Circe's eyes fluttered open quickly in the dark, fluttered away from that dream she kept on having. The kind of dream that she used to wake up crying with as a child. Yet, as she tried to remember it, it ran away, its long gown flickering out behind it, just out of reach.

"You need your sleep," came a quiet, gentle voice behind her. Rolling over to her left side in Altecus arms, she peered into his eyes in the dark, flickering with slanted moonlight shards coming in through the barred windows.

"You even more. Why are you awake?" Studying him, she sighed. He looked so tired. Too tired.

"It's a habit long held." He said, slowly looking away and up to the ceiling. But Circe wasn't one to be brushed aside so lightly. Resting her head on one elbow, she looked down at him with questioning eyes that read, "And?....."

Running his hand through her hair, he said quietly, "When I first became a slave, I used to have dreams about the woman I could love and serve. The woman that I could give everything I had to and more. But one day, I realized that not even the sweetest dream would do. It couldn't take away the pain." Sitting up, he rested his elbows on his knees, his gaze set on the moon. The unbound moon.

Sitting up with him, Circe rested her hand, tanned from hours in the sun and hardened through work, on his shoulder. "But we have found each other, Altecus. I love you." She looked at him with her deep brown eyes, pleading with his. Her gaze fell bitter, however, for she knew he wanted something else as well. "But that's not enough, is it?"

Looking at her, then, his eyes filled with that incorruptible dream and strength, he sighed. "No, it's not. I want us to be free, Circe, to have a home and family of our own. I want our children to grow up as free men and women, not slaves. I want to die as a man, not property." Pausing, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead and whispering, "That is why I can never close my eyes. Why I can never fall asleep."

Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned her head in his chest and breathed in all of him. Bittersweet of all, though, was that she wanted the same thing. But it could never be. She used to cry for hours over the saddest words of all: What might have been.

"I know you, Altecus. You'd go to great lengths to acquire your dream. But I feel a shadow draw over my heart in the blazing sun when I see you talking to the other men in hushed voices. Voices shrouded in rebellion. And then, at night, I see you whispering secrets in the dark. Would you keep me from your dreams, yet draw others near?"

Gently pulling away from her, he looked down at her, and said in that voice shrouded in rebellion, "I push you away to keep you safe. Never fear, my love, for I live now to serve what might be. Hear this now, for I will only say it once in the safety of the dark: I mean to start a rebellion. One that will dazzle the realm and leave it forsaken. I shall play their own bitter games with them, and beat them with all of world as my audience. Terrielle shall feel their shame in their outrage. But, more than anything, when I have completed this, I want you at my side. I know what shadow stirs in your heart; no revolt has ever been successful. But, I swear to you, I shall give everything I am for it."

Circe was only half-surprised. She knew Altecus was up to something huge, but had yet to figure out what it was exactly. Laughing bitterly, she placed her hands on either side of his face. "I would follow you to the end of the world, even if that means Hell itself. You are the only light in this night I call my life. Do not question my loyalty, for your dream is mine, but you must be careful Altecus."

"I know, and I shall be. Kaeleer will take us in, for she will take pity on us."

"Will Kaeleer truly come to our aid?" Circe was slightly doubtful. With this new queen on the throne, she may turn against them; may try to put them "back in their place".

"Yes, I assure you, but before I carry this out, there is one thing I need you to do for me." A smile began to play on his lips.

"Name it," she returned the smile with all she had, her doubts melting.

"Marry me, Circe, and everything you ever cried for will have been in vain. I will give you what will be."

A wave of happiness fell over her, Altecus noted, but was soon followed by bitterness.

"Slaves can't marry, Altecus." Her voice was torn with grief. How could they ever marry?

Altecus chuckled, slightly, taking her hand and kissing it. "Don't marry me as a slave, Circe, but as a woman."

His smile decimated the grief and doubt in her. He will find a way for them to marry.

"I gave my heart to you long before I knew you, and now I'd gladly give my hand to you in marriage." Taking her in his arms, he kissed her with happiness that had been suppressed for years.

Several Days Later

Circe quietly entered Altecus's cell, and found him still dressed in his day clothes. Raising her left eyebrow at him, she quietly said, "Altecus, what-?"

Quietly, he shushed her, before gently grabbing her by her upper arm. Leading her out of his cell, they shot out of the building and into the surrounding wilderness. Weaving their way through the trees, it wasn't long before they came upon a stone cottage; its windows still alight with candlelight flickering through from within. It wasn't far from the compound; they must still be on the same estate, and therefore, very close to danger. A slave caught outside of their compound, especially at night, could face punishments ranging from flogging to even death.

Quickly walking up the cottage's stoop, a bare three wooden steps, Altecus knocked quietly on the door. It must have been a code, for it was a rather odd and long knock. Moments later, an elderly woman answered the door, and quickly motioned them in. Uncertain of where they were going before, Circe was now sure of where they were. She was standing in a sanctuary, a sanctuary disguised as an ordinary cottage. The room was small and over on the west wall stood an alter, one that seemed far from permanent. One that could be moved and was easy to hide….

"Let's make this quick," the elder woman said, blowing out all of the candles in the room, save the two on the alter. She was a good soul. One that helped slaves. One that would be rewarded in death.

Rubbing her wrinkled hands together, she motioned for them to draw forward. Smiling down at her, Altecus grabbed Circe's hand and led her to the alter. Returning the smile, Circe felt temporarily relieved of all problems.

The Next Day

Working out in the fields, Circe could see the male slaves walking to the food hall for their break, a meager meal of bread crust and water. Seeing Altecus, she saw him talking to two other men in quiet voices. Warily, she looked away and down at her left hand. At her wedding ring. It was a simple wooden ring carved with words in the Ancient Tongue, yet it was far from simple to her. She and Altecus didn't have any means of getting wedding rings for one another, so they gave each other what they could. The wooden ring was given to Altecus by his father, and the only piece of jewelry Altecus got to keep from his childhood days. Circe had managed to save a silver ring from the vicious slave masters; to keep it out of their grasp. It, too, was simple, and etched with a simple C, a reminder of whose it was. Afraid that it would catch someone's eye, Altecus kept it on a piece of twine about is neck, tucked under his shirt. Circe had always kept it in her invisible "cupboard", as it was sometimes called. She was able to do simple craft such as that, but she had never had her Birthright Ceremony or Offering to the Darkness. She never got a chance. Altecus, on the other hand, had had both. He had both a purple dusk, and sapphire jewel carefully tucked away.

She feared that one of the Slave Masters would catch word of the rebellion, but so far, it seemed that they hadn't. They would have acted by now, wouldn't they have? She feared that one of the men would betray Altecus and turn him in. "But for what?" she thought bitterly. Altecus was handing them freedom, yet there were slaves out there that would destroy that, all in the name of temporary favorism above others.

She had no idea when the rebellion was to occur, or for that matter, very much about it at all. She had respected his privacy and wish to leave her out of it, and therefore safe, but as time drew on she grew annoyed.

Later that night, she found herself thinking just that. Looking up at Altecus as he entered his cell, she noted that he had been talking with a group of four other men. Standing up, she stared into his eyes and quietly, yet firmly said, "Altecus, I want to know more about what is to come. I know you wish to keep me safe, but I want to be part of this dream, whatever the cost."

Sighing, he frown played on his lips. "Even your life?"

"You risk yours, and much more."

Biting his tongue, he decided to come from a different approach. "If you know nothing than you can't be forced to say anything. Should the guards find out, I want you innocent, seemingly oblivious to this rebellion."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she hissed a reply, "Am I that much weaker than you that I would cave under torture?"

"Women nurture, Circe. Leave men to the blood spilling."

"I want to know, Altecus. I have a right to know."

"You will know in time, like the others."

"You'd make me as ignorant as the others?"

"I would to keep you unnoticed. Be one of the others, Circe, for now."

"Others? I am your wife, Altecus. You shall treat me as such. You know I want what you want, and to leave me in the dark while you bask in the sun is the worst of all tortures."

Altecus narrowed his eyes at her, his anger growing as the argument grew. Circe knew that she had touched a nerve, an important one.

"What do you want to know, Circe?" he said softly, raising his left eyebrow at her.

"When." She said just as softly.

"That is undecided. We need enough time to gather support and information. We need to know how to get into the weapons storage and plans for after we take over the camp. Perhaps in a few weeks, at the earliest."

"And after we take over the camp, do you think Terrielle will just let us walk away?" She chuckled with bitter amusement.

Once again knowing better than to feed into a witch's temper and barbed wit, he replied. "We'll leave quickly on foot for Kaeleer, as you know. There, we can take up temporary sanctuary."

Circe absorbed this information, not as doubtful as before. Rumors had been circulating of a new Queen. The one they call Witch. Some said she was a terror, while others said that she was gentle. Either way, the new Queens in Kaeleer seemed to take a much kinder hand to slaves than the ones in Terrielle did. Circe was happy to hear that one of them, reportedly named Karla, had exiled Hobart for his cruel practices.

"Thank you, Altecus." It was all she could manage, as she laid down on the bed, thinking.

Muttering about women, Altecus set about to his own thoughts. The time was drawing very, very near.