Lizzie - Chapter 19 - The Party

Lizzie awoke the next morning with an all-too-familiar sensation between her legs.

She poked at the swollen padding. It'd been this way nearly every morning since switching back to goodnites. Thankfully, the extra inserts prevented her from leaking, but her mom’s silent stares told her that she needed to figure something out quick. 

The last thing she needed was for her parents to try and put her back in diapers again. The thought alone made her shudder. It was a headache she really didn't want to deal with given everything else that was going on.

Lizzie shook it all off, forcing a smile. After all, the party was tonight! A well-needed break and her opportunity to make some new friends. 

Who needed Madison and the others anyway?

***

"What do you mean I can’t go?" Lizzie exclaimed.

"It’s a late night party, potentially even a sleepover. Madison's not going, and I don’t know any of the other kids going. You know the rules: going to a party means I need to know at least one of the other kids or the parents hosting. On top of it all, you've hardly even mentioned this Vanessa before. And you two suddenly became close friends?"

"But…"

"Either Madison needs to go, or I need to meet Vanessa’s parents."

Lizzie gritted her teeth. Her mom meeting Madison’s had been embarrassing enough, if she asked Vanessa to meet her parents she’d be laughed out of the party. 

Lying was out of the question too. With her mom's suspicions already raised, she would undoubtedly call whoever was name-dropped. And right now Lizzie didn't even know who her friends were, let alone who was ready to lie for her.

"But please, just this once!"

"Lizzie, rules are rules. If I just made exceptions whenever you felt like it, they wouldn't mean anything."

"I…" Lizzie bit her tongue, stopping herself before she could say something that she'd regret. Instead she stomped to her room and shut the door just a tad too firmly, enough to broadcast her displeasure but not enough to get in trouble.

With her dad still on his trip, she couldn't even try to weasel her way through.

Why couldn’t her mom understand how important this was for her? 

The thought stayed with her throughout the day at school and into the evening. When asked, she hadn't even had the heart to tell her new friends she couldn't go, only praying that they wouldn't notice her absence and she could somehow attend the next one. But as she lay in bed, she knew that folks like Vanessa didn't take too kindly to flakers.

She sighed, scrolling to see her new friends had already begun posting stories of the party. The loud music, the dancing, the screams, everyone seemed to be having a blast. And it was all happening just a few blocks away.

Oh, how she wished she could be there.

"What’s stopping you?" A voice in her head whispered.

"My mom, duh," she replied aloud.

"And? You already said goodnight earlier, and you heard her just step into the shower. All you gotta do is sneak out the front door. She wouldn’t even notice you’re missing!"

"But the chess tournament’s in two days!"

"So? You don’t have to stay the night. Just go, hang out, make some friends, and just sneak home by midnight. No harm, no fowl."

"But the rules…"

"Screw the rules. You’ve followed them as best you could all your life. And where has that gotten you? Stuck in diapers and back-zip PJs? You deserve a little freedom, you’re almost fourteen for crying out loud!"

"I…" The more she thought about it, the more she realized the voice was right. 

While she’d always been well-behaved, her friends told stories of rule-breaking all the time. If anything, it was something to brag about. They always seemed to be skipping school, secretly vaping, or even borrowing some extra allowance from their mom's purse. Compared to that, sneaking out to a party with friends and returning by midnight seemed rather harmless.

Yet something about intentionally breaking the rules still made her shiver.

Grow a pair! The voice in her head screamed. All of these rules and regulations, they are just preventing you from making friends. Preventing you from living life!

And besides, she’d be back before her mom even knew, where was the harm in that?

With newfound resolve, Lizzie quickly changed. Pulling on a black skirt and low-hanging top — the outfit she’d meticulously planned throughout the week. Of course, she also threw on a pair of pantyhose and her trusty jean jacket. After all, she wasn’t planning on freezing to death. 

Next up was her makeup. 

If only Madison was here… Lizzie quickly shook the thought out of her head. Some simple lip gloss would have to do. After quickly brushing her hair, she did a careful twirl in front of the mirror. A small smile tugged at her lips as she smoothed out her skirt.

She stuffed a couple pillows under her mattress. Then, grabbing her phone and purse, she poked her head out of the door. 

The running water and singing from down the hall gave her the green light, and Lizzie tiptoed down quickly. Slipping into her nicest pair of shoes before silently exiting the house.

She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she strolled toward her destination.

What if she got caught?

The thought usually would’ve sickened her with worry, yet tonight, something felt different.

She was breaking the rules, but on purpose this time!

Blood rushed through her as she smiled. It was a thrill she'd never experienced before. 

She found herself skipping the remainder of the way. As she rounded the final corner, she could already hear the music coming from inside. Despite the chilly weather, there were a few people loitering about on the lawn, idly chatting as they sipped on their drinks.

"Hey, I’m so glad you could make it! Oh my, I love your outfit!" Vanessa greeted her with a hug at the doorway.

"Um, thanks, sorry I'm late!" Lizzie said loud enough to overcome the music, awkwardly returning the surprise hug. Her host was dressed in a tight navy dress that seemed far too thin for the weather. But then again, she looked stunning. "You look amazing too by the way. And wow, what a huge party!"

"Oh this is nothing, just wait til summer rolls around, I'll invite you to one of my pool parties. Anywho, there's snacks in the living room and drinks are in the kitchen, please help yourself! I heard Madison might be a no-show today, but don't be shy, mingle about! Everyone’s excited to meet you!"

Lizzie simply nodded her head as she tried to orient herself with the music blasting in her ears.

"I’ll see you around, make yourself at home!" With that, she vanished.

She scanned the party. Where should she begin? To her left was the living room where a bunch of people were dancing while to her right was the dining room with a group of people gathered around a table with red cups.

But most of the partiers were simply chatting amongst themselves as they sipped on drinks. She wondered how they could hear each other with the dance music blasting from what seemed like every corner of the home.

But everyone seemed to be having a good time, and Lizzie smiled, excited to be at such a lively event. There were a couple tables filled with snack food. Despite not being hungry, she made herself a plate of nachos and mac n’ cheese to seem less out of place.

Looking around, there were no familiar faces, and after a few minutes, she found herself in a corner, eating silently as she observed the others. People flowed seamlessly from group to group, like they had all been friends for years. She wracked her brain, had any of them been at her table for lunch? 

Lizzie soon found her plate empty, and frowned. If only Madison was here. She probably could've introduced her to everyone.

She shook the thought out of her head. She had to move on.

Deciding she was thirsty, Lizzie got up and headed to the kitchen. A bunch of fancy bottles she didn’t recognize lined the countertop. 

It took her a minute to find some bottles of juice amongst the others, but there was only cranberry, raspberry, and orange. Quite an odd assortment of flavors, but Lizzie didn't know the first thing about parties, so she wasn't about to judge. 

Just as she was about to grab herself some orange juice, a voice surprised her, "whatchu, drinking gurl?" 

A big dude appeared from behind her, leaning in far too close. "A cute girl like you, whatchu say I make you a drink? You can repay me later."

"Um." Lizzie stuttered, taking a step back while trying not to heave at the boy’s rancid breath.

"Yo Tony, fuck off!" another dude appeared from behind and slapped him on the shoulder. 

"I was just kidding man, geez," Tony said, before scurrying out of the room.

"Man, I leave the station for one minute and this happens." The boy shook his head before turning to her. "Hey, I’m Alex. Don’t think I’ve seen you around. What’s your name?"

"Lizzie. And yeah, it's my first time," she said sheepishly.

"Aww, welcome!" Alex smiled. "Always great to see new faces. I apologize on behalf of my gender by the way."

Lizzie laughed. "Thanks for the save at least."

"Yeah, I promise we're not all bad. Despite his looks, Tony's actually a chill dude too, he just had a little too much to drink. Speaking of which, did you want one?"

"When you say drink, do you mean alcohol?"

Lizzie winced as she saw a look flash on Alex's face, but it vanished with a blink. "Yeah! Have you never tried it?"

She shook her head, her memories flying back to her experience with her dad’s beer. "I don't like it, it's too bitter. Could I just have some orange juice?" 

"Are you sure? If it's just because it's bitter, how about I make something sweet with orange juice for you instead?"

Alex's expression showed that he meant well, but she still wasn't quite sure.

Seeing her hesitate, he continued, "Most girls I know love it, most guys too but they don't admit it 'cause it's not manly enough. If you'd like, I can put less alcohol in it so it'll practically taste like juice."

He seemed nice enough, but part of her still wasn't convinced. She was about to politely decline when a voice in her head interrupted.

Aren't you here to try new things and make new friends? Stop being such a party pooper!

"You know what, I’ll try it, but make it with less alcohol please." 

"Sure thing," Alex flashed her a smile. He picked up a couple bottles, bringing them over to the sink. Measuring portions with a little cup before carefully pouring it into a larger glass with ice. A healthy amount of orange juice soon followed as Lizzie watched on with intrigue. 

Grabbing another bottle, he said, "now watch this." Carefully, he tilted the glass, before pouring what turned out to be a red syrup.

Lizzie’s eyes widened as the thick syrup flowed along the sides of the glass, leaving behind trails that swirled with the orange juice, forming hues of red, orange, and yellow.

"Wow, that almost looks like a sunset!"

"You're close! It's called a tequila sunrise," Alex explained as he placed a thin orange slice on the rim before handing it to her with a straw. 

"Mix it a bit before drinking."

Lizzie stared at it for a moment. It certainly looked better than beer. Deciding she had nothing to lose, she did as she was told and took a sip. 

Her eyes widened as she tasted the cool sweet drink. This was alcohol? 

"Well, do you like it?" Alex looked at her.

"Like it? I love it!" Lizzie said as she took sip after sip, quickly downing half the drink.

"Woah there, don’t go too fast!" 

"I always thought alcohol tasted bitter and disgusting. I never knew what I was missing out on!"

"Well, beer is pretty bitter, even though guys like to pretend to enjoy it just to be cool. But this is a cocktail, and there's plenty like this that make alcohol actually taste pleasant!"

"How'd did you learn to make these?"

"My parents have always been pretty liberal about drinking. But I didn’t like beers, so I learned to make cocktails, and it quickly became a hobby. It’s actually how I met Vanessa. We were both at this party and she really liked the drinks I made, so now I’m sorta the designated bartender at her parties."

"Well yeah, I can see why, these are great. Could I get another one?" Lizzie put down her finished glass. 

"Woah, you're done already? Are you feeling dizzy at all?" 

Lizzie shook her head.

"I’ll make you another one, but drink this one slower, alright? I don’t want you passing out."

She nodded with a smile. It was so nice that her new friend was so worried for her. But even after drinking it quickly, she felt perfectly fine. Besides, the sweet drink had only contained a single little cup of alcohol. Who knew drinking could be this fun?

"Can you actually make it regular strength this time?" Lizzie asked, eager to show she wasn't a wimp.

"Are you sure? You should probably go easy if it's your first time."

"I'll be fine, I promise. Please?" Lizzie asked in her sweetest voice, but still couldn't bring herself to give a little pout.

"Alright, if you say so… Anywho, how do you know Vanessa?" Alex asked as he began prepping.

"I guess I don’t really. I was invited sorta out of the blue. I think it’s because I’m friends with Madison."

The name left a sour taste as it left her mouth. They had been so great together. Yet her secret had ruined everything. 

She quickly pushed the annoying thoughts out of her head. It was time to make new friends, besides, she couldn't have relied on her forever anyways. Taking the drink from Alex, she chatted with him for a while longer, exchanging socials before heading back to the party.

Even with her mind set, starting a conversation wasn't exactly her forte and the music blasting overhead was certainly not helping.

Thus, it wasn’t exactly unexpected when she found herself in a secluded corner just minutes later, sipping quietly on her drink as she watched the others play some game with ping pong balls and red cups.

Everything seemed to be happening so quickly and loudly. Flashing lights, blaring music, and the occasional ear-piercing scream filled her senses as she struggled to keep up. How did everyone else seem to interact so naturally?

"Did you want to play?" A boy suddenly popped into vision. He looked down at her with large brown eyes. Seeing her confusion, he repeated, "did you want to play beer pong?"

Instinctively, she began shaking her head, but caught herself. What was wrong with her? It was an opportunity on a silver platter, she had to take it.

"I do, but I don’t know how to play," she said, brushing her hair as she did so.

"It’s easy, you can be on my team. I’m Daniel by the way." He brought her over to the table. "We’re playing by straight shots only, so the rules are simple. We each take turns throwing balls. The goal is to land it directly into the cup. If you land it, they have to drink. If they land in ours, then we drink. The first team to knock out all of their opponents' cups first, wins!"

She nodded. The boy's smile was infectious, and Lizzie couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

Daniel threw, the ball bounced on the rim of the cup before falling onto the table. He ran a hand through his slightly messy, brown hair. "So just like that, but try to sink it instead of missing like me. You give it a try." 

The rules seemed easy enough, and so Lizzie set aside her empty glass and took the ball from his outstretched hand. She tossed it up in the air a couple of times. It was light and airy. With nothing to lose, she threw it, the ball arced in the air, before landing straight into the first cup.

Daniel cheered, giving her a high five, and Lizzie felt a smile crawl onto her face. 

"Beginner's luck!" her opponents, two blond boys twinning with ripped jeans and baseball caps said. They threw back, the first boy missing, but the second landing it into the center cup.

"Drink!" the cheers began again. Lizzie took a sip, the fizzy drink tasted awful compared to her tequila sunrise, but she tried gulping it down, eager to continue the game.

"Let me finish it for you," Daniel offered, and she gladly handed him the cup.

On the next toss, both of them scored, and they got the balls back. They threw again, both landing again! A few of the spectators began cheering them on.

With just one cup left, the boy handed the ball to Lizzie. "You got this!"

Lizzie rolled the ball between her palms, and with a sharp exhale, she threw it, watching as it floated through the air, falling straight into the final cup!

She jumped into the air as cheers erupted, "again, again, again!" 

Of course, she had to oblige. Together with Daniel, the two quickly knocked down their second opponent, and then their third.

"Let’s go!" Daniel said, giving Lizzie a high five after they won yet another round.

The crowd could not believe it. She was the new beer pong queen! The cheering was creating a buzz in her head. Not only had she somehow ended up as the center of the party, she was loving it!

Still, she'd won so many, it was time to let someone else take a turn.

"So you’re the newbie beating everyone?" A large boy walked into the room, wearing a leather jacket and shades. He walked straight up to Lizzie, leaning in and taking his sunglasses off. "You’re the new beer pong queen everyone's been talking about?"

On any other day, Lizzie would've backed off and blushed, but something about the buzz in her head made her smirk instead. "Ya, what of it?"

"Confident. I can respect that. Then as the beer pong prince, I, Raymond, challenge you to a battle!"

"We accept!" Daniel put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her back.

"No, no, I only want to play the new girl. One on one. Ten cups each." 

Daniel shot her a look. 

"Don't worry, I got this," Lizzie said with a smile.

The two soon took their places, the cups were set and drinks were poured. 

"One rollback, and of course, ladies first," Raymond said, bouncing the ball to her and crossing his arms.

"You’ll regret that!" With that, she tossed her first shot, landing straight into the front cup. Her second quickly followed.

She received her rollback, but unfortunately it bounced off the rim.

"Okay, you’re not half bad." But the boy didn’t miss a beat, downing the cups in two quick gulps. He flipped a ball into the air before catching it, then threw two quick shots followed by his rollback, taking out most of Lizzie’s rear row.

Not to be intimidated, Lizzie scored three in return. The two continued trading blows. And at the end of her fourth round, she scored Raymond's last two cups!

With two cups remaining, if he missed either shot, she would win! "Good luck," she smirked as Raymond picked up the balls and downed his drinks.

"Oh, don't worry." With two nonchalant throws, the boy landed both shots. Lizzie's jaw dropped for a moment, before quickly recovering.

It was her first overtime! Three new cups were set up and the rules were explained to her. Each side would only get one ball with no rollbacks. A coin was flipped to decide who goes first.

"Heads!" The boy jumped up as the coin was called, he picked up the ball, and without missing a beat, he landed it squarely into Lizzie’s front cup.

Lizzie scored back. They both missed the second round, but both scored on the third. 

They were now down to one cup each. If the boy scored, he would win. Lizzie held her breath. 

The boy shot the ball through the air, but it slipped off the edge and onto the table.

This was her chance! Lizzie picked up the ball as the crowd watched in anticipation. Their eyes gazing intently, but Lizzie didn't notice, her eyes locked onto her target. She visualized the shot, and swung. She held her breath as the ball sailed, hanging air for an eternity, before it descended, falling straight into the cup!

The crowd went wild, screams filled the air and people around her were all jumping up and down. Two girls she didn’t even know gave her a hug.

Raymond walked over, towering over her, he extended his fist.

"Well played, queen," he said with a smile. Her fist felt minuscule against his as she returned the gesture. 

Deciding to end on a high note, Lizzie retired from beer pong, and went on to explore the rest of the party. She headed downstairs to the dimly-lit basement, where she found a group of people singing karaoke and dancing.

Normally, she would’ve been scared of dancing in front of strangers, but with the fuzzy feeling in her head, it suddenly didn’t seem all that intimidating.

Before she knew it, she was jamming and screaming along with the others. Belting out to "Cruel Summer" alongside the other Swifties. Several people were singing horribly off-key, but Lizzie didn't mind. She was having a blast!

As she sang, the room got progressively warmer, causing her to toss her jacket aside. When that wasn’t enough, she decided to sit down, letting herself catch her breath and cool down. Soon, her throat felt dry, and so she decided it was time for another drink.

However, as she got up to exit the room, she could feel her head spin. As she opened the door, the lights blinded her eyes. The pounding of the music began growing stronger, reverberating within her chest. She wheezed, feeling as if something was pressing against her ribs. Lizzie shut her eyes, feeling a cold sweat forming on her back as she leaned against the stairwell.

She stumbled to the kitchen, swaying side to side. A glass of water did little to help. Lizzie knew she needed to get away from the heat and noise.

But the entire floor was filled with people and screams. She saw a staircase leading upstairs. Perhaps there she could find a bed to lie on.

Her legs felt like jello, threatening to collapsed under her with each wobbly step. When she eventually reached the top, her eyes scanned the dimly-lit hallway, desperate for a place where she could sit down and catch her breath.

Most of the rooms had people already inside, playing games or chatting. But the door at the end of the hall was shut, and seemed dark. She carefully leaned against the walls as she stumbled toward it and entered.

Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they did, they widened. Two figures lay on the bed, staring right back at her.

A scream rang out, piercing her already-fragile brain as the figures scrambled to pull covers over themselves.

"Sorry!" Lizzie stammered, slamming the door shut. Falling to her knees, she scrambled away in a panicked crawl, shutting her eyes in an effort to erase the image seared into her mind.

It was too much, and Lizzie desperately crawled to the bathroom, only barely making it to the toilet before her half-digested nachos and macaroni bursted out of her, along with all of her alcohol.

Flushing it all down, her head continued to pound. Her eyes watered, her throat stung, and her head throbbed as Lizzie desperately tried to push out all of the stimuli.

What was happening to her? She tried to remember what she'd learned about alcohol, but it only made her brain scream out in agony. Tears formed in her eyes as she altered between sobbing and retching.

Had coming been a mistake? 

It had been a good time. In fact, playing games and singing with the others had been an amazing time. But now, it felt like her brain was squeezed in a vice, every throb sending a wave of pain coursing through her skull.

If only she’d had a friend to guide her through the party. Someone to warn her about alcohol and care for her. Someone like… 

"Help…" She groaned weakly. So many people were crammed into the same home, yet somehow, she suddenly felt so alone. She retched again, clinging onto the toilet for dear life.

A part of her registered the door opening, and she looked up to see a brown-haired boy. "Oh my god, are you alright?" He rushed over. 

It was Daniel. Relief flooded through her as she practically fell into his arms.

"Are you alright?"

"Could you get me some water?" she asked.

"Sure." 

He quickly returned, kneeling down and handing her a glass.

The warm water trickled down her throat, as Lizzie sat back against the bathtub. Daniel sat down a few feet away, watching her intently. 

She continued sipping on the water, until her stomach quieted down and the room stopped spinning. 

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"Too much beer pong?"

"Too much beer pong." Lizzie nodded, the pounding in her head now slowly dulling.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. I think I'm alright now."

"Did you want to go lie down? I think you'll feel better."

Lizzie only faintly nodded. With some effort, the boy helped her up, and guided her slowly over to a room. Keeping the lights dimmed, he helped her over to the bed. She sunk into the soft mattress, letting out a sigh of relief as her body melted.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you drink that much."

"It's not your fault. I’m feeling a bit better now."

"That’s good, but you should rest for a bit. I'll leave you to it, okay?" Daniel headed toward the door.

"Wait!" she called out. The thought of being alone suddenly sent a shiver through her. "Could you um… If you don't mind, could you stay with me instead?" 

"Um, sure, only if you want me to."

"Yes please." She patted the spot next to her as she rolled around, shutting her eyes as she curled underneath the covers.

A few moments later, she felt Daniel lay down next to her.

The thumping in her head continued, and she forced herself to take deep breaths.

He remained at the edge of the bed and glanced at her every so often. The two rested together for a while, in silence.

She didn't mind, and turned around. After a while, the bed shifted behind her, and Daniel joined her underneath the covers, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder. 

His warm touch was unexpected, but also reassuring, and Lizzie felt herself lean back ever so slightly, relaxing.

She continued focusing on her breathing, glad the music was dulled by the closed door, and let her eyes drift shut once more.

They rested like that for a while, until the throbbing seemed to subside. As it did, a part of her realized that she needed to go pee. But something about her situation felt so comforting, and she didn't want to end it just yet.

Daniel’s hands began adventuring around, eventually stopping on her hair, slowly combing it to the rhythm of her exhales.

"Are you feeling a bit better?"

"Yeah, thanks for keeping me company."

"Don't mention it. You really are a natural at beer pong though."

"I had a great partner. But speaking of which, why did you invite me to begin with?"

"Well, when I saw the cute girl in a pretty skirt all alone in a corner watching us with those puppy eyes, I knew I had to ask."

"I…" she paused, not knowing what to say.

Daniel found her cute? Or was it her outfit?

"Sorry I didn't—"

"No, that's not it. I appreciate it. I… I actually think you're quite cute too." Lizzie felt her cheeks flaring red. 

"Oh…" The two sat in silence for a while longer as her hands held onto her skirt, fingers toying with the smooth fabric.

Suddenly, she felt something on her side, causing her to flinch.

The hand immediately retracted. "Sorry, I was just um… wondering if I could give you a hug." 

Lizzie spun around. His large gentle eyes quickly avoided her stare, as he stumbled to say something. 

A hug… From a boy… What would that feel like? She felt a shiver run through her. 

"Um, no it's not you, it's me. I just wasn't expecting it."

"So…"

"You can, but slowly."

His arms felt reassuringly warm, and she could feel his breath as they shifted closer. She wrapped one of her arms around him, feeling it quiver as her heart began to race. 

Her head fell against his chest. His breathing seemed to quicken as well, and that somehow made her smile.

She looked up, only to find him staring down at her. They paused there for a moment as she licked her lips. He shut his eyes, and began moving closer, a million thoughts crossed her mind as she felt as if her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

As their lips were about to touch, she shut her eyes. Her whole body shook with anticipation.

And that's when she felt it.

A trickle running across her thigh.

Her bladder tensed as she leapt up.

"I'm sorry, I thought—" Daniel stammered. 

But Lizzie didn't hear the rest, horror overtaking her as she sprinted out of the room, the sickening wetness already beginning to spread out underneath her.

Her buzzed brain suddenly grew clear with a single objective: 

Run.

And so she ran, down the stairs and out the door and all three blocks back to her house.

Only when she reached the front porch of her house did she stop, giving herself a moment to catch her breath before slipping in as quietly as possible.

She tiptoed to her bedroom, immediately stripping out of her clothes as she evaluated the damage.

Thankfully, the wet spot wasn't that big, though there was a streak down her right leg. She only prayed that none of it got onto the sheets or that Vanessa would just think it was some spilled drink.

Despite her mom already being asleep, Lizzie didn't want to risk showering, instead resorting to wiping herself down in the bathroom.

Even half a dozen wipes later, the ickiness still lingered, but with a sigh, she pulled on her goodnite and headed back to her room.

As she lay onto bed, her mind flashed back. His messy hair, his warm breath, his soft smile… She had been so close. She planted her face into her pillow, groaning into it as she kicked her mattress. 

Once again, her bedwetting had ruined everything.

And perhaps more horrifying was the fact that it had happened while she was entirely awake.

Her thoughts stirred, but the exhaustion from the day quickly caught on, and before she could start panicking, she drifted off to a deep sleep.

---

That's all for this today! Thank you again for reading it, and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, please do let me know what you liked and disliked, and what you think might happen next!

Also - for those who may have joined this story later, feel free to comment on earlier chapters too, or DM me if you prefer. I'm always open to feedback.

I'm busy finalizing edits the next chapter, so we'll see you back again next week!