Training soon became a burden for Ferry. Maybe because he had never been good at it, maybe because he hadn't trained in a long time, or simply because he hated guns, Ferry seemed to fail in the art of war with every training. 

Now, he was trying to imitate the movements of an Amalgham soldier who was performing a sword-wielding demonstration. Ferry was trying to understand why he had to learn to master so many weapons when he was actually considered the Spear Carrier.

The Amalgham soldier had rodent features, and his face was almost entirely covered in fur. Only his fairy eyes made him not look like an animal altogether. Ferry always wondered how different the Amalghams of Akna were from his guardians who could easily pass as humans even in the human world.

When there was the time to simulate a sword fight with the rodent Amalgam, things got more complicated. The soldiers, Amalghams and Solacers alike, made the fights seem so easy, twisting in precise but graceful movements, like in a dance. Instead, he stumbled at every move and his every move failed. And now, as in the past, his training companion blocked his blow and swiped him off his feet with a quick leg movement and Ferry fell flat face in the dirt. He got up quickly, but he couldn't help but hear the muffled laughter and the murmur around him. Leomh, the Second Commander of the army and his suite of warrior elves seemed particularly amused by his every fail. Ferry wished Thyme would return sooner. His presence gave him confidence and he was sure he would have been a better coach. But he also thought that Thyme had better things to do than to be the nanny of a fighter as weak as he had turned out to be. He finished training that day with the burden of being ashamed again.

The days began to look like each other and the hope that he would see Matilda soon faded with each passing moment. He'd seen all his friends since he arrived at the Cloud Fortress, but not her. Sage was always present at training and getting better by the day. Even Parsley participated a few times, but his training was somehow more special; he was just learning defensive techniques. Ferry thought that was because he had lost many of his fairy powers when he was struck by Saraid's curse. He'd seen Rosemary a few times in the kitchen, where she prepared her favorite meals. Oona visited him every time after training and accompanied him on walks on the stone paths outside the fortress, with Raghnall always on their trail. He had also met Finn a few times, Matilda's brother. But Finn was so fast, like an arrow launched by a skilled archer, so Ferry never had a chance to talk to him.

As for the school, where he was finally waiting to see Matilda, it turned out to be something else than he had thought at first. The school in Akna was not a place, but a state. The state of searching, of learning, of knowing as much as possible about everyone and everything. And the teacher could be anyone who mastered his job well enough.

That day, Ferry had Parsley as his teacher who was teaching him about the wonderful world that was Akna. They had left the fortress and were slowly walking on the green paths at its edge, where the mountain was gentler and the abyss not so deep.

"When you'll get to know this world, Garrett, when you'll really get to know it, then you will understand its mystery. Then you will listen to its call. Then you will know that you are at home," Parsley said in his always calm voice.

Ferry sighed. "I don't know, Parce... I should have gotten used to this world by now, don't you think?"

"Well, I guess it's still new to you. You only know this place... But Akna means much more than this place. It means noble people who love peace and defend it at all costs. It means honor and duty. It means vast and majestic lands that take your breath away ... "

Ferry did not answer.

"What are you thinking about?" Parsley asked. "You can ask me anything. I will try to answer you as best I can. "

It took Ferry a while before he said, "Have you ever thought that maybe I'm not the right person for this mission?"

Parsley frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't seem to be good at anything... Not in fighting, nor in learning... Not in leadership nor in initiative... In such a great world, I am no one. Everyone seems to know their place here. They all have a purpose. While I--"

Parsley shook his head. "You don't have to think like that. You still haven't revealed your magical powers. When they'll come out, you will see how important your goal is. For Akna. For all of us, " added the lizard-man, patting him lightly on the back.

They stopped under a tree whose thick crown dominated the place like a cathedral. Among the thick branches, the star's light made its way, leaving traces of silver on the gray rocks. Ferry bowed his head. "I miss home," he sighed. "And I miss her. Matt... I just want to see her ..." he said with a sigh. "Why can't I see her?"

Parsley examined him with the only remaining eye. He didn't look at ease as he used to.

"It would be easier for me if I could at least see her ..." Ferry continued.

"You have to understand something, Garrett. We need to put our feelings aside... Instead, we need to prepare for the Long Night. Feelings distract us and make us weaker... Feelings are for people. "

Ferry watched him closely. "Is that what you really think, Parsley?" he asked. "That feelings make you weaker? What about Rosemary? I know you have feelings for each other. Does it really matter here? Have you completely forgotten about her? "

Parsley looked around carefully. Then he gave him a discreet signal to follow him and headed for a young forest where the ferns were rising to the sky and where they had to make their way among them with a stick.

"Listen, Garrett," he said seriously, "we don't have to talk about this here. Amalghams are not allowed to have feelings. And you should have no feelings for a human girl. Humans are considered-- "

"Yes, I know, inferior," he interrupted him, clenching his fists. "When I become king, I will change that," he added firmly. "Then all the people of Akna will understand how humans really are like."

"Shhh," Parsley whispered. "We don't have to talk about it here. If the people of Akna find out that you want to make humans and fae equal, I'm afraid you will never become king. "

"But why?" Ferry almost shouted. "Why are people with such great principles so small-minded? Why don't they want to change? "

"Change never comes easy. We have to take small steps for that. First, we must defeat the enemy. It's the first step. Let's focus on that, okay? " Parsley said placatory.

Ferry nodded. They were now light-bathed in starlight. In the emerald grass, a circle of mushrooms shone like jewels.

"Fairy circles," Ferry whispered. "I saw some in the Shepherd's Forest."

"People call them fairy rings. Sometimes they are made of mushrooms, stones, or flowers. People avoid them. And good thing they do. With the help of these rings, we manage to communicate even from the world of people. That's how the whispers work, " Parsley smiled.

"The way Thyme communicates with this world? "

"Exactly," Parsley agreed. "To hear the whispers, you have to sit in the middle, then touch the mushrooms or the flowers or the stones in a certain order so that the one on the other side can hear you. Each circle has a certain code. Only a few of us know the codes, for the better security of this place. "

"Like a phone line in the human world," Ferry said, his eyes twinkling.

"Something of that sort. A magic phone, " Parsley smiled. "If a human surrounds this circle nine times in his world, he can open a door to our world. Few people know that, of course. Those who still believe in fairies are being ridiculed or are too old to be taken seriously. People began to believe less and less in fairies ... "

Ferry liked to listen to him. He spoke softly every time and he could read the joy and gentleness in his voice and in the only eye he had left, every time he explained something. His presence, his gentle and restrained words, like Rosemary's, brought peace and calm to others.

"Can you tell me more about you? About the Amalghams? " the Ferry wrinkles.

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Why are you so different? And I'm not talking about animal traits. Why do some seem to have more magical powers? Why do some look more like humans and others more like beasts?

Parsley thought for a moment before answering. "In the beginning, when Amalghams were created, their creators, your ancestors, gifted them with great powers. Almost as great as theirs. But they soon saw that they were wrong. A creator cannot create himself, with the same magical abilities, and then wait for his own copy to obey him. In the beginning, the Amalghams were the most faithful of the subjects. And the leaders of Akna gave them all their confidence. But then, the First Amalghams discovered their magic. And the few rights they had. But also the many restrictions. Prohibiting them from loving was one of them. And they turned against their own creators. "

"And then?"

"Then they began to be persecuted. They went wherever they could, found a nest at the end of the world in which to hide, and the rest lived in solitude, far from settlements and prying eyes. "

"Lord Stephan was one of the First Amalghams, wasn't he?" Ferry asked after a short pause.

Parsley nodded.

"What made him retire to this place?"

"Not the Queen and the King, as one might think. It was their right hand. He remained devoted to them until they were gone. And he will remain devoted to them until the end of his days. The bond between them was broken when he began to have feelings for their only daughter, at that time... "

"Lavender ..." Ferry whispered.

"But even if they were against the feelings between them, that did nothing to undermine Lord Stephan's devotion to his creators," Parsley continued. "He was created as a good advisor, a perfect strategist, and a skilled soldier. He was very close to nature and the wild. He was created to become the leader of the army if the times required it. He knew how to wield seven weapons. And, in addition to all these endowments, the Amalghams have always learned, evolved, and become stronger. Almost as powerful as their creators. But what made him build this place was the very death of his masters. He sensed from then on that troubled times would come upon Akna. He knew how to gather loyal people, not just Amalghams. He knew how to make his own army. And he knew how to protect you. You owe him your life, Garrett. "

"What about Lavender? Did she have the same feelings for him? "

"She did. But he couldn't give her what she wanted. She wanted to feel love in all its forms. And, more than anything, she wanted a family. Creators and their descendants have the right to have their own families and to raise their children beside them. They used to meet in a place of their own. But she soon realized that, no matter how strong their feelings, he would never be able to give her what she was looking for. And she left. He hasn't been the same since. Sometimes, he leaves the Cloud Fortress and wanders who knows where to soothe his longing. At other times, he locks himself in his chambers and he doesn't go out for quite a while. He knows that even now, after so many years, she would not love him as she loved her husband... "

Ferry turned silent, thinking of Lord Stephan's sad love story. He had always seemed cold and distant to everyone, even to Thyme, his First Commander. Now he understood why.

A gust of wind crept through them, swirling their capes. They stood silent for several minutes, watching the flowers and leaves caught in the whirlwind that had now receded, taking them far over the mountains.

"I can send a message from you, if you want," Parsley said softly. "I know Rosemary visits her sometimes. I know it's forbidden, but I'd do this for you... What do you want me to say? "

Ferry's eyes twinkled. He had so much to tell her. "Tell her that-- Tell her that--"

But the words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.

Tell her I miss her, he thought. I miss her how I never thought I would miss someone. I miss her so much, that sometimes I feel my whole body ache, not just my heart. That everything seems empty and meaningless without her. That I would do anything to see her, just once. That I would break all the rules for that, that I wouldn't be afraid to get to the Dark Room, which everyone is so afraid of here. That would be worth a moment with her. A moment with her would make this place, all the humiliation, all the torment of trying to be something I am not, would make it all bearable. Tell her that I--

All these feelings, which he had never felt for anyone before, brought an emptiness in his stomach that made him stagger so he had to lean on the tree. He met Parsley's worried gaze.

"Tell her I hope she's all right here," he said in a low voice. That was all he could say.

After the lesson with Parsley, when it was time to rest, he laid down on his cold bed and thought about her again, as he always did before falling asleep. She was the only thought that brought him to sleep. What was she doing now? Was she still thinking about him? And how exactly was she thinking about him? As her childhood friend? As a fairy from Akna? Was she feeling the same longing that he felt for her?

He searched his mother's watch. It still measured the time as in the human world. Somewhere, on a hidden wall, he had scrawled several lines indicating how many days had passed since he had arrived here. Three months. Only three months. But it seemed like an eternity to him. Of course, time flowed differently here. With each passing speckle of light, they got closer to the Long Night, although Ferry felt that months would pass, perhaps even a human year until then. And he was happy about it. He didn't know what would happen in the Long Night. But whatever it was, he wasn't ready yet.

When Raghnall's knocks woke him, he could hardly believe how quickly time had passed. He had barely managed to sleep.

"Prince Garrett, you have to get ready. Lord Stephan is waiting for you, "said his companion on the other side of the door. He had learned to respect his privacy, and Ferry was happy about it.He hurriedly pulled on his clothes without taking off his cloak. He jumbled him enough the last time he visited Lord Stephan. He did not go down to eat, but began to climb the slippery steps of the castle stairs to the Lord's chambers at the top of the mountain.

Raghnall did not accompany him this time, a sign that Lord Stephan was told him so. The more he climbed, the more he felt the cold bit at his bones and began to regret that he had not taken his cloak. Or maybe he was cold because he didn't know what to expect from the Pan's side.

The road seemed longer than the last time Ragh accompanied him. He had begun to like his company. He was loyal, dedicated and knew how to be silent when needed. Of course, he was childish and naive at times. But that didn't mind Ferry. And he was much, much better at fighting than him.

After a road that seemed to last an eternity, he reached the long, dark corridors at the top of the mountain. He crossed the long, dark hallway where the wind felt at home and knocked on the wooden door of the last room.

He thought he heard a moan behind the door, but then he thought it was just the wind. He pushed open the heavy door and went in.

In the fireplace that covered almost an entire wall, a large fire was burning. But the room was as frozen as the rest of the castle in that place that seemed to touch the sky.

At first, Ferry thought the room was empty. But then he saw the massive figure of the Pan wrapped in a black cloak, mingled with the shadows in the darkest corner of the room. He looked at him from the darkness, without saying a word. How long has he been there?

"Lord Stephan, I didn't see you," Ferry stammered.

The Lord emerged from the shadows, the sound of his hooves echoing beyond the walls of the room. His figure seemed even more impressive now, in the light of the flames on the walls.

"Prince Garrett, are you ready for a new lesson?" his voice echoed, making the flames tremble.

Ferry nodded.

"I hope you memorized The Crossing," he added.

Ferry nodded again, suddenly uneasy at Pan's presence. They had never been alone before.

"Then please say it," he asked.

"Now?" Ferry wondered.

The Pan nodded.

Ferry swallowed the knot in his throat. He felt like at school, in front of the teacher when he hadn't done his homework or learned the lesson well.

However, he said the riddle in a trembling voice and managed to complete it, even if he got it wrong a couple of times.

"I hope you realize how important this power of yours is," said Lord Stephan. "You just have to sit in the middle of your people, chained to each other, raise your hands above your head and clap. And you can carry an entire army to a safe place, and shelter it from the enemy. You can only use this power once in your life, and then you will completely lose your powers for an unknown period of time. So use it wisely."

Ferry nodded repeatedly, not knowing what else to say.

"But that's not why I brought you here today," the Pan continued. "Today, I want to teach you to control your power. A special power that very few have. Even in the world of fairies. The power to use your mind to make things behave the way you want. "

"The power of the mind?" Ferry wondered.

"Indeed. You see, Prince Garrett, the mind is a miraculous thing. People don't know that. That's why they use only a tiny part of their brain. Some of them do use more. The geniuses. Like your friend, Benjamin. But unlike humans, fairies know how to use their minds much more. Magic, as people mistakenly believe. But it's not magic at all. It's just that they use their minds close to full capacity. That's how they can get to other dimensions, that's how they can see things that aren't there for most of us. But to develop your mind, you need to exercise. Just as you train for the body, you must train for the mind. And that's what we're going to do starting today. "

"How do you know I have this power?" he asked. "Maybe I'm just an ordinary fairy."

The Pan smiled. Ferry had not often seen him smile.

"Oh, believe me. All the descendants of the Great Fairies have unsuspected powers,  even for them. They are there, in you, buried deep, ready to come out. Your powers are so great, Prince Garrett, that you can give life or cure incurable diseases. The only diseases you can't cure are those in which iron has already penetrated the blood of a fairy. Iron is poison to us. It takes black magic to get rid of the curse of iron. Beware of it! Once in your blood, death is almost certain."

Ferry shuddered. Lord Stephan spoke of death as something ordinary. And Ferry wondered how many times he had met death?

"Besides, I know you have this power. Thyme told me you used it once. You just don't know how to control it yet. "

Ferry looked away. He had used it against Thyme in one of their quarrels. And he was ashamed of it. This is not how these powers should have been used. Not to hurt someone.

"Today we will start with something easy," said Lord Stephan, taking a silver goblet and placing it on a high chair in front of him. "Try to knock it down. Focus on it and imagine the light flowing from your hand. And that light taking the form of lightning. And knocking down this goblet."

Ferry did as he was told. He focused on the goblet, held out his hand. But nothing happened. He focused again, almost forgetting to breathe. He felt the vein on hist temple almost burst. Nothing happened. He let his hands fall to his body, looking at Lord Stephan. He could see the clouds gathering in his yellow eyes. His pupils, at first two lines that furrowed the iris, widened, his eyes becoming almost entirely black.

"Again!" he said in a linear but harsh voice.

Ferry raised his hand again. But this time, too, the goblet did not move.

"Again!" the Pan said, and Ferry felt the harshness in his voice grow.

"I can't ..." he said, barely breathing.

Lord Stephan stepped closer to him in two large steps. They were now facing each other, and Ferry noticed that he was as tall as he was, though he had always seemed broader in his shoulders than tall.

"Look into my eyes," the Pan said. His voice was deep and somewhat commanding. Ferry looked at the goat's eyes that pierced him, penetrating as if into the depths of his soul.

"Imagine that cup is placed where your mother's killer sits," said Lord Stephan in a guttural, barely intelligible voice. "What would you do if you met him?" "

Ferry shook his head. He had always thought about it, and yet he was afraid of that moment. Fear of how he might react.

"Would you let him go?" the Pan continued.

Ferry shook his head no while Lord Stephan did not take his eyes off him. He didn't even blink.

"Good. Then raise your hand and knock him to the ground, "he said with the cold calm that characterized him, taking two steps back.

Ferry turned to the goblet again. He imagined the figure with the hood that his mother had told him to beware, her last words. It was standing right in front of him, its head bowed, wrapped in the dark cloak that completely covered its body. Ferry felt his breathing accelerating and his heart drummed in his ears. He felt tingling in his fingers. This time,  he didn't hold them back. This time, he let them take over his palm, then his arm, then his whole body. He felt a strange energy enveloping him and making everything around him disappear. Everything except the dark figure in front of him.

Ferry rose his hand. He could feel that strange heat run through his whole body and concentrate in his hand, then it burst out of his palm like lightning. The noise woke him to reality. Ferry looked around: the goblet had been shattered into hundreds of pieces scattered throughout the room. Some of them had touched his neck and face, and Ferry felt small stings as if he had been hit by small, sharp pebbles.

He looked at Lord Stephan. Probably his blow had taken even him by surprise. He seemed slightly frightened by his power. But then Ferry read the twinkle in his eye. A satisfying look.

The Lord put a hand on his shoulder. "You can retire now. Go to Rosemary and take care of your wounds. "

Ferry jolted to the door. His lips were cut and he could feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

Pan's piercing voice stopped him, "Prince Garrett!"

Ferry turned to him. 

"You did well," he said with a slight nod. "Remember this lesson. You will need it someday, "he added before turning his back on him.

***

"I don't think it's right to use your magic to hurt someone," Rosemary mumbled as she dabbed the small cuts on his face with a clean cloth soaked in one of her ointments.

In the chair in front of the window in his room, Ferry tried to look brave and not grimace in pain.

"I have little choice, Rose," he said. "The enemy is stronger than we expected. We must use all the means at our disposal. "

"I do not dispute that. But to use the desire for revenge and hatred you have in you to reveal your magic... There are better ways to reveal the powers that lie within you. "

Ferry sighed. "I'm afraid other means don't work. Look at the progress I'm making in training. Or the lack of it. Even a child would defeat me in battle," he added bitterly.

Rosemary cupped his face and looked him in the eye. "Oh, darling, I know it must be very hard for you ... So far from the home you knew... and with so many responsibilities you have... With Thyme away and with Matilda who is not allowed to see you--"

Ferry frowned. "What do you mean she's not allowed to see me?"

Rosemary turned her back on him, a sign that she had said too much. But Ferry got up from his chair and placed himself in front of her.

"What do you mean she's not allowed to see me?" he repeated.

"Oh, Garrett, don't make me say more. All I want to say is that she wants to see you as much as you do. But try to understand. She is a human. The only human being here. To always be around you would only bring her trouble. "

Ferry laughed bitterly. "Oh, please. If she wanted to see me, she would have already come to me. She wouldn't have hidden. She wouldn't have avoided me. She's probably too busy with Sage ... "

Rosemary stroked his cheek. "She's busy with Sage, but not the way you think, darling."

Ferry sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore..."

"Listen, darling, Parsley told me to send her your message and I did. You have no idea how her face lit up when she heard you asked about her. "

Ferry felt a wave of warmth coming over him. But not like in Lord Stephan's room. Not a heat that overwhelmed him and made him lose his self-control. It was a pleasant numbness that, after wrapping him completely, nestled in his stomach where thousands of butterflies fluttered, as every time he thought of her.

"What did she say?" he asked in a strangled voice.

Rosemary wrapped a warm look around him. "She said you will see her the next day. Now rest and eat something, my dear. It's been a long day. I left you a glass of milk and a loaf of bread by the window. "

After Rosemary left her room, Ferry swallowed the bread, poured the milk down his throat, and slumped in his bed, which no longer seemed so cold or hard. But sleep did not come. The thought of seeing her the next day made him feel full of energy.

He closed his eyes tight and tried to fall asleep. But the thoughts began to rush in his head. Matilda, the training, Lord Stephan, and his new power, which the enemy should have feared, but which he also feared, all chased the sleep away.

But soon, the tiredness took over, and Ferry wrapped himself better in the rough, thick blanket, ready for the much-needed rest.

He was about to fall asleep when a familiar sound reached his ears. He suddenly rose to his feet, listening closely. From somewhere from afar, a song came, carried by the wings of the wind. A song from home. A song he knew so well -- his mother's favorite song.

Ferry focused to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He headed for the window. The wind, always present in the castle, caused the song to get lost in the distance, then to return again, haunting and disturbing.

Ferry flew out the window of his chamber and stood in the air, listening. The song came from inside the castle. The singer's voice accompanied by the orchestra was somewhat blurred, the echo hitting the thick walls of the castle and getting lost somewhere inside.

Ferry entered the castle through another window and began to search for the place the song came from. It felt it came from somewhere at the end of the corridor one floor below his. No one seemed to live on that floor, and Ferry wondered where everyone was and why he was the only one hearing something so strange, coming from so far away.

The song grew closer and closer as he approached the room at the end of the winding corridor. Whispers and echoes accompanied the song he also loved, making it sound distorted as if it were sung by a broken turntable or a radio station that was losing its frequency. But Ferry knew there were no turntables or radio stations in Akna.

https://youtu.be/GCk1Ld11th4

He stopped in front of the door behind which the song could be heard. Under the birch door, the light from the room slipped like a gold stripe.

With his heart pounding to break his chest, Ferry pushed open the door. He was blinded by the strong, warm light of the sun. It was the sun at home, in the world of humans, so warm and welcoming and which he had begun to miss as the day wore on in Akna. When his eyes became accustomed to the light, he discovered that he was not in any of the dark rooms of the castle. He was in the most beautiful, brightest, and warmest room there was: he was in the living room of his home. Ferry came in slowly, unable to believe it. He was home. In front of the window through which the light flowed like a waterfall, there was someone. A woman swaying gently to the sweet rhythms of the song coming from the radio in the corner of the room. Ferry knew the fragile figure and the soft hair kissed by the sun. And tears began to flow down her cheeks. What magic was that? But if it was magic, he didn't mind it. He was happy to see her again, even so.

Ferry slowly stepped closer. He gently touched her shoulder and she turned. She smiled at him, wrapping him in a loving look that no one and nothing could match.

"Mum ..." he said with a sob.

She touched his wet cheek and Ferry inhaled her soft and familiar scent. He stroked her hand and closed her eyes, overwhelmed by her touch.

But then the song stopped. Ferry opened his eyes. The room was now shrouded in darkness. Ferry looked at his mother. Her face had changed. She was terrified. Her eyes widened in horror, and her mouth twisted and opened inhumanly for a long time, but no sound came out of her throat. Her trembling hand pointed somewhere behind him.

Ferry turned and discovered the hooded silhouette he feared so much, because of which hatred and revenge had begun to creep into his heart. It stood in front of him, its head bowed. It was wrapped in a dark cloak, and the face was covered with a thick hood.

Ferry rose his hand to it. He wanted to destroy it, as he had done with the silver goblet. But when he touched it, the figure turned into smoke and collapsed before his eyes.

Ferry woke up near the damp, wet wall of the castle, covered in a cold sweat. Lovely! Now he was sleepwalking as if he didn't have enough on his head.

The next day, he was late for training, that much his dream had disturbed him. Raghnall, as he had been instructed, did not insist when Ferry didn't answer the door. 

Leomh, the Second Commander, didn't miss the opportunity to scold him for this. "Prince Garrett, punctuality can show someone's dedication and seriousness," he said, giving him a cold look. "On the next deviation, you'll spend some time in the stables," he added, glaring at him.

Ferry muttered an excuse that he had trained on his own and lost track of time. All the training comrades were already there, watching his every move.

Sage, who was furiously hitting a sack of straw, stopped and looked at him, frowning. "What happened to your face?" he asked.

Ferry passed him by without answering. He began to put on his armor and prepare his weapons for training, with all eyes on him.

"Everyone, back to training!" Leomh ordered, and Ferry was grateful that at least for a while, he could get rid of their critical gazes.

The murmur and battle cries filled the Cave again, and Ferry tried to focus on the exercise the rodent Amalgam was showing him.

But suddenly, the murmur stopped. Ferry saw those around stopping and looking in the same direction. He followed their eyes and found Matilda standing right in the middle of them, her chin raised and her eyes confident. She was wearing an outfit suitable for a warrior and even had a breastplate over her tunic.

Sage hurried to her side. "Matt, what are you doing here?" he asked in a restless voice.

"I came to train," she said calmly.

"Matt, this is not a place to train. Why don't you wait for us at our place? " Sage said, trying to soften his voice. "I'll come to train together. You know what happens if Lord Stephan finds out you're here. "

"Actually," Matilda said without being disturbed by Sage's insistence or the murmur and looks around her, "Lord Stephan has agreed for me to train with you," she continued, taking out a parchment from under her tunic and handing it to Leomh.

The elf snatched the parchment from her hand and read it in a hurry. He frowned, his jaw clenched, but then he nodded.

"All right, if that's the order, you'll train with us," he said. "But don't expect to be treated more than--"

"Oh, believe me, Second Commander, I'm used to being treated worse than I expect or deserve," she said unperturbed.

Ferry smiled. Matilda was the same determined, fearless girl. With his heart beating almost to jump out of his chest, he walked towards her without being able to hide the joy of seeing her.

"Matt ..." he said, and all the longing, all the torment of missing her, was in her name uttered by his lips.

Matilda glanced at him. Her face remained unchanged.

"Prince Garrett," she said in the coldest voice which sent sharp, icy arrows to his heart, stopping him from hugging her in front of everyone. 

Thank you for the long wait, my dear Ferralls! I hope this chapter was worth the waiting and I hope it made you curious about what happens next. I promise you there will be a lot happening ;). As always, love lots!