It takes most of the morning to make it through the pass through the Bedivold Mountains, but the view that greets us on the other side is spectacular.

"Wow," I gasp, taking in the blue ocean lapping at the feet of a small village.

"I know. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Breathtaking. I can't believe you left here."

"I had bigger dreams in the capital," he shrugs.

"Where does your family live?"

"Right down there," he points to a little farm nestled in the foothills of the mountains.

"Let's go then!" I say, pushing Scarlet forward.

Tryan takes us down a path that winds its way down the edge of the mountain to the farm. It is quiet except for the laughter of two little girls playing outside. When they see us, their faces light up.

"Tryan!" one of them yells. "Mama, Tryan is home!"

Tryan jumps off Sunny and scoops the two girls up in his arms.

"Surprise!" he laughs. "And I brought a friend."

I swing my leg over Scarlet and slide to the ground.

"Lyza. Lycia. This is my friend Cecily."

Oh, right. I forgot that I have to be someone else now.

"Cecily, these are my twin sisters Lyza and Lycia. They are ten."

"Nice to meet you," I say, giving my best smile. They remind me of older versions of Jenisyn, except they have dark hair and hazel eyes.

"Are you a princess?" One of them, Lycia, I think, asks me. I freeze momentarily. "You are too pretty to be anything else."

I laugh nervously. "No, I'm not a princess. But I do know her."

"Cecily's father is a knight in the king's army," Tryan tells the girls. "She is around the castle a lot."

"But your big brother is friends with the princess and her family," I tell them with a smile. 

"Wow, Tryan! That is so neat!" says Lyza.

"Is Princess Elaerya as beautiful as everyone says she is?" Lycia asks.

Tryan's eyes meet mine. "She is even more beautiful then everyone says."

I hear the front door of the house open and look up to see a small woman with short blonde hair come out.

"Tryan! You're home!" The woman wraps her arms around Tryan, and then pats Sunny on the nose. "Hey there, Sunny boy."

"Mother, this is my friend, Cecily."

The woman looks at me and smiles a sweet smile.

"Hello, Cecily. It is so nice to meet you. I'm Elise, Tryan's mother."

"It's nice to meet you, too," I smile, thinking of Jenisyn. Elise is one of her names. My mother always loved the name Elise. "We brought some rabbit and squirrel. We were hoping it would help with the extra mouths you have to feed now." I hold out my bag of game for Elise to take.

"Why thank you, Cecily! I will make a marvelous rabbit stew for us tonight."

"Mama, where is Moira?" Tryan asks, looking around.

"Moira went into town with Granna today."

"Granna's here?"

"Yes. She had to leave Ramden a few weeks ago because the war in Tycia was just too close. Now, why don't we get you two settled. Tryan will show you to the stables to put up your horse, Cecily. She is beautiful."

"Thank you, ma'am," I say.

"Please, call me Elise."

The stable is small, only about ten stalls, but it is cozy. We get Scarlet and Sunny settled in their stalls, throw our traveling packs over our shoulders, and head up to the house. My mind wanders back to when Tryan told Lycia I was beautiful. I promised myself that I wouldn't let myself be distracted. He was only being nice, but then what was that look in his eyes?

"After you," Tryan says, holding the door to the house open.

"Why, thank you," I smile.

"I wish I would have known you two were coming," Elise says when we come in. "With Tryan's grandmother coming to live with us, I'm afraid we don't have a guest room for you, Cecily. You will have to sleep in Moira's room. I just put down a mattress for you."

"I don't mind, Elise. I'm just grateful for a bed to sleep in," I say, slightly adjusting the left sleeve of my tunic, which exposes my bandaged arm. Elise gasps.

"Cecily, you're hurt! Why didn't you say anything? What happened?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just got a...cut in the woods, but Tryan took really good care of me."

I felt bad for lying, but I can't exactly tell her the truth without raising a lot of questions.

Elise looks at me warily. "Well, if you're sure you're alright."

"I'm sure," I give her a reassuring smile. "It's not too bad."

"Alright, then, Tryan, will you show Cecily to Moira's room please?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's right up the stairs, Cecily."

I follow Tryan up the stairs to a little room off the landing.

"Well, here it is," Tryan says, pushing the door open. "I know it's a bit smaller than what you're used to," he whispers.

"It's much better than sleeping outside," I laugh. The room is small, but cozy. There is a bed against one wall and a mattress against the opposite wall. A night stand is by Moira's bed and a dresser is by the door, and an easel and stool sit in front of the window between the two beds. But what caught my eye was the view over the ocean.

"Oh, look!" I say, rushing over to it.

"I know. We were always jealous of Moira's view of the sea, but she is a painter so we think of the view as her inspiration. I have an equally spectacular view of the mountains. Come see."

I follow him through the door directly across the hall. Tryan's room surprises me. I don't know what I was expecting really. There is one bed in the corner, a night stand and dresser, like Moira's room, but on a shelf on the wall are little tiny figurines; knights it looks like.

"Are these yours?" I ask, picking up a knight on a horse.

"I've had those since I was a little boy. My father brought a few back for me every time he came home. He was one of your father's knights, you know."

"No, I didn't know that. What happened to your father?"

"He was killed when I was about thirteen. Lyza and Lycia don't remember him. They were only one. He was the reason I went to the capital to train to be a knight. I always wanted to be a knight like him and make my family proud."

"They are proud of you, Tryan. I can tell by the way they look at you and talk about you."

"Thank you," Tryan smiles. I look over his shoulder.

"You weren't joking about your view!" I say, moving to stand beside him at the window. The mountains were beautiful, standing as majestic guardians of the little village.

"If you need me at all, now you know where to find me." We hear voices downstairs. "I think Granna and Moira are home," Tryan says, leading the way down the stairs. A tall girl with long blonde hair meets Tryan at the bottom.

"Tryan! I'm so glad you are home!"

"I've missed you, Moira," he says, hugging her.

"This must be your friend Cecily from the capital," Moira says. "Mama already told me. I'm Moira, Tryan's sister."

"Nice to meet you, Moira. I hope you don't mind me sleeping in your room with you."

"Oh, no. I love company," Moira smiles and her piercing blue eyes light up. Tryan's eyes. They must have gotten their eye color from their father. Elise has hazel eyes, just like Lyza and Lycia.

"Moira is eighteen; right around your age," Tryan says, to me. "Cecily just turned nineteen a few days ago."

"Well, happy late birthday, Cecily!" Elise calls from the kitchen. "I will have to make something special for dessert!"

"You had better come give your grandmother a kiss, young man," says a voice behind us. I turn to see an elderly woman with long gray hair and the same piercing blue eyes as Tryan standing with her arms outstretched. Tryan goes to give her a kiss.

"Hello, Granna. It's good to have you here."

"Well, it's good to be here. Who is this pretty young lady you have brought with you?"

Tryan pulls me over to her. "Granna, this is my friend Cecily. Her father is a knight in the king's army."

"Well, aren't you a beauty," Granna says and I blush. "How do you know Tryan? Are you two together?"

"Oh, no! We're just friends!" We both splutter.

"Of course," Granna says, giving a knowing smile. Her eyes linger on my necklace. "What a beautiful necklace!" she says. "Did Tryan give it to you?"

"No. My brother gave it to me for my birthday. He calls me Cecy." I smile, just thinking about Brycen. I don't know why Granna keeps hinting that there is anything between me and Tryan. There isn't anything at all and even if there was, my father would never allow it. Granna nods as if deciding something, and then moves to sit in the rocker by the fireplace. "You are lucky to have such a special young man in your life."

I nod, but I can't help thinking about Tryan as she says it.