: So this book was plagiarized and it's not fun to know that someone can just copy what you've written and make it their own. This has become somewhat a mental battle between me and my books. What if they copy my other books too? I'm just a small time writer but my heart is in these stories. My dream is to be a great writer someday. And I would appreciate it if they'd ask permission first before copying every word.

Don't worry I will not take down what I already posted but I won't be continuing this story here anymore. So this is the last chapter I'll be posting for the Rewritten version.

Thank you all! And Enjoy this chapter!

-MayaCrook

Chapter 8

MY USUAL NIGHTMARE BEGAN WITH ICHOR STAINED WALLS AND A STARLESS WINDY NIGHT.

A woman who acted as my mother ushered me to a closet and told me to keep quiet because the monsters will get me if they find me. It was getting hot, I remembered perspiring and had wanted to take off my little dress. We are supposed to be playing hide and seek but where is my father? Did he find a place to hide?

The door was kicked open and in came 5 shadows who circled the woman who hid me. I could feel that she was nervous, that she was scared and I wanted to ease her worries, that I was here, that I could make her smile. There was a loud shot and she fell down. Why did she fall down? And why was I crying? The shadows left except for one while another shadow transpired--it was a frantic one and this one was crying too.

Then the hide and seek finished because one of the shadows found me and swallowed me whole.

"Clarissa!" It was Ria who was shaking me awake, her voluptuous sleeves caressing me. Nessa was holding my hand with pearly tears in her eyes. "It's just a nightmare," she assured me. "You were just having a nightmare."

"Oh," I replied and touched my face. Sure enough, just like the usual days I had this particular nightmare, my face would be drenched with tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Nessa said, sniffling, "It seemed like a scary dream. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really," I faked a smile and noticed my bandaged ankle.

"Sir Carlos told us to inform him when you're awake," Ria said. "We should--"

"No worries, I'll go visit him. What happened to me?"

"You were bed-ridden for two days, sick with a high fever. You were discharged from the hospital this morning." Nessa enveloped me in a warm embrace. "We were worried about you and also concerned that you won't be able to make it for the battle royale."

"But don't worry, if you can't do it, there's still next year. For some reason it's starting early this year: it's in three days." Ria informed me.

"I see, of course I'm not going to miss it but wait, what happened to the conference?"

"We're not really sure but there's this rumor that you're apparently engaged to the crown prince."

My head began to ache as I massaged my temples.

"Is it true, Clarissa?" Nessa asked, her doe eyes widening.

"I'm not so sure. Prince Gavier was talking in his language but the reporters were really taken aback by what he announced so there is a possibility."

"Oh my god! You're engaged! Congratulations!"

Ria shook her head. "Don't celebrate yet Nessa. I don't think it's in Clarissa's choice to be engaged. Remember, she wanted to beat him up."

"Oh no, what are you going to do then?"

I don't know, I've never been engaged before and so abruptly too.

But aren't you excited? Curious? Flattered? Pried the banshee.

Excited, my ass.

"I'm going to ask him what in the hell was he thinking and demand for answers. This is really stressing me out."

"From what I heard too, there was this princess named Camellia whom he's been canoodling with."

A princess?! The banshee scoffed. Is this becoming a love triangle? Boooring.

Shut up.

Nessa nodded, "Yeah, we thought they were engaged. It was stated in the tabloids so when we heard that you got engaged with the crown prince, it just made it all the more confusing."

"I'm as confused as you guys are. Nothing's making any sense at the moment and I should start finding some damn answers. Can you guys find out what the press is saying about what happened?"

"Sure, but don't you need someone to go with you?"

I sat up and experimented with my ankle. "I'm good guys, thanks for looking after me." I grabbed the clutch and limped my way out the door easily. "See you guys later."

"We'll go to sir Carlos office once we're done gathering details!"

"Be careful Clarissa!"

Before I made my way to bombard questions to my advisor, I made a detour to where I see the princes prance around in the East wing to find the crown prince. I wanted to give him a chance to explain his atrocious behavior during the conference. That was my first kiss!

Didn't you like it though? The banshee smiled in my head.

I was in pain.

In a painful bliss.

Stop making excuses for him!

Okay, chill your ass out.

"How are you going to deal with Camellia?" Prince Lucas in his fencing gear leaned against a cascading railing. He was conversing with none other than the crown prince.

For some reason, I was frozen in my spot and hid by the corner to eavesdrop.

"It is what it is. I don't want her to get hurt by the media anymore because she hangs out with me. She doesn't deserve to be slandered like that."

"You mean you're using Clarissa to stop the rumors?"

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"But does Clarissa know about this? I think she needs to know what you're ploying so she doesn't misunderstand."

"She doesn't need to know that I'm using her because I'm in love with---"

I heard enough and left the corner to make my way to Sir Carlos.

What were you expecting? For him to fancy you? He's only using you after all, to protect the girl he's in love with.

We don't need him, banish him out of your life. The banshee was inconsolable.

But that kiss...

That kiss was not for you. He was probably thinking of someone else when he was kissing you.

I whimpered, my heart cracking bit by bit. I had never felt this battered before; my ego had been downsized and my self esteem blown away brutally.

The door of Sir Carlos room opened before I had the chance to. Amanda with swollen lips and blushing face greeted me and said that she was just about to leave. Hastily, she left as I slumped on the davenport.

"I was supposed to go to you, Clarissa. You only need to have someone inform me."

Sullenly, I gaped at his silver staff. "I have a question sir Carlos. Have you ever fallen in love?"

He choked on his drink and I noticed that his lips were swollen as well. "That's a fair assumption but a question I'm not obligated to answer but since you look pitiful, I'll tell you. Though, I thought you would want to know what has become of the conference? Let's talk about it first before I talk about my personal life."

"Okay."

"Since you told them the truth about what had happened between you and the crown prince, the press felt the need to kick you out of the country, saying you're a danger to society."

"A danger to society? Wow." I could not believe what I was hearing.

They weren't wrong, hissed the banshee.

Shush, I dismissed.

"But since the crown prince announced that you're engaged and so gallantly—you fainted, they are seeing you in a better light. Also, they are digging into your past and I've been trying all day to feed them all the good things about you."

"So you mean to say that I am really engaged?"

"For awhile, yes."

"Why wasn't I told that this would happen?"

Sir Carlos glared at me sternly and with distaste. "If you had stuck to the script this wouldn't have happened. The crown prince was generous enough to help you not ruin your reputation. Be damn grateful."

But it had been his intention. He wanted me to get all the press so his true love could be set free.

He's only using me!

"I'll rather be hated than lie about a fake engagement."

Sir Carlos shook his head and sighed. "That's not true, nobody likes to be hated. You know this deep down. Your photoshoot is happening in a few days. We have to leak some photos of you and the crown prince to make it more believable."

"Why are you agreeing to this sir Carlos?"

"Your father told me to take care of you and protect you. And I'm doing my fucking best to do that! Do me a favor and for once do as you're told."

My father. . .

It was at that moment my eyes began to brim with tears. Everything was suddenly too much and I couldn't decide what was right and wrong anymore.

"I'm sorry." I looked down at my hands with a sudden interest. "I'm really sorry."

Sir Carlos cleared his throat. "Now back to your question about me falling in love, do you still want to hear about it?"

"Yes."

"If you insist," he said, caressing the goatee he had began growing. "In all honesty, I thought I'd never be able to fall in love. The notion of being in love was ridiculous to me but then again you never know where love goes until you realize that you don't want to lose that person. My first love was a painful one because I thought I didn't deserve such affection. It ended badly but now she is happily married to a billionaire."

"Are you sad that she's happy?"

"I'm glad that she's happy. She finally got what I couldn't give her."

"That's so sad," I said as tears began to fall from its brim. "That's really sad."

I continued to cry that night, not knowing the reason why anymore but I insisted again and again to the fazed advisor that it was about his painful first love and not my own.