54!

BRIANNA

“Take it up and bring it down,” Trish said. She has been teaching me control for the past three days.

There hasn't been anything to do except waiting for the unexpected. Sitting idol haven't always been my thing, so I decided to put myself and Trish to work.

Especially Trish, her mind has been occupied ever since Ethan left the palace which has been brought to life with our presence.

I have barely since Liam as well, he has been securing the people in their houses and the homeless in shelters that have been put in place.

I always place a call to Agatha and Commander Blackburn asking for updates on my park and it seems to be good news for now.

Thane and his men have retreated for real and there aren't any trouble in our borders.

“Hey,” Trish splashed some water on me and I gasped. “You are getting distracted,” she said and I rolled my eyes.

“I have a lot on my mind,” I said to her, walking out of the lake.

“So, do I,” she said. “But you don't see me fading away during training.”

She's right I should be one hundred percent concentrated on my training. If anything happens I might be called to the battlefield.

“Have you seen Layla lately?” I asked her and she shook her head.

“Not since we arrived at the palace, she seems to have disappeared since then,” she stated.

“I'm really worried about her,” I said looking at Trish. There wasn't much expression or emotions on her face.

“You are not worried?” I asked her.

“I am,” she shrugs her shoulders, “but I don't read much meaning to it,” she took her towel and wiped her face.

“Trish, it's like she's in mourning. Trying to mourn the mother she didn't know because she thinks she might not make it out of Castillo's grip alive,” I pointed out.

“Well, I just think it was wrong for her to just disappear out of the blue without saying a word to us. We could have looked for the queen with her and whatever she saw we would have gone through it together. That's what makes us friends. The moon goddess said we have to stick together or we could tear apart literally.”

She said the word “literally,” with an action I haven't seen in her before.

“Try to cut her some slack,” I said and she nodded nonchalantly.

“I'm going to hit up the fireplace, you coming?” She asked.

“Nah, go ahead. I'm going to be here a while,” I responded.

I waited for her to be out of sight, Akire's sister followed her so it was just left with me and Akire.

I got out of the lake and walked towards her, “if you were Layla, where would you be in the palace?” I asked her.

“My mother's chambers,” she replied sharply. I took a deep breath.

“Lead the way then,” I said and she nodded. We got inside the palace and headed to the queen's room.

I have been to this part of the palace. It's so beautiful and elegant, retrofitted for excellence and royalty.

“I believe this is it, your grace,” Akire said to me as we stood in front of a very large door.

“Wait here,” I ordered her and she nodded. I walked into the chamber and was greeted with immense darkness.

There was only a shining light at the far end of the chambers which is where the bed is.

“Come to check out your soon to me chambers?” I heard Layla's voice as I opened the curtain revealing the huge bed.

“Came to check on you,” I said and she scoffed.

“Really, Trisha let you out of her sight?” She asked. I titled my head, looking at her.

“So, you do know she is bad at you?” I asked her and she nodded.

“Not like I care,” she looks at me, “but she has every right to be mad. I should have told you guys what I was planning to do.”

“You heard her,” I said and she shrugged her shoulders.

“What about your Mom?” I asked her.

“What about her?” She kept her eyes glued to the book she was reading.

“You didn't tell the King she was still alive,” I said to her.

“I didn't have the chance to,” she said. I moved towards her quickly and took the book from her.

“Didn't have the chance to or didn't want to? I asked her and she sighed.

“What do you want from me, Brianna?” She asked and I looked at her confused. “I'm not a piece of a plane that you can glue together.”

“Hey, that spell took the three of us,” I said firmly, “and why shouldn't I ask this question?”

“That's because you think you see a sister in me,” she said and I scoffed.

“What's so bad about that?” I asked her.

“Liam hadn't called me his sister ever since I told him we might share the same mother,” she said sadly.

“Liam has always treated you like a sister,” I said to her. She got off the bed and walked around.

“It's not the same thing. I want him to say you are my sister. You belong to the family.” I kept my eyes on her, searching her face.

Something is off about her or rather what she is saying. Layla isn't the one to care about titles. Or will being Liam's sister bring something to her.

I gasped and stared at her, “you think if you are crowded, a princess, Mason will mate with you because then you will be royalty and even his father won't mess with that,” I said to her and she looked at me.

“You don't have a clue about what I think,” she said to me. I was about to respond when the doors of the chambers opened.

“What is it, Akire?” I asked her.

“It's his Highness, he needs you in the hospital,” myself and Layla looked at each other and walked out of the chamber.

“Were you given anything specific?” I asked her.

“No, your grace,” she responded and I hissed. Ever since the mention of war started, information has been compartmentalized like never before.

We got to the hospital to see Trish waiting for us beside the car that brought her. She and Layla mumbled some greetings to themselves.

We walked into the hospital to see it busier than ever. Maybe I should have been here instead of training with Trish.

“Over here,” we heard Ethan's voice and walked up towards him.

“Ethan,” Trish said as her eyes lit up and she was one step ahead of us.

We got to where Ethan was standing in front of one of the Emergency rooms.

“Hey,” I said to Liam as soon as I saw him. It feels like I haven't seen him in forever.

“Can you save him?” He asked, pointing down at the bed.

I looked down at the bed to see a man groaning in bed with blood everywhere.

“Who is he?” I asked, walking towards him.

“He's the man that will make us win this war,” Ethan said, “he is the spy.”