Hajnal couldn't even decide where to look in the hustle and bustle. The prince was organising a ball for her, where he also wanted to announce their engagement. But because he wanted to organise this event in three days, he turned the whole castle upside down. Hajnal obviously did not have a gown suitable for this occasion, so a dozen tailors and seamstresses were sent to her. They were running back and forth around her like ants, but they did not utter a single word to her the whole time. They were just politely bowing and gesturing to her to indicate where to turn or what to do. Initially, the fairy tolerated it, but after a while, she busted out:

"Am I so obnoxious that I don't even deserve words?"

The tailors and seamstresses looked at each other, terrified, and then the bravest stepped forward.

"It's nothing like that, my lady! It's just that we are forbidden to waste your time with useless chatter!"

"You are not allowed to talk to me?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Who forbade that?"

"The prince, my lady. He said it's improper for people like us to do so."

Hajnal frowned. She didn't find this reasonable, although humans probably had different customs. But she told them not to mind his words and to talk to her freely.

During the day, she tried to look for the prince multiple times. Once, she was actually successful. But he was talking with the captain. The man who murdered Bíbor. Even the sight of him made her sick, so she returned to her room. Not much later, she was already preparing for dinner when her handmaid unexpectedly spoke. 

"The prince is not as kind-hearted as my lady believes he is."

Hajnal was surprised by her voice. Especially the mysterious tone she used.

"What do you mean?"

"Does my lady think she is free?"– she replied after a little break.

"What kind of a question is that? Why wouldn't I be free?"

"Really? Can you roam this castle free, without somebody watching every step you make?"– Hajnal wanted to answer, but the maid continued –"Can you do whatever you wish? Can you leave the castle whenever you want to?"

"That would be discourteous! First…”

"You have to ask the prince, right?"– cut in the maid, and Hajnal faintly nodded –"Then my lady, that means you are a prisoner just like the other fairies. Your cage might be gilded with gold and stuffed with silk, but it's still a prison."

"Wait! What did you say about the fairies?"

"You don't know where they are? – the handmaid stood in front of her with way too much confidence. 

"They are at home! They escaped!"– Hajnal said doubtfully.

"Far from it!"– the handmaid shook her head –"The prince keeps them in the castle prison."

"You're lying! He would never do that!"

"You don't have to believe me. You can check for yourself if I am right or wrong."

"Get out! I don't want to see you ever again!"

The handmaid picked up her basket and was about to leave, but she stopped at the door and turned back. 

"Just tell him no for something trivial! He will definitely show his true colours."

Hajnal was fuming with anger. How could a simple maid tell her such impudent lies? She sat at the dressing table and tried calming down while brushing her hair. But her heart was still pounding when she stepped into the dining room. The more she tried to forget about the girl's words, the more they crawled under her skin. Ultimately, for her peace of mind, she decided to take the maid's advice. After all, how could a simple no hurt anybody? 

The prince was just about to make a toast and raised his glass.

"Let's drink for our health!"

"Thank you, but I don't want to drink now."– Hajnal answered with downcast eyes.

"On what account?"

"I just don't feel like it."

"Please don't be like that! Come, drink with me!"

"Next time. I really don't think that I would enjoy it now."

"Is it the wine? I should have known! Hey!"– he shouted to the server –"You idiot! You brought the worse wine, didn't you? Get going for another one!"

Hajnal's eyes were forced wide open seeing this scene, but it wasn't even close to the end. She repeatedly refused the drink, but it was all in vain. The man kept insisting. He was on the verge of tears because he was sure she did not love him and only wanted to marry him for his rank. The fairy had to give up, but at this point, one glass was not enough for him anymore. He filled her glass again and again, saying that if she had drunk the first time he asked her to, then this wouldn't have happened. 

Hajnal dizzily wobbled back to her room. She leaned against the doorframe and met the gaze of her handmaid, who had been waiting for her to return from dinner.

"Lead me to my fairies!"– she ordered.

Because she was not human, Hajnal sobered up pretty quickly. By the time they reached the prison, she was completely fine. The twelve prisoners were huddled up together at the back of the cell. They only looked up when they heard Hajnal's voice. Then, they all rushed to her, reached through the bars, and grabbed her hand.

"Hajnal! Are you all right?"

"We are so glad that you are alive!"

"What happened to you?"

Their princess couldn't respond. Tears surged into her eyes, and she quietly started to sob. How could she be so asinine? She was so blinded by her grief that she completely forgot about her friends. It might be that Bíbor died because of her, but they were also here because of her. She cannot help the dead, but she can save the living. 

"I will get you out of here! Just be patient! We will get home!"

Easier said than done. Hajnal and the handmaid toiled through the night trying to come up with a plan. They finally succeeded as dawn broke. They were going to escape on the night of the ball. There would be a lot of guests, which means more than enough horses and carriages, and the gates would be open the entire night. They had no chance against the guards, so they needed to come up with another option. Hajnal had the idea to put sleeping powder in the food and drinks used in the celebration. Everyone would use them, so the fairies could sneak out of the castle when they fell asleep. 

But no help was free. In exchange for her help, the handmaid could take whatever she wanted from Hajnal's treasures, and they would part ways after getting to safety. 

The plan was flawless. They just had to carry it out. Until then, they had to act like nothing had happened. However, Hajnal did not mention to the handmaid that she had one more thing to take care of.

During the day, she kept her eye on the prince and realised he had a very close friendship with Bíbor's killer. Amongst many things, his solidarity was probably fake, too. During dinner, she sipped from her glass, then casually mentioned her discovery.

"Why didn't you punish your soldier?"– she glanced at the prince.

"Which one do you mean?"

"The one responsible for Bíbor's death."

"Oh, you mean the captain of my guards? I demoted him and took his wealth. What else do you wish from me?"

"His life."– she responded with such cold eyes that the prince got goosebumps.

"Come on! That's a little extreme for the life of a fairy."

"He took away the most important person in my life. He shall pay for it!"

Her words were unusually callous. The prince was bewildered for a moment but quickly regained his relaxed expression.

"As you wish!"