19. Shadows of the past

The Duchess eyes snapped open, alert and filled with concern. She wasted no time. Reaching for the bell at her bedside, she summoned her butler with an urgency that couldn't be ignored.

Within moments, the door to her room creaked open, and her butler entered, bowing deeply, his face calm but attentive.

"Your Grace," he said quietly, awaiting her command.

"Call the city prison," the Duchess said, her voice sharp with authority. "The city knights have arrested Seraphina Elysia Vale. I want her released immediately. Tell them that if they do not release her this very night, there will be dire consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

The butler's eyes widened slightly at the intensity in her voice, but he nodded obediently. "Yes, Your Grace. I will see to it at once." He hurried off, knowing that the Duchess was not someone to cross, especially not when it concerned someone she had taken under her wing.

As the butler made his way to the communication room, the Duchess paced her chambers, her mind racing. How could they have been so foolish as to arrest Seraphina? She knew the girl was spirited, but surely this was a mistake. She glanced at the clock, her fingers tapping impatiently. Time was of the essence.

Meanwhile, the butler reached the telephone and swiftly dialed the number of the city prison. It took a moment for the call to connect, and when it finally did, the other end was met with the groggy voice of the commander, clearly just roused from sleep.

"Who is this, and why are you calling at this hour?" the commander grumbled, annoyed at the disturbance.

"This is the butler of Her Grace, the Duchess of Vaelhert," the butler said, his voice steady but laced with the same urgency the Duchess had displayed. "You are holding a woman by the name of Seraphina Elysia Vale. Her Grace demands her immediate release."

There was a pause on the other end, as the commander, still half-asleep, tried to process the information. "Seraphina Elysia Vale? I… I don't know who that is," he muttered, now more awake but still confused.

The butler's tone darkened, his voice taking on a threatening edge. "You may not know her, Commander, but you certainly know Her Grace. The Duchess has made it very clear: Seraphina is to be released now, or the consequences will be severe. She is not a woman to be kept waiting."

The commander sat up straighter, the gravity of the situation dawning on him. "I'll... I'll see to it immediately," he stammered, beads of sweat forming on his brow despite the cool night air. "I had no idea someone under the Duchess's protection was involved. I'll head to the prison at once."

Hanging up the phone, the commander leapt from his bed, shouting for his butler. "Prepare my carriage!" he barked, throwing on his uniform in haste. "We're going to the prison immediately."

The butler hurried to obey, and within minutes, the commander's carriage was rumbling through the streets toward the city prison. As he rode, the commander's mind raced. How had this arrest gone unnoticed by him? Whoever this Seraphina was, she had clearly caught the attention of the Duchess—a powerful ally, but an even more dangerous enemy if crossed.

At the prison, the night was quiet, with only the occasional murmur of guards echoing through the stone halls. But that calm was shattered when the commander's carriage screeched to a halt outside the gates. He stormed inside, his face a mix of confusion and anger.

The guards at the front desk stood at attention, startled by the sudden arrival of their superior.

"Where is Seraphina Elysia Vale?!" the commander bellowed, his voice reverberating through the halls.

The prison guards exchanged nervous glances before one of them stepped forward, bowing awkwardly. "Sir, she's... she's in a holding cell. But, uh, she's been arrested for assaulting a noble—"

"I don't care what she's been arrested for!" the commander snapped, cutting the guard off mid-sentence. "You will release her immediately. Do you understand?"

The guard swallowed nervously. "Y-Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" He rushed off down the hall, keys jingling as he fumbled to unlock Seraphina's cell.

In the dimly lit cell, Seraphina sat on a wooden bench, her hands resting on her lap, her expression calm but her thoughts racing. She had known the arrest was coming, but not this quickly. She glanced over at the iron bars, her brow furrowed in frustration.

As the guard approached, unlocking the door, Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "That was faster than I expected."

The guard bowed his head slightly. "You're free to go, Miss Vale. The commander's orders."

Seraphina stood, smoothing down her dress before stepping out of the cell. "I assume I have the Duchess to thank for this?"

The guard didn't respond, only bowing again and gesturing for her to follow him.

As Seraphina made her way down the hall, she was greeted by the sight of the commander, standing stiffly near the exit, his face red with embarrassment.

"Miss Vale, I... I apologize for this misunderstanding," the commander stammered, bowing slightly. "We had no idea you were under the protection of the Duchess."

Seraphina offered him a cool smile. "I trust it won't happen again?"

"N-No, of course not," the commander stuttered, his face flushing even more.

Seraphina's smile widened, but her eyes remained cold. "Good."

Without another word, she stepped past him and out into the night air. The chill of the evening breeze hit her face, but all she could think about was getting back to her son. She'd have to thank the Duchess personally for this, but right now, her only concern was Aurel.

When Seraphina's carriage rolled to a stop in front of the store, she could see Marina and Aurel waiting anxiously by the door. The lantern's soft glow illuminated their worried faces, but Aurel's was especially heart-wrenching. His small frame trembled slightly, refusing to leave the spot where he last saw her. Marina had clearly tried to coax him back inside, but Aurel had stubbornly refused to move.

He had been a slave for as long as he could remember, living in a world where cruelty was the norm. His parents, like him, had been humiliated, broken down by a system that deprived them of even the smallest comforts—like love. Aurel could scarcely recall his parents' faces; in a world so filled with darkness, affection was a luxury no one could afford. But now, for the first time, he had someone who cared for him—Seraphina, his new mother. Seeing her dragged away by the knights, his worst fears resurfaced. He was terrified that he would lose her forever, that the only light in his world would be snuffed out.

As Seraphina stepped out of the carriage, Aurel's tiny body tensed. His eyes filled with tears, but when he saw her, he ran to her, throwing his arms around her legs, gripping her as if she might disappear at any moment.

Seraphina knelt down, pulling him into a tight embrace. "It's okay, my love," she whispered, her voice shaking. Tears filled her own eyes as she felt his small body tremble in her arms. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

Aurel's sobs finally broke free, his face buried in her shoulder as his tears soaked into her dress. He cried so hard that his vision blurred, his small hands clutching her tightly. Seraphina's own tears streamed down her cheeks as she held him, stroking his hair, trying to reassure him while she battled her own emotions.

Marina, who had been watching the scene silently, couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around both of them, her own tears finally spilling over. "I was so scared," Marina choked out, her voice trembling. "But I had to stay calm for him. I had to make sure he didn't lose hope, Seraphina. I had to make sure he knew you were coming back."

Seraphina pulled her into the embrace, the three of them standing there, crying together as the weight of the night finally caught up to them. After what felt like an eternity, their tears slowed, and they all headed inside, needing the warmth and safety of home.

Once upstairs in the sitting room, Seraphina busied herself in the kitchen, trying to keep her hands from shaking as she prepared some warm milk with sugar. The soft clinking of cups brought a sense of normalcy as she handed both Marina and Aurel a steaming cup. They sat together in silence, sipping the warm milk, allowing the calming heat to soothe their nerves. Slowly, the tension began to melt away.

Marina was the first to break the silence. "How did you get out so quickly?" she asked, looking at Seraphina in disbelief. "Commoners charged with assaulting a noble... they don't get released. At least not this fast. What happened?"

Seraphina sighed, setting her cup down on the table. "It was the Duchess Fairchild," she said quietly. "She made a call to the commander. That's why I'm back so soon."

Marina's eyes widened in shock. "The Duchess? She's really helping you like that?"

Seraphina nodded. "Yes, but... that's not what's been bothering me the most." She paused, glancing over at Aurel, who was quietly sipping his milk but still had red, puffy eyes from crying. Her heart tightened in her chest as she thought of what could have happened. "What scares me the most," she said softly, "is the thought that they might have taken Aurel with me. If they'd arrested him too..."

Her voice trailed off, but Marina understood. She looked at Aurel and back to Seraphina, her face paling. "The mark," Marina whispered.

Seraphina nodded grimly. "If they had seen the symbol on his back... it would've been over for both of us. Everyone in this world knows what that symbol means. They would've reported it immediately."

Marina bit her lip, worry clear on her face. "But how are we going to hide it? That mark... it's only about an inch wide, but anyone who knows what it looks like will recognize it."

"I've been thinking about that," Seraphina replied. "In my world, you can hide marks like that with tattoos. But there's no tattoo artists here. No one even knows what a tattoo is."

Marina frowned. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have to do it myself," Seraphina said, her voice filled with determination. "I'll have to use a needle and ink to cover the mark.I will poked into his skin and make a different mark to hide the original one, I've never done anything like this before, but it's the only option I have. If anyone sees that mark, Aurel will be taken from me, and I can't let that happen."

Marina stared at her in shock. "But what if it hurts him? poking a needle into the body constantly will hurt a lot and Aurel is still so young."

"I know," Seraphina whispered, looking over at Aurel again. "I'm terrified of hurting him, but I don't have a choice. If this is the only way to protect him, then I'll do it, no matter what."

Marina reached out and took Seraphina's hand, squeezing it tightly. "You're a good mother, Seraphina. Aurel is lucky to have you."

Seraphina smiled weakly, her heart heavy with the weight of what she had to do. "I hope so," she murmured, looking down at her son, who was beginning to doze off in his chair. "I just hope I'm strong enough to keep him safe."