It wasn't until I was outside the palace walls, swaddled in the chilled dusk, that I second guessed my actions and my willingness. I was letting a man I barely knew lead me around the palace in the dark. Was he going to punish me for something? Surely, that should be left up tp the prince, but in his absence, would he allow this man who referred to royalty by their first names to carry out his wishes? Was this because I had cut up all of the fabric in my room? Maybe it had been sacred or blessed. I was a fool for not asking Maisy before I acted.

"I want to return to my bedroom," I announced, hating the slight tremor in my voice. I stopped following him like a willing puppy, but was unable to force myself to turn around and lead the way back to my safe zone.

"But you were so eager earlier. All I had to do was mention Leo and a dagger," Jacob protested. He didn't even stop his leisure stroll to acknowledge my act of defiance.

"Where are you taking me? And why are we leaving at night? Surely you aren't being secretive about something," I continued.

"Princess Ember, I'm only trying to help you meet your future husband and be as desirable as possible. This is all for your benefit." His tone was light and carefree.

But something twisted in my gut. I immediately thought of those poor horses, standing in their solitary stalls, staring at nothing. Bored. Used. Just waiting to fulfil someone else's needs then be tossed aside.

"You will not take me to some kind of breeding ground! I will not stand by idly while I'm forced to carry a child outside of wedlock." I burst. To be fair, whether it was inside or outside of wedlock held no merit, but it was the only ground I had to stand on at this point.

That finally seemed to catch Jacob's full attention. He stopped short, took a small breath, then turned to face me. I expected to see annoyance like I frequently saw with the queen or gruffness that other males expressed when their wishes were not met. But Jacob just seemed amused, like he had just heard some truly unbelievable gossip.

"I forget that you were not raised around men," he began, offering a kind smile. "I'm sure the idea of being married and partaking in sex is frightening for you, but you do not need to worry about that. There is no such thing as a breeding ground. And I have no intention of forcing anything upon you. I'm doing my best to help you."

"But you said you were going to make me desirable," I pointed out. "Isn't that the only thing that men desire?"

"I can understand how that would be confusing for you, but tonight has nothing to do with sex, I assure you. That will be between you and Leo when you two decide it is time. For now, we are going to work on sparking his interest in you. So, please follow me so we can go somewhere more private and I can show you exactly what I mean."

I thought about all of the seeds that I was storing in a small container. I thought of the delighted way my sisters would gasp when I showed them all that I had brought. I already planned where we would grow our apple trees, our orange trees, the brightly coloured peppers, the watery cucumbers. I told myself that once I figured out how to transport the seeds, the slippers, the dresses, I would be gone. So, in theory, pleasing the prince should have been irrelevant. 

But I still followed Jacob, even when he led me to a part of the palace that I had never been inside.

I hadn't seen this hallway on the tour. Maybe it wasn't enough of a bragging point for the queen. She only showed me things that filled her with pride so this must've not me the standard. No, that wasn't it. The apprehensive way that the guards eyed Jacob as he passed through a set of double doors told me everything I needed to know: most people were not welcome here.

My guide didn't seem to care. He shut the door behind himself, closing us both in. 

For once, my wonder outweighed my fear. 

The room was so unlike my own bedroom, so unlike any room I had ever seen. It had no bed for sleeping. No table for dining. But there were chairs - beautiful chairs no less, with small details carved into their wood- and a massive, darkwooded desk. The papered walls were a dark brown with a discrete pattern that seemed to dance as I moved. A heavy rug protected my slippers from the harsh wood beneath.

"What is this?" I asked, pointing to a massive piece of paper along the back wall.

"That's a map of the lands," Jacob replied.

"Really?" I had never seen any kind of depiction of the world around me. I instantly honed it, all of my fear and apprehension temporarily dismissed.

"See, here is your island," Jacob said, indicating a small, tiny speck. "And here is our kingdom." His finger trailed over the expanse that I assumed was the sea until he came upon land again. "You can see the palace here, the circular thing. Here are the farms that provide food, the stables were we keep the military horses, the barracks where we train our guards. We keep the young guards closer to the mountains."

"Mountains," I repeated. "What are those?"

Jacob turned away from the map, cocking an eyebrow at me. "I suppose you've never seen mountains, have you? Your island it too small, too flat."

I shook my head.

"I would love to explain mountains to you, but they are something you almost need to see to believe. They are so tall they have snow and ice on their tops in the middle of summer." 

"That's impossible."

"So it would seem," he replied.

"and what's over here?" I jabbed my pointer finger on a spot that was blank with the exception of a few scribbles.

"That is the werewolf kingdom."

"There's another kingdom?"

"Well of course. You didn't think one ruler conquered the whole earth, did you?" Jacob teased.

"That is really impossible. There can't be more people. I haven't even met all of the people here!" I protested.

He let out a loud, bellowing laugh that bounced off the walls and struck me oddly. It wasn't sweet and melodic like my sisters' laugh, but it made me grin all the same. He made me feel like I wasn't with a taunting, manipulating man at all. I was almost more comfortable with him than I was with some of my sisters.

"Oh, sweet Ember, you will never meet all of the people in this world. The werewolf kingdom is bigger than ours. And over here, beyond the desert, that's where the trolls live. Over there is another human kingdom, and then fairies in this forest here."

I could only stare at the map in wonder. It was beyond my imagination that all of these creatures existed. There werewolves had their own king, their own laws. Did they also hate sirens? Or was it only the humans that had pushed us out? And trolls, what were they? Were fairies the little magical beings I had read about in books or were they something different entirely.

"I would love to continue this conversation, but I brought you here for another reason. Here is your dagger," he said, handing me the weapon he had carried and concealed for me. He explained that a woman flashing a royal blade could land us both in hot water and I had no reason to defy his judgement.

"Then why are we here?" I asked. As the handle hit my palm, the weight that I had grown so familiar with so quickly offered comfort.

"Well, seeing you in the guardhouse showed me very quickly that you are afraid and seeking comfort in something you don't fully understand. If you're going to be sneaking weapons, you might as well know how to use them safely. It will give you confidence and I'll sleep easier knowing you won't accidentally kill yourself."

The prospect of learning how to wield a blade did sound enticing. If I knew how to carry and conceal it like Jacob did, and if I learned how to swing and slash in such a way that induced fear, then maybe I would be able to feel safe traveling these streets alone. I wouldn't have to think about how desperate I had been last time, when I swung and swung to no avail.

I had been lucky to get away last time. I feared that luck would not keep me afloat a second time.

Still, something nagged at me. "Knowing how to use a dagger will make me more appealing to the prince?"

Jacob shot me a boyish grin. "Not exactly, but it will separate you from the women who came before you. No fine lady here will know how to use a dagger and Leo is nothing if not a military leader. You learn to defend yourself and maybe one day, you'll be able to impress him with what you know."

"But I don't understand why you want to help me."

"Helping you will help Leo. He's suffered enough. And, of all the women presented to him, you're the only one that I can imagine breaking through that tough exterior."

I didn't know what to say. I stared at Jacob, a little shocked. 

"Come now, let's start on your basics. Most guards prefer the dagger as an offensive weapon instead of defensive, so we really do have some work cut out for us."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

What is the best vacation you ever took and why?

I went to Europe before I graduated. It was my first trip without my parents and I saw so much for so cheap in a small amount of time. Wonderful, though exhausting.