As dark as the night was, the moon shone brighter, illuminating the field behind the elder's barn so that Joslyn could run at full speed to the apothecary's garden. Her heart raced, not knowing whether the elder would realise the crime she had committed when his family awoke from their deep slumber. Part of her didn't care. She needed this, a night of freedom. A night that she didn't have answer to their beck and call. A night she didn't have to stay trapped in her wooden prison.

Joslyn didn't have time to adjust her appearance. She ran out with her coarse brown hair in the messy bun it had been in all day with stray strands of frizz going every which way. A smear of dirt graced her forehead at some point, but no one bothered to tell her about it, or perhaps no one bothered to notice. The lower half of her face was hidden behind a thin cloth mask to hide her scars. Her old, faded long-sleeved dress caught on dry twigs as she ran. She would have to mend it in the morning lest she explain the damage. Not tonight though. Tonight she had other plans.

As soon as she turned around the bend she saw Elle standing in the middle of the garden, staring up at the moon. Of course the moonlight only further accentuated Elle's natural beauty. Her ivory skin seemed to glow in the low light. Her face was framed perfectly by her inky shoulder-length locks of hair, which was never out of place, not in all the days Joslyn had seen her. It was as if she had stepped out of a painting. Or perhaps Joslyn had crossed the boundary into a painted world. That certainly would have explained the breathtaking scene. The only thing out of place was Joslyn herself.

Elle, not much older than Joslyn, had shown up only two weeks prior in the cursed village of Hawthorne. Yet in that time she had become Joslyn's one and only friend. No one else had treated her like a normal human being, at least not since her parents died – the day her face and body were scarred – the day the villagers decided she was no longer worth looking upon. That was what made Elle so unique to Joslyn. She refused to ignore the quiet servant at the house on top of the hill. Not only did Elle greet Joslyn each day, she also stayed and talked to her when no one else would. At Elle's behest, Joslyn opened up. To Joslyn's surprise, Elle not only listened to her gripes, she gave words of comfort. Hence when Elle encouraged Joslyn to add a sleeping aid to her master's dinner and take a night off, Joslyn, with her new found confidence, obliged. Consequences be damned.

"It's about time you showed!" Elle remarked and turned towards Joslyn, who stood catching her breath. "I was worried you had chickened out."

"No, I did it. It worked just as you said it would," Joslyn smiled.

"I knew it would," Elle beamed.

"Oh Elle, I'm going to be in so much trouble in the morning," Joslyn grimaced, a sick grew in the pit of her stomach.

"You only sprinkled it onto their dinners, right?" Elle frowned out of concern.

"Yes," Joslyn responded less than confidently. "A sprinkle isn't very concise is it though?"

Elle laughed and walked over to Joslyn, "We'll worry about that later. For now, the night is fresh! Let's have some fun!" Elle paused suddenly and took a step back. "They had you in the stable this afternoon?"

"Yes, why?" Joslyn questioned.

"You smell like the backside of an old mare," Elle laughed. "I know, let's go down to the lake and freshen you up!"

"To the lake?" Joslyn hesitated. "I don't know if I can go that far."

"The eastern shore is still within the village's boundaries," Elle insisted. "Well, there's no harm in at least trying, is there?"

"If I cross the border," Joslyn began.

"You will receive a shock, correct?" Elle frowned. "I would really like to give your elder a piece of my mind. Using an enchantment intended for livestock on people is absolutely uncalled for."

Joslyn shook her head and spoke softly, "I owe him my life."

"Horse shit," Elle cursed.

Joslyn looked up at Elle in shock of the abrasive language from the otherwise eloquent mouth.

"Josie, I don't know what happened, but I can tell without a doubt that this village has convinced you into believing you are some sort of monster. Speaking of, don't cover your face when you're with me," Elle reached for Joslyn's cloth mask and pulled it down, revealing the deep, pitted scars across Joslyn's cheeks and chin.

Joslyn pulled away, "But it is grotesque."

"What is grotesque is the people who made you believe that," Elle snapped. "I detest all masks. There is nothing wrong with your face. All I see is a woman who learnt the hard way how to appreciate all that is good. You are far more beautiful than anyone else in this forsaken village."

"Elle," Joslyn began to tear up. How could the most beautiful woman in all of Pyrmont call a face like hers beautiful?

"Now come on, let's go for a swim!" Joslyn grinned.

***

Joslyn came back to her senses by the impact of yet another rock to her face. She squinted in the afternoon sun and saw the baker's son and his friends pointing and laughing at her as she had no choice but to endure it while her body was immobilised in the stocks. The memories of the night before seemed so far away now. How could it be only one day? She licked her chapped lips, tasting the dried blood upon them. Her bruised and swollen eye stung. She just wanted to close her eyes again and never open them again. As tired as she was from the frivolities the night before, the stocks ensured she would not be able to rest.

"Are you ready to come clean now?" she heard the village elder, Eduardo Torres sneer behind her.

"I told you I don't know what happened," Joslyn strained.

"I'll tell you what happened. You drugged me and my family, snuck out of the home, went with Elle to the tavern, got well intoxicated, attacked her in her room, killed her, whether by accident or by intent, and hid her body somewhere in the forest," Eduardo surmised. "You just couldn't keep your jealousy in check, could you?"

Jealousy? Was that the emotion Joslyn felt when she looked upon Elle? She hadn't thought so. At any rate, Eduardo had the events completely wrong. However, the other villagers heard the commotion and started to gather again.

"That's not what happened!" Joslyn sobbed.

"No? Half the village saw your ugly face at the tavern last night! Uncovered no less! Whatever gave you the idea that you could unveil that monstrosity? I should have you executed for that misdemeanour alone!" Eduardo chuckled. "I should never have let my wife convince me to take you into our home. We gave you food and a bed when no one else would and you return the favour with this!"

"I didn't kill her!" Joslyn's voice cracked. "She was alive and well when we parted!"

"Oh? You saw the state of her room. Does that seem alive and well to you?" Eduardo pushed. "You were the last one seen with her!"

"I don't know what happened!" Joslyn cried.

Despite her current situation, Joslyn was wracked with fear that something had befallen Elle. Indeed, she had seen the state of her room that morning. Eduardo and the tavern keeper, Frederick burst into Joslyn's room, not even allowing her time to change out of her nightgown, and dragged her into the village center, demanding to know where Elle was. They took her to the scene of the crime at the inn. Elle's room was absolutely destroyed. Furniture upturned, wall mirror shattered across the floor, and linen torn to shreds. Then there were the blood splatters. There was no way Elle was uninjured. Joslyn wasn't even sure she was alive. As far as the villagers were concerned, they already had their culprit. They didn't bother to look any further.

"Where is Elle!?" Eduardo demanded.

Before Joslyn could respond, there was a murmur in the crowd. She looked up and saw an affluent man dressed in the finest ruby robes dividing the crowd as he walked towards the stocks. With each step of his foot, the ground seemed to tremble, but Joslyn decided it was just her pulse pounding around her swollen eye. He was no doubt from the capital, but for the life of Joslyn, she couldn't work out why he was there. He was a pristine figure of perfection on a backdrop of dirt and grit. The juxtaposition between the two made him stand out so much that Joslyn swore he was glowing.

"Who are you?" Eduardo questioned.

"I am Reginald Laurence Aerden," the man answered simply. "You are this village's elder?"

"I am," Eduardo responded confidently. "Eduardo Torres. What is your business here?"

"I am looking for my sister. I believe Estella has taken up residence in your fair village," Aerden responded plainly.

"Estella?" Eduardo raised his eyebrow in confusion. "You mean Elle?"

As if the situation couldn't be worse, Joslyn closed her eyes in fear of this man's reaction to the news that his sister has gone missing in such a concerning set of circumstances.

"I am afraid that your sister has been attacked this morning, sir, and this vermin is responsible," Eduardo explained.

"This woman?" Aerden asked with disbelief.

Joslyn opened her eyes again and looked up at the man again, this time more closely. His resemblance to Elle was uncanny, especially considering Elle's ethereal beauty. His face was just as perfect only with masculine features, giving him a princely appearance. His inky black hair fell perfectly past his ears and not a single strand was out of place. He certainly did not look like someone who just travelled a distance to the village, not unless he had his own personal beautician accompanying him.

When his piercing green eyes met Joslyn's, her heart skipped a beat. They saw right through her, seeing her all for who she was. She felt so exposed and vulnerable under his gaze, so much so that she had to avert her eyes. An involuntary gasp left her lips as the invisible pressure of his stare bore down on her body until suddenly it stopped. Glancing up, she noticed he had turned his attention back to Eduardo. Was it her imagination or did he judge the very weight of her soul, grain by grain with just a look?

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"She couldn't hurt a fly," Aerden declared.

"Aye, she snuck out well past curfew, after that is she drugged me and my family, went to the tavern with your sister, got her drunk, went back to her room for heavens know what, then attacked her. Elle must've rejected her advances and that's what set this monster off. Hid her body in the woods so no one could find it," Eduardo insisted.

"She isn't capable of such," Aerden waved off, then gazed back at Joslyn, this time with less intensity, "Tell me, miss, did you spend time with my sister?"

Joslyn nodded weakly, "I didn't hurt her though! She was alive and well when I last saw her!"

"You shouldn't underestimate Joslyn's propensity towards evil. She lies all the time," Eduardo shook his head. "The investigation is closed. We are giving her one last chance to confess her sins."

"Before?" Aerden frowned.

"Before she goes to the heavens to receive her final judgement," Eduardo grinned with a sparkle in his eye, glancing down at Joslyn. "Death by fire will be a fitting end. You already escaped death once. You will not escape the fire again."

Joslyn trembled uncontrollably. Memories of watching her mother burn alive flooded her consciousness. Her screams echoed in her head as clear as the night they happened. Her scars ached painfully in remembrance. Aerden's voice pulled her back out of her internal hell.

"I knew this was a back water village, but to think you would actually burn an innocent woman," Aerden pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Excuse me?" Eduardo did a double take, not believing that the man the gall to insult the village so brazenly in front of everyone.

"Under the authority granted to me by King Josef III, I am taking over this so-called 'trial'. There will be no execution without my say-so," Aerden declared. "Remove Joslyn from the stocks at once. She is a key witness and is to be treated as such."

While Joslyn stared in shock, a loud commotion overtook the crowd. Tears pooled in Joslyn's eyes. She didn't know the man that stood in front of her, but she swore he was sent by the heavens to save her. She heard voices yell out to burn the monster. Not a single voice was grateful for her release. She started to fear that his declaration would be rejected. Of course, she had been too optimistic again.

"Under what authority!?" Eduardo snapped. "Show me your credentials!"

Aerden shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket beneath his robes. While his robe was pulled aside, a white mask attached to his belt caught her attention. Despite the brief glimpse, she noted it resembled an animal skull, but she could not determine which. The robe dropped back into position as Aerden unfolded the paper. With a broad gesture, he presented the paper to Eduardo. Joslyn could not see it well from her position, but she saw a red wax seal that was undoubtedly the King's seal.

"Let me reintroduce myself," Aerden smirked. "I am Sir Reginald Laurence Aerden, His Majesty's Grand Mage here on personal business. As the entire kingdom falls within jurisdiction, I am granted the right to assume authority over this village should I determine the village's governance to be... inadequate."

The elder snatched the paper out of Aerden's hand and read it over at least three times. Joslyn could hear his blood boil even at a distance. She wondered if his head might explode.

"Let me remind you that you do not want to cross me," Aerden idly threatened the elder. "Any resistance will be dealt with swift action."

"So be it. Release Joslyn," Eduardo gritted his teeth as he gave the order to Frederick. He tossed the paper spitefully back at Aerden.

Frederick stepped forwards hesitantly and unlocked the metal clasp holding the wooden plank down. Slowly, he lifted the plank up, releasing Joslyn's wrists, half-expecting Eduardo to change his mind on the situation in an act of defiance. Even though she was free, Joslyn nervously stood upright again as the tension in the air was thicker than butter. Her muscles ached and threatened to cramp from being held in the stocks all day, but she bit her lip to distract herself from the pain. A gentle breeze reminded her of how little she wore. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she tried to cover herself as best as she could.

"You're making a mistake! She drugged me and my family!" Eduardo reiterated.

"You're still standing here so she must not have done it very well," Aerden mused. "Show me the scene of the crime. Joslyn, if you would, please join us."

Eduardo shook his head angrily. In all her years, Joslyn had never seen him so furious. Reluctantly, Eduardo led the way back to the inn to Elle's ground floor accommodation. Aerden gestured for Joslyn to follow first, then turned back to Frederick and shot him a glare to encourage him to keep his distance. As Joslyn stepped in front of Aerden, she became aware of how much taller he was than her. She wasn't by any means short, but he towered over her with at least a head's height in difference. She could feel his intense gaze on her back, which caused the small hairs on her neck to stand on end. There was something about him that felt familiar though. Like with Elle, she felt no disgust for her appearance. Like with Elle, she felt human in his eyes. It was a small yet significant detail for Joslyn when she spent most of her life receiving nothing but malice from the villagers as soon as they laid eyes upon her.

The outside of the two-story wooden inn was untouched. Even as they approached Elle's room, there was nothing to suggest any crime had occurred within its walls. Eduardo unlocked Elle's room door and stepped aside for Aerden to see. The door swung open, revealing the room in the same gruesome state that they had left it in. Joslyn looked away, unable to look at the blood that sprayed the walls and bed. Aerden cautiously stepped in and slowly walked around, taking in the entire room. He dodged the broken glass, fallen furniture and blood spills. On the far side of the bed, he leant down and had a closer look at one of the blood splatters, examining it closely with his eyes. As he glanced around, a long, dark, indigo feather caught his eye under the bed skirt. He reached over and picked it up, slipping it into his pocket in his robe before Eduardo took notice.

"Half the village saw Joslyn leaving the tavern with your sister last night," Eduardo reiterated. "It doesn't take a genius to deduce what happened here."

Joslyn knew he was right. There was just too much blood and destruction to say for certain Elle was alive. Even she had to admit the evidence was damning against her. If it had been someone else, she too would've thought they were guilty of bringing harm to Elle. Surely now Aerden had his own doubts of her innocence.

Aerden stood upright again and shook his head, "As you can see, my sister is a force to be reckoned with. There is no plausible way that Miss Joslyn could ever overtake her in close quarters. However, while you have been holding your little witch trial, the people who have my sister have been getting away. I must leave at once before their trail grows cold."

"And what if she played a part in your sister's abduction? You would have a criminal walk free in our village?" Eduardo raised his eyebrow curiously. "Our village is small, we have no jail to keep her. Surely you understand the stocks are our only option."

Aerden glanced over at Eduardo, then at Joslyn. He couldn't shake the feeling that execution still wasn't off the cards, especially with him away. "As Miss Joslyn shares a vested interest in my sister's wellbeing, she will join me in the search for my sister as I am unfamiliar with the area. If it turns out she is indeed involved in my sister's abduction, then I will deal with her accordingly at that time."

"But I can't leave the village," Joslyn spoke up.

Confused, Aerden tilted his head to the side, "Why not?"

Joslyn lifted her nightgown to reveal the metal anklet on her left leg. Aerden audibly sneered at the sight of it, while Eduardo avoided his gaze. Eduardo knew what he had done to her wouldn't be deemed acceptable by an outsider's eyes.

"Slavery is banned in all of Pyrmont!" Aerden snapped.

"She was prone to running from her duties!" Eduardo defended.

"As if that justifies you treating her like cattle!" Aerden stomped over furiously. With one wave of his hand, the anklet unclasped and fell to the floor.

"She will run as soon as she gets a chance!" Eduardo warned.

"You think as His Majesty's Grand Mage that anyone can escape me!?" Aerden roared, his face turning red. Joslyn swore she saw fire in his eyes. "Miss Joslyn, prepare yourself for travel. We leave at once."

"Y-yes, sir," Joslyn stepped away hesitantly, waiting to see if there was any objection, then walked away hastily back towards Eduardo's house.

"You will return her?" Eduardo asked sheepishly once Joslyn was out of sight.

"Will I return her?" Aerden laughed mockingly. "Who in their right mind would want to return to this heaven-forsaken village!?"

"She still has a debt to pay off," Eduardo restrained himself.

"It wasn't long ago you were trying to kill her," Aerden pointed out. "Which is it?"

"Well, I mean if it truly is a misunderstanding, then there's no reason why she can't continue to work off her debt," Eduardo shrugged.

"A misunderstanding?" Aerden narrowed his eyes and glared at Eduardo.

Eduardo faltered under the mage's gaze, "She owes me."

"Not anymore, she doesn't. I rather think her debt has been cleared," Aerden intentionally shoved his shoulder into Eduardo as he pushed past him exiting the room.

"She can't survive on her own!" Eduardo insisted.

"Have you given her a chance?" Aerden called back. "She might surprise you!"

"No one will take a mangled mutt!" Eduardo yelled.

Aerden snapped back around, fighting the urge to unleash on the elder, but under the purview of the entire village, he resisted taking any action that would land him in hot water with the king. "What Miss Joslyn decides to do once I have cleared her of any involvement is up to her. But she is under no obligation to ever return to this village. You may find yourself another servant. Take heed though, should I return, I won't be as forgiving. Right now your only saving grace is that I have more urgent matters to tend to."

Aerden knew he didn't have the approval of the other villagers, but he didn't care. As concerned as he was for Elle, he still debated flooding village before he left. Maybe once he washed away the filth, something new and of more use to the kingdom could grow in its place. He wondered if he could ever convince King Josef to see it as a favour.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting," Joslyn called out as she ran to Aerden, breaking his train of thought.

Aerden eyed up the rags Joslyn thought of as travel clothes. They were hardly heavy enough to keep her warm on a chilly night, but he didn't have any more time to waste. "It will have to do," he muttered to himself.

He glanced up at the thin mask covering Joslyn's face, hiding her scars from view. He inaudibly hissed at the sight of it. Then he noticed her swollen eye. Aside from washing her face with a splash of water, she had done nothing to care for it. He made a note of tending to it if he had time later.

Aerden pulled the indigo feather out from his robe and placed it on his left palm. With a spin of his right hand in the air above, the feather rose slowly and rotated towards the south. The air below the feather on glowed softly.

Joslyn leant over slightly to check and confirm that there wasn't anything underneath the feather that held it up. No, it is actually floating in the air, she thought. Even though she confirmed it with her own eyes, she still could not believe it.

"Show me the road to the south," Aerden instructed her.

"Oh, um, this way," Joslyn gestured. "But, your horse sir?"

"What horse?" he questioned.

"Have you no horse?" she asked meekly.

"Heavens no!" he laughed. "We travel by foot. Come on."

"Huh? O-ok," Joslyn shook her head and marched on towards the south exit.

What felt like the entire village watched the two walk away, staring daggers into their backs. With every step, Joslyn felt guiltier and guiltier. She looked over her shoulder and saw Eduardo glaring at them. Part of her wanted to run back and beg for forgiveness, it wasn't her idea to leave. Maybe if she went back now, he would see her loyalty and not raise a hand to her. Maybe the punishment would not be so severe.

"You don't owe them anything," Aerden spoke up suddenly, pulling her out of her fog of thoughts.

"You don't understand, I do! What my father did... I must work off his debt," she insisted.

"Is that the story they've fed you?" he sighed. "All slavers are the same."

"I don't understand," she turned to him confused.

"How many years have you been 'working' for the elder?" he questioned.

"Um, since the fire, I guess. Twelve years?" Joslyn shrugged.

"And how much debt have you worked off thus far?" he continued.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Exactly. Your repayment has no end as far as he's concerned," Aerden explained. "He has no claim over you, Miss Joslyn. He never did."

"He gave me food and shelter when I had none," Joslyn defended.

"Giving a person in need simple basics does not require repayment nor does it imply servitude," he argued. "He took advantage of your situation."

Joslyn paused at the village border, not sure whether she should press on or not, "Why do you ask me to go with you? I will only slow you down."

"I can see you are a friend of Elle's," Aerden explained. "And I don't know these parts."

"I've never left the village," Joslyn pointed out. "Well not since... I am hardly a reliable guide."

Aerden sighed, "My sister would give me an earful if I let you be unfairly punished for crimes you did not commit. At least if you are with me they won't dare lay a finger on you."

"I did drug the elder and his family," she confessed and winced, expecting scorn.

"With what?" Aerden raised his eyebrow.

"Lavender and valerian root," Joslyn lowered her gaze.

Aerden burst out laughing, "And I suppose that was my sister's idea."

"It was," she admitted out of shock.

"Hmm, better I punish you for giving the elder and his family a decent night's sleep then," he mused.

"It's not funny," she frowned.

"Come, Miss Joslyn," Aerden continued walking. "You will be far better entertainment for this trip than I had expected."