Rufus smiled at me. He then takes the crown from the box and gently puts it on my head. "There, the crown suits your dress."

I just stare blankly at Rufus. My mind couldn't process what is happening. Why is he giving me a crown? For what?

"What is happening here?"

I look up and see Prince Fraser walking down the stairs with a grave expression. My eyes immediately widen. His expression! It's the same expression he gave me in my dreams. I could feel my hand starts to tremble, and my knees started to get weak.

Each step Prince Fraser takes makes me remember what happened in my dream. That terrifying dream that still haunts me until now.

I break from my Mother's hand and run towards Prince Fraser. But before I could even hug him, he already pushes me away. I fall hard on the ground. I could feel I broke some bone on my hand because of the impact.

Prince Fraser glares at me. "Don't you dare touch me. I hate you, Csille Lauretré. You betray the Vrawyth Kingdom, and you dare to run towards me for help? Do you think I will be so dumb to help you? I hate you so much I wish I never met you."

Prince Fraser looks at me coldly. "And that's the most I regret in my life. I regret making that promise. I regret meeting you, Csille Lauretré."

"Guards capture the Count and the Countess and put them in jail. Take the daughter of the Count, and she will face execution."

Rufus is now talking to Prince Fraser, but my eyes are glued to Prince Fraser. I could hear my heart starting to pound loudly. And the memories of how my father and my mother died at the hands of Prince Fraser keep replaying in my mind.

I close my eyes, trying to calm my nerves. But it just makes the dream vivid. Horror starts to engulf my whole being that end I falling on the floor. I open my eyes and found Prince Fraser looking at me. He is looking at me like how he looks at me in my dream. Cold.

I look at Prince Fraser, and he is just looking at me coldly. He said something to his soldiers.

He wants me dead! I can read his mouth. He wants me dead. But why? He first kills my parents, and now he wants me dead?

I could feel my body trembles hard. Rufus and Leander rush towards me. "Csille, are you okay?" Rufus asked anxiously.

But my mind couldn't process his question. All my mind does is remind me of how my parents died, how my father died while trying to save me, how the guards shot my mother in the head because she is saving me. It keeps replaying on my mind like a broken plaque.

I started to cry hard to the point that I couldn't breathe. I could hear Princess Paislee and Prince Fraser saying something, but I couldn't comprehend what it is. I close my eyes and put my hand on my ears. I could still hear the laughs of the soldiers. They are so happy knowing they killed the Count and the Countess, my parents.

I look up and saw Prince Fraser squatting beside me. My eyes immediately widen.

"Guards capture the Count and the Countess and put them in jail. Take the daughter of the Count, and she will face execution."

I remember my father looking at me for the last time. Begging me to runaway. I remember how my mother look at me after she was shot in her head.

I shout loudly and immediately crawl away from Prince Fraser. "No, no. Don't come near me. No, no! Don't kill my parents. Don't kill my parents, I beg you." I repeatedly mumbled while crying hard.

My parents, no! They cannot die! They cannot die. "Don't kill my parents. Kill me instead. Kill me instead." I hug my knees. My body continues to tremble while my mind continues to replay the scene where my parents died. "No, no. I beg you. Just kill me instead. Not my parents. Not my parents."

_______________________________________________

"Csille? Csille?"

I slowly open my eyes, and I see Rufus and Leander looking at me worriedly.

"Thank goodness you're awake. Are you okay now?"

I look at Rufus. My mind is still clouded. The last thing I remember is I saw Prince Fraser walking down the stairs, and then my mind becomes foggy. "What happened?"

"You were trembling earlier. You look like you were traumatized. Did something happened, Lady Csille?"

I look like I am traumatized? My eyes immediately widen when I realized what happened. It's because when I saw Prince Fraser, it reminds me of my dreams. I didn't realize how much that dream affected me. It must really scarred me.

"Lady Csille?"

I look at Leander and shake my head. I cannot tell them that I am terrified of Prince Fraser. "I-I just.. i-it wa—" I shake my head. I couldn't even come up with a plausible excuse. I'm still terrified.

"Shh. Calm down. You're okay now. We are here. Everything's going to be fine. No one will ever hurt you or your parents." Rufus tried to comfort me, but I still couldn't help but tremble.

Everything's going to be fine? No one will hurt me or my parents? How can I believe that if the person who hurt my parents in my dreams is here?

Everything becomes vivid to my mind again. It keeps replaying on my mind even though I don't want to. I hug my knees and knock my head on my knees. I don't want to remember that dream. Stop remembering that dream, Ysavel! Stop!

Rufus immediately holds my head and made me look at him. "Csille, what is happening to you? Why are you hurting yourself?"

I shake my head. Please make it stop. I don't want to remember that dream. Please make it stop. I beg you.

"She's traumatized." I heard Leander said.

"But why would she be traumatized?" Rufus asked Leander before he looks back at me. "Csille, why are traumatized? Tell me. I promise I will help you."

"Did something happened?"

I look up and saw Prince Fraser standing behind Rufus. I immediately break off from Rufus' hold and look at Prince Fraser with a horrified expression.

A part of me keeps reminding myself to calm down because the Prince Fraser in my dream is different than the Prince Fraser standing in front of me. But my subconscious couldn't help but be terrified of him.

I remember everything. He was there. He was there, but he didn't do anything to help my parents. He just watches them die. He even wants me dead. I would understand if he would want me dead but my parents. My parents. He didn't do anything to save them.

I could feel tears started to stream from my face. Prince Fraser leans down and tries to wipe the tears from my face, but I flinch, and I close my eyes. My mind keeps telling me that he would hurt me. That he will kill me.

I heard someone scoff. "Do you hate me this much, Csille?" It's Prince Fraser. The way he says those words. I know I hurt him...again.

I still close my eyes. I'm afraid I will start trembling again if I see him standing in front of me. I don't want to hurt him but what happened to my dreams definitely made a huge impact on me.

I hold Rufus' hand. "Take me out of here," I whispered at him.

Rufus got frozen for a moment before he assists me to stand up. "I'll just help Csille calm down first." He said to others before he starts to walk me to the tea room.

"I'll better go with you. It's better to have a Doctor with you," Leander volunteers to come with us.

I shake my head and hold Rufus' hands tightly. "Don't let him come with us," I whispered at Rufus.

"I'm sorry, Leander, but I think it will be best if you will stay here. Csille might get triggered again if we force her."

Rufus then continues to walk me to the tea room. I remain my head down. I don't want to see anyone. My head is still in chaos.

Rufus let me sit on the chair and pour me some tea to make me calm down. "Csille, what happened there? Why did you act like that?"

I look at the closed door and sigh. I tried my best to clear my mind, but the remnants of the dream keep replaying on my mind. I didn't know I can be traumatized just because of a dream.

"I-I had a dream."

I look at Rufus. It is only with him that I feel secure sharing my dreams. Also, I don't think he will find something wrong with the dream. I bet he will just tell me that everything is just a dream and I shouldn't worry much.

Rufus holds my hand. "Is it a nightmare?"

I nod my head at him. "Yes, I dream that something happened to the Lauretré family. The soldiers of the Vrawyth Kingdom start to look for us. One of the guards shot my father on his legs. And then I saw him." I started to tremble. "I saw Prince Fraser standing there. I ask him to help us, but he just pushes me. He told me he hates me, and he wishes he never met me." I am already crying hard while talking.

Rufus just caresses my back. He is sitting beside me. "What happened after?"

I shake my head. "The-then the guards started to threaten me. My father runs towards me to protect me, but the soldiers shot him. They shot him, Rufus," I hold tightly to his hand. It still hurts. "Then my mother asked me to run away. So, I run away while my mother blocks the soldiers that try to chase me, and then I saw..." I paused and sobbed. "I saw one of the guards shot my mother on her head. And Prince Fraser was just standing there. He didn't do anything to save my parents, Rufus. Then he asks one of his guards to kill me. I'm scared, Rufus."

I cling to his arms. My mind keeps telling myself that it is alright, that it is just a dream. But how can I calm down myself knowing that in the future, there's a big possibility that it can happen.

Rufus gently caresses my head. "Shh, calm down, purplany. It is just a dream. You do know Prince Fraser won't ever do that to you, right? He cares for you more than anyone else. He would never hurt you or hurt your parents. I assure you nothing will happen to your parents or even you. We won't let that happen, okay? So, calm down."

I try to calm myself down. Although the dream keeps lingering on my mind but I feel better now. It's probably because I told it to Rufus.

"Nothing will happen. I promise you that. Do you want to skip tonight's event?"

I look at Rufus. Do I want to skip tonight's event? Although I still don't feel okay. But I won't feel okay too if I just lock myself in my room. How can I bear to do that? Also, they need my help. Who will talk to Princess Roese if I don't attend the visit tonight? I'm sure Prince Reeve won't leave his little sister alone. Although they are doing something that could harm their parents, he is still a loving brother to his little sister.

I shake my head. "No, I'll join you. I just need some time to calm myself down. You go ahead now. I'm sure they are waiting for you."

Rufus looks like he is hesitating if he would leave or stay with me. He knows he is needed there, but he also knows Csille needs him. I smile at him. "I'm better now. Thanks to you. You can go now. I can handle myself. I will follow you after I calm myself down."

Rufus sigh and kiss the top of my head like he used to do when I was afraid where we were young.

"We will be waiting for you, purplany."