CHAPTER 13

ARISA

"Umm!! Stop it!!! Aaahhh!! Let me sleep.", I groaned in my bed; "Ahhhhh!!! Arin! What makes you so sad early in the morning!!??? Ohh??? Can I get a peaceful sleep at the very least?" my heart ached badly. Having left with no other option I had to leave my beloved bed and walk out to open the windows. The sunrays hit my face as soon as the doors were left open in the air. The sweet fragrance of lilies from the pond behind the palace occupied my room. I went towards the huge mirror beside my bed, and saw my reflection in that crystal clear glass. I caressed my own face with my hands, and wondered… This is what I used to looked like 500 years back… this was what my body looked like in my lifetime… but I couldn't remember a single thing about my own life… i am completely unaware of what was gonna happen in the next second… and this body doesn't even belong to only me now… we are sharing one body between two souls… will this experiment from Goddess Astrea be successful? What if something goes wrong in this journey of acknowledging truth of my life… what if Arin can never free herself from my soul?? Innumerous questions with absolutely no answers… or I guess the answers are only with Goddess which would be revealed after the reveal of that specific event… which no one had a clue about…

My heart was paining immensely since the moment I woke up, this was Arin's soul inside me being in extreme sadness which was reflecting over my physical conditions. I sat down on the velvet seat in front of the dressing table, holding my heart with my right hand over my bosom.

"Princess Arisa, you are requested to follow me to the bath royal bath house." a servant called me outside the door.

"Yeahh… go on… I'll reach the bath house in few moments…" I said bearing the extreme pain from heart.

"Princess, is something wrong? Is something hurting you??" the female servant insisted on helping me.

"No, I'm okay. Fine… hold my hand and take me to the bath house, I don't think that I'll be able to walk there alone…"

"My pleasure your highness. Come this way, hold my hand."

I reached the wooden bath house, decorated with scented incense sticks and flowers, purple orchid petals were floating on the water, the whole setting of bath house was dim lighted with a mild illumination from candles lit. As I stepped inside, I could sense the sensuous air… which actually tensed me up a bit..

"Why is it so dark here? I mean, open those windows! Don't you feel suffocated with all these dark scented candles??" I shouted over the maid.

"Risa… do you feel suffocated with my love?" A familiar voice whispered in my ears. I turned back in shock as the chills went down my spine. She… she was Adrestia… yes.. She was certainly Adrestia… I can remember seeing her face through Arin's eyes… But, what was she doing here in my life? My memories were erased for this life… was she always a part of my life?

I kept on staring at her with eyes wide open, she flicked her index finger over my forehead and laughed out seductively,

"Princess Arisa, why are you so shocked? Don't we take a bath together every morning?? Hmm?"

"Who…are you?..." I asked her reluctantly.

She was quite baffled with this sudden question coming from me.

"Come on Risa, you aren't that good actor or a gag! Stop kidding with me… or I may punish you…" She said while approaching near me, and laying her fingers over my skin.

"What.. What kind of punishment?" I asked in an awkward way tilting my neck in the right as she lingered her fingers over my sensitive skin.

"Ohh… did you forget my punishments too?" saying this she pushed inside the bath tub out of nowhere and I was splashed inside the water full of orchids.

"Aahhhhhh!!!!!! Why did you push me???!!! Is this the way you behave with the royal princess?" I blurted out words in anger as the water had completely drenched my long satin white colored hanbok dress.

"Awww, you look so cute with this angered face, hahaha!! Wait, let me help you undress…"

"NO! I CAN UNDRESS MYSELF!! Don't touch me!!" I said loudly as Arin inside me was getting nervous at the sight of Adrestia.

"How could I not touch you my highness? It's my duty as your personal maid, your best friend, your guardian… to serve you… let me serve you, risa… you cannot bath by yourself without me, Min" , She said while wearing a very sweet smile on her pale white face. She managed to get inside the bathtub with her long green transparent tunic robe that floated over the water. She sat behind me over the flat marble edge of the bathtub, and began loosening up my hair strands which were tied up in plaits. Next moment she started undressing my hanbok one piece of clothing after other. My body was in shambles as she continued touching me everywhere on the bare skin. The tension between us had reached up to the sky as she lingered her fingers over my bare back and began applying soap on it.

"Arisa!!!! STOP HER!!!!" a voice echoed inside me. It was Arin pleading me to stop her. I mean, like… even I wanted to stop her but I couldn't!!?? Her touch was taking over my mind insanely and I just couldn't stop her!!

"Arisa!! Don't you forget that even I'm the half owner of this body and I DO NOT PERMIT THIS!!!!"

"I KNOW!! But I can't…" I said unconsciously.

"What did you say?" Adrestia was startled with my sudden angered tone.

"Min, can you please leave me alone for the rest of the bath? Trust me I can bath myself quite well. Hmm?"

"Ohh, okay fine… I'll keep your clothes ready…"

"Yaa, that would be amazing." I said while smiling broadly.

She was assured with my smile and went out of the bath house happily.

"Happy now?" I asked Arin as she had irritated me since morning.

"Yes, thank you so much my other half." She replied sarcastically.

We were the same yet so different, Arin was myself 500 years later still she seems so different than me… It's like, she was everything I couldn't be in my life and I had lived a life which she could never even imagine in modern time, a life of caged princess…

I left the bath house and walked through the outdoor wooden lanes which connected Ariho's and my suites in the palace. My cherry colored long tunic dress flowed down and swept the wooden flooring, long black wet hair dripped out the water. I entered the royal flower garden to pluck few flowers for my hair aesthetics, as I picked roses a hand came from behind me and placed a tiny rose in my hair knots. I turned around and found Ariho standing behind me, smiling lovingly at me. I laughed sweetly in return. Ariho was the only person whom I could remember from my whole existence as Arisa.

"Orabeoni? When did quietly sneaked inside my garden??" I said placing my hands over the waist.

"Hyaa! Why would I sneak in? I can play with my sister anywhere in Arishillin!" He replied in a cute tone.

"Ahhh! Stop acting cute! You're the King of Arishillin now, don't be so childish." I laughed at him.

"But I can act cute only in front of my little Risa… or else I would've to unleash my sword in front of enemy on the battleground." He showed me his sword fixed on his back.

I stepped away at the sight of sword, he laughed at me being scaredy cat. He looked so sweet while smiling, he was the most beautiful man for me… my lovely older brother… my only family after death of our parents… I stared at him and smiled like an idiot, he patted my head lightly and took me in his embrace.

"Your majesty, a messenger has arrived from Yang empire of the east. He wishes to hand over the letter to you personally." a male servant said from distance.

"Yang empire… I knew it…" Ariho seemed nervous.

"Why oppa? Is something wrong with Yang empire??" I asked him unknowingly.

"Risa, did you forget? Yang empire helped us take revenge for our parents death and killed our enemy, Without their help it might have been impossible take back Arishillin from our enemies clutches."

"Ahh… It just went out of my mind… sorry… but what do they want now?"

"They want me to marry their eighth princess and establish a permanent bond between Yang empire and Arishillin, which also means we will go under their empire."

"Is it a bad thing?"

"Not really, but I'm just not ready to start a new family… and getting married to some random stranger is bit too much…"

"Aeyy oppa! you're shy ,aren't you??"I teased him while pinching on his arms.

"Let's go, I need to receive the invitation." He walked out of the garden and I followed behind him.

A young girl around my age followed us towards the royal court of Arishillin. I looked at her unfamiliarly, she smiled at me heartily. She seemed pretty close to me, but what could I do? I couldn't remember her face or name at all…

"Shina, take Arisa with you and go behind the curtain beside my throne." Ariho ordered that girl.

"Yes, your majesty." She bowed down.

Ohhh… she was Shina… I can remember a few things after hearing her name… she was my childhood friend…

"Why would Oppa send me behind the curtain?" I asked Shina.

"He doesn't want any stranger man to look at you, that's why he has built that special semi-transparent silk curtain before your seat in the court." She replied in a whisper.

"Is it because of my diamond core?"

"Shhhhh! You're not allowed to speak about in royal court!! Arishillin has to keep it a secret!! How could you forget all these things??"Her eyes went wide in shock."

I assured her by placing my index finger on my lips that I won't talk about it anymore and sat down on the white pearl-embedded seat.

The messenger approached in front of the King's throne and offered the royal invitation from Yang Empire while bowing down.

The Ari servant took that invitation roll and handed it over to Ariho. He opened at read it silently while his face darkened bit by bit as the time passed while reading.

The messenger said in a low tone, "Great Emperor of Yang dynasty has invited King Ariho and his beloved sister Princess Arisa for the Spring festival in Valleys of Yang empire."

"Thank you so much for this humble invitation, but I cannot take Princess Arisa with me. But inform His majesty to stay assured that King Ariho would definitely attend the Spring festival." Ariho was clearly not happy with idea of letting me step outside Arishillin.

"Your highness, Our great emperor has personally requested you to accompany with your family for this year's festival as the symbol of friendship bond between two lands, and also as the spiritual brotherhood between two Kingdoms worshpping Goddess Astrea. Spring festival is Yang empire's way of offering greatest service to Goddess Astrea. Please do not deny this sweet invitation and let princess Arisa join in our celebrations.", The messenger spoke in polite way still bowing before the Throne.

"May I speak, your majesty?", I asked Ariho behind the curtain.

As Ariho nodded in yes, I stood up and said, "I won't mind accompanying my older brother, King of Arishillin for Spring festival in Yang Empire. If it for the nourishment of well-being and good relations, I am all at your service my majesty." I bowed down at the direction of Throne.

"Arisa… you really don't need to…" Ariho tried refraining me from my decision.

"No, Orabeoni. You are not just my older brother now, we need to think about our Arishillin too. Yang empire is stronger than us in all aspects; hence, we can't disappoint them for such trivial matter. I'm not even a child now, I can take care of myself very well and most importantly you would never leave me alone in any circumstances. So please rest back, and let me prepare for our journey to Yang empire."

Everyone in the court were taken aback at my speech to convince King Ariho with such a fluency. I as Arisa was myself the most shocked at the way I'd spoken for all these minutes, but then I realized that it wasn't me who spoke… those weren't my words… It was Arin… Because, Arisa never had the courage to speak up before her older brother, not even in front of these many people… while, Arin had it all… She was the most courageous and righteous person… And I guess she has some important to visit Yang empire… But what? Is it related to the incident that Astrea wanted both of us to witness in this life?