I have these dreams that I build a home

~

Lasory left me be and went inside, and I stared at the stars alone.

I remember once, on a night just as clear as this one, Myu took me outside and showed me the night sky, telling me about the most beautiful thing the mortal soul can see in this world. A meteor shower right at the start of spring.

She promised we'd see it together, but... well... we all know how that went.

My mom and I used to sit down and talk about 3 things that sucked about our day and 3 things that were good about it. She told me how I only hang onto bad things, and that no matter what, there will always be something good to hold onto instead.

Well, Mom, today I found out I'm not wanted here, and that I might be in danger. I had to see my dreaded classmates again, and I'm leaving two friends I just made.

Good things... *sigh*

I guess on the topic of friends, I made two new ones. Or, three if you count Sage. She talks to me now. I'm learning magic and how to fight, and... hm... my third thing.

I'm the Queen of Sakari. That's a good thing, huh?

~

I woke to a tapping on my shoulder and realized my thoughts lulled me to sleep there on the blanket. I was wet because I'd wrapped myself in the dew-covered blanket without realizing.

So, I was freezing cold, tired, and wet - and the sky had only a few dashes of blue peeking past the horizon, which meant it was a few hours too early to be up.

"Morning, Your Highness," Lasory greeted with a formal bow, then held his hands out.

"Good morning, Doctor Kyur," I replied a little too formally.

What? I don't like being called "Your Highness".

I stood up and re-wrapped the blanket around myself - at least the inside part was dry. Lasory lowered his hands like he was expecting me to give him something. I just gave him a confused look.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"We leave as soon as you're ready. Lady Fezege managed to get us a ride on a carriage so our travels will be easy."

I sighed. "'As soon as you're ready' means everyone's waiting on me, huh?"

"Not particularly. The Heroes-in-Training aren't exactly eager to depart at such an early hour, so they'll probably thank you if you take your time to leave," Lasory explained with a wink.

"Ah..." I thought for a moment about what I needed before I leave. "Hey Las? Can I ask you a favor?"

"Any day, any time!" He jumped at the opportunity to do something for his Queen, which just made me smile this time. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing crazy. Just grab a bottle of wine. It's Sage's 18th birthday today and I'd feel bad not getting her anything after all she's done for me."

He nodded firmly, then gestured onward towards the castle, directing me back up to the twins' place, where I could get changed and make sure I had all my stuff.

Bold of you to assume I have "stuff".

When I went up to the twins', they were there and awake, and had a steaming bowl of something on the table, with a neat letter and a small wooden box next to it.

Then it started to sink in that I was leaving these two awesome people and their even-more-awesome food, and suddenly I wanted to cry.

They smiled and waved, greeting me with a friendly hello.

"I made you something to eat before you leave," Dasmo said with a close-eyed smile, showing his pearly white teeth. "Couldn't let my Queen hit the road hungry."

Not you too.

"Thank you." I sat down and started to eat what I was given, doing my best to hide the fact that tears were collecting at the bottom of my vision. The worst part was that I honestly didn't mind them calling me their Queen. It felt... endearing. True.

They'd made a soup for breakfast, which sounded weird in my head, but my tongue definitely disagreed.

I asked for the recipe, but Dasmo only winked.

He told me that Sage found me an outfit and left it in the room for me, so I went in to change because I haven't since I was in Sakari. The twins also let me use their bath, which sounded like a godsend.

I was in the middle of getting undressed when the bathroom door opened and I near about had a panic attack. Sage entered like it was nobody's business, and I started freaking out.

Why the hell is she here??

This is my own privacy damnit!

"Thought you might like an extra pair of hands to clean you up," she said cheerily.

My face was beet-red and I couldn't look her in the eye; I just stood there with my legs and arms crossed to cover myself.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

The large tub already had clean, soapy water in it, and I reluctantly got in it.

"What are you doing?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Just cleaning up a friend," she shrugged it off like it was nothing.

I sighed.

I'm only gonna not puke from embarrassment because it's your birthday. Consider yourself lucky.

She hummed and got soap and began to scrub my hair. You'd think we were sisters with how casual she was.

Looks like I'm gonna need some of that wine at this rate.

Sage took her sweet time, humming along to the tune of "Hey There Delilah", which I remember she used to sing a lot. Come to think of it, I once sang it for the school's talent show, and she sang it a lot more after that.

I hate to admit that I was really enjoying the feeling of someone else giving me a bath. It was relaxing, honestly. Almost euphoric. Sage was massaging my scalp a bit as she washed it, and she took extra care to make sure my whole body was clean as she went over it, not commenting on the fact that my whole torso and some of my arms and legs were covered in scars.

After the first few minutes I wasn't as uncomfortable with the fact that I was being washed by someone else. I just accepted that if she's comfortable then there's no reason for me not to be.

Turns out not only were my clothes from the castle really dirty and overworn, but so was my skin. Sage laughed at how much dirt she was getting off me, and added new water to the bath after I was washed so she could let me relax a little, massaging my shoulders and back.

When she was done giving me a wash, she asked if I felt better, and I said yes and thanked her, to which she played it off like it was only natural for her to do.

I wanted to bathe her (even though I had no idea how to do something like that) so I could give her the same luxurious treatment she gave me, but she claimed we didn't have the time.

She handed me some clothes that were thankfully very close to my size - a silvery sort of winter-dress that seemed custom-made to fit me, because it did very well. It had a thick layer of fur on the inside and long sleeves, and it came down a bit below my knees. She gave me black pants and tall boots to go with it, and I felt...

I felt pretty.

Well, I felt comfortable, but I honestly felt good-looking.

She was grinning ear-to-ear while she watched me spin around in it and admire myself a little in the mirror, gawking as the ends of the dress came up a little as I spun.

"Do you like it?" Sage wondered innocently.

"I really do."

"Good!" She cheered. "Consider it a gift from me."

I tilted my head to the side a little.

"Sage... where'd you get these clothes?"

She looked away sheepishly and opened her mouth to change the subject. I repeated myself more demandingly, and she gave in.

"I paid the tailor here to make them for you."

I about had a heart attack. "How much did that cost?? It's your birthday! You're not supposed to be giving me gifts!"

She continued to look away.

"Money wasn't really the concern. I hope you like it..."

"I really do, but you know I can't pay you back for this."

"You already have," she said with a smile as she grabbed Myu's necklace off of the nightstand and clipped it around my neck, then slid on my glasses for me and gave me a cheeky-cheery grin.

I looked comfortable, but not loud like I was going to a party or something formal. I just seemed presentable.

Which, for me, was the perfect medium, because I wouldn't want to wear something that drew too much attention to myself. As it turns out, though, my hopes of that being the case were very soon shattered.

After I grabbed the letter and the box and said my final, aching goodbyes to the twins, Sage led me downstairs and outside in the brisk temperatures, handing me a pair of black gloves that she'd apparently forgotten to give me, and I of course freaked out that she bought me even more than she already did.

I couldn't help skipping a little when nobody was looking, loving the feeling of my new boots and the little bit of weight that the thick layer of fur in my dress had. Clothes like these should be way more normal on Earth. For guys, too. This level of comfort should be illegal.

We would be accompanied by the four other Heroes, along with 4 of their classmates, who were natives to this world, but weren't exactly "Heroes".

They were in pairs of two on horseback, wearing thick cloaks and fur boots and pants, geared for winter for sure. Winters here hit like a brick at a hundred miles an hour, and the first freeze serves as a nasty warning blow, and it's expected to come any day now.

I'm glad my body handles the cold well, or I probably would've gotten hypothermia last night.

Perks of the past, I suppose.

Fezege greeted me and guided me to the carriage, which she said I could ride with Sage. I doubt the others are feeling happy about Fezege's favoritism towards Sage, nor about having to ride on horseback while we relax in a carriage.

I just did my best not to make eye contact with anyone as I approached the fancy-looking vehicle. Apparently it was Donthaar's emissary's transport, but the emissary wouldn't be leaving for a few weeks, so we could use it.

Lasory turned around and his jaw hit the floor, and I braced for impact.

"My lady!" He shouted. "You look stunning!"

He picked me up and spun me around, to which I gave a sheepish look. That's what he used to do with Myu when she had to get dressed up for events and guests, and I didn't like the stares I was getting from the Trainees.

After I gave him a glare that said "enough", he set me down and explained that he and Fezege would be in the front guiding the carriage, so Sage and I had the inside to ourselves, which he made sound a little more scandalous than he needed to.

~

Soon enough, everyone was settled and we were moving.

Sage and I sat facing each other in the cushy vehicle, and she said once again how much she loved my outfit. I just thanked her for getting it.

"I'm just glad to see you smiling again."

I did my best to give her another smile.

"Hey Sage?" I changed the topic. "Why don't you care?"

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Like... about me. Being Lydia and all that."

She sighed, moving from her side to sit right next to me and put her arm on my shoulder.

"The truth is, I've accepted that you've been on your own and braving this world for so long that you're a different person than the one I knew before."

I nodded slowly.

"'Vincent' is still there, but so is everything else you've been through. Yes it's weird seeing you in a small woman's body with that scar on your face and hearing you talk in her voice and use her name, but at the same time I accept it."

She held my face in her cold, thin fingers and looked me dead in the eye.

"The thing is, Lydia, I'm friends with both the Vincent you were before and the Lydia you are now, separately and together. I'd like you as Vincent now and I'd like you if I never knew Vincent before."

I couldn't help but watch as my eyes filled with tears and I hugged her. I really am a crybaby.

"Thank you, Sage."

I started to realize now that I shouldn't have brushed away Sage's kindness when we were growing up. She's a wonderful woman and quite honestly I don't feel like I deserve her.

"Speaking of, though," she began, changing the topic and wiping the few tears from my cheeks. "How did you end up in that body? What happened?"

I laughed a little, more out of nervousness. That's the question I was dreading.

"Well... I died, to put it simply."

Sage covered her mouth as genuine shock and horror crossed her face.

"And somehow I woke up in a royal mansion as Lydia. After a while, I remembered her life and her past. I guess you can say I'm not entirely Vincent or Lydia - I'm both of us."

Sage smiled. "Well I'm glad I got to both see you again and meet you."

We both laughed and the tension left as we chattered some more to the bump of the carriage, and I lay in the cozy warmth of my new winter dress and eventually fell asleep on Sage's shoulder.

~

"Just hand her over and I'll be gone," a firm voice woke me some time later.

Sage was gone.

"I'll hand over nothing to you, you filthy outlaw!" Fezege spat. I'd never heard her so... intense before.

I was still groggy and there was some shouting and commotion dizzying me from what was being said.

Then I heard a scream.