Who am I?

[redblood]

She were supposed to be away only for some days, no one were to known that she had left the kingdom, nothing should have happened. But someone betrayed the royal family and that betrayal caused the death of the princess. They found the carriage she had traveled in smashed to pieces in a river. The bodies of her servants laid dead on the sand, they had probably got flushed up by the water. But the princess body was nowhere to be found even though they search after her in the small river, around in the forest and even places where it should be impossible for her to be in. Her body had simply disappeared.

People started to believe that she had been kidnapped and still were alive, some thought that they had simply buried her body. Only a few people actually thought that she were still alive, free and soon would return to the kingdom again. Slowly the hopes disappeared for the people when the weeks turned into month's and still no princess in sight. Mirage were probably gone forever.

(6 month later)

The doors to the prince's room suddenly slung open and one of the servants ran in even though such an act could make people loose their heads.
"Your majesty, the princess have been found." He said while he tried to catch his breath. The general had barely been able to say a word before the servant had run off to get the prince. Very few people still believed that she would return and still there she were after six months, standing beside the general. But it was a bit weird though, everytime people had seen her she had always had a wonderful smile on her lips. But now she hadn't smiled at all, she actually had seemed very displeased. But on the other hand, she had been gone for six months, after something like that it would have been weird if she were completely happy. Maybe she would ease up after seeing the prince again.

As the servant had ran off towards the prince's room without listening to what the general had to say, the general had started to walk with the princess towards the prince room.
"Listen to me, I am not the princess. I am Mirage, I'm the daughter of a shepherd. You have the wrong person." She tried to tell the man, she weren't certain why she were there in the palace but of some reason people had been very happy when they saw her and suddenly she had been in a carriage on the way towards the castle. She had left her home six month's earlier to see the world, it was very unusual for a girl to do something like that but she weren't going to live like her parents all her life and let them choose a husband for her. Now all of a sudden she had gotten in to such a mess, why were she going to meet the prince?

The general were really concered over how the princess were acting, he had to talk to the prince and inform him about the princess sudden memory loss.

 

[Esthalia]

Prince Raerek stood fast, almost tipping over his easel and paints. His mouth moved, but words failed him. It had been months that he had been waiting patiently for his loves safe return. At first his anger and misunderstanding of her disappearance led him to a rage driven madness, fighting and training every day to bring her back himself, but as time went on, he turned to painting his memories of her instead. The future seemed bleak, but now his servant was joyously shouting of her appearance. </SPAN></SPAN>

He swiftly followed the servant to the main foyer, his thick soled leather boots skidding on the flawless marble as he walked. He ran a trained hand through his short copper brown hair. Nervously trying to make himself look more presentable. He kept his hazel eyes forward, the anticipation of seeing her again making his heart beat hard against his chest.</SPAN></SPAN>

"General, what bothers you?" He spotted the general pacing nervously in front of the large oak door of the meeting room.</SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

The general held Mirage's wrist in a firm grip, he tried to hold her pace but in the end he walked so fast so she almost had to run to keep up with him. He let go of her wrist as they entered a white and oval room with wonderful paintings of fantasy creatures on the walls.
"Wait here, don't go anywhere." He told her before exiting threw the door to go and meet the prince. First he had thought of meeting him with her but he figured it would be better to tell him about her condition first before letting him meet her.

He fast made it to the meeting room and nervously paced around in a circle. How were he going to explain this? Suddenly the prince's voice woke him up from his thoughts. "Your majesty" He said while bowing. "The princess was found some days ago in a village outside the kingdom. She are unhurt but there is a problem..." He hesitated because he weren't certain how he should formulate it. "She doesn't seem to have any memories of who she are except for her name and she acts... different." There was so many things he could have said about the way she were acting, but different were probably the best word since it would take the whole day to tell him all the things that were different with her.

Mirage were walking around in the room that were almost empty except for a bed and a closet. She held her hand on the wall and let it stroke the paintings as if the creatures actually were alive. "How did I end up in the palace?" She mumbled to herself as she stroke her blond hair with her other hand, a habit she had gotten from her mother, everytime she got nervous she stroke her hair. Sometimes she got irritated on herself when she noticed that she were doing it but at the moment she didn't think much about it.

 

[Esthalia]

"What do you mean she's different?" The prince paced back and forth nervously. "She has no memory of her life here at all?" He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The general nodded and Raerek groaned unatractively.

"I don't understand!" He shouted. Everything he had hoped for was crushed by the fact that she had amnesia. "What has she been saying?"

 

[redblood]

The general thought for a moment before answering. "She has mostly said that we have found the wrong person but also that she remembers growing up somewhere else than she actually did. The most different with her is that she doesn't act polite and she acted a bit violently when we met her." He told the prince and paused a bit before he continued. "Maybe she had some chocking experience when they were attacked and that's why she lost her memory. I am certain that she will regain her memory and become her old self if we give her some time. I left her in her room, I thought that maybe she would remember something if she were in there for a while. Do you want to go and meet her immediately?"

 

[Esthalia]

The prince sighed, unsure what course of action was the best to take. He rolled his sleeves up, looking at the gold bangle he had kept of her's. She wore it around her upper arm, but it fit around his forearm comfortably. He pulled it off and gave it to the general.

"Give this to her and see if she remembers anything. Have her come to the courtyard in a couple hours. Give her everything she needs, but do not let her leave." He smiled and walked back to his room, gathering his paintings. purhaps he could make her remember by showing her the memories he had skillfully placed on canvass and parchement.

 

[redblood]

He bowed his head as the prince handed him the gold bangle "Yes your majesty." He then said and turned around to face the princess again. Actually he had hoped for the prince to see her right away because he didn't really know how to handle the princess when she were in that state. He had to stop outside her door for a while to catch his breath and thinking threw what he should say to her. After all the years in the military he had never expected to get in to such a situation as the one he were in at the moment.

As he opened the door the first thing he saw were her deep blue eyes starring right in to his brown eyes, but it looked like she tried to see in to his soul more than his eyes.
"Prince Raerek will see you in a couple of hours your highness, until then I will have some of the maids accompany you and if there is anything you need it's just to say so. And one more thing, the prince wanted you to have this, maybe it helps you memory." He handed her the bangle and as she took it she didn't let her eyes leave the general for a moment.

She tried hard to convince him before he left that she weren't the one they searched for and that she had to leave, but in difference from the other times she had said it she now didn't have such a hysterical tone in her voice. But he still didn't believe her, and neither did the maids that had heard that she had gotten amnesia.

When the general returned to her room he got stunned by the sight, the maids had gotten Mirage to change her dress because they thought it were to dirty. They had a hard time convincing her to change in to new clothes but in the end she had given up and done as they said. The dress were a little lighter blue than her eyes and it had a gold colored band around the waist and in the end of the arms.

"You look beautiful in that dress princess." He complimented her and took her hand to lead her to the courtyard. "Have you remembered something since you got here?" He asked her as they walked threw the castle.
"I can't remember anything because I am not the person you are searching for." She told him and only got a sight as an answer from the general.

As they walked out she almost got blinded by the sun for a moment, when she had gotten there at first the general had been in such a hurry so Mirage hadn't been able to notice how the outside had looked like at all. Beautiful flower beds laid in patterns and between them were a trail made off stone. Bushes formed as animals stood perfectly placed at just the right spots and from somewhere she could hear a little stream. Probably just around the corner of the castle, it sounded very close.

 

[Esthalia]

Raerek was busy directing workers in the garden, trying his hardest to make everything perfect. Perhaps he could trigger her memory with her favorite tea spot. He helped the workers hoist large banners made of woven flowers into place above the archway of the rose garden, custom grown blue roses sparkled with dew from atop the hand crafted arch. </SPAN></SPAN>

"Everything must be perfect gents, the princess is the spirit of the kingdom, forget that never!" He cheered, rallying the men to work harder. </SPAN></SPAN>

The tinkling of the small stream close by made the prince smile, the memory of their first kiss as children sparking happy feelings within his being. He nodded to a couple workers as they grunted, trying to carry heavy furniture. He ran to their aid before something unfortunate happened. </SPAN></SPAN>

They set a long hand carved table on the gray stone patio, two matching chairs placed at the long ends. The table cloth was a vibrant purple, blue rose petals popping off the fabric in a way that was very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. </SPAN></SPAN>

A servant brought the tea trolley, wheeling the delicate silver tea set to the center of the patio. They brewed a special honey rose tea, fit only for royalty. As they heard the princess approach, Rearek settled into his suit jacket, leaning gently against the stunning arch of roses.</SPAN></SPAN>

"I hope you're in the mood for tea M'lady" He said with a respective bow. </SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

As the man with copper brown hair bowed respectfully, Mirage couldn't help but blush. She didn't usually see so well trained men where she lived, actually the most men where she came from were either old or kids. All men in her age had already left the village to try finding a wife in the bigger cities or just get away from there, just like she had wanted. The only difference were that she were a woman and what she did was something ladies didn't do.

She was a bit unsure if he really were the prince even though he definitely looked like he could be the prince. A prince wouldn't bow with such a respect towards someone like her, but no one knew that she weren't the person they thought she were.

"I'm very sorry, but there must have been some kind of mistake. I don't know who you are mistaken me for but I'm not worthy of having someone of your status bowing to me. I'm just a normal person, you're a royalty." She just hoped this person would listen to her, no one else had done that so far.

 

[Esthalia]

The Prince was in awe as she approached. She was as beautiful as the day she left, not a scratch on her despite the horrible scene they found by the wreckage. He took a moment to absorb what she said, then simply pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Any woman with glowing beauty such as yourself deserves the respect of any man, regardless of status." He placed his hand over his heart in sincerity, smiling at her with his perfectly manicured visage. "Please join me; I want to hear everything you have to say" He bowed again, hoping she would take the seat as a welcome offering.

 

[redblood]

She couldn't help but blush in that moment, she weren't used to have men telling her that she were beautiful. Not with such a smile and sincerity in his voice at least. Probably because she were always out running and got really messy hair because of that and she never dressed as a woman should so of course she wouldn't get compliments.

It would be really rude to refuse and he told her that he would listen, maybe this would be over soon and she could get back out on the roads again. Mirage sat down on the chair, it felt a bit uncomfortable in the dress she were wearing and she longed after her green-brown hunting clothes. At least she could move her upper body in them and not feel like she were suffocating.

She started to look around more carefully as she sat down, the garden seemed familiar in some way but she was certain she had never been there before. Even as she walked threw the castle with the general she had felt like she had been there before, but that was impossible. She had grown up with her mother and father and they lived far away from the castle, they had never even been in any bigger city before so there was no way they or she would have been able to get to the castle. And she hadn't even thought of going to the castle when she started to travel.

Mirage tried to stop thinking about it and turned towards the prince again. Uncertain of what she should say when she already had tried to explain everything to others she kept quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words. Sitting there with a handsome man and on top of that a prince were something she could never even have dreamed off, not because she really cared for the royal family that much. "I'm really not used to these kinds of situations." She said a bit embarrassed, there was no way she could behave according to the societies expectations.

 

[Esthalia]

Rearek watched her, taking in every movement and expression. Some things were the same, like how she rolled her wrist as she tried to explain herself, but other things were very different; like how she blinked and turned her head without confidence. </SPAN></SPAN>

He took his seat and pulled in his chair, placing his elbows on the table and resting his head on his palms. This wasn't custom behavior for a prince, but Rearek didn't always do everything by the book. </SPAN></SPAN>

"I just want to hear what happened…" He smiled, hoping to honey his words enough that she would feel comfortable. </SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

His smile did calm her down a bit and she tried to relax even though she felt out of place. "I think that would be my question. Nothing has happened to me, except that some men from the royal palace suddenly started to ask me questions and then told me to come with them to the palace. I still haven't gotten any explanation to why I suddenly got taken here." She said and tried to keep herself calm.

It wasn't completely true that she hadn't gotten any explanation at all. She hadn't gotten a real explanation that was true but they still had told her enough so she would understand a bit. They had obviously confused her with someone else, they rambled so much when they cheered of joy as they found her so she couldn't really make out the details but she thought that they had taken her for the princess. As if a princess would go out and hunt her own food, it was ridiculous to think of her as a princess.

 

[Esthalia]

Rearek clasped his hands, listening to what the woman had to say. A part of him, a large part, wanted to tell her to give up this delusion. He wanted her to come back to the castle and be in his arms-like she was before. Their closeness seemed to have no residual memory with her at all, and that discouraged him. He took a sip of his tea and smiled, pushing back the fleeting feeling of diminishing hope that tugged on his heart strings. </SPAN></SPAN>

"I am open to many possibilities in this world, I have seen my fair share of strangeness…" He paused, looking into her eyes. "You must understand how difficult this is for us as well, finding a woman matching the princesses description perfectly. It has really caused a ruckus among the yard" He laughed, setting his cup down with a precise click. He thought for a moment, letting his mind wander with the possibilities.</SPAN></SPAN>

"I have a proposition for you, allow me to meet your parents, we will bring them to the castle as well-a vacation of sorts. I will make sure your family, as well as yourself, are treated as royalty. I apologize for any headache our misunderstanding has caused, so let me make it up to you" His eyes swirled with curiosity, wondering if her parents really existed. If she was the princess, but with an alternate memory, he would be able to see for himself.</SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

Mirage listened carefully on the prince and eased up for every word he said. "Well, that sounds fair, even though I'm not that into the idea of meeting my father again, but I accept your proposition. " She said. She could already imagine how her father would react when she told him that she wouldn't come back home.

(Sorry it's so short, >_<)

 

[Esthalia]

(( it's alright))

Raerek motioned for a butler to come to his aid, holding out a piece of paper and smiling.</SPAN></SPAN>
"Please deliver this to the ladies parents. An invitation for them to come spend some time in the castle as our guests…" He was sure his own parents would have a problem with that, but he would take his chances. He picked up a blueberry sweet cake and set it gingerly in front of the girl, smiling and crossing his legs over as he sat back down.</SPAN></SPAN>

"So, please tell me…what do you enjoy? I want to make sure you're stay here is as entertaining as possible" His smile was something the women of the kingdom swooned over, and with a honey smooth voice such as his; he was a double threat. </SPAN></SPAN>

"Please don't be shy"</SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

The last of her worries faded as fast as he talked to his butler to send a invitation to her parents. If they were fast then maybe she would meet her parents in less than a week and everything would become like it used to be. As Raerek turned back to her it was impossible not to blush. No guy had ever smiled towards her like that, it wasn't really expected of guys to act like that in the places she were used to be in.

"I enjoy to ride in the forest, even though I haven't been able to since I left my parents. It was impossible to feed a horse when I went from my home without any money." She started and thought for a bit. The most things she enjoyed were things she had done with her brother at home, she had let go of all those things when she left them. "I also enjoy fighting with swords and hunting, mostly with a bow, my brother always brought me to the forest to hunt when my parents went into town. They hated that he were teaching me such things because I were a girl."

 

[Esthalia]

Raerek laughed, happy to see she still retained some of her tom-boyish charm. He wasn't completely convinced that this woman was the princess he cherished so dearly, but their mutual love of the outdoors and marksmanship was something refreshing. They looked identical, it was true, but there was something more to this woman; something different. </SPAN></SPAN>

He took a long drawn out sip from his tea cup, letting his hands absorb the gentle warmth through the delicate porcelain. Thoughts churned in his mind as he watched her, listening to her reference to her parents and older brother.</SPAN></SPAN>

"I will be happy to meet this family of yours" He smiled again, stuck in some sort of fantasy of his loves return home. "For not though, what say you to going for a ride?" He winked at her, standing swiftly from his chair and walking over to her. He held out his hand and bowed his head, not forgetting his manners despite his excitement. </SPAN></SPAN>

"For one with a love of horses, the stables are simple breathtaking" It was as if his breath was whisked away as he spoke, remembering the stolen kisses they exchanged in the past. He yearned to touch her delicate skin, but knew all too well how strange that would be, amnesia or no.</SPAN></SPAN>

 

[redblood]

Mirage smiled and nodded. "If I can change clothes first then I would love to go riding. I won't be able to even come up on the horse in this kind of clothes." She said while laughing a bit. She were a bit glad that he had proposed to go for a ride, it gave her a good reason to change clothes. The dress were suffocating, she didn't understand how people could want to wear those kind of things. If she had been born as a boy then she could have worn much more comfortable clothes and been practicing with swords without being called weird and such things.

She looked once again out over the garden, it was simply breathtaking all of it. The castle, the garden, of course the stables would be too. It was almost as if she could already see the stables before her, even though she had never been in the castle before it still felt like she had seen it all before, a long time ago. But if she told anyone that she thought she remembered the place from before then they would probably believe that she really had amnesia and see her as the princess. She knew she wasn't, maybe she just thought that it was a feeling of deja vu but it actually just were her mind playing her a trick.

((Sorry for being gone for so long, had a horrible writers block Dx))

 

[Esthalia]

( it's alright, it happens.)

He smiled, nodding to her and leaning back in his chair with a delighted smile. "Alright then, hurry back to your room and get ready. You'll see that I've taken the liberty of filling the closet with some clothing that might better suit you, M'lady" He gently stood from the table and bowed to her, turning to talk to a servant that had walked up to his attention.</SPAN></SPAN>

" Sir, the queen had called for your council. Please follow me…" The servant eyed Mirage curiously, bowing his head respectfully. The other servants that had been helping Mirage get settled waiting for her to be ready to go back to her room. When she was, they would help her with anything she requested, the prince had made his orders quite clear. </SPAN></SPAN>

"My mother will have to wait, Fleurance." Raerek addressed his servant by name. "if her impatience will allow" </SPAN></SPAN>