Withering Petals

Chapter 1: Another Chance

"Sometimes, all we need is a second chance to make everything right."

Something tugged at your back, causing you to gasp for air as the laces of your corset tightened around your waist. It brought you back from the dark. You opened your eyes and glanced around you, taking in the familiar sights of your enormous room. A full-length body mirror was placed in front of you, while you sat on a comfortable armchair, nestling in a bed of silk cushions. You watched as your maids scurried about, having finished tying your corset. What were they preparing you for?

Everything felt so familiar... yet so out of the place. Something was nagging at the back of your mind, but you couldn't seem to remember it.

While you were racking your brain (and probably losing some of your brain cells), something caught your eye. It was a beautiful dress, strapless and sleeveless, daring but also stunning. It was like the ocean, starting with a brilliant deep blue, and then slowly fading into white just below the waists. Seeing that gown brought back memories that were surging in like waves as your maids proceeded to prepare your dress.

It was the gown you wore to your first ball, held by your father as a celebration of the promotion in status from a commoner to a noble.

But... why were you here? Didn't the celebration happen about one year ago? Perhaps the gown wasn't for the celebration. Perhaps it was for some other event. It wasn't reasonable though; nobles never wore the same dress twice. Could it be that you went back in-

"My lady?" You were interrupted by a maid, who was nervously fiddling with her hands. You realized that you recognize her. Ellen, wasn't it? You inclined your head, allowing her to go on, and she sighed in relief, before continuing excitedly. "Would you like to put on your dress now? We will have plenty of time to get you ready for the celebration and make sure that you look perfect!" She gestured towards the other two maids who held up your dress. You stood up, allowing them to help you into it.

You started to panic as realization hit you. You went one year back in time, when your father was first awarded the title of "viscount", and you were referred to as "The Honorable [Name] de Luna." That much was clear. But something was not right... how did you get here?

Then, as if all the memories that were taken from you were sucked right back in, you suddenly recall what had happened before you came to your senses.

You could clearly remember her face smiling sweetly down at you, as if she was not the one currently holding a knife and stabbing you repeatedly and her expression turned to one of glee upon seeing your face twisting in pain. Then, with a voice laced with venom, she mocked and scorned you, making sure to let you know clearly just how much she hated and despised you. She tortured you until you couldn't bear it anymore, and then left you to bleed to death. Your fiancé couldn't even save you, he was away running some errands and taking care of things, while you were in the palace along with a few of your maids and servants, but other than that, no one else. Not that he cared anyway. If he did, no one would dare to hurt you, with all the power and influence he had in this empire. And she knows that.

But this was not the time to think about this. You were sent back to the past for a reason. It seems that you had another chance at living, another chance of not falling into the hands of the evil woman. Maybe if you chose the correct path this time, fate would be kind to you. You hoped it would.

You watched as your maids scurried around, finding accessories that would match your dress. If you remembered correctly, this would be the ball where you would meet the imperial family as well as your fiancé, Finleigh Fernsby, the Duke of the East.

You waited as the maids put makeup on your face, and braided your hair. Then, they slipped a pair of aquamarine earrings--that set off your blue irises (if your irises aren't blue, then you can imagine that it's your eye color)--onto your ears. It sparkled whenever you turned, like diamonds glinting in the sunlight. You admired yourself in the mirror while your maids gushed at how pretty you were. You looked--and were--exactly the same as you had remembered.

Except, this time, you won't fall in love with a duke who didn't even like you, didn't even care about you.

This time, you wouldn't fall into her traps and be blinded by her seemingly sweet demeanor.

And this time, you would be prepared.