"I'm sorry about the clothes change, miss," Link said. "But that dress you were wearing was covered in filth, and I didn't want the dirt on it to get inside any of your wounds and cause infection. I didn't have any other dresses-"

"It's fine, Link," Zia said.

"If you'd like, you can change back into your dress. I've washed it for you." Link held up her old tattered dress. Zia had never seen it look so clean. The faded color made the brown fabric look more like a gray.

The idea of changing out of the white wool tunic and breeches she was wearing and into a frilly little dress made her want to cringe. "It's okay, Link," she said again. "I like these." She gestured to her clothes. "Honestly."

Link nodded. "If you're sure. Don't go saying that to spare my feelings, now."

"Honest, Link," Zia said. "I'll stick with what I have. I like this better."

Link stared hard into her eyes to tell if she was lying. Satisfied that she was not, he started to say, "Well-" but he was cut off by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Link crossed over to the door and opened it.

Zia was surprised to see that it was Jay, the Royal Guard. Zia stood from the stool she had been seated on and joined Link at the door.

"Captain!" Link said. "What a surprise!"

Jay smiled. "It's just Jay, Link. Good to see you again."

"Won't you come in, just Jay?" Link asked.

Jay shook his head. "I came to get you and the girl, actually." When he saw Zia next to Link, he smiled and said, "Feeling better?"

"Much," Zia agreed. "What did I do now?"

Jay chuckled kindly. "Nothing. Your father's trial will take place in about an hour, and the King and Queen have requested the presence of both of you as witnesses. Arch Reems will be joining us as well. He's on his way there with one of my Guards as we speak."

"Well, of course!" Link said. He jumped into action and grabbed the patient analysis he had been working on that morning, and stuffed it carefully into his healer's bag. "We best be off then!"

Jay stood aside, allowing Link and Zia to pass.

Two horses stood outside, pounding the ground with hooves so powerful they made Zia shudder to think about being underneath them.

One of them was bigger than the other and had a gleaming brown coat that had been scrubbed and brushed till it shone. The smaller one was white and gray, and kept its head low, while the other one held its head up high and proud.

Jay offered a hand to Link as he mounted a horse. It was more of a pony, but still it was a struggle for the short healer to get up. Link was looking very pale from being so high off the ground.

Jay swung Zia up onto the other horse, and then climbed on behind her, just like he had when he had brought her home to Daxtor. The memory made her involuntarily shudder, and Jay said, "Don't worry. Chestnut is a good horse. She won't let you fall."

He thought she was afraid of the horse! She wasn't scared of Chestnut at all, but the memory of being on it. She tilted her chin up in the air a notch. "I'm not scared. I'm just a little chilly. The air's getting cold."

"Yes it is," he agreed. "The King and Queen have ordered nearly all the fireplaces in the castle to have a fire running all day and all night."

He kicked the horse's sides, and Chestnut started to move in a gentle trot. The horse Link was astride followed without a question. He was trained to follow without being guided by the rider, Zia realized. It hit her what a great strategy this was. If the rider tried to escape on the horse, it would be in vain because it was trained to follow, not obey the rider. The only way they could get away was to get off when the horse in the lead stopped, or to jump off while it was moving. Thinking about her earlier thought of the horse's hooves made her think that you'd have to be either really desperate or really have a death wish to do that.

The rhythmic movements of the horse sent excitement up Zia's spine, but it died down after a few moments. "Can we go faster?" she asked, twisting in her seat to look at Jay.

A mischievous twinkle entered his eyes, and he slapped the reins against Chestnut's neck. The horse spurred into a gallop, and Zia heard Link shout in protest when his horse sped up to the same pace.

Zia momentarily lost the ability to breath as she was slammed into Jay's chest.

Thrill and adrenaline rushed through Zia at a thousand miles per hour. She shrieked with delight, over-powering Link's calls for help. The wind whipped her hair out of her face, whistled in her ears, and made her eyes water.

She felt Jay chuckle behind her, and he slowed the horse to a slow canter when they reached the castle.

The building was huge. From the village square, Zia could tell that it was big, but now that she was on its grounds, the place looked colossal. Sky blue flags swayed in the wind at the top of the building, and each had a picture of a silver flying dragon on it. The color matched the sky nearly perfectly, and if they weren't moving, Zia didn't think she'd be able to see them. And when the flags flapped in the wind, it gave the appearance that the dragons were flying.

The building itself was at least the size of Daxtor Myrna's house stacked on top of itself fifty or more times. To see the flags at the top, Zia had to crane her neck back, and only then could she just barely get sight of them.

The castle was constructed out of huge squares of limestone, and Zia wondered how the ancient people who built this castle could have made something so big out of things that looked so heavy.

Jay rode underneath the portcullis, which Zia knew they raised at every sunrise, and lowered at every sunset. She had seen it happen many times from her little window.

If the outside was impressive, it was nothing compared to the courtyard. Tall towers spiked up out of the ground, tall men in glimmering armor peeked out of windows at them. Many more men stood armed on top of the walls, trotting back and forth, never seeming to get tired or bored.

To Zia's right were the stables, from which Zia heard the neighs and hooves pounding of the horses inside. To the left lay a set of spiraling stairs, which Zia guessed led up to the walls where the Guards were prancing back and forth.

There was a huge statue of the kingdom's dragon made out of silver in the center of the yard. It was about ten feet tall, and the detail carved into the metal was absolutely amazing. It was almost as if the Silver Dragon were standing right in front of her. The statue was a memorial of how Otar was formed. Everyone in the kingdom knew the story:

Long ago, long before the kingdom of Otar came into existence, the world was torn by battle and war. There were none fit for leadership of the people, and there was no order. Sickness and plagues spread through every kingdom like a wildfire. Many children died young, and no young couples wanted to bring a child into the world for fear that they would lose the baby, or the infant might lose them. Brother turned on brother. Thieves ran wild, and bandits never slept.

Then, a wise, peace-loving man named Dirk decided that enough was enough. He feared that if someone did not do something soon, the whole world would be destroyed. So, he decided to inquire of the legendary Silver Dragon.

The Silver Dragon was also known as the Peacemaker. The myths said that he was larger than any dragon, and the most powerful of them all. Dragons were ruthless, selfish creatures, and would have kill each other to extinction, had it not been for the Silver Dragon. Just his presence alone could stop even the bitterest of rivals. He gave off such a feeling of peace that he could put entire nation to sleep.

When Dirk petitioned the dragon, the creature saw that he wanted peace, and agreed to help Dirk in ending the war and bloodshed.

One day, when the battles and the wars seemed to be at their bloodiest, a streak of silver appeared in the sky. The fighting people, dazed with wonder, dropped all their weapons. Then, at the head of the battle, the Silver Dragon landed, and sitting on his back was Dirk.

Just the presence of the great beast brought peace to the land. All wars stopped; plagues became memories, and the thieves and bandits hid away.

The people where so thankful for his help that they desired that Dirk should be their king. When he protested that it was the dragon who deserved the honor, the dragon said, "I do not seek for honor. All I ask is that you remember me, remember peace." Then he flew off, and Dirk became King. To honor the dragon's wishes, Dirk made his image the seal of the kingdom. The kingdom took on the name of Otar, and men were trained to protect the people, and everyone lived in peace.

A treaty was formed, and signed by all the leaders of the many kingdoms who were at war. All of the kingdoms signed, except for one. The people of Skilae were bitter and angry that the wars had been stopped. They found delight in bloodshed, and were a vicious and cruel people, and to this day, they were Otar's most bitter rival.

Even Zia knew the legend of the Silver Dragon- strangely enough, it was a story that Daxtor insisted on telling her over and over again. Zia remembered hearing Daxtor say that the dragon stood for peace in the kingdom, and throughout all the land.

Jay stopped his horse in front of the stables, and he handed the reins to an old stableman. He then turned and swung Zia down, settling her gently on her own two feet. Jay then crossed over to assist Link down, who looked like he might throw up. He was pale, and despite the chilly air, he was sweating. He gripped his healer's bag like a vise, and his knuckles turned white.

"Well... I never was a fan of heights. Or high speeds. Or horses. I think I'll just walk the way back, thanks," Link told Jay.

Jay smiled and laughed. "Come on, the trial's about to start."

If Zia thought the courtyard was impressive, that was nothing compared to the inside of the castle. Extravagant tapestries the size of houses hung in vibrant colors on the walls. Plush rugs covered nearly every inch of the floor. All the doors were made of good solid oak, and the knobs polished so wonderfully that they sparkled even when light was scarce. Arches and domes where everywhere, and Zia wondered with bewilderment how the stones stayed in place instead of falling down and crushing the people who passed by under them.

A young woman in flowing green robes came up to them. Her hair was a light brown and was pulled up into an intricate style on the top of her head. Her eyes were blue and green, and she was tall and fair. Her skin was pale, and she was very beautiful.

When Jay saw her, his eyes widened and he bowed. "My Lady," he said.

"Captain," the woman replied with a smile.

Link looked pale and shocked as he bowed so low his nose nearly touched the floor.

Zia did not bow, but stared at the woman like she was the most interesting thing on the planet. She was very beautiful, but it wasn't her beauty or her many jewels that caught Zia's attention. Zia felt drawn to her in a way she could never explain. She felt like she could cry in this woman's arms, and they would wrap around her to block out all the bad of the world.

The woman glanced at Zia and her eyes widened. Her face paled even further, and she looked faint. She looked at Zia strangely, as though she she were looking at a ghost.

"My Lady? Are you alright?" Jay asked.

"I'm fine," the woman said coming out of her daze. "Who is this?"

"This is Link, the town healer," Jay said while Link took a deep bow again. "And this fine lady is Zia Myrna."

"Isn't the man we are trying this afternoon called Myrna?" the lady asked.

"This is his daughter."

Zia resisted the urge to shout that she was no daughter of Daxtor's, but she held her tongue.

The lady stared at Zia closely, so Zia felt it all right to stare right back. At long last, the lady said with a tight smile, "So you're the brave little girl who's put up with him all these years."

"Yes, My Lady." Zia felt that if Jay, the Royal Guard Captain was calling her by a title, she must be important.

The woman smiled. "Very charming and polite for being raised by such a scoundrel."

Zia shifted uncomfortably at the compliment. "Thank you, My Lady."

The woman held out her hand for Zia to shake, like most of the people in the town did when they met. "My name is Fraya."

Zia took Fraya's soft hand in her own small one and gave it a shake. "Pleased to meet you, Lady Fraya." Zia bobbed her head but never took her eyes off Fraya.

"The pleasure's all mine," she said with a smile. "I wish I could stay and chat, but I fear that I am needed in the courtroom. I'll see you all there." And with that, Fraya walked away, her footsteps muffled by the thick rugs.

"Who is she?" Zia asked once the lady had gone.

"That," Jay said tightly, "was the Queen."

"The Queen?" Zia had thought that she was the daughter of Lord Gino or the cousin of Lady Perla. She looked much too young to be the Queen, and way too nice. According to the stories Zia had heard in her short time in the market, the Queen was a grumpy old hag who bathed in the gold of the people and literally threw pearls before swine.

"Yes," Jay said. "I'm surprised that you didn't recognize her. She goes into the town all the time."

"I was never allowed out of the house," Zia said coldly. "I had to sneak out to buy food because the fat lump wouldn't do it himself. Then of course I'd be beaten for it."

Jay looked stricken. He was wordless. Seeing his discomfort, Zia chanced the subject. "Where's Arch?"

Jay shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of a bad thought, and said, "He's probably in the preparatory rooms getting ready for the trial."

"Preparatory rooms?" Zia asked, confused.

"They're special rooms where witnesses for a trial bathe and clothe and such. We are heading there now." Jay started off down the hall opposite the one the Queen had taken, and Zia followed, Link on her tail.

"Now, I'm not exactly familiar with the proceedings of a trial before the King," Link admitted, struggling along with his medical bag. "What exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Not much really," Jay said. "You just have to be there to provide your witness to the man's crime, and then you can go. Nothing to it."

For him maybe, Zia thought. If the King doesn't sentence him to death, Daxtor will kill me for testifying against him.

She had decided to call him by his given name. He was no longer her father, so she wasn't going to call him that. Besides, he never really was her father.

They came to a hall with a dead end. On either side of the hall were small wooden oak doors with a gleaming brass handle.

"Zia, you'll be in the room on the left, Link, you on the right. You'll bathe, dress, and join me out here once you're ready. The trial begins in ten minutes, so hurry." Then Jay added, "There are servants and attendants on hand if you need. Just call for assistance, and someone will come in."

So Link disappeared in the room on the right and Zia the room on the left.

Zia loved the feeling of the warm water all around her. She had only bathed occasionally, using a cloth to wash herself, and the water had always been close to freezing. But the water in the tub Zia played in was freshly heated and smelled of wildflowers and other pleasant scents. Oils had been poured into the water, and Zia could feel them wiping off the dirt and grime that had settled on her body. She held her breath and dipped her head under the water, letting it soak and clean her hair.

Once she was satisfied that she was clean, Zia stood and slipped a long piece of cloth around her shoulders. She kicked off the water on her feet and stepped out of the wooden tub that sat in the center of the room.

She looked around the room as she let the water drip off her body. The tub was in the center, and a tall screen stood against the wall to provide a changing area. There was a door that Zia guessed was the servant's entrance. A thick rug covered the floor, and a large fire place was next to the servants' door.

Wrapping her cloth more tightly around her, Zia crept over to the changing area and slipped behind the screen. It was made of a maple wood frame and colored glass that filled the middle.

Sitting on a wooden stool behind the screen was a neatly folded golden dress. She lifted it up gingerly, and felt that the fabric was rough and scratchy on her bare skin. The thought of having that all over her body made her cringe. No way would she wear that. Who knew how long this trial might be?

"Um, hello?" she called.

Zia heard the servants' door open and she poked her head around the screen as it closed and an old woman appeared. She had graying brown hair that was pulled out of her face, but thin little strands stuck out here and there. Her eyes were friendly and blue, and she was a little plump. She gave a small curtsy and said, "Do you need help dressing, miss?"

It took Zia a stunned moment to realized that the woman was talking to her. No one had ever called her miss before.

"Uh, um, no," Zia said. "I was actually wondering if I could get a different change of clothes?"

The woman looked surprised. "Is there something wrong with it, miss?"

"No, it's just that I feel that this is much too fancy for me," Zia lied quickly. "I'd be perfectly fine with a tunic and some trousers."

"A tunic and trousers, miss?" she said, thinking that she hadn't heard her correctly.

"Yes, please," Zia said. "That would be wonderful."

The woman stood silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, miss," and slowly walking back through the door. She returned a few moments later with a a light blue tunic that was slightly large on her, but it fit all right, and a pair of brown breeches that covered her legs fully. She had also brought a pair of leather boots that were soft and flexible. Zia slipped them over her feet and walked around in her new clothes to get a feel for them. The material was the finest thing Zia had ever felt, and the leather boots fit comfortably, even if they were a bit big on her.

"Thank you," Zia said once she was dressed. The woman, still confused, bowed and left without a word.

The sweat on Zia's hands wouldn't come off, even when she tried to wipe them on her breeches. She didn't like being the center of attention, mainly because the only time she got attention from Daxtor was when he was beating her. Now, all the nobles and their servants were looking at her. Link had already given quite a boring speech about her wounds and reading different parts of his patient analysis each about five times before the King fell asleep and Queen Fraya thanked him and kindly called Zia forward. Now she stood on an elevated platform so all present could see her. Daxtor was pushed into a kneeling position by a Royal Guard in front of the King, who had woken up from his nap when Zia stepped forward.

The King clear his throat and said, "Now, miss..."

The King was young and healthy. A crown of silver sat on his blonde hair, bejeweled with blue sapphires and the insignia of the Silver Dragon. His eyes were dark blue, and though they had a gentle gleam in them, they were hard as stones in the seriousness of the trial. Like his wife, he didn't look anything like Zia had imagined him. She had pictured a grumpy old man with no hair and few teeth.

"Zia, Your Highness," she mumbled.

The King nodded and said, "Well, miss Zia, is this man your father?"

Zia shook her head. "No, sir. He may have raised me, but he's not my father."

The King looked stunned, but then Fraya leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and continued, "And, Zia, has this man beaten you before?"

Zia glanced over at Daxtor, and was frightened to see him starting right back. A warning glared in his eyes. A warning that said if she said anything against him, he would make her regret it.

Fear swelled up in Zia's stomach, but then she remember that she was no long bound to this man. He couldn't hurt her anymore. She was going to live with kind Arch Reems and his son, Ike.

The fear disappeared, and looking at Daxtor straight in the eye, she said boldly, "Yes. Many times."

Fear shone in his eyes now, and Zia couldn't help but feel glad that she had stood up to him, that she had beaten him.

"And did these beating exceed the extent of disciplinary measures often used on children?" Queen Fraya asked.

Zia nodded. "Yes, definitely. He would beat me for no reason at times."

"And did he ever give any hint as to why he beat you in the first place?" 

Zia thought back, remembering each and every one of her beatings. There was one thing that most of them had in common- Daxtor demanding that she give him something.

"Yes," she said slowly. "He kept telling me to give something to him."

"Did he ever explain what?" the King asked.

Zia shook her head.

"And you never took anything from him?"

Again she shook her head. "The only thing to take from him was a tankard of ale."

The King thanked her and called up Arch Reems. As she past him, Arch winked at her, and she smiled back, thinking of what her life would be like living with him.

She stood next to Link near the front of the audience, and she was still getting over her fear, so she didn't hear most of what the King asked Arch or what he replied. When she finally started to pay attention, Arch was saying,"... and she was passed out on the floor, scars and bruises all over her body, this man standing over her and hitting her."

Zia felt many eyes turn to her, and she could feel her cheeks blazing with color, but she kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

"But today we see that this same girl seems in perfect health," the King said, "yet the way you describe it, she should be confined to a bed."

"Link is a remarkable healer, sire," Arch said."His skill is unequaled. And Zia still has many bruises and scars from the attack."

The King nodded and told Arch to step down. Next he called up Daxtor. Both he and the Queen questioned the man, but Daxtor remained stubbornly tight-lipped. Finally the King was forced to tell Daxtor to step down from the stand. He then turned to his Queen and they conversed quietly for a few moments. When they had finished, the King rose to his feet and cleared his throat. The time had come to give Daxtor his sentence, and the whole court held its breath in anticipation.

This is it, Zia thought. Please, please, please...

"I've made my decision," the King announced. He looked down at Daxtor with disgust and he stared back, a murderous fire in his eyes. "You have been found guilty of mistreatment and abuse of a child. In accordance with our laws, I sentence you to death. You will be hanged in two days' time at dawn." And with that, the Queen stood along with her husband, and everyone bowed as they walked down the aisle to the doors. As Fraya past, Zia caught the Queen's small smile and a wink.

Zia was free! She was going to live with Arch and Ike and have a real family. She knew life would be tough with them, but anything was better than the fowl old goat!

Guards came forward and pulled Daxtor to his feet. As Daxtor passed Zia, she looked at him boldly in the eye. He glared back and growled under his breath, "Watch yourself, you worthless worm."

Zia notched her head higher. "You're the worm." And with that, he disappeared, along with Zia's fears.