Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to their rightful owners.

Warning: The following chapter contains: coarse language, mature humor, and suggestive themes. YOU have been WARNED.

Chapter 25: Preparation & Meditation

The King's Chamber

Chris moaned, overlooking the piles of parchment lining his ornate ebony desk. He wore a long red fur cape that spread out on the ground behind him. His cane, with a ruby handle, rested over his lap. The room had a high ceiling stretching up nearly thirty feet. Behind him, windows peered down from the castle over the capital. Large red satin curtains covered the room in shadow. A mural adorned half the wall depicting the revolution against the Muskoka Empire, with Chris rushing at the front of the charge.

Next to the door stood a tall pudgy girl with purple hair. She wore a dark green cloak around her shoulders. Her back was arched, and a sly smile spread across her lips.

"Yep. This sucks," Chris complained. "I'm not even sure who half these people are. I mean, who the hell is Marconius?" He held up one piece of parchment to the light.

"A trader, my liege," the girl spoke. "He is married to Martha of house Strathclyde, a niece of Lady Margret. Currently lives in Cunninghame. There are rumors of eccentricity in his character. He enjoys wine and dining more than anything else. He trades in pleasures."

Chris sat back in his chair. "I see. Thanks Sierra. There's a reason I keep you around." Chris sighed, setting down the parchment on his desk. "I guess that explains his request to free up trade of these perfumes. Why anyone would desire to smell like tree oil is a mystery to me." He ran his fingers through his thick brown hair. "I hate this work. It drains the life out of me. Word of advice Sierra? Never become king. It's awful."

"My liege, I would never even dream of it." Sierra insisted. "Even the thought of anyone else as my king sends shivers down my spine. You're the greatest king this country has ever had."

"I'm the only king this country has ever had," Chris spoke begrudgingly.

"Which still makes you the greatest!" Sierra said raising her fist.

Chris shook his head at her words.

There was a knock at the door.

"Thank God, a distraction," Chris said. "Sierra, let them in," he waved to her. Sierra gave a nod in acknowledgement. She pulled on the door handle, grunting, struggling to move the large heavy door.

Once there was a large enough crack for someone to fit through, a woman with black skin wearing a dark green cloak stepped into the room. She kneeled down before the king.

"You may speak agent Leshawna," Chris spoke.

Leshawna nodded. She stood from her place. "I have urgent news my liege. Agent Beth arrived a few minutes ago in bad condition. She is demanding an audience with you at once. She says it's of utmost importance."

"Let her in." Chris remarked with a wave of his hand. He grabbed his cane off his lap, tapping lightly on the stone floor. The noise echoed in the empty room.

Sierra stood in attention. "Castle Agent Beth, my liege. Renown in the kingdom as Beth the Swift, Breakneck Beth, Beth the Shadow, Long Arrow Beth, or as I refer to her Bethy-wethy. Member of the Hunters Guild. Companion to the Order of the Castle. Partner to DJ, who was drafted by your own personal order. Although, I must tell you, I've heard some scandalous things about those two. There's a bet going on between us, the castle agents here, about whether or not they're an item." Sierra shook her head anxiously. "Alright. I started the bet. The going odds are 3/1 in favor."

Chris raised his hand. "Thank you Sierra, that's enough. I know who Beth is. You're information's welcome, but as unsettling, and slightly creepy as ever." He leaned back in his chair. "You said 3/1? I like those odds." Chris flicked a gold coin at Sierra who caught it with ease. "Put me down in favor."

A big smile grew on Sierra's face. "Absolutely my liege."

Through the door, Beth walked in panting. She was covered head to toe in mud, her hair messed and her cloak ripped. She immediately knelt down onto the ground and crossed her right arm on her chest.

"Beth!" Chris greeted. "How's my best agent?" He laughed to himself, kicking his feet up onto the desk. "You look like shit."

The Courtyard of the Monastery

"You need to be more nimble! Focus on your footwork!" the old monk shouted at Courtney. His robes were worn loosely, showing off his well-defined body despite his age. His white beard made his face look angular and long. In his right hand, he gripped a thin wooden sword.

Courtney, who stood opposite from him, wore a leather tunic with black leather pants. Her hair was tied in a braid, so that it would not cover her face. She lunged forward with her own wooden sword, thrusting at the monk's chest. He easily stepped to the side, and struck her wooden sword down out of her hands.

"You're too stiff!" he yelled angrily. "You expect your opponent to care how proper your technique is? Don't tell the sword how to move, move with the sword!" He instructed, kicking up her wooden sword off the ground.

Courtney caught it in the air, and repositioned herself. She took a deep breath, before lunging forward, shouting as she moved. But the Monk stepped out of her path again, this time spinning around, whacking Courtney against the back of her head.

"Enough. Do one five hundred more lunges, and five hundred more thrusts. Then we will continue." He bowed his head. Courtney imitated it quickly. The monk tied up his robe, placed the sword on a rack next to one of the wings of the monastery, and walked inside.

Courtney rubbed the sweat off her forehead. She began thrusting. Again. And again. And again. The midday sun beat down on her. She panted, exhausted, thrusting over and over again with the sword.

Duncan, shirtless, carrying over his own practice sword joined her. "You're working hard," he commented, standing next to her. He watched silently for a moment, before matching her movements, thrusting at the same time.

"It keeps my mind busy," Courtney commented. "Plus, it's nice to train under a master that does not treat me like a delicate flower. To get real training, I had to spar with Bridgette back home." Courtney flinched slightly, regretting mentioning Bridgette's name. She began to strike her sword with greater fury, pushing herself harder.

Duncan nodded his head. "I know what you mean. It's so nice not to be pampered. And these monks know what they're saying. I can see why Chris and our parents were frightened of them. All they do is train like mad. It's crazy." Duncan continued to match Courtney's strokes, despite her increased pace. "I have to admit though, I'm surprised you're putting yourself through this. Wouldn't you rather enjoy your time away from the court?"

"The idle life has never served me well," Courtney commented.

"Right," Duncan agreed, "I forgot who I was talking to. You are probably having dreams about going through the decrees, and taxes, and shit."

"You have to stay on top of that," Courtney added, serious. "Training has its practical uses too. The past couple of weeks have made it especially clear that if I want to protect myself, then I need to take it into my own hands."

"Do you regret not helping fight Hatchet?" Duncan asked.

"No," Courtney said, shaking her head. "It is not that. When I agreed not to return to the castle, I said nothing about wanting to fight agents of the castle. Only fools would risk their skin like that. I'm not sure why everyone was so surprised about Eva. What were you all expecting? That's what happens to those who act against the king."

"Even after Bridgette turned against us?"

"How could I blame her for that? She was serving us in the only way she could. It was my fault she was put into that position in the first place by bringing her along in this crazy journey. If I was in her position, I'd have done the same."

"Still," Duncan paused, leaning on his wooden sword. Beads of sweat crawled down his bare chest. "She turned on you. You'd fight her if it put you at risk, right?"

Courtney kept thrusting forward, her focus forward at the tip of her wooden sword. "If I had to, yes."

"Really?" Duncan prodded, unconvinced.

Courtney paused. "I hope so. Bridgette's important to me. She is only in this situation because of us. I don't want her to be harmed at all. It would be hard to fight her. I can only hope that I can."

Duncan began thrusting again. "It's alright. If we have to, then I'd do it. I'll fight her."

"Really?"

"To protect you? Without hesitation. Geoff too, if he goes after you," Duncan said, his voice serious.

"Are you so ready to abandon those two? I think we might be able to use them out there. Geoff's been at your side for years. He must still be willing to help us."

Duncan continued to thrust forward. He was silent. Striking his sword at the air. Again. Again. "He's the one who abandoned me," he said quietly.

Courtney began to match him. Thrust. Thrust. "It's alright Duncan. I won't."

The Clearing (Hatchet's Camp)

Geoff sat on a large rock, he stared forward at the crevasse leading to the monastery, keeping watch in case anyone came through. Bridgette was just finishing up chopping some wood. She looked over at Geoff. With a sigh, she walked over and sat down beside him.

"Hey." Bridgette said softly. It was the first time she had spoken to him since they left the monastery.

"Hey." Geoff replied. He peered over at her for a second, he then turned back. He stared up at the sky. The wide clear blue covered the sky. There was not a cloud to be seen. The mountain stretched upwards, piercing the serenity of the land with its rugged peaks. "It's actually sort of beautiful here," Geoff remarked. "If only we could have come under better circumstances."

"How are you feeling?" Bridgette asked.

"Like a coward. Like a failure. But I guess I've always been one so that much isn't new." Geoff spoke.

Bridgette stared down at the ground. "I know the feeling."

"I can't escape it. These last few nights. It's the same dream over and over again. I choose Duncan. We fight together against Hatchet, like brothers. We win. Everyone's so happy. It's over. The journey. They ride down to the castle, and Chris changes his mind, and, and, and, you..." he could not finish the story. He rubbed his eyes frantically. "I know it's a fantasy, but it's like a ghost haunting me. When I close my eyes, I see this other world where we're not stuck here, fucked like this."

"I have no dreams," Bridgette said, under her breath.

Geoff smiled. "You're lucky then," he suggested. "It pains me," he looked up the mountain at the stone monastery high in the distance, "to think about Duncan up there, hating me."

"You think he hates you?"

"I know he does. I've known Duncan for a long time. When I first met him, he was real short. The other squires used to tease him about it. Even though I was just a couple years older than him, he looked like a young boy compared to us. But you could tell, even then, that he had this fiery passion inside him. It only came out more when we used to spar, and he would hold nothing back, and when I didn't hold back either, he'd just have this fat grin on his face. And he'd go on for hours too, until we were both collapse on the ground in exhaustion. Something I learned over those years was that Duncan was quick to throw aside those who wronged him. Especially those who turned against him for their own personal reasons. I think that's why he never forgave Lord Alejandro when they were kids. There were times I felt like I was Duncan's replacement for Lord Alejandro. Now, I wronged him far worse. It would be foolish to expect his forgiveness."

"You know, people do grow up, eventually," Bridgette pointed out, "and part of growing up is forgiving those who wronged you."

"Maybe," Geoff agreed.

"At least Duncan might hate you now," Bridgette began. "He fought for you to stay at his side. Courtney probably thinks I did the right thing. She did not even ask me to choose her over my duty." Bridgette chuckled to herself. "I know Courtney was thinking of my wellbeing, but I'll admit there is a part of me that wanted her to reach out and pull me back."

The two sat in silence for over a minute. Bridgette fiddled with her hands before lowering her head. "Geoff?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know what is going to happen next," Her words felt heavy in her mouth. "We need to stick together. For our sake, and for the sake of our lords. Whether we like it or not, we're both in this together."

Geoff nodded his head starring up at the monastery. "I know." He then looked down at her hand, he wanted to reach over and grab it. "But where does that leave u-"

The ringing of a bell interrupted them. Geoff and Bridgette stood up, and turned to look at the other side of the clearing, at the mountain path. DJ hit a small bell from his belt repeatedly. "A group approaches!" He cried out.

Hatchet burst out of his tent, wearing the dark green cloak over his armor. He strode over to DJ's side, soon joined by Bridgette. Geoff stayed at his post before the crevasse. In the distance, a half dozen group of people walked swiftly along the path. Large packs were carried on their backs, carrying swords, bows, and pikes.

A smile grew on Hatchet's lips. "Beth, you wonderful thing." he said to no one.

"Hail!" One of the travelers yelled. "The Hunters Guild approaches! We bring supplies."

Hatchet outstretched his arms. "Welcome my agents. You are a sight for sore eyes."

"Did Beth tell you to come?" DJ asked.

"Aye," one of them said, pulling down his cloak. A red headband was wrapped around his head. "She arrived in the middle of the night, after riding straight from Caithness. She filled us in on the situation, before switching horses, and heading straight to the castle. We brought food, tents, and weapons, ready for a siege."

"Good," Hatchet spoke, "we have a couple long days before us."

The King's Chamber

"The Monks of Dundrennan," Chris spoke seriously. "Those are a couple of words that I never wished to hear again. It's just like Alden to stick his battleaxe where it doesn't belong, messing everything up." Chris took a deep breath. "You said that the heirs are staying there willingly. They are not being held against their will?"

Beth nodded. Beads of sweat carved down her exhausted face. "We gave them ample opportunity to leave while we were not under threat. They appear to be working together. We were removed from the monastery by force, while they were treated to no harsh words."

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's just one head ache after another with this bunch, isn't it? First, Izzy ruins what was going to be a bitching festival. Now they've gone and ruined my whole week." Chris stood up from his seat. "No matter whether they are being held there by their own volition, we must get them back. The stability of the kingdom rests on it. Leshawna!" He called out.

"Yes sir!" Leshawna said, bowing her head.

"Give out the order. Tell the men at arms to assemble a riding party of five hundred strong. We are heading north to bring back the heirs," Chris said stoutly.

"Five hundred, my liege?" Beth asked. "We only saw a couple dozen of those monks. Do you think that will be necessary?"

Chris nodded his head. "I learned a long time ago, that one does not underestimate the Monks of Dundrennan. I used that to help me bring down the Muskoka Empire. I will not fall victim to it myself."

"Understood," Leshawna nodded, rushing out of the room.

"Beth," Chris remarked.

"Yes?"

"Go get some rest. I need you in better form if you're to travel with us. I want you to take part in none of the preparations. If I see you lift a finger at all, then you will put on overnight guard duty instead of riding up north."

"But my liege!" Beth tried to insist.

"Nope. This is a direct order. Go see one of my healers. It's depressing just looking at you."

Beth reluctantly stood up, and walked through the heavy doors.

"Sierra. Please tell one of the servants to fetch Master Daedalus, the royal archivist. When we were once allies, I had a map made of the monks' monastery and surrounding area. It will be essential for this campaign."

Sierra stood still. Her eyes welled up, looking about to cry.

"Sierra?" Chris asked with concern. "Agent Sierra? Is there something wrong?"

"I'm...I'm...I'm sorry my liege. I..." She struggled to speak, fighting back tears. "I'm sorry. I've never heard of the monks of Dundrennan before. I've failed you."

Chris smiled. "Do not worry. If you had known about it, I'd have sent you straight to the dungeon," he said, with a sinister twist.

Monastery Meditation Area

Beyond the courtyard, up a small path carved in the mountain, there was a meditation area above the rest of the monastery. It was only a couple feet across, with a red gate stretched over top it. In the middle of the ground, the stone grave of the martyrs was laid. The summer light bent around the gate, throwing a long shadow against the mountain wall.

Izzy, Noah, Alejandro, and Heather were arranged in a circle around the grave. On the path, a little ways down, Eva and Gwen stood beside each other. The four heirs sat with their legs crossed. Izzy sat in a full-lotus position. Her eyes half closed, and her hands were folded on her lap.

"The most important part of mediation is your breathing," Izzy spoke, her voice soft. "Focus on your breathing. Let it relax you. Don't focus too hard, for you may exhaust yourself focusing on such a small piece of being. Instead, let the air flow through you, feel yourself rise and fall with each breath. Let the rhythm calm you, and take you away from your crowded minds."

The other three in the circle were a little less focused than Izzy. Heather's broken leg was stretched out, and she leaned on her back arm. Alejandro's watched Izzy in amazement. Noah's back was straight, but his breaths were exaggerated, and stared at Izzy with suspicion.

Izzy continued nevertheless, unfazed by the others. Her voice was smooth, slow, and relaxed. "There are two important elements of meditation: deep looking, and stopping. We are pulled along with our lives, by our work, our relationships, our stresses. They drive us through the day if we are not careful to stop, we will be blinded to our own lives. Stopping is not ignoring these problems, but meeting it, saying you recognize it, you can forget about it, and can be calmed despite it."

"That is amazing." Alejandro spoke, turning to the others. "I've never seen Izzy stay seated in the same place this long. Please tell me I'm not the only one completely freaked out by this. It's like she's a completely different person right now."

Noah nodded his head. "While I'm usually skeptical of spiritual types, you can't argue with the results. I have never seen her like this either."

"Hey! Don't speak as if I am not here." Izzy spoke up in her normal tone. "That's rude you know!"

"Sorry, I guess we're still not used to you being around." Alejandro admitted. "It was just the five of us for a while." Alejandro let out a yawn. "Don't get me wrong Izzy, I think it is great that you've found something to calm you down, but I don't know if this is for me, it is just putting me to sleep."

Izzy opened her eyes, and sighed. "You know, a lot of your troubles could be fixed if you just calmed down, and reflected on your life."

"While it is still really freaky for you to be giving that kind of advice, I'll have you know that I kind of like living my life as a spiraling mess," Alejandro commented.

"And that's working super well for you." Noah spoke rolling his eyes.

Alejandro stood up from his spot, and brushed off the dirt on his legs. "Yes it has, thank you very much."

"Oh yeah? You going to go hang out with your best bud? Oh wait! I forgot, he's rotting in the dungeon because he's a dirty traitor who built your entire relationship on a lie." Noah fired back.

Alejandro clenched a fist and took a deep breath. Anger built up inside him at the mention of Trent. "And what are you doing here anyway Noah? I thought you were the perfect human being that's two steps ahead of everyone. Surely meditation for you would be pointless."

"While most of what you said is true." Noah replied. "I have a couple demons that maybe meditation could help with." He said turning to Izzy, she gave a reassuring nod. "And I can only imagine that's why Heather's here."

Everyone turned and looked at Heather who had not spoken yet. Heather sighed. "I was told there would be silence."

The King's Chamber

A short scrawny young man nearly tripped into the King's Chamber. The armful of old parchment he carried in his arms fell out of his grasp, spreading out on the ground. Desperately, he grabbed at them, trying to save some dignity. His dusty brown hair covered his eyes. Sierra, who had been escorting him, leaned down to help him, giving him an awkward smile.

King Chris leaned back in his chair. "Who is this?"

"You... you called for the royal archivist," the man stuttered in fear.

Chris nodded his head. "Yes. And where is he?"

"He's... he's here my liege." The young man stood up, holding the rolls of parchment together. "It's...It's me. I'm the royal archivist. Cody."

"You? Where is Master Daedalus?" Chris asked, indignant. He turned to Sierra, "I told you to fetch Daedalus."

Sierra nodded. "I did, this is royal archivist Cody of house Daedalus."

"What? Where is old William Daedalus, with the long white beard?" Chris asked.

"He's dead. He died, like, two years ago." Cody told him.

"Really?"

"Yes," Cody nodded.

"How do I not know this?" Chris called out in frustration glancing over at Sierra.

"I informed you myself. I swear, my liege! It was during that time two springs ago when you were bedridden with the flu. Perhaps that is why you might not remember. Do not worry. All the proper arrangements were made. His widow received a generous gift from the king."

"Good," Chris spoke with a sigh. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Arrange for some flowers to be delivered to her before we leave would you. Make up some kind of excuse." Chris looked back at the man. "You aren't his son are you?"

"No, I was his nephew," Cody said.

"So, who are you? Cody was it?"

"Yes. I am the royal archivist."

"Do you mind explaining how a scrawny kid like yourself became my royal archivist?"

"Well, my liege, as I said, I was a nephew of Master Daedalus and served as his apprentice. He had no children of his own so after his passing I inherited the position."

"Wait, is the role of royal archivist a hereditary position?" Chris covered his face with his hands. "That sounds really stupid. Who decided that?"

Cody twitched a little in fear. "Uh, well, you see, you did my liege."

"I did?"

"Yes. I received the royal proclamation soon after my uncle passed. It had your seal and everything."

Chris turned to Sierra. "I assume that decision also happened while I was stricken with that flu you mentioned."

"Yep!" Sierra nodded her head eagerly. "You're catching on quick."

Chris groaned audibly. "Anything else I should know about him?" He pressed Sierra further.

"Son of Gordon Daedalus, a parchment merchant in Kirkcaldy. Began working in the castle five years ago. No wife to speak of. Which makes him one of the more eligible bachelors in the castle. Lives in the archivist's chamber down in the basement. Sleeps with a teddy bear named Mr. Snuggles. Will often fall asleep petting its head." Sierra described.

Chris and Cody both stared at her in bewilderment. "That got really specific at the end there Sierra." Chris pointed out.

Sierra began to chuckle to herself. "Don't worry. It's not like I spy on him every night from the secret tunnels of the catacombs and watch him fall asleep. That would be crazy, right?" She tried to show them an innocent smile that instead had a bit of an unsettling twist.

Cody stepped a couple feet away from her. His eyes wide in terror.

"Okay then. Anyways. Do you have the documents I requested?" Chris asked, changing to a serious tone.

"Yes, my liege." Cody walked forward, placing the stack of parchment on the desk. "These are all the records we have concerning the Monks of Dundrennan. It includes the map of the monastery, the map of the mountain, accounts of battle formations, poems of heroic deeds, and a cookbook of recipes for ingredients found on a mountain."

"Have you had a chance to look over any of them?" Chris asked, raising one to the light.

"As much as I could. The recipe for buzzard stew looked most appetizing."

"Good. Then I want you to accompany us up north. There's no time to study them more here, so you will travel with us. You will be tasked with informing me about every piece of important information. Anything that will be at all relevant to our travels. Understood?"

"Ride with you? I have only seen the sun a handful of times in the past year. Who will tend the archive if I am not there? Who will perform my duties?"

"Will anyone care if you're not there?"

"Well, no."

"Then saddle up. We ride tomorrow at dawn."

The Dungeon

Trent sat in the back of his cell with his knees to his chest. He shivered in the cold of the night. His back leaned up against the damp stone wall. The dungeon was pitch black, except a small light coming from a torch down the hall. There were no guards. The thick iron bars, and old lock was enough to keep him in. He was not one of the esteemed castle agents, able to escape any box they are put into. He was just a half-naked musician, freezing in the lonely night.

"Trent..." a voice whispered from down the hall.

Trent raised his head, perked up by the noise. He recognized the voice. "Gwen?"

The light of the torch slowly got larger, as it was carried along the hall. Trent scurried forward, up to the metal bars. Then, suddenly, Gwen was there, looking in the cell, barely making a noise. Trent reached out to touch her through the bars, but he pulled his hand back.

"You shouldn't be here," he said. "You heard what Lord Noah said, if he finds you speaking with me, then you'll be thrown in here too."

"I know," Gwen admitted, "but I don't care. I..." she paused, "I wanted to talk with you. Everyone else is sleeping. I made sure no one noticed me. We're safe." She placed the torch onto the ground. "They cut you down from the ceiling. That's good."

"Yeah. They let me down that morning," He rustled his greasy hair. "It's really not that bad down here. You know what they do if they discover you're one of King Chris' castle agents in the Muskoka Empire? They cut off your head. Immediately. No matter what you were doing. I feel pretty lucky I still have mine."

"Still, the way they beat you. The pain it must have caused," Gwen shivered. "It hurts to see you like this."

"I'm..." Trent began to speak. "I'm sorry about everything. About lying to you about my past, and why I was with Alejandro. I'm sorry for almost getting you involved in this. The closer I got to you, the more danger I put you in. I was reckless and stupid. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I truly am sorry. I didn't want any of this to happen."

"What did you expect? You smashed your lute over top of Eva! After everything she's done for us." Gwen mustered out.

"I didn't have a choice. I had to. If there was any other option I would have taken it." Trent pleaded.

"Just," Gwen struggled to speak, "how much of us, of you and me, was real? How much of it was you doing your job? Spying. Was I just a tool to make you fit in naturally with the lords?"

Trent took a deep breath. He turned away, looking off into the darkness of his cell. "If I said it had nothing to do with my spying, then I'd be lying. I don't want to do that anymore." He leaned his back against the bars. "I was scared. You saw Lady Heather's reaction when she met me outside of the capital. I was afraid she would raise suspicion or impede my responsibilities. I thought, maybe, if I got close to you, it would calm her in my presence. But every moment, everything between us, since that night at Maiden Fort, those were real. They were the few times I felt like I was really me, not putting on an act for the others, getting a chance to do what I truly wanted. When I promised you in Caithness that I wanted us to continue after the adventure, I meant it. I wanted to quit being an agent, and go with you back home."

Gwen whimpered a little, she turned away leaning her back against the bars just as him. "Trent, you piece of shit. Did you really think that would work out? That I would never find out?"

Trent shook his head. "No. I only hoped that it would be me to tell you. In a way that didn't make it seem so bad. Maybe that was naïve of me. I held it back this long, to make sure that if I was ever discovered, that you would not be suspected along with me. But even when that happened, my word was worth nothing."

"I feel... I feel like my whole life is crumbling around me," Gwen commented, grabbing at her head. "I don't know what to think anymore. Everything's wrong. I trusted you. I trusted you with all of my being. But you just playing me like a fool; another song on your lute. And, and Heather, the person I trusted the least, saved me. She saved me from being locked up in here. The person I've hated more than anything else in my whole life, when given the chance to finally throw me aside, stood up for me." Gwen shook her head violently. "You know what the worst part is? I should be flattered by her trust, but instead I just feel like garbage. Because, if someone had offered me, then I would have betrayed her in a second. I would have told someone anything they wanted to know about her. I really am just as bad as you are. I should be locked up in here! I feel like screaming!"

"No," Trent said, "don't! There's no way you should be locked up in here. And I don't think you would have betrayed her. You care too much about your family, and their wellbeing. You would have put them first. There is a fire in you. Heather recognizes it. You wouldn't betray yourself, not even in front of a lord like her. You're better than that, stronger. You're no coward. That's the difference between you and me. You're willing to put yourself out there for others, while all I'm interested in is myself."

"I don't know," Gwen admitted. She took a deep breath. "I'm glad to be around you again."

Trent was barely able to smile. "Me too."

"I should go, before anyone notices." Gwen said with sadness.

"Go. I'll be fine." Trent whispered. Gwen stood up straight. She took a step forward. Trent reached out and grabbed her arm through the iron bars. She turned around to see an intensity in his eyes she had never seen before. "I love you."

Gwen's lip quivered. She looked down at her arm. Trent slowly let go. She looked back up at his eyes.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Gwen slowly stepped back and out of the dungeon. Trent leaned his back against the bars and slowly slid down into a sitting position the freezing ground. Gwen walked into the hallway. She looked to her left to see a figure leaning against the wall.

"You done?" Eva asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for keeping watch. I know you must hate him for what he did for you."

Eva shrugged. "His actions are his own responsibility, not mine. Besides, it is the lords and ladies he really needs to worry about. Not me. They give the orders."

"Still, you didn't have to come." Gwen spoke.

"There's only the two of us left. I may have gained their respect, but I still do not understand them at all. It's good to be around someone who is not in their world." Eva said as she stood up. They began to walk down the hallway. "He's right you know? You're no coward."

Gwen shook her head. "Look at all the good that's done me."

…

Afterword:

Thank you all for reading. We hope you enjoyed this chapter. There were no big reveals or twists in it. Just letting the characters breath as Chris reenters the story. We haven't seen him since Chapter 2.

This was a tough chapter to write. We are working hard to make sure that all of the pieces come together into something good. A lot of rewriting and editing was needed. Sorry for the gap between updates.

For all you who were keeping count, that's all 24 of the original cast introduced.

If you've been missing some of the comedy from the earlier chapters, you're in luck. We have started our second story together that can be found on Nyhlus' account entitled Spin the Bottle Cinderella. It is a fun lighthearted teenage comedy starring the Pahkitew Island cast. It's about the wrap party for the school Drama club's production of Cinderella hosted in Leonard's basement. Things heat up when Topher suggests they play a game of spin the bottle. Teenage antics ensue. We're up to the fifth chapter at the moment, and having a lot of fun with it.

Anyways. Please Leave a Review.

Till Next Time – Nyhlus and BJ