Determined to take control of their fates, Arjen and Arien escape Derolina Castle at the age of sixteen after their cruel mother dies. They adopt new names and find a home in the city of Aramore, while the Emperor of Yuriana searches for his missing...
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Arjen's progress was slower than expected. Even with daily healing spells from Alec, he wasn't improving as fast as everyone had hoped. He was weak and his complexion white. He was at least able to eat and drink a little, and use the water closet—with assistance from Marcus as he was too embarrassed to let Arien do it. Three days had gone by since their return to the shop and there was little improvement.
Arien was in the kitchen preparing a pot of soup when Alec came out from the bedroom from another healing session with Arjen.
"He's better than yesterday," Alec said. Then, he nodded at her, and headed for the door.
"W—Wait," she said.
He stopped and turned.
"Um..." How many times had she done this? He always patiently waited for her to say something, until she decided not to. Her cheeks warmed.
"I'll be back later to check on him," Alec said.
"Uh—Um..."
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
She tried to collect the millions of words that jumbled in her head, to form them into a coherent sentence, into questions that had been eating away at her. "I just...want to ask you something."
He waited.
"How did...?" Her pot of soup began to boil. "Ah!" She grabbed up her pot holders—both lovingly crafted by Frieda—and moved the heavy pot to a cold burner.
Alec appeared beside her. "Are you okay handling this by yourself?"
He stood close to her and she wanted to tell him to step back a little. "Yes. I've been cooking on my own for the last few years. I've only been burned a few times."
"You have?" He looked concerned when she said this.
The accidents were nothing. Her healing powers took care of any wounds. That and she was used to such pain, so it only bothered her momentarily.
"You shouldn't have to do this by yourself," Alec said.
Shouldn't have to do what? Cook for her family? Who else was going to do it? It's not like she had any servants. "I do it because I want to." She looked to the bedroom where Arjen rested and lowered her voice. "They kept the food from us, and locked it up until we were allowed meals. We had to break the locks sometimes. I make food because it...helps me...feel free." Did that make sense? She liked to do things on her own, without depending on untrustworthy servants. In a way it was like taking something back from them, her dignity, or maybe her humanity. She was taking back her power.
The color had drained from Alec's face when he heard her story, but he said nothing. Why did it bother him so much? What did he think went on in Derolina Castle all these years? Was he feeling ashamed now for ignoring them?
Arien took a large spoon and stirred the soup. She would let it cool a bit before taking some to Arjen. He had been unable to eat solid food since the demon's attack. "You probably don't understand what I mean," she said. "You were raised in the palace, loved and respected by everyone." She tried mightily to hide her resentment. "All you had to do was say the word, and it was yours." She couldn't count the number of times she and Arjen had asked—no, begged the servants to bring them food when they were still small. Eventually the two of them had started using magic to force some of the weaker servants into submission. She had hated playing the bully; it reminded her of Rurahel. But she and Arjen had been determined to survive. What did it matter anyway if the emperor wasn't paying attention?
