Holly: Welcome back everyone!

Lucia: Yeah, keep believing you have fans...

Holly: I realized. But if someone is reading this, I'm so grateful to you! X3

Lucia: Thanks for writing about me...

Holly: What was that?

Lucia: NOTHING! Hollydoesn'townRomeoXJulietAKAthebaseofthisplotGOTTOGO! *races off*

Holly: Um... On with the story!

LUCIA

We walked for days. The men had to carry the ones who couldn't walk anymore, and most of our feet were sore and covered in bursted blisters. And then there was the prince, sitting in his carriage sipping tea, while we suffered outside.

I reached for my necklace and-

It wasn't there.

I gasped. When could it have fallen off? Did the chain snap?

I searched around my feet, went to the back of the tired group. It was nowhere to be found.

There was no way I could get it now. Walking back meant losing this opportunity. I gulped and walked on... hoping for the best.

WILHEIM

The coachman prattled on and on about his nonsense. But if the guard was in here with me... he would notice.

A small chunk of balsa wood was clutched in my left hand, right hand whittling away at the wooden block with a small pocket knife.

It was a small hobby that I had adopted after reading every actually interesting book in the palace book collection (library sort of, but not really).

The carriage lurched suddenly, possibly over a large rock of sorts, and the knife grazed my thumb.

I stifled a wince of pain as the blood welled up into a red jewel, a round ruby. I grabbed a napkin and pressed it against my thumb, crimson stamp and the crinkly paper.

Staring out the window, I catch sight of a tower. Then another. Then an entire wall.

We had arrived back at the main kingdom, the capital.

But as the gate opened and we headed inside, it felt like I had arrived back into a prison.

LUCIA

The city gates closed up behind us. Before us was the most wondrous (and only) city I had ever seen. Quaint houses sat closely wedged together, and clotheslines held colorful clothes clipped on securely, fluttering like a rainbow of banners in the blue sky, welcoming us. The warm glows of fires indoors and fresh scent of baked goods and laundry drifted through town, so random, but somehow still pleasant.

Window planters were dotted with lilacs, lavenders, and irises, the kingdom's most local flowers.

Townspeople looked back and glanced at me, us. But their eyes quickly glazed over with disinterest after they saw us continuing their daily tasks.

The bridgegate lowered over the palace moat, and we walked inside. The marble floors were ice cold and pristine, and I almost felt guilty stepping on it with my feet. We didn't really get to enjoy the view though, as guards herded us downstair into the basement, where the servants quarters were.

Quickly claiming a bed with a lumpy, hard mattress and moth-eaten sheets, I lay down and quickly fall asleep.

Ivy: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~!

Lucia: Whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat?

Ivy: This chapter is sooooooooo short!

Lucia: But you promised me more screen time today, andd you took ten thousand years just to WRITE THIS TINY CHAPTER?!

Ivy(guiltily): ...

Wilheim (opens door): Hello?

Ivy: YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE!

Wilheim: What?

Ivy: THE HOLY HALL OF NARRATORS IS RESERVED FOR ME (and Lucia currently) ONLY! *slams door*

Ivy(smiling angelically): Update soon (wait another thousand years please!)!