Jia hardly batted an eye at the news. She immediately found Mina a new black uniform to wear and had Sophie tailor it to Mina's size. Sophie plastered on a smile, but even Mina could detect her disappointment.

"Hey, you might end up partnered with someone who's not so grumpy and gloomy," Mina offered.

Sophie shook her head. "No, I'm getting stuck with Ivy Weaver."

"Oh."

"Yeah, that stuck up, good for nothing princess wannabe," she looked at Mina. "You might not be the most chipper, but you at least know better than to pick on people for their insecurities."

"Can't you ask Jia for someone else?"

"I did, but she insists that I'm the best person to keep Ivy in line."

Mina almost smiled. "Well, she's right about that."

Mina's new uniform was much softer and more comfortable on her skin than her regular grey one, probably because it cycled between people and the laundry less often. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt almost as if she wasn't really there, as if it was some other girl standing there before her. Serving the prince? She had never thought this would ever happen. She never thought she would be so close to him ever since that fateful day ten years ago. And yet, here she was.

"Careful being too good or else he just might fall in love with you," Sophie teased.

Mina glanced away. "Stop that."

"I'll keep doing it as long as you keep blushing."

"I don't mean to. I just don't like being teased and it doesn't help that he's doing it too."

"Hey, I get it. He's sweet and good looking. What's not to love?"

"But he's the prince," Mina emphasized. "He's on a whole different plane than the rest of us."

"And? We all know none of us are ever gonna end up with him."

"Sophie, I don't like him. Not like that." Or much at all, she thought.

"I know, I know. But you should know a bunch of other girls would be clamoring to be in your position."

Mina bit her lip. "Yeah."

Sophie smiled. "You're the best choice though. You know not to let unrealistic feelings make things messy."

In reality, Mina didn't feel like she even had the capacity to love like they did, which was a good thing, considering why she was there in the first place. She couldn't hate him after everything he had done for her, but the past wounds still lingered and pained her. She still couldn't let go of that deep ache, or rather, she refused to.

The first few days were so terribly awkward and uncomfortable that Mina wondered how she was ever going to adjust to her new job. Magnus refused to let her do anything too strenuous while her hand healed, so she found herself standing around in his presence, just waiting for him to ask her to bring him something or give her opinion on some trivial matter.

Every morning it was always just:

"Good morning, Mina."

"Good morning, Your Highness," she returned with a curtsy.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not really."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Good thing you're not doing anything too tiring today."

And every night it was just:

"Thank you, Mina,"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Is that it for the night?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Well, then, try to get some rest. Sleep well."

"Thank you."

She felt so useless, and it made her loathe the life of the royals and nobles even more. He didn't need her or anyone. He could just as easily organize his own desk or run himself a bath without her. At least this served as a sort of wakeup call, reminding her that he could never really understand her and her pain. He'd never understand what it is like to truly struggle and fight for what he wanted. Everything was handed to him on a silver platter and served with silver spoons so he didn't even have to lift a finger.

"Something wrong?" Magnus asked, noticing how she seemed to be glaring at the wall.

Mina snapped out her trance. "No, Your Highness. Don't mind me."

He was lounging on one of his couches with a book in his hands. Reading and painting were the two main things he seemed to do in his room, solitary hobbies that made the silence seem even more loud.

"It's hard not to notice," he said gently. "Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

She hesitated. He had told her to speak freely. He insisted on it. He commanded it. But that didn't ensure he wouldn't have a bad reaction to whatever she had to say. Some people insist they want honesty but can't seem to handle the truth. He seemed to handle her bluntness fairly well so far, but she wondered if he had a line she couldn't cross.

"Why do you need me?" she finally asked, picking at her fingers to keep from pulling at her hair.

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"What am I doing here? You don't seem to need me."

What he needed to do was protect her, but she'd scoff in his face if he told her that. "Sure I do. You've definitely helped brighten up this room."

She almost rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, no one who has ever met me thinks I'm a ray of sunshine."

"No," he agreed, smiling at her frown. "You're not bright like sunshine, but you're bright like a fire, and that's special in its own way."

She was silent, averting her eyes to stare at the wall again. He really knew the right words to say. "But I burn whoever gets too close."

"I'm not afraid," he said gently.

He would be if he knew who she really was. "You should be."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And why is that?"

She hesitated. "Your guard said it best himself. I come here, two men end up dead, and you get the worst beating you've had in years." She noticed him tense at that last part, the smile falling off his face.

"He told you that?"

She nodded.

He shook his head. "None of that is your fault."

"It is if you suffered for my sake."

"It's the price I must pay for doing what's right."

She stared at him, the pain returning to her chest. "How? How do you do it?"

"What? The right thing?"

She nodded. "Isn't it easier to just let him do what he likes?"

"In some ways, yes, in other ways, no. Sure, I save myself some physical pain, but that's nothing in comparison to what I would feel inside if I just turned a blind eye." He leaned his chin on his hands. "Does that make me weak?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I know some people would take advantage of that."

"But you can and you don't."

She could. So why didn't she? Maybe it was because she couldn't help but feel that same internal ache that he was just talking about. "Well...I'm not that kind of person." She didn't even know if that was true or not.

The smile returned to his face. "That's why I like you."

She shook her head in disbelief, moving to straighten out the covers on his bed in order to occupy her hands. His gaze followed her, silently contemplating what to say. He wanted to get to know her more, but he didn't know what she would be willing to tell him. Was there a reason she was being so secretive about her past? Maybe there was something else he could ask about that felt less intrusive to her.

"You might like this story," he commented, tapping the cover of the book in his hands.

She just stared at him for a few long moments, watching the confusion and concern grow on his face. "You do know I can't read very well."

He frowned, feeling a little foolish. "Well, I could always read it to you. Or you could come learn."

He gestured for her to come over, but she hesitated. "Come on, I don't bite," he insisted. "And don't say I have something better to do because you know that I don't."

He had her there. Slowly but surely, she made her way over. He shifted his legs off the couch, making room for her to sit next to him. He flipped back to the first page and rested it on his knee that was closest to her so that she could see. She stared at the page, recognizing the letters but not the words they formed. Books weren't exactly commonplace in her little village, and the most she knew how to do was write out the sign of what she and her father were selling in their little shop. Han Carpenter taught her what little he knew and she had tried to teach herself for the most part. Usually, her spelling was rather horrendous, but she still managed to mostly get her point across.

"I could read out loud while you follow along, just to start," Magnus suggested, noticing her utterly lost look.

She nodded silently, and so he began. His voice was low and smooth and soft, easily pulling her into the story he was telling and making her forget about reality. At some point, she failed to keep following along with the written words and opted to just listen. Magnus noticed, shifting his position to give her more room on the couch as he continued. She rested her head on the armrest and stared off at the sky through one of the windows. She couldn't remember the last time she was this comfortable and this relaxed, and she couldn't resist soaking in the feeling.

As he read, Magnus stole little glances at her, watching her facial expressions change as the story progressed. To his delight, he almost detected the smallest hint of a smile playing on her lips. Even though she wasn't talking to him, having her here and spending time together was enough.

A knock at the door startled both of them. Magnus called out his approval for entrance and Sylvan poked his head in, raising an eyebrow at the two of them on the couch together. Mina scrambled to her feet, looking at the clock and realizing how the hours had flown by.

"Yes?" Magnus asked, remaining where he was sitting.

"It's past dinner time. Wasn't she supposed to fetch you food?"

Magnus saw worry cross Mina's face, but he touched her arm reassuringly. "I didn't even notice. Mina, when you pass by the kitchen, bring back some for yourself too, so we can eat and finish this story together."

She would have protested if the mention of food didn't cause her stomach to growl, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in hearing the end of the book. Bowing her head, she scurried out of the room, brushing past Sylvan and heading to the kitchen.

"What?" Magnus asked as soon as Mina was gone, noticing the look on Sylvan's face. "We were just reading together and got a little carried away."

"I didn't say anything," Sylvan defended.

"Your face says otherwise."

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth," Magnus insisted. "At least Mina's honest with me."

"That girl has no respect for you or anyone."

"Mina," Magnus corrected with a frown. "She has a name, Sylvan."

Sylvan sighed. "Mina has no idea when to hold her tongue."

"And why should she? I want her to speak her mind."

"There's a time and place for that."

"But I want her to feel safe with me. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing."

"Then what's the issue here?"

Sylvan crossed his arms. "Do you want me to speak freely too?"

Magnus's frown deepened. "Please."

"With all due respect, I fear your judgment is clouded. She's getting into your head, and that's exactly what she wants."

"She's not dangerous, Sylv."

"You don't know that. I doubt you hardly know anything about her."

"That's why I'm trying to get to know her better. If I see any warning signs, I'll cut her off."

"Oh, I've seen plenty already."

"I think you're being a little paranoid after the last ones."

"I'm not being paranoid, I'm just being careful. You need to be smart about this."

Magnus threw his hands in the air, shaking his head. "What else would you have me do? Keep my distance? Shut everyone out like I've always been doing?"

"Magnus."

"I don't need her, right? Or anyone? The castle walls are not enough to contain me and keep me safe, so I need to stay shut up in this room forever."
"Magnus."

"What?"

"Magnus, please, I'm just trying to help."

Magnus sighed, burying his face in his hands and slouching down in his seat. "I know. I'm sorry."

Sylvan's gaze softened. "Look, I wish I had all the answers, and I wish I knew exactly who to trust, but I don't, so I'm just trying to be careful."

"I know," Magnus said again, his voice muffled by his hands. His silent cry for someone, anyone, to be with him went unheard again. But it was just loneliness. Other people had much worse problems than loneliness. Magnus stood up from the couch, tossing the book aside. "Tell Mina I'm calling it a night. I'm not hungry."

"But—"

"Sylvan, please," Magnus insisted. "Just go."

*~*~*

"Heard about your promotion," Samira commented, causing Mina to jump, nearly dropping her tray of food.

"Samira."

Samira leaned on the counter, a smile playing on her face. "Would you look at that? Seems Eldin was right about choosing you."

Mina glanced around, double checking that no one was in earshot. "You got that right. And guess what? The prince even asked me to dine with him."

"You're joking."

"Two meals for two people," Mina said, gesturing to her tray.

Samira gave a surprised laugh. "Huh. Who would've thought?" She picked up one of the cups, gently swirling the tea around. "You know, you could poison him right now if you wanted to."

Mina's breath caught in her throat. It was true. Staring down at the cup in Samira's hand, Mina realized how easy it could be and how much trust Magnus was putting in her just by having her serve his food. But what if having her dine with him was some sort of test? What if he managed to switch things around? It could be just as easy for him to turn the tables on her and she knew he wasn't as oblivious as she had previously thought.

"I don't have any good poison," she finally said, her voice coming out softer than she expected. "If I'm going to do it, I need to make sure it'll kill him on the spot. Don't want to risk anyone coming and saving him."

"Mm, fair," Samira replied, setting the cup back down on the tray. "But it's too perfect of an opportunity to ignore."

"Yeah, I know," Mina agreed. "Keep an eye out for something especially potent."

"Will do."

Mina nodded. "I better get going then. Don't want the food to get cold."

Before Samira could say anything else, Mina was off, not wanting to face her any more. As she walked back down the hall, she noticed the way her hands were trembling. She mentally slapped herself. What was wrong with her? Weakling, she swore at herself. Pathetic weakling.

Of course she had always thought about killing him, but considering and planning it at that moment felt particularly uncomfortable. For the first time, everything felt so real. One minute, she was sitting peacefully on his couch, getting lost in the story he was telling, and in the next, she was plotting his murder. It didn't feel right, but she thought it should. She was supposed to be playing him, acting one way in order to gain his favor and hiding her true self. But that was the problem; she wasn't acting with him. Everything with him was just as real as everything without him. She really was enjoying the story. She really was content to sit there with him. She couldn't fake it if she tried.

When Sylvan told her that Magnus wanted to be alone for the rest of the night, she didn't know whether to be glad or relieved. Sylvan had her leave some of the food in case Magnus got hungry and sent her away with the rest. Staring down at the plate of potatoes and roast lamb, Mina suddenly also didn't feel hungry anymore. She returned the untouched food to the kitchen before turning to the maid's quarters for the night, silent and almost in a daze. Every night, Sophie liked to harass her for the insider scoop, but that day, Mina couldn't get any words out. She didn't even know what to think or do other than lie there and wonder where this road she had chosen would take her.