Kimberly POV
Going back to the palace was unsettling. I didn’t quite feel at home. I missed the warmth of my bed in the boy’s dormitory back in the academy, the noisy banter of my friends, and the smell of the woods in the morning, and, if I may add, the chlorine in the indoor swimming pool.
I was looking forward to visiting my friends, but I was told that I could not go out due to strict security implemented by the king, aka my step-dad. The murders around the once crime-free kingdom were still not solved. In this case, we – Mom, Alice, and I – were not allowed to go out at all.
“Mom, I don’t want to sound like a brat at all, but it’s my birthday. I always celebrate my birthday with our friends. You know that. Can we at least invite them here?” It was morning and I had just gotten out
