It was a quiet ride through Nohr. The only sound was the screeching of the wheels and the trotting of horses. King Garon was driving the carriage while Kamui sat silently in the back seat.

Not even thirty minutes ago, Kamui lost her father. She wanted to cry, to scream for help, but she knew nobody would help her. It was a lost cause. These were Nohrian citizens. The boarder between Hoshido and Nohr was hours away from here.

King Garon said nothing. He held the reigns and smiled, but he never said anything to Kamui. As it became darker outside, Kamui became scared and fearful for her life. The reality of the situation finally sank into her shoulders. King Garon's prisoners usually died.

Kamui became increasingly tired as the night went on, but she did not trust her kidnapper enough to sleep near him. Instead, she tried to calm her nerves by watching the constellations. She has never been very good at pointing them out, but it eased her up.

Garon began muttering incomprehensible words while he drove. Kamui could only make out one word he said, "Shoreline". This carriage was heading for one of Nohr's shorelines! Kamui tried to think of islands off the coast of Nohr, but none of them came to mind. She grew more concerned with her destination as her ride went onward towards the unknown.

At some point within the knight, Kamui must have failed her mission to stay awake. She did not even remember falling asleep, but she woke up laying on her side. A pain resonated through her skull, likely from the hard wood of the carriage.

Kamui was conscious, but she was afraid of what might happen when she lifted her head up. The idea of dying was very real, but Kamui didn't want to die until she could see her family again, especially her mom. She had to live long enough to apologise for not defending Dad.

Her thoughts drifted off towards her family. Hinoka was probably crying like a baby, Ryoma was probably really angry, Takumi was probably really worried, and Sakura is too little to understand what's going on. On the floor of the carriage, Kamui wondered how soon she would see them again... if she ever saw them again.

Garon abruptly stopped the carriage and let go of the reigns. He signaled one of guards towards the back of the carriage. He said, "Cuff her and get her on that boat."

The guard grabbed Kamui and pulled her out of the carriage. She rolled into the dirt and on her shoulder. The soldier said, "Get up, Milady. You have earned the privilege of a trial."

Garon grabbed Kamui's wrist and roughly pulled her to her feet. After she dusted herself off, she noticed a large, dark figure hiding behind the shadows on the water.

She asked, "What is that?" King Garon laughed at her ignorance. Kamui looked closer into the fog and made out the shape of an island.

King Garon explained, "That is the Isle of Twilight. I have accepted you as a potential child of mine, but you must pass a test of be accepted into my household."

"King Garon," Kamui began, "What if I don't want to be a part of your household? Surely, you have nothing to offer me."

King Garon just smiled. The guard from before pulled an arrow out of his quiver. Garon said, "Princess, I am offering you your life. Your father got cheated out of his, but you can be different. You can go to the Isle of Twilight, work for a short period of time in the coal mines, and once that's all said and done, you get to keep your life and have a home."

Kamui already had a home. It was a home she could not return to, but it was home. King Garon would have killed her for not accepting his home, however.

Kamui did not have much of a choice here. She could die where she stood or she could live to possibly see her family again.

Kamui carefully stepped into the raft and waited for an adult to accompany her across the water. She was shocked to see the guard place a paddle in the boat.

Garon smiled his biggest smile yet. He said, "Your first trial, Kamui, is to make it across the water and towards that isle. Once you get to an island, find a soldier in charge of the trading charter. He will give you the next task."

Kamui hesitantly picked up the paddle. She never crossed the sea without her parents or siblings before. Now she had to make it across alone.

Little did Kamui know that she was sailing towards a trap.