The kitchen staff emerged from the depths of the cookery, carrying a large platter with an immaculate cake resting a top. The beautiful greens, golds, reds, and oranges. The king seemed to smile. At least the corner of the left side of his mouth twitched upward.

"He's happy," James whispered, squeezing my hand.

"Good. Do you think he knows what's going on?"

"I have no doubt. He's not with us on the outside, but I believe he's the old King Alastair inside."

"I'm sure he is, dear."

James released my hand and grabbed the knife resting on the platter. "We gather for festivities and merriment to celebrate the fiftieth year of King Alastair! He's had a long and prosperous reign with, hopefully, many more years to come."

The crowds erupted into cheers as James sliced into the cake. Andrew took the knife from him and began cutting it into slices for all to enjoy. I happily accepted a plate and slowly ate it, scanning the crowds for anyone out of place. My eyes rested on a servant girl who held a platter of fruit toward the back. Her jet-black hair and beautiful olive skin contrasted greatly to the other servant girls whose red hair and pale skin matched the setting of the dreary day perfectly.

Her plump, red lips turned downward at the corners, her thick eyebrows stitched together, and her piercing black eyes trained on me. No matter where I went or whom I talked to, she watched. Despite the warm fall day, I felt chills running through my body. I didn't like the feeling.

"Evelyn, get inside." My mother grasped my arm and led me toward the castle.

"Why?"

"Something's not right. I have a feeling else bad is going to happen."

"You felt it too?" I asked.

"What do you mean too?"

"There is a servant girl toward the back who doesn't quite fit in, and she's been staring at me for the past half of an hour or so," I mumbled, taking a side-glance where I'd last seen her.

She was gone.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and my eyes widened. "Where is she? Where did she go?"

I heard a ping and the sound of metal on metal. A blade appeared in the palm of my mother's hand. "To the castle."

"I'm not going anywhere. They will not scare me."

"Evelyn, do as I say. This is for your protection."

"Is everything quite alright?" James asked.

"No. One of them is still around. I don't know where she went though," I said. "Does anyone not look like they belong?"

James looked around before shaking his head. "Everyone seems to be accounted for."

His gaze stopped though. He'd found her. I looked where he was looking and she'd abandoned the platter of fruit. She slunk through the crowds, watching my every move. I turned and darted toward the dragons' barn. She leaped on a table and over a few people into a clearing. I didn't expect her to be so fast.

"Get that woman!" my father shouted.

"Guards! Save the princess!"

I looked over my shoulder; she was only a few paces behind me. My heart sped up when I felt the heat of Draco's breath on my cheek.

"Keep running," he whispered.

I nodded and kept going toward the barn, using what strength I had, I opened the barn door all the way. I heard the assassin yelp as she tumbled head over heels before hitting a tree. She groaned but didn't move.

I went for the room at the back of the building and quickly removed my gowns, sliding into my dragon armor.

"Draco!" I hollered, emerging from the room.

He shimmered into sight, lowering his head for me. I hurriedly climbed onto his shoulders, holding onto the spines on his neck. He ran from the barn, both of us disappearing, before lifting into the sky. I looked down as guards surrounded the woman, who shakily got to her feet, daggers in each of her hands. She looked around wildly, probably for me. She let out an enraged roar and tried to fight off the king's guard. They managed to surround her, tying her hands behind her back.

"Was she one of them?" Draco asked.

"Yes. I believe so."

"What are they doing with her?" he asked.

"I don't know, Draco. I don't know."

"I'm taking you somewhere safe. You need to do more training, today."

"Okay."

He flapped his mighty wings, the wind bending around us, as we sped through the air. The countryside passed under us in a blur. The rocky cliff of the nesting sight came into view as Draco slowed, lowering toward the ground for his landing.

"Hold on, this will be bumpy for you."

"Okay," I shouted over the rushing wind.

His claws stretched toward the earth as it came upon us much faster than I liked. I lunged forward, his spikes digging into my belly, hugging his neck. The dragon armor protected my soft skin from being pierced. I let go, falling to the ground thankful to be alive.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Thankful to be alive. That was scary."

"Horace!" Draco called.

"Horace?"

A short, plump man emerged from beyond the rocky cliff. His balding head, bright eyes, and big smile made me smile in return.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"Your bow and arrow. Please bring it. I need to train the princess."

He nodded and vanished beyond the cliff again.

"You're training me how to use a bow and arrow?" I asked.

"Yes. While flying it will be difficult for you to use a sword. I want you to be able to use both."

I nodded and accepted the bow and quiver from Horace before he disappeared to the nests below.

"Show me how you hold the bow."

"I don't know how to."

"Not at all?"

"I've only ever used swords and daggers, never a bow."

"What type of assassin doesn't use a bow?" he asked.

"My mother was more hand to hand."

He shook his mighty head and let out what I assumed was a dragon laugh. Smoke poured from his nostrils and the light of fire brightened in his throat. "Hold the riser in front of you."

"The what?" I asked, staring at the odd contraption.

"The center part of the wood. That's the riser. Get an arrow and nock it."

"You mean here?" I pointed to the center of the bowstring. "I put the feathery part of the arrow here?"

"Yes." He shook his head again. "The feathers are called the fletching. The carved-out spot beyond that is called the nock. It helps steady the arrow."

I did as he told, holding the fletching between my fingers to hold it steady.

"Amazing."

"What?" I asked.

"You're holding it right!"

"Maybe I'm just a natural."

"Pull back on the bow string and arrow, aim for the tree in the center of the field."

"It's so far away!"

"You can make it."

"I don't think so."

"Trust yourself."

"I'll try."

"Steady your breathing, become one with your bow."

I nodded and closed my eyes. Slowing my breathing and listening to my heart thud in my ears. It slowed to a dull pat, pat, pat. The string seemed to melt into my hand as the feathers blew in the wind. The wood felt so smooth in my hand.

I opened one eye and breathed out one last time letting loose the arrow. I watched as the projectile soared through the air, wobbling toward the tree. A dull thud and it stuck to the center.

"Impressive," Draco said, sitting back on his haunches.

"That was good?" I asked.

"Very good. Now do it again."

I nodded and nocked a second arrow. I breathed in and out slowly before letting loose. The arrow soared through the air again and past the tree. It skidded through the grass landing beside a rock.

"That was not good."

"No. Not at all." I repeated the process over and over until my hands grew rough and my shoulders ached.

I didn't stop though. I walked about the clearing, searching for all the arrows I'd overshot. A few stuck firm to the tree, but a majority were amongst the tall grass and flowers. The sun waned in the sky as it sunk below the horizon, finishing its daily journey. Draco remained in his seated position his tail swishing about, knocking all the brush around him down.

As I bent to pick up the last arrow, I saw a gleam in the tree line. I stood and watched as a shadow darted behind the large pine tree. I stood and strained to see anything out of the ordinary. Another gleam a few feet down before the shadow darted behind another tree.

Am I surrounded?

A shudder ran up my spine, causing my body to convulse with shivers. It wasn't cold. I shouldn't be cold.

Before I could turn and run, something struck me in the abdomen. I let out a sharp cry before falling to the ground. I glanced down to see one of my arrows sticking out of my body.

Oh my God!

My breath caught in my throat as I sunk to my knees. Tears sprung to my eyes as I listened to the pounding of footsteps running toward me from the forest.

"Draco," I called as loud as I could before the odd taste took over my mouth.

I heard his roar as he leaped toward me. A ball of fire shot over my body toward my assailant. I heard the screams of pain from a woman not more than five feet away from me.

I tried sitting up, but the pain caused everything around me to go black. I sunk to the soft earth below, struggling to breathe as my life slipped away.

Is this the end of me? Am I finished before beginning?

I stared up toward the sky, imagining my soul floating to the heavens. Draco's big scaly face came into view.

"You're not allowed to die." He scooped me up in his mighty claws and flapped his wings, the grass swaying around my body.

"Where is the assassin?"

"She's roasted."

"Okay. Good. Draco, I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't start that, Evelyn. I lost one rider; I'm not losing you, too."

"It's okay."

"No. Now stop talking. I'm taking you to someone who can help."

"I'm dying. Nobody can help," I said.

"Shut up, Evelyn."

Tears streamed down my face as I watched the endless blue sky and white clouds go by. My breath staggered as my heart slowed. Mother was right. I should have gone to the castle. I should have listened. I wasn't ready for this.

I closed my eyes ready to be taken to the next life.