They coddled her. 

They coddled Davina a lot. 

I tried to take in as much as information as I could to see if there was anything out of the ordinary (because of the note) but instead I felt myself sink in to this reality. Eventually, I found myself putting that thought away and experience Davina's life comfortably. 

Ever since I woke up, I have not been left alone. It's either her mother, her tall brother, her shorter brother, Lisa and occasionally her father. He seems much too busy to be spending time watching his daughter rest but no. Davina's health is of the utmost importance and it's very obvious that they're scared that she might go unconscious again. 

Her mother would spoon feed as if she was feeding a baby. Though all this love and attention was for Davina, I couldn't help but feel the love radiating from them. This was the most I've ever experienced love and also the most I've ever felt like a family.

It takes dying to get love. That's just depressing. 

"Davina. The prince said he would like to visit," her mother said, lifting up the spoon. "Should we let him?"

My head nodded. "That would be nice, mama."

Ah yes, the prince. So between their talks I have come to discover that she is betrothed to the royal family. She has her pick of which prince she wants- since she's such an angel. But the prince that Davina and her mother are talking about- no idea. All I know is that there are four brothers and it's Davina's choice in the matter. 

"Well, then we'll send a messenger to relay that he could come over." Her mother smiled. "I don't mean to pressure you but have you decided on which prince you like."

My body sighed. "Not yet, mama. But soon. I promise. "

"Alright, take your time. But we need to give an answer before your sixteenth birthday." 

Davina's mother had a really warm and inviting smile. A smile you would expect a mother to shower it to her children. It held such maternal warmth that I ended up wishing for her to be my mother. In technicality, she is. And I can't help but think how lucky Davina is. It is like she had it all. 

Two days after her mother sent the messenger, 'the prince' in question arrived. He was Prince Zen, the third son of the King. The entire house was abuzz with excitement. The house had been cleaned from top to bottom. The best delicacies were being prepared. The maids' and butlers' were given their schedule and their duties. The guards were to be on alert. It really felt like royalty would be stepping through those doors.

The power a royal has. Whew. 

The entire family stood outside awaiting the prince. This reality felt so surreal. The prince's carriage was seen in a distance and I saw the parents stiffen up. Her mother gave a weak smile and turned her attention to the arriving carriage.

The carriage had to be made of gold. I knew it was wood, but it felt like gold had been poured on it. The royal insignia was carved on the carriage door and the handle, I'm sure, was made of gold. 

When the door opened, I swear if I had control of this body- my jaw would drop. The prince was gorgeous. Well, he was gorgeous in the first look. The more I noticed him I thought that maybe he was just better than average looking guy and the appealing wow factor was the royalty aspect of it. 

He was taller than Paxton, the shorter brother I remembered, but he was as well-built as Jasper. His hair was as dark as the night sky and eyes a flickering shade of grey and green- like it changed colours every time he blinked. Magic, maybe?  His jawline was as well defined as his shoulders were broad. Everything screamed regal! And if his looks didn't make you pay attention, then his aura definitely would. 

I knew that magic was a common practice in this world, Jasper was one of the warrior-mages- but something about this prince was off-putting. Something just seemed... off.

The more he talked, the more I realised... it's all just so superficial. Like I was watching some old period drama play unfolding in front of me. I felt soul-sick, since I couldn't physically feel a thing. The parents were inadvertently charmed and he seemed good friends with Jasper. Paxton simply assessed him top to bottom and excused himself. Wish I could do the same, but fat chance of that happening if I can't even speak. 

I know I shouldn't judge so harshly but it really did feet like I was some character in a play, saying things that needed to be said and enacting scene after scene. That should have been the first clue as to my reality. But I was busy not paying attention, and letting this scene between me and the prince play out in the solarium. I didn't need to pay attention to come up with a response to his questions or his tales of travel, my mouth was answering everything that needed to be said.

It was when the prince started talking about a name I had most definitely heard in my past life that I finally understood this reality and what the note meant. This was a name that had been ruthlessly cursed over and over again. 

"The rumours have it that Miss Gotha is no more as wicked as she was." He chuckled, his eyes wandering off to a distance. "It appears that she had changed overnight after a near-death experience last year. She is growing up to be quite a lady, quite fascinating really. What would you have to say about that, Miss St. Rose?"

Carina Izkeil Gotha. 

The daughter of Romana Hexley Gotha, the Lady of the Shadows and Mystique. However, Carina is rumoured to have no magical capabilities herself. She is described as a Grade-A spoilt brat but with an ethereal look that she most definitely inherited from her mother. Flaming pink hair and eyes of gold- a characteristic of the Gotha matrilineal line. 

There was a game my co-worker in the cafe kept playing. She would give me a running commentary on it. How the villainess kept foiling her plans and how she simply adored the fourth prince. I could never play it- I didn't have a means to play it. I had a Nokia that was worth more than I paid for and the game most definitely didn't work there. The game she kept talking about, it was a viral overnight sensation worldwide: 

The Royal Love Story

She despised Carina's character to the core. She even showed the character profile so that we could 'hate' her together. In her words, "Carina is a bully, a tormentor and the most twisted evil villainess I have ever seen in a game." Thinking about her now, I do sort of miss her.

There was one thing that she had said and remembering it now makes me feel uneasy. The reason why the game was so popular was that if you successfully won over one of the four princes, it would lead to Carina's demise and you would end up saving the entire kingdom. But if you didn't succeed in winning over any of the four princes, the kingdom would burn down to nothing. And the character you play in the game would end up dying. 

That explains my reality and perhaps the characters around me. If Prince Zen is one of the love interests and Carina is the villainess, then who would the player's character be? 

And it finally hit me. 

"Ah so the character we're playing is the daughter of a duke and she's betrothed to the royal family. She can literally pick any of the hot princes! Isn't that fun?" I could hear her voice echo in my head. "Even her name means beloved. Davina."

It was like taking a punch in the gut. I have transmigrated into a game where I can possibly lead to my own death.