out of bed and began running through my dresses, trying to decide on which one to wear today, but my nose scrunched up at how shabby they all loo

down my back and shoulders. A faint knock at my door interrupted my peace "Come in" I c

ok Maude?" I as

into the pocket of her apron, she pulled out a crisp wh

she informed me, with

ook it from her. I unfolded the paper to see handwriting I didn't recognise, but the gre

utiful

ere united with his own. Because of this, my father, king Aldrich had requested that I visit, to not only become acquainted with you, but to see for myself if the gossips were true. In my time here, I have seen and heard many unpleasant and wretched things that I know my father would not want to be a part of. He detests abuse of power and unnecessarily ending a person's life. I regret leaving you, with such a brute, but I have to report back to Aldrich, before we can marry. My dearest, kind Aure

nconditionall

o grasp the fact that he had already left. "Did he say anything to yo

to get that letter to you and to make sure no one else saw or read it,

s to when. I know his choice mustn't have been easy but all he's done is left me dispirited and awaiting his return and

t then promised to return with something

ht now, to me that's all they were... just words, what if once he returns home, King Aldrich forbids him to marry me, it concerned me th

ed as quickly pulled me up from my seat "Quick, m

throne room, I regathered myself to look poised then walked in calmly as I approached him, while he stood tall and proud in fr

ght I'd make you aware that the

ad to play dum

s there anythi

ph "I made sure the man had a good time, and I could see he has a taste for the high life, seems I'll be able to form him into the king I have always wanted as an heir" at his last remark I could

your m

be all...

ore time before turning and leaving hi

xx

nd I avoided him like was fire and I was just a sad little sapling trying to escape his burn, wishing I had grown somewhere more peaceful, where I could just be left alone. Of course, not all my misery was just because of Mallon's confusing departure but I hated it here every day, I hated hearing Edric's voice boom through the rooms or the way he would sneer at me or call

my cloak, luckily no one noticed me as I made my way out of the main doors with Nathaniel smiling at my side. I

able to scrounge together, she hauled out a big black cooking pot and we got to work choppin

cess, any word of the p

I let out a long sigh and she momentarily stopped coo

my lady, he's sure

I replied half truthfully. I felt a

ng out for any guards, if any of them saw that I was here trying to feed the people, they'd report back

oof of her stall, but I saw the joy and grateful smiles on their faces as they chugged down on the food, knowing it would keep them full for most of the day. It was the pleading look in the children's eyes

ll I could pray

r hand on my shoulder and looked at me in sympathy "I know how you're feeli

sadly "they need more... so

just as well as I do, we can't make a habit out of this

my head in anger "h

gh her things "ahh preaching to the choir,

his father always fed his people and t

d she came toward me "My dear, you're here, and you're doing what you can... we all are. At least you're not turning away and pretending that it's not a problem, we all know you c

the white flag and admit that there was nothing more we could do without

to deliver the rest of the broth to the ones unable to come

back soon though ok, as so

began to leave her st

ked, turnin

oday and all the days you c

h in her words bring a dash of light bac

xx

them away in my room, I decided I'd drop It all off with Nora today on my way to visit Joan. I stuffed everything into a cloth bag and h

r way to Joan's house that was just past the village, in the more quieter and richer part of our land, but when we arrived at her home, I was surprised to see it wasn't much bigger than the homes in the village, it had two floors from what I co

ened it with a wide smile on her face, but it quick

You don't need to be concerned about him, h

at him as such" and her smile swept across her face again. "

lit, she ushered us to sit at a small wooden table r

. There was pride taken in this home, the furniture and little touches were warm and tasteful, but

Nathaniel as I noticed an asto

mbles on the inside too, but its nice... and its warm... this fucking room is bigger

home like?" I

maller than t

na teacups and a pot to match set upon it. She poured us all a cup as she sat in

at her "Joan, call me Aurelia,

her eyes widened and she gasped "Oh Aurelia,

is home a few weeks ago

s rather sudden, but that he promis

oan, I don't know i

you mea

ares to love me, he did say he'd make sure the king didn't take him leaving out on me, and I just keep thinking that, maybe Mallon only spoke of us being wed to keep my father happy, but that will only last for so long. The King mi

llon did when he was with you. I know you're frightened, just as always, your future is filled with so much uncertainty and you doubt your own worthiness, as if there's no possible way a prince could not only love you but to also be a good and kind man. Aurelia

t need a pep talk, I suppose I didn't just fall in love with the prince, but I also saw him as my ticket out

k we all wish t

round the room I decided to change the subject, I was

enjoy living here? You've

e walls are very thin and the roof falls apart whenever we have rain, but I

comment "god forbid you have thin walls in all your many

oat "Nathaniel, as our Aurelia claims you're

!" he rebuffed with

ap "Nathaniel, I only speak of the state of

sitting upright in my chair in c

omes but after two years, around the time me and Matthias started courting, things started to dilapidate, and more money was taken from us. My parents passed away and me and Matthias got married then he came to live in my home with me and things just got worse, no matter how hard we worked we were only just scraping by. The king didn't appoint Matthias until after your mothe

cerely at Joan "I suppose I just assumed thi

richer around here anymore, but I do still consider myself very lucky Things might be a bit of a str

responded as he frustratingly ran a h

ome a friend to me over the last few months and yet I know nothing about

but it's a very small home, kind of tucked away behind some of the o

hat" Joan spoke soft

neteen yea

ed as she pulled out a crisp white hanky from he

now, I'm a guard, but when I was too young t

filled me to the core, ashamed that it was m

me way of making the king change, making him see what he's doing" I stuttered with discouragement as

, you have no need to apologise" He l

for us then we finally made our way home some hours later as Nathaniel reminded me the king had requested I ate my dinner i