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Wednesday 10 February 2016

Felicia's Second Life Prologue Book 2

A Metrune Daughter's Decision

“You have free time until dinner. Go have fun,” my lady Felicia said to me.


“Eh?” It was so sudden that I couldn’t understand her command.

“Go have a meal, pick flowers, watch street performance or kill someone. Anything that makes you happy.”

But what makes me happy is being near you, my lady!

Certainly, I wouldn’t dare say that to her. So instead, I said, “My duty is to assist you, my lady.”

“Nothing you can assist me with right now. I’m just training with the spear sentries.”

“Go have fun, Lili. I don’t want to see you until dinner time, understood?” my lady Felicia said to me as she tested swinging the carved wooden stick that functioned as training swords among the spear sentries.

I know my lady didn’t say that out of spite, but her words still made my eyes moisten. I turned my face down so that my lady couldn’t see my eyes that was about to break into tears. Without letting her see my face, I bowed and said, “As you wish, my lady. If you need me, I will be at the baron’s mansion.”

“Okay, I’ll be back by dinner time,” my lady Felicia said as she turned towards the spear sentries, “Alright, everyone! Today we’ll be doing sword spars. Pick your partners and practice for half an hour. Then we’ll swap partners. Merisa, you’re my first partner.”

I left my lady Felicia as Merisa nodded her consent. I would very much have liked to be my lady’s first sparring partner, but what could I say when she explicitly told me to disappear? What if my lady told me she didn’t want me around anymore? What would I do then?

I don’t want to live in a world without my lady Felicia.

Without realizing it, I have already arrived at the mansion. Unlike the other noble mansions in Forlendia, the Metrune’s mansion only has one front entrance, and that was the main entrance that we use to come and go regardless of our status. Of course, there were other doors, leading out, but the lord had very specific commands regarding entry and exiting.

There was no such thing as ‘servant entrance’ as the lord told everyone to come and go from the front door. The mansion was designed in a reversed horse-shoe shape. The mansion’s main building was what most people would see, it was where the lord’s family lived in. Behind the main building were two long buildings. The western arm was where the horse stable, storage area, tool shed and kitchen area located at. The eastern arm was the servant quarters, where mother and I, as well as Fariha and Sul live in. It was separated into five fairly spacious rooms. All the buildings opened up towards the central garden between the three buildings where there was a vegetable garden and two rows of flower bush.

I knocked on the main door twice to inform whoever inside that I was coming in. Then I opened the door and entered, only to be greeted by the serious faces of my mom, the lord and lady and Fariha. Fariha was holding in nursing her cute baby, which the lord as the father, named as Rukacia Sekany Metrune. They were all sitting at the dining table, with the lord sitting at the head of the table.

What’s with everyone? Did I do anything wrong?

The Lady Latreia spoke first. “Lili, where is Felicia?”

Oh no! Am I going to be scolded for coming home without my lady?

“She’s with the spear sentries, my lady. I’ll bring her home right away-“

“No need,” Lady Latreia cut me off, “Sit, Lili.”

Mom gestured for me to sit next to her between her and the lord. I thought it was inappropriate, but I sat there anyway. On the opposite side of the dining table was baroness, Lady Latreia and Fariha. As I sat, Lady Latreia gave me a complicated glare.

I have no idea what’s going on. Lady Latreia has never shown such a face. Is it anger? Is it dissatisfaction? Is it disapproval? I don’t know. I have never seen Lady Latreia looking other than slovenly or bored.

I sent a glance to mom. She patted my hand gently and gave me a soft gaze probably to calm me. What it actually did was making me more nervous instead. I had a feeling this matter concerned me greatly.

“Lili, you probably know this, but you are aware that this baby is my daughter, correct?” the lord gestured to the baby in Fariha’s arms.

“Yes, my lord,” I said in confirmation. How could I not be aware of it? I was there alongside my lady and mom when we heard the baby’s first cries almost two days after we returned home from Lytis.

“Is she beautiful?” the lord said with a smile.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Get to the point, dear,” Lady Latreia said.

“Patience, Rhea... well... Lili, I’ve decided to formally recognize Ruka as my daughter,” the lord said with the face that made him seem unsure of himself.

What does that have to do with me, though?

“Well, Lili, would you like to be one of Ruka’s older sister?”

Oh... so the lord only wants me to take care of Lady Ruka. I got nervous for nothing.

“If it’s only that, of course-“

“AHHH!!! I can’t take this anymore!”  Lady Latreia suddenly shouted.

“Rhea, these things need to be done slowly.”

“Tell her straight or I’ll tell her myself, dear. You know I don’t have patience for things like these.”

What’s going on? Did I assume wrong?

“Uhm, Lili... your real name is... Lilicia Selthiere Metrune.”

Huh?

Mom held my hand tighter.

Looking a little pale, the lord continued, “You are a daughter of Metrune, the union between Suin and I, almost 12 years ago. You are Felicia’s older half-sister, by a few minutes.”

The world paused for me in that instant. The words ‘daughter of Metrune’ and ‘older half-sister’ continued to ring inside my head. For hours, maybe days, may years, maybe decades, my mind kept replaying the words over and over again, as snapshots of my time with my lady continued to play in my eyes. Eventually, the words ‘Felicia’s older half-sister’ settled and the world started moving again.

I was at a loss for words.

“I intended to officially declare Ruka as my daughter, but my wife Rhea pointed out the very valid problem. It was that I never admitted that you were my daughter. It would be unfair if I declare my youngest daughter as a Metrune child when I did not do the samefor my eldest daughter – are you alright, Lili?”

“No no no no...” I shook my head with both hands holding the sides. This was too much for me to take. All this time, I thought my father was dead in a war. How could I possibly imagine that my father had been by my side the whole time? How could he make me believe that I had no father? How could mom even allow this?

“Lili,” the baroness’s voice sounded so close to me. She was standing between me and the lord, with one hand on my shoulder.

When did she get here?

“Walk with me, Lili,” the baroness said while standing there waiting for me to get up.

Slowly, I pushed the chair backward and stood up. I looked at mom and she just nodded to me. Then the baroness glided away from the dining table and towards the front door, looking unnaturally elegant all of a sudden.

“Go,” mom urged me, “We’ll be here when you get back.”

I approached the baroness who waited for me in front of the door. Without even putting on her walking cloak, the baroness opened the door and walked out into the evening sun. I followed close behind before she told me to walk beside her.

“Lili, do you have a problem with becoming a Metrune's daughter?” she asked a few moments after I started walking beside her.

“No, it’s not that, my lady.”

“Are you afraid we will take you away from your mother?”

I’m not afraid of being apart from mom. I’m not a child!

“No, it has nothing to do with that, my lady.”

“Are you afraid you will have to call me ‘mom’ instead?”

“Eh? No! I would be honoured, but I don’t deserve it, my lady!” I denied vehemently.

“So it is as I thought...” she let her words trailed off.

“What is it, my lady?”

She stopped suddenly. Then she turned towards me and with both hands on my shoulders, she said, “Even if you’re not sisters, nothing can happen, Lili.”

Eh? What is she talking about?

“Felicia is a noble lady, Lili. She must marry one day. No matter how much you love her, it will not bear fruit. You can’t expect your relationship to work.”

“How-” I closed my mouth as soon as the word left my lips.

“Fufufu, who do you think I am? I am the baroness. You’re looking down on me too much, Lili. I know everything.”

Amazing! The baroness is too amazing. I’ve kept this secret for so many years, not even mom or my lady Felicia knows about it.

“You don’t have to say anything, Lili. In front of me your secrets are so plainly naked, it is as if you’re not wearing any clothes at all. But let’s get back to the topic, won’t you become a Metrune’s daughter, Lili?”

“I-I don’t want the relationship between me and my lady Felicia to change, my lady.”

“You know you can’t be together in the way that you want, don’t you?”

“But... if I become a noble lady, I will one day be married off... It’s okay if my crush is never answered, my lady, but please, allow me to stay by my lady Felicia’s side.”

I knelt with both knees on the ground as I begged the baroness. I only had one wish, and this was the only wish I hope to be fulfilled. I could not dare ask for more. Just this wish, please allow me this one selfish wish. I will never ask for anything else.

“Fine, then. Let’s go back. We’ll think of something that can work for you,” the baroness said as she helped me up.

“Ah, my lady, please don’t tell anyone about this.”

I will die of embarrassment if mom knows about this.

“Suin already knows, actually.”

My mouth opened wide in shock. “Why did you tell mom, my lady?!”

“Well, I didn’t... that was... heheh... that was... too funny... hehehe... hahahaha.” The baroness suddenly broke into laughter as she slapped the trunk of a tree. Her laughter continued for almost ten minutes when the lord came out looking confused at the baroness who laughed against the rose bushes with her hands slapping the trunk of a soft-wood tree.

In the end, it was decided that my status would be recognized as a daughter of Metrune by the name of Lady Lilicia Sethiere Metrune. The formal family tree would be updated and a copy would be sent to the royal capital for archiving. My status as a daughter of Metrune will not be publicized except to other nobles and I could continue to masquerade as attendant to my lady Felicia. Needless to say, my lady Felicia would never know that I was her older half-sister.

Of course, I also made the baroness and mom swore to never tell my lady Felicia about my feelings for her.


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24 comments:

  1. Why did she laugh at the end?? I don't remember anymore...
    Thnx for the chap

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's because it was Lili herself to told them about her crush on Felicia when she was under the effect of the Tincture of Truth. Thanks for reading.

      Delete
  2. Good, she needed to be told about this. She could still get married and find an arrangement for her to stay with Felicia.

    But there was no way in hell for her to get together with Felicia, especially in the society they are in.

    It would mean an end to the main Metrune bloodline because of a single person's selfishness and I don't think Lili, Felicia, her parents and other nobility would want that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An end to the main Metrune bloodline? How so? Felicia has two older brothers.

      Delete
    2. Oh yeah. Well, HER bloodline would end.

      Delete
    3. She doesn't have a bloodline, she's a girl. Girls give birth to other peoples' bloodlines. Whoever she marries(if she marries, I'm not ruling out the possibility she manages to escape it), she's not going to be giving birth to Metrune bloodline kids.

      Delete
    4. Oh yes, she needs to be told off. Otherwise, I will get lots of hatemails by the third book lol

      Indeed, she will give birth to other people's bloodlines instead of a Metrune. There is an option for matrilineal marriage, but in this society, it will only apply if Felicia no longer has any brothers to carry on the Metrune name.

      Delete
    5. Did she really need to be told off though? I mean Felicia has initiated just as much if not more "skinship" with Lili than Lili initiated with her. Lili has stuck to certain boundaries too after all, no one would have known about her strong feelings without the drug incident happening.

      Delete
  3. There's still the potential of having a relationship affair during the marriage. That wasn't totally uncommon back then since marriages were rarely out of love for nobility. Affairs weren't a big deal as long as they were kept hidden and the married couple acted like everything was fine in public.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wish I could edit comments. There's also the fact that I just can't see Felicia easily agreeing and going along with any kind of arranged relationship. She might be able to escape being forced into a marriage. She already basically controls the territory over her parents.

      Delete
    2. Indeed. Affairs are still an option. Felicia's father is married to Latreia, but he still have sex with the other women lol

      I'm gonna make that a running joke throughout the series.

      Delete
  4. I think we are too much stuck on the relationship aspect of this story for the MC...

    Anyways, should have guessed that Lili was her sister actually when it was said that they both look like twins? Does that even work that way though...

    But really, mc's father is really not a good fellow, always having affairs with the maids of his mansion and not trying to openly marry them or asking his first wife permission...

    How much of a good wife is she? Or did she know but choose to stay silent like many other times? Or she doesn't care about it at all I guess... But don't know why she laughed like that here, really out of her character?

    Anyways, a nice set of emotional changes from the other characters...

    Thanks for the chapter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She laughed because she was remembering the truth drug incident. That's how everyone found out about Lili's feelings for Felicia.

      Delete
    2. Well, Felicia's father is a horn dog, just like almost every other medieval lords :P Felicia's mother knows of all his affairs, and she allows it to an extent. Why she allows it? That will be explained in a side story told by either Suin or Rhea, haven't decided the POV yet.

      Thanks for reading.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Thanks for reading. Please keep supporting me.

      Delete
  6. I don't want to rush you but~
    I really want to...
    Anyway... if its no trouble could you please give me and all your other fans a small heads up? Please? I'll beg...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, next chapter is still in the works. There's so much work this month and so many contests I don't know what to finish first. I'll try to release the next chapter soon, promise!

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. One thing that people seem to be forgetting is Felicia herself is into women just as much as Lili is. Yeah Lilia being her half sister sucks the big one and basically will destroy her mentally since now even an affair is out of the picture. But most importantly people also seem to be forgetting just how powerful Felicia really is and she's 11. If she doesn't want to marry there is literally no one, not even kings, who can make her. The power her knowledge wields would be enough to start a world war in that era. So if she want to go for a girl in the end and say no to guys there literally isn't anyone who =can stop her if she's prepared to go all out. Hell she knows how to make cannons and rifle. Plus roman military metallurgy and tactics.... if you think there is some who can stop that from a medieval age time then your fooling yourself.

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  9. I really admire your creativity and writing skills. This is one of the most interesting stories that I have come across today. I'm already convinced that I should become a regular visitor of this site as I wouldn't like to miss anymore of your posts.Proposal Literature Review Writing Tutors

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  10. I really hope the girls can love each other :)

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  11. Have you considered having both sisters married to the same man? There is a precedence for it in your first book, although Feli (great name btw) did not seem to be a fan of the arrangement.

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You may say whatever you want, even if you don't like the story. All I ask is that you be polite about it. For example, "You suck, you should rot in hell" and "Balduadapdahdaydai" are totally not acceptable. If your comment is "Your grammar is horrible, please find a grammar checker", then it's fine.