Serenah couldn't wait to get to Mr. Lancaster's office. Alastar's cold silence throughout the day wore down her happiness at returning to school. She'd tried a couple of times to talk to him but was rebuffed each time. She finally gave up and resigned herself to not knowing what the problem was.
They arrived, and Serenah practically flung herself from the car in her rush to get inside. She slowed long enough to return the staff's greetings before making a beeline for Romeo. Her fated mark grew warmer as she neared his location. She halted when he rounded the corner, a happy smile rising.
"Romeo!"
She went to his side, hugging him hard. She felt him stiffen then relax. She inhaled that soothing scent of forests and safety he exuded.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
His softly asked question made her tear up. He always showed he cared. This is what she desired more than anything from those around her.
"Nothing. I just wanted a hug," she whispered, tightening her arms around him again before reluctantly letting go.
He stared into her eyes until she averted her gaze. "Let's go," she said once Alastar had caught up with them. She slid her hand into Romeo's, and they made their way to the usual conference room.
"Welcome back, interns. I hope everyone's break was a good one," greeted Mr. Lancaster.
Serenah smiled at him. "Good afternoon, sir." She took her seat next to Romeo.
Her sister sat across from them, a scowl on her face. Serenah glanced away at the intensity of her sister's glare in her direction. She hoped that today would be a calm one. She didn't want to deal with two angry people. She snuck a glance at Alastar, saw his expressionless face, and sighed. Yep, today was going to be long.
Mr. Lancaster outlined what he expected from them before dismissing them to go to work. He caught Serenah as she moved to leave the room.
"Sir?"
"Sera, I need you to come with me for a moment."
"Um, okay." She turned to Romeo, saw him nod, and obediently followed after Mr. Lancaster.
She felt reassured at Romeo's presence as Mr. Lancaster led her to an unfamiliar part of the building. He stopped to knock once and opened the door.
Inside stood a woman in a doctor's uniform. Serenah froze in the doorway, a sinking sensation filling her. Why was a human doctor here?
"Sera, this is Dr. Hina Fells," explained Mr. Lancaster. "She is our family's private doctor and very discreet in all her dealings with clients."
Serenah felt her chest tighten. She knew that look. Mr. Lancaster meant well, but this would cause her trouble later. She just knew it.
"Hello, Sera. I'm Dr. Fells. It's nice to meet you. I heard from Romeo that you needed a checkup to make sure you were doing okay."
"I," words failed Serenah.
She saw the doctor's sincerity and willingness to help one she thought was in trouble. She couldn't let them do this. It was a path to disaster if they checked her. She knew the scars on her body couldn't be explained away. Knowing Mr. Lancaster, he would go after her father, something that Serenah couldn't allow if she wanted to protect the humans.
"You're safe here. Please, have a seat," Dr. Fells instructed.
Unable to refuse, Serenah sat, uncomfortable at Dr. Fells's assessing gaze.
"Sera, I'm going to ask some questions; please answer them so I can see how best to proceed with treatment."
"Yes, doctor."
"I noticed that you seem to be moving stiffly. Do you have back problems?"
"Not really. Sometimes my back hurts from the way I lie in bed, but I'm sure that's true for anybody."
Dr. Fells laughed. "I agree with you there. My next question is, are you clumsy? Or would your family describe you as clumsy?"
Serenah thought about her injuries from her father's beatings. He would often tell people that she was "clumsy" and didn't have the "grace of a true princess."
"My father tells people that I'm clumsy often." She stopped speaking when she heard Romeo cuss under his breath. Had she said something wrong?
"Sometimes our family feels that they know us best. That's why I asked," Dr. Fells explained, throwing a reproving glance in Romeo's direction.
"Ah, yes, that is true," Serenah agreed.
"I have one more question to ask, and then we will be finished," promised Dr. Fells.
"Alright."
"Sera, does your father or sister physically hurt you?"
Serenah opened her mouth to respond but snapped it closed when she realized what Dr. Fells had asked. She stiffened, angry at herself for almost spilling her family's secret. She had let her guard down because of the doctor's friendly manner.
"I need to get to work," she replied, trying to evade the question. She slid from the bed, intending to move past the doctor.
Dr. Fells grabbed her hand, halting Serenah. Startled, Serenah jerked her hand away, spun on her heel, and headed to the door. She stopped at the door, turned to Romeo, and said, "Don't do this ever again, please? I don't like being cornered."
She went out the door, not giving Romeo time to respond.
~***~
When his father had first proposed having Lady Fallo check Sera over for wounds, Fidelis had been on board. Once they got to his father's firm and took Sera to their healer, he was still convinced he was doing the right thing.
That changed when Sera got upset at the line of questioning from the healer and left the room. Her scared, yet angry look had stirred his protective instincts. He would take her anger any day if it meant he'd kept her safe.
She asked him not to do something like this again, but he didn't agree to it. Not that Sera noticed his lack of response in her rush to flee from the healer. In the silence following Sera's departure, Fidelis looked to Lady Fallo. Her troubled expression told him a lot about Sera's situation.
His father was the first to speak. "Well, Lady Fallo? What did you read from the girl?"
Lady Fallo sighed. "It's bad. I'm amazed she is even up and moving around."
Fidelis stiffened at her words. "What do you mean?"
"Your Highness and Your Majesty. That girl is covered in healing wounds from the neck down to her feet. I feel many old injuries, as well as some sustained in the last two weeks. Not only physical ones but emotional ones. Her soul is crying out from the assault from those two areas."
Fidelis clenched his fists. He knew it! Sera would continue to suffer in silence if they didn't find a way to get her out of the hell known as her home. He stroked his fated mark and made up his mind.
"Father, Lady Fallo. Sera is her own worst enemy. She doesn't want to put us in the line of fire because of her father, but I need to show her that we are the best option."
"How do you plan to do that, Your Highness?"
"I'm going to tell her who I really am, Lady Fallo. I've been making plans since last year to do so, but the timing hasn't been right. I will tell her after the dinner in two weeks."
"I think that is a good idea, my son. If she can see that we are stronger than her father, perhaps she will allow the help she so desperately needs."
They spoke a little longer before agreeing on a final plan. Things were starting to fall in place. He would soon have Sera in a safe place where she could be happy at last. Satisfied, Fidelis left to go to his assignment.