บท 16: CH 16 ~ Nightmare
Eleanora slowly opened her blue eyes but there was something blurry and out of focus in her eyes.
She blinked her blurry eyes and slowly got up.
Her head felt heavy like she had overslept.
As Eleanora opened the white curtains on her bed, she noticed a carpet embroidered with shield in the middle of two swords.
She also saw a full-length mirror whose edge was decorated with silver and the same emblem.
'Why do I see the crest of my family here?'
Eleanora jumped out of bed and ran towards her mirror.
Instantly she could feel the difference when she moved.
She was shorter, lighter....And she felt strange.
Eleanora looked at her reflection and widened her eyes in shock.
She looked very young.
Her jewel like blue eyes was sparkling and rounder, unlike how she remembered her eyes looking tired and sharper.
Her cheeks were plumper and soft.
The stress lines she had accumulated over her years of mistreatment were completely gone.
She looked... pretty.
Why she has never ever thought that before?
Eleanora had been so focused on changing herself to suit the crown prince that she hadn't realized it.
And that's when she realized why she felt strange.
Her body is soft and mana flow is lower than before... The older you get, the more you practice, the higher your mana levels up in your body.
This body had never undergone those harsh knights training and war battles, this is why it's still so soft and smooth.
This is how Eleanora looked when she was twelve years old, before she officially began her knight training after going to the war at the age of thirteen.
A twenty-two year old trapped with a wounded soul inside the body of a small girl.
'What is happening?'
Eleanora approached the window and opened the white curtains. She stiffened when she looked at the scenery outside the window.
'What happened? Why do I see my garden here?'
Eleanora stood in a daze for a while and then looked again at the room.
She was in the bedroom of her family home, the bedroom she had lived in up until her marriage with the crown prince.
Everything was exactly the same. Was it all a dream?
Or is she trapped inside of another memory?
"My lady, are you awake?"
A voice then suddenly yelled from outside as someone slowly opened the door.
Flashes of memories of Rena came to her mind and she shivered.
How many times had she called for her like that?
'Your majesty, the Empress,'
This is how sweetly Rena used to call her but in the end her betrayal took away her opportunity to live.
Prove her innocence.
But no, that was impossible.
It's the duchy, Rena can't be here.
Her father took her away from the imperial palace and that dark place full of painful memories.
It took Eleanora a few seconds of realization before she finally recognized who it was.
There was only one person that could be...
"Good morning, my lady. You should take rest as the doctor has suggested you."
"Maria?"
Eleanora opened her eyes wide at the brown-haired middle aged woman coming in; she rushed towards her and hugged her tightly.
Which surprised Maria, who didn't knew about Eleanora's inner turmoil.
Maria tried to protect Eleanora till her last breathe; she was even beheaded along with her.
But still she didn't leave her...
"My lady, Are you still scared?"
Maria asked her with a dumbfounded face but Eleanora ignored her anxious gaze and hugged her tightly.
Tears filled her beautiful blue eyes again and Maria panicked.
"Why are you crying again, Princess?"
"Did you perhaps saw a nightmare?"
Maria asked and she nodded.
'Yes, I had a terrible nightmare.'
The memories of seeing her father in the prison, Maria's head being cut off and the memory of her execution along with her child…
'Wait a minute, Father?'
"Maria, where is my father?"
Eleanora release Maria from her grip and asked anxiously.
"I guess he is on the training field. As you know, he is usually practicing around this time and he also took care of you all night."
'He took care of me all night? What happened?'
"Thanks!"
"Well, where are you going, my lady? You are still weak!!"
But Eleanora paid no attention to Maria's words as she had to check.
Eleanora thought she could be relieved after she checked with her own eyes that he was safe.
She was not sure if what she experienced was a terrible nightmare or reality, or if she is dreaming now or not.
All she wanted to do right now was to find her father right away.
As a nobleman's daughter, she was not supposed to run no matter how busy, but Eleanora didn't care about such manners now.
She missed her father so much.
Ignoring Maria's loud call, Eleanora grabbed the hem of her dress and ran barefoot.
She ran downstairs through the second floor corridor where her room was, to the entrance, past the beautifully decorated garden, and to the training ground.
'Papa...I hope you are safe now!'
Eleanora kept running as she continued to see familiar scenarios.
The office room where her father used to work and later she worked after her father left for the border inception.
The guest room, where she used to chat with other noble ladies and none of them helped her when she needed them the most.
The garden where she used to play, the flower seeds which she planted with her mother has bloom beautiful flowers trees now.
The bench where her mother Eunice used to sit and comb her hair while telling her stories.
The big oak tree, under it she used to have picnic with her parents on every weekend.
Her mother would cook the meals personally and her father carrying the food basket as he carried her on his shoulder.
She would crack lame jokes and her father would try hard to fake a laugh to not let her realize it.
Her father sneaking a kiss from her mother, thinking Eleanora wasn't watching.
Everything was so clear and vivid in her mind like it all happened just yesterday and her mother is still with her.
Every corner of the duchy made her remember the happy time she had with her parents.
Then one day, her father suddenly left in a hurry for borders and right after he left, assassins attacked their house.
She watched her mother keeping those attackers away from her and then making her sit on a little horse which took her away.
Her mother smiled at her one last time, and bid her farewell with a painful smile on her face.
'Run, Nora… Never look back! Run fast.'
Eleanora ran fast as she recalled her mother's last words for her.
If she doesn't run now like she did before, maybe she will never be able to escape this terrible nightmare.
'Yeah, I need to run to papa, just like before…'
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