Thank you all for your love and support. As a quick tip to those who are making the move to twcs in case the worst should happen, you need to favorite individual stories on that site. Favoriting an author only alerts you to the first chapter of their new stories, not everything they post, as ffn does. Unless I have to inform you of any action taken against me in the future, I hope this will be the last AN I will need to write about recent events. I would much rather focus on happier things. If you have any questions, please PM me and I'll help where I can.

The story I was planning on writing for the Driven to Desire contest is going to go over the word count, so I'm just breaking it into a short multi-chapter fic that I will post next week while I'm on vacation. I'll have internet, so you won't have a lull in my posting, it will just be done from a slightly more sunny locale.

Wifey is soon to be in my house again, and I'm very happy about that, wave to Mizzdee everyone.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: This chapter features some violence, so be prepared for the second section of this chapter.

Chapter 37

Isabella moved quickly through her meetings, knowing that she had to discuss the Christmas plans with Alice at some point in the evening. It was what the people looked forward to while at war so it needed to be another special celebration.

But at the moment, she wanted to check in with Tia and Emilia. In the last few weeks they had really started to open up, especially with the help of Misty. For the time, they were sleeping in the outer room while her ladies occupied their own rooms. Having the large guard presence allowed the girls to sleep soundly, and if they needed Isabella, she was right there.

Max had settled in with the other children and his eyes lit up when the girls spent time visiting him in the nursery.

As Isabella entered her rooms, she found the girls reading with Maria sitting on the couch opposite them. The look she sent the Queen let her know this wasn't a conversation for young ears. Walking into the bedroom, the seer took her friend's hand.

"You know that I've tried to stay close to you, with the exception of your foolhardy trip to visit the King, and it has been on account of my vision."

"Maria, not to insult you, but the last few visions haven't been as timely as they were when I was younger," Isabella said as nicely as she could.

"That was because there was distance between us. There was a reason your father had me as one of your tutors, it was because he needed me to be close enough for my sight to be accurate. And what I see isn't good."

"What is it?"

"Something is coming, and whether or not it is you or them that will perish is entirely based on your preparation and your willingness to strike a killing blow."

"Where will it happen?" Isabella asked.

"Within your chambers. I cannot see who they are, as they will be well disguised, but it will be one of the things that decides who will win, because if you are slain, the capital will be taken." Maria squeezed the Queen's hand in an offer of support.

"Well then, it seems I need to be prepared."

*PttT*

The people of Pamlico that had lived in the borderlands that were now occupied by the army of Dwyer could not have been happier by the change of fortune. They swarmed the camps, thanking the men for liberating them from Vlad and hoping that they would continue until the King was overthrown. Their words were in-line with what Amun had told them, and in an attempt to keep the people out of harm's way, and out of the army's hair, they sent some of the men to create a makeshift refugee camp near Masen House and had Amun work with his people.

The generosity paid off as the information about army holdings and places they were dug in was never-ending, giving the soldiers the insight they needed. They couldn't assume all the information was correct, but it gave them a better plan of attack than going in blind.

Meanwhile, Edward and Jasper spent a good deal of time with a cat o' nine tails and a certain POW in one of the tents.

Caius was cut up, his body twisted in his restraints as Edward took a little too much pleasure in causing his uncle pain.

"Tell me what you're planning," Edward asked, but Caius only spit blood in his direction.

"You aren't talkative? Well it's a shame because neither was Marcus when he was brought in here after the battle. But he was lucky that he's already been killed, or he'd be right beside you." Edward got in his face, enjoying the pain he saw there. "How about Aro? Is he hidden away waiting for the right moment? Because if you haven't noticed, you're losing this war. The people of the countries you have fighting against us don't want any part of this, you're outnumbered and out skilled, and you keep ordering people to be hunted down and killed, and yet we all refuse to die."

"What are you babbling about?" Caius rasped.

"He's talking about Amun and his family," Jasper supplied. "They are safe, and when we have Vlad taken care of, his nephew will restore order to his land and you will be given up easily. Or I should say, the rest of your army will be given up easily. Because you'll be lucky if you live through the night."

The look of unbridled fear on Caius' face gave them the answer they needed. Pamlico was where their secrets were, if they were going to find Aro and Jane, it would be from information they gained, likely from King Vlad himself in an effort to save his own skin.

It was an interesting turn of events, but it also sealed Caius' fate. Edward toyed with the idea of making his uncle suffer like Caius had done to Isabella and himself, but in the end he couldn't do it. It was one thing to try to gain information by the use of force, but they had gotten all they ever would from his uncle. He could not become a monster when he had a wife and child at home. With a single swing of his sword, the former baron fell to the ground as his life rushed from his body in a pool of crimson.

"We still have no idea where Aro and Jane are?" Jasper told the King.

"We've managed to get these two; the third will just take a little doing. I know it is coming soon." Edward took a moment to leave the tent and clean up, finally penning a letter to his wife to accompany the scout's report.

*PttT*

The King's letter reached the Queen in two and a half days, giving her just one more reason to celebrate. Isabella announced that two of the traitors had died at the hands of the Royal Army, and that they were seeing real military gains.

But more than that, her husband spoke about his love and devotion to her, and it gave her the strength to move into the New Year without him. She wasn't going to tell him about Maria's vision, but her letter told him the most important thing, that she was taking all the precautions she could. And then she told him about the progress she'd made with Amun's children so that he could convey that to the Duke of Cary.

Her correspondence was given to the scout, as was a note from the girls to their father. It would be the last time they would likely communicate before the end of the year, so she made sure to wish him a safe New Year.

*PttT*

As the city was bustling with the last-minute holiday preparations, the conspirators were able to blend in with the crowds as they moved to the place that would house them until the moment was right.

Count Riley owned the property, but it wasn't in use, so the couple was able to hide in the closed up building. Late in the evening, the Count brought them supplies that he thought would be helpful to them. Riley had some commoners clothes that he'd bought cheaply at the market and food to sustain them. Jane had managed to dress down some fine wigs so that they appeared more like regular hair so that Aro and she would be better disguised. His head was bare, but the beard he'd worked on was thick and helped to obscure his appearance. It would take them a little while before they could make their move, but they were determined not to fail this time.