I dreamed while I slept. It wasn't uncommon for wine to do this to me, or any alcohol, because as easy as it was to fall asleep while drinking... dreams were another matter. You didn't get a good night's sleep after drinking alcohol. I was vaguely aware of reality- being uncomfortable and cold- but more aware of my dreams themselves.

They were a jumbled up mess of memories. Mostly from the past six years. It was as if my brain saw sleep as a way to catch up on everything I refused to face. There was, of course, the past week's research into this nation Oriens. Maps of the island nation, customs they had, and the vague respect I felt for a country that tended to bow towards each other all the time and address each other with honorific. I'd like that- that you had to actually respect a person and get their permission before you started to act all casual with them. Researching into the country and testing their food had actually been a highlight of the year. Sad but true. I hadn't really thought about the whole 'invasion is bad' thing at the time. It had felt more like I was about to go on a holiday.

There was, as there ALWAYS was, the less than nice memories that involved ...well, father. Mum. I hadn't even met the man till about six years earlier, hadn't even thought about his existence or where our steady income had come from, and it had been a horrible shock when my mother died to find out that she'd been his mistress all these years without telling me. He had paid her a 'normal' income on top of her part time work to ensure that she stayed quiet about it. I didn't know when they met up. Maybe while I'd been in school. Maybe when I'd been allowed to go to a friend's house for a weekend... not an uncommon thing.

Not a lot changed at first. I went to high school and had a 'nanny' who lived with me. He only took an interest in me when my school grades began to drop and my attendance fell. I started to drink more than I wanted to admit. It was easier that way. My father decided it was in my best interest, when I was caught drinking under age, for me to become apart of his household whether his wife liked it or not.

My dreams tended to prefer those times, those dark times after life with mum and before life with him, when I'd still been able to live in the home mum had rented. When the nanny had been nothing more than a glorified live in maid.

It drove me crazy. Dreaming.

I groaned softly, rubbing my head, and for the first time since falling asleep became aware of motion. My brain was trying to rise above the exhaustion, trying to float, but something about this sleep was heavy and kept dragging me down. I felt cold and achy. Was it a fever?

In and out I floated of those dreams. Mum's funeral. A stranger coming to tell me that he was my biological father. I hadn't believed him. The man had come in a limo with a private driver and bodyguards to our suburb, stood in our small house's combined kitchen, living, laundry and study, claiming that he'd paid for all this. Yeah. Right. I'd been so insulted when he'd claimed mum had been his private mistress I'd almost whacked him with the plunger I'd been using to clean the drains.

The thing was... he hadn't been lying.

I hadn't thought before then where Mum had gotten enough to pay for the rent in such a good location. It was a small house, sure, but it had been in a nice suburb with a popular public school. Hadn't wondered why she'd been so happy for me to spend weekends away with friends. Hadn't thought about the strange calls when she'd said 'Hey, go see a movie after school and tell me what you think' or 'You know what, go get yourself some nice clothing, you deserve it'. Had those been times when she'd had this man over? And when she'd decided to have her tubes tied. It hadn't occurred to me to ask why she'd need it.

I groaned softly, pressing my hands against my forehead, struggling with the dreams. Memories of these moments. Taxi trips home from the movie or the shops. Weekends drinking with friends. Mum in hospital overnight. And that strange man who'd later become 'Father' who'd stood there at mum's funeral and then followed me home and told me that I knew nothing about her. Mum. My Mum. I'd known nothing about her.

Grief only added to the frustration as, while I fought sleep, I was suddenly aware of her funeral again. God. So much I hadn't asked. So much I'd assumed. That she'd be at home when I called. That she'd be there while I was at Uni. That I knew everything about her. I hadn't. What had she wanted with her life? She'd had me when she was only sixteen and ... I hadn't thought about it. What she'd given up. Did she got go to University? I'd never asked. I couldn't remember anything except for a slightly eccentric mum at home every time I opened that door.

"There there."

The voice was calm, soothing, and I wasn't sure if it was a dream or real. A child's voice? So damn grown up though. A man's voice that reminded me of a child. Huh.

Mum was so devastated when she'd lost her baby. She never told me how she'd lost him. Just that she'd lost a child. A little boy. She had to go to hospital for that just a few weeks before her tubes were tied. She told me to never speak about him to her and I didn't. Why hadn't I asked her who the father was? Why had I just pretended he didn't exist?

"The weather today will be fine..."

"...xteen blackbirds."

"And that's the world's largest cookie!"

"...flew home today. Their plane was last spotted..."

My dreams were punctured with these sounds. Strange voices. Hard ground. The smell of dirt. Snoring.

It was like being awake, sort of, but also being … asleep. Like I was caught between both states.

I wanted to drink, even while I was lingering in that space between sleep and wakefulness, as the bad feelings returned to haunt me.

What had happened to my pet cat when Father had asked me to move into his mansion?

It was on this thought that I broke through the exhaustion and dreams and really woke up, eyes flinching in the light of day, finding myself staring up into that little boy's concerned face as his hands stroked my hair.

"Her eyes are open again."

"They were open before, Alan. Sh." A voice responded softly. "She'll wake."

"She is awake." I groaned softly as my voice cracked. Ow. "Water?"

It appeared quickly, a bottle of it, and I grasped the bottle as I sat up slowly. My head swam with the movement and someone's steady hand came to rest on my back when the world swam. Ow.

"Take it slow, Miss."

I felt something pulling the bottle away and shut my eyes as my stomach twisted painfully. Before I could stop it all the water I'd drunk erupted, suddenly, still cold as it rushed out of my body and onto a concrete surface.

"She's wasting the water." That person's voice cut into the silence, dry as he shifted backwards, clearly unimpressed.

"Plenty more water. It falls from the sky, you know. We'll just catch it." There was a cheerful voice, soft but full of warmth, and it continued, "Let her have the bottle."

"We should conserve it for his Highness's use. The rain is not filtered."

"Don't be stingy, Alberto. She tried to rescue us."

"Drink it slowly."

I had to admit I was getting confused by the voices around me. Men. It was hard to see, there wasn't much light, and for the most part I could only make out shapes against some bright cracks of light. Alberto. Right. A butler. I got that much. The little kid- I'd seen him easily enough at a close distance.

There was only three grown men, I came to realise as I stared around slowly, and the kid.

"Where is-" My heart sank. Not all of the Princes. Where were the others? "Didn't everyone get out?"

"We did." A soft voice came from behind me. Someone with lighter coloured hair, I realised, and he shifted slowly into the picture. "We noticed another space a little further along and also concealed. There was not enough space to safely hide in here. The others have concealed themselves a little further along."

Along? Along where?

I could barely see where we were. It was cold, dark, and despite for the warm hand still on my back, there was no sign that it was near any sort of sunshine. Yet there was clearly light- there were cracks of it still shining through the edges in this ... hole. "Um. Where are we?"

"In town still."

"What!" Shock was a great 'stunned mind' killer. I flinched, staring around, and tried to stand. A hand clenched over my mouth.

"Shh. It's safest until Keithy-poo comes to rescue us. Isn't that the plan?"

"No." Alberto muttered. "Keep your voice down, Roberto."

Safest? Huh? Prince Keith? "How the hell did you call him?" I hissed. My mind whirled. Had they somehow gotten a call out through the cell blocking system? OR an email? The internet was 'dead'. Wasn't it?

"We didn't. We couldn't seem to call anyone or email anyone. But he'll come. Second he hears about this..." The cheerful voice beside me spoke without any sign of understanding the situation.

"He won't."

""Of course he will."

"Father has doubles of the royal family. No one will know. Who's down here anyway?"

"Maybe-" That calm voice from the light haired man rose, before anyone else could speak, his mood washing over all of us, "-It would be wise to introduce one another. I am Prince Wilifred."

"Prince Roberto. Call me Roberto."

"No, she will not, and I am Alberto. Butler to Prince Roberto."

"Sophia. Look. It's great to meet you and I'd love your autographs or ... something... later. But seriously. You can't stay here." I knew I was being rude. I felt bad about it. But … my anxiety was taking over my manners at the moment. Was that a street … just out there? "Can't we get away further?"

"Why not?" Prince Wilifred asked softly, just before Alberto managed to respond.

"Well. Father has the entire country under block now. I was gonna get you onto a boat and you could contact Prince Keith or someone once you're in the sea. Out of range. He's got body doubles pretending to be the royal family- basically no one would know outside the castle. Even inside it."

"I knew." Alberto responded dryly. "Even if what you say is true, it'd be wiser to wait."

"Of course you did. I bet you're attached to your Prince at the hip." I responded sharply. "And I did not go through all that last night to get caught. Okay? You all should have run for your lives before sun was up. Now Father will know and have the whole place... the whole country!... being watched."

A hand clamped over my mouth as my anxiety and voice rose. Someone new had joined us in the small space, suddenly, and a dry voice muttered, "We can hear you from over there. Quiet."

I knew Prince Glenn's voice well enough.

I felt my words drop away, suddenly, delayed awe as my eyes finally adjusted enough to the light to really see them.

Wow.

Real Princes. Sitting in dust, cobwebs over Prince Glenn's hair, Prince Roberto with a smudge of dirt across one cheek and drinking from his water, Prince Wilifred relaxing calmly with a neutral expression. Alberto was kneeling and looked a little dusty but... even in the cobwebs, even in the darkness and the dust, they were as shiny as they were on TV.

I half expected them to glitter.

"Um." I said quietly, voice lost now, face flooded with blood." Sorry. I panicked."

No one answered but Roberto ruffled my hair, suddenly, and flopped down beside me. "Glad someone else is scared."

"So... where are we?"

In town, apparently. Not far from the Castle. They'd circled around, come back into town, and decided the safest place to hide was the closest to where they'd be able to get to Prince Keith. When he showed up.

"But he doesn't know..."

"He was due to fly in tomorrow." Prince Glenn settled down nearby, the tiny space forcing his leg to crowd against ours, and once again I felt awestruck as I felt his body heat through his pants.

"Yeah but the body doubles..."

"Won't fool him for a moment. He'll notice some thing's up." Roberto answered. "Then we get in front of his car, wave our arms like crazy, and he'll rescue us."

"Or the security will be watching out for you all." Alberto said softly. "Have you not heard the news in the house above?"

"Huh?"

"The latest report is that terrorists attacked the castle and … and the plane we were suppose to leave on." Wilifred responded. "That they are disguised as us to escape. People are going to blame us for the attack."

"Of course they won't." Prince Glenn responded, sharply, his own voice rising a notch now. He breathed out slowly, clenching his hands, adding, "They'll know I'm the real thing."

I wasn't sure about that. Even I wasn't convinced they were the real thing and I knew their real identities. "Well..."

"You disagree?" Wilifred asked softly.

"Well... how often do they see you? I mean. On TV? From a distance?" I hesitated as I felt Prince Glenn's glare hit me. I stared at him. He had cobwebs plastered to his hair, dust across his shoulders, and... all of the Princes needed to shave. They all had stubble. I hadn't really paid attention to it last night but it probably made some sense. It'd been a few days since Father had captured them.

Even if he walked the streets without being covered in dirt and spider webs, shaven faces, all shiny and Prince-like, they might have hesitated and assumed he wasn't the real thing.

"They'll still know." He muttered.

I wasn't sure about that. I wasn't going to argue it though.

"Never the less, Prince Keith will know." Alberto cut through the heavy silence. "Prince Keith will respond with the other nations behind him."

We went quiet as someone walked past, voices silent, and I felt … fear. Almost. This wasn't even a good place to hide. It might have had thick walls but … "Can't we hide in the country?" I whispered, softly. Worse thing than insulting a Prince was my Father. Maybe they didn't know how sick he could be. I'd rather insult them than go back.

"It's familiar territory."

"It's occupied territory." Panic returned. Oh hell no. Stubborn ass butler. I had not risked everything to get caught barely a hundred metres from where I'd tried to rescue them.

"What reward did you want for rescuing us?"

"Reward?" I didn't know what the hell to say. I was still fixed on staying away from my Father. "I just wanted to go home. Get a job, work hard, finish Uni, get a job and buy a home. That's all. Stay the hell away from my Father and his family. I wasn't thinking about a reward."

"Then that's what you get. We'll ensure it."

Yeah. Right. How was I going to live a normal life if they got me it? But I didn't point this out.

When I was offered food I ate. No one spoke a long time as we watched the streets grow busier for a time.

"Lunch crowd." Glenn muttered, glancing at his watch, and it made sense. The smell of food joined the crowds.

Above us the TV was still playing. News again. I heard it fully this time. The first thing on the news was the 'terrorist attack' played out by anti-royalists who were disguised as the Royal Families themselves. The Castle … or Villa... or whatever the hell he called it... was still mostly shut off. And the plane that Prince Wilifred, Prince Roberto and Prince Joshua had been on had gone missing and was assumed destroyed.

"Where is Prince Alan?" I realised suddenly.

"I don't know." Prince Glenn said quietly. "Yu's friend took him out of the country, I hope. Prince Edward will protect them and alert Prince Keith."

"They think you're all dead?"

"Missing." Prince Wilifred responded but he frowned lightly all of a sudden. It must have worried him more than he'd admit.

What worried me was that if Father had decided to write them off in a 'plane crash' then … he wasn't interested in them being alive. It made a sick twisted sense, I realised, as I listened to the news discuss implications of the Prince's death. Prince Roberto and Prince Joshua were the only heirs to the throne, only sons of their parents, and Prince Wilfred's elder brother had vanished. The news anchor discussed how this could lead to unrest, a chance in royal families, even civil war in Prince Joshua's case.

No wonder why my father had decided to do it. If he sent another three countries into panic then they'd be even less likely to look closely at the new 'Prince Glenn'.

What if he wanted to get rid of Prince Keith too?

The idea horrified me. "Prince Keith!"

"What?"

"What if he killed off Prince Keith too? Then that'd be four countries in chaos." My voice was soft but the thought... it made my heart pound. Why did it scare me? Because I knew deep down that... that it might actually be something that man would think About? I'd spent six years with him.

No one spoke as someone passed by.

"We thought of that as well." Prince Wilifred admitted. "But if Yu's friend safely delivers Prince Alan to Edward then Prince Keith will likely be warned."

Huh? "Then he'd cancel."

"Maybe."

Oh. Phew. I sighed and shut my eyes.

The news finally continued onto local news and off the topic of missing Princes.

It was kind of agonising waiting there for darkness. Sometimes the TV would go on and off above us, which gave us entertainment, but the news kept returning and depressing everyone further. I didn't have to ask to assume that. I half wished I could go upstairs and turn it off every time they were going on about how Prince Roberto's uncle and aunt would likely ascend to the throne, or who was predicted to take over Prince Wilfred's throne now, or what Prince Joshua's kingdom would do without him. People were already laying flowers at the castle walls in all three kingdoms and the Princes were still officially 'missing'. Seemed that the plane wreckage had been found and was being shown.

It made me wonder if Prince Alan had escaped at all. Had they tried to get him out on a plane? Would my father have shot down that plane if he'd assumed we'd all be on it?

The sad thing was... he probably would have. Even if I was on board. Especially if I was on board now that I'd officially helped them out. It was official. I heard it on the news. I was a 'known terrorist'.

I was honestly more sad for the Princes than myself though.

Prince Glenn flinched when the five o clock news described the plane crash site as 'only fragments are left'. He vanished, heading for where the others must have been hiding, and Prince Wilifred sighed softly.

"I hope it wasn't them." Prince Roberto said quietly.

"Mmm." Prince Wilifred agreed softly.

I brushed something off me as it tickled me and lifted my arm.

A spider stared at me. I stared back.

Everyone froze. Then, as Roberto lunged for me, I ...brushed it off my arm and onto the wall. A hand clasped over my mouth to muffle a scream that wasn't going to come.

"Huh." Alberto stared at me, making a noise of surprise.

Roberto let go of my mouth and stared at the spider I'd casually put down.

"Aren't you afraid of... spiders?"

"No?" I blinked at him. "It wasn't a poisonous one. Why would I be afraid of it?"

"You can tell?" Wilifred flinched as it moved in his direction and shifted away, quickly.

"Yeah. It's normal around here." Why was this so strange? Mum had always caught spiders in jam jars and put them outside.

"Girls are afraid of spiders."

"I'm a woman." I retorted. "I'm already twenty two."

Prince Roberto paused a moment longer, that shocked expression there, then he laughed softly, shaking his head, a big grin crossing his face. "I like you. We should be friends. Do you want to be my friend?"

"Um. Okay." I blinked at his statement. It felt a little like a question you'd hear from a four year old. Not a grown man. Prince. Whatever. "Um. For now."

"Only for now?" His smile actually faded. "Why?"

"Because you're a Prince and I'm going to make sure you go home?" I responded.

Alberto cut in, before Roberto could answer, and I swore I could see relief in his face at that answer. "Miss Sophia is right, Roberto. You cannot expect her to remain a friend."

I felt sorry suddenly as Roberto took in this information. Then he paused, grinned, and decided, "Then you'll call me Rob."

"No." I shook my head as he slid closer. Personal space vanished between us as he slid an arm around me.

"Robbie?"

"No." That was Alberto. "Prince Roberto-"

"Friends do this and you got to cuddle her all night. Roberto?"

It was better than Rob or Robbie, I supposed, and I sighed. "Fine. Prince Rober-"

"Just Roberto. And I'll call you Phi." He made it sound almost like a song, which was actually kind of cute, and I had to admit the nickname … made my heart flutter. It was cute.

It wasn't going to happen. "No. So-phi-a."

"Phi-a. Phia. Okay."

"Wait. What did you say about cuddling?" The words only just got me now, as we were forced to go quiet once more, and Alberto's face seemed to go warmer.

"No...nothing. Miss Sophia. You were carried inside. That's all."

Was it? Why did he look so embarrassed? I tried to shrug off Roberto's arm as he snuggled into my side.

"Come on. Friends do this."

"Then go snuggle Prince Wilifred."

He shrugged, got up, and went to snuggle into Prince Wilifred's side. Wilifred looked a little uncomfortable by that, even with his neutral face, and he gently unwound Roberto's arm. "No."

Prince Wilifred moved to sit beside me before Roberto could. In the small space we were crowded, his warm arm against mine, but he seemed to be content to sit there. I stared up at him and paused. How odd. I'd never seen Prince Wilifred scruffy ever but … with that two day stubble... he suddenly looked a little older.

It looked good.

Roberto protested, playful as ever, with "But-"

Alberto cut him off with a hand as someone moved past the building. I swore their step faltered, just slightly, as Roberto's playful voice seemed to echo.

Did they hear us?

God.

With Oriens all tense about terrorists... that wouldn't be good. I was shocked by how good I'd felt up till that moment, when we may have been heard, shocked at how warm I'd started to feel inside. Shocked at how empty the inside had been before that. I'd just gotten... so used to being alone, being unhappy, being 'trapped', that I hadn't noticed it.

I did now. Maybe if we hadn't been heard I might have been able to think more on it as well.

"Prince Wilifred-" I leaned closer to him, soft, cheeks reddening as he leaned closer to me. "Do you think..." I trailed off.

"Possibility."

I hoped we were talking about the same thing. He leaned closer, I felt his arm muscles twitching against mine, before he gave up trying to fit it there. Prince Wilifred lay it across the plank of wood behind us, it barely touching me, his face warmer as he gazed forward. I wasn't going to kid myself. Unlike Prince Roberto, who had been trying to cuddle, Prince Wilifred simply wanted some space for his arm.

"Sorry." He said softly. "My arm..."

"I'm not a small woman." I muttered. I wasn't. I was a little softer, a little wider, than most women. I didn't fit size 0 or whatever it was that was 'cool'. Apparently I was 'plus size'... most designer shops didn't have clothing for me.

So it wasn't surprising I was crushing his arm.

Alberto stood up slowly in the low space and tried to bow. "I will... quickly talk with the others. We may have to move earlier."

Prince Wilifred nodded and Alberto slid away into the dark crowded spaces under the building towards where I had to assume the others had been hiding. We went quiet, tension rising, eyes fixed on the world outside through the cracks in the building.