Meeting the king was definitely a weird experience, and has been lingering on my mind since I fell asleep last night.

I wake up to a new day and loathe recalling my plan to write my own song. Because I still don't know how to start it.

Absent minded while eating my breakfast, strolling through the halls mindlessly after that, until a not so bright idea comes to me.

A date with myself! Just me, and me. My pace quickens and I power walk back to my room and prepare myself to head out.

Once I'm in breathable clothes, nothing even close to extravagant, I take a carriage and ask the coachy to bring me to the center of town.

---

Groups of people, vendors all around, the air smelled strongly of the food being cooked nearby. My stomach made a low grumble at the sound. I was so out of it earlier that I didn't eat my usual fill.

But, it seems my first thing to do on this small date with myself is to eat. I follow the savory scent that filled the air and there stood a lady making tasty looking roast rolls. Meat! Perfect!

"I'll take one!." I tell her with excitement in my voice, and she continues cooking the meat of the rolls. Waiting, stood the other people for their orders.

"Riselle! It's been so long!" The strangely familar voice of a lady calls. 'Strangely' because It feels like someone I haven't seen in a while.

I look to her, and immediately recognize the pretty features of travelling merchant lady soon to be Acullis's queen- "Miss Annette! You're here? Shouldn't you be at Acullis?"

"Yes, but I requested a bit more time till I'd get stuck on the throne as the queen you know? And I wanted to see you before all that happens, I know soon enough you'll be busy too. Future queen of Elleris." She giggles.

"Becoming a queen was never something I imagined, or dreamt of." I sigh.

"And the same goes for me, but here I am. So what are you doing all alone today?"

"I decided to head out alone for a change of pace. I'm trying to compose my own song but I'm stuck and I don't know where to start."

"Hmm composing a song is difficult. Neither am I a musician so I can't help you there. But a word of advice, inspiration comes to people when they aren't looking for it. Or you can just write whatever you think of, even if it sucks." She advises me.

I'm really glad to have run into her today because the only other person who gives me decent advice is Aunt Aline. With Kace it's cooking tips, and with Adria... Well, Adria is Adria.

While I'm reflecting on Annette's advice, the lady making the roast rolls, hands me my one order and I hand her the coins.

"Care to take a stroll?" Annette asks me, I nod my head while taking a bite into the delicious roasted meat wrapped in a thin bread. Next time Rowan takes me out on a date I'm asking him to bring us here instead, at least once. Not the café for the hundreth time.

"I heard about you getting kidnapped by Luca. That was an unfortunate event, he didn't seem like the type who would loose his calm like that and do something so rash. But still, I should've known."

"You sound like you know him well."

"I do. Me, him, and Leon grew up together."

"Oh... I'm sorry you had to lose two of your good friends then." I stop biting into my food. Even though I had nothing to do with the three as a group, it still made me guilty.

"Don't be, none of it is your fault. As their friend I should've helped them reconcile ages ago, but I decided to ignore it and hope they'd fix themselves one day.

The three of us never actually got around to spending some time together for about a decade you know? When Leon and Luca had their argument and stopped speaking to each other I left to work on myself selfishly, and unknowingly becoming a queen prospect. The king of Acullis is a very traditional, close minded man, and did not approve of the two. He looks for a great leader, and would refuse to hand the throne to anyone unworthy." She frowns.

"How about the current queen?"

"Agrees with everything the king says. She never speaks for herself, but since Leon's passing she's been keeping herself isolated."

"And the king? He isn't sad?"

Annette's gaze fell to the ground. I could feel guilt radiating from her, it almost felt like a it's own entity.

"After they discovered what happened, I was called by the King, and in front of the queen he declared I'd take the throne after him.

The queen was angered, and they began to quarrel. She didn't object to me recieving the throne, but it was because the first thing the king decided to do instead of mourn his own son was to start preparing the next ruler of the country."

"Ah..." Another one of those moments where I wish I knew how to comfort people and not stand their awkwardly.

"You don't have to pity me." She looks back at me with a smile. "I just thought my little story could be of help to you since you're trying to compose a song."

"Oh... Yeah, I think it helped a bit." I smile back.

Three friends that don't get the chance to reconcile.

The king and queen that fight.

Is it supposed to feel like pieces of a puzzle?