The princess and her guard made their way down the empty corridor. This passageway was short and merely a branch off the labyrinth of the corridors in the castle. Corrington Castle had been built many centuries ago, back when the kingdom was still unstable and going through an extensive period of war. The castle's designers had obviously made it with the intention of confusing any enemies or raiders that dared attack it. Nowadays, all it did was serve to confuse people that had lived there for years. Aliana and Iora were not impervious to the confusion despite Aliana having grown up in the castle. As they made their way through the corridor, at times they would have to pause and think about where to go next. Other times they would have brief arguments about which way to turn.

The few people they passed were servants, who gasped in surprise and bowed when they saw Aliana. The distraught princess barely noticed any of them. She kept her eyes locked on the ground, taking swift strides. A frown troubled her delicate lips and her brow was deeply crinkled, tears sparkled in her tender green eyes. All her attention was focused on keeping those stubborn tears at bay, which was a very tedious task indeed for the young lady.

After taking several turns and descending a long, winding staircase, the young ladies arrived at a small, square courtyard surrounding a luxurious flower garden. It was a beautiful space, reserved only for the princess. Every member of the royal family, for the past three centuries, had their own garden, where they could retreat for isolation; no one else was allowed it without special consent. Aliana had inherited this particular garden from her paternal aunt that had died ten years before her birth. Only minor alterations had been made.

A ring of towering, thick shrubs surrounded the covered breezeway that traced the garden's perimeter blocking the view into the secret garden, only allowing entrance in one area: a slender path that went through an elegant bronze gate. Beyond the gate and shrubs, the outer perimeter was filled with flowers of endless species and color. It was a stunning sight - roses fading through every color of the rainbow guarded by yellow daisies, purple orchids nestled in between the white lilies, and dozens upon dozens of other magnificent arrangements - and made the enclosed area feel much larger and open. Aliana knew each flower species by heart, and lovingly tended to them as often as she could. She watered them, using a pail and a water pump in the corner; it was some of the only hard labor she ever did, the only hard labor which she relished.

The central attraction of the garden, though, was the oak tree that grew strong and proud in the very center. For centuries it had stood there, weathering violent storms, unbearable heat, and frosty winters. It was almost 80 feet tall, with a thick trunk and powerful roots that slithered along the ground. Aliana loved the tree and at its base was where she buried her brother's necklace in a small, ornate wooden box she had custom made.

When their mother died, she left behind two necklaces for Aliana: one a beautiful string of pearls and the other a simple, metal chain with a sapphire dangling in the center. Four-year-old Aliana was taken with the pearl necklace, but didn't care for the sapphire one. Not wanting to offend their mother's memory, Jasper took the rejected necklace. He wore it wherever he went, under his robes close to his heart. The only time it left him was when it was removed from his dead body by Aliana at the funeral.

Jasper had been one of the few souls allowed in her garden. After all, it was he who taught her how to nourish the flowers and help them grow. With him there, the flowers were more beautiful and the sun shone brighter. Aliana thought it would be touching to have a small part of him here to forever brighten up the garden. She had been tempted to bury her pearl necklace along with the sapphire one, but had decided against it because she loved the necklace too dearly to part with it, wanting to continue to keep her mother close to her heart. That necklace now served as a reminder of her brother as well.

Aliana walked towards the tree, almost as if in a trance. Her delicate feet never once dared to stray from the narrow path, lest the flowers that lined it be trampled. The day already had a slight nip to it, but the temperature dropped another ten degrees as she stepped under the oak's shade. She looked up at the massive branches looming over her head; on a day where she felt like herself, she would climb to the very top.

It was a while before she came to her senses and realized she was alone in the garden. Blinking, she looked around for Iora. She sighed when she saw her standing at the gate.

"Are you not going to come in?" The princess' voice was tired and deflated.

Iora firmly shook her head. "It is forbidden, your Highness."

Aliana lifted her arm and pointed to the castle walls that lifted high above her garden. "There are numerous vantage points from where someone could kill me. By staying at the gate, you are putting me in danger." Iora had not been her guard for very long, only since her father died two days ago. For all her life she had gone without a guard, and even still felt Iora was unnecessary. Though her father was always surrounded by guards, he clearly commanded them and they, in turn, clearly honored him. She feld no such relationship with Iora partially due to the woman being only one guard and partially because she was a woman. Their relationship had been thereby strained from the onset.

Aliana could see the Iora's internal struggle. The guard knew that she was supposed to be no more than ten feet away from Aliana always, but it was also forbidden for her to enter the garden uninvited. She quickly grew annoyed by Iora's indecision and said, "Just enter. I give you my permission."

Iora bowed swiftly. "I am most honored." She took a step into the garden; she was only the fifth person other than Aliana to do so in many years.

Aliana kept a sharp eye on the guard's feet. "I feel the need to warn you that, should you so much as brush against one of my precious flowers, you will no longer be around to protect me because you will be dead."

Iora said nothing at first, but Aliana noticed that her stride became slower and her footfalls lighter. Slowly, she made her way over to Aliana, keeping her eyes trained on the sky the whole time. "I would not recommend that you stay out here for very long, your highness. You were right to say this is a vulnerable area."

"I am safe." Aliana fanned out her dress and sat on the ground next to her beloved tree. Her dress would most likely get dirt on it, but this was the only place to sit. The bench that originally occupied this garden had long ago been covered in ivy, and she had been too lazy to request that a new bench be placed in the garden. The laundry servants were plenty used to getting dirt stains out of her dresses for just that reason. "This garden will protect me," she continued to insist. "I have given it the most tender of care my entire life. The love that is here is strong, made only stronger by the link to my ancestry and my mother and brother."

"This garden is not a sentient being," Iora said matter-of-factly. "It cannot protect you like I can."

"At least it is less annoying than you."

"I am only doing my job. Please just accept the fact that you are stuck with me."

Aliana didn't speak. Instead she leaned forward and placed both her palms flat against the ground. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her lungs were quickly filled with sweet, fresh air and her head managed to clear ever so slightly. She realized she had been a fool to not come out to the garden as soon as she heard what had happened to her father. This garden possessed a certain magic, one that could fill Aliana back with life again. She was in desperate need of such magic now. It had been years since she had last felt its intensity - not since the death of her brother, and her mother before that. The memory of that enchantment filled her now, causing her hurt to burn more intensely with grief while simultaneously being healed from the intense love.

She stayed that way on the ground for what felt like hours, breathing in, breathing out. With renewed inner strength, Aliana finally sat up, brushed off her hands, and climbed slowly to her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Iora staring at her questioningly. "What are you looking at?" she asked defensively.

Iora lowered her gaze. "Nothing, your highness."

Aliana shook her head. "If you do not mind, I need to water my plants."

"May I assist you?"

"Absolutely not! I am the only one I allow to get near my beloved plants. Just stay put and watch for any assassins."

"But of course." Iora understood why the princess treating her with such contempt, but it hurt nonetheless. Both women feared that Aliana could be the next target of the unknown assassin. Both had a heavy weight upon their shoulders, a weight caused by the death of their cherished king and by the intense need to protect the young princess.

Shaking her head, the princess walked the path to the back of the garden where the rusted water pump sat. She took up the wooden pail and began the laborious process of pumping water. It had been three days since she herself watered those plants. Once her father died, she found it difficult to even rise out of bed, let alone come to the garden. Thankfully, a rain shower had passed just yesterday, saving her precious darlings. She was beginning to feel guilty for putting her own sadness in front of their well-being. She knew if the rain had not fallen, the gardener would have watered them, but that was little comfort to her.

When the pail was full to the brim with mucky water, Aliana turned and tossed it onto the nearest clump of flowers. She then turned back around and continued pumping water. She would have to repeat this process dozens more times to water the entirety of the garden; it normally took over an hour. But this time she would not be able to do so uninterrupted; Aliana was not quite halfway through watering the garden when she heard a voice from outside the perimeter.

"Princess! Are you in the garden princess?" It was a man's voice, older and gruff.

Aliana recognized the voice as that of Councilman Alderexis. To Iora, who had a tight grip on her sheathed sword, she said, "Do not draw your blade. I know this person." To the councilman, she called, "I am in here Councilman. You may enter."

Seconds later, the older man appeared around the shrub and in the gateway. He bowed when he saw the young princess. "I had a feeling I would find you here," he said with a knowing smile. Calmly, he began to walk the garden path. The councilman was the only person not related to Aliana welcomed in the garden before she had allowed Iora in today.

Aliana returned the smile to her older friend and wiped the beads of sweat off her brow. "To what do I owe this visit, Mordeccai?"

"You are needed-" His words immediately stopped when he laid eyes on Iora, who was half-hidden in the shade of the oak. "She is not allowed in here!"

Iora seemed to bristle at his hostile words and placed her hand back on her sword hilt. She dared not speak out against the councilman, but her eyes were harsh.

Aliana saw the tension and waved her hand nonchalantly. "You know Iora, Mordeccai. She is the guard that was assigned to me. I invited her in here so she could properly ensure my safety."

He relaxed slightly, but kept a wary eye on the guard. Finally, he turned his attention back to Aliana. "As I was trying to say, Princess, it is time for the Council meeting. It will be starting soon and your presence is required. We poor councilmen have been looking everywhere for you."

Aliana gasped. "It is about to start?"

Councilman Alderexis nodded gravely.

"I lose track of time so easily. Forgive me. Of course, I will come with you. I am so sorry to have been an inconvenience." She bowed deeply in apology and began brushing dirt off her dress. "I must say I look a mess."

"You are no inconvenience, your highness. I know you are going through a lot right now and are not in the proper state of mind, if you do not mind me saying. I understand that this meeting will be difficult for you."

Aliana patted down her ratty hair. "I will be fine. Let us not tarry anymore, for we must already be late."

"Of course." He bowed again and turned around to walk out of the garden. "Allow me to lead the way. Shall I take you back to your room so that you may quickly tidy up beforehand? I will tell the other Councilmen to delay the meeting for a few minutes."

"If it is not too much of a bother, I would greatly appreciate that."

"For you, nothing is a bother." Mordeccai had been a dear friend of her father's and Aliana felt to him almost as if she were his own daughter. He fondly remembered playing tag and hide-and-seek with her in this very garden. He had watched her grow through the awkward years into a blossoming young lady.

Aliana set her pail down at the pump and began following the Councilman out of the garden. As she passed Iora, she said, "I doubt that you will be allowed into the council meeting. I may finally get my reprieve of you."

She heard a soft, sarcastic snort come from Iora. "You may not be that lucky, your Highness. I was assigned to you, and told to go with you everywhere. Surely, the councilmen will understand my presence."

"I do not like you," Aliana sighed, shutting the garden gate. She followed Councilman Alderexis down the covered breezeway. Although the temperature was not high, the shade felt comforting after watering the plants for so long.

"I am not here for you to like me. I am here to keep you alive."

~~~~~~~

Hello there! Thank you so much for reading Chapter 2 and I hope you enjoyed it. I want to give a special shout out to wingedoak who wrote this chapter with me. She is my new co-writer and an all around amazing author.