"What do you mean you're not going?!" Lucas hisses.

He turns to the Captain. "You talked her into this, didn't you?!"

Now, even he looks pissed. "On the contrary, I didn't know about it." He says, shooting Caroline a strange look.

Before any punches can land, Kila comes through the hallway on his way downstairs, and stops upon seeing us.

"What's going on here?" He booms.

The Captain steps forward. "The Princess doesn't seem to want to leave to go to Mistell." There's a note of urgency in his voice.

Kila looks around. The corners of his mouth turn up, and I can't help thinking that he's just come up with an idea.

"Elijah, you're coming too, am I right?"

The Captain's eyes widen, like he was asked that for the first time. "If my presence is required." He answers.

"It is." Says Kila. He turns to Caroline. "There. Now that Elijah is coming, you've got no one to train you, therefore no reason to stay here."

"You don't understand--"

"And I don't want to." He says impatiently. "Leaving you here would mean more trouble that bringing you along, you pesky little insect." He then motions for his guards, and they follow him downstairs.

"Did he just call me a..."

"Yeah." Farkle manages a smile. "C'mon." He drags Caroline away.

The Captain turns on his heel and heads the other way, so it's just the two of us.

"Lucas." I say calmly. He's still distressed, and tempting him would not do either of us any good.

He looks up at me, his eyes are strangely full of hurt. "Am I really turning out to be my father?"

I shake my head. He would never be like him. Lucas was strong, compassionate. Lucas was fair in his reasoning, even though it might not seem like it at first.

I step forward and let my arms hug him around his waist, pulling him closer to my body. Slowly, he wraps his arms around me too.

"I don't want to be like him." He says. "More than anything..."

"You're better than that." I say.

"But he's my father, Riles." He sighs. "As much as I want to dislike him, I can't."

I look up into his eyes. They're duller than usual, the result of sleepless nights.

Now that I notice, he does look a little paler.

I squeeze his hand. "Hey, I get it."

He squeezes back. "You have no idea how much it helps that you're besides me on this. I'm glad I came with you."

I nod. "And now we're heading back."

"Everything's going be fine." He says go himself, trying to convince us both. I repeat it like a mantra in my head.

It's going to be fine.

It's going to be fine.

It's going to be fine.

Eventually, I go to my room and pack the few stuff the servants were kind enough to give me, and meet Lucas and Farkle outside.

Soon enough, we're joined by Kila's sister, Caroline and the Captain. Then Kila comes with a few guards and we make the long journey from the castle to the beach, via the forest.

It isn't that bad this time. Maybe the fact that we're on horseback helps, bit even the weather is clear, even though it's still very cold, and the ground is dry.

The ship waits for us by the beach. The guards keep a wary eye on us, but there's no point in doing so, knowing we won't try to escape this time.

I mean, Caroline would, but the only person she listens to nowadays is the Captain.

We board the ship, and Kila is nice enough to give us a room this time. Only difference is, this room is much too small for four people, the only difference being the fact that it contains a bed.

"Guys?" Farkle says. "I don't think we should tell anyone of what we learnt."

Caroline narrows her eyes. She's braided her hair like Kila's sister does and looks furious.

"And let them rule over the--"

"He's right." Says Lucas. "We need a plan."

"What do you mean?!" She half-shrieks. "Your coronation is in spring. Spring. Surely by then--"

"If his father finds out we know, there will be no coronation." Farkle says.

If looks could kill, Farkle would be deep underground by now. "Stop. Cutting. Me. Off!" Caroline hisses.

I take a hold of her arm. Why must I always be the mediator?

"He's right." I try to reason with her, telling her all the things her father would do to the tribes if he found out.

Eventually, she understands.

The ship rocks back and forth. Lucas leaves once to talk to Kila, and by the look on his face when he returns, I'm guessing things went well.

It's around evening when we arrive in Mistell. The busy people chattering at the docks, the sound of clacking metal and the smell of the sea overloads my senses, and I'm happy.

We get off, where my brother and my father are waiting for us, escorted by two guards.

I run up to Joshua and let him swing me around, once then twice. He let's me go with a big grin.

"I'm glad you're alive and all." He says. "Even though I would prefer you dead."

Kila's eyes narrow on hearing this, but I tell him it's only a joke. Apparently, the Northern people don't have a sense of humor.

I move out of the way to let Kila's sister meet my brother.

Biting her lip nervously, she curtsies. I can't help think how adorable it is, even at the back of my mind, I know its wrong.

With one look from out father, Joshua bows back.

"I'm Julietta" She says.

"Joshua." He scratches the back of his head nervously.

Who could blame him? I mean he did just meet his future wife.

The carriage ride to the castle is very awkward. The carriage itself is big, enough to seat four peeple.

I sit wedged between Caroline and Lucas, glaring at each other like they were about to start fighting right here.

After a while, Lucas looked away. He didn't talk, didn't say anything. His focus was on the fields outside, although I doubt grass would be more interesting to him than he made it appear.

We arrived at the castle, where mother and Maya were waiting for us. Maya crushed me into a hug.

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"Huh, that's what everyone keeps saying."

She smiles, although I can tell it doesn't reach her eyes. When she sees Julietta, she bows to her with gritted teeth and eyebrows pulled together.

She's not angry. She's frustrated. Very, Very frustrated.

But there was a thin line in the middle, and I was sure that if she had to spend the next 24 hours arranging her own lover's wedding to somebody else, she might cross it.

I go up to my room and a warm feeling makes it way up my stomach at all the memories and the familiarity of each and every single thing.

After a short nap, I wake up to find the sun already gone.

Changing clothes, I walk out of the room and into the upstairs corridor, eager to get word to father before dinner. No doubt Kila would be joining us.

I'm just about to turn the corner when a rough hand slams into my mouth, pushing me against the wall.

I start thrashing, trying to get control over the person holding me there.

"Shh.." he murmurs. My heart heart calms down when I recognise the voice. And those eyes. It's Lucas.

"What are we...?" He puts his finger to his lips, asking me to keep silent.

I purse my lips, looking around.

Then I hear voices.

"Of course I want to marry you!" Joshua is whispering. "But I don't have much of a choice here!"

"You always have a choice." Maya seems pissed. As they pass by, Lucas pushes his body onto mine, wedging me between him and the wall.

"What do you want me to do?! Run away with you?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Maya..."

"Don't blame me. I can't help hating her, she's your betrothed. I'm just the servant girl."

"No... don't say that." He sighs in frustration. "What do you want me to do?"

"Run away with me."

"Hey u didn't actually mean--"

"I'm serious." She says.

Are my ears ringing? Does she actually want to run away with him?

Everything we've worked for - it would all be for nothing if the wedding is off. Kila won't trust us anymore.

When they're down the stairs, Lucas releases his grip on me.

I allow myself a moment to think about this rationally.

"I'll talk to them after dinner." I tell him. "Explain that it's wrong."

"They're in love." He says to me. "They don't care about kingdoms, about royalty. Just each other."

I look up at him and frown. "Excuse me?"

He shrugs. "It's true."

"Everything we've done--"

"Is for Kila." He completes determinately. "For a minute, stop and think about other people."

Wow, did he just say that to me? I was thinking of everybody else. That's why this alliance is important to me.

"This is all Kila's fault." He says. "Not Mistell's, not Valaire's."

I back away from him. He was still hell-bent on proving that his country was innocent, even though it wasn't. Even I have internalised the fact that my father helped King Arden. Was it that hard to believe?

"I don't know what you're saying." I say, shaking my head furiously.

"Riley, I.." he extends his hand, trying to find mine.

"No." I say. I take a few more steps back until I'm at the foot of the stairs. "I don't want to hear it."

I turn my back and walk down the stairs. The pendulum at the end of the hall displays the time. It was three minutes to dinner.

"Hello." Julietta greets me warmly.

"Hey." I answer meekly. "You sure do seem happy."

She bites her lip, trying to hide a smile. "I...I'm excited?"

"Really? All you've seen of Mistell so far are plains and fields, but if you--"

She slaps my arm lightly. "No. Excited for the wedding."

"Oh." I blink. "So you like my brother?'

She nods. "He seems really nice."

If only she knew. Poor girl.

Her smile suddenly gets wider. "I also want to show you something!"

"What is it?"

She grabs my hand, pulling me towards the backdoor, which leads to the garden.

"Um, it's almost dinner time and..."

"We can skip a few minutes." She says. I follow her out into the courtyard. The air is cold and wet, the only light coming from a few lamps my mother hung up long ago.

"I didn't know, I mean... but I followed them, because I was curious and I just..."

"What afore you talking about?"

She stops and points to the nearest tree.

More specifically, the two people under the tree.

Caroline and the Captain. And they were kissing.

For a few minutes, I stood there gawking like an idiot, speechless for words.

"Does anybody else know?" I ask.

"No." She shakes her head.

"Good." I say in a low voice. God knew what Lucas would do if he found out.

Dinner bells are already ringing, so we walk back quietly into the hallway, slipping into the room where everybody is having dinner.

I turn around after closing the door to find Julietta staring back at the guests with wide eyes.

I follow her gaze to the dinner table. Sitting at the front, next to my father, is King Arden.

"How lovely to see you again." He says when he sees me.

I mutter out a 'likewise' and as politely as I can, ask him why he's here.

"King Arden and I have some important business to discuss." My father tells me. Lucas and Farkle have taken their seats too.

My mother gestures at two empty chairs. Julietta and I take our seats.

We've just started dinner, but it's already getting tense. King Arden can't go two minutes without throwing Kila a certain look, or making hidden remarks, most of them negative.

Julietta is getting angry too. I try to calm her down, telling her it's not worth getting upset over.

The doors open again, and this time, it's Caroline and Elijah.

King Arden gets up from his seat. He glares at the two of them, and I can't help wonder if Lucas has told him anything. Glancing at Lucas, I find that his gaze has lowered.

"Father!" Caroline blinks. She obviously didn't know he was coming here too.

"Caroline." He says in an unamused voice. His features show intense disapproval, but he doesn't say anything.

Caroline and her father sit on opposite ends, Caroline choosing to ignore him.

I can hardly enjoy my bread, or any chicken for that matter. The air is thick with silence, and the only people not noticing is perhaps my parents.

One of my father's messengers comes rushing in by the time half of us are done, and whispers something in my father's ears.

My father immediately gets up.

"Something has come up." He says. "Please excuse me."

My father leaves, and my mother follows his out.

Once they're gone, King Arden turns to Kila.

"Your sister is quite something." He says.

Oh god, please don't start here.

I take a laboured breath. Things didn't need to get any worse.

Kila nods wordlessly. I kick Lucas's leg, silently asking him to change the topic.

He doesn't.

"Too bad she's not getting married anytime soon."

My fork drops.

What did he just say?

How did he even find out?!

"What?!" Kila hisses.

"Oh, didn't you hear?" He asks. "Her betrothed fancies another."

Caroline stands up quicker than lightning. "How do you know that?"

I catch him winking at Lucas. "I have my ways." He tells Caroline. "And you, my dear, have turned your back on your people." He tuts. "Downright shameful, don't you think."

In a flash, the Captain is by her side. He grabs her arm, murmuring something in her ear.

She drops the spoon she clenched in her hand a few seconds ago.

It drops to the floor with a clank, and that little sound signals something much bigger.

Farkle looks at me desperately. He's trying to tell me something, but I can't figure it out.

I look at him, shaking my head. He mouths the word again.

Trap.

King Arden produces a sword from his side and unsheathes it.

"Guards!" I scream as loud as I can.

The King's smile sends dread to my stomach.

"They're with your father. Far, far away."

No. It's something worse than dread. Three of his guards surround us, already armed.

"Lucas please--"

"Your Prince Charming won't help you, darling." He says. "In fact, he was never yours to begin with. A little plan of ours, to woo the princess." His eyes flicker between us. "I'm guessing it worked."

My heart heart increases as if my heart wasn't beating fast already.

Lucas's betrayal.

It was all a game.

I look at him desperately, silently asking him to tell me this isn't true.

He doesn't.

In three short strides, the guards corner each of us, ready to make a move if necessary.

I want to say something to Lucas, make his stop it but I can't even bring myself to face him right now.

The King walks over to Elijah, who's unfairly unarmed.

"This is an act of treason." Says Farkle. "If Riley's father ever found out--"

"What Mistell's King will find out," says King Arden. "Is that Kila here, attacked us. Who do you think he would believe?"

Why doesn't this surprise me? Of course my father would believe Arden.

A piece of metal glinting in the light catches my eye. I glance over at the table to see a silver knife next to a plate.

Well, it's better than nothing.

Slowly backing to the table, I pick up the knife just as King Arden aims for Elijah's throat. Elijah tries to fight back, but the king does have advantage oover him. Caroline cries out, and Lucas yells for him to stop.

In the moment of panic and anger, I don't even think twice. I pull my arm back and throw the knife as hard as I can, straight at King Arden.

He goes plunging back, losing his grip on the sword. I intended to hit in straight in the chest, but instead the knife makes its way into his arm.

"Seize her!" He yells, blood already soaking his royal garments.

The guards tun towards me, immediately binding my hands together.

I cry out on frustration, tears blurring my vision as I struggle from their grasp, but to no avail.

"No! Let me go!" I shriek.

Farkle grabs a candlestand and smacks it on one of the guards' head. Caroline's weapon is a fork.

But even if they try, they're outnumbered. Everyone watches is horror as I'm dragged out of the room and down the musty stairs.

Straight into the dungeon.

I'm muffled and my feet are tied with rope.

They throw me into one the cells and lock the gate, immediately leaving.

I shake the gates as hard as I can, ignoring the shooting pains in my body. After a while, I give up and sit back, alone and defeated.

As tears make their way down my face, unmasked, raw tears, I realise I'm more upset by the fact that someone I thought I trusted actually betrayed me.

And I wasn't talking about King Arden.

A/N : extraaaa long chapter. review :)