Chapter 3

That evening, my mother came to my room herself, carrying a bowl of soup.

I lay on my stomach on the bed, stubbornly turning my face away from her, refusing to even look at her.

She began to cry softly, "Charlotte, please, try to see it from my side. You've always lived in comfort, born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Rosalind's not like you. She's had a tough life, suffered through things you can't imagine.

"As the heiress, can't you just be the bigger person and let her have this?"

"Is that supposed to be my fault?" I shot back, my voice icy.

"What?" she blinked, caught off guard.

"Is it my fault she's had it rough? Why do I have to be the one to pay for it?" I snapped, frustration boiling over.

Mom stared at me, stunned into silence.

When she finally snapped out of it, she set the bowl down hard on the table, her voice turning cold and hard. "Charlotte, can you stop being so willful? As the heiress, you should show some dignity.

"Besides, Rosalind is one of us. Why do you have to be so calculating about everything?"

I scoffed. The ache in my back and knees suddenly felt even worse.

My mother was right. Rosalind really was one of us. However, she wasn't my cousin, yet my sister.

I couldn't help but wonder how my mother would react if she ever found out that the so-called guy who seduced Vivian was actually my father.

And my aunt, Vivian, the one everyone said was too ashamed to show her face and cut off from the family, never actually suffered out there alone.

Instead, my father had been secretly keeping her in a lavish estate just outside Kinsburg.

The place was lavishly decorated, cozy, and elegant.

Every time my father had an excuse for not coming home, he was actually out there, hiding away in his private haven.

And three years ago, Vivian even had a son with him.

Now they were scheming about how to give that boy the Sterling name, just like they did with Rosalind.

They kept all this buried so well. If I hadn't lived through it all once before, there was no way I would have known any of it.

"I know now. Please leave, Mother," I said, my voice flat and cold.

I didn't want to argue anymore. No matter what I said, she'd never take my side.

She just sat at the edge of my bed, fuming but with nowhere to let it out, completely silent.

Finding it all pointless, I turned my head away again and pretended to fall asleep.

Afraid I might actually fall asleep, she finally spoke up. "Rosalind had a rough day. People were saying she doesn't know a thing, calling her clueless and ignorant.

"You're so smart. Why don't you write a few poems for her? Valentine's Day is coming up in a few days. Maybe you can help her save some dignity then."

"Fine," I replied flatly.

My mother blinked, clearly caught off guard by how easily I agreed. All the arguments she'd been ready to throw at me got stuck in her throat.

"Well, then, get some rest. When you wake up tomorrow, help Rosalind out. After all, we're family," she said, her voice softening a little.

After my mother left, I slowly opened my eyes.

Daisy came over to change my bandages.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she choked out, her voice thick with anger, "Lady Sterling, are you really going to write poems for her?"

I reached up and gently wiped Daisy's tears away, speaking slowly. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? And I'll make sure they're truly impressive. But let's see if she can actually handle the kind of reputation that comes with such talent."

Daisy's eyes sparkled. "Lady Sterling, you've got something in mind?"

I shook my head. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Sleep? That's all you ever do. It's because you never stand up for yourself that people keep taking advantage of you," Daisy grumbled, her voice thick with frustration.

I just closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me.

Daisy didn't know that it was only worth fighting when there was someone who actually cared about me.

If no one cared, then who was I even fighting for?

Word on the street was that Randall had completely lost it. He actually ordered hundreds of villages to evacuate.

He claimed the Loxley River was about to burst its banks.

He was so insistent that he even put his position as crown prince on the line.

The king, too sick to do anything about it, had no choice but to let Randall carry on with his madness.

The entire court was just waiting to see Randall make a fool of himself.

The villagers who'd been forced to evacuate were cursing Randall up and down behind his back, blaming him for everything under the sun.

But as soon as the last group was moved out, the sky suddenly unleashed a torrential downpour, as if the heavens themselves had split open.

Within a single day, local officials reported cracks appearing in the Loxley River's levee.

By midnight, the levee gave way.

When dawn broke, hundreds of villages lay underwater.

The rescued villagers all bowed, overwhelmed with gratitude for Randall's mercy.

Word was, if Randall hadn't acted when he did, Kinsburg would've been overrun by chaos and refugees.

The king was so thrilled that he called Randall in the middle of the night, demanding to know how he'd seen it coming.

Randall answered, "Father, last night I dreamed of our ancestors. They were worried about our people and warned me that something terrible was about to happen. I couldn't quite believe it, but I couldn't risk ignoring it either."

Touched by Randall's kindness, the king handed over the royal crown and put him in charge of the realm.

The ministers who hadn't picked a side yet were now leaning toward Randall.

Even those who'd already pledged their loyalty were starting to waver.

*****

Back at the Yummy House, Randall's attitude toward me was noticeably more relaxed this time.

"Lady Sterling, I'm curious. How did you come by such news?" he asked, his tone calm and measured.

I smiled, "I observed the stars last night and divined it from the heavens."

He chuckled, clearly not convinced, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he asked, "Then tell me, what is it you desire?"

It was so much easier dealing with smart people.

I bowed. "Your Highness, I ask you to protect my life and help me leave the Sterling family."

"Oh?" He paused. "I've heard a bit about what goes on in the Sterling family, though I don't know all the details. But since you've come to me, I'll make sure you're safe."

After thanking Randall, I let him in on a few secrets only I knew from my previous life.

For example, I told him some dirt on the third prince and the queen's clique, and that the fifth prince was actually the real mastermind behind the deaths of General Weston's wife and child.

Randall gave me a probing look. "Did you figure all this out by reading the stars, too, Lady Sterling?"

I'd only wanted to help this soft-hearted crown prince get the throne, but before I knew it, I'd let too much slip.

Awkward, I just gave a sheepish grin. "I dreamed it, Your Highness."

Randall shot me a look that screamed, 'Seriously? You expect me to buy that?'

He let out a long sigh, clearly exasperated, but didn't bother saying anything more.