"Milady, are you tired? Do you need me to carry you?"
Mariana kept looking at me in concern, wondering what must be wrong with me.
…Sorry, Mariana, I refuse to be carried. There's an almost 30 year old adult in this body. My pride won't let me do it. It's too embarrassing!
Mariana looked at me but didn't say anything more. She squeezed my hand and we walked hand in hand to the back gardens, a picnic basket in hand.
The back gardens were really pretty even before I came back. I remembered playing here with Claudina and Noelle.
Ah…Noelle…I never faced her after what happened at Vlafir. I hope she's doing all right. Right now she must be traveling around the borders of Chronosits.
We sat down in the gazebo.
"Milady, it must be very lonely having a picnic for two."
I looked up. Mariana was looking at me with a sad smile.
…I suppose I was quite lonely as a child. My step siblings weren't…the nicest to be around.
After meeting Claudina, she made sure I was never really alone.
I smiled. "I am quite alright. Thank you for asking"
Mariana giggled as put some jam on the scones. "Milady, when did you start talking so maturely? Should we call you little Lady from now on?"
I blushed slightly. I unconsciously talked like how I did when I was the crown princess. Claudina would have made a joke about it to clear the air
I smiled as I took the scone from her.
…I think I will continue talking like this. Claudina always said the most well mannered are always the most unpredictable.
The picnic ended up nicely. It was a sleepy afternoon when we came back inside.
"Milady, would you like some tea before your lunch or after?"
"I am not hungry right now so I will take the tea, please." Mariana chuckled before leaving me in my room.
As she left, I slumped back on the armchair.
…I can't help but wonder what happened in the morning…
Did she…
I sighed. There's no need to be thinking about her now. She didn't find me that time but sooner or later she will. Let's hope it's tomorrow, I am too tired.
Loud stomping reach both ends of the hallway.
I jolted up. No…
Scrambling off I ran to the other side of my room. The footsteps sounded angry and my hands were shaking as I failed around to push up the portrait.
They are getting closer. My heart was bursting out of my chest. It was getting hard to breath with how quick the footsteps were coming. And they sounded so…
Finally the portrait pushed up and twisted the lever under it. A hidden passage slid open from behind the bookshelf. Without wasting any more time I jammed myself into the tight squeeze before pushing the bookshelf into place. I waited with bated breath as my door was slammed open and Mariana tried stopping…Her.
I curled into a ball, my back to the bookshelf.
Why? Why am I still scared?
I was shaking. My breaths left in short huffs and tried to make myself as small as possible. I know She wouldn't be able to find me here, but I am not taking any chances.
I could hear the loud bangs and something heavy falling as well. I could hear Mariana screaming and someone else calling my name in a sickly sweet tone.
…Then silence. Everything became quiet.
I am not falling for it…I know what She is trying to do..
I know what She's trying to do…I fell for it the first few times in the past.
But not this time. I know what She did. And She won't fool me this time…
A hand encased in pearls and rubies jammed inside the hidden space.
My back suddenly felt cold. I froze, fear sizing up my bones. She couldn't have…She's not supposed to know about this place at least until I am 15 right?
"There you areeee~ My selfish little sister~" She grinned widely, teeth shiny like salt rocks.
Ah…She found me.
I oddly feel numb as She grabs me. "Why, oh why didn't I find you in the morning, hm~ Do you know how sad I was when I couldn't see my little sister~" She shook me by the scruff of my neck. "What's wrong, sweetling? Why aren't you answering? You look like you saw a war or something!" She swung me around the room, not caring if I bumped into something.
The effects of her illusion magic were dispelling. Mariana was crouched in the corner, eyes wide and silently crying. There were two more maids one was laying on the floor and the other laughing maniacally. My belongings were strewn all over.
…She must have shown them something cruel…
"Oh sweetling, are you bothered by the mess? Well, it's their own fault! They won't tell me where my sweet dumb little sister went!"
Ah, Claudian, I don't think I am going to meet you after all. It appears to me that I will have an early death.
"You shouldn't stay in your room or play with maids. You are a lady so you should be with people of your status. You should be with your friends" She hauled my limp body over her shoulder like a sack. "Oh wait…You don't have any! Gosh you are such a loner!"
Gee, Odette. I wonder who was it that chased away all my friends…
I couldn't see where she was taking me but I knew where it was…
…The shed will be lonely this time since I have yet to make friends with the rats…
Gosh what am I even thinking? Did coming back to the past somehow mess up my head?
She carried me with a skip on her step, blonde ringlets swaying with motion. Strange, shouldn't we already be outside? Why…why are we going to her room?
Panic choked me as I started to scramble off her shoulder. "S-sister, please let me go!! I'm sorry! I'll come as soon as you call me next time!"
But she wasn't listening. She only laughed. "No, no. If I don't discipline you now and then, who will? Your father is too soft on you, that's why you are such a disrespectful brat!"
…She's not…is she?!
I started to wriggle out. "Sister, I'm sorry! I won't do that again!!" Tears fell down as she carried me.
But she wasn't listening and instead slapped my back, loud and hard causing me to wince out in pain.
"Hush! You're so annoying once you start speaking! I wish I could somehow sew your mouth shut…" A brilliant idea seemed to pulse in her eyes. "Hey…hey, hey. How about I just do that? Stitch your mouth…with a needle" She laughed. "Okay bonding time with your good ole sister, Odette! What do you say, Ophelia? Oh, but you won't be saying much after I'm done with you!" She laughed at her own cruel joke.
My struggle to escape was soon stopped by her as she bound my hands and legs with magic before wrapping my mouth with her hand.
Fear and adrenaline numbed my head. The sensation of being dropped heavily on a marble floor didn't register to me. I could only see a pair of satin shoes walking in and out of my blurring vision.
I felt someone grabbing me by the hair with their sharp nails and being pushed onto a chair.
…I could make something sharp and pointy being pressed on the outer corners of my mouth…Words bounced off my skin while my body felt unnaturally numb...
…what's happening?...it's painful…
…hurts…where am I…
…More importantly…who am I?...
…A loud thud…and the sensation of someone lifting me up…Vivid red came up to blurry vision and loud gibberish sounds…
I blacked out.