It turned out that my memory was worse than I thought. Elias and I stepped out onto the balcony, still at least three floors above the ground. It was good enough. I went straight for the railing, bending in half and closing my eyes as I inhaled the sweet ocean air.

Behind me, Elias closed the doors to the balcony so it was just us. "Annika... I know you probably don't want to talk, but can you at least tell me you're okay? Or where you've been?"

My eyes slowly opened and I glanced out to the stunning view in front of me. I could see the entire southern part of town, the ocean, and where the town slowly fades out into the darkness of the forest. I smiled weakly and raised a hand, "There," I whispered, pointing to the shore. It was impossible to see, but I knew the spot where I had set up tent. Without the prying eyes of strangers, I was starting to relax. "I realized there wasn't exactly a home for me, a district, so I stole some supplies and set up a tent on the shore." I glanced back to Elias who looked shocked, "You were right, I do prefer to sleep out under the stars."

If I had told him this information any other time, he probably would have been mad, but not now. Instead, he sighed and nodded, strolling over beside me. Elias unbuttoned the button on his black tuxedo jacket so he could join me leaning against the railing. "But are you okay, are you hurt? Why were you so scared?"

I wasn't too sure if we could consider my fear in the past just yet, but I felt safer with him. "I met a man last night, maybe two nights ago, I don't remember. I don't remember much at all." I glanced to Elias as he tilted his head as he tried to understand. "I think he is a mermaid and he had me under his spell... I didn't want to be here, I never wanted to leave my little spot on the beach. I just suddenly blinked and I was standing in this dress, here."

Elias' hand were draped over the side of the railing and slowly clenched into fists. "Uncle Leo did this?" There was a long pause, he took my silence as his answer. "I'm going to murder him for this... I am so sorry, Annika, I didn't know."

"Me either," neither of us found my joke funny, but it did ease the tension some. I glanced over my shoulder behind us and saw a gathering just outside the door. It was Kayi, the elf Elias had abandoned in the red dress, and half a dozen more I didn't recognize who kept glancing at us. "You can go back if you need to, it seems people are waiting for you."

Elias followed my gaze backwards before letting out a breathy laugh, "No, I really should thank you. That's Nimue, she's insufferable." I could only assume he was talking about the elf in the red dress. "She's been throwing herself at me for years, but she is duller than a rock."

I placed a hand over my mouth to hide my laugh, "You're awful, you shouldn't say that about your guests!"

"Even if it's true?"

"Even if it's true," I agreed with a laugh and rolled my eyes. My hood had long since fallen down and slowly, though my arms were through the tight sleeves of the cloak, it slid down on my shoulder. "Aren't you basically a prince, shouldn't you like events like this?"

Elias shrugged, staring back out at the relatively calm ocean with me. "It's hard to celebrate and mourn a woman I never knew. I think most of this is for the people. Most of them never had a reason to go to a ball, to dress up, now they have one. I much prefer the smaller dinner's my family has during this time. These parties always seem to drag on and I never know who to talk to." He paused for a second, "Everyone wants to talk to me, but most of the conversations are so superficial."

"Then why attend?"

"Because, sometimes I'm surprised," Elias started to say. Slowly he turned his gaze on me as I continued to stare out, memorized by the view like any other. I should have been more aware of my surroundings because Elias quickly raised a hand and brushed my cloak down to expose my bare back.

His hand sent shivers down my spine, but not in a good way. "Hey!" I started to object and attempted to pull away.

Elias was a gentleman most of the time, but this was one of the few times, his soldier side showed itself. With a trained grace, he was instantly behind me, using his body and strength to keep me where he wanted me. My hips painfully dug into the railing and I wrapped my hands tightly around the stone, a sudden concern of falling over washed over me. "Elias..." I said as I glanced over my shoulder at him.

His eyes were trained on my back, one hand rested on the top of my shoulder and gently pushed me forward. My heart started to race once again as I bent over the railing, his other hand gently pulling the fabric off my back. "Annika... Did Leo do these as well?" His tone was cold.

Elias was just over six-feet tall and had a good six inches on me. I wasn't moving until I gave him what he wanted. I kept my hands on the railing as I watched him over my shoulder, his fingers gently grazing my back and I inhaled sharply as he got to one of the newer cuts. "No," I finally breathed.

His eyes lifted to meet mine, his eyes almost seemed black with the lack of light. "Your Master?" My head nodded slowly, "When, these look fresh?"

"Some of them are," I whispered. "Those ones were for..." I paused as I tried to remember, my back was littered with tiny white scars, overlapping from the different whippings I had received. "I don't even know. Must have been two weeks ago now."

Elias' gaze fell to my back once again, "Just before we arrived," I could almost hear the guilt and blame in his voice. "I couldn't imagine having to obey such a cruel man."

"It's all I've ever known."

My words seemed to snap some reason into him, and Elias took a step back, his hands falling to his side. "Which is why you're so scared here, so distrusting?"

"Good people don't own slaves, Elias. Surely not everyone has easily adjusted after they arrived here?"

"No, but usually the district leader handles getting people settled in and helping them adjust."

My back was now to the ocean as I faced him, leaning against the railing. "Something I don't have. This your first time seeing someone struggle with their new reality?"

Elias almost seemed ashamed as he answered, "I don't have a lot of friends, let alone ones who used to be a slave... None that have ever gotten the attention of my Uncle before. I'm sorry that he enthralled you, I understand if you don't want to see me again."

It'd be a lie if I said the thought didn't cross my mind, but Elias wasn't responsible for the actions of his Uncle. "He didn't hurt me, just scared me. We spent most of our time together talking." This seemed to surprise Elias which concerned me. "I just want to go back to my tent and forget this happened."

"Then that's what we'll do," Elias forced an unconvincing smile and offered me his arm. "I can get you back to the beach and maybe, you'll let me stay and look at the stars with you?"

"I'd like that," I smiled, wrapping my arm around his, fixing my cloak.