The courtiers had gathered in the main courtyard. The wind was calm, but the clouds were grey. The lesser folk were gathered outside the palace walls. Although they were unlikely to hear anything, they knew that an announcement like this was important. There hadn't been one such as this since Dartz had taken over as king.

No one made much noise.

Ironheart knelt down to Chris's level, and straightened her headdress. "You will not cry. Remember what we said would happen if you cry." He handed her the papers. They had been through it and through it all night.

She had to remember everything. She couldn't read yet, the papers were just a formality. She stared blankly at the lines of writing unknown to her.

She had to remember.

It's what happened. The words had been repeated so much she began to believe them herself.

She must remember everything.

She took slow steps on to the balcony, and stepped up on to the box, looking out over all the people. Her head hurt.

She was tired.

She was empty.

She had no idea where her parents were.

But she did, they had told her where her parents were.

A light blew veil flapped behind her in the wind, enhancing her drawn, grey face.

"My people." She murmured.

"Louder." Ironheart hissed behind her.

"MY people..." It took all her strength. Her voice was still young, "I am going to be the Queen."

Ironheart cursed, she didn't sound like a queen. This was not what he'd written on the paper!

"I have to be Queen, because Daddy has committed..." What's the word? "...treason. The King." She corrected herself, "He killed the queen with his sword, because the queen loved someone else. An affair." She looked round at Ironheart, his eyes narrowed, she looked back round. "Daddy, the King has fled the kingdom. If anyone helped him, they have to go to prison. If anyone sees him and tells me they can have a reward. He committed treason when he killed two innocent men, and... and..." A tear trickled down her cheek. "He doesn't love me anymore."

"She sounds like an idiot." Ironheart muttered to her two maids.

"No, she sounds like a frightened child," one said, "She shouldn't have been made to do this."

"But she's very brave." The other sighed.

"Brave or not. The kingdom won't know what to think." Ironheart stood up straight again, "Tell the guards to put the official word around the kingdom. I imagine that so-called speech will do."

Dartz looked up at the balcony through a narrow window in the old exit corridor. To see his daughter standing there was too much. The tears ran down his face to see her speak that way. Even though her voice was thin, the wind had brought it down through the crowds to him. The thing that hurt him most was that they were her words. Ironheart would have wanted her to speak with purpose, but these were the words of a little girl. It hurt him immensely, as it would have hurt Iona. If only she'd have been there, to tell Chris the truth, to tell her Daddy was protecting her. It was an accident, but Dartz was no longer sure if he was just telling himself that or if it was truth... He held Iona close to his chest, the tears dropping on to her. If everything hadn't been as carefully prepared as it was, he would have fought his way over and fetched her back.

If she really thought that about him...

"My lord?" The voice bounced through the corridor, "Now."

Dartz walked to the end of the corridor and stepped out on to the old courtyard, the one that was used when he was a child. He looked around it. There were so many blurred memories of his childhood around him, but now he wondered how many of the boys he had played dragons with or learned to fight with had been his half-siblings...

Guaven, the doctor who had healed Iona all those months ago, stood with a white horse, saddled up and ready.

"Thank you. You have been a kind, good servant. The best physician we could have asked for. I do owe my life to you." Dartz bowed his head to him. He wanted to shake his hand, but the risk of dropping Iona was too great.

Guaven smiled, "I shall look after Chris as best as I can. I hope she does not believe their lies."

Dartz nodded, carefully lifting Iona on to the front of the horse, "You shall be rewarded, if not in this life, then the next."

"You are too kind. Be gentle with your wife though, I hope your child is safe."

Dartz climbed on and strapped Iona securely to him, wrapping his long blue coat around him, the hood up, "So do I."

He kicked the horse into a gallop, Guaven turning as he left. He needed to be back in his rooms as soon as possible. This could be treason.

Chris stood there, confused, looking out to the mass of people. No one had told her what to do next. She heard her grandfather talking to her maids behind her, but she daren't look round.

The guards relayed the message to the outer crowds. The wind had become chill, and she wanted to go back in. It had blown her tears across her face, drying them onto her skin.

"Come along, dear," Finally a maid approached her."I think what you need is a nice bath to soak in." As she turned to go, she saw a white horse, galloping out on the old exit path, no one used that really. It joined up to the main road and galloped away, speeding out of sight.

Chris gasped, as the hair that flew out from the hood shimmered blue.

The same blue of her father's hair.

The King has fled the kingdom, and he doesn't love me anymore.

She just stood and watched. What was she supposed to do? She wanted him to look back and see her. To make the horse grow wings and swoop her away with them.

Why wasn't it happening?

A man in the crowd stood with his two comrades. They all wore cloaks and brown leather armor. Their hoods were up, but no one would recognize them anyway.

"And this is her daughter?"

"Yes."

"You think we should start protecting her now?"

The central man shook his head, "I don't believe that this is what happened. I think there will be a time when Chrisana needs our help more. We don't want to come out of the legend this land has created yet."

"No…" One lifted his head a little higher to see the princess, soon to be queen, being taken inside, "But she is dead now."

The man cocked his head to the side, "I was her Captain of the guard on the way here. I always felt… I'd know if she was dead."

"Well, if we're going to be of use to this princess then we'd best get back to our training. It's been years since the dragon knights have been put to the test."

As the maids began to prepare her to go back inside, Ironheart felt a hand reach out and touch his shoulder. He didn't turn. He knew it was Vandibro.

"Back again so soon? Do tell me, where have you been hiding?"

"This is no time to joke." For once, Vandibro seemed more frightened than even Chris, "I need a way out. Now."

Ironheart turned slowly to look at him, "Why? You've done nothing wrong?"

"What?"

Chris was being lead back in now, a huge great cloak laid around her shoulders to keep her warm. Vandibro ducked back behind Ironheart as she walked past.

"She doesn't recognize you, you fool." Ironheart scoffed. "No one does. You blended in very nicely with the new servants. And you don't have to go anywhere."

"But I got the lady Iona killed!"

"Not if I say you didn't." Ironheart smiled thinly, "You see, I am king here now. So what I say goes. And you're staying. You'll be put in a high up rank, mainly for your own protection, but for some reason of my own, I trust you. Don't let me down, Vandibro."

"I came here to claim Iona as my own, and now she's dead." Vandibro spat.

Ironheart turned to look at him fully now Chris was out of the way. "The princess Chrisana looks very much like her lady mother. I'm sure if you wait a few years, you'll get your Iona replacement." Ironheart walked away, stony faced. At least now, he would regain proper control of the kingdom.