"Rayna."

"Rayna?"

"RAYNA!"

Rayna woke with a startled shout as she sat up with a jolt and rubbed her eyes blearily. She looked around, still feeling groggy as the last wisps of sleep floated through her mind as she tried to remember what time she'd sat down to read a few pages of her book. The sun was high in the sky, much too high for her liking. She looked down the field towards her village to see her brother running towards her as his fat little legs would carry him.

"Oh no," she muttered as she realised she'd overslept again and was late for whatever she had been roped into doing this evening. Her eyes flew open in horror as she remembered what day it was and what she was late for. After wrapping her book in a scarf and hiding it under a rock, she shouted, "by His mane, not today! Trisket, wake up!"

A nut-brown ferret laying on a sun-baked rock opened one eye. "I told you this would happen."

"You said you'd wake me!"

"I tried. But you batted me away and barely even stirred, so I said to myself, I said 'Trisket, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' and look where we are now."

"Just come on! We're going to be so late!"

Trisket yawned and stretched noisily. He bounded straight onto Rayna's shoulder and curled himself gently around her neck as she set off at a run down the hill. She met her rosy-cheeked brother halfway down, and both stopped to catch their breath.

"You… promised… you wouldn't… be late," Niron panted as he pulled his sister by her hair gently. It was his quiet way of telling her off when she'd done something wrong. "You need to stop doing this, Uncle Roy is getting madder by the minute!"

"Well, standing around talking isn't going to buy us any more time now is it?" Rayna tweaked her little brother's nose just as gently in rebuke as he giggled. "Come on Little Nit, we need to get home!"

They both hurtled down the hill. Trisket deftly switched shoulders, jumping onto Niron and affectionately nuzzled into the young lad's ear, making him squeal in delight. As they came closer and closer to their village home of Lantern Waste, they could hear the hustle and bustle of the townspeople preparing for the unexpected arrival of the King himself.

Shopkeepers put their finest wares in freshly polished windows and apprentices hurried around with brooms to sweep the street. Teenage boys fought over who would be asked to join the army and girls wondered whether the King and his soldiers would be handsome, giggling and cooing as they did so.

"What do you reckon the announcement is going to be?" Rayna shouted as they tore through the village market. "Do you think there'll be a ban on taxes?"

"Free pies for a whole week?" Niron yelled excitedly as he dodged a stand with clucking chicken cages stacked on top of each other. He thumbed his nose at Farmer Fot who waved his fist angrily at the pair.

"A dance for the whole village!"

"No bedtimes ever again!"

Their guesses became wilder and wilder until all they could do was burst into giggles as they hurtled through the front door of the alehouse their uncle owned. True to Niron's word, Uncle Roy was pacing furiously in front of the serving bar, wiping down stools as he muttered crossly to himself.

"By my beard, that girl will be the death of me. Why she decides to fill her head with nonsensical stories instead of doing her chores on time, I will never- mind that table!"

Unfortunately, Niron and Rayna had hurtled into the alehouse so quickly they'd clattered straight into some furniture that overturned with a loud bang. Trisket growled in fury as he had fallen off Niron's shoulder and ran haughtily up the stairs. Uncle Roy sighed as he pulled them up and helped them lift the heavy table back into place.

"Now you've made your mouse thing angry and you're both filthy. Rayna, boil hot water for the basin and help Niron wash then make sure he's appropriate for His Majesty's arrival into town. Niron, get me my hammer and tools so I can put the new alehouse sign outside. I tell you two, it's a beauty."

He strode to behind a bar and heaved out a large plaque from behind it. He fondly polished it with a rag and showed them his newly commissioned sign.

"The White Stag," Rayna read aloud whilst Niron nodded his approval. "It was worth the wait, Uncle?"

"Yes." Uncle Roy heaved it over his shoulder. "Natural white oak and a sap varnish finish imported all the way from the Lone Islands. This will double our customer Rayna, they'll be pouring in by the dozen. Tell Niron I'm waiting for him outside."

As Rayna stoked the fire, Niron came inside from handing Uncle Roy his tools. He ran to the corner of the room and kneeled next to his flowerpot. His bottom lip stuck out and he prodded the earth and stroked the shoot of his apple tree.

"It's all brown," he said sadly.

"That's because you keep touching it." Rayna wiped her hands on her apron and leant over her brother's project. "Look, why don't you take the hot water and start washing? Leave it to breathe a little bit then we'll take it outside before we go to the Lantern Grove to meet the King."

Niron left and Rayna leant over the limp little plant. She looked around to make sure she was alone, before digging her fingers into the earth. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her body started to hum and her hand slowly warmed as the earth moistened. She could feel the roots absorbing her power and wrapping around her fingertips.

Upon opening her eyes the little plant was inches taller, with fresh green leaves sprouting from the stem. Pleased with her work, Rayna dusted her hands and turned to boil more water for the fire as Uncle Roy entered, beaming with pride.

"The King himself will see that sign and will request a drink from here," he stated proudly. Looking into the corner he let out a grunt of surprise.

"Niron's little plant thing is doing well. Now you should go and change, Rayna. Wear your best dress, everyone in the town is dressing in their finest. Oh, put another log on the fire will you? It's chilly in here."

"Yes, Uncle," Rayna stood with her hands clasped behind her back as Uncle Roy vanished up the stairs. She checked to make sure he was really gone. She snapped her fingers and the fire leapt up the chimney, throwing heat and light into the room.

Satisfied with her work, she followed her family up the stairs to get ready for the arrival of the King. She looked out the window of her tiny bedroom, and watched a whole village wait with bated breath to see what the most powerful man in the kingdom could possibly want from them.