Until Death Do Us Apart

Destined to Be or Not to Be?

I couldn’t sleep during the night, not really. I’ve had so many flashes of memories of my past and of my previous life as the princess that I couldn’t get a decent sleep.

I’m still Yara! Or am I not?

During my sleepless night I’ve seen my previous life. The way I behaved, the way I though, the way I tried to survive. I’ve seen my father and The Blood Prince, and I couldn’t bare anymore.

I’ve remembered how I felt the day I died. Betrayed by my own father, lured into a trap, sold to unwanted marriage.

My current life might have been better than the previous one, but I’m not counting on any improvement. I don’t know whether William knows and eventually, it doesn’t even matter. The destiny brought us together again and I should solve the insolvable case in this life while I still have a chance.

I’ll have to find my old friends and pieces of information I need to know. In Yara’s body, there’s not that much useful knowledge which I could use. Nonetheless, the whole process would be slow. I presume that there’s no internet or intranet for supernaturals to access the info and I know creatures prefer personal meetings over technology. They’ve always done it like that. They like to know who’s their opponent and who do they really face. But I can’t leave the academy.

Grr…

Maybe, I can do one thing. I can ask William. But these’ll have to be very shy and cautious questions. Yara doesn’t know many things, but she could learn them through the argument that she will become princess’s personal guard, and as a guard, she has a right to know. William could support this by his own free will.

The princess shouldn’t be taken care of by an uneducated person.

These thoughts were important, but there was one haunting me the whole night nevertheless. I could fight off the others, but not this one. The most painful one is the one still going on my mind even now.

How come that Sophia is the princess of the female royal bloodline?

I was the last one. I didn’t have any child, and as far as I know there weren’t any other descendants. It makes sense that William keeps her close and therefore keeps an eye on her. But who could she really be?

Is she an imposter? That would be the better from the two variants which had crossed my mind.

If she is the true descendant, I’m in trouble. Big trouble. I have a gigantic, enormous problem.

However, to look through and through, not everything is lost, not yet. I have an advantage. I can be close to her. I know many things about the world. Although as Yara, I don’t remember everything, but I hope it’ll eventually come to me.

I get up and decide to take a shower. I can’t hide my bags underneath my eyes, but I can get a refreshment. Water always helps.

I don’t spend as much time there as I had wished, because William would wait for me. When I’m done and I leave the shower I can see him waiting at my door.

He looks professional as usually. Nothing can penetrate his defence except one little smile, but he hides it as soon as it appears.

My face is also unreadable mask. It’s convenient to be Selene in Yara’s body. I’ve a lot of new skills and they don’t know it, at least not for now.

William is about to enter my room, but I stop him. I don’t know his reasons or motivation and I don’t care. I aim to preserve my dignity. I am still a lady! Yara sometimes does and speaks in the manner not worthy of a princess. I can do some of them to not reveal myself, but some habits must be left off and forgotten (swearing). Including William.

He wants to object, but eventually says nothing (which is not like him). He stays obediently outside of my room.

It takes only two minutes to get changed to Xena’s dress (I love how Yara calls these ones. I can access her memories and this is hilarious). I’m ready to go.

William’s eyes are hooked on me and I pretend I don’t see it. As he promised yesterday, there’re just two of us.

Let’s dance, The Pure Blood Prince.

I must admit, it’s still not easy. I remember some of my combat training, but not as much as I’d hoped for. I know it’ll eventually come to me, but for the time being I have to watch myself. If I get carried away, I can show my skills and this would be suspicious.

William is far beyond smart and he has his eyes everywhere. He’s a lethal weapon and I’m far from beating him right now. He is truly as talented and as good as his reputation states. He’s a perfect strategist, he’s not afraid of blood and violence. If I’m to beat him and win over him I have a lot work to do, especially improving my concentration and mastering my anger.

He tortures me whole morning and at the end he announces that we will do funnier business in the afternoon. There’s irony and pleasure in his eyes. I’m just wondering what that might be.

When I’m done with my lunch, he waits for me with a big white box in his hands. I’m wondering what could be inside. It’s probably one of his cruel jokes and there’ll be nasty bugs.

He orders me to follow him. Surprisingly, we head to my room. He opens the door and puts the box on the table. Yara is thrilled and little bit scared, because she thinks about the yesterday’s kiss, but me, Selene is cautious.

“Open it,” William softly commands.

“What’s inside?” I ask while awaiting some backstabbing treason.

“You’ll see,” he smirks almost laughing, but this time his voice doesn’t sound cruel.

I open the box very slowly. There’re no nasty buggers, no bugaboos, there’s not anything peculiar. I see a pair of high heels and a gown.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask in horror.

“Did you forget about the second part?” William grumbles with humour. “I’m going to teach you etiquette and royal customs,” he hisses while smiling. “Today, we’re going to dance, Ugly Duckling.”

I don’t have anything to say. As Selene, I love dancing. Yara can dance too. She went to dancing lessons, so she’s not a lost case. However, dancing with the enemy number one is never a good thing to do. Dancing is a foreplay. It always has been.

In this beautiful dress I can easily pretend to be a part of royal court, but William complicates my mission. There’ll be always more behind his words than he says. I have to be extra cautious. However, dance and beautiful gowns are my guilty pleasure.

I’ll test you, William, The Pure Blood Prince, whether you’re worthy to dance with me. We should have danced ages ago on the night I died, and now we meet again. I hope you didn’t forget for that would be a shame for you, because dance gives me a pleasure almost as same as your kiss did.