Aria was given one hour to gather her things and say goodbye before the warriors would come and drag her to the border.
Aria stood in the center of her room in the east wing. The hearth was always cold and her bed still unmade. The small silver stone still sat on the windowsill beside a withered apple core. She picked up the stone, turned it over in her palm then set it back down.
There was nothing to pack, she had nothing not even a piece of cloth.
The door opened without a knock.
Lina stood in the doorway. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her hands were twisting in front of her. She looked like she had been crying for hours.
"Ria." Her voice cracked on the name. "I'm so sorry, tried to defend you, I told them you couldn't have done it. But they wouldn't listen. They already made up th
