The Legend:
Kauria's Dream

Aralia was concerned for her father. He wasn't used to this type of situation and needed all the support she could give. She knew his love of her was what kept him going through the past few days.

All day he would watch the horizon. It was a miracle she could make rest. Surely, the enemy was holding out for something. The only possible thing could be her Star Pendant. Granted, she had yet to learn to use it, but maybe he did, which could be bad. All day she could sense Dark Magic from the Camp.

Aralia was running some errands on her own, when a young medic sought her out, worried. "Princess! Terrible tidings!"

Aralia quickly turned to him. "What has happened?"

He immediately began speaking. "The lieutenant, Henison, he's.... he's disappeared! No one has seen him since morning. The general gave him orders to stay in the castle and rest up."

Aralia understood the many things that could be implied.
Things like kidnapping, murder.

Treachery.

"Thank you, I will see into this." She dismissed the medic, who ran off.

Her father, as usual, was staring out the tower, and to the military camp. "When do they make their move?" he asked grimly as she walked in.

"Perhaps the have already begun, Father," the princess suggested.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Here you are, tired, strained, and in no condition to defend your throne." Aralia pointed out the window, to Ajir's camp. "There, they are just as tired and stressed. Inside, people are frightened, never knowing what's happening, on the verge of panic. And yet the enemy can patiently wait for our defenses to falter."

The king nodded. "I see. Any news from the general?"

Aralia frowned. "We may have a traitor. Lt. Henison has vanished."

The king abruptly straightened. "I suspect it is safe to say he has defected. We must strengthen our guard. I must see to the-"

"First you must get rest, Father. You will not help any one by being tired." Aralia lead him from the tower. "I, too, plan to rest."

She knew the king would follow her advice, but understood his wish to stay awake. Suppressing a yawn, she began on the trip to her quarters, fulfilling her promise to rest as well. Something deep inside her told her to be cautious, but what? No one could escape destiny, no matter how long it took to catch up.

Aralia's quarters were purposely separated from the others to allow for privacy. The section of the palace had almost been closed off, but she wanted to keep her room there. Normally, she enjoyed the quiet stroll to her room, but she felt uneasy walking through the empty corridors. Were they really empty? The thought had barely appeared when she knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Something dark was present and getting closer, sending chills through her person. She slowly turned around, not sure what was there. Suddenly frightened, she began running back through the halls to the main palace, knowing it was for her life. Some sense about the thing following her told her that.

Oh, why isn't anyone near? Heart thudding, Aralia knew she was not going to outdistance the Cold Thing. That she would find herself face-to-face with it soon. Gathering herself up, she turned a corner, and stopped to face it as it approached, clutching the Star Pendant around her throat. No matter what, she was not going to lose that. It was Ajir's last hope. She was comforted by the fact it could not be forcibly removed while she was alive. Even if it meant her life, she would not allow Ajir to fall without a fight. . .

The last thing Aralia remembered was Lt. Henison's face....