Cinderella After Midnight

{ Courage ]

Amelia woke up with a headache. She couldn't sleep for one second. The memories of the last night had kept repeating in her mind. A tear escaped from her eyes as she touched her bruised wrist. She had never seen Kris so violent. However, it wasn't the violence that saddened her but Kris' betrayal. Was it her fault? She had rejected him repeatedly while she was nobody. Kris, on the other hand, was the Prince of this Kingdom. Did she hurt his pride? Her mom once told her that a man's pride was as fragile as glass. As a woman, you either handled it with care or you'd break it and hurt yourself.

The door slowly opened, and a Kris stepped in, causing Amelia to flinch unknowingly.

"Amy, can I talk to you for one second?"

"I won't do anything, I promise." He added.

"Your Highness," Amelia greeted, hitting Kris with her words. It hurt to hear Amelia talking to him formally. It forced him to face the distance between them.

"I just wanted to apologize. I was drunk. I mean... it is not an excuse for what I did, but... Well no buts, I just want to tell you how much I regret it." Kris tried his best to look at Amelia but failed. Just a brief glance and he noticed the bruises he had left on her.

"I never intend to hurt you."

"But you did." Amelia felt tears filled her eyes as she listened to Kris. Her head told her to hate the Prince while her heart told her to forgive him. To hate, that was easier, but to forgive and to love, that took a lot of courage. Amelia wasn't sure whether she was brave enough.

"What should I do? Tell me how you can forgive me."

"I don't know," she replied. "But for the moment, just stay away from me. I don't want to see you when it's unnecessary."

"Amy..."

"Please, just stay away."

________________________

After a long day, checking and talking to every servant who had worked on the day her mother was murdered, Amelia just wanted to lay down on the bed, hoping Kris had more lucks with the guards. Just a moment later, the Prince entered their chamber. It was uncomfortable for both of them to be alone in a room. The silence was unbearable. Fortunately, Liam appeared right on time.

"I hope you guys were luckier than I was." He said.

Kris shook his head.

"I got nothing as well. No one noticed something unusual that day." Amelia added.

"So it was a waste of time again? This is so frustrated." Liam sighed, sitting down between Amelia and the prince.

"Not really." Amelia murmured.

"What do you mean?" Liam asked, looked at Amelia with curious eyes.

"Well, look. It is not what people noticed, but what they didn't. They all said that the day was absolutely normal and there was nothing odd." She explained.

"I don't understand how this is going to help us." Kris stated, confused.

"It does help us, since at least we can be sure that the killer wasn't a stranger or someone from the outside, because if it was so, somebody would have realized it. That means we're looking for a person who lived in the castle or someone who was here often enough; someone whose presence wouldn't awake people's attention." She continued.

Liam's jaw dropped, as he looked at Amelia with wide opened eyes, before turned to Kris who was as surprise as him.

"She is scary good." He said to the Prince.