YES I WOULD LOVE TO WRITE THE NEXT PART!!!!! Thank you, Jaybells!

Crieff looked keenly at the person next to him. He was a clever reader of people; he had to be, living as he did among rough men and sly women who might rob him of his life any moment. Now he saw that the figure beside him had a softly curved, innocent face, with none of the hard lines that were characteristic of most people he knew. True, those blue eyes could light with a defiance different from any he had ever seen. But he could not rid himself of the feeling that underneath, this person was not as evil as he had first thought.

"Your name?" he asked gruffly.

The figure shot him a quick glance. "Ardie," they answered quickly, pronouncing it with the stress on the last syllable.

Ardie? What sort of name was that? "What are your pronouns?" he asked hesitantly.

Ardie's head went up with a quick motion. "They/them. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I think since we're in an unknown land together, we might as well try to get to know each ohter." Crieff spoke in a friendly tone, and Ardie's face relaxed.

Crieff looked around. They were standing on a green plain. A tiny village could be seen some distance away, with little houses and smoke winding up from the chimneys into a warm blue sky. Some horses grazed in front of him, and a farmer could be seen leisurely making his way along the road. Everything was so normal, and yet at the same time he knew that his plan to capture the queen, just like in all Elise's warnings, had gone wrong.

"Why don't we go seek shelter at that village?"suggested Ardie.

It was a good suggestion, Crieff decided. "As you wish."

Over the next few days, Ardie and Crieff grew to know each other better. They had nothing to do but roam the village and surrounding fields while they tried to figure out what to do next. Crieff learned that this was a country called Canderra. When he asked how to get back to his country - called Delfer - everyone looked at him queerly, and mothers sent their children away quickly, and the stolid farmers avoided him. So he gave that up, and enjoyed himself while trying to pick up some clues.

One day he and Ardie were standing on the coast next to the village. It was a sunny, breezy day. The fishing boats were just putting out to sea, and the waves were lapping and splashing against the pebbles of the shore in a friendly, inviting way.

Suddenly Ardie turned to Crieff.

"Crieff - can I trust you?" It was a direct question, bluntly put, and the look in the blue eyes commanded a true answer. Crieff answered just as bluntly. "Yes."

Ardie looked relieved. "The queen, Akhalia, is not dead. She just - vanished, months ago. And she vanished to this country. Before she went, she told me this. 'Ardie, some men will soon try to kidnap me, to make me allow the Forest Witch-" Crieff gasped - "to take over the kingdom. I must vanish, and I will come through this door and live in Canderra for a time. Do not let anyone come after me.' That was why I tried to stop you from coming through the door, and why I pretended it was only a treasure room. But now Akhalia hasn't shown up. I know something's happened to her."

Crieff was amazed. "Why did the queen confide in you?"

"Oh, we've been friends forever. Ever since I was orphaned and I came to work at the palace."

"You must have had a trying life," Crieff said sympathetically.

"Very." Ardie's blue eyes were gazing out to sea. "I was orphaned when I was ten. Then everyone insisted that I marry Lord Karl - that horrible man! I'd rather marry - anyone. Sometimes I wish I wasn't a girl!"

"But you're not," Crieff pointed out. "You told me-"

Ardie's eyes widened. Then a hard look came over her face. "Yes, I did. And since I've begun confiding in you, I suppose I may as well finish. I'm a girl. I'm not as young as I look, either - I'm really sixteen. And my real name is Ationa - Ardie is just a nickname. But I knew I should disguise my true identity from you, in case you were dangerous. And - well - I wanted to be intriguing for once."

"I think you're intriguing already," Crieff said honestly.

Ationa looked up at him for a moment, her cheeks faintly pinker than they ought to have been. Her bright gaze left his face more quickly than it had come. And Crieff felt a strange emotion surge up in him - one that he did not recognize as yet, but which would soon lead him to do anything for Ationa and wish to live always with her, even if it meant he would never go back to his old life. And just then, a tall, elegant woman, with a circlet on her head, came toward them - Elise.

And next, I tag Nut le Squirrel! I love your name too, Rora! (both of them actually, hee hee).

I'll join! This story is very intriguing, and I'd like to help write it...

Of course!!! Great job everyone, we have 18 people participating in this tag game! This was literally my first post on Inkwell, I joined in like March.

It's been a week and a half... are you going to write the next part, or should we skip?

Here's the next part... thank you for choosing me, Rora!!

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"Crieff!"

Crieff turned. Elise was coming towards them. "Don't go," she said. Her gray eyes were looking straight at him. "I need to talk to you. I'm here because I gave the Circlet of Diamonds back to the Forest Witch - "

Crieff gasped. "The Circlet of Diamonds? How did you get it again?"

"Gruff came back without it. I found it lying on the ground near the castle." But Elise avoided his gaze now, and he had a feeling that she wasn't telling the truth. "Anyhow, I gave it back to her in return for letting me come here - and she will enable us to return to Delfer. At once."

For a moment Crieff hesitated. Delfer... but what was waiting for him, anyhow? Ardie would be left behind; he would have to be with Gruff and Elise and all the others again. He took a deep breath. "But I don't want to go."

Elise drew back, surprised, but her lovely eyes narrowed in anger. This was something she hadn't expected. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

Crieff glanced at Ardie, who had drawn away a little and was watching him. His voice grew stronger. "I don't want to go," he repeated. "Especially not - not without Ardie."

For the first time Elise's glance turned towards Ardie, and she realized that this girl did not belong to Canderra. "Without Ardie, indeed!" she exclaimed. "Crieff, you can't mean this."

"I can," said Crieff steadily. "And I do. Farewell, Elise. Maybe someday I'll get back to Delfer, but I'm not leaving my own friend behind." And he and Ardie turned and went up the beach, leaving Elise behind.

Once they had gone a little way away, Ardie glanced back and shivered. "She's gone," she said. "I'm glad you chose to stay, Crieff - not because of me, but because it shows that I really can trust you. Crieff, I think we'd better look for the queen of Delfer and try and take her back to Delfer."

Crieff nodded. For a moment the two stood still, looking again at the sea and the beach. Then they turned away to begin a quest that would take many years to complete.

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@Periwinkle!

An Old Memory 

Ationa didn't know why she was supposed to share a room with the princess, but she was grateful. She and Akhalia were the same age and got along very well, bonding over the years. And now, today, they sat in their bedroom together, celebrating the third anniversary of Ationa's arrival. 

"Ardie, I'm so glad you came to stay with us," Akhalia gushed as she always did. She continued, talking about how funny Ationa was and what great stories she told. But then she did something she'd never done before--she started to cry. 

"What's wrong?" Ationa asked, concerned. 

"I was so lonely without you," Akhalia said. "I wasn't happy before I met you." 

Ationa knew that. Ationa's parents loved her, but she had lived her entire life in the palace and did not have any friends. Until Ationa. 

Akhalia stared into Ationa's eyes. "It was like a hole, Ardie," she said. "It was like a hole that you filled. Thank you," she said. 

And suddenly Ationa realized that Akhalia filled a hole for her, too. She took the princess's hand, and they stared out the window to the gardens and did not let go until the last echoes of Akhalia's sobs finally faded into something that could've been a dream. 

Three Years and Four Months later

It'd been a few months since Akhalia's mother and father died, and the kingdom needed a Queen. The Princess was still young, only sixteen, but their only option. And so Akhalia and Ationa stood in the church and prepared for the coronation. 

"You'll be fine," Ationa promised. "And you look great." 

"Great" didn't even begin to describe it. More like something right out of a dream, Ationa thought, staring at Akhalia, in her long, shoulderless red dress, olive skin glowing, brown eyes shining, and glossy caramel colored hair curled into soft waves. Yes, Akhalia was beautiful, and she was going to make a wonderful Queen. 

"That's not what I'm worried about," Akhalia said. "But thank you." 

"What are you worried about, then?" 

Akhalia paused. "Well, I was thinking," she said. "I can't rule the kingdom all by myself. I need help. And I guess I was wondering if you would be--"

The bell rang three times. That was Akhalia's cue.

"We'll talk about it later," Ationa said. "Good luck!"

And, red dress swishing, Akhalia started away from Ationa. Ationa never did find out what Akhalia was going to ask her.  

***

Sorry this is late! I hope old memories work.  

Hope you guys don't mind, but I kinda wanna write more about Ardie-

-

Ardie sighed, the bright blinding, gorgeous, magical sun shining into her blue eyes, drawing them open. It was day now-two weeks or so into her journey. Maybe it was about noon, as the sun was halfway through the breathtaking blue, cloudless sky. It was a beautiful day. Too bad she didn't feel it. She turned, groaning slightly from lack of rest, as she had been up most of the night. Dreaming. 

The face that met her in the morning wasn't the one she had expected-longed for. It was quite different actually, more chiseled and less angular. Of course, it wasn't even close to the one she had wanted for so very long. Why would it be? Ardie had been waking up to the same face every morning anyways, how could that change? It wasn't like anyone could just show up for her...

But this face was smiling, something that the face she lacked may not be doing. Most likely wouldnt be doing. And even through the perfect smile, this face was was too close. Crieff was too close. Ardie liked Crieff, of course, she was actually quite fond of him. But the way she looked at her was something she couldn't allow herself to return-it was a lie that may cut too deep to be stitched.

But he was just so desperate. And so cute.

"Good morning," Crieff whispered, his smile brightening. He did have a great smile. "Hi," Ardie said, in a normal voice, moving slightly away on the soft grass. Crieff tried to talk to her for a while, small talk about the weather. But Ardie couldn't care less about how hot or cold or windy the day ahead may be. The girl wanted to do what she came here for. She sat up, her back sore from the firm dirt underneath her when she slept. "Let's go. We need to keep moving." Crieff was startled but obeyed. They stood.

The young traveler was in autopilot on the outside-straight faced and determined. On the inside, however, she was cursing herself. Possibly for staying with Crieff, or maybe from guilt of her emotions getting to her. Love was stupid, and it couldn't affect what she had been sent to do. She brushed back her wavy hair with her hand as they walked, subconsciously playing with it. A habit Crieff had noticed from day one.

Crieff was worried about Ardie. Day by day, she got more solemn, as if a dark cloud had settled over a ray of sunshine he once knew. But he could help. Of course he could. If he could just tell her how much she meant to him... maybe she'd be happy. Ardie had lost so much, why not give her something?

But, as it turns out, the something Ardie wanted was lost in a beautiful red dressed, ebony eyed package.

The firelight danced and flickered in Akhalia's dark eyes like stars in an eternal cosmos. She sighed and pulled her blanket tighter around her, dust-covered locks brushing her gently. It occurred to her that, despite her circumstances, she was not entirely unhappy. Her accommodations were surprisingly comfortable, and the light of the fire soothed her mind. Besides, after the events of the last few months, it was nice to have some peace and quiet.

She couldn't deny she was lonely, though. Incredibly, unbelievably lonely.

__

A strong hand grabbed Gruff's arm and yanked him sideways.  Gruff regained his balance, then slammed his fist into the bridge of his attacker's nose.  The hand loosened, and he ripped it off of his arm, shoved them to the floor and planted his boot in the middle of their chest.  He surveyed the attacker: a strong, youngish person with ordinary black clothes and stubble lining their chin.  There was no special armor, equipment or any sort of symbol, so this was not a guard or someone who worked in the palace.  This was an intruder, like he and Crieff.

Speaking of Crieff... 

__

Sorry it took so long!