Chapter Text
Being a kid is awesome!
I think as my three year old self sits on the kitchen counter, eating a slice of chocolate cake.
Scratch that. Being a kid and a princess is awesome. My head turns to the guards standing by on each side and sighs.
Sometimes.
Being reborn as a princess is still cool.
I finish the cake and push the plate aside. A guard immediately comes over to carry me and place me on the ground safely. I could've just climbed down the chairs, but okay.
I walk in the direction of my mother's office, hoping she's not busy.
Queen Maraya is a wonderful mother and I cannot be more grateful for her. But I just know we'll never have the kind of mother daughter relationship I've dreamed of.
She's not distant. Just busy. But I know she loves me. Just like my first mom. I miss her dearly.
Guess I'm just not meant to have my mother all to myself, in any life.
I knock at the door and stand there waiting, but no one comes out. I sigh and knock again, but still no answer. This usually means she's in a meeting and will not take any daughter disturbances. Which, bummer.
I turn and make my way to my room, hoping ti keep myself busy with anything when a door Infront of me opens and the person i was running from spots me.
"Princess Inara." My tutor calls and walks towards me, heels clicking against the marble floors. She looks pissed, I note.
I look up at her and smile as sweetly and innocently as I can. "Miss Nadia. Good morning, I didn't think you'd come today." I say, tilting my head in false confusion.
She looks at me with a raised brow, clearly unimpressed with my fake ass and sighs. "Normally, I'd give you a scolding about your lying and absconding classes, but we have no time." She says and turns on her heels. "To the class room now. Hurry." She says and walks away.
I sigh and follow behind. Keeping up, as much as my little feet will allow me. Damn, I hate having short legs.
The aforementioned classroom is a large study, with everything a classroom requires and more, with the added princess lessons.
Who teaches a three-year old politics?
Nadia. That's who. With permission from my own mother.
I hate politics.
Class goes by in a breeze. A very long breeze. A breeze that's trying really hard to drop a glass full of water on the table. The roll the glass off the table and let it smash on the ground into a million broken tiny, hurt your feet pieces.
Weird analogy? Sure. Is it wrong? No.
I'm half in and half out of focus when she repeats the names of the kings of the different lands. As something in me knows most of them, but I can't figure out from where or how I know them. Or heard of them.
It's a book I've read, but I just can't remember when or what.
My head is brought out of the clouds when the door opens and I grin widely when I see the person I love more than anything.
"Mom!" I shouts excitedly and jump from my seat running into her arms. She catches me in tight hug, swinging my body from side to side and I laugh happily.
Yeah. This is the best.
She hugs me tight and places a kiss on my head. "Hello, my lovely. How are you?" She greets in the soft, low voice that lulls me into a sense of security. Everytime about her is secure.
"I'm greet." I answer with grin. "But...Nadia is trying to make my brain melt." I whine and she laughs.
Nadia huffs behind me and I ignore her.
My mother laughs then looks at Nadia. "I hope I'm not disturbing. I was sure her lessons ended minutes ago." She says softly.
Nadia bows. "Apologies, your majesty. It's just that,with the princess always running from classes. I'm forced to start late and finish late as well." She explains, keeping her head low.
My mother turns to me with a raised brow and I avoid her eyes at all costs. She sighs, then turns back to Nadia. "Well, that's unfortunate." She says slowly. "I'll see to it that this behaviour ends today," she says pointedly, "you may go home and be back your usual hour tomorrow."
Nadia bows low and picks up her things. My mother turns a d walks away with me in her arms, guards flanking her sides as usual.
We walk silently and she takes us into one of the living rooms.
She sets me down and scramble to the top of the couch, nerves coiling around me.
My eyes stay on the ground, but they peak up at her as she sits down and pulls a file of folders on the table next to her.
"Are you mad?" I ask softly and she stops turning pages to look at me.
"What about?" She asks with a raised brow.
"The running away from class." I says quietly. "I'm really sorry. It's just that...sometimes they're good and sometimes I just can't sit still and listen and it gets a little boring. And I don't mean to cause trouble. I promise-"
"Inara. Calm down." She says slowly, placing the file aside and gesturing for me to come over.
I moves from my seat to crawl on her laps and she hugs me close to her chest.
"I'm not mad." She says softly. "I understand. Sometimes you just can't sit still. It happens." She runs her hands through my hair and the action is soothing. "You are a very smart child. So it makes sense, that sitting around all day is boring, but I ask that you do. It's important and you need to know all this to rule your Kingdom when you're older." She explains.
"I know." I mutter quietly. "And I'm trying really hard. I think Nadia's just took boring." She snorts at my comment and lightly pinches my side in reprimand. "Sorry, if I cause trouble."
She kisses my head and tightens her hold on me. "You are never trouble." She says seriously. "You are a gift. And I'm grateful,everyday that I have you and you are mine, little one. Never, think you're trouble. Whoever says you are, does not deserve you." She says softly and I nod.
"But Nadia is boring." I pout and she laughs.
"Nadia, is the best. Now stop complaining and I also expect you to stop skipping your lessons."
" Yes, mom." I draw and slid out of her laps, moving back to my seat and pulling the book i was reading earlier.
She watches me with a smile and then turns to her work. Files not important enough to stay locked in her office.
The next year rolls by and this time, I'm more consistent with class. Less, flighty or moody. And not depressed. It's not easy to cope, with just getting your memory back at the age of three.
I'm a toddler. I have no emotional regulation and receiving memories of a past life and the fact i died can throw anyone off balance.
But after a year of settling all my feelings and accepting fate and the life I now have, I think, I'm finally settling into my role as a four-year old princess.
My mother is the best. She took any and all changes in stride. Like a professional in dealing with BS. That's the queen for you. The staff still needed time to adjust. But with time, we're all finally living in harmony.
I've also come to discover that magic exists in this world. Which is cool and I seriously hope I learn how to defenestrate someone with my mind.
At four, my classes are a little more advanced, because I absorb information quick and easily. Except math and physics. But mostly math. I hate maths.
I'm doing more princess training. Etiquette. Manners. How to handle and dish out bullshit. Okay, not really that last one, but it's close enough. How to rule and spot fakers and ass kissers.
All in all, it's kind of a fun time.
It's one of those days where I'm already down with lessons. Did some horse back riding today and now I'm free.
I walk down the hall, having evaded my regular guard and make my way towards my moms office.
I knock and no answer. I knock again and it's still quiet. Sighing, I grab a chair nearby and drag it at the door. I climb, open the door –curse these short legs– and push it back in place.
Stepping into the office, I find it empty and sag in disappointment. Not here.
I walk further in and and look around, giving into the urge thats been in me since three months ago and snoop.
I walk towards her desk and around the table, climbing up on het chair.
The scrolls on her table a boring. Just numbers and stuff about guard duty.
I reach for her desks and pull out what I see, placing it back when it bores me or I don't understand it.
Finally, something catches my eye. It's a scroll on—on dark wielders. Venin? My brows furrow as I read the word. And everything else on the scroll.
Venin. Wervyn. Barrens. Sightings of venin but no wervyn.
The words mean something to me. I get a sense of de ja vu. Like I've read this from somewhere before. But where?
Venin. Venin.
I look at the scroll again then pick up another on and it's signed by a general Sorrengail. Which is also a familiar name. But where have I heard it before?
I try to parse through my mind, try to open the floodgates, but still nothing comes to mind. And instead, I feel a headache begining to form.
I groan and put everything back how I found it and make sure nothing looks tampered with.
I jump down from the chair and walk towards the door. I drag a chair along and climb up, opening the door. When it's open, I push it back into place and walk out of the room. Closing the door behind me.
I walk slowly to my room, the headache getting worse and needing to lay down.
Turning a corner upstairs, I make my way down the hallway and to my room.
It's huge. Bigger than my apartment in my former life. Talk about rich-rich.
I changed into pajamas and climb into bed, the mage lights flickering off as I close my eyes to sleep. But then the door opens, the lights come on and I open my eyes in annoyance.
My mother smiles at my reaction and sits on the side of my bed, running her hands through my hair.
"Hello, my darling." She greets softly, smiling down at me. "I'm sorry to disturb you." She apologises and I grumble.
"I know you want to sleep, but I just needed to check in." She explains slowly.
"It's okay." I mutter tiredly.
She hums, dragging her nails through my scalp and I smile. "I'll be heading to Cordyn tomorrow morning to meet with someone. I'll probably be gone before you wake." She says and I pout, but nod. "Be good, Inara. Stay out of trouble. I'll be back in a week."
"Be safe." I say softly and shift on the bed, hugging her and she wraps her arms around mine. "I love you." I mumble.
"I love you too." She says back.
We stay embraced for a moment longer before she finally pulls back. "Go to bed, my light. I will see you when I return." She saus softly and I shift back under the covers. "Goodnight." She says as she gets up and I watch her walk towards the door.
"Goodnight." I say back as she steps out of the room and the door clicks shut behind her.
"Please keep her safe, Amari." I pray and close my eyes to sleep.
Cordyn. Cordyn. Poromiel. Navarre. Sorrengail. Venin. Where have I— Oh. Oh fuck.
My eyes snap open. Memories flashing before my eyes. Memories of a book. Of dragons. Dark wielders. Navarre. Fucking Sorrengail. Violet. Xaden.
"I've been isekai'd into The Empyrean series." I mutter in disbelief.
"Motherfuc—"