Two chapters in one day! To make up for the late update!

I just wanted to give a bit of Valerians POV to enhance the story :)

VALERIAN POV

I strode back from my final court meeting of the day, to my rooms. Picking up her satchel, I walked back towards the hospital wing. I wondered who the maiden was, Andrea she had said her name was. There must be a clue in her satchel. I dug my hand into the satchel, and was amazed at what I saw, a rope of pearls, and diamonds. How would a lady as noble as she was have such riches? Diamonds were a gem that was reserved for the royal only. How did she come to acquire these? She couldn't be a thief? I returned the rope of pearls and diamonds to the bag when my hand got caught on a hard edge. I pulled it out, it was a portrait of women, she looked quite familiar, I looked carefully at the writing in the corner – Princess Alyss of Kirell, in the 21st year of the reign of King Tirian. My mind flashed back to the nymph like woman who had lain injured in the woods, my eyes widened, and I suddenly knew who she was.

ALYSS POV

'...and she fell face first into to mud! It was hilarious!'Jason ruffled his sisters' hair, laughing at her disgruntled face.

I laughed along, but in my heart I felt terrible for deceiving them. 'My brother did something similar when he was young. He got up and just slipped in the mud and fell down again!'

We were all having a good laugh when the hospital doors burst open yet again. This time it was Prince Valerian, and he looked thunderous. He looked even angrier when he noticed Jason and Lydia beside me.

'You two! Didn't I tell you once? You are not to be in here! Get out! Get Out! The two of you!'

Jason got up from his seat. 'Come on brother, we were just having a nice chat with Andrea here, no harm done.'

'Lydia, Jason... I mean your highnesses, you'd better get a long now, I'm feeling much better now, thank you your highnesses' I said; I could see the tension between the two brothers. I was shocked at the change in his personality, the prince had been so kind to me that night in the woods, and now...

'At least you know your station.' Crown Prince Valerian told me forebodingly, his eyes flashing scarily.

Lydia looked positively frightened at her brothers' wrath, and pecked me on the cheek before running down the aisle and through the doors. Prince Jason gave me an apologetic smile, before running after her.

Prince Valerian turned back to me. 'You're not from Koredan, are you?'

' I... I...'

'What are you doing in Salvion... Princess Alyss...?' he said with a smug knowing smirk and narrowed eyes that glittered maliciously...

'How did you find out?'

He held up my satchel. How dare he! He went through my personal effects. My mind went blank, all that I could think was that I was in a foreign country, all on my own; I had no idea what to do.

He advanced towards my bed. 'What are you doing in Salvion? Are you a spy? Tell me! What is your business in my country? Why did you tell me you were from Koredan?'

I wracked my brain for anything that I could say, anything but the truth. The implications of the truth would be overwhelming for me if they found out, and also for Salvion.

'I...I'm running from an arranged marriage...I had no idea where to go! I didn't mean to come into Salvion, I lost my way in the forest border, I meant to go to a friend's manor in Koredan.'

He stood there flabbergasted. I mean even I could barely believe my own story...

'It's winter for goodness sake! What were you thinking? You'd better leave now!' he muttered, before turning and heading back out the doors.

What was I going to do know? I couldn't go back now! There would be no where to go; there was no chance anyone would have returned to the palace ruins, let alone any chance the flames had died out. I remained lost in my thoughts, imagining the charred, ransacked palace of Kirell, until I noticed I had been joined yet again by little Princess Lydia.

'Lydia... Your Highness, what are you doing here? Crown Prince Valerian is going to kill you!'

'Pshh... Now... what are we going to do? I can't let you leave, you're my friend!...Let me ask Jason!' she exclaimed. 'Don't go anywhere okay! Wait until I come back with Jason!'

I assured her that I would still be here when I came back. She was so kind, despite the fact that she had only met me today, she seemed as though she would do anything to get me to stay. She was an adorable and bright little child, and reminded me a bit of Kieran when he was small, inquisitive and making friends easily.

She rushed back in a few minutes later, dragging Prince Jason behind her.

'Jason, Valerian wants to make her go away! How can we make her stay?'

'That's easy, she'll be your governess, Fanny's leaving in a few days to be with her sister while she's having her baby. So, you'll need a new governess. Andrea is a noble woman, and well educated, so that should be good! Saves mother and father the trouble of having to go look for a new governess.'

'I don't know about that, I'm not sure the King and Queen would agree to having a complete stranger as your governess.'

'Don't worry, they will.' Jason said sharing a grin with his sister.

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DustyPhoenix