"How dare you leave the premises unsupervised!"

"Mother-"

"Do you have any idea how worried we have been for the past weeks!"

"Liv-"

"How could you just leave? What were you even thinking?"

"Mother, that's enough." Surprisingly, it was Maria Lanstov who spoke up.

Adaline looked up for the first time at the gathered royals. She was escorted to the Strategy Room immediately as she stepped into the Grand Palace. Stefan had tried to talk to her but she had avoided eye contact very carefully.

She wasn't Adaline Chernoff, and she definitely wasn't Isabella Dominik. She was and always would be Sophie. That was her truth.

The Darkling had tried to make his way through the gathered crowd to get to her before she was overrun by the royals. Her place was in the Little Palace. She was supposed to be with him. He needed to talk to her.

Seeing her walk towards the castle with a certain determination in her eyes, he was only reminded of Sophie. But she was Adaline. The situation was very confusing but all he needed was to hear her voice again.

"I'm not sorry." Adaline spoke, receiving a long, cold stare from the queen. "I'm not sorry for leaving a place that I never wanted to live in. I'm not sorry for escaping through a secret route when I found out that both my parents were dead." She stood up from her chair. "I never wanted to be a part of any of this."

"But my dear girl," The softness in the Queen's voice broke her heart. She had no idea what was coming their way. "You already are a part of this."

That was true, but not in the way any of them thought. "I don't want to be. This isn't who I am. In the past few months, I haven't been able to treat anyone. I'm a doctor, nothing more."

"Adaline-" Stefan started.

"No." She said. "I needed time to think about....life and how uncertain it is." She looked at the King and Queen. "That's why I escaped. And it was exactly what it was - escaping. I don't belong here. Os Alta isn't where I imagined myself to be. This isn't who I am."

A silence filled the room.

"Maybe we should continue this tomorrow." Maria suggested. "We could all use some rest for the Annual Ball now that the...." She was going to call Adaline names but decided otherwise. "Now that Adaline is back."

If there was one thing that united Maria and Adaline, it was their love for Ravka and Stefan. "Thank you." Adaline mouthed.

Maria nodded as she led her father out of the room while they talked about the possibility of things changing around them. They let the uptight people make these decisions. They were more worried about what was going to happen if Adaline decided to stay or leave.

The Queen of Ravka paced the room as she made Adaline and Stefan wait for her real reaction. "Mother-"

"No." She held up her hand. "This is completely unacceptable and thoughtless on your part." She looked at Adaline. "You don't understand how worried we have been....how worried I have been."

"I was careful to dodge the guards everywhere. Sorry about that."

The Queen sighed as she took a seat next to Adaline at the setti. She took her hand in hers. "Adaline. I made a promise to your mother a long time ago that I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

Stefan noticed his mother, the strongest person he ever knew, getting emotional. "Mother-"

"No, Stefan. Let me talk." She turned back to Adaline. "I have been searching for you for the past decade and every time I came up at a dead end, I was hopeful that you would come home one day."

"Your Majesty-"

"Really?" A laugh escaped her throat. "I cannot believe that I have gone from 'mother' to 'Your Majesty'!" A sorrow filled her eyes. "I guess that time apart really does make changes."

Adaline blinked. The Queen considered Isabella her daughter. "Look." Adaline stood up and faced the Queen and the Prince. "I....don't think that I can do this. The whole royal life is not meant for me. I'm not Isabella anymore. I don't even know what happened between us but that's exactly my point. I'm not Isabella."

"We don't need you to be Isabella." The Queen said. "All we want is to be able to care for you."

Adaline knew it was pointless to try to argue. She turned her gaze on Stefan. "Stefan." She spoke. "I'm giving you an out. Take it." He couldn't meet her eyes because she was talking about the exact topic that he was fearing. "What I'm saying is that I want you to be free."

Stefan turned to her and looked her in the eyes. "I don't want to be free."

An impossible silence filled the room, which was broken by the Queen. "Let her go."

Stefan turned around to look at his mother. "What?" He couldn't have heard her right.

"Let her go." It pained her to say it but that was the fact in the hand. "She isn't Isabella. She isn't who we think her to be and it is not fair on our part to think of her as someone she isn't."

"Mother...."

She stood up. "I need some time to accept ths." She walked over to Adaline and pulled her into a hug. "Whatever you do, know that I love you."

Adaline was grateful for her honesty and openness. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you for understanding me." She was able to cut ties with one person. Two people once she counted Maxwell.

"Both of you get some sleep. You can let us know your decision after the ball tomorrow night."

The Queen left the room, and she left it in speechless silence. "Why?" There was a rage in Stefan's voice. He wasn't angry at her but he was angry at the situation that they were in.

For whatever she was about to do, she needed to say goodbye in her own way. "It's for the best."

"Adaline, I don't think you understand. I have grown to care for you....so deeply. I would give anything to spend my life, however long, at your side."

Adaline looked back and forth between his eyes. It was the same thing he had told her before. "I know you would." She said. "And that is exactly why I cannot do this." She looked at her feet and shook her head. "This cannot happen, Stefan. This is not who I am."

"Is this about him?"

She was right about him not understanding. "I'm sorry." She wasn't indicating anything but she wasn't denying anything either. She was using reverse psychology on him, because no matter how much she wanted to tell him the truth, she couldn't. There was another half to it. "This has nothing to do with anyone but me....and I cannot do this."

Stefan let out the weight on his chest. "Okay." He nodded. Adaline tried not to show her shock on her face, but the weight on her chest was back. "I guess life is unfair about these things. But know that I will always be here if you need anything."

She smiled weakly. Stefan was hurting but he was respecting her decision. This was the only way to let him go. "Thank you. For everything."

It was done.