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It was dead at night, when Aster woke her sister and brother up and got them out of bed. 

“No, it’s too early,” Clover groaned, wrapping the sheets above her head. Aster pulled the sheets off the bed, “get up now, we’re leaving.” 

“Leaving?” Clover asked groggily, 

“There are woods beyond the wall around the garden, we go through there, and get as far from this place as possible.” 

“Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” Basil questioned leaning against Clovers door, yet he was wake dressed and ready, carrying a small rucksack on his shoulder.

“Did you pack everything that looked valuable?” 

“Candle sticks, a few small gold chests and clothes.” 

Aster nodded, “good, we’ll sell them as soon as we can.” 

“Are we going back to Spendia?” 

Aster fell into a fit of laughter at Clover's question, she grew silent after a moment and stared at Clover, “oh, you’re serious.” 

“It wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Clover grumbled, pushing herself up to sit. 

“Yeah, Clover lets’ go to one of the only places they’d look for us first.” 

“Cyrus will protects us, he’ll-” 

“Clover,” Aster sighed, “we’re not safe there, especially since he knows about our magic,” she sat on the edge of Clover bed looking over at her with sad eyes, “we can’t go back. Besides, we don’t know if he wants to see-” 

“Aster,” Basil warned behind her, 

“We can’t coddle her about this, I'm not saying he doesn't want her, we just don’t know if he does.” 

“Then where will we go,” Clover whispered, we have nowhere else-” 

“Here,” Clover peered at her with a doubtless expression, “not, here, here,” Aster groaned, “I mean in the empire, we hide in plain sight, I'll never even guess.” 

“We won’t have to hide our magic,” Clover smiled, “that's brilliant,” 

“That is if we can-” Basil made quotation marks with his fingers, “-escape.” 

“How are we getting over the wall again?” 

“She hasn’t actually told us that, have you Aster?” 

Aster glowered at her brother and his lack of support for her plan. “I’ll think of something on the way there.” 

“Don’t pack too much Clover, I have a feeling we’ll be back here soon,” if Basil hadn’t said that with the most vacant voice, Aster would have thought he was making fun of her. 

As soon as Clover was dressed, the three made their way to the doors. Cracking it ajar, they peered through checking if the coast was clear. They spotted the two guards who had stopped Aster's escape earlier that day. 

“Great, how the fuck are we supoosed to get past them,” Aster grumbled, 

Clover next to her grinned, “i know,” 

It didn’t take very long for Clover to find something small enough to throw, but hard enough to hit a person. She threw the object out into the hall first catching the two guards attention, 

“What the-” 

Then she threw something a little heavier. She lunged out her arm throwing the rock hitting one of the guards. She then snuck up in front of him just as the groaning guard was getting his bearings trying to figure who and what hit him. 

Clover with a piece of fabric tied around her knuckles punched the guard square in the face, he fell, as she kicked him as well in the crotch.  

Both Aster and Basil gasped at her, she then tied the fabric around the man's mouth, then around his wrist and ankles. 

Clover looked down at her handiwork proud. But she had also forgotten that the other guard was still awake and kicking and was watching her the entire time. 

“I don’t know what is going on but, i think you need to untie Ralph-” he was stopped as Aster behind him hit him around the head with a bronze tray. 

“We’re sorry,” Clover said as the man fell to the ground, Aster hit his head again for good measure, as Clover again kicked the man in the crotch. 

The man grumbled in pain, his hands reaching for his tender parts. Basil came forward with pieces of striped fabric, tying the man up. 

“That was the stupidest bloody plan ever!” Aster shrieked, 

“It worked didn’t it,” 

“Yeah only because you kept kicking them in the balls!” 

Clover shrugged, “you told me that was what i should do if i needed to run away from someone.” 

Aster sighed, pinching the bridge of nose, “Come on, let's just go.” 

Getting through the gardens had been harder than Aster thought, the plants had tried to stop them leaving at every turn. By the time they got to the garden wall the moon was beginning to set, beckoning close to morning. They had only a few more hours till daylight. They used a tree to climb to the top of the wall, and landed on the other side with a heavy thud. They attempted to travel between the trees as silently as they could, but the wind roared against them, a simple step becoming harder and harder to push through. Yet just as Aster thought they had made better ground, something shifted beneath their feet. The next thing she knew all three of them were swinging upside down, dangling by their legs. The tree branches had wrapped tightly around their ankles. 

“Why is everything against us?” 

“I wish I was in bed,” Clover whined. 

Below them, riding on a large black stallion was the emperor, his steely gaze swept over them, his lips curled up as if ridiculing them for their failed attempt. 

Aster folded her arms, already feeling the blood rushing to her head. “I guess I'm going to have to make a better plan.”