Ernest looked at her. "What nightmare?"
He couldn't help but recall how restless she had been in her sleep the previous night.
Anastasia shook her head. She hadn't meant to speak her thoughts aloud.
"I just feel… going back to the palace would be a nightmare," she replied quietly.
"If you don't want to go back, then you don't have to," Ernest said. "I have a plan that might work."
"Please tell me," Anastasia urged, hope flickering in her voice.
"Using yesterday's scandal as an excuse, you could marry someone else," Ernest began.
"Say you were hurt and believed the king had chosen your sister, so…" He hesitated.
"So what?" Anastasia prompted, sensing he had more to say.
"You were drunk. Since His Majesty claimed he was drunk and mistook your sister, why can't you claim the same mistake… and marry another?" Ernest finished.
Anastasia stared at him in shock, but as the idea sank in, she realized it might indeed be her best chance to avoid returning to the palace.
