"Let's not make a habit of me visiting you in the infirmary, alright?" Xander said, his voice low and worried. His blonde hair stuck up all over the place, like he had just rolled out of bed.

Gwen rolled from her stomach carefully onto her side, her face inches from where Xander was perched on the small wooden stool.

"I never see you any other time. Maybe I'm doing this on purpose," Gwen said, grinning impishly at him.

Xander rolled his eyes and leaned forwards on his elbow.

"What'd you do anyways?" he asked. "It couldn't have been worse than stealing a Wyvern and trying to escape a life of eternal servitude, could it?"

Gwen could see how hard it was for him to make a joke of the situation, but she was glad for the distraction from the burning pain in her back.

"So what's the tally now? Broken arm, twelve lashes, slashed with a sword; am I missing anything?" Xander chuckled, surveying her like a doctor would.

"Oh just various bumps and bruises, the usual. Besides, my arm barely hurts anymore. I was a very clumsy child you know. I always kept my brother busy." Gwen laughed quietly, remembering the days of falling out of trees and cutting her knees up on rocks.

Xander grinned back at her.

"I can imagine. Nothing's really changed though."

Gwen scowled and smacked him with her good arm. A comfortable silence fell between them, her mind churning through the events of the last few days.

"My brother!" Gwen exclaimed, as she finally had time to process what had happened with the rebels. "I saw my brother with the rebels. It had to be him!"

Xander pushed back from the bed with a start.

"Your brother? The one who had me dragged back here to be beaten within inches of my life?"

Gwen winced at the reminder of her involvement in Xander's punishment, finally being able to sympathize with the amount of pain he must have been in. Her heart sank, reliving her own experience and comparing it to what Xander had probably faced.

Xander stared at her with a furrowed brow, noticing her hesitation to talk about her brother.

"You were saying?" he prompted.

"I--I was running after some of the rebels and I thought I saw Kai with them so I tried to follow. I almost caught up with him but Rowan--" Xander cut her off with a scoff.

"Of course," he muttered scathingly. "The amazing Prince Rowan once again has a starring role in the story."

Gwen glared at him, pushing herself up on an elbow. "He was just trying to protect me," she shot back.

Xander rolled his eyes, laughing bitterly. "Since when have you needed protecting?"

Gwen pursed her lips, ignoring the jab.

"Well?" she asked. "Do you know anything about what happened to the rebels that got caught?"

Xander hesitated, momentarily looking uncomfortable.

"They're to be publicly hung at sunrise."

He glanced out the small square window, the light of the sun just barely visible over the horizon. The sun would be up in two hours at the latest.

Gwen shot up, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through her body with a clench of her jaw.

"Today?" she exclaimed, horror racing through her body. No matter what Kai had done to Xander, he was still her brother. "Please Xander, we have to help him," she begged.

A storm of emotions flashed across Xander's face. His blue eyes alight with anticipation. He was quiet, long enough to make Gwen uncomfortable. She knew what she was asking of him. To save a boy who had almost cost him his life, and the consequences if they were caught would be even more severe.

"I can do it," he said softly, not meeting her eyes.

"I want to help," she said immediately.

Xander's solemn face met hers, his usual joy gone.

"Gwen," he said softly, "this may cost you everything you've worked for. If we get caught you won't be a guard. You would be risking everything, even your life."

Gwen's heart pounded, the severity of the situation finally registering. Visions of herself flying through the air, patrolling the skies flashed through her mind. She was on the back of a deep maroon Wyvern with her dark hair flying behind her like waves of silk.

A lifetime of planning and preparing had gone into her dream, all for nothing. Gone, would be her chance at the elite guard. Gone would be a life of happiness and luxury. Gone, would be...Rowan.

Xander stood up from the stool with a sharp nod, knocking it to the ground. He had clearly read her hesitation as her deciding not to help.

"It's done," he said quietly, before stalking out of the room.

Gwen's chest tightened as she watched Xander make his way down the hall. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, ready to follow him.

She could feel the scales of the Wyvern beneath her hands, the sharp wind across her face, and she stopped. A coward. She was going to let Xander risk his life for her brother. She wasn't going to help him.

Gwen lay on her bed for the better part of an hour, sobs racking her body. The guilt was too much for her to bear as she sat there, thinking about what Xander was going through.

The guilt of leaving him in the forest in the first place came back to her. She had gone through so much to get to this point; her body was proof of that.

Resolve flooded through Gwen's being as she pushed her aching body off the bed. Quite shaky on her feet, Gwen made her way slowly to where her clothes were piled neatly on the end table. She pulled them on hurriedly, wincing at the feeling of her shirt on her cut up back.

Gwen glanced back and reached for the sword left with her clothes. It was still bloodstained from the fight. Whether it was the previous owner's blood or her own Gwen didn't know, but she took it anyways.

Becoming more alert Gwen was able to make it out of the infirmary steadier on her feet than before. The only place Gwen could think to go was back down to the dungeons, where hopefully the rebels would be held.

Gwen followed the same path that she had when she ran into Xander in the dungeon previously, this time not as afraid of what she would find there. As she reached the heavy doors she heard a low, urgent muttering.

Standing, masked in the shadows stood an angry looking Xander and the guard who had escorted Gwen around the castle, Jennings. They were engaged in a heated debate, voices kept low to avoid attracting attention.

They noticed her long before she reached them, falling silent as she approached. The tension in Xander's shoulders relaxed as he realized that it was her.

"So you decided to help your poor lapdog?" Jennings asked, a note of mockery in his voice.

Gwen looked between the two men quizzically. She had never seen them together before, but now Xander had decided to bring a castle guard into this? Someone who was supposedly undyingly loyal to the crown?

Before she could voice her concerns to Xander he said wearily, "You can trust him Gwen."

Gwen swallowed her protests and nodded, eyeing Jennings coldly.

"Well? Is he in there?" she asked, nodding towards the heavy dungeon doors.

Xander nodded slowly. Before he could speak Gwen bolted for the doors, yanking them open. She was so eager to see her brother she forgot she was angry with him. Tuning out Xander behind her she scanned the room.

Most of the cells seemed to be full of people. They had to have caught over a hundred rebels. It would be a big statement to the kingdom to hang all of these people.

"Gwen?" a hoarse voice called out. She spun around quickly, searching for the speaker. She locked eyes with her brother, who was pressed desperately against the bars, arms outstretched for her.

She rushed to the cell, anger taking hold of her once more. She took hold of his arm like she was going to embrace him. A look of relief passed over his face as he took her in.

Gwen's eyes narrowed and she twisted his arm back against the bars, to the point of almost breaking. He screamed her name out in pain, but she ignored him.

"Traitorous bastard," she growled.