"I think last night really helped me," I said at breakfast the next morning.  It was just me and James.  My step-mother didn't wake up that early, and the queen and princess usually had breakfast in their rooms.

"I'm glad," James replied. "It helped me too."

I smiled and took a bite of my eggs. "What do you say we go for a morning ride?" I asked.

James grinned. "Just you and me?" he questioned.

I internally rolled my eyes and set down my fork.  I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "Nah," I began. "We should probably take my step-mother too."

James' smile faded. "Are you...serious?"

"Oh my gosh, James," I cried. "Why would I be serious? Of course we can go just you and me."

His grin returned, and he raised his eyebrows. "I know the perfect spot for a picnic--"

"This is not a date!" I interrupted.

James held his arms up defensively. "I'm just bringing some snacks...but if you don't want cream balls for lunch--"

"Don't play that one on me, mister," I said. "Snacks are fine."

Somehow his grin grew larger. "I'll have the grooms ready our horses," he said, preparing to rise from his seat.

I was determined to wipe that dumb grin off of his face, so I asked, "You need a saddle to ride a horse?"

He stoped in an in-between sitting and standing position and turned to me. "I...um...We don't need saddles! Or...reins--or anything safe. You're right. We'll ride the horses bare." He nodded at the end, as if to assure himself.

I let out a snort-laugh.  When I had finished laughing, I shook my head sympathetically.  I wanted to keep laughing--his face was priceless--but I needed to cure his absolute confusion. "You can have the grooms ready the horses. I was just messing with you."

"Well someone's in a good mood this morning," James mumbled grumpily.

I let out the laugh I was holding and laughed until he had made it out the door and a few hallways away.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and set my napkin next to my plate.  A servant rushed in to take away me and James' plates.

I was still getting used to people doing everything for me.

I rose from my seat and left the dining hall to make my way to my room.  I stared at the paintings of past rulers on the way, thinking of James becoming king.

I knew he would rule well and fairly, but I wasn't sure if he was ready.

He was extremely young to become king.

James had assured me that his father had become king much younger than him, but to be honest, it wasn't very assuring.

I looked at a painting in the next hallway and realized that it wasn't familiar.  I must have taken a wrong turn.

I was about to turn back when I noticed that there were no guards stationed there.  The lighting was dim as well.  I went back to the hallway before and approached the closest guard.

"Why are there no guards stationed in the next hallway?" I asked him.

"That is the royal adviser's old quarters, miss," he replied. "No one goes there."

"I had no idea..." I murmured mostly to myself.

"If you would like to have a look around, no one is stoping you," the guard continued in a quieter voice as if reading my mind.

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you, sir," I replied respectfully.

"Of course," he said and then smiled back.

I walked back into the dark hallway.  None of the golden candelabras were lit, and the curtains blocked most of the light from outside.  I ran my fingers along the dusty walls and let my eyes wander the hallway.  

I entered the first room.  It was similar to my room, but more neutral and slightly smaller.  I didn't find anything worth thinking about and moved to the next room.  The only difference was the fact that it had no bed, only luxurious couches and cushions.  I noticed that the two rooms were connected by a wooden door, which I searched for a few minutes.

Finding nothing, I moved to the rooms on the other side of the hallway.  I found an extremely large bathroom and bathing room.

How odd, I thought. Why is the bathroom and bedroom separated?

I was growing frustrated with the lack of information I found.  I went back into the hallway and stared at the walls.  I figured the paintings were of past royal advisers.

My eyes and fingers didn't find anything within reach, so I decided to look at the ceiling.  I didn't really believe there would be anything worth while, but I didn't want to leave any rock unturned.

I found nothing, so I went back into the main bedroom and looked up.

I noticed an outline of a square near the extremely large bed.  I stared at it for a full minute before rushing out to find a rope.

When I came back, I tied the rope to one of my throwing stars with a tight knot and aimed the star at the outline of a square.  I threw it with as much force as I could and it hit its mark, lodging itself into the wood ceiling.

I pulled the rope tight and then steadied my stance, my right foot in front of my left.  I wrapped the rope around my hand and started backing up, pulling the rope with all my might.  I heard a creak and then the wood gave, releasing a ladder that reached the ground.  I jumped back from the large amount of dust that blew into my face.  I fell into a fit of coughing and couldn't stop until a few minutes later when the dust had cleared.

I stared up at the dark hole the ladder led to and began my climb.  When I reached the top, I realized I hadn't brought a lamp or any sort of light with me.  I was about to go back down, when a bright light caused me to look away.  When I finally turned back, I saw that the room before me was fully lit.

But I couldn't tell where the light was coming from.

It had to be magic.

A/N Interesting ending, huh? 

I would love to see the people who are reading my book, if someone is, so please comment! Whenever I see a comment, it truly brightens up my day. Thank you for reading!

Ciao,

SiSi