“Dreams and freedom are the same. In order for them to be, they come with a price.” - Criss Jami

I stare at Yaakov with obvious surprise, which makes him smile even more.

“You knew even then?”

“Yes, we've known since ordering the first dresses,” he says as he turns around and slides the door closed.

I hear the clicking of a lock as my eyes widen with the realisation that the Balgitzi's are dangerous - dangerous because they are capable of deceiving and toying with those around them. There is no way this family are ordinary merchants.

The maids soon come with hot water, filling the bathtub in the room and placing an assortment of clothes on the bed before leaving me alone.

The bath is heavenly. I haven't taken one like this since leaving the forest as I could only wash with small quantities of water and didn't always have access to warm water.

After bathing, I decide to wash my clothes as well. When done, I make my way to the bed and study the clothes.

The dresses are breathtakingly beautiful. Settling on the least flamboyant and revealing - a pale yellow one, gentle knock soon draws my attention.

“Come in.”

Meaghan Balgitzi enters my room. This time she is dressed in bright red lace, which compliments her dark eyes and full lips perfectly. Her side curls have been swept up into a magnificemt ado adorned with plain golden pins. The dress clings to her every curve as she moves towards me. The clicking of her heels stops when she halts a few feet from me.

“I have to offer you a most sincere apology. I couldn't introduce myself properly earlier for fear of tipping you off. I hope you don't take any offense to our ploy.”

She looks at me, a genuine smile on her face as she swoops into a low curtsy. “Your highness, my name is Meaghan Balgitzi, daughter of Paptzys and Elaise Balgitzi and only heir to the Balgitzi trading empire. It is truly an honour to welcome you here. Unfortunately my parents are away on business and couldn't offer their hospitality to you in person. I hope your room is to your liking?”

“I would like to say that it is a pleasure to meet you, but unfortunately I cannot do that in these circumstances. However, I can say that your home is a much more pleasant cage than the prison.” meeting her eyes with my own expressionless face, I continue: “If I may ask one thing?”

“Yes?”

“Yaakov said that you knew from the first time I delivered dresses. Why did you only act now?”

She walks to the bed, looking at the dresses before turning around. “It is simple. As a trader you sell your merchandise to whoever offers you the most. The previous price of seven hundred and fifty was outbid by the eight hundred we collected. Your price was then raised to a thousand. How can I not sell for that?” She walks toward me again. “Apparently you are worth even more than that, as I have just been offered two thousand for you. Your buyers will be here at midnight. Please ensure that you are dressed practically - perhaps your own clothes would suffice.”

Struggling to comprehend what she just told me, I answer her with silence.

A sympathetic smile crosses her face. “Don't worry, they bought your freedom. They will come here and my people will unfortunately fail to protect you. I was promised that you will be free to go where you please after they help you leave the city.”

The day passes very slowly after my encounter with Meaghan Balgitzi. A thousand questions remain unanswered.

Who would be willing to pay two thousand gold pieces for my freedom? And why?

The maids come and go, clearing the dresses from the bed and bringing me supper and tea in between. After eating, I decide to take a nap. If I am to escape tonight, I should be well rested. I have no idea if I will get any sleep in the next few days.

When the moon has risen high, I put my own clothes on again. Even though they are still a little wet from washing, their clean smell makes me smile. I take great care to ensure my money and bracelet are secured in my pockets.

Then I sit on the edge of my bed and wait. Meaghan Balgitzi didn't tell me how I will know my rescuers have arrived, just that they will come at midnight. As the time creeps closer, I become more impatient, resorting to studying my bracelet over and over again.

I finally hear it: shouts from outside, followed by footsteps running up the stairs. Outside my door the guards give an astonished cry before thumping to the ground.

The lock clicks and then the door slides open revealing two figures clad in black. Even though their faces are hidden behind lace masks, I can easily tell that one is a man and the other a woman.

The woman's blonde hair has been pulled into a tight bun with various sharp pins sticking out of it. Her hazel eyes are narrowed as she looks me up and down.

Instead of her voice, the man's rich and mesmerising voice fills the corridor. “Are you staying or coming?”

Without waiting for an answer they turn around and make their way down the corridor.

I hurry after them, ignoring the bodies of the guards.

A smirk crosses his face as he pulls a dagger from his boot before handing it to me. “Here.”

Too astonished to offer any protest or thanks, I take the dagger and study it while making my way to the stairs. With no hilt of its own, the weapon is unconventional and unlike any I have ever seen. The iron blade curves at both ends offering only a small area to grip it.

Guards lie scattered through the house. “They are not dead, you know. Well most of them at least,” the woman says over her shoulder.

As we exit the house we encounter the mutilated bodies of the city's guards. “Well these ones are very much dead,” the man says with a chuckle.

Listening to the light tone of his voice, a shiver runs down my spine.

What on earth am I getting myself into by escaping with them? Whoever paid for me, even if my freedom was promised, will definitely collect the debt in the future.

The city is eerily quiet as we make our way through the streets. The moonlight only breaks through the clouds occasionally, providing a pale shimmer to the surface of the pools of water collected in the mud.

“Thank you,” I offer after some time of silence.

The man looks over his shoulder. As the moonlight hits his face I see that his eyes bear a striking resemblance to those of the woman. “I just hope you will be a good dog later.”

The woman hisses and slaps him across the face. “You absolute dumbshit. You are not supposed to talk to her about anything.”

As I watch the encounter, I realise that I was right. There will be a price to pay for their help.

We approach the gate. Without hesitating the deadly duo run towatds the gate. Before the guards can register it, their throats are slit

As effortlessly as cats they scale the walls, plucking the guards in the tower from it. Their bodies crash to the ground with a sickening thud.

A whistling guard appears from around the corner close to me, his surprise only lasting a moment before he turns around and heads down the street.

“Kill it!” The man's heavy voice fills the night.

The woman looks at him, before smoothly jumping down the tower. A blur of black passes in front of my eyes. Then the guard falls down in the middle of the street.

Looking from the one end to the other, I have no words.

The woman walks back to me, harshly grabbing my elbow before dragging me to the gate. With a single punch the wooden gate crumbles away, leaving only heaps of ash behind.

Never encountering a magic like this before, my mouth hangs agape.

The man quickly follows us as I am steered down the road. The moment he catches up to us, she lets go of my elbow and turns to him in a smooth movement.

He catches her wrist midstrike, boring his nails into her skin. Offering her a cruel grin he says: “I expected that.”

She stoops down, swiping her foot out before knocking his legs out of the way. In one movent she withdraws a dagger similar to the one he gave to me and holds it at his throat.

“Why would you wait for her to kill him? You know she is useless like that.”

His shoulders draw into a shrug. “I still wanted to see if she could do it. And did you see the look of disgust on her face? I will never forget it!”

My confusion grows as I realise that these two people seem to know a lot about me, even though I have no idea who they are.

She sheathes her dagger. “It was definitely amusing,” she says before offering him a hand to pull him up.

They are dangerous. Cruel,  hot-headed, precise: practised assasins using an unknown form of magic.

“There is a horse just down the road,” the woman tells me when she turns her attention to me. “You should hurry. Those forest things are almost here.”

The corner of the man's mouth lifts into an unequal grin. “Please don't get caught again. Even though we enjoyed coming out and playing with the mice, buying you was very expensive.”

“Who can I thank for my freedom?”

Surprisingly the woman gives the answer. “This would all be due to Father's insistence. Mother wanted to leave you for now.”

“Leave, little princess, before the forest scum arrive.”

“Thank you,” I offer, but they have already turned around, ignoring my thanks as if everything that transpired was completely insignificant to them.

As I hurry down the road, I spare a glance over my shoulder to my rescuers. I spin around, looking back to the spot where I saw them walking a moment ago.

The only thing my eyes meet, is the dark night, devoid of shadows.