Rhys was helping Caius set up his chamber. Caius was hired as the king's manservant, while their mother was hired to work in the kitchen alongside Lian, whom she would have stayed with, if not for the fact that Lian was living with Rhys, leaving an empty chamber for her.

"Do you think Zeph and Eetu made it?" Caius sat down on his new bed.

"I don't know. They weren't with us when the fire started, and no one saw them." Rhys felt the tears welling up, burning the back of his eyes. "It's hardly likely, but there is a small chance they did. We can only believe in that chance. If we believe in it, that makes it more likely. Besides, Zeph and Eetu are strong. They'll make it whether they want to or not."

"I hope you're right, Rhys." Caius lay back, letting his head fall on the castle pillows.

A knock sounded on the chamber door. Rhys opened it cautiously, Xavier on the other side.

"Is he all situated?" Xavier drew his cloak tighter around his neck.

"He is." Rhys looked back toward his brother. "He's still a little shaken up from Ithia. We all are. We lost two of our siblings. Our younger brother and sister. Well, we didn't lose them, they're just missing. We don't know if they're dead or alive."

"I'm going on a search and rescue mission in Ithia. I'll look for them. What do they look like?"

"Eetu, he's older the Zeph... Zephrine. He's tall, and his hair is almost red, his eyes are green. Zeph's got black hair, she usually wears it down , her eyes are blue. Eetu's twenty-four, Zeph's twenty."

"I'll look for them. If I find them, I'll bring them back." Xavier nodded, playing with the buttons on his cloak.

"Why are you going to Ithia, sire?"

"They've found a Dragon Singer there. We have to find her before Callenda even hears about her, they'll call us out for it. The alliance will fail. But she also serves as a backup plan, because, if the alliance fails, we have a force stronger than men."

"A dragon?"

"No, a sorceress. Magic with a dragon" Xavier raised his eyebrows.

Rhys cringed a little at the thought of blindly sending someone into battle with no regard to their life.

"Of course," Xavier, sensing Rhys's discomfort, added, "a Singer's life is still a life, and one that will be protected as one would protect that of a knight, a king, and a civilian."

"Sire..." Rhys was at a loss for words.

"I'll find your siblings. I promise. But right now, I must go meet with my knights. Tomorrow morning, I will be gone, searching for your family and for the Singer."

"Good luck, my Lord." Rhys took a deep breath as Xavier walked away.