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  As soon as they were inside, Elloriann closed the door and helped Carla sit down on the bed. The room was small and mostly empty. It felt cold and unwelcoming, and Elloriann tried not to think of the kind of conditions the slaves lived in, if this was the room offered to a guard of the visiting royalty.

  Elloriann moved the only chair in the room closer to the bed and sat in front of Carla. She didn’t really know what to do next. They sat in silence for a while.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Carla said quietly, still looking mostly at the floor. “You’re putting yourself and your servant in danger.”

  “What’s the alternative? Leave you on the ground outside to suffer?”

  “Yes.”

  Before Elloriann could think of an answer, Gerome entered the room. Alone.

  “I found a doctor,” he explained, “but he wouldn’t help. I tried to appeal to his sense of duty, but he said that helping a slave without explicit permission was against the rules of the castle and could lead to him losing his position here, and he has a family to feed.”

  “Right,” Elloriann said in a resigned voice.

  “He gave me this, however.”

  Gerome handed over a small bag of medical supplies.

  “Well, that’s better than nothing.”

  Elloriann opened the bag to find rags, bandages, and a small bottle of healing lotion.

  “Here,” Gerome offered her a canteen of water.

  Elloriann cleaned up Carla’s wounds as well as she could and applied the healing lotion.

  “Can I check your back?” Elloriann asked gently.

  Carla hesitated, but then slowly started dragging off her clothes.

  Gerome left the room. Carla turned to allow Elloriann to check her back.

  The welts on her back were long and dark. They would form angry bruises later, but the skin wasn’t broken. Carla shivered slightly in the chilly air of the room, and jumped a little as Elloriann started applying the lotion to the welts. Elloriann murmured an apology, then continued to apply the medicine, slowly and carefully.

  When she was done, Carla put her clothes back on. An awkward silence fell.

  What now?

  “Thank you,” Carla said as she resumed her downward staring.

  Elloriann sat and thought for a few moments, trying to decide what to do next. There weren’t many options. Well, of course, there were many options, but only one seemed acceptable.

  “We need to get you out of here.”

  “Yes, your highness, I’ll go back to the barracks,” Carla said obediently, and started rising from the bed, but Elloriann stopped her with a gentle touch.

  “No. I mean, out of this place, this castle. This land.”

  Carla finally looked up at Elloriann, but quickly lowered her eyes once more.

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. I suppose I could buy you, but... I don’t know the first thing about buying slaves, and the transaction would take time. The prince could get wind of it. We need to get you away from here fast.”

  “You intend to steal me?”

  “For lack of a better word, yes,” Elloriann said, but quickly realized that she was making a life-changing decision for someone else and hurried to correct the mistake. “Only if you agree, of course. I'm not going to force you to come with me. I don't presume to know what's best for you. But if you want to leave here, I want to help. You won't have to stay with me. You'll be free to go as soon as we're a safe distance away.”

  Carla hesitated. She wanted to leave. Deeply, unquestionably, without a doubt.

  It happened, sometimes, that people who were in slavery for too long began to feel as though there was no other life for them. Their minds adapted and made them believe they should be in slavery. But it happened a lot less often than slave owners liked to believe. More often than not, slaves just wanted to be free. And sometimes, if that was not to happen, they wanted to be dead.

  Nonetheless, Carla hesitated, because this would be of great inconvenience to the princess. Possibly even put her in danger.

  “I don't want to cause you this much trouble,” she said quietly.

  “It would be just as troublesome for me to know I could have saved you but didn't,” Elloriann replied. “Let me put it this way – I am leaving here, now. I'd be happy if you came with me, but the choice is entirely yours.”

  “But you are meant to meet the prince, and then...marry him.”

  “I’ve already met the prince. And the marrying can wait.”

  Elloriann hoped the marrying wouldn’t happen at all, but she needed to discuss that with her father first.

  Carla was silent for a while, considering the situation. The only thing stopping her was the fear of burdening the princess, but then...she realized that if she were in Elloriann's position, she too would wish to save someone if she had the chance.

  “I... I'd like to come with you.”

  “Gerome!” Elloriann called through the door.

  Gerome, who had been waiting just outside the door now reentered the room.

  “I’ve heard what you said, Ell, I’ll get the carriage ready,” Gerome said with an approving smile.

  “Good. I’ll write a letter to the queen and king. Tell them something important has come up and we had to leave. The prince doesn’t know who I am. If we’re lucky, they’ll never connect our hasty departure to the disappearance of one of their slaves.”

  “He’ll likely think I ran because he threatened me,” Carla said. “He might send out a search party out of spite.”

  “I doubt he’ll think to send it to Evlirone’s royal castle.”

  Elloriann smiled playfully, and Carla couldn’t help smiling back, even though she still couldn’t quite look up at the princess.

  After the letter was written and sent off to the king and queen with one of their servants, Elloriann and Gerome took Carla to their carriage. Elloriann gave Carla her own robe, which had a hood that concealed her face.

  When they arrived at the carriage, Carla paused to look at it in confusion.

  “What is this?”

  “A motorized carriage,” Elloriann explained proudly. “They are quite new. My father has always been a supporter of progress. He ordered several to be made for us as soon as they were invented. Of course, we had to sell most of them after the storm. This is the only one we kept.”

  “How does it work?” Carla asked as they climbed into the carriage and closed the doors.

  “On steam, I believe. Though I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you the details. We have a mechanic at the castle. I’ll introduce you when we arrive. She could tell you all about it.”

  Carla gasped in fascination as the engine started and the carriage began to move. When she’d woken up that day, she expected work, despair, and possibly pain. And she’d gotten a fair share of that. But she most certainly had not expected that the day would end with her going back to Evlirone, in a motorized carriage, with the princess sitting beside her.

  8

  Gerome had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed driving.

  When the motorcars were first constructed for the royal family, the king ordered Gerome to learn how to operate one, so that he could accompany the princess on distant journeys without the need for someone possibly less trustworthy to be driving.

  Gerome was hesitant at first. Motorcars seemed strange and threatening at the time. But as soon as he started learning, he realized just how much he enjoyed the feeling of driving a vehicle. There was so much more freedom and control in it than in being pulled forth by hired carriers, or drawn by horses held in harnesses and motivated by pain.

  When most of the motorcars were sold after the storm, Gerome quietly mourned the loss.

  But now he was driving once again, if only for a short time, and it felt wonderful.

  He was taking the motorcar back to Evlirone, with Elloriann and Carla in the back. He felt deeply proud of Elloriann. Perhaps, he had little right to have such feelings, but he had w
atched Elloriann grow. He and the other servants had participated in her upbringing far more than the king ever did, so Gerome felt that he was at least in part responsible for how she turned out. And he felt proud that the princess had chosen to throw so much effort and dedication into saving the life of a complete stranger.

  Elloriann sat quietly in the back of the carriage, looking at the scenery they passed, occasionally glancing at Carla.

  She wondered if saving one slave when so many more remained in someone’s ownership was a futile effort, more selfish than truly helpful. Perhaps she was doing this merely to feel better about herself. She had not met any other slaves, so leaving them to their fates did not feel as tragic as it would have been to leave Carla behind.

  But maybe saving one life was better than saving none at all. Elloriann felt responsible for Carla. She simply could not leave her to suffer at the prince’s hand.

  Worry shot through her as she saw Carla wince when they hit a bump in the road.

  “We have a good doctor at the castle,” Elloriann said, possibly for her own sake as much as Carla’s, wishing to reassure herself that Carla would recover. She sighed as Carla nodded with a timid smile, still not looking up. “How long have you been in slavery?” Elloriann hoped that asking such a question was not impolite, but the silence was beginning to choke her.

  “About 5 years, I estimate.”

  “Since the storm?”

  “Yes.”

  Silence fell again. Elloriann looked into the distance once more, noting that they weren’t far from the border and would soon be entering Evlirone.

  “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” she said, “but...what happened to your face? Did someone do this to you while you were a slave?”

  Carla smiled. It was a fair assumption to make. A damaged slave was an ordinary thing.

  “No, I was born like this.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” Carla tried to shrug, but it hurt to do so. “It was probably why my birth parents gave me up. And my real parents, the ones who raised me, were the best parents you could ever ask for. I don’t know who brought me into this world, but if they gave up a child because of this–” She indicated her face with a motion of her hand. “–then they probably wouldn’t be very good parents.”

  Elloriann could only agree. It was a good way to look at things, if nothing else.

  “Having good parents is a true blessing,” Elloriann said sadly. She didn’t know this for sure, but she believed it must be wonderful to have good parents. Or at least one. She, after all, only ever had servants, and a father who rarely ever spoke to her.

  Carla sensed the sadness in Ell’s words, but decided not to address it. She was not in a position to ask the princess personal questions. She was still in awe of the fact that she was allowed to speak to Elloriann so freely, and was still uncertain of her boundaries.

  They both fell silent again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable anymore.

  Soon they reached the border and stopped. The borders between lands weren’t very well-guarded, but there was usually at least one guard on the main road – a precaution introduced after the storm, when the bandits were smuggling large quantities of stolen goods and people between lands. It hadn’t helped Carla, of course, as she was enslaved barely a day after the storm, but there were others, later, who were more fortunate.

  Gerome knew the guard, and they spoke for a few minutes before the carriage moved again. The guard then checked the back of the carriage, bowing to the princess when she saw her.

  Elloriann breathed a sigh of relief when they finally crossed the border and were out of Mordielle.

  Carla would occasionally sneak glances at Elloriann’s face, but continued to look down for the most part. It was a habit she’d been forced to follow for years, and even if it was no longer needed, it would take more than a few hours to give up.

  Carla tried to look at the floor or the seat of the carriage, but her glance would drift to Elloriann’s hands almost against her will.

  Those hands were the first thing Carla saw of Elloriann back at the stables, when Carla was on the ground, and Ell kneeled beside her.

  Elloriann’s skin was dark brown, but her fingernails were of a lighter shade, and it made Carla think of seeds planted into freshly-plowed soil. It wasn’t the most elegant comparison, but to Carla it was just about the most beautiful thing in the world. It made her think of her childhood, her parents, her farm. Of a time when she was happy.

  “Do you have to marry Prince Rondall?” Carla asked, hoping that she wasn’t crossing a line.

  “No one can make me, but...” Elloriann sighed. “Evlirone is still recovering after the storm. It’s not so bad anymore, but our people would benefit greatly from an alliance with another land.” Elloriann fixed her gaze on a tree in the distance and kept looking at it until it was out of sight. “Or so I thought.”

  “You don’t think so anymore?”

  “I don’t know. How beneficial would it be to marry the future leader of a land where slavery is commonplace?”

  “I suppose the fate of both lands would depend on whether you would change Mordielle or Prince Rondall would change Evlirone.”

  Elloriann and Rondall would both rule their respective lands some day, but it didn't mean that either of them would have influence in the land of the other. Whether they lived together or apart, their lands were their own, and whether or not they would have a say in the other's politics would depend on things yet to happen. There was, however, also a possibility that one day the lands would merge, and even that Rondall would rule both of them alone, should Elloriann die and no other successors to her throne existed.

  “Do you think Mordielle’s royals would be willing to accept such a change?”

  “I’ve never met the queen and king. I spent all my time there at the stables, and they never came down there. I've heard stories of them, but nothing that could truly let me understand them. As for the prince...well, you’ve met the prince.”

  “Yes, I have.”

  Elloriann lowered her eyes, and now they were both looking at the carriage floor. Elloriann knew she would have to discuss this with her father before she could make a decision. Carla wondered if the princess even considered her own fate when it came to the outcome of her potential marriage to Mordielle’s prince.

  “In the time I’ve spent there, the prince has killed 3 horses and 2 slaves,” Carla said quietly. “I've heard one of the horses refused to let the prince ride him. I'm not sure what the rest of them did, but it never took much to anger the prince.”

  Carla was almost certain that if Elloriann hadn’t come to the stables, hadn’t chosen to invite Carla to leave, she would have most likely joined the numbers of Prince Rondall’s victims.

  “I’m sorry,” Elloriann said, unsure of how else to respond to this information.

  “I just think...” Carla hesitated, but felt she needed to say this. “I just think being married to him would be dangerous. Especially for someone as kind and caring as you.”

  Elloriann blushed at the praise. A warm feeling settled in her chest. She knew that Carla couldn’t quite be objective in judging her character, but her worry for Elloriann’s safety was still quite touching.

  The carriage stopped. Gerome opened the door and Elloriann exited the carriage. Then she offered her hand to Carla, helping her out of the vehicle, and trying not to worry too much as she saw the pain on Carla’s face.

  “Well then,” she said as she gave Carla a soft smile. “Welcome to Evlirone.”

  9

  “There is something you said earlier,” Carla said as they walked from the carriage station to the castle. “You said I wasn’t even your subject. That’s not quite true. I grew up in Evlirone. I was taken by slave traders after the storm had destroyed my farm and killed my parents.”

  Elloriann stopped in her tracks.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “That never should have happened. We tried
to stop the bandits, but...well, there was so much to fix at the time.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “It isn’t.” Carla allowed herself a bit of strictness for a moment, because really, the princess did not deserve to carry this blame on her heart.

  Elloriann sighed and nodded, though she still wasn’t quite convinced.

  They walked into the castle, down several hallways, and finally into Elloriann’s bedroom.

  It was dark outside, and almost everyone in the castle was already asleep. Elloriann didn’t want to wake anyone up, nor did she intend to simply leave Carla outside somewhere and let her fend for herself barely a few hours out of slavery. So she decided that it would be best to invite Carla to spend the night in her bedroom, and in the morning they could decide what to do next.

  Carla stood silently by the door. She felt a confusing mixture of emotions. Being welcomed into the princess’ bedroom was flattering, but it also made her feel uncertain of her actions. She didn’t know what was and wasn’t allowed, didn’t know what the rules were, how she was supposed to act.

  Elloriann unfolded a spare mattress on the floor. Then she took a spare pillow and blanket out of a wardrobe and lay them out carefully on the improvised bed.

  “I hope this is all right,” Elloriann said quietly.

  “Thank you, your highness.” Being inside the castle made it difficult for Carla to forget Elloriann’s status, and she felt the need to address her by her royal title.

  “Ell,” Elloriann corrected softly.

  “Ell.”

  They both crawled into their respective beds. Elloriann fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the events of the day and all the travel. It took Carla longer to join her in slumber. She spent a long time looking at the moon and wondering what would happen to her the next day, or the day after. Even when she finally fell asleep, her mind was not truly at rest.

  Elloriann was woken up by a sound of whimpering. It took her a moment to remember the events of the previous day, to remember that she wasn’t alone in her bedroom.