No Other You: Time Confused

Chapter 1: Rumors and Strange Dreams

       

(10 Years Earlier)

"Have you heard the news yet?" A short, plump woman with curly, red hair asked loudly. She looked around with the hope that others would participate in her gossip. An older woman with graying hair and green eyes quickly caught the bait by looking up in exasperation.

"Of course we have Olivia! It's no secret that the Crown Prince had a private coronation before being crowned King!"

"Yes, but did you know that immediately after his coronation, he sent out a decree for his men to round up all the young women in the Kingdom?" Olivia added slyly, squaring her shoulders in triumph.

"Decree? Women? Bah! Preposterous!" The older woman scorned, her nose wrinkling in obvious disbelief.

"I just spoke with a passing traveler and he said that he just came from a village thirty miles north from here. He swore that there were soldiers of the King everywhere, rounding up young maidens."

"Then he's lying. The King had only just become so. Why would he be looking for a bride when he just came back from the brink of death itself?" A man nearby spoke up, tipping his worn hat courteously towards the two women. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear you know," He added, looking pointedly at Olivia.

"Good morn' Joshua." The woman responded, unabashed at the admonition. "The traveler seemed very confident in his report. Plus, why wouldn't his Majesty be looking for a bride? If I were sickly for most of my life and managed to escape death at the last second, I too would be eager to find a young, strapping lad to make my own." Olivia crooned, a slight flush on her cheeks. Unbeknownst to the three, there stood a young woman nearby, listening intently.

"Joshua is right you know. Just because you would chase after young men doesn't mean his Majesty himself is rounding up young maidens. Kings and Queens only marry those of royal or noble blood. They would never seek the company of us commoners. You must have been mistaken." Olivia turned her nose up at the two in her company.

"Insult me all you want Judith, but mark my words! When they come, I will gladly send my oldest! He will surely choose Maria, due to her natural beauty and grace!"

"Don't you know that his Majesty's face has been scarred due to his childhood illness? Do you not fear that he will either kill or banish her for looking upon it?" Judith responded, looking aghast. At this, the young woman secretly listening rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Ridiculous," she muttered under her breath. It never grew old the way the people here could gossip, though she had been initially intrigued by the recent actions of the King. Ever since she could remember, the Crown Prince had always been a sickly child. The older he got, the worse he became. When the former King and Queen passed away after his fourteenth birthday, there was a lot of unrest in the Kingdom of Aria. Fortunately, a righteous steward watched the throne until the Crown Prince could take over the throne himself. Yet within the past year, his health had turned for the worst. Just as every one feared for his passing, the shocking news spread: His illness had been miraculously cured!

Not long after he healed of his illness did he have his Coronation, though that was another huge blow. Usually, the neighboring allied kingdoms and citizens of the Aria Kingdom were invited to support the new crowning of the King but he had done none of those things. Ignoring propriety and tradition, he had crowned himself as the new King in secret. It was around this time of change that the rumors spread of his scary behavior of imprisoning or killing those who saw his bare face. The few that claimed to have seen him said he would wear a veil and exhibited such a strong, murderous aura that it would cause many to freeze and tremble in his presence.