The room felt smaller that night. Not because the walls had moved. They hadn't. They stood the same, cold and unmoving, carved from stone that had seen too many winters to care about one girl's suffering.
But something inside Maria shifted. "Forget about him," she whispered to herself. Her voice sounded thin in the silence. "He was never yours."
She turned away from the window, folding her arms tightly across her chest, as if she could hold herself together by force.
"What you had with him, was cursed from the very beginning." The words came out steadier this time. Firmer. Like she was trying to believe them.
And for that day, she did. Or at least, she pretended well enough.
She ignored the way her chest tightened when she thought of his name. She refused to let her mind wander too far. Every time it tried, she pulled it back, harshly, almost angrily.
Drexo was gone. Drexo was nothing. Drexo was a mistake.
She repeated it enough times that it began to sound like truth.
By evening, she even managed to sit still without clenching her fists.
By night, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her breathing slow, controlled. For a moment, it felt like it might work.
Then sleep came. And with it, him. Not as he was. Not as she last saw him. But something else. Something that didn't belong to this lifetime.
The air in the dream felt warmer. Softer. It carried a strange glow, like firelight dancing without heat. Voices murmured in the distance, low and ceremonial.
Maria stood still. She was dressed in white. Not the heavy gowns of Snowland, but something lighter, flowing around her like mist. Her hands trembled slightly as she looked down at them.
Then she looked up. Drexo stood before her. A royal robe draped over his shoulders, deep and rich, embroidered with symbols she did not recognize, yet somehow understood. His presence felt steady, and certain.
His eyes were on her. Not searching. Not hesitant, but certain.
She felt it then. A pull. Not like desire, but something deeper. Something that reached beyond memory.
Their hands met. Warm, and familiar. Like they had done this before. "In the name of Ago, God of Fire," a voice said.
It echoed, not from one place, but everywhere at once. "And of Odin, God of the Norsemen."
The air shifted slightly, like something ancient was listening. "And of Freya, God of the first men."
Maria's breath caught.
"I pronounce you husband and wife." The words settled over them like a seal.
Drexo stepped closer. No hesitation. No doubt. He pulled her into him, his arms wrapping around her fully this time, firmly, like he was claiming something that had always been his.
Maria held him just as tightly. No fear. No resistance. Just belonging.
Then, she woke up. Her eyes snapped open. The room rushed back all at once. Cold walls. Dim light. Silence pressing in from every corner.
Her chest rose sharply as she gasped for air. The feeling lingered. That warmth. That certainty. It didn't leave with the dream.
Instead, it settled deeper. Everything she had buried earlier came rushing back, stronger than before.
The longing. The ache. The need.
Maria sat up abruptly, running a hand through her hair as if she could clear her mind that way.
But it didn't work. It only made it worse. "I must leave this place," she said, her voice shaking now.
She stood, pacing the room. "The wedding is in two days." Her steps quickened. "And by tomorrow, Robert will arrive."
Her chest tightened again. "I cannot allow that to happen." The words came out harder this time.
Sharper.
Like she was finally done pretending.
Morning came too quickly. The door opened, and Evelyn stepped in quietly, carrying a tray of food. She moved with her usual calm, her eyes scanning the room briefly before settling on Maria.
"You should eat."
Maria moved before she could finish. She grabbed Evelyn's hand tightly. "I need to leave this place," she said.
There was no hesitation in her voice now. No pretending. "I love Drexo with my life," she continued, her grip tightening, "and I cannot bear seeing myself with another man."
Evelyn froze. Her body stiffened slightly at the sudden contact, her eyes searching Maria's face carefully.
Then, slowly, she pulled her other hand up and touched Maria's cheek. "Are you sure you are alright?" she asked quietly.
Maria pulled back slightly, frustration flashing across her face. "I am alright," she snapped. "You know that."
Her voice softened just a little. "I just need to leave."
Silence stretched between them.
Evelyn's hand dropped. She let out a small chuckle, though it carried no real amusement. "Run to where?" she asked.
Maria blinked, caught off guard by the question.
Evelyn stepped back, setting the tray down carefully. "There is no place in the seven kingdoms where Edmond or Robert won't find you," she continued. "And if you run to the remaining two kingdoms."
She paused, her gaze steady now.
"They will treat you as an enemy." Another pause. "And execute you."
The words landed heavy. Maria shook her head quickly. "No," she said. "Drexo wouldn't allow that." Her voice carried a stubborn edge. "He will protect me."
She stepped closer again. "He loves me."
A slight pause.
"And he owes me a debt when I saved his life."
Evelyn said nothing immediately. She just watched her.
Another silence stretched. Longer this time.
"You are going to bet your life," Evelyn said slowly, "on the love of a playboy."
Maria frowned instantly. "Stop calling him that," she said sharply. "He is no longer a playboy."
Evelyn chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Forgive me, my lady," she said, her tone light but her eyes not, "but who else gets engaged to one girl, yet sleeps with another?"
Maria went still. The words struck deeper than she expected. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
For a moment, she had nothing. Then she turned away. "Forget about that," she said quickly.bToo quickly. "I need you to go over to Helen."
Evelyn's brows drew together slightly.
"Inform them that they must come rescue me at midnight." The words hung in the air.
Evelyn's expression changed. Not gradually, but immediately. She pulled her hand free. "You are asking me to commit treason against my king," she said.
Maria went silent. Evelyn shook her head slightly. "You want to drag me into your madness."
The room felt tighter again. Maria's shoulders dropped slightly. Her voice softened. "I am sorry," she said. "I was selfish."
She turned away. "Forget about it." The words came quieter now. Evelyn looked at her for a moment longer, then shifted her gaze to the tray.
"You must eat," she said, her voice returning to its usual calm. "Robert won't be happy to see you all skinny."
It sounded almost casual. Almost normal. Then she turned and walked out. The door closed behind her.
The day dragged. Slow, and heavy. Maria sat by the window for a while, then moved to the bed, then stood again. Nothing settled. Nothing stayed.
At some point, Smshe stopped trying. The idea of escape faded. Not completely, Bmbut enough to make her powerless.
She let it sit at the back of her mind, dull and unreachable. Maybe Evelyn was right. Maybe there was nowhere to run. Maybe this is it.
Elsewhere in the castle, Evelyn sat alone in her room. The door was closed. The space was quiet.
Too quiet.
She sat on the edge of her bed, her hands resting in her lap, her gaze unfocused. "She doesn't love him," she murmured to herself.
Her fingers curled slightly.
"Why should she be forced into a marriage that she isn't happy about?" She stood abruptly. The thought refused to settle.
She began to pace. Back and forth. Back and forth. Each step a little faster than the last.
"Maria has been like a sister to me," she said under her breath. She paused. "Even though she is my mistress." A small breath escaped her.
"She wouldn't have loved this to happen to me." That thought lingered longer. It stayed, it grew.
Evelyn nodded slowly. Once, then again. As if confirming something only she could hear.
Her steps stopped. Her posture straightened slightly. "I will deliver her message," she said. The words came firm.
Clear.
"I will help her escape."