WINIFRED
I quickly realized there was no use in hiding or running away. It was clear the priests were there for me. They were quick to separate me from the other children and carried me into a carriage. Inside the carriage, I could see the outline of a person resting idly on the carriage window. Rather than the darkness I was used to, an aura surrounded him. It was the first bit of color I had seen. It took a deep purple hue, pulsing like it had life.
"Who are you?" I asked immediately. The person finally turned to face me, reaching their hand forward. I dodged their grasp, not wanting to know what would happen if our auras were to collide.
"How strange," I hear a deep masculine voice comment. It most likely came from the person in front of me.
"I heard you were blind. Do you perhaps see something I cannot for you to avoid me and regard me as such?"
"I do see something and I don't want it on me."
"You have such a sharp tongue for such a young girl. I can tell you will do well in the Great Temple. I'll introduce myself. I am Ferdinard Hozier Fallon the IV, the third prince of the Holy Empire of Rovia. What is your name?"
"Winifred."
I can remember this prince. He was loved by the common people and supported by the Saintess who helped him ascend the throne. The new Emperor assisted the hero's journey and even helped him kill the monstrosity that the Saintess eventually became.
"Winifred, do you know what a Saintess is?"
"No."
The duties of a Saintess were not actually clear. Now, I was grateful that I was reincarnated as a child because waking up in the body of an adult Winifred could've already been too late.
"That's what you will learn at the Great Temple but the basic duty of a Saintess is to become the voice of god to the people. You will have powers that can rival that of the pope and even the holy emperor. It's a power that can be curbed by the fact that you're blind but I have a feeling that won't stop you, would it?"
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing. It would seem we are leaving now," he said, turning his face outside. The carriage door opened and someone else came in. Once they spoke, I could tell it was one of the priests who picked me out and took me into the carriage.
"Your highness, we will be leaving now."
"Alright. Where are the other children you picked?"
"They are riding with Father Castor. We want to take the child there too."
"She will ride with me."
"Your highness..."
"Do you have complaints, Father Terry?"
"...Of course not, your highness. I will withdraw now."
The priest left the carriage once more. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. The presence of the priests made me uncomfortable. There was some kind of repelling force that made it impossible for me to exist comfortably in a space around one.
"There is a child that takes care of me. I'd feel better if he was with me."
"We haven't left yet. I can tell them to take the child along too."
"I have a feeling he has been picked but I just want to make sure."
"Very well," he replied, stopping the procession. It only took him a few minutes to confirm and we were back on our journey.
Traveling in a carriage as a blind person is really…scary. It is an enclosed space, it is far from safe ground and every time it jolts, my fight or flight senses are activated. These kind of worries could not be understood by someone who could see and as someone who found themselves in a fairytale world, I was pissed that carriages were very uncomfortable, adding to the whole blind experience. The frames on the sides dug into your back so it felt like traveling in an office chair for hours. I didn't know if I had it written all over my face but he spoke again.
"We will soon arrive at a teleportation portal. It will shorten our journey significantly."
"I see. Is it uncomfortable to go through one?"
"I think? I hear people who go through them for the first time feel nauseous. I'm curious to see how you will react to it."
I felt like he was smiling. To me, he felt like a tiger lazily playing with his prey. Now, tigers in the wild do not play with their prey but as apex predators, they have all the resources to. It gave me a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't like feeling like prey.
We traveled for what seemed like an hour before the carriage stopped. I looked outside the window and I could feel something overwhelmingly powerful. Even to my dark vision, it felt darker. The numbness I felt didn't apply to this. Which made me realize something: I had been feeling things for a while. If the discomfort continued, I could feel it. It felt like my body was constantly fluctuating.
"Oh, you can see it? That's the teleportation portal. Once we go through it, we will arrive in the capital. Then, your life will change."
What is he saying? My life…has already changed.
The carriage went through it and it was steady. But the way the mana churned and the inefficiency of it all made my head spin. It felt grossly lumpy and incomplete, like a completed building left to rot. I fell forward, caught in his arms.
"Perhaps I should not have taken you through the portal. You look weaker than expected."
His voice became faint and I passed out. Unlike the void in time you experience when you pass out, it felt like I was dreaming. I was swimming in a lake, the huge blue skies above me. Seeing them gave me relief and hope that maybe my eyes could be cured and I could have a chance at a better life.
{Winifred…Winifred}
I stood in the lake and looked around. There was nothing but clear water and blue skies for miles. Still, the voice calling my name was persistent. I started waddling through the lake, looking for the persistent voice…until I stopped. Not of my own will, but because something was pulling my leg from inside the water. As I looked down to see what it was, I saw a spreading darkness. Breaking myself free was close to impossible as I was suddenly plunged into the depths.
I opened my eyes and…darkness. I could only wonder how people lived like this. As someone who has seen the light for 29 years of her life, I could see why something as insignificant as sight could be a privilege. The darkness was inconvenient and it would take a long time to get used to.
"Winifred, you're awake."
His voice was soft and full of compassion. He held my hand and I felt his warmth too. The safety he provided me with in that moment alone was better than anything I could've wished for. I'm not sure if I would be able to let Darryl go.
"Where are we, Darryl?" I asked. He helped me sit up and put a cup in my hand, helping me drink.
"They said we're in the palace."
"We didn't go to the Temple?"
"The other children did but the prince decided to bring us here after you fainted. He didn't say why but he took your necklace."
"Oh."
Items like necklaces are important clues for inheritance. Anyone who read novels like this would know. But that really begged the question, is this plot point normal? From what I know, Winifred didn't find out about her bloodline until she became an adult. She didn't even meet the future crown prince until later. How did the plot deviate to this point just after a day of waking up here? Or…is this the world's way of telling me it's real? The novel was just a retelling of someone's story. Retellings aren't always accurate and tend to deviate from the plot. There are some things that are not mentioned or missed because of lack of evidence. Bottom line is, I'm in another world.
"Have you eaten something, Darryl?"
"They…gave me meat. It's the first time…I ever ate meat. It was really delicious and chewy. I wanted to save some for you too but his highness told me that you may not be allowed to eat such dishes. He said I should ring this bell to call the servants once you wake up," he replied. How inconvenient. I forgot that people in high religious positions take on hard vows and diets to consecrate themselves. I wouldn't be able to eat meat in this life? You might as well go ahead and kill me!
"Winifred, I heard from the prince that you asked me to come with you. I'm grateful you thought about me."
"What do you mean? I'm the one who is grateful to you for taking care of me. Who else is going to take care of me if not for you?"
"Even with that…thank you, Winifred."
He really was a kind person, unlike a certain man. They say if you speak of the devil, he will appear soon. Our benevolent future crown prince behaved like a devil more than he did a prince. We both heard a knock and the door opened.
"I see you're awake, Winifred."