Once the party got underway, I actualy did have fun. This was much better than if I’d had a bal, since most of the people here wouldn’t be able to go. Matt wasn’t even supposed to live in the palace, and since Rhys and Rhiannon were mänks, they would never be alowed to attend a bal. Duncan would be let in, but he’d have to work. He wouldn’t be able to laugh and goof around like he did here.

“Wendy, why don’t you help me cut the cake?” Wila suggested while Tove attempted to act out some kind of clue for charades.

Duncan had guessed everything under the sun, but he wasn’t even close.

“Um, sure,” I said.

I’d been sitting on the couch, laughing at everyone’s failed attempts, but I got up and went over to the table where Wila stood.

A cake sat on a brightly colored tablecloth, next to a smal pile of gifts. Both Rhys and I had specificaly asked for no gifts, but here they were.

“Sorry,” Wila said. “I didn’t mean to drag you away from the fun, but I wanted to talk to you.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” I shrugged it off.

“Your brother made the cake.” Wila gave me an apologetic smile as she sliced through the white frosting. “He insisted that it was your favorite.”

Matt might be a very good cook, but I wasn’t sure. I dislike most food, especialy processed ones, but Matt had been trying hard to feed me for years, so I pretended to like a lot of things I didn’t like. My birthday cake was one of them.

“It’s not horrible,” I said, but it kind of was. At least to me, and Wila and al the other Tryle.

“I wanted to let you know that I didn’t tel Matt about Loki.” Wila lowered her voice as she carefuly put pieces of cake on smal paper plates. “He would just worry.”

“Thank you,” I said, and looked back over at Matt, laughing at the ridiculous miming Tove was doing. “I suppose I’l have to tel him eventualy.”

“You think Loki wil be around for a while?” Wila asked. She’d gotten some frosting on her finger, and she licked it off, then grimaced.

“Yeah, I think he wil be,” I nodded.

“Wel, don’t worry about it now,” she said quickly. “This is your last day to be a kid!”

I tried to push al of my fears and concerns I had about the kingdom, and Loki, from my mind. And eventualy, when I let myself, I had a realy good time with my friends.

3. Scars

My dreams were filed with bad winter storms. Snow blowing so hard I couldn’t see anything. Wind so cold I froze to the bone. But I had to keep going. I had to get through the storms.