Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. All belongs to the almighty Tamora Pierce, although she's quite greedy, keeping Joren when she's already got a husband. This is dedicated to Caitie, who brought to my attention that Joren doesn't bend, has simply has to break.

Chapter One:

Joren of Stone Mountain looked around the Chamber of Ordeal for an escape route. Coming towards him was Keladry of Mindelan, with nothing but breastband and loincloth on, whip in one hand, chains in the other. Finally realising that there was no way out, he screamed and screamed until he passed out.

Two years later:

He blinked and looked around. Many strange faces surrounded him, and he could hear a strange sound being repeated over and over.

"Joren? Joren? Joren, can you hear me?" Lord Burchard stared at his son, sitting up in bed, dazed expression on his face, messy white-blonde hair falling into crystal blue eyes.

"Um...excuse me, sir?" Burchard blinked at Joren, startled to hear him talk. "Who are you talking to? Who is Joren?"

"You are Joren, Joren of Stone Mountain, my son. Don't you remember me? Don't you? I am your father, your father." The Lord of Stone Mountain was desperate for his son to recognise him.

"Joren?" the boy mused out loud. "Is that my name, Joren?"

The woman who had previously been bawling her eyes out looked over to where her son sat. "Joren! Thank the Gods you're awake and alive. Oh, Joren, darling." Once again, the waterfall of tears started all over again, and she buried her face into his clothes, hugging him tight to assure herself that he was real.

Joren was more than a little creeped out by this. A woman he didn't know had suddenly started crying all over him. He slowly pushed her away from him. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

The woman then proceeded to bawl all over again. "Oh dear, what did I do now?" Joren wondered to himself. "Um...is something wrong?"

The Lord of Stone Mountain glared at him. "Of course something's wrong, when you don't even recognise your own mother. Now, Joren, don't play games with me, tell me you remember us."

"But I don't remember you. Can you please tell me where I am, though?"

Duke Baird came over to them. "Oh, dear, it seems like he's lost his memory."

The woman paused in her ragged sobs to ask, "Can't you fix him? Make him remember?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't. No mortal can change what the Chamber did. I would suggest you pray to the Gods." Duke Baird felt genuinely bad for Melissa of Stone Mountain, no matter how much he hated her. She was just a ditz, and she couldn't help being brought up the way she was. Lord Burchard of Stone Mountain, though...

"As for your question, young man, you are in the Healer's wing in the Palace of Tortall, in Corus. You do remember Tortall, right?"

"Tortall?" Joren looked confused. "What in the name of the Black God's Realm is that?"

"Well, at least you remember the names of the gods. That's a start. Tortall is the country in which you live. Come, now, though, you must be hungry. You can have your history lesson later, young Joren." Duke Baird gave Joren some clothes and led him to his office to eat. The poor thing, Baird thought, he's going to be hated for things he can't remember, and judged for what he used to do and think. I can only hope that some people will remember that he has no recollection of the past and the forgive him and be nice to him.

That's the end of the first chapter, and if you like, review!!! Please? Also, if you're going flame me, please don't be constructive; it'd just be a waste of time for you...it's not like I'm going to listen to you, you're flaming after all. :P I shall refrain from ranting this time... Byebye. Please review?

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Btw, yea, Joren went into a coma for two years.