Quickly, she changed and made herself look as though she had been asleep. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see the prince's knight standing there.

  "Sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but the prince wants to see you," the knight said.

  Jana, perplexed, responded, "The prince?"

  The knight didn't repeat himself. She sighed and said, "I will be there." She threw a shawl over her shoulders, gathered her hair, and followed the knight.

  As they walked through the palace corridors, Jana couldn't help but ask, "Do you know the reason I'm needed?"

  The knight smiled slightly and answered, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Remember, I told you I would inform him about your actions at the last ball."

  Jana nodded, a hint of sarcasm in her tone as she remarked, "Well, I guess he wants to repay me. And he couldn't have done it at a more decent hour?" she added with a fake yawn.

  The knight apologized, "He thought that if he did it in plain sight, it would only make everyone hate you more. He’s already aware of the rumors going around about you for being the princess’s maid. He didn’t want to make you more of a target."

  Jana sighed, "How thoughtful."

  The knight continued, "Besides, he’s just finished his work."

  Jana, surprised, asked, "This late?"

  The knight nodded. "Yes, he usually doesn’t have much time. The emperor doesn’t do much, and the prince has been taking care of most of the royal duties since he was young."

  Jana was taken aback by the prince's responsibilities and thought to herself, Handsome and responsible—a rare combination in the nobility of this era.

  They continued their conversation as they walked until they stood in front of the prince’s quarters. Once there, the knight opened the grand door and announced Jana's arrival. "Maid Agnes is here, Your Highness."

  The prince stood from his desk, a warm yet guarded smile on his face as he welcomed her. He guided her with a gesture to the sofas in his office. She sat down, and he followed, seating himself directly in front of her. With a quiet nod, he summoned another maid to serve them tea. Jana's eyes followed the maid's every movement, her mind racing with thoughts.

  Sensing her unease, the prince spoke softly, "Don't worry. She is trustworthy. Her tongue will be cut if any word of your presence here is leaked."

  Jana looked back at the prince, her expression neutral, as the maid delicately served her tea. The prince thanked the maid and dismissed her before turning his attention back to Jana, his gaze steady. "I wanted to personally thank you, Agnes," he said, his tone sincere. "What you did at the ball—saving me from a potentially dangerous situation—did not go unnoticed. I am grateful."

  Jana nodded slightly, her expression calm. "It was nothing, Your Highness. I simply did what any loyal servant would do."

  The prince smiled, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Loyalty like yours deserves recognition." He then presented her with a gold brooch. "Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude."

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  Jana hesitated, not wanting to accept such a gift, but the weight of the prince's expectations made it clear she couldn’t refuse. "Thank you, Your Highness," she said, taking the brooch with a small bow of her head.

  The prince hadn't summoned her just to express his gratitude. Though he had told his advisor he wouldn't look into her, his curiosity had only grown with each mention of her name. He decided it was time to satisfy that curiosity.

  "Agnes," he began, his tone casual but probing, "where are you from? Your name isn’t common in this kingdom, nor in Drakoria."

  Jana carefully placed her cup down on the table, adopting a neutral expression. "I’m from a faraway place, Your Highness. A kingdom most here have never heard of," she replied, her tone deliberately vague.

  The prince raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but not pressing too hard. "A faraway kingdom, you say? "

  Jana offered a small, noncommittal smile. "It’s a place with its own unique ways, Your Highness. But I’ve left it behind a long time ago."

  The prince nodded, though his curiosity was far from satisfied. "And your family? Do they know you’re here, serving in the palace?"

  Jana’s expression didn’t falter. "I’m an orphan, Your Highness. There’s no family to speak of."

  The prince’s gaze lingered on her, trying to read between the lines of her carefully measured responses. "I see, I'm sorry to hear that " he said slowly. "Orphaned and from a distant land... you must have quite the story."

  Jana offered a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Nothing special," she replied, her voice steady. "I passed from one orphanage to another through the years, and once I was of age, I was left to fend for myself on the streets. I lived honestly, trying to find work wherever I could. Eventually, I made my way into Drakorian territory, looking for jobs. It wasn’t until now that I had some luck and found a place in the palace."

  The prince hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much of his own thoughts. He didn’t intend for his questions to make her feel like she was being watched, but his curiosity got the better of him. After a brief pause, he asked, "And where did you learn how to read?"

  Jana, who had just taken a sip from her cup, froze for a moment, nearly choking on the tea. She quickly composed herself, setting the cup down gently. "How to read?" she echoed, stalling for time. "The princess must have mentioned it, I assume."

  She took a deep breath before continuing, her voice steady but with a hint of forced calm. "Once, I worked at a small village library. I never learned to write very well, but reading was essential. The owner... he was kind enough to take in an orphan as a worker. He even taught me how to read. I’ll be forever grateful to him, but... unfortunately, he was called to serve in the war by the Drakorians and lost his life."

  Her voice wavered slightly as she added, "His library... it was still standing, but after the fires..." Jana let her words trail off, her gaze meeting the prince's. She didn't dare finish the sentence, fully aware that it was his forces responsible for much of the destruction. The unfinished sentence hung in the air, serving as a perfect cover for her fabricated story, one that would be difficult, if not impossible, to dispute.

  The prince’s expression softened, guilt flickering in his eyes. "I'm truly sorry for what you've been through," he said quietly, though he avoided directly addressing the devastation caused by his own command.

  Jana offered a faint smile, knowing she had successfully diverted his suspicion for the time being. "Thank you, Your Highness. I've learned to survive, and I'm grateful for the chance to serve here."

  The prince nodded, clearly impressed by her resilience, but still unable to shake the feeling that there was more to her story than she was letting on and dismissed her.

  Sir Gareth insisted on accompanying her back to her quarters. Jana agreed, knowing it would be wise to maintain the appearance of a humble and grateful servant. As they walked through the dimly lit corridors, Sir Gareth continued to ask her questions, though his tone had softened, becoming friendlier.

  Once they reached her room, Jana, still in character as Agnes, thanked him with a warm smile. "Thank you for accompanying me, Sir Gareth... please, wait here for a moment."

  She disappeared into her room briefly, returning with a small package of cookies wrapped in a simple cloth. " This isn’t much, but I’d like you to have them as a token of my gratitude."

  The knight, surprised by the gesture, hesitated for a moment before accepting the gift. "Thank you, Maid Agnes. This is very kind of you."

  Jana nodded with a modest smile. "Goodnight, Sir Gareth."

  "Goodnight, Maid Agnes," he replied, watching as she slowly closed the door behind her. He lingered for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the door, before finally turning to leave.

  As he walked down the hallway, Sir Gareth opened the small package and took a bite of one of the cookies. A smile spread across his face, a rare moment of warmth breaking through his usual stoic demeanor.

  In the middle of the ocean, on the ship's deck, a black slave was being tortured by the captain in front of the entire crew. The men gathered around, delighting in the brutal spectacle, their cheers and jeers echoing across the waters. The only one who seemed disturbed by the barbarity was the young man with dark hair, his expression one of discomfort amidst the cruelty.

  The captain, grinning with sadistic pleasure, leaned in close to the bloodied and bruised slave who could barely stand. "I'd love to end your life with my own hands," the captain sneered, "but you're not worthy of such a privilege."

  The slave, barely able to keep his footing, wavered as the captain barked orders to a nearby crew member. "Bring the rope!" he shouted. The order was met with swift action, and the crew dragged the slave across the deck, his body leaving a trail of blood on the wooden planks. As they neared the edge of the ship, the captain squatted beside the slave, grabbing his head by the hair.

  "This is for following that whore " he whispered harshly. "I hope she taught you how to swim." With a final shove, the captain pushed the slave over the railing, sending him plunging into the cold, dark waters below.

  The crew erupted in laughter, raising their beer cups in a twisted celebration as the slave disappeared beneath the waves. The young man with dark hair turned away, his stomach churning at the sight, but the others paid no mind, lost in their cruel revelry.