"I was wondering if I would ever see you both again," Lela folded her arms, expecting an explanation from both women. Fate and Order said nothing, instead, they exchanged looks between each other.
"I woke up to a crying girl and my bath being drawn. You both mind telling me what is going on?" Lela asked the women.
"You were a princess in your past life. You didn't have the will to live anymore, so we couldn't bring your soul back into your body until a few centuries had passed. You here born in your present life and we feared you would go through the same things you did the first time, so we decided to help change your destiny so when you're reborn in the future, you'll have a better life," Fate explained, but none of the words she said made any sense to Lela. She was confused. All these talks about past life and present life and future life didn't seem real to her.
"You are Princess Solela, you're just from a different time. You as Soleil are the reason for the setbacks you faced in your present life because you were met with trials and you failed, you gave up early, and you lost your will to live. If you don't change this loop of giving up here when you return in the future, you'll be met with the same bad luck," Order broke down.
"It is because of this bad luck from your first life that you faced the predicament you faced in your time. The only difference between your first life and now, is that at your dying moment, you changed your mind. You did the one thing You were scared to do in your past life: cry for help." Fate added. Lela was speechless. Listening to these women talk about her first life and her second life, felt like something from a movie. She didn't understand how any of this was possible, and her lack of understanding made her quiver in fear. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and her mind was scattered. She was living a new life, but no matter how hard she tried, it was a hard pill to swallow.
"I- I don't think this is right." Lela shook her head, hoping the women would tell her it was one big joke and she'd laugh it off, but they didn't. Fate and Order appeared serious. Chills ran down Lela's spine.
"You need to fix your past life so you can live better in your future. You need to stay strong and make decisions after critical thinking. You need to be careful and beware of the people that expect trust from you," Order warned. The warning didn't do anything to help Lela, it only added to her growing anxiety.
"But I don't remember, I don't know anyone. I'll get caught and be forced to die anyway." Lela rushed to say. Kimi had already caught on to her lack of memories, and with how clingy she had been acting, who knew who she was going to tell? Kimi was the first person Lela was wary of. The girl looked like trouble.
"That young girl, Kimi, she will help you," Order grabbed Lela's hands in hers, gently tapping on them to ease Lela's anxiety. It worked.
"Don't forget, you are Princess Solela and Solela is you. You might have lived in different times, but you are the same person." Fate smiled at Lela.
"Princess? Princess, can you hear me?" Lela heard Kimi's voice in the distance.
"Take care, Child."
Lela's eyes shot open, she was seated in front of the mirror, just like she had been before Fate and Order summoned her. Lela could never get used to that, it was weird and it made her soul ache. Lela put her hands over her chest, taking in controlled breaths to stop her heart from pounding loudly.
"Princess? The physician is here. For your safety, don't let him realize you don't remember anything. Just tell him if you feel any pain in your body or not," Kimi knew it wasn't for the princess's safety, it was more for hers, but the princess didn't need to know that.
Lela nodded her head helplessly and let Kimi lead her to her bed.
Lela couldn't get used to this. How would she deceive her heart into thinking this was her life, especially with how poor she was? Having people around her, cater to her needs, smile, and tell her they missed her. She could never get used to it.
A knock on the door brought Lela back from her thoughts. She blinked twice as she watched Kimi lead a middle-aged man with long beards into the room. He held a case in his right hand and a book in his left, a small smile playing on his lips as he approached the bed.
"Princess," he bowed. Lela watched Kimi stand behind the man, her eyes lowering as the man bowed. Lela got the message: "lower your eyes at him,"
The meeting with the physician had ended swiftly without the man catching on to the Princess's lack of memories, thanks to her sore throat. The physician had handed Kimi a few prescriptions and even dared to call the princess healthy. Kimi couldn't be happier. As usual, the princess was on her side.
"Princess, I'm sorry for leaving you that night. You have no idea how much I've cursed myself for letting you wander alone. Now you can not remember anything because of my carelessness," Kimi cried, her head bowed. Lela did not know the full context of what Kimi was talking about, all she knew was that she didn't want Kimi crying anymore.
"If you are sorry, help me remember then," Lela struggled to say. Her words were barely audible but Kimi understood her. It was what she planned to do anyway.
Lela hated school, not because she was bright and didn't think she needed it, but because it was for the exact opposite reason. Lela had never been a bright student. She couldn't wrap her brain around learning things, especially when it had to do with history. It had been days now, and Kimi was dedicated to teaching Lela about her family and the family she was about to marry into. Kimi didn't let her take any breaks; for all the hours of the day, Lela had her head buried in a book, she hated it.
"But princesses aren't supposed to read this much, right?" She asked herself but came up with no answer because this was the first time she was close to anything royal.
"Kimi, I need to go outside, I'll learn better if I go outside. I'm a visual learner," Lela lied shamefully. She only wanted to go outside because she was tired of staying locked up in her room with only a handful of people visiting her like the doctor, Head maid Magdalena, and Rosa. Lela wanted to see more people, to know what life outside her room was since she was now aware that she was in a different time, but as usual, she got the same reply that she had been getting, "No princess, you can't go outside, not until you're ready to face everyone like your old self," Kimi shook her head strongly, because she knew the princess wasn't a visual learner, she was a slow learner, and she loved learning.
Lela sighed, this was one of the times she was itching to tell Kimi the whole truth; that she's an orphan girl from the future who was brought into the princess's body to fulfill her selfish desires; to live a better life whenever she returned to the world. Lela knew though, that if she ever told Kimi, the younger girl would die of shock, so she swallowed the words and nodded her head, forming a little plan in her head. If Kimi wasn't going to take her outside, she'd go outside herself. She was good with directions anyway, it would be impossible to get lost if anything.
Lela smirked, using the book in her hands to hide her smirk from Kimi.
She knew how to get by all on her own.