Isadora had been staring on the ceiling blankly for God knew how long when a knock sounded across the room. But surprisingly, she never heard. Her mind was a total mess flooded with thoughts of Alexander and her uncle. But what irked her the most was the fact that Alexander had decided to marry Roselyn. And despite trying to convince herself that it was all her fault, it never settled well with her. The thought of Alexander holding another woman alone was what was driving her crazy. ’You should have thought that before you left you fool,’ she scolded herself for the nth time.

"Your Highness?" A feminine voice called startling Isadora. She tilted her head to the other side to find her maid, Laura, smiling sheepishly at her.

"Why didn’t you knock?" She asked, clearly irritated by her intrusive behavior.

"I did Your Highness but you never answered. I thought you were outside so I decided to place your food on the table but I’m surprised you are in here."

Isadora scratched her back nervously. So Laura did knock? Goddamnit! How comes she didn’t hear?

"Thank you," was all she managed to say. Laura was hesitant to leave noticing the sullen look on her liege’s face. That look! Oh, not again. A stressed Isadora would be a worst nightmare in the palace.

"Isadora? Are you alright?" She asked her gaze exploring Isadora’s length.

"What... Yes I am alright, " Isadora answered startled by Laura’s question. Did her face show it?

"No, you are not. Were you crying My Lady?" Laura did not give in easily. She had raised her and she knew everything about Isadora, even when she was trying to mask it.

"What are you saying? Look, I’m fine. I’m not crying and neither have I been," she said, trying to dodge the question as much as possible. And wait... Was she crying? Her hands instinctively flew to her eyes and hell! Remnants of tears could clearly be seen on the rim of her eyes. She quickly brushed her fingers through removing the wetness from her face. Damn it! She had cried, and didn’t even notice about it?

Laura watched silently as Isadora tried to mask the evidence that she had already seen. But if she didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t going to pressure her to. After all, she was nothing but a maid!

"Please don’t forget to eat Your Highness. I’ll take my leave now," she curtsied after taking one final look at a silent Isadora before she started making her way out when,

"Laura?" Her back stiffened at the mention of her name. ’I knew it! Something must be bothering Her Highness.’ She was lucky to have Isadora share her problems with her. Not that she didn’t. Laura had been her personal maid for God knows how long.

"Yes Your Highness," she said walking beside Isadora’s bed. Isadora tapped on her side making space for her. Laura just smiled as she let her back sink in the soft material.

"So, how may I help Your Highness?" She asked. Isadora clutched a pillow and sat down on the bed to be at level with Laura, and face her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything for my princess." Isadora smiled at that.

"Since when did you start working in the palace?" Isadora asked looking her in the eye. And now Laura was surprised. She had thought Isadora was going to share her predicament with her but seems she was dead wrong.

"Why would Your Highness need information on a low life like me?" And why had Isadora asked that of all the questions?

"I’m sorry if I am asking too much..."

"No! No need to be. If this is what you want, I’ll be glad to share it with you." Isa just smiled at that. Only God knew his much she needed that information. It would help her in understanding something...better.

"After my parents died when I was still a little girl, I had nowhere to go but look for a job. Fortunately, my uncle was working in the royal army that time so he helped me get a maid’s job in the palace." Isadora nodded, cursing inwardly. She had even lost count of the times that Laura had told her this story. She needed a specific time, not someone’s biography!

"At that time, the king, your father, had just sired his first child, which was you, and needed a maid to nurse her. I was lucky to...."

"To be my maid. Thank you," Isadora said, taking the words out of her mouth.

"Yeah," Laura replied awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck.

"Do you happen to know a lady by the name Jessica, during my Father’s reign?" Isadora asked, searching for an emotion on Laura’s face. She seemed lost deep in thought.

"Sounds familiar but I can’t remember exactly..." she said raking for the answer in her old brain.

"Please, you have to remember," Isadora insisted. She still couldn’t trust Jade that easily. Not until she found out if her mother actually had a sister to begin with.

"More details would help Your Highness," Laura suggested. Why did that name ring a bell in her ears?

"Did my mother have a sister... came to visit her on the eve of her death?" Isadora added when she noticed the creased brows on Laura’s face.

"Sister? We, the maids, don’t know that much of the royal family’s kin unless the king or Queen introduces them to us, something of which your mother never did."

"Oh! Okay..."

"Wait! Did you say a lady who came to visit Her Majesty at the eve of her..demise," she said that word in barely a whisper, afraid she might hurt Isadora’s feelings. But Isadora was in the complete opposite. Curiosity was eating her whole now!

"Yes! What about her?" She asked.

"That woman!" Laura said clenching her fists damn hard that her knuckles turned white. But this only acted to fuel Isadora’s curiosity, and Laura was just damn good at it.

"Tell me. What did that woman do?" Isadora asked unable to retain her curiosity any longer. Laura shifted her gaze to face Isadora making her swallow the lump on her throat. That gaze! It was the perfect definition of dangerous.

"That woman was a hired assassin. She and the Valorian royal family conspired against His Majesty and his wife, setting them ablaze that dreadful night!"