Chapter 303: Awake, for more surprises.
The first face Sienna saw was her husband, who rushed to leaned close with worry etched across his sharp features. On the opposite side were his grandparents, their eyes heavy with concern. The memories of the previous evening--the revelations, the accusations, the storm of family secrets rushed back into her mind like a tide.
As soon as she opened her mouth, Elias straightened, his voice firm but gentle. "Grandfather, grandmother, please excuse us."
As he had told them about her request for a divorce, the elders exchanged a glance, then nodded and withdrew, leaving the room quietly.
As soon as the door closed, Elias bent down, kissed her forehead and whispered, "You don’t have to say anything. Not right now. Whatever is on your mind, we can discuss it another time. Whatever happened yesterday, whatever was revealed, it’s gone. Everyone’s memories have been wiped. Nobody in the world can recover them, not even with machines. Even your mother’s memories have been wiped and new ones were added. As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed."
Sienna’s lips parted, but before she could respond, Elias shouted toward the door. "Liman, call the doctor! And have Shalin bring something to eat. Something light. Sienna is not on a diet today, so add sugar if you need to."
Sienna blinked. She wanted to defend her diet, but her mouth felt dry.
Within minutes, the physician arrived, with the sleek case of tools that had been forced on him today. He had a neural scanner, designed to read fluctuations in mental strength. A bio-spectral wand, which he passed over Sienna’s body to measure her vitals. A pulse stabilizer, which measured her heartbeat and a dermal analyzer that projected readings of her temperature, hydration and cellular recovery.
The doctor worked quickly, his hands steady. He placed the neural scanner on her head, its filaments brushing her hair. Lights flickered across its surface, recording the subtle waves of her mental strength. After using up every instrument in his case, under the sharp eyes of the fox lord, he took a calm breath.
Finally, he looked up are Elias and spoke. "Her fever is no more. Physically, she is recovering well. But her heartbeat is out of sync, which means she is unsettled. Her mental strength is unsteady. That makes her vulnerable to strain and a mental break. But, as she is not a beast man, I can’t be sure if its possible.
Right now I recommend she eat something light--broth, fruit, nothing heavy, at least not until dinner time. A lot of water, or tea, or juice. And more importantly, she should be taken to a larger hospital for a full mental scan. Just to be safe. Lady Sienna is the only human I know of that has mental strength. I can’t make conclusions on the state of her mind carelessly."
He closed his case with a snap. "I will leave instructions with the servants on her diet for the next three days. But do not delay the hospital visit. We both know that mental strength can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse."
With that, the doctor bowed and departed.
Moments later, the door opened again and the children rushed in, their faces bright with relief. They clambered onto the bed, hugging her, laughing, chattering as if nothing unusual had happened. Behind them came her mother, smiling warmly, followed by other family members.
Sienna’s heart clenched. They were normal. Completely normal. Aside from worrying about her condition, there were no shadows of last night’s revelations lingering in their eyes. No tension, no suspicion. Numia was her usual self, one hand on her waist, another patting her belly, her chin tipped high. It was as if Owena had never visited. The storm of her appearance had been erased from existence.
Sienna wondered where Owena right now. The fox guards had taken away before she went upstairs last night.
Her mother stroked her hair and said softly, "You gave us a fright Sienna. What possessed you to fall asleep in the bathtub? Have it slipped your mind that its winter?" She sighed. "I will never rest until I die because of you. I already stewed some bone broth for you. Make sure that you drink every last bit. If you want to cry, make sure to call me first. Whenever you fall sick, you become a baby. I am so glad that you are awake now."
Sienna looked at Elias, her eyes wide with disbelief. He had been telling the truth. Their memories were completely gone. It brought a sense of relief to her. She was the one that brought hurricane Owena home after all. All of this was on her.
Everyone checked on her, made a fuss and finally left.
When the room quieted at last, and the children were ushered out to play, Sienna turned to her Elias. Her voice trembled. "What happened while I was unconscious?"
He sat beside her, his expression grave. "Your mother was not on the list of those whose memories were to wiped, but she tried to run away. She was going to take Owena and move to planet Echo Star."
Sienna’s breath caught. "Is she crazy? What would Soren do without her?" As a grown woman, she could survive without a mother, but Soren needed her. He had already lost one parent, he didn’t need to lose another.
"Grandma made the decision for her memory to be wiped and I supported it. For Soren’s sake, and yours. You need your mother. She is not a bad person, and that is a truth which cannot be changed. My grandparents and I spoke at length about this situation." He continued.
She held her breath.
He grabbed her hands. "We suspect that your maternal grandparents could be alive. You will find out more after you recover. Whatever it is, we will handle it together, as a family. Those are my thoughts and my grandparents and father. We are all on tour side."
Sienna closed her eyes, her mind spinning. "So while I slept, my life continued to rewrite itself."
Elias squeezed her hands.