I was aware of being awake, but I didn't want to open my eyes. I was lying on something soft and a warm breeze soothed my face. It was peaceful and I didn't want to disturb it.

Then I made the mistake of breathing deep.

The air clawed at my lungs, igniting my throat and simultaneously every other sore in my body. I doubled over, body racking with coughs. It took me a few gasps to stop.

I lay back on the bed and looked around. I was in my room though I had no memory of how I got there. Lyon was lying on the edge of the bed, putting as much distance between the both of us as possible. He was fast asleep, one arm hugging the pillow.

Kirin lay on a sofa, arm dangling off the side.

Neither of them had been woken up by my coughing. The looked as exhausted as I felt. Ample light streamed in from the window. I wondered disinterestedly what time it was.

I closed my eyes, but the pounding of various parts of my body would not let me go back to sleep.

I felt like I had been dragged a hundred miles through a desert. My throat was parched and my chest made of sandpaper. Each breath grated against my insides.

The bruises on my face had swollen. My face felt like a marshmallow. I touched it gently and pain spiked up my cheek. The cuts on my wrist had been cleaned, leaving twin circles of red gashes on either arm. I lifted my shirt to check on the kicks I received. My stomach hurt more than all the other bruises combined. Red bruises coated the base of my ribs and come of the bruises had split, leaving speckles of blood. I pulled my shirt back straight. Something green glinted and my hand closed around the pendant. I never removed it. Had it been out the whole time? Did Kirin see it? If he did, what would he have thought of me? I pushed the chain under my shirt, leaving those questions for later. I was tired enough physically without having to go through emotional exertion.

That simple exercise of sitting up and lying back had me winded. I shut my eyes and all at one the events of that morning flooded my memory. Something hot trickled down the side of my face. I brushed at it and my fingers pulled away to revel tears. The shock seemed to be catching up with me and I cried. I put the pillow over my face to muffle the sound.

We killed him. We killed Segan.

My crying woke Lyon. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to him. I cried into his chest and he patted my back. No words were exchanged.

Sniffing, I pulled back, wiping away the last of my tears.

"I'm sorry," I said. My voice was hoarse.

Lyon turned to lie on his back. "It's okay."

"How are you feeling?"

Lyon took his time answering. "I don't know," he said. "I don't feel anything."

I doubted he had ever killed anyone before. He wasn't the type to push someone into ravines.

"What are we going to do about today?" he asked.

It took me a moment to remember what he was talking about and when I did, I groaned. "I can't do it."

"I know," he said. "You are probably worse off than me and I feel like a corpse."

"I just want to sleep."

"You probably should," said Kirin.

I started and hissed at the pain even that slight movement caused.

He was sitting up, arms crossed over his chest. He eyes me with something akin to concern. "You look like you tried to hug the wall with your face."

"Thanks," I commented sarcastically. My face felt puffy. It probably looked scarlet. "I should ask Roran to lend me his mask."

Kirin smiled slightly at that. He stood up, apparently having fared better than the both of us. "We need to think about what we're going to tell Aaron about your face and hands."

Both Lyon and I tensed, but for different reasons. If Kirin noticed, he ignored it.

"Maybe you got wounded during practice?" he suggested.

I raised an eyebrow. "This badly? And besides, why would I go practice in the middle if the night?"

"She's right," Lyon said. "We need to think up something better."

"Did someone see us come in?"

"We took the carriage into the palace. The guards only saw me," said the prince.

I nodded, then winced. "You should really get those bruises seen to," said Kirin.

"I would," I said, "if I knew what to say on how I got them."

"We could always tell them the truth," he suggested.

I glared. "What, that I snuck out in the middle if the night and got beaten up a rogue rebel? No, thank you."

"Can we not do this now?" asked Lyon, tiredly.

I backed down immediately. Lyon could have pitched into the argument. He had a lot of questions he could ask, but kept quiet. I was glad. I didn't think I would be up to answer them.

"Fine," said Kirin, looking at me stonily. "If you can think of something better, do let me know."

"Simple," I said, not for a second trusting my own plan. It was wild and unbelievable, and that was exactly what we needed.

...

Ella almost screamed when she saw my face. Her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, dear gods." She rushed over to me immediately."What happened? Where were you this morning?"

"It's a long story," I said, "and that's not my only wound. That's not even the worst wound."

Ella pursed her lips and swallowed her questions. "I'll go fetch the salves. You go fill a glass with hot water and bring a strip of cloth."

She set to work as soon as she returned, tending to every wound. Soon, I was mummified and she declared that I had no broken bones (luckily).

"Now," she said, sitting down beside me, "tell me what happened."

I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," I called.

A guard entered and bowed. "The Lord Aaron requests your presence in the Great Hall."

"So, it's time," I said to myself. I took Ella's hand and pulled her along with me. "Come on, you might as well all hear the story together."

When I asked, the guard said Lyon and Leonardo were already in the Great Hall, having been summoned a few moments before me.

"Where were you this morning?" Ella asked as we walked.

"It's all part of the tale," I said.

As soon as I entered the Great Hall, a sudden hush fell. My face was probably not the best to look at. One side of my face disappeared almost completely behind a swollen, maroon lump of skin. Ella had wrapped my wrists with bandages and I had purposely worn a long-sleeved dress so I could hide my hands under it.

Even Aaron looked startled. Next to him, Lyon's face remained impassive. Sitting below were Larkin and Sasha, each looking as horrified as the next. Kirin wouldn't even meet my eyes.

I bowed, gritting my teeth against the pain in my stomach. I took a deep breath to level my voice. "Your Highness."

"Lady Arya," he cried, "what happened to you?"

I looked at Lyon and he nodded slightly. "I regret to say that last night, the fire at the prisons was not all that happened."

Aaron leaned forward. "Do tell," he said, seriously.

I took another breath. "Since I am a heavy sleeper, I heard the alarm ringing later than everyone else. I was coming downstairs to find out what was going on, when I saw a dark shape running away from the fire. Suspicious, I followed. He ran out the gate behind the garden and I chased him out. He ran into the forest, and still I pursued him. After he had gone a considerable distance he stopped."

I paused, letting the effect of the tale lure the people him. I pretended to hesitate, as if what I was going to say was very difficult. "He wore a crest which I recognized. It was a bronze and green dragon."

I waited. "Ikrisvane!" roared Aaron. Ikrisvane was the kingdom next to Bellerophon and both kings have had it out for each other since Aaron annexed more than five of Ikrisvane's territories. The threat of war had always loomed upon Bellerophon, though no one would acknowledge it.

I looked at the ground. "Yes, my Lord."

"They would start a war with dishonorable acts!" he spat.

"You cannot be so quick to judge, my Lord," I cut in. "It could have been anyone."

"No, it could not. If this is how Ikrisvane will beg for blood, then so be it. Their land will flood with it."

I hid the smile that was climbing up my face behind a grimace. "Tell us, Lady Arya, is he the man who gave you that bruise?"

"Yes," I said. "He confronted me and we fought. Unfortunately, he was stronger and he managed  to get a few punches in and knock me unconscious. I woke up sometime after dawn and made my way back here."

Aaron's face turned red with rage. "We shall prepare for war! As of tonight, Bellerophon is at war with Ikrisvane!"

The council roared. Larkin had a gleam in his eyes and even I let my smile build. Lyon was the only one who looked uncomfortable.

Once the uproar had died down, Aaron turned back to me. "The infirmary is at your disposal."

I inclined my head. "Thank you, my Lord. I am sorry to admit, however, that my wounds have left me incapable of fighting. I must forgo today's hunt."

Aaron frowned. "You are the best we have! Nevertheless, you have brought to light a matter far more important than the hunt. Lyon will take your stead. You use this day to rest, Lady Arya, though I still expect to see you at the making of the treaty."

"Of course," I inclined my head. "Thank you, your majesty."

...

I watched the party ride out from my balcony. Aaron and Lyon rode up in front, with handpicked guards bringing up the rear. I sighed to myself. I hoped Lyon would be alright. He wasn't cut out for these things.

I hobbled back into my room and flopped down on the bed. I had almost drifted to sleep, when a knock on the door pulled me out.

"Come in," I said, disgruntled. I sat up as the door opened slightly and Larkin looked in.

"Lord Roran!" I exclaimed, sleepiness departing. "Please, come in."

Larkin shut the door behind him and sat down on the sofa. "How are you, my dear?"

"I've been better," I sat down next to him.

He chuckled. "Undoubtedly." Then he frowned. "Kirin told me what happened."

I looked away.

"Is he really dead?"

"I don't see how he can't be," I said. "That was a pretty deep ravine."

"I apologize for it, my dear. Segan went mad after you left and I had to let him go because he was being a negative influence on the others. I did not realize he would come after you."

I shook my head. "At least it is over now. Might I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How many people did I hurt?" I asked. I did not want to know the answer, but I didn't think I would survive not knowing it.

"Thalia," Larkin placed a hand on my shoulder. "There is still time. You do not have to do this if you do not want to. We can leave."

I shook my head again. "I want to do it. I stand by what I said six months ago: I will do it. You do not need to feel like it is a burden I have handed myself, because it is not. I want to do this, Larkin. I only want to know who all were affected."

"Everyone was impacted in their own way," he said, and I knew that was the most I would get out of him. It must have been truly terrible if Larkin wouldn't give me a straight answer. "Anyway, that is not what I came here to talk to you about," he said, after a beat. "That was pretty clever of you to have used the situation to your advantage. I had thought it would have taken longer to get Aaron to go against Ikrisvane."

"I learned from the best," I smiled as much as I could with that bruise. "Besides, it was not only me who thought of it. Lyon and Kirin helped as well."

Larkin nodded. "Speaking of the prince, how is he taking this?"

"I do not know. He hasn't asked me about anything, yet."

"What did he say when you suggested you incite the thirst for war in his father?"

"We convinced him it would only be for a short period of time."

Larkin smiled lopsidedly. "I see. I am sorry I did not receive your message earlier. Kirin only delivered it to me last night, at the fire."

"What message?" I frowned.

"'Kingdom fairies'."

I made a noise of acknowledgement. Larkin and I had decided to code certain words in case I needed to get a message through to him without having anyone intercept it. Out of those few words, 'kingdom' stood for 'rebel' and 'fairies' stood for 'trouble'.

"It is alright. You could not have done anything about it, anyway."

"How is Kirin?" I asked after a minute's silence.

Larkin looked at the ceiling. "He is confused. He does not know what to make of you, he does not know what to feel for you."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I understand."

Larkin patted my knee in a comforting gesture. "Sooner or later, everything will fall in place."

"I would prefer sooner," I said and walked him to the door.

"Take some rest," he ordered.

"Good day to you, too," I replied.

...

It was nightfall by the time the hunting party returned. I had been in my room the whole day, alternating between sleeping, eating and reading. I had not ventured out at all, finding solace in the solitude. It was my first peaceful day in days and I was determined to leave it like that.

I was sitting on my balcony and reading with the last rays of the sun when I heard them. I watched as they pooled into the palace and returned to my book.

Less than half an hour later, Lyon stormed into my room and slammed the door shut. I jumped and set my book down on the bed I was sitting on.

"We need to talk," he commanded, his expression stormy.

"Alright . . .."

"You're a rebel."