Mr Peter S Beagle is responsible for the original creation of all characters except for Aurora. I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing them for a while. Comments and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.

~*~*~*~*~ It was nearing midnight in Hagsgate. The town was quiet; the soft wind blew through the open windows and cooled the hot summer night. All were asleep in the town.

Up a winding, narrow path, lay Hagsgate Castle. In the castle all was quiet as well. The members of the court were fast asleep and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of mice scratching against the stone floors, followed by the castle cats. The queen and her daughter slept in their chambers, surrounded by lush furs and bed sheets made only of the finest silk. Their heads rested on soft feathery pillows stuffed near bursting with down. It was enough to cause even the most awake person to slip into slumbering bliss. The only soul not under Morpheus' spell was King Lir. Beside his wife, Lir watched her sleep. He watched her body rise and fall with each breath she took. She looked so peaceful, so happy. He took a deep sigh and slowly got up from the so he wouldn't disturb her. His conscious had plagued him all evening; even his young daughter had noticed his melancholy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Daddy, are you okay? You look so sad."

He was pulled out of his thoughts by his child's small, angelic voice. He smiled softly at young Aurora. His wife, Queen Amalthea, had turned her attention away from Schmendrick, the court magician, to look at her husband with concern. He took her hand and squeezed it softly.

His daughter climbed up on his lap and asked, "What were you thinking about, Daddy?"

He replied distantly. "The sea."

Amalthea blinked once and looked out the window at the waves before turning to her husband again. "Your father spoke of the sea often before he died. Is there something down there?" She had always been afraid of the water, but she couldn't think why.

Just as Lir was about to say something, Schmendrick, who had been successfully juggling several brightly coloured balls, tossed them high into the air and one by one they changed into birds. The birds fluttered out the window and as the court applauded and he took his bow. Wife and daughter laughed delightedly at their dear friend's trick. The sea was forgotten.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lir walked to the window and looked out. He watched the waves breaking against the rocky shore. He stood for several moments, gazing deep into the water. He saw nothing but the reflection of the night sky. One million diamonds twinkled upon the gently rolling waves.

He closed his eyes and saw them. The unicorns. The unicorns, who once danced and laughed in secret meadows. The unicorns, who once guarded the lush and beautiful forests and all within. The unicorns, who now lay trapped beneath the waves for eternity. His mind drifted back 6 years, before Aurora was born and the miserable, lonely castle had been transformed into the vibrant place it was now known as.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"You can't do this to her! She isn't a mortal!" Schmendrick yelled at his friend.

"She's a woman, and we are in love! The world will go on without unicorns, I cannot go on without her!"

"The Lady Amalthea was born to walk the world forever. She is a unicorn! If she remains this way for much longer she will grow old and die. Don't you understand? She came here to find and free her kind. It is what she must do."

"She doesn't care anymore. I don't care! She has almost forgotten being a unicorn and now all that matters is our love."

He stormed out of the room angrily before the magician could say another word.

Soon days had passed and Amalthea had completely forgotten who she was and what she had come to Hagsgate for. Lir had created the story that Molly and Schmendrick had found her wandering the countryside, and they had gone with it reluctantly. For years Amalthea had never understood the silent animosity between her husband and one of her dearest friends. She asked Molly about it one day but she only shook her head sadly and said.

"It would only hurt you, your majesty."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lir opened his eyes and looked down at the sea once more. He shivered, then retreated from the window. He crept to the wardrobe and quietly changed, taking a long cloak out and wrapping it around his body. He left the room and closed the door softly, then hurried down the corridor and out through a secret passage only he had knowledge of. 'The Red Bull's lair.' He thought to himself. The Bull had long since vanished. His existence ceased the day Lir had wed the Lady Amalthea. Lir walked through the cave and stepped out into the night. Halfway across he stopped and stood on the beach, once more looking out into the waves.

"Are you still there? Do you hate me for taking her?" Lir asked the waves, as if they would answer him back. "Should I tell her the truth about where she comes from?" He said quietly, a tear falling down his cheek.

A soft voice called from behind. "Where who comes from?"

~*~*~*~*~*~