Alexander. Elizabeth and Tesserae were hiding around the corner of a nearby apple stand, nobody was selling at the moment though. 

"You remember the plan right?" Elizabeth asks.

"Me or him?" Tesserae asks, confused. 

"Either of you!" Elizabeth raises her voice just a little bit. 

" I am sure that neither of us forgot the very important plan... but will you say it again?" Alexander didn't want to admit it, but he did forget the plan (obviously!).

"Tesserae will go distract Sir John. She will tell him that I have been spotted at the far side of the kingdom. Then we will sneak into the castle and report to the King and Queen." Elizabeth tells him. 

"This better work" Tesserae says. They are all worried.

"What if it doesn't?" Alexander asks after a moment of silence.

"If it doesn't, we are all dead" Elizabeth says, she doesn't even look at Alexander. She knows that  if the plan doesn't work both Alexander and Tesserae will be put to death, but secretly Elizabeth won't.

"Let's go" Alexander says. Tesserae runs off to find Sir John and Elizabeth finds a good spot for her and Alexander to hide. 

What the three didn't know was that someone overheard their conversation. 

Who?

...Apple Guy. He was returning to his Apple stand when he heard Alexander's voice, and Elizabeth's. He heard everything and he went to tell Sir John before Tesserae could get to him.

He ran the streets until Sir John's Dungeon House was in view. When he entered nobody was there. 

"John?" He calls out to the dark room.

"What is it Antonio?" Sir John steps out of the shadows and into view. He seemed angry, angrier than usual. 

" Alexander has betrayed you and is working with Elizabeth White, they are trying to expose you. They have sent a friend, a villager named Tesserae to distract you." Antonio (Apple Guy) tells him nervously. 

"Well, do not worry. They will not get away with this. Go" Sir John says, stomping out of the room.

Tesserae was heading towards Sir John's Dungeon House. 'What happens if I'm caught lying?' She thinks. 'Do I blame it on Alexander and Elizabeth?' She decides that if she's caught lying to Sir John then she'll blame it on the other two. She almost feels guilty though.

What she didn't notice was that Sir John had walked right past her in the opposite direction. 

She found the Dungeon House and knocked on the door.

Nobody answered. "That's odd" she whispers to herself.

Then suddenly the door opened. 

"Who are you?" The man said, it was Antonio (the Apple Guy).

"Tesserae" she says, not sure if this guy could be trusted. 

"Oh! That Tesserae, well unfortunately for you Sir John knows about your plan with Alexander Smith and Elizabeth White." He says, slamming the door closed. 

Tesserae realizes what he said and hurries off to warn Alexander and Elizabeth.

Sir John was stomping through the market place, the crowds ran to the side and went silent. He was the most feared person in the whole kingdom. Sir John was searching for Alexander and Elizabeth. 

They were only a few more houses down the road from where Sir John was now. Alexander and Elizabeth had gone back into Tesserae's house just to stay hidden, but Sir John knew where they were. 

He stepped up to the door and knocked. 

Inside Alexander and Elizabeth were hiding behind a wall. 

"Alexander, go answer the door" Elizabeth says in a low whisper. 

He hesitates but does open the door. 

When Alexander slowly opened the door, he realized who it was. 

'Sir John...' he thought, 'how is he here?' 

Before Alexander could slam the door closed Sir John blocked it with his hand... and went in the house. 

Sir John doesn't say anything. 

Alexander decides to gather up all his confidence and say something to him .

"I know who you are looking for ,but she is not here" Alexander tries to say, "I have been... Uh... tracking her and.... I was hiding out here" he starts to babble, making Sir John angry. 

"Lies" is all Sir John said. Alexander wasn't sure what to think.  

"What?" Alexander said, nervously. 

"All lies" Sir John repeated himself, then he charged through the door knocking Alexander to the side. 

"Elizabeth." He said, "I know you are here" He was creeping up on the corner where Elizabeth was hiding on the other side. 

Elizabeth looked around and saw a back door. 'I have to run' she thought. 

1...

Sir John was took another step towards the wall. 

2...

And another. 

3...

And another...

————————————————————————————————————

Hey! Sorry for the cliffhanger... well,  kind of sorry. I had to cut this one short due to the Holidays and I apologize. I will get faster as the book moves on though! -Jess