Holy crap, you guys! I've been having so much writer's block these last few months, but you guys really wanted a third chapter so HERE IT IS! Thank you guys for your requests, and now I've got to figure out what to do next...

Chapter 2

A few years before...

It had been a few months since Princess Ixia had been awoken by Calythé. On this morning, as she was walking through the forest, she was surprised to see a small figure hiding in the thickets beyond, clad in dark robes edged with blue.

"Is someone there?" Ixia called hesitantly.

She thought she heard a small voice in the bush say, "By the gods, it is she!" Moments later, the figure burst out of the bushes and fell to its knees in front of her, its hood falling down to reveal a young boy - still a child - with freckles and pure white hair. He began to kiss her feet. "My lady!"

"Who are you?" said Ixia, half disgusted and half intrigued. "And could you please stop kissing my feet?"

The boy yelped and stood so fast that he almost lost his balance. He then bowed so low that the tassels of his robe touched the ground. "I offer the most sincere of apologies, O monarch," he squeaked. "I meant you no offense and wish not to risk your holy wrath! I AM NOT WORTHY!" At this he fell back down to his knees and began beating his head against the ground, sobbing "I am not worthy" over and over again.

"Oh, don't patronize me," Ixia snapped, which only made the boy's despairing wails louder. Finally she realized that this would get her nowhere, and instead she calmly asked, "Now, could you please stand up and tell me who you are and why you find me so interesting?"

The boy stood up, slower this time, took a gulping breath, and said, "My apologies, O queen. I am Eytan, from the Summoners' Guild, and you are the Princess Ixia Lightspirit, are you not?"

"I am."

"Then you must come with me," said Eytan, taking her hand and leading her away.

Eytan led Ixia through the forest for miles and miles, into the darkest thickets and the thickest trees, into places not even Calythé or Ramisse would ever dare to tread. Finally, footsore and weary, they arrived at the base of an enormous oak tree. Eytan knelt down and knocked five times on a trapdoor in the root.

"Who goes there?" came a sharp voice from inside.

"Eytan," said Eytan. "And I have the honorable Princess Ixia with me."

There was an exasperated sigh. "Eytan, you have to give this up. Remember those last two worthless girls you brought in, claiming each time that she was our holy Princess? I've never seen two worse summoners in my life."

"But she really is, I'm sure of it," said Eytan.

"Oh, all right. But I'm telling you, if the Hydrae say she is not the Princess, you'll be scrubbing toilets for the rest of your life. Let her in." The trapdoor swung open, and Ixia and Eytan climbed down inside the tree.

Under the tree was a great underground metropolis. Ixia could see houses along the walls of the caverns and lanterns hanging from the roots of the tree, while people bustled about a great city square below.

"What is this place?" she asked in wonder.

"This, my lady," said Eytan, with a wide gesture, "is the last of the followers of King Leonidus Lightspirit and Queen Iphiria. Your arrival here has been awaited for thousands of years. But," he said, with a nervous glance about, "this really is not my place to tell you. I shall leave that to the Master of the Hydrae. I wish you luck in tomorrow's Trial, O princess." He hastily pulled his hood over his head and scurried off.

Another summoner, in robes bordered with purple, appeared at Ixia's side. "Come," hissed a cold female voice inside the hood.

Ixia followed her up an elegant spiral staircase and along a great root of the tree. Once they reached the very center of the root mass, the summoner gestured to a pair of rope ladders. "Climb down."

She obediently climbed down, into a small, prettily furnished bedroom that appeared to be hanging from the roots of the tree. "This is the royal bedchamber," said the summoner. "You will sleep here tonight, but if you are not the Princess, then after tomorrow's Trials you will never sleep again." Ixia could hear the smirk in her voice. "Be down in the city square by eight tomorrow, and no later. Sleep well, Princess," the summoner spat, then stalked off.

Ixia lay back in the bed, and the combination of the day's tiredness and the gently swinging bedroom sent her crashing immediately into sleep.