Mariella's sister, Isabella helped me readjust to my new life. She explained things that to her were common knowledge, but to me were oddities.
There were only tiny differences between the world I found myself living in and the world I left behind. They shared no common languages, or countries, even the entire map was different.
If I would give this world a time period compared to mine, I'd place it on the cusp of the 20th century. Despite that this world was only in the year 1315.
They had gods, but not the same gods we had. The seasons were the same, and they even called them the same thing, but they didn't have months. They went solely by seasons, which meant their New Years always came with the end of the season. They used the moon cycle to track their weeks, which meant their seasons always ended on a new moon. There were no common holidays, but we shared some traditions.
Even though I didn't even notice the difference, the language I spoke wasn't english. I didn't even notice it until Isabella placed a map in front of me. It was not a language I recognized, and it wasn't something I should have been able to read. However I easily understood it, and when I asked Isabella if her sister knew another language she told me Mariella only knew the mother tongue.
Udros was once a large empire. It still was, however compared to its glory days, and the current glory of other nations, it was a fragment of what it used to be. The ruling family still remained as a figurehead for the nation, but were practically stripped of all its power. Now a parliament ran the country in their stead. The family still had a seat at the table, however much of their votes were drowned compared to the many.
The Vial Family, the one which I have found myself a part of, are jewelers. Similarly to the royal family the family was not in their glory. However even without the funding of the royal bank, the Vial family managed to make a fine living. Many still sought the luxuries the Vial family had to offer. Their reputation wasn't dependent on the status of the royal family. Even though it might have been a time where fashion was beginning to be forgone for necessity, those still willingly to put money into such extravagance were willingly to put any amount into it. They lived beyond comfortable, even if it wasn't what the Vials were used to, it was what this generation had grown up with.
Mariella's grandsire Julian Vial saw the decay of their family's forte and decided to expand their business beyond just jewelry. He started small, but eventually before his death Julian Vial amassed a great fortune through his auction house. Though it was still nothing compared to their glory days, the Vial Family were far from being broke. They lived beyond just comfortably, they lived lavishly. It made me wonder how rich they had been in their best years…
Isabella explained to me that she was to inherit the business fully, however the family planned for each child to inherit some facet of the business. Mariella was in line to inherit a museum that her grandsire named after her. While their brother was to get the auction house. At this moment all that their grandfather had worked for landed in the lap of their father. He balanced everything well, but nothing like his father had. Seeing that it was only Mariella who had not reached adulthood, their father depended on his children to help run their businesses.
Now, only a few weeks after their grandsire death the family has finally started to get back on their feet.
I felt terrible that I would be shaking this newfound stability. It was not like I chose to, yet my heart still panged at the thought.
The Vial children were raised to inherit their families business, and I had just undone years of their hard work. I had no idea how to handle a business. Thankfully no one would ask me to, but the very thought that if I were to actually be stuck here that someone's legacy would be left in the hands of a stranger in their loved one's body.
My time spent learning the life of Mariella was harder than I thought it would be. Who would have imagined trying to fit 17 years of memories into someone's brain in only a few hours would break their mind. Everything Isabella told me was somehow familiar. Even if I didn't understand it fully, it felt innate, as if Mariella and I shared both body and brain.
I wondered if Mariella was sharing the body I had invaded, silently watching as someone controlled her every move. I didn't wish to imagine how they might have felt. I already felt helpless as is. I didn't need to imagine how powerless the owner of this body was.
"We will have guests soon." Isabella warned. "You are friendly with the youngest, Vivienne Hart. I can tell you what I know of her, but that will never truly compare to what my sister knew. The others in my family might not have noticed your change thanks to our shared melancholy, but Vivienne is sure to notice that Mariella is different, just as I did." She always stared down at me, whether I was sitting or standing. Isabella had almost an entire foot on me, whether that was because she was always wearing heels or because she was genuinely that much taller didn't matter. Her height was intimidating despite her kindness. She loomed over me when it came to everything. It felt like having a nun over my shoulder to scold each and every one of my mistakes.
"Can't I just say I'm sick?"
"That would be foolish. Do you plan to run from your problems forever?" Whenever she spoke to me I felt like a child being punished by their mother. "You have no idea how long you will remain here. You might as well get comfortable living my sister's life." Isabella clearly wasn't happy about the disruption, however she wasn't entirely upset about it either. "You have the perfect excuse. Use it. People are allowed to change, and Mariella has a reason to do so."
Before the Hart family would arrive the following moon cycle Isabella trained me on all I could possibly know about the Hart family and more. They are new money unlike the Vial family. They came to rise with the manufacturing of cars: their father being one of the men involved in the first iteration of the invention.
The reason for their visit wasn't anything beyond a friendly brunch, but Isabella informed me that I should treat it as if it were a business meeting.
She explained that yes I should be nice, but I should understand that no matter how close I could get to anyone in the family they would always just be a business affiliate.
All of what Isabella ever told me could be surmised with the sentiment of putting the family first, and since the business was entirely family that meant also putting the business first.
If the only people Mariella could trust were family, what did that make of her friends? Did she have any?
In the short time I've spent in Mariella's body I've had little contact with other's. Isabella seems the only one who directly seeks Mariella, and I can't be that simply isn't because of my existence. Mariella does have a girl serving her, Noa, but the two of them aren't close. Noa only ever appears when something is acquired of Mariella, and the only thing ever acquired of Mariella is lunch and dinner. She has breakfast in her room, which Noa does bring, however that was about it.
On the day the Hart's were planned to arrive, Noa woke me up early to get ready. You would have thought I was going to see the royal family themselves seeing how Noa dressed me.
I thought it was just brunch, yet Noa did not hold back on the extravagance. She paid extra attention in making sure each piece of jewelry she accessorized with wasn't too much, and was placed in just the right place. I could see the care she put into everything she put on me. I felt like a sculpture being forged by an artist, and certainly her work was a masterpiece.
"Noa." I said, while my eyes were still stuck staring at myself in the mirror.
"Yes, Miss Mariella." She was giddy with herself with what she had done.
"You always make me look so pretty." I look over my shoulder and smile. "I thank the heavens everyday that you are the one dressing me. I'm sure that if it were me I could not make myself look half as pretty." My eyes find themselves locking with each other in the glimmery glass.
"Do not say that Miss Mariella! My work might be magic, but it is only as beautiful as you!"
I thought that I might suck up to her so that I could begin being friends with her, but I've only ended up making myself blush. Despite the warmth of my cheeks, my heart feels cold. Nothing I said wasn't true. If it had been me, the actual me, that Noa worked on then I wouldn't have been able to begin to compare.
I tried not to dread on it, but throughout the welcome train I zoned out and was brutally awoken by a jab to my side as I recognized all the eyes that had gathered on me. "Hi," My eyes fell to my feet, "Sorry." I spat out, knowing I couldn't skip past my absence.
"You are quite alright Mariella." an older lady, who I assumed was Mrs. Hart, smiled warmly. "With everything that has happened I am happy that you are even here." It felt almost backhanded as her hand brushed against my cheek, "You are becoming quite the strong girl." Her hand left my face almost as quickly as it had come.
"Why don't you girls go catch-up with each other? Brunch will be ready soon, Noa or Uva will come find you." My eyes jumped to Isabella, who directed me toward Vivienne.
Isabella spoke as she guided us through the house, but once we reached my room she parted with the excuse, "The two must be tired of me, I allow the two of you two to catch up, it has been ages." she winked at me before disappearing.
It was awkward as I brought her into my room. It was hard to start the conversation, but once it got going it kept rolling. She wasn't a hard person to talk to, she made conversation easy. However I was too caught up on the worry of not slipping up. I didn't want to have another Isabella situation. I don't think my heart could handle it. Not that it could handle the pressure of pretending to be someone else. My heart has been beating at a 100 miles per minute ever since I've gotten here. I haven't had a single moment where I haven't had to worry about saying something wrong.
"I'm sorry about my mother…" Vivienne slipped into the conversation as it dwindled, "You know how she is…" I didn't but I nodded as if I did.
"It's alright." I felt my smile smothering my face.
"It's not. I don't know why she's always so mean to you." She stared at me, her wide hazel irises looking at me as if she were a dog, and I were a human holding a treat.
"It really doesn't bother me." I tried to convince her, however she wasn't taking it.
She rambled and rambled on about her mother, and her mistreatment. I grew bored of it quickly, but kept my interest for the sake of Mariella. For how easy her lips loosen, I wondered how the two girls weren't friends. It was obvious to me that they weren't. Isabella was right to inform me to treat it as if we were business partners. However it still bothered me.
"Miss Mariella, Miss Vivienne." My ears had finally grown to recognize Noa's voice. "Brunch will be served soon." she spoke through the door, and I stood the moment I heard her steps fleeing.
"Should we?" I don't bother to finish my sentence, instead I simply offer my hand for her to take. Which she does with red cheeks.
"Do you know what we will be eating?"
"No." I said shortly as I opened the door. "But whatever it is has been made with great care." The food here was always great. I had never eaten so well in my life.
"Have you not used an assembly line?" I'm not sure where I gained the confidence to interrupt the conversation that Mr. Hart was having with Mariella's father, however listening to his complaints bothered me when I knew the solution. I remember sitting in history class, my teacher ranting about the amazing creation of assembly lines and how it made products cheaper, and easier to produce.
When Mr. Hart stared at me with nothing but confusion, I knew I said something I shouldn't have. "What do you mean assembly line?" I could feel Isabella staring holes into my existence. If Ezekiel was not sat in between us I fear what would have unfolded. "I haven't heard of such a thing."
I knew I had cornered myself into a place where I couldn't weasel my way out of. "It is a conveyor belt." I looked around the table to make sure I wasn't inventing new words, "the product moves on a conveyor belt from station to station, gaining parts as it moves down the line… It produces the product faster, for cheaper." I surmise sensing the hesitation of the table.
Mr. Hart looked from me to my father before letting out a hearty laugh, "Where did your pretty mind come up with such a thing?"
"A book." I spat out, "Partly." I said even quicker as my eyes dropped to my plate.
"Are you saying you came up with it yourself?" Mr. Hart wouldn't let up. He sat beside my father, at the opposite end of the table, yet I could feel the intensity of his interest from where I sat.
"Partly." I repeat, "The science is already there… Someone would just have to put it to use." I said quietly.
"Well I will have to try it. Especially if it will work as you say." The relief of a thousand giants lifted from me the moment the words parted from his lips. "Your daughter has the mind of an inventor Victor! How have you been hiding her from me all this time?"
"She's been hiding from all of us, Yemen." Mariella's father's eyes questioned me and I decided the only thing I could do was stuff my face.