Emelyn didn’t know why, but she trusted that man. Maybe was it because of his family name, that reminded her in a way of her handmaiden. Maybe was it the fact that he looked like a brilliant scientist, yet at that time, those were rare. There was something in his eyes, a lost wistfulness, an inch of magic. She didn’t want to be troublesome to Doctor Rutherfurd, since he was suspicious of her identity already. 

It goes by saying that this man trusted Edward. They were like old buddies, connected by a secret string that kept them both alive from breaking apart. Emelyn wasn’t against this friendship, yet she couldn’t help but wonder how those two guys met. If Edward spent most of his life in Kordania and Rutherfurd stood in Wron, how was that possible? Everything ran through her head as if a hamster did his marathon in his hamster spinner. Yet the young princess kept a poker face- she tried to, at least. 

Edward and Doctor Rutherfurd spoke of things the soon-to-be-queen wasn’t understanding. It seemed personal, as they both talked in a faint voice, glancing at her from time to time. “Sarah” knew they weren’t talking about her since she heard a few words concerning Frederick from time to time. The prince along with his old friend were agreeing about something the woman didn’t know about. Soon after, her husband and his friend walked back at her, both looking at her. Emelyn couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward with the way they were staring at her, yet she didn’t know if she missed something. 

Instead of showing up as shy, stupid, or slightly sheepish, the young princess kept her poker face and watched them both, trying not to show how flustered she truly was. So the guys believed in her act, fortunately for her. The soon-to-be-queen cleared her throat and replaced her auburn bangs in a non-flirtatious manner. 

“So, um, Rutherfurd, is that it? I wanted to know how you met His Majesty, since you both aren’t from the same kingdom.” She asked with a grin, focusing her attention on the man. 

Rutherfurd paused for a second, thoughtful. He arched his brows and sighed softly, his expression growing even more wistful. Soon, the scientist’s arm fell along his body, offering a depressive version of him. 

“I know Edward by his father, the King. We both used to be great friends, back in the day where all the kingdoms were united. You look young, m’lady, so I suppose you don’t know what I’m talking about.” He started adjusting his laboratory glasses.  

“About three centuries ago, Pyril, Wron, Kordania and once Mayain were making one and one kingdom only. We called it Avalonia. Every single child had the same education, as religion made us learn the “great” ways.  

A teenager called John was never happy. His father was an important politician back then, yet it didn’t make John any more famous. Soon, his jealousy and his anger grew, as he became increasingly cruel. A few generations later, his descendants managed to grow an empire.  

Soon Pyril, Wron, Kordania and Mayain became four different kingdoms. That’s when Frederick was born. And so was I. We used to be great buddies, and we got along well. We’d forget the curfew and meet by my place, and we were everything to each other. Until one day. Frederick couldn’t face his father anymore. 

 So his ideas contamined him, and he started neglecting me. I never saw him after that. Yet one day I met Edward by the palace as I wandered, and since then, we get along good.” 

Emelyn was speechless. Simply and cruelly flabbergasted; she couldn’t believe what she just heard. The soon-to-be-queen didn’t know that once before, the four kingdoms were united. With the world she’s been living in, she wasn’t imagining that this could’ve been like that back then. The woman’s mouth dropped open as she blinked a few times, trying to calm herself down. 

“That’s a whole different deal, huh? Yeah, I know. Anyways, I’ve never heard of you, who are you? You really look alike the lost princess of Mayain, Emelyn Windsor.” 

“Stop it, Damian. You may be right, but you’re not the first one to tell her that, She is Sarah Gray, and she is the soon-to-be-queen of Kordania. In any manner, Emelyn Windor died on the battlefield eleven years ago, so it couldn’t be her!” Edward stopped Rutherfurd, calming Emelyn some more. 

Edward was once again taking her defense. A lot of people have been noticing the “similarity,” yet the prince didn’t really seem to be bothered by that. His suspicions were non-existent, or were they? The young princess knew he was hiding something, but she never knew. And never would she either. 

The silence reigned for a few seconds, as Emelyn pursed her lips. She stood there, balancing her weight from one foot to the other as she looked around. Damian Rutherfurd was visibly a genius. The room was busy with colorful flasks, and everything was well-placed. He even made hypotheses for the world’s end. The young woman didn’t know whether they were going to be true or not, but the simple idea that this man had his thoughts about this was sending a shiver down her spine. 

After a while of awkward silence, Edward cleared his throat and threw “Sarah” a death glare- yet she didn’t know what she was doing wrong. He focused his gaze on Damian and lifted his chin as he narrowed his eyes, showcasing a small move of superiority. Visibly, the prince was getting contaminated by his father’s ideas. Slightly. Emelyn preferred it if he didn’t have them, since he was starting to be a great ally in her cause. 

“Doctor Rutherfurd. We’ve come, Miss Gray and I, to ask for help. You probably heard about the war raging between Kordania and Wron, as my father decided it for you, obviously. He didn’t choose Pyril since the Princess’ family was there, yet he wanted his revenge. For what? Nothing. You’re the strongest in Wron, so I figured I could confrontate The King with you along with Sarah. What do you think?” 

“That looks like a Genius Idea, my dear. You know your OBMO. Alright, tell me what you need with this, shall you?” The man responded eagerly, pacing around his laboratory with an excited smile playing on his lips. 

Edward started to name various ingredients that Emelyn didn’t know about, yet her focus wasn’t there. The soon-to-be-queen was confused on why the Doctor knew what the Official Book of the Meyer’s Origin, since he wasn’t even from Kordania. Neither a Meyer. Then that’s when it hit her. The family name- Rutherfurd. Anastasia was a maid back there in the castle, as her family name was Rutherfurd as well. Did the man send her to keep an eye on his old friend? Maybe. But Emelyn wasn’t sure whether those two had a link. She couldn’t just assume it. Instead of showing the men how anxious she was, she sat on a nearby bench and watched them make the count of potions needed, along with some odd ingredients. 

“Woah.” Rutherfurd whistled after Edward and him chose all the right ingredients. “You’re a really smart guy, Your Highness, I must admit. The size of those bottles can perfectly fit in your outfits if you want to hide them through, and the liquids chosen are perfect for the occasion!” He spoke with a hint of admiration. 

The concerned one laughed, yet it didn’t seem fake. He looked...happy. Edward was on the verge of reaching his goal, that may be why he’s starting to feel good with himself, the princess thought.  

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m the best! Anyways, thank you so much for letting Sarah and I enter here! I’ll miss you, old friend, I promise! You know you can call me Edward, so stop it with Your Highness and everything!” The prince thanked him as he patted him on the back as a friendly gesture, holding the bottles with his two hands, with difficulty. 

The woman felt like a third wheeling, as she chuckled nervously. Why did Edward want to bring her inside if he didn’t need her to really come? He didn’t seem to care about her this much, yet maybe it was because he reunited with his old friend. Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry about it so much because His Majesty looked over and began to talk. 

“Sarah, can you help me hold a few bottles of these, please? Thank you, hold them tight inside your dress’ pocket but don’t make it look weird, alright?” Edward questioned rhetorically, his ice blue eyes piercing through her skin. He didn’t wait for an answer that he threw some into his arms, as she hardly held them. 

Her husband and herself walked off the laboratory, peeking their heads out as they stepped through the poor streets once again. The thought of asking Edward was inching her and she kept herself from doing so, yet she was too curious- she had to ask. 

“Your Majesty, with your respect, why must we hold these flasks? What are we going to do? And why are we going back to Kordania with those?” 

Right after inquiring Edward, Emelyn quickly fell bad. She knew he hated this when she interrogated him like that- yet she couldn’t help herself. The man glared at her with hatred, his gaze becoming icy and cold. That’s it, she thought. Edward Meyer is back to himself now, and he won’t be nice to her anymore. 

“What do you think, Sarah? We’re gonna blow these in some places in Kordania, make a rebellion. Those contain poison, bombs, and a few other things that you don’t want to know about. Some can even make the building melt, just like acid. We’ll throw them once a week in a new one each time, just to make The King understand that what he’s doing is bad.” 

“WHAT?” Miss Gray screamed in surprise, but Edward didn’t answer her. 

He remained silent as he kept on walking, as she followed along blankly, not believing her ears. They were going to vandalism against Frederick himself. What if he discovered whose fault, it was? Well, Emelyn knew she would have to figure it out soon.