Queen Of Hatred

She Died For Me To Live Again

My eyes feel dry. As if they haven't been opened for months. I can't see a thing, only a dim light meets my gaze.

I tried to sit up but realized there was something above me. Something so soft yet almost impenetrable. A bit of dirt fell into my barley opened left eye, as if it were mocking me for my failed attempt to move.

The pieces in my mind started to sort themselves, and I started to question. Why was there even dirt falling on me? I lifted my weak, frail hand and felt above me. At first, it felt unfamiliar, but I quickly realized it felt like wood. Nicely polished wood. It wasn't the only thing that had felt unfamiliar. My hand felt strange. It felt new.

This was not my hand. I decided to brush it off and went back to thinking.
My brain began to pick up some pace. I was obviously under dirt, in a somewhat wooden case, in complete darkness. That's when it hit me. I was buried underground, but not properly, otherwise, there wouldn't be even an ounce of a light source.

But there it was. A ray of light. It glimmered and shone brightly for it's small size. It was as if it was beckoning me to come closer and set myself free.

My brain must've finally grasped the severity of the situation I was in, for I suddenly felt a surge of strength and began to desperately push and shove the wood above me. To my surprise it opened. Thank god. The person who tried to bury me alive was a complete imbecile.

I sat up and looked out. I wasn't too far into the ground. I got up and saw that I was in a dense forest. Filled with vermin and animals. They all looked at me as if they were just as surprised, I was alive.
I turned around and looked back at the poorly dug out hole and lazily made coffin I was just in. This was so confusing.

"Who am I?" I asked myself, as if I were going to get an answer. Out of sheer desperation I decided to start walking. I didn't trust this forest nor the animals in it. How could I know if the animals were spies or not? Reporting my every move to whosoever put me in that prison. Yes, I was that delusional.

I eventually stubbled upon a puddle. The water was far from clean, but I didn't care. Thirst is evil. I kneeled down on my knees and clasped my hands together, prepared to get some form of hydration. But I stopped. There was something in the water.

It moved when I moved. My reflection. Excitement took over me, I forced myself close to the water, my face, inches apart from the puddle. I was finally going to know who I was. The ripples in the water subsided, and I got a clear view of my face. My face, it slowly became mortified.

I knew that face. But it was not my face. No, it was the face of someone close to me, someone who I loved and cherished, someone who I created. Princess Grace Thorne of Algoria. That was her, looking at me. Her long, black, curly hair. Her beautiful midnight skin and her mesmerizing navy blue eyes stared back at me.

Only it was different. I was her. No, I was in her body. I am still Samantha Moralles.

I had always dreamed of becoming a princess. Being worshipped and envied by all. Being praised for my mere existence. I had always wished to leave my horrid life behind and now, my prayers have been answered. I can now live the life I have always wanted. Even better, I created this story, I know exactly what's going to happen. All the people, their ranks and events. I know them all.

If I remember correctly Grace should be crowned 'Queen Grace Thorne of Algoria' in the next three months. I must quickly return to the castle.

I looked up into sky. The trees did an excellent job in blocking my view. I climbed the tallest tree I could find and made my way to the top. From the top of the tree I could barely see the tip of a tower. The castle. My castle. I was close. I needed to continue forward.

Absolutely no time must be wasted.
I must announce my presence. So that they know I am alive.

That's when it hit me. Do they think Grace is dead? If so, what am I? I am Samantha Moralles but how did I get here? Was it because I died as well? Did we die at the same time? And if so why would Grace be dead? I didn't remember writing anything about Grace's death. I'm certain I did not; and I am certain I did not die in my past life. I was definitely successful in killing him.

I ended Grace's story with the basic happily ever after. She was married off to a mighty prince with a grand wedding. Did I change it and not remember? Or is it that my characters have somehow become sentient? Even so, who killed her? To many questions without answers.

As the words uttered out of my mouth, I saw the magnificent arches of the castle's gates. There stood our guards. Standing at attention. Ready to defend the castle at any cost. I hesitated on showing myself.

What if they didn't believe I was the real Grace and thought I was a spirit? This is what I get for making Algoria superstitious. I timidly stepped into the view of a guard.

"Your Highness!" He shouted. A wave relief washed over me as I realized I was welcome. The guard quickly sounded his horn and a few more guards came running our way.

I knew how the horn worked and the different messages it sends based on the timing of the blows. The guard's timing meant that there was a royal that needed assistance. The sounds of the horn would be louder or softer based on the status of said royal.

Of course the guard blew the horn as hard as he possibly could. Normally there would have been at least fifteen other guards running to aid a royal, but this time there were only seven. I inquired on the scarcity of the guards.

To my horror, one of the guards informed, "Your Highness, there is a wedding in occurrence as I speak, which requires a large sum of guards, in order to protect the newlyweds." 

That's when I remembered the name of Grace's fiancee, Prince Theodore Zephyr of Guston.

They were supposed to get married right before Grace would succeed her father and become the queen but because of Grace's sudden disappearance, he must've felt heart broken, yet had to move on for the sake of both kingdom's future.

But, who was there to move onto? There were no other royal bachelorettes in Algoria other than Grace. Other than Grace and her stepsister, Loraine Humus. But she wasn't technically royalty in this land and even so, Theodore would never marry Grace's stepsister. Or would he?