The whole kingdom was bathed in the glow of the sun that could only occur at sunset. A plethora of deep red hues turning into the lively shades of orange covered the sky. A tinge of darkness touched the sky, appearing in the hypothetical place where the sky met the land. It promised the night to anyone who would stop and be enthralled by the beauty of nature. The tangerine coloured rays went past Cress's windows and illuminated the room in a beautiful yet dim glow. 

Cress paid no heed to it. She held an opened letter in her hands which were bandaged with white cotton strips. Her eyes swept over the paper, hurriedly she turned the paper over only to be greeted with the same blank sight.

Her shoulders slumped and a tinge of anger spread through her. Why would they send her a blank letter?

She sighed, letting the letter fall on her bed. Her hand ached to punch something but she held back. It was already injured, no point in trying to break it. 

Why would they send her a blank piece of paper?

Cress's eyes widened and she sat up straight, her ribs protesting weakly. She ignored them as she picked up the letter. In her haste, she almost fell off her bed and made her way towards the candlestand kept in the corner. 

Her fingers tingled with excitement and she forced them to stop wavering as she lighted the lone candle. The wick accepted the flame and began to burn brightly, Cress made sure that the paper wouldn't burn as she positioned it above the red and blue flame.

Almost instantly, words began to appear on the page. Cress waited for a few seconds before she blew the candle out and went back to lie in her bed.

'The star of Vilehelm has your answer. Use it wisely. You have two weeks.'

"The star of Vilehelm? What is that supposed to mean?" Cress muttered, her thoughts ricocheting off the walls of her mind. A puzzled frown came to rest upon her lips. 

Deciding that she would think later, Cress picked up the envelope to stuff the letter back inside. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the seal which had the image of a star on it. 

She tore the seal off the envelope. It was unusually thick and heavy, it looked like a small cylinder. She let her finger trace it. Her finger found a small opening around the cylindrical part of the seal. She dug her nail in and broke the seal causing a small plastic packet to fall on her bed. 

Cress picked the plastic bag, her face paling when she realised what it contained.

Was this the only way to make all her troubles go away?

She pulled out a piece of paper and began to write a letter.

***

The afternoon sun burned hot and white. The sky held a blue colour which was reflected in multiple rivers and lakes throughout the kingdom. The warm rays of the sun caused people to shed their kaftans and only travel in their shirts and pants. The rays bounced around the palace before they came through the window belonging to the room of the council. 

It illuminated the large desk and equally magnificent chairs around the table. The largest and most wonderfully designed chair having beautiful and intricate designs stood at one end of the table. 

The room was empty, save for one man who sat on that chair, his head bent over scattered papers.

Low yet confident footsteps sounded in the council room causing the man with grey hair to look up from his bundle of official-looking documents.

Zagan gave the slightest inclination of his head as he looked at the youngest princess of the kingdom.

"Princess," Zagan acknowledged, his eyes darting to look at the guards who stood beside, their posture straight and their eyes alert.

Cress resisted the urge to punch him or hideaway in the corner as she took in his pale face, wrinkles and grey head. His green eyes reminded her of those cats who would sit on walls, watching all your moves and looking like they had served as pets to the lord of all evil himself.

She straightened, putting on an act. She let her lips slip into a lazy smile and her facial muscles to relax. When she spoke, her voice held a feminine lilt she had learned from Florencia many summers ago.

"Zagan," She said with a curtsy, her red kaftan touching the ground as she did so "A pleasure to meet you."

Each word felt vile on her tongue but she didn't let her act slip. Satisfaction spread through her when she noticed the almost unperceivable crease of confusion appearing between his eyebrows as she did. Her smile began to feel more natural and the tension between her shoulder blades lessened.

Zagan's eyes drift away from hers to look at the guard standing beside her. A calculating looked shined in his eyes as his eyes came to rest on hers.

"I heard about the unfortunate circumstances you were forced to endure." He spoke, his voice smooth. "I must say, I am quite surprised by your return."

"Are you not glad by the fact that I survived?" Cress asked struggling to keep the contempt from slipping in her voice.

"Of course I am." He said, his voice neither wavering nor changing. "I am just surprised that's all."

Cress felt her smile tighten on her face. She turned to face the guards.

"I require some time alone with Zagan. If you would wait outside with other guards." She paused before adding. "Make sure that no one enters the room. The matter I am discussing is rather delicate."

"Of course my lady," Jarnek said with a light bow before motioning the other two guards to follow him outside.

The door closed behind them and silence spread over the room only to be broken when Zagan began to speak.

"Why are you here?" The smooth caress of his voice had changed to a tone which was rasper.

"I am here to strike a deal with you," Cress said her voice indifferent of her emotions.

"A deal?" Zagan questioned, his brow raising in scepticism. "What deal do you speak of?"

"You have been sending assassins after me." Before he could speak, she continued. "All I ask is for you to stop and in return, I won't say anything about our previous encounter."

"So you haven't forgotten?" Zagan said rather than asked, the briefest look of surprise crossing his face.

"I do not think that the incident is one that can be easily forgotten," Cress said her voice holding the slightest amount of bitterness. 

"You hate me," Zagan said not seeming bothered by the idea. 

"Of course I do," Cress said surprising him and a tiny part of herself. "But I do know that you are a valuable asset to this kingdom. Why would I try to ruin that if I could turn this relationship of hatred into one that is mutually beneficial for both of us?"

"Why would you need my help?" Zagan asked suspicion covering his voice. 

"Well, you are my father's royal advisor are you not? I will keep my mouth shut if you call off the attempts of marriage between my sister and Prince Zeid." Cress said her voice turning bold and businesslike. 

"You are here to protect your sister?" Zagan said, his tone holding mirth. "Interesting."

"What is interesting about it?" Cress questioned. 

Zagan shook his head. "Nothing. It's just amazing how families work."

Cress did not comment any further and instead chose to change the subject. "What do you say? Do you accept my proposition?"

"I'll think about it." Zagan simply said.

Cress stared at him. It was surprising how human he looked like. After all those nightmares, she had come to see him as a monster. Seeing him act so natural made her blood boil. He ought to have been grovelling at her feet for mercy. Clearing her mind of her violent thoughts, Cress spoke.

"Would you like to celebrate this new beginning of a friendship with a drink?" Cress asked before he could reply she rang for the drinks. 

"It would be my pleasure," Zagan said just as a man came dressed in servant clothes, carrying two tall glasses, a bottle of champagne and a tub full of ice. 

Cress smiled as the man placed the tray on the table, he in return acknowledged her presence with a bow and left. She walked towards the tray, pouring wine into the two glasses and dropping the ice cubes in them before handing one to Zagan. 

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way but it is hard for me to believe that this glass has not been poisoned," Zagan said smoothly, holding no worry in his voice. 

"You should believe it. I haven't poisoned the glass." Cress said her voice holding a tinge of mirth in it.

"Then you would not mind exchanging your glass with mine?"

"Of course not," Cress said handing him the glass with a small smile. 

Bile rose up her throat as she felt his fingers brush hers. She pulled away quickly, trying to hold her flood emotions back. She dipped her head back and drank the wine quickly, her throat burning as she felt ethanol enter her system for the first time. 

She wiped her grimace away before Zagan could see it and forced a smile on her face. 

"Delicious." She lied.

"You don't enjoy drinks much do you?" Zagan asked, his tone scathing. "You do not gulp a drink like that down."

Cress forced herself to laugh. "I am afraid that I never tried to master the art of drinking. Maybe you would tell me about it?"

"You swirl the drink," Zagan said as he moved his glass elegantly. "The swirling causes the wine to draw oxygen from the air into it."

"I never quite thought about it," Cress admitted. "I will remember to do that in future."

Zagan dipped his head back as he took a sip followed by another.

"You didn't like before. Before the Oracle had made the prophecy. I wonder why is that." Cress commented lightly as she watched him take another sip. 

"I don't mean to offend you, my lady, but before you acted like a commoner. Your sister and you were immature and lacked the skills that ladies of the palace ought to possess. However, I see that you have realised the error of your ways."

Cress tried to keep her rage at bay. 

"I hate to raise the past but I do remember you telling me about how having me murdered was the only way to protect the kingdom. Have you changed your mind?" Cress asked trying to keep her voice neutral.

"I apologise for that incident. Oracle's prophecy caused me to worry. I would do anything to protect this kingdom, no matter what the cost." He said, blinking rapidly. "The Oracle must have lied, you are alive and so is the kingdom."

"What about the fire?" Cress asked. "What if the person who caused it is the one the Oracle warned us about?"

"I don't think that is something evil. I believe it to be a mere accident." Zagan said, his words beginning to slur. 

"Taemia believes that there are traitors amongst us who caused the flames to burn the library," Cress said, her eyes narrowing at Zagan as she said the word traitors.

"We have no proof of that my lady. Your sister is still young and naive. It would be wise if she did not divulge in the matters of the kingdom and instead help the kingdom secure a better alliance." Zagan said his eyes becoming unfocused.

"It was an accident that almost ripped my father away from me," Cress said her voice barely holding the amount of rage she felt.

"A tragic accident but an accident nonetheless," Zagan said swaying on his feet. "I..I feel unwell."

Cress ignored him. "You have received quite a lot of power ever since my father has been in the hospital, haven't you? I wonder if the accident was not one. What if someone deliberately set fire to the library in hopes of killing the king?"

Zagan looked at her, his eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you? I would never. Besides, the kingdom would pass onto the twins if something was to befall the king."

"You are right." Cress acknowledged. "But where are my brothers? Why are they not here? I know you have been extending their stay at Adeeha. Why? So you can continue being a king when you really are a servant in disguise?"

Zagan lunged at her but his body seemed to have stopped cooperating with his thoughts for he tripped and fell down, his head banging against the marble floor. 

"I am not a servant." He said trying to get back up, his arms buckling and falling back as they tried to help his body up.

Cress stepped in front of him, her feet in front of his head. She smiled coldly, her eyes flashing with a vengeance.

"You sure Zagan?" She eyed his drooped form lying helplessly on the floor. "You do look like one."

Zagan glared up at her. He dug the palms of his hands into the floor and tried to push himself up, his palms slipped and he fell back to the ground. 

"You poisoned me," Zagan muttered quietly as he felt his head become heavy. Pain flared up in his chest.

Cress clapped slowly, the sound filling the entire chamber. "Bravo."

"Why would-" He shook his head as if already knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask. "How? I exchanged our glasses."

"The poison was not in the glass Zagan," Cress said with a smile, she leaned down and whispered as if she was telling a secret. "It was in the ice. You swirled your glass making it melt whereas I, didn't give it a chance to start melting."

"Quite intelligent," Zagan muttered his eyes fluttering close, his words were slurred making it hard for Cress to make sense of them.

"I aim to please," Cress said with a mocking smile.

"Won't they know that I have been poisoned?" Zagan asked. His voice was completely blank, holding no rage.

"No. I used the poison of the blue flower, you would be believed to have suffered from a heart attack." Cress said her eyes filling with hatred and pride.

"Of course," Zagan said. 

Had she not seen his eyelid twitch, Cress would have thought that her words would not have had any effect on him.

"You do realise that a member of your family betrayed you don't you?" Zagan said opening his eyes to see the harsh and cold look they held.

"My father?" Cress gave a mirthless laugh. "You really want to trick me again?"

"I never said anything about your father," Zagan said his lips opening to form a twisted cold smile. "Who do you think helped me steal the seal from the royal chambers?"

"The servants I suppose?" Cress said although the look on his face told her that it couldn't be the servants.

"You know that the servants do not know the code used to open the safe where the seal in stored." Zagan smiled when he realised he had caught her attention. "The question my lady is who would dare to betray you."

Cress glared at him. "Who was it? Tell me or else."

"Or else what my lady? You will kill me? I'm already dying." Zagan said his eyes filling up with hatred. "I hope that you would be in agony when you die."

His face had been covered in sweat. His pupils had dilated and his eyes blinked repeatedly as if they were trying to keep him awake. His breaths had become erratic yet the words he spoke had been clear. 

"I can still torture you," Cress said, her face twisting to form a sneer.

"If you are willing to be hanged for my death then please proceed," Zagan said. He leaned closer to her. "You won't get to torture me, little princess,"

Cress gritted her teeth. His words, the calmness he spoke with angered her. He ought to have been begging her for mercy, asking her to save him yet even now he spoke like he always had. Condescendingly, as if he was better than everyone.

"You are dying." She stated, hoping to create fear in his mind.

"And you are responsible. I hope this fact haunts you every time you sleep. I hope every time you look into a mirror all you see is a murderer. I hope when you die, you die in pain and fear." He spoke, his voice wavered, not because of the fear but because of the poison. His face had paled and his eyes glared at her coldly.

"Who was the spy?" Cress asked instead, returning the look he held in his eyes.

Zagan didn't respond, his eyes stared at him still holding the look filled with hatred. 

"Who was the spy? Dammit!" Cress cried her fist banging on the table causing the noise to echo around the room.

He didn't reply, his eyes open staring at her blankly. Cress stared at him for a few seconds before the realization dawned on her.

She couldn't help but stumble back in shock. He was dead. She had killed him. She was safe, wasn't she?

Cress wiped the look of guilt on her face away and replaced it with a look of panic. 

"Help." She yelled, her voice holding the mixture of dread she had perfected. "Someone help!"

The doors opened and the guards rushed in, looks of surprise crossing their faces as they took in the scene. 

"He-He had a seizure and collapsed before I could do anything," Cress said her voice breaking as she looked at the guards.

The guards moved. Some ran out to call for help whereas the others helped to lift the body.

Cress couldn't help but look at his eyes as they took his body past hers. She couldn't help but feel shivers travel up her spine as she glanced into them. Was it just her imagination or was he truly glaring at her?

Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice her sister walk up to her. She didn't realise as her sister paused to stand by her. 

It was when her sister harshly grabbed her arm and turn her around did Cress become aware of her presence. 

Taemia's eyes were filled with despair and horror as she spoke, her voice cracking.

"Sweet Celeste, what have you done Diana?"

***