I look around the garden. Crown Prince Fraser ask for my presence early this morning. The butler of the Pce led me to the garden as per Prince Fraser''smand.


    I stop and take a nce at the snapdragons. It looks beautiful and innocent. Maybe it''s because of their color. People perceive white as a good thing. I am about to touch it when somebody talked behind my back. I look back and see Prince Fraser walking towards me.


    Standing beside me, he also stares at the snapdragons. "Have you heard about the story of Princess Celestine? The former Princess of Vrawyth a thousand years ago."


    I tried to recall from the memories of Csille. And yes, there is really Princess Celestine, the poor Princess of Vrawyth. I nod as a response. Who would not know her name?


    "She is loved by the people of Vrawyth. She''s nice and warm to everyone. Everyone thought that she''ll be a great Queen someday. However, that day neveres. The Crown Prince Theodore of the Aeerean Kingdom and the endowed fiancé of Princess Celestine. He cheated on her with her best friend, Aurora. The royal guard of Princess Celestine tried to warn her by giving Snapdragon to her every day. Hoping that the Princess will realize the meaning behind the flowers. However, the Princess never realize it. She took his own life after knowing the affair of Prince Theodore and Aurora." Prince Fraser touches the Snapdragons. "Since then, the two Kingdoms, Vrawyth and Aeerean, fought head to head. Prince Theodore bes the King, and he made Aurora his Queen. Which angered the people of Vrawyth because the Prince didn''t even look like he cared about the death of Princess Celestine."


    Snapdragons? The flower of deception. That''s why the guard gave Snapdragons to the Princess to warn her about the illicit affair of Prince Theodore. It''s to expose Prince Theodore''s deception.


    I look at Prince Fraser. "Deception," I mumbled.


    Prince Fraser looks back at me. Shocked. "You really do know thenguage of flowers." He looks at the flowers again. "From then on, everyone avoided this flower because they believe this flower will bring bad luck to them."


    Prince Fraser paused for a moment. He was about to say something but a royal guardes out from the entrance. "Your highness, Prince Fraser. The tea is already served."


    I look back at the snapdragon before walking. This snapdragon will be a special thing in the future.


    Prince Fraser led me to the middle of the garden. In the middle, there''s a table and chairs. On the table, there''s puddings and marzipan almond cake.


    Prince Fraser pulled the chair for me to sit. Gentleman, I see. He then sits in front of me. He served teas before he said what he wants to talk about. I know this scene. I know what he will say and what will happen next. I tightened my fist. I came here with a purpose. I want to warn the Prince about the dangers in the western region.


    "I want to ask you about your decision."


    The decision he''s asking is also the same decision he''s asked me in the school. It''s about me, staying with my parents in the western region. He wants me to refuse it and stay in the capital. However, I couldn''t do that. I want to prevent the iing danger in the western region.


    I look at him. I am about to talk about the dangers when my mouth moved on its own. "Your highness-" I was immediately cut off by him.


    "It''s Fraser!"


    "Prince Fraser, you know I could not do that, right? The Lauretré family wasmanded by the King, his majesty, to join you in your training in the western region. Refusing it is great disobedience to his majesty, the King." My mouth said.


    Prince Fraser puts down his cup of tea. Dissatisfied with my answer, he stares at me. "As the Crown Prince of the Vrawyth Kingdom, Imand you not to join the training in the western region. I don''t need you."


    I tried to talk out my reasons, but my mouth wouldn''t open. Come on, Csille, speak up! You need to tell the Prince what will happen in the western region. You got to say to him that his life will be in danger. Speak up! However, even how much I put strength into my mouth to make it talk, it is still closed—not moving at all.


    Panicking. I tried looking for something to write on. But my head wouldn''t move. It just looks at Prince Fraser. I put my hand on the table, trying to hand sign to him the words danger. However, I forgot that in this world, signnguage does not exist. It''s futile!


    "Csille?"


    My hand moves on its own and takes the cup of tea and sips it leisurely. My eyes look at him after. "I''m sorry, Prince Fraser, but I couldn''t disobey the King." And again, my mouth said.


    Prince Fraser stared at his cup for a minute. Resigned. He just shakes his head. "Okay, I wouldn''t force you anymore. But please don''t go out often when we''re already there."


    Exact words. It the exact words I''ve written. Everything he says and everything my mouth says is the same line Prince Fraser, and Csille said in the novel. All of a sudden, I feel a warm feeling in my heart. My heartbeat bes frantic. My eyes stared at Prince Fraser. Beautiful!


    I shake my head. Trying to collect myself. Fighting over the warm feeling rushing through my veins. Struggling to take control of this body, but I was forced at the back. It feels like someone takes over my body and moves my body on that person''s will.


    The conversation continues. Prince Fraser didn''t force Csille to stay in the capital, but he warned her many times not to leave the house. After that, they talk about random things. In the end, I didn''t get the chance to warn Prince Fraser. I couldn''t even move my body on my own will. It feels like I am a soul trap in a puppet body. What''s happening? It''s the first time I lost total control of my body. It''s frightening! Will I wake up one day having no full control of this body?


    _____________


    I stared nkly outside the window. I am already in the Lauretré residence. I got back the full control over my body. But the feeling of being trapped in a body still frightens me.


    I tried to recall all those times when my body moves on its own. But all of them are different than what has happened to me this morning. Before, I could only lose my control for a minute or two, and I could move it after.


    However, the event this morning is different. I couldn''t control my body the whole time I am talking with Prince Fraser.


    The novel! The whole conversation followed the novel. My body moves on its own because I was trying to expose the future events to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince knows it, then the story will change. Is it the reason why I couldn''t take control over my body? Is it because it is out of the script?


    I slumped my head on the table. It only means one thing. The thing that I''ve written in the notebook will happen. I trembled. Csille will do horrible things in the future. Is it really inevitable for Csille not to be the viiness?


    I fully regret everything now. I really regret it.


    I suddenly remember something. Wait, I think I''m missing something important. The writer! The writer of the book The Parallel Universe. Could it be he had an answer to it? I need to find him.


    _____________


    "Rufus! Here!" I waved my hand at Rufus. I meet him today to ask a favor. I want to meet the writer, and Rufus is the only one I think that could help me.


    Rufus smiled at me. He walks towards the table I reserved. "Hey, purny. What can I do for you?"


    I hold his hand that is on the table. "Do me a favor. I need to see the writer of The Parallel Universe."


    "I don''t understand why are you so obsessed finding that writer. Thest time we went there, you copsed even before you could''ve met him. Don''t you think it''s a sign?" He grumbled. He took a spoonful of pudding and ate it.


    "Sign?"


    He nods. "Yes, sign! Sign that it''s not worth it to look for him. I don''t even understand why you are looking for him. He looks like a weird geezer. Also, the house he''s living in is already a red g. Who would live in that kind of house? It''s creepy." Disgust is evident on his face.


    How did it be a red g? His house is fascinating. If given a chance, I would love to have a house like that. Imagine if a zombie apocalypse happened, you could be safe there. Because who would think that someone is living inside a tree? And since it''s connected in the tree, you could just put an opening at the top so you could get fruits from the branches.


    "You''re the creepy one!" I throw some napkin at him. "I badly need to see him."


    Resigned. He nods his head. "Okay, I will apany you there. How could I ever said no to you?" He then pinched my cheeks so hard until it reddens.


    I pout at him. Why does he always love to pinch my cheeks? It hurts. After eating, we immediately travel to the writer''s ce.


    "I''m not sure if this writer is still living in that ce. I did not have a chance to do some research. You should have told me in advance."


    I just waved my hand at him. "Never mind. We will just seeter. If he''s not there, then I need to bother you again."


    Ten minutester, we arrived at the ce. However, there is a problem. There are two big trees. We don''t remember that much how the tree looks. The only thing we can remember is it''s the most extensive and tallest tree among all the trees.


    Rufus keeps insisting that the left tree is the house of the writer. However, I could clearly remember that it''s the right tree. After arguing for a couple of minutes, we decided to knocks on the tree we think the house is.


    Rufus and I knock thrice on the tree but no matter how many times we do it. Nothing happens.


    "Is it really that tree? Maybe we are both mistaken about it." Rufus looks around, trying to look for a taller and bigger tree. But other than these two, all trees'' sizes are average.


    "Maybe we have mistaken the tree as tall or big? How about we knock on all the trees in here?"


    I look at Rufus. Disbelief was clearly visible on my face. "Are you kidding me? Can you see how many trees are here?"


    Rufus looks around. "Probably more than a hundred."


    "See? It''s more than a hundred. Do you think our hands will be okay after knocking on all those trees?" I snapped at him.


    I cannot do it. My arms would fall off for sure if we did that. That''s more than a hundred. It''s not just ten trees. How long will it take before we could finish knocking on all the trees here?


    "Okay, I''m merely suggesting. If you don''t want to, that''s also okay for me. At least I wouldn''t hurt myself knocking on these trees." Rufus leans on the big tree and looks at me.


    I red at him. If I would not knock on this tree, then I will never get a chance to talk to the writer before we travel to the western region. Three days from now, we will travel to the western region. If I didn''t get this chance, I could not find anything to save the Crown Prince.


    I look at the trees and sigh. I guess I have no choice but to do it. At least Rufus is with me. Do it for the Crown Prince Ysavel! I nod my head. "Okay, let''s do this."


    We started knocking on the trees from morning to dawn. Our hands are already numb for knocking continuously, but we never find the writer''s house. It''s as if that tree never existed.


    I look at Rufus, who''s sitting beside me. We''re both sitting on the ground, leaning on the trees. Both of my hands are already numb. My knuckles are swollen too. Rufus''s hands are worst. His right hand is already bleeding. However, it wasn''t that bad. It''s just a tiny wound.


    "If weren''t for you, I would think that I am only dreaming when we entered the writer''s house." Rufus suddenly said.


    I nod in agreement. Even I am, with all these knocking. I almost want to believe that we never entered the writer''s house before. But, it''s impossible. How could I forget that house? After copsing in the house, I woke up as a fourteen years old Csille. So, I''m pretty sure it''s real. However, where is it? We finished knocking on all the trees in here, but we never see him.


    Augh suddenly awakens me from my deep thoughts. I see Rufusughing. I raised my eyebrows at him. He didn''t knock his head on the tree, right? But why is he acting like that?


    "Why are youughing? Should I be concerned?"


    Rufus looks at me. Laughing, he tried to tell me something. "I just imagine what we look like. What if people see us? They would probably think that there''s something wrong with our mind."


    Iughed at him. It''s probably a funny sight if someone sees us. Good thing no one is around.


    "Come on, let''s get out of here. It''s alreadyte." Rufus stands up and offers me his hand.


    What will I do now? I did not find the writer. Can I really not do anything to prevent that danger from happening? Will I just let things happened as it is?