"Where have you been all night, princess?", Alvina asked.

"In the castle, of course."

"So you were in the castle at dawn too then?", Alfreda joined in.

"Of course, Alfreda. Where would I go so early in the morning? To a hidden cave miles away?", she fake laughed.

"Well, I was thinking more on the lines of a romantic spot you see beside a river perhaps or in the mountains."

"Are you sure your fever is down. You're talking gibberish, isn't she Alvina?", Elizabeth said, quickly picking her clothes and trying to make an escape to the bath chamber.

"And you know what's even more surprising Alvina, Prince Louis was not to be seen in the castle either. Strange coincidence, huh Elizbeth?"

Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks.

"Does anyone else know?", she asked.

"No. No one knew about you since you had already announced your plans to spend the evening reading and not to be disturbed. However prince Louis is said to have been caught in swords-fighting contest and I would have actually believed that if I hadn't come into your chamber to escape the dance and realised you weren't there."

"Alright. I was there. I might have fallen off the bed."

"Elizabeth."

"Alfreda."

She vanished into the bathing chamber successfully evading her friends' questions.

She heard Alfreda going out of the chamber before giving her a last warning – This conversation si not over."

Elizabeth sunk deeper into the water. "God save me.", she muttered.

The water had a real soothing effect on her. All this while she had not appreciated the blessing of water but today as her muscle ache lowly gave away under the effect of the warm water, she felt blessed.

She reviewed the events of the past days. It finally dawned on her she had just fought death her strongest opponent ever and true to her nature she had refused to give up in the face of death.

"It's going to be a difficult road ahead but when did I ever like easy.", she said to herself as she made a line across the water with her hand.

Alvina called out from outside, "Hurry Princess. The archery competition will begin soon."

"Ahh. I had completely forgotten about it."

This was one event that she was actually looking forward to rather than wishing to run away and hide from it.

She picked a blue dress. Picking up a comb she began the task of combing it. Give her swords, daggers even knives and she would handle each with ease but combing her hair was the one task she dreaded. Having dressed herself, she looked into the mirror.

"How do I look, Alvina?"

"Presentable."

"As my maid of honour, shouldn't you be praising me on how good I look no matter how I look?", she said trying to keep straight face.

"Well to utter a lie of such extent would be a pure sin you know. I have to answer to God too."

They both broke out laughing. Alvina looked at her and remembered the first day she joined her service –

"Princess, your maid-of-honour is here."

"Well, let her in then."

"My princess.", she said bowing.

"Oh no none of that. What is your name?"

"Alvina, your highness."

"Call me Elizabeth, please."

"I can't, your highness."

"Alright then. Princess then can we settle on addressing meas Princess then?"

"Of course, your – uh princess."

"That's great."

"Alvina, you may be here as my maid-of-honour but you are a friend to me. "

"Whatever I've heard is true then, princess. In fact your character exceeds all the praises I've ever heard about you."

Alvina looked at how true Elizabeth had stayed to her promises, to the words of her fifteen year self.

"It has been an honour being your maid-in-honour, Elizabeth."

"Why the parting tone, Alvina? I am planning to live a few more years, you know."

"Never fail to crack a joke, do you?"

"Never fail to maintain a serious expression at each of my jokes, do you?"

"Well, they need work."

"Aye, aye captain. Let's go now before mother sends a search party to bring me to the arena."

Archers stood in a line with their bows ready. The Orenians were grand in their preparations, you had to give them that. Flags of Orenia and Tennysria decorated the borders. Blue, green, red – banners of each colour that existed and the ones that didn't exist for Elizabeth till now stood in all their glory.

She walked in with Alvina. Her walk had the confidence of being in a familiar place for an arena was home to her.

The competition had already begun. The royal family was already seated. The queen would not spare her today, she shuddered to think. Each of the warriors had to hit the bull's eye of the target. Archers from far and wide had joined in. It was the greatest archery competition of all time. The best warriors of Orenians and Tennysrians and every other kingdom from far north to down south stood their to prove the glory of their kingdom.

The first warrior hit the first and second target with precision. However he failed to hit the third which was a moving target.

Elizabeth took her seat beside Princess Jane. She dared not look at the queen.

"How is mother?", She asked Jane.

"Do not worry. I covered up for you."

"What am I ever going to do without you?"

"Get caught every time?"

"Well played sister."

Many archers followed. The ones that hit all the three targets joined the winner's camp while the one that failed to do so returned to the stands. The last warrior stood in the arena now. The sun was beginning to set. The first round would soon come to an end. The archer positioned his bow. He took an arrow out of his quiver and aimed. Elizabeth noticed the strength of his arms, the steadiness of his position. He was an archer of skill and experience, that was for sure.

Elizabeth realised it a moment before everyone else did. The look in the eyes of the archer had betrayed him. It happened in one swift motion. He had abruptly changed his aim, pointed it towards her and released the arrow without delay with utmost perfection. He did all this so soon that it had completely taken all the soldiers present there with decades of experience by surprise.

The arrow had hit Jane. Elizabeth had only been able to manage push Jane so that the arrow didn't strike her heart but struck her right shoulder instead.

"No! Jane.", she screamed.

"The prophecy shall never come true. The skill and mystery of Tennysria and Orenia shall never combine.", with this, the soldier had ingested a capsule of poison before the soldiers could reach him.

She looked at Louis. Was their secret out? But why had they not tried to kill her then?

A look of sudden comprehension appeared in Louis' eyes.

"They believe the prophecy is about the child of Princess Jane and Prince Louis. They do not target us. They tried to kill Princess Jane to eliminate the possibility of their child.", he whispered into her ear.

"They will pay.", Elizabeth promised Jane as she looked into her closing eyes.