As the door opens, I expect Alcaster, as he has always been gruff with me, and he has not treated me particularly respectfully since this morning.

That's an understatement.

But to my surprise, I see someone I have never seen before. The first thing I notice is the black mask he wears on his face, covering the upper half of it, only to have yellow eyes peeking out.

There is something about those eyes that is familiar, but I cannot figure out what.

He is tall, with dark skin and hair. He wears all black, and holds a cane in one gloved hand.

"Who are you?" I say as soon as he steps inside and shuts the door. I keep myself from shuddering. What does this man want with me? I am not particularly strong; I would not be able to defend myself. My only solace is that I have a witch in the room and she does not seem to want me to be physically hurt, but I don't know if she'd be willing to defend me.

The way he is dressed reminds me of a performer. Could he be the bad witch Delora said was in the palace?

If so, that means that even if Delora wanted to defend me, she might not be able to if this witch is stronger than she is.

Even so, I cannot show weakness, so I narrow my eyes and say, "I did not give you permission to enter."

He smirks.

"Nice to meet you, princess," he says in a tone I can only describe as sarcastic. He sinks into a bow, but it doesn't feel respectful at all. "I have been assigned as your new knight."

"And what happened to my old knight?" I ask, figuring I might as well ask about Fritz.

The man laughs. "You mean Fritz? He wasn't useful, so they replaced him with me."

He wasn't useful? Does that mean…he didn't join his father…?

It is too much to hope…but…the way he says it makes it seem like…

"Replaced?" I almost shriek. "What does that mean?"

Fritz…even though I know you were hiding things from me…I do not want you dead.

The masked man just stands there, still grinning.

I huff. "Surely you can at least tell me your name?"

"Of course, princess," He says, emphasizing the last word. "I am known as Varg."

"'Known as?' So that is not your real name?"

He smirks again. "Hmm. So you're actually smart."

"I've heard that before," I say, resisting the urge to cross my arms. That would only show that I am unsettled by him. "But you're still refusing to answer my questions. What is your real name then? And what happened to Fritz?"

Varg frowns for the first time since entering my room. "Why do you care so much?"

"My personal knight has apparently been replaced without my permission. Of course I want to know what has happened to him. And you're telling me that Alcaster replaced his own son with you?" I point out. "I'm sure you understand why I'm suspicious."

Varg just smirks again. "Well, it was technically Alcaster and Mythros."

"I-what?"

I hadn't even given thought to the king's other top advisor, Sir Mythros. He…I never trusted him, but for him and Alcaster to both have been part of the same plot to overthrow the king?

"Are you surprised? Mythros knew about Alcaster's plans the whole time. In fact, I believe that Mythros wishes to have supper with the whole family tonight," Varg says, casually leaning against the closed door, cane still in hand.

I am trapped.

But this Varg is…not what I would have expected of an underling of Alcaster…or Mythros, apparently.

Apparently, the king is really bad at finding good advisors that won't betray him. His two top advisors, the two people that in theory he should have been able to trust the most…

It's just like Mother said; people only live to benefit themselves. If I had caught on to what Fritz was hiding from me earlier…

But that has already passed. I need to focus on Varg right now.

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask. "I have not been allowed to know much, besides that Alcaster would prefer me to be queen over my father, so why are you so freely telling me this? Is it just to confuse me?"

Varg shrugs. "I see no reason why I shouldn't tell you."

"In that case, where is Fritz?"

Varg frowns again at my mention of Fritz. "I replaced him. Why are you so insistent?"

I…need to know. If he has truly betrayed me or if…my trust in him wasn't misplaced. I need to know if Mother was right about people like him.

But I do not verbalize any of this to Varg. Instead, I glare at him.

Varg smirks again, pushing away from the door and walking closer to me. I resist shrinking back, instead staring back at him as he approaches. "I see you have tired of my conversation. Funny, considering that it seemed you couldn't get enough conversation with Fritz."

"How would you know anything about my conversations with Fritz?"

Varg gives me a twisted smile as he leans in close to me, enough that I can feel his breath on my face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, I would, actually," I say, sitting up straight, refusing to look away from him.

Never show weakness. This is what Mother taught me.

Varg raises an eyebrow. "Aren't all princesses supposed to be submissive and innocent?"

"Well not this one," I spit at him. "And you said you're here to be my new knight? You do not even have a sword."

His smile never leaves his face. "Well, one does not need a sword to be dangerous."

My eyes fall to his cane. Sure, it could be used as a blunt weapon, but…

Could it be magical? Is this really the witch Delora was talking about? If she was telling the truth, at least.

"Are you a witch?" I say carefully, raising my eyes back to look at Varg's face. He laughs.

"Don't be concerned with what I am," he says. "I am merely a pawn, just like you, only told to keep watch over you."

"If that is so, then what about the fact that you have spent this entire conversation trying to scare me, when you're supposed to protect me?" I question. "That does not sound like behavior worthy of the one assigned with the honor of being the crown princess' personal knight."

Varg grimaces. "Yes, of course, because your Fritz was so perfect, isn't that right, princess?"

"You seem to be bothered when I mention Fritz," I observe, "Do you know him personally?"

"In a way," he says, then grins again. "But unfortunately for you, he is not coming back. He can't come back, because there is nothing of him left. Got it, princess? Fritz is gone. He refused to follow his father, so Alcaster and Mythros got rid of him."

No.

No! He can't be gone!

I narrow my eyes, looking straight into Varg's eyes, trying to decipher their meaning.

"You're lying," I say, with absolute confidence, "Fritz is not dead."

"Believe what you want. Doesn't change the fact that he's gone."

"You-"

"Gone," Varg says, cutting me off. "And now you're stuck with me. I'll be back in a few hours to escort you to dinner."

And then he is out of my room faster than I thought possible.

No. No no no. Varg is lying. He has to be. Fritz…

As my tears fall, I realize one thing.

If Varg is correct…

Fritz really was trustworthy.

He's been gone this whole week…was that day in the gardens really his last day?

Is that what he was hiding this whole time? His father was pressuring him to join him until Fritz finally outright refused? And then his father decided that if he couldn't get Fritz to join him, Fritz was better off dead?

Delora turns back into her normal form, and sits carefully on the edge of my bed. "Princess?"

I don't even realize I am crying until I hear her call out for me. "Tell me Fritz is not dead."

She shifts uncomfortably. "I…have no way of telling, princess. I'm…sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix anything!" I snarl, throwing one of my pillows at her, and to my displeasure, she catches it neatly and places it on the bed next to her. I collapse onto my bed and bury my face in another pillow, willing time to go back, willing Fritz to be here, hoping that Varg was just lying, that he meant something else when he said "gone"…

I feel Delora's hand stroking my hair, but I do not resist as the tears keep coming.

Fritz…can't be gone.

You never even got to see me smile like you wanted…

I don't know how long I lay there, crying, as Delora strokes my hair and whispers words of comfort.

I have not even known her for a few hours, and yet…this is the most comfort I have ever received from anyone in the past four years.

When I finally look up, when I am all out of tears, Delora is still sitting on the edge of my bed, looking concerned.

"What do you want?" I sniff. Surely she would not sit here comforting me unless she wanted something from me.

"Nothing, princess," Delora answers softly.

"You can't be serious," I protest weakly, but decide to let it go. "Fritz…"

"I'm sorry," Delora repeats. "I know you've been deprived of so much already, and Fritz was…your closest friend, right?"

Friend? He was a friend?

I suppose…since he was the only one I even considered trusting, the only one I even tolerated, the only one I let get close to me, that I talked to besides my dolls.

It doesn't escape me that we are both using the past tense, as if he is already gone…

"Fritz…" I whisper. "I…cared about him a lot."

"I know, princess," Delora says. "And he cared about you too. I didn't hear most of your conversations, but sometimes when you were right outside the door, I could hear through and…he truly cared for you."

I manage to sit up, and look Delora in the eyes. "It's still weird that you know stuff about me when I don't know a thing about you."

Her smile is slanted, not reaching her eyes. "Perhaps one day you'll get to know all about me, princess."

I shake my head. "Do you think Varg was lying? Or…did he mean something else when he said Fritz was 'replaced' and…'gone?'"

"There…is that possibility, princess," Delora admits. "I mean I wouldn't hope too much but…he could be trying to confuse you."

"He referred to both of us as pawns," I remember. I…don't want to keep thinking about Fritz. I need to get out of here first. For how can I stay with the people who – maybe - killed Fritz? "And…he didn't confirm or deny being a witch."

"He's not," Delora answers my unasked question. "At least not the one I've been looking for. I mean, he could be putting on a glamour, but even then, since I've already been able to see some traces of magic around here, he wouldn't be able to hide from me being this close. I put a glamour around myself though."

"Then who could be the witch? If Alcaster and Mythros are working together…could it be Mythros?" I muse. Delora gives me an odd look.

"Princess, are you…okay?"

I look down at my lap, my hands resting on it hopelessly. "If Varg was telling the truth…then that means Alcaster at least aided in Fritz's…disappearance," I say, swallowing. "And…I do not…want to be part of that kind of rule, Delora. How can someone do that to their own son? I don't think, even though he holds no love for me, that my father would kill me or 'get rid of' me in any way! Varg said he is a pawn, but I do not want to be. That's why we have to get out of here."

Delora nods, sensing the urgency in my voice.

I don't want to be used. Not like Fritz was. I know that they were not close but still…if Fritz really did refuse to follow his father in his plans, Alcaster didn't have to kill him! Simply sending him away would have been a better solution; sending him to the outskirts of Angielle like all the knights said he did!

I feel a small sliver of hope that this is what truly happened. But Varg's voice comes back to haunt me;

"He can't come back, because there is nothing of him left."

If Varg was telling the truth…there really is just one way that could be interpreted.

No! I have to hope!

"Do you agree to be shrunk, princess?"

I close my eyes tightly, feeling the rawness of my eyes. I see Fritz's warm smile, his reassurances that he is always there, that he always will be…

So I swallow and nod, determinedly.