Dani was going crazy, there was no other explanation. That nobleman had wanted to break her, he must have succeeded. She hadn’t thought she would break so much that she heard Wulfram’s voice though, or felt his hands lifting her, forcing her to run through the agony and exhaustion. Or felt his magic fill her, spilling out of her skin in agonizing light that wanted to burn her from the inside out.

“Doesn’t make sense.” She heard herself whisper from somewhere far away.

“What doesn’t make sense?” A calm female voice said from equally far away.

Was she dead? She felt like she was floating, and it was quiet except for that stranger’s voice, and the song of birds? Yes, she could hear birds. Did Quietus like birds? They had never said anything about her liking birds the few times her priestesses and priests had come to the Rats Nest.

Dani let out a weary sigh, letting herself sink further into the cloud she was floating in. “Wulfram.”

“Well, I’ll admit he often doesn’t, but why this time?” A touch of amusement entered the stranger’s voice. Something cool touched Dani’s face, and she flinched, her eyes peeling open.

Stars. The ceiling was covered in stars that glowed a gentle white against a dark, velvety blue sky. Dani stared at them as they twinkled down at her, each glowstone carefully cut and inserted into the ceiling. She could almost see the lines of magic that connected them, but maybe it was just her imagination. It seemed to want to make things up lately.

A gentle hand settled a damp cloth along her forehead, and Dani followed it to the one who had spoken before. An older woman wearing a beautifully embroidered robe in royal silver with stormy blue flowers. She smiled, laugh lines crinkling on the corners of her eyes. “Good evening Daniella.”

“Queen Mirabel?” Dani’s voice came out as a hoarse whisper that made her throat feel like fire.

“Just Mirabel, please. There’s no sense wasting words when it’s just the two of us.” Mirabel picked up glass that was half full of a slightly honeyed color milk. “Drink some of this, it will help.”

Dani leaned up, surprised how difficult it was. But she sipped at the warm, sweetened milk. Almost immediately, her throat felt better, the pain fading to a level she could ignore. She laid back in the bed, looking around the oddly familiar room. Large glass doors were open to a cozy garden full of wildflowers, and the cool evening air toyed with the curtains gently. She was in an enormous bed, the sheets soft as the finest linen against her skin. It was different, but she wouldn’t forget that beautiful garden, or the luxurious feel of the bed. This was the room Wulfram had shown her at the palace, the one that was supposed to be hers.

“How- how did I get here?” She didn’t remember coming here, she had went underground! To the little room with it’s small hot spring. She had barely fit through the crevices, there was no way that man would have gotten through. And she barely remembered that trip. What she remembered of it made little sense.

“My guards brought you here. You were in a rather bad way.” Mirabel reached over, adjusting the cool cloth on her head. Her smile faded as she spoke, her forehead wrinkling. “Your body was overloaded with magic, my sons magic, oddly enough. And then there were the cuts and bruises, what happened my dear?”

Dani didn’t want to remember what had happened, but she could hardly forget. “There was- I was-” She took in a shaky breath, and closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill out at the mere thought of the experience. “My family, I need to keep them safe.”

“A very honorable goal. Tell me where to find them and I will send my guards to bring them here.” Mirabel gently clasped one of Dani’s hands, the worry painfully obvious on her face.

But it had been a nobleman that had hurt her. What if her family had gotten away, only for her to send trouble to them again? But no, that man had known where to find her family already. Mirabel didn’t know. Could she trust the woman? She thought maybe she could trust Wulfram, and she was his mother.

“It was a nobleman.” She blurted out, and immediately regretted it. She glanced fervently to the door, as if he might appear at any moment. If he was a noble, he had likely been to the palace. And she knew she had seen him before.

Mirabel stiffened, her face freezing in shock. “A nobleman did this to you? What did he look like? No, never mind dear. Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll find him and punish him for this, but first let’s see your family safe. And you healthy again. I’ll have the Captain of the Guard come speak with you tomorrow, and my own guards will watch over you tonight.”

“I’ll be fine, I just need to get home.” If she got home and everything was right, then she could rest. Dani forced herself to sit up, sweat beading on her forehead from the effort. It was more than just the wounds, it was a deep ache inside of her, like an old burn wound.

“Tell me where home is and I will ensure your family is safe. But dear child, you almost died!” Mirabel pushed her back down. Her touch was gentle, she put barely any force behind it, but that was all it took for Dani to lay back down again. Which was almost as infuriating as being told what to do.

She had almost died? Well, she knew it would happen eventually, especially if she kept stealing. But she hadn’t expected it when she was trying to do honest work! Trying to help people even! She clenched her hands into fists, anger warring with fear as she thought of the mans threats. He was going after her family, she had to get them somewhere safe, or warn them. Something! Anything. “Mrs. Haversaun, she knows where they are, ask her to take them there.” She hoped that Mrs. Haversaun wouldn’t mind, and that she would actually take them to her family. How could she prove that it was alright to take the guards to them?

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Her chatelaine! It had belonged to Therija’s mother, if anything would convince them it was that. She reached for it on her waist, only to realize that she wasn’t wearing it. She wasn’t even wearing her dress, but some heavenly soft nightgown over her bandages. “My chatelaine, if they show her my chatelaine she’ll know I sent you.”

But where was it? She looked around, her stomach tightening in knots. What if she had lost it? What if that nobleman had it now? It was Najia’s! There was no way to replace it.

“It’s right here dear. Lay back down.” Mirabel pulled open a drawer in the table next to her bed, pulling out the precious object. It was still as tarnished as ever, and there was another piece missing from it. But it was there! Dani sagged back in her bed, relief flooding through her.

“Thank the gods.” She whispered. “Just bring it to Mrs. Haversaun, she’ll recognize it. She’ll take you to them. Or the guards, whatever.” It was ridiculous to think the queen would go herself. Dani was only a lady in name, and it was dangerous in the Rat’s Nest. Hell, the guards probably wouldn’t have a great time either, but it couldn’t be helped. She had to get her family to safety.

“I’ll send someone now, don’t get up.” Mirabel stood, gliding to the door with chatelaine in hand.

Don’t get up? Dani snorted softly. She wasn’t just going to lay in this bed like some kind of cripple! As soon as the door closed behind Mirabel, she sat up, wincing at the pain it sent through her body. None of the wounds by themselves were life threatening, not with medical treatment, but they all hurt like hell. What she wouldn’t do for a bottle of whiskey right now....

She shook her head and pushed the covers away. When she saw herself, she let out a weak laugh. It seemed like she was more bandage than skin right now, and even what skin she could see was an angry red, as if she had spent too much time out in the sun. Dani swung her legs off the side of the bed, trying to remember what exactly had happened after she had been taken.

There had been pain, a wickedly sharp dagger and a man that knew how and where to cut to inflict the most pain. They hadn’t stopped with just cuts, she had more than her fair share of bruises, but they weren’t nearly as bad as she had expected. But how had she gotten burnt? They hadn’t used fire on her, although the idea sent a shiver of terror down her spine. There were many gruesome tales of torture in the Rats Nest, it wouldn’t surprise her if some were true.

But that wasn’t what had happened. Had she passed out in the sun?

No, she had a vague memory of the secret grotto her and Therija had found when they were little, with it’s little waterfall and warm pool. But she also remembered hearing Wulfram’s voice.

Had he called her sweetheart?

She had to have been imagining things. Dani shook her head at her own foolishness, the prince wanted little to do with her, he was working to get this whole magical marriage nonsense undone, why would he call her sweetheart? “Really Dani, you must have lost your mind for a bit there.”

She stared at her feet, curling her nails into the bedcovers as bile rose in her throat and tears gathered in her eyes. She had called herself street rat. It was a small thing, but it was the principle of it, the way the nobleman had used it, like a slur. Like she was less than human somehow. And there had been nothing she could do to fight back. They had outnumbered her! Every last man in that room had been bigger and stronger than her, and who knew how many guards had been outside the room if she had tried to escape.

But she should have tried harder.

She clenched her jaw and hopped out of the bed, nearly blacking out from the pain that shot up through her feet. How the hell had she burned the bottom of her feet?! Dani dropped to the cool wooden floor, letting out a stream of curses that showed exactly the kind of upbringing she had had.

The door burst open, a guard and maid rushing in. The maid reached her first, kneeling down with a look of concern on her face. “M’lady, you shouldn’t be trying to stand!”

“I’m fine.” Dani grit her teeth and grabbed the edge of the bed, forcing herself to her feet. She was not weak, she was not going to just lay here and do nothing! The maid watched, biting her lower lip and holding her hands out in case Dani fell.

“Of course M’lady, it’s just, you’ve been through such a horrible ordeal! Surely you can afford to get some rest and heal properly. Whatever you need, I can bring to you.” The maid watched anxiously as Dani stood, but didn’t make any move to stop her.

“Does everyone know what happened?” Dani took a hesitant step away from the bed. She paused, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror across the room.

Gods, it was worse than she had thought! She looked like shit. One black eye, a split lip, bruises and bandages peeking out from the delicate nightgown. She supposed it wasn’t surprising that people knew she had gone through something.

“No M’lady, of course not. But we know you went through something terrible. The guards brought you in and the healers saw to you. Please lay back down.” The maids voice turned pleading, and Dani let out a sigh. Well it wasn’t like she was enjoying being up, or that there was anything she could do. She felt a twinge of annoyance at her helplessness, but returned to the bed, sitting back down. The maid gently helped her put her feet back up, and pulled the covers back up over her.

Engulfed in the soft sheets the pain faded slightly, and Dani sagged against the pillows. “There, are you happy now? What’s your name anyway?”

“Yes M’lady.” The maid let out a sigh of relief, and smiled warmly. “I am Yara, it is an honor to serve you.” She dipped into a curtsy, lowering her eyes demurely.

“I- I don’t think I need a maid.” Dani said hesitantly. The idea of someone serving her was ridiculous! She didn’t need someone curtsying and calling her m’lady all the time.

“I can be quite useful M’lady.” Yara smiled and straightened confidently. “Especially while you heal. For instance, I could get you something to eat, or to drink. I could also get you something to read, or handiwork to occupy you while you heal. I can also have messages delivered and bring news from the city.”

The guard let out a sigh, stepping back out the door and closing it gently behind him. Dani felt muscles relax she hadn’t realized were tense, and she slumped back against her pillows. “Can you bring me some whiskey?”

“Of course M’lady.” Yara smiled triumphantly, dipping into another curtsy. “Right away.” And then she turned, heading out the door with a clear sense of purpose.

Dani smiled a little and gave her head a small shake. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad having a maid after all.