Dawn -

I wake up to Iana opening the curtains. I can't remember how I got back here last night, but I must've ambled back and fallen asleep. Violet spots me waking up and starts curtsying, but then catches herself and stops.

"Good morning, Lady Dusk." She says softly.

Serrated knife.

"Good morning." I say to Violet, then turn to my left even though I know Dusk won't be there.

Overwhelming sadness overtakes me for a moment, then is replaced by hard resolve. I will go home. Yawning, I get out of bed and walk into the bathroom, where Lilac is prepping another bath. Shocked, I ask,

"What are you doing?" She looks startled, then simply says,

"Drawing your bath, My Lady."

Back in Dakota, we never had enough water for more than one shower a day, and sometimes we would have to skip a day. It was unhygienic but it was either that or lose food or electricity for a day, and that wasn't happening. Violet and Iana walk into the huge bathroom and lock the door behind them. I hold my arms out in a T so they can undress me. They do so with surprising efficiency, but this time I don't need help getting in the bath.

I sigh when the hot water meets my skin, and like yesterday, Lilac starts scattering lavender over the bubbles. I wonder whether they were grown in the palace gardens.

-o-

Half an hour later, I'm standing in front of the mirror, marveling at how they've transformed me while still looking like myself. My silver hair is tied up in a braided bun, which is officially my new favorite hairstyle. Silver leaf hairclips pin my hair up on either side, complimenting my lighter silver hair. I'm wearing a pale blue dress with spaghetti straps and what Iana tells me is a cowl neck. A white sash is tied at my waist, and white kitten heels are on my feet.

I feel sick every time I look at the giant jewelry box. Even one of the silver leaves is probably worth hundreds of dollars. After looking at the clock, it's about eight. Breakfast is at eight-thirty, so I still have some downtime. I want to chat with the girls a little more, but they say they have work to do and leave me in the room.

Dusk -

I wake up next to Brandon, tangled in white sheets. Smiling at him asleep on the bed next to me, Iremember how we got here. His blond hair is messy, and I can't help but think how perfect he looks. I sigh, feeling so utterly content. A few spots of blood mark the sheets, but the pain was worth everything that happened.

I hear a groan, and Brandon turns over and looks right at me, brown eyes piercing mine.

"Morning, Sweetheart." He says.

I blush. I've always been shy, but not like this, and not with Brandon. I become acutely aware of how naked we both are under these sheets.

"Morning." I say back.

He kisses me softly, and I kiss him back, easily wrapping my arms around him. He entertains me a little, then breaks the kiss.

"Last night was fun." He says mischievously.

I blush again. He knows what he's doing.

"It was." I agree.

He sits up, sheets pooling at his waist, and I remember how, not a few hours ago, we were tangled in each other.

"I need to get you home before someone notices you're gone." He says.

I nod, sitting up too. After all we've done, there is no need to hide myself from him. I stand, casting off the sheets and begin hunting for my abandoned clothes. He watches me, biting his lip, and I feel shy but not scrutinized. Finally, I find my clothes and quickly pull them on. When I look at Brandon, he's dressed too, and he leads me out of his room. I think I must be dreaming, because there's no way any of this has happened.

Mom told me that shortly after Queen America and King Maxon were married, they absolved all the rules on children born out of wedlock and intercourse before marriage. If they hadn't done that, I could be sentenced to death for what Brandon and I just did. Gratitude overwhelms me. Then sadness. I can't tell the other half of my heart about one of the most important things in my life.