We were only halfway to the back courtyard when my hands started shaking. Nervousness shouldn't be on my mind right now. It's just a charity event discussion. That's all. 

The footsteps of the guard were still heavy behind me and Greer. She was right, he is scary. Not intimidating in the way that Damond is..but rather too built in his arms and chest. Too much muscle if you ask me. And at least 3 heads taller too. 

"Kaprina, you have to show your assertiveness ok? Don't waver in any decision you make." 

As much as I hated to get advice from someone like her, she was right. I can't buckle in front of those people. I must maintain my demeanor.

"We're here.." I said aloud to myself.  We were now in front of the backdoor to the garden and though the window could slightly see the edge of the colorful table.

There should be only 9 girls excluding me.  

The muscular bodyguard stepped in front and opened the door to lead way into the garden. 

Light chattering sounded from the long rectangle table filled with beautiful young girls seeming to discuss nothing more important than gossip. 

"Her Highness, the Royal Princess of Dewsdale." Eloise announced loudly. 

At that time, their heads all snapped towards my direction and their eyes widened in surprise. They all scurried to get up and straighten their dresses. 

"Greetings to her Royal Highness Princess Kaprina!" they all said in unison. 

I gave a small nod and went to sit down on the big open chair in the middle of the table. 

Even as I walked, they were still gawking intensely at my entire being. Their heads were turning my direction in every step I took, as if I were some sort of pariah. And of course, they only sat after I did. 

Next to me Greer had a small smug smile on her face. 

"Hello again girls." she said, waving cottequishly at them.

The girls noticed her presence right away. From their perspective, it would look like Greer had become my right hand woman. That seemed to make them uncomfortable. 

"Hello ladies. I hope you are all doing well." I said. 

"A-Ah Yes, of course!" The girl in green said. That was Baroness Lillian. 

Perhaps, I'm not the only one who's nervous...?

"Ahem! As you all know, we gathered here to discuss the details of the charity event, in which all of us will have a hand in." 

Honestly, I'm surprised at my own words. I don't usually talk like this. Meanwhile, the maids and butlers were already pouring hot tea into our cups. 

"I have here the event plans laid out by the Queen herself. You'll all get a piece of paper, so please take your time to review all the details. If you have any questions, please refer to me." 

Eloise began passing out the planning paper to each of the girls and they did as I asked. 

It's too quiet. They're all reading the paper, but what should I do now? My tea is still too hot to drink...

I was watching their faces as their eyes darted across the paper, but I could see a few of them sneaking a look at me every now and then. When I caught them, they buried their faces in the notes again, after realising the embarrassment of being caught staring at a stranger. 

Greer leaned her body my way and whispered in my ear. "Ugh. Just look at Cassandra." 

My eyes found her quickly and she was just...reading? She was very beautiful in fact, and besides from Greer, the most mature looking here. 

I'm not sure why it hadn't occurred to me before, but is Greer just jealous of Cassandra?

"U-um Your Highness, will you please review section 4 please?" A girl in yellow attire raised her hand slightly in the air and began blushing. Marchioness Amelia. 

"Of course. It just states that we will be travelling different parts of town in groups. I believe it's best to travel in 5 groups, pairs of two. Any objections?" 

The girls all looked around at each other, seeing if anyone even dared to oppose me. 

Weird, they know they can say something right?

Cassandra rose her hand first. 

"If we are going to travel in two, then may we choose our partners ourselves?" 

Er...um... what should I say now? I want to be sturdy in my decisions....but I don't want to be mean. Theses are the same people that will attend my debutante after all. 

Right now, all eyes were on me. 

Cassandra was looking at me confidently, her green eyes staring into mine. It's as if she were waiting for me to falter somehow. 

"Well, I would strongly prefer if we all stay in the pairs I've assigned you to." I said confidently.

The other girls all turned their heads towards her, anticipating her reaction. 

"Right, of course Your Highness. Forgive me." she said apologetically.  I just nodded. 

This is so weird...nobody ever talked like this to me in Dewsdale. Why was I expecting rudeness?

Underneath the table Greer kicked my leg and began to speak. 

"Have any of you picked your dance partners yet for the debutante?" she asked suddenly. 

With that sentence alone, the solid ice of formality that covered the table seemed to have evaporated into thin air.

"Well, I've asked the Duke of Errington if he wanted to come but I've yet to receive his reply." a girl in purple said. Lady Rue. 

The entire table began discussing about their prospective dance partners and I sat in awe at how easily the conversation had shifted in mere seconds. 

"What about you Princess? Will you be dancing with Prince Andres?" Casssandra asked. 

"W-well...Yes...Yes, I will." 

That was a lie. 

All the girls looked at each other smiling and giggling, probably at the thought of me and him dancing together. I had forgotten he was so popular, yet somehow...so mysterious to those outside the Kingdom. 

"Your Highness." 

Eloise whispered to me behind my ear and I turned around. 

"Somebody is here to see you."

"Who?" I asked. 

I didn't have time to wonder for long. The girls gasped and so loud that I turned around to see what they were all aweing at. 

Damond. 

Like before his temper tantrum, Damond smiled his perfect smile with his tufted brown hair and brown eyes, almost like a puppy dog waiting for it's master, except... the master was me. Why is he staring at me like that?

"Your Highness. May I?" 

He asked while bowing. Then the girls erupted with smuggled giggles and blushing, their hearts obviously distressed over the poor, handsome guard. 

Greer tapped my leg under the table again and gave me a "what the heck" look. No, I wouldn't imagine it was part of her plan to get interrupted like this. It must be important. 

"Oh! Please, you must excuse me everyone. Hopefully it'll only be a moment." 

I stood reluctantly as I said that and eyed Greer from the side. She was sour, a look of betrayal was soiled all over her face.

She'll get over it when she realises she's in charge while i'm gone. 

I tried my best to make my exit look elegant, following on Damond's fast feet the best I could. 

We exited the garden, and as soon as we did the whole world turned darker. My eyes had been too used to light outside already, but something else wasn't right all.

"Um, Damond?! Are you going to explain yourself now? What was that about?!"

He was walking really fast and I tried to keep pace in my heels. 

"Stop walking too fast. You'll see when we get there." 

If he was smiling back there garden there were no traces of it now. His face was deadly. 

"What do you mean there?! Just tell me where we're going!" I shouted at him. 

"You won't like it, but he might only answer to you."

"Who?!!" 

I didn't even notice we were in one of the deepest parts of the castle by now. I didn't even know where we were!

The deeper we got, the less gold, lights, and diamonds decorated the place. The walls got thinner, the castle darker, and the air stale.

I can't do this anymore.

"You know what?! You've been acting DISGUSTING lately. I am SO sick and tired of this pompousness you suddenly got out of nowhere! What, did the new suit get to your head?!"

His feet stopped. He turned around to look down and me and he looked....hurt.

Something shifted behind him. 

"We're here." 

A small sliver of light appeared revealing a small dimly lit room hidden behind a crooked door. 

He turned around and walked in. 

Despite every inch of my body telling me to run...I followed. 

When I stepped into the room,  I regretted everything I had ever done and wanted to reverse time. 

A disgusting, putrid smell pierced my nostrils, watered my eyes, and was a flavour in my mouth. 

And it was a smell I knew all too well.

Blood.