章 38: History?
Fueled by the urge not to be late for their very first history class, the two arrived just in time.
They were greeted by their history professor, Professor Burton.
As they took their seats, Emma couldn't help but wonder how Lily was doing, and also about what they'd be learning during their classes.
If only she knew that what they'd learn hit close to home.
As Professor Burton introduced himself, James whispered into Emma's ear.
"Sorry for interrupting you and Lily's moment earlier," he said as his breath fanned over Emma's ear.
Emma blinked. Was her ears working properly? Did she just hear James apologize?
At this, Emma grinned and faced James.
"James, it's fine. You were only reminding me of our next class. If you hadn't, we would've been late," she said as the lightest shade of pink covered her cheeks.
James was interrupted by the end of Professor Burton's introduction, and when he had started his history class.
While he had explained what they were going to be learning for this class, Emma and James hadn't been paying attention.
Professor Burton pressed a button on the remote he was holding, as the screen beside him projected a presentation on the history of Zenovia's past royal families.
What they were discussing was the history of Zenovia's kings, queens, princes and princesses and as Professor Burton explained on and on about Zenovia's past monarchs.
But it was when he moved on to a set of monarchs did it catch everyone's attention.
The late King Arthur and Queen Anabella of Zenovia that ruled over Zenovia hundreds of years ago.
Of course, Emma didn't know why she felt so familiar with the two monarchs, it was as if she had met them before. She had seen the statue of King Arthur when she had first arrived at ZALE, and this feeling of familiarity struck her yet again as she couldn't comprehend why the two faces seem to have some similarities to hers.
She blankly stared at the slide of her past life's parents. She didn't remember anything from her past life hundreds of years ago, so she had no idea why she felt this way.
To think, she was the reincarnation of their daughter, and she had no idea her past self had saved her kingdom from a deadly sickness. If not for her, no one would be here at ZALE, studying. But she was left in the dark, so she didn't understand why.
As the slides proceeded to change to the next, there was one particular photo that grabbed everyone's attention.
Professor Burton went on about the rules and impacts the two monarchs had, and the spread of the plague as he went on discussing a topic that managed to take everyone's attention, but for the wrong reasons.
As Professor Burton clicked another button on the remote, the screen proceeded to display a picture of Princess Madison of Zenovia. She looked absolutely identical to Emma, if you excluded their different hairstyles, of course.
Emma's eyes widened.
Gasps and hushed whispers circulated the classroom as almost all students exchanged glances between the portrait of Princess Madison and Emma.
Some had to blink and wipe their eyes, thinking they were seeing things, since it couldn't be possible Emma and Princess Madison shared a similar, no, identical, face.
One student asked, "Professor, this has to be a joke. Did you just take a picture of Emma instead of Princess Madison?"
That question only stirred more whispers.
"Whoa. Emma looks exactly like her."
"Are they related somehow?"
"Are they twins?"
"How is this even possible?"
Professor Burton said nothing as he stared at his student.
He hadn't noticed before, but they looked identical.
"Curiouser and curiouser," he murmured to himself.
James was no exception. His jaw dropped to the floor as he stared at the girl he had developed feelings for and the portrait of the girl smiling on the screen.
"H-how is this possible?" He stuttered, asking Emma.
He had never realized how identical they were, regardless of the many books he read about the history and past monarchs of Zenovia.
This couldn't simply be passed off as a 'coincidence'. It simply couldn't.
Emma turned to face James, not having the slightest idea on why she looked exactly like someone as powerful and someone as beautiful as the princess of Zenovia regarded as a hero for her acts to save her kingdom.
"How am I supposed to know?" She asked, her eyes ablaze as she slumped down her seat, trying not to let others see her.
Courtney scoffed, her voice silencing the whispers of the other students as everyone turned to see what she had to say.
"Grey probably got plastic surgery to look pretty because she knew she couldn't ever be as pretty as the late princess of Zenovia," she stated, her nose high up in the air.
James glared at Courtney, ready to defend Emma.
Emma held his arm.
"James, you're going to make a scene," she said calmly.
James gritted his teeth.
"Well, that's better than false accusations of you getting surgery," he spat back.
Emma smiled sweetly.
"James, that's sweet of you, but the other students aren't foolish enough to believe something out of her mouth either," she reasoned.
"And you wouldn't want to get into any trouble that might hinder you from winning top of the class, now would you?" She asked, hitting a nerve.
James frowned.
"You have a point," he admitted.
At Courtney's previous statement, Professor Burton shook his head.
"Don't be quick to accuse your classmate of such things. Unlike the solution you have to most problems, we don't solve every problem of two identical faces with plastic surgery, Ms Walton," Professor Burton remarked, defending one of the only students who was capable of answering his questions during his whole class.
If not for her self-control and her resisting the tempting urge to laugh at her professor's witty remark that most would call, 'a burn', Emma stifled her laugh.
Courtney crossed her arms and glared at her professor.
"My father will hear about this," she announced to everyone, as if her father was the most feared person in the world.
Unfortunately, in her case, he wasn't.
"Ah, yes. Me and your father are very good friends. I have no problem with you telling your father this. I haven't talked to him in ages," Professor Burton replied, much to Courtney's fury.
Courtney kept quiet as she suppressed her anger burning inside her.
Winnie, who was trembling in fear, terrified of what Courtney would do to take her anger out on her, suddenly received a message on her phone.
She took it out and opened to see what it was, and her eyes widened as she received a text from her uncle.
She decided to read the message later as she stuffed her phone in her pocket before Professor Burton would catch her.
Meanwhile, Emma stared at the screen blankly. She simply couldn't grasp the situation. She had been staring at it for a while, still not being able to tell why she recognized the picture, and why she looked exactly like the young woman on the screen, if not for the slight age difference and the time difference.
This was a picture of a princess that had saved her kingdom from a plague.
If that was the case, then why did such a commoner like her manage to have identical faces with the princess?
If only she knew why.
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