"I promise."

    Ari's eyes lit up and she threw her arms around Raina, almost causing her to fall backwards. She patted the girl on the back awkwardly as Ari crushed her ribs.

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew I could count on you!" Ari fell to the ground next to Raina, her entire body bouncing with joy. Raina gave her a small smile. She wasn't sure what she had just gotten herself into, but it made her happy seeing Ari happy. She just hoped Ari's story had a happier ending than her own.

    Ari's cheers went quiet as she noticed how Raina's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. It slowly faded off her face and was replaced by a somber gaze, as if the former princess had become lost in some other world.

    "Raina," the little girl spoke, "do you ever miss your family?"

    The firelight flickered in Raina's brown eyes as the night grew darker. She focused on the limp figure sitting just a few feet away, its breath becoming heavier with every passing minute. The creature only reminded her of the past: brutal, unforgiving, and full of fire.

    "Of course I miss them," Raina said after a long period of silence. "I wish more than ever that they were here with me, guiding me along. I feel so lost, like I don't even know who I am anymore without them. It's like when I lost them, I also lost a piece of myself."

    Raina snorted, realizing how cheesy she sounded, but Ari didn't laugh. She didn't even smile.

    "But they are here, guiding you." Ari snuggled closer to Raina, her emerald eyes gazing up at Raina.

    "Oh please," Raina scoffed. Antonio had given her this speech one too many times.

    "But they are!" Ari held out her necklace, the lily flower symbol dangling in front of Raina's face. "This symbol represents unity of magic, of all magic. It was how my kind communicated and met with each other during the times when magic was banned in Aragona. It was a dangerous time for people like me."

    Raina's eyes widened at the revelation. No wonder she hadn't known what the symbol meant. Her family had banned magic years ago, giving death to anyone who dared use it. She had always seen magic as evil, an unforgiving power, but here was this magic little girl, who seemed to be nothing but innocent. How could Ari be anything but good, even if she possessed magic? The last thing she wanted to do was think her parents were wrong, especially now that they were gone, but Raina couldn't stop the thoughts that poured into her head. What if Mal was right about her family?

Raina shivered. Maybe her family being put out of power was for the best.

    "I'm sorry that you had to experience that Ari."

    Ari shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. You aren't your parents, and my mother always reassured me that the people who died never really disappeared. The lost souls became one with the universe, their voices became the wind, their dancing became the shadows. They are always here to lead and protect us. Your parents are still here, but they just have taken a new form."

    The breeze blew lightly, and Raina and Ari remained silent. Raina felt the cold air burn her cheeks, her hair going wild as it flew across her face. The leaves fluttered in the trees, and the grass bent over ever so slightly. It was a strange sound, one that Raina had never taken the time to cherish before. These small details and signs had always been there, but Raina hadn't taken the time to listen and just feel the universe around her. It was almost like she had found that piece of her that she had lost.

    "Will you bring back magic when you become queen?"

    Raina bit her lip. "When I become queen?"

    Ari snorted. "Well, yeah, isn't that what you're doing here in the first place?"

    "Well, yeah but-"

    "I think you can do it," Ari bursted out. "You're not scared of anything. I only wish I could be as brave as you."

    Raina was lost for words. "You still want a member of the Savoia family on the throne, even after what we did to your people?"

    Ari snorted. "The past is the past. Like I said, your family doesn't define you. Besides, anything is better than the Ladon Empire," Ari said as she closed her eyes and curled up beside Raina.

Raina placed her hand on Ari's head. "If I do become queen, the ban of magic will be the first thing I take care of."

Raina awaited a response, but there was none. Ari's chest rose and fell softly, her breath slowly escaping her lips. Raina placed Ari closer to the flames, bundling her up with the only material she had. The girl's eyelids fluttered, and Raina could only hope that she was having good dreams. The symbol hanging from Ari's neck caught Raina's eye. While one question had been answered, only more seemed to pop into Raina's mind. If the symbol meant what Ari said it did, then why did Antonio have the symbol engraved on his sword? He surely hadn't been able to use magic, or had he?

Raina bit her lip. The more she learned, the more she realized she hadn't really known who her closest family and friends really were. They all seemed to have secrets that went beyond what Raina saw on the surface. She sighed. Raina wanted to keep living under the illusion that her family provided the perfect monarchy for the kingdom, but it wasn't a lie she could keep telling herself. They had separated families. They had killed people, and while the reality surprised Raina, she knew it shouldn't have. They were the rulers of a kingdom, which meant they were bound to be responsible for someone's death at some point, but it was people like Ari. An even more horrific question popped into Raina's head for a second, one that she quickly pushed away but still lingered in the back of her mind: What if I have to kill?

Raina had never been horrified by the idea before. Heck, she been surrounded by death her whole life. She had always imagined herself stabbing her sword through the heart of some rogue, bringing justice to the world, but for the first time it occurred to her that the world might not be so black and white.

The dragon groaned, awakening Raina from her thoughts. Its eyes glared at her from where it remained trapped in its own chains. Another strong gust of wind blew, rustling the tree branches and blowing out the fire. Raina remained still, the eyes of dragon seeming to see into her very soul. The pupils wavered back in forth, and Raina couldn't tell if it was angry or fearful. Finally it broke eye contact, screeching once more into the night. It struggled restlessly against its bonds before going limp, its chest heaving.

Raina stepped forward, unable to believe what she was going to do. She hesitated. If Ari could forgive her, why couldn't she forgive this beast with no wrongdoing? After all, they were more similar than they were different.

Raina eyed the dragon's bonds and pulled out her sword. She lifted it above her head, and the dragon's eyes widened as it froze, helpless to stop the girl. The wind blew once more, even stronger than before, and Raina thrust her sword down upon the rusted chain. The chain shattered, and the dragon burst forward towards Raina, its roar echoing through the night. Raina screamed as she was slammed to the ground and came eye to eye with two sharp, glowing eyes. The dragon loomed over her, its warm breath hitting her face. Its eyes continued to glow in the darkness, mysterious and dangerous, yet curious. Scars marked the places on the creature's body where her deep red scales were missing. Her wings spread above the girl, a show of her ferocity and power. Raina didn't move. Her heart beat fast in her chest, but strangely enough, she wasn't scared. She felt alive, and the creature before her was not some monster. She was beautiful.

The dragon roared in her face before shooting off into the night sky. Raina jumped to her feet and watched as Kaida soared above her.

"I knew you'd come around." Ari smirked from next to fireplace, her eyes still fluttering from being awoken from her peaceful sleep.

Raina raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ari tensed, any sleepiness disappearing from her eyes as she gazed past Raina. "Turn around!"

"I heard you the first time-"

"No!" Ari jumped up. "Turn around!"

Raina spun around to see the dragon hurtling back towards them. "Oh," she said casually before she realized what was happening. "Oh!"

Raina dodged out of the way before the dragon landed on the ground again, blocking Ari from her path. Kaida barely paid any attention to the girls before it collapsed to the ground once again. The gash in its side was still open and bleeding, and the dragon was growing weaker every second.

"Ari start the fire. We have to keep her warm."

Ari nodded her head decisively before running to get more firewood. Raina bit her lip as she examined the wound. The last time she had tried to play doctor, Lance's wound had gotten infected, not to mention she knew nothing about dragons, at least nothing that would be helpful in this situation. She had no clue how to help Kaida.

Raina reached towards the dragon, jumping as her hands finally touched the creature's cool scales. She had expected them to be boiling. "Don't worry Kaida. We're going to help you."

Kaida didn't move but gazed at her cautiously. Her ears twitched, and she slowly raised her head and watched the forest. Raina froze as she suddenly heard it too: the steady rhythm of footsteps.

    "Ari hide!"

Ari snapped her head up. "Hide?"

"Yes!" Raina screamed through gritted teeth and practically threw Ari behind a rock in the perimeter of the clearing, the firewood falling from her arms and scattering across the mud. Ari muttered something under her breath but with a glare from Raina, she went silent.

It was a good thing she did too. Voices grew louder until a group of soldiers emerged into the clearing. They immediately pointed their swords at the dragon, but Kaida was not capable of defending herself against the group of men. She was too weak, and Raina knew she would die soon if they couldn't find help.

    "Secure the dragon," announced a deep, scratchy voice. "We will bring it back to Augustus."

    Raina and Ari peered over the rock at a slimy-looking man, with greasy, ebony hair falling past his shoulders. His nose was prominent, protruding from his twisted face like the beak of a bird. However, his nose paled in comparison to the scar etched across his tanned face.

The soldiers followed orders, quickly trapping the dragon once more with rope. Kaida roared in protest, but there was little could do to stop them, and so she resigned herself to her fate. Raina and Ari watched in horror, but they remained hidden. Even Raina, who was always quick to jump into battle, knew there were too many soldiers to fight off.

    The man scanned the area as his men completed their duty. Raina and Ari ducked behind the rock, not daring to breath, as the man's sinister eyes glazed over their hiding spot.

    "Should we search the area, Lucan, sir?" A soldier asked the man as he slowly moved his glare from the rock.

    "No. I have a better idea," he said slowly and smirked. "Mal, if you wish to see your nephew alive again, then hand over the princess and leave Ladon. The boy is alive but very ill, and gets worse every second. If you meet my demands, I can assure you that he will be returned to you, and you can begin your exile together. If not, I will let him suffer until his last breath. You have until morning to comply."

    "Lance," Raina gasped. "He has Lance."

    She grabbed the hilt of her sword, but Ari grabbed her sleeve. "Raina don't be stupid," she whispered harshly.

    "We have to be able to do something. Lance would do the same for me." Raina gritted her teeth in frustration, but stayed put. Not once had Raina backed down from a fight. Not once had she failed to put her honor on the line for what she felt was right, so what was she waiting for?

    The dragon shrieked, its cry echoing through the darkness. Raina and Ari watched helplessly as Lucan's men ruthlessly pulled at the creature, occasionally giving it a hard kick. Anger rose to Raina's chest as her eyes sparked from the shadows, but Ari's hand tightened around her arm. The little girl sniffed, and Raina's eyes widened as she saw tears sparkling in Ari's eyes.

Raina hurriedly looked away. It was best to pretend she hadn't noticed. Or should she help her? Raina hesitated, sneaking a glance at Ari out of the corner of her eye, before lightly placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Ari jumped, but Raina kept staring forward, continuing to focus on Lucan.

If Raina were to jump into fight, not only would her neck be on the line. Before, Antonio and the other knights had been trying to protect her, and they were finely trained in the art of battle. Now, the roles were reversed. Any risky behavior Raina engaged in would be quickly mimicked by Ari, and Raina wasn't quite sure she was up to the task.

Raina lightly banged her head on the stone in front of her. Now she knew how Antonio felt. Somehow even from beyond the grave he could make her behave. Curse him!

Ari's lip quavered, but she quickly shook her head, glancing at Raina as she swiped at the tears that had escaped. "What are going to do?"

Raina's eyes flicked between Lucan and Kaida being dragged away, and an idea popped into her head. Sure, it wasn't her usual throw-the-sword-at-everything-you-see style, but Raina was running out of options at the moment.

"We're going to follow them."

Ari's eyes follow Raina's toward Lucan. "Wouldn't it be a better idea to go get help?"

Raina scoffed. "There's not enough time. You heard the man. It will be too late to save Lance in the morning." Raina pointed at the moon, which was already high in the sky. "There's only a few hours until sunrise. Besides, we won't need help. We follow them back to where they are holding Lance, free him from whatever exotic prison they are holding him in, and leave before anyone even notices. It'll be a piece of cake."

Ari pressed her lips into a straight line and meekly met Raina's confident gaze. "But what if they notice we're following them? Or someone does notice us leaving?"

Raina frowned, letting the possibility cross her mind. She imagined coming face to face with that terrible man, his black beady eyes staring at her without emotion, without mercy. His cold fingers gasping the knives at his side as his lips curled into a sinister sneer. A shiver ran down Raina's spine.

"Don't worry," Raina assured, though she wasn't so sure anymore. "Like I said. It'll be a piece of cake."

Ari didn't seem convinced, but she nodded her head confidently. Her fiery, emerald eyes perked, and it seemed Ari's fighting spirit had returned. Raina had to say, she liked that Ari much better than the timid one.

Raina peered over their hiding place, watching as the group of men trudged back out of the clearing.

"Follow my lead."

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Hello everyone! Happy Sunday! I hope all of you are not too stressed at this busy time of year! I'm certainly not, but I really should be! Right now I'm pretending my impending deadlines aren't there, but oh man they are there. They're gonna hit me like a truck.

ANYWAY I hope you enjoyed the chapter! So do you really think rescuing Lance is going to be a piece of cake like Raina think it will? 

Have a wonderful week! :)