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Zavian sat back on the chair and buried his head in his hands, sobs racking him as the tears spilled out. Demons were known for their strengths, the ability to weather through anything; be it as huge as battles and the harshest of weathers, but at that moment, he felt like the weakest being on earth.

He couldn’t bring himself to bury her, he just couldn’t.

His head was still in his hands when he felt the lightest touch on his hair.

“Zavian”, there was a whisper of his name.

Zavian’s head shot up. And there, on the bed, Neera was looking right at him.

….

Penelope pulled the jacket closer over her outfit; a plain blue dress faded from seeing several wash days. As she walked down the path to the gates, she reached for the netted gloves in her bag, her fingers grazing the warm muffins.

She was not built for staying indoors for so long. Sure the estate was wide, and there were acres of land to explore, but she wanted that taste of freedom; shopping__ a mundane activity before that she craved now, seeing the Kingdom’s people, and most especially, visiting Neera.

.....

So she set about the most important one; going to see her friend. She could care less what the King or the General Commander thought about her visit at that point, because she had missed Neera terribly, and she would be sure to see her.

The guard at the gate eyed her up and down as she approached closer. Penelope kept her head up as she neared.

“And where are you going to, if I may ask?” The guard, a ruddy short man, questioned.

“To the palace.”

His face squeezed in displeasure, making him look like he just got a punch to the face.

“The Master doesn’t approve of anyone leaving the estate grounds.”

“Last time I heard, humans are safe to roam the Kingdom now,” she told him. “So why should we be prevented?”

He shrugged and looked to his fellow guards, but they all didn’t put any words to the conversation.

“I am not sure of what the Master would say”, the guard said.

“Well, he did say only maids were allowed to go”, Penelope lied. She would go crazy if she was turned back. “Yesterday, at the maids’ quarters. Apparently, you guards have the lousiest shopping abilities. One of you got a chicken instead of a duck yesterday, and you wonder why the restrictions have been lifted.”

The ruddy guard shot a look to the guard nearest to him.

“They are all birds”, the other guard argued weakly.

“Well, if you say the Master allowed you to leave”, the guards proceeded to open the locks of the gates. “Go on ahead.”

Penelope wanted to scream her victory, but instead, composed herself, held back a smile with a tight expression, and gave a nod to the guards.

Once outside, she made sure to create a good distance between herself and the estate before she released the smile. She closed her eyes and inhaled the air around her. It smelled like wet soil, plants, and freedom, little things she had taken for granted.

She didn’t get too far before she heard the galloping of a horse in the direction she was headed. She saw the mass of hair from a distance before she saw him, and there was nowhere to run and hide, he would see her before she got the chance to.

Penelope pulled her hat lower and hugged the jacket closer to herself, bending her body forward and dragging her steps, so she would look like an old woman who was simply heading on and minding her business.

The horse got closer, and Penelope’s heart beat faster.

Closer, and closer, and then, it moved past her.

Penelope released a breath of relief. That was so close.

“Pen?”

The horse had stopped moving, and she knew Azriel was still mounted on top, waiting for her to turn around and look at him.

But she didn’t do that. Instead, Penelope lifted her gown and sped down the road.

The horse whinnied, and the hooves resumed movement. She didn’t turn her head to see how close he was behind her. She only focused on the town in front, and she was almost close to the crowd of people ahead. If she could make it to them, she could lose him among them, so she picked up her pace, almost at the end of the road…

A scream erupted from her when she was lifted up in one swift motion. She fought to set herself free, but Azriel’s grip was tighter, stronger.

Azriel set her down in front of him on the horse and watched her try to wrestle herself off him, humor dancing on his face.

“Let me go, my Lord”, she gritted out. He was surprised she still remembered her honorifics of him.

“What are you doing outside the estate?” He asked.

“I heard humans are safe to walk the streets now, so I do not see any reason to stay locked indoors.”

Azriel’s eyes narrowed at her. “And how did you get past the guards?”

“I have my ways.”

“Let me guess, you used your feminine charms?”

“What? No!” She frowned. “I just lied, that’s all. Not everyone uses flirtation to get their way, my Lord, even if it is hard for you to grasp that.”

Azriel smiled. “So where are you off to, fine liar maiden?”

“To my friend at the castle and I won’t leave till I see her”, she said. She noted the way the smile fell off Azriel’s face, and how his eyes widened the slightest bit. It was all in a second, but that was all Penelope needed to know something was amiss.

“Take me to her, ” she requested.

“We can go another day.”

“If you don’t take me to her today, I am afraid I would have to go on my own, my Lord.”