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All Strings Attached![hiatus]

Tác giả: Scourgie

Chương 1: Chapter 1: Graceless Ambush

~Arika's POV~

From the moment Arika opened her eyes again, she was already aware she wasn't in her real body. With porcelain for skin, wood as bones, and strings for muscles, she was far from alive. Rather, a doll.

There were some benefits to being a doll. She never had to worry about hunger, sickness, and she always looked flawless as dolls are meant to.

Though that's where it ends. Because waking up to a body resembling her sister, being unable to breathe, smell, taste, and knowing her father only brought her back to help her awful sister never left her mind. She was reincarnated after ten years because her sister was too weak but desperately wanted to get married.

Arika drew out her search for three years just to enjoy another year of being alive. Since the moment her sister had a partner and could leave again, Arika's soul would decay and she would be sent down into the cold abyss.

Her reality never comforted Arika, who stared into the flowing river as she walked along the stone bridge. Once again followed by a pestering prince who wouldn't leave her be. His hair was the same shade of bruised bananas and untamed like corn hairs. She wasn't even listening to his words but still pondered the idea of shoving him into the water below to give herself a moment of peace. The idea of him getting swept away down below made her crack a smile.

She wasn't sure how long he had been following her around, but likely it was around the time the king made it known to the public that she was searching for a prince to marry last year. It wasn't her idea at all to make it public knowledge, but it was done as an order from the king. After that, kingdoms of all gardens began pushing their sons to meet her and most were as arrogant and snooty as the last. Beka was the only one who pursued even after he was rejected multiple times. She couldn't smell but knew he reeked of desperation... and likely fish.

"Um… Lady Sibylla? Are you still listening?" he asked.

Arika cringed slightly at the name. Every time she was addressed as 'Sibylla' it was a reminder of her true purpose for existing. Still, she perked her head up with a soft hum as she looked over the prince.

"My apologizes– my mind must have wandered!" She giggled. "What were you saying, Prince Beka?"

The prince smiled brightly at the acknowledgment. "Well, I was wondering if you have been enjoying the time we spent together? You're always on my mind, so I was hoping it was the same for..." his voice faded as she knelt and picked up a smooth stone off the ground. Pretending to admire it like a gem.

"Stones like this always make me happy! Nature is so beautiful in strange ways! Isn't it, Prince Beka?" Arika spoke as she showed it off to him. It was a plain grey stone that lacked any interest in it.

"R-right! It is most certainly a beautiful… stone…" Beka averted his eyes to his feet before exhaling. "It was once again a wonderful evening I was blessed to spend with you, Lady Sibylla. I must depart for the long trip back home. I wish you a safe return home and lovely dreams." His half-hearted romantic words faltered as he pivoted his heels to walk back from where they came.

Arika waited until he disappeared over the bridge and continued walking at a hurried pace. Her heels clicked loudly with each step.

"To think the fool still won't give up after all this time." She shook her head before walking along the dirt path leading into the forest. "I'm bored, half my day was wasted, and by the time I get home, 'father dearest' will probably scold me for something I have no control over! Gods, why do all the men in my life have to make me so miserable?" She whined dramatically as she kept the stone in her hand.

This was the umpteenth attempt from Prince Beka of the Hyacinth kingdom trying to win Arika over. After multiple rejections of a proposal, evading topics like marriage and expressing disinterest in entertaining the idea of spending time together. She started faking air-headedness and found it was the most effective method to shorten their scheduled meetings by a bit.

As her annoyance faded away, her focus became on how dark the forest had become. Since the trees were old and twisted, they formed unsettling shapes in the darkness. She kept a steady pace and eyes directed forward. Arika had walked through it many times whenever she wanted to break from her duties as a princess. So she trusted her instinct with each step.

Though, her pleasant walk in the decrepit darkness ceased when she heard a loud snap echo through the dim forest. Large animals weren't uncommon, but they never bothered her before. Though there are always worst threats than wild animals…

Arika kept the stone to her chest and clenched it tightly. Her eyes glanced around frequently while her walking became faster. She restrained herself from running to avoid straining herself. The best-case scenario would be a stone being her only weapon, the worst would be coming home with someone else's blood on her new dress.

Regardless, she wouldn't let anyone get in her way.

As the path leading out of the forest came into view, the evening glow made the exit glow like gold. Her grip on the rock loosened as her paranoia became smothered by a sense of relief.

That was until she stumbled and nearly fell from tripping. When she looked behind her, there were no roots, stones, or holes in the ground that would've caused her to trip. Though with closer examination, there was a tight string that was tied tightly. A tripwire.

"The hell-?"

Arika looked up and saw a male dressed in light-weight black clothing that covered everything but his bright green eyes that illuminated in the darkness. He had a small knife raised above his and had sharp eyes glaring at her.

However, he hesitated when they made eye contact. Arika utilized the chance and threw the stone instinctively in front of her and closed her eyes shut. The man let out a cry of agony followed by a thud. The princess slowly opened her eyes and looked cautiously, she approached the still man and figured he was knocked unconscious.

Taking a short moment to ponder her options, she undid the ribbons that held her wavy-lime hair up. She bound the man's ankles together before tying his hands behind his back. While she made a lucky hit on him, it wasn't worth the risk of leaving him alone where he could try it again.

It wasn't until nightfall when the now unmasked man started regaining consciousness. A small fire crackled before him as the princess was already falling asleep herself with all of his weapons and tools beside her.

The ebony man had a bright red line going down each eye and stopped at his cheeks. He also had dragon-like eyes and pointed ears. When she was tying him up, she noticed he even had sharp black claws. These were all unusual features that she couldn't pinpoint. It was vaguely familiar, yet felt like a distant memory.

"What is your place of origin?" She asked with a yawn.

He stared at the blurry figure before him as he struggled to understand her words. His eyes squinting as he tried focusing on her.

"...Princess… Bylla…?" he mumbled.

Arika hardened her gaze before approaching him. His mentioning of that name only made her more annoyed.

"Where did you come from and what were your intentions?" She demanded.

The man groaned as he slowly regained focus. The moment he saw her face, he began struggling and glared at her. Baring his sharp teeth at her.

"You!" he glared at her. "It's because of your father that my people are suffering! Why the hell would I answer to you!?"

"Hm... I think I'm understanding a bit more." Arika smiled sweetly as she stood above him. "I suppose this means you planned to kidnap– kill me?" She suggested with amusement. "I admit, your tripwire was an impressive move. However you–"

"Shut it! Why don't you off me rather than subject me to hear your annoying voice!" He snapped at her. Compared to the fire, his rage burned brighter. His curly, burgundy hair was in his eyes and clearly getting in the way.

"Ahah! Don't make wishes you'll regret!" she laughed. "This has to be the most botched ambush I've seen in a while! First time?" She roughly pushed his hair out of his face with a glare. "I want to know who you are and your intentions. Now."

"My name is Sin-Vira, prince of the Snapdragon kingdom. My people and I grew weary of your father exploiting us! The workers in those mines have lost all hope and dying needlessly!" He heaved his chest as his anger only rose. "The plan was to kidnap you and hold you hostage until your father agreed to release the miners and dismiss his soldiers. We want peace, but we're barely holding ourselves together!"

He stared up at Arika's face and Arika stared back as she tried putting his name and face together. With a sigh, she released his hair and stepped away from him.

"Snapdragons huh? Your region must be in the mountains then. To come a long way just to fail." His name and face seemed vaguely familiar to her. "If your plan was to kidnap me, it would only be a short-term solution for your problem. The king would temporarily back off before reinforcing his efforts to regain control over your kingdom. Killing me would only cause retaliation from the kingdom, making it worst for you."

"Thanks for evaluating my plans. But why are you doing this?" Sin-Vira scowled at her.

Arika hesitated slightly. Why was she bothering?

If she wanted, she could tell Sin-Vira to leave and simply inform the king about what happened. She would likely be heavily guarded and no one could get close to her, including Beka. But while the dream of a lifetime sounded tempting, she hated being monitored.

It was a thoughtless and reckless idea, but both words defined her well. With a smile, Arika knelt in front of him.

"Because I have a long-term solution that would force his hand to relent for good." She knelt beside him. "Currently, I am in search of a prince to marry. If we were to marry, you would have grounds to refuse his demands to exploit the mines if you see the work isn't justified to benefit both kingdoms."

Sin-Vira stared at her dumbfounded. "I just attempted to kidnap you and your response is marriage?" he questioned. "Are you insane?"

"Insane? You wound me! Think about it! Endless fights between kingdoms normally end when they wed otherwise they're both at a loss. My father doesn't care who I marry so long as he believes he'll gain something from it. This is a golden opportunity, Sin. You'd be insane not going for it!"

"Don't call me that! Why would I ever trust the enemy?!"

Arika stifled a laugh at how annoyed that easily made him. "Vira then! I understand not willing to trust me. This mine issue is new to me, but I already don't agree with it. But while you see me as the enemy, the only one I have my hatred on is towards my father. He and I aren't on the best terms so it's just a final attempt getting back at him!"

Sin-Vira tilted his head to the side with confusion. "My mother and your father both need to agree to the marriage. How do you expect both to agree when they want to go in opposite directions?"

"Simple actually! Tell your dear mother that marrying me will give you grounds to refuse our control over your mines. All I have to tell my father is that marrying you will reinforce our control and justify it. Go with that and we'll convince them we'll use the other. But you need at least some trust in me as I'll trust in you."

The prince seemed quiet as he was thinking. "…I'm surprised you'd have it out for him. You always gloated about being his favorite. What changed?"

Arika tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't recall a shred of affection even when she was young. The only gifts she got were things her pampered sister never wanted. It made no sense to her why he'd know something so personally when she couldn't remember him. Maybe the favoritism was well known throughout other kingdoms? Mulling over the idea only made her irritated.

"Oh, just some things…" she glared at him. "My reasons don't matter. I have nothing left to lose and hardly anything left to gain. Now, do you want to save your precious kingdom or not, Vira?"

He glared back at her. "This thoughtless plan of yours isn't something I can just agree to on a whim."

"Yes, Because your plans are very throughout." Arika mocked with an eye roll. "Well I hate to put a time limit on you, but you have until tomorrow night in this exact spot to give your answer. If you agree, I'll further elaborate on the plan so it goes as smoothly as possible. If you don't, I hope you know how to fight better than you ambush." She untied the ribbon that bound the prince's feet before untying his hands. "Go on now. The mountains are quite the distance from here. Get your beauty sleep, Vira! I'll be looking forward to your answer!"

The young girl continued her walk to her kingdom with a confident stride. The idea was spontaneous and one she had no real plans for. But she knew she couldn't have someone like him against her. Dying at the hands of another kingdom was the last thing she wanted to deal with when she had a duty to fulfill.

~Sin-Vira's POV~

Sin-Vira remained where he was as he stared into the fire, attempting to process the situation he found himself in. He even considered if he was seeing a lost spirit who was messing with him. Her appearance was hauntingly beautiful and seemed unreal. The male pushed himself up and stood over the fire that burned brightly.

"How am I supposed to explain any of this to my mother?" He questioned himself before kicking dirt onto the fire. It wasn't long until he was alone in the darkness with the smell of burnt wood lingering and the cold breeze embraced him. He walked the long trip back to the mountains where his kingdom resided.

It was late into the night when he arrived at his kingdom. The magenta and cyan lanterns leading to the mines still shined on as carts filled with chucks of gems and rocks occasionally ran down the tracks to be processed in another section of the village. Men who were lucky enough to leave walked with heavy feet and blank expressions. They reeked of blood, sweat, tears mixed with despair. It was a sight that became usual for the residence to see.

For as long as he could remember, his kingdom was depressing and lifeless. Children stayed inside in the arms of their widowed mothers. Women and men worked hours on end in the mines high in the mountains. Sin-Vira knew attended one too many funerals to honor the workers who died in accidents related to the mines.

The Gardenia's guards who were sent to monitor and enforce the mines were relentless. Tormenting those who could barely handle the pressure they were given. Unfortunate children who were younger than him had bruised hands that bleed as they assorted the ores. Those caught stealing were never heard from again.

Sin-Vira tore his eyes from the sight and trudged up the stairs to the still-lit castle. In the main room, his mother sat with arms crossed and brows furrowed. It was something he grew used to seeing every day.

"You've returned late and empty-handed. I do hope you have a good explanation for why I am awake at the dead of night to a son who had one task! Where. Is. She?" She glared at him as she rose from her throne.

The prince dropped to his knee and placed his hand on his chest. "I-…" he started before swallowing the lump of dread down his throat. "She was heavily guarded in her room. Some knights guard the only way into her room! There were too many to discreetly take out." Sin-Vira blurted out. "But! I-I believe there is another solution that gives us the results we want as well as preventing the Gardenia Kingdom from retaliating!" His palms were damp, his heart thumped in his chest, and his eyes fixed onto the cracked floor.

"How unfortunate. What grand idea do you have that is more effective than mine?" She demanded in an ice-cold tone.

He bit down on his lower lip as he felt his mother's dull green gaze cut through him relentlessly. Sin-Vira knew the words he spoke next could not be taken back. But he already accepted the choice by letting Sibylla leave.

"If I were to marry princess Sibylla, we could be given grounds to make demands as well. If I convince her, we might even eradicate the mines!" He explained, staring her in the eyes. "I can no longer stand to see what has happened to our kingdom! But kidnapping the princess will ruin the only chance we have to gain equal grounds with them!" Sin-Vira stood with his back straight while his hand gripped his chest.

The queen's eyes widened as she considered his words. "You have never been the type to come up with such a plan." Her eyes narrowed. "What inspired such an idea?"

"I overheard her speaking about her search for a prince while she was in the market. I am aware that marriage cannot be forced, but I will do everything I can to win her over! She seemed… kind-hearted enough. If she heard our story, it might be enough for her to listen…" There was subtle tension in the air as the spacious room became silent. Sin-Vira stared at his mother with pure determination. Through his words, he tried to convince himself that Sibylla's words were sincere.

His mother slowly approached her son before placing her cold hands on his face. "Our kingdom cannot last so long as King Lambert is wringing us dry. Your plan is too vague. There are many factors your mind couldn't process. So I will entertain your idea. However–" her long black nails pressed into his cheek, causing Sin-Vira to wince. "I don't have the patience to let this plan of yours drag on. You have until the winter to make her yours. If she bears no ring by then, you will not object to my orders again. Do I make myself clear?" He shuddered.

"Yes mother, I will not disappoint you." Sin-Vira at least prayed he wouldn't.

"You better prove yourself for once, son." With the year nearing the halfway point, he was blindly trusting the words of the enemy. Sibylla's words sounded sincere, but he knew only heard of how deceptive the Gardenia Kingdom was. All he could do now was pray that his only sliver of hope would open a path to a future of peace.