Aiden threw a stone into the lake and watched it jump in three times before it disappeared. He threw in another one. He was deep in his thoughts, ever since what happened, ever since he said those words to his father, he found it really difficult to believe he did.

Where on earth did all that come from?

The situation in Niyagra was one thing he hated his father for, for killing all those people, it was a burden he kept in his heart all his life without lashing out for it, a guilt he let eat him up the most of his childhood, why did he lose his temper all of a sudden? Why did he react that way and stand up to his father like that all of a sudden?

He let out a shaky breath and threw yet another stone into the lake. It was frustrating, just sitting right there, on the pavilion, lost in his thoughts was frustrating. He could still remember the look on Vanessa's face earlier, the way she looked at him with tears in her eyes, he must have shocked her a great deal, hurt her too but he couldn't help himself, he was just so upset, too upset with everything.

He threw another stone into the lake and drew a deep breath, he was out of stones. He buried his gaze on his legs, wavering his feet to and fro in the water. Thank Goodness it wasn't raining anymore, he just wished the stars were going to shine. It would make his entire night bearable in the least.

"Hey," Aiden froze for a second when he heard a voice beside him, a voice he was well familiar with. He didn't bother to raise his head, Anne-Marie didn't need him to. "Can I sit?"

Aiden looked away, retracing his gaze back to the lake. He wasn't going to give her an answer, Anne knew that so she didn't wait for one. She made herself comfortable beside him, placing the first aid box carefully between them. She drew a deep breath and raised her head to meet his.

"I saw what happened earlier," she continued. "Are you okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to be scolded by you either."

Anne-Marie let out a weak sigh right before she tucked her hair behind her ear. She narrowed her gaze to his wrist so she could see the bruises on them , there were a few, why did he have to fight so hard and then hurt himself while fighting? She slowly turned and reached for the box, she opened it. Aiden turned to her.

What was she doing?

Anne-Marie reached for the pack of ice first. She got it out from the box and then raised her head to him reluctantly. She stretched her hand to him. Aiden lowered his gaze to her hand and then back to her face, he raised a brow, what did she want?  like it wasn't obvious.

Anne-Marie widened her eyes at him, moving them to her hand and then back to him right before she swung her hand so he could see it again.

Did she really mean he should give her his hand?

Aiden hesitated.

"I have to treat it or it would become really uncomfortable later." She still had her hand stretched to him.

"Don't worry about it," Aiden told her. "The royal physician would take care of it-"

Anne-Marie rolled her eyes and reached for his hand immediately, pulling it really close to her, she pinned it on her thighs, crossed her legs and placed the ice on it, lowering her gaze on it to make sure she was doing it right. She had a few experience with this you see, taking care of people, it was all she did almost all her life. Aiden watched her, not sure he knew what to say. He was numb from head to toe.

"You know, if you're going to cause a scene like that next time, at least try not to get hurt." She told him.

Aiden scoffed. She raised her eyes to him.

"Why did you do it?"

"What?" He squinted his eyes.

"I get that you're frustrated and angry about Niyagra but talking back at your father like that won't make everything better, it would only make things worse. There's no way he's going to want to help after what you did."

"He was never going to help anyway." Aiden retraced his gaze back to the pool. "It might not look like it but my father is a very determined person. Once he makes up his mind, it's hard to get him to say otherwise. Nothing I'd have done would have made him change the way he feels. It has always been like that."

Anne-Marie sighed. Silence filled the pavilion for a short minute,

"I was ten when I realized my fathers plan to wipe out the entire village." Aiden went on just as Anne-Marie narrowed her gaze on him. "Your father proposed it to him, I over heard them talk about it, about how it was going to help put the country at ease and stop every future plans of terrorists or reformers against the throne in the future. My father was still in a lot of pain from losing Ariana and I watched your father take advantage of that pain, he used my father to gain control over the security of the country and before I knew it, a bill was signed even without the consent of half the court to wipe out the entire village."

He exhaled.

"To a regular ten year old that had witnessed that, it might not really mean a lot but to me, it was everything. I did all I could, I tried to warn them but I was too late, by the time I had arrived, the village was on fire. I saw it, everything. I could hear their screams, the cries of children as their skin were scorched by the fire, I watched women begging for their lives, mothers begging for their lives to be exchanged with that of their sons' as the royal guards shot bullets into them for trying to escape the fire."

His voice trembled with every word.

"I had never seen anything like it. It was the first time, the first time I had experienced pain, true pain,  the first time I had been so helpless, the first time I had ever felt so weak, so weak and angry with myself for not being able to stop them, to help them. I watched the fire burn for hours and then I watched the survivors being bundled up and forced into vans that were taken to the royal dungeon beneath the palace. I couldn't sleep after that night, my whole life changed. I'd see the pictures repeatedly flashing in my head over and over again everytime I closed my eyes. I had nightmares about that night, I could see them, the children around my age, calling on to me, stretching their hands to me with half their faces burned and just like that night, I couldn't help them, I was completely useless."

Anne-Marie didn't take her eyes away from him. She watched him, listening to every word he said, every line.

"My heart was heavy, it still is everyday I think about it, filled with guilt too over a crime I didn't commit. How can I help them? How can I take away their pain and make lives even better for them? That's all I think about. I was too weak to stop my father in the past but there's something I can do now to help them, to make up for when I didn't but I can't. I can't do anything because just like seven years ago, I'm weak. Just like seven years ago, my father doesn't listen to anything or anyone except your father,"

Anne-Marie held her breath.

"I know neither of us should be judged by the sins of our parents but someone has to take responsibility for them." He turned to her. "Ever since what happened at Niyagra, the entire country has praised my father and yours for handling the situation and saving Breton, everyone has been forced to accept the situation, brainwashed to believe that the people of Niyagra were the bad guys and those that don't are scared to speak because they feel the moment they do, they'd be seen as terrorists themselves. The people of Niyagra have no one to fight for them, it's like they have almost been forgotten and it's wrong. They didn't deserve what happened. They were just people that wanted to live and we took that from them, your father and mine."

"Your father, your family is always going to make decisions like that of Niyagra in difficult situations, selfish decisions that could bring about the total distraction of Breton, he's always going to find a new way to step on the weak and take away their rights all in the name of protecting and wanting what's best for Breton and my father is always going to listen because he trusts him, it's even going to get worse if this merge between our families happen through our marriage. Your father is going to be hungry for more power, he would do what he wants, when he wants and take every power he can find until there's nothing left for the royal family, until he rules the entire kingdom. I can't let that happen, I can't let a man as dangerous as your father near the throne, that is why the both of us, we can't ever happen, our marriage can never happen."

He looked her deep in her eyes as he said his last words and Anne-Marie didn't waver for one second.

She understood, she understood perfectly what he was trying to say. She sniffed after a few second and then lowered her gaze on the ice pack on his hand. She slowly took it off, turned to the first aid box and got out an elastic bandage.

Aiden narrowed his gaze on her as he watched her wrap it around his wrist. Why? Why wasn't she saying anything as she normally would? Why wasn't she throwing a tantrum as she normally would have?

Anne-Marie wrapped the bandage around his wrist and then raised her eyes to him.

"All done." She said.

Aiden raised his hand from her thighs and tired to fold his fist. She did a pretty good job. Anne-Marie got up from the ground immediately and dusted herself just as Aiden returned his gaze to her.

"Come on." She told him.

Aiden raised a brow.

What did she mean?

"We should get going now the entire palace is busy before it's really late."

"Get going to where?"

"You said you were upset and frustrated didn't you?"

Yes, he said that, but he still didn't have an idea what she was talking about.

"There's something I love to do when I feel that way, it helps a lot. It could help you too, help you blow off some steam,"

What did she even mean?

"We'd be back before midnight."

"We are leaving the palace?" Aiden couldn't believe it. "Paris, it's almost midnight."

Anne-Marie shrugged her shoulders.

"And so?"

"No one leaves the palace after ten PM, especially not me or you. The Queen's going might lose her shit-" he held his as Anne raised a brow. Did he just cuss?
He let out an awkward sigh.
"Her mind," he corrected. "if she finds out-"

"Well the queen wouldn't have to know anything if we kept it discrete. We could use the secret exit in your room."

Aiden raised his brow. How did she know about the secret exit in his room?

"Come on, you're a young prince, of course you'd want to sneak out of the palace sometimes without the queen's consent. How else were you able to visit Niyagra that night seven years ago? You definitely didn't go through one of the main gates."

Aiden scoffed.

"You want me to sneak out of the palace with you?"
Aiden scoffed. He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe Paris would ever suggest sneaking out of the palace, ever.

"I don't think so." He said. "I don't think you should either. In case you forgot, I gain a lot of attention outside these walls. The last thing I need is being chased around by fanatics."

"Then we'd go in disguise, in regular clothes, we could go with a guard or two, no one is going to recognize us. Come on," Anne-Marie told him. "When last did you ever get out there? See the other parts of the country except on one of your scheduled visits? There's so much in the Capital, in the entire Breton to see, so much more than orphanages, hospitals and shopping malls, the rest of Breton that doesn't revolve around rich people is actually fun,"

Aiden looked at her like he wasn't convinced.

"Trust me, if you want to vent out your anger and frustration about Niyagra, it's a really good way to start." She pouted, hoping she had succeeded in convincing him.

Aiden looked at her for a while. Was she serious? Was she really suggesting they went out there? Outside the palace? Paris Vutron wanted to see the rest of Breton? Really?

He scoffed out a chuckle. He couldn't believe it.

He couldn't believe any of it at all.