*Catherine*
I wake up in the kitchen of the palace where I was raised. It’s dark, the light of the full moon shining through the hole in the wall to let the heat out. It’s so good to be home. I search for the cook, but he’s nowhere to be found. No one is here. I’m home, but I’m all alone.
I had loved this place once. Father had always been upset when I would sneak down here to play with the cook’s kids, but he also didn’t stop me from going. He had to have known I was here every day.
I wonder briefly if Father is upstairs, but I don’t want to leave here. This just feels like home. There’s a fire in the fireplace roaring, and it’s warm and cozy. I put a pot of water into the fire and prepare some tea before grabbing a blanket and curling up on a chair, waiting for someone to jo
