"Your Highness, please! We have to get you out before the enemy's army comes into your chamber. We don't have much time left. They are already attacking the crown prince's palace!"
A young maiden dressed in a maid's uniform frantically told the woman standing in front of the window.
Despite the chaos happening outside, her face speaks the complete opposite. Sounds of swords clashing and blood spilling on the ground surrounding the whole place. However, the woman's pearly white face and her lips as red as an apple don't have a reaction of fear at all.
A gentle smile formed on her pink lips, and a feeling of tranquility was clearly shown on her beautiful face. "Where are father and mother?"She asked as she walked towards her walk-in closet.
"They have already left the palace, your highness, together with the crown prince. I heard from a servant that they are heading north." She sadly said as she followed the princess.
"Your highness, they must have heard that you're already safe. That's why they have already left. The King and Queen won't abandon you, so please don't be mad at them, your highness."
"It's okay, Myrtle. I'm used to it. You don't need to defend them in front of me. I understand it. There's something I need to get. Keep guard outside and tell me immediately if they are already near the study room."
Everly opened the white wooden drawer. After browsing through it, she finally saw the thing that she was looking for. A green jade box appeared on the site. She carefully opened it and took the necklace inside.
Myrtle rushed forward when the clashing of swords and shouts of the palace maids were slowly nearing them. "Your highness, please let's go. The enemy's army is drawing near. We have to get you out of this place once and for all."
Princess Everly is the only daughter of King Simon and Queen Elizabeth, the current ruler of Amsterdam Kingdom.
She had a younger brother, who is the current crown prince, Prince Edward. Today marks the day when their kingdom was finally conquered by the enemy's troops.
Amsterdam and Heathern have been in a silent war for several decades already. Both kingdoms have long been engaged in battle but nobody ever beat the other. When it came to military power and landmarks, both kingdoms stood equal.
For several years, different strategies and military equipment were built just to conquer the other. That was until the young king of Heatherns took the throne right after his father's death.
King Dominique, despite his young age, had brilliant military techniques and battle strategies. His skill at sword fighting compares to no one.
From a young age, he joined his kingdom's military and successfully won various battles with him leading the troops. He became the youngest general in history. However, no one knew his real face. No one has ever seen it.
During battles, he always wears a black mask that covers his whole face. Until now, it was still a mystery what the young king of Heathern looked like. Up until now, when King Dominique finally managed to invade the land of Amsterdam, his image continues to be a mystery.
"Your highness! Let's go!" Both of them rushed towards the secret door inside Everly's room. This leads to a forest located at the back of the palace. This secret passage was built by her grandfather. When her grandfather was still alive, King Ronald made this passageway.
Everly was very close to her grandfather. Every day she would often visit her grandfather's room to play with him.
One day when Everly got a terrible cold, her grandfather stayed with her throughout the time. And at that time, King Ronald told the young Everly about the secret passage.
'I made this secret escape route for you. One day this will come in handy. No one, aside from me and you knows about it. Keep it a secret, my dear little sweetheart. If one day Amsterdam fails to protect this land, this secret door will serve as your final protection Everly. Keep that in mind always.'
For Everly, her grandfather was her only family. He was the only one who sincerely treated her well and loved her. The attention and care that she wanted to get from her parents were given by her grandfather instead. So, when the day he died, Everly became alone in this huge palace.
"What is this place, Your Highness?" Myrtle was shocked when she saw what was inside the closed door. A small tunnel came into view. Its size can only fit two to three people. Specks of dirt and dust covered the place. This portrays how long this place was built.
On each side of the tunnel hang lampshades, enough to emit light in the dark tunnel. "Let's go, Myrtle."
Every step they took echoed the whole place. Despite the soiled and filthy place, Everly's calm expression didn't change. She walked with careful strides in the dark tunnel while her little maid assisted her at her side.
Her perfectly groomed blonde hair was disheveled and her shoes and clothes were stained with mud and dirt. But that doesn't stop her appearance from being slighted.
With her straightened back, slender waist, pearl-white face, and the way she walked showed her regal and elegance. With just one look, one can really tell that she's a princess groomed in a palace.
Even without those expensive and sparkling things, one could distinguish her nobility just by her face and mannerism alone. No one in the entire Amsterdam Kingdom can compare to Everly's beautiful face.
Many other nobility tried to surpass her but no one succeeded. If the young king of Heathern is called the unparalleled military genius, Princess Everly is considered the unparalleled beauty of both kingdoms.
As Everly walked further inside the tunnel, sounds of rumbling and fighting could be heard. Myrtle jerked slightly when she noticed the rumbling sound above the tunnel. "What was that Your Highness?"
Everly stopped her tracks and carefully looked at her before speaking. "It's the sound of fighting. We must be below the Crown Prince's Palace right now. According to my grandfather, this tunnel is built below the whole palace."
Sounds of cries, swords crashing and shouts mimicked inside. Everly stood inside the dark tunnel calmly. No grief, sadness, and fear reflected in her eyes. All that is seen is pure tranquility, like what's happening outside is a normal thing.
Silence came after a long moment of fighting. Everly moved her gaze away. "Let's go. We have to get to the forest before it gets dark."
Everly continued to walk further towards the end of the tunnel. Time went by and the sunset was outside. The orange sky reflected the whole kingdom.
Bodies of dead citizens and military soldiers splattered on the whole ground in the kingdom. Blood spilled all throughout the marble ground and the flag of Amsterdam blazed on fire, indicating the collapse of the kingdom.
It was already dark when Everly and her maid walked out of the end of the tunnel. They took a step further and looked for a place for them to take a rest for the night. "Let's stay here for now. We can continue our journey when the day rises tomorrow."
Myrtle nodded and set the lamp she was holding on the ground. "Your Highness, I will just go look for some food for us to eat and maybe some firewood as well."
"Be careful on your way Myrtle." Everly took the necklace she took from her closet earlier. A heart-red gem pendant enlaced with sparkling silver string came into view. Placed the pendant near her heart, and whispered slowly,
"I hope you are fine, my love. I'm not sure where you are right now. Whether you are still alive or not. I'm sorry, but I think this is the end of our chapter. I promise I will continue to love you wherever I may go. Let's meet in our next life Reyl. Goodbye, My Love."
A young man wearing a black mask stood outside of Amsterdam's princess' chamber. Carefully scanning his surroundings, trying to look for the person he was looking for. One soldier approached the man and bowed respectfully. His hands clasped together and with his head faced down, he reported, "Your Majesty, our men failed to capture the King and Queen of Amsterdam. But we managed to track them. They are heading north." The man moved his gaze towards the soldier. His eyes squinted and behind his mask, a frown was clearly showing on his face. "What about the crown prince?" "The crown prince is with them. Before our soldiers break through the crown prince's chamber, they managed to escape him first, together with the King and Queen. But don't worry King Dominique, our men are already heading north to capture them." "What about the princess?" "No one has seen the princess, Your Majesty." King Dominique rashly took his sword and pointed it toward th
The whole forest was cloaked in darkness. The lamp that is held by King Dominique is the only light illuminating the road they are taking. Trees stood still like statues, no leaf dared to fall from their branches as they ran through.King Dominique held Everly's hand tightly, not letting go. Sounds of men approaching drew nearer to them. Dominique cursed silently and moved his legs faster than they already were.Everly looked puzzled at his sudden actions but didn't voice anything. She didn't manage to hear anything aside from the eerie sound of the forest. Her hearing wasn't trained for the military, so it's not a question why she didn't hear the approaching danger.A thin layer of sweat covered the nape of her neck. While keeping her breathy steady, she asked for the second time. "Reyl, what is really happening? Why are we running away?""D*mn it! Someone followed me." Dominique cursed under his breath. He stopped for a moment and glanced around the pla
Camera flashes popped from every angle. "That's it, Everly! Look at the piano in front!" Everly is currently having a photoshoot for her album. She will be releasing a new single by next month, so the photos taken today will be used for promotion and album covers.Everly followed the photographer's instructions. Her hand grasped the piano keys while her eyes looked at the piano gently. "Perfect! Continue having that kind of emotion!"She changed into another angle and threw a gentle smile. The theme of this shoot is sunset, so we are doing it outside. An array of colors set about the sky, from purple to orange, is clearly shown in the image.Its stunning scene clearly reflected the calm and gentle appearance shown on Everly's face. "Okay, one last shot!" Rows of flashes were directed towards Everly. A very beautiful smile curved on her lips, her eyes shining brightly, and her long wavy hair that reached her waist gently swayed in the wind."Perfect! Let's
As the rain continued to pour down heavily, Everly thought back to the dreadful night in the past and to the one moment when she met the unexpected event that led to her current situation.Before he closed his eyes for the final time, he smiled and said, "Everly, my love... Don't cry for me. Always remember that I love you, now and forever. If there's a next life, I will still love it. Goodbye, my love." Soon he slipped away into his endless sleep, surrounded by the darkness of the trees and the cries of his beloved Everly. Deep aches cascaded in her heart as she watched him die in her arms. She tried waking him up again but he wasn't opening his eyes. The pain of losing someone felt like pins creeping along with her every being. A great sob escaped her lips as she hugged his cold body tightly. "Why?! Why did you do that?! After all the lies you told me, will you just leave me alone?! Reyl! Why?!" She wa
The sound of a cellphone ringing broke the silence inside the room. Sunlight shone through the curtain as Everly slowly opened her eyes. Feeling disgruntled with last night, she moaned for more sleep. The continuous ringing stopped her from going back to her slumber.She reached out her hand towards the phone. With her half-closed eyes, she answered the call. Her groggy voice resounded, revealing that she had just woken up. "Hello?""Don't tell me you're still in bed?" Her manager's high-pitched voice answered. "Hurry up Everly! It's already 8 in the morning and your flight is at 10. Hurry up! We're almost near to your apartment."The call immediately ended. Her eyes squinted shut, trying to ward off the sunlight that filtered through the curtains. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was already 8 in the morning.With a deep sigh, she walked out of her bed. She rubbed her eyes, trying to ward off her sleepiness. Before going to t
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your destination. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened and keep the aisle clear until we are parked at the gate. The Captain will then turn off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign, indicating it is safe to stand. Please use caution when opening the overhead compartments and removing items, since articles may have shifted during the flight. Thank you."This announcement had woken Everly up from her deep slumber. Finally, they have reached their destination. She yawned slightly and rubbed her eyes slowly, trying to wash off her drowsiness.As she looked out the window, the plane was already preparing to land. "Put on your coat, the weather is colder here." Her manager spoke and she was sitting beside her.She nodded her head and brushed her hair, which was slightly in disarray, using her fingers. "What time is it?" She asked as she glanced outside. It's sti
Darkness invaded the whole city streets. Snow is still falling but not as heavy compared to yesterday. In a bustling street, where tall buildings and shopping malls are built.Crowds of cheers and a long line of people are slowly gathering at the entrance of one of the biggest malls located in the area. People are holding different kinds of banners with Everly's name printed on them.There are some who hold signage with her pretty face placed. Today is the fan signing event for Everly's newest album. Armed guards in uniform are stationed in the center hall of the mall.A mini stage is built at the forefront and a long table is stationed at the side where people can have a meet and greet session with Everly. Everly hasn't arrived yet at the venue but the long crowd of people waiting for her is already gathered."And that's a wrap everyone! Good work", the director said after the last stage performance was rehearsed. Everly is currently having a rehearsal a
That question made Everly pause for a moment. ' Has she fallen in love? It's a big yes. And now she's still searching for that lost love she once had.'Gazes of people looked intently at her, waiting for her answer. When the host called her name once again, this broke her dazing self. She laughed slightly before answering. "Uhm, sorry for that. I was shocked by the first question. Hahaha."The people laughed at her response. This gave her a chance to sigh in relief. She didn't notice that she was lost in thoughts after hearing that question. Luckily, she managed to hide it immediately."Well, it was really a shocking question. It was my first time hearing a fan boldly asking an artist about her love life. Hahaha," The host wisely added."Hahaha, I know. So, for that question, have I ever loved someone that I'm willing to die for? Uhm, the answer would be yes. I had that kind of love once."The crowd went crazy after hearing the answer. Sho