Sulli ate her food in silence as she observed the brave men and women around her.  There were not many people left.  That did not surprise her; she knew there would be casualties.  She just did not expect to lose so many followers this early on in her quest.  They had not even crossed through the Valley of the Dead.

Oh, gods, the Valley.  The Princess kept her eyes on the waning sunlight, always keeping track of the hours that they lost.  There was not enough time to climb the hill and cross the Valley, not before sunset.  Sulli knew that they would have to waste more time resting until the sun came up again.  Her fists tightened around the golden scroll in frustration.

Amongst the exhausted and frightened crowd, Sulli was the only one seething in anger.  Why did this always happen to her?  Why was there always something in the way of her best efforts?  First, there was her father and that moronic excuse for a fiancé.  Then, there were the traitors from the Nolstopian Army.  And now, mere human fatigue and the sunset were holding her back. 

"I need someone," the Princess said to no one in particular.

"What was that, Princess?"

"Bring me someone who comes from a large family, primarily women."

The man sitting beside her immediately set down his stale bread and began asking around.  He did not know what she needed from someone like that, but he dared not ask her. 

After what felt like an eternity and a half to Sulli, the man returned to her with a young lady.  The girl looked to be around Sulli's age, if not a bit older.  She could have been truly beautiful, the Princess observed, if years of famine and war had not destroyed her people.  This woman was a casualty of the King's poor leadership.

"Your name," Sulli demanded.

"Amber," the young woman said assuredly. 

"Do you come from a large family?"

"If you consider six brothers, fourteen sisters, and eighteen first cousins a large family," Amber said with a shrug. 

"How are family dinners in your home," the Princess asked.

"Your majesty?  I don't understand why that's of any importance."

Sulli shooed away the man and took Amber aside into the forest.  They walked in silence for a good several minutes, until the Princess was certain that the others could not even hope to eavesdrop.  In the darkening forest, Sulli withdrew her golden scroll from her satchel and unrolled just enough of it for Amber to catch a glimpse of the glistening letters.

There was amazement in the woman's eyes, but after several seconds of nothingness between them, Sulli realized that Amber did not know how to read.  Of course; with a family of that size, it only made sense that Amber came from a farming background.  Minimal education, if any, and confusion came with the package.  Sulli put away her scroll and tried to explain in simple terms what was required of Amber. 

"Do you get it now, Amber?"

The woman nodded her head.

"No, tell me out loud that you understand."

"I understand."

Sulli let out a slight breath of relief, though the warring emotions inside of her were far from relaxed.  Even though she did not know this Amber-girl, she liked her.  She loved getting to know the people of her kingdom, especially the impoverished who needed her help the most.  The whole point of her quest was to raise up the people back home, the people like Amber and her family.  It was bittersweet to think that the people she wanted to save were the ones who would fight alongside her throughout her journey.  Sulli turned back towards their meager camp grounds, intent on finishing what little food remained.

"Wait, Princess!"  Amber yelled after her, but made no move to lay a finger on her.

"What is it?"

"Will I ever see my family again?"

"As I have said before," Sulli said solemnly, "do not ask stupid questions.  You know the answer to that."

~*~

At precisely ten at night, when the moon was high in the sky and the sun had retired without a shadow of a doubt, Sulli and her Brave Hearts continued their journey down the road.  The ground beneath their feet began to lead into a steep incline, one that left even the silent men groaning under their breaths when they thought the Princess was not listening.  The foliage waned as they climbed the hill, until nothing was left around them but the dirt beneath their shoes and the chilly evening air. 

"There it is," the Princess declared to the tired bunch.  "The Valley of the Dead."

"We're not going to cross it, are we?" a man asked behind her.

"It is dangerous to cross after sunset," Sulli declared, "but you knew this would be dangerous.  I hope you all kissed your wives and children good-bye before you left to follow me."

Silence trailed behind her as Sulli led down into the Valley.  She made sure that Amber remained right by her side throughout the entire excursion.  Even though she tried, Sulli could not ignore the way Amber's face paled and her lips quivered.  Slowly, ever so slowly, Amber leaned over to whisper into the Princess' ear.

"Your Majesty," she muttered, "I can hear them."

"I chose you for a reason," Sulli reassured her.  "The longer we walk through the Valley, the more people will be like you.  I promise, it is completely normal to hear the voices."

"You are certain?  Have you done this before, Princess?"

"There is no need to panic.  Everyone will hear the voices sooner or later."

Amber quieted herself for a while.  Just as the Princess had promised, Amber began noticing the strange behavior of her fellow Brave Hearts.  Although no one was willing to admit it aloud, one by one they were all starting to hear the voices. 

They were like thin wisps of fire, feverishly tickling everyone's ears with unintelligible promises.  Even Sulli shuddered when the words eardrums.  She had to stop the group three times to calm them down and reassure them all that nothing could harm them.  The whispers were known to cause insanity by sunrise, but only if the listeners did not try to tune them out.

"That is why I chose you," Sulli repeated to Amber again. "You come from a large family; you know how to ignore the voices."

"But why me?  What will happen to the others?"

"Truthfully, Amber, the only circumstance under which we should concern ourselves is if someone understands what the voices tell them."

Amber swallowed hard on the lump in and continued on.  She dared not tell the Princess what the voices were saying to her.  As far as she had observed, which was not incorrect, Sulli had no qualms about putting an end to anyone who could put the quest in jeopardy.  Sure, she was merely a farmhand and one of many children, but Amber liked to think that she had a life ahead of herself and she did not want it to end in the Valley of the Dead. 

~*~

They managed to cross the Valley with minimal damage to the Brave Hearts.  Sulli stopped at the beginning of the new forest to check her people for self-inflicted injuries and any signs of corruption by the voices.  She knew that there had to be at least someone who had been affected the Valley.  Anyone who had understood the voices could not be permitted to continue onwards.  They would put the whole gathering in danger sooner or later.

"Did you all hear the voices," Sulli asked.  "Be truthful with me, now."

Everyone nodded and whispered amongst themselves about their own terrifying experiences with the voices from the Valley.

"Good.  That is perfectly normal.  Now, did any of your understand what the voices said to you?"

Her eyes scanned the people's faces, carefully weeding out those who tried to lie to her.  Contrary to popular belief, Sulli took no pleasure at all in putting her men down like sick dogs.  It pained her to lose more good men, to know that she had taken them away from their families forever.  But Sulli consoled herself with the knowledge that everything she did was for the greater good of her kingdom.  She would save lives in the longrun.

"You, what is your name?"

"Me?" a pretty lady asked in shock.

"Yes, you."

"Bora," the woman answered nervously.

It appeared that everyone was older than the Princess, but no one could instill fear in their hearts quite so well.  Sulli walked up to her and spoke softly into her ear.

"You could understand the voices, couldn't you," she asked like an accusation.

Bora nodded stiffly.

"That's all I needed to know," Sulli sighed.

Like lightning, she had her favorite blade in hand.  There was no time for questions, for pleading, for begging, for anything.  The Princess slit Bora's throat in front of the entire gathering, one quick movement that was far too clean for it to have been Sulli's first kill like that.  Blood splattered all over the Princess's white dress and unblemished face.  She did not even blink.

"No one else lies to me," Sulli announced.  "Those who understood the voices in the Valley are sick, like dogs.  They will lead to everyone's demise sooner, rather than later.  If you have yet to come forth, I encourage you to kill yourselves in the woods before we move on.  You are a liability to us all."

Amber pulled her scarf more securely around her neck and continued following the Brave Hearts in silence.

~*~

The Prince of Nolstop paced back and forth within the tiny confines of the guest chamber.  He had already downed all of the wine provided for him and his manservant had not yet returned from the kitchen with a new bottle.  He was growing bored. 

"Where is my bride," he asked the open air. 

"My lord," his manservant said, "I have brought your wine."

"Yes, but what news of my bride?  I could have been married by now!"

The Prince slumped down on his bed and held out his empty wine glass, waiting impatiently for his servant to refill it. 

"I have just spoken with a Royal Guardian, my lord.  The Princess is nowhere to be found."

Wine spilled on the floor and shards of glass shattered as the Prince angrily threw his glass at his manservant.  The Nolstopians were not known for their reasonability.  His manservant, still quite young and lanky, gripped his hand tightly where the glass had cut him.  His blood mixed with the mess on the floor, but he only further insisted on cleaning up the mess.  He went about his duties quietly, never once allowing his curiosities to guide him.  That sort of thinking could get a man killed.

"I want you to bring her back to me," the Prince demanded. 

"Me?"

"The King is too pigheaded.  He will not allow me to go after her, and unfortunately my mother agrees with him.  You, however, may leave the castle as you wish; especially if you are running an errand on my behalf."

"But, my lord," the manservant pleaded, "I have heard rumors that the Princess has left in search of the Castle of Destiny.  If, by some miracle, I am able to find her-"

The servant stumbled over his words from nervousness.  He was not accustomed to speaking so candidly with anyone outranking him.  He ceased speaking when the Prince flashed him a cruel grin.  The Prince had plans - dangerous plans - and the power to make someone else carry them out.  The Nolstopians were not known for their humanity.

~*~

Taemin was not a smart man.  That is not to say that he was foolish or idiotic, either.  Rather, he lacked good breeding and the opportunity for higher education.  Because he was employed by the royal family, he was taught well enough to read and count by the age of seven.  From then on, his life was dedicated to obedience, hard work, and loyalty.

When the Prince told him to jump, Taemin asked how high.  When the Prince demanded another glass of wine, Taemin asked what year.  When the Prince commanded him to search for Princess Sulli, Taemin did not need to ask anything at all.  He knew his place as a servant and he knew what was expected of him. 

He did not ask a lot of questions.  He did not make a lot of observations.  He kept his mouth shut and his hands busy; anything to be useful without being a threat. 

Taemin returned to the Servants' Quarters just before supper.  His hands were still sore and exposed from the broken glass; he needed to be bandaged quickly.  Because he came with the Nolstopians and he was a guest in the palace, Taemin was not familiar with most of the other servants.  In fact, he had only really bonded with one man on the entire floor. 

"Minho," Taemin called as he shouldered his way into their shared bedroom, "I need your help."

The man looked up from the book he had previously buried his nose in.  His large, expressive eyes scanned his new friend from head to toe, checking for any new injuries.  Although they had not known each other for very long, Minho learned quickly that the Nolstopian Prince was prone to hurting his manservant for pure entertainment.  A fractured wrist or sprained ankle would be nothing new.

"Just my hands tonight," Taemin said. 

He lifted his palms to show his friend how cut up and red they were.  Wordlessly, Minho set down his book and made room on his bed for Taemin to sit down.  As was the usual routine of their evenings, he cleaned and dressed Taemin's wounds while his friend rambled aimlessly about whatever was on his mind.  This time, however, Taemin's words were far from careless notions.  They were borderline treason.

"But I'm not saying we would run away," Taemin clarified.  "Look, it's like this: the princess is gone and the Prince wants me to retrieve her.  I thought, you know, maybe you could accompany me.  It'd be good for you to get outta this hell hole, anyway.  So, whaddya' say?"

Minho let out a quiet sigh and met his friend's eyes in earnest. 

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," Taemin said.