Lilian had just sat down on her bed after she said goodbye to her mother.

She leaned back on her arms, propping herself up as she stared straight ahead, taking in the sights of her room.

                 

My room… Lilian thought. As she looked around taking it in for what felt the first time.

         

Two large double doors made of black oak. The cabinets, furniture, and bed were all carved out of birch.

This birch looks naturally aged… she said the wine had fermented. Had she gotten the wood from close to mount Maraiya years ago?

Lilian got up, moving over to the cabinet to open its doors. She pulled a glass tumbler out of it. Then opened the bottom doors.

Lilian looked at the small keg inside with a critical glare.

She put the cup under the spigot. She released the valve, releasing the liquid inside.

       

UGH! She groaned in disgust. “I can smell the alcohol!”

She quickly turned it off by closing the valve. She took the cup with out inhaling, threwing it into the fireplace. Where the flames roared in protest at the liquid splashed on them, but ate the alcohol from it, flaring up in the process.

Guess that she wasn’t keeping up a pretense…

Lilian pondered this.

She started questioning everything.

She thought about the last few questions she asked her mother before she left her before dinner that evening.

          

             

              

“So there was a couple things that I didn’t understand mom? How was it that Tharhym’s medicine or the troll’s rejuvenating elixir work on you? How did you even have a fever before you got to Clan Dracogusse? I was pretty sure we are immune to such things.”

Her mother smiled at her daughter fondly.

“Now that is an excellent question…… I was sure you would ask eventually. That is because of a discovery we have made in the last twelve years. We; the royal family, have an extra part on our organs inside of are body, not found inside other people.”

Lilian listened to her mother with rapped attention.

“We have, what our doctors now call, the royal’s right. Which is a gland attached too five of our organs: the heart, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, and lungs.” Helena explained. “We figured out that these glands, may be the source of our immunization of healing or poison intake.”

“Your organs!” Lilian realized.

Her mother nodded.

“That is right: we believe I had damaged the part of this gland inside my liver and kidneys inside my body during the dragon’s fall. And since I had damaged it or them, that it also didn’t stop the rejuvenating elixir from working on me.”

“So that injury that you were dying from, was also the injury that saved your life; how ironic…” Lilian said somberly.

“Yes!” Helena agreed with a giggle. “Quite fortunate.” She looked down and saw her daughter was quiet. “You know I am fine right? That I am no long hurt from those injuries.”

“I know… just… a weird things to learn.” She said as she placed a hand on her body near her liver. “That if I didn’t have these parts, that I could have died being on that mountain a lot sooner I think… our immunity made me extremely reckless mom.”

                     

Helena smiled at her daughter.

“Yes. But it was these same things that have also kept you safe all this time.” She reassured her.

Lilian just nodded her head while still sitting there looking at her hands.

        

“Aanndd I cannot help to think that this wasn’t the real concern that is weighing on your soul right now; tell me Lilian? what troubles you?” Helena asked her daughter.

Lilian lifted a hand implying it was a given answer.

“What else?… I am think about my Ashu—…… I am thinking about Anna… my mate…”

“Ah! Yes… your mate...” Helena straightened in her seat, before speaking again. “And has anything I said been of help to you? As far as my story is concerned?”

Lilian waited a moment to think before answering.

      

After a while she nodded.

“I believe so……”

Helena waited for her daughter to say more.

“Is there anything you are unsure of? Anything you might want some advice on?

“……after everything I told you about Anna and I’s situation; with how I found out she was a shaman… who do you think was in the wrong?” Lilian asked her mother.

Helena looked at her daughter quizzically.

“Does there need to be a right or wrong party?”

“Huh? Of course there does!” Lilian said vehemently. “How else would you know if you are the wronged party?!”

But her mother shook her head.

“Lilian… that is a very young person’s perspective. Something even your sister knows better about.”

“Are you telling me I am the one in the wrong then?!” Lilian shouts in outrage.

Her mother looks at her sternly, which leaves her frozen in place.

“It is not about you being wrong or you being right, or her being right or wrong. It is about: both of you being wrong.”

“Huh?!”

“Lilian… you grew up in the mountains, raised by your father, who I realized now was the wrong person I should have left you with… But at the same time, I am glad I did; but you learned the value of the survival of the fittest up there, correct?”

“Of course!” Lilian told her proudly. “If you can’t hunt you don’t eat, or if you are not able to defend yourself then you are dead.”

“Does that apply to all aspects of your life for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you believe an eye for an eye?”

“… Anna told me of this saying… She has one very similar in her world.”

Her mother just nodded.

“I figured as much; humans, if not anything else, no matter where they are from, are predictable: they all have the same basic values and knowledge.”

Lilian wasn’t sure what her mother was getting at.

“So let me ask you something Lilian: if a child hits another child, should he be punished?” Her mother asked.

“Of course!” Lilian answered right away.

“Then what if the child who was hit, strikes back? should they also be punished?”

                          

Lilian went to answer.

             

         

But nothing came out.

                  

                    

She sat there opening and closing her mouth, about to answer her mother, but couldn’t seem to get them words to come.

Helena laughed at the sight of her daughter imitating a fish out of water.

“They answer Lilian, is yes.”

“………………….”

Lilian didn’t say anything for a while.

       

       

“Why?” She asked quietly, feeling like a child who was being scolded.

                   

Helena chuckled at her daughter’s glum response.

“The reason being sweet innocent child of mine: is that both had hit, so both were naughty. Should you be lenient on one, just because another started it?”

“But it was in defense! He was struck first!” Lilian defended.

“Then why did you hesitate to answer?” Helena asked her.

“B-Be-Because!—“

“Hmm?

“B-Because it is wrong to hit someone…”

“That is right. You knew the answer within you all along. So why should they both be punished, instead of just the one who started it?”

“……Because it is not that simple… they are children… they are innocent and don’t not know better to not too…”

“Correct child, if a little double negative.”

“What is double—“

“Let’s not get into that right now. The point being, and what I was trying to get across is: that the first that hit the second one, may have done so by accident, but the other did maliciously, who then should be punished?”

“…They both should…”

“Why?”

“Because the first didn’t mean too, but he should, because he needs to learn to watch out for what he is doing… and the second one because he needs to learn not to strike someone.”

“That is right. Now tell me! How does this apply to your mate and yourself?” Helena asks her daughter.

“…She.. I… *SIGH*…… We were both wrong.”

Helena nodded her head before she stood up.

“That is right.” She told her daughter before she headed towards the door.

“W-Where are you going?”

Helena looked back at her daughter when she reached the door. She smiled at her before she opened it.

“You have a lot to think about with what I just told you; and a lot more still to think about what all of this means: especially with my story to be your guide. Follow what YOU want to do first and foremost Lilian. Not who you have to please, or what responsibilities you think you have. What matters to you the most. After you think about all of this. Bring your mate to dinner and let me formally meet her was my daughter-in-law.”

“She!… we haven’t been officially mated yet: as per custom of the Mokra’Torc ways.” Lilian told her.

Helena looked at her daughter with an incredulous smile.

“Do you think your father and I were? That never made me stop thinking of him as my husband; my Ashu’Rágé. So that won’t make me think of your mate as anything less than my daughter-in-law.” Helena then opened the door.

“One last word of advise: anyone who would stick with you after everything they were put through, is worth keeping. Think about that as well, okay? They are worth it. So if you are deciding whether or not the Warchief position is truly what you desire, or if it is something you desperately need to be in your life. Make sure your mate is at the center of your decisions… both by talking with her about it, and also by making sure that you can compromise someway to keep her in your life. I didn’t do that…… Don’t be me Lilian.”

Helena walked through the door, closing it behind her as she finished.         

                   

                 

                 

Lilian took the cup in her hand. She placed it on the table she and her mother were sitting at.

 I really do have a lot to think about…

She took her gear and pack off by the door when she came into the room.

Now as she moved towards the bed, she dropped her axes by the nightstand next to the headrest of the bed.

Lilian crawled and flopped down onto the bed, staring at the four wooden posts of the birch bed. She ran a hand over the velvet sheets of the violet colored bedspread.

                           

              

Lilian felt herself both have an alien sense of comfort and being at home; While also not feeling like she belonged where she was as well.

She felt, not relieved, but at peace from hearing her mother’s side of the story; to know that it wasn’t that her mother had hated her, or that she didn’t love her: but that her sense of duty as a leader for her people, compelled her to make self-sacrifices.

Lilian felt in her heart, given the circumstances, she may have done the same.

Which upset mother to hear me say that…… She doesn’t want me to make choices like she did… because hindsight has told her after the fact that there were other ways to handle the situation…… but she just didn’t see them at the time, or didn’t believe they were possible.

So while she might never totally forgive her mother for abandoning her family. She understood it wasn’t with malice or with hate; that it had hurt her just as much as it had Lilian: that didn’t make the act acceptable, but it did make it understandable for Lilian. Enough so, that she also saw the similarities for her own life in contrast to her mother’s.

Which frankly scared her more than anything else.

                              

I had always hoped to be chieftain of clan Dracogusse… to one day show my parents I wasn’t a thing that needed them to begin with, that I could be just as great a leader as either of them; better even!

But after it was said and done. The title I received wasn’t one I had earned out of respect… it wasn’t one that had been garnered to me out of loyalty or a sense of honor… I had won it. Earned it.

And it was through fear that I claimed it.

               

Lilian sat up as she thought about this.

         

The Mokra’Torc didn’t want me as their leader, for lots of reasons; but it was chiefly out of fear that they did it.

         

Because I was the Demon of the Mountain.

Who could compete with that?

                  

There has only been one thing that has even remotely brought peace to my life. The one thing I never thought I wanted or need; the one thing I know I can’t live without.

                            

                                

After a while of contemplating. Lilian got up and out of the bed.

She walked to the door to exit. Outside, the two guards she had seen before were no where to be seen.

Figures… they were her guards. I should have guessed that she wouldn’t post guards for us.

But as Lilian’s eyes trailed towards the door to the right of her room. Her eyebrow quirked upwards.

Or? maybe she did?

      

She saw two guards posted outside Anna’s room.

They look different from the other guards I’ve seen. Lilian thought as she scrutinized the pair by the door.

She walked towards them. Neither of them making a move or saying anything as she approached the door.

“Not going to stop me from entering?” She asked the male guard to her left.

He gave her a side-eye glance before shrugging.

“Should I? I was just told to guard the door. So unless you plan to cause trouble, I really have no reason to stop you.” He shrugged again. “And isn’t the person in this room part of your expedition? So why would I stop you?”

Lilian nodded in satisfaction.

“Good, just checking if I was going to have to start trouble if you barred me.”

The woman on the right chuckled.

“By all means!” She reached over and knocked on the door. “Go on in, make some trouble.”

Lilian quirked an eyebrow at the woman. She looked towards the man, who was shaking his head.

Lilian just shrugged. Not exactly sure what she missed. She looked towards the door, feeling incredibly nervous.

“Anna!… it’s me, Lili… can I come in?…”

                     

“Yes my Ashu’Rágé!~ Come on in!~”

                          

Lilian didn’t expect that Anna would not allow her entry. Especially from their conversation hours prior. But she was surprised to hear how peppy she sounded.

Guess she found a way to relax, I suppose. Maybe she slept?

Rather than speculate, Lilian opened the door, entering the room.

Lilian felt something was off the moment she entered the room.

How in the great expanse of the abyss is this room larger than mine?! She complained in her mind.

Not only does this room have windows because it is on an outside wall, it has a fully functioning bath and sink?!

Lilian started questioning her mother about the “room” she had set aside for her all this time.

But her eyes were drawn to the woman at the center of the room.

Her wavy brown hair immaculate. emerald green eyes shone with a beautiful luster. Her smile wide and welcoming.

“Hello my Ashu’Rágé.” Anna said to her with a smile.

Lilian wasn’t sure why, but her nervousness remained. She felt that the spark that made her heart flip every time she saw or looked at Anna was strangely absent.

“Hello Anna.” She said as she stepped in and closed the doors. “I am here so we can talk.”

Anna giggled after she said this.

“Yes!~” She singsonged as she moved toward Lilian. “Let us talk.~”

“Anna?…… Is everything alright?”

Anna stiffened for a moment, before continuing her saunter.

“Of course it is my dear Ashu’Rágé. I just woke up and was so lonely you weren’t here with me.~”

Lilian felt warmed at the fact that Anna had missed her. But yet, there was still a feeling that something wasn’t right.

“So?…… I should start by saying that I am sorry… Anna… you were right… I should have trusted you more. I think I…— no, I know I let my position as Warchief to cloud my judgement… I realized I should have talked with you first… then we should have made a decision to together, know that I—“

“Sshhhh!…” Anna said to her with a press of her fingers to Lilian’s lips. “None of that right now. All I want from you Lilian. Is to connect with you bodily first, then we can connect with each other through the soul afterwards.”

Lilian wasn’t sure where this seductiveness was coming from all of a sudden.

Why are you acting like this Anna? What has happened? Did you have a change of heart? Have you really missed me that much?

But as she contemplated this. Anna came up to her and wrapped her arms around her neck.

“Lilian~ we can talk later~ all I want right now~ is for me big strong Ashu’Rágé  to take me to bed~” Anna said with seductive whisper and slanted eyes. “And claim me as yours, like the big, strong Warchief you are~ let the guards hear me moan my love for you outside these doors—UUUGGHHHHRRRKKKK?!?!”

                     

Lilian had her hands around Anna’s throat, squeezing it tightly.

                      

No! Not Anna!

She pulled the woman off of and away from herself.

                

“I don’t know who the fuck you are! But my Ashu’Rágé would never have me CLAIM her! Now?! What have done to my Anna?!” Lilian shouted in the woman’s face.

The woman desperately clawed at Lilian’s hands as she was being strangled. Her tears watered as she scratched, pinched and slapped at the hands holding her throat.

                                 

                                    

Anna watched in a sort if surreal horror as her love choked her sister, who was pretending to be disguised as herself.

Not as herself! Obviously, but as me!— you know what! Never mind! I don’t have time to correct myself. Anna thought.

“Lazrator quick! Help me! How do I convert your types of elemental energy into wind?! Lilian is going to kill her!” Anna asked them in a panic.

“}>≈That is really something you should already know how to do already. We do know that afterwards it is as simple as casting any other elemental magic.≈<{“

“Ugh! Fine! Guess I am on my own!”

Anna thought back on her training, how she push the rock.

So if it is like the rocks? Maybe I can spin the wind?

So she tried to use her left hand to push the air around. Pushing her energry around in a circle to try and make a breeze. She then felt her energy pulling from her, as it began spinning around her palm, tickling her hand as the air spun faster and faster.

“}>≈There it is! We feel it! Send our energy into it! Then command it!≈<{“

            

Anna blinked as she opened her eyes. She drew the power from Lazrator, channeling it into the palm of her open hand the wind was cycling through.

               

“………………..“

                    

“}>≈Anna?≈<{“

“What should I say?” She asked him.

“}>≈What do you want the power to do?≈<{“

“Umm… Break this mage’s spell? Let Lilian hear my voice?”

                    

Anna saw her hand lit up a teal color, then at once, she felt that whatever was holding her throat to keep her from talking had opened up.

           

“LILIAN!” She shouted towards her love.

           

*GASP* *WHEEZE* *COUGH* *COUGH*

                  

Lilian had dropped the imposter onto the floor from where she had her suspended above it by half a meter.

“Ashu’Rágé?! Where are you?!” Lilian called out frantically; desperately searching for where Anna’s voice had called out to her from.

Mean while, the Anna lookalike slowly morphed into another person as they coughed in lung fulls of air.

                  

*COUGH* *COUGH*

                    

“Right here!” Anna called out.

Neither of them gave any thought to, or glance at the person kneeling, doubled over on the floor, coughing and wheezing for dear life.”

Lilian stood in-front of where she thought she had heard Anna. Which was exactly where Anna was, just invisible to her eyes.

“Where~?!” Lilian stressed the word out, as she couldn’t see her.

“Right here! Just, I don’t know?! Reach towards the wall! I’m stuck on it!” Anna told her.

Lilian did as instructed, she reached forward and felt with her hands.

*GASP*

“Lilian!” Anna said in a scolding tone.

“What?!” Lilian asked her panicked.

“…Those are my breasts… now is not the time… Hehehe!~” Anna teased her love.

“Oh!……” Lilian smiled beside herself, her heart finally doing its little flip it normally does when she heard her love’s voice. She decided to tease Anna and squeezed her breasts while she had a hold of them.

“*GASP* That was on purpose! I’d seen that smirk!” Anna shouted playfully.

“And what if it was?” Lilian challenged as her hands traveled up Anna’s body towards her shoulders.

“Then I am so letting you have it later.” Anna promised her.

“There is my Ashu’Rágé… I love you Anna.” Lilian told her sincerely as her rested on her shoulder.

Anna was quiet before she answered.

“And I love you too Lilian. So so, so much!”

Lilian down and kiss her.

“……Forehead dear……” Anna informed her.

“… Not Sure I am sorry…” Lilian replied playfully. She then kissed her way down Anna’s forehead towards her nose, all the way down to her waiting lips.

As their lips met, Lilian pulled Anna by her shoulders. With very little effort and sounds reminiscent of shattering glass, the spell holding Anna broke.

Anna, now visible and freed wrapped her arms around Lilian. They pulled each other closer as they shared a kiss between themselves.            

                    

The world outside themselves disappearing for a moment; they reveled in this moment of reconnection with one another.

                     

One of which was all to quickly interrupted.

“H—*COUGH* *COUGH*—H—*COUGH*—ow?” Asked a literal strangled voice from the center of the room.

Lilian and Anna broke apart to look at the now teary eyed princess on the floor.

Her watery violet eyes staring up at both of them in disbelief.

“Th—*COUGH* *WHEEZE* Ther— Shou—*COUGH*—ld be—*COUGH* *COUGH*— No way— *WHEEZE* *COUGH* *COUGH*—My disguise failed…—*COUGH* How di— *COUGH*—d you know I—*COUGH* wasn’t her?! *COUGH* *COUGH*” Belladonna asked them from her knees.

              

Lilian shrugged.

“Your disguise was perfect. All except for where it mattered.”

“Wh—*COUGH*-here what mattered?!”

“You were not my Ashu’Rágé; I felt nothing from you, you were never able to convince my heart from the start, which made me suspicious that something was wrong with you; and my Ashu’Rágé would never ask me to claim her…” Lilian looked down at Anna with loving eyes. “I do not have that right nor do I want it: she is her own person; which I love about her.”

“Aaahhh! That romantic side of you is coming out!~” Anna gushed while booping Lilian on her nose with a finger.

This just made Lilian roll her eyes and blush.

         

“Ho—*COUGH*—did you break free?!—*COUGH*—My spell should never—*WHEEZE* *COUGH* *COUGH* be broken by anything less than an—*COUGH*—an archmage!” She looked at Anna with wide eyes. “Are you?! No! You were—*COUGH* silenced!—*COUGH* *COUGH*—How did you make an incantation?! *WHEEZE*”

                                        

Anna smirked at her before looking up at her love again.

“Should we tell your sister? She is family after all?”

Lilian did a double take.

“Oh yeah!… didn’t even notice. Hello sister… Nice to fucking meet you!” She shouted at Belladonna at the end. Lilian looked back towards Anna. “I am feeling petty and feel like we shouldn’t; but do what you will. It is your title to show off too who you wish.” Lilian told her with an endearing smile.

“Awe!~ You are so cute!~ and definitely getting some later!~ hehehe~” Anna laughed playfully as she saw her love’s skin turn a darker shade of brown. She looked down towards the pitiful mage princess that was on her hands and knees, staring up at them. Her red watery eyes looked like she had nearly met her end.

And she almost may have! If I was a little late… Anna thought remorsefully as she stared at Belladonna’s neck.

Dark purple bruises colored her skin were Lilian’s hands had wrapped around them.

Making Anna wince at the sight of them.

I remember how that felt. She instinctively reached up and rubbed her neck. Was that what I looked like?

“Well, then Belladonna Falaris, let me formally introduce myself: I am Anna Hazel Gardner, Ashu’Rágé of the Warchief, Shaman to the Mokra’Torc people.”

                      

Belladonna just stayed there kneeling on the floor with her eyes staring up at the two with disbelief at what she had just been told.

                                  

Belladonna lowered her head and laughed while also coughing in-between each laugh.

“So that is how it is, is it? Ha ha ha ha *COUGH* *COUGH* Do you really expect me to believe that?! *COUGH* I am more inclined to believe that my halfbreed bitch of a sister here is a battle mage, rather than you are a shaman! *COUGH* *COUGH*”

“”Battle mage?”” The couple asks her.

“Yes! Just like my GUARDS!” She shouts out before going into another coughing fit.

She looked up at them with a smirk, as she waited to hear the doors bust open and her personal guards to come rushing in.

                                         

                                       

                          

                          

“………………………………”

                                         

“………………………………”

              

                

But nobody came.

                       

Belladonna’s face fell as she turned to look back towards the door.

              

“*COUGH* G-Guards?!” She called out loudly towards the door.

      

But nobody answered.

She heard a snort from behind her. Her head whipped around to look back at the couple holding onto each other.

The self proclaimed “shaman” was biting her lower lip, looking very much like she was struggling not to laugh.

Her halfbreed sister had a smirk on her face that said it all of what she was thinking at the moment.

She was looking at Belladonna like she was pathetic.

                    

Belladonna took one more deep breath before releasing another shout.

“GUARDS! GET IN HERE AND SAVE YOUR PRINCESS!” She shouted towards the floor.

           

*BANG*

              

She looked up excitedly towards the door.

                     

But her face quickly fell as she realized who was standing in-front of the now wide opened door; four and Belladonna’s two guards behind her.

                                         

“M—Mother?!” Belladonna called out in a panic.

                      

“………………………………” Her mother spared her a glance but said nothing. She sighed before addressing her indirectly.

“For the love of the Holy Light, Bella… what have you done this time?!” Helena said with a hand to her head, looking both tired, frustrated; like a fed-up parent annoyed with their delinquent child.

                

“Mother?! How you say that! I was assaulted by this brute of a Warchief!” She pleaded to her mother. She pointed with one hand towards her purple neck. “Look at what she has done—“

             

            

              

“I WAS NOT SPEAKING TO YOU!” Helena boomed out. At her voice, the light in the room seemed to dim, which only added to making all in the room tremble in fear of their Queen.

“Your very presence here tells me all I need to know, my daughter.” She looked back and glared at her daughter’s personal guards. Who both looked as if they wish they were anywhere other than where they were currently. “As for you two, why was it that you allowed my daughter preform this scheme of hers? You were supposed to be her escorts and prohibit her antics!” She berated them. “Milly! Thompson! Any words in your defense?” She asked them.

The man raised his hand.

“With all do respect your majesty… how were we suppose to stop your daughter? The master of the mage tower? The highest ranking Archmage in the kingdom.”

“Well said! Two weeks, no pay!”

“…Fuck…” Thompson swore under his breath.

The woman guard was smirking at her partner. All until her Queen’s gaze found hers; making her stiffen in place.

“And you?” The Queen asked her simply.

“I was bribed with spell books ma’am!” She told her Queen enthusiastically. “I also thought that maybe a little family bounding between sisters might be acceptable.” She added.

“*SCOFF* HA! *SCOFF* HA! Acceptable?!~” The Queen mockingly repeated what she had just been told. “Do you think, that this?!” She pointed towards Princess Belladonna, who was looking beaten and battered. “Is acceptable?! By the Light Milly! I expected better from you! You are banned from the mage’s tower for a month! Also two weeks no pay!”

Milly’s face dropped at the delectation.

“Now both of you! Escort my daughter to a priest, have her healed and treated, and then be prepared to take over the next guards’ incoming shift! Because you also found yourself on double duty today!” She told them strictly.

          

“”…fuck…”” Both guards whispered at the news.

                               

The Queen turns back to look down at her child on the floor; who had the decency to look chastened, even if she didn’t believe it.

“Get to a healer young lady, then to your room. I don’t want to see you out of your tower until I come visit you.”

         

“……yes mother……” Belladonna whispered through her teeth quietly. She got up, and was escorted out by her two personal guards.

            

           

Helena watched her daughter being escorted until they left the room. She was so embarrassed by what had happened, that she felt like crying.

Be strong Helly, you will get through this.

She turned towards Lilian and her mate. Both of which were still standing there in each other’s arms.

This brought a smile to Helena’s face. Which quickly turned into a dour smile.

“So Lilian? Is this the wonderful mate you were telling me so much about?”

Nice job Helly! Nice way to break the ice! She praised herself sarcastically.

                      

“Actually yes. Mother,” Lilian brought up a hand to point at Anna, while taking a step to the side. “This is my mate: Anna Hazel Gardner.”

                             

Was beside herself with nervousness.

Oh my God! Is this really happening right here?! Right now?! Anna thought to herself.

Anna did her best to do a pseudo-bow, curtsy combination.

“I-It-It’s a pleasure to meet you informally your majesty!” Anna stammered nervously.

“Hahahahaha! You were so brave and boisterous in the throne room, where has the lioness gone?” Helena teased.

“Oh, she is here… trembling before you in respect; because anything that gets Lilian shaking is something I know I should also show respect too.”

“Hahahahahaha!” This got the Queen howling in laughter. “Oh I do like this one darling. I do hope you two will join me for dinner later tonight.”

Anna quickly realizing the subtle hint given from the Queen spoke up.

“We would love—“

“Actually mother, we would love too, but we can’t.” Lilian told Helena.

Anna looked at Lilian like she had gone crazy.

“Oh? And how come?” Helena asked with a tone like she was disappointed.

“Because my Ashu’Rágé and I have had a long day… and with the incident that just happened with your daughter. I feel that Anna and I need some time alone… just to talk things over.” She looked up from smiling down at Anna; who had been smiling at her. “I hope you understand mother; and in the mean time, this will give you the opportunity you need to talk with the witnesses I have brought with me about what happened during the Mokra’Torc Clan Skirmishes.”

Helena let out a sigh.

“I suppose that will have to do as my entertainment for this evening.” She smiled at her daughter. “I do hope I will see you both at breakfast in the morning.”

“Lunch at the lastes—“

“Breakfast.” The Queen repeated, showing that she was brokering no argument.

Lilian chuckled.

“Breakfast mother.” She replied in answer.

Helena nodded at her daughter, satisfied at the answer she wanted to hear.

She looked towards her daughter-in-law.

She stepped forwards and gave Anna a hug.

Which shocked both Anna and Lilian.

“I am sorry for whatever my daughter has done to you… please forgive her, or at the very least… don’t hold it against her to much.” Helena asked her in a strained voice.

Anna quickly looked to Lilian, who she knew was close enough to hear her mother’s words.

Lilian nodded her head. Obviously okay with whatever Anna choose to say.

Anna smiled at her mate before turning back and pushing the Queen back to standing up right, instead of leaning on her in a embrace.

“Thank you, your majesty for apologizing on your daughter’s behalf. I know how family can get around each other… especially when they haven’t even met them yet.” Anna chuckled.

Helena smiled at this young woman.

“Yes, thank you for your understanding and maturity about this. I just can’t deal with that teenager some times…”

Anna felt herself go pale.

“…Teenager…” Anna repeated outloud.

“Hmm? Yes, I do hope you understand that she is only fifteen, almost sixteen years of age. Still quite the rambunctious little rascal that I sometimes have a hard time controlling. Ha ha ha ha… ha?” Helena’s laugh trailed off as she saw her daughter-in-law’s complexion take a turn for the worse.

                 

“Anna?”

“My love?”

           

Both mother and daughter called out to Anna in concern at the same time.

Anna put her head into her hands, covering her whole face.

“What is wrong?! What happened?! Did my daughter do something untoward you?” Helena asked in concern.

        

“……………………………”

           

Anna didn’t answer at first, which just made them more concerned. They looked towards each other, then they both heard a mumble from Anna.

“Huh?”

“What was that?”

         

“…’m p….phi…”

                   

Lilian rolled her eyes and gently turned Anna towards her and pried her hands away Anna’s face.

She looked at her love in concern as she saw she was distressed enough to start crying.

“Okay, tell us what happened that has you so up set?” Lilian asked Anna with worry.

“I’m a pedophile!” She shouted.

                          

            

Both Lilian and her mother blinked.

                                       

“”HUH?!”” They both looked at Anna incredulously. “How?” “Why?” Lilian and Helena asked her respectively.

“Right before Belladonna cast her magic and transformed into me, and put me on the wall, she had jumped me and forced a kiss on me!” Anna shouted out loud.

Lilian expression turned down right murderous.

“I should have snapped her neck!” Lilian shouted with a growl as she looked towards the door. “Where is she?!”

“Lilian… leave it alone. I will add this to her punishment. I wasn’t aware she assaulted your wife.” Helena tried placating.

“But she!—“

“Lilian! Please let this go!”

Lilian looked back down at Anna with distress on her face.

“But Anna! If I knew she did that to you! I wouldn’t have let her leave this room without at least—“

“Lilian! Please! I would rather this is not made public or known! I don’t want to be known as someone who kissed the royal princess or have rumors stating I assaulted her! She forced herself on me! Now I have to live with the fact that a minor half my age kissed me!”

“HUH?!”

“*SCOFF* I can assure you, that Belladonna is not considered a minor, for her age, and a virgin, my daughter is not. This is why I keep guards with her at all times… not for her safety! Light no! She can take care of herself! But to keep her in line. Which they fail at miserably.” Helena lamented.

Anna wasn’t really comforted by this news, and Lilian looked gobsmacked.

“A-A-An—Anna!”

“Hmm? *SNIFF* what is it?” She asked Lilian.

“H-H-How old are you?!”

Anna looked at her mate incredulously at first.

But then thought on it.

“I told you before right?” She questioned.

Lilian shook her head.

“I am thirty.”

“”THIRTY?!”” Both Helena and Lilian shouted at the same time. “You’re older than me?! You’ve been my elder this entire time?!” “How do you look so young?!” Lilian and Helena question Anna respectively.

“So young?!” Anna questioned them back. “How old do you think I look?!”

“I thought you were no older than nineteen Anna!” Lilian confessed.

“I was going to guess twenty at most, considering your reaction to my daughter’s kiss.” Helena informed her.

“HUH?!”

Now it was Anna’s turn to look at the two with a gobsmacked expression.

She looked over at the mirror at the sink and ran towards it.

As she looked into it, she saw, not her current reflection; the one she remembered: but her previous reflection; the one she looks at in photos.

                         

“When the fuck did this happen?!” Anna shouts aloud.