Okay, this story hasn't been updated in 2 years, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought of it.

First off, I am sorry for such a long wait in it being updated.

Secondly, I would like to bring to attention that someone on copied the first part of my story (they made a few changes and omitted a few parts) but then continued onward with it where I failed to update. I am not angry that my story was copied, but some recognition for the original text would be appreciated. I have not finished their version of my story so do not know what similarities, or even if there are any, our stories will share. I guess I'm saying our stories may go very different directions.

Again, sorry for the wait. Barbie is owned by Mattel and not me. Enjoy.

Queen Delia

King Edmond had been restless, begging Delia not to leave their lands, even though she insisted that she needed to see her sister, Blair. He tried reasoning with her, telling her to send a guard, but after everything that happened, it was only natural that Delia be a bit paranoid. There were few people she knew she could trust. Her sisters, and her husband were the ones she knew for sure would never betray her. She may not have been groomed to rule, but she knew a land needed its king. So she would make the trek to Blair, and Edmond would stay behind.

"I insist you take a guard with you at least," Edmond said, kissing her knuckles as the men around them prepared her horse. "And as I said, I expect a letter as soon as you reach your sister. Write in code if it makes you feel better, but you will write me."

"Yes, of course." She was determined, but there was no doubt some well-earned anxiety in her voice as well. Could their enemies be so far from Glidonia and be able to catch her? She didn't know who all her enemies were either, but she felt strongly. Besides, Blair was pregnant and could probably use the help.

Her husband leaned in to kiss her forehead and said: "Don't you dare endanger yourself. I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you. Come back to me safely."

"I will," she said. She rose on her toes to kiss his lips. It felt like her heart was a weight, dropping painfully in her chest. Behind her, three armored guards had gathered, ordered to protect her at all costs. Even with them near, Edmond wasn't by any means shy when he kissed her back, gathering her up in his arms, and holding her tightly. At long last, she coughed and said: "I should get going. It's best I make good time."

At last he let her go, and she climbed atop her horse. There would be no flags or banners; she didn't want their party revealed. The fact that she was queen of Mithslonia wasn't a secret. The white lilied banners were well known, and it was common knowledge that before she married Edmond, she was a princess of Glidonia.

She forced herself not to look behind her as they rode out. Heart tightening, she decided to focus her attention on the road, on how long it would take for her to arrive. Blair would be giving birth to her first child any day now, and she had to wonder if it was fair that she was arriving at such an already stressful time…with even more stressful news. But Blair had to have known their father was gone and heard of the threats that were plaguing Glidonia. Would the added information hurt her anymore?

Pulling her cloak tighter around her, Delia rode forward, deciding not to worry about it until they were closer.

****
She was grateful they were met very few troubles on the journey; some heavy rain had delayed them a few hours one day, lost them some miles, but apart from that, there were only minor inconveniences on the road. The small party was able to slip into the kingdom of Feen relatively easy. Blair's husband, Dante, hadn't been crowned king yet, as his father was still alive. The elderly King Marchant's kingdom was colorful to say the least. Feen grew all sorts of exotic trees and fruits. There were bushes with various types of flowers blooming, every hue of the rainbow making each more beautiful than the last. Delia had never been to her sister's new kingdom before, but she immediately took a liking to it. Perhaps the warm air would add some color to her face. She smiled thinking of it. Blair had always been out with her horses, and if each day in the sun couldn't bring some color into those pale cheeks, nothing could.

The party headed for the castle, a sparkling green-ish structure with many towers and stain glass windows. They rode their horses through the gardens, the new smells wafting up their noses. The double doors were welcoming, but of course they were stopped by guards holding spears encrusted in precious gems.

"Who goes there?" One guard asked in a commanding voice.

Delia pulled her hood down to reveal her face, not that any of them knew who she was. But if she showed she had nothing to hide, they would be more willing to trust her.

"I am Queen Delia of Mithslonia, daughter of the late King Randolph of Glidonia, and sister to Princess Blair," she said, hopping down from her horse and offering a curtsy. The guards that came with her placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, but she held up a hand, signaling them to stand down. "I seek an audience with my sister, sir."

Since she didn't expect the guard to believe her (which was a smart thing and he was doing his duty) she pulled from her tiny purse a seal from her husband. She handed it to the guard, and after scanning it with his dark eyes, he signaled to allow them entry. An escort arrived for them, a team taking their horses where they could be fed and watered.

"His Majesty King Marchant is in delicate health," the escort said to them. "He appreciates visitors. He once traveled all over the continent, but these days he remains bedridden most of the time. He'll be overjoyed to meet you."

Delia bit her lip. She knew her visit needed to be short. Edmond needed her.

"We mourned, you know, when we heard the news of your father," the escort went on. "King Marchant was devastated. When he was a boy, he spent summers in Glidonia. He said your father always had a kind heart. We worried about your sister's health as well, her being heavy with child." He looked to Delia meaningfully. "She gave birth two days ago, a healthy baby boy, red cheeked and chubby."

The news caused Delia to almost stop walking, but with her guard coming up behind her, she caught herself in time and moved forward.

"How was the delivery?" She asked. "Does my nephew have a name?"

"Prince James," the escort said proudly. "An old family name. Prince Dante's grandfather was named James. The delivery went as well as it possibly could. Your sister is recovering, but she's healthy, and there was no excessive tearing from what I was told."

Delia nodded, relieved by this news. "Is she up for visitors?"

"I'd say so," the escort said.

Delia was taken to her sister, who was still recovering in a special chamber set aside for her. At the sight of one another, the sisters' eyes lit up, and Delia rushed to Blair's side, gently hugging her. Her chest tightened, remembering the reason she'd traveled, but seeing Blair's smile made her want to catch up, made her want to spend the afternoon riding like they used to.

"I heard the news, about your new boy," Delia cut in, her determination to speak immediately about their father dropping. "Where is he? I hear he's healthy."

"Wonderfully healthy," Blair said, eyes twinkling. She cared little for her appearance trapped in a bed, but she was still beautiful to Delia. "He's currently in the nursery while I recover, but I plan to be out of here in the next few days, no matter what the nurses tell me. Dante can't keep away from the boy. He's in awe I think." They exchanged grins. Then Blair's face darkened. "But you didn't know when I'd deliver. You must have come here for something else entirely. Does this concern our father?"

Her voice cracked at the mention of her father. How Delia wanted to keep talking of happy events! But she was there for a reason.

"I couldn't send this information to Genevieve for fear of interception," Delia said quietly. "It's why I traveled here. I have come to the conclusion about who murdered our father…"

Princess Kathleen

She hadn't heard a word from Courtney, Tobias, or even Levi since Tobias had discovered her plight and he was taken away, dragged off by his own brother. Her days in the dungeon were long, seemingly endless, and there was no way to keep track of time. Well, she had figured out she got two meals a day, one in the morning, one in the evening, and that was also when her chamber pot was taken from her. There were no sounds from other prisoners in the dungeons, prompting her to believe that she was deep within it. The sloshing of the moat became second nature to her, a sort of white noise. She did her best to stay brave, but it was hard. Very hard. Harder than it had been even with Duchess Rowena, because at least back then she had her sisters with her. Now she was alone, unsure what had become of Courtney or the abuse she was suffering, and she had been brought to tears on more than one occasion.

Then one day, she found her tears did nothing for her.

She was princess, and she'd remain strong.

She had to start looking for things to cling to, things she could use as resources. Maybe she couldn't escape on her own, but she needed to survive emotionally at the very least.

Kathleen was startled awake when the cell door was opened partially so her guard could come inside and take her old plate and replace it with a new one. She knew this guard, had seen him before. In fact, he was the guard that always came to her, the one that gave her advice on the first day.

Do as you're told.

"Good morning," Kathleen mustered. Her throat was raw but she worked not to let her voice crack. The guard ignored her as he switched the plates. She smoothed her skirts, pretending they were clean and she was back in the Glidonian castle. "How are you?"

The old plate made a clattering noise as it hit the stone ground. The guard turned to face her, his expression screwing up suspiciously. He was so much bigger than her, one of the biggest men she'd ever seen. It was frightening, but she stared at him unflinchingly, even covered in her filth. She knew deep down he couldn't hurt her. His orders were to keep her alive.

But regardless of his orders, she didn't think he'd hurt her to begin with. After all, this was the same guard who gave her advice on how to stay alive when she first arrived. She didn't realize it at the beginning, but maybe, just maybe she could make some allies.

"What are you up to?" He asked her suspiciously, cocking an eyebrow. It was hard to tell how old he was, because his face was mostly covered by a prickly brown beard.

"I'm only looking for conversation," the Princess answered.

"What?" She could hear his startle in his gruff voice. "I already told you, I can't give you any information that would make me lose my head-"

"I don't want any information like that," Kathleen said quickly. The thought of an execution in such a manner scared her. "I wanted a conversation because I haven't spoken to another person for seventeen days, since I saw Prince Tobias and King Levi down here."

His face fell. "Has it been seventeen days…?"

"Yes," Kathleen said. "I have kept track. I realized you come in twice a day, and I've been counting. I've kept track with the loose rocks in here. I am up to seventeen, seventeen days of not having a conversation." She actually smiled at him. "Congratulations, you're my first conversation in over two weeks."

"I lose track of the days," he said. "But you have kept track of them. That's…"

"The results of boredom," she finished for him. "By the way, what's your name, sir?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but then he hesitated. Kathleen narrowed her eyes and smirked at him.

"If you give me your name, sir, then if Levi ever comes down here, I'll be sure to call you by name to tell him how cruel you are to me. He'd like that, I think," she said with a coy grin.

"You are a strange child," he finally said. "Alright. My name's Gareth, Gareth Redfield."

"Princess Kathleen of Glidonia," she said, rising to her feet to offer a curtsy. "It's nice to meet you officially, sir Gareth. Thank you for bringing my food to me each day and providing for me. I do appreciate it."

He snorted. "No need to say that, Princess."

"I'm serious. I wouldn't be serious if I were back in Glidonia concerning your service, but in a place like this, I appreciate what I can get," said Kathleen. "Will you return tonight?"

"I will," he said.

"Good," she answered. "I'll look forward to your visit."

King Derek

King Derek mulled over the letter he'd received multiple times, re-reading the request over and over again. It was a letter from King Willard of Bulovia. At first he was hesitant to read it, considering he'd seen the Bulovian men when they were attacked weeks back. The Bulovians had proven themselves enemies, hadn't they?

But he remembered in his lessons to become king that if a kingdom were to flourish, it needed allies, and despite past wrongdoings, a potential ally was still a potential ally. The text he read never went into detail how recent the wrongdoing needed to be however to push it aside.

When Derek opened the letter, away from his wife, he was surprised to find a letter with a plea. He'd never met King Willard but by the note, he immediately had a soft spot for the man.

"To His Majesty, King Derek of Glidonia, I write this letter to you in an effort to beg forgiveness for the wrongdoings of my men against your country. I weep for King Randolph's untimely death. Please forgive a coward, but I was frightened to write this letter to you after the threats we received from unknown sources. These threats warned of attack should our men not go against you on the battlefield all those weeks ago. I regret to say that we surrendered.

"I am sure you understand that being king is a difficult position, one that is thrust upon us by our birth or in your case by marriage, but that doesn't mean we can abandon our people and their needs. I sent my men against you to protect them, but now I gain inspiration to choose right even in the face of danger by your late father by law's example. I wish to make amends and to join our kingdoms in an effort to show the world that bravery and honesty will always prevail.

"I have one son, Prince Adriel, who is roughly the age of the Queen's youngest sisters. It would do me great joy to see a union between one of them and my son when they were of age. Please consider this offer. It is sincere and comes from the heart.

"Best of regards to you and your family. Again, even as I write this, I fear the threats that will come our way. I believe our enemy is the same. I pray for your success and that together we can put an end to the warring and tragedies that have befallen our homes.

"Best wishes,

King Willard of Bulovia"

Derek had read the letter so many times he had it memorized. What were the threats the King spoke of? He had a feeling he was right and that the threats may have come from the same source that had declared war on Glidonia by poisoning their king. Was it the Thraasians? Had they told King Willard if his men didn't join them on the battlefield that they'd slaughter them one by one? Derek's stomach twisted. What was a king to do in such a circumstance? Abandon his values and morals and put his people in harm's way, or make necessary sacrifices?

He hadn't shared the note with Genevieve. It wasn't because he wanted to keep it a secret, but because he didn't want to stress her more than she already was. As it was, they were preparing for the trial he was to face for "killing" King Randolph and King Laurent. It had taken its toll on her health already and he didn't wish to burden her any further.

He read the part about the marriage arrangement again. Countries were bridged together by marriage pacts, but he had never considered marriages for the triplets. They were too young. Not only that, one was missing! What would Genevieve say to a possible engagement, especially after what had become of her sister Courtney? The last wedding they'd attended ended in her father being straight up murdered.

But they needed help. They needed support, especially if they didn't know their enemy. King Levi threatened Courtney and would be treated as an enemy, but how could they be sure they were the only ones?

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and put the letter away, thinking hard about what he should do next and if he should trust the King of Bulovia.