A splitting headache awakened Aelius from his sleep. He doesn't remember much of what happened at the party. As his blurry eyes started to clear up, he scanned his surroundings. 'Is this my room?' he thought. The more he looked around, the more he realized that he made it back to Ember Castle in one piece. As he sat up, nausea hit him. He really drank a lot of alcohol last night. He cradled his forehead in his palm, trying to make the world stop spinning when a loud knocking suddenly came.

The knocking was non-stop against his bedroom door, like a hammer pounding a nail. He got up from his bed and made his way to the receiving area in his room. "Just come in!" he shouted, irritated by the knocking.

"Oh good, you're finally awake, you worthless piece of – AHHHH!" Mira shouted as she covered her eyes when she saw her brother. "For Sun's sake Aelius, put some clothes on!"

Aelius took a look at his body and then looked back at his sister. When he finally realized what was happening, he covered himself with the decorative pillows on the couch. "Don't look!"

"I'm not looking at you, idiot! Put on some clothes!"

"Get out!" Aelius shouted, as Mira ran out and slammed his bedroom door. So far, his morning is far from calm.

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After Aelius has put on some clothes and was calmly drinking his tea, another knock came from the door – this time, however, was soft with a hint of hesitation.

"Come in, " Aelius called to the door.

"Are you still naked?" A voice from behind the door asked, making Aelius spill his tea.

"I'm wearing clothes now. Come in"

Mira, slowly walked inside his room, with angry and embarrassed eyes. "Who the hell sleeps naked?" she asked

"Me, obviously" Aelius answered calmly.

Mira stared at Aelius with suspicious eyes. "I have no time for your jokes, Aelius. Can we just pretend nothing happened earlier?" She asked

"I don't even know what you're talking about" Aelius answered her. He gestured for Mira to sit on the seat in front of him.

"So, Mira, what brings you here?" he asked.

"I'm here to berate you, " she said with anger. "Do you have any idea, what kind of hell I've been through yesterday from your antics?"

Aelius tried to remember, but all he was getting from his mind is darkness. "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything last night"

This made Mira angrier than before. "Let me help you remember okay? You told me to have fun with my friends, and I did. When I came back do you know what I saw Aelius?" She looked at Aelius's eyes with fury. Aelius just stared at her back.

"I found you, and Ambrose – whose butt I will kick once I see him again – having fun in the fountain of wine."

"Of course, we were having fun, it's wine." Aelius nonchalantly replied

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"IN. THE. FOUNTAIN." Mira said, emphasizing every word. "You two were in the fountain! You were drinking wine by opening your mouths and just letting the fountain pour wine into it! You even pulled some guests to join the two of you!"

Aelius tried to defend himself but was cut off by his angry sister.

"And then, when you saw me, you know what you did? You got out and carried me to the fountain! Ambrose was pouring wine over my head while you were laughing your ass off! " Mira was so angry that she stood up from her seat and started to pace the room, shouting.

"When I and some of the guests finally pulled you out and had the two of you be washed and clothed again with new clothes, while I stayed in the main room in my wine-drenched self, apologizing profusely to everyone, you know the next thing that you did Aelius? Do you know what you did?"

Aelius just kept his head low and his mouth shut. Mira was mad.

"You asked me to bring the daughters of the hosts up to your room for your inspection! I had to restrain myself from killing you right then and there! I had to drag you by your ear back to the carriage. Where you decided to vomit all over the inside of our ride! I had to get the guard to carry you from the carriage to your room the moment we got here."

"And the worst of it all, I didn't even get a chance to change my clothes before father and the queen nagged me for hours. Hours Aelius. HOURS! I had to sit there and take a verbal beating smelling like vomit and wine!" Mira shouted. She was heaving by the time she was done.

"And Ambrose?" Aelius soft replied.

"I don't care for fucking Ambrose!" she shouted. "He can die for all I care!"

It took about ten minutes before Mira was calm enough to go back to her seat. She composed herself and stared at Aelius.

"And that is why I am here, " she said calmly, crossing her leg over the other, with her back straight.

Aelius tried very hard to remember what happened last night but he can't remember anything. But if based on his previous behavior before he was made heir, he probably did all of those. In fact, what happened last night would not be the worst thing he has done in all of his years living in the world.

Aelius looked at his sister, and with sad eyes and a soft voice, he said "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I got carried away with being free for once and I took it too far. I won't do it again. I'm really sorry Mira."

Mira sighed and gave her brother a smile "You're lucky I love you, you idiot" she said. "But, you have to make it up to me"

"Anything! I'll do anything"

Hearing her brother's answer made Mira's smile even larger. "Mother's birthday is in a few days and I need to buy her a gift. She requested a rare book that was only being sold in select shops here in Solaria which has contacts with the other kingdom. I need you to buy that book today"

"Today? Why today? And why me?"

"Today, because I said so. And you, because dearest father decided that my punishment for last night is to pray for the whole day in the Sun Church." She answered. "The High Priest will probably shout at me later for leaving in the middle of mass"

"Okay. Okay. And where is this bookshop?" Aelius asked

"First town near the border, just around the corner in the plaza, here's a map if you get lost," Mira said, as she gave her brother a crudely drawn map of the town.

"Do I really have to do this?" Aelius whined; his head is still aching and his nausea is still coming and going.

"Yes, it has to be you. I'll know if you're not the one who's going to go there. I have my ways" Mira said as she looked at her brother suspiciously.

"Fine. Let me just get my coat and prepare my ride"

"Just get your coat; your ride has been already ready," Mira said as she stood and walked towards the bedroom door. "Oh, and by the way, don't worry. Everything is going to be okay, " she told her brother

Aelius stared into her eyes, there was something in the way she looked at her brother like she knows what was going to happen.

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Aelius exited the bookshop after buying the book for Lady Mina's birthday. It turns out, Mira had already bought the book a week before, she just needed to pick it up from the shop. 'I guess I'm done?' he thought to himself. He can't believe his sister would waste his offer for him to do anything she wants just to pick up a book.

As he stepped out of the bookshop and into the middle of the street, he heard footsteps from behind. When he turned around, a body bumped into him, sending him and his book to the ground. He picked up his package and got up, and he saw a hooded figure scrambling to get their stuff from the ground. He offered his hand and helped the stranger to stand up.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

When the stranger looked at him, he saw a girl with stormy gray eyes, drowning him.