How Do You Do, Sire?

Another day, another life. I silently thanked the deities for still granting me the simple, mundane privilege of air to breathe.

I stretched my arms and legs—oh, what a blissful stretch—letting out a small sigh as the tension in my body melted away. My bones creaked and cracked, a symphony of relief that somehow managed to fill me with an unexpected sense of comfort. A pleased smile tugged at my lips, and I couldn't resist a long, satisfying yawn that stretched from the depths of my chest.

"Ugh!" A groan slipped from my throat.

Ah, the joy of a good stretch. You know, that deep, instinctive stretch after a long sleep? The kind that makes you feel like you could conquer the world—or at least maybe take on a light jog without falling flat on your face.

Slowly, I blinked open my eyes.

The sunlight that greeted me was almost blinding, as if the universe had decided to send every ray of sunshine directly into my retinas. I squinted, waiting for my vision to adjust. Finally, after a few moments, I could make sense of the world around me.

I pushed myself upright, my back protesting the movement with an unexpected ache that shot through me like a bolt of lightning. Despite that, I shook it off. "Good morning, world," I muttered, as if to convince myself.

I couldn't help but curl into the breeze for a moment, crossing my arms over my knees and lowering my head.

"So refreshing…" I sighed, closing my eyes once again, wanting to lose myself in the tranquility of the moment.

But then… something shifted. A nagging thought, like a whisper in the back of my mind, yanked me out of my blissful reverie.

More than two months.

The realization hit me with sudden force. I froze. My stomach twisted. My eyes snapped open as the horror began to settle in.

Two months.

Two months in a coma.

The weight of it crashed down on me, and before I even knew what I was doing, I shot upright, gasping, my heart racing. "I'm up!" I exclaimed aloud, my voice echoing in the quiet room. The words sounded strange to my ears—louder, colder than I expected. A deep, hollow sensation settled in my chest, but I shrugged it off, choosing to focus on the elation of waking up. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so alive.

I burst into a fit of laughter, uncontrollably grinning from ear to ear. "I'm finally up!"

It felt absurd, this joy. Ridiculous, even. As though the entire universe had somehow decided to pull me from a deep slumber just for my amusement. The feeling was too much. I couldn't help but move, couldn't help but run towards the large doors in front of me, pushing them open with an exuberant force.

The fresh air outside hit me like a wave. A wide balcony stretched before me, overlooking a sprawling garden, alive with colors and fragrances that could have been pulled straight from a dream. The flowers bloomed in chaotic yet perfect harmony, the hedges sculpted into elegant shapes that made it all feel like a fantasy. The sunlight bathed everything in a warm glow, and for a moment, it seemed like the world itself was holding its breath, just waiting for me to take it all in.

I stared at the beauty before me, my heart swelling.

But then… a voice broke through the spell.

"My lady?!"

I turned sharply, my body still brimming with strange, sudden energy, only to see a young woman standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock. She clutched a basin of water with both hands, her knuckles white from gripping it too tightly. Behind her stood four others, each frozen in place, staring at me as though I'd grown a second head.

"Yes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, still confused.

Shouldn't I be seeing doctors, or at least someone in a white coat telling me to "take it easy"? Why were maids here?

"I-I'll head out a-and i-inform the d-duke..." one of them stammered, bowing deeply before rushing away, nearly tripping over her own feet.

I frowned, a chill creeping down my spine.

The maid holding the basin finally moved, carefully setting it down on a table beside my bed. She glanced at me nervously before slowly approaching. Her hands shook slightly, and her gaze remained fixed on the floor.

"My lady, it is cold out here. Please, let us help you back inside," she said, her words laced with hesitation, as if speaking the wrong one might send me into some kind of fury. It almost sounded like a plea, a desperate request to not be angry.

Something about her voice seemed strangely familiar.

I tilted my head. "Will you sing for me?" the words slipping out my mouth without thinking. As soon as I said it, I immediately noticed something... off. Cold. Distant. Commanding. Was that my voice?

Her head snapped up so quickly it almost seemed unnatural, her eyes wide with alarm, fear flooding her face.

"My lady?" she asked, her voice cracking. Unsure whether she heard me right.

"Will you sing?" I repeated, a little louder this time. It was like I couldn't stop myself. Was I irritated? Why was I being so blunt?

Her eyes grew wide with terror, her body trembling slightly.

"No, my lady, I-I could never—" she stammered. "I would never commit such an unworthy act before you..."

The other maids gasped, their bodies stiffening, heads lowered. Their hands clasped tightly on their skirts, eyes downcast.

What was going on? What the hell were they so afraid of?

I blinked, trying to make sense of it.

The maid in front of me was shaking now, her face pale. Tears began to spill down her cheeks as her gaze remained fixed on the floor. The trembling in her body was palpable, almost like she was expecting something awful to happen.

"Do not cry!" I blurted, though even I was startled by how harsh it sounded. All of them jumped at the command, even I flinched inwardly. I hadn't meant to sound that way… Why did I sound like that? The anger in my tone was so unexpected that it made my stomach churn.

The maid flinched, stepping back as if I had struck her. Her entire body recoiled, and for a moment, I saw something haunting in her eyes—something I couldn't quite place. Fear?

I blinked. The fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

I stepped away from the balcony, moving closer to her, but she instinctively shrank back. Confusion flickered through me—why was she so afraid? It didn't make sense. I didn't do anything else except ask.

Then, a creeping thought slowly crawling into my consciousness.

Where am I?

Who are these people?

The realization hit me like a sudden wave of ice-cold water. I staggered slightly, catching myself on the near wall.

I glanced back at the maid—at all of them—their fear, their reverence, and something about it stirred a strange, unsettling sense of familiarity. It was almost as if I had seen this before, not in reality, but in the pages of my own stories. I'd written about it—about a person who seems out of place, feared and revered, trapped in someone else's shoes, a life that others cowered before. But I had never thought, not in a million years, that I would be the one living it. Now, it was no longer fiction. It was my reality, and the cold weight of it pressed down on me, suffocating and unfamiliar.

But I couldn't place it. And I don't want to accept it.

I only knew one thing for sure: I wasn't supposed to be here.

And yet, here I was.

I looked down at my hands, my feet, my clothes—none of them feel like mine. The skin, almost ghostly pale, is unfamiliar, a stark contrast to what I once knew. It's as if I've been wrapped in someone else's existence.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice faltered. This wasn't me. The world around me wasn't real. It couldn't be.

I turned to the maid again, my body suddenly feeling so very, very tired.

"What's my name?" I whispered.

The maid froze. Her face paled even more. And then she muttered, barely above a whisper, "Lady Aerin…"