As she walked towards her room, Princess Abigail was lost in thought. She wondered why she had been so gullible to believe Micheal’s words. She thought about their most recent encounters. He seemed honest and kind. He was hardworking and constantly sought her attention. He seemed to care for her just as much as she cared for him. She had fallen in love with him at first sight and thought she was following her destiny. Her dream was a sign that he was meant to be with her. Most of her ancestors dreamt of their future spouse, and they lived happily ever after. 

When she was younger, her father told her he saw her mother in a dream before meeting her. He was convinced that had it not been for that dream, he would have missed his opportunity to marry her mother since she was engaged to another noble. Her mother even agreed that his dream sealed their destiny together. 

Throughout history, it appeared her ancestors had fallen in love with those they dreamt about. Why was her dream turning into a nightmare?

Did Micheal- no, did Victor Armara-seek her every morning to trick her?

 As she entered her room, she realized, to her horror, that she had been the one to inform Micheal of her schedule. She was the one who took purposeful steps towards him. She was the one responsible for her current pain. She sat at the edge of her bed and wept. Her tears fell, and despite Cosmo’s gentle nudges, they did not end until the evening. Cosmo fell asleep near her.

She did not want to face her mother during dinner and informed the maids that she was too ill. She didn’t even let the maids enter her room since once they saw her, they would see and inform her mother about her current state.  Her eyes were a bright red, and her hair was matted since her long wavy hair seemed to fall in all directions.  Worse of all, she had developed a slight headache, and the pain she felt at Micheal’s deception was great. She lay down in her bed motionless, but her tears stopped. She decided that tomorrow, she would act. 

Micheal and his family would not see her in despair. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her falling apart or begging for his attention. 

Over the years, she learned to manage her emotions and fears. Tomorrow, she promised herself that she would no longer love Micheal. She could control her emotions. She was capable of letting Micheal go. She sobbed again. 

She prayed that the sun would rise soon and that her promises would become a reality in the morning. 

Meanwhile, in the noble’s quarters of the city, Sir James was writing a report. He had received a note from Princess Abigail. It held a few lines that instructed him to seek more information on a gardener, Micheal, who worked in the palace. It was an odd request. Sir James knew that Princess Abigail trusted her staff since her mother, Queen Isabella, had put them under a rigorous background check before hiring them. He wondered what event could have occurred for Abigail to seek his assistance. 

Princess Abigail, Sir James thought, seems to be slowly distancing herself from her mother. He was happy that Princess Abigail was taking this step. Queen Isabella was initially betrothed to the late King, King Alberto’s brother. However, before the marriage ceremony, the current king dreamt of Queen Isabella. The royal family had a tradition of listening to their dreams, especially those concerning their future spouses. According to the ancient myths of the kingdom, the royal family was descended from a God and a sorceress. Their dreams were a sign of the god’s nature existing within them. Therefore, when a royal family member dreamt of another person, that person would be theirs. Even if they were married and had young children, the royal family could annul marriages due to those dreams. Many families grieve because their loved ones would never leave the palace. His grandmother would say that they were trapped in a golden cage. 

Sir James remembered when  Queen Isabella was besotted with the late King. However, he never seemed to have any affection towards her. Therefore, when his younger brother told him of the dream during a passionate speech in front of the court, the late King accepted his request to cancel the engagement. According to rumors, Queen Isabella was devastated. She refused to attend any social events and abused some of the servants in her household. One poor girl was thrown out in the middle of the night, and several people reported that she was bleeding heavily from her head. Later, rumors said that the maid’s injury had resulted in a scar. People who saw the maid said the scar ran from her eyes to the corner of her mouth. The maid then disappeared. 

 Over time, however, due to  King Alberto’s constant attention, Queen Isabella accepted his proposal.  News about the royal family quieted down until the late King’s death.  After his death, King Alberto and Queen Isabella were crowned. The new King and Queen prospered in their new roles, according to a few key members of society. Meanwhile, Abigail’s grandfather stepped away from his royal duties and began to train Abigail to be the new heir. 

Sir James kept his distance from Queen Isabella. At first, he had felt a deep sympathy for her since she was forced into a marriage against her will. Over time, however, he realized that Queen Isabella’s initial disappointment was because she had to marry the king's younger brother.  Queen Isabella loved her husband after King Alberto’s coronation and ascension as the Queen Consort.  Despite that positive change, one thing remained: her abuse of the servants serving her. He had personally witnessed many servants crying in the corridors and a few assisting their coworkers with bandages. The King seemed to turn a blind eye to her actions, and the children, including Princess Abigail, were terrified of their mother. He did not know why since the children did not seem to have any physical injuries, and the maids at the Queen’s palace refused to speak with him regarding the matter. Princess Abigail often sought his advice, but he was not her confidant. She hoped that one day, she would be able to find someone she could trust. Otherwise, her life would be incredibly lonely. 

Sir James turned his attention to the note once again. He wrote the information he gathered from the servants and personal observations. Micheal had been employed with the palace for six months. He assisted Mr. Townsend with a high level of proficiency. He lived in the palace’s servant quarters and was well-liked by everyone. However, he maintained his distance from everyone. His personnel file seemed normal, but Sir James did notice one striking abnormality. Micheal’s personal history before the palace hired him was not mentioned or examined. Mr. Townsend wrote a brief note that Micheal was an orphan and that additional information was unnecessary or attainable. The palace hired orphans, and the protocol mentioned at least the orphanage they grew up in or the town where they resided.

Additionally, applicants provided reference letters.  Either Mr. Townsend took an immediate liking to Micheal, or there was a sinister reason why Mr. Townsend decided to avoid standard protocol. He closed his letter by informing Princess Abigail of the inconsistencies in Micheal’s employment record and that he would investigate Micheal’s life before the palace. He sealed the letter and sent it via a carrier pigeon. After completing this task, he left it to the local information guild to make a request. 

Back in the palace, the royal family was dining without Abigail. When the servants left, King Alberto said, ‘I finally found out why the cakes and desserts were terrible.’

Prince Alfonso immediately turned his attention to his father. He noticed that his brother was also curious.

‘Abigail selected a maid named Naima to work as her personal maid. However, this maid was responsible for baking many of the items in the kitchen. Since she no longer works in the kitchen, the cakes have been terrible,’ said King Alberto.

Alfonso was surprised that Naima had that fantastic talent. 

‘Should we ask Abigail to transfer her back to the kitchen?” said Prince Alfonso.

“I will need to speak with Abigail tomorrow. I don’t want to undermine her decisions,” said King Alberto.

“Why does that matter, Father? You are the king and the head of this family. Just tell Abigail to move that maid back to the kitchen,” said Prince Alexander.

“Alexander is right, dear,” said Queen Isabella as she drank from a wine glass.

“The royal heir can select their staff, and it has been a tradition that I should not intervene with her choices. Your sister is also not feeling well today. I don’t want to disturb her while she is ill,” said King Alberto.

A short time later, dinner ended. King Alberto was about to visit Princess Abigail, but Queen Isabella said she would check on her. Queen Isabella headed towards Abigail’s room.