Author's Note: I'm at it again with the editing and revisions. Like the previous chapter, I've almost doubled the length of this chapter by adding in some new POV material from Ettia. Definitely recommend a re-read.

Meredith refused to let the others see how much Prince DeSade unnerved her, and regretted her decision to bring the younger two witches along. They had been there to witness his outright insolence- if not defiance- and would no doubt talk of it with the rest of the coven. Unacceptable. She would have to find some means of redirecting their focus. Make it about something other than what it looked like.

And what does it look like?

DeSade was becoming a dangerous liability. She feared that the rage in him had gone permanently cold. Not only had he killed Grael, but he showed no remorse or contrition when she came to demand an apology for it. At this rate, he was fast becoming an expensive toy that she could no longer play with. Pretty to look at, but not good for much of anything else. Certainly wasn't the useful tool she'd been hoping for all those centuries ago.

Tonight he was willing to be the tool, though, and that terrifying rage was in her favor. She may have lost Grael, but Meredith had other warlords to take his place. It was more important that the Prince was going to take care of the little bitch. Meredith allowed herself a moment of smug satisfaction at the thought of how DeSade would rip her apart.

And who knows- maybe giving him the bitch will solve the problem with him.

DeSade had never shown any interest in the servants before, so she'd never thought to waste him on them. It had been just as easy to give the troublesome ones to Grael. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Easily rectified. She'd let the Prince play with the bitch for a few days, and test out his temper on Bethaeny as she'd already planned to do. If the witch survived, Meredith would make some much-anticipated adjustments to his schedule.

A thrill spiraled through her as she fantasized about having him sufficiently under control to risk bedding him herself. It had been so long since she'd felt the satisfaction DeSade provided in bed. She still remembered it. Remembered the expert touch of his hands and mouth on her body. Of the feel of him inside her as she rode him to the peak of ecstasy. No other man had ever been able to match his skill.

"I guess I won't expect the use of the Prince anytime soon." The sound of Bethaeny's plaintive remark tore through Meredith's reverie. As if that wasn't enough to irritate her, the bitch actually followed it with, "He's supposed to be satisfying the coven. That's what he's here for, isn't it?

If she hadn't already decided to give that bitch to DeSade, Meredith would have settled on that right on the spot. The audacity to utter something like that right in front of the Queen. Even after the warnings she'd given the coven only a short time ago about wanting what belonged to her. And DeSade most definitely belonged to her. Not that simpering, foolish girl. If she had to endure one more stupid remark like that, she'd turn them around and throw the bitch into the Prince's suite tonight.

"The Prince is here to satisfy me," Meredith replied coolly. "So you keep that in mind."

Both witches were silent for the rest of the journey back to the wing belonging to the coven. When they arrived, Bethaeny mumbled some excuse and made a hasty retreat for her suite. Ettia remained behind, watching her cousin with disgust.

"I don't know what my aunt was thinking in recommending her to come here."

She was likely thinking what all mothers do- that she could use her daughter as a bargaining chip on her behalf. Just as yours did.

They reached one of the private salons, and Meredith stepped inside. It was early yet to go to sleep- especially alone. Once again, she chaffed at Valinna's order not to indulge herself. But on the other hand, after those thoughts of DeSade, settling for anything less didn't hold much appeal. So it was just as well she wouldn't be disappointed by one of the other warlords.

Valinna followed behind her, as Meredith expected she would. Ettia hesitated in the hallway. She still wasn't quite accustomed to her status in the first circle, and wasn't used to spending time with just the two of them. But Meredith's look convinced the witch that she should join them. At Valinna's direction, Ettia closed the door behind her. She didn't look at all comfortable to be in this room alone, perching somewhat gingerly on the edge of one of the couches.

Good.

Meredith didn't want any of her coven- not even the first circle- thinking that they were close to being her equal. She was the Queen and they were her pawns. After what just happened with DeSade, she was encouraged to see that Ettia wasn't getting any ideas to the contrary.

"Do you think he'll keep her alive as he promised," the witch ventured to ask.

"Of course," Meredith replied dismissively. "He would never disobey my command."

She wasn't certain that last part was true anymore, but said it to reinforce the perception that she still maintained absolute control of DeSade. In the meantime, she waited to see what Ettia would say next.

"And I suppose there's always the threat of using the Ring. Just in case he gets too carried away."

The less said about Rings right now the better, in Meredith's opinion. She certainly didn't want to discuss the worrying lack of response she felt from her controlling ring when she reached out to monitor DeSade. The connection felt…muted. All she received back were vague impressions and subdued emotions- like looking through a glass of murky water. A stark difference from the distinct link she typically felt with DeSade. Hell's fire, she couldn't even distinguish it as him.

"Not necessary."

"But-"

"Relax, Ettia," she cut in with a condescending smile. "The Prince will enjoy the game all the more if he knows we expect her alive in the end. How cruel do you think he can be when he's balancing what he wants to do against what would actually kill the bitch?"

Her newest protégé wasn't all that convinced of the plan. Point in fact, neither was Valinna. The Black Widow practically radiated with glowering disapproval. But again, she wouldn't risk contradicting Meredith in front of a coven witch like Ettia, so the decision would stand. At least until the two of them were alone. Then she expected Valinna would have much to say to her.

"So, we're not going to monitor him through the Ring?"

"No. Let him think he has his freedom."

"What if he finishes with her early? It could leave the coven vulnerable."

Meredith sighed in annoyance. Ettia was right, but she had expected the witch to be smart enough to realize that it was her job to make sure that wasn't a problem. Times like this, she wasn't much more useful than Bethaeny. Rather than waste her time waiting for that understanding to materialize, Meredith stated it bluntly for her.

"Well then, you'd better find a way to keep that from happening."

Ettia regarded her warily, understanding the threat underlying the command. She knew that if the Prince did divert himself with one of the coven witches, she'd be held responsible. Even if she was new to the first circle, the witch had seen enough to know what happened to anyone who didn't meet Meredith's expectations. She swallowed carefully and nodded.

"Yes, of course," she replied, rising from the seat cushion with haste. "If you don't object, I will take my leave to take of that now?"

"Not at all."

And then she was gone. Meredith would have found Ettia's reaction amusing if she weren't so irritated. What was worse, now she would have to deal with Valinna, which was sure to be even more aggravating. The Black Widow lost no time in making her opinion known.

"You're taking a serious risk in putting your trust in Ettia, don't you think?"

No sooner had Ettia closed the door behind her, she pressed her palms against her eyes and cursed under her breath. This was not the time to be noticed by Hayll's Queen- if ever there was a good time. Ettia had been hoping to stay relatively invisible until Meredith and Valinna weren't quite so focused on the hunt for traitors within the coven. If this played out as it had in the past, life would return to normal in a few weeks.

Or what passes for normal around here, she added in afterthought.

After half a century of serving in the territory Queen's court, Ettia knew what went on here- and in Hayll on the whole- couldn't be normal. The Blood couldn't be meant to live every day in constant fear and uncertainty. But this was all she'd known. Meredith had risen to become Hayll's Queen long before she was born, and would likely rule the territory until she returned to the Darkness.

Which won't be long in coming if I don't figure out a way to keep DeSade away from the rest of the coven.

A daunting assignment. Unlike her cousin, Ettia never expressed any wish to meet Meredith's prize possession in private. Not to say she didn't fantasize every once in a while what it might be like to spend a few hours experiencing his legendary skills. All witches did. The Prince was seduction in motion. Just watching him do something as mundane as drink a glass of wine was enough to arouse a woman's- or even a man's- desire.

But succumbing to the temptation to make fantasy a reality would be a fatal mistake. A witch foolish enough to lust after him paid for that pleasure at the expense of excruciating pain. Oftentimes, she paid with her life- Ring of Obedience be damned. The price wasn't worth it, in Ettia's opinion. So she kept well away from the Prince and never gave Meredith any reason to offer her the use of him.

Tonight, it would appear that her luck had run out. If DeSade wasn't content with the witch he'd been given, she might have no choice but to sacrifice herself. At least that's what she took away from Meredith's instructions. The implication was there, and even if it wasn't, better to face DeSade than to find out what the Queen would do to her if she failed. Or so Ettia would tell herself in the event she had no other option.

I could just sacrifice Bethaeny.

That thought came unbidden, but not entirely unwelcome. After all, why not her? Meredith had already been willing to let DeSade destroy her cousin, and she saw tonight's change of schedule as a delay of the inevitable. So if someone had to give her life for the good of the rest of the coven, might as well be someone the Queen wouldn't mind losing. At most, she'd see the loss as an annoyance.

As for Ettia, she supposed that she ought to feel something. Regret? Guilt? Sadness at the very least. And maybe she would, if that's how this played out. Or perhaps she wouldn't. Despite being family, she and Bethaeny weren't all that close. They'd spent most of their childhoods in very different parts of Hayll, and had only really begun to know one another as part of Meredith's coven. In all the years they'd served Hayll's Queen together, Ettia had learned one thing about her cousin.

Bethaeny really had no business being here.

She asked too many questions. Asked the wrong questions. The kind that cast doubt on whether the Blood should accept the status quo that seemed only to benefit Meredith and a handful of her pet Queens. Thankfully, most of the coven shrugged them off, believing Bethaeny stupid on account of her rural upbringing. They merely laughed at her behind her back…or to her face if they were feeling especially spiteful.

Better than the alternative.

If any of them realized that her cousin wasn't an idiot, and that her questions were serious ones, life in Draega would be much worse. For both of them. Ettia feared that Valinna had already worked it out, and that she was somehow behind Meredith's suspicious generosity. She didn't trust the Black Widow any more than the Queen. Possibly less. And if Valinna saw Bethaeny's questions as the threat they truly were, the witch wouldn't hesitate to have her eliminated.

It's not like you haven't seen it happen before.

More times than Ettia cared to think about. She'd stood in that room to witness Meredith's demonstrations a few times a year. The addition of safframate for today's session was new, but she'd seen Valinna use her Black Widow craft during an interrogation to tear down a witch's barriers. In truth, she'd seen far worse done in that room. Things that sometimes haunted her dreams in the form of terrifying nightmares.

Ettia told herself she ought to be grateful that she wasn't hear during the early days of Meredith's rule; they had been far bloodier. To hear tales of it from Seren and Idrina, they were as bloody as the decade following the Purge. Meredith had slaughtered witches and Warlords alike in the hundreds. Of course, neither witch had actually seen any of that. None of the first circle had, as not one of the Queen's initial coven had survived.

Except Valinna.

Another reason she didn't trust the witch. How was it that Valinna alone escaped unscathed? Not for the first time did Ettia wonder exactly what sort of dynamic existed between Queen and Black Widow. Meredith may wear the dominant Jewels, but Valinna had her particular Black Widow craft on her side. Hard to tell which of them actually held the upper hand.

None of that was helping her solve her immediate concerns about keeping DeSade away from the coven. Ettia figured if she as on point for that task, she wasn't getting any rest of the next few days. Might as well forget spending any time in her suite altogether and stake out the best place to keep watch. Really, she ought to return to the corridor outside DeSade's suite if she hoped to have any chance of intercepting him.

But that would mean she'd be within earshot of the Prince's bedroom. Doubtful that he'd bother with aural shields. In fact, the Prince would likely make a concerted effort to ensure that sounds from within carried throughout the hall. Ettia couldn't bring herself to listen to it. Traitor or not- and that's if she believed the accusations in the first place- no witch deserved DeSade's particular brand of torture.

And without the threat of retaliation from the Ring, she couldn't help reminding herself. Encouraged to do anything short of killing the witch.

"You worry over nothing, Valinna."

The Black Widow sat quietly for a moment, thoughtful. She'd been one of the first witches to help Meredith on her rise to power, using her Jewels and particular craft to help protect her against the strong blood males who might have broken her before she was gifted with the Gray. And it had been Valinna who had taught her about the Ring of Obedience. She'd come up with ways of keeping the younger Queens and witches in line.

So while Meredith didn't completely trust any witch, Valinna was someone she could count on. Together, they'd rebuild Hayll after that damned Purge nearly destroyed the Blood. They shared the same vision for Terreille. That's what mattered, and was why she was willing to listen to what the witch would say.

"Should we be worried that the Prince is beyond our control?"

"I think tonight will show us how to turn that problem around," Meredith countered with confidence. Unfortunately, Valinna didn't buy it.

"I'm more convinced that it will only make things worse. We have to discuss our options now, while there's still time."

"Time for what? What exactly are you getting at?"

She didn't like the long pause that followed her question. The longer it stretched on, the more she dreaded what the Black Widow would say. As it turned out, her apprehension was not without merit. She listened in shocked horror as Valinna delivered her reply.

"Like it or not, the Prince may have outlived his usefulness. You might want to find a way to be rid of him before he destroys all we've worked for."

After several minutes of stunned silence, Meredith protested, "I don't believe you actually mean that."

"I do mean it."

"Hell's fire, you're the one who came up with the idea of bringing him here in the first place. When Nesbeth went there to fetch him, you created the illusion spells that allowed her to enter that place unnoticed."

"I know what said. And what I did."

"So why the change of heart now?"

"We're not going to get what we want out of him, and the longer he's here, the more dangerous it is for us."

"How are you so sure we won't? There's time yet."

"Six hundred years, Meredith. How long are we going to wait? It was a mistake to let him make an Offering, since now he wears a Jewel darker than yours. If that Ring of Obedience fails, he'll finish us."

Valinna was practically vibrating from the emphasis of her tone. She believed every word, and Meredith couldn't lie to herself that she wasn't thinking a lot of the same lately. Especially tonight with what she was- and wasn't- picking up from her controlling ring. But she refused to believe that their only option was to destroy him. Eventually he would break and give them what they wanted. He had to.

"It's a waste of a bloodline," she threw back at the Black Widow in hopes of changing her mind. "There's still a chance he might sire a child or two with the coven. He might even get the bitch he's with now pregnant."

"And so what if he does?"

Meredith practically gaped at the witch, jaw slack in utter stupefaction. Sure, she and Valinna had discussed their issues with DeSade from time to time, and of course the Black Widow had expressed increasing wariness about him. But this almost sounded like she was giving up on their entire plan in acquiring him. That was a large part of what they'd been working for. So when she found her wits again, Meredith was quick to remind her.

"Wasn't that the whole point? To develop a female line with that kind of power?"

"I'm beginning to think that was a mistake as well," Valinna muttered.

No. She couldn't have the witch pulling out of this plan now. Not after all the sacrifices they'd made to get DeSade here, and then the lives lost in the centuries since just to keep him contained. But Valinna kept going with her speech.

"We thought we would succeed where the others before us had failed. By starting with an infant, we thought we would have a 'blank slate' that could be molded to our way of thinking- before the training of his bloodline could be ingrained. Only it hasn't worked out that way- has it?" Meredith didn't answer, resolutely silent, as the witch pressed on. "So what if he does sire offspring on this witch or any of the coven? How do we know we won't face the same problem with that child?"

She didn't want to consider those questions, and racked her brain for some argument to discredit them. At last, she hit upon something plausible.

"It could just be the male line that is a problem. A girl might be more malleable."

"And she might end up with Jewels darker than yours, which she could use to overthrow you."

Now that's an altogether uncomfortable thought, Meredith admitted. She wanted a strong successor in line when she had reached old age and could no longer rule. But that was thousands of years away, and she was by no means ready to surrender the power she held before then. Definitely don't want to be cheated out of what is mine.

Wasn't that why she was so eager to listen to Valinna's suggestions about breaking stronger witches before they became a threat? None of the witches in her coven matched her Gray Jewel, and only a few wore the Sapphire. The rest were Purple-dusk and Opal with a few Green. Witches outside the coven rarely wore anything darker than Summer-sky.

So what kind of danger was she inviting if DeSade gave them a witch with the potential to wear something like the Gray or Ebon-gray? Valinna had a point that now would not be a good time to let that much power grow to adulthood. It was better not to take that risk. And she could see that Meredith was in agreement with that point.

"You see the problem."

"Yes, the timing isn't right just yet."

"And again I ask you- how long are you willing to wait with a vicious killer barely chained by that bit of gold around his cock?"

Meredith hedged a moment before she replied, "I still think there's hope that we can break him."

Valinna shook her head, clearly not sharing that optimism. She looked uneasy, and Meredith wondered if she had seen something with her Black Widow craft that made her so outspoken on this issue. She might as well ask.

"Is there something you've seen that I should know about, Valinna?"

At first, she wasn't sure the witch was going to answer her. She merely stared at her hands, rubbing one over the other absently. They sat in mutual silence for quite some time before Valinna spoke again.

"I saw something a few weeks ago that I haven't been able to riddle out yet, but it does not sit easy."

"And it's about the Prince."

"Not exactly."

Frustrated, Meredith hissed through her teeth. Why Black Widows were always so cagey with what they said about visions was beyond her understanding. She wanted a yes or no answer, and they rarely gave one. Just like the answer she'd gotten now. So she tried again.

"What was it, exactly?"

"A black- well, darker than black- wave towering over Draega. It circled the whole city, and no one could escape. As it toppled over, the wave turned to blades that ripped apart whole districts. Not the whole city, but just parts of it."

Having reached what seemed the end of her account, Valinna fell into silent meditation once more. Even to Meredith, who didn't always understand the nature of tangled webs or visions, everything about what the witch had said sounded ominous. Even worse when the Black Widow admitted that even she didn't know how to interpret it. Meredith thought to ask what she hoped would be an easy question.

"Which parts of Draega?"

In a deathly whisper, Valinna answered, "The places controlled by the coven."

She could see why that would alarm the witch; Meredith was no less alarmed. But she was the Queen, and she couldn't afford to let any doubt or fear influence what she decided to do. And so she clutched at the ragged edges of her serenity and forged ahead as if unconcerned by what Valinna had just told her.

"I see. And you think that it may be a warning about the Prince- what he might do if he slips the leash holding him back."

"It's hard to say for sure. I haven't figured out why the wave and swords weren't Ebon-gray if they were meant to stand for the Prince."

Another unpleasant thought struck her.

"You don't suppose a child by the Prince could wear the Black, do you?"

"It's possible. The line is known for very dark Jewels. We wouldn't know the potential depth of the Jewels until the child had a Birthright Ceremony."

"And as you said- by then it could be too late."

Ettia shuddered at the mental images that conjured. No, she did not want to hear any of that. So she'd just have to find somewhere else that worked just as well. And while she was thinking on that very subject, Ettia heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps approaching her swiftly from behind.

She spun around, unable to fight the irrational fear that they belonged to DeSade. Irrational because Ettia knew if that were the case, she'd never have the luxury of a warning before he struck. The Prince was far more subtle than Grael or Meredith's other pet warlords, who were just as content to walk up to a witch point blank and haul her away. And so she couldn't help cursing herself for the lack of self-control.

"Ettia!" cried a familiar voice.

Well, at least it was only Bethaeny.

Her cousin slowed to a stop beside her. From her determined look, she'd been combing the hallways in search of Ettia. Likely wanting to talk about what happened outside the Prince's suite. And to apologize. Bethaeny excelled at apologizing. If only she put her effort into not causing trouble in the first place.

Maybe I ought to step up and guide her along those lines rather than wait for Bethaeny to figure it out on her own.

"I thought you said you were going to your room."

"I was- am. But first I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I know, I shouldn't have said anything about the Prince. It put you in a bad position in front of Meredith. So, yeah, I really am sorry."

There it is, Ettia thought with a sigh. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off a headache at Bethaeny's verbal deluge. When she felt she could respond without snapping at the witch, she gestured towards the salon where Meredith and Valinna were no doubt still talking.

"Bethaeny, whether you realize it or not, you put both of us in a bad position." Now she waved a hand at her cousin. "Although you were in one before this whole thing started."

"What?"

"Just what were you expecting to happen if DeSade had come to your suite as planed tonight?"

Her cousin's cheeks flushed, but she said nothing. Ettia waited her out until Bethaeny finally mumbled a reluctant, "Amazing sex."

Ettia bit back the curse that wanted to force its way past her lips. Yelling at the witch wasn't going to do any good, no matter how satisfying it might feel to give her a harsh set-down. She'd have to settle for something less gratifying, and do this the hard way.

"Walk with me," she insisted before continuing their conversation. Bethaeny followed her lead and fell into step beside her. Only then did she begin. "You didn't wonder at all why Meredith would loan him out to you?"

"Well, no. I-"

"Three months since anyone has used him- and I'm sure you remember what happened to her."

"Yes, but I'm not like Candace. And Meredith assured me that-"

"She told you whatever she wanted to get you to agree." Bethaeny just stared at her blankly. Frustrated and knowing that she had very little time to hash this all out with her cousin, she cut to the point. "Don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

"She was using you as a test to see if DeSade was safe for the rest of us."

Finally. A glimmer of understanding as the light turned on in her cousin's eyes. Again, it wasn't that she was stupid…just, naïve at times. Ettia blamed her aunt, who hadn't done much to help prepare Bethaeny for the realities of court life. Berda didn't pay much attention to Meredith's vision for Hayll, and since she lived on the very fringes of the territory, she could get away with that attitude.

But things were different in Draega. That ignorance- or indifference- got witches killed in the heart of Meredith's domain. Just like it had almost gotten her cousin killed tonight.

"But what did I ever do to make her so upset with me?"

Typical Bethaeny. She always worried about hurting people's feelings. Placed far too much importance on them in Ettia's opinion, and so her answer came out far more brusque than she had planned. A dose of reality would be good for the witch.

"Meredith isn't upset with you. The truth is, Bethaeny, she doesn't care about you one way or another. She picked you because in her mind she could afford to lose you."

"Oh," her cousin replied in a small voice, gaze dropping to the floor.

"But if you keep saying things like you did tonight, I guarantee you that you'll find out just what it means to have the Queen upset with you."

"I thought I was saying the right thing," Bethaeny replied with a shrug as the two of them arrived outside her suite. Ettia had guided them here with the aim of convincing her cousin to stay there for the night. "I've heard the others talk like that about using pleasure slaves, and thought that's what Meredith would expect me to say."

Yet another glaring reason why Bethaeny didn't belong here. She heard the words but didn't understand how and when to use them. All of it just went contrary to her nature. Nothing she could fix overnight, but she hoped to pass a little advice to the witch before parting company for the night.

"It's one thing to talk about the blood males that way, but quite another to speak about the Prince. He's Meredith's private possession."

"I know. I understand that now. I just…why does it have to be so hard to know what I'm supposed to say?"

"Look, I tell you what," Ettia offered lightly. "In a few days when all this with DeSade blows over, we'll spend some time together. I'll help."

Bethaeny's shock was evident, which made sense. Ettia rarely spent time with her cousin, especially now that she'd been promoted to the first circle. She'd wanted to disassociate herself from the witch as much as she could, just in case Bethaeny said anything that got her into trouble. So naturally, this offer would come as a surprise.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

Actually, I'm doing it for me. I don't need your thoughtless remarks tarnishing my reputation with Meredith and Valinna. Not that I intend to tell you that.

"Of course," she assured Bethaeny with a smile. "We're family, and I want to look out for you. So if I can be of help, I'm more than happy to do so."

"Thank you, Ettia."

"Don't mention it."

"I'll catch up with you in a few days, then," her cousin affirmed with a wave goodbye, disappearing into her room.

If we survive that long, Ettia remarked silently once the door closed.

"More than likely."

"Well, if the Prince does get the bitch pregnant, best she aborts it and we avoid finding out either way."

Meredith had expected Valinna to agree with her right away, but the witch was merely thoughtful. Always thinking. The Black Widow almost never acted on anything without thinking first. Frustrating to Meredith more often than not, but that caution always paid off in the end. Just like it seemed to this time. A sly look flickered in the witch's eyes for a moment or two; she had come up with a plan.

"Although…we might reconsider the benefits of having the witch keep the child. It might give us the leverage you were hoping to find."

"Go on."

"Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way. Forget breeding a line to mingle with ours right now."

"What would we be breeding him for, then?"

"A bargaining chip," Valinna replied. "What might a Warlord Prince do to keep a child- especially a son- alive and healthy? Could he deny us what we want, knowing that we'd punish the boy in his place?"

A mean smile tugged at Meredith's lips as she began to think of the ways she could make DeSade pay for all the trouble he'd given her. Of course, it would only work if the child was a boy. She doubted that he would care about a daughter. Even blood couldn't change the fact that she was just another witch.

But a son…oh yes, that would be an effective tool against the Prince. And she could ring the son whenever she chose as a 'punishment' for the crimes of the father. Wouldn't that make him scream? Meredith envisioned him on his knees, begging- offering her anything she wanted to spare his son. She wouldn't, of course, but she knew what she would demand from him.

"Maybe we should make a gift of the bitch to him," she mused. "To use however he wants as long as she stays alive. He's bound to get her pregnant eventually."

"A bit risky about the outcome, though. She may abort the child, and there wouldn't be a second chance with her after that."

Valinna had a point, and Meredith was regretting that there hadn't been the opportunity to discuss this before she'd told DeSade that he could break the witch. At least if her Jewels were intact, they might've gotten more than one opportunity; broken witches were capable of carrying only one child to term- and even that was rare. She thought for a moment.

"So we keep dosing her with safframate. In that state, she won't think about anything but letting him mount her."

"That's if she survives the next few days in one piece," Valinna reminded her. "The dose we gave her was meant to shatter her Jewels and sanity. And the Prince understood that's what you expected him to do."

"Witches don't need to be sane to have babies."

All the better if she isn't, or she might realize what we're up to. Not that she could do anything to prevent it without her Jewels. Or even with them. But it would be easier for all of them if she was too preoccupied with the Twisted Kingdom to care about the welfare of a child. Valinna couldn't argue against that.

"And if the child turns out to be female?"

But I guess she'll just find something else to nitpick, Meredith complained. She's never satisfied.

"I'm sure the Prince won't weep if we strangle it in the cradle. It would save him the trouble of doing it himself."

"I agree that's the safest course of action, but it does pose a potential problem with the coven, you realize. We've always told them that our plan was to join the bloodlines. If they discover that promise was fulfilled and you destroyed it- what will you tell them then?"

"I'll deal with them when and if we have to worry about it. They'll see the wisdom of the decision."

"And if they don't?"

"Then the Prince has a few more witches to play with and I remind the rest of them that I rule Hayll."

Whatever argument Valinna was going to make was silenced after that. Even a Black Widow who'd known her for nearly a millennia was intimidated when Meredith used that tone. She was the law, and she could destroy any of them whenever she chose. Or as she had said, she could simply hand them over to the Prince. That threat always cowed anyone who dared say anything against her.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Meredith."

"We'll see."

Bethaeny's fate was sealed, in any case. After the Prince had finished with the scheming bitch, Bethaeny would be next. He could have them both for all Meredith cared. That was twice as much a chance they might get a son out of him. Bethaeny's Jewels were only Opal, but as Valinna had pointed out, the strength of the child didn't matter. It was merely the means to an end. So Meredith didn't care if it had Jewels at all.

Belatedly, she realized that Valinna had another topic on her mind. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and tried to focus on the conversation.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was thinking on the vision again."

"What now?"

"What if…" Valinna hesitated. "What if the Black isn't a symbol of the Prince's potential offspring? It's equally possible that it's meant to represent his father. If he were to know that we had the Prince, it could trigger a devastating retaliation from that direction."

"Impossible. We both know that he'll never step foot in Hayll. None of them have been seen this side of the Tamanara Mountains since the Purge."

"He could still find out."

"Enlighten me how that is possible."

"The demon dead. Suppose one of them lets slip something about the Prince when they're in Hell? The right words in the right ears and he'll know."

"The demon dead," Meredith repeated flatly. "Now you're just being paranoid, Valinna. The witches he's destroyed might talk, but there's never enough left of them to transition to demon dead."

"All the same, I think it might be a wise decision to finish the kills from now on. Why take the risk?"

It was a good suggestion, even if Meredith didn't think there was any true danger from the demon dead. After all, they'd been sending brutally tortured Warlords and witches to Hell for centuries now. The High Lord hadn't interfered with any of that. Meredith was content to think that he had washed his hands of Hayll.

"Fine. If it makes you feel easier, we'll finish the kills," she conceded.

"Well then, I think I'm going to get some sleep. The next few days will require concentration."

With those words, Valinna retreated and left Meredith alone in the salon. She wondered how she was going to be patient these next few weeks. The wait would be the most difficult thing about the whole plan. But she swore that this one wouldn't fail, and she would finally have what she wanted. She'd have DeSade under her thumb, obeying her commands without defiance.

Once she had the Prince in line, Meredith would be able to take the next step. Ruling Hayll was only the start. She'd use him to take back the other territories that should rightfully belong to her. She'd start with the weaker territories first- Challiot and the broken pieces of Shalador to name a few. Once she had them in line, she'd go after the stronger territories like Dhemlan.

Askavi, Dena Nehele and Shalador Nehele would have to be last, since they were the most connected to Kaeleer. Meredith wanted to be fully prepared before she drew any attention from the Shadow Realm. And by then, she hoped that she would own the Prince- own every part of him. How would Kaeleer fare if she held that weapon against them?

Meredith smiled again, thinking of just how they would squirm when they realized who they'd have to fight if they wanted to take her down. She'd have them all in the end. All she needed was the first piece, and Meredith was certain she knew now how to get it.