April 15, Midday

I was having trouble breathing as I stood in front of the convoy awaiting Princess Sophia's arrival.

I couldn't help but wonder how I managed to find my way back here, preparing to embark on yet another journey in service of the crown.

Months had passed since that first tour day and it felt like nothing had changed. I was dressed in a chic outfit chosen by the stylists, my makeup was expertly done as usual to match the occasion of the day, and the convoy of SUVs and Sedans was ready to carry us across the city.

The only thing different was the fact that I'd traded a Prince for a Princess as my companion.

I glanced around at our entourage. Security was also tighter this time around. For one, there was the expected unrest in the city following the increased rebel activity. There was also the fact that I'd been kidnapped once before and this was to be my return to the public eye.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Princess Sophia's approach as the staff bowed. I straightened up and prepared to curtsy as was expected of me.

"Good morning, Your Highness" I greeted when she was in range.

She nodded, "Get in, we have to get you prepared".

'For what?' I thought to myself as one of the guards opened the door for me.

Inside, I watched an exchange as a woman I didn't recognize who was sitting in the passenger seat handed Princess Sophia what looked like cards.

"Morning, Your Highness" the woman spoke in a polished, reserved manner.

I couldn't pay much attention to her because Princess Sophia was handing me the cards soon after.

"Memorize those," she told me.

"Ma'am if I may," the woman spoke up again, "it's my conclusion that the Lenorian people resonate deeper with Lady Amelia when her reactions are organic and viewed as genuine and unfiltered"

"I'm aware" Princess Sophia replied briefly before turning her attention back to me, "Memorize those," she repeated while nodding at the cards in my hand.

I flipped through the five cards in my hands and eyed the plethora of words written on them.

I read through one of the cards, "Today, we stand on ground soaked with the blood of loyal Lenorians who gave their lives in service of this great nation. Their sacrifice was not an accident, but a calculated act of cruelty carried out by those--" I paused and turned to the princess, "I can't memorize all this" I said as I flipped through four more identical cards.

"You'll have the cards with you, just read through them enough so you don't sound like a robot up there" Princess Sophia replied.

I'd never had to give a speech before. That was always Nick's thing. I was content just being by his side cheering him on. I never wanted to be center stage.

Why'd he have to leave? How was I supposed to do this without him here?

When I noticed Princess Sophia wasn't paying me any more mind, I did the only thing I could do, I read the cards.

=^..^=

You could see the smoke long before we arrived at the outpost. We'd already passed one checkpoint manned by soldiers of the Lenorian Army and had arrived at yet another one.

This outpost was located near the outskirts of the capital surrounded by sparse vegetation. A large dish atop the main concrete structure betrayed a communication-related purpose.

A barricade had been set up away from the main gate behind which members of the press had gathered hoping to get any more information regarding the situation.

As we drove past them and I got a better look at the damage, I remember being drawn to the black, scorch marks along the outpost walls.

When we drove through the gates, I found the first hint at the deadly nature of this attack. There was blood on the guard tower window.

"Welcome, Your Highness," The princess was greeted with a salute by two officers as soon as we stepped into the afternoon. I glanced around inconspicuously to note that the soldiers around were standing still and saluting as well, "I am Colonel Taverner and this is Captain Renaud"

Princess Sophia nodded gracefully before speaking, "Colonel, Captain, I wish you could have met under better circumstances"

"If it were only so, Your Highness," the Colonel responded.

"You know Lady Amelia Beaumont, I assume" The Princess continued.

"Only of her" The colonel responded after which both men nodded in my direction.

"You're in charge here?" Princess Sophia asked while taking in our environment. The broken windows and gunshot holes were hard to miss.

"Yes ma'am, trying to make sense of it all," The colonel replied, "Captain Renaud here was the senior officer at this outpost. I arrived following the attack"

"It must have been a harrowing ordeal," Sophia turned her attention to the other officer.

"Nothing we weren't trained for," Captain Renaud replied, "Although I must admit, I hadn't expected the rebels to be so brazen"

Princess Sophia sighed, "No one did, Captain. The situation is more dire than we thought"

"Indeed"

"I'd like a play-by-play of everything that happened no matter how insignificant"

"Of course, Your Highness"

Princess Sophia turned her attention back to me, "Have you read the cards?"

"Yes, but I still don't think--"

"You can do this," she stopped me, "I believe in you"

As quickly as she'd turned to me, she'd turned away whispering something in the ear of the woman from earlier.

Princess Sophia was headed elsewhere. I had a different job as would be explained to me. My job was to take pictures amidst the rubble.

Sometimes there would be a soldier or another explaining the purpose of the destroyed equipment, other times I'd have to pretend I didn't see the camera in front of me as they captured the destruction in the background.

I couldn't have guessed that all of that was only warming me up for the visit to the makeshift morgue where the casualties were being kept before transport.

It caught me so off-guard seeing those bodies lying there that I audibly gasped in shock and covered my mouth to keep from screaming. I turned to look away and found a camera in my face.

In a frenzy, I pushed passed everyone and hurried outside where I sobbed. It wasn't about the fatalities although that certainly had a hand in it. It was everything. It was the fact that this was my life now.

"Are you ready for your speech?" I heard Sophia's voice behind me.

"Can I have a minute?" I turned sharply with a slightly raised voice.

"No," she replied taking no offense, "Now's the time. Use everything you're feeling and read those cards"

I stared at her in disbelief but she was serious. She was expecting her trained monkey to step onto her stage and perform.

And so I would.

I went to clean the tears from my eyes but she stopped me, "No, leave them"

Princess Sophia led me through the Outpost gates and back towards the barricades where the press awaited. I scoffed when I noticed a lectern had even been set up, atop which my cards were waiting for me.

This was my life now.

I stepped up and took the cards in my hands preparing to clap and dance as instructed.

The members of the press were quiet and waiting eagerly for me to say something. It hit me. They were eager to listen to me, not Sophia.

'They want my honest thoughts? Well here' I thought to myself as I let the cards fall from my hands back onto the lectern.

"Not even two weeks ago, I was taken," I began using the same feminine voice that had long since become second nature. In fact, I wasn't even sure if I could sound like a boy anymore even if I tried.

I tried my best to keep from looking at Princess Sophia who by now must be aware that I was going off script. But it was too late for her to do anything now.

"I was taken by the same people that were the masterminds behind today's attack."

"I was drugged, beaten, starved, but ultimately I was let go. And for a time, I thought maybe they weren't so bad. After all, they could have killed me but they didn't."

I looked at the faces in the crowd and how they hung on my every word. I could say whatever I wanted in that moment and the whole country of Lenoria would listen. I felt powerful.

"But that is the infection they have sought to spread. The thought that maybe rebellion isn't so bad. Go in there and you will see what their rebellion has brought, innocent Lenorians brutally murdered. That is all they can offer and I can't stand for that"

In the end, I chose my survival. The goal was leaving this place and the only way I could see to achieve that was by ending the rebellion as Princess Sophia asked. I did what the monarchy expected of me and passed with flying colors.

=^..^=

April 21, Morning

It had been a week since rebel activity picked up. A curfew had been put in place with only essential personnel exempt from the new rule. There's been increased military presence in and around the capital city and it wouldn't have been public knowledge but communication would have been monitored to an increased degree.

None of that mattered to me though. More importantly, it had been a week since Nick left me here.

At this point, I didn't even care so much about the manipulation which was strange because I'd been off the compound for so long that I could no longer blame my feelings for Nick on it.

As far as I was concerned, I wanted him back. Morgan wanted him back and I had no way to talk to him.

"My lady, can I come in?" I heard Celeste at the door. She'd been there earlier to bring my breakfast and help me dress so I couldn't for the life of me tell you what she wanted now.

"Yes," I replied just loud enough for her to hear.

Celeste made her way into my room while I was looking away, busy on my phone that thankfully had been returned to me. I had been going crazy with boredom in the days after returning to Eclipton.

"I was thinking about taking a walk through the garden, do I need a shawl or is it warm enough?" I asked without turning away from the article I was engrossed with.

"My lady?" I heard Celeste call out again and I turned to look at her holding a tray. From the look on her face, I had a pretty good guess what it was.

I stood slowly and approached her to confirm my suspicions. In the tray was the injection, the tool of their manipulation.

I sighed and picked it up. I could see the fear in Celeste's eyes as I did. At that moment, I became a bit more understanding of Lady Olivia. I too was tired of the games.

I briskly walked into the bathroom and emptied the contents down the sink. I returned and placed the empty syringe back on the tray. It was worth it even if only to see the fear in her eyes dissipate.

I was no longer angry, just tired.

=^..^=

May 25, Afternoon

Lance Corporal Edward "Eddie" Wolcott. The latest name on everyone's lips. A 22-year-old soldier in the Lenorian Army had been 1 of 3 people killed in the latest skirmish between the army and some rebels at a checkpoint.

Lots of people had died so you might be wondering what was so special about Eddie. Well, Eddie was what you might call an influencer with over 650 thousand followers. Eddie who was quite good looking made fitness content right from the barracks.

The people were particularly distraught about his death so Princess Sophia and I were making a courtesy visit to his parents. Cameras were present of course as we sat in the living room having tea with them.

"I could never have imagined we'd ever get the chance to meet you, Your Highness" the grieving mother spoke.

"I only wish it was under better circumstances" Princess Sophia replied, "I hope you know how much your son meant to my family. We grieve all the senseless losses sustained in this pathetic rebellion"

The couple who had just lost their son seemed to take solace in her words.

"I watched Eddie online," I spoke up. It was a lie that Princess Sophia had asked me to tell, "He was always an inspiration to us all"

"He always had his way with people" The boy's father agreed.

"I just can't believe he's gone" The mother chimed in.

"I cannot imagine the pain you're going through," I told her, "I am so very sorry for your loss"

"Thank you, my lady" The mother responded.

"Will you--" his father stepped up, "Will you bring his killers to justice? All of them?"

"You have my word," Princess Sophia seemed pleased to say. There didn't seem to be a doubt in her mind that we would emerge victorious even though up till that point, a vast majority of the casualties had belonged to the army. "We're planning a memorial for those lost when this is all over, would you speak at its unveiling?"

"Of course, Your Highness," the father replied, "It would be our greatest honor"

It had all grown tedious with every one of these engagements that I had to sit through. Not that I didn't care for Eddie but because I knew Princess Sophia didn't.

He was a means to an end for her. A way to turn the people away from the rebellion, and it was working perfectly.

It was all I could think of when we stepped out of the Wolcott residence and noticed the press barricaded down the street scurrying to get pictures of the Princess and me leaving the young soldier's home.

Those pictures would end up on the front page the very next morning as they so often did and the Lenorian people would think a bit less of the rebellion. That was my part to play.

I was busy wondering how I'd look in my black dress in the papers tomorrow when I was knocked off my feet by a loud explosion down the street.

I groaned as my ears wrung from the noise and we were surrounded on all sides by soldiers ready for anything.

The first thing I heard as my hearing slowly returned was the sound of multiple car alarms blaring.

"Ma'am, with me" That was the second thing I heard as I was pulled forcefully to my feet covered in a sea of soldiers offering their bodies as shields.

Methodically, we were guided back up the stairs and back into the Wolcott residence as other soldiers remained outside to secure the perimeter.

"What was that?!" Princess Sophia asked frantically.

"We're assessing the situation, Your Highness" One of the soldiers replied quickly.

"It's the rebels" Princess Sophia followed up quickly. "It's them"

I was leaning against a wall trying to regain my balance. Even then, while the world around me spun, I couldn't help but think how something was weird about the whole thing.

I quickly scanned the room. My gaze briefly landed on the traumatized couple being held away from the Princess and me. I glanced at several soldiers who were speaking quietly presumably into microphones in their headgear.

"Car bomb, Your Highness" One of the soldiers stepped up, "We're sweeping for suspects and signs of any more bombs"

"How could you let this happen?" Princess Sophia asked angrily.

I was wondering that too.

"Apologies, Your Highness," he replied, "We'll get to the bottom of it"

I'd watched enough movies to know that something like this shouldn't have been possible. There was simply no way the area wouldn't have been secured beforehand.

"We can't stay here," The soldier who seemed to be in charge announced, "Prepare to move"

Something else bugged me. Up till this point, the rebels had only ever attacked military targets. There hadn't been any civilian casualties whatsoever. No matter how I looked at it, a car bomb in a residential area just wasn't their style.

It bugged me right until the wall of soldiers led the Princess and me out of the Wolcott residence and back into our bulletproof vehicles.

=^..^=

July 8, Morning.

"So Amelia, tell me, what was it like going back there?" Annie Harrington asked me while we sat together in one of the drawing rooms filming a segment for Capital Current.

I knew what she was talking about. The photos had made their rounds online and it was no surprise people were curious.

There had been another picture day four days ago. I'd gotten used to my role in this fight as a prop. However, I could never have prepared myself for where Princess Sophia and her goons would take me that day.

I remember staring wide-eyed as we took the first few steps into Miss Penelope's compound. The same place I'd been held for several days.

The flowers were dead and the trees were overgrown but I'd remember those surroundings anywhere. Hell, I'd even dreamed of that place once or twice.

To make matters worse, Sophia hadn't even bothered to tell me where we were headed when we left Eclipton Castle that morning.

Something about capturing my authentic reaction. Well, the cameras certainly got good material as I was forced to relive memories I'd sooner forget.

"Annie--" I sighed and sat back in my chair. As usual, the room was dim with the only source of light illuminating the two of us so I couldn't make out who else was in the room but I knew Isidora was somewhere in there watching me. "I won't lie to you and say that place didn't affect me at all."

Annie nodded, almost signaling for me to continue.

"It did," I admitted, "It really did. In fact, that's exactly why Her Highness, Princess Sophia insisted that I face the source of my fears head-on. I'd say it helped me a lot"

"That's very admirable of her," Annie commented, "Is Her Highness always so perfect?"

"Yes" I answered almost immediately with a smile causing Annie to laugh, "She is, she really is, she's been so amazing and I'm so thankful for her for taking the reins and steering me forward especially now that Nick-- His Highness is away"

I paused briefly to look at the camera, "I truly don't know how I would have carried on without her friendship and guidance with His Highness gone for so long"

"You must miss him dearly" Annie continued.

"I do, very much" I'm sure part of me was hoping he would watch this and see that I meant every word.

"The Prince has been away for quite some time now, I'm sure the Lenorian people are wondering when he'll be back" Annie added.

"Unfortunately I don't have an answer for you, Annie," I smiled, "What I can say is that His Highness is busy serving the Lenorian people as he always is. We all miss him dearly, some more than most" I blushed.

"It's always a highlight of my day talking about Lenoria's favorite couple. It's a bright spot in a time filled with so much darkness" Annie expertly steered us to yet another hot topic.

"We'll find our light soon enough" I answered. "The days of this-- thoughtless rebellion are numbered. I promise you, soon we'll all be returning to our lives"

Those words came directly from the Princess. It's something she'd insisted just this morning that I say to reassure the people.

In truth, I wasn't sure how we were going to manage that. Miss Penelope and her rebels had succeeded in thwarting the army so far. A combination of the soldiers being spread too thin and the hit-and-run tactics employed by the rebels have left the Lenorian Army with little to show from months of fighting.

The only saving grace was the fact that support for the rebels was waning with each campaign Sophia set me on, but still I couldn't imagine that propaganda alone would end the fighting.

If I had to bet, I'd put my money on the fighting lasting much longer. But still, I said the words like she'd asked.

"It can't come soon enough," Annie agreed with me, "I think that's all we have time for this week. Lady Amelia, it's always a pleasure having you on the show"

"Pleasure is all mine, Annie" I put on one final big smile until the director gave the signal that we were done.

I wasn't usually one to pay much attention to this stuff anymore. I preferred to keep my head down and not worry about things that didn't concern me but it was hard not to notice that the director was a different one from that very first session with Annie. A coincidence? Maybe.

"Good work today, my lady," Annie said as I helped myself out of the chair.

"You too," I smiled before making my way back over to the makeup table where Isidora was waiting.

"Very nice, my lady" Isidora flashed me a bright smile. "I was telling Celeste here how beautiful you looked up there. Just like a princess"

I didn't bother responding. I just made my way back into the chair for her to get this makeup off me.

She'd tried being friendly even before the shoot and wouldn't take a hint from Celeste's quiet approach.

When I didn't respond, she went to work with a makeup remover. There was only about 15 seconds of silence until she spoke again, "It's been so long since we last saw each other, what do you say we have the butler send up a bottle to your room? It'll be like old times"

"Old times?" my mouth moved before my brain could think, "You mean when you were manipulating me?"

She looked at me with a face full of confusion before turning over to look at Celeste who stood quietly in the corner.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, don't pretend"

Isidora glanced around the room at the workers packing up their equipment.

"May I speak to you outside, my lady?"

I sat deeper in my chair and crossed my arms.

"Please" she added.

I eventually agreed and moved to stand but she stopped me before I could, "Hang on" she said before using wipes to remove the rest of the smudged makeup.

"Come on," she said quietly when she was done.

"You were supposed to be my friend" I couldn't wait to get it out as soon as we stepped into the hall. I think I'd been bottling it in for too long.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. I could immediately tell that the deference in her voice when we spoke in public was gone and she was talking to me, one girl to another.

"I found out about the injections. You told me it was HRT" I spat accusingly, "I also found out about 'reinforcement'"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she managed to scream in a hushed tone. "Reinforcement? What?"

"You said it was HRT. It was fucking mind control" I said angrily, "Everyone in this fucking castle has been manipulating me since day 1"

"Okay Amelia, I need you to hear me when I say this, I have no idea what you're talking about"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth!"

"So what, all the dress up, the girl talk, what was that?" I asked.

"I don't know, dress up and girl talk? What the fuck else would it be?" she asked incredulously.

"You know I'm a man," I argued, "Why else would you do all that stuff with me if it wasn't to condition me"

"If I was conditioning you, it was so you can do your fucking job" she explained, "Remember? Pretending you're a girl is your whole job. I don't know anything about the mind control or whatever. I made a guess, I was wrong, sue me"

The silence between us this time around was longer than 15 seconds. I considered everything she said and for once let myself think that maybe there was a chance she might not have been in on it.

"You really didn't know?" I asked her.

"Were you really mind-controlled?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Shit"

"Yeah," I said under my breath.

"Do you want to take a bottle up to your room and talk about it?"

I nodded once more.

=^..^=

August 9, Late Night

Princess Sophia and I left Eclipton under the cover of night. As she'd instructed, I was dressed comfortably in jeans, a tailored button-up blouse, and sneakers.

The convoy tonight was even more understated than usual with only 3 cars, two of which were heavily armored, security-focused vehicles.

The night was extremely quiet courtesy of the curfew that had gone on for several months now.

Normally, I wouldn't have bothered asking where we were headed if she hadn't already offered up that information but tonight I was understandably very curious.

"Where are we going, Your Highness?"

"I just thought you'd want to witness the fruits of your labor"

That was the only answer I was going to get and it would have to do.

Our escorts parked outside a nondescript residence while our vehicle drove into the garage.

"We're here," she smiled.

In the garage were two soldiers dressed in black tactical gear and armed to the teeth. It worried me a bit.

"Welcome, Your Highness" one of the guards spoke and proceeded to guide us into the house. The first thing I noticed was just how much tech was inside. Seemingly normal on the outside but on the inside, couldn't be farther from the truth.

I tried not to stare too much as we were led up the stairs even as every soldier we passed saluted Princess Sophia.

I couldn't help but wonder why she'd brought me here. I'd get my answer soon enough.

The floor above was a large open space without any walls to create different rooms. On one end, there were multiple screens showing different feeds. Some I decided had to be from some sort of drone, others were very clearly helmet feeds.

I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. The drones seemed focused on a house in the middle of nowhere. The feeds highlighted patrolling guards and their routes.

Another screen had what looked to be the blueprints of a house.

The helmet feeds drew my attention. On the top right of each feed was what looked to me like the names of each of the soldiers we were watching.

"Take a seat, be quiet," Princess Sophia ordered me before turning her attention to the approaching officer that I quickly recognized as her husband.

He took one look at me and whispered something in the Princess' ear and she whispered something back in response.

"Surveillance shows no change," The Chief of Staff informed her, "Still awaiting the go-ahead signal from Shadow"

"It seems we better get comfortable then," Sophia replied to her husband, "It'll be a long night"

=^..^=

"There it is," One of the soldiers whose eyes had been vigilantly focused on the screen voiced about 45 minutes later.

I turned my attention to the screen but couldn't identify anything of note.

"Teams in position," Rowland ordered and one of the soldiers present echoed the orders into the microphone.

On the screen, you could almost immediately see movement as the soldiers sprung into action.

The drone footage was soon displaying their position as they approached the house.

It was particularly intense when viewed on the helmet cams as they advanced methodically toward the house.

They say you never forget your first. I'll never forget the jolt that ran through my body as one of the soldiers fired and the first guard dropped to the floor. No sound, nothing.

Was he dead? Just like that?

It was one, then it was two, and then it was three. One team had breached the front door while another simultaneously made entry using a collapsible latter through a window.

A third team making entry through the back door encountered one of the rebels who spotted them. They shot him and I gasped as he fell but not before he fired wildly into the ceiling alerting the whole house.

It turned horrible after that. Fire and returning fire. One of the soldiers was hit and was pulled away by friendlies. It was closer than I ever wanted to be to that much violence ever again.

There was a bit of a stalemate at the staircase. The rebels had secured a strong position atop the stairs and fired suppressive fire that prevented either team still downstairs from advancing.

The rebels couldn't have known that they had already been breached on that floor through one of the bedroom windows. It was a bloodbath as the soldiers fired down the hallway into the rebels' secured position.

It was obvious they weren't interested in taking any prisoners. All but one. My legs grew weak as the soldiers breached one final room and I saw Miss Penelope through the helmet cameras.

She was standing with her hand raised with her back against the wall dressed in only her nightgown.

There was an uncomfortably long pause as the soldiers remained pointing the guns at her even after she'd obviously surrendered. Too long a pause.

In the end, everyone breathed a little easier when Rowland gave the order for her to be brought in.

At the time, I had absolutely no idea how they'd managed to pull it off. Miss Penelope and her band of rebels had succeeded in routing the Army for so long. I had thought maybe their luck had just run out. But was that really what happened or had there been more at play?

=^..^=

August 20, Early Afternoon

We'd won the battle and put an end to the rebellion with Miss Penelope's capture and Sophia had gone on her victory tour.

As soon as the rumors began to spread that Princess Sophia had personally led that final operation to bring an end to the rebellion, the Lenorian people took on a new tune.

'Future Queen Sophia'.

That's what they called her. She had the birthright - she was first born after all, she had a robust diplomatic portfolio and now she had the support of the people as protector.

She'd quelled the rebellion and suddenly the Lenorian people wanted the male priority done away with.

I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted to go home. I'd done everything she asked. The rebellion was done. It was time for her to fulfill her end but Princess Sophia was nowhere to be found.

In fact, I hadn't laid my eyes on her since that night. You can imagine my relief when she sent for me.

The convoy had picked me up from Eclipton Castle and brought me to the Royal Army headquarters.

I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb as everyone was dressed in their military attire and I was wearing a peach mid-length dress and white heels that were very loud on the marble floors.

But if there was one thing I'd gotten used to at this point, it was attention.

To think that when this all began, I was extremely shy.

"Have a seat, Lady Amelia" the secretary spoke to me as soon as I was led into a lavish room, "Her Highness will see you shortly"

I waited five minutes before the door I presumed led to the Princess' office opened and out came a man.

A man that immediately caught my attention. He was dressed similarly to the other soldiers so that wasn't of any note. It was his eyes and brows. They looked familiar somehow but I couldn't immediately place it.

"Lady Amelia, Her Highness will see you now" the secretary spoke and almost immediately, the man turned to look at me.

Our eyes met and for a brief moment. Somehow he recognised me too.

I didn't place it until he furrowed his brows and I almost leaped out of my skin. It was him.

How could I not recognize those eyes after staring at them day after day? The rest of his face had always been covered but everything else fit. The height, the stature, I was sure it was him.

He was the masked rebel who had brought me my food almost every day I'd been captured.

=^..^=

"Amelia, please come in" Princess Sophia called to me as I walked into her office. I was desperate to calm down to not betray the fact that I knew.

My mind searched for what his presence here could mean and I landed on too many possible answers.

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked me.

I nodded quickly forcing a smile.

"Have a seat," she gestured to a chair in front of her large desk, "I'm sure you've been desperate to speak to me"

"I have," I said as I glanced around the room, "You promised to help me leave if I helped you with the rebellion. I've done that"

"You have," Princess Sophia agreed, "You continue to exceed my expectations. It would be a shame to let you leave Lenoria even if I could"

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, there's the small matter of how much you know," she said matter-of-factly, "I don't know if you know this but Lenoria is a very secretive country. Letting someone like you who knows so much-- well that just isn't very smart, is it?"

"We had a deal," I said.

"Yes we did, and I was hoping we could make another." She sat back in her chair.

"We agreed--" I started to argue but was interrupted.

"The Lenorian people have been gravely injured by all this fighting. It's not an understatement to say that this is the lowest point in our recent history. The people need cheering--"

"You promised me," I stepped in.

"How dare you interrupt me?" she asked angrily.

I turned away from her, trying to keep my anger from making me do something foolish.

"As I was saying, the people need cheering up" she continued, "And what better way to cheer the people up than a royal wedding?"

"I don't understand"

"I spoke to my brother," Princess Sophia began after standing up from her chair, "I informed him of the situation. Told him the reason for your bad behavior. You were just so overwhelmed to find out that our father had been controlling your actions, weren't you?"

Princess Sophia walked up to me and moved my hair away from my face with a finger.

"You must have believed Nicky was involved. Maybe it was even suggested to you" She moved her finger to my chin, "How tragic to find out the man you loved has been manipulating you? It's no wonder you betrayed him"

"I--" The words hung in my throat.

"He didn't have anything to do with it if you were wondering" She clarified, "Poor, clueless Nicky."

"You did this," I said, "It was you, all of it. It was you, wasn't it?"

"That is not important," she replied, "What is important is that if I know my brother, and I do, he's probably on his way back here right now"

"He's coming back?"

"Yes, and with an elaborate apology, I bet"

"Nick's coming back?" The second time I asked the question, I asked it of myself. What did it mean for my heart? Because I never stopped thinking about him. Even after being off the compound for several months.

I still loved him. And I couldn't deny that I still wanted to be him desperately.

"So, you can't leave," Sophia smiled, "But will you become my sister-in-law?"

=^..^=

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Hiya, it's been a long ride but we're nearing the end now. Leave a comment to let me know what you think about this story.