As the long, winding line of cars drew closer to the mansion, the music pumping from one of the open windows was clearly hard rock, making Nana and Popo cover their ears. The first car, an extremely nice sports car, black of course, pulled onto the long drive first. Peach stood, wringing her hands anxiously and waiting.

A chauffeur popped out of the drivers' seat, neat and trim in a suit. With gloved hands, he opened the door directly behind the passengers'. First a delicate hand appeared, with black, cut off gloves, followed by a black, long-sleeved shirt depicting a band called ACDC. Finally, a baby faced head with shoulder length brown hair emerged fully.

Peach couldn't help herself. She squealed, "Daisy!" and ran to the car, holding her skirts out of the mud's way. The brown head peered up, and a huge grin split across it. "Peach!" The stranger held out her arms and embraced her. Their excited chatter filled the air, and the music turned off.

The rest of the Smashers held back, save for Mario and Luigi, who went to greet their friend. As soon as Daisy saw Luigi, she smiled and stooped down for a kiss. Blushing, he obliged.

The tall woman who stood there was not the carefree princess Mario remembered from a few months ago. She had changed, and grown up quickly in the last months. Her face still had traces of the old, fun girl they knew and loved, but it was overshadowed by the seriousness and calm composure she had now. Queen Daisy was here.

Meanwhile, Lyssa was sitting in a dark room, waiting for the police squad. She sat in a dusty armchair, nearly sinking into it. Her eyes were wide, rimmed with red, and had a blank stare. Her white hands were clasped in her lap, her fingers every once in a while tracing the red mark she had never known was there.

Of course, Cadmon, April, and Chiarina didn't believe her. She had tried to tell them she didn't know anything, that she had somehow been tricked. When they asked her how, she had hung her head and murmured she didn't know how. With that, Cadmon dragged her to an empty part of the mansion, unused for some years. She didn't cry or fight back; she had willingly gone. She was a traitor, and she deserved every second of it.

She didn't move when she heard the procession arrive. She didn't move when she heard the Queen enter the castle. And she didn't move when the window opened and a man slid in.

He stood there, arms folded, looking down at the small, brown haired girl sitting in the overstuffed armchair. His red eyes glinted as he slowly took out a small, jeweled-encrusted dagger and laid it on her lap. She looked up, slowly, into his white face. She said quietly, "No."

He didn't move, either. Instead he muttered, "It is your duty, Lyssa. Do not forsake it."

"No. I will not. I cannot recall why you want this, brother. Or how you tricked me into doing this."

"Do not bother yourself with the past, sister."

"Then you should not, either! Brother, the execution of our father happened years and years ago!"

His slap sent her back into the chair. She did not cry out, even as she felt the hit smarting. His face was close to hers, his face scrunched with fury. "You will listen to me, Lyssa! Since Mother died, she left you in my protection!"

Lyssa met his eye, unafraid. "If I am allowed to say so, brother, you are not doing the best of jobs."

She pushed him away, and stood, walking to the window. The dagger fell to the floor with a dull thud on the thick carpet. She looked over the grounds of what had been her home for the last year. Now everyone in it despised her, and she couldn't even remember why. "I refuse to help you in this evil plot to destroy the peace of the world. You may tell the Brotherhood their unwilling spy has quit."

She turned to face her older brother. He still stood there, chuckling lowly. He opened his red eyes, "Oh, sister. You always had a way of making me laugh." His expression changed in a fraction of a second, from slight amusement to absolute fury. "You will not play games with me, sister. When I placed the spell on you to control you-"

"What?"

He meant for that to slip, she just knew it. A spell, of course. When Father and Mother and she had been captured for betraying the country, he had been away at school, immersed in the illegal arts of magic and sorcery. Of course he would know spells to control his little sister, who had absolutely adored him.

Until recently. She heard him muttering under his breath and knew he was going to cast another spell, whether to control her or show her what he had done.

They were walking up the mansion doors. He was muttering in her ear, instructing her. "Remember, little sister. Your duty is to inform me of the princesses and princes comings and goings. Keep an eyes on everyone, and watch and be careful. The Brotherhood is getting ready to strike, and you shall be a part of history when it succeeds. I shall be waiting, sister." He melted into the shadows as she entered the door.

Her fellow staff members were waiting for her. A large woman who would become her master, a young boy who would apprentice with her, a woman with pink hair and a bright smile, and a woman with golden hair and eyes, and a large tattooed man. She smiled endearingly at them all, and wondered if she would care in a few months about these people.

Later that night, as she was getting ready for bed, she caught sight of her face in the mirror. Smiling at herself like all teens do, she turned this way and that. A heart-shaped face surrounded by glossy brown hair, wavy and braided in the traditional fashion. A small nose, pale ivory skin, and light blue eyes.

Wait a minute…

Doing a double take, she leaned in closer, her eyes widening as she saw black surrounding her blue eyes, a sign of dark magic cast on her. She shivered involuntarily, remembering her mother and her with the same eyes, years ago, to protect the family secrets that could have torn apart a kingdom.

With a startled cry, Lyssa was thrown back to the present. Looking around, she realized her brother was gone. The window was thrown open, with the curtains blowing with the chill autumn wind. She ran to the bathroom, wiped the thick layer of dust off a section of it, and then stared at her reflection.

A heart-shaped face, surrounded by glossy brown hair. Pale ivory skin, a small nose, and light blue eyes.

No black.

She had been fooled, tricked and cheated her entire life. Turning on the rusty sink with a furious twist, she scrubbed at her wrist, determined to rid herself of the mark that had condemned her. Twenty minutes later, when Cadmon showed up to escort her to the waiting police force, he found her there, her wrist red, raw, and clear of the sign. She turned and hesitated. He had a look of pure malice in his eyes, and she cried out, "Cadmon, please! Look at my eyes, I was tricked! Please!"

He grabbed both her wrists in one giant hand, and marched her out of the bathroom without looking at her. She hung her head, and relaxed. She needed to focus, she hadn't done this in a long time…

With a loud crack, Cadmon was left in the room, his hands around nothing, his eyes glinting angrily as he picked up a jeweled encrusted dagger with his sleeve.

MINDSPRING- Dun, dun, DUN!! Ehehe... yeah... Anyway, you read, you like; you read, you review! Maybe? *rolls eyes* Thanks, guys!