***
“Again?” Alric asked when the servant picked up the tray of food from in front of Kyrin’s door.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Did she eat this morning?”
“No, sir. It’s been five days since I’ve seen her eat.”
Alric walked up and knocked. “Kyrin, I want to come in.”
Finn appeared from around the corner and leaned up against the wall beside her door. “Still nothing?”
“No, and I don’t like how quiet it is.”
“It may be time just to go in.”
“That’s kind of what I’m thinking.” Alric knocked again. “Kyrin, let me in, or I’ll have to force my way in.”
“We don’t have a choice.”
Alric pulled out his keys and slid the key into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn.
“Is that the right key?” Finn asked, taking the keys.
“It’s the skeleton key to the castle.”
Finn looked over at him. “Care if I break down the door?”
“Be my guest.”
Finn took a step back and then kicked the door, shattering the frame, and it swung in. They both stepped into the dark room and instinctively looked at the bed, which was empty. When Finn lit the lantern, they both ran for her. She was lying unconscious on the cold, hard floor, and her body was covered in burns.
“Is she alive?” Finn asked, looking her over.
“Barely,” Alric said, and then began chanting softly as his hands glowed. He ran them over the burns across her face and neck, and watched while they slowly healed. She was breathing in short gasps, and he was afraid he might be too late.
Two priests came in when Finn called for them, and they immediately knelt down and began working on the deep black burns. It took hours to repair the damage, and when she was resting peacefully on the bed, Alric sat down, exhausted.
“Where did the burns come from?” Finn asked, sitting beside him.
“The lantern is the only fire in here.”
“That would take a lot of willpower to burn yourself that badly with a small lantern.”
“I shouldn’t have let her be alone when I knew she felt she needed punished.”
“It makes you wonder if she punishes herself because it’s less than what others will give.”
Alric nodded. “We can only imagine what her life has been like.”
“Well, we can’t leave her alone now. We can’t trust her.”
“We can’t take away her privacy either. She’s a young woman who needs time to herself.”
“To mutilate herself!”
“She told us she was going to though. I guess I didn’t believe her.”
Finn looked over at her. “Never again will I underestimate her.”
“Not for one second.”
“We need to find something for her to do.”
“She keeps trying to clean.”
“I’ve heard. I’d rather have her on my unit.”
“As a knight?” Alric asked, looking over at him.
“She’s bested my most seasoned knights. It seems fitting to put her out there protecting the city.”
“Except that she’s impulsive and irrational. Can she be trusted to keep us safe?”
“True. Then let her clean.”
“I don’t feel right having a non-paid servant on my staff,” Alric told him. “Doing so would mean meeting her expectations of how others treat people.”
“Well, she can’t sit around here in her room all day.”
“That’s what I hate. She would if I ordered her to.”
“Then let her be your personal assistant.”
Alric looked at Finn. “Do what?”
“She can follow you around and take notes, record upcoming appointments, that type of thing. You’ve always hated how after meeting with the townspeople on the full moon that you often forget things you’ve told them.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Are you going to talk to her about this punishment business?”
“Not this time. If she threatens again, I will intervene.”