Prologue - I've become Hideous

I open my eyes in a dimly lighted room. The thatched roof shows signs of wear and tear. There are wooden cardboard in between the gaps. I can smell blood, bandage, and that unmistakable tartness of alcohol and a wound that’s trying to heal. I scrunch my nose. Even my face is aching.

I touch the bed and blanket that I am lying on. Rough, no silks and velvets. Even the pillow is so hard that I am sure I will have a stiff neck if I sleep too long. I prop myself up by my arm. All my muscles are sore and aching. Understandably, I have depleted my magic until it shaves off part of my lifespan. And all for what? For a Kingdom that refuses to accept me? For a husband who can’t love me and even had the gall to cheat on me? And to my in-laws who use me until I am of no use to them anymore!

I feel my blood boil in anger. I am foolish and a fucked-up pushover! Finally, sitting up, I groan in pain. I doubt my body will still allow me to use my magic at its best. I doubt Sacrarium will still accept a depleted mage who has fallen from grace!

My magic activates, and the wind around me rises. I cough as dust rises around me. The door to the room opens, and a muscular, handsome man comes in.

I snort. Even at the castle, I am surrounded by attractive men, but none ever looked at me with desire! And so I glare at him. I know this man. Caius Liddicoat, a vampire prince of a rival Kingdom. Is he the reason I smell blood?

“Miss Serra, I know you’ve always been an amazing woman, but I will advise you against using magic when you are still half alive.”

I glare at his impassive face, cold and emotionless like most vampires. He doesn’t look or sound upset or angry, just dead severe and matter-of-fact–as though this is some routine business transaction — like buying vegetables or bread or water. As if he cannot see that my life has been destroyed beyond repair.

I pull back my lips and purse my thin mouth into a tight line before responding flatly, “What do you want?”

“What do I want?”

“Don’t play coy with me!” I scream at him. “Why did you save me?! For what ends?!”

He smiles gently. I hate that gentle smile on anyone, especially the ones who come from those who want to kill me. It makes me feel helpless. Weak. Alone. And very much scared!

“We have our reasons,” he says as he sits beside my bed. “I also have my reasons.”

“Care to share what those reasons are?!”

I take a deep breath as my chest feels constricted. My body aches, and my muscles are sore. The pain radiates through every part of my being. I need something to numb it all. Something to stop this agony and burning pain in both my mind, heart and body.

Caius’ eyes show sympathy when he looks at me. “Well, before we talk about reasons, how about you look at the mirror first?”

I frown as he places the framed glass in front of me. “What is this? Are you going to rub on me that I am not pretty enough for my husband?!”

He gestures for me to take a look again. “Come on, Miss Serra.”

I narrow my eyes at him, but I still take a long look in the mirror. A few seconds pass as I try to recognize the face that’s looking back at me. Then I gasp and cover my mouth with shock and fear.

“My goddess…!”

I drop the mirror on the bed and clutch my head. With trembling fingers, I touch my face. There are random ridges on it instead of the pale, somewhat-smooth face. There is a massive scar from my cheeks that trails down my neck. My mouth is lopsided, my eyes drooping, eyebrows lacking, and my nose has become too small for my face!

I balk. “What... hap…pened to my... face...” My voice is trembling. I shift my attention to the Prince. “Did you use magic... to... to alter my appearance?!”

“You are still a mage, despite being a weak one, in the meantime. So now, I ask you instead, can you feel magic in it?” he asks.

There is none. No traces of magic around me, other than what I just conjured up earlier, and yet, here I am! Not just a weak mage, but a hideous one!

“How?” I whisper out loud. “How can this happen?! Was this your plan all along? To humiliate me? To make fun of me?! Do you enjoy laughing at me?! Especially now that I’ve been reduced to this state?!”

“I tease you a lot, Miss Serra. But it’s never my intention to hurt you.”

I catch his shirt and scream at his face. “What am I going to do now?!” I shout at him.

I don’t care about decorum anymore! All my frustration and anger come forth as tears run down my cheeks.

“I hate you! I hate everyone!”

He gently touches my face again and strokes the scar on my cheek. His touch hurts more than the burn on my chest from the acid magic that almost killed me.

“I will help you,” he says simply. “The Liddicoat Kingdom needs you. I will install you on the throne as the Lycan Queen of Dunkerson Kingdom. Not just a simple Luna. But the Queen herself. Once you are on the throne, you will help me prevent war between our kingdoms. You will be my informant.”

“Why should I believe anything coming from your mouth?!”

He takes my hand and says, “Because, Miss Serra, you have no choice but to trust me. You have no one. No husband. No in-laws. No power in your Kingdom. And your family? I doubt they will be able to recognize you.”

I sniffle softly. Here I am, a wounded mage who can barely use magic anymore. A hideous mage who has fallen from grace and living off Caius’ charity and pity.

“And besides, Miss Serra. Don’t you want to take revenge against your husband? The Lycan King Gideon Dunkerson?”

And then, I remember. Lycan King Gideon of Dunkerson Kingdom. A charming, attractive man who made me believe that he actually loved me. Only to find out that he has a paramour on the side! Who would have thought that a Lycan King could betray his Luna like that? He even replaced me as his lover because he found someone much prettier!

I hate him! I hate his mother and relatives! And I hate all his women and his advisers! This hate is burning inside me! It burns deep down where nothing is left but ashes!

Caius has sadness and sympathy in his eyes. “I don’t need your sympathy, Caius! I will recuperate, strengthen my magic again, and then, I will take revenge! I will shame them! Do everything in my power to steal the power from their hands! That same power that they love so much that they can even destroy an ordinary mage’s life!”

He sighs as he gets up from the bed. “Well then, preparation will be in order then.”

I meet his eyes and say, “Give me a year. And I will be strong enough to return to the Dunkerson Kingdom,” I promise.