t.i.t felt as if time were mocking me, purposefully dragging by as fear and antic.i.p.ation wracked my boggled, tired mind as the trial approached us.

tEventually, however, we were pulled from our cell and dragged to the throne room in chains, and forced to sit before a crowded room and the king.

tKing Emron's face was difficult to read. He looked conflicted, and you could see how unprepared he was to deal with this matter.

tThe room was filled with whispers and murmurs of hatred, and several even shouted their obscene opinions at us from their places in the crowd.

tThe king finally held up his hand and the room settled.

tMy eyes searched the room. I could see my clan, as well as the h.e.l.lebore clan. I could see the leaders and elders of all of the other clans, also. Drakul and his clan were present, as were Vintice and his family.... Grimoir missing, of course, due to his death during the war.

tMy eyes, however, could not spot the one person who I wanted to see the most to support me.

tI couldn't see Dragon anywhere.

tThe king stood slowly, sighing heavily before he spoke. "It is with a very heavy heart that I convene this trial. I have obtained great respect for Kysael of the Huntsmen Clan. She has earned it after her years of hard work and service to our great nation, her loyalty. She is strong and a valuable a.s.set to our city. But all of these things do not change nor excuse her crimes. She is charged with keeping a pregnancy secret, keeping her child secret, keeping the child's true ident.i.ty a secret, and harboring a child that is capable of murder.

t"All of these crimes are punishable....by execution. Not to mention the child herself, who has committed murder." He sighed before he continued. "Kysael of the Huntsmen clan, in regards to the charges brought forth against you, and your child, how do you plead?"

tI stood from my knees. "As much as I truly wish that I could plead innocence.... I plead guilty. I did not willingly conceive this child, and I knew the consequences for the both of us if she were to be discovered. But the charges are true, your highness."

tHe nodded, turning his attention to my child. "Dark child, you have been charged with the murder of Zakarin of the h.e.l.lebore clan. How do you plead?"

tShe met my gaze for a moment before turning her full, blood red gaze upon the king. "Guilty."

tThe room erupted into vile accusations and whispers as the king stroked his chin, his gaze not wavering from my own.

t"In accordance with the laws set forth by the very first Nae king and Royal Council, I hereby sentence Kysael of the Huntsmen clan, and her child....to death. Their execution shall commence in the town square now."

tShock ran through my system. No one is going to save us. Kirinae...Mafrien had been wrong. There was no way out.

tWe were pulled away, drug to the town square to be executed. I began to fight, to struggle against the hold of my captor, but even as I began to wriggle out of his grasp, another man came and took hold of my legs, and the other readjusted his hold on my upper body.

tI thrashed, vile sounding cries of angst and fear ripping from my throat.

tHorrid accusations and cries came ringing in my ears by the townsfolk as we were drug out to the square, and I could feel some of them throwing things at me...at us.

tI could feel my face wrenching into a snarl of angry terror, desperate for someone to remember how much I had done for this city, to save me and my child. Wanting someone to remember all of my good deeds.

tAnger that everything that I had done for them, was going unnoticed. All of my hard work, wasted on these putrid beings who had no compa.s.sion. I suddenly understood Dragon a lot more, now.

tI could hear my mother-in-law's wails, the agonized cries of my friends, my close family. I numbly felt my body being forced to my knees, and I glanced up to see the king sit in his wooden throne in front of the chopping block, his eyes pained as my shoulders were bent to hover over the block, and my eyes whirled around to see what would have been my last glance at life.

tMany expressions of anger, of happiness, of spite...and only a few of sorrow could be spotted.

tJust as the death bringer began to bring down the ax, I heard his voice.

t"Stop!"

tRelief flooded through my heart.

tDragon!

tDragon had come for me, as he always had. I felt another presence, around the area, that had the hairs on my arms and neck standing at attention.

t.i.t felt like an ominous force, dark in aura, foul and frightening.

tBut I focused on the only one that mattered to me in that moment.

tI whipped my head around to watch Dragon stride confidently into the square, coming to stand before me, between me and the king.

t"You cannot kill her, Emron."

t"Dragon of the Huntsmen clan, what is the meaning of this?" The king asked.

tDragon looked over his shoulder to look back and down at me, and then turned his attention back to the king.

t"Your Highness, I have brought with me someone who will not allow you to pa.s.s your sentence upon the accused."

tEmron blanched, and looked at him with shock. "You didn't..."

tDragon hung his head, shaking it softly. "I cannot watch another woman I care for die while I do nothing to stop it. You gave your judgement. And so, you left me with no other alternative."

tI heard the footsteps before I saw him. Each step he took echoed through the silent square, and I could just hear the rich quality of the boots he wore before he ever even came into view.

tFor a moment, I was afraid. In that instant, I thought that perhaps Mafrien had come afterall, especially from the frightened expression on the young king's face, and the frightening aura that I was feeling. I was even more afraid at the shocked and fearful gasps and whispers of the citizens who were present.

tFinally, I saw a black-cloaked figure step past us to stand between us and the king. Certainly not Mafrien, then, as the Royal Dahrahm, the royal Darkelves, wore only white.

t"My-my Lord!" Emron bowed slightly. "It is good to see you ag-"

tThe hooded, cloaked figure held up his gloved hand, stopping the king.

tOne of the richest, warmest, smoothest voices I had ever heard spoke, sounding like melted b.u.t.ter for my ears. It made s.h.i.+vers of fear run down my spine, and I began to shake.

tDragon looked over his shoulder to see me, feeling my fear through our bond, and gave me a rea.s.suring smile that was somehow sad in nature. I didn't know whether to be comforted or frightened.

t"You will drop the charges. Now!" The last word was a whip and the king winced as if he had been struck by the very word. I didn't know who this newcomer was, but his tone, full of dangerous authority, left no room for argument.

tI expected the king to refuse, but he bowed and frantically nodded, motioning for the guards to release us.

tThe leader of the h.e.l.lebore clan, Tarak, Kelose's father, stood. "This is an outrage! I demand justice for my child's murder!"

tIn the blink of an eye, the cloaked figure was holding him in the air by the throat. I was startled, having completely missed the movement with my naked eye. He was fast. So terrifyingly fast.

t"And the idea of my child being murdered over something so trivial is an outrage to me," he said.

t"Your....your child?" He choked out around the figure's hand over his throat.

tWith his free hand, the cloaked figure pulled off his hooded cloak and allowed it to fall to the floor at his feet.

tHe was tall. He had long, flowing black hair that was tied up high into three messy, loose braids. His hair was a clean, glossy, sleek black.

tHe wore a rich black tunic with a fancy overcoat over it, black pants shoved into high cla.s.s, black leather boots of the finest quality craftsmans.h.i.+p.

tThere were black gems sewn into the material of his coat, and he had gems interwoven in his hair and a spiked, black crown of the purest black onyx and blue sapphire sat upon the top of his head.

tWhen he turned to face me, heat rushed through my body.

tHis face was regal, royal, and ageless. He had no facial hair, but his expression was full of age and wisdom beyond anyone else present.

tHe had a handsome, angular heart-shaped face that was beautiful. His blue eyes radiated power, practically glowing.

tHis pale skin was a stark contrast against the royal blue, upside down crown shaped markings that seemed to glow on his handsome face.

tHe had deep-set eyes and high cheekbones underneath thick, black, curved eyebrows.

tHis facial structure was, essentially, the same as my own, only a bit more masculine.

tThis Wraith Lord was my father.

tHe approached me, and I s.h.i.+vered from the sheer power that his presence emitted.

t"As of now, you are Wraith Royalty, my child," he said to me. "That means that my lands are open to you and your child. Should you be banished from these lands, you are free to come and stay with me in Lykra. But the choice is yours."

tI smiled. So, this was our golden ticket out of the city. Mafrien had been right, afterall.

tThe king recaptured our attention. "From this point forward, Kysael of the Huntsmen clan and her child are no longer welcome in this city, and are henceforth banished. They have twenty-four hours to gather their belongings and say their goodbyes before leaving the city. This trial is dismissed."

tOutraged and furious shouts sounded all around the square, but the soldiers helped me up, and escorted me out of the courtyard, along with Dragon, Kirinae, and my father.

tI was still shocked that I was being banished.... that we had even been spared, despite Mafrien's promise.

tBut to be banished meant to never see my home again, everything that I had ever known. Leaving everything behind, leaving my family....

tI numbly went to my tree, loading my things from there that were left, and took the wagon to Dragon's cabin, loading my things from his home. I wasn't really paying much attention; I was moving mechanically. I couldn't feel anything.

tI pulled the horses by their reins, leading them the way to the gate to leave the city.

tDragon and the others met us at the gate, his bags packed and ready to go, and he lifted them up and into the wagon when I arrived.

tHis mother was there, as well, and gave me a quick hug. She handed me a brown sack. "This is several months' worth of concealant, dear, should you ever need it. If you run out, send Dragon back for some more."

t"Thank you." I looked at Dragon, then. "What about your patients? Your students? Are you sure that you want to leave?"

tHe smiled at me. "I will be coming back a couple of times a month to help out at the clinic. It's not exactly that far away. And I have left instructions for my a.s.sistants to let everyone know about a new clinic that I am opening on the edge of Lykra's borders, not too far from here. And if I need to, I can always travel to other cities, as well. My father is taking the Arching unit back up, under the same manner he used to run both units. Besides, I am your husband. I can't very well let you leave the city without me."

tHis parents hugged us both, and Drakul winked at me before they began their journey back home.

tWith final hugs and goodbyes, my family also began their trip back home.

tAnd we set out for our trip to Lykra.

t"How long will it take to get there?" I asked.

t"Oh, a few hours. Our borders lie just a little way outside of the Nae borders."

tI smiled. "Thank you for coming here."

tHe laughed. "I can't let my daughter die without ever even meeting her, now can I?" He smiled at me. "Besides, it isn't the first time you have caused us trouble. I had to personally dispatch a very inhospitable Ork a.s.sa.s.sin not too long ago, ranting about a silver haired Wraith. And then, one of my own came to me and insisted that he had seen a hybrid child and showed me her blood, insisting that she was mine and that he should get some sort of reward for finding you and not alerting my father.

tI had to end his life, as well, as he was causing quite a scene. I decided to come and see you for myself, but you should already know the rest. I cannot wait to get back home. You will get to see how royalty is welcomed back home," he smiled. "It is a grand celebration, even if a member of the royal family has only been gone a few hours."

t"They must love the royal family," Dragon said.

tHe laughed. "You should see how they welcome my father." He sighed. "I've been struggling to change the Wraiths and their culture of barbaric violence. There is a better way. Our culture is very.... archaic....war-affiliated. My father, King Ekabat, feels that our race is a great one and wants to push our violence to the far reaches of this world. I, however, do not approve of perpetuating all of this hate and warfare. My father's ideals are like that of a wildfire that threatens to consume everything in its path. My ideals are like the river, trying to flow peacefully along with everyone else."

t"That is very n.o.ble," Dragon said.

t"What will they think.... how will they treat us? My child and I?" I asked softly.

tHe glanced at me, hesitating before he answered. "To be honest, they will not be pleased. They are very.... strict, on policies of our people. Policies such as keeping the bloodlines clean. Several of our clans even inbreed, to protect the bloodlines. But I am the prince...and I mated with your mother twenty years ago. There is little that anyone could do about it now. Your daughter, however...is predominantly of the Dark Realm. They would sooner welcome her with open arms than to welcome you. She is closer to the Dark Realm, like they are."

t"I see," I responded.

t"In any case, not one of them would dare to harm a single hair on any of your heads. They would not risk facing my wrath. You have to understand why we are the Royal family, Kysael. The darker the markings, the more powerful the clan. Our clan markings are the darkest, and we are the most powerful physically. They have no choice but to accept what we desire. And more often than not, they do not disagree with the Royal family anyway. We are wired to try and maintain peace among the other clans. But in this case, they will just have to make an exception. No one will harm you."

tThat did bring some small amount of comfort to me.

tI moved to the wagon for a while, letting Dragon tie my elk to his moose to lead it on with us. I fell asleep for a little while, resting. When I awoke, I was disoriented, nauseated...where was I, again?

tI looked out the back of the wagon, and I looked around, seeing Dragon and Moserre....

tThat was right.... we were travelling, travelling to our new home in Lykra.

tWe finally reached the gates of his kingdom-just a small stone building with a small door, guarded by two Wraiths. I didn't know what exactly I had expected, but I was very underwhelmed by my first impressions. The Wraiths looked at one another for a moment, oddly. They bowed to us as we approached.

tOne guard opened the door. "Welcome home, Prince. Welcome, Prince's guests." The guard eyed me warily, but let us pa.s.s nonetheless.

tMoserre looked back at us. "Watch your step. We will be immediately stepping down into a flight of stairs. Just leave the wagon and mounts here, the guards will take care of all of that for you."

tWe nodded, and followed him inside. We stepped inside the small stone building that was really only the entrance to the tunnels.

tBlue lanterns with candles inside lined the walls to light our way, and my heartrate increased with antic.i.p.ation.

tI had always known about my Woodelf heritage...now, I would see firsthand how the Wraith people lived. It was a great opportunity that not many could tell tales of.

tMost who saw a Wraith didn't even live to tell anyone about it. I knew that I was being granted a rare honor.

tAs we continued further down the staircase, the sound of deep-toned, fast-paced drumming could be heard echoing through the tunnels, and then smooth, dark, eerie chanting in the always strangely familiar tongue that I could never understand.

t"It is tradition, when royalty returns to the kingdom, to chant the anthem and coronation song of the Wraith people. It has been done since the first Wraiths."

t"What are they saying?" I asked.

tHe paused. "So, you truly don't know the tongue."

t"How could I? I had no one to teach it to me."

t"For which I intend to make up for, if you will allow me to."

tI didn't answer, and he didn't push me for a response.

tAs we came to the end of the stairs, we came to another tunnel, and we followed him through it, getting closer to the strange, rhythmic chanting that made the hairs on my arms stand. It was eerie, but beautiful.

tFinally, we came to a large, underground cathedral with a stained-gla.s.s ceiling that let in the moonlight from outside, and many lanterns displaced around the room. Everything was blue. I was much more impressed with the inside of the city than I had been with the entrance, and I was relieved. I had grown up in such an extravagantly beautiful city, I was hoping that Lykra would not be a disappointment. And then my attention came to the room's occupants.

tWe were surrounded by a crowd of Wraiths. Most of them wore raggedy, black clothing, guards wore black plated steel armors decorated with sapphires. Despite anyone's clothing, all of them were beautiful, elegant, and they had an air about them that felt...high born, almost. Even the ones in the poorest of clothing stood more proudly than anyone I'd ever seen.

tMany men kept their chests bare, only wearing black cloth pants and black boots. The women wore varying types of skirts, tops, dresses, and black slippers, heels, or boots. Many people even had bare feet, not bothering with footwear at all.

tAll of their hair was black, of course. And all of their skin was deathly pale. All of their eyes were blue. And all of their markings were different shades of blue, different shapes. They were all.... stunning. The women were beautiful, the men were handsome. Even the children were absurdly attractive. There was no need for any of the Wraiths to wear makeup, ever.

tThe chanting and drumming finally stopped, and everyone got on their knees before Moserre...before my father.

t"Moserre," I was startled by a deathly serious, firm, quiet voice to my far left, and my head whirled around to see a very imposing figure indeed. He was sitting upon a throne made of the bluest sapphire stone, with onyx stones imbedded intricately into it.

tThe man had his long hair up in a high pony-tail, which then proceeded to fall in five different braids down his bare shoulders.

tHe had piercing blue eyes, the whites of his eyes not white but black, the blue of the irises bright, with dark, purple rings on the outside of the irises, and silver just around his slitted pupil....his eyes were so piercing that I felt that they would slaughter me if looks could kill.

tHis aura was far fouler and more ominous than Moserre's, and he was much more frightening.

tThe only thing that comforted me was my father standing between us, as if to s.h.i.+eld us.

tMy heart, though, still beat rapidly inside of my chest, quaking with fear.

tI saw this man's markings, finally.... his markings....

tThey were the same upside-down crown shape as I had, but even more. He had the pieces of the marking that went over the eyes come down past his jaw line, continuing on down to begin yet another of the same marking further onto his chest, they went down into his trousers, even.

tThat larger version of the marking proceeded to branch off into the other markings of the different clans, covering all of his chest and arms.

t"Father," Moserre bowed to him. I startled. So, this was the king....my grandfather. I could hardly see the resemblance between Moserre and this ancient creature, though.

t"Who are these people with you, my son?"

t"Great Nae healer and heir to the Huntsmen clan, Dragon of Havengrove city. The child is Kirinae, the future Queen of Barrenwilds city."

t"And this girl with our clan marking? And tell me, why does this future queen of Barrenwilds also bare our marking in scarlet? What is going on here?" His tone was offended. I could already see that this wouldn't go over well, and my heart beat faster.

t"She is...." He glanced at me. "The child is her daughter.... the daughter of both my daughter and Prince Mafrien of Barrenwilds."

tIn a split instant, the Wraith King was in front of us and had back handed Moserre. Moserre held his busted cheek, not phased.

t"How dare you defile the royal bloodline with Woodelf filth!?"

t"It was twenty years ago, father. I was young, ignorant. And I had no idea that a child had been conceived. But this girl deserves your respect. She single-handedly killed twelve Darkelves when Havengrove was attacked back in December."

tThe king looked shocked, and many surprised murmurs echoed around us. The people around us s.h.i.+fted around uncomfortably, whispers flying through the air. Even the Wraiths had a hard time with Darkelves.

tEkabat looked at me, one eyebrow raised as his eyes ran from my feet to my face, examining me. His eyes were calculating, and as his cold gaze ran over me, I felt as if he were looking into my soul and measuring my power all at once.

tThen, his eyes studied my child, who looked at him with fascination.

tFinally, his attention turned back to Moserre.

t"You already have an heir to the throne, Moserre. This girl is to never succeed your command of our people."

t"I understand, father," Moserre bowed deeply. "She had no intention of succeeding me, in any case."

tEkabat nodded. I couldn't read his expression, his face not giving anything away. "I suppose what's done is done. Get this hybrid and her hybrid child out of my sight. I will deal with you later."

tMoserre nodded, and led us quickly out of the room, down another tunnel.

tNothing was said as he led us down a series of tunnels, leading us to our chambers.

tWe finally reached a room on the right side of the third tunnel. He stopped and sighed before opening the door.

t"We're unwelcome here.... aren't we?" Kirinae asked. Moserre smiled at her.

t"For now, young one. Fear not. Soon, you will be welcomed with open arms. It will just take a little time." He turned his attention to the room. "This will serve as your chambers until we can find separate rooms for you. Everything you need should be in there for now. A chambermaid will be by later. If you are hungry, come to find me and we will go hunting. If you need anything at all, I am at the end of this tunnel to the right of this door, and I insist that you let me know immediately. Good night."

tWhen he was gone, I looked around the room. It was s.p.a.cious, with two beds and a door in the corner that must lead to the toilet room.

tAnother door, which may lead to a closet to store our things inside. All of our luggage was somehow already on our beds.... when had they....?

tKirinae got settled in her bed, tired from our long journey. Tuckered out, she fell asleep quickly.

t"I suppose that we should get some sleep," I said softly, going to unpack some clothes. I looked at Dragon, who was unpacking some things of his own.

tI looked at him. "We've had a long journey. I can't believe you came with me." I laughed. "Why would you?"

t"I already told you," he smiled.

t"I mean the real reason. You could have annulled our marriage and stayed. Considering the situation and the circ.u.mstances, Havengrove's rules no longer apply to me. You could have stayed there and found someone else, and you could have simply kept in touch with me if you had desired. So, what is the real reason that you didn't? I'm sure that it had to have crossed your mind."

tHe laughed. "So, you see through me, do you?" He chuckled. He set down what he was doing and came to take my hands in his. "Do you still not understand, even now?"

tI met his eyes, lavender and warm and burning with meaning.

t"Kysael...." He whispered. He hugged me; his mouth close to my ear. "Why else do you think that I would travel into a Wraith city for you, leaving my home? You silly girl."

tI kissed his cheek. "I thought it was only because you serve me through the Blood Bond, or because you're obligated since I'm your wife. But even that couldn't make sense to me." I said softly.

tHe met my eyes. "Perhaps it is because I love you."

tMy body felt hot, with icy cold knives spearing my heart. My heart beat sped up in my chest. "You....love me like family...?"

tHe smiled, his eyes meeting mine, like melting lavender, swimming with feeling. "That is not the type of love to which I am referring." He took my face in his hands. "I love you, as a man would love a woman...."

tI fell, my bottom plopping onto the bed. He laughed softly, and got on his knees in front of me. He wiped away my happy tears, tears that were falling freely down my shocked face.

t"You....love me?" I asked. "I thought that....I thought that you wouldn't allow yourself to love me that way, I thought that...that love couldn't exist, because we were too close...I thought that you only desire to serve me, because of the Blood Bond....that we couldn't ever be, because of my mating mark."

tHe looked at me seriously. "I had started to see it the night that we legitimized our marriage, furthermore when you were captured and I knew it wasn't just the Blood Bond that called for me to save you. That, and also...someone of great knowledge helped me to realize and accept my feelings. And....I know, Kysael, that you have a mating mark. But....I intend to find a way to break it. No matter the cost, I will free you."

tTears continued to run down my face, and I hugged him. I pulled him close, latching in to his neck, slicing a line for him to feed from mine. It was hot and full of pa.s.sion.

tWhen we had finished, he pulled away, and the strange silver glint that always filled my eyes with my thirst filled his, making the lavender color s.h.i.+ne oddly.

t"Each time that you allow me to drink from you, your blood tastes sweeter to me."

tI smiled. "Your blood is sweet to me, also. His blood.... Kelose's blood, was always so salty and tasted like meat.... but your blood, Dragon, tastes like salty chocolate to me. It is very...odd. But I can't imagine any taste better."

tHe kissed my hand, stood, and bowed to me. "Goodnight, princess."

tI scoffed. "Goodnight, n.o.ble healer."

tAs I drifted into slumber, I couldn't help thinking that somehow, sleeping during the daylight hours felt...right, somehow. It made sense, though. I was, afterall, half Wraith. And they slept during the daylight hours to be awake at night.

tI awoke to the sound of light knocking on the door. I slipped on a robe over my nightgown, and went to answer the door before the knock could wake Dragon and I was shocked, finding King Ekabat there.

tHe said nothing and simply motioned for me to follow him. Hesitantly, I followed him out of the room and through the tunnels.

tWe went around several turns, and then went down a staircase and into the third door on the left of that tunnel.

tThere were all types of flasks, test tubes, papers, vials of unknown contents, and much more. There were two other Wraiths present. Fear spiked through me, and I could only imagine what he had in store for me. Did he intend to use me as a test subject? To do awful experimentations upon me?

t"This is where my knowledge holders do all of their testing and experimentations," the king told me.

t"So, you intend to have them use me as a test subject?" I asked, appalled.

t"You are almost right. We will be performing a test, of sorts. You have no need to worry, no harm will come to you. I just need to confirm something." He yanked me by the arm to lay on the bed, strapping me down. My body fought, but he covered my body with his. As his body covered my own, using his body to keep me held down while he chained me up, images of Prince Mafrien flashed through my mind, and sharp fear ran through me as he sunk his teeth into my wrist. His eyes studied my own, his hand squeezing mine. He seemed to sense the change in my body. I wondered, with his deep, soul-reading eyes, if he knew what I was thinking of, what had happened to me...

tHis eyes glinted with gold, and I watched as they widened sharply as he inhaled a gasp and he ripped his body away from me.

t"Oh, you are Moserre's child, alright. There is no mistake. You carry his blood in your veins." He glanced at my eyes. "Your eyes are an unusual color for your thirst. Your eyes glint silver, when they should glint black or green, since you are of lesser blood."

t"I don't understand," I said softly.

tThe other Wraiths whispered nervously, stirring restlessly. I was quite obviously an anomaly.

tThe king sighed. "I hate explaining myself, so listen well, girl. In Wraith culture, there are four colors that one's eyes can glint when they thirst. They let others know the purity of their bloodlines. There is green, the lowest. Then there is black, a midgrade clan's eye glint color. Then there is gold, which is a higher level. And then, the highest level of purity is silver for our people. Even Wraith clans with full Wraith blood don't have silver, it is the rarest eye glint color.

tOnly bloodlines that have been strictly inbred have that color. Even I, the king, am not from a strict inbreeding-only clan. Moserre's mother, however, was...before she broke the inbreeding chain by being with me, that is. But it still doesn't make sense. You have a Woodelf mother. Your eyes should glint green, or at the highest, black."

t"So... you're saying that I have all inbreeding, pure Wraith blood...?"

t"Yes....but that isn't physically possible. You are my son's child...and you are only a half breed! It makes no sense!" He shouted. He looked at me with pure, unadulterated hatred. "I do not ever want to see your face again, girl. You are an abomination!" He shouted as he slammed the door behind him, leaving.

tTears filled my eyes as the other two unchained me, mumbling out barely coherent apologies.

tI had to get out of here. Even Ekabat, my own grandfather, refused to accept me. He couldn't even look at me.

tI didn't know where I would go. I didn't know how I would get there. I didn't know how I would survive. But I had to get out of here.

tI had to get away from this place.

tWhen I returned to the room, Dragon and Kirinae were both still sleeping. So, I went and packed a small backpack of things I would need, and I decided to go and talk to Moserre...my father.

tI knew that what I was going to do was wrong...and that it was unfair to Kirinae....and to Dragon.

tBut I had to look inward for a while. I needed some time to accept the way that things were changing. And it was all changing too quickly for me to keep up.

tI could only hope that my husband and my child would forgive me.