“I promise,” he said, brimming with determination. “I shall prove to you that two nothings can make something.”

Growing up, this story and those words always stayed with me. I thought, ‘No matter how hard you try, two nothings cannot ever amount to anything.’

Listen well and know: there is more than what meets the eye.

Fate’s eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Her body throbbed as an unfamiliar ceiling spun over her. She regained her bearings to the best of her ability and slowly sat up.

From a distance, the old woman’s voice crackled, “That creature does not belong here. Dolls bring nothing but chaos.”

Dolls. Fate hesitated to move for a moment. She recognized the word from her studies of the Grim—the only existing family that maintained the ability to Puppeteer.

Puppeteering had been classified as illegal by the Royal Council of Mu and the Elders. A Puppeteer’s special ability enabled them to call back an Ancient soul from the Abyss and plant it within a vessel.

The Council could not interfere with the Grim’s laws, so they had tried taking advantage of their ability to restore balance to the Ancient’s dying era.

Fate listened to the conversation, trying to determine the subject of the old woman’s accusations. While listening, she observed the round window in the room, and checked the lattice gate to see if the two women noticed her movement. The hall rested between them and her, preventing a clear view from either direction.

Fortuna interrupted the old woman’s next comment. “Stop treating her like a monster. She is a little girl, and it is my duty to protect her, even from you.”

The old woman scoffed irritably. “How dare you speak to me with such disrespect!”

Fate’s mind still meandered with thoughts of Abyssus and how desperately she yearned to be by his side. Her violet eyes traced the window as she crawled nearer. Dawn broke over the snowy rooftops of the shops in Nitor. The biting air brushed against her skin, calling her to its arms.

She climbed out to the path and ran through the community. The winter breeze never hurt so much. She feared that she would be caught, that she would never see Abyssus again.

She sprinted behind the brothel, evading the eyes of a small girl tending to a pond.

The girl unexpectedly stopped and turned her head to scan the area. Her cobalt-blue eyes searched as though she sensed someone was watching her.

Fate covered her mouth, certain the girl somehow detected her breathing.

The pause ended and the girl walked inside through a sliding door to the brothel.

Fate slipped through the courtyard and across the snowy path. She slunk beneath the tea house veranda, hiding from passersby. For a moment, she buried her hands and face against the stone-cold gravel. All of the emotions she had attempted to conceal, forced their way back. She never imagined living such a nightmare, being an escapee, or experiencing the fear of losing Abyssus.

The panic set in and caused an ache in her lungs. She raised her head to focus on the path ahead. She needed to find a way to pass the border.

A group of nobles gathered at the crossing for inspection.

Fate thought about sneaking in between them. She reasoned it would take time for anyone to realize that Neco had sold her to the brothel, but she didn’t want to be seen by the guards at the border. Unlike other guards, those at the border were trained to question every person, including children of the Royal families.

Fate crawled over the ice-bitten gravel, watching for an opening.

A deep voice emerged and said, “Hey, little girl.”

Someone tapped her arm and she broke into a fit of thrashing and gnashing.

“Praise be, are you all right?” The fair-haired man leaned down from his kneeling position to see her more clearly. He placed his hand on the wooden plank of the tea house walkway, staring calmly.

Fate knew of his nobility. The polished vest and kempt hair, his polite behavior—every part of him displayed his status.

The man lowered to his elbows. “Are you trying to get past the border?”

Fate’s eyes pored over him, searching carefully for signs of deception.

“I can help you,” he said.

She gave a small frown and her eyes focused hard. Even if she didn’t speak, her whole presence seemed to ask, why?

“You are from the brothel, no?”

Fate withdrew into the shadows. The mere mention of the brothel brought back a rush of terror. She couldn’t leave Abyssus in the palace.

“I will take you into Macellarius, if that is what you wish, but I cannot guarantee your safety.” The man offered his hand, beckoning kindly. “Please, I wish you no ill harm.”

“Who are you?”

He sighed and smiled. “I am Nigel, the Lady Fortuna’s accomplice. I often assist in smuggling girls away from the brothel.”

“Away?” Fate turned her head to listen more carefully. She considered the word accomplice surprisingly negative.

Nigel rested on his knees, pressing his hands against his legs for support. “Once the brothel’s courtesans become of age, they are auctioned off. It is my job to find them suitable patrons.”

“Will I be free?” She dragged herself out from under the tea house and he wiped her face.

“I do not know, as only you can truly decide your fate.” He tied his handkerchief over her head and stood, drawing her under his arm. “Stay close. Do not utter a word and do not look at anyone, understand?”

Fate nodded as they plodded down the path towards the gate.

The drunken guards stopped him for questioning.

“Good day,” he said. The guard to Fate’s right peeked at her curiously, and Nigel deterred him. “For the king.”

“Oh.” The guard stepped back quickly, signaled to the others, and the gate opened, allowing Nigel and Fate passage into Macellarius.

She pulled him to the side. “Has he always...?”

Nigel didn’t need to respond, for she already knew the answer. Her father had been sneaking in other girls while she lived in the palace. She didn’t dare imagine what he did to them. It upset her too much.

She gripped Nigel’s arms and shook him. “How many?”

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he whispered, “You must not act now. You are still too young, too powerless to stand against the forces lurking here.”

“What forces? You mean there are others?”

Nigel took a few staggered breaths as he searched for the right words. “You must finish your work here and return to Fortuna. She will explain everything. Do not attempt to act on your own. You still have a lot to learn.”