By the time I arrived home, my mother was already outside waiting for me. I slowly came out of the carriage, wincing as I noticed her; she was obviously not happy.

"Where have you been Annalise? It's already four in the afternoon, and why hadn't you answered my letter? I sent it deliberately to-"

"Mother, I'm fine. I apologize for not responding, I was having too much fun with Veronica and Hazalen."

"Doing what?"

"Well after we talked all night long-"

Sure we did.

"We fell asleep and woke up around noon. Then we made ourselves some amazing custard cakes with-"

"I don't care anymore Annalise, just don't scare me like that! Also, respond to my letters," She scolded me. Deltora's letter system is extraordinary, many messengers sent letters directly from a place on horseback to the recipient.

I let a relieved sigh escape when I realized my mother didn't know I was wearing a different dress than in my wardrobe. I honestly have too many that she can't even remember which ones were her design. Damien gifted me one from another noble's room, which he obviously stole. He wouldn't let me go out wearing just a nightgown.

"Come Annalise, we still need to unpack some boxes. We never did get to the attic," We trudged through the house, and I gave Maria a 'help me' look. She winked back and sashayed away, obviously not caring about the labor I was about to do. My mother successfully opened the old, attic door and we started unpacking right away.

"What is this?" I ask with a small smile, handing the object to my mom. There was a small princess on a stand, standing poise and precise. Her hands were resting perfectly in front of her, as if she was smoothing out her dress.

She almost looked like me in a certain way.

"You used to be obsessed with this little thing." My mother took it from me and examined it throughly.

"Your dad had this made before you were born. You've loved it ever since, it is the one thing he gave to you before he passed away."

I frowned,"I wish you had a painting of him or something. Just to give me an image, or a figure of my dad; anything would do."

"I don't have one, Annalise." Her right eyebrow twitched, her voice rugged. I was going to push it, I was tired of holding back.

"Why not? Surely you do, we had enough money to pay for at least one artist-"

"Enough, Annalise! I don't have one!" She bursted out, the once reminiscent vibe gone.

"Then describe him to me." I smiled gently, waiting for her to finally completely open up. She gave me a stink eye and I batted my eyelashes back, a trick I learned from Damien.

She sighed, giving in,"He looks just like you, a lot more then I ever could. You have the same hair color, only yours just a little bit lighter because of your mom's hair. He had deep blue eyes like the ocean. Which you would have loved Annalise, Descuvi had an amazing view of the vast ocean, right on the beach. Deltora is very nice and green, but not on the ocean like we were."

I smiled for her to continue,"His dimple was exactly where yours is. You don't have his nose though, or his lips. You have his wife's full lips- mine per say." She quickly added,"Your dad was deviously handsome, Annalise, that's why you are so beautiful."

I smiled vaguely, creating an image in my head,"You helped with that beauty too, mother."

She smiled, ruffling my hair,"I think we should take a break, huh? Let's call up Maria to make us some dinner and finish this later."

"That sounds great." I smiled at her as we finished up the box and ate a delicious dinner.

____________

Monday arose again, my least favorite day of the week. I didn't see Damien during homeroom, nor during the day, which surprised me. He's never been absent before. Unless you count the fight in the Unio Forest.

It was the end of the day so I made my way to the music room; I hadn't even started on my project for music yet. I knew I had to come up with lyrics now, or else I would rush near the deadline and make the song bad.

The sheet of paper was still blank twenty minutes later. I huffed out when I looked at the erase marks and banged my head on the table. I didn't know where to start, where to even begin! I was too distracted about other things... involving a certain prince.

Prince Darius of Deltora.

The adjectives were then written down.

Then lines.

Then cords.

And I was already finished; I was singing the song and playing it on the piano in no time. It was so much easier after I wrote about how I feel.

"Superficial-"

"You have such a peaceful voice."

I jumped at the familiar voice, mid-singing. My heart was beating a million miles a minute as my face flushed. Nobody has heard me sing before.

Nobody.

Now Cole Reynolds had, and a shiver ran down my spine at the thought. I got such bad vibes from him, and I felt as if I would rather hear that from somebody else.

Anybody besides him.

He was sitting on some of the chairs provided on the other side of the room. I was creeped out,"Thank you, but how long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough to know you're song is about a certain Prince. Why is one of your lines,'I just want it if it's real and I-"

"I don't know why. It just kind of flowed out." I was blushing madly and shielded my face. I quickly started packing up my stuff, ready to get out of the claustrophobic, small room that felt like a thousand degrees.

The song was too obvious.

"Hey- hey, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute," He gets up to stop me. I pick up my backpack by the drums before he had a chance to get near me.

"What do you want Cole?" I squeak out.

"I want to ask you out to eat. A... date perhaps as you may call it. Or a get-together, whatever you want. I just want to get to know more of the famous, Annalise Woods." He looked my body up and down, and I felt uncomfortable. I slung one arm around my body and felt self-conscious.

He gave off such bad energy.

"I would like to later, but I've been quite busy with my mom's new shop and everything-"

"I saw you at the club, Annalise. You were fearless, and so... so hot. You got up on that table and I just didn't know what to think. Let me take you out, I want to see that side of you again." He took a step toward me and I took even more steps back. I knew going to that club that somebody would recognize me. Gods know Veronica can persuade me to do anything, she could sell a broken pencil if needed.

Yet something about Cole's demeanor told me he didn't actually care about who I was at the moment. He just wanted that person I was at the club, in a tight dress, boobs out, a mess of things. The way he was staring at me right now, sight flickering to my body and back to my eyes, he didn't care about me.

He just wants my body.

"I regret that Cole, I'm not the Annalise you think I am," I tried to leave again, but he stopped me.

"It's there, you just need to let it out."

"Possibly some other time Cole, I just can't right now."

"Come on Annalise, just one date. That's all I'm asking for."

"No, not right now Cole, I told you, I can't!" I exclaimed and looked down at the floor and I power walked to the door.

Yet when I looked up, Cole was right there, staring down at me with a menacing look. His long arms were stretched across the doorway like an eagle, blocking any entry out. Chills cascaded across my skin, the hairs rising.

"I won't let you out until you agree Annalise!" He was joking.

Key word, "joking". His voice a higher pitched and he let out a forced laugh. He was trying to come off funny and nice, wanting me to comply. It had the opposite effect because it was scary, and very frighting. He looked on the brink of losing his temper and I didn't want to see it lost. His eyes now looked crazy, in a frenzy manner. I just wanted to get out.

"Um... I mean-"

"Leave her alone Cole, she doesn't want to talk to you." I heard a voice from behind Cole. Cole snapped around and glared the mysterious person down, giving me an opening through the door. I hastily took the offer, slipping my way through the doorframe and jogged down the long hallway.

"Annalise, this isn't over!" Cole yelled down the hall, his voice rising a pitch with every word he said. As if his emotions of fury were showing through even more, word by word. I just thanked the person in my head who gave me a distraction, and I pushed through the large two double doors of the entrance the school.

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