Many secrets to be revealed in this chapter. How will Blaze react? Why is the king against Silver? And who is Prince Addsworth? Please comment and review, I'm practically begging you.

Few words could describe how awkward it was between Blaze and I now that we were alone. "Blaze I..."

"You what?! What exactly did you do?!" I could tell she was furious. Addsworth had probably just told her that I chose to become a prince but forfeit our relationship.

"Let me explain, please." She sat down, leg and arms crossed, still fuming. I needed to treed lightly. I knew that the king was up to something, but perhaps it was better for me to not start accusing him of anything.

"The final trial was a choice, either become a prince and lose you or keep you, but "fail" the trial. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, and it was a difficult choice, but I chose you." I paused thinking about what to say next. I couldn't tell her about her father's past, not yet, so I changed the story slightly. "And Marlo told me I passed, for not losing my conviction. After that, he made me prince and I ran off to find you. I saw Addsworth proposing and I had to jump in."

She looked as though she didn't believe me, "And why should I believe you?" She asked.

Again, I was stuck; My only proof was Marlo, so I said, "Because I love you and you love me."

It seemed to hit her hard, because her posture relaxed and her voice softened, "And even if it is true, it's your word against Addsworth's." Then it hit me, how did Addsworth know about the trial. The final trial was a secret, only Marlo knew about it, so how did Addsworth know?

"The king." I mumbled.

"What?" She inquired.

I replied, "How did Addsworth know about the final trial, it was supposed to be secret."

Blaze replied, "He said that my father told him."

I prodded, "And how did he know?" Blaze was about to speak, but was dumbfounded.

We stood there in silence before she finally spoke, "He must have known what the trial was." I nodded for her to go on, "But how is that possible? Marlo would never tell and you were the only one to ever get that far."

I replied, "That isn't entirely true..." I then went on to tell her what Marlo had told me. And then about what happened on the balcony.

Blaze was a little surprised, "I can't believe it. My father took the trials. He isn't even from here. So he knew that there was no way you coud win, or so he thought, but he didn't count on..."

"Marlo." I interrupted.

"The missing link." Blaze continued, "But right now it's my father's word against you."

I said, "But all we need to do is find Marlo. He is the only one that truly knows the rules of the trials. We find him and everything will be okay."

Blaze agreed and I added, "But what I don't know is why Addsworth was here."

Blaze shrugged, "Lets just find Marlo, then it won't matter."

We set off looking for Marlo. Blaze was leading since I didn't have much idea where to look. First we checked his room, but we found it empty and looking as though it had been untouched since the morning. We then went to the sanctuary, but again, Marlo was no where to be found. We must have spent the rest of the night searching for Marlo, but no sign.

Dawn came and Blaze and I decided that maybe the king would know. So I watched from outside the throne room while Blaze spoke to her father. There was something strange though, he seemed to avoid her eyes and had a little tenser posture.

"He's just as bad of a liar as she is." I whispered to myself.

Blaze left him ad came back to me, "He said that the last time he saw Marlo was yesterday. He also said that Addsworth would be back soon, for my answer."

I asked, "Did anything seem strange about your father. Like how he was acting?"

She replied, "I know, he couldn't meet my eyes. He has no guile."

I continued, "Do you think that he did something with Marlo?"

Blaze replied, "We never checked the dungeon..."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" We ran off to the dungeons, trying not to draw too much attention to ourselves. We stopped outside the entrance, "Now, we aren't allowed to go into the dungeon so we may have to fight our way in." She said.

I nodded in understanding. She extended a claw and began trying to pick the lock, with little success. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she looked at me. I motioned for her to step aside and used my psychokinesis to work the lock, and it worried right open. We proceeded down into the dungeon and I found it to be quite unpleasant. There was mold all over the place and it was dimly lit. But as we wound our way through the labyrinth we encountered neither prisoner nor guard.

But we finally reached the end, and in the final cell, Marlo, chained to the wall, along with the king, Addsworth, and several guards. We hid around the corner and eavesdropped on the conversation.

"How many times must I tell you, Silver made the correct choice. He never lost his conviction and, unlike you, was awarded both." Marlo said.

This was followed by a distinct thud of a punch and the king angrily saying, "Insolent old fool! I let Silver take those trials believing that no matter the outcome, my daughter would marry Addsworth. This isn't about her happiness, it is for the betterment of both our kingdoms. But you are to blind to see that you fool." There was another sound of fist meeting flesh. "Marlo, you have been a loyal servant and pains me to see you in chains, all you have to do is tell my daughter that Silver is a prince, but had to forfeit his relationship with her, then you can go free."

There was slight laughter from Marlo, "Well I'm sorry my lord, but I will never do that."

"Then your fate is sealed..." The king hissed, "Guards! Do away with Marlo." I felt a surge of energy, but it was Blaze that made the move.

"No!" She screamed as she jumped out into the open where they could see her, and I was right behind her. Everyone looked our way, the king was shocked,

"Blaze?! What are you doing here?"

Blaze replied, "Looking for Marlo, and it looks like we found him."

The king was nervous now, "Blaze, I can explain."

Blaze retorted, "Explain what? That you lied to me. That you have been torturing Marlo. That you are trying to keep Silver and I apart."

The king struggled to find the words, "Please, you have to understand...this isn't some fairytale. I only had the best interests of Epistria in mind, you have to understand that."

She spat, "Oh I understand. But not like this."

The king replied, "I'm sorry my dear. Guards, seize them!" The four guards that were with the king attacked, only to be easily dispatched by Blaze through the quick use of a flame tornado. She then rushed the king and Addsworth. She jumped and kicked Addsworth in the face, knocking him unconscious and then pouncing on the king, pinning him to the cell floor. She lit a flame in her hand but I grabbed her hand with my psychokinesis.

"Blaze stop!"

She looked at me with fury in her face, "Let me go Silver!"

I began to walk towards them, "So you can do what? Kill him? Your own father?"

Her voice at that moment sent shivers down my spine, "He deserves it!"

I replied, "Blaze, I asked you once if it was right to kill someone to save the world. And do you remember what you told me?" She lowered her head and gave a slight nod. I continued, "You told me you couldn't say whether it was right or wrong, and in the end, it was wrong..." I had finally reached them and placed my hand on her shoulder, "I'm telling you, this is wrong."

I released her hand. Her whole body was trembling and after a moment of silence she lowered her hand and stood up to face me, tears flowing down her face. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest and cried. Her father remained on the floor, paralyzed with fear. Addsworth was unconscious on the floor and Marlo was just standing, chained to the wall. After a couple moments, Blaze finally peeled off me and I walked over to free Marlo. I broke his chains with my psychokinesis and he rubbed his now freed wrists, "Thank you my boy. What now?"

I wasn't sure what to do next, but Blaze was way ahead of me, moving the unconscious guards that had attacked us into the cell, making sure to take the keys off them. The three of us stepped outside and then she shut and locked the cell: king, Addsworth, and guards trapped inside.

She locked the door and I said, "What do you think we should do?"

She replied, in a calculating voice, "Were fugitives. This is treason, am I right, father?"

He replied, in a harsh tone, "You will all be executed unless you free me immediately!"

"See." She said to me. She then went to work melting the lock with her pyrokinesis.

"Well then we have to get out of here." I declared.

She replied, "Already on it."