Dark clouds hung heavy in the sky, converging with the misty fog that rolled over the earth. It made it feel as if the entire world had been blanketed in a dull, somber shadow that rose endlessly up into the heavens. Adelaide woke that moment with only one desperate plea hanging in her mind: Please, let this be a bad dream. Let this be a bad dream and that she’ll be here today.

But her hopes were quickly shattered. She was gathered up by her maids, washed and dressed in her black mourning dress and hurried quickly down to the dining room where she suffered through a rushed breakfast before being ushered to the main hall.

People were already arriving, most of which she didn’t recognize. Everyone was sad and sullen and each brought with them the painful shadow of loss that filled the room with bodies and sorrow alike.

She could see her father through the crowd, his back to her. He stood very still gazing out the window to the northern garden. He clutched a glass of water in his hand. He did not drink from it. Nearby, her older brother Laurent sat in an oversized chair in a corner. His face was wet and he was glaring angrily at the floor, but soon enough he’d lifted his gaze to look across the room and saw her. His glare intensified, his expression darkening in a way that a child’s face shouldn’t, and he uttered something she couldn’t hear before he got up and stormed through the room to disappear into the crowd.

Adelaide looked down and stared at her feet. Why is this happening, she thought to herself, why can’t she just be here? She sniffled and thick tears spilled down her cheeks. She struggled not to cry and quickly raised her arms to try and wipe the tears away on her sleeve and amidst the sobbing that overtook her she heard footsteps quickly approaching ahead of her. Strong arms hoisted her up and she breathed in her father’s familiar scent - cedar and leather. Parchment. The odd tang of the stuff he called ‘bourbon’ and never let her taste.

“It will be all right, my dear,” he whispered. His voice, too, sounded broken. “It will be all right.”

Adelaide lurched awake again, her chest heaving and her heart pounding. She felt as if the whole of her heart was sinking into a pit of despair and, wracked with sorrow, began to sob. It was just a dream, a memory of Adelaide’s past. But even so it had felt so real. She had been there, aching from the loss in a way that only a child could. It was loss so great that it felt as if her heart had been fully torn from her chest, and the look on her brother’s face had filled her with a sense of foreboding that child Adelaide hadn’t truly understood or appreciated. But she had.

Laurent, that rat bastard, she thought to herself. That glare of his irritated her to no end. He had already made up his mind at that point that he hated her. He was one of the main reasons her life had become such a living hell and why she refused to trust anyone.

The dream itself had brought a surprising amount of dizzying memories along with it—of her happy childhood with her mother, father, and Laurent for her first few years of life. Of her mother’s death and the dark days that followed. Of the war breaking out and her father’s departure to join the fight, and the endless torment she suffered at the hands of her horrible sibling.

The way the thoughts filled her head felt both natural and unnatural all at once. She had lived those moments, every single one of them, and yet she also hadn’t. It was as if she were watching a movie where she was the star, where she recognized every scene and yet was still startled by every twist and turn of the plot. It made no sense and after only a single dream she was sure she would have to take some time later to figure out how she would really digest all of this without losing her mind and herself in the process. But right now, things were moving so quickly that she didn’t really have the time to dedicate to thinking and rationalizing and planning. She had to get the hell out of here first.

Adelaide managed to calm her crying a little and her wailing gave way to whimpering hiccups. Now that she wasn’t yelling quite so loudly she was finally able to make out a voice calling her name and, hastily wiping her eyes and tear-streaked cheeks with the sleeves of her nightgown, she lifted her gaze towards it.

Ava was standing beside her bed, clutching a neatly folded towel and looking bewildered, terrified, and overcome with concern. “Y-your Highness! Are you all right? Is there anything you need?”

Even though Adelaide’s face was already pink from the crying she could feel it growing redder still as embarrassment washed over her. Good lord, has she been here this whole time, she thought to herself, mortified.

“A-Ava! I’m fine, really. I just…I just had a bad dream,” she explained. Ava offered the towel to her and she quickly took it and pressed her face into the plush fabric.

“I could tell, Your Highness. You were shouting quite fiercely,” Ava admitted.

Adelaide lifted her head, horrified. “Shouting?! Shouting about what?”

Hesitantly, Ava replied, “Well…your mother.”

“My mother!” exclaimed Adelaide. Groaning, she pressed her face into the towel again. She wished her bed would turn into a boulder so she could climb right under it. “I am fine now, I swear.”

“Are you certain? Perhaps I can get you some tea. There is still some time before we depart,” asked Ava, “and perhaps the warmth will soothe your heart.”

Grimacing, Adelaide nodded her head. The girl was too kind for her own good. “Yes, some tea would be nice. What time is it?”

“It is a little after nine o’ clock. Witten has advised me to tell you that things are moving at pace, so we will depart at noon.”

“Good, good.” Sniffling, Adelaide finally lifted her head again and glanced around the room. Clearly the maid had been busy while she was asleep, as she could see a chest sitting open at the foot of her bed, already packed with an array of neatly organized boxes and bundles wrapped with colorful paper and ribbon. It was all quite cute and definitely fancier than it needed to be. She was the type of person who packed a suitcase by tossing unfolded clothing into a pile, cramming her toiletries on top, and sitting on the lid until it latched.

“Did you do all that?” asked Adelaide. Confused, Ava nodded.

“Of course, Your Highness,” she replied, “I am your personal attendant, after all.”

The princess thought a long moment. She remembered calling Ava hours prior, after waking in the middle of the night. It had still been pitch black outside. Slowly, she asked, “Did you sleep, Ava?”

The maid shook her head without hesitation and answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Of course not, Your Highness. I was needed, after all.”

She looked even more confused and concerned than she did moments ago when Adelaide buried her head in her towel again with yet another groan of frustration.

“God, I really am the worst.” she hissed to herself.

“What do you mean?”

“Right!” Adelaide shoved the covers back and scooted to the edge of the bed, where she quickly got to her feet. “Go take a nap.”

“Excuse me? But I—“ Ava started, but Adelaide quickly held up her hand to interrupt her.

“Not a word. I have given you a command and you will follow it. Have another maid come assist me with getting ready. Then, march yourself right back to bed and take a nap until you are sent for.”

Ava was fidgeting now and looking increasingly unsettled. She was clearly at a loss as to how she should respond to this. She had the expression of someone who had just been told there was a landmine right under their foot. Adelaide sighed and continued, a bit more slowly.

“We are leaving for Absenwilde in three hours’ time. The trip will be relatively brief since we will be using the teleportation gate, but all the same I will need you at your best to assist me during the journey. If you are not at least somewhat rested, then I am afraid that I will not be able to rely on you as much as I would like. I would have to request another maid and—“

“Oh! No, Your Highness!” Ava quickly interjected, then immediately apologized for interrupting her.

Seems that was more than enough to convince her to go along with her command. Relieved, Adelaide smiled and motioned towards the door. “Wonderful. I will send a maid to fetch you when we are ready to depart. But do be quick about it.”

The girl still seemed loathe to leave and limped slowly across the room towards the door, stealing occasional glances back at the princess who continued to smile at her all the while. She cautiously pulled the door open. “Well…if you are sure, Your Highness…” said Ava.

Adelaide nodded. “Absolutely sure.”

She made a ‘shooing’ gesture with her hands then stood with her hands on her hips, watching Ava slowly ease the door shut before her footsteps faded down the corridor. Her shoulders drooped.

She had to be more careful with Ava moving forward. Her relationship with the maid was probably already at a zero out of ten thanks to the previous Adelaide’s bad behavior, and the last thing she needed was another person who hated her. As far as she knew in the book, Ava had never crossed Adelaide in any capacity. But, doing things like keeping her up without sleep all night wasn’t doing anyone any favors. Just leaving the capital right now was a huge departure from the storyline so there was no telling what impact Ava or any of the other side characters would have moving forward.

Ava fulfilled Adelaide’s request and soon enough another maid was there to help her get ready. She got through a quick bath and the needlessly complicated process of getting dressed and doing her hair, which apparently called for another five maids to cut what normally took a minimum of three hours down to one.

She made certain to play the part of a person who was feeling under the weather, occasionally coughing and maintaining a constant expression of weariness. And, though it wasn’t much, it certainly did the trick in fooling the servants as they appeared to fuss all the more. They’d started to fit her in some overly fancy, flowery dress with fabric roses and layers of lace. But, to her relief they eventually abandoned it in favor of a much simpler day dress with layers of thin fabric beneath a thick yet soft navy wool skirt, a matching embroidered waistcoat, and long sleeves with glimmering opal buttons that kept them neatly fastened at her wrists. It was much more comfortable and also, more importantly to them, much warmer attire for her to wear for the journey.

Though the maids insisted that it would be better to wait until Adelaide felt better to take such a tiresome trip if she was in poor health, they soon gave up when she insisted right back that the familiar corridors and clear, crisp air in Absenwilde would be a better environment than the Imperial capital for recuperation. It was true that Surivan was crowded and a little rough in areas further away from the Imperial Palace, and while their estate was certainly in a more pristine section of the city it still wasn’t ‘home’. Not in the way that Absenwilde was.

Servants continued rushing about, moving and packing and cleaning. Though everyone was in a hurry and working at a surprisingly feverish pace, things were progressing like clockwork—a clear indication that Witten ran the place like a well-oiled machine.

Soon enough, Adelaide was dressed and her chest full of her belongings was being carried down to the main hall, and she spotted Witten approaching the main staircase just as she was descending.

“You have perfect timing, Your Highness.” he said to her with a smile. He looked her over a moment, studying her attire, and gave an approving nod as he reached out to offer his hand when she approached.

Adelaide slipped her hand into his palm as he helped her down the last couple steps. “I imagine things are still moving at pace?” she asked.

“Perfectly. The carriage is ready to depart. We are merely waiting for the kitchen staff to bring up provisions, as we’ll need to have lunch on the way. But, that should not take much longer and we should be able to leave in approximately ten minutes.” he replied. “I will help you to the carriage and hopefully they will be ready by the time you are settled in.”

“Thank you.” said Adelaide. She was chanting praises for Witten in her head already. He was a true blessing at a time like this, and she eagerly walked alongside him as he lead her through the tall, impressive main hall and out the front doors standing open ahead of them.

The breeze outside was calm and cool, and the front of the estate stretching out ahead of them was enough to make her breath catch a moment in her throat. From the neatly trimmed and carved hedges to the rows and rows of perfectly tended tulips and gardenias to the immaculately trimmed lawn and tall, glimmering iron fence that surrounded it all, it was absolutely perfect. It was the kind of place she’d only seen in tv shows or movies—and this was considered a small, temporary estate. It made her apartment from her old life seem like a hole in the ground.

Her eyes roamed from one thing to another, staring in wonder as they moved down the steps to the carriage waiting on the large cobblestone circle ahead of them. It, too, was entirely too ostentatious with its gold gilding, navy accents, and impressive four horses already hitched in front of it. Servants and the coachman were working to fasten the last of the boxes and chests they were taking with them to the back while another servant finished inspecting its interior. Spotting them, the footman hurried over to shoo the servant away and pulled the doors open wider, standing at attention and then bowing politely when Adelaide and Witten came to a stop before him.

“Your Highness,” he greeted her politely, offering his hand. Witten released her and she reached out to take it so she could climb up into the carriage with his aid. It was comfortable inside and she was surprised to find that they’d brought a couple of her shawls out and set them on one of the seats.

“Thank you.” Adelaide said once she had settled, smiling at the man. He stared in surprise but only for a moment, as Witten cleared his throat softly and the sound was enough to snap him out of it.

“O-of course, Your Highness.”

He quickly hurried out of the way to see if there was anything further needed. Adelaide leaned forward and glanced out the door, remembering Ava. She was just about to ask Witten about the girl when she spotted her rushing out the front door towards the carriage, limping heavily and looking slightly flushed. She was clutching a bag laden with all manner of items.

“You, too, are right on time, Miss Ava.” Witten said to her as she reached them. She handed him the bag when he beckoned for it and he placed inside the carriage while Ava took a moment to bow to Adelaide.

“Y-yes, thank you! And I apologize, Your Highness. I got ready as quickly as I could.”

Adelaide laughed a bit and shook her head. “As he said, you are right on time. And I did not even have to send anyone to fetch you.”

Ava started to head to the rear of the carriage, where a second simpler carriage was being brought up for the few servants who were traveling on that journey with them to ride in, but Adelaide grasped the doorway to lean outside of it a bit and call after her. “W-wait! Are you not riding with me?”

Witten and Ava turned to stare at her.

“Ride…with you? With Your Highness?” Ava repeated, dumbfounded. Adelaide looked to Witten, who was peering back at her with an expression she wasn’t sure if she should interpret as suspicion or amusement or something else entirely.

“Typically, Your Highness,” Witten explained, “the servants ride in a separate carriage.”

So then that means he will not be riding with me either, Adelaide thought to herself. Though, the more he stared at her the more she thought that this was probably for the best. She cold already tell that Witten was entirely too sharp to be stuck in close quarters with him for hours so soon after her awakening.

“Yes, well…w-what if I need something? Or, if I wish to talk to someone?” she asked. Adelaide gave them a look that screamed ‘stubborn princess’. “She is my maid. I wish for her to ride with me. End of story.”

And, before anyone could argue further, she disappeared back into the interior of the carriage and settled onto the seat again with her arms crossed against her chest.

Meekly, Ava returned to the doorway and climbed in with Witten’s help.

“As you wish, Your Highness.” he stated to her, and she swore she could see a smirk on his face before he walked off.

Ava, meanwhile, sat on the seat across from her and clasped her hands tightly in her lap. She looked as if she was afraid the whole vehicle would explode around her at a moment’s notice, and occasionally stole nervous glances up at Adelaide. After a few minutes of restless silence Adelaide sighed, her fingers tapping against her upper arms.

“Really, Ava, I do not plan to eat you. Please relax,” she said. “This trip will become a chore if you continue to fret like that.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness!” Ava replied quickly.

Adelaide grimaced. She thought she could get used to the whole ‘Your Highness’ thing, but it was getting very old very fast. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced out the window. She couldn’t exactly ask Ava to call her by her first name, given their stark difference in status. Plus, she was pretty much sure the girl would have a heart attack at even the suggestion. So, for now at least, ‘Your Highness’ would have to stay.

Her gaze darted to the doorway of the carriage again when one of the family’s knights, a tall young man with short, grey hair and dark green eyes, approached the carriage. He came to an abrupt halt and offered a low, stiff bow. He looked to be the earnest type, with keen eyes and a surprisingly stony expression for such a youthful face.

“Your Highness. I will be your personal guard for the duration of this trip.” the young man announced. She smiled. It was nice to see that kind of dedication, but she wondered how much of it was dedication to her versus dedication to their house. Still—that was more than enough to keep her alive, so she would take what she could get.

“You may rise. I am pleased to be in your care.” replied Adelaide. He straightened and climbed into the cabin, taking the seat beside Ava close to the door and pulling it shut behind him.

She could hear that the activity outside of the carriage seemed to have calmed somewhat and the preparations were finishing up. Not long after the knight entered the doors opened again, Witten’s face peering up at her.

“Your Highness. It will take us approximately an hour to reach the teleportation gate, and three hours to reach the castle when we arrive in Absenwilde. Is there anything else you need before we depart? A book, perhaps, or—“

“Oh!” Ava perked up and grabbed the bag she had brought with her. “I brought a few books and other things for Her Highness. And—Oh, I apologize, I should not have interrupted.”

He smiled at her as she ducked her head, blushing. “Not at all. Thank you for being so proactive, Ava.”

“Indeed.” said Adelaide, smiling at her as well. “You are being quite reliable today.”

The maid barely stopped herself from squeaking with surprise and her face grew almost as red as her hair. She murmured a meek ‘thank you’ as she stared down at her lap.

“Well, then. We should be—“ Witten paused, looking away. A knight had approached, apologizing for the interruption, and leaned forward to whisper something to him. The corners of his lips pulled down in a frown and he excused the knight, who hurried off again. Witten brought his gaze back up to them. “It appears they have spotted an Imperial carriage approaching along the main road.”

“A what?!” She turned quickly in her seat to look out at the front gates far away from them, blocking off the main road. But, she could see nothing from here. The land around their estate was lush with thick, tall trees and vegetation, providing moderate secrecy from others in the capital with prying eyes. But, it also made it difficult for them to see beyond, unless they were keeping watch. And usually, they weren’t.

“I advised a few of the knights to watch the main roads for any approaching visitors when I left you last night.” explained Witten. Adelaide sighed, both relieved and rattled. Thank god he was so dependable.

“Then, what should we do? I really would rather not be delayed, even if it is someone from the Imperial family,” she replied, adding in a tense mutter, “Especially not by Julius.”

“Well…” started Witten, looking past her to the front gates as well. “I suggest we be on our way, then. We should leave by the rear gate. It will take a little longer to reach the teleportation gate from that route, but at least we will not be kept here longer than necessary.”

Adelaide grinned at him. “Do you think we’ll get in trouble, considering they’re already on their way?” she asked.

“We received no advance warning of their visit. It is quite rude for anyone to show up unannounced, expecting our plans to bend to their whims. You are, after all, a princess of the Empire.” Witten replied. He bowed to her courteously and closed the door, disappearing on his way to the rear carriage. Adelaide grinned. Again, she thanked the gods to have Witten on her side.

The knights that would protect them on the trip mounted their horses and positioned themselves around both carriages, six assigned to each with three on each side, and four additional knights stationed at both the front and rear of their entourage. She heard one of the knights at the front call out and the others respond and then they were on their way, following the stone path around the large manor towards the rear gate. Adelaide looked out the carriage window towards the front gate again and was just able to make out the glimmer of the sun glinting off of the gold gilding on the Imperial carriage in the distance. But then they turned around the corner of the manor and it was quickly obscured from her sight as the horses were hurried forth along the path.

She felt as if her head were spinning as tension left her body, as if someone had let the air out of a balloon. The sensation was vivid enough that it surprised her—she knew she was under a lot of stress, but hadn’t expected it to be that much. Even so, she could tell it wasn’t all gone. Some of it sat in her chest, trembling as if it were about to crack her in two.

She knew that carriage had to belong to Julius. There was no other person who would dare come visit her at her estate like this, especially completely unannounced. The old Adelaide wouldn’t have considered that that sort of behavior showed a clear and total lack of respect for her, at least not when it came to Julius. She had been too mad about him to care. So, her sudden disappearance would definitely take him by surprise and she knew he had at least enough sense not to go chasing after her—not until he understood the situation better.

She had evaded Julius for now, but only for now.