Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Deianeira

I made sure to keep the serene atmosphere lingering around as I carefully closed the back of the thick cover of my favorite storybook.

It's the third time this day I reread it. I'd usually read it one time each day, but today, I feel like reading it more than I practiced.

"The End I Never Wanted"—it's a story about a man who lost all of his reasons to feel love for anything and eventually lost everything he had. All after he let go of the only woman he loved in his life.

Has it been the hundredth time I go back flipping its pages? More than that? I don't really remember. But I sure still get the pain from rereading it's tragic end.

Maybe because ... I know how it feels to lose everything I have ... everything I should have had.

"Haaah..." I sighed longer than usual.

The slow beating of the machine beside my hospital bed became clearer in the ears as my hearing focused on the only sound present soon after I closed my eyes.

Each passing second, I could feel my life slipping away from my grasp. My chest feels heavy, and my breathing began to shortened.

"You see that, Dari? You didn't get to enjoy this damn life," I foolishly talked to myself, trying to sound jolly. The beating of the machine became hysteric in a sudden.

I have been struggling for years, fighting each day to prolong my life. I guess ... it's time to be freed from this illness that's taking my life away.

"In my next life, I will live freely and healthily. I will do everything I couldn't in this lifetime." Embracing the cold surface of the storybook I still had in my arms, I took my last air of life.

--

I could hear some mumbled speeches. My hearing wasn't all that clear for a moment, I wasn't sure what was happening.

"The baby! The baby's out!"

"Quick! Clean the baby!"

"Where's the tub? Faster! Move faster!"

This time, the voices were recognizable.

"Oh, dear child! It's a pretty young miss!"

Huh? Wait? What's the commotion? I feel numb, yet I still feel light-headed, and my body ... I felt like I'm floating in the air. I don't know, I'm not good at explaining situations.

"She's so beautiful!"

Where am I? Didn't I die? Were there nurses rescued me? Geez, I was hoping to die in one blow so I could rest in peace.

"She's not crying ... what are we going to do?"

"Bring her beside our lady!"

Wait, wait ... what's happening again? I don't think it's the nurses who were always been taking care of me.

The feeling of being on the air disappeared and was replaced by a soft comfortable sheet enveloping my whole body. I squeezed my eyes shut before slowly opening my eyes. My vision was a little blurry for a moment, but when it finally cleared, a beautiful fair lady with straight purply locks greeted my sight.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet, child ..."

It felt like a stabbed on my chest when a series of tears fell down from the eyes of the lady who was laying next to me. She was smiling, a painful one, and I thought I could also feel that pain that the ache in my chest keeps on pushing on my veins.

"I'm so glad I'm able to see you just this once," the lady said, a little cracking on her melodic voice. "And I'm so sorry I have to leave you right away just like this." She continued to cry, I felt like I'm crying, too.

I wanted to comfort her, but only a cry escape from my mouth. It was in a form of tiny high speech that almost seemed like a baby's.

"So just before I go ... I will name you ... Deianeira," she weakly said, quiet that it's almost inaudible. "And just like your name ... I want you to protect yourself, and you will destroy that person as it's needed for you survive in this place."

Her delicate hand reaches me and it touches my cheek. I purred at the warm feeling it gave to me, desperately, I snuggled on her palms, almost not wanting to let her go.

"Baby, my lovely child ... I love you... I ... love you... so much..." The pretty lady stopped crying as she closed her eyes. Her palm on my cheeks became limp, it felt lifeless to me.

I was shocked. I know what just happened.

As if on cue, I began to wail. The people who were wearing a weirdly nice uniform for a maid and some men in knightly outfit were crying, too. In a snap, the room were filled with cries and agony.

Of course, I understand that they are sad for what happened to the lady because they know her, but why am I, too? I don't even know her, so why do I feel this terrible as if my chest were going to split open? I feel like my heart is being squashed.

"Princess..." A woman picked me up and hug me.

My head felt heavy, but she quickly placed my head on her arm. I instantly stopped crying when she began to rock me, humming whilst still crying. I stared at her for a very long time.

Now that I think about it ... wait ... this ... this ... seems familiar to me...

"Princess Deianeira, I promised to be always here for you. In place of Lady Freya, I will guide you and love you and protect you with all of my might," the crying woman said to me.

Freya? That ... is sounds ...

My opened mouth kept on that way, my head was buffering in loads for seconds as I begin to realize the events before me.

Wait ... wait ... I became Deianeira?!

But isn't that the name of the pathetic illegitimate child of the emperor in my favorite storybook? A tragic storybook, I say!

W-What on the earth is going on?