Caroline didn't sleep any more that night. Her thoughts wouldn't let her, and even if she could actually sleep, she wouldn't. Those nightmares were getting out of hand and she needed to avoid them as much as possible.

When she went down for breakfast, she wasn't surprised to see that Tristan wasn't around. He rarely ever was awake in the morning to actually have breakfast.

She kept her expression neutral as she ate, though she was disappointed in Tristan for missing this opportunity to discuss last night's matter. She'd go talk to him later.

After finishing up, she went to her brother's room to wake him and tell him of her dream.

She knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

Why does he even have a door if he never answers it?, she thought to herself, opening the door.

What she saw made her freeze. The room wasn't its messy self and everything seemed to have been moved. Tristan was nowhere to be found.

"No...", her eyes widened as she rushed into the room and opened the closet.

All of Tristan's things were gone; clothes, trinkets, shoes, everything. Caroline ran a hand through her hair and let out a shaky sigh.

"What did you do, Tristan? Why?", she whispered. That's when she noticed a letter on his bed table; it was addressed to her.

She quickly opened it and started reading.

Dearest Caroline,

You're the most amazing person I've ever met and the most beautiful and please don't kill me. I know that leaving like this was stupid and that you probably hate me for it, but I had no choice. I knew you wouldn't let me go, even if we did have that talk you wanted... I really need to do this. Please don't tell dad, and I'm sorry...

Tristan

She pinched her forehead, closing her eyes and then took the letter, ran to her room and hid it in her closet by clipping it inside a dress. That way, if anyone looked in her room for it (because you never know), they wouldn't find it.

Caroline sat on her bed and tried to clear her head. She had a very bad feeling that her nightmare would come true, just like it had with Andy being imprisoned and Crystal's village being destroyed. Something was wrong and she didn't know how it was possible for her to have these dreams, but she was going to find out.

Not once had she been presented with a riddle and not solved it.

°~*~°

Traveling on foot all alone and without knowing where you're hearing was harder than Tristan had thought. If he knew where he was, it would take him about three days to arrive at the border and then two more to go to his uncle's castle, but he was going to need reinforcements. He couldn't just go there and say: Hey, I'm your nephew and I overheard my dad is planning to besiege you, prepare!. He'd get himself locked up. He needed people to back him up, which was why he needed Crystal, or even Violet.

Violet had told him she worked with Cheryl. What better person to convince Daniel that the kingdom was in danger other than his wife?

His plan was flawed in only one way; he didn't know where to find any of the people he might have needed.

That's when he started getting nervous, but he knew that wasn't his anxiousness he was feeling.

His eyes widened in realization, as he started wondering whether he could communicate with Violet through their link.

He tried until he got the worst headache and still didn't manage anything. He wasn't going to give up that easily, though. Maybe this was a skill he had to work on. Magic can't solve all your problems. Sometimes it causes even more instead.

But for the time being, he'd have to settle for that bloody headache.

°~*~°

Caroline was surprised to see that her father actually made it for lunch. He was usually too busy to attend and now that he was on alert for Crystal and Scott, Caroline expected him to miss out on more family meals.

After eating in silence for a few minutes, Alastor finally spoke.

"Where's Tristan?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know... I haven't seen him all day."

"A couple of guards saw you leave his room earlier. Don't lie to me.", he sneered.

"He wasn't in his room when I visited. I don't know where he is.", Caroline insisted.

"So he just disappeared?", Alastor raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"He probably got drunk last night and is still sleeping or hangover at some corridor in the castle... Don't worry about it. It happens a lot these days...", she lied sighing.

"Really, now? Does it have to do with his witch friend?"

"I don't think so... They're not that close. They've only talked once or twice, as far as I know.", she lied again, trying to protect Violet. If Alastor knew that she and Tristan were a couple, he would perceive that as weakness and use it against his own son.

"Is that why another guard saw them kissing when she ran off the palace?"

"Look, father, I don't mean to be rude here but I have no idea what Tristan does in his free time. All I know is that he has a new girlfriend every week, and that's about it. Even if there was something going on between them, he's already moved on to the next girl waiting in line now that she's gone.", she rolled her eyes.

"Alright... I guess we'll have to look harder for him.", Alastor said, clearly not convinced. He went back to his food and Caroline didn't say another thing for a while.

"Do we have any portraits of mom?", she said after a few minutes. "I don't remember what she looked like."

Alastor seemed taken aback for a moment. "No. We burnt them all after she died. I couldn't bear seeing them.", he said casually. Caroline tried to ignore the fact that her father was the least convincing he'd ever been.

"Right... Can you tell me what she looked like, then?", she gave him a pleading smile.

"Well, she looked a lot like you. She had bl- red hair. If you go to a mirror and put a red wig on, you've got her.", he shrugged.

Caroline seemed to be thinking a lot about the fact that her father almost said blond hair. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Thanks, father.", she gulped.

What was her father hiding? Why was it such a huge deal to hide Olivia's appearance? What had gone so wrong with her, that she gave away her own daughter?

Caroline's mind was racing again, causing her a huge headache. Her stomach was tied in a knot and everything started spinning. A nauseating feeling made her want to get all the food she was eating out again and her eyes felt as if they were being poked inwards.

"Are you okay?", Alastor asked, obviously unconcerned.

"Huh? Yeah. Just a little dizzy. I think I'm going to go take a nap.", she smiled weakly, getting up. She stumbled.

"Do you want a servant to escort you?"

"No, it's fine. I've got this.", she rushed and then slowly made her way outside the room.

Theories and ideas started invading her thoughts, making her feel even dizzier. She put her hand against the wall, trying to balance herself. When she started feeling a little better she rushed to her room as fast as possible.

When she arrived, she immediately collapsed on her bed. Her thoughts were taking over again as she drifted to sleep.

She was in her father's old room, the one he shared with her mother. Alastor seemed years younger and was talking to a woman that looked a lot like Lux but wasn't as pale. This woman had slightly dark skin, but the similarity was huge and Caroline had a feeling that she was indeed Lux.

"How could you let her go? I thought the castle was surrounded!", Lux yelled at Alastor. "I always have to clean up your messes! Can't you do anything right?"

"She was already gone when I found the room! She gave me this!", he dragged the collar of his shirt down to reveal three long and deep scratches. "Don't blame everything on me. You were supposed to be there.", Alastor hissed.

"I was tracking Benny down.", she crossed her arms.

"I don't care about your ex, Lux. I care about the fact that I needed your help and you weren't there."

"What does Olivia have to say but all this? Huh? I doubt she's in favor of your vengeful tendencies."

"Olivia doesn't get a say in this, and even if she had an opinion on the matter I wouldn't give a damn. If she starts causing trouble, I'll take her out.", Alastor growled. Caroline gasped.

"What a good husband you are... So caring. And congratulations on your son! You have two children now.", Lux smirked.

"I'd have three if you'd done as we'd planned."

"Trust me, I'll take care of it.", Lux hissed and rushed put of the room as Olivia walked in. Caroline wasn't surprised to see that she was blonde and that she had been right all along.

"What happened?", her mother asked.

"It's none of your business. Do you have anything new for me?", Alastor said angrily.

Olivia hesitated. "I- I know what you did.", she frowned. "How could you?"

"I did what I had to."

"Why do you hate Dan so much?"

"Don't speak of him! Get out of here.", he snapped pointing at the door. Olivia flinched, but did as he said while keeping her head up to show him that she only did it because she wanted to.

Before opening the door, she paused. "Where's the baby?"

"In Caroline's room.", Alastor hissed, and with that Olivia left the room.

Caroline's eyes snapped open as the door slammed open and Lux walked in furiously.

"How much do you know?", she inquired.

"Lux?! What are you doing here? What are you talking about?", Caroline asked, not even trying to mask her surprise.

"Don't act dumb. We both know you're far from that! How much do you know?", Lux yelled at her.

"I don't know! All I know is that it's definitely not enough!", Caroline yelled back.

"Oh, trust me. Whatever you know it already is more than enough. I'm going to have to erase your memory.", Lux muttered to herself, approaching Caroline, who jumped out of the bed.

"Stay away from me!", she warned the witch. Everything was happening too fast.


Lux ignored her and cast a spell (which looked like a black ball of magic) (pretty terrifying, if you ask me) but right before hitting Caroline in the face, it stopped and dissolved.

"What?! How is this even possible? You're a seer, not a shield!"

"I'm a what?!"

"Unless... Goddammit, Alastor! He always plans ahead! I knew I shouldn't have made that deal...", Lux growled.

"Can you explain to me what the hell is going on?", Caroline snapped, yelling at Lux, who froze.

"I owe nothing to you.", she hissed.

"Of course you do! You owe me an explanation for bursting into my room while I'm sleeping and trying to wipe my memory! Some godmother you are...", Caroline argued.

"Listen, you little--"

"Watch your tongue.", the princess growled. Lux looked taken aback by the similarity between an angry Caroline with angry Alastor. Caroline noticed that and used it to her advantage. "Now tell me."

Lux sighed. "You're a seer, just like your mother. That's all I can say.", she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Tell me everything."

"Fine! Just don't look at me like that, dammit! I never thought that a sixteen-year-old would scare me..."

"I'm seventeen."

"Same thing.", Lux shrugged. "Okay, so your mother was a seer and that's pretty much the only reason why your father married her. Also, disclaimer: I'm only saying all these to you because I hate your dad."

"Just get on with it..."

"Right. So her ability was the only reason why he married her, so once you were born he stopped giving a damn about her. He doesn't give a damn about anyone and anything, really. That's why he killed Olivia...", Lux rambled, but froze and covered her mouth once she realised that she'd said too much.

Caroline couldn't feel her limbs, much less move them. Her eyes had widened, her blood went cold and her head started pounding. "He- Dad killed mom?", she asked in disbelief.

Lux was at a loss. "I... Yes, he did.", she admitted. "And please don't say anything! He... He'll execute my brother if he finds out I told you."

"I don't believe you. He'd never.", Caroline denied the facts, even though it made more and more sense the more she thought about it.

"Have you even met your father? He committed his first murder when he was your age! Everyone still thinks it was a bloody accident...", Lux muttered.

"You're lying!", Caroline yelled at her.

"If I'm lying, then why are you crying?"

Caroline paused. She hadn't noticed the tears on her cheeks. "Why did he kill her?"

"Because she knew too much.", Alastor appeared at the door. Lux's eyes widened. Caroline paled. "Now... Who in here would like to follow her example?"

°~*~°

Violet was struggling with finding Cheryl. She was also having trouble with navigating through the woods, as she couldn't concentrate due to her constant thinking of Tristan.

Maybe it was a good thing that she couldn't find Cheryl, after all; she'd kill her if she found out that Violet fell in love with Tristan. She wasn't sent to the palace to mingle, she was sent there to keep an eye on him.

Well, I did keep an eye on him. Both in the way Cheryl wanted and the way I turned out to want..., she thought, smirking.

A rustle near some bushes got her on alert. Green sparkles started forming and floating around her left hand. She stayed still and quiet, listening carefully for movement.

That's when a bandit jumped from behind the bush. Before he could land, vines erupted from the ground, pulled him down, dragged him through the dirt and tied him up in a tree behind him. That's when a second one tried to grab her from behind, but was also out of luck.

Violet stepped hard on his foot and elbowed his stomach. The second bandit stumbled backwards and with a wave of her hand, Violet took all the weapons from both bandits and aimed them at the newcomer.

"W-w-w-witch!", he stuttered, probably because the first one had a vine around his mouth and couldn't speak.

"Bingo.", she glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Well, we were going to rob you, but that's not an option anymore.", he shrugged.

"What are your names again?", she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm Jackson."

"Ahndh Ih ahmh Chahrlhesh.", the other one tried to say.

"Right, sorry.", Violet shrugged and took the vine of his mouth.

"I'm Charles.", he repeated.

"Violet!", she introduced herself excitedly.

"Uh...", Jackson raised and eyebrow. Now that they weren't trying to rob her and Violet was the calmest she could be (because this is Violet we're talking about, she could never be calm), she noticed that they didn't seem any older than her.

"Right. Aren't you two a little young to be ambushing and robbing people?", she asked them.

"Well...", Charles chuckled awkwardly.

"My parents and Charles' mother didn't approve of our relationship, so we ran away. We couldn't find a job and were getting desperate.", Jackson explained.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry to hear that!", Violet exclaimed. "I'll tell you what. You seem like good people. How about you accompany me while I look for a friend of mine, and I'll make sure you don't have to rob people anymore?", she suggested.

"How?", Charles eyed her suspiciously.

"I have friends in high places.", she smirked.

Jackson and Charlie glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Why the hell not?", Charles sighed.

"Great! I was so tired of travelling all alone!", Violet said excite y freeing Charles from the vines and dropping the knives.

"That friend of yours... Where are they?", Jackson asked.

"I don't know exactly. I guess we'll find out tonight!"

"You mean with a spell?"

"Duh. Tracking people is hard, especially someone like her. There are some people that really want to find her, but the feeling isn't mutual on her side.", Violet sighed.

And they walked in silence after that.