Abigail heard the doorknob turning and the sound of heels on the floor. A soft scent of roses filled the air. Before she opened her eyes, she knew it was her mother. 

“Abigail, wake up!” her mother said loudly, impatiently. 

Abigail realized that even if she pretended to be asleep, her mother would continue to stand there. Her mother hated to be ignored and would often start throwing things around her bedroom if she felt Abigail was ignoring her. Fortunately, those objects were never thrown directly at Abigail. 

 Abigail sat up, and Cosmo meowed due to the slight disturbance. However, he could continue his nap by moving slightly to the right. Abigail quickly glanced at him and was glad he was a deep sleeper. 

“Hello, mother,” said Abigail. Abigail could see her mother was upset. She stood near the foot of her bed with a stern expression. Her mother was going to interrogate her. Abigail hoped she could keep Duke Armara’s plot a secret until she could speak to her father. Her mother dealt with problems quickly and harshly. Abigail feared that her mother’s actions would further alienate the Armara family if she were to find out the truth from her. 

“Why did you decide to sleep in while the rest of your family was having dinner?” asked Queen Isabella. 

“I wasn’t feeling well. I just needed to rest a bit more,” said Princess Abigail.

“Rest. That’s the same excuse that you give us over and over. You are proving yourself to be lazy and inconsiderate of us all.” said Queen Isabella. 

“The doctor has told me that I need to rest occasionally. It was just for today, Mother,” said Princess Abigail. 

“What will happen if you need to rest tomorrow as well?” said Queen Isabella. 

“It won’t happen again, I promise. I was on my way to my study to complete some of my work,” said Princess Abigail.

“Make sure it does, and Abigail, please don’t lie to me. When I entered this room, you were sleeping. Hurry up and go to your study. Stay awake all night if you have to. I have also ordered the servants not to bring you food,” said Queen Isabella.

Princess Abigail acknowledged her mother’s words and walked to her study. It was ten o’clock in the evening, but she needed to finish the budget for Alfonso’s project and see the final details for the party at the orphanage. 

She approached her desk and saw a white envelope with Sir James’s initials. She was surprised he could find information quickly after sending him a note. She held the envelope in her hand and twirled it around using her fingers. She knew everything about Micheal now; there was no sense in fearing additional information. She opened the envelope. 

She read the letter from Sir James. Mr. Townsend supported the Amara family in this charade. Her grandmother had hired Mr. Townsend at least thirty years ago when he was twenty. He had lived his entire adult life inside the palace. Even his children and grandchildren were his servants in the castle. His eldest son had a prestigious position as one of the King’s secretaries—the first and only secretary from a commoner background. She could not understand why a faithful servant allowed a spy into the castle. 

Her grandfather always praised Mr. Townsend, and it was well-known that her grandfather mentioned him in his will. She continued reading the letter, and Sir James informed her he should have more information regarding Micheal’s life in the morning. 

Abigail sighed and thought, “There are so many mysteries.” She continued working until the sun rose and the sunshine rose over her father’s palace. She smiled and walked towards the balcony in her study. She was outside in the morning air and felt the morning breeze on her face. She saw the palace grounds but could not see the capital. She was destined to be the next queen of Patilum, and yet her life seemed to be within the palace's walls. Aside from a few excursions, mainly to the marketplace and the orphanage, she had never traveled outside its walls. Let alone outside of the capital. She wondered if, outside of the palace, there were people who would never betray her—honest people. 

She returned to her study. She did not want to get too lost in her thoughts. She felt incapable of dealing with the emotions behind them. 

She heard a knock on her study and saw the concerned faces of Alice and Naima. 

“Princess Abigail, why are you here? You should be resting,” said Naima. 

“I had a lot of work to do and rested yesterday. I’m done with my work now,” said Princess Abigail. 

“Princess Abigail, you work too hard. Remember what the doctor said: " You need to rest now and then,” said Alice.

“Of course. Naima and Alice, don’t worry. I am fine. Can you guys prepare my bath for me? I will join my family for breakfast this morning?” said Princess Abigail.  Alice and now Naima seem concerned for her. Abigail thought that maybe there were people inside the palace that she could trust. 

Abigail prepared to meet with her family. She hoped that her mother would recognize her efforts. 

She knew it was essential to demonstrate a strong work ethic since her father worked extremely hard, especially with the constant incidents of civil unrest. Her father had not discussed those events with her, but a few newspapers constantly reported on them. She also wondered why Duke Armara and his son decided to infiltrate the palace. Duke Armara was a constant presence in the palace. Could it be possible that Duke Armara was concerned and wanted to see how the royal family was dealing with the skirmishes across the kingdom?

She needed to speak with her father, and hopefully, she could find the perfect opportunity today. Before leaving, Princess Abigail checked her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes had dark circles under them, but she hoped her mother would not notice since Abigail managed to cover them up with makeup. She then noticed a strange figure in the mirror. It was dark and looked almost human. She turned around but could not see the figure. It was only in the mirror. She fought the urge to scream and left the room in a hurry. 

She caught her breath in the hallway. It must have been another shadow. She had to calm down. She could not show her mother another episode of weakness again. She took several deep breaths and focused on the lace pattern of her gloves. After a few minutes, she walked towards the dining hall. 

Her brothers were seated, but her parents were not there. It was unusual, and Princess Abigail asked her brothers, “Where are mom and dad?”. 

“We don’t know. I asked the maid, and they said that our mother was speaking with father in his office,” said Prince Alexander. 

At that moment, her mother walked in. Abigal remembered the old Patilum saying, “If someone shows up after being mentioned, they will have a long life.” Her mother always appeared whenever she or her brothers spoke about her. 

“Your father will not be joining us today. He has to travel for an important business event, and it will take several weeks for him to resolve that issue,” said her mother.  Her mother said this calmly and simply sat down to enjoy her meal. As soon as she sat down, the maids began to serve breakfast. When they left, Abigail and her siblings wanted to approach the topic of her father’s whereabouts. Fortunately, Alexander decided to broach the subject with their mother. 

“Why did father leave in such short notice?” asked Prince Alexander. 

“Abigail, shouldn’t you be the one asking this question? Alexander is always showing more initiative than you?” said Queen Isabella. 

Princess Abigail did not say anything in response, but her brothers could tell she was pretty disheartened by their mother’s reply.

“Since Abigail has decided to become mute. Your father decided it would be best to check on some eastern provinces. The mine we owned requires a bit of attention,” said Queen Isabella. 

“When would father be back?” asked Princess Abigail.

“Abigail, do you need to bombard me with questions today of all days?” said Queen Isabella. After a few minutes, Queen Isabella added, “ Your father will be in the east for two weeks. He has instructed everyone to carry out their duties, and I will handle all issues”.  

Abigail and her siblings nodded in agreement. After leaving the dining hall, Abigail realized she had missed her chance to speak with her father. Her father was in the east, and all communication was nearly non-existent in that area. She wished she had gone to meet him yesterday. Duke Armara was not an impulsive person by nature; there was still time. Plus, he was in the west and did not seem to be interfering with any of the southern nobles. 

Abigail returned to her study and was informed that Sir James awaited her.