"We have to go, Your Highness." Ryan started to drag me away, but a short girl with cropped short raven-black hair and deep brown eyes stood in the doorway.

She smiled. "Oh no you don't, not without me. You people wouldn't survive a minute out there. You need a girl who can pull the ropes and act well."

Ryan scowled at her. "You're just a half-bred kitsune and elf. Stay out of this, Tara."

"No. I won't. You need me, and so does the princess. See, one of you is a wanted criminal, and the other is a princess thought to be dead. Who am I? I'm a nameless barista who acts in the theatre on the side, and wants to be a designer. Admit it, both of you need drastic clothes changes if you don't want to be recognised."

"Wait, Tara. I need to be recognised! The people need to know I'm here for them---" I protested.

"Exposing yourself is a dangerous move. Miss Tara is correct in this matter. If you are killed, Your Majesty, all hope is gone," another, this time familiar, voice interrupted.

My dismay turned to delight. "Sir Frederick! I almost couldn't recognise you!"

He smiled gently, and his coal-black skin, raven black hair and deep brown eyes reminded me of Ivyleaf Castle two years ago, and it stirred up nostalgic memories of secret sword fighting practice, long balls and beautiful gowns.

And Mother.

"Oh, Sir Frederick," I sobbed into his shoulders, "I miss the castle so much."

He patted my shoulder. "You are like a daughter to me, Princess. I will help you take the castle back."

I looked at him. "Sir Frederick, is it true... are the High Councillors all dead?"

He stayed silent and didn't answer.

The truth hit me like a rapier, thrusting straight into my heart.

"No," I whispered, my knees going weak. "They can't be..."

Senator Theresa, Dimitrios, Baldwin, Cassandra, and many more. They couldn't all be dead. They just couldn't.

Tara went over and put her hand on my shoulder. "We all mourn for the loss of the Senators, Princess Rhianna, but now we must do what is best for Arcadia. We must fight to take back the kingdom, and only then will there be peace. That scum murders hundreds every day, and he must be stopped."

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Yes. I understand. And I will take the kingdom back, for the good of the people."

Ryan cleared his throat. "Uh, I know that Your Highness is sad and all, but we're in a sticky situation right now."

I looked around, and saw twenty swords pointed at us.

Oh dear.

I should've been paying attention.

Now, twenty people were holding swords at us, standing in a perfect circle. That was a basic group combat strategy that Master had taught me. Thank goodness he'd also taught me how to effectively counter that strategy.

Flight. No, I don't mean actual flight, but I can jump really high into the air and 'walk' on lots of surfaces.

So I vaulted into the air and drew my finger across the hilt of my sword, unsheathing it smoothly and without a sound in the process. That motion activated the sword's power to cut anything, and as I started to come down, I trod on my attackers' foreheads, leaning heavily sideways into their circle and disarming them one by one, then knocking them out with the hilt of my sword.

In ten seconds, all the twenty people were lying on the ground and groaning. I sheathed my sword triumphantly. "Take that," I told them.

They were unable to answer, of course.

I turned back to Ryan, Tara and Sir Frederick. "So, what was Ryan saying about a half-breed? That's quite rude, to say the least."

Tara sighed. "It's not. I am a half-breed. Mum was a kitsune and Dad was a siren. A male siren, not an elf, as Ryan insists. So, I'm actually not allowed to be here by law, but no one cares about the law anymore, now that King Terran is here. But I'm bound to Sir Frederick for life, just because he saved me, and bound magical creatures can never leave their owners."

I looked at Sir Frederick in a questioning way, and he nodded. "It is true, my queen."

His queen. His queen. His QUEEN.

Mother was dead?

"No," I gasped. "No, please, Mother cannot be dead, please, Sir Frederick, she's not dead! She's not!"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and as I sobbed, he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"We all mourn for the queen, Rhianna. But you have to accept the truth---you are the queen now."

Sir Frederick was right. Mother wasn't queen anymore. I was.

And I've got to act like one.