IMPRESS.

(warning: quite a few pov changes in this chapter)

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24 hours later...

Cathryn's POV ~

"What did you whisper to your sister, that made her relax right before she jumped in?"

We were in her bedroom, doors locked as myself and Alaric sat on either side of the double-bed Natalya lifelessly laid on.

The white sheets that enveloped Natalya, made her look like a pure angel in deep slumber.

I leant my elbow next to her arm and kept my other hand rested firmly against Alarics on the soft duvet which hugged his sister's body.

Alaric sighed, staring momentarily at his sister's eyes which were softly shut.

"I told her if worst came to worst and your brother didn't reconsider, that I would turn her into a vampire as soon as she died but I tried that, I fed her my blood and..."

"It hasn't worked..." I breathed out, nodding as my eyes drifted back to Natalya's pale face.

I bit my upper lip and furrowed my eyebrows, "I'm sorry Alaric, I wanted to stop it. I really did but..."

Alaric interrupted waving his hand, "no one could have saved her from your brother. Dammit, not even his father could stop him... I have no idea how I am supposed to continue guarding him knowing he murdered my sister out of spite."

Filling with concern, I held onto his hand reassuringly, "you could always swap positions with one of my guards, then you won't have to be in my brother's company all the time. You'd be in mine... And we'd get more alone time."

Ok, it's the worst time to be hinting at sex whilst Alaric and I are mourning over his sister's death, but, the words just tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"That sounds... Very tempting..." Alaric thankfully didn't scold me and wore a small smirk, his eyes electrifying as he eyed me and tightened his fingers around mine.

Seconds passed, and Alaric abruptly cleared his throat standing from his seat, "could you stay with her, I need to go check that her servants aren't currently being slaughtered as we speak."

I faintly smiled, "sure, I can stay here."

He circled the bed before leaving and left a print of his wet lips on my cheek, before speeding off out the room and leaving the heat rising to both my cheeks.

Why is he the only one who can make me feel vulnerable and soft in his company? It worries me because, for some reason, I like the submissive feeling.

Olivia's POV~

They kissed for an eternity, attacking each other like wild animals whilst the four of us were made to stand here poised and watch.

Leia's hand brushed against mine and from the corner of my eye, I saw her face contort in disgust as Prince Zachary pushed Ella up against the wall and begun to practically eat her face.

I grimaced.

Our eyes were red and puffy from the tears we had shed for Natalya since yesterday morning, and our heads burned and throats ached from the dehydration that followed.

Finally, the two vampires I loathed most after yesterday's events withdrew from each other's lips and sauntered over to the line we stood in. "So, Natalya's three slave- wait- no there is now four of you and its handmaidens as she preferred to call them... What do you reckon we do with them, baby?"

I flinched at the sight of Zac gripping onto Ella's waist and buried his head into her neck to roughly plant a lot more wet kisses than he already had.

My breathing was heavy and my heart was hammering against my chest as our lives were put in the hands of Ella.

Ella's eyes sparkled with untrust and hostility as she chortled when his lips met her skin, "First of all, I think we should be clear that they are definitely just slaves of the castle and personally, I think the castle has enough slaves, Zachy."

Ew cringe, what kind of name is Zachy?

Prince Zachary's head rose and his eyes were darkened orbs of evil. "I agree, however, I'll be nice and give them the choice of who dies first..."

He let Ella go, before rubbing his hands together and intimidatingly towering over us, "so, who will it be?"

I inhaled glancing at the other girls, wondering if one of them would step forward. But, when no one did I knew it had to be me...

Thing is, as I was about to raise my hand, a new voice entered the room right after the door behind Ella and Prince Zac flew open and made a bang from hitting the wall.

"It will be no one."

Alaric had come barging through the door and sped toward us.

Thank God!

"Claudia, Kiera, Leia and Olivia, please go accompany the princess in my sister's bedchambers," Alaric instructed and we simultaneously nodded before scurrying out the way and out of the Prince and Ella's deadly sights.

Alaric's POV~

I knew I could never trust Zac. Mother told me many of times when she would send letters, Lord Hilbert told me, dammit even the black witch had warned me beforehand.

Zac was always bound to break the promise of not killing my sister, I should have seen it coming but I was blinded by our friendship.

A friendship I no longer wished to exist.

"What? Is killing my sister not enough for you..." I glared with judgement and Zac rolled his eyes spinning on his heel to look at me properly.

Before he could respond, his eyes averted to Ella and he pointed towards the door with his thumb, "leave."

I narrowed my eyes repulsed at the blonde bitch who pouted and took her sweet time to leave the room, gazing back at Zac with love in her eyes.

Once she had finally left and the door had been shut, Zac spoke with an irritated tone.

"She's clingy, I hate clingy," Zac ignored my previous remark and shrugged as he referred to Ella.

I shook my head at him in disbelief, folding my arms over my chest. "Then why did you choose to keep her instead of my sister, who if I remember correctly you promised to keep alive?"

My fists were clenched and ready to collide with any hard surface that would allow me to express the anger boiling inside of me towards him.

"I'm taking that she hasn't woken up yet..." Zac mockingly chuckled, "Ric, you really think I wanted to get rid of your sister?"

What is he fucking talking about-

"Unclench your fists and let's talk brother to brother," Zac suggested and I hesitated for a moment before un-balling my fists. "Why would she wake up?" I asked in a clipped tone, "explain yourself, Zac."

Zac picked up a glass of blood that rested on a nearby dresser and rose his brows, "I killed your sister to save her from IMPRESS, Ric, I killed her so she wouldn't have to compete anymore..."

Rage filled me and my shoulders tensed, "how the hell was killing my sister saving her!!!?"

Zac didn't flinch, he just began to smirk. "You saw what happened in stage three Ric, the competition is growing fierce to the point Natalya was stabbed by another girl of the competition, let's not forget, the girl she was stabbed by was her clingy cousin."

"That doesn't answer my first question Zac, why would my sister wake up after you fucking drowned her, in front the entire flipping world?"

I was fuming, my nostrils were flaring and my eyes were most likely slits, "you know how I shouldn't let just anyone drink my blood, well, after the punishment your sister survived... I may have fed her some of my blood to help her heal faster, and as you know, once any royal's blood is in your system, it's there forever... Meaning your sister would turn into a vampire if she died which she has and which she will."

At least his intentions for killing my sister were somewhat thoughtful. However, it still wasn't bloody good enough.

The way he handled the death was out of order, ridiculous and it left us all trembling head to toes. He could have told me before pulling this failed master plan behind my back because now, my sister won't awake.

"Well, it hurts me to say that my sister isn't waking up, Zac. Your plan failed, your blood failed. My sister hasn't moved an inch since what you did, so whether you truly did feel something for her or not, she is dead now and will be taken far away from here and buried all the way back in Icilia right beside our parents."

"Wha-" was all he could dumbfoundedly utter.

I was about to leave him, standing there furrowing his eyebrows with regret flooding his darkening eyes, but something came over me and I abruptly spun around, only for my flying fist to collide with Zac's jaw.

He stumbled back, groaning and clutching the side of his face whilst his eyes sparked with red fury. "Ric," Zac snapped rubbing his jaw.

Only I could get away with punching the Prince of Asten in the face, only I.

"You deserved that..." And with them words of dismissal, I left the room.

Fuck the prince, fuck his crown and fuck his loyalty

Once I find a way to revive my sister, I will send her off to some other Kingdom, somewhere far and somewhere that isn't Asten.

Ella's POV~

"My child, well done!" The queen chortled, smiling joyously as she cupped my cheeks in her hands and stared at me like I was a pair of her diamond crystal earrings.

I couldn't help but smile with pride.

"When Cassandra claimed she didn't want a part in sabotaging that human, I thought hope was gone but then I stumbled across you. You so badly wanted to prove me wrong dear and you did, well done, because now the threat is dead and your chances of being queen have doubled."

Do I feel guilty for the death of my cousin? Yes, I do but the reward for it erases the guilt I feel for what happened yesterday.

"Thank you, your grace. Because of you, I can sleep easier at night for the days leading up to the next stage..." I curtsied and smiled warmly at Mellisandre.

The Queen placed her hands on my shoulders, making me focus my eyes on hers, "I must ask another favour from you, child."

I nodded robotically.

The Queen was my role model.

I would do whatever she wanted and especially knowing that she is supporting me to be her son's wife, reassures me that my place in the competition is somewhat secure, "what would you like me to do, your grace?"

The Queen smirked and pulled out a silver dagger from under her dress at her ankle and pushed it into my hands, "kill Alexander, my husband's bastard son. That boy reminds me of the whore my husband slept with during an annual hunting trip. It upsets me seeing that bastard walk the castle like he has any power at all."

"You can count on me, your grace," a hellish smirk crept its way onto my face.

17 hours earlier...

Natalya's POV ~ (a/n: you can all breathe now...) ~

My eyes fluttered open to a dark and blurry vision, that slowly cleared until I was fully conscious.

Wait.

What the-

How am I awake? Uhm, how am I alive?

On the sofa I laid on, I lifted my head and glanced up from the arm of the seat with furrowed eyebrows of confusion.

"Rise and shine, I mean it's been 7 hours since your alleged death and it is practically the evening, but rise and shine anyway. Have some water," I blinked for a few seconds.

I'm at an unknown location and I'm meant to be dead, because if I don't remember clearly, I drowned?

Was that just a bad nightmare? Because I'm pretty sure, I'm laying here and Evelyn has just greeted me with the biggest smile, looking happier than ever whilst offering me a glass of water.

I couldn't respond at the dryness of my throat, so I gratefully accepted the water from her hands and slid my legs off the sofa as I sipped on the glass.

Evelyn slumped her body beside me and as I finished the glass of water, I quickly scanned the room we were in.

It was very ancient, there were statues, sculptures made from clay and priceless-looking ornaments everywhere.

Everything just looked like it was made from a stone that had small, blue electric gems carved into it.

"How are you feeling?" Evelyn asked.

I placed the empty glass on the stone table positioned in front of the sofa and squinted my eyes at Evelyn.

"Ok?" I said unsurely and pressed my weight on my hands to stand from my seat, "can you tell me what's going on? I'm pretty sure Zac killed me and I'm certain it hurt like a bitch."

Evelyn smiled amusedly and jumped up to her feet, "first of all, you didn't die and I'll let my witch friends explain why you didn't. Follow me and all will be answered."

"Witch friends?" I questioned as I began to follow her out the room we were situated in.

"Yes, honey. Welcome to the Shadow Ancestry, hidden beneath the city you know as Titan," she dramatically waved her hand at our surroundings, "it's not as small as it seems, believe me, it goes on forever."

Kace Titan mentioned the Shadow Ancestry to me before, that one time I came to Titan this is what he was talking about when he spoke about the Twelve that my mother was once a part of.

I'm still so confused and angry.

Confused because why am I here and not lying dead in some coffin back at the castle somewhere?

Maybe it had to do with Alaric's plan, he did whisper something about turning me into a vampire if Zac didn't reconsider?

Although I don't feel any different, physically or mentally. It must not be the case then. Alaric's plan was a last minute thing anyway, he was as taken back as me. But, Evelyn and Xander, they sounded certain that they had a plan.

I should be happy I am not dead but I'm just really angry because why the hell did Ella stab me? And why the fuck did Zac kill me?

Whilst we walked, I took in the fantastical theme and aura I was getting from this place, the enchanting sculptures and paintings of what looked to be Gods intrigued me entirely.

We passed rooms each stocked with potions, armour and steel. We passed some rooms with only single beds in them, single beds which appeared untouched.

This place resembled a cave, some kind of mystical underground hideout.

It honest to the Gods made me feel like an undercover spy.

"They should all be here, well except for Xander, he is back at the castle..." Evelyn assured me, "don't worry he knows you are safe, I told him to pretend you are dead in front of everyone else."

"Why?" I questioned.

Evelyn smiled stepping aside at a door, "you are about to find out, after you Natalya..."

I rose an eyebrow of suspicion, feeling anxious and my stomach churn as I brushed past Evelyn and into the room of witches.

Some I'd seen before and some I hadn't.

I was staring at The Twelve. Well, minus Oberyn who was still rotting in that ungodly cell.

"Natalya, welcome back," the black witch, Aeliana spoke in a cold, haunting tone beneath her signature black veil that masked her identity.

Would I ever see her face?

I smiled uneasily, "yeah, um, hi."

"I'll spare you the introductions, we'll come to that later but right now, everyone has things to be doing," Aeliana rotated her head one side to the other, sending all the other witches except for Kace, the half-witch blood vampire to work.

I recognised Dahlia, the healer from the castle who helped me get well again after my lethal punishment.

I smiled her the healer and then cautiously approached Kace and Aeliana, with Evelyn's footsteps trailing behind me before her face appeared at my side.

"Okay, how is this happening. How am I alive?" I bluntly asked crossing my arms.

I'm growing tired of this silence, I need answers.

"And wait, how are you alive?" I pointed at Evelyn, who as my mentor would have been publicly killed after me. 

Evelyn sent me a sheepish smile and merely mumbled... "I may have escaped."

"You escaped! Does that not go against the rules?" I exclaimed. "Wait, but Xander, will he be okay?" 

"Alexander will be fine, as the King's son, they would not dare kill him. So, I guess I'm not the only one breaking the rules if the royals themselves are," Evelyn nonchalantly shrugged. "I did what I had to do and got out of there. Fast."

"But how am I here? I could have sworn I had died."

When there was too long of a silence, Aeliana nudged Kace who then cleared his throat and answered me, "what everyone witnessed was another projection of reality, your death was as real as the world was for stage three."

"Wow clever, I would have never thought of that but I mean it would have been nice to be informed. The pain was torture, I thought I was truly drowning..."

Evelyn placed her hand on my arm, "we thought you would like the surprise plus the fact you didn't know made your death seem more real, and besides, even if Aeliana hadn't projected that water tank, you wouldn't have died."

"What?" I whipped my head around and my eyes landed back on the witch.

"You are wearing Oberyn's protection necklace, Natalya, you wouldn't have died but we thought it would be less risky doing it this way instead," she explained and my mouth morphed into an O.

Wow. I honestly thought my end had come. "So, everyone thinks I'm dead except you guys and Xander? Oh my God, what about my brother, he deserves to know urrgh I hope he doesn't do anything stupid like assault the prince, although, that dick of a prince deserves it."

"We forgot to mention, whilst you were in that short coma of yours when you died, we replaced your body with a duplicate one, one that is nothing but a dummy that plays dead," Evelyn added.

I widened my eyes in shock, "You did what?"

"You know, I thought we'd have gotten a thank you by now..." Kace said with humour laced in his delivery.

I guess they did save me and I guess they are the only people I can trust, "thank you but I want to see how everyone is reacting back at the castle."

"That can be arranged. However, you won't be able to talk to anyone but us three and you will be cloaked by invisibility," the black witch notified and I hummed in understanding.

I'd love to see who is celebrating my departure and who is suffering.

"Okay, that's fine, let's go."

Aeliana's eyes swirled into their intensifying purple through her veil and when she whispered the word castle under her breathe after chanting a few words, our surroundings unravelled and then rebuild into the form of my bedroom back at the castle.

And when I was certain my feet were still on the ground, I followed Evelyn, Kace and Aeliana towards a lifeless body that looks exactly like mine, laying in a bed of tangled white sheets.

This was the duplicate they were on about, a copy of me, "wow, this is weird."

Kace pointed at the hooded figure entering my bedroom, "think it's about to get weirder..."

"Who is that?" I asked in an alarmed voice, turning my scared eyes to Aeliana, Kace and Evelyn.

They all shook their heads and shrugged, "we don't know, this is the first time seeing this one. Let's see what they are up to?"

We moved closer to the bed and me becoming impatient of these games, circled to the other side of the bed and ducked to see the face hidden under the cloak.

I gasped when I saw it was Harrison.

"Awww look how sweet is he, my best friend Harrison is visiting my fake dead corpse," propping my elbow onto the edge of the bed, I dreamily looked at Harrison caress my duplicate's cheek like it