I would die again just to hurt you

Chapter 2

People around us started bowing and I tried doing the same but the Crown Princess's hand around my waist suddenly prevented me from doing so. I tried pushing her away again but stopped moving when the King looked at me. There was nothing mean in his eyes, he just looked very curious. But being stared at, I still felt uncomfortable.

"And who do we have here?"

I had no idea if I should answer or not. Despite looking at me, it felt like I wasn't the one he was talking to but his daughter. The princess had no right to introduce me but being killed because of disrespect against the Crown was convincing enough to silence me. Therefore I shyly looked up to the Crown Princess to see what she would say. The latter was staring coldly at her father. All the emotions that I had seen on her face disappeared and she went back to her normal self. How did I know what was normal about her? It must have been because of all the rumors. After all, it was my first time seeing her.

"Enjoy the rest of the ball, father."

Having said what she wanted, the Crown Princess dragged me out of the ballroom. She was way too strong for me to squeeze out of her hands and I had to follow her. No one dared stop us and everyone stared at us as we walked through the huge ballroom. I felt really embarrassed with all those eyes on me and looked at my feet, focusing on my steps not to fall.

The Crown Princess didn't stop walking even out of the ballroom and I had no idea where she was taking me but I had endured it enough:

"Let me go!"

Now that we were along I started pushing her but her body was so strong that I pushed myself backwards instead and almost fell. The Crown Princess immediately strengthened her hold around my body and caught me with worried eyes.

"Watch out."

Worried? Why did she look worried? I was no one to her! She was mistaking me for someone else and it was driving me crazy. I wasn't patient enough for this. But before I could say anything, Rorhena straightened up and continued dragging me towards where she wanted to go.

"You are mistaking me for someone! Let me go! This is a k********g!"

Being overpowered like this was really frustrating and I wanted to scream my lungs out. What was wrong with the Crown Princess? Was she drunk? That was the only explanation. According to the rumors she was supposed to be a cold hearted, calculating fox. This wasn't like her at all clinging to me. She had no friends, no one. She didn't even seem to particularly like or respect her father the way she talked to him. I heard that once Queen she planned on ruling alone forever, without husband or harem. While being dragged away I realized that I knew quite a lot about her despite never meeting her. It must have been because of Lenora talking about the royal family all the time.

"Stop fidgeting. You're going to hurt yourself.

-You are the reason why I am fidgeting! Let me go already.

-Not yet. Walls have ears.

-Where are you taking me?

-To my room.

-What? Who said I wanted to go with you in the first place?"

She didn't answer, not slowing down at all.

"You can't just do whatever you want because you are a Princess! You should respect me and let me go if I tell you to!"

Still no answer. Having run out of ideas I started hitting her arm on my side but was surprised by how hard her body was. Was she made out of only bones? I didn't have time to ask because we finally arrived in front of a huge purple door and the Crown Princess opened it before dragging me inside. Once in she finally let me go and closed the door behind us. There was no light in the room and when she turned around her silver eyes were glowing in the dark. It was so hypnotizing that I forgot to be angry for a second. But the next second Rorhena walked up to me and tried touching my cheek again which woke me up:

"What is wrong with you? I told you that you were mistaken! Let me go. I don't know how many times I asked you this."

She started shaking her head with a frown:

"How can you not remember me?

-I never met you. Of course I don't remember you."

She suddenly grabbed my shoulders and bent towards me:

"Stop playing games. Is this because you are angry at me? Stop pretending and tell me."

Her voice sounded very pleading but I wasn't going to yield. I was very angry at her, maybe way more angry than I should have been. I wanted to hit her so bad but held back.

"I am not lying. I am not the person you are looking for.

-Vindona...

-Stop calling me that. My name is Sela."

She let me go and started walking around the room while rubbing her forehead. She was silent for so long that I started looking around and noticed food on a table. I screamed so much that my throat was burning and I really wanted to drink water but the second I brought the chalice to my lips, a hairpin flew in the air and snatched the chalice out of my hand, pining it to the wall behind me. I immediately jumped and turned towards the Crown Princess with wide eyes:

"Why would you do that?

-Don't drink that, it's poisoned."

I frowned and looked at the chalice. How did she know? Was she used to people trying to poison her? It must have been normal for royals but it was still sad. But I didn't have time to feel bad for her and turned back:

"You could have killed me.

-Who do you take me for? I know how to aim.

-I don't know what you can or cannot do because for the thousandth, I don't know you.

-Stop repeating that."

She looked at me with cold eyes but I wasn't scared of her at all for some reason and went on:

"Are you drunk?

-I am not. I would recognize you anywhere.

-Visibly you cannot because I am not Vindona. Who is she supposed to be anyway? Someone called like the Goddess or the Goddess herself?"

Being met by silence I started laughing:

"Don't tell me you thought that I was the Goddess. There are no Goddesses anymore. All of them died or disappeared.

-I am here aren't I?

-I have never seen such an extreme case of God's complex in my life.

-I am not some kind of patient. Why can't you accept the truth?

-What? Are you supposed to be the Rorhena of the legend? You have nothing in common with her.

-Oh really? How is she supposed to be then?

-She is the wisest Goddess ever seen. She is unwavering and determined. She never loses any battle or her composure. She wouldn't act all stubborn and childish because of someone.

-Do you think what I'm doing is childish?

-Of course it is! You can't stop seeing someone that I'm not in me and wouldn't take no for an answer.

-Because I know the truth!"

To be honest this answer did sound like the real Goddess but I wasn't going to admit it because I knew it was crazy.

"You don't! I told you the truth but you can't accept it. And what if it was the truth? What if you were Rorhena and I was Vindona as you claim? Shouldn't I run away from the person who killed me?"

She froze and her eyes went terrifyingly cold.

"Stop.

-Should I stay with the person who pierced me with her sword as we were playing?

-Stop talking.

-If I were really Vindona I wouldn't want to stay close to my killer!

-It was an accident!"

As she screamed that, the Crown Princess punched the fireplace with all her might and it collapsed in a deafening noise. I got so surprised that I stopped talking and covered my mouth, my heart beating in my throat. How could someone be this strong? It was impossible. The way Rorhena looked at me froze my blood. I had never seen such torment on someone's face before. I had no idea my words would have that effect and I did feel a bit sad. Was she projecting her own story on those Goddesses?

"It was an accident."

I raised my hands in a sign of peace:

"Okay, okay. That's not important.

-It is."

She started walking towards me and didn't stop even when I started retreating. I soon crashed into the wall and couldn't back away anymore. Rorhena continued walking towards me despite that and only stopped inches from me, trapping me between her and the wall.

"I never wanted to kill you."

She seemed on the verge of tears and for some reason I felt my heart throb. As if I had been waiting for those words for a very long time. I wasn't good with emotions and didn't want to cry in front of the Crown Princess so I quickly coughed:

"It doesn't matter. I am not Vindona."

Rorhena sighed:

"I waited so long to find you. I can wait a bit more."