The nest morning, Rowan stirred to hear the labored breathing of a person on the floor beside the couch. She sat bolt upright, nearly banging her head on a low hanging light from the low ceiling. Her feet rested on the wooden floor as she sat up, her eyes locking onto Kaden, who was struggling in his bonds.

     "I hope you're not planning on escaping," Rowan rested her elbows on the arm of the couch as she peered over it to look at him, "Aliyah could find you fast, you know."

       "Who?" he rasped, looking up at her as he rolled back into a sitting position.

       "She's a werewolf," Rowan sighed, resting her chin in her hand, "Are you ready to talk to me this morning?"

       "I've been ordered to kill you. If I don't, I'll be executed. If I tell who sent me, I'll also be executed." Kaden raised his bonds around his wrists to his mouth as he began to bite at them.

       "Executed? Was that the word they used?"

      "Yes."

       "It was Adeline, wasn't it," Rowan didn't bother looking to him for confirmation, knowing it was true, "Only royalty have the power to 'execute'. And my Dad would never threaten someone like that. Besides, when I asked earlier, you said 'she'."

       "When you said that she'd kill you for going to the dance, you weren't kidding," Kaden grumbled, arching his back in an attempt to stretch out. His back was sore and his arms ached, "I wasn't expecting to actually try to do it once I found you. Guess I have a harder will than I thought."

       "Don't sound so happy about it," Rowan gave him an annoyed look, rolling onto her back and turning away from him. She rested her head on the arm of the chair as she stared at the ceiling, "But she really tried to kill me."

        "That seems bigger than her just being mad at you," Kaden said, licking his dry lips as he gave his head a shake, "Why would she want to kill you so much?"

      "I don't know," Rowan bit her lip, "But this is upfront treason, no doubt about it. She's never liked me, but this is... insane." She raked a hand through her dark hair, "But I'm going to get to the bottom of this mystery. Are you with me?"

       "Do I have a choice?"

      "Oh, totally," Rowan looked over the arm of the couch to look at him again, "But if you had said no, I would've pitched you into the gorge. You can help us prove her treachery, or you can support her."

       "Nah, I'm with you," Kaden raised his bound wrists, "Can you do something about this?"

       "When Aliyah gets back," Rowan said, her eyes wandering the carved table behind him to admire the animals and plants' pictures embedded into the pale wood, "Oh, I never should have gone to that stupid dance!"

      "Yeah, how was that?" Kaden asked, "I almost went. Almost."

      "Well, it was actually a lot of fun," Rowan sighed, closing her eyes as she recalled it, "The food was awesome, and the room was beautiful, you should've seen it. I've been in and out of that room so many times in my life, but I really couldn't recognize it at all. And that man I danced with... he turned out to be Kaizen, would you believe it?"

      "KAIZEN?!!!" Kaden choked, "You danced with KAIZEN?!!"

      "I didn't know he was Kaizen until after we danced," Rowan frowned down at him, "Do you know him?"

       "No," Kaden scowled, then snorted, "Yes. He's a jerk."

       "He was not," she slid off of the couch beside him, "He was really nice. And funny. The only time he wasn't was when my stepmother busted me and sent me off. Then he sounded like he could kill someone."

      Kaden's lip curled in disgust, "He could. He's not nice like you think, Rowan. He's manipulative, cruel, and ambitious."

      "I'll judge that for myself, thanks," Rowan got to her feet, "Well, if Adeline really wants to kill me, we'll need to tell my father as soon as possible. Which means we have to get back quickly."

      "You can't go back," Kaden said quickly, "Look, I saw Adeline bribing some of the guards on the outer wall. The ones that she specifically hired a few years ago, says my father. If they see you, they'll kill you."

      Rowan sank to the floor, her eyes filled with disbelief, "Leaving only made everything worse," she muttered, covering her face with her hands as she leaned into the couch, "Now I can't get back." She paused, sitting up straighter as an idea suddenly struck her, "I could go to Kaizen."

       "WHAT?" Kaden stared at her as if she was insane, his mouth hanging open, "That's Tiberia! We can't go there!"

      "Kaizen could help us get into Irisanna's castle again, we can warn my father that Adeline's trying to kill me, and get everything right!!"

       "Do you even hear yourself?" Kaden spluttered, "Tiberia's almost nine hundred miles away! And he probably won't help you! You'd be wasting your time, and with that curse on your shoulders, that's a lot of your remaining time. It'll take forever, not to mention we'd have to pass over some very insane landmarks."

       "Kaden, I promise you, no one knows more geography than I do," Rowan remembered her countless hours of unnecessary studying of the topic, "But you could go back empty handed, you know. Take the heart of a pig as 'proof'."

       "You and I both know that if she's any good at what she's doing, I won't be allowed to live," Kaden sighed, "I can't go back either. I know too much."

       "Ugh!" Rowan stomped a foot on the ground angrily, "When I get back to the castle, she is going to be is sooo much trouble!"

     "If we're going through your crazy plan, we should go now, don't 'cha think?" Aliyah popped up from behind the couch and startled Kaden into falling onto his back on the wooden floors.

"Aliyah!" Rowan's face lit up, "I was wondering where you went."

      "I was asleep behind there," the werewolf shrugged her shoulders carelessly, "But I heard your whole plan! Would I be allowed to accompany you? Even werewolves need a little thrill after awhile."

     "Awesome," Rowan grinned at her, "We could really use your help. Kaden, are you with us too?"

     "Where else would I go?" he grumbled, his hands fiddling with the ropes binding his feet, "Can you take off these ropes now? They're cutting off blood circulation."

      "Oh, sure," Aliyah flicked a pocket knife at him, turning to face Rowan, "Before we go, we should probably bake the dwarves something as a thank you gift. I was thinking a nice dinner..."

Later...

      "Now this house smells like apple pie," Aliyah said brightly, licking her lips with a grin, "Mm! You are good at this, Rowan!"

      "Thank you," Rowan gave her a pleased look as they began to walk away from the house, "We have a long way to go before we get there. So there's no better time to start than now!"

At the castle....

      Kaizen looked up as his royal advisor, a tall man with dark skin under the name of Isaiah, strode in, "Sir, there is no sign of her anywhere."

      "Did she run?" Kaizen asked, standing up abruptly.

     Isaiah nodded his head, "Seems to be that way. Her room has articles of clothing and a bag missing from it, so says the king. She must be really frightened of that stepmother you mentioned."

       "I don't get it," Kaizen turned to face the window, "Why would she run? Unless it happened often and really badly when she got punished, and she decided she'd had enough..."

      "You really like this one," Isaiah said, sounding smug.

       Kaizen gave him a long look of disapproval, "Really? That's what you're focusing on?"

      "You're making it obvious," Isaiah snickered, and Kaizen threw a book at him with a shout of exasperation.

      "Am I not allowed to be worried for a friend?!"

      "No, sir," Isaiah told him laughingly, "But to be serious. Do you believe that there is something... odd going on with the Queen? She seems to be covering something up, though the King seems genuinely concerned for his missing daughter. I think it is worth looking into."

     "And talking to the Princess Quinn," Kaizen mused, "And maybe the other, Elena. There's something here we don't know, and I don't like it. They ask for peace but keep secrets like we are thieves and liars."

     "Do you think the Queen has done something to the princess you danced with?"

       "Plausible," Kaizen mused, touching his index fingers together in front of his face, his elbows resting on the desk, "And from the way she was treated, likely. What do you think we ought to do?"

      "I was hoping you had an idea, sir," Isaiah said, the jovial look in his eyes fading at the young King's seriousness.

      "I do. But you usually have a better one," Kaizen eyed his friend hopefully.

      "That is true," Isaiah's eyes twinkled with silent laughter at the raised eyebrow Kaizen gave him.

      "I say we threaten war unless they can be completely honest with us," Kaizen said, leaning back in his leather chair, "They are keeping their daughter away intentionally, for reasons I know not what. We'll give them a week to tell us. If not... war."

      "With all due respect, your Lordship," Isaiah gave a small bow to indicate respect, "That is a terrible idea."

     "That's why I hoped you had a better one," Kaizen spoke as if this was dead obvious, revolving slightly around in his chair to look directly at his advisor, "Isaiah, they could be hiding something huge. Or they could be hiding nothing. Threatening war could make us look wise... or stupid. There is no way to tell unless we find that woman. Rowan seems to be the subject of mystery here, so if we could find her, our problems could be solved."

     "We don't know where she went," Isaiah reminded him, and Kaizen muttered a curse under his breath as he slumped down in his chair, "Whose bright idea was it that eighteen was the ideal age to become ruler? I doubt I'd feel ready for this when I'm fifty."

      "No," Isaiah shook his head slowly, "But if you plan on making any sort of threat, I recommend doing it from your own country."

      Kaizen rubbed his forehead wearily, "Yes... you're right. I'll snoop around a bit here, but tomorrow we'll leave at first light. Get the troops ready. I want to be back in Tiberia as soon as possible."