Spare us.

Endless scrolls were scattered around the tables and my ladies-in-waiting were scattered around them. We all were reading, trying to find something even remotely close to it but nothing.

I had hoped for something that would bring us a little bit closer to the matter at hand but I had received nothing. I had read every scroll that could tell us about any animal or a future calamity but I found nothing.

Now, my hope was the Nostradamus.

Someone knocked on it and Dorothy went ahead to open it. "It's the guard sent for Nostradamus, your highness."

I nodded and we all straightened ourselves.

"Your Highness," he bent his knee. "I bring bad news to you."

"Is he not available?" Where could he go?

He shook his head, his eyes still down. "He is. . . gone, your highness. Vanished, the neighbors say. No one has seen him for the last month or two."

That made me tenser. "Just gone like that? How could no one see him?"

The guard stayed silent.

"Alright then." I dismissed the guard and he bowed once again before leaving.

Where could he go and how was it that no one saw him leaving? He was a frail man that walked slowly and needed the assistance of a stick. Then how was it that he disappeared and no one was aware of it?

One night I stepped out of the castle and all the mysteries of the world were brought upon me.

Wait, why me? I looked at Dorothy, "Call Estelle here. Tell her it is a matter of grave importance."

She nodded and left and I eyed the scrolls in front of me. Territories, war strategies from my grandfather's time, lands distributed across the country, the history of states, and the lords and ladies of the states. We had almost everything in this library and laid out in front of me. Then how was it that there was nothing to warn me about the calamity to come?

Dorothy came in and by looking at her face I could tell that Estelle had refused.

"That's it." I gathered my skirts and stood up. The others did too and fixed my clothing. "We are going to her. I have had enough of tantrums."

Knocking on her door, her lady in waiting opened it and pushed her aside. My sister was sitting at the writing-table and did not bother to look behind her to know that it was me.

"What is wrong with you?" My words cut through the formalities I followed as a soon-to-be queen and it shocked everyone.

"I said no." She said without looking behind me.

"Hah! And here I am." I throw my hands up and shake my head. "We could have a war, people are coming into our country and you—"

She rolled up the scroll and handed it to the lady in waiting. "Give to the man outside." She took and walked past me, only for me to snatch it.

"Genevieve!"

I didn't reply and opened it to read it. I read the words written and disappointment was the only feeling I felt towards Estelle. I rolled it back up and walked to the candle. Keeping it on the edge I burned it as my sister watched.

I held it IN my hands as it burned. "This is what your actions are going to cost us in the future. It would have burnt us to the ground!"

Estelle's face twisted into an ugly expression that I had not seen since Mira wed our father. "What am I supposed to do then?! Everything just seems to be out of my control!" She yelled at the top of her voice. "I have no inkling of what to do next and this is the only solution that I could think of."

I sighed looking at the eldest sister of mine whom I had always looked up to. She had no idea of what Prince Lysar had told me and yet she seemed caged.

If knowing that people were brought illegally into our country from somewhere else put her in such misery then I could only imagine what would the entire creatures of the night conversation do to her.

"Everyone except Merilyn and Taria, leave." Everyone rushed out and Estelle continued to glare at me.

I stepped closer to her and commanded, knowing well that my request would no longer work on her. "I happened to know a lot of information and that has made my resolve to go to Lethoris even stronger. I am not going to ask you to come with me because you are in no state to do so, instead, I want you to cover up for me."

She arched an eyebrow at that. "What?" She was not expecting that.

"Yes," I repeated. "I will go with my friends and ladies that I trust. You on the other hand will stay here and excuse my presence for whatever you want to say but I am warning you, Estelle," my stare changed into a glare as I stepped closer to her. "What you just did should never be repeated. I understand that you feel tense regarding situations but if you ever dream of becoming a queen you must handle the situations in a better way and if not, you can let Augustus drain the country. I think my mother would understand."

My words had brought tears into my sister's eyes but I did not care anymore. If she ever thought to become the queen then she had to make decisions that would affect her a lot more than this.

I turned to look at Taria on my way out, "Her Highness needs to rest. Make sure she does." She nodded to my room.

I lied on my bed with my legs dangling off the end. I was disappointed in my sister and my father. It was the worst day ever.

"What was in it?" I heard the curious voice of Marilyn as quiet as a mouse. She sounded scared that I might lash out in anger at her.

I sighed roughly but chose to answer her anyway, "She was begging the King of lethoris to take pity on us and . . . spare us from the war." My eyes burned at the words I recalled that were written there. I was...

I was thankful for the fact that no one talked after I revealed the information. The silence was all I needed as I cried for what my sister thought of us.