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Adelheid 2: The Awakened Princess
🕑 Added 2022-03-08 14:02:01 +0000 UTCSteel gray eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. Everything was so decadent and bountiful that it was almost overwhelming— especially the large room. No, not the room itself but the nearly thirty people that were packed tighter than sardines in a can.
Adelheid von Vuldar turned to look at them. There were far too many people for her to remember, and Adelheid recognized none of them except the maid who had been kneading her ear yesterday.
"Adelheid, can you recall any memories now?" the obvious leader of the group asked, his voice gentle but his face seemed to be stuck in a perpetual frown.
The man appeared to be in his late thirties, slick-backed hair, trimmed bear and a well-built physique. He looked to be the type that every male idolized. Despite being the second prince of the Vuldar Empire, he wore surprisingly plain clothes.
His name was Albrecht von Vuldar, and he was the father of Adelheid von Vuldar.
Adelheid paused before shaking her head. Everything felt so foreign: her father, the room, the clothes, just everything. When she had awakened yesterday, the maid, Matilda, had rushed off in a frenzy, practically screaming that she, the seventh princess, had awakened at the top of her lungs instead of giving her water.
Unable to resist the desire to quench her thirst, Adelheid reached for the pitcher of water on her bedside table. The end result was her falling pathetically off the bed and smacking face first onto the admittedly plush carpet. The plush carpet did not, however, prevent her from knocking herself out like an idiot.
When she woke up once again, she discovered she was the seventh princess of the Vuldar Empire who had been in a coma for the past three years. However, Adelheid could recall none of this. Even the name Adelheid felt foreign to her. In fact, she did recall memories, but those memories were incompatible with her current environment as if it was from another time or world.
Albrecht sighed upon hearing Adelheid's response. He sat down on the bed, causing Adelheid to stiffen for a moment. "There's no need to worry. If you cannot remember, then you simply need to make new ones."
It took Adelheid a moment to realize that Albrecht was waiting for her response. "Yes... Father..."
Abrecht smiled, or at least tried to. He motioned for a healer.
Adelheid watched in wariness as the healer came forth and used a diagnostic spell on her. Wariness turned to fascination as she felt a foreign sensation intrude within her body. The feeling was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It was as if a soothing numbing sensation was spreading throughout her body. Adelheid's eyes were filled with infinite interest.
A flash of light appeared in Albrecht's eyes before it quickly disappeared.
"Your Highness, there is nothing wrong with Princess Adelheid's body. Aside from the loss of memories, the seventh princess is perfectly healthy. She just needs to recondition her body," the healer said as he reported what he had discovered with his head lowered. It was the same diagnosis another healer said the previous day.
"What about the mana in her body?" Albrecht asked, concern evident in his voice as his hands reached out to stroke Adelheid's hand. Adelheid shirked away from the touch, and Albrecht retracted his hand. There was no disappointment on his face.
"My mana?" Adelheid spoke out for the first time without prompting.
Albrecht smiled. "There's no need to worry, my daughter. It's just a minor inconvenience you have had since you were born."
Adelheid frowned. His words were obviously a lie to comfort her.
"Replying to Your Highness, the mana within the princess's body has grown since her awakening. I'm afraid that she will need to constantly wear mana draining magic tools for her body not to be burdened by her vast mana," the healer said.
"That is not a long-term solution," Albrecht said, frowning even more—if that was even possible—as he stood up. He glanced at the remaining people in the room, his intent obvious.
The nearly thirty people began to discuss among themselves before a wizened man wearing a gorgeous robe walked forward, his staff clacking on the ground as he did so. "Your Highness, there are many solutions to the problem. We could place a seal on the mana within the princess's body or erect a barrier that would drain her mana. Even the mana absorbing tools are feasible for a time. We just have to interchange them frequently."
"Those are not the answers I want," Albrecht said as he scanned his subordinates, his voice full of majesty.
The wizened man, a court mage, instantly became cowed as he stammered. "T-T-There is another w-way."
"Tell me," Albrecht commanded.
"Princess Adelheid would simply need to become a mage." Seeing Albrecht start to frown, the court wizard quickly continued, afraid of the second prince's following words. "Although the process is long and arduous, the princess only needs to enter the third circle of magic. Once she reaches that point, she can utilize a spell to release her mana so that it doesn’t continually burden her body."
Seeing Albrecht become silent, the court mage found himself growing more confident. He took a glance at Adelheid's pointed ears before speaking. "I dare say that Her Highness was born to be a mage. With her vast reservoir of mana, she can easily surpass this one with time."
Albrecht did not speak for a while, causing sweat to drip down the court mage's forehead. Just as he feared that he spoke the wrong words, Albrecht spoke, his tone full of difficulties, "But my daughter is still young. She does not have the discipline to focus for long hours. In addition, she has just awoken from her coma."
The court mage inwardly sighed in relief. "Your worries are unfounded, Your Highness. Most mages with talent are taught at around ten and eleven years of age. It won't be too late for Her Highness then. The supply of mana absorption items should not be a problem until then."
Albrecht turned towards Adelheid, his expression gentle yet detached. "What do you say, Adelheid? If you do not want to learn magic, that's fine. Father can find another solution."
Adelheid looked down and balled her fist into tiny balls. She wasn't balling her fist into little balls because of unwillingness but to hold back her excitement. Learn magic? Of course, she wanted to! Her memories were currently fragmented, but she knew that magic had never existed in the reality she knew. Just the thought sent her soaring to cloud nine. She didn't know why she was so excited, but the thought of tossing fireballs and erecting earth spikes sent shivers down her spine.
Just as Albrecht was worried that Adelheid would stay silent forever, she spoke. "...yes."
The voice was trembling, causing Albrecht to frown. He gently said, "There's no need to be afraid, dear. Magic is not scary at all. The great founder of the Vuldar Empire was a mage. And just like he said, there is no need to worry for at least three more years. You have plenty of time."
"No, I want to learn as soon as possible," Adelheid said as she looked up and stared resolutely at Albrecht, causing him to enter a daze.
"You are my daughter indeed. However, you must not rush yourself. There is a process to everything. You just have to focus on rehabilitation for now," Albrecht said after a while, confusing Adelheid. Wasn’t he the one who wanted her to learn magic the most?.
The second prince said a few more words of comfort before looking out the window. "It's getting late, and you must rest. I must leave for now, but do not worry, I will see you whenever I can."
Second Prince Albrecht left Adelheid's room with the majority of the people who had been crowding, allowing the seventh princess to finally be able to feel as if the room was breathable again. She looked towards the two remaining people, her maids.
One was blond and had a bob cut that enhanced her cute features. The other was almost the complete opposite of her, with dark eyes and even darker hair. Both stood at the same height but gave off completely different vibes.
"What’re your names?" Adelheid's tone was slightly hesitant as if unsure of how she should speak with her maids.
"I am Sofia Meyer, Your Highness." The first one to speak was the dark-haired one and gave a picture-perfect curtsy.
"Ah! Um, I'm Matilda Avery..." the younger one awkwardly followed, her movements rushed. "Your Highness!" Matilda added after a long pause.
Adelheid brought her fingers up to rub her temples, a gesture that was entirely against her age and doll-like face. "Bring me a mirror, please."
Sofia and Matilda shared a look before the older girl fetched a hand mirror from the dresser and held it in front of Adelheid.
The moment Adelheid looked into the mirror, she was struck speechless by what she saw. Moments later, her hand started to touch her face as if in disbelief. Only after several minutes was Adelheid sure that she wasn't hallucinating. Then, she slightly turned her face and was struck speechless once more as she saw her ears.
With a delicate touch, Adelheid began to fiddle with her ears. "What's wrong with my ears?"
Adelheid had noticed how many people were staring at the side of her face. That's why she wanted the mirror. She just didn't expect to see such a perfect face, hence why she got sidetracked for a moment.
"...Your Highness, there's nothing wrong with your ears." It took a moment for Sofia to reply to Adelheid's question.
"What do you mean?" Adelheid asked as she turned to gaze at Sofia.
Sofia found her heartbeat quicken, being focused by that enrapturing face. She quickly steeled herself and replied, "Your Highness, your mother was an elf, so there is nothing wrong with your ears."
"Elves exist?" Adelheid said, shock and disbelief evident in her voice.
"Yes, Your Highness." Sofia found the disbelief strange but quickly reminded herself that the seventh princess had been in a coma for years, explaining her lack of understanding of the world, not to mention her memory loss. "Your mother was the sister of the sovereign prince of the Principality of Alvarius, a nation composed mainly of elves."
It took Adelheid some moments before she could process what she just heard. "Magic exists, so why wouldn't elves? Stupid, stupid," Adelheid muttered to herself in a low voice, so low that Sofia and Matilda couldn't hear.
"Then where is my mother? Why didn't she come with the second prince? I mean, my father." Adelheid asked.
Silence answered Adelheid. She looked towards her maids, who appeared like two deers caught in headlights. Matilda elbowed the older maid, causing Sofia to hiss and clutch her side in pain. Shooting a glare and whispering something at the younger girl, Sofia resumed her former posture.
Adelheid laughed at Sofia, pretending to be unperturbed while she was clearly grimacing from the pain. The young girl of seven had already thought of numerous possibilities. Perhaps her mother disliked her and only gave birth to her out of duty, or she died. Adelheid would admit that such circumstances would cause her sadness, but not much. Even though her memories were currently in fragments, she recalled living another life on a place called Earth. There, both her parents had died young.
"Tell me about the Principality of Alvarius," Adelheid said, trying to change the awkward topic for the two girls. Despite being younger than the two, Adelheid couldn't help but see the two as just children.
Sofia and Matilda visibly released the breath that they had been holding, and Adelheid pretended that their act of hiding their worries worked.
"The Principality of Alvarius is the oldest nation on the continent of Veles. It is said to have existed before the Holy Providence Era," Sofia started to explain, confidence returning to her demeanor. Adelheid thought that glasses would be a perfect fit for the teenage maid.
"Holy Providence Era?" Adelheid interrupted.
"Yes, it is currently the year 1738 of the Holy Providence Era," Sofia said.
"Ooh! Ooh!" Matilda raised her hand like an excited child and said, "In five years, the Vuldar Empire will have existed for two hundred years."
Sofia sent a quick glare at Matilda before she started to explain once more. "The Principality of Alvarius's capital is Alfheim, the home of the Ljos Alfs, or light elves. It is said that their city is located at the base of the Sacred Tree Yggdrasil, but that is unconfirmed. Only elves are allowed in Alfheim."
"Elves are extremely beautiful. It is said that they are the personification of the forest and wind, just like their creator goddess, the Fleeting Lyonis, Goddess of the Wind!" Matilda interjected, her voice loud as if afraid Adelheid would not hear her.
Sofia's eyes twitched for a moment. She ignored Matilda's interruption and continued to speak as if the younger girl hadn't said anything. Adelheid quietly listened, seemingly fascinated by Sofia's explanations of the elves. "What is the difference between the light elves and regular elves?"
Matilda, who was about to interject once again, found herself at a loss. She gave Sofia a teary-eyed look, causing Sofia to inwardly roll her eyes and ignore the flaxen-haired maid.
"Light elves are said to be closer to the wind goddess, the Fleeting Lyonis. They are more beautiful, possess greater mana, and have a longer lifespan. The light elves are the royal family of the Principality of Alvarius..." Sofia paused with an expression resembling a deer caught in headlights pasted on her face. She had indirectly led the topic back to Adelheid's mother.
"Ow!" Sofia didn't try to hide her glare this time as she whipped around towards Matilda while clutching her side. Matilda tried to whistle, but only the sound of forced wind could be heard through her lips as she glanced away with an innocent expression on her face.
The two continued their quarrel until a peal of bell-like laughter entered their ears. The two maids turned around to Adelheid to find her laughing into her fist, her eyes seemingly looking at two naughty children. Despite being only seven, she had an air of maturity that adults had, causing the two to become red-faced in shame.
After finally calming down from her laughter, Adelheid thought of another question. "How long do elves live?"
"According to the records, an elf typically lives around four hundred to five hundred years," Sofia said.
"But I heard that they lived for a thousand years," Matilda said.
"That's only the light elves. Regular elves only live around four hundred to five hundred years!" Sofia raised her voice and glowered at Matilda.
"You don't have to shout. I was only asking!" Matilda shot back.
"Maybe if you read more instead of swinging your sword, you'd know about it," Sofia said, not backing down, unable to contain her anger at Matilda any longer.
"What do I need books for? I'm going to become the empire's greatest knight in the future," Matilda said, unconvinced.
"Even knights need to be knowledgeable. Knights aren't just fighters but commanders as well. You have to be skilled in both military and literary arts!" Sofia said, not missing a beat.
"Well, well," Matilda hesitated. "I'll just become one that doesn't need to be smart. Didn't Vidga not lead any soldiers? He didn't read any books, and he turned out fine.”
A vein pulsed on the older girl's forehead. "Vidga is just a fairytale. He never existed. Your father was renowned for both his knowledge and might."
"Gah!" Matilda was silenced. As long as her father was brought up, she had no words of return, but she wasn't one to give up so easily. The younger girl raised her hands. If she couldn't win through words, then she'll win through strength!
"Alright, enough you two." Seeing that the argument was about to get out of hand, the seventh princess immediately stopped the two.
Matilda and Sofia paused, realizing that they were not alone in the princess's room. Shame-faced, the two bowed and deeply apologized, Sofia especially. Adelheid accepted their apologies. It was clear to the princess that this wasn’t the first time the two had an argument.
"So my mother is a light elf. What about my lifespan?" There was a sharp glint in Adelheid's eyes. Combined with her steel-grey eyes, Adelheid's gaze was like a sharp sword.
Sofia quickly averted her eyes as if looks alone could pierce her. "Halflings typically have the lifespan of half their parents' combined. On rare occasions, they will inherit the lifespan from only one of their parents."
"Your highness, you have strongly inherited the blood of the elves, so your lifespan should at least be five hundred years," Sofia said and discreetly glanced at Adelheid's pointed ears.
Adelheid sank into a deep silence as she contemplated what she knew. The two maids also didn't dare to speak without permission, especially after the earlier debacle they showed. Not long after the two maids left, Adelheid began organizing her fragmented memories.
In Adelheid’s memories, there were lots of missing pieces, but after a while, she pieced together what her previous life was like. After he parent’s death in her previous lives, her relatives took her in, but it was not out of kindness. Her relatives took her in to steal her inheritance, the multimillion company created by her parents.
At first, they treated her warmly, but it was all an act for Adelheid to lower her guard. At her most vulnerable moments, they lied and cheated away her inheritance. Once they sucked away all the benefits they could, those relatives of her revealed their true natures and cast her away to an orphanage.
Adelheid raged, but what could a powerless child, one stripped of everything, accomplish by throwing a tantrum?
She could only swallow her anger and enduring, but Adelheid was unwilling to suffer this betrayal. So, she studied hard and skipped grades, accumulating knowledge to one day take back what was hers. Eventually, Adelheid managed to graduate college and start a business of her own.
The business wasn’t big, but it was enough Adelheid to accumulate enough wealth to hire a lawyer. Naturally, she planned to sue her relatives and take back what was owed to her. However, her memories stopped just before the court hearing, and what remained was a mass of hatred festering in her heart.
There was a scream.
It didn’t take a genius to realize that Adelheid had died around then. Nor was it difficult to deduce that her ‘kind’ relatives orchestrated some sort of incident. Who would believe she had really so coincidentally died before the hearing?
Pain penetrated every fiber of his being.
The seventh princess grabbed her head as images flashed through her mind, but they were too chaotic to make any sense of. After the pain disappeared, Adelheid stepped off the bed and looked out the window. It was already dark, but she could see light coming from each building, lighting the city up and giving it a trace of liveliness in contrast against the dark night. It was as if there were an uncountable number of stars on the land, reflecting the star-filled sky.
“I’m alive,” Adelheid softly whispered. Never again would anyone else steal what was rightly hers.
