Nida returned to her chambers and curled up under the covers. There were faces she couldn't show, not to Lord Dacen, not to Tali, not to anyone. The expression on her face right then, all contorted and teary-eyed, was one of them.

Nida's fate relied on the Filoris’ grace and charity alone, so, if she was to be married to a bastard like Baron Oxen, then that was simply the path she would take. Still, it didn't stop the pain spreading in her chest nor the tears pooling on her pillows. A faint, gasping cry escaped her.

Perhaps, just perhaps, she could beg his lordship to keep her at the Filori estate after all. 

The door clicked open. Lord Dacen appeared as though he were summoned by magic. He was more comfortable now in his loose moonsilk nightsuit and thick fur cap. 

"Nida?" He called softly. Nida wiped her tears with her sleeve before greeting him. Her overdress and crinoline were strewn across the floor, leaving Nida in only her corset and undergarments.

"You haven't changed?"

She shook her head.

Dacen grimaced. "My father is a fool. He'll do whatever Oxen tells him too. Just like he did with Amren and Udin before him. I'll convince him. Don't worry."

A vague promise held very little meaning to Nida. Dacen could swear on his life to rebel against his father, but...he wouldn't do it, not truly.

"Well, enough of that talk. Let me help you out of that."

Nida walked towards him, reluctant to leave the warmth of her bed. Still, if she wanted to sleep in peace, she needed his help. She kept her head low, though she wasn't sure if he had already seen the water welling up in her eyes. Slowly, she turned her back to him and moved her locs out of the way. 

Dacen started with the last rung. Once he untied the bow there, the rest was easy. With each pull and twist, the ribbon unraveled, and the corset loosened.

Nida sighed from relief. Supportive as the corset was, it was freeing to feel unrestricted.

"More comfortable, right?"

Nida turned and nodded with a smile. 

To this, Dacen placed his hands upon her waist, pulling her in close. They shared a kiss, so soft and sweet, like it was their very first time and not the thousandth. Her heart beat like it too. 

The trials of the day melted away, and likewise, Nida melted into Dacen's embrace. 

...

The tweeting of silver songbirds woke Nida from her slumber. Dacen had already left, surely for his study. 

Lady Avarice would visit today. Nida wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Nevertheless, she had much to do and much to catch up on. She hadn't visited Mister Lancer the day prior, so she'd go to the gardens first.

Energetic as ever, she made her way through the halls, down the stairs, and through the back to the courtyard. The sky was clear, but frost coated the windows. A cold chill washed over Nida's body as she stepped outside, and the earthy smell of dew turned to ice wafted up her nose. She breathed it in.

She was near the corner of the cobblestone path when Mister Lancer caught sight of her.

"Miss Nida? Is that you?" The old man said, scratching his silver beard.

Nida replied with a wave.

Mister Lancer let out a hearty laugh before passing her some sheers. "And, I was wondering where you were all afternoon. Turns out our girl is getting married! I'm going to need a new assistant!"

His words were harmless, but they tore through Nida's heart nonetheless. Finally, Nida replied. "Ox...en."

"What did you say? Ox...what?"

Nida stepped closer, raising her voice just a bit. The winter was already harsh on her chords. "Ox...en."

Mister's Lancer's gaze met hers in a flash. "No...no...not Baron Oxen."

"Mm." Nida nodded.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nida," said Mister Lancer. "Perhaps it'll be different with you. You're a child of Hessen after all."

"It...won't." A silence fell between them. Fate and future was not something people like Nida and Mister Lancer had control over.

Nida's eyes swept across the evergreen courtyard, blossoming reds and pinks and oranges scattered across shades of green. Even as the air chilled, tenna blooms kept their colour. 

It was magic that kept those spherical, many petalled flowers alive. Expensive healing magic potions were required in particular, 4 bottles a month during winter, 3 bottles a month during fall, 2 bottles a month during summer and spring. The viscount should have gotten rid of the tenna blooms long ago, but he could not. The other nobles had already lost most of their respect for the Filoris; he could not afford to lose any more.

After the pruning was done, Mister Lancer offered Nida a warm cider, but she rejected it. Lady Avarice would be here soon, and Nida already felt nauseous.

Maeve found Nida by the back door. "She's here, milady."

Nida's whole body grew tense. The first noble she would ever meet besides the Filoris would be her lover's fiance. How cruel.

...

Nida could only see the back of Lady Avarice's head from the drawing room's entrance. The auburn-haired woman was sitting on a chair by the window and twiddling a biscuit between her fingers. She seemed fixated on something outside. But, as Nida stepped further inside and the floorboards creaked beneath her, Lady Avarice snapped out of her trance.

That was when Nida saw the lady in full. A beautiful girl with tan skin, freckles and brilliant pink eyes. Yes, those pink irises, she was surely from nobility. And the girl was young, 18 at most.

Lady Avarice curtsied. "You must be Nida! I am Lady Ava Avarice, a bit silly, I know."

Lady Nida curtsied back, though she couldn't bring herself to smile. 

"Oh, right, you can't speak...Please come sit down." Even her voice was youthful.

Nida slowly took the seat opposite the girl's. Looking outside the window herself, she could see what had Lady Avarice so intently focused. Lord Dacen was in the front yard, his notebook in hand. He must be working on the allocations, Nida said in her mind.

"Lord Dacen tells me you two are close. Good friends. If I can, I'd like to be friends with you as well."

Nida's lips quivered. He hadn't told Lady Avarice. Of course, he hadn't. How could he? 

Maeve came into the room next, pushing a tray of tea and cookies. "Refreshments, my ladies?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Lady Avarice said excitedly. "Which tea is this?"

"Tenna bloom," Maeve replied with a hint of pride.

"Ah, how wonderful!"

As Maeve bent to place the cups and pour the tea, the collar of her dress slipped, revealing a hickey.

Nida almost chuckled. Maeve must've seen that stable girl again. Before Maeve accidentally showed that love bite to someone else and got in trouble, Nida tapped the maid's wrist and adjusted her own collar.

Maeve blushed and backed away, mouthing a thanks where Lady Avarice could not see. 

"Oh, goodness, this is delicious! Will you thank the cook for me?" Lady Avarice piped up as she patted her lips dry.

"Yes, of course," said Maeve. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Oh, please have some too, Lady Nida," Lady Avarice said. "Please don't hold back on my account."

At that moment, Nida wasn't sure if she would be able to keep anything down, but she didn't want to be rude. She took a sip of the tea. It had already been sweetened. As that flowery fresh taste coated her tongue, Nida was suddenly thankful that the viscount was foolish enough to keep growing tenna blooms.

"Dacen told me that he'd like you to stay with us."

Nida nearly choked on her tea, but, as soon as she gained her composure, she nodded.

"So, I'd like for us to be close. Is that alright with you?" Lady Avarice asked again.

That pleasant smile on the girl's face spread a guilt so potent in Nida's heart that she couldn't stand it. "Yes...I'd...like that."

"Oh, good! I'm so glad! Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me what Lord Dacen likes! I--"

Nida stood up swiftly, knocking her chair back, "Sorry...I must...go."

"Oh, alright! Um, I hope to see you again soon, Lady Nida!"

Nida marched her way out of the room. Tears made her eyes glassy.

It would have been better if Lady Avarice was cruel or heartless. Then, Nida could go to Lord Dacen without a speck of guilt. But, the girl she had just met was neither cruel nor heartless. That brilliant feeling of new love, Nida recognised it in Lady Avarice's eyes. Could Nida, in good conscience, stay with the Filoris, smile in that girl's face, and kiss Lord Dacen behind her back? Nida couldn't even imagine it.

...

Nida made her way to the kitchens afterwards. Lunchtime would begin in two hours. Tali didn't say a word this time; she just pointed Nida to whichever task needed to be done. The other kitchen staff remained quiet also, only passing a glance of pity Nida's way once or twice.

As Nida chopped onions and carrots, she let her mind drift. She had to tell Lord Dacen to find another way. They couldn't be cruel to such a sweet girl like that. Unfortunately, Lady Nida was far too distracted to see she was cutting the onion at the wrong angle.

The knife sliced across her right hand. Blood poured from the wound.

Finally, Tali spoke, "Nida! What in Esna's name?! Come on, sit down now." She guided Nida  to a seat beside the counter. 

"Sorry...so sorry." Nida mumbled. The searing pain of the cut spread up her wrist and forearm.

Tali could only sigh. "Don't apologise. You're going through too much to be sorry for a small mistake like this."

The old kitchen maid scampered away for just a moment, finding some alcohol and some gauze. "Thankfully, the cut isn't too deep. This'll sting for only a moment."

Tali poured whiskine across the cut. Nida jerked back from the cold, yet burning sensation, but, just as Tali said, the sensation faded just as quickly as it had began.

"Told you," Tali said with a loud laugh just like Mister Lancer's. Nida smiled back. She could see why they had married.

"And, this part will hurt the least." Tali wrapped the gauze around Nida's hand, applying just enough pressure. "Hold onto it tight. keep pressure on it, alright?"

"Yes..."

"Good." Tali smiled. "Now, go get some rest. I don't want to see you in the kitchens or in the gardens for the next few days. Padin will tell me, you know!"

Nida nodded. She was sure everyone had already heard about Baron Oxen's proposal, if not from the servants at yesterday's dinner, then surely from Mister Tadin Lancer.

Now, Nida could not put it off any longer. She had to speak with Lord Dacen.

...

Warm sepia light poured through the windows, casting an orange haze upon the painting lining the halls. It would be dark soon.

Nida bit into the turkey sandwich Tali gave her; it was uncomfortable to hold food in her left hand, but the sweet and savoury taste of the meat was a welcome reprieve from her stresses. Talking to Lord Dacen could wait just a bit longer.

Looking out a window on the first floor, she saw Lady Avarice entering her carriage. The girl must have spoken with Lord Dacen already. The thought put a sour taste in Nida's mouth.

As Nida neared Lord Dacen's study, she heard voices: Lord Dacen and the viscount. She pressed her ear to the door.

"And he'll give how much, did you say?" That was Lord Dacen.

"10 gold bars for her to visit. 100 once they're married." That gruff voice. It was the Viscount.

"Why don't we just send her there for the day and reject the marriage after?"

"Don't be foolish. He's being generous enough as it is."

Lord Dacen huffed. "We're also being generous. No one besides Lady Avarice has ever seen her. He should be paying us more for the visit alone."

Nida's heart beat fast and quick in her chest, so harsh that her fingers began to shake. She knew Lord Dacen would never disobey his father, not truly, but this was worse than she thought. 

"Don't you understand the position we're in? You've seen the allocations yourself. Our coffers are nearly empty. We'll have to sell our title within a month."

"My marriage to Lady Avarice will fix that. There's no need to grovel."

"You're letting your pride blind you."

"And you're letting cowardice blind you. I'm already making a concession here, giving her up for a day."

"A day and a night. Tomorrow."

"Tsk, fine."

Suddenly, Nida's wound seemed to sting more than ever. Perhaps the Filoris could be moved, but, even then, Lady Nida would still be sent to the Oxens. Hearing how much Baron Oxen was willing to pay for a day and a night, Nida could only imagine his intentions.

She bit her nails until they were raw; pain seeped into her fingertips. What am I going to do? What can I do? She asked herself, but there was no answer.

In her deliberations, Nida found herself in her room again, pacing. She paced and paced and paced until the floor was dented with her shoe prints. Until the sun went down. Until a storm began outside.

The falling snow kept the sky bright enough to see just a few hundred feet ahead; the courtyard was illuminated, but not the trees or the mountains in the far distance.

That was when Nida found her answer: she had to run away. Tonight.