Third Person POV:

Kazia, Queen Elyra, and Prince Ehryan sat in the carriage on their way to Sapphinetia.

Queen Elyra, who sat next to Kazia, seemed more reserved than usual.

Prince Ehryan quietly read a book in front of them.

The silence had become painfully awkward for Kazia. She wished for her phone, which was her escape for moments like these.

"I heard you are taking the throne soon." Her mother finally broke the silence.

Prince Ehryan stopped reading to look up, "That is the plan."

"You have found your Fragment?" The Queen asked in surprise as Kazia began to miss the silence they once had.

The prince placed his book aside, "I feel closer to finding her." His eyes briefly met Kazia's before she quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"What about the Princess?" An innocently sly smile appeared on his lips.

Kazia began to ponder on what level of boredom the prince must of been on to make such a question, knowing their 'situation'.

But before she could come up with an answer, her mother responded, "She is not taking the throne just yet. That is not a priority right now." She was defensive.

"Of course." He nodded as he continued reading his book.

Kazia's POV:

As we continued our trip, my eyes would wander towards him as I discretely glanced at him from time to time. In my defense I am very bored and my eyes just wander against my will.

I glanced again and saw a brief smile play on his lips before he looked up from his book, our eyes locked for a second until I nervously looked away as he continued to read his book.

I'm just going to count the trees outside now.

~ Kingdom of Sapphinetia ~
As we began to approach the palace, I found myself glued to the window.

This place is like taken out of a fairytale book. I couldn't believe this was all real.

Upon arrival, I stood at the top of the small steps of the carriage after everyone had left the carriage. I was ready to hop out when, out of nowhere, Prince Ehryan took my hand to help me down, letting go of me as soon as I landed.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Wait! The bond thing!

I frantically looked around, sighing in relief when I confirmed that nothing had happened.

"Kazia? Is everything alright?" My mother questioned with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, yes. Thought I saw a bug." I softly laughed.

"You are finally here!" Queen Faustina exclaimed as she made her way to my mother to greet her.

"Thank you for the invitation, Queen Faustina." I smiled.

"Of course." She beamed, "Now, let us get you settled. You all must be tired from the trip." She began to walk inside as she chatted with my mother. Prince Ehryan and I trailed behind.

Occasionally, I would stop walking to admire the enchanting architecture. This place is amazing...

Suddenly, Prince Ehryan excused himself as he had something to attend to. 

Queen Faustina called for a maid to take mother and I to our rooms upstairs. "Whenever you are ready, come join us for dinner later." She spoke before leaving us.

We stood at the end of a hall, mother's room was the one to the left and mine to the right.

As I entered what would be my room for the next few days, I stood in shock.

A maid entered the room as I looked around, "Is there anything that is not to your liking?"

I shook my head, "I love it."

She smiled, "We were instructed to decorate with your preferences. If there is anything that you wish to change, let us know."

"Thank you."

How did they even know what my preferences are...

~ Evening ~

As I entered the dining room, I saw a familiar face, "Jasper!" I greeted him. At least there's someone else that I kinda know here.

I keep forgetting they're brothers....

Prince Ehryan, who also sat by the table, glared at me as I muttered a "sorry" on my way to sit down in front of Jasper.

He looked surprised, "Kazia, when did you get here?" he smiled.

"Today. I was invited to visit, so my mother and I will be your guests for a few days." I explained.

Jasper and I chatted for a bit until everyone else showed up and settled down to eat.

King Sébastien spoke, "I am glad that you could join us on such short notice."

I smiled, "I am happy to be here."

Everyone continued chatting as the topic of the Crystal Festival came up.

"I still have some things that we need to figure out. Could we discuss this tomorrow?" Queen Faustina asked my mother.

"I would have no problem with that, but what about Kazia?"

"Ehryan." King Sébastien called, getting the prince's attention. "What is your schedule tomorrow?"

"I have to verify the castle grounds and villages."

"You are still fixed on that." His father sighed. "Ehryan implemented these weekly evaluations around our land. I believe he should use that time and energy on other matters. We have people for that." He explained, uninterested.

My mother, on the other hand, looked a bit impressed.

"Seeing as you have nothing else to do, could you show Princess Kazia around?"

Prince Ehryan looked at me before speaking again, "Yes."

The King grinned, "Good." He paused, "Do not worry, Queen Elyra. They will be accompanied by guards."

My mother was quiet for a second before nodding, "If they are to have security, it should be no problem."

~ After dinner ~
I lay in bed trying to sleep. Everyone else had already retired for the evening.

Clearly, I won't be able to sleep tonight. I decided to go out to the balcony connected to my bedroom.

Once I opened the door and stepped outside, I noticed some outdoor lounge chairs.

"Looks comfy." I muttered to myself as I sat down.

As I settled on the chair, a rustling sound caught my attention.

I saw a shadow from the corner of my eye, making me give a short scream before covering my mouth when I finally saw who it was.

The big archways along the long balcony made it difficult to see.

Prince Ehryan stood next to the railing in front of what I assume is his room.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded almost like a whisper.

"I live here." He plainly responded.

"Oh, do you? I was about to call the guards to come get you." I mirrored his attitude.

A smile of amusement quickly appeared on his lips before returning to his typical serious look.

He sat on the lounge chair next to me.

"Make yourself at home." I spoke sarcastically.

He chuckled.

We sat in silence until he spoke again, "What do you think?"

"About....?" I carefully asked.

He looked at me, "Of what you have seen so far, here."

I spoke, "Oh. It's so mesmerizing. It looks like the fairytales I used to read about." I smiled, genuinely.

Silence surrounded us again, as we watched the night sky.

"Tell me something about yourself." He inquired out of nowhere.

Like what??

I glanced at him before speaking, "I don't like being in crowds." I paused. "What about you? What is it like being treated like royalty all your life?" I remembered our last discussion.

"You do not make friends around here, just connections. A lot of people have placed heavy expectations upon me from the moment I was born."

"Right." My tone was colder than I intended it. I remembered the argument we had over this.

He looked towards the railing, "I apologize for what I said last time."

I kept quiet as I analyzed his expression. Is this a trick or??

"Truthfully." He continued. His tone was void of any sarcasm, he was gentle. "Perhaps we should become better acquainted. We have to deal with us being Fragments. Why not try to figure this out together?"

Well, I guess, he's right.

I carefully nodded as I softly responded, "Okay..."

Am I making the right choice. Should I really trust him?

He nodded in agreement, "Then you do not need to address me with my title."

"You as well." My response sounded more like a question.

I'm so confused.

He is very different today.

I don't know if it's because I'm getting tired or because of the ambiance, but I felt different too.

A yawn escaped my mouth as I covered my face, "I think I should head in now. Good night."

"Good night." His voice was low.

As I fell asleep, a lot of questions circled my mind.