Amelia awakened from a nightmare and looked around the room, making sure she was still in her fantasy world. She looked around the room for Lily, no sign. As she continued looking around the room, she spotted an envelope on the nearby dresser.

  Amelia groggily got out of bed and walked to it. She looked at herself in the mirror, the same one Lily had shown her the first time Amelia met her. “To Amelia?” the envelope said on the outside. Amelia then opened the envelope, revealing the letter.

  Amelia,

  If you’re reading this, it means I didn’t have the courage to say goodbye to you. I’m sorry for leaving you; it was the last thing I wanted to do.

  Please don’t hate me for leaving.

  I love you more than anything, and that’s exactly why I had to go. Please take care of yourself, just like I know you can.

  Love,

  Lily.

  Amelia’s hands shook. She paced the room, her vision blurring as tears fell onto the page, smudging the ink.

  She finally sank onto the bed and pressed the letter against her chest, as if trying to hold on to whatever part of Lily she could still feel.

  “This is all my fault…I probably scared her off, and just when I thought everything was going well, this happens…” Amelia gently folded the letter back into the envelope and put it on the nearby nightstand. “What am I supposed to do now without her? What’s even the point?”

  Amelia paused. “Everything up to this point was for her…”

  Amelia heard a knock on the door. She rushed up and opened it, hoping to see Lily.

  “Miss Amelia?” A cute maid with short red hair appeared before Amelia. “Is everything okay?”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Clara, and I’m the lead maid around here!”

  Clara then peeked into the room, searching for Lily. “Hmm, where’s Lily? You guys are always together!”

  Amelia walked over to the nightstand and grabbed the envelope, giving it to Clara.

  “What? Lily left? But why?”

  “Because of me…”

  “I don’t think that’s true, Princess Amelia…”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You lost your memory, didn’t you? Which means you may have forgotten why you and Lily met in the first place.”

  “She told me I saved her when her parents died. That’s when we first met.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Clara’s expression faltered. “She didn’t tell you the entire story…did she?”

  “What do you mean, the entire story?”

  Clara hesitated. “I can’t tell you. Lily made me promise.”

  She turned toward the window. “But there’s a village east of the city. If you’re looking for answers…that’s where you’ll find them.”

  ---

  Amelia walked towards the castle gate, a sword on her back and wearing a dark hooded cloak covering her face.

  “Going somewhere, Princess Amelia?” One guard asked.

  “Yes, I’m going east of the city to find some answers. Alone.”

  “But, Princess Amelia, we can’t just let you go out there alone! It’s dangerous out there, especially for a princess! Please take some of us to protect you!”

  “No! I…I can’t keep depending on people for help…especially since Lily left…I have to learn to do things by myself!”

  Amelia paused for a second, hesitating, “So, I-I order you to stand back, and don’t get in my way!”

  The guard’s face lit up, “Fine…but please come back if it gets too dangerous for you…”

  “Thank you. Now, I’ll be on my way then.”

  Amelia walked through the gates and took one last look at her home before starting her journey.

  ---

  As Amelia walked on the dirt paths leading east, she couldn’t help but think, “What have I gotten myself into…?”

  “In my old world, I never had to walk this distance. Can I really do this? It was never this dangerous as well…Am I really making the right decision doing this by myself?” Amelia looked down at her hands, clenching them.

  “But I’m not the same as I was back then; I can actually stand up for myself! I guess becoming Amelia really boosted my confidence, still I can’t help but wonder, what happened before I came to be? Hopefully, the village will have some answers for me as well…”

  Amelia stopped in her tracks, the wind blowing in her face, as she came across an abandoned village. Dozens of houses burnt to a crisp, her skin formed goosebumps as the emptiness unsettled her.

  “This can’t be it, right?” She walked through the village, looking around at the sight, when she found a field filled with gravestones, each one with fresh flowers. “Gravestones? What happened here?”

  An elderly voice interrupted her thoughts, asking, “Can I help you?”

  She turned to find an elderly man holding flowers, waiting for a response.

  “What happened here?” Amelia asked.

  “Before I tell you, I need to know you’re not one of them. Please take off your hood.”

  Amelia complied, revealing her long dark hair and red eyes.

  “I don’t believe it! Princess Amelia, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you!”

  “Sorry, I’m sure you heard I’ve lost my memory, so I don’t remember you. So, please tell me who you are.”

  “I am the village elder, or I was…before it all happened.”

  “Please tell me what happened.”

  “On a normal day, everything was going well until a group of bandits suddenly attacked the village. They had no mercy; they burned down our houses and slaughtered our people. Only a few of us made it out to safety, but the damage was already done. A lot of us lost our families, and for what? I could never answer that question.”

  “You and your family tried to find out who was responsible, but they were never able to. So, those bandits got away with no consequence…but in response to the attack, your family gave us places to live. Which I am eternally grateful for…”

  “Did a girl named Lily live here?” Amelia asked.

  “Ah yes, I remember Lily; she was the pinnacle of joy in this village. Every time the village went through a hard time, she was there to help lift up all of us. Where is she? You and her were always together…”

  “She left me…and I was told by one of my friends to find this village in search of some answers. But, now I see why Lily is the way she is. Thank you, village elder, you’ve been a tremendous help. But I must leave now.”

  “Wait, before you go, take this charm. They say anyone who has this charm will have better luck, and I wish you the best of luck in finding Lily. If you find her, tell her to visit me in the city. I would love to catch up with her.”

  “Thank you, I will.”

  As Amelia walked away, she couldn’t help but wonder, “Lily, what are you doing right now?”