It is good to see you again, good Reader. I thank you for giving me the time to rest, that nap really did wonders on me. I apologize if I kept you waiting for long, and I should inform you that we aren't done with the royal family.

Night has fallen over the city, the sun is gone for the evening, and the stars have filled the sky. The merchants have picked up their goods, children went to their homes, and most adults have left the streets. Those who remain in the streets are the guards, bar patrons, and the ones with darker intentions. Back to the castle, in one of its towers, light could be seen coming out of a window. It led to a well decorated room with an ornate canopy bed, a fireplace made by the finest artisans, a nightstand of the best-quality, a big rug covered part of the floor, a desk next to a wall with a candlestick on top of it, a dresser, and a wardrobe full of beautiful dresses. It was obvious that this room belonged to Dorothy, who was wearing a white nightgown, and she was sitting by the desk. The chair was specifically designed for her, and she was writing on a small book using a quill. The door to her bedroom opens, and her writing is interrupted by the arrival of Frederick.

“Time to go to bed, dear,” says Frederick while walking towards the desk.

“Okay, dad,” responds Dorothy and closes the little book, which has her name on the cover. She gets up from the desk, and starts walking towards her bed. Frederick picks up the candlestick from the desk, and follows his daughter to her bed. Once there, the young princess gets under the blankets, and her father tucks her in.

“Good night, Dorothy.” Frederick leans in, and gives Dorothy a kiss on the forehead. The king starts walking away, without noticing her face full of doubt and hesitation. Frederick was about to blow out the candle and put it on the desk, but he's stopped.

“Dad.” Frederick looks over his shoulder to see his daughter looking at him straight in the eye.

“What is it, dear?”

“I have to talk with you.” The king turns around.

“Can it wait for tomorrow? It's very late and we both had a long day.” He has an idea on what she wanted to talk about, but was trying to avoid it. Dorothy sits up and keeps looking at his father.

“No, it can't.”

“You sure? We have all of tomorrow to spend together.”

“Dad, please. I know what you're doing.” A moment of silences falls between them, and it's not the comfortable kind. The king sighs, walks to the bed, and sits on the edge next to the princess.

“I'm really bad at it, aren't I?”

“Everyone says you're a very honest person.”

“A virtue and a curse.” Frederick says nothing else, and the princess takes it as her turn to speak.

“Dad, why don't you want me to go?”

“Would you believe me if I say that I was scared?” It comes as a surprise for the princess.

“Scared of what?”

“That something could happen to you.”

“Well, it would be safer if you're with me.”

“I know, but I'm not invincible, and if something happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

To say that the king was being overprotective would be an understatement, but it has a reason behind it. I haven't mentioned the queen, and that's because there is none, but there was one. Just like the king, she was loved and respected by the people. Very few really stood against her, and she took their challenge without fear or hesitation. This was one of the reasons that Frederick fell in love with such a woman. As a matter of fact, many of the policies that the king signed were proposed by the queen herself. All of them tried to maintain order between the commoners and the rich. She always liked to mention that the farms could not be maintained without the farmers, and no farm without lords providing the land. She also worked with the king in maintaining the peace between the other nations in the world. When news of her pregnancy got out of the castle, many rejoiced because they believed that their descendants would continue to carry on their legacy. The day when the first, and only, child was born became the moment for fate to be at its cruelest. The queen, for all her courage and strength, passed away when her child came into the world. The king was out of the castle doing his duties, and returned as soon as he heard word of it. He arrived to see his wife in her eternal slumber, and a crying daughter. The king mourned, some believe that it lasted for a whole year, and barely left his castle. Frederick wanted to keep his only daughter safe, by locking her up in the castle with him, away from any potential danger.

Going back to the present, Dorothy knows why she can't leave the castle, and she can understand his father's reasons. However, it's suffocating her, and she can't take it anymore. Since her father is opening up to her, it's only fair that she does the same.

“Dad, the castle is my home, but lately, I'm starting to see it as a cage,” says Dorothy.

“And I'm the jailer?” asks Frederick.

“No, but your fear is, for both of us.” The king was taken by surprise by such a response, even more when it's coming from his own daughter. He never thought about it that way, since he was so focus in protecting his daughter. That gets him in a dilemma, to allow his daughter to leave the castle for one day, or keep her inside. However, it ends quickly after wondering what would his late wife think about this. Frederick knows for a fact that she would have given him an earful, while also promising that everything would be alright.

“Okay, I will allow you to spend the day out of the castle, but only if you promise to remain close at all times, and you will listen to me without question,” says Frederick, leaving no room for negotiation. Dorothy feels herself swell with joy, almost to the verge of crying.

“Yes, I promise, I'll do anything you say.” Dorothy puts her hands together to emphasize her agreement. Frederick wraps an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

“I'll be honest, I'm still anxious about you being out there.” His daughter gives him a hug, an effort to cast away his worries.

“Everything is going to be okay, dad. Nothing bad is going to happen, you'll see.” Touched by Dorothy's words, Frederick returns the hug.

“Yeah, all will be well…because there will be a few dozens of royal guards with us. Hope you don't mind.”

“I don't, as long as I'm with you.”

Moving away from the castle, we're going back to Ava's house. All the children are on the second floor, where a big bed, an old bureau with a lantern on top of it, a window, and a door that leads to their lavatory. Everyone is ready to sleep, Wendy is wearing a simple nightgown, and the rest put on long tunics.

“All lights are out, windows are shut, and doors are locked properly,” says David as he's coming up from the first floor.

“Then it's time to get in bed, and sleep,” responds Ava while closing the door to the lavatory. “That includes you Harold.” The little boy is jumping on the bed, and continues to do so because he's having fun.

“Can you blame him? He's too excited to sleep right now. After all, tomorrow is a special day,” says Wendy, who's sitting on the bed and watching over her little brother.

“Which is why we should go to sleep right now,” Ava rubs Harold's head to calm him down. “Otherwise, he might be too tired to do anything tomorrow.” David, Wendy, and Harold start to get under the blankets.

“Let's not forget that we'll need money to do anything,” says David, while Ava blows out the candle inside the lantern. With the room completely dark, she gets under the blankets, but doesn't fall asleep yet.

“Of course there's going to be lots of money to go around. After all, tomorrow is the festival.” Ava knows that they need to be fully rested to get the necessary funds for their day at the festival. Therefore, everyone goes to slumber, and that concludes their night.

Well, talking about sleeping makes me want to take another nap. How about we stop it here for now? I'll be honest, the next part of our story is going to be quite hectic, so I need to be well rested to continue this tale. I recommend the same for you, but you're free to wait until I'm ready, as always. Until next time, good Reader.