As I walked to my town, the neighboring houses coming into view, I wondered what people in our village would say, seeing me dressed in such a way, worse than I was when leaving to the castle. Suddenly full of shame, I hurried down the row of houses, making sure no one sees me until I reached my house. And how would Catalina feel, to see me again? Happy? Scared? Worried?

I was hesitant, but I opened the door.

My house didn't change at all. I walked past the parlor room and the dining room to Catalina's room. She was sitting in front of the mirror, despite not being able to see, braiding her black hair.

I thought of the deal. If I successfully win The Dandelion System, there's a chance her eyes could be healed. It's the only thing I could do for her, and my heart ached at the thought of it not happening.

I took another step, and then the floor creaked.

"Who's there?" Catalina suddenly screamed, standing up. I had forgetten about how easily she was startled, and laughed.

"Karlina!" She opened her arms and I run to embrace her.

"Yes, it's me, Catalina! How have you been?"

"Oh Karlina, I'm the same as always. Tell me about your time in the castle!" she insisted, slowly guiding me to her chair, sitting on the bed herself. She couldn't see, but memorized her furniture well.

"It's been enjoyable. I have many new friends." I answer, thinking of Oriana and Annabelle.

"Have you been getting used to life there?"

"Yes, the food is fancy, too fancy for me, even, and my room is as big as the parlor room!"

"It sounds wonderful," Catalina whispered, stroking my hand.

"It is, don't worry about me. How has father and mother been? Are they out today?"

"Oh, yes. Mother went to the market and father is traveling again." Our father was a merchant so he travels to foreign lands. Sometimes he didn't return for weeks, so we grew accustomed to being without him.

I heard footsteps in the house and stood up in a hurry. Catalina held onto my arm. She could sense something was wrong.

"Did you brought a visitor?" she asked in a whisper. "Mother said she would be late."

"I—" My words were caught in my throat the moment I see Oda enter the room, narrowing her eyes at me. I couldn't believe what I saw—she was wearing Aideen's dress! What a sight it was, the prideful princess scowling in rags.

"Oda—I mean, Aideen." I wondered if Catalina knows the public name of the princess. "What brings you here?"

"Is that your sister?" Oda asked, ignoring my question.

"Yes. Catalina, that's my lady in waiting, Aideen. All contestants of The Dandelion System has one." Oda raised her eyebrows, but thankfully doesn't object.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Catalina. I've heard a lot about you."

"Its a honor to meet you too, Aideen. Thank you for taking care of my sister."

"I'm not Aideen," she declared, making me open my mouth in protest. "I'm Oda, Princess Oda."

"Oda!" I hissed. "What are you saying?"

"I despise lying. I'm telling her the truth," she replied. Yes, of course the princess who is cheating in The Dandelion System despites dishonesty—how full of morals.

"Princess? What truth? Karlina, what's going on?" Catalina asked in a panic. I sigh.

"Catalina, please stay calm as you listen," her expression softened. "The one who entered is not my lady in waiting. It's Princess Oda. She requested for my help in The Dandelion System in exchange of trying to restore your eyesight."

"What help?" she asked. I smiled. Instead of asking how her eyes can be restored, she asks what type of help I'm giving. She was always like that, worrying about others before herself. Oda stepped forward.

"As you may know, The Dandelion System is made to find Prince Otto a wife, but I simply can't accept it. Karina and I plan to win and before the wedding, send her and your family to another kingdom." After she explained, Catalina furrows her brow in confusion. Just as I was about to apologize for deciding without consulting her, she laughed.

"Oh, I'm honored Karlina is of help to you, You Highness!"

"No, I'm the one who is honored she is willing to help me. She accepted the offer rather quickly, which was hasty of her." I made a face.

"You were crying!"

"No, I was just acting. Princesses don't cry." I scowled as Catalina chuckled.

"I'm really glad," she whispered under her breath. Her dark brown eyes were unfocused, but her smile was wide, "I'm really glad you have a friend, Karlina."

Friend? Princess Oda?

Despite the strange phrasing, neither me nor Princess Oda say anything.

"We should get going now," Oda said. I nodded.

"Yes." I turned back to Catalina. "Goodbye, Catalina. I'll try and visit again when I have time. Give my greeting to mother, too." She nodded, and embraced me before I left.

When we retired back to the castle, we had successfully gotten three dandelion seeds. Oda, no wonder a princess, had simply gotten them with ease. Nobody questioned me or Aideen and nothing suspicious happened—yet.

The next day Oda asked me to visit Otto with her again. We went after dinner.

"How many seeds do we have in total now?" I asked.

"Eight!" she said proudly. "I found five in one day because a certain town collected all the seeds they found."

"That's wonderful!"

Once we were halfway up the tower, a faint sound reached my ear. It was music.

"Music!" Oda exclaimed, jaw wide open. "How can that be?"

She rushed up the steps in worry, carrying her heavy skirts. The steps in the tower were dark, steep, and long, thus I was nervously holding on to the stone walls. She threw open the door, and I hear Prince Otto. Not Oscar.

"Sister!" I reached the door too, and stepped inside carefully he turned to me and smiled, and sure enough, it was Otto's familiar face. "And Karina!"

"Good evening, Otto."

He gave me a broad smile. I was still cautious from my last meeting with 'Oscar' but his joyous aura pacified me—enough to assure me this was Otto.

"Look," Otto said, holding out a beautiful silver flute in his hands. It was delicately carved with small birds, flowers, and vines. "I'be been practicing all—"

"Who gave you that flute?" Oda interrupted angrily, snatching away the flute from Otto.

"Mother," he answered innocently, I couldn't see why Oda made such a big deal.

"She came to visit you? When?"

"Yesterday," Otto confessed. "She gave me something else, too."

"What is it?" she insisted, like a wolf hungry for meat, gripping the flute in her hand, her knuckles turning white. Otto walked to a wall and knelt down. He removed a loose stone, and behind it sat a small golden chest.

"Why is it there?" I asked.

"Mother told me to hide it, and showed me this hole."

"It can't be!" Oda pushed Otto out of the way before bending before the hollow wall and took the chest out. The chest was only slightly bigger than her hand, and bordered with ornamental carvings. She opened it easily: the latch was missing, and we both gasped. On the red velvet lining of the chest sat a handful of dandelion seeds. The Dandelion Seeds.

While I stared in shock, Oda grimaced. She took them into her hand, counting and examining each one.

"...twelve , thirteen, fourteen!" she shouted. "Fourteen Dandelion Seeds!"

"Dandelion seeds? They look beautiful," Otto said casually, peering over her shoulder.

"The Queen had found fourteen seeds already?" Was such a thing possible? The seeds had only been scattered and the Princess herself had only collected eight.

"This is ridiculous." Oda muttered. "It's forbidden for the Royal Family to interfere, how shameless." If it wasn't for the tense atmosphere, I would surely laugh at the irony. Here was the Princess, scheming to win the Dandelion System and being mad at her mother, the Queen, for taking part.

"Does the Queen not want Prince Otto to marry?" I asked, then covered my mouth. I glanced at Otto, worried he would be confused, but to my relief, he was swirling the silver flute Oda had exchanged for the golden chest. Oda didn't respond.

Slowly, she stood up and readjusted her red dress.

"Listen, Otto. Karina and I will be leaving now, but we will come back tomorrow. Don't tell mother about us coming to visit, no matter what," she commanded before placing the seeds back into the chest and closing it firmly.

"I won't," Otto promised. Oda looked at him then gave a small smile.

"Thank you." She walked walking down the dark staircase and followed her, after closing and letting her lock the door. I was bewildered that she accepted it so easily.

"Karina, repeat what you just said," she said as we walked down the stairs.

"Does the Queen not want Prince Otto to marry?" I repeated hesitantly, greeted by silence.

"That's not it. Mother thought of the Dandelion System herself. She collected fourteen the day right after the seeds are scattered—that means she wants a certain someone to win this game too!" Her words slowly sink in.

"The Queen has a favorable candidate for The Dandelion System?" I whispered.

"Whoever she is, she's someone unexpected. If she was any of the nobility or high classes, Mother wouldn't have to do this. She's someone here, but in the lower classes," she explained. "I can't believe mother betrayed me like this—I can't believe she actually wants Otto to marry!" Oda's strained voice betrays her usual confidence.

We stepped outside of the tower to the starry night sky.

"Don't worry, Oda," I found myself saying in an awkward attempt to comfort her.

"I'm not worrying." Her attitude dissolves any pity I had. "I have a different plan. Tomorrow it's Sunday, do you know what it means?"

"The Queen will come to examine us!" I realized.

"Yes, you must observe her closely, and see who it is that she is working with." Her voice raised in pitch again, and I see her tilt her chin up. I nodded, this time just as eager as her.

"I will."