Claudia's POV

I sat frozen in front of the mirror and tried to empty my mind. Even if not as a slave, life here was not easy. Today I had a hard time sending Toby away and was finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet. Toby was good, he was like a little dancing flame. It's always a pleasure to have someone like that around. But my heart had closed up and I couldn't accept his affection.

Even though more than a year had passed, I still looked at my face in a trance. I rolled up my long silver hair and prepared to take a bath. When I...