Sunshine. 

Morning came and I looked out the window as I did yesterday,  now squinting at the unwelcome piercing rays that flooded my chambers. 

Ugh…

"Princess! Eloise told me to give this to you. He's attending to something else right now." 

Daniella came up to me and handed me a folded piece of paper with Dewsdale's official stamp on it.

!!!

I rushed to my vanity and started ripping it open before I even sat down. 

Is something wrong? What could I have done now??

…

Oh!

The document was made by the Official Treasure Finance Ministry in Dewsdale. It was a letter from our Chancellor thanking me for the resources I sent not so long ago. 

Wait…so I actually did something right for once? And it worked?

In the letter, he discussed how our productivity has gone up and how most of our towns are now "okay" with food, and the spreading of illnesses in the east have reduced for now. 

Just sending a little soap did that huh? We’ll have to start making our own soon and stop relying on others…

I was overjoyed at the news, no matter how minor it was. Good news is good news. 

My mood however, sank again when I read the last sentences on the page. 

‘Your Highness, due to some unfortunate events the Town of Exclais has worsened in the issue of scarce water. Because of their placement in the Kingdom, reigning in water will be difficult.’

… 

Scare water? I've always known they've had water issues but I never thought about what I could do to fix it…

I'd done a few things to help before but important things like this were left up to mom and dad.. 

What the heck? Did they think I just aged 10 years here? How am I supposed to know what to do??

…

"Um, Daniella. Write me a letter thanking the Chancellor for his kind words and tell him to keep updating me on the welfare of the Kingdom. …Also tell him that I will come up with a solution to Exclair's water problem soon." 

"Yes, Your Highness." She replied. Daniella got out ink and paper and began to write diligently.

I hope he won't mind that I'm not writing back personally. It’s just that…!

One serious request already had me pacing around the room back and forth and holding my head. 

Water…Scarce Water… can I not just ask father for help..? 

No! 

There's probably a reason they aren't solving this themselves. 

Perhaps they want to teach me a lesson of some sort. 

"Princess, don't you have lessons soon? You should set off now before you're late." 

Uh- 

Penelope's words stopped me in my tracks. I just noticed she was huddling under my blanket like a baby. 

"My classes, right! I can't believe I almost forgot." 

I rushed to put on my heels and comb my hair quickly before I reached the door.

"Ah- be careful Princess, don't run!" Daniella's warning came in an echo a few seconds before the door shut.

Ughh! I hope I'm not too late. Last time she complained about my tardiness too.

I wasn’t sure if I made it to class on time when I peeked through the crack in the door because Ms. Maupin was only setting down multiple cutleries on the long table in an arranged order. 

Table manners again. 

I slid in carefully trying not to attract her attention so she wouldn’t notice my presence. 

“You can sit dear.” she said, still facing away from me. 

Dang, I knew it...Eyes in the back of her head I'm sure. And did she just call me 'dear'?

“Good morning Ms. Maupin.” I greeted when I sat down awkwardly. 

She didn’t reply, so I looked up at her and wondered what she was thinking. 

As always, her bun was still too tight on her head and it pulled back her eyes significantly, but this time she appeared…sad. 

A sudden look of pity came upon her face and she turned away from me after I read her expression. Her voice was soft now as she spoke. 

“I must say dear, it didn't occur to me that you may have experienced such a disastrous ordeal." 

….What…?

"Truly, I am deeply sorry." 

It wasn’t until she turned around, that I realised what she was meaning to say. She must be talking about that day! Is she feeling sorry for me? 

"N-no…! I’m fine really! It didn’t affect me at all!" 

Dread quickly beset me and my heart began to beat rapidly, now suddenly fearing the old woman's words. 

Is that why the servants looked at me that way as I was walking? Could that be it? Did they all look down on me?

"You don’t need to be strong dear. You are only a child. It must have been frightening to be in such a position. And you couldn't even say anything about it either. “

My chest and throat had squeezed completely, being unable to say a word anymore. 

I was frozen in place, paralysed by the daunting feeling of shame and despair. 

Nobody would respect me anymore. Just like what is happening now, people would treat me as I've always seen myself. Like a child. Someone not worthy of this position. 

To think the news of the announcement had almost slipped my mind…

Now, I wouldn’t be able to escape it. People ‘s thoughts and stares..

The rest of the class went on like this, silent and sullen, until it was finished . 

Now, I was walking in the hallway, heading for Geography in the Kingdom library next, as I hung my head down and wearily put one foot after the other. 

The man will die tomorrow, but the shame he brought onto me will continue to live. Everybody must know now that i’m incapable of anything. I don’t do much for my Kingdom or this one, just leeching off of what I can. 

Neither the guard trailing behind me, nor the whispering maids could cause me to raise my head again. 

Would keeping up a front even matter anymore now?

Footsteps sounded loudly on the Castle floor.

From the tresses of my hair, I saw a female figure in a beautiful dress sliding into an unused corridor in the West Wing. 

Greer!  

She was walking briskly, holding her enlgogated dress uncomfortably . 

Where the heck has she been?! She didn’t come to Ms. Maupin’s class either. Perhaps…is she trying to avoid me? Does she also hate me now? 

My hopes were crushed by the sudden realisation that my thoughts were probably true. I shouldn’t chase after her. She probably doesn’t want to see me either. 

But as if fate had it out for me, God gave me another reason to stay. 

Something that was following Greer. 

Something that I had to protect her from. 

Something dangerous… 

An attacker.