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Dawn -

"What does it say?" Violet asks. Lilac and Iana aren't with us, for a change. I unfold the note. Itsays:

Dusk, I have no way to properly thank you. I hope you know how grateful I am to you for saving me. I'll never be able to repay you, no matter what you say. I'd like it if you could join me for a date when you're discharged from the hospital.

Austin

"Judging by the expression on your face, it was a nice letter." Violet remarks.

Too late, I realize I'm smiling. I smack her arm playfully and toss the letter to her. She catches it and reads it, then says she'll be right back. While I wait, I plop down on the bed and close my eyes, daring to imagine a world in which I actually participated in the selection. Maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing. And for once, I don't correct myself, at least not immediately. Then I remember that even if I fell in love with him, everyone thinks I'm Dusk and Dusk is me, and he might not even love me back. I don't know why the realization hurts so much. It shouldn't. Violet returns, holding a stack of papers.

"What's that for?" I ask her.

She just smiles knowingly and hands one to me.

"Write him a response." she tells me.

"Will you read it afterwards?" I ask.

"Only if you want me to." Violet says.

She opens the topmost drawer of the desk in the corner of the room opposite to the bed and places the neat stack of papers inside. I head over to the desk and sit down in the chair, taking a pen from the wooden cup on the edge of the desk that holds pens, pencils and quills. Ignoring Violet reading over my shoulder, I begin to write.

Your Highness,

Of course I'll meet you. I was discharged an hour ago. You can come whenever.

I almost sign it with my real name, but I stop myself and don't sign it at all. Violet smirks at me and I smack her again, handing it to her to deliver.

"I'll be back soon, Miss." she promises. I grin playfully.

"You better." I say.

-o-

Ten minutes after Violet returns, there's a knock on my door. Violet goes to open it, and I catch a glimpse of Austin's face before Violet says something and closes the door.

"The prince is here for you, Miss." she tells me.

"Thank you." I whisper.

I stand up, collecting myself and smoothing down my beige floor-length dress. Even though it's only sixteen minutes past three, Violet wanted to hide the bandages that still wrap over my bullet wound, so it's floor-length day dresses for the time being. I open the door.

"Hi." I say.

"Hi." he says back.

I step out of the room, closing the door behind me.

"You wanted to see me?" I ask.

"What? Oh, yeah." he says, rubbing the back of his neck and holding out his other arm for me to take, which I do.

"I just... you saved my life. The least I can do is spend some time with you." he explains.

Oh. That's right, he still thinks I'm here for him. And why wouldn't he?

"You're too kind, Your Highness." I say.

Austin looks at me with a pained expression.

"Are we really going to go back to this? Me digging for information about you while you dance around my questions?"

I take a breath. So he can tell what I've been doing.

"I-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"Please, Dusk. Please don't do this or I'll have to send you home." he pleads.

I swallow. How am I supposed to tell him that's exactly why I was doing it in the first place?

"I'll stop." I say.

"Promise me." he insists.

"I promise."

He smiles at me, and it lights up his whole face. "Let's start over. Hi, I'm Austin."

I smile. "Hi, I'm Dusk."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Dusk." he says playfully, doing a mock bow.

I giggle. "Likewise, Your Highness."

I play along, curtsying. "Where to?" I ask him.

"Wherever you want to go." he says.

I snicker. "It's your house. Take me somewhere you think I'd like."

He chuckles along with me.

"I suppose you're right." he admits.

"So where are you taking me?" I ask.

He makes a disapproving noise.

"Since you wouldn't pick, you'll find out when we get there." he says.

I roll my eyes in fake annoyance, and he chuckles at my expression.

"Fine." I grumble, just a little pissed that he's not telling me.

When we reach a hallway, Austin tells me to close my eyes.

"You better not be leading me to the kitchens to be butchered for your next puff pastry." I joke, letting him put his hands over my eyes and lead me.

His voice takes on a serious tone. "You're so naive. You've fallen for my trick. That's exactly what I'm doing."

I laugh, but he doesn't laugh with me. I slap his hands away, turning to face him.

"Wait ser-" I stop when I see him trying to stifle a laugh.

I punch him lightly on the shoulder, then let him cover my eyes again.

"You're not funny." I say.

"Yet you laughed." he shoots back.

I roll my eyes, then remember he can't see them.

"I'm rolling my eyes, by the way." I inform him.

"Well do it again, because you can look now."

His hands uncover my eyes to reveal a room full of musical instruments. I look around in wonder.

"How did you know?" I ask him.

He rubs the back of his neck again.

"I saw it on your application." he says.

I sigh, looking down. "You should probably know that I can't play any of these, though." I say.

He smiles. "I figured as much. Have you forgotten my mother was a Five?"

My jaw drops. I did forget.

"You mean, you play?" I ask.

I'm not sure why that's so hard for me to process.

He nods, picking up a guitar. "I can show you if you'd like."

I squeal with excitement. "Yes, of course!"

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Austin shows me how to tune the guitar, then sits me down on a chair and stands behind me, adjusting my posture and positioning my hands in the right places. I can feel his warm breath on my neck.

"Okay, now what do I do?" I ask, once my hands are in the right position.

"Now, I'm going to have a long talk with you about why you shouldn't run into dangerous situations without a weapon."

I giggle. "I'd argue that high heels are a weapon. I did save your life with them."

Section Thirty-Four

Austin -

After the date, I walk Dusk back to her room.

"Thank you for agreeing to come with me." I tell her.

This time I actually mean it.

"Thank you for asking me." she says, smiling at me.

My stomach flips. She's so beautiful when she smiles. Suddenly, I remember something.

"I forgot to mention this earlier, but the Italians are still here. Princess Ginevra wants you to dine with her in her room so she can personally thank you. Mine isn't the only life you saved." I tell Dusk.

"She's been here for three days?" she asks me.

I nod. "They were supposed to leave the day after the ball, but after the attack, she wanted to stay and personally thank you, and her parents decided to stay too. Our mothers are good friends." I explain.

Dusk smiles at me.

"I... I had fun." she says.

I smile back. "Me too. I hope we can go out again some time."

She looks a little awkward. She opens her mouth to talk at the same time I do.

"You first." I say.

She smiles again. I remember when she first came here, she didn't smile much. Now she can't seem to stop. Maybe whatever it was that made her sad isn't part of her life anymore.

"Can you sing for me next time?" she asks.

It takes me by surprise, and I rub the back of my neck nervously.

"I don't really sing." I say.

"Please?" she begs.

I sigh. "Maybe." I see her small smile a second before it vanishes.

"What were you going to say?" she asks me.

I put a hand on the wall next to the doorframe and lean against it. "I was thinking, we should have some kind of way to signal to each other when we want to meet."

This time I see her blush.

"Why?" she asks.

"Well, you're interesting and funny, and it's much better than everyone knowing every time we see each other. I want to see you more." I say.

Her maid says something from behind her, and she looks distracted. "

What about rubbing our eyes?" she asks.

I consider it, then shake my head. "That can't possibly be good for you."

"Then what about tapping our noses? The number of taps could mean different things." she suggests.

I grin ruefully. "That would be perfect. Until next time, Lady Dusk."

She grabs my arm as I turn to leave.

"Just call me Dusk." she says.

I smile and nod, telling her to call me Austin.

-o-

"How was your date with Dusk?" Mom asks.

We're sitting on my bed in the Princes Suite. I smile.

"She's nothing like I imagined. Did you know she likes music?" I tell her.

Mom smiles, running a hand through her red hair, which she's left down for once.

"I'm not surprised. She does sound like she'd have a beautiful voice. By the way, you should ask her if she's ever considered putting streaks or highlights of other colors in her hair." she says.

I frown. "Why would I ask her that?"

"I think it would look good with her silver hair." Mom says.

"I'll ask her next time." I say.

Mom looks into my eyes, the same as hers.

"Do you think she'd do the blood transfusion for Pudding?" she asks seriously.

I immediately nod. "Yes. I just need to get her to trust me first. It's too soon right now."

Mom nods. "I love you, Doodle." she says, before getting up and walking to the door.

"Mom, how will I know when I've fallen in love with someone?"

She smiles at me. "You'll know when you start dreaming about them, when your heart beats faster whenever you're around them. You'll know because you won't be able to imagine a world without them in it." she tells me.

Her eyes look sad.

"Did you... did you love anyone before Dad?" I ask, after a moment of hesitation.

She gives me a sad smile. "Yes. But I'll tell you about it later." Then she leaves.

Lunaris -

Thank God the next newspaper headlines told us Dawn woke up from her coma after three days. There aren't any detailed accident reports, but we know she was shot in the leg while saving the prince and another one of the selected. My heart swelled when I read that she was shot saving someone else. That's exactly what I'd imagine her getting shot doing. She's the most selfless person I know. Briefly, I wonder if there's any chance she's fallen in love with the prince, but then I squash it. If she has, she'd have mentioned it in her letter to me. She told me to care of Astra, but she also knows I already do that. I'm Astra's protector. I'd never let anything happen to her. Except it almost did. But I didn't let it. God I miss Dawn. She was the only one I could fully relate to. It just isn't the same with Dusk; they're not the same person. I've already written back using one of the papers she sent us. It's good to know she still remembers how poor we are, sending paper because we can't afford to spend money on it. Though Dusk has already written a stack of letters for her that she refuses to send because she keeps stubbornly believing Dawn will be back any day. I guess that's one quality they both have in common. They're both the most stubborn people I've ever met.

"Ari, come quick!" I hear Lia shriek.

I race towards the sound of her voice, but she's only looking out of the window excitedly.

"Jeez, Lia, I thought someone broke in." I complain, going to stand next to her.

"What are you even- oh!" I cut myself off.

Dusk and Brandon of all people are walking hand in hand right outside the house, and they look in love!

"Isn't this wonderful?" Lia squeaks.

I smile at her. "Yes. They do seem to be happy."

We watch as Brandon leans in and brushes a strand of silver hair away from Dusk's face and whispers something that makes her blush. At least one of my sisters is happy.

Ty for reading the whole chapter! Again, I'd really love if you could take one minute out of your day to leave a review. It means the world to me to see what you all think!