Her First Sneaky Move

*splash *

*splash *

The forefront of her upper body plunged head first, submerging her body deep into the lake of the great depth.

Knowing well for she wouldn't succumb her little life to the depth, her breath lingered the water as she tolerated her physique gradually sinking in.

Ah... That cursable headmaster awfully wished for his rotting mind and heart to be severed perhaps even diced into meaty chunks...

The ocular metallic silver of hers was serene unlike the wonted shards of shrapnel it embodied.

Her pupil dilated greatly being underwater.

Not a dazzle was to reach the edge of her lashes with the bitter absence of the embrace of light. Yet, as these thoughts reached her, a particular flicker mend its appeal her way.

She eyed all the way down for the flicker that had her interest in hook, espied only the majestic scales the tint of ebony belonging to a small... dragon that happened to be in a lotus sitting position.

It's a mini version dragon meditating with its eyes hooded being deep under the lake. Oddly lovable.

Baffled of her finding still, she tightly shut her eyes, bided by the same spot before unsealing them again.

Fatigue showed in her eyes as she sustained this process times after times attempting it. Apparently, the things she's seeing was fortunately not what they called the glimpses before crossing the bridge to the afterlife.

Caught by the intrigue, her right hand enveloped by the cream-white gloves unpremeditatedly reached towards the beauty ahead of her of which she reckoned was a statue.

Being immobile and posing in a rather laughable position one would choke laughter at was enough evidence to call this little thing an immovable graven image.

What a wonderful statue as it was attentively carved to perfection down to even minor details.

She was engrossed in paying full attention to the dragon, not overlooking even a speck of feature from its body as if marvelling a great something.

As her fingers were tempted to slide down the creases of its eyelids, a jewelled pair of orbs exchanged her a long glance as if the two were engaged in an intense eye staring battle.

Its eyes were cavernous iridescent red containing the delicate beads of blood red with finishing specks of golden adorning it.

The astound in her last for a moment before her legs booted lightly the water, nearly causing her to suffocate due to the breathing knowledge she'd laid to rest when her vision was met with those profound eyes.

Her hands stroked fast towards the surface, like a dolphin resurfacing the water preparing for its stunning leap except for the part where she's not going to jump like those aquatic mammals.

Upon resurfacing the lake as planned, she heavily gasped for the airs that desperately was in need in order to aid the exit to the choking sensation in her throat.

Her stares went toward the dragon that had begun resting on the dew-lushed green lotus leaf floating in the lake.

They're both gaining one another attention with not a word being mentioned.

The subtle fitting of lustrous golden in her iris diminished bits by bits on her accord.

She squinted her eyes, a face suffused both the astonishment and scepticism was whipped at the dragon lax gazes.

She wasn't able to dugout anything out of the box of thoughts of this dragon that harshly resembled the human body with its striking peculiarities.

Such was its long magnanimous hair.

For certain, this little one was on a higher level than she was, to be capable of concealing its notions from her, disregarding the given form it's in.

“Little dragon, do you happen to know anyone who went by the name Elemental King?” Despite the impertinence in her abrupt queries, her tones spoke of no reticence.

“Little dragon? How impudent of an address. Furthermore, for what reason are you searching the lord for?” It remarked in a low magnetic voice.

“What are your supposed given name is then, magnanimous one? Regarding the Elemental King, I wished to propose a deal with him.” Her voice tone was puckishly dragged when pronouncing the ‘magnanimous one’.

As words went down her lips, the silver's visions actively bounced the corner of her eyes, discerning her surrounding full intents.

Despite that, to learn her current whereabouts with no indication whatsoever was one thing.

The other was the fact that she might have been tossed into another secret realm by a certain bastard fxcked up in the head.

How troubling... Sigh.

Ah, its lips moved.

She looked at the dragon forthwith.

Perhaps true, perhaps not as she could've sworn into glimpsing a brief doting smile emerging the dragon's lips.

“Eternal Divinity, the unconquerable one. Speak, what contracts would you want to propose to the lord?” The little dragon's words hurled a log to the centre of her lagged brain.

What the hell...

Even a toddler could tell such dreadful fibs where the name lay. A name made on spot so tactless it left a tacky taste by the tip of her tongue.

Worst, the latter bother not to even cover up their untruths.

In contrast to her complaints, the tempers in her couldn't find a fire starter in her to lit up and boiled in anger at this weird yet precious-looking dragon.

Even its provocation she'd set aside, not taking it to the heart.

“Well... I couldn't find a purpose in it for me to answer your question, Eternal Divinity.”

At her remarks, the ‘Eternal Divinity’ had the corner of its wide lips hooked up as he retorted,

“If you can't indulge me in your reasoning, I, unfortunately, won't be able to tell you anything there is about the lord.”

Her head was softly tilted, clarifying total innocence as she asserted with a feigned ingenuous and artless impression. “Oh well... what was it again? Ah, a proposal, a marriage proposal.”

The fair lashes naturally glued to her eyes momentarily flickered with an expression well described as dubious and vague.

The impression however lasted no longer than a flap of a sparrow, chaining any doubts could ever be thrown at her.

“Marriage? With the lord??” The dragon's attention finally was poured all onto her. It's been pretty tough merely wanting his head tilted in her direction.

“En, you heard it right, little Eternal Divinity. Well, have you ever heard this phrase? Everything possessed its limit as nothing was spared, not even the infinity.”

As she spoke, her eyes drooped down to the lone violet-petaled herb a step away from her left foot.

A herb made to alleviate the mind of the sufferings by putting an end to their interior organ oh so slowly and gently.

The tremendous pain was guaranteed in the package.

Violent Seed, a relatively precious herb that was capable of effortlessly sending a mortal to the gate of hell with a single touch on its captivating bloom.

Overthrowing even the venom of a standard viper, the toxin of the seemingly innocuous plant was ruthless in ravaging one's internal carcass stopping only when it's tainted dark.

How graceful of a feat does that sound?

Unable to comprehend her terse wording, it spoke of in unsettledness, “What does that have to do with your marriage proposal?”

“Haha, who knows?”

She swiftly bent at her waist, agilely plucking at the root of the exact herb which poison she recalled was fatal to humanity.

Observing her gestures brought a scrunch to the Eternal Divinity's pair of brows.

This however was intentionally shrugged off by her. And with an arch at the end of her lips, she mashed its poisonous petals in her palm. Such a meticulous way of dissembling her emotions.

The sly grin on her pale face ebbed away losing its will, like the wilted petals that were grounded in her palm. She staggered a step back wobbling in her steps before her strength faltered as her body hit the ground.

Working its charm, the poison made its way, gradually corrupting her interior with the taste of fatalities.

“She- caught the poison?” The little dragon mumbled, greatly alarmed.

In feverish haste, it physically shifted into his original mortal form, shedding his prior guise of the legendary serpentine creature known for its wings, horns and fire breathing ability.

As his approach neared, her prior cowp was out of sight as the only apparent thing to the Eternal Divinity now was a honed anelace by his adam's apple.

“I wonder who exactly are you, o' Eternal Divinity?” With the very pointed tip of her obelisk-like blade pressed directly onto the skin of his neck, she inquired.

The right palm that caught the Violent Seed was properly draped in a glove, a silky cream glove.

How was it even possible to penetrate through to her skin with such hindrance for the actual magic of the poison to work on her.

Even if it did work on her, it's not one of a big deal in comparison to the limited lifetime she's given this life.

The intended tension clouded over the two of them but something unexpected struck her silence.

An amused chuckled sounded.

He had tittered at her threatening gesture despite the dagger on his neck, unconstrainedly slipping his prior stunned expression.

“I can't find any purpose in it for me to answer your question, unfortunately. Besides, I've waited for you for so long, hadn't you missed me even a bit, love?” The soft curve of a crescent in his eyes flecked with the glow of a moonlight hinted at his delight.

With the table turned, her eyebrows scrunched in great confusion concealing the tremor beating in her heart. “What the... What are you even saying? What would you mean by that!?”

“Who knows, Your Royal Highness...”

“I've gotten tired of idling the land alone these lonely decades without you by my side. I promised, this time, I would change our ending, our everything, Aubrey...”

His abstruse whispers lingered in her eardrums, catching her who's being directly hit with tons of brick flabbergasted yet again.

Truly, what was his words implying?

After all, how had he learnt of her name, her actual name when in her decades' worth of memories, not one of them contained any recollection of this man who stood ahead of her.

Not in Aubrianna's recollections, not in hers.

Who... was he?

*snap*

The snapping made by his two fingers had allowed access to this once again familiar wormhole she'd escaped through, leading to her now new identity.

This dimension she had never believed in needed anything more else to convince her it wasn't self-imaginary.

The first time she travelled her body was that of hers, not yet Aubrianna yet presently she was the crown princess.

It's pretty sad considering her name, legacy and all of her past identity was to abandon for the survival of herself being thrown into this world so suddenly.

“Your Royal Highness, are you feeling fine right now?” Ailsa Charlotte politely bowed before locking eyes with Aubrianna who's paled to death from her unexplainable situation.

Her eyes were heavy with concerns as she attentively wiped the heavy sweat produced on her lady's face.

Fatigue was written all over Aubrianna's complexion but she asked, “Where am I?”

Charlotte, expressing still her distressed looks already prepared an answer, “Answering to the crown princess, it is in your royal sleeping chamber. Your Royal Highness, you were found collapsed in front of your private garden.”

“I collapsed?” “Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

“You looked like you have something to say. Simply spout it out for me to hear.” Aubrianna chided, seeing how a stab by guilt expression emerged on her lady-in-waiting's face.

“...pardon me, crown princess but Her Majesty, the empress stated her desire to have a meal with you at the royal dining hall after you come back to your conscious.”

Charlotte thought back to the message from the empress's people that sought her earlier.

Her Royal Highness was barely awake a second ago yet they had requested for her, not even giving her a chance for rest.

It's quite inappropriate for her crown princess yet what power did she wield for her to even deny the request of the mother of the empire.

That aside, curiosity did get to her as to what would the empress have in plan for her and how would it be to face the great mother of the nation too

“I see... that's fine. Would you help me to prepare for later?” What was to ensue next? She had not an idea but to cower behind something no longer was an option nor was it her way of dealing with things.

Thus, she could only accept this arrangement with a bowed head and fight her way through it. Like she said, even infinite possessed its limits, when the limits were breached, shall everything held its steed.

***

“I gave my greetings to Her Majesty the noble moon of the Sophronia. May glory fall onto the Sophronia empire.” Aubrianna propelled her greets toward the sitting empress whose aura only inhibited grandeur and glory.

“Have a seat, crown princess.” The empress offered her the seat directly next to her. “I thanked Your Majesty for your grace.” Aubrianna sat on the set as referred.

“Aubrianna, my princess... dropped the formality, shall we? In presence of nobody, I am not anyone of formality but your birth mother.”

“Tell your royal mother honestly... Is it infinity you're dealing with, my dear?” The empress's finger clasped at the bottom of the goblet of what seemed to appear as red wine.

The empress sat elegently sipping on her wine in no hurry as to relish the refreshing taste of the fermented wine just a little longer.

Being Aubrianna's birth mother, naturally, this was the imperial empress and the ruling moon of Sophronia, Empress Adrianna Elise de Esta Sophronia who was of the pure royal blood of Sophronia birthed as the pure Sophronia royalty.

With dominant royal blood flowing through her veins, she inherited the royal family affinity in magical ability, crowning her as the archmage of the empire alongside her status as the empress.

All and all while her father the ruling sun and the emperor, Noel Caleigh de Esta Sophronia was a mere prince from their neighbouring kingdom before his marriage to the empress.

There was this old legend haunting the Sophronia since before the glory of its empire. For thousands of years now, Sophronia was put under the curse called Balance Breaker of which was apparent by the name was its impact.

The conventional equilibrium the birth of female and male were torn apart, leading to increasing birth in females yet a horribly deteriorating count in birth of the males. This curse was greater when placed onto the royal family of Sophronia since hundreds of years.

This empire used and rather still had the atypical patriarchy system where the female was dealt with ninety percent of the time unequally and unfairly due to the increase in their birth which made this sex unwanted.

This was much of a great contrary to the male sexes in the emperial family where they were adorned in golden and jewels, treated like a God due to the severe declination of the male offsprings.

Statically, a male in the royal family was a great rare treasure often praised simply for existing as the reproduction rate of a male was practically one in five years.

That however was the people's living condition whereas the royal family of Sophronia was yet to bore a male heir to the crown since the last era of the great war in between Sophronia empire and the Elqueena nation.

This palace was cursed by the last wizard in Elqueena with no luck in male birth. So, the princess of the royals was married off to another empire solely as a wife trophy while the Crown Princess would marry someone to be the next Emperor.

How tragic... Nevertheless, her mother was fabulously fortunate as the emperor was the modest type and would attend to her words. Reasonably, if he didn't, he would surely be terrorized by her as she's an influential empress, unlike the last empress. Wholly dominant and would be eligible to fully rule the empire herself.

“Infinite limit... The unbreakable curse... My poor daughter, what had caused you to possess this curse?” She worriedly raised a question.

Her mother was an outstanding archmage in the world for her blessing. Undoubtedly, the royal palace obtained a blessing and a curse at the equivalent period. The chosen princess would obtain an ability that was powerful but unpredictable each. This generated the Crown Princess chosen at first.

Her mother earned the power of Sparks... a magical power that could produce an explosion enormous enough to blow the whole nation or even an empire. Hers was the Infinity... the vastest ability among the vastest. Yet, no record ever documented about the power of infinity except for the curse that fell upon the proprietor. The infinity owner had an unprecedented limitation or condemnation.

“This girl too doesn't quite understand, but the caused seemed to be from a limiter and could only be recovered with the subject that would be far stronger than infinity itself. By that, it means marriage before the age of nineteen years old or definite death.” She explained thoroughly as her hands smoothly sliced the meat for their dinner together.

“Is there anything that would possibly be stronger than you, who possessed the infinity, Aubrianna? Your mother can't track any possible things inside the empire to be the suitable one for you.”

She was anxious as the given time were almost up. Aubrianna would be eighteen the next year on her coronation day which indicated solely a year was left after her ruling era.

“There is, mother. The one and only one, Elemental King, the supreme user of elements power and rumoured to be the strongest one alive.” She wielded her power to generate the illusion of men without an apparent face.

“Doesn't the Elemental King never show himself? Had you ever met him?” She made the illusion evaporate but Aubrianna developed it onetime again attended with her reasonable explanation.

“In fact, I did, mother and I would definitely make him agreed to my proposal.” She convinced her words.

“Do what you believe in. I would support you from behind but beware of your stepsisters. Dirty rats should never be left living freely inside the palace.”

She cued her of the fundamental but vulnerable adversary of them. They never learnt their position in the major place, regardless, dared to compete for the throne that would honestly belong to the Crown Princess and her consort.

“This daughter of yours would never forget your advice. Please allowed me to step back first for some rest, mother.” She wrapped up her moves before retreating primely to schedule a pure vengeance for her lovely sisters.

“Off you go, Aubrianna.” Her mother asserted, then indicated at her hand.

“Thank you, mother.” She gradually nodded before leaving her mother unaccompanied.

“Your Majesty, why don't you just throw all of those lowly concubines' daughters away? Won't it be easier? Leaving them alive would only bring problems to Crown Princess herself.” Her personal maid, Miranda inquired as the empress's moves were hardly understood from that abrupt motions.

Her Majesty was exquisitely bizarre but those traits made her appear inferior to the other. Even though the emperor brought in the concubines barely for the benefit of the empire but it's simply infuriated when the daughters of the concubines wished to be the next Crown Princess when their empress peacefully alive with her daughter.

“There's no need for me to interfere with her problems anymore. My daughter knows her ways to solve it and will absolutely earn the throne in her way.” She gleamed, eyed her daughter gradually strode away from the room.

“You believed in the Crown Princess so much, Your Majesty. You even trusted her with her own planning.” Miranda chuckled.

“She's my only daughter, my only proud legacy that would one day lead the empire. My blood runs inside her veins, and I know that my intuition would never lie.” She barely gazed back at the garden that was in the gloamed darkness as the evening was hanging before the sun came substituted.

***

“Lotte, do I look weird?” Aubrianna exhibited Charlotte the dress that she chose.

“No, Your Highness seems as gorgeous as usual.” Charlotte smiled gently before retorted to her master.

“Your Highness, you have been terribly busy this day that you don't even get a wink of sleep. Won't you rest a bit?” Charlotte proposed as it's been days since Her Highness get a decent sleep as she's energetically learning something that she doesn't even comprehend what it was.

“I'm fine, Lotte. However, it's been days since I woke up from the accidents, why doesn't are my sisters trying to visit me?” She curiously asked as none of them had their face appeared in the few days and it had past a few days since she had pitifully fainted.

“I'm sure that they'll be here in any minute, Your Highness,” Charlotte said, reassuring her.

“Please excuse me, Your Highness. The Second Princess, Princess Ashlyn Norienna Sariah wished to see you.” One of her maids interrupted to send the message.

“Your words work like magic, Lotte. Let her in.” She smirked excitedly as she had loitered for her long.

“Yes, Your Highness.” The maid nodded before unhurriedly unclosing the door, permitting her to pass into the room. At least the princess still notified her before barging into the room.

“Sister! I'm glad that you're okay! I'm so anxious when they said that you've collapsed recently.” She rushed to Aubrianna, wept like a small child.

“Before that, sister, do we need to have a servant inside when it's only you and me? I would like to tell you a super embarrassing story but I'm afraid that they would hear it.”

“Ah, is that so? Then, could all of you get some rest, you could be retired for the day, I would like to have some nice chit chat with my sister.” Aubrianna urged her maids encompassed her lady-in-waiting and royal guards which were appointed as her guard.

“Yes, Your Highness.” They loyally asserted before departing from the room, leaving only the two of them inside her Royal Chamber.

*clack *

“Thank you for your care but I'm alright. It's just that I'm a little tired recently.” She replied with a smile that never came off to scamper away.

“That's perfect! I've brewed you a medicinal tea that was made from my physician's suggestion. Maid, bring it in.” One of her maidens brought it in before evacuating the room similarly again.

“You know that you don't have to, sister, it would be a burden to you.”

“Don't worry, dear sister. You won't let my efforts go to waste, would you?” She handed her a trap point that would make her incapable to decline the drink or she would be seen as suspicious of her sister.

“Of course, I won't. My sister already put a great effort into making this tea exclusively for me. I would gladly drink it for sure.” She replied calmly without a single doubt making Ashlyn slightly anxious.

“I know that you won't let me down.”

“Oh! Sister, what do you think of my treasured crystal bangle?” She opened a box that contained the beautiful pure white crystal bangle. A single glance at the pure crystal would captivate anyone.

“It's absolutely gorgeous. Where did you buy it from, sister?” She was hyped from the glimpse just as expected.

“Its a gift from the Empress for my coronation day. I treasured the bangle a lot and I would rather die if the bangle ever gets lost.” She told her

“You're so lucky, sister to receive the bangle from the Empress herself.” She claimed, not parted her eyes away from Aubrianna's bangle.

“I know, right?” She kept her bangle inside the box and positioned it by her side.

“Sister, why don't you try my tea?” She inquired as she looked like she had already forgotten about her tea.

“Ah, I nearly forgot. I apologised.” She considerably picked the tea up and gradually sipped the tea.

*sips *

“Doesn't it taste delicious?” Ashlyn smiled pretentiously as the effect seemed to works on her.

“It does, dear sister. Would you make this for me again?” She asked... the tea was certainly drugged with a sleeping pill.

“Of course, I would.” She smiled furthermore, dawdled for her to eventually fall unconscious.

“Sister, I think I'm too tired... I feel so sleepy... I'm sorry but I would take a nap for a while.” Aubrianna finally slumped onto her table.

“Of course, you would, my dearest sister. You're still as naive as always. Now, now... Where did you place the bangle?” She glanced at her position to uncover the case and unclose it to discover the valuable bangle.

“I found it! This bangle will be mine and I would love to see you devastatingly search for the bangle that you would nearly lose your mind might also your life, my dear sister. Don't blame me for you being too naive.” She wore the badge on her right wrist, secured the boxes and placed it back. She also got rid of the teacup that she used to drink the tea to eradicate any credible evidence that would capture her thieving.

*open *

“Princess Ashlyn, Princess...” Her loyal maid, Agrietta came inside, joyfully hopped with promising news for her.

“Aah...What happened to the Crown Princess? Did you already kill her?” She was alarmed as the Crown Princess seemed to be dead on the table.

“Shut up! I'm not too idiot to kill her at a time like this. I just gave her the taste of my poison but she wouldn't die yet. Just passed out.” Ashlyn notified her maid of everything before carefully picking her up and placing her on her bed to make it look like she was simply asleep.

“Your Highness, don't tell me that you stole the bangle from the Crown Princess?” She asked as her eyes caught the sight of the crystal bangle on her hand.

“I did.” She murmured.

“But, what if she wants to search for the bangle when she woke up?” She innocently begged for an answer, felt horribly guilty and troubled.

“Don't worry, she would actually forget what happened today.” They exited the room together before eliminating all the proof and sauntered out of the room voluntarily by announcing that the Crown Princess left a note asserted that she would like to doze for the rest of the day.

***

“Pffttt... Is she exceptionally a genius in poison making? It's too unstable not intentionally weakened but the producer was too susceptible that even her poison was super weak.” Aubrianna can't hold her laughter anymore and giggled unstoppably from the gleeful joke she ever listened to.

“I love some funny comedies. Don't you feel so, Lotte?” Aubrianna glanced at her guilty felt maid as she felt uneasy with her risky ideas of letting her taste the tea which apparently had poison and deluded to be wholly unconscious for the day.

“Your Highness, are you seriously going to do this?” Charlotte still ain't convinced with her reckless like plan.

“Lotte, we shall teach someone step by step or it wouldn't feel good just to place her punishment. Every evidence I collected is precious for my last vengeance.” She smirked playfully. A sweet vengeance required all of the essential flavours to make it extraordinarily good than the typical one so that it would be exceptionally satisfying and favourable.

“She wanted to play with fire so I gave her the blaze. She reaped what she sows after all.” Aubrianna tapped her fingers on the table, lasted for all her schemes to slowly appear that would bestow her an excellent one hundred eighty twist later. This was what was called a sweet vengeance!

***

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