I Must Save the Evil King

Chapter 4: A Beautiful Princess

It has been 5 months since I arrived back in time. They have declared that I lost my memory due to the accident. I have used this to my advantage to figure out that Claudette is currently 13. Which means I have been thrown 5 years into the past. Just 1 year after the Baron marries Emilee and becomes Cordelia's father. I have been placed under a sort of house arrest. Not allowed out of my room and constantly watched by a dozen maids. But this is fine with me, it means I have more people to pry information out of. 

"Why does uncle no longer visit me?" I ask the two maids who sat on the couches drinking tea from my spot on the floor. I doodle away on paper not looking at them, not wanting them to see lies in my face. 

"He is very busy my lady. I'm sure he will visit you soon! " answered the younger maid who had freckles covering her face. She seemed very hopeful that I would get my memory back. She would shove random things in my face trying to see if it would spark a memory. 

"Do not tell her lies" hissed the older maid in a hushed tone. She spoke about me as if I was dying. She was often brutally honest with me but she was kind, in her own way. "Your uncle is out of town. Now what are you drawing?"

"He's out of town?" Where could he be? He is supposed to be in his office organizing my father's territories so that they will be mine when I'm 18. Though Claudette died before it could be given to her so in the novel the land went to her uncle. 

"Just going on a short trip with Madam. Now what are you drawing?" I huffed and turned to show her my drawing. When ever I was bored in the past I would draw the evil king, trying to guess what his face looked like. But now that I knew I couldn't help myself. The entire page was covered in sketches of Julian in multiple different poses. 

"Ooo who is that?" The young maid said snatching up the drawings, her face was tinted red. "He's so handsome!" The old maid rolled her eyes and snatched the drawing out of her hands. 

"Ignore Tilla, my daughter is very silly." The old maid smiled. So she was Maid Tilla's mother? Now that I looked closely I could see they similarities in their faces and realized that the old maids hair must have once been a bright orange like Tilla. "You are quite good though. My youngest daughter likes drawing to. I wonder if she would be a good companion?" 

"Claudette is a duchess! As if Camilla was suited to be her companion." Tilla huffed as the old maid gave me back the drawing. Wait- Camilla?

"Can I meet her?" I say excited. I hadn't even considered that Camilla would be at the mansion right now. We had only known each other for a couple days but I would trust her with my life. Which was good because I really need a confidant right about now. Just then the doors to my room opened. Tilla got up to look but seemed confused.

"There's no one there. Must have been the wind" she poked her head around the corner of the door then let out a yell of shock. I jumped a foot in the air startled by her. But before I could move towards her a little blonde thing darted towards her. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I just- I'm soo sooo sorry!" Cordelia cried at Tillie as the maid just continued to stare at her in shock.  

"Young miss, what are you doing here?" The old maid walked up and scooped the crying girl into her arms. Cordelia should be 11 right now but she looked so small she could almost been a 8 year old. Her bright green eyes stared at the maid sadly. 

"I was all alone. I wanted to play with cousin. I didn't mean to scare anyone!" 

"Well you didn't scare anyone  did you? My daughter is an idiot. A rock could scare her. Go on play with your cousin." The maid smiled put her down. Tillie gave her mom an evil look. But before I could blink Cordelia was sitting right in front of me.

"My name's Cordelia. But nanny calls me Delly. Does nanny have a nickname for you." I realized that Tillie's mom must be the girls nanny. She only made a short appearance in the book as a person at Claudette's funeral.            

"You can call me Ettie" I smiled, I had been waiting for an opportunity to use this nickname. Since it works as a nickname for Claudette and my real name, Elizabeth. That way it won't feel so wrong every time someone says my name. 

"Hi Ettie!" shouted Delly excitedly in my ear. "I'm so excited to be your friend! If- only if you want me to!" 

"I've never had a friend before. I don't think I'll be very good at it." I smiled sadly remembering my lonely school years and the foster families that would leave me every year. 

"That's okay. I don't have any either! So we can learn how together!" Smiled Delly. It was now that I remembered why I had fallen for this book in the first place. Little lonely Delly made friends, and went on magical adventures and found the love of her life. It had been wish fulfillment for a homeless little girl who had been abandoned by her brother. Maybe being stuck in this world wasn't so bad.