Chapter 2

"From what I could remember, your mother was an orphan but yes she was indeed from a noble family and she was so pretty, you got your charming eyes and smiles from her" Queen Vanya said and Cheng smiles.

"So don't think you're a cursed child alright" She added and Cheng nods smiling.

Waylon smiles too.

"Where's Narmada?" He asked. Narmada happens to be Waylon's sister and she's in the same age with Cheng. Queen Vanya has two children; Waylon and Narmada.

While Queen Anjali had Thiago as her first son, she currently pregnant and will soon give birth.

"I don't know Waylon. You know your sister, right? She never sits in one place, always wandering around the palace making friends with the maids, which isn't bad though" Queen Vanya said and he smiles.

"Today happens to be the lantern festival" Waylon said.

"What's lantern festival?" Cheng asked.

"The lantern festival is held every New year and is a festival helded to promote reconciliation, peace, forgiveness and also to make a wish too" Queen Vanya explain.

"That's seems interesting. Can I participate?" Cheng asked smiling.

"The lantern festival is usually done outside the palace" Waylon said.

"But we're not allowed to leave the palace. Too bad I really wanted to make a wish that I should see my mother in my dream. I really want to see what she looks like" Cheng said sadly.

"Don't worry Cheng, I can find a way for you to leave the palace" Queen Vanya said and Cheng smiles charmingly.

⟨ OUTSIDE THE PALACE ≈ WOODS ⟩

"Are you not done yet? We have been walking around the woods for hours" Swati whines.

"Can you quit with the complains. I'm almost done" Tatiana said picking out the mushrooms from the trees.

"That's what you kept saying for the past one hour" Swati said and Tatiana smiles.

Tatiana and Swati are friends who always hangout together. Tatiana is calm while Swati on the other is like a tigeress, she talks a lot and doesn't know how to close her mouth.

"What are you going to do with those mushrooms anyways? Are you going to sell them? Maybe you have forgotten that Maelstrom kingdom is filled with rich Noble people. And even if they want to buy mushrooms they're totally not gonna buy it from a poor breed, just like you and I" Swati said demonstrating with every words she phrased out from her mouth.

"I'm not going to sell them. Is for my mother. The herbalist in charge of treating her said, he needs mushrooms to make medicine for her, so rather than just following me around, you should help me out" Tatiana said.

"I don't want to have my hands dirty. You know I'm a princess and princesses do not come in contact with dirt" Swati said and Tatiana sniggers.

"You're dreaming, right?"

"Well if I'm to be a princess in my dream I won't ever wake up from that dream. Thankfully tonight happens to be the lantern festival, I'm going to wish that my life is going to turn around. It sucks working for those Noble people that takes themselves as God, some times I feel like struggling them and after that I'll run to the another kingdom" Swati said and Tatiana laughs.

"Then what are you waiting for,? Strangle your master already" Tatiana said.

"I don't know where to go after I have done that" Swati said blinking like a doll and Tatiana laughs.

"So what will you be wishing for at the lantern festival?" Swati asked.

"The usual. For the kingdom to be peaceful and that we shouldn't encounter any crisis" Tatiana answers smiling.

"Really? Until when are you going to change that. Why don't you wish for a prince to get married to you. Aren't you tired of suffering? Why pray for a kingdom that cares only about the Noble rich folks?"

"Am I not too young to wish to get married to a prince. We're 11 years old" Tatiana said and rolls her eyes sideways.

"It doesn't matter. Haven't you heard the saying make haste while the sun smells".

"Shines not smells" Tatiana corrected.

"Whatever it means the same thing. So make sure you wish for something else tonight, okay"

"Noted. Can you stop talking and help me out, my mother really needs this".

"Fine. I was just joking around. Cuz I know being a princess won't suit me. I and dirt are one. Wow, it smiles like roasted chicken" Swati said sniffing the ground and Tatiana laugh.

The place was like a cave, it will have been dark, if not for the fire sticks standing at each side of the cave. A woman wearing all black was seen incanting, performing dark magic. Her lips were painted black and her nails were long and painted black as well.

She was still murmuring her incantations when someone wearing a black veil enters the cave. The person's face was not seen.

The woman on black robes stops her incantation and face the person wearing the veil.

"Are you ready?" She asked. She goes by the name Isha, a witch with dark magic.

"Yes I'm" The person said.

"If I possessed Cheng with a demon spirit, he's going to go wild" Isha said.

"But you have the power of controlling him once you possessed him, right?" The voice of the person asked.

"Yes I do" Isha answers.

"Then go ahead and do it. So that everyone will believe he's indeed a cursed child. I want him to be hated by many, that way he won't have access to become king when he becomes of age" The person in the veil said.

"Your wishes will be done" Isha said and continues with the incantation, and the unknown person wearing the veil smirks devilishly.

Tatiana smiles as she walks towards where the lantern festival will be held.

"Swati is so crazy, why will I wish for a prince charming" She muffled to herself and chuckles. She was still smiling and walking when some boys who were older than her, blocked her part.

Tatiana snuggle backward. "W-what do you want?" She asked looking at the boys, she knows them actually.

"Do you think you can run away from us after what you did?" The leader of the group asked.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about" Tatiana said.

"Don't try to play dumb" He said and push her and Tatiana fell on her butt.

"If not for you, we'll have succeeded in stealing those jewelries in the market, but you reported us immediately you knew we took them" One of them said.

"I did that because stealing is wrong" Tatiana said taking in her lips.

"Yeah we know stealing is wrong and that's why we are going to teach you how to close your running mouth" The leader said and tries to hit her, but a stone from no where hits his forehead.

"Ouch!!!! Who the heck did that!!!" He shouted holding his forehead.

"Me" Cheng said approaching them and they turned to look at him. Tatiana gulped down hard looking at him.

"You were the one that threw a stone at me?" He asked ingratiatingly.

"Yes I'm the one. How dare you treat her like that?" He asked looking at Tatiana, he winks at her before turning his face to look at the leader and when he did, the leader of the group punch him.

And before he could utter a word, he was held by the leader of the group and his disciples.

"Who do you think you are to throw a stone at me?" The leader asked slapping Cheng's face and he winces.

Tatiana stood up from the ground, running away and Cheng sees her running.

"Are you seriously going to leave me here? I was trying to help you!!" Cheng shouted at her.

"I never asked you to help me!!" Tatiana shouted back and continues running.

"Hey!!, Hey!!! Stop running!!!, Don't leave me here!!, Hey!!!" Cheng screams as he was being hijacked by the leader of the group.