Barley and Cambriana arrived home within minutes of each other. Barley was a bit …tipsy. Cambriana was carrying the kit gently, but she has malice in her eyes. If she noticed anything wrong with either her kit or her mate, she didn't say anything. Cambriana just dropped the kit on her sleeping rags and stalked out of the room.

Mungojerrie's eyes fluttered open when the kit landed beside him. He focused on her. She didn't look any different than before. Did that mean…

"Shit!" Mungojerrie pulled himself up quickly. He stumbled after his mother. Barley was just falling asleep. When Mungojerrie flew past him, a pungent aroma, not unlike Human Liquor, stung his nose. Shaking his head in disgust, Mungojerrie tripped over his mother. She looked up at him and glared.

"Mama…" Man, I gotta stop calling her that. Baby. He knew better than to finish the question. She sighed and sat up.

"Lonrina said her 'secretary' didn't tell her of any appointment. Not me. Not anyone. For Heavisides' sake, I watched that queen record my request…" Cambriana's voice trailed off.

"Well, can't you just set up a new time?" Mungojerrie was worried. He had barely got out last night. Maybe not have even. What if he had to face every day like that?

Not that giving Tilly what she wanted would be bad…he just didn't want to live with that incurable maniac.

"Oh, yes," Cambriana said bitterly. "In two months. In two months the spirits would be ready to test another. How convenient. Just in time for me to come off the throne. That wrinkled old fraudy witch. She used to be believable. Fraudy, but believable…" Cambriana started muttering random phrases with odd obscenities that were rarely used in the same sentence. Mungojerrie sat quietly, letting her vent. Interfering in any slight way could be fatal.

"…you know, when you get on that throne, the first thing I want you to do is to get a new medicine cat. That old hag…" Cambriana trailed off as she realized what she'd said. "Uh, I mean…uh…if you get on the throne…"she stuttered a bit more, then decided to shut up. Mungojerrie's hopes soared. If his mother said that, he had a chance. Everyone knew 'the throne' was the top-most rule. Only the top-most rulers could change former decisions; the mate could only be Royal Advisor. If there was no mate, the ruler would choose another advisor and had to keep their status of un-married (marriage was required instead of the usual Mate Agreements. It looked more Royal-like.) There wasn't rules against having concubines or the like. In fact, most un-married Royals had many, many concubines.

If the married Royal had kits (un-married weren't allowed to announce their kits birth), their first born was to be the top-most ruler (law installed by Sir Garin). If the top-most was a tom, the medicine had until the current rulers 10th season on the throne to find all the compatible queens possible. The tom had to choose one at his crowning. Everyone thought the picked ones were straight from the spirits. Mungojerrie felt that it was all a gyp. The medicine cats knew nothing of the spirits. He (having been raised by the same opinioned Cambriana) thought that the first medicine cat could see the spirits, and there may occasionally be the Talented to reach the position, but most were stupid fakies. It was all favorites. Of course, if the available were gorgeous and kept their mouth shut… heheh.

Sometimes, a medicine cat couldn't find any compatible mates. On these rare occasions, the tom rejoiced. Rule by themselves, harems galore… it was what every prospect tom wished for. When the ruler died, the spirits had to choose a new line of spirits. Any kits born a bastard to the tom wasn't to be offered as ruler, as the mother would be executed. Wahoo. Usually during the time of a single tom, cats all around were sucking up to the medicine cat. Wonder why…

Mungojerrie remembered something that needed to be told to his mom.

"Uh, Mom…" Cambriana glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" Her voice was breaking with exhaustion and post-anger.

"Remember Tilly?"
"The bitchy little black? Who wouldn't?"

"Well, um, her mom is finding a very effective ways of getting her onto the… throne." Mungojerrie's voices slid away until he could barley be heard. Cambriana sighed.

"I'm not even gonna ask. I can think of about…27… no, 32 ways for Tilly to still get on the throne, all but three of which would make me pissed at you, so I'm not even gonna ask." Cambriana groaned. " I don't believe this. Two months. One day before you get onto the throne. We have one chance to get this right. Unless you're okay with Tilly." Mungojerrie's face made her grin. "I'm glad. I'd have to kill you if you fell for that whore. Oh, damn! Training doesn't start until after testing… we won't be able to train her! How's she gonna be any kind of ruler? Wow, Lonrina's really pushing her luck. She's got this sooo planned! She wants us to give up…" Cambriana's voice had switched to a mumble. "Well, we won't. She can't get her way. I'll threaten her with her life if she doesn't pass the kit. Mungojerrie, you're gonna have to train her like crazy." She wasn't even talking to him. She was acting like he wasn't there. And saying his name. Ordering. Not directing the speech to him. Mothers.

"Mungojerrie, are you paying attention?" Mungojerrie was startled. Yeah, since she was talking to him a minute ago…

"Hm?"

"I said that you're gonna have to do a watch on her, what with certain enemies that will be certain parents…"

"Like a bodyguard?"

"Sure. Whatever." She sighed and closed her eyes. Shit. Discussion ended. Mungojerrie stared at his mother, dumb-founded. He still hated the kit, but his hate now had a purpose. Keep her alive, get her on the throne, then…KILL HER!

The kit opened her eyes. No sun rays reached her brain, she processed nothing through the golden orbs. Not through the cloud. But she didn't know any other way. She'd only understood feeling, smell, hearing and taste. Her ears could tune into anything almost twice as fast and detailed as any other kit her age. Just now she'd heard that Kind Tom voice. And the Mad Queen. The Tired Tom wasn't speaking. As is usual with most blind babes, her word processing was slower. She had no idea how to speak, or even what to understand of the babble. She recognized voices.

The Kind Tom was padding over. Such a nice friend. Saving her from the huge wetness and any moments Mad Queen almost strangled her. Of course, she didn't know about any of Kind Tom's earlier attempts at strangulation.

"Hey, stupid little munchkin. Go to sleep. You need that beauty sleep awful bad. Holy cow, you are ugly." The kit purred. Such a sweet voice. Such a nice tom.

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, tho no one's complained so I know I'm not that luved. Might be a week or two til I get the chapters up. Got Dual Credit and the Mid-Term exams comin up... just to let you guys know, college sucks and I don't think I was ready, as a Sophmore in-standing in HS. sigh

Chi and Jemima/Macavity luvah: Uhm, letters have stopped. Maybe you could send one... I'm gonna buy a phone card. I'll call you and tell you the number, so you guys can call me too. It's 10 dollars for 1000 minutes! It's gonna rock... Thnx for bein supportive. I pro'lly wouldn't have submitted this chapter if I knew you guys were about to kill me for Story Neglect.