Eri was always obedient because it made dad happy and mom no longer got angry. But with Lady Mera, there was no way; her brow was always furrowed, and her lips were tight. She taught Eri fun things, and Eri was sure that she loved her at least as much as Lady Queen, but she could never see her happy. So, it wasn't worth being obedient. Especially that day when they were in what had been her home. That's why she had escaped and was hiding from her teacher.

Dad had explained that now this was the home of the fat king and Lady Queen, and many other people who looked at her strangely. Everyone had been kind, but almost everyone looked at her a lot, or not at all. Mom said it was because of the fat king's daughter, who hadn't returned yet. Eri hoped she would come back soon; she wanted to meet her. Maybe she was hiding somewhere in the castle. She decided to keep exploring.

Everything was very different from when she lived there. There was no dust, nor did it smell bad. Everywhere she looked, there were many people doing things. Why couldn't it have been like this then? She could have met so many people, learned so many games. She felt a little pain in her heart as she remembered that some people were afraid of her. Maybe they had waited for her to leave to live there, that's why they looked at her so strangely...

She pushed that thought away. It couldn't be; everyone had been affectionate with her despite everything, just like in Artemia. Everyone gave her sweets, and the best part was that now she had tons of honey candies. She didn't have to eat them slowly. They had even taken her to meet the little bees that made them, little bugs similar to fairies, but better because they made honey candies.

The hallway suddenly seemed familiar. Dad had taken her there that day. If she continued, she could find the room where her bed was. Maybe that old man would be there, or at least she could sit in the pretty chair again. She hurried to the huge door and found it closed. No, it was slightly open. She peeked inside before entering; it was rude to enter places by surprise.

They had placed a large table in front of the pretty chair. There were many people saying many complicated words, but she could understand that they were talking about her. The fat king had just said that she was going to be a good queen. He could be rude sometimes and smelled sour at other times, but she knew he loved her very much. Dad was there, with the face he made when he scolded her, and mom looked like she wanted to scold him.

The one next to dad said something about being her "consort." What was that? She wasn't anything to him. It surely wasn't something good because dad got up from the chair and punched him in the face. Dad never did that to people; he had told her that she should never do it. The fat king and other gentlemen with metal hats separated them. She didn't understand anything, but she took advantage of the fact that everyone was busy to quietly enter and listen better. She hid behind a column; those things were very useful when she wanted to hide.

"Prince Freydelhart, please," said the young man with strange clothes in a trembling voice, getting up from the floor. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything, I just wanted to show a flaw in my father's plan."

Why did everyone use such difficult words?

"If the princess were to marry and have children before me, her children would have more right than mine despite the agreement, and if it were the case..." He looked at dad, putting his hands between them, then turned to look at the fat king. "...that in the future we were to unite, your plan to keep me away from the throne would have failed, or would you deny that right even to her just to keep me away?"

Everyone was silent. Was he talking about marrying her? Mom said that was something done for love. In stories, princesses married handsome and brave knights or wise and kind princes. She was a princess, she didn't want that weird boy who made dad angry. She shook her head vigorously as the idea crossed her mind.

The fat king got off the pretty chair and stood in front of the weird boy. He put a hand on his shoulder and said to him with a very serious face.

"Yes." Everyone started to move and talk softly among themselves, although together they made a lot of noise. "I think it's best that you know once and for all why." Everyone fell silent again, gossiping, although she was not one to judge. "Once again, you show that your greed is stronger than even your dignity or the love of your family." He took out a paper and pressed it against the boy's chest. Then he turned around to give him his back.

"This is the letter I sent to Mom..." he said after looking at it for a moment.

"It's the only letter you sent us after the attack on the castle," he interrupted, still with his back turned. "You only wanted to set a date for your coronation. I could believe that since I was injured, you thought I wouldn't survive, that it was an act of responsibility. But when we answered, you never wrote back, you never went to Artemia to see your mother, she needed you, even more than the kingdom if your wishes had come true, your pettiness disgusts me, even more because you are my son, and because Erina believed in you. She always told me that she fought dragons knowing that if she didn't come back, you would be here for the kingdom." He hit the table, which startled everyone. "No matter what I have to do, I won't leave my kingdom in the hands of a greedy and petty man."

The boy's face turned red. His eyes were scary.

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"You dare to judge me!" he shouted as he should have shouted when dad left that ugly bruise on him. "When you prefer to give the kingdom to that monster that devoured my sister!"

The pink-haired boy ran out of the room. Everyone was making a lot of noise again. Dad was chasing him, the fat king was red, shouting and pointing with his finger, mom and Lady Queen looked like they were going to cry.

Was he... talking about her?

Suddenly, everything fell into place.

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The earth itself trembled at the sound of a cry mixed with a roar. It lasted barely a second, but it was as intense as the thunder of lightning striking right at her feet. Runa saw Frey stumble as he tried to reach that spoiled brat Prince Bestenar. She recognized the voice despite everything. Eri was in the room, maybe she had heard what he had said. Oh no! If Frey caught up with him, he might not just hit him, and Queen Eyren was already mortified enough. She wanted to signal him not to go after him. Fortunately, that man loved his daughter more than his pride. He had found her behind the column and was already on his way with her in his arms.

The poor girl wouldn't stop sobbing, her tears soaking her dress. She hit her own forehead and repeated, "I'm a princess," while with her other hand she clutched her emerald necklace, squeezing it tightly. Eri had always been quick to stop crying, recovering as if by magic, but this time it seemed that it wouldn't be the case.

The queen wanted to comfort her too, but Eri only asked for forgiveness. "It wasn't me, I swear," she repeated now. Runa wanted to do something, anything, to stop her daughter's crying. She didn't know if she wanted to throw lightning at the prince or let him go so that his mother wouldn't break down crying as inconsolably as Eri.

Finally, she carried Eri in her arms, like that day, in the camp just down the mountain. She received her from Frey's arms and let her cry. Runa thought at that moment that in that old room of Meyrin Castle there was only suffering for her beloved daughter, so she took her away.

She walked towards her rooms with her little daughter sobbing loudly, trying not to scream. Her heart was made of something more precious than gold; she didn't want to hurt anyone with her voice. Then, she heard a sound that seemed to demand her attention. It was the sound of heels on stone. The feet that wore them walked violently through the castle corridors until they were in front of Runa. Lady Meracina, the dragon Meraxes, was in front of her, her eyes invisible behind fogged glasses.

"Who. Did. This?" said the woman, imposing despite her unremarkable height.

"Lady Mera, please..." Runa wanted to say.

"Who... Did... It?!!!"

There was no point in hiding it, she would end up finding out.

"I beg you not to harm Prince Bestenar, he only..."

The sound of the heels was now fading away. Runa had been running from her in her giant dragon form, Meraxes had thrown fire at her, and was about to devour her. Why had she only made her sweat today?

She couldn't deal with everything. Eri came first, the diplomatic disaster would come later. Frey was really bad at meetings of dignitaries, but she would have to count on him to stay with King Bestolf and his advisors. Runa was first and foremost a mother, even though she wasn't born to be one.

A few minutes later, Eri was resting on her bed, face down, her face buried in her pillow. Runa, sitting on the edge, stroked her hair and repeated how much she loved her, that everyone loved her, and that's why they wanted her to be the most important person in the world someday. But Eri just kept crying. At some point, she seemed to want to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

A couple of hours later, the situation didn't seem to be improving. Runa was there, willing to do anything for her little girl, but she didn't know what to do. At one hundred and thirteen years old, she didn't know how to lift her own daughter out of her sadness. That's what she was thinking when the sound of heels, still haughty but much less violent, was heard again on the other side of the door.

Meraxes entered, pushing a small brown-haired boy who was missing a tooth into the room.

The little stable boy didn't know what was going on until he saw Eri. Forgetting all protocol or manners, he ran to the bed and climbed on it to shake her like a dusty pillow.

"Eri! What's wrong? Don't cry, please."

Eri finally turned her head, and the little boy released her to let her sit up. The two women watched the scene without intervening. Runa could hardly believe that Meraxes had gone to look for the boy all the way to the stables. She only prayed to the goddess of peace that the red on her nails was just bad nail polish.

"Koro," Eri said, her eyes still wet. "Would you forgive me if I had eaten a person?"

"Eri, don't talk nonsense, you would never do that."

"It's just that... I... me..."

"Don't say it, Eri. Never say it, never repeat the lies they say about you." The boy's voice had become urgent. "It doesn't matter who said it, it's a lie."

"Koro," Eri's voice was weak, broken. "It's just that I think I did. Lady Mera taught me that if a dragon eats a person, it can look like them." Eri pointed with her hands to the portrait of Princess Erina that adorned the wall behind her. Little Koro, who hadn't noticed it, was stunned at the resemblance.

"Is that what worries you, Miss Erifreya?" The dragoness interrupted in her usual haughty tone. "I'm afraid that although what I taught you is true, there's no way you could have devoured the aforementioned princess. It's simply impossible. For the spell to work, you would have to eat her whole and alive. Your father informed me that they found the woman's bones. Besides, miss, I don't want you to think badly of me, but come on, try to eat someone, anyone, whole and alive."

Eri opened her tiny mouth as wide as she could. Her teacher tried to put her fist in it without any success.

"You see, that petty prince is simply one of many ignorant simpletons who fear you for no reason."

Little Koro scratched his head, listening to Lady Mera's words. Eri wiped away her last tears with her little hands. The light of her face, her smile, peeked out timidly, reluctant once again. The damage was done. The words of that scoundrel had perhaps left an indelible wound in Eri's heart, but at that moment, Runa thanked the goddess of peace for having sent them little Koro and Meraxes.

Frey arrived shortly after. He left the news of the meeting for another time, hugged his daughter, and thanked everyone for helping her recover. That afternoon, they spent it explaining to her how much they knew about Princess Erina, determined not to lie to her anymore. But Runa saw how Frey glanced at the window or the door every so often. Something wasn't quite right.

Later that night, when Eri had fallen asleep and Mera was watching over her, Frey finally told her.

"Prince Bestenar fled the city. He was seen riding away down the mountain with a group of soldiers. Apparently, he's inciting people to rebellion."