A/N- This chapter is dedicated to my grandmother who recently passed away.

R. I. P.

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Disclaimer- Nouns aren't mine.

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Silence enveloped the hallway like a stranger pulling on a cloak in the midst of the night.

The four people – Numair, Varice and Unikum on one side, and Kalasin on the other- were so close, yet so far.

The silence was simply asking for it to be broken. Kalasin felt an itch crawl up the side of her throat.

And so did Varice.

Thus when Kalasin coughed, so did Varice. The sounds cancelled each other out. Although the four could not hear the person/people on the other side of the hall, they could sense something was wrong. Unikum put a hand on Numair's shoulder, indicating he would talk.

"Whoever you are," he began, voice shaking, "I do not know whether you are friend or foe. Which are you?"

Kalasin decided she had nothing to lose. If she said nothing, she assumed they would attack.

"Are you my friend or foe?" Kalasin asked, scared.

If Kalasin's voice had been its usually melodic or temperamental sound, Numair would have recognized it immediately. But since her throat had been so dried out, it sounded nothing like it had before. It only barely carried a trace of what it had once been.

No one knew what to say.

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Daine had massive energy built inside of her. She was positive that she could out-run a horse, in human form, with so much energy. She was still dancing with the top monarchs, who were only interested in the latest gossip ("Did you hear your highness? Apparently Lady Shelly ran off with Lord Budun!"), the latest fashion ("Did you see the Counselor's wife? Her dress is preposterous!"), and the latest of the music ("It's seems to me the flutes are off-tune, my lady").

Daine, however, was ready to go run and jump in an ice-cold lake. Of course, that was impossible as it would be tacky to leave a party meant for you.

But it would be tackier if I slapped the face of all these stuffed-shirt swaggering peacocks! She told herself, and smiled secretly.

"Excuse me," she said to the short bearded man. "I think…Lord…" she coughed and said an incomprehensible word, so he couldn't tell what Lord was calling her, "is calling me. I must leave, and my apologies."

He bowed, and looked almost delighted, as Daine was taller than him.

"Of course, your highness," he said.

She curtsied, and did an extremely fast walk to the massive doors overlooking the palace floors. She had no idea what had possessed her to leave, but she knew that something important was happening.

Running in the halls, Daine found that her dress, shoes, and even the beads in her hair were getting in her way. To top it off, everyone was bowing to her. Taking off the incredibly uncomfortable shoes, she took them in one hand. Sprinting now, she had to do something, not just dance like a damned figurehead. The first thing, she figured, was to get the appropriate dress wear. She decided infamous breeches were the best.

She threw out her magic as fast as her body would allow. Sensing horses nearby, she simply followed their directions to the stables. Before she could make the last turn through the brightly-lit hallways, she realized that the only way to get past the guards at the stables would be to sneak in. And something about the way how she was supposed to be about half a mile in the other direction wouldn't help her situation. "I was lost" would not help in this case.

Sighing, she knew exactly what she had to do. Stepping into a niche, she changed forms. Instead of an eighteen-year-old stepping out of the niche, a small female mouse did.

Scurrying along, she made remarkable time for a mouse. Numerous times she saw guards with their helmets and shields raised high, but stepped into the shadows of the light to avoid them.

Squeezing through a crack in the broken-down door, Daine found herself in a courtyard. The moon, waning, had started to slowly descend to the horizon, awaiting its return.

She no longer needed to follow the horse's directions to the stables; she followed her nose.

Inside, she found all of the stalls were filled with horses, except for one. A stable boy was asleep in the hay. He looked fourteen, but was tall for his age. He wore dirty breeches, but breeches nonetheless. A tunic went overtop, emblazed with whatever symbol the stable boys used. It was a pale orange with hints of yellow.

She changed back to herself, and noted that the beads in her hair had come off along with her dress. She could no longer pretend to be Kalasin. Walking slowly to not awaken the teen, she stepped directly in front of him. She thought she had moved silently through the stables, but not enough. The boy's eyes snapped open, revealing clear blue eyes. He let out a yelp, and pulled a dagger from his boot.

Well that's handy, Daine thought wryly, stepping back.

"It's not what it seems like," she said. Or is it?

The boy's eyes opened even more realizing she wore nothing. Being his age, his hormones were at a peak. He hadn't been trained to attack a naked person.

Taking her chance while the boy was ogling, (Men! Daine thought) she pulled her arm back and swung her hand at his nose. It broke cleanly in two. While he doubled-over, she swung her arm at his head, knocking him out.

"Sorry" she whispered quietly. She stripped him of his clothes, and put them on. They had fit surprisingly well. Feeling guilty about leaving the boy naked, she covered him with hay.

Her brown curls were everywhere, and took a moment to put them behind her shoulders.

So I have the clothes to move, she said to herself, but now what?

She didn't have time to think anything else, as a shadow in the corner, by the empty stall, moved.

Taking the dagger by the hilt, in four quicksteps she had covered the ground between her and the figure, obviously human. She put the dagger to the throat of whoever it was; she was tired of playing games.

"Kaddar," he said, trying not to move his throat too much.

Changing her eyes to that of an eagle, she could see he was indeed Kaddar. Her eyes went back to normal. She hastily withdrew the dagger.

"Your Highness!" she said, ashamed she had just put a blade to the Emperor's throat. It most certainly counted as treason.

Taking a deep breath, Kaddar smiled. "Next time, take a closer look."

She hung her head. Then, quickly getting her nerve back, she asked, "Why are you here?"

"To look for you. Numair, Varice and Unikum have already gone done down the trapdoor," he pointed, "and I realized you should be filled in. I was about to go look for you in the ballroom, however I see you found me. How did you know to leave?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but who's Unikum?"

Kaddar shook his head. "Later. For now, those were some impressive punches you threw."

She laughed. "Thanks…but what now?"

Kaddar threw a glance at the trap door. "I suggest down there."

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For a few moments, no one breathed in the dark, damp hallway.

Numair, getting annoyed at doing nothing, suddenly called out, "If you don't tell us who you are in three seconds, I'm going to blast this wall through-and-through, taking you with it. And yes, I can do that. You have three seconds to live."

Kalasin looked up.

"Three,"

A voice she recognized! She could barely contain her excitement…it was Numair on the other side of the wall!

"Two,"

But before she could call out anything, she heard,

"One."