The Marble Tower

-20-

The next day was another day that passed by like any other day. Aaliyah had managed to finish her sketch before her checkup with Janelle (who still didn't say anything about Ezme), though she couldn't say that this particular piece was her best work. Though it was kind of unfair to compare her charcoal work with the ones that she had created when she had her lead pencil It had lasted go year before it became too short to work with. Though that was the only time that she had been gifted one. It was from her father and she had loved it. But se had only enable toe it very often awhile because her doctor though that it might make things worse (despite there being a wooden tube around it). Even though she had survived the year the mines have slowly been bringing in less and less... well, anything.

It was a topic that Aaly and Ezme had sometimes discussed wen she was there. What it meant for the kingdoms income and for the country over all.

Ezme...

Though she stood by what she had told Ellen, she really wasn't a bad aid, she still missed her. She had been her friend since she had been given the position. She had been trapped in this tiny room since she was five years old, Ezme came in at the young age of twelve when she had turned seven when it started getting serious and her father was too busy to keep an eye on her.

So as Ellen closed the window and the curtain behind it she found herself wishing that her friend was here. The sun was sinking down and even though she missed her, Aaly couldn't cry. She hadn't cried since her mom had died. No. That was a lie. She had cried when she had had that dream. The one that reminded her of her mother. She gave a soft, half-hearted chuckle while Ellen left the room. She thought that she had accepted death. Apparently not.

The sun was dipping behind the mountains when she finally fell asleep.

So she didn't notice the shouting of the guards about an hour later.