Katie got up early at dawn to write to Princess Dorrie before they had to leave.

"How are you doing?" She wrote and immediately got an answer back.

"It's so boring here, I've been waiting for you to write since I figured you'd be more busy. What about you?" The words showed up one by one and Katie smiled.

"I'm alright...for the moment." She responded and wrote on about the things that happened since they left Dorian.

"You went to that terrible Kingdom next?" The words showed up and Katie sighed remembering the events in Emeraldis.

"Unfortunately, it was on the way so we had to go. The King is the only one horrible I think." She wrote and words immediately popped up.

"Katie! That could be counted as treason!" Dorrie wrote.

"But, you're not in the Kingdom anymore and it'll be long before anyone finds our notebooks." She continued and Katie grinned.

"Also, what was that about the game you played yesterday?" 

"I was partnered with the Prince." Katie wrote to answer her question and wrote about the game again.

"You're so lucky to be so close to the man you like." Dorrie wrote not even minding to be formal but Katie couldn't agree.

"He just thinks of me as his knight. A friend is the closest I can get to him in this state." 

"But still, I don't think he would hate you if you revealed your gender." Dorrie argued.

"But the problem is that I can't, unless he finds out himself I'm not revealing it." Katie argued back and she won.

"Alright. It is your choice." Dorrie replied and even though it was just words on the notebook, Katie swore she felt her deflation.

"I just can't risk exposing myself yet. Theo is the only man here I can trust right now." Katie wrote, hoping Dorrie would feel better.

"About this Theo guy, he's the tall, lean one with dark eyes and a twin?" She wrote and Katie put a checkmark by her question to say yes.

"I think he might have a motive for keeping your secret.." Words showed up but Katie argued for him.

"I don't think so, he already told me he just wants to help me and he has more things to offer me than I do to him." 

"That's weird then, are you sure he doesn't want anything? Or does he like you?" Dorrie wrote but Katie laughed it off.

"No way! We're just friends in this battlefield. I wouldn't be surprised if he was bothered by me." 

"Hmmm, whatever." Dorrie wrote and changed the topic, "So you're going to Emberlands next?"

"Yes, as soon as the rest of the men wake up." 

"I heard some things about it, bad things." 

"Really? All I heard is that it's dangerous. What is it like?"

"I'm sorry Katie, my head maid is about to come in so I'm gonna stop here." The words showed up and Katie frowned.

"Okay, I'll write to you if I need help or advice in Emberlands." Katie wrote and got a short reply back.

"Goodbye Katie, stay safe."

Katie closed her book and hid it in a pocket of her bag. She yawned and packed her stuff up and took down her tent. She went down to the horses and gave an apple to Bandit and he took it in his mouth happily.

"Eat up." Katie whispered as he chomped a piece of the apple off, "You'll need the energy for today."

He looked down at the bucket of fruits after he finished the apple like he was asking for more so she gave him another one. She sat down by him, laying her head against his knee and rested her eyes for a second.

"Oh, Katie." Someone said and she opened her eyes to see Theo stretching and holding a wooden stick. She sighed, relieved. "You're up early again."

"Shhh.." Katie said putting a finger to her lips by habit, "Someone might hear."

He grinned and nodded. She remembered the question she had from yesterday and decided to just ask now.

"Hey Theo?" She started and his gray eyes fell on her.

"When we were playing that game yesterday, I saw the list and it had my personal thing on it."

"Yeah, of course, that's the point-" He said but stopped when she shook her head.

"Yes but it was an item only I knew about and told no one else about." She said and looked up at him as he swung his stick around.

"Mark wrote the list but I don't know how he found your personal item." 

"It was bandages you know, to cover my che-" Katie said blankly but he interrupted her.

"Yes I know." He said, turning his flushed face away.

"Could it be that he knows?"  She asked not even noticing that he was blushing before and Theo shook his head.

"He could've just randomly stumbled across them while he was looking for something of yours to put on the list." Theo said pointing out a possibility and Katie nodded.

"Most likely but I cant help but think of the negatives." She said and Theo let out a chuckle.

"Trust me, he would've most likely told Keith by now. He just can't keep his mouth shut." He said,  sitting on his knees in front to her, and she smiled.

He looked up at the sky where the sun was already out and sighed.

"I was gonna exercise but never mind now, let's go get some food." He said dropping the stick and stood back up.

They both walked into the cooks' tent, said good mornings to Hunk and the other cooks and grabbed quick breakfasts. They ate and waited for the others to wake up and prepare to leave. After everyone was ready, they got on their horses and were led on the path to Emberlands by Keith. It took a whole day like he predicted but Emberlands was still far so they decided to set up camp for rest.

Katie saw Mark finished with his tent so she walked over to him to ask about the bandages.

"Hi Pidge, need help setting up your tent?" He said, his back to her and she shook her head even though he would not see.

"I think I got it figured out but I have a quick question to ask." She said and he turned to her.

"Wait, how did you know it was me?" She asked and he smiled, his dimple showing.

"You got lighter footsteps than all the others here." He said still smiling, "Is that your question or..?"

"Oh right, my personal thing on the list yesterday.." She said and his eyes widened for a second.

"Right, your bandages?" He said and she nodded.

"How did you get that information?" She asked.

"Um," He said scratching his neck sheepishly, "I was running in your tent to find something of yours to put on the list and tripped on your bag."

"Oh." She said but she felt relieved that it was just from his carelessness. "Sorry, I just put it on the list because it seemed to be important since you bought so much." He said.

"It's ok." She said about to leave but he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Is everything alright? What are the bandages for?" He asked but she faked a smile to reassure him.

"Yes I'm okay, I just like...collecting them.." She said, making up a horrible excuse but he didn't question it even though he seemed confused.

"Alright buddy, just tell us if something's up." Mark said and walked in his tent to unpack his bed.

'Thank god.' She thought as she walked over to her own spot to set up her tent and her sleeping bed. She was glad no one actually found out about her real identity despite her terrible lies. 

'I'll just have to hide my personal things better.' She thought as she started on her tent.

"So, he did actually stumble into them right?" Theo asked after they were both done setting up their tent and when she nodded, he laughed.

"I knew it." He said smiling.

"Are you as clumsy? I mean you guys are twins after all.." She asked to tease him but he shook his head.

"I think you and Mark might have the same level of clumsiness actually." He said continuing to smile.

 "At least I look where I'm going." He said.

"At least I don't sleep talk." She argued back and he turned to her.

"At least I don't drool." 

"At least I don't do boring exercise in the morning."

"At least I don't wake up to fall asleep again by my horse."

"At least I don't.." She said but couldn't think of anymore faults. 

He laughed like he won a competition and they both retreated in their tents after saying good night.