At night, Rosalind was unable to sleep. Her eyes remained fixed on the unfamiliar ceiling above her as her thoughts drifted back to Rowan.

She wondered how he was doing, although she already knew it could not possibly be well. By now, word must have spread through the palace that she was missing, and once the search began, Rowan would certainly be questioned. Locked up too, most likely.

Her chest tightened together at the thought.

She wondered if the king had already returned and what would happen once he discovered everything. More than anything, she worried for Rowan. Guilt settled heavily inside her chest because if she had not escaped, none of this would have happened to him.

By this time, they would have snuck away to meet in secret like they always did. They would have spent the night together talking quietly while she leaned against him and felt his presence beside her.

Instead, she was far away from him now, and he was left behind to face whatever punishment awaited him.

Rosalind finally let out a quiet sigh before sitting upright. Her gaze shifted around the small room. Mallory was already asleep, and so was her mother.

Carefully, Rosalind stood from the bed and made her way toward the door before slipping outside.

The cool night air greeted her instantly, brushing softly against her skin. She only intended to walk for a little while to clear her mind. Staying inside that cramped room while unable to sleep felt unbearable.

Rosalind knew wandering around a place she barely knew was not exactly wise, but she also knew enough to stay unnoticed and avoid drawing attention to herself.

Unlike Eryndor, the streets here were still lively despite the late hour. Lanterns glowed warmly across the roads while laughter echoed from different corners. Children still ran around playing as though the world held no troubles at all.

Rosalind slowly walked past several stalls, and the scent of hot food drifted toward her, causing her stomach to grumble softly. She was not venturing too far from the house, only around the familiar area she had seen earlier that morning.

People glanced at her occasionally, but Rosalind kept her head lowered beneath the shawl and continued walking quietly. After a while, she stopped by a fruit stall and bought an apple.

She began eating it slowly while wandering through the streets, taking in the warmth around her. The music, the laughter, the easy conversations between strangers, it all made the place feel alive in a way Eryndor never had.

Eventually, Rosalind slowed near a group of children playing a game with stones drawn across the ground. She stood there watching them with a faint smile until one of the little girls suddenly noticed her.

"Do you want to play?" the girl asked eagerly.

Rosalind blinked in surprise before shaking her head lightly. "Not at all."

"You should join us," the little girl insisted. "It’ll be fun."

Rosalind glanced between the children and saw the same hopeful expression on all their faces. She sighed softly. One game would not hurt.

"Here’s how you do it," the girl explained while pointing at the markings on the ground. "You throw the stone, raise one leg, and hop to the spot before coming back."

Rosalind tried exactly as she was told, awkwardly hopping while the children burst into laughter around her. To her own surprise, she found herself laughing too. She had never done anything like this before.

What she thought would only be one quick game turned into another, then another after that. By the time she finally stopped, she had spent far longer there than she intended.

"Will you come tomorrow?" one of the children asked hopefully when she turned to leave.

Rosalind only smiled at them before walking away, and behind her she heard their disappointed groans as she disappeared from sight.

When she returned to the house, she found Mallory standing outside with her arms crossed. Rosalind’s footsteps slowed immediately.

"I thought you were asleep," Rosalind said while approaching her.

"I couldn’t sleep," Mallory answered quietly. Her voice no longer carried the irritation it had earlier.

"Is it too uncomfortable for you here?" Rosalind asked as she stopped beside her.

Mallory exhaled slowly. Even if it was uncomfortable, there was little point complaining now. "It’s a new environment," she explained. "I need time to adjust. That’s all."

"Oh," Rosalind murmured softly. "I know that feeling."

Mallory turned her gaze toward her. "Then why weren’t you inside?"

"I only went for a short walk," Rosalind replied. "I couldn’t sleep either."

Mallory stared at her for a moment before letting out another breath. "I honestly don’t know whether you’re brave or just foolish, Rosalind. We only just arrived here, and you’re already wandering around alone at night. What if something happened to you? What would your mother have done? What would I have done?" she asked, concern tightening her voice.

"But nothing happened," Rosalind said gently.

"What if it had?" Mallory countered before shaking her head. "Just because this place looks peaceful and the people seem friendly doesn’t mean danger doesn’t exist here too."

Rosalind turned toward her fully then and smiled softly. "Thank you for watching out for me."

Mallory narrowed her eyes immediately at the smile. "Don’t misunderstand me. This doesn’t mean everything between us is suddenly fine," she muttered quickly. "I was only worried because... well..."

"I won’t cause you any trouble," Rosalind said before glancing toward the door. "Is mother still asleep?" she asked.

"Yes," Mallory answered. "Surprisingly, she managed to sleep better than the two of us."

"It must be the medicine," Rosalind murmured, and Mallory nodded in agreement.

"By the way," Mallory continued, her voice sharpening slightly again, "how exactly do you expect us to survive here? That little money you brought can barely do anything. And how do you intend to pay me for my work?"

Rosalind hesitated briefly before answering, "I plan to find work tomorrow, so don’t worry. I’ll provide for us."

At least, that was her hope. By morning, she intended to search around the city and see if anyone would hire her for something.

"Fine then," Mallory replied.

Rosalind smiled again, relieved to see that the woman no longer sounded as angry as before. Earlier, Mallory could barely stand the thought of being there, but now she was at least speaking calmly again. Eventually, she really did come around, Rosalind thought quietly to herself.

Together, they returned inside the house, and the door was shut behind them.

****

Meanwhile, back at the palace in Eryndor, Rowan stood before Alaric as the king glared daggers down at him.

"Do you even realize what you have done?" Alaric demanded sharply. "I gave you a second chance to redeem yourself and prove your loyalty, yet you betrayed me and helped her escape."

His voice thundered across the throne hall.

The mistresses standing nearby trembled in fear, and it was not only because of the king’s fury. The beast beside the throne let out another low growl, its chains rattling inside the cage. Rumors had already spread throughout the palace that Alaric intended to start feeding people to it, and none of them understood what sort of madness had taken hold of him.

"Were you trying to play hero by returning?" Alaric asked, arching a brow at Rowan, who still remained strangely calm despite everything.

The king rose slowly from his throne and descended the steps toward him.

"I heard that during the questioning, you refused to reveal anything about Rosalind’s whereabouts," Alaric continued. "As for why you are protecting her so desperately, I do not know yet, but I will soon find out." His lips curled slightly. "It is amusing how little you value your own life while someone else’s life seems so precious to you."

He stopped directly in front of Rowan. "I have ways of dragging the truth out of people," he said coldly. "And when I do, both of you will suffer greatly for this."

Then Alaric turned toward the guards. "Take him away," he ordered.

The guards immediately seized Rowan and dragged him out of the throne hall, though he offered no resistance as they led him away.

Once he was gone, Alaric shifted his attention toward the mistresses. "As you all already know, Rosalind escaped from this palace," he said, his gaze settling particularly on Verity and Thalia. "I am certain one of you knows where she may have gone."

Neither of the women spoke.

"Speak now if you value your lives," Alaric warned, his patience thinning.

Still, silence filled the throne hall. None of them truly knew where Rosalind was, and with every passing second, the king’s irritation only deepened.

"Since none of you seem capable of providing me with useful information," he said at last, "all of you shall remain detained until Rosalind is found."

The mistresses’ eyes widened instantly.

"And for your sake," Alaric added darkly, "you had better hope she is found quickly."

At once, the guards stepped forward and began locking cuffs around their wrists.

"Your Majesty, you cannot do this!" Sabine cried out frantically. "I do not even know where she is!"

"Silence!" Alaric thundered.

Sabine immediately swallowed the rest of her words.

"If I hear another sound from you," he warned coldly, "I will have you locked inside the cage with the beast."

Her entire body shook at the threat, and she clamped her mouth shut at once.

Sabine desperately wanted to reveal what she knew about Rosalind’s affair, but it was not the information Alaric was searching for now. And so, like the others, she was dragged away by the guards toward the dungeons.

"Spread the word across all of Eryndor," Alaric ordered the remaining guards. "Anyone who finds Rosalind shall receive thousands of gold coins. Anyone who provides useful information regarding her whereabouts will also be rewarded."

The guards immediately bowed and hurried away to carry out his command.

Alaric’s jaw tightened harshly as anger burned through him.

There was no chance he would allow that little wench to escape him so easily.

Even if Rosalind fled to the depths of hell itself, he would still find her.