A/N: Sorry I took so long with this one. I will do regular updates from now on so expect a new chapter about once every four days. Also please will you go to my profile and vote on who you want Misto to end up with at the end of "Is That Too Much To Ask?"

In retrospect I never should have blackmailed Tantomile. It always was a stupid thing to do. I was just so blinded by what I could have I never stopped to consider the consequences if I was caught. I should have thought my plan through more carefully or better yet been content with what I had and not been greedy and desired more. At the time it seemed so important but I can't think why now. I already had enough, what more did I need? I could have retained my position without Tantomile's "help" but I didn't think of that. I should have been much more careful and forward thinking.

I was a wandering nomad and I came to the Junk yard just after I came of age and Tantomile had left Old Deuteronomy to be with Coricopat. We met barely three months before the ball but Old Deuteronomy still asked me to be his mate on the night of the Jellicle Ball when the Jellicle moon was high in the sky, shining down on the Jellicles dancing in the square below. I agreed and we sat on the tyre and watched the Jellicles dance below us.

Old Deuteronomy was especially proud of his second eldest son, Munkustrap, who was dancing with a dark queen known as Exotica. She had come to the tribe a few months before I did and Old Deuteronomy was proud of his son for making the young queen feel welcome, despite her shyness. Jennyanydots was dancing with the then protector Skimbleshanks though as Macavity began attacking and Skimbleshank's absences on the train grew longer Munkustrap began taking on more and more duties until he was protector in all but name. Bustopher Jones had wandered off a while ago probably to find more food. Though I didn't know what had happened with Tantomile, Coricopat and Old Deuteronomy I really did think Tantomile and Coricopat seemed perfect together, like a puzzle that fits together seamlessly. They were more like two versions of the same cat than two different cats.

Our mateship went well for a few months, well Old Deuteronomy didn't cheat on me and I didn't cheat on him which apparently made it a success compared to his other three wives. Unlike Grizabella we didn't fight constantly, unlike Jellylorum he didn't cheat on me and unlike Tantomile I didn't cheat on him. We were doing quite well all things considered.

However there was a problem. In hindsight it was all in my mind but we all have twenty – twenty hindsight don't we? If only we had twenty-twenty foresight then we would know what not to do. Anyway I felt Old Deuteronomy was losing interest, of course a perfectly viable reason to blackmail another magic user, well that and the fact I intensely disliked her slimy little race. I had gone to them to learn how to use my magic better, I'm a psychic by the way, they told me I wasn't worthy of being trained by the Siamese. They also said they had better mages than me and that I would be of no use to them once they had invested their valuable time and resources in training me because I would leave when they were done and they would never get anything back from me. I didn't remember her but I had been there so briefly that I only remembered the leader and his eldest daughter, a cold queen called Taratamelee. She had been incredibly powerful but was rumoured to have died in the attack on Growltiger. I assumed Tantomile was one of the lesser mages, the ones with dilute magic blood. Something like me, my great grandmother was Siamese though the rest of my family have been Burmese and I inherited my gift from her. I can read minds though I cannot read Tantomile's mind, I assume the Siamese taught her how to shield her mind.

I begged her to help me and she refused. She refused me! The Jellicle leader's mate! I couldn't stand for that, after all I'd only been asking for a tiny little love potion. It can't have been that hard for her to make one for me, can it? Even the lesser mages of the Siamese were capable of something like that. Love spells didn't take up much energy, she could have taught me to do it instead of wandering off mumbling something about ethics and how love could not be played around with and that I should allow things to take their natural course. Well I wasn't happy about that but I thought I was powerless, however nothing keeps a true Burmese down for long and I soon got to planning.

I knew that the others didn't know Tantomile was a mage and I guessed she had her own reasons for keeping it hidden however I was terrified of losing Old Deuteronomy so I didn't stop to think what those reasons were. I walked confidently into her den and demanded she make the love potion I had been asking for. I probably could have been more polite but I was blinded by my own arrogance and thought that Tantomile would just do as I said once I threatened to reveal her little secret.

She didn't, she just sat there looking at me with a curious expression on her face.

"Why should I do so, my lady?"

Her expression remained unchanged as she watched me stand there and gape like fish I had caught for lunch. It was the first time I had heard the courtesy title "my lady" given only to Old Deuteronomy's mate sound like an insult and I was stunned, but I smiled condescendingly down at her and replied in a sickly sweet voice.

"I know your secret."

A look of pure fear overcame her delicate features followed by one of pure rage before she got her expression back under her impeccable control and resumed her blank look. She sat still as a statue for what seemed like forever then she laughed. It was only a soft laugh but it sent shivers down my spine. By all rights she should be on her knees begging me not to reveal her secret not laughing at me as though I was an insignificant kitten who had played an amusing prank.

"Really and what might my "secret" be?"

I stood even straighter remembering my honoured mother's words: a good queen never despairs even if an obstacle is thrown in her path she must face it with charm and good will and keep her cool no matter what the obstacle is. It was good advice and I would follow it to the letter. I smiled back at her.

"I know who you are and where you come from."

This only made Tantomile laugh even harder. She must have laughed for about 5 minutes before getting herself back under control then she suddenly stiffened. Her teeth bared, she leapt up from her position sat neatly on the floor to stand barely 2 inches from my face.

"You could have had it all, you silly little fool. You could have stayed as Old Deuteronomy's mate for so much longer. He hasn't strayed from you yet you stand here and threaten me with little titbits of information because you didn't have the wit to collect more. If you truly knew my secret you would not be stood here threatening me with your paltry knowledge you would be running screaming from this hell-hole and you would never look back in case you saw me chasing you. It's a pity I liked you but needs must and I will not have some silly kitten ruining everything I've worked so hard for."

"W-w-what do you mean?"

I cringed at the sound of my own voice, I was stuttering! I, Cassandra of the moonlit eyes, the Jellicle leader's mate, daughter of Burmese royalty, was stuttering! An insignificant little mage could make me stutter. Tantomile inclined her head towards the door.

"Get out."

She didn't need to say more and I didn't even dignify it with a response I simply obeyed a command given to me by a lesser ranking Jellicle. I humiliated myself but worse was to come. I hid in one of the junk piles until my composure had returned and I thought I could face the world again.

However when I left the junk pile the tribe had assembled to face me. Tantomile stood on the tyre with Old Deuteronomy with a smirk of delight on her face. Munkustrap jumped down from the tyre to escort me forward. The Jellicles watched me with suspicion in their eyes. I realised then what Tantomile had done. She had told the Jellicles about my request. I knew this meant exile.

"Cassandra you stand accused of trying to unduly influence the Jellicle Leader."

I nodded it was true.

"I admit it."

Old Deuteronomy closed his eyes as though tired and in that moment I felt truly sorry for him. His first wife is a power-mad pollicle, his second wife hates him, his third wife cheated on him then his fourth tries to put a spell on him. Not a fabulous track record there.

"Then you are banished, however you may return once a year for the Jellicle Ball. Munkustrap will escort you to the edge of the Junk yard."

Munkustrap took my arm and we began to walk away but as I looked back I saw Old Deuteronomy turn away his great head bowed as though exhausted while Tantomile stood and watched with an expression of sorrow on her face. I realised that she regretted this as much as I did. I was on the streets again. I had it all and lost it and I could see my glittering dreams turn to ash around me.