Magic filled the air along with medicine teasing the senses. A thick fog swallowed the room in the bitter herbal smell.
"Has my daughter not gotten any better?" Duke Cadarvic's irate voice ground with his teeth.
"Forgive me Duke, this fever is too strange. This one needs more time." The healer spoke in trepidation as she bowed her head.
Kusha!
"How many days have passed? How much time must be afforded?" Senselessly Duke Cadarvic grit the broken mirror in his palm, blood fell to the pristine wooden floors lined with lilac carpet.
"How many apologies must I hear before an answer is given!" He roared, cracking the floor at his feet with fire as ice filled the cracks, chilling the room.
Advertently the magic stopped at the other end, near the edge of the canopy bed curtained with lilac waves of silk.
Flowing with a cool gentle breeze, for just a moment a child with crystal beads of sweat rolling down her pale face was revealed. Then swiftly the curtains fell.
The usual gentle Duke had never been so scary, not since he married the Duchess which calmed his nature.
Today was deja vu for the old servants, and a warning for the new. The Duke is still the Duke, one must not be too careful. One must not forget propriety.
The healer stilled in fright as the Duke walked past her with powerful strides, blood trailing behind him.
"Leave." He ordered.
So she did. Relieved her head still remained attached, the healer closed the door on her way out.
Duke Cadarvic sat at the edge of the bed. Concern was wrinkled on his brows, forming a heartwrenching smile on his thin lips.
Gently, he caressed his daughter's sweat soaked skin. "My darling princess, please. Won't you wake up for daddy? The king yearns for his princess to smile."
He stiffened when his daughter began coughing. She hadn't woken up but she suffered nonetheless. He turned her on the side so she wouldn't choke as he rubbed her back.
Duke Cadarvic laid down next to his daughter wrought with fever, tucking them both in as exhaustion dragged his head to the pillows.
He'd barely had any sleep for the past three days. Not since his princess had abruptly become ill while playing around in the yard.
She'd been fine one moment, running around with her elder brother as she raced him with her new pet. Yet then, in the next moment she'd fallen off the nightingale pup, heaving for air as she tried to breathe.
Three days have passed and still she remains unconscious.
He kissed her mahogany colored hair, "My darling princess doesn't need a prince, when her king's right here, so all will be well." He kissed her again as he repeated over and over, "All will be well, all will be well."
Dampening the pillow, the Duke's wet lashes glistened with tears as exhaustion lulled him to sleep. If only he could take his daughter's place.
Oh if only he could.
If only.
Drowning in her fever induced state, Alicia's small body shook with every cough, each one more painful than the last.
Despite the heat, and swollen eyes that refuse to open, Alicia had never been so clear headed.
She heard her father, but hadn't the energy to respond, let alone let him know she was awake.
How should she begin? How should this situation be described? Let the story flow or just start from the beginning?
Alicia didn't know as memories that used to be dreams that hung near the edges of the mind but out of arm's reach, were now buzzing in her ears.
Contrary to her current circumstances, she, who's obviously a 5 year old, had memories of a 28 year old female swimming through her mind.
Due to memories still twirling in a pool of confusion, she didn't know her previous name.
Well nor did she recall any other names. But she just wrote that off as her lack of interest in remembering the small details.
So for the sake of convenience, she'll continue referring to herself as Alicia.
Currently on her mind was a particular memory. It was Alicia's last memory but it left quite the impression on her. Yet, not for the reasons you'd think.
Why don't we revisit this day together.
That day was like any other day. Same as yesterday and the days before. Exhausting as usual, boring as usual.
Returning home from her tiring nine to five job, Alicia mourned the aches in her body. She ruffled her hair as she carelessly threw her jacket to the side table along with her keys and purse.
Today was terribly exhausting. The Old Liar had once again tried to leave the restaurant without paying. She caught him putting a dead fly in his soup which he'd half finished.
He tried to play it off as if he'd just taken it out. Laughing awkwardly as even he didn't believe his own lie so there was less of a chance she would.
"I really need to find a new job." Exhaustively she forced herself up the stairs.
The pay was terrible and so was the upper staff. Though occasionally she'd get a generous tip, it didn't amount to much. So it wasn't a good enough reason to change her mind.
Burring.
"Ugh." What perfect timing for her phone to ring.
Begrudging Alicia walked back downstairs. But by the time she reached the bottom stair the ringing had stopped.
She glared at her abandoned purse which had fallen to the ground due to the phone's vibrations, daring it to ring again.
Low and behold it did.
Guessing who it was she didn't want to answer it. Too tired to listen to the other parties constant venting. Yet she had no choice.
"WOMAN! So your lazy butt finally decided to pick up, huh?" A high pitch voice yelled out through the phone in sarcasm.
"If I didn't then you'd simply call back repeatedly until one of our phones died." Alicia rolled her eyes. "As usual it'd be mine."
Her friend was relentless in getting what she wanted. Even if it was a simple phone call, she'd take it as a challenge and go full fury on it until the other person gave up.
"Damn straight!" Her friend huffed in pride.
"So what's it today?" Unenthusiastically she asked.
"God I'd almost forgotten! Woman, you remember what's his face right?"
"There's a lot of faces out there, you have to be more specific." Alicia responded as she grabbed a bottle of soda from the refrigerator. She drank down the contents and horribly put together details from her friend.
Right, she was talking about her ex, that just happened to be Alicia's ex as well.
After dating Alicia who he complained over how boring she was, he moved on to her best friend. Which was a very foolish idea on his part.
Unlucky him was played like a fiddle as her friend crushed him like an ant.
She played around with his heart as she drained his bank account, then stood him up in the rain. Arriving an hour later only to dump a bucket of mysterious brown and chucky liquid on him. She was laughing for days.
Alicia couldn't hate her. She knew it was her way of getting revenge for her friend who couldn't be bothered to do it herself.
Why should she after all? If she did, then wouldn't she prove to him he was worth the effort for a little taste of dishes served cold?
"What about him?"
"He came by my work today." She imagined her friend twiddling her thumbs as she spoke with a mischievous grin. "Asked if I could help him get back together with you."
"Please don't tell me you agreed." Alicia furrowed her brows in disgust. "I'm not interested."
"Come on woman, think about how fun it'll be. We can both play around with him until he goes crying to his mom." She could hear her friend pout as she tried to convince her, but Alicia wasn't having it.
"I'm hanging up Ms.God complex."
"Wait-"
Alicia didn't give her friend the chance for argument as she truly hung up, turning her phone off for good measure.
Exhaustively she sank into her couch, ignoring the hunger pains in her stomach as the tv was turned on.
News was uninteresting and so were the reruns she'd sat through watching until the sky turned dark.
Gruumowl.
Again Alicia's stomach argued with her, but she was too exhausted to cook. Today was a long day. Even after sleeping more then usual, she still felt tired this morning.
Then there was the terrible vomit inducing headache she had on her lunch break. Vinegar was god sent. Without it she swore the taste would still be stuck in her teeth.
Cautiously she turned on her phone and called for pizza. Her favorite comfort food as she piled on the toppings and asked for bread sticks with extra sauce.
Once again, she turned her phone back off and tossed it to the side. Now all she had to do was wait as she switched the channel.
Frank's voice was high on endorphins as he dug out and an old toy truck. She giggled at this as she found his facial expressions amusing.
Though she found more kinship with Mike as they both had bottomless stomachs fueling their love of food, Frank was her favorite of the two.
Speaking of Mike, he had just discovered an old bike when the doorbell rang. Alicia grumbled as she stood up.
A bit awkwardly she might add.
Lightheadedness caused her to fall back to the couch as she went through round two of sitting back up. She held her head as she walked towards the door and slowly opened it.
"Good evening ma'am. Two large supreme pizzas hold the olives. An order of twelve bread sticks with extra marinara. The total comes to," The pizza man looked up from the receipt with concern, "Ma'am are you alright?"
Alicia, who was leaning in the doorway for support, holding her head as she grasped her heart, smiled reassuringly as she hoarsely spoke. "I'm fine, just a little light hea-"
She stuttering on the last word, she fell to the ground along with her pizza. The delivery man had dropped it trying to catch her but failed the attempt.
Poor pizza. What a waste of food. Longingly she looks towards the untouched pizza laying by her head as she reaches out.
Just one piece won't kill her, right?
Alicia thought as her fingertips touched the crust, edging closer, almost able to pull a piece.
Full of heroism the delivery man lifted Alicia to his lap as he called for an ambulance.
"You'll be fine, you'll be fine. Hang in there."
'I'd be fine if you left me and my pizza alone.' Inwardly she cursed at the man as her eyes stayed on the abandoned box.
If only it were a little closer then she could have a taste.
She was too hungry, too single mindlessly focused to care that it'd touch the ground. The three second rule existed after all.
Yeah, that and she kept her walkway clean so it'll be fine.
Just fine Alicia thought as she reached out once more, the darkness swallowing her like the endings of one of those old cartoons.
She tried to fight it. Cursed at it even.
However the darkness swallowing her was sweet and comforting like her bed. Eventually she had no choice but to close her eyes and let her hand fall, empty with yearning.
She cursed as her senses soaked in garlic, cheese, and tomato sauce flavored with spices.
God was unfair. Dastardly even as he couldn't allow her sinful desires to be fulfilled in her final moments.
Her habits weren't as bad as many others, so why couldn't he be a bit understanding? A bit more lenient?
Her point was further proved much later on as god messed up her cycle of life.
Being reincarnated was one thing but how did the big man upstairs mess up so badly? He'd forgotten to give her the drink of forgetfulness as she lived with fragmented memories.
And now here she was, her puzzled past life put back together, as her current 5 year old self was fighting for her young life.
Damn you god. Get your crap together! And while you're at, order me a new pizza with breadsticks! Don't forget the marinara!
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Author's note: In case of theft. This is an original -English- novel done by yours truly [MyKataren]. This author will state here and now, oh ye thief of old, thanks for the free advertisement!
Original : www.tinyurl.com/MVPGAwebnovel