Music is Carrots and Peas from The Imitation Game. Play it!

     Verana doesn't notice the rest of the trip, her mind somewhere that even the most abrupt occasion couldn't break. 

     Damian. 

     It couldn't be. The child that she had met wouldn't still be around this kingdom. The kingdom that had captured her. Hurt her. 

     And even if he had stayed around, this man didn't look like the Damian she had met as a child. He looked completely different. . . or maybe she hadn't got a good enough look at him. Now that she thought to actually compare him to a face she knew, her mind needed a refreshment of memory.

     Verana's eyes caught Colette still sitting across from her, idly looking out of the window of their carriage. On top of everything, Colette had said Damian was her brother. There was no way. They were complete opposites. Damian had fair skin and blue eyes, while his sister had dark skin and even darker eyes. The only similarity they held in common was their black hair. 

     The girl suddenly looked over at her and she quickly averted her gaze. "You look troubled." 

     Is it really that obvious? Verana shook her head, if only to get Colette off of her trail. "I'm just thinking."

     "No, you're wondering about something."

     She shook her head, fawning her wings around her in the tiny space so that she could lean back. The cushions were comfortable. "Possibly. I don't really want to talk about it." Did she? Her mind whirled with ideas, possibilities, and different realities to the situation. No, she definitely wanted to ask, but there was also a part of her mind that couldn't find much strength to care.

     Verana still hadn't had food or water in a couple days—her dry throat and dormant stomach held the proof. Her wing was also broken and had probably healed by now. She gritted her teeth at the thought of having to break it again so that it could heal properly.

     And then came the fact that she needed to get home. . . if her wing would even allow such exertion. 

     Verana gripped her hands in her lap, wringing her fingers as the carriage bumped along a rock road. She finally pulled her eyes up to look outside where small wood houses passed. This would was so different from hers. Not just in the lack of wings and gems, but in the way these people seemed to live their lives. Not that she could tell much so far.

     Their houses were simple and all made of the same material, whereas in her kingdom the houses usually ranged from vines, rock, or even flowers. But maybe that was because of the powers that they were given.

     As a child, Verana had wanted to explore this place; the deadly place that had starved her, but now, she didn't relish the idea of staying. She was an outcast and a danger to not only herself, but to the temptations of the people around her.

     She could never forget the Damian she had met, and how desperate his father had been to simply sell her off to the highest bidder.

     She shivered. That could happen at any moment. These people, even Colette, who had saved her. Furthermore, her so-called brother could decide he didn't want to house her anymore. Verana gulped down nonexistent bile, shoving her treacherous thoughts deep into the back of her head.

     It won't come to that.

     The carriage suddenly came to a halt and her body lurched forward. Verana's chained arms flung out to the side to catch her balance, the metal links going taunt at the action as Colette glanced outside of the window. "Go inside. The driver has been paid to mind his own business, but just in case, I'm going to pay him again for his silence if he did indeed see you."

     Colette opened the door and Verana slipped out, taking a hesitant glance at the male driver on top, who didn't spare her single look. Convinced that he didn't really care about her, she made her way into yet another, wooden house.

     The shape of it everything, well, it was normal, but small. A sitting room furnished like any other and she could see a kitchen part of a kitchen with all manner of things she didn't know the name of.

     Her eyes were just straying to a door on her right when Colette barged into the house. "You like?" she asked, pulling of her boots and throwing them to the side. Traipsing into the living area, she plopped down on one of the chairs, dangling her legs over the side.

     "Pardon me?" Verana asked, forgetting what the girl had asked seconds before her act.

     "Do you like the house?" she asked, motioning to the four walls they now stood in. "Damian was finally able to build us our own home."

     She raised an eyebrow. "Where had you been living before?"

     Colette's bright eyes lowered to the floor. "Damian doesn't like me to talk about it much. . . but we were forced to live with another family when our father died."

     Verana's heart fell in her chest. All previous thoughts of how the house had been descent burned deep wounds in her mind. How could she be like this? These people had saved her, and she still had the nerve to call their little home, small and indecent?

     "I'm sorry," she said, forcing the words to hold all manner of sympathy. "That must have been really hard."

     Colette shrugged. "It was in the past."

     The girl showed her to her room, saying that she could sleep with Damian in his room so that she had some privacy. "There's a new dress for you on the bed. . . do you need any help getting it on?"

     Her attention was immediately brought to the disgusting and faded party dress she still had on. The dyed leaves were beginning to lose their color and a coat of dust layered the entire thing. Yes, it would be good to have this off her body.

     Verana picked up the light blue dress, moving the rough material in her hands to look for holes in the back for her wings to go through. "No, but my wings won't be able to fit through here." Colette stepped next to her. "Can you alter it?"

     The girl nodded, taking the dress. "Of course."

     "What is that made out of?"

     Colette gave her an odd look. "What do you mean? The cloth?" Verana nodded. "Cotton. I mean, I'm not seamstress, but I know that's what it's primarily made of."

     She hummed half-heartedly, her mind trying to comprehend how cotton could be turned into a clothing. 

     "Is your dress made out of. . . leaves?" Colette asked, some kind of weapon akin to a knife in her hand. She began cutting away at the dress. "I'll just make it have a slightly lower back, since I'm not sure where the holes would need to be."

     "You can look at the back of my dress." Verana turned around so she could see. "Our wings can't fit through the holes, so we cut them and once our wings have slipped through, we pin the two parts together."

     "Wow," Colette said, her wonder at the simple procedure sounding childlike.

     The girl followed the same outline, cutting the holes so that Verana's wings could slip through. Verana thanked her and Colette promptly left to make dinner. 

     She raised her hand to take off one of the shoulders of her dress, causing the chains on her wrists to go taunt. Sighing, she considered tapping into her power, but had a feeling it would quickly drain what energy she currently didn't have. On top of that, her light hadn't worked melting metal before. She would just have to keep the dirty dress on her a little while longer.

     Sitting down on the bed, Verana took a quick glance at the desk littered with papers and the large wardrobe next to a window. 

     She laid down on her side and her aching body sunk into the covers. Before her eyes could fully close, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

     Darkness met her eyes when she awoke and she could smell something delicious. 

     The chains in her lap clinked together as Verana rose, her aching body screaming in nearly every muscle. She groaned, gritting her teeth. Her left wing hurt the most, thanks to the broken bone. She would have to remember to ask Colette about it. . . and what they could do to make it heal quicker.

     The small table in the living area was covered in all manner of food Verana didn't know the names of. Her confused eyes swept over the perfectly decorated ensemble. It looked like Colette had taken time to arrange everything into a pleasing arrangement, for reasons Verana couldn't fathom.

     "How does everything look?" Colette asked in a cheery voice from behind her, walking around to the table to set down yet another dish of food. There wasn't even any more room for them to set their own plates. 

     Verana's mouth fell open, but no words came out. She didn't want to insult the girl's hard work. . . but she didn't know what to say. None of the foods looked appealing to her, save for the fruit and vegetable plate, which held the only food she recognized. How can I put this lightly?

     "I'm not quite sure," she said, walking up to the covered table.

      "Where's the dress I gave you?" Colette asked.

     Verana looked down at her ruined clothing. "Oh." She held up her chained wrists and that was all the explanation the girl needed.

     Verana turned back to the table, her eyes catching one of the foods. "What is this?" Her pointer finger hovered above some kind of light brown slice, which had something yellow melting on it.

     Colette raised an eyebrow. "That's bread."

     Verana moved her finger, pointing to something different. "And this?"

     "Roast."

     Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "What's in it?"

     "Meat, carrots, potatoes. . . have you never seen food before?" Colette asked, causing Verana to look at her. "I mean, what do volucris usually eat?" she said, rephrasing the question upon seeing her expression.

     "Fruits and vegetables. Basically anything that grows."

     "Carrots and potatoes grow," Colette said.

     It sounded so matter-a-factly to Verana that she almost laughed. "I know what carrots are, but I've never heard of potatoes or meat." If potatoes grew, then where did meat come from?

     Two minutes later, Verana wished that she had never thought of such a question, or asked it aloud. Her empty stomach wanted to turn upside down, but she forced down a single strawberry, hoping that if wouldn't be spilled on the floor in a second.

     Her stomach instantly exploded with hunger at the sweet taste of her favorite food and suddenly she wanted to eat every piece of unpleasing looking food in front of her. Except for the meat. She would never eat that.

     Someone burst through the door and Verana jumped in her seat. Damian stood in the doorway, his once tousled hair now flat and soaked in rain. Her brows furrowed at the sight as she looked past him outside to find the ground muddy, but no rain falling from the sky. It must have stormed while she slept.

     His boots stomped against the floor as he moved towards her and she felt the irking feeling that he would slap her again. 

     Colette shrieked from behind him and he stopped mid-step, turning to his sister. Her horror-struck face quickly morphed into a glare. "There are dirty shoes in my house."

     Verana giggled as Damian's cheeks turned a periwinkle color. "Sorry."

     While he took off his shoes, she turned back to the feast of front of her, biting into a slice of celery. It tasted bitter and she recoiled at the unexpected taste. 

     "I brought the key to your chains." Verana looked over. His hair dripped onto her nose and she wiped the water away. He sat down in a chair next to her and she held her hands out so that he could unlock them. 

     Was this really the boy she had met as a child? He had the same facial features now that he was close for her to get a good look. He didn't seem to recognize her; he hadn't even given her some kind of second glance in confusion. He hadn't even asked her name yet.

     This wasn't the same person. It couldn't be, but as a last chance, she blurted out her name.

     "What?" he asked, looking up at her with furrowed brows.

     "My name. It's Verana."

     "Oh," he murmured, looking back down at the unlocked chains now on the floor. They must have fallen, but she couldn't recall when. "I'm sure Colette already told you mine."

     She nodded her head, looking away from him. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she didn't know from what. She had told him her name, and he hadn't reacted. He didn't know her, and suddenly something died in her chest. Had she been looking forward to seeing Damian again?

     Did she miss him?

     Colette walked to the table and sat down, smiling at both of them. "Ready to eat?"

     If only to forget what just happened.

     If only to forget your disappointment, a voice whispered in the back of her head.

     "I'm going to change clothes," Damian said, but Verana tried not to pay attention to him. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

     When he disappeared, Colette leaned closer to her. "He always does that."

     "What?"

     "Tried to act shy around girls."

     Verana was taken aback. Just hours ago Damian had wanted nothing to do with her, even going as far to tell his sister that she should have helped her.

     No. Damian was most definitely not interested in her. And she didn't care about it either. Colette was the one that helped save her, and for that, she would be forever grateful.

     Her thoughts surged as Zan entered her mind. Thinking about loving someone made her miss him and she realized with jolt how far away he seemed. She forced back tears as she wished to be held in his arms.

     Verana, Princess of the Volucris, missed her royal life, and more than anything, she wanted that normal life back.

     "Verana," Colette murmured, bringing her back to the current world she lived in. "Are you going to eat?"

     Nodding, she gave the girl a tight-lipped smile. There was a bowl of steamed broccoli and Verana took one, her teeth sinking into the delicious food. After eating a couple pieces, she glance over at Colette. "Do you think you can look at my left wing? I'm hoping that I might be able to get back home soon." The girl's eyes widened. 

     "Sure, I. . . I can look a-at it."

     They finished eating before Damian came out of his room, fully dressed in new clothing and surprisingly dry. Is his room some kind of magic? 

     "Sorry I took so long," he said, sitting down.

     "It's fine," Colette said as she and Verana moved into the sitting room. 

     They both sat onto a couch and she began looking at her wing. Verana watched as her brown eyes traced her wing. She wrung her fingers in her lap. "Do you have some kind of remedy that can make it heal quicker?"

     Colette laughed. "No." She gestured to her wing. "May I?"

     She nodded. Verana would have extended her wing, given her some kind of resignation besides nodding, but her wing was still stuck inside the slung. She had a feeling it was good that it was still being held by the sling. Heaven only knew what would happen if it had to come out.

     "Do you mind if I take off the sling?"

     Verana gulped. Curse fate. She nodded, already preparing herself for the pain she knew would come. 

     Reaching up, she gently untied the knot that had been keeping her wing motionless. Colette held her wing as the white piece of curtain fell away and with a nod from Verana, she rested it onto the cushion next to her. 

     Every movement caused shocks of pain to shoot throughout her muscles. Every, single, movement. She hissed and groaned, resisting the urge with every fiber of her being not to sob. She didn't want to alarm Colette or Damian, who sat a couple feet away, eating his dinner.

     "Where does it hurt?" she asked and Verana pointed to the top of her wing.

     "In the joint?" 

     She nodded and the girl pressed her fingers on either side, feeling. Her breathing hitched at the touch, but she gritted her teeth, hoping that Colette found what she was looking for quickly.

     "Verana, I'm not sure what's wrong," she said, her face holding confusion. "It hurts a lot?"

     "The pain is excruciating."

     Colette pursed her lips. "The alignment in your joint feels correct. I'm thinking that you might have fractured something."

     "Does that heal quickly?"

     Fracture, broken, it was all the same and completely new to her. Would she have to stay here for maybe another week?

     "It might take a month."

     Verana's head dropped into her palms. One month; thirty days without her family. Zan, Elle, her parents, Lacilia, Jen. All of their faces flashed before her eyes, blurring together in her vision.

     But there were no tears left for her to cry. Or maybe she was willinger herself not to cry in front of the people that saved her. They didn't need to know just how much she grieved the thought of staying with them for so long.

     "I'm sorry," Colette whispered, setting her hand onto Verana's shoulder.

     She tensed at the touch. As much as she had wanted to think that her touch was comforting, it only reminded her how far away her home was; how far away her family seemed to be. Colette had saved her, but that didn't mean she wanted to stay with her and her brother.

     "It could be longer."

     Damian's voice cut a knife through all of the vengeful thoughts she had been trying to hold at bay, allowing them to leak into her mind's eye. She imagined slapping him for the snarky comment and her fists clenched in her lap. 

     Her eyes glared invisible daggers into his back, and if she had the willpower, she could have made them real with a single spark of light from her gem.