I opened my eyes and I was sitting under a tree, on top of a hill. It was a quiet and peaceful day. The birds were singing and the wind was blowing ever so gently. All I could see was grass that stretched as far as the eye could see, tall trees stood everywhere; and shadows of mountains from far away.

But why am I here? What am I doing here?

Then, I heard muffled voices from afar and it headed to where I was. I stood up and quickly climbed the tree, climbing higher as I possibly can. When there were no more branches to climb, I sat down and kept quiet.

“Are you enjoying yourself, son?” a deep man’s voice asked, thrilled and excited.

“Yes, father. This is the best day ever!” a child’s voice squealed out of happiness.

The laughter of children continued as the footsteps came closer to the tree. The father and son were then joined by a woman, who seemed to be his wife and a little girl, their daughter perhaps. The mother laid a plaid blanket on the hill, grass and sat in the middle.

“How about we run down this hill and back up again?” the father smiled at his children, enticing them to join.

The children looked at their mother, waiting for her approval. With a smile and a nod, the children squealed as they ran after their father.

The portrait of a perfect family.

The sounds of my surroundings became fainter and fainter until I was engulfed in darkness, reawakening back to reality. As my eyes opened, the moon’s beautiful glow pierced gently through the drapes. I looked around my room and as I did, I grew confused. That dream… felt real.

Do I know that family?

I let out a deep breath and turned to the side, closing my eyes once more as I tried to ignore it.

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♔♔♔

My sleep was disrupted once more. I opened my eyes and scanned the room but all I could see was darkness. The rays of the moonlight continued to push through the curtains. Everything was quiet but then, I heard voices out in the hallway. That was odd because nobody walks in the halls during this time of the night unless it’s Gonzalo on his patrols or an emergency. I stood up and headed to the door. As I stepped out of the door, no one in front of my room but in the other hall, I heard a door close.

I rushed over the sound and saw Linda come out of the master bedroom, carrying a basin of water. “Linda?” I called out, walking towards her.

“Your Highness,” she curtsied.

“You were from the master bedroom?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty currently has a high fever so His Majesty summoned for me and the other maids to look after her,” she explained.

“She summoned you?” I asked, baffled. “But where is Dehlia?”

“Dehlia?” she asked back.

“Linda?” a voice called her from behind. We turned to look and it was Gonzalo.

“Her Majesty needs it now,” Gonzalo reminded.

Linda nodded and turned to me, bowing before walking away and keeping her head down.

“Do you need anything, Your Highness?” Gonzalo asked as he approached me.

“No, thank you, Gonzalo,” I replied. Not wanting to cause any delays to Mother’s recovery, I returned to my room. All I could think about was Mother’s situation. Is James even in the room with her? Mother said he will be taking care of her and now, Linda is the one attending to her.

A rustling came from outside my window. I rushed to the window and as I looked out, James was pacing back and forth in the garden. He looked worried, in distress, thinking something very deeply.

“He knows about Her Majesty’s condition,” Gonzalo suddenly spoke, closing the door behind him.

“Then why is he down there? Shouldn’t he be in their bedroom, looking after her?” I replied as Gonzalo walked towards me, all of my frustrations started to come out.

“He’s been with Her Majesty for hours, Your Highness. After his work, he rushed to her and took care of her the whole night, never leaving her side,” Gonzalo explained. “When she was asleep, he summoned Linda to watch over her for a moment. He’s been acting this way ever since he left the room.”

But why would James be acting this way? Is Mother’s illness worse than what she told me? Could she be keeping something from me?

♔♔♔

Weeks have passed and Mother is still ill. James has forbidden us to visit her to prevent the disease from spreading. He said he wasn’t sure of what her illness is and it could be contagious. He has to make sure that nothing will happen to Elizabeth and especially, to me.