I sat by my fire, alone and contemplating all that had just passed. Was I truly married to Adrian now? What exactly where we meant to be? I stared at my silver ring, my heart swelling with emotion. He was joining me in my running now. We would be starting a new life. It was these things that excited me—but it was the opportunity to right each other's wrongs I looked forward to most of all.

Piles of books were stacked up beside me, and I was sorting through them, trying to decide which ones to bring with us on our travels. I got caught up in reading one of the stories by the light of my fire, and ended up falling asleep.

The sweet dreams of hope filled my head as I slumbered into the late evening. I was already wearing my traveling clothes for the morning, for we had planned to leave suddenly. I awaited Adrian's signal, for as soon as he was ready we would be gone without a trace.

It was in the dead of the night I had heard someone say my name. I awoke suddenly as the extinguished fire beside me rendered my room slightly cooler.

I sat up. "Who is it?" I asked sleepily.

The voice came from the other side of my door; it sounded like an elderly woman. "It's Aggy from the kitchen, brought you a snack to eat on Matilde's orders."

Had I skipped a meal? The small hallow in my stomach made me appreciate Matilde and her watchful eye. I opened my door to find the old woman standing there with a single candle and an apple. I wasn't sure if I had ever seen or spoken to her before—though there were at least a dozen servants in Blackhill who I still had yet to speak with. She grinned when she saw me, and I offered her a tired smile.

"It's very kind of you," I said to her, "to come up here and offer me this, but I assure you I'm perfectly fine."

She smiled, holding the apple out to me. "Just take one bite, dear Mary, and I will be gone—and I will tell Matilde you ate the whole thing!"

Her voice was slightly mischievous, so I couldn't help but laugh. I retrieved the apple and bit into it, realizing suddenly that I hadn't eaten much at all lately. The sweet juices filled my mouth as I swallowed the first bite.

"Say," I said to her, staring at her face keenly, "what did you call me?"—

The old woman's face had changed. It was not an old woman standing in front of me after all—but what appeared to be an elf. He was tall, thin, and pale with blackened lips and eyes. But hadn't there been an old woman, not even a moment ago?

"Mary," the elf said, "I am Riss, at your service." Here, he bowed deeply.

I regarded him with confusion. Mary…

"Yes, that is my name," I said aloud, dropping the apple I had just been holding. It rolled away from me and out of sight.

Where am I?

I looked around and did not see anything familiar. I did not even understand where I had gotten the clothes I was wearing.

"You have been through a great ordeal," Riss said to me quietly, his face an unsettling image upon the flickering candlelight, "I have come to take you… home."

"Home? To my father's house?" I asked him, unsure of how I had left it in the first place. Riss did not answer; he merely raised a finger to his lips to indicate my silence.

"If you want to come with me and return home safely, you must do exactly as I say. The people here have poisoned you and made you their prisoner. If they catch you leaving, they will try to stop you. Here, put on this robe," the elf produced a heavy black, hooded robe and draped it around my shoulders. I stared at him in shock.

"We haven't much time, Mary," the elf urged me, drawing the hood up over my head.

"How long have I been here?" I asked frantically, trying to keep my voice low despite my sudden panic.

"At least a month, maybe more. Everyone in your kingdom is looking for you. They are counting on me to bring you back." Riss blew out the candle and stood still as our eyes adjusted to the dark.

I could not think of how I had come here, or how long it had been. Could I have been poisoned so heavily that my memory was now damaged? Who would do this to me?

I searched my mind for any lingering memories… but this place was only a mystery to me. The last thing I could remember for sure about myself was leaving the royal ball after meeting Prince Stefan. It was as if, after that, I had been sleeping all the way until now.

I followed the elf through a haunting maze of empty corridors, pitch black and terrifying. It appeared I was in some sort of abandoned castle. My captors did not come upon our path, though, as Riss led me down carefully. My heart sat in my throat as we descended. I followed the elf blindly to a large pair of doors which we stole through in a flash.

Outside, the night was still except for the occasional howling of a wolf in the distance. I followed Riss past a large, heavy gate that surrounded the front of the castle and into the woods, where a horse and wagon were waiting. He climbed up upon the bench and told me I could sit in the wagon. I took a glance back at the strange castle I had been imprisoned in—it was lost above me in the night. I felt the strangest of all feelings as we pulled away from it, down the road.

Probably the strangest feeling I had ever felt before.

When the dawn broke, we were miles away. I began to recognize the road leading towards my village. Riss sang to himself as we traveled, sharing very little words with me. I tried to remember something of my lost time—anything—but nothing was there. My mind was abandoned of any memories of that place. The feeling haunted me like no other.

Late in the day, we came upon a lone rider on the road. I remained seated in the wagon, my hood drawn over my head as Riss had advised to ensure we would make it all the way uninterrupted.

The wagon slowed as the rider blocked our path on his horse. He seemed to be a powerful figure, though he too wore a hood that hid his face.

"Who comes this way?" he asked us authoritatively.

Riss grinned, his tone at ease. "I am a traveler heading towards the royal palace to seek an audience with the king."

The rider didn't budge. "Tell me what you have seen of these parts."

"I have seen many a strange thing, my friend," Riss replied, "though they are tales I am saving for the king. Might you clear the path so I can be on my way now?"

The rider pulled his hood back, revealing a very familiar face.

"Stefan!" I exclaimed, drawing my hood back as well.

He was about to say something else to Riss, but once he saw who I was, his mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Mary," he leapt from his horse and was immediately at my side. He took in my face with disbelief and relief all at once. "I thought you were dead," he said to me, "I've searched the entire woods for you-"

Suddenly, Riss was wedging his way between us. "I did not recognize Your Highness," he said apologetically, "but you must understand I intended to deliver the girl back to the kingdom safely, and I was hoping to be compensated for my work."

Stefan's expression turned to mild disgust as he beheld the dark elf. He looked to me, "Mary, has this individual aided you in some way?"

I nodded, "It is true… though I can hardly say where I have been or what's happened."

"They poisoned her to forget," Riss interjected, "whoever it was."

Stefan pulled a sack of gold coins from his horse's saddle and tossed it the elf's way. Riss snatched it from the air with a wide grin.

"My greatest wishes to you," he said to Stefan, "glad I was able to help."

Stefan ignored him, turning back to me. "Mary," he said softly, "come with me back to the palace. You can recover there—and then, well, stay as long as you like. I promise we will get this all sorted."

I was beyond relieved to see Stefan again, though it had seemed that we had parted only the day before. I had run away, and that's all I could remember. My head hurt terribly the more I tried to think about it. But I knew for sure Stefan was true to his word. The most charming prince I had ever met- His smile was gentle and reassuring, and I recalled how much I had really like him the night we met. Maybe my mother's wish would come true after all.

He helped me climb up onto his horse, and together we set down the path back towards his palace, leaving the elf behind.

End of Part 1.