IV | Dreams, Nightmares and Memories

Whether Avyanna's body is in space or the deepest trench of the ocean, she found herself floating in the dark vast emptiness, endless space and void, filled with nothing but the pitch black. She could not move, she could not identify which was right or left, up and down. 

Strangely, she imagined herself being comforted by this serene, sentiment of an unborn child inside of her mother's womb, wrapped in safety and warmth. The nothingness embraces her like this is where she belongs. 

Her body sways in a wave-like rhythm, back and forth, like an after-effect after being washed away after a long time staying at the beach's ocean, letting herself be carried by it, to wherever it wanted her to be.

An unknown force gratifyingly drains her out of the void, falling into the depths of the unknown, she keeps falling and falling as if this were an endless pit. 

What felt like an eternity ended when she fell into the end of the pit, a flat surface, Avyanna's foot landed on a watery-like ground. In every step, patterns of drop-water echoed, focusing her attention on what matters, which she doesn't know what. Without direction, her feet continued walking, not knowing where this path would lead.

Soon enough, greens like hope shone, and she swore she saw it sparkle, a place filled with lively colors was just within a few steps. She thumps hard and her body crashed into the floor when an invisible wall separates her from what seems to be just within her reach.

A small child, fragile and pale enters the frame in the sphere of life, innocent, yet light can't be seen in her eyes. A golden boy whose eyes resemble the clear ocean was carefully observing her. Maze to get lost in, greeneries and flowers surround the two. "Avyanna, let's play!" The Golden Boy had leaped from the bushes of courage to ask his sister, he was enthusiastic and filled with hope. Yet, she jumped from surprised but still on guard, the gaze that can kill with fiery and mixed resentment in her eyes.

"Stay away from me!" Putting up the distance between them with roses in her hands, her palm started to sting, and bleed came out as the thorns continued scrapping as she tightened her grip more. "Avyanna, let me check on your-" When he looked up at her, eyes unwavering, determination filled with passion, tears rolled down. "I said, get away from me!"

"Ah!" Making sure her brother wouldn't get any nearer, she swayed the roses like a sword, that wounded the enemy in his cheeks. The nannies who had been searching for him rushed as if they could smell the scent of blood and pain tracking him down.

"You insolent brat-" one of them raises her hand to Avyanna, wanting to hit the one who dares to wound the prince, "Enough!" He authoritatively ordered, and all of them cower in the back.

Leaving with one last stolen gaze, blood in his sister's hand, tears in her cheeks, all of them cared for him when it was just a mere scratch. He traces a wound that would heal in a few deals, as he promises to himself on the way to his chambers, that he would protect her in the future, he has no power - yet - but he will not break his pledge.

The wall became a hindrance for her to comfort the child in front of her, who she is not sure who. 'Why am I here? Where is this?' But except from the sphere of what seems to be her distant memories, nothing is there to see. The sphere prevents anyone from interfering in the memories playing, so she continued to watch, slowly pitying the child with thorns in her hands.

The child's knees also let her down, it has been shaking for a while now, because of what she did to her brother. Red, warm dirty blood continued to make their way out from her life. Kids her age would have already passed out with enough blood, but it strangely comforts her. The blood was fresh and was there for her when no one left was by her side, and that blood was hers too. In the end, she only has herself, she realized that much, at a young age.

Avyanna felt an excruciating pain just by watching the child's state, the crippling affliction pierces her heart slowly, letting her body feel it as the experience build up into her, sinking in, leaving a mark in her soul and engraved in her mind. She tried moaning out the pain, but no voice was uttered, nor did the child hear her from the inside. Leaving her and the child, alone, and in despair.

The greens started growing out, but they turned vicious and darker, as if not being taken properly off. Then a child, now seven years old, plucked out bloomed roses in her hands once again.

A group of men approaches, a certain group of people that holds most of the authority in the land they all are in. The royal courts, men of all ages, but have one in common, all of them are the heads of their families, assigned by birthright. Like the little girl, whose position was stolen from her.

"I greet the Sun of Elysia, Your Highness, Emperor Killian." The child stood tall and fair, perfecting etiquette at a young age, who had not received a proper education yet. Killian didn't look down on his daughter, but he recognized her, as he momentarily stopped. The men behind them were disgusted by the sight of a child whose hair was silver and pink eyes with no distinct emotions. They feel chills reaching their cowardly spines being in the same garden as the child. They observe this brief interaction, observing with their own eyes, if she will be an important figure for their future and to society or will be a threat to them, and the answers lie in front of them, on how the Emperor acts in front of the Princess and them.

Killian gives in to their curiosity by passing her by, with her head bowing to them the entire time.

"My, my! Are you the ferocious little Princess?" When the princess looks up, head high and mighty still elegantly, only one man left, caramel curled hair and hazel distinct eyes, parting him from other nobles, at the same time his appearance is a title itself. "I greet His Grace, Duke Rosencrantz." Then she noticed a boy squirming behind His Grace, the same features as him, but younger. She almost groaned, "And, Lord Arthur."

The Duke's amusement arose in the entire maze of the garden, "Apologies for not giving a greeting first, Your Highness. This lowly subject of yours has forgotten his manners." He said, and it was not in a mocking tone, he was kneeling in front of her, which surprised her and it showed in her young and innocent face. Birds started flying away startled by his gigantic laughter, he could not stop laughing and tears started to form in the ends of his eyes. The princess finds the man in front of him tiring to entertain, but she cannot just leave, for the fact that she is here first.

"I guess the little Princess isn't what the rumors have claimed you are. You even recognize my son, come here, Arthur. My boy, greet the Princess." The boy steps out and bows, he's older than her, but she's stronger, bolder, and colder. Contrasting him, he has a weak heart, always threatened, by everyone around his age sometimes even younger ones.

His Grace and the Lord leave the young princess alone, yet even from afar, Arthur keeps looking back, searching for her.

Avyanna is now avidly waiting for the next scenes to appear. But now, not in the garden, but in the dining hall, the one she was at earlier. From casually sitting, leaning in, intrigued, she stood once again.

'Why?' The time passes quickly, the child's hair continuously grows clothes change, the food on the table too, and her face turns wearer and tired. She finally took the knife and started eating, she was now ten years old, and the time-lapse had concluded the dinner she had for the past three years, alone.

'Where is, father?' Avyanna is sure that she didn't say it, realizing she hears the child's thoughts, as if it was hers. 'Where is Cahill?'

The child eventually stopped waiting, deciding to dine all alone in her chambers, since it's the same experience at the dining room, but way more convenient than walking for minutes just to get there.

Then she passes by the dining hall, searching for sleep that she hasn't found for days, when she hears two familiar voices and lights on in the room. "Cahill?" She gripped the loose of her skirt, as she peaked at a sight she wanted to be in. She held back tears, "You, you keep stealing what is mine." Her lips started to wound with teeth biting it, holding on to her emotions. She did not deserve to be set aside, she was the rightful heir, she was the one seated beside his father, the one who constantly ignored and neglects her, she was the one who was supposed to be studying at the academy, excelling in any possible way. She, her, not the boy who got the looks of her father, an imposter, a thief!

'No, Avyanna. There might be a reason. But' again, she feels the boiling pain in the child's insides. 'Why? Why am I seeing these memories? I, I just want to....'

Tears rolled down continuously, like a stream from both of her eyes. The bright warm sun wakes her up, blurry from the tears. She saw a shadow of a man, in her room, waiting for her.

Avyanna wiped her tears and there was no man, but the bird from yesterday. "Hi, Mr. Birdie." He tilted his head and started clinging to her.

She sighs heavily, she remembers her dreams that almost feel like a nightmare. She traces her chest and scans her palm, no scar, no pain, no wound, no blood. But she was so sure, that the child was her, that what she had seen in the sphere, was memories. Yet nothing is left as evidence.

Avyanna feels her head being crushed slowly, from both sides, yet compared to the thorn in her palms in her head this is nothing. Questions started to flood in her mind, not hers, or maybe hers, she is not sure. But it was something, she was also quite curious to.

Why? Why did I lose my memories?

Why am I like this?

Why is was I left alone, even as a child?

Is both my brother and father, no, my family was never like the one I had imagined yesterday.

Thoughts of her were ounces to nothing, the pain was relieved, and the bird observed Avyanna.

"I have no memories whatsoever. The one in my dreams might not be mine. It doesn't feel like mine." She gripped her hands, as ideas started to form. Gaining hope, and forming a smile, knocks on her doorsteps were made, and she let them in.

"We greet and serve the Princess of Elysia, Your Highness, Avyanna van Elysium."

Three maids, in their modest dresses, humbles, and replacements.

"We will tend temporarily for Her Highness' needs, for a week until His Highness, the Crown Prince, has found suitable servants to serve the Princess." Ginger with sexy curly hair respectfully relied on the message, "I am Vanya Zavala, the third child of a Baron of Lakifalia in the Southernmost part of the continent, let me know if there is anything I can get help for the Princess at this instant."

This is exactly what Avyanna needed for her bright plan to work.

"There is actually." The three maids flinch, but only Vanya looks up with curiosity to filled by their lady. "I want to eat with the Emperor- no, wait." She vastly took back her words and said it right, "I want to eat with my Father and my Brother this morning!"