• 2:15 P.M.
    Thirty minutes later, Zarrok found himself, not looking at a house, but at an old, two roomed, shack.
    For a moment, he just stood there, starring. Then saw Leira. Tears of shame silently steamed down her cheeks. She was also murmuring quietly to herself. Wait. Not murmuring, but singing.
    Singing about rainbows, suns, and stars. “What are you singing?” Zarrok asked, unable to contain himself. The sound of his voice brought her back down to Earth and she abruptly stopped, and looked at him for a moment or two. Then took a deep breath and sang:

    “I’ve got a rainbow, over my shoulders.
    I’ve got the sun, over my head.
    I’ve got the stars twinklin’, in my eyes.
    And I’ve got the sweetest kiss, on my lips.”


    “You have a beautiful singing voice.” Zarrok told her. She looked at him as if something hideous had just sprouted from his forehead. Then laughed a short, humorless laugh while wiping away a tear.
    “Sure I do.” She retorted, looking at him sideways. “I bet your betrothed has a better voice that I.” She added bitterly.
    Zarrok snorted. Amillia? A good singer? Ha! He remembered once when he went in to her room without knocking, and thought she was strangling a hog. Then her face had gotten a red and hot and she called him a—“Wait! How did you know I must marry Amillia…?” He looked down and his engagement ring gleamed in the sunlight.
    Leira’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “Amillia? As in Princess Amillia?”
    “No, Leira! You don’t understand. I—“
    “Just stop it!” She yelled. Then ran. She wasn’t sure where, so she just ran to anywhere that Zarrok was not.
    Oh, now you’ve done it! The voice in his mind yelled. Then suddenly an alarm bell went off. Signaling for all knights, solders, and royalty to report to the council chamber in the heart of the palace.


    4:20 P.M.
    Zarrok rushed through the corridors in a stream of people. He looked franticly around until he spotted a silver tiara and made his way to it.
    “Amillia!” She whipped around at the sound of Zarrok’s voice, her green eyes wide and dilated. “What’s happening?”
    “Zarrok!” She said and embraced him for dear life. “It’s her! The witch! Trina has been found!”

    5:30 A.M. TWO DAYS LATER
    “Come on Nabby! Let us check just once more! She has to go there one way or another!”
    Zarrok had not seen Leira since the day she had run off. Come to think of it, he also hadn’t seen Amillia since the council meeting two days ago.
    There was going to be a battle. A very big battle against a witch and her army. The odds of winning were scarce. Trina, however young—and somewhat attractive—she may look, she was still a cunning, brave, strong, merciless, hundred year old witch. And how does Zarrok know this? He knows because Trina is—
    “Leira!” Zarrok jumped off Nabetse and ran to the scraggly figure by the pond. He stopped short three feet away when he saw her face. It looked so old and tired. Hurt and doubt washed around her teat stained eyes. But, her voice gave nothing away when she spoke.
    “Why are you here?” Her eyes narrowing. The sadness being washed away with anger.
    “I was looking for you. You never let me finish what I was going to tell you.”
    “What is there to tell? You led me on, then tell me you’re getting married to the princess! I mean really, what the—“
    “I don’t love her!” There the truth was out. Zarrok didn’t love Amillia. Amillia didn’t love him either. At least they had that much to hang on to. Leira just starred at him, blank faced.
    “I don’t believe that.” She said quietly, shaking her head. “Not one bit.”
    “But it’s true…. Partially.” Leira’s head snapped up at that. “I do love her, but like a sister. Like a very close sister. And she thinks of me in the same way.”
    “Just because you don’t love her doesn’t mean that you love me.”
    “I would love to be in love with you, but I hardly even know you.”
    Leira took a deep breath, and began to talk. “My name is Leira S. Rose. I am sixteen years old, and my parents died when I was seven. I have been staying in that old shack ever since because they left me with nothing but debt.
    “I have absolutely no friends, but I have been told that I have quite a personality. Umm, what else? Oh yeah, my favorite color is black, and I’m planning on fighting by your side during the battle against Trina no matter what you say because she murdered my parents.” Leira took another deep breath, this time only said, “So that’s me. What about you?”
    Zarrok looked at her beautiful blue eyes. She was telling the truth. Her eyes told him that much. So that meant he was going to have to tell a lie. Just one simple lie that, if revealed, would ruin everything.
    “My name is Zarrok J. Cleaver. I am eighteen years old, and… my father died after I was born, and my mother… died when I was ten. Before they past on, they arranged me to be married to Amillia R. Walker. We never loved each other, and we never will.
    “I have lived in the palace ever since, and served as a knight. I too, have no friends except for you, Nabby, and Amillia. My favorite color is sapphire blue,” Leira blushed at this, “And I will allow you to fight by my side in the battle against Trina.”
    They smiled at each other for a moment. And that moment said it all. Leira loved Zarrok and Zarrok loved Leira. And nothing in the world could ever change it.
    “Walk with me,” he said, and she took his hand and they walked into the sunrise together.
    “So,” Zarrok said after a while, “Where did you make up that song of yours?”
    Leira laughed. “I didn’t make it up. Only the last line. My grandfather made up the first line, then my father made up the second line, and I made up the last. It’s a chain-tradition. You can help me finish the song. I’ve just added a new line, and now I want you to give me the next one.”
    “Sing it for me again.” Leira cleared her voice, and recited the song:


    “I’ve got a rainbow, over my shoulders.
    I’ve got the sun, over my head.
    I’ve got the stars twinklin’, in my eyes.
    And I’ve got the sweetest kiss, on my lips.

    “I’ve got the magic tricks, up my sleeve.
    To make the rain go away, to make the bad times leave.”

    Leira looked at him for the next line, and after a moment’s thought, he sang:


    “This is the song I sing, when I am down.
    To make the skies from gray to blue,
    To make me fall in love with you.”

    They smiled at each other, and then they kissed. They kissed until the morning bell rang and bade each other goodbye.
    “Oh, and Zarrok, one last thing. My former step-sister, is the one you are to be wed.”