Pain. Pain. All Evie was feeling was a searing pain, but instead of the pain coming from her neck as she expected, it was instead coming from her back and bottom. She tried opening her eyes, but swish, something landed on her back as she felt pain deep in her bones. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her ears were ringing, and her eyes were hazy. The only thing she could make out of the situation was that someone was beating her, and she didn't know why. The last she remembered was being in a club and settling a fight. When she woke up a moment ago, she thought that she was in the hospital, but alas.
Someone was beating her with a whip. She didn't know why or who. "Woooo!" Evie screamed as a whip made contact with her back again. She tried standing up but realised she was bound. "Tasha, where are you? Who the fuck is beating me up? Wooo!" she cried, but her voice was muffled. "Is this a dream?" she questioned. "God, I hope it is," she said.
"How much is it?" Evie heard a deep voice question, and the murmuring happening beside her went quiet. "Forty-eight, Your Royal Highness," another voice beside her responded. "Okay, continue. Make it fifty, fast, we don't have all day," she heard the man say. She moved her head to look at where the voice was coming from, and all she saw was the hazy figure of a man in purple sitting on a chair at a distance from her. And without a crack, another whip came, and she realised what they were talking about was the number of whips she was being given. "You motherfucker!" she said, but her voice was muffled.
All she could do was glare in the direction of the man, and before she could continue, a whip made contact with her back again and Evie screamed, her mind going blank, and she passed out.
Evie stirred as she opened her eyes. "Where am I?" she whispered, looking around. She remembered the pain she felt earlier and exhaled. "Thank God it was a dream," she said. Then her mouth tasted metallic, and she felt her chest and bust hurt. She looked down and realised she was lying on her front, so without adjusting, turning her back to the bed—"Oooouch!" she screamed, immediately turning back to lying on her chest. "It wasn't a dream," she said. "Then who was beating me and why?" she added, asking no one in particular.
The pain in her back was back. She felt wetness seeping from her clothes, and she touched it and looked at her hand, and for the second time, she saw her hand covered in blood.
Evie exhaled in an effort to lessen her pain, but it just kept getting worse and worse. No, to top it off, her head was hurting. She moved her bloody hand to her temple, trying to massage it in an effort to also lessen her headache, but nothing. Her headache just kept getting worse. "If I knew I was going to die, I wouldn't have interfered with that damn fight," she said.
The pain got to a point she couldn't breathe, then she felt a blinding light and foreign memories started flooding her brain. It was so painful that Evie passed out again.
"Elara, wake up. I brought you some medicine." Evie heard a soft voice. Evie woke up as she looked into the face of Tasha, but a younger version of her. "Oh, thank goodness, Tasha!" she said, hugging the girl, missing the look of surprise as she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing a familiar face in this madness.
"Elara, did you hurt your head? My name is Helga."
Evie winced, but didn't know whether it was from sitting on the wound or the girl's words crushing the little hope she had that this was all a bad nightmare. Then she remembered all the memories that rushed to her head before she passed out, and despite her confusion and denial, it was clear that she had died and was reborn into the body of Princess Elara Ashborne from the Ashborne kingdom, which was now on the verge of collapse, living in the palace of the Valerian Emperor as a maid.
"Sorry, Helga. I was still not awake well," Evie said, trying not to show her shock. "Thanks for bringing me the medicine," she said, taking a bowl from Helga and downing it, but her face changed due to the bitterness as she tried to keep herself from projectile vomiting.
"Who knew people died that easily," she murmured, "and I didn't even get to enjoy my PTO," she said with a look of regret flashing in her eyes.
"The butler said you can recuperate for three days and resume work, but I begged to give you at least a week, telling him I would handle your tasks with mine, so I will be busy," Helga said, "but I will bring you your medicines," she added.
"Thank you," Evie said, as she felt her eyes stinging.
"Okay, I'm going," Helga said, leaving.
Evie felt her eyes wetting with tears, thinking about Tasha. She was sure her friend would forever blame herself for her death, but now another form of her was here taking care of her, just like she was in her modern life. She also felt bad for Elara, a princess raised with care, now working as a maid trying to save her kingdom.
Evie was now full-on sobbing. After a long while of crying, she was tired and went quiet. Her stomach grumbled. "Ugh, why wasn't I reborn in the body of the empress?" she said. "Regardless, I am thankful to be alive," she added.
"Thank you for your body, Princess. I will be sure to live a good life and also avenge those who did this to you. I will also try to save your kingdom," she said, yawning as she drifted to sleep.