"Princess jasmine, His majesty calls for you" announced the soft voice of her loyal maid, Layla.
Jasmine, lost in thoughts as she gazed out the window of her chamber, turned to face Layla. The warm sunlight illuminates her face, highlighting her beautiful features.
"I'll be there in a moment" she answered, standing up from her bed as Layla exited.
As she made her way to the hall where she'd meet the king, her father, the maids whispered. She was used to this already since everyone has a problem with her, they always say she walks like a man and isn't fit to be a princess. They also didn't like her personality because of her fierce actions and the way she speaks but she didn't really care. Clearing her mind, she entered the hall.
"Greetings, father" she curtsied to the king who was sitting on a throne.
"Jasmine! You're here" Her father smiled but seeing her unbothered look, he went straight to the point. "Actually, I summoned you here to inform you that you'll be going to extra-natural academy".
"I'm not going" she coldly replied still keeping a straight face. The thought of going to that academy made her unhappy, it reminded her of her mother who also went to the academy and never came back. Though she wanted to look for her, she didn't have the courage to.
"It's an order"
"I don't care!"
Normally, jasmine is widely known for being rude and disrespectful. Even her father doesn't dare say anything to her and that's also the reason the maids hate but still respect her.
The only person who had the mind to talk back at her was…
"How dare you be so disrespectful to the king?"…her stepmother. Her step mothers' voice echoed, making the king stand up as jasmine turned to her. But jasmine wasn't afraid of anyone including her step mother.
"I am talking to my father, would you mind excusing us for a moment?" she defended with no atom of respect visible in her tone.
Her step mother became pissed; she's had enough of that disrespectful little brat. She raised her hands to jasmine and gave her a hot slap on her cheek. "Just because you are so talented in sword arts doesn't mean you can be so disrespectful. I'm warning you, this girl, the next time you raise your voice like this, ill not just slap you but I'll throw you out of this palace. Get out of my sight, you filthy idiot!"
Jasmine didn't say a word as she moved closer to her step mother, crossing the distance between them. Though, her stepmom still kept a bold face, she was really frightened. She leaned in and grabbed her by the neck.
"J-Jasmine…please release her now!" Her father pleaded as sweat consumed his face.
"Father" she paused for a while, still not letting go of her stepmoms neck. "Why did you marry a fool? Why are you so afraid of me? I'll spare her today, but the next time she tries this, I would send her to eternal rest! Mark my words"
Her father nodded, cleaning his sweat as he watched her release his wife and walk out of the hall.
"Are you okay?" the king said holding the queen in his hands as he fed her water.
She nodded before straightening her body and holding his hands. "Your majesty, we've trained a beast! Jasmine is a beast! Is there really nothing we can do about her?"
"I'm not sure. She has a one year interval to be with us. But I'm not willing to give her to the demons" jasmine had bee sold to the demons since birth but she didn't know about it. When she's 19 years, she'll be taken to the demon real. But her father doesn't want that to happen. His previous wife had strictly warned him not to give her to the demons, if not a great calamity would befall them.
"W-why can't we let her go? Don't tell me you still believe that woman?" she asked
"Yes, I do. She was once my wife and she's a great fortune teller. Instead I've planned to kill her"
"Kill her? But how? That's impossible!"
"Don't worry it'll be done" he smirked.
Jasmine was in the garden practicing some martial arts. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the morning, why did her father want to send her to the academy? She's sure he must be up to no good.
The only thing she could do right now was practice sword arts. She found peace doing it. After training for what seemed like an eternity, she decided to take a break.
"Jasmine!" she knew from that voice, it was her father, the least person she wanted to talk to at the moment. He sat down next to her on the wooden bench at the side of the garden.
"Father, I'm not going to the academy. Don't try to convince me!"
"You have to go…I mean, you have to go for your sake. You are talented enough to kill that quad beast. And don't you want to find out about your mother"
Out of all the words her father said, the only word that made her turn to him was when he mentioned 'Mother'. He still remembered her?
"Now, you remember mother, uh? Just to try to persuade me? I'm keen on my words. I'm not going!"
As long as jasmine says a thing more than three times, then it's final. There is nothing the kind can do to make her go. He bite his finger nails as he didn't know what to say.
"U-uh, I'll divorce her…I'll divorce Claudine, your step mother" yes that was it!
"Why would I trust you?" she asked.
"Trust me! Just this once." He knew already that he wouldn't have to divorce Claudine, because jasmine would be dead by then.
"Fine, I'll go. But if you lie to me, you know what you seek"
Her father nodded as she stood up and left.
Jasmine knew she had to train really well, if she was to go to the academy. She had no magical weapons; so how would she be able to pass the exam let alone kill beasts.
The entrance examination is in two days, but since she was determined and her father gave a pretty nice offer, she had to do it.