"Aurelius," Lord Ashcroft said, his tone softening slightly. "This does not concern you."
"It does," Res insisted. "I know these two. I met them yesterday when they arrived in the city. They didn't steal the crystal. I was there when a pickpocket stole it from them, I even helped them retrieve it."
Lord Ashcroft's brow furrowed. "And how are you so sure they didn't steal it first?"
Res hesitated, then straightened his shoulders. "Because I've seen their desperation. They come from the slums, but they are not thieves. They probably came here hoping they would sell it at a higher price. They wouldn't dare steal in the city. They're just trying to survive. Punishing them with death would be unjust."
The room fell silent, the weight of Res's words hanging in the air. Lord Ashcroft studied his son, his expression was unreadable. Finally, he sighed.
"Very well. I will consider a lesser punishment. But they must still face consequences for their actions."
Res nodded, his relief evident. "Then let them serve the castle. The boy looks strong, he can work in the mines, and the girl can work in the kitchens. It's a fair compromise."
Lord Ashcroft's lips tightened, but after a moment, he gave a curt nod. "So be it. They will serve for a period of no less than five years. If they prove themselves, they may earn their freedom. If not, the mines will be their permanent home."
The guards began to drag Eira and Sian away, but Res stepped forward, his voice low. "Thank you, Father."
Lord Ashcroft's gaze hardened. "Do not mistake this for leniency, Aurelius. They are your responsibility now. See that they do not disappoint me."
As Eira was led out of the throne room, her mind raced. She glanced back at Res, her emotions a tangled mess of gratitude, confusion, and fear. He met her gaze, his expression unreadable, before turning away.
......
The guards allowed Eira and Sian a brief moment to say their goodbyes in the shadowed corridor outside the throne room. The air was thick with tension, and the weight of their new reality pressed heavily on both of them. Eira's hands trembled as she reached for Sian's, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Sian, my mother… she doesn't even know where I am. What if she thinks I've abandoned her? What if she—" Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears.
Sian squeezed her hands, his usual bravado replaced by a quiet determination. "I'll find a way to reach out to her, Eira. I promise. I'll make sure she knows you're alive and that you're fighting to get back to her."
Eira nodded, though her heart ached at the thought of being separated from him. "Be careful in the mines. Don't do anything reckless."
Sian managed a small smile. "Reckless is my middle name, remember?"
Before Eira could respond, the guards stepped forward, yanking Sian away. He shot her one last look over his shoulder, his eyes filled with unspoken words before he was dragged down the corridor and out of sight.
Eira stood frozen, her chest tight with grief and fear. She barely noticed Res approaching until he was standing right in front of her, his arms crossed and an expectant look on his face.
"Well?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to thank me? I just saved your life, you know."
Eira's grief quickly turned to anger. She glared at him, her hands clenching into fists. "Thank you? Thank you? You think you've done me a favour? You've ruined my life!"
Res blinked, taken aback by her outburst. "Ruined your life? I just kept you from being executed!"
"And for what?" Eira shot back, her voice rising. "So I can spend the next five years scrubbing floors and peeling potatoes while my mother wastes away in the slums? So Sian can rot in the mines? You didn't save me. You trapped me."
Res's expression shifted from confusion to frustration. "I was trying to help you. You'd be dead right now if it weren't for me."
"Maybe I'd rather be dead than live like this!" Eira snapped, her voice cracking. "You have no idea what it's like to lose everything, to have nothing left to fight for. You're just a spoiled rich boy playing hero, but you're not saving anyone. You're just making things worse."
Res stared at her, his usual confidence faltering. For a moment, he looked genuinely hurt, but he quickly masked it with a scowl. "Fine. If that's how you feel, then I won't bother helping you again. Enjoy the kitchens."
He turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Eira standing alone in the corridor. Her anger burned hot, but beneath it was a deep, aching sadness. She had lost Sian, her mother was alone, and now she was trapped in a place where she didn't belong.
---
Eira was led to the castle kitchens, a sprawling room filled with the clatter of pots and pans, the sizzle of food on stoves, and the chatter of servants. The head chef, a stout woman with a no-nonsense demeanour, took one look at Eira and wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"You're not stepping foot in my kitchen looking like that," the chef said, gesturing to Eira's dirt-streaked face and ragged clothes. "Clean her up first. Then she can start on the potatoes."
A young servant girl, no older than Eira, stepped forward and gently took her arm. "Come with me," she said softly. "I'll help you get cleaned up."
Eira followed the girl to the maid's quarters, a small, dimly lit room filled with rows of cots and wooden chests. The girl handed her a bucket of water, a bar of soap, and a clean set of clothes.
"My name's Peppa," the girl said, offering a tentative smile. "I know this is all… overwhelming. But it's not so bad here, once you get used to it."
Eira didn't respond. She stripped off her old clothes and scrubbed herself clean, the cold water doing little to soothe her frayed nerves. As she dressed in the plain gray dress of a servant, she couldn't help but feel like she was shedding a part of herself. She looked at the small mirror Peppa handed her to smoothen her hair. Her long dark brown hair was in a rough braid, with curls already sticking out, but she didn't even have a brush to tame it. Peppa noticed her discomfort and handed her a small scarf.
"For your hair." She said gently.
"Thank you." Eira murmured.
Peppa watched her with sympathetic eyes. "If you need anything, just ask. We look out for each other here."
Eira nodded absently, her mind already racing with thoughts of escape. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't waste five years of her life while her mother suffered and Sian toiled in the mines. There had to be a way out.
As Eira was led back to the kitchens, her thoughts churned with possibilities. The castle was vast, and the guards were everywhere, but there had to be a way to slip past them. She just needed to bide her time, to learn the routines and find the right moment.
But even as she plotted, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered doubts. What if she failed? What if she was caught? The punishment for escaping would be far worse than scrubbing floors. It would be death. And what about Sian? She couldn't leave him behind.
For now, she would have to play the part of the obedient servant. But she wouldn't give up. She couldn't. Her mother needed her. Sian needed her. And she would find a way to get back to them, no matter what it took.