The low light of her desk just gave enough of a glimmer of light to have her words before her, bold and ready as she sighed once more. The knowledge of the war and what hid behind the lines from the public was what made her write, but hiding it under the enemy's nose was terrifying yet exhilarating at the same time.

"Working hard?" she heard his voice call to her, harsh and hurt.

"You should be lying down young man." she chided him as she saw the tall man try and make his way to her, "The Nazi's did enough to you."

He gave her that wide cheshire grin, "Hey, look you are talking to. Nobody can knock down the King Karen."

"You are one of the few that know me like that."

"That's because you mean a lot to me."

"What did you find out?" he asked again, leaning over her shoulder as she gave a small laugh.

"Exactly what I wanted dear boy."

"And that would be?" he pestered, poking her side before she entered the vast room full of seismologists, "Come on tell me!"

She smiled at his hyper actions, "How the inside of the Earth really is."

She could hear his cries from when he was delivered the news. She, herself, wasn't ready to leave either but her duties as a princess gave her no choice. She moved quickly down the halls, doing whatever she could to avoid him, to avoid the confrontation that she knew would come with him. Yet she knew it would happen, and when those blue eyes hit her own, she knew she'd lose it.

"Sophia!"

"No, please no." she felt the tears threaten to fall.

"Sophia please, wait!"

She kept moving, a hand clasped over her mouth as she continued her way, just to feel a hand grab her own, "Sophia please."

Looking back, those deep blue eyes looking into her own as tears threatened to fall from them, "Please, don't make this harder."

"But you're going without a fight about this? What about..." he paused, unable to finish what he wanted to say.

"It's my duty as a-"

"Forget duties. Why not be what you want? Why not do what you want to do instead of what they tell you?"

"It's not that simple."

"The hell it isn't, so why?"

She looked back into those eyes, she knew he loved her as she did him but the truth was harsher than anything, "It won't work, you are eternal and I am just a human. I will not live long, you will far age before I even fully disappear from this world. I do love you but it cannot be."

The hurt and betrayal in his eyes screamed so much at her, "I'm sorry, but it is best for me to marry the next king of Sweden. At least I will have a life worth living."

"But, what about me?" she heard his voice break.

"I will always be here, even in the afterlife for you, my King of Scandinavia."

"Annalise!" she heard her name shouted as something solid came down next to her.

Annalise jumped as she saw the book slammed down by her, hearing the other dancers giggle at her. Her eyes shot up to see the Mistress looking down at her.

"For the last time girl, pay attention!" she scolded her.

"Oui Madam." she replied, pulling her knees to her chest.

The Ballet Mistress continued her instructions to everyone as Annalise felt small within the large room. A hand laid upon her shoulder, pulling her out of her growing anxiety. There was only one hand that she knew well within the group.

"Merci Khilana." she whispered to her.

"De rein." she said, her French still hidden under the Middle Eastern.

"Now practice everything that was shown." she instructed, turning around and glaring at her, "And don't dream away in a fantasy world."

The others laughed as the woman dismissed them all, yet all she wanted to do was sit upon the floor and forget the world.

"Oh, now come on, don't let that old bird get to you." Khilana told her, pulling her to her feet, "You are better than all of them. In more ways than one."

She gave a small smile to her friend. In truth, Khilana was one of so little that accepted her as herself instead of being normal like the others. How she hated that word, along with a few choice others, yet no matter where she went she was surrounded with it.

"Your mother and father ok with practicing at my place?" Khilana asked.

"I lied and said it was ballet we were working on." she giggled.

"Well you are dancing." Khilana laughed as they made it to the busy street.

"If my parents found out what kind it really was, I would be forbidden to see you and dragged to Notre Dame to be cleaned."

"Your parents are too modern and sophisticated, my dance is art like ballet, it just requires different muscles."

"I thought it was to elude men into the woman and prove that she was fertile?"

"Western belief!" Khilana gave a small push, "It was an art form of dance that today is barely seen for the laws placed."

"I was joking." Annalise said as they made it to Khilana's building, "So are we both ready then?"

"Of course." the woman smiled at her as Annalise felt a tug of freedom within herself.

The rain came down heavily as she tried to maneuver her way back home but her mind wasn't focusing. She felt her hands tremble as rolls of uneasy shivers wracked her body. She should've listened to Khilana and stayed the night, but she knew how her parents were with her and her family. The world was slowly turning into a fog as every sound around her grew intense and louder, higher tones and pitches.

She had to get to a quieter place, she could feel it all coming in on her. It was becoming too much-

"Mademoiselle!" she heard someone yell as they yanked her back.

Annalise looked up to see cars fly by. Dear god, it was getting so bad now that she barely noticed the traffic.

"Mademoiselle, est ce que vous allez bien?" she heard someone ask.

Looking behind her, she saw a young girl holding tightly to her hand as her brown locks stuck to her face, "Are you ok?"

"Oui, je bien. Merci." Annalise brushed her off as she stood up.

"You sure? Maman says when someone looks lost, they are." the girl said to her, "Would you like to come in here and get dry before continuing?"

Annalise was awe-struck with the little girl as she smiled up at her, "What is your name?"

"Jeanne! Jeanne Marie!" she announced, "I'm named after Jeanne D'Arc and Marie Antoinette. Come on, my maman loves to meet new people."

Before she could say a word, the little girl dragged her inside the small library as a crash of thunder and lightning filled the sky, making her shrink up a little.

"Are you afraid of storms?" Jeanne asked, "I'm scared of them a little, but I just hold papa's shirt and all will be ok."

Annalise smiled at the little girl, "You sound like a brave girl."

"I am!"

"Jeanne, who are you speaking with?" someone called out.

Annalise looked up to see a brunette woman come around the corner as a blonde tot sat upon her hip as another locked onto her leg. Her soft amber eyes looked at hers as worry crossed her face.

"Oh désolé, I did not realize Jeanne brought you in." she said as she placed the tot down, just to hear the babe whine in upset, "Oh now Satine, you were in maman's arms all morning, and you Jacque, go play with your sisters."

Finally, the children all left the room as the woman came up to her, "I do apologize, I am normally more aware of what she does. Do you need help?"

Annalise just looked at her in question, unsure of how to think or speak.

"I say that for she has a beautiful talent to find people when they are in need of something." she explained as a smile brushed her face, "Such a big heart."

"That she does." she finally got out, "I was just lost in my mind that's all. I just need to get home."

"In this rain and on foot, nonsense. Here, call home and let them know you are in my library." she said handing her a phone.

She wasn't sure at all what to expect from this woman or this place to be exact, she was curious yet nervous of such actions but something told her to go ahead and do as she asked. Oddly enough, her mother answered and seemed quite happy that she was at that library and away from people. Well, the away was normal.

"All set then? I have Cuillier's set aside if you'd like."

"Really, isn't that place expensive?" she threw her hand over her mouth, her brain speaking before she could think properly.

The woman just laughed, "No need to be upset by that. And it's not when your husband works for the government. Come in and relax, you are more than welcome here.

Entering the small place, she felt herself become calm and relaxed as the gentle water of a small fountain set a soothing mood as the scent of lavender and vanilla added to the calm. The small lights adorning the room gave it an amber glow as the homemade furniture and decor gave it the homelike feel.

"You like it, non?" she asked placing the cup upon the small table, "Go on sit, I am no stranger to you."

"Well you are technically."

"True, but I will do no harm." she replied as laughter from another room filled the air, "At least they are behaving. I'm Brie by the way."

"Annalise." she said, shaking the woman's hands, "So why did you say what you did about your daughter?"

"Jeanne? Well, it's true. She knows when someone needs to talk, vent, or just escape for a moment, you are not her first nor her last. It's why I accepted you in so fast."

She couldn't help but giggle at the statement she was given, nobody knew her that well, it never happened.

"What puzzles you?"

"Quoi?"

"There is something that puzzles your mind, I am curious. For Jeanne will speak with people for a little bit, ten minutes at max yet she didn't even wait with you. So, something is within you, deeper than most."

"Madam, I do not want to be a nuisance but I am different from the rest."

"And?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try Annalise."

She gave a long sigh as she rested her hands upon the table, her fingers twiddling the fabric of her woven scarf, "I am different. I am used to all the words thrown at me. One you might see me as. Stupid, dumb, childlike, weird, strange, un-normal, ret-"

"Don't even finish that word." Brie scolded her. "You are far from that term."

Annalise jumped at her harshness, she wasn't expecting that reaction.

"What a word, so ugly and dirty. Retarded ugh, makes my skin crawl." Brie shivered, "Tell me, can you do what everyone else can? Can you drive? Can you pay bills? Can you cook and clean your home without help or take care of yourself the same? Can you speak with friends and hold a job? Can you love like them?"

She couldn't utter a word as she felt the anger that poured out of the woman as she nodded, "Then you are not that! The people that see you that way, those who created that word, they are that. Not you."

"But you don't know me!" she finally got out, "You don't know what it's like-"

"I don't have to. You want to know what I see so far as you came through the door? I see a young woman lost in a world that is telling her how to be and how to do it, how to dress and how to speak, how to be like everyone else when she is meant to stand out. You are not normal and nor is anyone else in that matter." Brie explained, "You understand the world around you and can survive in it, you see the world in a beautiful way that no one else does yet should. That does not make you any different from anyone else. What does one simple thing have to do with you being...ugh can't use it, I'll just get angry."

Annalise was shocked, everywhere she went she heard the same thing, gained the same looks of disapproval and yet here was this woman that she just met and she was the only one that could see Annalise, the real her and not the one she was made to put out for everyone.

"How?"

"One good thing, your bracelet. There is only one meaning behind that puzzle piece." Brie smiled at her, "And second, was my daughter."

"How does that-"

"She is unique like me. Let's just say I can feel something from you as you feel it from me. You see, you became calm the moment you entered. So much chaos and disruption outside it was deafening for you yet once in here it was a calm, non?"

She thought of her words, realizing the woman was right, "You see Annalise, you are unique. More than what the world says. You are much more than that."

"I'm glad you see me that way but I still don't-"

"Do you dream?"

"Wait what?"

"Do you dream?"

"How does-"

"Jeanne told you her name non?" Brie asked her as she nodded in reply, "I named her after the women I dreamed of. I dreamed I was them and suffered their deaths right up to the day I found out the truth."

Truth, there was truth behind those dreams of him? But how?

"You see my dear, there are a few men and women out there that are like you and I and we all are trying to find and help one another out. You came through that door for my daughter could sense you have a soul or two within you. Our children are drawn to others like us. It's why I am speaking with you so clearly about this. So, tell me, do you dream?"

Annalise wanted to cry, to just break down and sob in relief that someone understood her. That accepted her and knew how she was in both ways. It seemed so real that it wasn't fair, yet her heart and mind told her to speak.

"I do dream, three women and a man." she paused and smiled, "And he calls himself the King of Scandinavia."