Stripped of their dresses, Aiden and Astrid sat next to each other on a small bed, trussed-up naked and tape-gagged. Still bewildered by the scheme that had placed them in jeopardy, they continued to resist their restraint; Aiden in particular was especially energetic as she rose up on her knees and twisted on her hip. When they turned back-to-back, however, and tried to free their wrists, the addition of rope-links between their ankles and chest-harnesses held Astrid and Aiden in awkward immobility on their sides.