World Reincarnation System: Pandora and the Seven Princes

✨ Chapter Six ✨

Chapter Six
Everything inside you is dark and twisted.
~*~

Just as Lyma expected the rumors regarding her having a secret relationship with Vanus grew. As Lily has reported to her, more and more people have suspected their 'relationship' to sail further because of how frequent the two have been together. But the truth is that Lyma already started her special training with the prince thus making their time together to increase. Another thing that fueled the rumor is the location of their special training. During the meeting they had, the King decided to open the ballroom hall on the first floor of the Opalus Palace as their training room. It also did not help that Vanus decided to use plants and flowers during their first few training sessions as Lyma's practice models. Many servants thought that they're gifts from the prince because Vanus insisted for him to cover the expenses for the training. He reasoned that the palace would be questioned because of these expenses and will have to disclose the special training. And so, Vanus decided to cover the expenses.

The first exercise Vanus made her do is to control her emotions. On the first day Vanus ordered a lot of rose plants. And then one by one he cut and destroyed them in front of Lyma.

'He's just cutting the stem and peeling the petals?' Lyma thought that it was ridiculous to see a prince doing that. "What are you doing?" She inquired.

"Stirring your memory." He replied by cutting the stems of a white rose. Her eyes squinted. 'Stirring my memory? What does cutting flowers do to stir my memory?'

She stared blankly at him still wondering what cutting flowers does to stir her memory. Almost two baskets of white and pink roses have already scattered by his feet. The different colors of the flower petals are creating a beautiful scene. Lyma is still staring at him waiting for something to happen. And when he picks up a red rose she later realizes that flowers are Pandora's weakness. "No." She whispered. As soon as the word left her lips she immediately covered them. It was an unconscious response, she realized. As she watched him cutting the stem of the red rose, her chest started to tighten. And when Vanus pulled the petals apart something snapped inside Lyma's head. Like a single thin thread holding something and it finally broke. 'What is happening?' She thought looking away.

"Look at me Pandora." Vanus ordered in an authoritative voice that made Lyma flinch and turn her gaze back at him. And when Lyma saw him cutting again yet another flower her shoulders began to tremble.

It came like a flash inside Lyma's head, the memory of Pandora with the late queen. The reason why Pandora loves and treasures flowers is because that is the most beautiful memory she has of her mother. "Mother. Stop. Stop!" She chanted as she walked closer to him. She could no longer stay still and grabbed the flower Vanus was holding but he just grabbed another one. She tried to reach it but he held it up making advantage of their height difference. The disassembled petals fell down on her face. It was like time stood still as one by one the red petals touched her face and fell to the ground.

She grasped for air. "Help." That was the last straw. It was like a string snapped again and something was freed. And the next thing she knew was that her chest was in so much pain she screamed. Then she felt it. It was warm like you put on a thick coat. The warmth enveloped her body and slowly as if being called the warmth flowed from her entire body towards her hands. She felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips. And when she looked down she saw black flames coating her hands. "NO!!" Her screams echoed inside the hall. 'Black flames.' And as if on cue, images of what happened on her coming of age flash inside her mind.

~

"Please welcome the Princess of Cockaigne Kingdom, Pandora Cygni Ytopia!"

Claps echoed through the hall as Pandora entered with the king as her escort. She smiled as she walked through the red carpet to the podium.