Upper Class

He was huge and bulky up close… and he had a strong earthy smell combined with wood and dried sweat.

Before Lydia could meet his eyes, she caught a whiff of chicken dung coming from the open door, so she couldn't help but glance inside.

There were native chickens scratching dirt near the door, and there were black piglets huddling with a sow at the side.

Meanwhile, at the center near the wall, there was a brown horse larger than any of the horses she had ever seen.

Once it saw her, its posture tensed and its nostrils flared. Then it looked away and slumped it's head on the ground before blowing its nose forcefully.

'Wow, this horse doesn't seem to like me at all,' Lydia thought.

"Uwahh…"

"Ahh, uwahh…"

"Shh... it's okay. It's okay," a soft voice said, so Lydia turned her head to the opposite side of the house. However, before she could see anything, the young man slammed the door shut, so she turned her attention to him instead. 

He was gripping the door firmly with a guarded stance as he looked at her with a web of tangled emotions. "What do you need of me, your highness?" 

"I…" Lydia was at a loss for words as she stared at her murky reflection in his eyes. 

His gray orbs had a glimmer of fear, but it was overshadowed with disappointment and curiosity. Beneath those, there was an igniting hatred and a waning spark of gratitude.

For some reason, looking at him formed a knot in her stomach.

She felt like she was being judged for doing something wrong. 

However, despite the growing discomfort within her, she shifted her focus to his utterance of the words "grace" and "highness," instead, since they are clearer indicators of who she's possessing now and how she should conduct herself.

'Was the previous owner of this body a royal?'

'Well she could be,' Lydia thought as she shifted her gaze to the man's plain dull clothes that contrasted with her detailed and vibrant blue dress.

'The difference in the quality of our clothing is big. Besides, he bowed to me three times, so regardless of the governing system in place, this body could be someone who's at the top of the hierarchy.'

'However, if that was true, how did he recognize me so fast and from afar?'

'As far as I know, it was hard for regular citizens to meet those who are at the top.'

'Well, I did wake up on the other side of the hill, so maybe I live nearby, but I'm pretty sure this village is secluded since I did not see a town or a mansion nearby.'

'Right, the horse…'

'He has an enormous horse. Plus, he seems strong, so he could be a knight or a soldier off duty whom this body had interacted with before.'

'However, if he was a knight or a soldier, why would his living conditions be like this? For him to be able to interact with this body, and develop those deep-seated emotions in his eyes, wouldn't that mean that he should at least be in the higher ranks and gain better rewards?'

'Well, it could be that he is not a knight but a cook, or something else. It could also be that the original owner of this body can trigger those emotions with little to no interaction with him.'

Lydia glanced at the brick house nearby. 'Or maybe… I live in that brick house, but I am called your highness.'

'Well, who knows? I do not know the law, rules, and culture here yet. Plus, I might be occupying someone with little power but is presumptuous enough to want to be called your highness.'

'Wait, why am I even thinking this far when all I need is a confirmation that this body indeed belongs to the upper class?'

'Right, that's all I needed for now, so I need to calm down and not over think this…'

'But how could I not when I know now that this body might be someone important, but I woke up alone in a partially frozen lake?'

'Ugh, no, no, no, don't think of that first. He's only asking me one question. Let's deal with that first.'

'All I need from him is food and shelter, but how should I say that? Should I command him or something?'

'Yeah, something like, give me food you peasant.'

'Ugh no that sucks, cause I'm the real peasant here. I don't even know the way to this body's home.'

Lydia returned her gaze to him. His eyes were still on her, but he was now leaning at the door with crossed arms.

"Have you changed your mind, your highness?" he asked in a low voice while looking at her seriously.

"Oh, no, no, I still want food. I'm hung..." she paused when she realized her mistake. Then she pretended like it did not happen. 

"Have I changed my mind about what?" she asked. However, when he was about to respond, a woman's voice called out, piercing the soft cries of the baby that had been pushed at the back of her mind.

"Ahmad, the fire is about to die out. Can you bring in the firewood first if you're not discussing something urgent with the guest?"

"I'll be there shortly," he said tenderly, while glancing at the door.

Then he returned his attention back to Lydia and took a deep breath before standing straight. 

He stared at her for several seconds, pre-occupied. Then he stomped his right foot on the ground three times, before extending his hands up and opening them wide into a full circle till his palms met at the center of his chest.

"Your highness, I solemnly swear by the forces of nature and to all spirits that bear witness, that my lips will forever be sealed about the events that day. No words have yet been uttered and there never will be, so if you had a change of heart, I beg of you not to involve my…"

"Grrr"

"Grr…" Lydia covered her stomach as it grumbled louder than before.

'Damn, why now? He is telling me something important for sure. He even performed some actions.'