I blinked my eyes repeatedly to adjust to the light. The gigantic room was crowded with people wearing gowns and formal suits tainted with red. Women and children were crying at the corners and the men were wounded. The guards stayed at Gabriel's side but the amount of the guards that were gone were evident.

"Dee?" Someone whispered from beside me.

"Tony," I said as he helped me sit up.

When I was finally sitting upright, he crushed me in a hug, "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

I put my arms around him with uncertainty, "What are you talking about? You did nothing wrong."

He shook his head as he still hugged me, "No, it's all my fault. All this is my fault."

"What exactly is your fault?" I asked him.

"The attack," he whispered softly, "I'm really sorry."

My eyes widened, "What do you mean?" I asked and pulled away. I stared at him through his eyes as I expected for an answer.

"The child who died," he said, "everyone who died was my fault."

I held him the shoulders and stared intensely at him, "Explain. Now."

"I-I talked to the palace staff. The ones who were still loyal. I told them to ambush the ceremony. T-They agreed," he shook his head as more tears from his eyes fell, "I-I told them to shoot Gabriel. Then I'll do the rest. I never knew it'd go out of hand."

I stared at him in disbelief, "W-Wait. You mean, the ones who attacked us were palace guards?"

He nodded, "I'm really sorry. Please forgive me."

"Tony," I called his name, "you killed a lot of people."

"I didn't mean it!" He contrasted.

I shook my head, "Even so. You should've thought more of this. Thea died because of your foolish plan. What would her family say?! She was a kid, Tony. A child. " My own tears fell as I recalled what happened earlier.

How could he make a plan without considering everything?

"I-I'm sorry. Please believe me when I say that I didn't do it on purpose," he pleaded.

I turned away and stared at the opposite direction, refusing to look at him. When he figured that I wouldn't reply, he sighed and said, "Talk to me when you're okay."

When he walked away, I looked back to him, almost telling him to stay, but I controlled myself. His back was facing me and it hurt me when he didn't even glance back.

I took a deep breath to calm down. It wasn't directly his fault but he still took part in it. Was he that desperate to retake his kingdom?

"Miss," called a gruffly voice behind me.

When I turned to look at him, I replied in a groggy voice, "Yes?"

The guard pointed to the exit, "It is already safe to leave. Please move out quietly."

I nodded and stood up slowly so I wouldn't stumble. When I was upright, my head felt a little dizzy but I managed to walk to the exit without making cartwheels.

We exited in a single line and I saw Thea's sister at the front crying her heart out. My heart throbbed at the sight. It hurt more when I noticed all the bloodshot eyes around me.

I walked absentmindedly forward out the exit but the guard blocked my way.

"Code?" He asked.

I snapped back to reality and asked, "What?"

"What's your code, miss?"

"36," I replied.

Don't tell me they want me to stay again.

"Please proceed to the left corridor," he instructed and let me pass.

I nodded and walked past him. I noticed that a lot of people were using the corridor on the right and I saw only one other person walking through the left one.

I looked back suspiciously at the guard but he continued asking for codes and directing them wherever they need to go. With a sigh, I walked into the hallway where it lead to the dining hall. If I remembered correctly the path leading to the right was to the great hall.

The ornaments were still the same. And so were the colors. But the pictures and sculptures . . . They were all replaced by images of Gabriel and his family. I drew in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Th slightly chilly air from the hallway slowly turned warm as I got closer to the great hall. It also smelled differently.

When I entered the great hall, I was met with the smell of food. Tables were placed everywhere and people were already eating. It was as if an attack never happened.

"Excuse me," a woman said beside me.

She was in a white uniform with a medal on her chest. A general? Her eyes were a piercing light green. Her hair was up in a ponytail that was covered with her cap.

"Please proceed to one of the tables and dine," she told me, "then after filling your stomach, please do not leave the premises for some announcements."

I nodded and went to a table where no one sat. I noticed that there were a lot of tables and chairs inside. As far as I know, we—code 36–weren't going to exceed twenty. Then why are there so many chairs?

I ate the food on my plate silently and unwillingly. I wasn't hungry—maybe I was but my feelings were overpowering it. Even though the food looks—and probably tastes—great, it tasted plain to me. No one else sat in my table so I looked like a lonely loner while I ate. I also wondered where Tony was. Was he safe?

With all these thoughts in mind, it was late when I realized that out numbers increased. When I looked at the doors, there were more and more people entering the room. None of which I saw at the concert.

Who are they? Why are they here?

There were about 70 people now. How did it increase so rapidly?

"Hey, can I join you?"

I looked up and saw him. I pursed my lips and nodded. I looked away as he took a seat beside me.

"Look," he said, "I'm sorry. What I did was wrong and I regret it so much. Please believe me. I can't bear you not talking to me."

I bit my lip and stared at my food. The half-eaten food that didn't look the least bit inviting.

"Dee, please," he pleaded. "I promise I won't do anything rash again. Please just talk to me."

I continued staring at my food. I wanted to talk to him, believe me I do. But if I keep on accepting his apologies with no such action, would he learn his lesson?

"Please," he croaked out. He sounded like he was about to cry.

This affected him much worse than you, Haidee. It's him who would be bothered by his never-ending conscience, not you. Quit being a petty child.

"Don't cry," I told him, "I understand."

He sighed in relief, "Oh, god. Thank you!"

Hearing his relief made the weight in my heart lift but I still didn't look at him. I took a bite of my food and said, "Eat up. It's a waste if you don't eat it, don't you think?"

He nodded and eagerly ate his meal. Meanwhile, I observed as the people increased along with the noise.

"Who are the people coming inside?" I asked.

"I think they're the other code 36 in the country," Tony replied.

"How do you say so?" I asked.

"I talked to the staff," he answered, "they told me that Gabriel was furious about the attack and needed action. When he found out that it was his own staff who attacked him, he knew that the one who lead them were one of us."

"So he trapped us all inside?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yes. Some of his advisors told him to keep our kind until the culprit is found."

"And that culprit would be you, I suppose," I said and sighed. Another problem to worry about.

"I'm really so—" Tony stopped talking when some people joined our table.

"Let's talk later," I whispered and he nodded.

"So like, I met the king earlier and he was so kind!" One girl at the table exclaimed.

The other girl scrunched her face up in disgust, "Do you really think he's nice? Look at what he's done so far."

"What did he do?"

"Weren't you observing our town?" The girl asked.

"Well, I'm sorry but I've got better things to do than look at our place."

"Girl, the guards went shooting the villagers! They come for inspection and then a few moments later we'd hear a gunshot!"

The girl gasped, "Really? God, I'm so behind the news."

I made eye contact with Tony and knew instantly by the look in his eyes that we had the same thought.

He had to reclaim his throne.

"Everyone! Attention please!"

We looked in front and saw the lady commander calling all of our attention.

"This is General Firman speaking," she said, "the king has brought you a message."

The girls in our table started to whisper and glance at the general warily. This was bad news.

"Everyone must've been informed prior to this meeting that you will be staying in the palace," she stated, "the time has started and these are the rules. Everyone of you will be treated as guests in the duration of your stay here. The goal here is to capture the former prince and his lover."

I gulped nervously and tried to look composed.

"You shall be sent home when your citizenship is approved and if you aren't," her eyes glowed maliciously, "you will be sent to a better place. Please follow the maids and butlers that will escort you to your rooms and prepare yourself for dinner in a few hours. Your helpers will provide you with your schedule for the length of your stay here and until you go home, you are required to do what is stated there. Have a nice stay, ladies and gentlemen."

The maids and butlers emerged from the kitchen in a singe file. They started going to their assigned guests and escorted them out of the room.

"This way, sir," one butler told Tony.

He glanced back at me while saying, "Yes, okay. Are your maids here yet?"

I shook my head, "It's fine, you go ahead."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded and smiled, "Yep. I'm not a kid who needs supervision."

He smiled, "Alright. I'll see you at dinner."

He left the hall with the butler along with the other people at our table. Who were my maids?

"Psst, Haidee."

I jumped a little and looked behind my back with my heart beating fastly. I sighed in relief when I saw Hannah.

"You scared me," I scolded her.

She laughed, "Sorry, let's get you to your room."

"Is it my old room?"

She shook her head, "Sadly, no, but I assure you that it's still as nice as your old one!"

I smiled to contain my disappointment, "It's alright, really. I just asked out of curiosity."

She seemed to believe it since she gave me a genuine smile, "Let's hurry up then."

"Are you and the other girls still my helpers?" I asked. Of course, I wanted them to be my maids. It would help the stay here be more tolerable.

"About that," she said and her smile dropped, "we were assigned to someone else. But the girls assigned to you are nice enough, I guess."

I nodded. Yet another disappointment. I guess I can't get anything I want.

She led me to a hallway where all the other girls were also being led to. The girls get inside their rooms with a huge smile on their faces. Couldn't they grasp the idea that we're actually prisoners here?

"Here we are," Hannah said and showed me the room.

The door itself looked regal. It was the same design with every room in this hallway. It was painted white with gold outlines. The door knob was gold— as expected from the palace. Hannah opened the door and the color of beige was the first thing I saw. The room was painted in it and so were the curtains and bed sheet. In the center of the room was the queen-sized bed which was neatly made. On each side of the room were large windows, each with a fancy-looking chair in front of it. Beside my bed was a small table which unsurprisingly already had my things.

There was no balcony like in my old room and that sucked. Waiting in front of my bed were two maids dressed in the same uniform as Hannah. One held a piece of paper and the other held an anklet.

The two of them curtsied to me and greeted, "Good afternoon, miss."

I sighed, "Again with the titles. Please, call me Sophie."

Beside me, Hannah snorted, "Right. Sophie doesn't like formalities, so drop the act girls." She smiled, "I best be going now. Georgia's gonna chop my head for being late. Bye!"

When the door snapped shut, the two girls approached me.

"This will be your schedule, miss," she said and gave me the paper.

On it was the most boring schedule I saw in my life:

Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:00-9:30
Etiquette lessons . . . . . . . 9:30-10:30
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:30-11:30
Lunchtime . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:30-1:00
Film showing . . . . . . . . . 1:00-3:00
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:00-4:00
Etiquette lessons . . . . . . 4:00-5:00
Preparation for Dinner . 5:00-6:00
Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 onwards

I sighed and put it on the table beside my bed. I sat down on my bed and glanced at my two maids that still stood in front of the door, "You guys can go now. I want some time alone."

"Certainly, miss," one of them said, "but you should wear this first. It's required." She walked to me and put the jewelry on my ankle, "You shall not remove it until told."

"Even when bathing?" I asked.

She nodded, "Even so."

I sighed, "Alright, now please go. I'm sure the schedule will be followed starting tomorrow, is it not?"

"You are correct, miss," she said, "we will take our leave now."

"We will come back in time before breakfast. Have a good day, miss," the other girl said as they walked to the door.

"Ah yes, that would be appreciated," I told them, I hated this air of formality between us. It made me feel like I really was inside the palace. "May I ask for your names?"

"That is not needed, miss," the other girl said as the curtsied before leaving.

I sighed and lied down on my bed. I guess I'll be living in the utmost etiquette from now on.

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Soooo.... I've been thinking, should I double update today? Or triple? This book's about to end anyway 😂😂 comment if you want that or not ;)