When Auriella woke, she could see a dark shadow sitting at the corner of the room.

The candlelights had dimmed, showing the outline. She knew that she was not alone, but she didn't feel unsafe.

She shifted in her bed, signaling that she was awake. The person moved, standing up from the seat and rushing over to her. Ruth's face became clear in the dimness.

"Ruth? What are you doing here?" Auriella asked, bringing her hand to her lips, glad that she was here with her. She didn't know what her grieving thoughts would bring if she was alone.

Ruth sat on the edge of the bed, smiling down at Auriella. "I was told to care for you once you've awoken. I was so worried, thinking that Amarantha had done something horrendous to you like the girl whose screams kept me up at night." She says, tears streaming down her face.

Ruth shook her head, "Marcellus was panicking for you. I had to tell him to calm down, knowing that Amarantha would use him against you if she found out the relationship between the both of you," she wiped away the tears, "But I was relieved to see you here asleep and bathed. It took away every worry I had." She says.

Auriella looked down at Ruth's hands, seeing that they were clean and smooth at the touch. Ruth chuckled, "I took the liberty to clean them here. I couldn't resist." She says.

Auriella chuckled, "I don't blame you. How long have I been asleep?" She asked, looking at Ruth's tired eyes, seeing that she was falling asleep herself.

"I'm not sure. A day at best. Your body needed the rest. After the ordeal she gave you, I'm sure your body was ready to shut down on the floor if she had continued any longer." Ruth says, her thumb gently rubbing Auriella's hand.

"A lot can happen in a day. What has she done?" Auriella asks and Ruth takes a deep breath, trying to figure out the words.

She eventually finds them, "It was strange. There was a girl who was brought here, wanting to claim the one she loved. The High Lord of the Spring Court, Tamlin. Of course, Amarantha laughed, but it seems that..." Ruth trails off, staring at Auriella for a moment, "anyway, Amarantha told the girl that she is to complete three trials or solve a riddle to free us all." She explains.

Ruth scoffs, "Funny. Our lives are in the hands of a foolish lovesick human girl who doesn't know one ounce of what is happening here. She'd be better off dead." She says.

Auriella takes a deep breath, not knowing what to think about this new information. Why would this girl accept such high-stake challenges? What has Tamlin done in bringing her into their world?

"So what happens now? Do we just wait until she fails the trials and dies either in them or by Amarantha's hand? She might not even last one minute." Auriella says, sitting up on the bed.

Ruth shrugs, "I am not sure. My guess is that Amarantha will make it impossible for her to complete said trials. She is a schemer and a liar. Nothing good will ever come from her." She says.

Auriella nods, "Am I able to be present in the trials? Or is Amarantha going to keep me away from them? I cannot stay here." She asks.

"I believe she will have you present, but that is ultimately up to her. She thinks of you as her torture puppet, thinks that she can break you. But I know that you are strong and powerful. You must not let her get to you." Ruth says, kissing Auriella's hand.

Auriella stares at the ground, unsure of what to say.

"I already have," she whispers.

Ruth looks over at her, her eyes widen. "What are you talking about? You are not broken, Daughter of Dawn. You need to remind yourself who you are. Amarantha wants to break you and she will do anything to make sure it happens. You say that you are broken now, but you truly haven't lost anything." She says.

Auriella fumes at the words, standing up from the bed. "How dare you say that to me? I have lost every ounce of respect that I had for myself. I lost my confidence, my integrity, and my dignity. Amarantha has taken that from me. My father may still be alive, but I will die before I ever look at him in the eyes again." She tells her.

Ruth looks at her like a stranger would. "People here still have hope because of you. If it weren't for you, many others would suffer the same fate as you. But I know you would gladly take it for them if it meant sacrificing the things you had for yourself." She says.

"I didn't ask for this! I was taken from my home and brought here because of what I have said about Amarantha! I didn't ask to be tortured and humiliated for almost forty years!" Auriella exclaims, "Of course, I care for every person here Under the Mountain and I would lay my life down for any of them, but I have nothing to give. I am broken, Ruth."

For a moment, silence overtakes the room. But Ruth stands from the bed, her face filled with sympathy. She grabs Auriella's hands once more, squeezing them tightly.

"If you do not want to fight anymore, I understand. But please, do not leave without taking me with you. I would not be able to bear Under the Mountain alone." Ruth says with tears forming in her eyes.

Auriella doesn't say anything more. Instead, she pulls her to an embrace, holding her tightly.

As hours pass by, Auriella sits on the floor, alone in her room. She clutches her knees to her chest, staring at the dim yellow candlelight.

She lets the silence comfort her, hearing nothing but the rumble of the mountain beneath her. Sometimes, it felt surreal to think that she was trapped inside a huge rock. She was surrounded by concrete and stone.

The thought itself sent chills throughout her body.

Suddenly, Auriella heard her door open, but she did not turn to see who it was. She waited for the rough hands of Amarantha's guards to grab her and haul her out, but there was nothing.

When the door closed, she slightly turned her head, not knowing who she'd find standing there. But she quickly turned away when she saw the faint white pair of wings.

It was her father, Zephyr.

Auriella felt her heart beating out of her chest. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She could only stay frozen on the concrete, waiting for him to speak.

Her father walked closer to her but made sure to give her space. "Ella?" He said to her.

Auriella felt her heart tighten in her chest. She wanted to embrace him, to tell him how much she loved him, how much she missed him. But her body would not allow her to.

She hears him kneel down, "Ella, please look at me. It's me. It's your father. I'm here, my love." He pleads. Auriella feels her heart shatter, wanting to look at him, but feeling undeserving of staring into his eyes.

Tears stream down her face, "I can't look at you. You have to be a dream that I am having. You aren't real." She says, wanting to believe her own words.

She remembered when her mind would trick her into thinking that she was still in her court. She imagined her entire family dining at their table, laughing and illuminating with happiness. She imagined looking into her fathers' eyes, seeing their radiant color.

But that would always be what took her out of her mind.

"My love, that isn't true. I'm here. If you would look at me, it's me. I promise that this isn't a dream. It's me." Zephyr says, taking Auriella's hand in his.

Auriella feels the roughness of it. She looks down, seeing the dirt and grayness on his knuckles. His hand had multiple cuts on it, most of the blood already dry.

A sob escapes from her, "Pa?" She breathes.

She hears him sob with relief, "It's me, Ella. I don't have much time with you, my love. Oh, how I've missed you-" Auriella cuts him off, going onto her knees and embracing him.

She sobs into his shoulder, her tears staining the stained cream shirt he wore. Her heart ached to the point where she felt like it was breaking apart in her chest. She could not believe that her father was here, holding her.

"Oh, my little girl. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I could not protect you from her. I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to stop her from hurting you. I love you so much." Zephyr sobbed into her shoulder.

Auriella shook her head, "If you tried to do something, she would have killed you. And if she did, I wouldn't be able to bear the pain, nor would father. Please, do not blame yourself for my pain." She says.

Zephyr pulls away from the embrace, but Auriella looks down, not meeting his eyes. "My love, let me see your face. Please, do not close yourself off from me." He tells her.

Auriella closes her eyes, lifting her face. She feels her father's warm lips kiss her forehead. "I do not feel worthy to meet your eyes," she breathes.

"You should put none of the blame on yourself either. You must stay strong, just as your father and I are trying to. We cannot let her win," Zephyr says, "She does not deserve any kind of victory. I know you are tired and exhausted from everything she has put you through, but my love, I know we can overcome this."

Auriella breaks down, "I don't want to go through this anymore. I can't take the pain much longer. If we are to remain in eternity with her, I would rather die by my own hand. Pa, it's too much." She cries.

"Let's hope that we can get through this. There is still a slim chance for us to be free. We must have hope." He tells her.

Auriella doesn't say anything, mostly because she can't. Any ounce of hope within herself vanished with Clare, seeing that there wasn't any kind of mercy shown by Amarantha. No one was safe from her torturous wrath.

Instead, she embraced her father once more, closing her eyes, and basking in the warmth of his presence in the dimly lit room. She let his smoky scent fill her nose, still smelling a little of his natural lilac scent.

But soon, he had to pull away, leaving Auriella with a heavy heart. If he stayed in the room any longer, Amarantha would have suspected something of their encounter.

Feeling comforted by her father's brief visit, Auriella crawled into her bed, laying there until the candlelights gave out and drowned her in darkness.