"Good morning, my lady." A soft voice roused me from my sleep and I groaned whilst curling into a ball under my bed sheets. Huh… were my sheets always this soft?
"I know it's early, my lady." The soft voice continued. "But you have your meeting with the prince today. We need to start getting you ready."
"My lady? Prince? Are you doing some of your weird role playing again Emmy? I'm not in the mood." I grumbled, trying desperately to enter the dream I was having where my favourite KPOP singer was feeding me sweets.
"My lady, are you feeling ok?" The soft voice asked again and I let out an exasperated sigh. Knowing I wasn't going to be able to sleep again, I threw back the covers and sat up, opening my mouth to begin yelling at my little sister to stop entering my room… but this wasn't my room.
"My lady?" The older woman in some strange maids outfit stood in front of the huge wooden four poster bed I was in.
"What…" I began to speak but then I noticed my voice was different, it was a lot deeper than my normal tone and more refined. "Am I still dreaming?"
"Should I fetch the doctor for you, my lady? You're worrying me." The strange lady said but I didn't pay attention to her as I slowly dragged myself out of bed and to the floor length mirror across the room.
"What in the world…" I whispered as I saw my reflection for the first time.
I was tall and slender in build, the white nightgown I was wearing hugged my curves and highlighted my large chest. My hands flew up to my boobs… wow, I definitely must be dreaming because I know mine aren't like this.
"My lady! What are you-" I cut of the flabbergasted maid and asked her a question.
"What's… what's my name?" I asked as I continued to look at my new appearance. Long chocolate brown hair reached my waist, soft pale skin without any blemishes. I looked completely different and improved, but the thing that kept drawing attention was my eyes. My normal blue eyes were now a deep reddish brown colour, a colour that I knew I had seen somewhere else… just where had I seen them before…
"Y-your name is Seraphina Valemont." The maid said, her face full of concern and worry.
"Seraphina…" I repeated the name, my brain almost trying to connect everything together.
Then, I remembered.
"Seraphina?!" I half cried as I grasped my face, the room almost spinning around me as I realised who I was.
Before falling asleep last night I finally finished the novel 'Isolde and her royal Harem' and I was so upset and angry at the female character that I loudly cursed and scolded the author. The main character was a manipulative little shrew that collected all the love interests like slaves, securing their hearts and then throwing them away when she married the horrible prince at the end! Her favourite character, the Duke of the North was even killed off at the end for no reason! What kind of bullshit was that?!
But Seraphina… Seraphina was the original fiancé of the crown prince and she had to suffer humiliation and torment from the prince as he fell for Isolde. Driven to desperation, she tried to poison Isolde and was caught. She was executed soon after by the prince himself.
And I'm… I'm now Seraphina!
"Oh no… oh no no no!" I began to panic as I clasped my neck, my poor new pretty neck that was going to be cut in two.
"I'll get the doctor!" The maid cried and scurried from the room, but I didn't even notice her departure.
I got back into bed, sweat forming all over my body from my anxiety.
"It's fine!" I gave a small chuckle. "This is just a dream after all." I smiled as I snuggled into the luxurious blankets. "Granted, this is a very strange dream. So real too! I'll have to tell Emmy about it when I wake up."
As I lay there, I felt the seconds turn to minutes and sleep never came.
"Huh, maybe I can try another way." I said as I sat back up.
"The young miss is so confused! Please you must help her, perhaps she has a fever!" She heard the maid return along with an older greying man carrying a doctor's kit.
"I'm fine!" I chuckled as I looked at them and raised my perfectly polished hand. "I just have to leave now." I then brought my hand down against my cheek, a resounding slapping noise echoing the room.
"It… it hurts!" I cried as I clenched my throbbing cheek. This wasn't right! You don't feel pain in dreams! Does this mean…
"Get a hold of yourself, my lady!" The doctor yelled as he rushed over and helped me lay back down.
I remained dazed as he performed checks on me. What the hell was happening? If this wasn't a dream then - was I really Seraphina? But what about mother and my little sister Emmy? I wanted to see them!
"I want to go home!" I began to cry and the maid pulled me into a hug.
"Please don't cry, my lady." The maid cooed and brushed the back of my head soothingly with her hand. "This is your home! This is where the people who love you the most are."
"I'll fetch the Count." The doctor said as he rushed from the room.
"I want to see mother." I sobbed and the maid froze.
"Oh my dear sweet child," the maid cooed softly, her voice heavy with sadness. "All is well, all is well."
"My daughter!" A man cried from the doorway of my bedroom and I looked up to see the most handsome man I'd ever seen in my life. He was tall with an athletic build, his brown hair was neatly styled and his tearful reddish-brown eyes were exactly like Seraphinas.
This was Count Julien, the man who the most successful boutique in the Willowmere kingdom. He was feared as the fiercest business man in the lands and was respected as such.
But here he was, sobbing like a baby as he ran to hug his daughter.
"My baby, whatever is the matter?" Julien asked and I froze as he pulled me into his embrace.
I had grown up without a father, he was a scumbag who wanted nothing to do with us and so he had left my mother to care for two young children all on her own.
So for Seraphinas father to love her so much like this… was it described like this in the novel? I don't think Julien was ever really mentioned in the book.
"She mentioned missing her mother, my lord." The maid said quietly and Julien froze.
"Thank you, Emilia." Julien said softly. "Please give us a moment together."
I watched as the maid and doctor left and felt awkward in the arms of this strange man.
"My dear, I too miss your mother." Julien sighed as he sat up, pulling me to sit on his lap as if I were a child and not an eighteen year old. "There's not a day that goes by where I don't miss her. There are even some days where I feel as if I cannot go on without her. But then… then I look at you and your brother and I see her in both of you. I recall the memories of when she was here and I hold onto those."
His eyes were so sincere and full of love that I began to relax into his embrace, welcoming such a presence in such a confusing moment.
"Your mother loved us all very much and continues to do so even if she is not here in person." Julien cradled my head to his chest and then placed his cheek atop of it. "Forget the crown prince today and rest at home with daddy, does that sound ok?"
I felt his voice rumble as I lay against it and it… it felt nice. It was so clear and evident that this man loved his daughter with all his heart and it reminded me of my mother.
I nodded my head against his chest and he hugged me tighter, beginning to rock me and soothe me with words more suited to a child.
But it was nice.
"Just rest, my child." He whispered and I relaxed further until finally I fell back to sleep.
I couldn't help but think as I fell asleep that if this really had been some crazy dream, I think I'll miss Julien. It was like for a few moments I finally had the father I never had, a love so pure and natural that the thought of being without it left me feeling a little sad.
"Dad." I heard myself say softly as I drifted off.
"Yes, daddy's here." I heard him reply. "I'll always be here, my daughter."
I felt myself smile as darkness finally pulled me under.