Rich people.

They never missed an opportunity to get comfortable in anything. If there was one thing Anne-Marie had learnt the past three days at the hospital, it was the fact that rich people never underestimated the word
"Comfort."

The past three days in the hospital had been the most comfort she had ever gotten in her entire life. The air was different, and she never thought she could ever like hospital food that much. It was ten times better than everything they served Abel during his times at the citizen hospital back home. Even the gown felt so different. It was like it had been made out of the softest a fabric she had ever seen.

Her room was twice the size of the house she and Abel lived in and she could remember how shocked she was to see how the television pulled itself out of the flat surface of the furniture across her room each time she pushed a button.

She had had the best sleep in ten years for the first time on that bed and she couldn't imagine anything better than the treatment of royalty she was already getting from everyone around her.

"Would you like anything else Miss Vutron?" She slowly turned to the nurse who stood beside her bed with a note like she was trying to take down whatever it was she wanted.

Anne-Marie thought for a while. What else could she possibly ever want?

"A cup of tea would be just fine." She smiled.
If she had to act like Paris, then she had to at least try to fit in. She knew she couldn't be so greedy to request for yet another dessert, even though she  could kill for an extra cake slice. The lady smiled back at her and turned to leave when...

"Excuse me," Anne-Marie requested for her attention one more time, causing her to stop and slowly turn around to face her again .
"Have you seen the prime-" she froze for a minute, realising how she had almost gone out of character. She watched how the lady blinked her eyes like she was expecting her to go on with her question.
Anne-Marie forced a nervous smile on her face.
"Have you seen my father please?"

There were some things she could never get used to, and calling Oliver Vurton, the prime minister of Breton her father was one of them.

The lady nodded.

"He's with the Doctor. I'm sure he'd be with you soon."

"Oh." She said in a disappointed tone. "Thank you."

The lady nodded her head once and turned and walked away while Anne-Marie gently threw herself back in her bed, letting herself sink into it as she wandered her gaze on the ceiling.

Big spaces, she could never get used to it.
There was still a lot she didn't know about the girl whose character she had to play. Anne-Marie slowly pushed herself up until she was sitting back on it bed and looking at herself through the wall mirror beside her bed. She slowly raised her hand to reach for her face, watching her reflection closely in disbelief as her fingers settled on her chin.

She had flashes of the girl in the picture Oliver had shown her, of the girl from the store. She didn't think it was possible, she couldn't see it before but she did now. Everything about her was different even though she still felt the same. Her black hair was gone, dyed unrecognisably to auburn and trimmed to her shoulders where they curled upwards at the tip. Her amber contacts had clouded her grey iris' completely.

She let out a weak breath as she lowered her hand from her face slowly.

"It's just for a few weeks Anne-Marie." She told herself. "You're only buying time enough to save Abel,"

Abel,

She hasn't really thought about how much she already missed him. She knew exactly why she was doing this but it didn't make her heart feel any less heavier. She had left him in such short notice and didn't leave much explanation in her letter. It had been the longest and farthest she had ever been away from him and she couldn't help but wonder if he was doing okay. If the Vutrons had kept to their promise to care for him and make sure he had the best treatment in the country.

"Is she awake?"

She heard the door make a creaking sound and took a minute to separate her thoughts from her reality as she slowly turned in its direction.

She furrowed her brows as she took in the silvers of shadows slipping through the tiny gap beneath the door. She could find a bun sticking into her view from behind it as the whispers got even louder, like they were having an argument.

"You should go in first."

"Why do I have to go in? You go in."

"We already talked about this Noa, you go in first remember."

"We both go in, to-ge-ther."

Anne-Marie stretched herself further like she was trying to have a good look at whoever it was from where she sat, wondering if they were ever going to come inside rather than just bicker between themselves.

They saved her the trouble when the one with the bun took an unconscious step back and looked into the room lazily like she forgot the door was open.

Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Anne-Marie. She gasped.

"Paris!" She exclaimed as she hurried inside the room while Noa went in shortly after her. "Oh my goodness Paris!"
Aubrey increased her pace until she was right beside her bed. She threw her purse on the bed and pulled Anne-Marie into her embrace before she could even register what was going on. Aubrey's hold on her was too tight that she was almost breathless, suffocating from the smell of her sweet perfume.

Aubrey pushed herself back after a short while so she could have a good look at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked Anne-Marie with the most sincere look in her eyes. Anne-Marie could have responded quickly if she hadn't been so mesmerised by Aubrey's bright smile. She had never seen anyone look so beautiful with freckles around their nose the way Aubrey did. Her almond-shaped eyes were complemented with her long lashes and she looked like a complete doll with the butterfly pin holding her hair behind her ear.

"Your father said you might have a little bit of memory loss." She went on. "Y-you remember us don't you?"
Aubrey placed a hand on her chest.
"It's me, Aubrey, Aubrey Bolton."

Anne-Marie held her breath for a moment, hoping that her ears had not failed her. Wondering if she had heard Aubrey just identify herself as THE Aubrey Bolton, one of Breton's youngest talents.

No one had heard of her in years, since she won the gold medal in the National Junior Championship eight years ago. The entire Breton used to sing her praises as one of the most talented child athletes in the country. When it came to swimming, Aubrey's talents were unmatched. When she went into that pool, the odds were unlikely that she came out in any position that wasn't first. She won in several competitions against other children, and even adults in the country. She was the country's pride and hope for a gold medal in the junior world championship and even the Olympics. However just four years before the championship, Aubrey's management had announced that she was taking a break from swimming. They didn't say why or for how long,  but she never returned to the sports, or television since then. But even at that, from the outside, it didn't look like a lot had changed for Aubrey since the accident. Her mother was the current chairwoman of Elysian Heights Hospital, the biggest hospital in the whole country which was built by her great great great great grandfather, and named after his daughter Elyse Langston and had been passed down from every first born child ever since with plans being put in place for Aubrey to assume the position in due time. Just like all the other kids in the imperial city who had family businesses and generational wealth to inherit, Aubrey looked like she had probably already began to step into her role of learning about the family's business the moment her career as a national swimmer failed. Her current net worth was set to be slightly above three hundred million dollars which was quite a wonder for someone who the world had thought would have lost everything eight years ago.

Anne-Marie couldn't believe that she was meeting Aubrey Bolton in person. It was like a dream come true. She could remember how the kids in her neighbourhood always gathered together at the bakery shop to watch all her games. When the school finally built their pool, it was named after her and lots of parents made their children sign up for swimming classes just so they could be like her one day. 

Fancy meeting Aubrey Bolton on the first day of pretending to be Paris Vutron. She had her jaw slightly dropped in disbelief and couldn't believe it, while she stared at Aubrey in Awe. She could imagine a hundred and one ways Abel was going to react if he ever heard the news, if he had a clue the kind of people she had access to in this life.

"And Noa." Aubrey added as she quickly gestured to Noa who took a step closer to them.

Anne-Marie knew who Noa Lennox was. She was the only child born to Timothy and Maria Lennox, who now went by Maria Lee William since the divorce. Noa's family were very popular in the imperial city, known for owning Vice Corp, one of the biggest and fast rising technology firms in the country. They were known for producing the country's best cars and mobile devices, virtual reality technology and artificial intelligence. It was said that in one year, after buying out Lihun, a technology company in China, vice corp recorded a one time revenue of thirty billion dollars, causing her to earn slightly below two billion that same year from owning six percent of the company's shares. Yes, the Vultrons were no joke, but so were the Boltons and Lennox too,

"Don't be dramatic Bre." Noa said as she slowly made herself comfortable on the bed space beside Anne-Marie's right leg. "There's no way in hell she'd have forgotten who we are."

Aubrey nodded her head in agreement as she slowly turned back to Anne-Marie.

"That's right," she said. "It would take more than a gunshot to your spleen to make you forget your best friends."

So that was their relationship?
Whoever this Paris Vutron was, was best friends to the two girls standing in front of her.

She was also engaged to the Prince of Breton. Anne-Marie could hear herself scoff in her head. She couldn't believe just how lucky Paris was. It was like she had lived the life of a total princess, a life girls like her could only dream of. This was a fate she could never have imagined. She had only heard but rumors about who the chosen princess of Breton was, rumors of how it was the only daughter of Oliver Vutron but only a few people outside the imperial city really knew who she was or what she looked like.

Oliver Vutron was a powerful man, but in all his power and fame, he was known to protect his family with all that was in him. There were barely any information about his family available to the public and he never granted any interviews to the press outside of what his responsibilities were to the crown.

He was a prominent force in Breton, but a protective father. He had sent Paris to live with her Aunt in Australia when she was four years old and she never returned until eight years ago. As his child, he sought to protect her from the press and from probable enemies too so she was never let to own any social media accounts, or go out in public without a strong security force. She had her friends of course, Noa and Aubrey who she had known ever since then.

It didn't get better after the Royal selection when she was twelve years old. The Vutrons doubled her security and reduced her access to public spaces. Even though her identity as future Princess wasn't exposed to the public, there were members of the court who were not exactly pleased with the Queen's decision, members like William Afam, the brother-in-law of  Fabian Westrov who had hoped that his niece had assumed the position Paris now did.

The title of the Royal Princess-to-be came with a lot of sacrifices, one that Paris barely had enough time to prepare herself for. There were lots of expectations and actions that were unbefitting of her. Her entire presence online was regulated and she was only allowed to keep some hobbies, and learn new ones. In the imperial city, those that knew her, knew her as Paris Vutron, a member of the Vutron family; who happened to be one of the most powerful families in the whole country with  the news surrounding her selection as Princess-to-be only but a speculation among a few until last year when the royal family made the announcement.

Anne-Marie looked sideways towards Noa, before she turned back to Aubrey, wondering if this was the part where they were expecting her to say something.

Anne-Marie was still so scared to speak for so many reasons, one being that she didn't know what to say, and the other being the obvious; what if she didn't sound like Paris Vutron?

She could understand now that they looked alike, but what if they didn't sound the same?

"You scared us back there Paris," Noa started, "jumping into that bullet the way you did, what on earth were you thinking?

Aubrey let out a loud exhale.

"Don't remind me." She said. "I was completely terrified when I heard the news. I thought you were outside with the rest of us as soon as the traitors got in. "

Anne-Marie swallowed hard.
Was there really an attack during the royal engagement ceremony? How come the rest of the country didn't know about it? Everything looked fine on TV. She heard that there had been some sort of disruption but no one ever mentioned that there was an attack.

"I have goosebumps just thinking about it. The whole city is still shaking about the news, your father and the King are doing their best to make sure the news doesn't get farther than the imperial city so as not to incite unrest in the country."

"I heard my father say that the leaders of the traitors are yet to be identified. Half of them were killed by the royal guards, a few of them escaped during the attack and the rest of them died before they were brought in for questioning before the Royal court, their cause of death is still not known."

Wait a minute. Anne-Marie thought to herself.
If Paris was attacked during her engagement to the Royal family, and she was now acting as Paris Vutron, did this make her a target as well by those that escaped?
AAnne-Marie's eyes widened open in shock, holding her breath so she didn't gasp as loud as her mouth wanted her to upon realisation of what her fate was about to be,

"I wouldn't worry if I were you." Noa told her. "It would be impossible for them to hide for long especially in Breton. I'm sure your father and the Royal Family won't rest until the traitors are caught."
Noa assured Anne-Marie as she slowly reached for her hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze that somehow passed an electrifying ray of hope through her veins. She let out a warm smile to show Noa just how grateful she was for her support,

"We are so happy you're awake Paris." Aubrey added as she slowly took what was left of the space on the bed, sitting in it.

Noa scoffed and let out a wry smile.

"Yeah, I wait to see the look on Valerie's face when she sees you. Shes probably already dying of a heart attack from hearing that you're awake. I heard the Westrov's were already making preparations to appeal to the king to crown a royal princess to settle the unrest. So silly, and not to mention greedy. I mean you only just got shot and he's not even a member of the royal court."

Anne-Marie exhaled.
Her head was throbbing already. She had barely spent a full day as Paris Vutron and she already had a lot to think about, a lot on her plate.

"Did he come over yet?"
Anne-Marie raised her gaze at Aubrey who just looks at her with genuine curiosity, fully engaged and eager for an answer. She turned to Noa and noticed how Noa was looking at her the same.

"W-who?" She finally asked, turning back to Aubrey, a bit anxious to know who it was she was talking about.

"His royal highness." Aubrey added. "Prince Aiden."

Anne-Marie blinked twice, but she took notice of his Aubrey's face had lit up without even waiting for a confirmation from her.

"He did didn't he?"

"It was a short visit, yes."

"Well she only just few back in." Noa added. "I'm sure you both would have more time to catch up really soon, especially with the Royal academy open for resumption in a few days."

"I just-" Anne-Marie cut Noa off quickly and drew a deep breath shutting her eyes. She let it out and slowly opened her eyes again. "Can we just not talk about gunshots and traitors anymore?"
She said to them. She was starting to get really terrified by all the information and it was beginning to get overwhelming for even her.

"It's just that my mind's still a bit hazy and I don't want to think about it."

"Of course," Aubrey said to her empathetically. She slowly took one of her hands and squeezed onto it gently. "Anything you need Paris."

"W-well," Noa got up and stretched her arms. "I'd say we celebrate your return but I'm not sure you're allowed to take champagne yet."

"We could see a movie." Aubrey said.

He raised his sunglasses to his eye, put it on and then turned, he walked out of the room and at that moment, Anne-Marie could hear a lot of bubble burst in her head. She shut her eyes in shame and folded her fists, she couldn't even bring herself to turn to the rest of them. She could feel all their gazes burn a hole through her skull but she did, she turned to the sight of all their jobs dropped.

She smiled nervously.

"So," she said. "Who wants to play monopoly?!"