Duncan's P.O.V.

"Come in."
A voice instructed from behind the door I'd just knocked on.
"Ah, Duncan. I haven't seen tu for a while. Where have tu been?"
"Busy." I entered the room. Along the auburn walls were tapestries of the past Kings. Beneath one of my deceased father sat his wife in a plush red chair.
Every surface in the room was bathed in a shade of red. Red tablecloths, cusions - don't ask me why she likes red so much - and every dress she owned was a different shade of crimson.
"With what?" My mother asked curiously. I swallowed before answering.
"Two days hace Abserforth and...Mink? Yes I think it was Mink. Well they brought in a girl - a faisán girl selling trinkets -" I paused to laugh quietly as I remembered her reaction to the word. Then I continued. "And it turned out she was a Sorceress.

"She has been having visions the past few nights she's been here and I have to keep moving her to get to her fast enough to hear the vision and now she's had one about a war and-"

"Oh tu mean Courtney!" queen Alexandra interrupted. "Yes I like her, she's very nice."
"How do tu know her?" I asked in shock, forgetting to mention that she hated me.
"Oh she somes up here lot. Yes nice girl. Such good manners. And she really knows how to take care of people." Yeah, everyone except herself. Pretty soon she's gonna get hurt from all the times she's dropped after her visions.
"...And she's very pretty." My mother added. I rolled my eyes. "And speaking of pretty girls I think it's about time tu get married. "
"Ugh, no."
"Why not?! You're already 23! You'll be taking over the crown soon."
"I'm waiting for the right one."
"Duncan, tu and I both know that's a lie. tu just want to be a free man, don't you? Well you've had your joking around long enough, was almost thrown in the dungeon three times. Ever since you've been actuación like King you've changed and this is the last change I'll ever ask from you. Please I just want tu to be happy." She pleaded.
I sighed in defeat. "Fine. But I get to pick the girl, and it's not going to be a big, fancy, whole Country wedding." She nodded excitedly. The only problem was I hadn't found the girl I loved yet.
*************************************************

Courtney's P.O.V.

"Are tu going to follow me everywhere?!" I snapped to the blonde maid tailing me. The one that had locked me in my new room. What had Duncan called her, Rose?
"If you're going to have a vision, I want ot see it. Especially since tu can't re-"
"Did Duncan ste tu up to this?!" I cut her off.
"Prince Duncan is with his mother."
"So he sent tu to spy on me for him!"
"No-"
I ignored ther rest of her excuseand seeked him out. I could feel my body rising into the air and through squinted vision I could tell my eyes glowed indigo.

I flashed through several rooms until I located him in a crimson room. It was queen Alexandra's. I liked her; it's too bad her son's such a Neandrathal.

My tansparent indigo body sat beside the two figures.

"...I'm worried about her though." Duncan was saying. I knew he was talking about me. I tried to abandon the locator spell then read his mind to find out if he did send Rose to spy on me when a vision took over.

I was stuck between a vision and a spell, unable to leave the enchantment. There were great consiquences for being stuck between two kinds of magic; especially if one is a vision. I didn't know what they were but I had a feeling I was going to find out.

A spasm of pain hit me and my locator spell writed on the ground.

Normally a vision gives a warning five minutos in advance - an image of an eye would flash in your mind - but I hadn't gotten that at all in the time I'd been in the castle. I was having más than visions than normal too. Maybe-

I was cut off por another attack of agony.

Maybe - ahh! - Maybe Lila - Ow! - could help - pain - and explain.

The siguiente seizures were so terrible I couldn't even think. As they ceased the vision came.

An ivory arch entwined with flowers, a corwd assembled on benches, dressed formally. Beneath the arch standing on a stage was the Prince wearing a cena chaqueta and behind him was a priest.

So I went through all this pain just to see the Prince's wedding?!

Then walking down the isle in a gorgeous white dress was-

Me?! I marry the Prince?!

But I didn't see the rest of the vision as I was launched into another bout of overwhelming pain before falling into blackness.




"Prince! She had a vision!"

I blinked my eyes open at the high-pitched squeal. So I was alive. Didn't see that one coming . I raised my head. I was sprawled on the floor of the hallway, light filtering in through the wall-length stained-glass windows.
Standing above me was the hated blonde maid and Duncan.

"What was it about?" Why was he so obsessed with knowing all my visions?!
"I didn't catch all of it but from what I heard she dicho who tu would marry! And it's me!" Rose shrieked in delight and hugged the Prince.
Duncan hugged her back looking confused.

If I hadn't been in such a bad condidtion I would have laughed. As long as it's not me he's trying to marry I'm fine with whoever he chooses. Then again he didn't look nearly as overjoyed as Rose.

I tried to rember the vision but once again I couldn't. I groaned in frusteration. But despite the fact I didn't know it, I was sure Duncan didn't marry Rose.

The blonde maid finally let go of the Prince, her pale blue eyes shining with delight.
"Courtney?" Duncan asked noticing me for the first time. "What are tu doing on the floor?"
I blinked up at him. "Uh...I don't really know." I winced as I recalled the pain. "Rose what happened to me?"
The joyous light faded from Rose's green eyes -wait green?! - as she stared at me.
"Well tu glowed and your eyes turned indigo and tu kind of...floated. Then tu just floated there and then tu screamed like tu were hurt and tu kept wailing and talking about pain and then tu yelled the vision was of the wedding and-"
She paused to smile at Duncan. "And I married the Prince. Then tu sort of passed out and fell on the floor." Rose finished.
"Here." Duncan helped me up as Rose wtached with jealousy flasing in her dark eyes. What did she have to be jealous of? She was marrying the Prince of Azalia!

But I was in no condition to walk. I staggered then fell on thye floor. Again.
"Here," Duncan offered me his hand.
Grudgingly I took it but managed only to fall over again. Duncan took me up in his arms and carried me to my room. Ugh, I hated needing to be helped. Especially por him.

Finally we reached my room but instead he walked right past it and dropped me in the infirmiry.
"I'm fine." I hissed.
"You're staying here anyway."
I frowned at him as Rose smirked in gloating triumph.
He started to leave.
"Wait!" I managed to grab his arm as he walked away. "What if I have another vision?! tu want to see it don't you?"
Duncan sighed in defeat. "Rose tu go ahead." After she left with a look of envy and confusion he spun back to me.
"What. Do. You. Want." He growled.
"You are not leaving me here! I'm going back to my room!" I tried to get up and leave but all I managed was to fall back on one of the infirmiry bed.
"Like tu can walk out yourself." He rolled his eyes.
I glared at him. "I will get out of here. Just wait until tommorow and I'll be gone."
Duncan laughed. "You can't even get up por yourself and tu expect to leave the castle? We have a hundred gaurds and three hundred soliders in the castillo right now. Some of which will shoot first and ask preguntas later. You'd be lucky to get out alive in normal conditions."
"So I'm a Prisoner than?" I quizzed even though I'd known from the very first día I'd set foot in the castle. If only that stupid dog hadn't led the Soliders to me.

~Fashback~

I sat happily at my table, selling witchcraft to the passer-bys and telling fortunes. It made good money, especially for an orphan teenager.

Suddenly a thick-furred black dog with pointed ears and a curled tail came whipping around the corner. It came up to my hip, with long legs and shiny blue eyes. The dog was carrying a piece of pescado in its shimmering ivory teeth and chasing after it were two soldiers wearing the King's colours.

The soldiers finally caught the dog and then they saw me. The taller one, Abserforth, gripped my arm and the two dragged me off to the castle.

~Flashback ends~

If I hadn't been caught I'd probably be wandering over to Lila's for a visit; not from a pianful and confusing vision. I wouldn't have suffered through the vision either and we could have had a good laugh about how the Prince was holding a ball o something just to find someone to marry. I wouldn't be locked in here, I wouldn't be injured. It was laughable, really. If only that dog hadn't stolen the soldier's food.

Shut up. I told myself. This won't help anything.
If only I'd known...
**************************************************

Duncan's P.O.V.

"Prince Duncan wake up!"
"What?!" My thoughts first jumped to the Sorceress. I could hear her screaming from the door siguiente to me if she was having a vision but there was none.
"The Sorceress girl's gone." Rose informed me. She rolled her eyes. "Good Ridance."
"What?! Do tu know how important she is?! Gaurds!" At my command Abserforth and a few dozen others rushed in.
"Yes my Prince?" Abserforth asked.
"The Sorceress is gone. I want a full castillo search." There was no way she could have escaped the castle. I would have heard about it. And the gaurd was too heavy to escape.It wasn't possible. She was probably hidden in some crevice somewhere.
Her words flashed back at me: I will get out of here. Just wait until tommorow and I'll be gone.
____________________________________________________________________________

"Um, Prince Duncan?" One of my soliders, Gret, asked tenatively.
"Yes?" I growled, trying to remain calm. I didn't need a Sorcerer to tell me what he was going to say next.
"She's not in the castle."
"Find her." I snarled. But I remebered the battle as a warning horn sounded.
**************************************************

Courtney's P.O.V.

I giggled as I soared through the forest. I'd really escaped.
Hahaha, take that!! I danced through the moonlit wood with my Midnight Blue dress swirling around me. The silver sequins in it flashed in the moon's glow. It was almost a full moon.
I twirled around in delight canto joyfully. A cuervo cackled nearby. I paused, my skirts swishing as I stopped dancing and gazed up at the trees, searching for the sound.
The black bird cawed once más as it studied me. I listened intently. Normally most Sorceresses can understand animals, especially crows since they were my signature animal.
"Courtney," It crowed. "Wait here. I'll be back."
And it soared off on silent black wings. I waited as it flitted between the shadowy trees until it disappeared from sight.
A war cry broke out behind me. I spun around in a flash. Behind me a battle had broke out between a thousand green and white clad men and several hundred soldiers I recognized as the Prince's men. I took a step deeper in the forest. What did I care what happened to the Kingdom? After all, the Prince of it locked me up for about a week.

But, seemingly against my will, I found myself turning back towards the fight. Azalia was loosing, whoever these mysterious people were, they were good fighters. Not that Azalia is awful o anything, but they're outnumbered. With a sigh of defeat I gathered a sphere of floating red flames in my palms and thrust it at the green and white soldiers. They screamed in pain and horror as I smirked in satisfaction. The Azalians glanced back into the forest but I was hidden deep in the shadows out of sight.
The Aqua-wearing soldiers (Azalians) turned back to their battle and I launched más fireballs at the green men. Eventually I got bored of this and tried something más creative. I sailed up to the treetops and sat hidden within the branches, calling crows that swarmed only on the green soldiers and launching red spheres that confused them so they'd fight their own men. Growing tired of this I threw purple circles that rendered them unconscious. It was incredibly enjoyable in a twisted way.

After a few hours the Azalians won. They were confused, wondering where all the spells came from but at least only half a dozen of them were dead. I'm just that amazing. Then a look of a sudden magnificent memory crossed a young gaurd's face.
"Courtney?" He called. "I know you're out there. Thanks for the help but tu should really come out now."
Unfortunately I couldn't change my shape to escape but he seemed to think I could. I recognized him; he'd been gaurding my room one night. When I'd had a vision. Why could I not remember any?!
Calm down Courtney, I told myself. Lila will explain.
This thought cheered me up and with a cautious glance over my shoulder at the Azalians I leapt down into the forest and raced through my refuge.
*****************************************************************

Duncan's P.O.V.

"There's más of them." I groaned to Abserforth.

~Flashback~

I galnced over the high castillo wall. My stomach churned. It wasn't from the height; it was the thousands of green and white clad soldiers assmebled below. They wanted a war.

~Flashback Ends~

"We should get down there." My most trusted gaurd suggested. I nodded slowly. It was all hazy. Through the window I could see the remains of a battle that had ended a few moments before. Strange forces had assisted us, but no one knew what it was. But there was only one thing it could have been: Courtney.

I'd heard Atkison accuse her of helping and try to get her to come out but the dangerous Sorceress had not emerged. Every now and then I'd swear I'd seen a shadow moving in the forest, it looked like her in the Midnight Blue Dress she'd taken with her.
I started to follow Abserforth out when Rose rushed at me. She was wearing an esmeralda green long-sleeved dress with oro specks and her amber eyes sparkled with amor and fear. Rose clung there hugging me for several minutos as if scared that I was really a dream and if she let go she'd wake up to a nightmare. I couldn't get used to her hugging me; something about it just didn't feel right.
I gently unraveled her arms from me and strode off with a soft "goodbye Rose, I'll be right back".
The moon lit the messy clearing. Most of the bodies on the muddy ground were the mystery Kingdom's but ours were hastily joining the great piles; most likely due to the fact that Courtney was probably gone.
I glanced up to the stars and uttered a quick prayer before launching myself into the battle.
**************************************************

Courtney's P.O.V.

I stopped in my tracks. I wasn't far from Lila's but some weird urge was dragging me back to the battle scene.
Courtney,I reminded myself with a shake of my head. They won remember? But despite my reasoning I found myself racing back to the castle, actuación on someone else's accord so it seemed.
When I reached the fight it was much worse than before. más of the green men where here and already I could see that several of our soldiers (dressed in aqua and silver) were dying. Then he caught my eye.

The Prince was in the middle of the battle, slashing at every green soldier that came at him. He was doing well but he was vastly outnumbered and fighting on his own. I watched as his long silver sword caught in the moonlight. He was the only one not clad in aqua and silver amour so obviously someone important. Several patches of blood stained his fancy red-purple tunic but the oro chain across it remained intact. Duncan must have been exhausted but he fought as someone who had something to fight for. And he did.

Again, actuación without my command, I drew my hands back and formed a sphere. But this one was far más powerfull than the fireballs, red spheres and the knock-out circles combined. It was much larger, a deep midnight black with flashes of colour ommiting from beneath its surface. A silver glow accompanied it, burning my hands. When it grew to large to cling to any longer I tossed it into the battle.

In a brilliant flash of light the power-orb swirled around Duncan, knocking out every green soldier that came three steps near it. Once all the men Duncan had been fighting were gone, it circled him several times before dissentigrating.

He stared at his hands in wonder before setting his eyes on the forest and grinning at my hiding place. I smiled back and watched him disappear back into the battle. I sighed in exhaustion but smiled to myself. I hadn't known I was capable of something so powerful. Despite the fact that it's actions hadn't seemed so amazing I felt the greta strength that the power-orb held. I was amazed I'd done something like that, let alone inevented it.

I remained in my hiding place as the fight wore on and as my strength slowly returned I got up and stumbled back into the forest. When I was deep enough to not hear the battle I noticed teh cuervo stalking me. It was the same one that told me to wait.
"Hello." I mumbled, to weak to speak louder.
"Good job," It complimented. "I'm glad I told tu to stay there. I haven't found Lila yet though."
"Oh," I wheezed. I'd forgotten that her house usually appeared to be in a different spot every time tu visited. She was lucky to hava a magical house. I had none, seeing as there was no Sorcerer family to take care of me.
**************************************************

Duncan's P.O.V.

I was so glad Courtney had come. Without her the battle was pretty much lost. But where was she now? lost in the forest somewhere.
I sighed as I blocked a green soldiers attack. The sound of clanging metal filled the air. I could smell the blood of the fallen warriors and as I looked around I realized most of the soldiers were dead. That counted for mine too.

But in that división, split segundo of glancing at my surrondings, my attacker drove me into the forest. I thought I heard a faint call of "retreat!", but I had no idea which side it came from. The hulking trees blocked out most of the sounds and I could barely see the half-moon shimmering above me.

The green soldier continued to slash at me as he drove me deeper and deeper into the forest. He seemed unaware of his surrondngs; like the only thing that mattered to him was killing me.

I nimbly dodged the trees he was trying to pin me against and managed not to trip over any of the bushes and roots in my path.

My focus remained on defending mysellf so no one was dying in this duel. Whenever I tired I thought of Rose and my mother and deceased father. I also thought of Abserforth, the best gaurd I ever had, Atkison, the poor servant boys and every peasant that would die if I didn't win this fight. But as I grew más and más exhausted my inspiration drifted to my family and Rose. And, strangely enough,......Courtney.


I suddenly struck at him again and hit him deep in the stomach. I dashed away as he was momentarily distracted por his gushing blood.

After a while I was lost. I mean all of the trees look the same! How are tu supposed to find your way?!

Then I noticed a golden glow in the trees before me. I stepped forwards cautiously into the oro shine. I mean, mysterious glow is better than being lost, right?

I carefully stalked towards the glow. I wasn;t expecting what I saw:


Courtney was walking along the trees, ommiting a beautiful golden glow. On her shoulder sat a cuervo and she seemed to be speaking to it as she walked. Her eyes were their normal onyx colour but the glittered like gems in the oro light.

I stepped out to the clearing, accidently stomping on a twig. She froze as it snapped and slowly spun on her heel to look at me.
"What are tu doing here, Duncan?" She hissed. Surprisingly I liked the sound of just Duncan better than "Prince Duncan" o "His Royal Highness" o even "His Royal Highness Prince Duncan".
"Well I was driven in the forest and I got lost and then Eventually I saw your glow. It's kind of a dead giveaway tu know."
She frowned at me and the cuervo on her shoulder rustled its wings in annoyance.
An awkward silence followed and Courtney's sparkling eyes flashed red.
"Thanks for uh. helping us back there." I muttered, running my hands through my hair.
"You're welcome." Courtney replied grudgingly.
"I guess I'm sorry for locking tu in the castle. But how did tu escape?"
"Like I would tell you." She snapped and stormed off.
"Courtney - wait!" I called after her as her glow faded from the clearing. After a segundo I chased after her. "Courtney! Wait! Please stop!"
The Sorceress kept walking but she wasn't hard to find because of her oro aoura. Suddenly she stopped as if she knew I was there (which she probably did) and her glow faded into nothingness. Satisfied, Courtney continued on her way and after a few minutos of following her I was utterly lost again.
I sighed. This is going to be a long night.
**************************************************

Courtney's P.O.V.

I smirked. So I'd finally lost the Prince. Good, maybe siguiente time he won't try to follow me.
"Turn left." The cuervo instructed. His name was Crian.
"Thank you." I smirked. We'd reached Lila's. It was a huge hut-like structure made of what appeared to be leaves and branches from the outside. It was three stories, round-shaped and had wooden walls. The windows were glass with bars across them and out of one on the first floor I could see Lila's smiling face. I sighed in relief. I was finally here.