“I told you she would come and help me!” Ina said with a smile.

                “No,” The girl with the ponytailed brown hair said. “If you really are here to rescue her, I won’t allow it. We need all the help we can get with Alorra’s constant demands.” She spoke short and simply. And a little harshly, thought Secela. She swallowed, unsure what to say.

                “Well, then…” Secela said hesitantly. “If you really need that much help… let me help you too. I can work as hard as any of you.” As she said this, she winked at Ina.

                “Very well then,” the girl with the brown hair (who Secela later learned was named Kate) said, and proceeded to give her instructions for what to do.

                First, Secela helped the boy named Colby make a strawberry cake for Alorra and her husband have for dessert. Immediately after they finished placing the last sliced strawberries on the icing, Kate told them to start cleaning the kitchen. The servants of Alorra’s household had just finished cooking dinner at that point, and were slowly filing out of the kitchen, trays and plates filled with food in their hands. After they had finished cleaning the kitchen, and Alorra and her husband had finished dinner, there were dishes to do. While half of the servants cleaned the dining room where Alorra was eating, the other half cleaned the dishes.

                Through all of this, Kate had managed to keep Secela and Ina separated. Secela supposed she didn’t want the two of them scheming how to escape. While Secela and Colby were baking the cake, Ina was on the other side of the kitchen, making a soup. While Secela was helping to clean the kitchen, Ina was bringing plates to the dining room. And while Secela was doing dishes, Ina was cleaning the dining room.

                But while the two of them were in the kitchen, Secela managed to pass by Ina, when she was grabbing flour from the pantry.

                “I’ll try to talk to you later,” she whispered in Ina’s ear. Ina nodded, to show that she had heard her.

                And now, later had come. It was late at night, and the servants were pulling blankets out of closets. Apparently, there were no beds, or even a bedroom for them to sleep in. Each servant got two blankets, and all they could do was cover themselves up with one, and use the other as a pillow. Secela chose to sleep next to Ina.

                Finally, they could talk together.