A Royal Mark

Alice is sweating heavily. The mansion is quiet, aside from someone writing and the deep breathing in Alice's room.

She's asleep, but she's restless.

—

Alice's head was sharply turned to the right.

Her stepmother's slap stung, but her cheek quickly turned numb from the pain. Alice could only swallow her tears.

"How dare you!"

The woman's voice was quiet but seething. She can't let the staff hear her loud voice, but her slap was heard just fine.

"Lorenzo is Milani's betrothed! How dare you steal him from her?!"

But she didn't.

"An uneducated, powerless girl like you is not suitable for the Kingsley clan. Remember, Alice. Do not dare to steal a future you don't deserve. You must repent on this." Her stepmother sighed. "Take her to the attic and don't give her food for two days."

Alice's eyes watered. She's only 15… how could she survive not eating for two days?!

Being locked up in the attic is nothing new. Not being given food is nothing new. But it was always only for a day. Can she even last without food for two days?

They should just kill her instead and end her suffering.

Her lips quivered but she couldn't say anything.

Eventually, she was dragged up to the attic. Milani watched from afar. She was just 10 years old then.

She's spoiled by their parents and is curious why the treatment for Alice is different.

But she'd grow up watching Alice be abused so she thought it was nothing bad. She was taught by her mother that Alice is rotten, a child of a cruel mother, and someone Milani should never take after.

On her second day in the attic, Alice was lying on the floor—barely moving. Barely breathing.

She's hungry, but she's given up on being hungry.

So she does not spend any more energy and just lays there. Pathetically.

And then she hears pitter-pattering on the attic window.

Like beaks pecking on the widows.

The pecking gets louder the longer she ignores it.

When she turns to look at it, she realizes night has fallen, and there are two owls on her window. Holding a banana.

Her eyes widen at the sight of food. Her stomach immediately grumbles and she weakly sits up, using up what's left of her energy.

She opens the window, but she still hears pecking.

The owls fly in straight to her face with the banana.

Alice's eyes widened…

And she sits up, awake.

A dream.

No, it wasn't a dream. It was her memory. Why does it come back to her in a dream? And why now?

But Alice still hears pecking on a window.

She turns to her room's window and finds the sunlight, as well as the same two owls from her memory.

She immediately smiled.

Lola and Livvy didn't fly in when she opened the door, unlike before when they had her banana. They saved her life, in the most literal sense. Kiki also helped with it too, because the banana was hers.

"I dreamt about you two today."

The two owls curiously looked at each other.

"I dreamt about the day you two gave me the banana."

Lola blinks. "Oh, those were the days…"

"Those days are over now!" Livvy chirps. "Oh, by the way Alice, are you really sure your Prince is sick?"

Alice curiously tilted her head.

"Yes, why?"

"Really? Then why does he stay up all night at his desk?"

"…"

Lola tilted her head and started to explain, "I was on patrol last night. I saw a different room was turned on, the room at the end of your hallway to the left. So I looked for a good tree branch to perch on where I could watch through the window. And then I saw this man sit on his desk, reading and writing for hours! The entire night! He slept a few hours before sunrise. He might be awake soon, so we flew in early to tell you."

"If he is the Prince and he is supposed to be sick, I don't think that's how a sick person acts."

"Unless it's a sickness of the mind."

"Maybe he's just a lunatic."

"Or maybe he's lying!"

Alice exhaled deeply.

The owls are fueling a curiosity she shouldn't have about the Prince's illness.

"Alright, friends. Thank you for telling me." The twins stopped bickering and turned to her.

"I will be wary of him."

They nod in approval before flying off. Alice closed the window and sighed.

She repeated in her head: She shouldn't meddle. It's not her business.

—

That day, Sirius left again in the morning and returned in the evening. It seems he has a day job, even though royals shouldn't work. He also ate with them during dinner, where the meal was fish. Sirius watched Alice eat the fish with gusto. And then he went to his study instead of resting in his room.

His illness worsens at night. Alice slowly questioned if that was a lie.

The next day, a guest came to the mansion.

Alice stood by Florence's side as she opened the front gates. Alice kept her head down, but she saw from his lower physique that he was a man.

Someone that must be a lord, because Florence curtsied. Alice followed.

"Lord Alderidge, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

A Lord…Alderidge? Is that not the royal family's clan? A relative of Prince Sirius then?

"Florence, nice to see you again. I merely want to visit Sirius, I heard he's still bedridden."

Alice's brows slightly furrowed. She knew the Prince was far from bedridden. He's actually very far away from his bed.

"My lord, I'm afraid the Prince's condition right now is sensitive. I have been ordered not to invite any guests in while he focuses on his recovery." Florence lied smoothly. "I deeply apologize." She bows again, so Alice follows.

They heard his disappointed grunt.

"Nonsense. I'm his Uncle and I'm concerned about his health. Let me in."

He stepped between the two women and entered the mansion.