This Time

chapter 2

After blinking a few times, i think about it over and over. There's no way this is real. It doesn't make sense, but i can't deny it. The familiar room, the familiar face, i can properly use my body, and I can feel pain, that means this isn't a dream.

No matter how much I think about it, it's still unbelievable. But can i really deny the concrete reality?

Looking back, everything is the same as i remember. The silver furniture, the red carpet, my soft white and luxurious bed...

My attention shifted away from my nostalgia when i heard a knocking on my door. "Young miss, are you up yet?" The familiar voice of my maid, Mia, ask with tone full of concerned, at least that's what i think it is.

I walked towards the door and tip toe to reach the silver door handle to open my room. When Mia saw me she looks horrified, but not like those times where i throw things towards the maid, this one is different.

"Young miss are you okay??? How could this have happened?" She looks understandbly panicked, i'm sure she's probably scared about the thoughts of losing her job. Letting a young lady that she served got injured was a bad thing, but the fact that the injury is on the face makes it much worse.

"I fell." My replied is short, is there any reason for me to elaborate any further? Without any words Mia picked me up and ran towards the infarmary where my family's doctor reside.

I didn't say anything as Mia slam the door open and screamed for the doctor who in turn look shocked seeing the injury on my forehead. She sat me down on the infarmary's bed and the doctor take some bandage and ointment.

He patch me up, i just stare at the floor. I remember Mia well, how could i not when she was the one who betrayed me and told Rose that i was planning to give her some harmless poison. I remember how mad i was, i even went as far as firing her and tell every other noble that Mia is a very bad servant who'll spread fake rumors and lie about you, making her blacklisted from every job possible. I didn't know her fate after that, not that i care enough to find out.

"Hey... what's today's date?" I ask, They both blinked a few times at the question. "It's fourth of July year 1543, miss." Mia was the one who speaks up, I couldn't care enough to thank her, the only thing on my mind was today's date.

It seems like my memories haven't failed me, I'm indeed seven this year. That means I traveled thirteen years to the past, the same day my mother died.

I got up, earning an awful pleas from the two workers in front of me, trying to convince me to not move. But i didn't care enough to listen, i rushed towards my mother's bedroom, running as i passed by many servants who looks confused or shocked.

I feel my feet lost it's balance when I tried to climb up the stairs, i prepare mentally myself for another injury but that never came, i instead feel a tug on my night gown, probably the thing that keeping me from falling down.

"Raveena, why are you running here and there? It's dangerous." Looking back, there i see my older brother standing, looking a bit mad. Of course it's Keiron, who else would dare to scold me?

I readjust my position and he let go of me, i see his expression changed from angry to shock, at least that's what I think it means, who knows what he actually feels inside? "What happened to your forehead?" He ask, i look at him, wordless, unsure what to say.

"I fell from the bed, I had a nightmare and I missed mother..." I can feel my hand are sweating, an obvious sign of me lying. But they didn't know that yet, they only found out when I were eighteen years old, and the current Keiron is only ten anyway, there's no normal ten years old that's capable of noticing such detail.

Oh well, that is except you're Aiden Caine Lewis- and my train of thoughts once again stopped when Keiron out of nowhere hold my hand, "I'll take you there." He said, having an unrecognizable expression that felt wrong when I see it. It felt so foreign and weird, but i ofcourse didn't say a word about it.

As he walk with me, I stole a couple of glance, now noticing a detail my past seven years old girl didn't pick up. Is that a bandage under his sleeve? I'm pretty sure it is, but wasn't the sword lessons are being thoughts when the Lancaster children are at the age of eleven?

Before I could ask, we already arrived. He nudge my hand and i didn't even knock when i went in. My mother hated too much formalities when it comes to her children afterall.

"Mother!" I ran up to the side of her bed where she lie helplessly as she, surely dying with no one by her side prior to my... situation.

Her thin hand, her scarily pale and tired face, the weird blue hue on her skin, i take in her look. Back then, i didn't have the chance to see her at her last moments, so now, the least i can do is ingrained it on my brain, never forgetting the cruelty of everybody who left her, hated her. This will be a reminder that i, as much as my mother, never had a place in this mansion.

"Raveena..." her weak voice called out to me, "yes mother?" I smiled at her, that's the least I can do for her now. Being a good daughter who loved to see her, hoping that she felt like at least one person appreciate her life.

"I had something to tell you..." my mother said, her hand pulling me closer, whispering a puzzling santence to me.