Joanne’s POV
“I’m so sorry; we don’t mean to make things weird,” one of the women said. “I’m Michelle, and this is my sister Stella.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I told them.
Stella gave me a shy smile; she seemed younger than Michelle, but not by much. It’s been a while since I’ve been around other women. I’ve been away from the palace for a couple of weeks now, and the last woman I was around was the slaves. But this somehow felt different.
“We didn’t mean to bother you,” Michelle continued as she held up the canteens of water. “We only came to get some water for the stew we are preparing. We want to thank everyone for their assistance. The soldiers, the prince, and well…. You.”
Stella nodded in agreement, a slight blush creeping along her cheeks.
“It’s the most food we’ve e
