Mortance: Summer's Snow

Aurora Ⅱ

A hollow world, naught left to love.

Everyone's taken far too much.

I imagined some beautiful woman's glorious voice singing those lyrics as I wrote them in my head.

The tears were drained eons ago.

Love's left, the world has turned to cold.

If only I had an instrument to write this song with. I frowned. The corner where my guitar had been was still empty. Like taking music away would make me a proper lady. It was stupid.

Music has died, all love has gone.

All good in life has been deemed wrong

Here I lay, on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and hallucinating a song I could never write. I was going mad. That wasn't news. Vanessa was dead. There was nothing left to keep me sane. It was a loveless world of torturous existence. Happiness was a concept of the past. Happiness died with Vanessa.

The song evaporated into nothingness as I heard footsteps approaching. My door opened. "Lady Chelsea Sailsman of Seasport, daughter of Lord Stanley Sailsman, Master of Trade."

I turned my head to see the girl who'd come to fix me into a proper lady. She was pretty, not that I cared. She was tall, with short, brown hair, and she wore a dress that hid away this light ruggedness I could see. Chelsea looked little like her father, from what I remembered of him.

"Princess Aurora," she greeted me. Her voice was smooth. Then she turned to the guards, "leave us."

I looked at the ceiling again, pretending I didn't care for her presence. In truth, there were thoughts already invading my head. Chelsea Sailsman seemed nice enough. Perhaps this wouldn't be so horrible after all. But why should that matter? I was dead. Vanessa was dead. Happiness was a concept of the past. Perhaps Chelsea would be nice enough to let me finally die.

"You must know why I am here already," Lady Sailsman began. "Your father, the king, wishes you to behave like a proper lady. My father, his councilor, urged his grace to select myself for the job. As such, I am here."

I gave no response.

"I've been told much about you," Chelsea said. "Everything but the truth, I think."

I stared silently at the ceiling.

"Would you like to know what they told me?"

Her words were greeted with silence.

"I can do nothing for you if you don't speak. You must know, I am truly here to help you. I want to help you out of this helpless misery you live in, whatever means it takes."

The only way out of my misery is death, I thought silently. I'm dead in every way except the one which kills me.

"I was told you liked music, and played guitar," Chelsea said. "If you cooperate, perhaps I could speak to the king about restoring your instrument."

I turned my head to face her. She gave a slight smile as she took a seat by my mirror.

"Would you like to know what I was told of you?"

I shrugged, then gave a slight nod.

"Very well then," Chelsea Sailsman said. "Here is what I was told: You were betrothed to Jacob Calder near the turn of the new year. It was a perfect match, until one of your handmaidens seduced you. She tricked you into falling for her, and then tried to steal you away. Jacob Calder tried to stop you, but the handmaid attacked him. It was lucky that Esson's noble city guard caught you two before you could escape. The trial showed just how far gone you were. The betrothal was broken, and the girl who tried to steal you away was sentenced to die publicly and painfully. You were imprisoned in a tower, and threw yourself from that prison just days after she died. No man or woman nor anyone else I spoke with could even begin to explain your survival.