Where am I?
I’m not familiar with where I am. In the few months of staying in the Kingdom of Norland, I have only just been here. To my knowledge, there is no such place inside the palace. I’m not at Norland palace right now so I’m very curious how I got here.
I turned around to look all around. I was amazed at what I saw.
What a beautiful place!
Extensive fields planted with a variety of flowers are here. I was in the middle and surrounded by flowers that were not familiar to me and I wanted to know what kinds of flowers it was because the color was so bright and so fragrant! It is entertaining to watch the whole surroundings, especially the butterflies flying in the air.
This is similar to what Prince Arsh and I used to go to when we picked flowers for King Valor’s birthday, the Garden of Fragrance. But the only difference is, the Fragrance Garden is far wider than this place.
"What am I doing here?" I could no longer stop talking to myself.
It really puzzles me how I got here? I looked around to find someone who could answer my questions but I was just disappointed. I don't see a single person here.
Where am I really now?
The last thing I remember is me being with the King and Queen as well as the four Princes who invaded the Kingdom of Norland to take it back from Queen Emily. There is a high probability that we will win because the powers we possess will combine. So what else am I doing here?
I need to be in the palace now.
I stopped and my eyes widened when I realized what really happened last to me.
Prince Arsh left me to help King Valor and Queen Amelia inside the palace and because of my curiosity about what he mentioned in relation to my true mission, I lost my temper. At that moment, I just felt a stab in my chest causing my body to fall to the ground. The adversary took that opportunity to do me harm and put my life on the brink of death. They play really bloody, never fair.
I covered my mouth at the idea that went through my mind. The arrow hit me and that was the reason why my body fell to the ground. Does that mean I've lost my life forever?
"Am I dead? Am I in heaven now? Is this the paradise they say?" I covered my mouth.
I was starting to get confused so I stepped into the middle of the field planted with flowers. I just kept walking and ignored the flower that was peeling off the petals because I was overwhelmed by my fast walk. I do not care anymore. All I want is to escape here!
I don’t know which direction I’m going because of the sheer extent. The important thing is, I can get out of here. I can't die yet! I was nearing the end of my mission and I felt I would succeed so I couldn’t be dead.
If this is their paradise, I still don't like it. Yes, this place is beautiful but I don't want to stay here, no! I haven't even been able to go back to the modern world yet so I'm going straight to it?
What a waste of everything I sacrificed to get back to the modern world if I just died in this world too!
I can't die yet!
Not now…
Not here in their world.
Maybe, Lord, it's just practice. Please?
I was crying because I was afraid that everything I guessed was true.
I still want to see Mom and Dad, my friends in the world I am aware of, the real world to which I belong. That’s where I want to die so that I can see my loved ones with my last breath. I want them to be with me.
I stopped walking because I felt short of breath. It seems like I've been walking for a while but I still can't get out of the middle of this field. I will not be surprised, in the extent of the land I tread. I don’t even know if I’m halfway through running.
I looked around again, it wasn't that hot so I wasn't dazzled by the sunlight. I looked closely to see where the far end of it was where I was. Before, I didn't care which direction I was going, now I need to know because it's tiring to run. I need to get out of here.
I widened my eyes to confirm if what I was seeing now was true. I had already found the very end of it where I would come out and I was revived by another one I saw. I looked at the little hut that was there at the far end, it was all alone.
Does anyone live here? It is surprising because it has a large farm but only one house stands. Maybe the people who live there are very rich. It may own these acres of land.
I was revived by the hope that I was not dead yet. Maybe I'm just somewhere else and I hope it's true.
I love to walk again. I had to get to the far end to ask for help from the person living in that hut. Maybe that person knows why I’m here. Maybe the opponents just threw me here so I'm not in the palace now. I don’t even think negative thoughts anymore because that doesn’t help. I had better rekindle the hope of getting out of it without getting discouraged.
I also walked for a few minutes before finally reaching the end. I dared to step into the hut I had referred to earlier. It’s only small and in my guess, only one or two people live here. It is small but its design is undeniably beautiful. It is also surrounded by lush greenery, very fresh hanging here. This is the typical house living in the provinces, very peaceful living. Add to that that this house is on the farm, just quiet and away from judgmental people.
Nervously, I was still able to stand in front of the door. I mustered up the courage and then knocked on the wooden door three times. A few minutes later, I heard some footsteps coming from inside towards me. It looks like that's the person who lives here. I adjusted my posture, I also took a deep breath because I couldn't figure out why I was nervous.
I am nervous about the person who owns this house.
At the same time as he opened the door, my mouth fell open because of the unexpected person in front of me now. I carefully examined every part of her face, as well as his whole body, from head to toe and did not miss. She was wearing a white knee length dress and I also looked at what I was wearing, exactly the same as what she was wearing. Almost everyone in her is the same as me. I seem to be just looking in the mirror. I see myself in this person.
"You are me?" I taught her then I also taught myself.
If anyone else could see, it would be mistaken that there is a mirror facing me now. We look so much alike! Even the shape of the body is the same. The only difference is that he is wearing a crown that is not mine.
Wait, a crown? I glanced at her silver crown, it was full of diamonds and still shining!
The possibilities resurfaced in my mind.
She can't be…
Is my suspicion right?
If I was startled by what I saw, she wasn’t. It was as if she just didn't want to see me, there was no painted reaction on her face. She seemed to be anticipating my arrival.
She stepped out the door and just left it open. She passed me and she walked towards the rows of plants in the yard. I stared at her as she turned her back on me. I did not take my attention away from her.
"Yes, Zariya. I am you in the modern world. I am Amity in this world while you are Zariya in the world you come from," she said. She still does not face me.
I was right. She is Princess Amity!
I just stayed where I was. "I can't believe I'm in front of you right now, Princess Amity."
I believe in reincarnation but it's really different when I experience it myself. I now see my persona in my past life. I don’t know if I’ll be scared or not. I was scared because I knew it was dead and at the same time, I was glad because I was given a chance to meet her.
"Everyone has the possibility of having a second life. A second life will be used to correct past mistakes and continue the story that was started without ending," she said before finally confronting me.
Trace in her stance that she is the real Princess and I am really the fake. I was nothing to her compared to the two of us. I will never be able to reach her. There is nothing like the lone Princess Amity.
"Are you referring to Princess Amity, is my mission here?" my confirmation.
"You're right, you were chosen a second time."
I felt numbness in my legs because I had been standing before. I looked for a place to sit, I saw a flat rock and I sat there. “I’m close to finishing my mission,” I said.
"I know and so you are here today, as it is only the day you stay in our world. Before the end of your mission, I asked that we meet so that I could thank you." She stepped closer to me but remained standing, so I just stared at her. "Zariya, thank you for correcting my mistake."
My forehead furrowed. "What mistake did you make then, Princess Amity?"
"My emotions became more dominant causing me to be blind to the truth. I was consumed by anger at the family I shouldn't have fought against, the family of King Valor." She stopped for a moment because there was a hint in her voice that she was crying. "Because of the rage, I didn't even know the whole truth. I let my mind be poisoned and used by the person I trusted completely, my own Queen Mother, Queen Emily. The magnitude of my guilt to the family is even greater. Someone cares more about me than my own family."
"But you said so, you don't know the truth. So you also can't blame yourself for everything that happened." I tried to alleviate how she felt.
"If I had only known earlier, I would not have allowed our own Kingdom to be overthrown. I would not have let my Mother's evil plans prevail. Only power she wants and even her own child, she can reject, only achieve her wishes." I could feel Princess Amity's resentment at every word she uttered. “But as much as I blame my Mom and Dad, I still blame myself twice as much. I could not control my anger when the Prince I loved could not love me. That's why my Mother easily circled me for revenge."
I became more interested in his last story. Is what I heard correct? "Did you fall in love with a Prince?" my repetition.
"Prince Arsh was the first and last man I loved."
I just listened quietly.
I can not believe it!
“My love for him was the root of why everything became more complicated,” she added.
I'm nervous. I knew in myself that like him, I also fell in love with Prince Arsh so there was a good chance that my mission would be complicated as well.
“Like you, I am also in love with Prince Arsh,” I boldly admit.
"But we are different, Zariya. He loved you back, while I did not. He did not return the love I gave. Because of that, I was more easily deceived by my own emotions. To get revenge on the Prince, I wanted to overthrow their Kingdom and that's my biggest regret."
So in the first place, Tata Lucio told me that I can't fall in love with any of the Princes? Because I might be like the fate of Princess Amity?
"So I'm happy because even though you're struggling, you're still suppressing how you feel about him. You're not feeding on your own emotions."
"But I don't know, Princess Amity, how long I will hold back. Every time I avoid him, I get hurt. I can't admit how I feel for him."
She smiled softly, causing her eyes to roll. "You're the right person for each other, you're in the wrong world and you're just at the wrong time now. Just wait, destiny will also favor the both of you."
I lost my attention and went to the sky.
The speed seems to be changing the climate.
The previously clear sky was replaced by dark clouds, seemingly foreshadowing a heavy rain.
"You need to leave, Zariya."
"H-Huh? Where am I going?"
"In the palace. You will return to the palace to decide whether you will stay or return to the modern world."
I'm already confused by what she's saying. Shall I decide? Why?
"Zariya, your mission is over."
She didn't wait for me to say anything because I was still shocked by what she said.
She held out her hand to help me stand.
"All I can advise is, let go of each other now because there is a right time set aside for the two of you to continue your story."
At the same time, I disappeared in front of her.