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Vilandra sat dimly, almost forgotten. Like a shadow that hung over the moon which rested crookedly beyond her in the night sky. She looked up at it, remembering all over again, the events of that day.

Day's earlier.

A body creaked and cracked in the caves beyond the city. Vilandra had to be careful, if the wrong person discovered this secret meeting then Cavor and who knows how many others would be executed. It was that thought that kept the princess focused. The dingy walls were all around her. Above, below. And a midnight black cape shrouded around her body, as though it were a shield in this place.

Up ahead she saw the guard, she posed knowing that she could go no farther, and pulling the cape away from her, she revealed her identity.

"I need to see him."

She whispered lightly, the guard knowing his master, and the fury that would be placed upon him if he did not let her pass. He slowly removed himself from the doorway and let her go on. Vilandra bowed her head and pulled the black covering over her once more. Continuing on her journey, she entered a room, round and spaces, almost like a throne room. It was there that she waited.

From the depths of this murky place emerged Sersi, trusted second to Cavor. He was what Rath was to her brother. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye. A tall and dark man like Cavor, and also brooding, he stood at the throne, and as a princess she waited for him to speak.

"Vilandra, how nice of you to come all this way, I'm sure it's not what your highness is used to."

"You flatter me Sersi, I know not why."

"Oh good Vilandra, you are after all our savior in disguise. Bringing us news and planes from your King and Generals, your brother, your fiance."

Vilandra smiled almost frightened that he would tell her that Zan or Rath had been killed. She wasted no time to change the subject, she had never really liked Sersi, he was always so moody.

"Where is Cavor, do you know, it is adamant that I speak to him."

"He is taking care of important business, though he should be done shortly, but until then can I be of some use."

Sersi stomped his feet and walked to Vilandra, she was still as he walked around her in a circle, she was frightened but she did not show it, he slid his fingers down her neck and took hold of the button that kept her cape on. He twisted it and it fell to the floor. Revealing the princess in all her glory, sharp and tall, with tasseled like dark hair and dark eyes that could almost see through anything. A Maroon colored dress hung far past her ankles and trained down the back, but with the length of the cape you would never see that. Sersi stepped in front of her, longing over her smooth skin, touching the base of her neck lightly and flowing.

"If only I could be of some use."

He whispered faintly but that whisper was no match for Cavors harsh yell, from behind Sersi he stood, tall in the shadows. Sersi bowed, saying words in the skin language and then walked back into the shadows from where he came.

"Cavor, I have to speak with you."

Vilandra said adamantly. Cavor said nothing, he only held his hands and arms out for Vilandra to incorporate in. Vilandra lovingly ran to them. And soft, rough grips followed her in. Tears fell at Cavor's feet, and her face grew swollen.

"What is it, what is wrong, why did you come all this way, it's dangerous."

Vilandra slipped away, fading from his arms and he could see that he was fading from her heart.

"I can never see you again."

She said, weeping in a whisper.

"What, I don't think I understand."

"Zan's moved the wedding up, It's tomorrow."

Cavor leaned his head down, thinking, contemplating what all this meant, he lifted it back up again and said.

"Will you marry him."

"I have no choice in the matter, it is not for me to decide."

Cavor turned, his body facing the shadows that were amongst them.

"After today, I can never see you again, you can never come to the castle and I will never return here."

Vilandra said no words of comfort as she turned, and began to walk away, she knew that Cavor was desperate and he knew that she would be true to Rath, no matter what the cost. He turned matching her movement almost exactly, running to her and folding her up in his arm's, like paper she could be ripped and glass could easily shatter. In his arm's he could freely cry without the hush of her family, or the disapproval of the courts. Tears fell into cavor's hands. He kissed her, comforting her, and she acknowledged back. The mood turned to be that of lost Lovers saying good-bye or meeting again. Vilandra knew what she was doing, with every touch she felt she knew the risk, there had always been risks, risks of exposure and betrayal. But Vilandra cared not, this was the final meeting that she would share with him, her love and seducer.

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Later, when Vilandra awoke, to the simple shattering sounds of her lover asleep, she knew what she had to do. In her mind she new that Cavor would never let her go, that he would find some reasoning for her to stay, and she would. That's why she decided that she had to leave now. Before he awoke, before he could stop her. She did not hesitate, gathering herself within and without, her body covered once again by her dark cape. Cavor still lay resting, and with no noise she left. But sersi hide in the melted scenery, also covered by the shadows, he had been there since the begining. A life-long obsession with the princess kept him there. It was an obsession that was deadly!

Once in to her surroundings, Vilandra removed her dark cape away from her face and headed for her room, but she was worried, and upset, and scratching inside herself to release all her anger. At the stairs, which was close to Zan's Study, she heard voices and couldn't help but listen. Her Mother and Zan were discussing the revolts over the skin's slavery. She memorized the conversation, slavery was an issue that she cared very much about. She heard Zan say in a tone of Hatred. "The Skins are a slave race, they always have been."

Without waiting for him to finish she burst into the room, screaming. "Zan, how would you know anything about it, you've never known slavery."

Zan turned his head, insulted by his sisters tone and words. He immediately said back in questioning words.

"And you would."

The queen looked on, not knowing exactly what had started this argument, and not knowing exactly how to stop it.

"Zan, they are people just like you and I, they shouldn't be enslaved."

Zan, the King was ready to kill his sister, he knew the rumors that his sister had a crush on the leader of the rebellion, and he wasn't going to stand for it.

"Vilandra, know your place. You are not a child, you're almost married."

"Yes, I am almost married, but that's our legacy, isn't it Zan. For the both of us, we don't get to love, we get to be loyal to our family tradition."

Zan knew what Vilandra was talking about, and he immediately hid inside of himself, weary of what his sister would say next.

"You have an arranged marriage and so will I, I may have been a child, but I still saw how unhappy you were."

In retaliation He yelled back.

"You can't marry Cavor."

"Know how could I, it's not that you got to marry Taven."

With that a single tear fell from the Kings eye's, he had forgotten. He wanted to forget forever, it was the first time that he had heard her name in over 9 years.

The Queen, realizing her son's sudden need for silence took her daughter by the arm and ordered her out of the room. Once the door had been shut from the outside, the Queen looked at her daughter. Both women were silent for a moment, before the Queen requested her daughter to come with her.

Down corridors, and hall passages, Vilandra traveled with her Mother. Down thick stone steps to a secret room, with a humming vibration in the center, once to the bottom Vilandra whispered upon site "The Granolith."

"Yes,"

Her Mother answered back. In a low tone of remembrance, she bagan to explain to her daughter.

"The Granolith has been a part of our family for thousands of years, as have the prophecies of the Jasity."

"Mother, I don't believe in destiny."

"I know that."

The Queen brought up a book with her hands, an old and thick book, and she turned to a certain page, upon reaching it she read."The Princess of Beauty, will marry a General, and it will be a loving union. And in the moon of the shadow there will be a child." The Queen looks up at her daughter, wondering if she had listened, after she knew her Mother was finished Vilandra said again.

"I don't believe in Destiny."

Vilandra turned from her mother and headed for the stairs not caring about any further information that her mother could tell her. Once she was out of earshot, the Queen, still holding the book, whispered. "You Will." She tilted her head back down to the pages and in her mind she read on. "A traitor will come, a slave who steals the love from the castle, and buries its walls in blood, leaving behind no survivors." The Queen sighs, she knows that her daughter does love Rath, and she will love him truly as a women loves a man, but Cavor, she knows that he has clouded her judgment, and he will destroy her, and everything that her family stands for.

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Morning came quickly, and a night of no sleep passed hastily.Vilandra awoke to the nervousness of her maids. They cloaked themselves in white shawls and spun their hair in weaves, like grain long and flowing, hiding their faces. For this was there mistresses day.

The maids awoke her, and quickly prepared her for the ceremony, all the while she kept repeating to herself that she did not believe in destiny, she did not believe in destiny. The maids pulled her hair back tight but let the rest flow down her back, in its lovely shades, she wore a dress that hung in silver beads, heavy it was but traditional for a Princess.

When the preparations were finished Zan arrived, in his medals and his bronze attitude, overbearing to the honor that he showed her, he smiled and held out his hand, almost as if he knew she might not take it. But she did, not frowning but smiling back. His hand mounted below hers and both siblings stood tall and almost proud, acting as though they respected the manner in which they were taught to act in. Together they walked down the great halls and stone steps of the castle, silent and proud.

Vilandra, for once was not thinking of Cavor, she was adorned with Lace, that covered her face and body, and on her brothers arm she found a strange comfort. Perhaps, it came from Zan, he himself had been married in the same circumstances that she would be. Or perhaps this new found strength came from Rath himself, she knew that he loved her. And she did have feelings for him.

Suddenly as she was thinking she realized that she had lost track of time, and before she knew it the two doors had swung open and reveled a cathedral of people, Men and women of all importance, gathered in row after row, watching the beautiful Vilandra, princess and daughter to the highest Royal family that their world's had ever seen.

Vilandra, now fully aware of where she was and what she was doing, slowly turned her head and brought her mouth to Zan's ear. Whispering Apologetically. "I'm Sorry."

He answered back with the simple. "I know."

Vilandra smiled at her brothers words and looked ahead to Rath, with excitement and joy, the first time she realized since her fathers death years before. A bright calm surrounded her and she suddenly realized that she was doing the right thing.

Later that night, a married Vilandra and Rath left the ball held in their honor early, stealing away to Vilandras chamber, it was there that in some cases they just met, following each other through movements and sways. Gracefully going inside each other, and releasing The Moon of the Shadow.

Vilandra sat dimly, almost forgotten. Like a shadow that hung over the moon which rested crookedly beyond her in the night sky. She looked up at it, remembering all over again, the event's of that day.