Ember's P.O.V

"Alright, so for the last time," Dorothy said in my room to Benson, James, Olivia and I. "Ember, James and Olivia will go horse riding into the forest, Olivia will say that she dropped her diamond earrings on the way...

Ember will go help her find them. That will leave James with the three guards. James you'll offer them a drink, but drug it first with sleeping pills when you're in the barn. If they refuse, use the prince card. James will then call Olivia, Ember and you, Benson, to go find him once they're asleep...

When you find each other, Benson will drive you to France. That ride should be three hours at most. From there you will get on a plane to Chicago that was secretly organized by the French Prince. He will also give each of you your own fake ID, so that no one reports you once you are in Chicago."

"What makes you think the queen won't realize that we're gone for too long? Or that this isn't part of some scheme the French Prince is pulling on us?" James asked not to anyone specifically.

"The drugs I gave you can put someone in a coma for a little bit over a day. By the time they realize we're gone or they come looking for us we'll be halfway across the world. As for the prince, trust me I know him very well, He wouldn't be pulling that kind of stunt, believe me," replied Olivia with a smirk on her face.

"Very well, you shall say your goodbyes while I go inform the guards to get the horses prepared," Benson excused himself out of the room.

I looked at Dorothy and she already started crying like I expected her to. " Oh Dorothy," I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and rested my chin on the top of her head.

"Ah look at me crying at such an old age how embarrassing," she chuckled. "I basically raised the three of you. Now look at you, all grown up ready to leave me," Dorothy muffled into her hand.

"Oh Dorothy we're not leaving you, we'll come back... eventually. We're leaving the titles, the duties, this whole over stressed lifestyle... Just a few years and we'll come back, I promise. If not to stay, to visit. Who knows maybe that time we'll kidnap you with us and show you America," Olivia told Dorothy with a chuckle towards the end.

"I guess so, it'll just feel weird to wake up and not have anyone to spend my day with," Dorothy expressed with sadness laced in her voice. I felt a pang in my heart at that moment. I hadn't realized how selfish I've been this whole time.

Dorothy told me this morning that I was like the daughter she never had; she told me that she loves me as if I was one of her own, and I love her as if she was my mom. Heck, she is the only representation I have of a mother. I can't just leave her like that when she needs me the most.

"I'm staying," I announced abruptly and everyone was shocked for a second, obviously confused. "You don't mean that," replied James.

"Yes I do, I haven't realized how selfish I was being until now. This woman right here is basically my mother. She raised me ever since I was a little kid. She is the only parent I've known in my life. I can't just leave her like that and at such an age I need to be taking care of her now," I said in a second gesturing to Dorothy almost running out of breath.

"No, you can't stay here because of me. That would be selfish of ME now. To hold you back from experiencing the world. I will not let that happen. Go. We will be in contact everyday and whenever I miss you, I'll just walk into this room and remember all the time we spent together when you were a baby," Dorothy replied trying to hold back a tear in order to stay strong for me.

"Are you sure? I mean I don't wa-" I replied and she nodded in return interrupting me. I let out a sob and gave her a bear hug. I could feel Olivia joining in and then James. Olivia let out a tear and James was awfully quiet which usually means that he's too upset to talk or communicate with anyone.

James feels the same way about Dorothy as  I do. James's father is just like my mother. He was barely there for any of his childhood, and since he was sent here from when he was a kid. Dorothy cared for him just like she did for me. We were the two little rascals running around the castle disrupting the guards.

Good times.

"Go, you're already late," whispered Dorothy into the unplanned group hug. She gave us each one final hug and we headed out the door, each with six thousand dollars in our pocket and a backpack "full of horse riding necessities" which were really as much clothes as we could squish in those tiny bags to help us last until we reach Chicago.

On the way out of the castle, I felt a grip on my wrist. I look up and it is my mother. I try to hide my inner urge to explode at her for suddenly showing up like that into my life pretending like nothing happened and that everything is okay.

"Where do you think you're going," my mother asked me. "Horseback riding?" I said while trying to let go of my hand from her grip but her grip was too strong.

"Isn't too late to go horseback riding, it's almost noon."

"Exactly, it's almost noon, so can I please go before it starts getting unbearably hot," I replied in the most calm tone I could muster which for the record wasn't so convincing.

"What has gotten into you? So excited to see Olivia and oh, your James? When will you two finally decide to get married? Now that you're finally eighteen you can legally get wed, he's about to turn nineteen and it seems like the perfect timing. You could rule both our unions together, oh how grand would that be" she exclaimed at me and you could tell she was already planning our wedding mentally.

I stood there for a moment trying to digest what all of this was about. Why would she suddenly pop that question? Out of no where just like that? No, that isn't out of no where that is exactly what she came here for!

She came here to get me married! I just graduated high school, and now she wants to get me married? What about my feelings, what about what I want? Does that not matter to her? Of course it doesn't, when has it ever.

I pulled my hand out of her grip roughly, looked down at the floor and the scoffed. I looked back at her and stared into her eyes. Those eyes are foreign to me. They're cold and senseless. Without any emotion, just a wave of blue staring back at me.

"Unbelievable," I spat at her and walked out of the castle doors. I could hear her in the distance call my name, but I didn't look back. Not once. This is it, this is the last time I'm ever going to see my mother.

Ever.

"Hey are you okay," I felt a firm hand grip my shoulder. I looked up and it was James. I was already in the barn, how did I end up here? I can't remember walking all the way here. I guess that's what utter disappointment does to you. Makes you alone and senseless of the world around you.

That's how I felt my whole life, alone and confused. But that's done now, I'm about to go to Chicago with my two best friends and there I can be whoever I want to be. I could be, Ashley, the Starbucks barista or Rose, the supermarket cashier. I could be anyone, but not Princess Ember.

"Yeah, I'm fine, let's go," I said intertwining my fingers with his.

We got on the horses and before I knew it, we were in the middle of the forest and Olivia was calling my name to go "help her look for her earrings".

"Hey what happened in the castle that made you take so long to come out to the barn?" Olivia asked me out of curiosity. I shook my head and laughed in disbelief, "my mother held me up. She was telling me how James and I need to get married as soon as possible."

Olivia erupted into laughter, her face was as red as a tomato and tears started rolling from her eyes. Seeing her laugh like this made me realize how ridiculous this situation really is, so I started to laugh along with her.

She gasped and shook her head to catch her breath. "I can't believe she actually told you that! You JUST turned eighteen. Doesn't she understand that you need to live your life?"

"Apparently she doesn't," I replied back and shrugged. Our little conversation was interrupted when Olivia and I got a text from James.

James: C'mon they took the drinks without question. Let's get out of here. I shared my location with you, so you can just follow the GPS.

"I got a text from James saying to use the GPS to find him," I stated while trying to get Google Maps to load in the middle of a forest.

"Yeah me too, but I'm getting no signal," replied Olivia and I nodded my head in agreement.

"Ladies, I have loaded the map when I was in the castle, and was able to see where he is. Follow me," a voice startled me from behind which I could only assume was Benson's.

"Ah, Benson, I'm so glad you're here we were starting to get worried," replies Olivia to Benson as we followed him through the forest to find James.

When we arrived, we saw that James has tied his horse to a tree with a leash. He also left food and water near enough for the horse to reach to be able to survive.

"Guys tie your horses to nearby trees and I'll give you each food and water for your horses. It will last them long enough until Benson comes back or the queen sends guards to look for us. They won't die I promise," said James. So, we did just as he said. 

After we were done, we got into the car that Benson parked in a nearby lot the night before. I sat in the backseat with James. As soon as we were on the road, I put my head on his shoulder and drifted to sleep. I slept through the whole ride to France and before I knew it James was tapping my shoulders to wake me up. 

"Hey baby we're here," he calmly whispered into my ears. "Just five more minutes," I grumbled back while turning in my sleep. "We don't have five minutes, the prince already gave us the I.D's and he's waiting for us to get on the plane so that he can leave," he replied back. 

Suddenly, I was being carried out of the car with my backpack by James's arms. I nuzzled into his chest smelling his strong, familiar cologne scent and smiling. 

"Ah, there she is the princess! She seems to be sleepy. We have three beds prepared on the private jet as it is a long flight ahead of you," I heard a man voice say with a french accent. It must be the prince. 

"Alright, I'll take her up there. Olivia's already in there anyway, she's probably waiting for us," James replied back and started walking towards the plane. I tugged at his shirt and he immediately looked down at me with peaceful eyes. 

"Yeah?" he asked me. "Put me down. I wanna say goodbye to Benson," I stated and he nodded in return, dropping me to my feet in the process. I ran over to Benson and enveloped him in a hug. He hugged me back and started caressing my hair to calm me down as it was clear I was anxious. 

Benson is an old English man. He's been working at the castle since before I was even born. He mainly handed professional manners, so I didn't spend time with him much as a child. However, he was the first person who taught me how to ride a horse, how to write, how to start a fire, and many more life lessons. He's a very important person to me. 

I looked up at him and asked, "Benson, am I making the right choice going to America?" He let go of me and put his hands on both of my shoulders, "Princess Ember, you are making the right choice, absolutely. Don't ever doubt yourself. It is just as I taught you, never look back. You are going to do great things in America and you will have a bright future," he told me with a reassuring smile. 

I smiled back, "But won't they recognize me? Or James?" I said tugging on James's hand to come stand next to me. Benson chuckled a bit and said, "ah, I doubt a bunch of university students or professors will recognize you. America and Gandovia have never had any relations before. Heck, I don't even know who their president is! And they certainly have never heard of Ashmus. You are in the clear."

"I hate to break this little moment, but the plane needs to leave now if you want to make it back to Gandovia in time," the french prince told Benson and he nodded in return. "Well, farewell now princess. Call me as soon as you land," Benson told me while giving me one last hug. "Bye Benson, I'll miss you," I replied back to him and pulled out of the hug. 

"Goodbye Prince James," Benson said giving James a small hug, "Goodbye Benson, thank you for being a father figure to me when my own father couldn't," replied James while pulling out of the hug. "Anytime," replied Benson as he walked back to his car. 

"Are you ready for the beginning of the rest of your life," James asked me gleefully. I nodded and grabbed his hand to walk to the stairway of the private jet. I thanked the french prince for all of his help and got on a plane. 

Well this is it! I'm finally going to Chicago.

_________________  

HEY THERE!

I love the feeling in this chapter guys! I almost cried writing the goodbyes! How are you feeling about this? Let me know in the comments!

Vote, comment, tell all your friends about this book and all this other fun stuff.

xx, BYEEE