Looking at Alora and deciding that if she tried to fly while still full of baby either she would hurt herself or her child….. Or worse she would have to let Daemonar fuss….. Orin decided to ask her overprotective husband for help getting Alora back to the Keep. Realized the mistake the moment she found the thread. Felt this temper and displeasure on that thread. * would you mind helping a queen get to the keep?*

* a queen or Ledia's whore of a friend?*

* Daemonar I swear I should take a notch out of your hide for that. You know as well as I do…*

* that my uncle is held up in the town house bleeding from a heart wound that she caused. Yes Lady I know.*

* we'll if that's the feelings you have then I'll take her myself and you sir can remove yourself from my bed.* Orin let not just her words but also her temper flow through the thread.

Daemonar glared at Diablo. Glared at him because at he would give him a good reason to get prickly. " you agree with her don't you?"

" she is the living myth and can't help it if she stirs up every emotion in my father that he can't hide from." he paused thought for a moment " we'll take her to the keep . Even let her make the offering and then she can go back to the realm she came from or better… right to the bowels of hell….. But that Witch is not getting near my father."

" agreed." he turned back to the commutation thread. * go to the Damn coach we'll meet you there.*

Daemon paced the town house till he found what he was looking for. Till he found the recipe for gravediggers…. Or rather his version for the drink. A version that had gotten him through the first few years of grieving. Had added more liquor to it to make it more potent ….. To make it easier to get blissfully numb.

Didn't drink any till he went to his study at the keep. Didn't dare take a single sip till the room was fully shielded in the black . Fully surrounded with an aural shield. Then he allowed himself to indulge in the endless bottle of the strong drink. Allowed himself to drink till he was completely numb. Kept drinking till his body would no longer allow him to lift his arm for another drink…. Till even with craft he couldn't find his mouth.

Was content to sleep where he fell because his body wouldn't respond to anything else at that moment.

The ride to the Keep was both silent and tense. Alora had only glanced at the two men and decided not to speak. Not to let Witch even try to calm either of them. Had decided to sit as still as she could and try to seem invisible till the coach was safely back at the keep.

Both ladies winced when the High lord opened the coach's door and gave Alora that very patient look that she always dreaded even when it was warranted. Respectfully she said, " high lord." in a meek and very timid voice. A voice that snapped all of the male tempers because they were there to protect not to frighten a young queen.

Well if the young queen wanted to resume her role as his wayward daughter then fine. But she was going to fix things completely with his mirror and soon. In a deep thundering voice Saetan spoke, " I should throttle you."

Witch spoke in a soft but yet midnight voice, " I haven't been home yet a day and every male in the realm wants to throttle me. Well except Lucivar he just wants to leave me in an ice filled lake."

" fix things lady and soon." it was the best he could do when he need to hold his daughter was over powering the want to send her back to her realm. The best he could do when the shuck seemed fearful of him when Witch seemed so damn at home.

" I will high lord but I need sometime to take care of one thing first." then she scurried into the keep to find Marian. To find the only other ally she had at the moment.

Both Daemonar and Diablo glared at Saetan. Glared at there much older grandfather. One of them hissed, " your not going to let her stay…."

Ice coated the ground and the coach, " it's not my decision to make. Your Queen said she was to stay. My request to send her back has been denied."

" and what about what she's going to our father? Or does it not matter that he's slipping back into the madness. Just slower now."

Saetan made a clicking sound with his tongue. Didn't speak just let his anger flow through the coach. Let his temper sore till it was consumed by every bit of wood and fabric within the coach. Till it was nothing more thin a cold scorch mark on the ground. Let that be his answer to what he thought about the matter. An answer that neither of the warlord princes would dare challenge.

With Marian's help Alora set up the alter with everything she would need. Set it up in a room only Witch and Draca knew about. A room that had no door but was off to the side of the dark alter. A room that had been used to hold the queen of Askavi till she was ready to sit on her thrown. A room were nothing could disturb her while she made the offering.

"Marian thank you. I know I made a mess of things." Alora softly spoke

" no Alora you haven't…. the sad thing is if anything you made them better. At least Daemon is locked up in his study instead of disappearing between the realms. "

Alora just looked blankly, " I'll try to do better after I leave this room."

" no , you will do better because the males of the family won't stand in the way of a queen's will. And your Daughter has already decided that you need to be here."

Her eyes shifted to the dark sapphire eyes. Her midnight voice spoke, " she has?"

" yes Lady and Ledia is not a woman to trifle with on matters like these. After all she is her father's daughter." Marian rolled her eyes then let out a soft laugh.

Alora nodded then watch as Marian left. Waited a moment longer before she lit the candles in the correct order for the birth right ceremony. Found her self falling thought the webs. Falling but not quickly , but rather just fast enough to feel the difference of the webs. To feel what level she was on or dropping through.

The first three webs went by to fast to truly get the feel. The rose caressed her skin as the summer-sky made her feel like she was lost in a warm summer morning. Purple dusk looked like the early morning and opal turned to the greenest of greens before she realized how quickly she was descending.

When she reached the sapphire she seemed to slow but continued to the red. Then everything became dark. Not dark she thought gray then a bit darker. It was there she heard a midnight voice. Heard Witch's voice. * here you need to decide what you want Alora. You can be what you were born to be and continued to the black. You can allow both of us to share the shuck as I did with Jaenelle. You can decide to be Witch as you should have been born. Or you can decide to keep the shuck for yourself. You may decide that being Witch is not your dream and I will descend into the darkness and one day reappear in a shuck that will only belong to me.*

* what is the price if I don't become all that I am meant to be? * Alora whispered

* only the darkness knows. It is you decision.* then Witch was gone. Gone before she said anything that would sway Alora's decision.

Alora stood on the Ebon Gray web for a moment weighing her decisions. Witch had helped her all theses years with out asking for anything. Had helped her learn quicker then any male. Had taught her how to defend herself even before her father had given her a tutor. Had showed her how to warm a man's heart with nothing more then a smile and a soft word.

She didn't know what she would do if she didn't have that friend but she did understand what it would mean to be less then what she was born to be…… and that she was not about to do. No, if she was meant to be Witch then that was what she was going to be.

A deep breath then she plunged into the darkness. Fell till she felt the web firmly beneath her feet. Heard her feet…no hooves she corrected clicking on what sounded like stone. Saw herself looking in a mirror but not seeing her flesh but seeing the living myth. Seeing her ancient sapphire eyes and the exotic face. Seeing the tiny spiral horn that ended in a sharp point. Saw the gold mane that wasn't quite fur but not quite hair. Saw her delicately pointed ears. Didn't need to look further. She knew this body understood what this body was meant to be. She was Witch , she was what she should have been born to be.

A deep male voice spoke, * welcome home my daughter.*

Her dark midnight voice answered, * it is time for the dream to be remembered.*

"*the dream has changed. you need to be more then you once were.*

* more? How? Why?* Witch opened her eyes unsure how much time had passed. Knew to look on the alter. A dark velvet pouch laid in the center. Carefully she opened it. One large jewel for each jewel rank from white to red a smaller of each to be paired with it. Then two large gray and ebon gray jewels fell into her hand. She hesitated to spill out the rest when she felt more in the pouch. Continued to pour them out till thirteen large uncut black jewels and one preset black ring….. Her ring…. Fell onto the alter.

It was just past mid day meal when she came up from the dark throne room. When she entered the large receiving room. Had thought it would have been empty instead both of her daughters were there as was Marian and Orin.

Ledia stepped forward, " welcome home mother."

Alora grinned, " you knew?"

" you did teach me how to read your webs did you not?"

Witch nodded, " and you father is where?"

" in his study." Ledia paused, " I wouldn't disturb him."

" then be glade that your not me because I need to dent his head."

Marian stepped forward, " since I'm not sure where your sticks are by all means do use mine." she grinned as she called them in. waited till Witch was out of the room before saying, " should we tell the males of the family or let them deal with Witch."

Angle laughed in a very silvery voice, " we should warn grandfather then stand back and watch the explosions. After all her scent is much darker then mother's ever was."

The eyes of the others fell on her then a roar of dark and silvery laughter filled the room.