"Good day, how may I help you sir?" A tall, dark woman with an unusually small mouth asked from behind the door.

"I'm looking for Felici Loknot, tell her Jerome Dernewt is here to see her." He replied.

"Oh, I know who you are young sir." The woman said.

"All the better then, can you let me in?"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." The woman declined.

"Why not?" Jerome sighed, "Nevermind, just call her for me please."

"I'm sorry but I can't do that either."

"What do you mean you can't do that?"

"The young mistress is currently on house arrest and is not allowed any other visitors except her husband-to-be, Peter Jon. So if you would kindly leave, it would be for the best." She proceeded to shut the door but Jerome blocked Its path with his foot.

"I need to see her", he said as he held the door open.

"And I'm saying, you can't", the woman pushed against the door.

Just then, "Sade, who are you talking to over there?" A voice asked from inside the house.

The woman stopped pushing the door and let Jerome come in. "Mr. Jerome Dernewt sir." She introduced him.

"I know who he is", Mr Loknot said then turned to Jerome. "How's the family?"

"We saw another day. We're thankful." Jerome replied.

"Alright, that's good, so what brings you to my house today Mr. Jerome?"

Jerome gently shoved Sade out of his way and stepped forward. "I'm here to see Felici."

"She's currently on house arrest. All visits are prohibited." Mr. Loknot replied.

"That's what I told him sir!" Sade said while trying to push Jerome aside.

"Quiet, Sade." Mr. Loknot glanced at her fortuitously.

"My apologies sir."

Mr. Loknot paid no heed to her. He glanced back at Jerome. "Now, if you'll please take your leave", he gestured towards the door.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that sir. I need to see Felici." He stepped forward, "It's a matter of life and death."

"I couldn't care less. Leave my house this instant!"

Just then, Jerome noticed Felici hiding behind a corner leading into the house. She placed her left index finger on her lips then made a semi-circle in the air with her right index finger before pointing up. Jerome understood, so he left without saying anything, walked a ways away from the building then turned around and headed back towards it, except this time he headed towards the back of the house instead of the front.

When he got to the back, Felici peered through a window on the second floor and waved at him. He waved back. She smiled and started climbing out of the window. Jerome was confused, he waved both his hands above his head, urging her to stop, but she didn't. Then he noticed her lips moving, he couldn't hear what she said but he understood her nonetheless. "Catch me."

It was too late to stop her so he planted his feet firmly on the ground and stretched out his arms. She smiled then jumped, and Jerome caught her.

"Ugh! What's wrong with you?!" He dropped her on the ground.

"My father will never let me leave through the front door. That's the only way I could've gotten out of that prison." She sighed and dusted her dress.

"Oh yes, I heard about your house arrest. I'm sorry about that."

"It's not your fault", She turned and looked up to check if anyone was watching. "Let's get out of here before someone finds out that I'm gone."

"Alright." They both quietly but swiftly fled the compound.

When they were a good distance away, "Okay so why were you looking for me?" Felici asked.

Jerome sighed, "How did your plan to leave the village go?"

Felici looked at him confused, "Obviously it was a failure."

"How far did you go with it?"

"I got Lady Ursula to help me with it but somehow the news got out that I was trying to flea the village before we could even start anything."

"So she was the "friend" you were talking about?"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Yes." She replied then suddenly ran and hid behind a tree after noticing someone approaching from a distance. Jerome casually walked over to the tree and leaned on it while facing the road.

"Do you know how the secret got out?" Jerome asked.

"Of course not. I've been trying to figure out who could have found out about it early enough to be able to even start spreading rumors, but no one's coming to mind."

"What about Lady Ursula? How well do you trust her?"

Felici wasted no time, "Very well! With every ounce of flesh in my body. I've confided in her several times over the years."

"But subjectively speaking, do you think she might have something to do with it? I mean she is an Elder."

"I highly doubt that. Probably, but I don't see what she'd have gained from exposing me. And why would she soil herself as well while doing so. It doesn't add up." She replied then peeked from behind Jerome's shoulder as the person she had seen from afar passed by. It was a young lady, although she had a rather manly build. The lady glanced at Jerome for a second before shifting her gaze. When the lady was far enough, Felici came out from behind the tree. "Do you know her?"

Jerome gnashed his teeth, "No."

"Really? She seemed like she knew you though."

Jerome said nothing.

"Her name's Tola, she used to be Peter's girlfriend." Felici said as she stared at her walking away.

"What? Really?"

"Yes, they were together for a while but Peter ended things with her about a year and a few months ago. She did not take the break up well."

Jude smiled painfully, "Well that explains that."

"Explains what?"

"I guess there's no use hiding it anymore. You remember last year during the festival period? When I got beaten half to death?"

Felici instantly understood. "Don't tell me, she was behind it?"

"Mhmm." He nodded.

"Why didn't you say something and get her punished?!" She shoved him gently.

"When she mentioned Peter's name halfway through my abduction, I knew it was going to be something like that, and I guess for a moment I pitied her."

"That's nonsense! Why did you have to be punished for Peter's crimes?! She has to pay." Felici peered at the distance but she couldn't see Tola anymore.

"No! She's not paying for anything." Jerome grabbed Felici's arm.

She shrugged it off, "I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for the pride of the nobles."

"Tell a soul about what I just told you and I'll tell everyone you forced yourself on me."

Felici fumed, "As if anyone would believe you, but whatever." She turned away.

Jerome sighed loudly, "I don't even know why we're arguing about this! That's not even why I came to see you."

Felici turned back, "Yeah, that's true, I wanted to ask about that."

"You said you still haven't figured out how the secret got leaked?"

"Yes? Why?"

"Can you set up a meeting between me and Lady Ursula?"

"What? Are you planning on fleeing as well?" Felici asked jokingly but Jerome didn't respond, he didn't even crack a smile. "You're serious?"

"Yes. How soon can you get me the meeting?" Jerome replied sternly.

"Well, it's not like I set up a meeting whenever I go to see her."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we can go right now."

"Isn't it a bit too late?"

"You asked how soon I'd be able to get you a meeting, this is how soon, are you going or not?" She folded her arms.

After much contemplation, Jerome agreed to go. "The sooner the better." Then they started walking.

"Why do you even want to leave the village?"

Jerome clenched his fist, "The gods chose I and Ravea's child as the next tribute."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"I know what you're thinking, 'We're not the first family to be in such a position, so why am I making such a big deal out of it?' Correct?"

"Well... Not really." She lied.

"I don't blame you. Under normal circumstances I won't be doing this much, but due to pregnancy difficulties, this is the only child I and Ravea are going to ever have together, and I can't just allow our only child be taken away so easily."

Felici didn't say anything after that. She just increased her pace and kept walking. She turned and looked at Jerome, and for the first time that night, she was able to see his eyes. They were really red and dark bags hung under both of them, but somehow they felt like burning torches as the moonlight reflected off them.

They arrived at Lady Ursula's house a while later. Felici wanted to barge in like she usually did but thought otherwise and knocked instead. A couple seconds later, a maid came to answer the door, but before Felici could say anything, she said, "The Lady is unavailable at the moment, and will neither see nor speak to anyone."

Felici banged on the door. "It won't take long, so please just let us in. We need her help."

"We?" The maid asked.

Felici turned and looked at Jerome, "Yes, we. I and Jerome Dernewt, Son of Harvey Dernewt."

"I know who he is", she retorted. "I speak to Jerome Dernewt now, what is it you seek from the Godmother?"

Felici shook her head aggressively causing Jerome to hesitate. "It's a private matter", he said. Felici smiled at him.

"I'm her head maid, whatever you wish to tell her, you can tell me", the maid insisted.

"I'd still prefer to speak to Lady Ursula personally about this." Jerome refused.

After that she didn't say anything else. Felici started banging on the door but there was no response.

"What is it with everyone and not being available this night?" Jerome lamented as he turned and walked away.

"Technically, I wasn't unavailable. My father is just an overprotective turd." Felici followed behind him. "Are you really leaving though, she's the only person that can help us out now."

Jerome stopped and turned, "Who said I was leaving?" He bent down and lept forward before sprinting with all his might toward the door while screaming. Just then, the door swung open, but it was too late, Jerome was going too fast to stop on time. He crashed into the house and fell on the floor.

"What're you doing?" Lady Ursula asked.

"Jerome! Are you okay?!" Felici screamed as she ran towards the door. "Lady Ursula?!" She gasped when she was close enough to see her.

"Ugh, I should have known it was you." Lady Ursula sighed. "Help him up and come inside."

"Why didn't you open the door when we knocked?!" Jerome groaned.

"I have no obligation to answer that, but if you must know, that's what my maids are for." Lady Ursula stopped and looked around, "Come to think of it, where are they?"

"The head maid came to the door the first time we knocked, but she didn't let us in, she said you were unavailable." Felici said.

"Well, I am unavailable." She held a glass of wine to her mouth and took a huge gulp. "But I did give her exceptions."

Felici was stunned. "Wait, you mean?"

"Don't let it get to your head. I knew you'd come by sooner or later if you found a way to escape your father, so I told her that just in case." Lady Ursula pushed open the living room door and walked in while Felici and Jerome followed.

The room was littered with several empty bottles of wine and an equal number of empty kegs of palmwine. When the light from the flame in the room shone against Lady Ursula's face, it was then that Felici realized that she was drunk.

Her dress was only half worn. Her back was bare and the absence of a cloth or any form of linen passing across it indicated that she wasn't wearing any undergarments on her chest.

She immediately turned and looked at them, "Have a sit." She said.