The Mystical Princess- Kaarmanet Series (Book 1)

Life never Imagined

**Rebh (POV) **

[Kaarmanet, Frosluire Empire]

"It's clear Prince!" Jay scavenged as he scouted the Royal Palace grounds. Prince, I scoffed internally at the title. It’s been 8 years since all my titles and my place for the throne was snatched from me and yet here Jay refuses to address me as anything else. Jay has been with me ever since I first transformed 18 years ago and we've been as close as friends can be ever since.

I carefully moved along the bushes not to make the slightest noise to not alert any guards lurking around. As we finally read the palace wall, I looked up at the window on the second floor. I would've flown-in in my dragon form but then the guards are looking for any movement in the skies as well. Looking out for me, they think I'll hurt my baby girl, I would have told them it's unimaginable but then considering what happened 18 years ago, I know it won’t do any good.

I summon my dragon just to the surface so his ice blue scales cover my entire body. Usually controlling my dragon to be able to do this isn't easy, but with the idea of seeing her after almost a year, my dragon is ready to listen to me. With my dragon’s ice blue scales I completely blend in the ice wall of the place; I slowly start climbing towards the window. I looked down to see Jay summoning his earth magic to do the same. The window wasn't locked and as I entered the room just to find her laying on her bed just like she was a year ago only her body is grown a little.

I could feel my dragon whimper in my head at her sight. It was painful to see her like this...my Chocopie! She's been like this for the last 18 years since she was just 2 days old! I've long promised myself to make anyone who did this to her pay. Everyone thought that she died at first, but the healers confirmed that her heart was faintly beating like I'd kept yelling ever since I was bound by royal warriors after I transformed back to my human self and she's been in a coma ever since!

That day a lot of things changed...I transformed for the first time, my father lost his trust in me, my people who loved and adored me looked at me like a murderer and most importantly I lost my Chocopie!

I sat near her bed and held onto her hand it was still as cold as ice! Like I always did when I came to see her I told her all about what was happening and how much I loved her moreover how much I'm sorry for not protecting her as I should have!

"Happy birthday my dearest Chocopie!" I whispered in her ear and kissed her forehead, before sneaking away! Some Prince I am, sneaking into my father's palace to see my sister!

This is a life I never imagined!

**Cahaya (POV)**

[Earth]

I've had this dream ever since I can remember and yet I understand nothing about it. As woke up yet again sweating and feeling cold despite the hot weather outside. I stood up from my cot and sat by the window letting the warm breeze seep into me. This is the only time I'm ok with the hot weather really, otherwise, I hate the heat. As I sit there reminiscing my dream like most nights, I hear the alarm on my phone go off, telling me it's 4 am and I have to start getting my chores done if I want to be able to reach school on time.

I got up from where I was sitting by the window to go downstairs. I won’t say my family treats me bad, abuses me, or anything like that but they definitely treat me differently from my elder sister and brother. I'm given everything I need just that I feel a little out of place here, that feeling like I don't belong here is quite strong and I don’t know why!

The dreams moreover are weird too but the worst is the voices I keep hearing more like the voice. The doctors said I suffer from schizophrenia and ever since I was 5, I've been on medication for it. I hate taking those, they make me feel weak, and even though I usually have a snarky response to all the comments passed on me I can’t seem to form the words of my mouth a lot of times.

I got to the laundry room with my clothes and begin the wash cycle on the machine. I moved into the kitchen to get my meals started. If you are thinking I'm made to cook, wash and clean like a maid by my family you are definitely mistaken, I just do only my work. No one from my family talks much to me other than when required and I prefer to cook, wash and clean for myself. As my breakfast, lunch, and dinner get ready I pack them up in boxes and move to fill my thermos with coffee for the day. By the time I'm done in the kitchen my clothes are washed as well, I picked up my basket of clothes and my food to go upstairs.

And as usual, put on my trainers plugin music on my phone and go for a run. Running and yoga are the only things that keep me going and happy. And by the time I'm done, it's almost 7:30 which gives me 10min to get ready and leave for school. I rushed to my bathroom for a quick shower, once I'm done with my business I came out of my bathroom and pulled on a purple top and skinny jeans. Standing in front of the mirror I saw my reflection as I did my makeup, I'm good looking if I can say so myself, I have big doe-like eyes, a pretty nose a beautiful mole on my chin and my hair is long that reaches my mid-thighs but it's odd as my hair is naturally purple at the ends making me have dark brown hair which turns purple in the middle. It looks like it was done professionally and funny enough even when I cut my hair it turns purple right in the middle. It freaked me out as a kid when I was 12 and tried to copy a hairstyle of my favorite singer, thankfully I tried to do it myself and so no one knew about it, ever since then I have learned to give myself a proper haircut and I enjoy my wavy hair in layer cut that I mastered over time. And today my purple top complements my hair well making me look like a kickass cool girl with my hourglass figure.

I finished putting on my eyeliner, picked up my bag, and rushed downstairs to go to school.

"Happy birthday sweetheart!" I heard my parents say. Oh, shoot, it's my 18th birthday today and I totally forgot! "Thanks!" I replied with a quick smile and rushed to the door but stopped in my tracks when I heard my dad. "We need to discuss something extremely important sweetheart!"

Uh-oh! I don't even like the sound of that! "Can we talk once I come back?" I asked nervously but the look on his face tells me this is serious.

"I'd have said OK, Cahaya! But I've to leave for business in the afternoon and your mother and I would prefer to tell you this together. It’s your 18th birthday today and the right time for you to know!"

With a foreboding feeling, I nod and sit down on the loveseat opposite my parents in our living room. "You’ll need your coffee, my dear! You're not going to like this!" The voice in my head I keep here told me and only then I realized I didn't take my meds. I took out my thermos flask nevertheless and poured myself a cup waiting for them to begin.

"Cahaya sweetheart, please know we always loved you and will continue to do so!" My mother said and her pensive tone had my heart beating 10 miles a minute. "Don't worry my dear I'm here for you as always!" Cooed the voice I always hear and regardless of what everyone says and thinks about that I've always felt comfortable and safe with this voice. It's always been so warm and loving to me. I took a shuddering breath as I readied myself to hear what was being said, little did I know it'd just break my heart into a million pieces.

"Cahaya, we've always been the family you know and we never revealed the truth to anyone either but as was requested in the letter, we are going to tell you the truth now!" My father began in melancholy, “18 years ago, your mother gave birth to a stillborn baby girl and she was morbid at losing her child. Your sister was only 2 at the time and she was with your grandparents when your mother went into labor." Huh? I'm alive and well, still breathing what are they talking about! I thought and looked at them confused but didn't say anything letting my dad continue

" So, after the delivery when we returned after the baby's burial, we found a tiny baby at our doorstep in a basket wrapped in a purple fluffy blanket with a name embroidered on it in Gold..." My Dad paused clearing his throat clearly controlling his tears while my mom sniffled as tears rolled down her face. And I was not feeling good about any of it. Rage was starting to boil in me but I kept quite trying to take deep breaths letting them finish before saying anything.

"Cahaya! That was embroidered on the blanket." Wow! I wanted to smash everything in sight but I had to hear the full story and so tried to calm my rage down. My rage and shock at what I was hearing made me oblivious to the fact that the weather outside had changed dramatically. I nodded for them to continue. "In the basket was a letter that said we needed to keep you safe and whether we tell you the truth before or not we must on your 18th birthday! There was nothing else about who or where your real parents were! And when you started hearing voices, we assumed your biological parents might have had it too but we had no information to find out so we just let the doctors treat you!" I shook my head in disbelief! These people lied to me every second of my life for 18 years! Like a flash, I had memories of them telling me what I inherited from who run through my mind! And the time they told me how I was delivered! How every time I expressed; I don’t feel like I belong they said it was my mental illness that made me feel like that! My emotions were everywhere I felt so many emotions at once but one was dominant rage. Rage at being lied to, at being betrayed! I was so furious; I could swear I felt like my skin burned.

"Calm down my dear, you need to calm down please!" I heard the voice say but I wasn’t having it.

"You f**king liars!!!" I roared. My mother cried out "No sweetheart! We love you! We always have and always will!" She rushed to hug me but I pushed her away! "Don’t treat us like that Cahaya! We are your parents no matter what!"

"Wow! Just freaking wow! You lied through your teeth for 18 years about how I inherited my eyes from you and how my lips are like dad and how I'm quirky just like your father! And I'm treating you bad? For years I was suffering and you didn't bother to tell me the truth! And now I'm treating you bad? Really?" I was beyond furious already but when I saw an old box that had the basket and the blanket, they found me in, I swear I must be steaming out my ears!

I knew another minute and I'd kill anyone in front of me and the voice wasn’t helping either. I picked up the old box and my bag and stormed out of the house. I slammed my car door just as I turned on the ignition and zoomed off the road. I didn't know where I was driving to neither did, I care, all I knew was I needed to put as much distance between me and my parents as I can so I don't kill them before I calmed down.

What a birthday, this is a life I never imagined!!!

I didn't notice the sudden storm that was hitting, didn’t pay attention to the heavy rain around me, but I should have.

I drove off in the heavy downpour consumed by my rage and tears blurring my vision. I felt heartbroken and I drove like a madwoman on a rampage. I was so consumed with everything in me that I didn't realize it when I turned towards the old bridge. The rain was so heavy that the visibility was low and owing to my tear-filled eyes it got worse, that's why when I saw in a flash a falling tree caught fire, God knows how I was caught off guard. I swirled to the right to keep the burning tree from falling on my car, I ended up crashing into the bridge railing that broke apart and I started to fall into the raging river below. I hit my head on the wheel due to the impact and started to feel hazy.