"Hi, mama," I open the door to see an empty house. There is no stew in the corner, fire burning on any wood, or bits of life within the general vicinity of the area. This is nothing short of --- odd.

I walk around the shack, looking for any sort of life that might be hidden in the crevices. But there is only silence. I place the bag down on my little sleeping mat and go over to where I saw Mama only this morning. I glance over to the former pot of mush, now cleaned, and press my hand against the pot; it is still lukewarm. That means Mama must have cleaned it within the past twenty minutes. That means that she is not too far away. 

I give another glance to the empty home before going back to the door and opening it. I peek my head out of the entrance as if expecting to see Mama appearing around the corner, but she is nowhere in sight. 

"What in the name of Gala," I mummer quietly to myself as I take a few steps outside, back into the incoming blizzard. I keep my hands inside the sleeves of my dress and start to look towards the ground, searching for possible footsteps. From the door, I can see Mama's footsteps leading towards the farming grounds. Perhaps she wanted to save the crops before they got spoiled from the storm, right? 

I close the door and stammer through the deep pockets of snow. It feels like I am dragging my feet through the Benimo Swamp. My toes are going to be frost-bitten after this little venture. 

I look around as the snow continues to fall, and I cannot help but feel the chill of the wind biting at my partially exposed feet. I quickly reach the fields and notice that all the crops have a thin layer of elder-spider silk covering over them, keeping them protected from the bitter weather. I inch closer to the main farmhouse while continuing to follow the footsteps.

"Mama," I shout into the cool air, my breath coming up as an icy cloud. My voice echoes through the fields and an ominous chill makes its way down my spine. I cannot help but peek over my shoulder back towards the area of the marketplace opening. I cannot see anyone, but the feeling of being watched is caught within the stomach. I let out a huff and continue to follow the footsteps; they start to look less shallow, meaning that they are fresher. 

The desperate feeling, I once had is now starting to calm down as I inch closer to the shelter. I see the opening, and the glow that appears from afar confirms my suspicions. I hustle over, my feet making little crunchy noises along the thickening spread of snow. When I enter the entrance, I can see Mama humming to herself as she is petting one of the horses. 

"Mama! Why did not you tell me you were leaving," I continue to walk towards her as her tired eyes look me up and down, inspecting my dress. I make my way up to Mama and give her a kiss on the forehead; she has me constantly worried. 

"I'm sorry, Alice. I was notified that the storm was coming faster than we thought. I had to hurry to save the remaining crops we have for the rest of the term," I let myself nod as I gaze around the barn. It has always been a miniature paradise for me, full of animals in all shapes and species. 

"It's okay, Mama. I was just scared," I nervously shift in my gown as Mama gives me a small smile. I look towards the horse she is tending to; it is a grey Yehema horse, known for its beauty and elegance despite being trapped in the swamp marshes. 

"Reina," I holler as the horse turns her attention towards me. She gives a little huff in acknowledgment before turning her attention back to Mama. I laugh as the feeling of betrayal runs over me, of course, Reina would go for Mama; she is the one that gives her all the apples. 

"So," I hum as I look around at all the resting animals. I can pinpoint a few animals that I take care of regularly, but I do not dare wake them in their moment of calamity. I look back to mama, my mind wandering back to the issue running through my mind, "You failed to tell me that you didn't pay for this dress."

Mama's face visibly pales as her mouth was left slightly agape. Her sky-colored eyes filled with clouds of panic as she soon stopped petting Reina. I cross my arms as I tap my foot on the ground; I know I pinned her up against the wall. She did not lie to me, but she certainly did not tell me the truth about where the dress came from. 

"Alice, I can explain," her words are a mere whisper. She looks down to the ground, her head hanging in shame. I let out a heavy sigh as I look back to the entrance; if we did not get out of here soon, the snow would trap us in. 

"Mama, we need to get home. You can explain later," Mama looks past me, towards the blizzard outside. I can see her fingers knit together before she pushes herself up the small stool and giving the horse one last pat. 

"Alright, let's hurry home."

---

I stumble through the door as the snow only seems to be growing denser by the second. I truly have no idea how in the world I will make it to Madam Zornem's cottage tomorrow if I must walk halfway across the kingdom. 

I take my tattered shoes off and notice that my feet are starting to turn a lighter shade of white. I am worried that frostbite might be starting to take effect. Mama casts her eyes towards my feet before closing the door and locking it. She takes off the shawls that wrap around her body and shakes off the snow that has settled along her shoulders. 

"I know you're beyond confused," she starts, looking past me. She fiddles with her thumbs before heading to the corner of the shack, grabbing a small bit of wood to cast into the fireplace. 

"Just a little bit, Mama. Let me ask obvious; why in the world does the court want my presence at Gala? We are nobodies," I sit down on my makeshift bed and throw the covers over my aching feet. I cannot help but bite my lip and dig my nails into my skin. Things are just so --- puzzling. 

"I don't know, Alice," I glance to Mama and look deeply into her movements. Her hands tremble, arms are stiff, face contorts slightly, and eyebrows knead together. She is lying. 

"Just tell me the truth," Mama finishes tossing the wood into the fireplace before she turns back to look at me, betrayal spread out along her face. I am sure the look in my frost-covered eyes is telling enough that I am beyond fed up with all the mangled messages. 

Mama hesitates before holding a hand up, signaling for me to pause for a second. I move my hands down and clench the small, wool blanket that caresses my entire body. I see Mama grab a small coal pouch and rub two of the coal together, causing sparks to dance up in the air. She tosses one of the sparking coals into the fire and puts the other coal into a small watering bin. There is an immediate difference with the temperature in the room. 

"It's complicated, Alice," I nod my head; it is obvious that this is not an easy matter to discuss. I just do not understand why in the world there are little secrets, to begin with. I thought Mama and I were open books to each other, reading every word trapped between the pages. I guess I am wrong. 

"But, Mama, you've been lying to me. I thought we agree to tell the truth," Mama freezes for a moment, her eyes starting to well with tears. Have I stepped forward too far? 

TRIGGER WARNING:

"My little Alice, I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything; I was helpless," my eyes widen as the despair in her voice drifts throughout the room. I am wondering what in the world she is talking about; what in the name of Gala could be so detrimental that happened to Mama? 

"Come here," Mama motioned me to join her as she sat along her mattress. I scuttle over with my blanket wrapped around tightly. Despite the warming air, it is still bitterly cold within the shack. 

"Alice, do you remember when you were little the fairytales, I would tell you at night? Goodness, there were so many," she lets out a little laugh, but I can't help but look to the ground. I did not feel like laughing. Mama notices and clears her throat,

"Alice, when I was twenty, I was a part of the empress games. I do not know how I was noticed, nor what the new king saw in me, but I was chosen among the lineups. You remember how it works, right?"

"Yes, Mama. There are thirty selected women, and the prince chooses ten to have a single night with. After ninety rotations of the sun, the prince will choose the new empress. I didn't know you were a part of that, Mama," she let out a small laugh, but it isn't one of joy. There is an aching pain hidden behind the glimmering smile she is portraying. 

"Also remember the golden rule: the prince is not allowed to have intercourse with any lady before his empress is chosen," I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. What is Mama suggesting? 

"My little Alice, you should know royalty never plays by the rules," I nod my head. That has always been the case; the royal court can do anything they wish without a smudge of punishment. They are the ones that make the rules anyway, and the elders never bother enforcing them due to fear of losing their place. And the only way to lose their seat is, to put it simply, death. 

"Mama, what happened," I cannot decipher what she is suggesting. There are so many questions that need to be answered, and I simply do not know where to even start. 

"When I had my night with the prince, he used me. He used me and tossed me away like rubbish," tears stream down Mama's face as the realization hits me. I want to think about what this is suggesting, but my head is frozen. 

"Oh, Mama," I curl into her shoulder as she runs her fingers through my hickory-colored hair. I cannot even imagine how she must have felt within those moments of utter hell. How long did she suffer for? What if she did not know she was pregnant until it was too late? Did the king even know? Would he have even cared? 

A thought suddenly lights up within my head, and I cannot help but let out a shudder,

"What does that make me, Mama? Is the king my. . . father?"