Eric would not have been my first choice.

It's not that I disliked him. I didn't know him. He was already grown and I had only seen him on formal occasions.

He was family, but he was a stranger.

Why couldn't it have been Gerard's card? I knew Gerard—at least well enough to know that he would come get me if I asked for him. He was the only one I felt like I could count on.

But I didn't have Gerard's card. I had Eric's.

"Yes, what is it? Wait… who is this? Florence?"

"Florimel. Not Florence. I'm your little sister, Eric."

He was handsome. Possibly the best looking of all my brothers—even more so than Corwin. "I know you're my sister, Florimel. What are you doing with my Trump? What do you want from me?"

He sounded annoyed. He sounded angry.

I looked away from him … and it was then he must have seen the bruises on my neck.

"Florimel … Flora." His voice had turned gentle. I know you might not think that Eric could be gentle (I certainly hadn't until that moment) but he certainly could when he had reason to be so. "Flora, where are you? What happened?"

I told him.

His eyes grow angry again, but not at me. I don't know how I can explain that I knew it was not at me, but I knew it was so. "Oberon, you sick twisted …" He trailed off. "Flora, I'm going to bring you home through my Trump."

"I don't know how …"

"It's all right, little sister. I won't let anything happen to you. Not ever again. Just trust me."

I had trusted Daddy. I didn't want to trust Eric. I didn't want to trust anyone else ever again.

But I didn't have a choice.

"Take my hand, Flora. Take my hand and come to me."

I reached out and felt his hand take mine.

And then I was back in Amber and my big brother was holding me.

I cried then.

He wrapped his cloak around me, around my torn gown. "Do you want to walk or should I carry you?"

"Where are we going?"

"You need to see a doctor …"

"No! No doctor! I can't—they can't know what happened! No one can know!"

He frowned for a moment. "Okay. No doctor. Deirdre. Our sister. She'll take good care of you."

"You're leaving me?"

Yes, I sounded weak and pathetic—even to my own ears. But I couldn't help it. Somehow I felt safe in Eric's arms—and I didn't think I'd ever feel safe anywhere else.

"No. I'm not leaving you, Flora." He smiled then. "But you need more help than I can give. Come on."

He led me into one of the secret passages—the castle in Amber is littered with secret passages though I didn't know it until Eric showed me—and we came out near Deirdre's rooms.

"Eric?" It was night in Amber, and even though she had been sleeping she looked impossibly beautiful to me. "Who—Florimel?"

"Inside." Still holding my hand, Eric pushed his way past her and into her rooms. He sat me down on one of her couches. "Stay here, Flora. We'll just in the next room."

I nodded numbly.

I looked at my hands while they talked. My hands that I had used to kill a man. I could hear them talking, but not make out the words.

When they were done, Deirdre came out and told me that she was going to take care of me. She poured me a cup of wine and put something in it.

Maybe it was poison. I hoped it was poison. I was sick with fear. I just wanted it to all go away.

"Drink this, Flora." She gave me the cup and looked over at Eric. "Everything will be better in the morning."

I took the cup and drank deeply. Almost immediately, I felt myself getting drowsy. "No nightmares?" I pleaded.

"No nightmares, Flora." She kissed my forehead.

I closed my eyes and let Deirdre carry me to bed. I felt her hands gently remove my ruined garments and clothe me in one of her own gowns. I felt her tears fall on my face as she cleaned me up.

"He has to pay for this," Eric whispered angrily. "She's just a child."

"He's king, Eric. He has powers that we can't dream of—powers we can't face."

"I don't care. He let this happen—he MADE this happen. It's not right, Deirdre."

"No, it's not, but getting yourself killed in a spat with Father isn't going to help her either, Eric."

"Deirdre…"

"Use your head, Eric. We have to protect her now—make sure that Father never allows this sort of thing to happen again."

"You're the one who told me not to confront him."

"Not directly. But there are things that we can do. First, though, we take care of Florimel and make sure she's okay. I'll speak to our sisters."

"Our sisters? Why?"

"Because they're women, Eric. Regardless of his feelings, Benedict won't endanger the peace of the Realm over one girl even if she is our sister. Julian, Bleys, and Caine wouldn't take it seriously. Gerard would get himself killed confronting Father. Corwin … he would side with Father simply because this is something you care about."

"You think he would oppose your will in this?"

"Let's not put him to the test. I will talk to our sisters and see what advice they have to offer."

"Fine." I heard a chair being pulled up to the bed.

"What are you doing, Eric?"

"I told her that I wouldn't leave her. A Prince of Amber always keeps his word."

"There are battles you can't win with a sword, Eric."

"Perhaps not. But I made a promise to her." I felt him take one of my hands. "And as long as I live, I will keep it."

And for the first times since Daddy had struck me, I felt safe.

I let sleep claim me.