Willow opened his eyes.
A soft bed. Silken sheets. Sunlight spilled through the curtains. For a moment, it didn't register.
"I'm… in a bed?" He sat up, blinking.
The last thing I remember was Aucteros. The flames. The spell I cast, the anger. Am I dead?
"Heeey, easy now- "
He turned sharply toward the voice. A girl sat on a nearby couch, hands raised, eyes wide. She had short pinkish hair, fair skin, and light grey eyes.
Without thinking, Willow jumped up, summoning fire to his palms, the room glowing with heat.
"Get back, filth. Or I'll reduce you to ash."
"Whoa!" She coughed. "Okay, okay! Fire magic, super cool, but maybe take a chill pill?"
Willow narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? I don't remember someone like you allied with Aucteros."
She gave a sheepish, confused smile. "Aucteros? I don't know who that is, but my name is Nej Oow. Well, kind of. I'm in someone else's body, Princess Felicia. Long story. What's your name?"
Impossible. No soul alive does not know who Aucteros is.
"…Willow," He let the flames die. "Where am I?"
"We're inside a tragic romance novel. Called A Time When Life Was a Tragic Love Story."
Willow stared. "A… novel?"
"Yep! I read it like, a thousand times. Then I got hit by a truck and woke up here." She laughed awkwardly. "Classic isegye reincarnation."
"Isegye? Don't make up stupid words. Speak plainly."
"Oh, sorry. Right… uh, isegye means getting transported to another world in Naerok. Usually after death. Like me, I think… You were transported here! Which is weird, not going to lie, since I've been here for a little bit. Still- "
"I… died..."
"Oh wait, I don't know if you died. You just appeared. It's possible you died or you just transferred." The girl laughed. "It's new to me, but I've been here for awhile, and it was a bit scary. So sorry, I'm an expert in the knowledge of this world, not this crazy reincarnation stuff."
His breath caught.
I did cast the Echo of Ashes, sure, but it wouldn't have killed me… right? Not with how much Rhen and I trained with it.
"Rhen…" he whispered.
What happened to Rhen? What would he do if I were dead?
He staggered.
"Hey, it's okay," Felicia said gently. "Big shock. I'll give you space- "
"No. Wait. I have questions."
She nodded. "Go ahead."
"First… how did I get here?"
"There were three weird shadows in the sky and one of them was you. So, you basically fell from the sky." She laughed. "I was in my personal garden. You landed nearby, unconscious. So, I dragged you here." She grinned. "You're pretty light."
He raised an eyebrow. "…Thanks, I guess. Second, this body you claim to be in… You said you died. What happened to her? The original Felicia?"
That wiped the smile from her face. She's is really an outsider here. Just like me.
"I- I don't know. I didn't choose this. I can access some of her memories, like bits and pieces. Maybe we merged. Maybe she's gone." She paused. "It's kind of sad."
"It is." Willow looked away.
Where am I? A realm for souls? The Dead Lands?
"Still, I'm glad I got a second chance. Does that make me selfish?"
"Yes. You stole someone's life and play with it like nothing. You sit here and enjoy it."
Felicia flinched, then gave a dry chuckle. "Fair."
She looked out the window. "Anyway… I didn't expect to wake up as a princess. Oh! That reminds me, can I ask a favor?"
"I suppose. We're in this together."
She's kinda annoying… but I'll hear her out.
"Felicia- I mean, I don't have any friends. And a ball is coming up and with everything happening, I was wondering… would you be my lady in waiting? Just until you figure out what you want to do."
Willow blinked. "Lady in waiting? But I'm a male."
Silence.
"Oh God, sorry! I just thought, I mean elves are beautiful but seriously- the hair, your voice and cheekbones, I didn't mean to offend. You're so pretty like I mean damn, boy- "
Willow snorted. "Pfft, don't worry. It happens often. I look exactly like my sister. It's uncommon for male elves, even looked down on, but Rhen, he used to say looks don't matter, actions do."
Rhen never cared. He always accepted me, even when we danced.
His smile brightened.
"Rhen?" Felicia leaned forward. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"No!" Heat built in his face. "He was my sister's fiancé."
"Oooh, complicated. But that blush says otherwise."
"We have… history."
Was this girl really trying to force me to burn her?
"Sounds like more than history." She grinned.
"It's a lot… of history." He surrendered.
Five hundred years of history. Rhen had been one of the few humans my father respected. Sylvia claimed to love him. But she also saved me from loving him too much. I should have-
"You said there's a ball coming up?" Willow asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah. A big scene in the book. A massacre will happen with all these nasty beasts."
Big scene? Massacre? Just who was this girl? Play it as Rhen says, cool.
"A massacre at a ball? A dancing noble gathering, I'd assume."
"Yep. Tragic, poetic, nobles die, the Northern Duke shows up, kills the beasts, blah blah blah." She frowned. "All orchestrated by some high mage grunt and the second prince."
Interesting…
"Why don't we just not go?" He asked.
"I wish. My father's pushing a marriage alliance with the crown prince Theodore. I'm expected to be there. It's what's best for the kingdom!" She puffed out her chest. "And if I'm stuck here, I can't just let innocent people get hurt, even if they are from a book…"
He crossed his arms. "It seems you're confident. Yet here I am, and I ask, what will change? If you interfere with the supposed story, doesn't that mess up the whole thing?"
Felicia looked down. "Maybe. But if you can save people or even one person… would you stand by and let the story play out?"
Willow went quiet for a moment.
She wasn't lying. She genuinely wanted to help. And I kinda understand. If I knew the future…
"…Yes," he said finally. "If I had the chance, I'd do the same."
She hesitated. "Someone you'd save?"
"My sister." He looked away. "Sylvia."
"Rhen's fiancée?" Her words struck like a gut punch.
He nodded. "She arranged their marriage… to protect me. I was going to ask him to marry me-" Willow stopped.
"I knew it!" Felicia giggled. "Oh, love knows no bounds, O. M. G! I can see the steamy romance plot from here!"
This girl… come on.
Felicia's eyes widened. "Wait why didn't you just ask him? I mean, if you love him?"
"In elven law, two males can't marry, not with our low birth rate due to our immortality. It's punishable by death. So, she chose him, and it hurt me, a lot." His voice cracked. "It was the first time I ever cried."
That day, Rhen had comforted me.
A faint smile crossed Willow's lips.
Felicia moved to his side. "Willow… I don't think she did it to hurt you."
"I know, she loved him. But not as much as I did. But she loved me more I think, so she tried to save me, from my- my heart."
They sat in silence as the guilt hit him. She never would have asked Rhen to marry her if it wasn't for him. And he would never have protected Aucteros to tear them apart.
I wish I had never felt this way. That asshole Aucteros knew... it was almost as if the man played with fate.
And I called this girl selfish?
"Sorry," he said quietly. "You're a stranger. I shouldn't- "
"No," Felicia said. "I feel you. You're not alone anymore, you don't have to bottle it up."
He was a stranger to her. And she still wanted to help.
He smiled faintly. "Enough about me. Your turn."
Felicia gave a theatrical sigh. "Okay, so… I was a burned-out office worker in Aerok, it's a country on Htrae. Crap job. Crap boss. Abandoned by my family. No romance. No magic. Just coffee and deadlines."
"Sounds… horrible?"
"Oh, you have no idea! First of all, my face without makeup was considered ordinary…"
He listened as she told her story.
"And that's all there is," she laughed. "So yeah, I died. Truck-kun sent me flying. Now I'm here. And somehow? This is less stressful."
"Royalty does have its benefits." Willow said shrugging.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?"
"For listening." Felicia's smile was warm, friendly, and inviting. "Since I came here, I never got a chance to talk about my past life," Felicia stood. "Now let's talk about the ball."
"Uh, ok?"
"Let's see… There's no way anyone would believe you are my knight. Again, I mean no offense."
She hurried to the closet. She pulled out a dress.
"Oh, red is perfect for you! It's the same color as your cloak!"
"I'm not wearing a dress," Willow said angrily.
"Okey, okey, I don't want to be pushy but Willow, you would look so beautiful in this." She held it up to him. "Oh, and I can have the tailors manage the bust size since uh, you know."
He sighed.
"Fine… it's not like I haven't tried one on before," he admitted.
Damn, this is embarrassing. I do love dresses, but if Rhen ever saw me in one-
Willow blushed.
Felicia squealed. "Oh. My. God! You have no idea how amazing you're going to look; my makeup technique is divine! You're going to look so beautiful, you won't even recognize yourself! Oh, and your hair! High ponytail is a must! I doubt anyone will question those ears, we're in a book after all."
Willow looked to the side and smiled slightly.
Maybe… we might actually become friends.
For the first time since his sister's death, he did not feel so cold.