“What are you doing here, aunt?” I murmured in shock. Some part of me is happy to see my aunt after three months. But what is she going to confess? Is it about my parents? But this is not the right time. There’s another problem going on. Did Kassidy call her without telling me? I have many questions in my mind which will even stop my brain functioning if Lydia didn’t answer me.
“Iam here because you broke my rules. I didn’t give permission to leave Nina’s house. Why did you do that? I should have not trusted Nina or you, Sydney,” Lydia said with disappointment. But Jacen told me that he got permission from my aunt. Is it all a lie? Why would he do that?
I looked back at him, who gave a blank expression and muttered ‘Iam sorry’ simply. What does he mean by a simple ‘Sorry’? I don’t understand anything.
“But... aunt… I thought you...” I trailed off, searching for words.
“Iam not angry, Sydney. You should be angry with me. Iam the reason for all our worries. I don’t know how am I going to pay for that. Iam so sorry,” she apologized without telling what’s the reason behind it. She stepped forward and hugged me tightly with care, love.
“Aunt, you need to explain what’s going on. I understand nothing. You said you need to protect me. I want to know the reason, but you are not the reason for my sorrow,” I told her. The anger I had hours ago vanished just like that. Because she’s my aunt and I trust her. I still trust her.
“Iam the reason for everything, Sydney. I don’t know whether you will forgive me or not. But I have to do what I need to do. This is the right time,” she said and pressed both of her hands on either side of my head. My head hurt the moment she kept her hands. Everything went black. I can’t see my aunt or anyone. All I can see and feel is the darkness. Again.
The next moment, something flashed in my eyes. Iam seeing Victoria. I can’t see myself but Iam seeing the Queen. Then I saw Peter. Both of them took care of me. Iam with Victoria and Peter. Suddenly I felt so happy. The happiness vanished when another image entered my mind. Iam with Cassie, who’s being nice to me. The images all moved so fast that I can barely able to concentrate on them. The last scene I saw before I tried to open my eyes is myself at a birthday party. It’s my birthday party. All the vision of Victoria’s diary after Sapphire’s born flashed in my mind. I remembered everything. Everything.
“Stop it. Why did you do that? You are the one who stole my memories.” I screamed and blamed my aunt, who isn’t my aunt at all.
Iam Princess Sapphire. The Royal Heir. Daughter of Victoria Hale and Peter Hale.
That’s why Victoria has always been kind to me. Every time she saw me, she has an expression, a feeling which she can’t express or figure out. I cried for her loss and she cried for me. I took Victoria’s diary because some instinct told me to do it. Because she’s, my mother. I read it all because I was reading about my mother and my own death. I felt so painful when I saw myself die in the memories.
I never realized Iam so familiar with the princess. Victoria would have figured it out when she saw me. Every mother can identify their daughter even though they didn’t see her for years. She must have felt something, but one thing must have stopped her. That Sapphire is death. Dorothy poisoned her. Iam dead. I was poisoned by Dorothy. Then how am I alive now? That’s the one thing that is blocking me from the whole truth.
Everything makes sense now, but not fully.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, Sydney. Please let me explain,” Lydia pleaded. Iam so furious at her but I want to know what’s really happened.
“You aren’t my aunt? Are you?” I questioned her, with tears flowing from my eyes.
“No Iam not, Sydney. But my love and care for you are always the same. Trust me. I will tell you what really happened. Then you will know I got no choice but to hide the truth from you,”
“Go on,” I cried.
“You were supposed to be dead. You are princess Sapphire. Dorothy wants to kill you. Iam the witch who helped her poison you. She knows Iam a powerful witch but I can’t kill a child. A royal princess. I can’t able to do that. I was almost got ready with the poison but I changed my mind. I can’t able to kill you. I made a fake one and put you into unconsciousness for many hours to let all others think you are dead. Then I took you after the funeral. I was the only person who knows you weren’t dead. And no one is going to open the coffin to see the dead child. So, without suspects, I brought you home and removed all your memories and gave you a fake one. The picture I showed you weren’t true. That’s not your parents,” Lydia explained.
I can’t able to take everything in just a minute. I can’t process anything in my mind. Iam too shocked to think. Sapphire was never been dead. I was never been dead.
“I can’t believe it. I wasted all my life being locked up. It’s all because Dorothy tried to kill me. I don’t deserve any of this. Nobody knows how much I grieved all my life. I was hidden from the whole world. I would have died than lived this horrible life. That’s much better than to hear the hurtful truth,” I shouted till my throat hurt.
“I know I should have done something other than hide you...” Lydia started.
“Right? You should have done something. Why are you afraid of Dorothy? I don’t know what to say. I can’t say ‘thank you for saving my life’. Because I was only alive, but I never lived my life,”
“I have never lived it,”