A sliver of light passed through a thin opening in the wall. Eren peeked into the room as the evening sun shone through motes of dust hanging in the air. He sighed and placed the panel of wood back into its frame.

“That idiot isn’t back, and Calder’s late,” Eren mumbled.

Arhi quivered in the corner and fumbled anxiously with the sleeves of her gray dress. “You don’t think something happened to Orion? You think he’s going to be okay, right?”

“With him running out there, I can only expect the worst. An unregistered Stellapuer rarely makes it far.”

Tears began to well up in Ahri’s eyes, and she sniffled, trying to muffle her sobs. Lilith pushed herself closer and tenderly embraced her. Smoothing Ahri’s silky hair, she whispered words of comfort and shook her head disapprovingly at Eren.

“Calder should be coming back any moment. Once he is here, we can figure this out together.” Lilith squeezed Arhi’s hand until the girl’s tears stopped flowing. “I’m sure we’ll be okay.”

Eren shifted into a more comfortable position despite the small space he had. “I wouldn’t guarantee that. The sun’s nearly down, and he promised to be back this evening.”

Lilith frowned and hugged Arhi to protect her from that dreadful thought. “Don’t be so pessimistic. There is no reason to think Calder won’t come back.”

Eren repositioned himself again and then stretched his back. With a thud, his head hit a wooden beam. “I’m going out. I can’t stand being in here,” he grumbled. Lilith reached out her hand to stop him. Eren waved it away as he stood up. “I’ll stay in the room. I just need to stretch my legs.”

He slid the hidden panel to the side and stepped into the dusty room. An orange light bathed the room in a depressing glow. Old bed sheets lay atop the bed to his right. Perfectly folded and waiting for a visitor that would never come. A dresser made of polished dark wood sat in the corner. Its metal handles had long since rusted, leaving no easy way to access its contents. Eren waved his hand to shoo away the dust in front of his face. He leaned back and pressed his palms against his lower back. Each muscle in his body tensed up and then relaxed as he stretched.

He was tempted to look out the window, but he knew that would be a foolish move. Staying on the left side of the room he paced back and forth to get blood flowing through his legs again. He didn’t express it, but he was worried about Orion and Calder too. Calder was always very punctual. If he said he would be here in the evening, he would be here. He glanced at the setting sun like checking a clock that signaled the end of his life.

Leather footsteps could be heard outside the door along with two voices. Neither of them sounded like Calder. Quietly he rushed back to the hiding spot. Eren knelt near Arhi and Lilith and then pressed his ear against the wall facing the hallway.

“I saw them taking him out toward the southern port. They had a whole entourage and everything. Fifty. No a hundred soldiers were escorting the prince.”

Another voice responded, “I doubted it at first, but it seems the rumors are true. I still find it hard to believe Prince Calder has been exiled.”

Eren frowned as the voices faded down the hallway. Calder exiled? For what reason? Did the king find out about us, or was it something else? What if people were coming for them? Maybe Orion had been caught and confessed to the Prince hiding them? Out of panic he reached for the dagger they had but then remembered Orion had taken it with himself. He turned to face Ahri and Lilith. What would he say to them?

Lilith noticed the concern on his face and spoke, “What did you hear?”

“Calder,” Eren forced himself to get the words out as his mind considered the dangers they faced. “Calder’s been exiled.”

Lilith chuckled nervously. “Come on, Eren. That's not a funny joke. What did you really hear.”

“I’m telling the truth.” He began searching for cloaks that Calder had previously left behind. “They have to be here somewhere.”

Lilith grabbed his wrist. “Stop! What are you doing? Calder couldn’t have been exiled.” Eren shook her off and continued searching. “Your serious.” Her voice leveled out as she accepted the situation. She felt Ahri’s trembling body next to her. The girl seemed like she would shatter at a single touch. She’s trying so hard to hold it all in. She had seen Ahri like this, once before, when they meet on a slave caravan heading for Obsidius. Although she no longer looked malnourished she retained her sensitivity. It was as if she wanted to scream. To let the world know she had had enough. Lilith strangely envied her. Ahri was still sensitive to the world. Lilith wished she still had the capacity to feel. To care. To for once not accept things as they are. Why she still fought to live. She did not know.

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Eren reached behind Lilith and pulled out several brown cloaks. “I found them.” He untangled the mass of cloth and straightened them out. “We have to leave before more come. Quickly, put these on.”

Lilith was taken aback as Eren shoved a cloak into her hands. “Where will we go?”

“Where else,” Eren responded. “We’re getting on the same ship as Calder. This is our last chance.”

The words Eren spoke seemed to resonate with Ahri as she raised her head. She clasped the brown cloth as she timidly gathered herself. “If that's our only option let's do it.” Her voice was feeble but held a latent resolve behind it.

“The hardest part will be getting out of the palace. From what Calder has told us I know we’re somewhere in the east wing.” Eren rubbed his hand through his hair as he continued to think through their options. The front gate won’t work. I know there is a Western entrance, but that's too far away. “To be honest I don’t know much of the layout of the palace. Calder smuggled me in with the food supplies, so I was in a barrel the whole time. I never got a glimpse of much of the outside.”

“We came in through the sewage tunnels.” Eren turned to face Lilith who was smoothing out the wrinkles in her cloak. She gave him a quizzical look as she waited for a response.

“Is there access near here?”

This time it was Ahri who answered. “There is, but I would rather not trudge through that filth again.”

Lilith stood up once she was satisfied with how her cloak fit. “It even leads out to the Southern port. That's where Calder is, so that’s where we should be heading.”

Ahri looked like she was about to gag just thinking about it. “Please don’t make it seem like a viable option.”

“It does seem like our best option though.” Eren motioned both Ahri and Lilith out of the space in the wall. “If it's too bad for you just plug your nose. It’s either through the sewage tunnels or being caught up here. Do either of you remember what the privy chamber looked like? We don’t want to go opening random doors.”

“I don’t think the one we came through had a door. Just a small hall and then a right turn into the toilet,” Lilith responded.

As Eren moved toward the door Ahri reluctantly pushed herself out from the hole. She then placed the wooden panel back on the wall. Lilith brushed any remaining dust off of her cloak just for a new layer to settle on the fabric. With his hand on the door handle, Eren briefly peeked out into the hallway. He pulled his hood up and nodded to the girls to do the same.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway he felt his chest tighten. He hadn’t felt this nervous since Calder had first snuck him in. They didn’t even know where the nearest toilet was, yet now there was no turning back. Any hesitation could spell doom for all of them. He listened for any noise. A footstep, the breath of another living being, a creak of the floor, any sound could prove fatal. As they get further from the door, the temptation to rush back intensified. They had always been safe in that room. Calder had assured them of that.

Every few paces, a dark door loomed to either side of them. Eren held his breath as they passed each one, waiting for the moment one would open. Several doors had small slits carved out of the wood so an observer behind the door could see the hall. Anytime they passed a door of similar nature they crouched down and hoped for the best. A few more paces ahead a thin entrance was carved in the wall.

That must be the privy chamber, Eren internally rejoiced. They were almost there. Freedom crept into his mind, but he pushed the thought aside. Now was the time to focus. He kept a steady pace until reaching the divot in the wall. Turning to beckon the two girls into the small hallway, he froze at the sight of shining silver armor behind them.

“Now,” his voice rasped.

At the sound of his voice, the two soldiers quicked their approach. “You there, stop! No one else is supposed to be in the East Wing at this time.”

Ahri dashed into the slit in the wall as her hood fell to reveal her white hair. “Stellapuer,” a soldier exclaimed. “What are they doing here?” He began to unsheath his sword and turned to his companion. “We must not let them escape!”

Eren was already at the toilet as he fumbled with the latches on the wooden seat. The sound of metal crashing against the floor filled his ears. “Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered to himself. “By Rykard’s bile, work.”

A foot slammed into the lock from behind him. Lilith smiled at her handy work as the rusted lock fell from the latch. “What are you waiting for? Lift it already.” Eren jumped back up as he threw open the wooden cover. The putrid smell coming from the hole made him hesitate for a moment until the shouts from the hall reminded him of their situation. “Ahri, Lilith, you two go first.” He saw Ahri’s hesitation and grabbed her by the neck of her cloak. “No time to change your mind. Get ready for a drop.” Ahri plugged her nose and gave Eren a rueful glare. Lilith needed no motivation and jumped in seconds after Ahri. He could hear the exasperated breathing of the soldiers at the entrance to the privy chamber. He stared into the gaping hole, took a deep breath, and jumped.