One week later

Rosalie

"Stop! Please stop, Your Majesty, or else it won't be easy to hide," said a familiar voice as my Father stopped.

"Make sure she's ready to go. We leave in twenty minutes," he said, throwing me onto the floor as he walked away.

Once the door closed, Celeste, my nanny, approached me quickly and tried to help me get up, but I couldn't move.

"There, there, my child, don't worry, he is gone now," she said, but I could barely hear her.

My life hasn't always been as simple and wonderful as many people think it is. Yes, I am a princess, but that came at a terrible price.

My Mother died giving birth to me, and my Father couldn't accept that; he disliked and blamed me for my Mother's death.

From the moment I was born, and my Mother wasn't breathing anymore, he sent me, his only daughter, away like a piece of trash just thrown away.

I lived with my aunt in a nearby cottage till the age of 7, when she died of a heart attack, forcing me to come back into my Father's life.

My aunt and I didn't have much, but we lived very happily in the cottage. How I wished she was still here with me, but like my Mother, she left me.

Ever since I came back to the castle, my life has been a living nightmare; I'm always hiding and staying away as far as possible from my Father.

Sometimes, I'm lucky, while other times, I am not. Since day one, there hasn't been a day my Father hasn't struck me.

Like the staging away part, sometimes I am lucky, and other times I am not, especially when he's wasted on liquor.

At first, he did it when no one was around, even the servants; now, he doesn't care. In fact, he seems to enjoy it more when he has an audience.

However, when my nanny Celeste is here, he goes easier on me because she reminds him of the presentations we have.

Of course, he doesn't want his people to know the true monster he is and how he beats his daughter.

I have learned to use makeup to cover my bruises from the public's eye whenever we have places to attend.

I hate going, but as his heir, I have to go, and I think he partially does this to present me to available men to marry me off.

I am known as his trophy daughter; he brags to everyone about me to see who's willing to offer him a lot for me.

Although I am surprised that he has yet to do it, many have offered right before me, but he has yet to budge.

At first, I thought it was because maybe he did love me in his own way, but he doesn't. My Father doesn't love anyone.

Suddenly, I felt a hot and stinging sensation on my skin, and then I realized that I was in the tub with warm water.

I must have been so deep in thought that I didn't notice when Celeste placed me inside the tub.

"The warm water will help heal the bruises," she said as she washed my hair, and I nodded.

'If only they could heal my scars,' I thought as I closed my eyes and leaned my head back.

My only peace was when I was with my horse, Lily. She is a beautiful white Pegasus that I inherited from my Mother.

I learned to ride her in secret. My Father never approved of me taking riding lessons, so I learned secretly.

The only person who knew was my nanny. Sometimes, she would even cover for me whenever I went out to take a ride with her.

I needed to do something; I just couldn't be here all the time with him and receive abuse without having anything to distract me.

I never even got the chance to experience school and make some friends. I only went for two days, and after that, he didn't let me return.

If I am being honest, though, I think it was because of the abuse. Everyone would have known, and I don't see how that would have ended.

I was starting to feel cold, and then I realized the water in the tub was getting cold.

Celeste grabbed a towel and turned to face me as I stood up. She placed it on me before walking out of the tub.

She placed a towel in my hair as I tried to dry myself slightly before we walked towards my closet.

Once we entered the closet, I sat on the stool seats and looked around the closet.

"Here, let's try this one," said Celeste as I nodded, not looking at the dress.

Quickly, Celeste helped me change into my dress as I placed my heels on and walked towards my vanity.

I removed my towel from my hair, and she placed it inside the bathroom and brushed it quickly.

Thankfully, my blonde locks weren't crazy; they were wavy enough for curls but also enough for straight hair.

As Celeste walked out of my bathroom, I finished brushing my hair as she applied makeup to my face.

The good thing was that my dress had long sleeves, so it covered the bruises on my arms.

"There all done; you can't notice anything. I even added a bit of pink lipstick on your lips," she said as I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," I said, standing up as I noticed the beautiful dress Celeste had picked out for me.

It was a beautiful light purple, almost lavender off-the-shoulder puff with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.

It was presentable but covered precisely what it needed to cover and what not; she used makeup to cover up.

She had placed on a teardrop Diamond necklace, with a matching headpiece tiara headband and round Diamond earrings.

"You look beautiful; I wish your Mother were here to see you," she said, tearing up as I smiled.

"Me too, Nana, me too," I said as she smiled, and I sighed.

"I better get going before he comes looking for me," I said as she nodded.

"Be safe, my darling, and I will see you when you get back here," she said, and I smiled slightly and nodded.

As I exited the door, I couldn't help but wonder why I was going to this reunion with my Father; I think this meeting was about their trade system.

I have nothing to do with it. In fact, we don't talk about business like that, so why even bother?

Like I said, I didn't go to school, and for that, no one knows me or that I am my Father's child.

"Your Majesty, your Father is waiting for you inside the carriage," said our steward as I nodded.

"This way, please," he said as I followed him outside to the carriage.

Once outside, he opened the door for me, and since my Father didn't even bother to do that, I stepped inside and sat.

My Father patted the inside of the coach and told the coachman to go, and within a few minutes, we were in the air.

"Now, remind me again, what are your orders?" Asked my Father as I swallowed hard.

"Don't speak unless spoken to, be as invisible as I can, and don't wander off," I said as he nodded.

"And most importantly?" He asked as I sighed.

"Don't bother you or cause trouble," I said as he smiled and nodded.

"That's right, my dear. This ball is very important to me, and I will not let you ruin it for me," he said, grasping my arm.

"Look at me!" He said as I looked at my arm before getting his eyes all dark and cold.

"If you do anything to screw this up, I will make sure you regret this, understand?" He asked, gripping tighter as I nodded before he let go.

'Shit, this is going to bruise easily.' I thought as I brought my arm closer to me and began to rub it slightly.

'Good thing I decided to wear a long-sleeve dress, or else people would have noticed and started to ask.' I thought as I looked out the window.

I couldn't help but think of my beautiful horse, Lily. She was truly a beauty and a wonderful horse.

Anytime I needed cheering up or a distraction, I could always count on her to help me feel better.

However, something got me confused and a bit worried. Last week, when I took her for a ride, she seemed to get out of control.

Lily has never done that before, but last week was her first time, and I couldn't figure out why.

I usually space out a few times, but she has never acted like she did last week, so what changed this time?

The only thing I could think of was that because of the location we were going to, I usually guided her, but this time, I let her choose.

Maybe we got lost, and she didn't know where we were and panicked because I had never been to the place she took us a week ago.

Suddenly, I felt the carriage make a dive down, causing me to look out the window as my eyes widened.

'This…This was the place I came with Lily a week ago, but what are we doing here?' I thought as I got nervous.

'What are we doing here? Please tell me the meeting is not here,' I thought, panicking.

It wasn't until the carriage stopped and the coachman opened the door for us to exit that I realized this was our destination.

'Shit,' I thought as I walked out, and my Father extended his arm for me to take and exit the carriage.

This was the only time my Father actually took hold of me or said nice things to me, and how could he not he was surrounded by people.

He didn't want anyone to know that he was abusing his daughter, that could build a terrible reputation for him.

As I took hold of my Father's arm, we walked towards the castle's entrance, as many people did.

"Welcome to Whelsire, Welcome to Whelsire," said a man to all the guests walking in. I smiled at him and slightly nodded my head.

'Good thing I wore a mask when I was riding,' I thought as we walked inside the castle.

Once we arrived at the ballroom, I couldn't help but admire the castle. It was gorgeous and full of friendly staff.

I wished I lived here and that my castle was full of life, but sadly, it wasn't.

My Father and I walked towards his circle of friends and allies. Even though I very much wanted to leave, I couldn't.

I was stuck here, being his silent shadow; I smiled and waved to each of his friends as I stood behind like I always did.

"Ricardo, why don't you just send her off already? My son is, in fact, looking for a bride," said a man, and my eyes widened at the sound of this.

"My daughter was born to be queen; her husband must be fit to rule, and Lords aren't the best candidates," said my Father as I looked at the man look at my Father upset.

"She's not even worth that much; she's just a silly girl," said the man, chuckling as my Father smiled.

"That may be so, but she's still a princess; your son isn't. You have nothing to offer me for her," he said as the man rolled his eyes.

"Trust me, you won't get much for her," he said as my Father chuckled.

"I know how to handle business; you leave that to me," he said, smiling. The man rolled his eyes and looked at me before shaking his head.

I didn't like this man at all; he made me really scared, but he was my Father's closest friend.

I looked towards my right and swallowed hard as my eyes landed on a pair of familiar green eyes.

'Shit.' I thought as I quickly looked down to avoid being recognized.

I couldn't believe it—he was here. The young man I met a week ago after I crashed is here.

From the looks of it, I wasn't wrong to call him a prince; Whelsire is his home.

But then again, maybe I'm assuming he's a prince here, and he isn't. I mean, he could be a lord.

'I hope he doesn't remember me,' I thought as I heard the sound of a wine glass to get everyone's attention.

It was then that everyone quickly became silent. We looked to the stage entrance of the ballroom and noticed people standing there.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you King Hugo and Queen Sofia of Whelsire along with their son Prince William," said the announcer as my eyes widened.

'Never doubt yourself again on this one.' I thought to myself as people stopped their clapping.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My queen and I would like to thank you all for showing," said King Hugo.

"As you may all know, there have been some rumors about what has been going on with the trade treaty," he added as people began to ask questions.

"Is it true?" Asked a woman.

"What can we do to protect?" Asked a man.

"It's probably a lie to have us as the underdog," added another man as I looked at the queen, who seemed upset.

"Please, everyone, calm down," said Queen Sofia as she stood up.

"My husband and I want to ensure that this isn't gossip; it's real," she added as everyone gasped.

"It is. We were attacked a few days ago, and sadly, it confirmed the rumors," said King Hugo.

"We have a traitor in our trade treaty system, which is why we have called everyone," said Queen Sofia as a man interrupted her.

"To do what? Interrogate us? Huh?" said a man, upset as people began to get slightly upset.

"That was not our intention. We simply wanted to talk about the trade system," said King Hugo.

"We are proposing a re-alliance with certain kingdoms and a dropping point with others," said Queen Sofia as everyone began to whisper.

"If you want to strengthen alliances with kingdoms or break certain contracts, this is the time to do that," said King Hugo.

"We have King Bailey, who made official documents and is ready to have them notarized," added Queen Sofia as many looked confused.

"You don't have to do anything. No one is being forced, but we do have options for you all," said a familiar voice.

I turned to see a pair of green eyes. It was the same young man, Prince William, whom I met a week ago.

However, something seemed off. I felt as if he was talking to me directly because ever since I spotted him, I could feel his gaze on me.

"Your kingdom is in trouble, and you need to ensure you secure your people and their safety first," he said as I saw his parents smile.

He was good; he barely said a few words and already had people nodding and listening to him.

"Whelsire will always be open to those who need help, but you need to ensure you have your kingdoms covered or have an alliance you can count on," said King Hugo as everyone nodded.

"We have treaty papers to amend and break; choose wisely, and good luck," said Queen Sofia as everyone began to chatter again.

I looked down before looking up at my Father, who seemed to be in thought. I wanted to say something, but I knew better.

"Ricardo, what do you say?" Said my Father's friend as he nodded.

"Of course, let's go sign our deal," said my Father as they disappeared.

Then, I realized I was on my own and couldn't help but relax. I looked at the line for the treaty arrangement and smiled.

The line was slightly long, meaning he would be gone for a couple of minutes.

I decided to walk around and try to be as invisible as possible since I knew it would take a while for my Father to finish up.

I walked around and couldn't help but wonder why I was stuck in this meeting when many other heir's weren't involved.

While walking, I noticed a big window door open. I looked inside it and noticed it led outside the ballroom.

I quickly walked in without hesitating and noticed it led to the balcony outside the ballroom.

As I walked, I couldn't help but look at the night sky, its beautiful moon, and stars.

"Are you alright?" Asked a familiar voice as my eyes widened.

I quickly turned around to see a pair of green eyes looking at me. It was then that two things happened.

One, I felt fear. Fear that my Father will see and think I broke one of the rules and I will get beaten again.

Two, I felt something I never thought I would experience in my entire life—a rapid heartbeat.

I quickly turned toward the door to see if my Father was staring, and thank goodness that he wasn't.

Then I turned to face William again before I shook my head as he looked at me, a bit confused.

"Are you okay?" he asked as I shook my head again and began to walk towards the door. He took hold of my hand, making me look up to him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said as I continued to monitor the door and looking at him.

"You're scared of something, aren't you?" He asked as I got a bit nervous and slightly nodded my head.

"You have to leave," I whispered so low I wasn't sure he heard it.

"I can help you," he said, extending his hand to me. I quickly shook my head, realizing my Father had spotted me and was walking this way.

'Shit! Shit! No, no, no.' I thought as I panicked as my Father got closer to us.

"There you are, my darling Rosalie. I have been looking all over for you. Where have you been?" he asked, sounding worried as I swallowed hard.

"Come, it's time to go," he said as I began to walk towards him.

"I hope she wasn't trouble, young Prince," said my Father as I continued to look down at the floor.

"No, King Ricardo, she was no trouble at all. In fact, she didn't speak at all," he said, which surprised me.

"Really?" Asked my Father as I could feel his gaze on me.

"Really, I didn't think it would be wise to leave her alone unattended with a lot of guests," said Prince William.

"You are right; thank you so much for taking care of my daughter, Prince William. I will be forever in your debt," said my Father as I looked up.

"Is she always this quiet?" Asked William as I looked up to my Father, smiling then at him.

"Always is, why most likely, in fact," said my Father, smiling as William raised his eyebrow.

"I thought she was trained to be seen and not heard since that's what most kingdoms still do," said William as my eyes widened.

"I never said she wasn't trained or like that," said my Father, smiling as William raised his eyebrow and nodded.

"Sounds like a good business," said William as my eyes widened and my Father smiled joyfully.

"It is," he said, smiling as I couldn't help but worry.

"Let's go, Rosalie," said my Father, smiling as I nodded.

"It was nice meeting you, King Ricardo," said William as my Father smiled.

"Likewise, Prince William," said my Father as he took hold of my arm, and we walked out.

Once we arrived at the carriage, we quickly got in, and I was expecting the worst, yet it didn't come.

I was a bit confused and nervous about what the hell happened. I saw the guy who went to help me when I crashed with my horse again.

Even more worse, he seemed to know my Father. How did he know who my Father was? His friends were always the same ones, and he stayed in the dark.

The good thing was that he did not recognize me at all, which was good, but even if he did, I don't think it would have been terrible.

I mean, he did lie for me. He told my Father I didn't speak at all when, in fact, I did. I told him to leave, and he told him I didn't say a word.

Once we arrived at the palace, I was a bit relieved, especially since nothing seemed wrong, but I was wrong.

As soon as we stepped out of the carriage, he gripped my arm tightly and dragged me inside the palace.

It felt like an eternity until I heard a door open, and he threw me onto the floor. I got up slightly to notice I was in my room.

"You stupid girl, you really couldn't follow one simple instruction, could you?" He asked as I looked down.

"You are really starting to annoy me; maybe I should find you a husband to get rid of you," he said as I felt tears fall.

"Since it seems you couldn't follow orders, you don't get any supper," said my Father as I avoided eye contact.

I closed my eyes and was ready for my beating, but it never came; instead, I heard my doors slam shut.

Then I felt a familiar feeling of arms around me, and I knew it was Celeste.

"Come child, let's get you cleaned up," said Celeste as she helped me, and we headed towards the bathroom.

There, she helped me change into my nightgown, remove my makeup and jewelry, and rest my hair down.

I even decided to take a quick bath to make sure all the makeup was washed off. After all, I was going to be here, so it didn't matter if they weren't covered; everyone knew.

"There, good as new," said Celeste as I couldn't help but smile slightly.

"If only that were the case, Celeste," I whispered so low I thought she wouldn't be able to hear me, but from her sigh, I guess I was wrong.

"I'm sorry, my child," she said as she brushed my hair. I avoided eye contact with her through the mirror.

I didn't want to look at myself because I knew how I was going to look, and I didn't want to see myself; I was ashamed and embarrassed.

I stood up and walked towards my bed. She followed me, and I sat on my bed and placed my covers on top.

"Thank you, Celeste," I said, slightly smiling as she smiled and nodded.

"You're welcome, my child; sleep tight and try to relax," she said as I nodded and lay on my pillow.

She blew the candle and began walking towards my door as I closed my eyes to try to get some sleep.

However, the moment I closed my eyes, I saw a pair of familiar green eyes, and my heart began to beat rapidly.

At that moment, I found myself smiling, and my stress and worry gradually disappeared.

'What is going on? Why do I feel slightly happy upon seeing William's eyes?' I thought to myself.

'I barely know the guy. Why is it that my heart feels like it already knows him?' I thought as I felt myself grow even more tired before officially falling asleep.

Prince William

I couldn't believe today was the day of the ball. Part of me was happy, while another part was annoyed.

Honestly, I never really liked balls, but I liked this one because it was more about politics and business.

Even so, by being there, I was being presented essentially as my Father's heir. I was so happy that I was finally going to start getting more involved with kingdom matters.

As I finished getting ready for the ball, I couldn't help but remember what had happened a week before.

For some strange reason, I couldn't forget about the girl I met; something about her made me wonder.

Knock knock

I heard a knock at the door, snapping me out of my thoughts as I quickly turned towards it.

"Come in," I said as the door opened to reveal my parents smiling.

"Are you ready?" Asked Dad as I nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, smiling. Mom smiled proudly and fixed the collar of my shirt real quick.

"I am so proud of you; we both are," she said as I smiled before she hugged me.

"Let's go," I said as they nodded, and we began walking towards the ballroom.

Once we arrived, we saw it was already filled with many people; we walked in and headed towards the stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you King Hugo and Queen Sofia of Whelsire along with their son Prince William," said the announcer as my eyes widened.

'Never doubt yourself again on this one.' I thought to myself as people stopped their clapping.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My queen and I would like to thank you all for showing up," said Dad as Mom and I smiled.

"As you may all know, there have been some rumors about what has been going on with the trade treaty," he added as people began to ask questions.

"Is it true?" Asked a woman.

"What can we do to protect?" Asked a man.

"It's probably a lie to have us as the underdog," added another man as this began to make me very upset.

They were basically calling my parents liars and traitors; how could they possibly think they would lie to take advantage of them?

'Breath, breathe, just stay calm and breathe,' I said to myself as I took a few deep breaths and began to calm down.

"Please, everyone, calm down," said Mom as she stood up.

"My husband and I want to ensure that this isn't gossip; it's real," she added as everyone gasped.

"It is. We were attacked a few days ago, and sadly, it confirmed the rumors," said Dad.

"We have a traitor in our trade treaty system, which is why we have called everyone," said Mom as a man interrupted her.

"To do what? Interrogate us? Huh?" said a man, upset as people began to get slightly upset.

"That was not our intention; we simply wanted to talk about the trade system," said Dad.

"We are proposing a re-alliance with certain kingdoms and a dropping point with others," said Mom as everyone began to whisper.

"If you want to strengthen alliances with kingdoms or break certain contracts, this is the time to do that," said Dad.

"We have King Bailey, who made official documents and is ready to have them notarized," added Mom, as many looked confused.

"You don't have to do anything. No one is being forced, but we do have options for you all," I said as everyone turned to look at me.

I watched my parents speak to the people, yet some seemed scared or confused, and I felt like I had to say something.

When I finally spoke, I looked at the audience and couldn't help but land my eyes on someone who seemed familiar yet distant.

My eyes landed on a young girl with long, wavy blond hair and blue eyes almost resembling a familiar shade.

I wanted to keep looking at her, but I had a duty to attend to. Still, as I spoke, I barely left my gaze off her.

"Your kingdom is in trouble, and you need to secure your people's safety first," I said, looking around.

"Whelsire will always be open to those who need help, but you need to ensure you have your kingdoms covered or have an alliance you can really count on," said Dad as everyone nodded.

"We have treaty papers to amend and break. Choose wisely, and good luck," said Mom as everyone began to chatter once more.

Once we finished, I walked off the stage where our thrones were and began to walk around the ballroom.

I wouldn't be lying if I said I didn't want to find the girl, but I had to walk around slightly and greet certain people.

"Ah, there you are," said a familiar voice as I turned to see Edward approaching me as I looked at him confused.

"You came?" I asked him as he nodded.

"Of course, and good thing I did because I saw that," he said, smirking as I raised my eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as he chuckled slightly.

"Brother, I was standing towards the side, and I noticed where or whom you were staring at," he said as I tried to hide my expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said as he padded my shoulder and smiled.

"Sure, sure. Go see her, and I'll help with your duties," he said as my eyes widened.

"Go before I change my mind," he said as I slightly smiled.

"I won't be long," I said as he nodded, and I went to find her.

I wandered around the ballroom for a while and was about to give up when I noticed one of the doors that led to the balcony was opened.

'Odd?' I thought as I headed that way and found her looking up at the stars.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as she quickly turned around. It was then that I noticed her blue eyes.

However, what got me a bit concerned was that her eyes were so blue that they almost looked purple.

They seemed very familiar, even her hair, but I couldn't quite remember this moment. Everything seemed to be happening fast.

I noticed that she was quickly turning to look towards the door. Was she worried I would hurt her?

Or was it that she was looking to escape? Or looking for someone, perhaps? Which, in that scenario, made my blood boil.

Her beautiful eyes looked at me again once more, and she shook her head. I looked at her, confused.

"Are you okay?" I asked again while she shook her head and began walking towards the door.

I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. I didn't want her to leave yet; I needed to know who she was.

It was then that I did the quickest thing I could think of: I grabbed her hand, making her look up at me.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said as she continued to monitor the door and looking at me.

Then I couldn't help but think of something I didn't want to; she seemed very alert, almost as if she was afraid of someone.

"You're scared of something, aren't you?" I asked her, noticing that she quickly got a bit nervous and slightly nodded her head.

"You have to leave," she whispered so low I barely heard it, but I did.

The little dove spoke and told me she was afraid, but I needed to leave.

"I can help you," I said, extending my hand to her. She quickly shook her head, and I noticed the panic on her face.

'Shit! The bastard she was afraid of found her and headed this way towards us,' I thought as I felt my blood boil.

I wanted to fight him, but I knew that wasn't the answer; I needed to stay calm and play their game. After all, that's how you win.

"There you are, my darling Rosalie; I have been looking all over for you. Where have you been?" Asked a familiar voice as I turned to see him.

I could automatically tell he was faking it. He was trying to sound and look worried as I saw her swallow hard.

"Come, it's time to go," he said as she began to walk towards him.

"I hope she wasn't trouble young Prince," said King Ricardo as I smiled and shook my head as she looked at the floor.

"No, King Ricardo, she was no trouble at all. In fact, she didn't speak at all," I said, and I noticed her eyes widened.

"Really?" Asked King Ricardo as he looked at her, surprised.

"Really, I didn't think it would be wise to leave her alone unattended with a lot of guests," I said as he raised his eyebrow at me before smiling.

"You are right; thank you so much for taking care of my daughter, Prince William. I will be forever in your debt," He said as she looked at us.

"Is she always this quiet?" I asked smiling at King Ricardo as he nodded smiling.

"Always is, why most likely, in fact," he said as I raised his eyebrow at her as she looked at me.

"I thought she was trained to be seen and not heard since that's what most kingdoms still do," I said as her eyes widened.

"I never said she wasn't trained or like that," he said as I raised my eyebrow and nodded.

"Sounds like a good business," I said as I noticed her eyes widened as King Ricardo smiled with joy.

"It is," he said, smiling as I nodded, and she looked worried.

Obviously, I didn't want her Father to think she was of interest; it's better that he thinks it's more of a business.

"Let's go, Rosalie," said her Father, smiling as she nodded.

"It was nice meeting you, King Ricardo," I said as her Father smiled.

"Likewise, Prince William," he said, taking hold of her arm and walking out. I stared at them from afar, trying not to make it obvious that she caught my attention.

I never really met King Ricardo one-on-one. I rarely attended the meetings, and he always seemed to be far away.

I learned about him from school since he and my Father never really made any alliance. Still, I wonder if they know each other.

As I walked back to Edward, I noticed him walking away from King Leo, and this made me frown.

"Back already?" He asked as I nodded.

"Didn't go as planned?" He asked as I shook my head.

"Let's just say it was very interesting, and I am not going to stop there," I said as he looked at me, confused.

"Be careful, brother, don't go in so deep that you won't be able to come out," he said as I smirked.

"Oh, little brother, it's like you don't know me at all," I said, smirking as he shook his head and smiled.

For the rest of the night, we talked with many kings, queens, dukes, and duchesses about the plans. Many tied the treaties, while others broke theirs to be safe.

Honestly, I don't blame them because, at this point, you don't know who you can and can't trust.

When the night ended, we bid goodbye to all our guests and thanked them for coming.

"You did an amazing job today, son," said Dad as I smiled, and Mom nodded.

"Thank you. It's better to be frank and let them see that we're not the enemy here," I said as they nodded.

"And you did an excellent job," said Mom, smiling as I nodded.

"Any people strengthened with us?" I asked as Mom smiled and nodded while Dad semi-smiled.

"What's important is that we have the family strength for the moment," he said as I nodded.

"But?" I asked as he sighed.

"We should talk about the rest tomorrow; we had a late night today," he said as I nodded.

"Alright, sounds good, Dad," I said as he nodded.

"Have a good night, sweetheart," said Mom as I nodded and hugged them before retreating to my room.

However, it wasn't just me; my brother was also walking with me since his room was around the same place as mine.

"Think about what I said, brother," said Edward as I chuckled at him.

"Goodnight, baby-bro," I said, smiling as I continued to walk as he entered his room.

Once in my room, I quickly changed into my night clothes before heading to bed.

While lying on my bed, I couldn't help but think of the young girl I had seen that day. Rosalie is her name, I think.

Why was I so attracted to her? I mean, she is beautiful and all, but there was something about her that I couldn't shake off.

Even so, when my eyes met here, my heart began to beat rapidly like it did those years ago when I was a child.

'Could she be the girl from Royal prep when I was a child?' I thought as I shook my head.

Not possible because then again, why did I feel my heart beat again a week ago when I saw that girl who crashed her horse?

They couldn't possibly be the same person, or could they? It didn't make any sense; everything was very confusing and strange.

I'd say I'd have to analyze this with care and compare. Now that I think of it, they did have the same pair of blue eyes.

Sure, anyone can say many people have blue eyes, but Rosalie's eyes were different. They were a shade of blue that almost looked purple.

They looked exactly the same as the girl I met at Royal Prep all those years ago. Now that I think about it, they also have the same golden wavy hair.

I rubbed my forehead as I thought about their similarities with the rider girl I met. The only thing the three had in common was their eyes.

I didn't notice the rider's hair since it was hidden, while Rosalie's looked the same as the girl from Royal prep.

I needed to get some answers, but I knew I wasn't going to get them easily, especially since she seemed afraid of her Father.

One thing is certain: if she is who I think she is. King Ricardo is going to regret hurting my little dove.

'I lost her once, and I'll be damned if I lose her again.' I thought as I drifted into slumber, thinking of my little dove.