Sorry for the wait for this part, things have been a bit crazy. Huge thanks to Queen Isabella, as always. Seriously, people, she is amazing.

Confusion flooded the palace and, the streets of the city beyond its walls.

The dead and injured lay in infirmaries and hospitals throughout the city. Mourners sat on the streets and wept bitterly, for both their loved ones and the lost Princess.

There were those who said she'd managed to escape the scene, that they'd seen the hooded figure of her would-be executioner lead her to safety through the fog that had suddenly descended over them. Others said the fog itself came from remnants of magic from the Sorceress, whose rope had been used to fashion the noose around the Princess's neck and that the Daughter of Light was dead, her body as lost to them as her light.

No one had any real answers, not even the Royal Family.

Princess Azkadellia had taken to her rooms, accompanied by the Viewer and former Headcase who had been so loyal to her sister. She was distraught but seemed to determined to believe her sister was alive somehow, somewhere.

The Prince-Consort had been taken to the palace infirmary at his wife's request and given a tonic to help him rest. Word around the palace was that the poor man was consumed by grief at having lost his beloved daughter for a second time. It was no secret that he'd spent most time with Princess DG following the House of Gale's return to power and the palace staff keenly empathised with her father's loss.

The Queen had not been seen since the family had returned to the palace. She had retreated to office and met with her advisors and the council, though the subject of those discussions was not widely known. Surprising everyone was that the person she granted an audience to most often than anyone else was Lord Calletta himself.

"I want her found." Her lavender eyes darkened with barely restrained rage. "I want the little bitch found by nightfall and brought back here. Anyone who helped her is to be suitably punished. Is that understood?"

Lord Calletta clasped his hands behind his back to keep her from noticing how much they trembled. "Of course, Your Majesty. I've sent my best men out to look for her. They will not return empty handed."

"Your best had better be good enough, Calletta." The Witch fixed him with an icy stare and he found himself looking at the evil that lived within. "This was not part of the plan."

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn, Majesty, but why did you not step in as planned?" Calletta took half a step back under the weight of her glare before he could remind himself that she wasn't his mistress. "You were supposed to step in and save her yourself," he reminded her awkwardly. "Halt the proceedings and insist she be given a full trial to be held in front of the people..."

"I was unable to." She spoke through gritted teeth, her hands clenched into bloodless fists. "This body refused to cooperate."

"The Queen is still fighting you?" Calletta couldn't contain his surprise. "I thought she was weak. She has little light..."

"As do I, you idiot." Her eyes flashed a deep, angry violet. "It took all I had not to be destroyed by the little princesses at the eclipse. Only a shred of my power remains and that I use to keep possession of this body..."

Calletta frowned. He'd known the Witch was weak; his mistress had told him so. He also knew that his mistress had no desire to rule the O.Z. and that the Witch, under the guise of the rightful Queen, would continue to do so, creating a realm where those who served would flourish and those who didn't...

Gone was the Witch's ability to plunge the realm into never-ending darkness; his mistress had forbid that. What good was power if nothing existed to exert control over

Still, it surprised him that the Witch was so depleted of dark magic. How was she to keep the realm at heel if she couldn't control the body she possessed...?

"Ask." Her gaze was intense as she watched the thoughts pass over his face. "You wish to know how I can be of use to your mistress?"

"Forgive me, Majesty." He lowered his gaze respectfully, resentfully. "You vowed you would assist her rise to power if she granted you control over the people of the realm but I see not how you can do so if you are so weak."

"It is temporary." The royal mask slipped and the Witch snarled at him. "And will be corrected once you return the young princess to me." She saw the confusion on his face and rolled her eyes with impatience. "The light within her is strong. It stands to reason that any daughter she bears will carry on her mother's gift. Once a child grows in her womb, its magic will also begin to grow. Magic is neither light nor do at conception; it is raw and pliable, open to influence."

The Lord frowned. "You wish to find her, then kill her once she is with child?"

"She would live until the child is born. While within her body, the child would be protected by her light. At the time of birth, a witch must temporarily give up her magic or it will believe the child is a threat and destroy it. In that moment, the child would be vulnerable and its mother unable to protect it. It is then both the Princess and the infant could be stripped of their magic."

Calletta could only gape at her. It was the first time he'd heard her part of the plan in full and he found himself feeling strangely reluctant to be part of it. "Zero's role in your plan...?"

"To father the child." Sharp lavender eyes watched him intently. "He is loyal, dependable. He has more reason than most to want the Princess to suffer. He will not falter in doing what needs to be done. If he wishes to keep the child afterwards, he may do so. Perhaps I will even allow him to keep its mother, too. Neither will be a threat to me or your mistress without their light to aid them."

If they lived, Calletta thought, he could appease the small shred of conscience that remained inside him. "It is an excellent plan, Majesty. One you have given careful consideration to."

The Witch sneered at him. "Did you think I would not? Tell me, Calletta, do you think me worthy of my own blood's loyalty now?"

"Of course, Majesty. I did not mean to imply otherwise." He turned his head. "I will see to it that Princess DG is found and returned to you."

"See that you do." With a careless wave, the Witch dismissed him.

Calletta was almost to the door when he stopped, his hand hovering over the handle. "Any word on where the emerald is, Majesty? I know my mistress longs for its return..."

"The emerald is in Princess Azkadellia's possession," the Witch answered after a moment's pause. "Once Zero arrives and Princess DG is found, I will send both to your mistress."

Calletta gave her a small nod, still facing the door. He left without further delay, sensing that time was running out. The sooner Princess DG returned to the palace, the sooner the emerald would be on its way to his mistress.

The Viewer held Azkadellia's hand tightly, his brow furrowed in concentration. He shook his head, his breath leaving him in a gasp as he opened his eyes.

"Sense DG but not enough to know if hurt." His expression was apologetic. "Raw must go to her. Must leave palace if to be of any help to younger Princess now."

Azkadellia managed a wan smile, patting his hand in understanding. "Then you should go. Don't worry about me, Raw. I'll be fine here. It's DG who needs you now."

The Viewer didn't look convinced. "Danger in palace. Darkness. Azkadellia not safe. DG want Raw to protect sister."

"DG's need for you is greater than my own," Azkadellia insisted. "I need to know she is okay, Raw."

"Raw not want to leave Azkadellia." His dark eyes were conflicted. "Princess not safe."

The third occupant of the room cleared his throat loudly to gain their attention. "What am I, invisible?" When neither of them answered, Glitch shook his head. "Azkadee won't be alone, Raw. I'll keep her safe."

Azkadellia's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I thought you'd be going with him, to help find DG...?"

"And leave you? DG'd let the munchkins skin me alive if I left you on your own." Her mother's former advisor gave her a lopsided smile. "I'm not going anywhere, Princess."

"Glitch protect Azkadellia." Raw gave a small nod, approval replacing the concern on his face. "Raw go to DG. Help bring her home."

"Then it's decided." Azkadellia fought the urge to summon the emerald from the box she'd magically sealed it inside, knowing it would be selfish to ask the sensitive viewer to take it to her sister just so she could be rid of it. "You can leave at first light tomorrow. Let me know what you'll need, Raw, and I'll make sure it's ready for you."

"Raw not need anything but good night's sleep," the viewer assured her, his gaze meeting Glitch's across the room. A good night's sleep, thought, was something neither man thought would be easily achieved.

The whip sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, tearing through cotton and skin with no respect for either.

"Tell me where I can find the Princess." Calletta spat the demand through clenched jaws, the scent of blood and sweat clinging to his nostrils. The man on the ground before him grunted but didn't answer, so he drew back his arm and brought the whip down again. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner your agony ends."

Again, the bleeding man said nothing.

Calletta muttered a curse and pulled the whip back once more. Once, twice, thrice. Each cut bit deeper than the last, tearing through bloody flesh to the muscle underneath. "Tell me!"

"No!" On the last stroke, Wyatt Cain lifted his head to glare at him though pain clouded blue eyes. His cheek was already beginning to bruise from the blow that had sent him to his knees and his bottom lip was bloody and swollen from where he'd bitten it to keep from crying out. "You can keep this up all night, Calletta, but I can't tell you what I don't know."

"Would you tell me if you knew?" The Lord's eyes darkened in suspicion. "Would you lie and say you didn't know to protect her, Cain?"

Cain spat, a globule of blood and saliva landing on the floor at Calletta's feet. "I'd die to protect her."

Calletta sneered, raising his arm once more. "Maybe we should put that to the test, Cain. Maybe we should put that to the test."

Another lash of the whip, then another and another. As it tore through muscle to the bone, Cain cried out, a cry of pain and anguish that seemed to echo throughout the palace as night began to fall.

'Wake now. Wake and embrace your light.'

DG wanted to follow the command but her body refused to cooperate. Her limbs felt heavy, disconnected almost. Her head spun in dizzying circles even though she was pretty sure she was a) lying down and b) still mostly unconscious.

'Awake, Lady. Awake!'

The power in the order was hard to mistake – and impossible to ignore. She groaned and fought to open eyelids that felt like they'd been welded shut. Dark green came into view first, blurry and out of focus. Panic burst in her chest as she remembered the sarcophagus the Sorceress had imprisoned her in and her chest constricted, her lungs straining –

"Princess? DG?" Familiar yet blurred features swam in front of her, coming between her and the green lid. "Just breathe. You're okay. You're safe now."

It was alright for him to say, DG thought with a strangled gasp for breath. He wasn't the one suffocating! She reached for her light, for the familiar weight of it to comfort her and panicked all the more when she felt nothing.

'Breathe, Lady. Your light is waiting. The moon has almost completed its ascent and waits to gift you with that which is rightfully yours.'

Panic eased into awareness. Confusion faded into remembrance. With help, DG sat up and looked around, taking in her surroundings as she caught her breath.

A tent, not a coffin. That was good; it was spacious in comparison. On the cot beside her, her companion cleared his throat and she turned her head to look at him. Her heart clenched at the familiar features and she found she had to take another breath to quell her raging emotions. A Cain sat beside her, but not the one she longed to see.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Ever polite, Jeb held out a cup of water and didn't comment when she took it with trembling hands. "You've been out most of the day. We were worried the fog did something to you."

The fog...? As she sipped the water, the day's events sharpened in her memory. "That was you...?"

"No, Your Highness." Jeb didn't blink though surprised flashed over his features at her question. "We thought it was you. Your magic..."

'It was us. We told you we would save you, Lady. All you need do now is agree to serve.'

"Oh." DG frowned down at the cup. In the reflective surface of the clear water, a set of dark brown eyes appeared. Beside her, Jeb gasped. It was all DG could do to keep hold of the cup and not throw it to the ground. "How did you...?"

'Your Mother took back her gift. We have her light now. It is safe until she is able to reclaim it.'

"Safe...?" DG shook her head. "You'll have to explain that one later. Why did you save me when I've yet to agree to serve you?"

'You could not agree if you were dead,' the voices pointed out. 'Agree now and we will assist you in the first ritual.'

"Not like I have much of a choice – wait." DG stared into the wise, old eyes. "First ritual?"

'The first is to claim the light that is rightfully yours,' the voices explained patiently. 'Once you have done so and have accepted your role as Lady, we will assist you in destroying the dark ones. Once they have been defeated, we will guide you through the second ritual, which will complete the cycle and you will be our Lady of Light.'

"Okay." DG exhaled slowly. The thought of destroying the dark ones – Calletta, she assumed, and the woman she'd seen in her nightmares – sounded like a good plan. Not to mention saving her family – saving Wyatt – and getting her life back to the way she felt it should be. "Tell me what I need to do."

'You must go outside. Follow our directions to a clearing in the forest. Stand within the silver circle and let the light flow through you.'

"You should like Tutor," DG said with a sigh.

'Tutor is a man of magic. He, too, completed the ritual once.'

"Did my mother? And Az?" Curious, DG forgot she was conversing with a cup of water, unaware of the bizarre image she presented to the soldier beside her. "Since they have their light..."

'Your mother completed the ritual under her mother's guidance. The Witch completed it for your sister. It is your turn, Lady. And your gift will be far greater than any has known in hundreds of years.'

"Then let's do this. I agree to serve the O.Z. and its kin." As soon as the words were felt, she felt a wave of approval wash over her and the eyes disappeared. She set the cup down carefully and turned to Jeb. "What are the chances you don't think I'm completely insane right now?"

Jeb flashed her a grin that was so much like his father's, her heart ached in her chest for a moment. "Dad told me about the voices and the prophecy so I don't think you're completely insane. Wasn't expecting the one-sided conversation with a pair of floating eyes, though."

DG laughed and shook her head. "Can't say I was expecting that, either." Her laughter died and determination took its place. "I've got to do something, Jeb, and I don't think you're going to like it."

She was right; he didn't like it. And he refused point blank to let her go alone with only the voices in her head for company.

When he put it like that, DG couldn't blame him. She agreed he and a small number of his men could go with her on the condition they would stand on the edge of the clearing and not intervene in the ritual, no matter what it looked like was happening to her. Jeb had hesitated, only agreeing when DG told him that if she didn't complete the ritual, the O.Z. and its kin would be unable to sustain her life and he'd have to explain to his father that he'd let her die.

Leaving most of the soldiers who'd banded together to save her at the campsite, Jeb and four others accompanied DG on her midnight walk through the trees, with only the light of the rising moon to light the way.

The clearing thankfully wasn't too far from their camp and they reached it just as the first full moon reached its peak in the sky. DG scoured the ground for a circle of silver, exhaling slowly when the full moon cast a ring that seemed to glow at the very heart of the clearing.

"Here goes nothing." She bit her lip and gave Jeb a nervous smile. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Princess." Jeb's stance was tense, his eyes dark with concern.

"Remember, no interrupting!" DG called out as she made her way into the circle. "This is between the powers that be and me." Once she stood inside the circle, she felt her skin prickle with awareness. She could feel the magic in the air, feel it building around her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Let the light flow through me," she murmured, flexing her fingers. "Let it flow..."

Outside of the circle, Jeb and his soldiers could only watch in awe as the ritual began. A beam of light struck the Princess, bathing her in an ethereal glow. It seemed to come all the way from the moon itself, striking the ground. The line of the circle appeared to burn with moonlight. Inside the circle, the ground seemed to move, shifting slowly in a spiral with DG at its centre. It rose, glittering like silver dust, moving faster, and thickening, concealing her from view.

Beside him, a soldier moved as if to take a step forward. Jeb shot out an arm, blocking his way. "No interruptions," he ordered brusquely. "She knows what she's doing."

He hoped she did, anyway.

It felt like it took an eternity but was over in a matter of minutes. The ground settled first and DG was visible once more. The beam of light seemed to gradually fade though strangely did so from the direction of the moon first, almost as if DG was absorbing it into her.

Given the way she glowed, Jeb wondered if maybe that was what he was witnessing.

Only once the beam was completely gone did the ring of burning silver at the edge of the circle fade. Only then did DG open her eyes, the glow of her skin fading as she walked – no, stumbled – towards them. Her smile was bright, her blue eyes luminous. She made it out of the circle before tripping, her weakened knees giving out on her.

Jeb and the soldier he'd stopped from breaking the circle caught her before she could hit the ground. Instead of looking alarmed, DG smiled up at them, a contented sigh escaping her.

"That... was a rush," she murmured, her eyes slowly sliding shut.

She was asleep before he could ask her what she meant.

In the darkened cell of the palace dungeons, miles away from the forest, Wyatt Cain lay on his stomach, the open wounds on his back stinging and oozing. He pressed his face against the cool stone floor but it did little to ease the heat in his skin as infection began to set in.

"I'm sorry, DG," he muttered brokenly, squeezing his eyes shut. He pictured her in his mind. Flushed and smiling prettily, her hair tousled from his hands and her mouth swollen from his kisses, he allowed himself a moment of true regret for what they would never share. "I'm sorry... my love."

As consciousness left him, a cool breeze slipped through the bars of the cell. Washing over his skin in a caress he couldn't feel, soothing the pain and healing the vicious wounds left by Calletta's whip.

'Sleep, Chosen One. The Lady is ours now, and you are hers. What is hers is ours, and ours we save. Sleep, Guardian. Sleep and be saved.'

Cain sighed, his body relaxing at the command he didn't hear, her name slipping from his lips as he lost himself in dreams. "DG..."