I debated whether or not I should just tell them the whole truth but decided against it in the end. It's best if they didn't know, at least until it was time.

So for the rest of the night I stayed in my bedroom playing call of duty until I started to feel tired. But apparently it was going to be one of those nights because as soon as my eyelids closed and reopened I was not in my room anymore.

I was wandering around the palace looking for my father. He had requested to see me immediately which I found rather strange because he was currently with his army, training and he almost never calls me in there.

Once I entered the room where the soldiers were training I felt rather uncomfortable. I had caught everybody's attention and they immediately seized their training and bowed to me as they are supposed to. I quickly curtsy to them and just like that they continue on, leaving me to look for my father without a second glance.

After a minute or two of walking and trying  to avoid the soldiers as best as I could, or rather the soldiers trying to avoid hitting me... my father found me and without a word, led me straight to his office. Yet I couldn't shake off the odd sensation I had that I was still being watched until we left the soldiers behind. Only then could I relax.

When we arrive in his office there was a strange man in the room wearing different colors than the ones from our kingdom. It was strange seeing him here dressed the way he was admits the maps and war strategies. He didn't seem like he belonged here. The way he stood told me he's been in front of royalty before since he neither fidgets or fawn over me. He was dressed in fine black velvet suit with gold shoulder pads that dangled as if it were dripping. Golden buttons held the suit together, shimmering in my eyes.

The strange man bows to us which I reply with a nod. My father, however, ignores it. The man stands straight again and stares at my father. That was my cue to pretend not to eavesdrop. I walk around my fathers office, it was very large but you can hardly notice with how much stuff was in here.

There was many books of war scattered around and maps of places we conquered and 'will' conquer. My father always seemed to have plans to make our kingdom bigger and better but never actually be a father.

"When will you be able to give them the reply?" I pretend to admire an art work that seemed to be just a bunch of random lines until it formed a thin looking tree.

"No later than sundown." I lift my hand and trace the lines as if I were really concentrated on it. I mean if my father really wanted art work he should have came to me and I could have made a better tree than this!

"Tell them we shall be expecting them by tomorrow."

"Of course your majesty."

"You may go now."

"Your majesties." I turn slightly to him watching as he bows quickly to us. I nod my head and return to looking at the painting.

A few seconds later the door closes and there was footsteps behind me. "That's my favorite painting."

"Why? I could have made a better drawing myself. In fact I can make you one right now."

"That is your drawing, that is why it's my favorite."

"Oh. Well in that case it's very beautifully horrendous." I turn to him. He had a slight smile in his face but I knew something was wrong by the way his smile never reached his eyes. I also knew whatever it was that he called me in here for I wasn't going to like. "Who was that man and what was he doing here?"

"He is from another kingdom." I nod, willing him to go on. That much I knew. "We have all come to an understanding that you are of age to marry now." I furrow my brows.

"Why yes I am... Father is this why you-"

"King Serrire, as you know, has a son and they requested your hand in marriage. This will be a very good thing for us Leigh. If we linked our kingdoms together we could be the most powerful kingdom in the world, nothing or no one will be able to stop us from expanding!"

He crosses to a layout he currently had on his desk. I hardly knew what it meant but I still got the gist of it. We were going to overrun other kingdoms which only meant more soldiers to be drafted for war. A sinking feeling came over me I had to hold onto the wall for support.

"With their army united with ours we can seize more land than we need! We could rise to the top, rule the world even! Imagine us? King Xavior and princess Leigh, rulers of the world. We would be invincible!"

Was this what grandmother was warning me about the other night? She said something will change our land, my life, my future! No no this couldn't be it. She said something about a great evil.

Maybe my new arranged husband is evil.

"What did you tell them?" I say, doing my best to remain my composure but of course who in their right mind could keep one after finding out they might just be engaged to a man they have never met!

"I accepted their offer without hesitation of course. You will be married by the end of the next month." I ball up my fists. That's too soon. "This is the best thing for our kingdom. We need them as much as they need us to be the most powerful kingdom united in the entire country!"

He sighs, one I recognize all to well when he thought I was being too childish to do what I was told. "I'm sorry Leigh, but you have to think of our kingdom now, not just yourself."

"Myself? How dare you? You are only thinking of ruling the world! What about our people? They will only be drafted into war for something we don't need which is land! We have more than enough for our people to have their own equal land and more to spare! What we need is to cut on lavish parties such as a wedding! I will not wed to someone I do not love." A thought occurs to me just then, I hesitate to say it, but I must. "Mother would be ashamed."

Fury strikes his face, changing his appearance. As a king his face always remains neutral in front of crowds. In front of me it's about the same except for when I was much smaller. I would feel giddy whenever I made him chuckle or smile. Now I have the opposite effect.

"You will marry prince Alexander and that will be that. End of discussion." I take a deep harsh breath. My heart races with anger, my fists sweating as my fingernails dig into the palms of my hands.

"Do whatever you want father after all I'm just one of your pawns to be played." I turn on my heel and storm out of his office.

How dare he agree to this without even thinking about discussing this with me?

I don't bother going around the soldiers this time. As usual once I walk into the room they bow to me but I ignore them as I cross the threshold.

"Leigh!" I stop and turn to my father, maybe he will have the decency to apologize to me for his actions. "I want you to be ready, we will make the announcement tomorrow night when they arrive." Or not.

I feel everyone's eyes trained on me. I knew the soldiers were confused as ever as I ball up my fists and curtesy. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter, you made that all on your own your royal majesty." I'm satisfied when he flinches and leave him be with his soldiers, all eyes still trained on me until I leave the room banging the corridor doors shut behind me.

I hurry to my room to avoid anyone that might possibly seek me. I'm only 18 and I'm going to be married. Of course it's not strange for my country, even younger women have wed before they were eighteen. The law didn't forbid the practice of young girls getting married, in fact the legal age was 15 to wed. I always despised this law.

Girls at that age are still trying to discover themselves and the world! They shouldn't be forced to be sold off into marriage to settle old debts and fortune. That's why when I become queen I'll put a stop to this. Maybe I do need to make this sacrifice after all.

Just as I'm about to enter my room someone taps me on my shoulder. I whirl around, connecting to a very hard surface.

"I'm sorry." A deep voice mumbles and takes a step back. "I just wanted to make sure if you were alright."

I take in his outfit and realize he's a soldier from my fathers army. Soon to be one of mine. I shiver. Deaths of soldiers will be in my hands now.

"My father didn't have to send you. I'm quite alright." I gaze into his face.

He had brown eyes, plush lips, his hair had been shaved but it's seems to already be growing back. Not to mention he was very attractive.

I stare into his eyes. Why do they seem so familiar?

"He didn't send me I actually came on my own." I tilt my head to the side. He has most definitely caught my interest now.

"And why on earth would you ever do that, soldier?" He only shrugs.

He's definitely been in the army for a long time, his muscles could not be covered with all the gear loaded onto him. I wonder what they would look like if he wasn't wearing- "That was all. If you are well then I should be heading back." He bows to me and makes to retreat.

"Wait! Don't go- it's just I feel like I've seen you before..." I walk to him. "Your eyes are just so familiar..." And that's when I remembered the odd feeling I had before I met with my father.

"You were staring at me." He doesn't show any emotion but it doesn't mean his body doesn't give it away. He's gone completely stiff. "You always do when I walk into a room..."

I walk closer to him. I know him but I just don't know where or how. He could be- no, that's impossible. I clear my throat, "Don't you?" I cross my arms. "Tell me the truth."

"Yes I do."

"Why?" He clears his throat like he's too uncomfortable to answer but it's an order from his future Queen so he has to.

This time I let myself smile, maybe being in charge does have some perks after all.

"Well, Leigh- I mean miss- um Princess." His face grows red, and I can't help but smirk. "You're very hard not to look at." He stands a bit taller and just like that, gone with the nervous boy and in with the stoic man? Well we'll see about that.

"And why am I very hard not to look at?" I tease. I shouldn't be doing this, I'm about to be engaged! I shouldn't be flirting with some soldier... A very handsome soldier at that.

"You capture every mans eye, they all think you're very beautiful." I cross my arms.

"And what do you think of me?"

He meets my eye. "You're a very beautiful woman. You seemed very upset and I've never seen you upset before. You always have a smile on your face and laugh as if you have no care for the world. I miss that." He breaths.

"You get along with almost everyone in the kingdom. The people who dislike you- people you know that dislike you, you still go out of your way to make a friendly conversation with them and even make them smile, a real true smile." He smiles.

"You listen to people's problems and do your best to help. Although you like to be around people you also like to be by yourself and take a walk in the gardens. That's your favorite place to be at. You've never interacted with any man in that way before, it almost feels like you're waiting for someone... You miss your mother deeply and wish for siblings so you wouldn't have to feel so alone. You respect your father, your grandmother, and your people... And there's without a doubt that you'll make a great Queen one day."

I stare at him astonished. "All that from just a stare?" It's not just a stare. In the back of my mind I feel like I know this man but I don't know how.

"And I listen." I stare at him but it looks like he has no interest in telling me if we have met before.

"What are you doing right now?" He furrows his brows in confusion.

"Training and going over plans for the party tomorrow. I have to see where I will be stationed at." I nod. Right, right. Damn party.

If I can talk to him later maybe he would be comfortable with telling me if my suspicions are true or not.

"May I ask why you like the garden so much?" Should I tell him? I mean my reasons are kind of childish so I only tell him half the truth.

"I've never been outside the palace walls. Not once." I stare in his eyes. "I like to pretend the garden is the forest that's right outside the palace walls. I mean it's big enough." I shrug my shoulders.

Whatever he's feeling I can't tell and it's a bit annoying. Suddenly he bows and I have to refrain myself from sighing. Guess that's the end of that, I curtsy and am about to stand straight when his next words stop me. "Be ready by dusk." And then he stands, leaving me all alone.

Well that was odd.

"Rose!" I burst awake, turning to the voice that could only belong to Casey.

She stands by the door wearing a navy blue tank top and some black leggings with boots she all got from here. I remember the nightmare of telling her she needed to ditch her ballet flats. I've never seen someone cry over a pair of shoes before. "Breakfast is ready." With that she leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Breakfast already? It can't be, the memory felt like it was only minutes long. I quickly get up and change, brush my teeth quickly and leave my room, pulling up my hair into a pony tail.

"Well look at Ms. Sleeping beauty." Fred smirks once I walk in. "How did you sleep, princess?" I still.

"Shut up before she puts you to sleep!" Tyler slaps him in the back of the head. I quickly walk to the fridge and grab the first beer I see, quickly uncaping it and chug it down.

Princess. Soldier. Queen. King. Royal. Palace. Oh god.

I set the empty bottle down and grab another, and quickly try leaving the kitchen.

"Woah slow your roll there cupcake." Tyler blocks the exit. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Really? Yet you wake up and walk in here, not saying a word and chug down an entire beer and try leaving with another?"

"It's nothing I was just in the mood to drink a beer." I smile and hold out the beer in front of him.

"At least eat something." I glare at him.

"Rose he's right you have to eat something." Trevor chimes in this time. I want to murder them both.

"I just came in to get a beer okay? I just want to go back to my room and sleep."

"Rose what's going on. You said no secrets." Grace turns me to her. "So why don't you just sit down, eat, and tell us what's wrong? No secrets." She leads me to an empty chair.

"No secrets sure." I sigh as I plop down on the wooden rickety chair. I grab the closest thing to me- Zach's bowl of cereal he just poured himself. He begins to protest but both Trevor and Tyler give him a look which makes him grumble and grab a banana instead.

"So?" I roll my eyes. Well I can't exactly tell them I had a long lost memory from a princess that lived in this planet like decades ago now can I? So I go with the next best option... blame my actions on Brent.

"Brent he..." This catches the guys attention. They all lean in suddenly very interested. Even Casey although I think she's just waiting for the juicy sex details. Grace just seemed concerned as usual.

"He what?" Trevor growls.

"Did he kiss you?" Casey asks smirking. "Bet it was good."

"Casey!" Fred gapes at her.

"What? It's not like I said how does his dick feel."

"Why don't you find out?" I smirk.

"If I could I would."

"No! No you do not!" Fred stutters. Tyler pats his shoulder as he crosses his arms stubbornly. "No she does not." I turn to Grace and know right away we were both thinking the same thing. They would make such a cute couple!

"Stop trying to veer the conversation away. What did Brent do?" I roll my eyes.

"Well you saw how I was. He was just trying to help me relax."

"Oh shit. You do know how his dick feels like." Casey gapes. I laugh as I push the beer away, no longer needing it to forget about the memory.

"No really we just hung out..." Don't give too much details. "We sat and talked."

"You don't have chairs in your room." Tyler growls.

"How would you know that?" Trevor glares at him.

"Yeah I would like to know that too." Zach glares at Tyler while Fred does the same to Casey. So cute.

"No one has chairs in their rooms!"

"That's true." Grace comments.

"And how would you know?" Grace looks at Zach with the 'stop being such an idiot' look that made the guys slowly relax.

"So where did you sit?"

"My bed."

"It's about to get freaky up in this bitch." Casey laughs and I join her as well as Grace. The guys not so much.

"Well?"

"We just talked okay?" I munch on the cereal. "Nothing happened."

"He didn't kiss you or anything?" Tyler asks.

"Well he kissed me on my cheek."

"Ass cheek." Casey mummers silently so no one can hear her but we still did. I laugh. She's so nasty minded... I love it!

I finish off the cereal and rest of the milk quickly as they change conversations. I sigh happily and get up from my seat. "Well if you would all excuse me I would like to go back to my room and sleep."

"No you just ate! That's bad for you!" Grace pulls me back down. I groan.

"How about we all finish up and watch a movie?"

"How about you guys finish eating and get dressed to train."

'Why,' 'she's trying to kill us,' 'why me,' 'what,' 'we just ate,' 'I hate you.' Are my responses. I smile happily.

"Should've let me sleep." I smirk. "Eat up! I want you're fugly asses in the training room in 10!" I get up and leave the room happily when I hear them complaining.

I walk to the training room and sit down in the middle of the room and relax there for a bit. It already feels like such a long day and the day has literally just started.

Minutes later everyone is in the room, dressed and ready to go. I tell them to stretch first then afterwards they start on their 20 laps. Today I figured we can work on their actual training. It would benefit them a lot in the outside world in case something ever happens to them.

I try thinking of how it would be in the outside world. Everyone would probably be out of the elevators by now and enjoying the fair.

It's weird. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that we're in the same schedule as the outside world but we aren't. Their stupid leader made sure of that. I still haven't figured out why he changed it down and how it could benefit him. It was all too strange.

But I didn't think about it all to much as I started to think of the sun and it's warmth. The beautiful colors the sky turns when the sun goes down or when it's sunrise.

Sunrise. I blink. And blink again. And blink again. And then I'm in another room. I sigh, oh great.

I'm in the same bedroom as my first dream. I'm in my bed wide awake. Someone's at the door. Why would someone be at my door knocking at this hour?

I get up from bed and put on my slippers and sleepily walk to the door and open it widely thinking it must be a maid sent to wake me for the preparations of the day.

Only it wasn't a maid at the door. It's a soldier. Thee soldier to be exact, and he was currently staring at me with wide eyes. I look down and see myself in a pale thin blue night gown. I cross my arms over my chest.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper-yell.

"I said to be ready by dusk. Did you forget?" YES. "Grab a coat quickly and let's go." He scans the empty halls.

"Why?"

"Hurry." I sigh and grab the nearest coat to me and pull it on.

"Where are we going?" He ignores me and starts walking down the passage. Deciding to follow him, I close the door as quietly and quickly as I could and ran to catch up to him. We turn the corner and enter a passage I never entered before. "The servants quarters?"

"Shh!" We walk down a bunch of stairs until we've reached the ground. He quickly takes a look around before we continue moving forward. We walk past rooms and a few times entered rooms that were completely vacant.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"Sh!" Oh if he shushes me again I'll shush him for good- "Here." He stops and turns to me. I can barely make out his features in the dark but I could tell he's smiling. I can hear it from his voice. "You ready?"

"For?" He opens the door to...

The forest. I'm finally in the forest! I could hardly see the different arrays of greens that moved with the summers wind since it was so dark out. Yet knowing I was here, that I could hear it closer in person, made my heart leap with joy.

I smile, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes as I slowly leave the prison, otherwise known as the palace into the forest. The soles of my slippers pressing against the dirt floor, tiny things crunching under my foot. I should have worn better footwear for my feet already ached with my thin slippers but I hardly cared.

Birds chirped feverishly around me creating a pleasant song but it felt it was loud enough to alarm the guards that I look around me, fearful. "Relax, they're just welcoming you home." He whispers.

I relax slowly and smile brightly at him as he closes the door behind us. "Thank you." He shrugs.

"Anything to see you smile." My smile widens.

"Come on!" I grab his hand and rush into the forest laughing. At first I'm the only one laughing but soon enough he is too and then he's chasing me deeper and deeper into the forest until we have to stop and rest by a little stream.

"This has to be the best day of my life." I smile as I look around me. I can literally jump for joy.

"The day has just begun." He smiles, shaking his head.

"Still." I stare at him. "This moment right here. I will never forget it." The soldier blushes lightly.

"Me either." I furrow my brows.

"What's your name? I just realized I never even asked." I frown. Why didn't I? That could sure help me figure out how I know this man.

He hesitates. "My name is Ky."

I take a step back. It can't be. Flashbacks of us as kids form in my mind.

"Leigh-" I hold out my hand, staring down at the ground as I feel my eyes begin to water once again today.

"You left." I look up. "One day we were playing... In the gardens. And you- you just left the next day without a goodbye."

"I was forced to leave." I furrow my brow.

"Forced to leave?"

He nods. "I never told you this before but whenever I would be late for training after playing with you later than usual they would punish me. One day they caught me with you in the gardens." The ground seems to have caught his interest. "They didn't grab me then because they didn't want you to see me being punished. So they let me stay with you. When I went back to my quarters I was grabbed and whipped. That's the usual form of punishment..."

"Then I was told I was to go to war and never to return until they thought you had forgotten all about me."

I shake my head. "You were just a boy they wouldn't have sent you to war!"

"But they did." I sit down on a tree stump. Slowly he walks forward and sits next to me. "I never wanted to leave you. I just had no choice."

"I knew you looked familiar."

"Really?"

"Yes. It even came up in my mind that it was you... But I immediately squashed that down. I hadn't seen you for so long."

He smiles to himself. "I remember when I first saw you. We were training when you walked in with your father. He was talking to our trainer and you danced away from your father." His smile widens. "Next thing I know I was in trouble. I didn't realize I had stopped working altogether."

"And a day later I asked if you got in trouble." I smile. I had felt horrible after seeing him get yelled at like that. I remembered crying and begging the man to stop yelling at him. He had his arm raised ready to strike when my father went to him swiftly and grabbed his wrist. The man quivered in fear that I thought his mustache might leave his face in fear.

After that I had never witnessed anyone raise their voice like that again. "I lied to you... I said I wasn't punished after you had left. But the truth is, it was the very first time I was whipped."

"Do they still do that?" He nods his head.

"Once I'm queen I'll put a stop to it." I shake my head. "Its cruel and as long as I rule my people shall never have to undergo such cruel punishment." He smiles.

"I'm sure you will." Suddenly I had a plan.

"Ky? Promise me that whenever we are here in the forest-"

"Who said we were ever coming back?" He lifts his brow playfully at me.

"I did now sh I'm talking!" He holds his hands up in surrender. "Anyways like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted... how about whenever we are here together in the forest I'm not a princess waiting to be queen and you're not a soldier waiting for war. We are just Leigh and Ky. Friends from childhood."

"Sounds perfect to me." He smiles.

"Rose!" I burst awake. The suddenness making me punch the air in fear. Trevor barely moved away before my fist could connect with his face.

"What- what's wrong? What's going on?" Everyone is crowded around me looking at me all weird. Even Trevor.

"We finished our laps and you were asleep and wouldn't wake up... And you- well you-"

"What?"

"Your skin was just really pale... We just panicked." He stared down at me concerned, putting his hand on my forehead.

"You're hot."

"Thanks I know." I remove his hand. "But was that it?" I get up and stare at everyone.

"Yeah. You were just really pale... Why?" Casey asks.

"Just wondering." I smile. "So how about we get started in today's lesson?" They look at me concerned and shake their head.

"You probably passed out because you didn't eat enough so come on. Training can wait." And just like that I'm seated at the kitchen table eating plates of food with everyone staring at me making sure I eat every last bite. If only they knew it was a memory instead of just me 'fainting'.

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End of Chapter 8