No one speaks for several moments until Maria and Jon exchange a gnce, and Jon finally stands. "We should let you get some rest now, Your Highness."

  "Wait," I call out as Maria and Jon turn to leave. My hand shoots out, catching Maria's wrist. "Maria, could you... could you stay for a moment? I have some questions."

  Jon pauses at the doorway, one eyebrow raised. "Your Highness, you really should rest—"

  "Please," I say, my voice firm despite my weakened state. "I just need a few minutes with her."

  The Court Physician studies me for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Very well. But only for a short while. You still need to recover your strength." With that, he exits, and closes the door behind him.

  Maria remains standing by my bedside, her wrist still in my grasp. I realize I'm holding on too tightly and quickly let her go. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab you like that."

  "Oh no, Your Highness, please don't apologize!" Maria's cheeks flush pink as she quickly drops into a small curtsy. Her eyes remain lowered as she fidgets with her uniform. "I... it's nothing at all. What questions may I answer for you, Your Highness?

  I stay quiet for a moment, collecting my thoughts. My situation is impossible, but I need to focus on what matters most right now. First, I need to understand this world and my pce in it. I need to figure out who I'm supposed to be, what's expected of me. Then I need to figure out who tried to kill Prince Lucas—me now—and why. And somehow, I need to figure out how to protect myself, because I doubt they'll give up so easily.

  "Maria," I begin carefully, "what kind of person was I?"

  She tucks a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear, her eyes staying lowered. "You were kind, Your Highness. Gentle-hearted. You... you hated violence of any sort. But ever since Queen Elizabeth passed away..." She trails off, biting her lip.

  "Queen Elizabeth?"

  Maria's head snaps up, her eyes widening in shock. For a moment, she seems to forget her pce. "Your... your mother, Your Highness. You don't remember..." Her voice trembles slightly. "But you loved her so much... When she was poisoned two years ago... the investigation went on for months, but they never found who did it. You... you were never the same after that. You barely left your room except to visit her tomb in the royal crypt." She quickly wipes at her eyes with her sleeve. "Please forgive me, Your Highness. It's just... the thought that you can't even remember her anymore..."

  Seeing her cry makes me a little uncomfortable. "Hey... Um, it's okay," I offer awkwardly, not sure what else to say. "Don't cry."

  She quickly wipes at her eyes with her sleeve. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I shouldn't show such emotion."

  After giving her a moment to compose herself, I clear my throat. "Could you maybe tell me more about... before? Specifically, was I trained in anything? Swordsmanship, maybe?"

  Maria shakes her head. "No, Your Highness. You never liked violence. Even when the King..." She stops abruptly, biting her lip.

  "Even when the King what?"

  She bites her lips harder, clearly torn between answering and holding her tongue. After a long moment, she murmurs, looking down at her feet, "It's not my pce to speak of such things."

  I watch her hesitation, trying to figure out how to get her to talk. She wants to tell me—that much is clear from how much she's struggling with herself. But she must be afraid of overstepping or something. There has to be a way to make her see that telling me is the right thing to do here...

  "Actually, it is your pce," I tell her carefully. "As my personal maid, your duty is to help me, isn't it? And right now, with my memory gone, I need information now more than ever to protect myself. By staying silent, you could even be putting my life in danger. Is that what you want?"

  "N-No!" The word bursts from her lips, her eyes wide with arm. "Of course not, Your Highness! I would never want any harm to come to you!"

  For a long moment, she just stands there trembling slightly, caught between fear of speaking and fear of staying silent. Finally, her voice barely above a whisper, she murmurs, "The King... he was disappointed that you wouldn't train with your aura core. He said a prince should be strong, and should know how to fight. But you refused every instructor he sent."

  "Aura core?" I ask, tching onto the unfamiliar term.

  "Oh..." She looks uncertain. "I don't know much about it, Your Highness, but I know aura swordsmen use aura cores, and magicians use magic cores. They say only one in ten people are born with either."

  I consider this for a moment. Aura, huh? Something that rare and powerful that the 4th prince had been neglecting? That will have to change. Furthermore, this world has magicians? Wow… "Why did I refuse to train in it?"

  "Because you hated violence, Your Highness," Maria says softly. "You always said there was too much fighting in the world already. Even when the King grew angry about it..."

  "How angry?" I press, noting how she trails off again.

  She fidgets with her apron. "I... I have only heard the rumors, Your Highness. The servants talk sometimes... they say the King would grow furious whenever you refused another instructor. That he..." She hesitates, clearly uncomfortable repeating pace gossip. "That he’d go weeks without speaking to you."

  "I see." Something to keep in mind. "You mentioned earlier that I’m the fourth prince, right? That means I have other siblings, right? Who are they?"

  "Oh yes. Your other siblings are all born from different mothers. Prince William, the eldest, is one of the strongest swordsmen in the kingdom. Princess Fiona, the second-born, prefers politics, but she still maintains her training. And Prince Gabriel, the third-born..." She hesitates again.

  "What about Gabriel?"

  "He's... very skilled as well. Though some say his methods are a bit..." She suddenly stops herself. "I shouldn't speak ill of the royal family."

  "Go on," I urge her, keeping my voice gentle but firm. "Remember what we spoke about earlier? If there's something I should know about Gabriel, you should tell me..."

  She wrings her hands, looking everywhere but at me. "Your Highness, I... these are just servants' whispers. I shouldn't repeat such things about your own brother."

  "Maria." I wait until her soft hazel eyes meet mine. "What do they say about Gabriel?"

  "He's... they say he's cruel. When training, he enjoys hurting his sparring partners. Some of the younger guards have even quit rather than face him again." The words come out in a rush, as if she's afraid she'll lose her nerve.

  I lean back against the pillows, digesting this unsettling information. A first-born prince who's one of the strongest swordsmen in the kingdom, a second-born princess skilled in both politics and combat, and a third-born prince who enjoys causing pain. Meanwhile, here I am, completely defenseless. That needs to change, and fast. "These instructors the King sent… Are any of them still avaible?"

  Maria blinks in surprise. "Yes, several. Master Rond still trains the new aura swordsmen recruits. Are you..." She looks at me uncertainly. "Are you thinking of training, Your Highness?"

  "Perhaps it's time for a change," I say slowly. "After all, someone just tried to kill me. This time it was poison, but who knows? Next time it might just be a dagger from behind. I can't afford to be weak and defenseless anymore."

  Her eyes widen. "But Your Highness, you always said—"

  "I was wrong," I interrupt her gently. "I may not remember who I was before, but I know who I need to be. Someone who can protect both himself and those he cares about." And maybe even figure out who's trying to get rid of me in the process.

  "The King will be pleased," she murmurs, though she doesn't sound entirely happy about it herself.

  "Tell me more about Master Rond. What are they like?"

  Maria opens her mouth to respond, but a soft knock at the door interrupts us. Jon's voice calls through, "Your Highness? Your meal has been prepared, and I need to check that you're well enough to eat. And after that, I must really insist that you get some more rest, as you're still recovering."

  I suppress a sigh of frustration. Just when the conversation was getting interesting. "We'll talk more ter," I tell Maria quietly as she moves to open the door.

  She nods, curtsying before letting the Court Physician in. As she slips out, I catch a glimpse of concern in her eyes. Whether it's out of worry for my change in personality, out of fear for my safety, or something else entirely, I'm not sure.

  But one thing is for sure. I need to get stronger. Fast.

  Author's Note:

  If you can't wait to see what happens next…

  You can read the entire book NOW on here: ?? /dp/B0F59XQ7DC