The Prince's Substitute Witch Bride

What Hell is Like

Her jet-black hair was made into an intricate bun with a diamond crown on top. A veil was covering her face and a bouquet was in her white-gloved hands. The flowers were lilac. 

My hair is white. And my skin tone is supposed to be pale...

She twirled her body, and the girl in front of her did the same. Holy s**t! She was in a different body. 

Wait. Is this possible? 

Her soul had transmigrated to another girl's body!

Is this the power of the gem? But the other gems were easily destroyed. So why now? Why did it put Seraphine's soul into a girl's body? Where is the girl's soul? Is she like... death and I just happen to replace her?

She observed the girl again. She was pretty. Not the prettiest, but the makeup and the dress sure made her quite pretty. Golden dust was smeared on her eyelids and her lips were painted red. Her skin complexion was smooth too, with a little powder and a rouge, her cheeks looked lively.

Now I'm curious about the girl's soul... 

She looked about the room. It was far from the tomb she expected. The tomb was dark and depressing, with bodies that she had murdered, so it was a bit gore too. But the room she was in was bright and feminine. Laces decorated the curtain and furniture. Flower patterns were everywhere, mostly lilac. 

"This is the most depressing room I have ever seen," she mumbled. 

The girl probably dropped dead because of this hideous room.

The door was forced open and a girl wearing a cream-colored dress with lilac paintings on the skirt –What is up with lilacs?? –Her hair was jet black and let loose on her shoulders. Her eyelashes curved beautifully and her lips were lined with a red tint too. Yet it was obvious that the other girl was the prettier one. 

Even if that girl frowned at Seraphine. 

"Seraphine!" the girl cried out.

Oh, the owner of this body has the same name as me.

"Seraphine Storm, stop dilly dallying! The carriages have arrived!" The girl put her hands on her hips and looked down at Seraphine. Well, at the girl whose body Seraphine inhabited. "And I will not have you another second in my room. You did not touch anything, did you?"

Seraphine looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow. Rude! This girl needs a lesson in manners. That is not the tone you use when you are in front of the Dark Witch.

When Seraphine did not answer, the girl continued, "Good! Because I would burn anything you touch." The girl pretended to shiver, as if indicating that she thought Seraphine's touch was dirty. Instinctively, Seraphine looked at her gloved hands. The owner of the body was obviously hated by this girl.

"Who are you?"

The girl looked at Seraphine dumbfounded. Then she laughed. "Come on, sister. You can try to act dumb. But you are not getting out of this marriage." Her smile bloomed. 

Seraphine knew that smile. She had donned it millions of times in her life as the Dark Witch. It is the smile one used when they are plotting something evil. 

The hairs on her arms stood up. And she felt the chills on her spine. 

Suddenly, memories upon memories played in her mind. The body she was in remembered all the evil things the girl, which was her sister, did. The girl in front of her was Karen Storm. The perfect daughter of Duke Storm, one of the most influential figures in Voltaire. 

Seraphine blinked as the memories kept floating in her mind. 

They had another daughter, from the Duke's affair with a maid. But when the bastard daughter was born, a solar eclipse happened. It was a bad omen. Especially because the daughter also showed affinity to dark magic though she could not use them.

Wait, what? 

Seraphine immediately waved her hand to call on her darkness. As the Dark Witch, she could call on darkness from every corner. They heeded her will, creating tendrils of black smoke wherever she went. She could travel to far distances with her darkness, and she could create various weapons from it. The darkness even made her able to travel between dimensions. For centuries, darkness had accompanied her, had been her sword and shield. 

The darkness was where she was created into existence in the first place.

Surely, it would not abandon her, right?

Yet as she tried to call on the darkness, no shadows came to her. The shadows underneath her did not even budge. She could feel them. Underneath her, in the corners of the room, even underneath the plant pot. But they would not heed her call. As if there was a huge concrete wall blocking their connection. 

She stared at her hand with confusion. Seraphine tried to concentrate more on the connection. She knew there was a connection but it was not as strong as she used to have as the Dark Witch. She waved her hand a couple more times. And each time, she put more focus on the connection. 

She knew she was close. The body did have an affinity to dark magic but it was never practiced. Just a little more concentration and she could–

Her hand was grabbed with force by the sister, Karen. Karen's eyes were furious. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Calling on my darkness." 

Karen's eyes went wide. "How dare you call on that... disgusting thing?" 

Karen raised her hand and was about to slap Seraphine but stopped midair. "Urgh! If only you're not about to be married off, I would have beaten the hell out of you! Just like usual." Then Karen pulled Seraphine to the door. She almost fell due to the long dress and ridiculous heel shoes. 

Usual?

Memories ran inside her mind again. The owner of the body was never treated well. With the bad omen on her birth and her affinity to dark magic, she spent most of her time if not her lifetime, locked in the cellar. Sometimes they would forget to feed her, and they turned a blind eye when she was sick. She was pretty much abused by her whole family. 

When those memories emerged, the body tremored. It was an awful experience for the poor girl. Not only that, the family sometimes hurt her for the smallest mistakes. Especially Karen. Her own sister loved to cause her physical pain. And the body trembled in fear at the memories. 

Somehow, thinking of the things the body owner had to endure... Seraphine felt mad. She was angry at the family. 

Most of all, she was angry at the girl herself.

She is such a weakling! She should have fought her way out and ran away when she had the chance! Or practice her dark magic so I wouldn't be stuck in this useless body now!

Mentally, Seraphine slapped herself. While being dragged by Karen, she managed to look down. It was little. But she caught the small movement made by her own shadow. 

Urgh! At least that is a start! I have to practice more!

Karen kept dragging her outside the room and into the hallway. "Behave yourself, Seraphina Storm," she warned, "Just be your usual quiet self and replace me in marrying Prince Rowan."

Hold on!

Seraphina pulled her hand with force. That stopped Karen. "Replace you?" Seraphine asked.

Karen sighed out loud. "Goddess, you are so dim! We've talked about this. You are replacing me to marry Prince Rowan."

"Don't frown, sister. It made you look way uglier than your personality."

Her evil sister stared at her in shock, obviously, Karen did not expect Seraphine would retaliate. The old Seraphine would just nod along by being called 'dim'. But this new Seraphine would not. 

Karen stepped closer to Seraphine. Her face was just an inch away. Her eyebrows furrowed and her nose flared. Fires lit up in her eyes as she spat the words, "You do not want to cross me, Seraphine."

"Why not?"

"I have the whole High Society in the palm of my hands, and..." She smirked. "I have Father's favor."

Somehow, Seraphine felt something was crushing her chest. She did not understand why that happened when Karen mentioned their father. Could it be that the old Seraphine wished for her father's favor? 

Tch. A fool's wish. We ought not to expect anything from others. That was Seraphine The Dark Witch's one ultimate rule. She never trusted anyone thus she never expected anyone to help her. 

"Then why you do not marry the prince yourself?" Seraphine asked, "Surely the status of a prince would do you good in High Society."

"Oh, yes, it would," Karen smiled. "But not this prince." Then she dragged Seraphine with force again. "You better come with me obediently before I call the guards to force you into the carriage."

Seraphine churned her brain. Her dark magic had left her. And though the body owner had an affinity, it was far from being polished. The family and mansion staff hated her, so they would not care if they had to lay a hand on Seraphine. 

Damn! The body owner really does not have any choice against her own family! She is so weak... urghh!! 

So, she decided to follow Karen. Obediently, like Karen demanded. 

At least, for now. 

They got to the front of the mansion. Two carriages were waiting for them. In one carriage, Seraphine saw a couple was already sitting inside. From the body owner's memories, she could tell they were the Duke and Duchess. "Come on, you stupid girl!" roared the Duke, "You're making us all wait!"

Somehow, the body trembled again at the sound of the Duke. The body reacted on impulse. The owner must have been very terrified of the Duke. 

Karen shoved Seraphine to another carriage while she entered the carriage with the Duke and the Duchess. 

In a short moment, both carriages took off. A trumpet sound accompanied the movement of the carriages. She looked out from the window. A huge mansion with an impressive garden was seen. It was a very beautiful place.

But for this body, the place had only brought pain and bad memories. 

Seraphine shook her head. It was not the time she should pity the body owner. She needed to think of a way out of the situation. 

Also, she needed to figure out where was the last gem. 

That sneaky gem! I will find you again and destroy you properly!

That was how Seraphine finally rode the carriage to her wedding to a prince that thought he would be marrying her sister. The worst part, she was not the original Seraphine Storm. Nevertheless, she had to endure this debauchery.

Hmm... Is this what hell is like?