"Vera!" Evie exclaimed, shocked at the realization that the girl Gideon was holding captive was no other than a friend she had met when she visited the Eastern empire years ago. Evie and her family were guests in the Ansley's Castle, one of the biggest and most luxurious castles in the Eastern empire. So, Evie and Vera had spent quite a while together in the duration that she was there. They had immediately formed quite a close friendship in the short time and Vera even promised to come to the south to visit Evie again.
But she had never followed up on her promise and came to visit Evie. Vera had also stopped responding her letters and until Evie left home after her marriage to Gavriel, she had received no news nor letters from Vera. She had thought that perhaps Vera just got tired of her and had said all those things as a matter of being courteous while she was still in Ansley Castle.
Thank you so much @Chinawa for the magic castle! <3