Anger pounded in her veins, pulsing through her head so she could feel nothing else. " Alanna? What in Mithros's name?!"

Jonathan shouted at her. " Listen up Jonathan. You leave him alone. Do you hear me? I brought him here for a reason. Not for you, but for Thayet and Kalasin. Unlike you, they care about him. Seeing his position, I don't blame him for running away! So stop acting like a spoiled prat and let him alone. Gods! I swear. Kings... what do you do with them." Thayet shook her head and rolled her eyes, or actully someone rolled them for her. That's when some of her anger evaported and she turned back into her normal self. She looked at Rill, who was staring at her as if he'd seen some kind of ghost.

" Rill?" Queen Thayet and Kalasin looked the same way. Jonathan was totally dumbfounded to put it nicely. " Would someone like to tell me anything?" Rill grabbed her arm and lead her out of the room, closing the door behind them. " What did you do that for?" "Do what Rill? What are you talking about?" " I don't know! You turned into Alanna the Lioness! You had magic more powerful then I want to imagine and you betrayed me! So what are YOU talking about?"

Thayet slumped against the wall, then slid down to the floor. What had she done? Rill crouched down next to her and took her hand in his. " Why'd you do it Thayet? " his voice was soft and pleading. She looked up at him.

" I had to Rill. I'm so sorry but Roald isn't supposed to be the King. You are. Your the true heir. Why do you think he doesn't have any power? Because you have it all. And about what you said I did, I didn't even know I did it. I didn't even know I could. There's always been something about me I wasn't sure about and I've never lost my temper before. Now I'm going to be thrown out of the Kingdom for saying that to the King. Oh Rill, I didn't want too, I didn't even know. The wrods just came out and I couldn't stop them!"

then for the first time in her life, she began to cry. Never before had she ever felt so different, so out of place. She wished all her friends were animals oddly enough, and she wished she could be one. Slowly she began to change shape again, taking on long, smoky brown curls, long lashes, blue-grey eyes, a stubborn chin, soft lips and a slim figure. Rill gasped.

" Thayet... we need to get you to a mage. You just changed again." Thayet couldn't even hear him as he lifted her up into his strong arms and carried her.

They stopped before a door that said Numair Salmalin and Daine Sarrasri below it on a gold plaque. Power radiated from the room but Thayet couldn't feel it. Rill pushed open the door without knocking. Inside, a very tall man with wavy black curls tied back in a horsetail sat on a couch talking to a ball of fire in his palm. He had a swarty face and dark sensitive eyes. He looked up when Rill and Thayet came in. Suddenly he leapt up as though fired from a catapult. " Daine?! Gods what happened to her?! Is she ok?!" Thayet kept her eyes closed, not wanting to open them. " Rill laid her down on the couch and the mage knelt down beside her, clasping her hand and running a hand through her hair. Oddly, Thayet liked the feeling, not minding if it was not Rill, finding she wanted the man to do that. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. " Master Numair, I must implore that you keep your hands off her. That's not Mistress Daine. I don't like people kissing her that shouldn't be." Numair stood up, face like a thundercloud his voice a harsh tone now. " What do you mean this isn't Daine? And I'll kiss her if I wish, for shes my wife. Who are you to say she isn't Daine? May I ask who you are, trying to impersonate Prince Roald or Jonathan?"

Rill sighed and sat down. " Her name is Thayet. I don't know whats wrong with her. No not the Queen Thayet. Anyway, first she looked normal, then she turned into Alanna, then back to herself, then to Daine. I don't know why or how, but since you are the greatest mage in Tortall I figured you could help." Numair cocked a brow. " Do you mean to tell me that this... Thayet, can turn into different people? How did she turn into Alanna? Did she say something?" Rill shook his head. " No. She lost her temper. She turned into Alanna before the King, Queen and their two children. She shouted at the King as though she were Alanna. Afterward, once she changed back, she said it just came out, she couldn't stop what she said. Like Alanna's life force took her over or something. Then she started crying, muttered something about animals and turned into Daine. I don't know what to do. "

Numair crouched down by Thayet. Her eyes fluttered open. " Numair whats wrong?" she latched her arms around his neck, hugging him close. Numair hugged her back. " This can't be your Thayet young man. How else would she know me? I suggest you leave. " Rill started to protest. Numair boomed magic everywhere, crushing his magical senses. " Alright!" he managaed to croak and left the room quickly.

" Daine what happened? " she cried ino Numair's shirt as he brushed a curl away from her face. " I don't know! I'm all messed up. Oh Numair!" she began to cry and he wiped a tear from her face. " Don't cry darling. Don't cry. Your fine now." he kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Suddenly she felt sad no more. Slowly, her body not quite wanting to, she changed back into her normal self.

Thayet suddenly had no idea where she was. She was kissing some weird man whom she didn't know and she didn't know where Rill was. She jerked away with force. The man gasped and put a hand to his mouth. " Mithros, Mynoss and Sakith! Your not Daine!"

Thayet jumped up, grabbing for her dagger. " No I'm not. I don't know who the hell you are but I'd like you to tell me what the hell I'm doing here! " The man grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to the couch. " I'm sorry. I thought you were my wife. You looked and acted like her. This man came in with you, saying you changed and shifted bodies with Lady Alanna and then with my wife, Daine. I didn't believe him but I do now. Forgive my rudeness. What is your name may I ask? " He did sound sorry. That caught Thayet a little off guard. " Thayet Arilanna Schridtler of Nuestown sir. And you are?" The man bowed his head. " Numair Salmalin my dear. How, may I ask, did you get to look like you do, like the Queen, and how can you shift your ablitlity to make like you have multiple personalities?"

Thayet sighed. " I'll tell you, or try to, but can you tell me where that man that brought me here went?" " Yes. I sort of sent him away. I can bring him back, just hold on a moment." He closed his eyes. His magic, black edged with white pooled in his hands. She felt him call Rill's magic, and felt Rill being pulled quickly to their room. Suddenly he was there, running up to her. She lept up and hugged him. " Are you alright Thayet? " She nodded, refusing to let him go. Numair just sat on the couch, waiting and smiling. When they finally let go, he spoke. " Forgive me young sir, I did not believe you when I should have. May I inquire a name?"

Rill bowed. " Rill Ellis, Master Numair, and your apology is accepted. However, I do believe that this situation requires some expert help. And as Tortall's greatest mage I believe you qualify. Can you help her?" Numair nodded. " Come here please Thayet, sit beside me." Numair called upon his magic, and tapped into Thayet's. She could feel him go deeper and deeper, right down into her inner self.

Suddenly he gasped and pulled out, letting go of his magic. " It's..... oh gods bless. It's you! That's why! " DAINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " He shouted with all his magic. Daine Sarrasri came running through the door, pulled by his magic. " Numair! What in the Gods name do you want?! " she threw up her arms. " Daine... remember our Great Experiment? The one we worked forever on? " Numair asked anxiously. Daine thought hard for a moment. " Yes..... I think. The one with the girl? " she asked slowly. He nodded excitedly. Daine cocked an eyebrow. " Her? She's the one? " realization dawned on her pretty face as she looked at Thayet. Numair nodded again.

" Could someone explain please?" that was Rill. Thayet was to bewildered to speak. Numair jumped up, swinging Daine around and around. Then he finally kissed her, and she laughed. They came and sat on the couch, holding hands. " About 15 or 16 years ago we did an experiment. Numair and I thought to create a girl. The most beautiful girl in all the Tortall, the best fighter and the most powerful. To do this, we collected essecnces from 7 people. Those people were Alanna the Lioness; Baron George Cooper of Pirates Swoop, Alanna's husband; Queen Thayet; King Jonathan; Keladry of Mindelan; Numair; and myself. Our idea was to make a woman for the heir of the throne to marry. Queen Thayet helped us a bit with the designing. It took a long time but finally the day. Numair added all the essecnces together, then said the spell that put it all together to form an embryo. Then he placed it inside the host mothers womb. Then for more fun, Numair decided to erase it all from the Queen's mind. All of her knowledge of this ever happening. I offered to be the mother but Numair said no, it would be to weird and I was to young. Anyway, you were created by Numair and I, along with 5 other people. That is why you can turn into different people, because you have their essecne inside you. We never anticipated you would be able to do that though." Numair interupted Daine. " Also we took more essecnces from some people than we did others. Like for instance, we took more from Alanna than we did George. That is why you may turn into certain people easier than others, because you have more of their esscence. However if you can turn into two of the people, then I'm sure you can turn into all."

Thayet was totally poleaxed. So was Rill. This was alot of information at once, and Thayet was having difficulty taking it all in. Rill spoke first. " So.... if i get this right... Thayet was.... created..... by you two... from a bunch of different peoples essences?"

Daine and Numair nodded, grinning widely. " We can teach you to transform yourself, and harness your power." That was Numair. Thayet felt detached from everything. " So I don't really have parents then? And Glacia isn't my sister? " Thayet felt herself ask. "Well, in a way yes they are. Your mother had you, and your parents must have... well you know.. for you to be sent to her womb so technically in birth right they are. But you will probably have noticed you are very different from them? " Thayet nodded. " So yes. By your birthright they are your parents, but we made up who you are, and what your talents are."

Daine came over and crouched next to her. She smelled of horses and spice. " I know it's alot to take in, but it's true. Try to understand. We also need to teach you control, so you don't burst out as someone else. It's important. And Numair needs to teach you to control your Gift, which is a combo of Jonathan's Crown magic, mine, Alanna's healing, and Numair's own power which in truth makes you more powerful than he. " She clasped Thayet's hand, making Thayet look at her for the first time. The knowledge of her true self finally sunk in. " Yes milady." Daine shook her head. " I'm no milady. Just Daine." Daine looked at Numair. " This is going to be fun darling." Numair, Thayet, and Rill all laughed.