I watched the stable hand cinch up the saddle before he piled the rest of my travel bags onto my beautiful buckskin horse, Koda.

  “Are you sure you have to go?” my best friend, Prince Liam, said with worry.

  I sighed sadly as I turned around and looked him in the eyes for a moment. Even at sixteen, growing into a man, his blue eyes reflected boyhood. I saw our whole childhood together reflected in his gaze. Suddenly he threw his arms around me and hugged me gently. I hugged him back as if holding on to him was the only thing keeping me steady.

  “You know I have to do this. I have to figure out who I am and where I came from,” I whispered, swallowing my guilty feelings. I already knew who I was, but I still hadn’t gained the courage to tell Liam. I never withheld secrets from my childhood best friend, but now I was hiding two.

  I grew up in the palace of Fawkstone, a prospering kingdom best known for its righteous rulers, King Dominic and Queen Cassandra. They have ruled over twenty years in loyalty and love to even the poorest of their people. Growing up all I was told was that as an infant I had been left behind, and an older woman named Helen found me on the outskirts of the forest near the castle. The basket I was in was charred and I had deep burn marks on the behind my neck, shoulders, and back. Dear, sweet Miss Helen was the nursemaid of the castle. She busily took care of Crown Prince Daniel and Prince William and yet still felt it was a sign from God for her to take me in and raise me alongside the two brothers, who became Danny and Liam to me. Only recently did she tell me more of the story as to how I appeared in the woods, and it felt clear that I needed to go back to where I came from. It was the only way I could think to find out for myself who I was. Miss Helen was to accompany me on my journey to make sure I was protected and guided safely, as well as do a lot more explaining about my past. She watched us now with teary eyes; she hated to leave the royal family even though the princes were definitely too old now for a nursemaid. She had become a trusted confidante for all three of us.

  Their Majesties elegantly walked down the front steps towards us, but Queen Cassandra couldn’t help hurrying her pace and quickly coming to me with open arms.

  “Oh Briella, how we will miss you,” she said after she let go of me. Her eyes brimmed with love that I wish I could have seen in my own mother had I met her. I was embraced by the king before he said, “Daniel is locked away in his study, we’re afraid. He’s working so hard to best achieve his assignments as future king.” He and the queen exchanged a proud look. Liam noticed and looked down at his shoes.

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  Danny was two years older than Liam and was the perfect first child, who worked hard to live up to his role as the heir to the throne. It was easy for Liam to feel lost in the shadow of his older brother. I gave him a reassuring squeeze. The brightness in his eyes came back as he jabbed my right side.

  “Ow!” I exclaimed as he snickered.

  “Still fragile!” He teased and laughed again after I quickly retorted back, “Am not!”

  Miss Helen always told me, as a child, to hide my burns. I never understood why she told me to cover them. Even so,but I hated them because they kept me apart from the other kids even without being seen. I had embarrassingly cried out in pain too many times, especially in moments where I wanted to be taken seriously and be seen as strong, like in sword practice and climbing trees. Many kids teased me for my sensitive skin, which, after years, should’ve healed like normal burns. There was something wrong with me and I loathed my permanent scars. Liam’s teasing was innocent, but I kept Miss Helen’s command of silence.

  Liam’s face grew serious as he said, “Promise me you’ll be back in six months?” He sighed at my hesitation, but I honestly didn’t know when I would return.

  “Fine,” he held out his pinky, “then at least promise me you’ll come back?”

  “I promise, Liam,” I said, latching my pinky with his while trying to keep the tears from leaking out of my eyes. He noticed anyway, like he always does, and hugged me again.

  The king and queen looked at us with warmth in their eyes and I turned to get on Koda, the guards who were to accompany me patiently waiting a few lengths behind.

  Miss Helen, the guards, and I started heading out and after putting several yards between us and the royal family, I frantically turned to look back from atop my horse. They were still out watching me go, but Liam picked up a sprint towards me. He stopped just at the inner gate where I caught sight of the desperate look reflected in his face as well.

  “You promised, Briella!” he pleaded as he held up his arm with his pinky in the air.

  I mirrored the movement and nodded before I turned back to face the front again, wiping furiously at my eyes as we passed through the outer gate.

  Once we had distanced ourselves from the familiar castle walls, the reality of the situation hit me like a boulder on my chest, squeezing out any breath I once had.

  I was leaving. Leaving my best friend and the only home I have ever known to become who I really was: the surviving Princess Gabriellyn of the Kingdom of Brylee.