The Uninvited Princess ✔

Chapter 88

Chapter 88

There was only white.

Pranee stood on what seemed like nothing and couldn't see anything before her. Was she dead?

There was the sound of crying and Pranee tried to search for the source.

She looked down and saw it was a younger-looking version of Ritthirong. His hair was choppy and spread out while he wore the uniform that the soldiers wore. She remembered that he had to enroll in the army when they were younger but she didn't remember him being this young.

"I failed. I failed father," Ritthirong said. "He prepared me to rule the kingdom. I spent so much of my life training to be the next king and yet he wanted to take it away."

Pranee hesitated but took a few steps closer to Ritthirong before putting a hand on his head. It was odd seeing him so young. She had always been the youngest child but now she was acting as the older sibling.

"I'm sure father—"

"He promised me everything and gave me all these expectations only to take it away!" He cried. "He said that if I didn't do any of this, I would be a disappointment. Said I would be a stain on the family's bloodline."

Her mind thought back to the hurt that her own mother caused. How she seemed to have good intentions but it only led to her own pain. She closed her eyes and let the Ritthirong cry into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "It was too much for someone so young. Especially since you didn't ask for all this."

"I just wanted approval."

"I'm still incredibly upset with you," Pranee's words seemed to have made Ritthirong freeze. "But I don't wish upon further ill will upon you."

"But I failed."

"And you have so many more lives to live to correct your ways," Pranee said. "You made your way to be reincarnated into a king. You can find your way back to a more favourable life."

"Nong," Ritthirong pulled away from her and he was now an adult again. His eyes looked down with her with a reserved kindness that she hasn't seen before. "I'm sorry. I hope your future lives have little suffering."

"Thank you."

His ghost disappeared after that and Pranee was left alone once again. What was she supposed to do now?

"This is the heavens, child. You could stay here. Live a life of a goddess." A disembodied voice said.

Pranee tried to find the source of the voice but had no luck. "Who are you?"

"It'll be revealed if you accept an early ascension into godhood. You'll never have to suffer. Enjoy in pleasures that many strive for. Never have to feel even the feet of a mosquito grace your skin nor the sting of the sun's heat." Another voice said. It seemed like she had a larger audience than she expected.

Pranee frowned and felt herself shake her head. "No, this will only bring me more strife."

"What strife?"

"I made a promise to my lover," she stated.

"Isn't your lover kathoey? You would give up all this for a person that lives their life in a strange way?"

Pranee would've cowered at these words before and taken the offer of higher status because it was expected of her before but she could only feel anger bubble inside her.

"Strange? How is it strange?" She tried to stay calm.

"You seem to not understand that these powers are not yours to have. If you do not take on this role and become a goddess you'll be stripped of every ounce of magic you hold."

Pranee froze.

"Aren't you mortals always trying to ascend to something greater?" One voice chimed in. "It's an honour to take our offer."

"Will she really not take the offer?" An angrier voice said. "I can't believe how ungrateful humans have gotten."

"Let's calm down, we should approach this a nicer way and ease her into it. She did just escape death."

"I wouldn't be so riled up if she did what was expected of her. I've never seen such an ungrateful princess in my life."

Something in Pranee snapped. "Stop it! I don't want to take your offer. Curse me all you like! I never asked to be given these powers and I never asked to be blessed! Strip me and make me spend the rest of my life living in the poorest slums. I don't care. If ascending means I become entitled then I don't want it."

Everything fell to silence and Pranee couldn't tell what the immortals were thinking. She was sure she would die at that moment but one voice responded to her.

"Then we'll have to respect your decision. You're not fully dead yet so don't be alarmed when you wake up."

Before Pranee could fully process what was just said she found herself hurtling towards the ground at an alarming rate.

She twisted her body so that her feet were underneath her and she let out a small squeak. She tried to calm herself and shut her eyes. That was when she felt a familiar set of scales catch her and her eyes flew open to see Chann in their naga form.

"Chann!" Pranee patted her hands on their back. "How did you get here?"

"We've been searching for you for days," Chann said. "You know you really worried Shashi. They were losing their mind."

"Where are they?"

"We were searching in the village down there," Chann explained. "I'll fly you down."

They descended downwards and Pranee held on as tightly as she could. She felt the wind brush her scalp and took in the unfamiliar feeling but no longer felt any hostility towards it.

They eventually landed in the middle of a village but their arrival had gathered a crowd as they all marvelled at Chann and Pranee who was riding on their back.

"A goddess fell from the heavens!" She heard someone exclaim and she looked down to see a gathering of people.

Her feet reached the ground and she took a few shaky steps while people crowded around her. It seemed she had fallen to a nearby village.

"I'm... not a goddess," she said sheepishly. "The gods actually have stripped me of all my magic so uh..."

"A fallen goddess?" A villager asked.

"No," Pranee rubbed the back of her head. Her explanation seemed to have not registered in the villager's minds.

"Out of my way!" Shashi yelled and ran up to Pranee. "Pranee! Pranee, you're okay!"

People gasped and tried to hold back Shashi. They struggled in the unwanted restraints and Pranee held up her hand.

"Hey! Stop it!" Pranee shouted. "I told you I'm not some holy figure. Let Shashi through!"

The hands let go of Shashi and Shashi barely took a step towards Pranee before they were engulfed in her embrace. Chann seemed to have taken the cue to leave as they somehow managed to sneak away without gaining any attention.

"You were gone for a day. Everyone assumed you were dead but I kept watching the sky for you," they whispered. "When I saw you falling from the sky, I thought I wasn't going to make it."

"Shashi?"

"Yes?"

Her lips were pressed against theirs and they tensed up in surprise. She pulled away and ignored the judging stares of the people around her as the crowd dispersed to avoid the display of affection.

"Um, there's a lot of people here." Shashi's face was red. "We could've done that behind closed doors later."

"I know," Pranee smiled. "And I don't care."