[ Aysel ]
Within minutes, the servants have packed my things. Ria and Poppy walk with me across the packhouse grounds while the others move ahead, carrying my luggage.
I arrived here with nothing, but I’m leaving with trunks filled with dresses bought for me inside these walls that I’m allowed to take with me.
“Will you be fine on your own, my lady?” Ria asks, worry etched into her face.
“I will,” I reply, forcing a small smile. “Thank you… both of you. You made this place feel less lonely.”
“It was nothing,” Poppy says, though her eyes shine with sadness. “You’re kind. You deserve better than this.”
Just then, I catch a glimpse of Freya, Raquel, and Haelyn lounging beneath the wide silver branches of a Moonwillow tree, its pale leaves swaying gently as their maids fan them.
As th
