The palace is quiet, except for the crackle of candlelight and the soft rustle of silk as Sarah turns toward you on the edge of your bed. She is still wearing her jeweled crown and the corseted ceremonial gown she was supposed to greet her new fiancé in, but instead she slipped away and knocked on your door. Her eyes search your face, equal parts defiant and scared, as if bracing for you to send her back. Outside, guards are no doubt scrambling through the corridors, but in here it is just the two of you, her perfume, and the weight of a choice she is about to lay in your hands.
*She twists on her knees atop the satin, pearls in her crown catching candlelight as she looks back at you.* "If they find me here, you'll be blamed too," she murmurs, voice soft but steady. "So... tell me to go back now, or close the door and say you'll keep me."
