The Past and The Present

Chapter Two: Awakening

"Father!"

I gasped and woke up, I could still feel the blade piercing my throat and the warmth of my own blood dripping down onto my torn dress.

I touched my neck and faintly felt a thin scar running across. "Ha, it seems the heavens refuse to accept me." I could feel the pain in my body, my muscles ached still from having been held up in chains at my execution. Groaning softly, I climbed off the bed and took in my surroundings.

"Weird."

I observed my surroundings, the room I was in was small, high up in some sort of structure. There was a window letting sunlight in, a desk in front of it with some kind of box? The bed I had just woken up from was small and narrow, with a bookshelf behind it full of books and other strange contraptions with blinking lights.

"You're up."

I whipped my head around towards the sound, and saw an attractive red haired woman standing in the doorway.

"You, who are you, where is this?"

The red haired woman chuckled, "The name's Francia Greitz, and currently we're in the real world."

"The real world?"

"Well specifically the 21st Century, in some nation that speaks English."

"21st century... so a different world, right."

I pursed my lips, and frowned, "right, I really am struggling in understanding what the fuck is going on."

Francia raised a brow and gazed at the scar on my neck, "You were supposed to die, but for some reason showed up here." Francia paused for a moment appearing deep in thought, "Maya Blayyid, daughter of the duke, punished for her crimes against her royal highness the crown princess Jenna?" Francia spat out the last words in annoyance.

I leaned against the bed frame feeling slightly light headed," how are you aware of all of this?"

Francia looked at my torn dress stained with dry blood disdainfully, and pulled out a dress from the closet in the room. "I read  your story. You're entire world was actually a plot for a badly written Webnovel called fated for you." She threw a light blue dress at me, as well as a towel, "I'll explain more later, but for now get washed up. The bathroom is down the hall to the right. We'll have lunch soon after you're ready." Francia turned to leave, her long red hair whipping around as she moved, "ah, remember one thing Maya."

"Hmm?"

"I understand. I understand your sentiments and what you went through. So don't close yourself off from me...It's been very lonely." And with that Francia walked out of the room.

Is she alright? I'll have to ask her later, but what she said to me is more concerning right now.

A novel. My life was a fucking story written for amusement?! The nonsensical garbage I went through were simply predetermined events? I don't  think I'm completely justified in the petty crimes I committed to make that bitch miserable, but was it seriously worthy of a public execution? My family was worth nothing in the end, and died because of me. What kind of shitty plot renders the king and queen useless and justifies executing the duke and his family over spilling wine at a tea party. "Tyrants, the whole lot of them."

I glanced at the dress and toiletries Francia had left me. "Pretty dress." All of a sudden, I felt my eyes heat up as I recalled a memory.

"Father! Father! I did it! I beat Sir Gabriel." A 7 year old Maya bounced around in her knight gear, her dark hair tied up in a pony tail whipping around due to the young girls movements. "Oh my darling, well done!"

An older tanned man scrunched his nose while gently smiling down on the child. He picked her up and put her on his lap."I know my darling has been good, so daddy decided to buy you a new fur coat for winter." The little one in his lap widened her amber eyes, and hugged her father. "Where is it? Where is it? I wanna try it on right now papa!"

The man reached over to a pale blue box on the side and took out a a dark burgundy fur coat, he draped it over his daughter and started chuckling. The little one stuck her arms through the sleeves immediately and jumped off her fathers lap laughing, while bouncing around. She looked like a little furball, rolling on the floor. "I love it papa! Thank you thank you!" Her father reached down and gathered her in his arms, and walked out of the room, "let's get you dressed up in your new coat properly and go out to town for a bit." "Are we celebrating papa?"The man laughed, and pinched his daughters nose gently, "yes, yes we are."

I shook my head trying to calm my emotions, "maybe father is here too? I'll have to ask Francia later." I grabbed the dress and headed to the lavatory, to wash up.

After fiddling around with all the levers in the room, and overcoming my fascination with running water, I dressed up in the dress Francia gave me and dried my hair.

"Hey, food's ready. Come down soon"

"Ah, Francia I'm just about done."

"Hmm."

I quickly threw the towel on to the back of the chair, and gestured to Francia that I was prepared to go down. She chuckled and ruffled my hair, "follow me."

We walked down a well lit hall way that had multiple doors similar to my own. At the end there were two doors that opened when Francia pushed a button. I jumped back in surprise as the doors opened, and cautiously followed Francia into the smaller room. All of a sudden I felt movement pulling the room downwards, and I involuntarily grasped at the walls out of shock. "It's an elevator, it moves up and down to take you from one level to another." Francia reasssured me that it was safe while chuckling and kept patting my head.

She patted my head... do I seem like a child to her?

We settled down in a lavish looking room, as our food was served to us by an older looking man, I presumed he's the butler. The food looked delicious, but I waited for Francia to begin both our lunch, and conversation.

Francia cut into the meat, and I copied her digging into the meal. "I hope you're feeling a bit better now, Maya."

"Ah, yes. I sincerely thank you for the meal and the care you've provided me."

"It's nothing, don't thank me again." Francia stated, twirling a piece of her long red hair. "I assume you've come to terms with your existence now."

"I don't really have a choice but to accept it." I responded nonchalantly, wiping my mouth with a handkerchief.

Francia pulled out a piece of glass that lit up and passed it to me. "This is the novel depicting your world, read it when you have time."I took the contraption, and had the urge to thank her again but refrained from doing so. Francia leaned back in her chair and gestured to the butler to take away the plates, "You should think of the events in the novel, and whatever occurred to you as your past life. Now you have a chance to live as you wish. Trust me, It makes it easier to cope with."

"To cope with. You speak like you've gone through the same thing."

Francia's red eyes watered, "because I have."

I looked at her puzzled by her emotional response.

"I understand what it's like to be the villainess."

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Author here! I hope you guys are enjoying the story :) I know it's a bit slow right now but it'll pick up soon after the world is set up properly 😅