The days in prison melded together until Talea couldn't tell what day it was at all. From the state of Rosalind's wounds, which had begun scarring, Talea supposed they'd been in the dungeons for at least a week or two, though she couldn't be sure. Lilian was even less aware of the date, having been imprisoned for years, and Rosalind had been in and out of fevers since she'd been whipped. It was a quiet and dull existence, broken from monotony only when the guards brought their meals.

Still, in some ways, Talea preferred the relative solitude to the exhausting duties of a noblewoman. For once in her life, no one was interested in what she looked like or if she spoke a certain way, and there was no one to judge her actions. For the first time, she could voice her thoughts without worrying about being punished for them; after all, she had the company of two women who could care less if she was a proper young woman or not.

It's ironic, she thought, that I should feel freer than ever while in prison.

Still, Cecil's absence caused a pain in her heart. Since he had been born, she'd rarely been apart from him for more than an hour or two, and she was so worried about him that she thought she might be sick.

Rosalind, once she began to heal, tried to reassure her that no harm would come to Cecil under Lord Dainer's protection.

"At worst, he'll have to learn to watch his behavior more closely," she said sadly. "But he's such a good boy already, I think it won't be too hard for him, milady."

"I don't want him anywhere near Father," Talea said bitterly. "I know only too well what kind of treatment he'll get for simply being a child."

Lilian made a noise from the other side of the wall; she had more or less gotten the idea of what kind of life Talea had lived by now and deeply regretted having said that nobles knew nothing of suffering.

"It won't help him to worry needlessly, milady," Rosalind said soothingly, taking Talea's hand. "Focus on keeping your strength up, and hopefully we'll be able to find our way out in time to save him from the worst of milord's temper."

Talea sighed. If only I still had my knife, I would be able to at least wound the guard and take his keys.

It had been days since she'd overcome her initial aversion to the thought of violence on a bystander.

"Shields up!"

As one, the entirety of the advance guard gave a roar and held their metal or wooden shields above their heads just as a new cascade of arrows fell upon them from the ramparts. A moment later a strong wind hit, scattering the enemy fire; still, several shafts managed to strike against the shields and helmets, and several soldiers cried as they were hit.

Shit, not strong enough, Kara thought, wincing at the screams. I hope none of them were hurt too badly...

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the evening air, and Kara could clearly see the entirety of the battlefield from her elevated vantage point. As the army's only real defense against arrows, she had climbed a tree for a better view, keeping her both concealed and well placed to control the winds at any moment. From there, she could see Nike and Kitra at the front, swords flashing in the light of the setting sun as the defending army poured out through the gates of the Inner City.

"Kara-sama, the archers are preparing for another bout!" a soldier yelled from the foot of the tree.

Damn, I need to pay attention, she scolded herself, preparing the incantation.

It had been over a week since they'd laid siege to the city. Just as Livius had predicted, the general at the Inner Wall was made of stronger stuff than the one at the Outer Wall. He had, in fact, recognized Nike quite clearly, but he still refused them entry; his orders were to stop the army no matter who the commander, and as His Majesty was a captive, he felt that he could not trust the queen to her word.

That had infuriated Nike, but Livi had managed to calm her later.

"General Bayreuth isn't the one at fault. For all we know, he's being blackmailed as well, though in all likelihood he's just unaware of the situation," he'd said tiredly. "He's a loyal man, but he still thinks Dainer is in charge because I want him to be, and he's hesitant to trust you when you've got me prisoner."

"Except it's a perfectly legal imprisonment!" Nike argued.

"Yes, but even if Violetta let them know that, it would still seem suspicious; why would a rightful queen insist on holding her husband hostage? I'm betting that Bayreuth knows nothing about Talea and Cecil being used against me, so he doesn't understand why I'm still being held unless you have an ulterior motive."

"Gods, I hate it when you're right," she'd muttered, and moved on to figure out their next plan of attack.

Since then there hadn't been a day without some sort of skirmish at the wall, and Nike and Kara didn't dare force their way in by Amefurashi just yet. The wall was so heavily defended and well built that they would likely collapse from the effort of it before they got anywhere, and the portcullis would be impossible to open unless they set fire to it. That was the last thing they wanted, as it would imperil the innocent people in the Inner City.

Instead, the current plan was to win control of the gates; whenever battle was joined and the army was pushed back enough by pitch and arrows, the portcullis was opened to let out a small defensive force.

"They're trying to thin out our numbers," Fortis had explained. "Even with the resources to last through a long siege, the city must have hundreds of thousands of inhabitants; food will be scarce faster than they'd like, while the rest of us camping out here between the walls have access to all the fields and orchards that normally supply the Inner City. No man with a good heart wants everyone within the walls to starve to death slowly."

"We don't want that either," Kara replied, "but if they do manage to take us out little by little, it'll be a problem for us."

"We'll have to force them back, and use that moment when they open the gate to get through."

It was easier said than done. While Nike's army grew increasingly weary, the men within the walls never seemed to tire. This was because, as Livi explained, the main army was quartered in the Leo District and was so large that it could replace the tired soldiers at the front lines for weeks. Worse, it was hard work getting up close to the wall. Arrows pelted down at them in thick clouds, and while Kara could take care of most of them, stray arrows did occasionally wound or kill. There was nothing she or Nike could do about the boiling pitch thrown from the wall either, so they all had to be very careful not to get too close to the stone wall during the fights. Canons, gunfire, even bolts from crossbows... the Inner City was well supplied for fighting off an invasion, and their artillery was too advanced to be turned away by mere wind or rain.

So far, they'd gotten nowhere near the portcullis, and Kara was beginning to think that they may have bitten off more than they could chew. Falaha had been wounded two days earlier, shot in the leg by a pistol, and Fortis had only just managed to avoid the worst of a terrible slash across his back.

"This is why we wear armor, love," he winced as Luna helped him clean the cut.

Everyone was looking very drawn and pale, and Livi had been up all night for days in the Queen's tent trying to come up with a plan to salvage the situation.

We're getting nowhere, and the longer we take, the more people die.

"Kara-sama! They've spotted us, we need to move!"

Kara looked up and saw that the soldier was right; several archers were aiming at the tree. In less than a second she leaped down from the branches, held up her shield, and ran for cover.

A storm was raging, but it wasn't a storm like anything Thena had ever seen. Huge bolts of lightning struck across the sky, and the wind was so violent that it whipped her hair across her face, actually drawing blood. The rain pelted hard on her skin and turned to hail, bruising her. She wanted to run, but no matter where she went, the storm continued to roar, and there was nowhere to hide.

She couldn't say how long she had been there when it suddenly struck her that the storm wasn't outside. Her fingertips crackled with electricity and the horrible roar of the wind was coming from her own mouth. The more she listened, the more she realized it wasn't wind at all, but a song, wild and cruel. She tried to stop, but found that she had no control; the song had a life of its own and was threatening to tear her apart from within.

Mama, Auntie Kara, help me!

She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she began to hear another sound beyond the howling of her own voice. It was faint at first, but it slowly wound through the air toward her, and Athene was sure she recognized her mother's voice, though it sounded so much less human than she was used to.

She's... singing.

But though she wanted to hear desperately, Athene's own song suddenly rose in volume, threatening to drown Nike out.

No! I just want to hear mama! Stop! STOP!

It seemed an eternity that she fought with her own voice, her mother's song only just beyond her reach. She felt clammy and ill, and the longer she struggled, the more her heart fluttered painfully. It was hard to breathe, hard to think. Still, the storm raged.

"Thena!"

Her earlobes suddenly burned, and she felt a terrible tearing sensation. A moment later, she fell to the ground on all fours, gasping for air, the song finally silenced. The storm seemed to disperse slowly, but it was definitely losing strength. Athene's eyes watered with pain as each breath racked through her body; everything was sore, but she had no time to rest.

That's right... I... I have to go.

She raised her head and saw that she was in the clearing from her dreams. Sheila was gone, but there was something else now; the soft murmuring of voices coming from the other side of the woods. She pulled herself up and stared in that direction.

It had been months since she'd heard voices like those. She raised a shaky hand to her ear and saw that though her fingers came away bloody, there were no stones.

I can hear... I can hear again.

After what just happened, however, the thought filled her with dread.

Gods damn it, how many more can there possibly be?!

Nike threw her weight behind her shield, trying to topple the larger man she was fighting. Her shoulder screamed in protest as it slammed against the hard metal, but she ignored it and pulled away immediately, just barely managing to regain her footing a moment before the man's sword came at her again.

She dodged as best as she could in the tight space and returned the strike, only glancing at his armor. She was tired, and she knew she wasn't fighting as well as she had been. She angled herself to the right and lunged forward, only to be forced back again immediately.

A quick glance to the left showed her that most of her forces weren't faring any better. They were steadily being pushed away from the gate and back into range of the enemy archers; it was clear that the battle was lost for the day.

"Kitra, sound the retreat!" she bellowed over the noise, still facing her opponent. From behind, she heard Kitra shout his acknowledgement and a moment later the deep sound of an ivory horn reverberated through the battlefield. Nike took one last, desperate swing at the soldier in front of her, this time aiming for his legs. She managed to scratch him, giving her the opening she needed to escape. "Fall back!" she shouted, and all the soldiers near her did as she asked, just barely holding up their shields in time to protect themselves from a new flurry of arrows as they fled.

It was nearly a mile across from the wall to their camp. Half fighting, half running, Nike tried not to trip on any of the debris strewn over the muddy earth. Over corpses and bloodied weapons she hurried, jumping from one place to another as she made for the relative safety of the woods. She could see hundreds of men and women scrambling backward from the enemy, some of them falling over from their wounds, and still others trying to pull their companions to refuge.

I have to get to the trees and give them some cover, she thought desperately, vaulting over a fallen horse. Kara is either down or unable to summon, which means I'm the only one able to do it. A stab of worry went through her, and as had become her habit, she wondered if all her friends had managed to make it through the afternoon. No time to worry just yet, Nike. First you have to ensure the retreat.

She pelted through the trees and up the ramp over the pit of pikes that made up their camp perimeter. As soon as she was in the clear, she shoved her rapier back into its sheathe and dropped her shield, and without a moment to rest she clawed her way up the nearest tree like a cat. She climbed as far as she could go and looked out; the edge of the forest was thin enough to ensure her a decent view of the open field between the wall and their camp, and she could see her own soldiers fighting to retreat. She rolled up her sleeves and ran over the song in her head; rain and harsh winds would make it difficult for her troops to make it back, but it would also prevent enemies from picking them off or following. She sent a quick message to Kara telepathically, hoping against hope that her sister was still alive and would relay the order to send help for the stragglers. Then she began to sing.

"Bloody hell," Livi seethed, slamming his fist down on the table. "Curse the day I sealed off most of the secret passageways into the city," he growled, scribbling notes onto his map. He paused; something was pattering down on the canvas tent, and Livi recognized the sound and smell of rain. "Another retreat, huh," he groaned, letting himself fall back into his chair listlessly.

"It seems so, Your Majesty," Neil said grimly, putting down a cup of wine for the king.

"I hate not being on the battlefield," he said darkly. "When I was younger there wasn't much I could do, but now I should be down there and fighting on the front lines, not sitting like a coward in camp."

"It can't be helped, milord."

"I know, that's what makes it sting the most." Livi took a deep drink from his cup and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "How's Athene?"

"No change, Your Majesty. Lanra says she hasn't stirred at all, though she's certainly breathing and her fever is under control."

"It's not normal for her to still be unconscious," Livi said, stifling a yawn. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept. "I'll go check in on her as soon as I'm done here."

"You should rest, Your Majesty. You'll only get ill if you continue to overwork yourself like this."

"I have to do something," Livi said irritably, checking another map. "My wife is out there risking her life every day, my friends are getting cut up and the men are literally dying, while all I can do is stay here and try to figure out a way to get past the wall. Meanwhile Dainer still has my son and his mother, and who knows what he's doing to them every moment we're wasting out here." He circled a portion of the wall on the map and immediately launched himself into a tactical diagram. Neil sighed but let him get on with it.

"Livi."

The tent was swept open and Nike came in, drenched to the bone. She looked weary and her face was bruised along her left cheek. Livi immediately got up from his chair and took her shoulder.

"Nike. Sit down, here, take this." He handed her a blanket and sat her down at the table gently. "Any wounds?"

"I think I sprained my wrist a bit," she winced, holding out her arm. It was definitely swollen and was quickly turning an ugly purple color.

Livi hissed at the sight of it. "Neil, get me the bandages."

"Yes sir," the chamberlain hurried out of the tent.

"Anything else?" Livi asked worriedly, checking Nike's arms carefully. He started at the sight of a bloodstain on her waist but she shook her head.

"It's not my blood," she said, and Livi knew she'd rather not talk about it.

Nike is fierce, but she's not a killer. I wish I could spare her this.

He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "I'm just glad you made it back in one piece."

She nodded, too tired to respond properly.

"Should I get you something to eat?"

"No. I'm not hungry," she said quietly, and Livi saw that she drew the blanket closer to herself.

What I would give for a good line to cheer her up with, he thought, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he held her and buried his face in her hair for a minute.

"Livi...?"

"Sorry, I'm useless in times like these. This is all I can do."

"You're not useless," her voice came from his chest, slightly muffled by his clothes. He pulled away and saw that though she still looked tired and worn, there was a bright light in her eyes that hadn't been there a second ago. "Without you we would've been crushed on the first day."

"We're still being crushed, you know."

"I think we've just... hit a wall," she said, and Livi snorted at the terrible pun.

"That was awful," he chuckled, but he felt a little better.

"Hmph, I'd like to see you do better," she said, but she was grinning slightly. He took her uninjured hand.

"Come on, let's go see Athene," he said. "And you can get some sleep while we're at it."

"Okay, but only if you stay with me," she said, tugging at his shirt gently. "You look like you need it more."

"...Fine. But first, let's take care of that wrist, princess."

"Where do you think you're going?"

Cecil stopped cold on the threshold to the great hall, his little arms clinging to his fox for dear life. He nervously turned to find Erika glaring at him.

"I asked you a question, boy."

Cecil tried very hard not to shrink away. "Sh-Sheshil wanna pway," he said quietly.

"Then play in your nursery."

"W-wanna pway outshide..." He could hear his voice faltering; since Sheila had gone silent, he had trouble gathering his courage and he felt strangely weak. He'd been bedridden with a fever for a few days already, and for some reason his chest kept aching, though the doctor said he didn't seem to be catching cold. Cecil didn't really understand all this, but he instinctively felt that if he was going to do it, he'd have to do it now, before all his nerve and strength deserted him.

Erika gave him a piercing look and tapped her foot impatiently. She was holding a stack of papers and seemed to be in a hurry. She hadn't been cruel to him since she'd started looking after him, but she hadn't been particularly affectionate either. She made sure he was fed and changed properly, but she paid little attention to him once she had him in her office. She just wanted to get her work done and found him an unpleasant distraction to that end.

"No. Come, milord doesn't want you going out." She gripped his hand and dragged him away, muttering to herself about how she wasn't trained to look after a child.

"Now, arrows and paperwork, that I can deal with," she said under her breath, but her hand was vice-like and Cecil couldn't pull away if he tried.

Grandma...! Help!

Still, no one answered.

Time seemed to go on forever, but Thena never seemed to wake up. That was strange; normally dreams had their own sense of time, but this was much too long. And she couldn't make herself leave either. She had no control, and it made her nervous.

What if I can't ever get out? she thought, feeling rather panicky. What if I can never see Daddy or Mama again? Or Auntie or Uncle, or Lanra?

She didn't dare head past the woods, where the voices were whispering. No matter how hard she strained her ears, she couldn't make out what they were saying, and she was too unnerved to leave the clearing. She almost wished she could meet someone, anyone.

Even Sheila... then I'll beat her up, Thena thought angrily, remembering the times she'd seen her mother fight with her sword. But at the thought of Sheila, something changed. A sound beyond the forest seemed to become clearer, and she could just make out a small voice calling for help. It was vaguely familiar.

"C-Cecil?!" she called, surprised at her brother's cry. She took a tentative step forward.

"Help!"

"Over here!" she shouted, but he continued to cry. He didn't seem to be able to hear her.

If he's in the dream, he should be able to hear, she thought, confused. She'd never had trouble being heard in a dream before. Before she knew it, she was at the very edge of the trees. The group of voices remained indistinguishable, except for Cecil's.

"Cecil!"

No reply.

"He must be awake," she said, disappointed. Though she could hear people's thoughts, even in her sleep, they could only hear her if they were asleep themselves or if they were telepathic and she directly tried to contact them. If she picked up on someone's voice while they were awake, she normally couldn't contact them.

Then an odd thought struck her.

Wait... she frowned at the trees and laid a hand on a thick trunk. Cecil was supposed to be miles away; didn't her mother tell her that they were going to the castle? Didn't her father say that Cecil lived there?

I'm not s'posed to hear anyone who's too far away... except for Daddy.

Even then, her father wasn't an exception; though she could speak to him from a distance when she was awake, Livi himself still had to be asleep and in a dream to receive her messages. If he was awake, she couldn't hear his thoughts until he was nearby.

But if Cecil was awake and couldn't hear her respond, then either she was closer to him than she thought, or something strange was going on.

"Cecil!" she shouted again, but like before, there was no direct reply. He merely continued to call for help in a panicked voice.

Sh-should I keep going? She looked behind her nervously, but the clearing remained as empty as ever. O-okay... I'm a big sister, like Auntie Kara... And big sisters help little sisters and little brothers, right...?

She slapped her cheeks gently to give herself a bit of courage. Okay.

"Cecil! Wait for me!"

He was still trying to get free from Erika's grip when someone spoke to him.

"Cecil!"

He froze, startled. He looked around but he and Erika were alone in the hallway, and no one seemed to be calling for him.

"Who call?" he said aloud, but Erika merely looked at him and frowned.

"No one, don't make up stories." She shook her head in annoyance and continued to read her notes as they walked toward her office, her hand still tightly holding his.

"Cecil, can you hear?"

He blinked. This time he recognized the voice as being in his head, much like when Sheila spoke to him. But the voice didn't belong to his grandmother.

Th-Thena-neecha?

"Oh, you got my name right this time."

Why neecha here?!

"Dunno, I heard you calling so I came. There's a puddle thingy, I can kind of see through it and hear you in it."

Where grandma?

He heard Athene make a hissing sound.

"Is she still here?! Don't listen to her Cece, she's bad!"

Grandma no bad! he thought indignantly. She want to help Daddy!

"She's bad, she wants to hurt you!"

Thena liar! He unconsciously tried to pull away from Erika again, feeling as if he could get loose, he could get away from Thena's voice as well.

"Am not! But anyway, didn't you want help? Is someone kitnapping you?!"

As usual, he had no idea what his sister was saying.

Go away, trying to help Lily, he thought as he dug his heels into the marble floor. Erika pulled his arm so hard in response that he cried aloud.

"Enough! Behave or I'll hand you over to your grandfather. Do you want that?!" she shouted, shaking him none too gently.

Cecil started to cry.

"You dummy! Don't cry, she'll just get angry!" Thena said hurriedly. Cecil paid her no attention, he was too upset.

"Bloody hell, stop it, you hear me?!" Erika yelled, obviously lost as to what to do with a crying child. "Stop right this instant!"

"Erika-sama?"

A young butler made his way down the hallway toward them. He was one of the castle staff and Cecil thought he sounded a bit familiar, though he couldn't recognize him through his blurry vision.

"Oh, Sororu. Is something the matter?" Erika's tone changed dramatically, though it was still clear that she was in a bad mood.

"No ma'am, I merely heard the young master crying. Is everything alright?"

Erika sighed. "I don't know. I have no idea what's wrong with him."

The boy crouched down to Cecil's height.

"Hello, young master. Did something happen? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked kindly.

Cecil shook his head but continued to wail.

"Wait, this is good! He can save you from the kitnapper!" Thena urged, but Cecil was still confused about what she was getting at.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"She-Sheshil wanna go out!" he bawled, clutching his toy. Sororu reached out and patted his head.

"There, there, young master. No need to cry," he said gently. He looked up to Erika, who seemed to be trying to drown out Cecil's shrill screaming. "If you don't mind, ma'am, I can look after the young master for a while. I'm sure you have a lot to do."

"Well... It's against milord's orders," she said uncertainly. "But... I do have to work out the contract between the miners in Riolt and the Lake Province... and there's several treaties pending review..."

"I'll keep him out of the way of the Earl, ma'am," Sororu said knowingly. "Children need fresh air from time to time, but I'll have him back before milord notices a thing."

She gave in. "Very well, I'll trust him to you, Sororu. Go." She turned and made her way back to her office alone.

"There we go, poor thing. Miss Erika isn't a bad person, but she's very stern." Sororu noted. "Nothing like you're used to, I'm sure. Now, young master, you wanted to go to the gardens, yes?" he asked, offering his hand to Cecil.

"Oh good, he seems like a nice person," Thena said, relieved. "I'm sure you can get where you wanted now."

The child sniffled and took the older boy's hand.

Nike stirred, groaning, and turned to find Livi fast asleep at her side. His mouth was slightly open, the dark circles under his eyes still visible against his pale skin.

He must be exhausted, she thought dimly, stifling a yawn. He hasn't slept in days.

She wasn't sure what had woken her, but she guessed she'd only been asleep for an hour or two. The sounds of people moving about outside, of armor clanking noisily and horses neighing, were still clearly audible even through the canvas of the tent. A bit of sunlight shone through the material, and the air was warm. Her rain clouds must have dissipated some time ago.

Careful not to wake Livi, she sat up on the bedding slowly, trying to make out Athene's figure in the relative darkness of the tent. She was on her own bedding, just next to her parents' but she had barely moved at all since Kara had managed to remove her earrings. It was an unnatural sleep, and Nike was worried sick.

I'm sorry sweetheart, she thought guiltily, sweeping back the girl's bangs. She hated going away from Thena for even a moment, but she was needed on the front lines. If she could, she'd stay by her daughter at all times and tend to her herself; she had never been much fond of leaving others to raise her child. As a baby, Nike had fed, cleaned, soothed, and played with Athene herself. In the duchy, Neil had only tutored the girl, and Lanra was more of a companion to Nike than Thena's nurse. It was only after leaving that Nike had been forced to leave Thena in the care of others, and she felt like a terrible mother for it, no matter what the reasons.

She touched the girl's ears gingerly, lamenting the wounds on the lobes where the earrings had torn through. They'd scabbed over but they still looked terrible, even in the low light.

"It wasn't your fault."

She jumped, her heart in her throat.

"Livi! Don't do that!"

She looked over her shoulder to find him looking tiredly at her. He hadn't moved a muscle, so she hadn't realized he was awake.

"Sorry," he said. "I thought you might be feeling guilty about what happened to her."

"... How did you know?"

"Because it's the kind of thing you'd worry about. And it's the kind of thing a parent would do when something bad happens to their child," he said, covering up a yawn. "But in Athene's case, we don't know what's wrong with her, so you shouldn't blame yourself."

"That's easy enough for you to say," she said, and she knew she sounded sharper than she meant to. He looked slightly hurt.

"Nike..."

She closed her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean it."

"I know you think I don't care about her as much as you do... and maybe you're right. I wasn't there to care for her or help you when you both needed it," he said, sitting up slowly. "But I do know what it's like to worry as a parent, and I worry about Athene just as much as I worry about Cecil. So I know what it feels like to blame yourself over something you can't help."

Nike looked away from those sharp blue eyes and cupped Thena's cheek.

"I know... I just... wish there was something I could do for her."

He hugged her from behind, his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. He felt warm and familiar.

"You're already doing everything you can. You're a wonderful mother, Nike."

"Are you just saying that so you can get something in return?" she asked suspiciously. He looked genuinely surprised.

"Do I look like the type of husband who would use empty flattery to get what he wants?"

"Definitely."

"Hmph, shows how much you know," he sniffed, insulted. "I meant every word. I always mean everything I say."

She giggled to herself and fell silent for a moment.

"Do... do you really think I'm a good mother?"

"Mm. After all, there's no such thing as a perfect parent, Nike."

"I guess you're right..."

"Athene loves you, you know. She wouldn't stop talking about you, back when we met. Even when she was bad-mouthing you, she did it with this ridiculously proud tone," he laughed at the memory. "I wasn't sure if she was complaining or showing off."

"This little demon," Nike said, clicking her tongue at Thena's cheek. "That sounds just like her."

"I've heard most everyone from the duchy call her that," he chuckled. "It's appropriate."

"Well, she is your child after all."

"And yours."

Nike raised her hand to touch his over her shoulder. He interlaced his fingers with hers and they both sat there, just watching Thena in her strange sleep.

Sororu brought Cecil out to the garden after a quick lunch. Cecil wasn't sure how to get away from his supervision, but Thena was quick and suggested he ask to play hide and seek. Less than ten minutes later, he had hurried out of sight and down the length of wall he'd explored previously while Sororu searched for him among the roses.

"Is there anything important this way?" Thena asked, confused.

Grandma showed. Lily here, he explained. At the mention of Sheila, Thena once again made that hissing noise, but this time she said nothing. A moment later she asked another question.

"What's a lily?"

Um, girl. She in dark place and grandma say Lily im-im...

"Important?"

Uh huh.

"Oh, wait... is this that girl that Sheila said was keeping some important people from helping mama?"

Ya. Sheshil have to help, and then daddy safe.

"Right..." She still sounded terribly distrustful, but Cecil didn't understand why she suddenly claimed that Sheila was lying.

He stopped to catch his breath. He didn't recognize the area as well as he'd hoped; it had been a few weeks now since he'd found the place that Sheila had indicated to him.

"Is it around here?"

Uhm, think so. He ran his hand over the stone and kept walking. A few minutes later he found what he was looking for; a grate just large enough for him to slip through and a white mark scratched out by a rock.

"This place?"

He didn't bother to reply. He was overcome with a terrible coughing fit and fell to his knees.

"Cecil? CECIL!" Her voice was suddenly cut off.

"Milady! It's an emergency!"

Neil hurried into the tent, glasses askew. Nike didn't wait for him to elaborate before she threw the covers aside and grabbed her rapier's sheathe.

"How many men, from what direction?" she barked, pulling on her chain mail and tying her hair back.

Livi tripped as he tried to get up. He swore loudly.

"They've sent a force to flank us from the west," Neil explained, handing Nike a missive. "Our scouts caught sight of them, they'll be on us in less than half an hour."

"Get Luna and Kitra. Kara if you can find her. Fortis and Falaha are still wounded so leave them to rest." She followed Neil to the tent opening but paused before she stepped out. She looked back at Livi and Athene. He was pulling his shoes on as quickly as he could, and for the first time since the siege had begun, a feeling of dread filled her at the thought of going into battle.

I may never come back to you... to either of you. I'm sorry.

"Livi..." He looked up and she swallowed the knot in her throat. She came toward him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I love you. Look after Thena for me," she said simply, and she knew by the forlorn look in his eyes that he understood the unspoken implication.

Look after her if I don't come back.

She kissed him, but when he tried to hold on, she shook him off and hurried away.

Notes: I started this chapter with a very specific point in mind and then I wrote a lot without ever actually GETTING to the point, ha. I guess you're getting one more chapter added to the final count.

I'm always ecstatic to hear what you have to say about ALoI so if you have the time, please drop me a comment, and as always, thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!