Withering Petals

Chapter 4: A Disastrous Night

"Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster."

"Finleigh, I really don't have the time-" you caught yourself a second too late. You're done for. You nervously turned around to face him, just to see him freeze. Welp, there goes your luck. You were so used to calling him by his first name during your stay at the Fernsby duchy that you nearly forgot where--and who--you were. He had given you permission to call him by his name. At first, you thought it was because he wanted the two of you to be close, but you realized later on that in a way, it acted as compensation for his neglect for you.

"Y-you... How do you know me?" This was the first time you saw him stutter. You didn't know how to answer him, so you said the first excuse that came to your mind.

"I...I heard a l-lot about you, Your Grace," you smiled weakly, bowing your head. This could've gotten you killed. You didn't want to die at his hands. Thankfully, although he didn't look convinced, he dismissed it with a curt nod and absentmindedly walked away. Probably to find some other lady to charm. Honestly, you could never forget that he was a flirtatious man.

As you were trying to calm down your frayed nerves, a gentle tap to your arm sent you flying back to your senses. You whirled around, just to see Eva--the only person you fully trusted in your previous life--smiling gently at you. "You must be Lady de Luna! Congratulations! I heard so much about you," she gushed, trying hard to contain her excitement. This was what you liked about her: she always knew what to say to make you feel better.

"Thank you, Lady Beaumont! Just [Name] would do! I am pleased to make your acquaintance, you seem really nice," you returned politely. It wouldn't do to start rambling on like you always did when you see her. It might scare her, especially since the two of you weren't close...yet.

You smiled to yourself as you watched Eva's cheeks tinge red with embarrassment, the color complimenting her looks greatly. "Ahaha, you can call me Eva as well. The comments other people made about you were not an exaggeration--not that I thought it was--as you are very lovely and sweet, Lady-I mean [Name]!" She complimented you, then leaned in until her face is right beside your ear. You could sense gossip coming your way.

"By the way, when you were talking to the Duke of the North, Her Highness was glaring in your direction. You must beware, dear, for everyone knows how much she cares for the duke..." She kept her voice low, in case any people who were passing by hears her conversation with you. Not that she needed to be afraid. Her father holds a strong influence in the palace court, being a duke himself.

"Thanks, Eva! I'll keep that in mind," you promise, flashing a smile in her direction.

"Anytime, my friend!" She beamed, and from that moment onwards, you knew that you could count on her. She's always loyal towards her friends, even more so to her best friends, which you will be soon. It's refreshing after all that you've been through. Before you died in your previous life, she was the one who had tried to convince you to bring her with you to the palace. She told you that there might be trouble from the princess, and with her there, the princess wouldn't dare to hurt you. But you hadn't listened. However, you would be sure to this time.

"So, how is-" Eva's next words were interrupted by a booming voice that reverberated through the whole ballroom. Father. You nearly forgot how loud he could be at times.

"Thank you all so much for coming here to celebrate my promotion in status to a noble. My gratitude for all of you could not be expressed in mere words. Hereby, I vow that my loyalty will always belong to the Great Empire of Ipredia, and to its great rulers, Emperor Caelian and Empress Caragh. Let us all toast to their reign!" Your father declared robustly, raising his cup of wine to his lips.

The guests--which, if you recall, up to nearly a hundred in number--echoed his words, "To their reign!" and drank from their cups as well.

➳➳➳

You chatted with Eva for a long time, laughing and dancing the night away. For the first time in a while, you let yourself relish in the moment and forget about all your problems. You could worry about that afterwards. Then, as the hours of the night slowly slipped away, you found yourself indulging in more and more wine. You never really had a taste of it; you didn't have the time in your previous life. You were too busy trying to please Finleigh and everyone else that you barely had any fun. Well, screw him. He didn't matter anymore. At this moment, you vow to enjoy tonight to your fullest. You deserved it.

You talked about various topics with Eva, from backstories to the people you find interesting. Although you knew everything about Eva, it was nice to hear her speak. "[Name], you should really stop drinking... it's not good for you," she said slowly, looking at you with concern etched in her face.

"No, I likeeee wineeeee," your words came out slurred, causing Eva to frown even more.

"Look, you're drunk. I should call your brother..." But you pulled her back, shaking your head vigorously.

"Evaaaa, don't. I just need to take in some freshhh airrrrr," you murmured, pulling at her long sleeves.

"A-are you sure? You look like you'll pass out any second-" You didn't let her finish. Instead, you nodded firmly, making your way to the gardens, wobbling unsteadily.

Eva caught up with you in a hurry, slipping her hand around your waist, as you leaned in to her for support. "Which way?" She asks, and you point it out to her. Even though you were drunk, your sense of direction was still keen. You knew your home like the back of your hand. Once the beautiful marble fountain came into view, you escaped Eva's grasp and started towards it.

Then, pointing at the fish in the pond that was connected to the fountain, you beamed at her. "Aren't they prettyyyyy? Father got them for meeeeee," you boasted.

"[Name], you should really rest now. I'm going to call Lord Frederick."

However, you couldn't really process her words that well. Your head was starting to feel really light, and white spots started to blur your vision. You felt something slipping out of your hand--the wine cup you hadn't realized that you were holding on to the whole time--and landed on the floor with a CRASH. Then, as you felt the whole world sway beneath you, Eva let out a piercing scream, but you couldn't process what she was saying. You were in a state of pure bliss...Until you felt the hard ground beneath you.

You tried to move your tired limbs in order to push yourself up, but you realized that you didn't have any energy left. It was as if everything was sucked away, and all you had left was your physical body. It remained this way as you vaguely felt something moving beneath you and before you knew it, you were in someone's arms, as a lot of voices entered your head, blurring into each other.

The last thing you remembered before spiraling into unconsciousness was the face of a man looking down at you, alarm etched in his handsome features.

Status: Edited. Please vote!