The next mourning, Amber got up earlier then she was meant to be, Alex was still sleeping! But Amber's mind keeped wandering from one person to another.

Amber POV

First there's Alex. She's such a tough girl. She looked like that arrow shot didn't even faze her at all. She didn't look at all in pain, and yet her hand was bleeding so much. She has such a negative additude too. Boy does that ever make me mad! But it's so hard to get mad at her. She saved me from Lord Bryan, his grip would have killed me if it wasn't for her.

My mind wandered to Ray. He is such a gentil soul. He wouldn't hurt a fly that one. He was so nice to us when we first got here, unlike the other people. I'm surprised that he got chosen to be working with the cooks. From all the different servants I've seen, he should be working with the healers. There paitents and good care helps all those injured folks.

Injured folks. Lord Tala. What a rude son of a bitch! Did I just swear? Oh well, he deserves it anyways. Too bad Alex didn't get a good crack at him. I want to hit him myself. But my mom always taught me that a proper lady didn't show her anger.

Mom. I missed her so much. She had left with the knights over 2 years ago. I wonder if she's ever coming back. The power to see into the future had to have taken a toll on her. I wonder if she saw me becoming a servant for the palace.

I shivered. A servant. We were treated so badly here. Whipped for being late? Beaten for being tierd? I wouldn't be surprised if some were be- headed for back talking!

My suddenly thought of something. Alex always back talks, but she wasen't put to death. I wonder what punishment she got. Was she beaten? She did come back the last few days with scars and bleeding. But that one day, she came back with a smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with disgust. Something bad must have happened to her. I have to find out.

End Amber POV

Amber blinked. She heard a ruffle of blankets and a groan. She looked around to see it still dark, but very slim light coming through the cracks of the room. Sunrise.

Amber forced a smile, it might have been forced, but it was as bright as ever.

" Mourning, have a good sleep?" Amber chirpped.

Alex eyes flickered open and she glanced in Amber's direction. Pure terror lite up on her face now.

" I'm LATE!" Alex cried and darted out of the room.

Amber blinked. " Late? It's sunrise!"

:::::::::::::::::::::

Alex raced down the big hallways of the castle and darted into the knight court room, which she found to be nearly empty. Alex's worst fear of being late was sitting down at one of the chairs. Lord Tala.

" Late?" Tala asked, a smirk spreading across his face.

That smirk sent horrible shivers down her spine. Seeing this, Tala looked even more amused.

Tala made a 'tsk tsk' sound. " Did I not tell you that you would be punished if you were late again?"

Alex tried to stand her ground, but the thought coruppted her and her voice became a bit shakey. (A/N: A bit is an understatment!)

" I-I swe-ear I di-didn't me-ean to b-be l-l-at-ate!" Alex had never in her life felt more afraid then she did now.

Tala grinned, Alex felt like she was going to tumble into darkness. His grin, any smile he gave her sent shivers of desprite fear down her spine.

The door behind her was pushed open and she jumped. In stepped Kai, much to Alex' relief. Alex set on a pleading smile and hoped to win Kai over.

" I didn't mean to be late! I swear! I just slept in an extra, what, hour? 20 minutes?" Alex shouted. Her voice had regained it's normal stregh, now that she had hope of Tala not punishing her again.

Kai looked confused, then he spotted Tala and knew instantly what Alex was pleading for. Tala frowned.

" You were still late! There is no excuses." Tala snapped at her.

Alex glared at him. " It was sunrise when I woke up! That's a tiny bit late! Big deal!"

Tala glared back at her. " Rules are rules. That's what Prince Max told you, did he not?"

Alex growled under her breath and looked at Kai, glaring as well, making sure her acting was as good as ever.

" Sorry but I'm not going to take punishment for being a little bit late. And nobody can make me do other wise!"

Kai didn't know what to do, so he pondered his mind and thought of the first thing he would have normally done. Hit her.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ray was surprised to find that Amber was already up. But he wasn't at all surprised to find that Alex had already taken her part. Amber smiled brightly at him.

" Good mourning Ray. Have a good sleep?" Her voice slightly shakey.

Ray raised a brow at her. " Yeah It was fine. You alright?"

Amber keeped her golden smile on her face, but her eyes told whole lies. " I'm fine. We should get going, before we both get in trouble for being late."

Ray POV

There was something wrong. I knew it. But she was trying to hide it from me. Why, I don't think I would ever know. But her words were true, we would be late.

" Ummm, yeah. Come on." I stated, my voice unsure.

Amber's smile faded and a frown toke it's place. My own heart sunk at this action. Her eyes faded and blanked out. For a single moment, it looked like Amber had blacked out. She blinked and her blue eyes came back to normal, except for the fact that they still held lies within them. I smiled myself when Amber finally brought back her beautiful smile. She looked so much like an angel. An angel with fear in her eyes.

End Ray POV

Amber grinned. " Alright then." She was at her feet in seconds, she pulled down her skirt a bit more to make it straight on her hips.

Ray shock his head. Ridding his mind of some current unwanted feelings and thoughts.

" Ray, Alex woke up at sunrise, and when she realized it, she looked completely afraid." Amber stated, her eyes went soft.

Ray couldn't bare a single second in them. " And your wondering why she was scared?"

Amber nodded, she balled her hands as if she was praying and held them to her chest. " She's never been scared since she's gotten here. Since I've known her, she is always either angry or satisfied."

Ray shock his head, still not meeting her tender eyes. " You got me on that one. I get the feeling she's not telling us what is really happening to her here. She refused to tell me anything when she came to the kitchen a couple days back. She looked exhausted and she was sweating."

Amber cluched her hands tighter to her chest. A single tear fell from her eye. She quickly wiped it away and shrieked. Totally destroying the despressing moment.

" Were going to be LATE!" She rushed past Ray and out the door. " Roxin is going to be so mad if I'm late!"

Ray nodded and ran towards the kitchen, guessing that he was yet again, late.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kai back handed Alex across the face, as hard as his strengh could force. Alex was slammed backwards against the wall and she growled.

/{/ I'm glad he hasn't shown any change, I'm still the same person to him! } Alex grinned in her mind.

Alex straightened herself and glared at him. " Don't make me hurt you Kai!"

Kai smirked. " Take your best shot."

Alex went to lunge at him when her arm was grabbed and twisted painfully behind her back. Alex strained to get her arm free, with no success.

Tala grinned and held her arm tighter, pulling at it, making it go higher and make Alex groan in pain. Tala injoyed hearing her in pain. He smirked and pushed with one grand blast, her arm back down and yanked her to the ground. Alex didn't make a sound, only the sound of her body clashing to the concrete ground.

Alex glared at Tala, well she would have if she was able to turn around. Tala had grabbed her hair in a fist and pulled it back, causing Alex to look straight into his eyes. His aqua eyes burned with anger.

" I don't think so Alex! Your stupidity can be used else where, here it's used with respect." He pulled harder on her hair. " No matter how much you hate the person."

Alex growled and spat in his face, literally. " You mean like you!"

Alex got to her feet before Tala could grab hold of her again. No such luck, since Kai ended up grabbing her from behind and holding her wrists tightly behind her back. Alex flung her right leg back and it collided with Kai's stomach, then with both her feet, she jumped sideways and pushed herself off his stomach. Much to Alex' disappointment, she plowed right into Tala. Tala grabbed her tightly and smirked.

" As much as I injoyed your last punishment, I think I prefere you groaning in pain." Alex felt like puking under his words.

" Sick pig." Alex grumbled, nobody heard her.

Tala grabbed her wrists, holding them behind her, and kneed her hard in the lower back. Alex cried out in pain and fell to her feet. Tala smirked and grabbed her again, this time holding her wrists in front of her. Before Tala could get a good shot, Kai nailed her hard in the back of the head, sending her stumbling forwards and landing at Tala's feet. Tala looked pleased at Kai, and kicked Alex in the side.

Alex tried to control herself, but the pain was too much and she let out a painfilled groan. Tala smirked deeply.

" It suits you much better." His smirked grew even deeper, his eyes glaring at her motionless figure.

Her uniform, which is now red t-shirt and shorts, was drenched in her own blood, her older wounds from the first beating re-opened, and these new blows created new openings and bruises. A small puddle of her own blood flowed around her and she cringed as she felt somebody grab her around the waist and hoist her to her trembiling feet. Alex opened her eyes and looked around to see Enrique. Alex groaned and pushed him away, not that he cared.

" What do you want?" Alex demanded.

She was smacked in the back of the head hard again, in her weak state she crumbled to the ground in seconds. She peeled her eyes open to see both Lord Tala and Enrique glaring at her. Kai nowhere to be seen.

" Answer my fucking question!" Alex snapped, her voice extremely firm.

Enrique strung a red arrow on his bow and pointed it at Alex throat. Alex realized that the red was blood, the same arrow she had given back to him, the same one she had already gotten shot with. She looked down at her hand, which was still covered in cloth that had turned scarlet and was damp. Alex squeazed it and shifted away from the arrow. Blood seemed out of it and fell to the ground. Enrique hadn't put the arrow away until Kai walked back in, with a mop and pail in hand.

" We should really keep this in here, she'll be using it often." Tala growled.

Kai shock his head. " Enrique, put that arrow away. She's not doing anything then trying to catch her breath!"

Enrique didn't move. Tala sighed and nodded. Enrique pulled it away and Alex' body relaxed. Enrique, who was extremely disappointed, slid the arrow back into a small but long bag that hung around his waist.

" It's not like he would have hit me anyways." Alex snapped and snatched the mop away from Kai, her weakness showing in her face and eyes.

Kai threw the pail at her, and she caught it. " I know. Clean up this mess!" Alex rolled her eyes and tossed the pail to the side.

Tala smirked. " Nice to see you get the hint so quickly."

Alex glared up at him, but went back to slidding the bloody mop from one side of the blood stained floor to the other.

" Why don't you just fuck off?" Alex snapped.

Tala snapped back. " Why don't you take a beating like any normal girl does?"

Alex smirked and plunged the mop into the pail, twisting it with her hand to empty it's blood. Her blood.

"Because I'm not weak." Was her sollom reply and her reply was answered by Tala's growl.

Kai put a hand on Tala's shoulder. " We don't have time for this! Alex when your done in here, empty the pail in the pile of junk by the arena. We will be in there. It should take you no more then 10 minutes."

With that Kai pushed Tala out the door and Enrique followed close behind.

Alex rolled her eyes, continued her mopping. " Don't they ever get sick of flapping there lips?!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

No matter if you were late or not, all the cooking servants were sent to the arena to help prepare for the summer games. Ray, along with Tyson were both sent to help pick up little rocks and throw them in the wheelbarrel. An annoying job but one that keeped them from having to cleaning weapons again. Punishment for being late.

Tyson picked up a rock and threw it in. " So who are those two girls?"

Ray raised a brow at him, tossing a rock in as well and pushing the wheelbarrel further down the arena. " What two girls?"

Tyson looked up and looked around. He pointed at Amber, who was talking with Roxin, looking tierd.

" There's one of them, I think her names Amber. Right?" Ray now knew who Tyson was talking about.

" Yeah, that's Amber. The other girl is Alex. There both new servants here. Well talk of the devil." Ray grinned and pointed out Alex, who had just entered the arena.

Her uniform in the sun wasn't able to pick up the different color between the red cloth and her own blood. Alex had managed to wipe some of the blood from the face, so it looked only like she was red faced from the heat.

Tyson nodded. " Wonder what she's doing here."

Ray and Tyson looked around. " There!" Tyson pointed to Lord Kai and Tala who were talking with Lord Bryan in the middle of the arena, not really that far from them.

Alex spotted the three men and walked over to them. Not even saying hi to Ray and Tyson as she passed.

" I'm here now. What do you want me to do?" Alex' voice was bored but it held respect. So unlike her.

" We have a speacial job for you Alex." Tala smirked.

Alex glared at him. " In that case, I'm not interested."

Kai glared at her, arms folded over the chest of his gray tunic. " You don't have a choice!"

Tala nodded. " Now we just need that other girl. What's her name again?"

Roxin walked over just then with Amber. Amber eyed Alex and stared at her, her arms folded on her chest waiting for Alex answer.

Alex sighed and glared at her. " I didn't do anything! I was late this mourning! What did you expect? A pat on the back and being asked for it not to happen again?!"

Amber rolled her eyes. " Well next time you come out in public, you might want to try and get ride of more blood." Her voice dropped lower when she spat out her last 5 words.

Alex growled and turned away. Tala sighed. " Childish!"

" You should be talking! I don't see you in this situation so shut up or I'll make it perminate!" Alex snapped at him.

Roxin gasped. " You let her talk to you like that?"

Tala smirked. " I have a couple ways to shut her up." A dangerous glitter appeared in his eyes.

Alex shut up in seconds and stared at the ground. Tala was pleased with this and Bryan started telling the girls there assignment.

" You two will be helping King Johnny and Prince Max with the summer games preperations."

Alex chocked and Amber grinned. Roxin glared at Alex. " You should be honored!"

Alex glared up at her. " I'll settle for a pity, if that's as low as I can go with out getting beat on!" Her eyes glared at both Kai and Tala from the courner.

Amber smiled. " She's right Alex. You should listen to her! She knows a lot more then you think!"

Roxin grinned at Amber, but she didn't notice. Alex glared at Amber. " Only you'd be happy to have this assignment!"

/{/ She right! I'll get to work with Prince Max. Such a handsome man. } Amber grinned and only smiled back at Alex' look of disgust.