The ride was anything but boring.

Tezani was happy that her Lady had allowed her to go on the ride with her as she could not remember the last time she had been able to leave the castle’s grounds, she was excited, but clearly not as excited as Lyra. Lyra could not sit still in the carriage and she kept looking from one window to the other, asking Tezani what this was and what that was. She liked Kilead, it was a busy village once they had gotten far away from the castle, and unlike what she had imagined the people to be like; frustrated and abused and malnourished and hungered, it turned out that the opposite was the case. 

The people here were living in affluence and prosperity and she wondered how having a cold ruler such as Ryder, could not affect the people. Or did he treat them differently? Could not be so, but still, she felt like she had come to a totally different place.

“Isn’t it strange?” She asked the question to Tezani but kept her gaze on the outside and watched the people go about their daily lives.

“What is, my Lady?”

“The people seem to be in good spirits, despite living under the rule of your stone-hearted Lord.”

Tezani chuckled. “He might be stone-hearted but he means well for the people and he keeps us safe. The people of Astaroth had never for once had a reason to complain about anything, really.”

Lyra scoffed and nodded her head without any more comments. He might be a good enough ruler but he had the worst personality in all of the seven kingdoms.

The carriage came to a halt and Lyra was all too eager to step out so rather than wait for the coachman to open the carriage door, she threw it open herself and prepared to step out, but Xanth was soon by her side, giving a hand to her to help her out of the carriage.

“Lord Ryder has arranged for you to have your fitting done in the best store in Astaroth.” Xanth explained as he took her hand, helping her step out of the midnight black carriage. She smiled. “It is a placed called Tarr…”

“Tarren’s Fittings.” She finished his sentence and smiled at him, stepping down from the carriage to the ground as she let go of his hand. She turned to help Tezani who looked like she was okay on her own.

Xanth looked at her in surprise. “My lady knows of Tarren’s Fittings?”

“I…” She paused. True how did she know of Tarren’s Fittings. “I just… know.” She shrugged her shoulders and walked on ahead.

Xanth stood a while in confusion, staring at the princess walk on ahead of him and wondering how she would have come to know of Tarren’s fitting if she had never been in Astaroth before. He blinked and shook his head, waving the thought aside, he would ponder on that later but for now, his priority was to watch over the princess.

“Commander Xanth, you grace this lowly place with your presence today.” A scrutiny old-looking woman welcomed them as soon as they stepped into the shop which from the outside looked like something small, but it was much larger on the inside. Lyra marveled at the numerous number of cloth that was in the shop. “How may I be of service, sire?”

Xanth smiled at the old woman and took her hand in a gentle squeeze, their closeness told of their long-term acquaintance, and Lyra knew that this was not the first nor second time he had been in here. Xanth stretched his hand towards Lyra but spoke to the woman.

“The princess would love to have some dresses made for her if you please.”

The old woman looked closely at her. “Princess? I didn’t know Astaroth had a princess.”

Xanth blinked like he had said something he shouldn’t have and his mouth hung slightly open as he searched for words to say.

“She is not a princess of Astaroth but a visiting princess.” Tezani quickly chipped in, briefly looking in Xanth’s direction as he gave her a look of gratitude. “She just needs some extra dresses.” Tezani added.

The woman chuckled. “Ah well, the royal business is none of my concern, now or is it? This way princess, sit comfortably and I will get someone to take your measurements, in the meantime, you may select whatever fabric fits your taste.” She said and disappeared into the back.

The fitting was done in under an hour but Lyra was not happy about leaving so soon, and neither was Tezani but she could not beg for some extra time, so Lyra took it upon herself to ask Xanth. He was hesitant at first but after Lyra promised to behave herself and not attract any attention or cause any trouble, he allowed it.

“You may take this street path to Trekker’s Square and do not stray from it, I will meet you at the Square, I just need to run a quick errand.” He said, and then turned to Tezani. “I am entrusting the princess in your care, you do know what will happen if anything goes wrong.”

Tezani nodded and swallowed. She needed no one to tell her what her Lord would do to a mere servant like her if anything unpleasant happened to the princess. “Yes, sire.”

“Good. Lyra I will meet you at the Square.”

*******

The market was colorful and loud and noisy and everything the castle was not, and Lyra absolutely enjoyed it. She silently wished that they could be here till dark before having to return to the castle although she knew that Xanth would not allow that, she thought of Ryder and his every annoyed face and she shuddered. Enough now, she would not think of him so as not to ruin her mood.

She and Tezani walked along the path Xanth had told them to stay on, looking and admiring the market scenery, they continued until they could see the Square, and Lyra told Tezani that they could delay a while here since Xanth was not yet at the Square.

“I know you.”

Both Lyra and Tezani turned to see who had spoken to them, and as soon as the woman saw Lyra’s face, she gasped and let her wares fall to the ground, then in a louder voice, she shouted. “I know you!”

Lyra and Tezani exchanged confused glances and Lyra wondered if this woman was maybe someone from Dragonsbane and had recognized her. The thought did warm her heart for a while but of what use was it if an old woman from Dragonsbane recognized her?

Some of the people who had heard the woman scream had now paused whatever they had been doing to look at them and Lyra was feeling all the more self-conscious. She wanted to move away from there as a crowd had already started to form around them but the woman was not done yet. She continued.

“I know you, you are the Khione girl for the next Osyron sacrifice.” She laughed and Lyra narrowed her eyes at the woman. Did she just say sacrifice?

“Sacrifice?” Lyra repeated.

In an instant, the old woman grabbed Lyra by the arm and pulled her to herself with so much force that Lyra was stunned at the amount of strength the old woman still had in her bones. She squeezed Lyra’s arm as she spoke quietly, whispering it so that only Lyra and anyone very close enough could hear.

“I have seen it happen. I have witnessed it take place once before.” She gasped for air and Lyra looked at the old woman who had her head faced upward, looking at the skies. “And now it comes again, and it comes for you dear child.”

“Wha… what comes for me?” She was shaken up and scared, but still, she was curious and wanted to know. 

The old woman looked at Lyra with sadness in her eyes and a tear fell from her left eye, rolling down her cheek and clung to her jaw before yielding to gravity and falling to the ground. “Death, child. Death comes for you, Osyron comes for you.” Then in a deeper and less emotional tone, she added. “And a love that will bring you to your destruction, a love that will bring you to your end, dear child.”

She let go of Lyra’s arm, pushing the girl away from that she stumbled backward into Tezani, wrapping herself but never taking her eyes off the woman. She laughed and pointed at Lyra. “You cannot escape it this time, Lyra of Dragonsbane.”

Lyra gasped and felt her head spin, then someone dragged her into an embrace, the smell was familiar and she closed her eyes, melting into Xanth’s arms and trying desperately to drown out the old woman’s words.

“It comes for you, Lyra of Dragonsbane and it will get you.”

“Let us get back to the castle Lyra.” Xanth said. “Ignore her words, she is known for speaking such nonsense. Do not let them bother you.”

She sniffed and hugged Xanth tighter. “But she knew my name. She called my name and spoke of my death.”

Xanth sighed and led her away, with Tezani following closely behind them. “Let us get back to the castle now.”