Author Note: I'm so sorry for the slow update. It has been almost two years. I have been working on another story and had huge writer's block with this story. But this story will not go down and I'm still continuing it.
I slowly open my eyes to see not mine, not John's or Pavolva's wall. I see a warm yellow color with gold trim and delicate designs on the edges. I slowly get up but feel pain in my whole body. I look around to see a desk, dresser, two doors, two sofa chairs, all white, and the finest furniture I've ever seen. Where am I?
The door opens, and a kind, an elderly-looking woman walks into the room. "Oh, thank goodness, you're awake!" She says sweetly, walking towards me. The woman looks like the same woman in chapter one, but she wears a different outfit. "How are you feeling, Mistress?"
I look around once more and give her a confused look. "Where am I?" I ask meekly, my heart and mind panicked, praying I'm not anywhere near John.
"Shhh, don't worry, my dear, you're safe. This is Charlottenburg Palace, and you're under the protection of the King of Prussia." The woman answers in the same calm voice I know Trudy most of all.
I sigh in relief, knowing I'm nowhere near my abuser. But my head starts spinning; I groan in pain and lean forward. The woman steadies me on the pillows behind my back to let me see her.
"Whoa, take it easy, Mistress. You fell off your horse and hit your head, and we found you in a winter storm, and you're freezing by the touch." The woman explains, and I start to shiver.
Suddenly, a shiver comes down my spine. "How long was I asleep?" I ask, hugging myself.
"About a full day. You looked so exhausted and bruised." She responds, frowning a bit. "In your sleep, you cried and begged someone to leave you alone. You called him John. Who is he?" She adds with worry.
I glance down, turn my head away from the woman, and sigh. "His name is John Schulz, and he was the one who gave me these bruises. He's a nobleman who stole me from my home, kept me in chains, and abused and beat me." I answer, trembling, and tears come to my eyes. I close my eyes and feel the tears fall down my cheeks.
"Oh my... I'm so sorry, my dear. No princess like yourself should be treated like that." She says sweetly.
I take a deep breath and straighten up, gaining my composure back.
"Alright! Now you're awake; let's get you cleaned up in a warm bath and get you dressed properly for the King." The woman says.
She helps me out of bed and to the floor. Blood rushed to my head, and I almost lost my footing. The woman catches me, steadies me up, and helps me to one of the white doors. She opens the door and reveals a beautiful white and golden bathroom. The tub, mirror, and everything look the finest I've ever seen. I feel overwhelmed and almost fall to my knees, but the woman catches me.
The woman helps me get undressed. I feel self-conscious about showing off my buries and scratches on my body to someone else, let alone another woman, or looking in a mirror. The woman leads me into the tub, which is big and full of warm water. "Watch your step, my dear."
I dip in but hesitate as the warm water strings my toes. I take a deep breath and immerse my entire body in the warmth, feeling relaxed and relieved. The woman kneels down and starts washing me. "Thank you for your kindness," I mumble, hugging my legs. I feel so overwhelmed by everything around me. One day, I'm living the life of an independent ballerina. Another day, I was in chains in a dark room and abused by a man for weeks. And now, I wake up in a luxurious room, and a woman calls me a 'princess' and 'Mistress' and washes me like when Mary helped me get dressed. But I feel I need to speak. "What's your name?"
"Trudy, my dear, and you're welcome." She answers sweetly.
I knew it. It's the woman in the real world. But how does she not know who I am? Trudy washes my body and starts to clean my hair. "What is the king like? Is he nice or...?"
"Oh, the king is so kind and compassionate, heroic, loyal, courageous, wise, and caring. He can be hard and tough sometimes, but he treats everyone equally, whether low or high born." Trudy answers.
I smile slightly. At least he sounds nice. Trudy dumps some water on my back, making me hiss and groan in pain from the scratches.
"Oh, my goddess! Who in the world would do such a thing to you?" Trudy says softly, almost sadly.
"John, who loves to torture and hurt people. He often abused and yelled at his staff." I mumble quietly, trying not to cry about the bad memories.
"Where are you from, Mistress?" Trudy says kindly, changing the subject.
"My name is Clara. And I'm from Hamburg. Please don't call me mistress, and I'm a commoner." I answer, a bit irritated.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mistress Clara. It's just... I thought by your face, eyes, and sweet voice, you were a princess, a noblewoman, or a wealthy Heiress. Not a commoner like me. You have silky red hair, bright eyes, and a beautiful face, and no commoner has those features."
I sigh. "It's alright. My mother was from an upper-class family and left them to marry my father, who is part of the middle class." I reply. Of course, this is different. That's Pavlova's story of her parents.
"Oh, how sweet! I am honored to serve a beautiful woman like you."
"Thank you for your compliments. But why would the king assign me ladies-of-waiting? I'm not a noble or a princess, and I'm just a commoner."
"Because when he first saw you, he thought you were a princess. And he wants you to be taken care of like one. Despite what the Grand Duke says."
The Grand Duke? Who is he? But I don't ask questions about it. "Oh." I sigh. I stay in the tub until the water becomes cold.
"Come, Mistress, we need to dry you up and get dressed," Trudy says softly. She helps me out of the bathtub. She hands me a towel, and I dry myself up. Trudy gives me a rob, I wrap it around me, and we walk out of the bathroom. I see another woman in the room—a young woman close to my age, folding something on the bed.
"Marie!" Trudy says sweetly, making the woman turn to us. I started covering my chest with my hands.
"Hello, Trudy!" She acknowledges her. "Greetings Mistress!" She says sweetly and curtsies to me.
I blush. She looks like Marie from the real world. "Thank you!"
"Marie, get Mistress Clara dressed while I tell the King she's awake." Trudy orders calmly.
"Yes!" Marie says softly.
Trudy smiles and turns to me. "Marie will take care of you. She's another one of your ladies, and I'll see you soon with the King." She says sweetly.
"Do I have to?" I mumble.
"Why yes, Mistress. The King wants to meet you and give you his condolence." She replies, a bit alarmed. She turns and walks out the door.
I start feeling sick. "Come, Mistress. Let's get you dressed in warm, beautiful clothes." I hear Marie say.
"Oh no! Please call me Clara. I'm not a noble." I say softly, turning to her.
"Oh, don't be so modest. The King asks us to treat you like a princess with a beautiful name."
I blush again. "Thank you!"
Instead of wearing simple chemise, stockings, petticoats, and a simple gown, Marie shows me some of the most beautiful and elegant dresses I've ever seen. The first one is a bright pink and golden lace. The second is dark emerald green and black lace. The third is completely pearl white and gold trim. And the four is light blue, like sapphire. All of them are silk and luxurious dresses. I chose the fourth dress, and Marie helped me with it. She puts on silk undergarments, laces up my corset, and places the gown over my head and undergarments. I get on slippers that match the dress, and Marie leads me to a mirror.
"You look like a princess," Marie says sweetly.
She's right. The dress makes me look like a princess or Lady from the painting in the conservatory. It's elegant and beautiful. "Thank you, Marie! Thank you for your kindness." I reply calmly.
"You're welcome, Miss- Lady Clara!" She giggles. And we hear a loud knock. I jump. Marie and I turn to the door, making my stomach sink. Marie walks over to the door. "Coming!" She calls out.
But I back up to the bed. Fear and worry creep inside me. Marie opens the door, and people enter. Two men, Trudy, and a young man, in extravagant fashion of red, shiver, and gold.
"Your Majesty!" Marie says clearly and bows in front of the fashionable man. This must be the king.
"Where's the Lady?" He says calmly. His voice doesn't sound pompous, snobbish, arrogant, or rude. It sounds angelic and soft but stern. But something looks familiar about the King's facial features.
Marie turns to me, and everyone looks in my direction. I blush and try to hide behind one of the bed's pillars, trembling.
"It's alright, Mistress. This is His Majesty, the King." Trudy says sweetly. But I just freeze in fear and cannot move or say anything.
"You could say something. Don't be disrespectful to the King! He takes you in, and this is how you respond." One of the men snaps at me, making me more scared.
The King raises his hand. "Shhh! She's scared. Let's not worry her more." He says flatly. The men step back, and the King slowly steps forward.
"Please leave me alone," I mutter quietly, trembling.
"How dare you talk to the King like-"
The King raises his hand, making the man shut up. "Everyone, please step out of the room and wait outside in the hall while I talk to the Lady alone." He says calmly. It sounds more like an order than a request. Without augment, the men, Trudy and Marie, bow and walk out of the room. As only two of us are in the room, the King turns to me and carefully takes a step forward. "My apologies, My Lady. My courtiers and I didn't mean to be rude or frighten you." He says softly and bows to me.
But I stay hidden behind the wooden pillar of the bed. I study the King's face. He looks so young, handsome, and familiar. He's almost about my age. Maybe a few years older. He has black hair in a medium-length ponytail running down his back. He wears a red soldier-like uniform in golden trim, and his belt is made of pure silver. When our eyes meet, my heart skips a beat. His dark hazel eyes pierce through my mind. "Hans?" I whisper curiously, slightly peaking out.
The King slightly nods his head and smiles. "Clara." He answers quietly.
I grin, and butterflies fly in my stomach. God! Hans looks so handsome. I want to run up and embrace him, relieved to see my best friend. But I can't move. I just stand there, frozen, a few feet away from the King in the book and my best friend in real life. The King (Hans) steps forward and tries to touch my hand. But I subconsciously recoil and back up from him.
"Don't be frightened, My Lady. I won't hurt you." He goes back to his character, forgetting who I am. "Please forgive me."
I glance down and bite my lip. The King in the story is like what Trudy said. Just like Hans. I can trust him as Pavlova did in the story. I'm playing her. I take a deep breath, straighten up and look at the King. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. Thank you for your kind hospitality." I reply quickly, bowing down to him. "I am not a princess or a noble woman. I'm just a commoner. How should I repay you?"
The King steps toward me, making me feel nervous. "Please, call me Hans. Don't address me in such a formal fashion in private matters like this. And you don't need to bow." He says softly, and I get up, surprised. But the King said the same thing to Pavlova. "And you don't have to repay for anything. You are my honored guest. You may stay as long as you wish. You may go anywhere in the castle you like. My servants will attend to your every need and ensure you're comfortable. Your horse is safe in the royal stables and treated with the best care."
I smile and relax a bit. Despite the King's request, I bow to him. "Thank you, Your Majesty," I reply calmly.
The King smiles sweetly. "Is there anything you need right now, My Lady?" He asks.
"Some books to read and papers and pencils to write," I answer after thinking. "Please, Your Majesty."
"Of course, My Lady!"
"My name is Clara." I accidentally blurt out, blushing, and look down in embarrassment.
"Clara. What a beautiful name." He says softly, relaxing me a bit. "My Lady Clara, would you like to join me for dinner when you are well?"
I still feel scared and shake my head. Even though the King looks and sounds exactly like Hans, my character feels hesitant and shy. "Yes! Thank you for your kind offer." I answer, just like what my character would say.
With that, the King nods his head. "In the meantime, I will have my servants send food, books, and paper to your room." He replies,
I gulp and feel myself heat up. I smile and bow in return. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" I reply before I feel lightheaded.
"Are you alright, Lady Clara?"
My vision blurs, and I collapse into the King's arms. I look up and catch a glimpse of his worried face before I close my eyes. I feel so hot yet cold simultaneously, making me have an excruciating headache and moan in pain.
"Help!" I hear him call out, and the door opens.
"Oh my goodness!" I hear Trudy say, running to me.
My hearing is fading, and I can't transcript much of what people say, but I hear some.
"She is running a fever."
"Make sure Lady Clara is comfortable, cared for, and attended to." I hear the King say.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" I hear Trudy and Marie reply before I drift to sleep, losing my hearing.
Author Note: Please review!