Tonight was the first Memorial for them both. Today started off seemingly normal. Lynn was watching the ocean from the balcony when Stella came in. Lynn stood in front of her and the old fashion designer began to make measurements for Lynn's newest riding dress.
Stella could already see the fatigue in Lynn's eyes. "Did you sleep well last night?" Lynn sighed and shook her head. "That'll be a no. My little sister spent the whole night fantasizing about Charles. I bet she makes him put earplugs in when he's guarding the door with how loudly she fawns over him. Oh and I forgot, the light was on too."
Stella chuckled at Lynn's annoyance. "Well, Charles is very important to Reilly. If you don't mind me saying, I believe this is her first time being in love with an actual good man."
Reilly walked in with a scowl on her face. "Heard that Stella." The girls laughed together as Reilly situated herself on the edge of her bed. "Another thing that kept me up was finding out that Kiara's coming back in three days."
Reilly took out a notebook and began sketching. "I'm nervous about that too. But I hope she's changed." Lynn sighed. "You have too much faith in her Reilly. The last thing she said was that she hated us. Didn't want to come to the funeral. Not even one letter in the past year."
Stella turned to look at Reilly. "Maybe your sister turned over new leaf. What's that you're working on Reilly?" she asked. Reilly stood up and showed them both the the drawing. "It's something I started this morning after I came out of the portal." Reilly
Stella looked surprised. "This is Lady Allie's dress I made for the reception." Lynn and Reilly's eyes widened. Reilly however seemed particularly shocked. "I never knew that." She said. "Stella, these past few weeks when I went into the portal, I saw flashes of a girl wearing this dress and you're telling me it was meant for Allie?"
Before Stella answered the question, a handmaid entered their room. "The Queen has requested the presence of the Crown Princess Mary Lynn, the Princess Reilly Réne and Lady Stella O'hara."
Reilly silently panicked in her head. She did not want to hear what I had to say. She knew it would be the same depressing speech all over again. "Now? Oh no. No, no, no. Not now. Lynn, you'll have to go without me." She quickly grabbed her things and latched onto her six-foot bodyguard. "Charles and I will be spending our day in the village. Besides, we need new flowers for the memorial tonight. Let's go Charles." She gave a painful smile as she practically dragged Charles down the hall.
After that weird goodbye, Lynn, Stella and the handmaid walked to the gardens where I was waiting for her. When I saw Lynn coming up in the distance I rushed to her and tightly embraced her. "Finally. I was getting worried." I pulled away from her and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Thank the Galaxy you're safe." Lynn looked at me in an almost annoyed way. "Why wouldn't I be safe? Because of you, Reilly and I share a room that's more secure than the royal vault."
"I know. But of course there's always work to be done." I wrapped my arm around her and we started walking. "Which is why I was hoping that you and Reilly would help your poor big sister finish securing the kingdom. Which begs the question, where is our little sister?"
Lynn answered me. "She's out with Charles in the village. She said she was getting flowers but I bet they're making out." I sighed heavily knowing that Lynn was just teasing poor Reilly. "Then we'll have to make do without her." We got to the throne room where Donna was waiting for us. "Donna, could you please show my little sister to her room and see that she's properly ready for tonight's memorial?" I turned to face Lynn "Then you can meet me in the conservatory."
Once Lynn started to walk away with Donna, Stella, gave me a confused look. "Work to do? Secure the kingdom? What are you talking about Natalia?" I gave her a serious look. "I don't want to alarm my sisters until I'm certain, but there is something moving through the mirror. Something evil."
While drunk at a fitting, Amber told Donna and Stella the royal secret. When she got sober, she threatened them with immediate execution and they knew to keep thier mouths shut. As much as Amber saw them as sisters, the royal secret was more important. Even Donna and Stella agreed. Since Stella knew, I felt safe with discussing the night before.
"No. It can't be. Please don't tell me you're talking about that, that monster. He's still alive!?" My answer was a nod and a serious look in my eyes.
Stella covered her mouth in shock. "Oh no. If Lynn or Reilly go into the mirror, he'll surely kill them. Or worse." Stella breath hitched stooping her from talking about that possibility. I lowered my eyes, she was right to be afraid of both outcomes. "I know. I placed the mirror under heavy security. No one but me is to go in that room."
Stella took my hands and looked at me pleadingly. "I insist you tell the guards to bring Reilly to the castle. She should be with you and Lynn." I shook my head at her. "No Stella. For now, she might be safer in the village. Especially with Charles."
In said village, Reilly and Charles were in the florist shop. They already filled five baskets worth of red roses. "This was Amber's favorite flower. I know Natalia is covering everything in black so hopefully this will add a pop of color." Charles nodded at her. "My Lady, if I may be so bold as to ask, why didn't you order the Royal Florist to get the roses?" Reilly shook her head.
"I wanted to get out of there Charles. Some days the air is so thick, I can barely breathe. The atmosphere is just so gloomy and depressing. And I already know what Natalia's going to say. I don't want to hear or feel that sorrow. Never again." Charles nodded at her again. "I understand my Lady."
"I'm also a bit on edge because something took me out of focus of the future. I only saw up until the memorial. But hasn't happened since, oh no. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about it!" As Reilly was hyperventilating, Charles gently grabbed her face and stared into her eyes intensely. "Look at me. It's going to be alright my Lady."
Reilly was completely transfixed on his eyes. She couldn't stop staring into them. "Can we stay here a little longer, please Charles?" He smiled at her. "I could never deny your request, my Lady." Reilly flushed then took his hand and they walked out of the florist into the hustle and bustle of the Kingdom's village.
Lynn's POV
In the Palace, Donna was giving me a run through of what was going to happen at the memorial. A loud bang was heard outside my door and when I looked to see what it was, thee guards were picking up a metal gate. Once they picked it up they began to move again. Usually that kind of gate was meant for the outside if the castle. What was it doing being taken inside?
I walked out of my bedroom and addressed them. "What is going on? Where are you taking that?" After they bowed before me, the older one spoke first. "That is confidential information your grace." I cocked my head. "Is something wrong?" Almost nothing was a secret in this castle. And it was very uncommon for a guard to keep something hidden form a member of the royal family. "None whatsoever. We are under orders from her majesty the Queen." The men bowed again and quickly walked down the hall.
I turned to Donna. "Natalia never kept anything from us. Why would she start now?" I wondered. I wanted answers and I was going to get them. "Donna, I'm following them." Donna's widened in panic. She grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me back into the bedroom. "No you cannot. You must stay here Lynn. You cannot go anywhere in this Palace alone! I forbid it!" As hard she pulled, it was in vein. I got my hand out her grip and Donna fell to her knees in defeat.
I couldn't believe her audacity. Holding me back like I was a baby and not the nineteen year old Princess of Zodious. I started down at her sternly. "You are in no position to order me around Donna. I will follow them and you will stay here. Understood?"
"Yes your grace." Donna bowed her head.
I walked out and began to levitate. Flying above the men until they stopped at the door to the astrology room. Why would Natalia want this locked away? I floated down and hid behind the wall. As I leaned back a bit, the wall moved back. I gasped in surprise. A secret door. Grandma Jennifer always loved to play hide and seek with Great Aunt Ava. The Leo in her must've made her so competitive to win that she had hidden places installed that only she knew.
I opened the door as quietly as I could. Now inside of the astrology room, I could barley see a thing. All of the windows were gated and boarded up. There were only patches of light here and there. I heard rustling behind me. I was now on my guard. No one was here right? Right
"Is someone there?" I now stood face to face with an object covered by a black silk sheet. The silk sheet seemed to move on its own. Coming down to revel a mirror. Amber's mirror. I haven't seen it since the storm. How was it still intact?
I stepped closer and placed my hand upon it. Thing back to the wedding. The storm. My sister and law. "Allie." I whispered somberly. I missed her so much.
After I said her name, I heard a clang of something dropping to the floor next to me. I bent down to see what it was.
A silver ring. With an infinity symbol made of blue crystals. I've seen this ring before. What in the Galaxy was happening?
After spending a few more hours in the village, Reilly and Charles returned to the Palace. When she had finished up her makeup, that's when I rushed in. "Reilly! Look what I just found!" Before Reilly could look at her, Stella barged in. "What are you girls doing in here?" She asked. "The memorial is about to start, you can't be late for these things!" She added as she took us by the shoulder and walked us out.
At the memorial, Reilly was right. The red roses added the biggest pop of color to the all black and gray Memorial. Even though Natalia was wearing a thick veil, I felt like the people could see her tear stained face. She loved and understood Amber and Allie the most. When they died everyone lost a part of themselves but it was worse for Natalia.
The memorial was as Reilly saw it. Depressing, sorrowful and long. But as soon as it was over, Reilly took my hand and sped to our room. "Before we were interrupted, you said you found something." I nodded and showed her the ring. Made by the Royal Jeweler.
"I was in the astrology room. I looked into Amber's mirror and it just appeared out of nowhere." Reilly looked at the ring a bit longer until she realized who it belonged to. "It's Allie's engagement ring." Reilly gasped in realization. Looking closer at the ring. "So I was right. This is a sign." She then faced me. "Lynn, I think Allie is still alive." Lynn's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about!?"
She then began to pace back and forth. "After the storm, I kept on having dreams. And it wasn't just some girl. It was Allie, out there, screaming for our help. I thought they were only nightmares until today. And what you said about the mirror." She stooped pacing and faced me "Last month in the portal, I went into Natalia room and I saw her come out of Amber's mirror."
Lynn still had a shocked expression on her face. "She went into Amber's mirror. So that means Allie's ring came out of the mirror. How are either of those things possible?"
a sharp knock on our door took us out of our train of thought. Scaring us. Lynn opened the door. It was Natalia. She didn't look like she had any good knew to tell us.
"What I'm going to say, I wish wasn't true." She took a deep breath and continued. "Jax is still alive."
as scared as I was hearing that, I turned my head to my little sister. I knew she felt the most guilt for what happened. Her biggest fear had come true. Reilly's face had paled and her breathing was getting heavier. "No. No, no." Her voice sounding more broken the more she spoke. Tears had started to form in her eyes and Reilly began to hyperventilate.
"NO!!" Reilly screamed in fear, terror and dread. That murderer. That monster. He never died. sinking to her knees and holding her head she continued to panic. I rushed to her aid but it didn't soothe her. "Reilly, look at me! It's going to be ok!" I tried to get to her. Her panic attack was blocking me out.
Nothing was working. Natalia was getting fed up. She pulled me away from our little sister and faced her. "Reilly, stop!" She yelled. Natalia reared her hand back and slapped her across the face. That was a trick she learned from Amber. Whenever we panicked, Amber used force as a last result to get us back together. It wasn't the best method but it worked.
Realizing what she had done Natalia backed away. Now holding her now red cheek, Reilly turned to face her big sister. "Where is he!?" Reilly shouted.
"For now, he's trapped. In a realm called the world of reflections. I was going to tell you both when you became the heirs, but it's too late. It's time I tell you the royal secret."