Arcus // ATEEZ ✔

1: the princess awakens

The drapes hanging from her bedframe make her feel like she's being imprisoned, and the shadows waiting behind the fabric are what kept her imprisoned. Her sore muscles and throbbing head warrant a call for help, in which the shadows behind the drapes immediately materialize into four distinctive figures as the fabric is pushed aside. Two elderly and one young man rush to her side with what she perceives as worry etched on their faces, with another woman who look to be her age standing at the foot of her bed with her head lowered down.

She doesn't recognize these faces who are fussing over her, yet why is that the first thought that comes to her when there's something else bigger to worry about?

She doesn't even remember who she is.

"Darling, are you feeling alright?" The old woman clasps her hands in hers but as she finds no voice to tell them that she is not feeling anything at all, the former continues, her warm hands still wrapped around hers. "We were so worried we would not see you open your eyes again." She lets go of the princess' hands and embraces her next, caressing her dark hair. "Oh dear, you look so pale and weak I don't know how to feel now that I can finally see you stare back at me." She pulls back before cupping her face.

The princess tries to guess her relationship with the people surrounding her, but nothing comes to mind. Her mind remains blank even as her eyes travel to the room around her; she cannot guess what her status is, let alone of the people surrounding her.

"Mother," the young man enunciates, and the princess sees that when he starts talking, the woman at the foot of her bed lifts her head up slightly. The young man looks like he wants to continue talking, but purses his lips before glancing at the princess' eyes. "Narae, do you..." As he trails off, the rest in the room take their attention to him next.

Somehow, even without him finishing the sentence she knows what he's talking about. Through that connection she might even be able to guess what their relationship is, now that she has glanced to the full-length mirror standing on the left side of the bed, and she has studied the features of the two elderly and the young man. The only one who looks completely different is the woman standing at the foot of the bed, her eyes still directed at the prince.

"No," she replies, surprising herself that she manages to verbalize something. Her mouth continues to tell the people around her that, "No, I don't... remember anything. Who I am, who all of you are, or what happened to me. My mind is blank and I can't seem to recall anything."

"So it's true then," the old man announces next, the voice coming out of his mouth proof that it's one that will instantly make people obey; a voice full of command. "Our princess has lost her memories."

Princess? Me?

"Oh dear." The queen massages her temples before clasping her hands. "Yes, you are our princess. Inis Realm's most beloved one and only princess." She looks like she wants to say everything on her mind, but holds herself back as it might overwhelm her daughter. It even looks like it's too painful for her to continue, so she lifts herself off the bed before putting her hands on her chest. "Darling, my beautiful Park Narae. We will have to let you rest for a while before we try and jog your memories back. Don't worry too much, because the doctor said it is only the consequence of your-" she pauses, her voice falling deeper, "-accident. I'm sure you must be overwhelmed so we'll let you rest. The doctor told us that it might even be easier for you to get your memories back when you are more relaxed. Don't force it, okay, darling?"

She finds herself nodding even though she's scared that she might be left alone again. Everything is too foreign for her that she feels that she might not be able to take a step forward if she were to set foot on the floor. Her muscles feel uncooperative, her brain sluggish and seems to go into overdrive whenever she tries to recall her memories.