Back to consciousness, I found myself lying in a bed. I opened my eyes. Outside was dark and someone had lit a candle and put it on the table beside the bed. I sighed and attempted to sit up. I failed. My muscles hurt and my head felt heavy. Also, there was a weighty body next to me, who made me incapable to move. From the snore, I knew it was Dark Fur. She was profoundly sleeping and occupying two-thirds of the bed. How does this Diam sleep with her? Maybe he's worse? Keeping these thoughts to myself, I slowly tried to get out of bed.

*Where do you think you're going?* Dark Fur hadn't moved a bit, only having opened one eye that was now staring at me.

I didn't let her intimidate me. "To the bathroom. Where else can I wash myself?" I asked kind of ironically.

She seemed to have taken my question seriously. *I know a few places, but you humans are too... peculiar and won't wash yourselves there.* From her tone, I could tell she thought that our 'peculiarity' was a flaw.

"You won't mind to tell me them later?" I smiled and then entered the bathroom. The steaming water soothed my injured muscles. I wondered how long it had been that I fell unconscious. I gathered mentally all I got to learn about that place. Shira was a gifted woman. There was something going to happen in the future that only she knew. However, everyone who lived there was somehow part of that event. Adrian was training them. Gwen instructing the others about gardening. They have all been here since they were between five and seven. They were educated by Uncle Desdiro, the Lord of Yerdoth, the one, who is feared by everyone. I had met him and I felt no fear. He was nothing like what the others told about him. He just lived by different rules. Better rules and that upset the others. But why did it upset the others? What was in the old rules that threatened them? Those questions I came to answer later, when I learn what the old rules said and what they meant, but that I'll tell you later on.

I left the shower. I realised I had left my clothes in the bedroom. With the towel wrapped around me, I left the bathroom. Dark Fur was snoring, but she wasn't the only one in the room. I knew the person that held a tray with my dinner. It had been four months since I last saw him. He had helped me escape and it had cost him, I noticed by seeing the scar on his arm. How many wounds lay beneath his shirt? One thing was certain, I caused him trouble.

"Nam." I finally said.

"Desde-" He turned to me and saw that I was only wearing a towel. He blushed and turned around to leave. "I'm sorry, Miss. I hope I get the chance to see you later." He left the room.

I stood there too surprised by this sudden meeting.

*Who is he?* Dark Fur was accusing, as it sounded. Her words seemed to wake me up from my surprised state. I opened my coffer and took out a dress.

"He's the son of my cook." I explained when I was dressing. "We used to play when we were young. He's my friend and he helped me escape."

*So why did he blushed when he saw you?* She narrowed her eyes. *It's not like he hasn't seen you like that before.*

"Actually... Mother has prohibited him of entering my room whenever he wanted, when I was ten. She said that it's not ladylike to be befriended with the commoners. Even though, she has let us be friends when we were young, now it was inacceptable." I sighed at the memory of one of Mother's sermons. "That's what she said and he hasn't seen me in that condition since then. A lot of things have changed; I became more womanlike."

*I still can't get why he blushed, maybe...*

"Maybe...?" I encouraged her.

*Forget it. Why don't you hurry up? I have been waiting for a while for you to wake up.*

"Why? Is there something?" I was expecting some sort of special mission. Maybe she'd have permission to take me somewhere, show me something new. Or Uncle Desdiro would want to talk to her... I had some questions to pose. Why is Shira gifted? Why do we need someone who's gifted? What was beyond today? I knew something awaited us, but I couldn't tell what. Uncle Desdiro would know; he seemed to know a lot about everything, really, everything. Maybe-

*Yeah... I'm hungry.* Her answer cut my thoughts. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"Want some... green soup... and... rice... with... what is that?" I asked while looking at the tray.

*As much as I appreciate your food, it isn't part of my pleasures. Now eat and then we'll go.*

I wasn't that hungry, so I just ate the soup and the rest remained untouched. I took the tray with me as we left the room.

"Why didn't you go eat something, while I was passed out?" I wondered, while we made our way to the kitchen.

*Because you were passed out. * It sounded like the most obvious thing in the world. *You needed someone to be with you and I don't think you'd like some unknown by your side.*

"Wasn't Nam here at that time? You could've switched with him and then go eat."

*Don't trust him.* She said all too simply. Sort of as you were stating that the sky is blue, a certainty that is most sure.

"Why not? He has always been such a nice boy."

*That's exactly why.* That seemed to be enough for her. I didn't know what the matter was. Nam was truly nice and he'd help her more than once. He'd been her comrade in all the games they'd played. He was an innocent, sweet and very funny boy. I couldn't get why she didn't like him...

"What exactly is wrong with being nice?" I asked.

*Nice? Oh, nothing. Why would there be?* Now she confused me.

"Then why...?"

*Because he's a boy.*

I stopped walking. Just why was that an impediment? So what? He's a boy and what does she has to do with it

"Explain yourself." I coldly demanded.

Dark Fur sat facing me. Her expression showed nothing at all. *You belong to Diam. Any other boy will just hurt you and I don't want that.*

My jaw dropped. ...What? What?! Just... WHAT?! Who, just WHO, did she think she was? And just why would she say that I was getting hurt? Everything was just messed up about it; it didn't make sense at all.

"Just how do you have the right to decide that?" I spoke every word clearly, as I didn't want to be misunderstood. I guess a bit of fury was hearable in my voice as I was mad.

*I have no right. I just have knowledge. You belong to Diam.*