Aurora didn't step out of her chambers for anything but lessons from the day Queen Elora insulted her.
Neither did Kate.
They couldn't stand sitting across from her and laughing and smiling without her cruel words echoing in their minds.
It had only been a few days since the incident, and Kate and she had already started a new tradition - meals were eaten in their undone bed with their maids and mentors.
One such day, they were watching the latest movie on vampires and werewolves, when they heard a knock on their door.
"Who's there?" Kate called out.
"Adelaide. Adelaide Summers," the voice said loudly. "You know, your arch enemy".
Aurora sighed and tumbled out of bed, and saw Adelaide waiting at the door, her hands crossed against her chest. She promptly walked in without any qualms and stared at what they were seeing and smirked.
"What?" Kate demanded.
"You're watching my movie," she said.
"WHAT?".
"Add a black wig, fake canines and quite a bit of prosthetics, and voila, you get what you see on the screen," Adelaide said, plopping onto the bed besides a nervous Grace.
Aurora stared at the screen, and then at Adelaide.
What she said actually made sense.
"I hate to admit it, Adelaide," Kate began with a pained expression. "But you actually act well".
Adelaide mock gasped. "What, me? And was that a compliment from the Katherine Harris? I feel like I've won an Oscar!".
"Yeah yeah," Kate said, waving her hand, though she had a small smile on her face.
"Why are you here, Adelaide?" Aurora asked, ruining the friendly moment.
"We'll come to that later. But what on earth are the two of you doing like this? We haven't seen you in days!" she exclaimed. "You mad at the Queen, fine, I totally hear you sister, but I mean come on. I miss making you guys mad".
"You WHAT?".
"Yeah, don't feel too flattered. And what on earth are those outfits?" Adelaide asked, eyeing their identical unicorn onesies.
"We have no events today, Adelaide. No incentive to dress up," Kate answered.
"Well you don't," Adelaide began slowly, taking some popcorn out of the overflowing paper bucket placed on the bed.
"Meaning?".
Adelaide sighed and looked at Aurora. "The Prince wants to take you out on a date".
Aurora stared at her with wide eyes.
The day had come.
She heard all the other women in the room squeal and saw Andrea trumping in with an outfit in her hands.
She threw it at Aurora, and pushed her into the bathroom.
Aurora could faintly hear Adelaide asking what they were doing watching movies and making light conversation with the others as she sat on the closed toilet seat, the dress clutched in her arms.
It was a short black dress with long sleeves. Aurora didn't want to wear it - her bruises would still be evident, but saw a pair of nude stockings nestled within it. She wore them quickly and walked out.
Kate squealed as she saw her, and began listing out instructions similar to Andrea. "Dark eyeshadow. Small curls on her face. Dark red lipstick".
"I see the Queen's choice fits you well, Aurora," Andrea said, looking at her approvingly.
"The Queen?" Aurora asked, rummaging through her closet before finding another dress. "I'm not wearing anything she gives".
Before the other women could protest, she changed and came out.
"Aurora. She's the Queen," Beth said.
"So I've been told," Aurora said, rolling her eyes.
"This is an insult to her, Aurora. You may want to change back," Adelaide said quietly.
"I don't care," Aurora said, realizing that she meant every word she said.
"Aurora!" Andrea hissed. "She could be hearing you right now".
Aurora laughed. "Right. Because stalking the conversations of a girl she so very nicely insulted is the only thing a Queen has to do".
Little did she know that Queen Elora was infact, listening to the proceedings from her chambers, flinching as she heard Aurora retort.
***
Aurora followed Adelaide's instructions and walked to the gardens, arriving at a secluded gazebo. There was a balcony above it, and it was truly charming - with carnation and rose bushes surrounding it, and creepers creeping around the pillars that held the gazebo.
A table had been set in the middle, laden with chocolates and strawberries and scones.
Prince Eric sat on one of the chairs and stood up as he saw her approach.
"Aurora," he said. "Long time no see".
Aurora curtsied and laughed, seating herself on the chair.
"How do you like it?" Eric asked hopefully.
"It's beautiful," she said, her eyes trailing to the colorful carnations that had bloomed.
Eric followed her line of vision and said, "I remembered. You said they were your favorite flowers".
Aurora smiled, recounting the memory of that day - it seemed like so long ago.
"I wish I could paint them," she murmured.
"And you can. This garden is always open to you," he said.
Aurora nodded her thanks and took a strawberry from the platter, nibbling it slowly.
"Elanor and Elodie said that they missed you," Eric said.
"I do too. Please tell them that they can come to my chambers anytime. If they don't want to, you can always say that I promised hot chocolate with extra marshmallows for Elanor and the same with peppermint candies on top of Elodie," Aurora said, laughing.
"I'm surprised you remembered," Eric said, smiling widely.
It was a smile that could make any woman swoon.
Everyone except Aurora.
"Ofcourse I do," she said, before leaning forward and talking more seriously. "Eric this is extremely romantic".
"Why thank you," he said, grinning at her.
"You didn't let me complete. Romantic for anyone but me," she said.
"Oh thank god," he said, completely taking Aurora back by surprise.
"What?".
"I never felt anything like that towards you as well," he explained. "I mean, you were super interesting and nice and all, but...".
"No spark," she completed.
"No spark," he agreed.
"Is it, you know, weird?" she asked. "I mean, I am part of the Selection and I think it's practically unheard of a Selected girl to not harbor any sort of feelings to the Prince".
"Nah," Eric said. "I feel the same way. More of... friends, I think".
"Exactly".
"So are you like you know... Do you like girls, or-?" he half asked.
"No No!" Aurora said, laughing. "Just because someone isn't interested in you romantically, it doesn't mean that they're lesbian, Eric".
The Prince smiled sheepishly. "Then why did you enter?".
"Well... I did it for the money, to be honest," she replied truthfully.
"Any sick relatives or-?".
"No, actually. I wanted the money so that I can pay for my education. I want to become a doctor, you know," she said.
Eric, thankfully, didn't ask her anything about her parents paying, and simply nodded.
Aurora suddenly heard the characteristic sound of the swish of a skirt, and whirled behind.
She could swear she saw a blue skirt make its way into the room connecting to the balcony above.
"What?" Eric asked.
"Nothing," she replied, sure that she had imagined what she had just seen. "You know the truth now. You going to eliminate me?".
"Heavens no! I'm keeping you till the last. I need a friend, you know," he said, before thoughtfully adding, "I also think there are a lot more annoying girls I can eliminate before I do the same to you".
"Gee thanks," she said. "So friends?".
"Friends," Eric confirmed, taking a large bite from the scone in his hand.
"So... Tell me about yourself," Aurora said, looking at him. "I've only heard of you from the tabloids, and both of us know how accurate they are".
"You first," Eric said.
"I'm eighteen. I'm from Kent," she said.
"Okay, let me put it like this. Something that's not from your file," Eric said.
Aurora let out a small sigh before answering. "Well... I'm terrified of swimming pools".
"Really?" Eric asked, laughing. "Why?".
"Childhood trauma," Aurora said, not elaborating, trying to grin back at him.
The face of her adopted mother flashed in her head.
"Your turn," she said.
"About me... Let's see. I have three siblings-".
"Three?" Aurora asked.
"I shouldn't have told you that," Eric said, panicking.
"It's okay, I'm not going to ask you anything more," she said, raising her hands in surrender, despite feeling very curious.
He had three siblings?
She thought his only siblings were Elanor and Elodie.
There was a short pause and he rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "I had a twin".
"Had?".
"Or have. We honestly don't know," he said slowly.
Aurora just looked at him.
"She was born eleven minutes before me. Eleventh of everything actually. She was born in the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of the century," Eric said, laughing sadly.
Aurora didn't speak a word.
"Both of us were born preterm. By twenty weeks, actually. Her lungs were underdeveloped and I was jaundiced when we were born. We had to spend a few months in the NICU," Eric said. "We were getting better, or rather, she was getting better. One day, my parents were informed that she was completely alright, and when they rushed to the palace hospital, she was gone. There was no trace or evidence as to how she had vanished. Just gone".
"The public doesn't know about this, do they?" Aurora asked.
"Of course not. They thought only one child was born. Me," he said.
"Weren't efforts made to find her?" she asked.
"We had nothing to go on. We knew nothing about her, except for the fact that she had brown eyes, similar to my father," Eric said. "And we can't go about searching and interrogating every brown eyed girl, can we? And besides, since we were so ill when we were born, no pictures, no DNA, nothing was taken. Officially, she doesn't even exist".
"Do you wish to see her? Or know her? Since she's the true heir to the throne..." Aurora trailed off.
Eric looked at her defensively. "Of course! I haven't met or known her, but she's my everything. We've known each other since before we were even born. If we ever find her, by any chance, I'll happily step aside and let her rule".
"Is that why there's such a big age gap between you and the younger twins?" she asked.
"Yes," Eric said, nodding at her. "Mother was quite depressed for many years after we lost my sister. It took her a long time to become normal again".
No wonder Queen Elora had struck as a sad person to her when they first met.
There was a long pause.
"You truly are a good person, Eric," Aurora said. "What was her name?".
"Ella. We were Eric and Ella," he said, almost dreamily.
"Wait -," Aurora began, determined to lighten the mood. "Your family comprises of an Edward, Elora, Eric, Ella, Elanor and Elodie?".
Eric's face broke into a smile. "Yeah. Don't ask me why my parents were that crazy".
"And... And there are two sets of twins in your family! You know how rare that is?" she asked.
"Don't even get me started. My father has two younger brothers - twins - who are Dukes in Illea, and even my mother has an identical twin," he said.
Aurora gasped loudly. "You mean to tell me that there's a person who looks exactly like your mother, terrorizing people in her stead?".
"Terrorizes is a strong word, but yes. Aunt Elena looks exactly like my mother. But she's nothing like her. She's more fun loving than my mother, and my father often tells me that that is how my mother used to be before... well everything," Eric replied.
"Wait another E?" she asked, before gasping again. "And by Aunt Elena you mean Queen Elena of Italy?".
"Kind of, yes," he said.
"I think I'm going to have a stroke," Aurora muttered, falling back into her chair.
"You'll meet her soon enough. She'll be coming for my parents' twentieth anniversary celebration in two weeks," he said, shrugging.
"Great," Aurora mumbled. "Now there's going to be two of them".
Eric roared with laughter and threw a napkin at her. "You have chocolate on your cheek".
Aurora sat straight and touched her cheek.
She frowned. "No I don't".
"Well... Now you do," he said, throwing a piece of melted chocolate on her face.
"Eric!" she said, laughing, taking some of the chocolate in her hand as well.
"Catch me if you can!" he said, scampering away.
Aurora ran behind him, and caught up to him quickly, smearing the chocolate all over his face.
His blue eyes twinkled as he lightly touched her arm and said, "Come on. I want to show you something".