Ivy had stared at the street, hoping Lavender would show up. Despite all of that, there was some remorse she couldn't quite distill. She told herself she was fine, and that she would have food soon.

She had resorted to playing with the darkness on the streets, giving vague performances to passersby. The struggle had left her wishing she could rectify the situation. She had earned at least forty coins by this method. All of which she had used to pay for food.

And by food, Ivy would find the bakeries, finding a small pastry under five coins, and she would eat it. And then in the evening, she would continue to busk. Although she was never one for performing, and she knew she only had a limited time where she could do this.

Lavender had likely received the message about her potential surrender a week ago. So far, nothing had come of it, and it had left Ivy wishing she could say or do something.

Maybe it was time to go back to her own world, barring the fact that there was a bounty on her forehead. Maybe she should try to go find another realm where she didn't have as much baggage as she did. Where she could ease up the remorse from the previous worlds.

But how many worlds would she ruin for herself, and how long would it be before someone else from another realm noticed? How long before her own habits lead to her demise? Ivy didn't want to think about it.

Besides, for all of her struggles here, going to another realm would not make things any better. If anything, it would mean that Queen Lavender was right. She did run away from all of her responsibilities.

She wanted to try and find something more with her life as she sat back under the bridge. The water nearby flowed right past her, leaving her to watch it as she did  so. As she ate the pastry, it did little to still her hunger. In the long-term sense, it was as if her parents were right. She wouldn't be able to find anything for herself.

When they had cast her out of their house, her father had told her that if she was going to act like someone who lived on the streets, then that's where she belonged. Throughout the past few years, as she found the revolutionaries, they gave her some shelter, but it was under the guise of helping. The other realm crossers had likely found their way back to the old world, and they were planning.

They had promised to give Ivy most of the money after she had shifted into their world. Only, she had found herself in a new realm entirely. One they hadn't planned for at that. And now, as she looked at the river, noting her distorted reflection, she gave a long, sad sigh.

As Ivy stood once more, she went for her favorite walk around the city, noting all of the architecture, and then an empty palace off in the distance. Biting her lip, she swore. If only she could make it in the palace, finding another piece of jewelry. But unfortunately, at this point, she was certain most of the wealth had been looted. And then a solo realm crosser would hardly make for a good group.

Ivy turned and picked the lock to the palace gates, using a piece of metal wire she had found on the grounds. As the iron gates clicked open, they revealed an empty area. Right. Those who had looted this place wouldn't have left much. But if Ivy could find something to sell, or if she could offer something to Lavender, maybe that would help.

As she slipped down the long tunnel, she realized she didn't know where she was. All she knew was that there were areas on the wall where old paintings should have been. Worse still, there was a small chair in the corner, made out of wood. It looked as if a peasant had made it.

Ivy took the stool, though. For all of its problems, she could at least sell it for money. She inspected it closely, her eyes narrowing. She gave a long, cold sigh. It wouldn't be worth much, but she could take it.

As she slipped near the edge, a guard called out to her. Ivy ran off, finding a street with uneven cobblestones. As she focused on putting more distance between herself, and the palace, Ivy made a misstep. Pain shot up through her foot. Ivy winced, trying to ignore the pain.

She found one of the small antique stores she had seen, and she entered. The man inside narrowed his eyes.

"And who might you be?" He asked.

"I have something for you," Ivy said. "I received it from the palace. It's a stool. Doesn't look like much, but I figure someone might buy it."

The man narrowed his eyes. "That didn't belong to the palace, but to one of the revolutionaries. One of Queen Lavender's associates was conducting another raid that night."

"I didn't see anyone at the palace though," Ivy said. "I have an uneven truce with the pirate queen."

"Well, I suggest you hold onto it, and that you give it to her if you get the chance. That's what she's after most. Rumors have it she should be arriving tomorrow with more goods. She owes me payment."

Ivy shuddered, nodded, and walked away. Something wasn't right. She should have found the other revolutionaries, but there was the fact that the palace had been empty.

It was her first time robbing the palace, and it had left her with a haunting reminder. That was what she had hoped to achieve in her native realm. Only, she was certain she caused more harm than good.

As Ivy found her favorite underpass, she sat back. The stones prodded her back, but it wasn't her main focus.

The pain seared into her foot. Ivy hissed, a stray tear streaming down her face. She had failed. At this point, with the constant pain and hunger, a part of her could almost welcome Lavender's worst. If she were to struggle like this, then perhaps death would be merciful.

She had originally thought she would join the revolution to escape situations like these. Now, as she looked up at the bottom of the bridge, the patterns of the water dancing on the stone were all which kept her company. The irony of her current situation was not lost on her.

Drifting off into an uneasy sleep, Ivy woke only an hour later to find the stool missing. One of the other homeless people had  likely taken off with the stool. She stood, the pain shooting through her foot, as she watched Lavender's ship dock on the port.

At this point, Ivy wished she had a long staff, but only so that she could make walking easier. She found branch from an oak tree. Despite the other branches and sections making it cumbersome, she decided that at this point, it would have to make do.

I don't have anything else right now. If I have to bribe Lavender to let her take me on her ship, I will. I just want to find a new home, and I would like it if I could survive.