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“But you should. If not about that, you should about my heritage. You know what they say and you know it is true.”

“And? It does not matter who your parents are or what you are. I don’t care if your blood is not clean—“

She didn’t hear the rest of his words. She let go of his hands as something stung at the back of her head.

“I think I should go.”

“Noora please don’t. We can fix this. Maybe we could go to a healer to get rid of the heritage or blood that is from your witch parent.”

Anger bloomed inside her as she stared at him. She never knew what he thought about her heritage, it was a subject they always ignored.

“I am who I am and I am not going to change just so I can marry you and you will get your dream of a stinking farm with a dozen children.” He drew back at her words.

“Then leave. If you so desperately want to cling to the negative I cannot help you. You know, maybe Isak was right. Maybe you are not worth it.”

Her hand flew out in a matter of seconds. The satisfying crunch of his breaking nose accompanied her the rest of the way as she sneaked into the orphanage.

She was shivering when a small warm body slipped under her comforter and snuggled into her arms. Children’s hands drew up on her cheeks and dried them of her tears.

“Why are you sad? You are never sad when you meet with him,” Lulva whispered in the dark as Noora drew her close, desperate for some comfort. Noora just shook her head, her throat closed off, her eyes puffy and red.

“It’s all right, he is just a boy. I don’t like boys either.” This made her chuckle lightly as she made out Freckle’s face in the dark of the shared sleeping chamber. Her eyes lit up in the dark like two stars in the sky.

“There. Much better. You are always so pretty when you smile.”

“Lulva?” Noora’s voice was rough when she spoke.

“Yes?”

“I’ll get us out of here, I promise.”

“I know you will.”

The girls drifted into a deep slumber, their limbs and souls intertwined.

Nikolai

He threw his cloak over his shoulders, hiding the golden curls of his hair under the hood. He packed a small satchel with everything he needed, knowing that the forest was a day’s ride from the palace. The cool winter would bite into his face, his gloved hands the only thing remaining warm.

Strapping the sword to his back he used the slab candle stick beside the stoned chimney. A few cracks sounded until the wall gave away and revealed a cobbled path to nothingness.

With a last glance at his chamber, he stepped into the corridor, the door squeaking again as it closed behind his frame.

Not daring to light a fire, Nikolai didn’t waste a second before walking down into the darkness. His shoes echoed around the space until the darkness swallowed the sound as if he was walking into a path of his damnation.

Three turns left, one right, and follow the curve until you see moonlight.

It took him approximately two minutes until he smelled the earth of his kingdom, a slight drizzle of rain touching his face like a long-lost lover, desperate to be in contact with any part of him.

The rain would slow him down but nothing could keep him from his mission now.

The barns were thankfully empty as he descended towards the wheat-coloured mare. Greeting her with a pat to the side, he saddled her quickly but precisely as she neighed lightly at him.

Bumping her head against his side, it felt like she was telling him that this idea of his was a rather stupid one.