Chapter 2

After rolling out of bed, I went to stand by the fire, attacking my chestnut curls with a hairbrush. My hair barely brushed my shoulders, for when I was younger I had reasoned that if the people who had killed my family found out that I was still alive, they would kill me too. I had cropped it to my skull, hoping that no-one from the village would recognise me. As I grew older, I no longer needed short hair, but I had found it was far easier to manage than my previous waist-length locks.

I donned a simple green dress, and then made my way to Matthew's house. I had asked him to walk with me to the lake, for it was probably the last time I would be able to separate him from his future wife without causing suspicion. I had made the decision to take him into my confidence. I was going to tell him my secret – that I was the long-lost Princess Arianne of Kyrria.

He was waiting on the doorstep when I arrived, whittling away at a piece of wood in his hands. As I approached, he looked up. A look of surprise raced across his features, and he shoved the wood into his pocket. A smile spread across his face, and he ran down the steps to lift me off the ground in a bear hug. I pounded on his back.

"Oh, come now, put me down! What with you to be married today, what would your beloved Susanne say?"

He set me down, and then, still grinning down at me, set off towards the lake.

I stared after him, stunned at this odd behaviour, and then hastened to his side. I had to take two steps to match one of his.

"So, Areida, why have you asked me to come?" he queried as we walked.

"Well, I need to tell you something, but it can wait till we reach the lake."

"Surely you can tell me now," he persisted.

"No. I cannot."

That cold statement ended the small conversation until we reached the lake. Matthew sat down on the wet grass, and then turned to face me.

"Areida. What is the matter? Why did it have to wait until we got here?"

"Well… I didn't want to be heard… It concerns the royal princess, the one who disappeared during the great fire."

Me.

"She didn't disappear, Areida. She died. We all went to the memorial for her, remember?"

"That's just it, Matthew. She didn't die."

Silence greeted this statement.

"And you know this how?" he asked me after a while, tilting an eyebrow at me.

I took a deep breath.

"I know because I'm her. I mean, she's me. Her Royal Highness Princess Arianne Elirabel of Kyrria."

He stared at me, and for a moment I was scared of how he would react. Then he burst out laughing and fell back to roll on the grass.

"That's a good one, Areida! Hah! You, the princess…" he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, "Well, I think it's hilarious! The first truly surprising thing you've done since I met you! And that includes the time you ran into our hallway, with your hair all undone and curly, dressed in a full length gown but no coat, and…"

Here he faltered.

"Covered in blood. You said you had merely fallen down the stairs in haste while you were trying to flee the fire, but after Ma had patched you up she said that the wound was far too deep to have resulted from cutting yourself on the stair rail. She said it looked like an axe wound…"

I could see him thinking, see his eyes widening.

"There was a pool of blood in the forest, and the cloak of the princess. It was in the part of the woods that would have been closest to her chambers…" As his mind reached the conclusion, he jumped up and bowed low.

I was shocked at this reaction.

"Get up! Now! Matthew, please, you're my friend, not a subject... You're the only one who treats me normally now! Everyone else in this town thinks I'm a recluse, because of the way I acted the first couple of months I was here, and besides, the only other people who ever treated me normally are…" I trailed off, fighting back tears, "…dead. Now please, get up!"

He straightened up, and then stepped forward to hug me. Stepping back, he sat on the grass again, and motioned for me to do so.

"I am so sorry about your family, Areida… no, you're not Areida anymore, are you? You're Arianne-"

"No! You must not call me that. Do you think the people who murdered my family would allow the last member of that family to just waltz into the throne room one day, and declare my right to the throne? I don't. So, in private or public, my name is still Areida Tanner."

He looked sombre for a moment, thinking, and after a minute he jumped to his feet. Once again, he bowed. I started to protest, but as he straightened up he silenced me.

"I shall protect you, and no harm shall come to you while I am alive. I am the best swordsman in the village, and should anyone – however unlikely it is – discover who you truly are, they would have to fight me. We shall keep you safe."

I looked out to the lake, stunned at this declaration of loyalty. Realising he was waiting for me to accept – or decline – his offer, I swung back round to face him, and then nodded.

"Thankyou… To give me such a gift of loyalty, it-"

I was cut off as Matthew smacked himself in the forehead.

"Of course! How could I forget?" He fished in the pockets of his coat, and withdrew the piece of wood he had been carving. "This is your birthday present, for two weeks ago. I had finished it well before your birthday, but then I…" he looked down at his feet, "…lost it. I started carving a new one, and it jut took me until now to finish it." With this statement, he pushed the piece of wood into my hand and then closed my fingers around it.

Opening my hand, I found that he had given me two things – a small wooden flute, for playing, and a piece of wood on a length of leather that had a character inscribed on it.

I was speechless, for I had never received so wonderful a gift.

"Matthew, they are lovely," I said. I looked again at the wooden pendant, and the character on it. "But if you could tell me what this character means, it would be much appreciated."

"Oh, that's the mark for 'peace' in the Old Elvin language. I was looking through some of the books we saved from the fire, and I thought it would be fitting. The wood comes from the willow that was uprooted a few months back, in the storm." He looked at the sun, and then back towards the village. "But now, my friend, I believe that we – or I, at least – have to return to the village, or I shall be late for my own wedding!"

We walked back to through the woods together, to the village and then to Matthew's house. Saying our goodbyes there, I walked over to the chapel, to help set up for the wedding.
A/N Hi guys! Was that chapter better than the first? Sorry it took that long to update. I was going to make the next chapter (which is already written) Chapter 2, but then you guys (my reviewers) gave me the inspiration to do this one. Thanks to my first reviewers – Mockingbird84, sealednectar, jubli pebble, Steph (pearlwalrus) and StardustPixie. Hope you guys like it!

So, you know the drill. Please read & review!

Love,
Ellie