MARINA of the tale —
The sun glared upon my face from my open window, making me squint from my slumber and getting forced to wake up. I was too tired to even complain, though all I really want is to never get out of bed and just lay down in my comfy sheets for the rest of the day.
"Wake up, Miss," Lily whispered.
"Just a minute," I replied.
"Please, your Father said you won't need to get dressed till you say so, but I doubt the Lady would comply. We wouldn't want her barging in to your room looking like this, right?"
I groaned. "You're right," I huffed, now wide awake. Just imagining her stern look makes me shiver. "Fine, Lily. What'll be my dress today?"
Lily grinned at me and I pretended I wasn't scared. "I'm glad you ask! We're going to have a pure pink today!" She showed me a dress with no ruffles, just a loose skirt and bodice that comes with a shawl and a hat. Thankfully, it wasn't glaring or eye catching in any way. "I picked this up with your instructions last night. Simple, not too grand and passable enough as a traveling garment. I was lucky enough to find a new tailored dress that was meant for the outdoors. But Miss Marina, may I ask why you told me to prepare this for you?"
The corners of my mouth raised as I smiled in a way that was both excited and scared. "Father gave me permission, Lily!" The maids one eyebrow raised in question. "I'm finally free to go out!"
•••
While it was true that Father did agree for me to wander off at the square, he didn't say so without an agreement and a proper reason. With all the danger and responsibility granted to me yesterday as a family thing before my actual coming of age, I figured it was just necessary for me to know what Aquaris is really like. How can I love a town I don't even know about? How can I protect it when I haven't felt like I belong to it?
Of course, all that talk gained me favor. Father smiled at me then with pride. But still, he didn't let me off with just that. "You're still weak, Marina. While I know you've been capable enough, miraculously thank the goddess of the lake, after you recovered from the frostbite, but your sickness still hasn't fully healed," he explained to me with worry. "I know you've been having chills every midnight. Lily told me that you've been having nightmares too."
Upon seeing my furrowed look, Father finished off with a guilty smile. "I've asked her to look into you, see if there's been any changes in your health, like she has done for before. I trust her with your well being as I assume you trust her as your personal maid. Treat her like a friend, Marina. We're not supposed to be someone above the commoners here. We are one and the same."
I nodded, quickly understanding the situation. I realized then that I still haven't got the full grasped over my physical condition. I knew I was strong enough to at least not get stuck in the room all day like what the original story from before the poisoning happened. Whether it was because of an immunity caused by the recovery to the frostbite, or a thing I've brought with me as I reincarnated, I'm not quite sure.
And as for treating her like an equal, along with everyone else, I think I already know that. Hopefully, I won't get in trouble with Mother of she finds out. I guess Father would handle that for me.
"Now, as for the matter of you going outside. Marina, I think it is a great idea to be reacquainted with your roots. It would help greatly on your quest as a mage, and I think it would also help you understand your teacher, the talking book as you called him." I wanted to ask him why my teacher had to be an inanimate object when he could just tutor me seeing he's the current archimage and a professor in the kingdom's school for magic, but I held my thing because he was still talking. Maybe I can ask him that later. "But I wouldn't want to have you out there alone. It's more dangerous than you think, and with your stamina, I doubt you would make it without an aid."
"Then, I'll take Lily with me," I suggested. "You said so yourself Father, that you trust here in keeping me from being sick."
"Yes, I did say that. But just Lily isn't enough. You need someone would protect you. You can talk to him tomorrow about having you accompanied for a day of, perhaps shopping as an excuse. For now Marina, it's time for us to have dinner."
I smiled, remembering how Father teased me about my grumbling stomach last night. I must've been too engrossed in his story that I haven't thought of food till he said so. That brief, yet meaningful conversation between us along with a little hearty laugh makes my heart ache and the pit of my stomach warm up in the same time. It was both pleasant and painful, which didn't make sense till I realized, having a Father was probably out of my vocabulary in my past life.
I may not remember much from back then, only the way that I died, but that much could tell me that I had a huge baggage strapped on my back. Maybe losing a Father was one of them. And that it forced me to become so lonely, so depressed. I couldn't deny that somehow, the feeling still lingers now eventhough I am rewriting a lot of mine and Marina's memories.
Following my Father's instructions, I asked Lily to accompany me to the stables after breakfast. The both of us sneaked away the table before Mother could notice and used the servant's passage way in order to not get caught. We giggled like two little naughty girls down the tunnels from the kitchen, catching our breaths as we dashed away from anyone's eye.
"That was fun," I said.
"Indeed it is, Miss," Lily said as she panted.
We slowed down our pace as we reached the end of the trail. I dusted away the dirt from my skirt as we did, but stopped upon hearing her answer. Remembering what Father asked of me, I deemed it was only proper to make some slight changes.
"Please call me by my name from now on, Lily," I said with a smile. She tried to refuse, but I interjected before she could. "Come on, I'm just a commoner like you. I may have a bit of noble blood in me, but I'm pretty sure I'm more of an Asturias than Leos. That makes us closer in rank more than you think."
"I don't think that's true, Miss Marina," Lily said with a tight smile.
I went on in front and walked backwards towards the exit, my eyes then facing her. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, curious.
Lily sort of caved in and fidgeted a bit with her fingers as she tried to force an answer out of herself. It was kind of cute watching her blush at my intense gaze, waiting for a reason that would probably embarrass myself as well. "You being an Asturias," she said. "It's an honor just to be called your personal maid. It's even more unspeakable to be your friend!" Her voice couldn't hide the excitement and the horror she felt. There was also a hint of melancholy, one that felt odd and out of place. It's faint, but I definitely heard it.
This made me raise my right eyebrow slightly enough that she wouldn't see. It was also dark in the place so I doubt she would've noticed, but my lips were pursing and my eyes were as curious as the day I learned of my heritage. Does Lily know something about that? I need to find out. Whether or not I could trust her more than Father told me, it depends on the things she knows and how well she could keep it.
"Okay then, let's make a deal," I suggested in a perky tone. "You can call me as you want in front of other people, but you have to call me by my name when it's just the two of us. Is that okay?"
Lily was taken aback. She stiffened and was frozen in place, unable to answer my question.
"Lily?" I called. "Lily, are you okay?"
"Are your memories finally coming back now, Miss Marina?"
A lump suddenly hitched in my throat. Once again, I was glad that there wasn't any proper source of light to show how bad my face is looking right now. I'm lost. What was it about Marina's past that I still haven't known? What was in her future, her fate that I just couldn't remember?
I need to know them, all of it, or I might never actually survive.
Again, a voice rang in my head. 'You don't have to survive,' it said, but I ignored it.
"My memories? This—these are my memories? Then, I think they are," I whispered. It's obviously a lie, but one that could help me. There's no way faking innocence would do me any good. It'll only gain me Lily's doubt and she might realize that I'm not the princess at all. I need to ask of about this. Clearly, such information wasn't included in the original book. Not even a vague chapter told me about being so close to a mere maid, that they started calling each other by their first names with no regards to title.
"But Lily, how come you know I lost some of my memories? Why didn't you tell my Mother and Father that I couldn't remember them?" I asked.
She suddenly felt uncomfortable. I waited for her to give me an answer, which she thankfully gave after a little thought.
"I couldn't endanger you, Miss Marina. We know you've been keeping secrets to the archimage and the mistress. You've told us much before the event of the assassination. So, I've just instantly assumed that you had a reason for keeping it to yourself and for not consoling with me, your once trusted servant. I tried my best Miss. I held on to not force you and it took so much as to not hold you in a tight hug when we were alone."
She genuinely looked hurt and glad at the same time. Looks like there's no problem then, Father. You were right to tell me that I should trust my loyal maid.
As to console her from the pain I put her through, I stretched out my arms in front of her. "You can hug me right now, Lily." I smiled.
It looked like tears were about to sprung in her eyes as she took the initiative to hold me close, like an attempt to reunite with a long lost friend. I'm sorry Lily, for fooling you. You deserve to have your Mistress back, and yet I am here in her place.
"Is that why you politely answered my questions? Even if they were odd and I should've already known? 'Cause you trust me enough to not question my judgement?"
Lily broke off from the hug and looked straight at me, her eyes determined. "I would trust you with my life, Miss."
"I'm glad. I trust you as well. I hope you help me. I need it Lily. My memories are still not intact to hold up with the life I had here. I'm still clueless. But there's a small feeling that through all this, I may not be as useless as I thought I was when I woke up with a faded past." There's something about Lily's face that tells me, there's no way Marina is just a worthless sickly girl hiding in her bedroom.
"Of course, My Lady. It'll be an honor to be your aid."
I smiled again, almost crying. It's like I'm trying to say to the heroine that is no longer here. "Look Marina. She's here for you. I'm sure there are others as well, those you never told me about in your story. You don't need to look at the mirror with scorn. You have to smile, 'cause you're not alone."
I thought I was. But I am not alone.
—
[ FINISHING THE STORY - blue ]