I was beginning to hate horseback riding. Every muscle was sore, and even the callouses on my hands from working in the forge couldn't protect my hands from the blisters. As promised by the king, by midday the next day, we reached General Dumont's country villa. It was a handsome building, larger than anything I had ever seen, and made completely of some sort of dark stone. There was a small wall encasing the grounds, with one gate leading in and out. Once we passed inside of the gate, a long path flanked with tall trees lead to the door of the villa. The sprawling grounds were brightly colored with flowers and shrubs and more trees. Everything seemed to have a place. It was rather intimidating.

Ava helped me down from my horse, and had to hold me steady for several seconds while my legs struggled to work. They felt like jelly. Once I was able to stand on my own, she lead me to the foot of the stairs where the king, Drax and General Dumont stood waiting.

As one, the four of us walked up the stone steps. A pair of wooden doors opened, seemingly by themselves until I saw two servants on the inside pulling them open. Inside was grander than I had expected. Dominating the center of the foyer was a grand staircase with dark wood railings and a deep red rug. Hanging from the ceiling was a large chandelier like the ones that my mother had told me about in her stories. It blazed with lights from the candles, and the crystal jewels on it sparkled. The staircase itself was split in two, more stairs leading to the left and right. On the landing where the stairs split hung a large tapestry, bearing a house crest. Khalie's mother had often made flags from noble houses with the family crests, but I had never seen the Dumont crest before. It was a black tree on a blood red background. The branches of the tree were bare of leaves and instead were full of black flames. Feeling uneasy, I tore my gaze away from it, back to the stairs.

On the bottom most step stood two woman. I had never seen a person with skin darker than my own, but the taller of the two woman had skin like midnight. It was dark and exotic looking, and upon closer inspection, I realized it was the color of dark wood when it was wet, and not black as I had originally thought. Still, she stood haughty and proud, draped in a red dress and gold jewels. The girl standing next to her was about a head shorter. Her skin was dark too, but not so much as the woman's. It was like her skin was a combination of the woman's dark and General Dumont's light. With a start, I realized this must be his wife and daughter.

"My wife," The general said, gesturing to the woman. "Lady Dumont, may I present Their Royal Majesties, King Eamon and Prince Draxton, and the newest member of the King's Court, Lady Nakida Margravitz."

Lady Dumont dipped into a graceful curtsy. Her hair was jet black, and barely touched her shoulders. When she moved, I heard the metallic clink of her jewelry. "It is a pleasure to have you in our home. May I present our daughter, Eryn Dumont." Her words sounded kind but her dark eyes looked fierce.

While fair and imposing as her mother, Eryn Dumont looked every bit her father's daughter. She stood in armor, similar to the general's, with her hands clasped behind her back. Two sword hilts poked above her shoulders. She's wore a stern expression and had her black hair pulled back tightly into a severe looking bun. Her dark eyes held a sort of cool indifference as she gazed at me. I probably should have been worried about the way she looked at me, but it felt like a relief from her father's blatant hatred.

Eryn offered a nod of her head, but didn't speak. Her gaze slid past me and onto the prince, where it softened considerably. However, Drax wasn't paying attention to her, he was watching me. When I looked back at Eryn, her gaze had hardened into a glare directed at me.

"Eryn has been my best friend since we were children," Drax said, stepping forward to wrap Eryn in a hug. She remained stiff, but hugged him in return. "I would trust no one more to make sure you are safe, Lady Nakida."

"It is my honor," Eryn finally said, but the words didn't seem very truthful. I had a feeling that like me, she was being forced into this situation. I made a mental note to watch myself around her.

Lady Dumont stepped forward. "Your rooms have been prepared and are waiting for you."

"What about dinner?" Drax said. His arm was still wrapped around Eryn's shoulders, and I swear I heard his stomach growl. I think Eryn did too because the corners of her lips tilted up in the hint of a smile. It was good to know she wasn't made of stone like she would have us believe.

Lady Dumont gave the prince a thin smile. "I wanted a formal dinner, but my dear husband insisted on just having dinner sent to your rooms. He said you would be weary from all your travel and to let you rest."

There was a fire in her eyes as she directed her gaze at General Dumont. Whatever their relationship was, I had a feeling it wasn't a good one. Lady Dumont seemed to harbor no love for her husband, and from what I knew of the cold hearted general, I didn't blame her. I also believed he didn't love her either. They simply tolerated each other, and it made me pity them. I had never dreamed of marriage, but I certainly hoped I didn't end up in a loveless one like this.

"Eryn," she said, turning to her daughter. "Please show Lady Nakida to her room. You must do your best to get acquainted with her."

Eryn gave a sharp nod. Her face held no emotion, so it was hard to tell how she really felt about this whole thing. "This way," she told me, leading me up the stairs and to the left, passing the hideous family crest. Ava hurried after me. The hall was made of the same dark stone as the rest of what I had seen, with sconces lining the walls for light. There were many doors that we passed, all shut, making me wonder why a family of three people needed so many extra rooms. Between the doors sat marvelous works of art, mainly portraits. Judging by the coloring of the skin on most of the paintings, I guess these were people who hailed from Eryn's mother's side of the family.

Finally, we came to a stop where Eryn opened a door for me. I wasn't sure how she knew this would be my room as all the doors looked the exact same to me. "This is your room. Mine is just across the hall," she gestured to yet another door, "and mother's is the last door at the end of this hall. Let me know if you need anything, my lady."

"Thank you Eryn," I said hesitantly. She paused at the sound of her name. Her face softened slightly and I thought I almost saw her smile. Then she turned around and disappeared into her own room.

The interior of my room made me stop short. Ava was already inside, bustling around and making things ready, but I couldn't bring myself to take another step. This bedroom alone was larger than my entire house back in Syncoy. A large bed dominated the center, piled high with blankets and pillows. Above it, was a chandelier, large, but still smaller than the one in the foyer, and only half its candles were lit, giving the room a soft glow. Across from the bed was a large dresser made of fine wood, and hanging over the dresser was a mirror big enough to view my whole body in. On the opposite end of the room from me was the room's only window. It was heavily draped in black curtains, but through a gap in them, I could see that I had a wonderful view of the courtyard below. In the corner of the room was another door. As Ava opened in, I could see a glimpse of a large tub. Not wanting to ruin the plush carpeting, I tugged my shoes off and left them outside the door.

"Should I draw you a bath?" Ava asked, peeking out of the bathing room.

I licked my dry lips. "A bath sounds perfect."

Tentatively, I stepped into the room. I let my fingers graze along the bed, feeling the softness of the sheets. I would be sleeping in those. As I passed the dresser and mirror, I stopped when I saw my reflection. I was still skinny to the point of being malnourished, but a few days of solid food had done wonders for my skin. My cheeks were now flushed with a rosy pink that was barely visible against the tan of my skin. I touched them, wondering what other changes to my body this journey would bring.

"Kida," Ava called. I could feel the water flowing in the other room. Her reflection appeared behind me in the mirror. "The water is almost ready."

She guided me to the bathing room. Steam was curling from the water, which filled more than half of the great white tub. It was large enough that I could sit comfortably in it. I pulled off my clothes, not bothered that Ava was watching. She was my maid after all, and I was used to sharing a bath house with other woman and seeing them naked. Once my clothes were in a pile on the stone floor, I stepped into the tub. The water was scalding, but it felt good on my aching muscles. Slowly, I lowered myself into the water, completely submerging myself. When I needed air, I rose only high enough for my nose and up to be above the water. With a sigh of contentment, I closed my eyes.

I heard wood scraping across stone, and I cracked my eyes open to see Ava pulling a small stool to the edge of the tub by my head. In her hand, she had a glass bottle of some silvery blue liquid. Pulling out the cork, she tipped its contents into my water, and bubbles started to form. The scent was soothing, but something I couldn't place. It was floral, making me think wide gardens that I had never seen. Between the scent and being surrounded by my element, I felt oddly at peace.

I closed my eyes again and heard Ava pull a cork from another bottle. This scent was citrus, reminding me of the fruit we rarely received in Syncoy. I was going to open my eyes to see what she would do with this bottle, but I then felt her hands on my head. With deft fingers, she began massaging my scalp, rubbing the citrus ointment into my hair. After all the hardships in my life, it felt good to have someone take care of me. The thought made me feel guilty, reminding me that everyone I still loved was suffering, but I deserved this little bit of self-care. Hopefully, one day, all this will lead to the freedom of my people. I had to remember that.

After a few more minutes of Ava running her fingers through my hair, I lifted my chin so that my mouth was above water and I could speak. "Ava, what will happen when we reach the city tomorrow?"

Her hands paused for a fraction of a second before returning to their soothing motions. "I don't know, Kida."

"I want to use this opportunity to help my people," I said softly, thinking of my family. "I'm the only water user left. I want my people to stop living in the desert where they're miserable." I paused. "What if I fail?" My eyes drifted down. Between the bubbles in the water, I could see my hand. With each twitch of my fingers, the water responded to me, moving ever so slightly to create a small currant in my tub.

"You won't fail," Ava said with so much conviction that I almost believed her. "You were taken from everything you have ever known and thrown to the wolves. So far, you have done splendidly, and I know you will continue to do so. Soon, you won't even recognize yourself. Anything will be possible, and I believe in you. I won't pretend that court life isn't difficult. It is, and it will be the greatest challenge you have faced so far, but I know you can do it. I will be by your side the entire time. And when it's all over, you'll have the power to change the world."

"Do you really think that?"

"With all my heart."

I could hear the smile in her voice and it warmed me inside. Settling back in the tub, I promised myself that no matter what the future would bring, I would rise above the challenge. I wouldn't let anything stop me. Ava's faith in me made me realize that I could not let the king break me as he wanted. I had my own agenda. So, sitting in the water, I let it wash away my worries, and when I rose, I rose as Lady Nakida Margravitz, the final water user.