A Stepmother's Märchen — Chapter 3

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M GOING TO HEIDELBERG!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I DON'T PLAN ON COMING BACK SO PACK ACCORDINGLY.

[Gwen]: M-MY LADY?!

[Gwen]: THIS IS ALL SO SUDDEN...

FLABBERGASTED

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I WANT TO KEEP IT A SECRET FROM THE CHILDREN, SO BE DISCREET.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: TODAY IS THE DAY OF JEREMY'S WEDDING.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: SINCE I AM HIS MOTHER, I SHOULD GIVE HIM A PRESENT.

[Gwen]: MY LADY...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AND BESIDES,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT JERK...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: NO...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ALL OF THEM.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IT'S SOMETHING THEY ALL WOULD'VE WANTED.

*WHSH*

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: TAKE CARE OF THE NEW LADY OF THE ESTATE WHEN SHE COMES! YOU KNOW THAT JEREMY IS LORD OF THE ESTATE NOW, RIGHT?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: TRY NOT TO UPSET HIM!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: YOU KNOW HOW HE CAN GET!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: NOW, NOW... BE OFF!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER TODAY!

[Gwen]: BUT MY LADY!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IF I HEAR THAT THE CEREMONY WAS LESS THAN PERFECT, YOU'LL REGRET IT!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HAAA...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...THE MAIN CHARACTER.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HAS IT...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: EVER BEEN ME?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IN ORDER TO SURVIVE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: BECAUSE OF THE WISHES OF OTHERS...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: BECAUSE OF THE DUTY I WAS GIVEN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THAT'S ALL I LIVED FOR.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WHY AM I THINKING SUCH DEPRESSING THOUGHTS?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A NEW JOURNEY!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: FEELING THE WARMTH OF THE SUN AT THE VILLA IN HEIDELBERG! SITTING IN THE SHADE UNDER LEAVES OF GREEN!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE SPARKLING BLUE LAKE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: NOW THAT I FINALLY HAVE THE TIME, MAYBE I'LL EVEN ALLOW MYSELF TO BE COURTED!

SHURI'S FUTURE BEAU, IN HER IMAGINATION

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: BUT THE THING I'M MOST HAPPY ABOUT IS...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: FINALLY STEPPING DOWN AS HEAD OF THE NEUSCHWANSTEIN FAMILY, AND LEAVING BEHIND THAT STIFLING PRESSURE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I CAN FINALLY SAY 'AU REVOIR' TO MY ADORABLE CHILDREN, WHO WERE LIKE TICKING TIME BOMBS!

...YES, THE ONLY THING THEY THOUGHT ABOUT WAS HOW TO CREATE MORE TROUBLE FOR ME...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M FINALLY FREE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: YES!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I'M GOING TO LIVE AN AMAZING LIFE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HELLO TO MY NEW LIFE!

*SHFF*

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: RAIN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: YES, I REMEMBER THIS...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AS I WAS RIDING THE CARRIAGE TO THE HEIDELBERG VILLA,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: RAIN STARTED TO POUR AS WE HEADED INTO THE FOREST.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I WAS TALKING TO THE COACHMAN AND KNIGHTS

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ABOUT HOW THE RAIN...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: CAME OUT OF NOWHERE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: SO WHY...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AM I BACK IN MY BEDCHAMBERS AT THE NEUSCHWANSTEIN ESTATE?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ACK!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE CARRIAGE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: WE WERE ATTACKED BY BANDITS THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...AND EVERY- ONE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...HOW AM I HERE?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HOW DID I WAKE UP ALIVE IN MY OWN BED?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: AND THIS MIRROR—IT BELONGED TO THE PREVIOUS MARCHIONESS... IT WAS THROWN OUT WHEN IT SHATTERED, SO HOW...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: ...THIS... THIS IS...?

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I KNOW SOMETHING'S CHANGED, BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO PUT IT INTO WORDS!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: DOES MY FACE LOOK SOFTER?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IS IT ROUNDER AND MORE FULL...?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: EVEN MY SKIN LOOKS A BIT MORE SOFT AND DEWY?

*SQUEEZE*

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

[Gwen]: YOU MUST GET READY QUICKLY, MY LADY.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: GWEN?!

[Gwen]: THE FUNERAL WILL BE IN TWO HOURS.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: F-F...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: FU... FUNERAL?! THE CHILDREN... HAS SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: HAVE THOSE BANDITS COME ALL THE WAY TO THE ESTATE?!

[Gwen]: ?

[Gwen]: MY LADY...

[Gwen]: I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR YOU...

[Gwen]: BUT YOU MUST ACCEPT REALITY.

[Gwen]: IT IS WHAT OUR RECENTLY DECEASED MASTER WOULD HAVE WANTED FOR YOU.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: BY MASTER, DO YOU MEAN LORD NEUSCHWANSTEIN...?

[Gwen]: OF COURSE, MY LADY.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: JOHANNES VON NEUSCHWANSTEIN...?

[Gwen]: YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: YOU MEAN, JOHAN, THE MAN WHO DIED OF PNEUMONIA AND LEFT ME A WIDOW AT AGE SIXTEEN?!

YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

[Gwen]: MY LADY?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: GWEN'S RESPONSES!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE LAYOUT OF THIS ROOM!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THE WAY THE TWO OF US LOOK YOUNGER!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THIS IS SEVEN YEARS AGO! RIGHT BEFORE JOHAN'S FUNERAL!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: BUT THE VILLA! MY NEW LIFE?!

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: IF THIS IS JUST A DREAM,

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: I PRAY THAT I WAKE UP FROM IT RIGHT NOW!

[Gwen]: MY LADY, SHALL I SEND FOR A DOCTOR...?

SILENCE

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THIS CAN'T BE...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: DEAR HEAVENS...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: THIS TRULY...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: D...

[Shuri von Neuschwanstein]: CANNOT BE!