Astrid stared at herself in the mirror a few hours later, unable to look away from her reflection. It seemed like only yesterday she had been a scared girl, running from a keep. Now...now, there was something different about her. The green eyes staring back at her were broken, but fierce. There was a strength in her now, a drive to survive.
She looked down at the dress she wore. It was a stunning midnight blue with tiny glittering diamonds sewn into the skirt, making it look as if it were reflecting the night sky. Its sleeves hung off the shoulder and more diamonds twisted around the bodice. The whole thing was priceless and beautiful, but Astrid felt a bit sick looking at it. There were so many people in the kingdom whose lives could be changed with a few coins, and instead millions wer
