"Where's Emma?" I asked eagerly and the maid smiled.

"She's in the shed with Prince Charles," she said and left the room after bowing at me. I turned towards Anne, but she was still sleeping peacefully.

"Anne, my sister is here! Emma's back home!" I squealed excitedly and shook her sleeping figure, but she shoved me away.

"Mmm . . . Luke, go away," she mumbled in her sleep and I realized that she was really hurt by Luke. I thought of letting her sleep for some more time so I got up and slid a silky pink robe over my white tank top and skimpy shorts.

I ran down the spiral stairs and straight out of the door before I bumped into someone. I looked up slowly and saw Noah who eyed me cautiously.

"What are you doing here early in the morning?" I asked in surprise and he scowled.

"That's none of your business," he muttered and my gaze followed his hand which was clutching a canvas board tightly. His pocket contained paint brushes of different sizes so he had been painting. I looked at him curiously, craning my neck, but he simply shrugged.

"Anyway, come with me! My sister, Emma is here!" I exclaimed delightfully as I snatched the canvas board and placed it on the nearby stand. In the process, I took a glimpse at the painting. It was the stunning painting of the tower bridge. So he had travelled there and painted it in the night. He really was ambitious and the painting was beyond marvellous.

"That painting's not perfect, it's rough as I couldn't see clearly in the night," Noah said while scratching his neck awkwardly. I grinned at him and dragged him towards the shed. It had been six whole months and I was finally going to see my sister. She was the heart of the family, talkative, funny, smart, beautiful and genuinely kind.

On the other hand, I being the little sister was dull, shy and always tried to fit in as a princess, whereas Emma, she carried herself gorgeously without even trying hard. She was likeable, everyone's favourite and that was the reason why mother thought that I did that on purpose to Emma so I could be the next queen.

I took a deep breath and sauntered towards the shed. Noah was following me close behind. I had many questions spinning in my brain, whether my sister was alright now or not. I stopped in my tracks and held
Noah's hand impulsively and there she was, my sister, beside Prince Charles.

She was still on the wheelchair, her head slightly tilted due to paralysis. Was she able to talk now? Did she still suffer from the same amount of pain?

"Emma," I murmured and she turned around, pressing the button on the wheelchair. She half-smiled at me warmly because her left side of body was paralysed and tears pricked my eyes. I left Noah's hand and walked towards Emma. I leaned down and hugged her, tears of joy rolling down my cheeks. I didn't hug her tightly, afraid of breaking her fragile body. She still looked the same, her chestnut coloured hair softer than before. Her black eyes shone and looked glassy with tears.

"I missed you, Emma," I whispered.

"I missed you too," she said in a barely audible voice. She couldn't talk louder than this, her left side of her body was paralysed. I thought she had recovered and that was why she was discharged from hospital, wasn't she?
I wiped my tears and regained my posture as she weakly held my hand. She looked at Noah and asked softly, "Who is this handsome man, Mia?"

I leaned to her and whispered, "John's son."

Emma's eyes grew wide since she knew the harsh reality. She didn't ask how I ended up with Uncle John's son, trying to avoid the dreaded subject. Noah came forward and gently shook her right hand. "I'm Noah, Amelia's friend."

I swallowed the lump formed in my throat when I heard him say friend. Noah looked at me curiously and his attention darted between my sister and me. I whispered to him, "I'll tell you everything, but later."

He didn't say anything, but just nodded as if he was in a trance. The outside world thought that Princess Emma had an accident, but she recovered and was healthy. They all believed that she kept no interest in becoming the next queen so was now living with her grandparents in Switzerland.

Nobody knew the truth. All the hospital documents, Emma's terrible condition and that there was no accident was all confidential. Nobody, other than the family and trusted people knew what was going on, everything was dark and was a secret to the rest of the world.

Even when Emma arrived, only few trusted maids and guards were kept in service while all the others were dismissed. We didn't want the paparazzi to know about this and it was even Emma's wish to keep her a secret until everything was alright.

* * *

We were all now in the living room except for Noah and the twins. Noah had gone back to his room as he was feeling like a third wheel during Emma and my reunion. Anne was still not awake and her sister was still at Andrew's place doing God knows what. All of us present were talking and trying to make a warm, favourable atmosphere for Emma. We were noting down her favourite dishes that would be cooked for her. The doctor of Emma was getting along pretty well with her and with the rest of us.

Occasionally, I would catch them exchanging a few glances and crooked smiles with Emma. Emma was twenty-two while Doctor Thomas seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

"Emma, you should freshen up and then we can talk. I have lots to tell you," I gushed and she smiled that smile of hers which would send everyone's heart fluttering in joy and odd sadness at the same time.

"Okay," she said softly and the doctor gently pushed the wheel chair towards the spiral staircase in spite of being it automatic with buttons and all. He then lifted her feeble body and gathered her in his arms. Emma blushed a little as he carried her upstairs in bridal style.

"Need some help, doctor?" my mum asked and he shook his head. Mum dramatically clasped her hands together, admiring the cuteness of the couple, a gesture which wasn't suited to her stoic personality.

I sighed and said, "Doctor, I want to talk to you later, alone."

He turned his head a little and smiled. "Sure, Mia."

* * *

Doctor and I were now sitting in the garden on the soft grass which served as a carpet. We looked towards the window and Emma waved at us. We waved back while smiling widely at her.

"Do you like Emma?" I asked bluntly since I wanted to know if he was willing to take care of Emma.

"No," he replied flatly and my eyebrows knotted in confusion. There was a long silence that followed as he plucked overgrown weed and randomly threw it. The rays of sunlight fell on us which tinted our faces with different hues of orange colour. It was seven am now and the various birds were chirping as everything seemed refreshin. He then cleared his throat and confessed, "In fact, I'm in love with your sister."

I watched him intently as his adam's apple bobbled. He adjusted his glasses and said, "I love your sister, she's the most beautiful and kind person I have ever come across. She was so confident and co-operative during numerous operations. Any person in her place would have given up easily, but she didn't. She appears very frail, but she's a strong woman, Mia. She always remembered you and your family and that gave her a reason to live. She always said that you were her motivation."

I tucked my hair behind my ear as I sniffed. I was her motivation, the person who had destroyed her, who ruined her entire life. I gulped and asked, "That's really nice . . . Thank you for taking care of her, doctor. When will she fully recover though?"

"She may recover quickly with her paralysis considering she has the strength and ability to still go through more operations and also the money to go through procedures smoothly. She may be able to talk like before too."

The 'may' word disappointed me, but I believed that she would recover, mum and dad would do everything in their potential to save her. Doctor placed his hand on my shoulder, reassuring me that she would recover.

"That's great!" I added cheerfully.

"Yeah, it is, but I'm afraid that she'll never be able to walk again."