"Oh no, why is the crown princess not breathing?"

"If the emperor finds out about this, he will be devastated. Something needs to be done."

Princess Alero heard the faint voices of the physician, who had always been by her bedside after she had fallen critically ill three years ago at the age of nineteen, and the head maiden of the palace.

Indeed, her father would be devastated if she was actually...

Wait!

Was she dead?

Did the head maiden just say she wasn't breathin..?

The faint voices returned.

"I'm afraid," whispered the physician, her voice laced with fear and pity, "the princess has taken her last breath; the sickness has taken its toll on her."

'What do you mean? I'm still breathing, because I can hear you!'

The head maiden's voice became desperate. "The emperor will cut off our heads if the crown princess refuses to wake up. Do something!"

The physician let out a defeated sigh. "I can't, not anymore; the princess is beyond saving."

'Oh no,' screamed the princess internally, 'She was too young to be dead. What about all of her dreams, the adventures she was yet to achieve? And, and, what about... Tolu?'

The head maiden's voice trembled with panic. "You don't understand! The crown princess is supposed to be married to another emperor's son; they will bear a child, and he would become the heir to the throne."

Alero contorted in distaste, her mind flooded with memories of her father's relentless nagging and requests for her to get married, even knowing full well that she was sick. But even if she wasn't, she was not about to give Tolu up for some crown prince she knew nothing about.

"The Crown Princess could never marry and bear children in this condition," the physician said with a resigned sigh. "But I'm afraid that doesn't matter now."

"No, no!" the head maiden panicked, vigorously shaking the lifeless body of the princess. "Wake up! We'll be in trouble if you don't!"

The physician remained silent, her expression grim.

As the head maiden continued to shake the princess, a loud bang sounded from the door, followed by a rattling noise of the doorknob.

"Gods of our ancestors," the head maiden whispered, her voice trembling with fear, "come to our rescue."

But it was too late. The door burst open, and in strode the Emperor. Alero recognized the authoritative voice immediately – it was her father.

"What is taking you so long?" the Emperor thundered. "Why has no news come to me about the princess's health?"

Why was he furious, Alero wondered? He had never cared for her; the only reason he wanted her well was for the benefit of his throne, since she was his only child.

"I'm afraid, Your Majesty," began the physician with a shaky voice, "she is dead."

"No!" The king roared, like a vexed thunderstorm about to ruin everything it touched...

The roar was so deafening that it caused Alero to flinch.

"Make it stop!" she cried, but no one would hear her. Why, why, was she truly dead?

Why was no one talking back to her? She used to have tons of maidens, like rows of flowers, always feeding her with stories. Where were they? Why was no one talking to her now?

'No, no, I cannot be dead!'

'I cann...

Suddenly, the roaring sound stopped. What followed next was a deafening silence, like the world had just stopped.

The only sound that came after was the beat in her chest.

What?

She was still breathing?

And what was that smell...

Suddenly, Alero's world went dark, consumed by an endless void. She was aware of nothing, except the faint echo of a voice and the soft beeping of machines.

As she slowly regained consciousness, Alero's senses were overwhelmed by an unfamiliar surrounding. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant, and the sound of beeping machines grew louder. She tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through her head.

Where was she? What had happened?

"Where am I?" she gasped, trying to sit up, but a strong hand clutched her wrist.

"You are awake," said a deep, velvety voice, tinged with amusement. He let out a soft snort. "I will go call the doctor."

Alero's panic set in as she slowly turned her head until her eyes caught sight of the figure. She inhaled sharply as their eyes locked, and for a moment, time stood still. No one had ever made her heart skip a beat, aside from Tolu. But here was a man with honeyed eyes, framed by full, dark lashes. His skin was a warm brown, similar to her own, yet somehow, he seemed different, like a person from another world.

Alero was left speechless, her mouth agape. She couldn't find the words to speak. The strange surroundings only added to her bewilderment. What was this place? Why were his clothes so unusual? And why was everything so white?

Then she realized, from all the stories she had heard about the afterlife.

The man frowned, noticing her perplexed look. "Here," he said, clutching a jar and pouring water into a cup as if forced. He raised the cup towards her. "Drink."

But Alero wasn't listening. In fact, she barely looked at him as her gaze roamed about. "Am I... am I in heaven?" she blurted, desperate for answers.

The man retreated the cup and stared at her, shaking his head. His face was so adamant that Alero wondered if he ever smiled. "No, you are at the hospital. You had an accident."

Alero's panic intensified. "No, this must be a dream," she said, holding her head. "This wasn't heaven? Then was this a fairy land?" Everything looked changed, from how the man dressed to every strange thing in the room that she couldn't seem to describe.

"Lily," the man said, holding her wrist and frowning. "Why are you crying?"

Alero turned to him, ignoring the tears he mentioned. "Lily? Who is Lily?"

She stared at the man, confused. Indeed, she was in a fairy land; this couldn't be real.

The man released her hand, sighed, and stood up. "I'll go get the doctor."

"Wait," Alero called out when he began heading to the door. "Help me."

Stunned, he turned to her. "What?"

"Help me; I need to go home. Please," she begged, still confused of the changes in her dress and surrounding, "my father is the emperor; if you take me to him, you will be rewarded handsomely."

The man stood open-mouthed for a long time, staring at her. "Did you suddenly get amnesia, Lily Blossom?" he whispered to himself, but Alero heard it.

"Lily Blossom? My name is Alero," she said, agitated. Who was this strange man, and why was he causing her head to hurt so much? "Take me home, please," she whispered.

But then, her head began to throb with pain. "I need to go home," she whispered softly, wincing at the agony. She clutched her head, her fingers digging deep into her scalp. "I need to be with Tolu."

The world around her began to blur, and all she felt was a strong hand grasping hers the moment she started to wobble.

Perhaps she was with Tolu...

Perhaps she had just had one of those terrible dreams!