"Very well, Cassidy," Elysia walked towards the stall where the scarfs were sold.
"Good afternoon young miss, which one would you like to buy?" The young woman asked, flashing her yellow set of teeth at Elysia.
"The lavender one, do you happen to have two of them? I would like to get one for my friend as well," Elysia inquired.
"You are in luck, my dear. I just restocked, and only two of this color were made. No one's requested them yet," the young woman chuckled softly, pulling the scarves from the shelf and folding them neatly into a small bag.
"And how much do they cost?" She inquired.
"Three silver coins." The woman replied.
"That is quite expensive for just scarfs ma'am, do you not think so?" Elysia asked, her eyes narrowing at the woman.
"It is quite cheap if you ask me, the scarfs are of very good quality and you will use them for a very long time." The young woman argued.
"Very well then, I hope I do." Elysia handed the woman three silver coins, collecting the bag from her. "Thank you."
"Thank you for buying from me. Have a lovely evening and happy festival of light." The young woman greeted with a small wave.
Elysia offered the woman a warm smile before walking away with the bag in her left hand, she decided to explore the market more, perhaps buy something else that would fancy her.
Just as she was about to head toward a jewelry store, her heart dropped. Her eyes widened as she spotted a man a short distance away, speaking to someone with his back turned to her.
Even though she could not see his face completely, she knew who he was. Elysia hid behind a carriage just in time as the man turned his head in the direction where she had stood. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, her body pressed against the carriage.
After taking a few minutes to steady her breath, Elysia moved her head as she peeked to see if he was still staring in her direction. The man had disappeared, he was in longer standing where he had been.
A lump caught in her throat threatened to suffocate Elysia, sweat had begun to cover her neck and hands. She needed to leave this place now and fast if not she would get caught. Hugging the small bag to her body, she drew the hood lower so that it would hide a good amount of her face. Elysia did not waste one more minute as she began to walk away.
Her strides fast but steady, she quickly climbed into a carriage and headed back to the inn. It was when she was within the walls of her room that she could finally breath, she walked to the table beside her bed and poured herself a glass of water before gulping it down in one go.
Her hands were shaking and her heart was still beating wildly, it was a very unfortunate coincidence that Dargan had appeared in the same place as her, she could not tell if he was here because he was looking for her or he was simply here for his own business. Either way, if he had seen her, it was all over for her.
"Cassidy!" Elysia closed her eyes and wiped her sweaty hands on her dress, in the midst of the chaos she had forgotten about Cassidy.
Almost twenty minutes later, Elysia nearly jumped from her skin when a knock was placed on the door, she raised to her feet and stared at the door. Her head running with different possibilities of what was going to happen next. She swallowed hard before speaking. "Who is there?" Silence followed before another knock, this time harder than the last.
"Marion? Are you in there? Answer me?" Cassidy called out from behind the door.
Elysia felt some of her fear disperse, she walked to the door and opened it slowly, her head turning left and right to check if there was no one else watching them.
"Dear goddess Marion! You scared me, I thought something happened to you." She paused as she noticed Elysia's pale and sweaty face. "Are you alright? You look like you are about to faint," Her brows knotted together in concern.
"I—I am alright. I just really needed to use the potty. I am sorry if I made you worry," Elysia said, flashing a smile. Though the smile was forced, she hoped it would be convincing enough to fool Cassidy and keep her from asking further questions.
"Very well then, I will leave you to rest. Would you be able to come down for dinner?" Cassidy asked.
Elysia truly wished she could spend time with Cassidy, but she was still shaken, and she doubted she would be able to fully relax until she left this town. "I am deeply sorry, but I do not think I have the strength for that. I need to rest for a bit," she replied.
"Oh, quite well then. I will send up your dinner when it is ready. Do rest well, and I hope you feel better soon," Cassidy said, concern lacing her voice.
"Thank you so much for your kindness." Elysia returned the smile. She finally closed the door when Cassidy walked away.
Elysia strode to the bed and collapsed onto it, allowing the effects of the past few days to weigh heavily on her. She was exhausted, sad, and angry at herself–the King, her governess, and her uncle, who had sold her to the slave traders. If he had not done so, she would have been a normal woman, not a fugitive running from a powerful King and hiding for her dear life.
Tears began to well in her eyes, Elysia wished she had met all the beautiful people under different circumstances, not under the pretense of a lie. She hoped that wherever she was headed next would grant her the freedom and peace she desperately sought. Her vision grew clouded as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Lacking the strength to stop them, Elysia buried her face in the pillow and let out everything she had been feeling and enduring.