Each step felt heavier than the last. I tried to keep my breathing steady, but inside I was breaking apart. Jakie, Skylar, June, July—what would they think when I came back with soldiers at my side? Would they run? Would they hide?
The alleys grew darker as I led them deeper into the lower town. The stench of rot and sewage mixed with the faint smoke of cooking fires. Few dared to live here, and those who did knew better than to stare too long at passing guards. People shrank back into shadows, pretending not to see. No one would help me.
I slowed when I reached the collapsed row of houses where we lived. My hands trembled. The guards shoved me forward, impatient.
"Move," one of them barked.
I took a sharp breath and stepped into the ruins. "Here," I said, forcing the word out through clenched teeth.
Inside the abandoned house, Jakie jumped to his feet the moment he saw me. Relief washed over his face—until he noticed the guards behind me. His eyes went wide, and he froze like a rabbit before a wolf.
Skylar, clutching little June in her arms, shrank back into the corner, her eyes brimming with terror. July peeked out from behind her twin, both of them trembling.
"Stay back!" Jakie shouted, trying to sound braver than he felt. He grabbed a broken piece of wood, holding it like a sword.
One of the guards snorted in amusement. "Look at this. The little rat wants to fight."
I stepped quickly between them. "Please, don't! They're just kids."
The prince raised a hand, silencing his men. His gaze swept over the room—the crumbling walls, the damp straw we used for bedding, the scraps of cloth that served as blankets. His eyes lingered on the children, then returned to me.
"These are the ones you spoke of," he said quietly.
"Yes," I whispered. My voice shook, but I forced myself to meet his eyes. "Jakie, Skylar, June, and July. They're all I have."
For a long moment, the prince said nothing. His expression was unreadable. Finally, he walked further inside, ignoring the dirt on the floor as if it didn't touch him. The children cowered, except Jakie, who still held his broken plank, though his hands shook.
The prince stopped in front of him. Slowly, he crouched down so their eyes were level.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Jakie," came the small, stubborn reply.
The prince tilted his head. "And you would fight me, Jakie?"
Jakie's lips pressed into a thin line. "If I have to."
The prince studied him for a moment, then straightened. "You have courage." His gaze shifted back to me. "You protect them, even at the cost of your own safety. You stole for them."
My fists clenched at my sides. "If you're going to punish someone, punish me. Leave them out of this."
One of the guards growled. "Your Highness, he's a thief. A criminal. We should cut his hand and be done with it."
The prince's eyes flashed. "Silence."
The guard immediately bowed his head, though his jaw tightened with anger.
The room grew quiet again, the only sound the faint whimper of June in Skylar's arms. My heart hammered. Why was he here? Why was he wasting time on us, when the royals never cared about those who lived in the lower town?
At last, the prince spoke again. "How long have you been surviving like this?"
I hesitated, but lying seemed useless. "All my life."
He regarded me with that same thoughtful expression. "And your hair…" His eyes flicked briefly to the strands of red that no mud or dye could fully hide. "You hide it because you fear what others will do."
My stomach dropped. I didn't answer. I didn't have to. He already knew.
The prince took a slow breath, then turned back to the guards. "They come with us."
The words hit me like a blow. My chest seized. "What? No!" I stepped forward before I could stop myself. "They won't survive in the castle. You'll separate us. You'll—"
He cut me off with a sharp look. "Do you think they will survive here? With no food, no protection, hunted by guards and sellers alike? They are already on the edge of death."
I froze. The truth of it burned, because I had thought the same in the darkest nights.
Still, I shook my head violently. "I won't let you take them."
For the first time, something like a smile touched his lips—not mocking, not cruel. Almost… admiring.
"You misunderstand," he said. "I am not taking them from you. I am taking all of you. Together."
The room went silent. The guards shifted uneasily, clearly surprised by his command. Jakie blinked, lowering his makeshift weapon. Skylar hugged June tighter, confused but still afraid.
And me… I couldn't breathe. All of us? Taken to the castle? The thought seemed impossible. Unreal.
But his eyes, cold and sharp as ice, told me he wasn't joking.
"We leave now," the prince ordered.
The guards hesitated, then obeyed, stepping aside.
I turned back to the children. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide, but when I gave a small nod, they clung to me. Jakie slipped his hand into mine. Skylar whispered something to June to calm her. The twins looked ready to cry, but they followed.
Together, we stepped out of the ruins and into the fading light of day. The carriage waited, its polished surface gleaming even in the grime of the lower town.
I swallowed hard, the weight of the moment crushing me. This was the end of one life and the start of another.
And though fear still gnawed at me, a small spark of something else flickered deep inside.
Hope.