The Grand Duke was always punctual.
He left The Palace half-an-hour before he was due to board the Battleship. It meant that Sola had very little time to say ‘goodbye’ to Zelie.
She was somewhat hesitant at having to do so anyway.
She realised that her sister was becoming increasingly resentful of her taking her place.
However, when she went to Zelie’s bedroom, it was to find that the Nurses had already given her the tranquillising pill that the Doctor had ordered for her.
“Will you please tell my sister that I came to say ‘goodbye’ to her,” she then asked the Nurses.
“Of course we will, Your Royal Highness,” one of them answered, “and it’s really better for your sister to sleep as much as she can as she will only be upset when she is awake.”
Sola knew that this was true, having loo
