Saphira awoke with a start as she sprang upright in her bed. She couldn't remember much from last night. Her thoughts were too foggy. The only thing she could recall was Micah had dropped her off at her door, she changed into her nightgown, and then... she was waking up in her bed. 

   Saphira glanced around her chamber recognizing that her faithful companion wasn't around this morning. Where could that dog be? It wasn't like him to skip out on waking his favorite person. He hadn't skipped a single day since her brother died. She tried pushing the thought from her mind thinking that he was probably around the back of the castle already playing in the gardens. 

   Saphira had to force herself to leave the warm comfort of her blankets. She began to swing her feet to the edge of the bed when she noticed that some sort of outfit lay in the chair in front of her vanity. She squinted her eyes as she pushed herself forward in the bed, her feet landing on the cold granite flooring. Saphira slowly shuffled over toward her chair, picked up the outfit in both her hands and grunted.

   In her hands, she held a light yellow, A-line gown that was adorned with minuscule pearls covering the bottom half of the dress. She had lace for sleeves, lining her hem, and decorating the top around her collar. A beautiful crimson bow wrapped around her waist and tied in the back.

   Saphira rolled her eyes at the monstrosity in her hands. "Mother," she groaned. She grunted and threw the dress back down in her chair. As she began to walk toward her mirror, her foot ran up against something causing her to trip. She looked down at her feet to realize that her Mother had also placed out a pair of ruby red slippers.

   "Nope!" she said quickly as she threw her hand toward the shoes and turned her head away. "I understand the dress, but we did not agree on the heels." She rightened herself, straightened her nightgown, and walked over to her washing bowl to clean her face.

   Saphira wiped her face with her silk towel and placed the palm of her hands on the edges of the table as she stared at herself in the mirror— she was trying to think of a way to get out of wearing that silly gown.

   A light bulb went off in her head as her eyes lit up in excitement. "I'll go riding! To the coast even!" she said excitedly. "Mother cannot make me wear a gown down there. She wouldn't want me to get it ruined by all the sand."

   Saphira swiftly put on a brown split-skirt and light blue tunic. She slipped on her gray boots and pulled her hair back into a low bun. She then studied herself in the mirror once more.

    Saphira thrust her hands on her hips. "Now that's more like it!" She grabbed a satchel that was lying beside her on the table and quickly took off out of her chamber. She ran down the stairs and through the halls hoping no one would stop her. She stopped when she realized the dining chamber was coming up.

   Saphira had to be sneaky if she didn't want to explain to her Mother why she was dressed this way. She crept to the doors and peeked her head around the corner. Both her parents were sitting at the table eating breakfast. She waited until both her parents looked to their plates before she took her opportunity and tried to tip-toed past the opened door.

   "Saphira!" she heard her Mother's stern and loud voice

   Saphira gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes. "Shoot!" she whispered to herself, punching the air. She tried to put on a brave smile before cheerfully stepping into the chamber. She knew her Mother was definitely going to be very angry with her and she couldn't help but lower her head as Aithusa's piercing eyes glared at her.

   "Darling, what is this?" Aithusa tried asking not in a panicked tone. "We had a deal that you would dress like a princess today if I allowed you to wear those ridiculous clothes yesterday." The Queen placed down her fork and stood to her feet, her chair screeching as it moved backward. "Upstairs right now, young lady. Let's get you in that gorgeous dress I picked out for you." She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and began to push her out of the chamber.

   "Aithusa, please," Edwin began calmly, looking up from some papers. "I think our daughter looks stunning in the clothes she has on."

   Aithusa smirked and shook her head. "Nobody asked for your opinion, Edwin," she told him still pushing Saphira toward the door. "She needs to start looking more like a lady and not a boy."

   "Mother, wait," Saphira said anxiously, moving away from her Mother's hand. "I was going to go to the coast this morning. I can't wear a gown down there. The sand will stick to the fabric."

   Aithusa suddenly reached out and gripped her daughters wrist tightly. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you back out there after what happened yesterday?" she replied to her daughter's comment as she clasped her wrist tighter pulling her toward the stairs. "You are going to wear that dress today."

   Edwin abruptly jumped from his seat, his hands still resting on the table. "Aithusa, this is nonsense!" He hated watched his wife treat their daughter this way. "You're overreacting. I know what happened yesterday was horrific, but you can't make Saphira do something she doesn't want to."

   Aithusa flung her head back toward her husband, anger painted her face. "Just watch me, Edwin. There's a sorceress still on the loose who was after our daughter and now you're wanting me to let her go back out there?" She turned to her daughter. "If you ever want to ride again then I suggest you obey your Mother and go put on that gown."

   "Okay, okay," Saphira said agreeing, trying to break free from her the Queen's death grip. "But why can't I go to the coast now, and when I return, I'll put on the gown?"

   "It sounds like a good deal to me," Edwin said rather harshly as he sat back down in his seat "Face it, Aithusa. You're not going to get her to wear the dress for the entire day." He sucked in a deep breath calming himself down before chuckling at the two ladies he was blessed to have. "Saphira is just not that kind of princess." He paused. "And neither of us can keep her locked up inside the castle for protection. She's a teenage girl. We have to let her live her life."

   Aithusa huffed heavily before she finally let Saphira go. She thrust her hands on her hips as she stared at her daughter, who rub her sore wrist. "Unfortunately, you're right." Her eyes softened when she noticed water forming in her daughters eyes. She lowered her hands back down to her sides and nodded her head. "Alright," she said softly. "Go ahead."

   The water cleared in Saphira's eyes as she leaped for joy. "Yes!" she shouted happily. Her Mother reached out and embraced her daughter hoping Saphira would see how sorry she was for the way she treated her.

   Saphira returned the embrace as she spoke, "I'll be home around this afternoon. Then I promise... I'll put the dress on." She let go of her Mother and took off racing down the stairs to the courtyard.

   "Be safe!" Aithusa and Edwin called out in unison.

    Aithusa turned her head to see her husband burst out in laughter. She, herself, couldn't help but grin.

   Saphira ran through the village down the cobblestone path to the royal stables. She opened the barn door, and it squeaked on its hinges as the rays from Arie poured in. She walked down the stalls to her beautiful horse, Philly, whose white coat sparkled in the sunlight. She was so thankful the Knights had been able to track him down last night— the tracks must have been easy to follow.

   Saphira unlatched the hook that clasped the door and stall together. She stepped inside and petted Philly on the nose first before traveling down his neck and to his back. "You can be such a bad boy at times," she told her faithful pet. "You're so stubborn!" She couldn't keep a chuckle from escaping her lips. "How can suck a fearless horse be scared of a little snake?"

   Saphira quickly saddled her horse with all the necessary equipment before emerging from the stables on his back. Philly reared up on to his hide legs as a motion that looked like he was thankful to feel the fresh air again.

   "Come on, boy!" Saphira said with a slight kick to Philly's side.

   Philly immediately took off down the cobbled pathway into the forest following the direction of his master's tug. Saphira was so thankful her parents hadn't made a Knight come along this time. Not that it was a bad idea, especially after what happened yesterday, but she needed to get away and be alone with her thoughts.

   It didn't take very long to get to the coast. It felt like a short fifteen, twenty minutes— at least she wasn't walking.

   Saphira tugged inward toward her stomach on Philly's reigned making him cease his run. Saphira leaped off Philly's back and tied him up against a low hanging branch on a tree. She then slipped off her gray boots to make it easier to walk in the squishy sand and the rushing waves. She sat her boots beside the tree she had tied Philly up to and took off running into the sand.

   She jumped straight into the water and ran in the waves following alongside the coast. She kicked up water as she passed by and bent down to pick up water in her cupped hands. She launched the water high into the air and it sprinkled down on her head. She loved the ocean! It was her favorite place to be in all the realm. She never wanted to leave.

   Saphira began to slow down to a simple walk. She still continued down the coastline but stayed in the water up to her ankles. She loved the feeling of the sand and how it sunk in between her toes with every step.

   Saphira turned to look out into the deep blue and beyond. She wondered what it would be like to sail these waters. She had always dreamt about it.

   Memories suddenly began flooding her mind of the past day. The sorceress, Micah's sickness, Saphira's strange powers... her mind stopped on the part about herself.

   Saphira slowly turned her head downward as she lifted her hands. The hands that had healed Micah's sickness, that hands that glowed, the hands that let off a burst of light. What was going on with her?

   She remembered the old physician's words. That this was some sort of power? That every royal had something like this? How could that possibly be? That was ridiculous!

   As she studied her hands, they suddenly began to glow a faint yellow like they had done before... right before that burst of light that had drained her of all her energy. Saphira shook her hands in the air trying to get the glowing to stop. "Go away!" she shouted.

   Saphira suddenly heard what sounded like a grunt coming from behind her. Whatever it was, it must have heard her scream. She pulled her hands in close to her chest as the yellow glow died away. What was that sound? She was too afraid to turn around. Would it be the sorceress coming after her again?

   She swiftly flung herself around, water spraying all over her. There was no one there— no one that she could see at least. So what was the noise? As she began to turn herself back toward the water, she noticed something strange out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head toward what she saw to see what looked like a body lying in the sand a short distance away from her.

   Saphira's eyes grew wide at the sight. What if it was one of her people? What if they were hurt? She took off running again toward the body; sand being kicked into the air behind her as she ran. Just as she almost reach whoever this was, she stopped.

   Their was something different about this person that Saphira didn't like. Their hair and clothing were darker, and their skin was even somewhat tanner. There was something all too strange about them that Saphira didn't even want to get close to them. But when had she ever turned away from someone in need? Even if there was something incredibly off about this person, she couldn't turn away if they were hurt.

   Saphira carefully crept the rest of the way toward the body afraid they were going to jump up and grab her. She knelt down beside the person— who she now knew was a boy that looked her age— and rolled him over from off his side. She gulped loudly knowing that he was most definitely not from her Kingdom.

   Saphira decided to search him for some sort of identification. There had to be something on him that would let her know he was. But she couldn't find anything. The only thing that gave her a hint of who he was was the crescent pin on his chest which was that of a silver half moon. Saphira knew about the Kingdom across the ocean by the name of Nara— the moon— and he was obviously from there. This was a Dark Being lying on her shores.

   "Sir?" Saphira said softly, poking him in the arm. "Can you hear me?" He didn't move, but she did hear an extremely soft grunt that sounded a lot like the one before.

   Saphira scooted her hand under his head to try to get him to sit up to see if that would wake him. As she raised him to a sitting position, her hand ran against a warm substance mixed in with his dark hair. She rested his head against her chest to see what she had touched. She withdrew her hand from his head to see that her fingertips were coated with a crimson red liquid.

   "Blood," she whispered. She gently placed his head back down into the sand to examine him. "Okay, so it might take a little more than that to get you up on your feet again."

   What was she going to do? She couldn't leave him here. What if an animal attacked him? Or someone else wanted to kill him for being the supposed enemy? She couldn't leave him here to die. Who knows how long he had been on this coast. Hours? Days?

   Saphira tried to think. I don't know where I'd be able to hide him, she thought to herself. There are too many servants in the castle to keep him safely hidden, and my chambers are definitely off limits. She suddenly gasped as a thought popped into her brain. "I got it!" she cried out loud.

   Saphira climbed to her feet and walked in front of the boy, her feet where the boys head lie. She shifted her hands under his arms and hoisted him upward. He was way too heavy for her to try to carry. "Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way," she said. She began to drag the boy in the sand toward her white stead. A trail of parted sand was left as she dragged him.

   Getting him up on her horse was going to be the most difficult part. She let him rest back down into the grass as she tried to figure some way to lift him on to Philly's back. Saphira grunted at the only option she could think of.

   "Bridal style it is," she told the unconscious boy with a huff. She placed her hands under his back and legs and lifted upward. She strained her back just trying to get off the ground. Now came the hard part... lifting him up higher. "Oh my word, you are one heavy guy."

   Philly acted like he knew Saphira was struggling and began to lie down on all fours so his Master wouldn't have to lift so high. Saphira smiled at her stead as she panted. "You always know what I need, Philly," she thanked.

   It took a few tries, but Saphira was finally able to get him on Philly's back. He rested over the side of Philly with his arms and head dangling downward on one side and his feet on the other.

   "I'm never doing that again," Saphira said, stretching out her aching back. "I'm going to have sore muscles tomorrow. I can feel it already."

   With that, she grabbed Philly's tether and began to lead him to a different part of the woods— not the way toward home.

   It wasn't too many miles away from her home village when she halted her horse. A tiny house— well, more like a shack— sat in front of her. The wood was split along the sides, the roof was caving in toward the front, and the porch was completely gone, the boards wilted and dangerous to step on... but Saphira knew it would make a perfect hideout. Who would ever come here?

   As the Princess stepped closer, she stopped to stare at the broken home. She used to know the old man who lived in this shack. He lived his last few years of life a heartbroken man. His wife had died from diseases, and he no longer had the will in life to go on without her. He had told a young Saphira that seeing her face every day was the only thing keeping him alive. When she went to meet up with her friend one day, she had discovered that he had passed in his sleep. It broke her heart to see a good friend go, but at least he was no longer in pain.

   Saphira yanked the boy off her horses back placing him on the grass, tied her horses' tether to a branch, and dragged this Dark Being in the dirt toward the demolished porch. She had to be careful dragging him through all the wood. If she tripped, she could land on a thick piece of wood or his back could be torn to shreds as she dragged him.

   Saphira gently maneuvered the boy through the rubble and toward the door. As she went to push the door open, it fell off its rusty hinges and landed on the ground with a big bang.

   Saphira winced. Hopefully there was no one close by to hear that.  As she stepped inside the threshold, memories returned from her childhood.

   Straight ahead was a brick fireplace— some of the bricks had fallen out of place and crumbled to the floor. The old man used to tell her tails of his younger self as they both warmed up beside the cozy fire from a cold day.

   To her right was a small kitchen set. The old man couldn't cook very well so every day Saphira, as she grew older, would make him a meal in his own kitchen. She would bring the supplies for what she was going to make, and the old man could easily have leftovers for the next day with the amount of food she made every night.

   To her left was a cot where she had found the old man who was to never again open his eyes in this life. It saddened her heart greatly, but she smiled knowing this life was not the end for either of them. She would see him again one day.

   Saphira dragged the boy past the threshold and toward the cot to her left. Getting the boy even up on to the cot was backbreaking. She really was not built to carry a man— no princess was.

   Once she was able to get the boy settled down into the cot, she began to look for a bowl to fill with water. She checked the kitchen's cabinets that were ready to fall off the wall and in the drawers that would barely move from all the rust. She finally found a clay bowl that was cracked in numerous places and held a small hole at the bottom. Even if she could find water, the bowl wouldn't hold any.

   She dropped the bowl down to her side hearing it shatter and glanced over at the boy in the cot. "Don't worry," she told the unconscious boy. "I will find a way to make you better. You won't be alone for long."

   Saphira took off in a dash outside but immediately her foot went straight through the splintered wood. She huffed in frustration. "I don't have time for this!" she shouted. She yanked her foot out from the wood as the bark penetrated her boot and left a big gash in her ankle. It stung badly, but Saphira didn't care about it now. "I'll worry about that later. These are my good boots too!"

   She continued running— or now more like half limping— over to Philly. She leaped on top of her white stead and winced at the sudden pressure on her wound. She reached for the reigns and kicked him slightly with her good foot to get him to move.

   "Toward home, Philly," she told her trusted horse. Philly automatically changed directions for the course of his home.

   Saphira knew that if she did not hurry, this boy— whoever he was— could be dead before she made it back.