What do you say to a girl who just tried to poison the queen of your kingdom?

"How old are you?"

An easy question. She looks to be 6 maybe 7. I remember when I was her age. I was just like her. Following blindly without being able to do anything for yourself. Being a slave and a puppet.

"I'll be five and a half this summer," she answers. A part of me is even surprised she decided to talk to me.

"A summer child. Is that why your mom named you Willow?"

"My dad named me," she says holding tight to my hand. Her tiny fingers wrap around mine, half the size. "He found me in a willow tree."

Abandoned, I think to myself. How much worse can her story get?

"Who is your father?" I ask. Maybe he's not Malakan. "What's he like?"

"I don't know. I don't see him," she says, and I have to remind myself to slow my pace for her little legs.

"I'm taking you to a woman named Lucy. We're going to help you get to a house in Senwain."

She stops in her tracks. "No." Her voice changes suddenly with a gripping intensity.

"No?" I ask.

"That's a bad place. I don't want to go there. You can't make me!"

She starts twisting in my grasp. I hold on tighter without trying to hurt her frail body.

"Let go!"

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on?"

"Lucy!" I breathe. "Thank goodness."

"Who is this?" She addresses the little girl currently climbing my leg like it's a tree, leaving bite marks up and down my leg.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." I suck in air between my teeth as Willow bites down again. "We need to get her to the old lady in Senwain. You know, the one with the desserts."

"Ophelia? Yes, right away."

She goes to remove Willow from my body and the second Lucy's cool touch reaches her, she relaxes.

"Hey there," she says brightly.

The one thing I always like about Lucy is she never asked too many questions. She was always ready for whatever life threw at her. The good and the bad.

"Lucy, this is Willow. Willow, Lucy." I introduce them and without hesitation Lucy embraces her.

"My name is Willow," she says.

"I hear," says Lucy. "Now, what was all the yelling about? It's quite an odd hour to be making such a fuss."

Willow's scowl returns. "I don't want to go to Senwain. It's a bad place."

Lucy releases all the tension in her body and I see her melt. "Whoever told you that? Senwain is filled with the kindest people I have ever met."

"My mommy told me. And she said that Senwain is the reason we are living in the woods and in caves."

Just then I realized I had never really seen Malaka. Surely I traveled up the mountain to Eden's cabin. I had never thought Malaka would be any different from the grandness of Lumbridge.

Lucy looks up at me, and we both know that this could be a losing battle, but she tries anyway.

"As Princess of Lumbridge, I owe it to you to take you to a place with a roof over your head and food on the table. And I promise to you," she turns Willow to look at her. "You will never live in the forest again. As long as you are here, you will be welcomed as one of us."

Oh, how I wish I could just pull out a princess card and make people listen to me so easily. Instead, I'm the one with scratch and bite marks all over me.

"Princess?" She hesitates, her eyes going wide. "This is a trick. I get tricked a lot."

"There's no trick, Willow. We'll keep you safe here." I add.

She looks back to Lucy. "You really are the princess?"

She nods and apparently that's all Willow needed to hear to change her mind.

"This way," Lucy says, as she gestures the opposite way we had come from.

Turning around, Willow flounces to follow Lucy.

"That was easy enough," I whisper sarcastically to Lucy. She holds back a smirk but I can tell it's there.

She whispers back "So, what happened while you were in there? Where did Willow come from?"

I hold onto her shoulder. "Listen, we both have stories to tell each other. You're not the only one that's not in the loop."

She looks me in the eyes, annoyed. "Fair."

We make our way to the royal stables where Stella has already settled in for a slumber. I open her stall as quietly as possible as to not wake any of the other horses, but it's a lost cause the moment Stella starts to rustle her hay.

"Sorry, Stella," I say throwing her bridle on. "We've got a last-minute trip planned." She chuffs, clearly vexed. "I know you're tired. Believe me, I am too." She nuzzles my side and I take a moment to stroke her soft face. I hug her strong body for just a moment before releasing her. "Come on," I say as I lead her out of the stable. She ever so slowly strolls out, tired.

***

After I got Stella all saddled up, the three of us are riding to Senwain through the moonlight. Lucy holds on tight to Willow behind me and I focus on navigating in the dark. It's weird how everything will take a different shape once the sun goes down. Every noise sounds louder; every bush seems larger.

It was an adjustment I remember making when I was a child, always having to work in the dark and sleep through the day. My thoughts wander back to crawling in the tunnel and how dark it was in there. But the magic just lit everything up. I wonder how different things might have been if I would have known about my magic before. Maybe I would have a father who loved me, or not even love me but just tolerate me enough to not want to kill me. Maybe Damian would have been right and the key to Fleasherg would be mine.

It's nothing I would want for myself. Not anymore. But if I would have known about my magic, I wouldn't be here right now in Lumbridge. I know that I would have been a witch to abuse her powers and use it for my own self gain.

If I had known..., would I have been any better than Eden?

"Slow down," Lucy snaps me back. "We're here."

The feeling in my fingers come back, and it was only then that I realized how tight I had been holding the reins. I gently pull them back and direct Stella to stop. Leaping off the horse I raise my arms to Willow who feels so fragile. She doesn't say anything but I can see in her eyes her apology, and I can't help but flash a smile.

I bring her to the door and knock on Ms. Ophelia's door. We wait, and wait. I knock again feeling a growing pain in my stomach. "Come on," I whisper to no one but myself.

"I'm cold," Willow whines, shivering. Her teeth clatter like a rattling maraca.

I reach in my bag until I feel the familiar soft wool of my cloak. "Here," I say wrapping it around her shoulders. The black cloak swallows her whole and drags on the ground.

"Please," I whisper again. "Please, open up."

My heart jumps as a purple burst of sparkles bangs through the door. I watch through the window as it swirls around and then disappears around a corner.

"What did you do?" Lucy bites.

I freeze. "I didn't do anything."

"Whoa!" Willow exclaims.

"Shhh!" Lucy hisses, and just as she finishes glaring at us the door opens with the old woman standing in the doorway. Her nightgown is decorated in prints of flowers and the sweet smell of her house welcomes us outside.

I clear my throat. "Hello, Ms. Ophelia."

"Oh, my." She jumps back, opening the door wider. "Come in, come in."

I guide Willow inside and follow her in, the sweet smell hitting even stronger. Mouth water vanilla and honey. Her cottage is a golden hickory color, the most notable thing being her kitchen. Her oven has a yellowed appearance from years of making sweet treats for the townspeople but it looks ever so charming. Her fridge is filled with pictures of captured memories. Chicken and duck eggs line her countertops in woven baskets and jars of sugar, flour, and salt line the open shelves.

As we come through the door Ms. Ophelia lower her head, slowly bowing.

"No need, no need," Lucy says, shaking her hand, helping her stand to her full height. She then closes the door just before a gust of cool air can come inside.

"Please, sit down." She says, her welcoming voice a breath of fresh air.

"Listen," I say. I fold my hands in front of me realizing how crazy this must sound. Hey Ms. Ophelia, I was wondering if you would look after this kid who just tried to poison the queen. Don't worry, she's not actually evil at all. Well, all except a few bites. "I don't want to keep you long, and I apologize for waking you."

I look down at Willow. Her big brown eyes look all around the cottage, so young and pure.

"There has been a bit of a mishap at the palace and this little girl, Willow, has nowhere to go for the moment. The first person I thought that would be able to take good care of her, is you."

She brings her hands to her heart. "Well, bless my heart. You've come to the right place. I haven't had company in the house for quite some time but I would love to have you."

"Really?" I ask. "I don't want this to be a hassle. Only if, you are sure."

"Nooo," she says quietly. "This is more than I could ask for." She waddles over to her kitchen and reaches in a jar of cookies. "For you," she says to Willow, handing her a cookie the size of her hand.

She takes it hesitantly. And I can tell she's debating taking it or not, but the look in her eyes is hungry and the better part of her takes a bite.

"Mmmm!"

"There's a spare room down that hallway. First door on the left," Ophelia says giggling.

Willow looks around and before I know it, she's wrapped around Lucy. Deep in my heart, it aches. The little girl is still in her. She hasn't been completely lost.

"Thank you," she says into Lucy's leg.

"Of course." Lucy pats her head and strokes her hair. "We'll meet again, Willow."

She steps away from Lucy and looks towards me. She makes no movement to hug, instead, she unclasps the cloak and hands it to me.

"Keep it," I say, and she nods smiling lightly before she skips down the hallway. Once she has closed the door to her new room, I turn to Ms. Ophelia. "Thank you... for all you do," I add remembering the story Lucy had shared with me.

Her grey eyes are gentle and a pink aura laces around her. "No, thank you."