Swapped Fate

32: The Chosen One.

Dear Jennifer,

It’s been seventeen days since I saw you, and I do miss you. How is Gauren? Have you started treatment at the rehabilitation centre yet? Do the elves there treat you with kindness? Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Missing me? Although I am a bit envious of your travel to the elven isles, I do hope you spend some time resting and sightseeing.

Life at the Devereux mansion is interesting, to say the least. It was strange living here at first, but I’m slowly growing accustomed to it. Madam Felicity is as energetic as ever, and Lea—Lady Azalea—is always so sweet to me just like her father-in-law. I have nothing much to say about her husband, though.

I do not hate Tristan as much as I did the first time we met and we have come to a truce, even if temporary. He is...as you said, not as bad a person as I made him out to be. You’re smiling. Don’t get too excited now; I’m still getting to know him.

I’m still alive, Jennifer, and I implore you to pray that I still will be by the time you return. I love you.

Your darling Mavis.

I was turning heads that Saturday morning as I ambled through the corridors and down the stairs, a smug spring in my step. The situation was familiar, because it had happened before. At that time, I had been curious about the shell-shocked responses. Today I understood their shock, but it did not move me in the slightest.

Reaching the dining table, every member of the family—and Rebecca—was seated and chatting. Lea was the first to notice me, and nearly choked on her drink. The rest of the family turned their attention to me and froze, their jaws dropping. Well, except for Tristan. He seemed...amused.

“Good morning, everyone,” I offered a good ol’ merry greeting, accompanied by a good ol’ grin.

A quietness blanketed the room as the family drunk in my appearance. They were probably wracking their brains for the best way to handle the problem before their very eyes.

Tristan’s mouth twitched into somewhat of a smile and he replied, “Good morning, Maewitch.”

Now that swept the rest into another wave of shock.They all turned to him, eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.

I pranced over to my seat next to Lea.

“G-good morning Mavis,” she said to me, and the rest of the family finally mumbled their greetings.

While I marvelled at the delicious breakfast foods, Lea viciously whispered, “You’re wearing an aqua blue dress! Aqua!”

“Yes, I’m aware,” I said boredly, reaching for the fruit platter.

I had not been joking when I told Tristan I would wear the dress he gave me to the luncheon today. And so said dress was draped and fitted to my body, much to the terror of every single person I met today.

“Mavis,” Rebecca spoke up, her voice a gentle warning. “What an odd choice of garment to wear.”

“Really?” I glanced down at myself. “I think it’s beautiful and that it suits me. Right, Tristan?”

Tristan nodded solemnly. “It looks good. You should wear it more often.”

Somebody dropped their fork.

Rebecca looked at Tristan as though he had shot himself. “You don’t mind it?”

He popped a grape in his mouth. “No. She can wear whatever she wants to. And so should the rest of you.”

“But—”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Madam Felicity interrupted. Her initial shock disappeared, and she burst into cackles, beaming from ear to ear. “You look lovely, Mae dear! So, so lovely!”