As you could have imagined, Mika and I became the closest of friends. Summers were spent drinking lemonade under the willow tree and winters were spent chatting by the fire in her large stone house. We had sleepovers at the Moreci home almost every day and Aunt Tremaine didn't even mind (of course). I always remembered the day when we first met. When she said she saved me, she really did.

As I grew older, I began to notice Noah a lot more. It wasn't like I hadn't noticed him before, but this time I noticed him in a different way. His red hair just seemed to catch my eye more and his dimpled smile never ceased to make me give a little smile of my own. I had talked to him quite a few times during my frequent sleepovers with Mika, but I began to grow more bashful whenever he entered the room. Little did I know, he was my first crush.

Being the little sheltered girl that I was, I didn't know what this meant. I always just assumed I was becoming closer friends with him. One day, however, I learned more about the feeling. It was the day of Noah's secondary academy graduation, and he had just come downstairs to the living room where Mika and I were talking. His hair was parted to the side in a way I'd never seen it before. His suit was crisp and black, obviously tailored specifically for him. My heart fluttered for a second before Griffin entered the room. "My dear, dear son! I can't believe how far you've come! Your mother would be so proud of you!"

Noah gave a slight smile to the floor before responding. "I'd do anything to get her back, but it's good to know she'd be proud of me right now." This was something I could agree with him on. It was actually possible to get my own family back, but I didn't know how...

All of a sudden the doorbell rang, producing a deep and pleasant sound. "I'll get it," Noah responded. His was so kind and gentle, it just made me want to spend so much time with him. "How are you girls doing?" Griffin asked. That's when I opened up about my feelings for Noah, unknowing of what they meant. "I'm feeling very...shy...and I keep blushing..." I said. "Do you think I'm OK?"

Mika gave me a confused look. "Do you know why or is it just...happening?" she asked in a halting manner. "I don't know, but it all started when Noah came in," I responded, not knowing the information I had just revealed. Griffin and Mika exchanged a shocked look before Mika giggled in a very pleased way. Griffin awkwardly dragged his foot on the ground before saying "I think I need to go...to the other room..."

Right after he closed the mahogany door behind him, Mika burst. "You like Noah?!?! Oh my god...you like Noah!" She seemed excited, but I didn't know why. "Um...yes. I think Noah's a fantastic person," I stated. "No, not like that!" she argued. "You like Noah in a ROMANTIC way. Like when people want to get married. L-O-V-E." I was shocked. "What? Love is for older people! I don't get that feeling quite yet." Before I get called stupid or naïve, I want to make it clear that my school at the time was very conservative. Love wasn't in the line of logic and feelings were meant to be kept inside. Mika read romance novels frequently, so my limited knowledge on the subject came from her.

"Lies! You described a first crush perfectly. From the shyness to the blushing, it's obvious what you feel!"

"No, Mika! Love is for people who are looking to marry and that's not me. I'm only thirteen and feelings like love are meant for people who graduate school. That's that."

"That's NOT that, Ardy! Schools like Primrose Academy train students to stifle all emotions until they're 'necessary', but I know love! Most people can feel it in their teen years and beyond...that's what YOU'RE feeling. That's why dad left the room! He doesn't get into this stuff like I do."

Mika sure was stubborn. Knowing it was best for me to agree with her before she argued more, I nodded and reluctantly caved in. "Fine, Mika. I'm in love." She giggled and giggled until Noah entered the room...with Aunt Tremaine. What was this going to be?

Mika and I exchanged a frustrated look before sitting up straighter on the red velvet sofa and putting on the faintest of smiles. The candles on their golden holders gave the room a serious and urgent air. Noah's face was completely white and Tremaine smoothed out her crimson gown. "Will you please bring Mr. Moreci in?" Tremaine asked a maid stationed by the door. She nodded and scurried out, probably scared. I didn't blame her. It was as if the air was sucked out of the room, and there weren't even any words spoken. My eyes focused on Noah and Tremaine once more. They both seemed to be in quite the depressed mood, which was unusual. The Monster typically didn't have emotions.

The maid entered the room once more with Griffin trailing behind her. He immediately saw Tremaine and nodded in a sort of greeting. "Good day, Mrs. Brown. How might you be getting on?"

"Not so well," Tremaine responded, quenching the happiness he possessed. His eyes quickly darted down to his shoes and then back to her again. "It is with my greatest grievances that I announce the death of my very own daughter, Kinsley. She was killed today in the rebellion against King Travis."

The room was silent for a moment. "Those retched, retched REBELS!" Griffin screamed. My mouth dropped open. Kinsley? Dead? I barely knew her, but I was completely shocked. How could her life have been taken? She was only a bit older than me. My heart stopped for a second as I processed the situation. Kinsley, a sister I hadn't known much but still cared for was gone. She wasn't coming back. Ever.

"Where is she?" I whispered. For once, Tremaine didn't ignore me. "Her body is being stored in a safe place while her coffin is being made. We'll get to see her in two days on the date of her funeral. We'll make sure to give her a wonderful afterlife." Tremaine pulled out a silk cloth to wipe the tears from her eyes. SHE of all people was devastated, which made everything much more impactful. Kinsley was dead, and she wasn't going to come back. I'd lost a sister I'd never known. All of a sudden, tears came pouring from my eyes.

Tremaine came to comfort me, awkwardly wrapping her arm around me. Her emerald ring poked me with its jagged edge, but I didn't care. Why did it happen to her? The king's rebels killed her, and she was powerless to stop it. Oh, what would I do? What would the family do? I let out another sob as Tremaine spoke. "I think we'd better be getting home," she spoke with an empty tone. She took my hand and pulled me off the sofa. Maids and butlers gave us sympathetic smiles as we walked through the well-furnished and lit rooms of the Moreci household. Finally, we were outside and the doors were closed behind us. Wind whipped my long brown hair in various directions, but I didn't care.

All of a sudden, Tremaine grabbed my hand and led me into a sprint. I almost fell over when she started, but she pulled me up and kept running. She was headed for the willow tree in our front yard. Soon enough, we were under the protection of its leaves and she let go of my hand. My thoughts were racing. Why did she bring me here? Didn't Kinsley just die? Was she somehow lying about the whole thing? Even she's not that bad, right?

"Kinsley died," Tremaine stated as if I hadn't just found out. I nodded to show her I understood. "But the rebels didn't kill her. She killed herself by joining them."

Kinsley? Kinsley joined the rebels? There had to be some sort of misunderstanding on my part. Tremaine watched Kinsley CONSTANTLY, making sure she shaped up to be everything she wanted. "Wait...so Kinsley was actually a part of the rebel organization? She joined?" I asked hesitantly, dreading her answer. "Yes, Arden. Kinsley was killed when she and a group of other imbeciles rebelled against King Travis. She joined those scumbags." At that point in time, I knew nothing of King Travis's terrible actions. I guess I never thought much about him until the moment when I learned my own sister had died in a rebellion against him. At that moment, I knew he was the villain. But Tremaine didn't see it that way.

"Ardy, dear girl. You can never do what she did, understood?" I nodded, not wanting to lead her on to the fact that I thought differently. "Good," she snorted. "All this time, I thought you'd be the one to end up in bad circumstances. I mean, you spend all of your days in your room doing who knows what." She laughed, thinking she was making some sort of wonderful joke. I just sat there staring at her, wondering what she was thinking. How could someone be so cruel? After a brief minute of eyeing me up in down, she simply stated "I can make something of you now, can't I?"

And she sure tried. For the next few years of my life.

Those years of endless music lessons weren't all bad. I still got to spend some time talking with Mika and having sleepovers, but something changed. I became more serious and eventually a bit depressed. Tremaine drilled me for hours on my violin and piano, making sure I had every piece down perfectly. The one thought that always came back to me was that the instruments I was touching had been touched by Kinsley. Tremaine even had her whole wardrobe tailored to fit me, which made the whole situation even worse. I felt like I was stealing from Kinsley, although I couldn't help anything that was happening to me.

Then, there was the unfortunate event. I remember the day perfectly. The sky was gray and rain was pouring heavily. I was headed to Mika's house and Tremaine had forced me to bring an expensive parasol to keep the rain from ruining my up-do. Right when I stepped outside, I remember seeing the same line of glossy black carriages that were being pulled by the same pure white horses. Not thinking much of it, I ran across the street to the front door of the Moreci home. Before I could even ring the doorbell, the door swung open to reveal Griffin and Boris carrying a large piece of furniture covered in a white rain-proof cloth. What was happening? All of a sudden, it hit me.

Those carriages with the white horses had been used to move the Moreci family into their home, so maybe they were being moved out. Griffin nodded half-heartedly at me as he shuffled by with Boris. Quickly, I ran inside. Maybe Mika would confirm that they weren't moving and that the carriages were there for some other reason. I darted past multiple servants carrying smaller objects outside to the carriages before I ran right into Noah. He took a step back before he realized who it was. "Good day, Arden. Would you like to help me carry this chest outside?"

He was carrying another object covered in a white cloth. "Noah, what's going on?" I asked urgently. He raised an eyebrow. "We're moving...didn't you hear?" My hands went straight to my cheeks. "No, I didn't!" I sobbed. He quickly put the chest down and I went in to hug him. I could tell he wasn't sure how to react, but he tried to calm me nevertheless. "We're moving back to Rosebury because there's an academy Father wants Mika and I to attend. He thinks it would be better than the education we're getting here."

"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" I sobbed. "We're actually not. This was announced about a month ago." I pulled away from him in confusion. "No...it wasn't," I responded. "Yes, Arden. Everyone in town knows. You probably just forgot. It's OK," he said. That's when I realized that I hadn't been by their house in a month and that I hadn't been outside for a very long time. My lessons took control of me and I didn't have any time to check in on my friends. I broke into another stream of tears. Noah looked down at his shoes before looking back at me. "Do you want me to take you to find Mika?" I nodded. "Yes, Noah. Thank you."

We walked up a jasmine-scented staircase to reveal empty rose-papered halls. This was all so different for me. I hadn't seen the hallways looking like this since the day the Morecis moved in. "I think she's in her room," Noah said before walking back down the stairs. I watched him go before knocking on Mika's dark wood door. "Come in," a voice said in almost a whisper. Her room was completely bare except for a small chair facing the window. Mika's back was turned to me, her messy brown hair flowing behind her. She was looking out the window, watching her family and servants putting furniture away. "Mika?" I asked. She turned sideways in the chair to show that a single tear had fallen down her sun-kissed cheek. "Why didn't you come sooner?" she cried.

I broke into tears once more. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner! Tremaine had me pinned down with lessons...and...and..." Mika rolled her eyes. "She had to leave you for some period of time! You know what? You're a monster!" Shocked, I stopped crying. "What? Why would you say that?" She laughed, but not in a joyous way. "You took everything from your sister. Your DEAD sister. I bet you don't even remember her," she said. I tried to speak again, but Mika turned her back to face the window. "Mika!" I yelled. "Mika, listen to me! Please!" She just ignored me.

Maybe I was a monster. Maybe I deserved her anger. Frustrated with myself, I ran. I ran past the rose-tinted halls and down the jasmine staircase for the last time. I ran past where the red velvet sofa used to be and into the storm. My parasol was left on the Moreci front porch. There were more important things than it. I ran across the street and under the willow tree. My white dress was caked in mud, but I didn't care. I just sobbed and sobbed. This willow tree was where I first saw the Morecis, and it was where I would say good bye to them for the first time.

My life was changing, and it was changing for the worse.

Those previous events all lead to me sitting at my old desk and drawing pictures of the house across the street. It was an obsession, but it helped me feel like they were still there somehow. I lived in Kinsley's old room, but the furniture that I brought from my last room was all the same. I had my old twin bed with the red linty blanket and the little vintage vanity Mika had gotten me for my fourteenth birthday. Tremaine insisted that I took Kinsley's nicer furniture, but I didn't need to steal from her any more than I already had.

Lessons in violin and piano totaled six hours on every day I didn't have school. My fingers had gotten a lot quicker and I became quite advanced at both instruments, but neither provided any joy for me. The only thing worse than learning useless skills was spending time with Tremaine. She watched me play for about an hour each day before filing her nails and applying makeup in the same room (she had a vanity in the corner). The room we played in, AKA The Lady's Parlor, was obviously decorated by The Monster herself. Everything was pink from the pink rose vase in the corner to the pink vanity. Even the walls and carpeting were pink, which was quite a sore sight.

Tremaine obviously thought I was quite the prodigy considering she invited Vince and Spencer in to watch me play almost every week. Vince stared drunkenly into space and Spencer just leaned back, crossed his arms, and glared at me. If only he knew Tremaine was making me do all of this. Maybe then he wouldn't be quite so cross with me...

My endless daily routine of music lessons, Primrose Academy, and drawing continued on for a few years with not too much interruption. As it happened, I seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into an endless ocean of stress, but no one was there to pull me out. The few people who understood me were in Rosebury and the people I lived with treated me like garbage. My parents were who knows where and I thought about them every single day. If only I could find them, they might be able to rescue me from drowning...

One day, the routine was interrupted. Little did I know, this was the start of my adventure. I was gliding my bow over the strings of my violin, beautiful sounds emerging as I went. I noticed that Tremaine looked considerably more excited than usual, but I ignored this as I played. She probably just got a new dress or something. I finished off the song by producing a deep and mellow sound with my bow. Right as I hit the last note and put my violin down to rest, Tremaine started talking. "Arden, I've been thinking about this for a while and I think I've come to a conclusion." I expected her to want me to learn some new instrument, but what she said was quite different.

"I'm sending you to King Travis's camp. You'll leave a week from now."

Tremaine paused and braced herself, expecting me to be excited. I wasn't. King Travis's Camp was a sort of test held at the palace. A group of about twenty eligible teenagers would be sent away to live with him and his advisors for a certain period of time. It was kind of like living at a hotel, except for the fact that people were followed by bearded men with notepads who watched everything that happened. At the end of the indefinite time period, the advisors and the king picked one of the teenagers to be on the king's team of advisors. Long story short, it was an excellent way for parents to use their kids for publicity and money. It was basically calling Tremaine.

With Tremaine's piercing eyes, sharp features, and quick hands, she was definitely an imposing figure. I'd stopped standing up to her after the Morecis left, and she basically bossed me around every day of my life. That day was the day it all changed. "No. I'm not going," I said in an oddly confident voice. Her eye twitched before she responded "You have to. It's not up to you." Ah, so she wasn't expecting me to argue. I could use this. "I'm not going because I'm not going to be your tool for money and publicity. You can just cake on some more makeup and marry someone richer than Vince if you want THAT life." I sounded confident, but I was shivering inside. She was going to get very mad.

I could feel the tension in the room and Tremaine's face was getting very red. She slammed down her blush palette and turned to face me completely. "You do NOT speak to ME that way! I gave you EVERYTHING and guess what? This is just an opportunity to give YOU more!" My fist clenched up in anger. I wasn't scared anymore. She was not going to treat me this way. "Well then tell me, Auntie! What DO I get? Because let me tell you, I know you. I KNOW you're going to take EVERYTHING from me even if I do become an advisor because you LIE." I set my violin on the ground and stormed out of the room, slamming the obnoxious pink door behind me.

I turned to the right and marched up the creaky old stairs no one ever bothered to fix. I ran down the lengthy hall to my dirty old wood door and practically leaped inside, slamming it behind me. With that, I fell on my red blanket and sobbed. I begged to no one in particular that I would be saved from the woman and from the camp.

After a few minutes of crying, I heard a single, gentle tap on the door. For a second, I assumed it was Tremaine. Then I realized that her knocks were sharp and menacing. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I got up, fixed my hair, and walked up to the door. I opened it to reveal someone I'd never expected. Spencer.

This was the first time in a while that he hadn't been glaring at me or avoiding me. He actually looked a bit excited to be there, which made me confused. "Hey, Arden!" he exclaimed as if he hadn't seen me before. I raised an eyebrow at him before he dropped his oddly happy manner and asked "Can I come in?" I nodded slowly and opened my door to let him in. He entered quickly and shut the door right away. I stepped back, scared he was going to hurt me. He didn't. Instead, he sat down at my bed and looked around. I noticed he had a fist-sized blue velvet bag he had been hiding under his brown leather jacket.

"Umm...what are you doing here?" I asked. He met my eyes before saying "I heard your conversation with Aunt Tremaine." Oh, he had to bring that up again. I shrugged, trying to imply that I got over it (I didn't). "I think you should go to the camp," he said awkwardly. Tremaine sent him. Pathetic. Even she probably could have picked up on the fact that we didn't get along very well. "Did Tremaine send you?" I asked, waiting for him to confirm my suspicions. He shook his head. "No. I came here myself. It's about Kinsley," he responded. I paused for a second, wondering if he was lying. But then I realized he wasn't. Spencer loved his sister, and he wouldn't use her to lie to me, especially if Tremaine instructed him to. "What is it?" I asked, now curious about what he meant.

"You're aware of the fact that she was part of the rebellion against King Travis, correct?" he asked. I nodded and he smiled, happy I knew the truth.

"Then I have something you need to see," he said with a bigger smile.

Let me start out by telling you this. My story up until that point hadn't really dealt with magic (or at least the part I knew about). I never bothered with spells or fantastic creatures because I was never encouraged to do so. No magic was allowed at Primrose and Tremaine was strongly against anything to do with it. Those few reasons were why I never got the chance to encounter it in its greatest form.

Spencer didn't tell me what I was getting myself into when he got me mounted on a dappled horse and instructed me to follow him on his Clydesdale. It seemed like we walked for ages as we passed through about three smaller villages. As my horse swayed from side to side, I noticed how most of the villagers were covered in sunburns. Their faces were blank and their fingers were gnarled as they farmed or built new homes. Not having thought much of it, I glanced up to the  King's Palace. It was the most gorgeous building ever. White gleaming towers were swirled in a way I'd never seen before. A clear pond was right in front of it, which gave the palace a woodland feeling. I could even see the great sky blue doors from where I was.

Although I didn't like the king, I still got excited at the idea of visiting his magnificent palace. However, that wasn't where Spencer was leading me. Instead of taking his great big horse down the paths to the villages or to the castle, he strayed and walked into a large clearing. I pulled on my reins to stop before walking away from the path, scared for what might have come next. Spencer immediately noticed that the sound of my horse's tiny hooves had stopped. He turned around and simply said "Come on, Arden," with his signature smile. He waved his arm toward the field, wanting me to follow. Mustering all of the courage I could, I nudged my horse's side with my heel to lead it on once more.

The field we crossed seemed almost infinite. Tall yellow grass tickled at my feet as I felt the beat of the hooves pushing me forward. Finally, we reached a line of trees. Spencer turned back to me and said "We should be able to get to our destination in about fifteen minutes." If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it already. I carefully steered my horse through the tall pine trees before we reached a valley. I quickly skidded to a stop, realizing that it was close. Spencer hopped down from his mount and patted his horse on the back. He walked over to me and helped me down as well. "Looks like we're here, Arden. We're going to tie our horses up on those trees over there." He pointed at a smaller group of about five trees and I nodded. We lead our horses over and tied their lead ropes.

Spencer turned to me and whispered "You won't tell anyone about this, right?" I nodded, but I was scared. What secret could he be hiding in the valley? He lead me over to it and I looked down. It was so deep that all I could see at the bottom was black. The sedimentary rock at the sides gave me a good perception of depth, so I could tell this valley was extremely enormous...possibly thousands of feet deep. "How do we get down?" I asked nervously. He wasn't about to just show me that valley and call it a day. But what if he wanted to push me in? I took a step back from the edge, and he took the hint. "Why would I push you in,  Arden? I'm not that violent." He looked a bit offended, and I felt bad. "It's OK, Spencer. I just haven't trusted anyone in a while." Spencer glanced down at his shoes before looking at the valley again.

"There's a staircase over there," he said as he pointed behind me. We walked past the group of trees where our horses were tied and I saw it. A small, stone set of stairs descended into the valley's great depths. They were only the width of one person, so Spencer couldn't help me down. I let out a small cry as I saw how far they went. "Spencer, I can't do this. Can't you just bring whatever you want to show me up here?" He shook his head. "What I want to show you needs to be seen in the valley. If you lean against the side as you walk down, you should be fine."

I looked at him once more, and he seemed to be serious. I can't believe I even thought the field was the scariest part of this. "Will you go first?" I asked. He let out a small laugh. "Of course." With that, he lit a puny match and started his descent down the stairs. As I watched him and realized he wasn't falling, I decided to give it a try. Solid. I took another step down and put my right hand against the valley's smooth side. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. As I walked, I got more comfortable. "What are you showing me, Spencer?" I asked with the curious delight of a six-year old opening presents on a birthday. "You'll just have to wait and see," he said in a purposely mysterious tone. All of a sudden, my foot lost its place on one of the stairs.

I screamed as I slipped, grabbing for anything I could. The air was rushing in front of me and I could hear Spencer running to my rescue. Right before I could fall completely off the edge, Spencer grabbed my hand. "I've got you," he said as he pulled me up. My heart was still racing from the terrible excitement of the fall. I leaned up against the side of the valley, panting. Finally, I made room for words. "Why did you save me, Spencer? I thought you hated me." He looked down at his hand. "I never hated you. It's just that I always thought you stole everything from Kinsley. After watching the way Tremaine treats you, I realized she was the real thief. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." I gave him a light hug, not wanting there to be another fall. "I should have explained it to you, but I didn't think you'd believe me."

He nodded, understanding where I came from. "Let's keep going," he said quietly. He kept descending the staircase as I followed him. There was silence as we kept walking, but we knew it was for the best.

Finally, Spencer reached the bottom. "Good news, Arden. We're here," he said up to me. I smiled and carefully finished my descent down the stairs. Spencer threw his match on the ground and stomped on it until the fire went out. "What are you doing?" I asked nervously. The valley was as black as the shadows that danced in the corner of my room. "This," he replied as he waved his arm. A stream of blue fire appeared, landing on the ground and lighting our part of the valley up. "Won't people see the fire?" I asked Spencer. "No," he replied. "We're the only ones who can see the light of the fire. If someone were to walk up to the edge of that valley right now, they'd only see what we saw when we first got here." The fire must have been magical.

I could tell Spencer was getting very excited. He clapped his hands together and turned to me. "Ok, Arden. You're going to see something you've never seen before and it will be VERY massive. I promise it won't hurt you, but I need you to stay calm so you don't make it uncomfortable." My heart started to beat fast again, but I still responded "Alright, Spencer. I want to see." He gave me a quick smile before putting both of his fingers in his mouth and whistling three times. The three seconds I waited for something to happen were the three longest seconds of my life. I just held my breathe and stared in the same direction as Spencer. The blue flames only illuminated certain parts of the valley, so I couldn't see anything.

That's when I heard a gentle fluttering in the distance. It grew louder and louder as I listened until it was obvious that something was coming. Then I heard a screech that made me cover my ears. The air grew cooler and windier as the thing came closer. I stepped back, but Spencer didn't move at all. The first part I saw of the great creature was a large claw. Its scales were varying shades of light blue and green, but I just couldn't stop staring at the claws. Each one seemed to be about a meter long and the tips were as sharp as daggers. I put my hands over my mouth to stifle a scream. Spencer said I shouldn't make the creature uncomfortable, and I wanted to stop myself before those large claws were shoved right through my body.

Spencer calmly cast another blue flame into the air. It just floated there for a bit before casting its light. I was immediately astounded and terrified by what I saw. My eyes first went to the large blue and green scaled legs that stood up straight and tall. The chest was silver and smooth, probably more so than the finest cloths in Rosebury. Then, the true beauty was revealed. I strained my neck to see the sight, considering it was hundreds of feet in the air. It was a dragon! Two silver spires stuck out of its head, probably the horns. Its eyes were the color of emeralds and its features were rounded and delicate. I could see bits of diamond in its cheek and I was mesmerized. Modern dragons lived far, far away from Harmelshire and they were only about twenty feet tall at the most.

I was still shaking, but I couldn't look away. The dragon must have been ancient considering its great size. Slowly, I turned to Spencer and grabbed his arm. "Spencer...is...is this yours?" I squeaked. He nodded and looked up at it. "Sure is. I raised this girl right up from when she was only an egg." He looked proudly at the dragon as if it was his own child. He grabbed some blueberries out of his pocket and held his hand out. The creature's long and magnificent neck reached down to take the food from Spencer. As I watched the dragon eat, I was surprised by her gentle manner. Maybe there was no reason to be scared. "What's her name?" I asked, looking up at her gentle face. "Arialis," he replied proudly.

I looked up at her once more. Arialis...what a regal name. I was still somewhat scared, but I knew she wouldn't hurt me. "What does this have to do with Kinsley, Spencer?" I asked. He quickly gestured toward a stone that sat a few feet away and said "Let's talk there." We each took a seat and Arialis laid down in the same spot she had been standing in a minute ago. "You're aware of King Travis's Citizen Task Rules, correct?" he asked hopefully. I nodded. The Citizen Task Rules were a specific set of rules King Travis had in place that limited what peasants could do during the day. For example, men had to work to produce crops to export to other villages while women had to cook, clean, and have children. King Travis used the task rules to make sure the peasants worked for him and his kingdom constantly.

"Those Citizen Task Rules are extremely restrictive on what peasants can do and they're falling apart piece by piece. On average, about ten people per day in each village pass out from the heat. There isn't a lot of allowed time for to provide for their families. The only time they have to go to the hospital is on Sunday, so people who get extremely sick in the middle of the week usually don't make it. Even if they do happen to get sick on a Sunday, there's only one hospital in Pleamonte and it's in the village closest to the castle," Spencer said. I gasped. I'd been taught about what the rules actually were at school, but I'd never known the effects they had on peasants. I guess the wealthier side of Pleamonte didn't want their children being bothered by the problems of the poor.

I continued listening, very curious about what he had to say next. "Kinsley used to not care about anyone besides herself. I always loved her, but that was the truth. Soon it all changed..." he said quietly. "What?" I asked. "What happened?" He smiled to reveal his shining white teeth. "She went out to the village one day to perform on the piano in a local dining hall. She was excited, considering the opportunity could get her attention and fame. Of course, Tremaine was excited as well." I rolled my eyes and nodded in agreement. "Tremaine was going to bring Vince and I to stop by in about an hour, but Kinsley was by herself at this point. She rode horseback down to the village and tied her mount up at a fence post. As she was finishing her knot, she noticed a man staring at her horse. He was wearing sooty cloth to cover up and he had scratches and bruises all over him. She didn't think much of it, so she just headed off to the performance hall."

Spencer looked back up at Arialis sadly and continued his story. "On her way, she realized she forgot her lucky red hair ribbon, so she had to go back to get it out of her saddle bag. When she arrived, she saw her horse was missing from the fence post. She looked around and noticed that it was being led away by the man who had been watching her earlier. She quickly approached him and ripped the horse's rope from his dirty hands." I put my hand over my mouth. "That's so rude!" I exclaimed. He nodded, but continued on. "It was rude, but Kinsley didn't know that quite yet. She yelled at the man and told him that she would have him arrested. Surprisingly enough, he held out his hands and agreed to it. She was confused. Out of all of the arguments she had with Tremaine, almost none of them ended that easily." I nodded. "Amen."

"She asked the man why he wanted to be arrested, and he said that being arrested would be better than the life he was living because he'd actually have food. He explained to her that he was forced to work for the king all day and that he couldn't get in enough work hours on his own to make a difference in his life or his family's. That was the first time Kinsley felt true compassion. She gave the man every valuable she was wearing along with the horse. She wished him good luck and said farewell to him." I wiped a tear from my eye. I never knew Kinsley was such a kind person. Spencer looked down at his boots and up at Arialis again. "I'm so sorry..." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him. Instead of accepting the hug, he gave me a small smile and gently pushed me away. "I didn't come just to tell you her story." I looked at him in confusion as he started to speak again.

"I came to make things right."

Spencer was as determined as I'd ever seen him. He looked up at Arialis hopefully and I realized that he was closer with this dragon than any person that lived with us. She looked down at him with her wise eyes, waiting for what he was going to say next. Only a little bit of the area behind the rock was lit, but I didn't fear anything coming for us because of the fact that we had a dragon that was about a tenth of the valley's height.

Spencer started once more with a question to scope out how much I knew. "Are you aware of the rumors that King Travis doesn't have a heart? When I say this I mean it was physically removed by a spell." he said. This was actually something I was not aware of. Primrose Academy trained its students to think of King Travis as a good, productive king. Tremaine had the same idea. "No. What happens when someone's heart gets taken out? Don't they die?"

He laughed. "No. If the heart is removed with a spell, it doesn't kill the person. It just makes them become unable to feel human emotions. Some people just become a shell of a person with no personality, but the lack of emotions is more common. That's what people suspect happened to King Travis because he treats the peasants so poorly." I nodded, taking in what he just said. "What if he's just an evil person in general?" I asked. He shook his head knowingly. "Evil people with hearts can be quite ruthless at most times, but even they have the capability to show complex human emotions. Travis has never shown this ability for the fifteen years he's been in power, so the rumor could very well be true." That actually made sense. Magic could do terrible things to people, especially in this world.

"After listening to quite a few people talk about this in the villages, I decided to research it. I first searched various libraries for books about the spell. I learned that it's not deadly, but simply meant to take emotions away. When someone is pure-hearted to start with, it only takes away their speech and makes them an empty shell of their former self." Arialis snorted and then closed her eyes, ready for a nap. Spencer didn't flinch. "After researching the spell and its symptoms, I decided it fit perfectly with what practically anyone has seen from him. At that point, I only had one question left. Why did he do it?" At this point, I started to wonder if Spencer ever went to business school in the first place.

"This part I didn't necessarily need to research, considering there are plenty of people who know about him before he came into power. I walked around the streets and asked that question to middle-class people. Most people only knew that he had left the royal family quite a few years ago to start a family of his own. No one knew much about him at that time, but the next event that people seemed to know about was when he killed his royal family with magic. Shortly after that, he came into power." I put my hand over my mouth in pure shock and disgust. "Why did people let him become king?" I asked.

"King Travis used his magical powers to brainwash his father's army into working for him. King Millius was known for having the biggest and most well-equipped army in the land, so Travis used that to his advantage. No one would dare cross him with all of the power he has." Once again, Spencer looked up at Arialis and smiled. "Except for me. I've got the one thing to stop him." I looked at him in anticipation. "What do you have, Spencer?" I asked anxiously.

He pulled the little sack out from his jacket. I recognized it. That sack was the same one he had in my room earlier. "Open it," he instructed. I untied the little string at the top and gently removed the cloth. I gasped in shock and almost dropped the object it held. Luckily, Spencer caught it. It was a human  heart. When I first saw it, I was disgusted. Why would he have it? Then, I realized its significance. He'd told me about the rumors that King Travis didn't a heart and he was showing me the proof. This was it. I sucked in the dusty valley air and Spencer handed the heart back to me. It was covered in something blue and slightly transluscent...probably the protective layer. Everything from the red arteries to the ventricles was preserved extremely well.

It took me a moment before I could form words. "Where...where did you get this Spencer?" I asked. He smiled with pride. "One of the people I asked said they had King Travis's heart in their home up North." I rolled my eyes. "Spencer! This could be anyone's heart! I sure hope you didn't pay this person very much." He grinned knowingly and raised his pointer finger to argue. "But alas, this was not the case. I recognized the man who told me this because he was the same man who sold me Arialis's egg six years ago. He didn't lie to me then, so I knew for a fact he wasn't lying to me about the heart." I gave a silent groan. Spencer trusted people way too easily when his curiosity got the best of him. "So did you actually go up to his house to get the heart?" I asked. He nodded and I groaned.

"I actually did it about a week ago when I went on my 'business school field trip'. No one even bothered to ask any more questions." I just turned the heart over once more. "So...what are we going to do with it? Keep it as a souvenir?" I asked jokingly.

"No. We're going to put it back in Travis."

I laughed hardily, thinking he was joking when he said that. Then, I noticed he wasn't laughing along. I paused and looked at his facial expression. He was serious.

"What? You realize we can't do that, right? You literally just said that no one would ever go against him because of his power, right?" I asked, desperate for his confirmation. He shook his head. "There's a good chance that he doesn't have close protection all the time. He doesn't want to come off as weak, does he?" I slowly nodded, waiting to see where Spencer was going with this idea. "Well, if you were to be around him when he least expected it, you could easily put his heart back inside of him. All you have to do is reach inside of his chest while holding it. If it works, he will regain his emotions and be able to undo all he has done wrong." That was when I realized why Spencer wanted me to go to the King's Camp. He wanted me to find a time to slip Travis's heart back in.

"So...if I do this, then Kinsley and the old royal family will be saved?" I whispered. "That's what I'm hoping," he replied.

"Then I'll do it."

I woke to the sound of a sharp knock on my door. Tremaine. I quickly threw my red blanket on the ground and sat up straight in my tiny bed. Usually, she didn't care to come all the way in the tiny room, but today was different. Her brown hair was tied in an elegant up-do and her pastel yellow dress looked as presentable as it ever had. Before she even spoke a word, I knew what she was there for.

"Arden, guess what day it is..." she said cheerfully. I nodded and put on a fake smile to trick her into thinking I was with her. Spencer had instructed me to stay on her good side about the whole camp ordeal, so I was smiling and happy whenever she mentioned it.  "I can't wait, Auntie!" I exclaimed, hoping she couldn't hear the pain in my voice. "Well get ready then! You want to look nice for King Travis," she said enthusiastically. I smiled at her once more and she closed my creaky old door. The dress Tremaine wanted me to wear was a sleek cobalt gown that looked very modern. The rest of the dresses I had yet to see, since she had already packed them and shipped them off to the castle for my maids to organize.

"Today I'm going to make a good impression so he won't expect a thing. Don't want to lead him on to the plan," I said to myself as I picked up the blue dress. Its smooth knit fabric slipped through my fingers and onto the floor. When I went to pick it up, I realized there was something tiny and hard inside of it. I moved over a few of the dress's seams and found a tiny silver ring with a note scribbled on parchment paper.

If you have trouble with anything, call my name three times into the ruby on this ring. I'll be waiting in the valley with Arialis and we'll come if you need help. If you just want me, you know where to find me.

I hoped that Tremaine would let me wear the ring and I hoped she would let Spencer make whatever excuse he needed to get to the valley safely. If not, we were going to be in a lot of trouble. I slipped the ring's cold silver band over my slender finger and looked at the ruby. The morning sun seemed to be shining off it in a way that made it look more magical than it already was. I quickly put the beautiful dress on and smoothed my hair down to look at myself thoughtfully in the vanity mirror. That was when I came to a sudden realization...I looked exactly like Tremaine. That didn't mean I would become like her. That would never happen.

Not wanting Tremaine to come up for me again, I slipped on a pair of black flats and jogged downstairs. The Monster wanted us to have a family breakfast today so everyone could wish me good luck on the journey. I honestly would have been surprised if Vince showed up. I opened up the door to the dining room to reveal an elegantly lit room. Candles were going down the center line of the table and Tremaine had set bowls of fruit out to provide decoration. Mindy, our servant, was pouring Vince an early glass of wine. His face was pale and his blonde hair stuck out in various directions. His blue eyes seemed dull, unlike Spencer's because they were focused on Tremaine. She was yelling something harsh at our other maid, Cindy, but Cindy didn't seem to care. She just stared at her head on. She had guts.

I tried to sit at the end of the table, but Tremaine had a different idea. "Sit over there, Arden. Next to me," she said as she smiled and pointed to a lavender chair on the left side of the table. I reluctantly got up and treaded over to the spot she had pointed out. Across the table, I saw Spencer eying my ring. He gave me a quick nod before looking back down at his empty plate. Soon enough, Mindy was serving us with fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. Right after the maids were gone, Tremaine started with talking. "Does anyone have anything to say to Arden before she leaves in an hour?" she asked. When no one said anything, she turned to Vince. "How about you, dear?" she asked hopefully. He just shrugged and responded "Good luck, Ashley." Tremaine rolled her eyes, although she did the same thing when I was a child.

Spencer opened his mouth to speak, but Tremaine cut him off. "I think you'll do very well, dear. Not only have you had extensive hours of violin and piano, but I've also trained you in proper etiquette. Primrose has taught you the political side of things, being that I'm not the most educated on topics like that." She could say that again. Spencer tilted his head to the side a bit and rolled his eyes. That was all that was spoken for the remainder of the family breakfast. It wasn't awkward, though. Tremaine was thinking about me winning the coveted spot, Spencer was thinking of Kinsley coming back, and Vince was thinking about wine. Joy.

Eventually, it was time to go. Tremaine hadn't even noticed my ring. Spencer and I exchanged a quick look before she grabbed my hand and brought me outside. "Look at this, Arden. You get to ride to your destination in an expensive carriage," she whispered proudly. I looked it up and down. Four pure white horses pulled a sleek black carriage with silver outlines. It looked startlingly like the carriage the Morecis left on, and I started to wonder if she somehow did it on purpose. I chose to ignore that. Tremaine called Vince and Spencer out of the house. Vince wobbled out and Spencer walked slowly behind him. "Good luck, Arden." Spencer said. Of course, Tremaine ignored him. "I think it's time for you to go, dear. I give you the best of wishes. Don't let me down."

With that, I ran down to the carriage and hopped inside. Everyone waved at me, but I just ignored them all. I had a mission to think about, and I couldn't let anything get in my way.

Within about an hour, the carriage was parked in front of the palace. Up close, it was easier to see the beauty of it. Gold lined every window and the pond in front of it had elegantly carved fountains with statues of old gods and goddesses. The large sky blue doors didn't have a chip in them. I calmly walked up the stairs. "Can I see some identification?" a guard asked. I quickly pulled out my description parchment and he looked it up and down. He grunted with approval and handed the sheet back to me. I shoved it in my pocket and continued on inside.

That's when I was hit with a burst of realization. This was it. Right when I walked in, I started to notice the classic masterpieces covering the walls. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the rooms while little end tables covered in antiques practically waited to be looked at. The bottom halves of all of the walls were covered in dark wood paneling and the ceilings were painted with pictures of angels and the same goddesses I'd seen outside. I was in the small entry room, but I could see a larger room in front of me that branched off into two other rooms on the right and left sides. Straight ahead, I saw the grand quartz staircase that lead up to the second level.  Palace servants and advisors rushed around with luggage , probably taking it to the rooms of the various campers.

Right before I could even step into the main room, a woman stopped me. She was short and plump, but her features were sharp and focused. She wore a plain yellow dress and her makeup was extravagant with the red lips and pink blush. Great. Another Tremaine. "My name is Penelope. I'll be taking you to where the rest of the campers are waiting." She said this in an almost monotonous voice, which made me think she had rehearsed the short phrase countless times before. She quickly turned and walked away, so I started to follow her. Our footsteps fell in synch as we walked down the hallway to the left of the main room. I continued to follow her until we reached a large double door. "This is where you will be waiting. Go inside and check in with Gwen." Before leaving, she gave me an awkward wave. I smiled back and she walked away. She was sure unique.

I opened the double doors and walked in. Right away, I noticed the simple air of the room. It looked like the rest of the castle, but the furnishings were a bit simpler. The couch and chairs were all the same shade of sky blue that I'd seen on the entry doors. There were a few paintings, but they didn't seem to be as extravagant as the ones in the main room. The wood coffee table was covered in a thin layer of dust, as if no one had made the effort to create a presentable space. Once again, someone confronted me before I could walk farther. This time, it was a young woman who looked like she could have been in her twenties. Her hair was fiery red and freckles covered her face. She was wearing a pink c***tail dress and tall white heels. "Hi, I'm Gwen!" she said enthusiastically. Her smile was so big that it almost looked fake, but I couldn't tell for sure.

While Gwen seemed to be a lot more forward, I still felt more comfortable around her. She was a bit more natural and her speech didn't seem to be so organized. "Hi, I'm Arden Brown. Don't I need to check in?" I asked politely. She shook her head. "Oh, no! You're fine. I'll get you checked in. For now, just take a seat with the rest of the girls over there." She gestured behind her to the couch. The first thing I saw was a gorgeous black-haired girl in an electric blue formal gown. She seemed to be bored with sitting on the couch. I didn't blame her, since she didn't exactly look like the type that liked to stay still. The next girl I saw wore a private school uniform very similar to the uniforms at Primrose. She had knee-high socks, a plaid skirt, and a loose sweater top. The only thing that wasn't preppy about her was her loose sandy brown braid.

I didn't want to look like a creep staring at everyone and observing them, so I sat down on the couch. There was a seat between me and the girl with the electric blue dress, but I preferred to keep it that way. I noticed more people in the back of the room, but they all seemed to be chatting amongst themselves and not to the girls in the living room area. The next few minutes were awkward as I tapped my foot and the girl next to me hummed a little bit. Finally, a distraction came when the next girl showed up. Gwen immediately got up and put on the same fake smile. I saw the preppy girl roll her eyes.

I looked back down at my ring and rubbed its silver band. "Good morning! My name is Gwen. What's your name?"

"Mika Moreci."

I immediately stopped fingering my band and sat up. I looked at the girl and recognized her messy brown hair. Gwen said something else and Mika walked over to where I was sitting. She sat right by me, but she seemed to be lost in thought. I quickly looked at her again to make sure, and I was right. I tapped her arm and she snapped out of her daze. She looked at me and then her whole face lit up. "Arden!" she exclaimed. She immediately hugged me and I cried. We were reunited. 

Right when tears began to pour out of my eyes, she began to cry as well. I thought I'd never see her again, but I was wrong. It had been two years and those two years contained the loneliest moments I'd ever had. Before she came, I never knew what a true friend was. When she left, I did know for once, but my true friend was gone. I was overcome with joy at the surprise and simply couldn't contain it.

One we separated, I looked at her again. It was like she hadn't aged a day. I had my friend back.

That was when I remembered the bad note we had ended on when she left. Before I could even finish my thought, she knew what I was thinking. Her big green eyes looked at me and she immediately answered. "I understand now, Arden. It's OK. I know you couldn't have come to visit me," she whispered. I looked down at my feet. "I felt like such a bad friend, and after you called me a monster..."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry I was so inconsiderate. I was just dealing with a lot and I wanted to take it out on someone. It shouldn't have been you," she replied. I looked at her and immediately forgave her. Mika was the best friend I ever had, and I knew she didn't mean to make me feel bad about things I couldn't help. It took me a few minutes before I saw the girl in the electric blue dress staring at us. She didn't seem to be judging, but she was enjoying the drama. The girl in the plaid rolled her eyes again and sank into her sky blue chair. Mika and I just glanced at each other and laughed silently. We were drawing a lot of attention to ourselves.

The next few minutes were spent smiling and thinking about all of the good memories we'd had. Finally, I remembered my first crush. "So, if you're here, does that mean Noah's here?" I whispered, not wanting anyone to hear. When she gave a sort of half smile, I was kind of confused. "Is he doing alright?" I asked. She nodded hesitantly. "I guess so, but he's different from when you last saw him," she replied sadly. Before Mika could finish, Gwen started talking.

"OK everyone, listen up! I'm going to bring you out to the main room so the instructor can teach you about what the next few weeks are going to be like. Let's go!" she yelled as she strutted out the door. Everyone got up and started to follow her. Mika and I walked next to each other, but she wasn't talking to me. She just looked down at her feet as we went. The smell of sweet roses floated through the air and the ceilings were covered with simple gold chandeliers. The king sure had an extravagant taste for his magnificent white and blue palace.

Finally, we reached the main room. Right away, I noticed the king. He had a tall silver crown with diamonds put in it to make a sort of swirly pattern. His cape was a long, red, flowy material that I couldn't quite identify. His long fingers were covered in rings of various types, which probably had meanings that were lost to me. His outfit somehow made me a bit uncomfortable, but the worst thing about him BY FAR were his dark, dark brown eyes and raven black hair. In fact, his eyes were so brown that they almost gave off a blackish appearance. I could feel the temperature in the room get colder as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Gwen waved her hand at one of the walls, gesturing for us to stand along it. I tried my hardest to stay in the middle of the crowd as the girls walked to their places. I didn't want him to notice me, but I somehow felt like he could. That man could probably pick out anyone he wanted. I could immediately tell Mika was uncomfortable from the way she rocked on her two feet. I didn't blame her. The man was extremely creepy. Behind the king stood a group of other people, which I assumed were his advisors. They all wore completely sky blue uniforms, probably to make the king stand out more. Their facial expressions were blank and lifeless.

After taking a minute to observe the authority, I looked across the room to see the boys. My eyes immediately scanned the crowd for Noah, and I picked his bright red hair out almost instantly. He wore a dark brown leather jacket and black jeans. His hair was slicked to the side with vast amounts of hair gel. It was good to see him I guess, but it was a bit odd that he went from a preppy, well-behaved kid to whatever...this was. I couldn't judge him without talking to him, though. He was chatting with a kid who had shadow black hair and all black clothing, but still...I couldn't judge...

Before I could observe him any further, Travis spoke up in a booming voice. "Greetings, campers. My official title is King Travis of Pleamonte, and that is what you will call me. All of you should know why you are here, but in case you don't, I will tell you." He let out a deep sigh and I immediately got the impression he didn't want to be there. "I call you campers, but this is not a camp. It is a test, and it should be treated as such. It will last an indefinite amount of time, but in that time, my advisors will follow you and take notes on your behavior and intelligence. Once I have gathered all of the information I need on each of you, I will choose one of you to join my team of advisors. Understood?" he asked. Everyone nodded their heads, too afraid to speak.

"Each of you will be assigned an advisor for the period, and they will follow you everywhere in public areas. You may speak up to them because they are considered to be of higher rank than you. Is this understood?" he asked in a drawling manner. Everyone nodded once more, and he continued. "I'm sure many of you know about the harsh punishments I give out to those who disobey my laws. Criminal punishments can range anywhere from a large fine in gold coins to death. I am not afraid to punish anyone who breaks my laws, but I want you to know that if you listen well, you'll be smart enough to get through this alive. Is this understood?" he asked once more. I heard a few gulps, but everyone still nodded. "Advisors, go find your campers," he said calmly as if he hadn't just mentioned such cruel punishments.

The campers on each side spread out a little bit as the advisors went to meet them. A short man with a gray beard went to stand by Mika as I waited. After about fifteen seconds, I was wondering if anyone was coming. I looked up. Everyone else in the room was paired up, but I stood awkwardly by myself. That was when I noticed the last advisor. He was still standing at the front, having a chat with the king. They were talking very quietly and the advisor was nodding obediently. I took a sharp breath when I saw the king's black eyes closing in on me. His expression was blank, but I could see he was observing me. He said one last thing to the advisor before sending him over.

When he turned around, I noticed his cocoa brown skin and beautiful brown eyes. He looked to be a bit taller than me and the way in which he walked gave me the impression that he was well-practiced at being an advisor. Once he reached me, he held out his hand in a surprisingly friendly way. I grabbed it and he shook my hand very firmly. "Nice to meet you," he said cheerfully. "My name is Avery Morgan." He smiled to reveal perfect white teeth. That was odd. I hadn't expected him to be so kind, especially since he was an advisor of the only person worse than Tremaine. I didn't want to look rude, so I quickly replied "My name is Arden Brown." His mouth froze for the briefest of seconds, but then it returned to his smile.

Before any other words between us were spoken, Travis spoke again. "Campers!" A wave of silence washed over the room. "Now that you know who your advisor will be for the next few weeks or so, it's time to explore the palace. You get to do this on your own, but the advisors will be with you when you return in an hour. You may go now." The campers quickly scurried down each of the hallways and I think I caught Noah glance at me before he disappeared. Maybe he recognized me. Maybe not. Before I could leave, Travis looked at me and held up his hand. "Wait a minute, Arden!" he exclaimed. I froze mid-step as he walked across the room to me.

Avery stood by my side as Travis approached. I looked at him with the face of a scared little girl, and he simply said "You'll be fine, Arden." When Travis reached me, he looked me up and down and nodded with approval. "Arden. Isn't your last name Brown?" he asked in a freakishly calm voice compared to the one he had used before. When I didn't do anything, Avery nodded for me. The king raised an eyebrow and replied "Then does that mean by any chance you're related to Vince Brown?" he asked. This time, I nodded for myself. How did he know that?

"How...how did you know that?" I stuttered. He smiled. "Vince is a good friend of mine. He frequents at my parties." That made sense. Vince was probably the weird drunk guy everyone tried to avoid. Travis looked at me one more time and then nodded. "You may go now, Arden." Without another word, I darted out of the room, silently hoping he wasn't still watching me.    

After about an hour of exploring the castle, I made one final conclusion. King Travis had excellent taste. The artwork was what I mainly looked at, although I peeked inside of many recreational rooms. The only things those rooms contained were marble chess sets, but they still looked very expensive. Eventually, Avery found me and said it was time to go back downstairs for another chat from King Travis. Joy.

As we walked down the hallway, I noticed the king's theme. Sky blue, white, and gold. With curiosity, I turned to Avery and asked "Why does he use the same three colors over and over again?" He shrugged. "I don't believe he's ever told anyone, but there are lots of theories. I raised an eyebrow. "Theories? What kind of theories?" I asked, suddenly interested in learning more about Travis. "Lots of people say those were his son's favorite colors. A select few say he once courted someone who wore those colors. Again, those are just rumors," he said as if he didn't care. "How do you think he would react if I brought it up to him?" I asked calmly, not wanting to sound too suspicious. Avery gave me a side glance with a fake smile and replied "Not well, Dearie." I laughed and he smiled a bit more.

"So, what are we doing next?" I asked, pretending the previous conversation never happened. "I believe we're going downstairs to rub the old man's feet," he joked. I turned to him, startled. "You don't mean Travis, do you?" I asked in a confused tone. I thought that his advisors were supposed to like him, but apparently Avery didn't. He nodded and started to laugh. I froze in shock for a moment, but soon began to laugh with him. Avery didn't support Travis like I thought he did. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought.

As we walked down the quartz staircase, I looked at Avery again. His features were rounded in a way that made him seem like more of an easy-going person. He talked very eloquently, but he wasn't stuck-up. Mika waved to me when I got down and I walked over to stand by her. I could tell she was happy to see me, but her face expressed pure stress. Griffin probably put a lot of pressure on her and Noah to get the spot on the team of advisors. I couldn't blame the guy considering he had twice the chance.

My eyes turned to Noah once more. He was talking to his advisor, a tall blonde girl who was dressed in a rather short sky blue c***tail dress. Her hair had an elegant side part and her makeup looked like it could have been done by the best artists in Pleamonte. Noah winked at her before turning to the boy dressed in all black. I quickly looked away. Maybe he was changing...but I had to give him a chance...

Before I could worry myself more, the room became silent. It was time for Travis to speak. "So, now that you've explored the castle, it's time for you to see one more thing. Next, I'm sending you to the village where you will be accompanied by your advisor. Leave." With that last word, he flicked his hand and walked up the staircase. I glanced at Avery and he gave me a sly smile back. "Let's go," he said with a wink. As we walked, someone bumped into my shoulder. "Sorry," said a familiar voice. I immediately looked up to see Noah. Butterflies formed in my stomach before he spoke again.

"Wait a minute. Arden, is that you?" he asked in shock. "Yah," I mumbled as I looked down at the floor. "I saw you earlier and thought you looked familiar. That makes sense!" he exclaimed. He wrapped an awkward arm around me and I looked up at him. The castles glow illuminated his hair to make it more vibrant than usual. His face looked like the face of a prince out of a story book and the way he gazed into my eyes made me look right back at him. I was glad I found him. His hug seemed to last a little bit longer than a friendly hug, but maybe that was just me. Before I could say anything else, Avery grabbed my arm.

"I think it's time to go to the village, Arden," he said in a cheerful voice. I noticed Noah's advisor staring at me before she took him in another direction. I was dazed for a minute, but then I remembered I wasn't at the camp to flirt. I was there to give King Travis his heart. Then I could flirt.

As Avery and I began to walk, I took in the villages and their shabby chic glory. The little houses were planted on hills that seemed to stretch on for miles. Their tiny glass windows were covered with dirt, but their white stucco walls were clean. Most of them were one story, but a couple of them had two stories. Stone paths snaked in and out of houses, but there was one main path that made a vertical line straight through the village. I saw the occasional shop or vendor stand, but there wasn't much in the way of community life. Sunburned men harvested crops in a large field that laid farther down our hill in a large clearing. There was also a small mine in the side of a hill that looked like it was only a few days away from collapsing. Men with pickaxes walked in and out of it, putting their goods in small wood crates that were to be shipped away.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Avery asked. "There are a couple of shops and vendor tents that we can look at. I'll get you something if you want." He gestured toward a tent that laid a few yards away. Instead of listening to him, I was looking at the field where the men were working. "Can we go over there?" I asked as I pointed down to where they harvested the crops. Avery just gave a disappointed shrug and nodded. "I guess so. But there are lots of more interesting places." I just shook my head. "I want to go watch them work. I need to ask you a few questions."

He reluctantly nodded his head and we walked down the hill to where the field was. "Why do you care about them? They're just workers," he said. However, they weren't just workers. When I thought about the sad looks on their faces, I thought about the man from the story Spencer told me about Kinsley. "I just want to know why they're worked so hard. Do they even get time to focus on their families?" I asked the question even though Spencer had already told me about this. I was just hoping maybe Avery could expand on the idea, considering the fact that he was the king's advisor. "Yes. They do get time to work on their own crafts on Sundays. No one has to farm for the king and no one has to mine. That's the time when the tents are most active, but the king still recruits unpaid employees to run them for the rest of the week."

"Is there any type of barter going on?" I asked. He nodded. "There's a trail called the Montico that attracts vendors from different kingdoms. The king hires people to trade products with them, but people also get to visit the vendors on break day. Would you want to go visit the Montico right now? It's Sunday." He smiled at me and I could tell he secretly hoped I would say yes so he wouldn't be quite so bored. Suddenly, I got a little annoyed. "Do you know what these people have to go through? Or does the king do all of the work?" I asked, trying to hide my angry tone. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why so mad all of a sudden? I can't control any of this," he argued in an infuriatingly calm voice.

Before I could get angrier, there was a scream from the field. Avery and I instantly looked over to see a figure in the distance collapse. Before I could even think about anything else, my impulse made me jump up and run toward him. My nimble feet leaped over rows of crops and my black flats wore down as they rubbed through the dirt. In about thirty seconds, I reached the fallen man. The worker was wearing a black cloak so I couldn't see their face. "What happened? Is everything OK?" I asked in shock. The figure pulled the cloak off and I realized something surprising. It was not a man, but a woman. Her eyebrows were arched in a regal way and her cheeks had a rosy hue. Her brown hair stuck to her sweaty forehead.

When she saw me, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I can't work anymore! It's torturous! Please...help..." she whispered in choppy words. All of a sudden, she stopped talking and her eyes slowly closed. I got down on my knees to check her breathing. After a few seconds, I couldn't feel anything. Instead of getting up, I sat on my knees and sobbed. It was all so confusing and I just couldn't understand what happened to her. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Through my watery vision, I could see Avery's kind face. He looked down at the woman and then back at me. "Would you like me to revive her? We can bring her back to the castle and get someone to help her." I looked down at her and nodded. The tears immediately stopped flowing.

"What are they going to do with her?" I asked him. He looked down at her again. "Since this is a woman, we'll probably have to find her a husband to make money for her family. Peasant women aren't supposed to be making money in Pleamonte." I scowled. "Do you support it?" I asked Avery. He paused for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't, but that does not matter at this point in time. I'm going to go ahead and revive her, so you should stand back a little bit." I took his cue and walked back a few steps. He waved his hand and a clear white stream of light came from his finger. He kneeled down by the woman and put the tip of his finger to her heart. It took a couple of seconds, but she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Thank you, sir. You saved me," she whispered.

He looked down at her and I could see true compassion in his eyes. "We'll take her back to the palace and heal her," Avery said to me. He had my unwavering respect.

With the woman's weak arm swung over Avery's shoulder, we began to walk across the field. She tripped every once in a while, but the support he provided held strong. Her eyes were focused on the ground beneath her, and I couldn't tell whether this was out of shyness, sadness, or pure exhaustion. What happened was all so new to me. She screamed, fell to the ground, and died. She was overworked from farming and she just...died. Avery was right behind me and he revived her. It's possible.

Maybe if he could have done the same if he ever found my parents or Kinsley. Of course, the king probably didn't want him doing that. Revival was meant for those who deserved it, and a working peasant woman probably didn't fit the requirements. Neither did two parents of a little girl or a young teenager who only wanted the world to be better. At the thought of this, I let out a little sniffle and a tear fell down my eye. I noticed the woman looking at me with curiosity. She probably took in my formal cobalt dress and the fact that I wore expensive jewelry. She couldn't see the pain underneath the glamour.

All of a sudden, she burst out with a question. "Are you a princess?" It took me a moment to process the fact that she was talking. She was so quiet for the past few minutes and she seemed to be exhausted before. "No, I'm not," I responded with a little laugh. I wiped the tear from my eye and looked back at her. She still hadn't removed the black cloak. "Oh dear, that was a dumb thing to say. I should put my foot in my mouth," she joked. Avery raised his eyebrow at her and continued on being her support system. "So...why were you working? I mean, I don't have anything against peasant women working...it's just...uh..." I sputtered.

"Oh, no. It's fine," she said quickly. I waited for her explanation, but it didn't come. "Why were you working, dear?" Avery asked ever so politely, trying to hide the fact that he was very curious about her. She looked at both of us while biting her bottom lip. "Oh dear, do I have to share such private information?" she asked with a sneaky smile. Before either one of us could stop her, the girl took her arm off Avery's shoulder and darted away. She didn't use any magical powers to disappear, but she kept running. With her utter exhaustion and black cloak flowing in the wind behind her, she ran across the field. I thought I ran fast to rescue her, but when I saw her pure determination to escape, I realized she had the real motivation. Before she could get very far, Avery stopped her.

I didn't know what he was doing when he raised his finger and it turned black. Avery rotated it in circles a couple of times before pointing it straight at the girl's back. He quickly mumbled something under his breath. A stream of black sparkling powder came shooting out of his fingertip. It threw itself at the girl like a stream of light shooting into a dark room. When the beam made contact, the black cloak fell to the ground. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, but the black cloak lying across the golden field never left my sight. She was gone, but it was there. This was magic in a truly deadly  form and I'd never experienced it until that moment.

Once the initial shock wore off, I turned to Avery. His deep brown eyes looked as me as if they were expecting me to cry. I didn't. Instead, I asked "What did you do to her?" He didn't even flinch as he said "I made her disappear. It's a punishment worse than death. Meant for traitors to the law."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I looked at his facial expression. Blank. If he could do that to her, he could very well do the same thing to me. With one last sad glance at the fallen black cloak, I darted off. That girl certainly had a lot of motivation, and I had mine. Running wasn't something that was practiced much in Harmelshire, but I was excelling at it with the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I made sure to move from right to left in order to prevent him from striking me in the back. Surprisingly, my feet didn't slow down as I darted up the hill's side.

Once I got back to the stone path, I could see some of the workers giving me confused looks. Most were too dazed from the heat to notice. I cast a quick glance over my pale shoulder to see if Avery was coming after me, but there was nothing in sight. That didn't mean slowing down was a good idea. Eventually, I got to the magnificent sky blue palace, but no one even seemed to care. A huffing girl with tears in her eyes probably wasn't on the top of their priority list. As my feet pounded up the grand staircase, I realized people probably wouldn't believe me if I told them Avery was crazy. He did act the way the king wanted him to, so even I was a little doubtful he was actually insane. Growing up in a family that supported the king was a different kind of insanity all in itself.

Luckily, I remembered which door led to my room. It was down a long hall, but the hall was one I'd explored earlier in the day. The third door to the right. That was it. I grabbed the golden knob, twisted it with all my might, and practically fell onto the pristine white carpet. I slammed the door behind me and slid the little bolt at the top. That small safety precaution wouldn't keep him away forever, but it was the start. In that moment, I decided there needed to be something in front of the door. My eyes scanned the room to find an object that would sit in front of the door well. It was a child's trick, but it could work depending on the object's size.

A large wood bed sat a few feet away from my spot in front of the door. Its covers were white and ruffled while its decorative pillows were made of shiny gold fabric. To the right, a small wood nightstand stood on its puny legs with a feminine ruffled lamp atop it. The only other object was a desk that stood to the right of the door. The light cast itself on the wood top to reveal a surprisingly shiny surface. The chair was also dusted as well, which made me wonder how recently maids had been in. Suddenly, I let out a little yelp. The heart.

Spencer had told me to hide it as soon as I got the chance, but I'd waited too long. He went over the plan in detail with me a few days after he showed me Arialis. The heart would be sent in a little box that contained products like perfume and jewelry to throw off anyone who looked through it. Once I got to camp, I was to check it as soon as possible. Then, the heart was supposed to be stored in a safe place where nobody would open its bag. My plans to block the door were soon forgotten as I ran around my room in frantic search of the forgotten object. I checked in the drawers of the desk. Nothing. The nightstand. Nothing. Then, I noticed there was a door on the left wall of the room. It was painted the same sky blue shade as the wall, so I hadn't noticed it before.

Without any hesitation, I ran at the door and swung it open. Once I was inside, I realized it was a closet. A simple lamp hung in the center of the ceiling and produced a dim but acceptable amount of light. Hangers with ridiculous colored dresses hung all around the room. Tremaine's picks. I didn't have time to focus on those. With the quiet grace of a Pleamontian warrior, I got down on all fours and scoured the area under the dresses. There it was! A small wood box laid directly across the closet floor. I crawled over to it and lifted the little latch. Inside, there were the expected. Perfumes and jewelry. I moved over a couple of the heavily-scented Iptorian perfumes and removed several chunks of tangled gold jewelry. Nothing.

I slowly put my hands over my mouth in shock. Someone had taken the heart. It was gone...

I froze with my hands over my mouth. Some people would take actions in moments of panic, but I was always one to shut down. I imagined my thoughts as little bubbles in my head. There was Noah, Avery, Mika, my aunt Tremaine, and the parents I never knew. Those all took up a lot of space in my head, but a new thought bubble covered up the rest. Someone would find the heart and deem me as a traitor to King Travis. I would be killed along with Spencer, Tremaine, and Vince. The king would NOT put it back in and the kingdom would continue to run in shambles for the duration of Travis's rule.

I let out a small breath and tried my best to squeeze into a tiny ball. A sort of weight grew in my stomach and it felt as if I started to turn invisible. My face sunk into my cobalt gown and I let out quick and uneasy breaths. My fear of what was to come next took full force, and I began to slip into a moment of hysteria. Without even thinking, I tore the frilly dresses down from the racks in my closet and threw expensive shoes everywhere. I ripped off my silver necklace and slammed it into the ground. The dark wood was cool on my fingers as I pressed it down.

Before I could do anything else, there was a tap on my door. For a second it seemed like something fell, but then there was another tap. Slowly, I rose up and gained my balance. Clothes and jewelry littered the floor and there was a little mark from where the silver necklace was slammed down. I quietly treaded over to the closet door and opened it very slowly. There was a figure on my bed. A small scream blast through my throat and I jumped back into the closet. Nothing happened for about five seconds, and then there was a small laugh. It was quiet, but clear.

"Arden, it's just me. Spencer," a voice whispered. Spencer. He would be so mad. "How did you get inside?" I asked, suddenly wanting the person to prove that they were Spencer. I obviously wasn't thinking clearly after the missing heart. "I used a spell to teleport myself here. There was a map of the castle and where everyone was staying, so I knew where to find you. Do you have the heart?" It was him. I opened the door once more and looked at him. He was sitting on the edge of my bed staring right at me. His whole look was put together and his hair was combed straight back. In his right hand, he clutched the little bag that had caused me so much trouble. "Because I do," he whispered with a frown.

A deep sigh of relief came through me and I felt my shoulders relax. In an instant, I was back to normal. "Thank god!" I exclaimed. "Why did you take it out of the box? You scared me," Spencer responded. I looked at him in confusion. I hadn't touched the heart since my arrival at the palace. "I...I didn't move it," I stuttered, suddenly reaching another moment of shock. Spencer quickly jumped up and dashed over to the door. He opened it with the quiet quickness of a mouse and glanced outside. No one was there. He shut the door and turned back to me with wide eyes. "You must have moved it. No one else knew about it besides me, and I didn't move it until I retrieved it from some chess room on this level."

"I didn't go into any of the chess rooms. I mean, I guess I peeked in some, but I didn't step inside of them," I whispered. He looked absolutely bewildered. "Did you tell anyone about it?" he asked. I shook my head. He looked back at the door, although nothing was there. "Someone must have gone through your things," he concluded. "Maybe you could ask some of the staff members about it. If they've seen it, you could offer some sort of explanation and try to make it seem less suspicious. Lots of people use hearts for magical purposes in Harmelshire and the whole kingdom of Pleamonte." I nodded. He was right, but I still felt uneasy.

"I could talk if anyone asked about it, but I would seem a bit odd if I just went around asking everyone about going through my things. If it was in a chess room, whoever brought it there must have had little care for it." Spencer shrugged. "That's fine. I trust you. Just stay safe," he replied with a hint of worry in his voice. Another question popped into my head. "Why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be in the cave with Arialis." That prompted him to shake his head and give a sort of know-it-all snort.

"I told Tremaine that I was going on a business school field trip for a while so she wouldn't come looking for me. I don't think you expect me to sit in a cave all day," he said. We both laughed at the same time and I began to see him as a brother. He was distant and stone cold before, but in that moment I realized he was just having a hard time in a bad situation. He smiled to himself for a moment before his eyes darted back up to me. "I think it's time to go. You'll probably be wanted downstairs soon," he said cheerfully. I raised my hand at him in a sort of goodbye and he waved his arm to produce a golden dust. It encircled him before he disappeared into the fresh evening air. The emptiness of the space where he had been standing struck me in a way that made me truly think about what I was up for. I had to return Travis's heart.

With that in mind, I picked up the little velvet bag and scoped the room for a place to hide it. The nightstand and bed were both places that would be disturbed by servants and the closet would no doubt be cleaned by countless pesky people. My eyes quickly caught a loose floor board and I walked over to it and knelt down. With a gentle tug, I pulled it up and realized there was a decently sized space that would hold the heart. Servants didn't clean under floors, did they?

With a small smile, I tucked the bag in and put the floor board down. It looked to be the only loose one, so it would be visible to people who went through my space. I pushed it lightly a couple of times to try to make it blend in, but it wouldn't budge. I even tried sitting on it, but it was quite the stiff little thing. No one looked at floor boards, so maybe it wasn't anything to ponder over. I let out a sigh. It was time to leave it alone.

Right before I could get up, there was a knock on the door. That was when I remembered Avery Morgan, the girl he killed, and the fact that I ran away from him. He was back.

With the quickness of a dragon's claw, I swiped the shade off of my bedside lamp and picked up the sturdy base. My fingers turned white as I clenched it and my breaths grew heavy once more. His magic was enough to beat me (and most other people), so I had to be quick. If he was there, which he probably was, I had to knock him out with the lamp base before he could even ponder a brief thought. If it wasn't him, then too bad. Better safe than sorry.

I tip toed up to the door and then swung it open with all of my might. I paid no attention to the figure, swiping the lamp base at its head. The person reached their hand up to block my blow and darted back. That was when I noticed his red hair, tall figure, and handsome face. It was Noah.

He looked like a startled deer with his wide eyes and frigid posture. I looked like a scared little girl with my disheveled hair, rumpled dress, and lack of shoes. We were shocked for a moment before anyone even bothered to try to make sense of the situation. "Um...are you OK?" Noah asked hesitantly. He smiled like he was talking to an insane person, and I was immediately embarrassed. I let out an awkward laugh and held the lamp base to my side like it was some fancy clutch. My other hand was used to run across my hair in a failed attempt to make myself look somewhat presentable. "Um...yes," I mumbled, unsure of what his reaction would be. Unfortunately, he seemed annoyed.

"That was hilarious. Were you just going to hit the next person to show up, or were you aiming for me? Or are you just insane?" I tried come up with a lie to play it off, but random noises came out of my mouth and I sounded like a wild monkey. "Can you speak now, or are you just REALLY crazy?" he asked. Finally, I came up with a lie. "I'm just a bit uncomfortable. Everyone here just seems so...hostile," I said with a false confident tone. He glared at me. "I think you're the one to worry about."

My mouth gaped open and I just stared at him in awe. I screwed up, I really did. His face was stern, but it became soft after a moment. Before I could even think, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. My eyes were wide open in shock when I pulled away as quickly as I could. Don't get me wrong...I always wanted to kiss him. It's just that I was hoping the moment would be more planned and I would actually be on a date with him. His motives were unknown, but they made me nervous. Very nervous. In fact, he had no right to do that. Suddenly, I got very angry.

"Do you think you have the RIGHT to kiss me out of nowhere? Do you think that's some sort of apology for being mad at me? You treated me like garbage before you kissed me and I just can't get over your sense of entitlement!"

That was the moment when I saw Noah freeze. He was surprised at my outburst, but it was an outburst that had to happen. He wasn't going to treat me like that.

My feelings for Noah deteriorated in a matter of minutes. I'd thought of him as a friend and hoped for something more, but there was nothing. I hadn't truly known many people in my life, and I hadn't ever had the butterflies for anyone but Noah. However, even I knew he was not someone I wanted to be associated with ever again. He thought I was worthless, so he lost his worth to me.

I opened my door to go back to my room but he grabbed my arm with the same quickness he had used to block the hit of my lamp. "If you ever find it in your best senses to apologize, I want you to meet me in the entry room of the palace after dinner tonight," he whispered in my ear. With that, he walked away as if nothing had happened. He didn't even look back at me as my mouth gaped open. Within a few seconds, he was out of my view and into my mind. His attitude was much worse than I'd originally anticipated, and it made me sick. He just left me there on a sort of mental cliffhanger and it was obvious he wanted me to meet him. I wouldn't.

With a small sigh of exasperation, I went back into my room and put the lamp base back under its shade. There were no noises except for the faint hustle of maids going from room to room, and I think that was what lulled me into a deep slumber. It happened before I could even resist, pulling me under its blanket of warmth and letting my heavy eyes come to a close. I was no longer wrapped up in the restraints of reality as the invisible ties began to come off my feet.

The air became lighter as I felt it gather under me. I was rising slowly, very slowly. My tired eyes wearily opened and I realized with a sudden burst of excitement that I was in the sky far above the castle. The wind was reduced to a gentle breeze and my body became extremely relaxed. Nothing was carrying me into the sky; I was carrying myself. A smile slowly crept onto my face as my negative thought bubbles were thrown away. One after one, the breeze carried them away. Except for one.

As I floated in the eternal comfort and stability of my dream, another person flew up to the space right in front of me. His mouth was closed in a sort of half smile and his red hair was perfectly in place. It was Noah. As I could see him, he wore a long white robe, sort of similar to the nuns I'd seen in church. His pressing weight was the only one I needed off my shoulders before I could be completely carefree. I tried to avert my eyes to the castle below, but he appeared right under me as I made my attempt. Frustrated, I glanced above. He appeared there as well.

He wouldn't disappear unless I took control of the situation. I looked in front of me once more and he was there. With an ease in my glide, I floated over to him and planted a faint kiss on his lips. If I accepted him, I would be whole. That thought consumed my head, and I stayed in the same place. I wanted to go higher, but I couldn't.

The perfect feeling of flight didn't get a chance to reach me before I woke from my thought-provoking dream. A familiar face stared down at me as I opened my eyes to face reality. Avery Morgan. With a little yelp, I scurried backwards and fell off the other side of my bed. A maid was standing by the door with a confused look, but maybe she would still help me. "Please! Help! He's a murderer!" I yelled, trying to get her attention. She just raised an eyebrow and stared at me as if I were insane. Avery clapped a large hand over my mouth and waved his arm at the maid, signaling her to leave. She scurried away as quickly as possible.

"Your room will not be cleaned today because of your unladylike behavior," Avery snarled as he took his hand off my mouth. I disregarded his last statement as I stared at him with eyes as wide as a starving villager. "Why...why did you kill her?" I stuttered, trying to make sense of what he did. He looked at me in shock for a moment before calming down and nodding to himself. He took a few steps back to allow me to stand up, and I did so with a hesitant step. It soon became obvious he wasn't going to hurt me.

"That is what scared you?" Avery asked, waiting anxiously to hear my answer. I bobbed my head, wondering what else he could be referring to. "You killed someone. Does it surprise you that I would run away at that?" He looked me straight in the eyes and nodded. "Yes, it is actually very surprising. What I did was common protocol, and I handled it in a very forgiving and understanding way compared to how some of the other advisors might have handled it."

"Common protocol? You're allowed to kill people for providing for their families?" I asked, dearly hoping that my assumption wasn't true. "I was allowed to kill her in that situation because she was a woman trying to earn money, not a man. I've told you I'm against restrictions that weaken what females can do for society, but I am trained to kill anyone who opposes the Citizen Task Rules."

"But you didn't kill her right away."

"That is correct. I did not."

"But why?"

He took in a sharp breath before responding. "Because I wanted to impress you." My mouth gaped wide open once more as I processed what he just revealed. Avery wanted to impress me because he liked me. He wanted to buy me something at the trading trail because he LIKED me. He knew nothing more than to kill those who disobeyed laws, even if the laws they broke meant nothing to him. An uneasy feeling set in my stomach. A boy who had probably killed multiple law breakers and innocent peasants fancied me. Did I do something wrong?

I could only ever figure it out if I prompted him to tell me. "Why do you like me?" I asked, trying to give off an air that made my thoughts subtle. He smiled. "You're beautiful, kind-hearted, and you have something about you that makes you seem youthful. It could be stupidity, but that doesn't matter. You're gorgeous and powerful."

I stood still for a moment, shocked at what he said. He called me beautiful and kind-hearted, but he had to ruin it with saying I had a possible bit of stupidity. I was done with him. Without another word, I pursed my lips and walked out of the room with my head held high. It was the second time in that day that I'd left him, but he deserved my departure both times. I could hear his footsteps in the hall behind me, but I ignored them as I moved. Soon enough, I found my way down the stairs and saw Mika walking with her advisor. With a quick glance, I noticed Avery trying to catch up behind me. Ignoring him, I darted forward and Mika caught sight of me.

"Arden! How's life going?" she asked with a big smile. She was obviously enjoying things a bit more than me, but we didn't have much time to chat. "Not too well, actually," I replied with a cryptic glance at the ceiling. She looked at me in confusion, and I immediately realized I needed to get the topic off me. "It's fine. How's everything going for you?" I asked, putting on a fake smile. She didn't notice.

"Oh, everything here is wonderful! Since there isn't any serious studying to do, Lord Kingston has been teaching me ancient Pleamontian spells. I practiced teleportation on a couple of books in the library...not saying any of them got very far," she giggled. Realizing she hadn't introduced me to Lord Kingston yet, she quickly waved a hand to her advisor and said "This is Lord Kingston." His smile was genuine, which relaxed me a bit. At least Mika had someone she could count on.

I glanced behind me to see if Avery was there, and he wasn't. Of course. He disappeared like there was no tomorrow, but at least he wasn't always around. Something in my chest felt lighter, and suddenly it was easier to breath. He was gone, but he could come back. I turned to Mika. "Hey! I hope you don't mind me asking, but could you tell me if my advisor is nearby?" I asked. It sounded subtle in my head, but when it came out it sounded different. "Are you OK? Is there a reason to be worried about him?" Mika asked, suddenly dropping her carefree manner. "No...it's just that we had an argument and I don't feel like talking to him," I replied. Luckily, she didn't ask any more questions after that.

Soon enough, we were at the dining hall. A long golden table ran the length of the entire room, and the room had to be at least 30 yards long. It was covered in a pristine white table cloth and there were candles in golden holders running down its center line. The walls were sky blue (of course), and the room smelled of expensive perfume and exquisite food. My fake family was on the richer side of Pleamonte, but even I hadn't seen the dishes on the trays that the well-dressed servants flaunted. The dishes ranged from blue shiny cube-like things to silver-scaled fish, and everything was carried on dramatically embellished silver platters. Nobles and advisors were seated randomly at the velvet chairs, so I figured I could sit wherever I wanted to.

Mika and I took seats at the closest end of the table, which was surprisingly very empty. That was when I noticed that the seats gradually got fuller as they got closer to the king's spot. He was wearing a pine green robe with a sapphire crown atop his head. After only a few seconds of sitting down, the lady to my right glanced at me. When I turned to meet her, I noticed her sapphire necklace and pine green c***tail dress. She must have aimed to match the king. Before I could even say anything, she piped up in a shrill voice. "The king wants you to sit up front with him." When I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her, she rolled her eyes. "You're Arden Brown, right?" she asked in a drawling manner. I nodded.

"Then the king wants you to SIT WITH HIM. I would do it if I were you," she barked. I glanced at Mika and she nodded approvingly. "He must like you, Arden. You should go up."

With hesitation, I stood up and looked over the multiple heads that were between the king and I. A few seats were still open up front, so I walked over to them as slowly as I could, hoping someone would correct me and send me back to the other end of the table. No one did. Instead, people gave me approving looks as I made my way up. Apparently, spots next to the king were coveted.

Once I reached the front, my heart beat quickly inside my chest. It hadn't fully hit me before, but I would be sitting next to the man my mission was based around. It crossed my mind that I should've brought the heart, but maybe that wasn't a good idea. There were too many people. As I moved to sit about three spots away from him, he saw me. "No, no. Sit up here," he said, gesturing to the chair that sat closest to the whole end of the table he occupied. "You're a very important guest tonight."

The beating in my heart grew stronger as I pulled the chair and sat in it. When I got myself situated, I scanned the nearby people to see if I knew any of them. Of course my wonderful luck got me sitting right across from Avery Morgan. There was no one else I was really trying to avoid except for Noah. Noah, the boy I'd kissed in my dream and fancied for years. Where was he? I ever-so-slightly moved my head to look down the aisle. It took me almost no time at all to pick his story-book-perfect face from the infinite crowd. He was sitting next to the same girl he'd been flirting with earlier and I saw him talking to a few other boys who looked quite questionable with their black hair and ripped clothing. Even the eccentric nobles gave them dirty looks.

"Are you looking for Noah?" asked a booming voice that came from the left of me. I glanced in its direction and saw Travis's deep brown eyes fixed on me. I shook my head quickly and stared down at my plate with fear. My eyes stayed on that simple porcelain plate for the rest of dinner. Travis asked me multiple questions, but I barely paid attention as my thought bubbles began to cloud my mind once more. Even though I wasn't dreaming anymore, I could practically feel myself being weighed down by worries. I wanted to fly again.

That was why I made my way to the entrance hall after dinner that day.

My choice was an instinct, so I pushed its consequences far out of my mind. Noah had told me to meet him in the entrance room of the castle, and I was doing it. I was going to meet him. Knowing the newer version of him, it could have very well been a trap. He could have hurt me or even killed me, but something told me he wouldn't. On my way out, I tried to stay in the middle of the group to seem as normal as possible. No one asked where I was going when they all went up the staircase and I headed to the left. He had to be there.

With a quick turn, I darted into the entry room. The room was large and the lights were all out, but I could hear quiet breaths coming from all around. There were obviously multiple people hiding. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I realized they could very well be pulling some prank on me with Noah. My impulse to go to him soon faded, and I backed out of the room very slowly. Careful movements were the best option since they gave me time to think about what to do. As I backed up, I noticed several pairs of eyes peeking through the darkness and looking right at me. With a shiver, I began to move gradually faster. Soon enough, I would be out of the dangerous entry room and into my semi-safe bedroom. Only a few more steps...

With my back to the wall, I felt for the doorknob. After a few seconds, I grabbed it with shaking fingers. It was time to go. The eyes were still looking at me, so I started to wonder if they were fake. Right when I started to open the door, a gruff voice spoke up. "What are you doing here?" It took me a moment to slow my racing heartbeat. "A friend told me to meet him here," I replied calmly. It seemed like hours before the voice responded. I mentally wished that whoever was in the room wouldn't harm me. This was all just too dramatic.

"Oh, then you're probably with us. You've got to hide before our group leader comes," said the gruff voice. Not wanting to make whoever was speaking mad, I found a spot against the wall that seemed to be far enough away from the staring eyes. The longer I stood still in the room with these strange people, the more I wondered if they were ghosts. They wouldn't show themselves, but maybe that was just protection. Who were they hiding from? It didn't REALLY matter to me in this situation because I was against the authority, but I still retained an unwavering distrust of those strange people.

Soon enough, the door opened and the light from the main room came through. The situation was still very odd, but I needed Noah to forgive me. He may have been rude, but we were still friends nonetheless. A tall, slender outline of a person darted through before the lights were turned on. It was a sight.

The pairs of eyes that had scared me so much now had people behind them. Tan, rough faces with ripped denim and black clutches with gold studs. Scuffed combat boots as dark as night. Gold piercings and spikes galore. Dark red lips and vibrant blue contacts. Each one had horrendous posture and a sneaky smile. They all looked the same except for the one who had come through the door last...their leader. Noah.

He was dressed similarly for the most part, but a black denim jacket covered his original formal outfit. His hair was tousled and a red lip-shaped mark was printed on his cheek. It would wash off later, but it was permanently marked in my mind.

Mika was correct. He was not the same person and had obviously gone through a huge change. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. When I went over to his house across the street from mine, he was always so humble and caring. He was supposed to move on to greater things, but here he was, standing in a room full of criminals, LEADING them. Knowing Griffin, I wondered how he could let Noah slip so far from the spot he had secured from him. Mika was a well-behaved girl, so she must have done something right. Before I could sink deeper into the ocean of mystery that was the Morecis, Noah began to speak.

"Good evening, thugs," he said with a smirk. I could have sworn he looked at me, but that might have been just my imagination. "I know you are all very excited for tonight's venture, and that is definitely expected. We're going to open this with a bang!" he exclaimed. Everyone started to cheer, but I stood still trying to figure out what was going on. "Now, tonight we are going to do something that will affect the whole village, make the king mad, and satisfy us. All in one sweet move," he said. The thugs looked at each other and nodded, waiting for what he would say next.

"These scum bags rely on farming for a living, and we're going to get them new jobs by destroying their progress...the crops. Plus it will be fun to blame it on them when the ol' man Travis gets riled up," he said. I froze in complete shock. Travis was a bad man, but these people made all of their money farming. He would surely treat the peasants as the criminals considering they were of lower status than us. I surprised myself when I piped up amidst the excited roars of those who were with him. "Noah!"

He turned his head to me and let out a half smile. "Oh, hello dear. I see you've come to apologize to me." At that sentence, the excited buzz ended and everyone in the room looked at me. I wasn't scared. "You can't do this. Travis will punish the peasants and you could be responsible for hundreds of deaths," I pleaded. He shook his head and smirked. "Think of it this way. They could either live their live their miserable lives farming away for the king or they could move on to greater things," he said. When I tried to speak again, he cut over me. "You need to listen to me, Ardy. I'm the one in charge here."

For the first time ever, I found myself glaring at him. He claimed he wanted to help the peasants, but it was pretty obvious the words he spoke implied something else. That was when I remembered the ruby ring Spencer had given me that morning. It was still on my finger. If I called his name into it three times, he would come to my rescue. But that couldn't happen in here...I had to wait until we got outside. For the mean time, Noah couldn't think I was against him.

I gave my best half smile and nod to make him think I understood. He fell for it. "It's good that you can see my point of view, Ardy." What an idiot. With that, he let out his command. "We're going outside, punks!"

Right as he signaled for the thugs to leave, they darted up to the palace door and swung it open with ease. They had to be quiet until the moment when they were down the hill and into the fields, far away from the palace. Gangs were surprisingly quite common in the closest village, so the delinquents wouldn't be anything new to the peasants.

Gold studs and combat boots clashed as everyone tried to get out the door at the same time. Once the barbarians had made their wild exit, I calmly walked behind, trying to make sure they were a safe distance away before I called Spencer. Once my feet crossed into the land outside of the palace's safe threshold, a cold breeze blew my brunette hair behind my shoulders and I was forced to stop for a second and think about the dangers of what I was about to do. I pushed it out.

By the time I opened my eyes to scan my surroundings, the wild animals were out of sight and I was by myself. Since Spencer was probably going to bring Arialis, I had to make sure I called him in an open field that would be safe for landing. Everyone else had gone straight in front of the palace, so I had to pick either left or right to pursue somewhere open. I chose the right, and that choice paid off well. The minute of walking seemed like an eternity as I wondered if they were looking for me, but I was soon blessed when I stumbled into an open field that had no crops. The grass was surprisingly short as if someone had trimmed it to look presentable. That actually worked in my benefit considering it would make me more visible to Spencer as he flew overhead.

With a shaking hand, I raised the ring to my hand and spoke into it with a quivering voice. "Spencer...Sp...Spencer...Spencer!" I spoke, gradually getting more confident as I called. He would come, but it would take a minute since the valley wasn't extremely close. Wanting to look as small as possible, I sunk down and hugged my knees to my chest. I had forgotten to wear a cloak, so the cobalt dress was the only thing keeping me warm. The breeze was gentle, but it was still enough to make me want to go to my room and curl up in my bed. Maybe then I could fall asleep and dream of flying again...

Once again, the minutes passed like hours. When I was nervous, that tended to happen. They could come and find me at any moment, but that was unlikely considering they were probably busy terrorizing the crops of innocent villagers. For the time being, I had to make sure Spencer could see me when he was flying high above. After my small eternity, a fluttering noise started to sound in the distance. At first it just seemed to be my imagination, but then it grew louder. At this point I knew it was real.

Finally, the last familiar sound came. A screech. I looked up to see the magnificent sky blue creature spreading its wings wide to fly. It slowed down near the fields, so I jumped and waved my arms to bring it to me. "Spencer! Down here! Don't go any further!" With his keen eye, he immediately detected me and Arialis started his downward descent. The dragon's wings slowed as she went down, claws reaching for the ground. After a few seconds, Arialis firmly planted herself and went into a resting position.

When I looked up to see Spencer on his dragon's back, I noticed his clothes were dirty and tattered. He wore a dirty white t-shirt and ripped knee-length brown pants. It was obvious he hadn't had the easiest day down in the valley, but he still retained a pearly white smile. With great ease, he slid down the dragon's back and ran towards me. "Did you do it Arden? Do you need me to bring you back?" When I didn't respond, he dropped his smile. "Are you OK? Did they hurt you?" I slowly shook my head, still getting ahold of the situation that had happened all to quickly. "No, no I'm fine. I just need you to hide me." He raised an eyebrow for a second before a worried look creeped over his face. "Did you not succeed? Are they after you?" I shook my head, trying to reassure him.

He bit his lower lip in frustration. "Then why am I here, Arden? Why did you feel the need to call me if nothing is wrong?" Finally, I told him. "I'm not sure if this could REALLY be an emergency, but there's a group of people who are going down to the village to terrorize crops. I kind of went with them, so I want you to hide me so the king doesn't find me and cut off my head." With a quick roll of his eyes, he agreed. "Fine. Hop on. We'll go back to the valley for a few minutes and talk." I felt a pang of guilt at his disappointment, but I really did need help. After he gracefully leaped onto the back of Arialis, I...well let's just say I mounted. With a running start, I leaped onto the side of her and used her large scales to crawl up. When I got to the top, Spencer looked at me oddly and turned around.

He mumbled some sort of command under his breath and Arialis rose into the sky once more. She turned back around the way she came and moved through the air with ease. I could have sworn there was no vertical movement whatsoever once she was at the highest position, but she was probably just a natural flyer. After the little white cottages and palace were out of sight, there was a vast expanse of trees below us. They made up a ginormous, mysterious forest that probably held many rare creatures. The kingdom looked so different from bird's eye view and for a minute it felt as if I could see every single leaf on all of the trees or every piece of grass that stuck up on the ground below. I secretly envied Spencer for being able to keep such a magnificent creature.

Time seemed to pass quicker on the back of Arialis. I could feel myself relaxing once more and my breaths came easier. I would have to return in a few hours, but the present was what I was meant to focus on. I was safe and on the back of a magnificent dragon. The world was far below me and it felt as if I was in control of everything. That was until Spencer tensed up in front of me. "Is everything OK?" I asked. He ignored me, facing the front of Arialis in silence. It took a minute before he gave a response. "You were right. It was a good thing you called me," he said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, confused at his change of heart. "Arialis is telling me she can hear noises from near the palace. A lot of people yelling," he responded.

"How can she hear that?" I asked.

"She can. Dragons of her breed can hear noises that come from miles away."

"How do you know?"

"I did research."

His research was never wrong. My eyes grew wide. "Do you think it's safe to go back?" I asked, thinking of the worst possibilities. They would drag me down with them, say it was my idea. At the best, Noah would say I was part of it and get me punished along with the rest of the bunch. I could not risk that, especially after so much trust was put into me with this mission. "I don't know for sure if it's safe, but you have to do it. This mission affects more people than just you," he replied. For a minute, I was in silence. Did he just call me self-absorbed?

He realized I was quiet and immediately turned around. "You know I don't WANT you to get hurt, right?" I glared at him with daggers shooting out of my eyes and he just sighed. "I can't make you return, but I would be disappointed if you don't." I still chose to stay silent.

He mumbled something under his breath once more, and Arialis came to an unbelievably smooth stop. We were still hundreds of feet high, but it didn't feel that way. My body was at ease and my mind could only focus on the words Spencer spoke to me. He turned around completely to face me. "Arden, this mission can save more than just you. Kinsley, the old royal family, and the citizens of Pleamonte will all live in harmony and happiness if you just complete the task you were given. I know it's scary and I dearly wish I could have been the one to do it, but Tremaine would never give me the opportunity to show up inside of the castle." This made me stop and think for a moment about what he'd said about Kinsley earlier. She only cared about herself until the day when she gave her horse to that man. I didn't have a horse, but I had a mission. With a faltering voice, I responded.

"But I'm scared. I was never planning to do any harm to the village, and I never did. They weren't going to let me back inside, so I had to pretend to go along with their plan. If I go back, they're going to think I was a participant and bring me down with them. In that case, the plan fails." He seemed to truthfully consider that for a moment before answering. "Yes, Arden. That is one thing that could very well happen, but there are many other ways the situation could unfold. Maybe you could say you went out for some night air and you had no part in the plan. Travis and the advisors could believe you," he said.

Spencer may have done research on the king, but that didn't mean he knew him as well as a person who actually saw him and knew the terrible things he made advisors like Avery Morgan do. "That's not going to happen. The man doesn't have a heart and he's just going to want to kill me out of pure evil intentions. PLEASE don't let him, Spencer. Bring me back." Spencer began to ponder what I'd said once more, and he came back with something that I never forgot. "There are two types of people, Arden. Those that fight and those that run. The runner may get out of situations safely and easily, and the fighter risks danger. A lot of danger. However, the fighter thinks of others and the good that could come from the situation while the runner just thinks about one person. Them. Now, I'm not going to pretend I know anything about you or your feelings after all of these years, but it would be an awful shame if you were a runner."

A froze for about a minute, thinking about what he'd said. I wasn't thinking of the people I could save or the good that could come from the situation. I was thinking about what King Travis could POSSIBLY do to me and what could POSSIBLY go down. Soon enough, I realized he was right.

"Let's go back," I said with all of the confidence I could muster.

As Arialis flew back into the clearing, I wasn't even frightened at the possibility of what could be coming. Spencer was right. Taking this risk could possibly get me killed, but I was a fighter. Fighters didn't run from situations that could lead to danger for themselves. When the great claws of the majestic blue-scaled dragon sunk into the ground, I exhaled. Spencer cast a nervous glance back at me and quickly looked away. He was scared for me and it was clear, but I wouldn't let my brother down. I had to try my best and that effort had to be good enough.

"I think you should hurry. It's almost time for everyone else in the castle to wake up," Spencer whispered as if there could be people listening. He had a reason to be worried. Without responding, I slid down Arialis's back with ease. It wasn't fear that clouded my mind, but the thought of what I had to do next in order to save the rest of Pleamonte.

Without looking back at Spencer atop his dragon, I darted away as quickly as possible. It was absolutely vital that I got back to the palace before people started looking for me and suspecting my involvement in the crime. My eyes didn't scan my surroundings much as I ran up the stone path, but something soon caught my eye. The crop fields. They were ruined. The golden wheat I'd run across was now scorched black and it contrasted greatly with the pleasant greens of the nearby land. I'd been expecting those ruffians to mess up a few things, but not the entire field. A pang came to my chest as I sprinted back up the path. This was something that I didn't want to be considered responsible for. I didn't want those innocent people thinking I had anything to do with that.

Soon enough, I was at the doors of the palace. I swung one open and poked my head through. The entrance room was clear. With tiny steps, I scurried through and opened the second set of doors with the same caution I'd used for the first. The main room was a different story. Many of the advisors were in the room along with the students. Even a few nobles were there, but everyone looked like they'd just woken up. Luckily, no one noticed my entrance. I rushed to the corner of the room and stood in silence, mimicking everyone else. Once I realized there was no danger for me, I looked around. Everyone was packed to the sides and there was a big clearing in the middle of the room. Luckily, my height allowed me to peek over the heads of the people in front of me. Travis stood in the center with a grim look on his face. Grimmer than usual.

It didn't look as if anyone had bothered to get ready considering the unruly hair and tattered nightclothes. This was not professional whatsoever and it made me stick out even more. Surprisingly, it wasn't even the appearances of everyone that stood out. It was the odd silence that everyone possessed. Once a few more people scurried in from the door leading to the left wing of the castle, Travis took in a sharp breath.

"I would apologize for waking you up, but this is an important matter that needs your attention. Usually, things like this happen at midnight when the sky fits the mood of the occasion most." He waved his bony fingers at the ceiling of the main room, which was painted shadow black. Little white dots scattered it, and that made me realize it was supposed to resemble a starry night sky. "However, I just can't wait for what is about to happen. This morning, we will be holding an execution." No one spoke, but nervous glances were cast like mad throughout the room. I immediately knew what he was going to do. The yelling Arialis detected had definitely been from the ruffians getting caught. They would notice me and drag me down with them if they saw my face. I slowly bent down behind the woman in front of me.

"This morning, a few of my advisors came outside to lay their eyes on a crime so huge that it affected our closest village...one of the twenty that exist in Pleamonte. What these people saw was something that will not be forgotten for a long time to come. Burnt and destroyed crops for as far as the eye can see. 5% of this year's exports to other kingdoms down the drain. All because of these freakish thugs." I couldn't see what was happening, but I heard several doors open. Many feet tapped against the fine flooring of the castle and gasps aplenty could be heard throughout the room. It was safest to stay hidden behind the crowd, but my curiosity got the best of me. I poked my head up and the sight I saw was unforgettable.

Advisors dressed in sky blue cloaks escorted the ruffians through several doorways in the back of the room. I looked for Noah's fiery red hair, but I couldn't find it. The black hair and studs didn't seem as intimidating when I saw the scared eyes of the criminals. Some looked at their feet, some looked forward confidently, and some seemed to be praying to themselves. None of them noticed me as their feet dragged across the room and to the center of the clearing. When everyone was in their place, I still couldn't see Noah. Maybe he'd escaped. Mika would be devastated if she ever found out he had anything to do with such a terrible crime.

The blue-cloaked executioners began to form a circle around the rebels, trapping them in the center of the room. I heard a small yelp come from one of them as the advisors raised their arms to the sky. Black clouds shot out of their fingertips and swirled to create a translucent dome around the wrong-doers. With no prior warning, sky blue streaks of light came from the inner walls of the dome and shot at the rebels, killing them with ease. Each one fell to the ground until there were none left standing. The dome disappeared to leave a pile of what was left of them. I clapped a hand over my mouth as some of the other advisors grabbed the bodies and carried them out the front door of the castle. Travis didn't even speak a word as the whole ordeal played out. He just stood in the front line of the crowd with a cruel smirk on his face.

The silence in the room was just as blatant as the first time, but it was filled with worry now. The actions of the people said it all. A noble woman in an emerald green dress comforted her child while several people stood biting their nails. Tears steamed down Mika's cheeks as she looked at the floor in an attempt to ignore what was happening. Travis's next five words pulled me back in to what was happening. "We have one more guest!" he exclaimed with delight. That was when my heart fell to my stomach and my legs began to grow weaker. I knew who it was before he even entered the room.

His attitude before had made him seem like a coward, but his eyes didn't give it away in that moment. He glared defiantly in front of him as he was led to the clearing by none other than Avery Morgan. Avery's face was stone cold as he walked, and it became obvious that he was more evil than I'd ever suspected. With a great push, Avery knocked Noah onto the cold, hard floor. He let out a grunt of pain and moved to sit up. I wasn't expecting him to look for anyone else in the room, but his eyes almost immediately caught me. My heart beat with the pulse of a grand drum when his eyes met mine. I was expecting him to point me out to Avery or Travis, but he didn't. He just looked at the back of his hand.

Avery whispered something to Noah and he glared, still not making eye contact with him. That was the last thing that happened before Avery pointed his wand straight at Noah's heart and released a fiery red liquid from his wand. It seemed to seep through Noah's body and he immediately fell to the floor. His eyes blinked a few times before remaining open. His heavy breaths came to a stop after a few seconds, and that was when I felt a warm tear come down my own cheek. He could have come to his senses, but I wouldn't have ever known for sure.

The shock and sadness of that moment may have burnt a permanent hole in my heart, but at least it left me with a realization. Travis had killed multiple rebels in a vicious and unlawful manner along with having the advisor closest to me kill my long lost friend.

It was time to do what I went there for.

The rest of the day passed by in moments I rarely focused on. Everything and everyone seemed to be in a dreary mood, but that could have been a feeling that was only limited to me. If  everything just disappeared, it was doubtful that anyone would have noticed. The only exception to this dark cloud of grief was Travis, who maintained a cheerful smile throughout the whole day. Darkness pleased him, and it was sickening. Even the previously cold-hearted advisors seemed to have trouble coping with the violent deaths of the people they barely knew.

With all of the thought bubbles eating up my mind, I didn't even put effort into talking to anyone. The stress was slowly eating me, but I was going to make the most of it. I had to turn the determination and fighter will into confidence. Planning and dedication to the task at hand were needed, and luckily those were two things I had locked in. The only time when Travis didn't have people guarding him was when he went to sleep. There were guards stationed at windows and doors on the first floor, but I had inside access. It was possible.

Spencer had told me to just shove the heart in as quickly as possible. Being quiet was vital, considering the black-eyed demon man could probably hear the rebels from miles away. The heart was stored away safely under the floor board, and hopefully that was where it would stay. Whoever had taken it out probably assumed it was a decoration or a weird collector's item. I hoped. That didn't matter, anyway. Doubt needed to be pushed aside.

After wandering around downstairs for awhile, I went back up to my room and sat on my bed. I could have moved, but it wasn't anything I paid attention to. A brick was in my stomach, weighing me down and hurting me deeply. If everything went well, it would be lifted. Maybe I would fly.

After countless hours of moping around, I gave a half-hearted glance at my clock. Midnight. My brain broke from its trance and I gave a little yelp. I'd either missed dinner or it didn't happen. No one had come to look for me, but my behavior was probably very suspicious. That could be a problem. I looked at the clock again. It was still midnight.

With a deep sigh, I realized that I needed to put his heart in. I couldn't wait any longer. My palms grew sweaty and my back became tense, but I still knew what I had to do. Look forward, not back . I didn't even flinch as I sunk to the floor and gently tugged on the loose board. One hand was used to hold it up while the other searched for the little velvet back. My fingers wrapped around it and I felt a chill. It was time. I clutched it tightly, but not tightly enough to damage it. My feet tapped silently as I moved closer to the door. Almost there. Soon enough, I held the knob in my hand. I opened it as slowly as possible to ensure the door wouldn't creak.

Soon enough, the gentle breeze of the hallway was brushing against my cheek. My body was telling me to run, but my mind told me to push forward. His door was supposed to be after two left turns and one right turn, so I prayed that it wouldn't take a long time. The hallways were lengthy and I didn't want to mess up in the duration of my movements. After an eternity of silent steps and wild eyes, I was at the door. Suddenly, my emotions heightened thousands of times. My palms were oceans and everything in me screamed to turn back. Turn back and never return. I couldn't. I wasn't runner, I was a fighter.

I looked at the door. Ornate swirls were carved into the dark wood, so I immediately knew it was his. It was definitely the right place. With one last breath in my moment of safety, I opened the door. No noises came. My eyes opened wide as I realized the room was pitch black. The only thing that I could faintly see was the outline of a body floating in the air. Without even thinking about it, I moved closer. It was a man.

He was wearing a white robe with long fabric that floated beneath him. There didn't seem to be anything holding him up, which was extremely strange. My curious eyes scanned the room once again. There didn't seem to be any furniture in the room. In fact, there wasn't ANYTHING. Just the floating man. I sucked in my breath as I moved closer. There were still no noises whatsoever. Soon enough, his face became clear to me. Black eyes, sallow skin, and an empty expression. It was Travis.

Adrenaline kicked in as soon as I saw his face. I ripped the heart from its bag and raised it over his chest, ready to put it in. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as that. The force came from what seemed like nowhere. Fingers. They pressed into my skin, pinning me to the floor and stopping my breath. Eyes as wide as a puppy, I froze. There was someone on top of me, someone larger than me. It seemed like an eternity before everything became clear. I was lying on the floor next to a huge bed with a crimson duvet. There was a golden nightstand in front of me and emerald walls for as far as I could see. That was all new to me, but the thing that remained the most startlingly psychotic was the face of Avery Morgan staring down at me.

His breathing was heavy and his teeth were grinding. It was obvious that he hadn't enjoyed what he'd just done, but he was prepared for it. He knew about what I was going to do. "Good work, Avery. I might just have to promote you," said a recognizably deep and rumbling voice. No words came from Avery. "You saved my dignity. Feel proud," said the voice. Avery gave a slight bob of his head, but the words still didn't come out. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as two large feet plunked onto the floor. They walked closer to the door, where the heart laid.

The hand reached down to pick it up, but I couldn't see much higher than his knees. "I...I wasn't doing anything," I stammered, mustering all of the courage I could. It was obviously a lie, but I had to try something. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Travis asked. When I gave no response, he laughed and continued. "It was obvious from day one that you were up to something. It only took me a few hours to find the heart in your closet and discard it downstairs. I wanted you to know I was onto you," he whispered. After a short pause, I realized he wanted me to speak. The thought bubbles blocked out the light once more. "What...are you going to do with me?" I asked. It wasn't out of self-concern, but out of kindness. He didn't need to know about Spencer's involvement.

"For god's sakes, Morgan. Let her up," he said. With hesitation, Avery got off me and I began to breath in shaky bursts. With quivering legs, I stood up and turned around. Travis was bigger than I'd originally anticipated, and he was blocking the door. His black hair was slicked back and his beady eyes skimmed over me. He'd probably already done many observations on me over the two days I'd been at the camp. "You're not getting a punishment. You're getting a story," he stated in a matter-of-fact voice. With that, he snapped and the room went black once more. This time, both him and Avery were greatly contrasted with the darkness. I let out a small shiver.

"The story starts in this very palace. Let it speak for itself," he whispered. In a flash, the lights were on. The only difference was that we were in the dining room, not the king's bedroom. When I screamed, Avery put a freezing hand on my shoulder. "Don't be scared. No one can see you except for King Travis and I. This is just a vision." Just a vision. Since magic was supposed to be illegal, I'd never been in one before. Suddenly, I forgot about the heart.

The dining room looked the same as it did when I last saw it, except for the fact that it was almost empty. There were only two people. A boy sat at the table eating his meal off of a beautiful golden plate. His hair was presentable and his cape was emerald green. He had a ruby crown that indicated his high royal position. However, none of that grabbed my attention at all. It was his large, black eyes that looked down at his lap. Only a few feet away, there stood a girl. She had long, sandy hair that dropped down to her waist. She had light blue eyes and pleasant, ladylike facial features. Although she was extremely gorgeous, her figure was drowned out in a large black and white maid ensemble. She was dusting a large wood dragon print on the wall, but she wasn't focused on that. She was focused on the black-eyed boy.

It was obvious she wanted to keep silent, but curiosity soon got the best of her. "Why are you looking at your feet?" she squeaked, obviously nervous to be speaking to him. He looked up to acknowledge her and his sad demeanor soon turned to rage. "Mind your own business, MAID! My parents pay you to work here, not interrogate me," he yelled. With a shaky nod, she returned to dusting. She didn't want to lose her job. A few awkward seconds passed before the boy spoke again. "I'm sorry. That was unnecessary. You have every right to be curious," he mumbled. She turned around and they looked at each other for a moment, thinking about something unclear. With a sigh, the boy pulled out the chair nearest to his end of the table. "Come sit here. I think I ought to discuss this. Do you think you can keep quiet?" The girl nodded and proceeded to sit in the chair with a new air of confidence.

"King Millius, my father, has left with the rest of the family and a few friends to go visit Harmelshire. I have to stay behind because he's embarrassed of me," the boy said, becoming more comfortable as the girl nodded encouragingly. After a moment, she piped up, this time less awkward. "Let me tell you, he has nothing to be embarrassed about. You look wonderful," she gushed. "I don't know what they were thinking," the girl whispered as she gazed at him. She was terribly flirtatious, and he seemed to be picking up on it.

"What's your name, Dearie?" he asked in a low voice. She giggled and responded "Sylvia Sinclaire. Pleased to meet you." They laughed once more and he reached a hand out. "Prince Travis of Harmelshire. The real pleasure is meeting you," he whispered. It soon became clear that this Travis was the current King Travis. I looked over at him to see if he had anything to say, but he just stared with a blank expression. The whole ordeal was quite confusing, but he had to be showing it to me for some reason. Maybe he would lighten my punishment if I did as he said.

After a few more minutes of mindless yet slightly flirtatious chatter between the pair, everything went dark again. Oddly enough, I wasn't scared. Just a few minutes of patience and whatever this was would be over. The next location was one I didn't recognize. Avery, Travis, and I stood in a small room that looked like it could fit two people at the most. There was an old wooden table in the center of the room along with a kitchenette and a double bed in the corner. Once again, there were two people. It became obvious that these people were Sylvia and Travis, only slightly older. Both wore the clothes of peasants, but looked considerably happier and more comfortable around each other. They must have been married.

Travis was taking something out of a box in the corner while Sylvia stared right through me. I almost wanted to greet her, but then I remembered what Avery said. She couldn't see me. Before I could move anywhere, she darted right through me. I felt nothing. When I turned around to see what she was running to, I was surprised. It was a baby wrapped in a pink blanket that was on top of a white linen pillow. The luxury of clean linen was almost nonexistent to poorer families, so it was clear that the couple wanted to give their child the best of everything.

Sylvia picked the little girl up and held her against her chest. "Travis. I think I know what we'll name her," Sylvia whispered. Travis smiled and nodded. "Whatever you wish, Sylvia," he responded. Her large blue eyes stared down at the baby and her long hair tickled its face. "Arden Paige," she said, her voice like little bells. Travis clapped his hands together and it became obvious he agreed with the choice. "Arden Paige Prescott," he said, enunciating each syllable. "Perfect."

Right as he said that, a sinking feeling came to my gut. They named their child Arden Paige. That was my name. Travis said he didn't want to punish me, but he wanted to show me a story. I looked at him once more and he smiled back at me. In that moment, I knew. The baby was me, but there was still more to process. The lonely boy and poor servant girl got married and had a baby. The baby was Arden Paige, and that was my name. Was it real? It couldn't be. The lights went out once more and we reappeared in Travis's room. Both Avery and Travis stared at me as I bit my lower lip. "What...what was the point of that?" I asked. A smile crept over Avery's face and Travis let out a laugh. "I think you know." I shrugged, not giving in. "Think I know what?" I asked.

They looked at each other and then back at me. "I'm your father, Dear. Accept it," Travis said. Before I could respond, a hand reached inside of me. My lungs hurt. No breath came out. I could feel it moving through me, looking for something. Then it found it.

Avery Morgan's hand came back out of my chest, clutching a beating red heart. It was mine.