This chapter is a bit shorter but I wanted to finish of that cliff hanger for you…. sort of ;)

The moment Emma was cleared to enter Altair she headed straight for the only person she wanted to talk to. She wove through the capital's medical unit, ignoring the stares that were being directed her way. It wasn't only that they were surprised that Emma was in Altair, the shock was mostly due her red eyes showing she had been crying. As far as she knew, no one here had ever seen her cry. She kept her head down as she made her way to the top floor. She found the room she was looking for and slipped in, closing out the stares from the hallway.

"Emma!" A shocked Diana sat up from the couch in her room. "What in the world are you…?" Diana stopped when she saw Emma had been crying. She stood up and walked over to her. "Emma, have you been," A look of realization washed over Diana's face. "You heard about Juliana?"

"No… yes I…" Emma's voice shook. "I… I did hear about that and I'm so, so sorry and so devastated but that's not…"

"That's not it?" Diana asked. Emma shook her head, trying to keep herself from crying. "Em what's wrong."

"I… I remembered, I remember," Emma gave a small shrug. "Everything that happened. I know why I left."

"Oh Em…" Diana's face felled. "What happened?"

"Serafine was right." Emma bit her lip. "About me getting hurt, about there being a reason for me leaving that life."

"What did you find out?" Diana asked.

"My parents abandoned me." Emma started. "They really were scared of my magic and they rejected me for it. And it wasn't the first time they had chosen someone over me. Our castle was attacked by my step-grandmother and my mother left me, I was five years old, I was helpless and she just left me there to watch everyone die around me, to potentially be kidnapped by her stepmother, just because she had to make sure my little brother was ok. I just don't understand how you can leave someone for dead who you claim you love. How can you abandon your own child like that?"

"Oh Em. That is so hard. I sort of understand how you feel." Diana said sympathetically. "My father abandoned Daniel and I."

"Yea but you weren't dumb enough to go back to him in the hope that things might be different." Emma shook her head in disgust.

"You didn't know Em." Diana said gently. "You had no clue they did that to you.

"That doesn't make it any easier." Emma looked at the ground.

"I'm so sorry." Diana put a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. "I didn't want this to happen to you."

"You wanted me to find out I had a family that loved me?" Emma asked doubtfully.

"I wanted it for you." Diana nodded.

"Even if that meant me leaving?" Emma asked.

"There would have been a part of me that would have been jealous that you found what I always wanted." Diana admitted. "And I would have missed my best friend like crazy. But I could never hate you for getting the thing that most of us want more than anything.

"Love?" Emma asked.

"A purpose besides our power?" Diana suggested.

"If Serafine could hear us now." Emma shook her head.

"She'd say I told you so followed by chastising us for not being grateful for what we have." Diana walked over to the balcony overlooking the city.

"We do have more of a purpose than most people." Emma looked out over the glittering city that had been her home for ten years. "I suppose we should be grateful for that."

"It doesn't take away the pain of being betrayed by the people who are supposed to love you." Diana said gently.

"I just don't get how I could have been so naïve." Emma sighed.

"You didn't know." Diana reminded her.

"Yea but I knew there was a reason I left, a reason I erased my own memories." Emma pointed out. "And I let the allure of having a family blind me to searching for that reason. I opened up my heart to them before I knew the truth and allowed myself to get hurt.

"Oh Em." Diana gave her friend a side hug.

Emma laid her head on Diana's shoulder. "I was so stupid."

"No babe." Diana shook her head. "You were not stupid for wanting to believe you were loved. That's normal. It's ok to admit you're human every once and a while."

"I just hurt's so much." Emma admitted.

"Betrayal is never an easy thing for your heart to go through." Diana empathized.

"I should have just stayed here." Emma said miserably.

"But then you would have never known." Diana pointed out.

"At least I would have been surrounded by people I can trust." Emma said somewhat bitterly.

"You always have me." Diana told Emma.

"How did you score a top floor room with such a great view?" Emma asked as they looked out on the glittering rooftops and breath taking architecture of the capital.

"Juliana." Diana smiled sadly. "Who else? She wanted the best for me after my injury came on my first assignment."

"She was always good to us like that." Emma said quietly. "But hey, happy thoughts. Look at where we are. You are being cared for in a gorgeous facility. We are in a beautiful land, in a beautiful city that doesn't have a slum or homeless population. We have a good life and friends and we can have a successful and happy life."

"We have a lot to be thankful for." Diana agreed. She glanced over at Emma.

"Why do you think they asked you to come back?"

"I have no clue." Emma shrugged. "Guilt maybe."

"For rejecting you?" Diana asked.

"Maybe it was my father?" Emma guessed. "He didn't know. He seemed as shocked as I was after I told him what happened. So maybe he wanted me to come back and she couldn't say no without telling him what she did."

"That's so screwed up." Diana shook her head.

"You're telling me." Emma muttered.

They were silent for a moment before Diana spoke up again. "So you have a brother?"

"Yea." Emma nodded.

"What's he like?" Diana asked.

"When I got there?" Emma glanced over. "He hated me. He was never told no growing up. He was a spoiled entitled brat. But we finally connected near the end and he actually started to be a pretty good brother."

"A mirror to what you would have been like had you been raised there?" Diana wondered.

"I don't think so." Emma said. "Everyone told me I was a lovely and likable as child."

"Well I guess you were pretty great when you first came here." Diana smiled. "A little scared, but once you warmed up… there's a reason we became best friends."

"Because you needed someone to cause mischief with you?" Emma gave a small laugh.

"Yea." Diana laughed. "So… did you meet any old friends?"

"A few. There was a girl, Alex, she was my age but the princess of a neighboring kingdom. Supposedly we were inseparable as children." Emma shrugged. "She stayed for a few weeks and we really reconnected. I got to meet everyone when we had this ball where all the foreign dignitaries and their children came to catch a glimpse of the lost princess."

"I bet you loved that." Diana said sarcastically.

"You have no idea." Emma rolled her eyes. "But I got through it with the help of Chris."

"Who's Chris?" Diana seemed intrigued.

"Another old friend." Emma said nonchalantly.

"And how old is this one?" Diana pushed.

"A few years older." Emma could see the gleam of interest in Diana's eyes. "Apparently we got into a lot of mischief when we were younger as well."

"And is this friend cute?" Diana asked.

"I mean kind of." Emma shrugged.

"And do you like him?" Diana pressed.

"He's pretty charming." Emma admitted. "And he made me laugh. He wasn't perfect or a stuck up royal either, which was really nice."

"How did Daniel feel about that?" Diana asked, not able to meet Emma's eyes.

"Oh not you too." Emma sighed.

"Come on Em." Diana gave her friend a pointed look. "It's painfully obvious."

"Not to me." Emma insisted. "I'm not going to entertain anything until he says something."

"He's too scared." Diana pointed out.

"Scared of what?" Emma asked doubtfully.

"That you might reject him and ruin your friendship?" Diana suggested.

"Well if that's true he can tell me himself." Emma said.

"Well I'm sorry you lost your chance with Chris," Diana looked at Emma. "But I'm not to sorry about you being separated from those princesses."

"Di, are you jealous?" A smile tugged at Emma's lips.

"A little." Diana admitted. "I mean come on, you're my best friend. I don't want to lose you."

"Well there's no chance of that now." Emma said, her mood dropping slightly. "This is my home and this is where I'm staying."

"That's good to hear." Diana gingerly put her hand around Emma's shoulders.

"Emma." Both girls turned to find Evan standing in the doorway.

"How did you find me?" Emma looked surprised.

"You don't think I know the whereabouts of my charges when they're in Altair?" Evan questioned.

"Valid point." Emma nodded in acceptance.

"Serafine has requested an audience with you." Evan informed her.

"Can it wait?" Emma requested. "I really don't feel up to it."

"She says now." Evan seemed slightly apologetic at the order.

"Well then I guess it's now." Emma sighed, pushing herself away from the balcony. She looked at Diana. "I'll see you soon."

Diana pulled Emma into a hug. "Feel better."

"You too." Emma reciprocated. "I need you to be kicking ass at my side very soon."

"Ill do my best." Diana pulled back. "Bye."

"Bye." Emma gave a small wave before following Evan out of the room. They wove through the city, making their way to the training center that was near the edges of Altair. "So do you know what this is about?"

"You know even if I do I couldn't tell you." Evan told her. Evan had always been the more business side of the pair but Emma could see he was missing his counterpart in Juliana. There was something comforting for Emma about being surrounded by people who understood and shared in her grief.

When they finally reached Serafine's meeting room, Evander held the door open, waiting for Emma to pass. She walked up to where Serafine sat, waiting. The room had a way of making it feel like no time had passed since she left, as if everything were exactly the same. But she knew it was so very different.

"Emma." There was a note of sadness in Serafine's voice. "I am so thankful you are back but I am deeply sorry it had to happen this way."

"I'm sure you are." Emma said unenthusiastically. "Come on Serafine. You know I can see through lies. This is what you wanted all along."

"It would be a lie if I said I did not want you to return to us in Altair, to your home." Serafine admitted. "But I did not want it to happen under these circumstances. I wanted you to return on your own terms."

"I did return on my own terms." Emma said firmly. "I'd rather be in a place where I am accepted for who I am, not for who others wish I was."

"I am truly sorry Emma." Serafine sat stoically. "I knew this would happen."

"How?" Emma asked.

"Those people, your parents, they neither appreciate nor deserve someone as incredibly special as you." Serafine said simply. "They know not what they lost, what they chose give up."

"Yea, well I'm not feeling too special right now." Emma said bitterly.

"You are special." Serafine said in a tone of voice that allowed for no argument. "Anyone who would even entertain the idea of abandoning you is not worthy of you."

"Well…" Emma's head snapped up when what Serafine had said clicked in her mind. "How do you know they abandoned me?"

"You told me." Serafine explained. "All those years ago."

"You've known all along what they did to me?" There was betrayal in Emma's voice. "How could you not tell me?"

"Because I was trying to protect you." Serafine's voice rang with indignation. "When I found you, you asked me to make the pain of their betrayal go away and I obliged."

"You took away my memories?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"You wanted me to. You wanted to stop hurting." Serafine defended herself. "I only did what you asked me to do."

"I was six." There was shock and pain in Emma's voice. "I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't understand what was going on."

"You were old enough to know what you wanted." Serafine said simply.

"I was a scared little girl who was upset and confused." Emma shook her head. "You took advantage of that. Why would you do something like that?"

"Because I was afraid I'd lose you." Serafine admitted, no shame in her voice. "You were so powerful, I knew that from the moment I felt your magic manifesting. I knew I could not let that power get away from me. If anyone else trained you, they could have ruined you. Look at you. You are magnificent."

"You manipulated me into thinking my family didn't want me." Emma said in horror.

"They did that on their own." Serafine told her. "I merely eased your pain."

"You let me think it was my choice to erase my memories." Emma accused.

"I merely did what you asked." Serafine seemed the farthest thing from apologetic.

"I was emotional and impressionable." Emma shook her head. "You couldn't even have waited to see if that was what I truly wanted?"

"You were inconsolable." Serafine countered. "I did it for you."

"No you didn't." Emma shook her head, tears in her eyes. "You did it for you. You didn't care about me, or my life. You took me away from my family. They loved me and you took me from them."

"Loved you?" Serafine said incredulously. "Loved you? How can you even believe you were loved by someone who would leave you to die?"

"My father didn't leave me." Emma argued.

"He didn't choose to come with you the night of your manifestation." Serafine countered.

"You still encouraged my estrangement from them." Emma searched for answers in her mentor's eyes. "You didn't even allow me to calm down enough to give them a second chance."

"This was their second chance." Serafine said simply.

"I'm talking about then." Emma snapped. "If you truly wanted what was best for me you would have made sure they truly did not want me. But you didn't. You only helped push me farther from them. Why?"

"Because it was best for you." Serafine answered.

"Why?" Emma repeated, harder this time.

"I needed you to be completely separated from them." Serafine finally answered. "It was the only way to get you to this point, to help you become great. You couldn't have ties elsewhere. I needed your focus solely here."

"You used me." Emma shook her head as her foundation crumbled beneath her. "For what? I don't even know. I don't even care. But I hope it was worth it. Guess I'm not so special after all. Just another pawn in whatever game you are playing. Congratulations. You are the most calculating person I know. And I got played, so I guess the jokes on me."

"Emma." Serafine called as Emma began to walk away. "Come back here right now."

"No." Emma whipped around. "I'm done following orders blindly."

"You need me to help you achieve your full potential." Serafine insisted.

"That's all I have ever been to you." Emma shook her head in disgust. "My potential, my power, a weapon who was great at killing. But I'm more than that. And I think I deserve a life that respects that."

"Emma you are under my tutelage." Serafine commanded. "I will not allow you to leave."

"If my power is as great as you say it is." Emma challenged coldly. "Then I think I can do whatever the hell I want."

"Where will you go?" Serafine asked.

"I'll find some place." Emma assured her shortly. "I'm pretty resourceful."

"Emma." Evan held his hand out as she passed.

"Let it go Evan." Emma held her hand up, brushing him off as she stalked out of the room. She made sure she was clear of the grounds before breaking out into a run, wanting to get to a place where she could disappear from Altair as soon as possible.

There was only one place that Emma was sure she could go without being found by those who might be looking from her, from those she certainly did not want to see. She was sure her parents would be looking to her friends for answers to her whereabouts. There was only one place she could be sure those around her would not disclose her location to anyone who was looking for her.

Emma closed her eyes and concentrated, transporting herself to the location in her mind. It was raining when she appeared. It seemed only fitting for both her mood and the location she was in. She was thankful, at the least, her tears blended in with the weather. She slipped through the gates, keeping her head down as to be unnoticed by the guards. When she reached the front entrance. She knocked fervently, waiting for someone to answer.

Finally a guard opened the door, his eyes tired as it was early morning in this realm. "What in the world, who do you think you are coming here unescorted?"

"I need prince Orrin." Emma said firmly.

"And what gives you the authority to request that?" The guard asked.

"Get him now." Emma ordered. "Tell him Emma is looking for him. Trust me, all members of the royal family will be most displeased with you if you turn me away or detain me in any way."

The guard contemplated for a moment before ordering a nearby guard to retrieve the prince. Emma didn't know how long it took for Orrin to make his way down to the main entrance but it was long enough for Emma to feel the weight of the lies she had been told, long enough for everything she knew, her entire world, to come crashing down around her.

"Emma what in the world?" Orrin seemed shocked to see Emma, soaking wet, standing in his entrance to his home.

"I'm so sorry." Emma shook her head. "I didn't know where … I had no where else to go. I'm sorry to show up unannounced…"

"No." Orrin walked forward, seeing Emma's shaken state. "It's quite all right. I'm just surprised to see you here."

"As am I." Emma looked at the ground. "This is just the only place I could think to come where I could stay hidden."

"Hidden?" Orrin asked.

"From my parents." Emma admitted. "And those who were responsible for me in Altair."

"Why would you want to stay hidden from them?" Orrin asked.

"Because." Emma swallowed hard. "They lied to me, they all lied. Everything I've ever known is a lie. The people who were supposed to love me, to care about me… Orrin I feel like the foundation of the world has been ripped out from under me."

"Emma." Orrin pulled the shaking girl into his arms.

"I'm so sorry." Emma tried to quit crying but found her emotions were too strong to control. "I'm not typically like this. I'm never… I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Emma I'm so sorry." Orrin comforted her. "But you must try to calm down."

"I know." Emma took deep breaths, stepping away. "I'm sorry."

"It is fine." Orrin assured her. "I am glad to be able to offer refuge. But may I ask why you came here?"

"Everyone else would have told my parents or Serafine." Emma admitted.

"And you believed I would keep quiet." Orrin nodded.

"Your father wants our union does he not?" Emma shrugged. "I figured he would be overjoyed at my presence here and keep it quiet. Telling my parents would only serve to have me removed."

"You thought correct." Orrin agreed. "Though please know Emma, I will not keep your secret for that reason. I will keep your presence here a secret as a friend, and for no other reason."

"Thank you." Emma nodded.

"I just want you to know my intentions are pure." Orrin lowered his voice. "Unlike those of my family."

"I know." Emma assured him. "If I didn't trust you I would not have come here."

"I do believe if you had another option you would not have come here either. But as it is, it is quite early and you look as though you have not slept all night. Sleep will help calm you." Orrin looked to the guard. "Have a guest room prepared and the bed turned town for Emma. Please have some of Margaery's dresses brought to the chambers for her to wear. Towels and blankets as well to dry her and something to sleep in. Perhaps some tea as well."

"Yes sir." The two guards nodded before setting off to fulfill their prince's order.

"Orrin that wasn't necessary." Emma protested.

"Yes it was." Orrin insisted. "You are exhausted both physically and mentally. You need rest. If you don't get out of those wet clothes soon you will be ill as well."

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness." Emma said gratefully.

"It's no problem." Orrin told her.

"Prince Orrin." The guard returned. "The quarters for the lady are prepared."

"Lady?" Emma quietly looked to Orrin.

"That's what they title friends of ours." Orrin whispered as they followed the guard. "I would recommend keeping your identity quiet. I didn't think it would be too much of an issue for you to shed your title."

"It's not." Emma smiled gratefully.

"Here you are Lady…" The guard looked to Emma.

"Emma." Emma supplied.

"Lady Emma." The guard nodded, taking the towels and blankets from the guard who had just walked up.

"Thank you." Emma took a towel as the other ones were placed on a table in the room.

"Rest well Lady Emma." The guards nodded before departing, returning to their stations.

"Thank you so much." Emma said again as she dried her hair with the towel. "This is really so very kind."

"I'm happy to help Emma." Orrin assured her. "Well I should be getting back to my quarters. I am still half asleep and you really look like you could use some rest."

"Thank you?" Emma gave a small laugh, but it was clearly forced..

"In the best way possible." Orrin put his hand to his head. "I'm exhausted. You cannot hold what I say against me."

"I'll consider that." Emma smiled. "See you in the morning."

"It's already the morning." Orrin grinned. "Sleep well Emma."

Emma closed the door as Orrin disappeared down the hallway. She finished drying off and removed her wet clothing, slipping on the dressing gown that had been left for her. Emma glanced around the room. It was cold and foreign. She was used to being put up in unknown rooms in unknown castles in unknown lands, but something about this felt different. There was no home she was looking forward to returning to. She didn't have a group of people she knew were ready to support her. There were no smiling friendly faces next door.

Emma shook her head, trying to shake away those thoughts. The bed had been turned down for her already. She blew out the candle and slipped into the bed, trying to forget about the emotions surging through her head.