Emily read the clandestine letter multiple times; her heart was bursting in her chest. She found herself torn between her desire and her good judgment. She yearned for him too, she longed for his touch and his earnest heart. Despite that, she could not give in or endorse Lord Arthur's provocations. No affair in the world was worth the risk of execution. Moreover, Arthur belonged to someone else, someone he willingly swore to love and serve for the rest of his life. Emily was about to burn the letter when Jenna stepped in the room, making her flinch and drop the candle.

–Be careful, girl! You are going to burn down our last decent desk.

–I'm sorry, I was just cleaning out my documents and…

–Judging by the look on your face, I assume that is not a letter from your former sisters.

Emily sighed in defeat. She certainly could not fool Jenna so easily. She had a keen eye for detail and natural astuteness. She probably had more experience keeping secrets than anyone else in the dorm.

–Alright, you got me. I was about to burn a love letter. A secret admirer left it in my mail last night.

Jenna unveiled her wide, radiant smile once more. She rapidly fell on the bed; her gaze was beaming with curiosity as she whispered.

–A secret admirer? Emily, that is so sweet.... And impassioned. Any clues about her possible identity? Does she work here? Or does she live in the village down the road?

–She? Oh, no…

Emily's cheeks flushed so brightly Jenna immediately let out a gasp.

–He? He is a man!

–I don't know! I have no idea who she or he is, and I don't care either. I am not interested.

Jenna laughed spontaneously, unbothered by Emily's nervousness.

–Please, do not be embarrassed, sister. Whether you decide to respond or not is completely up to you. Your secret is safe with me anyway.

–Thank you, Jenna.

–If it makes you feel any better, I've written a couple of those myself. Everyone needs a little romance in their lives, right? Still, I care about you, and I need to warn you: do not fall for men's flirtation and allurement. The majority of them use maidens to experiment in bed, some of them even pay for it, just to leave them exposed and dishonored for life. For instance, a few years ago, one of the girls on our staff started a secret affair with a farmer. When Lord Leandre found out she was with child, she was immediately arrested and deemed a wicked woman, despite being one of the most upright people we had ever met.

Emily swallowed hard, assimilating the gravity of the scenario.

–What happened to her and her child?

–I do not know for certain. I heard she was publicly shamed and sentenced to a prison camp. She gave birth to a girl, so the child was later sent to a community orphanage, like every other female in Rosetta. The farmer, on the other hand… He may have faced backlash for his deeds. He was flogged and forced to pay Lord Leandre a juicy sum of money. But he remains a free man up to this day. He moved on with his life, he got married… All he had to do to save his head was bribe the religious council and blame the maiden for her lewd temptations.

–Son of a bitch.

–Exactly. She risked herself and lost everything for a man who did not care about her. The moral of the story is: us women do not have the privilege to make mistakes, nor to pursue our deepest desires and come out unharmed. We need to be very careful, especially when it comes to men.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Jenna's advice was devastating, but necessary. It helped Emily reassert her resolution. She had to address Lord Arthur and firmly ask him to stay away from her, no matter how hard it may seem for both.

*

The next day, Emily sneaked out of her bedchamber at the brink of midnight. The dorms were dark and completely empty, since all the maidens were already asleep. Jenna was also deep in slumber. However, if, for any reason, she noticed Emily's absence, she could simply tell her she had made a short trip to the outdoor latrines.

Emily put on a coat and headed to the back of the building. The pond was not that far off from the maiden's garden. She could even take the short-cut through the glade. The road was so dark she could barely watch her step, although that was beneficial somehow. Maidens were allowed to walk around the property. Nevertheless, if someone saw her wandering alone in the middle of the night, it would definitely arouse suspicion. She made sure there were not any sentinels guarding the forest before rushing to the pond's quiet shed. Lord Arthur was already expecting her, sitting behind the rusty shelves. Emily could not discern him clearly in the gloom. Yet, she caught a glimpse of a smile on his handsome face.

–Emily, you really came.

–I did, Sir; I shouldn't have, though. Don't you think Lord Leandre will wonder where you are?

–He knows I suffer from insomnia.

He tried to reach for her hand, but Emily recoiled. She had to make things as quick as possible to avoid any unnecessary temptations. After all, she was as hungry for his touch as the very first time they kissed.

–Listen well, Lord Arthur. I know you were frank about your… inclinations. But I need to put an end to this.

–I thought you wanted me too.

–Of course I want you; I think that is clear enough. But you are being reckless and irresponsible. What happens if we get caught?

-You have your powerful husband to save you from jail. I have nothing.

–You are right, my powerful husband would not send me to jail… He would execute me.

–Well, you love that man. You chose to share your life with him.

–I do not love him, not anymore. When we first met, I was too young to realize the type of person he was. When he showed his true colors I decided to cancel our wedding plans, but then he threatened to…

–Stop. I'm not here to hear about your relationship. You love that entitled piece of shit, Arthur. You were drinking and crying your eyes out for him just the other night. You are confused, I understand, but you need to come to your senses. We must stay away from each other henceforth. Please, do not talk to me or send me a letter ever again. If you truly care about me, promise me that.

Her harsh tone finally made Lord Arthur back down and nod, disappointed.

–I give you my word, Emily. I am sorry, and I wish you well. Thank you for coming.

Emily fought the urge to kiss him goodbye. She knew intuitively that both were slaves of providence, slaves of their circumstances. Unfortunately, she was the one who could lose the most.

–Good luck, Arthur. Perhaps in another lifetime…

*

The next days were particularly hard for Emily. Her wretched heart recreated her last conversation with Lord Arthur over and over again. She did not regret her decision, though she lamented being denied the right to love and dream beyond society's stigmas. At least she heard Arthur was doing better. According to the maids, Lord Leandre was trying hard to make up for his infidelity. He did the most to grovel and keep his his husband happy. He bought him a sumptuous new carriage, plenty of fine horses, and entire workshops in the center of the realm. Emily knew Lord Leandre's greed and hunger for power was unmatched. She had heard him numerous times in his study complaining about the royal family's mismanagement of certain plots of land. He was always planning strategies to allocate more resources to the religious council's fund, which sometimes evolved into his private investments. Lord Arthur was probably well aware of his practices, and Emily wondered if he shared his ambitions. She had no idea what it meant or how it felt to own anything, not even her own body; she simply knew men were consistently losing their souls and their lives in the name of possessing.

Later that week, when the first massive pilgrimage to the religious headquarters was about to take place, she was requested to arrange her sisters' holy offerings. They usually consisted of flowers, fruits, or white squabs that were slaughtered in the altar. Men, on the other hand, were expected to contribute to the temple with donations, including cattle and gold. Emily was almost done preparing the cart when the housekeeper requested her presence back in the dorm. Her knees flattered once she stepped in the room and recognized the fateful golden scepter in her palm.

–Emily Ratzer? Come here, please... As you already know, Winter's Moon Festival is the most important one of the year. According to holy tradition, it is also the perfect time for a married couple to conceive their first child…

Emily turned pale beforehand.

–Congratulations, fair maiden. Lord Leandre himself has chosen you to bear his firstborn. Praise the gods!