CHAPTER 2

Footsteps echoed through the dark hallway as a family of four hurried towards the patient's room. They were panicking as they arrived at the Royal Palace, anxious to see the well-being of their last family member. However, they stopped right before entering the room as two Royal Family members waited for their arrival.

"Blessings and Glory to the King and Prince of Athelis." The Royal Family's guests greeted in unison as they bowed and curtsied respectfully to the rulers of their kingdom.

"Please be at ease." His Majesty, King Kelvion Vargaux Ascania, smiled. "Royal Physician Garrison is currently inside, examining Lady Elaine's condition."

"Are we to wait outside to hear his diagnosis, Your Majesty?" Duchess Gustova asked with worry.

"It is not a requirement, but I wished not to disturb his concentration." King Kelvion answered, then added a statement. "Of course, we are all allowed inside the room."

"Then, if it is not a bother...." Duke Gustova hinted that his whole family wished to enter the room immediately. The Prince nodded at the Duke's wishes and ordered the maids waiting outside the room to open the door. As they were told, the maids did as they were told, waiting for all of Lady Elaine's guests to enter the room before closing the door again.

The Royal Physician stood up when he heard the door's creaking, bowing his head immediately to greet the Royals and nobles who just entered his patient's room. "Greetings, Duke and Duchess, young master and young lord of the Gustova Dukedom." He skipped the King and Prince as he greeted them before treating the lady.

"Has she woken up from her slumber?" The King walked towards the Royal Physician.

"We had no such luck, Your Majesty." Garrison shook his head, his green eyes reflecting his disappointment as well. "Lady Elaine has not been digesting any food ever since her accident. Due to her loss of strength, she would become unconscious after opening her eyes. Furthermore, she's been sleeping in a bed for two weeks, so her leg muscles must be weak. Therefore, Lady Elaine has to be careful when taking walks as she could fall at any moment."

"The lady's head injury should also not be causing her any trouble. We've been applying ointment to reduce the pain, but I am not sure whether it will leave a scar." Garrison added.

"Is that all?" Prince Lucas questioned.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness." Garrison tucked his patient in her blanket once more. "I will give a prescription to the maids for Lady Elaine to regain her energy after waking up. As for her legs, the lady should take walks often with someone by her side so that her muscles will strengthen and to ensure she doesn't fall."

"You may leave, Garrison." King Kelvion said, satisfied with his explanation. The King also gestured for all the servants present in the room to leave at once.

"Blessings and Glory to the Kingdom of Athelis." Garrison packed his things and bowed. "I will excuse myself, Duke and Duchess." He also said his goodbyes to the young masters of the Gustova Dukedom.

There was only silence in the room as soon as the King told the necessary people to leave. "Don't be so stiff. You have come to check on your daughter and sister, have you not?" His Majesty chuckled.

"Then, excuse us, Your Majesty." The Gustova Family rushed towards Elaine's bedside. The Duchess wiped her daughter's sweat with a handkerchief, her hands trembling. The gesture ignited a reaction from Lady Elaine, causing her to frown slightly as her sleep was disturbed. She grunted silently at the unwelcomed interruption before her eyes opened groggily.

The Gustova Family was speechless at the dumbfounded expression of Lady Elaine. The patient repeatedly blinked as she saw four people shadowing her body. It was personally overwhelming her--especially when she didn't know the identity of those faces.

"E-Elaine." The only woman that hovered above her of the four people teared up. She suddenly yanked the girl up from her bed and embraced her into a tight hug. The men present in the room were smiling at the touching reunion of mother and daughter.

However, the silence of the daughter brought confusion to them all. With her brows twitching slightly, Duchess Gustova let go of her tense daughter to see her face. Her heart was racing, and she could feel her stomach churning—in the wrong way.

"Elaine?" Duke Gustova stepped closer with a frown. It was odd that none of them was receiving any reaction from the patient. Moreover, her clear blue eyes were showing emotions that were neither relief nor affection. Instead, it only showed a sense of confusion and even fear.

"Mother." The oldest son of the Gustova Dukedom held onto his mother's shoulders. "Our little sister must be tired and is still half-asleep. Perhaps Mother should rest and greet her again tomorrow where she feels refreshed?"

"Mother must also be cold in such thin clothing." The second eldest took his blazer off and draped it over his mother's shoulders. "Please warm yourself up, Mother."

"...Yes." Duchess Gustova nodded slowly, answering after a long pause. "You're right, my sons." But, unfortunately, she did not understand and currently had no intentions of accepting the situation.

Elaine Louise Gustova remained silent, only staring in wonder and curiosity at the people surrounding her.

"I shall accompany my wife, Your Majesty." Duke Gustova held his staggering wife in his arms as they exited the room while worriedly glancing back at his daughter. "Blessings and Glory to the Kingdom of Athelis."

The King and Prince were shocked and couldn't respond appropriately except for nodding at the married couple's farewell.

"Um..." Her hoarse voice surprised the remaining men in the room. The lady clenched onto her blanket as she lowered her head. "Am I whom you call 'Elaine'?"

"Impossible." King Kelvion muttered in disbelief, his wrinkled golden eyes widening at Lady Elaine's words. He walked towards Elaine cautiously and sat down beside her, causing the teenage girl to flinch. Her immediate reaction was to slide further from the stranger and cover her face purposely by allowing her long blonde hair to hide her face. She could tell that the ageing man held the highest authority over everyone. The frail girl took side glances at the people present in the room, blinking in confusion as her guests quietly observed her.

Lady Elaine answered the men's ridiculous assumptions the moment she uttered those words. Their lips parted at the reality of the situation.

"It is." A younger version of the man with the highest authority answered, his golden pupils staring at his fiancée directly. "Elaine Louise Gustova. That is your name." He was the first one to accept reality calmly.

The young lady let out a relieved smile as she discovered her own identity. Then, realising that she had put her guard down, she tensed up. She pulled her knees towards herself—a defensive mechanism she believed would protect her from any unexpected reactions.

'Brother.' Elaine identified in her head when she saw a tall man with platinum blonde hair and gentle green eyes. She moved on to the man beside him and also identified him as her 'brother'. Her second brother was a brunette and had eyes the same shade of blue as her, though he was slightly shorter than her first brother.

'King.' Her eyes travelled to the stunning man sitting a few inches away from her, and when her eyes reached the last man standing in the room, she identified him as a 'prince'.

"Do not fear us." The King tried to reassure Lady Elaine that they would not harm her. He tried to act rationally, though it was difficult as it was his first time going through this challenging situation. His eyes showed sadness—even a child could identify that. "We are family, Elaine."

Elaine blinked, and the tension left her body as someone finally confirmed it for her. "...Family." She murmured.

The King sighed and decided to introduce himself formally. "I am Kelvion Vargaux Ascania, the King of the Athelis Kingdom. He is my son, Lucas Rovét Ascania, as well as the Second Prince of this Kingdom." Prince Lucas stepped forward and lowered his head slightly as a greeting.

"Your Majesty and Your Highness." The amnesiac lady immediately placed her right hand on her left shoulder and bowed her upper body. Her gestures caused the men to look at her in bewilderment.

"...They are your older brothers." His Majesty observed the lady as he told Duke Gustova's sons to step closer. "Noah Hugh Gustova is the eldest, while Gerard Eugene Gustova is your second brother."

Elaine's guesses were correct, which brought her delight. She bowed her head down in respect once again as she greeted her siblings. "Elder brothers." Her brothers, however, couldn't greet her as they grieved over their little sister's memory loss.

The King glanced at the brothers with sympathy. He couldn't blame them for not being able to look at her in the eye. "Try to accept her situation and help her adjust to her old life." He whispered to them as he stood up from the bed. His Majesty's shoulders suddenly felt heavy as he intended to inform the Duke and Duchess of their daughter's confirmed diagnosis. He could already imagine the tears that would roll down their faces as the mother would wail in pain.

"I have some business to attend to, Elaine." The King smiled and kneeled for the first time in a while for the child. It was so that she would not be afraid. "Forgive me for leaving your side so early."

"Your Majesty, please stand up as I am but a lowly subject of yours." Elaine Louise Gustova was disturbed as the King lowered himself in her presence. She reached her hand out to His Majesty and urged for him to stand before her. Although she had no memories, she understood that what was happening before her was wrong.

"It's quite all right." His Majesty overpowered her weak strength. "Will you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning, Elaine?"

"Of course," Elaine answered, though the King's actions still rattled her. As the King left the room, the Gustova siblings and the Prince paid their respects for His Majesty.

Silence engulfed the atmosphere, making Elaine shift on her bed uncomfortably. So many thoughts swirled through her mind as a result.

'How am I supposed to greet my brothers now that His Majesty isn't here to break the tension?'

'Are they hurt that their sister couldn't remember them?'

'...How about my parents?'

Lady Elaine started to tremble at her wild imaginations. Although they were connected by blood, as of now, she could feel nothing towards them. That was why memories are significant. If memories of your loved ones are lost, their identities will disappear in an instant as well.

"—As the Prince stated, I have brought trouble for everyone." Elaine decided to break the silence with a depressing sentence. "It was my fault. Forgive me." The young lady bowed her head slightly while the Prince flinched at her misunderstanding.

"I did not mean those words, Lady Elaine." Prince Lucas clarified as one of her elder brothers daringly glared at him. "The matter of your memory loss is an unexpected one and could not be controlled by anyone."

"Is that so...?" She wondered but still felt dejected in the end. Prince Lucas' attitude towards her changed drastically from before. She was curious about the reason, as it seemed he despised her very presence in the beginning. However, after she was diagnosed with amnesia, he was neutral, as if all his hatred for her vanished.

"Little sister." Gerard stood by her bedside and kneeled, just like the King. "Do you not recognise us?" The eldest touched his little brother's shoulders—a sign not to pry so profoundly.

Elaine felt guilty as well as pressured by the simple question. She forced herself to shake her head sideways while biting her lip in nervousness. "I apologise, Brother."

"It is not your fault, Little Sister." Noah Hugh Gustova kneeled beside her as well. He hesitantly reached for her hand, afraid that it would make her uncomfortable. Elaine noticed the tiny movements coming from him. She boldly held her eldest brother's hand, squeezing it slightly to comfort him.

"It is curious, however." Prince Lucas squinted his eyes at his fiancée. "Lady Elaine still remembers her etiquette?"

Gerard took the Prince's unnecessary words personally, wanting to punch his face no matter the consequence. But, in his sister's presence, he held back.

"My body seems to remember it, Your Highness." Lady Elaine answered swiftly, even though his words held a more profound meaning—an accusation that she might have faked her memory loss. "We may test the theory after I have regained my health, perhaps."

Prince Lucas' face stiffened at her answer. He clenched his teeth at her clever refute. "That is not necessary, Lady Elaine. After all, His Majesty has personally diagnosed your illness, and his words are nothing but the truth."

"Of course, Your Highness." Elaine nodded, not wanting to prolong the interrogation any longer.

"I will give you siblings privacy." Prince Lucas decided as he felt like an outsider. "Don't bother paying your respects." He left for the door immediately.

Gerard felt like he could finally breathe as the Royal left the room willingly. "That bastard." He muttered under his breath.

"He is still a Royal Family member, Gerard," Noah warned his little brother. "Do not openly disrespect him."

Elaine felt awkward as her brothers conversed between themselves. Finally, however, she mustered up her courage to speak to them. "May I speak freely, my Brothers? I may not be able to act as I did in the past, but I will try my best to be your family once more."

"You have always been family, no matter the circumstance." Noah smiled at his little sister sadly. "We have no further expectations of how you should act. There is only one—we wish you would not act so distant towards us."

Elaine lowered her head due to her fear that they would be disappointed. "It is a difficult request. After all, the current me do not know any of you."

Gerard balled his hand into a fist. His little sister lacked an emotional attachment towards their family or anyone for that matter. Unless her memories were to return miraculously, there would always be a hole in the Gustova family's heart as Elaine's childhood memories have been robbed from them. "We will wait."

Lady Elaine flinched at her second brother's words. It touched her heart, truthfully.

"We are strangers to you now." Gerard managed to choke out the reality. "Our only wish is that you would not fear us. Approach us slowly and get to know us at your own pace."

"I will, Brother." Warmth filled Elaine's smile; her cheeks started to blush slightly.

Noah patted Gerard's head at his heart-warming words, proud that his immature little brother has finally grown up. "It will be hard on Mother and Father, but do embrace them when they come to meet you. You do not have to feel burdened nor guilty for what happened. Remember that, okay?"

"Of course, Brother." Elaine nodded, understanding his intentions.

Gerard smile at his little sister, jovial that she was able to smile despite her grave situation. "Our little sister has not lost her wittiness! Your response towards Prince Lucas' insult was praiseworthy."

Noah jabbed Gerard with his elbow, causing Gerard to grunt in pain. "I apologise for speaking ill of the Prince again."

Lady Elaine paused at her brother's words. She did not want to question the Royal Family's intentions, but His Majesty's special treatment towards her was odd. "Brother, what is our relationship with the Royal Family?"

Noah and Gerard stopped their argument and faced their little sister. "Well...Prince Lucas is your fiancé, Elaine."

Lady Elaine was not entirely surprised by her eldest brother's reply. Of course, it was a possibility, but that fact in itself was peculiar. "...It was an arranged marriage, I presume."

"Our little sister is bright, but that is not always good," Gerard mumbled.

"Why do you think so, Little Sister?" Noah raised his eyebrow, though it is true.

"Prince Lucas was the one who found me, yet his eyes were 'disgusted' by my presence alone," Elaine said nonchalantly. "His speech towards me was also unkind from the beginning. It was quite obvious."

"It was an arranged marriage." Gerard seethed. "Our little sister learned to fall for His Highness, but the Prince returned it with nothing but a cold shoulder."

"I see." Elaine did not feel bitter, but it was a depressing thought for her 'past' self.

"It is getting late, Little Sister," Noah mentioned. "You should rest."

Elaine nodded and pursed her lips. She had an idea but did not know whether they welcomed it. Finally, their little sister decided to be shameless and proposed it to them with her eyes shut. "Do you want to sleep together for tonight, my Brothers?" It was an attempt to get closer to them.

Noah smiled warmly at his little sister. "If you are comfortable with it, we would be glad to."

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