I closed my eyes, allowing myself a short pause to give my brain time to register all the new information. Jealousy pierced my heart.

Why had he been given a happy ending?

"You too, Soliès, will have a happy ending," Fury assured me.

I looked back at him.

"Why are you helping me? You don't have to, I murmured.

- Because I want to stand up to the author. I suppose that, unlike the other Soliès, you are condemned to die forever. I'm going to be there to ensure your happiness and safety. But don't count on me to play babysitter, though!"

I laughed at his remark.

Oh, now that I think about it, Auteur? Auteur? Ah! She's not answering! The next time I see her, I'll pull her ears!

"What happened to that Soliès?, I suddenly asked.

- The same thing that's happened to you. He's dead."

My mind reeled with horror. 

I'd just taken someone else's place!

"Don't worry, Soliès. It's a cycle. One takes the place of another. That's the cycle of reincarnation," he explained.

I remained divided and doubtful. On the one hand, I felt relieved and, on the other, deeply sad for my counterpart.

"OK, now Soliès, I'm going to give you a quick debriefing. You're the adopted son of Mariana's family. You've been brought up in a rather secretive way because they don't know your real identity and-", Fury began before being abruptly interrupted by the door opening.

I glanced quickly at the blond man as I saw my 'sister' Mariana enter. He gestured to me that he could only be seen by me, for the time being.

What do you mean for the time being?

"Soliès, the doctor's coming to examine you. Get ready," the smiling young woman told me.

I nodded and stepped out of the sheets to find that I was in some sort of long shirt.

I had a feeling I was going to hate this era.

The maids took me behind a screen while Fury took out a fan and started fanning himself in front of me, as if everything was perfectly normal.

It was strange just to raise your arms and let other people dress you... No, it was just extremely unpleasant! I'd much rather dress myself!

I got out of the folding screen after I'd been fitted with a ton of dresses.

But seriously? How many dresses did they wear? Between the one underneath, the one on top and the one outside or whatever ?? I just felt like a mattress with a million sheets!

This one was pale blue, with midnight-blue feathers around the edges and on the long sleeves, while my long black hair was loose on my shoulders, down to my hips. My brown eyes stared uncomfortably at the maids as they dressed me.

I was made to sit on the bed, my sister staring at me. The doctor arrived, his white and green robes making a 'frou frou' sound every time they scraped against the incredibly shiny parquet floor.

It reminded me of the floor in my old boss Alfen's office.

He took my wrist and felt my pulse.

"I can't find anything else alarming apart from his amnesia. You could say he's cured, Miss," said the doctor, who let go of my arm.

Mariana's eyes sparkled. The man bowed to her and left. Another figure loomed up in the doorway, not daring to get too close.

"Méaline, you can come in, our brother's fine," Mariana said with a wave of her hand.

The other sister stepped out of the shadows and rushed in front of me, her purple dress, with its orange tints downwards, swaying to the rhythm of her steps, her long purple hair swirling as her pink eyes stared at me worriedly.

"Soliès! Soliès! I was so worried! I'm so happy you're alive and well, it's a miracle," she exclaimed, ecstatic.

She suddenly embraced me, almost breaking my bones in the process.

"By the way, Mariana, have you told him about the bad news? Méaline asked, releasing me and turning to her sister, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

- No, not yet... she whispered.

- Really? Is there something I should know about?"

The two of them glanced at each other before nodding in agreement. Fury raised an eyebrow.

"Soliès, I'm sorry... Pale and Mania* couldn't change your marriage... It hasn't been cancelled," breathed Méaline in despair.

Ah?? Married?? Ah yes... the wonderful days of arranged and forced marriages. I wasn't even surprised, to tell you the truth.

"And who should I marry?" I asked calmly, not betraying my inner distress.

They seemed surprised at first, glanced at each other quizzically before turning their attention back to me.

"Well... began Mariana.

- It's about His Highness the Second Crown Prince," Méaline told me matter-of-factly.

Wow! I had a touch of royalty on top of that! Perhaps that would guarantee me some security, to tell the truth. Ah, but... It's true that it was common for noble and royal families to allow young men to take concubines! Was I going to have to fight for my own life? I could already feel the motivation draining from my body at full speed. And what's more... I had absolutely no desire to marry a stranger! My heart still belonged to Orias. Even though I had been reincarnated (yet again) in another time, my thoughts remained the same and my feelings towards him had not changed.

"Is there nothing I can do?, I whispered to them.

- Unfortunately Soliès, this is a political marriage. Pale is a great general and it would increase the prestige of our family, while His Highness the Second Prince could consolidate his position as heir. So it's a win-win situation for both parties, Mariana explained with a desperate look.

- I don't want our brother to go !!!! He's still too young to get married Marianaaaa I don't want to!", frowned Méaline, stamping her foot on the floor and puffing out her cheeks in anger.

Mariana smiled sadly while I laughed at the little one's insurrection. I raised my eyes to the sky in amusement.

Even in those days, they were true to themselves. Maybe... I could meet Orias too?

I was about to ask them when two adults entered the room, interrupting our discussion.

"Pale. Mania", greeted Mariana and Méaline courteously, bowing and joining the action to the word.

Seeing them sit on their knees in front of their parents, I couldn't help but do the same.

Really! In my day, nobody greeted their parents in that way. There was such a distance between parents and children in the upper stratum. It saddened me a little. If I were to have children with Orias, there was no way I was going to create such a distance between them and myself.

The Pale nodded and invited them to sit up.

"Get up, especially you Soliès, you're still convalescing. We're not taking any more risks, she said.

- Pale, Mania, did the doctor tell you that... insinuated Mariana.

- Yes, unfortunately... We announced it to His Majesty the Emperor. The marriage hasn't changed in the slightest. It's a good thing His Majesty is conciliatory, breathed the pale with relief.

- It will be such an honour for our family," affirmed the mania, shaking her head.

Ah. What rotten times. What about my opinion? No ? What about honour? What's the point?

"Soliès, called the pale, your wedding is in two days' time. That's when the weather is most favourable for fertility and happiness".

I blinked in confusion.

Oh no.... UUUUUUUURGH... the wedding night... No wait, that's impossible, my heart and my body belong only to Orias, I refuse to give myself to another!

"Pale, Mania, I cannot marry His Highness the Second Prince. I love another person, I said, throwing myself to the ground at their feet.

- Soliès, even if you love another, there's nothing we can do. It's the will of His Majesty the Emperor," refuted the pale.

She turned on her heels, followed by the mania, and ordered the servants and the two sisters:

"Keep an eye on him, he mustn't get away. If you do, Soliès, the whole family will go down".

Her last remark was punctuated by a touch of sorrow.

The door closed on all three of us.

"Soliès, Mariana said gently, coming up to me and forcing me to my feet, is there anything you want to do? Pale and Mania haven't forbidden you to go out. Maybe it would be better. The doctor says you need to go out."

I nodded vaguely. They took me by the arm and led me outside.

From the point of view of these young women, I must have been upset and shocked. In reality, I was just furious. And I planned in advance what I could do to save myself and the others.

My 'sisters' led me to a carriage and ordered me to wait inside.

"You're taking it too far", Fury argued, suddenly appearing in front of me.

I nearly collided with him.

"What? Did you want to bump into me, Soliès? Fury asked mischievously.

- I'd rather die," I blurted out in horror.

This dialogue sounded familiar.

"Of course, your counterpart has already been through it," said the god, shrugging his shoulders.

I didn't have time to utter a scathing retort when Mariana reappeared. Her eyes widened and she let out a small cry of surprise.

"Lord Fury!" she exclaimed before bowing to him.

I rolled my eyes at the extravagance and cast a questioning glance in his direction. He shrugged again.

"I may have laid the groundwork for you to justify my presence at your side, he said as simply as possible.

- What do you mean by preparing the ground?, I growled at him.

- Soliès! I didn't know you knew Lord Fury. Thanks to him, many harvests have been saved and many wars avoided, and His Majesty the Emperor has him in his good graces, Mariana explained, tugging at my sleeve, a sign that I should follow her lead.

- Ah, so that's what it was, you rascal, I said, folding my arms, and there's no way I'm bowing down to that twerp.

- Don't worry, Mariana, there's no need to bow down to him, he's been a friend of mine for a long time. In fact, I'm going to take him on a tour of the place. You can leave us".

The young woman took a step back as she bowed, then ran to tell her parents the news.

"Well! What are we going to do?

- Well... Wait for the rest of the script to knock on the door," Fury said quite simply, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

I looked at him funny before he grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the carriage.

The interior was nothing like those of the Middle Ages. It was richly decorated in red and gold, frivolous arabesques ran along the roof, the floor was carpeted with a soft, plush floor. The seats had been replaced by cushions in a variety of colours, from red to chick yellow.

I dropped as gracefully as a hippopotamus and spread myself out. This made Fury smile.

"Don't do that with other people, it could be misinterpreted, he pointed out to me as he opened his milky-white fan, with paintings of black wolves drawn between two grooves.

- I didn't mean to," I grinned.

A peaceful silence settled between the two of us, punctuated only by the light banging of fans and the sound of wheels outside.

I closed my eyes and tried to find some rest to clear my head and give my mind a breather.

"Boom", came the script.

There was a sudden thud in the stillness.

Wasn't I entitled to just a few minutes' peace and quiet?

"Ah, what was I saying? remarked the blond, putting his fan away, here's the rest!"

So simple?

The coachman seemed to express some sort of displeasure before freezing. The door swung open to reveal a bloodied figure.

"Eat...", he blurted out before fainting in front of us.

I blinked (for the third time that day) at the incongruity of the situation.

"What the hell," I stammered.

Fury got up and approached this person, at the same time ordering the coachman to get back on the road without further explanation. With a snap of his fingers, the car was back on the road and the man in front of me cleaned up. His white Hanfu was now visible, his long wavy white hair down to his waist, his white skin now clean, while a strange mark seemed to be visible on his neck, half hidden by the collar. He abruptly opened his deep black eyes.

"Hello, my dear! We saved your life", Fury exclaimed cheerfully, fanning himself again and taking a step back.

Oh, so he'd fed him as well?

The other squinted, a wary look on his face.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

My eyes widened at the timbre of his voice. I stood up abruptly and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Auteur? Is that you?" I asked apprehensively.

___________________________________

*The words 'father' and 'mother' in Cyneria are epicene. They can be used in both the masculine and feminine genders.

To differentiate between a mother-male and a mother-female (the Cynerian language is practical hoho), the Cynerian will change the ending of the word.

Hence :

Mania = Mother, used for women (used in the feminine)

Manio = Mother, used for men (masculine)

Pale = Father, used for women (feminine)

Pali = Father, used for men (masculine)

For more emotional or colloquial vocabulary, (regardless of gender: male or female); (and often used by children) :

Ma = Mommy

Pa = Daddy

The difference between father and mother in Cyneria is simply the baby's litter.