Cinders

Prologue

I hugged my knees as a way to counter the cold, sighing as I glanced at the window. It's raining pretty hard. I wonder if the Duke is safe. It is almost midnight; I know I should be asleep at this hour, but my anxiety will not let me sleep a wink. I don't even want to imagine the nagging I'll get tomorrow from Hilda.

But that's the least of my worries now. When will they be back?

I glanced once again at the window of my bedroom as I blankly gazed at the gloomy silhouette of the branches swaying wildly against the wind and rain. I sighed and hugged my knees tighter, burying my chin between them. Duke left with the knights early this morning, so early that I wasn't even able to wake up to see him off. But I'm pretty sure he barely noticed that. The maids said that Duke did not say anything about his rendezvous this morning, so I was left here confused and wondering what got him so alert in the morning and came hurrying somewhere in this dangerous weather. The rain never really ceased in strength, same with the wind, ever since I woke up till this late night.

I jumped out of my bed when I suddenly heard the sounds of hooves. It's weird, but the sound of our duchy's horses always sounds so different from common horses I encounter, so different that I had the sound engraved in my memory.

Hurriedly, I ran barefooted, enduring the stinging cold of the floor, and pressed my face at my glass window. It is hard to see anything in this disturbing weather, but I do see moving shapes against the thick rain, and that's enough for me to recognize those familiar shapes and auras-- Duke and the knights. I exhaled all the worries I had, feeling the slight relief washing over me. They're back at last.

Upon hearing their footsteps downstairs, I left my room as I walked swiftly. I descended the stairs we rarely use because it is more convenient to use the small stairs hidden between the walls, but they're time-consuming. I am still barefooted and am only in my nightgown, but who cares when it is midnight already anyway..

However, as I successfully descended to the first floor, I froze. I was glued to the floor, not because of the uncommon crowd of maids scurrying around, nor the strained atmosphere of the knights who remained silent and whispering. It was the Duke.

He's carrying an unconscious girl.

"What..." everyone stopped moving and was suddenly more silent than they were a while ago when they heard me. Some of the maids and knights looked at me. It confused me greatly when I noticed the tinge of pity in their gaze.

"Who is she?" I said once again as I slowly stepped forward, gaping at the Duke, regaining myself from the shock a while ago.

He stared at me for a minute, still holding the girl in his arms. And his words came to me like a firebolt, frying my nerves.

"She's my daughter."