I land on the dresser, watching as Stephanie walks through the room, the queen in her bird form lands on her shoulder as she walks to the window. Alex the idiot was on the other side of the window, out in the freezing cold, in his cat form. Stephanie opens the window to let him in. She didn't see it, a blackness crept into the room that quickly moved to the shadows. As he stepped out from the shadows, he flicked the cat out the window. Well you were a great help. The shadow gripped Stephanie around the neck, the bird was sent flying off her shoulder, landing on the mantle. The shadow takes on Gavril's form.

'Lord Eliade.'

'Alina my dear, how good it is to see you again.'

'My name is Stephanie.'

He throws her onto the bed with a sinister chuckle.

'Sadly, it won't be for too long. Time for you to join your parents in hell where I sent them.'

We have the proof. The queen whispers to me. I will go and get Alexandru, keep him away from her.

She takes the form of a bug and flies off. I return my attention to Gavril and Steph, to my shock he has a stake in his hands, readying to drive it into her.

He was shocked when a tiger appeared out of nowhere, namely me. I pounced on him, pushing him out the window. Somewhere in the snow he disappeared, it wasn't until he dragged Stephanie out of the building and thumped her into the snow that I found him. I waited behind her, as he moved to her, I snarled, the tiger ready to take him down. Stephanie turned around and looked at me, fearing the beast with its fangs barred.

'Oh shit.' she meekly speaks.

I pounce onto Gavril behind her, taking him down, biting into him. He struggles with me, just as Alexandru and his assistant arrive at the window, he throws me off, pounding me into the snow. I try to raise my head, weaker than before. Alexandru struggles with Gavril as Penny rushes to me. In the distance I see Stephanie struggling to reach the forest that abuts the property, following the little turquoise bird that is the queen.

'Is she going to be ok?'

'Yes.' Penny whispers.

She helps me to my feet as I take the form of the tiger again, prowling around the edges until Stephanie was out of sight. Evie appeared out of nowhere and shot a death curse at him, sending him to the ground. In the final death throes, what we thought was Gavril, changed form into an unknown shape shifter.

'Shit.' Alexandru snaps.

The man that was dead at our feet was an unknown, Steph was out in the woods with the queen, still in harm's way.

'We must move quickly.'

We waited at a little house, Evie had taken the form of one of Alexandru's housekeeper, a woman named Ingrid. I had taken the form of one of the king's guard, Gerald. We were waiting at this house, with a wedding dress for Steph, dresses for Mary and Althea. Alexandru had found his son, passed out in the thick snow and were going to meet us at the church. Ethan had gone with them, to keep an eye out for Gavril, we knew he would try again, it was now just a matter of when.

It was about two minutes after we had arrived at this little house that the queen and Stephanie had turned up. Mary and Althea quickly took her into a room where Evie was waiting to help them dress. I know that she desperately wanted to take her normal form and tell her best friend that she was there for her, but she knew the graveness of the situation, Stephanie's life was in serious danger. It was a short drive to the church, I could smell Gavril on the wind, but it was very feint. This was hopefully enough to fool him, he would expect us to go to the biggest most elaborate church the town had but Miranda and Terrance had a different idea. There was one little church, that was run by a vampire priest, it was old, it was beautiful and it was an unexpected choice for a royal wedding.

Stephanie walked down the aisle, arm linked into Dale's who looked like he was the happiest man on the earth, his little girl was getting married, very soon she would be queen and the nightmare would be over.

'Do you Alina Stefania Nicoleta Eliade take Alexandru Eugen Leonte the third to be your lawful wedded husband?' the priest whispers.

'What?' Steph frowns.

'Answer the question Steph.' Alex tries to hasten her.

'That's not my name.'

'Yes, it is.'

'Am I?'

He nods to her.

'We do not have time Steph, answer the question.'

'Yes.'

'And do you Alexandru Eugen Leonte the third take Alina Stefania Nicoleta Eliade to be your lawful wedded wife?'

'Yes.'

'I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.'

I could smell the wind that kicked up outside, Gavril was here. The doors smashed open as the wind bellowed through the church. Gavril's shadow moved up with the wind as Terrance steps in front of Steph and Alex.

'It is done Gavril, they are married and she is the true heir to the throne, step down immediately!'

He appears at the end of the aisle, a dark laugh swirling around the room.

'It is never done.'

Miranda enters my mind. Are you ready? Yep, gloves on, stake in hand.

'Gavril Cornelius Eliade, by the order of the high council of the Elm'nyth Realm, you are hereby removed from the duties of steward of the land of Rostonin and you are charged with treason and the murders of Nicoleta Camille Eliade, Lucian Grigore Eliade and Petru Balescu. The attempted murders of Alexandru Eugen Leonte the second, Alexandru Eugen Leonte the third, Alina Stefania Nicoleta Eliade, Penelope Williams, Ethan Marcus Conrad Blackwood, Josephine Eleanor Blackwood, Evangeline Isabelle Blackwood, the kidnapping of Alina Stefania Nicoleta Eliade and the attempted kidnapping of the humans known as Dale Winston Collins and Mary Cecilia Collins."

'Blah, blah, blah. Who cares about the humans, really?'

'I do believe that murder and kidnappings usually find a person human or dark being in jail.'

He laughs again, more dark and sinister than before.

'What jail could keep me?"

'This one.'

Before he knew it, I was behind him, driving the stake into him, the smell of the yew was heavy in the air as it mixed with his blood. Steph struggled, the blood lust was taking over her, Alex struggled to maintain a grip on her.

Ok, you might as well come out. Miranda whispers to us.

We take our normal forms, the look on Steph's face was one of definite confusion.

'What is going on?'

'We are your protection. This is my mother Josie and my father Ethan. We have protected you since the day that this man killed your parents.'

'What do you mean? These aren't your parents...'

She stops in her words as the confusion drops from her face, the realisation hits her.

'So you're not really my friend? I'm just a job to you?'

'No. I am your friend. Always have been.'

I was expecting more but she stopped in her thoughts and out of nowhere she was feeding from Alex, the blood lust was in control and the lie that was her life didn't matter... for the moment.

'How long have you known?' she asked Alexandru.

'The photo that my wife found in your room, that is when we knew.'

'From the wedding?'

'It wasn't a wedding darling.'

'That was the day that we adopted you, the orphanage took a photo of us outside their building.'

'Why didn't you tell me that I was adopted?'

'We didn't want you to think that you were any less loved.'

'Jeez, as if I would think that.'

Evie wrapped her arm in mine, leaning on my shoulder. It had been a long day.

'Then Miranda came and spoke with me about the reading that she had done when you were in Ashbly.'

'You did know what the cards were saying, didn't you?'

'Of course I knew. I wouldn't have the cards if I didn't know what they meant, but I couldn't say anything until I spoke to Godfrey first. That and the fact that your parents and I were total besties. And of course now you know of Evangeline and Josie.'

Miranda wraps her arm around me pulling me in tight, she is so happy and excited, it's almost like she is going to gush her love out everywhere.

'The other phoenix's. They have watched over you for your entire life, made sure that you were ok.'

Steph started to put the pieces together, I could see it on her face as she struggled with the thoughts, in her mind she was trying to figure it out. The sash and crown were discarded without a second thought. Too busy with the other thoughts that were swirling in her mind. Alex knew she was the missing princess, he knew she had to marry him, yet he still cheated on her, constantly. More than Steph ever knew.

'So what was with the secrecy, why did I have to be quiet?'

'We had to get you into the country and married before Gavril wised up to us. We had found out that he had attuned his hearing quiet well and that is why you had to be quiet.'

'If it was so urgent, why not just go to the registry? Why the dresses?'

'Because it is a royal wedding, there has to be a certain level of formality to it. It had to be in a church, it had to be performed by a priest, it had to be in your country, many little things that have to be done in order for this to meet with the requirements of the agreement.'

I wondered if anyone else was in her mind, it wasn't hard to get in there, although there was an area in her mind that was a little dubious, a garden with a yew tree. Why so specific?

'How long have you known?' she asks Alex.

'When it was confirmed that you were a psychical healer. There are only ever three psychical healers, the first born of the ruler of the realm or if there is no child, the ruler themselves, which could only be one person, you. We had planned to fly out then but with the issues that surrounded those days, we put it off until we were all of a better frame of mind.'

Seconds later, it was like all hell had broken loose, Stephanie was pissed.

'A better frame of mind? I can assure you that I am not of a better frame of mind.'

'Steph...'

She ignores him and starts to walk away.

'Stephanie.' Alex tries again.

'I thought you knew, it's Alina, the woman that you did not want to marry, that you did not want to bed. Stephanie is the poor sap that her boyfriend cheats on and lies to. Alina doesn't take that kind of crap from her husband, the man that only beds beautiful blonde women with over inflated chests. You have what you all wanted, we are married, your precious kingdom is saved. You can continue on with your women, have whatever you want Alex, I no longer care. You had your chance, so many times you betrayed me. Now if you will all excuse me I think I might take my broken, dying heart and find an old friend to fuck.'

I hold Evie back, knowing that she would try to chase after her.

'You cheated on my little girl?' Dale gets up from his seat, angrier than I have ever seen him.

Alex pales when he sees the man before him fuming.

'You dare treat her with such disrespect?'

He begins to stalk to Gavril's body, knowing what his intentions are I quickly butt in.

'Yew tree Dale, will burn your hand.'

He looks at me, straightening his body he finds a handkerchief in his jacket and wraps it around the stake, pulling it from the body.

'Right.' he says as he stands up, stake in hand. 'Tell me again about your misbehaving ways, son-in-law of mine?'

'It's ok uncle Dale, I gotchya covered.' Evie steps out from the pew.

She flicks her hands to her sides, swirls large dark green balls of wind and poison in her hands. A look of horror crosses Alex's face, his father stepping closer to his side.

'Evangeline.' Ethan grumbles at her.

'No!' she snaps. 'He doesn't deserve her.'

The swirling wind in her hands flickers with red, her anger being poured into the spell. Alex steps back, knowing that upsetting a witch is not the best thing to do.

'You're a cheater and a liar.' she hisses the words at him as the balls get bigger, lightning strikes through them. Out of nowhere they stop, simmering into nothing, she sniffs the wind and laughs, a terrible cackle.

'You know what Alex? I feel like playing a game.'

'A game?' he squints at her, a little unsure.

'Yes, maybe, what's the time mister wolf?

Alex looks confused.

'No? What about a story then? Maybe little red riding hood?'

She flicks her hands, the last of the spell dissipates.

'I think little red riding hood has found her big bad wolf. Did you ever read that story Alex?'

'Uh no...'

'Shame. What about questions, I'll go first. Uh... what's that smell on the wind, can you smell the wind Alex?'

'No.'

She laughs again, her head up and sniffing the wind.

'I can. What is it that I can smell? Hmm... I can smell Steph; she isn't too far away. Can you smell her? Surely as her lover, you can smell her, right?'

Alex begins to panic as he looks at Terrance.

'No.' he whispers.

'Aww, poor baby, maybe you need a little wolf in you, like what your wife has at the moment.'

'Shit.' Terrance whispers as he makes his way to the end of the aisle.

'Maybe you both need a bit of wolfy lovin'.' she yells out with a cheekiness as Terrance and Alex run down the aisle.

'Evangeline, you naughty girl.' Miranda smirks.

'The prick deserves everything he gets.'

'I agree.' she whispers with a wink. 'Ok.' she clasps her hands. 'Time to get moving.'

'Your highness, what of this vile creature, what do you want done with him?' the priest asks.

'Make sure he's dead for starters.' Ethan mutters.

The wind whips through, on it a familiar voice, telling me what to do.

'Ok Godfrey said everyone that is not a phoenix out of the church.'

They all begrudgingly leave the church as the glowing figure appears beside Gavril's body. The figure scoops up the dead body and begins to disappear.

'Godfrey.' Evie steps out from behind me.

'Yes my child.'

'What of Alex and his cheating ways?'

'I think a visit might be in order, wouldn't you agree?'

Evie smirks, happy with his response.

'Miranda, see to it that he is ready to receive me in one hour at the residence.'

'Of course.'

The light shimmers into nothing, Gavril's body gone, no blood, no evidence of any death having occurred. The doors were repaired and the smell of yew and blood gone.

'Evie!' I scold her.

'Like I said, he deserves everything he gets.' she shrugs as she walks down the aisle.

Miranda wraps her arm around me as we walk down the aisle.

'I think your duties are done now, it's been a long road but she is safe now.'

She rubs her belly which makes me grin, the child within is what Terrance so desperately craves, a son.

'Have you told Evie yet?'

'Told her what?' I frown at her.

She smiles at me. 'You don't know, do you?'

'Miranda, what are you going on about?'

She raises her eyebrow with a smirk, looking down my body. My hand runs over my stomach, feeling a little murmur, a little beat. I'm pregnant.