Chapter 44 - Awake

Death was not a foreign concept to me. Since Ronaldo came into our chambers that night, stabbing my parents to death and sealing my fate of being dethroned, death has been constant in my life. I have been surrounded by death throughout my journey. It started with my parent's death, and was followed by the numerous people that I myself have put into eternal slumber.

In my mind, I have toyed with death. I have conquered it, mastered it even. That was why I was unafraid of kidnapping the princess, because death for me was not really a punishment, but a gateway into another realm, which would lead me to my parents. Yet as I lay there, bathing with my own blood, watching the stars as it began to fade away from the sky, I was washed with fear. For all those years I have welcomed death into my life, I was still afraid. Not for me, but for the people I would leave behind.

"Hold on Cybele!" Was that Talia's voice? "If you die, I will follow you shortly my love. Don't you dare give up on us!" Someone took hold of my hand. It was warm and soft.

"Don't say that Talia. Her majesty will make it!" said another person. I couldn't figure out who it was. My mind was one big jumble of nerves that refused to function properly.

I heard something thud, followed by an unstable movement. "Buckle up everyone. This will be a shaky ride," someone announced. I didn't open my eyes to see who said it. My whole being was focused on the numbing pain that my body was experiencing. The feeling was leaving my body fast.

"Just go! The bleeding won't stop. She needs medical treatment soon." Someone shook my shoulders. "Wake up! You're not allowed to sleep. I won't let you." More shaking.

"I. . . Will. . . Read you another. . ." I gulped a lungful of air. "Book some. . . Other. . . Time Talia. . ."

I tried to battle for my consciousness. My goal was to focus on a single thought. To grasp it as if it had an arm and a hand. To hold it and keep it into my memory. But try as I might, my grip began to slip. I tumbled and fell, until the thought I was holding was so far that I couldn't reach it. My consciousness began to fade. It felt like I was being sucked into a tunnel. At first there was light. Then there was dark. And then there was nothing.

When you wake up from deep sleep, you tend to lose all sense of time. You open your eyes, take note of your surroundings, and wonder what happened. You only realize that it was morning as you see the sunlight streaming from the window. Sometimes it was the alarm clock that would alert you of the current time. That for all intents and purposes, it was time to wake up and start your day.

Now imagine waking up suddenly. The room was dark, so you didn't know what time it was. There was no alarm clock. It was peaceful, yet as you glanced around, you realized that there were wires around you, hooked on your hand, your nose, everywhere. You tried to speak, yet your mouth refused to function. As if your tongue was rolled somewhere at the back of your throat.

That was exactly what happened to me. I panicked. Disoriented, I tried to pull the wires from my hand. A needle was attached at the end. I tried peeling the tapes, cords, whatever it was that was attached from my body. I did it clumsily, shakily, like a baby trying to master her first movements. After I was sure that it was removed, my next mission was to stand up.

My legs felt like it was made from lead, all heavy and nonfunctional. It was like it wasn't a part of me. I wiggled my toes for quite some time, until I was confident that I would be able to swing my legs to the side of the bed. It was so dark that I could barely see. What little light there was came from somewhere on the wall. It was merely a crack, so I wasn't sure what it was.

It took a while before I could finally support my body with my legs while standing up. I tried walking once, twice, all the while searching for the exit. A door was on my immediate left. I dragged my feet there, twisting the handles open. The other side was bright. Brighter than expected. I had to shield my face with my hands, blinking a few times.

When my eyes finally adjusted, I came face to face with someone, staring at me with wide eyes. The woman dropped the freshly laundered linen she was carrying in surprise. She gaped at me for a few seconds before running at full speed, screaming, "She's awake!"

There were noises. Running. People coming out everywhere to greet me. For the most part, I was confused as I blinked at each faces, trying to recall who they were and what they were doing there. And then someone came forward. She was undeniably beautiful, with braided honey-colored hair, and a lithe body. When her tearful grey eyes locked to mine, I instantly knew who she was.

"I can't believe you're awake."

I opened my mouth to speak. No words came out. I swallowed hard, trying it once more. "I just realized. . ." Everyone stared at me, trying to decipher what I wanted to say. "I just realized that I'm so gay for you Talia," I finished, giving her a lopsided smile. Everyone laughed. I was going to laugh too if it weren't for someone scooping me in her arms, carrying me back to the room.

"What do you think you're doing Vanessa?" I scolded.

"Bloody hell Cybele, you should be resting in your room."

"Why are you saying bloody hell when you're not even British?"

Vanessa placed me carefully on the bed, as if she was carrying a baby and not a full-grown woman. Someone pulled the curtains open, bathing the room with sunlight. So that was where the light was coming from earlier. Confused, I glanced around the large room. The shelves were still there, the books organized. Everything was pristine and clean, just like I have left it. What differs were the medical equipment's and machinery that were hooked on the outlet.

"Where are we?" I asked Van who was watching me like a hawk. "Is this a dream?"

Talia sat on the bed. "We're back in your mansion in England. And no, this is not a dream," she said, waiting for my reaction.

"How? Why?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you remember what happened before we got here?" Her tone was careful, like she was trying not to step on broken glass.

My mind wandered to the last memory that I could recall. Searching for the memory felt like I was starting to wake up from deep sleep. It was there yet I couldn't understand it. I shook my head. "I can't remember."

Talia nodded, as if she was anticipating this. She glanced back to the onlookers. I recognized them as the maids who have served this household since I was adopted. "Leave us please," she commanded. "And keep the door closed." Everyone did as told, quietly leaving the room vacant, save for me, Talia, and Van who dragged a chair to the bedside so she could sit.

Talia stared back at me. "Do you remember being stabbed?"

Upon mentioning it, the debilitating pain of the knife going through my stomach flashed in my head. The ghost of the pain lingered, making me gasp. I pulled my silk shirt up, expecting to see the knife sticking there. Instead, the area was covered in gauze. It was not tainted with blood, telling me that it was newly replaced. "So much for being a model," I murmured jokingly, disguising the fact that I was deeply shook by the ordeal. I brought the shirt down. "Tell me everything from the start."

Talia took my hand. "When Ronaldo stabbed you-"

"When Ronaldo shanked you," Van interrupted.

Talia silenced the blonde by giving her a look. "After the event," she continued. "There was a struggle."

"By struggle," Van said. "She meant everyone went oozma kappa to save you."

I frowned. "Oozma kappa?"

"Alien speak for berserk your highness," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Anyway," Van said. "Talia was the first one to struggle. One of the guards punched her, yada yada yada, then my beautiful sexy Brooke came to her rescue. They stabbed her on the back-"

"Silence Vanessa," I said, making her halt. "What do you mean you struggled?" I glanced at Talia. "Can you please tell the story? Van is not making any sense."

Talia gave Van a pointed look before focusing on me. "Forgive her okay? She's sad because of what happened to Brooke." My eyes widened. "She's ok," Talia said in a hurry. "She's recovering in her room. What really happened was when I saw what Ronaldo did, I struggled until the guard made me stop. Brooke wanted to protect me and got stabbed at the back in the process."

"In short, the guard was a back stabber," Van said. "Get it? Ha-ha."

"After that," Talia interrupted. "Everything went crazy. Shots were fired from an unknown source. Some of the guards were killed. Ronaldo in the meantime got severely hurt. He wanted to kill you on the spot, but too much was going on so he had no choice but to escape. He did call for backup though, so we had to go through a chase. In the end, Viper helped us board the private jet so we could go here."

"And the palace? Do they know that we're in England? Are my parents safe?" I asked one question after another.

Talia shook her head. "As of now, they have no idea. I think Viper was able to device a plan so they'd think we're still there, hiding somewhere. And as for your parents, they're safe. They're managing something right now. That's why they're gone in the meantime. Brooke's parents are secured too. They're back in their mansion. Your best friend refuses to rest there because she's worried about you. You've been asleep for a week."

"A week huh. . ." I rested my chin on my knees before training my eyes on her. "I told you calling Viper beforehand would be wise. Where is he? I need to thank him properly."

Van piped up. "Erm. . . Your highness, is Viper a transsexual?"

I shrugged. "Beats me. Why?"

"Because well. . . He is a she."

I wasn't surprised at Van's revelation. Somehow, I understood that with the business that Viper was running, she had to protect herself in any way. What stunned me however was the fact that Viper showed herself to my friends. She used to do things anonymously, stealthily. "Did she come with you?" I asked.

"Yes your majesty." Van stood up. "I'll call her so you can have a talk." Vanessa went hurriedly out the door, shutting it gently behind her.

Talia kissed me on the forehead. "I'm so happy you're awake."

I stroked her cheek, staring at her lovingly. "Were you scared?"

"Of course I was. What did you want me to do? Party because I was going to be single?" I scowled at the prospect. "Anyway, she continued. We have so many people to thank. Your parents are one of them."

I groaned. "That's something I'm not looking forward to right now. You don't know my mum. She can be on the overdramatic side."

"We've already met."

I stared incredulously at her. "You did?! Bloody hell. . ." I lowered my head. "Did she tell you some things?"

Talia smirked. "Oh she told me a lot of things. But let's talk about that later. I have something to tell you about Viper first." Her expression turned serious. "I think I know her. I've seen her before."

There was a subtle knock on the door before it opened. Van marched inside with a smug grin. "I don't always knock on doors." She smirked. "But when I do, just know that it's because I'm giving you a favor by stopping your session before I come in."

"You have such a dirty mind," Talia said, rolling her eyes.

I shifted my attention to the entrance. The butler came in, closing the door. "Hello Chandra," I said. "Where's Viper?" When no one spoke, I changed the question. "You are Viper?!"

"Yes miss Iris," she said, bowing slightly.

I pinched my forehead. "Did my parents make you do it?"

"At some extent."

I gestured to the chair beside the bed. "Sit please. And explain everything." My head felt like it was on the verge of exploding. From deep sleep, it seemed that it was only now that I was beginning to wake up. Truly wake up. There were so many explanations that I had to understand.

The butler took a seat. "Learning about me will take you further than the time of your adoption." I glanced in surprise at her. What was she talking about? "Are you willing to listen" she asked. I nodded numbly. Talia and Van remained quiet, though they leaned forward with interest.

"As a young woman, I used to work under Esmeralda. The woman you know now as your queen."

Talia gasped. "That's why you looked familiar!"

Viper nodded. "Yes, I was the head staff in your mansion. You were a very sweet girl Miss Talia, unlike your mother." Viper glanced at me. "One day, I heard Esmeralda talking to Ronaldo about a plan they have devised. At that time, I didn't realize that they were planning to assassinate the King and Queen. Imagine my surprise when it flashed all over the news. I was plagued with guilt. I should have saved my rulers." She hung her head in shame.

"There was nothing you could have done," I said, glancing away. "Believe me. I was there and wasn't able to save them." Talia took my hand, intertwining our fingers as her show for support.

"Anyway," Viper continued. "I ran away from Esmeralda's household and came to England to live a new life. I met your adoptive parents to work for them as the butler. I changed my name and identity by doing so. Working under Esmeralda meant that you can never escape, so I had to take measures to ensure my safety."

"What do you mean you can never escape from my mother?" Talia asked.

Viper frowned at Talia. "That's Esmeralda's rule. Once you work for her, you are not allowed to leave. It's like being tied to a syndicate. I only realized it when I ran away."

"If your name is not Chandra, what is it?" I asked.

"Vanessa," she said.

"No. Freaking. Way," Van said from her corner. She has been quiet the whole time so I've forgotten about her. "Mind blown! But you do know there can only be one Van right?" she said to Viper. "I'll probably have to kill you in your sleep."

Viper smiled. "I prefer to be called Chandra now. Keep your hands to yourself."

"My hands are busy with Brooke, thank you very much," Van said, smirking.

"Chandra, did you know that I was going to be adopted in this household? Or was that pure coincidence?"

"Believe it or not, it was coincidence," she said. "I didn't know what you looked like because the dead King and Queen, bless their souls, never wanted to show you off except to the nobles. However, Talia has always talked about you. She would tell everyone about your green eyes and features that even though I have never seen you in person, the moment you were adopted I just knew that it was you."

"Was that the reason why you were always hanging around me?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But I had to do so in a way that you wouldn't suspect me because I was never sure that you were indeed Cybele. Everyone said that you were dead."

"What about my mum and dad? Did they know my real identity?" I asked.

"They didn't," Viper said thoughtfully. "But they were very concerned about you. They loved you like a biological child. They wanted you to be happy." She smiled. "Your parents wanted you protected, so they made me study and train in different things. They also gave me all the money I needed to ensure your safety. When it comes to you, they would do anything possible."

I felt overwhelmed by what she said. My parents were always very kind to me, even whilst I was never their biological daughter. I should be more mindful of my actions toward them. "How did you become Viper then?"

"Oh that," she said, the edge of her eyes crinkling. "By following you constantly and trying to understand you, I realized that you were working towards getting the throne back. I didn't know that kidnapping Talia was the method you sought, but I understood what your main goal was. In order to protect you further, I did a couple of things so Brooke would trust me. Through her, I would be able to serve you better."

"But why didn't you just tell me all of this before going through the trouble?"

"Would you really have trusted me then?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"You know me well," I said, hiding my smile. I turned to Talia. "Am I really that hard headed?"

"Well you did have me crying for quite some time," she said. "But you're a good person Cybele. Your mother will be proud of what you have become." She beamed. "Speaking of mother, would you like to talk to her? With all the excitement of you waking up, I forgot to tell you that she's here too."

"Is that so?"

Talia's smile disappeared. She looked at me with barely held curiosity. "Why don't you look happy? I understand that you're still not feeling well, but I thought you'd be a little more excited to know that she was rescued. Aren't you glad that the Queen is alive? That your mother is alive?"

I met her eyes square on. "That woman is not my mother." Talia's mouth opened. "And after I have some rest, I'm going to find out exactly who she is."