Chapter 8 Strings were Tied in Wrong Loop

"Marcus where are you?" she cried while looking on a far distant, "It's been a month but I have no clue where are you now" she was very lonely knowing that Marcus was still not there for her

Every morning to ease her pain and longing for Marcus she went to a nearby garden to help an old woman to take care the flowers.

"Oh dear, thank you for being here to help me" the old woman said while preparing a tea and a bun for breakfast "Is your father doing fine now?" she asked

She approached the woman to see the foods on the table, "It looks very delicious as usual Madame" she was very fascinated on how the old woman prepare the bun with honey and tea "Can I have one for father?" she said shyly

The old woman smiled and nod, "Please tell to your father that I am thankful to allow you to be here every morning" then she put two buns with honey in a paper bag "I hope he likes it" she put the paper bag on the table

It seems that Marice was drooling to the bun, "Madame, I will finish what I am doing then we will eat" she immediately came back to what she was doing and went back to the old woman when she had done

"Have a sit, then let's eat the food before the team will cold" the woman invited her

She was very happy to be the old woman and she was like a granddaughter to her

The woman looked at her while eating, when she noticed it she suddenly felt shy "Is there any problem Madame?" she looked at her puzzled

The woman shook her head and closed her eyes, "Nothing dear, I just missed my granddaughter, maybe she was at your age if she didn't die in the early age" she answered

Marice felt the sadness of the woman, but she tried to smile for her "Madame, I will be always here every morning and if any instances that you need my help" she felt the sadness of the old woman because she lost her granddaughter once

The woman smiled to her, "thank you for your kindness dear" she held her hand "I have still one more granddaughter but she being the black sheep of the family when her elder sister died

She tried to smile, "Maybe because she loved her eldest sister, and she didn't know how to handle the sadness so she did the things that supposedly not to do by a lady" she tried to comfort her

"She will be here by next week, I hope you can meet her and be her friend" the old woman said

She was very shocked about it, not because the old woman's granddaughter will be staying there for a while but the situation they have "I am excited to see her Madame" she suddenly felt so much excited about that, and looks like she knew her granddaughter that long

When they finished eating, Marice help the old woman to clean her house and other household chores. The woman were very delighted to her so she gave her one gold coin as a reward

Marice was very shocked, "but Madame, this is too much" she said trying to gave back the gold coin"

The woman didn't agreed to it, so she just hold her hand and closed her hand "No dear, for me that is not enough for helping me to finish everything here" she answered and smiled

Marice accept the one gold coin because she felt the sincerity of the woman, "Thank you, Madame" she said with gratitude.

Before lunch time she went back to their house to prepare food for her father and Maco. She was very happy because they can eat a good food. When Merio and Maco went back, their lunch was prepared already and they noticed that they have a whole fried chicken on their table and vegetable soup for lunch

Merio sat down after he washed his hands, "Marice, where did you get this?" he was very happy because its been ages since he ate a fried chicken "It makes me more hungrier" he added

Marice chuckles seeing her father in his childish reaction, "The old woman I am helping in the next town gave me one gold coin, so I bought whole chicken and vegetables for our lunch" she answered and sat down "Let's eat? I am hoping that you enjoy our lunch today" she smiled and cut the whole chicken into pieces so that they may enjoy every part of it

It was a good day for a good food for them, Marice bought some sweets as their desserts after lunch. They were full now and they rest for a while. A gold coin can buy a food for three days, because they have enough supply of food for the meantime they rest for a day.

Days have passed that fast, the day of the old woman's granddaughter arrived. She went there as early as she can because she wanted to make everything good when the visitor came. At nine in the morning, the visitor came with a rude attitude. She just open the door, then walk towards the couch and throw herself there without any word to the old woman.

Marice approached her, "Good morning Madame, I want to ask if wanted something" she asked

The lady just looked at her like she knew her, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked rudely

Marice pissed off and wanted to talk back but she keep her patience, "I'm Marice, daughter of a wood cutter in the next town, I am helping your grandmother to household chore and everything here" she answered

"Fine" she closed her eyes and wanted to relieved her tiredness "Can you get me a glass of cold water" she said

Marice go to the kitchen and get some cold water for her, when she came back she saw the lady writing something on her little notepad, "Excuse me, here is your glass of cold water" she said then placed it on the table

Its seemed that the lady was calmed down a little, she looked at her "I'm sorry for my rudeness, I'm just little bit tired" she explained "I just a little bit embarrassed about the reason why they wanted me here" she seemed to be gloomy

"May I sit beside you?" Marice asked

Even she had a second thought, she permitted her "Since the day that my older sister died, they treat me like a curse to the family not knowing the reason or asking me what is the real reason behind that" she said

She smiled to her, "By the way what is your name? It is rude if we talk about your problems without knowing your name" she said

"I'm Lily, but it was not my real name" she answered "I just woke up with this body, and when I woke up the eldest sister of the family died and didn't know what was the reason why she died" she added "I know it sounds weird but that is the truth" she continue

Marice's tears suddenly flowed to her cheeks hoping she was Marcus, then she shook her, "It's impossible" she said to her mind "It's impossible will be in the body of this beautiful lady" she looked her from head to toe then she look again to her gloomy face

"I know it sounds weird, but I wanted to be who I am" she started to tell everything about her then when she looked to Marice she was surprised that her tears flowing to her cheeks "Why are you crying? Is there something wrong?" she asked "I'm sorry if I bother you that much?" she added then she wiped her tears

Marice went back to her senses, she escaped from her mind that what if the lady she was talking right now and the one she waited for so long are one, "I believe in you, don't worry about me" she wiped her tears and smiled to her "I wanted to tell you something" she said

"Sure, what is it?" Lily asked "I will hear you out since you listened to my lame story" she fixed herself

Cassiopeia (Marice) took a deep breath, trying to calm herself because this is a big gamble for her, "Maybe this is only a half chance that she will be Marcus, but is it possible to Marcus to be in that body?" she said to her mind while looking to Lily thinking that she made a wrong judgment,

Lily just looking at her, waiting to say whatever she wanted to ask; "Miss Marice are you okay?" she saw that Marice crying and she can hear her sobs

Marice closed her eyes, "My real name is Queen Cassiopeia, the fairy queen executed to my kingdom and now ..." she didn't finish when Lily hugged her so tight like she looking for her for a long time, "Are you okay Miss Lily?" she asked in shocked

"My Majesty, I'm looking you everywhere" she was crying "I thought I cannot see you anymore in this loop" she was crying a lot

Marice was still in shock, "Don't tell me" her tears flowed to her cheeks "Marcus, is that you?" she asked

Lily (Marcus) was still hugging her, "Yes, your Majesty, my one and only Queen Cassiopeia" she answered like a cry baby.

Since that day, the two became close friends, even the old woman thinking that if the two were knew each other. Day by day, the rebellious Lily was changed to a fine woman and a respectful one.

---Lily Armsterdom---

Its morning, when I woke up I saw many people surrounds me. I am curious what happen, so I got up to look in the mirror then I am very shock on what I saw.

"No way!" I shouted as I realized that I was in the body of a woman, a beautiful woman from a mid-noble family "What happen to me, this is not me" it made me drive crazy, "How can I look to Queen Cassiopeia in this look" I said to my mind finding an answer to my clueless question

"Master! the young lady collapsed" a maid shouted

Everyone inside the mansion panicked, after the younger sister woke up then the elder daughter collapsed. The duke was very worried, "Call the doctor now!" he commanded

At that moment, the doctor arrived and checks the young lady. After some check, the doctor's face became gloom and shook his head that made the duke insane, "I'm sorry but she was already dead" the doctor said

"No! that is not true" he lose his strength and approach his daughter's dead body, he held her hand and cried. All the people cried when they heard that the young lady was died mysteriously

At that moment, Lily was in the door looking to the people who's crying and didn't understand what happened. The Duke Armsterdom glanced to her, "It's all your fault, I hope you didn't woke up" he keeps on blaming the little Lily on what happen to her eldest daughter.

Since that day, Lily became rebellious because she knew that she was not the Lily they blaming on what happen. "I am not Lily, I am Marcus" she said to her head while crying and accepting the reality that the loop he chose was a mistake.

After three months of rebellious acts, Lily's father decided to send her away to her grandmother in the far away land. It is favorable to Lily to find Cassiopeia but she can't deny that maybe it's her fault about the death of the real young lady.

------End-------

Under the sun, in the garden of Margarette , the grandmother of Lily and the old woman that Marice always help her in household chores, they having fun to tell stories about the things they experience for every loop that they had been. The sadness, the happiness and the loneliness they felt when they apart. There were times that Lily went to the meadow with Marice and do some things that can do as lovers.

"I'm sorry if I'm in this form, I know it's a little bit awkward for you" Marcus said

Cassiopeia shook her head, "Don't mind your form because I know that your soul is still Marcus" she answered "And in the other hand, no one is around, we can enjoy like this more" she added

Marcus suddenly felt jealousy, "Cassiopeia, may I ask a question?" he asked

Cassiopeia looked at him, "Yes, what is it?" she asked

"Who is this Maco?" he asked with little embarrassment

Cassiopeia can't hold her laugh, she laugh as louder as she can

Marcus face became red, "Don't laugh about it, I'm serious!" he wanted to defend himself

Cassiopeia trying to stop from laughing, "I'm sorry, he was a stranger I helped once thinking that he was you" she explained "Don't worry, he treat me like a little sister to him and he respects my father here in this loop" she added

Marcus hugged her so tight, "I'm sorry, I just felt a little bit jealousy" he apologized "I want to be with you always, my queen" he said

They enjoy the cold breeze in the afternoon and wait the sun to set. Every day was very precious to the two lovers but for that loop, loving a person in same gender is a taboo. They lived in a conservative loop that lovers in same gender is a curse, so they went to the meadow when they wanted to be alone.