(Two years later)

Panting, I struck at High Monk Brother Desderido with a thrust, but he parried it easily with his own sword, twisted his blade on the untouched part of my short sword's hilt, and knocked it out of my hands, almost making it skitter into the ocean.

"Work harder, Rhianna. Even with the legendary Arcadian Sword, which is enchanted to cut through anything the wielder wishes to, you are unable to defeat me. Have you found out the power of the gem yet?" High Monk Desderido asked.

I lowered my head and sheathed the sword. "Not yet, Master. I have not, for the Ancient Aracadian wording of the riddle is difficult to decipher. I will continue to meditate on the matter."

He sighed. "It has been two years since you first arrived at the front doors of the temple, and you are one of the most gifted pupils I have ever taught. You have mastered meditation, swordplay, energy conservation, archery, gymnastics, camouflage, reading a person's body language and flight, yet you are unable to solve the Riddle of the Sword. You still have much to learn, young queen."

I bowed. "I understand, Master. I will improve."

When I'm back in my room, I put the sword down on the mahogany table.

It's been two years since the city was attacked by the Faustans. Two whole years. After I'd went down the crossroads and walked about three days without food and occasionally drinking river water, I was fortunate enough to be found by the monks of the Temple of Ba'ffkalomana, and I've been training with them ever since. They knew I was the princess and gave me the sword of Arcadia, with a gem studded in the hilt that gives whoever solves the Riddle of the Sword great power.

It goes like this:

Heir of Arcadia, if you are worthy,
Come forward and claim the sword and throne.
Unlock the power of the Arcadian Crystal
And make your reign forever known.

Bring peace and prosperity to our kingdom,
Rule fairly with an iron fist.
The throne and sword will surely be yours
If you are able to solve this:

The answer belongs in your heart forever,
It is what you must always give.
To citizens, family and your friends,
In all of them it lives.

I've been trying to figure out the answer for two years and haven't even come close. But my country is now ruled by an imposter and a tyrant, and I have to hurry to get my kingdom back.

I sat down to meditate on the riddle. I cleared my mind of everything except it, and searched in the deepest corners of my mind for the answer.

Nothing.

I sighed and stood up, about to go to the dining hall to eat lunch, when I heard shouts outside.

What was happening?

I picked up my sword and ran out, thankful that I hadn't taken off my armour yet. Sister Magdalene swept by in her long brown robes, running as fast as she could.

"Sister Magdalene, what's the hurry?" I shouted at her.

"Soldiers," she said frantically in her heavy Dottr'gloo accent. "Soldiers attacking the temple! Those monsters!"

I was taken aback. How had they found me? I'd stayed safe all these years, and then out of the blue, they found me? This place is tucked away in an underwater cave, deep under the ocean, and the only way to reach it is by swimming. The monks had carried me here with a special breathing apparatus, the only one in the Seven Kingdoms, and it was destroyed afterwards. All the monks (and I) train our lungs to hold air for eleven minutes at a time, and I'm quite sure Faustan soldiers can't.

But they have arrived, and I know for a fact that Faustan soldiers leave no survivors.

I grabbed another monk---Brother Gregory---by the arm. "Get everyone out of here. Immediately."

He nodded and ran into another corridor as quickly as he could.

I sheathed my sword and ran back into my room, stuffing all my money, food and clothes inside a messenger bag and sealed it shut. If King Terran knew I was here, I had to leave now. The highly skilled monks might stand a chance against a squadron of Faustan soldiers, but if King Terran kept sending troops, they would be dead, and I can't endanger so many of my people because of me, so I had to make sure the soldiers saw me leaving.

Making as much noise as I could, I stomped down the hallways, hollering at the top of my lungs. "I'm here, you cowardly Faustan soldiers! Come and catch me!"

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and I ran towards the entry cove. They arrived seconds after I jumped down, and some of them tried swimming after me, but I was a much faster and experienced swimmer. As I neared the surface, I glanced back down and saw that they'd used a turned-over boat to store air for them. Too bad they can't use it now. But I have no doubt King Terran will send more soldiers to rescue them.

By that time, I'm going to be long gone.

And gathering an army to overthrow the usurper.