"Princess, you must marry the crown prince of the Zarek Kingdom. Such is the king's decree." The Royal Advisor delivered the king's decree to the princess, who was currently sitting in sorrow.
She was deeply saddened because her Fiance had been killed in the battle. The one who killed him was the crown prince, who was also the commander of the Zarek Kingdom's army.
And now, she was being forced to marry this prince as a peace treaty between the two kingdoms. An unreasonable demand that she had no choice but to accept. The princess was in a weak position. Refusal would mean her mother, a royal concubine, would be sent to serve as a slave at the border.
The wedding day was set. Princess Elara wore a beautiful white dress. A procession of the groom's party from the Zarek Kingdom entered the palace.
Unbeknownst to the maids, Princess Elara walked to the top of the Tower and looked down at the procession. At that moment, the crown prince also looked up at the Tower. Their gazes met, and Princess Elara felt immense hatred for the man who was also wearing wedding attire. And he must be Prince Tristan, the prince of the Zarek Kingdom.
"Prince Tristan. You are a murderer, and I hate you. In this life and the next. I'd rather die than marry you!" Princess Elara shouted, then smiled at Prince Tristan before throwing herself from the top of the Tower.
Prince Tristan witnessed Princess Elara's death in silence. He sighed deeply. His curse continued. He would never be able to marry anyone until death took him. Unless, he could break the curse and make a woman fall in love with him sincerely. However, his heart was cursed to be devoid of affection. So, how could he make a woman fall in love with him?
From a distance, someone watched the events unfold with a happy expression.
*******
Far in the future.
A buzzing sound in her ears and noisy sounds disturbed Princess Elara's hearing. She opened her eyes and was surprised that she wasn't dead. Or was she now in heaven or hell?
Princess Elara looked around. This was a very unfamiliar place to her. She also saw her hand wrapped in something she didn't recognize. Princess Elara removed the IV drip from her hand. It hurt, and fresh blood immediately flowed.
"Where am I? Why is this place so strange? And where is Prince Tristan's wedding procession? Wasn't I just on top of the Tower and jumped? How did I end up here?" Princess Elara muttered, confused about what was happening.
Miss Zuri, thank God you're awake. You have been unconscious since last night.' It was the voice of a woman wearing clothes that were very unfamiliar to Princess Elara.
"Zuri"? Who is Zuri? Where am I?" Princess Elara asked, confused. What is happening?
"I'll call the doctor." The woman in the formal attire quickly left the room to call someone she referred to as a doctor.
Princess Elara held her head, which suddenly felt very painful.
Flashes of Zuri's past appeared in her memory. Finally, Princess Elara fainted shortly after the flashes appeared. Just as the doctor entered the room where Zuri was being treated.
Princess Elara felt like she was dreaming.
She saw the spirit of someone sleeping nearby. But she couldn't touch it.
"My name is Zuri. We are connected." An unfamiliar voice filled her ears.
"She's asleep, how can I hear her thoughts?" Princess Elara muttered, feeling very confused.
But a second later, her body was forcefully sucked into a time vortex. Again, faint noisy sounds filled her ears.
Princess Elara opened her eyes and looked at the people around her.
"Miss Zuri, how are you feeling?" a not-too-old man, wearing a white coat, asked her. But still, with the name Zuri. Did she transmigrate, and was her spirit now inhabiting the body of a girl named Zuri? Like what she saw in the memory flashes before she fainted?
"I'm fine," said Princess Elara, who was now Zuri, with a formal answer that sounded funny.
"Thank God," said the man who Princess Elara thought was a doctor. For his clothes were the same as those of the doctors in the kingdom.
As the doctor examined her, she heard another buzzing sound, which was very disturbing. It sounded like someone's voice, but it was still very faint.
"Ah... damn, is this girl going to commit suicide like me? Why do my ears have problems too?" Princess Elara muttered, feeling uncomfortable. she secretly spoke such harsh words in the kingdom. and only the special servants knew her habits when she was upset.
"Oh my dear, you're finally awake." An elegant woman entered the room, hugging her with warmth and affection.
"Who are you?" Zuri asked with a furrowed brow. She didn't recognize the beautiful woman who was currently hugging her.
The woman pulled back, looking toward the doctor for an explanation.
"Mrs. Rosalind, there's a slight problem. Miss Zuri has lost her memory. But it will only last for a while. She's still in shock and needs to recover her memory." The doctor explained to the woman.
The woman nodded in understanding and then looked back at Zuri.
"Why are you talking like that, dear? It's me, your mother. Have you really forgotten me? But it's okay, you'll gradually recover." The woman who claimed to be Zuri's mother hugged her daughter's body again, though the spirit inhabiting it was not Zuri but Princess Elara.
Suddenly, flashes of the past played in Princess Elara's mind again. How little Zuri and her father were abandoned by the woman who was hugging her. It happened when the company's economic condition was in turmoil.
"Damn, why did she have to lose her memory? But I must take advantage of this opportunity."
This time Zuri heard the voice clearly. But who was speaking? Only she and Mrs. Rosalind were in the room. And Mrs. Rosalind wasn't saying anything. Was she hallucinating?
"Get some rest, dear. I'll be back later," the woman said before leaving the room.
Princess Elara suddenly hated the woman who was Zuri's mother. The woman who had abandoned little Zuri when she needed love the most.
As she pondered this, her gaze fell on the nearby television screen, her eyes widening in awe at the moving images. However, her expression instantly froze as she recognized a handsome male model being interviewed on the screen.
Axel," Princess Elara whispered through Zuri's lips, tears streaming down her face. The man on the screen was her missing fiancé, killed in battle by Prince Tristan.