Arranged by Jessica Spears Page B

convinced themselves that the human girl had killed him.
    He couldn't believe it, Alison was kind, though she had also bested one of her other men by knocking him unconscious. The solider returned in shame, throwing himself into rigorous training.
    Qwinn was sure that he knew Alison better than anyone else did and she had never shown a violent bone in her body. He was convinced that the death was an accident.
    He slammed his goblet down, running his hand over his long dreadlocks. Adalia, his sister, had strung beads onto strands of it this time, insisting that feathers were not as popular any more. Qwinn paid no mind to the passing fancies of his people; feathers and beads were not what they needed, they needed a Queen.
    He grit his teeth, having half a mind to march into the council and demand her freedom. She was his choice, surely the law would make an exception. Anger made his vision hazy. For a moment, he simply breathed deeply. He knew that he could never do such a thing without being thrown into the dungeon himself. The council consisted of the sacred members who upheld the law.
    He sighed, resting back into his couch, remembering the first time he had laid eyes on Alison. She was much younger then, only a child and he was still a prince, awaiting the day his father would hand the Kingdom over to him. She had come to the forest with a stuffed rabbit tucked safely under her little arm. She spoke to it as if it were a real person. He had pitied the child; it was obvious that she had been through things no child should go through. Something in him warmed toward the tiny human girl. He felt a strong urge to protect her from the harshness of the upper-world.
    She skipped through the forest, her tiny foot catching on a root of a tree hidden beneath the leaves, her rabbit tumbling away into the bushes. She cried softly to herself as she rubbed the ache from her foot. Without thinking of the consequences, he crept from the safety of the tree he was hiding behind.
    She gasped when he came into view, freezing in fear. Qwinn smiled down at her, holding her rabbit out as an offering. Little Alison stepped forward cautiously, snatching the rabbit from his hand and clutching it tightly to her chest. She tilted her head slightly to the side as her big green eyes studied him in fear and fascination. She wondered if he was real. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but a voice rang out through the forest.
    "Alison!" a maid called from the house. She turned toward the voice, frowning at the trees. When she turned back around, he was gone. She eyes scanned the trees and she looked behind the tree he had appeared from. He was gone.
    Many things had changed since then. She had grown into a beautiful young woman, and he...he had grown cold.
    Qwinn sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He had never appeared to her again, before now. He had not wanted to scare her. What if his father was wrong? What if she didn't soften toward him? He couldn't think of that now. He had to convince the council that she was innocent.
    There was a heavy knock at the door.
    "Enter," he growled in his hissing language. Someone entered, but Qwinn's eyes were closed as he tried to relieve his ever-present stress.
    "They wait for you," a deep voice said. Qwinn stood, straightening his clothes and royal sash. He followed his servant, Jabr, a man who was part dwarf, part Vidarian. Jabr was short but held the fine toning that all Vidarian people had; however, his beard grew nearly uncontrollably, a trait from his dwarf father. Today he had trimmed it close to his face. No doubt by sunrise it would be touching his chest. There was no one Qwinn trusted more, besides his Father and sister.
    They made their way through the halls to find that the palace was strangely quiet. Qwinn placed a hand on the shoulder of his servant and friend. "I will go alone."
    Jabr furrowed his bushy brows in question, but nodded and turned to continue in the opposite direction.
    Qwinn needed more