Various Stories Book 1 = "AL-MAE"

Another World

You wanna know my name?

Well, my name is Mae...

I'm turning 18 in 3 days,

And I'm very excited about it!

Because, I'll be free as a Princess...

Well, technically, I am a princess.

But...

For some reason,

My Father, the king...

Locked and hid me inside this tower for 17 years of my entire life...

Well, it will become the 18th year in 3 days.

As a Princess, it's hard for me because you'll be hidden and locked inside a tower.

I want to be free as a princess.

Maybe, I confused you to what I've said about being free as a princess,

But what I only mean is...

Free as a princess, who can travel the city, the village and the kingdom...

Free as a princess, who can talk to anyone, greet and interact with everyone...

Free as a princess, who can do everything...

Well, something like that.

I am a princess but I can't feel that I'm a princess...

Something like this...

I am living in this world, my world.

But I feel like I'm living in another world.

Well...

In this world, my world...

We have powers.

I have powers too, but...

I'll have my powers when I turn 18.

Technically, all of the people in this world have powers when they turn at the right age...

For girls their 18th and for boys their 21th...

And I am excited for my powers.

Now,about this tower...

It has a single door and a single window.

Once a week, my father, the king, visit me and he stays for five hours straight...

And he always have a book to give me.

I have a plenty of books and I've already read them twice.

Of course, I have plenty of foods, fruits and water.

Well, I have other things too, like clothes, paintings and board games.

All my life I've been hidden and locked inside this tower...

For some reason that i don't know...

But...

If I wanna be honest with myself...

I want to get out of this tower...

And become free princess.

Time to get rest.

I'm tired talking to myself over and over again...

So, good night, self.

~~~~~

Cold. I feel cold. I opened my eyes and was shocked to see that the door of my tower is open.

I stood up, approached the door and looked around, but no one is inside this tower except for me, so who opened this door?

Then suddenly, I heard a voice, an unfamiliar one. "Your highness."

I'm certain, this is a voice of a woman.

I asked her "Where are you?"

The woman answered me "Here... I'm invisible, though."

Invisible? That's the reason I can't see her. "Why are you here?" I asked while looking around at my tower seeking for her even though I know that I can't see her.

"Our king sent me here to protect you." She said. I started to feel nervous, so I asked "Protect me?"

"To protect you from anything that might cause you harm." Replied by the woman. And I asked her "Since when?"

"Ever since our King hid and locked you inside this tower, I'm already with you."

I was shocked on what I've heard.

"You were with me since the day I was hidden and locked inside this tower?" I asked.

I feel her hand touching my right shoulder while saying, "Yes, indeed."

I'm confused and I have so many questions that I wanted to ask her but I only asked one thing. "Why did you open the door in this tower?"

"To set you free."

I was shocked again on what I've heard from her and I said "Thank you... but, I shall wait for my father's promise."

Suddenly, I felt her hands touch both of my arms while saying, "What your father, our King, promised to you... was a lie."

I feel nervous and sad about what I've heard, so I didn't reply.

"Your father, our king, will never set you free in this tower when you turn 18, instead he will just sent you to somewhere far away... very far away from here. He's lying to you."

I answered her with all of my courage and bravery "I'm so sorry for what I'm going to tell to you... But, you have no right to say that to my father, that our king is lying to me. I'm certain that he has a reason for doing this to me. And you have no right to say that our king is a liar."

I was shocked when the woman suddenly showed herself up in front of me. She wears an armor and she have a sword on her back.

She bent her knees and kneeled in front of me while saying "I'm very sorry, Princess. Forgive me for my mistake."

For my entire life, she's the 2nd person I've encountered, face to face.

"I forgive you." I said while smiling at her.

The woman turned invisible again. I wanted to stop her but I didn't.

Since then, the woman never talked to me again and I've never seen her again. But, I knew that she's with me inside this tower.

~~~~~

Today is my birthday!

And I'm very excited to see my father, the king!

I suddenly heard someone knocking at the door. And when it opened, I saw my father.

"Father!" I greeted him while smiling.

"Happy 18th birthday, my daughter." He said to me.

I run towards him and hugged him while saying "I'm happy to see you again, father."

My father hugged me tightly and started to cry while saying "I'm so sorry... but, I need to sent you far, far away."

I was shocked and nervous, while trembling on what I've heard, but I tried to remain calm while asking, "Can I know the reason why you doing this to me?"

My father released me from his arms and sat down, his still crying while saying "Ever since you were born, an evil witch tried to kill you and your mother. The evil witch successfully killed your mother. I tried to kill the evil witch but no one could kill her except for the prophecy. So, I had no choice but to hide and lock you inside this tower. Until now, the evil witch is hunting you... I'm doing this to you to keep you alive, my daughter."

I was shocked on what I've heard. I approached my father and hugged him while saying "I love you, father."

My father hugged me tightly again and said "I love you more, my daughter."

I wanted to cry.

I'm so sad and depressed.

But I shouldn't act like that in front of my father.

I needed to be strong, even if my heart aches on what's happening right now.

"Then... sent me far, far away, father." I said and my father told me, "I'm so sorry for what I will have to do to you, but the evil witch can now detect you because of your powers."

"I understand, father."

"Come in." My father said, then a two woman entered the tower.

They're wearing a dress of a fairy and they have wings of a butterfly.

My father kept his distance from me. Then the two woman pointed their right hand to me while saying "Dimension..."

I'm still looking at my father, while the two woman do their thing.

"You can now appear in front of my daughter." Said my father.

Then I saw the woman again.

"This knight was already with you ever since I've hid and locked you inside this tower." Said my father while pointing at the woman.

I smiled at the woman and she smiled back at me while saying, "Take care, Your Highness." I nodded politely.

"I love you, my daughter."

Is that the last sentence I will ever hear from my father?

Will I never get to see my father again?

Am I going to be alone again?

I didn't know when my tears started to fall from my eyes.

I'm trembling on what I'm feeling and thinking right now.

When I shouted this sentence, "I love you, my father!" I was not inside the tower anymore.

I see myself standing in a crowded place.

I can't recognise the transportation.

I can't understand what I'm seeing.

The people around me are looking at me like I'm an outsider who doesn't belong to this place.

I started to feel alone.

I lose hope.

I cried even more.

Now that I'm living in... Another world.

-End-