{Cateline}

“A woman?”

“She’s ghastly!”

“Mama, why is there a corpse?”

My eyes snapped open. Gasping for air, my body was drenched and my clothes were wrinkled, clinging to me like a second skin. Above me, a girl with blonde hair and the purest blue eyes, stared down, her lips curling into a horrified frown before she screamed and scurried away, hiding behind who I presumed was her father. My chest heaved with each breath as I sat up carefully, my gaze darting to the family standing there, staring at me like I was some sort of ghost.

A shudder ran through me as I backed away on all fours, the skirt of my heavy gown dragging along the grass with each frantic shove. I cried out when my back smashed into a picket fence, grabbing the back of my head. I glanced at my fingers, expecting to find blood, but there was nothing. No wound. Just skin wrinkled from the water.

What in the world?

The man stepped forward, his grip tight around a cleaver, his brow furrowed. “Tell me, whater’ you doin’ here?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but only a croak escaped. Should I trust them? No…no, that was far too risky.

My hand flew to my throat as I leaned forward, coughing up a mixture of water and blood. My whole body ached, despite the gashes that had vanished from existence. It was like I was sliced into a thousand pieces and sewn back together with invisible thread. The sight of the bloody mucus, though, was enough for me to heave the rest of the water out of my stomach, and onto the grass.

Tearing my eyes away from the bile on the grass, I looked around. Panic swelled in my chest. Every breath felt heavier and harder until—

Oh, gods, I couldn’t breathe. I clutched at my chest, my thoughts scrambling to my brothers, to the banquet, to my parents.

Through the child’s sobbing, I could barely make out the woman’s words as she told the girl to fetch water. “Water would be lovely,” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible.

They all leaned in, straining to hear me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Senevia, go grab a cup and fill it with water, please,” the matron said louder.

I wiped my mouth, watching the girl hesitate before running off. She disappeared around the back of a small cottage. That’s when I noticed how humble the stone building looked. Smoke wafted from the chimney, twisting up into the sky in soft gray plumes.

At the edge of the lot, the grass turned to golden sand, and beyond that, I could hear the gentle splash of a river, winding its way downstream toward a lake. Was that where I had washed up? I gulped at the thought.

There were other homes, too. This didn’t feel like Axulran, though. Not that I had ever ventured beyond the castle walls. I had only ever seen the mountains, the sky, and the endless stretch of grass from my windows.

But this place... it was different. Warmer. The sky was clear, and the mountains in the distance were topped with grass and dirt, not snow and ice.

“What’s yer name?” the man demanded, waving his knife at me again. I flinched, raising my eyebrows in fear.

My mouth parted, but I stuttered, unsure what to say. I couldn’t give them my full name. What name should I even give? I went with my gut, which wasn’t smart. “C-Cateline.”

Omitting my kingdom’s name was the best I could manage in my panic. Hopefully, that was enough. My wits were failing me under pressure, but at least I had the sense to conceal my title. Who knew what they would do if they found out I was royalty? The way the man glowered at me, with no sign of recognition, made me wonder if I was even still in Axulran.

The girl returned, walking slowly, her hands shaking as she held out the cup of water. I took it gratefully and drank until the cup was empty.

“Alright, Cater-line,” the man said, “care to tell me why yer’ washed up on my shore?”

I set the cup down and slowly rose to my feet, wincing as I examined my hand. The wound from the woods was gone, the skin smooth where it had once been bloody and raw. I looked up at them, shivering in my soaked gown. Their eyes were wide, curious as if I were some sort of miracle. This wasn’t Axulran. If it were, they would have recognized me by now.

“D-do you know how I g-got here?” I stammered, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the violent shivers. The sunlight did little to warm me.

“You floated up tee’ pond!” the man shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “Yee was broken and tattered, but when I pulled yee in... poof! Alive, awake, and put back teegether! Mag—mageec!”

I stared at him, my face twisting in disbelief. There was no way I’d floated up that river. It was impossible.

“You look cold,” the woman said, stepping forward. She lowered the man’s hand, gently stroking his knuckles as if to calm him. “Why don’t we get you some stew and a fresh set of clothes?”

My eyes flicked to the cleaver he held, then back to the humble cottages. I didn’t have much of a choice. There was nowhere else to go. So, I nodded.

“Perfect.” The woman smiled warmly, then turned to the girl. “Senevia, please fetch one of my gowns and another glass of water. We need to get Cateline away from this wind.”