With a bright flash of light, the castle's walls disappeared. Marla had found herself in a dark empty field.

"Remalyn?" Marla whispered through the dark.

"I'm right here." Marla jumped as her guard appeared beside her.

"Sorry. I can barely see anything."

"It should be daybreak soon. Let us camp here until there is more light. Stay here. I will go check the surroundings and grab wood for a fire. If you are in danger, scream." Marla swore she heard an eye roll behind that metal helmet of hers. She must not be happy. After all, she was forced away from her home and family to protect some girl on some adventure.

"Sure." Marla hunkered down close to the grass. Though bright stars lit the night sky, she could barely make out her surroundings. Nearby crickets chirped loudly, and on occasion, Marla could make out what sounded like a pointed-ear owl.

SNAP. A twig broke the noise of the night.

"Who's there!" Marla stood up, holding a stick she had found by her feet.

"It is just me." Remalyn plopped a pile of sticks before them.

"You are pretty quiet for wearing all that metal armor. I didn't even hear you approach."

"That is because I was trained to kill people. Wouldn't do any good if my targets could hear me coming."

"No. I suppose not." Marla watched as the royal guard prepared the fire. "I'm sorry." Marla blurted out.

"About what?" Remalyn finally removed her helmet.

"I'm sorry you had to leave your family. Everyone only seemed to be worried about my safety," Marla admitted. To her surprise, Remalyn chuckled.

"I don't have any family left. In fact, my sister was one of those killed when the Navaji escaped."

"I'm sorry," Marla spoke again.

"Don't be. It is an honor to die for the Queen."

"That's a bit intense, but I know what you mean."

"No, I don't think you do," her voice grew stiff. "We were trained from the moment we were born to be the best assassins. We only had one goal, to protect the Queen at all costs. To die for our Kingdom and our Queen is a Bleeding Heart's dream." Marla had heard of that group once before in a book. It was an order created, just as Remalyn said, to protect the Queen. Children were molded into fighters as soon as they could walk. Marla could recall reading that their training exercises were a bit extreme.

"Believe me, what I do, I do for the Kingdom." Marla warmed her hands over the slow-growing fire.

"You might say that, but honestly, you are just doing what you can to save your own skin." Remalyn tossed a blanket at her. What had Marla done to give her that impression? Had she not left her own home and family behind? Was she not in the middle of who knew where looking for a way to defeat the Navaji?

"Believe what you want." Marla tucked the blanket under her head and closed her eyes. Sweet memories of warm lavender-buttered rolls filled her dreams. She already missed home.