My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 3- A new life

I awoke (again?), feeling like someone had hammered my whole body with fiery nails. My skin felt dry and brittle, and my head thundered with each breath. I stayed laid down until the sensation subsided, attempting to open my eyes, but even then it was turning out to be a hard task. The cold touch of my fingers on my temples helped to soothe the tingling sensation running free within me. And although I didn't feel brave enough to open my eyes, my head no longer throbbed.

"I feel weird..." I faced the pain and opened my eyes. My voice was really weird. It sounded too small, too weak. Too unlike mine.

Then, before I could dwell on the weirdness of it all, I heard a door open.

It was also at this time that I realized the room I was in was definitely NOT my room.

Far better in quality, more pompous, regal, and somewhat old, this room of golden and pink tones was a world's difference from my tiny grey one. I peered above to see I was resting in a four-post bed snow coloured. Around the corner, near a window with the moon as a witness, was a vanity of rose gold and white details. Painted with lilac and pink flowers, the walls were elegant and warm, while the tapestries on the floor were fluffy and inviting. It smelled of freshly picked flowers, as if someone had drenched every single nook of this place in perfume. I felt this was the kind of room a fairytale princess would live in.

Everything was too much and too.... sweet... and wrong. Very wrong.

Astonished by the richness of the place, I didn't notice at first the girl that had entered the room. The girl, dressed in maid clothes, a blue seamless dress and a white apron, was barely a teenager. She had copper hair braided intricately and tied to the side of her head. Her face had yet to lose her baby fat and had healthy rosy cheeks.

When her eyes registered mine, they expanded to double their size, before she went and covered her own mouth with her freckled hands.

Most likely, to prevent a scream. After what seemed to be an eternity, the girl rushed to my side, crying while hugging me. Without thinking, I hugged the girl back as I tried to recall how I ended up in this place.

"Oh, my lady! You have awoken! You shall not know how much concern you have put this house on. Your sister has been crying nonstop since you have become... sick..." her sobbing speech seemed real to me, although it brought more questions than answers.

Who is she? And who is this sister? I am an only child. Wait...

The fog in my head lifted a little and a man of incandescent purple eyes came to mind... a deathly beautiful man with a deep voice... he spoke something... I just needed to try harder to remember what he said.

"My Lady, what is the matter? It is me, Fanny, your personal maid." She said, having retreated from our hug to watch my face. Lines of worry appeared in the corner of her mouth as she studied my expression. However, she would find no answers in me, like I found nothing from this place or her.

She then, with a huge sobering effort, spoke again, this time slower, "Your ladyship, do you perhaps not know who I am?"

I shook my head. Strangely, seeing her so concerned made my voice disappear.

"Dear Goddess! But I am sure you remember your kind sister. And your father, the Great Lord of this house." she said, tearing up again.

"I am sorry... " was all I could say.

The fog was still there. Hiding something that wanted to be free.

The girl ran out of the room, leaving me with only these words, " I shall warn the duke of these happenings. Oh, my poor lady!"