Note: Look at this! It's a collaboration! Yes, folks, this lovely story was written by me and fellow AQ member (yeah, the Queen) Cyan. We hope you enjoy it. One tiny disclaimer. The lyrics to "Setsunakute" are from Magic Knight Rayearth. And that's it. Read on... ^_^

Clear blue skies...that was how it always was in the Kingdom of Orelia. The sun spread its warmth over the city that surrounded the large castle. The Kingdom had been a prosperous, peaceful place to live until recently. That was because the kingdom of Sutsuma had been attacking. The King of Orelia, Keith was very concerned for his kingdom. A handsome man, Keith had very dark brown hair and icy blue eyes. He was a fair and just ruler. His main concern was for his people. Now he paced around the throne room of the Castle.

"My kingdom... the kingdom that my dear father bestowed on me. I must protect it with every ounce of magic that I possess. However, I feel as if I can't do this by myself." He thought for a moment. "Ah! I know what I will do. I will use my powers of telepathy and send a signal through all of the realms. Someone is bound to answer my call for help."

Keith quickly walked to his communication room, a special place where he could use his powers of telepathy to contact anyone he wished. The King got down on his knees and clasped his hands together. "Please help us. Help us save the Kingdom of Orelia before it falls into the hands of evil..."

Not far away from Orelia, rain was falling. This was the Kingdom of Sutsuma. Far atop the highest tower of the castle stood a man. He was a tall, very muscular man. His long blonde hair whipped in the wind as his blue eyes looked off into the distance. This man was the ruler of Sutsuma, King Jariah. Right now his whole kingdom was focused on only one thing: capturing the Kingdom of Orelia. They had battled endlessly in the last few years, and Jariah was certain that he would be able to take complete control of Orelia very soon. Jariah closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He did not hate Keith, but he was also convinced that Keith was not the best ruler for these lands. He was far too weak and the people of both kingdoms would profit from Jariah's strengths far more than they ever would Keiths'. What was that? A signal? Jariah concentrated his mind and sought out the answer. Yes, it was a signal. He opened his eyes and an uneasy grin spread across his lips.

"So, Keith, you've finally resorted to your powers of telepathy..... Who is it that you expect to come to your aid?" Jariah shook his head. "It won't matter. Whoever is fool enough to answer your call and interfere in our business will be defeated as well. The lands deserve one King, and I am that King." He laughed casually, confident that the days of peace were not far off. The ruler of Sutsuma would absorb Orelia and soon be the most powerful and profitable Kingdom in the lands.

*******

Cyan sat down slowly, massaging the back of her neck as she put her feet up on a nearby chair. It had already been a long night and she suspected that the day ahead would only hold more of the same. She motioned politely to Corde for a refill on her coffee as soon as the Java Hut Mistress had the chance and then leaned back thoughtfully in her seat.

The Queen hadn't been sleeping when she "sensed" the call for help from the parallel realm, but she had been hoping that things would be quiet long enough for her to get her own Island back to normal. Saran was still gone and the Queen constantly found herself immersed more and more with the Olympian gods in her attempts to straighten the whole mess out. So immersed in fact, that Cyan hadn't even thought of telling Olympia exactly who she was and what blood coursed through her veins; at least not yet.

Cyan nodded and thanked Corde for the coffee as she wrapped her hands around the now steaming mug.

The door to the Java Hut swung open and Cyan watched as Rae made her way to the counter. She ordered something from Corde and then turned around and looked over at the Queen. Cyan smiled and motioned for the warrior to join her. Rae sat down across form the Queen as Corde brought over a java-malt.

"How are you doing Rae?"

Rae shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "Fine."

Cyan chuckled. "Right. Thought so."

Neither warrior spoke, each already knowing the real answer. Cyan had watched closely while Rae had become more and more distant from the others both before and after the fiasco with Loa. The Queen hated to admit it, but she had been very worried as to whether Rae would return to the Island at all after seeing her father. Cyan had breathed a quiet and undisclosed sigh of relief when her warrior had indeed returned.

The Queen smiled sympathetically. "Times have been a little rough on all of us lately, but for you especially Rae."

Rae nodded and shrugged again. "I'm doing all right."

Cyan arched a skeptical brow.

"Okay," Rae finally relented. "But, much better than I was."

Cyan nodded her acceptance of the warrior's honesty and then leaned forward in her chair. "You think you're up to leading a Realm Travel with me then?"

Rae's eyes widened. Both she and the Queen knew that this was exactly what she felt she needed. "Of course! Where are we going?"

The Queen quickly described the "sense of urgency" she had felt the night before in the Palace. She took out several scrolls of notes and laid them on the table in front of Rae. Cyan motioned for Corde to keep the coffee coming as she explained all she had researched about the Kingdoms of Sutsuma and Orelia.......

*******

Rae and two younger Amazons stood at the Portal gate waiting for the Queen. Cyan had told Rae that she wanted to take two of the less experienced Amazons with them for training purposes. Hopefully this mission would go as smoothly as the Queen and she had laid out over the course of several hours of planning. If not, all it would take would be one unforeseen element to changed this "training mission" into a real problem. She glanced discreetly at the two younger Amazons and inwardly rolled her eyes. They were already shifting nervously from one foot to the other, while white knuckles clutched their travel bags. Rae silently prayed that one-on-one training was going to be enough for these two.

Cyan walked into the cave and nodded at Rae and the other two warriors. "Ready to go?"

Rae grabbed her bag and gently nudged the two younger warriors toward the opening portal. A swirl of colors, eventually remaining a shimmering blue, stood before them. Rae looked over at the Queen and grimaced. Cyan smiled and threw a thumb in the direction of the novices and then the portal. Rae nodded and with one swift motion she knocked the two mesmerized warriors into the gate.

The world dissolved around them and suddenly began to re-take shape. Both Cyan and Rae grabbed the arms of the still mesmerized youth and yanked them to the ground. A castle could now be seen in the near distance and several guards lined the walls and towers. A legion of white horses was slowly making its way through the gates and to the main entrance of the largest building.

All four Amazons watched intently, absorbing all the detail they could see. The weapons were slightly more advanced than that of Ancient Greece, but it was obvious that swords were still the preferred weapon of choice. Cyan chuckled quietly to herself, realizing instantly how much bigger their sword blades would be than any of the others. That might become a problem in the future if they couldn't explain the difference. She'd have to ask Rae her thoughts on that one.

Suddenly the leader of the group dismounted from his horse and walked towards the castle steps. He paused briefly and spoke to a man on his left. Cyan watched the man intently, a blatant mixture of both arrogance and power. His long blonde hair seemed to flow endlessly down his robes, and his sword laid both naturally and dangerously by his side. The Queen was surprised to find herself thinking of Ares when she watched the man and realized quickly that the two men seemed to have quite a bit in common.

"Hopefully not too much..." she muttered quietly to herself.

"My Queen..." Rae nudged Cyan in the arm and motioned toward the other two waiting Amazons.

It was obvious that the time for "observing" had come and gone while the Queen had been lost deep in thought over the handsome leader of the Sutsuma Kingdom. Jariah himself had proven nothing like the picture Cyan had conjured in their hours of planning. He seemed confident and strong, not at all like a man who would invoke fear like the kind she had sensed the night before. Perhaps she had been wrong about Jariah and the man calling out for help was nothing more than a Ruler who knew he didn't posses the skills to run a Kingdom? The Queen smiled as she stared at the castle steps where Jariah had stood only moments ago. Her tongue passed over her lips absently. It had been a long time since she had......

"My Queen - are you coming?" Rae's voice of urgency shook Cyan back into focus.

The Queen quickly jumped up and motioned for the younger two Amazons to follow her lead. Rae took one last look at the Castle below and shook her head nervously. She took after the Queen, mumbling quietly to herself. "Great! I think we just stumbled, no I take that back, fell head over heels, across our first obstacle."

Rae rolled her eyes as she and the younger Amazons, Kiara and Alli, followed
Cyan. That man was Jariah, King of Sutsuma. Rae sighed. Something just felt
wrong. "Queen?" she asked.

Cyan stopped and turned to Rae. "What is it?"

"Oh it's just a small question."

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"Sutsuma, why?"

Rae walked up to Cyan and whispered in her ear, "We need to go to Orelia. That signal was coming from Orelia, not Sutsuma."

Cyan sighed, she knew Rae was right, but had really wanted a chance to talk with Jariah. "Okay, Orelia first." She turned to the younger Amazons and motioned them to follow. As Rae walked, a sudden thought struck her. Teflic! I didn't tell him that I was leaving! I hope he doesn't worry!

The Amazons walked for at least a mile. The younger ones were a bit out of breath by the time they got to Orelia. Rae smiled at them. "Kiara? Alli? Are you guys all right?"

Kiara smiled. "Yes. It was just a really long walk."

Rae laughed. "I suppose you aren't used to that kind of walk yet. Don't worry though, you guys will do fine."

Alli looked a bit nervous. "It's our first time to realm travel. Actually, this is our first mission in general and we certainly never guessed we'd be going with the Queen."

"Hey you guys, Cyan's not scary or anything. You'll get used to traveling with her. It's not a big deal."

The three looked at Cyan. She was walking a few feet ahead of them, deep in thought. "She's been a bit spaced out since we got here." Rae told the other Amazons. "I'm not sure exactly what it is though. Just keep an eye out for her." Kiara and Alli nodded seriously. Rae went to catch up with Cyan.

Kiara looked at Alli. "Aren't they both just amazing?"

"Yes. Rae taught me at the Academy. I never really got to know her though."

"Well remember what happened?"

"With her friend Loa? Yeah I do. And I know that she's changed since then." Kiara nodded. "Then she left just recently. The Queen was worried that she wouldn't return."

"But why wouldn't she come back?"

"I don't know. But she returned dressed like that..." Kiara pointed to Rae. Rae had been wearing her soldier/ambassador clothing ever since she had returned home.

"Do you think," said Alli, "That if we'd ask the Queen she would know?"

"She might. We should ask her later."

"I agree." Then the two ran to catch up with Rae and Cyan.

The four Amazons finally made it to the castle of Orelia. Guards were everywhere. One of them blocked the group. "What is your business here?" he asked in an official tone.

"My name is Cyan. We received a "call" from this kingdom and are here to help."

Kiara and Alli were awestruck by the cool manner of their Queen. Rae had one hand on her sword. If anything were to happen, she would be ready. She wouldn't let anybody else get hurt. Rae didn't want to have regrets anymore. But the guard knew about the distress call.

"Thank you for answering. If you all would follow me, I'll take you to our King, Keith."

"King Keith," Rae muttered, and laughed to herself. "That has a bit of a ring to it...it's almost funny."

They walked through the grand halls of the castle. Kiara and Alli were trying to look mature and calm, though they were really very excited. Rae didn't feel anything. The castle in Rough Cove was just as grand. Castles were nothing new to her. Finally the guard stopped them in front of a door.

"His Highness should be in here. If you would please wait for a moment, I will see if he is accepting visitors."

Cyan nodded. When the guard went inside, Kiara and Alli broke into big grins. "This is so cool!" said Kiara.

"Yeah! Everything's so big and beautiful!" added Alli.

They kept chattering amongst themselves, while Cyan looked over at Rae. Rae gave her a small smile and then looked away. The guard stepped out of the room. He gestured toward the door. "King Keith will see you now..."

The four Amazons were ushered into a large room, where the door closed quietly behind them. A figure rose from the throne directly in front of them and made his way down the steps.

Rae and the two younger Amazons bowed slightly, respecting the title that he held. He nodded his recognition graciously and stopped only a few feet from the Queen.

"I am King Keith, Ruler of Orelia. I wish to thank you for coming so quickly, but am both curious and intrigued as to exactly who you are. I can tell by your manner of dress that you are not from any local Kingdoms that I myself know, yet you seem familiar with our lands and customs somehow."

Cyan smiled. "We have traveled a great distance to help you Sir and as such, I can assure you that our Kingdom is unfamiliar to you. But like you, we seek to help those around us, and would like to offer our services."

The King clasped both hands behind his back and looked at the warriors curiously. "It is hard for me to believe that greater powers are not at work here Cyan. For instance, how is it that a Kingdom so far from my own could not only here my message for help, but travel such a long way in so short a time?"

Rae chuckled. She liked the King and as much as the Queen might prefer the Ruler of Sutsuma, she knew Cyan would like him too. He seemed kind, intelligent and genuinely honest; three things not found in many bad guys. She was sure that their research had been right and that King Keith would prove to be the best ruler for this part of the Realm, now they just needed to convince Jariah of that..... and maybe the Queen.

Cyan spent the greater portion of an hour carefully weaving a story of who they were and where they were from, without having revealed too much. Rae was sure that Keith had begun to piece together the Queen's stature, but Cyan had been very careful not to refer to herself as Queen. Rae had discreetly motioned and communicated with the two younger Amazons, making sure they were paying attention to all the crucial foundations that were being laid.

By the end of their meeting, Keith had accepted them as allies and trustworthy. He was slightly suspicious as to their true extent of powers and skills, but both Rae and Cyan doubted that they went nearly as deep as they should have. For now, they were not Amazons, but more soldiers of fortune, perhaps one day hoping to settle in the Kingdom of Orelia. That being said, they wished only to help the Kingdom's Ruler establish peace.

Cyan's face continued to change as Keith revealed more and more about the two Kingdoms and the charismatic leader of Sutsuma. She paced slowly about the room, listening and reflecting all the while King Keith spoke. She was not positive that Jariah was the wrong choice to lead this realm. Perhaps this realm needed two rulers. Cyan shook her head, she knew that would never work. From what Keith had told her, Jariah was not an evil or bad ruler, just not a ruler that thought like Keith. Where Keith saw chaos, Jariah saw potential. Where Keith saw mercy, Jariah saw justice.... The list went on and on. Was one of them truly a bad leader? Or were they just so different, that neither saw the usefulness of the other. Perhaps Cyan could get them to work together?

The Queen motioned discreetly for her three warriors to rise. She thanked the King for his time and quickly explained that she wished to do some investigating of her own.

Keith offered a regiment of guards to protect them as they went, but Cyan declined politely. The door shut to the throne room and the Queen led them back outside. The two younger Amazons were chattering nervously about all that had transpired inside the King's palace until Cyan finally motioned for their silence.

The four continued on, the two younger ones lagging behind. Cyan slowed her pace a bit as they got beyond the Palace gates and Rae took her cue to catch up.

"Well, what did you think?" Rae asked casually.

"I think there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. I'm not sure if Jariah is really the bad guy in all of this Rae. Then again, I'm not convinced he's the good guy either."

Rae remained silent. She was already convinced that the Queen was a bit taken with Jariah and might not be seeing things clearly.....

Cyan on the other hand, was seeing things very clearly. Rae had lived long enough to see many things, but there was a long history behind the Amazon Queen she still didn't know. Cyan's experience with emotions ran dangerously deep, including the ones she shared with intriguing male leaders. The Olympian gods and other Realm entities had done their job well and shaped Cyan into exactly the warrior they had feared she would become. When and if the time came, she would easily make the decision that had to be made - no matter how much pleasure she may derive along the way.

The Queen continued to walk along the path that led out of the Kingdom of Orelia towards Sutsuma. She looked briefly towards the horizon, then spoke. "If Keith is to be the true leader of this land, than so be it; but none of us are going to make that decision until we learn everything we can."

Rae was a bit surprised at Cyan's comment, almost as if the Queen had known her doubts. Maybe she had. Rae nodded her approval to the plan and then asked the next thing on her mind.

"And if it is Keith and Jariah doesn't agree with our decision?"

The Amazon Queen shrugged. "Then I kill him."

Cyan walked on ahead, leaving Rae to her thoughts. She had been convinced that the Queen would be greatly influenced by Jariah and potentially lose sight of their mission. Now the only thing Rae knew for sure was that she had never really known her Queen as well as she thought she had. Perhaps this mission would be a chance for both of them to learn something new......

Alli and Kiara were still nervous, Rae could tell. That was natural though. Alli and Kiara were only a few years younger than Rae. Rae had been an exception to all of the rules. The death of her mother made her grow up faster then she had thought. She knew that she had to fend for herself, even if she had help. The fights with Loa also made Rae mature in her skills. Then there was the whole story of her past. Rae would never admit it, but life was very difficult for her. However, she didn't want other people to be upset for her. She wanted no pity. Now all that Rae wanted was for her friends and remaining family to live a happy life.

"No regrets. I'll fight for what I believe in because when I die I don't want to have any regrets..." she repeated over and over to herself.

"Rae are you talking to yourself?" asked Cyan.

Rae shrugged. "Yeah I guess so. I'm sorry for losing concentration."

Cyan was taken aback for a moment. "It's all right Rae. I just wanted to know if something was bothering you."

"Nope."

Cyan didn't ask any further. Now that she thought about it though, she didn't know much about the young warrior. Rae... had grown up on the island. Cyan remembered clearly the night when she came to Rae's mother, Jade. Rae was literally a newborn child then. Cyan had offered refuge for Jade, and she had accepted. Rae had grown up as any Amazon would. She took classes at the academy and trained as well, but Cyan had clearly seen that there was something about Rae early on. Was it the fact that she was way ahead in her classes? Or was it the fact that she was swift and skillful with her sword? Cyan had just felt something... but now she realized that she didn't know half of Rae's story. She didn't even know what had happened with Loa at the end, only that Rae had told them all that Loa had died.

"So Rae, what do you think Jariah will be like?" asked Cyan.

Rae shrugged again. "No idea. I'd think that he's a powerful ruler definitely. There's something about him that bothers me though..."

"Oh?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. I'm not too quick on trusting people these days. Maybe it's me."

They were silent again. Not trusting... Cyan pondered. What had happened to Rae when she had disappeared for those days? She left looking like a normal Amazon... and returned looking like a soldier. Something must have happened. But now was not the time to ask. Suddenly Rae stopped.

"We're surrounded." Rae said casually.

Cyan nodded and called for the younger Amazons to come over to her. She had suspected this might happen.

Rae drew her sword. "I'll go."

"No wait," Cyan said, but it was too late; Rae was already running off.

"I just don't want regrets." Rae called back over her shoulder.

"No regrets?" repeated Cyan. "What in the hell is she talking about?" The other two Amazons remained silent and just stared after Rae.

Rae hadn't gone far when a bunch of men jumped out at her. "All right!" she called. "I don't want a fight! My friends and I come to you in peace."

One of the men, the leader most likely, approached Rae. "Stop there, spy!"

"Spy? You've got to be kidding!"

"You heard me. Come no further or we'll take care of you on orders of King Jariah."

"King Jariah! I knew it!"

Rae heard Cyan shout something from behind her.

"Get them!" yelled the man.

A huge fight broke out, but Cyan had been prepared. Kiara and Alli, though nervous, battled bravely and closely to their Queen. Rae slashed through a few of the men without a second thought. Cyan was surrounded, but Rae knew that Cyan could handle it; after all, she was the Queen. Still, gut instinct took over and Rae sprang for the group of soldiers. She fought blindly, though Cyan was shouting something at her. Rae couldn't hear her... and didn't stop to listen. No regrets... Then Rae felt a blade cutting into her arm. One had gotten her. She swung her sword swiftly and felt it meet flesh at the other side. Then suddenly she was flying. Rae smacked down on the hard ground. She felt her head bang...hard, and was totally stunned. She could hear Cyan, Kiara, and Alli finishing off the rest of the men. Then a shadow fell over her. Rae looked up slowly, her vision clearing. Tall... blonde hair. Piercing blue eyes met her own. Rae's eyes widened.

Jariah... "Cy...Cyan!" Rae called, her voice a bit hoarse. She looked back up... Jariah was kneeling down next to her, his face looked a bit concerned... and yet a bit amused. Rae blinked. And then she saw nothing but black...

The Queen sat silently in a chair alongside the bed King Jariah had arranged for Rae. The Palace physician had looked at the young warrior, but Cyan had already known she was just unconscious and not seriously wounded; at least not physically.

Cyan rose slowly from her chair and walked towards one of the open windows. It looked out on a small courtyard where the Queen was keeping a watchful eye on her two younger warriors.

What in the hell had Rae been thinking? She had been in such a blind state of "whatever" that she hadn't even heard the Queen calling for a stop to the fighting. Luckily Jariah had seen Cyan's attempts to fend off his men and not harm them, but Rae... Rae had been out for blood.

The Queen watched the younger warriors sit down to a table covered in food sent by Jariah. Cyan would have to talk to the King again soon, but for now she was more concerned about Rae. Jariah had believed the same story that Keith had taken on faith and the Queen knew they would be welcomed here for as long as they wished to stay. As a matter of fact, Cyan was quite sure she would be welcomed by Jariah in many ways.....

But Rae......

What had happened to her? What had she meant about no regrets? And why had she jumped ahead of the Queen's orders, insisting on doing everything by herself?

Cyan was more concerned than ever that too many things had happened with Loa for Rae to asses others as they truly were. It seemed now, that however the warrior perceived a person or a situation beforehand dictated her every action toward them. The earlier fight with Jariah had proven that clearly.

The Queen sighed and turned away from the window. She really couldn't blame Rae for being closed after all that had happened, but Cyan did wish there were a way to bring Rae out of her shell long enough to really get to know some of her other Amazons. There were a lot of good people on their Island and many who would like to hear Rae's story if she ever did want to share....

"My Queen?"

Cyan walked to Rae's bedside as the younger warrior slowly rubbed her head and sat up.

"It's okay Rae. You were knocked unconscious in the fight, but barring that pounding headache you must have, you're fine."

Rae smiled weakly. "Pounding headache is a slight understatement Cyan."

The Queen chuckled and removed a pouch from around her waist. She emptied some herbs into a nearby bowl and passed it to Rae. The younger warrior took a long sip as the Queen looked on.

Rae finally set the bowl down. "Thank the gods for Ashana's herbs...." An expression of relief slowly made it's way across Rae's face as she glanced down at her covered wound. "Thanks for dressing this Cyan."

The Queen nodded. "Rae, can I ask you something?"

Rae shrugged as she slowly began to get up. The Queen stopped her. "No, listen - it's important."

Rae stopped moving. "Okay." She was curious now. Very seldom was the Queen this serious or chatty. Usually Cyan was a bit removed emotionally, but always cool and in control. Something was obviously bothering her.

"Rae, do you want to be on the Island?"

Rae was now completely taken a back. "Of course...."

Cyan let the moment hang there a bit and then continued. "I'm glad to hear that, but I'm still worried."

"About what?"

Cyan sighed. "I've been a warrior all my life Rae, and let me tell ya - that's a long time right there....." Cyan smiled. "But I've seen a lot of things, including the strains both time and destiny can put on a person..... no matter who they are."

Rae remained silent........

The Queen continued. "I'm not sure what you expect to find on the Island Rae, to be honest, I'm not even sure I know who you think I am at this point, so I'm asking...... What do you want Rae? And how can I help?"

Rae shook her head. "There is nothing you can do. And even if you could... I wouldn't let you."

Cyan frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean? Listen to me, Rae. As your Queen, I feel that I have a right to know, but as your friend I want to know."

Rae jumped up, despite her condition. "You think it's your right? Well I don't! Don't you forget that I'm royalty too. I have just as much power as you have, just not over the Island."

Cyan was shocked. She knew that Rae was a Princess, yet never expected her to use her title in a fight, especially when that wasn't even what this was about. She took a deep breath. "I understand that. I just want to understand a few things."

Rae was shaking and breathing hard. Tears were forming in her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know about you."

"That's funny. I've grown up on the Island, so what is there that you don't know?"

Cyan sighed silently. Rae's sarcasm was not helping things to go smoothly. "I know that Rae, but in the past year or so, many things have happened to you. So many things in fact, that you've begun to stray away from us. Don't you see how withdrawn you've become?"

"I've got a lot on my mind."

"Why are you being so stubborn Rae? I'm only trying to help."

"I'm not."

"Then why did you jump into that fight? And what's this 'no regrets' stuff?"

Rae crossed her arms and looked out of the window. "I've fought my whole life to protect people, but I never had a purpose." She faced Cyan. "So I've made a vow. That vow is to protect the people that mean the most to me. That's why I jumped into the fight. I don't want to see any of the Amazons get hurt. That includes you. If something was to happen to you... or Alli or Kiara, it would be on my shoulders. Regrets... I'd be full of regrets. I don't want anybody to target any of you. It's hard to be a target for your whole life, and I don't want anybody to experience that. So if I die fighting for you and the Amazons... or for my father, then that is enough for me because I'll die knowing that I fought to the end. No regrets... do you understand me?"

"I think I'm understanding. But why is it that you feel this way? And who's a target?"

A tear slipped down Rae's cheek. "I am."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't ask... just don't. Just pray that you'll never be a target... Hope that you never have to keep a jump ahead of your enemy at all times..."

Cyan got up and walked swiftly to Rae. "Might it have something to do with this?" she asked, taking one of Rae's hands and turning it over. Rae stared at her scarred hand. The 'M' was still there... and it would be for the rest of her life.

Rae looked up at Cyan. "I don't think that's your business."

Cyan frowned. If there was anyone who understood what it was like to live their life as a target, it was the Queen. Everyone she had ever loved seemed to be ripped away from her right when they were the closest. Rae was travelling a very dangerous and lonely path right now, one that would never lead to anything but more unhappiness. She had to see that.

"Listen to me Rae, If something bad is going to happen, I'd like to think you would let me help you."

"Letting me live on the Island is help enough, believe me when I say this."

"No Rae, your behavior is all out of whack right now! There were times you disappeared when Loa was living on the Island and then you disappeared a few weeks ago. You were normal then, and suddenly you returned in a soldier's uniform? You've become cold and distant! I saw you slice through those soldiers... you felt nothing when you killed them, did you?"

Rae nodded silently.

"Well the Rae I used to know thought twice about killing."

"That Rae needed a vacation. If I didn't harden, then I'd be dead."

"I still don't understand."

"Don't worry about it."

"Am I interrupting something important here?" Came a voice from the door.

The two women turned to see King Jariah standing in the doorway.

Cyan sighed. "No, of course not. You're welcome to come in. After all, it is your Palace."

Rae felt her heart harden again. Jariah nodded to her. "It's good to see that you are well, Rae."

"Thank you for your hospitality." was all Rae said.

Cyan smiled at Jariah. "She really is grateful."

Rae shot a look at Cyan, which Jariah saw, but didn't let on to. Instead he smiled back at Cyan. "Cyan, I'd like you to come with me. We have much to discuss."

Cyan looked over at Rae. "Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine. Yell if you need me."

Cyan nodded, knowing that Rae wasn't kidding. Then she left with Jariah. Suddenly the Queen heard something... a male voice? "Cyan." it said. She gasped.

"Cyan, don't worry about Rae. She'll open up to you. I know she will..."

Rae sat on the windowsill of her room, staring out of the window. She trusted Cyan, but she was afraid. Rae did not want to open up just yet. She had been hurt too much. Memories flooded back to her. Loa... the dagger... her death. Iber Finely... four days in that dark room with broken ribs and no food. Rae shivered.

"Cold?" asked a familiar voice.

"What?" Rae asked and turned in disbelief. "Is it..." She looked at the doorway. Standing there was... "Teflic! What in the world are you doing here?"

He laughed. "You thought you'd get away without me knowing? I was worried."

Rae jumped up and ran into Teflic's open arms. "Thank you so much. I didn't want you to worry, but I'd never expect that you would find us."

"I have my ways." he said, holding up his scarred palm. "I told Cyan not to worry. You will tell her more... won't you?"

"Of course I will. I'm just scared."

"Rae, you can trust her. I know that she won't hurt you. Trust me on that. I'm your guardian, and I know when you're in danger."

Rae laughed. "I never thought that I was in danger."

Teflic shook his head. "Stubborn as always... Hey tell me something. What do you think of Jariah? There's something in your eyes that tells me that you aren't really warming up to him."

"I guess you know me too well. I'm getting bad vibes... but that's it."

"Well I'll always be here for you. Just say the word and I'm there."

Rae looked around cautiously. "But we can't let anybody know that you're here though..."

"Don't worry about that." Teflic became invisible. "I'll be right here by your side."

Rae smiled. "Thank you Teflic. I will tell her... when the time is right." Then Rae ran out of the room, in hopes of catching up to Cyan and Jariah.

*******

Cyan watched Kiara practice some of her battle moves near the edge of Jariah's courtyard. She had been watching for Alli to return, but as far as Cyan could tell, something more exciting must have detained her. The Queen had told both of them to keep their eyes open for anything that might give them some insight into both Jariah and his Kingdom.

Kiara glanced up and caught the Queen's eye. Startled, she quickly jumped back into a less warrior like stance and quickly walked away. Cyan smiled. Kids would be kids, but the Queen didn't want Jariah to learn too much about them, especially their fighting skills. The Queen smiled again. Olympia had done a good job.

Cyan had hoped that a day of looking around would have turned up more than what they had found. So far, everything about the Kingdom of Sutsuma appeared quite normal.............especially Jariah.............

The Queen slowly removed the arms that had wrapped themselves around her waist and turned from the window.

"I was wondering when you'd be back."

Jariah smiled. "Trust me, if I could have gotten out of there any quicker I would have." He pulled her close. "My second in command sees danger everywhere he looks and as a result, my safety lectures grow longer and longer by the day."

Cyan laughed. "I know just what ya mean."

Jariah pulled Cyan close and once again took up where he had left off. The King had made it very clear to Nistro that if he was bothered again, someone would have to die. Jariah had only been kidding of course, but the more he found himself swept up into this stranger; the more uncertain he was that he had been kidding.

He could feel his heart racing faster and faster, but was again surprised that hers had barely changed a beat. He had been startled the first time he had been close enough to hear her breathing, but his thoughts had begun to blur the more he had tried to concentrate and eventually he had dismissed it. There was something very dangerous about this woman and the more he saw and sampled, the less he cared.

******

Rae watched as Nistro listened quietly outside Jariah's bedroom. As a second in command, it most certainly was his job to protect his King's safety as it was hers to protect Cyan's, but it was not that which made Rae uneasy. It was the anger that was slowly spreading across Nistro's face and the pure hatred barely concealed below the surface.

There was no doubt in Rae's mind that Cyan was letting off some pent up energy at this point, but that was far from cause to stir such pure hatred within a trusted warrior to the King. So what was it?

Before Rae could answer, Nistro turned in her direction, cursing and mumbling beneath his breath. Rae pulled Alli back into a nearby doorway and both slipped out of sight.

"What's the matter with him?" Alli whispered.

"Dunno, but there's definitely a potential heart attack in that guy's future."

Alli looked over at her supervising warrior somewhat confused, but kept her mouth shut. Rae stepped back out into the corridor and stared at Jariah's door. She hated to interrupt, but she needed to talk with Cyan.

"Alli, go back and wait with Kiara and stay out of trouble until the Queen and I come and find you."

Alli raced down the hallway and out of sight. Rae turned back toward Jariah's and was surprised to see the King exiting his room. Rae slowly made her way down the hallway.

"Hello Rae."

Rae nodded.

Jariah threw a thumb in the direction of his room. "Cyan's in there. She'd like to see you."

Rae smirked and then pushed by the King. "Thanks."

Rae shut the door, just as she heard Jariah begin to whistle.

"Good, Rae - you're here. We have to move fast."

Rae seemed a bit confused by the Queen's manner. "Move?"

Cyan looked over at her. "Yeah - the mission... bad guys... ring a bell?"

Rae smiled. "Yeah, I remember. I'm just a bit surprised that you do." Rae arched a brow in amusement.

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Oh, you mean one minute wonder boy?"

Rae snorted a laugh and Cyan continued.

"Seems he was a bit more excited than he thought, so here I am, while there he goes. So, I have a new plan which will commence right after I take a quick run!"

Rae laughed again. "So what's the plan?"

Cyan looked up while putting on the last of her things. "I think we need to split up. Kiana stays with me, while you and Alli go back to Orelia."

Rae looked confused for a moment. "Are...you sure about us splitting up? Is that really a wise decision?"

Cyan sighed. "We need to make sure that things are going well in Orelia. Keith is probably wondering what happened to us as well."

"Well all right. I can't refuse orders...totally. I just hope that you don't get to distracted and forget our mission."

Cyan chuckled but stopped Rae none the less. "Now wait a minute, Rae. I know that Jariah's coming on ... strong, but that doesn't mean that I'm unfocused. Trust me, I get my jobs done, no matter what. I assure you there a lot more depth to me than you seem to think."

Rae looked away. "I know you are and I'm a lot smarter then you think."

Cyan frowned. It was obvious she had mistaken some of Rae's confidence for just that and had missed a bigger issue. "I know you're smart Rae and so do a lot of the other people on our Island - probably smarter than any of us may get to know, if you don't let anyone in."

Rae's eyes widened and she took a step back. Cyan stopped her. "I'm not forcing you to talk Rae, but ever since you've returned it's obvious that you have much different motives than when you left. We read some of your mother's scrolls, but we still don't know exactly what happened to you. So, Rae Kione Merquise, it's up to you."

Rae sighed and she felt Teflic whispering to her... "Tell her a little..."

"Oh all right. I had been feeling down...very down. I guess it was a form of depression. I kept having visions and stuff. The sacred dagger appeared and I carved our family's symbol... the M, into my hands. I know that I was temperamental during those days. Then..." Rae thought for a moment. She didn't want to reveal Teflic. "A...a spirit came to me, saying that my guardian was waiting. So I took Teflic and left the island. We were sent to a castle and I had to duel. When I won the duel I was told of the legend and given these clothes. Cyan, the Merquise side of my family are direct descendants of Zeus."

Cyan nodded and was not surprised. She completely identified with how bothersome the gods' interference could be.

"Anyway, I was on my way back to Rough Cove to talk to my father when we were attacked. There is a man out there, his name is Iber Finely, who wants my blood and will do anything to get it. I've got a bounty on my head for the rest of my life, but I made a promise to myself... and that promise was to protect the ones that I loved so that when destiny catches up to me, I'll die with no regrets. Iber did capture me, but didn't kill me then. I was locked away for four days in the dark without food, and I was badly injured. Luckily I had some help and escaped and got to Rough Cove. Then I came back to the
Amazons. I wanted to come back, I suppose..."

Cyan noticed a shadow move near the doorway to the room and quickly held up her hand. "You don't have to say any more Rae, I understand. Now, I need you to take Alli and go...."

Rae was startled at the urgency of Cyan's voice but grab her things to go. "I will."

Cyan nodded. "Good." In the back of her mind, Cyan decided that she would read more about the Merquise legend when she returned to the Island. And the spirit that came to her? What spirit? Was it a trap? She would need to find out more, but she couldn't risk the time to do it here.

Cyan motioned for Rae and pointed toward the shadow that had now begun to move away from the doorway. "We picked up some unwanted company during our chat, but that in no way means I don't want to finish it......."

Rae nodded. The Queen quickly explained that she would send Abyss to Orelia with any news of Jariah and his men and that Rae should do the same with Keith. "Eventually we'll have to meet up, but I'm hoping we can resolve things before too long and get the heck back home."

"Only if our unwanted company wants the same things...." Rae threw a thumb in the direction of the door and Cyan sighed. She didn't think this was going to go as smoothly as she had hoped.

Cyan smiled. "Take care of yourself Rae and thanks, I knew that this mission would be the right thing for you."

Rae ran to the door. "No Cyan, thank you!" Then she was gone.

"Alli!" Rae shouted.

Alli peeked her head out from one of the rooms. "What is it Rae?"

"We have a new mission. You and I are going to Orelia."

Alli and Rae walked into Rae's room. Rae began to pack her stuff. "Will the Queen be ok?" asked Alli.

Rae chuckled. "She's immortal Alli, I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, Kiara's staying here with her."

"I know, I'm just a little concerned that's all. I get weird vibes from the people in this Kingdom.... Well, at least a few of them."

Rae smiled. "I know what you mean, but Cyan can handle it. She's dealt with the gods after all, one guy shouldn't be a problem for her."

"But what are going to do in Orelia?" asked Alli.

"We're going to watch Keith and just make sure that everything's going smoothly. Maybe we can fit some combat practice in."

Alli smiled. "Yeah! I've always wanted to spar with you Rae."

Rae picked up her bag. "Why's that?" "Because... you're a hero!"

"Huh?"

"You saved the island from Loa. You don't lose your concentration while fighting.
And... we're quite alike."

Rae lowered her head. "There's a lot more to Loa's story then you could ever imagine. But tell me... why are we alike?"

"Because... I lost my mother too."

Rae's eyes darkened. "That's right. I remember. It was when you were very young."

Alli nodded. "That's why I live with Kiara. But I miss my mom still."

Then it dawned on Rae... there was someone else on the Island who shared some of her pain. Alli picked up her bag and Rae glanced out of the window. "Hey Alli?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me a hero."

"But..."

"Just don't. We leave in a few hours." And Rae walked out of the room with her bag.

Alli was dumbfounded. "I...I don't get her. I don't understand."

Just then Cyan entered.

"My Queen." Allie said and bowed.

"Alli." Cyan nodded but told her to rise. "You have to remember not to let on who we are here, one day that may cost someone a life."

Alli nodded.

Cyan smiled. "Have you seen Rae? I was hoping she would be here."

"She just left." said Alli.

"Oh. I needed to ask her something." Cyan turned for the door.

"Wait! My Queen!" shouted Alli.

Cyan turned and smiled even wider. "Oh and Alli..... if the bowing thing didn't tip them off, I'm sure shouting "My Queen!" might do the trick."

Alli frowned but Cyan touched her shoulder and chuckled. "It's okay, that's why you're here - to learn. Now, what is it?"

"Please! Could you tell me... what's wrong with Rae? I'm really confused and if I'm going to travel with her, I'd like to know so I don't hurt her feelings or anything. Why does she refuse to be called a hero?"

Cyan faced the confused child. "Alli, we only have a few more hours, but let's sit down."

The warriors sat and Cyan sighed thoughtfully. "Now where should I begin..."

*******

The Queen had spent almost an hour talking with Alli before both she and Rae finally left for the Kingdom of Orelia. Cyan suspected that Alli was still a bit confused, but a lot more comfortable about traveling with Rae now. Cyan rolled her eyes. Jariah on the other hand was a bit more mistrusting. The Queen had spent the better part of the last hour explaining that Rae needed to meet up with some of their people quite a distance from here and let them know that they would be staying on in Sutsuma for a while. Jariah had not seemed willing to believe it..... at least not at first... but Cyan had slowly changed his mind.

The water ran down Cyan's face and back, washing away the sweat of her convincing and reminding her of another Kingdom she had visited quite often, a long time ago. There had even been a time when she pictured herself never leaving, just living and enjoying and......

The Queen splashed the water over her face and shook away the thoughts. Things never seemed to turn out the way she planned and she should have realized that right from the beginning. What a fool she'd been to think things could have been different with Shatan, instead she only buried more people she loved. She turned the water off and began to question whether destiny was actually chosen at all, or just merely repeated over and over again.....

"That's a nice look." The Queen was suddenly wrapped in a soft towel and drawn out of the shower into Jariah's arms.

Cyan pushed herself away and smiled. "If you've come for another work-out, forget it, I'd kill ya."

Jariah laughed as he intently watched Cyan get dressed. He had definitely become very attached to this woman, but was also becoming more and more convinced that she was not at all who she pretended to be. Her body provided him with more pleasure than he had ever known, but at the same time, it unnerved him. He had prayed silently that she hadn't sensed it; but her natural strength and power had caused him to panic a little. There was no denying that he had not been the one in control of the situation and now he wondered if that was also the case outside of his bedroom.

"Well, you certainly seem preoccupied..." Cyan smiled and sat down on Jariah's lap. She played casually with his hair and waited for him to answer.

Jariah smiled in return and suddenly stood up, lowering Cyan to her feet. "You keep doing that and we won't be leaving any time soon ya know."

"You have places to be?" Cyan asked sarcastically.

Jariah chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I have a whole Kingdom outside of this bedroom..."

"Really? I guess I haven't gotten that far...." Cyan turned for the door and smiled to herself. Jariah was losing control and he knew it. Now she just needed to see what he was truly made of. If a peaceful solution could be reached between the two Kingdoms, she would find it. If not...Cyan shook her head.... She didn't want to think about that right now.... At least not yet.

********

Cyan and Kiara sat and watched Jariah and his men practicing. The Queen couldn't help but to chuckle every time Kiara whispered in her ear and pointed out yet another bad move by one of his men. Jariah was indeed quite capable with a sword..... amongst other things..... and the Queen was just aching to take him on.

"Why don't we practice with them, My Que.... Ummm, Cyan?"

Cyan shifted a bit in her seat. "Perhaps we will, but for now, we watch."

Jariah glanced over once or twice, winking at the Queen affectionately. His men were far too engrossed in their own defenses to even notice, save one. Nistro stood silently watching from a far, absorbing everything. The woman was dangerous and what was more amazing was the fact that he believed Jariah knew it.

"What is he thinking? He could lose everything if that woman stays here."

"She certainly doesn't look like she's planning to leave anytime soon Sir." One of Nistro's younger soldiers stood behind him respectively. "I watched them as you instructed Sir and I'm not positive our King is thinking very clearly right now.... If .... ah... you know what I mean."

Nistro seethed. "I know exactly what you mean fool! Why do you think I told you to follow them."

Nistro watched as Jariah dismissed all but a few of his soldiers back to their duties. Nistro grabbed the younger man's arm and turned to go. "Come on, we have plans to make."

Kiara and Cyan slowly stood and stretched a bit. Jariah tossed his sword at the younger warrior who caught it easily and seconds before Cyan could stop her.

"You seem quite familiar with that." Jariah said flatly. He motioned for two of the remaining soldiers to move in.

Cyan stepped forward. "What are you doing Jariah?"

The King smiled. "I am regaining a bit of the control I think I may have lost over the last two days." He motioned again and the soldiers moved on Kiara.

Cyan frowned and stepped very close to Jariah. "I'm sorry to hear that." Cyan whispered and motioned subtly to her warrior. Jariah's men never stood a chance and before the King was able to take a step back, his soldiers were on their backs, out cold.

The Queen waved her hand again and Kiara stood down. Jariah was silent and searching Cyan's eyes rapidly. She could feel her blood cooling. This was either going to go very well, or very poorly. She motioned again and Kiara returned to her seat, after tossing Cyan the sword.

"I believe this is yours, Jariah." The King took the sword and stepped back. He watched nervously as Cyan flipped one of the other weapons into the air and caught it casually. "I believe it's me you really wanted to try, isn't it Jariah?"

Jariah thought for a moment and then attacked. He could feel his rage growing and his emotions taking over. Cyan countered his every move and seemed to only be playing with him. How could she have done this! Why did she do this?! Was it Keith? How could a peace loving man like Keith ever have control of a woman like this??!!

"He doesn't...." Cyan said quietly as she knocked Jariah's sword from his hand. "I'm under no one's control but my own Jariah and I'm not here to cause you trouble."

The King glared at Cyan. "How could you know what I'm thinking?! Are you a Sorceress?"

Cyan smiled. It did run in the family, but that wasn't it. "I'm not a Sorceress Jariah, but I'm also something a bit more beyond your comprehension right now." She took a step closer and was pleased to see that he didn't retreat. "I'm what I said I was. A friend hoping to help you solve your problems... peaceably."

"Why?" Jariah asked. "What do you care?"

Cyan sighed. "That's a long story and one I'm not really ready to tell, but know this, what happens in one place often affects others, and that's what I care about."

The King turned to leave but Cyan caught his arm. "I need time to think Cyan, just give me some time."

Jariah left and Cyan turned to Kiara. "Let's hope things are going a bit more smoothly for Rae and Alli."

********

Rae and Alli walked down the road to Orelia. Rae had felt apprehension in the air when she and Alli had left Sutsuma. She had shared her concern with Alli and Alli told her that she felt something weird too.

"Rae." said Alli, after some time.

"Yeah?"

"Are we almost there?"

"We should be there soon. The walk isn't that long."

"I know, but it's so hot out here. You must be dying in that soldier outfit."

Rae laughed. "I've gotten used to it."

Alli smiled. Her smile faded when she caught sight of Rae's face. "Is something wrong?" The two stopped walking.

"Alli, use your ears. Olympia taught our senses to be keen. Listen"

Alli listened. "It's shrill"

"It's coming, two in fact" whispered Rae. She closed her eyes and waited a few seconds. "Now!" she shouted. Each warrior reached out and grabbed an arrow that had been flying at them.

Alli gasped. "By the gods!"

"Someone's trying to kill us." said Rae. She handed the other arrow to Alli. "Hang on to those." Suddenly a group of men came rushing at them. "An ambush." said Rae.

"But those are Sutsuma's soldiers!" cried Alli.

Rae drew her sword. "Watch my back." She met the group of soldiers. The fight broke out. Rae flipped around, meeting each of the men at sword point. She gasped at their swords. Her keen sense had told her that each sword had been dipped in poison. Somebody definitely wanted them dead. But luckily Rae was quick, and kept taking out the men one by one.

Not far away, dark eyes watched the fight. That girl, Rae, had taken down ten of his best men. The other girl didn't look weak either, but Rae was quite advanced, maybe even more advanced than his men were. She was more than a silent soldier. "I knew it." he muttered. "There is something about these people. I must tell Jariah." He turned his horse and swiftly made his way back to Sutsuma.

Rae looked up just as she finished off the last of the men. There was one more, a shadow riding away. "Back to Sutsuma." she said.

Alli's eyes were wide. "Why are they trying to kill us?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just hope that Cyan and Kiara are all right. Hurry, we must get to Orelia as quickly as we can." The two warriors ran.

"Did any of them cut you?" asked Alli.

"No, thankfully. The blades of their swords were poisoned. This is really concerning me."

"But who's ordering them to kill us?"

"I can only think of two people. One is that nasty second in command, Nistro. The other is Jariah himself." They kept running, and finally reached Orelia.

"Thank the gods that we're here," said Alli.

Rae chuckled. "Don't thank the gods. Thank yourself. You're a good warrior, Alli."

Alli smiled. Rae had been her role model for some time now. Her compliment was like an honor almost. "Thanks Rae."

The two walked to the castle, quickly explained themselves to the head guard once again, and were sent to Keith. Keith smiled when he saw them. "I was hoping that you'd all return. But where's the other two?"

"They stayed in Sutsuma to gather more information." Rae said.

Keith nodded. "And you two?"

"We were sent back to help you."

"All right. You both look tired and dirty. Let me show you to some rooms that you may use during your stay."

"Thank you." Keith led them through the winding halls of the castle. He showed them the rooms they could use. "I'll leave you to rest up for now," he said, looking at Rae.

Rae looked into his eyes. "Right," she said. "Alli, I'm letting you be on your own for now. It'll be good for you. But if you need anything, then shout for me." Alli nodded and went into her room.

"Your highness," Rae said.

"Yes?" "Is there something about me that fascinates you or something?"

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me. I didn't think that my soldier uniform was that captivating."

"I'm sorry."

"Good." Rae entered her room, closed the door, and locked it.

Teflic appeared. "I can't believe this! I think that he likes you Rae."

Rae laughed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I say."

"Teflic, are you well?"

"Rae, I'm a guy too. I just know"

"He's too old for me."

"He's only nineteen summers. I've done much research about both kingdoms"

"Nineteen! But that's so young. Why is he ruling this kingdom at such a young age?"

"Well," Teflic said, and smiled teasingly. "That's for you to find out."

"Teflic, you're bothering me."

"I know. I'm sorry Rae. Just watch out for yourself."

"Thank you Teflic. I'm going to go take a bath. When I come back we have some

things to discuss."

"Such as?"

"You were with us. Someone from Sutsuma tried to kill Alli and me. I need to figure out their motive and...."

"And what? Rae, you look nervous."

"I am. There was one person who got away. I don't know who it was, but I'm sure that they saw me fighting. Teflic, this is serious. I might have endangered all of us."

********

Cyan had run into Jariah off and on over the course of the day, but he never seemed quite ready to talk. Kiara had suggested that the Queen confront him and just tell him everything, but Cyan was not convinced that would turn out for the best. Cyan sat quietly in the courtyard, suddenly aware that both Jariah and another unseen pair of eyes were watching her.

Kiara walked up and sat down alongside the Queen and sighed heavily. "This place gets pretty boring after a while."

Cyan chuckled. "It sure does."

"Any new ideas on what we're gonna do?"

The Queen glanced sideways at the young warrior. "You mean since you crossed the courtyard for a drink and back again?" The question was obviously rhetorical. "No Kiara, nothing new."

The Amazon shrugged. "Me neither, but I do know we're being watched."

The Queen smiled and nodded. "Very good. Now where and by whom?"

Kiara kicked at some pebbles by her feet and spoke casually. "By one for sure, Jariah, up in his room. The other is behind us, but I don't know who he is just yet. One thing is for sure, Jariah doesn't care if we know; the other one does."

Cyan crossed her arms and stiffened slightly.

"What is it Cyan?"

"A chance to salvage things with Jariah."

Just then Kiara thought she heard a quiet whistle beside her; felt it actually. Cyan grabbed her arm and spoke quickly. "I'm fine Kiara, just go along."

The Queen let out a scream of pain and collapsed to her knees. Blood poured from her side and Kiara could see the arrow protruding on both ends.

It took only a few seconds for Kiara to realize what was happening and what Cyan had meant. She dropped to her knees and knelt alongside her Queen, screaming for help. Jariah and two of his men had reached them within a few minutes. The King's face had drained of its blood and he seemed to be having trouble giving orders.

Finally Cyan was brought to his room and the Palace Physician sent in. Both Jariah and Kiara were asked to leave while the Doctor did his job. The Queen nodded her consent and Kiara and the King exited to wait in the hallway.

"I'll have to snap the arrow to remove it......"

Cyan waved him off and told him to just get on with it. The Physician poured palace spirits over the wound and snapped the tip. The Queen winced and waited for the worst to come.

Jariah cringed as he heard the wails of Cyan coming from his room. How had he allowed this to happen? He needed to speak with her, apologize, make things right.....

The door to the room opened and the Physician waved them in. Cyan lay quietly on her side, bandaged expertly. She motioned for Kiara to come closer. "I need to speak with Jariah. I want you to examine the bushes where that second person was hiding. Find whatever you can before Jariah sends his men. I'll keep him busy for as long as I can."

Kiara nodded and quickly left the room. Jariah stepped closer, but waited for Cyan to make the next move.

The Queen smiled weakly. "There are better ways to get my attention Jariah."

The King's manner collapsed immediately as he rushed to her side. "I don't know what to say Cyan, or how this could have happened! I never wanted anything to happen to you, no matter what our differences. I don't know what I would have done if I ever lost you....."

Cyan stopped him. In truth, she really didn't want to hear anymore. Her appetite for sex was strong, but not for the emotion that might come with it - at least not now... not here.... not him.....

"We need to talk Jariah.... Are you ready now?"

The King nodded and Cyan began......

********

Rae took a quick bath. Wrapped in a towel, she walked into the main part of her room. "Teflic!" she called. No answer. "Where are you?" Rae became invisible for a moment. He wasn't there. Rae sighed. He must have gone off to explore the castle. Rae glanced at her soldier outfit. It was dusty and dirty from her earlier fight. It was time to wash it. Rae quickly changed into her spare outfit... her old Amazon outfit. She glanced at her bare stomach. She still had that scar from where Iber had kicked her. He had broken a few of her ribs and left her bleeding as well. Rae gathered her soldier outfit. As she passed by the mirror she realized just how scarred she really was. The big scar that Loa's dagger had left near her neck was covered, but she could clearly see the slash marks near her armbands on each arm. The other scar on her stomach was small, but still there. And of course she had the scars on her hands... those would never fade away. She quickly washed her soldier outfit and hung it to dry. Grabbing her sword, Rae left her room. If Teflic came back, then he could go look for her. Rae walked down the halls, just checking things out. In a way, she missed her father's castle at Rough Cove. This castle reminded her so much of it. As she glanced out of the window, Rae felt a lone tear slip down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away. She had a job to do, and now was not the time to get emotional.

"Hey," came a voice from behind her.

Rae recognized it immediately. "Hello your highness."

"Please call me Keith. How did you know that it was me?"

Rae shrugged. "Lucky guess."

Keith stood beside her and looked out at Orelia. "I love my kingdom... I don't want a war."

"That's good to know. Wars only cause pain," said Rae.

Keith looked at her. "And you know this because..."

"I've been in a few of them."

"I knew you wore a soldier outfit for a reason."

"That's not the reason."

"Well why then? The others that accompanied you wear...stuff like what you're wearing now."

Rae faced him. "It's really none of your concern."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I just don't like talking about it much."

Keith's attention had wandered elsewhere by now. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"What?"

"The scars... why are you so scarred? You're young, and you have so many scars. How long have you been fighting?"

"Long enough. I got my scars in battle."

"It must have been some battle."

"Different battles. Personal ones included. These," she indicated the scars on her arms. "Are from a duel I had. And this one," she pointed to the scar on her stomach. "Is from when I got kicked. My ribs got broken that time. I've got plenty more. I have one...it's covered, but near my neck. It's from where I got stabbed by a dagger."

"You must be very strong."

"You're very strong."

"Nah, it's a natural thing."

Then to her surprise, Keith took her hand. She raised her eyebrows. "Keith?"

"What's this one then?" he asked quietly, turning her palm over to reveal the M.

"I did that."

"I figured as much."

"Why?"

"I studied the legend... you're a Merquise aren't you?"

Rae pulled away from him, sword drawn. "Yes. And if you're a Finely, I refuse to help you. And I won't think twice about killing you either."

Keith was taken aback. "I'm not a Finely. I just studied the legend and that's it."

Rae lowered her sword. "I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions. I've been doing that a lot lately. But I've told you a lot about myself... what about you? Like why are you a king at such a young age."

"Nineteen's not that young of an age... but I'm running this kingdom because my parents are dead."

"I'm sorry."

"My father passed on about two years ago. My mother's been dead since I was ten summers."

"Then we have something in common. My mother passed on two years ago."

"And your father?" Rae didn't want to talk about her kingdom just then. She wasn't that comfortable around Keith yet. "I don't know much about him," she lied.

Keith nodded. "I see. It's just that you look so familiar to me. I'm almost certain that I've seen you before..."

Rae was silent. Keith had to think things through for a moment. He didn't know it, but he had indeed seen Rae before. He had recently come back from an imperial meeting... which took place in the Kingdom of Rough Cove. There, Keith had been given the freedom to look around the castle. What had captivated his interest was the portrait gallery. There was one of King Austenair and a woman, presumably his Queen at one time. When Keith researched a bit more he had found that the person in the portrait was Jade, King Austenair's love who had mysteriously disappeared. Then Keith had looked at the other paintings. There was a painting next to the one he had seen which had fascinated him. King Austenair was in it along with a younger girl and a blonde man. The girl must have been his daughter, but Keith was surprised to find no sign of her. The girl had similar features to Jade... Now, as he looked at Rae, Keith realized that she looked strikingly like Jade as well. Could she be the one in the painting? The princess of Rough Cove? Rae was full of mystery...full of secrets. Keith felt himself becoming fascinated...and drawn to her. "Rae?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever been to the Kingdom of Rough Cove?" He watched Rae's eyes. They were unchanging. If she was the princess then she did an amazing job of concealing her identity.

"I've never been there, however, I've heard that it's quite beautiful. Why do you ask?"

"Because... it's nothing. Forget I asked."

Rae gave him a strange look. "Whatever you say. Now I've got a question for you. Why is Sutsuma trying to attack this kingdom anyway? Wouldn't it be better if you all worked together toward peace?"

"That sounds a bit funny coming from you. You're a warrior, and I can tell that you've been bloodstained many times."

"Why's it so funny?" Rae asked, anger flaring up inside of her. "I am a warrior, but I fight for peace. Don't make assumptions because you don't even know me! I fight for the ones I love...and for the innocent. The majority of my scars are here because I protected the innocent! So don't you dare..."

Keith grasped her wrist. "I'm sorry Rae. I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Rae shook her head and turned her back to him.

"I don't know why Sustuma is trying to attack us. I think it's just for more power and more land to expand their empire. King Jariah seems like quite a powerful man with absolutely no weaknesses..."

"Everyone has weaknesses. But really, we should all try to go down the path of peace. You know... try to resolve this with no bloodshed."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I don't want to see anybody else get hurt. I don't want to kill anybody else."

"You killed someone?"

Rae sighed. "Alli and I were ambushed on our way here. I took care of it."

"This peaceful way that you speak of interests me. Would you care to take a walk with me so that we may discuss it more?" Keith offered Rae his arm. Rae took it. "I didn't think you'd take my arm that easily."

"You obviously don't know a lot about me. I trust you," Rae simply replied.

Keith laughed. Rae smiled too. "It's good to see you so happy." Teflic's voice whispered to her. Rae could tell that he was right behind her. "I'm looking out for you Rae. Just keep gathering information, and I'll make sure that everything else is right." Rae gave Teflic a thumbs up sign behind her back, and continued down the halls with Keith.

*********

Kiara waited patiently for the Queen to return from her talk with Jariah. Cyan had been gone for the remainder of Apollo's sun and now into the night. She wished Alli were here to talk to, but knew that....... wait, what was that noise?

Kiara turned around quickly and gasped in surprise. Two shimmering forms were starting to appear inside her room. One was a midnight black and ......

"Abyss!" Kiara exclaimed. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

The Queen's cat circled the room and slowly settled by the warrior's feet. "I guess we'll both just wait together then?" Abyss purred and Kiara relaxed just a bit.....

*******

"Who is this woman Jariah?" Cyan walked slowly toward a small hidden portrait, tucked far behind all of the others.

"My Mother."

Cyan arched a brow in surprise. It was obvious that Jariah had inherited none of his mother's looks. "By blood?" the Queen finally asked.

Jariah chuckled. "Yes, by blood. I take it, you don't see the resemblance?"

Now it was Cyan's turn to chuckle. "It's a bit of a reach....."

"Actually...." Jariah stopped and took Cyan's hand. "She was my mother by blood, but not by marriage." He began to pull the Queen closer. "From what I've been told, she was my father's only true love, but it had already been arranged for him to marry another. Not long after the marriage took place, my father discovered that my mother, Arora, was pregnant with me. My father would not be denied his rightful heir, so he confronted my grandfather with the news."

Cyan turned in his arms and stared at him intently. She was intrigued. "So, what happened?"

"Unbeknownst to the rest of the Kingdom, my grandfather arranged for my mother's care just outside the limits." Jariah's smile increased a bit and then slowly faded. "Unfortunately, my mother died giving birth and neither myself nor my father ever saw her again. This one portrait is the only thing my father kept of hers and when he died, I put here amongst all the others...."

Cyan started to ask a question, but Jariah stopped her. "Enough about my mother... how about yours? Any family?"

The Queen's eyes widened. Now here's a topic she had no interest in discussing at all... family. She could just see Jariah's face now. Priceless. Well, let's see Jariah... where do I start? How about my mother, Vorpax? She's a self-centered sorceress, who mates like a bee, and once ruled alongside Kahn in the hopes of giving birth to an immortal race of warriors intent on destroying the Realms. Instead, she had a sudden change of heart and gave birth to me; a "blood blender blonde" containing most of the powers found throughout the realms. The bummer part is, my destiny now clashes with the fate and powers of some of those in my own family. One father tries to kill me, while another wants to help. My own brother wants me dead... but not really, he just thinks he does; but that's an even longer story. I have one sister willing to die for me and another who left me guarded by my own niece. Speaking of nieces. I have another, whose entire family was wiped from the face of this earth for sharing my family's blood..... and my son and husband......... Cyan could feel her anger rising and she slowly pushed away from Jariah......

"Family? No, I don't have any."

Jariah frowned, but then his face softened with a bit of a smile. "You could always start one..... "

Cyan's stomach lurched. She felt nauseous. Jariah wasn't the bad guy in all of this, she was. How foolish she had been to assume that what was casual for her, would also be for him.... for anyone. She had not needed anyone in a long time, not since Shatan. Yes, she had wanted and taken... but never needed. There had always been something missing and suddenly Cyan knew what it was. Need required emotion, or at least more than she was willing to risk again.

Cyan shivered. She was suddenly very unsure as to whether she would ever be capable of needing someone again. She hoped so..... The Queen allowed herself to move back inside Jariah's personal space........ She missed Shatan; she missed him a lot. Almost as much as.....

Cyan whispered quietly. "I should really get back to Kiara. I've been gone all day."

Jariah nodded and they turned to walk. As the King wrapped his arm tightly around Cyan's shoulders, the Queen slipped the hidden portrait into her belt.

********

"So, you told him everything then?" Kiara leaned forward and struggled to remove the last pieces of Cyan's bandages.

"Almost everything...." Cyan said absently... "Are you sure you've done this before?"

Kiara's face crinkled a bit. "Well, only once."

"Are they dead?" Cyan said with a mixture of pain and amusement.

Kiara's eyes widened in horror. "No, my Queen, I hope not....."

"Relax, I was kidding."

Kiara went back to her work. "Um, can I ask you something?"

Cyan nodded and the young warrior continued. "I thought you were immortal?"

"I am."

"Then why does your wound remain unhealed?"

"Two reasons." Cyan crossed her arms under her chin and tried to relax. Kiara poured Ashana's herbs into the wound and the Queen winced. "One, I'm allowing it to heal slowly so it doesn't alarm Jariah any more than he already is......."

"So you didn't tell him who you were?"

Cyan shook her head. "He knows we're Amazons and that I'm the Queen, but I never had to explain any more beyond that. He seemed to already know the answers to his own questions."

"But how?"

Cyan shrugged as Kiara secured the last of the fresh bandages into place. "Apparently the legends of a warrior race battling the gods is more widely known than we would have guessed."

Kiara was stunned. "So they know about the Island?"

The Queen slowly stood and pressed at the bandages on her side and back. That was gonna leave a nice mark. "No, I don't think they know about the Island, or Jariah would have told me. I think he assumes that like most legends, some of it's real and some isn't."

Kiara sat down heavily into one of the nearby chairs and sighed. The Queen threw on her shirt, and then tossed the portrait of Jariah's mother to Kiara.

"Whose this?"

"Jariah's mother."

Kiara traced her finger along the portrait. "Strange necklace."

Cyan sat down beside her. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Looks Amazon." Kiara said blankly. "But why would she have a necklace like that?"

Cyan shook her head. "Don't know, but I'm going to find out."

The Queen signaled for Abyss, while Avalanche stayed put. Cyan wrapped the portrait carefully in some bandages and tied it securely around the cat's neck. The jungle cat purred and disappeared from sight.

"Where'd he go?" Kiara asked, somewhat confused.

"I told him to bring it to Rae and update her on how things were going here. I need to know if there's any chance that Keith and Jariah might be able to work together."

Kiara nodded and then looked over at Avalanche questioningly. Cyan laughed. "Both cats were gifts from my mother and Athena. When I was younger, Athena insisted they were only to keep me company since they were immortal too, but as I got older I realized their real purpose."

"Guardians?" Kiara asked, as if being included in something very secretive.

The Queen nodded. "I think they came to an agreement though. Abyss does all the traveling and Avalanche just stays put." Cyan chuckled and threw a thumb in the remaining cat's direction. "Or, maybe he's just lazy."

Avalanche growled and both Cyan and Kiara laughed.

"But how will Rae know what Abyss is saying?"

Cyan put on her most serious face. "Rae has many talents Kiara......."

The young Amazon stared out the window and into the distance. The Queen silently chuckled at her awed expression and then nudged her in the side. "That..... and I added a piece of parchment explaining everything to Abyss's pouch."

Kiara rolled her eyes and the Queen began to laugh. She was beginning to forget the unsettling feelings from earlier and once again feel firmly rooted in her destiny. One thing had changed though, her intentions regarding Jariah. He was a good man and deserved the chance to rule just as much as Keith did. She prayed quietly that Rae would send good news.

*********

Rae had spent quite some time walking with Keith. Now that she had gotten to

know him a bit, he really wasn't a bad guy. Keith led her down a silent hall. Rae looked around. The hall seemed as if nobody had been there in ages.

"This hall seems as if it hasn't been touched in a really long time." She commented.

Keith nodded. "This was the hallway where my mother used to spend a lot of her time. Since she died, nobody has gone here except for myself."

"I see."

Keith stopped at one of the doors and pushed it open. The door creaked with age and it sent chills up Rae's spine. "Are you all right?" Keith asked.

Rae nodded. "That just scared me a bit." They entered the room. Rae was instantly in awe. Everything looked as if it had been frozen in time. "Wow this is beautiful..." she whispered.

"This was my mother's room."

Rae walked around. "But why are you showing this to me? It must be a special place to your heart, and I shouldn't be the one to intrude on that."

"No I wanted to show you. After all, you said that your mother died as well."

"She was a wonderful woman. I miss her a lot."

"I can tell."

Rae eyed him. "You can?"

"Rae, you do a good job at hiding a lot, but the one thing I can see is the pain that you feel from that loss. At some moments I see it written all over you. Like now..."

Rae blushed and turned away from Keith. She walked to a intricately carved table that had many things on it. Everything was so beautiful... especially the jewelry. One piece caught Rae's interest though. It was a necklace... and it looked almost Amazon. She picked it up delicately. "Hey Keith, this is really pretty."

He smiled. "Yeah that one was my mother's favorites"

"Where did she get it?"

Keith shrugged. "I don't know..." Rae placed the necklace back carefully, still wondering if it was related at all to the Amazons. Then she felt something on her head. Rae turned and found Keith standing behind her. She felt her head and glanced in the mirror. On her head was a crown... It was fancy... just beautiful like the rest of the stuff in that room.

Rae gasped. "Keith! Is this your..."

"Yes. It's my mother's crown. And I must say that it looks like it belongs on you."

Rae took the crown off and frowned.

"What is it?" asked Keith.

Rae shook her head. "Nothing really. I need to go check on my outfit. It's probably dry by now..."

"Do you want me to walk you back?"

"No, I'm sure that I can find my way."

"See you later?"

"Yeah."

Rae walked swiftly through the hallways, her cheeks burning. Keith... had just made a huge pass at her. Rae liked him enough, but she didn't know him. And inside she felt a twinge of fear. This made Rae gasp. Did she fear love? Had she become so distrusting that she had forgotten about everything else? Rae pushed the door to her room open and slammed it shut. What she saw there made her blink twice.

"Abyss?" The cat purred. "I guess Cyan must have found something interesting. Good, I need a distraction." She walked over to Abyss. "Let's see... a painting? Ok..." Rae found the note. "This is Jariah's mother? Interesting." Then Rae gasped. "By the gods! That necklace! It's the same... but how can that be? Does that mean that... No way. I don't believe this. It must be a coincidence." But Rae's suspicions were rising. She quickly scrawled a note to Cyan about how she had seen the same necklace and also that Keith was hitting on her (actually that was just a tangent, but Rae felt that it was important). Then she gave the note to Abyss. The cat growled softly and was gone. Rae picked up the painting once again. Things were getting stranger by the minute.

Rae got up and went to find her soldier outfit. It was dry, to her surprise. Rae quickly changed. She wondered what Alli was doing. Maybe she'd go find her. There was a knock at the door. Rae opened it to find Keith.

"Rae, are you all right?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Good. I was concerned."

"It's nothing." Rae secured her sword.

Keith looked at the floor. "I was wondering..." he began. Rae raised her eyebrows. "If you'd like to spar with me one of these days."

Rae smiled. "Sure. It'll be fun." Suddenly there was a whisper behind her. Teflic was speaking. "Rae... Go to Alli. There's something terribly wrong." Rae gasped, her eyes widened.

"What is it?" asked Keith.

"Gods... Alli!" Rae pushed by Keith and took off down the hall. Keith followed her. Quickly, Rae flung open the door to Alli's room. Alli was on the floor, half out. "Alli!" Rae screamed and ran to her. She dropped down on the floor. "Alli! It's Rae! Can you hear me?"

Alli looked at her. "Rae..." her voice came weakly.

"What happened?"

"I feel so sick."

Rae felt her forehead. "Gods! She's burning up!"

Keith heard the urgency in Rae's voice. "I'll go get the palace physician!"

Rae nodded. "Go!"

Keith dashed out. Rae helped Alli walk to her bed and Alli collapsed. She clutched her stomach in pain. Rae tried to comfort her, but there was nothing she could really do. Keith quickly returned with the palace physician. Rae waited nervously as he examined Alli.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Rae.

The physician shook his head. "She's sick, but I can't pinpoint the cause. All we can do for her is try to keep that fever down. This could be fatal."

By now Alli had fallen asleep. Rae pulled up a chair and sat beside her. Keith joined her, concerned for both Alli and Rae. He could tell that if Alli died... Rae wouldn't forgive herself.

"Alli," Rae muttered. "What's happening to you? Why is this happening?" She felt an invisible hand on her shoulder.

"Sorcery," Teflic said.

"Why?"

"I can feel it," Teflic replied. "Someone's really desperate. And that someone really wants you and Alli dead. It's definitely sorcery..."

Rae felt alarmed at this. She had to talk to Teflic. "Keith?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Would you watch Alli for a few minutes? I'm going to go get some herbs for her that I brought from home."

"All right."

"Thanks." Rae stood up and left the room. Once out, she became invisible and saw Teflic clearly. His blue eyes were full of concern, his face serious. Rae sighed. "I don't understand all of this. It's really confusing me."

"I know. I don't understand it either. I can tell that it's sorcery, but I don't know the motive. The only thing I can think of is that someone wants you and Alli out of the picture."

Rae nodded. "Come on let's go get those herbs."

Teflic went with Rae to get the herbs. He was deeply concerned for her well being as well as Alli's. This was the second time that someone was trying to eliminate them. And if somebody attacked Rae with sorcery then Teflic knew that there wouldn't be much he could do to save her. They stopped outside of Alli's room.

"Teflic," Rae said.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind showing yourself? I mean in dog form for now."

"Why?"

"It would make me feel a bit more at ease." Teflic understood. They both became visible and Rae scratched Teflic behind the ears. She opened the door. Keith was still sitting there and Alli was still out.

Keith's eyes brightened when he saw Rae. "Did you get the herbs?"

"Yup."

Then he saw the dog. "Where'd that dog come from?"

Rae smiled. "This is Teflic. He's my dog."

"But he wasn't with you when you arrived."

"I know. It's so funny. I think he followed my trail from home. Either way, he's here now." Teflic sniffed around and sat. Rae quickly mixed the herbs with water. Then she shook Alli. Alli opened her eyes and moaned. "Come on Alli. You've got to drink this." With some coaxing Alli finally drank the mixture. Keith watched, eyes wide.

Alli took a few deep breaths. "Rae?"

"Are you all right?"

Alli sat up on her own. "Yeah. gods that was Tartarus. What happened?"

"I believe that it might have been another attempt to kill us."

"But why?"

"I don't know Alli... I just have no idea. But I think we need to inform Cyan and Kiara as soon as we can."

**********

Cyan sat quietly re-reading Rae's first note. She had already sent Abyss back with further instruction and was hoping the cat would be here soon. The Queen finally stood and began to pace back and forth. She had sent Kiara off to keep Jariah busy while she wrote out Rae's note - neither had returned yet.

Brothers? This was crazy.....

The Queen had read the rest of Rae's note with even more interest. She couldn't be sure, but the emotions, or lack there of, certainly seemed very familiar. Cyan tucked the note into her belt and withdrew her sword. She twirled it idly as she thought......

Telling Jariah and Keith of their common bloodlines seemed like a good idea at first, but then the Queen had begun to second guess herself. Sometimes family didn't provide the appropriate motivation, and the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize any chances of getting the two rulers to work together peacefully.

Cyan had returned the portrait and immediately begun to lay the foundation with Jariah for a meeting. If Rae could convince Keith to invite them, perhaps there would be a quick and peaceful solution after all....

The Queen slid her sword into its sheath and stared out the window. Jariah...... What was she going to tell him? There was no way he would allow her to leave without an explanation of why things couldn't work........

.......... That was a good question right there....... Why couldn't it work? Cyan massaged her temples. This whole trip was turning into a nightmare. Strangely enough, all the Queen wanted right now was for Rae to be there, just to talk with. For whatever reason, Cyan had a feeling that the other warrior would understand somehow.... But Rae was having her own demons to fight.

"Where the hell is that cat!?!"

Just then Abyss growled and Kiara returned to the room. She closed the door quickly. "Good thing Keith wasn't here. Would have been hard to explain that."

Cyan snatched the message from the cat's neck, obviously annoyed at something. "The cats are invisible to any who don't share my blood by birth or by tribe - he wouldn't have seen them."

Kiara scratched at her forehead nervously and sat down. "Oh, right - sorry."

Cyan sighed as she started to read. She waved a hand over at Kiara absently. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just getting a little aggravated at how long all of this is taking."

Kiara waited for Cyan to finish reading the note and then sat quietly as Cyan began to pace the room. Finally the Queen crumpled up the note and threw it into the corner of the room.

"What is it?" Kiara asked, quietly alarmed.

Cyan whirled around to face the younger Amazon. "Seems like someone is trying to kill Rae and Alli as well."

"Really?"

Cyan nodded as her face grew more and more angry. "I am really beginning to lose my patience with this place!"

"But why would they try to kill Rae and Alli? They're only trying to help." Kiara thought for a minute. "I mean, do we even know who is trying to kill them?"

The Queen began to massage her temple again. "Well, there's only two possibilities and the second one could really screw things up for us ....."

"You mean Nistro?" Kiara suddenly asked.

Cyan shook her head. "No, that's option number one and at this point, I'm praying that's the case..."

Kiara was obviously surprised and not sure what to say. Cyan pulled up a seat and motioned for Kiara to join her.

"Listen Kiara, if your enemy is only found on one side, then you know who the good guy is and you can help him......"

"Like King Keith?" Kiara offered.

Cyan nodded. "Right. But, if the enemy is found on both sides, then....."

"How do we know who the good guy really is?" Kiara finished Cyan's thought and started to nod in understanding. "You're afraid that we have enemies in both Kingdoms, aren't you?"

The Queen nodded but then hesitated. "Or the same enemy in both...." It was obvious Cyan was beginning to piece together a bit of what was going on. "Kiara?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me something. If Vicky told you to do one thing and I told you to do another; what would you do?"

Kiara shrugged. "Follow your orders of course."

"Why?"

"Because you're the Queen."

"Ah, but how could you be sure that I was right and Vicky was wrong?"

Kiara thought for a minute and then shrugged again. "It's not really my job to question my orders, just to obey them. Besides, I know you and Vicky talk about everything, so I would assume that in the end the Queen's orders would always stand."

"Right." Cyan began to smile. "Now tell me one more thing Kiara; if Vicky did tell you to do something, would you also assume that I knew about it?"

Kiara smiled. "Of course my Queen. We all know Vicky would never do anything against your wishes."

Suddenly the younger Amazon began to smile and nod her head. "You're thinking that both Keith and Jariah are still the good guys, but somebody is giving orders for them."

The Queen began to smile herself. "Very good Kiara, but what else?"

Kiara began to pace around, thinking out loud and speaking quickly. "A King is very similar to a Queen, so any one of the soldiers would believe that their orders were coming right from their King. If there was someone high enough up with contacts in both Kingdoms he could make people see what he wanted them to see until it was far too late to do anything about it. But if neither Keith nor Jariah knows about it, how will we ever tell who the bad guys really are?"

The Queen had already started writing a note back to Rae. "We're going to have Rae put a rush on getting Keith to meet with Jariah. Until then, all four of us will keep our eyes on both Kings and each other."

"Jariah and Keith? Why?"

Cyan grimaced a bit. "I'm afraid that whoever is behind this may feel suddenly trapped and panic. If he or she does, they may just decide to kill off one of the Kings instead."

Kiara frowned. "That would suck."

The Queen let out a loud laugh as she finished writing. "It certainly would!" Cyan summoned Abyss and attached the parchment for Rae. The jungle cat shimmered out of sight with one low growl.

"Now what?" Kiara asked excitedly.

"I need to convince Jariah that forming a peaceful alliance with Keith is not only the right thing to do, but the only thing. Hopefully Rae will be able to do the same and we can meet up with them by the end of the week."

"But how do we make sure that neither Keith nor Jariah tells anyone else about our plan for a meeting? If they do, we may make things even worse."

"Yeah I know. So I have a different plan for that one......."

"You do?"

The Queen smiled a bit uncomfortably. "It seems Rae has begun to win some of Keith's trust and I've asked her to make it personal."

"Personal?" Kiara asked, slowly getting the Queen's meaning. "Oh, I get it...."

Cyan waved her hand. "No, no, not like that. I just meant that I want Rae to use Keith's trust and keep it between the two of them."

"And you think he will?"

"I don't know Keith very well, but I do know Rae. She'll find a way to make it work."

Kiara nodded. "What are you gonna tell Jariah?"

Cyan seemed a bit more uncomfortable with this subject. "Well, Rae and I have both decided it's best not to let on about them being brothers, at least not yet. Likewise, we don't want to point fingers at any of their men. No King likes hearing that; trust me."

"So you're gonna make it personal?"

Cyan sighed as she thought back to her earlier dilemma about what to tell Jariah. Things seemed to be getting more and more complicated by the minute.

"More personal than it already is?" The Queen spoke more to herself than Kiara, but the younger Amazon had no trouble grasping the meaning. She was however, a bit taken back by Cyan's comment. It was certainly far more personal than Kiara had ever imagined she would hear from a Queen, especially one like Cyan.

"Are you okay, my Queen?"

Cyan shook her head and then smiled at Kiara. "Sorry, just thinking...... out loud apparently."

"It's okay....."

The Queen began to pace. "It's just, I'm not quite sure how to handle things with Jariah. I keep wishing we had more time, but we don't, and if I make things any more personal with Jariah I'm afraid I'll end up hurting him worse than anyone."

Kiara frowned, but seemed thoughtful. Finally she spoke. "I'm not sure what to tell you my Queen, but I do know he's better off alive and hurt, than dead."

"He'll hate me in the end Kiara......"

"Maybe my Queen, but if he dies, you'll hate yourself."

Cyan unstrapped her sheath and tossed it onto the bed. Kiara was right. She'd keep Jariah's trust no matter what the cost and worry about the rest later. "Wish me luck."

Kiara chuckled, finding the Queen's comment fairly comical. "Yeah right. Good luck with that."

Cyan shot the warrior a silencing glare, then headed for Jariah's room. This emotional crap was really getting on her nerves.

**********

Alli played with one of her daggers as she watched Rae move around the courtyard, sword in hand. Rae was totally absorbed in what she was doing. Alli was surprised at how frightened she became when Rae was practicing like that. She knew that Rae wouldn't hurt her, but also that she was very deadly if she had to be. Teflic sat beside Alli. Alli could have sworn that Teflic was watching Rae as well, as almost as if he was a human. She shook her head. That wasn't possible.

Rae swung the sword. "Flashback..." she whispered and flipped. "Don't stop..."

This confused Alli. Rae certainly was mysterious when she practiced. "Hey Rae!" she shouted.

Rae stopped and faced her. "Yeah?"

"What were you talking about... flashback?"

Rae laughed. "I'm sorry. It's a song."

"You fight to music?"

"Sometimes."

Alli laughed. "That's really interesting."

Rae shrugged. "I guess so."

"Oh!" Alli lowered her voice. "Abyss came back with a message. The Queen wants you to get Keith to arrange a peace conference with Jariah. But he can't tell anybody about it."

Rae nodded. "I see. Looks like we're going for the throat. Thanks for the info."

Meanwhile Keith had been staring out of one of the windows that looked into
the courtyard. Rae certainly was powerful... more powerful then he had thought.
Something screamed in his head. A voice...told him to fight her. He wanted to
fight her. He wanted to win.

The man in the tower laughed. This new plan was sure to go well. "Sorcery in
the mind always wins," he muttered. "They'll all be dead soon..."

Keith walked swiftly into the courtyard with his sword. He was ready. He
found Rae sitting on one of the benches with Alli and Teflic. "Rae?"

"Yeah?"

"I challenge you. Spar with me now."

"Spar?" Rae asked, an eyebrow raised.

Keith nodded. Rae realized that he was serious. She stood up and drew her
sword. "All right."

"Rae, be careful. I don't like the look in his eyes," Alli whispered.

"I'll be fine," Rae replied. Then she turned to Keith. "Ready when you are."

"Then let's begin."

The two began to spar. They were a pretty even match, as Alli observed. Keith would go at Rae, and she would easily dance around his moves. One thing really caught Alli's interest. Rae was totally relaxed. She looked like she was just having fun. But Keith... looked intense. It was if he wanted to beat her... and wanted to hurt her. Keith was
fully concentrated. The voice told him to keep going. His blows were getting harsher.

Rae frowned. Something wasn't right. But Keith wasn't letting up. "Keith, maybe we should stop."

"Why? Are you weak?"

"No!"

"Keep going then!"

Alli looked at Teflic. She had a bad feeling. "He's going to hurt her." She looked back at the two. Then she saw it in his eyes. "Rae! He's trying to kill you!" Alli shouted.

Rae's head turned slightly. Keith found his opening. And as soon as his sword met her skin he saw bright flashes. Alli screamed. Rae and Keith both fell to the floor.

Alli bolted from the bench. "Rae!"

Keith's eyes were wide with horror. He held his head in his hands. "What have I done..." he muttered to himself.

Rae was trying to apply pressure to her huge wound. Alli dropped beside them. "What were you thinking?" she shouted. "You ran her through! You stabbed her! You tried to kill her!"

"No! No I swear..."

Alli slapped Keith and then drew back, realizing that she had just struck the King.

Keith just trembled. He was frightened. When he had stabbed Rae... he had suddenly felt something lift from his head. Some sort of power... Keith held Rae. "Rae! I'm so sorry! I would never hurt you! I don't know what happened!"

Rae smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Keith asked.

"Nothing at all. Just get me some bandages. This is nothing but one more scar to me..."

It wasn't long before Rae had visited the palace physician. Now, stitched and bandaged, she sat quietly in her room just thinking things over. "What went wrong today?" she asked herself.

"Sorcery again," said Teflic.

Rae looked at him. "You think so?"

"Yes. I can sense that sort of thing. Somebody has a lot of power, but nobody seems to be able to sense it."

"So you're saying that whoever's doing this is pretty crafty...and pretty smart?"

"Exactly."

Rae nodded and looked out of the window.

Teflic sat at her feet. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you today."

"No. You did the right thing. You would have revealed yourself if you had come to help me. I'm ok."

"I know that you're strong but how can you just keep taking the blows like this?"

Rae shrugged. "It comes with the job."

Teflic stretched. "He's coming."

"Huh?"

"Keith."

"Oh, right."

"You know what you have to do then?"

"I'm ready." Rae got up and opened the door to find Keith standing there, ready to knock.

He jumped slightly when he saw her. "Rae..." he stammered. "I...I... shouldn't you be
sitting down?"

Rae laughed. "Come in Keith. We've got some stuff to talk about."

Keith obeyed and they both sat down. "You've been laughing a lot lately Rae. What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know. I just have to be optimistic. Nowadays, things aren't what they seem if you know what I mean."

Keith's mouth set into a firm line. "I'm so sorry about what happened. I didn't even feel like myself. I don't know what happened... I heard a voice."

"Don't stress over it."

"But I almost killed you! I couldn't have forgiven myself!"

"I said don't worry about it."

Keith was silent. He liked Rae a lot... but he still didn't fully comprehend her warrior philosophy. Finally he said, "Well, I still feel guilty. Is there anything that I can do for you? I know it won't cover for what I've done, but if I can do anything I will."

"Actually," Rae said. "There is something."

"Name it."

"You've got to have a peace conference with Jariah."

"What?"

"And you must keep quiet about it. You two have got to talk. It's for the good of your countries."

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes."

Keith looked into her eyes. There was something there... a new light. And it was intense. Keith could tell that Rae was all seriousness. He rose. "Very well then. I'll send for Jariah at once."

*****

Cyan lay quietly in bed, thinking. She could hear Jariah breathing behind her and wished that sleep would come that quickly to her as well. She touched her side lightly, which was still throbbing from the wound. She could feel Ashana's herbs starting to work, but knew she would have to have the Healer look at it once she returned to the Island...

The Island..... It felt like months since she had left and still they were no closer at bringing peace to these two Kingdoms then when they had come. As a matter of fact they were now closer to all the wrong things, than the right ones......

There was a loud knock at the door, which caught Cyan by surprise. Her heart raced a bit and then began to cool. It was time. Another loud knock..... and then another.

The Queen nudge Jariah in the side. "Jariah...."

The King stirred slightly, but then tightened his grip around Cyan's waist and drifted off again.

"Jariah. Wake up...."

"Ummm? What is it?" he asked sleepily.

"There's someone at the door."

The knock at the door bellowed across the room and the Queen felt Jariah flinch. He slowly released his grip, but kissed her lightly on the neck. "Don't go anywhere now; I'll be right back."

The Queen rolled over and watched Jariah throw on a shirt that had been discarded casually on the floor. She could hear the door open in the King's outer room and the sound of an argument ensue. The door slammed shut and Cyan listened for Jariah to return.

"Nistro." The Queen mumbled to herself. Keith's invitation must have arrived. Cyan took a deep breath as she heard the sound of Jariah's footsteps. "Here we go...." She said quietly.

Jariah set the parchment down on a nearby table and tossed his shirt back onto the floor. He crawled easily back into their warm bed, careful not to touch Cyan near her wound. He had made that mistake only once.... And that had been more than enough.

Jariah smiled and brushed the Queen's hair out of her eyes. "Morning." He said with great affection.

Cyan smiled back. "Morning."

The King moved closer but Cyan immediately took charge of the mood. "What was so urgent that a King must be taken from his bed?"

Jariah rolled his eyes and shook off the question. He obviously had other plans for the morning.

"I'm serious Jariah - what was it? In all my years of Queen, I would never be taken from my bed unless it was of extreme importance, yet here you are, back with me."

The King smiled. "Because this is of greater importance....."

Cyan pushed Jariah back and sat up. The sheet spilled away from her and she moved to get out of the bed.

The King grabbed her arm. "Where are you going? Did I do something to hurt you?"

The Queen grimaced at the irony in the question. She was definitely going to burn in Tartaras for this one. She turned around and faced Jariah. "I don't want you to put ruling your Kingdom on hold just because I share your bed."

Now it was the King's turn to sit up. "I was under the impression that you were sharing more than just my bed Cyan."

The Queen took a deep breath. Should she end it now? She couldn't. She needed him to trust her completely and take that meeting with Keith. She smiled weakly. "Of course I am Jariah, it's just that I don't want State affairs to suffer because of us."

Jariah smiled and caressed the Queen's cheek. "They're not. The parchment is nothing more than a poorly veiled attempt at deceit."

Now was her chance. "I don't understand."

Jariah spent the next several minutes outlining Keith's invitation and why Jariah was not going to accept. His Kingdom was far greater than Keith's and it was obvious that the other King was beginning to panic and see the futility of his battle.

"I think you should go."

Jariah's eyes widened. "You think I should what?" There was a mixture of surprise and pain in his words.

Cyan pulled him back to lean against her and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't doubt that you could beat Keith, but I do doubt the wisdom in wiping him out."

The King was still tense, not understanding the lack of faith Cyan seemed to have in his determination.

"It's not that Jariah.... It's not that at all."

Before Jariah could question her on her comment and how she had known what he was thinking, the Queen went on. "I have battled the gods and evils of which you have never heard and I have learned only one thing from all of it. If there is even the slightest chance of peace amongst enemies; you must take it."

The King leaned heavily into Cyan, obviously relaxing. "But why do I need peace when I can have it all?"

Cyan leaned her head back against the wall and stared at the palace ceiling. "Because you never truly know what will be lost and sacrificed in the process; not until it's way too late."

Jariah let the moment pass and then spoke quietly. "You sound like you speak from experience Cyan, more than what is gained as a Queen."

The silence seemed deafening and Cyan felt as if the room was closing in on her. "Jariah, do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"No, I mean completely trust me, no matter what were to happen?"

"What are you asking me Cyan?"

The Queen's mind raced. She wasn't sure what to say, but in the end, it had not been necessary.

"You don't love me, do you Cyan?"

Neither moved and neither spoke for a very long time. Finally Jariah slipped away from the Queen's hold and got out of bed. He walked thoughtfully towards his bath. "I will meet with Keith as you've suggested."

"Jariah...." Cyan called softly. The King paused, but did not look back. "If I were able to fall in love again, it would have been you."

Jariah disappeared through the doorway, leaving the Queen to her thoughts.

*******

Rae sat in one of the castle's huge studies, a roll of parchment spread

before her. Alli had wanted to explore the kingdom, so Rae had let her. Now she sat with her parchment, working carefully. Teflic sat beside her, peering at what she was doing. The sound of footsteps didn't even make her look up. She was fully concentrated. Then she heard the sound of Keith clearing his throat.

"Rae? Is this a bad time."

Rae shook her head. "No, not really."

Keith nodded. "Good. I brought you something."

Now Rae was curious. "Yeah? Have a seat."

Keith sat beside her, one arm behind his back. "I still feel bad for what I've done. I sent the message, and we are going to have a peace

conference."

"That's great!"

"But wait. I feel as if I've ripped you apart, and I'd never want to do that...so...close your eyes."

Rae rolled her eyes before closing them. She felt Keith place something into her arms. "Ok!"

Rae opened her eyes. A smile spread across her face. "Keith! You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to."

Rae examined the new soldier outfit that Keith had gotten for her. It looked exactly like the old one...just no holes in it. "Thank you so

much!"

Keith turned a light shade of red and then looked over at what Rae had

been working on. "You draw too?"

"Oh yeah. I love to draw."

Keith studied the drawing. It was quite good. It was a drawing of a young man with hair that fell past his shoulders, perhaps his age. The man had one palm up, the symbol of the Merquise carved into it. "Who is this?"

Rae smiled at the drawing. "It's a friend."

"Merquise?"

"I guess you could say that." Rae carefully picked up her drawing.

"I think it's really good," said Keith.

"Thanks. Hey Teflic!" Teflic looked up at Rae. She showed him the drawing. "What do you think?" Teflic seemed to study the drawing for a moment, then barked with approval. Rae laughed and set the drawing back down.

Keith shook his head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that dog was human."

"Why do you say that?"

"You treat him like he is."

"Well, he's one of my best friends. Animals make good friends...sometimes better then people."

"Yeah...I've noticed that you don't trust people easily. What's up with that?"

Rae sighed. "I've been hurt a lot in my life...and my trust for people has dropped so much. Now I find myself always on my toes when I'm around certain people...like those that I think are out for something bad."

"But if you can't trust easily...what does that do for your love?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How can you love someone if you don't trust them?"

"Think about it. I'd have to trust them before I love them."

"You don't fall in love easily?"

"Obviously not."

"So what do you love?"

"My family and friends...my dog..."

"What about...uh...me?" Keith was obviously nervous, as he was turning about a million shades of red by that point.

Rae just smiled. "Of course I love you. You're my friend!"

"But Rae, I think that I'm really in love with you."

Rae was silent for a moment. "Oh, I didn't know that you felt that strongly. You realize that anyone who gets attached to me is in for a life of danger?"

"I know. I'd be willing..."

"Keith, I'm not ready for true love."

"I understand...I just thought I'd tell you that I do have feelings for you."

"Well...how about waiting a few years? If you still have those feelings then maybe we'll have something to talk about." They both stood up. Suddenly Rae felt something...deep in her heart. "Something happened..."

"What do you mean?"

"I can feel it. Cyan...Jariah...something happened. I don't know what it is..."

"Is Cyan all right? She's not hurt is she?"

"No, I don't think so. Not physically at least. I'm worried."

"I can tell. You get that look on your face."

"Am I that easy to read?"

"No!"

"Good." Right at that moment, Alli burst into the room. "Alli?" Rae asked.

"Oh! It's nothing bad. Keith, the message from Sutsuma has come. The peace conference is tomorrow."

"So soon..." muttered Keith.

"What? Did you expect it to take forever?" asked Rae. "This is for the peace of the kingdoms."

"I know. I'm just a bit nervous. Jariah's a powerful man."

"And so are you."

"What if it doesn't go well? What if we come to nothing but war?"

"It will go well. And if not..." Rae thought for a moment. "I'd go against my orders and fight alongside you to make sure that peace does come."

Alli's eyes were wide at Rae's statement. "Rae...you'd go against..."

"If it was for peace, then yes. This land will see peace. I will make sure of it." With those last words, Rae gathered up her parchment and her new soldier outfit. "The peace conference is tomorrow. We all have to be ready for it. Come on Teflic. We've got work to do."

*************

Abyss shimmered into sight and lay down alongside Kiara and the Queen. Both glanced at the cat and then over at the nearby bedrolls. The fire sparked brightly and none of the King's men moved. Jariah was sleeping peacefully not far from where Cyan sat.

They had started out only a few hours before dark and decided to make camp. The Queen had suggested leaving suddenly, hoping to throw off whoever it was that was hiding in the shadows of one or both Kingdoms.

"It seems Rae has been a busy gal....." Cyan whispered quietly to Kiara.

The younger Amazon arched a brow. "Is everything all right?"

Cyan smiled. "It's fine, but also time for you to get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

Kiara was ready to protest, but suddenly didn't. The Queen chuckled as she watched the younger girl lay out her bedroll and curl up next to the flames. Her eyes had done a pitiful job at hiding their exhaustion.

The Queen stroked the head of her black cat and stared into the flames. Abyss had told her most of Rae's conversation and Cyan was sorry to hear that she had not found the capacity to love Keith. He sounded like a good and honest King, someone who would indeed love Rae with everything he was.

Cyan smiled. Rae was an excellent warrior, but far too young to live her life with the same burdens of someone the Queen's age. Love was still well within her grasp and she had barely scratched the surface of all this world still held for her. Cyan knew Rae wanted peace no matter what, but more often than not, the younger Amazon's actions seem to suggest war and not peace. Perhaps time would change her and some day Rae would feel content and not ready for a war with everyone who might cross her path.

The Queen stood and moved over to lie down alongside Jariah. Her cats obediently circled the parameter and Cyan clasped both hands behind her head and stared at the stars. Life seemed so different now then when she was Rae's age. There was so much to live for...... So many people to meet and to learn from. The Queen needed to find a way to get Rae more involved. A way that she could teach others more about herself as well as learning about them. Right now, Rae moved away from everyone she didn't understand and trusted no one. The Queen could not think of a more dangerous or lonely existence than that.

Cyan began to smile as she drifted off to sleep. She had learned a lot while on this trip... none of it easy, but because of Rae, it had been worth it. She had an idea... an idea that would help Rae express to the Island bits and pieces of herself and her past. The Queen drifted off. It was a good plan.

********

Rae was in her room, still dressed in her Amazon gear. A big bandage was around her midsection. She sighed as she carefully removed it.

"So...how is it?" asked Teflic's voice.

Rae turned and saw him materialize into human form. "It's healing well. Look for yourself."

Teflic came over and examined Rae's wound. "Yeah it's doing well. Still, that's a pretty nice scratch you got there..."

"Scratch," Rae laughed and began to change her bandage.

"Why don't you use Ashana's herbs?"

"I...uh...ran out."

"So soon?"

"I seem to be prone to running out lately."

Teflic rolled his eyes and sat in a chair. "Rae, you're too much."

"I know."

"They're on their way, you know," Teflic said.

"I know. The peace conference is tomorrow. Keith seems really uncertain about it though. I wish he'd be more confident about it. I'm sure it'll go well."

"Optimistic are we?"

"Yes."

"That's good." Teflic picked up the drawing that Rae had done. "This is really good you know..."

"What? You want it for your personal collection," Rae laughed. Teflic rolled his eyes and flipped through the parchment.

"These are all really good..."

"It just comes to me."

"I wish I could be an artist..."

"You can be anything you want to be."

Teflic looked up at Rae. She was looking at him, all seriousness in her eyes. He set down the parchment and motioned for her to sit, which she did. "Rae, you are the most complex person I've ever met."

"I am?"

"Truthfully... You reach beyond your years. How do you do it?"

"It's just the way I am. I think deeply. And so do you."

"Do I?"

"Of course." Teflic took her hand. "I wish you weren't so sad all the time though."

"I'm not sad. I've got a rough exterior I guess. Truly, I am happy now."

"But not always. Then again, you can't be happy all the time."

"I've seen so many people cry...alone..."

"And you cry when you're alone too. Don't think that I don't know."

"I can't keep anything from you can I?"

"Hey, I'm your guardian!" Rae swatted him playfully.

"Just be lucky that you're injured...or I'd hit you back," he joked.

Then they both laughed for a long time. It was getting late. "I'd better get to sleep," Rae said with a yawn. "Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

Teflic nodded and transformed back into his canine form. Then they both went to

sleep. Tomorrow was really going to be a long day...

Sunlight streamed through the window, waking Rae. "Damn it. Sun's up already? I'm tired."

"Well," said Teflic. "You've got a lot of work to do so you'd better get to it."

"My dog is telling me what to do," Rae muttered.

"Hey! I'm not all dog."

Rae went to change and returned in her new soldier outfit. Then she secured her sword.

"What do you need that for? Isn't this a peace conference?"

"This is in case something goes wrong."

"I see."

"Come on. Let's go get Alli."

The two got Alli. She was very excited about going to the peace conference. Then they met up with Keith. "That new outfit looks nice on you," he said to Rae.

"Thanks. Thank you..." Keith paced around the meeting room. Rae eyed him. "You are so nervous! Take a few deep breaths or something."

"I just want all to go well..."

"It will!"

"I know, I know. I'm just nervous..."

"We've got that established," Alli whispered to Rae. Rae stifled a laugh. There was a knock on the door. Keith was alert at once. Keith's messenger entered. "Announcing the arrival of King Jariah."

Keith looked up, his eyes darting around the room. Rae sighed. And then Jariah

entered the room, followed by Cyan, Kiara, and his men...

Keith stiffened just a bit and Rae watched as his eyes moved from Jariah to Cyan. He was obviously a bit surprised to see the Queen standing so closely to Jariah's side, but there was something more, wasn't there.......

Jariah had found himself a new ally, Keith thought to himself as he watched Cyan intently. She seemed far more intimidating now then when she was last here. Many things had changed in a such a short time, including her manner of dress. A long cloak flowed out behind her, revealing a simple yet effective black leather outfit. Keith recognized the style almost immediately. "She's an Amazon..." He whispered quietly under his breath.

Rae stepped closer and whispered back. "An Amazon Queen, Keith."

He shook his head in disbelief. "But that's impossible. A race of warriors capable of defying the gods? It cannot be done."

"But it has....."

"Then I'm doomed. My Kingdom cannot defeat both Jariah and Cyan."

Rae rested her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to. Cyan seeks peace just as much as we do - it was she who suggested the meeting."

Keith's men welcomed the visitors and offered them seats at the banquet table. Jariah smiled and waved his men on. He turned to greet Keith and offered his hand genuinely. "I am pleased that you have asked me here Keith. I think it may be time that we worked together."

Keith hesitantly shook Jariah's hand, but slowly began to relax. "I would like that. Please won't you have a seat, here, at the head of my table."

Jariah accepted the seat graciously and turned to wait for Cyan to sit alongside him. The Amazon Queen had lost interest in the formalities however and had made her way over to Rae, while Kiara and Alli chatted incessantly.

Cyan smiled. "It's good to see you Rae."

Rae smirked. "It's good to finally be seen."

The Queen chuckled at the comment, not missing it's meaning in the least. She put her arm around Rae's shoulder and steered them both towards the table. "Then let's eat and finish this."

Rae paused a moment and then looked over at Cyan. "And then go home."

Both Amazons smiled and then began to laugh as they took their seats. "I'd like that..."

**********

Both Kings had relaxed more and more over the course of the meal. By the looks of it, Cyan and Rae had both agreed that they even seemed to genuinely enjoy each other's company. The foundation had been laid for peace, but neither the Queen nor Rae thought it best to reveal their common bloodlines until all was settled.

Nistro watched Jariah and Keith intently. He was not happy with how things were progressing, but unless he could remove Cyan from the equation, he would never get close enough to warn Jariah in time. Peace would only weaken their Kingdom in the end and he was not about to see his profits ripped from his grasp by the wishes of a bedded down whore.

Jariah's commander nodded discreetly to several men hidden in the balcony. When the meal was over and before peace could be made, he would see to Keith's elimination himself. Now all he needed to do was kill Cyan.

********

Rae had actually enjoyed herself during the meal, laughing and joking with Cyan as she had never done before. There was a new ease of understanding between the two of them that had come with this trip. She had even been pleasantly at peace with the notion of returning to the Island and the idea of it being truly her home.

Keith and Jariah had made the meal even more pleasant with their friendly banter and antics. There was no doubt that when the time was right, it would be nothing but a pleasure to reveal to them their bond. Rae smiled. It was good to see Keith smile and know that he would one day soon have a family to call his own.

Cyan leaned back in her chair and watched Jariah's face light up at the humor in Keith's story. The Queen had hoped that she would be able to leave this realm with some notion that Jariah would not feel so empty and alone and Keith had given her just that hope.

She had caught herself several times throughout the course of the meal wondering whether she could have shared Jariah's bed with him permanently. Each time she realized it was not his face that she was looking into when she rolled over, but someone else's. A face that she had known years and years before..... way before Shatan and Davu.... Before she had even cared about a destiny other than the one she had been lying next to... but all that had changed.

"Are you okay?" Rae asked quietly but intently.

Cyan smiled. "Yeah, fine. Just lost in what if's I suppose...."

Rae smiled back. "I know the feeling..."

Once again they connected with ease and chuckled at the irony of ending up on this mission together.

"You know what I am enjoying the most about all this Rae?"

The other Amazon shrugged. "The sex?"

The Queen choked on her words and began to laugh.... "No, that's not exactly what I was thinking...."

Rae laughed herself and then shrugged again. "No clue."

Cyan smiled. "I enjoy the fact that I don't have to explain to you what I am thinking because you just sort of understand it. Even if you don't know the details, you do get the concept; and sometimes you just need that - and not a lot of questions."

Rae nodded. "Thanks."

Cyan arched a brow. "For what?"

"For being the same for me and just knowing...."

The Queen nodded in return and then threw a look in the direction of the younger Amazons. "Stay close to them."

Rae glanced over at Kiara and Alli and then back at the Queen. "What's wrong?"

Cyan moved her chair back as the servants began to clear the meal. "Nistro would like a word with me."

"Really?" Rae kept her eyes on Cyan and didn't bother to look around. They were obviously being watched. "I guess we found our bad guy."

Cyan nodded. "Now we need to know his plan and how many men he's got with him."

"I'm betting he goes for Keith, but how?"

The Queen shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I do know there were at least three dozen soldiers a half day's ride behind us, so I'm betting they're here somewhere."

"So why would Nistro want to talk to you now?"

Cyan smiled as she patted Rae on the shoulder. "He's either gonna ask me to dance or try and kill me."

Rae shook her head and chuckled. "He obviously hasn't figured out you're immortal."

Cyan grimaced. "He obviously hasn't seen me dance."

*********

Nistro smiled pleasantly. "I didn't have a chance to speak with you earlier Cyan, but I was hoping you could spare a moment."

Cyan nodded amicably and Nistro extended an arm towards the foyer. They walked silently and Nistro stood with his back to the banquet room doors.

The commander smiled. "It's obvious that you have captured the undivided attention of my King as of late....."

The Queen smirked, but remained silent.

Nistro was quietly enraged by the woman's arrogance, but smiled in return. "I am hoping that your intentions towards King Jariah are as honest as his are towards you."

Cyan was thoughtful for a moment and then began to circle the man slowly. "I suspect that Jariah would not be pleased to learn that his second in command was questioning my loyalties..."

Nistro seethed, but spoke quietly. "Or perhaps he would be wise enough to know that I was merely being careful as to who he has entrusted his Kingdom to."

Cyan nodded in agreement. "Perhaps." The Queen stood still. "Then what is it you wish to speak to me about Nistro?"

"Why are you so intent on pushing Jariah towards an alliance with Keith? Our Kingdom is far more powerful than his and we have no need for two rulers.... Or perhaps you are already in bed with someone else?"

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "I will let your comment pass as one of concern for your King's well being, but I assure you, I will not be as generous the next time around. As for the other topic, it is always in the best interest to maintain peace Nistro; even at the sake of someone else's greed."

Nistro's eyes widened, as his face grew red with rage. He hated this woman with a passion he had never felt so deeply in his life. He desired nothing more than to stand over her spilled blood and watch his destiny slowly spread across the floor. Keith and his Kingdom would fall and he would take his place alongside Jariah as it should be.

Nistro smiled and then waved his hand. Cyan watched as men leapt from the balconies onto the banquet tables, swords in hand. Rae was instantly to her feet and ready to fight, but then the doors slammed shut in Cyan's face.

The Queen glared at Nistro and turned for the room. She could hear the screams of surprise and then of pain. Suddenly there was a loud growl and a shriek of howling torture. Cyan whirled around and stared as Abyss tore at a gaping wound in a fallen soldier's throat. A lone dagger lay beside his lifeless hand. Nistro looked on in horror, while two other soldiers stood motionless behind him.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HIM?!" Nistro screamed in horror.

Cyan waved her hand and the two jungle cats shimmered into sight. Nistro and his men froze. "Abyss!" The cat immediately stopped and moved off behind the Queen. "You shouldn't have done that Nistro."

The Queen threw off her cloak and drew her sword from its sheath. She kicked open the doors and entered the banquet room.

Nistro watched her go and then looked at his men. "WELL? What are you waiting for? Get in there!"

The two men exchanged nervous glances at the Queen's cats and then back at Nistro. Neither moved.

The two men raised their swords and raced into the banquet room; Nistro was right behind them.

********

"What in hell is going on? What's the meaning of this?" Keith shouted in shock. He glared at Jariah. "Peace? You spoke of peace? No, you set this up! You won't have my kingdom!"

Jariah's expression was a mixture of seriousness and shock. Rae sprang to action, sword in hand. "Kiara! Alli! Follow my lead!" She scanned the room and saw Cyan fighting. Rae ran to her. "What the hell is going on here? Why were we set up like this?"

"You weren't." Cyan growled. "Nistro's definitely our bad guy; but our bad guy just panicked! Unfortunately, that's the good news...."

Rae arched a brow in question. "And the bad?"

The Queen spun suddenly and sank her boot into the stomach of an oncoming soldier. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Rae. "The bad news is, that Nistro's own cowardice and panic has actually worked to his advantage. Both Kingdoms are in utter confusion and Nistro still holds the loyalty of both Jariah and his men...."

"Watch it!" Rae cried.

Cyan turned just in time to see a man fall behind her, drenched in his own blood. She glanced back at Rae, who was wiping her sword clean. "Thanks." The Queen said thoughtfully and began to smile. She motioned towards Rae, almost as if she had forgotten where they were. "Ya know, you seem to be getting pretty quick with that....."

Rae smiled back. "I've been practicing."

The Queen nodded her head in a complimentary manner and flipped a second sword into her free hand. "Well come on then... this should be right up your alley." Cyan flipped overhead and began to fight.

Rae saw Keith and Jariah draw their swords. "Stop!" she shouted urgently and ran to them. "You can't fight!"

"I will protect my kingdom." Keith said.

"Keith, this is stupid! You can't do this!"

"I will." He jabbed his sword at Jariah, but Rae caught the blade. "Keith! I told you no! You'll seriously regret doing this!"

Jariah saw his opening for a shot at Keith, but before he could move Cyan was upon him. She grabbed his arm from behind, holding his blade. She spoke quietly but quickly into his ear. "No Jariah! We must have peace."

The King remained silent, but his arm relaxed in Cyan's grip. She whispered quickly, Nistro's men were making serious progress. "If you ever truly loved me, then listen to me now. You must never be too quick to kill, it's the only action you will never truly be able to undo. If you kill Keith now, you will regret it."

"And why is that?" Jariah asked, not really expecting an answer from his elusive lover. He shook his head slowly. "No Cyan, not this time. I will not be beaten by this man, especially after he betrayed my trust."

Nistro saw the two women talking to each of the Kings and felt his anger flare uncontrollably. Jariah had allowed Cyan to stand only inches from him, even in the midst of battle and the other woman seemed to control Keith in a similar manner.

"Sutsuma will rule!" Nistro muttered quietly. "Archers! The younger one! Shoot the younger one. She's got no protection like Cyan has. No hellcats to rise up against us if we get her! If you miss, then all the better. We will hit Keith and kill two birds with one stone! Fire!"

The archers pulled back their strings and arrows began to fly. Both Rae and Cyan had heard him, but there was barely time to react. Rae knew that she wasn't going to be able to dodge this one.

"Rae!" Cyan shouted.

Rae threw herself in front of Keith and felt the arrows coming closer. Then suddenly, somebody was shouting. "Rae!" There was a flash of long blonde hair...and a navy soldier uniform. Rae waited for the impact of the arrows...but it never came. Instead she felt warm liquid on her back. Blood...but it wasn't hers. She turned her head and gasped. "Gods! Oh gods!" she cried as the man collapsed. Keith, Jariah, and Cyan stared wide-eyed as Rae caught the man in mid-fall.

She slowly knelt with the man in her arms; four arrows piercing his body. "What in Tartarus did you do that for? Why?"

"I'm you're guardian, Princess. This is what I'm supposed to do. I'm quite all right."

"That was reckless!" Rae cried in anger.

"I couldn't let you die!"

Cyan stared at the man. He held a certain familiarity...but she couldn't pinpoint it. Then she saw it. Rae took the man's hand and Cyan saw...another scarred palm. "A Merquise...." she whispered in revelation.

Rae looked up at Cyan, trying hard to hold back tears. "Teflic." Rae muttered.

"Teflic?" Cyan asked in surprise. "Rae?"

"It's something that I've never told anyone. Teflic can shape-shift from dog to man. He's my guardian. He needs help... please!"

Cyan whirled around instinctively, taking everything in. Alli and Kiara were busy fighting their way over to join them, while Keith's soldiers continued to drop one by one. Those who were loyal to Jariah were obeying the only voice of command that was doing the talking, Nistro. The Queen took a deep breath. Things were about to get interesting.

"Kiara! Alli! Get Teflic out of here and treat his wounds."

Rae stood shakily as the girls helped Teflic up. He flashed them all a smile. "I'll be just fine."

"Nistro....." Cyan muttered as she sheathed her sword. "You are really starting to PISS ME OFF!"

The Queen turned back to Rae. "You okay?" she asked, handing Rae her sword.

The younger Amazon nodded. "Fine."

"Good." Cyan threw a thumb in Keith's direction. "Do whatever you have to, but make sure Nistro's men don't get anywhere near him."

Keith seemed irritated that Cyan had not addressed him personally, but Rae held him off and just nodded.

Cyan flipped a sword from the floor and handed it hilt first, towards Keith. "Does he know how to use this?" she asked Rae flatly.

Rae nodded. "Well enough....." Cyan turned to go and Rae grabbed her. "Where are you going?'

"It's time Jariah and I had a little chat. Then......" The Queen pointed her sword at the fighting soldiers. "Then we stage a mutiny and get back his men."

Rae nodded and then smiled in understanding. The Queen and Jariah began to walk away while Keith stood, still stunned from all that had just happened. "Rae..." he said.

"Yes?"

"You're the Princess of Rough Cove aren't you?"

"Yes."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't."

"But..."

Cyan yelled from across the room. "We don't have time for chit-chat Rae." The Queen nodded in Nistro's direction and Rae noticed how quickly his men were moving through the remaining soldiers.

Rae turned back towards Keith. "Now listen to me, the bad guy here is Jariah's second in command, Nistro. I can assure you that we weren't set up, but we've got to get rid of him.......Hit the floor!"

"What?"

Rae tackled Keith just as five more arrows missed them by inches. "I don't have time to explain any more Keith, we have to stop this. Just follow my lead!" Rae shouted.

"But where did Jariah and Cyan go?" Keith asked.

"They'll be back, I promise; but right now, I'm getting you out of here!"

*********

Cyan pulled Jariah behind one of the hanging tapestries and into a hidden doorway. "You seem quite familiar with your surroundings Cyan. Is that what this is all about? You're in love with Keith?"

The Queen chuckled in disbelief and then dragged her hand slowly down her face. "I don't have time for this Jariah. Your......"

The King brushed by Cyan but she quickly lashed out and caught his arm. "I am not in love with Keith." Jariah stopped, but barely made eye contact with Cyan. The Queen released her grip and sighed. "Initially I did come here because of Keith. He asked for our help and we came to give it, but things changed...."

Jariah finally looked over at Cyan. "How?"

The Queen shrugged. "I wasn't convinced he was the best guy to be King, so I needed to find out for myself....."

Jariah stiffened. "And now?"

Cyan softened her tone. "Now I believe each of you deserves to be King."

Jariah's eyes widened. "So you wish me to share my bed as well as my throne!?" Jariah slowly shook his head, eyes sad but determined. "I won't do it Cyan, not even if I thought it would win your love in return. You have made your choice clear and now I must make mine. There will be only one Kingdom Cyan and its rightful Ruler will be me."

The Queen grabbed Jariah and made him face her. "Look at me Jariah! Look at me!" The King slowly turned his eyes to look into Cyan's. "I don't love Keith and I never chose him over you. There's so much more to this than you even know. Nistro has gone behind your back and planned the death of Keith to ensure his own wealth and position in your Kingdom. He is the one who started this attack!"

Jariah pushed Cyan back. "Now you're trying to turn me on my own men?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Your own men have turned on you Jariah! Look at them! They're fighting their way through the banquet room and you never even gave them the order to attack!"

The King remained silent and Cyan stepped closer. "Nistro has tricked your men Jariah. He led them to believe that its you who wants Keith dead and that's why we're here. Keith and his men didn't betray you, Nistro did and now everyone will pay the price unless you stop it."

Jariah looked visibly shaken, but Cyan just smiled and touched his cheek. "It's not your fault you know... Nistro never really wanted peace for the Kingdoms and he's done whatever he could to ensure it wouldn't happen. He craves power and wealth, nothing more and men like that never remain loyal to anyone but themselves."

The King looked, from the battling banquet room, back to Cyan. The Queen could see the confusion in his eyes, not truly knowing who to trust or what to believe any more. She grabbed him by the arms and reassured him. "The necklace Jariah..... your mother's necklace.... Do you remember it?"

Jariah nodded, even more confused.

"The portrait of Keith's mother has her wearing that very same necklace, so I don't believe your mother really died during childbirth. I think your grandfather sent her away after you were born; too ashamed to reveal what had happened within his own Kingdom. So your mother came here, seeking a new home and new life, away from the one she was forced to leave behind. I swear on my life Jariah; Keith is your brother and unless you stop this, Nistro will kill him."

"And death is the one action that can never be undone..... That's what you meant isn't it?"

Cyan nodded as she looked nervously out into the room. Rae and Keith were losing ground and Jariah's men were still taking orders from Nistro. "Please Jariah, you have to trust me!"

The King remained motionless, staring blankly at the Queen. Cyan's body slumped in defeat, while her voice dropped to nothing more than a choked whisper. "I can't love you the way you want me to Jariah, but I love you enough to fight in your place...."

Cyan swallowed at the dryness in her throat and then managed a meager smile. "Always remember Jariah, the spilled blood of battle will always run red, but the blood guilt of family will never wash clean....."

The Queen flipped into the banquet room and sliced through one of Jariah's soldiers. Her stomach lurched and she felt her blood begin to cool. This was not going to end well; she could feel it.

Jariah stepped into the room and shouted to his men. The remaining soldiers began to slow their attack, looking quickly from Nistro to their King. Jariah made his way across the floor and closer to where Rae, Cyan and Keith stood ready to fight. The Queen lowered her sword as she watched Jariah turn towards Nistro, while still speaking to his men. "Sheath your swords and stand down."

Each of Jariah's soldiers did as they were told, ignoring Nistro's screams of protest. The King stood silent, waiting for his second in command to face him.

"Why?" Jariah asked flatly. "Why did you do it?"

Nistro sneered and chuckled as if Jariah were the stupidest man on the earth. "Why?!" he yelled incredulously. He shook his head in disbelief. "If you even have to ask that question, then you deserve to be King no more than your pathetic brother!"

Jariah's eyes widened. "You knew? You knew he was my brother and said NOTHING? All these years you planned to line your own pockets with the blood of my brother?"

Nistro grinned, and bowed sarcastically. "There are many who would do much worse for much less, my King."

Both Jariah and Cyan flinched at the sudden gleam in Nistro's eyes and watched in horror as a single archer appeared on the balcony. His arrow was released far before Keith had even detected his presence.....

The Queen flipped effortlessly through the air and whirled around to where Keith had been standing. Jariah was lying motionless, a lone arrow protruding from his back, a stunned Keith barely moving beneath him.

A pool of blood slowly began to form, as Rae carefully helped Jariah off his brother. Keith's eyes were wide with horror as he scrambled to kneel alongside the other King. The Queen stared at Rae and their eyes met, neither needing to say a word. Rae finally looked away and back to the dying man and his brother.....

Cyan felt her blood turn to ice; her emotions once again taking refuge in a closely guarded chamber. Jariah had brought them much closer to the surface then he'd ever even known......

With one swift motion, the Queen swung her sword and listened to the sound of Nistro's head rolling across the floor. She wiped her blade clean and sheathed it, never once taking her eyes off the fallen King.

She had known.....

Keith's eyes darted from Jariah to Rae. He could barely speak. The dying man lying before him...was his brother? All of that time that they had fought each other had been pointless? "Ja...Jariah..." he said, his voice shaking. "I...I...why did you do it?"

Jariah smiled, despite the growing pain he felt. "Because you're my brother. One of us had to carry on and it should be you. I've made many foolish decisions in my life, but for once I think I've made the right one."

"There had to be another way! You didn't have to get yourself killed."

"Keith, my brother, trust me, I have made the right decision. Now you must carry on our family name and unite both kingdoms."

Keith saw a look in his brother's eyes and realized that he must do what Jariah said. "Forgive me, Jariah, for everything."

Jariah smiled. "Only if you forgive me first."

Keith smiled in return. "Of course I forgive you."

Cyan knelt beside the two, causing Keith to smile bravely as he let Cyan take over. He stood and looked at Rae; she was obviously very bothered by something. "You knew?" he asked her softly.

She nodded and Keith went to her. "If you knew...then why didn't you tell me?"

"It was for your own sake. For your own protection."

"No! If you told me then this might have not happened! My brother might not be dying right now!"

Rae put a hand over her heart. She knew how Keith felt all too well. But something else hurt too... "I'm sorry Keith."

"No! You should have told me!"

Rae was getting angry now. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way!" she shouted.

"Don't speak to me!" Keith shouted back. With that, he left the room, half in fury and half in sadness.

Rae watched him go and shuddered a bit. She looked back at Cyan and Jariah. "Jariah, I misjudged you and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. If I had only told Keith, then none of this would have happened. I take full responsibility for this."

Jariah smiled. "Rae, there's nothing to forgive. This wasn't your fault. Keith just needs some time."

Cyan looked at her friend. "He's right, you know."

Rae nodded stiffly, keeping her tears inside. She wouldn't cry, not here...not now. Then she turned, feeling defeated, and left.

"She doesn't believe us....." Jariah said softly.

Cyan looked at Jariah, sadness flooding her eyes. "Learning the difference between the things you can control and things you must just accept is not a lesson I wish any of my warriors to learn to quickly Jariah..."

The dying King smiled at the Queen he would both have and lose in the very same day. "I suppose you're right. You only get to understand those kind of things with the more you lose. Can't be a good motivator for a tribe of warriors." Jariah gave a weak smile, but it was more than enough to cause Cyan to chuckle.

"Maybe you understand this whole leadership thing better than I thought." The Queen slowly began to frown. "I wish I could do something to help you Jariah...."

The King reached up painfully and touched her cheek. "Shhhh... it's okay... it's really okay. It may have taken a knife in the back, but I understand your destiny Cyan and we were never meant for the same path."

Cyan returned his touch and nodded sadly. Jariah dropped his arm but the Queen was quick to grab and hold his hand tight. He whispered thoughtfully. "I do wish I could have met you earlier though, perhaps things could have been different for us........"

The Queen smiled. There was so much Jariah would never know or understand. So much about her past, her family, her destiny..... so much that she didn't need to explain to tell him what he really wanted to hear. She leaned close and kissed him. "I would have loved you no less than I love you now Jariah, we just would have had more time....."

Jariah coughed and tried to smile. A tiny trickle of blood spilled from his lips. "It's not nice to lie to a dying man Cyan. You never loved me the way I loved you....."

The Queen wiped the blood from his mouth and kissed it gently; silencing him. "No Jariah, you're wrong. I was just too stubborn to realize it; that's all. It's been a long time since I've felt that way about someone.........."

Jariah eyes glazed over, but not before a genuine smile of peaceful content spread across his face. Cyan moved her hand gently over his face, closing his eyes for the last time. She smiled thoughtfully and then stood. He had been believed her..... and maybe, just maybe.... on some level, there had been more truth behind it then she would ever know..."

The Queen motioned for Jariah's soldiers. "Prepare him for the burial he deserves." The soldiers nodded in genuine respect and sadness while Cyan threw a thumb in Nistro's direction. "And make sure you take out the trash!"

**********

The room was dim and day had turned to night. Rae sat beside Teflic's bed, looking at her fallen friend. Her heart was screaming. She hadn't seen Keith since their little shouting match. She felt horrible...wretched for what she had done. She should have told Keith. The thought that all that had gone on that day could have been prevented brought tears to Rae's eyes. Now, because of her silence, Teflic was hurt and Keith was hurt too. Rae folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. A song came to mind...a song from long ago. Rae sang quietly. "Setsunaku togireru koe to chigireru kokoro Ieru hazu nai to shitte 'ru Hitori dake tsubuyaku anata no na Namida afureru no wa setsunakute Tada setsunakute Hitori dake tsubuyaku anata no na Namida afureru no wa setsunakute Tada setsunakute..."

She stopped when she heard a whisper. It was faint at first, but then became strong. "It hurts I know there's no way I'll be able to say. This torn heart and shattered voice...Only alone I murmur your name. It only hurts only hurts that I'm filled with tears. Only alone I murmur your name. It only hurts Only hurts that I'm filled with tears..." Teflic said. He glanced over at Rae.

Her eyes were wide, almost in surprise. "You're awake! Thank the gods!"

"It sounds to me," said Teflic, "That somebody I know is suffering from a guilty heart."

"Yes, it's true. Don't you think that if I told Keith then this might have been prevented?"

"Maybe so...then again maybe not. I have a feeling that this was inevitable, even if you had told him."

"Teflic, he blames me!"

"He's confused right now. He doesn't mean what he says, I'm sure."

Rae sprang to her feet, in tears. "He hates me! Keith hates me!" Rae bolted from the room with a sob.

"Rae!" Teflic shouted. "Rae, come back! Don't do anything stupid! Don't do something that you'll regret! Come back Rae!"

Keith was walking down the hall, half in grief, half in confusion. He stopped for a moment when he heard shouting. It was coming from Teflic's room. Keith was still surprised that Teflic was a shapeshifter. But the cries sounded desperate, so Keith picked up his pace and pushed the door to Teflic's room open. Teflic was sitting up, his face in panic.

"Teflic?" Keith asked uncertainly.

"Keith! Thank the gods! I can't get up, but maybe you can be fast enough..."

"Fast enough? Teflic, what's wrong?"

"It's Rae. She feels extremely guilty. Half her guilt is imagined, I would think. But Rae's been through so much and it seems as if she's just been broken. You can't be strong all of the time. But when Rae breaks, she gets deadly. If we're going to save her life, I need you to find her and stop her from whatever she might be doing. Do you understand me?"

Keith was stunned, but nodded.

"Good! Now hurry up and go find her!"

Worry coursed through Keith's veins. What if...he lost Rae at a time like this? He wouldn't be able to go on. With a sudden urgency, Keith turned and bolted from the room.

Rae sat at the table in the royal dining hall, a single wineglass in front of her. The glass had water in it. Rae slowly added a powder to the water...and it turned blood red. "Setsunakute..." she muttered. "It hurts." Hot tears stung her eyes. Rae slowly picked up the glass, examining its contents. "One gulp...and it all ends." She raised the glass to her lips. Then she suddenly slammed it down. "What in Tartarus am I doing! I could never do this!" With one swift motion, Rae knocked the glass over, the red contents spilling across the table. As the liquid began to drip, Rae laid her head down. Without even meaning to, she fell asleep.

Keith searched and searched. Where was she? He slammed open doors, desperately trying to find Rae. Finally he made it to the dining room. His eyes widened in terror. Rae was at the table...face down. A red liquid was everywhere. He approached her and examined the liquid. It wasn't blood... it was... "Poison!" Keith cried. "Rae!" He took her into his arms. "What have you done!" he shouted. "How could you? Why Rae?" By this time, tears were streaming down his face.

Suddenly Rae opened her eyes. "Keith? What's going on?"

"You! Rae...how is this possible?"

"What?"

"You were...the poison..."

"I didn't take it. I must have fallen asleep."

"You were sleeping?"

"Yeah I guess so."

Keith took her into a huge hug. "Thank the gods!" he repeated over and over.

"Keith, I thought...that you were angry with me."

"Angry with you?"

"Yes. Remember...we fought and you...blamed me. I mean, you had a right to. I should have told you about Jariah."

"No! I was wrong. I shouldn't have blamed you. I was blind..."

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"He was your brother."

"Yes. He was my brother..." Keith motioned for Rae to sit. Once seated, Keith looked at Rae. "He was my brother, but I didn't know him. I do feel sadness in my heart. I wish that we had grown up together... Then none of this would have happened."

"I've lost family...and friends that were as close as family. It's hard."

"I know. I lost my father...and mother. You still have your father though...right?"

"Yes I do."

"The King of Rough Cove... and you're the princess."

"Yup. Enough of me though. What are you going to do about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you be all right? After all that's gone on..."

"I'll be fine."

"You do know that...I'll be gone after tomorrow."

"You're leaving so soon?"

"I think so." Rae looked into Keith's eyes. "I do want to return to the Island...but...I'll really miss you. I almost want to..." Rae stopped short.

"Want to what?" Keith inquired.

"Never mind," Rae laughed.

"Well we've both been through a lot today. My suggestion is that we both get some sleep and talk some more tomorrow. Come on, I'll take you to your room. Just to make sure that you make it there in one piece."

Rae laughed. "All right." They walked arm in arm to Rae's room.

Keith smiled at her. "Thank you Rae."

Rae raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For...just being you." Then, he swiftly leaned over and kissed her cheek. Rae gasped and looked up...but Keith was already gone. Rae slowly entered her room, shutting the door behind her. She leaned on the door, almost in a lightheaded state. Then she came to her senses. But before going off the bed, Rae placed her hand on the door. "Keith," she whispered. "What I couldn't say was that...I almost want to stay here. And this time...I truly speak from my heart." Rae was silent for a moment. And then she went to bed. It had been a long day.

********

Cyan was sitting alone in the banquet room when Keith entered. She looked up momentarily and then back down to her drink.

"The men are all settled comfortably in rooms and the arrangements have been made for Jariah's body to be returned to his own Kingdom for burial. I will be taking him myself."

The Queen nodded as Keith sat down opposite her. "You and Rae are not very similar are you?"

Cyan looked up suddenly, taking back by Keith's sudden question. She finally began to chuckle and shake her head. "No, we're nothing alike."

"Did you love my brother?"

The Queen rested her chin on her fist. "As much as I could."

Keith stared at her intently. "What things could exist in life to drive a person's emotions so deep?"

Cyan took a long sip from her drink and eyed Keith intently. "Things I hope neither you nor Rae ever know."

"And your family?"

The Queen chuckled sarcastically. "You don't want to know my family; trust me."

Keith sighed, slightly frustrated. "Not one for talking much are you?"

Cyan took another large gulp of her drink and stood. "Nope."

The Queen turned to go, leaving Keith silent. She paused momentarily by the door and looked back at the King. "You would have liked Jariah; he was a good man; a good ruler."

Keith nodded. "I know and I will do my best to lead this Kingdom to greatness."

Cyan smiled. Keith was so young in so many ways; so many ways that Jariah could have helped him. "Be ready Keith...."

"For what?" the King asked cautiously.

The Queen shook her head, thinking of all that lay ahead for such a young and innocent King. "For sacrifice Keith. You've only just begun to see what a destiny of leadership will cost you."

Cyan left the King in silence; his emotions none of her concern. That was something he would need to learn on his own.

She walked confidently through the hallway, Keith's soldiers parting as she made her way towards Rae's room. She had her own concerns; her own responsibilities, and Rae was one of them.

The Queen paused in the hallway, listening intently at one of the doors. She could hear Alli and Kiara sleeping soundly. "Stay and watch." Cyan said flatly to one of her jungle cats. She moved further down the hallway, dismissing the lone soldier that stood outside Rae's room. She opened the door slowly and peered in...

"Come in my Queen. I'm awake."

Cyan shut the door behind her, making her way to a seat that looked out into the midnight sky. "Are you alright?" the Queen asked quietly.

Rae was silent and Cyan tipped back in her chair, putting both feet up on the windowsill. She looked over at Rae and smiled. "With such a beautiful sky, I think I'll just sit here all night and wait to see the sunrise - if you don't mind that is?"

The other Amazon smiled back and finally lay down on her bed. She knew the Queen would watch over her and wait until Rae was ready to talk. She thought about all that had happened... about Keith and Jariah.... About Loa......

********

The sun streamed through the window and Rae smelled the aroma of coffee. She slowly sat up and looked over at where Cyan was sipping her morning coffee. Other than the Queen having a mug of her usual steaming java, it didn't look like she had moved all night.

Cyan continued to stare out the window. "How'd you sleep?"

Rae thought for a moment, then smiled. "Pretty well actually. She looked over to where Teflic was still resting quietly."

"I gave him some water and herbs in the night - it should help with the pain." The Queen chuckled. "It should also keep him sleeping a bit longer and heavier than normal."

Rae laughed herself as she threw back the blankets. "Nice Queen - you drugged our own ally."

Both Cyan and Rae laughed. "Coffee?" Cyan asked, motioning towards a pot on a nearby table.

Rae eyed the pot for a moment. "Nah, I'm good for now." She began to pack her stuff into her bag.

"Rae.." Cyan said.

"Yeah?"

"Come here."

Rae paused, but then obeyed. She sat on the windowsill. Before Cyan could speak, Rae took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready."

Cyan looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"I'm ready to tell you what happened. I've had all of this sadness piled onto my heart. It's time for me to relieve some of the burden. I'll never forget what happened, but I'm not going to dwell on it any longer."

Cyan took a slow sip of coffee. It was as if Rae had suddenly changed. Cyan still saw the burning intensity in Rae's eyes...but she also saw the eyes of an innocent young woman, one who wanted to be heard. "I'm listening. What happened with Loa?"

"After I got sick that time, I went down to the beach and found Loa there."

"Loa had returned to the island and you didn't tell us?"

"That's right. I didn't want to involve the Amazons. It was my fight. Loa was really messed up when I found her. But I took care of her and she told me that we had to go to Japan. So that's what we did. You should have seen how the people there cowered when they saw her."

"I can imagine."

"Anyway, Loa fought with her former master, Ni Shang. And then we met her sister, her other half, Ming."

"So Loa had a sister."

"Yes. She was the complete opposite of Loa...she was the white dragon. Cyan, these dragons were all powerful. I mean, even more powerful then the gods. They were almost...beyond immortal. But Loa was the evil one. She went totally insane and killed her sister. Then she killed herself. Cyan, I was standing there, totally frozen. I couldn't help her. Something was telling me to let her take her life. I believe that there was a reason. And the dragons live on. The black dragon spirit and the white dragon spirit will be reincarnated again. They will live forever."

"And that's what happened?"

"Yes. I wish things could have been different. I sympathize with Loa...I really do."

"She was your best friend."

"Sometimes I wish I could turn back time...but then I'd be running from destiny. We've all got a role to play. Loa was the black dragon. Just like I'm a Merquise. I'm a descendent of Zeus, a demigod if you will."

"You? I never realized." He sure got around Cyan thought to herself.

"I didn't either until a short time ago."

"And you said that the man who is after you will eventually catch up?"

"Yes. He did fall off the ship during our confrontation, but I'm almost certain that he isn't dead."

"I see."

"That's why I'm so grateful to you Cyan, and to the Amazons. The Island is protecting me without even knowing it. There's no way that Iber will ever be able to find it."

"But you have such an urge to be off-island."

"That's just the way I am. But I'm comforted to know that I'll always have a safe place to go. Thank you."

Cyan smiled. "No Rae, thank you. For a while there I thought that you were being overly hotheaded and then distant at the same time. I didn't quite understand how deep your emotions ran, but now I do understand and I'll always be here if you need to talk."

"Thanks Cyan. You know, at first I thought that we'd never see totally eye to eye. I thought that you might be too caught up in your duties to have time to understand me. Now I realize that you're one of my closest allies."

"The Amazons are too, you know."

"But..."

Cyan held up a hand for silence. "I know what you're going to say. You don't want to risk their lives for your destiny. I admire that, Rae. Not many people would be as noble as that."

Rae glanced out of the window. "The sun's rising higher as we speak. Keith's going to leave soon."

"You'd better go see him off."

Rae raised an eyebrow. "My Queen?"

"That's an order. You'll regret it if you don't."

"What if Teflic wakes up? Didn't you drug him or something..."

"I'll take care of it, while you say your good-byes. I'll get Kiara and Alli as well. I think it's definitely time to return to the Island." Rae nodded and left the room.

*********

"Keith! Hey Keith!" Rae found Keith saddling his horse. "You're leaving now?" she asked him.

"Not now, but very soon. I have to arrange Jariah's funeral and then get ready to merge the two kingdoms together."

Rae petted the horse. "Well, then good luck."

Keith looked at her. "You're leaving too aren't you?"

"Yes. Later today I think."

"That means we won't see each other..."

"Yes we will."

Keith eyed her. "We will?"

"I'll visit. And if you go to Rough Cove, I just might be there if you're lucky."

Keith smiled. "That's good at least."

Rae took his hand. "If you're ever in trouble or anything then just let me know. I'll come right away. I promise."

"Then let me promise you that I'll do the same." He turned her hand over. "Stay ahead of the legend... I don't want you to get hurt."

Rae pulled away and did a little riverdance. "I'm always two steps ahead. That's me... Rae on the run!"

Keith gave her a strange look, but laughed. "Don't tell me that you... dance too."

"I am a soldier of many talents."

"Oh! That reminds me..." Keith reached into a pack that hung at the horse's side. He pulled out a square shaped object. It seemed to be a canvas of some sort. He looked it over and handed it to Rae. "Since you're talented in drawing... you inspired me to draw too. I hope you'll take this with you."

Rae looked at the drawing. "Gods... Keith, you do have talent. It's beautiful."

"It's a drawing of you. Of course it's beautiful!"

Rae smiled. "I'll take it with me. Thank you."

"One more thing." Keith pulled out a necklace. "My mother's necklace. I've been looking over it and I think that it looks Amazon. I'd like you and Cyan to take it with you. I'm sure it has many secrets that haven't been told." He handed the necklace to Rae.

"Oh, thank you. I'm sure that Cyan will appreciate it as well."

Keith nodded. A messenger came up to him and murmured something. Then Keith faced Rae. "Looks like it's time for me to head out."

"I understand." Suddenly Rae felt as if her heart was going to be taken away. She took a step forward and then hugged Keith fiercely. "Please be safe Keith. It just seems that everything that I love somehow leaves me. Watch out for yourself."

He hugged her back. "I will."

"Safe journey then."

Keith swung up on his horse. He smiled at Rae and then stared ahead. His journey began. He looked over his shoulder and waved to Rae. She waved back and kept waving until he was out of sight.

"You're going to miss him aren't you?" asked Cyan's voice from behind her.

"I guess I will."

"Rae, it's ok to love someone."

"I know. I just don't want anything to happen to him. As I told him, everything that I love seems to get destroyed."

"I wouldn't worry that much. Keith's a good man. He'll be fine."

Rae sighed. "You're right." She looked in the direction of Sutsuma and then back at Cyan.

"What are you thinking, Rae?"

"I'm thinking... that it's time for us to go home." Cyan chuckled. "I agree, Rae. I definitely agree."

************

Cyan sat in her throne room at a nearby table scouring over plans and maps with Olympia and Eri. There was a sharp knock at the door and two soldiers entered at the Queen's approval.

"There's someone here to see you my Q....."

Cyan waved them off. "Yes, yes, I know. I sent for her. Please show her in."

Rae walked in and bowed. She nodded at both the Queen's niece and bodyguard, each smiling in return but quickly returning to their maps. Cyan rose from her seat and walked towards the balcony, motioning for Rae to follow her.

The Queen leaned heavily on the balcony's railing and Rae came to stand alongside her.

"Is there something wrong Cyan?"

The Queen smiled and looked out across the Island. "Not at all Rae. I've been thinking a bit since we returned from our trip and I have a task for you... a sort of mission if you will."

Rae's curiosity was peaked. "Really?"

The Queen nodded. "Interested?"

Rae chuckled. "You know me well enough by now to know the answer to that. So, come on - what is it - you're killing me....."

Cyan pointed over to where a large piece of jungle was being cleared away, not too far away from the Academy grounds. "I've decided to add on to the Academy this year and I want you to head it up."

"Me?" Rae asked in genuine surprise. "But the Enforcer and Matt oversee all construction projects on the Island; it's Amazon law."

Cyan nodded and chuckled. "I know that and luckily for us, I happen to make the laws. I've already talked to each of them and they agree you are the perfect candidate to take on this special project."

"I am?"

The Queen chuckled again. "Yes Rae, you are. You see; I've been thinking a lot about the different talents that we teach on this Island and how we prepare our warriors for battle. We offer the best of the best TO the best of the best and now I want to expand that."

Rae started to smile. Island life seemed so much more enjoyable now that she had a new understanding of others and they, a new understanding of her. "So what is it that I can help with?"

Cyan looked over at the younger Amazon and smiled. "I want you to design and build an Art Center for the entire Island."

Rae's eyes widened, she was speechless. The Queen laughed heartily, causing Olympia and Eri to look up from their studies momentarily.

"Really?" Rae finally managed to ask.

"Yes Rae - really! Your talent for drawing has not escaped me ya know. As a matter of fact, I am far more in tune with regular life than you give me credit for."

Rae smiled. "I can see that."

"Then you'll do it?" Cyan asked, not really needing an answer.

"I'd be honored."

The Queen slapped Rae on the back as she escorted her back towards the door. The Queen's bodyguards stepped aside and let Rae exit. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with your new project Rae and if you need anything...." Cyan smiled, reminding Rae she would always have a listening ear if she needed it.... "you know where to find me."

Rae smiled back and then left the palace. She whistled quietly as she began planning the Art Center in her mind. Life on this Island may be just what she needed after all........

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