AN: This chapter is going to make a lot more sense if you've read KoA, but if you haven't, there aren't any spoilers.

It was scary in here.

Myshe whimpered and dove under the covers. Why did Mama make her stay with Lord Aedion and Lady Lysandra? Myshe knew Mama was going on a trip with Daddy, but why couldn't she come with them? When she had tried to ask Lord Aedion about it, he told her that they were having a special night for just the two of them, because they're mates and they're married. Myshe didn't believe him. She thought they were in danger. They never brought her places when where they were going was dangerous.

Whatever the reason, it was plain awful that she wasn't allowed along. These sheets smelled weird, not like the ones she usually slept in. In fact, this whole section of the castle smelled weird.

The rooms were smaller than the royal quarters, but that was okay. That wasn't the issue. It was even draftier in her than it was in her bedchamber, and it was always cold in her bedchamber. In her bedchamber, though, if she got cold, she could just go to her parents' bedchamber and snuggle between the two of them for warmth. She never stayed cold. Here, there was no space between Mama and Daddy. And if she got nightmares of the scary fae, there would be no one to comfort her. Myshe let out a tiny whimper. It wasn't fair!

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Myshe watched as Lord Aedion poked his head in the doorway.

"Are you all right?" he asked her quietly. He probably heard her whimpering. Lord Aedion didn't have any children of his own, so Myshe knew he didn't really know how to comfort her. Another reason why leaving her with them was a bad idea.

Myshe just nodded. She wouldn't show weakness. Asterin Havilliard told her that weakness and being scared were the same things, and Asterin was the smartest and bestest witchling Myshe knew. Actually, Asterin was the only witchling Myshe knew, and she hadn't seen her since last Yulemas. Yes, Myshe knew her mother, Manon, but she wasn't a witchling, even though King Dorian called her that for some reason.

A small smile spread across Lord Aedion's face. "I don't believe you." Myshe glared at him. Daddy always said she looked like her mother when she did that, and Mama was really scary when she glared at people. But Lord Aedion looked like he was trying not to laugh. Myshe scowled at him. Lord Aedion was mean, and Myshe told him as much. Lord Aedion snorted. "Myshe, it's okay to be scared." She eyed him suspiciously, not understanding his intentions.

"Asterin says being scared is being weak," Myshe told him pointedly. Lord Aedion rolled his eyes so hard she wondered if it hurt.

"Princess Asterin is full of sh-er, I mean, she doesn't know what she's talking about," he finished quickly. Myshe covered her mouth with her hand.

"But Asterin-"

"Is only ten, just like you," Lord Aedion interrupted. "She's not even a year older than you. Yes, I know she's a witch, but that doesn't make her a battle genius. I've fought on more battlefields than she could ever dream of, and I can tell you that being scared isn't weakness. It's better to be scared. If you are scared, that's good. A little bit of fear is what drives us to perform our best. The more brash you are and the bigger your head gets, the more likely you are to make a mistake.

"As for true weakness," he continued, "that comes from selfishness. When you're only fighting for yourself, your cause is weak and doesn't mean much. If you can fight on behalf of your kingdom, your friends, or your family, then you have so much more strength on your side." Myshe stared at him with wide eyes.

"But I don't want to fight," the princess said quietly. "And I don't want to take my mother's crowns-either of them." Lord Aedion's gaze softened.

"Maybe you won't have to fight-wars aren't too common. As for ruling, one day it will be easier. You'll understand someday, Your Highness," Lord Aedion murmured, using her title jokingly to make her feel better. It only did the opposite to said Highness. Myshe flopped down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. She wanted him to go now. Nobody understood, even Asterin. She wanted to be the Blackbeak Matron one day, and all Myshe wanted to be was free.

As Lord Aedion left, she forced away the tears that were threatening to spill over. Why did she have to be born into this lifestyle? Her only friend was Asterin, and she lived so far away. Lochan was mean, and besides, he was so much older than her. Lady Westfall was okay, Myshe guessed, but she was even older than Lochan, and still lived in the wrong kingdom. The princess let out a long sigh. She didn't even like music. Playing the pianoforte was boring, and sitting at one of those shows in The Lion's Theatre was even worse. Myshe was so different from her mother in many other ways, but was similar in the fact that her favorite part of fighting was the footwork. She loved leaping around, landing on her toes, being in a position where one wrong move ruined the whole thing. She would even say that fighting was almost like dancing, but dancing happened in stuffy ballrooms, tight corsets, and shoes that pinched her feet.

Even though Myshe liked the footwork, she didn't really like to fight. She hated getting hurt, and she always forgot her defensive moves, so that happened quite often. No, it was much better to run alone in the forests on the castle grounds just outside of the royal wing. It was much better to wear her leathers when she leapt over creeks and scrambled up trees. There, she was at peace. Myshe might only have been ten, but she knew her future would consist of marrying some prince or lord she didn't care about. She knew that running alone in the woods was a thing to be kept secret, even from her parents. They would think it was strange, and would forbid her from doing so. Myshe wondered if her mother ever tried to sneak out of the castle when she was ten years old. It didn't matter. All that did was enjoying the moments she had while they lasted.

AN: This was random, sorry. I didn't really have an idea, but if you're going to read the story about Myshette that I will one day post, pay attention to the last bit. The whole thing, actually, is pretty important for that story.

(Yeah, I know ten year olds probably a bit more mature, but I made the chapter like this because reasons.)

Reviews? Requests?