JADE
That night, I snuck into the palace, determined to retrieve my bracelet. It wasn't just any bracelet—it was given to me by my father and contained a portion of my power. More importantly, it was the only way I could communicate with Devon.
I slipped into the kitchen, where two maids were busy preparing food.
When they finished, one of them said, "Take this meal to the prince for me," and handed the tray to the other. As the maid stepped out, I followed her quietly. Once I was close enough, I tapped her shoulder. She turned—and I punched her, knocking her out cold.
I quickly hid her unconscious body between the flower bushes, then shapeshifted into her exact appearance, down to her voice and uniform—one of my unique powers. I picked up the food tray and made my way to the prince's chamber.
After a few wrong turns, I finally found it.
Without knocking, I pushed the door open. He was just stepping out of the bathroom, wearing only white pants. He had no shirt on and was drying his hair with a towel. I froze, unintentionally staring at his chest. He gave me a dirty look.
"What are you staring at?" he snapped.
"S-Sorry, Your Majesty," I stammered.
"I didn't mean to."
"I said, get out," he growled.
Even to his servants, he's rude. How does he even have a friend? "But your food, Your Majesty," I said, holding up the tray. He sighed and took it from me.
I stayed there, trying to think of a way to distract him. "Why are you still here?" he barked. "Get out!" I slowly turned to leave, but then he muttered, "Oh, I need a new paintbrush." I turned back and saw him putting on his shirt.
"You're still here?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously. "I… I…" I scrambled for an excuse. "I want to dress your bed for you. It's quite messy." He raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Make it quick. Be gone when I return."
As soon as he left, I sprang into action. I rushed to his drawers and searched them one by one—nothing. Then I moved to his wardrobe, checking every coat pocket and fold—still nothing. I was beginning to panic until I spotted a small locked drawer.
I yanked it open—and there it was.
My bracelet.
I exhaled in relief and reached for it.
"Looking for something?" a voice said behind me.
I froze.
I turned around, and there he was, standing right behind me. My heart stopped. I quickly slipped the bracelet up my sleeve.
"What are you hiding?" he asked, stepping forward. He grabbed my wrist. I struggled and punched him in the stomach.
He grunted and came at me harder—soon, we were throwing fists. I lunged toward the curtain, intending to tie him up with it—but he was faster. He flipped the fabric and used it to tie me. Now I was trapped, "You think you're very smart right? Now what did you take from my wardrobe?" I smirked.
"How do you expect me to show you with my hands tied?" I said rudely. He pointed a finger in my face. "Watch your mouth, little thing. Do you know who you're talking to? I can do anything to you right now and no one would question it," he warned. But I wasn't scared. "Alright then, I accept defeat. Untie me, and I'll show you what I took."
Foolishly, he untied me. The moment I was free, I dashed toward the bed near the window to escape. He followed quickly and grabbed me, pulling me back by my lace, causing it to loosen. I spun around and yanked the blanket from beneath his feet. He lost balance and fell to the floor. Without looking back, I leapt out the window and disappeared.
CASSEY
Ouch…" I groaned. How could I have fallen for her trap? That girl is insane! If I see her again, I swear I'm going to kill her.
These past two days have been a nightmare—why have I been running into girls? And not just any girls, the mean ones who always end up fighting me. That was the third one. And a maid, no less. But this maid won't get away with it.
I need to see Nicholas before I die from this pain.
It was almost a full moon when I knocked on his door. He opened it and gave me a dull, unimpressed look when he saw it was me. "What do you want?" he asked. "At least let me in first."
He started to close the door, but I held it. "Please, please… I'm sorry about today. Can you let me in? I'm badly hurt." He sighed and finally let me in.
He brought out his medical box. "What happened to you?"
"I… I slipped and fell. Now my head hurts," I lied. "You're lucky you didn't bleed," he said, handing me a pill. "You'll be okay by tomorrow." He sat on his chair and picked up a book to read while I took the pill. "Thanks," I muttered.
"It's a full moon already. Are you going back?" he asked. "No. It's been a while since I had a sleepover here."
"Okay. You're free to—"
He paused.
"Cassey?"
"Yeah?" I yawned.
"I was with your father thirty minutes ago." I sat up. "Doing what?"
"He sent for me about his medications. He and the general were having a discussion."
"What did they say?"
"They want to invite the princess of Galway."
"Why?"
"Your father said he's worried about you. He wants you to get married as soon as possible." I scoffed.
"My father? Worried about me? That's rich—he only cares about his selfish interests."
"It's for the future of the kingdom," Nicholas replied. "The kingdom should have a future without me. He should stop pretending to care about my life."
"Cassey, why would you say such a thing?"
"Because…" I paused, tempted to bring up the past.
"Because…"
"Because?" he pressed.
"Because… he always pisses me off. He's always mesmerized by his position, and I don't want to follow in his footsteps."
"Cassey, you have to. You're the heir to the throne. You should know how to handle it so it doesn't turn ominous for you—you're a king."
"It won't be. I will never rule the way he does. Like, why are people here not allowed outside during a full moon?"
"I don't know, Cassey. Maybe it's for safety reasons. It's also an old rule in the palace." I sighed. "No one will ever understand me. But forget it. He can invite whoever he wants." I lay down and pulled the blanket over myself.
JADE
I overheard the prince and his friend talking about a bride coming over, and I couldn't be happier about the king's decision. This gives me the perfect opportunity to gain access to the kingdom and carry out my mission successfully. A new plan began to form in my mind—to pose as another princess who was unknowingly invited. I sought Devon's help to prepare a forged letter, perfectly matching the king's handwriting and bearing the palace seal. The invitation is set for two days from now.