'Six years have already passed since a wretched man murdered me while attempting to rape me, and I reincarnated into this new life. Honestly, those years were horrific—I couldn't even move; I will never romanticize those days… But once I overcame that stage, everything began to improve.'
Iris, formerly thirty years old and now named Irene Aetheris by her parents, was reading a book as large as her legs, studying the geography of the world and the various landscapes that had been recorded.
"What beautiful places there are in this world," she commented with a smile as she swayed her pink tail from side to side. "I wish I could go out and see them. I have the money to do so now, but I'm tied to this castle."
The wind gently swayed her pink hair and, by inertia, stirred one of her fluffy ears. Irene was sitting in the garden of her castle.
"I don't complain, and I never will, about this new life. My parents in this world hold great power and influence; they're very important people. I never believed a fantasy, RPG-like world could exist. I want to take advantage of this new life and not be boring. I repressed myself so much when I was Iris that, by the time I realized it, I was already thirty years old and unmarried. I want to make the most of the time I have to live—but of course, I had to be born to strict parents…" she sighed in disappointment.
Her calm was interrupted when her mother's warm voice gently called out to her:
"Irene! Come to the throne room—it's time for your gift!"
Irene turned with curiosity, subtly moving her ears. When she arrived at the enormous chamber, with its checkered marble floor of alternating black and white tiles and a red carpet running through the center, she noticed that only her father, her mother, and a child were present.
This confused her as she entered the hall. Her father, Ronel, was seated upon his throne, wearing his royal crown. He was a brown-haired human, while her mother was a pink-haired Kitsune with three tails.
"My daughter," Ronel said. "As you know, today is your sixth birthday. In our family, this is the age at which one is given their new bodyguard—someone who will accompany us for the rest of our lives, or until they give theirs for us as the most honorable act possible."
Irene directed her pink eyes toward the girl standing beside him. She was an elf with sapphire-blue hair. She looked timid, yet at the same time slender and graceful. Irene was struck by her beauty and thought internally:
'Her little ears… how adorable. And wow, that girl is really beautiful. I wish she were my daughter.'
"So today, my daughter," the king continued, "this is your gift—your new protector. As tradition dictates, the Mimid family allows the bodyguard's name to be changed to one chosen by their new master. So name her, Irene."
'Huh? Seriously? Then that's kind of like naming my own daughter. But wait—a child protecting me? Shouldn't it be the other way around? She doesn't look strong enough to defend herself, but she's an elf. Aren't they… good with magical affinity?'
Irene walked over to the timid girl and observed her, placing one hand beneath her chin in thought. The elf grew nervous and lowered her gaze.
'What should I name her? She's very cute, and if she's going to be a bodyguard, I think she'll grow strong, right? Giving her my old name would sound far too narcissistic. Something cute and strong. Cute and strong. Cute and strong.'
After pondering it for a while, she smiled triumphantly and spoke:
"How about Rynelle?"
Ronel nodded and said:
"If that is your final decision, then her name shall be Rynelle."
Ronel stood up and addressed the elf:
"From this moment on, your name is Rynelle. You may no longer use your former name, and all shall cease to know you by it. You now begin a new life and will live solely to protect Princess Irene of the Kingdom of Aoolis."
"Yes," Rynelle replied, kneeling.
"Live and dedicate your entire life to my daughter Irene, and as stipulated, you and your family shall enjoy the same privileges and the support of the Aetheris royal family."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Irene watched her with her mouth slightly open. Involuntarily, her pink tail swayed a little.
'What a well-mannered girl.'
Her mother's hand rested atop Irene's head. She looked up at her. The mature, well-developed woman smiled at her tenderly. Irene thought:
'What a woman… God, if only I'd had that kind of beauty before. Though I've probably inherited her genes in this new body.'
When night fell, and after enjoying a feast, Irene and Rynelle lay together in the large bed in her room. They were wrapped in white sheets made of the most exotic fabric. The two of them lay face to face, talking.
"And there's also a large lake where fireflies reflect, as if there were thousands of them both inside and outside the water. There, the plants glow in many colors."
"That sounds so beautiful," Irene replied, her eyes shining. "I want to see it…"
"If we ever go, I'll show it to you."
Rynelle smiled tenderly, her cheeks—and slightly her ears—turning red. Irene returned the smile and thought:
'She doesn't look so shy anymore… I think I'm good with kids. Maybe I would've been a good mother.'
"I have another question for you, Rynelle."
"Of course. I'll answer everything, Princess."
"Is it true that you elves have a strong affinity for magic?"
"Yes. By nature, we're good at controlling the guardian elements."
Rynelle hesitated for a second before adding, "Are you interested in learning magic, Princess?"
'Of course I am! Compared to my boring world, here I want to do everything… even with this body.'
"Yes, I'd like to," Irene replied softly. "I've been reading magic books, but I don't feel like I have a good connection with… whatever it is that allows me to use magic."
Rynelle laughed softly and replied:
"I'm not good at magic at all, Princess, but I'll try to help you with anything you need. After all, I am your bodyguard."
Irene reflected Rynelle's face in her pink eyes beneath the dim light of the room.
'She's very sweet. Even though her words are adorable, I still think I'll be the one who has to protect her.'
Before falling asleep together in the same bed, they continued talking about magic and about what Irene loved most: fantasy landscapes.
◇◆◇
The days that followed were somewhat frustrating for Irene. Although every day was an adventure waiting to be discovered and she loved observing the world, Rynelle—her only friend—could barely spend time with her. The little Kitsune princess complained about this in her garden.
"Rynelle spends all day training magic under my father's orders, and I can't even see her… Why give her to me if they were going to take her away ninety-five percent of the day?"
She sighed and set the book aside. Irene was sitting on the garden grass, on a small ledge that descended about a meter. It led to a staircase, but Irene preferred sitting on that small slope.
"I want to see Rynelle…" she complained, her eyes crystallizing with tears.
The sound of horses entering through the main gate caught her attention. Her fluffy ears perked up instantly, pointing toward the sound, and her pupils dilated slightly. She stood up and ran in that direction with a smile.
Boredom led her to stand near the main entrance, approximately eight meters away from a horse-drawn carriage.
A man dressed in a suit had arrived, his head covered by a round hat. Ronel, Irene's father, went out to receive them, though this time he looked more serious than usual.
From the carriage, men and women began to descend, chained by the neck and ankles, whom her father began to evaluate. He even groped the women indiscriminately. Irene raised her eyebrows in surprise.
'I didn't know Ronel had these kinds of habits… I'd better hide.'
She strategically positioned herself behind a bush and observed the scene. Ronel purchased only the women and had them taken inside the castle along with his servants.
Irene slipped away and followed them, trying not to be discovered. When the servants led the slaves into the basement, followed by Ronel, Irene waited a few seconds and then went after them.
'They say blind eyes are worth more than a wise mind, but I'm curious to know what this man is really up to. Slavery… it's not something I would've considered normal in my world—aside from my fetish for being tied up—but it was also practiced on Earth at one point. Still, I think it bothers me a little that this is… my father.'
The basement was far larger than she had imagined. It was an entire underground labyrinth, with limestone walls and torches lighting the way.
After advancing for quite some time, still following her father, she arrived at a chamber of lamentations filled with cells and various torture devices. What caught her attention most was that there wasn't a single man among them. All of the prisoners were women.
Irene's pupils dilated in horror, her hair and tail bristling.
'What is this place?'
Ronel entered a main hall filled with cells and the cries of women, where he stripped the newly purchased slaves and began having sex with them. He didn't even untie them before taking advantage of them.
Irene stepped back.
Her idealization of a perfect father shattered.
And although she thought she had overcome it, the memories of her death returned to her mind: a man trying to rape her, and what ultimately caused her death.
Her stomach churned, and nausea rose within her. The cries for help from the dozens of imprisoned women marked her so deeply that it became impossible for her to remain there. She turned and began to run out of the basement, even wanting to flee the castle itself.