Though I retire later than normal after helping the princess with her bedtime duties, I wake early the next morning to once again resume dressing Asteria. I envy Maria as I watch her sleep soundly in the bed below mine while I dress myself, but I must attend to my duties no matter what. My mother, and all of Landiani, is counting on me, and after what I witnessed in Arkford, I know there is more work to be done.

I slip quietly out of the maids' quarters in the early morning hours and head toward the princess's chambers. It is easier for me to navigate the estate now without the help of Alba or the other maids, and though the early wake-up can be tedious, it is a joy being able to see the sunrise filter through the windows of the estate each morning.

I unlock the door to the west corridor and begin walking down the hallway toward Asteria's bedchamber. Before I can reach it, however, Alba exits from her room, looking as prim as proper as ever, in stark contrast to the disheveled version of herself that I witnessed the evening before.

"Miss Fe. It is good to see you did not sleep in today," Alba says as I approach her.

"Of course not. I had my duties to attend to, after all," I say.

"And how did the princess's bedtime duties go last night?" Alba asks.

"They went well. I apologized greatly for being late to helping Her Majesty," I explain.

"As you should. Was there a reason that she specifically called for you?"

I bite my lip. I cannot risk telling Alba about what Asteria said to me last night about our growing friendship. "I don't know," I say at last. "But I am happy to assist her at any time."

"Hm. Carry on, then," Alba says. "The princess's breakfast will be waiting for her down in the dining room."

I nod. The tension leaves my body as we part, and I finally arrive to the princess's quarters. As I unlock the door to her room, I am surprised to see Asteria awake and seated on her couch. There is a book lying on her lap, which she looks up from upon my entrance.

"Oh. Good morning. I had not expected you to be awake," I say.

Asteria slowly closes her book and sets it down on the table beside her. "I figured it would not be fair for me to sleep in when you were expected to be here so early. I made sure to wake on time today."

I find Asteria's comments strange given the position of power she is in, but I suppose these sentiments are just a way of her affirming our "friendship."

"I appreciate it," I say. "But you may sleep in if you desire. Don't take my feelings into account. Are you ready to get dressed for the day?"

Asteria nods, and we fall into our normal dressing ritual. As I brush out her hair, she speaks. "Are you still interested in taking a walk with me this afternoon?" Asteria asks.

"Of course," I respond. "Will you relay that to Alba on my behalf? I do not think it would be wise coming from me. She may think I am slacking off on my duties."

Asteria giggles. "Sure. I will tell her at breakfast. How about this afternoon? The sun will be brightest then, and the weather should be comfortable."

"Yes, that works," I agree.

I do not try to pry information from her during the remainder of my morning duties, knowing that I will have the opportunity during our afternoon garden stroll to speak to her more privately. When we part, I take on my other tasks for the day, such as helping clean dishes with the cooks after breakfast and folding laundry with Maria in the late morning.

As the sun moves higher into the sky, I enjoy a midday meal back in the maids' quarters. The other maids are out performing their duties, so I sit back and bask in the silence. That is, until the door opens, and Zofia comes in, carrying a heavy basket full of her laundry.

"Welcome back," I say politely. Though my efforts to gain the trust of the princess have been working, I have made no such effort with the other maids save for Maria. At this point, I fear they will never like me, so I have resolved to at the very least stay out of their way.

Zofia does not greet me. Instead, she immediately gets down to business.

"What are your duties this afternoon? I have to wash all the napkins and tablecloths in the dining room, and I could use your help," she says.

"Normally I would be delighted to, but I am unable to help," I respond.

Zofia's eyes narrow. "Did a visitor arrive for you?"

"No. Princess Asteria has requested I walk in the garden with her," I explain.

Immediately, I see the frustration appear on Zofia's face. "And she is incapable of doing so herself? Why must you be there to help her?"

"I don't know. I am simply following the Princess's orders. If I have time afterwards, I would be happy to help you," I say.

Zofia shoots me a glare. "Don't act so smug. Remember your place here. We have been serving the princess for years and have never had the privilege of keeping the princess company. Am I supposed to believe the princess truly just asked you on a walk?"

"Yes," I say, standing up. "You can ask her yourself if it matters that much."

I tell myself to sit down, but in the moment, I am ready to fight. I have been ignoring the jabbing comments from the other maids for some time now, but I cannot let them think that I am weak. Perhaps my combat training was meant for other purposes, but I would happily slam a punch into Zofia's stomach right about now.

"You—" Zofia's response falters when the door opens, and Josie steps inside. I immediately sit back down, and Zofia picks up her heavy load of laundry.

"If you have time later, come help me," Zofia growls as she heads down to her room.

Josie stares at us in confusion, then follows Zofia down the hall, most likely to gather information about what just transpired between us. I do not stick around to hear their conversation and instead head toward the garden, hoping the princess will not keep me waiting long. 

The afternoon sun feels good on my skin as I begin to walk through the garden. Nearly all the flowers have bloomed, allowing me to see beauty wherever I turn. I walk slowly, unsure where I should wait for Asteria. I wonder if I should go back to the maid's quarters or visit the princess's chambers to retrieve her. As I turn a corner though, I see her in the distance. She makes eye contact with me and gives a small wave before approaching me.

"I am surprised to see you here already. I know we did not decide on a set time," Asteria says when she comes closer. The guards follow behind her at an appropriate distance. 

"I finished my meal, so I figured I would wait for you here," I explain.

"Did you wait long?"

I shake my head.

Asteria leans her head down close to my ear. I shiver as I feel her warm breath against my neck. She whispers, "Let's go to my secret garden today."

I nod as she pulls her head back up to look at me. "What is the plan?" I ask quietly.

"We walk quickly. Beginning now," she says, walking ahead of me.

I am surprised how quickly she can walk in her heels, but I manage to keep up. We turn a few corners quickly to throw the guards off her trail, and then, we come to the familiar clump of hedges toward the back of the garden. Just as she did before, she rests her hand against the branches, revealing an entryway. Quickly, she ushers me inside, and the branches close behind her.

Asteria breathes a sigh of relief. "We should be undisturbed for a little while."

I nod, and finding the courage within me, I ask the question I was too afraid to let pass my lips the first day Asteria took me here.

"Did you use magic to open up the hedges?" I ask.

"Yes," Asteria responds.

My eyes widen, having not expected so blunt of an answer.

"Does it frighten you?" she asks.

"N-No. I was only surprised," I say. "I suppose I am only curious on how magic works in Magnuvia. In Landiani, magic crystals fill our sea caves. The crystals are crushed and the liquid inside them absorbed. But here—"

"The magic is found in the trees and nature here," Asteria explains. "I am sure you know that already."

I nod.

"Why don't you come and sit by the fountain with me?" Asteria asks. "There is no need for us to stand around."

I follow her and take a seat, feeling the mist from the fountain's spray on my exposed skin. It is cool and refreshing, reminding me of the sea mist of Tetoa Bay. I feel Asteria's gaze on me as I look down at my feet.

"I thought that all the magic from Magnuvia was depleted," I admit.

"To the extent that the kingdom needs it, yes. But there is still magic in every tree, every bush, and every flower that grows here. It is weak and not beneficial for what my father wants, but it still exists," Asteria says.

"I suppose I always thought of the Magnuvians cutting down trees to harvest magic. How did you do that back there?" I ask. "Normally, I thought magic had to be ingested to be used by a human."

Asteria purses her lips.

"Sorry. I do not mean to pry," I say. "I should not be asking such questions as your maid—"

"No. It is as I said. You are not my maid when we are here. The ancient Magnuvians did not need to ingest magic to use it. Rather, they were able to simply absorb it from the source itself. My father – he taught Stephan and me this technique. Few can do it. It took much training and concentration to reach that point, and Stephan is much more skilled than I am, but it is a skill I possess nonetheless," Asteria says.

"What do you use the magic for?" I ask.

"For me? Nothing. I use it just as you saw back there; to pull the hedges apart slightly, or to make a flower bloom. My brother and father – they absorbed the magic to enhance their own strength," Asteria says. She holds out her palms in front of her and studies them. "I am thankful I was able to master this method to an extent, but I have never tried to absorb magic on the same level as my brother and father. I always tried to use as little as possible, just enough to appease my father during our trainings."

"That must have been isolating," I say. I am suddenly thrust back into the Landiani Caves, where my mother forced us to ingest magic to perfect our combat skills. I think of how Stephan was more skilled than Asteria at using magic, and in his place, I see Kiana in my mind.

"I am afraid isolation is the nature of my existence," Asteria says. "Have you heard of the great forests of Magnuvia, Fe?"

I nod. "Yes. We learned about it in school back in Landiani."

"This country was once full of great forests full of life and magic. In such a short amount of time, they have been reduced to nothing. We had a small pocket of woods near the castle in Magewell that my father would take us to. I watched him and Stephan destroy the natural beauty there from the magic they absorbed, and all I could think was why? I am sure I could have become as proficient as Stephan if I tried hard enough, but I never wanted to destroy the earth like they did," Asteria says. I can see her hands are shaking as she speaks. Slowly, I grab ahold of her palms to steady them.

"That was very noble of you to do," I say, lightly squeezing her fingers. They are warm against my own.

"To my father, it made me look weak, and perhaps I am, but..." Her voice quivers as she speaks. I look down at the hands I am holding, shocked to think that the princess of this country could appear so frail.

"You are not weak," I say. "You were true to your ideals, even if it meant disagreeing with your father. That was very courageous of you."

Asteria moves her hands away to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Thank you, Fe. I am sorry for acting so foolish. I just have no one to tell these things to," she says.

"Don't apologize," I say.

Asteria sighs. "I am sure my inefficient magic abilities contributed to my exile to Esterpool, but I am at least thankful that it is more natural here compared to Magewell. Perhaps it does not compare to the great forests that once stood here, but it is a beauty in its own right."

"It is a lovely place to live, even with your present circumstances," I agree.

"I did not mean to go off on a tangent, Fe. I appreciate you listening," Asteria says.

"Of course. That is what I am here for." I wish I could tell her about my own struggles with my mother and sister, how I was made to feel weak in the same regard for not living up to my mother's expectations, but I keep my mouth shut. Perhaps the princess and I are similar in many ways, but I would never be able to tell her so, nor desire to.

"What does magic look like in Landiani?" Asteria asks.

I keep my response brief, not wanting to share too many of my country's secrets, but I tell her about how the magic once kept the country vibrant and full of life, how it contributed to the biodiversity of the country, and how my people would use it to enhance their livelihoods. Asteria nods and listens, and as I watch her intently, I suddenly feel a pit in my stomach, wondering if my mother is making a wrong enemy with Asteria. Hearing her speak harshly of her brother and father's destructive habits and the way Magnuvia ruined its magic supply makes me want to ask Asteria her thoughts on colonization, but even as I talk with her, I know that is not possible. To do so would immediately jeopardize my mission and possibly lead to my arrest for treason.

"I am always so fascinated hearing of your country," Asteria says. "I would like to visit one day."

"You have never toured the empire?" I ask.

"It is not really befitting of the royals to go visit. We mainly keep to Magnuvia and rule from afar," Asteria explains.

"I am sure you would be welcome anytime," I say. It is a lie, as I can imagine the angered faces of my neighbors in Tetoa if the princess were to step on their soil, but I need Asteria to remain trusting of me for now.

"We should not linger much longer," Asteria realizes. "The guards will get suspicious. Are you ready to part?"

I nod and stand up slowly from the fountain beside her. As she walks toward the hedges to part them once more, I think of what she said, how her inefficient magic skills contributed to her exile. It is the first time I have heard of Asteria's move to Esterpool be labeled as such, and the first time she has hinted at a reason for her departure from Magewell.

"Asteria," I say.

She turns her gaze from the hedges to look backward at me. "Yes, Fe?"

"You said your magic abilities were part of the reason you were sent to Esterpool. Was there a main reason?"

Asteria presses her hand against the hedge, and slowly the branches pull apart. She looks back at me once more, sadness gleaming in her eyes.

"That is a tale for another day," she says wistfully.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

That evening, I sit at my desk under the candlelight, thinking again about my afternoon walk with Asteria. I curse myself for feeling any sort of sympathy for the princess, for thinking she may not be as villainous as I was led to believe, but as I stare at the blank piece of paper that will soon become a letter to my mother, I know that one good egg in the royal family will not be enough to change the trajectory of Magnuvia's colonization.

Slowly, I begin to draft my letter, detailing in clever words all the information that Asteria shared with me.