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Sam was stood on the narrow sentry, pulling his fur cloak tighter around his neck, trying to block out the cold. He often came to the sentry to clear his head, but also to escape from Ellimere's dictatorship. The Frost festival was only hours away and as Sam had predicted, each rehearsal had steadily gotten worse. The new Sleet still wouldn't talk to him; it turned out the girl he had knocked over was her older sister.

Sam lent over and breathed into his gloves, he peered out hoping to catch a glimpse of her mothers red and gold Paperwing soaring towards home. But just like the previous nights he saw nothing but grey skies and dark clouds. A cough from behind him drew his attention,

"See anything interesting out there?" asked the guard.

"Not really Brel." Sam said, shaking his head. He looked down to where the city was preparing for the festival. Large tents and wagons were arranged in the city centre and banners of blue and silver hung from the buildings,

"Looks like it'll be a good fair this year." Brel said, clapping his hands together.

"Does it?" asked Sam. Brel looked at him sympathetically, knowing how hard his rehearsals were going,

"They say a hard practice means an easy dance," he said breathing into his gloves. Sam nodded and looked away from the guard. The guard inclined his head and resumed his march across the sentry, his red tabard disappearing into the darkness. Sam sighed loudly and went back downstairs, in twelve hours time he would be the laughing stock of the city. He was just glad that Nicolas wasn't here to see it. It had only been a few weeks but he was already missing his life back at Somersbys. Back there, no one had any interest in the Old Kingdom or that fact he was prince. At school he was just another boy. Not the Abhorsen-in-waiting or Prince Sameth. He was just Sam, the schools best batsman.

Sam walked down the darkened corridors, dimly light by charter marks flowing over the stone walls, scattering his shadow on the floor. He pushed open his bedroom door and threw himself onto his bed, burying his face into a pillow and groaning loudly. He rolled over onto his back and stared out the window. He could see nothing but the darkened sky and hear nothing but the howling wind outside. Sam tried to close his eyes but sleep wouldn't come, and even when it finally did his dreams were plagued with shadowed creatures on silts, trailing after him.

Sam stood nervously under the entrance arch that connected the castle to the rest of the city. He glanced out into the capital. The buildings were lined with flags and banners of various colours. Huge crowds of people lined the cobbled streets, cheering as the colourful parade of dancers, jugglers and acrobats made their way through the city. Behind him stood the winter dancers, Sleet in particular was leaning over him in a predominantly threatening manner. He glanced up at her. She had her chestnut hair pulled up in to a tight pony tail, held in place with a silver ribbon. She wore a silver leotard which clung close to her skin, accentuating the curve of her slim figure. He hadn't noticed before but she was actually quite pretty. Not stunningly beautiful but pleasing to the eye, especially to Sams. Suddenly she looked up and caught him staring. Sam jerked and spun around, his face flushing red as he stared at the ground.

The marching band of the procession was striding just ahead of them and the whole road seemed to vibrate with the heavy thud of boots and drums. Suddenly before he knew it, the familiar melody of flutes and pipes floating out from the band and Sam knew his humiliation had begun. Sam felt a shove from behind and he stumbled forward as three of the dancers strode ahead of him. Behind him followed the others, including Kalith who continued to glare down at him. Sam adjusted his head dress and walked out into the open, concentrating hard on not falling over. The crowd roared and jeered as their prince walked out into the road in the brightly feathered suit. The dancers ran ahead of him, occasionally stopping to pretend to trip him. Luckily they stopped a few feet away so he could actually see they had stopped. He managed to dodge their wooden legs with only minor stumbling.

The parade was going well; the crowd had stopped laughing and actually began cheering. He stumbled onwards, things going well so far. Sam shuffled and his band danced ahead of him, moving down the cobbled pathway towards the centre of the city. All around him, people danced and twirled while the crowds cheered. Feeling slightly more confident, Sam picked up his head and smiled at the crowd, giving a wave every now and again, when he felt it safe to take his eyes off his feet. Sam sighed happily as the fountain in the main square came into view; soon his part in all this would be over. He dodged another attempt to trip him and was almost at the fountain when suddenly he was hit with a searing pain in the back of his shin. Sam yelped in pain and lurched forward, tripping over his own feet and landing with a heavy splash in the middle of the fountain.

The music came to an abrupt halt and the crowd fell into a deathly hush, save for a few giggles. Two of the royal guards in thick red waistcoats appeared from nowhere and helped Sam push himself up into a sitting position, his costume waterlogged and heavy. He heaved his hood back, the cloth hitting his back with loud slap. He glared up staring at everyone in turn. They all stared back at him in shock and concern, until his eyes finally came upon Kalith. She was looking down at him with worry but he could tell she was trying desperately to keep her face from breaking into a grin. She had kicked him. Deliberately! He couldn't believe it. This girl had the gall to attack him in front of all these people.

Of course. That was it. It was her part to try and trip him. Sam glared up at her. If he complained she would just claim it was an accident. The guards grabbed him under the arms and carefully lifted him on to his feet. Sam looked at them and saw they were both trying to keep a straight face. Without a word Sam pulled off his hat and threw it down at Kaliths feet. He glared up at her, before storming back to the castle, leaving little wet puddles on the ground behind him.

Another chapter done! Poor Sam! as if he didn't have enough to worry about without public humiliation! But don't worry, it'll get better! Please R&R!