Livia tenderly touches her head. The lump has gone down, but the small brush of her own fingers still has her grimacing in pain.
"Dear, are you alright? You should have gotten one of the guards to call a medic...the journey to the edge of the kingdom will be a long one and we won't be stopping," The woman says, moving a bit closer to her.
Livia holds out her hand to stop her, "Then there is nothing to be done at the moment, is there? It is just a small affliction that is already healing. Now, what did you say about the edge of the kingdom? Do you know where they plan to dump us?"
Livia has no information after this point. She had known her original had a few varying endings that ended with her death. She knew that she could avoid them if the Crown Prince showed mercy. She also knew that only the Crown Prince would grant Livia mercy. The other targets never did or had a reason too. Livia knew that she could be exiled. She focused on that only and threw out everything else.
'I needed to avoid death and leave,' Livia thinks.
That had been the main focus of her plan.
Not once had she considered seducing her ex-fiancé to her side. To make him fall in love with her. Not once had she thought about the others. Not once had she thought about evading her fate by being nice and kind or just generally evading the plot of the original story.
No, Livia had steered clear of all of that.
Instead, she focused on being exiled. It was somehow very important that she was exiled.
But when the original Livia was shown mercy and sent away after being stripped of her title and her engagement was annulled, that was it. She was dragged away by guards and was never seen again.
Livia has no clue what happens after this point, but she knows by the time she arrives at her destination she plans to.
"We will likely be dropped off in the small town of Zinnia outside the border of the Wisteria kingdom. It is a relatively poor farm town but lovely none the less. I know it isn't much for someone of your class, but you can start anew there," The woman explains with a smile.
'That does not sound all that bad. I know nothing of farming, but how hard could it be?', Livia thinks with a small smile.
She nods along to the words but stops, "' Someone of my class...' Do you know who I am?"
The woman laughs, "Of course I do. You shouted your name when you first arrived, remember?"
Livia feels a tinge of embarrassment but easily shrugs it off. She had been in the middle of a performance. It was completely intentional that she made of fool of herself. That was the type the original was.
She pretends her face isn't heated up in embarrassment and pushes on ahead, "Well, it was rather rude how they handle a lady of my status. It was best they knew who they were dealing with," She says primly.
The woman just looks amused, "Yes, well the whole cell block knew exactly who you were."
Livia sniffs, "Well, it is impolite that you know my name and I do not know yours..."
"Oh! Your right. How rude of me. My name is Beth. Beth Gilbert. I doubt you would have heard of me," Beth says lightly.
Livia's eyes widen, "No, I think I know exactly who you are. You are the woman who caught her husband in bed with another and things got a bit...violent."
It had been broadcasted in all the papers and gossiped about for months.
The old man next to Livia lets out a mean laugh, "That is a nice way you wording that little lady. We all know Beth over there murdered both her husband and his mistress on the spot in cold blood. It is only her status and her powerful father that saved her from death."
Livia ignored him, but couldn't help but feel unnerved...by the fact that she wasn't. Anyone else would be alarmed and even fearful of being locked in a small space by someone who could just snap like that.
But Livia didn't feel even a hint of fear. No, by the look on the woman's face...it was something she regretted but didn't actually feel guilty about. Plus, Livia knew who exactly Beth Gilbert had been married to. He was a man that no one would miss, not even his own mother.
"It's an unfortunate thing, I'm sure, but let's get back to the topic we were discussing. This little village, what exactly will happen once we get there, hmm?" Livia asks Beth.
She could feel the old man stare of disbelief and see it mirrored in the eyes of Beth, but she just tilts her head and raises an eyebrow.
She needed answers and she intended to get them. Livia wasn't the type to step into the unknown and think that somehow and someway everything was all going to work out. No. She needed to think out her next plan of action and to do that she needed information.
After getting over her surprise, Beth tells her all that she knows.
Livia finds out that there isn't much to find out.
Exile was very straightforward.
They were to leave the kingdom of Wisteria and would be dropped off into the small neighboring kingdom of Salvia in the first town the stumble on which was Zinnia. From there, it seemed the Kingdom of Wisteria could care less about what happens. They would all be given a bracelet that would activate and send out a signal to soldiers the moment they step foot back in Wisteria and that was it.
She would be on her own the moment she arrived in Zinnia.
"I know it may seem daunting now, but I'm sure you will adapt to your new life. You don't even have to stay in Zinnia if you don't want to," Beth tries to reassure her when Livia remain silent.
"You won't be able to leave right away. It's best you earn money, get a job," The old man grumbles next to her.
When Livia continues to be quiet, Beth moves a bit closer to her and places a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I know it is a lot to take in, but trust me, it will get better. I can help you adjust and soon all of this will behind us. Who knows, maybe you will find something you are passionate about outside the stuffy restrictions of high society."
Livia nods absently in agreement, lost in thought.
Beth was right. This wasn't entirely bad at all. The world of Etheria was brimming with magic and creatures of fantasy.
Livia had only lived a sheltered life from this point and never made direct contact with the monsters that normally roam outside the capital of Wisteria. She also never really bothered to learn much about magic since she wasn't gifted in it.
Her life had been entirely focused on being groomed into the wife and future queen of Wisteria. She hadn't the time to think about becoming a great adventure, becoming some inventor or discoverer in the wondrous world of Etheria, but now she does.
For the first time, she realizes she is in a world were unicorns and dragons exist!
The unknown scared her and gave her pause, but her curiosity was a thing of great power.
She wanted to explore her new world, to dig up all the secrets it had to offer! She could put
Wisteria and her old life behind her and live a new one full of wonder and excitement. It was a bold and very scary move but Livia had nothing to lose. What better way to start over then to live out a life you only dreamed of?
But what of the odd memories? The ones that don't belong to the life of modern times? The ones of an unknown forest?
Livia pushed that thought down and buries it under the sand. It didn't matter anymore. She wouldn't let it.
Her plan worked and now it was time to move on with her life.
Feeling very optimistic, Livia tentatively smiles at Beth, "I think I would like your guidance if it isn't too much trouble."
Beth beams, "No, it isn't at all, Ms. Livia."