PROLOGUE
PRINCESS XAVIERA
'I, emperor Dravien of the underworld, strip you, princess Xaviera Dravien, of all your magical powers, and your right as the crown princess and the future empress of the underworld. You are hereby banished from the kingdom'
As if accusing me of a crime I knew nothing about and banishing me from the kingdom wasn't enough, my husband and my half-sister, Azeriel, murdered me in cold blood.
I am a two-hundred-year-old unfortunate demon princess, but all my life, I've lived a life of a commoner.
People hated the very existence of me because my mother died birthing me.
To them, I was a curse. One who should be casted away, so I was meant to be grateful to the emperor, my father, for keeping me alive.
While my stepsister, Azeriel get everything she pointed out, I was meant to take whatever I was offered.
For two hundred years, I lived in this misery, waiting to be saved somehow, but then I realized nobody was coming to save me.
But just before I could fight for my freedom, my father threw me into another abyss when he married me off to an old minister.
The man who molested me for years before he finally died.
Yes. I killed him to save my life.
I fought for my freedom.
Everyone pointed fingers. They called me names... A rebellious and ungrateful woman, and yes, I lived with that name.
I was fine being the villain, as long as they won't walk over me any longer.
I returned to the palace, not as the weakling that was married off, but a true princess who was ready to reclaim her life.
I would stop at nothing to win my father's favor, and I did. I was the next potential empress of the underworld.
I also got married to the man I loved… But that too, turned out to be the worst mistake I ever made.
I was close… So close to becoming the empress when everything I've worked hard to fix, crumbled again.
They poisoned my father and framed me for it.
Death was the only punishment for anyone who laid a finger on even a strand of the royalty's hair, but for some reason, my father was lenient.
He disowned me instead, took my crown, and banished me from the underworld.
Just when I thought it was all over for me, I stumbled upon the truth. The people who tried to kill my father were my stepmom, her daughter, and my husband, who was already planning to marry my sister after.
They thought my father would kill me. That was their plan from the onset.
To get rid of me.
I was going to make them pay for the treason and betrayal, but before I could, they murdered me in cold blood by drowning me…
Chapter 1
PRINCESS XAVIERA DRAVIEN
When I opened my eyes, I expected nothingness… I expected to be in a dark abyss… but I was wrong.
I was in a bright white room… The ceiling light almost blinded my eyes.
My hand moved to my chest, my heart pulsing under my palm.
I'm alive! I didn't die!
But how was I alive? I could swear that I died. I saw my soul leaving my body… Or was I mistaken? Is this the abyss they always talk about, but a different kind?
My chest wrenched painfully as memories of everything clawed back into my head… How they all betrayed me.
No… Why do I have to die when I did nothing wrong? Those who wronged me are still there, why do I have to be the one to die?
"Vaelora!" I tried to call out to my maid, but my voice bounced back at me.
Where is this girl?
A metal creaked beneath me as I sat up with a little groan.
Pain shot through my head, and I groaned, rubbing my forehead.
I paused as my gaze dropped to my hand. A needle with a long thin rope leading to a small bag of liquid substance hanging on a long iron beside the bed, was attached to my hand.
What's this? Why is this in my hand?
The door creaked open, light footsteps followed, and the next second, the sound of ceramics crashing against the floor and a loud gasp followed.
Is that Vaelora? She's always clumsy. She must be shocked to see that I'm awake.
"Ms Monroe! You're awake?!" a strange voice different from Vaelora's, spoke with surprise.
I blinked. Who's that?
I squeezed my eyes shut and forced them open again.
The lights… They weren't the regular lamp that we have in the underworld.
Am I really dead?
"Ms Monroe? Are you okay? Do you need me to call the doctor?" The same voice echoed in my head, this time, faintly.
My eyes shifted to the young lady leaning in front of me… her face was blurry at first, but once my vision was clear, I noticed her big round brown eyes, blinking with worries.
I let my eyes sweep over her. She was young. Dressed in a casual white shirt upon grey pants. Her wavy brown hair packed up tightly in a ponytail, and her big round eyes dangling in their sockets as they stared at me.
Is she the angel that came to escort my soul?
I flinched.
"You can't take me… I can't die. I did nothing wrong. The people who wronged me are still there." My voice cracked shakily as I pulled back. "Why should I be the one to die?"
"Ms Monroe… Look at me… You're not dead… You're alive!" The lady held my shoulders, her fingers digging into my skin.
I paused and blinked, staring at her blankly.
"I'm alive?" My voice cracked barely above a whisper.
She pulled me into her arms quietly, hugging me tightly.
"Do you know how scared I was? I thought I was going to lose you." She whispered, her arms tightening on my neck.
She almost choked life out of me.
I tapped her back, and she quickly pulled back.
"Who are you?" I blinked, staring at her.
"Where am I?"
I know almost all the maids in the palace, so I could swear she wasn't one of them. She didn't look like one either. And… What's this weird dress she's wearing?
Wait! It wasn't just her dress that was weird… My voice. What happened to my precious thin voice? Why is my voice sounding different?
"You're in the hospital. We visited Mr. Whitmore, and you suddenly collapsed in the swimming pool,"
Tears blurred her eyes.
I blinked, confused. A hospital? What's that? Wait! Did my husband and Azeriel stage that as an ordinary collapsing?
I stared blankly at the strange lady, wondering what's happening.
She blinked, horror creeping up her face, "Ms Monroe, you don't remember me?
I blinked. Wait! Was she referring to me as Ms Monroe? Why does she keep calling me that?
"Who are you?" I was already losing my mind.
"Oh, my God! This is my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone. It's my fault that this happened to you. What do I do now?" She burst into tears.
"Isn't it enough that you're already in a scandal, and now this?" She cried.
I dragged my fingers through my hair. What's this drama? Please, save this. I've had enough to last me a lifetime already.
"Go… go get me Vaelora. Fast!" I demanded, almost breathless.
She is the only one who can tell me what is happening now.
"What are you talking about, Ms Monroe? Oh, God! What is happening? I need to go get the doctor," She stood and dashed towards the door.
"Hey… Never mind. Go get the horses. We need to go back to the palace right away. I need to tell the emperor something."
I need to prove my innocence to them. I need to make all of them pay for what they did.
Her brows furrowed, then terror crept up her face, as if I'd just said something weird.
She's driving me crazy.
"Ho…horses?" She stuttered, her eyes widening.
Never mind. I'll get it myself. I'm not in for this drama. I don't have time for it.
I tried to get out of the bed, but she held me back, "you can't leave, please. The doctor said you need to rest. You almost died."
I yanked her hand off before ripping the needle off, and blood spilled out of my hand.
"Ms. Monroe, you're going to hurt yourself." She panicked, trying to stop me, but I forced my way out of the room anyway, arriving in a long hallway.
My legs stilled, eyes wandering around. Different weird people walked around, some stopping to stare at me before continuing walking. This place didn't look like the underworld. Everything was different… every single detail.
I stiffened, my eyes sweeping around with terror.
What's going on?
Footsteps echoed behind me, then the lady from earlier appeared, breathing heavily… She wasn't alone this time. She was with a young man wearing a white coat.
"Doctor, you need to help her, please… I don't know why she's acting this way." She said with a shaky breath.
"Ms. Monroe…" The doctor reached for me, but I took a step back, my heart pounding loudly.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection as I stepped back past a reflective glass window.
I paused and blinked. What was that?
I counted my steps back to the glass, but froze in front of it at the sight that welcomed me.
The glass reflected another woman… One that I've never seen in my entire life… Tall, slim, oval-shaped face, pointed nose, blue eyes, and wavy black hair.
My blood ran cold.
"Wh…what is this?" I lifted my hands, hoping I was hallucinating, and the woman in the glass did the same.
I stepped back, and she did the same… Everything I did, she did.
My eyes widened, heart pulsing in my ears.
"Wh…what's going on? Why is my face like this?" My voice trembled as I turned to the lady.
"Who is this woman?" I asked, pointing to my supposed reflection, "Why is her face on mine? Why…" My voice faded shakily.
By then, a few people had gathered around, staring at me like I had lost my mind. A few of them were holding weird looking things that kept flashing light on my face.
'She didn't just lie about the engagement, and now this?'
'Ugh! She's so annoying. I knew she was up to no good'
'She needs to be cancelled'
Whispers echoed in my head, and I clutched my ears tightly.
"Let me think, please!" I barked, and they all flinched fearfully.
The lady from earlier came to hold my hand, dragging me back a bit.
"You're going to cause more trouble if you keep acting like this," she whispered, but I yanked her hand off, taking a step back.
"Why is no one…" my voice trailed off as someone suddenly stepped forward and grabbed my hand.
"Wh…who are you?" I blinked, looking up at the man standing before me.
He was tall enough to make me look short around him. Good looking, and a pair of blue eyes that were as dark as hell… Enough to intimidate anyone, but not me though. I've seen worse.
My breath caught at the sight of him, a sharp pain tore through my chest. I quickly yanked his hand off and pressed a hand against my chest in pain.
His face hardened as our eyes met again, and I could swear I saw those smoky hot eyes flicker with anger and disgust. He probably hates this woman to have looked at her that way.
He didn't back down. He grabbed my hand again, and before I could resist, he dragged me back into the room I stepped out from earlier, slamming the door behind us.
"Who are you?" I blinked.
He turned to me, eyes darkening with anger, "Are you doing this to get my attention? Because you knew I was with Clara?"
I blinked. What load of nonsense is this?