XIV. July 11th, 1989

Mira's POV:

The knock on my bedroom door caught my attention. I placed down the hairbrush and made my way to the sound. When I opened the door, Dawn was on the other side.

She smiled, "Hey."

My grip tightens against the doorknob. "Hi," I say, straightening out the old T-shirt. "What's up?"

"I—" she fidgets slightly in her place. I'm here to apologize," she says. I shouldn't have acted like that last night."

I smile and open my arms, "Come here."

Immediately, she hugged me, "I'm so sorry. I'm such a horrible friend. It's just-"

I pat her back, "It's okay. I know."

Dawn cried into my shoulder, "This vacation was a mistake. We should've stayed home and complained about how bored we are instead."

I second that.

Dawn and I spend the day on the bed with junk food around us.

"I'm assuming your stomach feels better?" Dawn asked.

I nodded, "Yeah." I turned to her, "So, update me. What happened after I left?"

Dawn turned to her stomach, "After you left, we went back out, and the atmosphere was actually pretty bad. The only thing you heard was the utensils hitting against the plates."

"That's rough."

Dawn crept closer to me, "So, did anything happen between you and the archduke?"

I squinted my eyes and stared at the ceiling to recall what happened yesterday. "No. He took me back, and then Bennett took me inside."

"Ah." Dawn nodded.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

I turned to my side and brought one left forward to feel comfortable. "Yesterday, you said you saw me going into a hotel with a random guy-"

"I'm so sorry I said any of that. What you decide to do is your business, and I have no right to bring that up."

"No. No. It's okay," I said. "I just wanted to know if you ever seen me with the archduke, other than yesterday."

"Oh-" She looks surprised by my question. "Other than the other, you guys danced together at the ball. No."

"We danced together at the ball?" You would think, even if I were hammered, I would remember something like that.

She nodded, "Yeah. You guys were basically the center of attention until the King and Queen arrived, and then that whole fiasco happened."

It's weird, but I don't recall ever dancing with Lucianus at the ball.

Typically, people don't get hung up over one dance, but last night's dream wouldn't let the uncomfortable feeling settle.

I had a dream that Lucianus and I were dancing together next to the lake under the moon.

His hand was on my back, and my head rested on his chest. There wasn't a single string of music in the background, but we didn't seem to care.

It was beautiful.

"Guess what," Dawn said.

"What?"

"This morning, we got a letter from the king."

"About?"

"He says we can visit Asena any time we want."

I sat up, and the crumbles fell onto the bed. "What changed his mind?"

"I think he saw how upset Asena was yesterday after the archduke took you away. I think he's trying to comfort her."

I nodded slowly, "That's great." If he releases her, that'll be the best comforting method of all, but baby steps.

Dawn grabbed my hands, "We get to be with our friend again!"

"Yay."

After mending our friendship, I looked at the calendar. There are only two weeks before our flights back home. My hand drops to my flat stomach.

In two weeks, I'll be about four weeks pregnant.

They say the earliest you can hear a heartbeat is six weeks into pregnancy. The average is eight to ten weeks.

So, if I get an abortion, it doesn't mean I've killed a baby, right?

An abortion is the right thing to do.

I'm a 21-year-old idiot who got knocked up by a man I don't even know. It'd be extra idiotic to keep the baby.

My future is already mapped out, and a child isn't a part of it.

At least, not now.

Two days later, we got ready to go to the palace. I have a bone or two to pick with whomever decided that you cannot wear the same dress twice and that you have to wear a dress when visiting the palace.

This isn't the 1600s.

I wiped my palms down the new dress and exhaled. At least we didn't take any pictures, so I can wear the dresses again if there is any special event at home.

I placed a hand on my stomach and exhaled. Sadly, I can't blame anyone except myself for what happened.

The ride to the palace was like any other ride, except when we were past what the typical people see, the outrageous palace came into view. The guards bowed, and the giant gates opened.

The news anchor's claim that Bulteria's palace is one of the heaviest guarded places in the world is no joke.

I tap a mint inside my mouth because I don't remember how it smells.

The last thing I want is to offend someone because of my breath.

The chauffeur opened the door, and an older man greeted us. Then, he led us into the giant building and out to the huge garden.

Everything around here is so big.

"Dawn! Mira!" Asena, in a beautiful light blue dress, rushed to us. "You're both here."

While Asena said something about being happy to see us, my eyes wandered to the palace. Somehow, everything looked so vibrant and...loud.

Were birds always this loud?

Asena led us to the lake, and beside it was outdoor furniture. I sat on the couch and immediately fell into calmness. Someone asked us what we would like to drink while the maids set various snacks on the table.

Are we trying to rescue Asena from this place?

I grabbed a macaroon and bit it.

Maybe I can be the king's third wife.

We talked and laughed as if Asena wasn't held in the palace against her will. It's weird.

When Dawn excused herself to go to the bathroom, I stared off into the peaceful lake until Asena suddenly grabbed my arm. "Listen," she said in a low voice.

When someone tells you to listen in such a concerning voice, you shut up and hear what they have to say.

"We don't have much time." She looked around, "Act like I said something funny."

I smiled and laughed.

"You're really good at that."

With a smile still on my face, I said: "The reason why you're grabbing my arm so hard?"

"I need your help. In Emmett's mansion, there is a red door on the ground floor-"

This sounds like the start of an unwanted side quest.

"In the red door, you'll find a bunch of books. Find the book with a gold flower cover."

Why?

"And please, bring it to me."

"Okay? Um- Dawn and-"

"No!" Suddenly, Asena laughed and hit my arm. She hugged me and said, "I miss you so much!"

I hugged her back.

"Dawn can't know about this."

"Why?" I whispered.

"She trusts Emmett too much. She'll tell him."

Am I hearing things right?

She doesn't want the man who's trying to break her out of the palace to know about her plan?

When I saw Dawn coming, I smiled and let Asena go. "Yeah! I'd love to come back!"

With Dawn's appearance, we returned to our typical conversation. Then, we planned to meet Asena again in a few days.

During dinner at Celeste's estate, I noticed how Emmett casually mentioned our meeting with Asena. It was so smooth; I wouldn't have noticed it if Asena hadn't acted so cautiously about Emmett earlier.

Just as Asena had predicted, Dawn had spilled everything on Emmett, and he gladly accepted the information.

Quietly, I ate my meal.

Once in a while, Emmett glanced at me, but I pretended to tune out.

Sorry, I can't betray my friend, no matter how hot of an uncle you are.

The next day, Bennett told me Emmett took Dawn out for lunch. If that isn't favoritism, I don't know what is. Bennett says Emmett didn't want to disturb me while I was sleeping.

But now is the perfect time to search for the book. After the first floor, I tried to look as less suspicious as possible by going downstairs to the ground floor. When I got upstairs, my heart stopped beating for a second.

It's fucking terrifying on the ground floor.

I sneezed.

Terrifying and dusty.

I searched for the red floor.

It happened to be the door at the end of the dark hallway. I blessed myself before running as quietly as possible to the end. When I got there, I exhaled and grabbed the knob.

Locked.

"Thanks, Asena. It's locked. Perfect."

I kicked the door.

"Miss Mira?"

Immediately, I hurried towards the corner of the hallways and screeched - so much for being discrete.

"Bennett!" I said. "You scared me."

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I was curious," I said. "I was a little bored hanging around, but when I saw the building, I realized there was a third floor. Now I'm here. This door is locked."

Bennett smiles, "That is Duke Emmett's private library."

"Is it now?" I exhaled. "My bad. Sorry." I smiled. "Can we keep this between us? I mean, I have about two weeks left here, and I don't want to make it awkward."

"As I said-"

"No words from those lips unless master asked directly." I chuckled awkwardly before stepping down the hallway.

"Miss Mira."

"Yes."

"Careful. Don't go out to the forest at night unless it's necessary."

Please don't tell me this is Bennett's way of helping me.

"Why?" I asked.

"You never know what creatures may wander when the moon is out."

I'm mentally crying.

Why does it have to be at night in the deep forest?

"Why are you helping me?"

He smiles, "Master told me to support you and make your stay in the country as comfortable as possible."

That is a very suspicious line.

But I'm in no position to question Bennett's help unless this is a trick, and I should've questioned every step.

My fingers crossed for plot armor while I search the deep, dark forest.

And with my luck, two days later, when Emmett was going out to a party, I had the perfect opportunity. Elites sure love to party.

"Are you sure you can't come?" Dawn asks.

"No," I responded. "You go. I feel like I may throw up if I get out of bed."

"Do you think it's the food in this country?"

"Maybe."

She hugged me, "Feel better soon."

"Okay." When the bedroom door closed, I exhaled. I laid in bed for a solid thirty minutes before I gathered up the courage to throw on a sweatshirt and hit the forest.

The moment I stepped out the back door, I was on the verge of a breakdown.

Why do I do this to myself?

"Wait a minute—" I stopped walking. I stared at the deep forest. Emmett is not here. Shouldn't there be a key in his office for that door?" I looked up to the third floor. But is his office also locked?"

I groaned in defeat before I dragged my legs into the forest. Each time my shoes hit a dead leaf, I cried a bit inside. With the peppy spray tight in my hand and the shaky flashlight leading the barely present road, I move forward.

If I died, I can't blame anyone except me.

I muffled a scream when the wind picked up. "Calm down. Calm down. It's just another terrifying night. That's all. You'll laugh about this tomorrow morning. Or cry in delight that you're still alive."

When I spotted a snake slithering past my shoes, I screamed and ran back to where I came from.

Fuck this shit!

Asena and I will re-examine the plan and figure out something else because I am not-

Ow!

I tripped on a log.

When I looked up from the wet dirt, I noticed that there were only rows of trees.

Am I lost?

I got up and wiped my nose.

And I'm bleeding.

I pinched my nose and tilted my head upward.

This vacation can't get any better. First, my friend got kidnapped. Then, I got pregnant. And now, I might have a broken nose.

I'm never flying out of the country for vacation again.

The longer I walked in the forest, the less terrifying it looked. Maybe because I was self-loathing so much, my desire to live decreased.

"So, this is it—" I said to the embryo. As you can see, I'm not that smart. If I hadn't been born into a well-to-do family, then I would've been dead in the streets—" I look around, "or, in this case, the woods.

I place the pepper spray and my hand over my flat stomach, "You'll only be burdened with a stupid mom if you're born." I exhaled, "And a dad who doesn't know you exist."

For someone who is into romance, I sure did something unromantic.

"You know, I'm self-diagnosed as unempathetic, but considering how I'm in this place because my friend asked me to get her a book, maybe I'm not that unempathetic."

My light shone down, and I noticed my arm was covered in dried blood. I don't even want to look at my face.

"I saw a video, you know, about abortion at its early stages. They give you this pill. It's supposed to hurt for a few hours, and then you pee out clots of blood, but then that's it." I stop walking, "You're just a clump of blood."

The wind brushes against my cheek, and I quickly wipe off the water.

I should've known.

I sat on a large rock.

I don't have any convenient plot arm-

The rock moved.

I got up and stepped back as a spiral staircase appeared.

"No fucking away." I look up to the cloudy sky, "You must be joking."

Well, when life gives you a lemon...make lemonade - but remember the sugar.

I shine the light down the stairs and grunt lightly before I walk down. One step after another, every sound I hear sounds much more ominous.

I want to go back to the dark forest with the snake.

When I finally reached the end of the staircase, a tunnel appeared. When I took two steps, the lights flickered on. Quietly, I let out another cry before I kept going.

You'd think the situation can't get any worse, but it did.

When I reached the end of the tunnel, I noticed a large room with multiple doors. I moved forward to the first door on the left and opened it.

It led to Asena's room.

Creepy.

I closed it.

The next room led to an office.

I closed it.

The next door leads to a small library, and at the end of the library is the red door.

"Sweet!" When I entered, the door behind me closed. My body was shaken at the sudden sound, and I swallowed the scream that desperately desired to emerge. Quickly, I searched for the book Asena asked for, but it was nowhere to be found.

"If I was a secret book that I don't want anyone else to find. Where would I be?"

I scanned the room and noticed one of the brinks was layered oddly on the wall I came through. I pressed on it, but nothing happened.

When I stepped back to check the wall, I accidentally tripped on the carpet, and the flashlight rolled between the cabinets. I got up and brushed off the dirt before I went to grab the flashlight.

Only then did I notice a small flower between the cabinets. I reached for the flower, and something popped on the other side.

It's the book with the gold flower.

I grabbed the book and looked around the dark room, hoping something or someone would appear. Nothing or no one appeared.

Under the book was a small box.

Asena never mentioned a small box.

Should I take it?