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been securely locked away, but I was sure the entire time I spun and performed repetitive Weapon Dance moves in my room, Aliath had not been idly watching. He was now King of Dökkálfa , the war was now his to command.
    It took all of my effort not to curl up in my comfy chair and fall asleep. I was so damn tired and all I really wanted was my bed, but if the Light Fairies were about to come charging into the castle I sure as hell wanted to be awake to see them coming.
    A groan escaped my lips and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. Leaning forward slightly in the chair I open-mouth breathed through the increasing amount of bile trying to come back up my throat. I think I might have been panting.
    "It won't be much longer, Princess," Aliath said softly off to my side. I couldn't answer him, I couldn't even turn to look at him. And he was no longer touching me, a distance had appeared between us, familiar, but right at this moment, unwanted.
    I noticed Aliath raising his hand out of the corner of my eye, but didn't realise what the motion meant until Sora knelt at my side and brushed my hair out of my eyes. She placed a cool cloth across my forehead and started quietly whispering in my ear.
    "Not long now, Princess." So similar to what Aliath had said, but it still made absolutely no sense.
    "I need to go to my room. Lie down," I muttered.
    "The King said it would be better if you are visible when they arrive. To avoid any confusion."
    Her words meant something, but all I could do was focus on not bringing my lunch back up. Goddess, I felt awful. So exhausted, so weak, so fragile and the whole wanting to be sick thing was really not very nice. Any moment now and I was going to embarrass myself by hurling in front of the new Dökkálfa King. I groaned again.
    And then out of desperation, pleaded with Aliath, "Please, can't you heal me?"
    He held my gaze, no vivid greens there, but the intensity was too much. My lids flickered down and blocked out his stare.
    "It is better if you do not owe me, Princess. We will be negotiating enough before too long."
    I swore softly under my breath, sure he could still hear me, but not giving a damn. The bloody fairy could heal knife wounds and broken bones without having to be asked, but as soon as I am compromised by food poisoning - it was the only conclusion I could come up with - he not only refuses to heal me, but keeps me upright and out of bed. I had thought he might end up torturing me in his dungeon. It seemed he'd found a better method than the rack.
    Time seemed to slip past and I just felt more and more wretched. Sora continued to wipe my head, saying soothing platitudes that I could no longer understand. She tried to offer me water to drink, but even a sip threatened to unleash everything I was trying my damnedest to hold inside. In the end she just fell silent - as silent as the rest of the room - and continued to wipe my forehead with the cloth.
    At some stage the nausea ebbed and I sat up in my chair a little straighter. I still felt so, so weak. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand, but at least with the nausea passed, I could hold my head up again and look around the room. The Dökkálfa all wore expressions of nervousness and on some a little fear. But underlying it all was a strange sense of anticipation, almost excitement.
    I looked at one fairy and then another and quickly glanced around the room. Whatever was about to happen, the fairies feared it and wanted it in equal measure. I took a sip of offered water, relieved I could hold it down without ill effect, and waited with them.
    I wasn't afraid, other than afraid of feeling nauseous again, but I certainly wasn't excited either. Aliath still hadn't told me what was happening, but I got the impression he definitely knew. I turned in my seat and looked at him, ensuring I avoided looking in his eyes. He didn't look back at me, but would have known I was watching him. He simply looked out over all of the fairies in his