Author's Note: Over 400 reviews! Whoo hoo!


The fairies of every season and screamed with joy as Milori made the announcement that a princess would soon be born. The roar had been deafening, but she hadn't been able to stop the grin on her face as she watched Milori, who was so incredibly proud of a daughter that he had not yet met. When he had turned to her, his smile as big as her own, his heart had been bursting with love. They had stood in each other's arms and had looked out over the fairies. The celebration was still continuing, well past midnight, but Milori insisted they get home so she would get enough rest.

She laid in bed on her back with Milori draped beside her on her mattress with his head on her chest. His hand stroked over her bare belly as they talked, and her fingers ran through his hair. The moonlight gave a soft glow through the window.

"You play the flute well," she smiled. "I've never heard that kind of music before. It was fun," she laughed.

"Ah almost had ta stop. Ah thought Gary was goin' ta spin ye inta the trees!" he chuckled. "Ye looked so happy, sweetheart."

"I loved dancing with you more," she said shyly.

He lifted his head and scooted up to kiss her. "Ah always love dancin' w' ye," he said huskily and then kissed her deeply.

She broke the kiss with a gasp and grabbed her belly, wide eyes looking at him.

"What? What's wrong?" he panicked and felt her belly.

She gasped again and a smile of awe spread over her lips. "I think the baby moved," she whispered.

His eyebrows shot up. "Ye can't feel 'er yet. Yer only a few weeks."

"No, right here," she said and pressed his hand low on her belly. Tears gathered in her eyes. "Do you feel her?"

He shook his head. "Clarion, Ah don't ken if yer actually feelin' t' bairn," he said in concern.

She bit her lip and smiled. "You worry too much. Do an ultrasound if you don't believe me."

He sat up and rubbed her belly to make her dust surface. Then he set his hand on her. "Ye can't be feelin' 'er. She's smaller than me finger," he said in confusion and studied the grainy ultrasound image forming. "Ugh, we need fresh dust ta get a clear shot," he grumbled and squinted at the image.

She squeaked. "Right now. She just moved."

He stared at the picture. "It can't be," he whispered. "She has 'er wings."

"She does?" Clarion beamed and propped up on her elbows to try to see. "Do they look alright?"

"Ah think they're wings. Two o' 'em," he grinned. "She's liftin' 'em again."

"It tickles again. Is she fluttering?" she asked with eyes shining.

He laughed. "She is. They're gorgeous an' big, just like yers," he said proudly. "Ye 'ave ta see 'em when Spruce does t' ultrasound-ye'll have a clearer picture. She must o' had 'em down when Spruce did t' ultrasound." He withdrew his hand. "Ah don't want ta hurt 'er w' too much dust exposure," he said and beamed down at Clarion. "Oh, she's bonnie, just like 'er ma," he whispered in awe and leaned down to kiss Clarion.


"I have a right to know why!" Sleet demanded at the castle the next day. "You have no right to do this!"

Clarion stood as impenetrable as stone, her eyes hard. "I gave my answer, Captain," she ground out.

Sleet pointed a finger to the ground angrily and marched forward, his eyes burning through her. "She is meant to be my mate! You have no right! I have not harmed a Bright Fairy in centuries and have been loyal to this kingdom!"

Milori stepped forward from beside Clarion to block Sleet. "Go into the hall a moment and cool down," Milori ordered.

Sleet didn't move, his eyes furious.

"Now, Captain," Milori commanded, his voice forbidding disobedience.

His eyes flicked to Milori's, and for a moment, Milori thought Sleet would defy both of them. But he spun on his heel and stormed out with the slam of a door.

Milori turned. "Clarion, you're being unreasonable," he said calmly.

"You want Alamurs to begin mixing with us?!" she shouted, still enraged at Sleet's audacity, and pointed to the door. "We have no idea if he will turn back into an Alamur or if he truly is loyal now!" She stormed to the window to cool down and stared out.

"He has maintained our sugar for nearly four hundred years; he won't revert. And I believe that he is loyal or I wouldn't have kept him in my army all these years," he calmly interjected.

She spun around and touched her flat belly. "You would gamble the baby's safety on it? The entire kingdom's that another war won't come about?" she demanded.

Walking over to set a hand on her belly, he looked into her eyes. "I wouldn't risk anyone, especially you and the baby. Fairies can change, Clarion," he answered softly.

"Alamur are fertile. What if he gets her pregnant? Would an Alamur baby even be compatible with her?"

He sighed. "Sweetheart, Bright Fairy males are fertile too to be able to mate with the queen, if he is her match. Females are sterile, so she won't get pregnant."

"You don't know that she won't change like I did," she countered.

Running a hand through his hair, he heaved a sigh. "Clarion, only a queen becomes fertile. You're being impossible. There is no harm in them mating."

She turned away in disgust.

"What are you worried about?" he demanded. "I don't understand your rationale."

"Have you heard how the Alamur mate?" she murmured to the window, staring into summer.

"No. Frankly, I didn't know that Alamur mated."

"They don't. They take a female when and how they want," she answered in a hard voice. "I will not subject one of my fairies to a temper such as his, especially when they will be home alone where he can hurt her however he wants for hours before anyone finds out."

"Clarion, he won't hurt her. You're basing it off of his pedigree, not fact since he has changed. You're being prejudiced."

She whirled around, her eyes flashing. "And you're being ignorant! Do not challenge me, Milori! I will not sacrifice one of my fairies as an experiment!" she nearly shouted, the veins in her neck visibly pulsing.

"I will challenge you when you're letting fear rule you!" he shouted, his patience gone. "You aren't protecting a fairy, Clarion, you're creating two enemies! You have no legitimate rationale to back up you denying them! You are better than this!"

"You are sticking your head in the sand! I don't care if they hate me for it, I won't see her hurt!"

He stepped closer, their faces inches apart, the tension so high the air was vibrating. "You are not this ruler," he ground out between clenched teeth. "You give fairies second chances. You have every fairy in this kingdom willing to die for you because you are fair and strong. He has proven himself to us time and time again over the years. He nearly died trying to save me in two wars," he hissed. "He deserves to be accepted as one of us. He has fought harder than anyone for centuries to fit in, and he will never be good enough in your eyes. To you, the only good Alamur is a dead one," he spat.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. "I am responsible for hundreds of fairies. I watched them be cut down by Alamur weeks ago. There is no guarantee that he won't turn."

"There is no guarantee that any of us won't turn on you!" he cried. "You don't have to agree or disagree to a mating right now. Just give him a chance," he said, tired of arguing and going nowhere.

She flung her hand and the doors flew open.

Sleet turned in surprise and walked in.

Clarion stormed up to him, snatching his knife from his belt and slitting it over his forearm.

Milori was too shocked to react. Sleet blinked in astonishment.

She held up his arm to see gold sugar begin to surface. Then she dropped his arm and glared up at him. "If you harm a hair on her, exile will be far from the worst thing that will happen to you," she hissed. "Get out."

Sleet stared wide-eyed before silently leaving.

"What the hell was that?!" Milori barked at her, throwing his arm toward the door.

She was enraged. "You are such an advocate for him, he's your responsibility to keep under control," she hissed. And then she stormed out.

Milori stared after her, completely lost as to what was going on.


Silvermist ran up to Sleet when he exited the castle. And stopped short when she saw him holding his forearm. "What happened?" she gasped and pulled his hand away to see a slice. "Sleet, you might need stitches!"

"It's not that bad," he said quietly as she summoned water drops from the clouds and cleaned the wound.

"What happened?" she asked in concern and glanced up at him as she plucked a blade of tall grass and washed it to use as a leaf bandage.

"The Queen refused us to mate," he answered quietly.

"So she cut you?!"

"I think she wanted to be assured there wasn't Alamur sugar," he replied.

"I don't care! She doesn't cut you for it!" she cried and darted into the castle.

"Silvermist!"

Clarion was pacing in the throne room when Thomas stepped in. She expected him to announce Milori, but Silvermist flew in without waiting for an introduction.

"Why did you hurt him?!" she cried, flying over.

Clarion held up a hand. "Silvermist, he's a danger to you..."

"No! You're a danger to him! You see him for what he is, not who he is!" she wept angry tears, clutching her hands over her heart.

Milori ran in upon hearing the shouting. "Stop, everyone," he ordered and stepped between the females. "Let's discuss this, not attack each other," he said calmly. Then he turned to Clarion. "May I have a word with you?"

Silvermist reluctantly went to wait outside the doors.

"What is going on?" he demanded. "This is not like you at all. You cannot be worked up like this for this long while you're pregnant. And since when do you go slicing fairies?!"

Her eyes narrowed. "He should have bled heavily from a cut like that. It is but a scratch to him."

"Clarion, I know that Alamur have tougher skin, but what does this have to do with-"

"His reaction," she cut in. "It has to do with his reaction, Milori."