Safe haven

Amelia stayed in bed for three more days under the pretence that she was still recovering from the fever, though the truth was that she had been been feeling better after resting only for the first two days.

Lying about being ill had allowed her to stay confined within the room that she had woken up in. She felt secure in there, away from any scrutinizing eyes. It was the only thing left in her life that was felt familiar.

Other than when Olivia brought her food and prepared her daily bath she was left completely alone.

She had spent the days in bed, drifting in and out of sleep to avoid the fear that was lurking in the pit of her stomach. During the nights she would rest on the windowsill with the window wide open to feel the chilly autumn air on her skin. She had found that the cold eased her anxiety slightly.

She was sitting there now as well, during her sixth night at Duke Beaumont's manor. She was resting her chin on her knees while staring at the darkness outside. The only light came from a flickering candle that she had placed on the floor.

It was drizzling tonight and small drops of rain made their way through the open window, soaking parts of her dress and hair.

She was pondering about her options in the current situation.

At first she had thought about escaping during the night since Duke Beaumont would be away for at least a few more days. But there was the risk of her being caught, if not right away then potentionally later since the emperor's execution order of her family also included her. At the moment she was only alive thanks to Dario so she could not afford to burn any bridges.

'Even if I do manage to get away I'll have no other option for survival but to prostitute myself. I'm a lone and barren girl with no talent or proof of previous employment.'

No, running away was not sensible. At least not currently. Being one man's mistress would surely be better than having to lay with hundereds of men as a prostitute.

It was sad, but an unfortunate truth.

A cold wind blew and sent shivers through her whole body. She had been sitting there for too long and did not want to risk another fever, so she climbed down from the alcove and closed the window.

'Only if things get dangerous here will I attempt an escape.'

The only thing she could do as of yet was to wait and observe. Tread carefully.

It would be beneficial to get used to her new surroundings.

Amelia had been thinking about leaving the safety of her room ever since she recovered from the fever but had changed her mind every time when the all so familiar feeling of breathlessness and fear appeared. She would need to do it though, and the sooner the better since she did not know when the duke would be back from his journey.

'I have to get a good grasp of my surroundings before then'

She picked up the candle from the floor and tiptoed towards the door. It would probably be easier for her to leave the safety of her room at night while no one else was around.

Despite this she hovered her hand above the doorknob for a moment, once again hesitating.

'You have to do it this time. It'll be fine, no one is around to hurt you Amelia.'

She replayed the execution of her family inside her mind. That is what she had done to soothe her fear the last couple of days. As their deaths still did not feel real to her she had to keep reminding herself whenever the anxiety was too much to bear. She visualised their severed heads, the bloodshot eyes…

'I'm fine... I can do this.'

She held her breath, pressed the handle down and crept into the dark corridor outside her room. The light emanating from the candle in her hand cast vast shadows across the walls, making it seem like large figueres stood there observing her.

It felt like her heart stopped for a moment. The corridor looked exactly like it belonged in the Ainsworth's residence.

Amelia felt her pulse immediatly rising and her heart started beating so hard in her chest that it almost hurt. Her throat tightened up and made it diffucult for her to breathe.

Despite this she did not move. Her irrational fear was a weakness, one that someone in her position could not afford to have.

She had to annihiliate that weakness.