Valeria kept her head low, letting her hair fall across her face as she slowly turned around. Her heart sank when she saw the king's second wife, Aisha, standing before her. Freedom was within her grasp, and now this. Why did she always seem to have such horrible luck?
"I have work to do outside the palace, my lady," Valeria said, bowing her head slightly and lowering her voice, hoping the disguise would fool Aisha.
A sly smile curled across Aisha's lips, her voice laced with mockery. "Oh? I wasn't aware the king's wives were now taking up maid duties." Her deep accent and dismissive tone made Valeria's blood boil.
So she knew.
Valeria lifted her head, her glare sharp and unyielding. "You can't tell anyone. I won't let you."
This was her chance at freedom—her only chance. Valeria had never spoken to Aisha before, but she had no love for her. On the day Antonius announced Valeria's coronation as queen, she'd caught Aisha smirking amidst the chaos, an image that lingered in her mind ever since.
Aisha chuckled softly, folding her arms across her chest. "And how, exactly, do you plan to stop me?" She leaned closer, her gaze piercing. "To your luck, I haven't yet decided whether to inform Antonius about your little escape attempt."
Valeria clenched her fists. Time was running out. Any moment now, the guards might discover the unconscious maid in her bathroom.
"Don't make this difficult," Valeria hissed. "Just let me go. It won't harm you."
Aisha scoffed, shaking her head. "Won't harm me? Do you think Antonius will take your disappearance lightly? He'll wreak havoc over the palace, and no one— no one—will be spared his wrath."
She stepped closer, her imposing frame towering over Valeria. "Since Antonius brought you here, the rest of us have been left in peace. All his attention is on you. If you leave, that peace dies with you."
Valeria's chest tightened with rage. She didn't have time for this woman's threats. "Are you jealous?" she snapped. "Jealous that I have a chance to escape this hellhole while you rot here?"
Aisha's lips thinned into a harsh line, and before Valeria could turn away, the older woman's hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly.
"Let me go," Valeria snarled, her voice low and venomous. "Or I swear you'll regret it. Before you can call for the guards, I'll rip your tongue out."
Aisha's eyes narrowed, but she didn't release her grip. "No need for threats," she replied, her voice quieter now, tinged with a bitterness that Valeria hadn't expected. "I'll let you go, but only if you swear to me—swear—that I'll never see you here again. Let me tell you this as someone who knows: you only get one chance. If you fail, Antonius will make sure you'll never leave again. Ever."
Valeria stilled at her words, understanding dawning. Aisha wasn't just mocking her. She was warning her, speaking from experience. From one prisoner to another.
"I swear," Valeria said, her voice steady. "I'll never come back. No matter what."
Aisha stared at her for a moment longer, then released her wrist. "Then go," she said sharply. "And don't let Antonius catch you."
Without another word, Valeria turned and hurried away. Her heart pounded in her chest as she rushed through the servants' quarters, her borrowed maid uniform allowing her to blend in. She kept her head low, her steps quick but not frantic, until she reached the servants' exit.
And just like that, she was outside.
She didn't dare stop to savor the moment. Her heart pounded as she darted toward the forest that loomed beyond the palace walls, her breath forming pale clouds in the icy air. For weeks, she had stared at this forest from the window of her chambers, convinced she would never escape her gilded prison. Yet here she was, free at last. Branches clawed at her skin as she ran, cutting into her arms and face, but she didn't care. Her legs burned, her lungs ached, and her dress clung to her sweat-drenched body, but she kept running.
By the time the sun began to set, Valeria was too far from the palace to hear the guards—if they were chasing her. Darkness crept through the forest, making it nearly impossible to see. She stumbled over roots and jagged rocks, falling to her hands and knees more than once. Her palms and knees were raw, smeared with blood and dirt, but still, she pressed on.
Eventually, she found a small cave nestled among the trees. Exhausted and shivering, she crawled inside. The realization of how cold it was struck her hard as her body slowed. The sweat on her skin only made the freezing air feel sharper. To her horror, snow began to fall outside, a silent white death that could claim her if she didn't act quickly.
"I didn't escape just to die here," she muttered through chattering teeth.
She needed a fire. Without it, she wouldn't survive the night. But finding dry wood in the snow wasn't easy. She ventured back out into the cold, her limbs heavy and her movements sluggish. Her hands were numb and sliced open by jagged bark as she scavenged for anything dry enough to burn. After what felt like an eternity, she found a few dead branches still clinging to a tree. She grabbed them, along with strips of bark to use as kindling, and hurried back to the cave.
Her fingers trembled as she worked to start the fire. She rubbed a hard stick against a groove she'd carved into softer wood, the friction creating heat. It took several attempts, but finally, an ember formed. She held the bark to it, gently blowing until it caught flame.
The fire grew slowly but steadily, casting a warm glow against the cave walls. Valeria huddled close to it, her body aching and her stomach growling. She was hungry and thirsty, but that was a problem for tomorrow.
For now, she let the fire's warmth wrap around her like a fragile shield. The snow fell silently outside, and despite her exhaustion, sleep refused to come.