone. She mimics my tone and says, ¡°I kinda made your birth... something?¡± An awkward smile is plastered on her face. I calm myself and ask her what she did, and she answers in a sing-song manner. ¡°Just Janome birds crying and flying through the sky. Neverendin flower that never bloomed suddenly blooms aaaand constant rain throughout your mother¡¯s pregnancy¡­ something like that.¡± ¡°What?! Why would you do that?!¡± ¡°Because! That was when I thought you wanted to be here! I didn¡¯t know that you thought otherwise.¡± I slapped my forehead. ¡°Fine. What else did you do?¡± Oh, I swear to god, this woman-thing-or-whatever is gonna be the death of me. And that came from an already dead person, so take that. ¡°Nothing? Nothing. I swear.¡± She shakes her head and makes a cross in her heart, her eyes popping innocently. ¡°I promise. Peksman.¡± [1] I rolled my eyes and sighed for the nth time. ¡°No more. Stop whatever you¡¯re thinking. I plan to live my own life, and with the way you announced my birth, responsibilities and expectations are already put on my shoulders, so enough already.¡± ¡°Just one little thing... you see... you are a princess, the only princess at that. Being born into royalty is already a hassle, but then I did what I did, so it became more hassle. But then... I kinda did more. You see, I wanted everyone to celebrate your birth, so I made it a little... special.¡± ¡°Please, not a prophecy. Please, not a prophecy.¡± I close my eyes and chant quietly for all of this to be just a dream. ¡°Not a prophecy per se... but a curse.¡± My eyes snap open. ¡°You put a curse on me?!¡° ¡°No, no. On the people, I did, yes, but you, no.¡± She rambles on and on, but I have no idea what she''s saying as she paces back and forth, her gaze no longer fixed on me as she now talks to herself like a lunatic. ¡°Oh, dear god, no.¡± My eyes quiver as countless numbers of horrible possibilities flash through my mind. ¡°I cursed the whole Damaris nobility¡ª¡± ¡°Damaris what?¡± ¡°The people of Amari Kingdom.¡± She answers quickly and then continues telling me what she is talking about. ¡°¡ªand of course that includes the royalty, to not bear a daughter, and that happened like decades ago.¡± Her lips twitch after seeing my deadly expression. Realizing what she¡¯s trying to say, I stumble back. ¡°Oh, you did not.¡± I refuse to accept what she just told me. ¡°I kinda did.¡± ¡°Nooo.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Send me back. Now.¡± I say sternly. ¡°But I¡¯m not finished yet¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I shout. ¡°Whatever it is, just stop. I don¡¯t wanna hear anything from you. Send me back now before I kill myself again just to run away from you.¡± Chapter 11: The Princess’ First Evaluation A month after my encounter with Mariana, a banquet was held in celebration of my birth and to officially welcome me into the Royal Family. Delegates from other kingdoms were sent an invitation and most of them attended. I¡¯m not stupid. I knew why they came ¡ª to size things up and jump into whatever opportunities they could find. Some took the chance to introduce prospective wives to the King ¡ª who I mistook as a prince the first time. Too bad for them, the King didn¡¯t even spare them a glance. The only women he entertained were this child¡¯s mother, who was granted the title of Royal Consort a week after my birth, and Hara Licentia. I only attended the banquet for less than an hour and during that time, I was surrounded by a bunch of Royal Knights and high-level Inheritors to ensure my safety. [1] It¡¯s been months since that day and we are now on our way to the Temple of Kismet where I¡¯ll be having my first evaluation. Every Bergamin, the members of Bergamota Religion, experience three evaluations in their entire life. The first evaluation is held a month after a child is born to ask for a Blessed Name. This is the equivalent of Christening in Christianity. Bergamota is the first and only religion ever created in this world. Its temples are created to worship Kismet and her five Immortal Children. The religion¡¯s main temple was erected at the Amari Kingdom where the Holy Portal is located. Although the portal could no longer be used as a bridge to cross both mortal and immortal realms, it still helps the Keepers connect with the deities and vice versa. [1] ¡°May the benison of Kismet be with you, Vhar El Haluman!¡± ¡°Thank you for giving birth to our Saridayang, Royal Consort! May the benison of Kismet be with you!¡± ¡°Many blessings, Saridayang! We wish you a blessed life!¡± ¡°Long live Vhar El Haluman, Hwan Adrian! Long live the Royal Family!¡± As the carriage we are in traverses the road, countless cheers and cries from the citizens are heard. I could hear the happiness in everyone¡¯s voices; some followed the moving carriage while some stood still while waving Amari mini-flags. Petals are thrown at the road as the carriage moves, Royal Knights and high-level Inheritors ride horses as they surround us in a uniform manner. The whole way to the temple, no one caused any kind of trouble ¡ª a sign of respect from the citizens to their monarch. This grandiose parade is both a sign and a statement that the Royal Family will become stronger and greater in the coming years. It is a silent declaration that the Amari Kingdom would rise back to its glorious past, announcing to everyone that we are not weak, never have been, and never would be. My body unintentionally rocks as Consort Luna trembles due to nervousness. The King wraps his hand around her to console her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, wife. Our Iris will do just fine.¡± ¡°I know, husband, but I just can¡¯t calm myself. She was almost killed the day she was born but after today, she¡¯d be targeted more. If she does well, our enemies will come after her but if she does not do well, she will be abandoned by our people.¡± May I just add that these two lovebirds have gotten closer than ever this past month and now they are calling each other by endearments? It may not be in the ¡°babe¡± level, but it¡¯s still something. At first, the King never addressed Consort Luna by any names except ¡°you¡± and ¡°she¡± or ¡°her,¡± but he now calls her wife. That¡¯s something! Especially for a king. ¡°Nonsense. Who would dare abandon our child? I won¡¯t let that happen. Let them try and see what awaits them.¡± ¡°I am serious, Your Royal Majesty!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Aish, you¡¯re getting worried for nothing, wife. I promise you that no matter the outcome, I will do my best to protect you and Iris,¡± he says, stressing the word ¡°wife.¡± The carriage slows down and the clopping of the horses stops. Someone knocks on the carriage door and informs the King that we have arrived at the gates of Bergamota Religion. The High Oracle, wearing a long white robe, approaches us; his long, silver, braided hair is adorned with translucent pearls. His eyes glow golden the moment he touches Father¡¯s forehead. ¡°Adrian Benedictus of blood Gracia y Lazuli, Inheritor of Lupine, welcome to my home,¡± he says. His voice seems to be a mixture of seven different people ¡ª one of which is Mariana¡¯s voice. He then touches the Consort¡¯s forehead and greets her, too, as he did to the King. The two bend their knees, the Consort bending hers lower than the King¡¯s. ¡°This blessed child thanks the High Oracle for uttering this child¡¯s name. May the benison of Kismet be with you.¡± The High Oracle only nods his head before going back inside the temple, and another Keeper steps up and addresses us. ¡°Forgive me, Hwan Adrian, but we cannot let the others pass the gates of the temple. If you are worried about Saridayang¡¯s safety, know that the temple is the safest place in the world. Weapons are forbidden and no one can use magic inside unless Kismet permits them to do so.¡± Father may be a king, but his position is nothing at Kismet¡¯s Holy Place. It is stated in the Holy Book that everyone must be treated equally no matter what their position in society is, and Keepers honor that commandment. King Adrian looks back. And the commander of the Royal Knights steps forward and stands at attention. ¡°Stanislaus, do not block the temple¡¯s gates and let others who seek the temple¡¯s help inside,¡± he commanded the much older man. ¡°Hadidi, Vhar El Haluman,¡± Commander Stanislaus replies. The Keeper, a lower-ranked Oracle, motions us inside. ¡°I would trouble both of you to walk since no carriage is allowed inside the Holy Place.¡± The two lovebirds nod and follow the Oracle. As Consort Luna carries me inside, I hear Commander Stanislaus instruct his subordinates to disperse and not to block the road. Although it is stated in the Holy Book that everyone must be treated the same, the person who visited is still the king of the country, so the treatment would be different though not extravagant. Some Lesser Oracles and Oracles attend to us, standing on either side of the path leading to the Assessment Hall. Four Lesser Oracles are standing at the front of the line, wearing plain white dresses that reach below their knees adorned with colored belts that represent which deity they are serving. A piece of wood with the same color as their belt ties half of their long hair up, while the other half is let down. At the back of the line stand six Oracles, who are wearing white robes that reach the ground. The only difference between the two positions is that Oracles have seniority, and their pearl-adorned hairs are intricately tied with ribbons. No one greeted us verbally or bowed down when we passed by, though it was expected. What they are doing right now is already too much to be considered being treated ¡°like everyone else.¡± Once we reach the Assessment Hall, everyone else disperses except the High Oracle, standing on the platform waiting for us to arrive. ¡°Follow me,¡± he says. He leads us inside a room and instructs the two to purify before leaving the room. The King removes his clothes and goes inside one of the stalls, while the Consort bathes me in one of the many basins available on the side of the room. After he is done, he puts on a white garment provided by the temple. He then takes me from the woman ¡ª who also walks inside the stall and purifies herself ¡ª and dresses me in a smaller garment similar to what he¡¯s wearing. After we are all done, we exit the room and enter the middle of the Assessment Hall where a statue of a man is erected. King Adrian hands me to the High Oracle, who then performs a ritual. He holds me using both of his hands and raises me in front of the statue, and proceeds to chant in an ancient language. The two also kneel on both knees and bow their heads as the eyes of the statue glow. I am placed on a high stone table wide enough for a two-year-old to lie down but still have enough space to move around. I feel my soul getting pulled out of my body as the light from the statue¡¯s eyes grows stronger and obstructs my sight. When I finally adjust to the blinding light, I see myself back at Mariana¡¯s castle. Chapter 12: The Blessed Name I am now back on my Earth form. My body is now back in my late twenties, the one I had before I died. Mariana greets me with a warm, toothy smile. She is now in a white, flowy dress that made her look like a fairy out of a fantasy novel. ¡°Ari! I miss you. You haven''t contacted me since then, so I waited for this day to come so that I could talk to you once more ¡ª¡± She stops rambling when she notices how I look at her with annoyance. ¡°Ehem.¡± She clears her throat and fixes her stance. ¡°Well, look. I dressed.¡± She turns around to show me her dress. ¡°Huh?¡± she asks happily, expecting me to praise her. ¡°I could see,¡± I deadpan. She¡¯s beautiful, I admit it. But it¡¯s still frustrating thinking how she just whipped my soul and dragged it wherever she wanted. Urgh! Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, she¡¯s not beautiful. Psh! Her smile falters. ¡°I did it since you didn¡¯t want me naked,¡± she comments. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make me hate you less,¡± I tell her. ¡°Oh, come on, please. I¡¯m trying to change here. I¡¯m doing what you want; I didn¡¯t contact you since I figured you¡¯d hate it.¡± ¡°Good intuition. I hope you used that before putting me here,¡± I say sarcastically. ¡°Ari!¡± She stomps her foot down and pouts. ¡°Ari~~¡± I naughtily said, mocking her tone. ¡°So, what now?¡± I say in my normal voice. The smile goes back on her face as she starts rambling again. ¡°Well, today is the day of your first evaluation wherein you will receive something called Divine Blessing. I, along with my five Immortal Children, will bless you and give you a Blessed Name. Whoever among my Children feels the most connection with you will give you their Divine Blessing,¡± she explains. ¡°But there is a problem¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not surprised anymore, so spill it. Shoot.¡± ¡°There¡¯s magic in this universe. There are people with inborn inheritances and people whose inheritances are acquired. Remember the curse? Your magic is kinda linked to that curse, so I can no longer do anything about it.¡± ¡°And what kind of magic will I have?¡± I cross my arms and ask her as I start getting irritated again. ¡°There¡¯s not quite a name to it, you see¡­¡± she hesitates before continuing, ¡°why don¡¯t we start from the start first?¡± I wave my hand in dismissal. ¡°Whatever. Do what you need to do.¡± She nods her head and smiles widely at me. She takes a few steps back and opens her arms wide. Six different colors ¡ª gold, black, red, green, blue, and brown ¡ª light up the place and surround me. ¡°Welcome, my child. I am Kismet, the Creator of All, the God of all gods. I welcome you to my home,¡± a voice from the golden light says as it forms into a golden orb. I know that it¡¯s Mariana, but her voice is masked into something I could not recognize. The green light turns into a big blob of water then compresses itself to form a big crystal-like teardrop. ¡°Welcome, I am Limunsudan, the Great Bearer of Water, the Water Deity,¡± it says in a melodious voice of a woman. The blue light swirls and turns itself into a tornado the size of an average person. ¡°I am Adarna, the Great Whisperer, Bringer of Wind and Air, the Wind Deity.¡± Just like its name, it delivers its message with a gust of wind whispering in my ears. ¡°I am the Fire Deity, Mayon, the Bringer of Fire.¡± The red light splits and moves around me twice before colliding and igniting into a ball of fire. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The brown light compresses and turns into a solid piece of earth. ¡°I am Lupine, the Great Foundation and Bearer of Earth.¡± The black light compresses and pops, and a blinding white light envelops the surrounding area for a few seconds before it cools down and gets smaller until it turns into an eye with a black pupil. ¡°Hello, nameless child. I am the Beginning and the End, the Deity of Light. You can call me Ningning.¡± The teardrop, the tornado, and the eyes start moving clockwise while the ball of fire and the earth start moving counterclockwise, enveloping me in colorful rays of light. However, the golden orb stays still in front of me. ¡°You ¡ª¡± Starts Mariana, ¡°¡ªwho is of both bloods of Maoridom and Lazuli ¡ª I am bestowing you the name¡ª¡± I interrupted her by saying: ¡°Iris.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± she asks, taken aback by the sudden interruption. The movements of the colors also stopped. ¡°I want to be named Iris. Name me Iris,¡± I say with determination. To at least tell those lovebirds, I¡¯m thankful they didn¡¯t turn out to be trash parents. ¡°What? I-I mean, sure¡­ Iris. Your name now is Iris,¡± she says as the orb shakes a little. ¡°I am bestowing you the Royal Name of Iris.¡± Mariana repeats and the movement of the lights starts once again. ¡°Iris ¡ª the Eye, the Vision, the Hope.¡± It is customary for the gods to bestow their devotees a Blessed Name, but that rule has another clause. In the modern British Royal Family, the members of the Family pick the name of their children from historical figures like how Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilibet are named after the late Princess Diana. In this world, however, the senior members of the Royal Family do not name their children. It is the gods who give their children their names. So, the children are actually nameless for the few weeks of their lives. The Consort, however, accidentally named me during the attempted assassination, and the King went along with it. ¡°Your Blessed Name shall be¡­ Cylian ¡ª the home of all immortals.¡± The five Immortal Children stopped spinning and went back to their positions. They, with Mariana, start chanting something I don¡¯t understand. The light they produce starts to hurt my eyes, making me squint and rub my eyes. Then droplets of water fall from above my left side and twirl around me as if I¡¯m in the middle of an invisible slide. I also feel the wind swirl opposite where the water slides, and the ground below me rocks. My body starts to feel hot and my face blushes. Right above me is the white light serving as a spotlight, while the golden light seems to be observing only outside the circle. ¡°Welcome, our mortal sibling.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, my mortal sibling.¡± ¡°You baffle me, mortal sibling.¡± ¡°Why are you in a mature form, dear mortal sibling?¡± Countless voices come from different directions as they speak at the same time. I am starting to get overwhelmed when suddenly, the movements stop again, and they disperse, giving me enough space to breathe and not feel claustrophobic. Their lights grow bigger again until their edges merge. Then, in a split second, the lights engulfed me and transported me back to the mortal realm. The High Oracle, who is now on his knee, stands up and lifts me up the stone table. He presents me once again to the now normal statue. He faces my parents and says: ¡°Kismet has Blessed this child the name of Iris Cylian of blood Maoridom y Lazuli, daughter of Adrian Benedictus of blood Gracia y Lazuli and Luna Elicid of blood Alanis y Maoridom vhon Lazuli.¡± The Consort gasps when she hears that my official name includes the name she had secretly given me. She sobs silently in King Adrian¡¯s arms. He helps her stand up as she finds it hard to support herself while he does his best not to tear up. ¡°Iris¡­ my little Iris¡­.¡± The King says lovingly, smiling widely at me while caressing my cheek. I grab his finger and smile back at him. During my stay here in this world, I witnessed how loving this man is towards my mother and me. He¡¯s not the usual cold, misunderstood father that I usually read in comics. He¡¯s real. ¡°Look, she caught the attention of Ningning.¡± The single-beaded string indicates the deity with which I have the strongest connection and would not break as I grow older and won¡¯t be removed until my last evaluation when I turned eight. ¡°Black orb encased in a bigger white pearl that signifies the power of Ningning. Without its light, everything would fall into darkness. When everything is dark, everything will cease to exist. When utilized properly, the Inheritor can control the life and death of every mortal.¡± I hear Mariana¡¯s voice ring in my head. Book One Read More @ Tapas https://tapas.io/series/Talipandas/info Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Other Sites Neovel: https://neoread.neovel.io/book/9168/EN/talipandas Webnovel: https://www.webnovel.com/book/talipandas_23344210206214605 Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/43395/talipandas Please report to me if you''ve seen my work posted in other platforms aside from the links provided above Authors Note Read More @ Tapas https://tapas.io/series/Talipandas/info This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Other Sites Neovel: https://neoread.neovel.io/book/9168/EN/talipandas Webnovel: https://www.webnovel.com/book/talipandas_23344210206214605 Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/43395/talipandas Please report to me if you''ve seen my work posted in other platforms aside from the links provided above