A vision from the past appeared before my eyes. I was sitting by the window of a cold house on the outskirts of the capital. My father had left us long ago, as soon as he learned my mother was pregnant. Since then, she had to work hard to provide me with everything I needed. I sat by the window, as usual, waiting for my mother to come home from work. Outside, heavy rain poured down, the droplets streaking down the glass, while a deep, aching sadness grew in my chest.
How I wished to move to a place where it didn't rain so often, where the sun shone brightly, and only small clouds floated above us on hot days.
But that dream was not meant to come true…
I noticed my mother approaching our house, visible through the window, when suddenly a man ran up to her. He tried to snatch the bag of groceries from her hands, and when she resisted, he pulled something from under his clothes—something that looked like a knife. A dagger—it was a small dagger. He swung it and struck her with a single blow. I couldn't see what happened next; it seemed like he got very close to her. But his body blocked my view of what he was doing.
My mother fell almost immediately, her bag dropping alongside her. From the fallen bag spilled a few red tomatoes, several potatoes, and half a loaf of bread. The man quickly crouched down, grabbing the fallen items and stuffing them back into the bag. Then he ran back into the alley from which he had appeared.
I watched the scene, unable to comprehend what was happening. I was only five years old then and couldn't immediately grasp what had occurred.
Moments after the man fled, I ran outside in my old, worn-out rags that my mother had stitched for me. I felt neither cold nor the rain soaking everything around—only shock and terror. I just ran toward her, hoping everything would be okay. The thief had already disappeared, and no one even tried to help. It was then that I first truly understood how cruel life could be.
When I reached my mother, I hoped she was still alive. But her lifeless body was drenched by raindrops, her blood slowly trickling down the cobblestones, mixing with the rainwater. I fell to my knees and leaned over her, unable to contain my pain.
— «Mom…» I whispered.
— «Mommy…» I continued, lifting her head into my hands.
— «Mooom!» I screamed in despair.
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From Elswood's perspective
My eyes slowly began to open. Sunlight was shining directly into my face. Too bright… I tried to shield my face with my hand, but all I saw was a small, childlike hand.
I can't move my arms? Why can't I move them properly? Turns out I couldn't move them because I was wrapped in a blanket. What's going on? Where am I?
Someone was holding me. It was a man, about 30 years old, strong and well-built. He had short hair, calloused hands—a clear swordsman. I thought he must be a capable warrior. He looked at me and said something, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. Then he made a strange face, and I thought he didn't seem very bright.
A woman's voice said something, and he immediately stopped, looking a bit dejected. I looked at the woman who had interrupted him. She was stunningly beautiful, appearing just over 25 years old, with long, uniquely silver hair. Her beauty was incomparable to any woman from my previous life.
Her face was filled with a smile, and her eyes sparkled with happiness. She looked straight at me, her warm smile filling me with a strange inner warmth. But why was she looking at me like that? What did she want from me?
She said something to the man, and he handed me over to her. After exchanging a few words, someone entered the room. I couldn't see who it was since I was being held with my back to them, but the voice was pleasant.
The woman who entered said something to the man, and he seemed slightly irritated. However, after she raised her voice at him slightly, he left the room.
Everyone left the room except for the woman holding me. She lay down on the bed under a small blanket. She said something to me as she adjusted herself, causing the blanket covering her to slip off, revealing her astonishing figure. Her body was truly a wonder of this world.
Her bare shoulder emerged, followed by her chest fully exposed, revealing two… profound thoughts about how wonderful this new life and world were.
She began to nurse me, and soon after, I drifted into sleep.
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…
May 23, 811, New Calendar…
Happiness finally graced the Lark family, a joy they had awaited for so long.
As usual at this midday hour, Ellina was in the kitchen preparing lunch. The silver-haired woman worked slowly and methodically when another young woman burst into the room.
— «Lady Ellina, what are you doing here?» — the girl exclaimed, raising her voice slightly. — «You're pregnant; you need to rest!» — she continued, still on edge, while gently pushing Ellina aside.
— «Marika, everything is fine,» — Ellina said calmly. She added, «I know how much work you have around the house, so I wanted to help you a little.»
— «Oh, what am I going to do with you?» — Marika sighed in exasperation.
— «You don't need to worry so much about me, Marika. I'm perfectly fine. But tell me, have you remembered anything else?» — Ellina asked with some concern in her voice.
— «Everything's fine, but no… I still haven't remembered anything,» — Marika replied, her tone slightly downcast.
— «That's all right. You'll remember everything in time,» — Ellina reassured her, softly placing her arm around Marika's shoulders.
Marika was the family's maid. Her unusual red hair didn't resemble that of commoners, though no one would ever learn what had happened to her before. Her memory had been lost during an attack.
A few years ago, a group of bandits ambushed a carriage near the town of Mirandor, where the Lark family lives. At that time, the head of the family, Ray, was returning from a hunt with several companions near the edge of the forest. Hearing cries from the road nearby, they immediately rushed to help.
Pushing through the thick forest undergrowth, they made their way to the road. As they drew closer, the sounds of a struggle—clanging metal and shouts—grew louder.
When they arrived, they saw that the carriage guards were fighting off a band of thieves but were clearly being overwhelmed. Just as Ray and his hunters emerged from the trees, the last remaining guard took a severe wound and collapsed to the ground. The thieves grabbed several pouches of coins and a crate bearing a strange mark—perhaps a dragon or something similar—and fled.
Ray ran to the injured guard, who was on the brink of death.
— «P-please… h-help,» — the guard said in a trembling voice, pointing toward the forest thicket. — «A girl… ran that way…» — With those words, he fell still. He was dead.
They followed his directions and found themselves at a steep drop-off. Peering down, they saw a girl in fine, though filthy and torn, clothing. Her bright red hair was tangled with branches and leaves, and her body was covered in scratches.
They hurried back to town to fetch ropes, then climbed down to retrieve her. They brought her back to Ray's home.
When she regained consciousness, she couldn't remember who she was or most of her past. She only recalled her name—Marika—and that she was 14 years old. Soon, it will have been two years since she joined the family. She decided she owed them her life and resolved to help them until she could restore her lost memories.
And so, her path became intertwined with that of the Lark family.
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That Evening in the Lark Household
Some time later, Ellina went into labor, and fortunately, everything went smoothly. While the maid had gone to fetch water, Ray was holding a tiny newborn in his arms. When the baby opened his eyes, Ray's heart filled with joy. The little one waved his hands and turned his head in all directions. Ray, thinking he could entertain the baby, made a funny face. But instead of laughing, the child calmed down and gave Ray a look that seemed to say he no longer saw him as the head of the family.
— «Ray, calm down, please. You're scaring him with your silly faces,» — Ellina teased, covering her laughing face with her hand.
Ray looked slightly deflated.
— «Let me see our little one,» — she said, reaching out her arms.
— «Here you go,» — Ray handed the baby to Ellina.
— «Oh, darling!» — she exclaimed, looking at Ray. — «He's so adorable! How can he be this precious?» — she said excitedly, gazing at her newborn son.
— «You're right. He's truly magnificent, just like his father. He's already so much like me,» — Ray declared proudly, clearly pleased with himself.
— «He's only inherited a few of your features. Most of his looks come from Lady Ellina, especially the shape and color of his eyes,» — Marika, the maid, said as she walked into the room.
Ellina chuckled and added, — «Ray, Marika's right. He takes far more after me than you.»
— «Ahem, ahem,» — Ray cleared his throat in mock seriousness.
Ellina and Marika laughed quietly.
— «What shall we name him?» — Ellina asked Ray.
— «Hmm,» — Ray pondered, stroking his chin. — «How about Theon? That was my grandfather's name,» — he suggested.
Everyone gave Ray a disapproving look.
— «All right,» — he sighed and paused. — «I get it.»
— «Miss, how about the name Ruwen? I once heard it's an ancient word that means strong,» — Marika proposed.
— «Wow, that's a truly lovely name. I like it!» — Ellina said with admiration.
— «Well, it's not bad,» — Ray admitted. — «But what about Fields? That was the name of my…» — he didn't finish, as Ellina's sharp glare cut him off.
— «Ruwen… What a beautiful name you have,» — Ellina whispered softly, looking at her son. — «I wonder what kind of life he'll live…»
— «Miss, I believe the baby needs to be fed,» — Marika said gently.
— «You're right, Marika.»
— «All right, do what you must. I'll just sit over here,» — Ray said, pointing to a chair.
— «No, Master, you need to go into town,» — Marika said firmly.
— «But if I sit here for just a moment, nothing bad will happen,» — Ray replied mischievously.
— «Ray, how long are you going to fool around? Just go to town already,» — Ellina chided him.
— «Fine, fine,» — Ray relented, looking a little deflated.
And so began the new life of King Ellswood—or, perhaps it's more fitting now to say, Ruwe Lark…
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End of Chapter 3.