When Ravanna woke up in the orphanage, her first instinct was to totally pass everything off as a dream. Just forget it. Then she reached beneath her pillow. There, seemingly like it was there for some grand mission, was a beautiful purple rose that was almost black at the tips of the petals and worked it's way back into a fluffy lavender. Beneath it lay a hand written note from the Holiday Counsel. She picked up the note and reread it.

Heiress Prospect Ravanna;

The Holiday Counsel does hereby extend an invitation for any and all Counsel meetings in the event that you should decide to audition for sovereign rights. The Holiday Counsel does hereby instate you as an Honorary Counsel Member and Trustee of Common Wealth.

Please feel free to join us on any full moon.

All the counsel members signed it. Ravanna put it under her pillow again so the other orphans wouldn't see it. She remembered the conversation she and Veilia had had on the way back in the early pre-dawn light.

"You can't let anyone know about Ghost Village, Ravanna. If people found out, this place would be covered in people looking for not only thrills, but trying to find long lost relatives and they aren't supposed to know what goes on here yet. It would totally alter the balance of reality. Living World is for the living and Ghost Village is for the dead. It's that simple."

'If it's so simple, how'd we get dragged into this?' Ravanna rebuked silently. She looked at the rose. It had appeared in her hands when Doppler had left. She supposed that the night had not been all terrible. She'd never had an admirer before. She blushed at the thought.

'I'm so stupid. I don't want to go back… and yet, I do…' Thinking about going back made her think about her mother.

'I want to meet her. Even if she doesn't remember me, I want to meet her. And I want to know who my dad is. Why shouldn't I know? What if I'm a duchess here as well as a princess there? Now THAT would be confusing!' she giggled quietly.

Soon the 7 O'clock bell rang that signaled breakfast. If they weren't down there in thirty minutes or less, breakfast would be gone and they'd have to go to morning class without it.

Ravanna got up. She dressed in the blue dress that all the girls in her age group wore. Not that there were many. Sometimes, when she looked around at all the other children still in the orphanage, she thought that maybe Veilia and her were the only ones over 14 still there. She knew it wasn't true, but still… most girls had been picked for some reason or another by this time. But she had never left because of her sister. And she didn't want to loose her sister. That was the only connection she had to not being alone. To knowing what a family was.

The orphans went through their day as they normally did. A few teachers asked Ravanna why she was so quiet. Ravanna used the excuse that she was tired.

"The full moon was so bright in my window last night, it kept me awake for hours." Upon hearing this, the teachers began to see about getting new drapes for the outer rooms.

Ravanna was worried about other things, though. Her thoughts kept returning to her "epiphany" last night. 'He could be taking advantage of her and she not even know it. Doppler… seemed so nice, but Edward wouldn't let him be nice… Why? Why doesn't Edward want Doppler to be nice to me?' She realized she was walking through the main yard, through the place were the bullies in the school liked to hang out. A girl with an up turned nose glared through the corner of her eyes.

"Well, if it isn't the Princess, descended from on high! Thank you, your Majesty, for gracing us with your presence this day!" The whole crowd laughed for a moment, then watched quietly as Ravanna passed by, still looking spaced out.

'Princess? That's right. I'm a Princess, huh? And Princesses grow up to be Queens, who marry Kings… THAT'S IT! He doesn't want Doppler to be King… HE wants to be King! He's using Veilia to become King of Ghosts! That's what I've been missing!' "That little rat! I'll get him next time!" she swore aloud as the bullies and snobs stared in disbelief.

"What? Did you guys just…?"

"Nope. I didn't see anything!" A girl swore, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Veilia had been closed off from everyone again, only talking to those who demanded her attention, like the teachers. She watched out the window as if expecting a shooting star to simply appear and beg her to go with it to a far off planet. She was already spacey enough…

She began to wonder when Edward would full-fill his promise. Soon, she'd be a grown woman, having spent 12 years of her life in an orphanage. She wasn't sure if it was more than that, because she couldn't remember when she was brought here, but she did remember leaving Ghost Village at 4.

Both sisters continued wondering on their dilemmas until the full moon came again in it's annual cycle of time and light. This time, when Veilia got up from her bed, she gently nudged Ravanna awake.

"Ravanna?" she whispered. "You awake?"

"Yes." She muttered flatly.

"… are you going?"

Ravanna took a full second before throwing back her blankets to reveal her school dress.

"If you think I'm staying here, you're more out of your mind than I thought possible."

They began running thought the forest together, Ravanna panting and scrambling after her sister who seemed to be used to this trek. Ravanna shrieked as an owl flew close enough for it's wings to brush her hair. Then smiled sheepishly to her sister.

"My… You'd think with everything I've seen, an owl would be no big deal… I've never been out past dark…"

Veilia didn't appear to be listening. Her eyes looked determined as she brushed the reaching branches out of her way.

Suddenly, the forest cleared and there was the swing. They could both see the ghost city.

Veilia stood on the edge of the cliff again, and put her foot out in the ballet style Ravanna had seen before. As she began to put her foot down, the bridge streaked back out from the town streets. Ravanna looked on in fascination.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Veilia asked.

"Never mind." Ravanna sighed.

They proceeded into Ghost Town, Veilia feeling much less up tight. That's the way things always were here. She felt at home.

Apparently, it was catching, because Ravanna wore a look of pleasant feelings as well. Veilia grabbed her sister's hand.

"Huh? Veilia? What're you doing?" Ravanna giggled as Veilia began pulling her forward.

"Come on! I'll show you around! You might as well know where everything is, right?" Veilia smiled warmly. Ravanna returned the smile with equal warmth.

"Okay!"

They ran down the street, Veilia pointing at different sights along the way. "See! That's the Sleepy Hollow tavern! And there's the Coffin Café."

Ravanna slowed down as she noticed someone up ahead. It took her a moment to recognise him, but after a moment she smiled and waved. "Hello, Doppler!"

Veilia turned to look at the new interruption. Her eyes became passive and void again. Doppler couldn't help the slight glare in his face when he first set eyes upon her.

"So, what've you been up to?" Ravanna asked enthusiastically.

"I've been thinking of nothing but you since you left, my lady." He held out her arm. "Might I have permission to escort the object of my obsession to a little ball in her honor?"

Ravanna's only answer was a wild blush as she looked from him to Veilia. What was she to do now?