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— "AZADE?"
A sweet, sugar like voice echoed on its breath. It seemed almost far away to the sleeping Azade as she was dropped back into the realm of reality. "Azade, wake up."
She could feel curtains being drawn and the warm morning light being cast upon her body, she shrouded herself into her blankets. 'Sian must've returned me to my room.' She thought as she felt the plush silk against her fingertips.
"Open your eyes, Azade!"
She opened them.
"Ehsan? You're back!" Leaping out of her sheets she ran to the maid, hugging her tight against herself. "Why didn't you stay with your family longer?"
Ehsan shrugged, her healthy glow back onto her face. "I have a job here."
"But—even after what happened? You should go back, it's not safe for anyone here." Azade explained casting her eyes down to the rug below their bare feet. She still had memories of being forced to whip Ehsan, how the whip splattered her blood as it broke skin. Her screams. His laughter.
"Azade?"
She glanced back up to a worried expression. "Sorry, I—it's been hard lately."
"That's exactly why I wanted to stay here." Putting a soft hand on her shoulder. "To help you."
"Aren't you scared? It could happen again."
"I know what I'm risking. We all do."
She stepped forward, her eyes brighter than they were that night. It looked as if nothing had happened to her, as if she was fully recovered. "Tell me, what happened while I was gone?"
Azade immediately held her tongue.
She wanted to tell her everything, the witch, her first encounter with Morning Rukun, Fazad's maid, star grazes, the revelations and the tale of the stars that still seemed to haunt her. Azade would've told it all.
But as she looked at Ehsan, the light in her eyes and the warm sunlight that glowed past her; she didn't want to ruin the serene moment with all of the things that had happened. Ehsan deserved to be happy.
"Perhaps another time." Azade quipped, changing the subject to Ehsan's family. The Maid told stories for what seemed like hours of sibling banter and motherly praises. She told them so vividly Azade felt apart of that family, craved to be apart of it. She realized it was another wish of hers. A family.
A real one.
After Ehsan had finished telling her all details of what had happened during her visit, they both flopped down on the bed looking out of the window in silence. "Ehsan?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know where the library is?" She asked, her mind returning to Sian's words in her dream. "I'm looking for a tale."
