What's the best route to follow?

It's like I was in a 'Choose Your Story' game where we have to pick between options A and B for the game to continue. It felt exactly like that.

One route leads to the desired procession, the right path, the happy ending. And the other option… It could ruin everything.

Carefully, I contemplated my choices, Sven's eager eyes distracting me every moment or so. Finally, I decided to tell him the truth, well... the half truth.

"You were right about me being an only child," I nodded. "I'm also Reynard's good accompli- I mean, friend! And well...I guess calling me a person who's got nowhere to stay is right."

He nodded, the eager shine disappearing from his eyes. Just when I thought I had played it safe, he said:

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me now," he muttered, looking straight into my emerald eyes. "After all, I've lived here most of my life. I'm bound to be curious."

I don't know what made me act on impulse, but I knew I was going to regret what I was just about to say.

"You've been here since you were 12, right?" I said. Just as I finished the last word, I knew I had messed up.

As expected, Sven gave me a sharp look, shocked and confused. "How did you know?" he asked roughly.

I pursed my lips and grabbed the diary under my covers. Somewhere between our conversation, Sven had moved very close to me, close enough that his hands could have been touching the hard bound diary underneath the sheets.

"It was just a guess," I said quickly. I knew my voice sounded much too unbelievable. Even I'd scoff at myself. "Why, was I correct? Haha, what a coincidence-"

Sven gave me the death-stare. "No way are you telling the truth. Tell me how you know," he said, leaning forward. Instantly, I flattened myself against the headboard. "Surely, she didn't say anything, did she?"

I know, I know. I should've said yes. But did I? No.

I shook my head vigorously. "Mama didn't spill a bean."

He leaned in even further, so close that I could clearly see his irises. "Then what?"

The room had suddenly gone so quiet, that my gulp felt like a dong of a grandfather clock. Sven raised his eyebrows, the curious glint back into his eyes. I sucked in my cheeks, trying to keep myself from spilling anything unnecessary. I literally thought I was gonna burst!

All of a sudden, Sven brushed a hand on my cheek, causing me to flinch. His hand trailed up to my forehead where black tresses had fallen and he gently brushed them aside. I hadn't been in any situation similar to this, so I was very confused. What should I do? Should I slap his hand away? But that would be too rude.

I wish my tongue hadn't failed me at that moment because all of a sudden, he leaned in so close, I almost thought he was gonna kiss me. His hand slid to the right from my forehead and rested on the side of my temple. I could feel his breath on my cheeks. I felt like I had just turned to stone, mind-wise and body-wise.

The ACCOUNTS book in my hand loosened up and I just sat there, hoping whatever was to happen would happen quickly.

His cheeks brushed mine... and then I felt an electric pain.

The pain started from the top of my temple and charged straight down to my face. Sven retreated his advances and sat back with a satisfied smile on his face. I rubbed my temple while a puzzled look crossed my face. What had he just done…?

From his face, my eyes trailed down to his hands. Right there, between his index finger and his thumb clenched tightly together, was a black hair. My hair.

"D-Did you just… Did you just break a strand of my hair??" I asked in a mixture of anger and confusion.

Sven smiled, taking careful note of my expressions. "This'll prove my theory," he said.

My eyes widened, and the hand that had been rubbing my head fell to my lap. "What theory? Hey, where are you going?"

He was standing up. "My theory that you are the missing Crown Princess."

Right then, my heart just dropped into my gut. So he had known all along. It's not a big deal, it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal… I kept telling myself. But how had he known I had divine powers concerning my hair?

I pushed the diary out of my way and started to get up too, for I was eager for answers.

"H-How did you know?" I asked, my mouth suddenly crisp and dry. "And how do you know about the hair?"

Sven was already in the doorway. He paused at my question and gave me a sidelong glance.

"When you're used to being in the background, you notice many things."

With that, he pulled the door shut after me and left me alone in my room to die of curiosity.

✿

[The Emperor's Conservatory]

"Your Majesty!"

The Emperor stood gazing calmly out of the large glass walls of his conservatory and into the scene beyond. When he heard the butler's voice, he turned his face slightly to the left and narrowed his eyes.

"This better be something of importance, Carsten," he said, as he turned his face back to gaze at the tranquil view. "I was having a lovely time."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty," the poor butler bowed low. "Knights' Commander Sage is requesting an audience along with some of his knights."

The Emperor scowled. "What business do they have?"

The Butler was still deep in his bow, and his posture implied that he was in great discomfort, yet the Emperor never gave him an order to do so much as rise.

"I am not aware, Your Majesty," the Butler uttered out. "They wouldn't say."

The Emperor let out a frustrated sigh and adjusted his robes over his shoulders. "Fine, let them in. You may rise."

The Butler stood up straight from his bow. "Eternal blessings and glory upon the Empire of Wisteria." With that, he turned on his heel and clip-clopped out of the Conservatory, walking swiftly over the marble floor.

The Emperor focused on the faded footsteps as he inhaled the fragrance of a wide array of exotic flowers and almost extinct plants. This was his Conservatory. A place of calm for him. Recently with the alleged death of the princess, he had found himself spending more and more time near the tranquility his flowers emitted. It frustrated him when people continuously disturbed him so…

Now, what might Commander Sage have for him?

His answer came when multiple pairs of feet could be heard clopping crisply over the marble tiles.

"Your Majesty," Commander Sage, who led his small posse of knights, said gravely. But the Emperor noticed that he had a glint of excitement in his eyes. The Emperor turned as Commander Sage fell into a bow and rose before the Emperor gave him permission to do so. "We've gathered every suspicious individual who left the Empire on the day of the Princess's... erm… dispatch. Just like you ordered."

The Emperor scanned Sage's face and found no signs of fear or regret. All there was was sheer bravery and confidence. The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"And where are they?"

"In shackles, Your Majesty, just outside your office."

The Emperor didn't like dirty peasants roaming his lovely, lovely palace. But this wasn't the time to think about such things. He beckoned to his servant who had almost conflated with the background and almost instantly, the servant brought him a grand chair with the help of another. The Emperor sat down with a loud 'thup' that echoed in the tall arch ceilinged Conservatory.

"Bring them in," he said grandly with a wave of his hands.

Commander Sage nodded and signaled his knights to carry out the orders. Four knights bowed and exited out of the conservatory. A minute later they returned, their heavy steps indicating their arrival. But it sounded far more than just 4 pairs of feet.

As the knights got closer, the Emperor saw that they were tugging along with them 12 people, men, in black blindfolds and their wrists and legs in chains. They seemed to be in the most awful condition, as if they had been forced to roll around in dirt for hours.

The Emperor's moustache twitched at the sight.

The men seemed to be between the ages of 25-50, and all of them walked sluggishly and uncertainly as if they had no idea what was going on. The Emperor waited patiently till all 12 men were lined up before him neatly. They didn't utter a word, but whimpers escaped their grey, cut lips.

Commander Sage bellowed, "Kneel at once, for you are before you Emperor, His Majesty, Haleth Xyvir De Klaern II!"

Hesitantly, all 12 men fell to their knees, their heads bent low. His Majesty scrutinized the group. Indeed, all of them did look, if not like murderers, a bit suspicious.

The Emperor glanced at Commander Sage who was looking smugly at the group he and his men had gathered.

"Your Majesty, one of them is bound to be the culprit!" Commander Sage said animatedly. "All of them were reported to have exited the Empire around the discovery of the Princess's death. Some left a day before and some even escaped the very day. I had them captured instantly, Your Majesty. And all of them seem to be potential murderers, judging by their appearances."

The Emperor rolled his eyes. Sage was getting too ahead of himself, of course, and with what logic did he explain his actions? The foolish brain was only good enough to be sent to war.

Slowly, The Emperor rose from his throne and walked slowly along the line of kneeling men. "Say, you the one in the grey tunic," The Emperor addressed the man at the very end of the line. "What were your reasons for leaving Wisteria?"

The man gulped and stuttered when he opened his mouth to speak, "I-I have family in Lupis, Your Majesty." Lupis was an Empire 1500 miles north-west from Wisteria's borders.

"Surely a lie, Your Majesty!" Commander Sage exclaimed but he was cut off by a sharp glance from the Emperor.

The Emperor nodded, his attention back on the captured men. "Next..." he muttered, "you! Wearing the red threaded bracelet. State your reasons."

Slowly, one by one, the Emperor heard all the various reasons given by the men in shackles, though he knew not that none of them had murdered anybody.

These poor, innocent men… what was to become of them?