Chapter 1

The last thing I remember is saying goodbye to my friends as I walked home from school and then the next thing I know I’m standing in the gardens of the estate. I immediately hitched up my skirts and ran. I eventually sat down, breathless behind a vine-infested wall.

As I caught my breath it all came to me, I had been standing over a young boy who I had shoved to the ground, next to the boy were two people helping him up. One was a blue-haired boy who had been glaring at me, the other had a face I instantly recognized, Liliana. Then I knew where I was.

I stood up so quickly that I had to hold onto the wall for stability. I entered the nearby house walking around until I find a mirror.

I see golden blonde curls that flow in waves down my shoulders. I see red eyes as clear as rubies that match my scarlet red dress and soft, clear skin that I could only have dreamed of before. I knew I was no longer Rose, the bit atypical though otherwise regular high-schooler but Roseilia the villainess of this story.

I wander around the estate listlessly. Until I hear faint crying. I follow the noise until I find two women huddled in the corner of the room.

The girl who was crying was lying on the floor, her back up against the wall was clutching her hand with shattered glass laying a few inches from the edge of her dress.

The woman or more correctly the girl as she couldn’t have been any older than thirteen had reddish-brown hair that was in a badly done bun and pale skin that was an explosion of freckles. She was very small with contrastingly big green eyes that as she cried made my heart ache with sympathy.

The other girl was older, probably nineteen and quite beautiful, she had a darker complexion, piercing brown eyes, and brown hair so dark it was almost black. She was talking softly to the younger girl, probably trying to comfort her but clearly failing. She noticed me first, sweeping into an elegant curtsy.

“I apologize for being distracted from my work, Annie was injured.” She said voice calm and monotone. The apology was neither genuine nor necessary. The younger girl, whose name I’m pretty sure is Annie was looking at me, trembling her eyes filled with fear. I took a step towards her and the older girl stepped in between us.

“Is she alright?” I asked.

“Annie will be fine.” She said protectively. I stepped past her and lean to Annie’s level and ask.

“What’s wrong.”

“My hand.” She said, still looking at me with fear in her big green eyes. She holds out her hand and in the center of her hand is a large chunk of glass that is wedged deep in her palm.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Okay.” She said nodding her head. I helped Annie up with not too much difficulty.

“Could you please clean up the broken glass while I help Annie?” I asked the older girl. She nodded and knelt down to clean up the glass.

“Let’s go to my room.” I said, hoping she would lead the way. Fortunately for me she did.

As I we walked to Roseilia’s room, I wonder what I am to in regards to finding my way around since I was never particularly good with directions and that was before I was thrown into a whole new world. Once we got to Roseilia room I motioned to the bed and Annie and she sat down. I foraged around the room looking for medical supplies and I found some in a box with a carving of the goddess, Astoria on it. I pick up the box and place it on the bed.

While my medical training is limited, I figure it’ll have to suffice in this case. As I begin working on her hand I tried to begin a conversation with her.

“Annie, how old are you?” I asked.

“I turned twelve last month, Lady Roseilia.” Annie said her teary eyes looking down at her lap. While it doesn’t surprise me, it saddens me that someone so young is having to work.

“How did you hurt your hand?” I asked.

“I dropped something and I tried to clean up and the shard got stuck in my hand, I tried to get it out myself and I made such a bl@@dy mess then Marina found me.” She said. So the older girl is called Marina.

“I see be careful when you deal with broken glass, better yet just have Marina deal with it.” I said.

“I’m sorry.” Annie said.

“It’s alright, you should take the week off to recover.” I suggested gently.

"No! My parents will hurt me if I don’t make them money." She stammered out, balling her hands into fists.

"Alright, how about you stay in one of guest rooms?" I asked, treading carefully. I don’t know for sure if the estate has guest rooms but considering how large the house is it must.

"Okay." She said, still sounding unsure

. I finish up bandaging her hand and cleaning up the supplies, I then instruct her to get some rest before leaving to find Marina. I find her in the room we had been in earlier. She was standing by a window, her hand resting on the glass, her face listless. I walked up beside her and replicated her pose.

"Are you close with Annie, Marina?" I asked. Marina turned to face me and stared into my eyes with such intensity, it felt like she was staring into my soul.

"Lady Roseilia, just who are you?" She asked her voice calm cold and even though I could hear a hint of what seemed to be either curiosity or suspicion peeking through her calm facade.

"What do you mean?” I asked uneasiness swelling up inside me.

"You look like her, you even sound like her and everything but I know you’re not her." Marina said emotion just barely seeping through her voice. The uneasiness consumed me further and I made a rather risky move.

"If you tell me your secret I’ll tell you mine." I propositioned.

"Alright." She said. I turned to her and said.

"You tell me yours first."

"I’m not from this world and I don’t think you are either." Marina said, averting my gaze.

"You’re right, what is your actual name?" I asked.

"Marina Blanche, it’s the same in both worlds, what’s yours?" She said becoming slightly less rigid.

"Rose." I responded.

"If you need assistance I will be here to help." She said. Marina then took my hand and kissed it.

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