Aveline’s POV

Lorand is probably dead by now.  Dear, sweet Lorand, who never hurt anyone, who always listened, always cared, always helped.  Lorand, who could've been king.  Lorand, my best childhood friend, is gone forever.

I shouldn't have run away.  Instead I should have tried to save him.  I'm such a coward!

“Aveline!” my mother yells when she sees me crying on my bed.  “I thought you were at the castle!”

“I ran away.  I don't want to marry the king!”

“Well, you should!  He's a good man and a good ruler!”

“But he's…”

“That's enough!  I'll get the carriage.  You're going to pack, then you’ll return to the castle and apologize for your behavior!”  She leaves and slams the door.

I start to gather my things and put them in a chest.  My mother used to be kind to me.  But now that I'm old enough to be married, that's all she cares about - getting me a good husband.  She storms out of the room.  I change into a simple blue dress and put my hair up in a bun.  My mother calls me.  I go outside and get into the carriage, looking down at my feet.  Some servants slide the chest in after me.

“Don't let her come back until she's married!”

The door shuts, and the carriage moves toward the castle at a slow but alarming pace, because going toward the castle is terrifying at any speed.  I ask the driver if he can stop or even take me somewhere else, but he refuses.  Why does everyone support the marriage?  The only one who didn’t want it to happen was Lorand…  And now I’m thinking about him again.  I’d lived without him for two long, dreadful years, and just after I’d found him again, he was taken away from me.  As the castle gets ever closer, I can’t help but grieve.

When I enter through the large doors, King Morden goes to greet me.

“Hello, Lady Aveline!”  He seems overjoyed in a scary and sinister way.

“Hello, your majesty,” I reply softly.

“I thought you would be coming earlier today.”

“I did, but I was told you were busy with something.”  I’m not sure if it’s more of a lie than a truth or vice versa.

Some servants carry in the chest with my belongings.  King Morden instructs them to put it in the room across from his.  I wish I could stay at least across the castle from him.

“Dinner is almost ready.  Care to join me, my darling?”

Darling?  I feel sick to my stomach, but I know I can’t refuse.  He leads me to the dining room, and we sit at opposite ends of a long table.  I don’t dare to look at him.

“After dinner, I have a surprise for you.”

I smile a little.  Please don’t let him know that it’s fake…

The food comes, and everything looks and smells delicious, but I’m not hungry.  After what happened to Lorand, I just can’t eat.

“Why aren’t you eating?” King Morden asks.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You must eat something, Aveline.”

Worried about what would happen if I refuse, I take a bun, some cheese, fruit, and pudding and eat slowly.  A servant fills my goblet with wine, but I only pretend to drink it.

“Wedding jitters?” King Morden teases as he watches me eat.

I don’t reply.

He laughs.  It sounds like he’s insane, and it’s not far from the truth.

After dinner, King Morden gets something from his room and brings me out into the hallway.  In his hands is the box I saw him give to that girl Harriet.  My heart speeds up rapidly.  He hands me a silver key with a red jewel on it.

“Open it.”

My hands shake as I put the key in the lock and turn.  I cautiously lift the lid.

Inside is exactly what I thought it would be.

“It’s Lorand’s heart,” the king says proudly.

My vision starts to blur, and my head feels funny.  I start to sway, and everything goes black.

“Let her rest,” someone says.  “We can check on her again tomorrow.”

I open my eyes a bit and see King Morden leave with a man, probably a doctor.  The door shuts behind them.  I look around.  I’m in a room with a large window and velvet curtains.  My chest is in a corner.  At the foot of the bed I’m in is the box.  I stifle a scream and push it away.  It falls to the floor.  As I gasp for breath, I realize I should be more respectful.  It’s all I have left of Lorand.  I get out of bed and carefully pick up the box, then hug it.  I will never open it again.  I set it down on top of the chest and go back to bed, since I’m still lightheaded.  My eyes close.

Twelve-year-old Lorand helps me mount the gray horse I’m borrowing, then mounts his own golden horse.  “Where do you want to go?” he asks me, smiling.

“Anywhere.”

We find ourselves racing through the forest, then gradually coming to a walk near a river.  Lorand asks me if I want to rest for a few minutes before we head back to the castle.  It’s a yes, so we dismount, tie the horses’ reins to trees, and sit on the riverbank.

“My mother is going to marry Morden,” Lorand says, staring into the water.

“Oh.”

“She could marry anyone in the world, and she chooses him because apparently he’s perfect for her!”  He picks up a rock and attempts to skip it across the river, but it sinks instead.  “Morden hates me.  I know he does!  He’ll take my mother away from me!”

Unsure of what to say, I reach for his hand, hoping it’ll comfort him.

Lorand looks at me and sighs, smiling.  “You always know how to make me feel better, Aveline.  I’m so grateful for you.”

Suddenly the horses are gone.  Lorand’s sixteen now, and he’s wearing a gray shirt and brown pants like he was the last time I saw him.  I’m older too.

Harriet calls for him.

“I’ll be right back,” he says before disappearing into the trees.

I hear him scream, and I start trembling.  The forest is completely silent.

Then I hear his voice.

“I’m still alive.”