Chapter 19.

Trigger warning: mentions about use of alcohol, drugs and violence.

“I'm gonna take you somewhere warm, you know j'adore la mer

'Cause when the morning comes, I know you won't be there

Every time I turn around, you disappear…” Nice to meet Ya - Niall Horan

March, 2137

Eveline

I was excited, and it's been a while since I woke up like this, but spring did that to me, it was a time of renewal.

For me it was the best time of year, when I could finally see the flowers that I loved so much bloom.

The following week March came, and my favorite season gave the first signs of coming, and the Equinox Party that always happened in the Vortex was announced and the news spread throughout the castle until it reached me.

I always wondered what it was like to be able to go to these parties, I always saw the photos about them at the staff Cerebrum's, the mobile devices that were made available to employees and every people could buy them but we were prohibited from having because we were members of the royalty and our data could be stolen, so we didn’t have de permission to buy one of them.

It 's boring I know, but we survive.

Plus I was always amazed by the immensity of colors, lights and attractions that happened at Vortex parties, our little festival that took place in Glory's before the Spring Ball was small next to the crazy things that happened in the Vortex.

I knew that in addition to drinks and music there were drugs and other types of illicit substances that people liked to use, not to mention the immersion chambers that were used in the past so that people could physically talk to someone who was in another country or design the consciousness of someone already dead, but because it is a very expensive technology and difficult to maintain, after all preserving a person and their consciousness was very difficult, the machines were left aside, and after the inhabitants of the Vortex took them they improved it from some very strange way for people to have hallucinogenic experiences after using Spirit, the drug designed especially for that experience.

We knew all this because some of us could get around there even though it was very difficult and besides the immersion chambers there were other types of drugs and virtual reality experiences that made people go there, I just wanted to go there to enjoy the party and being able to be free among so many people who wouldn't even be aware of my presence among them, and I could be myself for a few hours.

But it's hard not to recognize myself as my face has been in the papers frequently for the past few weeks and I'm a well-known public figure, but hope is always the last to die.

I still don't know why I'm so fascinated by the lights of Glory's and Vortex but they seem to call to me every time I look at them through my window as I don't go out much of the palace and when I get up this morning and look out the window I consider paying a little visit to soon for my grandmother.

I then change without the help of my chaperones and opt for a pink floral dress with spaghetti straps that leaves my back exposed and my lap showing since the temperature is mild, I also get a lighter cream coat and I opt for a sneaker as I will have to go to the council office to get some documents later.

I don't do much with makeup and I leave my freckles showing and I tie my hair in a wreath of braids and take the rest in a bun, decorating my braids with a floral arrangement studded with pink sapphires and tourmalines that I was given as a gift at the my last birthday for grandma, and smiles at the result.

I put on a necklace with a pink sapphire light point that was also paired with drop-shaped earrings and when I finished I decided to go straight down to breakfast so I could start my day and get ready to meet Nathan in the afternoon.

Since the incident at the library Roman was always with me when I had to be with him and stood on the spot leaning against one of the walls along with other guards, we were never alone and he also won't try to move in any direction with me, which was good, but even so I knew I couldn't and shouldn't trust him.

And speaking of Roman, despite our meeting the other day he won't change a thing with me and during Nathan's tortuous dinners and walks around the property he was always a few steps behind to offer me an encouraging smile and give me the strength to continue that farce that was consuming me, which ended up with me cooped up in my office or bedroom for hours at night with Roman sprawled on the couch reading or dozing.

He always knew when I needed it and we would make the excuse that I was tired and he would disappear but I would make my way to my office through the secret passages and he would do the same and come downstairs and we would stay in my office for hours until he had to wake me up and carry me through the passages to my room.

Despite everything the silent communication we had was something unusual, not even with Eylisha I've known since childhood this happened and I was scared by how much I had become attached to him.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I could hear movement in the dining hall and the guards at the door smiled at me and bowed. I said good morning to them and entered the dining room.

My parents were arguing amongst themselves as they looked through the newspaper and the new photo album we made last week for the exhibition at the Spring Ball next week on Friday. Nathan had participated too and I will receive a copy yesterday morning but I refused to look at them.

My brother was looking at the album also with his own copy in hand and Nathan was doing the same, I found myself rolling my eyes and walking towards the table and when they heard my footsteps everyone turned their attention to me and said good morning, one of the guards moved from their position to pull out my chair even though I said it wasn't necessary and when I looked at his face I saw it was Nolan.

“Sit Your Highness,” he says and I smile at him seeing his amber eyes sparkle as he smiles, I then take my place and adjust the dress around my legs and hear him whisper softly, “How is Adela? I'm trying to talk to her but she just ignores me,” he says and I end up chuckling softly and staring at him already understanding what's happening between them.

Adela and he I found out from Eylisha had been flirting since our dorm date so many weeks ago but when he decided to invite her to dinner downtown she panicked and has been ignoring him ever since and tormenting Eylis and me about whether she should go out or not with him.

“She's a little freaked out, but clearly she likes your company Nolan, and I'll give you an advice” I say and motion him closer “She'll be tidying up my room in the next few hours and I'll be in the council office, maybe I'll be there for a while, who knows? Maybe you should stop by and talk to her? And by the way she loves daisies, I think you already know what to do don't you?" I say and pull away to look at his face and see his eyes shining with joy, and if I didn't think he was good for her I would never have bothered to help him, but since the two of them started seeing each other she just praised him so much but surely she panicked because her last date was not one of the best and she always carried the marks of it with her “She adores you but take it easy on her, Adela may take a while to let you in but when you do be there for her, you both have my blessing, and thank you Nolan,” I say and pat his hand and he thanked me softly and shakes my hand discreetly and nods and goes back to his place on the wall with the others.

I smiled as I sat up straighter in my chair hoping these two would find the middle ground so they could move on.

When I looked up I noticed Roman across the room, when he saw me he smiled discreetly and raised his cap to greet me and I smiled slightly and just nodded and turned my attention to the plate that was placed in front of me.

While I was distracted by the food I noticed someone was watching me and I went from looking to the side and I saw that Nathan had his face turned towards me and looked annoyed, the usual dark shadow covering his blue eyes and making shivers go up my spine.

"Vee?" I was pulled out of my daze by my brother's voice and when I turned towards him he frowned and put down the photo album and took my hand in his "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, his blue eyes glittering with unease and I just forced my best smile to appear on my lips as I looked up at him.

“It's nothing, I was just thinking about the documents I need to get with the twins later,” I say, brushing the lie off with ease towards him and he just nods but his eyes continue to cautiously assess my face.

I hadn't told him about what's going to happen in the library not even Nathan and I just wanted everyone to be calm, I had Roman and the other guys with me during the dates and that was enough for now, but in case the blonde crossed the line again I wouldn't hesitate to expose him to my parents.

“I also have a few things to read later, but it's about the Ball, Mom and I are finishing up the decorations and the menu was taken to the kitchen yesterday, did you ever see?" He asked excitedly, taking me out of my thoughts and I just nodded as he continued to explain about the decor but my thoughts were lost "...and the pictures were beautiful, did you ever see ours?" I heard Jordan speak and went back from my mind and saw his eyes shining with joy as he let go of my hands and searched through the album and showed me our pictures.

We had done a lot, which was a fact, but the ones with my brother were always the ones I liked most, he was in the official guard uniform as he had served when he was younger and I was in a long frame dress with red and blue, the colors of our country, and in the first one we were side by side, but the others were photos out of context where we were laughing and teasing each other, in some of them my mother appeared laughing and my father came to torment us.

But they were great pictures after all, as I looked at them I chose my favorite one where I was laughing with my head tipped back as my hair came out of my hairstyle and he did the same while hugging me anyway and had just thrown the crown on the set couch, we looked so peaceful and happy, so both of us, and I found myself missing when I had more time to be with him, before I had to take on the crown's responsibilities and he resigned for reasons unknown.

At the time I didn't understand why, but I should have known my brother was keeping a big secret.

I was tracing the outlines of the photo while smiling and I felt my brother lay his head on my shoulders to look at what I was doing, with my free hand I stroked his hair and we looked at the photo I had chosen.

"I loved this photo too, it reminds me of the old days Vee, I miss being able to spend the afternoon with you doing nothing, going hidden to the town to see grandma, to eat somewhere in Glory’s or in Old Waybrook, I really miss you and I love you, Sunflower,” He says referencing my favorite flower and I lay my head on top of his and hug him at an awkward angle and kiss his hair ignoring the world around us.

I really love my brother and miss him everyday.

“I love you too and I miss you Jojo,” I say and he kisses my cheek before we continue flipping through the album, I purposely avoiding pictures of me with Nathan, lost in our own bubble, until I hear my mom call us and we both look up at her who is excitedly holding a large folder with this year's ball logo.

"You two look like two kids sitting haphazardly at the table, what will our guest think?" She said and we both laugh and she holds the folder out to me I catch this and open it and Jordan straightens up so he can look over my shoulder as she goes back to saying “I've prepared the folder so you can stay on top of what's going to happen at the party and by the way, I'd like to ask you to talk to our maids about your dress and if they know anyone else who can help us with the preparation because it's going to be a busy day,” She says and I nod as I flip through the folder looking at the arrangements, the menu and the decor.

My brother and mother were great at this, I was in awe.

“It looks beautiful Mom, I can't wait to see our dresses!" I say excited and she smiles at me, her black eyes twinkling in joy “And I'll talk to Eylisha later, and interview the candidate when she comes here,” I say and she nods and the three of us go back to looking at the event folder and just then I realize that my dad and my fiance are engaged in a conversation that I don't care to know about, but I notice that my dad directs side glances in my direction and then as he nods and it makes something inside me squirm with nervous, because nothing good would come from there.

And somehow I knew the two of them were up to something, I just wanted to know what before it all went to hell.

When I looked away from them I noticed that Roman was paying attention to their every move and when I noticed that his lips were set in a firm line and his shoulders looked tense I felt my hands sweat.

There was definitely something going on and my guard was worried, maybe later I should ask him and make sure everything was alright, I was hoping it was not a big deal, but coming from my father and his new puppet I couldn't be nothing very pleasant either for me or for whoever was on my side and as I stopped to think I remembered the moment he stared at me after I talked to Nolan and the threats he had made to Roman.

He hated the servants and especially the guards, especially Roman, but I didn't think he would have that much influence in getting my father to punish any employee for some nonsense.

And I hoped that didn't happen because I would make a point of getting Nathan out of the palace without a second thought and unmasking him, when I looked again in Roman's direction he smiled at me and I just curled my lips worried about whatever was about to happen.

And unfortunately I would soon know in a painful way with my flesh and blood.