The infirmary is bustling with nurses and their apprentices running this way and that, visiting and treating the various wounded. Meg's presence affords us a path between the beds lined up on either side of the space and I walk behind her and Will as he leads us towards a curtained-off area at the furthest end of the room.

I glance in the cots as we pass, feeling a tightness in my chest at the sight of the patients. Men and women fill the normally-empty beds, blood-soaked bandages covering their assorted limbs. A glimpse at one bed halts me in my tracks and I step up next to it, letting Meg and Will walk on ahead of me.

The bed's occupant is smaller than the rest and I see a pair of eyes widen at my approach.

"Hey there." I smile, situating myself on the edge of the mattress. "What's your name?"

"Sylvie." The girl's voice comes out as nearly a whisper as she looks at me in awe. She has dark brown skin and a mess of black curls spring out of the bandage wrapped around her forehead.

"Sylvie. I'm Kay, it's nice to meet you."

"I know you." She scratches the bandage wrapping her temple, smiling shyly at me.

"You do?"

"Uh huh." She moves her hand to her mouth, her smile broadening and revealing two missing front teeth. "You're the Runner."

I grin. "You're right. You're a smart little thing, has anyone ever told you that?"

"My dad does."

"Rightly so. How old are you, Sylvie?"

"Six." She replies.

"Six, my goodness. This is a pretty big adventure, being at the Palace, isn't it?"

"I like the shiny walls." She takes her fingers out of her mouth and gestures down the hall back towards the door. "The nurses let me walk in the yard this morning and I saw the flowers all around and the shiny walls as well."

"I like the walls too." I tell her.

"Your hair is pretty." She says, moving her eyes down the braid I have draped over my shoulder.

"Thank you." I say, lifting my braid and letting her finger it curiously. "I think that your hair is very pretty too."

She giggles. "My brother says my hair is too big for my head."

"My brother used to say that to me as well. Don't worry, you'll grow into it." I lean back to peer down the hall and realize that I can't see Meg and Will anymore.

I stand up reluctantly and give Sylvie's small leg a reassuring squeeze. "You're a very brave girl Sylvie, I hope that you feel better soon. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Her voice has dropped back down to a whisper and she smiles an enormous gap-toothed grin at me.

I step out of the curtained area, giving her a small wave before turning to jog lightly back down the hall, catching up with Meg and Will just as they reach a curtained-off area surrounded by four guards standing with their hands on the swords at their waists.

Meg shoots me a curious look when I join them but doesn't say anything. One of the guards nods to Will and pulls the curtain aside, gesturing us through.

I duck my head and stand with Meg at the foot of the bed while Will moves to stand next to the Waster, grabbing a piece of parchment stashed near the bedframe and studying it.

The Waster is smaller than I expected, but his wiry physique is knotted with muscles and decorated with a complicated network of blue markings. His dark, unkempt hair is cut roughly to his shoulders and matted into thick ropes while thick brows lower menacingly at us and big hands curl into fists where they lay bound to either side of the bed. One of his legs is tied tightly in a heavy bandage and pokes out beneath the sheets. Despite his sharp, wary eyes he doesn't appear to be much older than me.

His lip curls at Meg and I in a grimace of utter hate and I feel myself flinch involuntarily. I have no doubt in my mind that if this man were not restrained he wouldn't hesitate to violently exact revenge for his capture.

"How are you feeling?" Meg asks, her voice measured and not unkind.

The man snarls, flashing his teeth and grinding them tightly together.

Will replaces the parchment and reaches for the hilt of his sword. "The Queen asked you a question."

"This is no queen of mine." The Waster's voice comes out in a low growl and I feel a hint of amusement at his defiance, recognizing it as being akin to my own.

"I suppose you're right about that." I acquiesce. The Waster's eyes dart over to me, glinting with a colour I can't quite place. "Nonetheless, she is a nice lady who has done you a kind service and it would be polite of you to treat her with respect." Meg trods on my foot in warning and I bite my tongue.

"What is it that you want?" The Waster practically spits out the words and I notice him straining against the straps binding his wrists.

"We want to end this war." Meg speaks plainly. "I want your assistance in meeting your leader so that we can negotiate peace."

The Waster laughs, a harsh, choking sound scraping from his throat. "You are cowards."

Meg's hands shake slightly before she rolls her shoulders back and composes herself. "We see no point in fighting with you. Neither of us stand to gain anything by it."

"You are wrong about that." The Waster's white teeth stand out starkly from his olive skin. "There will be no peace until we have rid the desert of your kind. You may as well kill me now, I will not be helping you."

"We can help each other." Meg presses. "What I want to do is talk, lay down our weapons and have a peaceful discussion with your leader."

"My chief will crush you beneath the heel of his boot." The Waster sits up so suddenly that Meg flinches back, a high colour rising to her cheeks.

"You must see reason." She speaks through clenched teeth, visibly struggling to stay the course. "I don't wish to harm anyone."

"But we do." The Waster laughs again, the rumbling sound sending shivers down my spine.

Meg draws herself up and turns abruptly, pushing the curtains aside forcefully and striding from the room.

I sigh and follow Will out after her, taking one last glance behind my shoulder towards the Waster as we leave. He has stopped laughing and is staring directly at me, his strange eyes boring into my skull as though he could tear me apart with his glare alone.

I suppress a shudder and join Meg as she pushes through the back exit of the infirmary and slips into the hall. I recognize the tight set of her shoulders and shoo Will away. He halts and turns back reluctantly, disappearing into the infirmary and gesturing Meg's guards along with him.

I find Meg leaning against the tiled wall in the narrow passageway, her head in her hands. I step up next to her, standing so that I am leaning next to her and waiting patiently for her to speak.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Kay." She raises her head, tilting it back as she peers upwards and draws a shaky breath.

"You're figuring it out." I tell her. "This is new territory for all of us."

"A queen isn't supposed to 'figure it out'. A queen is supposed to just know."

"Really? I wasn't aware that queenhood endowed you with special powers." I nudge her with my elbow. "Go easy on yourself, Meg."

"How can I? Everyone is depending on me to prevent a godsforsaken war." Her hands come up to bury themselves in her thick hair. "I feel like such a fraud."

"Listen, you're not in this alone. You have the people's support to negotiate peace but if it comes down to it, we will fight for you." I bite my lip, concerned at seeing calm, collected Meg so anxious.

She sighs, lowering her hands. I watch in fascination as her hair falls perfectly back into place. "You heard him in there, they don't want to listen to me."

"That Waster is only one man." I tell her. "One person in enemy territory. You can't blame him for not cozying up to you right away."

"It isn't just him." She turns to look at me. "What about all the people whispering about me right here in the City? They don't think I can do this."

"So prove them wrong." I say simply. "Show them what you are capable of. Show them who you are."

"What if I fail?"

"Then you try again."

She smiles sadly. "If I fail, there won't be an opportunity to try again."

"You underestimate us." I pound a fist against the solid stone wall behind us. "It will take a lot more than some pushy Wasters to knock us down."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."

I sigh, slipping an arm around her shoulder. "I know, but I'm afraid that might be a touch unrealistic."

She leans her head down on top of mine and I feel her body slump. "I'm so tired, Kay."

"I know you are. It's all right. Take your moment, be tired. Cry, do whatever you need to do so that you can get back out there and fight for us." I give her shoulders a squeeze. "You didn't think that this 'queen' thing would be all sunshine, did you?"

"I suppose not." She lifts her head up and regards me. "It should be me going out into the Wastelands, not you."

"Are you jesting? Do you really think I would ever forgive you if you denied me this opportunity?" I ask incredulously.

She shakes her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're absolutely mad. Only you would revel the chance to take such a risk."

"I live for this." I grin at her. "You'll see. We'll fly in there and be back with the Wastelanders' leader before you even notice we've gone."

"Trust me, I will notice when you're gone." She wraps her arm around my back and hugs me tightly. "Just promise me that you'll be careful out there."

"I promise." I say the words she needs to hear, hugging her back and pushing away the nagging warning at the back of my mind.

There is a small part of myself that I cannot trust, the impulsive, reckless inclination to jump straight into the fray, arms swinging. Meg knows it as well as I do but for this moment, ensconced with her in the darkened hallway away from prying eyes we both choose to believe the lie.