The Prince's Mistress

In the dim lighting, only a few lights on the display were lit, a woman in her twenties crept up and shone with the small flashlight she brought with her earlier.

"Shit! They were so alert!" he cursed angrily.

He observed the room which contained a glass display containing various kinds of jewelry, most of which were archaeological finds. He looked around several rooms. His eyes were furrowed in concentration as he looked at the display right in front of him.

The face of the Singapore-Indonesian mulatto smiled beautifully when he saw the object he was after. A ruby gemstone the size of a baby's fist, is one of the rare items that will be put out at auction tomorrow night.

"Perfect!" A small smile appeared on his thin, curved lips. His heart seemed to be thriving, the thing he was looking for was clearly in front of his eyes.

Steady Elena, the beautiful girl with her dark eyes stepped back, but she felt something odd.

"It's impossible if a place like this doesn't have extra super security." Elena muttered as she surveyed her surroundings. The deep blues highlight every corner in one of the halls of the exhibition building shaped like an open shell that is famous in the city of Hong Kong.

As a person who is quite experienced in his field, he immediately opens the small bag that he always carries as one of the equipment for carrying out his actions. Elena reached into something inside. A box of powder, then he blows the powder.

His assumption was correct, the display containing the ruby gemstone was protected by a randomly shaped laser beam. If touched a little, then the skin can be burned, worse, the body is cut into pieces.

"As I thought, you wouldn't just let this thing go without layers of security," Elena mumbled while chuckling in annoyance.

Elena put the powder back in the small pocket of her all-black suit. After that, he began to insert one foot into the intricate web of laser beams. His body curved to follow the direction of the next light. It was not in vain that the acrobatic training he received from childhood helped him in his work.

Elena had to pass about halfway again, right in the middle, the laser beams becoming more and more complicated and cobweb-like. Until Elena had to lie on her stomach with her hands supported, while her stomach was slightly raised.

"Finally." Elena heaved a sigh of relief after her long heels managed to land on the tiled floor of the room.

He was more grateful when all his body was fine without being cut into pieces by the laser beam. Or at least, he didn't keep the guards awake with the sound of the alarm that would occur when his smooth skin wrapped in leggings was streaked with laser light.

Elena stepped hastily toward the glass display. His eyebrows pulled up. His gaze didn't blink. His mouth dropped slightly. The gloss that the ruby gave off was really dazzling to his eyes.

Moments later he began to blink, realizing what had made him fall asleep. His nimble little hands immediately groped under the display, looking for a button that could open the glass lid.

His guess was not wrong, his fingers found a bulge under the display, with one press, the glass cover began to move. Now, a special item that is quite special will become one of the collections. The dollar coffers will soon fill his account.

Elena's right hand started to stretch out, but she stopped it. He almost forgot, every display of valuables is equipped with a safety under the object holder. The slender and petite girl cleverly replaced the real gemstones with the imitation gemstones she had brought before.

"Soon you'll be mine," muttered Elena with a sly grin.

Elena carefully picked up the gemstone with her right hand, while her left hand prepared to exchange it for an imitation stone. On the count of three, Elena managed to exchange the item.

But he flinched, suddenly a warning alarm sounded, he heard footsteps coming towards his room. Elena quickly stuffed the rubies into her small bag.

Then he scrambled to find the switch on the wall next to the light switch, to turn off the protective laser. After the laser security was not working, he rushed out of there. While wearing a face covering.

One step, when running forward, he met three guards who caught his action. He turned around to avoid them.

"Hey! Stop it!" shouted the three guards who ran after him.

Elena ran to the very back corner. He found a fire escape that would connect him to the floors above him. Elena kept running up the stairs, she tried to open door after floor but to no avail. Everything was locked, he had to run to the rooftop on the tenth floor.

Taking a deep breath, Elena drew closer to the edge of the roof. He removed the hood that made his black hair flow beautifully. Seen under several police cars have surrounded him. Car sirens shouted at each other.

"Give up! You're under siege!" A voice coming from the loudspeaker was heard warning him. Elena ignored him, she ran here and there looking for a way to get down from the tenth floor of the building in the right place.

His adrenaline was racing so fast that his heart was beating wildly. Suddenly a strong wind accompanied by a loud noise deafened his ears. Elena turned around, she tried to block the strong wind that hit her face. The strong wind came from the helicopter blades trying to land on the rooftop of the building.

Elena vaguely saw the figure of a man wearing a long coat. A man with thick hair, with a typical Eurasian height.

"Give up! We'll make the right offer!" The man's baritone voice warned. He was standing exactly four meters from Elena, face to face.

"Huh! Surrender?" Elena with her cynical grin. "Even if I die I will not surrender!"

"Don't be silly, you've been chased by several countries for your crimes!" The man's voice warned again.

"Crime?" Elena denies. "Then, what do the rulers do when the people are starving? They are just silent and busy with imaging! I will never give up!"

On a silent count of three, Elena ran to the edge of the rooftop and jumped without safety.

"Not!" The man's voice echoed, he tried to run and reach Elena. But it's useless, it's just a futile act. Elena's body was floating in the air.

"Mom, Dad, I'll be after you soon." Elena quietly muttered with a smile, then she tried to close her eyes. Trying to accept what will happen to him tonight.

Elena felt her body very light. As if floating in a dark empty space. Even he felt his body as if slammed on the ground hard, he felt his body was so sore.

Elena opened her heavy eyes, then she coughed until her chest felt tight. He looked around, it was dark, except for the light shining through the cracks in the door.

"Am I dead?" Elena mumbled softly. "Where am I?"

There was a noise behind the old wooden door. In the dim, Elena was still able to catch a hint of light in her dark eyes. He tried to get up from his current position though with a limp. What's more, the sound of the noisy conversation bothered him even more.

Elena was in a sitting position, but was surprised when she found her body clad in a long nude dress. Plus, his hands look full of wounds.

"Where am I? Is it really me?" Elena panics. At the same time, the sound of a wooden door opening caught his ear.

"Hey, Ayla! Why aren't you dead yet!" The voice of a man in a helmet and typical royal warrior attire shouted angrily at him.

"Huh! Ayla? Why does she call me by that name?" Elena muttered in her heart, She tried to swallow her saliva with difficulty.

"What a pitiful woman," someone said, which made Elena turn her head to see who said something that made her heart feel sad and humiliated.

"Me? Pathetic?" Elena boldly asked something that made the male guard chuckle. There was a laugh that was disgusting to Elena. He had never been humiliated like that by someone in his life, let alone just a lowly bodyguard like the man in front of him.

"Get up quickly!" the man grabbed Elena's arm roughly, ignoring the moans that escaped those thin, sensual lips.

The woman staggered almost toppled over because of how rude the male guard had treated her. Dunno what was going on, Elena was still in a daze. His body felt weak and helpless, where did all the martial arts and acrobatics he had before go.

The male guard kicked the door hard enough to make a sound enough to make people tiptoe. Then, Elena was dragged somewhere, she only found a dark alley. A few meters later, there were people in the room with the barred door.

Elena looked around every street she passed. His eyes widened, he didn't get it wrong. It seemed what he saw was a dungeon. However, something made him feel strange, why the people inside were dressed so old-fashioned.

"Slow bastard!" The male guard jerked his hand away. Elena could only obey, without being able to fight back.

'You lack root! You'll see, I'll pay you back later,' Elena thought while glaring furiously at the male guard.

They came out of the dungeon area, up the stairs which were quite steep with the size that only fit two people crammed into it. Elena could only surrender, following where the guard took her. A few moments later, they were already out of the iron door that connected the outer corridor with the dungeon.

Elena gasped, she could barely contain herself as she looked along the hallway that looked more like a palace. Corridor with buildings made of gray andesite stone. Salmon-colored curtains decorated every corridor of the palace.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Elena braced herself when her arm was already feeling hot from the grip of the haughty male guard earlier.

"You shut up!" snapped the guard who was still dragging him roughly. "Your place is in the harem as a slave!"

"Hah! Slaves! I'm not a slave!" Elena shouted while glaring in annoyance at the guard. He tried to struggle to get out of the grip of the proud male guard's hand, but somehow he still couldn't use his strength.

The two of them had entered the passageway on the inside. There were several guards who looked more like royal soldiers standing around the passage.

"Let go!" Elena started to struggle vigorously, the guard was getting overwhelmed. Elena had almost escaped the guard's grip.

"Insolent you, Slave!" The guard raised his palm up, almost landing it right on Elena's right cheek. However, the guard froze. He couldn't move his hands.

"Don't ever try to slap me!" Elena's voice coldly gripped the guard's hand which was about to slap him.

"Da-dare you!" growled the guard.

"I will do much more than this, if you continue to mistreat me." Elena's teeth were chattering with anger. He slapped the guard's hand. "You don't have to push me to walk, I can walk on my own!"

The guard gasped, only this time he met the slave's pathetic resistance. An innocent and beautiful face, it's just that Ayla is known to be weak. His fellow harems were always torturing him and trying to get rid of him and make him look like an ugly person. So that the princes never glance at her beauty.

The guard gripped Elena's arm again, but more gently than before. Inside, the guard felt strange, the look in the weak girl's eyes seemed to be different. Sharp and piercing, unlike the moment before entering the dungeon, the look in his eyes was full of fear and almost death from being beaten by one of the palace's special harems.

They had arrived at the end of the hall, greeted by two people, a middle-aged man and woman. Standing right in front of the half-oval shaped iron door. Elena's eyes stared at the two people in front of her. A man wearing a brown fur vest, while a woman covers her head like a veil, her face is sinister.

"A very lucky girl. At that time you were on the verge of death," said the woman with a cynical face. Then he grabbed Elena's wrist and led her inside.

When the door opened, Elena's gaze instantly wandered in all directions. He saw a very large room. The dominance of beige color with white and pink curtains.

There are steps like a stage on each right and left, which turns out to be useful as a bed. Seen from the pedestal that lined the head there.

"Hey, look who's coming back to this room!" A loud feminine voice caused Elena to instantly lift her head, because it was coming from above. More specifically, the second floor. A woman with shining blonde hair.

Seen some beautiful women in beautiful silk dresses, as well as colorful headdresses.

"Why is that pathetic slave still alive?" asked the other woman with dark brown hair.

Elena was silent holding back anger, she could only purse her lips and stare intently at the woman with shining blonde hair coming down the stairs. Followed by two women who look the same, beautiful, beautifully dressed with a headdress like a tiara.

"Why? Don't accept?" The woman with her rosy white face leaned right in front of Elena's. "Even though I confirmed yesterday that you died after beating you!"

"But you still see me alive, right?" Elena smiled sarcastically at the girl. "You will never succeed in killing me!"

The girl's blue irises gleamed, holding back the raging rage.

"You! Don't you dare go against me!" The woman roughly grabbed Elena's chin. "Look at the wounds on your face! Indicates how pathetic your life is!"

Elena widened her eyes in surprise, what was wrong with her face. Was it that bad the wound that cut it? Even when he first woke up, he saw many bruises and cuts on his hands.

Elena ignored the words of the woman in front of her. He just laughed out loud, attacking the enemy's mental back.

"You are crazy!" The woman brushed Elena's sharp chin roughly and looked disgusted.

"You're the one with respect!" Elena snapped, lifting her chin. As if challenging the woman in front of him.

"You insolent!" There was a loud sound of a beautiful woman's palm with blue irises pressed against Elena's left cheek, so that Elena's head tilted in the opposite direction. Pain and heat, that's how Elena felt.

Elena couldn't help the rumbling in her chest. While rubbing his cheeks that felt hot, even a thick red liquid appeared from the corners of his lips. Elena stared intently at the beautiful woman with blue irises with a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce the heart.

PLAQUE!!

The sound of a slap back from Elena's palm made the woman in front of her almost fall backwards.

"Damaris, are you all right?" The noise from the room began to attract the attention of the guards outside. It turned out that the beautiful woman with blonde hair was named Damaris.

"You insolent woman!" Damaris' voice made several harems who were looking for her face come and grabbed Elena's hands. Some just watched where he was, not daring to fight the existence of Damaris who was the second prince's special harem. Damaris looked almost ready with her palms flying.

"Stop it!" The loud baritone voice broke the commotion in the room called the Harem.

All bowed, no one even dared to look up. Elena turned around, she saw the appearance of a man who was so manly, tall, even his broad chest could be seen even though he was hidden in an all-black outfit. Elena's gaze was unblinking, the man had a firm jaw with eagle-like eyes. Her thick hair made Elena seem trapped in the darkness.

"Ayla! Down!" I don't know whose voice it was, but it seems that the man in front of him is not a random man.

"Who is this disrespectful Harem!" The man's baritone voice boomed, instantly making Elena flinch and look down.

"Sorry Your Majesty, he's new." A feminine voice could be heard defending him.

"NEVER COMPETE IN THE HAREM!" His voice warned again. "OR I BURN ALL OF YOU!" After saying that, the mysterious dashing man left the room just like that.

"Disperse! Disperse! Disperse!" The loud voice of someone on the bass porch echoed in the room. The harem could be seen dispersing themselves. Frightened faces could be seen on some of the women. Elena was still staring at the harem women.

"Ayla!" Someone suddenly grabbed her arm roughly. Elena gasped, especially since she was called by a name she had never heard before. Although it had been called by the guard who brought her back to the harem.

"Don't you make any more noise in here!" It turned out that the person who grabbed her arm was a hooded woman with a cynical face.

"Commotion?" Elena frowned. "I didn't do anything!"

The woman led Elena to the corner of the room. Her cynical face seemed to stare at Elena without tenderness. But Elena wasn't afraid, she met the woman's gaze with her own.

"You're almost dead! Don't ever mess up again if you don't want to end up worse than yesterday!" the woman said threateningly.

Elena shook her head vigorously. As if her head was spinning, they were talking about something she didn't know. Elena was sure that there must be something wrong with her. Because the last thing she remembered was her body jumping from the fifth floor of the exhibition building.

The woman pushed Elena, causing her to flinch. Then, the woman stepped away leaving Elena in her reverie and trying to remember something. The woman's back disappeared further behind the door, while Elena continued to remain silent in the corner of the room.

"Ayla!" Someone's call broke her reverie. She saw a young woman with wavy golden brown hair making a small run towards her. She frowned, feeling unfamiliar with the woman.

"Ayla, you're finally alive." Elena's body froze as the young woman embraced her very tightly, while Elena's head was still spinning with the unfamiliar name calling.

"You?" Those were the only words Elena could utter. She couldn't ask questions that would raise suspicion.

The woman released her embrace from Elena's body. She looked intently at Elena's face. "You don't remember who I was after the impact?" The woman asked again, while Elena immediately shook her head slowly, an inducement to find out all the irregularities.

"Poor girl." The young woman immediately grabbed Elena's wrist and led her up to the right step.

Elena sat right next to the blanket and head mat that were lying there. Meanwhile, the woman with golden brown hair picked up a mirror that was next to her headboard. She handed it to Elena.

Elena accepted it hesitantly, but she was also eager to know what had happened to her. She froze when she saw that the face in the reflection was not her. She almost dropped the small mirror she was holding.

She gently stroked her yellowish cheeks. Some parts of the face of the woman in the mirror were almost similar to her, although there were some differences. Her large almond eyes with brown irises with lush lashes, oval face shape, high cheekbones with dimples that made the woman in the mirror so beautiful.

Elena tried to recall the past memories of the woman named Ayla. She didn't know much, only memories related to the torture and humiliation inflicted by some of the harems and guards here.

"Poor woman." Elena muttered softly. "I promise to avenge all your heartaches. Rest easy there. From now on I will be Ayla."

"Ayla, how? You've seen the wounds on your face, right?" The question from the golden-brown-haired woman jolted her. She instantly turned her head towards the woman.

"Yes," Ayla replied. She looked back into the mirror. The wounds in the form of scratches and bruises were blue. There were also traces of dried blood. "I will repay them for what they did to me. Just watch!"

"Ayla, don't do that. They'll beat you up again, you were almost dying that time." The woman insisted on preventing Ayla's intentions.

"Take it easy," Ayla said with a sly smile as she returned the mirror given to her by the tanned-haired woman with rosy cheeks. "I'll make them bend the knee to us, and they won't dare to do anything else."

"Ayla, why are you so different," the woman chided. She looked into Ayla's flashing eyes. It was as if there was a fire burning in her spirit.

"I'm still the same ...." Ayla stopped her speech, of course Elena inside Ayla's body didn't remember her.

"Patra," the woman replied. "How could you forget your best friend's name?"

"Sorry Patra, it's probably because of the impact on my head," Ayla replied.

Their conversation had to stop, as the door to the harem room opened. Someone was seen entering it hurriedly. Ayla glanced over, it was the man she had met at the gate. A middle-aged man in his fur vest.

"Come on! All of you line up and listen to the news I bring!" The sound of the middle-aged man clapping his hands made the women in the harem begin to line up. They were lined up neatly. Even Damaris, the arrogant harem seemed to have come down from the second floor and joined the others.

"What's the info?" Damaris with her haughty face began to descend the steps and stopped right in front of Ayla.

"Later tonight, the palace will hold a dinner banquet. The harems are expected to give an entertaining performance with dances," the man said.

"Popoh, do all the women in the harem have to participate without exception?" Damaris' question seemed ambiguous. "Will she whose face is covered in scars also do it?" Damaris gave a cynical look as if mocking Ayla.

Popoh looked at Ayla who was indeed looking a little pitiful, she still couldn't say anything except to sigh in despair.

"Of course I'll come," Ayla said. "I'll be sure to present a good dance for the princes." A sly grin spread across Ayla's thin, sensual lips.

Damaris gave her a displeased look. She moved back closer to Ayla and raised her right hand and extended it towards the young woman. The look in Ayla's eyes deeply humiliated Damaris. Quick as a flash, Ayla grabbed the hand and pushed it so roughly that Damaris almost fell over.

Ayla strangled Damaris' slender neck, all the harem of face-seekers trying to block Ayla's hands. Meanwhile, Damaris could only painfully hold Ayla's hands to release them.

"Stop you guys! Or I'll twist this neck!" The entire harem moved backwards in disbelief at what Ayla was doing. Very different, the look in her eyes was sharper and stronger, not like before. Like someone had taken over that body.

"A-Ayla, let go!" Popoh, the man in the fur vest stammered at the change in Ayla's attitude. "Don't do that, otherwise the second prince will kill you!"

"Shut up!" Ayla couldn't help the rumbling in her chest. "If the second prince kills me, then this woman must die with me!"

The harem shuddered in horror, Ayla looked more like a demoness than a weak slave. Even Patra covered her mouth with both hands, stifling the soft shriek that escaped from her mouth.

"Ay-Ayla, come to your senses, you better let her go," Patra said.

"I'll let her go! But don't ever mess with me again!" Ayla began to threaten.

"Got it!" Ayla jerked Damaris' body. The look in her blue irises was pleading. Ayla released her grip from Damaris' neck.

The beautiful woman with wavy and luminous blonde hair coughed while clutching her slender neck.

"Go away!" snapped Ayla. "I will not remain silent now! I'm going to get back at you for all you've done to me, remember that!"

"Ayla?" The man in the brown fur vest gaped at the young woman's name.

"Why! You can't take it!" Ayla's voice was in a raised tone.

"Oh no, of course it's fine that you're presenting the dance at the banquet tonight," Popoh said with a wry smile. "Of course, you have to dress up nicely."

After saying that, the middle-aged man called Popoh quickly glided away from the harem room. Ayla glanced at Damaris and her henchmen as they began to climb the steps to the second floor. Two women were seen carrying Damaris' body.

"Ayla, you are very brave, be careful." Patra grabbed Ayla's wrist, while the young woman with brown irises just smiled.

***

Dinner banquet.

In a spacious room, long dining tables were lined up on the right and left sides. Various kinds of menus were lined up on the dining table. Apparently, a banquet dinner was being held that night that was attended by nobles.

On the right side, there were four handsome men dressed in noble style. It looked like they were the crown prince and the princes. The way they were dressed and the seats were quite special.

"Where's third brother?" asked a young man with dark brown hair as he sipped wine from his cup.

"You don't know his behavior, he'd rather be on the battlefield than at a party," replied a more mature-looking young man with golden brown hair.

"Does the crown prince not know? The third prince has returned from the battlefield," the dark brown-haired man said.

"THE THIRD PRINCE IS ENTERING THE BANQUET HALL!" The loud voice of the palace guard echoed throughout the room. All the attention of the nobles in the room turned towards the man with his dark hair tied back, walking dashingly with his gaze focused forward.

Some of the female nobles there looked down, though mesmerized by the man's features. The sword with the ruby-mirror gemstone tip was never far from his waist.