Adrastea stared in shock as Daphne walked backwards to the door, feeling around the knob.

    "I really am sorry," Daphne repeated, but Adrastea was not convinced.

    Almost instinctively Adrastea leaped at the now open door but Daphne was too far out and pulled it shut, the princess slamming into the wood and shouting at Daphne with all her might.

    "YOU TREACHEROUS BEAST!" she called out, but Daphne had already locked the door and was running down the hall.

    Sinking to the ground in agony Adrastea stared at the ransacked room, fighting back the tears of anger and frustration that were bringing themselves to the surface. How could she have been so stupid? She had actually trusted a human without even knowing it! 

    "What do I do?" she said in agony, looking about the room. 

    There was always the window, but Adrastea knew that it only led straight down. It was impossible. Maybe if she had been Daphne she could have found a way to get down, but the thought only made Adrastea more angry and she grabbed a paper weight and threw it at the wall, burying her face in her knees.

    "Idiot, idiot, idiot!" she scolded herself, banging her head each time she said the word.

    After a few minutes of this she leaned back and took a deep breath and looked about the room, scanning the walls. She knew the royal chambers had a secret passageway as well, but where? The whole suite consisted of four rooms, each one connected by doors, but where in all those rooms would someone hide an entrance? Adrastea could not figure it out and knew that even if she did, Haldit probably knew she was there by now and would organize a search. Even with the skills she had developed in the mountains it would be almost impossible to get passed hundreds of soldiers. 

    As she waited the night slowly got lighter but not a ray of sunshine broke through the heavy clouds up above. Winter could grow to be ever so depressing and now Adrastea noticed even more, wishing desperately for the sun to peep through the dark veil. It would have given at least a little comfort, and that was really all Adrastea wanted as she sat there in the room.

    After the initial shock and anger she began to sink into despair. Once Haldit got those documents who knew what would happen. Would he finally kill her? Would he take over the kingdom and throw it into complete disarray? For once in her life Adrastea felt pity not for herself, but for the people of Arietes. Haldit had already been acting at the steward, but there was only so much a steward could do without permission from the council and the people. But if he got rid of Adrastea and Teo, then he would have a free ride.

    Teo. That thought still puzzled her. Why had Haldit not killed Teo while he had the chance to pin it on her? It was all so ridiculous. Anyone with a brain who planned to take the crown would have the sense to kill off the prince at least. Why keep him alive?

    Then suddenly it struck her. Reaching into her pocket Adrastea quickly pulled out the small gold medallion and looked at it, examining the letters.

    "Teo?" she muttered.

    The medallion was his. She remembered now seeing it on the night of her thirteenth birthday. He only wore it on special occasions.

     What was it doing in my room? Adrastea thought in confusion. Standing up she began to pace the room, occasionally stopping to look at the medallion once more. 

     "Wants the thrown Haldit does," she muttered. "So my parents he does kill, pinning it on me. Clever enough, but he leaves Teo alive...Why?"

     Stopping once more Adrastea looked about her and then back at the medallion.

     "And why the papers?" she asked herself. "What does he need them for?...What are they...?"

     Suddenly several pairs of footsteps came pounding up the stairs and Adrastrea looked towards the door as it was flung open, the tall regal figure of Haldit striding in with his flowing silver robes about him. Behind him Adrastea was surprised to see Teo and tall blond woman, human, dressed in black. 

    The woman was elegant and slender with pale white skin, but although her face was stunning Adrastea saw only the mischievous glint in her pale eyes and the clever twitch of her thin red lips.

    "Adrastea!" Haldit exclaimed, bowing in a mocking manner. "After too long a time we meet again!"

    "Uncle," Adrastea replied shortly.

    As she spoke Daphne appeared behind the door, looking across at Adrastea with an expression that she could not quite read, but that did not matter for the princess hated Daphne and everything she stood for. Lies and deceit. Those were the only cards Daphne had played and there was no going back. 

    "Improved your spies have," Adrastea said mildly, looking at Daphne with a bored expression.

    Haldit followed her glance to the human girl half hidden in the shadows and he smiled, chuckling softly.

    "Ah yes," he said. "Hire her for me Berglund did. It seems he has something which she cannot live without."

    For a short second Adrastea felt a small pang inside her chest, and for an even shorter moment she knew it was pity. 

    At least partly truth you did tell.

    "Now your highness," Haldit started. "I should kill you now, but fun in that there is none. Waited so long for this moment I have that I feel you should share it with us...Guards!"

    Two palace guards brushed past Daphne and marched into the room, bowing to Haldit.

    "Bind her hands then bring her to my study," Haldit ordered. "Seem right it does not to kill the princess in the same room as her parents."

     With those last words Haldit strode out of the chambers followed by a string of curses from Adrastea who only stopped once to bite one of the guards.  

    After a few minutes of struggling they finally managed to get her restrained and led her out the door, brushing passed Daphne who looked at Adrastea once more with that same unreadable expression. Adrastea glared at her quickly then looked straight ahead. 

    It did not take long walking down all the palace halls and staircases to reach Haldit's study. Adrastea noted solemnly that it use to be the family library. When they entered Haldit was seated in a high backed chair surrounded by piles of paper and ceiling high bookshelves filled with any book anyone could ever want. Adrastea had loved that room, spending hours sitting on the balcony alone, besides Wren or Evert, with a good story in her hands. It was sad to see it all turned into merely a place where Haldit could pretend he had a say in things. The whole thing disgusted Adrastea to no end.

    "Leave you may," Haldit said to the guards, waving them out with a jeweled hand. "Well now Adrastea, quite some time it has been since you sat in this room. How do you like it?"

    Adrastea breathed in slowly and looked around the room with a lazy eye, taking in the new decor.

    "Terrible taste you have," she stated blandly. 

    Haldit threw his head back and laughed, standing up and walking around the big oak desk.

    "Changed much you have not Princess," he said, stepping up to the girl. "You are still an arrogant fool."

    "I will not die a fool Haldit," she answered coolly. "You will."

    Haldit tilted his head to one side with a raised eyebrow and looked at her with an amused smirk.

    "Ahhh, so young, so foolish you are!" he said, turning his back on the girl and walking back to the desk. "Tell me, have you figured out why I did not kill you?"

    Adrastea nodded shortly, saying nothing.

    "Go on! Like to hear I would."

    "The documents," the princess answered shortly.

    Haldit smiled and looked down at the desktop where the folded papers were still laying. 

    "Yes the documents, but that was only at first. You see, come to our attention recently it has that you are in the company of a young boy," he said non-chalantly.

    Adrastea snapped her head up and narrowed her eyes, glaring at Haldit.

    "So you know of whom I speak?" he asked, faking a surprised tone.

    "What do you want of him?"

    "Well me it is not. Demetria wishes to speak with him," Haldit explained, motioning towards the tall woman that stood at the other end of the room. "As payment for finding you for me, promised I have to find the boy for her."

     Adrastea looked over at Demetria and bowed her head slightly. She did not seem malicious on the outside but Adrastea had plenty of experience with those types of people. They were the most dangerous. The ones that went about quietly, never interrupting and always being polite, but also somehow made you feel uncomfortable, as though they were constantly watching your every move. Those were the ones Adrastea had learned to look out for and Demetria was one of them.

    "Come now, the boy we know you have. Where is he?" Haldit prompted her.

    Adrastea slowly turned her head back to Haldit and stared at him for a moment, making a small 'hah' sound.

    "Why do you not ask your spy?" she said casually.

    "Daphne? To give us his location she has already refused and I would much rather torture you than her. Of some use she still is to me."

    So Daphne had refused. At least she was not an entirely immoral person, even if she did practically sell someone else's country.

    "If she would not tell, what makes you think I will?" Adrastea asked.

    Haldit did not answer. He simply smiled and called the guards in.

    "Take her down to the torture chamber. I will be down presently," he said.

    The guards bowed and dragged Adrastea out of the room and down into the dungeon, past long aisles of cells and down another flight of stairs into the torture chamber. Adrastea had spent most of her life in that palace and that was the first time she had ever heard of the torture chamber. It was a circular room with an iron chair in the middle that had all sorts of chains and bolts around it, and along the side walls all sorts of contraptions meant to convince people that it would probably be best to divulge the information that had been asked of them.

    Adrastea was quickly seated in the iron chair and chained down, surrounded by burning torches on the walls that cast an ominous shadow on the machinery. Somewhere upstairs a prisoner screamed but Adrastea did not flinch. She knew that whatever happened she must never show that it frightened or hurt her. That was the one thing that Adrastea managed to ingrain into nervous system. If Haldit wished to find his information and wanted to see the princess in pain, Adrastea would do neither. It was as simple as that.

    Several more minutes passed and Adrastea no longer knew what time of day it was, but she did not care. Of course it had occurred to her that she would die soon, but the thought seemed dry and dull as though it had been overthought and was no longer new. The only thing the princess felt remorse about was not having realized sooner what was going on around her. It took three years and several close friends to finally get it through Adrastea's head that the kingdom was in shambles. But of course, that did not matter anymore. Haldit had the papers, whatever they were, and would now take over the kingdom. Would he kill Teo? The answer to that question continued to allude her and it frustrated the princess that she would die without ever knowing it. 

    Maybe Evert has figured it out, she thought. It would be just like him to go behind my back and figure everything out without me. Adrastea often found herself wanting to beat Evert at something, anything, but it was not a malicious feeling. It was more of a game to her. 

    Even more minutes passed and eventually the sound of footsteps came down the stone steps and Haldit appeared, followed closely by Teo. 

    Adrastea looked closely at her brother. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, but not as though he were against what was about to commence. But then again, if she remembered correctly, Adrastea knew that Teo never really spoke his mind and it was quite easy to sway him. A trait that she found strange, considering that neither parent was like that.

    "Shall we begin?" Haldit asked casually, pulling on a pair of leather gloves.

   Walking over to a table of various whips and knives Haldit picked up a simple leather strap, testing it strength and whipping on the table a couple times.

    Adrastea simply stared ahead with a stone expression.

    "Now," Haldit said, walking up to her. "Ask you once more I shall. Where is the boy?"

    "If you wish to find him I suggest looking," Adrastea replied.

    Haldit rocked back and forth on his heels and chuckled slightly. Then suddenly he cracked the whip across Adrastea's left shoulder, the leather not cutting but striking painfully.

    Adrastea felt the sting bitterly but was determined to not react, sitting up straight and looking at Haldit with the same expression.

    "Where is he?"

    "She found me, let her find him," Adrastea answered again.

    Haldit once again cracked the whip across her left shoulder and then once more on the right. Now she was really beginning to feel the burn, but it did not show. It would not show.

    "Why do want him?" Adrastea asked quickly before Haldit had a chance.

    Haldit tilted his head to one side as if deciding on whether he should tell her or not. After all she could not possibly get away. Of course practically speaking Haldit knew that it would be foolhardy to divulge any information to a prisoner, but lots of times it was worth it to have the satisfaction of seeing them realize their mistake just before they died.

    "It is not me who wants him," Haldit said. "Demetria wishes to have him."

    "Did you ever wonder why?"

    "She told me...That boy you have kept in your company. Very special he is."

    So Haldit was not going to tell her. She did not expect that. But, knowing her Uncle and his vanity she knew that if she worked hard enough he would tell her why he had gone through so much trouble to get rid of the royal family. Besides the obvious reason of wanting the thrown, he could have gone the easy route and just killed them all.

    "Just kill her," Teo said finally, stepping out into the center of the room.

    Adrastea looked up with surprise at her brother who stood before her, a dark expression on his face. It was not simply an uncaring look but one of real, utter hatred. Adrastea was confused and bewildered. It was blatantly obvious that Teo hated her, but what for? What had she done?

    "Oh very well," Haldit said putting down the whip and unsheathing his sword.

    "No," Teo stopped him, stretching out his hand. "Unchain her and give me your sword. I will kill her, but not unfairly."

    Unfairly my foot, Adrastea thought. 

    The guards quickly did as instructed and unchained Adrastea, one of them handing her a sword. For that whole morning she had felt almost naked with no weapons on her at all, the guards having taken them when she was captured, and with the sword Adrastea felt a new fire inside of her. Of course she was more comfortable with a dagger, but any sharp object worked for her.

    Teo walked over to the table of whips and grabbed a rag that was placed there, wiping off his blade while Adrastea stood and swung her sword about to get use the feel. Once the two of them were done with preparations Haldit stepped behind the chair Adrastea had been chained in and said, "You may commence!". He was obviously enjoying the spectacle.  

    Both opponents brought their swords up and began to circle around the room. Teo was the first to make a move, swinging down in an arc on Adrastea who blocked it. They were now face to face and Teo shoved her against a pillar, his eyes alight with fire. 

    "I do not wish to fight you, Teo," Adrastea said through gritted teeth.

    "What a shame!" Teo replied, releasing the lock and thrusting forward.

    Adrastea ducked and rammed Teo in the stomach, sending the both of them sprawling on the floor. They both leaped to their feet and once more Teo thrust forward, and spinning around sliced Adrastea's left arm before she deflected his blade with her own. 

    "Better I thought of you," Teo said, swinging his sword about. "You are no better than a child!"

    "Probably worse," Adrastea replied. "I will not fight my brother."

    And with that she dropped her sword. Teo looked down as the blade fell with a loud clanging on the stone floor and he snapped his head up in furry, charging forward and knocking Adrastea to the ground with one fist. The princess fell hard and her vision began to sway. 

    How odd, she thought. Why do I feel so strange?

    Teo bent down on one knee and grabbed hold of Adrastea's collar, putting his blade against her throat.

    "But I am not your brother," he hissed vehemently.

    Adrastea looked up at him and shook her head to clear her vision. Was her hearing gone too?

    "What?" she said dumbly.

    "You idiot. I am not your brother. I never was."

    With that Teo let go of her and stood up, kicking the fallen sword across the floor to Adrastea.

    "Now pick it up," he said. "And fight your future king!"

    Adrastea felt a small burning sensation in her arm and every limb began to feel weak and limp, but still she stood up. It was a slow action and she staggered slightly, but grabbing the sword the princess faced her foe without wavering, if not in body in mind.

    "I do not understand," she said slowly, words coming harder by the minute.

    "Of course not," Teo replied, coming at her once more.

    This time Adrastea blocked quickly and swung her blade around, only to be blocked by Teo.

    "I was a decoy. I was used," he said bitterly, grabbing her neck.

    Adrastea fought off the drowsy cloud that was enveloping her and kneed him in the gut, slamming the hilt of her sword into Teo's temple. The so called prince let go and staggered backwards, putting one had up to his bleeding head and chuckling softly.

    "That is more like it," he said bitterly.

    "Wha...What do you mean...decoy?" Adrastea asked, stumbling over her words.

    "Your parents adopted me so that I would be a decoy to keep the real heir safe. You! I was a measly decoy for an ungrateful wretch like you!" Teo shouted, rushing at the princess.

     Adrastea staggered backwards and dropped her sword, losing all balance and falling against the table of knives. Teo came at her with a blind rage and leaped in the air, blade high above his head. Instinctively and with what little strength she had left Adrastea grabbed one of the knives and thrust it into Teo who's eyes suddenly grew wide, staring into hers only inches away.

    "Teo?" Adrastea whispered, suddenly letting go of the knife.

    Teo looked at Adrastea in shock and then, his mouth moving so as to form words he fell over onto the ground. He was dead.

    Adrastea stared at him in horror and grabbed hold of his shoulders, shaking him violently.

    "Teo! Teo wake up!" she cried, tears springing into her eyes. "Oh what have I done?"

    It seemed that no matter how much Adrastea told herself that he hated her and that he had wanted to kill her, she could not hate him back. She had killed her brother and that was the only thing that mattered.

    "You killed him," Haldit said quietly, walking up to the girl who clung to her brother in tears. "But you will not get the thrown."

    The drowsiness began to overtake the princess even more and she no longer had the strength to move her legs. A knot had formed in her stomach and the once clear vision was now just a haze. But through all this she still had the presence of mind to wonder and to think.

    But I am not the heir Teo, she thought painfully. I have no mark. 

    "He died for nothing," Adrastea whispered, looking at his pale face.

    "And so will you," Haldit replied. "His blade was poisoned."

    Adrastea heard the words but they simply echoed in her mind, the meaning never registering itself. 

    "I...I am...I am not the heir," she managed to get out, looking up at Haldit. "You have lost Haldit."

    And with those last words the princess felt the strength pulled from her body and a dark cloud veiled her eyes and she fell lifeless onto the body of her brother.