“What happened?” She asked her heart seizing up as they remained silent.“ It’s Azeph…” Noah finally said and Elinor felt like she was going to fall down as her legs were about to give out beneath her.“What happened to him?” She asked trying hard to keep her expression as calm as possible but she knew that she failed when Noah stood up making his way toward her to comfort her and she took a step back away from him.He couldn’t touch her, not right now. It would ruin everything.“We don’t know,” Noah said, “He wasn’t back all night and Will went out to look for him.”“Maybe he’s still with count Amel,” She said.“Count Amel had been in a car accident,” Louis said, “It was caused by someone probably from your father’s people,”Elinor felt the world tilt around her.If Amel had been in an accident then what happened to Azeph who had been with him?Azeph could be… No… Not him.Not Azeph too.“Elin…” Louis called and Elinor snapped out of her thoughts feeling like she was going to explode

Elinor made her way out of the car with the help of the driver and walked toward the train barely making it before it moved.“You’re late, your highness,” Said one of the royal guards waiting for her inside, “We were about to go down to look for you.“I had to make a small detour that’s all.” She stated, “Take me to my compartment,” She added and the guard nodded bowing to her and not saying anything further.She didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone nicely. Not after she almost broke down in front of azeph.She made it to her private compartment opening the door.“We will be outside if you need anything, Your highness,” The guard said and Elinor nodded before he closed the door and she locked it behind her. As soon as she was sure she was alone she collapsed on the floor a sob overtaking her as she muffled it with her gloved hand.Elinor then cried.As if shedding all of her clothes to wear new ones, she shed with her tears everything she knew within the months she spent with th

Elinor woke up the next morning at the sound of commotion outside the manor. She had barely slept one hour straight without being woken up for one thing or another. It was already near dawn when she had gone to sleep but she could have managed a few hours of sleep before the house woke up under normal circumstances.But strangely enough, she didn’t feel tired. She barely felt anything, not nerve nor the guilt that had been tearing at her last night, nor did she feel scared of what was going to happen.She felt oddly calm and the only thing that kept nagging at her mind then is her mother’s illness that she had apparently hidden from her.Dressing herself up seeing that she would have to wait for her maid longer than she was willing to. She made her way out of her room and down the stairs to find it bustling with servants in various attires that were clearly their personal clothes, not the uniform they wear at the mansion.“Good morning, my lady,” Earl said greeting her, “I apologize

Azeph and Will took a car back to the academy. As soon as they arrived they were summoned by the headmaster who looked like he barely slept in days.“To tell you the truth, I should be punishing you for leaving the academy without permission and for skipping classes. But I cannot.” He said“Why?” Azeph asked,“Because I am under royal orders to let you be for the time being. So I am merely going to let you go with a warning and ask you to please be careful from now on,” he said with a sigh.Azeph smiled as he thought about Elinor. She really thought everything through, even covering up for them not to have trouble with the headmaster.We sincerely apologize for the trouble we might have caused you, headmaster,” Azeph said.The headmaster nodded giving them permission to leave.Just as they were going out he called out after them.“I will give the six of you, including Stella permission to leave the academy grounds but under an unofficial guise. Be extremely careful, and may god protec

By the time the sun had risen on the academy’s horizon, Azeph and the others were already out each of them on his way to the capital.They had decided to travel separately not to draw attention, so while Azeph and Louis were together on the train when the sun started raising.Will was making his way there with Alan taking a different train and Stella and Noah had already left the previous night secretly and were waiting for them at the capital.There was a huge argument last night between Stella and Louis when the letter arrived. Louis had wanted her to stay at the academy but Stella wasn’t having any of that. She was heading into the capital, whether she was with them or not.For the first time in his life, Azeph saw Louis give in on an argument, or rather at a loss for words.Stella’s loyalty to Elinor ran deep. There was no mistaking that. But she was also worried about her friend, which she was trying to hide very successfully, only if not for the slight tremor in her hands as she