"You hit me." Jack whispered.

Third Person's Point Of View

The light cracks glistened through the small opened windows of the basement as the small child sat alone underneath the window, in the small square of sunlight.
Aisha's eyes were red from crying,
her face painted from dried tears,
her arms embracing her legs that were as close to her chest as she could go with her head buried in her nightgown all alone.

But was she truly alone?

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Aisha's Point Of View

"Aisha....
My beautiful Aisha...
I'm so sorry..." I heard a faint voice behind me and I felt something around me, a presence. A familiar but yet so odd of a presence.

"Don't cry, Aisha...
Mom.... Help Aisha..."
Another voice trembled.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU ANYMORE!
BECAUSE OF YOU... HE HATES ME!"
I screamed.

A dark haze raised around me, whirling around and around like a storm, ready to finally engulf me whole.
I heard movement, footsteps, rapid footsteps if I may add, as if someone was running above me.
The door above swung opened and feet came running down.
The dark haze fluttered away in a mist, and completely disappeared.

"My lady! I'm so sorry." Nina came rushing towards me and swiftly wrapped her arms around me as she held me in her arms.
"Let me bathe you and take you back to your room, poor dear." She sighed.

Nina carefully picked me up and I quickly wrapped my arms around her neck.
She gave me one last glance before she started taking me up the stairs.
The dark haze followed behind us, but luckily, it stopped at the door of the basement before completely vanishing right before my eyes.

I nuzzled my face into Nina's arm as she carried me. I didn't even remember the way down into the basement, all I remembered was being dragged down there and then hearing screaming and arguing between people outside of the door.

We walked through a hallway, then back to the stairwell. Nina started making her way up the stairwell into the East Wing where my bathroom and bedroom reside. We continued through the hallway and within a few minutes we arrived in my bathroom.

"M'lady, do you want rose, lavender or poppy seed oil for your bath?" Nina asked

"Nina?" I whispered.
"I'm not sure, my lady." She sighed.

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I closed my eyes, all sound had stopped until I opened them again and I was greeted by blue eyes once again.
"Aisha, nothing happened now.
The diary..... It's empty." Jack sighed as he sat down on my bed.

"Well that was a waste of time." I sighed as I rested my head on my vanity.

"Jack, we're going to the West Wing." I whispered.

"Are you crazy, Aisha?! I thought no one was allowed up there." Jack replied.

"Why do you think nobody is allowed up there? There must be something up there that my father doesn't want me to find or see!" I stated.

"Maybe it's for the best that we don't go up there, Aisha. He might have skeletons in the closet that are best kept stored away." Jack sighed.

"Jack... Pick a side...Whose side are you on? Mine or his?!" I screamed, slamming my fists onto my vanity when suddenly my jewelry box slammed shut and the music played Ring Around The Rosie.

"Okay! Okay! Calm down." Jack sighed, rubbing my back.

"Let's go to the kitchen real quick. I'm thirsty." I stood up from my vanity, I felt light headed for a moment so I held onto the vanity. Once I was fine I walked to the door and opened it. I peeked around to check for a clear coast.

"Alright, let's go." I whispered and we walked out of my room. We walked down the dark halls that I despised so much because of the uneasy feeling that they give me. We made it to the staircase and made our way downstairs, through yet another hallways and into the kitchen. I grabbed the juice and tried to reach the cabinet but alas, I could not.

"Pftt.." Jack grinned.

"Stop laughing at me! You always bully me." I frowned.

"I'm sorry, my bad my lady. Let me get the cups and you can pour the juice." Jack smiled as he reached and grabbed one cup at a time, placing them on the counter while I poured the juice.

"Jack, I have a request." I whispered.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"I've never been outside of these grounds. I'd rather not call it a home because a home is supposed to be loving, bright and happy.
This place is not. It's hateful, dark and sad.
Can you please take me to see what the town is like?
Just for an hour, please?" I begged.

Jack's Point Of View

It's the least I could do.
She has never left her father's property.
Maybe this could take her mind off of things.

"Okay, it's cold so get dressed properly.
I left my horse Snowy in your dad's stable so she'd be a bit warm so I will go get her ready." I smiled.

"Yes! You're the best, Jack!" Aisha hugged me. We walked out of the kitchen and made our way to the staircase.

I watched as Aisha made her way up the stairs.
A weird feeling lingered in my chest, unaware on if it was guilt of sneaking her out, or the uncertainty of what she would see and face in the outside world, unknowing if she could handle anything of the good, the bad, and the ugly that she was about to see in the real world.
I walked out the door and made my way to the stable.
The snow had melted a bit but the cold wind lingered.

It was early morning and all the cardinals were singing, the sunlight glistened through the clouds, and whispers carried through the wind.

I cannot believe Jack agreed to this.
He really is a good friend.
Jack knows that he could get into severe trouble and knowing my father he would report to the officials that an Estridsen kidnapped a Savelli just to get us back and tarnish his family's name.

I made my way to my room, and opened the door.
I didn't want to dress flashy, I wanted to blend in with the town but not too much, I still needed my pride.

I put on stockings and my plainest dress, my white fur boots and a blue coat.
I sat at my vanity, brushed and parted my hair to the side while securing it with a pearl clip and adding a wool hat to keep my ears warm from the harsh cold weather.
I quickly added powder and perfume, then put on my white gloves and grabbed my coin pouch.
I got up and walked to my door.
Jack was waiting for me at the top of the stairs.

"May I take your hand, my lady?" Jack faintly smiled.

"Of course!" I giggled.

We made our way down the stairs and swiftly walked out of the door while quietly closing it.

"Now, m'lady. I don't have a carriage for Snowy so you'll have to hold onto me. It'll be easier for me to have you sit in front of me and hold my waist, but you will be facing me, but we'll stop about a mile before we get to the town so you can face forward and have your pride, okay?" Jack laughed.

"No thanks. I value my pride too much." I quickly disagreed.

"Also, I'm going to have to pick you up to sit you on Snowy and you'll have to hop down and I'll catch you when we get there, okay?" Jack said as he looked away. I couldn't tell if he was flustered or if it was because of the wind but his ears were a bright red.

"Oh, okay." I faintly smiled.

Jack wrapped his arms around my waist.
"On the count of three I will lift you up, okay? Are you ready?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." I faintly assured.

"Okay. One... Two... Three..." Jack said as he lifted me and placed me onto Snowy.

"I know it is a bit uncomfortable and your back might hurt when we get there. It'll be about an hour ride since I'll be going slow.
Ahem! Uhh...
Make sure to tuck your dress under your legs so it doesn't blow while we're moving." Jack whispered.

Jack climbed onto Snowy and we started our journey to the town.