(Italics are parts of a flashback.)

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Cal,

I've only written to you just now because I need to make up my mind

I cannot take your words because it simply doesn't make any sense.

I cannot believe a man could be forced

by a girl into bedding her.

Even if she did, couldn't you fight her back?

She was only half your size.

If you hold no desire for her,

how would you get her with child?

A man needs to want in order to sire a child with a woman.

I've kept my family in the dark,

I'd rather they not hear about your infidelity.

Tomorrow is the final verdict by the doctor.

Until everything has cleared up,

I think distance would be the best for us.

- Olivia.

***

It was often said that words hold power. That they could both impact the lives of oneself and others. Speaking positively could change one's life for the better and speaking negatively attracted catastrophe. Although Cal believed more in the course of actions to shape one's life, he couldn't deny that it was particularly true in Olivia's case. She wished for distance, and now they'd be separated forever.

Since the doctor had said that Isleen was truly with child, his father had decided that they were to be wed; meaning his engagement with Olivia was to be broken off. Cal couldn't save his world from falling apart as he felt like he was losing his grip on reality.

Today, Olivia was summoned to the palace to return the dowry her family had provided for their engagement, and in return, she was to hand over the necklace; ending their union once and for all. Cal didn't have to be present during the procession, but he couldn't stop himself from watching.

"This is the dowry that we'd like to return to your family," Callisto's private secretary stated as a footman placed a wooden case and some envelopes on a table before Olivia who came with her father.

"Is this all? Make sure you're not missing any," Olivia's father's checked each of the boxes for its content. Callisto's mouth curled with disgust.

Olivia nodded weakly, presenting a few ornate boxes herself. "And these are the jewellery that the Empress had so kindly lent me. I did promise to take good care of them," she whispered, wiping the tear off her eyes with her gloved finger.

"And of course, we ought to withdraw our monetary support for the crown," Olivia's father scowled.

"Just take it away, we don't need them anyway!" Callisto spat, turning to Olivia. "The necklace, my dear?"

Olivia choked on her breath, she was still wearing the necklace. Letting out a small hiccup, her fingers slowly crept up to its chain, uncuffing them. Her face reddened with shame and humiliation.

Callisto grimaced, extending her hand toward Olivia's neck, ready to rip the necklace off her body if he should.

"You keep it, dear," Estelle came up, smiling at her considerately. "Just keep it."

"What? That necklace has been in our family for generations!" Callisto roared.

"For god's sake, how much is it? I'll buy it twice its worth!" Olivia's father barked.

"Dad, no," Olivia panted, having taken off the necklace and letting it slump onto the mahogany table with a heavy sound. "Here's your necklace, Your Majesties. Thank you for everything," she whispered with tearful eyes before running out of the foyer.

At this point, Cal could no longer hold himself back.

"Olivia!" He sprinted after her. "Olivia!"

The blonde stopped as her ex-fiancee caught up to her.

"Please, don't leave me alone," cried the raven-haired man.

"You were the one who left me first," Olivia chided.

"No, please. Help me!" His voice trembled as he begged desperately, reaching for her hands. "I have no one else to turn to. Nobody else would believe me. Nobody would help me!"

"We have nothing more to say to one another!" She hissed, yanking herself out of his grasp.

His body jerked back as if he'd been slapped. The last thing he saw as Olivia climbed into her car, faring the palace one last glance, was Isleen; watching from the garden with a look of satisfaction on her lips as she stroked her growing belly.

And a few weeks later, he stood at the end of the aisle, the piano sounding even more like a death march as his bride marched down the hall.

She was no longer the girl he met in the woods or the one he danced with during the banquet. Her hair had been chopped into a bob, one that Olivia had chosen for herself at her supposed wedding. Gone had the nineteenth-century dress, replaced by a modern haute couture which normally looked flattering, but still looked strange on her.

Every single thing that Cal ever remotely liked about her was gone, replaced by a thick air of lies and deception.

Isleen came nearer, arms gathered at the front, proudly cradling her baby bump.

***

"The months that came afterwards were a living hell. I was so glad that childbirth took Isleen's life; the only time I had ever rejoiced about someone's death. We cremated her, dumped her ashes to god-knows-where. I want every remnant of her obliterated."

Gigi nodded. "So that's why she wasn't in the Leroy tomb."

"The night Junior came into this world, my mother had secured an arrangement for him to settle in with her relatives, so that I would be free to move on and remarry while the child would be in good hands. But as I first laid eyes on him, all I wanted was to protect him. I saw a mirror of myself in him, innocent and helpless. So I couldn't let him go. I love him, I love him so much."

Gigi stroked his shoulder. "Junior's very proud of having you as his father, you are everything to him."

"He was to be named after me, but Isleen felt such animosity for the name 'Raedan', she changed it into her father's name. My parents offered me to change Junior's middle name after her death, but I let it be his birthright. I might never get over my fear for them, but Junior holds the right to the Southern Isles, thus he shall take over one day."

"So, what truly happened was... Isleen disguised herself as Olivia?" Gigi repeated, holding her chin as she tried to reassess the situation.

"Transformed is more like it," Cal shuddered, recalling the mortifying experience. "That's why I couldn't stay with you on our wedding night. The reason I tried to keep myself from falling for you; it was never the physical contact. It was the underlying fear that one day I am going to wake up and find her in your place. Even in my nightmares, the same thing keeps happening—" Pausing, he scanned his wife's face for any sign of doubts. "...You don't find it weird?"

"So what if it's weird?" Entangling her hands in his hair, she flashed him the warmest smile, kissing his worries away. "It's the truth. You don't lie about something like this."

"It was... so strange. She looked like her, sounded like her. She even smelled like her..." Cal swallowed painfully, "For years I thought I had lost my mind... Only my mother and Dr Jaeyr took my word for it."

"I do," assured Gigi, and he could feel the wetness of her tears upon his skin as she left butterfly kisses across his cheek. "I'll take any words of yours, no matter how strange or bizarre. No matter how absurd it might be for others..." Raising her chin up to look into his eyes, Cal realized that his vision was just as watery. "I believe. I always will."

"Thank you, Gi," he wept, taking her in his arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I might have a solution for your nightmares," she palmed his chest. "I'll set up an alarm clock around the time you would wake and I'm going to wake with you. I don't know if it would relieve your symptoms in any way, but at least allow me to share your burden. Wake me, so I can be there to ease your pain."

"I will," he kissed her knuckles. "I promise."

"Thank you for telling me, and trusting me with this information." She caressed the back of his neck and gave him a light peck on the lips. "You are very brave, and honest."

Tears continued to fall from Cal's eyes, but it wasn't the tears of sorrow nor pain. It was that of relief, that enclosed his heart with warmth.

"I want to be your cry pillow," she grinned.

"You are so much more than that." He entwined their fingers under the blanket as they settled back in bed. "You're my shelter."

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.