They memories planted

Distorter

‎I struggled in my dream, where I was dragged by the entire court ladies with my tattered dress through the palace courtyard, half-dressed.

They tore my yellow dress to pieces from the entire scene, scraping against the stone floor as they pulled me forward. I had tried to break free, but my body was weak already, and I was no match for them. I could not see clearly, the tears, sweat, and blood had partially blocked my vision.

“A wh*r*,”

Someone muttered.

Another added, “Of all days, she had chosen to ruin her father’s image.”

The vile words.

The maid kept rough-handling me. Caleb stood beside Audrey,

I heard their discussion,

“Who would believe that she is this pathetic?” he spat. She touched his shoulders with tenderness. “Please don’t speak about her like that again,” she sighed and continued, “She is our sister." Caleb cut her off. “She is no sister of mine he was visibly angry now.

“Just look at our mother.” Audrey turned to look at our parents and muttered, “My poor mother,” she wept. “What face would she use to face the inner court again?“ This is why I don’t want to associate with her again,” she heard Caleb reply. “She would learn her place--- “before she would finish her statement. The voices of the onlookers screaming grew louder,

“Unclean, just look at her,” A woman screamed from somewhere in the crowd. “Shameless!” The court ladies dragged me up a long flight of stone steps. At the top stood a cliff overlooking the Black Serpent Gorge. “Help me!” I had called my mother for help. Instead, she had rested back in my father’s embrace, seeking comfort. Panic gripped my chest. One wrong push, from a face I remember, I had fallen to my very end. “It wasn’t supposed to end like this!” Mother’s voice broke. Fear and panic flickered in my father’s eyes. Caleb’s voice sounded real. Regret, I scoffed. ‎Only Audrey smiled. A slow, satisfied smile. That kind of smile a victor gives after winning a long battle. ‎I jerked up immediately from my dream. ‎Only to realize that I had peed on myself. ‎The sound still echoes. ‎I was sweating profusely as I tried to gather myself.

My lady-in-waiting knocked once and announced that my presence was required downstairs.

‎I hurriedly dressed and tried to pick up my earrings when my eyes caught the massive mirror, its frame shaped like two vipers winding around each other. ‎My eyes had changed and quickly adjusted back. Slowly, I leaned forward until my fingertips touched the cold frame. My reflection stared back at me. It happened again. The pupils narrowed into thin slits. Like a viper. I was not mistaken; it was the eyes of a viper, yellow and black. Unlike my immediate family. I stumbled backwards, so quickly that I almost knocked over the dressing stool. “No...”

The word escaped my lips before I could stop it. Again, I looked into the mirror. The yellow and black eyes stared back at me from the mirror. My heart slammed against my chest so hard that I could hear it. I blinked rapidly. The eyes remained. My heart trembled. I tried to breathe in and out again. This time the eyes had returned to normal. Human. I lifted a shaking hand and touched my face. The woman in the mirror copied the movement. I touched my cheek again. For one brief second, I wondered if I had finally lost my mind. And for the first time in my life, I was afraid of my own reflection. Had everyone been wrong? Had I been wrong? A chill ran down my spine. Even my walking steps have changed. I was suddenly cautious of my body and its movements. Just like a real serpent, I walked downstairs to meet my family. The moment I entered my grandma’s chamber, I knew something was wrong. The atmosphere felt heavy. ‎The Family Matriarch sat. Her silver and black hair flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. ‎She is addressing my mother who is sitting across the table. Kent and Caleb stood there in silence ‎” If you say that she doesn’t have the snake core, then who fathered her?” ‎My mother’s mouth opened and closed. ‎She knelt at once. “Mother, such a word you utter is heavy” Her plea began. “ But you started it?” She pointed an accusing finger toward her. And continued, “If the palace maids decide to spread the rumour of your infidelity,” my mother bowed her head to the ground and shivered ‎My quiet father, spoke, “Did you cheat on me?”

The question landed.

She didn’t shout, she raised her head slowly to look at the man she had devoted her life and her youth to.

I know she wanted assurance from him.

‎He definitely knew she didn’t, but he was protecting his ego. “If you insist that the girl possesses no snake core,” she said slowly, “then explain something to me.”

My grandma asked again. ‎Audrey looked unsettled at once. “Who fathered her?”

Kent asked, almost unsure now. My father’s jaw tightened.

Everyone froze.

My mother looked up immediately. “Kent please—” she almost cried.

She has to thread with caution .

Accusing a queen of infidelity was not a simple insult. It was treason.

She crawled to hold his legs. "I won't do that to us."

I almost pitied her.

The Matriarch raised a hand. Almost irritated with her voice.

The room fell silent again.

Her expression remained unreadable.

Caleb looked lost.

This was no longer about Sara.

If I should be declared a non-royal princess If the accusation spread beyond these walls, every achievement my mother had built over decades could collapse overnight .

I noticed Audrey’s fingers trembled.

The game had slipped from her hand.

For the first time since entering the room, Audrey looked afraid. I guess this was not part of the plan to disgrace her own mother. ‎A disgraced royal mother, stained the

reputation of her children as well.