“I am scheduled to speak to her doctor this afternoon, sir.” It was the same conversation that they’d had for years.

“I hope the results continue to be positive. I just want her to get better.”

Except this time, they were waiting for actual progression on her diagnosis. “Her condition has been improving this last year and the last several months, she hasn’t had any outbursts or showed signs of confusion.” As Thomas Fields spoke, his chest tightened.

On the other end of the comcry, he heard another man let out a trembling breath. “She’s been in that facility for nearly five years now, confining her. I just want to see my daughter again.”

Tom’s thin lips pulled a bit in an attempt at a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. When she left the facility, it would mean that she was mentally stable enough to be given punishment. His stomach twisted knowing what that punishment was.

Bloodline termination.

She would be made to drink a concoction that would render her infertile, just like her father had voluntarily done in order to save her life.

At the time, they would’ve done anything to keep Alessa Hart alive.

But treason carried the heaviest of fines. Traitors were executed. Soleil had stopped displaying the heads of traitors on pikes on the gates centuries ago, but death was still death.

The only other option given to them was a pittance. Bloodline termination required approval from all parties involved except for the actual traitor. Two generations above, two generations below to cut off an entire bloodline from possibly producing more traitors. If the Harts were a large family, even if Alessa’s father agreed, plenty of relatives would refuse.

Let the traitor die and don’t involve the family who was not involved.

But in her family, there was only her, the traitor who had no say in whether or not bloodline termination was permissible, and her father, who readily agreed to anything as long as his daughter lived.

Never mind that after they were made infertile, they would spend the rest of their lives doing hard labor. As if cutting off a family’s future wasn’t enough of a punishment.

However, Tom had no choice but to accept that fate.

“I am optimistic, sir. You will see her again soon.” He tried to sound positive before ending the call. Mr. Hart was only given a single call every three days and his calls were made in the presence of guards. Every time, he would call Tom to find out news about his daughter.

Tom was their only line of connection, and even then, Tom did not have direct contact with Alessa. At most, he could visit her, but had to stay behind a divider, only speaking to her through a comcry on the wall. That was a privilege only recently allowed after Alessa showed constant progress.

He sank back into a wooden stool and looked around the tiny, one-room hovel he rented outside of Horizon. It was in a dilapidated old hut belonging to the farm where he worked. When he moved in, he had to make some repairs to make it livable, but it was still dusty with one window, had drafts, and smelled of moldy towels.

What was important was that it was cheap. Any money he made after rent and basic necessities could be saved. It wasn’t as if he’d send money back to his family.

Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Five years ago, he swore to Mr. Hart that he would stay with them and support Alessa while she was in the facility and when she came out. At first, Mr. Hart had rejected his offer.

“You’re young and able. There is no reason for you to do this!” the man had said with tear-filled eyes.

But after bloodline termination was finalized, Mr. Hart was taken away to do hard labor somewhere in Sur, and no one was left in Horizon to make sure Alessa wasn’t being treated badly except Tom. Then, Mr. Hart was grateful for his kindness and loyalty. Tom was the one person Mr. Hart was allowed to call to find out updates on his daughter.

For Mr. Hart, the only person he could really depend on now was Tom.

Tom didn’t share his purpose for remaining in Horizon with the owner of the farm and his boss. He only said that a family member was ill, and he was the only one they could depend on, to which the owner was a bit more lenient with him and allowed him to rent the old hut despite saying it wasn’t fit for someone to live in for a year.

Tom had lived there for five. He hadn’t gone home since he returned to Horizon and, he grit his teeth thinking of it, he didn’t know if he had a ‘home’ to return to in Chetterswickshire.

He insisted on staying in Horizon and waiting for Alessa, which drove his parents mad. His siblings tried to reason with him. How could he throw his life away for a traitor? They didn’t know the details of the situation, but they knew that Alessa was arrested for treason and collaborated with an enemy nation to undermine the empire.

That was enough of a reason for them to draw a line and cut themselves off from the Harts. Tom was furious. The Harts had done their best to help them when they were a noble family. Now that her family had fallen, his family wanted nothing to do with them? He didn’t think his family were such people.

His brother, who worked in the Cosora Delta and had met his wife there, had asked him if he lost his mind.

“She tried to destroy the empire.”

“It wasn’t her fault! She was tricked!”

“Treason is treason, Tom. I understand if you want to check up on her every now and then, but you can’t follow them into hard labor!”

“I won’t let Alessa suffer alone! She needs someone now!”

“Does that someone need to be you? A farmer’s son that only does fieldwork?”

“She has no one else!”

“You’re going to throw your life away like this?”

“It’s not throwing my life away. I want to do this.”

He’d sounded so determined, but the look on his brother’s face was as if his brother were looking at a stranger. “Are you not worried that connections to her could incriminate the family?”

“How can it incriminate the family? There is no proof that we’ve done anything wrong!”

His brother had shaken his head and left him. Since then, Tom received a call or two a year from his mother, but the rest of his family pretended he didn’t exist.

He looked out the window. His family didn’t understand Alessa’s importance in his heart. If they didn’t understand, then he wouldn’t force it. After his mother sent the money he sent to them back, he didn’t send any more.

He’d inquired around. His brother who worked in Viclya married a former refugee, and had a daughter. That brother brought over his other brother and sister to work in the delta. They seemed to get jobs at the workshops there.

Tom was genuinely happy for them. He only wished that they would be supportive of his decision.

As he sat there, the lights on his comcry flashed and he swiped his finger across after just glancing at the caller’s name.

“Dr. Hardouin?”

“Mr. Fields, good afternoon.” He could almost imagine the gray-haired middle-aged woman adjusting her thick glasses as she spoke.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Hardouin.” Tom rushed.

“We completed our three-month evaluation of Miss Hart this morning. She is still deeply regretful of her actions and has begun to accept the punishment waiting for her.”

“Then she no longer demands to be executed?” A few months prior, Alessa was told that her father had pleaded on her behalf to save her life. Her joy was short lived when she found out the price he would pay was to terminate their bloodline with them.

She then spent over a month demanding that her father be spared and that she was willing to take the punishment of death. This had made Mr. Hart cry, but he did not regret his decision.

“She seems to understand that her father has already started the punishment. She cannot join him until we determine if she is stable or not.”

Tom didn’t like that Alessa’s fate depended on the observations of others, but he was helpless to do anything. He grit his teeth, frustrated that he wasn’t stronger, wealthy, or had better contacts. If he were better connected, he could save her and Mr. Hart from their misery.

“Has anything changed from the last evaluation?” he asked, willing his voice to be even.

“She acknowledges that she had a part in the incident. She maintains that she was lied to and misled. This is consistent with the testimonies given by other parties.”

Tom grit his teeth and swallowed hard. The other parties were Countess Guevera, the Second Prince, and his knight. Countess Guevera’s damning testimony could be understood, but the Second Prince and his knights were Alessa’s friends. They knew Alessa was tricked; why did they have to insist she be punished as if she had done so on purpose?

Alessa had always been so kind to them.

Tom could never forgive them for turning on her as they did. He knew that the Second Prince had the power and influence to spare Alessa. To forgive her or at the very least, give her a small punishment.

Instead, the Second Prince all but left Alessa to die.

Dr. Hardouin explained that Alessa was of stable mind now. She no longer had any outbursts or insisted that Countess Guevera was the real villain who was planning to overthrow the monarchy. She had not wanted to believe that her friend would not only betray her, but the empire, but faced with the facts, she didn’t say anything else. She seemed to accept her fate.

“We have decided to give her the bloodline termination drink at the end of the week. She will then be ready to transfer to the Sur March to begin labor.”

Tom closed his eyes, his heart aching. On one hand, Alessa could leave that tiny cell where she was watched like an animal ready to strike for five years. On the other hand, what awaited her was an empty future and hard labor.

“I understand.” Alessa would be picked up at the facility by an armored prison wagon, as if she were some dangerous criminal. She’d be taken to Sur, just like her father, to be forced to dig ditches and the like. Tom looked around his modest room, at his meager number of belongings, and bit his lips. “Please let me know the time and date she’ll be picked up. I will be ready then.”

♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡

He’d been through the motions several times. Most people would take a carriage and be dropped off on the road down the path from the facility, but in order to save money, Tom walked the entire way from his small home to the facility. He was checked at the gate and finally allowed to walk to the entrance, where guards of the facility met him.

They gave him a small greeting and then escorted him down a long corridor to an extension room. He didn’t need to pass through the halls with the rows of doors leading to cells where ‘residents’ were kept.

Though as he passed the closed doors leading to these halls, he still felt a chill at his back.

Few people had left in the time he’d been acquainted with the facility. He never inquired, as he was sure if he did, they would claim such information was confidential. However, he’d come often enough to make a guess. He could count on his hands how many times he’d seen people leave with a happy atmosphere.

But those were just a tiny portion of the residents.

He wondered if any of them had to do what Alessa was about to do.

The facility had scheduled the date of ‘execution’. Alessa wasn’t going to be killed, but she would be given her punishment in the form of a liquid that would prevent her from having children. From what he could understand, it was formulated for women, as men drank something else.

Once Alessa took the concoction, she would spend another few days at the facility to wait for the march authorities to pick her up. They were already on their way.

Tom was informed that the execution was today more as information, not an invitation. Still, he asked if he could come. He didn’t know what possessed him to ask. He didn’t want Alessa to drink it, nor did he think of wanting to see it, but he found that he wanted to be there. If she needed someone, then he could be there, even if through a door.

After some discussion, he was allowed to witness the execution. He didn’t know what to expect, but he was led to a wooden door with a window. Dr. Hardouin was already standing there, confirming something with her assistant.

She glanced up, gave Tom a small nod, and then sent her assistant away.

“Mr. Fields, are you sure you wish to be present during the execution?”

He wished she wouldn’t call it that. He nodded. “If I am going to understand her, I should witness it.”

He wasn’t sure if he was making sense. He only knew that he had to be there. Dr. Hardouin seemed to look at him with undisguised pity and Tom clenched his jaw. He’d seen that look many times in his life.

Before it was because he was poor and struggling.

But now he saw it from the facility staff.

He wanted to stop them and correct them. There was nothing pitiful about him, but how could he change their minds? Even he knew that most people would not be as loyal as him and would come every week without fail to visit a resident who’d not only lost her mind, but was tricked and was not forced to take a punishment she didn’t deserve.

Dr. Hardouin stepped to the side. “The windows have been treated; she cannot see us, but we can observe to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

For a moment, Tom froze. Smoothly? How was taking away a person’s future smooth in any way? He clenched his hands.

Alessa sat in the small room with only a wooden table that was connected to a wooden bench for her to sit on. There were windows high along the walls, but they were too narrow for anyone to squeeze through. The room was brightly lit and there were two doors, one on opposite sides of the room.

Tom was standing just outside the room, looking through a small window through the door, the same as the door to Alessa’s cell. He inwardly sneered. He thought that this time, he’d get to greet her without a barrier, but it was the exact same thing with just a slightly different view inside.

“Dr. Hardouin, the meal and liquid are ready.” Tom looked over his shoulder and saw a man checking the paperwork in his arms before giving a nod to the doctor.

“Proceed.”

The young man touched an earpiece. “Proceed.”

Through the window on the door, he saw a movement. The door across from them opened and a large man and woman entered. Between them was another doctor with a tray. It contained a small bowl of soup, a mug of water, and a small red glass with an unknown liquid.

Tom felt his stomach churn. He wanted to turn away to avoid seeing Alessa drink the drink that would change her life.

“Miss Hart, this is the meal and the beverages. Please drink the soup first to pad your stomach and then take the liquid,” the other doctor said as they placed the wooden tray in front of Alessa. “It has a bitter taste, so you may drink water afterwards.”

Alessa stared at the tray for a moment before silently picking up the wooden spoon provided. She leaned forward and began slurping the soup.

As he watched the soup become less and less, Tom felt his body chill. He wanted to throw open the door and stop her from continuing.

“Please lower your hand, Mr. Fields.” Dr. Hardouin’s voice was low and more a warning than the calm voice of reassurance and hope he’d grown accustomed to.

Tom glanced at her and then looked down at his hand. He was reaching for the door handle. It took him another moment to retract his hand, his breathing tight as his arm lowered. It was only then that he noticed someone move on his other side and realized that there were two imperial knights standing on either side of him.

Their eyes were fixed on him, and one had their hands over the grip of their sword. If his hand had extended further, he might not have had a hand for much longer.

Tom shivered and looked back through the window. Alessa stared at the soup bowl and then lowered the spoon beside it. Her head turned towards the red glass.

Everything was silent and Tom could hear the beating of his heart in his ears. He watched her skinny, pale hand reach for the cup. It trembled under the bright light of the room. Tom clenched his jaw.

Alessa picked up the small cup, her eyes red as she looked at it. Tears threated to fall as she closed him and took a deep breath. She then brought the cup to her lips and tilted her head back, drowning back the liquid quickly before tearing her away and almost choking. Tom shut his eyes and felt the tears slide down his face.

“The liquid will take a few hours to take effect,” Dr. Hardouin said.

Tom released a low, shaking breath. “Are there any side effects?” He opened his eyes and watched Alessa drink water, as if in a desperate attempt to purge the poison from her body.

“Her body will grow heavy and there will be some soreness from her lower back to her thighs, similar to mid-level menstruation pain,” Dr. Hardouin replied. Tom had no idea what that meant, but nodded. “She will become drowsy and likely fall asleep for a few hours.”

“Then, she won’t be in much pain?” It was of little consolation, but it was something.

Dr. Hardouin nodded and continued to observe the young woman in the white-washed chamber.

“Mr. Fields,” a low voice said behind him. Tom turned around and paled as he saw two more imperial knights. “Please come with us.”

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. “Why? I haven’t done anything wrong.” He took a step back, but was stopped by a pair of arms to keep him from running back against the door.

“You are not in any trouble, Mr. Fields. Your presence has been requested-”

“I refuse!” Tom shook his head. He looked back through the window at Alessa, who was crying into her hands. A pained, sour feeling flooded him as he shook his head. “I won’t go! Not while she’s-”

“Then you may wait until she is asleep.”

His heart shot to his throat as if he had seen a ghost. The last he’d seen of her, she had offered a choice to keep Alessa alive, but at a demonic price.

“My lady.” Dr. Hardouin greeted her with a nod, but Countess Guevera raised her hand to put her at ease.

Ice blue eyes turned back to Tom. “I have something to discuss with you, Mr. Fields.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He gritted his teeth and refused to look at this woman who put Alessa in such a situation. “We have nothing to talk about.”

“This is an order, not a request.” Her voice was cold with no room for negotiation. She turned around and walked back up the hall. Four knights followed her, but two remained with him. Tom scowled.

“You can’t-”

“She can,” Dr. Hardouin didn’t look at Tom and continued observing Alessa. “While we can assess whether or not Miss Hart is fit to leave the facility, Countess Guevera has the final say and she has yet to sign the paperwork to release Miss Hart into march custody.”

Tom’s face fell. “You mean whether or not Alessa can leave is up to that woman?”

“The Countess was one of the direct victims of the treason incident as Miss Hart assisted in kidnapping her. It was the Countess who had bloodline termination offered instead of immediate execution, and as such in this case, she has to give her final approval to confirm that the punishment is suitable, and she will not seek further action.”

Tom sneered and shook his head. “What further action can there be? Alessa can no longer have children and she and her father will be forced to do hard labor until they die.”

Dr. Hardouin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Further action is immediate execution.”

Tom felt his blood run cold. He looked back through the window. Alessa could barely keep her head up. The drowsiness was setting in and Tom didn’t realize it would happen so quickly. He took a step closer and watched with bitter eyes as Alessa slumped forward. The doctor waited some time before checking her breathing and pulse, then gave the man and woman a nod to bring in a stretcher.

Alessa was put on the stretcher and fastened with straps and buckles, all while she was asleep. Tom’s fingers clawed at the wooden door. “Why do they have to strap her so tightly?”

“In case she moves and falls off the stretcher or wakes up and begins to struggle. It is both for the safety of the patient and the staff,” the bald imperial knight said beside him. Tom shot him an annoyed look with bloodshot eyes. The bald knight didn’t seem at all bothered, but gave him a nod. “Mr. Fields, Tor-I mean, the Countess is waiting for you.”

He didn’t have a choice. With one knight in front of him and one knight behind, he was escorted towards the front of the facility, where there were meeting rooms. A pair of imperial knights was stationed by one of the rooms and the door was open as they reached it.

As the door closed behind him, Tom got a good look at the woman seated behind a desk. He frowned at once. Alessa was thin with the facility issued tunic that reached her ankles drowning her figure, her hair cut short to keep from being tangled, and her skin was gaunt and colorless.

In contrast, the Countess had flushed skin, neatly braided hair, and a simple dress without a wrinkle on it. She only looked a day older than when he last saw her. She radiated subtle power and it only served to remind him how helpless and weak Alessa was.

Tom was more vigilant than ever. The woman in front of him was their age, but she was also the fiancée of the Crown Prince. Even if he didn’t pay attention to the imperial family, everyone knew that the Crown Prince was engaged to Countess Guevera. Tom ground his teeth together.

It wasn’t fair. How can two women the same age live such vastly different lives?

The Countess extended her hand, motioning for him to take a seat in front of her.

Tom refused. “I will stand.”

“They’re your legs.” She seemed to shrug off his refusal. “Mr. Fields, I must say I applaud your loyalty to the Harts.”

“There is no need to speak so generously to me. Tell me what you want to tell me.” He almost growled and beside him, the imperial knights gave him a silencing look, but did not act out. They remained in a relaxed guard position.

“You will not be allowed to drink the bloodline termination liquid.”

It was like lightning from a clear sky. Tom’s face fell at once and he balked. “What are you talking about?”

“While you have monitored Miss Hart and comforted her father during this turbulent time, you have no blood or legal relation to either of them.” The Countess’ voice was cold and unfeeling, as if she were reading a statement from a book and informing him.

Tom shook his head. “That doesn’t matter! I volunteer to share in their punishment!”

“It doesn’t work that way, Mr. Fields. You are, by all means, an innocent party and you cannot be punished because you want to share in their burden,” she replied in a deadpan voice.

“Then…then I plead guilty!”

The bald knight beside him seemed to make a face, as if wondering what was wrong with him.

The Countess had a mirroring look of incredulous disbelief on her face. “Guilty of what?”

“Treason!”

The room was silent for a moment. The Countess lifted her hand and rubbed her forehead. “Do you have any proof?”

“I...investigate me! I was also in touch with Adrien Rosiek at one point.”

“Yeah, nearly half of the merchants in the city were,” the Countess replied in a sharp voice. “Mr. Fields, I understand your loyalty to the Harts, but this is not something debatable. We are informing you that you will not be allowed to share punishment, nor will you be allowed to go with the Harts to Sur.”

“What?” Tom shot forward and was immediately grabbed by the back of the collar and pulled back with ease. He almost choked as his shirt hit his neck. He turned back and saw the bald knight had pulled him. The man’s brown eyes were giving him silent warning and for a moment Tom felt a bit weak.

He was no stranger to field labor his entire life. He’d been tall and thin growing up, but as he reached adulthood, he filled out more. He could lift foals and calves over his shoulders with ease and work from sunrise to sunset. He always saw himself as quite strong.

Yet this bald man pulled him back as if he were a wayward toddler.

It was a cruel reminder of the power imbalance in the room.

“Hard labor in Sur is a sentence for a crime. It is a punishment and innocent civilians are not allowed to take part, voluntarily or otherwise. It isn’t volunteer work,” the Countess told him in a stern voice. “Criminals live in communal space inside a guarded fort. They are then transported to the worksite daily under the close watch of march soldiers. They eat, sleep, and bathe in shared tents. Even if you were able to, you’d hardly see Miss Hart as women and men are separated for most of the time.”

“It doesn’t matter-”

“It does matter, Mr. Fields. You may accompany the transport of the criminal-”

“Don’t call her that-”

“Are you forgetting what she did? That while she did not know the enemy’s true purpose, she still colluded with him to isolate and capture the Second Prince. That alone can imprison someone for life. You know full well what her actions resulted in, don’t you? You, who have been by their side since she was sent to this facility must know exactly what she did.”

Tom refused to meet her eyes. “She had the Second Prince’s safety in mind.”

The Countess scoffed. “By kidnapping him? Let me remind you that with her assistance, the Second Prince was nearly suffocated in a burning shack, Mr. Fields. With her assistance, I was nearly assaulted and killed. With her assistance, a foreign army nearly invaded us from within.”

“But Soleil is thousands of years old with the best military in the world! How could they have succeeded?”

“Do you think that even if they failed, everything would be fine?” She slammed her hands on the table top as she glared at him. “How many villages, how many towns, how many random homesteads on their battle path would’ve been slaughtered before they were defeated? Regardless of if she knew or not, she had a hand in almost killing hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people. Do you not understand the severity of what she did? These are all things she knows and admits that she has a part in. Sheis a criminal,” the Countess said in a cold voice as she rose from her seat, her eyes never leaving his. “And if I were you, I would count myself lucky that these were all ‘nearly’.”

Tom lowered his eyes. His hands clenched at his sides. “It was not on purpose.”

“But she still had a part and there are consequences to actions,” the woman replied. She took a deep breath and seemed to calm herself. “As I was saying, you are allowed to join the transport caravan escorting the criminal to Sur, but once you have crossed into the Sur March, you will be prohibited from following the rest of the way. If you persist and follow, you will be arrested and returned back to Horizon, as well as banned from entering any of the marches in the future.”

“I swore to her father that I would always protect her-”

“Protect her from what? She’s not going to be killed. She’s not going to be tortured. She’s going to do hard labor as a punishment. Do you think if you go, you can pick up a shovel and dig for her? Do you think if you join them, you will somehow make their quality of life better or miraculously shorten their life sentence?” She seemed to be mocking him and he scowled. “You are not a criminal, Mr. Fields. You cannot be sentenced as one. In addition, do you think they want you to throw away the rest of your life following them?”

“You don’t understand!” Tom choked out. “I made a vow to keep her safe!”

She stared at him with cold eyes. “Then where were you when she was getting involved with Rosiek? What is the purpose of playing the hero now when the crime has been committed and the sentence given? Are you some sort of masochist who believes that by suffering, you are alleviating their burdens? Burdens that have nothing to do with you?

“Your brothers and sister requested an audience with me at the delta to beg me to stop you from ruining your life by following Miss Hart to do hard labor. I told them that you cannot be punished as you haven’t committed such a high-level crime. They were relieved. It is a bit pitiful that you are so blindly loyal to the Harts that you seem to have forgotten your own family, Mr. Fields.”

Tom turned his head away. “My family and I have separated. They don’t understand my situation. Staying with Alessa and supporting her is what I’ve always wanted to do. I won’t abandon her.”

“I suggest you don’t try something so extreme as treason, Mr. Fields. Chances are you’ll be executed. You come from a good family who don’t want to see you throw your future away for a woman who will live the rest of her life imprisoned.”

Tom lifted his head and met her eyes with defiance. “Alessa is no ordinary woman. She was my childhood friend and I love her.”

“Do you think that love is all it takes to make for a happy ending? That there are no other factors involved?” She raised a brow. “This is not a fairy tale, Mr. Fields.”

He sneered. “Are you admitting you don’t love the Crown Prince?”

A sword was drawn and placed beneath his neck almost as soon as he finished his question. A knight with dark hair and sharp eyes glared at him. “You are out of line.”

“Gael, relax. He’s cornered and frustrated. It’s normal to lash out.” The Countess’ flippant voice only served to anger Tom. “Besides, Piers and I have had a strong understanding since the beginning. I’ve heard a lot worse said about us.”

The knight continued to frown, but withdrew his sword. Tom let out a low breath.

“Forgive me, my lady,” he said in a measured breath. He began to bend his knees and lower his head. “My lady, I am begging you. Please let me follow. There must be something I can do. I can work. I’m not afraid of hard work and long days.”

“There is nothing I can do, Mr. Fields.”

His head snapped up and he looked at her with a beseeching expression. “There must be something you can do! You turned a refugee camp into a thriving city! You...you helped thwart an invasion! The Crown Prince will listen to you if you just tell him!”

The Countess’ eyes narrowed. “The Crown Prince wanted her executed. What favor do you think he will allow?”

Tom drew his head back and life seemed to drain from his body. Five years he had waited and now he could only take her as far as the Sur border. He shut his eyes. “Is there no other way?”

“Mr. Fields, I am not asking you to abandon her. I am telling you that you cannot go with her. This is not something you can control. Rather than you finding out when you reach the border, I want to make you aware of it. This is the most we can do for you. Mr. Hart will be notified as well.”

Tom paled and shook his head. “No...no, I have to go with them!”

“Mr. Fields, if you continue like this, we will have no choice but to restrain you and prohibit you from joining the escort at all,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice. “The caravan will leave here at dawn. If you are not present when they leave, they will leave without you.”

♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡

For the first time, he was allowed to be in the same room with her, though they were carefully watched by guards. It should’ve been a happy moment, as at least they weren’t separated by a barrier, but Tom could only sit there, comforting Alessa as she tried to pretend everything was all right.

How could it possibly be all right?

“Does it still hurt?” He swallowed hard and didn’t know what else to say.

Alessa looked up at him with thin lips and offered a weak smile. “It aches a bit. Some soreness, but I’ve had worse when I had a flu.”

Tom frowned. He looked towards the door and prepared to stand. “Then perhaps we can ask for something to ease-”

“Tom.” Alessa reached out and grasped his forearm. She gave him a small shake of her head. “This is my punishment. They’re not going to give me something to numb the pain.”

He scowled. She was resigned to her fate; a far cry from the energetic young woman she was once, and he hated what they did to her that broke her like this. “The punishment isn’t supposed to torture you. It was to....” He trailed off, biting his own tongue.

Alessa’s pale face was still smiling, but her lips trembled, and her eyes were glazed over. “I committed a crime.”

“Unknowingly-”

“But they are right. I still did.” Alessa lowered her eyes and let out a weak laugh. “I don’t know whether death would’ve been a better option.”

“Death is not the better option!” He sat up straight and grasped her hand. “Your father and I pleaded for your life. As long as you are alive-”

“I am imprisoned with no future, Tom,” Alessa said with a slow, somber shake of her head.

Tom shut his eyes and held back his own tears. “But you didn’t do anything. You were tricked. You’re a victim, too. This isn’t fair.”

Alessa was quiet. “I made a mistake that could have destroyed the empire.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She squeezed his arm. “Tell me how my father is?”

“He’s able to call every few days. He says it’s hard. Early mornings, meager meals, back breaking labor under the hot sun. It’s hard work, but he isn’t complaining. He’s always asking about you.” Tom gave her a warm smile. “He’s keeping track of your progression and he cried when I told him you were leaving the facility.”

Alessa smiled a bit. “Will I get to see him?”

“Not often, as men and women are separated, but I was told you’d be assigned to the same labor unit, so you’ll see him.”

Alessa nodded her head, satisfied. “I’m glad....” Even as she smiled, she began to cry once more. Tom immediately reached forward to wipe her eyes and she let out a small laugh. “It’s all right, Tom. I’m just...I just feel a lot right now. I want to see Daddy again, but not like this. Not as prisoners.” She sniffled and dropped her head. “I did this to him.”

“No-”

“He can’t have children anymore,” Alessa said as she shook her head and met his eyes with pained amber ones.

“He has you, that is enough. He said it over and over!”

Alessa’s lower lip trembled, and she choked back a cry. “I want to see him again, Tom. I’m all he has left...and Daddy is all I have now.”

Tom took a deep breath and straightened his back. “You have me.”

Alessa closed her eyes and shook her head. “You can’t follow us into the labor camp, Tom. You can’t even visit.” She bit her lips for a moment. “I asked. I asked if we could at least see you every once in a while, but they said no.”

Tom grit his teeth. The fortress did not accept visitors. He already knew that. The people Alessa would be with were there for serious crimes.

“I’ll find a way.”

She let out a small laugh and leaned against him. “You always said that. Since we were children.” Her eyes seemed to warm for a moment. “Do you remember when we were fishing by the stream, but my pole was swept away?”

The corners of his lips curled up. “I remember. I gave you my pole and you didn’t want to take it because you were afraid that you’d lose it, too.”

“So, you made one out of a branch you found. I actually caught more that day than you.”

“Now, you’re remembering it wrong.”

The two of them laughed a bit. Alessa squeezed his arm. “Thank you for always being there for me, Tom. I don’t think I’ve told you that enough.”

He looked down and shook his head. “You don’t need to tell me.”

“I should. I won’t have a chance to after this.”

“I’ll join the caravan as far as I can go. I’ll find a way to see you again after that,” Tom said. It was a promise.

Alessa looked at him with some confusion, then pulled away and frowned. “Tell me you’re not planning to break the law.”

He shook his head. “I’m not.”

She nodded. “You’re young and still have a future ahead of you. I don’t want you to throw that away.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that, but they forget that my future is mine to decide,” he said with conviction. “I will spend it how I want it. No one can tell me otherwise. Not my brothers or my parents.”

Alessa furrowed her brows. “Have you told them about what happened?”

Tom avoided her eyes. “The...the details of the incident have not been announced, but....”

Alessa sat up straight and looked at him with horrified eyes. “Do people know?” she asked in a tight voice. The grip on his forehead grew tighter. “Do they know that I’m...?”

Tom bit his lips and had to force himself to meet her gaze. He gave her a slow nod and she shut her eyes tight.

Alessa drew back and covered her mouth with her hand. “Then the empire knows I’m a traitor.”

“I wanted to get a newspaper or put up notices to explain what you were misled, but I was told that if I tried and elaborated on the details, I could no longer visit you at the facility.” He’d already told her he’d come every week.

Alessa seemed to understand his predicament. “Why didn’t they announce the details?”

Tom scowled and let out a bitter scoff. “They were probably afraid that the public would sympathize with you.” He was told that the Second Prince’s kidnapping and near death were to be kept hidden at the time, but he didn’t believe it. He was sure that if people knew about Alessa and how she was misled and also a victim, the public would have pity on her.

The empire just wanted to protect the Second Prince and the Crown Prince’s now fiancée.

“It must’ve been difficult for you these last few years,” Alessa said in a quiet voice. “I’m sure your family doesn’t approve of you keeping in touch with me.”

He didn’t want her to worry about them or to be depressed by his family’s reaction to the matter. “They wish you the best and are relieved that you were spared.”

Alessa’s face brightened a bit. “Your family is kind.”

“You were always kind to my family.” He smiled, despite knowing that for some time, his family did not approve of him following Alessa. From when she came to Horizon and he told his family he wanted to go, too, they’d tried to talk him out of it and remind him that they were from different worlds.

He persisted then and he persisted now.

She let out a bittersweet laugh. “The next time you speak to them, assure them that I’ve accepted my punishment.”

“All right, I will.”

Alessa relaxed next to him and put her head back on his shoulder. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. You’ve been with me most of my life...we may never see each other again.” Her voice choked up with regret.

Tom stroked her hair back as he fixed his eyes ahead of him and narrowed them. “We’ll see each other again, Alessa. I’ll find a way.”

♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡・・・・・・♡

It was autumn, just after the harvest. The empire finished celebrating the harvest of crops and there was a festive atmosphere from the big city to the small hamlets. Tom had finished his seasonal work for the farmer, and in order to accompany the caravan to the Sur border, he asked for leave.

He was a semi-permanent worker for the last few years, so the farmer trusted him. He even gave Tom his pay earlier than normal so that he would have something to spend while traveling.

Of course, Tom kept the fact that he was escorting a prisoner caravan a secret. The farmer was old, but knew such news as the traitor who aided a foreign spy. No normal civilian wanted to be associated with such a person, even with a few degrees of separation. If Tom told the farmer, he’d be fired.

Instead, he told the old man that he was going to go visit his family, but would be back before planting season began.

It wasn’t a complete lie. Now, his family was Alessa and Mr. Hart.

Whether or not he returned before planting season depended on his luck. He hoped he wouldn’t and packed all his meager belongings into a bag to bring with him. His money was painstakingly sewed into his clothes.

Crystal powered cards as a way of payment that were more advanced than what the wealthy used to use with crystal fobs were spreading rapidly through the empire. While a card was much more convenient to carry, not everywhere accepted them. Coins and notes were more useful, and they were more difficult to trace.

He didn’t know when he’d need to spend his savings. He didn’t know what would happen, but he’d take all the supplies he could.

With his things packed, he left the small hut at dawn. He dropped off the key to the farmer, as during the winter, sometimes tools were housed there for convenience. Tom then trekked down the road to the facility.

He saw the transport wagon parked by the outer gate. It was pulled by four horses and the closer he got, the more he understood why.

The wagon was more a rectangular block with a few high cutouts for windows with metal bars caging in whoever was inside. The wood looked thick and sturdy. All the corners had metal and the bolts were all metal. The heavy wheels had jagged spikes on them sticking out, prohibiting another carriage from getting too close.

As Tom passed, he noticed that the back wasn’t a solid wooden wall, like the rest of the sides. It was just a series of metal bars and a door made of closely spaced metal bars.

Tom frowned. If this was used during winter, the prisoner could freeze. Luckily, it was still early fall, and the weather only grew cooler at night. In addition, they were going south, where it was warmer.

Along with the wagon were a dozen horses. Six strong, intimidating men in uniform were standing by the wagon. March soldiers. Seeing him pass, their eyes settled on him. It made Tom’s heart jump, as if they were seeing through him. He turned his head and quickened his pace to get to the main doors.

His bag had to be left at the security booth, but he was able to enter. Just as he did, he saw one of the doors to one of the long, narrow halls with the rows of doors open. Two soldiers stepped out first, followed by Dr. Hardouin, and Alessa beside her.

Tom didn’t pay attention to the other soldiers and guards with them. His eyes focused on the metal brackets on her wrists and ankles. They were connected with a braided metal rope and made clinking sounds as they were dragged.

He grit his teeth. Alessa was in a long white sleeve tunic and dark, loose pants. She was wearing slippers and her head was down as she walked. She had no other baggage with her.

Tom’s fury rose. “You expect her to do hard labor when she’s dressed like that? She’s already weak from being trapped here for years! Those clothes aren’t enough to battle the elements!”

His cry of dismay made everyone stop. Several pairs of eyes, including Alessa’s amber ones, flew to him immediately. He didn’t falter and forced himself to stand up straighter.

“Mr. Fields, these are her travel garments. She will be assigned work clothes when she arrives at the fortress,” Dr. Hardouin told him with a frown.

Tom gritted his teeth, but didn’t say anything.

“Is this the man accompanying her to the border?” one of the soldiers asked as they looked him up and down.

Tom nodded. “I am.”

The soldier in front of the group glanced to the side and gave another soldier a small nod. That soldier nodded in return and stepped forward.

“Follow me.”

Tom glanced at Alessa, who gave him a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath and followed the soldier.

He’d never seen Alessa in chains.

When she was at the facility, in her tiny cell, they didn’t chain her up. What was the use of chaining her up now? She was a skinny girl who hadn’t left her cell ages. What did the soldiers think she was going to do? Fight them and flee?

“The chains are a bit much, aren’t they?” Tom asked as he followed the soldier down the corridor and into the main lobby.

“You should learn not to underestimate people.” The soldier’s voice could barely be heard, but Tom heard him and frowned.

“She’s just a girl.”

“There are plenty of girls who can kill you in two steps. This is a precaution. Don’t think we are targeting her for nothing.”

Tom did think so. After all, these were knights from Sur - the Countess’ home territory. He wouldn’t put it past her or her family using their power to make Alessa’s life worse. Still, Tom held his tongue.

He didn’t want to start arguing before they left. “You’re right. I’m just a farmer. I’m not aware of your protocols.” He needed to get along with the soldiers, if only to ensure Alessa got better treatment and they got some leniency during the trip. If they dropped their guard, there would be more opportunities.

The soldier didn’t reply. He continued to walk, keeping his eyes ahead of them as they stepped outside and walked down the path back to the road. They stopped so Tom could collect his things. Before he could clutch them against him, his belongings were searched. He wanted to refuse, but reminded himself of the situation.

Besides, nothing was suspicious in his bag. It was returned to him, and they continued out.

As they approached, the back door to the wagon was unlocked and opened. A set of metal steps was pulled down to be used to get into the wagon.

“You will travel here with the prisoner. There is a bucket to relieve yourself in that corner and food will be served when we stop.”

Tom bristled. “You’re going to make her use a bucket? What if the soldiers see her?” He could just turn his back to give her privacy, but there were soldiers that would flank the wagon on all sides.

“Female soldiers will follow, if it makes a difference.”

Tom wasn’t sure if it did. He begrudgingly took a step forward to get on, but was stopped. “What-”

“The prisoner first.”

Tom scowled, but stepped back. Two soldiers escorted Alessa from the gates to the wagon. She kept her head lowered the whole time, ashamed. Still, she got in without a fuss and the soldiers locked her ankle chains to a bar along the base of the benches. Tom hadn’t noticed them.

“All right, Mr. Fields. Please enter.” The first soldier stood by the side and Tom climbed in. Before he even took his seat, the door slammed shut. He jumped and watched the soldier lock the door behind him.

Tom felt his stomach sink.

“Take a seat.” Alessa’s gentle voice came from across the wagon. He looked over and saw her giving him a reassuring smile. “When the wagon moves, you can lose your footing and fall.”

He knew that already, but still nodded and took a seat next to her. The soldiers were getting on to their horses and Tom narrowed his eyes.

“When are we going to stop next?” he asked.

Part of him didn’t expect an answer, but one of the female soldiers did. “In five hours for lunch.”

That wasn’t too bad. He’d skipped breakfast, but he could wait five hours. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d be without food for some time.

“Will we eat outside the wagon?” he asked.

The two soldiers on horseback behind the carriage looked at him strangely. “Outside?” The wagon jerked forward, and Tom swayed on the wooden bench. The woman outside the metal bars looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “There will be no outside. That door won’t open until we reach the march border to let you out.”