● Amber Erin Anderson ● 

Now, I would've screamed the hell out of me if it wasn't for me already filled with enough bewildering truths and confessions - so, when Ember said he wanted my help to ruin his amalgamation, I remained as cool as cucumber.

"You want me to break your amalgamation?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not break, I need your help," he smiled softly.

"I'll do the breaking part," he confirmed. "I just need your help."

What I said next was fast and immediate. "What's in it for me?"

"You didn't even ask what I want from you," he chuckled lightly.

"It must be something important and precious if a Prince wants something from a commoner, a Naught and a helpless girl," I smiled, batting my eyelashes. "So I better know what's in it for me."

He bobbed his head, his silky locks of hair, dangling, sometimes covering them, sometime not and I had urge to tuck them behind his pierced ears.

"Do you want to take a walk in the garden?" He suddenly asked, smiling, his head tilted a little bit.

My answer was positive as I desperately wanted to get out of the palace and see around.

Fifteen minutes later, Ember was ready, his natural hair hidden under his wig, his gray eyes now brown due to Zenix's magic, who also happened to live in the palace just to change Ember's eye colours every time he needed it to be changed.

"I don't think I ever asked you why you hide your hair and eye colour," I asked as we walked down the hallway together, our pace same, sunlight creeping through the mantel windows and bathing Ember's cheeks and making me see his tiniest of freckles.

Ember continued looking forward. "I change myself to look more like my brothers and father,"

His tone had changed when he said that -- it seemed lost, sad, quiet and so fragile I couldn't bring myself to ask another question, and so, I didn't and we continued to walk until we were outside the palace.

It took ten minutes to get out of that darn palace and I was honestly exasperated after passing doors after doors and guards after guards.

"Jesus, Ember," I huffed, bending down while cupping my knees once we were out of the palace. "How do you even remember these corridors, rooms, halls and doors?" I asked, now standing properly and creasing the wrinkles of my fabric that I'd caused by gripping my knees firmly.

"I always wanted to live in a palace luxuriously but after seeing this, I'm thinking otherwise," I shook my head as we began walking down the aisle of their flower garden.

He shrugged, not intending to answer as we both walked silently. The outside of the Palace was enchanting and looked so surreal to me. Turning around, I saw the exterior of the Elisora Palace and saw how enthralling it looked. It was old--but still looked magnificent by its flawless architecture, light colours, high baileys which were mostly covered by bushes and conical spires which had very very sharp edges.

The garden that we were walking by wasn't less magical. I had never seen such a beautiful garden with so many flowers that I didn't know the name of. For me, the flowers that were about to blossom was the most dazzling ones. They were trying their best to stay still despite the strong wind and they succeeded.

I had never imagined that an orphan like me would be walking around a palace along with a legitimate Prince. It was so unreal for me that I never had the courage to even dream about it. And now, here I was-in a world where doing magic was normalised and they were categorised to three parts and branches.

Despite having the strong urge to return home, for some reason, walking with Ember while we both inhaled the same flowers' smell, I felt contented.

I shook my head, not letting these weird thoughts get a hold of me as I was still feeling incredulous. I needed to get back home. Even if I had to help someone to wreck their own wedding.

Just when I was about to break the silence between us even though I was kind of  liking it, he spoke and to be frank I really wasn't expecting what he was about to say.

"It feels nice walking with you. The last time we walked like that was thirteen years ago and the day was just like this-bright and warm," he said, walking straight, not meeting my gaze even though I wanted him to.

"Jeez, every time you about me, you talk like as if you like me or something," I voiced out my thought without even realising it as I suddenly felt my cheeks growing hot.

When he said his next sentence, he didn't stop in his tracks, stuttered or even sounded like he was nervous. He just said it -- so casually.

"Oh, I do, actually. A lot."

I stopped walking and just stared at his back with my jaw dropping.

Ember sensed I'd stopped walking so he turned around and I tried my best to hide the blush that was creeping its way to my cheeks and ears but to no avail. He cocked his head, as if what he just said was a very normal thing and gave me perplexed look.

"You're all red. Do you have a fever again?" he asked worriedly, walking towards me as I scoffed.

"Are you always this straightforward?" I asked as I started walking again and his previous words still audible in my head.

"How else should I ask if you have a fever or not?" He said, still confused.

"I'm talking about your previous statement!" I cried as I stomped my foot on the ground.

"Just forget it!" I took heavy steps, stomping my foot on the ground until I found a bench and slumped there with a big sigh.

"So, how can I help you with breaking your amalgamation?" I asked once we had settled down on the bench. "Hold on a second, why do you even want to break your amalgamation? and how are you even going to do it?"

"I don't know what plan you have. But I have one as well and it's a little bit reckless," I said as I grinned. "How about I go to your wedding stage and yell 'Don't marry this jackass! I'm pregnant with his child!'?" I offered as colour drained from his pale skin.

He really believed that?

"Erin, no!" he nearly shouted.

"I was kidding!" I laughed as he heaved a sigh of relief.

"My father. . . ." he began, looking at the garden where gardeners were tending the flowers with utmost care while a warm breeze brushed against them, and I noticed how the wind was blowing away Ember's unauthentic hair, making them look so real no one would ever guess that beneath that hair, he had hair that would remind one of clouds and rain. "He is forcing me to marry someone I don't love."

I knew it! I'm his childhood sweetheart after all!

"Is your amalgamator against the wedding as well?" I asked, hiding my grin.

He nodded.

"Then, why don't you two just stop the wedding?"

"She doesn't have a choice but to agree to this amalgamation as there must be something she's gaining from this amalgamation," he rubbed the bottom of his lips, thinking deeply. "I've to offer her something greater and better than the consequences of this amalgamation,"

"And so you're planning to break the marriage without your father's acknowledgement?" I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "And how am I going to help with that?"

He licked his lips, took some time, as if trying to make up something. "I. . ." he said, scratching his neck, still not looking at me. "I want you to mess some things for me. You're my Special Maid; so you can go through my things and do anything. I want you to make a hassle so big that it will help me break the amalgamation more easily."

My eyes lightened up. "That seems so fun! I'm ready to do that!" Before he had a chance to speak, I asked, "Is your amalgamator on our side as well?"

"I'm going to try to make her come to our side," was his confident answer.

"So, what are you going to do to negotiate with her? Write a letter to her and demand an audience with her?"

"No, that requires a lot of paperwork -- besides, I doubt she would even want have a talk with me -- her and I aren't in the best terms,"

You're not in good terms with anyone-

I was glad I didn't voice out my thoughts this time.

"What is your grandiose plan to talk to her, then?" I asked, frowning.

He finally turned around to face me, his lips curling up into a smirk and what he said next wasn't quite unexpected from a lad like Ember.

"Sneak into Her Highness' palace, of course."

Well, that sounds exciting.