Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: For my beautiful beta best friend, Mel for...well, everything, really.

Truth and Lies

The first time she'd told them about the voices and the people she'd met, Alexandra dropped the cup of tea she'd been holding. Leland had gasped in dismay; her hands covering her mouth, Phillip had gone pale, while Bobby had started blustering. They'd shushed her, telling her not to make up stories, even though she'd insisted that she was telling the truth.

Jaenelle hadn't told them about all the people. She didn't tell them about how she'd healed the hand of a boy with silver hair, large grey eyes and delicately pointed ears. She didn't tell them about the winged, brown skinned, golden eyed man who'd thought her how to defend herself. She didn't tell them about the dragon that had called to her.

The haunted sapphire eyes turned to the other people in the room, before returning to the pouch. Slowly, she opened the velvet bag and gazed at the glittering jewels inside. She knew they were real. It didn't matter if they didn't believe her. She knew they were there, that they were hers. Lorn had said so, but more importantly, she knew it in her heart.

Phillip came over and sat down next to her, studying her miserable face. "Jaenelle," he said gently, his hand covering hers, "Why don't you go and get something to eat? You must be very hungry after such a long day."

She nodded mutely and rose, her chin trembling in an effort to keep the tears of disappointment in.

At the door, she stopped and turned. "I'm telling the truth," she whispered. "These are my jewels."

They didn't hear her.

"Well I know unicorns are real," Jaenelle insisted.

"But how do you know, if you've never seen one?" her sister Wilhelmina demanded, arms crossed.

Because I am Witch. I am dreams made flesh. And some of the dreamers had been the mythical unicorns. She knew that. But she didn't say that out loud.

Instead, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "I just know."

Wilhelmina's eyes went huge, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "You mean…" her voice trailed off.

"Uh-huh," Jaenelle beamed. "Just like I know all the other things I tell you."

"But mama said…" Wilhelmina trailed off, looking apprehensive.

"What did Leland say?"

"Well," she hesitated before continuing. "Mama said that I shouldn't believe everything you say because you're not well."

She felt her eyes fill. "Leland said that? She thinks I'm not well?"

"But I don't!" Wilhelmina put her arms about her sister's shoulders. "I think there are unicorns and dragons, and even," her voice lowered dramatically, "the High Lord of Hell."

"Thank you Wil," Jaenelle told her, smiling sadly. "But Leland doesn't. And that means," she took a shaky breath, "that Alexandra doesn't either."

Wilhelmina opened her mouth to reply, but shut it with a snap when the familiar figure of Graff appeared at the doorway.

"There you are," she said, going over to Wilhelmina and taking her arm. "Hurry along, now. It's time for your Craft lessons." She led Wilhelmina out of the room. Jaenelle followed, rolling her eyes behind Graff's back. "And where do you think you're going? Graff demanded, glaring at Jaenelle contemptuously.

"For my Craft lessons," she answered looking bewildered.

"No, you aren't. You failed your Birthright Ceremony, you have no jewels. You will not be learning Craft with your sister."

It was as if Graff had slapped her. Jaenelle stared. "But…I didn't fail. I got the jewels. Look!" she fumbled in her pocket and drew out the pouch, thrusting it at Graff, who knocked it away belligerently. "You can't even do basic Craft," she spat. "And you think you received a gray jewel? You're sick. You're a sick head girl. And you need to be fixed." She spun around, still holding on tightly to Wilhelmina's arm. "Do not come into the study room." And she strode away with Wilhelmina. The last thing Jaenelle saw through her blurred vision was Graff's billowing skirts and Wilhelmina's horrified face and tear-filled eyes.

It wasn't true. It wasn't! She wasn't a sick head girl. She was Witch. She was Witch!

Jaenelle slid down to the floor, pulling deep into herself, starting the mental dive into the abyss of her mind.

*Hello?*

She peered around the edge of the bush, catching sight of the white horse grazing at the meadow. It stilled, and slowly turned towards her. It was then that she saw the ivory horn.

She gasped with joy, and clapping her hands together, skipped out of the bushes. *I knew you were real* she said happily, running towards it.

The unicorn gazed at her in perplexity. *Human?* it asked her in puzzlement.

She stopped. Stared. *Witch*

He whinnied and trotted closer to her. *Dreams made flesh?*

*Yes.*

And that was enough. He nuzzled her forehead gently, as if he could see the spiral horn that was a mark of the unicorns. *Lady. I am Kaetien.*

She inclined her head gracefully. *Prince Kaetien,* before she laughing and throwing her arms around his neck. *You're my first friend in Kaeleer.* Then she stopped, and drew back. *You are my friend, aren't you?* The vulnerability in those eyes was painful to see.

*Of course I am,* he nuzzled her. *As you are mine. Would you like to go for a ride?*

The haunted look in her sapphire eyes transformed immediately into one of pure joy. *Oh, would I!*

It was a beautiful sight. The young girl, blond hair streaming in the air, astride a magnificent stallion, his horn glinting in the sun-dappled meadow, offering glimpses of the opal jewel that hung there. Every so often she would lean down and whisper something in his ear. In response, he would toss his head, lower it to the ground and gallop faster, but always careful to make sure she didn't fall. And so they rode, her laughter ringing astride the Warlord Prince who already adored her.

Jaenelle didn't hear Graff when she excitedly recounted her day to Wilhelmina. She didn't notice how quiet her sister had become, or the frantic shaking of her head. She was too delirious with the joy of having a friend, a kindred friend, a kindred unicorn friend that she was oblivious to everything else. Until she felt her arm gripped and was yanked around to face Graff's angry face. "How dare you make up more stories when you were told not to?" Graff hissed. "Lady Angelline will hear about this." And she dragged the protesting Jaenelle to the drawing room.

They didn't believe her. Of course they didn't believe her. They heard the word 'unicorn' and her fate was sealed. It didn't help that they couldn't understand how she had managed to go to Kaeleer. Phillip tried, he asked her in that gentle voice again and again to explain, but how did she explain it to someone who just couldn't, wouldn't understand?

In the end, they sent her to her room without supper. "Liars are never rewarded," Alexandra had said, sternly.

Jaenelle's shoulders slumped. But I'm not lying, she thought rebelliously. Kaetien is real. He's my friend. But it didn't stop the tears from falling when she heard Bobby clear his throat. "I think," he told them, "that we should send for Dr. Carvay. She's clearly sick in the head."

"And you think Dr. Carvay can cure her?" Leland asked, anxiously. After all, Jaenelle was her child, although she was...not quite right.

"I hope so," he said gravely. "He runs a fine institute for young girls, like Jaenelle, girls who are disturbed."

"An institute?" Phillip asked, doubtfully.

Bobby spared him a look. "Yes, it's called Briarwood."

THE END.