Darcie didn't sleep well that night, all she could think about was Murtagh's kiss.

I don't even know him! she kept telling herself.

Well then get to know him was Kazryth's response, a hint of tiredness in his voice.

Oh yes, I'm just going to go up to him and say 'I don't really know well, so I may as well start now' Darcie replied sarcastically as she rolled onto her side in her bed.

Not exactly like that. All human males seem to want what they can't have, so depending on how you feel about it...

I just don't want to rush into anything Darcie cut in.

Then be distant until you get to know Murtagh. You've heard some of his stories, and I've heard them through you. He seems like an interesting person.

Funny, coming from the dragon who can't even give the rider a chance because of his sword Darcie responded dryly.

You know I mean Kazryth responded dismissively. Just talk to him and you might just see him in a new light... and I know it's funny coming from me!

Darcie chuckled as she pulled her blanket over her head.

The last time I talked to him, my mind was slightly obstructed and he stuck his tongue in my mouth. I'm not so sure about him anymore.

He's quite taken by you from what I hear...

Who from?

Thorn. He hasn't said much to me about it, and I understand why. He told me somewhat of what he's getting, and I've been doing the same.

You know how to keep secrets, that's for sure.

We're just curious about this and are both trying to decipher this... sudden relationship.

See, we are moving to fast!

Then make it go slower. And get some sleep before doing that.

But...

Kazryth's mind was blocked, and she heard light snoring from outside.

"He can really make himself go to sleep..." Darcie yawned and forced herself to close her eyes and go to sleep.

The next morning, Darcie was forced into another corset (Why does father have to have guests so often? she thought the entire time). She went through another one of the royal parties without much trouble, other than it being a total bore. At one point, she was about to enter the ball room when she heard her father speaking.

"If I may ask your majesty, but where was this girl of yours before?" someone asked. Darcie stood behind the thin wall casually, listening to the conversation on the other side intently.

"Well, you all know I needed an heir, so I found one of the servants who so... willingly held out this task."

Darcie's eyebrow rose - how come she never heard of this?

"Once Darcie was born, I had to dispose of her mother; I couldn't have her running about anymore. I then handed Darcie to her current nanny. Of course she hasn't been in her rooms her entire life, that's just her ignorance shining through."

Darcie's mouth dropped slightly.

"She then became a handful, wandering around everywhere, getting in trouble... and I couldn't have her known to everyone just yet, so I locked her in her room. She has been there since, only escaping once. Since then it was clear she was... scarred for years, not leaving her room or hall since."

The memory of her first wander around the castle as a 7 year old came to Darcie. She tried to shake it away, but the sound of the dragon's roar... the slicing of her skin...

Just as she was about to walk away, she heard one more thing from her father.

"Her only use is her dragon. If the last one hadn't have hatched, I would have personally taken my sword and..."

Darcie pushed through the crowds and headed for the nearest door, unable to hear another word. By the time she made it to the door, she was jogging. She didn't care where she was going, she just ran. Through the trees and uphill, she found herself in the same place she had been at the last get-together her father had. All she could think about is what a bastard the man is, saying he needed an heir but if the dragon didn't hatch she would've been...

Some father... Darcie scoffed as she wiped away tears that trickled down her cheeks.

What happened? Kazryth asked worriedly.

My father is what happened! Why me? Why do I have to live the torture of being the daughter of a mad-man that thinks he's the greatest because he killed off all the real riders and labeled himself king? I'm a prisoner unto myself.

Gee, thanks.

You know what I mean.

Darcie sensed a presence behind her. Wiping away any lasting tears on her face, she looked over her shoulder and saw Murtagh standing ten feet behind her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"My father just said he would've killed me personally if Kazryth hadn't have hatched for me, do you honestly think I'm ok?" she snapped, another tear trickling down her face. "And that's just one thing." She now turned around to face Murtagh, her arms crossed.

"Look, about yesterday..." his voice trailed off and he looked away from her.

"Why? Why so sudden about it?" she asked as another few tears escaped her eyes. She quickly dried them with a hand and fought to stay composed.

"I... I can't really say..." he looked back up at her with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Can't or won't?" Darcie cut in.

"It depends on how you see it really. I just... don't really know anymore."

"Is that why you offered to train me? So you can suddenly court me for no apparent reason? What do you take me for, an idiot? So I might've been outside my room once as a 7 year old but that a mistake, a mistake I can prove easily. Just because I..."

Darcie was stopped mid-sentence; Murtagh had claimed her lips once more. It took her a moment to realize what she was doing, and she pulled away.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed.

"To get you to stop rambling," he responded simply. "I know you're not the idiot your father thinks you are. You have potential, and some guard being forced to train you won't bring it out in you."

"So you volunteered because you felt you had to 'save me'? I'm no damsel in distress," Darcie snapped.

"You stormed off and nearly drowned yourself."

Darcie glared at him.

"I can't take swimming lessons in a small tub," she responded indignantly. To her surprise, Murtagh chuckled. "It's impossible to breathe and move on land in a corset; how do you expect me to swim in one?"

"I never implied that," Murtagh pointed out.

"And you're avoiding my question," Darcie responded automatically. "Why did you really volunteer to train me?"

"I have responded to you inquiry."

"Not fully. You just said you don't think of me as some dumb girl, so prove you mean it. Why did you truly want to train me?"

"If you're as intelligent as you silently claim, you should know."

"I want to hear it from you," Darcie responded flatly, looking in Murtagh's dark eyes with a hard expression. For a moment, he matched her gaze, but then he broke it and sighed.

"I've already said I can't... it's just hard to explain."

"Try."

"Ok then. I knew you were different, not your typical lady-in-waiting. I was hoping to at least get to know more about you and train you at the same time."

"You figured that was the only way, didn't you?"

Murtagh shrugged in response. Darcie withheld a chuckle, but couldn't help but smirk.

"You wanted to see if something was there, didn't you?" she asked him. This time, she was sure Murtagh's cheeks were burning, even though he tried to hide it.