Heroes of the Moment

In the smoke room, where Augustus and several men were enjoying their time together with some bourbon and cigars. Talks of business and politics were exchanged, promising deals yet to be fulfilled. Echoes of their laughter filled the room.

"Sir," a servant approached Augustus.

"Oh, yes, what is it?" asked Augustus as he put his cigar on a golden ashtray, leaning to the side of his comfy chair.

"The Master-At-Arms is wishing to speak with you. It's about your daughter, sir."

His head shot up at the mention of his daughter, causing him to cough. Waving the others off who asked about his well-being, he excused himself as he rose from the chair and walked with the young man out into the hallway, where the Master-At-Arms stood with a man he had never seen before.

"I apologize for disturbing you, sir," said the Master-At-Arms. "But it would seem the matter is urgent."

Augustus turned to the man, "Ah, yes, something about my daughter."

Taylor stepped forward, "Mr. Cornelius, we need to find your daughter and get her to a safe place!"

Augustus was taken back by his serious but slightly desperate tone.

"What is this about?" he demanded.

"Someone is after your daughter. Possibly to kill her."

"Her kill?" his eyes widened, and his heart sank at what he was hearing. "Why?"

"I do not know. All I know is that a man is after her, and if we do not find her, he'll get to her."

The Master-At-Arms eyed him with suspicion, "How do you know this? For all we know, you could be the one trying to get to her."

Taylor turned to him, his face turning red, "If I had wanted to get to her, I wouldn't have exposed myself like this to do it," he turned back to Augustus. "Keep me here where you can see, if you must, but get your daughter to a safe place and have her guarded at all times. If he hasn't made a move already, he will soon."

"Who?!" the Master-At-Arms demanded.

Taylor found himself at a loss, knowing that he couldn't tell them everything. So, he went with the story that was closest to the truth.

"Unofficially, I'm on the hunt for a rogue operative who's only allegiance is to the highest bidder."

"What's his name?"

Prometheus, Taylor mentally answered but-

"I don't know his real name. I don't even know what he looks like."

"And we're supposed to believe you? You just said that you don't know what he looks like!"

Taylor's frustration grew, "Which is all the more reason to find her!" He kept his eyes focused on Augustus. "Sir, please. All I'm asking is that you find her. If I'm wrong, then she's more than safe. But if I'm right, then at least she'll be safe under your terms."

Augustus stared at him, seeing no hint of trickery or lie in his eyes. Deep inside him, he felt the desire to listen.

"Master-At-Arms!" he declared, turning to the official. "Have some men accompany us to find my daughter. We'll check the dining room first."

Nodding, the official turned to the man down the hall, shouting orders to him.

/

As Lily leaned on a red pipe, she managed to catch her breath and recollect herself, allowing for her emotions to calm. Looking towards the rails and into the darkness beyond, she approached and placed her hands on the cold railings for support.

Looking down, she could make out the dark ocean, wondering how cold it was in those waters. Her imagination getting to her head, she shivered.

From behind the man who was following her took out a mask, sunglasses, and a pair of gloves. Once putting them on and making sure they were alone, he began to approach her, carefully moving without making a sound.

/

Despite the Master-At-Arms protesting the decision, Augustus demanded that Taylor be brought along, while making sure they had enough men for back up.

They entered the dining room, which was still almost full. Everyone turned towards them, already whispering amongst themselves with curiosity and concern. Approaching the table where Rebekka and her friends were, they found that Lily was already gone.

"What's going on?!" Rebekka demanded as she rose from her seat, worry written on her expression.

Augustus frowned, "Where's Lily?"

"She... she already left," she answered, her worry rising.

"Where did she go?!" he demanded.

"I... don't know..." she almost whispered. "Gus, what's wrong?"

"Ma'am," Taylor stepped forward, not caring if he was out of line. "We need to find her! Did she say anything about where she was going?"

"Hey!" the Master-At-Arms grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to back up. "Do not speak!"

Taylor glared at him but said nothing.

"Um... sir?" said a voice from behind them.

They turned to find a servant, a young woman who was holding a tray of drinks.

"I..." her voice shook, feeling uneasy with so eyes now on her. "... I saw Miss Cornelius heading towards the stern of the ship. She looked to be distressed."

"The stern?!" Augustus cried out.

Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. Unable to control himself, he charged forward, passing everyone before pushing through the double doors and into the hallway. He could hear the Master-At-Arms and several of his officers yelling directly at him, but he paid no mind.

Instead, he sprinted down the hallway and onto the deck, almost running into a couple as he did so. Turning to the direction of the stern, he began to regain his momentum, running as fast as he could. He berated himself for not having his firearm but quickly pushed the thought far from his mind.

/

As Lily looked up towards the stars, she felt a sense of calm and marveled at how beautiful they looked. She wished her painting tools were with her, so she could lose herself to drawing the night sky, without a city around her to disturb their beauty.

Unknown to her, the man slowly approached and was just within five feet of her. Reaching forward, he waited for the right moment, and lunged forward, grabbing her mouth with one hand and wrapping his other arm around her waist.

Lily's eyes widened and her heart started pounding against her chest like a drum. She couldn't comprehend what was going on, but she started to react in any way she could. She tried grabbing at the person who was restraining her. She kicked and tried to scream but found that the glove prevented her from doing so.

Raw fear ran through her, feeling as if she was being suffocated on the inside as she was on the outside. She could only see the stars above, no longer feeling that sense of calm like she did just seconds ago. All she felt was the need to survive but panicked that she couldn't find a way to do so. Tears filled her eyes, clouding her vision.

Suddenly, the man forced her towards the railings and onto the cold steel bars, which pressed into her. She began to fear that the pressure he was applying would break her ribs and chest, but was met with panic as she felt him remove his hand from her mouth and pick her up by her legs.

It dawned on her what was doing and she let out an ear-piercing scream as she was tossed over the railings. Acting out on reflect and instinct, she grabbed for anything and felt the cold bars of the railings. Squeezing her hands, she wrapped them around the steel and held on tight, not daring to let go. 

However, she felt the impact of the steel wall against her, sending a shock throughout her body as she collided with it. It almost caused her to let go but she held on strong, knowing what awaited her down below.

She cried out in pain and fear, "HELP!!!"

The man almost walked away until he heard her cry out, forcing him to turn around. He sighed, shaking his head in frustration as he rushed forward, prepared to use his strength to push her off the railings.

/

After his peaceful moment under the stars had been interrupted, Jon was curious and suspicious of the young man who ran by the bench, especially when seeing a man following after her.

At first, he thought it was either a couple or some family dilemma, but something felt off about the man. He questioned why he wasn't running after her if she was in such a distressed state. The thought occurred to him that maybe he didn't know, but that didn't feel right either.

Keeping his distance, he followed after the two, wishing to satisfy his desire to know if everything was alright. He was fully prepared to walk away the moment he got the slightest confirmation that nothing was wrong. But deep down, he felt uneasy.

Once coming around the corner, he was met with a shocking sight as the man was picking up the young woman and tossing her over the railings. Her ear-piercing scream made him freeze, especially when she hit the side of the stern, just managing to hold on to the bars.

"HELP!!!"

Coming to his sense, he realized that the man was going to push her off and he charged forward.

Hearing him, the man turned attempted to strike him, but Jon tackled him into the railings, causing him to cry out. Tightening his fists, he began to punch him in the ribs, almost making him fall down.

"PLEASE, HELP ME!!!"

Jon's eyes widened as he turned to the young woman, seeing that she was already beginning to slip. He rushed forward, managing to grab a hold of her arms, stopping her from falling into the ocean below. It took all of his strength to keep ahold of her, feeling the cold steel of the railings against his ribs as he held onto her for dear life.

"I've got you!" Jon grunted.

Lily looked up into his eyes, finally realizing his presence. She cried out as her feet failed to find any solid foundation to stabilize herself.

The man got to his feet, turning to the two. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a knife and approached them.

Jon saw this from the corner of his eye, while Lily let out another ear-piercing scream. He knew that if he let go, the woman would fall into the ocean and drown before they could stop the ship to save her. Just the weight of her dress would submerge her.

Closing his eyes, he kept a firm grip on the woman, preparing for the stabbing.

"JON!!!"

A figure collided with the man, causing him to crash into railings once again.

Opening his eyes, Jon turned to see Taylor, almost smiling until he remembered the young woman who was dangling from the stern in terror. He turned back to her and cried out, "Push yourself up!"

Hearing his words, Lily began to calm herself down and nodded, "Alright!"

Bringing his leg up, Taylor kicked the knife out of the man's hands, causing it to fall over the edge and into the ocean.

Left without a weapon, the man got into a defensive position and put up his arms, forming fists. Seeing this, Taylor did the same, just in time as the first punch was thrown. Barely blocking the attack, he cringed at the pain on his arm but ignored it, blocking another punch to the right side of his ribs. But was met with surprise as the man immediately responded with a kick to his opposite side.

The kick hit his ribs, causing him to stumble. Seeing his chance, the man threw more punches, managing to strike his stomach.

Taylor moved his arms to block the attacks, saving himself from fatal injuries, but felt the impact of a punch against his head when leaving himself defenseless. His vision became blurry and incoherent, but regained focus upon hearing Jon struggling to pull Lily back over the railings.

Narrowing his eyes at the man, he put his fists back up, blocking another punch. Seeing a second kick coming from the side, he managed to grab ahold of it and brought his other arm down, striking just above the knee.

The man cried out in agony, just managing to free his leg from his grip.

Not daring to let him recover, Taylor acted quick and swung his fist directly at the side of his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

Meanwhile, Jon had just managed to pull Lily up, just enough for her to get her leg onto the first railing, but was too slippery, causing her to fall back over and almost lost her grip. He quickly realized that he was going to lose her until another pair of hands reached down and grabbed ahold her, just barely stopping her descent into the ocean.

Jon turned to find Taylor by his side, slightly bleeding.

"On three!" he shouted to him.

Recovering quickly, he reaffirmed his hold on Lily while Taylor began, "One!"

Jon put his foot on the railing.

"Two!"

They both prepared themselves, physically and mentally.

"THREE!"

They pulled at the same time, managing to swing her over the railing and into the air. She crashed into Jon, making him stumble backward and onto the ground. She went with him, her body on top of his. Taylor just barely managed to keep his balance, stumbling a bit.

As both Jon and Lily caught their breath, the adrenaline and excitement subsided, and they slowly began to realize the position they were in, causing them to blush.

Lily quickly got up to her feet in seconds, followed by Jon.

Taylor turned to the man lying on the ground, making sure he had vanished during the commotion, before turning back to Jon.

"You good?"

Jon nodded, panting, "Yeah. Thanks for the save."

Taylor waved him off before bringing his hand to his head, realizing that he was slightly bleeding, "Don't mention it."

From around the corner, the Master-At-Arms appeared, along with some officers.

"What in the bloody hell is going on here?!" one of them demanded.

Taylor turned to the masked man on the ground, "Don't worry. We stopped him."

The Master-At-Arms glared at him, "We?" Then he turned to Jon, "And who are you?!"

Augustus appeared from behind them, panting. His eyes lit up upon seeing his daughter in a distressed state, rushing towards her.

"Thank God, you're alright!" he embraced her with a tight hug.

Although slightly embarrassed with others watching, Lily hugged him back, feeling a wave of emotions hit her like a wave. She began to cry as she tightened her grip and rest her head against his shoulder, not daring to let him go.

Everyone observed this before turning back to the man on the ground.

The Master-At-Arms approached Taylor, glaring at him, "Just what happened here!"

Looking back at him, he sighed, "Turns out, I was correct. Someone was trying to kill Miss Cornelius."

He motioned towards the masked man on the ground.

"And who is he?" the Master-At-Arms demanded.

Taylor shrugged, "I don't know."

"What was he trying to do?"

Jon approached, "He was trying to push her off the ship."

Augustus' face turned red as he glared at the masked man, holding his daughter as she began to sob, "I want him locked up! I want him imprisoned for the rest of his days!"

If wasn't for the fact that his daughter was seeking comfort from him, Taylor had a gut feeling that the man would beat him to beat, even in front of the officers. And he would have let him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Cornelius," the Master-At-Arms reassured him. "We'll have him guarded all the way to Boston in a cell and hand him over to the local police when we arrive. He will face justice for what he has done."

He then turned to Taylor and Jon, "But first, explain to me what has happened here."

Taylor wiped away the blood, happy to see that it had stopped, before he nodded to the masked man, "First, have your men take him to a holding cell. He's a trained fighter. I know because I just fought himself mere moments ago. We need him in chains."

"Do not tell me what to do!" the Master-At Arms got into his face.

"Do as he says!" Augustus cried out. "I want him as far away from my daughter as possible!"

Sighing, he nodded to his officers, who approached the man, removing his mask before picking him up by the arms, supporting him on their way to the Master-At-Arms quarters.

As they passed by, Taylor got a good look at his face, feeling as if time was slowing down. It was a strange feeling, knowing that this could very well be the infamous Prometheus. The man he had been chasing for years. 

Studying him, his face was rather handsome, despite the bruise on his right side. His hair was black and curly. For a James Bond role, he would have fit almost perfectly.

Despite happy that the young Miss Cornelius was safe, Taylor couldn't help to feel irritated, knowing that his target was now in the hands of an authority that he had no jurisdiction over. It only added more problems to his mission. But for now, he was willing to take the win.

As the officers left, Augustus broke the embrace but kept his daughter within arm's length.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"

Lily shook her head, sniffling as she continued to cry, "No... I'm fine."

The Master-At-Arms approached her, "Still, it would be wise for you to go get a medical check-up. Just to be safe."

Lily nodded, sniffling again, "Alright."

"Agreed," Augustus nodded. Turning the two men, he approached them and shook their hands. "Thank you so much for saving my daughter. I am forever in your debt. The Lord works in mysterious ways."

"That he does, sir," Taylor smiled and nodded. "And there's no debt in my book. It would be wrong to hold something so precious over a father's heart."

Augustus nodded, staring at him with admiration, "Still, it would be wrong not to reward you in some way. Think of it as letting myself feel satisfied that I at least did what I could for the heroes who saved my daughter's life."

"Plus, you've saved us a huge delay," added an officer. "Turning the ship around would have put us behind schedule."

Augustus cleared his throat, "A small price to pay, if it meant saving my daughter."

"I meant no offense by it," the officer quickly replied, earning a slap on the head by the Master-At-Arms.

Taylor and Jon turned to each other, sharing a look before turning back to him.

"What did you have in mind?" Jon asked.

"We won't accept money," Taylor quickly added.

Jon raised an eyebrow and whispered, "We won't?"

Hearing him, Lily couldn't help but laugh.

Smiling, Augustus said, "How about dining with us tomorrow. By morning, everyone will have heard of the two heroes who stopped an assassination plot. It would be my honor to represent you to everyone at dinner."

Taylor stepped forward and offered his hand, "I can accept that."

The two shook hands.

Taking his leave, Augustus began to lead Lily away. Before disappearing around the corner, both she and Jon's eyes met for a second. Almost if electricity struck him, Jon's heart leaped.

The Master-At-Arms approached them, holding his stare on Taylor in particular.

"Just for the record, I do not trust you!"

Taylor withheld rolling his eyes out of frustration, although he couldn't blame him. He would have done the same in his position.

The man turned to Jon, "How did you get involved?"

Caught off guard, Jon shrugged, "I was lying on the bench, and I saw the two passing by. She looked distressed and he looked suspicious... so I followed."

"Hmm," he growled, although seemingly buying his story. "Well, good job in saving the young woman, Mr.?"

"Oh, Matthews. Jonathan Matthews."

"Well, Mr. Matthews. Keep yourself open for any interviews we may have. Once we confirm who that man is, we'll be needing witnesses to back up Miss Cornelius' testimony."

Jon swallowed, "Understood, sir."

The Master-At-Arms nodded before turning to Taylor, "As for you, how did you come upon the information that this man was attempting to kill Miss Cornelius? You didn't know what he looked like, and you didn't even know his name."

Taylor stared at him, thinking hard about how to respond. And once again, he went with the story that stuck closest to the truth.

"I was investigating a lead and overheard a conversation between the man in question and another. I couldn't make out what was entirely being said, but I eventually pieced enough together to know that she was the target."

"So, you knew he was on this ship and didn't inform us?"

"And tell you what? That a possible assassin was possibly onboard, but no way to identify him? I didn't even realize he was possibly targeting her until at the last minute."

The Master-At-Arms thought about it and nodded, "Fair enough. But why not take him down when you had the chance?"

"He was gone before I could act."

"Hmm! Then how did you know he would be on this ship?"

"The ship was said by name."

"Quite the coincidence."

Taylor sighed, "That's all I know. Is there anything else?"

The Master-At-Arms continued to stare at him before looking between him and Jon, "Do you two know each other?"

"Oh, we're actually traveling together," Jon said.

Taylor almost cringed, realizing what that information would look like. He wanted to smack Jon over the head for sharing that information so openly.

"Ah! So, the two of you just so happened to be here at the right time and the right place. Another coincidence."

Turning to his last two remaining men, he nodded to them, and they began to walk back to his quarters.

Taylor sighed once they were gone, turning to Jon, "Well, things just got more complicated."

Unable to help himself, Jon turned to face him, his eyes wide.

"Was that Prometheus?"

Taylor closed his eyes, thinking hard, "I don't know."

"What do you mean?" he blinked, his brow narrowing in confusion. "Also, how did you know that he was targeting her?"

Taylor walked over to a bench on the other side of the stern and sat down, folding his hands together in his lap.

"Sorry I didn't mention this before, but I found a device called a 'tape record'."

"Tape recorder?" Jon asked, frowning.

"It's a device that keeps a... let's say memory of conversations between people."

"Oh. I don't know how that's supposed to work but I get the idea."

"Anyway, Prometheus was speaking to one of his contacts, someone who specializes in... a special type of medicine. He was told of his target and given payment for it. But before he left, he killed him."

Jon frowned, "Why would he do that? Allies are hard to come by."

"In his world, there's only resources and tools. No such thing as allies. And he killed him because he had become a liability for being the only person who could have identified him."

"Well, little good that did him. Now he's in custody and going down for trying to kill the daughter of the man who built this ship. In my book, mission accomplished, right?"

Taylor sat on the bench, thinking hard.

"I don't know."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because something doesn't up here. Why target the daughter of a ship builder? Why kill her in this manner? He had to have been spying on her the whole day, yet he chose this moment to make his move. If it wasn't because of you... she would be dead, and I would have failed."

Jon smiled as he took a seat next to him, "Actually both of us would be dead if it wasn't because of you."

Taylor paused, realizing that what he was saying was true. His heart sunk, just thinking of a scenario of finding Jon's body in a pool of blood, while his enemy got away. And a father having lost a daughter.

He silently thanked God was allowing him to discover the truth at the absolute critical moment. He couldn't image the outcome had he been just seconds late.

Seeing him deep in his thoughts, Jon patted his shoulder and smiled.

"Like it or not, we're heroes of the moment tonight. I say we should take this as win and celebrate. You've been chasing this guy for years and know you've caught him."

Taylor looked at him and smiled, "True. Thank you being there when I couldn't."

"And thank you for being there to save my ass."

The two laughed.

Getting up, Taylor offered his hand to him. Accepting it, Jon was pulled to his feet.

"Let's head back. Tony has to be wondering where we are."

"Yeah."

On their way back, they saw that there were little people on the deck, as it had gotten so late. Not long later, they were at the door of their room. Once entering, they found Tony and Michael dancing around the room with drinks in their hands, sinking in unison.

"Ahoy! Ahoy! A traveler's life for me! This lonesome road of memories and stone shall be my home! Forever forward will be my destination, forever my destiny to travel side-by-side with the wanderers. Ahoy! Ahoy! A traveler's life for me!"

Jon smiled, turning to Taylor and shrugging before joining them.

Although worried that others would hear, he couldn't bring himself to stop them as he closed the door and approached his bed. Seeing the briefcase, he was thankful for remembering to close it. Despite Tony knowing some things, this was something he had yet to reveal. Not to mention their new recent addition in Michael joining them.

Getting on his bed, he pulled the briefcase close to him and opened it. Booting up the computer, he began to search through his files and found that he had a new notification. Looking up at the three dancing around, he made sure no one could see what he was doing.

Frowning, he clicked on it and was met with a surprise.

/

- Time-Locked

- Merge immediate

- Possible Lift in process

/

Taylor frowned.

He wasn't expecting a Merge to be immediate. But he also wasn't surprised. What did surprise him was that the Lift process hadn't changed, which made him believe that both his and Jon's actions may have had an affect going forward.

He should feel relieved and happy, but he couldn't help the feeling that something didn't feel right. Whether if it was just paranoia or just going through the motions, he didn't know. But he hoped that some sleep would help with that.

So much was going through his mind. So much needed to be done come tomorrow morning. He needed to find a way to talk to this man, to confirm if he was Prometheus. To finally, put this mission behind him.

But for now, there was nothing he could do, except get his rest.

Powering down the computer, he closed the briefcase and rubbed his eyes. Still feeling the pain from his fight, he carefully laid down on the pillow and closed his eyes.

/

After going to get a medical check-up with the doctor, Lily was deemed healthy and only suffering from minor injuries, which allowed her to return back to the suite with her father, who held her close. 

Despite the threat having passed, the guards were doubled around them on their way back. Even Thomas was walking closer than usual, which made Lily wonder if he blamed himself for not being there when he was needed.

Once entering their room, Lily was embraced by her mother, who was in tears.

"Oh, my goodness!" she cupped her cheeks. "Are you okay?"

Lily nodded, trying to push her away, "I'm fine."

Rebekka turned to Augustus, "For now on, we need more guards to protect her. Who knows what else may happen."

Lily sighed, but her father spoke first.

"It's been taken care of. The attacker has been locked up and I've doubled the guards. But from what it looks like, the threat has passed. We also have two men to thank for. Without them, our baby girl wouldn't be here right now."

Rebekka frowned, "What do you mean?"

Augustus turned to his daughter, "Why don't you go to your room and prepare for bed."

Lily smiled, kissing him on the cheek, "Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

As she walked away, Rebekka called out, "I'll be there in a moment."

Lily paused and nodded, but not facing her, "Alright."

Entering her room, she saw that her parents had sat down on the couch before she closed the door. It would be a little while before her mother came in, knowing that her father would be explaining everything to her.

As she sat in her chair in front of the large mirror and brush her hair, she began to realize that not even she knew exactly all the details of what happened this night. She didn't know who that man was or why he attacked her.

She blushed, realizing that she had never thanked her rescuers.

The door on the opposite side of the room opened, which meant only one thing.

A figure dashed across the room and embraced her.

"Thank God, you're alright!"

Lily smiled as she put down her brush and turned to face Mandy, embracing her.

"I'm fine," she reassured her.

Giving her some space, Mandy wiped away the tears, "What happened?"

Lily opened her mouth but paused, unsure where to begin or how to explain it all.

"I... was attacked. But some men saved me. Even I don't know the full details."

"But... why?"

She shrugged, trying to put on a brave face, "I don't know. Being the daughter of a ship designer and builder can attract some enemies, apparently."

"Yeah, but... for ransom, sure... but to be attacked?"

"Like I said," she turned back to the mirror, picking up her brush. "I don't know the full details."

Mandy sighed before softly smiling at her, "Well, I'm just happy you are safe. I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, Mandy."

As she exited through the door she had come through, Lily reached for old musical box and opened it, causing a tune to start playing.

After a few more minutes, Lily began to undress and get into her sleepwear, right as a knock came from her other door.

Rebekka entered, closing the door before walking towards her daughter. Her facial expression was soft and more feminine, something she hadn't seen in a long time. Without warning, she embraced her in a tight hug. Lily hugged back, enjoying the moment between them. Like they used to when she was a child.

As they parted, her expression had changed to one of stoic and seriousness.

"That was reckless of you tonight," she said sharply. "I've always known you've had a curious side but as your mother, I must insist you never go anywhere without Thomas, your father, or me. Understood!"

Lily nodded, daring not to upset her, "Of course."

Reaching forward, Rebekka closed the musical box, and reached into her pocket, taking out red box and setting it on the table, "This is for you, my dear."

Staring at it, she sat down in the chair again and reached out for the box, tracing her hands over it.

"I meant to save this for you on the day of your wedding. But after tonight... I figured maybe tradition can be broken just a bit."

She opened the box, and her eyes widened, "Good gracious!"

Rebekka slightly smiled, "My mother gave it to me when I married your father."

She looked up at her before taking ring-shaped, red diamond in her hand, "It's the..."

She paused, at a loss of words.

"The Red Dawn!" her mother declared. "Worn by Queen Elizebeth during her reign. It was gifted to our family by her, in thanks to our loyalty to the kingdom."

He reached for the diamond and took it out of her hand, placing it on her marriage finger.

"How does it feel?"

She stared at herself in the mirror, "Overwhelming. Heavy."

"Well, that's representation of royalty, Lily. We deserve the absolute best in life. You deserve the best."

What about happiness?

Lily sighed as her mother took her by the shoulders and turned her around.

"I only want the best life for you."

What about love?

She looked at the diamond on her finger, admiring its beauty, but feeling the weight of what it represented.

"Please, give this courtship a chance, Lily. It's what we need."

What about freedom?

She turned her attention to her mother and smiled, realizing the belief she had in her own words and what the diamond was supposed to mean. She turned back to the mirror and touched the ring, swallowing.

Rebekka smiled as she kissed her on the cheek, "Sweet dreams, my dear. Good night."

"Good night," she whispered back.

Watching from the mirror as her mother left her room, Lily sighed and moved to her bed, allowing the candles to burn. Crawling under the covers like she used to as a little girl, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to finally give in to her exhaustion.

/

In one of the cells at the Master-At-Arms quarters, the man who had attacked Miss Cornelius lied on the small bed, face first and unconscious. Some men were stationed to keep an eye on him. One was asleep, while another went to take a restroom break.

As he began to stir, his cloudy vision saw the door behind the bars, which seemed to be creaking open.