Caroline’s POV:
The impromptu employee party took place on Saturday night, and since Sunday everything seemed in perfect order. Not all employees were working, and as Lucille said around, Sunday was Olivia's day off, so I enjoyed the quiet day in my room.
I knew that the palace servants believed the princess was a recluse, and some of them even felt sorry for the princess and thought that perhaps she was ill. I did not pay attention to these conversations because it was all people's speculation. But the fact is that I often felt so comfortable around them as Olivia that I dreaded the day when I would have to reveal to everyone that I was Caroline. Surely, they would treat me differently, and I could not blame them. So, I decided that I would take this farce as far as I could so that I would have more friends, When I could no longer support this story, I would apologize to them all, but make it clear that I was s
Caroline’s POV:It was a real fright to see my mother in that state. She was hooked up to a variety of tubes and monitors, and her expression was kind of troubled. My legs went limp again when I saw her like that, so weak. It was sad to see my mother on that hospital bed.One of the nurses muttered softly to me, "No, Your Highness, you can't give up. If she wakes up and sees you like this, it won't do her any good." I nodded at her words and tried to keep abettercomposure. There was not much we could do as she was still asleep. Still, my dad and I sat in the two chairs beside her bed.I reached out with my shaking hands to take hers in mine. And when I held her fragile hand in mine, thank heavens her hands felt warm. My imagination had already gotten the better of me and I had already imagined her frozen as a dead person, but that was not the case. So the sense of rel
Caroline’s POV:A few days after theattempt onmy mother's life, I was a little more relieved that she was recovering at a good pace, according to Dr. Caldwell. She had physical therapy every day and was doing well. The doctor had already authorized her to try to speak and her lungs were evolving well, thank heavens. But there was one thing that worried me: She was constantly asking about the details of the shooting: whether we had discovered the perpetrators, whether we were searching the region for the culprits, or any other details we had. She wanted to be on top of everything that was going on in the case.My dad and I did not talk when she asked us these questions, and there were days when she was more distracted, so it was easier to sidetrack her. Other days were more difficult, and we had to urge her to focus on her healing, and then on finding and apprehending the culprits. We had agreed that it would not be good to wo
Liam’s POV:Finding taverns in this part of the country was pretty easy. There were many workers around the palace, either those who worked directly for the royalty or those who had indirect jobs as suppliers of the palace's goods. I had already visited a few places, but as I was new to the region, these places were never the same and I was always looking for people who would speak the right words or give the clues I needed. But recently, after the attack on the Queen, the mysterious revolutionaries seemed to have hidden under rocks, or inside caves.Since a date with Olivia was not in the agenda anymore, I decided to visit one more tavern tonight. The night was unusually cool for a summer night, which was odd. My mom always told me that cold nights like this were a sign that something bad was going to happen, but I shook my head at her foreboding and went out to eat dinner in town. The
Caroline’s POV:I spent the day after the meeting in my small office, thinking with some of the lords about the names I would list. Lord Hammond was a fair and balanced man, and he could never be replaced by some mat that my father and Lord Deveraux would choose. I really enjoyed the fact that I was given the opportunity to have a voice on the board, but I knew that much more than the names would weigh on this list. They were testing my political skills here, and I definitely could not be considered by them as less than highly capable.There were a few names on the list, and I knew it should not be long, but impactful. There was, first, David Hammond, whom I could make lord in his father's place. He was a good guy, but maybe he was considered too young. I also liked the idea of Lord Clark, a slightly older man who had been a member of the council and had resigned to take care of his wife's health when she became
Caroline’s POV:The shelter we were placed in was as good as the shelter I had been placed in with Stephan. Lucille had told me that employee shelters were as safe as shelters for the royal family, but they were far less comfortable and more crowded. As a princess, I was always guided to the right places, but Lucille was compelled to know all the routes to the closest shelters for my safety, especially, so even if I did not get to a shelter for royalty, it was her priority to guide me to the nearest safe location.The worst part about being in a shelter like this is that since it was practically a vault, even though we were safe where we were, we did not have any news from the outside world. There was only a small wall clock in the corner, some supplies, and blankets. It was comfortable, but we were completely isolated."These attacks are getting more and more frequent," I muttered complaining. I had already faced some sporadic attacks in my childhood, but
Liam’s POV:I can't believe the rebels decided to attempt an invasion of the palace at that time. I was very sympathetic to their cause, but they spoiled the perfect moment. I didn't care that there were others in the kitchen. I just wish I had enjoyed that moment with Olivia. She is so beautiful and so sweet. Sometimes too innocent for her own good, but I wouldn't change a hair of hers. Maybe I was falling for her, and I wondered if this wasn't the best thing that had happened so far in my life.The events that followed can be defined with just one adjective: chaotic. I asked her to be safe, she nodded and I left her there. As I saw that she didn't take long to get up, I concluded that she had sought shelter in time, so I trusted heaven for her safety and headed to the front lines. My instinct would be to protect her, not necessarily the crown, but I had to do my duty. Military disobedience never has good consequences.
Caroline’s POV:"What do you mean, do you have an administrator relative?" I asked him in a joking tone."No, I was on my town council too, until I went to the Independent Revolutionaries," He told me, his chest puffing out with pride.When I heard those words come out of Liam's mouth, I was sure I couldn't hide my disappointment in him. Being involved in politics was one thing. Fighting government actions through local policies was to be part of a fair fight. But linking up with independent revolutionaries? This was bad. Too bad."What did I say?" He asked me still dumbfounded. He still did not know how serious it was that he was one of the revolutionaries.I shook my head in disappointment and muttered to him, "Those words of yours could land you in prison for life or even execution. You need to be careful.""I know," he told me trying to explain himself, and then continued, "That's
Liam’s POV:I was discovering a new side of Olivia, but I didn't know if I liked that side of her or not. I've always wished that the woman standing next to me was brave and would fight for the same ideals as me, but apparently, she had taken the opposite side of me completely. What would this mean in terms of the relationship? Is this a deal breaker in our case?However, I thought I could still bring reason to her mind. If I had had the opportunity to explain why I thought that way maybe she could see that I'm right. The problem is, she practically ran away from me without letting me explain anything. She was like that sometimes. A certain time or a certain event and she fled to her place of origin as if she were Cinderella who had to get home at midnight before she fell away from her spell.Either way, my decision to join the Independent Revolutionaries was solid. I was part of the local group at home, and now I would be part of the main and largest of t