Woes Of A Villainess

3.Encore

"...Huh...?"

Arabella stopped in her tracks, her smaller-than-usual body freezing up as she stared at herself in the mirror in the early morning hours. Something... Wasn't right. She touched her soft brown cheeks and squinted at the girl staring back at her.

This was not the body of an 18-year-old.

Her stature was considerably shorter than she remembered. Her curls used to cascade down her lower back and required much maintenance, but now they stopped just past her shoulders. Yet everything else felt the same, she recognised this as herself, though... Herself from a different point in time that couldn't be specified. Sharp blue eyes inherited from her father, Auburn brown hair inherited from her mother, even the prominent beauty mark under her right eye - none of that had changed. Was she still dreaming? She felt dizzy all of a sudden, but she was definitely 18... right?

Before she could stumble from the confusion, Arabella dragged herself back to sit on her bed again, the soft mattress dipping from her weight. The rain had followed through to the morning, leaving the sky an overcast grey, the dull noise of rainfall only adding to the noise in her mind. She just needed time to think things through, was all. She was not going crazy.

A sharp knock sent the girl jolting to her feet in shock, spinning to face the large double doors across the room. A familiar monotone voice sounded from the other side, "May I enter, Milady?" Arabella swallowed hard and found it impossible to find her voice. It had felt like years since she had last heard from her maid, Aubrey, even if it couldn't possibly be the case. She didn't know quite how to feel at the prospect of seeing her in this stupor. "...If you are busy, I will return when you ring for me-"

"No! Come in!"  Despite her conflicted emotions, Arabella finally called out with furrowed brows. After all, seeing Aubrey, the definition of her status quo may bring her back to reality. They had known each other since Arabella turned 10, and every day since then followed the same routine.

Arabella watched carefully as the double doors gently opened, and the familiar woman entered. Aubrey had always been tall, slender and collected. Her Sleek black hair was always pulled back into a tidy bun, her steel grey eyes always looking straight ahead and her lips always in a relaxed line. Arabella was suddenly made hyper-aware of what a mess she looked like compared to Aubrey's organised look.  But most importantly, Aubrey was here and she barely looked or acted any different than she remembered. That had to mean something. Maybe all of that really was just a terrible nightmare. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and sat back down on her bed, feeling some anxiety leave her immediately. But her remaining worries left her to ask, just in case, "Aubrey... What was I doing yesterday?" She felt a little tense asking, afraid of the answer. "I had the strangest dream and... I can't remember at all."

Aubrey had already begun going to work around the room, thrusting all the curtains wide open in powerful motions but paused at the question. She seemed uncharacteristically quiet for the briefest moment, making all the anxiety flood back into Arabella's body as she clenched her fists in anticipation of the answer. Aubrey cleared her throat, avoiding her gaze, "...Yesterday was the Earl's burial, Milady..."

A pin drop could be heard in the room.

"...The Earl's... burial...?" Arabella repeated, as though on autopilot. Disbelief... Couldn't even describe her emotion. She felt her pulse quicken and bit her cheek before coldly staring at Aubrey. Was she really supposed to believe that she had watched her father be buried a second time? "Is... Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"No. You spent the morning at the burial. The rest of the day was spent alone in your room." Aubrey assured, though her lips pursed in concern. She walked towards Arabella, brows furrowed. "...Your brother mentioned your tutoring would be postponed, for the time being, there is no need to exert yourself."

Arabella took in the information. Her father died when she turned 14. She looked younger in the mirror. And now, her most trusted maid was telling her she had attended his burial 24 hours ago. Now that Aubrey had moved closer, Arabella couldn't help but notice something strange. Aubrey, who she saw nothing wrong with earlier now also seemed a little strange. She looked subtly younger... She would know. It was Aubrey who woke her and put her to bed when she was 10 and the subtle ageing she remembered was all gone.

Then there was the issue of her own appearance. She definitely looked younger than she felt... 14 maybe...? It felt wrong to look at this version of herself in the mirror. She really felt that her true reflection was that of the girl in her dream. The more she really thought about it... Did she really dream up an entire detailed 4 years in the span of one night? She'd read of people experiencing similar dreams in stories but the vividness she remembered in each and every morbid detail was beyond the ordinary. It was as though she had really lived through that nightmare...

Aubrey seemed to be growing slightly more worried from Arabella's silence, but before she could say anything, the girl seemed to jolt to alertness at a realisation that had crossed her mind,

"Cecil or Frances. Who is on the throne at the moment?"

Arabella's tone was unstable, yet firm. Aubrey's eyebrows shot upwards at the casual tone used to refer to royalty, though she quickly returned to her even expression and cleared her throat to shake off her surprise, "...Her Majesty, Queen Frances... Milady."

Arabella involuntarily stumbled ever so slightly. She had figured that would be the case, but hearing confirmation for it was something different entirely... Was she really in the past? It was too insane for her to believe wholeheartedly but if there was even the slightest possibility...

A spark of realisation hit her like lightning and her shoulders squared. Without even blinking, Arabella tried her best to sound calm while staring into the vast world outside her window, "Please... leave me alone for the rest of the day." With a curtsey, Aubrey immediately excused herself and Arabella was left alone at last.

Arabella walked to her balcony, hands trembling all the way and thrust open the doors. A barrage of raindrops hit her face and began to soak her nightgown. The cold seeped through, her bare feet struggled to stay steady on the wet floor and the wind whipped at her hair. When a shiver wracked through her body, she was reminded again.

She was alive.

Against all odds, she was still standing and breathing. She was given another chance.

And Cecil hadn't won.

Not yet, at least. She gripped her cold hands to the railing and looked out over the estate that sprawled on for miles. Not even the cold could erase the incredulous smile plastered on her lips. If she really was 14 right now like she believed, Frances would be on the throne for another 2 years before dying. It was then that Cecil's scheme would come into play, giving her 2 years to get ahead... Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Ah, what to do... I've truly been blessed..." Her beating heart was a gift and she clenched the clothing at her chest in recognition of that. A sudden dark aura encompassed her as a dangerous smile settled firmly on Arabella's sharp features.

"Cecil... Just how should I ruin you?"