But there was something else he hadn’t said until now...

About her letter to Thea.

He was going to give it back as she asked after a while, but...

It was once when he was training hard while in Norland. His body was sweating and he couldn’t find anything better than to douse himself with water from a tub right over his clothes. Except that he had completely forgotten about the letter that had been in his breast pocket all this time.

When he caught himself, the paper was soaked through and tore while he was taking it out of his pocket.

He read the letter.

He blamed himself for meddling in his own business, but in the end he couldn’t give it to Thea then. It seemed to him that it would hurt her when she found out about its contents. As if that would change her mind about her best friend.

But now that he remembered that letter again, how could he give it away? Did he have the right to give it to Artemis? He doubted it.

- I’m not sure I remember who it is.- Dexter drawled thoughtfully, trying to remember.

It wasn’t that he knew all the maids in the castle, but it seemed to him that he had heard this name before.

- You should ask Margaret or Charles about it. However... - he stopped suddenly, as if a realization had struck him.

- What is it?

Artemis noticed the twitching muscles on Dexter’s face and the way he evasively looked away from her face.

- Come with me. He gestured for the others not to follow them.

They walked through the corridors, which, compared to a couple of days ago, were now almost empty. Evacuated residents were placed in the underground catacombs and inner halls of the palace after the first attempts by witches to break the defenses of Abion appeared.

- Where are you taking me?

Although they did not walk fast enough for Artemis to keep up with Dexter, she still felt weak in her legs and was breathing heavily, and the numerous skirts of her dress only added to the weight of her burden.

- This maid... the one who was Princess Thea’s friend? - he finally ventured the question as they approached the small room that Jenin had once shared with Scarlett and Clarice.

A strange feeling crept into Artemis’s heart and she nodded timidly, and then Dexter opened the door of the room, where everything was covered with white sheets and a layer of dust.

- The day Princess Thea ran away with Klaus was a fateful day for many in this castle. - He spoke softly, noticing how Those expressions were changing. She was beginning to understand where he was going.

Trying to block out the thought, she shook her head and her heart squeezed as if it had been pierced by a sharp needle.

It wasn’t her feelings. These were the feelings of Thea, who still didn’t want to believe.

- This girl became the first and started thousands of deaths. They were all people who had become innocent victims of Raphael’s madness.

Artemis pursed her lips, trying to control the emotions that were tearing at her from the inside. But Thea’s pain was so acutely reflected on her face that tears flowed down her cheeks by themselves, bypassing all obstacles.

"It’s because she helped us escape!"

"She was so kind and innocent. She didn’t deserve this!"

"Why did he do this?"

"I... I..."

Artemis clearly grasped the subtle facets of Thea’s mental pain. She realized that Thea was fighting with herself not to hate Raphael, to find some excuse for him. But there was no excuse.

- She was a witch. - Dexter tried to smooth out the corners.

- She was human. - Wiping away other people’s tears, Artemis said coldly. – Kind and caring.

- He wasn’t himself. Mad. He didn’t realize what he was doing. - The Duke persisted.

But Artemis just shook her head and grinned.

- No. He killed her deliberately because she was a witch. I’m sure he didn’t even give her a chance to justify herself. - She closed her eyes and deep wrinkles appeared between her eyebrows. – Leave me alone.

Dexter hesitated to leave her, but a sharp chill in the air made him step back.

Slowly, inch by inch, the room and all the objects inside were covered with an icy crust. As icy as Thea’s heart.

Artemis did not interfere, she allowed Thea to retire into her grief and only occasionally wiped the flowing tears from her cheeks.

Despite the ice-covered walls, Artemis did not feel the cold at all. It was the power that Thea had mastered to perfection before plunging into the darkness of her subconscious. And it seems that Thea is finally getting stronger, judging by the fact that her power is coming out without anyone’s permission.

Dexter stayed outside the whole time, afraid to leave her alone. At some point, Amanda joined him. She leaned back against the wall as she put down her crutches and wrapped her arms around herself.

Dexter walked over to her and pulled her to him, hugging her so tightly, as if he was desperately clinging to life. Amanda even coughed, and then giggled softly.

- Are you going to strangle me?

He looked down at her height and smiled indulgently. This girl had his outlet, his calmness and at the same time his nervousness, because she was always doing some things that made him worry.

She tried to appear strong and independent, but only he knew her delicate, sensitive and gentle feminine nature. He pushed her away many times, trying to stay as far away as possible, feeling unworthy of her attention, but recent disturbing events have forced him to take a fresh look at their "relationship".

Dexter couldn’t admit to her that he was more afraid of losing her than the whole kingdom. She was so brave when she needed to be cowardly that these experiences had been robbing him of sleep for the past few days. He wished he could keep her safe, send her as far away from this place as possible....

If only he could...

But even if he could, she wouldn’t agree. He knew that.

Holding her tightly to him, feeling the warmth of her hands on his chest through the thin fabric of his shirt, he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, enjoying this moment with trepidation and tenderness. Will they still have the opportunity?

Amanda tried to lift her head to look at him, but Dexter wouldn’t let her, just pressed her head down harder.

- Can you promise me something?- she asked softly, listening to the uneven rhythm of his heart.