It took Evelyn the better part of an hour to find the botanist’s shop. Which is odd, for such a small town. The directions she got from the townsfolk, though generally well-meaning, had been confusing at best and misleading at worst. The botanist’s shop itself was such a tiny, narrow and nondescript house that she must have passed it by at least three times before seeing it for what it was. Sure enough, there were herbs hanging to dry in front of the window, but there was simply no other indication that this place was a shop of any kind.

Eve opened the door, warily, and took a step inside. A chime jingled when she did so, rattled by the movement of the door, and the boy behind the counter raised his eyes to look at the new customer. The first thing Eve noticed about that shop was that it was very fragrant. The air was filled with the mixed smells of many herbs, and though the identity of the herbs themselves was a mystery to her, the combination of scents felt familiar, somehow.

“Er... Welcome,” said the boy, stuttering a little. He was tall, had a freckled face, and looked to be not much older than Evelyn herself. “C– can I help you with something?”

“Are you the botanist?” Eve asked.

The boy shifted around, nervously. Why was he so nervous? “That’s my... my grandfather, actually. Um... would you like me to call him? I mean, maybe we shouldn’t, because he really doesn’t—”

“It’s okay,” Eve interrupted him. “Can you get me some cloudweed?”

The boy smiled. “Sure... let me just...”

He turned around and walked through a door to the back of the store. Then there was a succession of very peculiar noises: a clang of metal, a clatter of wood, and even the crashing of glass, quite likely on the floor. Is he alright? Eve wondered.

“Got it!” the boy shouted, before coming back into the front of the shop. He was holding a bunch of stalks of some very ordinary-looking plant, with large leaves. Was that cloudweed? Eve didn’t think it looked very “cloudy.” But she’d have to take the boy’s word for it, since she had never seen the plant before.

Another series of noises came from behind the door, and, a moment later, an elderly man appeared in the doorway, supporting himself on a cane.

“Er... hello,” Eve said, hesitantly.

The man gave the girl a once-over, and, judging by the look on his face, he didn’t like what he saw. “Nobleman’s servant?” he muttered, addressing the boy. There was a tone of annoyance in his voice. “Now, why would you let someone like her in?” The boy retreated coyly against the shelves on the wall. “Stupid boy,” the old man grunted.

“Um... excuse me, sir,” Eve called him, “I just came to buy some cloudweed.”

The man’s eyes fell on the bunch of herbs the boy was holding. He yanked them off his hand, and walked back to the door.

“Hey, I need these!” Eve protested.

The man shrugged her off. “It’s not for sale. We’re closed. Go away.” He shut the door behind him as he went.

Eve looked between the closed door and the boy beside the counter, astounded.

“Sorry,” said the boy, looking very uncomfortable. “It’s... ah, it’s because you’re a castle handmaid, and between the two of us, grandpa doesn’t really like the monarchy very much.”

“Oh, no kidding?” said Eve, amused. “Well, I can relate to that. Hey, Mister Botanist!” she yelled. “Kings and Queens are bloodsuckers who abuse a power they should never have! Society can only be free when all hierarchy is abolished!”

For a moment, nothing happened. Eve waited, hoping that the old man had heard those words and given them some thought. It pleased her to see the door opening again, and the old man looking at her from the doorway with narrow eyes and a tilted head, as if questioning her honesty.

“You have quite a sharp tongue for a handmaid,” he said.

“I’m not a handmaid,” Eve replied, before she could stop herself. Only after she’d said it, did she realize how suspicious the whole thing sounded. If she weren’t a handmaid, then why was she dressed as one? Eve had no excuse for this. And telling the truth was out of question, reality was much less believable than any lie the girl could come up with.

“I’m sorry, but your clothes...” said the boy.

“It’s complicated,” said Eve.

The old man grunted. “You can keep your secrets, young girl. We’re not here to investigate anyone’s past,” he said, to Eve’s relief. One would say there was even a hint of amusement in his voice. “But you’ve got guts. I admire that. Not many people will voice out their opinions against the crown. Oliver,” he looked at the tall boy. “This lady here’s a customer, see to what she needs.” The botanist walked up to his grandson once again, and handed him the stalks of cloudweed. Eve beamed.

Evelyn didn’t have to bargain in the end. Oliver’s grandfather charged her exactly as much as Cat had said these herbs should cost. He even included in the purchase a packet of mixed leaves for tea that supposedly helped against hay fever, free of charge. Eve thanked him wholeheartedly.

What happened next was all too unexpected. Oliver’s grandfather dashed behind his customer — faster than any elderly man with a cane should be able to go — and shoved her through the door to the back area of the shop. Eve crashed into Oliver as she went, and they both fell to the floor, a moment before the door closed behind them.

“What the—” Eve began to say, irritated, but stopped as she realized the situation she was in. Oliver was lying on his back and Eve was right on top of him. Her breasts were pressing against his torso. Eve saw a very vivid blush form on the boy’s face, going from cheek to cheek through the bridge of his nose. The girl frowned, and hurriedly got to her feet. “Sorry,” she said.

“It’s... erm... it’s all right,” said Oliver, standing up as well.

“Why did your grandfather push me?” Eve asked, annoyed. Oliver only shrugged in response.

Then they heard a noise coming from the store behind them. It was the clinking of the wind chimes again. Another person had entered the shop.

“Botanist!” boomed a stranger’s voice, in a commanding tone.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” said Oliver’s grandfather. “What can I do for you, today?”

Oliver nudged Eve, then raised a finger to his lips, signaling for her to remain silent. He tiptoed to the door, and peeked through a crack, for less than a second. Then he dashed furtively back to her.

“Crown soldiers,” he announced in a whisper.

Eve winced. “I need to hide,” she whispered back, urgently.

“We’re looking for these criminals,” said the stranger’s voice, from beyond the door. “This one was seen around town asking for your address.”

There was a moment of silence. Then the botanist spoke. “I haven’t seen them,” said the old man.

“Search the house!” the stranger ordered. Before he had even finished the phrase, Oliver was already pulling Eve across the storage room to a small wooden door on the far wall. It was frantic. They walked into the kitchen at the same time as they the castle guards forced open the locked door of the storage room, behind them. Eve and Oliver had only narrowly managed to escape unseen. Then, from the kitchen, they rushed into a smaller room, a pantry, and Eve was shocked to realize there was no way out of there except the one they came. There was no place to hide either, and the guards would be there at any minute.

Oliver walked up to a corner of the small room, then crouched down, and fumbled with something on the floor. One of the floorboards turned out to be a concealed hatch, which swung open in his hands, revealing a flight of stone stairs leading into some sort of underground room beneath the pantry. Eve hurried inside, not giving it a second thought. Oliver followed her, then carefully closed the hatch again. Crouched on the stone steps under the hatch, in complete darkness, the pair waited.

Seconds passed like hours. Eve felt her heart beating fast inside her chest. The noises above them were getting closer. “Look over there,” they heard one of the guards say. Another voice, one much closer to them, laughed, and said: “Well, look what we have here.”

Eve’s blood ran cold. Did they figure out where she was hiding?

“What is it?” the first voice asked.

“This,” said the other one.

Eve waited for something to happen. For the hatch to be opened, and for the struggle that would inevitably follow. But nothing like that happened. Instead, after a moment, the second guard spoke again, sounding cheerful.

“Good stuff!” he said.

“Don’t drink too much,” said the other. “You’re on duty.”

Wine! Eve realized. Well, of course. They were in a pantry, after all.

“Do you think the captain will notice if I take a couple of these babies back home with me?” the second guard asked.

“I want no part in this,” said the first one. “Now come on, we’ve still got the whole place to search.”

Eve heard the sound of footsteps walking away from her, and let out a small breath of relief. But she still wasn’t safe, was she? She was sitting on a stone staircase under a pantry in complete darkness, with a bunch of guards outside hunting her down. She had no idea what to do, or where to go.

The girl’s thoughts were interrupted by a warm touch on her shoulder. She flinched. Oliver’s fingers felt around for Eve’s hands, which he grabbed. He guided one of her hands to the stone wall beside her, and held onto the other. In the dark, and in complete silence so as not to give away their hiding spot, Eve had to guess that Oliver wanted her to start going down the stairs. It was a painstaking process, as she had to probe the empty space in front of her for each next step. Once she had finally reached the ground level, she felt Oliver tugging her hand again, as if asking her to keep walking.

The room they were in turned out to be a corridor. Eve kept one of her hands on the wall at all times, and walked slowly so as not to trip or stumble over anything unexpected. Walking in the darkness was unnerving. Eve kept expecting to find something up ahead, such as a wall or a hole.

After a long time walking, they stopped. “Wait here,” Oliver whispered. He let go of Eve’s hand. A moment later, there was a low rumble, as a door opened and light flooded the space around them. Eve had to cover her eyes, at first, until they adjusted to the light. When they did, she stared at the place in front of her, and her jaw dropped.

“What is this place?”