Chapter 42: The Cursed Princess.

Chapter 42: The Cursed Princess. [Viola’s POV] Viola looked at the boy with crimson eyes and pitch black hair, her expression calm as she greeted him. The boy before her had kissed her mother right in front of thousands of guests... even in front of her and yet she didn’t feel a single shred of anger about him. Because this was Rael. She had known him since childhood. They first met at the tenth birthday of Lyra. Back then she had been a timid and awkward girl, just like her cousin Sera... Her father had forced her to attend. But she hated the crowds, so she ran off to the garden outside... ... and for better or worse got lost there. She’d almost cried... until she heard someone else crying. She ran towards the voice with hopeful eyes... only to see a scene which she still remembered very vividly. A scene which makes her laugh even to this date. Lyra, holding a rusty iron pole like a weapon of divine justice. And Rael sobbing while running in circles and screaming for mercy. It had been her first laugh that day and maybe, her first friendship too. From then on, she and Lyra became inseparable... and slowly but surely her timid self started washing away. She grew bolder, louder... happier. Especially during those sacred rituals of bullying Rael alongside Lyra. As time passed, she began treating him like a younger brother—annoying and dramatic... but somehow impossible not to care about. In fact, she always cared more for him than her own twin. Because she saw through him. She knew how he hid behind that smug little facade of his. How he would pretend not to listen, even while catching every word. How he acted like he didn’t care... only to quietly step in when it mattered most. He had always been that way. So she knew better than anyone else that something about that night wasn’t right. But after the incident... she hadn’t reached out. Not because she didn’t want to. But because her father had forbidden it. He ordered her to stay away from Rael, to avoid doing anything that could further "tarnish the family’s reputation." He even seized her AethLink and sent her to isolated training, cutting off all contact with Lyra and Rael. She wanted to fight back. But she also knew that it wouldn’t have changed anything. She looked at Rael once again and asked the question she was most curious about. "Did you bring it? The rusty pole?" she said with a sly smile on her lips. "I know Lyra wouldn’t just send you off without it." — [Seraphina’s POV] Seraphina watched as Viola casually chatted with Rael, the infamous son of the Ashborn family... and the boy who had kissed her aunt in front of thousands of nobles. She had been there that night. In fact, she was standing right beside her aunt and Viola when it happened. It was the first time she had truly seen him. He was reckless and unafraid. A complete opposite of someone cursed like her. She never quite understood why... but people often called her cursed. But there had been warmth once. Her mother and her elder brother. The only ones who smiled at her warmly and made her feel human. But even they left her on the night her father had been away... ... The night when some of the royal guards rebelled and tried to kill her, calling her an abomination. Her brother held back the traitors while her mother hid her within a secret basement. She was stuck there for a day... when the door finally opened... ...when she finally saw her father... he didn’t look at her like before. His eyes were cold. Ever since then, he couldn’t stand the sight of her. And so, Seraphina stayed away from the world. Finally she was chosen to be the one to be sent to Noxvalen. Even as she left the palace... her father didn’t even come to say goodbye. Her heart ached but she was used to the pain. And now... standing in the middle of a skycruiser lobby, surrounded by nobles who didn’t even know her name, she didn’t know what to say. Not when Viola dragged her forward to speak with him. She didn’t ask any questions. She didn’t know how. So she stayed quiet as Viola spoke with him. Even Viola wasn’t close to her at least, that’s what Seraphina believed. She’s just taking me with her because she’s kind. I’m nothing but baggage. But she didn’t fight it. She had accepted it a long time ago. The only reason she still walked through this cold world... ...was to find the answer to a single question: What exactly was she cursed with? — [Rael’s POV] I watched the violet eyed girl ramble on and on about how exhausting her isolated training had been. Viola Von Astravore. The female lead of the story and my childhood friend or more accurately... one of the co-founders of my childhood trauma. She was just as annoying as Lyra. The two of them had practically formed a team dedicated to bullying the old Rael like it was their life long mission. But her chatter was something I was used to. It was part of her personality. And considering how suicidal Noah was at this point in the story, yeah... only someone like her could’ve handled a maniac like that. Honestly, I didn’t want to run into her today. At least not until the exam was over. Because of one reason. The girl beside her—Seraphina Von Altharia. She wasn’t just an extra. She was a background character fated to die during this test... just so Viola could get some character development. I didn’t know much about her except her name, title and how she was going to die in [Forest Of Unmasked] But apparently, Viola cared about her and I had a feeling she was going to ask me to team up with her. Viola wouldn’t be participating in the trial and from the looks of it, Seraphina didn’t seem like the kind of girl who could carry her own weight. So, I didn’t want to get involved. Not because I was heartless—okay, maybe I was heartless and even selfish but that’s still better than being a dead bastard with a bleeding hero complex. I wasn’t about to wager my very precious and handsome life for some extra I barely knew. Especially when she looks as useless as any extra could go. So yeah, definitely not going to accept, even if Viola drops to her knees and begs me to carry her cousin through this death trap. The most I could offer was some emotional support after Seraphina’s inevitable death. A pat on the back and maybe even a "there, there." That’s about as far as my charity goes. I braced myself for the inevitable begging offer to babysit her cousin. I even started drafting the polite version of "hell no." Just then, A different voice cut through. "Yo bro, you wanna join our groups?" ____ Author’s Note: Decided to show a bit of Viola and Seraphina’s POV this Chapter since it’s their first proper introduction. Thought it’d be fun to give you a small glimpse into their minds, just enough to hint at the stories they carry beneath the surface. :)