Chapter 24

***Serafina's POV***

As my eyes slowly adjusted to the light the first thing that I saw was a man looking at me with his eyes filled with worry. His right hand was holding mine tightly while his left hand was gently caressing my hair.

"You are finally awake," he weakly uttered while looking at me with tears glistening in his eyes.

He was too happy making me wonder why he is acting like that.

"Who are you?" I weakly asked making his eyebrows furrowed. He looked confused when he heard my question.

"What do you mean Serafina? I am your husband,"

I immediately pulled my hand from his hold and squeezed myself on the corner afraid to be near him. I held the blanket tightly as I roamed my eyes around the room and that's when I saw my parents who also looked confused.

Why do they look at me like I am the one acting strange when it is them who is acting that way?

"Mom, where am I?" I asked looking at my mother intently anticipating a response.

I watched her as she walked towards me. The man who introduced himself as my husband stood up giving my mother a space to be near me. Mom sat at the edge of my bed and gently reached for my hand.

"Can't you remember him Catiana?" she gently asked so I threw a glance at the man standing behind my mother. When our gazes met I felt my chest tightened for some reason. I can't stand looking at him too long it feels like I am running out of air and I am having a hard time to breath so I immediately look away and bring my gaze back to my mother.

"Who is he, Mom? Why did he say that he is my husband?"

My mother took a deep breath and gently squeezed my hand. "Because he is your husband Serafina. He is King Calixto, your husband,"

My head hurts. I can't seem to fathom everything that my mother had revealed. I am aware that I am bound to marry King Calixto but why am I already married to him? All I know is I am preparing to be the perfect bride for him. I can't remember our wedding. I can't remember our first meeting and it feels like this is my first time seeing him so why are we already married? Did I miss something?

"Don't you remember what happened to you in the forbidden forest? Don't you remember anything, Serafina?"

I tried to remember the forbidden forest my mother was talking about. I tried to remember King Calixto but I can't seem to have any memories with him. He felt familiar but why can't I remember him?

"Don't force yourself Serafina maybe your body is still recovering from what happened. Just take a rest so you can regain your strength," King Calixto butted in making my head turn in his direction.

I stared at his face trying to remember anything about him but my head was already hurting and I couldn't still remember anything.

"I am sorry I can't remember you, King Calixto," I apologetically uttered but he just smiled at me and shook his head.

"Don't stress yourself. You were out for a week, maybe that is the reason why you forgot your recent memories. Just give it a time I know your memories will come back,"

I was out for a week? That was too long.

"What happened to me?"

King Calixto just smiled and shook his head. "Don't think about it. I don't want you to remember it," he firmly uttered so I have no choice but to just nod and respect his decision.

"Do you want us to leave Serafina?" he asked after a while.

I don't want to be disrespectful but I really feel uncomfortable being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, so I slowly nod my head.

"I just want to be with my Mother," I politely uttered.

King Calixto nodded and signaled others to leave including my father who was still looking at me with his eyes filled with confusion.

When they were all gone I fixated my gaze on my mother trying to find answers to so many questions that ran inside my head.

"Am I married to King Calixto Mom?" I asked still filled with doubt because I can't remember any of it.

My mother smiled at me and gently caressed my hair. "You are already the Queen of this Kingdom Serafina. You made it happen,"

I should be happy hearing it but why do I feel so empty when I hear it? Why it did not trigger a happy memory I have inside the palace? Am I happy living here?

"Can you join me, Mom? I want to walk around the palace maybe I can remember something,"

"But you are still weak Serafina. You should just rest,"

I smiled at my mother to assure her that I would be fine. "It suffocates me staying inside this room Mom. I want to get some fresh air,"

Mom looks hesitant but she has no choice but to fulfill my wish. She made me wear warm clothing before we stepped out of the room. As we walked in the hallway I could feel them watching me intently.

Their eyes were filled with judgment something that I cannot understand.

"Why are they looking at me like that, Mom?" I can't help but ask.

I saw worry and hesitation in my mother's eyes even though she tried to hide it by smiling I knew she was hiding something from me.

"Just don't mind them, Serafina,"

I hope it was that easy. I hoped I could ignore them just like what she wanted but I couldn't because the way they looked at me pierced through my soul like a sharp knife, making me wonder what I did wrong to be treated this way.

"Why did she even wake up? Isn't she ashamed of herself? She was claimed by hundreds of rouges and she still thinks she can be our Queen? What a whore,"

I saw my Mom's claw come out because I knew she heard the servants whisper too so I held her hand tightly and shook my head to stop her from hurting them.

I faced the servant who insulted me. I took a step forward to be closer to her. I saw fear cross her eyes but she hid it by flashing an arrogant smile.

"Why? You will punish me for telling the truth? You are no longer above us Serafina you are even lower than us. You sold your body to the rouges to stay alive. You are disgusting! You don't deserve to be our Queen!" she spit on my face after shattering me with her words.

I felt tears forming on the corner of my eyes but I suppressed it from falling. I clenched my fist tightly to stop myself from hurting her.

"I did not do that," I firmly uttered.

I can't remember what happened to me. I forgot some of my memories but I know I did not do that. I will never lose my self-respect and dignity, but the way this servant looked at me like she was sure of what she was saying made me wonder if it was true.

"Deny it all you want Serafina but the whole Kingdom knows how disgusting you are. Sooner or later you will be replaced by Cressida. She is more deserving to be the Queen than you,"

Cressida?

Why does hearing her name bring me unbearable pain?

Who is she?