"I cannot! I cannot!" Lucia cried.
She stumbled forward, bewildered and sickened. Her knees collapsed to the ground. Suddenly, she felt the wet and damp feeling of the cold snow beneath her. She was momentarily blinded by the bright white of the snowy mountain once more.
She was back. She had been ejected from that strange vision. Lucia knew at once. Her whole body shook. She had failed Lome's trial.
"Empress!" A voice called out.
The echoes of voice swelled, but Lucia could barely hear them. Her world was still. She was still in a trance when she felt a hand come down on her shoulder. She flinched, staring up with wild and terrified eyes.
"Your Majesty?" Peter repeated concerned, "Are you alright?"
"What are you talking about?" Lucia returned still marred by what she had just experienced.
"You've been gone over a week, your Majesty," Lucy informed her, "We've been searching everywhere. We feared you were dead," she added gravely.
