It didn’t take long for Mother to get Abigail’s identity from me. Surprisingly she forced me into the car and ordered the driver to take us to the castle.

“I don’t know why you’re bothering. She told me she doesn’t want me. She had her guards take me away.” I say still snuggled in the blankets from my bed.

“I’m not going to let my daughter waste her life as a depressed mess,” Mother says, “Especially if there is a chance, we could be royalty.”

So that’s what this is about. I laugh bitterly, “Even if she wanted me, we couldn’t be together. It’s against the law.”

Mother let out an exasperated sigh, “The king is just an old bastard. After what he did to that girls Mother he should be bowing at her feet.”

I look at her shocked. Mother would never say anything bad about the king. “What happened?” I ask.

Mother looked – for lack of better word – pissed, “When the king was still a prince he was in my graduating class. Of course, his family hosted his Moon Light Ball and everyone was invited. By the end he still hadn’t found a mate. He was an arrogant narcissistic man and that was only fueled by his father’s remarks that he should have the most beautiful woman who attended the party. That woman was Abigail’s mother, Arabella. Arabella had found her own mate pretty early in the dance, and the two girls had escaped to the court yard to be alone. He had his guards ambush the girls. He drug Arabella’s mate to the dungeons and used her as blackmail to get what he wanted, even a daughter. Arabella could see this was killing her mate and made a plan for them to escape with her daughter. In the end Arabella’s mate escaped, but she was killed, and her daughter was hidden away.” Throughout the story Mother’s face seems to grow older and sadder.

“Did you know the girls?” I ask.

Mother laughs bitterly, “I suppose you could say that.”

“Is that why she doesn’t like me?” I ask.

“I’m sure she’s afraid to lose you.” Mother says, “It hurts to lose a mate. A pain I hope you never feel.”

“So, it’s easier to just push me away?” I ask angerly.

“I guess she figures if she doesn’t have you in the first place, she can’t lose you.” Mother says.

“If you think all that, why would you make me go to her now?” I ask.

“Because the time you have together is the more precious than you can imagine.” Mother says.

The ride to the castle is shorter than normal. Probably because I don’t want to come. I want to see Abigail again, but I don’t know what she will say. She will probably reject me all over again. We came for nothing. The guards don’t stop our car at the gate. Unsurprising. Mother has brunch here a lot with some of the other women her age.

We exit the car and Mother leads me right up the stairs into the castle. She walks me through the maze of hallways. Somehow, we don’t meet another soul until we turn the last corner to Abigail’s room.

“I thought I made it clear you were to stop coming here or I would have you thrown back into the dungeon.” The king says looking at Mother, his right-hand gripping Abigail’s forearm. Her dress is torn and one of her eyes is black.