A new day at school was beginning and Rosalia had not managed to fall asleep. The previous night she had been turning everything that happened over in her mind, trying to order her thoughts and plan her next move.
With determination, she rose from her bed and headed to the dining hall in search of her cousin Amanda. She saw her sitting with the same group of girls Valeria had been with the previous days and approached with a firm step.
"Hello, Amanda. How have you been?" Rosalia asked, trying to sound natural.
"Rosalia? Oh, hello, cousin! I am very well… Look girls, she is Rosalia Salvatore, my cousin."
"A pleasure, Miss Rosalia. Do you wish to sit with us?" Emily asked with a kind smile.
"If you do not mind, I would be delighted," Rosalia responded, relieved by the group's cordiality.
"Of course not. A pleasure, Miss Rosalia. I am Sofia, she is Emily, Cristiana, Esmeralda, Vanessa and, finally, Susan," Amanda said, pointing to each of her friends.
"A pleasure to meet you all," Rosalia replied with courtesy.
"But tell me, cousin, when did you arrive?" Emily asked, curious.
"The day before yesterday in the afternoon. Yesterday I did not feel very well enough to go out, so I stayed in my room," Rosalia responded, avoiding going into details.
"Are you feeling better? Do you want to go to the infirmary?" Amanda inquired, concerned.
"No… cough, cough… I mean, no thank you, cousin. I feel fine. I think it was because of the long trip; my back hurt a little, but I am fine."
Amanda was surprised by Rosalia's reaction; she did not expect her cousin to be afraid of doctors. The other girls simply interpreted Rosalia's attitude as common nervousness; many young women feared injections or blood, so they saw it as normal. However, for Rosalia, the word "infirmary" evoked memories of an entire past life spent in hospitals, and the last thing she wanted was to go near one.
"All right, cousin. But let me know if you need anything; I will be looking out for you," Amanda said with a smile.
"Thank you very much, cousin," Rosalia responded, somewhat relieved.
Suddenly, Sofia pointed toward another part of the dining hall.
"Look, girls… there is Valeria. Let's go to her."
"Oh, I think she did not see us again," Cristiana commented.
"Girls, do not be upset. You have to be patient with her. She lost her memory, remember; we must support her and be kind," Emily intervened.
"Emily is right," Amanda nodded. "We must have patience; she will remember who we are eventually."
Rosalia listened to everything in silence, observing Valeria intently. Every gesture and every word gave her more certainty: Valeria must be another reincarnated soul, just like her.
While the group prepared to approach their friend, a movement caught their attention. The Crown Prince of Ruby was heading directly toward the table.
"Is that not the Crown Prince of Ruby?" Cristiana asked, surprised.
"Yes, and he is going straight toward Valeria," Vanessa added.
"Better wait a bit," Emily said, being prudent.
"Oh, God… someone does not look very happy, does he?" Susan commented, pointing with her gaze toward Diego, who was furrowing his brow while watching Valeria.
"I think he is jealous," Esmeralda offered. "And he is not even trying to hide it."
"Look, he is approaching," Sofia said, attentive.
"Do you think we should help Valeria?" Amanda asked, doubtful.
"I don't think so… but let's stay alert, just in case," Emily responded.
Rosalia and the girls observed the scene unfolding between the two princes and Valeria in silence. Until, suddenly, Diego took Valeria, almost dragging her out of the hall.
"Do you not think you should see if your friend needs help?" Rosalia asked, alarmed.
The girls looked at each other and decided to follow them at a certain distance. They hid behind some columns and watched as Diego kissed Valeria. They all blushed and, after a few minutes, chose to withdraw discreetly.
"It will be better not to tell anyone what we saw," Sofia whispered.
"Oh, my God, girls! Did you see that kiss? It was incredible," Rosalia exclaimed, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
"Ross, what are you saying?" Amanda intervened, surprised. "Those things are not spoken of."
"What is wrong with it? I already wish I were kissed like that," Rosalia responded with sincerity.
The girls blushed, but inside they agreed: they also desired a kiss full of passion like the one Diego had given Valeria. After that, they all said goodbye and headed to their classes. Rosalia felt excited; studying in a normal school would allow her to experience something different, beyond what her sister told her.
She entered the classroom and, as soon as she sat down, all eyes were on her. She looked for an empty spot and settled in, trying to stay calm. Suddenly, a deep voice resonated next to her ear:
"Excuse me, is this seat occupied, Miss?" asked a tall young man with reddish hair.
"Yes… no… I mean, yes, you may sit," Rosalia stammered, feeling a bit foolish for her nerves.
The young man gave a crooked smile, amused by her reaction.
"Thank you. Allow me to introduce myself: Abel Folk, Crown Prince of Ruby, at your service, Miss," he said as he took one of her hands and kissed it politely.
It took Rosalia a few seconds to react:
"E-Emm… yes… my name… I mean, my name is… Ross… I mean, Ash… no, my name is Rosalia Salvatore. A pleasure, Highness."
"Hahaha, excuse me, Miss. Has anyone ever told you that you are very funny?" Abel joked, with a charming smile.
Rosalia blushed, feeling embarrassed.
"Forgive my clumsiness… I got nervous. It is the first time I have been in a place like this," she explained, still blushing.
"I see… but I like it, you are spontaneous and do not try to please me like any other lady would," Abel responded, amused.
"Are you usually hounded by many ladies, Prince?" Rosalia asked, trying to maintain her composure.
"Some, but not all are as clumsy as you," he said, giving her a knowing smile.
"Hey, in my defense… you caught me distracted," Rosalia answered, with a shy smile.
"Hahaha, yes, yes, I believe you," Abel said, amused.
Thus they spent the whole class laughing at the comments they made to each other. The teachers called for their attention a couple of times for distracting the class, but that did not prevent them from enjoying the moment.
At the end of classes, Rosalia felt happy. She had made a new friend and Abel had helped her overcome the nerves of her first day. She was walking toward the dining hall for an afternoon snack when, suddenly, she crossed paths with Valeria. She hurried her pace to reach her before she was out of sight and spoke to her, trying to catch her attention:
"Miss Valeria, may I speak with you for a moment?"