Prince Rodrick sat in his study, meticulously looking through a stack of documents spread out before him. The dim light from the candles cast flickering shadows across the room, creating an ambiance of quiet concentration. A sudden knock at the door broke the silence.

"Enter," Rodrick called out, his voice steady.

The door opened to reveal his aide, Thomas, carrying a bundle of ledgers. "Your Highness, I've brought the ledgers you requested," Thomas said, bowing slightly as he approached the desk.

Rodrick gestured for him to come closer. "Did you find all of them?"

Thomas shook his head, a hint of concern in his eyes. "I'm afraid not, Your Highness. I only managed to get my hands on three ledgers—the records of the first, second, and fourth witch hunts. The others are nowhere to be found."

Rodrick frowned but took the ledgers, opening the first one and scanning its contents. He moved on to the second, then the third, his eyes narrowing as he meticulously compared the details. After a moment, he went back and reexamined the first and second ledgers with increasing intensity.

Noticing his master's agitation, Thomas stepped closer. "Is something the matter, Your Highness?"

Rodrick handed him the ledgers, pointing to specific entries. "Look at this. Compare the records."

Thomas's eyes widened as he studied the documents. "The female witches are..."

"Yes. That is suspicious. I need you to look further into this," Rodrick said, his voice tense.

"Yes, Your Highness," Thomas replied, bowing deeply. "I will begin the investigation immediately."

As Thomas left the room, Rodrick leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. The missing ledgers hinted at a deeper mystery, sensing there was more to the situation than met the eye.

***

I find myself in the woods, enveloped in darkness with only the faint light of the full moon seeping through the trees. "Where am I?" I whisper to myself, but the thick fog obscures my vision. Suddenly, I hear footsteps all around me. "Who is there?" I shout, but there is no answer. The footsteps grow louder, coming closer from all directions, as if trying to encircle me.

"Show yourself!" I demand, but again, there is no response. Frantic and unable to think straight, I start running. It feels as if I am being chased. Branches tug at my clothes and scratch my skin as I try to escape. I run blindly until I reach the edge of a cliff. Looking around desperately for an escape route, the footsteps grow louder and louder until there is total silence. Confused and terrified, I peer into the dark woods and whisper, "What do you want from me?"

A shadowy figure suddenly appears and pushes me off the cliff. I wake up gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. "Despite my efforts to find normalcy, my nights are plagued by relentless nightmares," I think to myself.

Finally calming down, I notice my hair has turned stark white during my sleep. Horrified and disoriented, I rush to a nearby mirror. The reflection of a girl with white hair stares back at me, filling me with panic. I consider calling for help but hesitate, unsure of what to do.

Overwhelmed by fear and confusion, my senses blur, and I collapse in a faint, my body unable to cope with the inexplicable changes and haunting visions that threaten to unravel my fragile sense of reality.

* * *

I awaken the next morning to a gentle knock on my door. Still reeling from the events of the previous night, I hear Lila call from the other side, "Lady Elara!"

Nervously, I approach the mirror and am relieved to find my hair has returned to its usual ginger hue. "Lady Elara, can we come in?" Lila asks again.

"You may come in," I respond, trying to steady my voice.

The doors open, and the maids enter, carrying the products for my morning routine. "Good morning, Lady Elara," they say in unison.

"Good morning, ladies," I replied, managing a small smile.

Sofia, Amelia, and Lila exchanged excited glances. "Lady Elara, we have wonderful news!" Sofia exclaimed.

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? What is it?"

Lila clapped her hands together. "Sir Gareth has given us permission to take you to the stream nearby. It's where the young aristocratic daughters and sons spend time having picnics. It'll be so much fun!"

My eyes widened with excitement. "Really? That sounds wonderful!"

The maids bustled about, helping me get dressed and ready for the outing. After a flurry of activity, we made our way to the stream, carrying a blanket and a basket of picnic food.

As we approached the stream, I took in the sight of the tranquil water, surrounded by lush greenery. We found a perfect spot and laid out our blanket, setting up our picnic.

"Look, Lady Elara, it's beautiful here, isn't it?" Amelia said, spreading out the food.

I nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. "It's perfect."

Suddenly, Cassandra and her friends appeared, their expressions turning sour at the sight of us. Cassandra, an Earl's daughter, was accompanied by her friends Bridget and Harriet, daughters of a Viscount, along with three boys, Nicholas, Geoffrey, and Henry.

"Well, well, look who decided to join us," Cassandra sneered.

Sofia glanced nervously at me before responding, "We're just here for a picnic, Cassandra."

Cassandra crossed her arms, eyeing us disdainfully. "And who invited you?"

Amelia stepped forward, trying to keep the peace. "We don't mean any trouble. We just wanted to enjoy the stream."

Bridget smirked, stepping closer to Lila. "Isn't that sweet? The little baron's daughter thinks she belongs here."

Nicholas chuckled, nudging Geoffrey. "Yeah, maybe you should know your place."

Lila, stubborn and unyielding, glared at them. "We have every right to be here."

Harriet poked Lila in the shoulder. "Maybe you should just leave."

Seeing Lila being harassed, I stepped forward to defend her. "That's enough. We're not doing anything to bother you."

Cassandra's eyes flashed with anger at my interference. "Oh, look, the little weirdo thinks she can stand up to us. 

"Isn't she the one who was found unconscious on a boat by the riverbank?" Bridget asked.

Nicholas and the other boys exchanged surprised looks. "Wait, you're the girl everyone talks about?" Nicholas said with a smirk.

I held my ground. "I won't let you bully us."

Not liking my defiance, Cassandra whispered something to Nicholas, who had been eyeing me. With a smirk, he approached me. "Think you're tough, do you?" he said, reaching out to grab me.

Meanwhile, the Duke and his knight, Donovan, were returning from the fields and noticed the commotion by the stream. At first, the Duke was ready to turn away, but then he recognized the girl being harassed. Fury ignited in his eyes as he strode towards us, Donovan following close behind. "Hey!" he yelled, but his voice carried away by the wind.

Nicholas raised his hand to slap me, but I swiftly sidestepped and performed a sharp elbow strike to his abdomen, followed by a leg sweep that dropped him to the ground.

Everyone, including the Duke, stood in shock. Nicholas got up, embarrassed and furious. "Grab her!" he demanded, and Geoffrey and Henry obeyed, holding me by both hands.

Sofia, Amelia, and Lila were also restrained by Cassandra's friends. Nicholas positioned himself to punch me, and I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

But it never came. Instead, I heard gasps. Opening my eyes, I saw the Duke had grabbed Nicholas's arm mid-punch. "Let her go," he commanded, his voice icy.

The boys immediately released me. "What is going on here?" the Duke demanded.

"Nothing, your grace," they stammered.

"It doesn't look like nothing," the Duke retorted.

"Just a little misunderstanding," Nicholas muttered.

The Duke turned to me, his gaze intense. "Is that true, Elara? A misunderstanding?"

Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes and the potential for things to escalate, I took a deep breath. "Yes, your grace, just a misunderstanding."

The Duke studied me for a moment before nodding. "If you say so." He then draped his coat over my shoulders. "Let's head back to the castle."

As we walked back, Sofia, Amelia, and Lila followed closely. Cassandra, hiding among her friends, seethed with jealousy at the Duke's growing affection for me.

Once we reached the castle, the Duke gently removed his coat from my shoulders. "Be careful and steer clear of such crowds, Elara," he said softly.

The gentle mention of my name made me blush. "Yes, your grace," I replied, my heart fluttering.

As I headed towards the stairs, Sofia asked, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Fight!" Amelia cut in, beaming with curiosity.

"I don't know, my body just moved," I said, climbing up the stairs.

I looked back and saw the Duke looking at me even more intensely than ever before.