It was late at night when Hazel caught a glimmer of firelight in the distance. She squinted at the silhouette the light cast upon the wall as the figure drew closer to her cage.

Hazel sprang to her feet as the figure neared. Cloaked in shadows, their face hidden beneath a hood, the stranger held a lantern that flickered faintly in the stillness.

Fear gripped Hazel as she studied the figure, her heart racing.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Shhhh.”

“Stacy!” Hazel gasped, recognising her Stacy. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?” She asked, her curiosity piqued.

Stacy quickly unlocked the cage door and, without a word, seized Hazel’s wrist, pulling her into the night.

They ran, breathless, their feet pounding against the cobbled streets. When they had distanced themselves from the prison, they stopped, panting.

Hazel, still in shock, noticed the guards standing watch over the prison, their slumped figures betraying their deep slumber. She looked at Stacy, her brow furrowed in confusion, as Stacy pulled off her hood.

“What’s going on? How did they fall asleep?”

A mischievous chuckle escaped Stacy’s lips. “I secretly laced their food with sleeping pills when the kitchen maids were preparing it.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Hazel stared at her, astonished. “Why are you helping me, Stacy? We’ve never been close… we barely speak.”

Stacy sighed, her expression softening. “I couldn’t just stand by anymore and let Lucida keep treating you the way she has. When I heard she planned to kill you after sending you to the Forest Land… I couldn’t just let it happen. I overheard you were the only one to survive.”

Hazel nodded, a lump forming in her throat. “Thank you... for saving me, Your Highness. But what should I do now?”

“You need to leave Mazi,” Stacy urged. “Go far from here. Lucida will hunt you down if you stay in the kingdom. She poisoned Robert herself, all so she could send you into the Forest Land.”

Hazel gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “She poisoned him? Why? What does she want from him?”

“She had the antidote,” Stacy continued, her voice laced with bitterness. “She planned to give it to him after sending you into the Forest Land.she never expected you to return. That’s why she wants you dead—she planned to have you beheaded.”

“Why? What have I done to her?” Hazel asked, confusion and pain evident in her voice.

“You’ve done nothing, Hazel,” Stacy said, her gaze hardening. “But you need to leave the kingdom. If you value your life, you must escape. Leave Robert behind, start a new life. Remarry, have children, and live your life.”

Hazel’s heart sank. “I can’t… I can’t leave Robert. He’s my husband. I love him so much,” she cried, her eyes locking with Stacy’s.

Stacy’s face softened, a knowing smile curving her lips. “I’ve done what I can, Hazel. If you love him that much, go back to him. But you must take care of yourself, too. I’m leaving now. I’ve packed everything I need.” She gestured to the bulging bag slung over her shoulder. “I’ll start fresh, somewhere far away. I’ll never come back to this palace.”

Hazel’s heart wrenched at the thought of abandoning Robert. “But I… I can’t. I can’t leave him.”

Stacy’s smile widened, bittersweet and understanding. “I wish you well, Hazel.”

With that, Stacy turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Hazel alone with her sorrow.

Hazel collapsed onto the ground, overwhelmed with emotions. She couldn’t leave Robert. She couldn’t do it. Her sobs echoed into the quiet night.

After minutes of weeping, Hazel made up her mind. She would go to the Forest Land. It was her only choice.