That was how I spent the second night. Silently going backwards and forwards, cleaning the 'cell', bringing them clothing, all just a few hundred metres from a glamorous party.

At first I was nervous of the servents. Some of them noticed me, all of them busy that night with the ball, and I got a few looks that weren't friendly while I shuffled around. I was sure that they'd go tell my Father that I was moving around the kitchen of my own free will.

I kept expecting my Father to be there, kept expecting him to appear in his suit and be angry, but that didn't stop me from trying to get some food ready, from taking a few 'samples' of the party food from the fridge, or grabbing a few flowers on the way back to the small building. Several times we saw a gardener or a maid stare at us, or peer in through a window, but they didn't say anything to Father as the minutes ticked by.

The work itself was kind of gross as well and hazardous on crutches. I knew that they were embarrassed about the state they were in- no big shock, the King and Queen had probably never existed a day in their lives in this kind of situation before today- so we avoided looking at one another and I pretended I didn't care. I wasn't really blaming them anyway. Geoff did help though, his obsessive cleaning need coming in handy, and he seemed to know a lot about how to clean. I left the food for them only when we'd cleaned out the trash- I made Geoff conceal it around the outside of the building. I didn't want the place to smell like it was clean, I didn't want Father to know that we were trying to treat them better inside. If he'd left them for dead then it was better he thought that was where they were still. Nearly dead.

Once we'd cleaned the floor out with buckets of soapy water and swept it towards some drain, brushed the ground with a broom to scrub it, I headed upstairs to get the poor older woman some of my clothing.

That had been the plan, anyway. Half way up what I assumed were the servernt's stairs I ran into a maid. She barely looked at me as she trust something in a bag into my arms. Then she was gone again.

Clothing?

I returned downstairs, the plastic bag dangling from one side of the crutches, and in the light of the kitchen I not only found casual clothing in that bag- men and women's clothing- but also something hot and steaming on the kitchen bench. Left alone. A big plate of very fresh .

Huh?

'Take this. Royal Head Chef.' Words written in some kind of sauce followed by some ...seal. It was pretty fancy artwork for some kind of sauce. And the words, I had to assume, were done in sauce in some kind of 'please eat this sauce and don't leave evidence that we're helping' message.

Okay then.

Once I'd brought them that food, with the help of Geoff, I moved around the outside of the building as quietly as possible. The place still had to smell and so bushes made great concealing places

For all their stubbornness, as soon sa they smelt the food, they consumed it from the plates. They tried to eat properly. I could see in their eyes that they wanted to use fingers, eat fast, drink the broth from the bowl, but neither Geoff or myself spoke to them as they ate. They seemed too nervous.

The flowers that had been left with the mystery food seemed to help. Maybe they were the favourites of the King and Queen. I didn't know, but when we slid a few into the bars for them, the Queen and King both slipped those flowers under their clothing and hid them like valuable treasures. Did they have a butler, like Glenn did, who was secretly trying to smuggle them hints of hope? Maybe they did.

It wasn't early by the time we'd finished, the party still going strong on downstairs, and I made my way up the stairs in slightly sweaty Pjs. The path to my room led briefly along the front of the Mansion, castle, whatever it was they called it, and I hesitated in one of the dark hallways to gaze out at the front.

There were a large crowd of people out the front. It was obvious they were media from the flashes of cameras towards people coming and going down below, and I was a little mesmirzed by the sight. People were still arriving- gorgous people, glamorus, amazing gowns, dresses, men in suits, celebreties and noble alike. Maybe I had only been there at the very start of the party, the part of the party when no one of any real importance was around, because things looked like they were only going to get crazier.

It was at this moment that I saw them arrive. Just like that. I stood there, concealed in the dark window, as a long dark car pulled up. Then two familiar figures barely two hundred metres from where I stood came out of the car.

Prince Keith and Prince Edward. The flashes from the cameras kept illuminating them, over and over, Prince Edward in a pale grey suit and Prince Keith in a jet black suit.

For a long moment I stood there, shocked, the urge to bang on the window and shout rising to near fever pitch. Here I was. Up here. But... what good would that do? If they were here then Father ...well, the fake Prince Glenn... had invited them. Should I draw attention to myself? Slip downstairs and try and get their attention?

"Sister?"

Geoff's uncertain voice cut through my tormented mind. I stared sideways at him, remembered how I'd gotten out in the first place and sighed. Nope.

They knew I was here. And getting Geoff in trouble wasn't going to help.

Of course as soon as I'd thought this... Father found us.

It was not fun. Geoff ran, literally ran, and I doubted Father had even seen him. He didn't even speak, just shoved me against the wall, crutches knocked to one side, and hit me hard across the face so hard that I was knocked onto the ground.

"Did I not order you to wait in your room?"

I was too shocked to even react. My entire head spun from the hard blow, half my face on fire, but it was the emotional sense of being hit that really got to me.

"No one is allowed to know where you are." A foot connected with my wounded leg and I cried out in pain as he dug his weight down, slowly, without any trace of emotion on his face... except satisfaction. Like he'd been wanting to do this for a very long time. "Do you understand?"

"Y..."

"I said," Weight crushed my leg, suddenly, and I couldn't stop a whimper, "Do you understand?"

No one came to my rescue and all I could do was aswer, "Yes... I just … wanted to see... the movie stars."

"The movie stars?"

I cringed as he lifted his leg but he just stood back, face passive still, not giving me any sign about whether he believed me or not. Father stood there a long time as I tried my hardest not to pee myself then and there.

"Into your room. You will not leave it tomorrow. I do not need the Princes seeing you."

I was half dragged, half thrown into my room, the door locked behind me. It took me a long time before I crawled to my bed and lay there... every nerve in my body on edge, sure that Father would come back. It took me even longer before I relaxed long enough to realise what he meant. Prince Keith and Prince Edward were staying here.

Fear for them joined my own fear. Oh god. That was bad news as well.

Sleep wasn't much better that night, just as uneasy, but when I woke the next morning it seemed that Father had forgotten being angry at me. Instead he'd sent me a present with breakfast. Jewellery.

They looked very expensive, very old, probably from the Oriens royal family's personal collection. If I had a camera I'd have taken a photo to ask Glenn later on. They were a set of jewels- large deep green emeralds, diamonds, two necklaces, a bracelet and several rings set into rich yellow gold. Even a broach with a flower shape.

His way of apologising for loosing his temper. I knew that. It made me see red. I couldn't even bring myself to look in the mirror- half my face felt tender and swollen- and I could barely move on the injured leg again now. I didn't know if he'd just bruised it or had torn it again.

For the moment I decided I'd wear the ring, the necklace, just in case Father came around to see if I liked the presents. I had to be the good daughter. Deep down I wanted to strange him with the necklace the moment I saw him. Or run away. Running couldn't happen- I didn't even want to use crutches right now- and I was kind of afraid of him.

I wondered if I could do it. If I was strong enough. For a few minutes I actually considered it. What would it solve if I did that? But … but maybe I was weak, because I knew that I'd never actually go through with it.

Today I did get a paper with breakfast. It showed the party from the night before, photos released, even one of myself. Smile and all. Roberto's fiancee, meeting the Minister for Finance, accompanied by her doting Father. A little blurb underneath it about how, before the wedding to Roberto, I was spending time with my Father.

Father must have approved it. He might have also pushed for it to be positive.

I sighed and shut my eyes. Stress rose in me. Were Prince Keith and Prince Edward safe? What would Father do to Roberto if he came here? What if he invited him? ...anything but that. Anything. Roberto shouldn't come near this place.

I smacked my hands together, like I'd seen people from Oriens do, mostly to snap myself out of the mindset I'd started to get caught up in.

Okay. Right. I had to snap out of that.

One thing I was aware of, that was both a comfort and a torture, was knowing that there were friends nearby. I was aware of Prince Keith. Not literally- no smells, no sounds, nothing like that, but … but having seen him last night … it was impossible to not wake up and go 'Someone friendly is here'.

True. He may not have been the perfect Prince out of the six to come and comfort me- just the image of him attempting it was kind of creepy. Edward was the one who'd be good at that, I suspected, even if all he did was smile and pat my head or something. It felt like Prince Keith was the one who might be in charge with any planning. That alone was the reason why I couldn't forget that he was here.

I'd be glad to see any of them, honestly, but that didn't stop me from sitting there over breakfast wondering if Prince Keith was up to something.

Of course I had no illusions about why he'd help- it had less to do with me and more to do with Glenn and the impact on Liberty. Over the time I'd spent with these Princes I'd realised how important it was for the six of them to remain in balance, friendly, even brotherly towards each other. When the world had thought three of the six had died, Roberto, Wilifred and Prince Joshua, it really had caused problems in all six countries.

For Glenn to be thrown aside so easily, for an imposter to take over, and Oriens to be silently invaded, it had more impact on the world than I'd have ever realised before I met these six men. I still felt ashamed that I hadn't said something beforehand... but I hadn't really believed it was happening, and had no idea what would follow.

I smiled suddenly, as I slid a piece of cold toast into my mouth, because I could be wrong about it being Prince Keith who was in charge. For all I knew- Prince Edward was the secret brains. Who knew anymore?

It was the first smile I'd had all day. Naturally... it was also the moment I heard heavy footsteps approaching my door.

Afraid all of a sudden, I headed for the bathroom as fast as the wheelchair allowed, and tried to press the wheelchair against it. I didn't … want to face Father. There was the sound of a door opening in the other room, fast, and heavy feet stopping in the middle of my room. My heart squeezed painfully at the sound of heavy breathing.