The Name She Shouldn't Know

 

[Imperial Palace — Nation of Avenor — Princess Levara's Bedroom]

Elly had no idea what was happening to her.

She still couldn't understand why she was looking at the reflection of Princess Levara in the mirror instead of her own face. Perhaps she was dreaming. Maybe she had actually died in that church, and her mind had created one final illusion where she could see the Princess she had loved so dearly.

She didn't know anything anymore, everything around her felt too real to be a dream, yet far too impossible to be reality.

Only a short while ago, she had been lying unconscious in a church.

Now she was sitting inside what appeared to be a royal bedroom while palace maids bathed her in scented water, dried her hair, dressed her in an extravagant golden gown, and carefully prepared her for a royal event?

That's Rediculous, ofcourse for her.

The gown was beautiful, almost absurdly so. Its golden embroidery shimmered whenever she moved, while the open back exposed part of her pale skin. Looking at herself in the mirror, Elly felt as though she had somehow stepped into a fairy tale.

She slowly touched her face, the reflection did the same.

“This is definitely a dream...” she mumbled.

The maid standing behind her, who was carefully curling her long golden-brown hair, blinked in confusion.

“Pardon, Your Highness?”

Elly immediately composed herself and somehow her body seemed to remember how a Princess was supposed to behave.

“Nothing,” she replied calmly.

The maid nodded and continued working on her hair.

Elly remained silent for a while, staring at herself through the mirror. She still couldn't get used to the crimson eyes staring back at her, they were beautiful, almost unreal, but they weren't hers.

Then the maid suddenly spoke again, her voice was quieter.

“Princess..."

Elly glanced at her through the mirror, the maid hesitated before lowering her eyes.

“I know you won't agree with what I'm about to say again, Your Highness, but...I wil still say, sir Elias and Madam Narissa seem much closer than they should be.”

Elly's brows immediately furrowed. “Madam Narissa?”

The name sounded familiar, then she remembered.

Narissa Daven.

The daughter of Thomas Daven, a relatively new politician who had entered Avenor's political sphere only five years earlier. He wasn't a particularly powerful figure, nor was he a member of one of the country's most influential political families, most ordinary people barely knew his name.

Elly remembered seeing an article about her once, something along the lines of Know Your New Politicians! She had been introduced as the daughter of Thomas Daven.

Nothing more.

But that is not the question. The question why about mere politicians daughter name is taken by Princess Lavera's maid? And why was she talking about Narissa in relation to Elias Montreve?

Elly remained calm and asked, “Do you think Elias is fond of Narissa?”

The maid's hands slowed as she continued arranging Levara's hair. “I wouldn't dare claim to know what Sir Elias feels, Your Highness but I don't think I'm the only one who has noticed something strange between them."

Elly remained quiet.

“Is it?”

The maid hesitated before answering.

“Sir Elias seems unusually concerned about Madam Narissa, your highness, he asks whether she's eaten, why she's so thin, and why she keeps getting injured. Whenever something happens to her, even something minor, he seems to notice immediately and worried."

Elly listened without interrupting and said, “I don't think that's such a serious matter.”

The maid looked at her through the mirror.

Elly continued calmly, “If someone is injured, asking whether they're all right is basic courtesy. Elias has known Narissa through political circles, hasn't he? Perhaps they're simply friends.”

The maid went silent for a moment before lowering her voice. “I hope so, Your Highness.”

There was something in the way she said it that made Elly look at her reflection again, The maid's expression wasn't one of simple curiosity, She genuinely seemed worried.

But why?

Why would Princess Levara's personal maid be concerned about her fiancé and the daughter of a relatively unknown politician?

Unless...There was something Elly didn't know, Before she could ask anything else, another maid entered the room and approached them.

“Your Highness, it is time.”

Elly still had no idea what was happening to her or how she had ended up inside Princess Levara's body. Everything felt like some elaborate illusion created by her dying mind.

If this really was a dream, she needed to wake up and if it wasn't...she didn't even want to think about that possibility yet.

Elly stood from the chair and her body moved before she consciously thought about it, her shoulders settled naturally, her chin lifted an her posture became perfectly straight, elegant, composed and proud without appearing arrogant.

It was Princess Levara's body already knew how to carry itself.

An Imperial Princess who had spent her entire life surrounded by cameras, officials, diplomats, ministers, and members of the Imperial Court.

Elly took a slow breath because whatever was happening, she couldn't afford to panic in front of these people.

She turned toward the door and stepped outside and the moment she entered the corridor, she saw him.

A man stood several feet away, dressed in the dark formal uniform of the Imperial Bodyguard Service, he was tall, broad shoulders filled the perfectly tailored black uniform, while silver insignia marked his position near the collar. A communication earpiece rested against one ear, and a black watch was secured tightly around his wrist.

His posture was rigid and disciplined.

Every movement was controlled.

His black hair was neatly styled, although a few strands had fallen naturally across his forehead, giving his otherwise severe appearance a strangely effortless edge.

Then he looked at her, blue eyes, cold, sharp, and intensely observant.

Elly stopped, she knew him, even someone like her, who had never stepped inside the Imperial Palace, knew the man standing before her. He had appeared beside Princess Levara at countless public events, stood behind her during international visits and followed her through crowds.

He had been photographed beside her during charity events, state ceremonies, and overseas diplomatic trips.

The newspapers had once called him—

The Princess's Shadow.

His name was Kaein Rourke.

Princess Levara's personal bodyguard, and one of the most highly trained officers in the Imperial Security Service.

Kaein gave her slight bow, his voice came deep, calm and controlled. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

There wasn't a trace of unnecessary emotion in it.

Elly stared at him, up close, Kaein was even more intimidating than he had ever appeared on television.

His face was sharply defined, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and dark eyebrows that made his blue eyes look even colder. He wasn't the polished, pretty type of handsome that appeared on magazine covers, he was the kind of handsome that made people instinctively move aside when he walked past.

Powerful, masculine and dangerously composed, every part of him seemed prepared to react at the slightest threat.

Kaein raised his eyes toward her. “Your Highness, his Majesty is waiting for you.”

"Yes."

Elly stepped ahead and walked towards to meet his majesty Emperor Arvellan followed by her bodyguard Kaein Rourke.