Lady Heide of Mount Alessan jumped out of bed a frosty morning and threw on her dark green breeches. She quickly admired the way they matched her eyes and tugged a comb through her long, brownish-blond hair. She jogged down the corrider as quietly as possible, and headed for the stables. She was going riding today!

When she reached the stables, the head groom, Arl, sleepily directed her in the direction of her colt's stall. Heide stopped in awe when she saw her beautiful horse. He was tall, 17 1/2 hands, and he had a bright orange coat and intelligent black eyes. He was muscular and fiesty, and named Dragon's Fire. She quickly saddled him up and rode towards the gate of Mount Alessan. She wanted to ride over the green hills and through the dense forests of Outer Alessan today.

Sudenly, a tall man on a gray mare blocked her path. "Till! I thought you were asleep!" she exclaimed to the brownish- reddish haired rider.

"Nope, I was awake. I heard you sneaking through the corriders. You sounded like a small elephant." Derrick joked merrily, his light green eyes twinkling.

"Do you want to go riding with me?" Heide asked plaintively. She adored her older brother.

"Sorry, can't. And neither can you, anyway. Father wants to talk to you in his chambers."

"Why?" Heide asked curiously. Derrick shrugged. "He didn't tell me," he announced. Heide sighed and turned around to gallop back to the barn.

~*~*~

A half-hour later, Heide was racing towards her father, Lord Lang, with her brother walking more sedately behind. "Yes?" he asked when she knocked on his door. "Oh, Heide, yes, I was expecting you. Come here, dear, for a moment. Derrick, you may listen if you wish, although it doesn't concern you." Derrick nodded and stepped across the threshold. He closed the door softly behind him.

"Heide, dear. Ever since your mother died, I have never thought that I have raised you quite adiquitely," the Lord began, raising a hand to ward off her protests at the last sentance. "Now, I realize that you are no longer a girl, but a young woman. Your mother taught you to be a lady, and now I believe it is time to send you to court, if you wish to go, to look for a suitable husband. Most girls your age do...Do you wish to go?"

Heide thought for a moment. "Well..." she answered, "Not really, but since Derrick is leaving for the border patrols tomorrow, I won't have anyone at home really anymore, except the servants. You're usually gone...And, it might be fun to meet some young men my age. Or a few adventurous maidens. Maybe some of the lady squires at the palace would be willing for a few adventur-erm, cups of tea. I suppose, yes, I will go." she stated firmly, nodding her head.

Lang smiled. "Very well! We'll all leave in the morning!" he announced.

~*~*~

Heide frowned as she glanced at the approaching palace. It looked so huge...and she did wish that Derrick could be there with her. She would miss him so while he was on patrol...she frowned again, and coughed slightly. She hoped she wasn't coming down with something. It would worry Father so.

Which reverted her back to thoughts of her mother. The beautiful Crystalline of Point Lookout had married dashing young Lang of Mount Alessan when she was just eighteen. But they had been much in love, and had lived happilly for several years. Long enough for Crystall to have two beautiful children and become loved by all of her people at their small waterside fief. But even the best palace healers couldn't save her from the malignant respitory illness that had drawn out her misery for nine long monthes of doctor's warnings that she would only live another day at most. But the disease finally caught up with her, and she died a young girl of just twenty-two. Heide had been two when her mother died.

"Lady, we have reached the palace, do you wish to dismount?" one of the accompianing soldiers asked her loudly, jarring her out of her thoughts. A man wearing the livery colors stood beside her.

"Oh! Excuse me...I was thinking. No, thank you, I'd like to take care of my own horse."

The small man shrugged. "As you like it, Lady. I'm Stefan Groomsman if you need any more assistance." he told her, and stepped away.

Heide smiled and dismounted, then headed for the stables to put Dragon's Flame away.

~*~*~

Later that night, after a maid had showed her to her guest quarters, Heide began to explore the palace. But just as she came around a corner, a tall man blocked her path. He was carrying papers and muttering to himself. She bumped into him, and spilled his papers onto the floor.

He bent down to pick them up. "You never watch where you're going, all of you young pages and squires. If you'd just pay attention to where you were going, something like this would NEVER have happened in the first place! I've probably lost HOURS of work!!!" he then glared up at her, but paused slightly.

A small smile started out from the very corner of her mouth. It grew as the man began to look flustered. "You- aren't a page, are you?" he asked with chagrin.

A full smile now lit her face. "No, sorry to disappoint you. I was looking to be in for quite a lecture, I'm afraid. I sympathize for the poor pages already!" Heide grinned to show that her jibe was meant as a joke, before she walked quietly past him and down the hall.

The young man sat dumbfounded in her wake. "Well, I'll be," he muttered.

~*~*~

Later that night, a soft knock sounded at Heide's door. "Yes?" she answered it.

A small woman stood at the door, who had long, silky, wavy brown hair and soft brown eyes. She was skinny, and wore the attire of a palace servant. "I am Eleanor, Lady, and I am to be your maid for tonight. Please call me Lela. We need to get you prepared for the ball that will take place at seven."

Heide glanced at the clock, and recoiled in shock. "But it's only six! I'll never be ready in time!"

Lela blushed. "I'm sorry, but the head servant didn't remember that you'd need some help until a few minutes ago."

Heide shrugged, and pulled Lela inside. "What can we do?"

"There are some gowns in that wardrobe, I believe, and I'll run your bath while you choose one."

Heide nodded, and walked towards the wooden cabinet at the end of the room. She hadn't approached it before, and when she did, she saw that it had intricately carved roses tangled through the handles and bordering the doors. It was beautiful.

"Splendid!" she cried, and threw open the doors. She saw glorious fabrics of every size, shape, and color. "How shall I ever choose?"

Lela was at her side in a moment. "I think I know what color would be just perfect for you...how about this?"

Heide gasped. In Lela's arms was the most wonderful gown she had ever seen. It was long and had small straps instead of sleeves. However, it had a cape that draped over the place where arms should go and down the back to the floor. All in the most lovely shade of dark forest green that matched her eyes as well and better as any outfit she had ever seen. And there were small earbobs and slippers to match. She even thought she saw a necklace and bracelet in the folds of the closet, before Lela slammed the wardrobe door and hurried towards the washroom. "Come!" she ordered. "You must bathe first!"

~*~*~

Heide glanced nervously at the announcer as she waited her turn to march down the grand staircase into the ballroom. She heard him call various names and titles, but she was too nervous to do more than look around the room absentmindedly. If only she could get it over with!

And then, sudenly, he called her name! She panicked. I don't want to go now! she thought. What if I trip and fall?

But she stumbled towards the railing, and caught it with her free hand, nodding at her escort. He smiled, and the page stood a little straighter as he saw the beautiful lady clench his arm a bit tighter. Boy, would he have something to tell the boys that night when he told them that he had been her escort that evening!

Heide, however, knew nothing of the thoughts that were running through the boy's head, and could only concentrate on the faceless crowd in front of her. She didn't realize, either, that the whole company stopped and several gasps were heard as she entered the hall. Even Prince Liam's eye was turned, and it was said that he was never seen closer than a yard away from any woman.

Heide gulped with relief when she reached the floor, and headed for a corner far away from the festivities. Maybe she'd get so ingrossed in the food that she'd forget that no one wanted to dance with her...

~*~*~

A pair of strong, firm hands grabbed Heide around the waist and pulled her to her feet. She was huddled up in a dark corner, her dress rumpled and tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Derrick, what are you doing here!" she yelped with surprise.

"I don't have to be at the City of the Gods until Thursday, so I decided to say good-bye to my baby sister in Corus first, before I left. Say, what are you doing in the corner?" Derrick replied.

"No one cares about or notices me at all!" she sniffed unhappily.

"That's not true at all!" Derrick cried in unfeigned astonishment. "Why would you think that? People have been asking all night who the 'Woman in the green dress' is. I'm sure they want to dance with you!" he insinuated slyly.

Heide still looked unconvinced, and she only shrugged. "Well, anyway, I've got a surprise for you. Come with me!" and at that, he grabbed her hand and yanked her towards the refreshment table.

"Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrick!" she groaned, and tried to slow down and reclaim her hand. However, Derrick wouldn't relinquish it, and ordered her to come and not dally so that she wouldn't miss his surprise. She was still straightening out her dress when she glanced up and saw someone she had never expected to see again.

"Eric!" she hissed in astonishment. The man with long, sandy blond hair in a horsetail turned, and gave her a wide grin.

"Heide! Great to see you again!" he shouted as he embraced her.

"But-but-but I thought I would never see you again!" she blurted out in confusion as she stared into his dark grey eyes.

"Yes, it's been a while hasn't it?" he answered, avoiding her real question. "Come, I know of a place where we can talk easier."

Heide looked at Derrick, and he shrugged. Eric pulled her out towards the terrace. "About that bit of buisness why I was away in the first place-I would appreciate it if you kept it a bit close-mouthed-if you know what I mean." Heide nodded. Eric continued, "When I was bound to Aventurine Isle, the sovereign was, ah, lets say murdered. Yes, Chilaron has seized the throne in his father's absence. And to hush up the...occurrence, Alarez didn't tell anyone any of the details. So Chilaron let me leave after consulting the records and coming up with no reason why I should remain."

Heide glanced worriedly at him. "You didn't...kill him, did you?" she asked fearfully.

Eric arched an eyebrow, but shook his head resolutely. "No, someone else did me a favor. Not that Alarez was particularily loved anyway-any number of people in the palace probably had reasons to want to murder him. I haven't changed that much."

Heide blushed. "I'm-I'm sorry, Eric. It was rather unexpected, seeing you here tonight, and I'm not completely over the shock yet. It's been four years, you know."

Eric nodded. "I know. I've missed you," he added softly. "How 'bout a dance for old friends' sake?"

Heide laughed. "How could I turn down a dance from my best childhood friend?"

Eric frowned, but held out his arm for her. "I hoped that we would still be friends," he confided as they walked back onto the ballroom floor. Heide gave him a sharp look, before nodding slowly and smiling a little.

"We are," she stated, and turned towards the orchestra.

~*~*~

After one dance, Eric bowed and strolled away. Heide thought that he had looked slightly unhappy and wondered what was wrong. But she shrugged, knowing that he would tell her sooner or later. Here she paused, for she was remembering how he would have acted three years before when she was thirteen, and she didn't know how he would act now. He was nineteen instead of fifteen now. She shrugged, and retired to her rooms soon after. She undressed quickly and fell asleep immediately.

She slept soundly through the night but woke in the black hours of the night to be struggling while three masked men roughly pulled her out of bed, tied, and gagged her within minutes. They started to drag her out the window, but at the last moment, rendered her unconscious with a blow to the head. That was the last thing she remembered until she woke two days later.

A small man with short, unkempt brown hair and muddy brown eyes leaned over her critacly. "'Bout time!" he exclaimed in a rough, unpleasant voice.

A voice ordered from a position to her left not to touch her and to let him interview her alone. The small man shrugged, and stepped away, and Heide heard his quick footsteps recede to the door. She heard it slam, and then she heard the smooth, crisp voice yet again.

"What is your name?" Heide didn't move a muscle. She wanted to see this man face to face.

"I said, what is your name, wench?" the voice asked again, getting slightly angry.

"Do you not understand common? I asked you a simple question?" and with that, the man strode towards the table and gave her a smart slap to the side of her face. Heide cringed, for the hit hurt, but she tried not to let the man see her wince as she studied his features. He was tall and had long, black hair tied in a ponytail. He had blue eyes so dark that they looked almost black when he frothed with anger. He had a hooked nose, a cruel smile, and a pale complexion.

"Heide," she spit out virulently.

The man smiled at her plesantly. "Thank you for your insightful answer. I apologize for being distastefully violent, but I do tend to have quite a temper when one does not conform to my wishes. So you will obey my every command, or experience subtle...reminders. Do you understand?"

Heide nodded in mock timidity. The man's smile deepened. "I'm glad we have a deal. Now, this interview will be short, if you behave and act properly the way I want and expect."

"What do you know of a man called Eric Lansce?"

Heide blanched at the mention of her friend's name on the lips of her enemy. "Nothing! I don't-don't know anything about him! We danced once, last night, but he barely said two words to me. All I could gather that was that he had been out of the country for a while." she quickly lied, assuming that they would know all of this already.

The man frowned, but had to belive her, for she looked thoroughly innocent. "Humph. Well, I'll have to talk to Cor about this one. Stay where you are, I'll be back soon!"

~*~*~