The house groaned softly in its wounded state, propped up on blocks at the edge of Brimhold. Lanterns flickered along the village streets in the distance, their glow barely reaching the quiet clearing where Ash, Juliette, and Leo had made camp for the night.
Juliette sat on the porch steps, ribbon loosely tied in her hair, staring at the faint lights of the village. The memory of roaming through Brimhold earlier in the day clung to her, the bustle of people, the freedom she once only dreamed of. Now, with the damaged house behind her, she felt caught between two worlds: the castle she'd lost, and this strange life she hadn't chosen.
Ash was stretched across the couch just inside, a thick book in his hands, the lamplight throwing shadows across his sharp features. He wasn't reading so much as skimming, eyes flicking fast over the pages, impatient.
"You know," Juliette said suddenly, not turning toward him, "most people would've given up after seeing the damage. Called it hopeless."
Ash flipped a page. "I'm not most people."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I've noticed."
There was a pause, the quiet hum of insects outside, the distant chatter of Brimhold. Then she turned slightly, her gaze catching him through the open door. "Why keep at it? Why does fixing this house matter so much to you?"
Ash's black eyes lifted from the book. He held her stare for a long moment, then went back to reading. "Because it's mine. And nothing else ever has been."
Juliette's chest tightened at the flat honesty in his tone. No flourish, no joke, just a quiet truth.
She rose, stepping closer until she leaned against the doorframe. "And what about us? Are we part of it too, or just… passengers until you're done with whatever you're planning?"
Ash shut the book with a snap, sitting up. "Depends. Are you planning to run again, princess?"
The way he said it half taunt, half test, made her bristle. She met his eyes without flinching. "Not if you stop treating me like a prisoner."
For a heartbeat, silence. Then Ash's mouth curved into the faintest, crooked grin. "You've got guts."
Juliette folded her arms. "And you've got walls. Maybe too many."
Ash leaned back again, tossing the book aside. "Walls keep things out."
"Walls keep things in, too," she shot back.
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the lamp, dimming it with a careless flick. Shadows swallowed half his face as he sank back into the couch.
Juliette lingered in the doorway, her fingers brushing the ribbon at her hair. She still didn't understand him, not fully. But tonight, for the first time, she felt like maybe she'd seen a crack in those walls.
The morning sun spilled across Brimhold, its light glinting off rooftops patched with metal and glass. From the window of her temporary room, Juliette watched villagers begin their day: merchants rolling out carts, beastfolk kids chasing each other down cobbled streets, smiths hammering steel with sparks flying. It was… alive. Not the cold walls of her castle, not the endless sky of Ash's house, just life.
She tied her ribbon into her hair, pulling it up into a scattered bun. It wasn't neat, but it kept her hair out of her face, and for once she felt she could almost pass as ordinary.
The door banged open without warning. Leo tumbled in with a hunk of bread between his teeth, crumbs scattering down his shirt.
"Mornin'," he mumbled around the bite.
Juliette folded her arms. "Do you ever slow down?"
"Nope." He dropped into the chair, tail flicking behind him. "Ash already left. Said he was out looking for materials. Left me in charge of you, like I'm some guard dog."
She arched a brow. "And you're fine with that?"
Leo grinned wide. "Better me than him, right? At least I'm more fun."
Juliette almost smiled but shook it away.
By midday, Ash returned with a sack slung over his shoulder, black eyes shifting between them. "We'll need more if the house is to fly again. Both of you come."
Juliette tilted her head. "You're taking us along?"
Ash's lips curved faintly, almost like a smirk. "Unless you'd rather sit here uselessly while I do all the work."
That stung. Her spine straightened, and she followed him out without another word.
The streets of Brimhold bustled with life. Ash moved through them with purpose, bartering with smiths and tinkers for scraps of metal and machinery. His tone was curt, efficient, and he never lingered longer than he had to.
Juliette, meanwhile, found herself caught up in the world around her. Children darted past, laughter trailing behind them. A baker pulled golden loaves from an oven, steam curling in the air. A musician strummed a stringed instrument, filling the square with gentle notes.
She'd dreamed of this kind of freedom, blending into a crowd, unseen, unremarkable. She wasn't the girl hidden in a castle, nor the one trapped in a floating house. She was just… here.
At one stall, a craftsman was shaping glass over a flame, pulling it into the form of a delicate swan. Juliette slowed, transfixed by the way light glowed through it.
Ash noticed. His gaze lingered for only a moment before he turned away sharply, voice flat. "Don't fall behind, princess."
Her cheeks warmed, though she wasn't sure if it was annoyance… or something else.
They crossed the square together, Ash with his sack of parts, Juliette trailing close, and Leo bouncing at her side like he had energy to spare.
Juliette caught herself glancing at Ash more than once. He walked like a shadow, silent, cutting through crowds without needing to speak. His black eyes were sharp, taking in every detail, the weight of wagons, the sturdiness of wood, the glint of tools for sale. Always calculating. Always thinking.
But then he stopped in front of a fruit stall. Without a word, he dropped a coin on the counter and picked up a small red apple. He turned it in his hand as though inspecting it for flaws, then tossed it toward Juliette.
She caught it, surprised. "What's this?"
"Food." His tone was dry, but there was something faintly playful in the timing.
Leo snorted. "That's the Ash version of being nice. Don't get used to it."
Juliette bit into the apple, sweet juice flooding her mouth. For a moment she let herself enjoy it, a taste of something simple, normal. "It's good," she admitted softly.
Ash gave no reply, but his pace slowed just enough for her to walk beside him instead of behind.
They stopped again near the smithy, where Leo immediately got distracted by a set of throwing knives on display. He picked one up, twirling it clumsily. "Imagine me with these. I'd be unstoppable."
"You'd be missing fingers in a day", Ash deadpanned.
Juliette laughed, and Leo clutched his chest. "Betrayed! Even the princess mocks me."
"Don't call me that," Juliette said, though there wasn't much bite in her voice.
"Fine, fine. Just Juliette." He grinned. "Better?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Better."
The three of them continued on, and for the first time since she'd been taken from her home, Juliette felt the edges of her fear dulling. Not gone , never gone, but softened by the strange rhythm of this day.
Ash bargained for bolts and wire with a sharpness that made merchants wary, Leo managed to talk a baker into giving him free bread just for being charming, and Juliette… she walked among them, ribbon holding her hair in its messy bun, blending into the crowd.
For a fleeting moment, she wasn't a stolen princess. She wasn't waiting to be rescued. She was just a girl, in a village, with two strange companions who made her feel both lost and found.