The Blessed Nation

The maid kept her promise and let Rache relax in the warm water for a while. She helped Rache clean, but Rache insisted she be left to do it herself below the waist.

Then it was time to dry off and get dressed.

Even though she felt much better sitting in the water for so long, her legs were still not willing to work outside of the water. She reluctantly accepted the maid's help to get her into the dress.

Once she was sufficiently bundled, the maid wrapped her in a blanket. This felt excessive, but the maid insisted it would keep the chill off her bones until she fully dried out, and she'd metaphorically face-planted enough times she didn't want to do it again.

Thus, she was bundled off to the bedroom again in a blanket cocoon.

She was seated in the chair once more, and the maid set to braiding her hair.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Rache asked softly.

"Anything, dear."

"Where...is this place?"

She almost asked if she had died, but this poor woman wouldn't know, and given how focused she'd been on how alive Rache definitely was, not only would she not get any answer there, it would only upset a woman who seemed to genuinely care.

But she still couldn't help but ask something.

She felt like she was floating in an endless dark sea with no idea of where she was. Or. Even who she was.

"This is the castle in the capitol city, of course."

"Capitol city?"

"Indeed, indeed. In the country of Aurania. Only the loveliest kingdom there is to live in, yes indeed."

Aurania...

Aurania, Aurania, Aurania.

Why did that ring such a strong bell in the back of her mind?

"Aurania." She murmured. "Aurania is..."

"Aurania, of course." The maid nodded to her own words.

"Land of the Onyx Deserts and the Jade Valley, jewel of the east and home of the Goddess' family. Where the sun is forever in the sky, and the rivers run with holy milk. A blessed land, dear. And one blessed to have you in it, too."

The maid gently touched Rache's cheek.

"Goddess' family?"

The maid chuckled.

"The royal family, my dear. King Alaric and Queen Alisande. And of course, their beautiful daughter Princess Airie."

The maid drew in a breath, smiling absently. "With her pale skin, snow white hair, and amethyst eyes, Princess Airie is as beautiful as she is beloved. She's due to be married to Prince Donncahd of Sidera. Soon as he gets here."

What?

That name...

"Donn...cahd..." She murmured.

"Mm. Do you have a bit of memory of him?" The woman sighed.

"It is tragic. He's such a terrible brute of a man. A beast. But our beauty Princess Airie has committed to taming that beast for the sake of Aurania. Bless her heart. Such a selfless soul she is."

Rache froze.

Auberon's Edge.

Auberon's Edge.

That's what she knew the names Donncahd and Aurania from.

She knew Auberon's Edge.

She'd read that book so many times.

She knew the characters and the world by heart.

The book took place in a fictional land called Wesson, and it detailed the exploits of a man named Altoran, heir to the throne of a fallen kingdom and wielder of the legendary sword Auberon's Edge.

It started out just an average 'chosen one' adventure, but there were so many twists and turns that it became something breathtaking.

Every time she'd reread it she'd realized another layer of incredible, stunning detail to that story.

King Donncahd was...the villain of the story.

And.

The one who would kill Princess Airie.

...This was a story.

The book she knew.

And yet, it wasn't.

She was in this body. Which definitely meant it was not just a book.

Which was an incredibly insane thought to have.

Still. While sitting in a strange place, in a strange body, she could recall with perfect clarity every scene of Auberon's Edge.

She pressed a hand to her head.

"Oh, darling!" The maid woman cooed and gently wrapped her arms around Rache's shoulders. "Don't let it worry you. Our Princess always has a plan. She would never have agreed to this alliance or marriage if she wasn't certain."

She stroked Rache's hair. A soothing petting gesture. "You need not worry for the princess. Nor for Aurania. We will be safe."

...The mad king Donncahd would raze the capital city of Aurania. When he killed Princess Airie, he would immediately strike at Aurania, turning their alliance into a bloodbath and conquering the only nation rivaling Sidera's size with ease.

The maid's words rang hollow.

Not because they were a lie by intent.

But because she knew that they would be wrong.

When the time came for Donncahd to attack, not only would the princess die, but everyone in this castle. Not even the serving folk would be spared.

In fact, it was heavily implied no one in the capital city itself would survive.

She'd never thought much about Aurania before its subjugation, as all that happened before the timeframe of the book, and by the time Altoran arrived it was a hollowed out shell of itself.

It would never exist again after the capital was destroyed. Even after the events of the book, there wasn't enough left of Aurania to rebuild, and instead it simply merged with Sidera into a new nation under Altoran.

There was only one possible conclusion for the life of Princess Airie and those within the castle, and it was death.

She shivered.

The poor, doomed, sweet maid quickly wrapped her in another blanket.

"Ah, let's get you a warm drink, darling!" She tutted. "Keep that body of yours up to temperature, eh?"

Rache turned her gaze to the doting woman. "...What is your name?"

The woman blinked, pausing in place.

And then laughed, and patted Rache's head.

"Now, dear, what is this? Forgetting the name of the one who's taken such good care of you while you've been ill?" She shook her head.

"Well. Worry not. I won't hold it against you. My name is Laine, dear. You can always rely on Laine, hmm?"

Laine.

It was a soft, pleasant sounding name.

It fit her personality perfectly.

She blinked and stared down at the ground as Laine bustled off to get her something warm to drink.

Obviously, she didn't want to die.

Especially if it was true she'd just died a bit ago on Earth.

Because she didn't want to die, she needed to get this body strong again.

Then...then she needed to flee Aurania. Go somewhere on the other side of the world where Donncahd's forces would never reach. She knew where the safe places would be, so there wouldn't be any guesswork or danger.

...But. She also. Didn't want to see Laine die.

Didn't want to hear of the fall of Aurania and know this kind woman died for nothing.

"Here we go, dear." A cup of hot chocolate appeared in front of her, and Rache eagerly grabbed for it, wrapping her hands around the warmth and feeling it soak into her bones.

"Thank you."

"Of course." She hummed. "You may not remember yet, my dear, but here in the Palace of Aurania, we maidfolk are all sisters, mothers and daughters. There will be no orphans here."

The words struck a chord in her, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

She couldn't explain her reasons.

She just-

She'd find some way. To protect Laine and herself.

She would.

She had to.