Sam couldn't help but emit a satisfied sigh when she felt the soft mattress beneath her back. A bed. An actual bed. Maybe it had only been a couple of days since she had last laid down on a proper mattress, but those couple of days had felt like...years. She opened her eyes slightly when she felt her boots being removed from her feet and tried glaring at August. She didn't have to see the expression to know it wasn't very effective. "You don't have to tuck me in," she told him as he laid her head down on a pillow, "I'm not a little kid." Once again her words were rendered ineffective due to the wonderful feeling of the pillow against her head and she not so begrudgingly shifted a little to get more comfortable.

August covered her with blankets and Sam didn't think she ever wanted to get up and out from under the warmth ever. She was about to close her eyes and roll over to fall back asleep when she met his gaze and was suddenly transfixed by his expression. He spoke then and she listened as he admitted to her he needed help, and that the four of them (Dorothea, Liam, August, and herself) were in it together. Sam's mouth opened slightly, as though she wanted to say something, but he continued speaking. He was going to alert the room to the eminent danger and keep them safe. And she was going to sleep. Sam wanted to speak to him, wanted to do more even though she knew she couldn't. She wanted him to explain things more, but he was leaving. "...Hey!" Sam said, trying to stop him, but the most peculiar man she had ever met before in her life was gone, leaving her alone in the bedroom with a little light from the cracked door dully illuminating the stacks of books all around her.

After a few moments of just staring at the door Sam finally settled back down onto the bed and closed her eyes. Tomorrow. She'd get her answers tomorrow. She'd make him tell her. After she slept. And maybe even took a bath, if such a thing was available. A bath...Her troubles couldn't keep her awake when she felt this exhausted, or loved the idea of bathing off two days worth of fantasy world grime off of her skin. In a few moments Sam fell into deep, dreamless sleep, shifted her position occasionally and breathing steadily.

~~~~~

Will was trying to speak to him, coax him into accepting spoonfuls of stew, but all he could focus on was his hand, and what the cat was doing with it. He felt her small, soft paws press his palm down, then fumbled with a few of his fingers until she was holding his thumb and little finger down against the palm. That left three fingers.

Three fingers.

He remembered a smaller, slightly more disheveled Dorothea whispering to him and smiling as they conspired. They had been younger then, but Liam knew that even back then he had been falling in love with her. They were coming up with signals that they could share, signals that no one else had known about. One finger meant stay quiet, two fingers meant run, but three fingers....

"Three means come find me," Liam whispered and he could feel tears welling up in his sightless eyes. He found the cat again with his free hand and touched her softly. He could say that it was impossible, but this was a land of magic. Anything was possible. So Liam willed himself to believe, believe that this cat could somehow be Dorothea. His Dorothea. And unknowingly unclouding his mind of Narissa's first potion in the process.

"Dorothea?" Liam whispered, daring to hope. "Dorothea did I find you?"

Will had all but given up trying to make Liam eat something. He had retreated a bit, but kept a close eye on Liam as he interacted with the cat and couldn't stop the feeling of concern that was growing on him. The only person that could distract him suddenly reappeared in the room and Will's eyes locked on him almost instantly. He had seen the Marshal enter and move around the group moments earlier. Will would have approached him then, but he had seen that the man had been carrying a half unconscious Samantha at the time. But now he was alone again, and nothing stopped Will from striding up to him with a serious gleam in his eyes. "What is happening, Marshal?" he demanded, and he knew that he didn't sound as respectful as he normally did. But their camp had been nearly destroyed and his prince had been blinded, and Will knew the Marshal knew why. He probably knew much more than that, as well, and Will intended to find out all of it.

~~~~~

When the Marshal's face had vanished from her mirror, Narissa had nearly started to shriek and curse him. She had nearly smashed the thing and sent out her ravens to her men and darker allies in the shadow world to gather. She had wanted to start invading the kingdoms in that instant, enough with the secrecy and lies. She wanted the world to see her for what she was, how powerful she was. She wanted to hunt down August Derrick and the princess and slaughter them all. She wanted to take her husband's throne, take everything that she deserved. But after that instant she forced herself to stop and breath.

Yes Derrick's betrayal was going to force her to make rapid changes to her plans, but not everything was lost. She still had Eldonia and Tommen. She still had the alliances of the other kingdoms beyond Verinia, and she still had an army. There was no sense jeopardizing it all for the sake of one man. Yes, she would still destroy the Marshal for this, but she'd have to be smart about it. She was going to have to turn August Derrick into the enemy.

Suddenly very glad she had not smashed her mirror, Narissa stroked the surface until her reflection faded and she started calling out for her daughter. She was going to need her daughter to put on a very convincing show.

Dorothea responded with a touch of her paw against Liam's cheek. Of course she could trust him to realize she was here -- all she'd had to do was allow him the chance. She didn't try to speak, knowing that if he heard a cat's meow his certainty might waver, but instead sat silently at his arm, pressed tightly against him.

When the Marshal appeared, however, she grew rigid. A low growl roiled deep in her throat and she hissed in his direction, her fur standing on end. None of this would be happening if it hadn't been for him and his lies. He had Sam wrapped around his finger, Dorothea was sure of it.

The Marshal was cool as stone. He watched Will for a few moments, calculating, before he replied. "You both are owed an explanation, and I will tell you what I know. Prince Liam's blindness is due only to Raquelle's sick-minded ideals. She worked alone for her own gain. The dwarves set the camp on fire because they believed the troop to be associated with the Witch of the Woods. This was logical only in that I was among your company. They know me as a servant of the Witch, so therefore our soldiers must be the Witch's men." He paused a moment to let this fact sink in before he continued.

"I've been working as an agent under the Witch, to spy on her --"

"There are only so many lies I can take, Marshal!" Dorothea spat articulately, her head raised high and her eyes sharp as daggers.

The Marshal watched her solemnly. "For the good of the kingdom I kept close to her and read her actions and motives. She plans to overthrow Tommen and take Eldonia for her own -- as well as Itelia and Verinia, through the instigation of war. She has done this by staging a kidnapping, framing the soldiers of Verinia for the deed, and hiding the princess in plain sight."

"You kidnapped me!" Dorothea said in a low, dangerous voice. "You killed your own men. You dragged me off my horse with your own hand, you tied my wrists, you threw me down at the Queen's feet and you watched."

The Marshal was only quiet, shielded in his mind against the oncoming storm. "The Witch you already know as Queen Narissa of Eldonia."

---

Raquelle was rummaging through the ruins of her belongings, dumping chests and sifting through clothes while her servants cowered behind the horses. She must have something here that would help her in this situation -- a memory potion, or a love tonic, or a charm that would get her through those doors without anyone noticing her presence. She was examining a disfigured rabbit's foot when her mother's voice called out from beneath a pile of charred cloth.

"Mother." Raquelle dusted the ash off the mirror and looked serious and bright-eyed into her mother's face. "Everyone has taken refuge inside a poor farmer's house. Shall I burn it down, Mother?"

Liam let out a breath as he felt the paw on his cheek in response. He touched it lightly with his fingertips. "I wish I could see you," he whispered, now convinced that Dorothea was here. He had lost his sight, and he was holding to this belief with an iron fist. "I wish I could hold you. Properly, I mean. I've...I've missed you, and I was so scared, Dorothea." He tried to smile, but it was shaky. "What happened? Who did this do you?"

The Marshal had started speaking, and Liam went quiet at the sound of his voice. Will was listening, too, staring at the Marshal with an intent expression, though the rest of his emotions were unreadable. Raquelle working on her own to blind Liam didn't come as a surprised. She was desperate for his attention, desperate for any way to make him fall in love with her. It was cruel and selfish and Will closed his eyes briefly. When the Marshal spoke of the fire the dwarves had caused Will's eyes opened again and he looked at the Marshal hard. Everyone in the five kingdoms of Adosia knew the tales of the Witch of the Wood, though some believed her to be a ghost story. But what the Marshal was saying was that she wasn't only real but that he... "A servant of the Witch?" Will demanded, unable to hide the shock in his voice. He looked the Marshal up and down, not wanting to believe the grim honestly in the Marshal's tone. He then claimed to be working as a double agent which made Will raise his eyebrows.

The cat started to spit and hiss, but to all of the men beyond Liam that was all they heard. Liam, however, started hearing words within the hissing. A voice he dared to recognize. It made him sit up straighter and listen harder.

Will listened to the rest of the Marshal's account, that the Witch sought the take over three of the five kingdoms (the other two surely to follow), and that she was responsible to the kidnapping of Princess Dorothea and the framing of Verinia. The cat started hissing again, but Will didn't miss when the Marshal announced to the room that the Witch was actually Queen Narissa.

That made the steward blanch in surprise. "The Queen?" he exclaimed, staring at the Marshal with an incredulous expression. "That is one hell of an accusation, Derrick!" He had almost called him Marshal, but if he had honestly been a servant of the Witch...the Queen...even as a double agent...Will didn't know what to think. "I hope you have some sort of proof that Queen Narissa is this Witch, and that you were serving as a double agent." He didn't want to have to fight and arrest Derrick. Even alone he could make a formidable opponent, but he braced himself for a fight if it came to that. He remembered something that Derrick had said moments earlier and stared at him again. "You said that Princess Dorothea had been hidden in plain sight. Well then, where is she?"

"You kidnapped her?" Liam's voice suddenly rang out, and he was staring ahead of him, completely straight in his armchair. His voice was wavering in shock and growing anger. He had heard Dorothea's words more clearly the second time she had spoke and they had just sunk in. "You.... You were the one that kidnapped her?" He was half shouting now and his head swiveled around towards the direction he's heard the Marshal's voice coming from. "It was you?!"

~~~~~

"NO," Narissa said firmly, and with a slight harshness in her tone, when Raquelle asked if she could burn the farmer's house down with all of them inside. "No, let them have this moment of relief. The Marshal has betrayed me. And you. We need to make him suffer, don't we? And burning to death is too good for him." A smile, beautiful in it's terror, flickered across her lips. "We can still get everything we want, and make Derrick suffer for what he's done to us at the same time. I have a new plan. And I need you to be perfect to make it work. Now send your servants home. Then follow Darius back to my hollow. Can you do this for me?"

The Marshal was stony and still. So Liam could understand Dorothea now. He couldn't say he was surprised -- but he couldn't have chosen a worse time. He understood perfectly well that he was faced with Will's demand for answers, Liam's disbelief and Dorothea's accusations -- and that there was little hope of his ever being trusted again. But he owed this to them.

"The Queen's original plan had been to kill the princess in the attack on the caravan," he said solemnly as soon as there was quiet. "It would have sparked an immediate war with Verinia, according to her plan. I suggested an alternative."

Dorothea barely heard him; she was staring teary-eyed at Liam, overwhelmed by the fact that he appeared to have heard her voice. "Liam," she said softly -- but the Marshal's excuses drew her attention away. Knowing that Liam was at her side, she stood proudly and spoke in her accustomed, dignified voice. "An alternative that included the slaughter of Richard, Coren and Merril. My guardsmen. Your subordinates. They were murdered in the name of your alternative."

The Marshal cast a doubtful glance at Will, certain he hadn't understood anything the cat had said. "If there had been any way I could have prevented the deaths of Dorothea's guard, I --"

"You could have warned us." Dorothea's voice wavered, but only slightly.

The Marshal set his jaw, grave and forbidding. "The Queen knows I've betrayed her, and she knows where you are. I fear she'll make an attempt against the king in our absence --"

"If you're telling the truth," Dorothea interrupted him again, seething. "It's still on your head."

---

Raquelle had been grinning at the idea of making the Marshal suffer -- but her smile fell immediately upon being told to send her servants home. "What?" She stared at the mirror, unsure she had heard right. "You want me to travel all the way to the hollow? Alone? Without my servants?" This was laughable! How could she possibly be expected to ride alone in the darkest hours of the morning, swatting her own flies and preparing her own food, without someone there to fan her and accept beatings when she was in a mood? She wouldn't survive!

She pursed her lips, but she huffed through her nose and narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I will have my servants pack my horse and I'll send them back without me. I'll ride alone. Through the dangerous, scary, muddy woods. With the mosquitoes. For you, Mother. For revenge." She could have sobbed, but she dared not in front of the Queen.

Will couldn't stand any longer, not while listening to all of these revelations. He lowered himself into a chair and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Suddenly he had a splitting headache. He didn't know what was more difficult to believe: the fact that the Queen was a witch plotting against the kingdoms, or that the Marshal had been working with her. He claimed to have been acting as a double agent, but that was easy to say and difficult to prove. But if it was true...then they were miles away from Eldonia and King Tommen and helpless to do anything if Narissa decided to make any sort of move and kill the king. And if she knew that Derrick had betrayed her, then she would assume that he would confess everything to them and she might be plotting an attack on them. Suddenly their safe haven felt less safe.

"Your alternative," he said, his voice tired and dull, "Your alternative to killing Princess Dorothea. What was it? Where is she?"

"Here," Liam said, and Will turned to look at him. The prince was stroking the cat, his expression half furious but when his slightless eyes turned in the cat's general direction it softened. And Will thought he saw tears in Liam's eyes. "Will, Dorothea is right here. The cat is Dorothea. The queen must have used magic to transform her, change her into this form." The prince's voice was shaking slightly. "I can hear her voice now, Will. Dorothea is right here with us."

Will tried to process this new bit of information, looking from Liam to the Marshal for conformation of this. Then he groaned a little and slumped back in his seat. "I still have questions, of course. Like the girl, Samantha, and what her role in all of this is. And what other men Narissa has swayed into serving her. But we can't do anything now. Not this late and not when the men are in this condition. Even if Narissa knows you confessed her crimes and plots to us, we're still only a small group out in the middle of the forest. The rest of the kingdoms have no idea what she really is and she has no real reason to make a move against King Tommen yet." He paused for a moment, hoping he was right about it. "We can't do anything until morning, so we should try to get all of the rest we can. We'll need it."

"We should arrest him, Will," Liam said in a dark tone. "For what he did to Dorothea and her guards, and whatever else he did for the Queen. We can't trust him. For all we know this could be some sort of ruse, a trap."

"We have no place to take him," Will said, trying to sound patient and like he knew what he was doing. He was only a steward, after all. "And if he truly has betrayed Narissa his knowledge could be valuable. But..." He sighed, wanting to believe that the Marshal had been acting as a double agent. He had admired the man for years. But believing was difficult, and he didn't fully trust the Marshal. "Derrick, will you surrender your weapon to us, and agree to remain guarded over night? As a gesture of good faith?" If he had been telling the truth then this was certainly a way to start regaining some semblance of trust. But Will doubted that he would ever be fully trusted again, and he would still have to answer for the crimes he had committed. Even if he had been ultimately working for the good of the five kingdoms.

Liam didn't look happy about this. He felt enraged that the Marshal had betrayed them all like this, that he had played such a large role in what had happened to Dorothea. But he also knew that Will was probably right and didn't say anything against him. He settled back in his armchair, pointedly ignoring the Marshal and bringing his attention back to Dorothea. He didn't care that she was a cat at that moment, only that she was here with him. "I'll find a way to change you back," he whispered to her, "To break this spell Narissa's cast on you. I swear it." He was quiet for a moment, wishing for his sight back. "I love you, Dorothea."

Without a word, August removed the scabbard from his belt and presented it, sword and all, to Will. His eyes were stony as ever. He wasn't looking for forgiveness, and he wasn't apologizing. He would do whatever was necessary to see Narissa destroyed and the kingdom safe -- to ensure that Dorothea and Liam and Sam made it out of this alive. He had traded two guardsmen's lives for Dorothea's continued existence, and he didn't regret it.

Dorothea's heart swelled ten sizes, and she placed a delicate kiss on Liam's cheek. "I love you, my darling Liam," she purred happily.

"What is this, an inn?" roared a voice on the stairs. Prince Bryn of Verinia stomped regally down the stairs, barefoot and in silken pajamas. His blond hair was disoriented and his eyes were blearily livid. "Jolly! What are all these men doing here?" He stopped at the banister and squinted at an insignia on one soldier's sleeve. "What are all these Eldonian soldiers doing here? Were they invited? Are we under siege? Jolly!"

He rounded the doorway and stopped immediately upon seeing Liam canoodling with a cat. "And the prince of Itelia!" he sighed, raising his arm in exasperation. "Would someone tell me what is going on! Shall I prepare my gauntlets?" he added sarcastically.

August turned only enough to see the source of the brassy voice, and he clenched his jaw. His experience with the prince of Verinia had always been tiresome at best. Bryn was on an ever-growing list of people he'd like to curse with everlasting silence.

The giant, sitting in a corner with the dog in his lap, only stared morosely at the prince, without any effort to respond to such accusations.

Dorothea raised her head, looking squarely at Bryn. "Your aunt, the Queen Narissa, has turned me into a cat, grossly manipulated King Tommen, and tricked Prince Liam into very nearly waging war on Verinia, in her own bid for power. This is as far as these soldiers go. We march at dawn back to Eldonia, now that the truth is known."

Bryn stared at the talking cat for a long, silent moment.

"Well." He went quiet awhile longer, glancing around to be sure everyone else had, indeed, just heard the cat speak. "Princess Dorothea, I presume." At her acknowledgment he cleared his throat. "I was just on my way to offer your father my assistance in your recovery. I see you're .. still in one piece. Good. As for my dear aunt Narissa," he addressed Liam and Will, "I can't say I'm surprised. She is ... a black sheep, to put it mildly. Witchcraft, narcissism, a laugh that would make babies cry. I'm surprised it's taken you all this long to realize what a snake she is." His smug grin was very short-lived. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders.

"Princess Dorothea of Eldonia. Prince Liam of Itelia. I offer my sword to your cause. I've already come this far for the purpose of assisting the Eldonian royal family. Allow me to accompany you the rest of the way." The request was only for formalities: of course he was coming with them. But after a moment his expression faltered curiously. "Prince Liam, may I say you look rather ill, are you all right?"

Liam barely cared about the new voice at first. All he could think about was Dorothea. His Dorothea. She was here. He felt her furry little peck on his cheek and his smile widened and he closed his eyes as she told him she loved him. "I'm never letting you go again," he whispered. He wanted to hold her properly, to kiss her and stroke her long hair. He would be able to do so again, soon, though. He knew it. It was only when the source of the angry voice was in the room with them that Liam finally recognized Prince Bryn's brassy tone. His head perked up and he looked around blindly in the direction he thought the accusations were coming from.

Will had taken Derrick's sword and belt with a firm nod and was about to direct some men to find a room for him when the Verinian prince entered the room wearing his pajamas and an angry expression on his tired face. Will had been around royals long enough to know better than try to interrupt their rages, so he patiently waited until the prince was done shouting and making accusations of invasion, though he watched him warily. Before he could speak the cat started to meow quit loudly, and Bryn's expression changed. Will eyed the cat, half of him wanting to believe Liam's claim that she was Dorothea, but it wasn't until Bryn began responding the her with respect that he actually started to do so.

He had been looking at the cat, the princess, with an expression of wonder until he heard Bryn offering Dorothea and Liam his sword to assist them. Will straightened slightly, glad to have a member of the Verinian royal family along side them, even if it was their prince. Still Bryn was better than Raquelle, and having him on their side might make it easier for King Tommen to believe them. Will just wasn't sure if it was going to be easy at all. The roots Narissa's power and influence In Eldonia was undoubtedly deep and strong, and he didn't think she would give it all up without a fight. "We're honored to have you join us, Prince Bryn," he said, respectfully nodding, but his face went sour when Bryn asked what was wrong with Liam.

"Not really," Liam responded to Bryn, his voice tired. Having Dorothea beside him may have given him back some of the courage and strength loosing his sight had taken, but it was still late and it had been a trying day. "Your psychotic cousin was part of our company for a while today. Raquelle poisoned me with some potion and now I'm afraid I'm quite blind." He said it as though it were just a passing detail, but his tone shook ever so slightly was anger. "It seems that, in addition to saving the Five Kingdoms from Narissa's power and greed, and returning Dorothea to her proper form, that we'll be looking for a cure for my own predicament."

"Sire, I think we should be getting some rest," Will said, and Liam nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm fine right here, Will. Take care of the Marshal." He said the title bitterly and turned back to Dorothea.

"Jory, Keegan," Will said, turning to the two men and nodding at August. "Find him a room for the night." The two guardsmen immediately moved forward to take the Marshal to a room upstairs. The steward watched them go for a moment before looking back to their host. He had been directing the men all around the giant man's house and he had forgotten to see if it was alright. He felt slightly embarrassed as he spoke. "Forgive us for taking over your home, Mister...Jolly? We'll be out of your hair by the morning. Honestly, we are all so, so grateful for your hospitality."

~~~~~

Narissa couldn't wait for Darius and Raquelle to arrive at her hollow to begin. She had to move quickly. She sent out every raven she had to every corner of the kingdoms, summoning the darkest of creatures to her hollow. They had all been waiting patiently, but they could no longer wait. Not anymore. But she wasn't finished yet. Her alliances with the uglier things in this world were firm and strong, and they gave her power to match any army the kingdoms could throw at her. But she had seen Derrick in the mirror. She had seen his right eye. She had seen eyes of that shade of lilac on only one other person before. She knew what she had to do.

She returned to from the top of the tower, brushing her fingers lightly against a circular mirror hanging on the wall as she passed it, and the surface shimmered slightly for a moment. August Derrick was a fool to betray her when she had so much leverage. She held his entire world in her hands and she was going to crush it. He was going to suffer until he begged her to end it.

She poured some cold, crystal clear water into a silver basin, whispering in an old fairy language as she did so. The Narissa used a silver knife to prick her finger and let some drops of blood fall into the basin. The smooth surface rippled as her incantation became stronger, piercing the veil between realms until she was staring down into a pale, incredibly beautiful face with hauntingly wise and cruel lilac eyes. "Prince Orin," she said solemnly, nodding in respect to the Unseelie fairy. "Would you like to make a deal?"

Bryn's face was grim at Liam's explanation for his blindness. He'd known Raquelle to be reckless, but this was a new degree of hideous behavior.

When two soldiers were required to take the Marshal Derrick away -- August went with them without protest, as stoic as ever -- Bryn looked at the others with a quirk of his brow. Dorothea explained to him the crimes which the Marshal had committed, and Bryn whistled. Never in a thousand years would he have expected the Marshal to be involved in such crimes against Eldonia. Narissa was destroying the kingdom piece by piece.

"Well. If you'll excuse me, I should return to my sleep." He gave a nod to Liam and Dorothea and padded back up the stairs, his head swimming with all this new information. He only hoped Eldonia and Itelia wouldn't assume he was evil for being related to Narissa and her ghastly daughter.

To Will's apology, Doc Jolly smiled broadly, and he nodded his great head in slow acknowledgement. His head never came back up, however: his shoulders rose and fell, and he was quite asleep just where he sat.

There weren't many spare rooms in the house (and Bryn had already claimed the only true bedroom) so August found himself shut into a dark storage room with guards posted outside the door. He tried to clear his mind as he had done these past years -- but he slept fitfully, knowing that his sister may well be dead before he returned to Eldonia. He spent the night trying to convince himself that he hadn't killed her, that he'd simply set time back on its course -- but he had to wonder whether the prevention of a war was worth the price.

---

In the morning, while the horses were being prepared on Doc Jolly's farm, Raquelle trudged out of the forest.

She looked a beast, herself. Her hair was full of burrs and leaves. Her dress was muddy and torn. Her shoes were soaked, her nails were broken, there were bags under her eyes and she was terribly, horribly, furiously sick of tree-spirits. Their song was stuck in her head, and it would be days before she could be rid of it.

Raquelle pushed open the door of the hollow just as the morning dawned, and she collapsed into a chair with full intention of sleeping there for the next millennium.

It took Sam a moment to remember where she was and what had happened when she woke the next morning lying in a bed in a tiny room surrounded by books. She remembered practically fainting and asking August Derrick to carry her, and it made her flush from embarrassment. The rest of the night's details came back to her memory swiftly and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. August had betrayed the queen. And undoubtedly there was a lot to explain and a lot to be done, and she had to find everyone. Then she saw some folded clothes, a pair of shoes, and a towel on the foot of her bed.

After. She'd find everyone after she bathed and changed.

She took the bundle of clothing and towel and found the washroom across the hall, with a steaming bath ready for her. Sam caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and winced. She looked like a nightmare, and she supposed she smelled just as bad. So she peeled off her sweater and jeans and gratefully lowered herself into the tub. She felt like it had been one hundred years since she'd bathed, and it felt so good that Sam felt like crying. In fact there might have been a few tears as she scrubbed ever inch of her skin clean with the soap beside the tub, then started lathering her hair. She made the bath last as long as she possibly could, enjoying every millisecond of it before she forced herself to climb out and dry herself with the towel.

She cast a reluctant glance at the medieval garb she'd been given before looking sadly over at her all but ruined green sweater and jeans. The last remnants she had of her world. They were just clothes, but she felt like she was leaving a part of herself behind as she dressed herself in her new duds. It took her a stupidly long time to figure everything out, from the new under garments to the white chemise with long sleeves, and then there was the pale blue corset dress she wore over everything. Sam laced up the front of her dress while making an annoyed expression, though the clothes weren't as bad as they could have been. They were simple and sturdy, probably made for peasant type women. They would probably endure horse back riding and the woods well enough. Nothing like the extravagant gown Raquelle had been wearing.

Sam still felt like she was dressing up to go to a renaissance fair, though, and she fidgeted in embarrassment when she saw her reflection. She barely recognized herself, and it was a bit unsettling. She towel dried her hair before combing the tangles out of the long red strands and pulling it all back into a ponytail. Then she slipped on the boot type shoes she had been given and gave the stranger in the mirror one more look before leaving the room. She rubbed her hands nervously together as she stepped out into the main room of the house, her gray eyes glancing about looking for familiar faces.

~~~~~

Narissa returned to the hollow, pristine as ever, to find her daughter, looking like a wreck, slumped in a chair, and her familiar perched over her. Darius immediately soared through the air to his mistress's shoulder, and she gave the intelligent bird a smile before clearing her throat. "Raquelle," she said in a firm, though patient, tone until her daughter said up and gave her her full attention. "We have company."

The queen was smiling, clearly overjoyed as she stepped aside and Prince Orin of the Unseelie Court of Fairies strode into the hollow. His lope was graceful, almost uncaring, and his pale lilacs eyes were as bright as Narissa's green. He was wearing his simple clothing, along with a silver talisman on a longer chain around his neck. He smiled at Raquelle, though his eyes were not warm, and nodded to her. "Princess Raquelle, I presume. You look like you had quite the adventure."

"Sam!" Dorothea scampered deftly among rushing soldiers' boots, and she hopped with delicate paws onto the back of a chair at Sam's elbow. "How are you feeling?" she asked with concern. "I'm sorry I had no idea you were sick. I hope I can make it up to you." She went on to explain Liam's blindness, Raquelle's banishment from the camp, and, with more delicate words, the Marshal's confinement. "He's not exactly a prisoner, but Liam and Will have good reason to require him to earn back their trust. We're heading back to my kingdom now, to wage war on Narissa. Furthermore --" she grinned, which looked rather frightening on a cat, "you look wonderful in a dress."

The princess hopped onto Sam's shoulder and sat tall and regal, surveying the bustle of her men, all of whom by now were aware of her identity. They paused in passing to nod respectfully to her, and she nodded back.

"Liam can understand me now," she said after awhile. "Whatever spell had been put on him, he broke it on his own. We'll win this, Sam. We'll win, and I'll keep my promise. You'll be home in no time."

Her ears flicked toward a commanding voice just outside the door. "The prince of Verinia will be accompanying us too." Dorothea didn't mind him much -- he was easy to ignore, but as a princess she had that luxury. "His name is Bryn, but he likes to be called Your Highness. Don't let him boss you around too much. Let me know if he gives you a hard time." She grinned again, a bit dangerously.

August assisted with the horses, said nothing, and looked at no one. He wasn't in the mood for questions, and the soldiers -- very experienced with his stoic expressions -- kept well away from him.

Jolly stood at the side of the house, filling bags full of food and canteens full of fresh water, and he nodded at every voice of thanks with the utmost humility.

When Bryn caught sight of Sam, he stopped Will with a hand on his chest, and he pointed. "Who is the peasant girl? She wasn't here when I arrived." Sam stood out like a sore thumb: the only female presence (Dorothea didn't actually count) in a crowd of uniformed men.

---

Raquelle opened her eyes blearily, and frowned. A fairy. She hated fairies. But the smoothness in Narissa's voice checked her own penchant for sarcasm, and she instead stood and smiled as sweetly as she could.

"I have," she said with a dutiful nod; her manners were on automatic, prim and proper. "You must excuse my appearance, I haven't had a moment to freshen up." She shot an accusing glare at Narissa, but returned her smile on Orin. "You are Prince Orin of the Unseelie Court, I presume." She was proud to have been paying attention when her mother had explained her allies. She would have to boast about it later. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure of our meeting?" Like the fairy, her smile never reached her eyes.

Sam smiled a bit when Dorothea popped up on the back of a chair. She shook her head when the cat apologized, and her smile widen slightly. "No, you don't have to apologize. Last night was...a little crazy. And all I needed was some sleep. I'm fine now, though. Honestly." She was technically fine, but Sam was rather unhappy and uncertain about the fact that she wasn't entirely sure what had happened to her. But she knew the one man who had answers for her. Later, though. Now she was listening to Dorothea explain everything that had happened last night that she had missed.

She closed her eyes and shook her head when she was told that Liam was now blind due to Raquelle's poisoning of him. "What a bitch," she said casually as she opened her eyes again. She managed to keep her face from showing much emotion when Dorothea told her about August's confession and confinement, and she simply nodded. "I see." The mask shattered, however, when Dorothea complimented her in the dress and Sam felt herself blushing. "Oh...yeah..." She bit her lip as she looked down at the pale blue skirt of the dress and smiled, grateful and a little embarrassed. "Thanks."

Dorothea was on her shoulder again, and her weight felt familiar and comforting as Sam started to make her way out of the house. The men who passed them glanced at the cat and nodded and bowed in respect, and Sam's eyebrow arched as she looked over at her. "So...I'm guessing they all know who you are now." Dorothea confirmed this and spoke with confidence about how victory was assured. The thought of going home soon was...incredible. She could only hope that it would be as easy as Dorothea thought it would be. But she didn't think Narissa would go down without a struggle.

There was a loud voice she didn't recognize coming from outside, but before she could say anything Dorothea answered her unspoken question. The prince of Verinia. Another young royal. Sam nodded her head when Dorothea advised her to not let him boss her around and to come to her if he gave her a hard time. "Oh, don't worry. I will. But...I'm sure we'll get along fine." She grinned for a moment, then it faltered. "Do they know?" she asked quietly as she opened the door and went outside, "That I'm from the other side of the mirror?"

Liam was standing aside, holding onto a post for balance and feeling rather useless and annoyed that he was so useless. Will had assured him that no one thought any less of him, but it hadn't done much good. He felt so powerless without his sight, and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to lead anyone while so severely handicapped. He missed Dorothea and wanted to find her, but didn't dare move from his spot. The last thing he needed was to wander around blindly. She would return soon enough, he was positive. Noe that they had found each other again.

Will had been focused on preparing the horses when he felt a hand on his chest, and he looked up to see Bryn there. The prince was gazing at something behind him and for a moment Will was clueless until Bryn spoke again. The peasant girl...that could only be one person. Will turned to see Samantha Shea standing outside of Jolly's house, looking clean and wearing a peasant dress, a stark contrast to the strange trousers she had been wearing the day before. He looked back at Bryn. "Her name is Samantha Shea. She was with the princess and the Marshal when they joined out company, but I really don't know much about her. I believe she was already asleep last night when you arrived, though." He looked back at Samantha, noticing Dorothea perched on her shoulder comfortably and his eyebrows rose. He had been wary of the girl since learning of the Marshal's role in Narissa's work, but seeing Dorothea with the girl settled his unease. He went back to his work. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to question her n the road, Your Highness," Will said in a conversational tone.

~~~~~

"Please, just Orin is fine. The fairies aren't nearly as formal about titles." Everything about the fairy prince seemed to radiate a casual attitude, almost lazy and carefree. But his pale eyes were alert. "I'm here because your mother invited me," Orin continued as she slouched in another chair beside Raquelle and watched the queen thoughtfully. "She told me she had a...business proposition for me. That we could make a deal of some sort, though she hasn't explained it to me yet. I do believe it has something to do with your Marshal, does it not?"

Narissa's smirk mirrored Orin's and she nodded. "I noticed something strange about Derrick the last time we spoke." Orin's expression didn't change from his smirk, though his eyes were nearly sparkling. "I noticed his right eye. The color had changed. It was a strange shade a purple. Very pale and cold. There's only one person that I know has eyes that particular shade." The fairy prince said nothing, and just continued to smile. "I believe you and Mr. Derrick have crossed paths at some point very recently."

"Indeed. The Marshal and I are...acquainted. Last night we met and came to an arrangement. He gave me his right eye, and I can see everything he sees." Orin chuckled a bit and leaned back in his chair. "And if I were someone who the Marshal had betrayed, I would seek out the best allies I could find. And surely the best ally would be someone who could tell you everything the Marshal and his company were doing. Someone who could spy on them without even being with them."

The queen looked at her daughter. "If Dorothea and the Marshal believe taking Eldonia back will be a simple task, I'm afraid they are quite mistaken. I've already sent a...welcoming party of sorts out to meet them on the road. And with Orin as our eyes, they won't able to surprise us." She turned, then paused for a moment. She titled her head back to look at Orin with pensive green eyes. "Why exactly did August Derrick give you his eye?"

Orin shrugged. "Oh, I lured a young woman into one of my circles. I was...quite taken with her and I wanted to steal her away. Bring her into the fairy realm." His eyes went vacant for a moment, and a bit of a bitter smile spread across his lips. "The Marshal gave me his eye in exchange for her freedom. I probably gave her up too easily, looking back on it now, but I must say he was quite eager to save her. Samantha Shea."

Dorothea's ears flicked back and forward again, certain no one was listening to their conversation. "I told no one about your origins," she explained confidently. "I supposed there would be too many questions following, and the secret is not mine to tell. I'm fairly sure no one besides myself and the Marshal are aware." Her tail swished against Sam's back, impatient, while she scanned the bustle and armor for her beloved.

"Let's go see Liam. I want to properly introduce you. He should love and trust you as I do, now more than ever. I fear he's no longer certain where his friends are." Her breaking heart caught in her voice, but the she was confident when she spoke again. "I hope you'll give me your permission to tell him where you come from. He may be able to help send you home." She wanted no more secrets from Liam. He deserved all the trust and respect that was mortally possible to give.

Bryn was absently listening to Will, his neck craned toward Sam (who carried the princess as if their roles were reversed), frowning with uncertain interest. Why hadn't she made a point to be introduced to him? It was only polite.

"Yes..." he answered Will, distracted. After Sam moved off and disappeared among the soldiers -- headed toward Prince Liam, he supposed -- Bryn looked at Will with a grin and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well! Carry on, then!" And he marched off with a whistle to find some slow-moving soldiers to order about.

When Dorothea and Sam arrived at Liam's side, Dorothea called out to him. "Liam, darling, hold out your arms!" Once he had complied, the cat-princess leaped off Sam's shoulder and entrapped herself, purring, in the prince's embrace.

"I've brought Sam with me," she informed Liam with a smiling voice. "I wanted you to properly meet. Liam, this is Sam Shea -- she comes from the world across the mirror. Sam has saved my life countless times and has always been true to me. I trust her with my life, Liam, and I hope you will come to do the same."

"Samantha Shea!" Raquelle growled, her fists clenched against her tattered skirts. "Would that the Marshal had let her alone, to be a fairy puppet for all eternity!" She blinked, and she curtsied a little. "Meaning no disrespect, Orin. But I support your cause. If my mother does, of course." She wasn't sure what she was doing here, really -- or what she was expected to do with this information, as infuriating as it was.

She leaned forward on the table, her eyes dazzling with mischief, laced with loathing. "So does the Marshal love the bratty trousers-girl? You know there are a thousand and three wonderful things one could do to manipulate and destroy one who happens to be in love." She was very skillful in completely exempting herself from the association, by failing to mention Liam at all. "What would you like me to do?"