Pandora awoke shortly after the moon had descended from the sky and the sun had reclaimed its place among the clouds. She lay on her back for a moment, lifting her arm over her eyes to block the sparkling rays that seeped through her curtains. She heard a soft knock on her door, and she knew that her ladies were waiting outside. Every morning they came to dress her and inform her of the day's proceedings. Normally Pandora welcomed their familiar, though unnecessary company, but today she wished she could shoo them away and brood in her lonely thoughts. Perhaps she could feign illness, but that might just cause even more unwanted attention to be directed toward her.

Pandora shifted her body until she was sitting upright, her body still covered by her heavy sheets. A faint ache pressed against her temples as the blood rushed to her head. She paused for a moment, allowing her body to adjust to its new position. Then she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and called out for her ladies to enter the chamber. The three girls rushed in and bowed their heads, waiting for instructions from their princess. Pandora commanded them to rise, and they flocked to her side.

"Sleep well, My Lady?" The eldest lady-in-waiting asked. Her name was Lady Isolde, and she was the daughter of the Duke of Lyria. She and Pandora had been close companions since they were children, but as they grew older it was like a ravine had been carved between them, pushing them apart.

"Wonderfully, Izzy." Pandora pushed a false smile across her lips as she lied. She tried to respond in such a way that would not arouse suspicions or cause anyone to express sympathy towards her. She always had to conceal her imperfections for the sake of the court and the kingdom. Princesses weren't supposed to lay awake or suffer from nightmares. She lied because she had to avoid stirring up panic or risk jeopardizing her right to rule.

"I'm pleased to hear." Isolde stretched one arm across Pandora's body and pulled back her sheets so that the princess sat in just her nightgown on the plush mattress. Isolde extended her other hand to Pandora, who gladly accepted the help as she rose from her bed.

Pandora held her palm lightly against Isolde's as the lady guided her to a plush stool that had been pulled out from beneath the ornate vanity sitting on the far side of the room. Pandora settled onto the chair, her back straight and her hands folded in her lap. Isolde selected a bejeweled comb from the tabletop and began to gently brush its teeth through Pandora's sleep-tangled hair.

They continued to exchange pleasantries as the lady worked. Pandora inquired about Isolde's father and discovered that he had embarked on a journey to Valoria's most prominent port city: Ergys. This was not at all shocking as the port was part of his duchy. The Duke traveled there often to negotiate trade deals with ambassadors from other kingdoms. What worried Pandora about this particular instance was that Isolde's father was set to meet with the city's head general to discuss defenses. The King had sent him to secure Ergys after recent events that had left the Kingdom in disarray. Less than a fortnight had passed since a band of rebels had orchestrated an attack along the border between Valoria and the hostile dominion of Sangpar to the east. Although little physical damage had been inflicted upon the targeted town, the strike had instilled fear and panic into the Valorian people.

Rebel activity had long been apparent in the kingdom, but recently the threat seemed to be growing stronger. Pandora's father was convinced that they were coming for his throne, but this theory was unsupported, and the rebels' further plans were largely unknown. Many commoners suspected that they were foreign soldiers sent to fracture and weaken the Kingdom so that their country's leader could swoop in and assert control. The King's royal advisors insisted that the rebellion was simply a small gang of miscreants who could do no more than up turn market stalls and cause chaos. Nevertheless, they had decided to send emissaries out to make reprimands and increase disciplinary actions in numerous important cities just in case the rebels were truly looking to destroy the kingdom.

Pandora was alarmed by Isolde's news of the Duke's proceedings because once the more esteemed ambassadors had been commanded to resolve the issue, increased disciplinary actions would shortly follow. Pandora feared that Edelyn had not yet made it far enough from the capital to be able to escape from the soldiers who were certainly aware of her presence in the city. Edelyn was good at hiding, but the guards were always on the lookout for anyone who didn't belong. They had turned a blind-eye to her existence in the past, but there was no hope now that the Dukes were involved in assuring order. Pandora sent a silent prayer for her lover's safe journey and searched for something more monotonous to discuss.

"I'd like to have tea with a few of my maiden's this afternoon. When your afternoon duties have been completed, gather a handful of ladies who are not otherwise occupied and report to my parlor at the chime of the second bell. "

"Of course, My Lady" Isolde replied as she gathered the top half of Pandora's hair into two simple twists. She wound them around the back of her head creating a little crown. Then she selected a thin golden thread and woven it through the braids. Finally, she sprayed Pandora's hair with a special concoction that brought out her loose, natural curls. She held up a small mirror in front of Pandora so that she could see for herself. Pandora admired her lady's work, but she couldn't help noticing the faint dusting of ash that had rung itself beneath her worried eyes. The marks of sleeplessness were not yet obvious to an onlooker, but Pandora feared that her fatigue would soon become apparent. She vowed to retire back to her chambers earlier that evening in an attempt to reverse the imperfections that were beginning to form.

While Isolde had been fixing Pandora's hair, the other two ladies scurried about the room, deliberating over skirts, petticoats, and corsets. They decided on a simple slip dress that was made of a fine, silky fabric and paired it with an elaborately embroidered bodice that laced up in the front and cinched the sides of the dress to create a defined waist.

They carefully placed the outfit onto the freshly made bed and waited for Isolde and Pandora to approve it. Once they had, Pandora stood from her chair and allowed Isolde to unbutton her dressing gown and slip it off her shoulders. Then the ladies of the chamber set to work. They instructed Pandora to step into a light petticoat which they set just over the curve of her hips. Next they pulled the dress over Pandora's body, fastening the buttons that ran up the back. Lastly, the ladies-in-waiting wrapped the corset around Pandora's middle and laced it tightly to accentuate the shape of her body. After the ensemble was secured and had been properly smoothed out, Isolde marched over to Pandora's glass jewelry box. She rummaged around for a moment before looking up, a plaster of confusion taking shape across her delicate features.

"I can't seem to find your locket, My Lady," Isolde apologized sincerely.

Pandora's breath caught and she was struck with panic. "I must have misplaced it," she lied.

"I shall ask the other maids to look out for it, if that pleases you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it will turn up soon." Pandora tried to keep her tone even. She began to regret her gift and hoped that Isolde would forget about the missing jewelry.

"Of course." Isolde turned back to the box and selected a gold chain with a small, flattened medallion hanging from it. "This will work just fine," she conceded.

Isolde marched herself back over to where Pandora stood and fastened the delicate necklace around her neck.

"You look beautiful, Your Highness" She exclaimed and stood back to admire her.

"Thank you, My Lady. You are all dismissed." Pandora smiled at the three ladies-in-waiting, who bowed deeply before scrambling to the door.

The two who had picked out Pandora's outfit exited quickly, but Isolde held back.

"My Lady, I don't mean to bother but..." she trailed off, seeming to debate whether she should finish her statement. "You seem a bit uneasy this morning. Is everything alright."

Pandora considered for a moment. She liked the idea of letting someone know about her troubles so that she would be less alone, and she had many fond memories of the deep discussions that she and Isolde would have when they were younger, but she didn't think it wold be wise to let this off her chest, considering that it could have much greater consequences for Edelyn than it would for her. She decided that since Isolde seemed to care, she could tell her a just little bit about what was bothering her without saying anything incriminating.

"Well, I'm a bit worried about the rebel attacks." She mustered.

Isolde scanned her face, waiting to see if there was more to come. When Pandora remained silent, she shut the chamber door and went to sit on Pandora's bed.

"I see your father's wild theories have finally gotten to you," she remarked.

"I guess so. I'd just hate for anything to happen to my family or my kingdom."

She said what she believed Isolde had expected to hear. What Pandora did not say was that her duties were the least of her worries, that she really only feared for the safety of the foreign mage she had dared to love.

"I know these are difficult times, Your Highness, but you mustn't let His Majesty scare you so. His beliefs may have some truth to them, but nothing has been proven. It is likely that the rebels just wanted to keep you on your toes. You can't let them frazzle you."

When Pandora only shrugged, Isolde stood up with a flair of assertiveness about her. Pandora knew that whatever she suggested next would have enough authority that even she would be compelled to listen to her demands. There was a reason they had once been friends. Pandora loved that Isolde was respectful of her title, but also wasn't afraid to tell her whatever she wished. Although Pandora could never be fully open with her, she never felt that Isolde was intimidated by her like some of the other ladies were.

"Let's go for a walk." Isolde grabbed Pandora's hand without waiting for her to protest, and stomped her over to the door.

They marched straight down the hall and turned out onto the castle grounds, an attentive guard trailing behind them. When the warm sun rays and the cool breeze touched Pandora's skin, she could feel her head clearing. She squeezed Isolde's hand and offered her a warm smile of gratitude. It felt good to have someone looking out for her.

***

When they had completed their walk and returned through the back entrance next to the kitchen, Isolde was bombarded by another lady who needed her help with one job or another. She said a quick goodbye before scurrying off to complete her duties. Pandora didn't know what she was doing, and she didn't bother to inquire about it. She rarely paid much attention to the comings and goings of those at her court. They weren't particularly interesting to her, and she preferred not to dull her mind with monotonous proceedings.

Pandora had planned head back to her chambers and retrieve the book that she had stowed underneath her bed the night before, but as she passed the castle foyer, she stopped short. She heard the double doors swing open and the unmistakable sound of steel boots on the hard wood floor. She retraced her steps back towards the noise, curious as to who may have entered the castle. The royal family wasn't expecting anyone.

Two soldiers were marching across the stone-floored foyer, dragging a figure, in chains, between them. This person's identity was concealed by their long black cloak and their ducked head, but Pandora felt that there was something oddly familiar about them.

"Excuse us, Your Highness," one of the guards apologized to Pandora. "We need to bring this prisoner to the Royal General for punishment."

"The Royal General?" Pandora questioned the guard's statement. The Royal General only doled out punishments for the most serious of crimes. One would have had to commit an act of high treason in order to receive this kind of treatment.

"Yes, Princess. We have a very serious case on our hands." He nodded to the chained figure who was kneeling at his feet. "We really must be on our way."

"Of course," she replied, stepping out of the way so that the party could pass.

One of the guards kicked the prisoner's side until they rose, their legs shaking. The guards began to haul them down the corridor, showing no respect for the human being hobbling between them.

Something about the situation seemed amiss to Pandora, but she couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was just her nerves about Edelyn or her morals about the way the guards had treated the criminal, but she felt compelled to find out what was happening.

Before she even realized that she was moving, her feet had begun to carry her quietly down the corridor behind the guards. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to follow them, and even if she was it wasn't expected of a princess to wonder about the situations of prisoners, so she tried to attract as little attention as possible.

The guards marched about halfway down the hall before they turned onto another corridor. When they reached the dark, narrow staircase that lead to the castle dungeons, one guard trudged down first to wait at the bottom. Then went the prisoner, and finally the second guard.

Pandora lingered in a small alcove until they had disappeared from her view. Then she emerged and followed their path down into the dungeons. She struggled to keep sight of the troupe in the dim, torch-lit corridor, but she could hear their footsteps echoing off the ground and bouncing along the stone walls.

She followed them past a dozen empty cells, the smells of mold and decay filling her nose each time she took in a breath. At the end of the first row of cells the hallway split. One direction led towards more decrepit areas of imprisonment. Very few prisoners actually stayed in the castle, since they posed a potential threat to the royal family, but the ones who were housed their were jailed in that section of the dungeons. They were sealed off, far away from any entrance just in case one managed to make a run for it.

The other side of the corridor was much nicer than the part that Pandora was currently traipsing through. The torches were scattered more frequently, providing ample light for anyone who chose to walk down that path. The walls were also lined with ornate fabrics and framed portraits to hide the depressing cinder blocks that made up the whole structure of the dungeons.

The guards turned down this more appealing hallway, and Pandora followed suit. They stopped in front of a tall, wooden door with a brass knocker. One guard raised his beefy fist and pounded on the door.

"General!" He called out, his burly voice ringing through the hall. "It's Sergeants Samsit and O'Rider, Sir. We have come to deliver a prisoner."

The door swung open, and a tall man wearing a vest that was decorated with a plethora of military badges stepped out.

"Hello Sergeants." The Royal General surveyed the scene, not noticing Pandora who had pressed her back to the wall of the corner, where she was out of sight. His eyes hardened as they fell on the criminal, "Bring them in."

The guards hauled the person inside, slamming the door shut behind them and leaving the hallway empty except for the sneaking princess who had concealed herself in the shadows. There was nothing else Pandora could do but wait.