Dinner was over.
The last of the plates were cleared away.
Anna excused herself. "Your Highness, if you'll excuse me..."
Roland nodded.
"Violette, you stay."
The girl, who had just started to stand, froze.
Anna, halfway to the door, paused.
A mischievous smirk played on her lips as she glanced between Roland and the terrified girl.
Then she left, closing the door.
The solid click of the latch settling into place echoed in the heavy silence.
Violette was instantly on edge.
Her body went rigid. Her hands flew to her lap, twisting the rough fabric of her skirt.
She stared at the table. At the candle. Anywhere but at him.
She assumed he wanted to sleep with her.
'It's late,' her mind raced. 'He kept me here alone. After dinner. What else could he want?'
It was a scenario she had heard whispered about in the alleys. A powerful lord, a helpless girl who owed him her life.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, bracing herself for the command.
Roland saw it all.
The panic. The trembling. The way she refused to meet his gaze.
He knew exactly what she was thinking. He couldn't help but smile.
'This girl... she really thinks I'm going tothat?'
'Even if I was that kind of man,' he thought, 'there's nothing there. I'd have to feed you properly for at least three months first.'
A dry cough escaped him.
'Just kidding.'
He softened his expression, making it as non-threatening as possible.
"Violette."
She flinched.
"Relax," he said gently. "I just wanted to talk."
He leaned forward. "I'll be counting on you from now on."
Violette's head snapped up.
Her eyes, wide with stunned confusion, finally met his.
'Counting... on me?'
Her mind was blank.
She didn't fully understand what he meant. What could he possibly count on her for? She was nothing.
But his words struck a chord deep inside her.
He had saved her. He had fed her. And now, he was placing expectations on her.
The terror vanished.
She stumbled out of her chair and dropped to one knee, her head bowed.
"I will go through fire and water for Your Highness!"
she declared, her voice trembling but gaining strength.
"I will follow you! Anywhere! "
She meant it.
Roland smiled. "Get up. There's no need for that."
She slowly returned to her chair. She sat at the very edge, alert, as if awaiting her first order.
He let the silence stretch, his expression turning serious. "One more thing."
"What do you want to do about your mother?"
The air in the room chilled.
Betrayal came to her mind.
She had thought nothing could feel worse than starvation. She was wrong. To be sold by the one person who was supposed to protect you...
"If you want to vent your anger," Roland said, his voice flat, "I can help you. It would be simple."
Violette's breath hitched.
She knew what he meant. Revenge.
A single word from her. Just one. 'Yes.'
If she said yes, that woman... her 'mother'... would never see tomorrow's sun.
A single order from the prince, and it would be done.
Her hands clenched into fists.
'Say it,' a dark part of her mind whispered. 'She deserves it.'
She pictured her mother's face. The years of hardship. The faded memories of kindness. The desperation that had turned her into a monster.
Could she do it?
...No.
She hated herself for it, but she just couldn't.
She was still too kind-hearted.
"Thank you... My Lord," she whispered, her voice choked.
"But... please. Let's just leave it."
She looked down. "She's... she's already dead to me."
Roland studied her for a long moment.
He respected her choice.
"As you wish."
He nodded, letting the matter drop. He changed the subject.
"So, another question."
Violette looked up.
"Do you still want to kill yourself?"
It was a blunt, almost cruel question.
But he had to ask.
Just hours ago, in that square she had been an empty shell. He had seen the despair.
If Roland hadn't been there, the guards would definitely have executed her on the spot for being a thief.
Violette blinked, surprised.
She tilted her head, as if genuinely considering it.
'Do I still want to die?'
She thought of the cold home. The reek of garbage. The gnawing hunger. The complete emptiness.
Then, she thought about the warm, crusty bread. The rich, savory stew.
A slow, radiant smile spread across her face.
It was the first genuine smile she'd had in years. It transformed her.
"Not anymore," she said, her voice clear.
Roland found himself captivated. "Why?"
Violette's gaze drifted toward the empty plates. She licked her lips, remembering the taste.
"Because..." she said, a little shyly. "That... that was the most delicious food I have ever eaten in my entire life."
She looked back at him, her eyes shining with a new, powerful, and simple motivation.
"I... I want to eat it a second time."
Roland let out a short, surprised chuckle.
It was the most honest reason he had ever heard.
But Violette kept her most important reason locked in her heart.
'It's not just the food.'
'It's him.'
He had saved her. He had given her dignity. He had fed her.
'I have to repay his kindness.'
Violette had always believed in repaying her debts. It was the one piece of her father's code she had never forgotten.
He had given her back her life. Now, it belonged to him.
She would not throw it away.
Of course, she didn't say any of this out loud.
She had never been good at expressing her feelings.
Roland stretched, letting out a long yawn. The day had been draining.
"Alright. Go and rest."
He waved a hand.
"Anna has prepared a bed for you. A real bed."
He fixed her with a final, serious look.
"Get some sleep. This might be the best night's rest you get for a period of time."
His voice dropped. "Tomorrow, we set out for the Northern Reaches."
Violette felt no fear.
She stood and gave him a deep curtsy. "Yes, Your Highness. Good night."
She walked to the door, her back straighter than it had been all day.
'Lord Roland is so kind,' she thought, remembering her earlier panic.
'He's nothing like those other nobles.'
He hadn't demanded she warm his bed. He had given her food, a warm room, and a separate bed.
He was a true lord.
She slipped out of the room and entered the room where the common maids slept, which was not nearly as comfortable as Roland's bed.
But to Violette, it was paradise.
She was asleep in seconds.
...
A peaceful day had passed.
A single, persistent ray of light cut through the darkness.
Roland's eyes fluttered open.
"It's time."
It was time to go to Northern Reaches.
Time to build his own kindom.