Felicity: The Sixteenth Life

CHAPTER ONE: Her Name Was Felicity

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl in a small cottage.

Okay, that sounded cliché, but I don't know how else I'm going to start this, ya understand? This story isn't about me anyway; it's about someone I am very fond of, someone whom I very much wanted to help but can't due to certain reasons.

Now, who am I, you might wonder... I can't tell you yet so if you're curious, just read on.

Well, where was I?

Ahh, yes, the girl in the cottage.

She just woke up even though dawn hasn't even broken yet. That's quite impressive of her since she just turned eight years old. What's even more impressive is that she spends each day like this ever since her mother died. That was when she was five so that makes three years.

Other children would have had a hard time adjusting, but not this girl. She's kind of special. VERY special. She herself knows that fact and wonders about why she has this kind of fate.

This is her story, her 'current' story (take note of the 'current', that's kinda important).

FLASHBACK

The girl's name is Felicity. Her deceased mother gave her a name that meant 'luck' for it was a lucky coincidence that she had been born at all and because her existence gave her mother a fortunate turn for a new life.

Felicity's mother, Dalia, was a commoner and one of the five daughters of a brothel owner who had already turned the first four daughters as additional merchandise for his shop. Dalia knew that it would soon be her turn, thus she had been wary of an opportunity to seduce a rich man that would visit her father's shop and latch onto him even if it means losing her dignity and virginity.

Dalia had been holding onto her last straw to escape her terrible future thus she wasn't planning on being selective on her prey. Anyone would do as long as they're a well-financed nobleman, but when a handsome, well-dressed, heavily-intoxicated young fellow was ushered into the shop's hall one night, Dalia jumped on the opportunity to have his companions leave him to her care.

She ended up sleeping with him but was unable to redeem what she wanted after learning that the young man was no ordinary nobleman. He was Count Herald Aidan Acker, a high-ranking military official and a married man with three kids.

Just as Dalia thought that her luck ran out, she was about to move on to another, more reachable target. However, she found out about her pregnancy and thus went to the Acker Countdom to appeal on carrying one of their blood. It was within imperial law that all children, born legitimately or illegitimately, must be accepted into the father's family registry regardless of the mother's identity. Thus, the nobility in this kingdom was often scandalous and each family tries their best to uphold their reputation by dealing discreetly with illegitimate pregnancies that had not been exposed to the public yet.

Mothers of illegitimate noble children often tried climbing the ladder to high society but Dalia knew that nothing good had happened to those women. They were scorned and treated nastily as homewreckers. As the mother of the child, Dalia planned on asking to be taken in by the family as the child's nanny and allow her to stay until the child reaches his or her coming-of-age. That sounded like a more reasonable request and the Ackers were known for being upright and benevolent. If they agree, there would be plenty of time to save money for livelihood until she gets kicked out, thus it was the perfect opportunity to change her whole life.

After it was proven that the child within Dalia was truly Count Acker's offspring, the whole household was turned upside down. The Countess who had firm principles on fidelity was broken-hearted by the deed that was done by her husband. Although it was the Count's friends who made Herald drink over his limit and also them who took the intoxicated Herald to the brothel as part of a joke, the Countess did not accept any of those as a valid excuse. What mattered to her was the fact that her husband touched another woman, and that their family's dignity and reputation would be scarred forever.