"You can stay."

Zaafira almost went through the ceiling, which told Marie-Fey enough.

She shot her a glare over her shoulder and Marie-Fey just raised an eyebrow at her, arms folded as she leant her shoulder against the doorframe into Zaafira's room.

"Excuse me?" Zaafira snapped.

"We are returning in a couple of days. As soon as the ship and crew are ready, we are going home," Marie-Fey replied.

"Home?" Zaafira copied, raising her own eyebrow, her mouth twisting in a mocking curl at the term coming from Marie-Fey.

Marie-Fey shrugged at that. "I have no other way to refer to it in relation to you. You don't belong anywhere else."

The fire went out of Zaafira's eyes and Marie-Fey levelled her with a small smirk, before continuing like that minor tangent hadn't happened.

"But you may stay here if you wish."

Zaafira just looked confused. "Here? Where?"

"Here. In this house. With my family."

Zaafira looked even more confused. "Why in the world would I do that?"

"Because you don't want to go back there only to be forced to the capital."

Zaafira's whole body tensed.

"You don't know anything about what I do or don't want."

"Maybe, but I do know that receiving that letter scared you. I do know that being called to the capital is considered a bad thing. I know things are falling apart back in the palace. I know that you being called to the capital is significant."

Zaafira's eyes cut away before back to her. It was just as disturbing to see Zaafira trying to maintain her cold composure as it was to see Zaydan close to tears.

"You don't know anything," Zaafira muttered, her tone almost bitter.

"Someone is welcome to enlighten me any time now," Marie-Fey replied, absently examining her nails.

Zaafira looked away again. "Why?" she finally muttered.

"Why what?"

"Why would you let me stay? Why would you care?"

"Care? That's a strong word, I'd hardly go that far," Marie-Fey replied and Zaafira glowered at her. Marie-Fey straightened up, pushing a lock of her hair back over her shoulder. "But I have the ability to feel a sense of responsibility when things are going so wrong in my palace. Not to mention Zaydan will be unbearable should anything happen to you, I'm sure. And as I am unsure of exactly what might happen to you, it seems simpler to remove you entirely from the situation until I have a better understanding of things. At least here, you will be safe. You'll have the eccentrics that are my family, but I'm sure you'll survive. Rosalia and Antionette will take care of you. You can stay with one of them should you prefer seeing as only my father, Val and Con live here permanently now."

Zaafira quirked at eyebrow at that.

"I'm offering you a way out," Marie-Fey said, "You are allowed to take it."

"Zaydan offered you the same thing, didn't he?" Zaafira said. She took a seat at her vanity table and gestured to the chairs around the fireplace. Marie-Fey took a seat in one of the dainty armchairs, crossing her legs and nodded.

"He did, how do you know?"

"Because I know he's been considering it since he first saw you with your siblings," Zaafira replied, "It seems he's been stuck on your smile from that first day. It's partly why he was so determined to secure your status while here, so you could stay without fear of what people would say. So your anxiety wouldn't continue to cripple you. He couldn't bear watching you lose your composure over the petty snipes of these people when anything said to you back home bounced off."

Marie-Fey let out a breath, leaning back in her chair. "I don't understand that man," she muttered, "I've never understood how he could be so aware of me when he knew nothing about me."

Zaafira looked at her confused. "Because he wanted to ask for your hand in marriage first," she said.

Marie-Fey looked at her, frowning. "He mentioned something about not being allowed, but didn't go into detail."

Zaafira sighed, moving to the armchair opposite. "He just can't let it go," she grumbled. "Zaydan was the one who brought you to the family's attention. Not with any intention of bringing you into the life you live now. When your portrait was being displayed to the sons of foreign families, he saw it. He was just visiting a friend and happened to see it and heard your father was seeking an advantageous match."

Her gaze drifted down to her hand folded in her lap, vision drifting to elsewhere, another time and place as a small smile played on her lips.

"You should have seen him when he returned home. He appeared without warning, weeks before we expected him back, rushing to find his mother and tell her he'd found the girl he wanted to marry. We thought he had actually met you from the way he was talking. But no, apparently love before first sight is a thing."

Her smile faded as a new thought appeared across her eyes, a sadness settling there.

"Shala warned him that you couldn't judge anything from a portrait. He couldn't fall for your appearance; it would fade and who would he be left with? What's left is what matters. And the same was true for him. Who he was at the end of it all had to matter to you more than his face. But Zaydan said he just knew. I've never seen so happy as when he thought he might be allowed to approach you... and I've never seen him so sad as when his mother announced she was having his brother approach your family instead... Zaydan isn't the type to ask for things, that small luxury of selfishness was beaten out of him long ago, it was the only thing he asked for, and it was taken from him in the cruellest way."

Zaafira blinked, then looked up.

"I was shocked. We were all shocked when we heard. It didn't make any sense to us. We didn't know why you would be chosen. Yes, you're a Leigh Lady, I understand that, I realise how powerful and far reaching your father's influence is, but your true power lies within your own continent, not in ours. None of us understood it. We didn't even think you'd agree to it, and if you did agree, we did not think you'd survive longer than a few months."

Marie-Fey raised an eyebrow at her and Zaafira's attention returned to her.

"Why did you agree to it?" she asked, frowning.

Marie-Fey pursed her lips, thinking how to answer. "I wanted to get away from it all," she finally said simply.

"It all?"

"Society. This country. My family. I wanted to be away from everything for a time. I was running from demons then; I still am now."

"That's the trouble with personal demons, they have a tendency to give chase," Zaafira mused.

"Know something of them, huh?"

"We're quite well acquainted," Zaafira replied. Marie-Fey glanced at her just in time to see an unbearable sadness flit through her eyes before it was gone. That second of reveal told Marie-Fey enough about just how deep-set that pain was. Something burned into Zaafira's core that she would never escape. A wound so deep even Zaafira couldn't control the minuscule flash of emotion when she was usually so gifted at hiding.

Something too painful for Marie-Fey to attack.

So she didn't.

She merely replied, "Back when I agreed to my marriage, I was far from sound sanity. Despite walking and talking as normal, I felt as if I was living in a haze, and I couldn't find my back to a steady state of mind. I had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from my own head. I accepted this proposal because it was the geographically furthest and the wealthiest."

She rested her cheek on her knuckles, absently smoothing a crease from her skirts.

"As it happens, it wasn't a complete disaster."

"Oh?"

Maire-Fey glanced at her. "My mind is clearer than it has been in years. Despite how the lot of you drive me insane, you gave me a way to channel my rage."

"How comforting."

Marie-Fey smirked. "Of course, there was also Mannah and Gharam. I would not have recovered and survived without them. I needed them; I still do."

Zaafira pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes. "You realise I was not simply stirring up trouble when I accused Maanah of perhaps not having your best interests at heart?"

Marie-Fey's eyes darkened.

"Surely even you have had your doubts about her. She's hiding a secret. That fortune teller even said so. Everyone knows she is. We just don't know what it is. She might appear as your ally, but we have no allies in this world."

"Not even Zaydan?"

Zaafira's eyes flicked to her then away again. "He's bound and chained in this world. He's as close as one can get, but don't blindly put your faith in him either."

Marie-Fey smirked. "I don't even blindly trust my family; I wouldn't worry about that." She shook her head at the idea then pushed to her feet. "We were side-tracked – and certainly in a way that I did not expect – so while this little heart-to-heart was... well, odd, to say the least, my original point remains the same. If you wish to stay, you may remain behind. I shall make your excuses."

Zaafira looked at her for a long moment and Marie-Fey could see that she was actually considering it.

She was willing to give up everything she knew back home to avoid going to the capital. She didn't even know why girls who went to the capital didn't come back, but she didn't want to find out.

"No," Zaafira finally said, eyes lowering. "No, I'll come back with you. As you said, I don't belong anywhere else."

Marie-Fey titled her head to the side, then simply shrugged. "Alright, you have until we leave should you change your mind," she said, turning and walking out.

Only Zaafira didn't change her mind and they departed shortly after.

It was an overall uneventful passage. Which felt wrong. Marie-Fey felt off-kilter the whole way. It felt as if the whole trip should have been something more, something dramatic.

She was returning to an unknown situation. Women had died. Someone was trying to kill her. Tension radiated from Zaydan and Zaafira, and Gharam and Maanah were quiet and watchful.

The world should have responded to this.

And yet they were blessed with calm weather the whole way, with barely even a storm to disturb them and they arrived in port ahead of schedule.

Their company, who had arrived days before to prepare for their arrival, were ready and waiting and they didn't have to spend any time in the port city.

Barnaby snorted at her when she approached her carriage and Marie-Fey glared at him.

"What? There's no point being angry at me, I could hardly take you with me," she said and he threatened to spit at her. "Hey! If you even try that, I'll have you roasted!"

Barnaby continued to threaten to spit – though he didn't – and Marie-Fey sneered right back at him, snapping her fan open to try and cool the sweat on her skin.

All that growing anxiety and tension she'd been feeling on their journey back was obliterated when her bad mood slammed back into place as she glared up at the sun and its horrendous heat that suffocated her in her pale satin gown.

Maanah appeared with water for her, which she was grateful for until she spotted Zaafira watching near her own carriage. Zaafira raised an eyebrow at her, eyes flicking to Maanah then back to her, before she turned away.

Marie-Fey narrowed her eyes at Zaafira, before handing the half-drank water back to Maanah and ordering some more water for Barnaby so he was in best shape for the trip back across the desert.

When Maanah asked if she would like herself of Gharam to ride with Marie-Fey, Marie-Fey shooed her off with a snap.

She didn't miss the annoyance that flashed through Maanah's eyes but Marie-Fey turned away, absently leaning her shoulder against Barnaby's shoulder, folding her arms as she watched the men finish loading up their luggage and discuss their route home with Zaydan.

"Who is one meant to trust when one is told to trust no one?" she muttered, mostly to herself, her eyes travelling from Zaydan, to Maanah, to Gharam, to Zaafira. Barnaby glanced at her and gave a grunt. "I can hardly say I have confidence in trusting you, considering how many times I've threatened to roast you," she replied.

"Are you speaking to the camel?" Zaydan asked as he approached.

"I'm speaking to the camel," Marie-Fey said bluntly and Zaydan eyed Barnaby – who threatened to spit at him instead.

Zaydan moved aside and said, "I'll be returning to the main palace first, but I'll come to the ladies' palace as soon as I can."

Marie-Fey shrugged and straightened. "Let's get going and see if anyone is even alive," she said, Zaydan's brow creasing at that as she turned and climbed into the carriage, the door slamming closed behind her.

One by one, the caravan set out, leaving the city behind and venturing into the sands for the three-day trek back again.

The return reminded her of the last time she'd returned after visiting home. Of the gates opening to the compound, of the sight of her palace, of the silence of the grounds and yet that intense awareness.

Three days after making port, she, Zaafira, Maanah and Gharam stepped out of their carriages and looked up at the palace with its circular towers, intricate doorways and latticed window, and sensed the moment the palace became aware that they were back.

That awareness with like a physical being that loomed over them and Marie-Fey took a slow breath.

"Alright, let us see what all the fuss is about," she said coolly.

Zaafira snorted. "Understated but sure."

Marie-Fey didn't even bother to throw her a look, just lifted her skirts and made her way up the short flight of steps as the doors opened for her.

She reached the threshold and stopped dead, staring.

This.

This was different.

Before her, it looked like almost every woman in the palace – from the bottom rung serving girls, to the department mistresses to those of Zaafira's rank – stood waiting for them in the grand entrance hall, eyes wide and stressed, breath held as they watched her watch them.

The other three drew in line with her, stopping, startled at the sight and, after a moment of hung tension, Marie-Fey set a hand on her hip and glared at them.

"What?" she snapped and one of the girls burst forwards from the crowd, grabbing Marie-Fey's arm even as Maanah tried to intercept her and stared at Marie-Fey with terrified yet relieved eyes.

"Thank goodness you're finally back!"