Three Months

"Good morning Lucas," she said, smiling at the old man. She didn't know why he was gentle with her, but he gave her good advice.

"Felma, how are you today?" he asked.

"In great health. Look, I am carrying a heavy basket with my own," she said, raising her head to show off.

"Good to hear that. Just don't soak the clothes in the mud like last time," Lucas said, his wrinkled face firmed.

Feeling her cheeks boiled up. She bid her farewell and ran away. 'I got caught.'

The laundry girl didn't talk to her but did her job silently. Freya sneered back at her and went away.

After adopting a new work habit, Freya passed the week with peace of mind. The king mocked her a few times, but she smiled and agreed to his mockery.

She bet that her dealing with him succeeded, as he glared at her every time she agreed to his speech.

"Your Highness, the dinner is ready," Freya notified him.

"That's all for today. You may retreat," King Fraser said, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.

Freya lowered her brows. 'It's still early!' she thought. After hesitating for a while, she asked, "Can I visit my home?" her hands rubbed at each other.

"Yes, you may go," he said, standing up.

Freya thanked him and strode out. After having dinner with the other maids, she sneaked to her chamber, put on her cloak, brought her shoulder bag and went out.

She walked towards the food stall. Standing in the queue for a while, then sneaked in front of a woman who wore a dark red robe, got into a dark alley, and stuck to the wall.

Freya doubted the king would ever put someone to eavesdrop on her and follow her whenever she went out. The trauma she lived the last week embedded in her mind, telling her that before dealing with the king, she must count her steps prudently or she would fall to the abbeys.

She needed to be careful.

She had to ensure the one following her didn't find the guild's whereabouts. She doubted the guild's morale when the king intervened.

Freya crossed to the other street, turning left, then right and finally entered the guild's house, heaving a sigh of relief.

She walked to the counter. The scar-faced man greeted, "Welcome."

"I want what I asked for within three months at most," she declared.

The man's tanned face turned ashen. "We didn't agree to that. You know that finding someone with the same description you wrote is difficult and needs time and resources—"

"Resource? Didn't I give you more gold than you imagined?" Freya interrupted.

"Besides, it's written in the contract that if part B didn't complete the mission in the agreeable time, he would pay back the gold," she said, raising a brow. "You can check the contact."

The man walked into a small cabinet and then returned with a rolled parchment in his hand. Unscrewing the rope, he read the content. "The conditions written didn't mention the time, so the ***** you said is a mere nonsense," the man said, his face brightened a little.

"Yes, indeed, but there is a small condition at the end of the parchment which said: the duration will be determined by the contractor whichever written or spoken," she said, and the man paled.

"You deceived me!" he yelled, jabbing the wooden counter and shaking it.

"The terms were there from the start. You are the one who didn't read them carefully. It's not my fault that seeing so much gold has blinded you," Freya said. "I will wait for good news and don't forget the other terms." She exited the guild. A crashing sound came from the inside. Freya shook her head, put on the hood and hurried to Felma's house.

Knocking on the door, Freya clutched her dress. "Coming." A woman's harassed voice came from the inside. A skinny old woman opened the door. "Do you need anything, child?" she asked. Wrinkles filled her face. Her blue eyes gazed at her with awe.

"I apologise, I came this late, but can you hide me?" Freya pleaded, looking right and left.

"Come in child," she went in. Looking at the simple layout of the house, she remembered the house she lived in with her mother.

A man limped to where they sat and whispered, "Who is it, honey?" Felma's father said.

Felma's mother looked at her husband and said, "A young woman in need of help."

The man was shocked. He turned to look at her."Tell me, child. Why were you running?" he asked urgently.

Freya gulped as she looked at the people who were expecting her to tell them the reason. "I–m- my father wanted me to get married against my will, so I ran away from the house," Freya made up an excuse.

A heavy knock on the door got the elder's attention to it. Felma's mother strode forward and opened the door. "We are safety guards. We are looking for a running thief. Do you meet anyone suspicious?" the guard asked, and Freya's heart thumped.

She suspected the guard to be the king's man. If Felma's mother denied her knowledge she would be doomed.

Felma's mother answered, "No." Freya sighed. Her heartbeats calmed a bit.

"Can I ask? Who are you with?"

She replied, "Me and my husband and our three children."

The guard went away, and the elders chatted with her, convincing her to go back to her family. Freya ate snacks, catching a girl's shadow sneaking looks at her. She called her and gave her snacks.

After chatting with the family, Freya stood up. "Sorry for bothering you," she said, grabbing five golden coins and handing them to the woman who refused to take them. "Take it. It's for the favour you did for me and the food. It's been long since I ate the Valian's traditional desserts."

The woman took the gold. "Wait," she said, going in. A while later, she came with a box filled with sweets. "Take this. And don't forget that your family is your treasure, don't defy their word. They wished you the best," she said.

Freya hugged the woman. Her eyes tingled, and tears fell from them. She thanked the woman, bid her farewell and strode out.

Family. The only person she could call a family was her mother.

'Now, I had to get the other work ready.'