His shoes is still squeaking as he walked up the steps towards the grand entrance of the palace and into the foyer after getting off his car. He was still wet and he could feel his body shivering. He ignored the number of securities who seemed to look relieved he had came back safe and found Spencer pacing back and forth near the grand staircase. His face washed off all worries when he spotted Aiden walking inside with his shoes squeaking with each step.

“Your Grace,” Spencer said bowing his head before telling one of the servants to fetch a towel and a coat, as usual not even asking which hole his exasperating charge had gotten himself into.

“I’m fine,” Aiden reassured. “What time is it?”

“It’s already 2:28 in the morning, Your Grace,” Spencer answered. “The Queen is beside herself asking to find your whereabouts and ordering for your return.”

“And what did you tell her?” Aiden had no doubt Spencer knew where he went. The servant Spencer had ordered to get towels arrived and Aiden took one from the pile and brushed it on his head before wrapping it around his shoulders.

Spencer looked at the Prince before casting his eyes down. “The Queen had been waiting for your return and had ordered for us to take you to her immediately.”

Aiden let out a quiet sigh, not in the mood to have a round with his mother at this hour. Especially once she finds out what he had arranged with the Northen King. “It’s already too late for a son to visit his mother. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. How about my Father?”

“He was asleep, Your Grace. He only knows you have returned from the north and thought to be resting.” Spencer looked like he was conflicted over something but he bowed his head when Aiden nodded his head at him before striding towards the stairs to get to his room.

He believed he had only slept for a couple of hours when he was woken up with a start after a dream of bloodshed and wars, the sweat forming in his brows as he breathed in ragged gasps. He stared wide eyed at the white ceiling of his room, too white and too high, that he felt his head spinning. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand as he tried to get his senses to calm down, repeating the same words over and over. It’s just a dream. Just a dream.

He sat up when he felt calm enough to move and stepped out of his bed. He went to his balcony and opened the glass doors wide, the curtains billowing in the wind and he closed his eyes, letting the cold  air wash away the dream—the nightmare—that woke him up. He opened his eyes after a moment and stared out at the sky, light already breaking through the clouds. A small smile lit into his face and his feet brought him to the glass balustrade as his eyes was transfixed at the place where he knew Sandy is looking at right at that moment. He leaned his arms onto the balustrade watching, waiting, mesmerized at the moment the sun finally poked it head out of the clouds, setting it’s rays slowly on the palace’s vast garden of flowers, the palace’s roof, and onto the open windows.

“Sunrise.” The words formed in his lips without a sound. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes again letting the sun warm his face, letting it wash the gloom that has settled in his waking senses. He smiled. Sandy was right about the sunrise. Maybe he should wake up early in the morning too so he could feel it seeping in his skin, settling calmness in the turbulence that is his own mind.

He would’ve stayed a little bit longer if not for a loud knock on his door and an announcement that the Queen is about to enter. He sighed heavily. His mother was up really early today. He went back inside his stuffy room before the door opened and his mother entered. is set in a grim line as it always was but it seems to be even more tighter now. Aiden took the robe that he had placed on the chair the night before and put it on him. His mother is already wearing her formal clothes which means that she didn’t visit his room just to berate him on disappearing last night.

It means she’s ready for the council which will happen in a matter of hours.

Her mother was standing rigidly as she watched him, Spencer just standing a couple of steps away from her, also in his usual black coat and tie attire.

“Good morning, Mother,” Aiden formally greeted.

There was a tick in the Queen’s jaw as she chose not to respond. Aiden doesn’t see the need to explain his actions when she wasn’t asking, like a petulant child. He seems to be defying everything nowadays.

“How can you make that absurd arrangement with the North?” the Queen finally started and Aiden knew decorum is the only reason she wasn’t yelling at him.

“I did what I thought was best,” Aiden answered firmly. He didn’t ask why his mother knew. She had a lot of resources he doesn’t know.

“Best for you,” his mother responded. “Are you only thinking about yourself? Are you really bent on showing every people in this country that you are unfit to be their King?”

“I will be unfit to be their King if I can’t even make a decisions for the betterment of my country and I had to resort on making my mother make the decision for me.” He looked at her in the eye wanting to let her know he doesn’t like him working behind his back and arranging an agreement without his knowledge.

“Marrying the King’s daughter in the only solution for this. Your brother agreed to it because he had known it was expected of him.”

“My brother expected it because Father did not go behind his back to make that pact with the North King.”

The Queen let out an incredulous laugh that didn’t sound the least bit humorous. She pierced him with a hard stare. “You’re doing this for that filthy commoner.” She didn’t ask it so Aiden see no reason to answer it. “That good-for-nothing, ambitious peasant!” She spat out the word like a bad taste in .

“Don’t call her that.” His voice was low but sounded menacing to his ears.

The Queen’s jaw clenced as her nostrils flared. “You think you’re defending a helpless orphan.” Her eyebrows raised as she lifted her chin with her back ramrod straight. “When right at this moment, she is leaving with five million dollars.”

Aiden’s brow furrowed but he didn’t react as he doesn’t understand what his mother is saying now but the Queen continued, “You don’t know her, Aiden. You know nothing of her and yet here you are, defying the society’s rules to satisfy your ridiculous infatuation with her. She is nothing but a speck of dirt that is tainting our country.”

Aiden clenched his teeth not wanting to hear his mother calling Sandy names. “Maybe I’ll do exactly what my brother did. Will I hear the same lines you had feed on my brother?”

“You didn’t answer my question before, Aiden,” his mother said looking at him in the eye. “Your brother left the throne for a woman who loved him for who he is and not what he can give her. Can you say the same with this orphan you wanted to throw your future for?”

“Answering that would only mean I have let you insult my judgment, mother,” Aiden answered, his tone just as hard as his mother’s,

“I am,” his mother answered resolutely. “The girl you are so fervently defending has just accepted my offer of not showing her face anywhere near you for the sound of five million dollars.”

Aiden paused at that before he spoke, not believing it in the least. “Don’t lie, mother.”

“Oh right,” the Queen said with a laugh. “Of course, that wasn’t really true. I only offered three million but she asked for five.” Her smile got wiped off before staring at Aiden with a hard look on her face. “Don’t make yourself look more of a fool, Aiden.”

His chest heaved ashe stared at his mother, not wanting to believe it. “You offered her money?!”

“I did what a mother should do,” the Queen answered. “And what a Queen needs to do. You should open your eyes to what the world is, Aiden, and not be caught on wily ways of a manipulative es wanting to get their hands on you. She gave you up for five million. Are you going to defend her again and say that it’s only expected for an orphan to ask in exchange of leaving the Royal Prince alone?”

“You’re lying.” He felt like his chest is caving in. Her mother might be conniving but the look in her mother’s face doesn’t look like she is lying.

“Spencer can attest to that,” the Queen said. “He was there when she told me her price. And he was the one who brought the money to her two days ago.”

Aiden’s eyes went to Spencer who was just silently standing still near the door. Spencer looked up at his questioning gaze and after a moment, made a nod of his head.  Aiden felt like his knees will give way at this information. No, it couldn’t be true. He was just with Sandy last night.

Goodbye Prince Aiden.

Her silent words rang in his ears. He looked at Spencer again who is still watching him. Spencer wouldn’t lie to him. He would never lie to him. He knew what Sandy Park has become to him and yet as he was trying to see for any sign in Spencer that his mother just put him up to this, he realized his mother was speaking the truth. The eyes that is looking back at him is unwavering. Unflinching. And they were full of pity. For him. And it’s exactly for the same reason on why Spencer wouldn’t lie to him. He knew what Sandy Park has become to him.

His jaw tightened as he felt a surge of emotions rushing at him. It was all a mess In his head as they all come at him at the same time that it feels like he was being incapacitated. His gaze went back to his mother’s grim face.

“Last thing I would want is to hurt you, Aiden,” her mother said, her tone still hard. “But you need to realize that I had done what I did to protect you. The likes of her is not fit to even be breathing the same air as you. You are still young and you will have a lot of chances to play around but you need to take on the responsibilities and secure your right. And after that happens, when everything is already set, you can play whenever and however you want.  But you need to be the player instead of the pawn. Don’t be too naïve on people that tends to use your weaknesses against you. Sandra Park is just one those thousands. So I hope you will learn your lesson.”

Aiden just continued looking at his mother with his jaw locked tight.

“The council meeting will start in approximately 4 hours from now and I trust that you will make a better judgment than the one you just did with someone who played you for a fool.” The Queen lifted her chin before turning around with Spencer bowing his head down as he opened the door for her. Aiden couldn’t move as her mother’s words rang in his ear and he vaguely heard Spencer leaving after bowing his head to him.

It feels like hours had passed but Aiden felt like his head has been blown air to vaccuum the raging thoughts leaving him in a catatonic state. He was mostly doing his everyday routine like a robot. Taking a bath, dressing up in his formal clothes, and eating breakfast alone at the dining hall that seems to be more massive in size. Spencer was standing behind him waiting for him to finish so he could tell him what he needs to attend to next.

The girl you are so fervently defending has just accepted my offer of not showing her face anywhere near you for the sound of five million dollars.

The words played in the silence of his mind which made his jaw clenched at the memory. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. His mind flashed back to his time with Sandy in the lake. That moment is just too real to be considered as a manipulation. He felt it with the way Sandy kissed him. It just couldn’t be true. Of course he could confirm that truth with Spencer but he couldn’t bring himself to ask in fear of hearing the answer. He knew Spencer wouldn’t lie to him. And he doesn’t know if he want to believe the truth or hold on to a lie.

Don’t trust anybody. Especially the girl who stole your wallet and ran away with your brother’s ring.

He closed his eyes as the words wash over him.

Maybe when you see Spencer, you will realize the perils of being too trusting.

He couldn’t take this anymore. He stood up, pushing the chair back and walked out of the dining hall with Spencer right behind him without asking any questions. He walked through the hallway, passed the Gallery, passed the drawing rooms and out of the wide door. He strode purposely to the car parked near the water fountain with the driver standing staright at the sight of him. He bowed when Aiden came near.

“Good morning Your Grace,” he greeted.

“Move please,” Aiden said standing directly with the driver who was blocking the driver’s seat. The driver opened his mouth but no words came out and he looked behind Aiden. He knew the driver is asking for any sign of acquiesce from Spencer and the latter probably nodded because the driver moved out of the way. He slid in and started the ignition before speeding out of the Palace’s grounds. He only wanted to go to one place and one place only. He had realized he’d rather be hurt over a truth than be hurt by believing in a lie.

He didn’t park at the back door. Ulitimately at this moment, he doesn’t care about anyone who will see him. The restaurant already had a couple of people having breakfast and he walked in, the chimes clinking as he enters.

“Good morning, welcome to….” Minzy’s voice trailed off when the Prince walked in with a grave expression. The quiet restaurant became more quiet when the people realized who had walked in and they all looked at each other questioningly, probably wondering if they should stand up and bow down.

“Where is she?” He asked when he reached the counter.

Minzy bowed down to him before exchanging a look with her mother and then returning her attention back to him with a hesitant look on her face.

“Where’s Sandra Park?” He asked, his voice taking a turn to sound a little menacing.

Minzy swallowed first before answering, “She left, Your Grace,” she answered quietly. “We… we didn’t know where. She just… came to us last night and told us she’s leaving.” She bit her lip before continuing. “She said she was able to… get some cash and that… she’s starting a new life somewhere far.”

Aiden nodded slowly, feeling his eyes burning at the surge of hurt and disappointment that ran through him. It was true. He was really too naïve to trust someone like her. A thief. A shoplifter.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” Minzy said quietly bowing her head down.

Aiden turned around without a word and walked out of the restaurant with his heart weighing down his every step. He didn’t even realize Spencer is already outside along with several securities in another car. There are already a