I try to avoid Tryan as much as I can for the next couple of days. I am determined not to let myself get close to him. It would only hurt more. I learn a lot from spending time with Tryan's family. They teach me a lot about love and being a family. Elise teaches me how to cook and Moira teaches me to sew, things I never had to do in my privileged life. Surprisingly, I find that I love doing them and I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't been born a princess.

A letter from Brycen finally arrives one night. I sneak away to the security of my bed, tearing the letter open. I snuggle down in the covers and read Brycen's words and my heart sinks.

Why do you have to be so stubborn, Cecy? I was so worried about you when you left. Why did you have to go and get yourself shot? Father and I have already agreed that the only thing to do is for me to go to Berirind to get the antidote and get it to you as fast as I can. There is nothing you can do to stop me. I will already be gone by the time you read this anyway. I love you so much, Cecy. That is why I have to do this. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. I love you.

Always, Cen

I watch a tear roll down my cheek and stain the spot where Brycen signed his pen name. He is going to Berirind to find the antidote to fix my mistake. The one person I care about most in this world is risking his life to save mine.

"Cecily? What's wrong?" Moira walks into our room and I quickly wipe my eyes and fold up Brycen's letter.

"It's nothing. I just got a letter from my brother." I smile reassuringly. "I miss him."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Cecily. I wish there was something I could do," Moira wraps her arms around me in a sympathetic hug.

"You've already done more than enough. You've been like a best friend to me this past week. I can't ever thank you enough, Moira."

"You don't have to thank me. I've never had a best friend before. It has been nice to have a sister my age for once."

I take a deep breath, thinking through my next decision, and decide to go for it. "Moira, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, of course," she says, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"And by secret I mean this is a life or death secret."

"I promise that it will stay between you and me."

"Okay. Well, I'm not exactly who you think I am. My name isn't Cecily and I'm not just here visiting." I pause, waiting to see if Moira says anything, but she just sits there, patiently waiting for me to continue, so I do. "Okay, I might as well just say it. Moira, I am Princess Elaerya Cecily Rochelle. My father has sent me here to keep me safe. Nobody else can know who I am, but I felt like you should know. I trust you."

Moira studies me with her piercing blue eyes, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her long, blonde hair between her fingers. "Thank you for telling me, Elaerya. I promise I won't tell a soul."

"Please don't treat me any different than you have. I'm still Cecily as far as anyone is concerned." I pause. "There's one more thing." I unwrap my bandaged arm. "On the way here, I got into a little trouble and I got shot with a poison tipped arrow. The letter is from my brother, telling me he is going to get the antidote for me."

"What happens if you don't get the antidote?" Moira asks.

"Well..." I trail off. Moira nods to let me know she understands.

"Thank you so much for trusting me with your secret." She hugs me again and then makes her way to her own bed and snuggles under her blanket.

"Thank you for listening, Moira. I thought you should know in case my brother doesn't make it back with the antidote."

"I pray that he does," Moira whispers. "I don't think any of us could handle losing you, especially Tryan. He really cares about you, you know."

"So I've heard," I mutter.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Goodnight, Moira."

"Goodnight."

I lie there, staring at the ceiling until I can hear Moira's breathing slow. An unwanted tear makes its way down my cheek, inviting more to follow. I can't stop thinking about Brycen. I wonder where he is right now and I hope he is okay. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to him, especially since he is doing this for me. I try to think about something else, but it's no use, so I silently cry myself to sleep.

I feel icy fingers crawl up my left arm and I find myself in a long, dark corridor. Each door I pass has a small window with bars on it and I realize I am in some sort of dungeon. A soft light shines through the bars of a door at the end of the hall and I hurry over to peer through the window and my heart plummets. Brycen! He is huddled in the corner of the cell with his wrists chained to the wall, his head hanging limply. I pull at the latch on the door, surprised to find it unlocked. I rush to Brycen's side and drop to my knees.

"Brycen! Can you hear me?" I take his face in my hands and lift it up. His face is bruised and blood streams from a cut across his forehead. He opens his eyes slightly.

"Elaerya," Brycen whispers faintly. "You have to leave."

"No, Brycen! I won't leave you. Who did this to you?"

"Arden," he breathes.

The icy fingers on my arm turn to flames and I feel myself being pulled away from Brycen.

"No!" I scream, trying to reach for him, but he keeps getting further and further away. "No! Brycen!" The pain in my arm is almost unbearable. I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing the pain would go away.

"Elaerya! Elaerya, wake up!"

I open my eyes and see two pairs of piercing blue eyes looking down at me with concerned looks. Panic flashes through me.

"Where's Brycen? I have to help him!"

"Elaerya, it was just a dream! You're okay now," Tryan says reassuringly.

I sit up, trying to shake off the dream. It felt so real. "But Brycen...he needs help."

Tryan turns to Moira. "Go get her a glass of water please."

She nods, and leaves the room, and Tryan turns back to me.

"Brycen is fine. He is safe back home. Nothing is going to hurt him."

"No, he's not, Tryan. He is in Berirind."

"Why would he be in Berirind, Elaerya? There's no reason for him to be anywhere near there. You were dreaming. It was only a bad dream. That's all."

I shake my head furiously, sobbing, and hand him my letter from Brycen. His eyes widen as he reads the letter. Sobs rack my body and I gasp for air.

"Oh, Elaerya," Tryan whispers. He looks up from the letter, his eyes full of sympathy. "Come here," he says pulling me to him. He wraps his arms around me and I bury my face in his chest and cry until I can't cry anymore. Moira brings a glass of water and a cool cloth and Tryan orders me to sip the water. He gently wipes my face with the cloth and brushes my hair from my eyes. I feel my breathing slow and look up at Tryan.

"Everything is going to be fine," he reassures me and I nod, but I still have a feeling of dread deep in my gut.

My dream was so vivid; so real. What if it wasn't just a dream? What if it was some kind of premonition? Brycen was going into enemy territory and the antidote is probably hidden away behind lock and key. If anything happened to him...well, if anything happened to him, then I would pray that this poison would take me faster.

"Better now, Elaerya?" Tryan asks, then snaps his mouth shut, cautiously eyeing Moira, as if he just realized he has been calling me by my real name.

"It's alright, Tryan," Moira says, placing a hand on her big brother's shoulder. "I already know. Elaerya told me."

Tryan looks at me. "You told her? It was supposed to be a secret. Only your family and I are supposed to know. That's what your father ordered."

"I know, but Granna already found out by herself and I trust Moira. I just wanted her to know before I..." I trail off, unwilling to finish the sentence.

"Before you what? Before you die? We've already been through this. You're not going to die."

"You seem so sure of that, Tryan."

"I am sure."

"How can you? How can you be so sure that I'm not going to die when you refuse to take me to Berirind to get the antidote?" I accuse him. I could tell Tryan didn't like that I had backed him into a corner.

"It's too dangerous to go to Berirind, Elaerya. That's exactly what they'd be expecting."

"Well, just because you say I'm not going to die, doesn't take away the fact that this poison is spreading fast. It's going to kill me, Tryan, unless we do something about it."

"Listen, Elaerya—"

"No, you listen, Tryan!" I interrupt him. "I can feel it! I can feel the poison spreading through me! I can feel myself getting weaker every day."

"Quiet down! You're going to wake everybody up!"

Tryan puts a hand on my shoulder but I yank it off.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, Tryan!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" he cries, holding his hands up defensively.

"Just go back to bed, Tryan. I'm tired. We can talk about this later." I turn my back to Tryan and Moira and lie down, pulling my blanket up to my chin.

"Tryan," I hear Moira whisper, "just leave her."

"Fine. Whatever her highness wishes," he says, coldly.

I hear him leave the room and Moira slides into her bed.

How had I switched to controlling, snobby princess so fast? I hate asserting my power on Tryan, but he is just so frustrating! He refuses to accept the fact that I will die without the antidote, and no matter what I say, I can't convince him that going to Berirind is the only way to save my life.