10th Of August 2010.

Aiden checked his wristwatch one more time before he scanned the huge garden as far as his eyes could let him. There were so may guests present for his coronation ceremony and he couldn't help but wonder what exactly it was that was being celebrated. Was it the fact that he had finally become the crown prince of Breton or was it the fact that he watched his father burn down and destroy an entire village because of his insecurities. That was probably why the coronation was not cancelled even after all the casualties in Nyagra. He turned to the front of him, and watched how his parents welcomed the guests as graciously as they could. How could they even smile like that? Why was everyone smiling from ear to ear? Why wasn't anyone upset about what had happened? Didn't they see the news? Why did they seem so happy with what had happened?

Even with all that mess, he still couldn't help but worry about her, about the girl he met the other day at the school, was she alright? Did she ever get home safely? Maybe if she was there, she might have had a different reaction to all of it. For some reason, he felt like she was good, like she was among one of the good people, like she saw things the way he did. He was filled with anxiety when he saw the older boy that had picked him up from the school the other day approach him.

"Any news?" He asked him. "Is she here?" Aiden really wanted to know. He beseeched him for an answer but it didn't look like the boy had any.

"I'm sorry your highness." Aiden didn't need to hear anything else, he already knew what he meant. She didn't honour his invitation and she was probably never going to. It looked like he was really going to be on his own now.

"Prince Aiden," he froze when he heard his mother call for him, the disappointment on his face not even bothering to disappear for a minute. He wasn't exactly in a good place ever since he witnessed all that screaming and dying at Nyagra. He was terrified about a lot of things and seeing his father, seeing his parents didn't make him feel any better.

The past five days had been a struggle for him, he had gone from being extremely ill the past three days from the shock of what happened to barely even recovering only to have a party thrown to celebrate his coronation all in the same week. He saw how Vanessa gave him a soft pat on his head the moment he got close enough. She was so proud of him and wasn't even modest to show it. Who wouldn't be? He was smart, bold, and the perfect leader, he always showed himself to be.

Aiden furrowed his brows as he took a quick glance at the big man in front of him who wouldn't stop staring at him and smiling. He knew him, he recognized him.

"Congratulazioni per l' incoronazione principe Aiden. Sono molto onorato di potere assistere a questo glorioso evento con la mia famiglia (Congratulations on your coronation young prince Aiden, I am very honoured that you allowed me and my family the opportunity to grace and witness such a glorious event)." He slowly bowed his head.

"Il piacere e' tutto mio, sono lieto che tu e la tua famiglia avete accettato il nostro invito. Spero che tutto sia di vostro piacimento? (The honour is mine Mr Piero, I'm happy that you and your family were kind enough to honour our invitation. I hope everything is to your liking?)" his Italian was good too.

"Oh, Breton e' meravigliosa. Mi sento benvenuto, e' quasi come se fossi in Italia. (Oh, Breton has been wonderful. I feel so welcome here, it's almost as if I'm back at Italy)."

"Mio padre mi stava dicendo che prossimo anno volevi expandere to Pierr, e aprire un negozio vicino a Breton? (My father tells me that you intend to expand Pierr, set up a branch here in Breton next year)?"

" E' qualcosa che vorrei fare, spero che quanto sara' giunto il momento, possa contare sul tuo supporto e della famiglia reale. E ovviamente, spero per lo stesso quando diventerai Re. (It's something I am looking forward to, I hope that when the time comes, I can count on the support and backing of the royal family, and you of course your highness, your continuous support when you become king)"

Aiden looked at him for a short second, he was dumbfounded for a long one. He wasn't sure if he could keep himself from throwing up any longer. He could feel the bile in his throat. He didn't like it, he didn't want to be there anymore. For a short second he was almost back to being sick and unable to be out of his room or bed again. It was like he could hear the screaming and the yelling all over again, the stench of burning flesh, it was too much for him. He was relieving the trauma from what he had witnessed and no one cared.

There they were, forcing him to be in places that he didn't want to be and exchanging pleasantries with people that he didn't care to meet, acting like everything was okay. Aiden forced a smile on his face.

"Non vedo perche' non dovrebbe essere cosi Signor Piero, la famiglis reale farebbe di tutto affinche' voi e la vostra famiglia vi sentiate benvenuti a Breton, anche se significasse incendiare un intero villaggia per.. (Well I don't see why not Mr Piero, the royal family would do anything to make sure that her allies are always happy and welcomed in Breton, even if it means setting an entire village on fire to-)"

He watched how his mother grabbed him by his arm and gave him a tight squeeze immediately before he tried to embarrass them even more in front of the ambassador of Italy. She let a huge smile remain on her face even as the man stared at Aiden with a rather confused look. Aiden let out an exasperated sigh and turned his gaze away. He was acting out, against everything he had been trained and taught to do as far as being Prince was concerned.

"quello che il principe sta cercando di dire, Signor Piero, e' che a Breton cerchera' sempre di aiutare non solo la sua famiglia ma anche l'intera Italia se necessario, grazie per essere venuti. (What the prince is trying to say Mr Piero is that Breton would always be pleased to lend a hand to not just your family but the entire Italy whenever the need arises, thank you for being here)." He let his gaze get lost in the activities happening in front of them as his mother's voice continued in an echo beside him.

There were so many things he didn't know about her, about the girl who played the piano, maybe that was what he needed, to hear her play again. Maybe if he did, he wouldn't hurt as much as he did, maybe if he heard her play one time, he wouldn't be so sad and constantly reminded about what he had witnessed before. It was too bad that she wasn't able to make it, he didn't even get to know her name. His frown worsened as he let out another weak sigh, finding his gaze falling back to the crowd of three in front of him and before he knew it, the ambassador and his wife and daughter started to walk away from them.

He slowly turned to his mother who managed to keep the huge smile on her face as she smiled at all the other guests.

"I'd like to retreat to my room for the day mother." He told her.

"Not just yet, you are yet to give your coronation speech and oath to Breton."

"But mother I-"

"Good day your highness." Aiden watched his mother look away from him the moment they heard the voice from in front of them. He watched how his father's attention was quickly drawn to the voice too and that was a voice he knew, a voice he recognized. How could he ever forget? It was what the devil himself sounded like.

"And to you too Minster of Finance" he heard Vanessa say to him immediately as Aiden slowly turned too to face the man who had slightly bowed his head and left it there, waiting for the King to accept his greeting. It was funny how an ordinary minister of finance had so much power over the king and his court.

He might have been to young to understand but after overhearing Oliver Vutron's conversation with his father the other day, the same conversation that fuelled his father's outrage and reason for ordering the massacre at Nyagra, he just could never bring himself to like the man in front of him more than he already did, and that was good as having no likeness for him at all. He hated him, he hated not only the fact that the petite man with receding hairline never smiled one bit, but the fact that he somehow managed to gain the trust of his father among all the other ministers. 

Aiden could see that he was not alone this time around. There was someone else beside him, bowing her head too in such a way that her long black hair covered her entire face and her pink bow adored her beautiful pink dress. Her leather shoes were so pretty and they looked so expensive too. It was not a surprise that they were, he didn't need to give too much thought to it to realize that it was her, Oliver Vutron's daughter. Judging from her height and the way she dressed, Aiden could tell that she was possibly the same age as he just as the king always said.

He had heard a lot about her, so much information that he didn't want to learn on his own. He knew that she was smart 'like her father', he also knew that she loved to read and her favourite place in the world was Vietnam, with her grandmother. That was probably why he had never seen her up until then.

"No need to stand in ceremony." He heard his father say to them while he just left his gaze on the little girl in front of him. "Thank you for honouring our invitation."

Aiden watched how they slowly lifted their heads, he held his breath immediately and his eyes widened in shock when he saw her, when he saw the little girl. He couldn't believe it, it was almost as if he had run out of air at that moment. It was her, it was the same girl he had met at the school, the one with the piano. What was she doing there? Why was she with Oliver Vutron? How was she dressed like that too? Did she deceive him before? Lie to him about being from a humble home?

"I and my family are honoured that you considered us worthy to attend the coronation ceremony of the future king of Breton."

Aiden watched how the girl slowly turned to him so she could look at him, she smiled brightly at him.

"How is it-" he started, "how did you-"

The King, Queen and Oliver turned to him slowly, they watched how surprised he was and how he kept pointing at her.

"What is wrong your highness?" Vanessa asked him. "Have you and Paris met already?"

Paris? That was her name? Her name was Paris?
Aiden could see how she looked at him cluelessly. What was she trying to do? Was she suddenly pretending like they had not met before? Was she trying to make a fool out of him? It was her, he was sure it was her.

"I don't think that's the case." Albert said after he chuckled so loudly. "I believe the prince is just too shocked to finally meet her. Of course he would, she is such a sight to behold, she aged beautifully too just like her father said she did."

Oliver forced a smile on his face, the king's compliment made him so proud. Aiden watched how red the girl's face had gotten too, was that a blush? Was she blushing?

"I was under the impression that she was spending the year with her grandmother at Vietnam."

"If I may speak your highness." They both turned to her as she smiled so confidently and curtsied halfway the moment Vanessa and Albert turned to her. "Even though I enjoyed my many days in Vietnam, my heart ached to be back home in Breton with my friends and my family, like my father always says, home is where the heart is, not just because of the people in it, but the memories you have shared in it. Unfortunately, I don't have many memories in Breton, but I would like to make some good ones with the people that I love and that is why I asked my father to let me stay back home and fulfil my duties as your loyal citizen."

Aiden scoffed in disbelief. He couldn't believe how obvious she was. How was she so confident all of a sudden? More confident than he remembered. Had she been pretending all along? Did she plan the whole thing the other day? Did she approach him intentionally?

He could see how easy it was for her to impress his parents and everyone else that had surrounded them with the way they all turned to Oliver, smiling from ear to ear.

"She's just as smart as you said she was." Vanessa told him.

"Maybe I should consider making her Breton's minister of finance at this point too." Albert laughed and so did everyone else. Aiden scoffed yet again. What was so funny? He couldn't believe what his eyes and ears were going through, to say he was embarrassed was the least.

"I am honoured that you chose to spend more time in Breton and make more memories in Breton." Albert told her. "It has made me too happy to know that your filiality and loyalty to Breton is just as solid as your father's. I now have no doubt that the Vultrons are great supporters of the royal family and Breton. I would like to offer you a gift, maybe a horse?"

"I am honoured by your wise words and consideration your majesty, but I if was to choose a gift, rather than a horse, it would be that your grace would always let my father, my entire family continue to prove their unending loyalty to your throne and the royal family. Nothing would make me happier your highness." She curtsied again and Albert burst into yet another proud laughter.
The smirk on Oliver's face widened even still.

"You raised her well Minister." Vanessa said. "I'm sure she would be a good influence to the prince in the future."
Paris' face reddened even more as she slowly turned to Aiden.

"Talking about influence," the King added. "Do take a walk with me through the royal gardens Minister of Finance, there's a lot to discuss."

"Of course your highness."

It only took a minute before the crowd started to disappear one by one but Aiden, he didn't leave, he didn't see a reason to especially with her still standing there. He could see how she stared right back at him. She was probably wondering why he was staring at her like that. Her smile started to fade nervously as she watched his frown even get worse.

He started to take steps to her. Paris looked to her right and then her left, it was her he was frowning at and she was completely alone. She waited for him to get even closer before she bowed her head slightly.

"What are you?" He asked her.

She furrowed her brows.

"Y-your highness?"

"How are you dressed like this? How is Oliver Vutron your father? Are you a spy? Were you a spy all along? Did your father ask you to spy on me?"

"Spy on you?"

"It was a lie wasn't it? Five days ago, it was not a coincidence, he sent you, he sent you to pretend to me. That piano, that song, you really did learn it from a tutor didn't you?" He didn't even let her answer one question before he threw another at her.

"I-I only just got back yesterday-"

"Are you saying that I, the prince of Breton has told a lie?"

"No." She whispered.

"That my eyes don't work anymore? Don't lie, don't you dare lie to me." He raised his voice a bit.

"I am not lying. It wasn't me."

"Then who was it? How did he know? How did he know I was going to warn the people of Nyagra? The soldiers weren't supposed to be mobilised until three hours later but somehow, they were sent earlier, even before I could get there. You were the only one that knew, you over heard my conversation with my guard so you knew."

"No." She shook her head, she was terrified. How was he saying things she couldn't remember.

"You probably told your father, and he told the king. That's the only explanation. You used me."

"I did not."

"You liar." He pushed her and she fell to the ground immediately.

"Your highness!"

"Stay away from this Gardner." He cautioned the older boy that rushed towards him to stop him, still focusing his gaze on Paris whose eyes were now almost filled with tears. Even with the way everyone were staring at the scene, Aiden didn't care. He was too upset to.

"You are wicked." He told her. "Just like your father and mine, you are wicked, you killed all those people, you don't deserve to be a citizen of Breton. I would never be friends with you, I would make your family pay for what they have done one day when I'm king. I promise you."

He turned immediately and stormed away from the crowd angrily.

"Your highness." The older boy went after him immediately.