Slowly but surely, the world regained its color. Soon after, it regained its shape.
Beautiful walls colored like gold welcomed her back to the world of the living. A painting hanging from one of them assaulted her reborn sight; the silhouette of a woman extended her arms toward her, pulling her soul back into the world of the living.
“Cor…Cordelia! Where, where are you?”
Elena inspected every existent direction, all in hopes of catching a glimpse of the girl for whom she’d risked her life. She spared no time to make sense of her situation, to fully breathe in the air that filled her newfound lungs. There was no time to waste on such a senseless diversion. That girl, whom Elena yearned above all to protect, was the sole reason why her soul had not shattered into pieces, why it had not succumbed to the vacuum that was death. For the sake of getting to stare into those eyes, Elena could even forgo lingering on death. Such was the strength of her desperation, the extent of her will.
Thus, she couldn’t help but grimace when a husky voice informed her that her desire would remain unfulfilled for the time being.
“She is gone.”
Coldly but succinctly, the figure sitting by a chair answered her question. He then performed a fake cough, and sculpted a smile onto his face.
From Elena’s point of view, his was the face of a snake acting friendly to their prey. Albeit she’d never paid him much attention, his blonde hair and slender build were enough to reveal the sitting young man as Prince Charles, a man whose behavior had obtained little besides scorn from Elena.
“You… Why are YOU here? And what did you do to Cordelia?”
“That is not something you should concern yourself with. My future wife needs not to interact with such a lowlife. Instead, we need to discuss our plans for…”
Elena raised an eyebrow, before beginning to ignore Charles, who kept blathering on long after Elena had stopped paying attention. Her surroundings now actually came to her attention. Once again, she had awoken on a bed, except this time it was far larger, enough for two people to sleep in, and so was the general room. The bedsheets felt soft to the touch and were uniformly a crimson red, barring right in the middle where a golden crest in the shape of a sword was visible. A large window let in light and served as the gate to a balcony that oversaw the gardens below. The bed frame was made of solid gold, and there was a green jewel carved into it for further decoration.
It was evident this room was of significantly more importance than the one she’d stayed in previously, meant not for guests but rather for members of the Royal Family.
“There you go again, calling her your future wife,” rang a louder, booming voice that carried a scolding tone.
Elena gazed upon its origin, and witnessed a tall man with a defined mustache and a long beard, standing in the corner of the room. He wore a blue robe decorated with rubies right underneath his neck, and by his stomach the same golden crest from the bedsheet could be spotted.
The crown he wore on his head revealed his identity, as well as the reason for him standing there—he was no other than the King of Luzterna, chosen by the light to lead its people.
“I would like to remind you, my son, that you already have a fiancée. Miss Annalise, hailing all the way from the Meritocracy.” The king began to look down toward Elena, carrying the devil’s judgment within his piercing almond-shaped eyes. “I advise you quit wasting your time with a filthy specimen such as this. You know taking a Marked as a bride is impossible.”
Elena could not avoid growling in response to the man’s dehumanizing words. Not only was he speaking ill of her, but by extension, he was speaking ill of Cordelia, who too shared in the curse of the brand.
Before she could mutter a word she might regret, however, Charles stood up and met the challenge issued by his father’s words. “I will not allow such slander towards Elena. Especially coming from you, who when my mother needed you most could not resist sleeping around!”
At his son’s accusatory tone, the king gritted his teeth and stomped the ground. “Silence!” The man shouted, locking gazes with Charles.
Meanwhile, in the background, Elena gave small, quick claps, while saying Ooooohhhhh like she’d seen a nice play in a football match. She still didn’t like Charles, but she had to admit, it was a nice retort.
“What happened between your mother and I is ancient history. It is irrelevant to our conversation.”
“Oh, yes, sweep it under the rug.” Charles raised his tone, beginning to sound like a spoiled child. “ When you go around fucking the maid it’s all fine, but—”
“Charles, I told you to be silent!”
Oh my, we got some family draaa—ma!”
Elena’s eyes kept flipping back and forth from one man to the next. They were watching like hungry hyenas, enjoying the scene before them that resembled a Mexican telenovela. The king’s face had become red like a strawberry, flustered by his son’s scratching remarks.
Regaining “Leave now, father. One day, when I run this Kingdom, you can rest assured I’ll spend those days with a woman I love by my side, one whose eyes make my every morning a treat to look forward to—”
“Ugh, you were always the romantic.”
“—unlike you, who live with naught but bitterness for the woman who dumped you.”
tutututu! The sound of air horns blared inside Elena’s head. She could no longer hide her amusement, as faint whispers of laughter began to slip out of her closed mouth.
Part of that amusement stemmed from how much it shattered her perception of the man named Charles. The prince of weak build and who couldn’t so much as do his hair had stood up to his father, swinging his words with the intent of delivering humiliation to no less than the king of the land. The feelings he felt for her were what had propelled his behavior; even Elena, who felt nothing but scorn for him, couldn’t avoid having her heart touched by such a resolve.
Of course, that positive impression was one of faint length. The time she’d spent dead might have seemed eternal, but it wasn’t enough to make her forget. Once the memories of those deplorable words, muttered by the same mouth, finished flooding back to her, the faint smile she wore became poisoned, giving way to a grimace that revealed her true opinions of the young man.
“I have heard enough of your platter for the day. If you want to take in a lover, that is your course of action to decide.” The king turned around, and stepped toward the door. Before stepping into the hall, he turned his head and said, “Just beware… you might inquire the wrath of the Goddess herself!”
Both Elena and Charles became startled by the thunk of the closing door, the king’s anger taken out on the innocent wood. Once the sound fizzled out, the air started growing heavy, as the two remained alone.
“Soooo… where is—”
“I told you this already. She’s gone. Thales took her away, that’s all I know”
Elena no doubt paid attention to the information she had just gained. But what came across as more worthy of note, was the emotion Charles had worked into his response. Perhaps more accurately, the lack of emotion, as he sounded dead, defeated, worn down by some imaginary weight on his shoulders.
“Umm, are you okay?” Elena asked, with concern that was legitimate, despite her lacking opinion of him. It was simply her nature to want to play therapist.
The man aimed his gaze at Elena, then smiled while he collected his thoughts. He sat back on the chair, both their heads standing at the same height. “I apologize for my behavior. My father truly does infuriate me sometimes.”
“I understand. I can imagine having your father be the king must make him an even bigger pain in the ass than parents usually are.”
Charles’ eyes widened. “Indeed. He really believes I’m nothing more than an extension of him, a mere plaything he can shape to his will. But thankfully, books have put me on the right track.”
“Books?” Elena tilted her head.
“Yes. Fairy tales, romance stories. Are you not aware of what a book is?”
“Oh, nonono, trust me, I do. It’s just, well…”
For some reason, Elena had assumed he meant some sort of special type of book, one that foretold prophecies or something like that. The truth was far more mundane. He just didn’t seem like the bookworm type.
Charles laughed, then added, “I know it might seem childish, for the future heir of a nation to be so enthralled with such tales. But books raised me, almost as much as my parents did. Most of what I know of the world I know due to spending hours in the Royal Library, devouring every book I could find.”
Those books didn’t teach you to not be racist, however.
Despite her inner voice’s snark, Elena still felt curious. His face lit up like a firework, his hand pounding his chest, as if he was straining his whole soul just by speaking. Was there honesty to the words he was filling his mouth with?
“So when I saw you, laying there on the shore, so beautiful, like a doll made of the finest clay… I just knew this was it. The start of my fairy tale.”
“The start of your what?” Elena was flabbergasted. Was this guy serious?
“Indeed. I… am not destined to lead.” He averted his gaze, before clenching his right fist. “My brother was supposed to take the throne. But after his death… there remains no one else to succeed my father.”
“...” Elena said nothing, as she bit her lower lip.
“Could you believe that? Me! The fuck-up of a prince. Rule an entire nation. I never… I could never hope to…”
Charles started shaking in his seat, his face acquiring a red hue.
Elena attempted to remain silent. And while her lips were succeeding at that, her heart betrayed her intentions, as its thumping threatened to overwhelm even the sound of her own thoughts. Or perhaps, she was intentionally ignoring her thoughts, as she didn’t want to accept she was having them. Having such thoughts was unforgivable, a sin that spoke to her own weak, submissive self.
She, whose scorn for the man sitting before her couldn’t be washed away even by death, was now having her judgment slightly shaken. As a gulp traveled down her thin neck, she came to the cruel realization that she, at least for this very instant, sympathized with the man named Charles. She knew that she was forbidden from feeling anything beyond contempt, so long as his words on the Marked remained fresh within her memory. Yet, something about his words cast a mirror upon her, as if she couldn’t help but identify with his plight, with those words she could picture herself uttering.
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“So please, I beg of you… at least stand with me on the White Blade Ball.”
“Huh?”
“At least for one day, I want to feel happy. I want my heart to flutter and to be swept up by the beauty of a woman. Afterward, I promise I’ll tell you where that girl is, and then let you go return to…that man.”
Elena’s eyes lit up. Contrasting his childish demeanor from before, solemnity was what accompanied his words. He appeared defeated, yet his eyes shone with an earned maturity.
“Are you for real? What happened to the whole being your wife bit?”
“As much as I hate to admit, my father is right. I have obligations with my country to fulfill.” He let out a hearty laugh, then pressed the palm of his hand on his cheek. “Besides, you made your intentions pretty clear.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that,” she said, not actually being sorry. While slapping him was perhaps a touch too brazen, she held no regrets about rejecting his proposal. Even now, she remained uneasy around him. This was the result of the values with which she’d been raised, that prevented her from accepting a life under the reigning thumb of a man.
“To push further would be worthless. I can tell from the fire in your eyes. You’re not the kind of woman to change.”
“You think so?”
“At first, I thought you were simply stubborn, but after further thought, I can tell you have convictions. That is something I can respect… something I could never aspire to. If being Queen wasn’t enough to tempt you, then I guess nothing will be.” Charles raised his fist, as he pressed his lips. “And I will not force you into anything. At least that way, I will differ from my father.”
There was an irony to the situation, which Elena noted inside her mind but Charles appeared blind to. Just after stating to have no conviction, Charles had resolved to not be like his father, to not follow his philandering ways. It was a low bar, granted, but it was a form of conviction all the same.
Slowly but surely, a faint glimmer of respect was growing within the confines of Elena’s heart.
“There’s one last clause to this agreement you need to know, however.”
With dread on her tongue, Elena dared to ask, “What is that?”
Charles inhaled deeply, then refined the sharpness of his stare. “Once we part ways, you will return to being an undesirable in my eyes.”
Elena’s heart sank. Quickly but surely, all the respect Charles had gained from her crumbled, as it was a respect built under the pretense of forgetting. If enough time passed that she could forget his hateful words, only then could a better image of Charles begin to take shape. Even if she intellectually understood that such was the way one like her was perceived, hearing it being put into words caused a sense of disgust that transcended her ability to process. Her whole body felt like it was pushed by wind, stemming from those green eyes that poked at her being.
“Why… Why must you treat us like this?”
Elena brought her clenched fist to her chest and appeared to cry, although no tears actually fell out, too clogged up within her eye sockets.
Her question was as much of an inquiry as it was a prayer, as she above all wanted to know why. What compelled him to treat a fellow human being like this.
What leads a man to consider themselves above another, built out of skin and bone just like he? That was a mindset she could never grasp, not in her old world nor here. It was unlikely Charles had a satisfying answer for such an impossible conundrum, but he was the only one she could ask right now.
“Because the Goddess decrees it so.”
Her eyes opened, made to do so by the force of his answer, an answer she never expected to hear, for it was one that should not exist. He straight-faced gave an explanation for his racism.
Understandably, Elena wasn’t going to let it end at that.
“What do you mean? Your so-called Goddess ordered you all to be racist pricks?”
Charles narrowed his eyes. “You really don’t know anything, do you? Well, let me give you a quick history lesson. Five hundred years ago, the Goddess of Light fought desperately against the Crow King and his forces, who threatened to engulf the world into darkness. His army was comprised not only of warriors, but also of powerful spellcasters, whose magic was so powerful, they tore the Goddess’ forces asunder.”
Elena listened to his story, albeit with brewing frustration. “What does this have to do with—”
“The descendants of those spellcasters… they are who we now call the Marked.”
“What?” she yelled, lost for words. “Is that why they can use Magic?”
“Indeed. You do know some things… In any case, such power threatened to shatter the balance of power in the continent, a threat beyond that a regular human could manage.”
So, it appeared that in this world, prejudice wasn’t born only from simple ignorance. Those known as the Marked were special people, who on top of the abilities inherent to humans were also able to perform feats of magic.
“After winning the war, the Goddess declared the use of Magic as a perversion, and forbid any use of magic under threat of execution, for were the Marked allowed to roam free, their superior magical skills would result in chaos across the continent.”
Despite sounding like complete rubbish, Elena actually gave this notion some thought. If the power of Magic was such that normal humans could not hope to compare, then perhaps it was only logical for fear to exist. Her mind flashed back to stories like X-Men for a point of comparison, where despite what the narrative might tell, humans had plenty of reason to fear Mutants, when all it took was for one Mutant to have a bad day for half the world to explode.
Of course, all that careful consideration stopped mattering, when she remembered that she herself was a member of those hated people. It was easy for her to forget, far easier than it should be for a woman her age. In her past life, albeit inhabiting a body lacking in many appealing attributes, she had the blessing of possessing white skin. Being looked down upon for an aspect you can’t control; it was all a new nightmare for her. Were she to have experienced racism since birth, there was no doubt that she wouldn’t be giving Charles’ perspective even a slimmer of consideration. This was a flaw within her person that she had no choice but to acknowledge.
“The Kingdom of Luzterna was founded soon after. Those who were slaves under the Crow King and their children remained slaves under the new rule.”
He told his story without any shame, uttering his words like it was a lecture on a topic without controversy, like math. It was only once those words reached Elena’s ears that the hatred those words concealed bore fruit.
Her stare was frozen solid. The walls appeared to lose their golden hue, instead painted with the color of blood. This country, maybe even this entire world, was built with dead bodies as its foundation. The anger this flared within Elena was indescribable. Her hands gripped her dress by the chest area, as if blocking her heart from leaping out.
“On the anniversary of the War’s deciding battle, many balls are held in the many Cathedrals and chapels spread throughout the country. The biggest is held by the Cathedral atop Tomser’s Hill, with thousands assisting from across the entire continent.” He sighed, then continued. “As the next in line for the throne, I will be expected to give a speech and make myself known as the future king among the populace. My carefree life as a prince…it is soon to end.” He paused to straighten his gaze. “So I beg of you, please gift me one night of pleasure.”
Every bone of Elena’s body wanted to reject this man. To do so would be to live according to her own values and virtues. She wanted to go off, telling him in detail why everything about his mentality was wrong, why it was evil without bounds.
But if she wanted to learn what happened to Cordelia, if she wanted to give herself the best odds of survival, then she’d have to play coy.
“Listen carefully, Charles,” she said. Charles straightened his gaze, following on Elena’s cue, who had done the same. She added, “I will go with you to this ball. But know one thing.”
“What would that be?”
“I despise you.”
Perhaps unfortunately for herself, Elena did not know how to play coy.
“You called me an undesirable. And perhaps you’re right.” Elena pulled out her tongue before chuckling at her own self-dig. “But let me tell you. I know of one girl who shares this cursed Mark whom I simply desire with all my soul. So I can’t let you say such things.”
Her words were brash, and at first glance may appear naive and lacking in perspective. But in truth, she’d given great thought to her stance.
If it was true that the Marked possessed skill beyond those of normal humans, then it might seem at first that fearing their abilities was only logical. Elena however, understood that such a supposedly logical perspective was in fact rubbish, born out of blind prejudice. So long as people like Cordelia held humanity within them, then such a belief needed to be crushed without question.
Charles’s eyebrows reacted to her sudden burst of pride that seeped out of Elena. He bit his lip, undoubtedly taken aback by being talked back, something most unusual for a royal.
“I believe your stance on the Marked… it’s all bullshit,” she said, not mincing words.
There were few aspects of herself Elena felt real pride about. But the way she lived per the virtues instilled by her mother was one of them.
If her read on Charles was accurate, she could likely go back on her previous refusal, taking him for her husband. Then, she’d likely escape the life of danger he was threatening her with, instead enjoying a life of luxury at the palace.
But to do so…to accept such a life… it would mean abandoning the values that shaped her as a person.
She could never face her mother if she committed such a crime.
“There is one thing you hit the mark on, however,” she said.
He tilted his head. “And what would that be?”
Elena smiled, a smile so wide it could enwrap the entire room. She pounded her chest twice, then pointed at Charles with her index finger.
“That you and I… once this party is over, you and I will be enemies!”
Elena, filled with newfound confidence, revealed her intentions. She held no intent to play by the rules of the powerful of this world. If bastards like him reigned, she would be a rebel. Even if she was weak, she could at least find pride in standing on the right side of the fence.
Even if I have to die a million times… I will change this world!
She had no reason to fear. She had the power to survive death, a privilege unheard of. It would be irresponsible, it would be most selfish, to have such a power and not use it to reshape the world.
With optimism as her flag, Elena wore her virtues on her smile.
Charles snorted and shook his head, before saying, “Very well. Prepare yourself for tonight, as tomorrow we’ll be enemies.”
“Inde—wait, tonight? The ball is today?”
“Yes. So fit yourself into a nice dress. I don’t want to see you with that old rag ever again. And take off those weird contact glasses. They harm your beauty.”
As he said that, Charles got up and left the room. With his words fresh on her mind, Elena’s feet hit the floor, and she leaped out of bed. She then observed what he referred to as old rag.
“This dress…”
Right now, the cloth that dressed her was the same white dress she wore on the first day she got transported into this world. It was in perfect condition, perhaps in even better shape than it was originally, as there was no dirt to corrupt the pureness of the silk.
When she first arrived at the castle, Charles took this dress away from her, leaving her in the nude—which was kinda creepy, now that she thought about it. But in any case, he said he hated the dress, so it was unlikely he would order for it to be fixed up.
Also, what was that about taking off contacts? I didn’t even know those were a thing in this world.
Those words confused her. She noticed a large mirror on the wall, and approached it. The revelation painted itself on the glass, the sight of her eyes bringing shock to those same eyes.
“They’re… black? Weren’t they blue before?”
She was trying to remember. She only got to stare at her new reflection once, the day she arrived at the city capital, on a water fountain in the middle of a plaza. So while perhaps the water distorted her perception of her eye color, it was unlikely she’d make such a mistake. Especially when Charles had also implied a change in the hue of her irises.
So the question became… had her eyes been toned black somehow? Were her deaths in part to blame for this?
Her index finger stretched out her lower eyelid, attempting to get a better look while hoping she was wrong in her mind. It looked as if her pupil had absorbed her irises, an overwhelming dark that seemed unnatural, especially when next to the snow-like quality of her skin.
Before she could mull over the implications further, she heard loud knocks. The sound came in an easily discernible pattern. Three knocks, a long pause, then three more knocks. It reminded her ears of a ringing phone, not so much in the sound itself but in the consistency of it.
Right next to the bed of her awakening, a large windowed double door led to a small balcony. On the other side of the glass, the figure of a small bird hovered. It lacked in feathers, skin or bone. Only its silhouette could be seen, colored by a green hue. It crashed its beak onto the window, revealing itself as the source of the knocking.
Enthralled by the creature, Elena opened the doors, and as soon as she did, the bird lost its shape, and a cold wind blew at her.
“Wowowow.”
Her skin crawled at the ensuing breeze, but her ears were not blessed by the expected swoosh. In its place, the wind seemed to be whispering a message.
Attend the White Blade Ball tonight. I’ll be looking for you.
Once the message concluded, so did the wind, the temperature rising back to the way it was before. Elena, who remained standing, was amazed.
“It can’t be… Miles…”
The wind had delivered his words to her. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but even now, trapped in the castle, he’d made her feel less alone.
She smiled as she watched over the gardens below. The dread for the night had turned into eager anticipation.