I am so sorry that it took so long! This chapter ended up being a filler and it was hard for me to write. And I was so busy. I wanted to give a shoutout to Taylor swift's new album, because it gave me the motivation I needed to finish this chapter. And to my cousin, who reads each chapter and always asks me when the next one is coming out. I get up and stop watching Netflix to write the story whenever you text about it lol so thanks for the motivation! :) And, Please review! It always makes my day!

"How could I forget it!" I shouted, rummaging through my bag. My horse was moving carefully forward, not bothered by the movement.

"We're in the middle of the forest. Please be quiet so that we don't attract any unwanted attention." He whispered. Then his face stretched into a smile. "You forgot your food and water, didn't you?"

I crossed my arms, "Possibly."

"I brought enough for both of us, don't worry." He chuckled. I rolled my eyes when he turned away. It was usually my place to be the prepared one, it was hard to shake off the insecurity.

"So tell me about our grandmother. What's her name?" I asked, eager to change the subject. He cleared his throat.

"We aren't supposed to say her name out loud. Most people use it as a derogatory term in the kingdom, after her rule."

"What do you mean? It's not like she can hear you."

He scoffed.

"She can hear every word people say?" No wonder everyone was terrified of her.

"Not in the way you're thinking." He assured me, but that only confused me more.

"What other way is there?"

"I'll explain later."

"No. I'm following a prince that I barely know into the forest in the dark, and he won't give me any answers. It's not too late to turn around." I pointed out. Charles looked back and I knew that the castle was still in view.

"One more question."

"Do you promise to tell me the truth?" I pressed.

"Was that the question?" He smiled.

"It's actually about our father." I stopped to take a breath, ignoring his stupid joke. "Was he like our grandparents? Did he want me dead?" I whispered. Charles looked at me with pity.

"Stop." I commanded.

"What did I do?"

"I don't want anyone to pity me. There are too many worries in the kingdom for you to add mine to the list. Please. Don't worry about me, or pity me, or be concerned for me." The last thing I wanted was to be a burden to anyone. I felt that way ever since my mother's death. People would try to help by bringing dinner, but I knew how to cook. Friends would try to keep me company, but I knew how to keep myself company. Ebony was the only person that I wanted to have as a friend, but even though she was the best, there was a wall. It was put there because of our class, and I had to learn how to be my own best friend. Charles pursed his lips.

"Alright then. No worry, pity, or concern from me."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me." It really did. That was my number one rule in life. I accepted help from no one. There was even a voice telling me not to accept the ball gown from Ebony. I ignored it that one time, though. The chance to have my own ball gown was too good to pass up, and the gesture was too kind.

"I was just surprised that you would think that. He sent you away to keep you safe. He would talk about you constantly, and he was extremely stubborn. He refused to die until he talked to you. Unfortunately, death had other plans." He sighed. "I was sitting by his bedside on his last night, and I could tell that something was wrong. He was too sick to talk in more than a whisper. 'I should have never sent Evangeline to Mangrail.' Then he looked me right in the eyes and said that you would understand this next part. 'There's a piece of the puzzle that we're missing. Nothing in life is even.' He just kept repeating that until his last breath." Charles finished.

My father really did love me. I thought my entire life that he had cut off communication because he didn't want me, or that he was already gone. I was so caught up in my relief that I didn't think about what Charles was saying. Nothing in life is even.

"What do you think it could mean?" I asked.

"I don't know." He responded. My eyes trailed to the forest around me and I thought about it. Was he talking about class? Or something more?

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"I said one question."

"Why aren't you sad about the king's death?" I asked, anyway. Charles sighed.

"I am. You would have loved him. He always tried to evade our grandparents, but they always wanted a say in everything. For a long time before he died, he told me that I couldn't let you rule like him. He wanted to ensure that we wouldn't fall into our grandmother's traps. I am sad. But he would have never been happier than to know that you're accepting the throne." He said. At least I could please someone. I imagined Ebony going to my room to find it empty, not even a note left behind.

We kept moving through the forest at what felt like a snail's pace, but soon enough, we stopped for the night. The trees had thickened the farther we dove into the area, but they opened out into a scenic lake. The water looked shallow enough, so I went over to wash my face. I had already eaten dinner, so I decided to unpack my sleeping pallet and put it by a tree. Charles had done the same thing, and we didn't know what to say after that. We ended up just falling asleep without talking at all.

He shook me awake when it was still dark outside, and I didn't appreciate it.

"We have plenty of time!" I argued.

"We don't, actually." He pulled out some bread and two apples and handed me one, plus a few slices of bread.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Our conversation ended there, yesterday we had gotten along so nicely, but now it just seemed awkward. I focused on the lake in front of us and pretended like it was the most interesting thing in the world until he was ready to go.

The rest of the day was slow and unexciting, but I enjoyed the scenery. I had put different flowers in my hair as the day wore on, and Charles found that quite amusing.

I could feel us getting farther away from Mangrail as we rode and there was a voice in my head saying that I should have told Ebony that I was leaving. A wave of regret hit me and I groaned.

"What's wrong?" Charles asked.

"I'm a terrible person. I should have told Ebony I was leaving. She's never going to want to be my friend ever again." I couldn't believe my idiocy. "Why would I even think that was a good idea? I tried to be a good person for such a long time, and a good friend. But I ruined everything, and she's never going to be my friend ever again, and I've made such a fool of myself. She's probably going ballistic, going to my room and finding it empty. And who's going to tell her that I'm not coming back?" I started stroking the neck of my horse, my head still resting on the lower part of it.

"Okay. First of all, calm down. Second of all, she's going to get over it and you're going to start having tea parties every week. And it's going to be great." He said with fake enthusiasm. I glared at him.

"It doesn't work that way. Have you ever had friends?" I asked.

"Of course I have friends! We're actually in their territory right now."

"These friends of yours aren't aggressive, are they?"

"What? No! Look. The point is, she'll understand. As long as she's not the heir-"

"Wait, what do you mean she's not the heir?"

"Is she the heir?" He said, his voice panic- stricken.

"She's the heir." I said.

"She's the heir?"

"Yes, But what's so bad about that?" He became more rigid in his saddle, and I could feel his worry emanate from where he was sitting.

"It's not bad." He stated. It sounded like he was convincing himself more than me.

It was dark a few hours later and that marked the end of the second night. I fell asleep, thinking about what I left behind. It was too late to go back, and that was the only comfort I had.