"He helped me," Naveen said softly, her voice carrying a distant tone as she gazed at the growing disk of the moon. "Just as he promised, he did. He helped me escape the palace and took me to safety. After that, I never saw him again—nor did I want to."
She paused, her shoulders stiffening ever so slightly. Lorelai swore she could hear the subtle shift in the witch's tone, a fragile tremor of pain and despair woven into her words. Naveen took a deep breath, forcing a strained smile onto her face before continuing.
"I knew his name. I knew everything about him. And, for some reason, I knew that one day—sooner or later—they would either find him and make him pay for helping me, or they would come for me instead. And, if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure which option was worse."
