A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It means a lot to me!

Johnna, Cedric, and I proceeded to follow the trail of the labyrinth, and though I should have been able to enjoy the journey, I could not. My future was more serious. I could not stop thinking about Roland's threat, about how I had nothing without him.

We discussed me running away while we were away from home, but I had no idea how to survive on my own, even if I had somewhere to go. Johnna wanted me to stay with her at her home until something could be decided, but I reminded her that Roland would say no, because I was to be Amber's companion for a while yet. Cedric was ready to take me to his parent's home, but his disappearance at the same time as mine would be suspect.

Finally, we decided that Johnna would not leave my side the rest of the time we were guests at the palace, and then when we parted, Cedric would stay as near as possible, while he arranged for a way to get me away from Roland, and he would join me later. Once this route was chosen, I felt immensely better. We came to the exit of the labyrinth and though I wished our time in there could have lasted longer, it was well past time for tea, and I was feeling hungry.

Just outside the exit were six of the king's guards. They looked at us and we paused before continuing. "Lady Sofia?" one asked.

"I am Sofia."

"Come with us."

"Why should she go with you?" Johnna butted in. "Where are you taking her?"

"King Stephen has ordered her presence. We will take her from here." Two of them reached out for me.

"Do you have to manhandle her? She'll go peacefully," Cedric tried to move in front of me.

"Stand down."

"It's ok, Sir Cedric," I said quickly. I glanced at Johnna too. "I will go see the king." The soldiers marched in a formation of two by six, except for me in the middle. I heard Cedric and Johnna whispering behind us, so I knew I was not alone.

The route the soldiers took through the garden and into the castle was short. We climbed a back stairway to the second floor and stopped outside a door. Two guards stood outside the door, one knocked and then stepped inside. "You may enter," that guard said to me. I heard Johnna and Cedric step forward but the remaining guards stopped them and told them they had to leave.

I turned and nodded at them. I had no idea what this was about, but I was sure I would not need Johnna and Cedric. Perhaps the king wants to meet Amber's sister.

I entered the room and heard the door shut behind me. King Stephan sat in an elegant chair, and I gave him a deep curtsy.

"Rise."

I rose and looked around. A man sat next to the king, and he looked familiar. Then I realized where I had seen him. He had been one of the men that I had run into that morning. Is he the one I slapped?

"Your majesty, this is Sofia."

"This is the one?" the king looked at the man next to him.

"Yes, Father."

The king's eyes swung back at me. "Do you deny that you struck one of my son's this morning?"

I gasped. "I…I…"

"Your majesty," Roland said, "Sofia would never hurt anyone. She is much too-"

"Shut your mouth, Roland. I'm asking your mistress if she dared to lay a hand on the royal prince this morning."

I looked at the man who was apparently the prince, and he smirked at me."

"Your majesty, forgive me, I did not know and-"

"You will be punished for this."

"Twenty lashes?" asked the prince.

The king paused, staring at me. "She is quite young and I doubt she could handle twenty lashes. However, she is not the only guilty party." His eyes swung to Roland and I could see the enmity between them. "How dare you have the gall to bring your new slut to the childhood home of my sister!"

"I'm not-"

"Quiet!" the king and Roland both hissed at me. "Roland, you are banished from the royal palace and grounds henceforth and you will take your whore with you. I will have your servants pack your things and deliver them to you."

"Let me collect me daughter and we will-"

"Lady Amber will finish her stay here with her family. I have taken it upon myself, with her permission, to accept a marriage proposal."

"To who?" Roland bellowed. "I am her father, not you."

"I am the king!" The room was silent as they stared at each other, and the prince smirked at me, and then the king yelled, "Guards!"

He instructed the guards to escort Roland and I immediately, not stopping until we were outside the walls. Roland grabbed my upper arm, making me cry out in pain, and just like I was marched to the king's room, we were marched through the castle, in front of many, many people, and out the front door and out to the city gate.

"How could you do this to us!" Roland raged as soon as we were outside the palace walls. He yanked my arm and I cried out again. I was already bruised; however he did not let go. "I ought to sell you to the first brothel we find. Why in the hell would you strike the prince?"

"He was hurting me!" Roland looked at me. "And I didn't know he was a prince. I was scared and he and the other man would not let me go."

For a split second, I thought I saw compassion on Roland's face, but it was quickly replaced with ire. "Come on."

He led me into the city. The further we were from the castle, the more common people were dressed, and the more dilapidated homes and businesses were.

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to find an inn."

"But we've passed several."

"I have little coin on me at the moment, my dear, and besides, those are the inns the king would expect me to stay at."

"He's going to look for you?"

"It's possible."

I swallowed. We were entering a part of the city that was even more desperate than I had experienced as a child. Roland and I stood out with our fine clothing. Children came up to us, begging for a coin or bread, or anything. Small groups of adults, both men and women, were eying us maliciously. As much as I did not want to be near Roland, I moved closer to him.

We stopped in front of a three-story building that had a board hanging outside, with two faded, painted tulips. "Here," he said. He opened the door and went in first. The smell had me immediately putting my hand over my face. There were many men in the common room, and a few women, wearing very little clothing. I averted my eyes as Roland led me to the bar.

"What are you doing here?" The person behind the bar asked.

"I need a room for the night. Maybe two nights."

"Two rooms," I said quietly.

Roland sighed. "Two rooms."

"We aren't exactly your kind of inn."

"I thought you'd be happy for a bit of coin," Roland scowled. "It's all right, there are other inns." He started to turn us toward the door, but the man said to wait.

I have a couple rooms for ya. He called for someone and a minute later a woman came through a door from the back, swearing and yelling back at the man.

"Give them a couple rooms." He glanced at Roland. "You gotta pay up front, though."

Roland took a small purse from a pocket and picked out some coins. "This includes board as well." He held the coins until the innkeeper nodded.

"But not drinks. Drinks are extra."

Roland nodded. He paid the man, and the woman led us to a set of rickety wood stairs that creaked and groaned with even just my weight. She led us to a couple rooms at the end of the hall on the second floor. Each had a small pallet in it.

"What about linens?"

"That's costs extra." The lady smiled. "Most people who stay here don't care much for linens and have someone to keep them warm at night."

My face turned red and I hid it behind Roland. "Will this do?" He must have handed her a coin. "And I want them to be clean!" He called as she hurried back down the hall.

"Sofia, you get the furthest room. I'll send a message for our things to be brought here. I don't want you to leave this room without me beside you, all right?"

I nodded, half-wishing I had not said anything about having two rooms. "Is there a lock?"

"I doubt it. Just expect that people will go through your things here. If you have anything valuable, wear it."

"Do we have to stay here?"

He pushed me into what would be my room. "You are the reason we are here! You! What the hell were you thinking, Sofia! You are lucky your backside isn't torn in strips right now, or worse. I told you King Stephan is a madman."

I did not remember Roland saying that exactly, but he kept yelling. "We would have been fine if you would have just kept your head down. Do you know what this means? I've lost the little bit of favor I had with the king, and everyone else." He stepped toward me and I backed up until the wall met me. "This is all your fault!" He lips were barely moving as he hissed at me. "I should have sacrificed you to him."

"Your grace." I begged putting my hands up to keep him away from me. "I didn't know."

"Keep your mouth shut, you idiot." Then his lips were on my again, one hand gripping the back of my head while I pounded my fists against his chest. An idea came to me then. I opened my mouth, and though his tongue came into mine, I bit down hard, on his tongue and part of his lip.

My eyes had been closed so I never saw his hand hit me, but my head swung to the side violently just before I fell to the floor. "You bastard," he spat. My focus was not great, but I thought I saw blood run down his chin. "Don't you leave this room."

He slammed the door and left me in a daze on the floor.