I wanted to ask Marcellus about Elle and my parents, but as the footman opened the carriage door I knew I was out of time. "Once the ball is over," I glared at Marcellus, "You're telling me everything."

Marcellus smiled, a disgustingly fake expression, "Yes yes, of course."

I smiled politely at the footman, he was the same one I'd met my first two times in Lumina, and allowed him to help me out of the carriage.

"You look lovely, Lady Jacintha." The footman said.

"Thank you," I smiled.

The footman handed me off to the herald, who smiled politely in recognition before announcing my name. "Introducing Lady Jacintha Carlyle!"

I started off down the stairs, scanning the crowd for Cas.

"Introducing Lord Marcellus Villiers!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw Marcellus coming down the stairs behind me. Villiers. Was that his real last name? If so, why wasn't he using an alias? 

"So what is your mission?" I asked him as we both made our way to the ballroom floor. 

"Secret," Marcellus winked, then his eyes raked over the crowd and he caught sight of an exceptionally beautiful girl, who happened to be wearing a gown with an exceptionally plunging neckline. A sly smile split his face. "Excuse me, Jacintha, but I have a new friend to meet." 

I watched as he crossed the room and bowed to the girl, saying something that I was too far away to hear. She blushed, and then the two of them danced off. 

I stood alone, heaving a sigh as I continued my search for the prince. 

"Lady Jacintha!" A familiar voice exclaimed. The prince's eyes glittered, and he grinned from ear to ear as he made his way across the floor to me.

"I missed you, Cas." I said honestly, allowing him to pull me into a hug. My eyes stung and I smiled as I hugged him back. At least Cas still liked me. Even if everyone else in the Shadow Realm had betrayed me and used me, Cas still cared. "Shall we dance?" I offered. 

Casimir nodded, still smiling, and pulled me out onto the floor. We danced for a while, but something seemed off. Cas was normally a good dancer, but by about the fourth time he stepped on my toes I had to stop him. "Cas, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong," he said quickly, but I gave him a look and he blushed scarlet. "Okay, okay, um... let's go sit over there." Casimir led me over to a pair of empty chairs along the wall of the ball room. We sat silently for a moment and Cas stared down at the floor.  

"What is it?" I worried. Was he going to tell me he looked on a map and couldn't find Gallifrey? Was he going to call me out as a liar? Tell the guards to arrest me? Tell me he never wanted to see me again? I hoped not. I didn't think I'd be able to handle losing all of my friends.  

"Nothing's really wrong, I just um... I wanted to ask you something." He looked up at me with wide, worried eyes. "And I want you to answer me truthfully, okay?" 

My heart thudded. Oh no. I nodded, smiling thinly. I didn't trust my voice to speak. 

"Jacintha do you... like me?" He asked.

Oh thank goodness, an easy question. "Of course I like you, Cas, you've become such a good friend." I squeezed his hand. 

He blushed again and shook his head, "No, not like that. I mean... do you think you could ever," He coughed nervously, shifting in his seat. "Ever um... fall in love? With me?" 

Oh. Cas wanted to know if I was capable of falling in love with him? Why did he want to know that? And more importantly... was I? Up until then, I'd never even considered me loving Cas. After all, I already loved Kindle. And I had thought Kindle loved me too. I had no reason to see Casimir as anything other than a friend. 

But Kindle didn't love me. He'd made that perfectly clear. And Cas... he was so nice. He had never said anything cruel to me, and never made me cry. I didn't see Cas as any more than a friend, but I was also still hung up on Kindle. Maybe if I gave Cas a chance and actually tried, I could see him differently. If I gave him time, maybe I could one day feel differently about the way he smiled at me. 

I nodded hesitantly, "I think I could." I answered carefully. I could make myself forget about Kindle, who didn't love me at all, and think about Cas instead. 

Cas straightened up quickly, his smile bright. "Really? You mean it?" He hugged me again, "Oh that's wonderful, Jacintha!" Then his blush returned and he released me. "Well, I um, I guess it's not really a secret that I care for you." He said, "And I know I haven't known you for long, but I'd like to change that. If you'd have me, I'd like to begin courting you. Please do not feel pressured into agreeing, because I perfectly understand how overwhelming a request like this can be. Especially coming from a prince." Cas's words sped up, and he was redder than my gown. "You would live in the castle, and have personal servents, and you and I would spend time together until you were ready to decide for sure if you wanted to be with me." 

Cas was asking to date me?

"Of course you may talk to your family first, and I can't expect you to just up and leave your home of Gallifrey so quickly." Cas continued rapidly, "And my mother still doesn't aprove of you, but I was just thinking that when I'm king it doesn't matter what my mother thinks, and I can choose whoever I want to be my queen." 

Queen!

"So... will you?" Cas's hopeful eyes bored into mine. "You don't have to agree to be queen right now, just... allow me to court you. Please?" 

It hit me then that I didn't have to leave the Shadow Realm. Cas was offering for me to stay with him, in Lumina, and maybe even become his Queen. Kindle had never even actually asked me to be his girlfriend. I smiled slightly. THis would show him. So what if he didn't want me? A prince did! I could stay here with Cas, forget about the parents who didn't care about me and the boring life in my own realm. I could forget about Kindle, and Faye, and Carlyle, and everyone else who clearly forgot about me.

I could forget about Maggie, and become Lady Jacintha. 

"Okay," I agreed softly. I smiled at Cas. "Yes, I'll agree." 

Cas leapt to his feet and pulled me with him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He exclaimed, lifting me off my feet and twirling me around. He set me back down quickly, "Oh! We must go tell Rainette, she'll be thrilled!" He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the other end of the ballroom, where Raini and Tobias were dancing. 

On our way over, I caught sight of Marcellus, who was still dancing rather close with the pretty stranger. He winked at me, which was worrying. I turned my eyes forward. 

When we reached Rani and Tobias, Raini smiled brightly and hugged me, already guessing what her brother was going to say. "I'm so happy you'll be staying here, there are so few girls for me to talk to!" She cheered. 

I can become good friends with Raini, I assured myself. I can. I'm going to like it here. But regardless of what I told myself, tears still prickled at my eyes. Be happy, you get to stay in the Shadow Realm with people who actually care about you. Be happy. 

The four of us chatted for a while, and Tobias actually said more than just "Yes Princess." Then Casimir asked me to dance with him again, promising not to step on my toes this time. 

We danced, and talked. He smiled, I smiled. I wondered what Kindle was doing, and I tried not to cry. 

Cas led me back to our seats and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. "I'll be back shortly, I promise. I just have to arrange everything. Your room, your handmaids-- how many of those do you want, by the way? Oh never mind, I'll get you seven. Seven handmaids seems like a good number." He rambled on, smiling like a fool. "Okay. I'll go talk to some people. See you soon, dearest Jacintha." Cas hurried off, leaving me alone.

I wouldn't be Maggie ever again. I would only be Jacintha. I could do that, right? My smile slipped from my face and a put my head in my hands. What was I doing?

"A toast to the happy new couple," Marcellus chuckled, handing me a glass of dark red wine. 

I glared at him, not saying anything. 

"Oh cheer up will you? After all, you're now the future queen of Lumina. What an honor for me to be standing in your presence!" He bowed dramatically. "Oh and here, this is for Queen Amaranth." He handed me another glass of red wine. "Give it to her for me, will you? And make sure it's that one." He insisted, tapping the rim of the glass he just handed me. 

"Why shoudl I?" I coutered. 

"Because if you don't I'll out your little secret to everyone in attendance," Marcellus shrugged. He nodded his head toward where the queen sat on her throne. "I'd suggest you do it now, before Casimir returns." 

This is it. This is why Marcellus was sent along. Something bad will happen when I give Amaranth this wine, I know it. 

I took a deep breath, then stood and made my way over to the queen. The wine I was supposed to give her was probably poisoned. The queen would die, and I would be framed for it. I approached the throne, my hands shaking. 

"Yes?" Queen Amaranth asked, looking at me with a displeased expression. 

"You must b-be thirsty," I said politely, "would you like a glass of wine?" 

The Queen smiled slightly, "Thank you." 

I handed her the other glass. The one Marcellus gave to me, and I kept the one I was supposed to give to the queen. Marcellus's plan would fail now. 

The queen took the glass gratefully, and took a small sip. Her eyes widened, and her face paled. She dropped the glass and clutched her throat. No. 

"Your Magesty?" Raini's jewel-clad fiancé jumped up from the throne at Queen Amaranth's side. "Your Magesty!" He shouted, shaking her shoulder furiously.

The queen went still, a small trickle of blood dripping from her lips.

I dropped the glass I was holding, the one I was supposed to give her, and stepped back. Oh god, I'd just killed the queen. The glass shattered at my feet, the dark red liquid pooling on the floor like blood.

"You!" Raini's fiancé shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You poisoned her! You killed her!"

"I-I didn't mean to! I didn't know the glass was... I I'm.."

"Guards! Guards!" He shouted, not giving me a chance to explain. Not that I really had anything to explain anyway.

"Ooh, that's unfortunate." Marcellus frowned, coming up next to me. "So much for you becoming the next queen, hm?"

"How did you know I would switch the glasses?" I shouted at him.

Around us, chaos broke out. The music cut short and the dancers stopped. People shouted and screamed, and the guards approached. They were coming to apprehend me.

Marcellus shook his head. "I didn't know you would, actually. But this makes it even better!" He smiled brightly. "Here comes the guards, oh, and your prince!"

He didn't know I would switch them? What did he... it hit me: both of the glasses had been poisoned. I was supposed to kill the queen and then kill myself. Seraphim had never planned on letting me return home in the end.

Raini reached us before Cas and the guards did. Her look of confusion turned to panic as her eyes slid from me to the queen. "Mama!" She screamed, sinking to her knees in front of the queen's body. "Mama, no! Mama!" Raini shook her, sobbing miserably as she did so. "Mommy!"

My throat tightened and I turned. I had to run, I had to get away.

I hurried away from the throne, pushing myself through the crowd and toward the exit. I had no idea where I planned to run to, but I had to get away from here.

I was just starting up the steps to the exit when a group of guards slammed the large doors shut. I turned in a frantic circle. I didn't know where else I could run to. There were other exits in the palace, I was sure of it, but I had no idea where they were.

It was too late to run for them anyway. The guards had surrounded me. They were going to lock me up, probably execute me, and there was no way for me to argue my innocence. I was going to die.

"Jacintha," Cas stood in front of me in the circle of guards. "I-Is it true?" His eyes were brimmed with tears, his expression pained.

"Cas I'm sorry," I wailed, "I didn't mean to, I swear!" I reached out my hand to him.

He yanked his hand away, stepping back. "Was this your plan all along then? You got yourself close to me, made me trust you, so that you could kill my mother and take her place?"

"No, No I swear!" Tears poured from my eyes. "I swear I never meant to hurt you! I never wanted... I-I didn't know!"

Cas looked down at the ground, his own tears falling. "Take her away," he said quietly.

No!

The guards stepped toward me, some of them drawing their swords. I spun around, looking for a gap to break through.

Cas looked up at me with tearful eyes, about to say something else, when a scream echoed throughout the ballroom.

Someone pointed up to the ceiling, where the sound of cracking glass could be heard.

I looked up as well, just in time to see a giant black creature shatter the glass and crash through.

"Jacintha!" Cas shouted, throwing himself on top of me as glass shards rained down. He was protecting me. I deceived him and killed his mother, and still he shielded me from the falling glass. My tears fell harder. He was such a kind person.

Everyone cleared the floor as the creature, a dragon, landed in the middle of the ballroom. It looked exactly like I always thought a dragon would: A large, lizard like creature that stood on four legs, with a long powerful-looking tail, and giant wings. It had short spikes down it's back, and sharp-looking teeth in its mouth. 

"A dragon?" Cas questioned, pushing himself away from me as soon as the danger was gone. "But I thought they were all gone?" 

The dragon's head  turned from side to side, his black and gold burning eyes searching for something. The familiarity of those eyes, so similar to burning coals, hit me hard. firestone. 

The guards had lost their interest in me, now turning their attention to the dragon. The dragon with firestone eyes.

"I'll tell you, eventually... probably." Kindle had said. 

"What, are you afraid I'll avoid you once I know?" I'd joked.

"Yeah, kind of."

I picked myself up off the ground, staring intently at the dragon. "Kindle," I said quietly. Not a question, a statement of fact. Kindle was a dragon. 

The dragon's head-- Kindle's head-- snapped to me instantly, and he roared. The guards lept back in fear. 

"Blondie, thank god I got here in time!" Kindle's voice spoke in my mind as his dragon-form roared. 

"You're a dragon!" I shouted back.

"Yes yes, I know I owe you an explanation for the dragon thing. And the fact that I was a complete jerk to you. I can explain them both, and I will, but first things first: we have to go!" Kindle replied hastily.

"Go how?" I asked, stepping toward him, "You don't mean... fly do you?" 

He roared again, and one of the guards dug a spear into his leg. Kinde shook his leg and the guard went flying. 

"Ow!" Kindle shouted, "Yes, fly. Now. So come on, we have to go!" He crouched down and lowered one of his wings so that I would have an easier time climbing onto his back. Kindle lowered one of his wings. That was such a strange, strange thought. 

"Jacintha, wait!" Cas shouted, stopping me. He looked at me with his tearful blue eyes. 

I glanced back and forth quickly, between the ocean-blue of Cas's eyes and the flaming embers of Kindle's. 

And without another thought, I chose flame.