Selina Rose leads a normal life as a princess: attending balls, tending to her garden, and going to school. But soon enough things start to fall apart.
Nothing makes sense in this princess's castle: the walls seem to hear secrets, the library seems...
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He tossed around, closing his eyes shut, another attempt to drift asleep.
His home was small, and he couldn't imagine how his family could protect themselves against the storm. Images of the castle staff shuffling to secure the area and lock doors ran through his head.
Another crack of thunder that lit up his room. He had kept his curtains open.
A part of him thought that if he could leave the curtains open, he could pretend the storm wasn't as bad. But the storm seemed to be growing angry. He couldn't take it anymore.
He threw his blanket off him, turning on the lamp next to him. He made his way to his window. Nothing but water dripped against the other side. He drew his long curtains that seemed to take forever to fully hide the storm.
A knock. He almost let himself talk out loud, but he had no idea how late the night was. He tried to quietly walk over the door, but an impatient bystander knocked again. As he finally opened the door with a slight creak, Selina stood there with a candle. She wore a long pink silk night dress, a white cardigan pulled over her.
Jim knew not to ask questions at this point and silently let her in.
"Why are you still up?" Selina whispered, putting down her candle stand on his vanity.
"What do you want?" Jim responded coldly. Selina sat down at the adjacent vanity chair, trying to be quiet.
"Honestly, not sure," continued Selina, refusing to meet his eye. Jim felt a tinge of regret for the tone of his voice.
He whispered, "I'm sorry about everything. I should realize that you're trying your best to accommodate my crazy thoughts—crazy thoughts that are real and true. But that is beside the point."
Selina slowly looked up at him, thinking.
"Alyssa has still been rummaging through that old dusty book. She has so far been trying to connect the type of storm we have to anything in the book."
Jim laughed, "What is that old book ever going to do?"
A sharp bolt of thunder rattled the castle.
"I'm not sure, but it is better than doing nothing, right?" Selina looked up at Jim for reassurance. He nodded.
"Oh, I probably should not have done so, but I did some digging. I got word that your house is safe. I mean, that is what one of the soldiers said when they were called to clean a mess made by one of the local fruit stalls. He recognized your house, that is all." Selina carefully lifted her candle holder and stood up.
"Is that so?" Jim said with piqued interest.
"Yes, all will be well." Selina smiled at him and made her way to the door. She stopped and slowly turned around.
"Goodnight, sleep soundly through the storm. Hopefully, we will have more answers in the morning."
"Yes, let us hope everything is sorted out in the morning. Goodnight, wrap yourself under your blankets."
"I will, you as well, Jim," She quietly shut the door behind him as she made her way back to her corner of the castle.
Were they finally getting along?
Jim pondered this question while the storm was strangely quiet. The rain's pitter-patter was still prominent, but it was better than the constant shock of thunder.
Was his family okay?
Maybe she was trying to soothe him in the chaos?
Surely, she didn't care that much.
Jim tossed around. It must have been 4:30 in the morning. He had been waking up and going back to sleep multiple times in the night. He was restless, with the racing thoughts in his mind. For one, he felt especially comfortable considering the royal bed he was lying in.
He shut his eyes once more, taking a deep breath to soothe himself.
A jolt of lightning. Jim stayed persistent in continuing his state of tranquility. He pulled his blankets over his head to keep the storm as far away from him as possible.
A shark knock. Jim jolted up from bed and got on his feet, rushing to the door without a thought.
"Yes?" said a messy-headed Jim as he opened the door.
"Here is your breakfast. Please let us know if you would like anything else!" A maid hurried to hand him his tray, filled with food and drinks.
"I thought it was compulsory to eat in the dining hall." Jim stammered.
As the maid rushed off, she echoed, "Unless the upper floors are at a lower risk of flooding!"
Jim felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise. Flooding?
Jim shut the door with his foot, balancing his clinking silverware on his tray. He rushed over to his bed, where he carefully put his supper down. He drew the curtains ajar and saw nothing had changed. He was not able to see past his window as the rain continued to trickle down without any signs of stopping.
Jim rushed off into his attached bathroom and splashed his face with water. As he closed the tap, he wondered if there was a chance the water lines would be closed due to the severe water damage. His brain at that moment flashed with the thought of his family, wondering if they were under the storm by now. He slapped himself and got on with his day. His breakfast tray was left untouched.
A continuous knock battered Alyssa's room. Selina looked over at the old grandfather clock in the room.
"What maid dares to knock like so at 8 am?"
Alyssa opened the door. "What is the matter with you?"
"Did you find anything?" Jim let himself into her room.
"What is the matter with you now?" continued Alyssa. Jim persisted towards Selina. Alyssa shut the door with a sigh.
Selina's hand was wrapped in white bandages.
"My hand is stunned by yesterday. I had to go to the medic."
"Well, gosh, I am sorry." A pause followed.
"But please, surely there is something about the storm that we know of now."
Alyssa paused as Jim seemed to beg her for answers with his eyes as she looked over to her sister.
