The day of Satiana's coming of age ceremony had finally arrived. These past few days have passed without anything major happening.

Elizabeth and I had a long talk after the event that evening in the garden outside. I cannot say that we have been close but at least her antagonistic feeling towards me has been dissipated.

Gladiolus on the other has been pampering me since he came back. He didn't kiss me again like the first time we met and I was thankful for that but his closeness towards me is quite uncomfortable.

'No matter. I only have to endure this last day.' I thought to myself.

Yes this is the day that I can escape my captivity here in Jennovia. Our plans will start tonight at the masquerade ball.

I was still in my room lying on the bed and just woke up. The sun has just risen and it was still early in the morning.

"Good morning your highness." Martha came in my room. "You have woken up early." She said with a smile.

"Yes, good morning Martha." I replied with a smile. "Today is an important day."

"Yes it is. It's Princess Satiana's coming of age ceremony." Martha opened the curtains and the sun's rays if light bathed my room in brightness. "It will be very busy starting now. It is good to see that the weather is quite nice."

I looked outside the window and see the clear blue skies of the early morning. It indicated a good weather for this day.

"The weather has been nice for these past few months." I said while standing up from bed.

"Yes it is." Martha replied. "These past few months have been good to us commoners. The earth that was once covered in ice is now all thawed up and can be cultivated. My family has started to plants a few fruit trees that can survive in cold weather. Some of the farmer's sons that were forced to be soldiers in the war for monetary purposes have started to express their feelings of wanting to go home."

This news is something good for Duke Matias' faction. This war is nothing but the queen's own selfish agenda to seek revenge. The Jennovians were only pulled in this mess because of the queen's lies. If the queen loses her own soldiers, then ending this war will be achieved sooner rather than later.

"That is good to hear Martha." I smiled. "Then do you have any plans of going back to your home town?" I asked earnestly.

"I would love to but I don't want to leave you behind your highness." Martha replied. "I am happy serving you as your personal maid. It is an honor to be of service to you." I felt happy that Martha's feelings.

"But I also miss them so can I ask for a few days off to visit my home town?" Martha asked and looked at me eagerly with hopeful eyes.

"Of course you can." I smiled at her earnestly. "Then why not pack your bags now and you can go home after you have helped me get dresses for the masquerade ball later?"

Martha looked surprised with what I just said. "But your highness, I have to attend to you even after the ball is over."

"Do not worry about me. There are other maids here in the palace that can serve me. I would like you to go home earlier so that you can come back early as well." I said. "You know that the crown prince is preparing for our wedding in haste. Next week will be our weeding and so I will need you here with me."

Of course what I was saying right now was partly lies. It is true that Gladiolus is preparing for our grand wedding next week but I don't intend to stay here to marry him.

"Then I will be taking your offer your highness." Martha said happily. "Do not worry; I will come back before your wedding day. I will serve you whole heartedly as our crown princess."

It will be good for Martha to go home and be with her family rather than stay here in the palace. I would be leaving today and so she doesn't have to look after me anymore. And with her family starting to have their own livelihood once again, they won't have to worry of starving any longer.

I am sure that after my escape, the news about our wedding being cancelled would circulate in the whole country of Jennovia. Duke Matias planned to take this opportunity to expose the queen's lies. He would tell the truth to the Jennovians including how they abducted me and forced me to marry Gladiolus.

"The bath has been prepared your highness." Martha said. "After taking a bath, the crown prince asked to have breakfast with you in his quarters."

Hearing Martha's word made me cringed. Since Gladiolus' return, we have eaten breakfast together with Satiana and Elizabeth. Why would he want to eat breakfast alone with me, and also inside his private quarters?

"Is there something the matter princess?" Martha looked at me worriedly. "You seemed rather pale all of a sudden."

"Oh, it is nothing. I just feel a little dizzy." I brushed her off. "Maybe it's because I didn't slept very well last night and I woke up early today. I will be going to take a bath. Maybe it will elevate the dizziness."

"Then let me serve you your highness." Martha said.

I stood up and walked towards the bathroom with Martha following me from behind. Just thinking of being alone with him in closed quarters feared me the most.

After bathing, Martha helped me get dressed. Meeting with the crown prince is important to the maids that they have prepared me a beautiful dress with matching accessories.

"I am ready, let's go." I said and Martha nodded in understanding.

Inside my pocket was the magic crystal that Anna the fortune teller gave me before. With this crystal I knew that Jack was one of the stars from the prophecy, and like the prophecy said Jack had become a very big help to me.

edited by: nalyn

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