The people are lined up on the streets as Asdagh and I ride through the city. I smile widely and nod in their direction, but notice that Asdagh only politely smiles. I'm not sure why. These citizens, they're so welcoming and they're in excellent form! I don't see more than one or two beggars, and while most clothes and buildings are modest and simple, they are hardly faded or in any state of disrepair. How very unlike Amrach...

"Princess," Asdagh says, reaching over the foot- wide space between us and touching my shoulder. I turn to face him. "This way, past the Red Cathedral."

"Red Cathedral?" The windows are stained glass with shades of red, but no more than any other pattern I've seen. The stones are the palest grey and the road and sidewalk by the huge building is cloud- coloured cobblestones.

"Yes, it's quite the story."

We turn past the looming turrets and flying colors of the ancient stone building, towards a less crowded, but still lined, street. I smile, wave. "Tell me. I really do have to become acquainted with my soon- to- be country."

"That's been a main focus of yours, hasn't it?" He chuckles and straightens out the reins.

"It'll be my responsibility soon, to know it. What good can I do if I don't truly know who I'm serving?"

"You have a good point."

"Anyways, tell me the story behind this Red Cathedral."

He looks ahead and smiles at the cheering people before beginning somberly. "A couple hundred years ago, there was a rebellion. The queen at the time was cruel and so the people protested the laws. Destroying farmland, burning buildings, killing the nobles. When her son came of age, he was supposed to take the throne, but was killed before he could do that. However, after it was suspected- very, very widely believed, too- that the queen had killed her son to retain power, the people marched to the cathedral- to this side here, actually," he says, pointing a few feet behind us. "They arrayed at the palace to kill the queen and rule themselves with a democracy, but the queen was prepared and sent out her troops. Every single man, woman, and child in the protesting crowd was killed. Kellen's Rebellion, that's what it's called, after the murdered prince. And so this is the Red Cathedral, for the blood of the angry men that were killed here."

"That's awful." How could things so horrible, so bloody, happen right where sparkling stones are set now? Would I have liked to see them stained with blood, like my father's chamber floor that terrible night-?

I shudder at the thought. What's past is past, and we can't change it any more than we can turn the sky green. I can't think of my father's death, not of the phantom shadow I saw in my window.

"Are you alright, my lady? You just suddenly got very pale..." He looks concerned, but I put a smile back on my face for the crowds that just just thinner as we head towards the lake's shore.

"I apologize, I was just remembering... it's awfully hard to believe that something like that could have happened here."

"It was a very long time ago. Three hundred years at least."

I am silent. The crowds are gone, and a palace escort I did not see earlier opens the gate to the shore. "How did Kellen's Rebellion end?" I ask quietly.

Asdagh pulls back on the reins. The horse throws its head back and flares its nostrils and being stopped but quickly begins to munch on the tall grass by the wall as Asdagh ties the chestnut stallion to a tree. He outs out his hand to help me dismount and I take it. "It was a draw of sorts, I suppose. I don't know how, really, but Queen Noire made it out alive and the people did receive some level of compromise. So there was no winner and no loser. Just a lot of bloodshed and not a lot gained from it."

I stand next to him looking over the lake, sparkling in the morning sun. We are silent for a few minutes, Asdagh and I, as I stand pondering what I've just learned of this country. I suppose that Amrach has its share of Red Cathedrals, but I never learned about them. Father and then Finen never wanted me to learn of the history from the kingdom I was born in... they said I'd get attached to it. And I'm very glad I don't feel anything for the city of my birth, but here, on Larch Island, I'm allowed to become close to something for once in my life. When I leave this beautiful place, the sparkling waters and the clear blue sky, I'll be pining for it until I come back for good. I'm very glad it'll be for good.

*****

A familiar feminine laugh breaks into the silence of the morning. Asdagh and I had been sitting on the shore, talking about something I can't recall now that it's over. Soon a couple comes into view- a dark haired, olive- skinned girl clad like a baroness, and a young man that can only be dressed as a prince. It's Jennis and Devon, no doubt about it.

Asdagh and I look at them in slight annoyance.

"Apologies, brother," called Prince Devon. "And fiancee of brother, greetings."

"Hello," I reply, laughing. They both have such silly grins on their faces, it's ridiculous. Jennis has her arm linked through the prince's and he rests a hand on her arms and it's so adorable that I don't know what to say. 

"We didn't mean to bother you, Nivh... your highness. We'll be going on now." Jennis giggles as she speaks and she looks up at Devon adoringly.

...what? She's fallen hard and she's fallen fast. It's probably sleep deprivation, seeing as she was up so early this morning.

They walk off, chatting at a rapid-fire speed. I look at Asdagh and we burst out laughing. 

"You should keep your brother under control," I joke. "Soon I'll have no ladies left!"

*****

As I sit in my chambers that evening after supper, unbraiding my hair, I remember Asdagh's words from our day together. He was so intent on the economy, the buildings, the kingdom's infrastructure, but he didn't say much about the people's welfare. After my experience with the traitors, I understand them somewhat, if nothing else. Besides, I'm supposed to be one of them now. It'll look wonderful to them if I put myself on the side of the people first thing.

I gaze out the window at the wide lake, still tinged with sunset fire, when a shadow catches my attention.

It is a wraith again- a phantom of the same build as the one I saw kill my father. It must be the same assassin.

My heart quickens as the cloaked shadow pushes two guards aside. He cannot see me- though my window is open, I am hidden behind the curtain and sheltered by the night.

Through an open window the phantom enters the palace. No. This will not happen again.

A realization- my mouth runs dry:

The shadow is coming for me.