Chapter Two

She remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Her thoughts went from 'I need to get out of here' to 'Wow, his hair's white, why is his hair white is he an elf or something, is that why he's so handsome'.

She...she honestly needs to check her priorities.

The maid took her silence as a sign to explain the situation to the knight. "Her highness is suffering from memory loss, my lord. It seems that she has no recollection of who we are and of this place."

The young knight looked to the maid in shock, before turning his eyes to her. They were the deepest shade of violet, and Lyn had to mentally berate herself for thinking they suited him well. He stood to his full height.

"Your highness, do you remember me?" He asked, his expression grave.

She frowned. There they are with their gaslighting again! "I don't know you."

The young man frowned, his lips thinning in a line. His eyes momentarily turned cold, but it was gone a moment later.

"I am Cladius Irion, your highness. I am the head of the royal guard and your personal servant. I have been for years." He tried to explain.

Lyn paused, hearing the familiar name. She looked to her self-proclaimed personal maid. The girl looked young, probably still in her teens. Her brown hair was tied in a bun on her head, and her equally dark eyes conveyed nothing but panic.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"I am Amely Corrinth, your highness' personal maid, given to you by the noble family Evenai on your tenth birthday." She promptly replied, ending her spiel with a curtsy. Lyn stared at their forms, deep in thought.

( "Cladius and Amely," the woman spoke, her eyes showing deep sadness. "They tried to kill me.")

She looked around for a mirror, and upon finding one atop a dresser, swiftly made her way over. She took the mirror in her hands, momentarily marveling at the gems lining its edges, and peered.

'Ah, I remember now.' She thought as her eyes landed on her reflection. Lyn...what was her last name again? How strange, why can't she remember?

'No, no, that's not important right now' she told herself. The reflection in front of her showed a beauty. Dark straight hair, blue eyes, and aristocratic features. Lyn the professor had dark brown eyes and curly hair. The acne she suffered in her teenage years has left scars on her cheeks, but right now her face was smooth.

'This woman' she thought as her fingers traced the surface of the mirror. 'She's too beautiful to be me.'

She put down the mirror, her eyes shut. 'What have I agreed to?'

"Your highness? Are you alright?" Cladius asked, his tone seemingly worried. Lyn opened her eyes and turned to look at him. Amely fidgeted behind him, casting worrying looks between him and her.

The other maids and the elderly man stayed quiet, their expressions guarded as if waiting for her to explode.

("They tried to kill me," a small, sad smile appeared on the woman's face. It was a smile full of regrets and grief. "But you can trust them.")

She can feel a headache coming. Again, what has she agreed to? She needs to think, maybe even formulate some sort of plan. Amidst her inner battle, her face remained blank.

"Leave me." She asked, but with her expression, she might as well have yelled it. The maids, the physician, and the knight all bowed and left her room. As soon as the door closed, Lyn plopped down on the king-sized bed, face first. She groaned. "I am screwed."

She remembers now, that promise she made to the woman in that empty place.

("I'll help you." She said, offering comfort. The woman stared at her, and seeing that she was telling the truth, smiled at her.

"Thank you." She whispered, relieved. They remained silent for a while. Lyn tried not to feel awkward, as the woman was still trying to pull herself together. She would've offered tissues if she had any, knowing the woman desperately needed to wipe her face.

"Cladius and Amely," the woman spoke, her eyes showing deep sadness. "They tried to kill me."

Lyn's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but the woman had already continued with her story.

"It isn't a surprise. I am not..." she sighed, closing her eyes in deep regret. "I am not kind. I have made so many mistakes the heavens would scorn at the mention of me."

It was silent again, but Lyn kept her mouth shut. The woman was not done.

"They tried to kill me," a small, sad smile appeared on the woman's face. It was a smile full of regrets and grief. "But you can trust them."

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

"They're the only ones you can trust." The woman held her hands again. "Please, help me fix my mistakes. It's selfish, I know, but please."

Lyn wanted to refuse. And she knew had every right to. The woman was a stranger. She doesn't even know what kind of help she's trying to get from her. She opened her mouth, to tell her that there's probably another person who can help her, but her eyes kept her still.

The sadness in them, it was what changed her mind.

She nodded. "I'll do my best."

The woman smiled, this time it was bright and cheery. Her expression was so happy it strengthened her resolve.

"Thank you. I can...finally...rest."

With those last words, the woman disappeared.)

"...I am an idiot." She muttered, rolling over and placing her hands on her face. She hadn't even asked the woman who she was! She just said yes without asking for details, how stupid is that?

She sat up with a determined look on her face. Well, there's nothing she can do but move forward. She can blame her stupidity all she likes, but it's not going to change anything.

So first things first, what exactly did the woman want her to do?