A/N: There was just so much to this part that I wanted to include together that I couldn't separate it, so you get a super long chapter of 6,476 words! Yay! Hope you enjoy! Picture of the little elf dude in this chapter above Xx

THORNE SAID THERE WAS someone in the village who could give us some information about the fire stone necklace, but sneaking out of the palace was the problem. Not being the middle of the night it would surely not be much time before someone would notice us missing, especially by Eeira. I was waiting each moment we spent preparing for the escape for her to barge into my chamber and ask why I broke into her office.

I was not quite entirely convinced of Thorne's idea, not only because of the small credibility but also the danger that one of Sylvi's men could be down at or near the village waiting to capture me. Thorne didn't even tell me the name of the man we were going to see, and that made me suspicious. But, of course my curiosity outweighed that because obviously there was a reason the necklace was hidden there. Had it truly been there for me to find, or was it hidden to never be found again? And who had hidden it? One of my grandparents, my mother? Even my uncle Magnus perhaps? Or the most secretive person of all, my father. . .

Dressing in darker attire so we wouldn't be spotted as clearly once night fell, Thorne and I packed weapons and the ring inside our cloaks. With hoods shrouding us we made our way down to his chamber to escape from the balcony.

"Alright, I'll jump first and make sure it's clear, then you. It's about an 8 foot drop," he informed.

"Yeah, you're telling this to someone who's five foot four, Thorne," I reminded, looking sheepishly over the edge.

"You'll be fine. We have to go now, come on."

Swinging a leg over and gripping tightly onto the balcony bars Thorne moved his other leg over and jumped; landing on his feet into the snow like a cat off a roof. I was never as coordinated though, knowing I surely would end up flat on my face and probably dead. After looking around he gestured for me to follow.

"Are you sure there isn't another way?" I asked, a slight whine in my voice.

"Just jump Eerika, come on!"

Internally groaning and feeling like a queen fleeing her tower I did as Thorne had and gripped onto the bars as I swung myself over. Taking a deep breath I took the plunge and jumped down, Thorne flinging his arms out and catching me.

"This better be worth it, Halvorsen," I grumbled at him as he set me down.

"Let's hope so."

"What does this guy know about fire stones anyway? The necklace obviously doesn't involve anyone but one of my family members. He wouldn't know anything about the situation."

"No, but he does know about objects. He collects things. You want something, he's got it. You want to know something about the object, he can tell you everything about it."

"So, what, he's like a curator?" I asked.

Thorne paused and stared at me. "I. . .do not know what that is, but sure. I just hope he's still alive after Sylvi's past attack."

"I still don't really see how this is going to help anything we're trying to achieve," I said as we quietly started on towards the path behind the palace that Thorne said led down to the village.

"Because it's like I said, Eerika. He knows about any object in this realm that there is to obtain."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if there's such an object out there that really could defeat Sylvi, or even information of how to create one--"

"He'll have said information," I concluded.

"Exactly."

"What does that have to do with the necklace then?"

"Because we need a reason to come see him. He won't let us in unless we have information ourselves or something to offer for bargain. We definitely need to find out why the necklace was in your family's possesion, but it has to be bait first. We can con the guy for info and keep the necklace at the same time. . .Hopefully."

"Yeah," I mumbled, still a little unconvinced. "Hopefully."

Coming down the path and walking a slight ways we finally reached the edge of the village, and I stopped in my tracks which confused Thorne.

"What's wrong?"

"All of my people are down there, Thorne. I haven't seen them since the coronation. They were. . .so angry at me, ready to tear my head off. How will they react to seeing me walking across their land, especially dressed like one of them, and not even there to see them or fix any of their poverty?"

"It's your land by birth right, Eerika."

"But it's their home," I said. "I don't want them to think I'm not doing anything for them or that I don't care."

"You are doing something. You're figuring out a way to defeat the frozen queen to make a safe place for them. This isn't all for Calder and yourself. I know you want to help them. Soon enough they'll know too," he assured.

I let out a deep breath and writhed my slightly shaky hands together. "Okay."

Following behind him still shrouded in my cloak, we went across the frozen ground and entered the village. Each wood built home looked run down and dark, small candlelight flickering in certain ones' windows. There were a few of my people getting the last of the day's work finished, shoveling the snow from their steps and heating water over fires outside to have warm water for their washtubs. I swallowed hard as each pair of eyes slowly settled on me as Thorne and I passed. No one spoke or bowed, and I wasn't sure if I was happy or nervous about that.

"Let's ask someone first about our guy's whereabouts before we go searching," Thorne said, "There's no need to if he's already gone."

"Who should we ask?" I wondered.

"Let's go down to the pub and go from there. If you want any information or secrets about someone's location, no one better to ask than a drunk."

Following him down the road we came upon a larger building off in the distance with candlelight fully aglow. There was loud noise of music and partying going on, and as we approached the doors two large men stumbled out with sloshing goblets of ale. Thorne and I abruptly haulted, my breath hitching in my throat and Thorne removing his hood as they stared at us.

"Aye," one spoke in a stupor, "You're the queen."

I stiffened myself, broading my shoulders to look more prestine but keeping silent.

"What? You're not going to say anything to us?" said the other, taking a step closer and springing Thorne into action of protectively moving in front of me.

"Of course you've got your little guardian with ya'," said the first drunken man, "Wouldn't want that blue blood of yours to spill like your family's did. That's why you won't go after the frozen queen. No, you sit up in your pretty castle safe and sound while you let us peasants rot down here and be killed off one by one."

"That's enough," Thorne warned the drunk sternly and shoved him back before the second one interjected.

"What is it like living like a blueblood, Thorney boy? All the nice meals and warm lodgings you get? Forgotten all about us and who you really are."

I swallowed hard as the ratty bedraggled man dressed in poor looking fur garments stained wet with spilt ale brought his pearl face close to Thorne's.

"A rotten drunk who killed his sister," he sneered.

Before my brain had any time to react to the sudden flash before my eyes, Thorne had the man in a tight arm lock flush behind the drunk's shoulder blade. Not even a hint of a struggle formed to Thorne's face, telling me he had learned this probably in one of his many bar fights, not from the royal guard.

The man under Thorne's hold did indeed struggle though, even crying out as Thorne tightened the faery's joint harder.

"I suggest you leave. Now," Thorne growled into his ear, shoving him so hard to the ground that dirt flew up into the air. I'd never seen two men--even being as uncoordinated as they were from their drunken state--scramble away so fast.

Thorne huffed with a scowl in their direction watching them go, running a hand through his now disheveled raven hair. I figured by the men's reactions and deciding not to stick around and fight back that Thorne had not been one to often lose a bar altercation. Anyone could plainly see why though. With Thorne's tall six foot stature, hard muscled arms and broad chest, he could intimidate the darkest creature.

Thorne then turned around and gazed over the pub in a moment of silence between us, the music and manly noise continuing on inside. I gazed intently at his facial features which showed hesitancy, his eyes showing pain. It was here that his sister had been sadly murdered, and there I was bringing him back into it and making him live the memory over again.

I stood on my toes to gently place my hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok to do this? We can turn back, Thorne."

Thorne flinched upon my contact and gulped, his Adam's apple harshly bobbing. He looked over the pub once more and put his hood back on before responding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just keep your hood on and your head low. We don't need anyone else recognizing you."

I did as he was told and pulled my hood down further on my face, keeping my head low as we went through the swinging door.

Luckily nothing happened like it did in the movies when the music would abruptly stop and everyone would turn their attentions to the person or party that entered the scene. Looking around I took in my surroundings, seeing all the men and a few ladies sitting down at tables. Some seemed sober, swinging their glasses in the air and singing along to the music being played from self-made instruments of ice.

Just the fact that a faery could use their powers to make instruments that could actually play beautiful music amazed me, and I couldn't help but smile. That smile quickly faded though as I listened closer and realized what the crowd was singing.

"Born was she on a fallen snow

death upon her she doth not know

Icy witch both fowl and fare

king to slay her he doth not dare

So thou go on while darkness came

Witch came for her, King to blame

Icy realm know her name

Icy realm doth not the same

Oh King oh King come falling down

Oh Queen oh Queen come falling down

Oh daughters thy daughters come falling down

One that remains bleeds on the crown"

I had never heard much old folk songs apart from what I had on the old century television shows Hanir and Linnea used to binge at home, but I'd seen enough to understand the old English. They were singing about Sylvi, my family, and I. What truly made my stomach churn though was that in the end of the verse they said I was bleeding on my crown, which was clear to anyone. I wasn't accomplishing anything under my rule nor fulfilling its duties to my people and the realm.

They sang on in Norwegian as Thorne guided me to the bar, sitting down and nodding to the tender. Normally from what I saw on tv the tender would slide a glass of beer to the person, and that's what he did. Two pint glasses made of ice slid our way, and I flailed my arms out to catch mine like a crazy puppet on strings.

"Don't drink that," Thorne mumbled to me, setting his own glass aside untouched.

I curled my nose up at it, gladly pushing it away. I had never tried any type of berry wine or ale and I certainly wasn't going to start now, nor ever. I felt guilty even just looking at it being underage.

"Wasn't planning on it," I whispered back, sticking my tongue out in a 'yuck' gesture and then blushing with ebarassment as Thorne chuckled at me.

Holding up his hand Thorne gestured the bartender back over. This time I got a look at his face head on, and it took everything in me to surpress my gasp. A large iron burn covered half of his right face, his eye a milky white caused by blindness from the injury. I could only assume this injury had been from the attack that horrible day Sylvi came for me and took Calder, and a wave of guilt washed over me. The man glanced over at me and I quickly lowered my head once more.

"Is there a problem, sir?" the tender asked Thorne who also kept his face down to hide himself.

"Actually, it's more of a question than a problem," Thorne replied quietly. He then pulled a silver coin out of his cloak pocket and slowly slid it towards the man. "If you can answer, that is."

The man was at first hesitant, eyes flicking back and forth from the coin to Thorne. "Depends on if what you are asking is worth something."

Thorne's shoulders tightened slightly, and then he pulled out another coin. "Is fifty worthy enough for you?" he asked in annoyance.

I felt the man's eyes on me again as he contemplated his next course of action, and if my faery body had allowed me to sweat I would have been drenched by now from my nerves.

The man slid the coins across the counter and stashed them away, easing me slightly.

"Alright, start talking," he said.

"We need to know the whereabouts of someone," Thorne informed before the tender held up his hands.

"Hey, I do not give away people. I am no snitch. If you are looking for someone you are asking the wrong person, alright?"

"I'm asking the exact person I need to, Vidar."

Thorne then grasped the top of his hood and yanked it off to reveal his identity.

Vidar's eyes widened. "Thorne!" he spoke in quiet surprise, quickly glancing around him. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help, Vidar. We're looking for Eivind. I wanted to ask you. . .if he survived the raid, before we went to his dwelling to look for him."

"You shouldn't be here kid," Vidar said, "The whole village wants your head just as much as Sylvi's and Queen Eerika's right now. They see you as a traitor for joining the royal guard."

"Yeah, well I can hold my own," Thorne replied. "Just tell me if you know where Eivind is and we'll be on our way."

Vidar paused and again looked me over with his one good eye, nodding in my direction. "What about her? What does she have to do with this?"

"More than you'd think," Thorne said, nudging my foot signaling me to reveal my face from under the hood.

Vidar's eyes grew as wide as the coins in his pocket that time, and then he bowed his head to me careful not to draw any attention.

"My Queen," he spoke low, not meeting my gaze as he turned back to Thorne.

"Do this for her, Vidar, not me. We're not looking to hurt anyone," Thorne told him. He then slowly slid his knife out of his cloak pocket and laid it flat agaisnt the counter. Vidar and I seemed to both gulp simultaniously.

"But we can't leave here without the information."

Vidar's eyes darted back and forth around him like the pendulum of a clock.

"Please, sir. This is so important," I pleaded.

Tensing his jaw together that reminded me of what Calder always used to do, my gut twisted. This could be a key to getting Calder back and defeating Sylvi. He had to help us.

Sighing, Vidar finally nodded in agreement. "Come on."

Placing a hand on Thorne's shoulder he guided him around the bar counter to the back and I quickly followed. Passing a group of ladies with raggedy skirts and tight breasted corsets hanging themselves seductively off several men as we did so, I shuddered. To think Thorne had been one of those men in the past both disgusted me and embarassed my innocence. The women's giggles echoed behind us as they went through another door and Thorne and I were brought outside.

"He is in the same dwelling, but it's glamoured now. You will have to call out to him and explain why you are there to be let in. Whatever you are after, I wish you luck kid," he said.

"Thank you, Vidar. I owe you so much already, and. . .I've never been able to repay you."

Vidar placed his hand on Thorne's shoulder once more. "You have always been like a younger brother to me, Thorne. Do not ever think you need payment to give me. Be safe wherever you journey next."

Then turning to me Vidar properly bowed, and the sight warmed my heart. I removed my hood for the moment, and placed my hand gently on his scarred cheek with a small smile. He stood back up and returned the facial expression, grabbing Thorne's hand and placing something into it before leaving us.

Once he was gone Thorne opened his hand to reveal the two silver coins he had pawned off, chuckling to himself.

"Same old guy."

Putting the coins into his cloak pocket and making sure the fire stone necklace was still in the other, he started forward.

"Come on. It's still this way."

Thorne and I traveled not too far from the pub until we came to an empty clearing. I was at first puzzled that there was nothing there, but then I remembered that the dwelling was glamoured.

"Would you like to do the honors or should I?" Thorne smirked down at me.

"What do we even say?" I wondered. This reminded me of when Calder and I had went to see Nilsine, when I had to declare my reason to see her before we were allowed in. But I had no idea what to say now only regarding information about a necklace or something that could defeat Sylvi.

"Well, let's try this," Thorne began, stepping forward and clearing his throat. "Eivind? The Queen and her guard are here, we need to see you. We have some questions reguarding a necklace we've brought for you."

When nothing happened I almost felt like we were actually speaking to thin air and being ridiculous. Thorne tried once more.

"A fire stone?"

That was all Thorne had to say then, because right before our eyes the glamour was slowly lifted to reveal a small hobble.

"That's what I'm talking about," Thorne smiled, starting towards it.

Coming up to the door I looked at Thorne with a silent question wondering if I should knock. But when I raised my hand to do just that we were both startled to see it swing open. I was looking up to expect a faery standing there, but there was no one. It was when a voice came from down below me that truly made me jump.

"Why hello! Please, come in, come in!" he said, turning my attention down. It was some sort of elf creature that looked like a tiny old man, his height just reaching my hips. He smiled up at me, his frail trembling head wiggling his long ears. His blue eyes were soft and kind behind the small silver glasses he pushed up the bridge of his large nose.

"Oh!" I spoke in slight surprise, "Uh, thank you sir," I said, giving Thorne a strange look from behind me as we entered.

"I am so. . .sorry for the mess, I didn't know royalty was coming," he said in his little old, wise voice.

The room was indeed messy, but not as unnapealing as one would think. There were shelves after shelves of various items, things I had never laid eyes on since entering this world. There were things that glowed, things that made noise, and even some that moved. I cringed when passing by a selection of jars that held squirming things and something that blinked back at me.

"It's alright, sir, no harm. Your collection is very. . .intriguing," I said.

"Oh, please call me Eivind, Your Majesty, it would be such an honor," he replied, slowly walking over to his desk and sitting down.

I smiled, "Alright, Eivind. Thank you for allowing us to see you."

"Oh, of course, the queen is welcome anytime in my home, always."

"I'm glad to see you survived the village attack, Eivind," Thorne said.

"Eh, nothing can throw me down. I always come back kicking!" Eivind laughed, which made me do so as well.

"You uh, you said you had something for me?" he asked Thorne, writhing his bony hands together like a kid watching the waiter bring his dessert to him at a restaurant.

Thorne pulled out the wrapped necklace and laid it down on Eivind's desk. The little elf unwrapped it to reveal it in all its orange glory. I bit my lip where I sat waiting for what he was going to say.

"Oh my," he spoke in awe, grabbing a quill from his desk drawer to pick up the object. "The last fire stone of its existence. This is truly priceless."

"We were wondering if you knew who it used to belong to," Thorne said, "We found it in one of the palace books."

"Oh, I'm afraid I cannot determine that," Eivind informed, "I only know of its properties. This will be a wonderful addition to my collection."

"Oh, we didn't actually say-" I began before Thorne cut in.

"We didn't actually bring it to pawn off."

The expression on Eivind's face suddenly grew hostile. "Why did you come here if not for something to bargain or trade?" he lightly spat.

"How about a trade of information?" Thorne suggested. "We give you the necklace, if you have what we want."

I wanted to protest, tell them both that I needed the necklace because it had something to do with my family, but I wasn't able to get a word in as they went back and forth.

"Look around my shop, take what desires your eye."

"That's not exactly what I mean," Thorne retorted, "We need something special."

"All of my items are special!" Eivind countered in annoyance. "Anything would be prestine enough for you!"

"Oh for goodness freaking sakes!" I interjected, directly addressing the elf to get on with this stupid argument wasting our time. "Do you have anything that could help defeat the frozen queen?"

Eivind stared at me for so long I thought I had given him a heart attack and he'd simply died sitting up.

"You ok there?" Thorne asked him, jolting Eivind from his frozen state. Pushing his glasses back up his nose he stuttered out his words.

"I-I am sorry, I cannot help you with such a thing."

"Eivind, you understand why we've come to you with this don't you?" I asked him.

He was nervous now, his little hands shaking more than usual, and in his eyes I saw fear. "Y-Yes, but I have nothing to offer. I am simply an elf who procures magical and emphemeral objects. It is my hobby and nothing more."

"Eivind--" Thorne began, but was quickly cut off when the old elf raised his voice.

"No! You need to go. You must leave. I-I have much inventory to return to. Good night to you."

He quickly hopped off his chair with the necklace in hand and went to place it in a display case made of ice. I went to protest, sure as hell not letting him keep it if he wasn't going to help us.

"Hey, if you aren't going to help us you can't keep that!"

"Leave this place!" Eivind then snarled and spun around, his mouth now showing sharp jagged teeth that weren't there before. He growled at us as Thorne shouted in surprise and yanked me back.

"Whoa!"

"Do not return! Leave! Leave!" the now disturbing elf snarled wildly, chomping his mouth at us.

I was ready to use my ice powers on his little elf ass, not scared of him after all I'd seen on my journey with Calder. I was pissed enough already that he wouldn't help us, and I could gladly show him how I felt. But Thorne wasn't about to give me the chance, grabbing my arm and pulling me from the hobble.

The door slammed shut behind us and just as we had made it appear, the hobble was gone from sight.

Thorne let out a breath, "Well, didn't expect that. He always seemed so nice the few times I saw him around the village. Are elves supposed get nasty like that?"

I completely ignored Thorne's banter acting like nothing serious had just happened, when in fact it had. Not only did we lose the necklace but any possibility of getting information on defeating Sylvi was again compremised.

"Dammit!" I cursed in utter frustration, kicking at the snow and going towards where the door used to be to try feeling it out.

"No, hey! Don't Eerika," Thorne warned, pulling me back once more.

"Let go of me!" I fought, "We came all this way, I'm not leaving here with nothing!"

"There's nothing else we can do here, let's go. I know pretty much little to none about the creatures in this world but I do know that I want to keep all of my body parts intact."

"He took the necklace, Thorne! That was something from my family history, and now I'll never know about it! We didn't even get any information on Sylvi either, once again I might add! Where else is there to turn to? There's nothing left! She's going to live on continuing to pursue her death wish on me with Calder a rotting corpse chained in her dungeon!"

I let out a cry of anger, kicking the snow once more and wishing I had something to throw. If Calder had been here he would have known all about elves as he did other creatures, and probably would have been able to reason with him to get what we wanted. Thorne just took the easy way out.

"It seemed suspicious to me," Thorne finally spoke up, "His hobble was never glamoured before, and he was too eerie about the mention of Sylvi. Maybe he has something to do with her, or she threatened him in some way and he's just scared."

"Either way it doesn't help us," I mumbled back, not able to look at him. "Nothing ever does."

It was quiet as we stood there a moment, Thorne staring me down and obviously noticing the tension. "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked.

I simply shrugged my shoulders and went on ahead of him. "Whatever."

I walked back to the palace with Thorne close behind, and this time I didn't even bother to be sneaky. I was at the point of anger, sadness, and frustration that I didn't give a damn who knew I'd been out. They could all go jump in a fjord for all I cared.

Coming around and up to the front doors I noticed two guards digging a hole a ways from the path, the stiff body of Sylvi's guard from yesterday at their feet. My stomach lurched as they kicked him in and began closing the hole back up with great effort from the hardness of the frozen ground. I was then joined face to face with Eeira who was overseeing the duty, and it was not a look of question or surprise. It was sheer anger.

"Eerika!" she yelled firmly, "Where have you been? You left this palace without my permission or telling anyone of it! Do you realize what could have happened to you?"

"I don't have to tell you anything. I can go where I please," I grumbled back at her, not even stopping as I approached her. I shoved past which only angered her further, until she saw Thorne coming up shortly after.

"Captain Halvorsen! How dare you take Eerika from this palace, especially without my knowledge! Were you just down in the village? She is not allowed down there without proper formalities!"

"Forget your formalities," I growled back at her as I swung around. "I am the royal Queen Eerika Arnesen, granddaughter of King Udom Arnesen and daughter to King Asger Arnesen and I do not answer to you. You answer to me, dammit. You can speak this way to anyone you wish around here, do it until your tongue falls off but you are done speaking this way to me. I wear the crown. And things are about to start changing."

I didn't know what all of a sudden brought out my voice that I had been trying to use agaisnt Eeira and the Clan as well for so long. I supposed the anger of yet another failed journey had me unfiltered to where I simply didn't care what I said or how it made me look.

Thorne showed the same amount of momentary shock that Eeira did until he began to smirk and her pale face burned red. I then turned to leave so I could lock myself in my chamber for the rest of the night and sleep, but that was quickly forgone when Eeira grasped my wrist and yanked me back towards her.

"I want you to listen to me carefully, Eerika," she began, holding onto my wrist with more strength than I expected her to have. I was ready to swing my free hand up and freeze her face or yank her silky white hair from her skull, but she made me refrain.

"Ah-ah, my dear," she whispered, "Do something drastic now and I have the Clan banish Mr. Halvorsen. You do not want that, do you? You seem to have grown close to him, as I have seen."

I tightened my lips into a thin line knowing she was absolutely right and had me cornered. Though I was frustrated with him at the moment and he could be a real cocky pain, in the short time I'd known Thorne he'd become like my older brother. I couldn't lose him like I had Calder, and I couldn't put him through being banished back to the human world.

When I remained silent Eeira took that as my surrender, and she smiled. "That's better. Now, I want you to tell me why you broke into my study earlier. And make sure you are honest."

I narrowed my eyes at her trying to show the fury blazing in my eyes, but it didn't phase her. "I was looking for a book," I lied. "There was a missing space on one of the shelves in the library. Your study is the only other place that has bookshelves so I thought it might be there."

Eeira eyed me a moment gauging wether I was lying or not, and to my relief decided to believe me. "And did you find it?"

I tried not to swallow too hard and give myself away, using the best pokerface I could manage. "Yes. I read through it and put it back."

Eeira hummed, making my nerves shoot up sky high at how it sounded. Completely suspicious.

"Alright," she said, letting go of my wrist. "Just ask me next time and I shall get it for you. There is no need to break in."

Giving but a single nod in response to her I watched her turn around towards the two gravediggers once more. "Are you quite finished, gentlemen? I would like to retire to my chamber now, but I have to make sure you got the job done."

"Yes Madam Eeira," the two men spoke in unison, patting down the last of the dirt and snow with their shovels and returning inside.

"Good," Eeira sighed as she walked past me into the palace. "Fairwell to the beast. I'm glad I told the guard to despose of him before he got the chance to do any of what he had planned. Now we do not have to worry about it."

"Wait," I spoke up which halted her. "Did you just say you. . .told that guard to kill Sylvi's? Without even consulting me about it first?"

Eeira froze just mere seconds before she turned back around to face me. "Yes. He was a threat that needed disposed of. There could have been harm done to you and others in the palace so I simply solved a problem."

"He came here to give me word on Calder's condition," I spat out at her, "I would have found out if he was still alive had you spared the man!"

"We do not know that, Eerika, he might have hurt you," Eeira sighed. "I chose the best option regarding the situation."

"It was not your call to make," I angrily rebuked, "I am the queen, not you!"

"Well you do a funny job of proving it!" Eeira gritted back.

Then for a few silent moments we stood there, staring at each other. I could tell in her eyes as plain as the fallen snow that she had no remorse for killing Sylvi's guard or for cutting off any chance I had to know if the man's heart that my own belonged to was still beating. I slowly shook my head which made Eeira stiffen in her place.

"You knew that was why he was here. You had to have seen Calder's shirt he was carrying. You did this not because of me but for your own selfishness. You didn't want me to know if he was alive. Because Calder is just a "traitor" to you, right? Even though he saved my life, he doesn't matter. He's nothing but scum of the earth in your eyes. Am I getting all of this correct, Madam Eeira?"

This made the hard look on my advisor turned chamberlain's face go even paler than before, because I had actually called her out. She fixed her hair over her shoulder and swallowed.

"I am not having this conversation with you any longer. Do not cause me to force your confinement to your chamber again. I will see you in the morning, promptly."

As she turned her back to me I felt a feeling of utter draining wash over me. I had dealt with this since waking up from my drug-induced coma, that she kept me under, and have been chained to her rules and demands and threats ever since. She was not the person I had met when I arrived to this world. Perhaps she had been nothing but a liar all along. I'd finally had enough.

"Eeira I banish you to the ephemeral world for acts of treason agaisnt your queen."

Eeira spun around and stared at me while I now stood tall and with my head held high. Thorne came up behind me after listening and watching the whole conversation to give his input.

"Eerika, what are you doing?"

I didn't answer him because I knew the exact answer to that question and I didn't have to explain myself. I had all of the dominance in my hands now that the crown was rightfully mine. It didn't matter that I was making this descision while I was still angry and hurt over finding nothing useful on mine and Thorne's visit to the village.

Eeira had walked on me and controlled me for nearly two months. Two months too long. And she would continue to do so until she was practically wearing the crown herself if I didn't do something to stop it. I didn't want to bleed on my crown any longer as the folk song said.

"You can't do this to me," Eeira claimed, "You need me here. You can't run this kingdom without me, Eerika."

"It's my kingdom, I'll run it how I see fit. I don't need anyone, especially you, making descisions for me."

"Eerika maybe you should think this through--" Thorne tried to reason, but we were far past that and Eeira wasn't about to go without cutting Thorne off to plead her case.

"Is this all about your traitor? You cannot possibly believe that this is rational, Eerika! Traitors deserve to rot where they fall. He is the frozen queen's son, of all people you chose him! Traitors never deserve a thing, Eerika. He is just like his mother, a traitor to the crown!"

"And yet so are you for going agaisnt me," I pointed out. Turning my gaze to Thorne I ordered him to make a portal and send Eeira away. He hesitated on my word, but finally gave in and began walking towards Eeira.

She held her hands up to strike a blast of ice at Thorne, but he was too fast for her and bound her arms behind her. She struggled in his hold and looked back over at me, desperation now in her voice.

"She took the man I loved from me, do you remember me telling you that?" she asked, "Sylvi took my husband from me only she did not even have to lift a finger. He went with her years ago to be a part of her army. He fell in love with her and betrayed me. He became a traitor to the crown. But she did not love him, did not need him, yet he could not come back to me. She killed him in cold blood. So you see we are not quite so different."

"The only difference is Calder was never a traitor to begin with," I said, nothing left in my voice but icy monotone. "You were the one who betrayed me."

Eeira shook her head, fear struck all over her face as Thorne took a hand free from restraining her to make a portal in the floor. I turned around so she couldn't see the tears slipping down my face, her scream echoing through the front hall as Thorne pushed her in.

A/N: We're not done with the fire necklace plot just so you know. All my ideas have reasons behind them ;)