There were several questions that popped up in my head, as I took stock of the situation in whatever few minutes I had before Mother started to wonder where I was.

My first thought was that there was no way I could now leave the DragonHeir alone. Not only had he asked for my assistance - though I very much doubted I was the correct person to be of any help, especially if his request had anything to do with sorcery. My second thought, or rather, concern was that the DragonHeir was alone. As a member of the Royal Family of Ochalis, I had expected that the standard practice would be a bunch of knights nearby at all times as security. But I could see no one, at any distance to the boy.

"Your Highness," I began to say when I felt chills on my back.

"Who's there?" the DragonHeir loudly asked - his skin paling drastically, and who should it be but my sister who snuck into the little place, looking at us in confusion.

"This is my sister, Your Highness." I hastily said, squeezing her shoulder. But she shook me off.

"Highness?" Orsha asked looking at him. "What are you doing here Aelis? I thought you were going to the bookstore."

"This is the Crown Prince," I hissed at her, and she gave a confused half-curtsy, before noticing his odd eyes. She swiftly looked at me in confusion but I shook my head to prevent her from asking any more questions.

"I would rather not have any more people find out I am here," he said curtly.

"I won't tell anyone!" Orsha said clasping her hands to her chest, "I promise!"

"Well. I have business with your sister, not you." he looked at me.

"Orsha," I said, not moving my eyes from him, "Do you think you can distract Mother for a while? I will finish my, uh, business with the DragonHeir and join you here later."

"Why do I get the boring job?" she whined but nodded as she curtsied to the DragonHeir, "I can't keep her from noticing your absence for too long. Hurry up!"

Once she was gone, the DragonHeir sighed. He indicated that I follow him, and so I did. We slunk past the bookstore and made our way through the busy footpaths toward the center of the market, where a gigantic silver statue of the First King of Ochalis - Trebadour Exalos stood with his arm raised to the sky holding up the kingdom's flag - a golden anchor embedded in dark blue cloth bordered in gold.

"Look Miss Damaran," he said, "I have lost something of great value in the city."

"Um," Flustered I lowered my head to whisper as we walked, "Wouldn't it be faster if Your Highness enlisted the assistance of Imperial Investigation Offices? They would be able to have the manpower needed for this task -"

"I have considered that," he raised a hand to interrupt. "But no."

For a boy as young as my sister, and slightly shorter than her - he had a considerably mature way of talking. Authority rolled off of his shoulders. I wondered if this sort of confidence was an asset that came from birth.

"I fail to see, how I may be of help, Your Highness," I said.

"I have lost an important talisman," he whispered and stepped aside to let a gentleman pass through. Although this was the Main Square that was mostly frequented by the nobles and not the Market Road, there was a huge crowd of people buzzing about. Perhaps there was some new ball, some new party, some new circus in the city. He leaned towards me, "This talisman probably slipped from me the day you found me."

"What did it look like?" I asked as we walked into an alley filled with waste bins steeped in paper and mice scuttling about, beside what looked like a printing office.

"It usually looked like a sunstone pendant inscribed in gold." He paused, "Sometimes it took the form of a ring."

I tried to cast my mind back to that day.

I remembered the DragonHeir on his knees in front of the golden statue with light streaming out of his eyes and mouth. But I could barely remember any other detail about him. Even when he was laying on my lap in the carriage, all I remembered was his black hair and being too scared to touch him. I couldn't remember if he had any ornament on him.

"I don't recall seeing anything on you, Your Highness," I said. "Maybe the Duke of Lurris saw something?"

Remonn had gotten there before me.

The DragonHeir shook his head, "Let me show you."

"Show me?" I asked.

"Whenever I use my sorcery to track the talisman down," he paused and sighed.

He fiddled his hand into his jacket pocket and took out a square piece of paper. He quickly folded it into thin silvers, eventually popping out a small bird-like shape, he threw it towards one of the waste bins, but the paper fluttered and swirled and paused. There were no sparkles or heat or anything that suggested a force outside human comprehension. The paper dillied and dallied and eventually circled and swirled around me before bursting into tiny pieces.

In awe, I turned to the DragonHeir, "What does that mean?"

"All my tracking spells lead to you."