When Beanni was woken from her light magic induced slumber, the sound of her screams took over the healing chamber. Claudia Slànacus, the appointed healer for the royals, and Oslac hovered by her as she writhed on her bed. The sounds she made ricocheted through the prince and the sorrow he felt for his best friend punched him square in the heart.

"Your Highness, I need you to restrain her, before she tries to scratch her own eyes out!" Claudia yelled her instructions over the powerful screaming. Without hesitation, Oslac leapt to Beanni's side and tried to move her hands away from her face. She fought against him, but he had just enough strength to struggle with her, then pin her arms to her sides in a firm but warm embrace. She squirmed relentlessly in his grasp, her teeth gnashing and her eyes squeezed shut.

"Shh..." he tried his hardest to soothe her. "We are going to help you, Bay. Everything will be alright."

Still Beanni would not stop moving, she thrashed her head back and shouted louder.

"Slànacus!" the prince called over his shoulder towards the healer, who was busy fumbling with pages of a book and grabbing various ingredients at a table behind him. "Will she be okay?"

Without saying a word, Claudia finally turned from the table and made her way to the other side of Beanni's bed with an open vial in her hand. She then stroked Beanni across the forehead and encouraged her to drink the dark blue liquid the vial held. Beanni instantly ceased screaming and flopped into a deep, peaceful sleep.

"What did you give her?" Oslac asked after a huge sigh of relief, then lay her motionless body back onto the mattress and tucked her in with great care.

"A potion that we Slànacuses haven't needed to mix in a long time, not within my lifetime at least. I had to look it up, that's why I took so long. This was a sleeping potion," she said holding up the empty, blue stained vial. "Fiosolim used to take this regularly to cope with ongoing gazing." She lowered her hand and glanced at Beanni's peaceful face. Now that she was still, the scratches on her temples and down her cheeks seemed more prominent. Claudia let out a deep sigh and continued, "This poor girl had not slept properly since she was taken by those criminals."

"The Fiosolim woman said it was my fault she was hurting. She said, I took her out of the smoke too soon." Oslac shared through quivering lips, then glanced towards the leather pouch hanging on the bedpost by Beanni's head. The light that glowed from her light orb inside dwindled for a brief second, seeing this made the prince's heart sink. His face threatened to crumble and he bowed his head.

"That might be so. I can't say I understand smoke gazing in its entirety," Claudia confessed, but then seemingly out of nowhere a much harder tone plagued her voice, which grabbed Oslac's attention and he met her now intense emerald gaze. "But you should've called me to Strelle, rather than putting her into a light induced daze. Stupetuain is not a safe spell, all it did was trap her in her state of anguish with no physical release. That's why she now has these," she explained, then pointed to the red marks lining Beanni's tan face. Oslac looked away, biting his bottom lip, he tried his hardest to stay calm. "But you got her to me in plenty of time, Your Highness," Claudia added in a much kinder tone. "You did well today."

"It doesn't feel like it..." Oslac said, not able to speak above a whisper as he fought against the tears that threatened to make an escape.

"You saved her, Your Highness."

Oslac shook his head, not able to look up into the healer's face.

"She will be fine, you'll see. All we need to do is let her sleep, sleep will help heal her mind. We just need to give her time - give her space."

"I'm not leaving," Oslac announced with unshakable determination. "I'm staying by her side until I know she is alright."

Claudia gave him a slow nod and a tight-lipped smile. "Very well, Your Highness, I won't argue with you."

Only a beat passed before a knock at the door made them both jump. Oslac of course refused to move away from Beanni's side, so Claudia took it upon herself to answer the door.

"Oh, stars shine upon you, Your Majesty," Claudia recited the usual greeting, as she opened the door for the King. She gave him a curtsy before moving to the side to let him in.

"How is the girl?" the King asked within his authoritative tone.

"I gave her Càdallain, Ciùiros and a pinch of Ghea Mach to send her into a peaceful sleep. Once she wakes, I'll take a closer look into what she needs for long term recovery." Claudia explained. It sounded as though she rehearsed her response. "I believe that I will be able to mix her medicine to take home with her. She should be able to return to her family within a few days if not sooner."

"Very good." The King nodded, before glancing at his son, who sat taking in everything that was being said.

"Is there anything else we can do for her?" Oslac asked Claudia, who stopped to think, stroking her index finger across her chin as she did so.

"Well," she began. "Nothing that I can think of at the top of my head. Nothing here at the palace that is. As long as she returns to the home she always knew before all this happened, I can see her having a successful transition back into her everyday life."

Oslac and his father exchanged a look, there was no need for words, for they both understood what the other was thinking.

"Well, in that case, I believe there is a certain individual that I need to speak to," the King declared, then turned towards the open doorway.

"Stars shine upon you, Your Majesty," Claudia curtsied again as he left the room.

Beanni blinked her eyes open and let them adjust to the light that surrounded her. It was a warm light, a light that made her feel safe.

"Bay, you're awake!" A voice made her turn her head to the side. There sitting with his elbows leaning on the mattress she was lying on was Prince Oslac. She sat up so that she could have a better look at him, all the while ignoring his protective protests. She took in his sparkling hazel eyes, his brown curly hair and his kind smile. Yes, she knew him instantly, her best friend, the prince of Natanstrelle was there sitting by her side. Suddenly, a tidal wave of relief crashed over her making her shake with sobs. She hid her face as she howled out all the fear she was forced to suppress within Strelle Forest.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Oslac asked. He took a seat on the bed and hugged his arm around her. "You're safe now, you're safe."

"The smoke..." she whispered through trembling lips. "It t-took me away f-from everything I ever knew. I was so afraid. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to recognise you. That it made me forget you."

"So you do recognise me?"

"Of course I do! You're Oz, my best friend!"

Oslac gave her the warmest smile and squeezed his arm tighter around her, pulling her closer to his side.

"That's right, Bay, and don't you ever forget that," he said with the cheeky air that Beanni knew so well.

She wiped her tears away with her palms and looked up towards her best friend, a smile taking the place of her worried frown.

"How did you find me?" she asked and a strange moment of hesitation took over. "Oz?"

"I erm..."

Suddenly, the door opened, which successfully distracted the prince. He turned his head away from Beanni as a woman with shoulder length, platinum blond hair walked in. She was wearing an emerald green tunic that matched the shade of her eyes.

"Oh, Beanni, you're awake," she said with a smile, "Just in time too."

"You're Lola's mother! I've seen you at the academy." Beanni smiled. "Claudia Slànacus is it?"

"That's right, so you remember me? That is very encouraging indeed. I believe you'll make a swift recovery, Beanni," Claudia said with a wide smile.

"Are you here to carry out observations? Am I in the way?" Oslac asked, whilst shifting awkwardly in his seat on the bed.

"No, no, not all. I just want to see one thing, then I'll leave you in peace," she answered, then made her way to the other side of the bed and bent down closer to her patient. Beanni jerked her head back involuntarily, not looking away from the Slanacus' intense gaze. "I'm just looking at your eyes, Beanni. I need to check for cloudiness or any other abnormalities that gazing may have caused."

"W-What do you mean abnormalities?" Beanni asked, not able to keep her voice from shaking.

"Nothing to worry about, my dear. There will be nothing that undisturbed sleep won't cure. I just need to figure out how much you will need." The worry did not leave Beanni's face, this was made clear, for Claudia reached out and cupped her trembling face with a gentle hand and said, "You mustn't worry, you will be perfectly fine."

Beanni gave her a timid nod and watched her straighten up.

"Your father is waiting outside, are you ready to see him?" she asked her.

"Dad is here?"

"Indeed, he has just been released, he wanted to see you as soon as you were awake."

"Released?" Beanni questioned the healer's choice in words. "What do you mean, released?"

"I..." A funny look came over the healer. "Erm, shall I go and get him?" she asked, then as nobody responded fast enough, she answered her own question as she sidled towards the door. "Yes, I'll go and get him!"

Once she had disappeared behind the door frame, Beanni turned her attention to the prince who had got up from the bed. "What did she mean, Oz?"

"Your father was arrested the day we found out you were missing," Oslac said with an apologetic look plaguing his hazel eyes.

"Arrested? What for?"

"He went after the Head of Biabus-Lus."

"He what?"

Suddenly she heard the sound of footsteps approaching and in came her father.

"Bay!" he exclaimed and ran to her side. "Oh, thank Illuminare-Trabem you are alright!" He gave her a kiss on the forehead and studied her face, whilst he combed his fingers through her morning curls. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I'm fine, Dad."

"I am so glad! Oh, I was so worried about you, Bay." A rogue tear came to the corner of his eye. "The King says once the royal healer allows it, we can both go home."

"What's going on, Dad? Oslac said you were arrested!"

"Let's not worry about that," her father held her face in his warm palm. "Let's only worry about you getting better, safely at home, with people who love you." He then turned away from Beanni to speak to the healer who stood patiently by the desk which held a number of empty vials and various roots and plants ready to be mixed. "So what do you think, Claudia? When can we leave?"

"Once I've mixed four doses of a sleeping potion, I believe four more nights of undisturbed sleep will suffice. She should be completely recovered just in time to celebrate Strellemarè."

"That's great news! Isn't that great news, Bay?" Lorrus turned his attention back to his daughter, who was still utterly confused. However, the intense enthusiasm within her father's eyes spurred her to give him a smile and a nod.

"Alright, I'll get mixing right now. Feel free to catch up as I do so. I shouldn't be too long," Claudia said before turning towards her mixing table. The sounds of her working - glass vials tinkling, her small knife chopping roots and water boiling and bubbling went on subtly in the background as the three crowding the same single bed talked.

Once all of Beanni's medicine was ready and packed into a satchel that Lorrus swung carefully over his shoulder. Claudia shooed both him and the prince from the chamber so that she could help Beanni get dressed and ready for departure.

"You'll be looking forward to seeing your own bed, no doubt," Claudia said to fill the silence.

"Yes, I have, it'll feel good to be home," Beanni responded politely. "I just hope they'll be happy to see me."

"Of course they will! What made you say something like that?"

Not wanting to get into the messy story of what she had discovered about herself within Petra-Marbh and Strelle, she gave the Slànacus a dismissive shrug, then bent down to pull her trousers on.

"Beanni?" Worry laced its way into Claudia's voice. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yeah it's fine. I was just being silly," Beanni rushed in with a small shake of her head. "Where did Oslac go? I want to say goodbye to him before I leave."

"Oh he will most certainly just be standing outside the door." Claudia answered with a smile. "Call on him."

"Oz?" Beanni did just as she was instructed, and without having to wait for even a second Oslac came back into the room, with Lorrus close behind.

"You're ready?" Lorrus said, hugging her medicine safely to his side.

"I am, Dad."

"Wait," Oslac interrupted and made his way to Beanni's bedpost. "Don't forget your light orb!"

"Oh..." Beanni's cheeks burned as she held out her hand to receive the pouch he handed to her. "Genelle took it from me, she wouldn't let me have it in Strelle. I guess I've gotten used to not putting it on my belt."

The horrified looks on all three of the others faces made Beanni clamp her mouth shut. She then gave an awkward smile and tied her pouch to her belt in silence. Just as she finished tightening the knot she felt a warmth envelop her as Oslac drew her into a tight hug.

"She's locked up now, Bay. That woman will never hurt you again! I will make sure of that!" he whispered in her ear. There was an angry tone within his words that she had never heard from him before, his whisper sounded almost like a growl.

"Thank you, Oz, thank you for getting me out of that place!" she said, which made Oslac hug her even tighter.

"I had to! I'm so glad that I could find you!" Oslac slowly released her and looked deep into her eyes.

"How did you find me?"

"Right," Lorrus interrupted with a clap of his hands making Oslac sigh in relief, which Beanni didn't fail to notice, it of course spiked her curiosity more. "Time for us to go! I would like to walk you home, Bay. Being locked in that cell, I've missed the breeze and I think fresh air would do you good as well."

"It would indeed, Lorrus," Claudia affirmed his sentiment.

"Yeah, fresh air does sound good." Beanni gave her father a small smile, then turned back to the prince, a sadness returning to her face.

"I'll walk you both to the Palace entrance," the Prince announced. Then led them both out of the healing chamber.