The Princess Love Story

"Come on, Novita. What's so hard about saying, Yes? After all, we will pay all the costs for you," Yudhis said pleadingly. Meanwhile, the girl whose full name is Novita Putri Anggraeni who continued to listen to the pleading sentence was only able to sigh in disgust when her two friends kept asking her to do something she really didn't like.

"It's obviously very difficult, Yudhis. If only you took me to travel to the beach or even abroad. Traveling around Europe and so on, of course I would have immediately agreed to your request. But this, visiting the graves of ancestors and kings? Seriously!" Novita continued to refuse. I don't know how many times she had refused. While they themselves had discussed this matter dozens of times, even for today Yudhis and Ardian had pleaded with Novita for almost an hour.

It was clear that Novita felt uneasy, because every time she met with her two best friends it was always the event of visiting the tombs of kings that they discussed. As for Novita, let alone visiting the tombs of kings. Visiting her family's burial area is very rare.

"Why would you go to a cemetery so far out of town, Adrian? There's a huge cemetery in the alley next to your house. Save your money for that. I can accompany you to the village cemetery if you want," Novita quickly retorted. Making Adrian and Yudhis instantly look at each other and end up sighing.

"That's different, Novita. Definitely different." Yudhis again tried to explain.

"What's different, Yudhis? All funerals are obviously the same. I really wonder about people who just want to pray that they are willing to travel far. Especially when it's just a funeral. Besides, did you know the king? No, right?" Novita continued to be evasive.

"How hard can it be, Novita?" Yudhis tried to extend his patience.

"Yes, after all, there we will not only visit the cemetery of the ancestors, but also the beach, and other tourist attractions." Andrian explained. Then he took out his cell phone and searched for something on it.

"Look, this is the information in the group that my mom sent me," Adrian said as he held out the cell phone in his hand to Novita, showing a list of locations they would visit later. Novita, on the other hand, still had a disinterested look on her face.

"Ah, or just like this, after everything is done, Adrian will buy you whatever you want. Your favorite boy band album? Concert tickets? Or whatever it is," said Yudhis, breaking the silence between them.

"Hey! Why me?" protested Adrian when he heard his brother's ridiculous proposal. Meanwhile, Yudhis immediately nudged his shoulder indifferently. "Already, shut up."

On the other hand, Novita, who heard Yudhis discussing her favorite boy band, a Korean boy band that she idolized, immediately showed a twinkle in her eyes.

"Is this serious?" asked Novita as if in disbelief.

Yudhis, who saw that, suddenly developed a smile feeling that his lure had paid off, and it even seemed that the man was staring ignorantly at Adrian while moving his eyebrows up and down.

"Ah, yes, alright. I'll buy it for you," Adrian said resignedly. He did not think that just to invite Novita to travel, he would have to end up sacrificing millions.

"Alright then, I'm coming! So when is the departure time?" asked Novita excitedly, in stark contrast to her attitude a few minutes ago before Yudhis mentioned something she was very interested in.

"Tomorrow," Adrian and Yudhis replied simultaneously. Making Novita, who had been blown away with excitement, suddenly widened her eyes.

"What? Why so sudden?" argued Novita who did not expect the event to visit the ancestor's grave to be held so suddenly especially since she had not prepared at all. Isn't this very surprising?

"We even told you about it a week ago, Novita Putri Anggraeni," sighed Adrian in response to the surprise his friend showed. Novita was silent as she recalled that it was true that the invitation had been made a week ago, it was just that she had been negligent.

"Alright, we'll leave tomorrow. Remember, prepare three concert tickets for me!" said Novita again excitedly, after all, for Novita she would do anything to get something related to her idol band.

"What? Why three? Who are they for?" Adrian widened his eyes. Because one concert ticket alone costs tens of millions, while now he is actually being asked for three tickets at once.

"Obviously for me and my two best friends," Novita explained as she ruffled Adrian's and Yudhis' hair with great excitement. Novita, Yudhis and Adrian have been best friends since they were young, so they often vacation together. They are also the ones who always look after Novita when she is in trouble with her boyfriend.

"Hey, I've accompanied you guys to visit the cemetery. So you guys should also accompany me to the concert. Okay? Ah, how exciting! I can't wait for tomorrow. I think I should go home now to prepare what I'll bring tomorrow!" said Novita happily. She walked away without even bothering to say goodbye to her two best friends.

"She's always like that," grumbled Yudhis looking at Novita who was getting farther away as he shook his head slowly.

Actually, neither Yudhis nor Adrian were in the mood to participate in the event of visiting the graves of the ancestors. In addition to the two men confirming what Novita always said to them about the girl's opinion about the grave visitation event, Yudhis and Adrian also sometimes felt that they turned into lame young men when they had to participate in the annual event that was always held by their extended family.

While their normal days were spent hanging out in the elite area with their other friends. I wonder what their friends will say when they find out about this strange habit that has been made an obligation by their extended family.

Usually, both Yudhis and Adrian never invited their friends or companions to come along. However, this year there was an error in the bus booking which caused an empty bench. Instead of correcting the order by changing to a smaller bus, their family took the initiative to invite people outside the family to come with them.

The other empty benches had been filled with some of their cousins' friends, while the one remaining bench gave Adrian and Yudhis the sudden idea to invite Novita, their best friend since childhood who was known for being so chatty. Yudhis and Adrian thought that with Novita there might be able to dispel the boredom in both of them. Moreover, Novita herself was already very familiar with the rest of their extended family.

The long-awaited day had arrived. Everyone had entered the bus and occupied their respective seats to then travel quite far to the intended location. The journey to Kediri City took quite a long time and Novita spent the trip listening to one of her favorite boy bands.

Once there, Novita couldn't stop grumbling about what she saw. Meanwhile, Yudhis and Adrian couldn't stop shaking their heads thinking about whether their decision to bring Novita was the right thing or the wrong thing.

The atmosphere in the cemetery was indeed very crowded, but Novita's very chatty attitude really made the two of them uneasy, especially since the girl's problem was always about her dislike for what was there. Things that make Adrian and Yudhis sometimes feel afraid if it will be heard by others and end up offending them.

"What is this? So where is the king's tomb?" Novita asked again. The girl was so chatty and asked a lot of questions about various things she saw.

"Inside the small hut. The tomb is there," Yudhis patiently explained. He pointed towards a building that was quite large and had a royal atmosphere that was quite obvious.

"So we bothered to come here just to see that little hut? Can't see the tomb in person? Why?" Novita continued to ask, making Yudhis and Andrian sigh again.

"It was deliberately made because in the past, before the hut was built, the king's burial ground was often lost by pilgrims, dear," explained Mrs. Yudhis who stood beside Novita. Novita, who heard the story, suddenly widened her eyes and blinked slightly.

"Even the tomb land was stolen?" muttered the girl in disbelief. She was surprised by the actions of humans who seemed to lack work.

"Yes, even though taking anything in the cemetery is not allowed," Mrs. Yudhis explained again.

"Ah that's it! Just a moment, Novita. I'll just go there first," said Ibu Yudhis when she saw something she needed. Meanwhile, Novita just nodded slowly without any interest in following.

The atmosphere of the cemetery was very crowded with pilgrims, even occasionally Novita felt herself pressed and staggered by the flow of pilgrims who were not sure of their direction.

"What the hell? Photos in the cemetery?" Novita, who had just been freed from the crowded area, couldn't help but curse when she saw some of the activities of the people around the girl. Then she began to realize something.

"Where are Yudhis and Adrian?" Novita's body instantly cringed as she realized she was separated from the mob. It must have been because she had been so busy getting herself out of the crowded area that she didn't realize how far she had walked.

Novita immediately returned to her feet trying to find the whereabouts of Judhis and Adrian. Until accidentally the girl came to the back of the tomb building which had a very quiet atmosphere. In stark contrast to the front of the tomb which was so crowded with pilgrims from various cities.

In that area, Novita accidentally saw the back door of the hut slightly open, with various questions raging in her head, Novita stepped closer to the door and opened it slowly to be able to see the inside of the room in detail.

"Just an ordinary tomb," Novita muttered with a frown, but still stepped inside.

"There's nothing special here. Just an ordinary grave like the one in the neighborhood. And they only came here because the man who died was a king? Gosh, how nice of this king, he's been dead for hundreds of years but there are still so many people praying for him." Novita continued to mutter. Especially when she ventured inside and all she found was a well-maintained tia grave with a tombstone lying on it.

A stone engraved with the king's name, the approximate birth and death of the king himself. Novita sighed at the sight of everything in front of her, much to her disappointment at not finding anything interesting there.

Until the girl decided to go back outside, her eyes accidentally caught sight of a beautiful reflection of an object lying on the side of the king's tomb. Novita squinted her eyes as she continued to step closer, and how surprised she was to find a small jewelry box there. She quickly moved closer, until her hand stopped when she saw a small note warning her not to touch what was inside.

For a moment Novita seemed to consider the warning. However, a moment later the girl chose to ignore it because she felt that the writing was made only to make people not damage or dirty the relics of the king.

Yes, at least Novita believed that the objects there were relics of the king, especially when she opened the small chest, Novita found a lot of jewelry and several krises and other heirlooms.

Novita suddenly gasped at the sight. Especially when her gaze fell on a bracelet and a jeweled ring. Two pieces of jewelry that made Novita's soul yearn to have them.

"Oh my, this is beautiful. Is it okay if I have it?" Novita looked thoughtful. Especially when the girl remembered Yudhis' mother's words not to take anything in the cemetery.

"But this is very good. It would be a waste if I didn't take them." Novita clutched the two jewels tightly.

"O benevolent king, may I borrow these two jewels of yours? I'm sure you won't mind, will you? After all, you still have a lot of jewelry there. I just want to take these two. How's that? You agree, right? Ah, thank you very much!" she exclaimed happily when in reality there was no reply at all from the king. The area inside the hut was still as silent as ever.

Novita quickly pocketed the bracelet and ring into her pocket and stepped back outside.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" shouted an old man who was enough to make Novita tiptoe in place.

"Ma-- sorry, I was just curious. The door was open so I chose to come in for a while." Novita lowered her gaze while clutching her jacket pocket tightly, afraid that her act of stealing would be discovered. Even though she had never done such a bad thing before, but the sense of belonging was so great that it seemed to attract Novita to commit this dishonorable act. And Novita deeply regretted it.

"This is a restricted area! Who opened the door and didn't close it again?" the man kept exclaiming especially when the guards who heard the commotion flocked there. Meanwhile, Novita, who felt she had a chance to leave, immediately ran away and escaped.

Novita's breath caught as she made her way through a stretch of scarlet cloth that covered the area. Suddenly the girl's forehead wrinkled. "So that border marks the restricted area?" she muttered.

"Here you are!" snapped a man, startling Novita who had been intently observing the red cloth.

"We've been looking for you everywhere!" added Adrian, dismayed to find Novita missing from their group.

"Ah, sorry."

"Come on, it's time for us to go to the beach," Yudhis intervened.

Finally, Novita rushed back into the bus along with Yudhis and Adrian. On her way to the second location, Novita began to feel strange things hit her body. Novita thought it was a sign that she was going to be sick so the girl decided to close her eyes for a moment to take her nap.

Until a nightmare began to hit her. Marked by the arrival of two tall men in very strange clothes who continued to chase her until she ended up Novita did not have access to run anywhere because the two men's soldiers surrounded her so much. Until finally Novita found her body being forcibly dragged by the two men and then thrown into a huge vortex of light.

Novita's body jerked as she was thrown into the large puddle of light. Then, a painful feeling began to gnaw at her along with her body and soul that felt like they were about to separate.

Pain, stinging, being torn apart, and all other unpleasant feelings instantly hit Novita's body making the girl's head suddenly feel so dizzy from the events she was experiencing.

Until the girl felt as if her body was jerked back and fell into a bottomless pit. Crushed. One word that might describe the overall feeling Novita felt in her body right now.

But all the pain gradually disappeared as a soft, light white light slowly hit his face.

In her sleeping position, Novita began to try to move her body, even though she felt all the muscles in her body felt so painful and stiff. Similarly, her eyelids felt very heavy to open despite her best efforts.

Until in an unknown number of attempts, the eyelids were slowly able to lift even though her vision was still so faint. Again Novita tried to blink her eyes trying to adjust the lighting around her.

It felt so strange. Not only because her body seemed to have just experienced time travel and mental upheaval. But because of the sight she saw when she first opened her eyes.

Everything felt so strange to her.

A small, silky white cloth-covered board flanking her body made her think that she was currently inside a coffin.

Novita's heart pounded at the thought of it all. Then the girl tried to move her fingers which felt like they were wrapped in a pair of gloves so soft and were holding something there.

Novita strained her eyes downward, looking at her hand which was currently wrapped in a small lacy white t-shirt with a white flower in the grip.

"Am I dead?" she murmured softly, then tried to blink again.

Finally, both eyes could clearly see the surrounding area. The black ceiling and the large crystal chandelier dangling in the center just above Novita's supine body, welcomed the girl's normal sense of sight.

Not forgetting the red-colored wooden structure that frames the ceiling and crystal chandelier. Also the thick Javanese carvings that are sculpted so perfectly with the gold color that wraps around the red side, creating a traditional, luxurious and elegant impression at the same time.

"Where is this?" Novita felt her head ache again, then the sound of crying around her made her even more confused. Her soul had returned, the body that had felt so weak suddenly had its energy back, as did all the functions of her senses. However, there was still something strange that Novita felt because right now she felt like she was in a very strange place.

Moving a little unsteadily because of the dizziness that was still a little bit in her head, Novita began to remove the bunch of flowers in her hand and then tried hard to rouse herself. She was surprised to find that the people around her had very foreign faces and were dressed quite strangely. They looked like people from the royal era that Novita had seen in a soap opera program that aired on television every afternoon.

"Is this still a dream? Am I still in a dream right now?" Novita continued to mutter as she looked at the people around her one by one.

Not unlike Novita, the people around the girl were equally dumbfounded, especially when they found that the body of the princess who had been declared dead had suddenly revived. Some people in the room even reflexively ran away in shock.

"Dewi Pramesti, my daughter?!" a man shouted, distracting Novita.

"My child? Oh my, how can this be? My daughter came back to life? Is this real?" screeched a middle-aged woman who still looked so beautiful and graceful, adding to Novita's confusion.

"The princess is alive again?" greeted a woman in a uniform like a servant as she wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. Then, the whispers and frenzy in the room became more audible.

"My child! I'm so grateful to know you're alive, child!" exclaimed the middle-aged woman who looked so elegant as she walked over to Novita to hug her. But Novita quickly stretched her arms out in front of her as if asking the woman to stop.

"Wait! Who are you?" she asked, causing everyone in the room to jump out of their seats.

"Where am I? And, what is this? A coffin? Am I dead? What's going on?" said Novita, continuing to express her confusion while keeping her eyes on her surroundings.

"I'm sorry, dear. I thought you were dead," said a man dressed like a king who also walked over, Novita guessed it was from the gold crown perched on the man's head.

"Daddy?" Novita furrowed her brow. How could her father's face suddenly be different like that? Fear and anxiety suddenly crept into Novita.

"Who are you? You're definitely not my father. And, where is this? Why are you dressed so strangely?" Novita felt more and more alarmed. Meanwhile, everyone in the room was getting confused by her behavior.

"What are you talking about, dear? This is your mother and father," explained the beautiful and elegant woman. Making Novita even more at war with herself.

"No! You guys are so weird. Are you acting right now? Is this the set of that soap opera?" Novita continued to blurt out sentences that were completely incomprehensible to the occupants of the room.

"What's going on?" the middle-aged woman said, looking at the king. Meanwhile, the kingly-looking man himself continued to frown in astonishment at what had happened to his daughter.

"Quickly summon the palace physician!" the man in the king's appearance called out in a voice so booming that one of the guards at the end of the door bowed respectfully and then left to carry out his orders.

On the other hand, Novita, who heard this, frowned even more. "What? The palace physician? What is this all about? Am I really in an ancient life right now?" Novita's mind was racing. Especially when her gaze accidentally fell on one of her hands which was wearing the bracelet and ring that she had stolen while in the king's burial area some time ago. It made Novita's heart beat even faster.

"What is this? This jewelry is already attached to my hand? Oh my! Is this a curse because I stole?"