3 Am I In Hell?

Tianshi Xue knew she was dead. She passed away. She ran out of lives in this game we called life. It was game over for her. She already accepted that fact.

That was why it was a wonder why she was awakened by the sound of people talking.

"Are you sure she's going to wake up?!" asked a distressed female voice. "Oh, just how would the Emperor react if he found out that she got into an accident?"

Emperor? thought Tianshi Xue, her consciousness slowly coming to her. Accident? Who got into an accident?

"There's no reason to worry," answered a calm controlled male voice. "She's going to be fine. At worst, it's a concussion."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," said another male voice. "Howin (Princess Yingyue's Handmaiden) is just really worried about the princess."

"It's alright, Prince Xiaodan (2nd Prince). I understand the distress. But the princess ought to wake up soon."

"Thank you, Doctor. We will let you know if she will be feeling any other pain."

What did the doctor say?! Prince Xiaodan? As in the second prince of Heping? The second prince of their very land? He's here?!

What kind of dream am I dreaming? she asked her own thoughts. Her body felt sore and it took a lot of effort just to move her fingers a fraction.

The female voice, which apparently belonged to a certain Howin, spoke again. Her voice indicated that she was close to tears or already crying. "Prince Xiaodan, I am so sorry I didn't protect the princess. If anything happens to her, I'll gladly accept the punishment."

"Get up," Prince Xiaodan said. "Stop kneeling. Nothing is going to happen to Lin Yingyue. She's going to be fine."

"What if she never wakes up? The Emperor will have my head."

"No, I will not let him do that." The prince's voice was very calming. Like it could rock you to sleep. "It's not your fault that she fell down the stairs."

What answered the prince was sobbing and incoherent sentences.

Lin Yingyue? The princess? Fell down the stairs? What was going on in the world?

All this time, Tianshi Xue was gathering enough energy to open her eyes. She did not know why she felt so tired! If she was in the same hospital as the princess, then she should better go. She could not be seen here or else her name would appear in the headlines again.

Finally, her eyes peeled open and she was staring at the white ceiling.

Am I in hell? she asked herself. No, another thought whispered. Hell was not supposed to feel this good.

Suddenly, she could feel the coldness of the air and the softness of the blanket and the pillows behind her head and under her feet. She tried moving but her whole body ached that she could not help but groan.

"Ah! The princess is awake! The princess is awake!" said Howin, quickly jumping to her feet. In a moment, she was at the bedside. "Princess, are you okay?"

Tianshi Xue focused her gaze on the small woman beside her. She had a slightly pointy chin and round eyes filled with tears. She looked devoid of color. "Who are you?"

The woman gasped and looked at the prince. Tianshi Xue's eyes shifted to the other person and she felt herself melt a little. She only saw him in pictures. But now that she saw see him in person, he looked even more perfect. Maybe she was in heaven after all.

His young face was made out of sharp angles but there was a softness in the shape of his eyes that changed his whole aura. The prince's eyes were worried under straight thick eyebrows. "What do you mean you don't know her? She's your handmaiden."

If Tianshi Xue could move her face, her eyebrows would have reached her forehead. Seriously, she needed to wake up from this dream. She was supposed to be in taping today. Tianshi Xue only looked at them confusingly.

Another thing, she needed to find out who pushed her from the yacht and made an attempt to her life! She would have that person jailed! Or better yet, she would kill them.

She looked around and saw the intricate borders on the wall and the huge window—or maybe it was a door to a balcony? There were flowers everywhere. The ceiling was so high if it were nighttime, she would not be able see the dome of it. It was covered in light colored glass, making up a picture, a story. Everything was so bright… and she was not in a hospital.

"She lost her memories!" wailed Howin, her supposed handmaiden.

"Alright," Tianshi Xue croaked. "As much as I love this dream. I have to go." She strained just to get up. It was as if she lost all nerve endings in her whole body. Her muscles took a lot of time before they responded.

"I think you should stay in bed. I'll call for the doctor," said the prince, moving to help her lay down again but he immediately pulled his hands away when Tianshi Xue shot daggers at him with her eyes. "Please, you must be in pain. Just rest."

"I have to go."

"But where are you going, Princess?" asked Howin who had no choice but to help her get up.

Once she was straightened up, she sighed. "I'm not the princess. I think you got the wrong person."

Instead of answering, Howin balled her eyes. The prince was looking concerned and his eyes were darting at her body, looking for something else wrong. She just rolled her eyes and head towards the door she assumed was the restroom. She was right.

She headed for the sink and splashed water on her face and rinsed her dry mouth. She was feeling relief when the water reached her neck. But then when she wiped her face with the small towel and she got a good look at the mirror.

It was a beautiful face.

But it was not her face.

Then she screamed.

**

REMINDERS: (You will be redirected here in case you seem to forget)

1. English is my second language. If you notice grammatical and spelling errors, please do leave a comment and I will fix it.

2. Please leave CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms about the plot and characters. Let me know what you like and what you don't so we can improve more!

3. This book is slow-paced. Yes, if you're ready to endure that please do continue. ROMANCE MIGHT BE A LITTLE LATE FOR THE LEADS. I am not a fan of instant romance.

4. Please DO NOT BE RUDE in the comments section, if you do not like the book please have the courtesy to just leave.

FAQ:  Did Tianshi Xue time traveled?

No, she did not. They are in the same world, where their country is ruled by monarchs. You can think of the story setting as something like the existence of the British Royal Family in the current times. More on the story building in the next chapters.

All questions will be answered if you continue to read ;) if you don't find the answers, please do not hesitate to ask. I will be more than glad to answer.