"Do you want to be saved?" the angelic voice repeated.
Astoria could not believe what was happening. Who was this woman in front of her, and where was the angelic voice coming from? More importantly, why did she not freak out at what was happening?
"Yes," she replied.
"Please save me. I can't die like this."
With those words, she felt her body's soul enter the woman's body. She gasped as her body began to feel a crippling sensation. A moment later, she felt the sensation leave.
"She's awake!"
She heard someone cry out in the background. She struggled to fully open her eyes as her body felt heavy.
"Call the doctor right away!"
She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the bright light prevalent in the unfamiliar room. To her shock, she saw a tall and slender figure rushing to her side. The creature was beautiful with pointy ears.
"Do not worry. You are okay now, Princess Nexi," a female voice reassured her.
'Princess Nexi?'
Astoria was confused. Who was Princess Nexi? Who is this unusual creature standing beside her, firmly holding her hand as if she were afraid that the moment she let go, Astoria would disappear? The unusual figure saw the confused expression on Astoria's face. Before she could say anything, the doctor arrived.
"This is a miracle!" The doctor exclaimed.
"The Goddess of the Silver Ocean is surely on her side."
'Goddess? Silver Ocean? What?'
Astoria wondered what these two were talking about.
"She sure is," the unusual being answered with a loving smile plastered on her face.
"Who are you, and where am I?" Astoria managed to ask.
"What? I'm Keya. Keya Enren. Your personal maid. Do you not remember me, Princess Nexi?"
"Keya?" Astoria asked.
Astoria sat up with the assistance of Keya. Now, she could take a better look at her so-called personal maid. She almost screamed at the sight of this unusual being, not because she was scared, but because she was surprised. Keya was really beautiful. She had grass green, wavy hair which clumsily covered her thin, charming face. Shining pink eyes, set appealingly within their sockets, watched her.
A flower mark stretched from just under her eye, running towards the tip of her nose and ending on her left cheek. Keya Enren was a charming elf who stood out among other elves. Something was enthralling about her, Astoria noticed. Perhaps it was simply her radiating innocence and the marks of dried tears prevalent on her face from the times she had cried for the now conscious princess.
"Oh dear," Keya gasped as she looked at Astoria and then the doctor.
"I think she has lost her memories. Something is surely wrong with her," the doctor stated as he began thoroughly examining Astoria.
The doctor was also an unusual creature. He was about the size of a human, had four arms, two legs, and a long thin tail. Perhaps Astoria was not fully conscious as she only noticed his shocking appearance now. His soft, smooth skin was covered in thick fluffy fur, which was an unusual red. He looked like an omnivore with his long narrow mouth, sharp teeth, and long tongue.
"Do you remember anything that happened a week ago on the day you went to the river?" he asked her.
"The river? What river?" she asked him.
The doctor sighed. As he suspected, she most definitely had temporary amnesia. He finished his examination and jotted down notes in his book.
"Make sure she takes these tablets in the morning when she wakes up and in the evening before she sleeps. I will tell the servants to inform the King that she is awake," he told Keya.
The elf nodded and watched as the doctor packed up his belongings and left. She faced Astoria, a smile on her face.
"Princess Nexi, do you really not remember me or what happened that day?" she asked, biting her bottom lip as she waited in anticipation for Astoria's answer.
"No, I really don't. Am I Princess Nexi? Who was that doctor, and why does he, not to mention you too, look so...weird?"
The green-haired elf sighed.
"I don't know what you mean by us looking 'weird', but that was Doctor Sior. He's your personal doctor," she replied.
Astoria looked surprised.
"And you are Princess Nexi of the Kingdom of Ashen," the elf continued, "the last born daughter of King Aqilus, bearer of the Silver Ocean."
"King Aqilus? What is this Silver Ocean you keep mentioning?"
Astoria asked. Her brain was spinning from all the information she was being fed. Princess? The Kingdom of Ashen? Bearer of the Silver Ocean? Last born daughter? It was all too much for her to take, and she could feel her head pounding from the overload of information.
"Your father is the King of Ashen and one of the Water Folk. He was the bearer of the Silver Ocean, a power bestowed to a descendant of the Water Folk chosen by the Goddess of the Silver Ocean, Lumina until he gave you that power." Keya slowly explained.
"I understand," Astoria said softly.
Actually, she did not understand. She was now even more confused. When the angelic voice had asked her if she wanted to be saved, she did not know this was what it meant. Being stuck in a different body in a new world full of magical creatures with a power she had no idea how to control was not her idea of being saved. Her having amnesia made the whole situation far worse.
'How did I end up like this in the first place, again? Oh, right. Cosmo X tried to kill me.'
"Keya, how did I end up like this? In bed, with amnesia and all? Is it because I went to this river you keep mentioning ?"
Keya's face became downcast, and she looked at Astoria's hand. She looked like she did not want to answer that question.
"What happened-"
Astoria could not finish her question. She was immediately interrupted by the door opening and revealing a man who rushed to her side and hugged her, tears rolling down his face. With a bow, the elf the room leaving Astoria and the man alone to speak.
"My daughter. I'm so sorry. You. Sorry. It's all my fault," he fumbled for words as he placed his hands on top of hers and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
With a fatherly smile on his face, the man said, "I'm so glad you are safe."
'I guess he is King Aqilus, Princess Nexi's father who is now my father. Argh, this is all so hard to believe. What kind of fairytale predicament did I just sign myself up for?'