Elder Mage Marianna told me step three years ago, under the shade of the Morwater Tree. I saw it sometimes in my dreams: my home village, there in the treetops. Before the royal soldiers came to destroy and wreak havoc on our people. When I married the prince (step one, according to Marianna), he allowed me to keep some ashes of the Morwater Tree in a small urn on my dresser, on my side of the bed. He never asked me what it meant to me or why I would want such a thing. It was my home, not this royal palace.

Marianna also told me abotu step two: murdering the king and queen. That was easier than I had expected. They were often unprotected, feeling so at ease in their kingdom. Well, they had been infiltrated. I had seduced their son, and, although they treated me like a prisoner in their keep, I wept at their funeral and acted as if I had nothing to do with the poison in their treats. The poison berries came from my forest, quite near the Morwater tree. I loved that.

Now, step three … Burn the palace. This would be harder than the other steps because of the sheer volume of destruction, both of people and land. As I carelessly lit the fires in the kitchen, though, I knew I would be running soon. I would find Marianna in the wake of the burning, flaming kingdom. My husband would be nothing but ash when I saw him again, and that made me smile.