As Erica and Ailbhe escorted their prisoners, Adelina and Karl, Rei took

one last glance around the room for anything he had missed. On the

edge of the table were the keys to the prison cells. Ailbhe had a pair,

but Andreios grabbed them just in case. He turned around to walk and

saw Danica and Zane. Danica whispered something Rei couldn't hear

and Zane smiled. Then they kissed. Six months ago this would have

been unheard of, love between the warring serpiente and avians, let

alone between the Tuuli Thea and the Diente. But things had changed

a great deal since Dani had become Tuuli Thea and so far, all for the

better.

Rei thought back to the day when Danica named Zane her

Alistair in front of the Avian people. He had been shocked to hear

Shardae's lips utter Zane's name instead of his as her Alistair and so

were the Avian people. Everyone had automatically assumed ever

since Vasili, her original Alistair, had been claimed by the war that Rei

would be her Alistair, her destined one. No one else from the Keep was

really even considered for the role, let alone the Diente of the

serpiente. Rei had foreseen what was going to happen the moment he

read Shardae's note telling him she was at the serpiente palace. That

she would choose Zane. But he had hoped, he had prayed to the Gods

of his stories even, that this would only be a hoax, a trick to get Zane

Cobrianna into the Keep so they could kill him. He loved her too much

for it to be otherwise. And he knew with every bone in his body that

whether or not she'd admit it, she loved him back. As he guarded the

hall between her room and Zane's, he convinced himself that had to be

the case, but it wasn't.

He had almost given up any hope he had of ever being with her,

when she came to him that night. God it seems like ages ago he

thought. That one kiss they had was pure bliss. But she'd jumped

away from him when the door opened, as if she had actually cared

what would happen if Zane found out. She never came to him again.

And it had broken his heart. He was sure he'd never love again.

He walked out of the room and started down the hall towards the

prison. He thought back to his first time along these passageways. He

smiled rememberin how lost he had been. It was like a labirynth he

couldn't escape. He was terrified, expecting to be attacked at any

moment by a group of serpients. He could almost feel their lethal

poison running in their veins.

Just when he'd about given up hope of finding his way out,

Adelina had found him. For a moment, he was too stunned by her

beauty to be frightened by her. "This way," she had said and had led

him out within a matter of minutes. Rei had muttered his thanks and

she was gone with a swish of her beautiful blonde hair walking

gracefuly down another hall. She didn't seem to be the same

dangerous horrible person she was the first time he'd met her.



Rei had been torn between his fiery hate of the serpiente kind

and his new found love for Adelina, her exquisite face, her bright ruby

eyes, and her lucious blond hair. He hadn't known anything that strong

could be so beautiful Days turned in to weeks, and weeks into months

without fighting, he stopped hating the serpiente so much and

concentrated more on Adelina. But she hated the Avians more than

ever, as if she despised the peace between the two nations. Looking

back on it, Rei realized all the signs of her being a traitor had been

right there. How easily she could tell lies and how many she told her

beloved prince. How she always sneered at Danica when she wasn't

looking. How she had convinced Karl to get involved, Rei could only

guess. He had had his suspicions of Adelina being involved in the

assasination attempts. Then Zane's mother was killed and Danica

wounded for a second time. The he had known for sure. He began

building himself up for what was to come, that he had to turn her in.

But he kept telling himself he had no evidence other than suspicions so

why bother, even though he knew perfectly well Zane wouldn't care. It

was just that he had come to love her very much, even though she

always gave him a cold shoulder. He'd tried to talk himself out of this

unreqiueted love on many occasions but had had no success. He'd

have gone to the ends of the world for her whether she cared or not.

Then she came to him and confessed. Rei's first reaction had

been one of mixed relief and sadness. This was what it had come to.

He had no choice. So he summoned Zane and Danica. He reached the

prison block just as Ailbhe and Erica were locking in the assasins. I

can't believe it, he thought to himself as he looked at Adelina sitting on

the dirty prison floor. The others walked out with one last glance at his

love, he followed them. Yes, they would be executed in a matter of

hours, maybe day or two. His heart would be broken. But just like he

had before, he pick up the peices again.

A/N: As you all can see, angst isn't really my thing. But as with any

writer, I had this story inside just tearing at the seams, wanting to be

written. Well yes, its crap, but R/R anyway and if you would like to

express how horrible this is, feel free but don't be too harsh :) (by the

way i'm not a Rei fanatic or anything as some of my friends seem to

think, i just wanted to write about some one different ;P)