"I said, I have to go home," Rose repeated.
"Your mother?" Welma whispered.
Rose nodded. "I have to see her. I must."
Welma nodded, trying her best to pay attention to the conversation even though she was worried about the Queen.
"Have you spoken to the crown prin—" Welma shook her head. "Is there some way for you to go home?"
It was stupid to ask that, especially when she knew Rose wasn't here by choice, and by the tone of her voice, it was clear to anyone that the crown prince was not an option.
Rose glanced at the open window for a brief moment, her gaze passing through the parted curtain, not settling on anything but the broad blue sky from this distance.
Rose turned her attention to Welma. "It's hard to say," she whispered.
Escaping the castle was hard, but that wasn't all. The crown prince was sure to capture her before she even left the capital. She doubted she could make it out of the castle unless she found some secret pathway that led outside the fences.
