Chapter Two

Vladmir walked through the wing that had belonged to Miranda's
mother, Queen Nikka. The wing had been made forbidden to enter, and no
one had lived there since the queen had died five years ago.

Five years ago, Vladmir though, I was the lowest council member and the
princess was only a foolish girl of fourteen. How these few years have
changed us. I am now a high member and the princess is no longer
foolish, but truly wise in her decisions.

He turned into what once had served as the queen's sitting room. Now it
had fallen from its royal state into a state of dust.

"So Vladmir, you are late once again," a voice said as he walked into
the room.

"Lady, it is not my fault."

"Then who made you late?"

"Princess Miranda, Lady."

A soft wind blew through the room as a young woman's ghost appeared.
Everything about her was a pale white, except for her icy eyes.

"You are such a hopeless romantic Vladmir," Lady sat down in the queens
chair and dust flew into the air, "Do you think that because I am dead,
I do not know what is going on? I have seen your attempts to woo the
princess. Do you think that King Jilhal would let his only child
marrying below her? Speaking of which, how has his majesty been
doing?"

"King Jilhal has been doing well, but he left about an hour ago. He
took a group to find out more about the moving shadows around the
kingdom."

"Yes, I have heard mentions of those among the maids' gossip. Has King
Jilhal left his daughter in your hands, Vladmir?"

"I am only to give her advice, Lady."

"Do you not realize how much you could influence Princess Miranda?
Vladmir, you could sway her decisions into your favor. You are in a
powerful role now; you could change the course of history. But, I know
you will not."

"Lady, who are you to tell me what I will and will not do?"

"You are enamoured with your Princess Miranda, you will do nothing that
would cause her to lose King Jilhal's favor. No matter how much you
deny, you know it is true." Lady disappeared with a soft wind and
Vladmir was left in the room alone.

"She is not my princess, Lady. You already try to influence her through
me," whispered Vladmir as he walked out of the sitting room, "You will
not find me a willing puppet in this show."

* * *

Miranda walked into her room and locked the door behind her. A chubby
skunk-colored cat stared at Miranda as she grabbed a decorated bone
brush, and started brushing her hair vigorously. Tears began falling
down her face as she tried to stop them from coming.

"Oh Kikki," the cat's ears went up as she heard her name, " I have not
been ruling in my father's place for long and I alread have made a
mistake. I hope my words did not damage High Member Vladmir
much."

Setting the brush back down, with shaking hands she unbuttoned the
dress's back. Walking over to a dress in the corner, Miranda took out a
beige nightgown. Slipping out of the dress and into the nightgown, she
turned to look at her reflection in with mirror.

Miranda was taken back when she saw, not the beautiful princess from
the morning, but a crying child with puffy, red eyes.

I just need some sleep and I will apologize to High Member Vladmir as
soon as I can in the morning.

Sitting on top of her bed, Miranda scooped up Kikki and closed the
bed's midnight blue drapes. Lying awake for a while, Miranda did not
know when she feel asleep and began her dream

* * *

I find myself walking toward a tall tree in the middle of a forest. The
closer I get, the more I hear a language coming from the tree. It feels
like something is pulling me closer. When I get to the tree's base,
there are many gold orbs floating around the tree. I come closer, and
see symbols etched into the orbs. One of them is brave enough to come
closer and let me trace its symbol.

"Home," says a voice as I trace the symbol.

Another orb came up and also let me trace it's symbol.

"Evil."

"What do you mean? Home, evil it makes no sense," I yell at the
orbs.

Something is pulling me from behind, away from the orbs. I turn around
and see a woman's ghost with icy eyes. From behind the ghost woman
comes a shadow hand; it wraps its fingers around my waist, pulling me
toward the ghost woman.

* * *

Miranda woke up, shaking and feeling like all the blood had been
drained out of her body.

"That dream was so strange, there has to be a meaning to it," Kikki
stared at Miranda, as if she was trying to understand, "That ghost
woman, what does she have to do with the orbs. OR perhaps Kikki, there
is no connection and it is just a dream."

Satisfying herself with the dream meaning nothing, Miranda sat her head
down on a satin pillow. Sleep did not come peacefully to Miranda
though; her mind was filled with the ghost woman and her frightening
eyes. Tossing the whole night, Miranda never woke for the rest of the
night, but she could not forget the dream. Everytime she started to
dream it was the same dream that came.

* * *

"High Member Vladmir!" The hall echoed with Miranda 's voice as she ran
toward Vladmir. "Stop, I need to talk to you."

"Did you not talk to me enough last night?"

"I must apologize for my behavior last night Vladmir. I feel that I
must make up for my behavior, it is my duty. Would you do me the honor
of joining me for breakfast in my room?"

"If you insist on it princess, I will."

"Good, because I already sent a breakfast before I left to find
you."

Vladmir and Miranda walked down the hallway, their hands brushing. As
they walked past a group of guards, the guards started whispering among
themselves.

"It seems that the Princess has another suitor hanging on to her every
word."

"He's one of King Jilhal's highest council members, I believe that his
name is Vladmir."

"Do you think King Jilhal knows about this?"

"You idiot! If King Jilhal did, he would not leave those two here when
he left."

"Then we will have a nice surprise once he comes back."

* * *

"I am sorry, but I have no table for us to eat at. We will just have
careful."

Miranda sat down on the bed and set a tray on the bed. Vladmir
carefully sat himself across from Miranda and took a piece of apple
from the tray.

"There must be another reason why you invited me to breakfast,
princess."

"Yes, there is. I had a strange dream last night; it might be connected
to the moving shadows. I was in a forest and went up to a tree with
orbs around it. After touching two of the orbs, they said the words
'home' and 'evil'."

"Is that all of your dream, just some talking orbs?"

"No, there is more. I felt something pulling me backwards. When I
looked back, there was a woman's ghost with icy eyes."

When Vladmir heard that, he started choking on the apple piece. Rushing
over to Vladmir, Miranda whacked his back.

"Are you alright?" Miranda looked at Vladmir with concern in her
eyes.

"Yes, but your ghost, it sounds like one that is said to haunt the
palace."

"I do not think I have heard of this ghost. Will you tell me about
her?"

"If you wish me, I will tell you the story I heard about her."

"Yes, I would love for you to tell me the story." Miranda moved closer
to Vladmir till there legs were touching.

"There was a maid working in your mother's wing before you were born.
One morning, they found her dead in the sitting room. She was believed
to have been beaten or stabbed to death. Soon after, a female ghost was
seen walking around in the queen's wing. The ghost had the same icy
eyes that the maid had, so everyone believed that she was the maid's
ghost."

"I never knew that my mother had an actual sitting room. As far back as
I can remember, she would always use her breakfast room for company and
such. There was room that was always locked, she never told me why. Was
that the??"

"Yes princess, that was the room that the maid was found in. After the
ghost started appearing, you mother stopped using that room. It was
eventually locked up."

"Will you take me to my mother's sitting room?"

"Why would you want to go there princess?" I do not think it is
unlocked and it is probably unsafe."

"Vladmir," Miranda softly touched his arm," I want to see the sitting
room. Please, take me there."

"Perhaps later, but now I need to get you to the throne room."

"Yes, of course."

Miranda started brushing invisible crumbs off her dress.

"Princess," Vladmir took Miranda 's hand and turned her to the door,"
you look fine."

"What if they think I am not fit to rule?"

"You are your father's daughter, do not worry. Like your father said
before he left, ruling is in your blood. If you need any advice, I will
be right by your side."

Miranda gave Vladmir a small smile of thanks, and walked toward the
throne room. Vladmir closed the door behind him and followed her.
* * *

"We still have not found anything about the shadows that we do not
already know," Randol said as he handed a cup of steaming soup to King
Jilhal," Perhaps we should go back to Vendra."

"Nonsense, there are still more witnesses to question."

"My lord, the reports have differed each time," Sandra said, "Read them
for yourself."

Sandra passed some papers over to King Jilhal.

"There has to be a reason for the reports changing so much."

"As far as I can tell, there is none. I agree with Randol, we should go
back."

"No, we have to find as much information as we can. I could never sleep
knowing that there is a possible danger I know next to nothing about.
We will keep on asking questions, no matter how long it takes."

"Yes my lord."

"Hopefully Princess Miranda is prepared for ruling," Sandra whispered
to Randol.