"Imperarie sibi maximus imperium est"

Two months later

When you are expecting for a time to run it goes so slow you think you are frozen. Something in that statement reminded me on that night. Amelia wanted me to help them take the throne for themselves. In return, they promised to get me out of here so Prince would never search for me or my family again.

Time. Such a statement. These two months just flew by. When I turned to another corner I was already rushing toward Mrs Gren for another lesson, for another class.

But on another one was two men I would meet in my rush in the castle. The first one I was glad when I would meet him. It was Danniel and his warm smile would just brighten my whole day. I didn't know how to explain it but the smile he would gift me whenever we would meet was something I never experienced before. It just warmed my heart.

Oh but the second one: The Crown Prince and his cold smile would make chills run down my spine.  Our relationship, if we can call it that way was hot-cold. One second he was threating me to stop seeing with Danniel, and on the other, we would meet at midnight on the terrace and talk. Well, he usually talked. I was the listener translator. His words made this world to sound horrible. He was describing the childhood he had. One one side I enjoyed his passion for some things. The way he explained to me how something was made, how he felt when the first bullet run next to his head, how he felt when he killed for the first time. Everything was so juicy, filled with details like I was there.

He was in fronts, fights, countries since he was a child. He went into the war when he was 14. Father wanted him to become the best of the best. And his mother hated him.

And he became the best. But for what price? The scars on his skin were just memories but scars on his soul. On some days I even questioned the existence of his soul.

If you wanted to get close to him it was pointless. Once when I offered him compassion for his wound he convinced me I was nothing. I didn't know him and I never will. I wasn't there when that happened so how I could offer compassion to him?

Those are some tiny pieces of his complicated character you can't understand even if you wanted. You get one layer off, just to uncover countless more, and he is not even trying to change. Sometimes I think he enjoyed in all demons too much to fight them.

No one stays normal after the war at the age of 14. That is impossible.

So I just gave up. I listened to him and placed those stories in a special part of my brain to use them in the time of need.

Days when he described his power were something or of this place. How he felt the power from inside out, the way it collects in the cells before rushing through his blood. The way it filled his spirit, drawn me to feel it on my skin.

Weird. But I wanted to feel that power he felt when you can control every single people in the kingdom. Well, not every single one. Not anymore.

And finally me. Living in the castle didn't change me just outside. It changed me in the person. Here they thought you how to talk with maids, with soldiers, with guards, with the Prince, the Queen, and the King. Simple, with everyone. You had a lot to learn, to learn enemies, allies, and who came from where. Something so you could keep the conversation going. A lady talk, like Mrs Gren liked to say.

The fact I didn't meet Queen was a sign I didn't deserve to be in her company. Mrs Gren liked to compare me to a dog. An old stubborn dog who would end up alone because of the way I acted.

I don't want to leave some of my habits. And she hated that. But on the good side, I learnt which spoon to use, how to sit straight and how to talk. Slow, cold and calculated.

"Talk like you know every single thing about them, even if you don't. Make them wonder how far you met them; with their friends and their enemies. Make them crawl from fear in your presence. Then, and only then you are allowed to name persons you know. Not to brag but to remind them where they belong.

I remembered those words, and that is why I remembered all the things about the Prince. Maybe I didn't know his enemies but surely I knew his past. And from the past, you learn how they feel.

When I would wait for a night to fall I remembered Amelia. She was Prince's enemy, and she surely pushed to represent Prince like a monster. But she didn't know how I knew Prince's monster in person.

She scared me. Her whole group scared me. They wanted throne so badly they were ready to kill for it. And killing someone who can control time wouldn't end up well.

On one hand, I wanted to say something to the Prince, but at the same time, I couldn't. He would kill them all. In-person I'm sure. And they were mine. My people, someone I grew up with. No matter how much Prince tried to cover that up I was same as them.

So I stood shut. She visited me one night in my room.

"Nice. You got the best apartment." Someone said, and I woke up.

My eyes were blurry from sleep and I couldn't see who that is.

"Who is this?" I said rubbing my eyes. Better.

I saw someone's figure sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Amelia." Said a voice, and I smiled. Even though my best friend want to take Prince's throne I still loved her.

She is with me since childhood. I would do anything for her.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"I came to talk with you." She said in a normal voice.

"Shh. Quiet. Prince is in the next room." I came closer to her.

"Oh, relax. Prince is not here. He is with the King in a north wing. They are talking about some city." She waved with hands in the air and smiled.

Oh, my goodness. She knew everything.

"How do you know all of that?" I asked her.

"I will tell you someday. But I'm here in business."

"What? What are you talking about? What business?" I really don't know what you are talking about."

"You will know soon." She smiled.

"Our leader wants to see you, and if you want to join us."

"What? What are you talking about? A leader?" My kind couldn't put Amelia and someone who could control her. She was much worse than me. She was thinking with her head.

"Someone higher than you. I must confess I'm surprised." I let my mocking voice I always used whenever I wanted to make her talk about Travis, to sit in.

"Sure. And we are not just in this town. We are everywhere. Like air. If you want us you have to be us."

For a second what she said feared me. They are everywhere, so how Prince didn't catch them?

"I don't know. I mean my life is on the string. If I do something wrong, I will get hurt. My neck is proof."

I showed her my almost healed neck. I didn't have stitches anymore, but still, it would hurt and my scar showed how they treated someone out of the line.

"Let's see this way. You will meet us and you will have some time to decide."

I nodded not knowing why.

"Good girl." She kissed me on the forehead and disappeared.

That was a moment when I realized how much in common she has with the Prince.

I was scared to even think about that, but the day when she wanted to see all of them was coming.

It's tomorrow.

I looked at the terrace. It was almost the end of October and I couldn't leave doors open anymore.

But that didn't stop me to get out every night, stay there and just think. Or talk with the Prince.

Prince didn't allow me to go out of a castle or anywhere else out of the property.

So this was also my way to get some real air, and not the fake one from the castle. Every air inside the castle was clean. Queen had an allergy and the King did that because of her.

I took a deep breath and closed eyes.

I haven't seen my family for three months. It's been too long. I wish I can see them, just for a second if nothing.

But I couldn't. Prince also forbade me to see Danniel, but I didn't listen. He was one normal person I could talk.

Oh God, what to do? Should I go? Or should I stay? Just sleep and not show. That would be great. And I would act like everything was a dream. Like I dreamed of Amelia because she missed me.

"You will get sick." Someone said.

"You can get sick only by the virus," I said.

Also, I discovered the library. I read almost every day. When would Mrs Gren finish with me I would go there. They would give me dinner there, but the keeper said that I can't eat. So I give up from food in there.

There were so many books. And I saw no one in here.

"And bacteria," Prince said, and I felt him behind me. He did that again. Jumped terraces.

That scared me like shit but nothing like a jump from my terrace first time he did it.

I turned.

"My Prince I haven't seen you for a couple of days," I said politely and smiled.

"Cut it. I know Mrs Gren though you but it sounds like a mocking from your mouth." He said sharply, and I shut up.

This is a bad day, as it looks.

"Fine," I said pretending to be mad but I tried to cover shivers running down my spine. Hairs on my skin just crawled.

He scared me. His shifting. One second he would be nice and the next second mean. Not mean like a little child, but evil like a powerful person which is aware of his power.

I sat on the chair they gave me one day I get sick in September. Apparently, the Prince didn't want for me to get sick because then I couldn't be helpful.

"What happened?" I felt like his therapist and looked at him.

His eyebrows were really low. I could see only half of his eyes. They were shining with a little green.

When he wanted to answer me green disappeared. Good.

"Someone won't listen." He said looking me straight to the eyes.

I smiled, but I wanted to hide under a bed.

"You know I never listen."

"Yes. Just don't want to obey. I don't understand that."

"See it like this. You command me. I don't listen. You punish me." I showed at my scar. It was almost healed. "And I keep doing that." I shrugged with shoulders and looked at him.

He had a black shirt and black pants. He was in the meeting.

"Then I have to get stricter. Maybe you will listen."

"That all is a one big, maybe," I said.

"Nice example, but I wasn't talking to you. Delia." He said.

I searched my mind and I remember the day in the hospital. Talk to the general.

"Town," I said.

"Exactly."

"Can you talk about this with me?" I asked.

"No. But I don't care."

Like he ever did.

"Then I don't know why you are talking with me." I wanted to get up but in a few long steps he was above me and he put hands on my shoulders.

"You will listen." He went with his finger along with a scar and I twitched when he touched place behind my ear when he cut me at the first place.

"Nice scar. For your talking mouth." He said in my ear and I shake. Chills ran down my spine.

"Fine." I crossed hand on the chest and avoided his look.

He sat at the chair next to mine and put his left leg over the right.

Unbuttoning wristbands he rolled his sleeves almost to the elbows. The sound of wristband touching glass table reminded me on on the knife dragged down the dishes and I shook.

"That murder. There is another one. And people don't stop protesting."

"I wonder why," I said with sarcasm and I get a warning look.

I nodded, and he continued.

"One thing I don't understanding. They want nothing from us. General asked every single one but they said nothing. They just looked at him. They tried putting them in prison but nothing."

"You do realise you are talking about my people?" I interrupted him again which ended up with another 'stop talking' look.

I have just one left.

"As I was talking. What do they want? They tried everything."

"Did you try talking?"

"God, you don't even listen. General. Talked. With. Them." He highlighted every word but I wasn't thinking about that.

"I wasn't thinking about that and you know that. Maybe they need to see you. You present yourself as a powerful person but you never visited them. Go there. Be on their skin and maybe you will found out something."

I can't believe I said that.

"Let me see. You want me to go there to talk to them but not like this. Like a normal poor person?"

"Yes. And stop saying that like it's something bad." I rolled my eyes and looked at him.

He was getting through his hair. He got a haircut but the hair grew. It falls in his eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe I wait for a tour." He said.

"Yes. What is that?" I get closer to him because his voice was quiet. I heard something about that before but the library gave me no answers.

"Prepare for a coronation. One year and twenty days are holding me from a throne."

Of course. The Throne. He doesn't care for people.

"On November 7th there will be preparation. Tattooing. I get my whole family tree on my hands."

"Horrible," I said. The feeling of nausea climbed up my stomach. How could someone enjoy that?

"Proving power." He said and turned.

"In twenty days. He said." He looked somewhere behind me. He is lost in the memories.

I wonder what he is thinking about. Why is that so important?

"But why is that so important?" I asked.

"Proving power. If Prince doesn't let a sound, he will be a good ruler." He answered still not blinking.

"Creepy."

"Painful."

"I don't want to know."

"You don't want to know but you asked." He stood up and looked at me.

"Go to bed." He said like every night he would talk with me.

I smiled and I listened to him. The only command I listened.

****

The whole day I was nervous. I wanted to hide and never show up but I didn't. I spent the whole day in a library because I didn't have class, and I investigated The Coronation.

I found Prince's whole family. God that will be painful. There are so many people. He will die.

I closed that book not wanting to read all those Kings and Queens and I opened some random book. It was so old it didn't have a title at all.

My fingers drawer a lined down the content when I caught a word, Prince. What is this? I turned the book to the beginning but there was no title. When the content said Coronation my eyes flew to a page three hundred.

Prince at age 24 is considered as a grown-up man. That is usually a time when he gets his tattoos. If wanted he can have more tattoos on his skin but hands must be free.

On that day that is the first time when the Prince is allowed to sit at the King's throne. The whole process is watched by the whole castle and if the Prince succeeds in that he will be considered as a good ruler. If wanted the future ruler is free to choose a new symbol for his future country but only when Tour is completed he is free to start with preparations. The Tour is traditionally a way for whole people to believe in his future leader.

I closed the book. My mind rushed toward the new pieces of information I read that I didn't notice quietness in the library. I put the book in the place but not before I stepped on my dress and let the book down. It fell to the floor. I turned to is there anyone, but like it always wasn't.

I put the book on the place and came in my chair.

There was a letter.

"Same place, midnight,"

I looked at the clock. 8 o'clock. Four more hours.

I will go and have dinner.

****

Tree and half hours later I came back. I didn't want to look suspicious by coming back at five to midnight.

I was nervous when a guard opened my doors and I looked at the table right from doors. There wasn't anyone.

I was alone in this place.

I took some book and sat in the same chair I sat four hours ago.

I just looked at pages not even trying to read. I couldn't concentrate. What will happen? Who will that be? What do they want? And why they want to meet me?

Around five this midnight, I heard someone calling me and I turned. Amelia was standing next to the shell in dark pants and a white shirt. Her blonde hair was in a high ponytail and she looked serious.

"Follow me." She whispered, and I turned around to see if there is anyone.

We were alone.

I followed her to some dark place where I haven't been before and I just stood next to her.

She disappeared and after a minute more people showed up. Who are these people?

"Amelia?" I whispered, and she showed up in the front followed by someone tall.

"Dianna met us." She raised hands and people took off their masks.

I turned around myself, but I knew no one. I just know Amelia.

The high man from behind Amelia took his mask and I recognize those green eyes.

"Travis?" I asked not sure how to talk. A smile formed on my lips. Finally another familiar face.

"Hello, Dianna. Nice to see you. How is in the castle?"

"So, so. Boring with parts of excitement."

"Never a good liar." He said. What is he talking about?

"How are the books? I'm sure it's hard to investigate Coronation."

"How you know about that?" I asked. It just happened.

"I know too much. I also know that Prince is planning to kill you. Eventually. After analysis with the doctor Daron."

"Who is that?" My heart just skipped a beat. That is not possible.

"Doctor at the north. Apparently best for blood mutations."

My ear didn't catch the rest. Prince is planning on killing me. After here months. After everything he made me do he will kill me? Why did I do those classes?

One part of me hoped Prince will eventually let me go. Maybe he will see I'm not a treat and leave me alone but Travis just proved me how wrong I am.

"You are not the person I remember," I said trying to ignore his words.

"No one is really in here. Everyone has the mask which they show to the public."

"I can see that." I blurted wanting to go.

I turned.

"You people are liars. Prince will not do that," my voice came like a cloud of fire and I wished to stop myself. That sounded so pathetic.

"I don't remember you that foolish Dianna," Travis said and I turned to him.

For a moment I wondered who he is. I knew him as a worker in my town. A person in the mines, Amelia's fiancé. And this was a completely different person.

"I don't remember you so full of hate," I answered to him and looked at Amelia. She was standing next to him, her hand in his.

"You understand nothing," she answered for him and I wanted to laugh.

"Maybe I didn't but at least I'm not pretending to be my friend just for a cause," it all had sense now.

That hurt. I always wanted just to go home and to forget all of this. I wanted to forget everything. The Prince, Danniel, King. Everyone.

I wanted to be with my people again so baldly I was ready to be used. This is not who I am. I'm not a person who goes around in dresses and who bow. I'm stubborn, but not a liar.

"Prince might visit Delia before the tour."

"Imperare sibi maximum imperium est" To be in control of yourself is the ultimate form of power.

Helloo...

Thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I like moments when I over and over fall in love with my book. I always seek to make it better and staying awake late just so I can have my piece of heaven is something I live for.

But not to talk about me, love you all, and stay true to yourself.