I was having a steering contest with the two boys (Ya I called you boys. Ouch don't elbow me!) Both of them looked exactly alike at first glance, but I knew them better then to say they are the same.

The one on my left was a blue eyed blondie. He was cat like with a pointed chin and pointed ears that peaked out from long hair. His white blond hair was bushed back over the high collar of his gray tunic and draped over his red robes.

His eerily similar companion on my right was exactly the same as the first but he had greenish blue eyes. The other difference that set him apart was that he had a dark almost black violet short collared tunic shot with silver and a cape of raven feathers that tumbled down his back. The dark colors of his clothing made his white blond hair seem paler.

I darted my eyes to each of them to test who had the hardest nerves. I also wanted to know if they were kidding me but I already knew that they never kid around. "Your father wants to see me?" I gulped in fear.

The twins nodded simultaneously making their twinness almost creepy like. "I suggest you hurry before he thinks we slacked off. While your at it...." He lent over the space between us and touched his finger tips to my jaw and pushed it close. "make sure that a spider hasn't made a web in your mouth." The blue eyed twin said.

"And what ever you do don't gawk at father like that." His green eyed twin chimed in.

"And remember to call him by one of his titles."

"And remember to curtsy."

"And remember to not loose your temper."

"Can I leave now?" I looked at the twins.

Simultaneously as if they knew I thought it was creepy they nodded their heads and said together, "Hurry now and have a safe meeting with father." Please tell me that Im not the only one who heard them say safe.

I left the courtyard, glided down the huge halls and made my way through the labyrinth of tunnels to the throne room. The guards at the doorway crossed their pikes and the one on the left said, "What is your name and what is your word with the king?" His fake accent bothered me.

"Well Valdespar," I mangled his name with the same accent he used, "I have been playing in the halls since but a little child. You know very well who I am."

He smirked under his helm, "Im sorry it is times of war like these and I can trust non."

"Fine." I huffed, "I am Sirocco, and I was called to attendance by the king." I crossed my arms over my chest.

The guard pounded his fist on the door and hollered my name. Faintly the kings answer came back. The guards uncrossed their pikes and opened the double doors to the throne room. I bowed my head as I walked down the large room, across a bridge to the main floor and curtsied before the king.

"You have taken your time. Haven't you?" The kings voice was similar to the twins but slightly deeper.

"I am sorry your majesty." I kept my glaze on his boots and the base of the throne.

"I have had some rather unpleasant news brought before me. Do you know what that news is?"

"No my lord." Better to play dumb then to admit the truth.

"No? You don't know the news?"

"No my lord." I repeated.

"Very well. As you may know the twins are getting to their prime. Anemone is coming and more likely then not will again pressure the twins or myself." He paused for a moment. "Look at me. The way you look down makes it look like you are sleeping on me."

I tilted my head up to look at the king. "Yes my lord."

The king continued on with his previous subject. "As it stands......I would like to slip away seemingly unknown. Perhaps the twins would come too. I would also need some one to tell Anemone that we would be gone." His lips tugged to a smile on the last sentence.

"Let me guess my lord, I get to tell lady Anemone the news of your departure?"

He smiled. "Yes you do. How lucky of you."

I groaned and then sighed. "When will she come?"

"Tomorrow at sun-high." He stifled a laugh and resumed his neutral Why-The-Hell-Am-I-Doing-This expression.

I scowled. "Thank you very much. I will go work on my speech then." I stomped to the door.

"Where do you think your going?" The kings voice resounded behind me. "I did not dismiss you. Did I?" I turned around and marched back to my previous spot.

"What is it O' Great King?" My voice tilted on the edge of sarcasm.

He smiled. "You are dismissed now." He waved his hand to the door. I huffed and started for the door. "Oh and by the way tell the twins to meet me in my study." The king yelled after me.

"Very well."

"What did you say?"

I whipped around so fast that I got whip lash from my hair. "Very well your highness!" My voice echoed in the large room.

"Oh. Ok. Hurry on now you still got things to do."

'Like smash a bottle of your favorite wine over your head.' I thought.

"How did it go?" The guards chucked when I pushed past them.

"Great. Just great." I marched down the tunnel system back to the open courtyard. Along the way I lost some of my anger. I could hear the twins laughing so I stopped and smoothed down my gown and hair. With a deep breath I rounded a turn in the path.

"So you survived!" The blue eyed twin called to me.

"Yes I did. Now its your turn." I said with a false smile.

The green eyed twin chuckled. "Have fun brother. I wish you luck!"

"You get to go too." I said with as strait a face as possible.

The green eyed twin stopped laughing. "Really."

"Yes. You get to go to the study. How fun!" Yet more sarcasm on my part.

The twins looked at each other then at me. "Well see you tomorrow." They said in unison.

"Nope. I get to stay here with Anemone. If you stay here any longer and delay your meeting with your father you can too." I said with another false smile.

The twins took off down the courtyard path. "Sorry got to go. Princes are busy, busy, busy."

I chuckled and made my way down another path in the courtyard. I looked up at the glittering pink clouds in the darkening sky before plunging into another tunnel.

The rock walls fell away until I was on a stone bridge that was one of many that crisscrossed the hollowed mountain. The inside of the mountain was lit with a multitude of glowing flouting orbs. I stopped as a group of the white orbs flouted across my path like little white lambs flying slowly by. I continued on my way to the other side of the mountain witch was still a few miles away.

"Sirocco." I looked up as some one from the path above me fell down to my path. Some thing that was dangerous and was the cause of most lost lives. When the free faller got closer several orbs bunched under him and caught him a few feet above the path. The orbs put him down gently and flouted away. "Want a ride?" He gestured to the far side of the mountain. "I mean you are going that way. Are you not?"

"Yes I am. And how would you give me a ride?" I quirked an eyebrow. And surveyed Morri. He, like all of our kind, was cat like but the twins were more pointed and he was rounder in face. And of course slightly shorter only a few inchers taller then me.

"Like this!" He threw up his hands. I waited but nothing happened. "I said like this!" He threw his hands up again. "That's your queue Nia!" He turned around and yelled into the darkness. "Im sorry Nia must be distracted." Out of the gloom a hawk with a twelve foot wingspan flew. I took a step to the left as the hawk landed on Morri and pinned him down.

"Yes very impressive Morrison." I held out my hand as Nia shrank to the size of a normal hawk and fluttered to me. Nia Landed on my outstretched arm and ruffled her redish feathers as Morri got up.

"Thanks." Morri brushed himself off and tapped his shoulder. "Come here Nia." The bird remained on my arm and I stroked her feathers. "Nia please." The bird lifted off my arm to land on my other shoulder.

"Take a hint. Nia doesn't like you."

"Ya right. Come here Nia." He coaxed. The bird remained on my shoulder as I walked away from Morrison. He wasn't the slight bit impressive. "Nia! Get over here now." Nia ruffled her feathers again and remained with me.