Ginger

“Fine. I’ll stay for a while. I want to fight too. But if anything goes wrong, I’ll be heading home without any second thoughts.” Gianna said.

Danyel smiled. Gianna ignored him.

“If you’re so sure about it, I’ll leave Bingi with you. She knows the way.” Minnah said.

“Alright, Emse Minnah. Let me give you a letter for my mother.”

Then Gianna began to write on a piece of parchment with an inked feather.

“Dear Mother,

I am safe. Glad you were rescued. I’m staying with the Hesmians to help them. I’ll come when this is over. I love you.

Ginger.”

After bidding farewell to the three Strians, Gianna returned to the villa. Danyel was sitting on a bench outside Gianna’s room.

“Ginger, it is.” He said, laughing.

“Yes, that’s what they call me. You know, it has its own secret code. When I put ‘Ginger’ at the end of a letter, it means I’m safe. If I put ‘Gianna’, they’ll know I ain’t safe. But I never got to use it, actually.”

“So… since it’s your nickname, shall I call you ‘Ginger’?”

“