Chapter Sixteen

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Sophia

I wake up slowly, enjoying the fact that I've woken up on my own and not by a maid banging on the door. I turn, but something stops me halfway and I open my eyes to see the most mortifying thing; Benedict's arm wrapped around my waist. The arm itself isn't mortifying of course, it's rather, muscular and... nevermind, that's not what I meant. The mortifying part is that we are in one bed together, and that the sun is about to rise, which means it can't take long before the maids arrive at my room to find me missing.

I carefully move Benedict's arm off me and sneak out of the room, scanning the hallway before sliding into my own room and laying down on my bed, pretending to be asleep. 

...

During the time leading up to the queen's ball I hang out with Hyacinth a lot. We read books right next to each other without saying a word, we shop for dresses and we pratice on the piano. I also try my best to avoid Benedict, which is rather difficult since he lives in the same house and we share at least three meals each day.

We have yet to address the err.. bed situation, and I doubt either of us ever will. We're friends and we just happened to fall asleep. Things happen. Besides, Benedict was very clear when he said that he would never marry me and it is not as if I have any feelings for him. Because I do not. At all.

I get more and more nervous as the night of the ball grows closer. Not because of the queen herself, or because of Luke, but because Hyacinth was not even slightly kidding when she said she was planning on sneaking around the castle to gather information on the lost royal. She has it all planned out and I play a most vital part, or so she says. Thankfully she also scheduled some time for us to actually enjoy part of the evening, before we do something very illegal which will most likely have us end up in jail.

Time flies when you are stressed out it seems, because before I've even had the opportunity to fully shove this ridiculous idea out of Hyacinth's head, I am in the ballroom dancing with Luke, the waltz to be precise. I suspect it shall be my last.

"Are you enjoying Londen so far?" Luke asks.

I nod politely, trying very hard to keep my eyes on him and not on Hyacinth, who is already waiting for me at the door, "Yes, Londen is a fine city, I enjoy it very much."

"Good" he smiles, "I'm glad."

I can hear the song coming to an end, Luke steps away from me and with much regret I do the same.

"Until next time?" He asks.

"Until next time." I confirm, even though I doubt we shall see each other again. I straighten my back and walk over to Hyacinth who takes my wrist eagerly and leads me away from the busy ballroom.

"I have found us a way into the library, let's go." she whispers and takes off. I consider walking back into the ballroom and forgetting Hyacinth ever proposed this. But I can't. Hyacinth has become my friend, my best friend even, and I've never had a best friend before so I will do anything I can to help her, or protect her.

Luckily, I do have some experience in the thieving and sneaking around business so with some guidance I get the both of us to the library without being seen and we take a breath before opening the door.

"I shall stay outside, and I will knock twice if someone is coming, understood?" I ask. I have zero clue what Hyacinth is precisely looking for so she can do her thing while I make sure no one barges in on her doing that. She nods and closes the door behind her.

I lean against the wall, surprisingly relaxed I realise. Maybe I have done these kinds of things so often now that it no longer affects me. I can hear some shuffling and rumbling inside the room and I am secretly very curious to know what Hyacinth is doing inside. I don't actually think that her lost royal is still alive, surely they would have been found by now, but I would like to know what really happened that day. Up until a week ago I believed that story to be completely made up.

I loved the story, when I was little. Like all the others girls I knew, I imagined that I was the lost royal, and that I would be queen one day. But life got hard real quick, and there was no room left for fairytales or daydreams.

Lost in thought, I do not notice someone closing in on me until their shadow falls over me, which is rare, as I usually detect any unknown sounds or movements. My heart speeds up as my eyes are stuck on the red carpet beneath my feet and my breath stocks. It is too late to warn Hyacinth, it is too late to do anything but look up and accept my faith. So that's what I do, I look up.

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