I don't know how much time passed, nor did I care anymore. The minutes turned into hours, which turned into days. The wagon only stopped once, to let the horses take a break. Then we were on the road again.

I often peeked out from the little hole, trying to get a sense of where I was, but it was no use. Like what time it was, I gave up trying to figure it out. No one stopped the wagon. No one questioned its presence. The longer I was in the filthy wagon, the longer I felt the guilt drown me until I could not even bear to look out the hole anymore.

I was starving, I hadn't known the palace was so far away. The guards hadn't spoken to me once, as if I was just another duty to check off a long list. And I would have let myself starve to death, dozing away again if the doors had not suddenly swung open without slowing the wagon and I was dragged outside.

I thought the silence I was greeted with was a good thing, but I had been so wrong. Guards lined every corridor and column as they shoved me roughly to the awaiting stairs of the palace. I was only half aware of my chains clanking together as courtiers stared at me. I hazarded a guess and thought I must have looked pretty filthy with my knotted hair and sunken eyes. The guards noticed this and shoved me forward a little quicker. I was even less aware when the massive doors at the top of the stairs groaned loudly and opened, revealing the glory and spoils of the Royal Family.

A normal person would have just seen white marble and gold everywhere if they were in a rush, but the guards deliberately slowed their steps and let me admire the riches I would never have. I tugged on my chains and forced them to hurry before they fell over. I grinned at the small triumph, but it quickly faded away when the translucent glass doors smoothly opened and I saw the Royal Family proudly seated on three raised seats.

My first reaction was 'spoiled bastards.' The King raised his hand and the guards closed the doors. 'Oh great. No escaping now.' was my second reaction.

I avoided the accusing stare of the king and lifted my eyes to meet the queen's. She was a beauty indeed; curled black hair, hazelnut eyes, and an intricate crown atop her perfectly tilted head. I rolled my eyes and shifted my glance sideways. The queen straightened and glared at me. Oh, she definitely had some nerve if everyone in this room knew what I had done. But my thoughts about the queen suddenly disappeared like mist as Prince Xylin's gaze held mine steadily without hesitation. He tilted his head in confusion as the king stood and the guards holding my chains shifted just enough to bow. I slouched in boredom and merely nodded instead.

The king glared venomously at me and stared at me like I was supposed to do something.

"Bow, traitor. Bow to your king and queen," a guard hissed. I would do no such thing. I thought of my father dying on the floor with his wings resting limply at his sides. They did this, they killed him.

A blow to my back had me staggering forward, and a hand to my head had me on the ground bowing on my knees. I snarled in warning and stayed like that until the king was standing in front of me.

"Rise, daughter of Arien." He said calmly. I rose, oh I rose alright and aimed a punch to his face. The guards jerked to attention as a fist of shadows wrapped around my arm and the other two guards yanked my chains back. The king seemed unconcerned about the fact that he had just been two centimeters away from receiving a black eye. "Thank you, Captain Sandrien." He said, stepping around me as that fist of darkness kept me in position.

"She has the body of a warrior, my King. She claims to not have done the Beckoning yet." said the captain in response.

"Yes, yes, that is immediately apparent. How old are you, girl?"

Finally I could speak, "Well, when you call me a girl, you think I am young?" I received a backhanded blow from Captain Sandrien for the insult.

"No, I am merely calling you a girl because you are much lower than me in rank."

I scoffed. This was Prince Xylin's father? "Fair enough, I am twenty. I think."

"You think? Do you low-life people not have the intelligence to tell what month it is?"

I held back a nasty retort. "She is twenty, my King. She celebrated her birthday in the wagon," said the captain. Prince Xylin snapped his attention to me and I almost imagined guilt in his eyes.

The king huffed in amusement and motioned for his son to come over, "Xylin," he started when the heir arrived at the bottom of the steps, "take a close look at her. This is what a traitor looks like."

"But Father-"

"Speak."

"I saw her working at the docks. She can't possibly be the thief you mentioned."

"At the docks? What were you doing at the docks?! Without guards may I ask!" he shouted. Prince Xylin avoided his gaze and stared at me. I offered a wary smile which he immediately averted. "We will talk about this later."

"Yes, Father."

"Now, do you know what crimes you are accused of Raila Felynis?"

I ticked them off on my fingers, which had been released from the grip of the shadows, "Stealing your jewellry, stealing your money, and ruining artifacts- which wasn't really me by the way."

"Good." I gave the king a savage stare and watched Xylin stagger back to his throne, "Guards, take her away. Put her with the other rebels and thieves and report back to me."

They all bowed and escorted me away, where I was later on met with the unforgiving stare of iron bars as they turned the lock and walked back out, leaving me in the darkness again with nothing but a straw bed and a bucket in the corner.

. . .

 I stared at the bars, letting my mind adjust to the fact that I was now a prisoner. And an annoying one that just took up room. I turned away from the rusted door and took in the small cell. A shuffle to my left caught my attention and I squinted into the dark, daring to take only a single step closer.

"Well, what do we have here? A little girl who forgot to pay her taxes, I assume?" A dark breathless laugh sounded from the corner.

"Who's there?" I snarled.

"Well you're a fierce one." The man in question slid into the light and stared up at me with determined eyes. I stared a bit in shock. Not only did he have unnatural eyes like Captain Sandrien, but one was dark cyan and the other was autumn orange.

"Your eyes," I blurted. Graceful Raila, real graceful.

"I have powers. Do you want to see?"

"No." I snapped, deciding that I had to be cautious around him.

"My name is Kanin. Yours?"

"Nyeila." I said proudly.

He snorted, "Your real name, girl. You're going to be here for a while, mind as well tell the truth."

"Who are you?"

"I said my name is--"

"No, where did you come from. You don't look from around here."

"What gave it away? The eyes?"

"Well, no. Can I say all of you?" I crouched onto my knees when he let out a laugh. Even though I had just met him, I could tell that hearing him laugh was rare. Though it was to be expected considering his current situation.

"I might come to like you. Name?" He prodded again.

I rolled my eyes and stuck out my hand, "Raila Felynis." I waited there with my hand outstretched awkwardly, waiting for him to shake it. He lifted his hands and showed me the cuffs that restrained him from moving too much.

"Oh. Um, nevermind. So what did you do to get in here?" I asked, gesturing at the cell.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He slid further out and leaned against the back wall.

"Try me. I've already seen plenty of weird." He cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll need to hear that story later. Anyways, my name is Kanin, I am twenty four years old, and I am part of the Ithyneian rebellion against the Shadowstealth Wingers and the armies of Arien."

"So you come from where the Shadowstealth Wingers come from?"

"Correct. Ithyneia." His eyes grew distant as if picturing his homeland.

"How long have you been here?"

He shrugged, "Hard to tell. I would say around a couple months only."

"Only?" I raised an eyebrow. He leaned forward as if he were about to tell me a secret.

"Some of the others have been down here for twenty plus years. Can you imagine waking up to the same walls everyday?"

"I only got here, so no."

"Ah, and back to your story. Well, go on."

"My name is Raila Felynis, I'm twenty years old, I have not done the Beckoning, and I'm in here for stealing 'things' from the Royal Family."

"We could use a rebel like you."

"I don't fight."

"But you have the body of a fighter." His features softened and he extended his cuffed hands, "Wyrd stone cuffs. Without these on, I could collapse this entire palace. I can control the soil. Plants, boulders, trees, you name it."

"I use to think powers were a curse." I stared at the floor.

He lowered his head and tried to meet my gaze, "What do you mean 'use to'?"

I sighed, not sure why I trusted him already, "My father had powers. He could control water and ice. He fought for me when the guards came."

"I'm guessing unsuccessfully." I nodded, "I'm sorry," he whispered. I turned away before he could see the tears.

"And now I would do anything to get powers, so that one day I can return the favour. I'll even help you bring this place down."

"Revenge is not how we work, it clouds your judgement. You have to think about the consequences as well."

"Already thought of it." He snorted.

"You think too short-term." I lifted my head at that, "But, one day, I am going to get out of here. Try making friends with the guards."

"That hasn't seemed to work for you."

"Raila, most of these guards are men who think of me as a prisoner of war. You're a female, flirt your way out if you have too."

"Why are you helping me? We just met."

The look he gave me was an understanding look, a look of kindness, "Because one day, you and I are going to get out of here, and I want you to be safe. Most of the people here deserve to be here, but you, you're in here over a couple pieces of gold. That doesn't deserve a life sentence."

"Thank you," I whispered, meeting his odd eyes once again and smiling shyly.

"No problem. Besides, I think his royal lowness wants to see you."

I whirled around at that and stared at the cell door. Sure enough, there stood Prince Xylin, arms crossed and leaning casually against the door.

"Hello again Raila, I don't think you told me the truth about you."