'How did you find me?'

Instead of replying to Fabian's comment, my question chose to divert back to something more tactical. He frowned, almost as if he were hurt. But I was certain he couldn't be. His comments only backed up his earlier statement; him and I were not involved. And now he knew it.

But do you? The sneaky voice cracked up once more. I wondered if I was going mad, having erroneous thoughts bursting through my legitimate ones.

'Morwena sent a messenger,' Fabian replied slowly, 'and I came to find you. What I didn't realise was that so soon after, they knew about you...and retaliated, attacking me mid-flight.'

'Not just you,' I said solemnly, and I told him about the Sapphire district.

'My whole household?' he whispered, and I saw his fists clenching against the blankets, pulling at the threads. 

I didn't say anything. 

'But there's...there's children. And good, honest workers. In the Ruby Prison? No. No.'

I watched as the man, previously so brave and bold, suddenly cowered in terror for the situation of his people.

That is a true ruler, I thought numbly, their own lives are more threatening to him than his own.

'Is it that bad?'

Fabian's head whipped towards me as if he couldn't understand what I had just said.

'Bad?' he repeated, 'Bad? Oh, it's not bad, Lumina. It's hell.'

'Well, at least they're still alive...'

'I wish they were dead.'

'I'm sure they're thankful...'

'They're not. Trust me, they would all choose death.'

My temper flared. 'They're not dead. They are not going to die. Therefore we must get them out of there.'

'That's crazy,' Fabian laughed darkly, 'nobody has ever escaped. Nobody comes out, damn it!'

At that last sentence, he threw his fist against the adjacent wall. The stone he'd hit didn't even make a sound. I was highly surprised his wrist hadn't, though.

'Exactly!' I shouted, 'Did you think a rebellion was going to be easy? You've been planning this for years! If we can't take down a prison, how do we take down the capital?'

Fabian's hand flopped to his side, his mouth a slack triangle. Gods, whatever had I thought attractive about him?

He shut his mouth, thought for a second, and then it flopped open again. 

'What?' I snapped.

'You. You want to take down the prison?'

'Yes. I guess.'

'As a...a practice for overthrowing the King.'

'...yes, that sounds about right.'

'You have my everlasting loyalty.'

'What?!' 

Fabian's despair had changed; a grim, dark smile had replaced the frown lines, and he swept his unkempt hair back from his face. On autopilot, I stood and grabbed the comb from the drawer and began threading it through his silver blond hair, stretching to his shoulders. Fabian swivelled to look over his shoulder at me, blushing.

I dropped my arm, and with it, the comb fell to my side.

'You're brushing my hair?'

I gave him a withering look. 'If we want to attack a prison, we have to look the part.'

'Did you ignore what I just said?'

'No!' I furiously began taming his hair tangles once more. 'I didn't know what to say. I was surprised.'

'If you want to lead, get used to people offering you their lives.'

'Are you? Offering your life.'

'Yes.'

The comb clattered to the floor.

There was a long pause.

'Do not give your life so freely,' I murmured, struck with sadness at the thought of Fabian dying. 'You do not have to bear the grief of staying behind.'

'I know the feeling all too well,' he replied darkly.

'Did you miss her terribly?' I found when I spoke, it was as though I was hearing myself from far away. I was so afraid to ask.

If Fabian was surprised, his voice did not betray it.

'You forget...it was not just her that they took from me. It was everything and anything I had ever known. Scarlett and I were homeless.'

'You went from being homeless to being a Lord?'

'I had the Sapphire stone. All I needed was some credibility and some loyal friends. We worked together, and within a few years, the old Lord was gently replaced.'

'When you say gently...'

'He suffered only minor fatalities.'

'What? That's no better than the King!'

'Oh? So you plan on breaking into a prison with no lethal weapons? Great plan, princess.'

'Self defence! It's in self defence!'

'No,' growled Fabian, 'it's no different. It's all for a common goal.'

'That doesn't justify murder,' I said coolly, 'that's the mentality the King has. The very man we're trying to get rid of. No unnecessary killing.'

'You...you order me?'

'If you give me your life, then yes!'

Fabian angrily pulled his hair away from me, adjusting himself on the pillows. I saw him wince in pain as the sheets moved, revealling the bandages beneath. I went to help, but he shrugged away.

'Fabian--'

'You're right.'

My mouth dropped open. That wasn't what I had expected.

'I'm...right?' I repeated meekly, certain there was to be some joke.

There apparently wasn't. 'You're right. About the harming people,' he spoke softly, and did not raise his eyes. 'I forgot I was speaking to a Queen. Forgive me.'

'Don't,' I snapped, 'Don't try that act. I am no Queen. Do not mock me.'

I could see Fabian's jaw clenching and unclenching.

'I am your friend,' I said, 'I don't want you to think how to act. Just be yourself. Besides...aren't you a prince? The Sea Prince?'

'You might think,' he muttered, 'but even though the Sapphire stone grants me a merman form, I am not accepted. I have never met my parents, or seen the Kingdom below the water.'

I thought over this new information, deliberating what Fabian might look like as a merman. The thought made the ghost of a smile on my lips, but Fabian's mood fluidly dampened it. He looked immensely frustrated, his knuckles white and biting his palms. I tried to think of a way to cheer him up.

'It's fine,' I said encouragingly, 'You belong here, and we will have this kingdom together.'

An awkward silence fell at my words, although I hadn't realised what I'd said until Fabian repeated it back to me.

'Together?' He repeated. I turned scarlet.

'Oh, no, I meant...it's not...sorry...'

'It's okay,' he said, but his eyes lingered on my face. He pulled an odd face of amusement and bitterness. 'I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.'

'What...?'

'After all, the only reason I'd be your King is to save the kingdom from your rule,' he said brightly, and my embarrassment had vanished into a murderous desire.

'Excuse me!'

'Girls who jump off balconies are never very sane,' he was chuckling now, which only served to make me angrier. I hurled the pillow from behind his head and whacked him with it. He laughed loudly as feathers sprayed out, sprinkling white all around. I gasped, getting a face full of down. Some landed in my hair, others tickled my nose, making me sneeze.

'Feathers? Isn't that...cannibalistic?' I coughed out the words, still hitting Fabian with the defeathering pillow. He took hold of my hands mid-swing, and somehow managed to cross them and wrap his own arms around mine.

'Oh look,' Fabian said sweetly, 'I've caught a princess.'

'You wish,' I snarled, and, rather than trying to squirm, I rushed at him, feeling the tug of his power and it came back to me easily like an old friend. Perhaps the reason I controlled Fabian's power so well was because I loved it. The wind rushed around us, tearing my hands free and sending a thousand feathers spiralling around us.

Fabian was very still, his eyes taking in the storm with awe. But when he spoke, his eyes were focused on me.

'Beautiful,' he said, and my breath caught.

Had any guy ever called me beautiful before?
In a flash, I skimmed through the lists of things I had been called before. Pest. Thief. Wench. Girl. But beautiful?
Beautiful, in my mind, wasn't all about image. A girl could be pretty, yes, but to be beautiful her personality shone through. A man could be handsome, but he was beautiful when he was so much more than just his image.
To call someone beautiful was to look into their soul, and find beauty there.

And did I find Fabian beautiful?
Surrounded by feathers, I watched as they floated around his face, as attractive as any I'd known. But what made him beautiful was the gentleness in his eyes, the strength in his jaw, the mirth in his slightly upturned lips. I had not known this man for half the time as I knew some others, and yet I felt I knew his soul twice as much.
Yes. I find him very beautiful indeed.

'I mean, does my power always make people look that good? Because, hot damn...I must be stunning.'

I blinked, feeling a knowing disappointment creeping over me. Of course he had been joking. When did he not tease me? It drove me crazy!
Angrily, I pushed away his power and realised, as I did it, that it worked. The rush was gone, and I could see by the air stirring Fabian's silvery wings that it had returned to him. I stood up with such speed that I knocked away his hands, turning away from him in my temper.

'There's nothing attractive about an overly large head!'

---

The meeting to discuss the prison breakout was not going down as easily as I had hoped.

The council had called all the Exchangers to the main hall nearly forty minutes ago, interrupting my not-so-flirtatious chat with Fabian. I was thankful for the excuse to leave, but less thankful when I realised that I would be expected to give my opinion. So far they hadn't even gotten to that part; the Exchangers were so diplomatic that each spoke his or her beliefs, taking so long that by the time one had finished making a point, another three had thought of something more to say. Mostly, the Exchangers debated on leaving their safe place, where they had resided since the Red Solstice eighteen years ago. Getting to the breaking and entering a prison hadn't even been broached yet, something I dreaded.

The Exchangers ran an equality system, and so not even the council members had seats above the rest. The whole population, children included, were sat before my eyes; probably around one hundred and fifty in total. Wings of all shapes and sizes fanned from behind them, all some shade of orange that marked their power. They knelt respectfully on coloured cushions, and when one wanted to speak, they merely stood and listened to one another.

A middle aged mother was currently talking. Her children suffered from bone disease, she said, because they had not been in enough sunlight these past twenty years. The Exchangers' previous leader, Owyn, had built the hideout for his small group of rebels to escape authorities. The Exchangers had fled here once the Red Solstice occurred, for Owyn was a huge friend of Lady Rita Fawcett, one of the greatest Exchangers in history-- and my mother. After Rita's death, Owyn had been tortured and killed for information on Rita's daughter's whereabouts.

There was never the intention to live inside the caves for the long term. Food was difficult to source, and relied heavily on Exchanger power. Water luckily ran through the mountain, but on some days it was not enough. Over the years, the group had forgotten the reasons why they had hidden, and instead became comfortable.

'But our time here is limited,' the woman warned, 'there is a civil war coming, and we cannot hide behind these walls forever!'

To my delight, there were some cheers from the crowd as the woman sat back down, but to my dismay, several more stood. I would have groaned out loud if Fabian hadn't walked in at that moment, fully dressed head to toe in black and leather. He took a seat near the back, close to where I saw Iggy dozing off. I shot Fabian a dark glare; I had left the room earlier in a storm, and not even stayed to help him up. He returned my grumpiness with a beaming smile and airy wave.

'The Princess should speak!'

My head snapped towards to chorus of Exchangers all calling for me to stand up and give my opinion. Their gazes were all expectantly on me, and I could not disappoint. A part of me had known I would have to do this one day, I just hadn't realised how soon. Carefully, I rose to my feet, shuffling.

'Um...hello,' I mumbled, shyly staring at the cushion by my toes. A quick hush fell upon the audience as they waited patiently for me to speak.

When had I ever given a speech before, let alone one to convince people to follow me into a dangerous situation? The answer was never.
I tried to think what Reia would do. She would stand tall and confident, so I adjusted my pose so that my shoulders stopped hunching, and I clasped my hands behind my back so that they wouldn't betray my nervousness.
I had once asked Reia how she managed to attract so many friends. She had told me, 'Say what you mean and mean what you say.'

'Greetings, ladies and gentlemen and children,' my voice increased in volume, 'Thank you for all your generosity in allowing me to stay here. As you know, the King has wanted me dead for many years, and it is thanks to all your efforts that I am still here.'

All eyes and ears were on me, uncomfortably so; it made my chest thud painfully. I carried on.

'But I wish to ask yet another favour. A few days ago, the King became aware of my return and he has taken over the Sapphire district, and placed anyone suspicious under arrest in the Ruby prison. I have no doubt that he will torture them, as he did to your previous leader.'

Whispering rose at that, nods of agreement. Owyn had been a popular guy.

'Friends, will you join me in striking the prison, a large part of the King's power? I cannot guarantee your safety, but it is only a matter of time before we are caught. He is aware of my return to Angelica. Did your ancestors sacrifice themselves so that we could hide?'

I took a deep breath.

'I have no memories before eighteen years ago. My mother died so that I could return; she exchanged her life in return for mine. But I cannot do this alone.'

The Exchangers were passing glances around at the news that I had no memories. I wondered briefly whether the glances were a good thing, but I couldn't tell. Desperately, I shut them out, staring upwards at the spiralling staircase.

'Does...does anybody stand with me?' I said quietly, and I realised that the whispering had stopped to listen. I sucked in a breath, ready to roar as loudly as possible.

'Does anybody want freedom, at last? Does anybody feel anger at this man for taking everything away from us? If so, we should make our move...before it is too late!'

My shouts echoed across the cavern. If I wasn't so scared of looking afraid, I would have flinched at the noise.

'WHO IS WITH ME?'

My eyes were clamped shut, my breath panting as if I'd jogged circles around the crowd, not stood in front of them. I was alive on the buzz that filled the air, but deathly concerned that when I opened my eyes, they would all be looking away from the madwoman in front of them.

'I'm with you.'

I knew that voice.

'Always.' 

I opened my eyes tentatively, already seeing the silver-haired man standing serenely across the room from me. I gave Fabian a grateful smile; I was not alone.

But just as I was starting to think that it was only the two of us, I heard a solemn, and quiet, 'I'm with you, Lumina.'

I spun; Sakura stood a few rows away, her blonde hair adorned on her head with ribbons bright exchanger wraps. She gave me a confident grin, and I mouthed 'thank you' at her before my next friend leapt to his feet. A smaller boy, with the same dark skin as Sakura and bleached hair, joined her side. Her brother, I thought. He also cried, 'I'm in!'

Iggy's voice was an exciteable screech. 'I'm with you!'

Kirsten was next, tossing her hair and looking as if she dared anyone to disagree with me. 'I'm with you...this King is a rotten piece of sh--'

Iggy, stood next to Kirsten, clamped his hand over her mouth and whispered something in her ear. Giving a sheepish smile, Kirsten stopped speaking and gestured for someone else to continue.

'I am in,' Valkyrie had appeared, her flame red hair clashing with her bundled body of Exchanger clothes. She was covered, head to toe. 

'You can't be in, Val--' Sakura began gently, but Val shot her such a glare that nobody dared to disagree with the little girl. She even stomped up to stand next to me, taking my hand in hers. The crowd looked on in awe. 

'Lumina is so strong that only she can control my power,' Valkyrie announced, 'therefore wherever she goes...I go!'

I was blushing now.

'That's not strictly true,' I whispered, very quietly. 'I'm sorry I've not been here for you this week.'

'Princess, your fiance was very sick. I wouldn't expect you to be anywhere else.'

He's not my fiance, I was about to protest, when another figure stood up.

'I owe you my life, princess,' the girl was unrecogniseable. Clae was thinner, and her hands shook. Her gaze was skittish, as if she could hear things that weren't there. Dark circles lined her eyes.

My throat was dry. Clae was in withdrawal.

'If it were not for the Princess, I would still be at the brothel I have been forced to work in ever since the Red Solstice killed my parents, leaving my sister and I destitute,' Clae announced shakily. She wobbled as she stood; I watched Kirsten cross the room and support her. 'The King's rule has not been kind, but Lumina is different. She understands our suffering.'

The murmurs were rising now.

'Is it true that you have the power to Steal other angels' powers?' A young exchanger boy yelled.

I nodded, and the murmurs errupted into talking, discussing; Exchangers nodding and shaking their heads, arguing with their neighbours. But the young boy jumped to his feet yelling, 'That's so cool! I'm in!'

His father frantically tugged at his sleeve, but soon other children were hopping to join him, and then the teenagers, all demanding freedom and justice in loud screams. A grin split my face as all of the council members rose, in unison, and their opinion seemed to sway a lot of the Exchangers.

Walsh beamed at me, his clapping adding to the din, and causing more to clap along with him. Angels were standing to their feet in cascades, like a wave coming over the group. Finally, more than half were stood up, and a great roar filled the cavern of a majority victory.

A/N: I went to see Cinderella this week...and I love the soundtrack! I have been playing it non-stop to write this chapter. What did you think?

I think the romantic mood has definitely been captured in this chapter.... ^^' 

Clae's symptoms are true of alcohol withdrawal. They feel awful, get the shakes, can't sleep, feel sick...so she's feeling pretty bad right now. :/  

The music is from the soundtrack, my favourite one...Who Is She? By Patrick Doyle. It's the moment when Cinderella walks into the ballroom, and everyone is looking at her. (She does a nice job of taking about three minutes to walk down the steps as well, but it's very pretty).

Larissa xx