Diane's body jolted.
She struggled with the sharp pain in her lungs as she gasped for air. A raging headache threatened to blind her with every attempt at prying her eyes open.
She felt the soft mattress under her and tried to remember if she had changed her bed, as she had always wanted to. But even trying to think made the pain worse.
Her nose caught the faint but sweet smell of fragrances she couldn't quite place what it was. Was it lavender? White jasmine? No. Cotton blossom, or a mix of lavender and vanilla, maybe?. She sighed from the exhaustion of having to think at all.
Suddenly, a memory surged, and she felt her heart tighten while her eyes welled up with tears. She had failed again. She thought of all the things she could have done differently as the memory of the old man crumpled beside her during those final moments hit her. Maybe if she had been a little bit faster, if she had left home a little earlier than she did. Or if she had not hesitated even for a second, would he have lived?
When she could finally open her eyes, she met a quiet room, so brightly unfamiliar that it hurt her eyes. The white curtains were embroidered with gold thread; everything about the way they were draped to the side of the windows screamed minimalist display of wealth.
Diane can now smell the overpowering scent of herbs that had been perfectly hidden by the sweet fragrances. Maybe she's at the hospital, she thought. Never did she imagine she survived that fire; it must be what people called "a miracle". Something she never believed in...
She tried to turn to her side and take a closer look round her surrounding, and was met with a sharp pain across her ribs.
"I must have broken a few during the fall".
She muttered to herself as she struggled to push herself up, steadying her weight on one hand. The room was large, yet nothing felt excessive. The frame of her bed was probably carved from a rare kind of pale wood. Diane wondered what kind of hospital uses such a vintage-looking bed for patients.
Her eyes caught the vase of fresh flowers arranged with care on the table close to her bed. She stretched her hands to touch them, but even that gesture shot a pain through her. She looked at them longingly instead.
Glancing through, she saw how neat and calm it all looked, like a place belonging to someone who was in control of her life.
It can't be a hospital room, she thought.
Zero emergency beeps, or tons of nurses trotting to and fro the corridors, not even the usual sound of sirens from ambulances that she was accustomed to. This place was contrastingly too quiet.
Just then, she heard soft footsteps and muffled voices outside the door. Diane had only a few seconds to decide whether to pretend to still be unconscious or not.
Before she could will her bruised body to react, two women stepped inside the room, dressed in the most medieval dresses Diane has ever seen, wait, what? Is she an actor now, maybe? Or are they cosplaying, because nothing else could explain the hair tied back in a knot in a very old but cute manner. The dresses cinched at the waist in a corset form and flowed a little like ball gowns.
The first lady was a girl, probably around Diane's age, maybe slightly younger. Her face was pale in a very beautiful way, clean of any blemish. Diane suddenly felt a pang of jealousy, having always suffered from severe acne all her teenage years, with her acne scars to show for it. The moment the clear-skinned girl saw Diane, her eyes widened and lit with excitement.
"Milady! You're awake!" she gasped, as she rushed forward so quickly that Diane feared she would trip.
"Do you know how worried I was, you would not wake up for days!"
"I was so scared, thinking we lost you!"
She chimed continuously, almost too loud for the once-silent room. She hovered closer to a stunned Diane, helping her lie on her back.
The second woman entered behind her wearing a fitted uniform, neat in a very crisp way. Unlike the girl, she had a straight posture and an expression that expressed worry in a calm way. She gave Diane a long look, then to the maid and back to Diane again, like she was registering her displeasure .
"No sudden movement, Mira". She said with a tone more professional than kind. A tone Diane knew well enough. "Lady Athea is still recovering from…it all". "Do you mind not shaking her up with so many words?" She said while giving the younger woman a quick stare.
Lady Athea.
Diane blinked.
The young girl nodded frantically. "Yes, milady, don't strain yourself. You gave us all quite the fright!" Lord Dravon nearly…"
"Mira," the older woman cut in. It was with a quiet voice , but the younger woman went quiet. Mira, yes, I know her name now.
Diane's throat felt dry. She tried to speak, but it hurt. "I think there's been a misunderstanding," she said as audibly as possible. "My name is not Athea…"
The older woman walked briskly to her side and took a closer look, examining her eyes, feeling her pulse, and her breathing with practiced movements. Things that felt familiar to Diane. She must be a physician of some sort, with methods so old, definitely not a licensed doctor, Diane thought.
"This happens," the physician said. "Severe shock can affect memory."
She said it so flatly, with zero curiosity, that it almost made Diane laugh, only if her lungs weren't too constricted.
She closed her eyes, willing it all to be a dream.
Just then a bird flew to the window, its flapping motion taking Diane out of her reverie.
The older woman walked to the bird and returned with a tiny scroll which she started to unroll.
Diane stared in surprise and horror at the raven which now stared down at her as if it were surprised just as much. The raven didn't leave immediately but continued to stare at Diane, unblinking.
It was only for a split second, but Diane felt her core burning from something, even after the bird has flown off. It was as if some sort of energy was flowing from her core into her hands.
She raised her hands to her face and nearly screamed. The sight she met terrified her, for her palms were burning, not with fire but an ember colored flame that glowed faintly.
Diane gasped in shock, alerting the two women who were once focused on the scroll.
They spun towards her, just as the glow intensified into an almost blinding light.
"Lady Athea!"
They shouted as they ran to her bedside, but it was too late.