Adelheid had been swimming for a while. The pool, pond…whatever it was, was bottomless. She could only assume that (she had her eyes closed) since she had been swimming for a while. It was very surprising that she had oxygen in her lungs up till this moment. Again, this was magic water. Maybe she could breathe in oxygen from the water.
Adelheid released her breath to test her theory and water immediately gushed into her nose, choking her. "Magda" She opened her mouth to call but more water gushed in. She was on the verge of losing her consciousness, but she had to swim to the bottom to get back to earth. Sadly, she couldn't. She could feel herself going lower and lower in the water before she finally lost her hold on consciousness.
"*gasps*"
Adelheid woke up with a gasp. She looked at the ceiling above her. She was alive! Maybe still dead, but not in the water. Magda must have rescued her.
Relishing in the moment, Adelheid let the bed's softness engulf her. She had not slept on a soft bed like this in a long time. Since she and her husband had separate rooms, which was three months after her marriage.
She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a knock. "Come in," she grunted.
It was after she had spoken that she realised what she had just said. She didn't know who knocked. It could be an intruder, a wicked fairy, an angel who punishes murderers, a scumbag named Boris…a….a…"Vika?"
Adelheid couldn't believe who had just stepped in. Vika was the closest lady-in-waiting to her. In fact, she was her first ever lady-in-waiting. They had known each other from childhood. She treated Vika like a sister and considered her a best friend.
When she got married, Vika followed her to stay in Krevia. It didn't take up till six months after their arrival that Vika was killed on the count that she stole a sacred jewel. This was all according to Tatianka who claimed to have witnessed it.
Adelheid watched all this unfold. She cried for Vika every day and pleaded her innocence. Even Boris tried to help but the Imperial council had already made their decision. Adelheid always had this nagging feeling that it was the colour of their skin that caused the unfair judgement.
She had witnessed Vika's death first hand. There was no way Vika could be her for real…unless they were both dead.
"My princess," Vika bowed slightly and proceeded to open the curtains that were blocking the sunlight from entering the room.
"I trust you had a good sleep"
Vika was still talking when hands engulfed her and she was pulled into an embrace by Adelheid. She felt something wet touch her back. Was Adelheid crying?
"Vika I missed you so much. I'm so sorry that I didn't fight for your survival. I should have died with you out there. I want you to know that such incident would never happen again. I'll stand by you everywhere even though it costs me my life. That's what sisters are for"
Vika didn't know how to react. She stiffened when the princess hugged her, and let her say whatever she wanted. 'What is the princess talking about,' Vika reasoned. 'Had the princess gone mad?' 'Maybe' 'Should she call the physician? Tell someone?' 'No. That'll be too risky. Let her confirm first'
"My princess," Vika asked meekly, so as to not offend the princess "Are you alright? Is there a problem anywhere? Does your head ache you?"
"Where are these questions coming from, I'm fine Vika" Adelheid broke the hug and spoke, "It's just that I'm so happy that we were put in the same place after death. I had a lot of things to apologise for. Honestly, the way everything turned out- Tatianka's accusation, your death, then Boris' betrayal and my death. It was just…I regret ever stepping foot in that empire. I really do,"
Vika had a blank look on her face. 'It has been confirmed, the princess has gone insane…I need to tell the Queen before she finds out and kills me'.
"Your highness, may I be excused?" Vika took a curtsy, hoping the princess would grant her request.
"You may drop the formality Vika. We are both dead after all"
"You may go," Adelheid later said when she saw Vika was hell-bent on getting her permission to leave. Once Vika was outside the door, she ran to the queen's chambers. "I have an important report for the queen," she breathed. "The queen is in a meeting with the council at the council chamber beside her private chapel" A guard at the door spoke. So she ran south of the palace, all the way to council chamber. "Greetings. Important message. For the queen," Vika wheezed to the guards at the door, who looked at her with a raised brow. "I beg of you, inform Her majesty that I bear some urgent news regarding the princess's welfare," Vika spoke after she had calmed her breath down.
A guard went into the chamber, and after some minutes came out.
"You may enter," He said.
Vika took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping into the chamber.
---
Adelheid saw the way Vika ran for the door and wondered, 'Why was she shocked when I said we were dead. Aren't we dead?"
Adelheid shrugged off Vika's attitude and began to explore the room where she laid. It was then she noticed the room looked exactly like her chamber in Koldunova. Actually it had to be her chamber in Koldunova because it had every detail. From the dust on the curtains to the tally she drew on the wall anytime she was being starved by her stepmother.
Adelheid walked to the mirror and looked at her reflection. "Death looks good on me," She told herself. Then she walked to the bathroom and turned on the tap. The water was flowing. She washed her face and water clung to her skin. Surprising. She thought dead people became ghosts and went to the land of the dead.
As though realising something, Adelheid raced to the door and opened it the maids and guards around turned to stare at her, then she shut the door and went back inside. "Wait a minute? What if I'm not dead?" Adelheid began to analyse everything, Vika's shock, the room, her dress, and then she remembered Magda's words "…I'll take you back in time, maybe to before the time you started making these silly mistakes"
Adelheid jumped for joy when she realised what Magda had done, dancing and grinning widely.
The creak of the door interrupted her celebration. Frowning she turned to see who was that manner less individual that walked into her room without knocking. When she turned she frowned deeper, it was her stepmother…with Vika cowering in fear beside her.
She stared straight into the eyes of her stepmother and her stepmother stared back. They held each other's gaze for a few second before Queen Darya, Adelheid's stepmother, finally spoke.
"Adelheid, not even a good morning mother?"
Adelheid folded her lips into a line and curtsied, "Mother," She greeted. Darya didn't look satisfied, she turned to Vika, "Walk with me…"
"Yes your majesty" Vika scurried out.
Once they left, Adelheid felt she could now breathe. 'What was that suffocating aura that she felt around her,' Adelheid wondered, 'How come she had not noticed I before'.
--- [In Krevia] ---
When Boris opened his eyes, he looked around. 'Where was he?' He touched himself 'He was alive!'
He heard footsteps and looked forward, it was his esquire running towards him. "My Prince," Pavel breathed. As soon as he saw Pavel it was like someone snapped a finger before him and he couldn't remember anything of what just happened to him. "Why did I just exclaim I was alive just now?" Boris blinked and asked himself totally ignoring the bowing esquire. He could feel it, something big had happened. It was just at the tip of his fingers yet he could not remember.
"The artist awaits you in the courtyard…"
Boris gave him a weird look.
"You have to send your portrait to your wife to be. The princess of Koldunova…" Pavel reminded him.
Boris remembered instantly. There was this princess he was to marry in a fortnight. What was that her name again…Adelheid. A sorcerer told him that she was the solution to all his problems and the key to the throne. That's why he wanted to marry her, no feelings attached. Though she looked fair (beautiful) he doubted he would ever love her.
'Love?' He scoffed 'He didn't do love'
Boris gave Pavel a nod and stood. Then he looked at where he had been 'sleeping'. The stables! What was a prince like him doing at the stables? Had he slept there all night? It was still very early in the morning, so he assumed.
"What a weird day," He acknowledged and followed Pavel, turning back at intervals. He still had this feeling- something very important had just happened and he couldn't remember what.
Boris shook off these thoughts, he just had to focus on becoming Emperor. That's another reason why he wants to get married. Marriage was one of the requirements needed to become an Emperor.
He knew his father, the current Emperor, too well. He had to act fast or the position would be given to that 'son of a maid!'