Dew woke again to the sound of hinges squeaking. Her heart skipped a beat before the undeniable soft footfalls of Efa reach her ears. She parted the curtain and allowed her sister to crawl in beside her. 

“You are well?” Dew asked, satisfied when Efa nodded her head. “Then, let’s sleep.” 

Efa tapped her arm. Two tiny taps with her pointer finger.

“Get a candle,” Dew pushed herself from the bed and adjusted the covers. 

Efa fetched a candle and used one of the matches to light the wick. She set it on the nearby stand and opened her sketchbook. Her words were sharp and quick. 

It is dark here. 

“It is,” Dew agreed. “Do you have candles in your room?”

I do. 

“You should keep one lit just in case.” An old habit Efa stopped doing a few years ago. She hated the dark, but Maeryn refused to continue wasting candles. “Was Anest kind to you?”

Efa nodded, scribbling something long on the page. 

He beheaded a lord! He killed his steward! Do you think he will be like Father? 

“Yes, he did. It is not wise to displease a king.” Though, Dew couldn’t recall rumors of their king doing such things in his court. “We should be on best behavior.” Dew bit her cheek as she thought about it. 

Rhyddid appeared like the ocean. Whirling destruction against the land and then providing a bright day for children to play. His rage left blood seeping into the stone walls. His kindness like sweet candy. 

Dew much preferred the candy. 

“He doesn’t seem to mind your muteness,” Dew pointed out. “And he doesn’t fault our lack of understanding.”

Efa nodded. 

Anest can read. 

“He chose ladies that would be useful to us,” Dew concluded. “They can teach us.” She pressed her palm against a knot in her neck. “I would say it is a good sign but I don’t know.” 

Efa set her sketchbook down to watch Dew. The shadows of the room cast across her face. Her eyes were dark and forlorn. 

Dew knew her thoughts. She, a human unliked by the court, to be wed to a king. A human queen in a world inhuman. It would be a disaster. 

“Neidr didn’t seem to care. She said Rhyddid would do as he pleases.” Efa nodded to her train of thought. “Maybe today was a one-time event, snuffing out any possibility of a second.”

A firm death sentence hung in the air for any who thought they could mess with the king. A sturdy sign of protection.

“Don’t worry, Efa,” Dew forced a smile to her face and patted her sister’s cheek. “I’ll make sure you are safe.”

Efa frowned and picked back up her sketchbook.

Who will keep you safe?

Dew’s automatic answer would have been Rhyddid. But, who would keep her safe from him?

“Let’s take this one day at a time.” It was the only thing Dew could think to say. “I’m going to the stables tomorrow to see the horses. You should come and draw.”

The thought of sketching made Efa smile. 

“You will have to show me what you sketched later,” Dew added as Efa pinched out the candle and laid her sketchbook beside it. 

Efa nodded against her sister’s shoulder, both hands grasping onto Dew’s arm. 

“It’ll be okay.” Dew pressed a kiss to Efa’s forehead. 

Her sister could live a life here. Free from the abuse and buried in her sketches. It was the minimum Dew would ask of Rhyddid.