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Cecilia POV
Walking around the mansion of Duke Ashington, or rather, my father's mansion, the whispers of maids reached my ears.
"She needs to heal before the ball..." one maid whispered.
"Even if she did, there is no way she will be chosen at the consort." Another said.
Hearing this, the maid who had spoken before slapped the other.
"Don't disrespect the title of the duke. If any bride were to be chosen, it would be from a ducal bloodline, and lady Cecilia is one of three of the daughters of dukes. And the only one who is unmarried..."
I frowned while I listened. So what? I was just scraps? The only one left. I wanted to sigh. But frankly, I didn't understand why I was so angry. I already knew this was coming. I was, after all, Cecilia Ashington...
While growing up, Cecilia was always strange and reserved. It was strange since in the memories I could access the change was so abrupt. It was as if one day she was a happy and carefree child, and then another day she had become a completely different person; reserved and dark.
Cecilia... or rather I, didn't have any friends. I never went out. And even refused to go with Cecilia's mother, Shahira, to events. But Shahira never forced it upon her daughter. She was a kind mother...
"I know... but... miss Cecilia is..." the maid began but just as she did, I decided to walk towards them from the corner.
"I'm what?" I said softly, almost meekly due to Cecilia's — or rather, my— disposition.
The maid froze, then she quickly bowed to me with the other maid.
"Ah, nothing Miss Cecilia! We were just talking about how beautiful you'll be when attending the ball. Mistress Shahira has already made preparations and found you an amazing dress." The older maid said, saving the situation.
I smiled.
"Yes, my mother has great taste... though I do hope that you two spend more time doing your work rather than gossiping," I said before I walked away from the two.
Turning down a corner, my smile faded but it reappeared when I saw the man with black hair and dark eyes. His name was Loki.
Smiling, I ran up to him.
Loki had stayed by my side silently as I 'recuperated'. He didn't say a word though. He just watched. But for some reason, his presence was calming. Slowly but surely I realized who Loki was to Cecilia... to me. He was our guard, attendant and protector but also our friend.
"Don't run." Loki scolded but he didn't make any attempt to stop me.
When I reached him I looked at him cheekily and then I giggled. "What will you do if I don't?"
Loki looked at me with a mix of humour and annoyance then he pinched my cheek.
"Hey!" I screamed before I slapped his hand away. Touching my aching face I frowned. "Leaving a mark on the face of the duke's daughter days before a ball is considered a crime you know?!"
Loki bent down slightly so his face and my face would be close to being on the same level.
"I think Duke Ashington would be okay with it considering the fact that he told me to scold you whenever you did something naughty," Loki said smugly.
"That was when I was ten years old!" I said with a pout.
Loki smiled.
Loki: "And nothing has changed since then."
I looked at Loki with disdain yet my heart sank slightly. I knew that he was testing me. He had done it many times. Out of everyone, It seemed like Loki was most heartbroken by my inability to remember anything but now, he was back to normal.
Though this was due to the fact that I was mostly 'back to normal'.
However, I obviously wasnt.
A lot had changed since then. I was no longer the Cecilia Loki or the Duke or the maids knew. I was a spliced version... but day in and day out I would feel like there was no difference. My body acted like that of a lady of a ducal house no matter, sometimes I spoke things I didn't know without a problem, then understood what I was saying moments after.
Sooner or later there would be no distinction. There would just be 'me'.
My face darkened, but truly, I didn't know how I felt about that. The only thing that crossed my mind was one thought:
Mama had died and so did I... so why was I still 'alive'?
Touching my face, Loki frowned. I shivered at his touch despite it being warm.
Loki: "What's wrong?"
I smiled a bit sadly and said, "I dunno. Maybe I just don't want to go to this ball..."
"Come on, don't you want to get the chance to introduce yourself to society and maybe catch the eyes of a prince? Imagine, you could marry a prince." Loki said practically scoffing, dropping his formal speak.
Smiling I said, "It's not something that I've always hoped for... but if I must I must."
Loki frowned. "My lady, your father won't force you to marry the first or second prince if that's not what you wish to do."
"Yeah, but he'll make me promise I'll do it. He'll say that it's what's best for the family and for the country. I won't be able to argue with that," I said out of nowhere then when I did, I felt a shiver go down my spine and a memory flash across my eyes...
I could see myself in the mirror. I was around 10 years old. My father had come into my room and said,
"Lia, let's have a little chat."
My father brought me into his office to talk.
"Can you do me a favour.... promise me..." he said, eyes pained yet desperate. I didn't quite hear what he said, some memories were still quite foggy. Though I felt a strange hate bloom from within me, but as a filial daughter, I still agreed...
To what? I wasn't sure yet.
This had happened many times before. It was like a merging of both of my thoughts and Cecilia's. It caused my body to go weak for a moment.
I leaned into Loki's chest, allowing myself to tense and relax at the same time.
Loki grabbed onto me, I saw his eyes growing wide with worry while I looked up before I buried myself into him. I was stiff as my mind gathered the information needed.
As the memories faded in and out, many talks with father had crossed my mind and every single time my heart hurt, but as time went by I almost felt myself become empty.
This was the worst feeling in the world.
Yet it was one I had felt before. It was the feeling I would get when I thought of my father abandoning me.