A knock came just after dawn. Three quick taps, a pause, then two more.
Aria's eyes opened. The room was freezing. The hearth had died in the night and her breath misted in front of her face. She was still curled on top of the mattress, the thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
"Ria?" Lina's voice, hushed but bright. "It's me, Open up."
Aria uncurled slowly. Her joints ached from the cold. She crossed the room, slid the rusted bolt back, and opened the door.
Lina stood in the corridor holding a cloth bundle. She was already dressed. "I brought bread, I Stole it from the kitchens. The head cook already hates me."
She stepped inside without waiting. Her eyes swept the room, bare walls, narrow bed, high slit of a window and her smile flickered.
"It's cozy."
"It's a cell with a bed
