𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 1: 𝓣𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓑𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓻𝓷, 𝓓𝓾𝓼𝓽𝔂 𝓟𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓼

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July 28, 2019

"Your majesty you have no idea how much it means that you agreed to walk with me," 

I turned to the young girl, now the Empress of the First American Empire, who strode alongside me through the palace halls. 

"Of course Hannah," I replied, my voice slick with the posh British accent that had stuck with me all these years, "So tell me... what do you seek to speak to me about?"

She sighed and neatly folded her hands in front of her, "Advice is what I seek majesty... you have so much experience and I require guidance," 

"Guidance? From me? Well... your position is more ceremonial than not... you should be asking my husband about this anxiety you have, not I," 

"I could easily... but you are my hero and I have always wanted to speak to you about this issue,"

I nodded, "I see... follow me..." 

I led Hannah down the hall towards where my old bedroom was. When we reached it, I let her in. 

"You may look around before we talk," 

Hannah walked around, her long dress swishing at her feet. She peered over the ancient, rustic wood of the furniture. She approached the nightstand and picked up a photo frame and looked over it. 

"Is this what you looked like your majesty?" 

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"Is this what you looked like your majesty?" 

I approached her side, "Oh my those were the good days... back before I let the wrinkles and graying win... I was told I was one of the most beautiful girls in the world... though I refused to believe it. There were far prettier girls, princesses, duchesses, even commoners more catching than I," 

"Nonsense... your husband had great standards majesty..." Hannah replied before setting the photo, now a relic of a bygone era, down on the nightstand. 

I sat down on the edge of the bed and beckoned Hannah over. Before she sat down, I heard a thump, catching both of our attention. Hannah knelt down and stood back up with a leather-bound book in hand. 

"What is that?" I asked.

"I am unsure," 

I held out my palm and the girl handed it to me. I blew some of the dust off of it, revealing some of the gold letterings. I carefully cleaned the rest of it off, and the words 'Journal' was carved on the cover. I carefully peeled back the spine of the book, and it cracked open. On the inside sleeve, the words in messy ink: "Property of Princess Josephine" were inscribed. 

When I saw the writing on the first page I shut the book in a hurry. I thought I had lost this oh so long ago... was it here? The entire time?

"What is it majesty?" Hannah asked.

"It is the journal that I started when I was ten... I lost it when I was sixteen... I kept multiple journeys..." 

"Really?" 

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