 
# Her Majesty is Here

### Her Majesty and the Four Kings: Book 1

## Wanitta Praks

#### Wanitta Praks Media
Copyright © 2020 by Wanitta Praks

All Rights Reserved

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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This book was self-published by the author Wanitta Praks. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without agreement and written permission of the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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**Her Majesty is Here**

**Her Majesty and the Four Kings: Book 1**

Author: Wanitta Praks

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**Book Cover Design**

Alexia Praks

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**Copy Editors:**

Janet Bessey

Kimberly Dawn

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www.wanittapraks.com

### Contents

Synopsis

Prologue

1. My New Life in a New World

2. The Delicious Taste of My First Meal

3. That Hot Intruder Who Makes my Heart Pound

4. The Identity of My Intruder Revealed

5. Tangling with My Husband

6. That Handsome Stranger in My Bed

7. Caught Between a Lover and a Husband

8. Kingdom of Alyria 101

9. The Five Kings

10. Lost in Your Seductive Physique

11. The Mysterious Man behind the Mask

12. Riding with the Devil

13. Oust as an Imposter

Epilogue

Side story 1: Grim and Reaper's Mistake

Her Majesty in Training

Maid to the Mafia

The Mafia and His Maiden

A Mafia's First Love

The Billionaire's Twisted Love

Baby Be Mine

Boss Lady

Let Me Love You

Books by Wanitta Praks

About the Author

# Synopsis

_Getting crushed under a monster truck is never a pleasant feeling. If I could relive that moment, I would never have taken that route. But we never really get a second chance at life. Or do we?_

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I want to say I died a noble death. And for that reason, I was given a second chance at life. I don't hesitate to take the offering, outlining the criteria on my wish list.

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  1. Enjoy life to the fullest
  2. Fall in love with a man
  3. Would like to have a warm, loving family
  4. Eat plenty of delicious food as I was starved for most of my life growing up

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All is well and good, until I open my eyes to a strange new world, with four strikingly stunning men staring back at me. They said they were the four kings, in charge of governing the four nations of Alyria, and I am their queen, the overall ruler of their kingdom.

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But it isn't just pretty flowers and wispy daisies. They suspect I'm not who I say I am. I live under their watchful eyes, as they literally, and figuratively, peel away every layer of my clothing to get to the real me. Trying to keep my real identity under wraps is one thing, but getting tempted by the four kings is another matter, entirely. How am I to survive in my new world?

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**_Her Majesty is Here_ is a reverse harem fantasy romance novel. It is the first book in _Her Majesty & the Four Kings_ series. With laugh out loud moments, political intrigue, murder mystery, and steamy romantic scenes, this first book ends in a cliffhanger.**

# Prologue

### The End and the Beginning of My Life

I would like to say I died a noble death. But some might say it was my own stupidity that led to my ending.

It was on December 24th, Christmas Eve. Snowflakes fell in wisps as the wind blew from north to south. I was shivering under the blue jacket that was puckered with holes and the green scarf I'd knitted myself out of discarded wool from the school craft club a year ago. I was carrying my textbooks, equivalent to four blocks of bricks, waiting for the bus to arrive to take me back to my previous home.

Delta Orphanage, my home since I was put in there at the tender age of eight. A place filled with hunger, hunger, and...more hunger.

I was always hungry. Guess there were too many kids to feed. Maybe that was why I had died. I was too hungry to think straight. Too hungry to even formulate a plan. And when I saw the big red monster truck come careening into the park where a little girl was playing, I did the only thing I could think of. I jumped straight in and saved her.

I was whipped the second my body collided with it and landed with a hard thud on the ground. A crushing pain seared at my heart until...

Nothing.

I was standing on the sidewalk again, watching people crowding over in the middle of the park. I saw the little girl I thought I'd saved, in her mother's arms.

Did I really have an accident, or was this just all a dream?

My thought was disrupted by sounds of sirens. Possibly an ambulance. Paramedics were running toward the big crowd. I twisted myself aside to get out of their way, but I wasn't quick enough.

_Dear Lord. They're going to run into me._

I shut my eyes and held my breath, waiting for that oncoming collision. But it never came. The paramedics were already crouching down at that busy crowd. I got curious and waded my way in. And I saw the person who was lying on the ground.

Me.

I did die. I really did die. I wasn't dreaming after all.

I looked down at my body. Bile crept up my throat. I couldn't recognize myself. My body was all messed up.

I didn't want to look at myself when I was in this state. Instead, I turned to look at the paramedics who were trying their best to revive my body. I cheered them on, asking only for one more chance at life.

I wouldn't ask for much this time around. Just the standard good, loving family, good food, and a man to fall in love with. I was so lonely growing up in the orphanage. A few friends would be good, too.

As I gave them my full support, standing on the sideline, I was also waiting for some sort of chemical reaction, some sort of magic, whereby I'd go back into my body, with each puff of air or thrust of the chest they were instilling in me. But the more they attempted to perform CPR, the more I felt detached from my body, until I realized I was floating.

I looked down at my feet. Yep, I was no longer on the ground. I was dead for sure now. There was no way I was able to return to my body.

A little piece inside my heart screamed out in regret at all the things I hadn't done in my short life span.

_No! I don't want to die. Well, not yet, anyway. I want to have my first kiss. I want to eat steak at a fine dining restaurant. I want to finish my degree. And most of all, I can't leave my little sister, Amy, behind._

I closed my eyes, feeling my body spinning out of control. I took a deep breath, and then a split second later, my body stilled.

I opened my eyes. I was in a white room. There was one couch. It was white. The walls, floor, and ceiling were also white. The florescent light above only emphasized the color white even more.

A small Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room. I was a little relieved at seeing it. It did give me some consolation that I was not alone in this empty white room devoid of all living things. I went to touch the white ferns of the Christmas tree and almost choked to tears. The tree was plastic.

My reality bore down on me. There was absolutely no living thing in this room, me included. Empty of sounds, empty of living things around me, my thoughts on life turned grim. I was at my lowest point, and no consolation could get me out of this mentality.

Throughout my life I'd worked hard and studied even harder. Wanting to reach a better life, I'd encountered many low points, but none could compare to the feeling I felt right now. I did odd jobs and sometimes had to skip classes for that extra cash that could get me food on the table. Once I had turned eighteen, I was free to live on my own. But without support of any family or friends, I was a lone bird, learning how to flap my wings in this cruel world, which I now had left behind.

I had never managed to totally starve myself, just living on one cup of noodles a day, but there were times I wished I'd had the luxury of eating proper food.

What could I do? I was only a university student. At least I wasn't living on the streets. But my little sister Amy, with whom I had grown up in the orphanage... How was she to survive if I were not there for her? The girl was only eleven.

I'd made a promise with Mom and Dad that if anything were to happen to them, I'd take responsibility for her. Their sad ending came the moment I turned eight, and Amy two. They were both involved in a car crash, leaving Amy and me with no living relatives. And now I had also passed on.

I wanted to cry, but no tears would come out. I tried to force them to, but they refused. _Those damned eyes. Why won't they shed any tears?_

I buried my face in my palm. I had to think. Although I was dead now, there must be something I could have done. Maybe I'd return to her in my ghost form and watch over her that way.

But she hates ghosts. The last time we watched _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ , with that little ghost girl hanging about in the bathroom, she clung to me until I put her to bed. So, if I were to return to her in my current form, wouldn't she just send someone to exorcise me, or even worse, faint to death?

I was back to square one.

"Oh, why does life have to be so hard when you're dead?" I moaned to myself.

"What are you moaning about?"

I startled. Someone just spoke. I flicked my eyes around the room, seeing not a single soul but myself. I deduced it to be my own imagination, conjuring up weird images since I was so mentally depressed.

"He's the one that spoke."

Oh, dear Lord! Someone did speak. I heard it loud and clear this time.

I swiveled in my seat, praying to the good Lord, with my whole body shaking like a leaf. _Dear Lord. Please help me. Let the dead pass in peace. Don't let them come to haunt me._

"Great! Now you're scaring her."

I whipped my head up once more when I heard those voices again. There must be two of them, one deep and another husky. They continued to bicker. I mustered up enough courage to speak. "Who are you?"

And, just to make sure my imagination wasn't playing me, I checked my surroundings again. Behind me. In front of me. Nothing. There was just me in this empty white room.

"Don't you think she deserves to see us?" That husky voice spoke again.

"But she's not dead." The deep one spoke.

"Well, she's here, isn't she, so technically, she's our responsibility."

"Well, you show yourself, then."

"No, you show her first."

The suspense was killing me.

"Please, stop arguing with each other and show yourselves. I'm not scared of either of you," I lied through my teeth.

Who was I kidding? I would literally pee in my pants right now if those voices were to say 'boo.'

I was pathetic. I was a ghost who was scared of another ghost. Or two ghosts, in this case. Oh, this was my worst nightmare.

"All right, all right," the deep voice said, and then with a swish and a twirl of smoke, a man appeared.

He looked quite young, maybe in his mid-twenties. He wore a black hoodie, like Assassin Creed, so I couldn't really see his eyes. And he was holding a...

Scythe.

_Oh, my Lord. Help me._ I backed up, trying to get farther away from him, until my feet hit the couch behind me, and I crumpled onto that couch, holding my breath as he took a step toward me. The sharp blade of the scythe glinted against the light.

This was not good. Not good at all. Dying once was enough. I didn't want to die a second time.

Suddenly another swish and a twirl of smoke appeared, and this time, another man appeared, wearing the exact same clothes, with the same black hoodie covering his face.

The first thing he did when he appeared in front of me was to pull his hood back and snatch the scythe from the other man.

"I told you not to hold that thing. It scares people," he scolded the other man and magically made the scythe disappear into thin air.

"Hmm." The other man shrugged his shoulder and turned away, indifferent to the situation.

"And remove your hood. It's impolite to talk to our guest with it over your face."

"Would you stop bossing me around," the other one snarled back.

The one who had removed his hood first snatched the hood of the other one and ripped it off him. They both turned to face me then, which gave me a full-frontal view of their faces. And the only thing I did then was suck in my breath.

My Lord. They're identical twins. And they looked hot. I didn't mean hot like those teenage boys in my high school days who liked to show themselves off by wearing pants that only covered half of their butts. I was talking about drooling, smoking-hot men, like those guys who advertised for Levi's jeans.

Who were these guys? Were they angels? Or badass demons?

I had completely forgotten I was dead and was checking them out under my lashes.

Who wouldn't? When you dissociate yourself from society, like I had, for all of your life, seeing even a single hot guy would make you drool. In this case, there were two of them. Of course, my infatuation with them ended right there when they started arguing like two five-year-old kids fighting over candy.

"Excuse me," I intercepted them before they went into another verbal argument and forgot that I was sitting right there. "Could you please tell me where this place is?"

They were suddenly aware of my presence again.

"Oh, sorry. Let's see now. Where's that list?" one of them said.

The other one took a cell phone out of his pocket and gave it to his brother.

"Let's see," the brother who was holding the phone said. After scrolling down on the phone, he started reading. "Miss Tami Green. Nineteen years old. Has a little sister named Amy Green who is eleven years old. Parents died in a car accident. Taken into the orphanage at age eight, along with little sister at age two. Lived there until she turned eighteen a year ago. Awarded a scholarship and attended the University of Brooklyn, studying in the field of health science. Is that you?"

"Yes. That would be me," I answered.

"My name is Reaper," the man said, shoving the phone into his jeans pocket. He gestured to the man beside him. "And this here is my twin brother, Grim."

"Grim Reaper," I said, stunned, looking from one brother to the other. "There are two of you?"

"Yeah," Reaper replied. "We're both on duty today."

"But I thought Grim Reaper was one person," I exclaimed with my mouth open.

"Nah. All legend. There're two of us. Do you think we'd be able to transport all the souls to their destination with just me working on the job? People die, like, every minute. I can't run around the whole world just to transport them to heaven or hell. God is making us work like crazy, you know," Reaper replied.

"And we don't even get enough pay," Grim added gloomily.

"I don't think she gets your joke," Reaper whispered to Grim.

"I wasn't making a joke. I'm not happy that we don't get paid enough. We should talk to God about this," Grim mumbled again.

"Forget about our pay for now. We have more important issues to deal with. We must transport Tami," Reaper said to his brother.

"You're transporting me? To where?" I asked in panic when I overheard their private conversation.

I knew I was dead. And since it would be Grim and Reaper who would be transporting me today, I was assuming there would be no way I'd go back as a lost soul to look after Amy on Earth.

"Well, that depends on you." Grim turned his head to me.

"On me?" I asked, getting scared of the situation.

_Where am I going? Am I going to heaven or hell? Or will I be stuck in this limbo state, neither as a human nor as a ghost, but just an endless lost soul floating in Purgatory?_

"Yes," Reaper said. "Technically speaking, it's not your time to die, yet."

"Then why did I die?" I asked, perplexed even more.

"Well, let's just say that God kind of stuffed up your lifeline," Reaper explained.

"Why did he stuff up my lifeline? Was I not praying hard enough? Is that why I died?" A million questions raced through my mind.

"She's a bit naïve, isn't she?" I heard Grim whisper to Reaper.

"What did you say?" I caught on and asked.

"No, no. Nothing," Reaper covered for his brother. "What Grim is trying to say is that you'll be given another body to return to. Because God has mistakenly stuffed up your lifeline, he will grant you another body to return to."

"But what about my own body? And what about my little sister, Amy?"

Unresolved issues regarding my little sister worried me to death. Technically, I was dead. I no longer existed on this Earth, but I still could not stop worrying about her, even in this state.

"Well, concerning your little sister, I'm sure there's some way to solve that," Reaper supplied. "And regarding your current body, well, let's just say you're better off with a new one. Your previous body is not worth looking at."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"Literally speaking, Tami, your body is all smashed up," Grim replied in his monotone voice.

"Like a broken doll," Reaper had to add on top.

"Can't you both fix me?" I asked, staring at them. They made the scythe disappear; I was sure they could do something about my body, too.

"Tami, look at us," Reaper said, lifting the hem of his black hoodie to reveal his flat abs. "We're just skin and bones. Do you think we have the power to change your fate? Plus, wouldn't it be easier if we find you a new body?"

"That bugger," I fumed under my breath. "He drove over my body. I hope he goes to hell for that."

"Yeah, well, that's another topic to discuss. So, about our offer. Will you accept?" Grim asked.

I didn't reply but mulled the idea over in my head.

"Come on, Tami. Look on the positive side. If you get into this new body, you'll be able to find your sister. Wouldn't that be fantastic? A new body. A new life," Reaper injected some positive ideas into my head.

"Well," I pondered, chewing my lip. Reaper did have a point. In my new body, I could look for her.

"Look, the portal is about to open," Grim urged me. When I still didn't budge, he growled at me. "Do you want to go into this new body or not?"

"Well, do I have a choice?" I looked up at Grim.

It was kind Reaper who held my hands and gently squeezed them, as if he were sympathizing with my situation, unlike his brother Grim who only scoffed at me. "You have a choice. You can either go up to heaven and not see your sister again, or you can go into this new body and find your sister. Help her out in any way you can."

"Then I choose to go into this new body." I nodded my head with renewed cheerfulness. "I'll do anything to see my little sister again."

Grim somehow managed to leak a little smile. I nodded at him to say that I was ready.

Just as Grim was about to open the invisible door or portal that would lead me into this new body of mine, I stopped him to ask a few favors. "Before I go into this new body, can I request for a few things from my wish list?"

"What is it?" Grim looked annoyed at being interrupted.

"Could you maybe put me in a body that is quite tall? Someone who's at least over five foot five. As you can see, I'm quite small. Five feet is a little short to reach for teacups that are stored on high shelves. Plus, be rich. I don't want to starve in this new body. And if you could, I want to have my first kiss and be surrounded by loving family members."

I know what it's like not to have many relatives, so having a large family in this new life was a must. Plus, since I died at the sweet tender age of nineteen, I must get my first kiss, since I hadn't experienced one yet.

"Sheesh, so many requests," Grim remarked sourly.

"We'll do our best," Reaper smiled and waved at me.

Suddenly, I was thrust into a swirling tunnel, as if a hurricane had picked me up from the white room and taken me to another place. I closed my eyes, hearing the coarse wind whipping my hair about. Just as my consciousness was about to slip, I realized I had forgotten to ask for one more important request.

_Please, make someone fall in love with me._

## Chapter 1

# My New Life in a New World

Ben Barnes from _The Chronicles of Narnia_. I could hear Ben Barnes talking to me in his British accent. Or if it's not Ben Barnes talking, then I bet those twins, Grim and Reaper, must have transported me back to the Regency Era, because the way the man spoke, it was like I was on the set of _Pride and Prejudice_.

I opened my eyes slowly, only to feel sharp light piercing them. I shut them again. It helped, if only for a little while, until I registered pain from other parts of my body.

Dear Lord. Help me. The pain was excruciating. It was like I was whipped with a belt all over my body, and now I was made to recover after the beating. If I could guess, it must be due to the swirling hurricane that had brought me here.

Suddenly I felt an immense pain, as if a truck was shoveling a ton of coal inside my brain. My headache was so intense—any minute now my head would split in two.

I touched my head, feeling a bandage around it. Someone's hand came over mine. I flinched away. Suddenly I was bombarded with Ben Barnes' voice once again. He was talking so fast I couldn't catch on to what he was saying. And then Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley came on.

"Her Majesty has awakened," Ben said.

I fluttered my eyes open, wanting to see my favorite British actor come to life in front of me. Instead, I saw a bald-headed man staring at me with eyes like goldfish in a tank. _Okay, Ben Barnes had definitely aged._ Standing in front of me was a frail old man of about seventy. _Oh, the deception of voices._

He smiled warmly at me. "Your Majesty. How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

_Your Majesty? Who's she?_ I looked at him blankly.

"Your Majesty." He nudged my shoulder gently. "How are you feeling?"

_Oh, Your Majesty must be me. Wow, he makes me sound like a queen._

"Sore," I managed to croak out.

I tried to sit up but was pushed back gently by Mr. Barnes' firm palm. "You must rest, Your Majesty. Please don't sit up yet."

I wanted to answer him, but my throat was parched dry, like the desert. _Someone please grab me a glass of water,_ I wanted to say, but I couldn't voice my words.

"Everyone, let Her Majesty have some breathing room," Kate Winslet said, cutting through Mr. Barnes and me.

I turned my attention to Kate Winslet and blinked.

Kate looked nothing like the Kate Winslet I knew from my _Titanic_ addiction some years back. While Ben Barnes was in his seventies, this Kate Winslet was in her sixties, with a mixture of gray wispy hair styled into a bun on her head. She wore a dark-gray gown, with massive pearls to complement her revealing neckline.

Kate came to sit beside me and started hugging me against her massive voluptuous breasts, like I was her long-lost grandchild.

"Clarissa Rose. Please don't ever do that again." She cuddled me and rubbed my back.

I'd hardly received any hugs in my previous life, save for the ones my parents gave to me before their deaths, so when Kate Winslet hugged me, it felt nice. All warm and cozy-like.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again," I said, nodding innocently, although I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. My brain was still trying to soak up my new environment.

"You know, you got us all frightened when you drowned yourself in the bathtub like that."

"I did what?" I shrieked back, tearing apart our hug and looking aghast at her.

Kate was taken aback by my verbal outburst, but then she shook her head and patted my head to soothe me. I only blinked back in response.

"Clarissa Rose, no matter what happens, you mustn't end your life like that," she explained.

"I...I killed myself?" I spat out in surprise, looking around the room.

Mr. Barnes held a very serious expression and only nodded his head. Two girls stood at the far end of bed, their faces drained of color. When I looked at them, they immediately dropped their gazes to the floor. As for Kate, she looked at me strangely. But I didn't pay attention. I was too caught up with this sudden revelation about the previous owner who possessed this body.

What was she thinking, this Clarissa Rose? With a bed fit for the Queen of England to rest in, who would want to kill themselves? Some people just didn't know how lucky they were. Lucky for me, since this Clarissa Rose had died, I was happy to take her place.

"I promise you I won't ever do that again," I said brightly, meaning every single word.

Kate looked at me strangely again. And this time I got it. Thinking she might think I was an imposter, I pretended to look tired and asked her, "Did I hit my head in the bathtub too? Because my head is sore."

"Why are you speaking in that strange way?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Strange way? Oh, you mean my American accent. That's how I always speak." I answered.

Kate whipped her head to glare at Mr. Barnes, who was standing in one corner, trembling. "Dr. Ford. Explain what is going on?" Kate barked at Mr. Barnes.

Crap. Maybe I'd been caught as an imposter already. Was the previous Clarissa Rose supposed to speak in a British accent too? I was bad at mimicking accents.

I didn't think I could pull this off. Despite watching a bunch of English films at the orphanage, I still couldn't even imitate them. Maybe I could think of an explanation. But before I could think of one, Dr. Ford came to my rescue.

"Lady Cecilia," Dr. Ford quivered as he spoke. "Perhaps when Her Majesty drowned in the bathtub, she hit her head, thus changing the way she speaks. It is very plausible in this case."

"So, you're implying Her Majesty has changed her speaking pattern because she had hit her head?" Cecilia asked sternly.

"Yes. There were many cases that have been documented in the past."

Cecilia loved whipping her head. Once satisfied with Dr. Ford's explanation, she immediately whipped her head back to me. I whipped mine, too, when she came in for another full hug.

"Then you must rest. Leave everything to me. Regan and Zayden should be back from their journey, soon. Mikael is making his way here now. As soon as he arrives, I will inform him that you have woken up."

I was about to ask Cecilia who Regan, Zayden, and Mikael were when she turned her attention to the two girls.

"Look after Her Majesty," she ordered them. Then Cecilia turned back to me and gave me one final hug. I wouldn't mind going in for another one. She was so squishy and warm, full of insulation, making me feel all mushy and happy.

"Clarissa Rose, dear. If you have any concern, just call me. These maids will look after you."

I smiled stupidly, feeling her warm kiss on my forehead and watching her and Dr. Ford exiting the room.

Who was Cecilia? She must really love the previous Clarissa Rose. Judging from her demeanor, she must hold a high position in this household. Thinking it best to ask the two girls, I turned my attention to them. The minute my eyes landed on them, they both started shaking like leaves caught in the wind. I wondered if they were okay.

"Umm." I cleared my throat.

Upon hearing my voice, skirts and feet shifted, and I was bombarded with them by my side.

"Yes, Your Majesty. What can I get for you?" the one with red hair asked nervously. That was the Keira Knightley voice I had heard earlier.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please tell us what you need. We will serve you even in death," The brown-haired girl shrilled.

I already concluded the previous Clarissa Rose was wealthy, what with having maids, a personal doctor, and a sixty-year-old grandma who doted upon her, but for her servants to serve her in death, too, that was a bit too much.

Looking at them, they were about my age. I smiled, a bright idea knocking in my head. Maybe in this new body, I could find some friends to consult with. Yes, what a perfect opportunity. Coax them to be my friends and let them provide me with the necessary information regarding the former Clarissa Rose's life.

They both were beauties, dressed in some sort of fascinating Victorian-era fashion. I edged a little closer, wanting to get a better look at them, when the redheaded one suddenly slammed her eyes shut, startling the shit out of me, and I almost jumped back a mile.

Once I had managed to calm my heartbeat down, I asked, "What are your names?"

The brown-haired girl jolted in fright, as if her soul had jumped out of her body, as soon as those words left my mouth. She immediately dropped down to the floor and bowed her head at me. When the redhead saw what the brown-haired girl did, she followed.

I scratched my head. Did I do something wrong?

I slid out of bed and down to the floor, too. When they both didn't look up but continued to shake in their spots, their foreheads touching carpet, I nudged them in the arms. They both lifted their heads, eyed me with a look of pure fear, then shrank back to the carpet again.

"Are you both all right?" I asked in concern, eyeing from one to the other.

The redhead lifted her head again, locked eyes with mine, and her pupils dilated in fright again.

Why was she so afraid of me?

"Are you all right?" I asked again, this time gentler. The girl nodded her head and helped me up into bed, while the other one tucked me in like I was a child.

"Your Majesty shouldn't worry about us." Her voice quivered. "Please, tell us what do you need? We will get it for you."

"What I need is to stop calling both of you by your hair colors. So, tell me. What are your names? And why are you both shaking out of your bones? Did I offend you both in some way?"

"Your Majesty, I'm..." Silent.

"We..." Silent.

Either the previous Clarissa Rose was such a bitch that they were literally frightened to death of her, or it might just be their normal behaviors. And I wouldn't know until I found out myself.

"Tell me. What's wrong?" I said, much gentler this time, touching the brown-haired girl's arm.

I wasn't one to beat around the bush. If I wanted something, I got straight to the point. And it annoyed me that these girls acted as if I was going to strangle them or something. In fact, one just flinched away from my touch.

"Please, Your Majesty. Don't worry about us. We are fine. Please instruct us as to what you need."

"Sheesh. I give up." I slumped back in bed and closed my eyes, my energy running low. "What is wrong with you both? All I asked are your names, and you both acted like I'm about to kill you or something."

"Your Majesty, please don't be mad at us." The brown-haired one said, clutching the blanket, her knuckles turning white.

"I will be mad if you don't tell me your name," I told her.

"My...my...name is Lucy," she answered, her eyes lifting slowly to meet mine.

"Lucy." I smiled, nodding my head in approval. "That's a nice name. Very simple and easy to pronounce. I like it. And yours?" I turned to the redheaded one.

"Belle."

"A very pretty name too. Like _Beauty and the Beast_. Have you heard of the fairy tale?" I asked, making conversation. In fact, any subject would be fine, so they could open up to me. But they both looked back in confusion.

And then it clicked.

Oh, right. How silly of me. Of course, they weren't expected to know about _Beauty and the Beast_. They might not have time to watch TV. In fact, there was no TV in this room either. I thought all rich people had TVs in their bedrooms.

To pacify the dire tension between us, I laughed. "Oh, how rude of me. I asked for both of your names but didn't introduce myself. My name is Tami," I told them, pulling my hand out for a shake, feeling proud of myself for taking this small step to initiate our friendship.

Lucy looked perplexedly at Belle, then they both turned their confused gaze to me. Belle said, "But Your Majesty, your name is Lady Clarissa Rose Alessandra Evington."

"Oh, right. Ha-ha. Such a long name. Even I forgot." I laughed awkwardly, mentally kicking myself in the backside for forgetting about my new persona. "Yes. I am Clarissa Rose. The Clarissa Rose of this house. But you can both call me Tami in private." I tried coaxing them out of their shells again.

"I dare not to, Your Majesty. Lady Cecilia will fire me for sure."

"Please, Your Majesty. We can only address you as Your Majesty."

"Nonsense! I'm no queen. Lady Clarissa Rose or Your Majesty sounds too posh. I prefer just Tami."

"We cannot do that, Your Majesty. If Lady Cecilia hears us, our heads will be severed."

"You mean to say Cecilia can have both of you killed?" I jokingly asked. But they were so serious in their expressions when they mutely nodded in reply.

Gee! What country had those twins deposited me in? Surely there were laws to these kinds of things, like employee rights and the right of speech.

"Say, who's Cecilia?" I asked, my interest piqued. "She seemed to have quite a bit of influence over this household."

"Ah?" Lucy gave me that weird look that Cecilia did. "Your Majesty. You must have hit your head really hard not to remember Lady Cecilia," she timidly answered with her eyes looking at the floor.

"Yes. I suppose I have," I chuckled dryly, recalling the thumping headache in my skull which had subsided a bit now. "So, tell me, who is she? She sounds like she's the owner of the household. Is she the owner of this household?"

Lucy gave me a perplexed look, but Belle was the one who answered. "Lady Cecilia is your personal attendant."

"Really?" I almost jumped out of the bed in surprise. "Old Grandma Cecilia is my personal attendant?"

I was more shocked than happy. I always saw in those reality TV shows about the rich and famous housewives having their own personal attendants, where they didn't have to lift even a single finger. Their personal attendant did all the work for them. I never thought, for the life of me, I would have my own personal attendant to tend to my needs. But Grandma Cecilia was old. Shouldn't she be retiring? And even if she were still young, I really didn't need a personal attendant. I could do things myself just fine.

"So, if Grandma Cecilia is my personal attendant, then what am I?" I asked again when the thought struck me. I hadn't a clue who I was supposed to be in this household. Looking at all the beautiful drapes and furniture in this room, which was three times the size of my old house, I assumed the previous Lady Clarissa Rose must be some rich socialite.

Lucy looked shifty again. "Your Majesty, you really don't remember yourself?"

"Not a bit. Like Dr. Ford said, I hit my head really bad. Maybe I lost my memory as well. I can't remember some things." I made up some lie, which was also kind of the truth since I really hadn't a clue who I was. "So, tell me? What am I in this household? And why do you keep calling me Your Majesty? You make me sound like some queen or something." I chuckled when the thought entered my head.

How silly. It was like I was in some TV show. Maybe I was being filmed right now.

"Your Majesty. You are the Queen of Alyria."

I could only stare at her, then I burst out laughing. God, it was hilarious. How could she crack a joke with such a serious face?

"Lucy. You're very good at making jokes." I bellowed into another round of laughter, chuckling until tears shed out of my eyes, until I realized she wasn't laughing with me, until I realized whatever she said was the complete truth. But I didn't believe it. Not one bit. So, I quieted down and gained some composure before asking, "You're not joking, are you?"

"No, Your Majesty," she confirmed in her serious tone.

If she wasn't joking, then Grim and Reaper must be playing a joke on me.

And for the first time after waking up in this new world, I finally registered their strange dress code. Both Belle and Lucy were wearing dresses reminiscent of the Victorian era.

"Belle, pinch me?" I asked.

"Your Majesty, don't ask me to do something like that." Damn, Belle was frightened again, bowing her head to the carpet.

"Lucy, if you said I'm queen, then what country do I govern?"

"Country? Your Majesty, we are not a country. We are a kingdom, divided into four nations."

Country. Kingdom. Same difference.

"Okay, kingdom then. What kingdom are we in?" I asked.

"Alyria," she replied.

"Where's Alyria? Where is it on Earth?" Gosh, I was bad at geography. I wished I had paid more attention in history classes back in high school, but I was always too hungry to absorb any information. And now when I surfed my brain for the database on countries or a kingdom named Alyria, not one came to mind.

"Your Majesty, what is Earth?" Lucy asked, confusing me even more.

"What kind of question is that, Lucy?" I said back. "Earth is Earth. Third rock from the sun. Our world. Where you and I both live. You know, with modern technology. TV, internet, mobile phones, YouTube, Netflix." At this stage I was a bit hysterical, just randomly spouting out facts about the twenty-first century, as if they didn't know it already.

Lucy and Belle blinked, backing away from me like I was some mentally sick patient they were scared of getting infected from.

"Lucy, maybe we should get Dr. Ford," Belle quickly said to Lucy, seeing my mentally unstable state.

"No. No. Don't get Dr. Ford." I clamped on to Belle's hand to prevent her from going. Instead, I jumped off the bed, forgetting my weakened state, and rushed to the huge floor to ceiling curtain. I pulled the drape, sunlight pouring into the room, blinding me as I walked toward the balcony, my mind in a daze.

I took one glance at the panoramic view of the picturesque site before me. There were no skyscrapers, no electric lights, not even a single advertising signboard like in New York City. Instead, mountains peaked with ice caps like snow cones nestled a town that was filled with orange roofs, surrounded by a wall. Beyond that wall were more orange roofs, this time scattered across the green fields. My eyes zoomed down below. I was at least one hundred feet up in the air, and whatever building I was in was the highest one in the vicinity. This country— kingdom as Lucy had put it—reminded me of the old medieval cities back in ancient history.

The cool air brushed against my skin; the sunrays warmed it in that instant. I inhaled fresh air for the first time in my life. This was all too real to be a dream.

"This...this is Alyria?" I asked my two maids.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This is Alyria," Lucy confirmed.

"And you are the queen of our kingdom," Belle finished off.

Those twins. They sent me to a body that's in another realm. Not only that, I was also a queen who must govern this kingdom. I should be proud, since not everyone could get a second chance at life and be declared queen upon waking, but all I could think of was how was I supposed to get back to my sister if we weren't even in the same world?

And that was the final thought running through my head before I screamed out so loudly that Dr. Ford, Cecilia, and the rest of the palace residents came scurrying in, declaring that I had gone insane after the drowning episode in the bathtub.

## Chapter 2

# The Delicious Taste of My First Meal

I had been declared insane, but I was saved from that label with, once again by Dr. Ford, some explanation whereby I'd lost my memory—or temporary amnesia, as he'd worded it—and would need some time to recover before I could return to my normal self. _Bless that old man. I've got to hug him one day for saving my life again and again._

Cecilia nodded her head, believing every single word Dr. Ford dished out. With tears shedding from her eyes, she hugged me, comforting me that in no time at all, my past memory would come back. I nodded meekly, pretending that I'd try my best to remember. Everyone rushed out as soon as I was tucked in bed, leaving only Belle and Lucy to tend to my needs.

I groggily sat up in bed. Belle fluffed up my pillow and made me comfortable. I'd never been sick in my previous life since I led an active lifestyle, but here in this body, I felt so weak, like I was about to faint every few minutes.

"Lucy," I called out tiredly.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she answered, still in that timid voice of hers.

"Did I pass out? I feel horrible."

"Dr. Ford gave you some sleeping potion to help calm you down. You've slept for the past two hours."

"Oh, right." I nodded numbly, then suddenly remembered about my sister who was on Earth while I was here in this new world called Alyria. And with this came the crushing feeling all over again.

I would never get to see my sister again. Those damned brothers. If only they had told me in advance that I'd be in possession of a corpse who's all the way in another realm, I would have reconsidered. But now it's too late. Now...

Back up a minute there, Tami. Grim and Reaper both said I could find my sister here. And since this realm resembled those fairy-tale stories, that must mean magic portals exist, or some sort of secret doors for me to travel back to Earth. In that case, I just had to find one. And the best way to find one would be to become the real Clarissa Rose. As queen, I could ask people to investigate for me.

Ha-ha. I felt revitalized again. I now had a purpose. I would live and be Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, and when no one was watching, I would take the opportunity to travel back home. I knew it was a far-fetched possibility, but any idea was better than none.

But first though, I must collect data and learn all mannerisms relating to the late Clarissa Rose if I didn't want people suspecting I was an imposter. And there were no better resources here than my two maids.

A loud roar erupted from my stomach, distracting me from my plan. How long since I had my last meal? Oh, yes, on the morning of Christmas Eve, the day I died.

Storing my plan on the back burner for now, I decided to feed my stomach first. I called out, "Lucy. Belle. I'm starving. Could you maybe get me something to eat? I'm so hungry right now, I can eat a whole cow."

I laughed, feeling the happiness welling up inside me. I even snorted a bit, not embarrassed at all with my current behavior. Lucy, though, looked like she was running out of oxygen, while Belle was also gasping for air. Both were still not used to my odd behavior. Soon. Soon, I would act like their previous queen, but for now, I was too hungry to think straight.

"Come, now," I urged them. "I'm really hungry. You don't want me to start sucking your blood, now, do you?" I teased them both. "I was a vampire in my previous life, you know."

But my playful behavior obviously scared them as they both made a mad dash out the door the minute I finished talking.

_Super sensitive,_ I thought, shaking them out of my head and rejoicing in my new life.

"Oh, I love my new life already." I laughed even louder, settling down on my triple king-size bed, waiting for my banquet meal. Sure, there'd be some challenges with trying to act like the real Clarissa Rose, but I was sure, in time, people would get used to me.

I was like a spring flower, imagining an all-you-can-eat buffet with bountiful food. I remembered that time when I had received my first paycheck from my part-time job as a waitress. I took Amy to an 'All-you-can-eat-for-ten-bucks-a-head' restaurant in celebration. It was so delicious and plentiful; we ate until our tummies almost exploded. And now I was looking forward to doing it again.

Ten minutes later, my face drooped like a wilted flower. This was to be my first meal ever in this new world. I had expected some sort of grand feast, like ham or turkey, with an array of other cuisines like Chinese, Italian, Thai, and Indian to celebrate the revival of Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, since she was the queen and all, but the food in front of me wasn't even enough to feed a baby bird. A bowl of salad, slices of cheese that I could count with one finger, one slice of ciabatta bread, and some nuts in a little dish. That was it. My lips curved into a thin line.

_What is this? Was the previous queen on a diet or something? Come on. Give me some real food. Give me a turkey, a leg of lamb, or some chicken. I crave chicken._

My tummy growled again. Lucy glanced at me with those flighty eyes of hers before she flitted them away.

"Lucy," I called to her, and she almost jumped out of her skin. _Did I really startle her that much?_ "Why is the portion size so small?"

"Your Majesty prefers this portion size," she replied.

"Really?" So, my guess was right. The previous Clarissa Rose was on a diet. I waved the thought aside and gestured for her to come closer. "Come, Lucy. Be my companion. And Belle, you come here, too. Don't just stand next to the door like you're about to run. Both of you, come join me. I hate eating by myself."

Always eating with Amy and the other kids at the orphanage, it felt a bit strange now that I would have to eat by myself with them watching over me. Lucy was more nervous than ever when I suggested she join me, and Belle, she hadn't moved an inch from her spot.

"Come on, now. Let's eat. I need eating companions," I urged them and pulled Lucy down to sit beside me on the bed.

Lucy scrambled down in her flustered state, but before her bottom hit the soft bed, she hurriedly jumped back up and stood beside me, taking up her perfect rigid pose. As for Belle, she managed about ten paces, now taking position beside Lucy.

"No, Your Majesty. Please," they chorused at the same time.

"Fine," I mumbled, giving up on my persuasion. I turned my attention to the meal placed in front of me and took the first bite.

Wow. Just...wow. This...whatever it was...was super delicious.

I was by no means a vegetarian, but I could seriously eat this every day. And the dressing on the salad, my Lord, it was to die for. I munched and munched.

"Say, Lucy? Who found me in the bathtub?" I started putting a plan into action, collecting data between chewing.

"It was Belle and me, Your Majesty," Lucy answered.

"I have to thank both of you then, for finding me. I owe you guys one." I smiled, taking another bite of the salad. "Good for me, you guys found me in time. I must have felt tired and fallen asleep in the bathtub," I commented.

Lucy looked at me strangely again. "Your Majesty, you...you...had the door locked. We had to break the door to get you out."

"Oh! Maybe I wanted some privacy," I said absentmindedly, taking an interest in the nuts now.

"Your head was bleeding when we found you," Belle added.

"Oh, I must have tripped and fallen into the bathtub, then," I lamely said and continued with my vegetarian meal.

"Your Majesty?" Lucy asked after some time.

"Hmm," I mumbled with a mouth full of salad. "Whhaat...essss...eetttt?"

"Your Majesty is acting really strange."

I caught on the word _strange_ and almost choked to death with my next swallow. _Well, there goes my perfect impersonation out the window._ I coughed and spattered, inducing tears to run from my eyes.

Belle was generous when she brought me a glass of grape juice to relieve my stressful state. I took one gulp and sprayed the whole red liquid out again, with some dripping down my chin. The liquid burned my tongue and stung my eyes.

"Belle," I yelled, with tears still streaming from my eyes. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Belle dropped down to the floor and shook, her head instantly touching the floor again.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she mumbled like a chant. "I didn't mean to make you angry. Please don't slap me. Please don't tell Lady Cecilia." The girl was on the verge of crying.

"Your Majesty, please forgive Belle." Lucy bowed down and apologized on her behalf too. "She didn't mean it. If you want to punish her, please punish me instead."

"Belle. Lucy," I managed to say after wiping the drool off my chin. I sighed, seeing them both on the floor again, their whole bodies shaking like leaves. The previous Clarissa Rose must have traumatized them to the point of them acting witless. "You guys. Get up. I'm not going to slap either of you."

Belle lifted her head, her eyes growing wider with horror at the words I'd just spoken. "Then...then...you will kill us?"

"What?" _Sheesh!_ I face-palmed myself. Their imagination was getting wilder by the second. "I'm not going to kill you." Belle looked up at me with tears glistening in her eyes. "And I won't tell Lady Cecilia either. Now please get up, both of you."

I helped both girls up from the floor. Belle stood on shaky legs. She glanced up at me with frightened doe eyes. The poor girl was really scared out of her wits.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you for forgiving us," Lucy said, having stabilized her legs, as well.

I smiled at them, and once they had calmed down, I asked them gently, "What was it that you gave to me to drink? And I know it tasted nothing like grape juice because grape juice is my all-time favorite drink, and whatever that beverage was, it tasted horrible."

"Your Majesty, that was the finest red wine in the palace," Belle said.

"What?" I almost went into overdrive again. "You served me wine from the palace?" I wasn't even at legal drinking age yet, and here Belle had served me alcohol like it was water.

"Your Majesty, we are sorry," Lucy hurriedly said. "Next time we'll serve you the finest wine in all of Alyria."

"Wait. What? No. Don't," I said in a hurry. "That's not what I meant. Next time don't serve me that beverage. It tastes awful. Why don't you give me water instead?"

"But Your Majesty only drinks fine wine," Belle said in confusion, looking up at Lucy for support.

"Your Majesty had also informed us in the past to serve you only fine wine during your meals. We were punished once for serving you a substitute," she supplied timidly.

Hmm. That explained their previous behavior. Still, I couldn't blame them. The previous Clarissa Rose was a true alcoholic. No wonder she fell into the bathtub and hit her head. Must be because she was drunk all the time.

"Look, from now on, serve me water. And if it must be some sort of beverage, then give me grape juice. I like that." Lucy gave me one of her weird looks again. "What? Did I say something out of character again?"

Lucy nodded mutely.

"Well, remember what Dr. Ford said. I lost a good portion of my memory. So, if you see me acting strange or weird, then you know why. That's where you both fill in the gaps for me, so I can start regaining my memory faster."

Lucy and Belle both nodded again, but this time, there were small warm smiles lingering on their lips. Somehow, I got the feeling I had won their affections.

After the meal, Lucy cleared away the dishes, and Belle informed me of a bath.

Yes. I was allowed to take a bath. Staying in this weird tunic-like dressing gown had me scratching to no end. I wondered what kind of material they used. Taking a closer inspection of the material, I looked down at the garment for the first time since I woke up in this new body, and I saw two mounds on my chest.

_Breasts. I have breasts._ I almost jumped for joy. In my previous body, my chest was as flat as a surfboard.

Then a thought struck me. I realized I hadn't seen what this Clarissa Rose looked like. Was she as beautiful as the models I saw in _Vogue_ magazine? In my previous body, I had brown curly hair, brown eyes, and a cute button nose. Just an average American citizen.

Excited to see what I looked like now, I stripped the blanket back and jumped out of bed, marching straight to Belle who was busy folding some dresses.

"Belle, where's the mirror? I want to see myself."

"Your Majesty should take a bath. There's a mirror in the spa room."

"I'm having a bath in the spa room?"

"Yes." She nodded, smiling.

I stood there smiling at her. Belle looked at me and then at the door, wondering why I wasn't moving to the spa room. Nodding her head, she asked slowly, "Your Majesty has forgotten where the spa room is, too?"

"You're a smart one." I grinned, catching on to her words.

Belle led me to the spa room, which was only down the hallway from the room I was currently staying in, but the journey itself was a fascination of its own.

The palace was gigantic with interesting architecture, reminiscent of the Renaissance era. The ceiling was so high, with cool chandeliers hanging down like droplets of rain falling from the sky. There were many guards lining the outside of my door and in the hallway, as if I was under surveillance. Then again, I had never been in a palace before. I supposed this was how they would protect the royals. Well, I could rest assured now that I would not be killed a second time.

Belle led me to a room filled with steam. At first, I thought it was a sauna, until I spotted a small swimming pool with flower petals floating on top. And there was Lucy, responsible for pouring the petals in the water.

She turned to me, smiled, and said, "It's all ready, Your Majesty. You may take your bath."

And that was when it started. They came and attacked me on both sides, peeling at my tunic gown.

"Whoa. Whoa. Hold up there. What are you guys doing?" I screeched, pulling out of their hold.

"Your Majesty. We are helping you undress," Lucy explained.

"No way. I can do this myself," I refused. I had four limbs, just like them. There was no reason for me not to do it myself. Although I felt a bit weak, I could still manage.

"But, Your Majesty," Belle said, not ready to let the subject drop.

"Please leave. Both of you." I issued my order. "I'm fine. I want to do this myself."

After some internal battle between the two of them, Lucy finally relented. "Yes, Your Majesty. We will wait outside. Please call for us if you need anything."

_I won't need anything,_ I was about to say, but I just nodded my head.

I had always been a shy girl. Never had I let anyone see my naked body. And it would stay this way. So, there was no way they were coming near me again when I bathed.

They both bowed gracefully before leaving me to my own devices. Thank the Lord for that. And as soon as the door was closed, I rushed to the nearest mirror and inspected myself.

_Holy cupcakes!_ I had to do a double take. To say I was beautiful was an understatement. I looked gorgeous. With long, silky blond curls adorning my oval-shaped face, eyebrows the shape of crescent moons, eyes the color of pastel blue, skin the color of fine ivory, and ruby-red lips that didn't need lipstick to look sexy, I was the epitome of a rose, a goddess descended into this steamy spa room. Not to mention my new nose was extremely adorable. But I had to admit, I looked quite mature compared to my old self. I was nineteen in my previous body, but in this new one, I looked like I was twenty-five. I just bumped six years off my life. Oh well, no use complaining about my current age now. At least I got a new one.

I grinned cheekily. Time to inspect my new body.

I discarded the articles of clothing one by one and sucked in my breath again and again as each inch of skin was exposed to my eyes.

"Sweet spaghetti," I cried when only a thin silk dress was left on my body.

_Dear Grim and Reaper. You both couldn't have found a better-looking corpse than this_ , I thanked them. I could practically grace the front cover of _Vogue_ magazine with this figure. If I were a lesbian, I would definitely fall for myself right now.

Ample breasts that should be called breasts now, unlike my previous life, and a figure of a slim body, I was way over the moon with my new appearance. I bent my body backward and forward, contorting my body in different poses, looking for the perfect angle like a model in a photo shoot as I viewed myself in the mirror.

"Gee, you're so hot, Tami. So very hot," I mouthed at myself in the mirror. "And your teeth are all straight and nicely aligned, too, with pouty red lips like you've had Botox done."

Feeling confident of my new body, I threw away the last remaining article of clothing, the dress, neglecting to look at my body until I took it all off. And then with a smile on my face, I cast my eyes down south and...

"Holy cow," I screeched when I looked down at my body. Painted in strokes of deep-blue color were welts and bruises all over my beautiful new body.

_Dear Lord. Had someone abused this body? Or did the previous Clarissa Rose have a thing for S &M._

I shuffled the nightgown back on to cover my naked body, closing my eyes and inhaling more air to calm myself down. No wonder I felt so tired after I had woken up. And here I had thought it was due to that hurricane that had carried me here.

A sudden anger flared inside of me. _Okay, Clarissa Rose. You're dead now. You've drowned yourself in the bathtub, and you have abused this body through this fetish of yours. For that alone, I cannot forgive you. From now on, I'm taking over. And I will love this body._

I threw the nightgown off again and hugged a large white towel around my body, then made my way toward the edge of the pool. I was determined to wash myself clean of her past and start anew.

I dipped my toe in the pool and felt the heat of the water radiating all the way to my heart.

"Nice." I smiled.

I was about to slip into the water when the deep timbre of a voice from behind startled me, making me drop my towel.

"Waiting for me, are you, Clarissa Rose?"

## Chapter 3

# That Hot Intruder Who Makes my Heart Pound

My heart pounded the second I heard that deep voice. I whipped my head around to see the silhouette of a man who had somehow entered my private area, while clumsily trying to grab the towel to cover my naked state.

"Who...who are you?" I demanded of the intruder, clutching the towel to hide my nakedness.

"Hahaha." The voice boomed out with laughter.

My eyes skittered to the destination of that voice. I couldn't see him clearly because the steam inside the room was fogging the air.

"Who are you?" I shouted my demand again. "Answer me this instant!"

And then the man appeared out of the thin fog, the fog parting for him like he was the king of Alyria. Forgetting that I was by the edge of the pool, I inched backward when the man advanced toward me.

The man looked arrogant; like none I had ever seen before. He wore some sort of loose shirt, like those men in the Victorian era, with those sleeves rolled up to expose his tan arms. His chocolate-brown hair was swept to the side, a few long strands covering his eyes.

I was scared half to death at being caught in my naked state, so I cursed him.

"You brute!" I bellowed with my authoritative voice. "Get out of here. Or I will call the guards."

My eyes scrambled in all directions of the room, trying to calculate all of the possible exit points, if the man decided to attack me.

The intruder obviously did not obey my command, as in the next second he prowled toward me. I couldn't do anything as he came closer. I was so scared I started walking backward until there was no ground left and I was literally flapping my arms about in the air like a wingless turkey. With my mighty flapping, I ended up splashing into the pool below. The water wasn't deep, so I fell in my disheveled state, floundering about, looking for the white towel that had somehow flown away when I fell into the pool.

I saw the damned towel floating at some distance away from me. I gave it a curse, then remembered that I was still in the presence of the intruder.

Suddenly, violent waves rippled around me, and when I looked up again, the intruder was already in front of me, his hand tightly grasping the back of my head in a death-like grip. He pulled my face up to greet his.

Before, I couldn't see him clearly, what with all the fog of the hot pool obscuring his facial features, but now, up this close, this man was hot. His eyes were pieced with a gold-hazel color, like the sun cutting through all the dark secrets anyone wished to hide. They were full of mirth and a slight hint of evil. Plus, with a straight nose adorning his face and contemptuous lips which spoke of arrogance and a haughty behavior, he was the manly hero I liked to read about, the one who would make my heart swoon if I were to meet one in real life. And my heart did swoon. It pounded for that intruder.

"I heard you stupidly hit your head in the bathtub and almost drowned yourself. If not for the maids seeing you in time, your body would have blown up to the size of a whale by now."

_Oh, why does my hero have to have such a bad mouth? The brute._

"You!" I struggled out of his death grip, but he only gripped my head tighter. "You brute. Let me go," I yelled.

"Hahaha." The intruder sniggered and held me tighter, pressing his thigh in between my legs. I gasped, feeling an unfamiliar sensation rushing through my body. He moved my face closer, until his nose was grazing my cheek. I watched in alarm when his fingers began the journey down south, making small lingering circles around my breast. I had thought my command from before would be effective in keeping him at bay, but instead, we were plastered together like glue.

In my shocked state, I somehow managed to push him off and swam as fast as my legs could take me to the edge of the pool. Having no escape route because the water was starting to get deep, I clung on to the edge of the pool for support.

He gave a lazy laugh and swam toward me at a leisurely pace, as if I were his prey and he could attack me at any time. I felt threatened and frightened. When he got closer, I used my leg in an attempt to kick him. But I failed miserably. He caught my legs with both hands, holding them firmly in place. I tried kicking again to loosen his grip, but all I achieved was energy expenditure. By the time my energy ran out, I was still dangling on the edge of the pool, clinging for dear life.

At that point, an epiphany smacked me between the eyes. Maybe this intruder didn't know I was the Queen of Alyria. I should put him in place.

"I'll let you know that this pool belongs to Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, Queen of Alyria, and that is me," I said proudly of my new identity. "And I don't give you permission to enter this pool. Now get out," I said with an authoritative tone.

The man only chuckled like an insane person, and when he didn't listen, I threatened him again. "If you don't let me go, I'll scream for help."

He only chuckled louder, as if he was purposely taunting me. His deep chuckle echoed around the room, my heart resonating the sound too so that it wouldn't stop pounding. I told myself I was frightened; that was why my heart was behaving this abnormally.

"Stop laughing. I'll really call for help. My two maids and half a dozen guards are standing outside that door right now. With just one shout, they'll come in and rescue me."

He cocked his head to one side and snarled out, "Do you really think they would come in to rescue you?"

He didn't believe me. I proved him wrong. I screamed for help. "Lucy. Belle. Help me. There's an intruder in—"

He pulled my legs, making my hands slip, and I went down like a sinking ship.

I wasn't a good swimmer, but still I fought, trying to swim back up when he enveloped me, holding me captive under water. I opened my eyes, his blurry face coming closer, until those lips sealed with mine. I felt his tongue thrusting into my mouth. I drummed his chest, trying so hard to tear my lips away from his, but he kept going, molding his lips to mine, trapping my face between his palms. I was starting to lose consciousness, my lungs starving for air. My world slowly turning black, sunlight lit it up again, and we came up for air.

I sputtered and coughed, with water stinging my eyes. Before I could get my bearings, he had his hand fisted behind my head again. He greeted me with a glint of fury in his eyes and growled beside my ear. "How was that? Did I succeed in making your wish come true?"

My wish? What wish? If it was supposed to be my first kiss, then this was all wrong.

I hit him hard on the chest as soon as I was able to breathe again.

"Why did you do that?" I shouted out, gasping for more air in my starved lungs.

He dragged my head until we were mere inches from each other. Eye to eye, he hissed in my face, "Isn't that what you wanted? Since your first attempt at killing yourself only succeeded in you losing your memory. Or did you only plan to kill yourself just so you could receive pity from my people? Did you want to receive pity from me, too?"

He breathed harshly into my ear, drowning out the sound of my heartbeat. I blinked, not understanding a single word he was saying. When I looked away, trying to calm my raging heartbeat, he jerked my chin until I was face-to-face with him again. Golden eyes beat down on me like the heat of a thousand suns.

"Your Majesty, Queen of Alyria," he continued without so much as a fault to his posture. "I'll give you my honest opinion. If you want to commit suicide, you should have chosen a better location to die than in the bathtub. Why don't you jump off a cliff instead? Save us all from healing you back to health, don't you think?"

I was breathing so hard now, I could no longer think straight. My mouth formed into the shape of an O, but no words came out. The meaning of his words finally sank into my brain.

_Dear Lord. This brute wants to kill me. I was already dead once. I don't want to die again._

And with this, my energy surged back into me, and I yelled at him with renewed strength. "Let me go, you brute."

Somehow, I managed to push him off, but he caught my arms and pinned me against the side of the pool. I was trapped. Again. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?"

"Brute, huh?" he snarled, enjoying the position I was in. "I thought you would have invented another name for me by now. But I quite like it. If I'm a brute, then you're the queen bitch," he spat and laughed in my face like a raving lunatic out of the mental hospital. "I can't believe you don't remember me. Shall I remind you again just what we are to each other?"

And before he finished saying those words, he jerked my legs apart and wrapped them around his hips, locking my legs in place so that I couldn't move.

My eyes opened wider than a deer caught in headlights. I could feel all of him, his body heat, his rippled muscle beneath that shirt, and most of all, that hard bulge between his pants, nestled within my...

I screamed in horror. "What are you doing? Let me go. Right this instant."

"What? You don't like this position?" He mocked me. "Last I remember, you screamed for more when we fucked like this."

_What...? What is he talking about?_

Before I could even respond, he plunged his lips onto mine again and forced his tongue to invade my cavity.

"Mmmm." I struggled, hitting him more. I managed to tear our lips apart, then he gripped on to my head and captured my lips again.

He was a strong man. Not only was he holding my lips captive, he was also holding my body against my will, too. With one hand, he molded my naked breast, his fingers sharply kneading, pushing, and pulling at my nipple, and I ended up gasping and shuddering for more air. My breath hitched. My body trembled. And my mind sizzled. I heard him chuckle when he pulled his lips away from mine.

"No matter how many times we fight, our bodies always seemed to understand each other."

I was caught in a daze. Who was this man? What was his relationship with the previous Clarissa Rose? And was he the one responsible for inflicting all of those welts and bruises on Clarissa Rose's body?

Suddenly I was whipped out of my daze when I felt a finger probe my insides. _He...the...brute... He's fingering me._

I summoned all of my energy to push him back, but he only applied more force as he rubbed and traced the inside of my wall.

I panted. My body was betraying me. I was letting a stranger touch me. I was a virgin. No man had ever touched me there before.

Hatching a plan through my dazed mind, I held him close and let him kiss me. When he least expected it, I bit him hard on his shoulder.

"Ahhhh!" He roared and released me. Under three heartbeats, he caught my chin and tilted my head back to the point where I almost felt my neck was about to break.

"You brazen woman. You bit me," he growled.

"You brutal man. I did bite you," I retorted back, smiling at my victory.

But my triumphant achievement was short-lived as he overpowered me in the next instant, taking charge of our situation and roughly yanking my legs apart to reveal my forbidden flower to him.

I wanted to curse him again for putting me in this vulnerable position, but I could feel my strength weakening already, and before I knew it, my vision had darkened, and my body had slipped away into the empty black void.

## Chapter 4

# The Identity of My Intruder Revealed

_" Your Majesty Clarissa Rose. Tonight, I will make you scream out my name," the man with golden eyes huskily whispered into my ear._

_A sense of anticipation rushed through me. Oh, how I wanted him inside me. The need was so strong I clung to his neck, burying my face in his chest._

_I wanted to call out his name, but I didn't know what it was. Instead, my lips latched onto his collarbone, kissing him there, asking him for more, whispering nonsensical things in his ear. He replied by licking my earlobe and planting kisses all over my face._

_I glanced up, seeing his blurry face. He was my mysterious lover, the man whom I had come to love. He thrust into me, stretching me to the maximum. I felt so full and satisfied, my world was scattered with white flowers. Not wanting him to leave me, I locked my legs around his hips, imprisoning him within me._

_He let me, swooping his head in and taking my mouth in one smooth motion, sucking out my essence and entire soul. I let him, our arms and legs entwining together as one entity. We were naked, our bodies writhing together with the motion of lovemaking._

_"More. More," I rasped between kisses._

_"Beg me, Your Majesty. Beg me for more," he growled beside my ear._

_"Please. Give me more," I mewed under his ministration._

_He was pleased with my answer, grunting and groaning in response, angling himself into me so I could feel that pleasure, too. With one final thrust, I screamed, euphoria washing over me. He collapsed, his mop of hair on my naked breasts._

_My breath was catching up to me as my world slowly turned to reality. My mysterious lover pulled himself up, chocolate-brown hair partially obscuring his golden eyes._

_His lips curled into a smile, until it twisted into a sardonic grin. "Did you enjoy that, Your Majesty Clarissa Rose?"_

_My mysterious lover, his blurry face coming into full focus. I shuddered, recognizing that face. The intruder from the spa pool._

_No! No! No!_

* * *

"No! No! No!"

"Your Majesty, wake up."

Someone shook me, but I was still in this delirious state.

"Clarissa Rose, wake up."

Another shake and I woke up, blinking rapidly, reality slowly coming into focus.

The baroque ceiling. I was back in bed, in my sleeping quarters. I shifted my gaze to the left. Cecilia, Lucy, Belle. They were all beside me, faces overlaid with worry.

"Cecilia," I lunged into her, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my head in her lap. I wanted to feel her warmth again. She reminded me of an old grandma, someone I could confide in.

"Clarissa Rose, dear." She wiped my forehead. I didn't realize I was covered in sweat, with my heart drumming even louder than the African drums.

It was a dream. Only a bad dream. But it had felt so real. His hard lips as they clamped on my nipple, his...

"You had a bad dream, Your Majesty?" Belle asked, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Yes, really bad," I told her, hugging Cecilia even tighter.

"Did you dream of a monster?" Lucy asked, interested.

"Worse than a monster, Lucy. I dreamed of a man beast."

"Was he scary?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Yes, really scary," I told her. "Big, with golden eyes like a lion and a chocolate-brown mane."

"He's a lion beast," Belle declared.

"That's sounds scary," Lucy agreed.

"What did he do to you?" Belle asked more.

"He wanted to eat me," I said without thinking.

"Did he get to eat you?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide in horror.

"He..."

Oh, how could I tell them he did eat me, nibbling at my breasts, sucking out my essence, and I had enjoyed it immensely. I had even begged for more.

Not once in my previous body had I ever had that kind of dream. But since inhabiting this new body...that erotic dream...

My face fused red.

"Clarissa Rose. What caused this nightmare? Did something happen?" Cecilia asked, sensing a shift in me.

I immediately confided in her when I remembered that incident at the spa pool. That intruder. He was the man-beast in my illicit dream, and the culprit to all this.

"There...there was a man." My eyes were as large as an owl's as I narrated the full story to them. "I don't know how he got into the private bathing area, what with all security guards at the front door, but he did. He...he..."

I jerked up from her lap and paused, my flustered state getting the better of me.

What could I say to her? That he had kissed me numerous times and was about to have sex with me in the pool. It got me so turned on that before I knew it, I had fainted. And then I had to dream about us doing it, just because my body was so turned on. Oh, the shame.

"What is it?" Cecilia asked, probing for more information.

My face heated up, and my ears felt all hot. I must look like a beetroot in their eyes. I diverted my gaze from them and focused my sight on the window outside. This was so embarrassing. Growing up in the orphanage, I had never had this kind of discussion with any adults before.

"That man. He was...he was harassing me."

"You mean Mikael?"

"Mikael?" I jerked my head around to Cecilia the minute I heard that name. "You know this person? He's not some random intruder then?"

"Intruder, you say?" Cecilia asked, her face aghast.

"Yes," I nodded.

Cecilia burst out laughing, along with Lucy and Belle too.

What was so funny?

"Cecilia! Lucy! Belle!" I reprimanded them to no avail. "This is no laughing matter. Your queen has been harassed by this person. We should call security. File a report and put out a search warrant for his arrest—"

"Your Majesty," Belle interjected. "I don't understand what you are saying."

Oh, right. Of course, they wouldn't understand what a search warrant was. This was twenty-first-century language.

"What I mean is we should advertise, no wait, put up posters, no..." _Uh,_ _what's the proper word they use to search for a culprit in this world?_

"What are you trying to say, Clarissa Rose?" Cecilia asked.

"I mean we should search for him, then put him through trial," I finally managed to string some words together, hoping it would make sense.

"Oh, Clarissa Rose. This is really getting out of hand," Cecilia sighed. "I'm sure Mikael meant no harm."

I was confused by her odd behavior. It was as if she was defending this intruder and not protecting me, her queen. "Cecilia, are you saying that what I had experienced was a mundane issue? Who is this Mikael person anyway, to have such an influence even on you?"

"Clarissa Rose, my dear. Do calm down. You have just awoken from that terrible accident. Thinking about this will only cause more distress to your frail body."

"How could I calm down when you are taking this issue so lightly?"

Cecilia hugged me, pacifying my inner turmoil. "I'm sorry, Clarissa Rose. I keep on forgetting that you've lost your memory. I don't think Mikael was trying to harass you."

"What do you mean he wasn't trying to harass me? He..."

That brute! He kissed me and on top of that was touching my breasts. Who the hell was he anyway? And how could he even get into the secured spa room in the first place? I thought this palace was bulletproof, what with all the guards standing ground all day. I guess I was wrong. I wasn't safe after all.

"What did he do?" Belle asked, becoming interested in the matter. I was only too happy to tell her.

"He kissed me."

Lucy and Belle burst into another giggling fit.

"Belle! Lucy!" I chided them. "Why are you laughing? There's nothing funny about being harassed by some stranger."

"Stranger," they both chorused at the same time, then fell into another uncontrolled fit of laughter.

I give up. There was seriously something wrong with my two maids. First, they were so afraid of me that they trembled, and now not a day had passed, and they were laughing at what I had said. And then there was Cecilia. I had expected her to be the rational one among them, but she chuckled along, too.

She patted my head, trying to pacify me, possibly knowing I was annoyed at everyone laughing.

"Oh, Clarissa Rose," Cecilia said while Lucy and Belle were trying their best to hide their snorting laughter in the background. "You are really like a different person since you've woken up from that incident. Listen carefully, dear, then you can put your mind at ease. Mikael was only there to greet you after not having seen you for so long. After all, how could you call kissing a harassment when a consort has the right to kiss his queen. Now rest well. I need to see to things." She kissed me on the forehead and left, leaving me to ponder that statement in her wake.

"Has the right to kiss his queen," I mumbled that statement even after she had gone. I turned to Lucy and Belle who were standing next to my bed. "Lucy, Belle. Confirm for me. Who is this Mikael person?"

It was Lucy who proudly explained. "Your Majesty, His Majesty Mikael Brian Frederick is your consort."

"I know. That's what's Cecilia just say. But what's a consort? Why is this Mikael person my consort?" I asked for further clarification as an uneasy feeling started to settle in the pit of my stomach.

Belle jumped in this time, wanting to proudly explain. "A consort, Your Majesty, in simple terms is a husband. In this case, His Majesty Mikael Brian Frederick, the intruder who you said had harassed you in the spa pool, is your husband."

"And he was also the one who brought you back to your sleeping quarters when you fainted in the spa pool last night," Lucy said.

The meaning of their words sank into my brain. And like a little possum caught in headlights, for the third time since waking up in this world, I fainted.

## Chapter 5

# Tangling with My Husband

Apparently, I was a hazard to myself. No knives were to be found anywhere. Not even a trace of food. I was so hungry right now. That salad didn't help assuage my hunger one bit. I got up from bed but felt the world spinning around me again. I crawled back into bed and shut my eyes. All this fainting wasn't doing my body any good. I had to start eating again. And that was the first thing I asked for when I woke up. Food. Lots and lots of food.

By the time food had arrived, it was late evening. The sky had turned into an orange glow. It was quite charming actually, my new life, sitting here, waiting to be served from left to right, until I remembered why I had fainted again.

Mikael, that intruder, was actually my husband.

How on earth did I end up marrying someone like him when I was still a virgin? Well, I wasn't a virgin in this new body, but still, his personality stinks. If he were to change, I would consider liking him since he was so hot to look at, but underneath all that masculine physique, he was an abominable man, a tyrant who would rule the courtroom with an iron fist. I liked my guy to be kind, gentle, and sweet, none of which that brute Mikael was capable of showing.

I guessed it was a done deal, though. I couldn't go and divorce him. I was the Queen of Alyria. I must learn to live with him by my side. But that didn't mean I must submit to every whim. I was determined to fight him to the very end. I was determined to be strong again. I was determined to rule this kingdom with love and sincerity, once I was fit and well again, of course.

And so, with that goal in mind, I dug into the food before me, filled with meat and vegetables to the edges of the table. Because fighting and ruling a kingdom with an empty stomach would be stupid.

I forked a piece of chicken and chewed the morsel, loving the texture on my tongue. I took a sip of the grape juice, then with a drumstick in one hand, I gnawed at the meat, enjoying the feast. I was blessed with a new life. I would enjoy it to the maximum.

"So, you're not on a diet anymore?"

I heard his voice before I even saw him. I dropped my chicken drumstick, wiped my hand, and drank my water, all before turning to see him prowling toward me in his proud, arrogant, standoffish way. He deposited himself none too gently on my bed.

"Mikael!" I eyed him under my lashes.

"So, you've remembered me now." He crowded into my space, making my heart gallop unceremoniously again.

"My memory comes and goes. I might forget you again, soon," I said, returning to my food.

"But I will make you remember me again." He pinched my chin and jerked my face to meet his. "I'm sure your body would remember me even when your mind refuses."

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see those damned kissable lips that made my body hot and burning, only to see memories of being together in the pool, with him doing erotic things to me.

"Did you do anything to me at the pool after I fainted?" I asked, wanting clarification. Otherwise, my mind would never be at ease.

Mikael gained the upper hand, immediately sensing my uneasiness. "Gee. Let's see. Did I or did I not?" He flicked at my hair, twisting my golden curls around his finger.

I jerked out of his touch.

"This is not the time to play around. Tell me, did you do it?" I demanded.

"So what if I did? It's not like it's the first time, anyway."

His revelation shocked me.

It's not the first time? And then I had to shake my head. Of course, it would not be the first time. They were husband and wife; of course they would have sex with each other. But to say that to my virgin ears.

I was determined to stay strong. I would not let him affect me. So, I ignored him, turned back to my food, and started eating again. Mikael wasn't too happy to lose my attention.

"Take the food away," he commanded. His was an order that was meant to be obeyed, because Lucy and Belle were already approaching my table of food.

"Keep the food here, Lucy, Belle. I'm still eating."

"Take the food away." Mikael's voice increased by another notch. And that was enough for Lucy and Belle to gather all the food off the table. I watched them leave the room, along with my delicious food.

I turned my wrath on him. "I was still eating. Why did you order them to take my food away?"

He squeezed my chin, gripping without mercy. I wanted to wince under his ruthless care, but I stared right back at him, determined not to act weak.

"Clearly, you have eaten your fill. Otherwise you wouldn't have the energy to answer me back like that. Now tell me, who are you?"

What? Had I been ousted as a fake already?

I pretended to laugh. Mikael only glared at me. "Have you also hit your head, like me, Your Majesty Mikael Brian Frederick, King of Alyria, that you have forgotten your own queen, the woman to whom you are married?"

His eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe I had recited his full name. Oh, I had more up my sleeve. To think he would even suggest that I was an imposter. I'd play my card until the very end.

"Are you mocking me?" He squeezed my chin even harder to grab my attention.

"No. Just merely suggesting that you've lost a quarter of your memory, since you couldn't even remember what I look like."

"If you really are the Queen of Alyria, and my queen, then what is your middle name?"

Snap! The brute just caught me. __ Belle and Lucy had mentioned it once, but I wasn't paying much attention at the time.

_Clarissa Rose... Alessa? Aha!_

"Alessandra," I said proudly, confident in my memory.

Mikael shifted his eyes, running them up and down my face as if searching for fault. Suddenly, he pounced on me, using his heavy weight to pin me against the bed.

I struggled in his grasp. "What are you doing? Let me go."

"Trying to work out what is so different about you after you woke up from your unsuccessful suicide attempt."

He lightly brushed his rough fingers against my pale neck. My breath hitched, and I was pissed off with myself for even reacting to his touch. He untied the lace string at the base of my night dress. I knew his intention. My hand flew and slapped his cheek.

"You hit me," Mikael exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, I did. Have I never hit you before?" I jeered back at him. "Maybe I was too weak then. Someone should teach you how to behave better, especially in front of your queen."

His nostrils flared, and his golden eyes burned bright. "At the pool, you bit me. I haven't asked for retribution yet, and now you dare to hit me, your king."

"You need to be taught a lesson. Clearly being king of Alyria has gone straight to your head, and you have become arrogant. I will be the one who will put you straight in line."

"How dare you talk back to me. Before you were always so timid, a puppet queen who always lusted for sex, and now..." His eyes widened, as if an idea had formed in his head, and then he laughed. He released me, folding his leg and sitting on my bed like the authoritative arrogant king he was. "Oh, I get it now." He jerked at my chin. "You want to seduce me. Is that why you adopt this behavior? How did you know I like my women feisty?"

Women? Plural? He had other women?

Of course. This brute was a lunatic at heart. He wasn't dedicated husband material. The manwhore. To think the previous Clarissa Rose had married him. What was she thinking? Despite being hot and handsome, unlike any of the men I had seen before, he was still a brute, and a nasty one with a bad mouth to boot. He needed me to wash his mouth with soap so he could learn to address women better.

"Your Majesty Clarissa Rose." His fingers lightly brushed my arm, then slowly up to my chin and cheek, making my breath hitch again. He edged closer, until his lips were near my ear, then he whispered, just so I was able to hear him. "Why don't you just ask me politely, if you crave my cock? Want to taste it again?"

"You disgusting brute." I hammered him with my fist, fury my second name.

I pushed him off me with a strength I didn't know I possessed, but he bounced back just as fast, pinning me to the bed again.

"Let me go," I screamed again. I would not lose power to this brute. Come hell or high water, I must win.

"How did you know the more you struggle the more I want you. You are really turning me on." He laughed, his cocky voice grating on my ears, but his hands, they did things to me, making my body melt against him.

And that's when I knew what I had to do. I didn't move. I let him have his way with me. My thought was that if he found my struggle to be tempting, then I'd be a limp fish. See if he still found me desirable.

His eyes fired up even more. They beamed with lust. And they were targeted on me. Ahh, damn it! My plan backfired.

"Did you think by staying this still I would stop, Clarissa Rose?" His warm breath touched my ear.

I bit my lip and wanted to push him off again, but he was really too strong for my measly self. He took charge, burying his nose in my hair and kissing my nape. The strings of my nightgown became loose, and he pulled them aside, revealing my naked breasts. He feasted upon them immediately like I was his next best meal. Traveling lower, he ran his tongue along the curves and valleys of my body, all the while trapping my arms beside my head. I was about to scream, to protest, but he did something so unbelieve it locked my scream in my throat. He parted my legs and buried his face between my thighs.

I was shell-shocked. My fingers crushed into his long brown locks, trying to pull him back up. Instead, they acted on their own accord, pushing his head further in.

_What is wrong with me? Why am I acting like this?_

He lifted his head, just a fraction, and I saw his golden eyes piercing straight at me, between the valley of my breasts. He snarled like a cat with a mouthful of cream. My heart thumped erratically again. He flicked his tongue out and licked me, right at my forbidden flower. My eyes rolled back with pure lust.

This was just like my dream. Even more believably so. With my final resistance shredded into pieces, he took charge, tearing the rest of my gown off, revealing the welts and bruises on my body.

My breath hitched again as I felt his rough fingers lingering on my skin. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his heated gaze burning my skin.

I waited, wondering what his next move was.

Five heartbeats later and I still waited. Nothing.

I opened my eyes and saw him clenching his fist, the knuckles turning white. Fury was written all over his face.

"You are still the same slutty queen," he said in disgust, disengaging himself from me. "Don't think I wouldn't touch you just because he's had his hands on you first. Consider it your lucky day. Once these bruises heal, I'll come back to take you." He inched closer until I could see his burning irises. He pinched my chin, hissing in my face, "Remember, Clarissa Rose. You are nothing but my puppet. You are only here to satisfy my craving."

And those were his last words before he walked out on me.

I pulled the blanket up, my heart still drumming rapidly. I was saved for today. But that didn't mean I could escape his clutch next time.

I touched the bruises on my body. These had saved me. But he was disgusted by them, as if he weren't the one responsible for inflicting them on my body. If he didn't do it, then who did?

## Chapter 6

# That Handsome Stranger in My Bed

That night I had a nightmare of some unknown man tying me up and flogging me with a thin whip. I screamed as pain and blood seeped out of my skin. I jerked my eyes open, my heartbeat roaring in my ears, and saw the blurry image of a man sitting beside my bed. His blond hair and angular face resembled someone I knew so well.

"Papa. I missed you." I immediately went to hug him, wrapping my arms around his torso and burying my face in his chest. Papa had come back to me. He'd come back to say goodbye.

"My Queen," he softly said, gently cooing me to sleep, threading his fingers through my hair like he always did.

I wanted to tell him my nickname was princess, like he'd always called me when I was little, before Amy was born, but maybe he had forgotten since we had parted ways long ago.

"Why did you have to go?" I cried in his arms. "I missed you so much."

Papa was my pillar, the one man in my life I could turn to for anything. We were so close, he and I, that when he had died, a part of me had also died with him.

Nothing could replace his presence. At night, during cold, windy storms, he would tug me into bed and read me books. He helped me with my homework, taught me how to swim, and even let me drink soda when Mama wasn't watching.

I wished Mama was here, too, lying beside me while I snuggled in the middle, nestled between them like we always did on Sunday night, watching movies. But just having Papa here, hugging me, was enough for now.

I knew this was all a dream, but after that nightmare, I was pleased he had come to comfort me. I didn't know when he'd come back. Maybe he knew I had passed on, so he'd come to say his final goodbye to me in this realm.

I sobbed in his arms, hugging him so fiercely, afraid to let him go. All Papa did was softly coo into my ear, telling me to go to sleep and he'd protect me. And just like that, with him warmly wrapping his arms around me, I fell into a sweet slumber.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open to see the morning sunlight washing bright light over the damask wallpaper in my sleeping quarters. It was a beautiful morning. I felt it more than I could see it. In fact, I had slept so well last night; it was the first since waking up in this world. Just like the feeling of Papa's big hand cuddling me when I was a little girl. And his hand was still wrapped around me...

_Wait...what?_

I looked down and saw a man's hand resting on my stomach.

_Oh, my Lord._ Did Mikael come back? I thought he said he wouldn't come for me until my bruises had healed. _And what is this?_

The brute. Did he do anything to me last night while I was asleep?

I slowly shifted my body around, rotating myself until I came face-to-face with...

Blond hair partially obscuring a chiseled face with a defined jawline, centered by a beautiful roman nose. Long pale lashes adorned slanted closed eyes. Those eyes opened slowly, revealing stormy-gray pupils. Beautiful full lips stretched into a warm smile as soon as he saw me. "My Queen. You have awakened?"

"Ahh..." I screeched like a parrot, scurrying backward to get away from this stranger who was in my bed, only to realize I was naked. Mikael did things to me last night, and I fell asleep without properly dressing.

But that was only half of my concern. My full concern was, who was this man sleeping in my bed? I grabbed the bedsheet and wrapped it around myself.

"Who are you? Who are you?" I kept repeating like a broken record.

The man stretched and crawled toward me. I was scared out of my wits. I kept crawling backward until I toppled over the bed and fell on my bottom.

"Owww!" I howled in pain, rubbing my sore behind.

"My Queen." His face was plastered with worry as he rushed off the corner of my bed, hurrying to my side and crouching down to my level, his hands and fingers inspecting for any damages on my body.

He felt for my hands, backside, and legs, effortlessly gliding his fingers all over my skin. Wherever he touched, my skin burned and seared with unbridled desire. I shut my eyes, trying to stop this unwanted reaction.

_Tami, you shouldn't feel this way. You are now a married woman. You cannot have any illicit desire for this stranger in your bed,_ I kept reminding myself, but the more he touched me, the more affected and shorter of breath I became.

"Stay away from me," I demanded, shoving his hands away just to stop myself from going down the rabbit hole. "I don't know who you are or how you came to be in my bed, but I demand you to get out of here. I have a husband. He is King Mikael. And I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

He cocked his head to one side, a look of confusion passing over his face. Slowly, his lips quirked into a soft smile before he asked, "My Queen. Surely you haven't forgotten me? I've only been away for one week."

One week. Two weeks. It didn't matter. I never had any memory of him in the first place. And then something clicked.

_Wait? Could he be Clarissa Rose's lover? Did she have an affair behind Mikael's back?_

Oh, crap! This was batshit. Here I had accused Mikael of being a manwhore. Now where would that put me? A nymphomaniac. The previous Clarissa Rose and her husband were one of the same breed.

Maybe it was a normal thing, though, for royals to be in scandalous relationships, having affairs behind each other's backs. But I wasn't bred like that. In my previous life, a woman loved only one man. This was all wrong.

As I gazed into his eyes, his stormy-gray ones reflected back my image, and that push-pull tension between us was electrified even more.

I didn't like it one bit, this feeling he caused in me. If I had to suspect who was in the wrong, it would have to be the previous Clarissa Rose, for initiating such a liaison. How could a guy like this blond-haired Zeus have the power to jump into her bed, if she didn't allow it in the first place? I felt it was now my duty to put things right between us, so I apologized to him to redeem her wrongdoing.

"Look, I'm sorry if we had an affair, but I'm married now. I'm the Queen of Alyria. I must maintain dignity and standards. So, whatever affair we had before, it's now over."

I didn't know when their affair had started, and I was expecting a few shed tears after my declaration, mainly on his behalf, but I didn't expect a chuckle and a bemused expression to be plastered all over his face. "My Queen. I heard you'd hit your head rather hard and that you couldn't even remember our palace residents, but you are really starting to behave rather oddly. You are livelier."

And with this statement he stood up, proud and tall, and my God, my heart literally skyrocketed.

_What the heck is wrong with me? First Mikael and now this stranger in my bed._

But I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was a little taller than Mikael, standing at about six foot three, slender even, but his face was all angular. He had an air of absolute authority, exuding power and charisma, but with a gentle demure stature, unlike Mikael who exuded malicious and wicked intent.

He thrust his hand out to help me up. I eyed his hand like a foreign object, not sure if I trusted him enough to take it. What if he was the one responsible for the bruises on my body? That sudden thought had my hand jerking back.

Blond-haired Zeus cocked his head and gave me a lopsided grin before saying, "It's all right. You can take my hand. I won't bite. Unless you want me to."

Ha-ha. Very funny. But I somehow envisioned him biting me in places no man had ever bitten me before. And it wasn't an innocent picture.

I felt I could trust him, though, like there was an unknown force that seemed to pull me toward him. I gingerly placed my hand within his large palm, and an electric current zinged through my whole body. I jerked my hand back at the shock, skidding back two paces before my body returned to normal.

"My Queen." He reached out to touch me again, but I put a stop to him first. Just one touch had me electrocuted. I wasn't sure if I could handle another massive electrical attack.

"It's all right. I'm fine," I told him, getting up on my own, not forgetting to wrap the bedsheet around myself so my modesty was still intact, then rapidly articulated, "You must leave now. I don't want King Mikael getting the wrong idea."

"Clarissa Rose!"

Ahh, bullcrap! I was just thinking about the devil, and now he's here.

I glanced at the closed door, then swiftly back at the man in front of me.

I went into panic mode. "You have to hide. Like right now," I said to Zeus, quickly rushing over to him, only to stupidly trip over my wrapped bedsheet and go stumbling into him instead, naked body and all. Luckily, he caught me in time, twisting me around so I landed right on top of him.

But, oh, our bodies were meshed and molded in a very intimate position. I was naked; he was fully clothed, a very illicit and explicit image, and if any of the palace residents were to witness us now, all hell would break loose. I'd be the gossip of the whole kingdom. I would lose all dignity as queen.

But somehow, being here in his arms, it felt so right. I felt completely protected and cared for, which was strange because I had absolutely no idea who this man was, aside from suspecting that he was in a scandalous relationship with the previous Clarissa Rose.

"My Queen, are you hurt?" he asked me softly in his deep, caring voice, ensuring my safety first.

My heart drummed erratically in response, and I blinked a few times to stop myself from reacting this way. I bit my lip and averted my gaze, asking myself how a married woman like me could be so affected by this unknown man.

Then again, it wasn't my fault, was it? I was an unmarried girl in a married woman's body. Of course, I was allowed to ogle and eye him with wicked intention.

Crap! Now I sounded like Mikael.

But the guy was just too hot to handle. Not only did his personality remind me of my kind, caring dad, but his physical appearance also resembled my hot university professor, Mr. Tanner, whom I had crushed on for over half a year. Make that one year, if I hadn't died so suddenly.

"I'm fine," I rasped, somehow becoming shy all of a sudden. These words were the truth as they spilled forth from my lips. His eyes were fixated on my mouth, and mine were drawn to his stormy-gray pupils again. And I remembered my dad again, his caring voice, the raging storm outside, the—

"Clarissa Rose!" Mikael chose that moment to throw open the door, alerting us to his unruly present. His golden eyes were sharper than spears as they narrowed down on us.

Crap! I was in deep shit now.

## Chapter 7

# Caught Between a Lover and a Husband

A good girl like me, who had never even had her first kiss in her previous life, was now about to encounter a very awkward situation—getting caught between a lover and a husband. Any good soul would know the situation would turn nasty. And I had anticipated the event unfolding between the two men in my bedroom would not end well, either. I had to take action fast before there was bloodshed.

"Mikael, it's not what you think," I said, trying to untangle myself from Zeus. But Zeus was making my mission difficult as he curled his fingers around my waist, imprisoning me in our intimate position.

"Let me go," I pleaded when he wouldn't release me.

I wiggled out of his embrace, but the more I struggled, the more he clasped on to my waist. I caught a glimpse of Mikael, and he just stood there, arrogantly leaning against the doorframe with a sour look on his face.

I returned my attention to Zeus, and he smiled. The hot dude just smiled at me as if he enjoyed teasing me while my husband Mikael was standing not ten feet away. I somehow managed to remove myself from him at last, and hurriedly stood up, dragging the bedsheet with me to cover myself. Zeus followed suit, standing right behind me.

Mikael stalked toward us, his eyes bright and burning. He flicked his blazing gaze away from me, as if I was an unimportant figure in the room, focusing his sole attention on the man behind me.

_Are they going to get into a fight now?_

"Mikael, I said it's not what you think," I said again, standing to shield Zeus from the wrath of my husband. I was crazy. I had absolutely no idea why I must protect him. Maybe inside I knew he had a kind soul. "Leave this man alone. He hasn't done anything wrong."

Zeus curled his fingers around my waist and tugged me into his chest as if to tick Mikael off even more. He softly brushed the back of his hand against my cheek as if to comfort me. Leaning close, his lips touched the tip of my ear. "It's all right, My Queen. You don't need to give him a reason for you to stay with me."

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes at Zeus, lost in his stormy-gray eyes again. "What do you mean I don't?" I asked softly. "I'm a woman of dignity. I'm the Queen of Alyria. I'm—"

"Enough of this nonsense." Mikael cut me off, one hand wrapping around my arm and tearing me away from the warmth of the stranger. He turned to the man in question. "Regan. We have a meeting with the council in thirty minutes. You can continue your affair at a later time."

My eyes blinked rapidly. _What? I'm lost._

The man named Regan smiled and pulled me back into his arms like I was a rope in their game of tug-of-war. "Be gentle with our queen," he berated Mikael before carefully setting me on the edge of the bed.

I watched them as they interacted with each other, not with fury and fists, but with friendly words.

"Where is Zayden?" Mikael asked, folding his arms in arrogance and flicking his heated gaze at me a few times.

"Zayden is in the barracks, tending to his horse."

"What time did you get here last night?"

"Around midnight."

"And you came straight to see Clarissa Rose?" Mikael arched his eyebrow and tossed me another annoying glare.

"Yes," Regan replied to Mikael, dissipating Mikael's earliest glare with his warmest smile when he turned to me. My insides fluttered with butterflies. "I stayed the whole night. She had a nightmare about something, then started calling out for her father."

My mouth gaped open. The man I had dreamed of last night, the man I had thought was my dad, was actually Regan.

Regan strode toward me, his long legs eating up the distance between us in no time. And once again, I was hit by his massive chest and huge towering presence. He planted both hands on my cheeks, his face inching so close to mine, my heart kicked up a notch. "My Queen. I have to go now. I will come visit again." He left after patting me on my head like I was his little sister.

How strange. A minute ago, he acted like we were lovers, and now... I was reduced to nothing but a sibling.

I didn't have time to dwell on this subject. Mikael's presence in the room was almost too impossible to ignore. His wrath of a thousand suns burned into my skin as his eyes glared at me with an unstoppable force. And I became aware of my naked state once more. I pulled the bedsheet to cover myself, not realizing that he had prowled toward me like a predator having cornered his prey.

I shuffled on the bed to get away from him. But I was too slow. He trapped me with his massive chest, gliding his hand and cradling my head, bringing his nose so close to mine, I almost lost focus on my bearings.

"So lustful, Clarissa Rose," he taunted. "Playing with me last night wasn't enough, you had to lure Regan into your bed, too. Can't you wait until your bruises disappear? Did you want us that much?"

"Stop taunting me, Mikael," I snapped back. "Didn't you say you have the council meeting in thirty minutes? Why are you still here?"

Mikael laughed as if mocking me. "Do you want to get rid of me that much?"

"Oh, you are so very smart, my consort." I patted his cheek sarcastically, having decided to change my tactic. To win in this battle against Mikael would be to play it cool and pretend to act as if I had the upper hand. And it seemed like I had won in this bickering game between us, because my next words had him twisting in rage. "Since you're so intelligent like that, be a good puppy and go play with the council, so your queen can rest."

"I'm not your fucking dog," he growled at me, his face contorted with anger. I wasn't afraid of him one bit. I taunted him even more. "Since you called me your puppet queen, I'll call you my puppy consort."

I let those words marinate in his head, watching as he bit his lip. I was satisfied with the effect my words had on him.

I waited for him to lash out at me, or even burst into another torrent of anger. Instead, he did something so peculiar. His fingers slid from the back of my head to subtly trace my lower lip with...

Care?

I blinked again, my heart galloping at fifty miles a minute at this unexpected turn of events. He continued to trace my lips with tender care and devotion, smiling handsomely at something.

I didn't trust him one bit. He must have had something planned. And his action came sooner than I expected it.

"Since I'm your puppy consort," came from his husky voice, his lips twisting sardonically, "why don't you give me a kiss on the forehead. Isn't that what a mistress does to her puppy?"

"Kiss? You want a kiss?" I reacted in shock at his one-eighty-degree behavior. "I'd rather knock your forehead with my fist than give you a kiss."

"But you kissed me in other places last night. Remember?" He spoke so softly, as if enticing me with the timbre of his voice. This devil was dangerous. I almost fell into his trance again, but I kept up my façade of the strong woman. I glared right back at him. And when he saw me like this, he asked, "Why? Have you gone shy now that it's morning?"

He really was so annoying, and his actions made my breath hitch again; I had to swat his hand away just to keep my heart from beating like a stupid drum. "What happened between us last night was a nightmare, so I have forgotten all about it."

"You really are two-faced, Clarissa Rose. Since you have forgotten what we did last night, should I remind you how far we went?"

"Don't even try. I won't let you seduce me again."

"Ha-ha," he bellowed with laughter, satisfied with my reaction. "See, you do remember. You are really easily seduced, my lusty queen."

I was starting to get pissed at him for calling me lusty queen all the time. Sure, the previous Clarissa Rose might be lusty, but I wasn't her. This new Clarissa Rose was different. And I'd show him that I had the grace and breeding of a gentle lady, even though I was a girl born in modern society.

"Stop calling me that. I'm not a lusty queen," I bit back.

"Shall we prove how wrong you are?" he challenged me.

"I dare you to try." I took his bait.

"So feisty again. I love it." He licked his lips as if I were a delectable dish he wanted to sample. He moved in fast, wanting to surprise me with his next action. But not as fast as I. I knew what he was up to, having experienced it firsthand a few times. I leapt out of his hold and went for the jug beside my bed.

"You kiss me, and I'll knock your head with this jug," I threatened him, holding my weapon high above my head.

"Hahaha," he roared with laughter, like his usual lunatic self again, daring me when I wouldn't make my move. "Come on. Knock me with that jug. I'm right here. Make sure you get a good hit." He even pointed to his forehead.

That devil! I was only too pleased to follow his command.

It all happened in slow motion. I moved the jug, hand grasped tightly on my weapon, to hit my target, Mikael's head. But somehow, with a flick of his wrist, he had me underneath him, and my weapon went flying out the window.

"Let me go, you brute." I pounded at him again, angry at myself that I couldn't achieve this measly feat.

"You think a jug like that could subjugate me?" he taunted.

"At least I tried," I spat back.

"Oh, Clarissa Rose," he chuckled, caressing my nape. "I'm starting to see why Regan came running straight into your bed as soon as he came back from his journey. You are starting to become more irresistible in my eyes. You know what? I never found you pleasing before. You were always so cold, like a dead fish, but now...now... Since you've woken up from your recent accident, you've started to excite me. There's something unique about you I haven't seen before."

His pupils burned brightly, hazel-gold shining with lust as he descended to my lips. He took me in one smooth motion, kissing me so suddenly, I almost lost my senses again. His hands glided up and under the bedsheet to feel my bare bottom, and I woke up from my lust-induced stupor.

"What are you doing?" I pushed him off, gasping for extra air after that extravagant kiss. "Didn't you say you will wait until my bruises have healed?"

"I don't know. You're giving off too much sexual pheromones; I can't resist it." He pulled me under him again.

But before he took my lips for the second time, I screamed, "You are one crazy, delusional king."

"And you are one lustful, delusional queen." He pinched my chin, a demon fully possessing him. Then he shook me like a rag doll. "You woke up from your incident, having forgotten me until I reminded you. But to forget about Regan, too, you really are one conniving queen."

"Regan?" Blond-haired Zeus with stormy-gray eyes flashed back into my mind.

"Yes. Regan. Don't tell me you've forgotten your first consort?"

"My first consort?" My eyes opened wide at that revelation. Blinking rapidly, a thought smashed into my head.

_The stranger I found in my bed is Regan, my first consort, and Mikael is my second consort. Holy crap! The previous Clarissa Rose had two husbands?_

I acted fast.

"Oh... Regan..." I acted as if I knew what I was talking about. The truth was I was spouting out crap. "Why did you think I had forgotten him? Is it because of my loss of memory? Or was it the act I put on earlier, when you came bursting through the door without my permission?" I didn't let him say a word before continuing. "See, Mikael, I was trying to put some excitement into our lives. I was only pretending to have an affair with Regan. Don't worry too much. I remember Regan very well. It seems you are the only one I have forgotten after my accident."

I watched Mikael as he brewed with anger. "What about Zayden and Verrick?"

_Who the hell are Zayden and Verrick?_

_Holy shit! Could they also be Clarissa Rose's consorts? The hell! How many husbands did the previous Clarissa Rose have? Does she have her own little harem, like those sheik novels I read?_

It was so hard to keep a straight face, what with all the revelations Mikael kept pounding on me, but I still acted tough.

"What about them?" I said indifferently. I should just win an Oscar for my superb acting.

Mikael couldn't say a word. He only glared at me as if trying to decide whether I was telling the truth. Twisting his hand, he jerked my head forward and closed his lips over mine. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, capturing and sucking out my soul. Pulling our lips apart, I heaved and gasped for more air.

He jerked at my chin until I was face-to-face with him. "You are one irresistible imbecile," he growled seductively. "But I'm starting to like you a lot. Watch out, Clarissa Rose. You have roused an interest in me."

And with this, he dropped me like a pinball, tossed me another seductive glance, and strode out the door, leaving me with my mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. Those words that Mikael had imparted on me exploded into my head.

_I have four husbands, and Mikael has a huge interest in me._ Oh, how was I to deal with this new information?

## Chapter 8

# Kingdom of Alyria 101

I got dressed as soon as Mikael left. This was not the time to moan and whine about my new life. If I were to survive in this new body and not get ousted as an imposter, I had to gather all knowledge about this new world, and there were no better resources than my two maids.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, glad that they had all the amenities of the twenty-first century, I got dressed. The tunic-gown thing took some time to get into, but I managed, at last. Once done, I called out for my maids. "Lucy. Belle."

Lucy and Belle hurried into my sleeping quarters, bowing gently in greeting.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," they both chorused.

"Good morning," I said cheerfully. "I had a fitful sleep, but now I'm hungry."

"Perfect timing, Your Majesty. Cook has just finished preparing the food. I will return with sustenance, soon," Lucy said, giving me her graceful curtsy, then she left, along with Belle. At that moment Cecilia glided into the room along with Dr. Ford trotting after her.

"Good morning, Clarissa Rose."

"Good morning, Cecilia." I smiled at her, then turned my attention to the good doctor. "Good morning, Dr. Ford."

Dr. Ford almost tripped over his own two feet at my greeting. "Good morning, Your Majesty. How is your head?"

I gave him the thumbs-up. "Good."

Dr. Ford lifted both thumbs-up, too and stared at me blankly.

I lifted both thumbs-up again and nodded my head. "Yes, really good. My head is all better."

"Good." He nodded his head. I turned to see Cecilia lifting her thumbs-up, too, and smiled, wanting to laugh so hard at these two elders mimicking my action.

Dr. Ford approached me and started inspecting the bandages around my head. "If you get any head pain, let me know. I could prescribe you some pain potion."

"I'm all good. My head is much better, but there is one thing I need your permission for."

Cecilia came to stand by my side and rested her hand on my shoulder as encouragement. "Clarissa Rose, what's wrong? Are you in pain somewhere else?"

I gave my attention to Cecilia. "I was wondering, Cecilia and Dr. Ford, if it's not too much trouble, since I'm all better, I want to go outside. Breathe in the fresh air. I mean, I've been cooped up inside this bedroom for a few days now. I need a change of scenery."

"Dr. Ford, what is your advice on this?" Cecilia queried.

"Your Majesty, of course. I'm so sorry for not suggesting it sooner." Dr. Ford shifted to Cecilia and offered his advice. "Lady Cecilia, if it's not too troublesome, Her Majesty may go outside for one to two hours every day. But she must remain rested for another week before she can resume normal duties."

I smiled gleefully to myself, not forgetting to thank Dr. Ford before he left. He gave me another quizzical look before exiting.

Cecilia led me to an ottoman and sat me in front of the mirror. She picked up a comb and started brushing my hair, careful not to damage the bandages wrapped around my head. It was such a soothing action I almost fell asleep. But I couldn't and mustn't. Time was crucial, and Cecilia was right on my doorstep. I should take advantage of her.

"Cecilia, what was I like before the accident?" I asked the lady with the most knowledge about the previous Clarissa Rose.

"Why the question all of a sudden, dear?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Hmm. I don't know," I said. "I just want to remember my past, I guess." I made an excuse on the spot.

Cecilia chuckled as if reminiscing from a certain part of her memory and said, "You were an adorable child. I remember when you were young; you would always cry whenever you didn't get what you want."

"I was a spoiled child?" I gazed up at her, thinking that the previous Clarissa Rose was really such a privileged child.

"Yes. Very," she said. "Then again, you were an only child. And the future queen of our clan. And now you are the queen of our kingdom."

Wow! What a responsibility. I take back what I said before. Maybe being queen is not all it was cut out to be. "Was I involved in the running of this kingdom?" I inquired some more.

"That is not your job. You have the council and your consorts to do all that."

Oh! I had thought I would be expected to do more. Oh, well. "So, how did I spend my days, then?"

"What a queen should do, of course."

"And what should a queen do?"

"Clarissa Rose, dear, enough of the questions for now. You are still unwell. I will tell you all about your duties in due course."

_Okay._ I nodded, and Cecilia continued her brushing. I was lost in thought again.

Perhaps what Mikael said was true after all. Maybe the previous Clarissa Rose was merely a puppet queen, serving no purpose for the kingdom, just a face to represent the nation. _Mmmm. Definitely food for thought._

"Did Regan come visit you last night?" Cecilia's question jerked me to reality.

My face grew red at the mention of Regan. I cleared my throat before answering. "Yes, he did."

"King Regan got so worried. As soon as he arrived back at the palace, he came straight to see you," Cecilia commented.

And that he did. He even slept in my bed. But she didn't need to know that much detail.

"Can we go outside today?" I decided to change the subject. Any more mention of this Regan person would have my face turning into a ripe tomato.

"You want to go outside...today?"

"Yes. I'm feeling much better," I chirped out my answer.

"How about after lunch? I'll take you out myself. We could go to the Maze Garden. I remember as a child you loved to play there. Maybe it'll help jog your memory when you see it again."

The Maze Garden sounded splendid, but there was no way I'd remember anything. I answered with a smile to appease her.

"That would be very cool." When Cecilia cocked her head in confusion, I corrected my words. "I mean to say it would be nice. I would love to go."

Cecilia chuckled and patted my hair. "It's going to take some time for me to get used to your new way of speaking, but I'm glad you're back with us."

"Me, too. I'm glad to be here. Alive." I smiled gleefully. She didn't know how true that statement was.

After a small while, Cecilia left, saying she needed to organize our outing. At that moment, Belle came in holding a bottle of red liquid. I was so freaked out that it would be wine again, I jerked back in bed until my head hit the headboard.

Belle raced to my side. "No, Your Majesty. This is grape juice, like you wanted last time."

"Phew. Thank you." I relaxed, and when she offered me a glass to taste, I nodded my approval. It was super delicious.

"This drink is made out of real grapes? No preservatives?" I got curious and asked.

Belle frowned at the word preservatives, but she answered my question anyway. "Yes, Your Majesty. We pick the grapes ourselves."

"We have a vineyard here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It's near the Maze Garden."

"Oooh...yippee. I love grapes. Cecilia said she'd take me to the Maze Garden after lunch. Maybe we could go visit the vineyard and pick some grapes together?"

Belle smiled and agreed with my plan. After taking a few more sips, I asked, "What are the queen's duties here in this palace, anyway?"

I couldn't get an answer from Cecilia, so Belle was my next best bet.

"You are the face of our kingdom," she answered proudly.

Hmm. That didn't get me any further than Cecilia's answer. "I get that, but what else?"

Belle drew a blank.

Okay, this, I needed to find out for myself. Next question. "Tell me about this Mikael person...um... I mean my consort."

I corrected my mistake fast, but Belle didn't seem to notice. If anything, she was all too eager to impart her knowledge on the second king.

"His Majesty, King Mikael, is a kind and gentle soul."

I sputtered and choked on my drink upon hearing her words. Belle hastily rubbed my back. Thankfully, I managed to regain my composure.

"Kind and gentle?" I asked in disbelief. More like cruel and brutal. "Are we even talking about the same person here?"

"Yes. King Mikael." Belle nodded her head furiously. "Are we not referring to King Mikael, your second consort?"

"Yes, we are, but I don't recall him being all kind and gentle." Unless the guy's bipolar. That would explain his twisted personality.

"That's because you lost your memory, Your Majesty," Belle said. "King Mikael is always so righteous. He's brave and strong. He's the strategic general in the Alyria council."

I had gathered that much already. Alyria seemed to be a kingdom that's run by the council and the royal queen, like Clarissa Rose was merely a face to represent the nation.

Just when I was busy pondering this thought, Lucy returned, followed by a few other maids with trays of food, and my thoughts on Mikael flew out of my head. My sole focus was now the food in front of me.

I was astounded at the amount placed on offer this time. Maybe after the first day's fiasco of eating such a small meal, they had finally deemed me healthy enough to cook me a feast. There were meats and vegetables. I couldn't resist it. I indulged myself and stuffed my face with food.

Maybe my new life in the palace would be pretty much like this. Eating by myself and not having any interaction with my four husbands. I guessed it was good in a way. All of them were strangers to me. I could even lead my own life. How splendid would that be?

Thinking about my new life, I wondered if I had any family relatives. Aside from Mikael, Regan, and Cecilia, I hadn't encountered any other significant people in the palace. I needed to check out Zayden and Verrick, too. I needed to know who I was up against.

As soon as I had finished breakfast, I sat on my bed, my palm under my chin, and gestured for them to sit on my bed, too. They needed to get comfortable. We would be talking for hours. But Lucy and Belle didn't get what I was implying, so there was nothing to do but to put on my almighty queen's voice.

"Sit. Right now. I demand you both sit on my bed."

My two maids moved at lightning speed. Skirts flapped around ankles as they positioned themselves on my bed. Once I saw they were comfortable, I said, "I need your help."

Both gaped wide-eyed at my request.

"Your Majesty. We will do anything for you," Belle said all proudly.

"I knew I could count on both of you. Now, tell me, this kingdom of mine. And..." My face fused red at the words that were about to be imparted from my lips. "And my four consorts."

Okay, that was easier than I'd expected. The previous Clarissa Rose had four husbands. I still couldn't fathom how she had slept with all of them. And at the same time, too.

Oh shit. Why was the first thought that entered my mind about how they slept together? _I have such a dirty mind._

"Your Majesty..." Something about Lucy's facial expression stopped my dirty thought from processing.

"There's something you want to tell me?"

She nodded. "You don't remember that part of your life?"

"Which part?" They had such serious looks on their faces, I was afraid to know the answer. But whatever it was, I was prepared.

"You tell her Belle," Lucy said, all sensitive, her eyes downcast.

"Go on, Belle, tell me. I'm ready." I urged her.

"Your Majesty," she said slowly and clearly, "technically, you have five consorts."

## Chapter 9

# The Five Kings

"Five!" I screeched out, startling both Belle and Lucy so that they both stared wide-eyed at me. Why was I even surprised? When it came to the previous Clarissa Rose, anything was possible.

"Sorry, I'm fine. I just couldn't believe I'd forgotten something so important—like having five consorts," I said to calm them down.

Wow! The previous Clarissa Rose was indeed busy. Five husbands, one for every day of the week, excluding Saturday and Sunday of course. Then again, who knows, she might even have two other lovers to fill in her Saturday and Sunday nights.

This thought had me shaking in my boots. What kind of woman was this previous Clarissa Rose? Maybe Mikael was right after all. She indeed was one lusty queen.

Before I could contemplate this topic further, Belle continued, "King Regan is your first consort, followed by King Mikael. Then we have King Verrick, your fourth consort and lastly, King Zayden, your fifth consort."

"Back up a minute there, Belle," I stopped her. Something fishy was going on here. Maybe I'd missed an important piece of information, but where's my third consort? "Didn't you say I have five consorts?"

"Yes. You had five consorts, Your Majesty, but King Kendrick, your third consort, passed away some months back."

What? Passed away? As in death? Like me, when that monster truck squashed me, and I ended up possessing Clarissa Rose's body in this new realm?

How sad. What a tragedy the previous Clarissa Rose had gone through. Married to five husbands, and to go through one of her husbands' deaths, she sure had some tough shit going on in her life.

Did he die due to some sort of disease or accident? I knew what it felt like to lose two of my most important persons. When both of my parents died, it had caused a hole in my heart that had never healed. Maybe it was the same for Clarissa Rose.

"How did King Kendrick die?" I asked.

"It was an accident. King Kendrick fell off a cliff six months ago, when you both went on your outing. Luckily, you survived."

"You mean I witnessed his death?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they both chorused.

Wow! This was like some kind of sappy romance novel between two star-crossed lovers. No wonder the previous Clarissa Rose went all cuckoo. In fact, I was convinced now that she wasn't a bad person. She was really the victim of all these unfortunate incidents. Sure, she intimidated her people a little and was maybe even a little lusty in terms of her sexual appetite for men, but I really think she did love King Kendrick. Maybe that was why she had wanted to commit suicide in the bathtub. She loved him so much that after his death, she had become traumatized and was mentally unstable, hence the self-harm.

But that didn't explain why her other consorts were so distant from her, especially her second consort, King Mikael. That dude hated her guts. I was witness to his brute force these past few days. But what about Regan? Who was he, and why was he so nice to Clarissa Rose? And where do Verrick and Zayden, fit into all of this?

Ahh, this was confusing me. It was better to ask Lucy and Belle about it than to try to come up with answers myself.

"Tell me about King Regan. How did he become my first consort? I need to know everything, from beginning to end."

"Like the very beginning?"

"Yes, the very beginning, and how we met and fell in love."

"In love?" Belle looked unsure.

"Yes. We were in love, right?" I asked for clarification. If not love, then what? Regan acted like he loved Clarissa Rose. He called me 'My Queen' all the time. Or was I wrong?

"Your Majesty," Belle said quietly, as if unsure on how to phrase her next sentence.

I encouraged her. "Come on. Out with the information. I promise I won't be mad. You have free speech with me."

"Free speech?"

"It means you can say whatever, and I won't be mad."

"Oh, okay. Then I shall try to say it in a nice way. Your Majesty, your marriages with all five consorts were through arranged marriages."

"Oh!"

Now, why did that confirmation make me sad all of a sudden? I should be pleased. That meant, even if we didn't have intimate relationships, we could live separate lives. But that meant the theory of Clarissa Rose in love with Kendrick and how she had committed suicide because of his death was no longer plausible. They were not in love in the first place.

"Keep going. What happens next?"

"Our beloved King Regan is your first consort. He entered into a marriage of convenience with you to protect his clan."

"Belle, you got it all wrong," Lucy said. "Let me tell Her Majesty what really happened." Lucy turned to me and started her narration. "It all started with The Crimson Devils Clan. They are the most powerful among the six clans in the Kingdom of Alyria."

"Okay, got it. Six clans exist in Alyria, and one of them is the powerful Crimson Devils Clan. And what are the names of the other clans?" I asked, engrossed in this subject.

"There's The Sapphire Clan, The Silver Swords Clan, The Black Bandits Clan, The Ice Butterfly Clan, and your own clan, The Rose Blossom Clan."

"I belong to The Rose Blossom Clan?" I pointed to myself.

"Yes. We all belong to The Rose Blossom Clan."

"And right now, this palace, where does it reside?"

"See, Your Majesty," Belle took over the narration now, engrossed, like me, in the history of Alyria. "This whole palace is located in the Eastern region of Alyria, where the majority of the residents are the Rose Blossoms."

"But there are also people of The Silver Swords Clan, The Black Bandits Clan, The Sapphire Clan, and The Ice Butterfly Clan here."

"And how are they related to The Rose Blossom Clan?"

"They are all the people of our five kings, Your Majesty."

"The five kings?" I asked. "You mean by my five consorts?"

"Yes. You are married to each king of the four clans. King Regan belongs to the Ice Butterfly Clan, King Mikael to The Sapphire Clan, King Verrick to The Black Bandits Clan, and King Kendrick and King Zayden, The Silver Swords Clan."

"Wait! Back up a minute there. How come I married both kings from the same clan? I thought there's only one king in each clan."

"Well, your Majesty. To answer your first question, yes, you were meant to marry only one king per clan, but since King Kendrick passed away, it's by law that the next sibling in line would be obligated to fulfil his brother's duty. Therefore, King Zayden married you after His Majesty King Kendrick had passed away."

"I married my own brother-in-law from The Silver Swords Clan?" I screeched in astonishment.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And when did you say I married him? One month after Kendrick's death, wasn't it?"

"Yes again, Your Majesty."

"What the hell," I fumed. "Did I even mourn Kendrick's death?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. All of two days."

Two days! My head was spinning. I was in total denial. I didn't know what to think of the previous Clarissa Rose anymore. I couldn't decide whether she was a good person whose fate had been decided by her royal background, or whether the consequences of her path in life were her own doing.

Wait! Something just clicked. "If, say, any of my other consorts happens to meet their death, does that mean I have to marry their siblings, too?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is by law."

"The hell!" I screeched again. "Who created this stupid law?"

"It is you, Your Majesty."

"My mind was cloudy after the death of Kendrick, but after my incident, I have awakened, and my mind is now fresh," I said to them. "Four consorts on my hands are more than enough to deal with. What was I thinking, marrying all of these kings? Surely these alliances could be made without the marriage part. I mean, do we even love each other?"

"That's matters behind closed doors, Your Majesty. We don't know." They both blushed and cast their eyes downward.

I couldn't blame them. Even I would blush when topics such as a sexual relationship were brought up, but right now, I was all riled up and my embarrassment took a back seat.

"So, do we live in harmony then?" I emphasized the harmonious part. Even if there's no love in our relationship, as long as we could respect each other, that was all that mattered.

"Yes."

"Right here in Rose Blossom nation?" I clarified.

"Yes, although all the clans still exist in their individual regions, all together we are one kingdom. But right here is where all our Kings reside. Beside you, our queen."

"Except King Verrick," Belle added. "He is back in Corrian."

"Corrian?"

"Yes, where The Black Bandits clan resides. Unfortunately, he had important things that needed attending to. So he couldn't come to see you this time."

Was Clarissa Rose not important to him? Even when she almost died? I thought sadly to myself. Oh well, it was not like we really loved each other. At least we haven't officially met each other. I supposed it was better this way. If we disliked each other this much, it's best if we stayed far away from each other.

"As I was saying before, Your Majesty," Lucy spoke again, "all the marriages were by arrangements. The Crimson Devils Clan wanted to conquer all five clans, but your grandfather, the late King of The Rose Blossom Clan, and the kings of the four clans made a pact to protect the people. Hence, that's how you came to be married to the five kings. It's to strengthen our alliances and create an unstoppable force against The Crimson Devils Clan if they were to attack us."

"But that would never happen, right, because of my current four consorts?"

"That's right. Our four kings would protect the citizens of Alyria."

Thinking about the subject of protection and alliances had me remembering Clarissa Rose's grandfather.

"What happened to my grandfather?" I touched base on the one living relative they mentioned. "I haven't seen him since I've woken up from my accident."

"Your Majesty." They looked at me sadly. "Our King Bennet passed away a year ago due to ill health."

"And my parents?"

"You were orphaned when young." Lucy went silent, allowing me to mourn the death of Clarissa Rose's relatives.

It seemed like even in this new body, I was still parentless. Will my fate never change?

"Thank you for telling me all this. Now I feel I am more prepared to face this world," I said sullenly, but at least grateful for the new information.

"It must be hard not to remember all the important facets of your own life, Your Majesty," Belle muttered.

"But it's all right, Your Majesty," Lucy reassured me. "We will be your eyes and ears. We will also be your memory bank. We've been here long enough to know what happened."

I smiled at them and took their hands in mine, thanking them for helping me since I had entered this new body.

I had my two maids and Cecilia as my resources. With my newfound knowledge, I could tackle anything.

Or, so I thought, because nothing could prepare me for when I met Zayden, my fifth consort...

The new King of The Silver Swords Clan.

## Chapter 10

# Lost in Your Seductive Physique

I was lost. Why did we even enter the Maze Garden in the first place? Whose idea was it to think it was fun to get swept away in this game of cat and mouse? Me. It was all my fault.

Cecilia, Lucy, Belle, and a few other attendants came to accompany me on this outing, but wanting to get away from their prying eyes and to have a little time to myself, I had thought of this game. And now I was lost, aimlessly walking around this garden with futile results. And I didn't even get to visit the vineyard to pick grapes. Damn it! I hit another wall and was pissed with myself even more. If only I had a cell phone, I could call them for help, but in this world, there was nothing like a mobile device or even the internet, let alone a computer.

I sat, pressed against a concrete wall, and pondered what the best option was: wait and let them find me or continue to wander around aimlessly and get further lost. I chose the first option.

I shut my eyes and waited. What time was it now?

The midmorning sun beat down on me with no mercy. I wished I had brought a hat. It was so hot, my throat like the Sahara Desert— parched dry and thirsty.

My ears perked up. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear water trickling. It may be my imagination, but I wasn't taking any chances. I got up from the spot and plastered my ear against the concrete wall.

Yes. Definitely water. I could hear it loud and clear now. There must be some sort of fountain or stream on the other side of this wall. And the more I listened to it, the more I was tempted to get a taste of that water.

I stood on tiptoe, trying to peer over the edge, but it was far too high, even with my new and improved height.

I searched the area, looking for something to stand on, when lady luck graced me with her presence. A bench stood to the side, hidden by some bushes. I pushed and shoved, using my legs, body, and arms, until it stood erect against the wall. I climbed over it.

_Ahh, shit!_ I was stuck in a pickle. If I were in my previous body, I could have leapt over it by now, as I was fit as a fiddle. With this new body, I was struggling to even breathe properly, let alone dangle on the edge of the wall like Humpty Dumpty.

_Note to self: Got to take up running again when fully recovered._

I heaved and finally managed to pull myself up completely. Swinging my legs forward, I sat on the edge of wall and gazed at the picturesque sight before me.

Wow. What a sight! It was like I was in fairy-tale land, minus the dragons and unicorns of course. Rows and rows of lush green trees decorated the entire landscape, all the way to the horizon where the land merged with the sky. Perfect, beautiful, and unspoiled by people.

I guessed this part of the land must be kept for preservation, like a national park. There wasn't even a single orange roof, which might indicate no humans were in this vicinity.

_Am I outside the palace border?_

I cast my gaze south, and I saw the elevated ground leading to the wall. It wasn't that far down from the ledge. I could jump down easily.

The sound of water tempted me again, and I rationalized with myself that I could always climb back up once I had a taste of that water.

Mind made up, I followed the sound of the water, and not five minutes later, found the source. It was a large rock pool with a waterfall gushing from a small mountain.

_Wow! How beautiful._ The water looked so refreshing, and I was smelling more and more like a pig. Gazing around, I saw the large pool was shrouded with heavy bushes at its border, like a magical oasis for unseen visitors. I guessed I was the only lucky one here to see it.

I didn't hesitate further. I jumped straight to struggling out of my gown. It was stupid, really, to be wearing such a fancy gown to walk in the garden.

After removing my underwear and laying them beside a rock, I waddled in. I wasn't afraid to be naked here, as there was not a single soul in this place, save for the birds and bees chirping and buzzing away.

The rock pool wasn't too deep. I kept at the center where the water level reached just below my chin. Cupping a handful in my palms, I drank the water. It was the most delicious water I'd ever tasted. Clear, sparkly, and fresh. If this was back in my previous world, someone would make a gazillion bucks just by selling this water bottled up. But a beautiful and native place like this shouldn't be tainted by human greed.

_Ahh._ _What a wonderful feeling. The sky is blue, the breeze is nice, and the water is cool and refreshing._ Life could not get any better than this.

If Amy were here, it would be even more wonderful. We would hike up this park together and spend our day examining wild plants. Once we became sweaty and tired, we would take a dip in this pool. That would be so much fun.

But she's not here.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry. I missed her so much. These past few days, since waking up as Clarissa Rose, it had been a continuous cycle of eat, sleep, and recover. There was no time to think of anything else. But I vowed that once I was fit and well again, finding that magic portal would be my first priority.

_What if there's no magic portal? What if I never get to see Amy again?_

This sudden thought dampened my mood somewhat.

No. I shouldn't think this way _._ I was granted a second chance at life. That, in itself, was already a miracle. Plus, Grim and Reaper did say I could find my sister here, so that portal must really exist. It was just a matter time before I located it.

_Oh, Amy. Wait for me a bit longer. We'll meet each other again, soon. And Grim and Reaper, please take care of my sister until I get back to her._

I was much happier now, laughing and giggling like a stupid fool. Everything was looking positive; even the bruises on my body were starting to fade.

_"Once these bruises heal, I'll come back to take you."_ Those words of Mikael's echoed in my head, and my heart instantly contracted. A hot flush washed over me, and something like butterflies kicked in my belly.

I dipped my head in the pool, not enough to wet my bandage, but just enough to cool me down. It didn't help. And shutting my eyes only elevated the problem. I saw Mikael's face, his features vivid in my memory. Golden eyes like the burning sun. Chocolate-brown hair soft to touch.

That damned brute. He had no sense of proximity, invading my personal space just because he could. Now, I couldn't get him out of my head. And why must my body react in excitement at the mere thought of him. All we did was bicker like cats and dogs.

_And tumble around in bed like lovers..._

_Ahh._ That was also true. We did tumble around a bit. And kiss a bit. And...

It was too embarrassing to think further. And then there's Regan...

Thoughts of him made me blush. It was only this morning that we met, but he'd already left a deep impression on me. He was one hot commodity, not to mention a gentleman, a stark contrast to that brute Mikael. He also didn't seem the type to enjoy S&M roleplay, so he couldn't have been the one who had caused these welts and bruises on my new body.

_If he hadn't, then who had?_

_Crap!_ All this thinking was giving me a headache. Why do I care who inflicted these wounds on this body? It's not like it's going to happen again. What was more important was that I would never damage this body like the previous Clarissa—

_Thud! Thud!_

I jerked back to reality, my eyes as large as an owl at midnight.

_What was that?_ My body stilled, in fight or flight mode, __ as I took in more of the strange sound. Suddenly it hit me. Square in the face.

_Oh shit!_ They were the sounds of heavy boots hitting the gravel, and they were fast approaching my way. Time for flight mode.

I fumbled out of the rock pool, rushing to get my clothes, having just enough time to shove the gown over my head and squeeze into my underwear, before sighting a large rock boulder and dashing behind it when a man rounded the corner and into my line of vision.

I clamped my mouth shut, trying hard not to utter a sound, afraid he would hear me. He was oblivious as he walked past me, stopped, and started stripping.

My eyes bulged out.

Holy cow! The dude just stripped. I was literally ten feet away from him, with only a big rock separating us, and there he was, stripping right in front of my eyes.

But he really was a sight to behold. The guy had the body of a personal trainer. He was big, bulky, and—

Goddamned ripped! I bet those six-pack abs he sported were packed solid with muscles.

The man had a head full of reddish-orange hair, like a carrot. But he was the most delicious-looking carrot I'd ever seen. He was massive, taller than Regan even, with skin fair as snow.

Life was so unfair. When I was in my previous world, I had never encountered one single good-looking guy. Now here, not even a week had passed, and I saw three. Mikael, Regan, and now this dude.

The guy didn't stop there. He was tempting me more than a male stripper would his client. He hooked his thumb at the base of his pants and inched them down. Slowly. Teasingly. Seductively.

My gosh! The torment. My eyes couldn't stop making their way down south, as each inch of his skin was exposed. And I almost missed a breath when he finally took off his pants. He was now stark naked, his bared tight buns toward me. I almost choked.

He turned slowly, and I couldn't help but cast my eyes down south again. I was gifted with a first-class view of his package.

My God! His male sex organ was the size of a decent cucumber.

I was a virgin in my previous life, but that didn't mean I was a prude in all things related to sex. I studied the human anatomy in my first year of Health Science at University.

This man. He was the epitome of virile masculine beauty. Whoever he was, he had the body to entice male or female to fall under his spell. And I was one of them, too. Now I wondered what Mikael and Regan looked like without clothes.

_Naughty, Tami. Why are you thinking such thoughts?_

I was holding my breath as I watched him, bare butt and all, walk into the water, swim across the lake, and climb over the rock to stand underneath the waterfall.

I watched as he washed himself with no mercy for his skin. But the water, it acted as his lover, trickling over his skin seductively before cascading down the rocks.

He moved slightly, and I lost sight of him. _Damn it!_ I clicked my tongue in disappointment and crept up from my hiding spot, my head protruding out from behind the rock to gain a better view of him. And I was pleased to see he was still at it, continuing his duty without a care in the world as he scrubbed every inch of his body until he was raw and red like a lobster.

That was until...

He touched himself.

I choked. My heart pounded in my chest, and I snapped my head back to collect my thoughts.

This was dangerous. I shouldn't be here spying on him while he was having his bath. This was his private time. But never in my life had I seen such a man, let alone a hot male like this one, touch himself. And it had me transfixed in one spot. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a golden ticket at the front seat. I'd never get a chance like this again.

Mind made up, I crept back up and watched in awe as he displayed the virile side of him. He stroked his shaft, slowly at first, then increasing in speed, fisting his hand up and down the length with brutal force. I almost toppled from the sheer intensity of it all.

As he rocked on his heels, his lips harshly grunting and groaning, his eyelids rolling back with lust, I knew he was nearing the end of it. And my body responded to his actions. I felt wet between my legs.

I squeezed my thighs together to stop this throbbing need. For the third time since waking up in this new world, I felt desire.

Mikael was right, after all. This body was made for sex, hence, needing four husbands to quench her sexual hunger. But who was this random guy I was spying on? He affected me on the same sexual level as Regan and Mikael.

I shut my eyes, hoping that this would help ease the ache between my legs, but it didn't help. Not one bit. The throbbing just increased in tempo.

I opened my eyes again, just in time to see the finale. The man stroked his shaft one last time and gave out a loud roar. Jets of his release shot into the air, and I let out a squeak.

Big mistake. His eyes zoomed in my direction. I ducked my head and hid behind the rock again, praying to all deities that I was invisible to him.

I waited. Three heartbeats long.

Nothing.

I counted to ten. And backward. Still nothing. No sounds.

_Maybe he's gone._

_I should check._

I stretched my head out and smiled in relief when I saw the place empty.

_Phew! He is gone._

Or so I thought.

I turned my head...

And smacked right into a steel-hard chest.

Lifting my gaze, I locked eyes with the very man I had been spying on. Delicious carrot-man. And he wasn't happy one bit. His green eyes beamed with anger, and the midmorning sunlight lit his hair, turning it fiery red.

"You. What are you doing here?" he growled and immediately snatched my arm. This man was on fire. I could feel his wrath in waves.

I tried unclasping his hand from my arm, but he was too strong for me. When that didn't work, I stared him up and down and saw he was still naked. And his manly spear, it was pointing straight at me.

Holy heck! The guy was aroused. Didn't he just release himself a moment ago?

I was so uncomfortable. Didn't he notice that? My face flushed red, and I jerked my eyes back to his face.

He was so adorable. His face had a boyish charm about it, with light freckles decorating his light skin tone. I lost count counting them, until I my eye crept further up and I saw his green pupils. Those eyes were magic as they sucked me into his soul. I instantly found myself lost in a field of forest green, wending around the bushes, finding my way out. He was that very forest.

"What are you doing here? Answer me." His deep-toned voice jerked me out of my reverie.

I stuttered. I didn't know how to respond to him, so I said the very first thing I could think of. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't see you masturbate."

His mouth hung open as if he couldn't believe the words that had flown out of my mouth. I couldn't believe those words that came out of my mouth, either. But while he was still in his frozen state, I took this opportunity to flee. I ran as fast as my legs could take me, not caring which direction I took. All I cared about was that I must get away from him. The greater the distant, the better. Until I realized I was lost.

Again!

_Stupid Tami!_

I should have stayed put. He might be mad with me for a few seconds, but if I'd told him I was Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, at least he'd help me get back to the palace. But now look at where I had ended up. Lost in a—

Something moved among the trees, and I froze. It slowly emerged out in the open. I felt real fear for the first time. Right in front of me was a tiger. A Siberian tiger to be exact, large pale stripes, at least ten feet in length. It roared, big sharp teeth displayed for my viewing. It sniffed and growled, whiskers twitching, happy that it'd found a nice juicy dinner. Me.

I took a step back, trying to get away from it slowly, but the more I stepped back, the more it closed in on me. I tripped over a tree root, and fell, my hands brushing against the rough tree trunk behind me. I was cornered with no way out.

"Help me. Someone help me," I cried out, my voice hoarse from the screaming. No one came.

I knew this was it. Only alive for less than a week and now I had to go back to meet Grim and Reaper. The tiger must be annoyed with me because at that very moment, it pounced. I screamed, closed my eyes, and waited for that imminent moment whereby I'd feel the pain of being shredded into pieces.

It never came.

I opened my eyes and saw the tiger, dead, with an arrow to its neck.

I gasped for air, trying to take all this in.

What happened? Who saved me?

"Your Majesty." A deep baritone rocked me out of my shock.

I shifted my focus, searched for that voice, and landed on the very man who had come to my rescue, a man whose face was shrouded in a black mask.

## Chapter 11

# The Mysterious Man behind the Mask

"Your Majesty," the man in the black mask said, and when I didn't respond, he approached me and crouched down to my level.

I was still numb from the shock, and all I could do was stare in a trance at that massive dead tiger. He saw my condition and gently touched me. That single touch unraveled me, and I suddenly jerked awake, my eyes rushing to find the face to match that voice. And all I saw was that black mask. Something powerful came over me, and I did the most ridiculous thing. I lunged into him, wrapping my arms around his torso and burying my head between his shoulders. And then I let it all out. Snot, tears, and all.

"I'm sorry," I wept. "It's been a long and stressful day. I'm lost. I'm tired. I know I shouldn't be complaining since I'm alive, but I thought for a moment there that I'd meet Grim and Reaper again. And I don't want that. I want to live. I was so scared when that tiger pounced at me. And then you appeared. I just... I just..."

It was all too much, and before I knew it, I had wet his shirt.

I wasn't usually a damsel in distress, even in my previous life, and I knew I shouldn't behave like this, especially to this stranger wearing a black mask. He could be anyone. An accomplice of The Crimson Devils Clan or even a bandit, roaming around this part of the forest, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kidnap the Queen of Alyria. But he had saved me. And that meant more than anything to me right now.

"Your Majesty," he said again. "Don't be afraid. The tiger is unconscious. It won't hurt you now."

This man had a soothing voice, one that could lull me to sleep. Maybe my limbs were asleep now, because my whole body felt relaxed.

I didn't know who he was or which clan he belonged to, but something about him plucked at my heartstrings, as if there was a familiarity about him. That voice, his tone, it resonated in my heart.

A feeling of sadness swept over me. Had I lain between these shoulders before? His body wrapped me like an electric blanket, and I didn't want to escape from his warmth.

I shook myself out of this mentally and finally managed to emerge from the comfort of his broad shoulders. I croaked, "Thank you for saving me."

I wanted to hear that soothing voice again, but he didn't say a word. Instead, I felt his hot penetrating gaze on me.

My skin prickled with renewed sensation. I had the sudden urge to tear off his mask so I could see this beautiful man hiding behind it.

He must be a beautiful man. I glimpsed black hair tied in a ponytail. His body felt well-built, like that of an athlete, with masculine shoulders, rock-hard abs, and firm arms when I lay in them. I imagined dark pupils, like the midnight sky, gazing back at me. No matter what he looked like, in my eyes, he was a beautiful man because he was my savior.

"Your Majesty," he finally said, extending his hand for me to take. "Let me help you out of this forest. We must get out of here, before the tiger awakes."

I didn't hesitate to take his hand, and he lifted me up. Our bodies collided, making my breath hitch.

I was nervous, and at that moment I realized I was attracted to him. Irresistibly so. Because of that, I couldn't think straight. My hormones went haywire. As he inched forward, I took a step back, step by step, as if we were dancing to a tune only the two of us could hear. We moved like this until I was pinned by the tree behind me and he was flush against me. My heart beat so wildly, I was afraid he could hear it. I blinked rapidly when his fingers suddenly cradled my cheek. They slowly ran across my temple.

"Your Majesty," he murmured huskily beside my ear, and all I could do was stand still like a mannequin, afraid to move, just in case this magical moment would pass. "Your bandage has come undone."

"Oh," was all I could manage, and I woke up from my reverie.

_Stupid Tami. You are severely overreacting to this situation. Clearly, he was just being helpful._

My masked savior tied the bandage back in place, and while my mind was still sizzling and frying from the electrical contact he'd made with my temple earlier, he took my hand in his and led me out of the forest.

I followed his footsteps as he took the lead, the soles of our shoes crushing the dry leaves below. I gazed at our clasped hands, or his hands to be exact, big strong hands that were responsible for shooting that tiger. Those hands had saved me. And now those hands were once again holding mine, leading me out of this dense forest.

I was pleased I was walking behind him because from my vantage point, I could appreciate his well-built physique. My eyes were like scanners, cataloguing his broad back, tapering down to a narrow waist, and ending with long, powerful legs. And those man-buns. Where on earth did men in this world work out? Why do they all have such bodacious man-buns—

_Ow._ I tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell into a pothole.

Beautiful mask-man was beside me instantly. "Your Majesty. Forgive me for not making sure the path was safe enough to travel."

"No. No. Not your fault." I waved away his apology. "It's completely mine. I was too busy—"

_Ogling your butt,_ I finished in my head.

"Forgive me for what I'm about to do," he said.

"What are you—"

I squealed the instant he scooped me up and out of the pothole. I gripped his neck for dear life. I hated heights. That's the one thing I couldn't bear.

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" he asked in concern.

"It's okay. I'm just a little afraid of heights, is all," I said after regaining my composure. "Please, put me down. I'm okay now," I said as soon as we arrived on the flat.

"But Your Majesty," he paused, not wanting to let go.

"I'm really fine. See?" I gave him a massive grin, although my hands were gripping his neck for dear life. "I promise not to trip over any more tree branches or fall into any more potholes."

He gazed at me for a millisecond longer than needed. "Please, hold on to me tight, Your Majesty. I'll carry you out of this forest."

I couldn't reject his offer, happily staying in his embrace, my arms wrapped around his neck, my eyes gazing at his black mask while my head nestled at his collarbone. I inhaled his scent. He smelled wonderful. All male and wood pine.

"Are you a hunter?" I asked, thirsty for any information about my mysterious savior. He was carrying his bow and arrows on his back.

"Yes. I hunt," he said straightforwardly.

I was hungry, gobbling up that piece of information about him, satisfied with the small bit of a crumb he'd tossed my way. I kept asking.

"For food or sport?"

"Neither."

I paused. "If you don't hunt for food or sport, then what do you hunt?"

A small part of me was scared, thinking he'd be hunting people. But I shoved that thought aside. This man was too kind. There was no way he could be that inhumane. He couldn't even kill a tiger, so how could he even hurt humans.

"The tiger back there. It was unconscious, right?" I asked for clarification, just to appease my curiosity and peace of mind.

"Unconscious."

"Do you use some sort of sedative on your arrows?"

He stopped and turned to me. He paused for another second before asking. "How did you know my arrows were laced with relaxant plant?"

"Relaxant plant?" _Definitely sedative._

"Because an arrow that small couldn't have killed a tiger that big." What he needed was a gun. _I wonder if they have guns here in this world._

My thoughts dwindled as our journey grew silent and his grip grew sterner.

Did I say something wrong? Maybe I was too heavy for him. In my previous body, I was a small thing, weighing no more than a feather. Now, I must have gained a few pounds, considering my new height.

"If I'm too heavy, you can put me down. I can walk by myself," I said, somehow wanting to break the eerie silent between us.

"It's fine," he said, looking straight ahead.

Maybe I did upset him. "I'm worried that you might be tired."

Intense midnight pupils shifted in my direction, leaving me hot and flustered under his alluring spell. "I would never get tired of carrying you."

His arrow shot me straight in the heart. He was the perfect hero that came straight out of those romantic novels I read.

"Then would you carry me forever?" I asked stupidly on impulse, testing the water.

"If you wish it, Your Majesty, it would be my honor," he said.

I officially liked him. No questions asked.

But I laughed, saying I was only joking.

Or not.

Regrettably, we reached the clearing all too soon. He found a patch of grass underneath a shady tree and gently placed me there like I was the most precious thing in the world.

"Thank you for saving me and leading me out of the forest," I said, getting up on my feet.

"You'll be safe here. If you walk in that direction, you will reach the palace wall. There'll be people who will help you." He pointed just ahead of us.

"You're not coming with me?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head.

I clasped my hands together, not sure what to say next to my savior, when he kneeled on the ground and said, "Stay safe, Your Majesty."

I was stunned and at the end of my wits. Never had any man knelt before me. I was still trying to grasp on to the concept of being queen of this kingdom, but since waking up as the new Clarissa Rose, I still thought of myself as Tami. Until now.

He stood up to leave. My hand snaked out to stop him. His hot gaze fell back on me. My heart skipped a beat, and I slowly withdrew my hand. "Please tell me your name?"

I had to know his name. If he disappeared without a name, how was I to recall this beautiful man?

"My name is not important, Your Majesty."

My heart constricted, a gripping pain seething at the muscle. It was strange. I didn't know who he was, so why did he have such a huge effect on me?

I reached out to touch him. "You know who I am, right?"

"You are Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, Queen of Alyria," he answered immediately.

"Then it's unfair," I said, walking closer to him until we were mere inches apart. I tilted my head back, lifting my gaze to meet his. My hand slowly crept up his chest, my palm flat against his beating heart. "You know who I am, but I have absolutely no idea who you are. So, don't you think you are taking advantage of me by not telling me your name?"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I didn't think I deserved your recognition," he said softly again.

"You saved me," I emphasized. "Which makes you a very important person to me."

He kept silent.

"What clan do you belong to?"

Still silent.

He was one stubborn man, but I was desperate, wanting him to offer me another piece of a crumb, even a small one would make me happy.

"Rose Blossom? Ice Butterfly?" I kept going. I didn't give up.

Still nothing.

_Stupid, Tami._ Of course, he wouldn't tell me. Wasn't that the whole purpose of wearing the mask, to keep his identity hidden?

"I'm sorry for asking too much. I won't ask anymore," I said, my face falling in disappointment. I took a step back to create some space between us. My head was swimming in his manly scent, and my heart was constricting so badly, it hurt. Was this rejection I felt? I lifted my head and gave him my best smile, even though I was hurting inside. "But let me thank you. Can I at least do that?"

Something changed. He moved closer.

I swallowed, my brain somehow short-circuiting again.

He moved closer still. Until he stood right in front of me, feet to feet, and eyes to chest. His arm flexed, resting on a tree branch, his body moving in such a way that I was now trapped between him and the tree. His massive chest embraced me from the front as he loomed over me from above. And his face drew closer, until the long strands of his hair caressed my cheek, making my whole body tingle in delight. I inhaled sharp, short breaths.

"Yes." His voice caressed my ear.

I lifted my gaze to meet his, trying to capture his attention, and I was pleased when we locked eyes.

"Then how can I thank you?" I asked, lost in his seemingly black pupils. Up this close, his eyes really were the black midnight sky, an endless black pool I could gaze at all night.

I wasn't prepared for his next move. It happened so fast. He removed the black cloth from his hair. I was dumbfounded at his sheer masculine beauty, his hair tumbling around his shoulders. In the next second, my vision turned black, the pressure of the cloth binding my eyes shut. My other senses heightened. I picked up the sound of the wind whistling past my ear and the sensation of his warm breath as he closed in on me.

"There is something you could give me," he whispered seductively beside my ear, and my legs almost buckled.

"What can I give you?" I rasped out.

"This."

I was met with soft lips and immediately knew he had taken off his mask and was kissing me.

My arms curled in response, kissing him back, using this opportunity to feel his facial features with my hands. I cradled his jaw, my fingers pressing on his cheeks, then moving to his aquiline nose and sharp jawline. Beautiful. So very beautiful. Until...

A scar? There was a scar, measuring a good three inches from the corner of his left ear to the back of his cheek.

What happened? How did he get that scar? Was that why he hid behind the mask? A million questions raced through my head, but in the end, those thoughts washed away like liquid soap. Scar or no scar, he was a beautiful human being, and that was all that mattered to me.

Butterflies swarmed in my belly as his lips moved and molded against mine. He was a good kisser, intoxicating me with his sweet devotion, devouring my lips with so much passion, I mewed between our kiss.

"Please, tell me your name?" I was desperate, pleading with him like my life depended on it.

We parted, and he rested his forehead against mine, our breaths harshly inhaling the much-needed oxygen we so craved after our minute-long kiss.

"Let me be your shadow. Let me be your protector."

"Shadow. I'll called you my Shadow. You're my savior, Shadow," I murmured, searching for those lips again. He found me first, taking me in for a second time. After an eternity, our lips parted. I clung on to him, not wanting to let go.

"Your Majesty. You will see me again, soon," he said, his last parting words.

"Really? I will? When?" Those questions, they kept spouting out from my lips.

"Think of me and I will appear." He held my hands, enveloping them with his warmth.

My heart ached, but I relented, agreeing to our deal. This feeling, it was like being parted from a close friend. Yet, that was what he was now, a close friend, my savior and someone who held a special place in my heart.

"Your Majesty, please count to fifty. Then you can remove that bond." Those words caressed my ear.

I knew what would happen. He was going to disappear. But he said we would meet again. And that was my one consolation before I dropped my hand, and his warm fingers disappeared from mine. I counted to fifty, fast, because I wanted to see him before he left.

As soon as number fifty hit, I tore the bond off my eyes and saw a broad chest. I smiled happily. Shadow was still here. He hadn't left. Until I realized he had a different shirt on.

I looked up. The face that greeted me was none other than Mr. Delicious Carrot-man. And he was still angry, his green eyes beaming at me with deep fury.

## Chapter 12

# Riding with the Devil

"Why are you still here?" Hot carrot-man growled, his nostrils flaring as he puffed in my face. He latched on to my arm, tearing me away from the tree, taking gigantic steps that I had to compensate for with three of my smaller ones, just to catch up to him.

I had enough. Who was this guy anyway? He's a total jerk, dragging me to God-knows-where. So what if I watched him touched himself. Was it such a crime? He acted like I had bruised him somehow.

I dug my feet into the dirt ground, creating some resistance between us to put a stop to his magnetic pull, but it didn't help one bit. He gained more strength, dragging me farther. I protested. "Where are you taking me? Let me go; you're hurting me."

"Hurting?" His head snapped back in my direction. My eyes welled up as the pressure on my arm intensified. He jerked me forward, meeting my gaze halfway, those green flames burning me alive. "You are the last person to know the meaning of the word _hurt_. Don't ever use your crocodile tears on me. I'm the last person you can manipulate. Now get on the horse."

I switched my gaze to the beast standing a few feet away from us. I called it a beast because there was no way that animal was a horse. It resembled a horse, with a long silky white mane on its forehead. It was massive, like its owner.

"No," I said bravely. But my voice was weak, coming out in a soft rasp.

He glared at me. If looks could kill, I would be buried six feet under already.

"Get on the horse," he seethed again, his breath coming out harshly.

He was beyond angry. He was furious. But I couldn't be afraid of him. If I acted weak now, I would never make people believe I was the Queen of Alyria.

I wiped my tears and lifted my head to return a sentiment of my own, a glare in his direction. "No!"

Five seconds. This guy breathed harshly for five seconds before he took action. And my world suddenly toppled when I realized he had lifted me up and had straddled my body over his back before dumping me on the back of the stallion.

I screamed, screeched, and yelled, but only for a second, when I registered he had climbed onto the stallion, too. He took the reins with both hands, and I was caged between his arms and chest. Before I could process the situation, he yelled at the beast, and it charged forward, galloping at the speed of a hundred miles per hour, or maybe it was my imagination, but it was superfast. Trees, bushes, and birds flew past me. I gripped on to his torso for dear life.

"Stop. Stop," I yelled to get his attention.

If there was one thing I disliked most in life, it would be high places. Second would be speed. The two combined would make my head spin. Just the thought of it scared me half to death. But this was happening. Really happening.

"Please stop." I completely broke down, and when I sensed the stallion grounding to a halt, I buried my face in his shirt and cried. Fat teardrops slid down my face, and I trembled. "Please make it stop. I'm scared."

"I said those crocodile tears won't affect me," came his stern and unaffected voice. He was unrelenting. The guy was purely apathetic. He had not a single empathetic bone in his body.

I tore away from his shirt, my vision glassy from the effect of crying. I felt the sensation of rough fingers jerking my chin. I winced in pain, but he ignored me.

"What do you want from me? Why did you kidnap me? Is it because of what I did at the rock pool?" I asked, trying to get some answers to his stupid actions. "Have you any idea who I am? If my consorts know about this, you will be punished."

"Kidnap?" His jaw ticked. His eyes twitched. He glowered at me. His face was so close to mine now, I felt the sensation of his warm breath on my skin. "If I could leave you there in the forest for the wild cats to feast on, I would have done so already," he hissed in my face.

I then knew the answer. It was glaring me right in the face. Yes. He knew me. No. He knew the previous Clarissa Rose. I suspected she had wronged him somehow, and now he was taking out his vengeance on her. Well, I wouldn't stand for it. I would not be the one to suffer on her behalf. I stood my ground.

"Then why don't you?" I lashed out at him, finally knocking his hand off my chin. "I never asked for your help anyway."

His hand froze in midair, as if amazed I even had the guts to defend myself, despite my distraught figure and messed-up status. He glared at me, and our eyes met, my baby blues to his mystical greens. We were locked in a battle of wits. But I was unrelenting, not wavering for even a second. Until...

"Fine. Go back to the palace yourself." He blinked first, then suddenly got off the stallion and walked away. "You're on your own."

My heart sunk. And for that one small moment, I felt scared.

Why did I have to make the situation worse? Because if he were to leave me here, I would be lost again.

I gazed at my surroundings. We were nowhere near the palace. Didn't Shadow say I could just walk in this direction, and I would reach the palace gate? If only I didn't get on the horse. If only...

"I know you hate me," I said, needing to say something to him, anything really, just to stop him from leaving.

And it worked. He turned back, aggravated to the point he stood next to the stallion and angrily roared at me, "If you know it already, why do you keep appearing in front of me?"

"I didn't. You appeared in front of me first," I retorted.

He closed his eyes and breathed harshly again. "If the deities were to grant me one wish, I would wish for you to disappear out of my life."

Those words coming from his lips cut me deep in the flesh. This time, I didn't respond. I couldn't respond. I was lost for words. Instead, my eyes welled up again, and tears flowed down my cheeks.

For once, since waking up in Clarissa Rose's body, I had witnessed extreme hatred, far superior than Mikael's dislike for her.

Does the heart have memory? I knew those words were meant for her, but somehow, this was her heart, and her heart right now in this rib cage hurt, like someone had ripped it apart. But this heart was now mine, and I felt everything.

I quivered with trembling lips, endless tears streaming down now. Oh God. I didn't even know him, so why did his words cut me so deep? I clutched on to my chest and choked the words out. "What did I do ever do to you? Why do you hate me so much?"

"You don't have to do anything to deserve my contempt. Just your very existence burns me with anger. Just breathing in the same air as you disgusts me. I abhor everything about you. Everything."

"Zayden, that's enough!" the deep timbre of a voice cut through our conversation.

The sound of Regan's voice was like warm water melting my frozen heart. He brought me back to reality, and I refocused, finally registering there was an audience around us. Cecilia, Belle, Lucy, and a few other guards and attendants stood a few feet away from us. They all had worried expressions on their faces. And then there was Regan...he was already beside me, gently winding his arm around the small of my back.

"That's not something you should say to our queen," Regan said in a stern voice. "She just woke up from the accident. Mind your words, Zayden."

_Zayden!_ I recalled that name in the back of my mind somewhere.

Yes, I remembered it now. Cecilia, Belle, and Lucy had mentioned that name before. And the strange exchange between the two men was enough to show the relationship status between them.

This man, who I had thought had bad intentions toward me, was Zayden, Kendrick's younger brother, and my fifth consort. It finally made sense now, why he was filled with so much animosity toward me.

Zayden and Regan exchanged a glance I couldn't decipher, for three short seconds, before Zayden shifted his focus on me.

"Let's live in a separate world," he said, his green pupils burning into me. "I'm sure that'll make us both happy."

And he left me, high-strung on the horse.

My heart ached, watching him leave.

He hated me.

No, he hated Clarissa Rose.

But I am Clarissa Rose, and from now on, I would be receiving all his wrath.

No matter what he said, though, I still couldn't find it in my heart to hate him back. Instead, I felt a sense of sadness. In a way, he was like me, having lost a sibling due to fate.

"My Queen," Regan's soothing voice penetrated through my thoughts. I shook myself out of this mentality and shifted my focus to Regan. He moved his hand to cup my face, gently reaching his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheeks. "Don't let his words hurt you. He's not used to living in Rose Blossom yet. Give him some time."

I understood Regan's unspoken words perfectly. Zayden didn't want this life. It was only obligation that made him stay. If his brother didn't meet his death, he wouldn't even be here. If I could release him from this trap, would he be happy?

"Come, I'll take you to your chamber."

I gave Regan a weak smile and nodded. He lifted me from the stallion and carried me in his arms. I huddled at the crook of his neck and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent which calmed me down somewhat.

There was no exchange of words between us, just the sound of footsteps and the various whispers of the court attendants walking behind us.

Zayden...

Had their relationship always been this strained? Would our relationship still be this sour now that I had taken over Clarissa Rose's body?

"My Queen, we are here," Regan said, placing me gently on the bed as soon as we got to my bedroom. "Cecilia and your attendants will tend to your needs. Don't hesitate to let me know of anything you need further."

"Thank you, Regan," I said, nimbly sitting on the edge of the bed while his big hands clasped mine.

We stayed silent like this, just watching each other. I couldn't stand the silence, feeling embarrassed to be in my bedroom again after the fiasco this morning.

"I'm sorry for this morning," I apologized, trying to cover my tracks. "I was only—"

"Trying to spice up our relationship?" He quirked a smile after finishing off the sentence for me.

My heart kicked up a notch. What made it worse was when he chose to sit next to me, crowding into my space, edging in so close, I was literally wedged against the bedframe.

"My Queen," Regan's deep voice resonated in my ear, shifting my focus until I locked eyes with his gray ones. "How are you faring?"

His lips moved, but I really couldn't make out what he said. I was too focused on his plump lips.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Regan smiled, the brightest one I saw in days. He shook his head and combed my hair with his fingers, bunching it up so it resembled some sort of normality again. I realized I must look like a hooligan in his eyes with my messed-up hair and tear-stained cheeks.

"You are a mess." He took the words out of my mouth. "What happened? I thought you went to the Maze Garden with your attendants?"

"It was my fault. We played a game of cat and mouse, and I got lost."

Regan clicked his tongue like he was in deep thought before suggesting, "How would you like to punish them?"

"Punish?" I asked, confused. "Who are you referring to?"

"Your attendants. Clearly, they need to be punished. They didn't take care of you. How should we punish them? Should we torture them by breaking off their fingers one by one, or should we give them one hundred whips each? What would satisfy you?"

_Punish? Torture? Whips?_

I screeched out when the realization dawned on me. "Regan. No!" I clasped his hand, begging him with all my might. "They didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault. I told you already that they only listened to me. I was the one who suggested the game. And if it were anyone who should get punished, it should be me."

There was a lightness in his eyes, and only then did I realize he was joking with me. I punched him in the shoulder. "Regan, you doofus. You got me scared."

He caught my punch, grasping his big hands around mine and eyed me with pure unadulterated lust.

"Doofus?" He arched one eyebrow in question, and it was then that I knew I was being myself, Tami Green, instead of Clarissa Rose. I cleared my throat, ready to give my excuse when...

"You've lost your memory, I know." I swallowed, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. The atmosphere around us tensed up. "I admit our relationship wasn't the best in the past. I am at fault too. I should have shown more care for you. Even though we don't love each other and our marriage is only a pact between our two clans, I want to let you know that I respect you and will care for you. From now on, I will try my best to be a good consort to you."

Was this a declaration? I lifted my eyebrow in query. What was their previous relationship like, this relationship between Clarissa Rose and Regan? Yes, it was true from my previous experiences with Mikael and Zayden, that they both disliked her somewhat, but Regan, he was an entirely different species. He respected Clarissa Rose and cherished her.

"I can't really remember much from the past, but I hope that from now on, we could get along well together. Maybe you could help jog my memory if I forget something."

"Should I remind you now?" He closed in on me, and I lost focus on his face.

I blinked. "About what?"

"About having dinner tonight?"

"Dinner? Am I supposed to have dinner with you tonight?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay. I'll remember that. Did we make a date?"

"Yes, before you got into your accident. We made a promise to dine together after I came back from inspecting my nation, Ice Butterfly."

"That sounds nice. I will be there for dinner tonight with you." I smiled happily, watching his beautiful face smiling back at me.

"Should I remind you of something else?"

"Is there something else you should remind me of?"

"Yes. A very important one too."

"What is it?"

I wasn't fast enough to grasp on to the situation. He pressed me down until I lay flat against the bed. His lips hovered above mine, only mere inches apart, when he spoke. "Us kissing. Would you like me to remind you of that?"

My heart went into overdrive, increasing the speed to over a hundred miles per hour. I shook my head feverishly "Maybe not... that."

"Really?" he asked, his fingers tracing my lips. "Are you sure?"

"I'm...I'm..."

Oh God, I wanted his lips on me. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted...

"Agreed." He lifted himself off me and helped cradle me back to a sitting position. I couldn't keep track of the situation. One minute he was seducing me, the next he was back to the big brotherly act again. "Rest for now. Tonight, you will dine with us." He kissed me on the forehead and left.

I watched him leave, my eyes glued to his sexy body exiting out the door. I collapsed on the bed and sighed.

My emotions had taken a bashing today. I was so exhausted and so turned on by Regan's seduction I couldn't think straight when he used the word 'us' instead of 'me.'

Oh crap! Regan did say the word _us_ , right? I was already shaking in my boots at the mere thought of seeing all three of my consorts in one room together.

Now how was I to compose myself when I couldn't even function properly with one male's testosterone flying around the room. I was not looking forward to it.

## Chapter 13

# Oust as an Imposter

"You can do this. You can do this," I chanted, just to psych myself up for the inevitable event tonight. I was too jittery and flustered to think straight. My thumbs and fingers were busy negotiating the fluffy fabric of my sleeves. I was to go in alone. Lucy and Belle wouldn't be able to help me if I messed up. This was a private affair between my consorts and me. Well, that was what I'd been told, anyway.

I took a deep breath, stilling my heartbeat, and thought, be damned with it all. Sooner or later I would have to face this predicament, so it was better it be now rather than later.

Still, the idea of meeting all three of my consorts in one place didn't sit well with me. At least I was thankful that Verrick wasn't here to witness my nervous state. I wanted to least present myself to him in a proper manner when the time came. Thank God it wasn't today.

I nodded to the attendant, informing him that I was ready to enter. Lucy and Belle stood closely behind me, giving me enough emotional support before I proceeded into the dining hall alone.

"Her Majesty in here," the attendant announced loudly, opening the door for my entrance. And that was my cue.

I walked, no glided, into the room, squaring my shoulders, with my chin fashionably high up, to showcase I was the Queen of Alyria, giving my three audiences a performance of a lifetime. Except, no one was there to witness my grand entrance. I was all alone. And I felt exceptionally foolish as a result.

_Either they are fashionably late, or I am fashionably early,_ I mumbled in my head. Either way, I shoved that thought aside and marveled at the grand elegance of the dining hall. It was the perfect opportunity for me to survey the room. Point taken I hadn't been in this room before. It wasn't fashionably big, but it was still warm and cozy enough for a small intimate gathering.

_Are we getting intimate tonight?_

The hell!

Where did that thought come from? Damn my lusty mind.

_What is wrong with me?_ Had I hit my head so hard that I couldn't think straight anymore? Just one look at Regan had me dreaming about his luscious body. And then there was Mikael, his foul but delicious mouth, and of course, Zayden, the fiery green-eyed man.

This wasn't supposed to be my plan at all. My initial plan was to establish some sort of plutonic relationship with them, then get on with my life. They could live theirs, and I'd live mine. If we didn't love each other or care for each other, then it would be fine in my books too. Just as long as we didn't diss each other or make each other's lives miserable.

But now—

_Oooh...grapes._ The sight of the fruit on the table distracted me from my previous thought. Who would have thought my favorite fruit would be here to greet me. My mouth salivated, and I beelined to where the grapes sat at the center of the dining table.

After the crazy hectic day I had, I realized I was hungry. And my tummy growled in response.

Damn those men! When would they arrive? I was famished. I hadn't a clue how long I waited in the dining hall. My eyes kept on roaming back to the grapes on the table. I knew the Queen of Alyria must behave in a doctrine way, but right now, no one was here to witness me being Tami Green, so before anyone arrived, I decided to feed my curiosity.

I nipped one grape out of the bunch and popped it into my mouth. _Oh my, delicious._ I popped another one in my mouth and savored the delicate taste. Grapes in this world tasted so succulent and sweet.

"Enjoying the grapes?" a deep baritone voice asked me from behind.

"Mmm, thank you. Very much so." I nodded, turning around, and was about to pop another one in my mouth when— "Mikael!"

I startled and stupidly dropped the damn grape in my cleavage. Mikael smirked a devilish grin, seeing me in my ridiculous state, his eyes roaming my body up and down as if I were a piece of candy he wanted to eat. The damn brute even licked his lips. I was beyond mortified at my predicament and cursed Belle and Lucy for convincing me to wear this outlandish dress.

Now what? Not only did I make a fool of myself, but I acted like a hooligan. And especially in front of Mikael too, whom I wanted to impress. Well, more like to show him that I was capable of being the Queen of Alyria. But now I was nothing but a joker in his eyes.

Mikael, though, didn't seem to get with the program. His eyes continued to descend and only stopped at my cleavage. I evaded his amber eyes, my whole face flaming red in embarrassment, I could fry eggs on both cheeks. I sought to get that damn grape out of my cleavage to no avail. And he, at that point, decided to make my whole life more miserable by caging me against the table until I was literally trapped.

"Mikael," I yelled, half angry at him and half angry at myself for making such a simple task of removing that grape an arduous task.

"Yes, Clarissa Rose. Do you want my help?" he growled into my ear, making goosebumps appear all over my arms. If I wasn't so busy removing that grape from my cleavage, I would have smacked his head already.

"No. No. I'm fine," I grumbled, fiddling my way to get that damn grape out. Until, finally, it was out.

Once that was done, I moved, shoving him away so I could escape from his intoxicating scent. He was making my head all spacy, but he further invaded my personal space. I somehow managed to make a full one-eighty-degree turn. We were now face-to-face and I gave him my most impressive intimidating face. "Mikael! Move!"

"What if I don't want to?" he retorted, pressing me further into the table.

This man was up to no good. I could sense it in my bone marrow. And if I didn't know any better, I thought he was planning something wicked. He was too slimy, too soft, too not like the Mikael I know. Not that I knew him all that well, but with the last few days we'd been together, this behavior of his was beyond abnormal.

I gritted my teeth. This wasn't supposed to be how my evening went. Regan would be here anytime soon, and I didn't want him to see me all edgy and angry and feisty-like, and certainly I didn't want to have a repeat of this morning, especially now that the recipient would be Mikael.

"Mikael!" My voice suddenly became breathless, and I felt a little light-headed. What was wrong with me? Was I too angry? Was that why it had affected my physical state?

"Yes, Clarissa Rose." His voice became heavy and thick, and I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. My head was spinning. A heaviness settled in me. My eyes became blurry. The image of Mikael became fuzzy.

"Mikael..." I said again with all my effort, but it came out as a slur. "Mikael, I..."

Before I knew it, I was weak against his arms, and the last image I saw was of Mikael's smirking face as I lost consciousness to the dark void.

There were loud murmurs, and hard lips were pressed against mine. I opened my eyes and saw Mikael's face plastered against mine. His tongue invaded my mouth, and somehow, he had molded his hands on my breasts. I was weak, soft, and mellow against him. I tried pushing him away, but he was like a leech, coming back for more. The corner of my eye caught sight of a man with blond hair.

_Regan?_

Regan was in this room too, and he just saw Mikael kiss me.

The event that I didn't want to happen just transpired. But Regan was looking at me strangely, not like that brotherly fond look from before, but a sinister look, laced with anger.

I felt saddened somewhat. I didn't want Regan to look at me with those eyes. Even though we only met each other twice, I felt a strong connection with him. I wanted him to look at me with fondness again. Even knowing that there would be no romantic involvement between us, I still wanted to be adored by him.

I was foolish, stupid even, for thinking such ridiculous thoughts when I couldn't even make heads nor tails of my current predicament. But still, looking at him now, it pained me, and my heart sorely thumped against my chest.

I pushed Mikael off, my heart thumping too painfully to register anything else. Mikael gave in way too easily, as if he were playing a game of cat and mouse with me. Of course, I was the mouse, and he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to catch his prey.

I wouldn't let him. I backed up until I was blocked by a wall. It wasn't a wall made of wood; it was a wall made up of hard masculine body, a man to be specific. I looked up and saw green eyes glaring down at me.

"Zayden!" I uttered in surprise. I silently pleaded with him for help, except he didn't give a fig about me. He continued to glare at me as if he were disgusted by me.

I already knew he hated the previous Clarissa Rose, and especially our encounter from this afternoon didn't really give me any brownie points in his book, but still, he totally turned a blind eye. And Mikael was acting stupid again, wanting to kiss me in front of the other men, and my mind was just all fuzzy and mushy, I couldn't think straight.

I was lost, confused, and disorientated with this whole event. I knew I was rambling right now, but my head was really not screwed on right, as if I were under a spell or the influence of a drug. And Mikael's pheromone just drove me even crazier as he closed the proximity between us.

When did his scent start affecting me so much?

I needed to get away from him. Pronto. But my body was still feeling weak, and no one was willing to stop him from cornering me.

"Help!" I cried. Through my distressed state, my mind miraculously conjured up the image of Shadow. I stumbled toward him and fell into his arms, amazed that he was real after all.

Where he came from and how he came to my rescue I hadn't a clue, but he was here right now, and he was here to help me.

"Shadow. Help me." I held on to him tightly, my fingers gripping on to his sleeves. His black eyes bored into mine. I couldn't see his facial expression with the mask on his face. As if he could hear the question in my mind, he removed the mask, and I was gobsmacked at the beautiful sight of the man before me.

This was Shadow. This was the beautiful man who had rescued me from the depth of the forest just this afternoon. He didn't bind my eyes like before. He allowed me to view him in full sight. And he was a sight to behold. The scar on his face was there, but now I could see him with my eyes, not just with the touch of my fingers.

Beautiful arch-shaped eyebrow, phoenix eyes, jet-black hair tied back in a ponytail. He was a sight that would be engraved in my mind forever. And those pink lips. Those succulent pink lips. I kissed those lips just this afternoon.

I poked out my tongue and licked my own lips, feeling suddenly dry and thirsty for no reason. I lifted my gaze back to his eyes and once again was lost in the depth of his midnight-black pupils, swirling in this magic trance, when suddenly his lips descended upon mine. I felt the softness of his lips as they pressed against mine. I tasted his sweet scent as he caressed my lips with his tongue. He kissed me gently and softly, and I loved every second of it.

This was Shadow. He was the man who had rescued me, and now I could put a face to his name. He kissed me, and I kissed him back. We were lost in our own world until I heard his voice penetrating through my mind.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." He reluctantly pulled back, his hand cupping my cheek, his eyes pleading with me to understand.

But I didn't understand. What was he sorry for? Did he do something wrong?

I had so many questions in my head but no answers to anything.

We locked eyes, and my heart thumped wildly at his intense gaze.

Shadow held me softly in his arms, as if holding me was enough.

"Shadow?" I begged him for an answer, but he didn't reply. Suddenly I was jerked out of his arms and whisked away by none other than Mikael.

But Mikael wasn't playing any soft gentleman games like Shadow. His held me tight, his grip on my arms fierce, like a man in charge.

And he was in charge. He growled into my ear. "Be still, Clarissa Rose. Regan wants to have a word with you."

I grew still at the mention of Regan, and I suddenly became aware of all four men inside the dining hall. My three consorts and Shadow, my rescuer.

Regan took to his cue. He stood up, slowly advancing toward me, his gait agile but domineering. When he neared me, he spoke in a tone that commanded respect. And for once I understood why he became my first consort. He drew attention with just his presence alone. He may be quiet, but when he spoke, everyone in the room listened. "I'm sorry, My Queen. But you have failed our test."

"Failed your test?" I stuttered. "Regan. What test?" I questioned him, but it was Mikael who answered me first.

"Ahh, Clarissa Rose. You have failed the one thing you shouldn't have failed. You didn't recognize King Verrick of the Corrian region, from The Black Bandit Clan, your fourth consort."

_King Verrick of the Corrian region, from The Black Bandits Clan, my fourth consort._

I was silent. Lost for words. Who was he referring to? There was only Shadow among the other three kings inside the room. Unless...

It finally dawned on me.

Shadow was my fourth consort...

Shadow, the very man who had rescued me in the forest was my fourth consort.

I shifted my gaze to Shadow, or should I call him Verrick now. Verrick returned my gaze with the same intense passion and the same regret in his eyes.

"Clarissa Rose," Mikael growled in my ear, jerking me back to reality. "It looks like you really fell into our trap." And he drew his sword, and the cold hard blade pressed into the skin of my neck.

His action only meant one thing. Death. And he finished it with one last sentence that would put an end to my life in this world. "Now tell us who you really are, imposter!"

# Epilogue

### Setting the Trap

A few days after Tami transmigrated into Clarissa Rose's body

* * *

Mikael

* * *

_She's not Clarissa Rose,_ Mikael concluded.

He was skeptical at first, seeing her for the first time in months, in the spa room, clutching her towel and cursing him like he was an intruder in his very own palace. He had sensed a change in her behavior then, but he hadn't thought much of it since the court doctor had informed him that she had just woken from her accident and may behave strangely.

_Strangely?_ Clarissa Rose behaved like she'd been possessed. Not only did she have no memory of him, but she even spoke in a strange accent, which no one in Rose Blossom, or the entire Kingdom of Alyria, had.

When the incident happened, he was in Sapphire nation. But as one of the kings of Alyria, it was his obligation to see to her wellbeing. Even if their marriage was nothing but a façade to the kingdom, he was bound by duty.

He made haste, traveling on horseback to get to Rose Blossom nation, arriving a day later, only to be told the queen had lost her marbles as a result of her head injury. His suspicion was there, but he needed confirmation. And so, he started investigating.

He purposely went to see her again the next morning after she had fainted in the spa pool, and he saw her eating like a commoner, gnawing on that leg of chicken in her mouth like she hadn't eaten food for days.

He found her amusing, somehow. Her new behavior was a refreshing change from the pretentious self she usually displayed in front of him. So, he kept investigating. He taunted her, teased her, kissed her, did all the things he wouldn't normally do when she was her usual self. And this morning, after debating with himself for the hundredth time why he had to see her again, when he'd seen her face countless times in the past, he gave in to his curiosity.

Shoving the doors open, the image in front of him almost had his eyes bulging out. Regan and Clarissa Rose were intimately entwined in an erotic position. It was the surprise of his life.

No way would Regan behave like this toward Clarissa Rose. Their relationship was purely platonic. Regan had told him countless times before that he would never bed her. She wasn't his type of woman. He loved only one woman, and one woman for life. The sole reason why he'd married her was only to strengthen the alliances between their two nations, Ice Butterfly and Rose Blossom.

That was also the exact same reason why he had married Clarissa Rose. But he wasn't a fool like Regan. He was a hot-blooded male. Just because he was king, it didn't mean he should abstain from sex. Clarissa Rose was one sexy siren, with baby-blue eyes, lustrous blond locks, and legs that went on for miles. He could fuck her all day while staring into those baby blues. He was so attracted to her, he agreed on the spot when the proposition was placed upon him by her grandfather, King Bennet.

When her third and fourth consorts came along, Kendrick, King of The Silver Swords Clan, and Verrick, King of The Black Bandits Clan, he knew why none of her other consorts cared to have any intimate relations with her. She was a manipulative, lazy, two-faced, alcoholic bitch who loved to torture people. The court residents lived in fear of her. One wrong move and she would bitch-slap them.

But the citizens of Rose Blossom nation thought she was their goddess, as the city had prospered under the ruling of her grandfather. After King Bennet had passed away, though, the city slowly deteriorated. If it weren't for him and the other three kings who had managed the city, Rose Blossom would be in ruins.

Clarissa Rose wanted no hand in the ruling of her nation. She preferred to spend her time getting drunk.

Throughout the two years of their marriage, he'd battled with his inner demon. He considered himself to be a man of strong will. Nothing could sway him. Except for her. She was his downfall. He had asked himself countless times why he should be so enamored by her beauty, yet find her so distasteful at the same time.

Over time, he'd mastered his inner demon. She reminded him of an exquisite piece of art, so beautiful to look at, but boring, with no real meaning and substance behind that attractive face. Now she was nothing to him. Just an obligation he must undertake.

But since arriving back at Rose Blossom, for the first time in months, his interest had once again piqued. And his target was the woman inside that bedroom, Her Majesty Clarissa Rose, Queen of Alyria, or should he say, the fake Queen of Alyria.

She was an impostor. There was no other possibility. The real Clarissa Rose would never have cursed him, let alone laid a hand on him. The first thing she would do after seeing him for the first time after so many months apart would be to beg him to fuck her. Even if he wanted nothing to do with her, she'd entice him, trick him, and when things didn't go her way, she'd cry and whine like a spoiled, pathetic brat.

But this Clarissa Rose... My God, those baby-blue eyes. He knew how red-hot flames could get, but blue flames, they burned him to a crisp. The way those baby-blue eyes of hers glared at him with fury when he teased and kissed her. Where had that passion come from?

He rested his head against the doorframe, shut his eyes, and inhaled harshly. This new Clarissa Rose had thoroughly affected him on all levels. Never had his emotions been this chaotic. Anger, jealousy, and excitement, all mixed into one.

His heart thumped wildly against his chest. Yes, this was the feeling of excitement, a real challenge of chasing a woman who had piqued his interest.

He licked his lower lip, her taste still on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to return to her bedchamber and crush those lips for a second time—or was it the third, he couldn't remember. All that he wanted was to get another taste of her sweet, intoxicating kiss.

Yes, he was intoxicated by her. This was what he wanted the real Clarissa Rose to be like, this fiery passion in her eyes, that spice that he so craved in their relationship.

But wanting her also brought about the emotions of anger and jealousy, because even this imposter he had taken an interest in was also into the art of pain infliction. The bruises on her body reminded him of the real Clarissa Rose, and how she had relished being whipped.

Why would she harm her body? If she were truly his, he would worship her, put her on a pedestal, and provide her with everlasting love.

But an imposter would always be an imposter. If his theory was proven correct, there would be serious implications to the nation and the whole Kingdom of Alyria. Whoever she worked for must have trained her to infiltrate their palace for a reason.

This matter should not be taken lightly. He needed proof before presenting this case to the high council. His feelings be damned. The safety of Alyria came first.

Decision made, he hastily rode to find answers.

In the depths of the black forest, about an hour's ride on horseback, west of the Palace of Rose Blossom, lay a small cottage. This was Mikael's destination. He tied his horse to the tree branch and proceeded to the front door, knocking three times before the door burst open with a sharp bang.

"Maggie. Always as spontaneous as ever." He hugged the elderly woman in his arms.

"King number two, is that you?"

"Of course. Can't you see this handsome face? Where are your glasses?"

She squeezed his cheek for a better look. "Yes, it is you. And as handsome as ever."

"Ow." Mikael pretended to moan. "What if I'm no longer handsome? Who's going to love me."

"Hahaha! Any woman would be pleased to be your concubine, but you refuse them."

"Because I only love you." He wrapped his arms around the old woman again, for which he received a whack on the head. He recoiled like a bitten snake.

"Still feisty, Maggie," he muttered, rubbing his sore head.

"I heard that. Now come on in. Don't dillydally at the door. You're letting in the draft."

He watched Maggie fumbling around her small living room, trying to find a chair big enough to seat him. Mikael chuckled and went to sit on the floor, folding his legs comfortably.

"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be sitting there," she scolded him.

"And where should I sit? On the table where your precious potions sit?"

Maggie made a face as if contemplating which was of more importance, the King of Sapphire nation or her precious potions.

Mikael threw back his head and laughed even more. He really shouldn't have teased her, but it really was her own fault. She was just too adorable, with her excess jowls and her broad smile, making his boyish side resurface whenever he was in her presence. And no doubt, she would choose her potions. He knew her far too well. After all, she was one of his guardians. But she was also a strong mage. And that was another reason why he had come to visit her today.

"How are the other kings?" she asked, puttering around the room.

"They are well."

"Even King number four?" Maggie asked, then frowned again. "Or is he number five? My memory fails me. How many consorts does Queen Clarissa Rose have in her harem, now?"

Mikael scoffed. Yes, that was essentially what they were, men in her harem.

"Verrick is number four."

"And who's number five again?"

"Zayden."

"And he's new?"

"Yes. Remember Kendrick?" He jogged Maggie's memory.

"Oh, yes, I remember now. He died in that cliff accident, didn't he? Such a tragedy. He was a young king, too. Only twenty-eight, I remember."

Mikael nodded, thinking about Kendrick. Yes, twenty-eight and only married to Clarissa Rose for less than a year before meeting his death on that fateful day. If only he were there at that time, Kendrick's death could have been prevented. He still blamed himself, to this day.

"I sense something is troubling you." Maggie's voice geared him back to the present.

"Do you think it's possible for two people to look alike?"

"Identical twins, yes."

"But if they are not?" Mikael was sure Clarissa Rose had no twin sister.

"If you are referring to normal people who are not related, then it's very rare, but it's not impossible. What are you getting at? I can hear your brain ticking."

"You know me too well, Maggie."

"What is wrong? Is this something to do with the queen? Is she planning to get another consort? Have you fallen in love with her after all this time?"

His face had the decency to blush. What the hell? Love. No way. This imposter was just rousing his interest.

"No. Not that. She had an accident three days back, and she's lost her memory. She started acting strange from then on."

"And?" Maggie encouraged him to elaborate.

Mikael's eyes brightened. "Remember that method you taught me on how to test for a person's true form?"

"You mean the lips-to-lips contact method."

Mikael nodded. "I kissed her. But I sensed she's not Clarissa Rose."

"For that method, you have to do it more than once to be effective. How many times did you kiss her?"

"Three. Four. I can't remember."

"And what was the result?"

"The same as the first time. I still sensed she's a different person."

"So, you think she's an imposter?"

"Yes. Is there any way to confirm they are two different people? Could you perform the ritual? I got something from her which we could use." He took the paper envelope from his pocket and showed it to Maggie.

"A strand of hair?" she asked in disbelief.

"I took it from her while we kissed. Will that do?"

"It would suffice, but she needs to be here in person for me to do the ritual."

"Is there no other way?"

"Give me that strand. I have an idea." Maggie walked to her bedroom and came back with a wooden bowl in hand. "My wretch of a sister took my precious magic pot, but luckily I still have the magic bowl left."

Mikael watched as Maggie poured some water into the bowl. "This is Ascien water, from Ascien Lake. It has many magical properties. If paired with the magic bowl, it can show a person's true essence."

"In other words, it can tell us whether Clarissa Rose is an imposter."

"Very clever, King number two. A proven method, more effective than the kissing method." She chopped the hair in half and dropped it into the bowl.

Mikael was excited, peering into the bowl, only seeing dark-gray swirls, when Maggie's head snapped back. "She's not an imposter—"

"How can you be so sure?" Mikael asked, cutting in.

"You didn't let me finish. Yes, she is the real queen. And that hair does belong to Her Majesty, but..."

"But?" Mikael waited in anticipation.

"That doesn't mean she hasn't been possessed."

"Possessed!" He knew it!

Mikael did have his suspicions at first about body possession, but he was too fixated on a body double imposter.

"I know a lot of mages who deal in black magic," Maggie continued. "One of whom is my very own sister. She is a very powerful mage, stronger than I am, even. If she only had a strand of the queen's hair, she could send a demon soul and possess Her Majesty's body. But that is only a theory."

"Then how can we confirm she's truly possessed?"

"There is one other way to determine who this soul belongs to, without performing a ritual."

Maggie picked a bunch of grapes off the table and dipped them into the bowl of Ascien water before putting the fruits in a small bag and giving them to Mikael. "Make sure she eats the grapes," she instructed. "If there is a foreign soul hidden within the queen's body, the magic water will force the soul to expel from the queen's body. She will lose consciousness temporarily."

Mikael thanked Maggie and bid her farewell. He was about to exit the door when Maggie asked, "What will you do with the queen if she is truly possessed?"

"I will need to discuss this with the other members of the council first before finalizing a decision." He paused, then asked as an afterthought, "Maggie, how do we know if this soul is a demon with malicious intent, set on destroying Alyria?"

"Do what you do best. Kiss her when she's in a state of unconsciousness. That is when the soul is in its true form. You will be able to determine whether this particular soul has malicious intent...or none at all."

Regan

* * *

"What do you think of Clarissa Rose since she has woken up from her accident?" Mikael asked causally to the men in the room, while waiting for their final member of the high council to arrive. Seated across the table from him were Regan, the King of The Ice Butterfly Clan, and Zayden, the new King of The Silver Swords Clan.

Regan's face fused red at that question. He had remembered the strange occurrence from last night.

Despite being first consort to have wedded Clarissa Rose, Regan's interest had never lain in matters of the flesh. His was all about the mind. A stimulating conversation was what he craved in a life partner, and Clarissa Rose didn't possess that particular trait. Her mind was rather simple. Their conversation never progressed further than her sexual or materialistic needs.

Throughout their two and a half years of marriage, Regan had made it clear from the get-go that he wasn't interested in her, treating her as no more than a sister, and no matter how many times she had enticed him, he never gave in. But yet, last night...

"She behaved very strangely?"

"In what way?"

"Last night, I went to visit her after my arrival. I didn't expect her to react like that. She called for her father," Regan said, remembering that moment. She had hugged him fiercely, not letting go even when he tried to unclasp her fingers.

"That is strange. Clarissa Rose has never seen her parents since birth, so why would she call for someone she hardly knows. But you, on the other hand, were also strange. You were very intimate with her, visiting her in the middle of the night and even sleeping in the same bed with her until morning," Mikael said. "You were both wound tight like a corkscrew."

Regan coughed, his face blushing pink.

"I admit I went overboard," he said. "As you well know, it was our obligation when we took the oath to oversee her health and wellness. I didn't anticipate she would cry in my arms while asleep."

"And you couldn't just leave her?" Mikael asked.

Regan knew Mikael enjoyed teasing Regan. They were close in age and had become fast friends since taking over the duty of managing Rose Blossom.

"I was curious," he answered.

"So, you stayed the whole night with her because of your curiosity?"

"Yes." He nodded, taking another sip of his tea to calm himself down. "I needed to know why she acted that way."

"Because she's an imposter," Mikael announced. "How else could she make you this curious to sleep beside her the entire night?"

"We cannot prove that she's not Her Majesty," said a voice beside the door. Regan looked up from his teacup and saw Verrick, The King of The Black Bandits Clan and the fourth consort to Queen Clarissa Rose.

Mikael wasn't having any of it and announced his opinion on the spot. "I disagree. There is a way to prove it. More importantly, her behavior has changed. One hundred and eighty degrees, I say. She almost injured me with a jug this morning. She slapped me in the face the other day and bit me on my shoulder, too. Now if that doesn't prove it, I don't know what else would. I say she is an imposter. Not in physical form, but in spirit form."

"Are you saying Her Majesty is possessed?" Regan asked, stupefied, his eyes bouncing between Regan and Verrick.

"Yes." Mikael nodded.

"If what you say is true, then she could be dangerous," Regan said after some thought. "Someone who's this meticulous couldn't have infiltrated the palace this easily. We are dealing with someone skilled here. Maybe The Crimson Devils Clan. I hear they endorse black magic."

"That may be true. The Crimson Devils Clan has increased the number of recruitments recently. I have ordered my men to infiltrate their clan as soldiers. Maybe they are preparing for an invasion," Verrick said, moving to take the last position at the table.

"So, they have infiltrated us first. Clever bastards." Mikael thumped the table with his fist.

Regan knew Mikael was pissed. He was the strategic general after all. He should have seen this coming.

"If this spirit has possessed Her Majesty's body, then where did her spirit go?" Verrick brought the subject back to their current concern, Clarissa Rose's body possession.

"Don't know. Maybe she's sick and tired of living as the queen and wanted freedom. So, she used black magic and lives under another identity. I guess having kings as her consorts wasn't enough." Mikael spouted some nonsense, which only aggravated Verrick even more.

At this point, all Regan could do was watch as a verbal battle broke out between the second and fourth consorts.

"Mikael! You are insulting our queen. Her Majesty would never go so low as to use black magic to escape her destiny. You know it is forbidden here in this kingdom."

"You're right," Mikael apologized to Verrick. "Clarissa Rose would never sacrifice her wealth and power for anything. As queen, she could do anything. Even demand a fifth consort after Kendrick died. We are lucky we have no male siblings, or else she'd entice them all into her harem, just like Zayden when Kendrick died."

Zayden slammed his sword down, silencing both Mikael and Verrick into submission. He glared at them, his eyes fiery with green flames.

Zayden was content to just sit quietly for the duration of their meeting, focusing on polishing his sword, but this discussion now grated on his nerve, and he spoke his mind. "Don't bring me and my brother into this. We only did it because of duty. That woman is an abomination. Who cares if her spirit disappears? Rose Blossom wouldn't feel the effect of her absence, anyway. She was never of any benefit to the nation, even if her presence was here. This possessed queen might as well be the real queen for all I care. If it weren't for us, Rose Blossom would have been invaded by The Crimson Devils Clan already. Why let her existence affect our friendship?"

Regan cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the other three members in the room. He took his position as the leader of the high council, bringing the situation back under control.

"Zayden is right. As the first consort, I apologize for not subduing this issue before it got out of hand. Zayden, thank you for reminding us of our duties. We pledged our allegiance to Rose Blossom on the day we took our vows with Her Majesty. Therefore, even if Her Majesty were to disappear, we must protect this nation against harm and invasion at all costs. Individually, our nations are small. We could easily be invaded by The Crimson Devils Clan, our enemy. But if we continue to stay united, even if they sent an army of ten thousand troops, they could never defeat us. Remember, we are no longer individual nations. We are now a kingdom. There will be no segregations between our borders. All citizens in every nation are given the same rights. So, for the sake of our people, our Kingdom of Alyria, we must stick together and continue to stay united as one."

"Then how can we test whether Her Majesty is real or if she has been possessed?" Verrick asked.

"I have a plan." Regan took out grapes from his satchel. "Maggie said to let Clarissa Rose eat this. If she reacts to it and faints, then a spirit is in possession of her body."

"And if she really is possessed?" Verrick asked.

"We exorcise the spirit out of Clarissa Rose's body and kill it."

"Kill it?" Regan was flabbergasted. He could sense Clarissa Rose was different since last night, and even their engagement this morning had proved it. If this spirit inside Clarissa Rose's body had any malicious intention, he would have already sensed it from her energy, but here, he sensed nothing. So, the idea of killing this spirit just didn't sit right with him. "No. I disagree. Shouldn't we interrogate it first to find out what its intention is? What if this spirit is an innocent one?"

"Always the negotiator, Regan," Mikael teased him again.

Agreed. He was the silent negotiator. He preferred to negotiate and settle on a deal rather than go through bloodshed to get results.

"I agree with Regan. Is there any other way?" Verrick echoed his sentiment.

"There is a way," Mikael said, his lips curling into a smile.

Regan knew Mikael had something up his sleeve. He leaned closer, wanting to hear what he had to say.

"We kiss her," Mikael announced.

Regan almost stumbled back in his seat. Kiss? He had to kiss Clarissa Rose to know whether she was an evil spirit? Since his years of marriage with Clarissa Rose, he was never intimate with her once, and now this...

"Are you telling us to kiss her in order to test for her true essence?" Verrick confirmed his suspicion.

"Yes." Mikael nodded gleefully. "The lips-to-lips contact method. Have you ever heard of it? Only those who have previous contact with a mage knows about it."

"I have heard of it, but I have never done it before to test for someone's true essence."

"Then you will try it soon. When and if Clarissa faints upon eating these grapes. So are we in agreement?"

Regan knew there was no way out of this. A part of him thought this method of Mikael's was bonkers, but another part of him wanted to taste her lips, a strange desire, since this morning. He finally nodded his head in agreement. He heard a yes from Verrick, but Zayden was silent.

"Zayden. Are we in agreement?" He heard Mikael ask the fifth consort.

Zayden abruptly got up, his feet stomping on the carpet, only pausing at the threshold of the door. "Do whatever you want. I want nothing to do with her. Imposter or no imposter."

"Where is he going?" Regan asked, watching Zayden leaving the room, perplexed as always at his brash behavior. Then again, he couldn't really blame Zayden, could he? Zayden had only been a part of Clarissa Rose's harem for a few months. And he was young. Only twenty-three years old, a good two years younger than their queen, and a staggering eight years younger than him. But more importantly though, Regan believed the youngest consort despised the position he was in.

"Probably to his hiding spot," Mikael answered his question. "At the back forest, behind the palace wall. So, we three are in agreement, then?"

Regan nodded his head again.

"I'll get going, then," Verrick said, saddling his bow and arrows into the satchel behind his back. He grabbed his mask, and holding it in one hand, he said to Mikael and Regan, "I have things to investigate."

"Incognito?" Mikael asked on his behalf.

"Incognito." Verrick placed the black mask on his face and let himself out through the secret door. Only two of them were left in the room now.

"Should we disperse as well? I have plans to expose her tonight," Mikael said.

"Tonight?" he asked, unsure of the timing of their plan.

"Yes. Tonight. During dinner. The grapes won't last forever."

Obviously not. No fruit would last forever. And time was ticking. Sooner or later, they would have to execute their plan. But he just wished that this spirit residing in Clarissa Rose's body, if the queen were truly possessed, would be an innocent one. He really didn't want to use his dark power. But if push came to shove, if this spirit really was an evil one, he would take it upon himself to annihilate it himself, no mage needed.

"You know Her Majesty doesn't dine with us." He tried one last time. Sadly, his plan backfired.

"We make her. It would be the finale to expose her true face, this demon spirit. And that's where you come into the picture."

"Pardon?" Regan wrinkled his eyebrow in confusion. "What part do I play in this? I thought you would be the one who would initiate this."

"Me?" Mikael threw his head back and bellowed out with laughter. "You think I will ask her to join us for dinner? Regan," the younger man slapped him on the shoulder, possibly to throw some sense into his head, "have you ever seen us together? The only things we ever do are bite and fight. Either we fight each other with words, or we bite each other with our teeth. Or, though, I'm more inclined to think I did more of the kissing, and she did more of the biting. The point is, Regan, if I ask her, we'll end up in another verbal debate. Worse, I might end up sleeping with her. Now, if she truly was the real Clarissa Rose and not this imposter, I'm sure she would die to dine with us, but this imposter, no. So, it's your job, unfortunately. But I'm sure you'll do fine. You got along with her, didn't you? That's what I assumed from this morning."

"What made you say that?"

"The situation from this morning. The girl practically threw herself between us to prevent you from harm."

Mikael was right. Clarissa Rose did shield him, thinking Mikael was going to harm him. But that didn't mean he could do this. He never had to woo her before. God, this was like asking his queen on a date. But it was the least he could do. They needed to find out for sure if she really were an imposter. And for his own sake, too, because Clarissa Rose was starting to intrigue him in ways no woman had ever done before.

"All right. I'll do it. But only if the timing is right," Regan said, getting up to leave.

"Find the time that is right, then. But make sure it's before dinner. Because it needs to be tonight."

Regan didn't reply, his mind deep in thought as he exited the door.

* * *

The End

* * *

Her Majesty Clarissa Rose's love story continues in

**Her Majesty in Training**

If you love Her Majesty Clarissa Rose's story, please spread the love and consider writing a review on the website you purchased, or downloaded this book from. Thank you.

* * *

Book 1: Her Majesty is Here

Click on the 'Sign Up' link below to subscribe to Wanitta's Mailing list for notification on her next book release

* * *

Sign Up

# Side story 1: Grim and Reaper's Mistake

Grim and Reaper were identical twin brothers. They were classed as angels of death, since they worked in the department of transportation, located in Limbo Tomb, the middle ground earthling people know as " _Not heaven or hell_." Their main job was to transport lost souls to their rightful destination.

A lot had happened in Limbo Tomb lately, with restructuring and disestablishing jobs due to the lack of funding in the company. Fortunately, their positions weren't affected, but that didn't mean they had it easy. Since the majority of their colleagues, demons, and white angels were reshuffled to other departments, they had to work extra hard to accommodate all the lost souls.

Luckily, they still had their two best friends, the brothers, Eli and Aaron, white angels and also transporters like them, still in their department. Together, the four worked from dusk till dawn, and from dawn till dusk again, nonstop, taking turns, making sure no pairs worked more than twelve hours a day.

That morning, when the clock struck one minute past nine, with Eli and Aaron out doing fieldwork, Grim and Reaper, who had just finished their shift, were busy doing paperwork. God wanted a full report of all the lost souls they had transported this past week. The deadline was midday today, and there wasn't a minute to spare.

They used to have a secretary. Mindy. That was her name. A she-devil, she was. Literally. Whenever she was mad, horns would poke out of her head. She was marvelous, though, compiling all the data for them and reporting to the higher-ups. But sadly, she was one of the few who got laid off. Now, all four of them had to handle that extra workload themselves. Maybe that was why Reaper was looking especially grimmer than usual today, with bags and dark circles under his eyes.

"Damn it!" __ He muttered quietly under his breath.

_I shouldn't even look grim._ That word was only reserved for Grim, his younger twin brother. __ And one look at his twin proved it.

Grim was doing his usual thing, headphone wrapped around each ear, his head bobbing up and down to the tune of the rock music. The song was so loud, it pumped into his ears, too.

Reaper couldn't comprehend how they could be so different. They both had the same jet-black hair, the same facial structure. They even had the same build. The only difference was their outlook on life.

Grim was pessimistic. Doom and gloom. That was his mindset. Whereas Reaper, well, he was a bright and happy dark angel, an optimist. Nothing could make him sad or mad for long.

Reaper had always wondered how he came to be known as a dark angel, or the angel of death, as the humans on Earth liked to call him. He exuded so much warmth into the human's hearts, even the lost souls thanked him for leading them to their destinations.

But these past few days, something had changed. He couldn't get much sleep. Something was bugging him. In fact, it had all started when he and Grim had transported young Tami to her new body three days back. And he was definitely sure someone was talking behind his back, as his ears were always burning. Literally. They were on fire most times. He had to carry a bottle of water around, just in case his ears would burst into flames when they were at work.

Reaper pushed the gloomy thought aside and turned back to crunching more numbers when...

"Oh fuck!" Grim swore, ripping off his headphones, startling Reaper so that he toppled off his chair.

"What the fuck?" Reaper glared at his brother, annoyed that now he had to start crunching numbers from the top again.

"What the fuck did I do?" Grim stared blankly at his brother before his face changed to a look of complete horror.

"That's what I want to know, too," Reaper said. "What's with that face? You're scaring me."

Nothing should scare Reaper. He'd worked in the transportation department for over a century now. He'd seen it all, the many horror scenes displayed whenever he went to collect the souls. But the look on Grim's face was something else. And it was telling him that it was something serious.

Grim just opened his mouth and shut it again. He then repeated the process. If Reaper didn't know any better, he'd think his brother was going through an anxiety attack. But Grim had never had an anxiety attack before.

Reaper peered over the edge of his brother's laptop to see what the heck had gotten his brother all screwed up.

"I fucked up!" Grim hyperventilated before Reaper even had a chance to look.

"What the hell did you do?" Reaper questioned while trying to calm his brother down.

"I sent Tami to the wrong body."

"You what?" Reaper shouted. Now he was also having an anxiety attack. He took three deep breaths and then exhaled. That calmed him down somewhat. He collected his thoughts and tried to process the full information again. "Tell me I heard wrong."

"I repeat. I sent Tami to the wrong body. Here, take a look." Grim shoved the laptop in his face.

Once he saw the information on the screen, he cringed. "Oh fuck!"

"Yeah. Fuck me." Grim agreed, sizzling like a hot air balloon back in his seat.

"No. Fuck both of us." Reaper buried his face in his palms, feeling the pressure digging into his shoulders.

"What's fucking both of you twins?" a husky voice vibrated in the air. Masses of feathery white wings appeared, swirling slowly to form two men.

"Grim fucked up big-time," Reaper answered the question, lifting his eyes to meet Eli and Aaron. Brothers, both blond. Maybe that's why the humans called them white angels, since they were blondies, and he and Grim were dark angels because of their black hair.

"If he fucked up, then we're all fucked up," Eli said, pointing a thumb in Grim's direction.

That's right. That was their collective agreement. They would all take full responsibility if anyone in their team were to fuck up. And today would be one of those times to live up to their motto.

"What's gotten you all fucked that we have to end up getting fucked up, too?" Aaron asked Grim.

"I sent one of our lost souls to the wrong body," Grim confessed.

"Okay, mate, I've had a long and hard day at work today. Between Aaron and myself, we transported nearly sixty souls to their destination this morning. I need a cold beer and a chair to prepare myself for this."

"You need a cold beer?" Reaper taunted. "I need a fucking barrel of beer to get me through this."

"Hahaha," Eli laughed, flicking his finger, and a chair magically appeared. With another flick of his finger, a can of cold beer appeared in his hand. He sat down and started drinking. "Right, I'm all settled. You can start your story."

But Grim didn't listen to him. He was too busy gnawing at his lower lip, his mind in turmoil. "Fuck, if God finds out about this, we'll be out of the job."

"He'll think we're incompetent," Reaper added.

"Now, now." Aaron diffused the situation. "You dark angels have been doing this job longer than us. I'm sure he's not going to discredit you both just for one simple mistake."

"It's not really about that simple mistake. It's about the ripple effect that might stream from this situation," Reaper rationed.

"What do you mean?" Aaron questioned.

Reaper told them. "We made a promise to Tami, the lost soul girl—"

"Wait, mate, back up a minute there," Eli interrupted. "You made a promise to the lost soul. You know you weren't supposed to make any promise to any lost souls. That's in our Transportation Manuel protocol."

"I know. What was I thinking?" Reaper knocked himself in the head.

"Yeah, what were you thinking, Reaper?" Aaron teased.

"This is a serious matter, Aaron," Grim said on behalf of his brother.

"Calm down, both of you. Let's get to the root of the problem," Eli said.

"Tell us what happened, from the beginning," Aaron added.

Reaper started again. "So, Tami, our lost soul girl, said she had to go back to find her sister. And since God had kind of cut her lifeline short by mistake, we were given specific instructions to return her to a new body."

"And Reaper told her that she could find her sister in her new body," Grim added.

"So, what's the problem then? Why can't she find her sister, even if it's not the body that she's meant to take over?"

"Because I sent her into the wrong portal," Grim rumbled.

"Elaborate." Eli waved his hand to continue.

"I was meant to summon the Earth Portal, not Everland Portal."

"Everland, as in Everland from that other world?" Aaron asked in surprise.

"That's right. She's not even in the same world as her sister," Grim gasped out, already at his wits' end.

"Oh fuck! How the hell did we mess up so bad?" Reaper asked his brother.

Grim looked even grimmer. With eyes full of worry, he said, "Look, remember that day. I told you I was tired, but you still insisted I go with you. Our last job of the day before we clocked out. That's what you said. So, I was grumpy. I was mad at you. You know how I get mad easily. I didn't get enough sleep the night before as well."

"Sorry, Grim!" Reaper was pissed at himself. If he hadn't pushed his brother so hard, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

"We could summon her back here and transport her to the correct body," Aaron suggested.

"Excellent suggestion, Aaron, but it's too late now," Reaper said sadly. "She's already in possession of the new body. Once the process is done, lost souls can't come back here until they become lost souls again. In other words, she has to die again."

"Check within the system for whose body she's in possession of," Eli suggested this time.

Grim quickly input the data in the system. All four pairs of eyes almost jolted out of their sockets as soon as they saw the name written on the screen.

"Clarissa Rose, Alyria. Oh fuck! That's where the mistake happened," Grim fused out.

"What do you mean?" Eli asked, confused.

"Tami was supposed to take over the body of a lady by the name of Clarissa Rose in Salisbury, England, who resides on Earth. This person, named Clarissa Rose is Her Majesty, the Queen of Alyria, from Everland."

"Shit! So, they both have the same names," Aaron shouted out.

"Yes, that's where the mistake happened," Grim said.

"But clearly, they are from different locations and different statuses," Aaron said.

"This is one fucked-up situation, mates," Eli concluded.

"Yeah. That's why I said we are all fucked." Grim looked gloomier than ever.

"Well, since you have fucked up already, I guessed we are all fucked together," Eli said, nodding his head.

"Yeah, join the fucked-up clan, Eli and Aaron; you are both welcome," Grim said sarcastically.

"Already did, mate. We'll be fucked together." Eli laughed and took another sip of his cold beer.

"On a serious note, what are we going to do?" Reaper queried everyone.

Eli was quiet for ten seconds, then said, "Grim. Check in the system. What happened to the Clarissa Rose on Earth? If she were meant to die at the exact moment that Tami was supposed to possess her body, that would mean that she herself would become a lost soul. But where was her soul? Did you see her soul in the white room? Aaron, did you see anyone by the name of Clarissa Rose from Salisbury, Earth, when out on fieldwork?"

"No, bro. None by that name appeared on our list of exports."

"Looking at the information here, it states that she regained consciousness after they performed CPR on her," Reaper reported.

"So, somehow, through our mistake, the Clarissa Rose on Earth had her lifeline extended," Grim concluded. "But what about Her Majesty Clarissa Rose in Everland?"

"Apparently, Her Majesty's lifeline was supposed to end when she drowned. But since we've sent Tami into her body, I guess that means it's now Tami's lifeline."

"So, essentially speaking, it's now Tami who will live as the Queen of Alyria," Aaron concluded, nodding his head.

"Oh fuck! Do you know how many lives will not follow the divine path? They all have their destinies planned out. With Tami being in possession of Her Majesty's body, all the lives in Everland will change." Grim looked worried again.

"Not all lives, but the ones that come in contact with Tami will," Eli nodded, voicing his thought.

"We could transform into other beings and help guide Tami onto the right path. You know, follow the path of the queen's destiny," Aaron suggested.

"If only we could. That's not our jurisdiction. We have no control over that world," Eli said.

"We could go to the higher-ups. Ask for permission to enter that world," Grim suggested.

"No, we can't. They will wonder why we are so interested in Everland and start an investigation. We don't want that," Eli said.

"Yes, we need to cover this up. Only the four of us can know about this," Reaper said.

"Then what do we do about Tami, then?" Grim asked, coming back full circle to their main concern.

"We could only wait for her to become a lost soul again," Reaper said after some time. "Then we can correct our mistake and guide her into the right body."

"And how long do we have to wait?" Grim asked his brother.

"I don't think it will be long," Reaper said. "Tami was never meant to possess the Queen's body. I'm sure she'll turn into a lost soul soon. Plus, she's too naive. She'll be ousted as an imposter soon."

"Then they'll assassinate her," Grim nodded, smiling slyly, pleased about the possible outcome.

"Say, if she's this naïve, I wager you one week, Grim, that she'll return to us as a lost soul." Aaron made a bet with Grim.

"What if she doesn't return to us?" Eli said seriously for the first time. "I mean, you don't know these things. Humans are unpredictable. They have this mindset where they think they control their own destiny. They refuse to follow the divine path."

"Bro has a point," Aaron said, agreeing with his brother. "I've seen lots of lost souls who refused to think they're dead. They kick up such a fuss, I sometimes want to kick their asses down to hell, just for the fun of it."

"Humans." Grim also agreed with this theory. "They're such emotional creatures. They bend and flex like bamboo sticks. Tsk, I will never understand them."

"She has to come back," Reaper said quietly. "We just have to count on it."

"On that note, how about the promise you made about her younger sister," Aaron reminded them. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Hmm. Now that, twins, is very much possible." Eli grinned. "Earth is within our jurisdiction. We get free passes to enter or exit as we please."

"Which means?" Grim's eyes opened wide with anticipation.

"Which means, we take turns monitoring her," Eli said, revealing his plan.

"With our CCTV cameras here," Grim asked, warming up to the idea.

"No." Eli shook his head. "In person."

"And how do we make sure God doesn't find out about our plan," Grim asked, his eyes crinkled with worries again.

"We'll take turns during working hours to monitor her, clocking in before heading down to Earth," Eli said.

"That sounds like a feasible plan," Reaper agreed.

"So, we act as a kind of guardian angel to her," Aaron said, nodding also.

"Yes," Eli said.

"The child is only eleven," Reaper supplied. "That means we'll need to be her guardian angels until she turns twenty-one, or whenever Tami returns to us and we transport her into a human body on Earth, whichever comes first." Reaper looked at the other three in the room. "Are we in agreement?"

"Come on, mate," Aaron chuckled. "How long have we been together? For almost two centuries already. I'm sure a few centuries more wouldn't hurt."

All four angels nodded in agreement and grinned at their perfectly laid-out plan.

Little did they know that Tami's younger sister, little Amy, would turn into a woman of beauty. And she would be the very woman who would capture all their hearts.

# Her Majesty in Training

### Her Majesty & The Four Kings Book 2

_Getting oust by the four kings as traitor to Alyria Kingdom is embarrassing enough, so why must I go and fall in love with them?_

* * *

I want to say I'm a kind and noble queen, except before I even got the chance to perform my duties, I was ousted as an imposter, by none other than the four kings, in the most humiliating and embarrassing way possible.

* * *

Consort number one, King Regan from The Ice Butterfly Clan, the sensible and kindhearted one. He cherishes and protects me, acting like a big brother protecting his sister. I feel safe when he's around.

* * *

Consort number two, King Mikael from The Sapphire Clan, the devil in disguise who stole my heart and makes me shiver in deliciousness.

* * *

Consort number three, King Verrick from The Black Bandits Clan, my Shadow, the one who's always lurking in the dark, ready to save me from danger.

* * *

Consort number four, King Zayden from The Silver Swords Clan, the youngest and most impossible to get through. But yet, he's also the one who makes my heart thump wildly whenever he touches me.

* * *

Now that they know I'm not the real queen, they keep me under surveillance, all four taking turns to make sure I don't make a fool of myself as their queen. Yet, why do I feel so safe and secure under their watchful eyes. Does that mean I love them all?

# Maid to the Mafia

### Jenny and Giovanni's love story

Book 1: Totally Captivated

Now free to download on all online stores

_"I'll do anything. Cooking, cleaning, even making coffee. I'm good at making coffee."_

* * *

Upon uttering the word coffee, Jenny Stone, the smart, resilient, and sharp-tongued girl somehow finds herself paying off her father's debt by working as a maid to the mafia boss, Giovanni Dente, the obsessive-compulsive coffee drinker with movie star good looks.

* * *

And this is just the beginning of Jenny's new life.

* * *

Between serving the man his brew at ungodly hours and doing his dirty work, she also has to attend college, ace her exams, and find a way to contact her father and sister who have abandoned her.

* * *

But within the intricate web Giovanni binds around her, when it comes time for her to leave, she isn't sure if she can make it out alive, especially when somewhere along the way, she realizes her heart is totally captivated.

# The Mafia and His Maiden

### Amelia and Lorenzo's Love Story

Book 1: Beautiful Hell

Preorder Available Now

Release Date: 13th January 2021

From the author of _Maid to the Mafia_ comes another anticipated and highly charged passionate new love story.

* * *

**Amelia Stone**

* * *

_Choices. Every choice leads to a consequence. This is now my new life. And I must live with this consequence._

* * *

Nikolas Lorenzo, head mafia of the Lorenzo Group. He barged into my life like a raging pit bull, destroying my orderly lifestyle and shattering my innocent dreams. Gun poised at my father's temple, he asks me point blank, "Choose between his life or yours."

* * *

I've made my choice, and now I must live with this consequence. I become his.

* * *

But ours is a volatile and erotic relationship. He's coldhearted and ruthless, but beneath the surface, I can see his fragile heart, haunted by the ghost of his past.

* * *

He is a reflection of me, both damaged souls, bonded together through an unfortunate incident. Will we both live to see the day we cherish each other, or will we both suffer in this beautiful hell together?

* * *

**Nikolas Lorenzo**

* * *

_"An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth." If you hurt me, I will hunt you down and exact vengeance on you tenfold._

* * *

Nikolas Lorenzo lives in a chaotic world, one filled with bloodshed and death. The only light in his life is his kid brother. But when his life got taken away too, Nikolas self-destructs, going on a warpath to search for the culprit. And it leads him to Amelia Stone.

* * *

She's painted as an innocent maiden in his brother's eyes, but he knows better. He asks her to make a choice. Life or death. She chooses death. But death is too easy of a way out. She needs to experience the hell she put his brother through.

* * *

And so he constructs the perfect hell for her, one where he has absolute control. But whenever he looks into her amber eyes, he can't help seeing that innocent soul in her. Is this regret he's feeling, or will he languish his moments with her in this beautiful hell he created?

* * *

**_The Mafia and His Maiden: Beautiful Hell_ is the first book in _The Mafia and His Maiden_ series. Heartrending, angst, and filled to the brim with sensual smut scenes, this first book ends in a cliffhanger.**

* * *

**Author's Note: Amelia is Jenny's sister in Maid to the Mafia series. Nikolas Lorenzo is Giovanni's frenemy. Both Amelia and Nikolas will appear in Book 4: Totally Devoted in Maid to the Mafia series.**

# A Mafia's First Love

### Lily and Justin's love story

Book 1: Completely Breathless

Preorder Available Now

Release Date: 15th September 2020

**Justin**

* * *

No food. No energy. No money.

* * *

F*ck my life. Nothing can get worse than this. I'm about to go out on that boxing ring to fight for that $200 in cold hard cash.

* * *

It should be easy. I'm primed for this. I'm trained for this. But I'm hungry. I have no food. I'm going to die. Then I see her. She stumbles into my path.

* * *

One look. One lick. One taste. That's all I need to confirm she's mine.

* * *

**Lily**

* * *

"A kiss, in exchange for saving your life." That's what he says to me after he steals my first kiss under the moonlight.

* * *

I'm trying to search for my freedom, escaping from my suffocating family, only to find him; Justin Valenti, the heart-throb idol of our college campus, dubbed Heartbreaker.

* * *

He's hot. He's dangerous. Like his name implies, he's a heartbreaker. There's no way I'm falling for a guy like him.

* * *

But the more I know him, the more I realize he's an honest and quintessential hardworking man.

* * *

And with every touch, he leaves me completely breathless.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This is the story of Justin Valenti, Giovanni Dante's best friend, who appears in book 3 and book 4 of _Maid to the Mafia_. _Completely Breathless_ , will take the readers back to when Justin was still a college student and how he met Lily, his first love. Raw and romantic, this first book ends in a cliff hanger.

# The Billionaire's Twisted Love

### Kimberly and Julian's love story

Book 1: Captivated by You

Free to download on selected online stores

_"I want to be scorched by your flame. I want to be enticed by your touch. Let me in. Open the door to your heart so I can save you."_

* * *

What is it about the enigmatic and taciturn Julian Devereux that captivates me so? His kind and selfless acts towards others ignite my compassionate nature to protect him from the bitter onslaught of his brother, Joshua Devereux.

* * *

But is it merely my nature to help the weak, or is it simply to indulge myself in pleasure, watching in delight as two brothers battle for my attention and their family inheritance?

* * *

Maybe deep down, I already know I love him and am willing to sacrifice and back him up in every ordeal. But I didn't anticipate the path I chose would eventually spiral out of my control, tearing at my heart and tossing me into a labyrinth of illusion.

* * *

The Billionaire's Twisted Love series contains content and themes suitable for mature readers. Beware, the love scenes are super hot. This first book ends in a cliffhanger. 

# Baby Be Mine

### Clarice and Hunter's love story

Book 1: Baby Be Mine

Free to download on selected online stores

Turning thirty is like a big sale at the meat market. You have to go on discount before someone starts considering you. And that's not the only problem Clarice Mason has to deal with, because right now her biological clock is ticking and she realizes that one morning she might wake up with white hair and a walking cane as her only companion. So to soothe her problem, Clarice has resolved to have a baby.

* * *

Enter Anton Silverton, the man that possesses all the traits Clarice has ever wanted in a mate: tall, handsome, smart, and an overall gentleman—all the perfect genes for her baby. All she has to do now is ask him nicely to donate a little sperm so she can conceive. But damn Hunter Silverton—Anton's smart-mouth, no-good cousin with the title of number one Casanova in Australasia—has to come stirring up trouble. And now, under the influence of hormonal imbalances, Clarice finds her craving for a baby might not be enough, for she is beginning to crave the love of one of these men.

# Boss Lady

### Whitney and Darcy's love story

Book 3: Boss Lady

Whitney, the so-called tyrant boss of E Magazine, is in trouble. Her best friend Clarice is getting married and has asked her to be one of her bridesmaids, which requires wearing beautiful feminine gowns. That's fine by her, but how is she to keep up her persona of the militant boss when Darcy, her submissive personal assistant, will be tagging along too? What makes everything worse is the more she knows Darcy outside of work, the more she realizes that distinct black and white guise of hers is starting to become a blurry grey line.

* * *

Darcy is also in trouble. After tasting the forbidden fruit, the hatred he feels for his boss has now somehow turned to heated desire. Now he can't stop thinking about her. But Darcy knows one thing for sure. When it comes to matters of the heart, Whitney may be the dictator in their office, but only he will come out on top in the bedroom.

* * *

This story of a tyrant boss and her submissive personal assistant is about to get interesting when mistaken identity and convoluted circumstances take place. In the end, they are left with the question: Who's the master and who's the submissive in this relationship.

* * *

**Spinsters and Playboys series is set in the beautiful country of New Zealand. Still humorous and steamy, this third book features a new couple, complete with a happy ending. This book can be read as a standalone, but for more enjoyment, it's best to read in the following order:**

1) Baby Be Mine (Clarice and Hunter book 1)

2) Baby I'm Yours (Clarice and Hunter book 2)

3) Boss Lady (Whitney and Darcy) A standalone novel

# Let Me Love You

### Ivy and Zac's love story: A Young Adult High School Romance Novel

**Let Me Love You**

**Ivy**

* * *

I'm good at hiding. I left all those bad memories behind and now am starting a new life in this new town.

* * *

A new school. A fresh start. Life is good. Until I meet him. And all my nightmares come rushing back.

* * *

Zac, the lead singer of Apollo, with his inky black hair and deep emerald eyes, tempts me in ways no guy has ever done before. He makes me want him, but my past keeps pushing him away.

* * *

I keep telling myself it's okay, forget the past and move on. But no matter how many excuses I come up with, in the end, he still is the center of my nightmare.

* * *

**Zac**

* * *

Ivy. She intrigues me. She's like a cute little rabbit, always wanting to scramble away whenever I get near her.

* * *

Does she hate me?

* * *

I don't think so. I can feel this attraction between us when we're together.

* * *

But no matter what excuse she has, I'll make her mine.

* * *

That is, until I found the reason why.

* * *

**Let Me Love You is a young adult full length romance novel, centered on first love, and the power of forgiveness. It's a slow burn romance, complete with a happy ending.**

# Books by Wanitta Praks

**Alyria Kingdom**

**_(Fantasy /Contemporary/Transmigration Romance)_**

All main characters in these series occur in the same universe

**Season one:**

**Her Majesty & The Four Kings**

(Clarissa Rose's Reverse Harem Love Story)

Book 1: Her Majesty is Here

Free to download

**The Sinister Bachelor Billionaires Universe**

**_(Steamy New Adult Contemporary Romance)_**

All main characters in these series occur in the same universe

* * *

**Season one:**

**The Billionaire's Twisted Love**

(Kimberly and Julian)

Book 1: Captivated by You

Free to download

Book 2: Trapped by You

Book 3: Loved by You

The Boxset

**Season Two:**

**Maid To The Mafia: The Series**

(Jenny and Giovanni)

Book 1: Totally Captivated

Free to download

Book 2: Totally Alluring

Book 3: Totally Intoxicated

* * *

Book 4: Totally Devoted

**Season Three:**

**A Mafia's First Love: The Series**

(Lily and Justin)

Book 1: Completely Breathless

Preorder Available Now

Release Date: September 15 2020

Book 2: Completely Enthralled

Preorder Available Now

Release Date: May 13 2021

**Season Four:**

**The Mafia and His Maiden: The Series**

(Amelia and Lorenzo)

* * *

Book 1: Beautiful Hell

Preorder Available Now

Release Date: January 13 2021

**Spinsters & Playboys**

**_(Steamy Contemporary Romance)_**

All main characters in this series occur in the same universe

Book 1: Baby Be Mine

(Clarice and Hunter)

Free to download

* * *

Book 2: Baby I'm Yours

(Clarice and Hunter)

Book 3: Boss Lady

(Whitney and Darcy)

**Stand Alone Novel**

Let Me Love You

Young Adult Romance

# About the Author

A girl who loves reading, eating and watching practically anything to do with mystery, romance and action. If not writing, she indulges herself in reading boys love romance novels and listening to kpop music.

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A hermit who loves to stay at home but also enjoys eating out. Her mind extends as far as her imagination. When she starts writing, she loses herself in that world.

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Sign up to her mailing list for updates and notifications on book releases. She promises never to spam.

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_Get to know Wanitta:_

www.wanittapraks.com

  Facebook

### Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Synopsis
  6. Prologue
  7. 1. My New Life in a New World
  8. 2. The Delicious Taste of My First Meal
  9. 3. That Hot Intruder Who Makes my Heart Pound
  10. 4. The Identity of My Intruder Revealed
  11. 5. Tangling with My Husband
  12. 6. That Handsome Stranger in My Bed
  13. 7. Caught Between a Lover and a Husband
  14. 8. Kingdom of Alyria 101
  15. 9. The Five Kings
  16. 10. Lost in Your Seductive Physique
  17. 11. The Mysterious Man behind the Mask
  18. 12. Riding with the Devil
  19. 13. Oust as an Imposter
  20. Epilogue
  21. Side story 1: Grim and Reaper's Mistake
  22. Her Majesty in Training
  23. Maid to the Mafia
  24. The Mafia and His Maiden
  25. A Mafia's First Love
  26. The Billionaire's Twisted Love
  27. Baby Be Mine
  28. Boss Lady
  29. Let Me Love You
  30. Books by Wanitta Praks
  31. About the Author

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Beginning
  6. Prologue
  7. Epilogue
  8. Also by Wanitta Praks
  9. About the Author

