1 Beginning

"I can't take it anymore! I just want to die. Why can't anyone understand that?"

Almost clothless in the dark night, Camille yelled from the high rocky hill in tears. The clouds thundered while it wept bitterly and heavily. Her clothes were torn and badly revealing as a result of the angry rain.

' Jump. '

She heard a faint voice loud and clear.

"What?"

She murmured lowly in a tone only she could hear.

' Jump. '

The voice instructed her again.

"I.. I'm scared to!" She sobbed.

' You want to die, don't you? You really want death so much. You're just one step away from the door of lifelessness. Just close your eyes and put one foot in front of the other. '

' Baby steps, Camille. Baby steps! '

Her breath became unsteady a bit. She was beginning to contemplate on the idea.

Is this really it? The way she was going to die!

' What are you waiting for Camille? Do it! '

She calmed herself drenched by the rain. She was beginning to accept death little by little.

' Just close your eyes and take the step. I promise you won't feel a thing.'

What a simple instruction for a complicated action!

' On the count of three, Camille! '

' We'll count together.'

She nodded and counted in unison with the voice:

"One...two..."

"...three..."

* * *

Let's start from the beginning.

Shall we?

My name is Camille, princess of Ominar. My father, his highness; Kingsley, was a generous man. A man of honour and integrity. He was a king who met up with the needs of his people. And my mother, the queen was named Roseline. She stood by my father in all he did. She was the perfect wife and mother a child and husband could desire. But one day...

... that all changed.

The elders had been complaining that it was time father married me out as it was our tradition, that the female child be married once she clocked eighteen years. Mother was in support of the idea.

For some reason, they were all in a rush to marry me off, all except father. He had become weak thinking about the issue. I wondered why! I accepted that I would get married early in accordance with our tradition. But, something seemed wrong, something I didn't know about. And father's reaction was sending me that message.

In the castle, deep at night, I couldn't sleep. I tried hard but it just wasn't coming. Being a princess, I had everything done for me. I rang my bell which summoned my maid, sleeping before my door. Maids in our palace assigned to the princess aren't permitted to stay in their rooms to ensure the needs of their princess is met at all times.

The good thing about it is that they are allowed to take shifts. Only five maids are assigned to the princess as her personal hand maidens while one sleeps at her door at night in case she calls for a need to be met.

My hand maiden knocked the door like she was knocking on the door to a lion's den. The squeaking little thing spoke from behind the door;

"Yes, princess Camille!"

"Come in!"

" Yes, your highness."

She bowed to the ground before me on my bed. I was in my nicely sown night gown. My father, mother and I each have a royal tailor that sows the best cloths fit for royalty.

Apart from the fact that I was royalty, I never loved the fact of the way the workers were treated around the palace. But, father would have none of it. They were servants and we're to be treated as servants. He said: "We command respect. We don't beg for it."

"Hannah! I've told you and the other maidens you don't need to be so formal with me. "

"I wouldn't dream of it milady. The King would have off our heads if word gets out. The walls have ears, milady."

I sighed in failure. Yet, she was right. I wouldn't want to be the cause of their deaths because father, although loving and sweet, would never want to be put to shame by breaking the sacred laws and principles of the Kingdom of Ominar.

"Come with me. I want to go to the library."

"Of course, milady."

Hurriedly, she set my expensive slippers before my feet could touch the ground, handed me my long robe and opened the door for my exit.

The library was a long walk away. I wouldn't lie. I wasn't a fan of reading. But then, something in the library caught my attention one time. I had gone there last when I was sad that father would be marrying me off soon.

This book was very captivating. It was alive yet dead. It was like a lifelessness body with life but looking dead.

Hannah opened the doors for my entrance and I instructed her to wait at the door and not follow me. The maidens are to watch my every activity in case there's an accident, they will be able to defend their lives before my father.

I scrolled my fingers through the books on the shelves, searching for where I saw it. I didn't get the chance to get a good look at where the book was positioned because I was later summoned by father who wanted to explain the reason for his forthcoming action.

I found the book of Ominar that had the Kingdoms laws imbedded in it. I searched for about an hour or two. Fortunately, I found it. I was exhausted because the library was too large. Hannah had begged me several times that she wanted to help me search for a book she'd never seen while I did not really remembering how exactly it looked like. But if I saw it, I'd spot it, and I did.

We headed back to my chamber and Hannah returned back to her position. She had helped me carry the books and prepared it on my grand reading table before she was dismissed.

The markings of the book cover of 'Ominar' was quite ancient. It looked like I felt like I was punishing myself in the middle of the night.

True.

But I was desperate to find out something. Why was dad so worked up about the idea of my marriage? It made no sense. He's supposed to be a happy man that he's daughter would be getting married. Right?

I opened the book and flipped through it's pages. I was searching for the chapter on marriage. I glanced through for five minutes that felt like forever. Reading is not my thing at all. My eyes began to wear out because it's not what I'm used to.

I grumbled, 'stressed'. I decided to pick the other book. It was black, pure ebony. No design or words written or engraved on it. The first page was blank and black. The second was brownish white. The first sign seen in the book was a cross hanging upside down.

I furrowed at it. What was this? I pondered. Uninterested in finding out the answer, I flipped to the next page.

Instantly, I jolted away from my table, dropping the book on the floor in despair. I crawled away almost crying like a baby, but lowly.

I shook my head in disagreement like a crazy woman.

"No! No!"

The words were being repeated in my head over and over and over again.

I crawled to the wall with my back at it, rocking like a mentally deranged person.

"No! No! It can't be! No!"

The words played again in my head:

"Death is yours and you are mine."

I was quivering in fear. I remember the first and last time and heard those words. Mother was telling me the story of the mysterious dragon that flies across the fields of the dark every minute to midnight.

Story has it, that all eyes that saw the dragon found a note left in their bedroom at night that said:

' Death is yours and you are mine. '

If it were a male, he would die before a second after midnight. If it were a female, she would be married off quickly to a man. But the stories remain, that on their way to the home of their spouse, everyone including the victimized female would disappear and no trace was left behind. Not even one.

My fearing eyes crawled to the clock while my heart sank like a rock into the ocean.

It was one minute to midnight.

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