?I was only thirteen when I met him,? she was situated comfortably on Stephen?s lap, her head pillowed against his chest. She loved sitting like this, his arms around her, the way she could hear the vibrations in his chest when he spoke. ?I was too young to know which way was up, I guess, and I was flattered by the attention.? She gave a darkly amused laugh, ?Guess some things never change??

--

He spotted her nearby, discretely trying to wipe the hand sweat, which the old lecherous man she had just danced with had deposited on her, off her hand and onto a cocktail napkin. The look on her face was priceless as she was unable to conceal the disgust from her features despite years of etiquette training. It was impossible not to know who she was upon first glance, no one else had blue hair like that: the various colors of the sea were displayed in the curls piled atop her little head. Her dress was unlike any other in the room, something out of a dream. Layers and layers of semi-sheer blue and green material (it felt like flower petals when he touched it later) were combined in an opaque masterpiece that wrapped about her neck, left her back completely open, and ended in uneven harmony at mid-leg. The diaphanous layers shifted and flowed as she moved about the dance floor, caressing her smooth skin and adding further fluidity to her already graceful movements.

One glance at her and he saw opportunities open up wide before him: the chance to be something more than a second son to one of the planetary kings. Second son? That was nothing. But consort to a daughter of Aquarius (the only daughter with nothing more than an older brother standing in her way of the throne) was a much grander station in life. She was a Guardian on top of all that?one of five. For her to be his? Oh, it would be simply too perfect.

--

Jewell wrinkled her nose and tilted her chin up to look at Stephen, ?You know?I always think of it like that. That he saw me from the beginning as his way out of a life he hated, his ticket to something greater. But maybe it wasn?t really like that. It was just always easier for me, once I was removed from the situation, to think of it like that. Easier for me to hate him that way, thinking that never once did he have the honest intention just to be with me, that he was downright evil to the core. People aren?t really always like that though, are they?? He let her muse on out loud, knowing it was better than having it all bottled up inside as she was accustomed to doing. ?I can?t help but think now, maybe he really was taken with me, even a little. That maybe he was so desperate for control in a life where he had no control, that he took it any way he could get without even realizing it, and I was just the victim without him ever intending for that to happen. But if that?s the case, I almost hate him even more for being too blind to realize what he was doing to me.?

--

He would have danced with her even if his father hadn?t basically commanded him to do so on the basis of encouraging a better relationship between the two worlds in light of the recently ended war. What better way for Pyra to show that there were no hard feelings after their humiliating defeat than for the prince to ask the enemy princess for a dance? He cut through the crowd and took her hand?so recently cleansed after being offended by the lecherous old man?and kissed it before asking her if he could have the pleasure of guiding her around the dance floor.

She was tired of dancing with old men, that had been the fifth in a row to attempt to dance with her and she knew her place too well to refuse. She knew her obligations. That didn?t help to console her as the large, old, smelly men who couldn?t keep their eyes off her budding chest, led her around song after song in a painfully awkward dance. She pleaded ailing feet to the Colonel when he inquired if she?d like to go about again before finding the nearest object to wipe her defiled hand off on. ?So disgusting,? she muttered to herself.

It was with the utmost surprise that she looked up to Robin when he took said defiled hand in his; she couldn?t help but notice that his hand was neither old and wrinkly nor sweaty. She barely remembered to close her gaping mouth and nod a numb affirmative when he asked her if he could have the pleasure of dancing with her (totally forgetting the offense she would be giving to the poor Colonel that she had just refused with a lie!). Several witty things came to mind for her to say??Oh sir, I insist the pleasure would be entirely my own??but nothing came bubbling forth out of her mouth and all she gave was that stupid nod which made him smile wider, oddly enough.

Jewell assumed he was being polite, it was only right for him to dance with her, as his newly married brother could not. If Jewell could only have know what really drew him to her, besides the desirability of a match made between his family and hers. It was how clearly he could read her facial expressions as she stood there, her unaffected manner hid only by decorum befitting the venue, her naivety and sweetness, the budding power he knew lurked beneath it all and how it didn?t seem to tarnish the brightness of her soul. Regardless of his reasons, neither perceived nor understood, she was blindly in love with her white knight by the end of the evening.

--

?I danced the remainder of the night with him, even when my feet started to hurt something awful. I didn?t even care that I had snubbed the poor Colonel! I don?t think I said hardly a word beyond ?uhuh,? ?but of course,? ?oh yes? the entire time. Kind of like how you were when we first kissed,? she teased her husband with a grin.

?Aye, murinin, I was quite star-struck for ye. I dinnae think yer other fella felt quite the same, though, luv.?

?Not even close.?

?I should have known something was wrong?I was so very stupid.?

He played with a lock of blue hair between his fingers, ?And ?ow were ye tae know, luv? Ye loved ?im, aye? Ye don?t always think badly of those ye luv.?

?I had this small group of friends, not many because I was shyer then and very absorbed in my work for the senate and my lessons. There was maybe three or four of them, two of which were a little older than I was?all of the aristocracy, senators? daughters, and the like. Once they got over how handsome Robin was, they hated him??

--

?So Jewell, will you be attending the ball at Senator Freichus? estate with us this coming weekend? You know you were especially asked to go and we shall only be gone four days, hardly anytime at all,? Anita added on quickly, seeing the rejection written on Jewell?s face.

?And they will be days so well spent!? Janus piped up. ?It will only take half a day to get us there and then we can spend the rest of the day preparing for the ball at our leisure. The senator promised us some of his most spacious apartments for our use and the next day we can go horseback riding on his beaches. We know you simply cannot refuse that, Jewell.?

She couldn?t help but smile at Janus, it really was a hard offer to refuse. ?It is not that, it is just??

?What?? One of the older girls queried.

?Robin.? As all the girls? faces immediately soured, Jewell reflected on her conversation with her beau and how to explain her absence from this event.

?And the girls invited me to be one of their party at the Freichus ball,? her tone revealed all her excitement at being so included.

?But that?s the party I cannot attend, my pet.?

She faltered a little, detecting the displeasure in his voice, ?I know that, you have that business you must attend to on Pyra and you said you would not be back until Tuesday. That is why I was so pleased at this invitation, I certainly would not go alone??

?Why would you want to go anywhere without me at all? Could you really enjoy yourself without me?? Both his look and words insinuate that she shouldn?t be able to.

She hesitated, stumbling over her response, ?Well?no, but??

?And with those girls? Jewell, you know they hate me. Why would you want anything to do with people that openly dislike me??

?But they are my friends!? She was already starting to doubt herself, her voice lacking conviction.

?How you could be friends with people like that and say you love me,? he turned from her in anger.

She rushed to his side, placing her hand on his arm, ?But I do love you! It is just that they have been my friends for ever so long and??

He violently shrugged her away, ?I don?t want to hear your pathetic excuses. You?re disloyalty is dismaying??

She shrank back, almost cowering. ?But I have wanted to go to this party so badly?Why you not want me to have any fun?? Her tone was slightly reproachful, defensive, as she felt a little stirring of anger.

He refused to be the bad guy. Suddenly soft and pleading, he turned to her again, ?My pet, it?s not that I don?t want you to have any fun. I would never deny you any pleasure you could want. I just thought I would contact you on the holonet while I was gone and if you went to the ball, I wouldn?t be able to talk to you the entire time I was away and I simply couldn?t bear that...I had thought you would feel the same.?

This dissipated any of her previous anger, replacing it with guilt, ?Oh??

?And I just cannot bare to think of you around all those other men, having to dance with them out of obligation when everyone knows we are together. What will people say if they saw you behaving so wantonly with other men while I am not present?? She looked crestfallen, having not thought of that. ?I just don?t want your reputation tarnished, my love.?

?Jewell, you know we do not like him. He does not have any right to tell you that you cannot go to this party. He does not own you.?

?Oh no! But he never said that I could not go?he would never say something like that!? They all looked doubtful. ?I just do not think I would have any fun without him.?

Now they looked hurt, insulted that they would not be able to provide any fun for their friend and that she would lie to them?for him! The rest of their meal passed awkwardly with all of them finding some excuse or other to leave quickly thereafter.

--

?We weren?t close for much longer after that. They couldn?t stand the lies, that I would continually choose his company over theirs??that I would listen to him, would only spend time with him or wouldn?t spend time with anyone if he wasn?t around. That?s how he wanted it, though, he didn?t want to have to share me with anyone and I made it so that he wouldn?t have to.?

?And there were no one that could ?ave stopped all this, luv??

?The girls tried everything they could, I guess. They tried to tell me, show me, how wrong it all was: the things he said to me, the way he kept tabs on me, how he treated me. I didn?t listen and they gave up. After that, I don?t think anyone else ever realized how far it had gone?I wasn?t close enough to anyone for them to see.?

Things had been going steadily downhill for Jewell for the last year but now things were looking up! Finally she had something to look forward to, a shred of hope to cling to. Now it was just a matter of sharing her news with Robin and she had no doubt he would be as excited as she was. This was just what they both needed to fix their relationship. They had been fighting so often lately, usually over something stupid she had done, but he loved her so much he wouldn?t leave her despite all of her many faults. Now they would have something to bring them together again.

She put off telling him for well over a week, waiting for a time when they could be alone without chance of interruption. The upcoming meeting with a group of Faerie emissaries, near their lands, provided the perfect opportunity. She had to wait through three days of boring discussions?that would have, once upon a time, stimulated and excited her as one of Aquarius? leading Faerie enthusiasts but only tested her patience now?before she got her chance to speak with him. The conference was over, the party the previous night serving as their send off as many whished to depart straight for the comfort of their homes once the final discussion was adjourned.

It was still early in the afternoon and Jewell had planned out the perfect outing for Robin and herself before they would have to leave. The island on which the conference had taken place was one of a series of numerous islands forming an archipelago that fell on the border of the Fae territories. Many of the smaller islands were uninhabited and Jewell persuaded Robin to explore one of them with her before they departed for home. He was tired and disgruntled, the talks had not gone exactly according to plan, but he found it hard to resist those large, pleading grey eyes and the sweet enticing tone she used on him; Jewell had been slowly learning to use her feminine wiles even then, though Robin often proved a poor test subject.

They found it easy to get away on their own. Her nurse and personal guards entrusted her to the care of Robin and his bodyguard, who Robin easily dismissed for the afternoon. After a change of clothes from their stiff, formal state attire, they were off on their own. The wind ripped through their hair, her blue curls flying everywhere as they sped over the ocean in Robin?s transport. They passed two or three smaller islands until Jewell tugged on his shirtsleeve and pointed to one that was coming up that looked decent in size.

Robin circled the small island a few times before settling his transport down on the flattest stretch of volcanic rock he could fine. The small landmass was mostly barren save for a few scrawny trees that provided meager shade in the hot sun and wild grasses whose roots clung to the shallow dirt. ?I don?t see why you wanted to stop at this one, the last one looked a lot nicer,? he complained the entire time as he unloaded a small basket of food she had conned from the resort?s kitchen and set up a picnic under her watchful eyes.

?But this one is better for the sunset?I mean, just look at it!? She stretched her arms out, indicating the seemingly endless expanse of ocean, ?Nothing to get in the way of our view.?

He nodded, admitting she was right begrudgingly, and not offering any more protests as they sat and enjoyed their picnic. Their conversation was light, discussing the affairs of the state as well as other meaningless topics. She didn?t yet have the courage to broach what she had brought him here to talk about. It wasn?t until later, when they were standing and leaning against a tree to watch the sun go down that she managed to just blurt it out.

?It?s beautiful, Jewell. You picked a pretty decent spot.? He couldn?t allow her the full credit she deserved, he never did.

?Mmhm..? She was watching the reds and oranges dance across the sky in silence for a moment before: ?I?m pregnant.? She turned her face up to look at him with such glee on her face and not a bit of nervousness; it never crossed her mind that he wouldn?t feel as she did concerning this. Such glee quickly melted away into apprehension and then uneasiness as she saw first the shock and then the fury forming on his features as he pushed off the tree to stand before her.

?What did you say?? He enunciated slowly, hoping he misheard her.

She didn?t want to repeat it now, not with the way he was looking at her, the sky bleeding red behind him as it set making him all the more menacing. She did so with the utmost timidity, ?I said?I think I?m pregnant.?

?You think?? He was already raising his voice and she shrunk back against the tree with no place else to go.

?No?I know.?

?And you?re happy about this?? He had seen the look on her face when she had told him originally; it had been a long time since he had seen her smiling so brightly.

He always seemed to make her feel unsure of herself, ?I thought?I thought this was a good thing??

?You thought?? He was yelling now and she couldn?t tear her eyes away from his face.

?I just thought??

?You thought this was a good thing? That I would be happy? Are you truly crazy? Why didn?t you take care of this already?? He couldn?t believe she didn?t understand the implications of this, that she was actually happy about it. If anyone found out, they would both be in serious trouble. If her brother found out, he could be arrested, tried for treason?something! Both their reputations would be forever ruined. How did she not understand?

?Take care?? She spoke slowly, so astonished and confused. This wasn?t happening to her. This was happening to someone else, some other Jewell, and she was just watching on from the outside, a helpless observer.

?You know, take care of it, get rid of it.?

And just like that, she was snapped back into her own body. ?You aren?t serious??

?Of course I?m serious! What, do you think this is some kind of game, Jewell? Some little fairy tale where I?d be happy and we could live happily ever after? The world doesn?t work like that! We?re taking care of this as soon as we get back and you?ll never speak of it to anyone ever, you understand? Not any of those little friends of yours, not to me, no one!?

She lowered her head, shaking it and mumbling a soft, ?No.?

?Excuse me??

She looked up at him, angry tears in her eyes and her expression simply furious. ?I said no! I will not take care of it, I will not?? She never got any further than that. He backhanded her as hard as he possibly could out of anger, to get her to shut up, to get her to stop talking back to him. He hit her so hard that she was knocked off her feet, that she hit the ground and saw stars explode in her vision while pain shot through her body from a source deep inside. She hit the ground and she rolled down the slight incline aside the tree, out of his sight for the moment.

Out of sight but not out of mind. He stood there seething, irate that she would even think?and what was taking her so long in getting up? ?Jewell!? He called out, ?Jewell, I?m not done speaking with you!? When she didn?t respond he only felt angrier, she was probably sitting down there sulking when he was doing all this for her own good, to save her reputation and possibly both their lives. ?Jewell I said?? he trailed off as he stepped closer to the edge of the short incline, frowning as he saw her lying still at the bottom. Two or three steps carried him quickly to her; unbidden fear building inside him as he saw that she was unconscious.

And that there was blood.

--

?I?ve had to piece together what happened next from what I?ve been told and the few things I remember.? Her speech was slow, listless, empty, as it had been the entire time she had explained this last part. ?He didn?t know what to do with me?he couldn?t bring me back to the resort because then everyone would know that I was?had been, pregnant and what he had done to me, but he couldn?t just let me lay there, bleeding to death. No, he couldn?t do that because then they?d kill him, wouldn?t they? For letting me die?? Her voice, she sounded ever so bitter now, trembled a moment.

?But, gods for the longest time after that I wished he had. You know what he did?? It wasn?t really a question and she didn?t wait long enough for Stephen to answer. It was all coming pouring out of her now, the details, the scenes, and feelings she had never spoke about to another living person. ?He left me on a beach. On a f-cking beach.? She didn?t even try to hide the motion of reaching up and using the heel of her fist to wipe at her eyes.

?We were so near the Fae lands, and he knew they wouldn?t ask questions, that they would take care of one of their own?and he just dumped me there. I don?t even know what excuses he made for returning without me, or what excuses the fae eventually had to make to my brother for why I stayed there for months and months?ever so long after my body healed. I think they told him that all the work I was doing had made me unwell, that I needed the rest. And I was unwell. I would sit on the beach every day and just cry, cry and cry until I made myself physically sick.? She was crying now as she told him although she had been sure that she was done with such tears years ago.

?Murinin?? it came out softly as he tightened his arms around her.

?Did you know,? she sniffed, ?that I told a doctor what had happened years later. Not all the details but just?and you know he said that in my condition, with all the weight I had lost, how young I was, how frail?he said I would have probably lost the baby,? her voice quivered over that innocent word, ?anyways?maybe would have died myself. It was a poor comfort.?

?Were ye done with ?im then, luv??

?Done? I wish. No, I wasn?t done. But stars above, I had learned to hate him to my very core then.?

His fingers tingled where he had touched her bare skin moments before she had shouted at him and departed from the small ballroom in a tiff. Several people stopped at his side as the dancing continued, inquiring after his health and that of the young lady who looked ?quite unwell? as she had left the room; there had been tears in her eyes, after all. They were fishing for information that he failed to provide for them besides, ?The lady is well, I assure you.? He was too enamored by the way his fingers felt after that touch, a warmth was spreading throughout his hand almost like a burning, to provide a more satisfactory and convincing response. There was power there, within that blue-haired female, so tangible that he could not only feel it, he swore he could taste it. The few that had stood by him after making their inquiries, hoping for some sign of what was really going on, soon found themselves needing to make excuses and depart as Robin was a most unwelcome companion. He had the oddest smile on his face.

Robin preferred this new Jewell; saw even more appeal to her now. Her vibrant spirit, having been dimmed to mere flickering embers under his abuse, had flared to even greater life than ever before. He did not comprehend that his heightened fascination?nay, his budding obsession?was certainly an effect of the maturing power within her. The Jewell he had originally seduced certainly had an aura of power about her as well as the natural charm and beauty of the fae. Now, though, that same girl had taken the first steps to controlling the awesome power bound within her: glamour. That glamour would slowly saturate her very being and would one-day influence every facet of her life. Glamour would inevitably draw people to her; entrap them unbeknownst to both parties before she learned control. Glamour was the light and life within her.

It is said that glamour can make a faerie completely irresistible to a mortal regardless of age and sex.

Robin recognized the presence of such power without understanding what it was or what it could do, would do, to him. His only thoughts were of how much sweeter the submission of such a powerful and vivacious creature would be compared to the continued submission of the cowed little girl she had been before. She was stronger now, could take him further in life! She spurned him this time, and many times after, but victory would be his in the end and then no one would ever, could ever, question that he too had power! That he could be just as strong, just as worthy to rule, as anyone else in the system. He deserved a better hand than fate had dealt him and if no one would give it to him, he would just take it.

She always hated visiting Pyra. As avatar to her home world and extremely connected to the dominant element there (water), it was jarring to leave Aquarius and enter the dry, swelteringly atmosphere of Pyra. Robin had purposefully arranged the meeting to be on his planet, she was sure of it. She was weaker there, less in control of her abilities, and she knew him well enough to know that he would expose any and all such weaknesses in his attempt to persuade her to sign the marriage contract.

He had arranged for her transport to land outside the general landing pads used for officials and dignitaries of her status?out of doors. The acrid air burned her throat and made her light headed the second her foot touched the ground. Heat rose in visible waves, making the dry atmosphere unbearable for the fey. As she was escorted towards the main palace building, refusing the arm of one of her escorts as she proudly took each step, she was reminded of several interrogation techniques she had read about once. She was fairly sure that placement in a hostile and uncomfortable (potentially harmful) environment had been one of them.

Once inside, she wasn?t given time to clear her head. Ushered by a delegation of aids and escorts through countless halls, she wrestled to get control of herself. She had arrived dressed like a queen, her chin held high, prepared not to concede to anyone. She would not condemn herself to a living hell. As she approached the meeting location, the confidence and attitude that came along with the clothes melted away into a strong quaking inside. She didn?t want to do this.

He greeted her with the utmost civility and the darkest intentions. They ate lunch, attended by only a few guards, and chatted about the weather. She had to force herself to eat, her mouth as dry as cotton. Her nerves were on edge, and although she was the picture of calm and collected, she was sick to her stomach. She did not want this man?sitting before her eating his salad without a care and passing her a charming smile now and then?to have control over her life again.

It was only when they were done with their lunch and silence reigned, that Jewell finally found the courage to speak up, ?I suppose we should get down to business?? She spoke as stiffly as she sat, eyeing him coldly from across the table.

?Yes, I suppose we should.? He grinned smugly to her. In fact, he had been wearing that self-satisfied smile the entire time they had been eating and for the life of her, she couldn?t figure out why. Was he that sure that she would sign the contract? Had he deluded himself that much? He dismissed his guards with a simple wave; Jewell watched them file out of the room from the corner of her eye. When she didn?t repeat the gesture, dismissing her own guards she had brought with her along with one of her assistants, Robin?s smug smile faltered a little and he cleared his throat. ?I thought we could discuss this in private??

Satisfied that she had irked him even the slightest bit, she turned towards her entourage and gave them the signal that it was okay to leave. Her assistant stepped forward to leave that awful piece of parchment on the table before following the guards out. Jewell turned about again to level an even gaze at Robin once they were alone, ?You do realize that I will not be signing this contract. Ever.?

And there was that smug smile again. ?I think otherwise.?

The tangible confidence that he exuded was infuriating and was starting to make her nervous. What did he know that she didn?t? She resisted the urge to shift in her seat, ?And what makes you think that way, exactly?? She was using that same arch tone she had unsuccessfully tried against her brother.

It didn?t work any better for her now. Robin just laughed as he stood, withdrawing a manila folder from somewhere?she cursed herself for not being observant enough to notice it sooner?before walking around to her side of the table and standing behind her. She froze with such proximity and he could see the hairs on the back of her bare neck rise. Such reactions only made his victory that much sweeter. ?I really hate to do this to you, Jewell, but you?ve brought it upon yourself.? It was a lover?s whisper, his lips so close to her ear as he leaned over but not quite touching. She fought against the impulse to close her eyes, wish this all away.

He withdrew, stepping to her side and projecting his voice a little more as he pulled out several photographs and documents from the manila folder and started setting them out on the table before her. ?Do you remember the most recent war that Pyra waged against Aquarius? It took place when you were?oh, just turning thirteen, I believe? Wait, of course you remember! You did take part in it, after all.? His slight laughter broke up this little dialogue but she was only half aware, her vision absorbed by the pictures and pages of statistics before her.

She knew of the war. She had lived the war. Aquarius had been overrun by Pyra?s superior army. The fighting had gone on for weeks, death tolls raising as outlying villages and towns were desolated, before Aquarius had to call upon their guardian for help. To call upon her. And she had come as their savior, a guardian so recently appointed to her position after her mentor?s untimely death. And what had she done? She didn?t even remember; energy deprivation and something they called memory repression hindered her in that regard. She had seen the pictures, though. At least, she thought she had.

These were different.

These were hellish.

Bodies twisted and mangled beyond recognition. Burnt shells of what were once human beings. Regiment after regiment of Pyranian soldiers slaughtered. But that hadn?t been enough, had it? Because when they were done ridding their planet of the soldiers, they had followed them to their own and continued the extermination there. Villages leveled, the very ground scorched, useless for generations. Refugee camps. Mass graves.

She tasted bile rising in the back of her throat; her eyes were tearing up, much to his satisfaction. ?Why are you showing these to me??

He stepped around the table to sit across from her again, ?This is what happened the last time Pyra went to war with Aquarius, Jewell. What really happened. This isn?t what they teach school children, or what your brother?s war council pumps out in the form of propaganda. This is the real thing. This is what you took part in.? He paused for dramatic effect. ?Did you see the death toll??

The tears were already falling freely down her face as she nodded in the affirmative to his question. So many dead, and what for? How many of those lives had she personally snuffed out? ?Why are you showing these to me?? She asked again, pushing a few of the more graphic pictures away from her. The death toll was burned into her retinas.

?Because it?s happening again, Jewell, and you know it. You know how delicate the political situation is between our two planets and how it has been deteriorating for months now. This will be the end result again, unless we stop it.?

?We?? In her distress, she couldn?t even think to be suspicious.

?Yes Jewell, only together can we stop this from happening all over again. I know you don?t want it to, I certainly don?t want it to. All you have to do is sign that paper,? he couldn?t have looked more smug as he reached over to nudge the contract closer to her, ?and you will be saving your people and mine from all the pain they suffered last time without ever having to raise your hand against another.?

Oh, he was good. Better than she had ever imagined or predicted.

?You are not serious?? she whispered.

He offered her a pen.

--

?But ye dinnae do it, did ye, love? Ye dinnae sign that paper of his, did ye??

?I had to, Stephen.?

?Why? Damn other people, ye always worry ?bout others, murinin, what ?bout yeself??

She closed her eyes, rubbing her hands over her face. Telling this story, getting it all out, was emotionally exhausting and it was getting hard to think straight. ?I had mere minutes, not even, to make a decision. He was sitting there, pressuring me and pressuring me. And I didn?t want to do it. I knew I was signing my life away if I signed my name, that I was basically committing suicide. I remember my mouth was dry, my throat was constricting, my heart was racing, I couldn?t even see straight?the room was spinning. And as much as I wanted to think about me, and worry about me, there was thousands and possibly millions of lives hanging in the balance. How could I turn a blind eye to that? I wanted to live, Stephen, but I also wanted to be able to live with myself.?

?So ye signed that paper an? agreed tae marry that man??

?I did.?

?Do you know what true despair looks like, love?? She tilted her head back, looking up at him inquisitively.

Green eyes darkened as he nodded, ?Aye, tha? I do, love.?

?I think it?s the ugliest of all emotions, the most dangerous. Hate will poison you but despair? Despair is debilitating. It will suck out your soul until you?re just a hallow shell. You can?t even look in the mirror for fear of what you?ll see reflected back in your own eyes.?

?Ye rise ?bove it eventually, love. Or ye let it consume ye.?

?But isn?t it a matter of how far you?re willing to go to get free? Don?t you have to be willing??

?Suppose so, muirn?n.?

?Then what happens when you look around and you don?t see a single thing that makes you willing, that?ll push you to be willing to keep going??

?Then I guess ye be stuck wit? option number two there, love.? She frowned a little at him and he smiled in return, ?But I be thinkin? ye?ve always got a bit too much fight in ye tae jus? lay down an? die, don?t ye, muirn?n??

Her laugh was a bit dry; ?Is it fight or insanity??

?Maybe a wee bit a? both.?

The element that she called mother enveloped her as she plunged below the crashing waves into dark depths that her grey eyes penetrated even as the salt stung them. She swam as far as a single breath could take her?quite far indeed, for a water fey?before she surfaced, the cliff having already become a faint line on the horizon. She dove below the surface, striving to put more distance between herself and the cliff; she was heedless of the dangers of the open ocean, more mindful of the danger she was quickly swimming away from.

She did not stop her retreat until she was sure that she was far enough out of the way of Robin?s route home not to be luckily spotted by him. Only then did she surface for good, floating peacefully on her back as the only mother she had left in this world cradled her in a loving embrace. She didn?t feel the emptiness and loneliness that those lost at sea often feel under the huge expanse of sky, with only blue water reaching from horizon to horizon. Instead, she felt totally at peace. Serenity enveloped her. She did not worry about the exertion it would take to return home nor what she would do when she got there, what explanation she would have to create, and the negative consequences her actions this night would invariably bring upon her.

All she knew was the water.

The water surrounded her, she became one with it first. It didn?t matter that she was Jewell: princess, guardian, betrothed; for now she was just a water fey at one with her element. She felt the currents as they worked beneath her, pulling her hither and thither as she let herself be tugged along. She saw the depths of the oceans in her mind and all that lurked there. She felt the waves crash miles away on distant shores, the gravitational pull of the other planets guiding it. She recognized each and every molecule, could feel them all: surrounding her, calling to her, reacting to the arcane magic that lay within her. They called her sister and sought her out.

The water bound her to the world she called her own. An ecopath, Jewell was intrinsically tied to the ground she stood upon. The world was her mother, much in the same way that the water was her mother, and she was its avatar. She saw the ley lines that crisscrossed over the entire planet, all connected to each other, and all eventually connected to her. The planet was a living entity and Jewell was part of that, a vital part. Connected by a most precious soul bond, she was a daughter to make Aquarius proud.

Through her world, she was tied to the entire universe. The universe seemed infinite to her, then, widely stretched before her with opportunities for life never ending. She didn?t have to be stuck here, on this planet, in this time. She could be anyone she wanted to be, go anywhere she wanted to go.

Life was so much bigger, so much grander, than her and her problems. She saw ancient stories played out across the sky, stars shifting into the forms of heroes and heroines that battled for good and evil, justice and injustice, love, hate, and all the great paradoxes in the cosmos. The stories weaved together, spanning eons. Her problems were nothing in the grand scheme of things, were insignificant when looked at from this new view. She was a small part, a miniscule puzzle piece, of a grand portrait. The water whispered to her, promising that, one day, she too could play a large role in the cosmos. One day, she would no longer be insignificant, overlooked, a nothing. One day she would grasp hold of the power, all the power, that was her birthright, and her universe would fall in line with the rest of the world and things would finally make sense. She would take her place and be remembered. One day, everything would be all right. She would be all right.

For the first time in a long time, Jewell remembered what self worth was.

Jewell stood opposite the door for the Inner Council meeting room. The small puddle forming at her feet was the source of her amusement at the moment, anything to keep her mind off her impending punishment. A lecture was obviously too lenient for what she had done. She wondered if her brother would go so far as to put her under house arrest, confining her to a small portion of the palace with a garrison of guards to watch her every move. It would be a more than fitting punishment; such a restriction of freedom would drive her mad in days.

The guard who had escorted her from the hanger stood at her side, waiting while the aid informed Jemini that Jewell had returned. He was unmoving, eyes unfocused as he took in everything and anything at once. She had to stifle a giggle when the water dripping from her dress and hair came in contact with his boots, forcing him to move ever so slightly away from her. Grey eyes glanced aside and took the time to look the guard over. She didn?t recognize him but he was good looking. The poly-metal uniform top he was required to wear would make anyone look good. It appeared to be made of a very thin metal yet could drive off a direct hit from a sword. It was made to define the muscles, making the wearer appear even stronger than they were. She thought he wore it particularly well; the light blue sheen of the metal complimented his dark eyes. He was without a helmet, as only guards assigned outside the palace were required to wear one. She was glad for that, the clunky piece of metal would have covered up his short dark curls. His right hand, gripping the handle of his plasma staff, seemed to tighten as if he knew she was looking him over like so much eye candy. She leaned forward to check his rank insignia, noting with a smile that he was lieutenant.

Just as Jewell opened her mouth to strike up a conversation with the soldier, the door opposite them swung open, letting out a weary and grim Jemini. He didn?t even speak to her, just nodded his head indicating for her to follow him. All life seemed to seep right out of her and that stoic expression manifested itself again. She was no longer the carefree young girl, on the brink of womanhood, contemplating striking up a conversation with a handsome man just because she could and because she wanted to. She was a representative of her world, an icon, a young woman claimed by law by another, and she had no freedom. She walked a stepped behind Jem and his aid, tuning out their conversation about how the meeting they had just been in had went. The guard walked a step behind her but he no longer was a topic of interest for her. He couldn?t be. She kept her head down, trying to concentrate on the squishy sound her slippers were making with each step she took instead of the scolding she was about to receive.

When they came to Jem?s main office, both the aid and guard were left outside as the siblings entered. The click of the door closing behind Jewell was the signal for Jem to turn around and berate her. Jewell tried not to cringe as her brother spun about on his heel, yet she was not greeted with his stinging words. Instead, Jemini hugged her soundly, despite the fact that she was still soaked to the bone and he was dressed for his state meetings. Her jaw gaped open in the way it tended to do when she was shocked beyond words, her arms taking an extra moment before she had to remind them to return the hug. He pulled back from her, looking down into her grey eyes. Did she detect worry in his usually stoic features?

?I?m so glad you?re safe!? Jewell continued to gape, her brain grasping for why he could possibly sound so happy. Where was her harsh reprimand? What was she safe from? Luckily, Jemini saved her from opening her big mouth, ?When Robin returned just a few hours ago, with a black eye no less, saying that you two had run into some trouble while walking in the woods we thought the worst.? He took another step back, seeming to examine her for any visible wounds, ?But here you are?safe and sound, although a bit wet. Did you swim the whole way home?? Now his tone had become a touch critical.

It was hard not to remain at a loss for words as her brother filled her in, unknowingly, on the ?trouble? she had encountered with Robin. And when had Robin received a black eye? She only wished she could take credit for that one. She shrugged a bit helplessly, trying to laugh, ?You know me, swim like a fish,? was all she could find to say, not trusting herself to say any more.

?True.? With that, he completely retreated from her, the personal moment over and done with. ?I trust the guards did not give you too much trouble at the entrance? We raised the alert once Robin mentioned the group of rebels you stumbled upon. It was most likely a coincidence, but we can never be too sure.? Brows lifted to her in question, now awaiting an answer just like a sergeant addressing a soldier.

She had to swallow a lump in her throat at the mention of rebels. Rebels had killed her parents, how nice of Robin to remember that fact when concocting his little tale; ?No, there was no trouble. My escort recognized me immediately and brought me to you.?

?Good.? A firm nod was given in response. Yes, just like a soldier. ?I don?t suppose you have anything else to add to the description of the rebels? Robin admitted that he would be more helpful with that being that he forced you to run when your presence was detected.?

Oh yes, what a hero Robin was. At least now she knew what the story was and she could respond appropriately, no lie detected in her speech; deceiving her brother was too easy by this point in her life. ?I did not get a good look at them at all. The light was failing and I took off quickly when told to.?

?Why did you not head back towards the road or hovercraft??

?My intention was to head towards the road, but I got turned around in the darkness. I ended up near the edge of the cliffs when I heard someone approaching. I did not want to take the chance that it was one of the rebels and not Robin so I jumped the cliff.? She spoke each word precisely, reporting to her superior officer.

?Jumped the cliff.? It was a statement, not a question, and from the way Jem?s lips curled, he was obviously displeased. ?Well, I?m glad your safe,? and his voice was just dripping with warmth, ?you can return to your quarters now. Officer Onel has already stopped the lookout for your presence so you should not encounter any trouble. Goodnight.? Dismissed. With those final words, not even noting that it was past dawn already, Jem turned from her and took a seat at his desk, ready to tackle the day?s work without having any sleep.

?Goodnight Jem,? she said softly, her words not even heeded. She stepped out of his office and walked alone to her rooms.

The night her betrothal and imminent wedding were announced was a night that would be forever ingrained upon her mind, crystal clear for her to recall with a grimace whenever she wished or to come unbidden to her in the form of dreams.

The ball was being thrown in her honor, or more specifically, their honor. As miserable as she should have been, Jewell planned to make the best of it. She was banned from wearing her favorite Faerie-styled dresses that night; her brother?s exact message had been, ?Look as human as possible.? It irked; she hated to deny that most vital and beloved part of her heritage, but she knew the reason for the command. Although most rebel groups?made up of human extremists who hated the Fae people and wanted to rid the land of their presence?had been quashed, after her parents? death at the hands of the most fanatical group, by extreme and rigorous military action, the murmurings had never fully been stopped. Since her brother, and he was only believed to be half-Fae, had taken the throne, the groups were not pacified with the death of their original problem (a supposedly human man, her father, married to a Faerie woman) and regrouped. It had taken them a little over ten years, but it was obvious now that the resistance to tolerant Faerie policies was stronger than it had ever been.

Jemini was loathe to change any of the policies his father had set in place regarding the government?s relationship with the Fae, but Jewell knew he was increasingly hard pressed. There had been several attacks earlier in the week on merchants in one of the cities nearest the Border, merchants that had many dealings with traders that came out of the Lands. She also knew that at least one threat had been issued to Jem himself, warning him to break off all ties with those in the Lands or there would be more attacks. The rebels believed that Jemini?s loyalty lay with the Fae, that he would support their rights over those of his human subjects, fearing the power that lay behind the Border. To show that he was, in essence, pro-human, very few Faerie dignitaries had been invited to the evening?s festivities, even though it was a heavy slight to their Fae-relatives. In addition, the Princess?ever a supporter of Fae rights and a lover of their culture?was to show her loyalty and love for human tradition by looking the part tonight. Jewell knew that everything she did tonight had to show her un-Fae-ness, that even her very marriage was just a part of Jem?s whole plan to unify his people.

If she had to dress in what she thought of as the bulkier, less elegant garb that the human fads favored at the time, Jewell decided she would look absolutely killer doing it. The basis of her dress was a tight fitting corset top in a very pale blue, inlaid with silver floral designs; it made much of her still developing body, turning her straight lines into an hourglass figure. The corset tied up the back with a blue ribbon, giving the appearance that just a single pull could undo the whole thing. The sleeves were gauzy, iridescent things that draped and flowed as she moved. Layer upon layer of silver and blue skirt issued forth from the bottom of the corset, running to her feet. The color shifted as she moved, decorated with living stardust. The tip of her open toed shoes just stuck out from beneath the full skirt. Her hair was held back tightly, curls flowing out from an arrangement of small flowers that had been painted silver especially for the occasion. In addition, she wore a small tiara to indicate her station, as if anyone would fail to recognize her with those blue curls. Like many other maidens invited to the gala, she carried an intricate mask in her hand; it had been especially made for her: shaped and decorated like the wings she was banned from wearing in public.

She had been forced to enter the grand ballroom on Robin?s arm, the announcement of their engagement and upcoming wedding serving as a prelude to their entrance. She had heard those announcements through the closed double doors and they made her cringe inside. Despite her true feelings, though, she entered the party with a perfect smile sculpting her lips delightfully, assuring everyone that she expected nothing but bliss from her marriage alliance. Many women sighed, envious; so many believed that the princess had herself a perfect, fairy tale romance, unlike many of them that had been forced into arranged marriages where love never flourished but resentment certainly did.

When the official proceedings were over and the music started, Jewell quickly excused herself from Robin?s side and waded into the crowd, attempting to put some distance between herself and her fianc?. Congratulations followed her wherever she went as a reminder, however, and she had to continually keep that smile in place, thanking each and every person for their well wishes as if she meant it whole heartedly, assuring them all how happy and in love she was. She swore she could taste the bile rising in the back of her throat at the very notion that she could ever be happy with the monster she was now bound to by law.

She needed a diversion, and quick, before she went and snapped at the next person that approached her with: ?M?lady! Oh, my husband and I would like to wish you all happiness in marriage that we enjoy. May the Goddess bless you!? She knew she would never utter the response that lingered in the back of her mind, however much she might wish to: ?You and your husband? Thank you so much, Lady Orencheo, but if I were you, I would not wish the misery that is your marriage on anyone. Why would I bless someone with a wife that has aged too quickly and a fat, balding husband that chases after any young lady he can seduce with his money? As for me, I assure you the Goddess has done nothing but curse me with the most miserable of people to spend the rest of my life with. If I wish any blessing from the Goddess, it is for a life that is as short as possible so that I may be put out of my misery! Cheers!?

The imagined conversation made her grin, and that grin caught the eye of Prince Aerohdil of one of the system?s other planets. While many women envied Jewell her upcoming marriage, many of the men in the system mourned the loss of one of the most eligible and desirable women. Any number of men had set their sights on Jewell from afar, young and old desiring to court the lady?s hand. It was agreed upon that she would make the perfect wife for any of the older senators: young, beautiful, perfectly behaved, a true lady of the court. Many younger men, like Robin, saw the advancement of their careers wrapped up in her: a princess, a potential senator, a Guardian. She would look good on almost anyone?s arm, breaking the ice in awkward social situations with her charismatic personality, winning over enemies and securing alliances with that charming smile. With her impending marriage, a good portion of men lost interest and moved their attention elsewhere. Others, however, did not give up all hope; Prince Aerohdil was one such man. As Jewell passed him by, he offered his hand out to her and asked her to dance, thus providing the very distraction she needed.

He spun her out onto the dance floor, followed by many other powerful men, eager to hold her close and attempt a last minute wooing. She eluded Robin easily in this manner, for it would be insulting to her many powerful dance partners if he dare interrupt and ask to cut in. Handed off from one man to another, it was easy to smile as they all attempted to be as charming and pleasing to her as they possibly could, unknowingly giving her the one thing she truly wanted that evening: time away from her fianc?.

She was involved in an especially intricate dance, her palm flat against her partner?s raised palm in the air as they spun about, when she noted Robin finally approaching her. He was cutting through many dancing partners on his way to her and they were fortunately hindering his progress. As he finally got to her side and opened his mouth to request to cut in, the music changed time, which indicated a required change of partner. Jewell winked at Robin as she was whisked away by the male from the couple that had been next to her and her partner, each girl being handed off to the man next to them.

Scowling, Robin made his way back to the side of the room to watch his fianc?e be passed from man to man. He lifted a fluke of champagne from one of the passing servants, sipping the alcohol as his rage came to a slow boil. She flirted with each of her partners like an expert, giggling when they made a remark or smiling to show off those shallow dimples. Blue curls were tossed as she flitted here and there, his little faerie paying no attention to him. He turned from her, disgusted, placing his empty glass down before taking up another. There was little else for him to do but get drunk at the expense of the Aquarian crown; it would be immodest and insulting to Jewell?s brother if he were to flirt with the women of the upper class on the eve of his engagement while Jewell was ?just being social.?

While Robin was brooding, Jewell was thinking that rarely had she had such fun at such an event. Her feet pained her greatly but she did not stop dancing, never wanted to. As the evening grew long, the lights were dimmed and the stars were visible through the all-glass dome that stretched high above the dance floor. It was an enchanting atmosphere and lovers escaped to the balconies to take advantage of it. Her own would-be lover was nowhere to be found after his last attempt at trying to whisk her away for himself and she preferred to keep it that way. She lost herself in imagining that this was just a normal ball and that she could have any of the charming men she had danced with; it was a passing fancy she clung to. Yes, if this could be her life then she would have a chance at happiness.

The sun gave her a rude awakening, as she lay curled up alone in her bed, shining on her face, totally uncaring of the night she had or the dreams that had chased her relentlessly into sleep. She turned over to save herself from more abuse by the sun only for the splitting headache that had been building at the base of her skull to come bursting forth in addition to all the other aches and pains that plagued her body making themselves suddenly known. Her eyes opened groggily at first and were quickly filled with tears that washed the sleep away as she saw the bruises on her wrists; she didn?t need to see them to know that matching ones were on her face, the inside of her thighs. Snatches of memories, incomplete but still ghastly, rose as sleep departed, and with them came a steady expression of horror and denial growing over her features. She pulled her blanket up around her body, knees dragged up and hugged to her chest. She couldn?t stop the full onslaught of tears, not this time.

The sun rose high in the cloudless sky before she finally dragged herself from her bed. She made a blind stumble for her bathing room, swollen grey eyes of little use. While a nice long bath would calm her, she opted for a scalding hot shower. She turned her back to the plethora of mirrors in the room until the steam from the shower had fogged them up thoroughly, only then would she undress in front of them. Once in the shower, she did as she had done several times before?she scrubbed at her skin until it was raw. It was all a routine now: scrub her arms, watch as water swept the suds away down the drain, eye the skin of her arms that was steadily turning red, start scrubbing again. It was as if she could feel dirt, lingering from his touch, clinging to her everywhere even if she couldn?t see it. It was there! She didn?t care that washing her hair three times in a row would dry it out, she needed to feel clean.

When she stepped out of the shower, she drew her robe closed over her body as quickly as possible; she didn?t want to have to look at it any more than she already had to while in the shower. Her body was disgusting, sullied, used. As the condensation melted off the mirrors, though, and she moved for the door, she caught a glimpse of her face. She stopped, reaching out to brush her fingers along the surface of the glass, her eyes flat as she traced the bruises that had blossomed across her visage. Her fingers curled, knuckles pressed flat against the mirror before she pulled her hand back and drove her fist into the glass, shattering it with a scream of pent up frustration.

With blood trickling down her fingers, she moved into her dressing room. Stopping in the center of the room overflowing with dresses, she stared back at the trail of blood she had left behind her, marking the plush carpet. A Hansel and Grettle trail, perhaps? Would it lead to home? To safety? After all, she was surely stuck in that dreadful house in the woods, the one where you went in and never came out again, eaten alive by a little old witch. Maybe if she fattened herself up?but no. Even if the trail remained there to follow, it would not lead her anywhere and she knew, in sinking despair, that there was no woodsmen to save her either.

She pulled a simple gray dress off one of the racks of clothing, not bothering to call for the help of her maids to dress, not when she didn?t care enough to even form the simplest of illusions to hide the bruises. Even if she wanted to, she couldn?t disguise that look in her eyes: haunted, desperate, an animal that has suddenly realized that it?s caged and there?s no way out but death now. Death. She laughed as she looked down at her scarred wrists. Was that even an option for her or was she truly stuck in purgatoria forever?

Jewell left her hair down, blue curls not even thick enough to mask the battered horror of her face. She wandered back into her bedroom and paused, the events from the previous night had left clear traces in the room: the door to her balcony closed shut, a spot of blood on the floor from the cut on her cheek, the overturned table and trinkets, rumpled bed sheets. She didn?t remember at what point she had stopped fighting him, had given in, had let him do what he would. Had she enjoyed it? Or had she retreated into the far recesses of her mind where she would never be able to clearly recall his desecration of the empty shell of her body. She turned away from her bedroom; she would find no peace there.

However, she could not find peace anywhere. She stalked the rooms of her spacious apartment, pacing, her mind reeling. This could not be happening to her. This could not be the way things ended. Ah, but it wasn?t the end, was it? No, it was just the beginning. Yes, this was the first day of the rest of her life, every day the same torturous routine. As the sun continued its path across the sky, she broke down again; tearing at the roots of her hair, she stopped her pacing to crouch suddenly in the middle of her study, palms pressed into her eyes as hot tears slid past her fingers and down her face. She needed out.

Her magic did not fail her once. Anyone that looked her way as she passed saw only a demure young woman, plain as plain could be: brown hair cut in an unattractive bob, dark eyes, a neutral dress that was neither eye-catchingly fashionable or hideous, carrying a satchel and walking at a brisk pace as if late for a meeting. Once she was out of sight, she was out of mind; those who had seen her would not even be able to recall what her face looked like when prompted to do so, the image an elusive memory they couldn?t quite get hold of. Such was her magic that no one even thought twice about her as she passed like a ghost through the extensive halls of the palace on Aquarius.

There was only one time during her walk that she thought everything was in jeopardy and hope fled. Few Fae worked or lived in the palace; this one must have been a visiting dignitary. As she passed the young Fae woman by, she knew from the way the she looked at her that the woman saw everything, that she saw right through the illusions and even past the bruises her Galmour covered to the broken spirit within. And the woman let her go! She saw the disguise Jewell wore, the deceit she wove about her, she most likely even saw the intent in her eyes, and she let her go. The woman offered her a sweet smile and passed her by, letting her just walk on towards the main entrance to the palace as if she did not recognize her. To the kindness of that stranger, Jewell was forever indebted.

There was much traffic in and out of the palace during the late afternoon, especially after such a party as was held the night before; many people were just waking up to go about their business with hangover headaches in abundance. While there was a line of people to enter, waiting to pass the guards and have their handprints scanned, the flush of people exiting the building was unhindered by any such formal procedure, leaving Jewell free to join the jostling and thrusting crowd that passed over the arching bridge into the capital city. Stage one of her journey was complete.

The walk through the city was uneventful, although long and hot. Jewell dared not risk spending any of the precious little money she had on the various forms of transportation travelers in the city had available to them: the animals (elephants and camels mostly) that swerved and lumbered their way through the narrow streets, or the speedier hovercrafts that occasionally buzzed overhead, carting about the rich and privileged. She wound her way away from the palace on foot, destination fixed firmly in mind. All she had to do was get to the spaceport and everything would be okay. Just get there and everything would be all right.

She didn?t realize that when she got there, she would be completely bewildered by the very sight of the place. While having traveled into the city many times during her youth, she had not once been to the spaceport. The entire complex itself was large and perplexing to look at in her eyes. However, the actual commercial side of it was small as very few people traveled off world and even fewer left the system; most of the space travel done from this port was for political and economic-trade reasons and that area was not open to the general public. While Jewell had been off world before, she had not left through the common spaceport that was open to every Tom, Dick, and Harry. She stood in the doorway of the terminal, momentarily thrown off track. What was the next step?

Someone shouting for her to get out of the way of the door was the only reason she started moving again. Grey eyes followed the man who had yelled and his family, not out of malice but out of curiosity. He headed over to one of three ticket windows where he started to talk loudly with the employee behind the window, gesturing to his family, and waving a wad of money in his face. Jewell eyed the man warily before looking up at the large board that dominated a majority of the far wall, a list of destinations, departures, and landing times flashing on it. She had to know where she wanted to go first, she realized belatedly, before she followed the man and his family to the ticket window. Few things would create more suspicion than walking up to the ticket window and declaring that she did not care where she was going as long as it was away from here. There weren?t many choices, though, and most of them were definitely out of the question as they were only in-system destinations. Hesitating for only a moment, she chose one of the two remaining choices the board offered, her extensive tutoring and study of galaxy-geography coming in handy: Kalahari was by far the furthest of the two destinations available to her and Jewell, after all, wanted to get as far away from home as possible.

Purchasing the ticket proved another setback to her plan. She did not even have enough currency for the one way trip to Kalahari and the man behind the window was suspicious of her offer of one of the Faerie gold bracelets she was wearing.

?I would like a one way ticket to Kalahari, please.? Jewell had approached the ticket window timidly but after seeing the runt of a man working behind the thin layer of glass, she gathered up some courage. It failed her the moment he named the price of the ticket. ?I?well, I do not exactly have that much money.? She explained, as if he would give her the ticket anyways based upon the pathetic dismay that had fallen over her visage. Instead, he just gave her a look that clearly read, ?Why are you wasting my time then?? She looked away from him, back behind her to the front doors of the terminal. She could walk right back out those doors, go back to the palace, back to her rooms, and no one would ever have to know that she tried this.

With a defiant set to her jaw, she looked back to the puny man behind the glass, pulling off one of her bracelets of Faerie gold?one of the few not hidden away by her Glamour?and held it up for him to see. ?I can give you this, it is worth much more than the price of the ticket.?

He eyed her and then the bracelet dubiously. This was a large, state-run business, not some local booth in the marketplace; they never bartered with people. However, the bracelet did sparkle alluringly, beckoning to him, tempting him. He cleared his throat, ?How I can be sure that?s even real, hm? Perhaps it is some of the Faerie gold those deceitful,? and he spit out a racial slur she found highly offensive, ?tricksters hand out like it?s nothing, and then it turns to dust in the morning and they?ve gotten away with it and are laughing about it wherever they?ve run off to.?

?I swear on my life it is real!? Though she knew such an oath would be useless. She had forgotten that she was in the real world now, where people were perhaps even more distrustful than they were in the political arena she often moved within. ?Look, sir, there are tests you can do to prove that it is real?? she didn?t finish her appeal, although the man did look interested at the mention of such tests; they would take too long to conduct and time was of the essence, she simply could not wait.

In the end, much to her displeasure, she had to use a touch of Glamour to persuade him to accept the bracelet in exchange for her passage on the ship. She hated to use her magic in such a way, believing it morally unsound. However, when the ticket was in her hand and she was seated, waiting for the passenger ship to Kalahari to begin boarding, she knew that it was well worth it. That simple touch of Glamour had just bought her freedom.