Chapter 7: UNFORTUNATELY

Ophelia shot out of bed, her forehead moist and her hair clinging to it tightly. She woke up in cold sweat yet her body felt internally hot. After what had happened the previous evening, she went back to her room only to slouch into bed and curse herself several times before falling into a peaceful slumber. But each time she dozed off completely, bright crimson eyes that shone like a fierce storm appeared in the darkness of her sleep and startled her to consciousness. Finally, dawn had arrived, and she had no intention of returning to sleep. She pushed her hair back and sighed in frustration as she rubbed her wet face. She didn't even eat a bite of food the night before because things didn't go as planned, and at her thoughts, her empty stomach growled in hunger. She stood up from the bed while gently slapping her cheeks to shake off the fear and painful memories that had caused her to become disoriented and lose focus on her goals. Her life seemed cliched for some reason because the main character was on a mission to save her kingdom. She had a strong belief in light and darkness but not in good and evil. That's absurd, right? She didn't believe it to be true because it was her own belief, but that belief was destroyed the instant she was told to kill the alpha heir of Celestia. Everyone knew there was an heir, but no one outside of Celestia had ever seen him, nor were they familiar with him in depth. The only thing she knew and had heard was that he was a psychopath. "I can't believe I didn't train last night." She muttered to herself and groaned in frustration. "Sheldon must be infuriated." Ophelia was supposed to go to the sparring area after dinner, but she skipped it due to a few minor circumstances. She was confident that Sheldon knew what had happened, so he wouldn't accept her justification for skipping training that evening. Without further ado, she dashed to the bathroom, cleaned herself, and dressed in a much more comfortable outfit, as she preferred wearing pants to dresses and skirts. She brushed her thick, long, black-brown hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She forced a smile at her reflection and quickly ran to the side of her bookshelf, where a table of exquisite, expertly crafted unsheathed daggers was. A knock on the door was heard as she was taking the golden dagger, but she didn't even flinch. "Your highness, the council has summoned you. A female voice that sounded like a servant said behind the door, and Ophelia froze, not expecting to be summoned so suddenly. Wasn't she supposed to train today? She sighed and tucked the dagger away in her pocket. It will almost certainly be bad news." She muttered to herself, knowing that the council was notorious for never relaying good news to her. Ophelia entered the council chamber with a neutral expression. The room was dark, with only six fire torches stationed at the room's four corners providing light. It was a very old Gothic room that had never been renovated because Rodion had always considered it 'Sacred! Her lips curved at the thoughts, but she managed to keep the mocking smile from appearing on her lips. There were twelve elders present, all seated on large chairs arranged in a straight line facing her, and in the center was a throne-like chair on which King Rodion exuded pride and power. They all had stern expressions on their faces, their hard gaze fixed on her, but she was unafraid, even when her gaze met Sheldon's, who appeared to be rigid than the rest. The silence was oppressive, and Ophelia was becoming frustrated, wondering if they had just summoned her to stare at her as if they were about to launch at her and tear her apart. "Why have you summoned me?" With a flat tone, she finally broke the silence. "What a disrespectful child," Wilder, one of the elders who was well known for judging her even if she didn't make a mistake, grumbled as he cared for his messy bear. "Did you summon me here to nag?" Ophelia snapped at him fearlessly, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary for her. Ophelia narrowed her eyes in curiosity as Wilder grimaced and the others began murmuring, causing the room to become noisy. "Enough!" Rodion roared, and the murmurs seized. "What's going on?" Ophelia had a feeling something wasn't quite right. Rodion abruptly rose from his throne, walking towards and she bowed slightly in respect. "Your Majesty, if it's about last night, you can punish me. She kept her voice flat. "Look at me, child." Rodion whispered softly as he halted in front of her, and she did, but she didn't hide her doubts in her eyes, prompting a small smile on his lips. "If it's not about last night, what is it?" Despite her curiosity, Ophelia's voice was low. "It has been reported that a grand masquarade ball will be held tomorrow night in Celestia to celebrate the alpha heir. Rodion revealed unexpectedly, and Ophelia caught her breath. "You must go to that ball and murder him." He finished with a deep, menacing hiss. "Isn't this a hasty decision?" Ophelia inquired as soon as he finished his sentence. Rodion's gaze narrowed at her. "You dare to question your king?” The pinnacle of arrogance!" Wilder declared, and murmurs filled the room once more. "My arrogant behavior or anything else doesn't matter now!" Ophelia raised her voice, and the murmurs seized while she maintained eye contact with Rodion. "This mission cannot be rushed. We must not underestimate wolves!" "The sooner the victory, the sooner Fireria will prosper." Rodion walked towards her, then halted and grabbed her chin harshly, digging his fingers into his cheek, but there was no emotion in her eyes, even when blood began to flow from the injury he was creating. "Your uncle looks after Anitca without complaint, and you should look after Celestia without complaint. Like a proper young lady." "Did Esteban tell you to do this?" Her voice was strangely calm. "This is a bad idea." "You will not dare to disobey your king or you will lose your loved ones." Rodion spoke only to her ears. Ophelia's eyes shook as she heard those words. He had gone so far as to threaten her? Nonetheless, she was not surprised, not even for a split second. "Dear Ophelia." A voice from behind her irritated her, and Rodion immediately released her chin and returned to his seat. Ophelia pressed her lips together and exhaled softly as her gaze met Sheldon's, which was now filled with concern. "Bastard!" Ophelia snapped and turned her heels to face Esteban, who was wearing a proud unflattering smile. "My favorite niece." He muttered, and she smirked when she saw his smile tremble. "Rushing this will not bring Fireria victory." Esteban's smile faded, and he leaned in closer to Ophelia, who stared at him in disgust. "Then, my favorite niece, make sure you bring victory." Ophelia clenched her teeth and, much to everyone's surprise, grabbed his necktightly, not allowing him to breathe even though he heaved with all of his strength. Rodion narrowed his gaze at her, and the elders all looked stunned, except Sheldon, who smiled proudly. "You don't have the authority to order me around." She seethed, her eyes transformed into their golden reptile form, and she threw him across the room like he was a piece of paper, before turning her gaze to her father and smirking, "But unfortunately, you do.”