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I don't know how I made it back to my room but I had somehow managed to find the Ladies' wing, which was dead silent due to the fact that it was so late

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I don't know how I made it back to my room but I had somehow managed to find the Ladies' wing, which was dead silent due to the fact that it was so late. I hadn't even noticed how much time that flew by while I was in the Royal Library. My hands still shook from what I saw and I couldn't help but feel very unsafe. 

I quickly took off my day dress and clambered into bed, falling into a light, restless sleep. 

*** 

The next day, luckily, was one of the rare days in which no major activity was held and the Ladies could do as they pleased. Regardless of the events of the night before still etched in my brain, I was relatively happy and a noticeable bounce could be seen in my step. 

"Why so gay, Lady Madeline?" Imogen asked, as soon as I'd finished my fry up breakfast.

"I'm planning on reading in the gardens today," I smiled, the idea spreading a warmth through my chest. There was nothing I wanted more than to be out of the palace walls and under the sun. 

"Have fun, then," Lucy piped up. 

"Trust me, I will," I beamed as I pushed the chair out and dusted off my crumb ridden dress. 

*** 

I couldn't help but grin like a maniac once I reached the garden. The sun's light was extremely bright, almost blinding me. I shielded my eyes as I watched the birds chirp and fly in the cerulean sky. 

The palace's gardens were vast and there was one too many places suitable for reading. In the middle of the garden was a large Greek-style fountain which spewed what looked like a golden liquid. An evergreen mini-maze was located to the right of the fountain but I didn't dare enter. I was the kind of Lady who was up to all sorts of adventures but as proven during the riding session, I had no sense of direction. 

After wandering about the gardens for about 10 minutes, I finally found a quiet bench, just under a statue of who I presumed to be King Albert's father, King Albert I.  

The statue was made of a polished marble and the deceased King Albert appeared to be on a horse, though the horse stood upright on its hind legs. From my years of reading, it meant that the rider died in battle. Unfortunately, I didn't pay much attention in Aridian History to remember what battle it was. 

I had long since finished One Thousand and One Nights and was devastated when Scheherazade told the King that she had no more tales to tell, though I was relieved he didn't kill her like he'd done the others. I hadn't started reading The Lion's Heart yet which contributed to my overall excitement for the free day. I had to admit, I was curious to find out what was so special about the book that made Carlos so infatuated with it. 

I turned the crinkly page, brushing my fingers along the dusty parchment. The phrase, to Clemence, with love, was written in a hardly legible font. The book must've belonged to Carlos' dead mother, Queen Clemence. Knowing that the book belonged to the Queen made me feel a deeper sense of protection and I vowed to guard it with my life- partly because of my respect for the deceased Queen and the fear that if anything happened to the book, Prince Carlos would have my head. 

"Lady Madeline, I had a feeling I would find you here," A voice I knew well interrupted my reading. 

I looked up just to be blinded by the sun's powerful rays. After blinking a few times, my eyes finally adjusted and I could see Amancio's infamous lopsided grin clearly. 

"I am not a Lady," I singsonged, moving over so he could sit beside me. 

Growing up, I never had much interaction with boys. I didn't have any male cousins- or female cousins for that matter, as all my aunts were childless prunes. Finishing School was exclusive to young Ladies and I never got the chance to actually have a proper conversation with a boy. Because of this, I was nervous around men, as I didn't know what to say. But, with Lord Amancio, it was as easy as speaking to a friend (even though I didn't have many) and I didn't need to think about much. 

"The only way I can refrain from calling you Lady Madeline is if you simply call me Amancio," He offered. 

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Fine. Though Lord Amancio has a ring to it." 

"It also makes me sound 20 years older," Amancio joked. 

"What are you doing in the gardens? Don't you have paperwork to sign or something?" I teased. Despite Amancio's casual disposition, he was the Duke of Febing. The Dukes were the highest ranking Nobles, directly underneath the Prince and Princess. I assumed Amancio had to be an extremely busy man. 

"As a matter of fact, I do have a few letters to send out. But I needed a break under the sun," Amancio explained, his grey eyes twinkling under the sunlight. 

"Well, I don't have any letters to sign, or a duchy I need to supervise. I just like to be out sometimes," I admitted, absent-mindedly stroking the book cover. 

"What's bothering you?" He asked. "Apart from your being in the competition, that is." 

Truthfully, what I had witnessed the day before was still engraved in my brain and sent a chill down my spine every time I thought about it. It was virtually the only thing bothering me, apart from the fact that The Cut was still some time away. I debated telling Amancio. Apart from Fiona, he was the only other person I felt I could trust, despite just meeting him. He had a friendly aura about him and I felt like I could confess my darkest secrets without thinking twice. 

"Just a random question, why would a royal guard need to...interrogate someone?" I asked. 

Amancio's brows furrowed together. "By someone you mean a criminal?" 

I nodded. 

"To get information from them, of course. It's how they go about the interrogation that matters," Amancio said. I bit my lip, wondering if I could tell him what I really saw. "What did you see, Madeline?" 

I tell Amancio what I saw, including the part where the King ordered for the criminal to be killed. 

"What could he have done?" I asked. It all seemed very strange and quite unnecessary to me. Aridia wasn't a utopia, but there were hardly many crimes except the occasional stealing. None that required such probing. 

"He was probably a rebel," Amancio sighed. 

"A rebel?" I echoed. I didn't know those actually existed. I'd read about rebellious groups in books before but Aridia was so peaceful that there wasn't really much to rebel about, so I assumed they didn't exist. 

"They're just a small group of bored people looking to start trouble, nothing to worry about," Amancio shrugged before glancing at his watch. "Gee, is that the time? I'd better get started on those letters. See you around, Lady Madeline." 

"It's just Madeline!" I called back as he walked towards the palace. 

Despite the 'good' turnout of the day, I couldn't help but feel worried. I thought only the palace had secrets but apparently, Aridia does too. 

Hey y'all, how has your week been? What do you think of Amancio and Madeline? Do you ship them?  

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Hey y'all, how has your week been? What do you think of Amancio and Madeline? Do you ship them?  

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