"Please, continue," Albert said, leaning forward with rapt attention. "I'm completely captivated by your story."
Haydée's lips curved into a sad smile. "You really want to hear about my past? About all the pain?"
"I do," Albert replied earnestly.
"Alright then." Haydée took a breath. "I was only four years old when it happened. One night, my mother suddenly shook me awake. We were in our palace, and when I opened my eyes, I saw tears streaming down her face. She grabbed me without saying a word.
Seeing her cry made me start crying too. 'Hush, child!' she whispered urgently. Usually, I could cry as much as I wanted, typical kid tantrums, you know? But something in her voice that night terrified me into silence. She carried me away quickly.
That's when I saw we were going down this massive staircase. All around us, my mother's servants were rushing about carrying trunks, bags, jewelry, and pouches of gold. They looked panicked.
