Niram had ridden out that next morning with a signed letter from Imara to her legions and strict instructions from Leyah on what to do. She had three days to get the legions to the small Creatian city of Cennt before Leyah would send out more people to find her.

And with all the planning they were doing, orders from the blacksmiths coming through, last minute trainings and stacking all valuables away, two of the three days passed so fast they might have been an hour rather than a day.

Leyah was in the training room, sharpening her sword and showing a couple of her rebels how to kill a man with just their hands. She knew Lexie and Imara were getting ready to ride out. They had just over two hours before they were due to hit the road.

"Push the head in with your other hand, it'll make it harder for them to wriggle free," She said as she corrected one of the rebel's biceps around the head of a dummy, "That's better. Hold it there."

"Hehpe?" Leyah looked up to see Ella at the base of the stairs looking flustered, "The guy ya had watchin' for the maidens? 'E's sayin' they've got another one. We haf ta go!"

"Excuse me," Leyah muttered to the rebels around her and she grabbed her sword, sheathing it at her hip as she ran, "Show me where he is."

Ella and Leyah bolted up the stairs, Ella's robes flying as she moved, until they reached the ground floor where one of Leyah's rebels stood in the hallway.

"You're sure?" Leyah asked him, short of breath.

"You asked me to look out for three soldiers carrying a squirming bag of wheat. That's what I saw." He said.

"They can't be tha' far out, we can catch 'em!" Ella hissed.

"I took care of that too," the rebel said, "They were moving too fast. By the time I would've made it here to tell you, they would have been long gone. But I knocked a merchant's stall over and started a bit of a fight. They'll have to calm that down before they can even think of moving forward. But you won't have much longer."

"What's wrong?" Leyah turned to see Lexie appearing at the end of the hall, coming out of her office and sheathing another dagger in her belt, her quiver slung over her shoulder and the twinkle of bells announcing her arrival.

"Another maiden is being taken," Leyah explained, "Ella and I are just going to follow them."

"Now? Kitty?" Lexie frowned, "Imara and I leave soon."

"We aren't engaging," Leyah said, "But we may not have another chance to see where they are being taken."

"What's this?" Micah asked, coming out of Felix's room where he had been looking over maps of the castle with Felix, "What's happening?"

"Kitty's leaving," Lexie crossed her arms and cocked her head.

"What?"

"I'm not leaving," Leyah snapped at her second, "Ella and I are going to follow some soldiers and see where the missing maidens have been being taken. We aren't engaging and we shouldn't be more than an hour."

"Is this a good idea, so close to when Niram will be here?" Micah asked.

"Kings Mic! We might not haf another chance!" Ella said, aspirated.

"I'm coming," Lexie said, putting her hand on her sword.

"We might not be back in time for you to leave with Imara," Leyah said, running out of patience, "Lex, please. Trust me, we'll be fine. And no, Micah you aren't coming either. I need you here."

"Ella's not going anywhere near them," Micah said, sternly, "She's got a child to look after."

"Beau's wit Martha," Ella said, suddenly furious that he was doubting her, "He's fine!"

"You can barely hold a sword, Ella!"

With that, Ella pulled out the blade from her hip and held it up, pointed flat at Micah's throat, "Can't I just?"

Micah batted the sword away as though it was a twig, shoved annoyingly in his direction, "Not against a Bardern soldier..."

"She's with me," Leyah countered, "And as I've said, we aren't engaging. It's a scout."

"Then at least take someone who knows how to scout." Lexie said, bending under the weight of Leyah's stubborness, "Take Kus or Wiley or even Ridley."

"Where am I going?" Ridley asked, coming up the stairs.

Leyah threw her head heavenwards, "Kings! Fine! Ridley get your sword. We're going now." She looked over to where Micah and Lexie were standing, both with the same look on their faces, "We'll be back in time to see Lexie and Imara leave. I promise."

*****

Ella jogged through the city, trailing Leyah and Ridley. Leyah had made her throw a cloak around her shoulders and the thing was way too big for her. But it hid her robes and she guessed that was what she needed. Her argument with Micah had left her feeling weirdly drained and she hated it. Ella knew deep down that the only reason he had brought up Beau and her swordsmanship was because he didn't want her to get hurt but it still pained her that he had found the room in his heart to doubt her.

Leyah was moving more quickly through the crowds of the markets now and Ella was struggling to keep up. Up ahead, Ella caught sight of a stall that had been knocked over, that was being lifted back up by a couple of the merchants.

"Where're they?" Ella hissed as Leyah skidded to a halt, Ridley pulling up beside her.

"There." Ella followed Ridley's finger to where he was pointing to one of the single door soldier entrance just by the entrance to the front gate. Three Bardern soldiers were disappearing through it, hauling a large sack labelled 'wheat' in large black letters between them, almost over advertising it. But Ella knew straight away that there was no way the sack was holding wheat. It wasn't the normal shape and she could just picture the uneven shapes sticking into the material of the sack as being elbows and knees.

But the sack wasn't moving and Ella couldn't imagine anyone inside it wanting to sit still as they were manhandled by Bardern guards.

"Is she even 'live?" Ella breathed.

"They've probably drugged her," Leyah said, dismissing the thought quickly, "Come on."

The three of them followed. It was easier than Ella thought it might have been to sneak through the soldier's entrance after them and Leyah and Ridley had so obviously done it before. The entrance led to outside the wall of the city and Leyah stuck out an arm to stop Ella before she stepped out, just as a soldier walked by and all the air stuck in Ella's throat.

"Let us go first," Leyah whispered, "We know it better."

So Ella did as she was told and let Leyah and Ridley lead. They stayed well behind the three soldiers as they tramped out of the city and up over the hill on the road towards the forest. Ella stayed behind Leyah and she almost had to remind herself that this was the girl who had caused Micah so much pain when the Princess was careful in shielding her every time a soldier looked over his shoulder.

"Is it just me, or are they headed for Taavy?" Ridley hissed as they made their way into the forest, weaving through the trees on a near invisible trail.

Ella only noticed then that Leyah's face had gone stony, "It isn't just you."

"Who's Taavy?" Ella whispered.

"Hehpe Taavy," Leyah said between her teeth, "He's the leader of the Tribesmen."

"I take it he ain't a friend?"

"He was an ally."

"Was?"

"Was." Leyah stopped Ella with an arm holding her back as they neared a clearing, hoods of their cloaks drawn and hiding in the undergrowth, they watched as the soldiers dropped the sack on the ground in the middle of the clearing and before Ella's very eyes, tribesmen materialised between the trees. They were definitely nothing like anything Ella had seen before with the tall, lean bodies caked in mud and strange markings. One of the older men with a completely shaven head stepped forward and frowned at the guards.

"Another?" he asked and Ella was taken aback by the fact that he spoke Common Tongue, "And your master expects me to feed them? I am running low of patience."

"We are just taking orders," one of the soldiers said.

The soldier untied the sack and as the material fell away, a small girl was pulled from it by the rough hands of the soldiers who seemed to see no use in being gentle about it. The girl couldn't have been older than Ella and more than that, she sported the harsh blonde locks and pale skin of Quel-yania. She looked to be well fed and Ella could imagine her as being a merchant's hand or a child-minder for the more wealthy. But her cheeks were pock-marked and her her shoulders showered in freckles, a sure sign that she worked long hours in the sun. One of the soldiers picked her up in his arms and passed her over to one of the Tribesmen who took her from him and disappeared into the trees.

Ella could feel Leyah quivering with anger next to her and she knew Ridley could feel it too. But even Ella knew what to do here. She knew to keep her hood up and not risk any glances that brought her too high out of the bush. She knew to keep still and to slow her breathing. She would never have expected Ridley not to know this too.

She didn't really know what was happening when he stood up out of the grass. Leyah reached for him but pulled herself back as he straightened up, drawing the eyes of every person in the clearing.

"You bastards!" he yelled.

Ella met Leyah's frantic gaze but there was nothing to be done now. Leyah and Ella were barely on their feet and hadn't even been able to draw their weapons before Ella saw Tribesmen warriors running for her. She saw Leyah shove Ridley backwards and draw her sword, standing between the warriors and her friends. But they encircled them and Ridley was pulled away. Ella felt grasping hands but she swatted them away as she fumbled with the sword at her hip. Someone was laughing as adrenaline pumped through Ella and she finally drew her sword and swung it wildly at the men coming towards her.

"Put that away, Cataleyah."

Ella's head whipped around to see the older Tribesman looking straight at Leyah. He was standing next to one of his men who had a knife to Ridley's throat. Ella looked to Leyah for guidance but as she did so, her sword was knocked from her hand and suddenly she was fully restrained, unable to even struggle. Leyah stood stone-still, her blue eyes locked on the man that Ella supposed was Hehpe Taavy.

"Caan Spak," Leyah said, the strange language coming easily to her, "Why."

Taavy laughed again, "My dear Cataleyah. There is not much else a man can do for a woman who refuses him. You brought this on yourself, Princess."

Leyah's eyes then found Ella's and finally the Princess's sword drooped. Until she dropped it on the ground. Tribesmen darted forward and picked up the sword and Ella saw the flash of red as her ruby-hilted dagger was stripped from her side.

"Put them in with the other little maidens," Taavy said and the Tribesmen pulled Ella along, her struggling not making a difference. Leyah kept her head high and didn't allow herself to be dragged as her, Ella and Ridley were shoved forward into the trees. They were only made to walk a short distance before they came to an even smaller clearing with a cave. The cave's entrance was barred with strong Quel-yanian steel and behind it were the malnourished, dirty faces of many young Creatian girls.

"Ty taak Maar. Ty pett Hehpe; Ty letvy." Leyah hissed and Ella heard the tribesman escorting her snarl at her words but this only seemed to fuel her as she repeated what she had just said in the Common Language, "You take girls. You're no leader; you're weak, Taavy."

The girls in the cave skidded backwards as the tribesmen opened the door and threw Ella inside. She fell to her knees and scrambled to get up in case they came at her again but Leyah had been shoved in behind her and was now shielding her.

The bars clanged shut and Ella's brow ceased as she met Ridley's eyes. He was still outside and she watched with confusion as he shook himself free of grip of the tribesman escorting him.

"Ridley?" Leyah breathed, "What are you doing?"

Not a person moved to stop him as he stepped closer to the bars, "Well you see, Hehpe. Those who believe they are on the righteous mission, tend to trust easily."

"It'll be good to have you back, Sargent," One of the Bardern soldiers grinned, "Lord Allist has been waiting on you."

There was a moment of pure confusion as Ella and Leyah processed what was happening in front of them.

"No," Ella hissed in disbelief, "Ya Kings-shunned snitch!"

Leyah was shaking her head, "You don't have to do this, Ridley."

Ridley just smiled, "Oh but I do, Princess. You have no idea how hard it was pretending to like you all. It was sickening. But I was able to help in an immeasurable way. I got information through to the rightful Lord Allist under the nose of the Quel-yanian Princess and the Heir of Creatia!"

"In the square," Leyah said, quietly, "You were the one to knock Elex out."

"See you aren't quite as stupid as you look, Princess," Ridley was grinning madly, "I took a big risk in sneaking up behind the Dalladune son and knocking him out. But I had to get the information to my lord. He needed me. It was me, after all, that figured out that Micah Baudille must have being living in Cennt and it was me who figured out his brother would still be there!"

Ella saw Leyah stiffen as though the air had been knocked out of her. But Ella felt no such thing. Ridley had given the information that had led to Micah's brother's death. He had caused that pain. And it fuelled Ella like wind to a wildfire.

She scrambled to her feet, "You're goin' to pay for this! The Kings'll damn ya to the great depths an' I swear to every one of 'em that if they don't then so help me, I will. Ya no man of any country, Ridley Sargent, ya no man at all. An' when Micah Baudille takes Conrad Allist's head off his shoulders, you're going to wish ya had never existed!"

Ridley pulled his sword from its place at his hip but before he could wave it through the bars at Ella, Leyah stepped in front of it. She glared at him as he raised the tip of it under her fair chin.

"I could, you know," Ridley snarled, "I could do it."

"As Ella said, you've no stomach to cut my throat." Leyah hissed, her voice low and dangerous, "But go ahead. I know Allist will take your head if you take mine."

Ridley lowered his sword and this time he spoke to Hehpe Taavy but his eyes stayed glued to Leyah's, "Send a man to the city. Tell them Ridley Sargent needs a carriage to escort the Princess to her death."

*****

Nell was perched up on the balcony overlooking the training rooms. She had always liked watching her brothers practise when they had been younger. She had liked to bet on which of them would win. When Barclay fought Lennox, it was a battle of strength. Clay was the strongest of them all and he could all but lift Lenny off his feet. But Lenny could wield a sword and could match his older brother in every other way. Felix was better to watch. He was a completely unpredictable swordsman; never using the same move twice. But more often than not, Clay would win despite this.

She watched Felix now as he spun around, whipping the wooden sword around the sides of the dummy. She was mesmerised by the movements; they looked so graceful from up where she sat. She had never been very good with a sword but Felix had shown her how to defend herself with a knife. That was more manageable for her, she supposed. She would never be a fighter like him or Princess Leyah. She hated conflict like that.

Suddenly a splitting headache crashed into her skull and Nell didn't even have time to yell out before she had rocked backwards, her hands pressing against the sides of her skull as it felt like her brain was throbbing beneath the bone. Tears were leaking down her cheeks but it was more fear than hurt as Nell's eyes sprung open and the ceiling above her started to cloud over.

Suddenly she wasn't seeing the warehouse anymore and the pain in her head had gone numb. Everything was a cloudy white and through the veil of vapour, the Princess appeared, her face white with shock and her sword missing from her hip. Her blonde hair was splayed all around her. She was moving in front of some other person and as the cloud cleared further, Nell could see Ella on the ground looking just as shocked and hurt. Leyah was standing in front of her, protecting her. Everything glitched and jumped ahead and suddenly Nell was looking directly into the Princess's eyes as the tip of a sword was held under her chin, grazing the soft skin of her neck. Nell felt her heart hammering in her chest as though it was about to explode.

"Go ahead," Leyah said to whoever it was holding the sword and with that, Nell was yanked from the vision as though she had been pulled from underwater. She sat up on the concrete floor of the balcony overlooking the training area. No one had seen her and she sat up, her breathing wracking her tiny frame and sweat dripping down the back of her neck.

Slowly and shakily, Nell Masterson got to her feet and shuffled towards the the staircase. She knew she was passing people but if they said anything to her, she didn't hear it. She could barely control the shaking that was making it hard to put one foot in front of the other.

She saw the doorway appear in front of her and she saw Lexie and Imara through it, arming each other with weapons, preparing to leave. They were joking with each other, Imara throwing her head back so that her long Dalladune red hair swept around her upper thighs. Because of this, it was Lexie who saw her first. Nell saw her see her and she saw the light fade from her eyes as her face dropped.

"Nell? What's wrong?"

With that, Imara looked too and suddenly Nell was shaking uncontrollably. Lexie was there in a heartbeat to catch her before she slumped against the doorframe, her dress sticking to her skin with the sweat.

"Nell!" Lexie was saying but it was all slurred in Nell's ears. It took all of her effort to focus her energy on her throat and push the words out of her mouth.

"It's Leyah. Something is very, very wrong."

*****

Leyah and Ella waited a long time for the tribesman Ridley had sent off to hail the carriage returned. In the meantime, Ridley took to sharpening his sword against a tree and arguing with Taavy. Leyah had started to check the girls in the cave with them, including the one they had seen before who was still out cold from whatever the Barderns had given her. Ridley had been all too ready to tell the both of them that the only reason the girls had been kidnapped from the city was to draw her out.

The most confident of them all, a short brunette with limbs as thin as twigs, named Pyp, showed Ella and Leyah to the weakest of the girls, the ones who had been taken first. They lay right at the back of the cave with their hollowed cheeks and prominent ribs. But Leyah and Ella had nothing to give them.

"We'll get you all out of here," Leyah assured them as she sat, testing the strength of one of the younger girls, "If not me, then the Heir will come for you."

"It's your fault we're even in here," said one of the more talkative girls; a pale blonde with narrowed eyes and a slim, bony frame.

"Oh shove off, Wendy," Pyp said, and she turned back to Leyah, whose face had gone ashen with guilt, "She doesn't mean that. Wendy always looks for someone to blame. She's grateful you're here to help us."

But Leyah didn't feel any better; Ella could see that in her eyes. She had failed to protect these girls and she felt for them. And it pissed Ella off.

Once, maybe, Ella probably wouldn't have cared what Leyah felt. Leyah was the Kings-shunned Princess that had caused Micah so much trouble. She had yelled at him, tearing him apart in a way that a sword never would. She had thrown him in a cage and let Lexie slice at him until he could see his own death coming. Ella had loathed her for that because Micah had earned Ella's own trust and loyalty.

But Leyah had been protecting Ella as well and it had taken someone to threaten her life with a sword under her chin for Ella to see that.

And now, Leyah had Ella's faith too.

"We risked a lot comin' 'ere," she snapped at the girl Wendy, "You dunno what ya Princess has been through. Cut 'er some slack or you'll be the last one to be rescued 'ere." The girl just gave her a disgusted look.

"It's okay, Ella," Leyah said, quietly and then addressed Wendy, "You have my word I'll make up for what I've put you through." But Ella wasn't finished.

"Ey!" Ella stormed over to the bars of the cage and rattled her hands against them, making the men in the clearing just outside look up, "I'm gonna need water an' food. Everything you've got on ya. An' I'm gonna need it now."

Ridley just scoffed loudly, "She who makes demands from behind bars!"

"Some of these girls are gonna die if ya don't get 'em some soon!" Ella snarled, "I'm not askin' much of ya."

"And what makes you think that I care about those girls? They aren't of my blood and they certainly don't serve Lord Allist so what good are they to me?"

"Might let ya have a quick death instead of a long one," Ella snapped.

"You make these threats, Ella, but—"

"Wait," One of the Bardern soldiers interrupted and Ridley spun around to him, eyes blazing.

"What?!"

"That isn't Ella Dias is it?"

Ella secured her hands on her hips, "What's it ta you?"

A cruel grin spread over the soldier's face, "Oh, Lord Allist is going to be pleased with me. This here is the girl who the Heir knocked up. So where's the baby, Ms Dias?"

"The baby isn't the Heir's, you idiot," Ridley said, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"And how do you know that, Sargent? Because she told you?" the soldier asked, smugly, "Lord Allist will want her for good measure. He wants that kid dead either way."

Ella felt like she'd taken a punch, "Beau isn't Micah's! He 'as nothin' ta do with this! You can tell Allist that!"

"But you see, Ms Dias," the soldier said, "We can't be sure."

"No!" Ella's hands shook at the bars, "Don't go after Beau! 'E's only little! He's—"

Calming hands pulled Ella's off the bars and Leyah whispered into her ear so that the men couldn't hear her, "Ella, listen to me. There is no way in all the great depths that Micah is going to let them touch Beau. Everyone is still there at the warehouse; Lexie, Imara, Elex, Gupta, Felix and Kerrick. Allist would have to get past them and even then, they are smart enough to get Beau to safety first. He's going to be fine."

Just then, the tribesman that Ridley had sent to fetch the carriage came stumbling back into the clearing.

"Hehpe," the man bowed deeply, "Sty Arvve may Taalya vaan Hehpe Allist."

"Fay ty, Yon," Hehpe Taavy said before turning to Ridley, "The wagon you asked for has arrived. My men will help escort the prisoners to it and from then on it is your concern. When shall we expect our reward?"

"When the Princess and the Baudille Heir are dead," Ridley snapped and he glanced over at Ella, "And the child with them."

Leyah held her back as she lunged for the bars again, anger flaring.

"That was not the deal, Sargent," Hehpe Taavy hissed.

"You'll get your reward whenever Lord Allist feels like it! The Lord has more important things to worry about than dealing with you savages."

"He is only one, Hehpe," Leyah said, her voice low but clear, "You could take him."

"Do not bait me, Cataleyah." The Hehpe said and he took a step back from Ridley, bowing his head before turning to his own men who materialised out of the trees, "Taak Cataleyah a Ella Dias Taalya. Take Cataleyah and her friend to the carriage."