Once we reached the castle I could see several of the other contestants also there. Some commissioned portraits, others wanted things for their hobbies and needs, such as thread, fabric, books, ink, and paper.

The Tailor's place was the busiest, and when we entered the tailor, an old man with crow's feet around his eyes stood up.

"Aideen!" He beamed. "I haven't seen you in such a long time!"

"Yes. I hope you're doing fine," she answered.

"I am, I am." He turned to me. "Is this young lady a contestant?"

"Yes, let me introduce you two. This is Karina Dearcage. Karina, this is the tailor, Cleve."

"How enjoyable, making clothing for possibly the prince's bride!" he laughed. I am reminded that I'm the only one who has absolutely no chance to marry the prince, but the highest chance to win.

"What did you come here for? A dress? Or a mantle? Or maybe a nightgown?"

"A dress, and maybe a cloak."

"Do you have an idea of what fabric you'd like? Or have certain patterns in mind?" As he asks me questions, I see Aideen inspect a pale blue gown on a mannequin from the corner of my eye.

"Do you like that dress?" I asked, catching the tailor's attention. Aideen's eyes widened at what I said, and then she quickly stutters out protests.

"Never, I would never look good in it! Have you found something you like?" Her face was flushed, and I suspected she changed the subject on purpose. However, I decided to not press her on it.

On the tailor's wooden table, there were several sketches of dresses, as well as unfinished ones. I sort through them, paper and cloth, and then stop at one drawing.

"I really like this design," I mused. He glanced at the design before laughing.

"What an eye you've got, young lady!" he chuckled. "The Princess liked it too!"

"Oh?"

Although Oda and I had been together for a few days by now, I still didn't know anything about her. I wondered if it was good or bad that we had similar tastes.

Afterwards Aideen and I stopped at the Royal Shoemaker's place, too. There were two other contestants there, and once they saw me, they smiled.

"You are Karina Dearcage, aren't you? I remember you from this morning," said one with beautiful black curls braided and looped around her head in pearls. "I'm Nicolette Jacobin, and I'm from the Middle Class, too."

"And I'm Viola Raphael, from the Lower Class." The other girl was tall, soft deep, eyes dark and serious.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said. "Are you two here to get shoes too?"

"Yes! I'm a dancer, so I'd like some dancing shoes," Nicolette said. "And Viola is here with me because we are going to get some dresses made later."

"I just returned from the tailor. He's a very nice man."

"Yes, I do hope I'm not holding up your time, then. I hope to see you around, Karina!" Nicolette said.

"Same for me. Farewell."

After we left and were outside, I turned to Aideen.

"I've met quite a lot of the contestants, now. I know Oriana, as well as Annabelle, Nicolette, and Viola."

"Yes, that's nice." Her face didn't seem particularly excited. Then I realized how none of the other girls seemed to bring their lady in waiting along with them. Even Annabelle had let her lady in waiting leave to talk to someone else. Was I too clingy?

"Do you have friends, too, Aideen? Maybe some of the lady in waiting?" She peered at me, suspiciously, too.

"Friends? I don't think I have friends, but I do have acquaintances. After all, as a maid, I don't have much time to talk to people. Most of the lady in waiting are older than me, too."

"I'm older than you, and so is Princess Oda, but we get along fine, don't we?"

"I suppose so. But why?"

"I was just thinking I shouldn't have you with me so much," I started slowly. "Maybe you need to be with friends."

"No. I have a task to fulfill." I frowned.

"Did you request the blue garment in the end?" The rain had stopped, and a cool breeze blew at Aideen's soft loose hair, which reminded me of the feathers of a sparrow, just like her, small and alert.

"No," she answered, biting her lips, looking ashamed. "Besides that, are you feeling better?"

"The wind is doing good for me, I'm feeling much better. Why didn't you get the dress?" She turned her head away from me.

"I'm but a lady-in-waiting. I can't do frivolous things like dress up." Her words made me cringe. For a girl so young, she shouldn't have to speak that way.

"It must be hard being a lady-in-waiting," I said, and she snapped her head to look at me the moment the words leave my mouth. Her round eyes were wide with shock and her pink lips parted.

"No! That's not what I meant—I'm more than blessed to have been taken in by the Queen and Princess Oda! I wouldn't dare want anything more!"

I was about to argue when a stone hits the path in front of me. Startled, I look around to see a certain white-haired boy waving at me from out a tower window. He was craning his neck outside to say something I couldn't hear.

"Prince Otto!" I screamed, but he didn't seem to hear it; he only leaned out more. He was extremely close to falling.

"The prince!" Aideen was also pale. I turned to her.

"Aideen, we have to stop him!" She nodded in agreement, visibly scared.

We both started running, the heels of my slippers grinding into the wet dirt from the prior rain, towards the tower. I threw myself on the tower door and try to open it, but it was locked. Was the princess the only one with a key?

"What should I do?" I cried, pounding on iron door, but it was too thick to budge.

"Here, let me open it," Aideen demanded, taking off a hairpin from my hair. I frowned but stepped back as she bent down and twisted the sharp edge of the pin through the hole. The sounds of metal scratching each other caused shivers to crawl up my neck, along with the fact that a seemingly innocent lady-in-waiting knew how to open a lock.

Then the door unlocked.

"Go, Karina! I'll stand outside and see that no one comes."

"Thank you, Aideen."

I ran up the stairs, carrying my skirt in a frenzy, also cursing at the heavy cloak for weighing me down. The staircase was incredibly long, and the steps were rocky, so it took me time before I finally reached the door.

"Prince Otto!" I yelled once I did, pounding on the wooden door. He opened the door almost instantaneously as if he knew I was going to be there.

He was smiling. I stormed in.

"Prince Otto! That was dangerous! Don't lean outside the window like that!"

"Karina!"

Otto leaned forward, and then wrapped his arms around me, completely ignoring me. I couldn't move, but felt my mind go blank. The prince was hugging me. We had barely known each other for more than a day.

"Prince Otto?" I gently pushed him away. His hands still held onto my arms. "What's wrong?"

"No one has came to visit me for so long." He whispered. I frowned in confusion. I had just seen him yesterday. Is his paranoia causing him to loose track to time?

"I'm here now, it's fine," I whispered, comforting him. He released me and stared into my face.

"You'll leave again, though, won't you?"

I bit my lips. He was right.

"Why can't I leave?" he asked.

"One day you will. You are the prince of this country, and one day you'll finally be outside again, and become king and—"

"But I don't care for that," he argued. "I don't ask for a lot. All I want is freedom and to be with Oda like the old days. Now she is so cold to me."

I also couldn't deny that.

"Is it related to what they say about me?" His eyes were sad. "I don't understand."

"It's fine, I don't think of you as a monster."

"But the others do, and that's why I'm locked up and I can never leave!"

"Otto, I want to tell you something." I led him towards his bed. He sat down, and turned his head up to look up at me with hope.

"What is it?"

"I promise I'll come to visit you whenever I can, since now I live in the castle. So can you promise me you won't ever try and escape? Very soon you'll be able to leave the tower. You will get married and be able to do what you like." I wasn't lying, either.

"Really Karina? Oh, you are the kindest person I've met!" he exclaimed, embracing me again, with a joyous laugh. "I shall like to marry you very much!" He said, causing me to blush.

"No, you'll marry whoever wins the Dandelion System," I corrected with a laugh.

"Dandelion system?" he repeated, slowly. "What is 'The Dandelion System'?"

The smile froze on my lips. To my horror, I realized he doesn't know any of this.