Days passed quickly. The king had many matters to attend to. Although he wanted to see Dorothy, he simply didn’t have the time. The second prince’s wedding was approaching, and a few greedy individuals were causing problems here and there.
The king barely had time to eat and sleep—he certainly couldn’t spare the hours to journey all the way to see Dorothy. Moreover, he was worried about alerting the queen.
He believed the best way to protect Dorothy was to keep her hidden for the time being. Once he was fully seated on the throne, he would do as he pleased.
Although this was the king’s reasoning, Dorothy could not sit still after he failed to visit her courtyard for a whole month. Her belly was now visibly swollen—she was already five months pregnant.
One day, she overheard a few maids gossiping that the king’s mother intended to take her child after it was born.
Hearing this, she was frightened.
She immediately recalled the young Seer’s words.
She believed that if she did nothing, she truly would be forgotten—but how could she leave the palace to seek out the young man?
After much thought, she sent her nanny to find Walter.
"I feel tired every day just sitting in this courtyard. I wish to take a walk outside the royal city. Send word to Walter, by the king’s side, to ask for permission," Dorothy said.
The nanny looked at her. She could tell that Dorothy had grown anxious after so long without a visit from the king.
She didn’t believe Dorothy truly wanted to take a walk outside the palace. To her, it was clearly an excuse to remind the king of her presence.
In truth, although the king hadn’t come to see her, Walter had checked on her from time to time.
The nanny knew the king still seemed to care for her, but she didn’t dare tell Dorothy that—fearing it might make her too proud.
"I will send word," the nanny said as she took the order. But she did not go to find Walter. Instead, she waited two days. During that time, Walter came of his own accord to check on Dorothy.
"She wishes to go out of the palace for a walk," the nanny told him.
Walter was surprised to hear this.
"I believe it would be good for her to take a walk outside. She might feel the king’s favor this way," the nanny added.
Walter nodded, but he couldn’t make such a decision on his own, so he went back to report to the king.
King Edward was a bit surprised, but he granted the request. After all, Dorothy had once lived far away in the east—perhaps she simply wanted to see what the royal city looked like.
"Arrange a proper carriage and assign a few guards to keep her safe. Ask if she wishes to stay outside the palace for a few days. Prepare a residence for her," King Edward said after thinking it over. He felt that being confined to that courtyard might not be good for her.
Walter took the order and left.
Three days later, under the watchful eyes of the palace guards, Dorothy stepped into a finely adorned carriage. Her cloak was pulled tightly around her frame, hiding the curve of her belly. The morning air was cool, and the skies above the royal city were streaked with pale gray clouds.
Walter himself had helped oversee the arrangements. A modest residence just outside the city had been cleaned and prepared. Dorothy had told him she merely wished for fresh air and a change of scenery. She smiled faintly, said little, and kept her gaze lowered. No one suspected that her true intentions lay far from rest.
The moment they reached the outer gates of the palace, her heart beat faster. Dorothy first went to the resident prepare for her. For five days in a roll, she would ask the nanny to follow her for a walk around the royal city.
They would ride the carriage and also walk around a bit. The king had given her a lot of money, so she would often buy a few things.
The guards were instructed to follow her at a distance. So each time they follow at a distance. On this day she suddenly changed direction but they did not think much of it. They believed she only wished to walk along the quieter lanes.
But Dorothy had planned carefully. The nanny remained behind, not noticing anything strange either Her steps were slow, but her mind moved quickly.
After walking for a while she got back into the carriage. During the pass four days she had been casually asking about the layout of the royal city.
After getting on she directed the coachman to drop her near a public square on the edge of the royal district, claiming she wished to browse the flower stalls there. "I heard the rare flowers can be found there," she commented with a smile. Once there, she started looking at the flowers with the nanny by her side. The place was a bit crowded so she looked for an opportunity to slipped into the side streets alone.
She moved through winding alleys and crowded lanes, her hood drawn low. The city outside the palace was alive with noise and scent—roasted nuts, baked bread, street cries. Yet she barely noticed any of it.
Her destination was Old Lane Street.
The name had lingered in her mind for weeks. She already knew the direction by her question in the pass few days but even so
It took her nearly an hour to find it.
Old Lane was narrow, paved in uneven stones, its buildings slouched with age. Most passersby avoided it entirely. The deeper she walked, the quieter it became. The air grew cooler. A crow called overhead.
She was just thinking of how she would find the young man, when she saw him.
He was leaning against a wall, cloaked in the same dark fabric as before. The obsidian talisman still hung around his neck, catching no light but seeming to pulse with its own weight.
"Welcome," he seems to have been expecting her.
Dorothy said nothing at first. Her fingers curled around the ring hidden in her sleeve. "It’s been a little over a month, does your offer still stand?"
He smiled faintly. "Time means little to the ones who dare. You came. That is what matters."
She stepped closer. "I want to know what you meant. You said I could sit beside the king."
"I said you could wear the crown," he corrected softly. "But to do so, you must first understand—there is no path to it without blood, without sacrifice."
Dorothy’s throat tightened, but she did not back away. The queen already schemed against her, if she remains perceive, would she loss her life and that of her child?
"Are you willing?" The young seer asked with a gentle gaze. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Dorothy hesitate for a short while but she took out the ring and held it up. "What do I have to do?"
The Seer reached into his cloak and produced a small scroll, sealed with dark wax. "Within it are things you must get as soon as possible. Get them, bring them to me," he said.
Dorothy stared at the scroll and opened it. Their were a few herbs written with two animals. Looking at it she guess there was going to be a sacrifice. "Would the king love me after this? She asked.
"If course the king will, but first we need to arrange a scapegoat for the crime you shoulder," the young seer said.
"How?" Dorothy had no power to get someone to take the blame for the prescription issues.
"Bring those items, along with the names of those who work within the medicine store house of the palace," the young seer instructed.
Dorothy roll the the scroll and tucked it beneath her cloak. Her hands trembled but not from fear. the fire that had finally been lit.
Dorothy bowed turned and began the walk back. Her steps were calm, she believes she had received favor from the heaven.