The petite blonde sipped her tea nervously in front of you. Ruby drew on a scrap piece of parchment with a charcoal pencil while you tried to think of something to say. You didn't know what you wanted to ask her first. After you had called her name, she had dismissed herself from her male companion, who had a knowing look on his face, before she dragged you into what you presumed was her hut.
She broke the silence first, her voice quiet. "How did you know my old name?" She asked. "I remembered you from my first day at the castle." You answered. Then, you countered with a question of your own. "How did you manage to leave the dungeons?"
"Joseph. I'm assuming he helped you escape too. You don't look like you're simply returning home for a visit." She said. "A few days after Sanria had me thrown in my cell, I lost my baby..." She explained. "The rough treatment that I received caused the baby to die while it was still in my belly. Joseph appeared the next day with a stolen cell key. He snuck me out and told me to come here, where his family took care of me for a week. They gave me a new alias, and then married me off to Samuel."
"Do they push every girl into marrying?" You asked, almost to yourself. She shrugged. "Yes. It's safe, both for the girl and for them. This isn't a world made for single woman, you know." She mumbled. "You have to marry in order to survive. As you can see, our only job option available is something that we have to run from eventually."
You didn't want to think about the prospect of marrying Abel like James and Martha had suggested, so you changed the subject. "Rae was really worried about you."
Her eyes lit up at the mention of the red-headed maid. "How is she? I wanted to say goodbye, but Joseph said that it would put her in too much danger." She said. She sat her cup down and leaned forward, a small smile on her face. "We were really close...even though her and Alice had a thing, they always welcomed me in, y'know?" She murmured.
Your eyebrows shot up. "Close?" You asked. "As in...lovers?" Looking at them, you had assumed that they were just really good friends. You had always looked over the timid little touches that Rae and Alice would exchange, all of the glances they would shoot at each other when changing. It just seemed normal. Now that you thought about it, no other maids acted like that with each other.
Kassie laughed at you. "Never heard of female lovers?" She asked almost mockingly, leaning back in her seat. "They're common in maids quarters. No matter where you work, I assure you that there will be one duo. Alice was quite skeptical of allowing me into their little romantic relationship, but I won her over..." She sighed. "...Loving a man is simple. But loving a woman? A being just like you? There's nothing like it."
You didn't know how to respond, so you picked your teacup up again and took a long sip. Kassie leaned forward again and placed her hand on your wrist. "Listen, Y/N." She began. "I know your skeptical about marrying. I can see it. I was too, y'know? But it's not bad at all." She nodded her head to the window, where the man she was talking to earlier was peeking in, a silly look on his face. "That's my husband. He's handsome, he loves me, and he treats me right. He knows of my past, and doesn't care. He has a younger brother, Abel, who is just as kind as him. I think you should speak to him."
You looked down at your feet, feeling guilty. You knew that staying with the Dubois family would put them in danger. They were offering to help wed you to Abel, who seemed like a kind man. He was also coincidentally Samuel's brother, which meant that you could be close to Kassie too. You were uncomfortable with the idea of marrying so soon, but it didn't really matter in the end. Being shy and marrying a man you just met was better than risking good people getting killed. Plus, it wasn't like he was some old creepy pervert. He was close to your age, and seemed to be very light-hearted. You saw the way his muscles moved under his shirt earlier in the day too, which showed you that he was strong and capable. He could take care of you and keep you safe, and you wanted that. You NEEDED that.
You looked back up at Kassie, who had a knowing look on her face. "I'll speak to Martha and James about it." You agreed softly. "But I think it's time for me to bring Ruby home. I don't want to keep her out too late." You said, standing and stretching your legs. Kassie stood too, reaching forward to pull you into an awkward hug. "I hope we become sisters soon. It's nice to have someone to be able to relate to when it comes to trauma from the palace." She half-joked. You laughed lightly.
"Yeah, we can gossip about all of the dumb things that the Prince's do." You joked back. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand at you. "Not enough time in the world for that." She mumbled. You gestured to Ruby to gather her things as Kassie made her way over to the door. "I'll leave with you. Samuel is still out there enjoying himself. I might as well join him." She said. "By the way, my new name is Olivia."
"Thank you. For explaining things to me and giving me the courage to make my decision." You said to her, giving her a warm smile. Then, Ruby took your hand softly. "I'm sleepy." She mumbled. You squeezed her hand. "I know. We're going home now." You murmured to her. Kassie opened the door and gestured for you to exit first. The cold air chilled you almost immediately. You waved goodbye to Kassie, before hoisting Ruby up into your arms and hurrying back to your temporary home.
Martha was the first to notice the half-asleep girl in your arms when you entered the warm hut. She gently took her from you and carried her out of sight, presumably to put her to bed. James was seated at a desk in the corner of the room, scribbling something on a long piece of red parchment. You assumed that he hadn't noticed you for a moment, but then he set his quill down and turned his head to look at you.
"Y/N, I'd like to talk." He said, his voice kind. You had a feeling you knew what it was about, so you cut him off. "I'd like to proceed with marriage proposal to Abel." You blurted out. James' eyebrows shot up, and he turned his body to face you properly. "Oh?" He asked. "What made you change your mind? I saw how skeptical you were about it at dinner."
You pulled the heavy cloak off, starting to feel warm. "I ran into Kassie." You began, neatly folding the dark garment. "And she told me that she had married Abel's brother when she came to the village. She told me that Abel was kind, and so was his family. Also, I don't want to put you or your family in any danger...if I marry and change my name, then at least you will be safe and it will make it harder for them to track me down."
James nodded thoughtfully, relief evident in his expression. "Yes, of course. I'm glad that you were able to come to this conclusion. We would never force you to marry if you truly didn't want to, but it's wise." He said. "Abel is also a very good man. He's young like you, and from the way he was looking at you when he dropped you off earlier, you've definitely caught his eye. He's strong and healthy, and can support you through the long, cold winter months. He truly is a good option for marriage."
Martha reappeared, placing her finger to her lips. "Speak softly. Ruby is fighting sleep, and I don't feel like fighting her tonight." She murmured. You smiled softly. Ruby was definitely an energetic little girl from what you could see. She had some fight in her, which was valuable for a village girl in your opinion. Many times, you had watched one of your old neighbors allowing themselves to be walked all over by their new husbands or their brothers.
"Y/N has agreed to a marriage proposal with Abel." James said softly to his wife. Martha's eyes lit up, and she turned to you. "Oh, that's wonderful!" She beamed. "He truly is such a gentleman. He's nice and strong too, he'll take care of you in every way." She winked. Your face immediately got red when you caught the naughty undertones of her statement.
James came to the rescue before she could make another inappropriate statement. He cleared his throat, pulling his red parchment in front of him. "We will have to give you a new name, then." He said. "I already began to draft a proposal, just in case you would decide to agree. All you must do is pick a new name."
Your mind blanked. "Umm..." You mumbled. "I don't know. You pick for me." You plopped down in the soft chair in front of the window. "Y/N, this will be the name that you'll be stuck with for life. You might as well pick." Martha said. You sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. The only time I've ever had to come up with a fake name was when an old neighbor had a child, and didn't feel like naming him. I named him Leaf because I couldn't come up with a better name."
James cringed. "Surely it was when you were a child, though?" He asked. You winced. "It was a few weeks before I traveled to the castle. So, a few weeks before this years winter began."
Martha covered her mouth, attempting to hold back her laughter. "Oh, Y/N." She choked out. "I will pick a few names for you then, and you can tell me which one you like."
You nodded eagerly. "Yes! Let's do it that way!" You said, leaning forward in your seat. Martha sat in the chair opposite of you. "Well...let's see. A girl from the Eastern villages passed through a few months back, and she had the prettiest name. She was called Mi-Sun. And of course, there's Abigail. That was what I was going to originally name Ruby. My uncle's friend was named Penelope. Or, you can name yourself after the Queen of Caidal, and call yourself Gadael."
"Caidal? Where is that?" You asked, distracted by the foreign name. "A kingdom quite far from us. They say that the royal family are direct descendants of angels. And the peasants have angel blood in them, just not as strong as the royals." James said, standing. He pulled a large map from the bottom drawer of his desk, and unfolded it. "It's here, on top of some very high mountains." He gestured to the edge of the map. Erydia was on the opposite side of the large piece of parchment. It made sense that you had never heard of this 'angel kingdom', seeing as it was so far away. An ocean and an entire third kingdom stood in the way.
To choose a name of a distant queen would most likely raise some eyebrows among those who knew of Caidal, which you assumed was most of the village and most definitely Hoseok. You couldn't risk bringing any attention to yourself, which meant choosing a name that blended in. "Mi-Sun will do."
"Well, Mi-Sun," James smiled, refolding the large map. "I will finish this marriage proposal and deliver it to Cain and Abel tomorrow. You should get some rest tonight. In this village, we do ask that everyone pull their weight somehow."
You nodded. "Will I be fishing?" You asked. James and Martha both laughed, confusing you. You forced a smile, but couldn't see what was so humorous in what you said. "You won't have to do that. You'll be baking some meat-pies with me so we can sell them around the lunch hour." Martha said. She reached forward and gently grasped your arm. "Come, I'll show you to your room."
She lead you out of the room and into the small hallway, dimly lit by a tall candle resting on a wooden shelf. She passed by Ruby's bedroom, which didn't have a door. You could faintly see the outline of her bed, but not much else. Next to her room, was a large wooden door with a large circular hole cut near the top. Martha seemed to sense your curiosity, because she quietly explained the strange door. "This was Alice's bedroom. When she was still a child, she would spend all day locked away in her room reading. We cut out a hole in her door to ensure she would take our bowls of soup so she didn't die of starvation."
The thought of a young Alice, sitting in the corner of the room surrounded by books made your heart warm. It definitely sounded like an Alice thing to do. Martha pushed the door open and pulled you inside, lighting a large candle that rested on a table next to the door. It barely lit the room completely, but it was enough for you to be able to make out its main features. There was a tiny window on the far wall, where her small bed was centered. Against all of the walls were books of all sizes, stacked high. It resembled Martha and James' room. You could understand where Alice's love for reading came from. In the left side corner next to the door was a pile of cushions and blankets, with a couple of books seemingly tossed to the side. It looked like it had been her reading spot.
"This will be your room for now." Martha said, breaking you from your thoughts. "I'm sure Abel will be quick to accept the marriage proposal, so Alice won't even notice that you've stayed here."
"Does she not like when other people use her room?" You asked, moving further into the dark space. You were careful not to trip over anything that might be invisible in the low lighting. "She's very protective over her books. Kids used to snatch them from her hands and throw them into the sea when they were feeling bored." Martha murmured. She picked up a small book that was laying next to the door and examined it. "She hasn't been home in a few years now. I hope that she'll come to visit soon."
"I'm sure homesickness will fuel her into visiting soon. Especially with how intense things are at the palace." You tried to comfort her. You didn't know just how close Alice was with her family, so you were unsure of how much she missed her home village. Martha sniffled, becoming emotional. "I know. The only reason she left for the palace was because she was tired of being courted by the village boys." Martha mumbled. "And at first, I didn't mind it. Her brother was already there, so I knew he'd watch after her. But news of the brutal murder at the palace had spread, and the anxiety came back full force. I worry for her life, and for Joseph's too. I just need my babies to be safe." She cried softly.
You moved back across the room and pulled the larger woman into your arms without hesitation. Your heart ached for her. You didn't have the heart to tell her that it was Hoseok who had committed the murder, and that it for you. You couldn't bear to admit that Alice was most definitely in danger because of you. So, you held your tongue while the older woman cried into your shoulder.