For a while, my eyes were closed and I could sense that my surroundings were quite different.
Once I opened my eyes I found myself in a tall grass valley with the most beautiful blue and black Ombre sky. There were flower buds poking out throughout the field and some beautiful butterflies rested on them, others fluttered back and forth. I sat on the hillside and looked around dumbfounded, taking in the breathtaking view. When I finally stood up I noticed a large oak tree that was swaying beautifully behind me.
I started to walk up the hill. Holding up my nightgown since it became bothersome when walking, I stared at the tree intently. Once I got to the top of the hill I halted right in from of it. I don't understand why I was so calm but I knew I was staring up at those mesmerizing leaves for a long time... The wind was whistling in my ears and suddenly I had the urge to feel the raw tree bark under my palm, reaching out my hand I was stopped when I heard a sweet voice.
"Wait!-"
I turned around slowly and when I finally rose my head, there she was, Beatrice.
____
"B... Beatrice?", She stood at the curve of the mountain and looked just as angelic and beautiful as the novel said. Beatrice nodded slowly and made her way over to me with hesitant steps, "It seems you are finally here.. I've been waiting."
Now I realized that it was her body in my possession, yet her soul still remained within it. "Why-why am I here? What happened to me?". The slow wind picked up, blowing my hair in my face which didn't bother me because my force was strictly on her. The sky flickered and she started playing with her hands after a concerned look came on her face, she finally spoke. "We don't have much time, but you are here because I wasn't strong enough to rule this lifetime or protect my mother.. But you, the stars have told me many things about you.". I saw a smile creek on her lips, "They've told me about your strengths, your achievements, and your fate. No one can be a better duchess than you or even protect their family better, trust me, you belong here.".
I stood there shocked at how she could be so calm when the fact is, she will never see her family again, or run around the outside world, she seemed happy in this beautiful empty valley. To be honest I would too. "But I have a family, my brother my father- my little siblings. How could you take me away from them?!". I became enraged. She could be an angel or whoever. She was wrong for the way she was using me.
Beatrice tilted her head at me, "Take you away? No no, that was your fate, Rachel.".
"M-my fate?.." I stepped back still locking my gaze with hers. How did she know my name?
She nodded slowly, "I know the pain all too well of being separated from your loved ones. I'd never do that to my closest enemy. But you died on your own. I only received and accepted your soul.".
I stopped listening to her after she told me I died on my own. That means my father was somewhere out there not only taking care of the twins by himself but also grieving the loss of his daughter and wife at the same time... Dad never got over mama yet, he still drank every other night and cried out to her. I only added to his pain...
A pair of small hands shook my body, when I came back to my surroundings Beatrice was standing in front of me with a worried look on her face. I look behind her and saw that the valley was going away as the ground fell down, "Rachel, promise me that you'll live the life I never could. Survive the Great Duke and..." She pause and looked deep into my eyes. "And please, be happy.". I grabbed her hand before she could leave, "Wait! This is a whole new time period. How am I supposed to go unrecognized?!". Now the wind was blowing out of control and I had to hold my ground not wanting to get knocked over.
Beatrice smiled at me one last time before covering my eyes, "I shall share some of my memory and feelings with you to help you through this.". After a while, I gave her a faint nod and like that, I was guided back by a bright light. Back to her body.
"Thank you, Beatrice.", she said. Beatrice didn't only give me her name, she also gave me her identity, and I knew it wasn't easy. Not only did her voice break. I could feel her heartbreak too.
___
I shot up in bed with a gasp and looked around the room again making sure I wasn't going insane. Maybe I'd wake up back in my actual room, with my actual family downstairs. But of course, I was still in this unfamiliar bedroom, with those unfamiliar people who were just outside. Laying back down I curled in bed and took a moment to realize that, I lost my family. Forever.
After a while, the tears stopped, I stopped crying. I relaxed and started to go back to sleep.
Someone entered the room and I was going to get up but I was too tired to even open my eyelids. The door closed and I heard a crap ton of footsteps. Why were there so many people in my room again? It had to be at least 4 people. The second I turned my body a girl chuckled while saying the words "Now!".
A wave of cold water covered my body and splashed everywhere. And I mean everywhere. The thin nightgown, pillow, blanket, and even the floor was drenched as hell. I flinched because of how freezing the water was and two high pitch girls giggled their asses off. When I finally sat up I saw a Ginger hair girl standing there with a fan that masked haft of her face and the second one was a tad shorter with light brown hair. I'm guessing these two were Yasmine and Jessica.
Moving the wet hair out of my face I got out of bed and they just stood there and laughed. "Your such a disgrace. Do you think poison can erase that filthy existence of yours? Or did you do it to get my father's attention?". Yasmine stopped laughing and looked down at me as if I were your everyday bug. The shorter girl Jessica stopped laughing after a while and just looked at me with an ugly little smirk.
Catching my breath, I could only pray that I wouldn't grab this girl and slap the shit out of her. I turned around looking for a towel to wipe myself off and ignored her. The 'ugh' in her voice told me she was surprised and annoyed by my actions. That makes the two of us bitch.
Yasmine watched me for a while and then opened her big mouth. "Sister,", the way she called me made my skin crawl and my neck itch. "I have to say, Jessica and I are grateful for your sacrifice. Since you're marrying the 1st Prince, the family will be saved at last.". I continued to search the shelves and drawers until I finally found a thick towel to dry my hair with, Yasmine was quiet for only a second. "There's even a possibility I could marry the second Prince.".
I froze for a moment. Because of Beatrice's emotions, her words made me feel angry and rejected by this news, but personally, I WAS angry. Collecting myself I turned around, when I did, she was staring at me with an evil smile and hooded eyes of fulfillment after seeing my anger. That was it.
_
I came back to my senses after hearing a painful cry. Looking down I found Yasmine on the floor, her cheek was a blood-red color, and my hand was stinging. Jessica was backed up on the wall and looked at me with a horrified look.
Now. I was in deep shit.