Jane Ainsworth was not yet married to the King, but she had begun to act the part. She demanded the two princesses to refer to her as 'mother', not 'aunt' like they were used to before, and that they should curtsy to her, despite the princesses outranking her. Princess Margaret outright refused her and walked away, but Princess Cecily had obliged silently before running off to find her sister.

That afternoon after court session, I quietly escaped from Mother and Lisbeth, and went off to find Edmund. He was usually in the gardens, and to get there, I had to pass by a very old, ancient part of the palace that was over a thousand years old. The southern wing was obscured by the surrounding trees, making it very dark and gloomy. Lisbeth liked to tell me awful ghost stories and going down that corridor now seems like a terrible idea to me. It was raining cats and dogs at the time, and I felt as if I was trapped inside a never-ending darkness, and the winds howled maniacally around me. The corridor was dim and damp, and water was dripping down steadily from the ceiling.

I quickly lifted up my skirt and hastened my steps, but then I heard a soft, faint cry from afar. The voice was very faint, and it echoed throughout the space, hence I was unable to tell where the sound came from.

"Is anybody there?" I called, but no one answered, and the wind howled even louder. I gulped hard and looked around anxiously, only to see no one in sight. Perhaps, could it be a ghost from hundreds of years ago, still wandering these hallways in search of vengeance? Is it a king from a previous dynasty, having been brutally overthrown, or a knight who was betrayed by his most loyal companion?

I grew even more anxious and quickly turned around to head towards the exit, but a small white figure blocked my way. I screamed in shock, and the figure jumped upon hearing the shrillness of my voice.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," she apologized profusely while lowering her head. "I didn't mean it, please."

I took a closer look at her, and saw the long, pin straight blonde hair that obscured a garish red birthmark underneath her left eye. Her voice was very sweet and gentle, and her scrawny, porcelain white hands were cupped together, as if she were begging for forgiveness.

"Your Highness," I uttered upon realizing that the person I thought was a ghost was actually Princess Cecily.

"Lady Anne..." she murmured, and slowly raised her head to look at me. The princess was very short and petite, and quite small for her age. On the other hand, I was tall and willowy, and I was only a few inches shorter than my betrothed, who stood tall above other men. Therefore, seeing Princess Cecily craning her neck just to look at me softened my heart a bit, and I bent my knees to stand closer to her eye level. She was already twelve of age, but she had the appearance of an eight-year-old, and her weak body made it apparent why her parents preferred her elder sister much more compared to her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, and she remained silent for a moment, before eventually answering, "I like it here, Lady Anne. It is very quiet, and few people pass around here."

"Perhaps that is why your eyes are so puffy and teary then, Your Highness?" I retorted.

PrincessCecily hastily wiped away her tears and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you."

I stared at the princess with disbelief. How could a princess be so meek, so spineless? She apologized for every single thing, things that were not even her fault.

"Then why were you crying?" I questioned.

Princess Cecily was silent again, and her lips trembled as if she wanted to cry. "My sister said that Mother died because of me," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"She said I was so hideous that Mother was ashamed of bringing me to this world."

I glanced at the birthmark on her face. It was prominent and eye-catching, but I had no idea that anyone had the nerve to say it to her face. Afterall, she was still a blue-blooded princess.

"Your sister, Princess Margaret said that?" I asked, and she nodded hastily. "Then, does she talk to you like this often?"

Princess Cecily's eyes became red and teary once more, and she reluctantly nodded. "Please don't let her know that I told you that, or she'll hit me again."

"Hit you? What do you mean by that?"

As if realizing that she has misspoken, her eyes largened and she stared at me in fear, and she quickly stepped away. "I'm sorry, I said too much. Please, I am so sorry."

I tried to stop her from leaving, but Princess Cecily had already rushed off, leaving me alone in that corridor. I no longer felt afraid by the darkness of the southern wing, but I felt concerned. Was Princess Margaret really like what Princess Cecily had said? Did she really beat her younger sister into submission? Then, would she treat Gilbert like that too?

I slowly walked down the corridor, my mind occupied by thoughts about the King wanting to wed one of his daughters to Gilbert. Although Margaret seems to be the better match, having being born beautiful and healthy, I also wondered-what is she like as a person?

"Annie?" I heard a familiar voice say, and I lifted my head to see Edmund, soaking wet from the rain. "Why have you come here?"

"I came to see you," I answered truthfully, and Edmund's lips curved into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I must go somewhere, Annie. There is someone I need to see," he said urgently and rushed to the stables, and I briskly ran after him.

"Who is it then?" I asked.

"My sister," Edmund quickly answered, and then he paused for a short while. "Her husband was killed in an accident, and all the people in Terrawyn think that she is dead as well."

"The duchess, Anna-Claudia?" I said, and Edmund nodded.

"Yes, how did you know Annie?" he questioned in return. "Well, now I must go and see her, maybe even bring her back to my estate if she agrees."

"Should I go with you?" I offered, and Edmund shook his head briskly.

"You shouldn't, Anne. There are many Terrawinian soldiers searching for her and her child, the sole heir to the immense Beauchamp wealth. Terrawyn is close to ruination, and the royal coffers are empty. I suspect that the royal family plotted killing off the Beauchamps, so that their wealth and vast estates shall be returned to the crown."

"Those people want her dead," I mumbled softly.

"Exactly Anne. That is why I don't want you to come along. It's dangerous. You might get hurt, and I don't want that," he sighed.

"But I want to come! I want to help you!" I retorted, but Edmund shook his head sternly. "You will be of great help to me if you stay here safely, Anne. Now, go inside and dry your hair, or you'll catch a cold. I'll return in a few days, so you don't have to worry. As soon as I return, I'll visit you at Winterbourne Castle, Annie."

I wanted to protest, but Edmund already led me to the palace entrance and said, "Go inside. I want to see you going inside with my own two eyes."

I huffed and shook away his hands and stomped inside with a sour face. "Fine then! I'll go!" I said through gritted teeth.

Edmund sighed and walked outside, completely oblivious to the fact that I was quietly hiding behind a pillar. He summoned a carriage, and on the back of the carriage were two large chests, along with several bags, filled with food I presume. Edmund quickly entered the carriage, but the horseman was still fumbling around with the horse reins, and the carriage has not taken off yet.

At that moment, a stupid, foolish idea came across my mind, and as if I were possessed by the devil, I merrily rushed to the carriage and safely hid behind those two crates. It was damp and uncomfortable, and the rain was pounding above my head, but I craved for an adventure. In an attempt to make myself comfortable, I stretched out my legs and pulled out a sheet of fabric that was jutting out from one of the crates and turned it into a makeshift blanket.

Not a moment later, the carriage took off, and initially, I felt very excited, and slowly peered through the cracks in the wood to look at the surroundings.

However, the journey was incredibly long, and I felt both tired and road sick, and rocky terrain made the carriage shake and sway all throughout the journey, pushing me to my very limits. Nausea overtook me, as well as thirst, but I did not dare to stop the carriage and tell Edmund, or else he would be teribbly mad at me. Eventually, I let the swaying carriage rock me to sleep, and I became oblivious to the world around me.

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