Cassandra awoke on her bed at the first lights of dawn. She rose and fixed her hair and dressed before descending to eat her first meal. She was just beginning to pour her own drink when she saw Aisling and Timothy arrive. "Good morning," she said, curtsying, "The servants are barely awakening, so I thought I'd give them a few more minutes before they had to begin their duties."

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Darius awoke in the morning and looked around forgetting that he wasn`t in his own room where he knew the places and items, he stumbled up and put his daily clothes on and picked his stick. He limbed out of the room to the hall where he was supposd to have breakfeast.

He arrived right after Aisling and Timothy, he looked around greeting everyone in the hall before taking a seat. He looked around leaning on his stick.

"You are up quite early... and why am I? Old habbits..."

Darius walked to the table and sat down, he looked at Cassandra and smiled slightly.

"I again apoligize for my visit, but life at home tends to get very boring and I am worried of Phillips safety, if there was an assasin in our castle then I doubt that this place is safer... no offense..."

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Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The black-clad rider clattered through the palace gates and up the cobbled path at a full gallop. The townsfolk took one look at the sight of him and his kicking steed, and quickly scattered before his path. The man drew his horse up sharply right at the palace doors.

"I have a message for Lady Cassandra and Lady Aisling."

The guard nodded. "I'll get them immediately," and disappeared inside.

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Cassandra nodded, then felt like taking a large Draft of the Living Dead when a messenger came for her. She sighed and rose tiredly.

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Flanked by his escort, the man dismounted from his exhausted horse and entered.

"Lady," he murmured, bowing. "I have a message from the king. If it pleases my lady for me to read it?"

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Cassandra nodded politely.

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A few people passing them were giving the man stern glances at having his black hood on in the presence of royalty. In turn he fixed his cold glare on each of them. Seized by sudden unease, the passerbys averted their gazes and hurried away.

The self-appointed messenger unrolled the scroll and read in the same quiet, hollow voice,

To Lady Cassandra of Grenwood,
By request from the King, you are required to attend the trial of Lord Menyar, ambassador from the Dominion, concerning his attempted assassination of Prince Philip. This accusation has not yet been verified. As witness to the scene you, Lady Cassandra of Grenwood, Lady Aisling of Gavenshire, and Lord Timothy of Gavenshire are requested to attend the court trial which will take place in a twoday. Please prepare to attend at sunup that same day, as that is when your hired carriage should meet you at the palace gates.

Yours sincerely,
King [what's his name lol?]

The man held the royal crest out for her to see and waited for further orders.

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Cassandra sighed and nodded, though she honestly felt like beating her own head against the wooden doors. CURSE that man.... "Please wait while I fetch Lady Aisling, Lord Timothy, and my father." She curtsied and left.

She first went to the dining room and explained the news to Aisling and Timothy.

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The man nodded and kept his rigid pose, as though he anticipated an ambush at any moment. He looked up at the architecture of the palace, examining the walls with as much interest as though he were attempting to siege it himself.

Dam Lord Menyar. Why did he always have to think up of something like this? He'd told the Emperor he'd report back. His lip curled in derision. Everyone in the Dominion knew that the Emperor was living a jest, a child's play. The Emperor was so pathetic now, he was nearly demented. The real power behind the throne was Lord Menyar, and if Lord Menyar was executed, the Dominion would be in turmoil.

The man cursed under his breath. If only Menyar had enough common sense not to get himself captured at every whim.

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When Timothy and Aisling heard this Aisling's response was to go into a frenzy, ranting about how they had to go to their mother! She couldn't wait! She might be dead! What were they going to do? In the end Aisling was crying on her brother's shoulder.
"Aisling! Thou hast cried more this week than I have known thee to cry in thy lifetime! Where has the sunshine gone?"
"There are to many clouds Timothy. How can we answer these summons when our mother might be dead or worse?"
"Dearest, What if, since I was the one who fought this Lord Menyar, what if I went only and thee journeyed on with Philip? Then, they would have their witness and thou wouldst have thy peace again."
"Would thou really do so?" she looked from him to Philip who nodded.
"Aye, we will both leave after breakfast, I and Lady Cassandra for the castle" here he looked to Cassandra for agreement "And thee and Philip for Gavenshire."
"Good" was Aisling's reply. She sat directly down to breakfast and began eating with a determined look on her face. They all sat and ate.

Cassandra nodded slowly. If she wasn't in this horrible constraint of society, she would have screamed at the messenger to get out and let her live her life....she would have yelled an objection to having to go anywhere...she just wanted to stay in Grenwood.....

A servant came up to her and whispered in her ear - the Baron de Montalaine had sent another letter. She was to be betrothed to his son - it had already been taken up with the king.

She excused herself for a moment and went up to her room. Later that night, when everyone was asleep, she took her still-packed bags and ran to the stables. She took her horse and mounted, then took off into Blackring Forest. She rode hard and fast, not caring where she went or when she'd get there - she just wanted to be as far away from her life as possible. Tears blinded her sight as the wind stung them. By dawn, she had gone past Gavenshire all the way to Maldew Falls - almost fifteen miles away. She took her horse to a brook to drink, then it hit her - What about the trial? What about Timothy? Well, now that she's gone, she could keep going until she landed in a foreign kingdom, so far away that no one would know her, and live as a peasant girl. She laughed to herself at the thought. At least she didn't have to be betrothed to that dog from Montalaine...

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When everyone awoke the next morning they went down to breakfast again but this time Cassandra could not be found. Timothy asked Philip to plea their case with his father and took Aisling home to Gavenshire. Philip agreed to go home himself and tell his father of all that had transpired knowing that his father would postpone the trial until Timothy and Aisling could be present. On the ride home Timothy was having doubts about what he had thought to be a connection between Cassandra and himself. Because of her disappearance he now thought perhaps he had dreamed it all. Perhaps the affection was only one sided and that she had no feelings for him at all. These thoughts he pushed back as they neared Gavenshire.
Aisling was miserable and in despair at the disappearance of her friend. But now she had more important things to worry about. When the carriage reached Gavenshire Aisling burst out and ran up the steps and into the main hall where her Father sat eating his noon meal. She broke into tears of relief as he gave her a smile and opened his arms to her. Timothy was right behind her and embraced his father after he released Aisling.
"Mother?" Aisling asked fearfully
"Is doing wonderfully." Her father replied
"Really? Oh Father what happened? Why didst thou send for us?" Timothy asked
"I wanted you two to be here to greet your new brother and sister."
Aisling smiled with delight and then realized what he had said
"Brother and sister?!"
"Aye! Thy mother had TWINS! Twas why they came so early! Now I am sure she can't wait to see you! Run along upstairs!"
"Yes Papa." they said in unison as they ran up the stairs to their mother's room. Richard laughed as he watched his children push and shove their way upstairs. He had been concerned when they didn't arrive sooner but now he knew that all was well.

Cassandra rode on for a bit, then suddenly broke into tears. What had she done? She would have all of the local kingdoms looking for her...and Timothy - well, people would be concerned for her and never stop looking until she was found, and when she was....'Ugh,' she thought, burying her forehead in her hand, 'What a mess. But I can't go back, I just <i>can't</i>!' She suddenly heard hoofbeats and looked up, her hand moving toward the daggar at her belt.

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Several days after their arrival home Timothy was trying to get his mind off of Cassandra. He proposed that they all, his father, Aisling and himself, go hawking near Maldew Falls where the vermin were plenitful. They rode through the forest all day and soon it was dark. Their saddlebags were bulging with game. Riding in single file Aisling lead. Then they all heard an odd sound, it was the sound of another horse and rider, just ahead of them. Timothy took the front and slowly drawing his sword, he advanced.

Cassandra heard the ring of another blade being unsheathed. She closed her eyes and listened hard - her grandfather had always taught her to close her eyes in the dark, for they would be useless anyway, and helped her use what she could: her ears. She sensed the person beside her, and her blade met his. She squinted in the dark, for moonlight spilled through the trees and onto his face. "Timothy?" she asked, for he could probably not see her - the moonlight shone behind her. She suddenly became aware of her appearance - her brown hair falling freely around her shoulders and face, her loose-fitting dress held by a brown bodice and belt with her daggar sheath - and increasingly self-conscious.

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"Cassandra!" Timothy almost dropped his sword in shock. "What the.. Where did.. Why?" he stuttered in the end letting all his hurt and doubt creep into his voice.
"Timothy. Who is it?" came his father's deep voice from behind him.
Timothy looked at Cassandra warily not knowing if he should reveal her or not. He threw her a hurt look that said You left me. Why? Giving his head a quizzical tilt he shifted on his horse in indecision