The sound of the door crashing open startled the guards. Ma mére, the head maid, stood in the doorway, her face slapped by confusion "The children are gone!" she cried. "They have escaped!" The guards looked at each other, fear and panic in their eyes "How could they have escaped?" one of them asked. "We had them under lock and key!" "It doesn't matter how they did it," Ma mére snapped. "We have to find them before they get lost completely!" The guards scrambled to their feet, grabbing their weapons and rushing out of the roomMa mére stood in the middle of the room, seething with fear "I sensed it, I felt it in my bones, I just didn't do anything about it ," she muttered to herself. "They were always up to something, always planning their escape . And now they have gone, haven't they? They take over their mother indeed" she scoffed "Oh, poor children, you don't deserve any of this. It's not your fault" she talked to herself "You've been through so much already, all because of

The chief guard, Wayne stood in the shadows, just out of sight of the room where Ma mére was speaking to the junior maids He had been assigned to keep watch over the servants, to make sure they were not plotting anything against the royal familyBut now, he had something much more important to worry about. He had heard the children's escape, and he knew that if the king found out, there would be serious consequences So he had to act fast. As he listened to Ma mére's words, he decided to make his move.He stepped out of the shadows, and cleared his throat loudlyAll eyes turned to him, and the room fell silent. Ma mére looked at him with a mixture of surprise and fear"What are you doing here?" she demanded "I was just checking in on the servants, until…" Wayne replied, his voice firm and unshakable"How long have you been standing there son?" Ma mére wore a frightened look"How dare you? How dare you let the children escape right under your nose?" "You must not speak of the childr

Rose sat under a tree, watching Yseult as she carefully gathered herbs from the field. Yseult moved with such grace and purpose, picking the herbs with a practiced ease. Rose had been helping Yseult gather herbs for the past few days, and she was fascinated by the process. Yseult had taught her the names of the herbs and their uses, and Rose had been impressed by the knowledge. Yseult was so confident and sure of herself, and Rose felt in awe of her.As Yseult gathered the last of the herbs, she turned to Rose with a smile. "That's the last of the herbs for today," she said "Now, let's go back to the cottage and make some tinctures." Rose stood up and followed Yseult back to the cottage. As they walked, Yseult pointed out different plants and told Rose their usesRose listened intently, soaking up every word. When they reached the cottage, Yseult led Rose to the kitchen and set out the herbs on the table. "Now, we must prepare the tinctures," she said, taking out a mortar and pes

The candle wax melted away slowly, Rose sat up with the sheets over her legs. Her skin oozed sweat, her brows furrowed. She felt Yseult's cold arm on her arm, she knew she couldn't keep the nightmares anymore to herself, even though she felt terrified. She peered into Yseult little eyes, and began "I was in a dark and empty room," Rose began, her voice shaking slightly. "It was cold, and I was alone. I could hear the wind howling outside, and I could feel the chill seeping in through the walls. I was so afraid, and I didn't know where I was or how I had gotten there. All I knew was that I was trapped, and I couldn't escape." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Then, I heard a noise. It was the sound of footsteps, coming closer and closer to me. I was terrified, not knowing what was coming.""What happened next?" Yseult asked, her voice low and soothing. "A shadow appeared in the doorway," Rose continued. "It was dark and without figure, but I knew it was something terrible. I wanted