AWAKEN DEVIL (SAMPLE)

Chapter 1

Denisa stood by the window, staring at the birds chirping around the trees and flying freely in the sky while she was locked in these chambers, for as long as she remembered.

"My lady, you had another nightmare last night?" Olivia inquires, walking closer to the bed and tugging the sheets neatly.

Denisa glances back at Olivia and nods her head before walking towards the chair, settling down in front of the mirror, and staring at her reflection.

"Yes, I hardly get any sleep these days," She said, watching her dull face, black bags under her eyes, and dehydrated lips begging for sleep.

Olivia crouched before her, tracing her finger against her cheek and tugging the strands of her hair behind her ears.

"My lady, I think you should seek help." She says, holding Denisa's hands in hers, "You just have one week left to get married, and no groom would want to marry a bride who looks like a ghost." She adds, glazing at her dull face.

Denisa caressed Olivia's hands and looked at her with a warm smile. Olivia is in her early thirties; she served Denisa's mother, Esme, before she died in the war. She was to get married, but seeing Denisa lose her parents, she couldn't bring herself to tie the knot and live her own life.

And after the demise of Denisa's parents, the King passed the decree to repay them for the sacrifice to marry the crown prince Aurous to Denisa, and at the age of four, she was bound with Aurous by the decree and was raised to be the crown princess to marry Aurous and be the Queen of the Kingdom. Denisa is almost eighteen, and the kingdom is stable with no sign of war, so there is no reason to delay the wedding.

"You're right, Olivia; I will go to the palace later and cancel the wedding," Denisa says, staring at Olivia, enjoying the fear covering her face. Olivia couldn't say a word; she stared blankly for a few seconds, thinking about the consequences.

Denisa glances at her, biting her lips, trying not to laugh as she looks at her perplexed, but she fails to keep it up and lets out a chuckle. Olivia couldn't understand for a second what just happened, but soon heaved a sigh of relief watching Denisa laugh.

"My lady! You shouldn't say things like that! If someone hears it, every single person here will die, including me!" The marriage was decreed by the king himself and cannot be reversed until either party is dead.

"Okay, okay, I won't," Denisa says, raising her hands in surrender.

The day went by quickly, trying and altering the dresses for the wedding, which is about to take place a week from now, and Denisa was able to forget about the nightmares. The maids and servants left for their rooms to sleep.

Denisa walked up to her room and stood by the stairs as the fear of the nightmares covered her face. She thought of asking Olivia to come to sleep with her, but she was already in bed, tired of working on the dresses all day.

'Nothing will happen, Nes, Denisa assured herself, trying not to let the dreams get to her because they looked very real.

"What happened?" A voice from behind made Denisa jump; she felt as if her heart came right up to her throat. She glared back at the person behind her and grinded her teeth, staring at him. Aurous looked at her, confused by her stares, but couldn't help and think about how petite she looked in front of him; his broad shoulders covered her fully.

Aurous stood by the stairs, gawking at her, his golden eyes shimmering as he gazed at her full body and luxurious pink lips. He could not stop staring at her without noticing the anger in her eyes, she glared at Aurous, while calming her heart down and trying her best not to say something that might make the people around her suffer.