"Welcome to the capital of Merovia... Merovia City."

They walked closely together through the bustling streets while the men followed behind them. Rosalind could not stop herself from glancing around despite the shawl wrapped over her head and the dark cloak hiding most of her appearance. Ever since they entered the kingdom, Merovia had completely blown her away. Rivers curved through the city beautifully with large bridges stretching above them while banners of wine red, green, and gold fluttered proudly in the breeze.

The capital felt alive.

People wandered through the streets laughing freely and speaking warmly to one another as though everyone belonged to the same family. Rosalind noticed quickly that shawls draped over the head were common here and the people spoke with accents similar to hers, carrying that same soft sing-song tone in their voices. Music drifted from corners of the streets while merchants sold food nearby and children chased each other happily along the roads.

Rosalind could not have been happier seeing all of it.

Mallory glanced toward her then, taking in the wonder written plainly across Rosalind’s face while a frown settled deeply on her own as she pushed Beth’s wheelchair forward.

"Just so you know, I’m not excited about being here," she scoffed.

"Why not?" Rosalind asked absentmindedly, still distracted by everything around her. "Look at these people... look at how connected they are and how happy they seem." A smile spread across her face as she unconsciously compared it to Eryndor in her mind.

High Erynd had never looked like this.

The people there understood class too well. They stayed in their places, distant from one another. But here in Merovia, everyone seemed connected regardless of who they were.

"Hmph," Mallory huffed irritably as they continued walking.

"Lady Rosalind?" one of the men, Peter, called out.

Rosalind stopped and turned toward him at once.

"This way, please," he said before leading them down a narrower alley.

Some of the people nearby glanced toward them suspiciously, likely wondering why they were hidden beneath dark cloaks despite the warmth of the day. Rosalind only smiled politely at them and dipped her head subtly in greeting before following Peter deeper into the alley. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Eventually, they arrived at a small place tucked away between several buildings.

Mallory and Beth entered first while Rosalind remained outside with the men.

"This is where you’ll stay for now," Peter explained. "It won’t attract attention, but you’ll have to manage with it."

"It’s alright," Rosalind answered softly. At least it was far better than remaining trapped in the palace waiting for Alaric to return and force her into marriage.

"And here is your share." Liam stepped forward and handed her a small pouch of coins.

Rosalind weighed it lightly in her hand, realizing immediately that it was part of the money they had taken from Calder.

"I thought he had much more money than this..." she murmured to herself, though her voice was loud enough for them to hear.

"Unfortunately, after exchanging the coins, this was all we could manage to keep," Liam explained. "You’ll have to find your own way from here because we’ll be leaving soon."

Rosalind swallowed lightly before lifting her gaze toward them. "Where will you be going? Back to Eryndor?"

"No," one of them answered shortly. "Somewhere else." And they offered nothing more after that.

Rosalind nodded slowly before bowing her head gratefully toward them. Rowan had promised they would make sure she arrived safely and they truly had. They had brought her across the sea, hidden her properly, and even found a place where she would not easily attract attention.

"You’ll need to keep an eye on that woman," Peter whispered quietly, referring to Mallory. "Make sure she doesn’t do something behind your back."

Rosalind nodded immediately in understanding. She bowed one last time before the men pulled their hoods over their heads and disappeared back through the alley.

Rosalind tightened her fingers around the pouch of coins... but her attention was quickly drawn toward Mallory’s irritated voice from inside the house.

"This place is unbearable," she complained while glaring around the room. Cobwebs clung to the corners, cracks stretched along the walls, and dust coated nearly everything inside. "Where do we even begin?"

It looked nothing like Calder’s home where Mallory had been used to working.

Rosalind crouched slightly and picked at some dirt from the floor. "We’ll just have to start somewhere," she replied.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn’t run away," Mallory snapped before adding bitterly, "and dragged me along with you."

"You have to understand that I only did this because I was scared for you," Rosalind tried explaining. "I truly didn’t think everything through properly."

Mallory crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Well maybe you should have. If anything happens to my family while I’m stuck here hiding, I’ll hold you responsible for it."

Rosalind let out a frustrated sigh as Mallory disappeared farther into the house, likely intending to start cleaning so they could at least survive there comfortably.

"Why is it so hard for her to understand?" Rosalind thought bitterly.

"Mallory will come around eventually, Rosalind," her mother said weakly from the wheelchair. "It’s not easy being separated from your family so suddenly."

Rosalind’s shoulders slumped immediately at the words.

Oh, she understood that feeling very well.

During all the times she spent trapped inside the palace, she had missed her mother, their home, and the life she once had more than anything else. And now, without properly thinking ahead, she had forced Mallory into that exact same pain.

Rosalind dragged a hand through her hair in frustration.

She truly had been stupid not to think further ahead than her own escape.

Maybe her mother was right. Mallory would eventually come around... or maybe she never would. Rosalind honestly did not know anymore. For now, the bigger problem was figuring out how they were supposed to survive on the little money she had left.