Today I spoke to my Grandmother again. I told her of my troubles in finding the book she suggested. She had seemed confused and left pretty quickly after. Not before giving me some advice, however. Advice that still swirls in my mind now.

"You've always tried to stop your visions. You've never tried to embrace them or understand them. The more visions you truly see, the easier it will be to tell the difference between visions of the past, present or future. You may even be able to search for what you want," she had told me.

So now I have locked my door to my room and given orders not to be disturbed. I have surrounded myself with parchments, inks and quills ready to draw what I see. I am nervous. I feel like I am about to open myself up to an invisible, powerful source which could either consume me or awaken me. I have to do this. I cannot be afraid of my visions any longer. I will give myself to them completely.

The Diary of Orianna Dulavelle.

The four princesses sit alone at a small table at the edge of the palace gardens. To their backs is a small stone wall which stops at about hip height and opens up to a view of the city. The table itself sits underneath a stone canopy which is covered in rich green plants and bright orange flowers. There is a small path leading out from the little section to the rest of the perfect gardens and thick bushes surround their little section. The sun beats down heavily, as usual. Though the stone roof shades them, the servants still bring colourful cold drinks in glass goblets. They also bring plates of small elegantly decorated cakes and bowls of chopped fruits. Shaelyn takes some of these fruits and places a few on the small white china plate in front of her before delicately using a fork to eat. They do not speak. Not until the servants have completed their duties and left them. Even then, they don't talk for a few moments. They just listen to the sounds of the birds as they fly overhead and the buzz of the bees as they feed on the vibrant flowers that surround them.

Fallon lifts her glass and stands up, walking over to the stone balcony and taking a slow sip. She looks over the sea of stone buildings clumped tightly together. The paths and roads cutting tightly through them almost giving the illusion of a maze. She sighs, her eyes falling on the Arena.

Rayana also stands and walks around the edge of the round building. Her eyes examine the bushes and grounds around them. Though if people were to be watching from a distance, it would look like she is simply admiring the flowers. Satisfied no one is listening, she walks over to Fallon on the balcony.

"The speech went surprisingly well," she says in a low tone.

"Thanks to Master Audwin. Had he not got the word out about Illyana so quickly then Father would have had quite a few more options to play with," she replies in her harsh tone before taking another delicate sip. Rayana nods her head in agreement. 

It was good thinking on Master Audwin's part. Telling as many people as possible that Illyana had left so she could complete the true Queen's Trial meant that their father had a little less lies he could play with. By the time that the news had reached the King and he had got into the city, everyone knew. Rumours and gossip spread like wildfire. He could easily have said she fled because of cowardice or to run off with a secret lover whilst her sisters sacrificed themselves. However, with the Scholars themselves delivering the real message, it meant that the King wouldn't be able to lie about Illyana's disappearance.

So, he had played the part of the supportive father. Telling the crowd of how proud he was that Illyana had decided she would go through the True Trial for her people. He told them of how she was strong and clever.

Of course, the Princesses saw through it all. The only reason why he was painting her a hero now is so he can paint her as a villain later. Why would the people have any reason to doubt what he says after he told them he wanted her to succeed?

"He'll start off subtle," Fallon says, turning back to the table. "He'll tell them little whispers that have travelled throughout the lands and reached his ears. A baker injured by a mysterious young woman, his bread stolen. A farmer attacked by a young woman with different coloured eyes. Only to awake with his chickens gone. Then, he'll move up. A man killed in his home, all things precious gone from his body and property. A strand of black hair left at the scene and a witness that says they saw a girl with weird eyes entering the building at night. That's how he will build it up. Slowly making it look like Illyana is becoming more desperate. Sewing doubts about her ability to rule into their minds. Then, he'll move it up again. Start telling people how a pack of centaurs showed up dead. Killed with a royal blade. Of course, there will be witnesses. They will tell stories of how the Princess approached them to join. When they refused because of their loyalty to their king, she killed them all in a mad rage. More bodies of different races will appear with similar stories. Each time Father will be remorseful and upset. Slowly, he'll convince them she is mad and they'll believe him." The girls don't say anything for a few moments and Shaelyn stands.

"Then we've got to play our own game," she tells them. "With the old castle plans that Master Audwin gave us we can see where there are passages to the city. One's father doesn't know about," she tells them. "We each already have our own connections to people within the city. We go to them and spread our own rumours. Secrets from within the palace walls which will spread just as fast. We tell them about our father's true reaction. We tell them of Kristoff's attacks and we come up with a few of our own stories," she smiles. Fallon nods.

"We have to play the same game as father but better. He doesn't realise that Illyana already has many supporters both within the castle itself and in the city. He doesn't know that we've all been sneaking out over the past ten years to help the poor. How many people have we all helped?" Fallon asks and the girls shrug. Sneaking out of the castle used to be easy. It was Illyana who found the passage and most nights they would all sneak out. They'd visit orphanages, healing centres, schools, factories and anywhere that needed help. Taking with them any money they could get their hands on without their father realising. They'd also take their own education. Teaching maths to business owners. Teaching healing skills to others and teaching young children to read. They must have saved countless people within the city. Even though they made sure they were seen playing with the orphan children or helping open up new healing centres, they did do it because they genuinely cared. Though, most of their work was done in secret. That had spread around the city also, though thankfully people knew who to tell and who not to. Ensuring that the news of the Princesses nightly activities never reached the castle. 

All that work they had done now meant they had another weapon against their father. A network of people already loyal to the Princesses and already doubting the king. It would be easy for the girls to sneak out again and share all their stories to these people. The real stories of Illyana's journey and the real depths of the King's cruelty.

It also helps that the Princesses are adored by pretty much everyone. Even those they haven't been able to help. Thanks partly to rumours of their work over the years. Partly because whenever they visited the people, they would never shy away or turn their noses up like the King or the other Nobles. They'd always made an effort to smile, wave and even hug those around them. They'd even stop the coaches to play with the children in the streets.

"We should start as soon as possible," Cordelia says as she stands. She walks over to the balcony and joins her sisters in looking at the city. Fallon nods her head.

"We need to agree on the stories we shall tell," Fallon tells them. They nod.

"Let's hope Illyana doesn't fuck things up so much that even our stories can't save her," Shaelyn sighs. Cordelia scoffs.

"Father is probably going to set her up on multiple occasions. We just have to make sure our stories are better. If father tells them that Illyana slaughtered a Fae village out of revenge for not joining her cause for example," she begins. "We tell them that the Red Guard were sent to the Fae lands a few days beforehand. We tell them that they returned in the night. Their cloaths stained with Fae blood," she shrugs. Rayana nods. "With each story father tells, we must come up with a better one. One that must have no holes and be more plausible than what has already been told. One with more gossip and bloodshed because the better the story, the better it spreads and the more it is believed," Cordelia finishes. The girls all nod in agreement. Fallon sighs.

"Talking about the Red Guard, Kristoff has to reappear soon. People will get suspicious," she tells them in a solemn tone. Cordelia takes a deep breath and nods her head.

"Tonight," she whispers. The girls all take deep, nervous breaths.

"He'll complicate things," Fallon says. "But if we play our cards right we can make him fall into our trap like everyone else."

"If he doesn't?" Rayana asks.

"Then we kill him," Fallon says with a dangerous, cold voice. Her sisters all nod in agreement.

"Now," Fallon sighs and looks at her little sisters. "We have to remember that to father and his lords we still believe in our Queen's Trial. To them, we must look like we are still competing with each other." She stops and lets out a cold chuckle. "Now, being bitches to each other shouldn't be too difficult," she tells them. They laugh softly. "Let's put on a show," she smiles as she walks over to the table. She looks over the perfectly placed plates of delicate food and smiles. "Shame. The servants worked so hard on this." She chuckles once more as she places her hands under the table. Then, with an angry shout, she flips it over. The table violently flies through the air all the china plates smashing and the food gets crushed on the floor. The noise causes servants to quickly appear from where they were standing out of earshot and out of sight. They quickly walk closer to clean up the mess. Fallon looks back at her sisters with a cruel grin.

"Illyana won't be gone long. She'll be dead very soon and soon the Trial will begin again," she tells them. "So enjoy your food whilst you still have it. You're already on borrowed time," she tells them before turning and walking away.