(Quick Author's Note: I have added some important details regarding the trap door in Chapter 6. Please reread it first before reading this chapter so that there won't be any confusion with the events that happen. Thank you!)

Ingrid had fallen asleep with thoughts of Isaac's childhood, but when she woke up and realized what day it was, panic stirred in her. It had been more than a week now since she arrived in Adehane, and she still has no new information regarding the passageway. Her father was waiting for an update, and time had passed so quickly she didn't realize she hadn't sent one yet til then. She quickly got up and had dressed, making sure to dress in her usual shirt and pants, her red hair tied in a ponytail. 

She quickly went to the south wing, where the room with the hidden trapdoor was. Using her dagger, she opened the lock and saw the passageway. She put in the code and the door opened. A cold draft greeted her, along with pitch darkness. The lamp that had been hanging on the wall the day they first visited it had no more light, and the hole in the wall was too small to let any more natural light in. Ingrid then went towards the library, easily finding Isaac once again reading a book. 

"Isaac! Where are the candles?" she asked hurriedly, searching nearby drawers. "Candles in the middle of the day? What do you need it for?" Isaac asked, looking up from his book. Ingrid grinned at him mischievously, a twinkle in her eye. 

"Let's go exploring. You must show me more about the passageway. That's why I need candles, so we could use them down there," she explained excitedly, still searching behind books as if candles would ever be placed there.

"No thanks," Isaac replied in a bored tone, looking back at his book. Mentally, he made a note: Change the locks.

"Oh, come on!" Ingrid retorted, sounding very much like a spoiled child. She walked towards him, sat down on a nearby chair, and tried to catch his eye. She began to poke his shoulder, saying "hey, hey, hey," with every poke. She didn't care if she came off as childish or annoying. She needed more information, and she was going to get it no matter what.

"No is no, Ingrid. That passage is for emergency purposes only" he explained to Ingrid while sounding irritated about her poking him. What is she, a four year old? God, how could anyone willingly marry her? he thought to himself. 

"But you showed it to me, you teased how exciting it is, and you don't show me more? You're cruel, you know that?" Ingrid pouted, still poking him. "I won't stop until you show me. I can do this all day, you know? You won't believe all the things my father let me do just because I poked him long enough."

"Well I'm not uncle, so you can just quit it," Isaac replied back, moving away from her to avoid her constant poking. Ingrid rolled her eyes. "You're really going to make me do this?" she asked testingly.  When he didn't respond, she stood up and snatched his book.

"Hey! Put that down!" Isaac stood up, trying to reach the book that Ingrid now held above her head. Every time Isaac reached for it their hands touched, but both were too focused on beating the other to notice. "Come and get it!" Ingrid called out, standing on her tip toes and waving the book in the air.

 "I'll return this if and only if you get me through the passage. Once we're there, I'll give it back. We won't be long, just until dinner," she said teasingly.

"Ugh, why do you love annoying me so much?" Isaac groaned out. With an annoyed look he went over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and took out two brown cloaks, throwing one at Ingrid's direction. "Make sure you don't go too far, if we end up being late for dinner father will be furious. Understand?" Isaac ordered. 

Ingrid looked like a puppy being given a treat, with her eyes growing big and her smile bright. If she had a tail, it would be wagging wildly. She quickly put on the cloak. "Yes! Thank you thank you! and I promise, it won't be beyond dinner," she said excitedly. Isaac rolled his eyes as he put on his cloak and stepped outside. "Just follow me, and don't you dare go anywhere else," he added, his voice stern.

Ingrid quickly followed. Isaac's pace was fast as he was clearly annoyed, but Ingrid followed him like a happy puppy. "So, who else knows about the passage? When exactly was it built? Are there more like it around the castle? How much damage can it take before getting destroyed?" She asked him on and on in hushed tones as they rushed towards the south wing. 

"Oh my god, do you ever shut up?" Isaac stopped in his tracks, looking at her exasperatedly. "I was just asking, is it a crime or something?" Ingrid snapped back. "Only the royal family and the kingsguard know about the passage, it was built decades ago when my father was just my age, there are no more like it around the castle, and it is basically indestructible. There, satisfied?" Isaac quickly answered everything, an exasperated look on his face.

Ingrid looked even more annoyed at Isaac's crabby mood. "You would make the absolute worst tour guide," she muttered, just loudly enough for him to hear. "Whatever, let's just keep going," Isaac snapped back, turning around and walking on. Ingrid stuck her tongue out at him before following him once more. 

Finally, they entered the room and Isaac put in the code numbers on the door, causing it to open. He then took out a matchbox from his pocket and lit the lamp on the wall. The room was quickly filled with a bright orange glow, and the trapdoor was revealed. Together, they pushed the door open, and once Isaac grabbed the lamp from the wall, they jumped in the dark entrance. 

The air was stuffy, and as they walked, their footsteps echoed. excited, Ingrid begins to walk beyond isaac. "Why do you walk so slow? come on!" she said excitedly. Isaac rolled his eyes and quickened his pace. "I'm not walking slow, you're just unnecessarily fast," he argued back, but Ingrid had gone too far ahead to hear.

Finally, they reached the end of the passageway, and the trap door was just above them. Isaac glanced at Ingrid before opening it. "Don't go far from me, okay?" he said to her. For a second, Ingrid felt something strange, looking him in the eye and hearing those words. Her chest felt...warmer. But before she could think more about it, Isaac opened the door and jumped up. He then pulled his weight up and then reached a hand down to Ingrid. 

His words were still ringing in her ears as she took his hand and he pulled her up. Once she got up, they found their faces just inches apart. Ingrid felt herself blush, but she quickly stepped away. Is he playing mind games with me? she found herself thinking. She blinked hard and shook her head. Focus. 

Isaac opened the door of the old guardhouse, revealing that it was just a little past noon outside. Townsfolk continued to walk by, doing their everyday chores, with children chasing and playing with one another. "Where do you want to go?" Isaac asked her. 

Ingrid stepped outside, passing him, and took a deep breath in. She wondered if any Nerean had ever gone this far since the wars began. She turned to Isaac, smiling excitedly. "Oh, let's see the town! I haven't been there. Well obviously, I'm Nerean! Ha ha ha!" she laughed, so excited and twirling around, just happy and carefree. Grinning, she walked up to Isaac. "You must show me around. You are the worst at it, but I'll have to make do," she added.

"I haven't been outside in a while, but sure. Let's check out that sweets stand," Isaac said as he closed the door, walking alongside her. He allowed himself to look around and feel nostalgia slowly fill his mind. The air was crisp and cool, and the many voices of vendors calling out their wares and children laughing filled their ears. 

They walked together, forgetting their differences for a moment. They reached town, where it was bustling with life. Under their cloaks, no one recognized them. Ingrid looked around her, eyes wide. She pointed out certain places, talking about how there was something like it in nerea. while they walked, a ball landed by her feet. A few children had been playing by the street, and looked at her expectantly. She picked it up and began to play with them for a moment, easily talking to them as if she had known them for years. Isaac stood in the sideline, watching. A warm feeling filled him for a moment, watching her, hearing her laugh. He blinked and cleared his throat, getting her attention. "There's a play in the town square, let's see it," he said. Grinning, she bid goodbye to the children and followed him.

By the time they reached the town square, a large audience had already crowded in front of a makeshift stage at the very center. Everyone, young and old, waited eagerly for the play to begin. Since it was already so crowded, Isaac and Ingrid stayed by a wall at the very back of the audience. Finally after a few minutes, two jesters came up on stage, and the crowd erupted in cheers. 

"Isn't it much better than just staying in the castle?" Ingrid whispered to Isaac, as the jesters began playfully dowsing each other with water. "Ah, this is the life!" she said happily. No one looked at them nor noticed them, as all eyes were on the jesters on stage. After the jesters did their routine, a woman dressed as a princess walked on stage, as a musician played with a lyre at the side. 

"Oh, to have everything and yet nothing! To be given this privilege in this life, and still be trapped in these castle walls, forever meant to follow the rules of the ones who lived before me," the actress said her lines woefully. A knight then appeared on a wooden horse, reaching her and holding her hand to kiss her. "Let me save you from your predestined life, and let us run away!" he called out in a loud voice. A narrator then came up on stage, with the two actors seemingly frozen behind me. "And thus begins the story of the Great Queen Amelia's secret love..."

As they watched the play, Isaac began to feel eyes falling on them. He looked from the corner of his eye and saw three rather large, muscular men glancing at their direction. Heavily tattooed with shaven heads, they looked like pirates. "Ingrid," he whispered, not moving his head. "Can we switch places?"

Ingrid, oblivious, doesn't hear him. Her eyes are focused right on the stage, entranced on the poetic words the actors spoke. 

Isaac watched with rising apprehension as the three suspicious men started walking towards them. Cursing underneath his breath, he quickly moved in front of Ingrid, pushing her against the wall, a hand on her waist. Their faces were inches apart. Ingrid's eyes widened and her face quickly turned red, but Isaac placed a hand on her mouth. Leaning in to her ear, he whispered: "Don't move. Three suspicious men are looking at us. Pretend you're my lover and hug me back." 

Ingrid felt her heart racing so fast it echoed in her ears. Her mind was chock-full of questions, but from the look on Isaac's face it was serious. With her hands slightly shaking, she wrapped her arms around him. "Good," Isaac whispered, keeping an eye out for the three men. He quickly saw that they looked away, and started walking elsewhere. He waited until they were completely out of sight before letting go and stepping back, turning to face the stage again like nothing happened.

Ingrid, meanwhile, felt her cheeks burning hotter than ever. "What was that?!" she whispered, feeling as if her heart would burst out of her chest. "I was saving your life, that's what," Isaac whispered back. Ingrid studied his face. How could he just stand there and look like nothing happened?

"You don't need to protect me, you know," she whispered back. Her hands felt sweaty and her mind still felt fuzzy. But just as Isaac was about to reply, someone in front of them suddenly stepped back, causing Isaac to hold onto Ingrid once more, his arm brushing with her chest. Ingrid felt herself blush more than ever before. "I-I'm sorry," Isaac tried to say, his cheeks slightly red. It was all too much for Ingrid to bear. She gritted her teeth and pushed her way out of the crowd.

"Ingrid, wait," Isaac tried to call out, but Ingrid was quickly moving away. She kept walking until she reached a fountain. She looked down and saw her face: it was redder than a cherry. She reached into the fountain and splashed the cold water on her face to cool down. What is this? she asked herself frantically. Why am I feeling this?

Isaac walked towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, why did you run off like that?" he asked her. "You don't know the way back. Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to get lost?"

Ingrid looked at him. She felt this burning anger she couldn't understand. She felt her filter fall apart. "You looked at me like you needed to protect me, and I don't need that," she said honestly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I just...I wanted to keep you safe. There were guys looking at you like they recognized you, and I couldn't just ignore that. I'm sorry," Isaac spoke earnestly, letting his ego down for once to let her know how he felt.

Ingrid glanced at him, surprised. She expected him to say something snarky, to tell her she was being too much, or that she was wrong. But was he actually being sincere? Thrown off, she took a moment to reply. "I do...appreciate that. I'm sorry I ran off," she said rather softly. She felt warmth come back to her cheeks.

"Well...that's good," Isaac answered, finding himself struggling to find the words. For some reason, looking at her now made him feel strange, like it just wasn't right to be so mean to her. He cleared his throat to push the thought away. "It's almost sunset. We better head back," he said to her. Ingrid nodded, and they walked back towards the abandoned guardhouse. 

Ingrid was silent as they walked, to the point Isaac looked at her at times wondering why she was quiet. As they got out of the passageway, Ingrid, who had been walking behind Isaac, suddenly pulled on his shirt, causing him to stop. 

"What is it?" Isaac asked, turning to look at her. Ingrid kept her face down, and when she looked up, she still looked flushed. "Thank you for today. I'm sorry we went past dinner time," she said, looking at him, the defiant energy gone. Isaac blinked in silence; it felt nice to see her this way, but his mind went blank at the sight of her eyes. Had they always been this beautiful shade of blue, or was it just the light?

Her face crumpled and she quickly shoved past him, muttering "Nevermind," under her breath angrily as she stomped away.

By the time they reached the dining table, the king had been waiting for more than ten minutes. He stood up from his chair and folded his arms at them, clearly disappointed. "Where in the world have you two been?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, we were working on something together in the hunting fields and lost track of time. I take full responsibility for it," Isaac lied, bowing his head. "Hunting fields? I've had a servant check there for you two and you weren't there. Don't lie to me," King George scolded them, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, we just lost track of time. Don't blame Ingrid, father. It's all me," Isaac continued on, head still bowed. 

Ingrid looked at him in shock. Why was he being so...nice? Did he bump his head on something? she looked at her uncle expectantly.

The king sighed and sat back down, gesturing at both of them to sit. "You both know I hate people who are late. Do not let this repeat again," he warned them, before eating his dinner like nothing happened. 

Afterwards, Isaac walked Ingrid to her room. Even though Ingrid kept pushing him away, Isaac kept persisting. "I truly feel sorry for dragging you into that lecture with my father, along with what happened at the town square..." he spoke honestly. "It's really fine you know," Ingrid said, trying to hide her flustered feeling.

They stopped at the front of her door, and just before Ingrid opened the door, Isaac put a hand once more on her shoulder. "What is it?" Ingrid turned to look at him. Her heart was going crazy in her chest, and she hoped he couldn't hear it somehow.

"I want to say thank you as well for today. It was really fun," he smiled at her, and patted her head softly. Ingrid felt her whole body freeze at his touch. He put it down abruptly, looking somewhat shocked at what he did. Is he blushing, or is that just the light? Ingrid thought to herself. 

"Well, goodnight. See you around," Isaac said finally, smiling at her and giving her a small wave before turning and walking away. Ingrid watched him walk on, and when Isaac turned to look at her she felt what seemed like a jolt of electricity spark through her body, causing her to quickly enter her door. She laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her face ached with the amount of times she blushed and yet she felt...happy. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it to her chest, staring at the candle by her bed.