Dedicated to @AralinaWillow because you are an amazing friend, and a brilliant writer. I love your book! And I appreciate you so much :) Continue being you, because you are awesome!

Also you support Winterwatcher so, you know . . .

Glory

Glory rolled up the scroll in her hands and placed it on the window seat, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

Grandeur looked at her with concern in her eyes.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I-" Glory shut her eyes for a moment.

"I don't know." 

Grandeur frowned slightly. "Are you scared child?"

Glory sat down. "I . . . I suppose I am, in some ways. Are the healers absolutely certain?" she asked.

Grandeur sighed and sat down beside her. "They are the most experienced healers in the Kingdom-though that is not to say that they cannot make mistakes but-."

Glory wrapped her arms around herself to ease the sudden chill that had taken hold of her body.

  "But the chances aren't high." she finished for her grandmother. "I realize that, It's alright."

"No child, it's not. And if we don't do something about this soon, we may be too late. You must make your choice."

Glory nodded.

"How long do they think I have?" she asked.

"Seven months. Eight at the most." the old Queen said.

"So it's already been two" Glory whispered.

Grandeur stood up and placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"I will leave you with this knowledge. Do try to make up your mind, I dislike the thought of putting more pressure upon your shoulders, but I'm afraid that if you do decide to do something about it, there is only a small window of time before it's too late."

When Grandeur had left, Glory picked up the scroll, unrolled it and gazed at its contents once more.

How could she make such a big decision in such a short amount of time?

She closed her eyes and tried to feel past the shock and general fear that one is justified to feel when receiving such news as she had.

She stood up. 

She knew that she could not make the decision alone. Not one like this. Not one that concerned her life. 

She would need someone else's opinion.

"Have you seen Deathbringer?" Glory asked one of the maid servants, just as she had asked the last six she had come across, all having the same answer to give her.

"No my Lady."

The seventh maid servant however, nodded, much to Glory's relief.

"Indeed I have my Lady, not half an hour ago.  He was headed outside I believe."

"Outside" Glory repeated, confused.

"Why on earth-"

"If I may my Lady, he seemed to me to be quite bothered by something. Troubled I believe"

"I see, thank you. When he returns, will you please send him to my chambers?" Glory asked.

The servant bowed. 

"I shall."

Glory waited. 

He didn't come back.

By midnight, she was worried. When she found his dagger still laying sheathed in his room she knew that something was dreadfully wrong.

Finally she sent out a search party.

She waited tirelessly for their return, pacing the room, heart hammering.

She chanced to stop and gaze out of the window, as she had done every few minutes for the past three hours. 

Just as the other times, she saw no men returning, but unlike last time, there was something.

It took a moment for her to realize what it was, but she did. And what she saw made her stay very still.

It was a wolf. An enormous she-wolf out past the Kingdoms walls.

Though she was far away, Glory could tell immediately. 

The Wolf was looking at her, and the look it gave her, was one so filled with sorrow that Glory felt her breath catch in her throat.

Her eyes blurred and she blinked quickly. 

When she looked out of the window again, the she-wolf was gone, but out of the forest emerged a long line of people.

Glory  ran.

Down the hallway, down, round, round and round the twisted stair cases and down, down, down until she had reached the giant doors of the main hall, just as the men filed in.

Deathbringer wasn't among them, and they had grim expressions upon their faces.

"Well?" Glory asked, trying to keep her voice straight.

The lead tracker of the group stepped up and bowed before her.

"I'm sorry your majesty, we did not find him, however we did find-."

Glory waited

The tracker held out two things in his hands.

One was a scrap of a familiar black cloth from his cloak. The other was a small piece of parchment.

The tracker nodded at one of the other men, who stepped forwards, took the parchment in his hand and read aloud its contents.

"Princess of the Rain and Nightwings. We have kidnapped the one who is precious to you. He shall be killed within one month unless you trade in yourself to take his place. You shall take yourself to the tree on which this note was found and await us. You must be unarmed. You may bring no one. If we find that you have brought anyone along, you shall, along with your Nightwing pet, be killed immediately.

On the sixth of December, if you have not done as we wish, he shall be executed.

Regards- The New Age

Glory gasped, both hands flying to her mouth, and as she did so, the small roll of parchment in her hand fell from her grasp and fluttered to the ground, where it now lay flat and open from being constantly reread.

On it, written in dark ink stood the few words that made Glory's decision nearly impossible.

 If she did nothing, Deathbringer would die and she would never forgive herself. If she did what they asked, she would condemn not only one life, but two.

Your Majesty. We have studied your symptoms, and have come up with the following diagnosis.

Symptoms:

Fevers

Fatigue

Nausea

Severe changes in mood over short distances of time

Heightened emotional impulses

Increase in appetite 

Cravings for strange foods such as:

Raw fish

Mango jelly and shrimp

Milk soaked bread

And other Symptoms that may occur:

Head aches

pelvic pain

Faintness

Libido

Diagnoses:

One: Possibility that you are carrying a child: 75 (if so, Congratulations!)

Two:  Possibility that you are carrying a rare undiscovered lethal disease:  25 (if so  . . . Oh dear, our consolations) 

Glory did not pick it back up. She sank to her knees and wondered what in all the seven Kingdoms she was going to do.

Deathbringer

Deathbringer stood up and grabbed the bars that confined him within the small caged room. He pulled them. They didn't budge.

He pushed them.

Still nothing.

"Dammit" he hissed.

"Don't fret over it boy. We've all tried. We've all failed. May as well just accept it. You ain't getting out'a here any time soon"

Deathbringer turned around.

Sitting opposite him, on the other side of the cage was a man. Seawing by the looks of him.

He looked as though once he had been reasonably well built, but evidently had been a prisoner for quite some time, Deathbringer could tell from the way his skin sagged,  and his bones jutted out painfully.

"Where are we?" Deathbringer asked.

The Seawing  shrugged.

"Dunno, been here for years and still I don't know. No one ever does."

He held out a hand.

"The name's Manatee, came from the Sea Kingdom, now your permanent room mate. You?"

Deathbringer let Manatee shake his hand.

"Deathbringer" he said flatly.

"I come from the Rainwing and Nightwing Kingdom"

Manatee laughed.

"Oh you're a funny one you are! A real Jester!Ha Ha! Rainwing and Nighting Kingdom he says!" He doubled over, clutching his sides and howling with laughter.

Deathbringer waited for him to finish before saying. "I'm not Jesting. The world has changed since you were last amidst it. The Rainwings and Nightwings are united under one Queen."

Manatee stared at him for a moment, then started laughing again.

"I don't believe it." he said. "And I suppose they're ruled by a Rainwing too. HA!"

"Yes indeed." Deathbringer said, growing annoyed.

"Queen Grandeur, soon to be replaced  by Queen-" his voice caught at the mention of her name.

"Glory."

Manatee stopped laughing and frowned at him, then he sighed.

"Well I suppose stranger things have happened. Perhaps you're right, I have been gone from the world for longer than I thought. This . . . Glory. She is special to you?"

Deathbringer leaned his head against the cage bars.

"Yes."  he said.

It hit him, very hard just then.

He had no idea where he was, but he wasn't near her.

He had no idea how long he would be here, or how long he had been unconscious.

Worst of all, he had no idea how she was. If she was safe. If he would ever see her again.

No. He shook his head.

No, don't think like that. You will find out where you are, you will escape, and you will see her again.

Unconsciously, Deathbringer placed his hand in his pocket.

His fingers closed around something cold, hard and delicate.

Frowning, he lifted it up and realized, to his surprise, that it was a necklace. An emerald necklace that glittered in the eerie dungeon light.

How in the great kingdoms- 

Then he remembered.

Flashback (a few weeks ago)

" It's so dark out"

"I hadn't noticed"

Glory slapped his shoulder playfully. 

"If I wanted a smart ass comeback I would ask for one"

"Well then, what would you like?"

Glory turned around, the emeralds at her throat complimenting her eyes.

"Tell me what you think about me. Truthfully"

Deathbringer considered this request  for a moment from his perch upon her bed.

"I think that you are smart"

She turned back to her mirror while she waited for his next remark and began to undo the laces of her corset.

"And?" she pressed.

"I think that you are beautiful. The most beautiful person I have ever met."

She snorted disbelievingly and walked behind her changing screen.

Deathbringer watched her shadowy silhouette.

"How many beautiful people have you met to judge me by?" she asked.

"To many to count" he answered.

"Well they must all have been dirt covered beggars or wart covered hags then." she said.

"Not at all, many of them were royalty, and young. Completely dirt and wart free"

"Alright, alright, never mind. Go on, what else do you think about me?" she asked.

"I think you will make an excellent Queen. I think you are kind, and have wise judgement. At least, most of the time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

He smirked.

"Does the word "Bait" ring any bells?"

" . . . shut up. That was ONE time"

He laughed. "Shall I go on?"

"Please do" she answered tartly.

"I think you have insecurities, I think you have no idea how amazing you are, and how many people you have helped."

Neither of them laughed. Deathbringer saw her form go still as she listened.

" I think that you are the most important person in the world to me."

Glory didn't say anything. Neither of them breathed.

"I think that . . . you are the only thing that holds any meaning in my life. I think that without you . . . I think I wouldn't be able to exist. And . . ."

He lowered his eyes  to his hands, which lay open in his lap.

There was a rustle of silk.

Glory stepped out from behind the screen in a thin, white dress of silk. Simple, elegant and . . . some how able to accentuate how beautiful she was by ten times.

Her hair was down, and the emeralds still glittered at her throat.  

She looked at him, long dark eyelashes framing her eyes as she waited for him to say what she had been waiting for.

"And . . ." she breathed.

He took a deep breath.

"And I know that I am-" he laughed slightly.

"Deeply and irrevocably in love with you"

Now she breathed.

Now their gaze was broken as he looked back down at his hands.

"Thank you Deathbringer" Glory said.

"Now it is my turn to do something for you."

He looked at her. 

"And what might that be?"

She came forwards, walking slowly until she was right in front of him.

She laced her arms around his neck.

"You've been seeming . . . distressed lately.  Not yourself. I know you wont tell me what it is, so I can't do anything about it . . . but I thought I might, distract you, from what ever it is. At least for a while."

She leaned her head down and brushed her lips against his own. Gently.

"And is this how you propose to distract me?" he asked.

She pulled back and tilted her head to the side for a moment.

"Yes" she said.

"Well then . . ."

His hands skimmed over the soft skin of her neck line, until they reached the clasp of her necklace.

"Consider me . . . distracted"

The delicate chain of green jewels fell heavily into his hand, and what she told him was  imprinted forever in his soul.

Words, actions. There are many ways to tell a person you love them. Some find it easiest to tell them face to face. Some do it best through a letter, a secret note or a clue. Then there are those who speak best through their actions. Sometimes it's hard to tell then, what those people are trying to tell you, but Glory made it very clear, and when the morning sun rose to mark a new day, Deathbringer had no doubts what so ever that she felt the same way as he did.

End of Flashback

Deathbringer brushed his fingers over the smooth jewels, remembering the way they seemed to glow when brought into contact with her skin.

In the pale light of the  torches, it was enough. Just enough like the shade of her eyes, to reform his determination.

He would escape.

Long chapter. 

Wowza

I hope you guys enjoyed. I really really really hoped you guys enjoyed.

Anyway, things are getting complicated now huh. What do you guys think Glory will do? I haven't decided yet.

Please remember to VOTE and COMMENT PLEASE❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I love you all, even you silent readers :)

Also, sorry for any mistakes, they shall be edited out, promise.