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marilynsweet · 2 years

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FOUR LORDS: BITTERSWEET

The air was still and quiet. Sunrise peered over the trees outside, lighting squares of light through a crack in the curtains. Frost on the panes helped to dim it some, but it still gave the indication of the morning making its way in.

Rose’s eyes slowly opened, and she blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the light. The sun wasn’t too bright, yet, and the room was still dim enough. Rose was grateful for this - her body ached all over, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to wake just yet.

However, as soon as she saw the sun over the trees, she realized she had to. She’d slept in— she couldn’t be late!

When she made to sit up, however, everything came back to her in a flash. It sent a shiver up her body, goosebumps crawling over her flesh as she was suddenly made aware that this was not her bed. It was much too large, and instead of black blankets, she was met with a heavy red duvet.

Accompanying this comfortable bed was a set of slender arms wrapped around her, and the feeling of another body pressed against her back. Rose dared to turn her head a little, and was met with Annabelle’s head buried in the crook of her neck. Her black hair was tousled, and her head was turned to avoid looking at the sun.

However, as Rose moved, the Lady’s arms tightened around her, holding her closer with a soft whine.

“Just a little longer,” she murmured, pressing a soft kiss against Rose’s neck, “It’s early…”

“I-I mustn’t b-be late, my Lady—“

“Jada can be cranky all she wants,” Annabelle continued, lifting her head to press another kiss to Rose. This time, it was against her jaw. “She’ll live. Someone else can do your job - we’ll say you were helping me dress. It wouldn’t be a lie, would it?”

Rose’s face flushed red, but she shook her head.

“I-I suppose not, m-my Lady.”

“Annabelle.”

Rose jolted only a little as the Lady teasingly nipped at her jaw with her teeth - not hard enough to leave a mark, though.

“I told you, you may call me Annabelle.”

Rose nodded, slowly shifting one of her arms to brush her hair away from her eyes. Lady Constance shifted as well, moving downwards to kiss against Rose’s shoulder and back instead.

“O-Of course, my— A-Annabelle.”

“There it is,” the Lady purred.

She then lifted her head to press a soft, tender kiss to Rose’s lips. It didn’t last too long, breaking apart after a few moments. Annabelle then lowered her head back to the crook of Rose’s neck.

“How do you feel?” She continued, returning to gently kissing against Rose’s skin. Her hands moved downwards, tracing the shape of Rose’s abdomen and hips. “Shall I fetch anything for you?”

Rose swallowed, doing her best to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine - the feeling of sparks every time Annabelle’s lips met her flesh.

“Ah— a-a… n-new pair of c-clothes, maybe,” Rose said quietly, dimly aware of how awkward it would look to walk back to her room in the dress from last night.

Annabelle chuckled, propping herself up just a bit. It wasn’t too far — one of her hands still rested against Rose’s side.

She leaned down and kissed the side of Rose’s head.

“Of course, my dear. Wait here, alright?”

Her voice was a soft whisper next to Rose’s ear, sending another chill down her back. After she did that, she slipped off of the bed, shifting the blankets and duvet out of her way. Rose turned over onto her back, stretching her arms with a wide yawn. She rubbed her eyes, noticing the Lady opening her wardrobe. Annabelle took a silk red bathrobe from inside, slipping her arms into it.

Rose noticed angry red scratches down her bare back, and she bit her cheek. Did those hurt?

Red flushed her face. She hoped she hadn’t injured the Lady…

Before she could look for too long, the Lady had pulled it over her shoulders and wrapped it in the front. She then slipped on a pair of red slippers sitting near her wardrobe, before shooting Rose one final glance and leaving the bedroom. She tentatively closed the door behind herself.

Rose lied on her back, looking up at the ceiling of the room. She let out a soft sigh, brushing her hair back and shifting to readjust herself into a more comfortable position.

The previous night’s events whirred through her head like autumn leaves caught in the wind. What a night it was - of all the things she expected, she never could have guessed the year would start out like this. She supposed Annabelle had quite quickly completed her New Year’s resolution.

Rose found herself biting her nails. Thoughts of her life outside the Castle started to pry into the comfort she wanted to be lost in. Did this make her a cheater to Todd? Though she had taken off her engagement ring, had run away from him, did this make her a cheater? That label sticking to her made her throat tighten - she may have despised Todd, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be labeled as a cheating fiancée by the Village.

She swallowed hard. It troubled her to think of what he might say if he found out. Her brows creased, as if the ceiling might offer her some answers to her troubled mind.

She didn’t like that it was the first thing that came to mind. She loved Annabelle, of course— last night wouldn’t have happened if she didn’t.

She took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes and leaning her head back. She needn’t think about him— she lived here now. A new life, a new love— would this technically have been her first love?

The train of thought with Todd was quickly halted by the click of Annabelle’s door opening. Rose lifted her head, watching as the Lady entered the room. In her hands she carried a neat stack of clothing - a white blouse, black pants, and black corset.

Rose quickly pulled her hand away from her mouth. She made to leave the bed, sitting up and sliding towards the edge of the bed. However, she was stopped by Annabelle setting the clothes next to her, and leaning down to take Rose’s shoulders in her hands. Rose paused, lifting her head just a little, and was met with the Lady gently pressing a kiss against her forehead.

“What I wouldn’t give to stay here all day with you,” she purred. “Such decadence…”

Rose’s face burned, and she ran a hand through her hair. The Lady moved her head, tracing Rose’s jawline on one side and then kissing the other side of it.

“I-I— I’ve work t-to do, m-m— Annabelle.”

“I know. I do believe Jada’s sending you on your first delivery route with Miss Evans.”

Rose perked up, turning to face the Lady with a hint of disbelief. Annabelle pressed a kiss against Rose’s neck before she righted herself.

“M-Me?”

“Yes, I asked her if she’d be willing to give Bayley some help— and suggested you because of your hard work.”

She traced Rose’s lower lip with her thumb.

“But first, we should clean you up, hm?”

She pecked Rose’s lips before sitting upright fully, releasing Rose.

“And myself, I suppose.”

Annabelle chuckled, holding her face with one hand and crossing the other into the crook of her arm. She examined Rose, admiring her, and dragging her tongue over her fangs.

“Such a shame to have to erase all my handiwork,” she teased.

Rose subconsciously rubbed her neck, her face burning hotter than an oven. Despite this, she moved to unfold the clothes the Lady had laid out for her.

Annabelle hummed, walking away from Rose and towards her vanity instead. Rose couldn’t see what she was doing well, instead focusing on dressing herself.

She hadn’t realized how much of a mess she really was until she had removed herself from the blankets. She was covered in black lipstick stains, smeared and not.

Rose tried to hide how much they flustered her, glancing up again at the Mistress once she had finished buttoning her shirt. Annabelle was wiping her face clean, remnants of the previous night’s makeup still on her face. She perked upon noticing Rose in her mirror’s reflection, a soft smile making its way across her face.

“Would you like me to help you?” She cooed, causing Rose to stiffen a little.

“A-A handkerchief— t-that’s all I need,” she replied quietly, buttoning the front of her pants. “I-I— I’m alright.”

“Nonsense, dear. Come.”

Annabelle beckoned for Rose to come closer, a teasing smile making its way across her face. Rose did so, tucking the back of her shirt into her pants.

Lady Constance took one of her makeup wipes from a small container on her vanity. She remained seated, but pulled Rose a little closer by her waistband. If it were possible for Rose to blush any more…

Annabelle lifted the cloth to gently wipe at Rose’s lips and jawline. Rose did her best not to taste the solution, though it did smell very strong. Annabelle’s touch was gentle, next focusing her attention to her neck and collar.

She actually unbuttoned some of Rose’s shirt to reach the rest of the marks. Rose made a conscious note that she’d have to bathe before the night was through.

“There…”

When the smears were gone, Rose caught a glimpse of herself in the Lady’s mirror. Her deep red hair was a tousled mess, like a bad case of bed head. Her neck and jaw — despite the collar of her shirt working to cover some of them — was covered in small, dark bruises from the Lady’s teeth. Subconsciously, she rubbed against her neck, as if it might ease the appearance of them.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be hidden by your hair.”

Lady Constance rose from the seat at her vanity, picking up a hairbrush that lay upon it.

“Speaking of which…”

Rose felt her face flush as the Lady took a lock of her hair, teasingly curling it over one of her fingers.

“Would you mind if I took care of it for you?”

Rose wasn’t used to being spoiled. Usually, it was her or another Maiden taking care of the Lady— not the other way around. However, Rose gently shook her head, following the Lady’s motion to sit in the seat.

Rose found herself fidgeting with the edge of her sleeves as the Lady began to brush through Rose’s hair. She was slow, deliberate— almost as if afraid she might tug it too hard.

“Y-You said— You said I-I’m going on a-a delivery run, today?” she asked after a few moments of silence. “What— What does t-that entail, m-my Lady?”

Annabelle ran her fingers through Rose’s hair, gently untangling a few strands.

“You’ll be accompanying Miss Evans into town today. One of the Head Maidens will have sorted out the orders into her cart already, you simply need to deliver them. I heard there were quite a few of them, hence the help.”

Rose nodded, watching her reflection in the mirror. Lady Constance was looking upon Rose with fondness in her eyes, a soft smile on her face. Rose’s hair was infinitely less tangled than it had been upon waking.

“I-I’ll do my best, m-my Lady.”

“I know you will.”

Annabelle finally set down the brush, brushing Rose’s hair back with her hands. Rose adjusted her bands, tucking them back into place.

One could only see the markings if they were looking for them.

“As lovely as ever,” Annabelle purred, gently kissing the top of Rose’s head.

“T-Thank you,” Rose murmured, heat flushing her cheeks in a shade of pink.

“Shall I help you with your corset?”

The Lady offered Rose a hand, which she took after a few moments. As the Lady fetched Rose’s corset from where it lay on the bed, Rose fixed the buttons Annabelle had undone.

Annabelle swiftly returned to Rose, corset in hand. She helped Rose into it, wrapping it around her waist after Rose tucked in her shirt. Rose stiffened only a little at the feeling of Annabelle’s palm against her back, heat flushing her face. Though, it didn’t last long.

“S-Shall I help you, m-my Lady?”

She was supposed to be helping Annabelle dress.

Annabelle hummed, tilting her head ever so slightly. A small smile crossed her face, and she drew a finger under Rose’s chin to lift the shorter woman’s head.

“If you’d be so kind,” she purred. “And then we can send you to Miss Evans, yes?”

A small nod from Rose. Lady Constance turned towards her wardrobe, taking a few steps towards it.

“I’m feeling a little red today, yes?” Annabelle cooed as she opened the doors to her wardrobe. “Red and black— that’d do nicely.”

Rose assisted in the process she’d done so many times before. She helped the Lady into a deep, wine red shirt, tightened a black corset around her waist, and chose a pair of black dress pants for her. The Lady sat again to fasten a pair of thigh-high black boots with gold fastenings, reminding Rose that she, too, needed to put her boots back on. She did just that, stepping over the discarded red dress lying on the floor.

“M-My Lady—“

“Annabelle, love— you don’t have to be formal with me.”

“A-Annabelle, yes— What—What should I-I do with these…?”

Rose crouched down, beginning to gather the clothes strewn about on the floor. Lady Constance tilted her head, watching her for a few moments before replying.

“Just set them in the basket in my wardrobe. I’ll have the dress sent up to your room, and you can hang it up in your wardrobe.”

Rose nodded, doing just that after gathering each article of clothing. Annabelle had crossed her legs, sitting at her vanity and reapplying a bit of makeup to her face. Rose watched her for only a few moments before turning back to the bed, quickly making it presentable once more.

She tucked in the blankets and duvet, before rearranging the pillows just how the Lady liked them.

“It’s going to be cold, dear. Make sure you wear your jacket and cloak, alright?”

Rose perked, having just set the last pillow in place. She glanced over to the Lady, amazed at just how quickly she could apply a face of makeup. She was pigmenting her lips with her signature black.

“Oh— O-Of course, my— A-Annabelle.”

Each of the maidens had been given black jackets because of the freezing cold that had set in— both comfortable and uniform-suitable. With that and the cloak she’d been given, she figured she’d be warm enough.

Rose walked over to Annabelle, who was examining her face for blemishes in her handiwork. A little hesitant, Rose finally spoke.

“I-Is there a-anything else you need, m-my L— Annabelle?”

Annabelle smiled softly, turning towards Rose before standing up. She was a fair height taller than Rose, especially in heels.

“Just be sure to be careful, alright?” Annabelle murmured, gently cupping Rose’s cheek and running her thumb across it.

Rose leaned in to her touch just a little, closing her eyes. She savored the Lady’s warm palm, lifting her own hand to gently entwine their fingers.

The silence lasted a little while longer, savoring each other’s touch. Annabelle leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Rose’s lips, which Rose accepted gladly. She breathed in the scent of the Lady’s perfume— Rose thought it smelled like vanilla.

Eventually, though, it broke apart. Rose felt only a little disappointed when the Lady pulled back, releasing Rose’s face.

“And make sure to eat,” Lady Constance said. “It’s not good to be running about on an empty stomach.”

After fetching her cloak and jacket from her room, Rose went downstairs to the dining hall. Occupying the seats were a variety of tired, sluggish Maidens. Some looked more awake than others— maybe they had turned in early for the night.

After grabbing her food, Rose found a seat open near Bayley. Bayley was sitting at the end of one of the tables, picking at her meal a bit sluggishly. Her eyes were shadowed with lack of sleep, and she frequently rubbed at them like they hurt.

She perked when Rose sat, halfway through a bite of her French toast and scrambled eggs.

“I was wondering where you went,” she said after swallowing. “Jada tells me you’re going with me on my delivery route today.”

Rose nodded, cutting into her food with a fork.

“I-I heard— I heard y-you needed t-the help.”

Bayley shrugged, again prodding at her food with her fork.

“There’s not much to it, really. You read the list, you find the house, you deliver the package. Rinse and repeat. It just takes a while.”

Rose crossed her legs under the table, taking a bite of her food.

“So… where did you and the Mistress head off to

last night?”

Rose promptly choked on the bite she’d taken. She coughed harshly, covering her mouth before grabbing the napkin that he silverware had been wrapped in. She covered her mouth with that instead, her face turning bright red.

Bayley reached over and rubbed her shoulder, having perked at the sudden violent choking. Once Rose caught her breath again, Bayley released her.

“Are you alright?”

“F-Fine-!! I-I’m— I’m f-fine!”

Rose blinked away the starting of tears in the corners of her eyes, smiling a bit awkwardly as she tucked her hair back into place and tried to avoid the gazes of the other Maidens who had heard her coughing.

“We—W-We just— s-she wanted to show m-me something— she found m-me some lipstick, that’s all.”

Bayley raised her eyebrows in disbelief, watching Rose with an almost knowing look.

“Don’t— Don’t look at m-me like that!” Rose said, quickly trying to fan the burning in her cheeks. “Nothing—Nothing h-happened!”

A smirk spread itself across Bayley’s face— that same teasing smile that Rose had taunted her with about Douglas.

Her eyes glanced down at Rose’s neck.

“Does ‘nothing’ manifest itself in the form of hickeys, too?”

Rose quickly pulled up the collar of her shirt.

“Hey—!!”

Bayley hummed, taking another bite of her food.

“D-Don’t act— Don’t a-act like you’re so-so innocent! You’ve come— You’ve c-come to work with marks of your own!” Rose retorted. “Y-You and Douglas a-aren’t so innocent either!”

It was Bayley’s turn to turn bright red.

“I-I— I was just teasing!” She retorted, covering her mouth with her hand to swallow the bite she’d been chewing. “It’s harmless!”

She wasn’t angry— if anything, she was just a little flustered, as Rose was. She lowered her hand and her gaze to her plate, shrinking a little in her seat.

An awkward silence fell between the two, until they finally looked up from their plates and their eyes met. Despite trying to keep a straight face, smiles quickly cracked over their faces, and they found themselves laughing.

The rest of breakfast went by without any hitches. Eventually, Bayley and Rose put their dishes away and collected their things. Bayley led the way out of the dining hall.

Her cart was set outside the servants’ exit, through which she led Rose after having to knock on the door. Sitting next to the cart were stacks of boxes, set on a pallet with a tarp. Luckily, it wasn’t snowing— the boxes looked ornate, carved out of wood and dyed a wine red. They had gold fastenings on the front. Some were flat, others were thick. Others were small, and some were larger. There were small little tags on the top of small groups of the items.

Bayley seemed irritated at this, turning to look towards the two ever-present guards at the servant’s exit.

“Come on, they couldn’t put it in the cart? It’s two feet!”

They remained as silent and stoic as ever. Bayley huffed, and Rose followed her as she pulled open the back of the covered cart after unlocking it with a key from her pocket.

With Rose’s help, she began to push the boxes into the cart. She had to pull the sturdy tarp off the top of it to reach all the way in the back. Bayley stood in the back of the cart, taking things from Rose, who handed them to her. With their efforts, the cart was loaded quickly. Bayley then pulled the tarp back over the cart, securing it tightly. Bayley then went to fetch her horse, leaving Rose to sit with the cart.

Rose sat on the step in front of the door, swinging her legs gently. The cold air nipped at her nose and ears, forcing her to keep her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. Her breath escaped her in clouds, fogging before dissipating in the light of the morning. Distantly, there was the sharp call of crows and other birds, shaking snow off the branches of the trees each time they took to the skies.

Eventually, the crunching of Bayley’s boots in the snow returned. She was leading her horse by the reins, a blanket draped over its back.

Bayley effortlessly hooked the stallion into the cart, tying the straps tight — but not tight enough to hurt him. Afterwards, she took the reins and hoisted herself into the seat at the front of the cart. Rose quickly joined her, helped up by Bayley’s hand.

Rose didn’t realize just how long it had been since she had been in town. Months had passed at this rate — though, as they reached said town, it looked the same as ever.

They halted as the trail that led into town turned to cobble beneath the cart’s wheels. Rose felt something of a chill when she jumped off the cart, her feet hitting the stone as she looked at the bustling early morning before her.

People were bustling about Main Street, breath fogging in the frigid air and their coats bundled tightly around them. Some had their scarves pulled up over their noses in an attempt to keep out the cold. Each had somewhere to be— walking in and out of the shops, or crossing the drawbridge in the center of town and heading towards the fields. Crows perched on the roofs of shops, their beady little eyes staring down at the villagers with piqued interest.

Rose swallowed, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head. She feared what faces might recognize her.

Bayley gently patted her horse on the neck before walking around the cart. Rose followed her, keeping her head down and following the other woman’s lead.

“We’ve got a fair few to deliver, today— I can lead the way, I’ve learned all these streets over the years. Here it is…”

Bayley had opened the back of her cart as she spoke, reaching in and grabbing a clipboard. Upon said clipboard was a list with names, addresses, and what said person had ordered. Some orders were larger than others.

“We’ve got one down that road,“ Bayley said, pointing to a nearby curve in the street, “no— two. We’ve got two down that road.”

With that, Bayley walked back around to the front of the cart. However, she didn’t jump back into it. Rose shut the door, following Bayley as she took her horse’s reins and led the way towards the road she had pointed towards.

After turning down said road and walking past a few houses, Bayley stopped the cart again.

“Our first stop,” she said, releasing the horse’s reins and walking around her cart. Rose pulled open the door, watching as Bayley scanned the clipboard.

“A bottle of Vintage and a necklace…” she muttered to herself.

As she did, Bayley set the clipboard down and climbed onto the step in the back. From inside the cart, she pulled a square, thin box, as well as a longer, rectangular one.

She handed them to Rose, who held them as Bayley stepped back down. She shut the cart’s door, picking up her clipboard before nodding towards the house.

Rose followed Bayley down the short path and up onto the porch. Bayley knocked on the front door, waiting for a reply. The porch itself was rickety and worn from many years of use, attached to an old house.

Surprisingly, it was a fairly younger woman who opened the door. Rose was expecting someone older, but this woman looked no older than her mother. She greeted the ladies with a smile.

“Ah, you’re out even on New Year’s Day?” she asked, and Bayley nodded.

“Many things to be delivered,” she said.

Rose shifted, glancing over at Bayley.

“You had ordered something from the Lady, yes?” Bayley asked, taking the two boxes from Rose. “Mrs. Lucida Thomas?”

“That’s me!” The woman said brightly, and Bayley handed her the two boxes. “Thank you, girls!”

“Thank you for your purchase!” Bayley replied brightly, offering a smile before turning and walking off the porch. Rose promptly followed as the woman shut the door.

Bayley made haste towards the cart, taking her horse by the reins. As she had walked, she took a pen from the clipboard and scratched an “x” in a box at the end of a name.

“It’s really simple,” Bayley said as they began to walk again. “You walk up, you knock. If they’re home, you give them their packages. If not, you leave a note for them. The Mistress refuses to leave the packages outside, because they’re so expensive to make— she doesn’t want to risk them being stolen.”

Rose nodded, following Bayley closely and matching her stride. She kept her hood up, however, continually glancing over her shoulder. She only saw the occasional person walking along this street— much of the town was already in the Square.

“If they’re not home, we just try again tomorrow.”

Rose nodded again, glancing over to look at Bayley’s clipboard.

The same process repeated over and over. They’d find a house, see if the owner was home, and act accordingly. Though, it was after they passed the butcher’s shop when the tension grew in the air.

Rose’s heart leapt into her throat after glancing down a road, she and Bayley having paused at the intersection. At the very end of the drive, a house stood, with its porch and front steps shoveled. The icicles hanging off of it had been broken off onto the ground. Though Bayley didn’t look at this house, now that she was seeing the street, Rose could definitely place Bayley a little better.

The Evans lived opposite to Todd, a few houses down. Rose had never really paid them much visit, and she usually only saw the mother, father, or the two boys. She had only seen Bayley once or twice before the Castle, really.

Rose noticed Bayley’s posture was visibly stiffer, a look of displeasure and discomfort etched into her face. She looked over to Rose, gave the tiniest shake of her head, and then tightened her grip on the horse’s reins and continued walking.

Rose followed without hesitation, pulling her cloak tighter around herself and assuring her head was covered. Her heart practically punched into her ribcage, but neither of them needed words to voice the tension and anxiety between them. Rose figured that Bayley wasn’t in the mood for a family visit — she, too, pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.

They noticeably made a faster pace when in that part of town. They kept their heads down, trying to finish orders quickly and constantly glancing over their shoulders. Rose felt a chill unlike any cold they were walking in.

Once passing the butcher shop again, Rose shot the store a glance. She knew that inside, no doubt, was Todd. He was probably stewing over some fresh cut, opposite to Alex. Rose half wondered if he had forgotten his lunch— he often did when they lived together, causing Rose to track him down at the shop and deliver it. It was on days like those that Alex might take it for her— so she didn’t have to see him. It was for that she was grateful, and she almost wanted to walk inside to say hello. However, she couldn’t— she had no doubts that Todd would be furious if he found out she was still in town, and being on such friendly terms with another man would send him into a rage unlike anything she had suffered previously.

A shudder made its way down Rose’s spine, and she rubbed subconsciously at her scarred cheek.

Bayley nudged Rose with her elbow, pulling her from her memories. Abruptly, Rose turned to face Bayley.

“We’ve got a few more, c’mon,” Bayley said, “then we can get back inside and get warm.”

She led the way over the drawbridge on Main Street, her horse trotting along as dutifully as ever. It snorted when she patted it on the muzzle. Rose followed behind the cart, her pace brisk as she shot one last glance to the butcher shop’s door. However, she quickly turned away in order to keep up with Bayley.

When passing the tavern, the woman acting as a bouncer and standing outside the door gave them a look through narrowed eyes. Rose was a bit taken aback by the look, walking a bit faster to catch up to Bayley before speaking.

“Why is— Why is t-that woman staring at u-us like that?”

Bayley paused, turning to look over at the tavern. Bayley hesitated, for after catching sight of the woman, she began to walk again.

“The tavern doesn’t like the Maidens,” she said quietly. “we’re not allowed in. They’ve technically got the right— they can refuse service to anyone.”

Bayley huffed, brushing her hair back.

“It’s fine— neither of us drink often anyway.”

Now that she thought about it, Rose didn’t know if she’d ever seen Bayley drink. Perhaps she had at the parties, but she had been… occupied with other things.

They reached their last street and made the last of their deliveries. Everyone had been home that day, so the cart was empty upon reaching the last house. Bayley locked the door to it tightly, tucking the key back into her pocket after tossing the filled out clipboard in the back of the cart.

“We’ll hop in once we’re out of town— I don’t wanna risk hitting someone,” Bayley said, taking the horse by the reins once more. “We shouldn’t be too far from lunch— hope they made something good.”

Rose tilted her head just a little, following Bayley down the road and back towards Main Street. Their boots and the cart’s wheels made parting sounds against the muddy street, freshly salted from that morning.

“They a-always make—make good food!” Rose said, matching Bayley’s pace. “I-I don’t think I’ve had— I’ve had a displeasurable m-meal since I’ve been t-there!”

“Occasionally you’ll get something odd— I’ve found that a few fish don’t quite sit well with—“

“You, there!”

Bayley was interrupted by a voice, shrill and loud. Rose quickly turned to look for its source, noticing Bayley had stopped.

An older woman with long, straight blonde hair was approaching them quickly.

“You two! You work in the Castle, right? You work for Lady Constance?”

The woman only stopped when she was up close and personal with the pair. Rose noticed that her eyes were puffy and red, like she had been crying. The despair in her face made Rose’s stomach sink.

“I recognize those uniforms— you do! You work for her, right?”

Tentatively taking a step backwards, Bayley gently took Rose’s wrist and led her behind her back.

“Can I help you?”

“You— Please! Please, tell me— what happened to Samantha?”

Rose noticed Bayley stiffening, her hand closing tightly on Rose’s wrist. Rose winced, tugging her hand.

“I— I-I’m sorry—“

“Tell me where she is!” The woman wailed, suddenly grabbing Bayley by the shoulders. “Her name is Samantha Birch! Please! Tell me where my daughter is! She’s been missing for months— not a letter, not a peep! Please! Tell me what happened to her!”

Bayley was frozen in place, the color drained from

Her face. Rose noticed that she almost seemed a little green— as if she were sick. Her lips were parted like a fish out of water, struggling for the words. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Tell your Mistress to find my daughter!” Mrs. Birch said, her voice erupting in the air with shrillness and agony. “It’s not like her to be silent! Something has happened to her!”

She almost violently shook Bayley by the shoulders. Bayley’s breath came quickly, tears dripping down her cheeks.

“B-Bayley!” Rose tried, prying her wrist out of Bayley’s hand. “Bayley, snap—snap o-out of it!”

Bayley blinked a few times, quickly shaking her head and almost forcefully shoving the woman back. Her hands were trembling.

“I can’t help you!” She said quickly, again grabbing Rose and leading her horse swiftly down the road. She stepped around the woman.

However, their predicament wouldn’t be so easily resolved, for Mrs. Birch suddenly grabbed Rose’s cloak. Rose yelped, turning to face the woman. Her heart leapt into her throat.

“I’m sick of waiting!” The woman cried, tears dripping down her face. “Tell me where my daughter is!”

“I-I can’t help you!” Bayley shouted, though she sounded far from certain— in fact, she sounded quite terrified.

“Let go!” Rose cried, taking hold of her cloak and pulling. “I—“

“You’re lying! You’re both lying!”

Rose’s chest felt tight. Her heart beat against her ribs, feeling like a threat that might burst them.

“LET GO!”

She didn’t expect such a sound to escape from her mouth. Her voice rang through the street— terrified, desperate to make the clinging woman release her. The woman did so, staring at Rose with wide eyes.

Taking the chance, Bayley held Rose’s arm tight and began to run. With the horse in tow, they reached the main street in no time at all. Rose only shot one last look over her shoulder.

Mrs. Birch stood there, eyes wide and tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked almost stunned into silence.

However, they turned a corner. Promptly, she was gone— hidden by whatever building stood in the way.

Once they reached the edge of town, on the road back towards Castle Constance, they paused. Bayley had led them a little ways further into the woods — still on the path, but far enough away from town to catch their breath. Bayley released her horse and Rose, heaving for breath as she crouched near the ground.

“B-Bayley?”

Rose took notice to this, crouching down next to Bayley. The smaller woman had her face in her hands, and was shaking all over. Soft whimpers escaped from her lips.

“Bayley…”

Rose wrapped her friend in a hug, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Bayley’s face was soaked in tears, her cheeks flushed red from the cold. The tear tracks might as well have froze to her cheeks.

Rose took the moment to catch her own breath, and it wasn’t until then that she realized that she, too, was shaking. Her heart was racing so fast it felt like her whole body throbbed with each beat.

“C-Come on,” she said quietly. “Come on— you don’t w-want to freeze, do you?”

Bayley didn’t answer. Her arms were wrapped tight around Rose, her hands gripping Rose’s cloak even tighter. Her head buried into Rose’s shoulder. Was this how she had felt the night Samantha lashed out— had she buried it for Rose’s sake?

Rose gently hushed Bayley, running a hand up and down her back in a reassuring movement.

“It’s cold, let’s go home— I-I can walk you home, do you want that?”

A few moments of quiet. However, Rose felt her nod after that. It was small, but enough confirmation for Rose to know that Bayley could hear her.

“A-Alright— what do you—you do a-at the end of your deliveries? Where do— Where d-do you take y-your horse?”

It took a few moments longer for Rose to help Bayley stand, sniffling and wiping her face with her jacket sleeve.

“I-I— I take him to his stable,” she said, taking a few deep breaths. “I put the cart— I p-put it next to the stable.”

“T-That’s good! That’s good— can you show me?”

Bayley nodded, again rubbing her eyes. Rose watched her breath turn to clouds in the frigid air, and watched as Bayley jumped up into the seat at the head of the cart. Rose went around it and joined her on the opposite side.

“D-Do you want—want me to d-drive?” Rose asked, to which Bayley shook her head.

“No— I don’t— I don’t let o-other people drive my cart. N-Nothing against you, Rose, I-I just… don’t like it.”

Rose nodded, turning her gaze forward. Bayley’s grip tightened on her horse’s reins, and it took a few moments for her to steel her nerves and call for her horse to move.

A silence fell, only broken by the sound of the cart in the mud and the clopping of the stallion’s hooves. That, and Bayley’s occasional sniffling. Every now and then she’d wipe her eyes, and Rose noticed the glistening of the tracks left on her freckled cheeks. Rose was shaken herself, but didn’t voice it further.

The wind began to pick up and clouds began to stretch across the sky. It sent a chill through both of them, cold against their fingertips and faces. Although, the cold didn’t bother them for too long— soon enough, they were back at the castle. Bayley led the way around the Castle and past the vineyard, which was blocked off for the winter. Around the back of the castle, they were met with a fenced-off area, surrounded by the trees of the woodland.

The fenced pasture had a small stable and shed. Bayley led the horse and cart into the shed, before detaching her horse from it, grabbing her clipboard, and heading towards the stable. Inside, she led her stallion into an empty stall. She gave him some fresh hay, water, and a carrot, which was stored in a bushel at the end of the stables. Rose noted that there were only two other horses — a rich, dark brown mare, and a massive gray and white stallion.

“The Mistress’s horse isn’t here,” Bayley said quietly, in the process of hanging up the horse’s harness and reins, “Lord Velkan’s attendants tend to Opal.”

“O-Opal?” Rose asked as Bayley began to walk out.

“Opal is the name of the Lady’s horse,” Bayley replied.

“A-And the others?”

“The mare is Jada’s, she’s more of a show-horse than anything. She named her Mousse. Then, that gray and white stallion— he’s the workhorse when Sora’s unwell. He’s Maximillion— we usually just call him Max.”

“Sora?”

“Sora’s mine.”

Bayley led the way out of the stable, before shutting the doors behind them. It was relatively warm inside, at least, and Bayley locked the doors with a padlock and a heavy board.

“The Head Maidens come out to make sure the horses are cared for, so they’re out here in the grass sometimes.”

“Why— Why does t-the Lady’s horse s-stay all the way out there?” Rose asked, watching as Bayley did her last minute checks over the shed and stable.

“It’s a privilege to have her cared for by a Lord’s attendants, so I’ve heard. Lord Velkan’s stables are the most secure, and the horses are well-cared for by his stablehands.”

Rose nodded, pulling her jacket a little tighter around herself before doing the same with her cloak.

“We’ve gotta tell Jada before I go,” Bayley said over the wind. “I check in and out with her every day— a condition of me moving out.”

They pushed through the snow back towards the castle. At the servants’ entrance, they curtsied the guards before entering.

Rose was grateful for the warmth of the Castle, letting out a sigh of relief as she entered. She hadn’t quite realized how frigid it was outside until then, the warmth hitting them like a wave from a furnace.

“They must have lit the fireplaces,” Bayley muttered quietly, knocking her boots on the doorframe before continuing inside. Rose followed her lead, mud and snow falling off said boots in clumps.

Despite their efforts, their boots squeaked against the smooth floor. A few of the maidens’ gazes followed them, eyebrows furrowed, but Bayley paid them not the slightest hint of mind. Rose could practically sense the exhaustion from her.

“Bayley?” Rose asked quietly, moving from following behind her to walking beside her. “A-Are you alright?”

Bayley nodded, keeping her gaze ahead.

“I just want to be home,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t expecting to run into Mrs. Birch…”

Rose bit her cheek, tentatively placing a hand on Bayley’s shoulder. Rose didn’t blame her for being rattled— she was too, but Bayley had actually been slashed because of what had happened that night. The scar on her face was an ever-present reminder of that.

“Do-Do you know where Jada m-might— might be?” Rose asked after a few moments.

“If she’s not by the work board, she’s probably at lunch already. That, or doing some task— it should be listed on the board.”

Bayley headed past the stairs and towards the room as effortlessly as if she had done it thousands of times— and she likely had. Rose followed quietly, the squeaking of their boots on the floor stopping the further they went.

Soon enough, they were standing before the board listing the names and tasks of every Maiden in the Castle. Listed at the very top were the Head Maidens, separated from the rest of the list by a line. Listed in alphabetical order, it was easy to find Jada’s name.

Jada Gordon - Record Keeping and Supervision. Millie Hendrickson will be collecting said records at 6 PM.

“Who’s— Who’s Millie?” Rose asked, turning to Bayley. She hadn’t met a “Millie” in the Castle, though she had only been working here a few months…

“Millie is the Lords’ accountant. She works at the Archives— probably why you haven’t seen her.”

Rose glanced at the clock. It was about noon— maybe she’d spot this “Millie” later.

“So—So Jada’s i-in… the Mistress’s o-office, then?”

“Most likely. I just hope she isn’t in the cellar… we’ll never get her out, then.”

Rose watched as Bayley let out a long sigh, brushing her hair back and rubbing her eyes. She then set off once more, Rose quickly following suit up a flight of stairs.

Navigating the Castle grew easier with time, but it still felt labyrinthine every time Rose had to navigate it. Having Bayley helped, of course— she had been working here for years. Thus, they reached the office in no time.

Bayley was the one to knock on the door, wherein she was met with a “Come in.” Afterwards, the pair entered.

Jada was tapping a stack of papers against the desk to align them. She lifted her head upon the two of them entering.

“Miss Atropa, Miss Evans. I wasn’t expecting to see you two here,” she said.

“We made our deliveries,” Bayley said before Rose could start, “I’m finished for the day.”

Jada raised an eyebrow, looking at Bayley’s face, and then her gaze flicking to Rose’s and then back again.

“You want me to dismiss you,” she said bluntly, “This early in the day?”

Bayley shifted uncomfortably. Rose discreetly placed a hand against her back.

“We ran into… some trouble,” Bayley started, “while we were making our last deliveries—“

“M-Miss Birch’s mother— she s-stopped us!”

Jada’s gaze snapped back to Rose, eyes wide. If looks could kill, Rose would have dropped dead to the floor.

“We do not speak of her,” Jada hissed, causing Rose to shrink backwards and Bayley to flinch.

Rose shifted uncomfortably, stuck under Jada’s sudden hostility for a good few seconds before she spoke again.

“It—It-It left us a-a little rattled,” she stammered, swallowing hard. “S-So Bayley w-wanted to— to head home t-to try and collect herself.”

“She could collect herself here,” Jada said a bit harshly, eyes narrowing. “The condition of you moving out, Miss Evans, was that you would not allow it to interfere with your day-to-day tasks.”

“It-It’s not interfering!” Bayley said, and Rose noticed a crack in her voice. “I finished all of my tasks—“

“Even tonight’s scheduled dinner? Even the laundry? Even the dusting of the upstairs?”

Bayley shrunk backwards, lowering her head.

“I think it’s that you want to go back to that lovely boyfriend of yours. What was his name again?”

“I get it, I get it!” Bayley snapped, and Rose noticed tears beginning to prick at her eyes. “I get it, you don’t like that I moved out! Please— just let me leave, alright? I’ll work twice as hard tomorrow, I don’t care— I just want to go home!”

Rose felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest, anxiety crawling up her spine like cruel claws hooking into flesh. A wave of cold washed over her.

She sounds like Samantha…

Visions of that night flooded her mind, reeling behind her eyes like a cruel film. The blood pouring down Bayley’s face, the screaming, the Mistress taking Samantha by the throat…

“You dare to raise your voice at a Head Maiden?” Jada snapped, her teeth bared in anger. “You disobey me? Who went to bat for you— gave you leniency so you could leave?! I could revoke those terms at any point in time— I could make all of your right to leave be revoked in an instant!”

Bayley flinched again, shutting her eyes tight. This snapped Rose, if only from her visions, to move her attention to Bayley. Tears dripped down her cheeks, and her breath came in shudders.

The raised voices seemed to have prompted some intervention. There was a knock on the door, prompting Jada to snap her head towards the door.

“Who’s there?” she said, a little harsher than was necessary.

The door quickly opened. In stepped a woman - of course - that Rose had only seen a few times. She was a little shorter than Rose, and had long, wavy, white-blonde hair. Behind her ears, said hair was braided, and tied underneath the rest. She had brilliant brown eyes, faint freckles, black lipstick, and a set of earrings - one of which was an upside down cross on a chain. She was dressed in a Head Maiden uniform.

“Miss Ariandel,” Jada said stiffly, narrowing her eyes at the smaller woman, “We’re busy.”

“Really? I just heard a bunch of yelling— what seems to be the problem?” Miss Ariandel said, tilting her head. “Something about disobedience? I figured you’d be glad for the help.”

Jada sneered, curling her lip and rolling her eyes. Rose felt tense, though Bayley looked almost slightly relieved.

“You hardly warrant me any help,” she said bitterly, and Miss Ariandel shrugged.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that! I think I give you a great deal of help!”

“What do you want?”

“I can take this little matter off your hands—“

“You don’t get to disobey my orders, either! Miss Evans is to come to me to be dismissed—“

“I’m under the same authority, and screaming at her does nobody any good! Come, ladies.”

Miss Ariandel quickly and promptly left the room, after waving for Rose and Bayley to follow. Bayley shot Jada one last glance, before taking Rose by the arm and quickly following after Miss Ariandel.

Miss Ariandel led them out of the room and down the hall a little ways, before taking them both aside.

“I apologize— she shouldn’t have been yelling at you. What was it that you needed, Bayley?”

Rose was taken slightly aback by the use of Bayley’s first name from a Head Maiden— from anyone, really. Usually, from what she had seen, they addressed each other with last names unless they were somewhat close.

“I— I finished my deliveries for today,” Bayley said, turning to Miss Ariandel. “I was going to see if-if I could go home— we had an encounter that… r-rattled me a little bit.”

Miss Ariandel clicked her tongue, listening intently. After a few moments, she nodded, resting a hand against Bayley’s shoulder.

“Head home. I’ll talk to Jada— we wouldn’t want our delivery girl not at her best, would we?” she said with a smile.

Bayley sighed with relief. Rose felt the tension leave her shoulders as she, too, felt relief flood her body.

“Rose is-is gonna walk me home, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine. Just as long as she comes back.”

“I-I will— I will, t-thank you.”

Rose gave Miss Ariandel a grateful courtesy, but Miss Ariandel held up a hand.

“No need for that. You two head out, alright?”

They both nodded.

“Thank you, Lilith,” Bayley said quietly.

Rose perked up, glancing over at Miss Ariandel. She only nodded, offering a small smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bayley.”

With that, she turned and headed back down the hall, towards the Lady’s office.

The walk wasn’t very eventful. A light snowfall had begun, and the path crunched under Bayley and Rose’s boots. The tree branches swayed in the slight breeze.

It was a long walk— though, their pace wasn’t exactly the quickest. Part of her wondered just how early Bayley had to get up to be here before sunrise every morning.

Bayley had taken out her key ring, and it was now that Rose noticed she had not one, but two keys on it.

“What’s the second key for?”

Bayley hummed, turning the key over in her hand.

“You’ll see,” she said quietly.

Rose watched her for a few moments more before turning back to the small trail. It had been carved out by Bayley’s daily walks— at one point, it followed along the edge of the steep slope that was the cliffside.

The snow dusted their heads, and Rose more than once found herself gazing out over the cliff towards the village below. The people walking about town were hardly more than pinpricks entering the shops and church. The trees were covered in a thick layer of snow, drifts of which fluttered in the slight breeze.

However, soon enough the trail turned from dirt to pavement. Rose perked at the change, looking down at the ground to find the path neatly shoveled. However, looking up garnered more surprises.

A few years back, this was the site of construction. Rose had never seen the finished product. That was, of course, until now. Of all the things to expect, she wasn’t expecting this.

The building melded easily with the rough terrain of the cliffside. It had a ground floor and a story above that, the roof slick with snow and icicles. Windows were clouded with ice, so it was hard to gauge just what it was like inside.

The house itself was made of stone, but the front porch was made of wood. It had four steps, which were shoveled as well. Leading up to the porch and front door, the paved path continued through the yard. Like everything else, the yard was covered in snow. In the yard, to the left of the house, was a smaller building with a shutter door— presumably, a garage. However, the main things that caught Rose’s eyes were the massive wire fence before them, and the tall towers near the edge of the cliffside - presumably, radio towers for Douglas’s show. On the other side of the fence, opposite the cliffside, trees continued thickly— around the house and along the cliffside. In the distance, through the trees and up the slope of the mountains that surrounded Crow’s Rest, Rose could very faintly see the waterfall. From up here, one could see for miles and miles.

Bayley was unfazed by this abrupt change of scenery, walking up to the fence and taking her key in hand. At the gate, she used her key to unlock it. She pushed the gate open, motioning for Rose to follow.

Rose glanced up, swallowing hard before following Bayley.

“So—So this i-is where he-he lives?” she asked, following Bayley towards the porch.

“Yeah. He’s probably live right about now— he was outside, though.”

As they approached the porch, Rose picked up a whiff of cigarette smoke. Though, there was nobody else outside.

“So— H-He is home, t-then?”

Bayley nodded, stepping up onto the porch and knocking her boots against the steps to rid them of the snow caked to her heels.

“Like I said, probably live. He’s usually on air around midday. If not, he just got done smoking.”

Rose bit her cheek, hesitating to step up onto the porch. Bayley walked right up to the front door, inserting the key into the knob before it, too, unlocked. She then tucked the key back into her pocket.

“Thank you,” she said quietly after a few moments, turning back to Rose, “for walking me home.”

“O-Oh-! You’re welcome— I-I’m glad to have b-been able to walk with you!”

Rose offered Bayley a smile, which was returned with gratitude.

“Do you— D-Do you need a-anything else?” Rose asked, to which Bayley shook her head.

“No— what I need is a good old-fashioned nap,” Bayley said with a small laugh. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow, hm?”

“O-Of course!”

With one final wave, they head their separate ways. Bayley turned into the house after opening the front door, and Rose stepped off the porch and walked back down the path. She took one last glance at the house, with the door swinging shut behind Bayley, before exiting the fenced yard.

With that, shutting the gate behind her, Rose began to walk down the trail once more— into the woods, and back towards the Castle.

The next morning, Rose awoke as usual. However, this time it was in her own bed.

Her tasks started, once more, with helping Bayley load her cart and delivering orders. Bayley, as always, was up and awake. Seeing her sitting in the cafeteria brought back the thought:

“How early did she have to wake to come to work on time every day?”

Either way, after a brief breakfast, Bayley led the way out to the cart. Today, the items were already loaded inside.

“Lilith must’ve been in charge of it, today,” Bayley murmured to Rose.

Again, she left to retrieve her horse. Rose stood with the cart, aware of the glare of the guards standing at the door. Even in the dim morning light, their faces were obscured in thick shadow beneath their cloak hoods.

Rose shifted uncomfortably, their gazes locked on her face. She swallowed, pulling her hood over her head.

The sun shone over the tops of the barren, leafless trees. Crows cawed in the distance, knocking snow from clattering branches and accompanying the soft chirping of morning birds.

Soon enough, Bayley came walking back with her horse, reins in hand. She fixed him to the cart with a harness, before joining Rose in the seat at the head of the cart.

The first part of the drive down was quiet. Rose wasn’t used to the silence between them — Bayley always had something to talk about, at least to Rose. Finally, Rose decided to break the silence - aside from the clopping of Sora’s hooves and the mud of the path.

“I… I-I wasn’t expecting t-the house to look like that,” Rose tried, turning to Bayley.

Bayley perked up, tilting her head.

“Which— Douglas’s?”

Rose nodded, pulling at her sleeves of her jacket.

“It’s very big. L-Last— Last I saw it, i-it was s-still a construction s-site.”

Bayley laughed, running a hand back through her hair.

“He built it himself, really. It’s a nice house— has that log-cabin feel to it.”

“Oh— does i-it?”

“Inside it does. There’s lots of room… Douglas wants to get a dog.”

“Oh!”

“Mhm— h-he’s been looking. Haven’t found one just yet.”

Bayley took a deep breath, straightening her posture a little before relaxing against the back of the seat. Rose looked up at the sky through the barren tree branches above. There was a momentary quiet, broken only by the morning birds.

“D-Does— Does Lilith use f-first names for everyone?” she asked after a few moments.

“Mostly— she doesn’t call Lady Constance by her first name, though. She considers it rude when someone is of a higher standard. She’s one of the more bearable Head Maidens— trust me.”

“I-I’m starting to s-see that… Do she and Jada— do they f-fight? Jada looked l-like she wanted to kill her.”

“Jada doesn’t get along with anyone. She thinks she’s so great because she has seniority— been here about a decade. She worked one year under the previous Lady, so she thinks she’s got the most experience and is thus the most important. She’s nice at first— then she starts to get petty over small things. Minor uniform infractions, tasks not done to perfection… she’s the one who leaves the packages next to my cart, because ‘it’s not her job to load it.’”

Bayley scoffed.

“Lilith is one of the only Head Maidens I can stand.”

Rose bit her cheek. From the tone, she figured Bayley had many problems with Jada in the past.

“We shouldn’t have too much to deliver today… it’s not too bad. Be in and out of town by lunch… hopefully we don’t run into trouble.”

Rose shuddered, though it wasn’t from the cold. Yesterday’s encounter with Mrs. Birch had stuck with her through the night— despite her tasks the previous night to occupy her, it felt impossible to quite brush it off. It had occupied her mind, leaving her with restless sleep.

“I-I don’t think—think I could h-handle more trouble,” Rose murmured quietly.

They made it to town soon after, no hitches to their arrival. Bayley, as standard, halted the cart and hopped off of the seat to walk next to her horse. Rose followed suit, keeping pace with her easily.

Bayley, again, went through the list in hand. It was significantly shorter today.

“Maybe if we get done quick,” Bayley said, turning to Rose, “we can grab a pastry from the bakery. What I wouldn’t give for one of Molly’s apple pie muffins…”

Rose perked at the mention of the baker. She hadn’t seen Molly in a long time… she vaguely wondered if she was the same as ever.

Rose hoped she was. With all the changes to her environment in just a few short months, she wouldn’t mind something staying the same.

“Although… I can’t leave the cart alone. Could you watch it? I’ll buy you a muffin.”

Rose perked, looking over to Bayley.

“Y-You can’t leave— leave it?”

“I’ve dealt with people trying to steal it before. I’d be in and out in maybe five minutes— if you’d like to go in, I can watch the cart.”

“Oh— no, no, I-I can watch it! N-No problem!”

She gave Bayley a reassuring smile, which Bayley returned.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

With that, Bayley led the way down a side street. Rose followed quickly, their footsteps crunching against the salted cobblestone. Most of the shopkeepers salted the road outside their buildings to keep the ice from causing slips.

The routine followed. Rose even took a few of the orders and delivered them, splitting away to a house a little further down the road once or twice. Bayley seemed grateful for the help.

Town was just as busy as ever. Bodies bustled on Main Street, over the drawbridge in the center of town and into shops for work or purchase. Given that there was a persistent smell of fresh baked goods, Rose suspected that Molly was already working for the day.

Luckily, they encountered no trouble thus far. Rose had yet to see any too-familiar faces, of which she was dreading seeing. She kept her hood up over her head, keeping her head down in the busiest part of town.

They made excellent time. Even before the sun was directly overhead, they had delivered every order. The luck continued in that everyone who had ordered was home, so they didn’t have to take anything back to the Castle.

Bayley took the lead back towards Main Street. She walked with a bit of a spring in her step, seeming in a much better mood than the quiet brooding she had that morning. Maybe it was the prospect of a baked good— maybe even the quick delivery. Either way, she seemed bright.

As promised, Bayley led the way back into town and halted the empty cart outside the bakery. She handed Sora’s reins over to Rose, who took them in both of her hands.

“I’ll be in and out in five minutes, alright?” Bayley said, gently squeezing Rose’s shoulder.

“I-It’s no problem, r-really! Just—Just head inside— I-I’ll be here!”

Bayley let out a soft huff, glancing around at passerby before giving Rose a small smile. Afterwards, she turned, opened the bakery door, and walked inside.

Rose shifted in her spot, absentmindedly trailing her foot over the lines of cobble that made up the street. Salt scraped at the tips of boots, though they were lucky to not have encountered much ice.

Anxiety prickled at her chest. She hadn’t been alone in town since she had become a Maiden at Castle Constance— and the fear of familiar faces clawed as present as ever down her back. She kept a watchful eye, though tried to keep her head down.

She watched each passerby. All varieties of people— tall, short, young, and old. A group of children ran past, giggling with sleds in hand and making for the mounds up the street, leftover from shoveling the snow away.

She even smiled, watching their bright, smiling faces as they ran past.

“Rose?”

However, that joy halted as sharply as a stab to the gut. A wave of icy cold washed over her almost violently, causing her knees to feel weak and terror to take a hold on her chest. Her throat tightened, and she felt physically sick to her stomach. Her stomach itself felt like it had dropped to the floor.

Rose slowly turned to the voice that called her name.

Icy blue eyes were fixated directly on her. His brown hair was messily tied back into a ponytail. Stuck on his face was a look of something like shock— like he wasn’t expecting her of all possible people. He was dressed for work, on top of which he wore a warm jacket.

Rose felt out of breath. She could have swore her heart stopped. She began hyperventilating, unable to stop the shaking that quickly enveloped her body like a fist. There was this suffocating presence on her chest— like her lungs had shrank, and her heart beat against her ribs like a fist to a door.

Todd took a few steps towards her. He was slow, like he was in disbelief. Rose tightened her grip on the horse’s reins. The horse whinnied, as if he could tell that she was uneasy.

“Is that really you?”

Rose’s voice failed her. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. She felt frozen to the floor— like the ice in her veins rooted her to the stone.

He drew closer to her, finally jolting Rose into taking a few steps back away from him.

“It is! Rose, oh, Rose!”

He suddenly rushed towards her, taking her by the shoulders and wrapping her in a tight embrace. Rose immediately began to squirm, yelling and trying to push him off.

“You’re alive! You’re alive, oh, thank the Lords! I thought you were dead, or kidnapped, or worse! Oh, Rose, you’re— you’re…”

Rose squirmed from his grasp, finally slipping out of his arms and dropping Sora’s reins.

Todd’s face looked almost shocked, downcast. He was staring at her hand.

“…You’re not wearing your engagement ring.”

His gaze fixated then on her face. Rose felt her heart thundering in her throat, so hard she thought she might choke.

“T-Todd—“

Before she could say another word, he had violently grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall of the bakery. She screamed out in pain, the wind being thrown from her lungs as her back hit the stone. She shut her eyes tight, unable to stop shaking.

“Where have you been?!” Todd demanded, his face twisting into an expression of such rage that his cheeks turned red. “Tell me! What rat bastard has had you?! You’re seeing some other man, aren’t you?! After what we had, Rose?!”

His voice raised to a yell, causing Rose to cower and sink against the wall. Tears began to drip down her cheeks, and she struggled to catch her breath. Her ribs felt all too suffocating against her lungs, and she thought she might pass out.

“Tell me! Speak, you wretched whore! We were supposed to be married by now— but you just had to go and run!”

Rose nearly choked on her own words, desperate to say something. She wanted him off— she wanted to run! She needed to breathe, to get out!

“You were supposed to marry me!”

“N-No-!”

“‘No’? ‘NO’?!”

Todd shook her violently by the shoulders, forcing her back against the stone once more. She let out a grunt as he did.

“You will return home this instant! Whatever fantasy world you’re living in— it’s not gonna fly here!” Todd snarled, his vivid blue eyes filled with such rage that Rose thought his glare alone might kill her.

“NO!”

Rose mustered up every bit of strength she had, lifted her leg, and kicked him hard. Her heel dug deep into his abdomen, and he cried out in pain. At that moment, when he had been shoved backwards off of her, Bayley’s horse whinnied loudly and reared on its hind legs, backing up from the fighting pair.

Rose didn’t hesitate any further. She broke into a sprint, ducking past the cart and making a break down the street.

“You conniving bitch!” She heard Todd scream after her, but she didn’t turn to look. “Get back here! You’re as good as dead if you keep running!”

Rose heaved for air as she struggled to sprint. She shoved past passerby, who gasped and cried out when she pushed them out of her path. Tears dropped down her cheeks, and her boots hit hard against the salt and cobble. Only a split second thought crossed her mind— had Bayley heard the commotion? Would she pick up the cart?

“STOP HER!”

She didn’t ponder long, however. Todd’s roar of anger followed her as she struggled to make it through town, making a break for the woods. As she crossed the tree line, the cobble street sunk into a muddy trail. Anxiety practically ate her alive as each step threatened to pull her boots off of her feet, despite the clasps. She heaved for breath— she couldn’t escape nearly as easily in the daytime!

His heavy footfalls followed her, bearing closer. Suddenly, she was caught— his hand had taken a hold on her cloak, holding it in his fist and causing it to tighten around her neck. With a choking gasp, Rose was violently thrown to the mud, her feet slipping underneath her. With a disgusting splat, Rose found herself thrashing to escape.

Todd’s fist closed around her ankle. He, too, had slipped in the mud— his face, hands, and front were smeared with it, though did little to hide his furious glare.

“Hold still, you little-!”

Rose yelped, squirming onto her back and trying to wrangle her foot from his grasp. However, he held firm— that was, until Rose lifted her leg and kicked him hard in the face. As soon as her heel collided with his cheek, he screamed out, releasing her ankle.

“YOU BITCH!”

As soon as he had let go, Rose again twisted onto her hands and knees, wrestling enough strength to pull herself out of the mud and continue her mad sprint up the trail.

Her feet threatened to slip from beneath her, but she dared not allow herself to fall again. She ran closer to the edge of the path— despite the risk of the snow, her feet hit the ground harder and easier than being pulled down by the mud.

She didn’t even acknowledge the horrible iciness that clung through her clothes and to her skin. Her hair was clumped together with the thick mud.

Her throat burned with the effort of heaving breath. She didn’t care how much her body hurt— she just needed to run. She needed to find safety…

The terrain grew less kempt, still indented by the cart this morning. Soon enough, through a break in the trees, the final stretch— a set of massive wooden doors, illuminated with torches on either side. It drew closer with every patter of Rose’s boots in the dirt— her salvation.

Todd was hot on her heels. The terror gripped Rose like a vice, and she prayed to whatever deity might listen that she make it to the door before he caught her.

Visions of the past clouded her eyes in tears. What would he do now, if he caught her?

With one final burst of adrenaline coursing through her veins, she forced a little more speed from her body, rocketing up the stairs and practically throwing herself against the heavy wooden doors. It felt like a monumental task, every heartbeat a moment too long as she pushed against the doors. However, it finally caved against her weight, swinging open and allowing her inside the Castle.

She slammed the doors shut behind her, her heart thundering in her ears as she quickly pressed herself against them. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she heaved for breath, sobs finally forcing from her chest. They were sharp, ragged— agonizing with each breath.

She could hear his fists colliding with the door. His faint scream echoed ever present:

“Come out of there, you whore! You’ll regret what you’ve done to me— just you wait! You’re going to get it when I finally get my hands on you!”

There was the sound of pattering footsteps on the tile. The door pushed against Rose’s back, and she pushed back as hard as she could— desperately digging her heels into the floor, only dully aware of the horrible squeak her muddy boots made on it. Through sobs and gasps for breath, her strength was beginning to fail.

��Rose! What’s happening?”

Rose’s head snapped to glance at the maidens who had come to investigate the commotion. There were about three of them, watching with wide eyes like scared deer.

“Help me!” Rose managed to croak out, her throat and voice hoarse.

However, before any of them could help, her strength finally gave under a sudden hard shove against the door. Rose screamed out as she was thrown to the floor, the door shoving her. Todd staggered onto the floor, clearly not having expected his brute force to work so easily.

Before she could even gather herself, Todd had forcibly grabbed Rose by the front of her shirt and lifted her off the ground. He then slammed her against the wall, insanity written across his face as violently as the force he shoved her with. When her back met the wall, the wind was thrown from Rose’s chest. She let out a cry, blinding pain erupting from the back of her head as it smacked against the wall.

“I’ve had enough of you and your shit,” Todd snarled, his grip tightening on her shirt. “You and your thinking you can disobey me— running off is so funny, isn’t it?! You think you’re in charge?! No… No, I am the one in charge of you! And you—!”

He raised his fist, and suddenly brought it down upon her. Rose screamed out as pain erupted in her face— blinding red, the pain agonizing.

“—will not—!”

Another fist colliding with her face. Rose choked out, struggling against his grip and trying to push him back.

“—DISOBEY ME!”

He raised his fist to hit her one last time, Rose instinctively flinching and shutting her eyes tightly. However, it never came. Rose shuddered, waiting for the inevitable— but the longer she cowered, the longer nothing happened. Finally, after what felt like hours - which in reality may have only been a second or two - she dared to open her eyes.

Todd’s face was still twisted with rage, and his heavy breathing felt hot on her face. However, there was a hint of confusion.

A pale, near-paper white hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist— arm raised above his head to deliver a final blow. Behind him, a presence loomed with a rage and tension even Rose could sense.

Todd didn’t even have to open his mouth before a voice spoke behind him.

“Now, what do we have here?”

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