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"My lady, it's time for you to wake up" a soft voice slipped through the cedar wood doors. A rustle of silk sheets and a soft groan was the only reply as the patient maid outside once again called out. "Please, my lady, the stars have receded."

A bush of violet gradients – flashing brightly reflecting sunlight shining through the slim open space between the curtains – popped out from hiding. Thin fingers with skin like the night sky stretching close to the elbows only to fade into pale skin. Groggily a jeweled amber eye and a bright green eye opened slowly adjusting to the brightness of the room. The beauty only groaned as she looked towards the door in contempt.

"You've got to be shitting me…"

The soft clacks of heels echoed throughout the long grand hall as the small lady made her desperate effort to not fall over and die. The beautiful white silk dress seemed to drape wonderfully over her shallow yet fit curves flowing behind her like waves in the ocean and personally, she hated it. Andromeda internally groaned as she once again felt a shiver down her spine: how the hell did these royals wear such frivolous outfits in the middle of winter?! Then again… in this world, she was indeed a royale. One of the most famous royale at that.

She was Andromeda Celest, the sole heir and crown princess of Celestia.

And yet she wasn't.

The last thing she remembered was leaving her the corporate law firm dinner she had and a truck hitting her car at full speed from the right. She remembers her family. She remembers her name, her age, her hobbies, her job. She remembers that she was not Andromeda until three weeks ago when she first woke up in this body.

She was – a lifetime ago – Emai Kim: thirty-three year old Blasian American law prodigy and youngest female to get a doctorate in political science. Emai who was awarded Role Model Citizen for beating up a gang on her own. Emai who had her glorious life ended because of a crazy stupid drunk. Emai who received a second chance at life in this new pampered strange body as Andromeda. Emai who would never ever wear a silk open-shoulder dress in the dead-ass of winter.

But, she was no longer Emai but Andromeda in this world – though, of course, this took two weeks of just constant suicide attempts in desperate efforts to return back to her original life, pitiful and concerned stares from the staff, and rumors from the nobles that she was crazy for her to accept this fact. She was given a second chance, might as well live as well as she did in her previous life.

Though she swore she heard this saying before… 'Andromeda' was even a very familiar name… she just couldn't remember why…

She'll figure it out…

And with that thought she opened the door to the ginormous palace library.

"The Keeper of Records greets the Crown Princess with blessings from Heaven." Andromeda's stern expression softened ever so slightly as she was met with silver hair lined with black strands on top of a face lined with soft wrinkles of age, someone she became fond of in the last month. In reply to the formalities, Andromeda scowled gently.

"I told you that you don't have to greet me so formally, Theta.." Andromeda grumbled playfully as she strutted over to the table prepped with her favorite sweets and a mysterious dri– "No way…" Andromeda gasped as a warm familiar comforting aroma filled her nose. She would recognize this scent anywhere. Bright excited eyes flipped over to the old Record Keeper.

"Turns out, this world isn't so different from the world you came from, my lady." The elder only smiled softly. Andromeda scrambled over to the tea table, not caring for the lack of grace in this moment. Who would care about that right now?! Andromeda picked up the cup with trembling hands and took a much anticipated sip. Immediate bliss followed as a wonderful much-yearned taste filled her taste buds. On Celestials, she missed coffee so much. Tears pricked her eyes in pure joy as she looked to Theta in so much respect and adoration.

"On all the Celestials, what can I do without you, Theta?" Andromeda melted in her seat as she enjoyed her first cup of coffee in what felt like ages (really was three weeks). Theta chuckled as he took his seat across from the princess enjoying his own cup. He was the first person that figured out that something was different about Andromeda when she woke up from her feverish week of sleep. According to Theta, before Emai woke up in her body, Andromeda was struggling with an illness that had her bedridden all of her life. But, three weeks ago, the princess had woken up physically fine but mentally deranged as she attempted to take her own life multiple times. If she wasn't attempting suicide, she was holed up in her room where one can hear her mumbling strange words in a foreign language. Theta was the only one who approached her small highness.

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"Your Highness–"

"Don't call me that! I'm not that damned princess..." Theta's copper eyes fell onto the heterochromatic eyes of the small child tensed up in all of her fury, back towards the window, the moonlight contrasting to the darkness around her. Her bright heterochromatic eyes were the only thing that Theta could see. Her jewel eye was no longer diamond: it was amber and it burned with fury and passion.

"You… are indeed not…" Theta managed to say out of his stupor. He felt like he was being swallowed by her aura; this was not the gentle princess he was tutoring before. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. He must not back down. Theta pushed on his stare: determined and firm. "But for the sake of the body you possess, you must be."

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Andromeda glanced up at Theta from her cup of coffee in the memory. He was the Keeper of Records, the Mentor of Royales, and Savior from her insanity. Andromeda huffed in ponderance: wonder what would've happened if Theta didn't volunteer to check on the princess.

"What are you scoffing about, your Highness?" Theta asked, breaking the comfortable silence they had. Andromeda merely shrugged, putting her cup down.

"Nothing… just how fuc–"

"Language, your highness."

"Just how absurd this situation is." Andromeda scowled at the window of the east wing. Theta could only smile softly. Despite having lived thirty-three years a lifetime ago, her physical age cannot deceive her mind; she still behaves like a teen. Andromeda skeptically stared at the old man staring back at her with those patronizing eyes. Any other man she would've burst but Theta knew her life. Everything from Emai to Andromeda to now and still did not reign prejudice on her. That she will be eternally thankful for.

"Tell me again, Theta," Andromeda started this time, stirring the conversation. "Who am I?"

"You are the only child of the Sun and Moon of the Celestia Empire, Heir to the Celestia Throne. Your family - The Celests - were the chosen duchy at the founding of this empire by the Heavens blessed with a gift powerful than any other."

"How old am I right now?"

"20 years old, your Highness."

"Damn I'm young as hell!"

"Not entirely, your grace. You have merely 1 year until your debutante ball."

"My what now?"

"Your debutante once you've come of age. I believe the Empress is already looking into a potential suit–"

"Nuh-uh stop right there." Andromeda couldn't help but feel a tingling burn right underneath her skin. Of course, olden days, fantasy realms, and royalty and whatnot all have misogynistic traditions but this was messed up. "So, I was only given, you - basically a butler - and a mannerism teacher all my life, only to be given up to some other duke for marriage? Is this how they think they can treat the Crown Princess of this Empire?! Like some antique shop China doll sold off to the highest bidder??!!"

Theta sighed, putting down his cup, and looked up at Andromeda who was now standing in all her furious glory. If he wasn't mistaken, the soul in her highness' body comes from a world where gender has no play in politics as much as the present. How to explain this predicament…

"You're right to some extent. Gender cannot determine one's role in political society. However, we are people from shards of stars and blessed as heirs to heaven. Politics means little here. Only that the Celest family remains as rulers and harmony is kept between the Constellation Duchy. You are a symbol. The Light of the Land. You must be glorified as Empress alongside an Emperor. To do that you must marry." Theta carefully explained looking down at the plate now scattered with crumbs now slightly afraid to face the Princess. But instead of a burst of fury, he expected all he got in return was tense silence.

"Say.. Say that again…" A soft mumble from the girl gave him the permission to look up and what he saw etched on her soft features made a twist in his guts. "Wh-What do I symbolize?"

"The Light of the Land, my lady."

Long ago, when humans were fragments of stars and heirs to the heavens,

There was a princess.

The princess was gentle, kind, and loving.

She was adored by everyone.

She was the Light of the Land.