Revenant Girl

Chapter I—The Fifteenth Birthday

Abaddon is a very powerful kingdom that specialises in highly explosive weaponry, and their huge army is known to be merciless on the battlefield. The first king of Abaddon, King Jaspar I ruthlessly took over many hectares of land from many other rivaling kingdoms to expand his own kingdom. He was planning on invading Redstonia, but realised that that particular kingdom was exceptionally talented in building complicated redstone machinery and made an alliance instead.

Every kingdom that the king invaded, he had the acting ruler killed and his people were forced to join his army. He realised that the citizens of Redstonia would use their machines to contribute greatly to his kingdom if they worked together. The King of Redstonia, Klein II would contribute his kingdom's machines and inventions that would help enhance the daily lifestyles of the Abaddonis, and in returns they would offer Redstonia protection from rival kingdoms. The alliance of the two kingdoms blah blah blah remained strong up till this day yap yap yap despite the great differences between them yada yada yada...

Jesse groaned as she slammed her face into the book. She was studying the history of Abaddon and Redstonia, and she did not find it appealing the least bit. It was not that she didn't appreciate history; it's just that she was too fidgety and distracted to focus on her studying, and there was a reason behind it.

Reuben stood at the foot of her chair and oinked to get her attention, apparently getting bored of watching Jesse study the whole morning.

She pushed her book aside and looked down. "Yes Reuben? Are you still hungry? I thought I gave you a really large carrot for breakfast."

Reuben shook his head. "Oink!"

"Ohh, you're excited too, huh?"

The pig nodded his head enthusiastically.

Giggling, she looked at her calendar where many days were crossed out, and a few remaining days were left until it reached a particular day where a drawing of a cake with candles was drawn. "Uh huh, I can't believe it either. After two more days it's going to be my fifteenth birthday!"

Ever since her mother died, there was never any grand celebration held within the castle walls. Birthday parties were a thing of the past, holiday celebrations were quietly celebrated by themselves, and the royal family aren't big about milestone events any more, they just gave a simple 'congratulations' and that was it.

Despite that, Jesse never let the absence of grand parties dampen her mood. She still had her best friends, Reuben and Axel. They had a small birthday party in her chambers every year with a cupcake as a substitute for a cake. Axel was a busy man, and there was no guarantee that he would show up at every party, but he always bought her a gift that he could afford with his measly salary. Reuben also got her gifts, like a pebble or a flower. They weren't extravagant like the ones she got from her godfather or uncles, but it was the thought that counted.

"Oink!" Reuben then left, dashing off to rummage through her wardrobe and drawers; not that Jesse minded. He was probably going to find some scrap objects to put together as a birthday gift, or he was bored and decided to play on his own.

…

While walking down the hallways, Jesse was so focused in shielding her basket that she bumped into a large figure and fell on her bottom.

"Oww…" Jesse winced from the pain as she hurriedly tidied the cloth that hid Reuben.

"I sincerely apologise, Your Highness, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Looking up, a burly man in a servant uniform outstretched his hand towards her, which she graciously accepted.

"Axel! You gave me a scare!"

Axel laughed good-naturedly as he scratched the back of his neck with his other free hand. "I apologise again. Say, what are ya going to do with Reuben?"

It was no secret to Axel that Jesse would sometimes sneak Reuben into the castle with a basket. On the rare occasion when he had some spare time, he would accompany her to the gardens to play with the pig. He knew that his king hatedanimals in his home (the last time a squirrel snuck in through a window, he had grabbed it by the neck and threw it down from the tallest tower) and vowed to keep the truth of her basket a secret.

"He wanted some fresh air, so I'm taking him out. Wanna join?"

Axel shook his head dejectedly. "Sorry, no can do. My schedule's really tight today. But have fun anyways." He waved goodbye and Jesse waved back, before she continued walking.

When she reached the gardens, she sat herself on a comfortable patch of grass and tipped the basket, allowing Reuben to run free.

The gardens were Jesse's haven from stress and the troubles of the adult world. She did not like being cooped indoors, and wished to go out and play in the fields with all the other kids. The garden satisfied her craving for outdoors and adventure, even though the garden was still technically part of the castle. There she would play various games with Reuben and the critters that resided there. Sometimes her mother would join her, and they always had a whale of a time making flower crowns and relaxing under the sun.

Her father never joined them however, and only came to the gardens if he needed his wife to return back and settle some issues. Jesse didn't like the tall, imposing figure of her father rudely abrupting her time together with her mother.

The squeal of Reuben caught Jesse's attention. He was jumping up and down in excitement, his snout pointing skyward as if saying, 'come here, come here! I found something amazing!'

She walked towards him and looked at the direction he was looking. To her amazement, he was pointing to a particular cloud that looked like a pig.

"Aww, look at that! It's so cute!" Jesse said as she lay down onto the grass with Reuben next to her. They continued to cloud gaze, pointing out various clouds that looked like animals or objects.

…

Laughing in pure bliss, Jesse started running around the garden chasing a rabbit. They were playing a game of tag, accompanied by her mother as she sat there and watched them play.

"And… there! All done!" The Queen said, satisfied.

"What is it mommy?" Jesse asked as she returned back with a squirming rabbit in her arms.

The Queen smiled as she placed her handiwork on top of her daughter's head.

"A flower crown!" Jesse exclaimed as she raised her right hand to touch it. The flowers petals were very soft to the touch. "It's wonderful, thank you mommy!" She then released the rabbit before embracing her mother.

The Queen returned the gesture, running her fingers through Jesse's ebony black hair lovingly. It was a relatively tender moment between mother and daughter, until heavy footsteps started heading towards them.

The third party coughed to get their attention.

"Oh, hello dearie. I see that you found us." The Queen said.

"Duh, Captain Obvious." The King remarked.

Jesse broke up the embrace and turned to face her father. "Daddy, look! Mommy made me a flower crown! Do you like it?"

The King took a mere glance at the flower crown, raised an eyebrow and said flatly, "uh huh. Sure… yeah."

Noticing his unimpressed expression, the Queen scoffed. "You don't like it? Ipersonallymade it for Jesse. It took me time and effort to make it!"

"Tch, yeah yeah. I bet it took youso much hard work to make some stupid little flower accessory." Her husband scoffed and rolled his eyes as if it was the worst made flower crown in existence.

"I bet you can't even make one."

"Hah, at least I know how to create highly explosive weapons, which ismuch better than your flower crown."

"Oh yeah? You can't even build a simple circuit if your life depended on it."

"As if I need dumb circuits to save my life."

"With you and our reckless explosive 'experiments', I won't be surprised if you kill yourself."

"With you working away like a madwoman, I won't be surprised if you work yourself to death."

Jesse just sat back and watched her parents bicker. It wasn't surprising to see them argue over everything. After all, they were polar opposites. Her father was brash and reckless while her mother was calm and collected. With them at each other's throat's every day, it was difficult to imagine them together in the same room, let alone being married.

After approximately fifteen minutes, they got tired of arguing, and the King returned his focus onto the actual reason he came here, which was to get his wife to help out with some affairs. Jesse was reluctant for her mother to go, but she just squeezed her hand and promised to play with her again.

As her mother retreated back into the castle, her father remained. She wondered why he was still here.

The rabbit that she released earlier emerged, clutching a carrot in its mouth. It looked for a suitable place to nestle and began to eat its meal. Jesse approached the animal and sat down beside it, watching the animal nibble on the carrot.

Her father stepped in front of the rabbit, and to her surprise he kicked it and sent it flying into a nearby rose bush.

"Daddy! What was that for? Mr Rabbit didn't do anything to you!" Jesse exclaimed.

Her father just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "It annoyed me." He then turned and left.

Jesse rushed to the rose bush and attempted to pry the rabbit out from the thorny bush. She was successful, but it left her arms and dress with ugly cuts. She then gently cradled the animal in her arms, examining its injuries. Cuts scarred its entire body, its hind leg was twisted in a grotesque angle and its right ear was bent.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Rabbit. Daddy's just… a little grumpy, that's all." Jesse tore off a small portion of her long dress sleeve and wrapped it around the shivering rabbit. "Don't worry, I'll get help. Just hang in there…"

…

Finally, after waiting for four tedious days, Jesse's birthday was here!

Reuben crawled onto her bed and shook her awake with much enthusiasm.

She could hardly contain herself as she got ready for the day. After breakfast she would go to the gardens to play with Reuben. After that she would write to her godfather and uncles, and after that she would patiently wait for Axel to finish his errands so that they would start the party straight after dinner.

When she arrived at the dining hall, she noticed that her father was nowhere to be seen. As much as he was not a morning person, his cramped schedule prevented him from sleeping in. There was no reason for him not to be present for breakfast; unless he was eating in his chambers (it was rare of him to do that).

After eating breakfast, Jesse proceeded to have a fun-filled morning with Reuben in the garden. They played many games such as hide-and-seek, tag and hopscotch.

After the duo was drained of energy, they returned back to her chambers. Reuben peacefully slept on a pillow beneath the window where the soft rays of sunlight filtered through, while Jesse was busy writing letters. Godfather came first, followed by Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Ivor. No two letters were the same, as each one had their own unique content.

When she had finished writing them, she handed the letters to the royal mailman personally. Since Jesse was not allowed to send letters, she couldn't just chuck them to a random servant and order them to mail it.

With all her impending tasks out of the way, Jesse remained at the library reading. As she was on her fifth book, a servant summoned her to dinner. Just like lunchtime, he was not present. She found it very weird for him to hide in his chambers for three meals straight. Perhaps this was a new habit of his?

It felt strange eating her meal alone. She and her father never really talked to each other, yet his absence made the silence in the hall more overpowering.

When Jesse retired to her chambers, she was disappointed when Axel was nowhere in sight. It looked like she was celebrating her birthday another year without human company. Oh well, at least she still had Reuben.

However, she was in shock when she saw what was laid out on the floor. On a silver platter was a cake. An actual, freaking cake topped with soft whipped cream and bright red cherries. Her mouth started to water. How long was it since she had a slice of cake?

Next to it was a small firework gun with a note next to it which read: Sorry I couldn't make it to your party. I have been saving up for so long just to buy this for you. Please accept my humble gift. –Axel.

P.S: Don't use the fireworks until I return. We can head out of town to use them, I promise.

So, the fireworks were from Axel, but what about the cake? Was it from him too? To a servant, a cake was entirely out of their league, not to mention that the fireworks must have cost him many months of his wages. If it wasn't from Axel, then who was it from?

The more she thought about it, the more she became suspicious of the cake. In the end, she decided to not eat it, paranoid of the cake being poisoned.

Reuben awoke from his (very) long nap and approached Jesse.

"Reuben, do you think that this cake is poisoned?" Jesse asked, pointing at the cake accusingly.

Reuben sniffed the cake before he picked up a plastic knife that lay beside the cake.

"You want me to cut it?" Reuben nodded.

After she cut a slice, Reuben dashed out of her chambers.

"Wait up!" Jesse yelled as she cupped the slice with her hands and chased after Reuben. They ran past many guards and servants through the hallways, but the staff were tired from their day and ignored them.

Soon they found themselves at the basement. It was very dim. Many wooden crates and sacks of food were stacked into high piles. Food that spilled out of holes from the sacks were scattered all over the floor, which provided an abundance of food for the rats that lived down here.

Reuben oinked as he pointed his snout at the cake, stomping his forelegs on the floor in an attempt to tell her something. It took a while for Jesse to understand.

"Oh, I get it! You want me to feed the cake to the rats to see if it's poisoned. That's genius!" Jesse placed the cake on the ground where the rats can easily reach it. She then patted Reuben fondly on the head before hiding behind the crates, waiting for her first victim.

It wasn't long before one rat found the cake. It checked to see if the coast was clear before indulging itself into the savoury treat. Soon, more rats came to have their share, and the slice of dessert was entirely gone after five minutes, with no crumbs left behind.

The rats sat there for a while with their bellies full. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, until one started to squeak, with the others following suit. Their squeaks were distressed and pained, and as each second passed their squeaks grew louder, until their cries reached into a crescendo. They started dropping dead one by one, falling like a stack of dominos.

Eve after the last rat breathed its last; Reuben was still quivering in fear, his tiny ears flat against his head. Jesse could only stare in shock.

…

The next morning, Jesse shakily seated herself on her assigned chair at the dining hall. After the discovery of the poisoned cake, she felt repulsed by her breakfast. What if it were poisoned too?

Jesse poked at her food with her fork, spreading her food throughout her plate to make it look as if she ate something.

The door burst open, and her father strolled in. When his eyes laid on Jesse, his cheery expression was replaced by a stormy one.

Jesse narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

Her father sat himself down and ate his breakfast. He looked somewhat… angry? But he was smiling just a few seconds ago, for real!

Deciding to not draw attention to herself, Jesse bowed her head and picked up a piece of scrambled egg with her fork. She was about to eat it, but detected a whiff of strange odour in her food. She hesitantly placed her fork down, and noticed that her father was silently glaring at her.

"Well, aren't you gonna eat?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"Erhh… not really. I'm not all that hungry." Jesse lied.

"Oh really? Did you eat something… bad yesterday?"

"No, I don't think so. I guess I'm a little bit… sick. Yeah, sick! I woke up with a headache, and I feel a little feverish."

Her father gave her an I-know-your're-lying look. "Uh huh, but don't you think that you need to eat just a littlebit? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, y'know."

"No! I mean… yeah, I know it's really important and all, but I truly have no appetite whatsoever. So can I please be excused?"

Her father narrowed his eyes threateningly. "Now, don't you dare go against your daddy's orders. My order was to get you to eat your breakfast, and you disobey?"

Jesse started sweating and felt her hands starting to go clammy. "N-no! I wouldn't dare! It's just that I feel that the egg is not fresh, and the bacon is undercooked—"

The King slammed his palm on the table with great force, causing it to shake violently. Jesse jumped, her shoulders tense and her breath caught in her throat. She had crossed her father, and the very thought of what was about to come caused fear to ripple throughout her entire being. His face turned red with anger, looking like a volcano about to erupt.

"Shut up!You blatantly refuse my orders, and you give yourself excuses to get away with your shitty behaviour!? Well, I'm not having any of it! Stay in your room for the rest of the day and don't you even thinkof stepping a single foot out!"

"B-but-"

"NOW!"

With a defeated sigh, Jesse bowed her head in shame and humiliation as she trudged out of the dining hall. When she entered, Reuben looked up to her with a happy expression, but it was wiped off when she said, "I'm going to be stuck here for the rest of the day Reuben."

No points for guessing who the godfather is.

…Alright, maybe a virtual gummy bear?