I'm trapped in the world of my favorite novel.
Elizabeth has never had the best life but now that doesn't matter. Now she is living as Claudette, a character from her favorite novel. The only thing Claudette is destined to die at the hands of the Ev...
I had to ask a servant what room was mine, which was very embarrassing when I discovered it was the same as last time. I was very relieved however when I opened the door to find Camilla reading on the couch.
"My lady!" She slammed the book shut and jumped off the couch. "I was so worried! Did you free Duchess Sardou?"
I groaned collapsing onto the couch. This was going to be a long story.
"So the duchess is in prison, the King might be under a spell, and Emilee might be the one who cast it?" I nodded. Magic was considered something wild in this world, and as such was outlawed, with anyone caught practicing being killed or exiled. For Emilee to have magic she must have a power source of some kind, in the book Cordellia used the heart of a meteor to destroy Julian's army. I wonder what Darinella's power source was- or is? Grammar is confusing.
"I have a plan, but I am going to need a pen and paper," I said, determined. Camilla raced off to find what I had asked for and I sat at the bureau, pushing the beauty supplies aside to make room. I have thought about it for a while and I think it could be good to make a death list, collecting everyone who died in the story and before it. If Celine is right and Claudette was killed by the same people as her husband then maybe some of these other deaths are connected to.
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Wow, I really need to take handwriting lessons.
"Your handwriting is awful!" said Camilla from over my shoulder.
"Rude!" I rolled my 'r' dramatically. "And hey! No peeking!"
"As if you don't tell me everything! I'm your maid you know, that means I know everything about you." Camilla seemed proud of this.
Not everything. I thought but didn't say it out loud. I hadn't told anyone yet about my ... situation. Camilla must have seen something was bothering me, and her face shifted into that of concern as she sat next to me.
"Are you keeping a secret from me?" Her big brown eyes bore into me.
"No," I looked down at the paper, unable to make eye contact.
"You know you could tell me. I wouldn't tell anyone," I snuck a glance at her, only to be hit with a wave of guilt. She was being genuine. But if I told her... what if she thought I was crazy, or some sort of witch monster, or...
What if she got hurt, just like Celine did?
"I don't want you to get in trouble," I sighed, she had already been hurt in the previous timeline. I must protect her in this one. "Not because of me."
"Oh," She seemed startled by this answer. "Can I still help you? Even if you don't tell me what it is we are looking for."
"Are you sure? It could be dangerous."
"Dangerous just means more fun. And I'm your friend, if you are going to do something dangerous I want to be right behind you. Though mainly to make sure you don't fall flat on your face." She laughed.
Friend. I had never had a friend before.
I guess Delly had asked to be my friend, back when I first arrived but that was different. I couldn't tell her my secrets, couldn't trust her with my life.
And Julian had said we were friends. I had said it too. I didn't even notice that.
"I am your friend aren't I?" She tilted her head confused by my silence. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes threatening to come spilling out.
"Yes, Camilla, you are my best friend," I pulled her tightly into a hug. She was shocked at first but then she relaxed and hugged me back. It was nice, having friends.
"Okay," She pulled back, her eyes full of determination. "What do we need to do?"
I looked at the paper in front of me which had a startling amount of names for a children's book.
"We need to find a connection between these people. It might not be all of them, but I know these two are connected." I put a star next to Claudette and Duke S.
"Well you have all the duchies represented on here," Camilla pointed to the Lamberts and Belmont. "And all the royal family. The only people on here who aren't high-ranking are Emilee and the Marquis."
The Marquis was an odd one, as he was killed by the royal family for killing Claudette. I see two possibilities, either he was killed for being way too obvious over how much he hated Claudette, or whoever is controlling the king, whoever put Celine in jail, framed the Marquis.
And Emilee... Emilee might be working for the assassins. Or she could be in charge of them.
"Just a hypothetical here but if the King were to have a ... secret child, how would that child go about legally speaking becoming the new ruler?"
"Well, for anyone to become King they have to be sworn in by all the duchies. So I guess that would also apply to illegitimate kids."
That makes sense, in the books, Cordellia was only able to gain the throne with the help of her love interest Honoree Belmont. The reason there was a war was that the two remaining duchies were split, Belmont on Cordellia's side and Sarduo on Julian's. Cordellia technically had two duchies' support since she sorta of adopted the Lambert's daughter, but she was too young to make any real decisions.
If Emilee is involved in this plot then it must be working to get Cordelia on the throne. I do not like Emilee, but I can't deny that she cares about Cordelia. She wouldn't be working with these people if it had any chance of hurting her daughter.
But if Emilee is the ring leader why didn't she just tell Cordelia during the war, and openly help her? And Emilee was killed under mysterious circumstances, Cordelia thinks it was Julian, but so far all the mysterious deaths have been connected to this secret organization. If Emilee was their boss why would they kill her?
And Emilee hated Honoree! And it seems like he is instrumental in the plot to get Cordelia on the throne. It doesn't make sense unless there is someone else giving Emilee orders.
"Why aren't your parents on this list?" Camilla said, jolting me out of my thoughts. "It's just they are the only Duchy not represented, and your only family not on the list."
I hadn't even thought about them! They had died so soon before the story, I had just assumed-
"Except the Baron of course."
"What?" My entire body went still, and the air around me felt suddenly cold.
"It's just the Baron isn't on the list."
The baron has two daughters.
Neither of which is his.
One is a duchess with no parents, and the other is the secret princess. The Baron was also the one who gave Cordellia permission to marry Honoree. He was the to encourage her to take the Lambert's daughter under her wing.
And with Claudette and the Marquis dead, the only one who could inherit the Rosseau Duchy would be him.
Who else would be able to boss Emilee around? And if Emilee was threatening his plans, she was only one door down.
"It's the Baron."
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Camilla and I both flinched at the loud knock on the door. Panicked, I grabbed the paper, crumbling it in my fist, and shoved it into the top drawer of the bureau.
"Who is it?" I called loudly. Camilla grabbed a brush and pretended to have been brushing my hair as the door creaked open.
"Apologies my lady," A short maid walked in, her head bent down to the floor. "But it is time for dinner."
