Living Fatally : Loving You

Chapter 10: Princess Edith

"Miss"

"Ten more minutes..."

"Miss"

"Mom, you don't have to be so polite,"

"MISS"

I opened my eyes. Instead of my room's white popcorn ceiling, I was facing a violet canopy, fluttering in the gentle breeze. I wrapped myself up with the duvet that'd gone astray some time in the middle of the night. As I scanned the room in fascination, I could feel a hole burning thorugh my back. Zinovia was shooting me an angry look  from the corner of the room, her arms crossed defiantly. 

"I thought you wouldn't ever wake up, Miss. It's already eleven o'clock. Would you care for some breakfast?"

I managed an apologetic smile back at her and nodded.

How dreadfully embarassing!

Just as Zinovia left to bring in the food, I got up and made my bed, my movements slow and careful-like a dog that's done something bad. 

Wolfing down mouthfuls of porridge and pancakes, I listened intently as Zinovia lectured on with my agenda.

"It's alread eleven, so we haven't got much of the day left, Miss. We will get you dressed up for tea with Mr. Badeaux at two. Before and after that is free time. You may do anything you wish, except bother others."

Bother others? Jeez.

Zinovia smiled quietly and walked out of the room again. This time, she reappeared with an array of dresses, all in distinctive shades of blue. 

"Here are some dresses for you to choose from. I'll hang them up in the wardrobe for you. You have until two to get ready, so take your time. Ring the bell when you need me."

Yikes, dresses.

I hadn't worn one since kindergarten, with an exception of yesterday, when my entire attire was transformed for some reason-so that doesn't count, right? Right after Zinovia left, I opened the closet and took a look inside. It was parted in the middle, the right side for accesories, undergarments, and the miscellaneous, the left side for dresses. Marveling at the sight, I muttered the six words that had been lingering on my mind since I entered this room. 

"I feel like a...princess."

The guest room was all together too spacious for a stranger, the "personal helper" too gracious, and the clothing too luxurious. 

Had I stumbled upon a trap? I recounted my few moments with the tsarevich and tsarina. What had made me suddenly climb up the social ladder from an orphan to an heir's pal? What did I have that other rich, Russian noble kids that didn't?

It only took a split second for me to realize...

The papercut.

It had disappeared, coincidentally when I was with Alexei. Now that I looked back, I could see. Even Alexei's jabs at himself-it'd been a test. A test to see if the wound would vanish.

Alas, it did. 

I stared blanky at my own hands. I had never been capable of such things.

 Time travel was enough drama to happen to one person. Strange abilities...I wasn't going to be Rasputin #2, never. I knew, from my World History extra credit, that the alleged mystical healer was to be assassinated within months. Would the same thing happen to me, if the crowds shunned me?

A sudden chill raced up my body. My stomache churned, and I began to feel a bit squeamish. 

I paced about the room, slapping my dimwitted head and pulling at my hair. How had I not known? It was so obvious. I had lazily labeled everything as a coincidence, when in fact the whole enchilada fit together like pieces in a puzzle. Now that Rasputin was no longer trustworthy, I was to be the replacement.