Uncertain

Miriam sat next to Kier as they ate their food.

 Miriam had been served cooked chicken legs, vegetables, bread roll, and mashed potatoes with the thickest brown gravy that she'd ever had.

 The cook, a jolly man by the name of Ulder, had placed more on her plate than what was needed, claiming that Miriam needed to plump back up, as she was just skin and bones, and the wind could take her away.

 Miriam had blinked, while her father and Keir shared a laugh together.

 She noticed that Duke Malcolm had to restrain himself from ruffling her hair or placing his arm around her to give her a side hug. He probably did it as not to scare her, and Miriam could feel her eyes sting.

 She had no memories of this man, and he was still trying to be so kind to her, so hopeful to make her as comfortable as possible.

 They'd sat down near a window, Miriam looking out at the fields of greenery. Miriam thought that since the name Pi had derived from an aquatic meaning, her home would be on an island. 

 That didn't seem to be the case, unless she ventured out to the other kingdoms.

 "Miriam, dear, are you up for the festival welcoming spring?" her father had asked her casually. Miriam snuck a look at Kier for the proper response, but he was more focused on the slabs of meat on his plate.

 "Um...well...maybe? It could help to bring some memories forth." she replied, Kier giving her a curious glance. Her father seemed to relax at her answer.

 Perhaps the original Miriam had loved the spring festival.

 "Lovely, my dear. Your dress that you commissioned arrived, and it's in your room. Kier will lead you to it." he added gently, noting the hesitant nod she'd given, and the relief that flooded on Miriam's face when she was told she'd be guided.

 "Father. Before I take my leave to my quarters...can you please not give Kier his lashes? Without him, I'd still be lost to you, alone, and confused." she added, laying it down thick on the last sentence.

 Her father had taken a bite from his cooked chicken and arched an eyebrow in surprise. He looked like he had wanted to argue or make a point, but in the end, he simply nodded, Miriam beaming at him.

 Her smile softened his gaze, and this time, Malcolm ruffled her hair.

 She didn't mind it one bit.

Idle chatter was made, mostly between Kier, and Malcolm, and though Miriam tried to pay attention, she was lost most of the time, instead looking outside to the window where the sun was shining so bright.

 "I fear the allyship that I offered to the Duke of Kindra in the kingdom of Sagiterren fell through. He wanted my daughter's hand for his son added to the cargo, and armies I would have given them. I blame Lord DeVess for doing that with his daughter." Malcolm said, that for some reason catching Miriam's attention.

 Kier gave her a careful look as a strange tightening came upon over Miriam's chest. An ache in her heart that made her grab the table to steady herself.

 DeVess? Why did that name give her such a reaction? And why was Kier looking at her as if waiting for her to fall apart in pieces?

 Miriam instead cleared her throat, and just as she was about to say something, a man walked up to Malcolm and whispered in his ear. Malcolm only nodded, excusing himself from the table as he followed after.

 "Where's he going?" Miriam asked Kier.

 "Must be one of his meetings. For what? That would be hard to say." Kier answered, finishing the food on his plate, as he drank crushed apple juice. "Are you ready to go back to your room, my lady?"

 Miriam nodded, feeling stuffed.

 Kier held out his arm as he lead her out of the cafeteria, Miriam walking along him. They walked in an easy silence, Miriam admiring the art and sculptures decorated in the halls.

 "Lady Miriam?" Kier asked her, stopping in front of what she assumed was her bedroom door, the door a solid brown oak with a polished handle for the doorknob.

 "Yes Kier?" she asked, turning to face him.

 "When your father was speaking about Lord DeVess, you did not react like I thought you would." he started slowly.

 "Is that good or bad?" she replied.

 "Right now, it's kind of in the middle. You see, I'm hoping that you've recovered from the events to led to your heart breaking and not because you've lost your memories completely. Does the name 'Elyanna DeVess' do anything to you?" he asked.

 It felt like someone had punched Miriam in the chest and stomach. She gasped out for breath, almost letting him go.

 But Keir's hold on her was true, and he balanced her as she almost toppled over. From her reaction, Keir had gotten his answer, and he opened her bedroom door as he let her in.

 "I'll be standing guard out here if you need me my lady." he said, as he shut the door.

 Miriam thanked him, then sat on her bed, her dizziness subsiding. If hearing DeVess had made her heart hurt, hearing the name "Elyanna DeVess" had almost killed her.

 She flopped back on the cushiony bed, her arms splayed out. Miriam's room was a dust rose color, with mirrors almost everywhere. Thick blankets were piled on the bed, all different shades of red, pillows lining up on the headboard. The faint smell of flowers and fruit filled her senses, and she took a deep breath as she relaxed.

 Something falling on the floor made her jolt up, and she looked down at the wooden floor, looking for the source. A hard book journal with her name sprawled in black ink was opened facedown.

 Miriam looked at it for a bit, reaching down and plucking it from the ground. Thought it seemed like a stretch, she thought it'd be a good idea to read it, get a better understanding of Miriam and the place she now resides in.

 Guilt crept into her thoughts though; this wasn't hers even if she was now Miriam. It felt wrong to read the words she wrote, like picking at a sleeping person's brain and reading their innermost thoughts.

 She'd just made up her mind when a flutter of paper shoved in the ends of the diary was spotted. Curiosity made her open it, the paper neatly folded.

 She scanned over it, chewing on her bottom lip. It was a hand-drawn map that showed the layout to tunnels from each castle of each kingdom.

 In the center was a placed called "Saeclum", a meeting area for the royalty to meet up at. Each castle had one tunnel each guiding them to Saeclum. Tinier tunnels were made for the servants and such, as they were seen as unworthy of traveling with royals.

 Miriam studied the map, before looking at the scribbled red ink over the kingdom of Aqua. Concern made her look at the map, and diary before started on the first page of the diary.

 She shoved her guilt away, and read the first entry;

 The stars never shown as bright as they did when Mama passed away. Papa says that the angels are weeping tears of joy for Mama's arrival.

 I stayed out of my room so long, Papa panicked but left me alone when he saw me with my dearest friend, Elyanna DeVess.

 At that name, Miriam stopped, placing a hand over her aching heart. That name again, having that effect on her.

 Papa says for my thirteenth birthday he'll get me my own dragon guard. Elyanna is jealous but impressed; those are hard to come by.

 Though he insists that it's for my protection, I know Papa is trying to make me have new friends. I don't really care about anything or anyone really.

 Elyanna is one of the only ones who understands me. She comes by almost every day to keep me company. We play, have tea, and so forth so much, I asked her Dad if she could just live with me.

 He laughed and said Elyanna cannot stay because she has to take specific classes that will help her become a young lady in today's society.

 Honestly, I don't care. I think Elyanna is a perfect person now. And when I told her this, Elyanna laughed that beautiful laugh and told me I was silly.

For a moment, Miriam paused. If she didn't know any better, young Miriam was in the early stages of developing a crush on Elyanna. And by the way new Miriam's chest ached, it didn't go as how original Miriam wanted it to go.

 But that didn't explain the map she'd found stuffed in the diary, and she skipped along the pages, scanning through each diary entry with a brief glance.

 Despite her reluctance, this diary could also prep her for her mannerism as Miriam, and give her some much-needed answers.

 Miriam rang a bell, asking for a servant to bring in tea and biscuits. She was going to need it for her reading material.