Prince William
I was making my way to breakfast when I passed by Izzie, holding an empty breakfast tray.
"Good morning, William, Dear," she said, smiling as I smiled at her.
"Good morning, Izzie. Who's tray was that?" I asked her, confused as she smiled.
"It was Princess Rosalie's breakfast," she said as I looked surprised and nodded.
"Please, keep an eye on her, Izzie," I said as she nodded, smiling.
"Of course, dear," she said, smiling as I nodded and continued walking to breakfast.
It seems Rosalie is an early riser, but then again, I'm a little concerned about why she didn't eat breakfast in the dining room.
Izzie would have seen her sitting there and would have brought her breakfast.
I get that everything is new, but she's allowed to walk around and explore, especially since this is her home now.
Once I arrived at the dining room, I saw Mom and Liz sitting down and eating breakfast.
"Hi, Mom, Liz," I said, smiling as they smiled and greeted me back.
"Good Morning, Willy," said Liz happily.
"Good morning, Son," said Mom happily as I took a seat and GrandDad appeared.
"Good morning, family!" Said GrandDad happily as we smiled at him. I noticed Dad and Edward missing.
"Where's Dad and Edward?" I asked, confused as Mom smiled.
"Your Father had an early meeting this morning with the village constructor and will be here later," said Mom as I nodded.
"Edward went to school to practice for the graduation ceremony since it's in a few days," said GrandDad as Mom smiled.
"I can't believe it; another of my babies is to graduate," she said, smiling as I playfully rolled my eyes.
"And one is engaged," added GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"Which reminds me, where is Rosalie?" Asked Liz confused.
"Izzie told me that she had breakfast earlier," said Mom as I nodded.
"Strange, why didn't she have breakfast with us?" Asked GrandDad, confused.
"I mean, we're all strangers to her, so it's normal for her to feel slightly outcast," I said as I took a sip of orange juice.
"I am going to see if she'd like a tour of the palace and try to get her out of here," said Liz as I smiled.
"Thanks, Liz," I said, smiling as she took a bite of her pancakes.
"Mom, I'm meeting with Dad and GrandDad, and I'd like you to be there," I said as she smiled and nodded.
"I'll clear my schedule," she said, smiling.
"Thanks, Mom," I said as I ate the food.
"What are we doing for Edward's graduation party?" Asked Liz as I chuckled.
"I thought he didn't want a party?" I asked as GrandDad chuckled.
"He didn't. This has your Mother and Liz written all over it," he said, chuckling, as I chuckled as well.
"It will match him, though it's a good one, and besides, it's mostly people from his school, and the theme is amazing," said Liz excitedly.
"I think someone has been spending so much time with Aunt Amber," I said as Liz smiled proudly.
"What's the theme again?" Asked GrandDad.
"Medieval times," she said as I frowned.
"I get it because he wants to explore essentially," I said as she nodded with joy.
"I knew you would get it, Willy," she said excitedly as we continued to eat breakfast.
After breakfast, Mom, GrandDad, and I made our way to the study. I had to inform them about my discovery.
I wanted Mom to be involved because she may be able to help Rosalie. Once we reached the study, we walked in and sat as she looked at me concerned.
"What did you want to talk about, dear?" Asked Mom as I looked over at GrandDad, and he nodded.
"Mom, Rosalie is not staying here permanently," I started as she smiled and nodded.
"She's staying here indefinitely," she said as I looked at her confused.
"Dad, told you?" I asked as she nodded.
"He told me what you suspected and what you were trying to figure out," she said.
"So, I am guessing you found some news?" Asked GrandDad as I nodded.
"I was right. Her Father has been abusing her," I said as GrandDad shook his head, and Mom gasped in shock.
"The poor dear," said Mom, upset.
"She told you?" Asked GrandDad as I shook my head.
"No, she lied to me about it, but the mark is all over her face and arms," I said, upset.
"That could explain why she's been staying hidden," said GrandDad, and Mom nodded.
"The question is, can we trust her?" I asked as GrandDad shrugged, and Mom stood up.
"I am not sure, from what you've seen, she's a victim," said GrandDad as Mom and I nodded.
"But then, why deny it?" I asked, confused, as Mom smiled at me.
"William, you must understand that this could seem normal to her. We don't know how long this has been going on," she said as GrandDad nodded.
"It could be denial or fear," said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"She barely knows us; why would she trust us," said Mom as I nodded.
"You're right on that, Mom, which is why I talked to Liz. I hope the two can come close, and she'll have someone here," I said as she smiled.
"I don't think that would work forever, son," she said as I looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked as she looked at GrandDad and smiled before looking at me.
"Liz, Izzie, and I can support her, but I think the only person who can help her is you," she said as I slightly chuckled and shook my head.
"W-What... are you... I don't..." I said as she took my hand and pulled me to sit with her as she smiled.
"William dear, your Father has said it many times, and it's funny to see it actually happening," said Mom as GrandDad nodded, chuckling.
"He's the exact copy of him alright, even with his feelings," said GrandDad as I frowned.
"You can hide all you want, but I think you have more interest in her than you think," she said as I stood up and shook my head.
"This is an arrangement, Mom," I said as she stood up and smiled.
"Which brings me to my next point, William; how are you the only one of my children okay with this?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Your Father and I don't even believe in this; we're lucky that your GrandDad's paired us up together," she said as GrandDad smiled.
"It was actually your GrandMum's idea, but we supported her because we knew your parents loved each other since they were children," said GrandDad as mom nodded.
"But the arrangement was necessary for the better of the kingdoms; I mean, Whelsire was in trouble," I said as GrandDad sighed.
"Yes, that is true..." he started, but I cut him off.
"So, essentially, Mom and Dad's marriage helped Whelsire by gaining multiple kingdoms from Enchancia," I said as they nodded.
"But that didn't solve the issues at first. Remember, it took a while for them to marry," said GrandDad.
"But it solved the kingdom's problems," I said as they crossed their arms and smiled.
"I guess it did," said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"But the main point here is that your Father and I love each other very much, and that is what made a difference in the kingdom," said Mom.
"I am not saying that you should love her immediately, but since she is to be your wife, and that is a long-time commitment. You should consider possibly getting to know her," said Mom as GrandDad nodded.
"You may never grow to love her, but at least she could be someone you could have fun with," said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"But again, it's your choice, son," said Mom, smiling as I sighed and thought momentarily.
"I'll think about it, Mom," I said as she nodded, smiling.
"What do you want to do?" Asked GrandDad as I thought.
"For now, everything will go according to plan, but I am sure of one thing. King Ricardo has no unsupervised visits with her," I said as they nodded.
"Agreed," they both said.
"I don't know why, but something tells me we should reach out to all the neighborhood kingdoms," I said as Mom nodded.
"Already done," said GrandDad as I smiled.
"They said they will be here to discuss in a few days," said Mom as I nodded.
"We need to see who has still been getting robbed and who hasn't," I said as they nodded.
"William, there's a reason why your Father also wanted you to marry Rosalie," said Mom as I looked at her confused.
"There's something about Ricardo that doesn't sit well with us," she said as I nodded.
"You specifically, Mom?" I asked as she nodded.
"Mom, did you meet King Ricardo when you were younger?" I asked as she shook her head.
"No, I didn't even know anything about him until a few years ago," she said as GrandDad nodded.
"It was a bit surprising, actually," said GrandDad as I frowned, confused.
"How so?" I asked, confused.
"We have never heard of his kingdom until a few years ago; it's brand new," said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"But then again, when his kingdom came to light, it seemed very calming and small," said Mom.
"It's almost as if he was in the hideout," said GrandDad, as I frowned, confused.
"That is very odd," I said as I thought momentarily as they nodded.
"Ricardo needs to be investigated thoroughly," I said as they nodded.
"Agreed and I think Rosalie might be the key to this," I said as they nodded.
"Just remember she is a victim and may not know everything or would want to talk about it yet," Said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"Have patience with her," said Mom as I nodded, thinking of a way to talk to Rosalie about this.
"I know very little of her, and I feel like if I ask, she will lie again," I said, crossing my arms as they thought momentarily.
"I know she's scared, and she doesn't know who she can trust, but I don't do well with lies either; I hate them," I said as they nodded.
"At this point, space is needed," said GrandDad as Mom nodded slightly.
"I agree, but also do small little details that would make her see that she can trust you," said Mom as I thought.
"For instance, a walk around the castle, little dates here and there," said Mom as I nodded.
Then, I couldn't help but remember Rosalie's reaction yesterday at dinner when they asked her if she did sports.
'Why do I have a feeling that she was lying?' I thought as I smiled and nodded.
"I think... I know where to begin; I will need some help," I said as they smiled and nodded.
Princess Rosalie
It had been a few hours since breakfast, and I was still in my room, locked away.
'At least I had a good book,' I thought, but I smiled slightly as I shook my head.
As if I could read and relax after everything that has happened to me in the last couple of hours.
Izzie said I had the freedom to roam around if I wanted to, and it was very tempting since I couldn't do that at my Father's place.
But part of me didn't want to because I felt like I couldn't show my face to anyone.
Even when Izzie came to deliver my breakfast, I slightly hid away from her so she couldn't see how terrible my face was.
The maids who came earlier wanted to help me dress, but I refused because I didn't want them to see my other bruises.
To them, I am a stranger; I am only here because I am to marry their prince for alliance.
I changed into a beautiful purple and pink dress with long sleeves to hide my bruises; it was simple yet comfortable.
I have been sitting at my window seat all day, staring outside Whelsire.
I opened the doors to let the lovely breeze inside as I thought momentarily about what happened last night with William.
How did he know I was lying? Sure, he saw the tight grip my Dad took on me, but still.
Anyone else would have thought nothing of it, but he immediately got the hint, and I couldn't tell him the truth, not after what he said.
"Oh, don't worry. She won't be a problem, I'll make sure of that,"
Part of me was scared after hearing that, while another part wasn't because I had a feeling William wouldn't treat me like my Father would have.
And last night, it was confirmed; when he took my hand, it was a gentle grip, with care, not like my Father.
He was very gentle even when he used his handkerchief to clean off my make-up.
He hadn't come to see me after discovering all my bruises; he was probably embarrassed or even upset.
Why would he be when his fiancée isn't technically a good, presentable girl? I'm all washed up and embarrassed.
Still, as I thought about it, I didn't know why I cared what he thought of me; it had never bothered me before.
Flashback
After I had finished breakfast, I noticed it was still pretty early, and it would be a while before they came for the tray.
Then I decided to change and explore for a bit; after all, it was 6 a.m., and I'm sure many were still asleep except the maids.
I quickly changed into a beautiful purple and pink dress with long sleeves and braided my hair before applying make-up.
Once I was ready, I put on my shoes and opened the door very carefully, hoping no one would see me.
After seeing the clear coast, I stepped out and began walking through the hall. Honestly, I have no idea where I am heading to, but a small walk around wouldn't hurt.
As I was to turn the corner, I wasn't paying attention and bumped into someone unexpectedly.
"Princess Rosalie, are you alright?" a familiar voice said as I turned to see the king, and my eyes widened.
"King Hugo, I am so sorry. I should have paid attention to where I was going," I said as he smiled and shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, dear. It was my fault. I'm afraid I wasn't looking where I was going either. Usually, no one is up at this time," he said as I smiled nervously.
"I'm always an early riser; my nanny said I inherited that from my Mother," I said, looking down, then up as the king smiled.
"That's honestly a good trait," He said as I smiled.
"I decided to look around, maybe see the library," I said as he smiled and nodded.
"I could show you," he offered as I shook my head slightly.
"I wouldn't want to intrude on your day, Your Majesty," I said as he smiled and shook his head.
"Nonsense, it's close to where I am headed," he said as I smiled and nodded.
"Alright then, thank you so much, Your Majesty," I said as he smiled, and we began to walk.
"Rosalie, we are going to be family; how about just Hugo, or Dad even," he said as he smiled and nodded.
"I will try, it's just..." I started but stopped as Hugo continued the conversation.
"Hard; I know what it is not to have family, to have a big one then," he said as I frowned, confused.
"You do?" I asked as he nodded.
"Before I married my wife, I only had my Father and my brother since my Mother died when I was very young," he said, slightly upset.
"I am so sorry for your loss," I said as he smiled.
"I am sorry for yours, Rosalie, but don't worry. You won't have to feel alone with us anymore," he said as I smiled.
Then we arrived at a big door that he opened to reveal their huge library.
"This...This looks incredible," I said, looking around at all the books, amazed, as the king chuckled.
"You'll have to thank the Queen for that; she loves to read and filled it with many more books," he said, chuckling as I smiled.
"We all want you to be comfortable here, Rosalie. We don't know your story, but you are family now, and we protect our own," he said as I listened.
"If there's anything you need, let me or William know, and we will help you," he said as I nodded.
"Thank you, Dad," I said as he smiled.
"I will leave you to it," he said as I nodded. Then, he began his departure as I walked around the library.
End Of Flashback
What King Hugo had said earlier never left my mind; he had already considered me family.
That is something not even my own Father was able to do. Maybe because of that, I cared more about what they thought of me.
'Damn it.' I thought as I sighed and heard a knock at my door, making me snap out of my thoughts.
"Come in," I said, slightly hesitating as the door opened to reveal Elizabeth.
"Hey, stranger," said Elizabeth, smiling as she walked.
I was so thankful that I placed on make-up to hide my bruises after this morning after Izzie.
I felt terrible for not looking at her; she must have thought I was stuck up because I did not see her directly.
But I didn't want her too to see my bruises; I already had William discover I didn't want anyone else to see.
"That's a statement," I said low, slightly chuckling as Elizabeth smiled.
"But it doesn't have to be," she said, smiling as my eyes widened.
"You heard that?" I asked as she took a seat in front of me and nodded.
"I have good hearing, especially since I help those shy ones," she said, smiling as I smiled.
"You haven't gone out to explore yet?" She asked as I nodded.
"I did; this morning, your Father showed me to the library," I said as her eyes widened.
"That was very early then since he still hadn't returned from the village," she said, smiling.
"Come," she said, standing up and extending her arm to me.
"Where are we going?" I asked her, frowning as she smiled.
"Trust me," she said, smiling. I took her hand, and she led me out of my room and into the hallway.
We passed by many hallways, descended some stairs, and passed by the kitchen before heading outside the palace.
'Where are we going?' I thought as I tried to keep up with her.
I must say, even though I am confused about where we're going. I feel slightly excited to see what Elizabeth is going to show me.
We turned a corner, and that's when I noticed something that made me smile, and she stopped to look at me.
"I knew it; no one can say no to horses," she said, smiling. I continued to smile as we walked closer to the stables.
"Horses?" I asked as she shrugged.
"Horses, Pegasus, we got both," she said, smiling.
"How come?" I asked, knowing that was a stupid question since they are usually used for carriages.
"Our family loves horses and the Pegasus; we learned to ride them from a young age," she said as I nodded.
Once we walked in, I saw many beautiful horses before looking at a young man brushing his Pegasus.
'He must be the young man who cares for the horses.' I thought as Elizabeth walked in front of me, heading in his direction.
"Hey, Willy, are they ready?" Asked Elizabeth as the man turned around, and my eyes widened when I saw William.
Once he turned around, he smiled at me before nodding to Elizabeth.
"Of course, Liz. She's all ready for you," he said. Liz smiled happily and headed over to her horse as William walked slightly towards me.
"Do you want a horse?" He asked as I thought momentarily and looked over at Elizabeth, who hooped on her horse happily.
I wanted to say yes immediately, but I felt my words stuck in my throat, and I was unable to speak.
"Come on, Rosalie!" Said Elizabeth joyfully as I looked at William and bit my lip nervously.
"I don't know how to," I said as he smiled at me, and his horse came to stand next to him before he got on.
"Something tells me you do. Come," he said, extending his hand to me as our eyes locked momentarily.
"If you don't know, I will help you," he said as our eyes stayed locked until I heard Elizabeth's voice.
"Come on, Rosalie! It's really fun!" Said Elizabeth as she took a grip of her horse, and they walked out of the stables.
Part of me was telling me not to do it, but the urge to ride a horse again was stronger than the part telling me no.
Without thinking, I grabbed William's hand as he helped me up and placed me in front of him, making me the lead rider.
"Hold on tight, little dove," he said to me as he placed his hands on top of mine and lashed on the reins as the horse took off running.
Once the horse ran out of the stables, I saw Elizabeth getting her horse ready as ours took off into the sky.
Within seconds, we were flying in the air, and I couldn't help but smile with joy as William pulled the reins and the horse stayed in place flying.
Then I saw Elizabeth and her horse fly next to us as she smiled at me.
"Woohoo! Look at you, Rosalie, come on, try to fly the horse," said Elizabeth as I thought for a moment.
"I am right here if you need help," said William as I took the horse reins and lashed at it as the horse took off and started flying.
After getting slightly comfortable, I started to lean towards the sides with the horse as he followed my direction.
Once we came to a complete stop and the horse was flying in place, I felt William getting slightly close to my ear.
"I knew you could do it, Dove," he whispered in my ear as I couldn't help but help but slightly blush and smile.
"Wow! That's not bad. I wonder if that's beginner's luck?" Elizabeth asked, smiling as I shrugged.
"Let's put it to the test; how about a race?" Asked Elizabeth, smirking as I raised my eyebrow.
Even though it was tempting, I wasn't too sure because I rarely raced. I did ride my horse at a fast pace, but I never raced anyone.
"I am not sure, Liz..." said William as I nodded.
"You're on!" I said as Elizabeth smiled.
"At a girl," said Elizabeth, smirking as we lined up the horses, getting ready for the race.
"Here, to the other side of the castle and back," said Elizabeth as I looked in the direction of the castle and nodded.
"Sounds good," I said as she smiled.
"On your mark, get set, go!" Exclaimed Elizabeth as both of our horses took off.
William and I were behind as Elizabeth took off extremely fast; this is when I smiled at what she said earlier.
'Damn, she's fast, but let's see what this boy can do.' I said, smirking as I sashed the reign with force, and the horse took off faster.
It was exciting to see that the horse was really fast. He must be a trained horse if he was able to catch up quickly with Elizabeth.
"Hi, Liz," said William as Liz tried to ignore and smirked.
"Not for long," she said as she sashed the rein again as her horse kicked off, and I did the same thing.
We reached the palace simultaneously and turned quickly before heading back to the start.
We were neck to neck, and it seemed it was going to be a tie. Just as I had thought, we arrived at the same time.
"Good job, Dove," whispered William into my ear as I couldn't help but smile proudly.
"Wow! Where did you learn that?" Asked Elizabeth as I shrugged and smiled.
"I didn't. I just took off, and the horse did the rest," she said as Elizabeth smiled.
"Well, Spencer is a trained horse; I mean, William has been training with him since he was three," said Elizabeth as I looked towards my back at him, smiling.
"You did good, Liz, but you still need a bit more practice to beat me and Spencer," said William as she smiled.
"I don't know, I think Rosalie here might beat you to it," She said, smirking as I bit my lip nervously while we landed.
"Done already? Or are you scared to lose?" Asked William as she smiled.
"Of course not, but I do have to go and practice my recital before dinner since I have an exam tomorrow," she said, smiling.
"I will see you two later," she said, smiling as I nodded and smiled at her before she headed to the stables with her horse.
"Do you want to keep going or stop?" Asked William as I turned to look at him and slightly bit my lip.
"Can we keep riding, just a little bit longer?" I asked him as he smiled and nodded.
"Until you get tired, Dove," he said as I smiled and sashed the rein as Spencer took off, and were flying again in seconds.
I didn't know where to go until we were high in the sky when I noticed a few small houses.
"Is that the village?" I asked, turning the horse towards the tiny houses.
"No, that's the houses we keep at the border of Whelsire since we have men operating it all day and night," he said as I nodded.
He then took the rein and moved the horse to face the front of the palace as I saw a bunch of little houses and tall buildings.
"That's the village," he said as my eyes widened; the village looked huge.
"It looks so big," I said as he chuckled slightly.
"Why don't we go check it out from above," he said, giving Spencer the command as he guided us to the village.
Once we arrived, I saw many beautiful houses and buildings, as well as many children and people.
The villages looked busy, with many construction projects underway and people working on the bakery, schools, gardens, and wagon vendors.
"Wow, it looks amazing," I said, looking from above.
"Thanks to my parents, they have done an incredible job and continue to do what's best for the kingdom and its people," he said as I thought.
'And soon this would be my job; what if I'm terrible at this? What if I can't do what the queen was able to do for its people?' I thought as I sighed.
"Soon, it would be our job," I said with a low voice before looking at him as he smiled.
"Not for a while, though," he said as I fronted, confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked as he smiled.
"I talked to my Father, and I think it would be best if we ruled after Liz was of age," he said, and I felt a relief.
"Really?" I asked as he nodded.
"I am already the heir, but there's nothing against us if we decide to wait. That is if you agree?" he asked me as I smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Thank you," I said as he smiled and nodded before we continued our tour around the village.
We stayed for a while before heading back to the palace, and I could have sworn I saw the royal carriage from above.
Even from above, I could see Elizabeth happily ice skating with Edward as I smiled.
'I guess she did have to practice, even though she seems to be doing a terrific job from above,' I thought, smiling as we began to land.
Once Spencer was on the ground, we led him to walk toward the stables, and when we got to his place, we pulled back to make him stop.
It was then William got off first before helping me down Spencer as I smiled.
"Thank you," I said, smiling as he smirked and nodded before taking the rein and leading Spencer inside his quarter before he began to move the saddle.
"So, when did you learn to ride?" He asked me as my eyes widened.
'Shit, I've been discovered. Well, there's no point in hiding it now, not after what he's seen, right?' I thought as he turned to look at me and bit my lip.
"How did you know?" I asked as he smiled.
"Your confidence in taking Spencer made it pretty clear; no one was able to do that before," he said as I frowned, confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked as he smiled.
"No one has been able to control him. That wasn't me before, but you changed that. He trusts you, which comes from an experienced rider," he said, placing the saddle down.
"I learned almost three years ago," I said as he began to walk towards me.
"He doesn't know, does he," he said as I shook my head, knowing he was referring to my Father.
"Please don't tell him," I said, getting a bit scared as he smiled and shook his head.
"Why would I?" He asked, standing before me and taking hold of my hands as I looked into his green eyes.
"Rosalie, you live here now; you are free to do as you please without having someone to approve," he said as my eyes widened.
"But what if my Father doesn't approve?" I asked worried as he smirked.
"Well, in that case, as I told him before, you are now my trouble. The only person who should approve is me," he said as I bit my lip.
"However, with time, I want you to do as you please because you want to and not because I approve," he said as I smiled and he kissed my hands.
"You are not a prisoner here; you can do as you please. The only thing I ask is that you don't lie to me," he said as I nodded.
"Thank you," I said as he smiled, and I took his arm as he led us to the palace.
"Her name is Lily, my Pegasus," I said as he nodded.
"How did you get her?" He asked as I smiled.
"She was passed down to me from my Mother; it was her horse. But my Father forbade me to ride her or ever see her," I said as he listened.
"He had her hidden in the stables until I found her; she became my best friend in that lonely place," I said as he frowned, confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked as I sighed.
"I didn't have anyone there except my nanny Celeste; I was always alone," I said as he continued to listen.
"I studied and took hobbies he wanted me to take but was never happy until I found Lily," I said, smiling.
"She's the only thing I have left of my Mother," I said, upset as we walked into the palace.
"I'm sorry, Dove," he said as I sighed and nodded.
Once we walked into the palace and reached the stairs, I noticed many paintings of kings and queens.
"You have the paintings of the royals at the entrance?" I asked as he nodded.
"Some, not all," he said as I frowned, confused.
"How come?" I asked as he stopped in-front of a painting from the king of Wei-Lin.
"We have paintings from kings and queens from other kingdoms here to show respect and create small talk with others," he said as I nodded.
"Some paintings of kings and queens are in our library because they are our distant family, like my parents' siblings," he said as I nodded.
"So, it's not just generations of your family?" I said smirking as he chuckled and shook his head.
"Not anymore, at least for my parents; they're in different sections of our library," he said as I nodded and continued walking.
'I wonder if he happens to have a painting of my parents' wedding?' I thought, but then I shook my head slightly, remembering that Celeste said it was a small wedding.
After a couple of minutes, we arrived at the dining room. It was then that I noticed that Queen Sofia and her Father-in-law, Garrick, were sitting down at the table talking.
They turned to William, and I smiling and were about to say something when someone beat them to it.
"See, I told you we wouldn't be late," said Elizabeth as she and Edward walked in.
I could see Edward slowly shake his head at Elizabeth as the king entered the dining room, and we all took a seat.
"Good evening, family," said King Hugo as we greeted him before the maids served dinner.
Today, we had chicken breast with mashed potatoes and gravy with peas on the side.
If I am being honest, I could get used to this: the fantastic food, the family conversations, spending time together, being happy and all.
At times, it didn't feel real, and I could have sworn I was dreaming. If I was, I didn't want to wake up.
However, I think it's because of how I used to live that I am afraid this will all go away, and I will return to my normal life.
"You should have seen her today. Rosalie did an amazing job at flying Spencer," said Elizabeth as William nodded.
"Never once did I have to calm down, Spence," he said as Elizabeth snorted, chuckling.
"And that is saying a lot, I mean how many times did you calm him down for Laylah and Arianna? Charlotte was good, but when Spencer felt like it," said Elizabeth, and William nodded.
"And that is why they never rode him again," said William, chuckling as I frowned, confused.
'Who are the girls Elizabeth had just mentioned?' I hoped they would say more about them, but they dropped the topic.
I noticed carefully everyone's expression when Elizabeth told them about my adventure with Spencer.
They looked amazed but not surprised, almost as if they knew to expect the unexpected from me.
"I thought you said you didn't do any other sport that wasn't sewing or painting?" Asked Edward as the queen stepped in.
"Darling, a girl has to keep some secrets; that's part of the mystery," said Sofia as she winked at me while I smiled and nodded.
"I don't talk about myself a lot, especially..." I started but got cut off.
"When you're surrounded by strangers, I get it, I get it," said Edward as I slightly smiled and shook my head.
"Well, that's one part," I said as Elizabeth looked at me confused.
"What's the other part?" She asked I thought for a second if I wanted them to know yet.
Within seconds, I slightly shook my head and smiled at them.
"It's nothing important, not now, anyway," I said as they smiled and nodded while we continued our discussion.
Once dinner was over, we all retreated to our rooms and decided to call it a night.
We said our good nights as William, Elizabeth, and I made our way to our rooms—well, mostly Elizabeth and me since we were a few inches apart.
However, William wanted to come with us and ensure we were safe. I think that was just an excuse if I am being honest, but I didn't mind it at all.
"Well, good night, you two; I will see you tomorrow," said Elizabeth, smiling as we nodded.
"Goodnight," I said as she walked away, waving happily as I looked at William.
"I had a great time today, thank you very much," I said, smiling as he smiled and nodded.
"I hope we get to have more days like this and get to know each other more, little dove," he said as I smiled, feeling myself slightly blushed.
"Goodnight," I said as he kissed my hand and smiled.
"Goodnight," he said as he walked away, and I happily entered my room.
Today was indeed an unexpected day; I would never have imagined something like this would happen.
As I went to the bathroom and started preparing my bath, I brought over my periwinkle long nightgown.
I took a bath myself because of my bruises yet again; the good thing was that I learned from a young age how to bathe myself.
Once I was done, I quickly dried off and applied lotion to the bruises on my arms and face.
The ones on my face seemed to be disappearing while the ones on my arms were healing slowly, but with time, I knew they would go away.
After I finished, I walked out of the bathroom and landed on my bed, happily hugging my pillow and thinking about today.
Then I couldn't help but remember what Elizabeth had said earlier. "I mean, how many times did you calm him down for Laylah and Arianna? Charlotte was good, but when Spencer felt like it,"
'Who were those girls? Why did Elizabeth mention them before he did? Was there someone else?' I thought as I frowned, upset.
'I should have asked him, but I didn't want to come off as nosy. With time, he would tell me, right?' I thought as I sighed and got into bed.
As I got under the covers, I couldn't help but think of Celeste and Lily; after everything, how could I not think of her?
I was okay as long as my Father didn't get rid of her; I wanted to know how she was and if she was being treated well.
I could send a letter to Celeste, but I was worried that my Father would receive it, tear it, and send me one himself, upset or worse.
I quickly shook my head at the thought of him coming. I almost spilled the details at dinner, and I'm glad I didn't say anything yet.
I don't know them well and couldn't have them reach my Father, or this would not end well.
Not to make amends or anything, but to start because of everything, and I knew I would never be able to forgive myself for.
I sighed, laid back in bed, and remembered the good in today instead of the bad before drifting off into slumber.