[tell me if you do mind, Aerwen]

Menyar lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and not the least bit tired. He heard a knock on the door, followed by something exchanged in low voices. A moment later he distinguished Ramnd's indignant voice flaring above the rest, and he smiled grimly to himself. Fully dressed, he crossed over to the door and opened it. Duke Ramnd stopped his heated speech in mid-sentence. He quickly shut his mouth and glared at the lord from the Dominion.

"Your guards - "

" - were acting on my orders," Menyar completed smoothly. He herded Ramnd inside and shut the door again. Pouring some wine from a jeweled decanter, he continued, "Is the ceremony over yet?"

Ramnd nodded irritably. "Yes, it's over. It was over half an hour ago. The Prince left early with his soon-to-be-bride, though."

"And he is in bed?" the other pressed.

Ramnd pursed his lips. "Of course he's in bed, boy. Why else would I bother to come tell you?"

Menyar nodded, satisfied. He held out the glass of wine. "Care for a drink?"

Ramnd grunted, accepted. "I'm coming with you to assassinate Philip, of course."

"Of course," Menyar assured him, vastly amused.

"What are you smiling at, boy - " Ramnd's eyes widened before he dropped to the floor like a rock. The wine glass fell to the floor. Menyar deftly caught it before it shattered. He went over to poke the duke a few times to make sure he was thoroughly drugged. Then, still with that complacent smile and pleased with his work, he dragged the older man over to the bed and dumped him onto the mattress. He had probably given the duke the best sleep he'd had in years.

Menyar crossed over to the balcony window. The guards below were making their rounds. He judged the distance, and when their backs were turned, he jumped and landed silently in the courtyard below.

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Elizabeth was in her balconcy, and she was looking out to the sky. Her brother was in the room next to him and his betrothed was in the room across the hallway. Her blue eyes seemed to glitter with serentiy, before she looked to the grounds. She raised an eyebrow when she saw a figure on the grounds, but dismissed it.

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Timothy ran to the garden to find his sister. He called for her "Aisling. Aisling!"
"Aye!" she came running.
"Aisling come with me, something's dreadfully wrong." Timothy's face was pale and his eyes spoke worry.
"What is it brother?!" Aisling asked alarmed.
"It's Mother! A messenger just arrived. We must leave tonight!"
"Hast thou told the King?"
"Aye, he plans to send Philip with us."
"So soon after his betrothal?"
"Apparently Philip insisted after hearing of it. I would have told thee sooner but I couldn't find thee!"
"Oh, what are we to do?"
"Pray Sister, pray for Mother."

Cassandra stepped out the door and onto the grounds as the servants brought the horses. She suddenly caught a shadow moving and looked up. "Cassandra?" asked her father.

"Nothing..." she said, "Pardon me for a moment, Father..." she said. She snuck swiftly and silently into the courtyard, but found nothing. Her hawk eyes searched the vicinty, until suddenly she felt someone's cold blade at her throat.

[That's you, Lady Dark Moon....]

"Let me go," she growled. "Let me go at once!"

Suddenly, two figures came around the corner, who she recognized as Aisling and her brother Timothy.

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Elizabeth sighed and she dressed in a rather causal manner before heading down to the stables. She came out the entrance, and looked toward the courtyard.

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"Unhand her!" Timothy ordered, concern edged his voice. Aisling began to weep. It was one thing after another. Her whole world was falling apart. Timothy stepped towards Cassandra and her captor. His hand went straight to his sword, he didn't know what he felt for this young woman but at this moment he knew he would give his life for her.

Cassandra looked at Timothy, then thought of the man behind her. "Let me go," she said, "Or I shall have you executed at once." The figure did not move, so she reached for her belt and pulled out her daggar, the hilt of which she used to stab him. The moment when he hunched over was the perfect opportunity - she looked at Timothy and quickly nodded.

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Elizabeth's eyes widened when she saw her cousins and two others. "Aisling, Timothy, what is going on?"

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Timothy drew his sword and attacked! Aisling reached for Cassandra who came running to her. The two girls watched in horror as the men struggled. Finally Timothy had the foe pinned to the ground. "I should kill you for harming her!" he spit.

Cassandra eyed the man suspiciously, then looked at Elizabeth, and her eyes darted back to the man before she said, "He's the one....he's the one who had the daggar in the ceremony....he was planning to attack someone!" Cassandra looked at the royal guards who had just arrived and said, "Take him away." They nodded and he was dragged off. She walked up to Timothy and curtsied. "I thank you," she said.

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Elizabeth walked to her cousins and Cassandra. "Are you allright, Lady Cassandra?"

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Cassandra nodded. "I am."

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Timothy was breathing hard. "The pleasure was all mine." He went to bow but "Ah!" he cried out in pain. "Timothy!" Aisling cried. He had a large gash on the left side of his lower back. "Oh Tim, you're hurt!" Aisling wept. When Aisling was upset she would slip out of the traditional 'thees' and
'thys'. "How shall we ever reach Mother in time now?" Still weeping she tore off a strip of cloth fromt the hem of her skirt and began to wrap his wound. The rag was wet with her tears but it stopped the bleeding. She helped her brother inside all the while he tried to sooth her saying "It'll be alright, Dove. Don't give up. Mother will be fine!" Aislings tears subsided into light sobs as she listened to her brother.

Cassandra looked at Aisling and Timothy as they went inside, then called to a servant and said, "Tell my father that there will be a delay, and have my supplies brought up." She picked up her skirt a bit and went up to his room to find him lying on his bed in his chamber and Aisling sitting at his side, weeping. "Pardon me," she said, when they saw her, "But, I-" she was interrupted by a servant coming up behind her.

"Here you are, my lady. Your father has been informed as you requested."

"Thank you," she said, taking her things. She approached them and said, "If I may..."

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Timothy lay on his bed. His sister had helped him take off his doublet and shirt, Aisling was trying to clean the wound when Cassandra came in. Aisling looked up at her and tried to smile, a sad smile it was as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. When Cassandra said "If I may.." Aisling replied "Oh yes, of course. Dost thou have knowledge of healing?" She watched as Cassandra crossed to her brother's bed.
Timothy was begining to feel lightheaded after losing blood. He tried to protest that he was fine but the girls would hear none of it so he waited as Cassandra looked as his wound.

Cassandra nodded at Aisling and took her place at Timothy's side. She looked at him and sensed that he was weak, and touched his face lightly. She took a bowl of water and rinsed a cloth in it, then dabbed at the wound. He winced for a moment, and she said, "I'm sorry..." then continued cleaning it. After, she bandaged it up with a clean cloth, and began grinding herbs for a draught that would help him sleep and recover.

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