The Lost Life of Laraine

Chapter 12

I open my eyes, the imagery blurry from being underwater but it looked like the ceiling of my bathroom. 

I sit up, the water following me like a veil until I was sat perfectly up, the bubble popping from the top and rolling off the top of my head perfectly down into the tub. 

"My lady!" Rebecca rushed to my side, helping me out of the tub. She brought a towel as well, but seeing how I got out bone-dry she just dropped it to the ground, hugging me tightly. "You're alright." 

"Yes, thank you Rebecca," I hug her back, enjoying her warmth as I was freezing. Using up my mana like this is dangerous for any magic user. If the body is left with no mana, then the body reacts in dangerous ways. In my case my body will freeze from the inside out, and I will be left frozen alive. 

I felt her pick me up, and I hugged her closely like a baby would their nanny, and she sat me down on my couch in front of my tea table where I usually have breakfast, a hot bowl of soup sat in front of me. 

Thanks to the water spirits my body suffered little to no negative affects and I was able to pick up the spoon and drink up the warm liquid. Not even caring about the taste. 

"Oh my lady," Rebecca muttered, staring at my face. 

Judging by the burn scars on my hand which were just an abnormal reddish streak on the back of my hand, I assume my face is in a similar state. I didn't mind though, if I can still see out of my eye I'm satisfied with my condition. 

"How long was I in the bathroom?" I asked in between my small bites. I wanted to desperately to just take the bowl and take large gulps, but that isn't very lady like. 

"2 days," Rebecca sighed, "Are you sure you still want to go on your adventure? I think you need more rest." 

I nodded, "My body will recover the mana by then." 

"O-okay then." 

All of the sudden someone burst into my room, and Rebecca instinctively screamed as I quickly got to my feet, trying my best to curtesy in my singed, dirty, nightgown. 

"Greetings Lord Geris," I looked down to the ground, hoping he wouldn't notice the new scar I'm sporting on my face. Noble girls are supposed to be flawless to be perfect marriage material, a scar like this will definitely make me less than flawless. 

"Your face," he stated plainly, a hint of worry in his voice, "Your face." 

"I apologize Lord Geris. There was an accident with the teapot due to my own error." I lied straight through my teeth, hoping he'll just accept that. 

"You lie." 

Damn it. Excuse my language. 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, really trying not to explain myself. My family were not that pleased with my affiliation with water, so it's better that they don't know I used my powers in the main house. 

"Why?" Lord Geris asked, crouching to be eye-level with me and gently touching my chin, making it so I had to look him in the eyes, "Why did you do that?" 

I shrugged, a bit rude for a lady to do but I honestly had no good explanation. My little sister was lucky to know our mother, but she was too young to remember her. Sure she'll always have the good feelings she had with her mother, but having those memories, treasuring those memories. There would be nothing to replace that. 

"We should go to the temple, they can help heal those scars," Lord Geris motioned for someone to bring the carriage around but I shook my head, removing his hand from my chin as well. 

"No need Lord Geris, it's best if I do not cause a fuss at the temple." 

Sure temples are for religious practice, but it's also for opportunity. Wealthy nobles donate a lot to the temple, allowing for special ceremonies and treatments for their families that commoners would have to wait years for. The temple is a great influence to the royal family too, and so those who are on the temple's good side is on the royal family's good side. 

"Then we'll have a priest here," Lord Geris tried to signal for a servant to begin a message but I grabbed his hand, immediately retreating it back to my side before I knew it. 

His hand was so warm. 

"I'm sorry my lord," I bowed, keeping it down and praying he would just gloss over this. 

"It's," he paused, standing up straight, staring at his hand like it was stained with something, "It's fine." 

He soon left, taking his knights and servants with him. Like all strength escaped me, my legs gave out from under me as I just collapsed onto the floor, gasping for any sort of power that will allow me to stand back up. 

The sudden amount of stress mixed with my lack of mana forced by body into shock. It was grasping at anything to make me better and given I was inside without much life, it was grasping at nothing. 

"My lady!" Rebecca was at my side in an instant, grabbing me with a quick, "Pardon me!" and began sprinting outside, all the servants of the west wing opening doors for us to allow us to just make it outside. 

The earth underneath Rebecca's feet twisted and turned so that she could have a smooth and direct path straight to a nearby creek. When we got close enough the earth twisted so that she can stop swiftly, placing me gently on the creek's edge. The water crawled up, the spirits attracted to my manaless body, trying to rejuvenate me so some avail. 

Instant relief filled the deepest parts of me. 

"My lady," Rebecca huffed, "I strongly advise you not going on your adventure."