"Why is this war happening?" She just wanted the world to be the peaceful place that she had always thought that it was.

"It all started in the time of King Elbert, the father of King Irvin."

"Our current king," she said softly.

"Yes. His Majesty's father. King Elbert was a good man in his own way but he was weak in some important matters which hurt the kingdom badly. When he died, the kingdom was running in the direction of chaos. Our king inherited at a very bad time, but he is a much wiser leader than his father. If he had been given more time I am certain that the tide would have turned in his favour."

"What did the old king do?"

"He did not have a grasp of how to balance rule to maintain order and prosperity. The lower classes were miserable, some nobles started grasping for power and our enemies saw our weakness and began sneaking through the door."

"So there's no hope?"

Ildri felt Ty's hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him. His expression was comforting. "There is hope. The king has many good lords on his side. Many still support him, although few enough realized the underhanded way that the king was being undermined until recently. The last waves of assassinations have removed some good allies from the king," Ty paused with some unnamed emotion that Ildri thought to be anger. He continued, "But at the same time they have made those who remain more aware of the foes that we are facing and the techniques that they will use to obtain their ends. We can fight fire with fire."

Ildri felt overwhelmed. Assassinations and plots. "Was Anya a part of this?" she asked, almost dreading the answer. If Anya was, Ildri had probably inadvertently helped her.

"The one manipulating her was working against the king. It was the Earl of Farhaven. I had the misfortune to meet him," Ty said, his voice sounding cold.

"What was he like?" she wondered. For the first time since she had discovered Anya's duplicity, Ildri felt pity for the girl who had once been her friend.

Ty shrugged. "It's hard to say exactly what it was. He looked normal. His manners were courtly, but there were always unsubstantiated rumours for as long as I can remember. From what I've heard he derived exquisite pleasure from tormenting any who fell into his power."

Ildri sighed. "Like Anya."

"I questioned Miss Davies while she was residing in the king's dungeon," he commented.

"Really?" Ildri did not know why, but she wanted to know more about Anya's fate.

Ty nodded. "She seemed guilty and resigned to the king's judgement. An interesting thing when she was likely the most innocent person there."

"The most innocent..?" Just how bad were the criminals in the king's dungeon?

"What I mean is she had clearly not committed crimes for some petty gain. Most assassins work for the money it brings, but it seems Miss Davies only did it because the Earl of Farhaven threatened her younger siblings."

Ildri thought of Damani and Kallie. She did not want anything bad to happen to the twins. "But she still should have come forward for help," Ildri said stubbornly.

Ty nodded. "You are right, but I know why she did not. She did not expect anyone to help her."

Ildri scowled, thinking of the shifting memories she had of when the old Lord Wildwood had taken her in. He had helped her in so many ways. "Someone would have," Ildri said stubbornly. There are people in the world."

"True enough. There are those who would have helped her. But I doubt that she had much experience where she was not being rejected. Look at your own reaction when you figured out that I was a warlock."

"That's simply because I was surprised," Ildri said stubbornly, although she knew that was not all. She had been angry at a witch named Anya.

"No, it's because you already thought that all witches and warlocks were the same."

Ildri narrowed her eyes. "What else was I to think? Everyone knows..."

"What? I don't steal anyone's magic, Ildri," he said.

Ildri was not moved. "But you could. Anya almost killed Lord Wildwood by doing that!"

Ty shook his head. "That's an extreme case."

"But it still happened. And don't tell me that you could not do that to me or anyone, if you wanted!" Ildri glared back at him a challenge to dispute her words.

"You're right. I could kill you in that way. And there are many other ways that I could kill you if only I chose to. Frankly, Ildri, it would be easy. You're quite defenceless. Anyone with a dagger could probably make short work of you."

"I'm not defenceless!" she snapped.

"Your mouth is not a weapon," he told her dryly.

"Argh!" she growled in frustration as she swung her head forward. She was not going to talk to him anymore. Why did he always have to devolve a conversation into an argument. Could he not just be nice?

* * * * *

Ildri knew that she was pouting and she really did not care. Ty always took everything that she said in a way other than what she meant. He was so stubborn and bossy and annoying she could hardly bear it.

Ty brought the horse to a halt. "Ildri, I need you to wait here for a short time."

She was shocked out of her mental complaints. "What? What are you talking about? Why do you want me to wait here?" she demanded.

"I have some business," he said in a short and entirely unsatisfactory answer.

"What sort of business?" she demanded, but he had already dismounted and was helping her down.

"Nothing, really." He turned and looked at her. "Can you ride bareback?"

Ildri was surprised by the random question. "What? No. Of course not."

"That's fine," he commented and turned and began stripping the horse of its trappings.

"What are you doing? And what is this all about? I thought reaching the capital quickly was our highest priority!" she demanded.

Ty was carrying the horse's trappings over to the woods and he piled them out of sight of the road. "This will only take a short time, and it will speed up our journey," he explained. "Just hide here in the trees and I'll return within the hour."

Ildri sputtered, "But I want to come with you!"

"I promise I'll be back," he said as he urged the horse into motion.

* * * * *

It was quite possibly the longest wait of Ildri's life. She walked a short way into the forest and curled up against a tree and wondered what in the world had gotten into Ty. She supposed that it was normal behaviour for him to just order her around as if he was her lord and master. He had done little else since he he had dragged her away from her home.

She thought that she should spend some time sleeping, but was worried that she would not hear Ty when or if he came back for her. She felt miserably dejected.

But she knew he would come back, right? He would not just leave her here. She may not know much about where Ty came from, but she knew that he was more honourable than to just abandon her in the wilds without so much as an explanation.

Of course he never really explained anything that she really wanted to know, so perhaps he would.

After all, what would draw him back here? Certainly not Ildri's beauty. She was average at the best of times, from the top of her dull blond hair to the tips of her very unimpressive toes. And not even that, right now she looked like an old hag. And that was irrelevant anyway, because it was not as if she cared what he thought about her appearance, even if looking so old made her feel rather unpleasant.

And even if she did look nice, he did not even like her most of the time. Sure, sometimes he could be kind, but the rest of the time he was domineering and unpleasant. He thought she was an fool, of that she was certain.

Ildri sighed. She picked up a stick and began doodling in the damp earth. She wondered how long she had been waiting and when he would be back.

Misery engulfed Ildri. It was easier to feel brave when someone was with her, but she hated being alone. She hated feeling abandoned. It did not matter how old she was, the feelings remained. Ildri hugged her legs to her chest.

She swiped at her face with the back of her hand and willed her tears not to come out. She was such a cry baby. Here she was, supposed to be an adult and she was crying over a short wait. It was not like that time, not really.

Ildri barely remembered her parents now. What she did remember was more of a feeling, of love and of constancy. She could not remember the fire which was a small mercy in itself. All she remembered was waking up and missing her mother and father.

Of course, no amount of missing them would bring them back. No matter how much she needed them they were forever out of her reach. She had eventually grown to understand that.