"Ante victoriam ne canas triumphum"

I didn't run.

Which is a good thing, I guess? Prince was suddenly in a bad mood.

He just disappeared with four soldiers. That wasn't much of number, but still, he didn't want to make attention. I personally think that was impossible, but no one asked me.

I was acting nice; I didn't talk to anyone, I ride my horse and counted moments when I will be in my room again.

I wanted my bed, my bath, and to get rest. My thighs hurt. I never ride a horse and besides that, I had to ride two days on him.

The moment when I stepped into my room I threw myself on the bed. My eyes shut, ready to turn of everything around me.

Or at least I thought that.

Three girls entered the room and said.

"Miss sorry, but we need you. Queen ordered to make you a dress. We need to be quick. Coronation is in two days."

I exhaled and turned on my back.

"I'm coming." There is no rest for me.

I get off the bed and with a sad look entered wardrobe.

I had to stand still for two hours. They moved around me, and moved, and moved. They were checking something, measuring, designing, choosing fabrics, colour, accessories, everything.

I tried to stand still but most of the time Olivia had to pinch me with a needle to stand up. I was tired, and I wanted to sleep.

"Are we done?" I asked exhaling.

Please say yes, please say yes.

I prayed in myself. I wanted to get some rest.

"Just a little," Alicia said and took something.

Maurecia bend in a waist measuring something.

"Miss. They want to see you in twenty minutes." She said quietly that I almost didn't hear her.

"You got to be kidding me," I said same but my voice was coloured with anger.

"No miss. They wanted the moment when you came back, but we had to do this." She whispered, and I took a deep breath.

Okay, I can do that, but them, straight bed.

"We are done," Olivia said taking off some needles and then she took all the fabric. That will be a good dress.

I took my shirt and got dressed. Maurecia stood in the room while Olivia and Alicia took all and went somewhere. I didn't want to know anything except my bed.

"I go where?" I asked turning to her.

"Guest bedroom on the third floor." She said and got out.

Okay. Deep breath.

I left my room slowly watching around myself trying to act normal. No. This is too weird. These guards are watching at me.

I found those stairs prince so kindly led me when I first came here and looked up.

Okay, so many stairs. I moaned and get on them.

****

Meeting in the castle were my least favourite meeting. Especially on the third floor. When everything counted I didn't actually liked to meet with them. They always ordered me what to do like I'm waking around like a Queen. My every step was watched and I had to make sure Prince doesn't find out anything.

I was breathing hard like some old lady, trying to get some rest and air. Why is here that much stairs?

I looked at the hallway and that high ceiling.

Okay. Let's get over with this.

I entered only guest bedroom on this floor and it was completely in dark.

Okay, why is this so dark. It's day outside.

I lighted a lamp and my look fell on the bed.

Lovely.

"I thought we are here to talk, but if this gets weird I'm leaving," I said looking at Amelia and Travis.

That will stick in my brain for some time. Gross. I shook my head to lost that picture, but it didn't disappear.

Great.

"Dianna, a pleasure to see you," Travis said, and I rolled eyes.

"I can't imagine how much," I said sarcastically watching at him.

He stood up and walked down the room and while Amelia checked her shirt.

"Left side." I said sharply looking again at Travis.

"Thanks, D." She said, and I looked at her.

"That is a nickname reserved for my best friend, not you," I said and turned once again at Travis.

I was getting all that Prince vibe.

"How nice to see that friendship," Travis said smiling.

I looked at him, but he smiled even harder.

"Enough," I said a sharp, just like Mrs Gren though me.

Without demand, but sharp.

He stopped and looked at me.

"Someone learnt some control." He asked getting closer.

"Only not to worry about some animals." I sad looking into his eyes.

He is really pissing me.

"Enough, you two. We can't have that argument again." Amelia stood up getting between two of us.

"Why am I here?" I asked looking at her now.

"We need to know, how the test went," Amelia said.

"And why is that?" I raised my eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Key point for taking the throne." She reminded me.

"I don't know. Bunch of some doctor's stuff. Ask Prince. He understands it all." I said turning to leave.

"You don't know or you don't want to tell?" I heard Travis satisfied voice, and I stopped.

"Don't know," I said lying. I knew, but I didn't trust him. Both of them, actually. I don't know this Amelia.

I knew a little, always smiling girl, and not this kissing free, coming, grown-up women.

"D. Wait." Amelia chaught my hand.

I looked down at it and said through my teeth.

"I said not to call me that way." I moved a step further and looked at her.

"My friends can call me that, and not you," I said wanting to scream.

"And you have some friends. I hope you don't consider Queen your friend, or your Prince." Travis said behind her and I looked at him.

"He is not my Prince. He is your Prince too." I said.

"That person is not my Prince." He said suddenly angry about getting a step further.

"Yes, he is," I said playing with his nerves.

"No. It. Is. Not." He grabbed my neck and pressed me on the wall.

I can't breathe.

Trough some fog I hear Amelia saying something but I don't know what. When will this stop happening?

"Stop. Travis stop." She said sharply, and he realised his squeeze just a little.

I took air coughing a few times. That baster.

"He is maybe fucking you up, but he is not my Prince." He said sharply, and I looked at him.

His eyes looked wild like he is trying to prove something. Like he will convince me into something.

"You idiot," I said somehow. My throat was painful. "You think he can't kill you. He killed a person just because he touched me. You think you are someone special?" I smiled into his face even I wanted to cry.

"Why do you think rebellion started?" He said quietly.

"Not one. Few. Three and more." People are trying to take some control. They are sick of that royal shit. They want some rules." He said dangerously quiet.

"Travis let her go. She can't know everything." Amelia said, and he turned his head to her.

"Why not? She likes that Prince too much, so why doesn't she hear everything I will do to him when he is dead." He said pressing my neck again.

"No," I said when I couldn't breathe again.

He looked at me. He had some strange face expression on his face like he is thinking about something.

He realised my neck and pushed me onto the bed.

I fell on that smelly thing that looked like the cloud. I took a deep breath and turned to him.

"Say. Let me hear. Say every bloody thing, you are planning to do. Tell me what you thought about every person in here. Every solder you will kill. Every man, father and son you are killing, for something so pointless. For some piece of furniture. Tell me are you scared." I said pushing myself from the bed.

"You want to know. You want to know how I will put a knife under his throat, how I will cut slowly, but not too deep, only to watch him bleed, to watch how every blood gets out of his system. How his precious system is falling apart with him. How is he losing an army, like his breath? How he will beg for mercy. Do you want to know that? Well, maybe I will bring you to watch. To see everything."

He said smiling, and I had to turn to Amelia.

She looked calm like she already heard this. Like she knows every single part.

"You know for this?" I said terrified.

She said nothing, just nodded.

I turned.

"Mutation is on acid." I almost get out but I had to say.

"Prince will never beg," I said and heard Travis's smile in the air.

I'm in some deep problems.

Why did I say that? Why I had to act like someone who knows everything? I don't know. And on top of that, I said what my analyse said.

I'm such an idiot.

****

I almost fell asleep on stairs.

I sat on stairs to get some thinking, but my brain was so tired that I wanted to close eyes for a minute.

My heart finally slowed down, my neck pulsed with pain but I felt dream coming to my eyes. Hiding in the stairs I just wanted to rest

"Olivia, what is happening?"

"Oh." She stopped calming herself.

"Mrs Gren is looking for you. You need your dance classes." She said looking at me.

"Dancing?" I asked while my brain tried to work out. It's too sleepy.

"Yes, dancing. You need to teach old dance techniques." She said. "Not too hard. Three of four dance."

"Four Dances. I can't learn that. In two days." I said getting up.

"Not two days. This afternoon." I rolled my eyes and wished I'm not going.

I wish I can just stay in the room through all the ball. But no. It's Prince's coronation. Everyone needs to see that he is capable to take that pain.

Lovely. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath.

There is no sleep for me.

****

"Where on Earth are you?!" She almost yelled at me, but she stopped herself and took a deep breath.

"Dianna. You need to learn all these dances on one afternoon. You need to be capable of the dance. Maybe King or Prince want to dance with you. You need to be worthy."

I'm not worthy. I wanted to say, but I stayed quiet.

I watched her in her deep yellow dress walking around the room.

"Come one. We are going to the ballroom."

I wanted to ask something. I wanted to ask her how I will learn all of that. How I will dance. How I will dance in heels. I barely learnt to walk in them, dancing is another thing.

I wanted to ask all of that but I was too scared. Her lips were in a thin line, you couldn't see them. Eyes were looking for every single thing that is wrong on me. Her hands were in fists. She was angry, and I wasn't the brave one. At least not to his woman.

I didn't want to make her even angrier. After all, she is wearing heels. She could kill me with them.

I exhaled when I saw that room.

The word big or even huge was so weak in describing this room. I mean it was almost a whole one wing in her. You could see everything through the windows. They were floor to ceiling. You could see a marina and a labyrinth. Room was all in the glass. With the night falling down the sky was painted in the shades of pink. Fluffy clouds covered the sky.

I felt really nice in here. Like I'm outside. It was beautiful and you could see everything.

I just wanted to see that labyrinth. I didn't visit that thing. It was a mystery to me.

"Enough looking. You need to learn steps." She turned to her left and give some sound.

For the first time, I saw the piano and a person next to it. It was a man in a dark suit, older, his hair was already grey but he smiled.

He waved away and sat on the chair. The music started moment when he pressed first dirk.

Lovely, the music started and Mrs Gren turned.

"There are two ways to dance this one. In place and around the room."

She moved in square and almost unhearable she counted music rhythm.

"Come on. We don't have too much time." She took my hand moving me with her. She wanted to teach me something, but I wasn't too good. I wasn't too bad though, I mean it could be worst.

She did the second way. Moving all the way across the room.

I followed her with my eyes. I can't dance like that. I will need years and years of practice to be just a shadow of her.

"I can't do that," I said moment she stopped next to me.

"Sure you can. Come on." She took my hand, corrected my standing and started. She lead. I was very, very weak shadow of her.

I don't know to dance.

****

"No. No. No!" She said taking her head.

"Wrong. From the top." She turned and a few minutes she stood there.

I looked at Lucas, yes that is my pianist, and he smiled at me.

He never stopped playing.

"Excuse me. I will be back in a minute." She said and exited the room.

"Start again!" She said before doors closed and I turned my eyes.

I came to the Lucas and sat on the floor next to his chair.

"Why is this so hard?" I asked taking off my shoes.

"It's not. I can see a little progress." He said and turned.

"Keep practising and don't worry."

I took a deep breath and somehow I smiled.

"I don't know. I think you will learn." He smiled, and I looked outside.

It was dark. I watched how the day gave place to dark, and how animals changed. Those little animals that were awake in this time of the year, disappeared and dark was quiet.

"I wish I can have some sleep," I said turning to the Lucas.

"Don't worry. You will get some sleep. These days can be hard but remember when you need this someday, you will be thankful." He smiled and looked at the doors.

Mrs Gren came back, but not alone.

Dammit. Prince was behind her.

Lucas stood up and bowed deeply while I looked into his eyes.

I didn't know he is back.

He looked a little tired, and he was still in his deep blue uniform.

"Prince kindly agreed to help us." She said coldly.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the prince. He lifted his eyebrow.

She turned to Lucan and said something.

"Came to mock?" I said and lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't mock." He said. "Here to teach you to dance. I don't want mistakes." He said and chills run down my spine.

Of course, he doesn't want mistakes. It's his day after all.

"Start. Dianna right hand look over Prince's left shoulder." I shook head and nodded.

I didn't know to feel when she said that I'm dancing with him.

"Come on. I don't have the whole night." He said, and I smiled.

"I have. She thinks I don't need sleep."

"She wants to learn you something. Come one." He ordered little sharper this time, and I came closer to him.

I didn't know how to feel when he touched me. My hand was on his left and his right was on my back. Not down the waist but under my scapula.

I looked over his left shoulder and prepared.

I was huge, like a huge, giant mistake.

I forgot all the steps, and I did some improvisation. I couldn't hold serious face so I smiled on my own foolishness.

I heard his deep voice in my ear.

"Focus."

"I would like that, but I can't. I'm too tired. I need sleep."

"No sleep. Follow."

I rolled my eyes and looked down at my feet.

"Don't look at feet." Mrs Gren ordered from her place next to the piano and I exhaled.

"Okay."

We started again and this time I remembered a few steps. I saw something next to the piano. Mrs Gren tried to imitate movements.

I tried to nod, but she didn't care. She continued what she was doing.

Great.

Not only I think I'm an idiot but the prince is thinking that too.

"Stop smiling," I said looking at his shoulder.

"I would like, but someone is not trying hard enough." He said, and I wanted to give up.

To walk out of that room and lock in mine.

I don't want this.

"Chin up!" Mrs Gren ordered, and I looked up.

"Enough. Another dance." She said and the music stopped.

Little faster music started, and I said.

"I'm little better in this," I said smiling.

"I can't imagine how much, better." He answered, and I looked at the floor.

"Start." She ordered, and I looked at Prince.

He took my hand and dance started.

I couldn't focus. I just wanted my bed.

"Please, I mean please, can we continue tomorrow?" I said once when the dance was over.

Big mess.

"No. You need to teach manners tomorrow." She answered and turned.

"God help me," I said quietly sitting on the floor.

"I can't." I lay on the floor and looked up.

"Oh look. The sky is clear." I showed up and Prince looked up.

"Actually, you are matching with the sky." I pointed at his uniform.

"I just need some minute rest." I closed my eyes for a second, and I lost the whole place.

"Ante victoriam ne canas triumphum" Do not celebrate your triumph before you have conquered

Hellooo...

So what do you think? How are the preparations going? What will happen?

What about rebellion?

Read, vote and comm...

Love Ya.