I needed no further encouragement. Tears welling up in my eyes, I ran out of the room.

Marry Larnick? Go and live in Crosstain? I would only see Kriston once a year when we came for his birthday feast. The full moon was less than a week away.

Blindly, I ran to Kriston's tower to break the awful news. At the bottom of the steps leading up to my brother's room sat Davin with Milo, my brother's black and white spaniel, lying across his feet. He was stroking his silky head, his eyebrows knitted in a troubled expression. At the sight of him, I smiled in spite of myself and wiped my tears.

Davin was a rosy cheeked boy with a sweet temper and a mop of unruly blonde hair. At eleven he was older than Kriston by a year and worked as his manservant. He and his younger brother, Petros, were our dear friends.

Like us they were orphans. Their father had been the Stable Master and had died in the same battle as our father, defending the kingdom from Quaini raiders. Their mother had died giving birth to Petros, who was eight years old now and worked in the stables. Davin leapt up when he saw me and Milo bounced up and down with excitement.

"Annie!" he shouted "I mean . . . Princess Annifer . . ." he hesitated and looked nervously at his fingernails before adopting an uncharacteristically formal tone. "I regret to inform you that you will not be able to see the Crown Prince today because he's meeting with his new tutor." I stared at him incredulously.

"What do you mean, I can't see him? What's going on, Dav?"

"Lady Beatrix's brother, Lord Skarp has come from Skaliff to help Kriston with his kingship studies and he has instructed that they must not be disturbed." I stood there, mouth open, confusion in my eyes and he dropped the formality. "They say he's very learned, Annie," he leant in and dropped his voice to a whisper. "But he doesn't seem to like me. He sent Milo out because he kept growling at him."

"I . . . I can't see Kris then?" I gulped.

"Not today, Annie. I'm sorry." Davin looked truly sad. I couldn't bear to upset him further with my news so I patted him on the shoulder and ran back to my room.

At the top of the stairs I pulled open my door and slammed it behind me. I was out of breath so my sobs came out even louder. I threw myself on the bed and gave myself up to howling.

What could I do now? My whole life had been decided for me and I was powerless to change it. I'd have to leave everything I knew and loved, my home, my brother, Abigail, Poppy, Daisy, Davin and Petros, and go and live with in a freezing country miles away with an ignorant, stinking lump who didn't even like me!

I buried my head in my pillow and sobbed my heart out. Before long I felt a small furry face rubbing against my cheek and heard a purring noise. My black cat Sasha always knew when I needed a cuddle. I sat up and pulled her into my arms. She purred louder and nuzzled my tear-wet chin.

"O Sasha! What am I going to do?"Just then the door opened. There was only one person who came in without knocking.

"Abigail!" I cried. Her grey-streaked hair was tied up in a bun and her brown eyes were filled with concern.

"I heard the news, Annie," she clasped me and Sasha in a bear hug, from which Sasha quickly wriggled free.

"I can't leave Kriston . . . I can't marry Larnick . . . I can't go away. What am I going to do, Abigail?"

"You're going to be very brave and strong, my dear and pray to the Goddess to keep you and Kriston safe."

I started. Mouth open in shock, eyes stretched wide, I pulled away.

It was against the law even to say those words. Long before I was born, Goddess Worship had been outlawed, not just in Frailing but in all the kingdoms of Tarth. Kristin's history teacher had told him that many of the Goddess's priestesses, commonly known as Wise Women, fled when the law was passed. Those who stayed were arrested and put on trial, accused of black magic, poisoning people and animals with their potions, turning the milk sour in the cows' udders, putting curses on people and plotting against the royal families. All the Wise Women were sentenced to burn at the stake. Since then the very mention of the Goddess was punishable.

Staring amazed at my nurse's kind face, I suddenly remembered my dream.

"Abigail," I asked, "Can you explain the dream I had last night?" As I told it to her she rubbed my back and smiled affectionately. When I had finished she sighed and squeezed my hand.

"There was a time when things were different, Annifer. When I was a girl the Wise Women lived amongst us. They were an important part of the community. If you had a stomach ache or a wound or a skin disease, you'd go to the Wise Woman. She'd give you herbs to drink or rub on your skin to make it better. When we planted crops the Wise Woman would come and ask the Goddess for blessings for the seeds and the earth. She'd pray for sunshine and rain and when the harvest came she'd offer thanks for the yield. It lasted like this until the reign of King Edwin of Quain."

I pictured the map of Tarth that hung on Kriston's wall. Quain was the most southerly of the Tarthian kingdoms — the richest and the most powerful. It shared a border with Frailing, Moonrun and Skaliff.

"Edwin was greedy. He loved elaborate hunting parties and luxurious clothes and jewellery and lavish feasts. To pay for them he increased the taxes. He taxed the people of Quain so hard they didn't have enough to eat themselves. The Wise Women decided to do something about it so they banded together and went to the king, demanding he ease the tax burden. He threw them out of court unceremoniously but from that point on he was afraid. The people loved and respected the Wise Women. If they weren't on his side he'd have to destroy them.

"Soon rumours started, whisperings in the marketplace, about how the Wise Women were using their powers for evil, how they were dangerous and couldn't be trusted, like vipers in the nest. Gradually the people grew afraid of them. Shortly afterwards he reinstated an ancient law that banned Goddess worship, the one we now call the Old Law. Then one day, without warning, he rounded them up and threw them in the dungeons. Those that escaped tried to flee to the other kingdoms of Tarth, but their kings were terrified of Edwin so they passed the same law.

"There was no trial, no justice for them. Instead, a huge bonfire was built in the square in Jamain, Quain's capital, and one by one, they were tied to the stake and burnt."

She swallowed. A line had appeared between her eyebrows. Her eyes glistened as they stared unseeingly at the counterpane beneath us. I lifted her hand to my lips. She took a juddering breath.

"It was a terrible time. From then on the Wise Women had to practise in secret since it was now forbidden even to say the Goddess' name anywhere in Tarth."

I was dumbfounded. This went against everything I'd heard growing up, everything I'd learnt from Kriston's history classes. But I was intrigued as well.

"When you were three years old, you became very ill. You couldn't keep any food down and you were so pale. We were so worried about you. Dr Hosta tried everything but he couldn't cure you, your condition got worse and worse. Eventually he told your mother she'd have to prepare herself for your death. But Queen Sofia was a headstrong woman and she loved you more than life itself. She wouldn't accept it and started working on a plan. At dawn, two days later Starling. . ."

"Starling the Stable Master? Davin and Petros father?"

"Yes, Annie. He was devoted to your mother. He would have done anything for her. He brought a cartload of hay for the horses in through the castle gates. Hiding in the hay was one of the Wise Women with her white dog and cat, the ones you saw in your dream. They sneaked into the castle through the east door and up into your room. What happened next I only know from what you've just told me about your dream.

"I was working in the kitchens that day and when I came up the East Tower into your room, I saw you lying on the floor, eyes open and smiling, the colour back in your cheeks. Finally you were well again. But your mother, the Wise Woman and the animals were all passed out on the floor. I took you in my arms and put you back in your bed. Then I carried your mother to her bed in the next room where she'd been sleeping to be close to you while you were ill. When I went back to your room the woman and the animals were gone. I don't know how they got past the guards but I never saw them again."

"But who was she? How did my mother know where to find her?"

"That I can't tell you Annie. I never even saw her face; it was hidden by the hood of her cloak. All I can say is, whoever she was, she saved your life."

I was shocked, numb, hearing all this about the past I'd never known I had. Abigail kissed me on the head and left the room. She knew me well enough to know I needed time alone to process this. I lay back on my bed, thoughts and images jostling in my head. I was still devastated about my impending forced marriage but somehow now I had hope. My mother had changed my fate by calling in the Wise Woman and saving my life. Surely there was a way for me to change it again and find a different future for myself.

I fell into a deep sleep.

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