Another Chance as You

Chapter 1

Aeliana Jane de Ambler:

   Waking up, the sudden light that hit my eyes felt too much. I sat up in the enormous bed that I was in and yawned. Today was another lazy day as 'Aeliana Jane de Ambler'. I brought my hand up to the bell to bring the maids into my room, but before I could even do so, they entered by themselves, sighing when they saw me. I thought it was quite rude for a few Imperial maids to gawk at the princess that they served, but they deserved a little bit of leeway. I couldn't say that I was exactly the nicest master that I could be, so I sort of understood their behavior. I decided to smile at them, but all they did was stare back at me in a sort of curiosity. I know I didn't smile much, but somehow... this was a bit much? One maid eventually came up to me and bowed. I looked at her, waiting for what exactly she wanted from me.

   "Young Master, you need to get up," Young Master? Why was she calling a princess 'Young Master'? Had she gone mad? Maybe she was confusing me for her last master? I nodded, looking at her and getting out of bed. I then stood in front of the bathroom, waiting for the designated bath and skin maids to come along for their regular spa-like treatments. However, nobody was coming. I looked back and everyone was looking back at me as if I was the stupidest person they had ever seen.

   "What is everyone waiting for?" And then, I gasped. Why was my voice so deep? "Please bring me something to relieve my throat, it sounds absolutely ghastly." This is the part where they actually looked at me as if I was insane. Why were they doing this? I sighed, walking into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, running my finger through my hair. I ran them down, but then they got untangled. I did it again, and it still came out way too early. I was fully awake now, and that was when my mirror confirmed my suspicions. My facial features were only familiar, but they weren't mine. Pale white skin that was lighter than mine could ever be, thin pink lips, sharp cheekbones that could cut you from just a touch, and a mess of black hair. That was what looked back at me. I looked down, and everything looked different. I was a man. And not just any man, I was literally Marquess Vanidestin's rebel of a son.

   Rumor had it that he was good looking, but I didn't know until I saw his dark blue eyes looking back at me through the steamed mirror. I touched the mirror then, using my hand to wipe away the steam that the hot water had caused to stick to the mirror. I was still in awe that I was in the body of the youngest swordmaster and businessman in the Empire. Of course, I was no joke either, but this boy had accomplished so much that he was the talk of high society almost everyday. I touched his lips once, trying to think about why I was in his body. Had I done something to disgrace him, so now god wanted to punish me? Or had I suddenly died and come back to life as him? I brushed the thoughts away, they were ridiculous and illogical. How could such a thing as this actually happen? It was just absurd. Someone knocked on the door, yelling from the other side.

   "Young master, we have to go to the Imperial Palace in a few minutes, please hurry up with getting ready. A princess is waiting for you, after all." Oh... it was that day. Every month, there was a specific day when a few nobles at a time came to meet with me. It wasn't an idea that I liked, but my father thought it was absolutely brilliant and absolutely necessary. I had been refusing proposals lately, but nobody caught my eye. Besides, marriage wasn't really what a 16 year old needed at this point of time, especially not a princess. As a princess, I wanted to enjoy my exquisite tea, the luxurious garden, and the tedious meetings with my friends. Life, even if it was ever so pretentious, was fun. It was not as if I was an only child anyways. If I was, I could've understood and went through "princess etiquette and education" and even have gotten married if need be. But, I wasn't an only child. In fact, I had 3 siblings. Three (all) of which are males. I was last in line for the throne despite being the second oldest because I was a female, but I didn't mind. I breathed through my mouth again and sat in the bathtub, soaking in the scented water and enjoying the warmth of the minimalistic tub.