GUIT

"If that is so, then that's good," Priscilla smiled, however, unaware of Gabriella's reaction.

Gabriella shook her head once more and sighed inwardly. No. She must control her emotions now.

"Anyway, my princess, you must retire to bed now so you can wake up early and prepare yourself for the day's activity. You must not stress yourself so you won't wake up with bags underneath your eyes. You must look very beautiful and charming tomorrow, more beautiful than anyone else, especially Princess Vanessa." Priscilla said precisely.

"There you go again. Don't worry, you can go ahead and rest if you feel sleepy already." Gabriella urged. "Be rest assured that I will sleep well."

"That's exactly what I want to hear," Priscilla exclaimed. "I will excellently make you look more beautiful with my wonderful skill tomorrow." Her smile broadened, gesticulating as if she was displaying her skills already. Suddenly, she became silent.

"Can I ask for something, my princess?"

Gabriella knew it all along, there must be something wrong Priscilla didn't want to let her know. The way she had turned into a spy for her in recent days made her marvel. "What is it, Priscilla?"

She fidgeted with her hands before she asked, "Can I stay in your... room... tonight? Only for this night."

Gabriella shook her head at her mischievous maid. She knew it was because of her encounter with the roses that she was afraid. "Don't worry, Priscilla. Now that the rose is in the chemical water, it will have no power over us. And I'm sure I made the room comfortable for all the maids that serve me. The castle is protected, nothing and no one will attack you."

"No, it's not about the roses. I hope my plead does not offend or sound ridiculous in your ears. But please believe me, my princess, every word I'm about to say is true. I... I... I've been hearing strange sounds in my room. When I lie down to sleep, it seems as if the devil lurks around my room. I get very scared and don't know what to do."

"Do you listen to a lot of fairy stories in the recent days? Have you forgotten that all the devils were killed at the seashore of Demonda? Or maybe, the thought of Vanessa becoming the crown princess is disturbing your thoughts that you have had nightmares recently."

"My princess, please believe me when I say so. I'm very sure of what I feel. It's a man, it's always there looking at me and—"

"Stop. I hate it when you are being delusional. You must remove that fear in you. I will send more guards to protect your room tonight."

"Alright. Thank you... my princess." Priscilla stuttered, but that was not just what she wanted. Her expression gave away fear and anxiety, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight again.

If only the princess had taken a hard look at her face and seen the bag beneath her eyes, maybe her response would have been different. But she knew why the princess did that. She would always advise her to get rid of the fear in her so that no matter what comes her way she would be able to face it.

Her heart slammed against her chest, sending shivers down her skin as if the shadow was touching her skin already. "Please rest well, my princess. I will retire to bed now."

"Goodnight," Gabriella responded and watched her lower in a bow before she turned to leave.

Gabriella returned her gaze to the sky as she fell into a moment of lonesome silence. It was as if Priscilla's absence now made her feel lonely, she wanted to let her stay but that would make her not overcome fear. She must learn to be strong, especially inside the castle.

Gabriella knew she might not sleep well as her maid told her to. Her heart ached so much that she wanted to release her fears.

If only they could understand the depth of her pain. The memories of the war haunted her still. The faces of those she had killed, the families she had helped her father separate. The cries on their faces, each tear that painfully dropped. Those memories, lingered in her mind, a constant reminder of her sins. Something that made her heart ache and shower her with pains of guilt.

She leaned against the rail and looked at the vast expanse, her eyes tracing the patterns of the stars and her thought drifted as she heard the whispers of the gentle breeze accompanied by the distant sound of the nocturnal creatures.

It was going to be a new day tomorrow as Priscilla had said, a day she must put on her princess ethics behaviours to welcome Marquess Brutus and his son. As she thought about this, she thought of why Marquess Brutus had suddenly decided to return.

Years later after he rejected the offer of the king to become a knight, he was among the guards who the king put into the army and was dispatched to protect the borders between Horndragon and Valarian kingdom. He had continued to gain special recognition as years went by.

He had led the army of Horndragon to victory against the forces of the Valarian kingdom expanding the borders of Horndragon by gaining lands from the Valarian pushing forward towards the borders of Blackshed.

This had gained him penetration into the kingdom of Blackshed, gaining absolute control over the borders and protecting Horndragon against foreign penetration.

Using his strategic genius, he rescued one of the ambassadors of Horndragon who served in the kingdom of Blackshed, negotiating a crucial alliance with the kingdom of Blackshed and Horndragon which had kept the two kingdoms in equal powers and prevented the Kingdom of Blackshed from conquering Horndragon.

Through his braveness, he gained so much power acquired so many lands and became very strong in the army. He gained so many statues in the kingdom that made him a Marquess today.

Now, he was returning with these glories with his son. Gabriella couldn't help but wonder how his son could be. In no doubt, he would be like his father; brave, powerful.

She had seen those treats in him when they were younger. Even though years had gone by making her forget so many things about him. Somehow she was eager to see her playmate again. Would he still be that young cute boy as Priscilla said? Silly! What was she thinking? He would be a man now and not a boy.

Gabriella found herself laughing at her thoughts. She was not the type to think about men as Priscilla always wanted her to when her father had always made her focus on the things of the castle. But now, she knew she had to, she must let a man not just into her thinking but also into her heart.

The King himself now no longer talked of the things of the kingdom anymore but of her to marry, to start a new life, to build a family of her own.

The irony was not lost on her. How could she bring new life into the world when she had taken so much life away?

Gabriella scoffed, she scoffed so hard.

The wind blew, snapping her back to the present. Deep within, she knew there was no escape from the shadows of her past. She sighed as she drew herself out of the balcony.

She took a deep breath and made her way to her room, her heart heavy with the weight of her thoughts.

Returning to her room and unto her bed, the rest of the night continued with thinking of all that had happened in the castle lately. She couldn't wait to see the reaction of Vanessa on her return from the priest's house. Tomorrow indeed, will be a new day.