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Adeline warily eyed the door. Who could it be? There was only one way to find out.

"Come in," she called out.

Instantly, the doors opened. Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Liddy!" Adeline gushed, as she stepped off the platform and towards her beloved friend.

Lydia Claymore was also dressed to perfection. She wore an ivory off-the-shoulder gown that revealed her slim neckline. Her sleeves were sheer and bellowed out, stopping at her elbows. Daisies with green stem climbed up the edges of her multi-layer dress, creating the illusion of a goddess stepping out of the meadows.

"I didn\'t think you\'d come," Adeline said with a quickened heart. She was filled with joy that she didn\'t have to endure this boring ball all alone. At least, her only friend would be by her side.

"You weren\'t here for the first two days," Adeline added on. She became quite a chatterbox around Lydia. It was a rare occurrence that only occurred when she was truly comfortable around someone.

"Well, the ball is as boring as taking a test, so I didn\'t bother coming," Lydia truthfully said. "But if you had told me you were going, I would\'ve shown up the first two days with you!"

Lydia rushed forward, with a sullen pout on her face. No one ever told her anything! She didn\'t know Adeline was even present at the ball, until this morning, where she put the pieces together. How else would Adeline meet the King? It wasn\'t like they saw each other at a bar or something.

"Gosh, Viscountess Marden loves to gatekeeper you," Lydia grumbled out.

Lydia came forward and instantly grabbed onto Adeline\'s thin hands. She held back a remark about it being like holding a skeleton.

"Speaking of the Mardens, have you gotten the chance to talk to them? For example, my Aunt or Uncle?" Adeline asked in a determined voice.

Adeline felt a sense of confidence course through her, it was strange. She brushed it off, believing it was just Lydia\'s presence that empowered her.

"Hmph, I\'d rather get dragged through a pigs\' den than talk to your Aunt and Uncle," Lydia snorted. She rolled her eyes and shuddered.

Just being in Viscount Marden\'s presence left a bad taste in her mouth. His clammy fingers and those beady eyes! She wished she could claw it out of him.

"Oh, but Aunt Eleanor is so kind," Adeline muttered. "She took me in and—"

"Addy," Lydia sternly said. "Don\'t you dare call that woman nice when all she does is restrict you! If she can, she would happily put a collar on you and tame you like a pet, more than she already does."

Adeline calmly laughed in response. She understood Lydia\'s concern. Filled with an unexpected sense of energy, she forgot about the pain of her foot.

"I\'m being serious, Addy," Lydia said whilst squeezing her friend\'s warm hands. She always admired how warm Adeline was, inside and out. Sometimes, she wished she could be as compassionate and patient as Adeline.

"You have been oppressed by Viscountess Marden for far too long! I remember when you were as loud-mouth and annoying as me," Lydia rambled on.

Adeline merely smiled, just as Lydia dropped her hands.

"You were also filled with energy!" Lydia excitedly added on. "Do you remember when you used to train beside me, from ages five to fifteen, with—"

"Liddy," Adeline mused. "Let\'s walk and talk. Standing in these heels hurt…"

Lydia rapidly nodded. She instantly picked up what Adeline was implying. There were too many eyes watching them in this room. In particular, the silent but polite maids.

"I was just so excited to see you, I forgot about the time!" Lydia gushed. She excitedly looped her arms around Adeline and together, they walked down the hallway.

Adeline was surprised to see the hallway was well-lit for once. It was even more beautiful with the lights on. There were paintings upon the elegant white walls, and she noted the floor was lined with a royal red.

Their dresses fluttered behind them with each step they took.

Adeline walked with a skip to her step. She didn\'t know why, but she felt invincible today… whether it was the dress making her confident, or Lydia\'s calming presence, she couldn\'t pinpoint the reason why.

"And then, you took off the eye gear and everyone went—" Lydia\'s voice died in her throat.

Adeline blinked in surprise. She lifted her gaze forward, realizing they were sort of lost. Now that she had thought about it, how exactly did Lydia get access near the King\'s resting corridors?

"This is awkward," she hesitatingly laughed. "I think we\'re lost."

Adeline tilted her head. She glanced around them, where everything seems unfamiliar. "How did you find the bedroom I was in, Liddy? Did someone guide you?"

"Oh yes!" Lydia chirped. "There was this really nice man, what was his name…"

Lydia placed a curious finger upon her chin. A second later, she quickly perked up. "Oh, right, Easton! But where did he go?"

Adeline rapidly blinked again. Easton? As in, the guy she spoke to earlier this morning?

"How bizarre," Lydia wondered out loud. "We just began walking down the hallway, and I was so lost in your beauty that I didn\'t realize we were walking without a guide."

Adeline laughed at the last part, knowing it was not true. Sometimes, Lydia would make weird jokes here and there.

"But I\'ll admit, that Easton guide was kind of cute," Lydia mused. "He reminded me of an energetic golden retriever."

Adeline slowly nodded. She thought the same thing. Easton gave off a friendly-vibe, but she knew better than anyone to trust a stranger\'s kindness. Her past was the very example of that.

"I\'m sure we can find a guard, Addy," Lydia said. "I still have my invitation and we can have him walk us back to the ballroom."

Adeline smiled at this. "Your dress has pockets? I\'m envious."

Lydia grinned at her close friend. "I bullied the designer into sewing them at the last minute," she cheekily said.

Adeline\'s smile widened until it reached her eyes. She could imagine Lydia haggling with the poor designer. No one could ever deny Lydia\'s charm or determination. Once Lydia Claymore had set her mind on something, she ensured it would happen.

"Oh, I see a guard right down there!" Lydia exclaimed.

Lydia pointed down the hallway, where a man dressed in black suits could be seen. He certainly seemed like a private guard of the castle.

"Let\'s go," Lydia said. She pulled Adeline along, their arms still linked with each other. Suddenly, Lydia ran too fast and her hand accidentally slipped out of the link.

Adeline winced in pain, the heels digging into her poor toes. But she gritted her teeth, and ignored it. It wasn\'t hurting before. Now that she was running, the agony had made itself known.

Who need torture devices when you have heels?

"Oh, Mr. Guard, wait up!" Lydia hollered down the hallways, not caring if it was lady-like or not. By now, half the castle would\'ve heard her unruly address.

Sure enough, the walking man came to a halt. He turned around, bewildered at which lady would scream so loud. Then, his eyes widened in horror, at the sight of a woman in a large dress dashing towards him, with the force of an elephant.

"Oh my god, how dare you abandon us?!" Lydia demanded when she finally caught up to him. She pointed an accusing finger at him whilst heavily panting.

"Liddy, wait up," Adeline mumbled.

Adeline had run down the hallways, without breaking into a sweat. It had been a while since she had dashed this far and this quickly, but her body was still agile and strong.

Unfortunately, she didn\'t have enough food to sustain the sprint.

Adeline felt dizzy and nauseous. Thus, she looped her arm through Lydia\'s, holding on for support. Surprisingly, the nausea was going away quickly.

"How can you just leave us standing in the hallway in the most crucial moment?!" Lydia demanded. She placed her hand upon her hips and glared at Easton.

Instead of responding, the man gawked at her. "What the hell are you talking about, you crazy woman?"

Lydia gasped at his words. She sharply opened her mouth, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"Wait Liddy, this isn\'t Easton," Adeline patiently explained. She had instantly recognized this man as the one who stormed into the dining hall this morning.

"This is uhm…" Adeline trailed off, trying to remember his name. "Weston," she finally said.

Adeline offered him an apologetic smile, but it was returned with a scowl. "This is Easton\'s twin brother, Weston."

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Easton, Weston, same thing! Your brother has no manners leaving us standing there."

Weston gawked at her like she was insane. "Don\'t shift the blame onto me. It\'s not my fault you were stupid enough to get lost."

Lydia loudly gasped again. She turned to Adeline, like an offended child running to her mother. "You heard him, right, Addy? Gosh, how rude."

Weston narrowed his eyes upon the calm Princess and wild woman. Before he could even give a comeback of his own, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He slid it out and quickly read the message.

[Horrible Friend: Adeline is nowhere to be seen. Put the entire castle into lockdown. Send out our top men. Find her.]

Weston glared at his phone. This irresponsible King! How could he be so impatient?! Angrily, he unlocked his phone and texted back.

[Rest assured, Your Majesty. By luck, I encountered the Princess and her crazy friend. I will bring her to the ball now.]

[Horrible Friend: Do it this instant. And find a way to get rid of that crazy woman.]

Weston\'s brows quirked up. Get rid of the friend? He raised his head, noting the woman was ranting to the Princess. The Princess had a motherly smile, whilst she listened to the complaint.

They seemed to be a pair of great friends. Though, he didn\'t expect the pair to work so well. The Princess was like water, tranquil and peaceful, whereas the friend was like fire, wild and heated. How strange.

Why did His Majesty want to get rid of the friend?