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I guess nothing has changed after all, she realised sadly. She had hoped D.C. had meant what she’d said about them being friends, but the sound of her roommate leaving in the morning was just the same as it had always been.

“You’re back!”

Alex snapped her eyes open, feeling disoriented because it wasn’t morning and D.C. hadn’t slammed the door while leaving the room, but while entering it.

Alex looked at the beaming smile on her roommate’s face and she mirrored the expression. “I’m back,” she confirmed.

D.C. stood there just grinning for a moment before she launched herself onto the bed, smothering Alex in a hug.

“You’re so stupid!” D.C. yelled, even while hugging her. “What were you thinking? You almostdied!”

“Need to breathe!” Alex gasped, and D.C. eased up a little but still gripped her tightly.

“I can’t believe you did that,” D.C. said. At least she wasn’t yelling anymore.

“I didn’t exactly plan it, if that makes you feel any better. It just sort of happened,” Alex said. “It’s not that big of a deal, really.”

“You jumped in front of a dagger that was aimed for my heart,” D.C. said, backing away so that Alex could see the oh so familiar sardonic look on her face. “I’d say that falls into the category of big deals. Huge deals, in fact.”

Alex sat up, pulling her legs underneath her so that she was sitting cross-legged on the bed. “It was the least I could do,” she said quietly. “Especially since I nearly killed you before that.”

She expected an awkward silence, but D.C. just laughed and said, “I think you had that pretty well in hand.”

Alex gaped at her. “Are you serious? I was about a second away from slicing you in half!”

“You would have stopped in time, even without me screaming at you,” D.C. said, smirking. “You were much too afraid of killing the heir to the Medoran throne. Imagine how that would have looked on your résumé?”

“I can’t believe you can joke about this,” Alex said, not quite sure if she wanted to laugh… or throw up.

D.C. sobered immediately. “I have to joke about it. It’s the only thing that’s helped me get through the last few days.”

Alex looked closely at the other girl and noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.

“I came to visit you,” D.C. said after a pause. “A few times. But you were always asleep.”

“Thank you,” Alex whispered, touched by the gesture.

“I meant what I said about us being friends.” D.C.’s blue-green eyes were steady but her hands fidgeted nervously. “I think we should make it official, now that we’re not under duress. If you still want to, I mean. No pressure or anything.”

“Are you kidding?” Alex asked. Then she realised how her comment could be taken and hurried on to say, “Of course I still want to!”

D.C. grinned and reached out her hand. “To a new start?”

“A new start,” Alex agreed, and they shook on it.

“I think introductions are necessary if we’re to begin with a clean slate,” D.C. said, sitting up straighter. “I’m Delucia Marsina Cavelle, royal princess and heir to the Medoran throne.”

“I thought you wanted me to quit with the princess reminders?”

“It’s called beingpolite,” D.C. said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Something you clearly don’t know much about, since you still haven’t introduced yourself.”

“You already know who I am, D.C.,” Alex said, shaking her head at her friend’s antics.

“Call me Dix.”

“Huh?”

“Dix,” D.C. repeated. “It’s an actual nickname, not just my initials. It feels more personal.”