I found Enora in her study, calm among ledgers.

  "I need to see Hana." No need for pleasantries. The head maid might have been working for Grandfather since before I was even born. But I was the lady of the house.

  Enora didn't look up immediately. "I'm afraid that won't be possible right now, Lady Alya."

  "What happened to her?"

  Her eyes were steady, but she wouldn't meet mine. "She's being cared for in the servants' quarters. She'll have privacy. Your father requested that the staff be left to their recovery. I cannot disclose medical details."

  "I'm ordering you to tell me."

  Enora's hand stilled on the page. Her eyes met mine at last. "You are Lady Velmire. You do not issue orders to the staff in such matters; your father does. As I said, Lord Velmire insists on discretion for the household."

  The ground shifted beneath me. "My father told you not to tell me?"

  "Lord Velmire wishes to keep the matter private to avoid scandal. That is not my choice."

  My heartbeat was erratic. I felt nauseous.

  Enora's eyes softened. "I cannot break the instruction." She paused. "But... I can request an audience with your father. For now, you should rest."

  I left. Despair and anxiety making it hard to breathe.

  In my room, I waited until the house slept and slipped quietly out.

  I didn't know where the servants' quarters were, but I intended to search the whole manor if

  necessary. Room by room.

  A stroke of luck had me find a maid exiting a room near the north wing. She startled when I stepped out of the shadows.

  "My lady? What are you—"

  "Take me to Hana." My voice stayed low.

  The maid hesitated, glancing toward the stairs. "Madam Enora said—"

  "I know what she said!" I was losing my patience. I had to take a deep breath. "Just... please. I need to know she's alright."

  Something in my pleading look shook her. She bit her lip, glanced once more toward the stairs, then nodded.

  We moved through narrow passages—parts of the manor I'd never seen. At last, she stopped before a plain wooden door.

  "That's her room." Her voice hushed. "But my lady, you should know before you enter—she's not... it's not good."

  My breath hitched.

  I pushed open the door.

  The room was small and spare—a chest, a washbasin, and on the single narrow bed lay Hana.

  So still I stopped breathing. Dim light from the window showed her bruised face, swollen on one side. Bandages wrapped around her arms and disappeared beneath the too-thin blanket. Her breathing was shallow, pained.

  "Hana?" I managed to whisper. Tears blurred my vision as I hurried toward her. "Hana... what happened?"

  Her eyes fluttered open. Recognition sparked, followed by panic. "My lady, you shouldn't be here! You must leave, quickly. If they find you—"

  "Who? Who did this to you?"

  Her panicked eyes flickered to the door, as if expecting some beast to arrive and tear us open. "My lady, please, you have to go back—"

  "No!"

  I rose tall. I was done pretending everything was alright, closing my eyes to my family's cruelty. Father's indifference to me, Grandfather's oppressive control, Valdosta's unorthodox teachings—I could tolerate those. Accept them, even.

  But this... they had pushed me too far.

  "We're leaving." I whispered. "Hana, we're leaving." Firmer this time.

  "What? My lady, no, you can't. You're the lady of the house. You're the closest thing to a princess I've ever come across. You can't risk everything for me. I'm fine, it looks worse than—"

  "Hana!" I stepped closer, my hand resting softly on her uninjured cheek. My other hand gestured to her bandaged ribs, then to her bandaged arms.

  "We need to leave. Now. I know these people—it can only get worse from here. Even if it’s not immediately, with time… And I'm not willing to sit down and wait for that to happen."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  We stared at each other in fear and silent resolution for a couple of heartbeats.

  Then we sprang into action.

  As quickly as our injuries allowed, we shoved some of Hana's possessions into a bag, not bothering to grab the rest.

  "I need to go to my room. I'll be quick. Wait here. Lock the door, Hana."

  As soon as I turned, I felt her fingers on my forearm, stopping me.

  "That's too dangerous! It would be too suspicious if someone saw you walking through the manor at this time."

  I froze.

  "Someone already saw me coming here." Both our eyes widened. "A maid. She has short reddish hair, maybe green eyes? And around this—" I raised my hand to my nose. "Tall. Do you...?"

  "Cilia! Yes! Her room is nearby!"

  We walked to the door, opening it as silently as we could.

  A figure stood just outside.

  We pulled closer to each other in fright. I raised my hand, ready to blast—

  "Oh lord! Cilia!" Hana exclaimed, keeping her voice quiet, trying to steady her trembling hands.

  I silently lowered my hand, clearing my throat.

  "Cilia, could you do us a favor?" Hana got closer to the girl.

  "Did my father order you to keep an eye on us?" I approached the red-haired woman.

  She looked confusedly from Hana to me. "What? No! Of course not. I don't believe he knows you're here, my lady. I was making sure nobody came down this corridor and found you."

  She looked mildly offended.

  "Oh. Then... sorry." I whispered. "Could you go to my room and grab two coats and put some jewels in a bag, please?"

  If she wasn't willing to do it as a favor, I'd have to order her. It would be my last order as lady of the house, I thought ironically.

  "I... my lady." It was clear to her that we were escaping. "My lady, if it comes out that I took the jewels, I'd be in a sea of trouble. Please..."

  Hana turned to look at me with round eyes.

  I sighed. "Just the coats then. Please. It's freezing outside. And boots."

  Cilia hesitated for a second, looking at us both. "Alright. Wait for me inside the room. You can't be seen."

  The woman left.

  I paced back and forth in the suffocating room.

  "You don't think she would turn us in, do you?"

  Hana's brown eyes followed my movements from the bed. "No." I stilled. She didn't sound entirely convinced. "I don't think she would. I mean, why would she—" Hana shook her head, patting the spot on the bed beside her. "Sit with me? You're making me dizzy with all that pacing."

  She smiled softly. I obliged, my spine stiff with tension.

  "You know, when I was six, my mother sent me to the market by myself for the first time."

  I turned to face her. "What?"

  "Gave me a list of very specific instructions." Hana continued with a smile. "I was so proud of going alone—felt very grown up. Among the things she asked for, she mentioned two kilograms of beans. But in my excitement, I misheard. I thought she said bees."

  She scoffed. I smiled.

  "I went to every stall asking where I could buy two kilos of bees. The vendors thought I'd gone mad. One man actually tried to give me a jar with two bees in it. Said it was around one kilo, if they were particularly fat bees."

  I rested my back against the wall, chuckling. "And did you take them?"

  Hana beamed. "No. But only because they didn't look that fat to me."

  I didn't know if it was the tension of the past hours, but that tale seemed the funniest thing anyone had ever told me.

  Once I stopped laughing, I stared fondly at her.

  "Hana, no matter what happens tonight—" I said solemnly. "I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to you. Ever again. Ever. I swear."

  Hana didn't answer right away. She just drew closer, until she could surround my arms with one of her own. My arms tentatively surrounded my friend.

  I felt tears running down my face. I hadn't been embraced in so long, I'd forgotten how it felt.

  When Hana pulled back, tears glistened in her eyes. "It wasn't your fault. Really. And—I'll protect you, too."

  Footsteps approaching the door pulled us out of our moment. I jumped from the bed, ready to send a shockwave.

  The door opened silently. Cilia returned with two heavy coats and two pairs of boots. "Here.

  The house is silent. I think everyone's asleep."

  Her hands shook as she handed the objects to me.

  We wasted no time—put the coats and boots on, grabbed the bags, and exited the room.

  "My lady. Hana."

  We turned to see Cilia's worried gaze. "Good luck. Be careful."

  Hana hurried back to hug the woman. I nodded, grateful for her help.

  The cold night breeze sent chills down my spine. I turned to look at Hana. She was too weak to walk. I stared at the long road separating Velmire Manor from Lumeria.

  No plan. No money. No time.

  "The car." Hana turned to me, confused. "We must take a car. It's the only way to get to the capital."

  Her eyes turned into saucers. "We can't take a car. Lord Velmire—and—can't cars be easily tracked? Do you know how to drive?"

  "I—yes. Somewhat. Enough to get us to Lumeria. Let's go."

  I helped Hana walk to the garage. Randomly picked one of the keys and hoped we wouldn't be discovered just yet.

  I was grateful for the soft hum of the vehicle. I activated the crystals to defog the windows and slowly drove the car out of the garage and into the driveway. I didn't activate the lights until we were outside the iron gates. I maneuvered the car along the curves of the private road, stopping only once we reached the main road.

  I froze. The forest ahead seemed to swallow the road.

  "My lady?" Hana sat beside me, pale in the dim light.

  "Alya," I whispered, eyes glued to the main road.

  "Pardon?"

  I turned to look at her. "Just Alya."

  Hana hesitated, then nodded with a smile. "Alya. We can go back, if you want. It's not too late. We can pretend—"

  "No." I shook my head. "I told you. I'm done pretending."

  With a protesting groan, the car turned onto the main road, taking us far from the manor.

  Once the city lights started coming into view, my hands and legs started trembling. I'd never driven among other cars before. Where people crossed the street. Carriages. I didn't even know which way to go.

  "Hana? Where—I don't know where to go." My breathing came short and labored.

  "Alya. Alya, calm down. Don't worry. Everything will be alright. Let's go to my house. My mom will be delighted to meet you."

  I nodded, not at all convinced. It had been a terrible idea. I should have gone to my room myself, grabbed as many valuables as I could.

  My panic only worsened once we reached the city. Despite the late hour, cars sped through the streets. I clumsily pulled to a stop near some parked cars.

  "I—I don't know how to do this." I turned to Hana. "I don't think I can. I've never driven outside the private road."

  Hana's own chest rose and fell unevenly. "Okay. We could leave the car here. Take a taxi?"

  "A taxi? What is that?"

  "Ah." Hana laughed softly. "It's a car driven by another person. In exchange for money."

  "We have no money."

  "I have some in my bag. It's more than enough to get us to my house."

  I looked around, then nodded. It was the most sensible idea.

  We pulled out of the car, me helping Hana. I noticed her limping was growing more severe.

  Sweat gathered at her forehead. She needed proper medical care.

  We didn't have to wait long for a taxi to appear. With a wave of her hand, Hana summoned it.

  How convenient.

  The driver didn't seem to notice our state. And if he did, he didn't comment on it. By the time we reached our destination, he was already looking around for another paying passenger.

  Hana handled the money and we pulled out of the noisy car. I wasn't accustomed to a car making so much noise. Or the smell...

  As soon as I stepped out, I looked around. The street was clean, filled with small houses, all put right next to each other.

  "This way, my la—ah, Alya."

  We walked to one of the houses. Two stories, light blue with a red roof. It had two windows on each side. The small doorstep was decorated with herbs and small flowering bushes I didn't recognize.

  The lights inside were off.

  I helped Hana climb the two steps to the front door.

  She sighed and knocked.

  "Alya? My mom will be quite worried once she sees us like this, at this hour. Try not to let her reaction worry you, okay? She's quite... emotional." She smiled apologetically.

  "Well, it is my fault that you're in this state to begin with." I would take responsibility and ask for forgiveness if her mother got angry. I'd leave if asked.

  "What? No, of course not. That's not what I meant—"

  The door opened.

  Inside, a middle-aged woman with tied curly hair stood groggily. Once her eyes settled on us, they widened.

  "Hana!" She stepped out and put her hands on her daughter's arms. Worry was written in every centimeter of her face. "What happened to you? Oh dear!"

  I took a step back. What was meant to give them space ended up attracting the older woman's attention.

  "Oh, sweetie! And who are you?" I was speechless. "Come on in! Both of you. It's freezing tonight!"

  She helped us with Hana’s bags.

  As soon as we were inside, the concerned mother went back to her interrogation, closely inspecting her injured daughter. Only stopping once Hana buried herself in the comfort of her embrace. They just held each other in the middle of the room, eyes closed.

  I stood still, unable to separate my stare from them. I didn't notice the tears running down my cheeks. Wouldn't have been able to stop them even if I'd tried.

  "Hana, who's your friend?"

  The woman's eyes moved to me, noticing me crying by the door. Her eyes softened immediately. Hana turned and gasped.

  "Oh child! Come here."

  Mother and daughter approached me. I wiped my tears in shame, but fresh tears replaced the ones I'd dried.

  I got engulfed by both of them. Their warmth defrosting more than just my trembling limbs.

  My hands found their sides.

  And for the first time in a while, I allowed myself to weep.