– I have no friends. Your words are sharp, but they only stir my imagination. – With a wink, the purple-haired mage easily saddled his deer, and one of the guards threw me in front of him on the animal's strong back as if I were a sack of supplies.

– Let me go! – I commanded and tried to get off the deer, but I was unsuccessful. – Now!

– You don't have to yell like that. – The stranger wrinkled his nose, brought his hand to his forehead, and touched it with his fingers. – You and your loud voice gave me a headache. You look like a lady, but you act like a small shopkeeper.

I had to admit, this man was a combination of masculine and feminine. Long, well-groomed hair, thin, almost feminine features, embroidered suit, jewelry, long, musical fingers – all this made him look like a girl. But there were masculine features, too: a rather athletic build, a sly foxy look, pronounced cheekbones, a strong chin, a voice… He was the complete opposite of Derek.

But why am I comparing them?

– You threw me on your stag like a street girl you're going to have fun with, so don't you dare complain about my reproaches. Is it proper for a proper lady to travel in such a manner? Get me back on the ground immediately and give me a separate stag," I snapped through gritted teeth.

– You're a criminal. Why should I do you a favor? – The scoundrel said indifferently, his lips curling into a sneer.

– She's not a criminal, and she doesn't deserve to be treated like one! You seem to have forgotten your honor! – Evans said indignantly, but he was silenced.

– Let's go! – As if he didn't care what Evans said, the purple-haired man commanded, and the deer started off in a line.

We rode in silence the whole way, and I was annoyed by the gaze of the purple-haired rider. He gave me a predatory glance every now and then, but fortunately he didn't take advantage of my helplessness or my hands. Besides, it was extremely uncomfortable to lie with my belly on the deer's back, and soon my unhappy stomach began to remind me of itself by a dull pain, and nearer to the huge noisy city I felt the nausea coming to my throat and tried with all my might not to let it out. I felt sick and blurry, but I couldn't do anything about it, and neither could Evans, who was hanging upside down on the back of a deer.

Finally, the deer stopped, and I was lowered to the ground. As I felt the cold stones under my feet, my knees trembled, and I collapsed on the long-haired wizard's chest, and as disgusting as it was, I couldn't pull away. My legs wouldn't hold me up.

– So you've decided to take me up on my offer, flower? – A creeping male voice came over my ear.

– Never! – I hastened to refuse.

– Then how do I understand your closeness?

My palms pressed against the mage's chest, and I pulled back slightly and raised my head.

– I can see that you're driven by carnal desires. But what you want from me, you won't get," I said quietly but firmly.

There was a heavy silence in the air. The mage's gaze turned dark and cold, sending shivers down my spine. But I wasn't going to give up.

– Well, you've made your choice. A couple days in the dungeon will bring you back to your senses. Take me away! – He pushed me away from him, disgust written all over his handsome face, and the man turned and headed toward the tall, stone gate that led to a huge, sky-high white palace with what must have been a thousand colorful carved windows, while Evans and I were taken under his arms and led in an unknown direction.

As we were led into the dungeon, I looked at the people around us and tried to memorize the way. Evans was remarkably calm, as if he'd never been arrested in a dungeon before, because he didn't need directions; he walked there as if it were his home and smiled mysteriously. I, on the other hand, made a great effort to save face and not give away my origin during the scandalous speeches.