The Hybrid Princess's Cursed Legacy

"Are you sure this is what you want, princess?" "Yes," I answered, in a sure, determined voice, "I've never wished for anything more this, more than him. I won't marry Zuka." I was standing in a large golden room, one of the many rooms in my father's vast castle. I was surrounded by tall pillars of gold that reached up high towards the glass ceiling that seemed to open into the orange clouds above. Pictures of my family's history were engraved and painted on each of the pillars and the surrounding walls and glass windows. The ground I stood on bare-footed, was a dark purple marble that matched the golden purple thrones. Ten in total, that stretched along the back wall. There were four ancient thrones at the very back that always seated my mother's and father's parents. Three thrones sat a row in front of them, belonging to my two brothers and my sister, who had died years ago. Two more thrones were placed in front of them. They were much grander than any of the thrones to the back. One belonged to me and the other to my mother, a chair that had been empty like my sisters for far too long. To look upon my mother's and sisters Thrones caused me physical pain. Even now, when I would never see them again, I still could not bring myself to take one last look. I turned my attention instead to the very front where father's seat was placed. His throne was the largest of all and the most beautiful thing of any object in his kingdom. I hated this seat the most, for one day it would belong to me and that is something I never wished to receive. Around the perimeter of the room were more chairs, all very wondrous and each engraved for its individual occupant. It was considered a great honor to have a seat in this majestic hall and ferocious battles had taken place throughout my father's lands to obtain such a seat. I stood in the center of the room with Katrina, a seer in the coven that were enslaved to my father. She was my best friend and sister-in-law. Katrina was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She had dark red curls that flowed down her back to her waist. She was taller than me, but much like the rest of my subjects, she held herself lower than my line of sight. I hated it when they would do this, her especially, but every time I complained she would ignore me. Today, she wore the dark black dress I had given her. It fell down her perfect body to her own bare feet. She was looking at me with a deep sorrow as she asked me about the future she had seen for me. "What about your father?" She pleaded, trying again to lead me away from a decision I had already chosen upon, a losing battle, and she knew it. "I have taken care of my father." I assured her again, "He will find my body, and believe, as the others will, that I am dead, he will not suspect that I have deceived him, and I know that you know this already, Katrina." "Please, princess." She started begging as she fell to her knees and grabbed hold of my blue gown. She began sobbing tearlessly into the material. "Please don't ask this of me, please. I cannot do this to you." "It will be alright." I told her and gently placed my palm over her cheek. "I can handle the pain, I will survive, you know I will, you've seen it." "But, still, what about the pain? It will." she began, but I cut her off before she could work herself up again. "I will not discuss this further." I told her firmly, "I have made my choice. This is the only way for me. Please help me, you're the only one I trust, you're the only one who can help me." Katrina looked her terrified eyes up at my unwavering stare. Defeated, she nodded. "Yes, princes." Her voice shaking with pain as she spoke, "I will help you escape, I'm so sorry." *****TIME JUMP***** The sun was blinding, and burnt my eyes as I lay on the grass in the very center of the forest clearing. I closed my eyes but still they stung from the glaring light. Where am I? I thought. How did I get here? Where was here? I tried to think back, but my mind was blank. I couldn't remember a thing. Slowly, I turned myself over and pushed myself off of the ground. Every limb and muscle in my body ached as if I'd never used them, it took me five times to heave myself to my feet, having fallen down four times under the weight of my body. I tried to look around, but the light was excruciating, and I could only keep my eyes open for small amounts of time before I was forced to close them again. I had no memories of anything. I knew my name and that I was in a forest, but no other details or memories came to me. Fear ripped through my body as I searched around the trees for anything to help me remember. However, after an hour of fruitless searching, I gave up defeated. Collapsing at the foot of a large tree, I began to sob uncontrollably into the grass. Why can't I remember anything? I screamed inside my mind. What's going on? I don't know how long I lay there crying, but finally I was in control again, I sat up and leaned back on the tree for support as I wiped away the tears still fell silently down my face. What happened to me? I wondered. Why can't I remember? Was I hurt? Did I hit my head? Had someone done something to me and left me in the woods to die? Question after question sprang up in my mind, but I found no answers to ease my pain, no comfort to take away my fears. My eyes were hurting worse than ever now because of the tears, but I forced myself to look up at the sky. The sun was lower now, and I prayed that it would set soon. I shuddered at that thought when I realized that once it did set, I would be alone in the dark. I got to my feet again in a hurry this time. I would have to find shelter for the night before trying to get out of the forest tomorrow. I walked for a long time in my panicked haze. I tried to keep my noise to a whisper as I searched through the trees for somewhere to sleep, for fear of what could overhear me. I came to a sheer cliff when I finally broke free of the trees. At the bottom of the drop was a cave covered by a large bush I couldn't remember the name of. The sun was almost gone by the time I reached the opening of the cave, I started breaking away some of the bush, so I could crawl into the cave. The sharp thorns cut into my skin as I tore the branches out of the way. My hands were bleeding, but I didn't care, I just wanted to hide in the cave and wait for day break. There was enough light for me to see that nothing lurked in the shadows of the cave, and so I crawled in and curled up, cold and exhausted. I wanted to make a fire and was happy that I at least remembered how, but I was too fearful of leaving the cave to collect wood and even more scared of giving away my location to unknown visitors or attracting unwanted animals, and so I remained shivering in the cold cave. As soon as the sun was completely gone, a rush of despair hit me. Why had no one been looking for me? Was I all alone in the world? Did no one love me? I began to cry again until I fell into an uncomfortable sleep. It was still dark when I woke in the cave, it took me several seconds before I realized that it was voices that had woken me, Relief shot through my entire system. Someone was looking for me after all. I thought. "She's around here somewhere." A man's rough voice claimed. I was about to move, to scream out my location, when another voice answered the first. "Yes," He agreed, "I can smell the blood." I froze in shock. Very slowly my gaze fell to my bloody hands, though I couldn't see them in the darkness of the cave. "The b*tch is close." The first voice spoke again, this time with a hint of excitement in his tone. “Maybe a witch?” He added, now sounding confused. I was confused too. "No," The other man argued, "I've never known a witch to smell so delicious." "Well, she's not completely human, that's for sure." The first man answered thoughtfully, "But definitely delicious, I've never smelt anything like her, have you?" "No, I can't wait to taste her." I started breathing again, quietly and slowly bent down and peaked through the opening of the bush and saw two figures standing some feet away from me in one of the rays of moonlight that pierced through the trees above. My heart started racing as I watched the two men sniffing that air. What are they doing? I wondered in fear. "Close," The first man said again. They started pacing around my hiding place, still sniffing the air. Things happened so fast, both men were near the bottom of the cliff I'd climbed down earlier, the man closest to me suddenly turned and stared straight at me. The second man mimicked his movement, all I saw was a fast blur that flew at me and then suddenly I was being dragged from the cave by my hair. I screamed out in pain as my hair was almost ripped from my head, ice-cold fear chilled my body. I tried to close my eyes, but they were frozen wide open in horror.