They had moved to the office, while Zielle sat in the chair behind the desk and Ambrose was behind the chair with his arms crossed, Anneliese was sitting on Evander’s lap who was sitting on the chair opposite of Zielle.

Anneliese took a deep breath “I remember that day when my father showed up with a pregnant lady, I was furious because it was my seventh birthday and he was supposed to spend it with me… besides it hurt to know that he loved another woman and the idea of me being replaced terrified me” Anneliese played with Evander’s hair “But the moment I held her for the first time, I understood my father, even though it didn’t erased my past feelings but it made me realize that some things are meant to change no matter how painful it can be”

“So then what happened? For all I know the Marquis never had any problems with people, and wasn’t involved in any type of mess up thing” Ambrose uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the chair

“Well when I turned twelve, the nobles that had the siren first found my father’s location which started the death threats that after my father ignore became assassination attempts and he wasn’t the only target, but Faelynn and me too”

Ambrose placed his hands on top of one another and rested his chin on the top hand and Evander rubbed Anneliese’s back gently

“Wait this happened during the time that me and Ambrose weren’t allowed to visit you?”

Anneliese nodded “My father didn’t want to involved neither Duke Chevalier or the royal family…So my father decided to run away and hide, I was supposed to go with them but in the middle of our escape, I got caught and the nobles threatened my father with my life on the line… so he trusted his best knight to protect the woman he loved and his daughter and stayed with me” Anneliese paused trying to hold her tears “He told me to hide, so I did…I hid in the closet and watched how they killed him…through the crack of the door we made eye contact one last time…”

Evander hugged Anneliese tighter and she buried her face in his hair. Ambrose approached Anneliese and placed a hand on her shoulder which she took and squeeze

“So it was lie…The nobles covered your father’s death by saying it was suicide” Ambrose murmured “But why do you say she was dead? And how does Leonora fit in all this?”

Anneliese raised her head and wiped her tears “Leonora was my father’s most trusted knight… Years later, the day of my debut I got a letter from her…It said that both of them got sick and died” Anneliese nodded slowly “She left me a map that led to a tomb near the sea of Aegle, and there she left me proof that what the letter said was true…I guess that was her trying her best to protect them”

Evander frowned “But Zielle says that Leonora told her that she found her almost dead”

“A cover up maybe?” Anneliese frowned

“I have a question” Zielle slightly raised her hand “Who’s Faelynn?”

Anneliese chuckled “That’s your real name, Faelynn Dilara Bonner”

“That’s a great combination” Evander murmured

“But I like Zielle better” She pouted

“Alright Zielle it is...This has been bothering me for a while” Anneliese stood up and walked towards Zielle, she turned her and grabbed her cheeks with both hands “Your eyes…what happened to them?”

“Ah…I thought you already knew that she’s blind” Ambrose said

Anneliese frowned “This is weird…Even if she lost her eye sight her eye color shouldn’t change” She scanned Zielle’s face carefully

“What do you mean?” Evander leaned forwards “Wasn’t her eyes always grey?”

Anneliese shook her head “No... They were the most beautiful shade of pale pink I have ever seen”

“Wait…shouldn’t it be purple?” Ambrose frowned “Never mind, she’s weird so it shouldn’t be a surprised”

“You know me?” Zielle tilted her head “Are you part of the life I don’t remember?”

“Yes…I’m your sister” Anneliese let go of Zielle and examine her “Honestly not bad Ambrose, thank you for taking care of her”

Ambrose walked towards Zielle and placed a hand in her head “You aren’t planning on taking her with you to Oriana” He shook his head “You can’t!”

“Just because you been taking care of her all this time doesn’t give you some mess up claim on her!” Anneliese grabbed Ambrose’s hand that was resting in Zielle’s head

“I found her first!” Ambrose shouted

“She’s my sister!” Anneliese shouted back

“Hey both of you don’t fight” Evander stood up and raised his sword to separate them “Zielle what do you think?” He turned towards her

“Rose…I want to stay with Rose” She mumbled

Ambrose smiled proudly while Anneliese rolled her eyes annoyed “Fine but she’s not going to continue to live like this, I mean look at her wearing old clothes that doesn’t even fit her and look how skinny she is!” She grabbed Zielle’s wrist and shook it

“But doesn’t she look adorable?” Evander said and Ambrose nodded “It looks like a child wearing her mother’s clothes”  

“Yes but she deserves more, she deserves to be dressed with the most beautiful and softest dresses to be ever be made, and be adorned with the most expensive and rare jewels” She nodded letting go of Zielle’s wrist and fixing her clothes

“If you really want that…then why don’t you stop dressing like a boy?” Ambrose shrugged

Anneliese stopped and glared at him “I hate dresses” She continued to fix Zielle’s clothes

Ambrose placed his hands in his pockets and Evander shook his head “After what you told us, we can’t risk people knowing about her”

“Why not?”

“Dear we don’t’ have the power to protect her, I get it okay you are the leader of the most powerful guild in Oriana and I am the vice commander of the imperial knights, and we also have the duchy but that’s not enough”

“But he does!” She pointed at Ambrose “He has the power to help us…If Ambrose takes the throne back we could all be happy” Anneliese said nodding

“Anneliese…I’m not going back” Ambrose said softly

“You! You took an oath to always put the kingdom and its people first but look at you!” She walked towards him and push him “You are being really selfish!”

“And you are going back on your word” He stood in front of her and glared at her “You say I’m being selfish? Ha! For once in my life I decide to put myself first, and turns out I’m not allowed to do that?”

Evander lifted Anneliese and carried her like a sack of potatoes “Sorry about that… We will talk later”

While Anneliese struggled to free herself she lifted her head and flick him off, Ambrose in response started laughing.

After the door close, Ambrose calmed himself and glanced at Zielle. He approached her and moved the chair so Zielle was facing him, he then crouched holding Zielle’s hands

“Rose…will everything be okay? Does my sister hate you?” Zielle squeezed his hands gently

He smiled “No she doesn’t hate me...I don’t know what to do…She’s right, if I take the throne you can have the life you deserve but…” He sighed and looked down

“Do whatever you feel is right…Honestly I’m happy with the way things are right now” She tilted her head “And I know that you are happy too”

Ambrose lifted his gaze and stared at Zielle, she was truly beautiful and it made him to think how much she had suffered so far. After letting go of his hands, she slowly slid her hands up his body, her fingers barely touched his chest but still he could feel them faintly. She slowly moved one of her hands to his face and let it rest on his cheek, Ambrose leaned against her hand and closed his eyes. It was a beautiful moment where it was the only the two them, enjoying each other’s company with nothing more than a feeling of comfort lingering around them

“Elle…are you truly happy here with me?” Ambrose softly asked after Zielle moved her hand

She nodded “I am very happy…I have been happy since I met you Rose”

“I’m happy I met you Zielle” He stared at her before pulling her to the ground gently

He hugged her tightly and she patted his back gently.