"Quinnie! Noah's coming to visit next week!" The eldest prince sings out as he sails into the room where his siblings are peacefully occupied. Sam, with slightly flushed cheeks and tousled hair, is curled up in the window seat, appearing totally absorbed in his book. Brittany is stretching idly on the floor while Quinn sits in a low chair, pretending to be focused on her needlework. None of them notice the involuntary jump of the dark haired maid standing behind Quinn at the mention of the foreign prince's name.

"And I care why Finnie?" Quinn mocks her brother's information in a tone clearly intended to convey her displeasure at the news and its carrier.

"Well someday you will be marrying him. You should care about his visits. It is a long journey, that he hopefully won't have to postpone because of all of these guerilla raids." The princess huffs, unimpressed at the journey or its dangers. "I shall be most interested to hear if they have made any discoveries in the search for his sister. The servants tales report that the king has almost given up but Prince Noah is relentless."

"Once again, why do you expect me to care?" Quinn replies bitterly. "The princess has been missing for years. Seems to me that if they haven't found her already, they aren't likely to."

"Sam would you please talk some sense into her." Finn asks exasperatedly, throwing up his hands in defeat. The younger pince scoffs but dutifully leaves the comfort of the window seat to kneel by his twin. Rachel sighs inaudibly. Maybe, just maybe this is it. Finally, he is coming, here!

Suddenly a loud crack shatters the air, causing everyone in the room to jump. The window Sam had been leaning against a moment before now features a giant hole as the crown prince of Valhaven crumples to the ground. Sam shoves his sisters towards the edge of the room before leaning over his brother's body. Brittany's maid flies into the room, tugging her young mistress out with a cry. Palace guards, fill the room, soon engaging in heavy battle with the guerilla fighters slipping in the windows by what seems like dozens. Rachel sinks into the shadows of the wall, trying to reach Quinn or the door.

"Rachel!" Sam is suddenly grabbing her arm, pulling Quinn behind him. He gives his terrified twin a gentle push towards Rachel who grabs her hand. "Get Quinn out of here. Head for Rhodarea, they willll take care of her." She nods in recognition and turns to leave. "Wait!" Sam hesitates, looking between his sister and Rachel, with a glance over his shoulder to his brother lying motionless on the floor. "Go ask Kurt to help you. Tell him I order him to keep you two safe. And tell him..."

"I will tell him. Everything." Brown eyes meet green in perfect understanding. "Take care of yourself...Sam." He gently hugs her then kisses his sisters cheek. "We've got to go now Quinn." Rachel says softly, tugging on the princess's arm.

"Finn...Sam." Quinn murmurs brokenly as Rachel tows her through the palace. She brings the shaking girl downstairs into her own bedroom in the servants quarters, shoving a tattered dress towards the princess.

"Change into that, quick!" She hisses.

"I can not wear that! It is so ugly!" Quinn complains.

"Shut up!" Quinn steps back as if the smaller girl slapped her. A little more gently, Rachel explains, "Sorry. You have to be quiet, you're going to get us caught. And you need to change because we'll have to blend in in the streets." The blonde nods timidly and allows Rachel to help her into the servant's dress. "All right, let us go."

"Where are we going?"

"Currently we are going to the stables. After that, time will only tell." Rachel replies cryptically.

"Why are we going to the stables?" Quinn's question is shushed with a finger to her lips, as Rachel leads her through the doors and into the yard. They can still hear muffled yells from the castle, which Quinn reacts to with trembles. They finally reach the stables to find them apparently deserted. The princess turns as if to return to the castle but Rachel leads her in deeper towards a closed door. She tuggs at experimentally, sighing when it doesn't budge.

"Kurt! I know that you are all in there, come out! It is just me, Rachel!" The door squeaks open a crack and Kurt's pale and fearful face peeks out from a crowd of terrified stable boys.

"Rachel!You should be hiding, they'll kill us all!" Kurt exclaims, "Wait, Is that the..." Rachel sighs in irritation and pulls the door open wide.

"You should all be in there fighting for your country." She instructs the scared stable boys in a commanding voice. She then turns back to the one she came to see. "Kurt. Sam sent me." At the sound of a fake cough behind her Rachel whirls to look at Quinn. "What?"

"You are being disrespectful. Remember your place." Rachel rolls her eyes as she returns to the matter at hand.

"Fine. Prince Samuel sent me to tell you that he orders you to take us out of here and keep us safe." She lays emphasis on the word order in mimic of Sam's original message. "And..." She leans forward to whisper the words that are for Kurt alone. "He loves you." She straightens herself to her full height and announces commandingly to the crowd of stable boys. "Prepare a carriage, not a royal one, as ordinary as possible. Good horses but not to showy. And two of you give the princess and I your coats." The boys immediately move to follow her orders, seeming glad to have direction.

The old carriage pulls up and the boy leading the horses gives Kurt the reins. Kurt swings into the driver's seat gracefully as one of the boys helps Quinn into the carriage. Rachel surveys them all before allowing herself to be helped up.

"If anyone asks, we were never here."

A/N: Obviously this has not been updated in a very long time. However, I do have plans to finish it. Updates will not be regular, though I will try to not wait months again. Due to circumstances beyond my control I cannot update any more regularly. That said, I will try my best and I hope you are still interested.