PHEMOLRIA

2. CAUGHT

I felt that I was struck by the lightning on the hard ground. I block my eyes using my right arm. I slowly removed my hands when I got used to the light and it became dark eventually. My eyebrows automatically met as I looked up at the sky. It’s nighttime?

What the hell?

The neigh of a horse dominates.

I was thrown out at the side of the street because of the impact.

My lips parted when I realized what I saw.

It was a man in a carriage!

He’s holding the rope that was tied to the horse. The horse’s feet were toned up, because of the sudden pause when the coachman pulled the rope up.

What the hell is this?!

I saw how mad the coachman was, but instead of saying something he just glared at me before whipping the horse so the carriage could run again.

I felt weak, but I felt forced to gather all my strength to get up again. I thought the surprises were over not until I finally scanned the whole place. I just wanted to faint so badly that I could get back to my senses. Is this a freaking dream?

I'm standing on a street, but without white and yellow lanes, just like the streets in the city.

At my side, there’s a lake. If I'm not mistaken, I'm standing in the middle of a wide bridge, and under was this long lake. The bridge connects to the mainland where the market, people, and more carriages are parked.

Running and walking, I reached the market. The number of citizens in this place surpasses me. I covered my mouth with my hands.

Their clothes shocked me.

They wear conservative, flowy, and bulky clothes. The girls are wearing gowns and long dresses. The boys look like philosophers with their hair and suits.

Never getting contented, I wander my eyes around as I turn around.

My jaw dropped and I can't count how many times. I lifted my hands and pointed to what I had found. From where I am standing, it's damn visible, because of the light from that structure.

It's a damn castle!

I slapped my face like I was really out of my mind.

"Damn it! Please say that I'm just dreaming!"

I can’t accept this. I’m not that dumb to not know where I am right now. I can’t accept that I am in a place and situation that I loathe.

I stepped back and ran as I could escape, but before I could reach a meter, I bumped into a tall and well-built young man who seemed older than me by two to three years.

With irritation, I got up quickly to face him.

"You—bastard! Look where you are going!" I shouted.

And his face remains blank and unbothered about my anger!

"What?! You're not going to say sorry?!" still mad, I asked.

His eyebrows were raised, which made my blood boil. I looked at him from head to foot.

With his brown clean-cut hair, manly figure, and mysterious aura, he tried to pass through my side.

"Okay!" because of hopelessness, I ran after him and walked with him. "I'm not going to force you to say sorry to me, but at least tell me where I am. Why do you dress like that? Why are there carriages in the street instead of cars? Am I in the shoot of a film or something?"

He stopped for a moment to look at me with his same blank expression. I thought he would say something, but he just walked past me.

"W-wait! What the?!" I stepped back when he faced me again after running after him for the second time. "P-please I'm trying to be nice here! I just want to go home. Don’t you have any empathy? Don’t you pity me…?”

He paused without looking at me.

"Come on just answer me!" I got mad again when he didn’t respond for the second time.

It felt like my soul left my body when a man with metal armor appeared at my side. Like a knight in fairytales!

I couldn’t talk nor did I move after the knight pointed the sword at my neck like in one wrong move I would bleed to death!

"A-are you making fun of me-" I got no chance to continue what I was about to say when the knight pointed the sword closer to me. All that I can do is close my eyes.

The light from the old-fashioned post light reflects on the sword. It made me realize how sharp the sword is to shine like that!

Hell no! This is not a freaking joke!

I gulped. I glared at that boy. I have this feeling that it's his fault that a sword is pointed at me right now.

It’s indeed funny because, in this situation, his face remains blank!

I could breathe properly when the boy raised his right hand, the reason why the knight retreated his sword.

"I just want to... go home." More calmly, I said.

I don't know why this creepy metal human did that, but I have this feeling that it's his way of protecting this emotionless man in front of me from being harassed. Like I was going to do that, duh!

The knight looked at him. I could also see the knight’s face because he was also wearing a metal helmet.

Isn't it heavy?

"Where are you from?" The knight asked.

I lifted my eyebrows when I realized that the knight was asking me. I’m still shaking because of what happened. I was almost dead!

My lips parted as I remembered where I was just a few moments ago. The last time I remember I was in my room… and the book!

What if...

No! This isn't happening!

"Damn it—" I held back upon seeing that the sword was pointing at me again.

"Aren't you aware who's in front of you, Lady?" The knight had a huge voice that made me scared even more. He seems to be the kind of person who is ruthless.

How will I know when I don't belong here?! Even if I wanted to be sarcastic to them; I still did my best to act calm as I shook my head no, because the sword was just a strand of hair away from me. Who won’t act tamed in this situation? I don’t want to die yet!

It’s funny how I still have the time to notice how the crowd stepped back away from us.

"Too bad, that he's the pr-" the knight refrained from talking after the bot raised his hand for the second time, still looking at me with no emotions.

Whoa. It seems like his hands have magic.

"You're in the Kingdom of Phemolria," he said without even a slight tone.

This was the first time that I heard his voice. That’s why I let it go to my ears softly. Does he have so has a masculine voice? How gifted.

"And if you won't mind, I still have something more important to do." With the same expression, he turned his back to me and walked away without waiting for me to answer and the knight followed him right away.

Did he just say that I'm in a damn kingdom?

"Phe... molria?!" That was the book's title.

I'm getting crazy. I can't believe that I am really inside the book just like I thought!

I bit my nails. It's been an hour since that encounter and I am still sitting in the same spot on a wooden barrel at the side. It’s getting colder and darker. I wanted to cry. I wanted to go back, but I don’t know how.

Damn. Why is this happening to me? If this is because of my hatred of fairytales, then I'm sorry!

I looked at the castle. It’s like the sun, that everywhere you go you will still see its figure and, for me, it’s worse than a ghost.

I'm still wearing our school uniform, so every person who walks past me or sees me has judgment on their face. That's because I look different.

"Why isn't she wearing the proper clothes?"

"Maybe a harlot? Look at her, Amylia. She's just wearing a piece of cloth! How embarrassing it is."

My eyes went sharp as I gazed at them, slowly scanning what I was wearing. My uniform’s skirt is just half of my legs and I bet it’s informal for them just based on how they dress, but still, they're being rude to me! Still rude!

I stood up from the barrel to face them.

"It’s not that I wanted to be here," I whispered. “And just for you to know, even if I got the chance to wear what you’re wearing right now, I still won’t. It’s ugly.”

They put their hands in their mouths in chorus, shocked. I looked at them from head-to-toe with this disgusted face of mine. They are wearing big ball gowns, the blonde one wears pastel blue and the brunette wears pastel pink. I can say that they are twins.

Based on the fabric and the bids, I can say that they are very well-off. Add up the uniquely styled braids of their hair, their big hat with huge ribbons, and the parasol they are holding. Aside from that, they were also wearing gloves and a carriage was behind them that they owned.

"What a discourteous lady! Don’t you know who we are?!" The lady in a blue gown sounded annoyed when she said that.

"I don’t have the time to know you and I'm not interested in your profile, to begin with."

"Incredulous! Where are you from, Lady? Why didn't you know us? Aren't you studying? You're ill-mannered!" the girl in a pink gown followed. She gracefully pointed her finger with the pink lace gloves at me.

I smirked. Of course, they are not aware that I'm a top student. I am in this book, where outside their world is pure fiction, so how would they know?

I turned my back on them. I don't have the time to argue. I need to find my way back home.

"Where do you think you are going?! Stop right there! Amylia, call our knights and order them to capture this caitiff lady!" I’m dead. She is mad.

Cursed this book!

Their knights will kill me!

I ran as fast as I could. I went on a narrow route when I saw that the twins were in the carriage. I want to applaud myself for being this smart in this kind of situation.

I reached the woods. It’s so dark that I can’t see anything!

Damn, what am I going to do?!

My nervousness grew wilder as I heard the knights’ footsteps, the carriage, and the horses. Their footsteps are heavy and that adds tension to the ground. Who would know that a useless book which is in this world is dangerous once you get in?

I didn’t even wish to be here! Why do I have to suffer like this?

“Think, Thrysia…” I whispered. “What…”

My jaw dropped when I saw the familiar star. The pink star!

It gave me the idea to climb up the tree as fast as I could because the footsteps were getting near each second. Now I am only stepping on a branch while hugging the tree's body. Luckily, the leaves were able to cover me and it was still dark.

The footsteps are near now!

"Hell no..." I closed my eyes as I recited all the prayers that I knew.

I want to take back what I said.

How unlucky I am that they decided to stop under the three where I am! Some of the knights were holding torches to light up the road. How are they so ready for situations like this?

"Lady Hemelia, the girl disappeared." One of the knights went to the carriage door to talk to the witch, the noble girl who was wearing a blue gown.

The brat peeked from the fancy window of the carriage’s door.

"Then find her! I'll make sure that I will behead all of you if she escapes!"

The grip that I have on the body of the tree loosened up. B-behead?!

I badly wanted to cry right now. If she can behead her knight as a punishment, what more for the girl who she’s mad at? which is me?!

Pale, that’s what I am right now. Who wouldn’t? Once they find me, I am surely dead and my head will just roll on the ground like a bowling ball.

I promise that I won't hate fairytales again. Just take me back out of this book!

The knights started to scatter around to find me.

And I didn’t stop praying.

One of them looked up at where I was.

I swear I am sweating right now and my heart won't calm down! I just want to choke to death because of fear.

"Damn it..." I whispered.

I closed my eyes tightly when that knight raised the torch that he was holding to light up the tree’s leaves above, to where I was when…

"What's happening here?" It was a man's voice.

With confusion, I opened my eyes. That was a familiar voice! Even if it’s dark, I can still see the figures of the people who arrived.

Is that the arrogant boy from earlier? Unbelievable.

I watched him as he flawlessly went down from the white horse he was riding on, followed by the same knight that he was with earlier, and from the black horse behind the arrogant boy.

"Your Royal Highness is here!" The familiar knight announced in a big voice.

The fear in the faces of the knights that the twins bring shows in their actions as they see the arrogant man who has just arrived. I could even feel the fear that they have for him, worse than the fear that they have for the twins.

Now I'm starting to get curious. Who is this rude boy?

"Your Royal Highness..." The knights bowed to the arrogant man, even the twins who had just gone out of the carriage that they were in.

Why are they calling him Your Royal Highness?

His eyebrows met, and he seemed mad about what he witnessed. "Care to tell me what's happening here, Hemelia? Amylia?" He faced the twins who were still bowing to him along with the knights. "Why are the palace knights here?"

I saw how the lady in a baby blue gown he called Hemelia gulped. "W-were finding a harlot, Your Highness..." In an instant, the ruthlessness of her voice vanished.

"Why do you need to bring the palace knights with you? What malefaction did that harlot do to you?" He asked.

"Again, I'm not a harlot and this is fashion!" I whispered in my mind.

"She t-talked impolitely t-to us, Your Highness..." She bowed her head lower and seemed embarrassed that the arrogant boy witnessed this.

"You are planning to kill that harlot,” he said certainly. “We don't apply violence to our people, Hemelia! You are using your power as an official's daughter with cruelness!”

On cue, the twins kneel on the hard ground.

"W-were very sorry, Your Highness. Forgive us..." Amylia begged.

It would be my pleasure to laugh at them right now, but because I am still afraid of being caught, I keep myself quiet and unnoticed.

"Go home. Keep a promise that you won’t do that again. The palace guards will stay with me." He looked at the guards who were still bowing to him in fear. "Let them go home on their own as a punishment."

The twins looked at each other in disagreement about the arrogant boy’s order, but they still said something opposite to what their faces were saying.

"We don't have the right to d-defy. We're going now. Thank you for forgiving us, Your Royal Highness." They entered the carriage with gracefulness like they hadn’t planned to kill someone just a few minutes ago.

Finally, I can breathe properly when the twins are off the scene.

The arrogant boy, the knight who pointed his sword at me earlier and the palace knights stayed. The sounds of the horses are the only thing I can hear along with the crickets.

"Thank God—whoa!" I didn’t realize that I had lost grip of the tree's body and I fell helplessly.

I thought I would hit the hard ground when I felt soft arms instead.

My breathing hatched as my heart began to beat faster than normal, especially when my sight hit his eyes; his hazelnut brown eyes.

He caught me by his arms.

"That's when the girl that doesn't believe in fairytales and the cold-hearted prince meet; under the tree, under the moon and stars while the dry leaves fall..."