It was the High King’s birthday and the city was alive with celebrations for it. Ribbons seemed to hang from every window and bright sashes adorned every door. Everywhere lisa looked people seemed to be laughing and having fun. The whole citadel felt like a carnival had come to town. The High King had announced a whole week of celebrations and had declared a feast with food provided to all of Montefore’s citizens as a gift. On the final day High King Uther was holding a joust. Mira hadn’t stopped going on about it for weeks in the run up and lisa suspected partly it was because Ridley would be competing. They walked down with Nela and Indi through the streets of the Lower Castle and out through the great gate onto the fields in front of the citadel. It took

Lisa and Nela walked into the room and Mira and Indi practically jumped on them as they celebrated. “Calm down.” Nela said flattening her shirt back down. “Anyone would think we’d won this war.” “After what lisa just did it feels like we have.” Indi said. “We should celebrate.” Mira said. “It was just one Spectral.” Lisa replied. “So? That’s one less terrorising the world.” Mira said back. Lisa looked at her, she’d not seen her this happy in ages. She looked at Indi and Nela. “What do you think?” S

They walked up unfamiliar corridors, lisa letting phillip lead her while her mind raced. Was this actually happening, she thought? After everything she’d told herself, after all she’d convinced herself that he only saw her as a thing to be used, suddenly here she was, with her hand in his. She just couldn’t quite believe it. He stopped down the end of a long corridor and when he opened the door she realised he’d taken her to his rooms. “Oh.” She said as she walked in. Phillip let go of her hand and turned immediately to face her.  “I can take you back to your room if you’d like.” He said.  “No, that’s not it.” phillip said with a sligh

Lisa woke and for a moment she thought it was all a dream. That somehow she was in her own bed and that she’d imagined the whole thing. She opened her eyes and rolled over but phillip wasn’t there. Suddenly she sat up. “I’m here.” He said walking into the room and suddenly the panic inside her subsided. “I thought…” lisa mumbled but she trailed off not wanting to admit it. “That I’d left you alone…” She nodded feeling embarrassed by her thoughts. “Not willingly.” He replied. “But I do have to leave you. I’ve been summoned to a Council Meeting.” He said.

Lisa spent the next few days training harder with Nela and Alix, Jame’s replacement although his idea of teaching was definitely less orthodox than Jame’s. Every time lisa did anything Magical he seemed to cheer and praise her and she grew very quickly exhausted by it. She never thought she’d admit it but she couldn’t wait for James to return from wherever the hell he was. Nela and lisa were walking back along the ramparts from training on the third day when they heard the sound of riders. As they moved further up towards the Upper Castle lisa knew it was phillip though she couldn’t say how. They watched as the riders went though and lisa noted the small boy who looked to be fast asleep tight in phillip’s arms and resting against his chest.