CHAPTER I

"Man, that was harsh…"

I couldn't help but frown the moment I read chapter 59 of the fantasy novel that I've been reading. It was entitled 'Princess Arabella of the Fallen Kingdom'. Sure, the story itself is a bit cliché for my liking because this is a Fantasy Young Adult novel about a princess named Arabella who's basically the crown princess and the main character in the novel, apparently the next heir to the throne. She didn't want to get married but for the sake of saving their kingdom from their enemies' invasion, she needs to get married to one of their strongest allies. And of course, of course, she was arranged to marry the Crown Prince from the other empire, Crown Prince Lucien Carlisle who turned out to be the one she knew when they were still kids and they eventually fell in love with each other. But of course, a novel will never be exciting if no one will be against the two of them and will basically do everything to tear them apart. That enters Grand Prince Elijah Carlisle, Prince Lucien's younger brother and the main villain of the novel. He wanted to be the king and he also desired Arabella's heart because he's been in love with the latter for God knows when. When he knew that she was married to his older brother and his older brother became the king of two kingdoms, he couldn't accept it. That's why he decided to take matters into his hands and so he decided to marry Arabella's younger sister, Ariah and by that, he took everything from his brother by killing him and taking everything he had—his throne and his wife.

"I mean… I did hate Ariah for the whole duration of the novel. She's been mean to her older sister because she's jealous of all the love and attention her older sister was getting," I couldn't help but sigh as I spoke to myself. "But the fact that she's in love with Prince Elijah only to find out that the guy was just using her to do the whole ordeal. Not just that, she was his wife and he killed her just like that. Girl…" I couldn't help but mutter. "I feel sorry for you. Damn, she's also a victim here! This is all Elijah's fault! Fuck him!"

I heard a loud hushing around me and there I saw some students and the librarian hushing me as she pointed to the 'Keep Silence' signage on the wall. I grinned awkwardly as I said my apologies and proceeded to continue reading. I'm still in the middle of the novel but I wanted to know the ending. I am working on my lesson plan because I have a demonstration teaching the day after tomorrow in the high school department but this old book—which turned out to be a Fantasy novel—captured my attention that I couldn't help but just read it.

I'll just finish doing my lesson plan later at my house.

I heard the bell ring and my eyes immediately darted to the library's clock. It's already five in the afternoon and it's time for me to go home since I am still running errands around the house for my mom and my brother. I sighed and I closed the book and looked at it. "Damn, I haven't finished reading this one. I should just borrow this one and return this," I immediately fished out my library borrower's card from my bag and walked towards the librarian's table.

In our University's library. We could actually borrow books and return them after two to three days of borrowing them. It's convenient for me because I could finish reading a novel for a day so I am confident that by the day after tomorrow, I could definitely return the book.

As I was about to go to the librarian's table, she wasn't there so I turned to her library assistant who was busy fixing the books near the shelf.

"Hello," I called his attention. When I finally got his gaze, I raised the book along with my borrower's card. "I would like to borrow this one."

He went to the librarian's table, opened the logbook, and nodded. "Okay, kindly write your name, what department, date of borrow, and possible date of return, and kindly give me your borrower's ID so I could scan it."

I nodded and I immediately wrote my name in the logbook.

Bella De Guzman. Education Department. Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English.

"Done," I muttered. He nodded and returned my borrower's ID after he scanned it. I smiled at him after I muttered "Thank you!" and immediately went out of the library.

I couldn't contain my happiness as soon as I took a ride in a pedicab after I bought everything my mother asked me to buy in the market for our dinner. With the groceries in my left hand, I was hugging the novel of Princess Arabella in my right hand as I'm on my way home.

I couldn't wait to go home and read the book!

I really want to know the ending!

Will Arabella manage to set herself free from the wicked, cruel prince, Prince Elijah?

Will it be a happily ever after?

I flinched when I felt that the pedicab that I am riding is starting to speed up and it starting to bump into something so I immediately turned my head to the driver.

"Manong, what is happening?" I asked. I started to feel panic as I tightened my hold.

"Nawawalan ako ng preno. I can't take the brake," he said, trying his best not to bump on something.

"What—" before I could even react, I heard him screaming, and the last thing I saw and felt as we were both seeing ourselves crashing into a car and tumbling…

I could see a flash of light.

A flash of light.

Light…

I gasped for air and immediately sat up. I could feel my chest rising and everything felt sweaty.

Was it all just a dream?

No. I bet the accident was real. It was real.

I patted my head, then my face, then my body. "I-I'm… I'm alive?"

Thank God, I am alive after that accident.

"Oh goodness, gracious!" I flinched when I heard an unfamiliar voice across the room. I glanced at the door only to find a chubby-looking lady who appeared in front of me teary-eyed as her gaze went on me. "The princess! The princess is awake!"

What? Princess? Who's the princess?

I couldn't help but frown as I looked around and settle my gaze on my hands which were both tied in bandages. Shit, what the heck just happened, and did she just call me a princess?

I frowned when I saw more maids peeking from the room's door and they looked so shocked while looking at me. The lady immediately talked to them. "Hurry! Hurry call Prince Elijah! Tell him his wife, Princess Ariah is finally awake!"

The princess…? The princess… what?

The lady immediately walked towards me and as she bowed, she was crying with so much happiness. "Thank goodness, Your Highness! Thank goodness that you're awake!"

"Where… where am I?" I couldn't help but ask.

The lady looked at me, puzzled, as if I was saying something ridiculous to her. "You-Your Highness, what are you talking about? Didn't you remember? You're in your husband's residence!"

"My… my husband?"

Just then, the door opened and there I saw a tall man wearing a princely type of attire. If I could remember from what I've learned in my Literature Class, the attire was usually worn by the royalty during the medieval period— the royal clothing of a Prince was meant to depict his status as the incumbent-ruler after his father. This status meant that the Prince was superior to the nobility of the period. Consequently, rich embellishments and decorations used in the clothing of a prince reflected this elevated status. Although simpler than a King's standard clothing, a Prince typically wore trousers, leggings, cloaks, and tunic. The tunic, being the outermost garment, was decorated with embroidery, gold lacing, and other elements. If the Prince wore a cloak on top of it, the cloak was designed specifically to clearly identify him as the Prince of the realm. From what I learned in my class.

My eyes darted at him and his black hair was fixed in parts far enough into the middle that the sides draw into soft curls around the face, like curtain curls that suited his face shape. My eyes went to his lips. His lips were a bit plum and I could tell how they looked so kissable right now—

Wait, what?! No!

I shrugged the thought out of my head and I met his gaze. His gaze was cold and I felt like he wasn't happy to see me there.

"Your Highness!" They immediately bowed their head at him. "The Princess… Princess Ariah is finally awake!"

Wait, the name… I remember the name they called me.

Princess Ariah, the Crown Princess Arabella's younger sister.

The man was walking towards me and as he stopped, he took my hand and kissed it. He, then, rubbed his cheek on my palm and within a split second, his cold eyes went to warm ones as his gaze went on me.

"I am glad that you're awake, my sweet Ariah. You made your husband worried about you."

Wait. I did read that name somewhere! No, not somewhere! I read it from the novel I got from the library!

"No way…" I couldn't help but mutter. "No fucking way…"

Don't tell me… that I am inside the novel?!