I cannot deny that I did not bawl my eyes out the next morning when my family left. I had never been particularly emotional in that fashion; I was sad when the occasion was sad and I was very prone to moments of random silliness. But the way I felt as I watched my family's carriage disappear through the mess of the royal garden was unlike anything I had expected. I felt like a child, far younger than Willow, a little baby who had been abandoned by her uncaring parents who arranged a marriage for her with a man she did not love, parents who did not think of just what was going to happen to their little daughter. Parents who had just tossed a tiny infant into the middle of the woods.

Silly, I know. Maybe every bride felt like that, once all was done and reality set in. Then the bride would get over it, realize just how happy was her life, and fondly think of her parents from a distance. True, by the time afternoon rolled around I was feeling somewhat better about the whole situation. After all, it had been my idea in the first place. So what if Prince David wasn't exactly the charming, dashing husband I had expected? At least I wasn't going to be expected to slay an evil witch or something. Married women just did not do such things, and at least my family could recognize that.

No, that wasn't true. Plenty of my ancesteresses had done bizarre things as grandmothers.

Well, that was not going to be me. Instead of the bizarre, I had a nice if not wonderful husband. I lived in a beautiful palace. I was beautiful. People liked me. By evening, I had remembered that I had made the right decision. By the following morning, I was quite happy.

My new family adored me. King Theodore discussed how he had always wanted a daughter and explained the details of the throne to me—apparently once he died and David became King and I Queen, I had to know such things. Actually, I think King Theodore just liked hearing himself talk. Queen Ella personally took my sizes, my color and fashion interests, and ordered dozens of dresses that had absolutely nothing to do with my interests. Still, they were beautiful. She had better taste than I.

I was given five girls to attend me. Their names were Mina, Rebeccah, Alice, Eve, and Mary. Nice girls, each one of them, quite and polite and quick to do whatever I told them. I liked that about them, though I found myself wishing they would talk a little more, after the first week.

One of Prince David's wedding gifts to me was an elaborate harp. I hadn't taken too many harp lessons, and I joyfully resumed the practice. I was also given an even more elaborate sewing kit, and access to everything I needed to make anything. I guess he remembered my dream to make a tapestry.

Yes, I was happy, as happy as I had imagined I would be. I could complain for nothing. But if I had to choose something to complain about, that something would have to be my husband.

I didn't want to complain about him. What I felt could hardly be considered a complaint. During my fantasies of an arranged marriage, I hadn't thought about my husband, not really. I shouldn't have assumed anything. Prince David was nice, as nice as could be. I think he liked me all right, and I liked him all right, as well. We had our own separate quarters, but our nights spent together were good, as far such things went. We didn't talk much, but when we did talk, the conversation never lead to any hurt feelings. One night we found ourselves laughing uproariously for a good five minutes. I just couldn't remember what that had been about.

I thought about what my parents thought of Prince David. Willow was too young to be much of a judge. I mostly thought about what Lydia would have thought of Prince David. Lydia had her suitors, so many of them, and yet I couldn't help but think that she would have scolded me for wanting someone handsome. But all of Lydia's suitors were handsome.

Well, I had not specified to Father to find me a handsome prince. Prince David wasn't bad-looking, though. I eventually defined his looks as "cute", and that was a definition that fit him well. He just wasn't handsome.

Or dashing and adventurous. Then it occurred to me that if he were, I would probably be dragged along with him on some crazy adventure.

And so in the end I was happy and content. If I felt bored here and then, it was my own fault and I would quickly try to remedy it.

One day, about three weeks after the wedding, I was feeling slightly bored. I think it was an absence of Willow running up and down the halls screaming, or making a mess with gooey treats from the kitchen as she read book after book. But the palace was seeming just too quiet.

Alice and Mina were helping me dress for the day, once again without saying anything more than three words. I guess I wanted a little more than that.

The dress was one that Queen Ella had picked out, a pale yellow that she insisted was striking against my dark hair. And it was. I smiled at myself in the mirror. "Mina, do you think this dress suits me?"

Mina simply nodded.

"You must have nice dresses as well," I said. "What is your favorite dress? Of your own, I mean?"

Mina simply shrugged.

"We only wear our finest dresses to great occasions, Princess," Alice said politely.

I smiled. Of course. "Probably too difficult to wear anything too frilly when we are all running about the palace all day."

"Yes, Princess. That's it."

It was impossible to get a conversation going with either. I sighed and stopped trying. As soon as I was ready, I went to look for Prince David.

I found him in one of his favorite places, the library. It hadn't taken me too many guesses to look there. He was lying in front of the window, chomping noisily on an apple, reading a book. He barely glanced up as I entered. "Hello, Moriah."

And we were supposed to be married. Oh, well. "Hello," I replied. "What are you doing?"

He stared at me for a moment, mid-swallow of an apple. "Reading."

Ah. Yes. Of course he was reading. I felt a little silly. "What are you reading?"

"A discourse of the kingdom's history. I think it's important to stay on top of what is going on now, but knowing the history is helpful. Plus, it's pretty fascinating to read."

I shrugged and sat down on a chair across the way from him. Prince David did spend a lot of time working with King Theodore and all the politics. "You know, I never really cared for reading."

"That, Moriah, is something I cannot understand." He flipped to the next page. He was a fast reader.

"Well, it never struck me as something very enjoyable."

"And why is that?"

"Spending all this time reading seems a way of escaping one's own life. That history, for example… none of it matters anymore." I suddenly heard just what I was saying, but it was too late to take it back. No matter how terrible and dim-witted it sounded. "It's finished."

I didn't like the smile Prince David sent me. Too much pride in it, and something against me, I was sure. I felt a frown pull itself over my face, but he just smiled. "That, Moriah, is exactly why I'm reading it. I'm never going to see it for myself."

I sighed and forced a smile. "Of course. You are right. I'm sorry."

"No, you're fine. If you—"

I stood up. "I have some things to which I need to attend. I shall see you at dinner."

Then I left the library, deciding that was our first bad conversation. Couldn't he be a little wittier?

I would find Queen Ella. I liked talking to her.

But before I could find her in my sporadic wandering about the palace, the unthinkable happened. The thing that should have never happened to me, not since the day I was born. It was a message that should have gone to my parents, or even Willow. Not me.

A servant found me just as I was coming through the front yellow hall. "Princess Moriah!" he shouted in a voice that was much too loud for propriety. Still, I was startled enough to stop. He clutched the paper in his hand, a messy shredding of bad parchment. "A messenger just arrived at the gates, Princess," he said. "He said this was for you."

I unraveled the message, read it as quickly as I could, and nearly fainted.

Moriah,

I can only pray this message reaches you in time, because time is something of which I have little. I have been captured, and sadly I have failed to free myself. Please, I need you. Here is the best map I was able to draw.

Lydia