I could feel the trimmed grass on my back as I stared at the sky. My brother, Aqib and Laia were preparing for the rescue trip that we were planning to take. I, on the other hand, couldn't help. Something in my mind told me that the trip wouldn't be as hopeful as we were predicting it. I could not help but run scenarios in my head -- scenarios that were predicting horrible outcomes. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Omar's face and it always reflected pain.

He was in pain.

I stared at the Moon -- the thing that had been my friend since young but now I was sure that it had been a product of my imagination. However, if I tried to close my eyes and seek Her out, would I feel her presence?

It was what I did, I closed my eyes and tried to seek her out. I need reassurance or at least validation of my actions. I just wanted to know -- needed to someone to tell me -- that the trip would not be in vain. I wanted to find Omar and come back without anything happening to anyone.

Asad believed that Omar was worth the risk and I did too. He was the Prince and he was my friend. But was he worth risking so many lives?

Anything could happen; Laia and my brother could get injured. A shudder passed through my spine and a small drop of tear leaked from the corner of my eyes. I couldn't risk my brother, I know I was being selfish, but I couldn't.

I had lost one already.

Qamar has lost everyone.

I didn't feel her presence within me but I could hear her voice clear in my head. I sat upright and wide eyed. I hadn't been expecting her to talk to me. What was she?

I had also never had her answer anything so directly; she had always been vague, speaking in riddles, waiting for me to figure out.

What about me? I wanted to ask. I didn't care of putting myself in the harms way but I did care for my brother and my parents. They needed him more than me. He had always been their strength, the one person that held them together ever since he was born. I felt bad for the Monarch but I could not simply risk everything important for him.

If not for him, at least for the thousands of people that will be affected.

I closed my eyes again and let the tears flow freely. I was scared for my brother, for my friends and for Omar. I had to stop the urge of simply going to the stables, grabbing a horse and running towards the Rayt. But that would be poor decision by my part and simply lead to more chaos. Aqib didnt need that.

I remembered when I was satisfied with the small number of people that I had to care about. When did it extend to so many more? Why did it have to be members of the royal family who will constantly be in danger no matter what I did?

Why did it have to be the Monarch and his brother? I glanced at the window that belonged to the Monarch's room. He wouldn't be asleep, I knew that, but I just didn't feel like visiting him anymore. If he could have been normal...

I gritted my teeth in anger at myself. How could I blame him? How was he at fault? He didn't have control over his emotions or the way he grieved. I wanted to hit myself and remind myself -- he had lost a child! I had lost a brother but my pain wouldn't be the same as my parents. They had lost their child, something who had been a part of them. Something that they had sacrificed so much for!

What was wrong with me?

I didn't want to lose my brother but he was going to lose everyone -- everyone that he possibly cared of. My parents were safe in their village but they wouldn't be if we didn't rescue Omar. Rebellion will rise everywhere if we don't help. What then?

You need to do it, little one.

I opened my eyes and glared at the Moon. I didn't need her to tell me what to do. I didn't need her to tell me anything. I was capable of making a decision on my own. I stood up angrily and was about to walk away from the garden when something compelled me to walk towards Omar's grandmother's sculpture.

What would you have done? I asked her. I remembered what Omar had told about his grandmother the first time I had visited this garden with him. It seemed so long back but the memory was clear in my head.

The answer almost came instinctively to me; she would have save her grandson. The reason was simple -- he was family.

I could hear her voice in my head or at least imagined it in my head. She seemed to be telling me something and she seemed angry. She seemed to be asking me about Omar. Hadn't he trusted me with his secret? Something that he had told absolutely no one. Hadn't he and his family treated me like I was part of it? Weren't we family? It didn't need to be blood. Some relationships were given to us and some we made.

We are family, I told her and maybe it was my imagination but the sculpture was beaming at me.

I needed to do this for my family.

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The day of our departure came sooner than we had expected. We were in Aqib's room dressed up. It was night time as we had decided that we would do most of our travelling in night to avoid people.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aqib asked us nervously for what seemed like the hundredth time. He glanced at Laia who waa dressed in trousers and blouse, her hair was braided intricately and her jaws were set. Her belt that she wore around her waist had various sizes of knives and a sheathed sword. She draped a dark cloak on top of her body. I felt bad for anyone that she would come across. She seemed tough, brutal and completely unlike the woman I had first seen. It was one more reason I could see why Aqib had fallen in love with her.

My brother and I were also dressed in a similar attire. But we didn't have the various type of knives that she had. Asad simply had a sword sheathed and attached to his belt. He had given me the khanjar that Master Wali had gifted him even though I was sure I didn't know how to use it.

Poke and run. It had been his advice to me when he had handed it to me. It seemed sound to me and I kept chanting it in my mind. If anything, it helped ease my nervousness.

"We are sure." Laia answered looking at him with his dark eyes. He sighed and adjusted her belt again tightening it around her waist.

"Delay it as much as you can," Asad reminded Aqib who simply nodded in response.

Asad was going to say something when the door opened without a knock and two guards barged in.

"What is it?" Aqib raised an eyebrow.

"The Monarch..." I closed my eyes, "He is not in his room."

"No, no, no, no!" Aqib clutched his head, "I cannot deal with this now!" He said angrily marching outside the room. Asad and I exchanged widened look and then something registered in his face.

"Oh no." Asad said.

"What?" Laia asked.

"I..." Asad turned to look at her, "I know where he is."

Laia grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door, "Let's go!"

I followed both of them as I tried to track Asad's thinking. How did he know where the Monarch was? Until...

I was surprised how quickly my brother's brain worked.

"Where are you going?" We heard Aqib call out from behind us as we hurried down the stairs.

"Asad knows where he is!" Laia called out.

"Couldn't tell me when I was in the room?" Aqib called out sarcastically as he followed me down the stairs, out of the palace and towards the stables.

My brother ran inside the stable followed by us. But as we entered, we saw him pinned against the stable wall with Qamar breathing on his face.

"How dare you?" Qamar hissed at my brother, "How dare you use my idea and not tell me. I am your Monarch! You tell me everything!"

Qamar was not hurting my brother, I could see it, he just had him pinned against the wall. Aqib walked towards them slowly and softly.

"Qamar," he said.

"I am your Monarch!" He roared enraged. "I don't care how I behave, but you treat me like one!" He turned to look at Aqib but his gaze fell on me and his eyes softened. He looked at my brother and moved away from me.

"I am coming with you." Qamar said looking at Laia.

"I..." Laia looked at Aqib, "I am not sure that is.."

"Did I ask for your permission?" Qamar asked coolly raising his eyebrow. An expression on his face that I still had hard time to stomach.

"No." Laia looked at her feet blinking.

"Good." He glanced at me slightly, "It is decided then."

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