All I Need ✔️

Chapter 7

Safania's POV

As soon as the two men were out of the room, I leaned over to Emalina.

"Do you speak any other languages?" I asked her in Ledish.

"You speak Ledish? You can understand us!" Emalina said surprised.

"Emalina please, we don't have much time," I said.

"Um, I spoke Anguinese growing up with my mom." Perfect. I knew that one. Not enough to talk about philosophy or literature, but enough to converse with Emalina.

"Does the prince know Anguinese?" I asked, switching over to Anguinese.

Emalina's eyes widened. "How many languages do you speak?" she asked incredulously.

"Emalina, focus."

"No," Emalina responded.

"Perfect," I replied. "Emalina. Were you the one who changed me into this nightgown?"

"Yes," she responded. "And before you ask, yes, I saw them. I saw the marks."

"You didn't tell the prince?"

Emalina shook her head.

"Why not?"

Emalina looked at the ground. "The prince has always been a decent man to me. But . . . he's still a prince, you know. And he wants the throne, just like his brothers. I don't know if he . . . " she trailed off, then began again. "It's sick what they do to marked women. I don't think I could be part of it."

I took her hand. "Thank you. So much."

Emalina nodded. "I'd like to think the prince is better than that. But the truth is I don't know," she said, staring at the ground.

"Emalina, they are going to knock me out . You have to stay with me. You have to make sure they don't find out."

"I'll do my best," Emalina replied.

"We can talk more about this. But only in Anguinese. And only when it's just the two of us."

Emalina nodded.

"And Emalina, promise me not just that you won't tell the prince. Promise me, you will never tell anyone."

"I promise," Emalina replied.

Prince Cassius and Avus entered. Emalina and I both turned to the entryway.

"I heard you speaking?" the prince asked Emalina.

"Yes," Emalina replied. "She speaks Anguinese, my mother's native language."

Prince Cassius looked at me with an odd expression. "Then you will translate for us," he said to Emalina, while still looking at me.

"She actually," Emalina began until I cut her off with a sharp look. I didn't want them to know I could understand them. Emalina nodded, getting the message. "Of course," she said, bowing her head. The prince looked a little confused, then began to speak.

"What is your name?" the prince asked me. Emalina repeated the question to me in Anguinese.

"Safania," I told her.

"Safania isn't an Anguinese name," the prince said aloud. "Ask her what her native language is," he directed Emalina. She did. 

"Eirlin," I replied. 

"It's Eirlin," Emalina told the prince. A look flashed across the prince's face, too fast for me to figure out what it was. I quickly found out why the answer interested him, though.