Simple Awakenings

chapter 15

I constantly reread Servdon's letter while I sat on my bed eating my dinner. I definitely did expect a loss from the Cleveland Browns, but it's hard to believe that they would soon win. I feel like I should've asked if he could've snuck into my house to see if there was anything from the college I got accepted to back at the beginning of October and if I am still eligible even though it is said that I am in another state going to another school.

Or so they say.

When I finished my meal, I leave my room, which Rosamie left unlocked for me so when I finished I can just take it to the kitchen area, and look around for the kitchen area. It only took me about a good hour to figure out where this damn kitchen was. Of course, I had to ask for help from a few servants.

I look over around the kitchen and before I left the area, I grabbed two apples and when I looked in the fridge I found milk so I grabbed a glass. As I was leaving, I decided to look around at the paintings and picutres that were hanging upon the walls.

A couple of pictures stood out in my mind. I saw a picture of three people in fancy clothing. There were two males and one female. I feel like either this is the family portrait for Atlas' family with Willa and some other man, or...it could be Atlas' father and his parents? I don't know.

I just decided to keep on walking down the halls. I turn around a corner and there's this map like thing. Labeled upon it are different clans and off to the far left on some sort of upper peninsula it was labeled centre realm. Why does it look familiar?

There were dots placed in different spots in each clan. As I looked at each of them, I realized that this wasn't just a map of the entire realm, but...

It's the United States flipped around. I'm in the United States of America just backwards.

I look at where the Centre Realm is, which I remember that's where I am, and it looks like it is located from what I sort of know about my own country that if I were to exit from here, I would be in the New England area or Washington DC. Would I want to leave here via this part and end up in a place that I barely know of?

Yeah, I'm not risking that.

I look at where the Fire Clan is located on the map, and from what I recognize is that the exit to my world is close by Lake Erie.

Wait.

That's Cleveland! Why is Cleveland the area where one would end up if they leave here?

I huff when the thought of the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969 came to my mind. Maybe that's why they put the exit there. Because of that damn fire that happened before I was even a thought. Before even my parents got married! Or started school!

I keep looking at the map wondering about the exits and if there is any significance with their placement until I felt a hand on my shoulder causing me to jump a bit. I turn around and it's only Willa. Thank god because if it was Atlas I was about to kick him in the nuts. Sorry not sorry.

"I apologize if I startled you, Ellie." She says taking a step back. "I saw that you were looking at the country map and I just wanted to come over to see what you're looking at."

I nod and look back at the map. "It's the United States but flipped...how were your kind able to map out that it was flipped?" I ask still astonished.

"We had explorers map out the premise. I didn't realize that backwards it would be your country." She answers. "I heard you huff. Why is that?"

"Whoever chose these exits to the mortal world, did they intentionally chose Cleveland as the exit in the Fire Clan because of the Cuyahoga Rive Fire of 1969?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I didn't know there was a river fire, but all I know is that my father in law chose that spot because of some sort of famous fire. I never knew there was a river fire." Father in law. Atlas' grandpa.

Willa must have married into this family, and wasn't born into it.

"I know what you're thinking," she starts to say with a small smile appearing on her face, "did I marry into this family? The answer is yes I did. How about we walk around and I'll tell you the story."

With that we began a walk, it was mostly a little bit around the halls and then outside in the evening light.

"I was the daughter of the count and countess of the Moon Clan. I was actually the eldest daughter, my brother is the current count of the Moon Clan with his wife. Atlas' father was born a month before I was, and his parents declared the same procedure as past arrangements of marriage was going to happen with all new born girls in the Realm. From what I remember, there were many girls that were born around this time, and his parents had to chose which girl would be suitable for their son in the future. It took a couple of months, but his parents chose me to be his future wife. As I grew up, I didn't want to marry Atlas' father. He was arrogant and power hungry, but my parents didn't see that. I could.

"I have met him before at balls, which was where I figured out his arrogance. But my parents still forced me to marry him. It only took our wedding and the birth of Atlas for him to realize the man he's become, and he completely changed. I don't know if Adria or Servdon told you, but Atlas was more like his father back when he wasn't an arrogant bastard before his death. After his death, I could see that he was becoming his father before our marriage and his birth."

All I could do was listen as close as I can to her story, amazed and sorrowful for her.

I was literally speechless and didn't know what to say after she finished.

"It's alright, you don't have to feel any sorrow for me. What's happened has happened. I just didn't expect to have my son become an exact replica of what I didn't want him to become." She sighs and it almost looked like she was about to shed some sort of tear. I was looking around for a tissue of some sort, but then I see her take out a handkerchief and dab the tears away from under her eyes. "You know, we actually went through the same thing that Atlas' grandparents did to chose me as his father's wife with him." She tells me after she finishes cleaning up her tears.

"You mean with choosing a wife for him just as he was born?" I ask wondering if I was right. She nods. "When does he get married? Maybe I can help out with wedding planning. I can play the music! I can play the flute so I can—"

"Ellie." Willa places her hand on my shoulder. "I understand you are probably a fan of weddings, but this wedding won't be happening ever."

My eyes go big at this time. "But...why?"

Willa takes in a deep breath. "The royal family of the Water Clan, where Atlas' would be wife is from, is not the original royal family. There was an uprising many decades ago from the current royal family and the citizens and the previous royal family. The original royal family was captured. All of the members of the family were beheaded, including Atlas' fiancee."