Akindrah sat quietly on the old DEATH throne. Her dark eyes glanced at the open sky above her. The castle was in the throes of deterioration and was now open to the elements. A slight breeze lifted stroked her cheek softly and she put a gloved hand to face as if to welcome it.

Memories washed over her. Her lips curled involuntary into a smile as she remembered the many good times. Her bones and muscles felt the aches of injuries afflicted long ago. She remembered the many battles she fought. She was always much more adept at fighting one on one. She perferred...close combat.

...Suddently a pain wracked her form....Her head jerked back suddenly she gritted her teeth. Her hands gripped the armrests until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes widened with fear. A terrified scream ripped through the hallway. Immediately, the room filled with servants, all rushing to her aide. But already the fear, the anguish and the tormenting pain had turned to anger. She shoved a servant bearing water aside. Liquid and glass shattered over the stone floor. The shocked attendant stumbled backward...his mouth agape.

Akindrah had reached out, grabbing the nearest neck...her talons digging into the poor soul's flesh. Through clenched teeth she growled, "Away! All of you!"

Despite her unexplicable anger, the servants paused..perhaps for fear of what her husband would do to them he found out they had left her like this. After a moment, it was decided that the present danger was far greater, so they complied and let the angry woman be.

Now alone, Akindrah slowly unraveled her fingers from the arm rest. Her face had paled considerably. The pain had subsided...for now. She placed her hand protectively over her swollen stomach. Lifting a hand to her brow, she wiped away the sweat and pushed her chin determinedly. She rose slowly to her feet and yelled for assistance.

....It was a while before anyone had dared to enter, no one wanted to risk the wrath of this unpredictable woman. Finally, one of them took a tentative step within the chamber...but the room was empty. Akindrah was halfway to the stables...Patience was never a virtue of hers.

It had been an hour since she had sat on the throne.....her lips pursed together tightly and she was suprised, as slowly she became aware that she sat tensed....her hands clenched upon the arm rests....Slowly she rose and swept her way out of the chamber, down the crippled staircase and out of the castle...

She stood there for a moment....shaking herself out of the memory. It was time to go back to the Inn.

Akindrah brushed her way through the patrons and made her way upstairs to her room. The room was simple. She didn't need much. Not now anyway....

As she sat on her bed, removing her boots, another wave of memories washed over her.....



Akindrah was in a rage. "Calm down Akin, you'll loose the baby." The servant was desperately doing her best, trying to calm the wild woman before her.

"Leave me be," she snapped. "I wish to be left alone."

In a few moments, Daemos entered. Her husband...."Akindrah, Akindrah," he purred. He always did have a way of disarming her.

Akindrah had met Daemos when she was 16. He had plucked her from the sure fate of destitution. Daemos was immediately attracted to her beauty, and after that, he had begun to appreciate her strength and wit. She was intelligent for her age and she had seen much. He was ten years her senior. Akindrah had lost her father at a very young age and he seemed to fill her need quickly....in every way.

"Shh." He began to stroke her dark hair. It was rare that Akindrah showed her weaknesses. Everyone, however, knew her strongest weakness laid within Daemos. She loved him with that kind of unrequieted love, only a first love could bring.

As she looked into his brown eyes, she could feel her heart melt. Her anger had begun to dissolve. He was now holding her in his arms and kissing her face. "Now then, what is this all about?" She felt his strong hands rub her stomach slowly. The same hands that had just finished a man. The same hands that had taken that man's wife, shortly after he had breathed his last.

Akindrah knew Daemos well. She knew what he was capable of. She was under no illusion that he had been faithful to her all along. She chose, however, to ignore his infidelities, for as indignant as Akindrah could be, her loyalty held strong. Where would she be without Daemos" And now....now they were bonded by a child, who was now kicking in her womb as a response to its father's touch.

Akindrah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her chuckled and stroked her cheek with his finger. He needn't wait for a response. He knew what she was going to say before the words fell from her beautiful lips. "It's only you my love...only you." His lying lips brushed her forehead and he stood, squeezing her shoulders. "Now, get some rest and I will see you later my love."

Without a word, she forced a smile. Her eyes took in every inch of him. He was tall, dark and handsome....everything a man should be in her eyes. She felt her heart swell.

...They didn't do much talking that night. They never did. When two passionate and beautiful forces come together like they were....talking was an afterthought....

Vrylic had been at it for weeks. No one knew if it was because of his relentless attacks behind Daemon's back, or because of the stress of the ongoing war...but within a few months, Akindrah had lost the baby.

Not too long after that, Daemos had begun to disappear...at first for small amounts of time...and then eventually, he ceased to return at all.

There was whispering among the servants that he had found another woman...a princess who was now carrying his child.

Akindrah had hoped that with the disappearance of her husband, that Vrylic would disappear with him. He seemed to relish in the destruction he had a hand in and appeared to have no intentions of leaving. She despised him.

He seemed to slide into Daemos's position with ease. No one questioned his authority. There was little Akindrah could do. After she had lost the baby, she had been gravely ill. She could see the changes around her, but was too weak to protest.

After a while, Akindrah had rebuilt her strength. To her relief, Vrlyic was too busy to pester her. He had taken over everything and there seemed to be little time to fall into old habits. According to rumors however, he still found plenty of time to keep up with his love of women.

One morning, Akindrah awoke, wrapping a black silk kimono robe around her. She had lost weight and had paled considerably, but it only seemed to add another dimension to her beauty. The silk felt good on her skin and the sun streaming through the large window warmed her...she nearly felt like stepping into it. In fact, without realizing it....she did.

Immediately, she was caught in a strong bear-like embrace. She felt breath near her ear as his voice rumbled deep against her skin. "Not so fast my dear."

Her skin tingled and her body stiffened. For a moment, she thought her husband had returned and all of this had been just a bad dream. Then, reality washed over her and she was horrified at having realized what she almost had done. She could not help but feel grateful to the man who had held her so tight. But then....

As one hand encircled her waist and held her tight, the other hand slid up her neck and turned her chin to face him. It all became clear to her, as she was now looking into green eyes.....Vrylic! Immediately she began to struggle, but he held her fast. "Tsk...don't struggle so much." He chuckled softly at her and manuevered her to where she was standing, back against the wall. He stood there, his armored body touching hers....such a stark contrast to the soft silk that wrapped her form. He pinned her arms to her side and let his gaze slide slowly over every inch of her. Akindrah did not struggle, but stood there, watching him.....waiting for his next move.

"I see you are doing better?" He did not wait for her reply. "I brought you something." He let her go and waved his hand out in front of him, revealing a vase full of flowers. They were not just any flowers and he knew that. They were the kind of flowers that her husband had brought her when he was trying to make up to her....trying to smooth over a new lie...a new fling. "It's a get well gift, so to speak."

Her eyes widened in rage as she leapt forward to strike him across the face...but his reflexes were quick and he caught her hand in mid air, laughing. "Akindrah, the sooner you work with me....give in to me....the sooner we can have all of this..." His gestured his hand in a wide circle around the room...."and more."

"I don't want anything from you." She nearly screamed. "Leave and take this with you." She threw the flowers across the room and the vase they came in shattered all over the floor.

He was not used to rejection. His handsome face twisted in anger and he grabbed her wrists, throwing her on her bed. "Fine then Akindrah....but when you're ready to see the error of your ways. I will be here. Or at least, I hope I am anyway. A whore like you better take what she can get."

With that, he slammed the door and she heard the bolt lock. She was alone.