“You’ll never catch me now,” Lucy taunted, laughing as she scampered about the large sand training arena. “Motherhood has made you slow and weak!” Her curls flew about her head, glowing in the sun, her curved rump displayed in tight, short breeches.

“Don’t bet on it, brat,” Rael replied calmly, watching Lucy run hither and thither, smiling slightly as she saw how Lucy began to pant and gasp under the hot midday sun.  Rael stood like a predatory statue,  immovable and deceptively still as she awaited her prey.

Months of peace had reigned in Iskendar. With King Lucien installed on the throne, and the little heiress to the throne safely delivered and under guard, all was right with the world. At least, it seemed that all was right with the world. Agrenar was still watchful upon the border, and the loss of three of its servants was not sitting well with the state.

Lord Jach was long dead, but Kai and her accomplice still languished in the Iskendari dungeons. To bring them to trial and sentence them to their just fates would be to risk peace with Agrenar, not to mention peace with Lucy. Though Lucy rarely spoke of Kai, Rael often saw a wistful, far away look come into her eyes and knew that Lucy was remembering a time when Kai was a lover and confidante, not a traitor and a prisoner.

For the moment however, Lucy was deeply engaged in one of her favorite past times, taunting Rael. She darted in close, then dashed away once more, staying just barely out of arm’s reach. After nine months of pregnancy and the subsequent delivery, not to mention the rigors of new motherhood Rael felt rusty, though a rusty Rael was still far keener than most warrior men. As Lucy dashed past on another mad run, Rael simply reached out and caught her by the hair, quickly reeling her in with quick turning motions of her wrist that wrapped Lucy’s hair about in coils.

Caught without so much as making Rael move her feet, let alone break a sweat, Lucy yelped and pouted.

“Not fair!” she complained, squirming in Rael’s firm grip.

Rael smiled down at her and tightened her grip slightly. “Life isn’t fair.”

Lucy wrinkled her nose a moment, then laughed. “Okay, let me go.”

“I don’t know if I should. You were caught so easily. Perhaps I should teach you a lesson against being caught so easily.”

“Excuse me,”

The voice was familiar, and yet somehow different. Raspy, haggard.

Quickly, Rael released Lucy, for at the edge of the arena, clad in what remained of a guard’s uniform, stood Kai.

At least, Lucy thought it was Kai. A moment later, as the figure stepped into the sunlight, she realized that it was not Kai at all, but one of the prison guards.

“Sorry to interrupt you, Queen Rael,” the guard bowed, waiting for Rael’s assent before launching into some boring matter of state that Lucy could not have been interested in if she had been paid in pure gold.

Turning away from Rael, Lucy cursed herself for her stupidity. It wasn’t even a female guard! Yet she saw Kai everywhere. Around every corner, as she walked into every room. Yes, Kai had betrayed her, but some things are stronger than betrayal. Some emotions persist long after their usefulness has departed. As much as Lucy hated Kai, she loved her, and torn in the bonds of love and loathing she remained as much a prisoner as Kai.