CELESTE
Though the guards had kicked me out of the castle moments ago, I was still in a maze.
Amelia was sitting on the stone step in front of the gate, hugging her knees, her hair messy from the wind. Her face was pale, and her eyes were swollen like she had been crying for hours.
She didn't look up when she heard me walk out.
I walked toward her slowly. "Amelia…"
"You are okay?" she whispered without looking at me. Her voice cracked. "I was so scared."
I sat down beside her, the cold stone pressing against my skin. "They didn't hurt me."
Sierra disagreed, angered by the memory, angered by the helplessness.
Amelia wiped her face with her sleeve. "I waited here all night. They kicked me out. Said I wasn't allowed inside. But I heard what happened, Celeste. Everyone's talking. Your father… he sold you."
I didn't reply. My chest was heavy.
"He tried to sell you." she continued, she was almost sobbing. "To be a slave. Like an actual slave. And Tristan… the Prince… he bought you?"
I nodded slowly.
"Why?" she asked. "Why would he buy you?"
"I don't know." I said quietly. "He didn't say."
We sat in silence. The early morning sky was still dark, only a hint of light showing on the horizon.
Amelia let out a shaky breath. "I should have stayed with you. I should have—"
"You couldn't have stopped him," I interrupted softly. "No one could."
"I still should have tried," she said, her hands gripping her skirt tightly.
"It's over now." I told her. "I agreed to it."
She turned her head sharply. "You what?"
"I agreed to stay. I had no choice. It was that or…" I paused. "They would have taken me anyway."
Amelia shook her head, tears running again. "He had no right to sell you, Celie. He is your father!"
"No. He never was." I looked up at the sky, blinking fast. I didn't want to cry for the moon Goddess' sake.
After a long pause, Amelia whispered, "What happens now?"
I sighed. "I start tomorrow. They said I will be trained. I am not allowed to leave the castle grounds. But we can meet in the staff building, thankfully."
She looked at me. "Do you know what it means to be a royal slave, Celeste? It's… brutal. They do things to people. You have heard the stories."
I had. I had just never imagined being part of one. I didn't know what to say.
Sierra stirred with discomfort, pressing against my ribs, a physical ache of dread.
"It's not your fault." She said after a pause. "I am not mad. I am just… scared for you."
We stood there. A few carts rolled past behind us. The castle gates were already closing behind me.
"You hungry?" I asked, forcing a small smile.
She let out a shaky breath. "Are you seriously asking me about food right now?"
"Well, yeah. What else do we do when life goes downhill?"
She gave me a look. But then, slowly, a tiny smile appeared on her face.
"I hate you sometimes." She muttered.
"I know."
We started walking toward the housing colony. The early light made the streets look silver, and most people were still asleep. I didn't want to go home. I just wanted to walk for a bit. Be normal for a little while longer.
When we reached the tenement colony, it was dead quiet. Probably everyone was deep in sleep by now, dreaming about food they would never get to eat.
"You really need to think this through," she said. "Maybe you can escape."
I sighed. "That's what I tried to do. Look at happened."
"Goddess. I am scared for you. It's pain, Celeste. There are rules. Punishments. Secrets. And most people don't survive long enough to tell anyone about it."
She was right.
But… so what? My life wasn't safe or happy before either. I had nothing left to lose.
"Alright, Grandma." I said, trying to lighten the mood. "You have done enough lecturing for one night. Go home before someone thinks we are plotting a rebellion out here. It's almost dawn. You wanna end up in the dungeon?"
Just as Amelia opened her mouth to argue again, a deep voice spoke up behind us.
"What is happening here?"
We both froze. Did I jinx it or what?
What if it's really a guard or something?
I swear all the blood in my body turned cold. Sierra surged forward with instinct, muscles twitching, claws itching.
We slowly turned around, hearts in our hands only to find a familiar face stepping closer.
"Riggs." I breathed out, relief crashing into my chest. "Gods, you almost gave us a heart attack."
"Seriously." Amelia agreed, rubbing her chest like her soul had tried to escape. "Thank the heavens it's just you."
He looked at us with a blank expression, clearly not expecting to find us here
Riggs was Amelia's older brother. Growing up, he always acted like my protective big brother too, looking out for me like I was family. He worked in the royal cellar and usually came home right after his shift after midnight while their mom hardly got to visit home anymore because of all the extra work. It was rare to see her, but Riggs always made it back in time.
He narrowed his gaze at his sister. "Amelia, were you planning to rob someone tonight?"
I let out a soft chuckle. "Nope. She was just yelling at me. Again."
Amelia didn't want to embarrass me in front of her brother. So she turned to him and handled it lightly. "Why are you so late anyway? You are never this late."
Riggs shrugged. "Castle had special guests. Big ones. Lots of noise."
That was probably all he could say. Talking about the royal family outside the castle was forbidden even with your own family. And Riggs was too smart to risk that.
"Anyway, go to sleep." He said, waving at Amelia. "I will walk Celeste back to her haunted log house."
After Amelia left, we started walking through the quiet streets. The pale light of dawn was just starting to stretch across the sky. My house wasn't far. It was about thirty steps from the castle and just ten steps from the housing.
Riggs walked beside me, his hands in his pockets, but strangely, he was quiet.
After a few moments, he spoke softly, "Why did you say yes, Celeste? Why didn't you fight it?"
I looked at him. "I didn't have a choice. If I refused, they would take me by force. It was better to agree."
He nodded slowly but didn't say more.
We had left the housing behind by now and were stepping onto the wooden footbridge that crossed the river, connecting Winderfell with the farmlands beyond. The water below shimmered under the moonlight.
"There are things you need to know," Riggs said. "Things they don't tell you inside the castle."
I felt my heart tighten.
He looked around to make sure no one was near, then lowered his voice even more. "Don't touch anything that isn't yours. Not the food, not the clothes, not the rooms. Not the people," He said. "If they see you do something wrong, they punish you. No questions. No mercy."
I clenched my hands as he continued "Try your best to ignore east wing."
"Why?" I felt cold all over.
"There are black ribbons tied around some doors in the east wing." Riggs answered. "The ribbons means someone inside is being broken… for power or worse."
My throat felt dry. I wanted to say something but couldn't.
Riggs placed a hand on my shoulder. "I am not trying to scare you, Celeste. I just want you to be ready."
I nodded, trying to be brave.
He smiled faintly. "You are strong. You will survive this. But if you ever need help, find me in the cellar. I will be there."
"Thanks." I paused as I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "You are exhausted. Go back. Get some rest."
He hesitated. "I should—"
"No." I interrupted firmly, stepping closer. "You have done enough tonight. Don't push yourself."
Riggs sighed but didn't argue. "Alright. I will go. Goodnight."
I nodded. He gave me one last look before finally turning away. Shortly, his footsteps faded into the dark and so did the last piece of safety I had left.