Though every day in the king's prison was excruciatingly long, this morning dragged on and on worse than ever.  Anya paced around her little cell over and over.  She thought about writing a letter to her brother and sister, but she did not have the heart to in her current mood.

There was a window above the stairs, and through it Anya tried to gauge how late it was.  Surely it was already midday.  Was he dead yet?  Was everyone safe?

Anya threw herself on the cot and forced herself to count everything that she could see, the bars, the rocks of the walls, the cracks in the floor.  She tried not to think.

The door opened at the top of the stairs.  "Anya."

It was just as her dream.  She sat bolt upright on the cot.

A guard that Anya had only seen several times before stood before her.  "Miss Anya.  We are to inform you that the Earl of Farhaven's punishment has been observed."

"What?" Anya asked foolishly.  Why was he telling her this?

"We were ordered to inform you."

"He's really dead?" she asked.

"Indeed," the guard agreed, and he spun on his heels and walked down the stairs.

Anya sat on the floor and held her head in her hands.  It seemed too good to be true.  She was free.

* * * * *

Anya's evening meal was brought to her by the shuffling Walter.  He set down her food as he always did and pushed it to her.  "Didn't get back until just a minute ago.  Ye know how the city is during a famous killing."

Anya nodded.  She had never seen such a thing, but could imagine.

"Led that scoundrel up to the block and the executioner took his head off with one swipe.  Masterfully done.  I saw his head roll with my own eyes."

"Thank you for telling me, Walter," she said.  She did not relish the image in her mind, but she was relieved.

"Lots of talk about who'll be inheriting all his lands now.  Some say it'll be a cousin, some say the king'll decide."

Anya could not care less about what happened to everything Thorne left behind, but she appreciated that Walter at least spoke to her so she encouraged him with a smile.

"Oh, and ye've got a letter," Walter said, and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Anya said.

"No problem, lass."  Walter hobbled down the stairs.

Anya opened her letter.  The food would wait.

Dear Anya,

I sent this to you with Lord Wildwood and Jim.  They've got something to do in the capital and I don't know what it is.  Maybe it's something to do with you.  Jim does tell us some things, but not everything, maybe because he thinks we're just little children.

Damani has been a bother lately, more than normal.  He's been tagging around after Jim or Sir Thomas or any other wizard he can find because he thinks that he's going to learn wizardry now.  I don't mind the magic part, of course, but he's threatening to turn me into a newt.  I told him off, but he won't listen to me and it is terribly annoying.  Could you tell him to behave in your next letter?  And he still won't eat his carrots.

I tried to get him to write to you but he was too busy hanging around the stables and the horses.  He says he wants to work with magic and horses when he's older, like Mister Allendale.  Did you know that he's married to chef?  And she told me that they have two grown up children who live far away.  Anyway, I told Damani that I didn't think he could, and he pulled my hair and I didn't speak to him for the rest of the day.  He was mad because of what I said I think, but it was true.

I've been learning how to cook a bit from Missus Allendale lately.  She uses magic in her cooking, she says, for monitoring heat and stuff.  I guess there may be something to learning magic after all.  And I've finally made friends with Matt, it took a long time since he's really, really shy.  Now he's been teaching me chess.  I'm planning to beat Damani good one day since he doesn't know how to play yet.  Matt's very quiet and he stutters even more when he's nervous or worried or excited.  He works in the kitchen and he was really quiet, but he's great fun now that we know each other.  I think Matt is a bit afraid of Damani.  You know how he gets.  I tell him off when he needs it though.  I think Damani is a bit angry because I've got a friend when there aren't too many other kids around.

Lady Theresa had her baby and it is very cute.  It's a girl they say, although it has no hair and doesn't look much like one.  It doesn't do very much now besides cry and sleep.  I like it and think I might want one someday.  All the grownups like it because it's so cute, I think.  Do you remember when me and Damani were babies?

I think you probably worry a lot, but you don't need to because everything is good here.  Except it would be nice if you could just tell Damani that he is to stop being such an idiot right away.  I'll probably get in trouble for saying that, but it's true.  I think he misses you or something but it's not a good reason to pick on me.

We miss you.  I don't know when I'll get to see you again but I hope that it is soon.

Love Kallie

A second letter fell out after the first.  Anya picked it up.  The writing was a lot more careless than Kallie's letter, but Anya could read it easily.

Anya,

Kallie was nagging me to write a letter to you.  I didn't want to do it because she was bugging me and I didn't want to give it to her so I wrote it and gave it to Jim as a secret.  She's been bossing me around a lot and she even called me an idiot.  She's not allowed to do that, is she?  She also keeps telling me that I can't learn magic because I can't sit still long enough and I'm going to show her just what I can do.  I'm going to be a great wizard when I grow up and if she doesn't stop talking I'm going to turn her into something quiet to teach her a lesson.

Can I have my own horse?  I promise I'll take really good care of it.  I hope you get back here soon.

Damani

Anya read through the letters many times before she finally put them under her cot in the pile where she kept all her letters from the twins.  She wondered if she could send a letter back to the twins with Lord Wildwood because it would probably get there faster.  She wondered if she would see him or Jim.  Probably not.  She had had no direct contact with anyone from Wildwood since she was put into the jail.

She missed so many people.  It would have been easier if she had something to do to keep her mind off of it.  Instead she dwelled and regretted.

It would be better even if she knew what was going to happen to her.  In her first few months there had been many interviews as they picked apart what she said to a fine degree.  She had unsurprisingly not been brought before the king.  Would he just leave her in here indefinitely?  Had he already sentenced her to a life in prison and no one had bothered to inform her?  Or had she simply been forgotten?

Anya decided to write back to the twins immediately.  She could see if perhaps Walter could send it for her the next day.  She pulled out her quill and ink and two small pieces of parchment.

Dear Kallie,

I was very happy to hear from you.  It's nice that you found a friend at Wildwood.  I've never played chess.  Is it fun?  It's also wonderful that you're learning to cook.  What can you make?

I do remember when you and Damani were babies.  You were very adorable.  You both had blond hair, big blue eyes and were very chubby.  I helped mother take care of you when you were very small.  You learned to talk faster than Damani, but he learned to walk before you did.  Our mother and father loved you very much.

Please give Damani a bit of a break.  I know how boisterous he can be at times, but please don't call him names.  I would not worry about him transforming you into anything, changing forms is very advanced magic.  I will speak with him in his letter.  Don't try to read his, please.  The two of you need to try to get along.  You're family.

I am healthy and doing well if a bit bored.  I love you and miss you too, Kallie.

Love Anya

Anya switched parchments.

Dear Damani,

I was very happy to hear from you.  I'm glad you're having a good time but please be sure that you are not bothering any of the adults while you play, all right?  And I'm afraid we can't afford a horse right now.  You'll have to wait until you're older.

I think that you will make a wonderful wizard if you set your mind to it.  I'm sure you have plenty of inherent magic to draw upon, and the more you practice the more you will grow.  You might need to sit still and study, some of the time.  Have you learned anything yet?

Please don't be too hard on Kallie and do not threaten her with magic whether you can do it or not.  She's just trying to help.  I will speak to her in her letter.  Don't try to read hers, please.  The two of you need to try to get along.  You're family.

I am healthy and doing well if a bit bored.  I love you and miss you, Damani.

Love Anya

Anya reread the letters that she had written.  She hoped there was no real sign of how weary she was of what her life had become, how numb and disconnected she felt without her magic.

They needed to believe she was doing fine so that they did not worry about her.  She wanted their lives to be good.

The room was becoming dark so Anya lay down for the night.  There were no nightmares.