Like A Fairytale

Chapter 54

Lena

The celebration turned into a disaster.

A man, a Shadow, was dead...

Lena pulled the blanket over her head. She had not wanted the celebration. She hadn't wanted any of it. The memories of all the chaos and fear robbed her of her sleep.

And now?

She wanted to stay in bed all day, but as tired as she was, sleep didn't come. A mechanical click tore her out of her thoughts, then her alarm clock played the gentle melody of a music box.

"New Land. Beautiful Land. Faithful Land." The national anthem.

Sighing, Lena sat up and looked at the mechanical bird, which moved its golden beak to match the melody. He sat on a branch, over a clock, and beat his iron wings from time to time. Gears rattled softly.

"Good morning!" Mina's picture appeared flickering in front of Lena's bed, while Lena turned off the alarm clock by pressing a shimmering button on the bird's belly.

She just nodded.

"Slept badly?" the AI asked.

"Didn't sleep at all."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Lena shrugged her shoulders. "Is there anything coming up today?" Except for the execution of a Shadow? Luckily for her, she hadn't seen it. Knowing it was enough.

"A breakfast with your father and uncles before they retire. The safety of the building needs to be revised."

"And you came to wake me up again? In person?" Lena yawned, then she got up lazily and went to her wardrobe. "I have an alarm clock."

"Well, you set your alarm for a change and listened! You like to turn it off in your sleep, dear child." The hologram followed her to the wardrobe and watched as Lena stroked the expensive, fine clothes with one hand. "But, no. I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?"

Lena shrugged her shoulders, then reached for a light yellow dress with a leather vest. "I didn't sleep."

"The blue one is better!" Mina pointed to another dress. Light blue with beige lace sleeves.

"Today I feel like yellow."

"Blue suits you better, child. Matching your eyes. Yellow makes you look tired."

"I'm tired. Yellow. Matching my blonde hair." Lena rolled her eyes, but then she smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just tired. Very tired." And I now have a boyfriend! A boyfriend who is not befitting of my status and who stands in the way of your plan for me. Oops.

"That reassures me. Well, duty is calling." With a hurried flicker, the image of the AI disappeared.

Lena shook her head. "She can't be reassured. She's not real," she murmured, putting the dress on her bed and hurrying to her room door. Annabella was still standing in front of it. Samuel had not yet replaced her.

The soldier looked at Lena, raised her eyebrows, and struggled to suppress her laughter. "Good morning, bird's nest."

"Bird's Nest?" Lena ran a hand through her still tangled hair. Immediately, her fingers got caught in knots. "Oh."

"You look funny."

"Thank you. And you look like you're overworked."

The soldier leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "Your bodyguard is not here yet. He's late."

"My boyfriend."

"What?" Annabella frowned.

"My boyfriend. But keep it to yourself, okay?"