"We're not discussing the war with you, Your Highness," Dreki said and slammed the door in my face. I had to take a very deep breath to not break down the door and just go nuts on the asshole, but Islo kept saying we had to wait. I didn't know what we were waiting for, but I was getting tired of waiting.

I went back to my chambers and wanted to throw a temper tantrum but that did no good for anyone. And I was too old for it.

Instead my anger melted away as I found my mother and Isla playing the board game Isla loved so much. Islo looked up from his book and rose to his feet, coming over to me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"It's cute, isn't it?" he whispered and kissed my hair.

"Absolutely adorable," I breathed and looked up at him with a wide smile.

"My parents died many years ago. And Cat's are up in the Aatskina tribe. I think Isla has been missing a grandmother."

I nodded and had to bite down on my lip. I had been missing a mother, that was for sure. And she was here now. Not forever, but I would never lose her again. No one could tell me I wasn't allowed to have her. That she wasn't allowed to talk to me.

I went with Islo to the sofa and sat down on it, just taking in the absolutely amazing feeling of being surrounded by family. My family. I had a proper family. It was overwhelming.

Every morning Islo and I loved to listen to the radio while we'd just cuddle. He'd trace the tattoos on my back, my arms, my hands and fingers. And I'd just lie there, snoozing a little. He'd wake me up with kisses if I fell back asleep. There was really no losing here. He was fantastic.

The music got cut off and I frowned looking back at the radio. A lot of static noise and then it cleared.

"My beloved country."

All blood drained from my face and I sat up, staring at the radio.

"My name is Alvina av Stál. And the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

Islo took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm alive with the help of the Aatskina tribe and the Paamut tribe, our most trusted friends and neighbours. Our siblings. I would not be here without them. The attack on me, my stronghold and my throne was orchestrated by the Bursaaq tribe. And they would have succeeded had it not been for the Aatskina tribe. What they're doing is wrong and we do not plan on staying idly by as they destroy the homes and lives of our siblings. This is a declaration of war. And a promise. I am coming for my throne. And to my brother Quinn."

She hesitated and I wasn't breathing in fear of missing her words.

"I'm coming. I promise. You're not forgotten. Stay strong."

I couldn't hold back a very large sob and Islo circled his arms around me. He brought me to his chest and crushed me to it.

"Quinn, you need to listen now."

I opened my eyes and looked up.

"I've been waiting for the signal and that was it. They're starting now. The allies hiding in Andahavn are gonna try and dismantle the grip Bursaaq has from the inside. And we're going to try and make it out of the stronghold. You understand? We're going to try and flee."

I shook my head. "No. No, no. No. We can't. I'm trapped. I can't go. Islo don't. Please." I was rambling and everything fell apart for me. I couldn't function. I cracked wide open and I just couldn't deal with this. My sister was alive. She had been alive all along.

And Islo didn't even seem surprised.

I stopped crying and pulled out of his embrace. "You knew."

He clenched his jaw and nodded.

"I told you to tell me everything. Everything. You thought I should know. My sister not being dead goes on that fucking list."

"It didn't, Quinn," Islo murmured. "They could've-"

"They haven't laid a fucking finger on me since they dragged me out of that dungeon, Islo!" I pushed off the bed and backed away from him. "No one has threatened me with torture! They all think I'm a stupid little boy!" I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. The vases in the windowsills exploded, flowers landing everywhere. "And you think so too."

"Quinn, no. I was trying to protect you."

"You were lying!"

The windows started to crack. The three metres tall windows.

"I was." He met my gaze and left the bed too, slowly making his way towards me. He then knelt down in front of me. "But tell me you would've done differently if you were in my place."

"I would've trusted you," I spat. "I would've trusted you. I trust you! And you lie. Over and over."

"I told you I couldn't tell you everything. I told you that from the start, Quinn."

"You could've told me my fucking sister wasn't dead!" I roared and the windows exploded too. Outwards, so neither Islo nor I were hit with glass.

"Please, Quinn. You've got to stop. They'll hurt you, please stop." Islo rose to his feet and put his arms around me, pressing me to him. "Please, stop." His voice was cracking and shaking.

The doors burst open and the guards stood in it, looking baffled at the windows. Islo looked back at them with a terrified expression.

"Don't touch him," he said with as much calm as he probably could muster. He turned back to me and took my face in my hands. "Relax, Sweetness. Okay? I need you to relax for me."

I stared up into his green eyes, knowing this was it. Something was going to happen, and it'd change everything.

"Take the king." Dreki's voice always gave me chills.

"Dreki don't! You don't know what you're messing with here. Let him stay here."

"Step aside Islo, or I swear to all the gods..."

"No," I whispered and latched onto Islo. "No, I don't wanna go." He clenched his arms around me too. He bent down fast.

"If you get the chance, get out. I'll be right behind you."

"No, Islo, no..."

The guards grabbed Islo and shoved him aside, grabbing me. One of them had a very long stick and poked Islo with it. He groaned and fell down on the floor, small sparks coming from the two small metal poles on the end of the stick.

"Stop!" I roared but then the guard turned to me and slammed the stick to my stomach. I was paralysed. I couldn't move and every fibre in my body was screaming out in pain. The big mirror on the wall exploded too. I couldn't figure out how to function and I fell to the floor too. The pain subsided and I saw them punch Islo before I passed out.

I woke up in pain. So much pain. I whimpered loudly and looked up at my hand. It had a long spike through it. The other had one too. But I wasn't in a dungeon. This was one of the many guest rooms in the stronghold.

Dreki stepped forward and tilted his head to the side. "I see pain is how we control you."

I couldn't hold back another whimper. The pain was pulsing in my hands and I couldn't focus on anything but that.

"The seers at the temple were hard to crack, but eventually they talk, you see. And they told this lovely tale of hoow you connected with the spirits while you were there. Apparently, you were there to look at their records and not discuss your wedding as you had told us. We don't appreciate liars."

I was terrified. Absolutely mindbogglingly terrified. It was like I was back in the dungeon and Aki was standing in front of me. But this wasn't Aki. This was just another version of him. A worse version.

"It's so unfortunate your beloved Islo was in that accident with his leg. Horses can be so dangerous. But at least it'll be so much harder for him to run now. So he'll be much easier to manage."

"It was me. Hurt me. Please, don't do anything to him."

"Too late, I'm afraid. The horse fell and crushed his leg. He's in your chambers. Healing. And waiting for you." Dreki smiled a dead smile. "You will go back to your chambers, and you'll behave yourself. You'll do everything I tell you to do with no hesitation. Or else the next thing that'll happen to poor Islo won't be as nice as a crushed leg. Do you understand me?"

I nodded, tears running down my cheeks.

"You're both so very lucky, we need you alive for this fucking country."

I almost jumped at the curse word. He never cursed.

"My sister is coming for me," I whispered.

"You think so? She has had almost a year, Quinn, and where is she? No one is coming for you. Because no one cares."

He nodded to the guards and they stepped forward. Two knelt down on one knee and wrapped their hands around the spikes in mine. They pulled them out and I screamed. I brought my battered hands down in front of my chest.

"A doctor in your room will see to those. And remember; we will always control you."

Dreki stepped forward and clasped a choker around my neck.

"And if you get any crazy ideas, you don't want to know what this new accessory does. Have I made myself clear?"

I nodded again. My throat was locking up and I couldn't function at all. The guards pulled me to my feet and hauled me out of the room, all the way back to my own chambers. They more or less tossed me on the floor and closed the doors behind them. I staggered to my feet and stumbled into the bedroom. The windows had already been fixed. How long had I been out?

Islo was in bed and he opened his eyes when he saw me. "Quinn," he said hoarsely. He had bruises in his face, his eye was swollen, and his lip had a cut in it.

I slowly came forward. His legs were hidden under the feather duvet. I grabbed it and Islo's hand landed on top of mine.

"You're hurt."

I pulled the duvet aside. His leg was covered in bandages. Two splints were on either side of it and his foot peeked out from the bandages. But it was blue and purple.

"Tell me you're alright, Quinn."

I met his green eyes and my knees buckled. "Your leg..."

"I'll be fine, Sweetness. What has happened to your hands? And what's around your neck?"

I looked down at my hands. I had bloody, round holes in both of them, but it didn't matter. That would heal just fine. Islo's wounds wouldn't. His leg was crushed. Would he ever walk again?

"They-they put these... Spikes... Through them," I whispered and showed him my palms.

"Sweetness," he murmured softly and pulled himself up a bit, wincing.
"Don't strain yourself." I hurried over on the other side of the bed and sat down next to him, keeping my hands in my lap. "I'm so sorry, Islo."

"No, Sweetness." He put his hand on my knee. "You didn't do this. Remember what I told you?"

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks.

"The plan has been set in motion now, Quinn. They're working on getting us out of here. Without you there's nothing they can do. They'll save us. We just have to be patient."

I nodded again, but I didn't believe it. We were going to rot here.

Islo slowly healed. Too slowly for my taste. The doctor had to constantly give him medicine for the pain or he couldn't sleep. The doctor said he'd never walk normally again. The bones were crushed, and they had to cut open the leg to fix some of them. But they couldn't fix it all and he was lucky he wasn't losing his foot too.

My hands would be fine. The doctor had tended to them and I'd just have some scars. More to add to my collection. They didn't bother me.

And the choker was still around my neck. We had tried to get it off with force, with little home-made lock picks... But it wasn't budging. I couldn't get it off at all. And I was afraid of what would happen if I did anything to it. What if it triggered a bomb and blew my head right off?

I helped Islo out of bed and into the bathroom, his body almost slung over mine. He groaned as I sat him on the side of the tub and helped him out of his night clothes.

"Is this necessary?" he grounded out through his clenched teeth.

"I'm the one who sleeps next to you. Yes, it's necessary."

He groaned again as I helped him into the tub. We had been allowed to take off the bandages for this for the first time since they had been put on him. And his leg was just one big bruise. Purples and blues spread across his skin and it was painful to just look at.

He winced and then relaxed into the tub, leaning back against the porcelain. "This might've not been the worst idea, you've ever had."

I smiled and picked up a soft washcloth, running it over his chest. He closed his eyes, letting out a contend sigh.

"How come, even with the bruises, you're still so handsome?" I murmured and kissed his temple.

He snorted and opened his eyes again. "I think you've hit your head, Quinn."

"No, I'm very clear-headed." I ran the washcloth down to his stomach and kissed his cheek this time.

"How are you feeling, really?"

"Weird. I have mourned Al for so long now and she's... She was alive all this time. And I understand no one could tell me. Even that she couldn't reach out because she needed to be dead. Or pretend to be. But it just hurts so much. And then I realise, my sister is alive. She's not dead. She's breathing. Her heart is beating. And I get so happy. But I can't just be happy because she has had to pretend to be dead to protect herself. I start to wonder what she must've gone through."

"I... Met her. In the Aatskina tribe. She looked well, Quinn, but... She lost her arm."

I leaned back my eyes wide. "Her arm?"

"Yeah, but she was so strong. Just as strong as she has always been. If anyone can end this, you know it's her. Just trust her. Believe in her, Sweetness."

I smiled and leaned in again, kissing him. I just didn't have it in me to be angry anymore. I had been so angry, so scared, so sad. It felt like I could finally breathe for once because I was finally let in on what was going on. I knew Islo was keeping things from me and the worst part was that I understood why he had to.

The rebels might've not tortured me again, but it was clear now they weren't afraid of doing so. They weren't afraid of hurting Islo either. I had been so naive.

I returned to washing my battered fiancé. It felt good to be the one doing this for once. I wanted to be strong for him. And he needed me. It was so nice to feel needed.