DREADED PLAYING TRUTH OR DARE

"What are you doing here, Al?" Aristia asked in surprise as she held the door to her room open.

They just had dinner some hours ago and had all retired to bed so she was surprised when she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door only to find Alaric standing at her door in his nightclothes.

She moved to one side to allow him into the room.

"You said you would rather let me sleep in your room than not take a bath," he explained.

Aristia just stared at him in disbelief.

[When I said that I would rather let you sleep in my bed than not take a bath, that was to answer the question. We weren't playing truth or dare.] She sighed.

She dreaded playing truth or dare with him. She went back to her bed and laid down, tapping the space next to her for Alaric to lie down.

"Goodnight, Al." She said to him when he got on the bed, as she tucked him in.

She then closed her eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. After some time, she heard rustling beside her and turned to face Alaric who was tossing and turning.

"What's wrong, Al?" She whispered, feeling concerned.

"I cannot fall asleep." He replied.

"Huh? How about I tell you a story?" She suggested, recalling what her mother always did whenever she couldn't sleep back when she was a little girl. Either that, or she'd sing a song.

"Okay." Alaric replied, nodding his head.

"I have never heard that story before." Alaric told, after Aristia decided she'd tell him the story of the sleeping beauty, eliciting a nod from Aristia. She expected it.

She was halfway into the story when she heard light snores. She turned to Alaric and found him fast asleep. She smiled.

[Sometimes you just needed to listen to the steady rhythm of someone's voice to lull you to sleep.] She thought, covering him with the blanket and lying back down.

Her mind went back to the night she read the novel. What startled her was the strange words written just after the last words of the book.

It was 'The end.' written in bold font, but that wasn't the point. It was the words; 'This is is the end of the story. Now, it's time for you to make your story.'

That time, she thought with a shake of her head, 'What the heck?! is this some sort of joke or new trend when a person is done with writing a story? Weird people and trends these days.'

She was in the middle of completing the thought when she lost consciousness and then woke up in this world.

Now, she only had one thought.

[Is this what that anonymous writer meant? How did such a sick joke become a reality? And it wasn't funny at all. It's not everyday you read a novel and find out that some strange words at the end of the novel could really happen to you.]

It was only now that the gravity of her situation came crashing on her and she burst into tears. For the first time in a very long time.

"Mummy, Daddy, El, Suzy, Little Andy, Little Mae, Little Summer. I miss you all." She cried silently, her shoulders trembling.

Andy, Mae and Summer were her five year old triplet nephew and niecs. They were birthed five years after her brother got married to Susan, when she, Aristia, was nineteen years old.

Even though they were quite a handful and a mischievous pair, she still loved them. Remembering that her sister in-law was currently pregnant caused her to cry harder.

[I didn't even get the chance to meet my little unborn nephew. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?]

She wasn't wishing for it to happen to anybody else but she just couldn't take it, and the thoughts of the picnic only made her cry harder as she remembered the times when she'd have a similar one with her family. She turned into her pillow to muffle her cries. She didn't know when she fell asleep as she dozed off, dried tears on her cheeks.

***

One week later...

Aristia woke up with a groan. She yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes as she sat up groggily. She heard bustling outside of her room as the door opened. In came her personal maid Adeline accompanied by some other maids.

She frowned as she asked in a cracked voice, "What's all the ruckus about, Adeline?" She called Adeline by her full name as she wasn't at all feeling pleased.

"Greetings, princess!" The maids greeted in unison as they all bowed.

Adeline noticed Alaric who was lying in bed and yet to wake up. She wasn't as shocked as she was the first time she saw Alaric sleeping in Aristia's room a week ago. The little prince had been sleeping on her princess bed constantly for the past week.

She turned to Aristia, "Princess, we received orders from the Madam to get you ready. The Madam wants to purchase dresses for princess and herself."

[Huh? Don't I have enough dresses already?] She had seen her full closet, after all.

"Shop for dresses? Why?" She asked.

"For the Duchess' tea party next week." Adeline supplied and understanding flashed through Aristia's eyes.

[I actually forgot about Duchess Alistair's tea party. But, that doesn't explain buying new clothes. However, this could be an opportunity to familiarise myself with some places in this world. I haven't gone beyond the mansion's walls since I came here. I could also rid myself of these cursed clothes.] She thought as she got down from the bed.

She saw Alaric stir awake and one thought crossed her mind,

[Oh no! Not again!]

She prayed that he falls back asleep. But, her prayer wasn't answered, as Alaric opened his eyes and called out to Aristia, "Tia?"

With a sigh, Aristia turned around, "Yes, Al?"

"Are you going to take a bath?" Alaric asked excitedly, ready to get down from the bed.

"Yes, I am." Aristia said with clenched teeth.

And that was how Alaric and Aristia ended up taking a bath together. Again!