Running Away with the King's Child: So This is Love

The Spindle Wheel of Fate (part 1) “Are you alright, Auryn?” Helena asked. I looked at her with my forehead creased. My mouth was trembling, unable to identify which words to say. I had only planned on surprising Kail, but it was I who became surprised because of what I overheard. The man that I had loved… The man that I have given my trust to for the first time in my life turned out to be a completely different man, far from whom I imagined… “Helena… What should I do?” My words were crumbling as I was on the verge of my tears. Helena slowly walked towards me with a questioning look on her face. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them. “What is it, Auryn? Tell me.” Helena’s eyes were firm. As if she would not let me be until I tell her the truth. “Kail… Kail is the King.” As I finished my sentence, I collapsed into Helena’s arms. The tears that I have been stopping recklessly flowed out from my eyes. I can’t paint Helena’s reaction, but I’m pretty sure that she’s as shocked as I am. The man we all thought was a mere commoner turned out to be the very man we have to serve. “Auryn,” Helena whispered as she slightly pushed me away from her, eyeing me from eye to eye. “What do you want to do?” I scoffed. “Helena, we–I am nothing but a commoner! How could I covet the King—” “Let go of that trivial worry!” Helena cut me off. “Tell me, what do you want to do as Auryn, without thinking of Kail’s real identity.” I stared back at Helena. Her words are tempting me to do something out of my greed, but the principles I’ve lived by won't let me do so. “Helena… I cannot do that. Kail is planning to abandon the throne to live with us–with me.” I looked down and took a deep breath before continuing. “This Kingdom needs their King… I cannot just own him. My child and I just cannot…” Helena’s eyes rounded as she understood what I had said. “Auryn you’re—” It was my turn to squeeze her hand. “Helena, please help me. If only I’m gone, only then would Kail return to his rightful place.” “Are you sure about this Auryn? We can help raise the child, but it does not mean that we’re enough.” I gave Helena a smile and nodded. The latter gave out a heavy breath before finally pulling me back to our house to prepare for our plan. For the very last time, I looked back to where Kail and Alix were. Reminiscing about our first meeting a year ago… *** “Dante! Pull on three. One, two, three!” The howl of two men struggling echoed in the forest. Do they seriously think that shouting in that manner would give them more strength? I just shook my head in disappointment and pinched the bridge of my nose as I unbelievably stared at Ramil and Dante’s effort in pushing and pulling the cart’s wheel that was stuck in the mud. Despite Ramil’s timeworn appearance and unsteady stance, he was still adamant in proving that men are the ones who should do the hard work. But from what I can see right now, Ramil is not even an ounce of help for Dante. “Ramil, I told you that Dante and I will do it. There’s no need for you to crack your bones.” My voice was monotonous, and I crossed my hands as I eyed Ramil with conviction. My forehead suddenly creased the moment I heard Dante’s titter. “Did I say something funny?” I said, making him shut his mouth and divert his gaze. Ramil, on the other hand, placed his hands on his waist. “And how many times do I have to tell you that women should be at home doing the chores!” he said while visibly catching his breath. I gave out a deep sigh. Ramil’s quavering voice irritated my established philosophy in life. This gender discrimination is far worse than what I had experienced on Earth! Still worrying about Ramil and Dante’s struggle, I decided to roam my sight at the scenery in front of me, hoping it would calm my senses. Everything, from the luscious trees that kissed the sky up to the eye-binding waters, was like a picture book. It was unbelievably serene. I closed my eyes and breathed heavily. As soon as the cold and light air entered my system, I felt at ease. Far different from the once polluted air I grew up in. I let out a sounded smile, thinking of how my life changed in just a flick. It started as a typical day, yet it ended in the most unexpected way. “Our Covid-19 cases never seem to go down, Yet, these people are still enjoying the time of their lives!” My partner, SPO2 Gonzales, commented as we stared at the flock of people taking turns to take their photo with Aliwagwag Falls as their background. It was mid-December, and people were still visiting every tourist spot they could think of. One of which was Aliwagwag Falls. Despite being closed due to quarantine, tourists were still able to find a way to enjoy the majestic view of the said falls. Unfortunately, their enjoyment could also equate to the rise of cases we have day by day. I patiently massaged my temples and collected myself before walking towards the tourists that appeared to be forgetting about the Social Distancing Order. “Kindly maintain a one-meter distance from each other.” I swung my baton and walked towards the cemented fence. The people started shooting daggers at me as they slowly dispersed. “How are we supposed to take a picture if we’re a meter apart?” I heard someone comment in a somber yet condescending voice. I eyed the tourists and remained composed. As a Police Officer, I was trained to be patient as I deal with different types of people. Luckily, it was a piece of cake for someone who grew up hearing abusive words over and over again! I sneered at my thoughts. Minutes after, the angered looks subsided, and they, fortunately, followed the order. My sight landed on the raging waterfalls in front of me. It was loud and melodic at the same time. Despite the sun’s scorching rays, it was bearable, as splashes of cold water were enough to protect the human skin from it. I traced the fence with my fingers with my eyes still feasting with the falls’ harmonious currents. All of a sudden, I felt that my eyes were starting to fall. As if I was hypnotized, I found myself leaning towards it. As I was starting to lose my consciousness, I felt my body move downwards, eventually submerging into the cold waters. “Sarah!” My colleague’s howling voice was the last thing I heard before everything blacked out. *** “Auryn! Ertu að vakna núna?” Instinctively, my eyebrows met due to the constant tapping on my shoulder, added by the ruffled sound of someone speaking in a foreign language. ‘What is she saying?’ I thought. I let out a groan and tried to move my limbs with my eyes still shut. But I failed and instead felt that my whole body was sore. ‘What happened?’ “Ekki reyna að standa upp ennþá, Auryn!” Eventually, I gave up on even waving my fingers and slowly opened my eyes. My vision was still foggy, but as soon as it adjusted, I saw a woman tearfully staring at me. Her eyes had a tint of blue, complimenting her coppery red, curly hair. Her clothes were not the same as the clothes I always see. Rather, it was the same as those of the clothes in the Middle Ages. A dress with ballooned sleeves and an apron paired to it. I moved my sight around the place I was in. Candlelights can be found at every corner of the room, and everything is a combination of brown and yellow. “Geturðu kannast við mig, Auryn?” “What?” I abruptly mouthed in surprise. The woman’s face was painted with confusion. She uttered more foreign words, and after a while, a man and a younger woman came in. As we all looked at each other, baffled, I suddenly felt a shock in my head. Just as if someone was pushing a block inside it. Out of adrenaline, I was able to raise my hands and squeeze my head hard. I felt nauseous as a gush of unknown memories started flooding my mind. Minutes later, the pain subsided, and I was left with bewilderedness of what had just happened. Memories of a girl named ‘Auryn’ combined with mine, making me feel that I was her. “Auryn? Are you alright now?” My eyes rounded as I found myself understanding what the woman said. ‘What just happened?!’ I mentally shrieked before I once again fell into a deep slumber. When I woke up the next day, I thought that what happened was just a dream, but it wasn’t. A month has passed since I woke up as ‘Auryn.’ Although I was completely confused about what happened, fortunately, I still managed. I’ll have these ‘memories’ to thank for that. “Auryn!” I turned my head and saw Helena walking towards me. She was the woman I first saw as Auryn. According to the memories I saw, Helena was my mother’s friend. The moment my mother died when I was still a child, Helena supported me from then on. As soon as Helena was near me, she peeped at the two people at my back and giggled. Her head was moving side to side, and her laughter became suppressed. Her cheeks bloated as the air became trapped in her mouth. “Let me guess, were you squabbling again with Ramil about this thing you call gender equality?” Her eyes flattened, teasing me. I concededly exhaled and helplessly glanced at Ramil and Dante, who was still unable to move the cart. Ugh! Men. This time, Helena was unable to stop herself from laughing. “Ah! Right, Auryn, can you accompany Lithia to the market? I needed her to buy some things, and it would be faster if there were two of you.” “Sure. I also had things to buy from the market.” I willingly replied and beckoned to Lithia, who was behind Helena. “Be sure to be back at vespers!” I gave Helena a single nod while Lithia gleefully waved at her mother, who was also giving back the same energy. As we passed in front of Ramil and Dante, I leaned towards both of them and said, “I’ll bet five schillings that you and Dante won’t still be able to move that cart even after we get back,” I teasingly said. Ramil just gave me the cold shoulder and focused on pushing the cart. Lithia and I started walking to the market. While holding a basket on her right, she entwined her left arm around my right arm. As much as I hate skinship, I just let her be. As our houses were situated in the forest, we still had to walk for a couple of meters before reaching the nearest agora. The pathway leading to the entrance of the forest was relatively narrow. But it was enough for a small cart to pass through. Unfortunately, that cart was still stuck in the mud. As we walked, I noticed how the trees were as tall as the buildings I usually see on Earth. Its trunk was more comprehensive than an average person’s shoulder. The breeze was refreshing, and an earthy smell lingered at the entrance of our nose at every step we took. After some time, we were finally outside the forest. There, a busy trade fair greeted Lithia and me. From what I have learned from the memories of ‘Auryn,’ merchants from different places visit this place to trade their goods. This is solely because the place we are in–Selfoss, is the border between our kingdom Vasiliev and the Principality of Jonsson. When I first saw the market town, I was indeed in awe. Everything felt new to me—the people's appearances, the goods that they buy and sell, and how the money works. Here, women are only entitled to have two schillings at most while buying at the market. Bare necessities such as food and clothes can be purchased with this amount. Things outside it can be considered a ‘luxury’ and need to be bought by a man. Outrageous. “Let’s buy some Braai first, Auryn!” Lithia sounded excited as she pointed out something in the middle of the town. When I looked at it, it was cubed meat and vegetables pierced together with a skewer. Oh. Barbecue! Lithia and I immediately waltz towards the stall. Unlike what I had expected, there was no smoke coming from the grilled meat. Unconsciously, I tilted my head in hopes that I could see what was happening. “Fascinating, isn’t it? The smoke becomes invisible with the help of magic! With this, the smoke will not cloud a person’s sight, but the aroma of the meat grilling is still there!” The vendor exclaimed while motioning his hand through the air. Lithia and I were too embarrassed to show our amusement. The vendor looked so immersed in his advertisement that we could not afford to change our expressions. Seconds after, he realized that we were not as fascinated as we looked. “Ah, my bad. I forgot that you women do not understand these kinds of things.” My mouth hung in distress. I felt something click in my head, and my left hand found its way at the back of my neck, squeezing it. Ah. My blood pressure’s about to rise! Lithia might have gotten the idea that I was about to burst as she laboriously pulled me away from the stall. “Auryn…” she hesitantly called my name. “It’s been a while since I last ate grilled meat, and now he ruined it. Great!” I sighed and clenched my teeth. I stomped my feet and breathed out air like a raging bull. “Calm down, Auryn. You should be used to it by now.” Lithia tried to make her voice as soft as possible. I faced her with a displeased expression. “Lithia, you should never get used to this treatment. Women are much more capable than what others think!” Lithia immediately hushed me and glanced left and right. Her hand fell together with her eyes. She gave out a deep breath and gave me a slight smile. “Let’s just buy the things we need and head home.” I slowly moved my head up and down and followed Lithia to another stall. “Did you hear? The Crown Princess’ mother was sent out of the palace!” My hands halted in inspecting the clothes Lithia was picking. I glanced at the women talking beside the stall we were at. They had their hair in a bun, and their aprons were tightly wrapped around their bulging waist. I rolled my eyes in dismay—typical Marites. “Well, she went crazy for power! Rumor has it that she was… a witch.” That’s it! Out of vexation, I abruptly assisted Lithia with her clothes. As soon as she settled, we immediately left the stall and went for the next one. This is why things never change. Women must empower women, but it seems like the opposite was happening.