Sights and sounds blew around her, carried on treacherous waves of starlight. They jumbled together, mixing scenes that she knew didn't belong with one another. There were Saints and Knights. Blood and frost. Swords and poems.

She caught a glimpse of a throne room, and thought she saw herself standing next to the throne, staring across the room at two other figures. One wore a crown, and the other was trapped with a dagger at their throat. The scene vanished in a flash of light and darkness, leaving only echoing screams and fateful warnings in its wake.

"Your purpose will soon be revealed and you will be set upon your final path. Be it heroism or martyrdom, as those who came before you."

"Sometimes it is better not to know our destiny, so that we may unknowingly guide ourselves towards it. If we knew our fates, I think we all would've done what we could to prevent them from happening."

"While the first who bore your name may have been called Blessed, I'm afraid you, Princess, may one day be called Nastasia the Cursed."

"Be wary, Princess. The mountains tremble in fear of something yet to come, and the stars weep for the Blessed."

Pain spasmed through her abdomen and a groan escaped her lips. She fell to her knees, wrapping an arm around her waist though it didn't ease the pain. Tears beaded beneath her eyelashes and a few managed to fall before a faint glimmer of light caught her attention.

Gentle fingers lifted her chin, guiding her moonlit gaze to a matching set. At the look of remorse in the Saint's features, her tears fell anew. "Is this my fate?" She asked. "Was this my purpose all along? To do my best but die before I've even done anything of value?"

"No, dear one, though for your sake I wish it was."

"What do you mean?"

A small smile lifted the corners of the Saint's lips and she knelt, meeting her at eye level. "You have a purpose, Nastasia, and you will know what it is when the time is right. But the Goddess has granted me permission to give you this knowledge."

"What you have yet to do is the very reason we were created in the first place. So that you could come to be, and exist when a Saint is most needed. I was the first of our line, and you will be the last."

"The last? What do you mean the last?"

"That is not for me to share. Take comfort in what I have spoken, and remember your courage, Child. You will need it in days to come." The words had scarcely left her mouth when the Saint began to fade from sight.

"Wait!" She reached for the Saint, but her hand passed through a cloud of stardust. "Please! What am I supposed to do? What's going to happen to me? Help me!"

•༻᯽༺•

She lurched awake with a scream and found herself instantly surrounded by a group of people. Her chest seized and breath fled from her lungs. Three Mages stooped over her, their tattooed fingers skimming over her brow and down to her stomach, while her parents hovered at her bedside. Maria Yensev stood at the foot of her bed and the Dwarf Queen was seated on a chair nearby.

Nastasia's gaze darted back to the Mages who were still examining her. They were much too close. She couldn't move. There were too many people surrounding her. Too many pairs of eyes watching her. Too much. It was all too much.

Silent tears dripped down her cheeks and try as she might, she couldn't force a sound from her throat to ask her observers to move. Panic welled up within her chest, choking the remaining air from her lungs. She tried to suck down a breath but to no avail.

Nikolai. Where was Nikolai? She needed to see him. Needed his comforting embrace and warm touch. Her eyes swept over the room and even through her tear-blurred vision, she could see that he wasn't there. Where was he?

He'd been with her in the tournament arena. What had happened to him? Had they done something to him? Goddess above, had they killed him? Her tears fell harder at the thought and a hoarse sob managed to escape her lips.

Queen Evgeniya stood and cleared her throat soundly. "I believe I said I wanted to examine the Princess in private once she was awake. If we could have a few moments..."

"She is already healed," one of the Mages said, a sharp tone accompanying her words.

The Queen said nothing, but raised a brow and fixed piercing brown eyes on the woman. "Come," said the eldest Mage. "Let her Majesty work. Ismene favors her just as she favors us." She swept out of the room and the other two Mages followed without protest.

"Alone, your Majesties," Queen Evgeniya repeated, turning to Nastasia's parents now.

"But surely," Serafima began.

"Alone," the Dwarf interrupted, the word firm this time. "Take this time to assure your son that his sister will recover."

Serafima pursed her lips but offered a quick bow of the head and turned on her heel. Gavriil trailed after her and closed the door softly behind them. As soon as the lock clicked into place, the panic gripping Nastasia's chest eased and she was able to draw a breath.

"Thank you," she whispered to the Dwarf Queen.

Queen Evgeniya smiled warmly. "You've been through a lot in a short time. I can't imagine how overwhelmed you must be feeling now."

"Incredibly," Nastasia rasped. The Queen took a seat beside her bed and leaned closer, studying the fresh pink scar spanning across her abdomen. "I'm lucky to be alive, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are."

A few moments passed in silence while Nastasia debated with herself. At last, she said, "Nastasia the Blessed came to me."

"What did she say?"

Nastasia drew a steadying breath and recounted the events of her dream to the Queen, revealing everything her predecessor had shared with her, and what she had not. "I don't know what any of it means," she said when she reached the end of the dream.

Queen Evgeniya didn't answer right away. Her brow creased in thought. "I thought that perhaps, given what you said to me before the tournament, you might know more about what I should expect," Nastasia added.

"I wish I did," the Queen sighed. "All I can tell you is that there is darkness on the horizon, and you are the only glimpse of light I see within it. But there is a danger that the darkness will consume you too. You must be prepared for anything."

"How can I prepare if I don't know what I'm preparing for?"

The Queen covered her hand with her own and gave it a light squeeze. "By accepting that you must do your duty, whatever it might be, and you must face every hardship along the way."

"Alone?" Nastasia asked.

"Perhaps."

"Sir Arlov," she choked out. "Nikolai. Do you know what happened to him?"

"He was placed under arrest and is being held in the dungeon to await questioning."

"He did nothing wrong. He didn't even know I was in the tournament. Tell my father, please. Don't let him hurt him." Nastasia clutched the Queen's hand in a death grip. "Help him, please."

"I will do what I can, but ultimately, I believe his fate will be up to you."

"What do you mean?"

A heavy weight settled in her stomach at the look of remorse that filled the Queen's gaze.  "I believe there will be an ultimatum, your Highness. Vadik Kamenev will remain here as a prisoner and Nikolai will be given to the Andrians in retribution for their betrayals."

"Or?" Nastasia pressed.

She already suspected what the Queen was about to say, but it didn't stop the dread from sinking into her when her suspicions were confirmed. She would have no choice this time. Her life or Nikolai's? The decision was already made for her. After all, when had her life ever truly been her own?

•༻᯽༺•

Nikolai stared blankly at the wall across from him as he had for the past several hours. There was nothing else to look at in his cell, aside from the hay strewn cot on the floor, which he was already seated on, and a bucket in the corner.

There were no windows. No wall sconces. No candles. The only light he had was filtering in from the hallway where a Guard stood watch outside his cell. Nikolai had tried asking for news of Nastasia earlier, but received no response. Not surprising.

He was likely seen as a traitor now. It was for him Nastasia had been injured. If she died, he would be the one to blame. Nikolai closed his eyes and tipped his head back against the cold stone wall, throat bobbing at the thought. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be.

A faint scuffle down the hall reached his ears, followed by a loud crash. Nikolai sat up as the Guard outside his cell jumped to attention. The man spared a quick glance at him, then started down the hall with one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Nikolai frowned and crept closer to his cell door. He could see past the bars just enough to watch the Guard vanish around the corner.

"Nik."

"Shit," he hissed with a jump, turning to face Alexei. "How do you do that?"

"I've gotten good at sneaking while you and Nastasia were gone," the Prince whispered. "How else could I escape my professors without your help?"

Nikolai managed a small smile and wrapped one hand around a cell bar, then bit his lip. "Alexei, is she..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"She's all right. She woke up a few hours ago. I wanted to tell you sooner but couldn't get away." Nikolai dropped his forehead against the bars with a sigh of relief, whispering a silent prayer to every deity he could think of. "But there's something else."

"What is it?"

"She's going to marry Emperor Kazimir."

"What?" Nikolai blurted, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Alexei tensed and they both listened intently, but heard nothing to insinuate the Guard's return. "She can't," Nikolai said, quieter this time. "You have to talk her out of it. You have to warn her."

"It's already been decided, and she accepted."

"Alexei, Kazimir is plotting to assassinate your father. He's going to kill Volya too. Anyone who might stand in his way. You have to warn her. Tell her not to go through with it."

Alexei shook his head. "She has to. If she doesn't, Father agreed to give you to the Emperor in exchange for Sir Kamenev. He'll kill you."

"Better me than her," Nikolai spat. "Warn her, at least. She has to know. We have to do something to stop Kazimir."

"We will," Alexei agreed. "I'll try to warn Nasi but she can't call off the engagement. We'll have to use it to our advantage somehow, and I can try to warn Mother and Father."

"Warn Volya first," Nikolai said. "No one will protect your family more devoutly than he will. It's his duty."

"Do you think he'll listen to me?"

"You have to try," he replied, not answering the question. They both stiffened as footsteps clanked down the hall. "Go. Warn whoever you can, and keep yourself safe."

Alexei nodded and made to leave, then paused. "If I see Nasi, is there anything you want me to tell her?"

Nikolai shook his head. "I'll tell her myself when I get out of here. I'm not content to sit here and rot while some bastards try to kill my King and invade my home."

Alexei smiled. "You know, Volya might be a prick, but he's right about one thing."

"What?"

"You should've been a Guard. We need more Knights like you. When I'm King, I think I'll have to change a few things regarding that."

Nikolai mirrored the Prince's smile. "Go. Your father will never let you be King if you're caught down here with me." Alexei nodded and hurried away, drifting out of sight just as the Guard returned and resumed his post.