Red Princess

79. Reunion

Author's Note: Oh God, I am so sorry for the delay! I have been a little unwell and busy. I have been facing sleep issues. Hopefully, my body clock will reset soon.

Alice

"...then why isn't she waking up?"

"The doctor said everything's fine!"

"It could be a concussion! Or internal bleeding! Or-"

"Stop freaking out, Kaidon!"

His exasperated voice was the first thing that fell into my ears. Even though they were trying to keep it down, the excruciating pain throbbing in my head made me too sensitive to every kind of sound and light. I was awake, but I didn't open my eyes out of fear of saying the wrong things. I needed to recollect myself—my identity.

Who am I? Now?

What time is it? How much time has passed?

Was I dreaming all along? Is this a dream?

No... But I did have a dream. I saw my mother.

My fingers involuntarily curled up into balls on my sides as I fisted the soft bedsheet and crumpled it under my touch. I shuddered at the memory of that dream—the vision. It was her. She shared her story with me. She was here with me. With us. All the time and I failed to recognise her. She saved me that day. She sacrificed herself so I could live on. She-

Warm tears slid down the corner of my eyes, and I turned on my side, dampening the sheets with the moisture. A pained groan escaped my throat at the movement, and I heard his silent gasp behind me.

"Ariel!"

Ariel. Right. I am Ariel right now. Alice is supposed to be dead.

I was tempted to peek a glance, to stare at the nostalgic colour of his eyes and lose myself in them. To finally look at him after all these years. To see him again and remember the love I held for him. It felt like just yesterday that we had celebrated his birthday, and he had given me that bracelet. All my past five years put together paled against the mere memory of that night.

I could understand why I loved him so much even after having lost my memories. Because even if my mind forgot, my heart couldn't. Every cell of my being remembered his touch, his voice. It tingled at the proximity. Everything about him pulled me to him, and now that I remembered, it all made sense.

Why I was even ready to lose myself to be with him.

Because I was never that person. As if some part of me was aware that identity was a ruse. A disguise.

"Ariel, how are you feeling?"

I felt his gentle touch on my arm, as if he was caressing something delicate, careful not to hurt me. The gesture was enough to spring up more tears into my eyes.

Five years... For five years, he suffered alone. For five years, he blamed himself for my death. Tortured himself. I only made it worse by appearing before his eyes, unintentionally tugging at his broken heart. Reopening the wounds. He waited, waited only to fall in love with me again.

If I tell him, will it break his heart? He finally opened up to me. Finally decided to let it all go. Will he feel guilty?

I knew him all too well to be able to picture the horrifying expression he would make at learning the truth.

"Ariel, please talk to me."

The pleading in his voice was apparent and heartbreaking. He was anxious, restless to hear me. To reassure him that everything was alright. He had already lost me once, and he wasn't prepared to bear that pain again. He had bared his heart to me with that one simple statement.