Squirrel blinked her gummy eyes open, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the window. Two more blinks and she remembered what happened, and where she was. A surge of panic went through her as she noticed the silk sheets covering her chest. The last time she’d had bedding so fine, she’d been a prisoner, strangely enough.

Squirrel threw the covers away and sprang from the bed like a coiled snake, toppling to the ground rather than springing to her feet like she intended as her arms and legs gave out.

“Try to stay calm princess,” an elderly voice said from a few feet away. Squirrel raised her head, the muscles in her neck aching. In the corner of the room sat a wizened man with a clean shave in a conservative brown suit. The only ornamentation he wore was a gold chain that snaked from his sleeve and coiled around his right ring finger.

“I’m Talore Ba’naan, a necromancer employed by the royal estate,” Talore said, watching her curiously. “And you are very lucky, your highness.”

“I’m not a princess,” Squirrel groaned, pushing herself to her feet. She was dressed in simple white silk pajamas, which was an improvement over her last confinement.

“Demonstrably not true, your highness,” the old man said, leaning back in his chair. “And I must emphasize the need to stay calm. You were so resistant to my magic that I had to simply break the wounds into smaller pieces that your body could handle. If you panic, you may break the spell, and go from bruising all over your body to large gashes across your arms and back.”

Squirrel narrowed her eyes at the old man, who sat relaxed in his chair. Her gaze swept around the room, and not finding anything threatening, she sat back down on the bed, her body aching from her head to her toes. “How could I do that, exactly?”

“I’ll field that one,” a voice came from the empty air beside the bed a moment before Toren appeared there, in the robes of an apprentice wizard. Squirrel’s heart hammered, and she drew the covers over herself. “You see, you’re-“

“How long have you been there?” Squirrel demanded, something strange worming its way through her heart at the sight of the foppish wizard.

“Just got here,” Toren lied, continuing where he left off without giving her time to question it. “You see, you’re actually the Princess Ariana Heartglow Fellianore, daughter of the greatest Abjurer of our time, Roland D'este Fellianore and his wife, Queen Ellanor Waterdown Fellianore. It’s been verified by a master of Divination and the Fellianore Bloodstone while you were out.

Squirrel blinked at the list of names, her eyes beginning to cross. “Why would that make it harder to heal me?”

Toren opened his mouth to answer when the door slammed open and six men in white breastplates stormed in and dragged the young wizard out by his elbows.

“Because you’re a budding Abjurer,” Talore said, coming to his feet. “There are many more things you need to be informed of, but for now, you simply need to rest. I’ll be back after sundown to check on your condition.” Talore motioned to ropes hanging from the ceiling beside her bed. “If you need anything before then, pull the rope on the left, and a maid will assist you.”

“What about the rope on the right?”

“That summons the guard,” Talore said, giving her a bow. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Princess Ariana.” Squirrel watched the old man leave, and saw guards stacked three deep outside her door. she heaved a sigh, and leaned back on the bed.

“What in the Abyss have I gotten myself into,” Squirrel said, gingerly laying back on the bed, her whole body crying out in pain. Squirrel’s eyes drifted closed, and her body relaxed, sinking into the bed like a cloud. An errant breeze drifted across Squirrel’s check, and she breathed in deeply, detecting a faint scent…

“Toren,” she said, her eyes half lidded.

“Yeah?” Toren asked, becoming visible beside her bed. His skin was red, and he was slightly winded, as though he’d been running.

“Are you good at dealing with nobles?” she asked.

“I’d say so,” Toren said, shrugging. “I’ve got the five major families bidding over which one will adopt me. Firelle tried to annul the fact that he disowned me, but I managed to make it stick, legally.” Toren broke into a laugh. “That probably didn’t sit well with him, because now he can’t have any credit for my part in your miraculous discovery.”

“I see,” Squirrel said, her gaze on the wizard. “Would you help me with them?”

Toren hesitated a moment. She was asking him to be an advisor, exactly the career path he had intended to avoid. He had imagined it sucking up to fat old men, but with Squirrel, he could only see a future where he enjoyed himself immensely.

“Your wish is my command, Princess Squirrel.” Toren said, affecting a deep bow.

Squirrel found herself smiling. “Good, now get the hell out of my room, Toren.” Squirrel reached up and pulled the rope on the right. “I should think you would understand how rude it is to sneak into anyone’s room invisible.”

“Wait-“ Toren said before another team of six guards slammed open the door. This time a familiar wizard with a long white beard followed them in. Ignoring Toren beside her, he went to the chair and seized thin air, where another Toren appeared, thrashing in his steel grip.

“Come, boy. I know you’re worried for her, but you’re just irritating her at this point,” the old man said, hauling Toren out the door as the one beside her bed watched the scene bemused. He winked at Squirrel before dissolving into light.

Squirrel laid back in bed, sighing. “Toren, I know you’re still here,” she said to the empty room, her voice stern. It couldn’t hurt to check, she thought, drifting to sleep.