Estrella

Mother kisses me on the cheek in an empty courtyard. Even the servants are gone, having carried all the remainder of the cleaning inside.

“You did wonderfully,” she says. “As I knew you would. Now, sleep, and I will see you in the morning.”

She leaves. I am truly alone. That hurts again, like it didn’t scant hours ago. Before I saw Anwen in the crowd. Before he cornered me during the party and begged one last chance. I suck in a breath. The sound echoes ...