'Good morning Bridget.'
'Morning.' Bridget mumbled, still half asleep as she stumbled into the cosy kitchen, kept warm by the stove in the corner that Maria was standing at. Her mousy brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun on the top of her head and covered with a dark green scarf that perfectly matched her long green dress. Bridget narrowly avoided tripping on the boxes that were littered around the stone floor as she made her way over to the large oak table in the middle of the room.
'You seem tired honey.' Frank remarked as he entered the kitchen close behind her. She had hardly heard him coming. Clearly he had listened to Maria's warning of what might happen the next time he wore his mud caked boots in the house. 'Were you reading by candlelight again? You know you need sleep for your archery training.'
'You'll never believe it but my candle disappeared again.' Bridget snuck a glance at Maria to see a small smile on her face. 'It just keeps happening. Funnily enough on the nights before archery.'
'That is the weirdest thing.' Maria wiped her hands on her apron before handing Bridget a slice of thick crusty bread covered in butter. 'Now, I'm going to need you to hurry home after school.'
'Why?' Bridget asked. 'Do you need me to help you unpack the stuff for the kitchen?'
'Definitely not. This.' Maria gestured to the kitchen, a small smile on her face. 'This is mine. You two can have the rest of the house but this kitchen is my domain.'
'Of course.' Bridget laughed. In their last house it had been the exact same story. Their old tiny kitchen was where Maria had spent the majority of her time. Cooking, sewing, making all her home remedies and magical cures that the people in Blaine flocked to their house to buy. 'What do you need me to hurry home for then?'
'Me and your aunt thought it best to make sure you knew where we were going to be working.' Frank said. 'Just in case you ever need us for anything.'
'You mean I get to go the castle?' Bridget asked excitedly as she spun round to face Maria.
'Yes, but only to see where me and Frank will work.' Maria explained. 'I also want to introduce you to some people that we used to work with.'
'Did they also use to work with my parents? Will I get to see where they worked?' Maria and Frank shared a worried look. 'What is it? What's wrong?'
'Nothing sweetheart. We just don't want you digging around is all.' Maria gently smoothed down her light brown hair. 'We'll tell you all about them someday. I promise.'
'Alright.' Bridget sighed. It was the same thing Maria said every time she tried to ask about her parents. We'll tell you someday. Now's not the right time. You're just not ready. In Maria's opinion she'd never be ready which is why she had to find things out for herself. And now that she was in the capital, the exact place her parents worked before they were killed, she felt closer to them then she ever had before.
'You'd better get going before you're late.' Frank said. 'You think you're responsible enough to walk to school by yourself today?'
'Definitely.' Bridget grinned as she stood up straighter. 'I know where to go now.'
'Good girl. Just you remember to keep an eye out for those soldiers, okay?' Frank reached out to squeeze her hand.
'I know, I know.' Bridget rolled her eyes. 'We've not seen one soldier since we moved here. You said it yourself, there is nowhere near as much soldiers here than there was in Blaine.'
'Just be careful. Please.' Frank insisted.
'Alright. I will keep an eye out for any soldiers.' Bridget reassured him. 'I'll see you after school.'
Bridget took her bundle from Maria's hand, giving her a grateful smile as she did so before swiftly leaving the cottage, her mind racing with thoughts of what she was going to see at the castle. The enormous chandeliers with all their twinkling crystals. The striking paintings from famous artists all around the world. The grand staircase that so many royals had glided down in their fanciest suits and their most elegant gowns on the night of a ball. How she wished she could have seen them.
She stopped in her tracks as she noticed someone moving out of the corner of her eye. She hesitantly stepped closer but quickly relaxed as she realised what it was.
'It's just a piece of paper.' Bridget laughed to herself. Her body tensed again as she realised what was on the paper. Yet another Wanted poster. Another crude sketch of a criminal that no one knew what he truly looked like. Because no one that had actually come face to face with him lived to tell the tale.
Murderer.
Psychopath
Destroyer of lives and hope.
Thorren.
He went by many names but everybody knew who he was. Knew of the monsters he created. Knew what horrendous thing he had used those monsters to do. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared at the drawing's bright red eyes. It was the only thing about his appearance that people could agree on. Those red eyes. The mark of a demon.
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