Xyla gave her assassins a dark glare as she stared down at them from her throne. The three stood with their heads down and hands behind their back, each one sharing similar thoughts about what their queen was plotting for them after failing their mission to stop the rogue pirate ship. They could only imagine how worse it will be when she hears they also found Stell only to lose her as well.

The doors to the room swung open with great force, causing the assassins to flinch as Alabaster and Arlin stormed past them and to the thrones next to Xyla. The shadow king dug his fingernails into the arm of his chair, his yellow eyes boring down on all three of them.

"Tell me exactly how you were able to let an entire ship of ours go rogue and escape punishment?" Alabaster demanded, his anger being felt by everyone in the room. "They were a bunch of low life garbage on a boat!"

"I have my own theory on this," Arlin growled, "how convenient is it that our little bitch escaped and not long after one of our ships decides it wants to go rogue and our best assassins couldn't teach them a lesson?"

Viva and Chuckles shared a look while Piccolo shuddered in his boots. The king and queen were already angry enough, once they knew Stell was on the ship, the assassins' fates would be twice as worse.

"That is rather convenient," Xyla agreed darkly, "however, I would've thought the dragon ate the witch upon leaving."

"Unless," Alabaster growled, "her powers were strong enough to get her out of said predicament, she did break out of the enchanted cell."

"It was pretty easy for her to get out." Xyla agreed, rubbing her pregnant belly. What if Stell returned wanting vengeance and actually had enough people on her side to attack? Xyla then relaxed. Stell was just a simple, half-bred witch whose powers wouldn't even have blossomed had it not been for the Mallors. If anything Stell should be grateful enough to return and bow down to their every whim. Especially if all she had to do was marry Arlin.

"Now tell us the truth," Alabaster ordered the shaking assassins, "was Stell Mooney on that ship and was she the reason why you all failed miserably?"

The three all looked to one another, fearful if either one told the truth. The thought of telling the Mallors everything that happened on the ship was even worse. What would they do to them if Viva told them Kabuto was on the ship as well? It would only dig a deeper hole for all three of them. The very idea of telling them Kabuto was with Stell made Viva want to puke.

"Well?" Alabaster demanded as he slammed his fist on the arm of his chair, almost making it shatter from the sudden blow.

"Yes, yes, she was on the ship!" Piccolo caved, the other two looking down at him in horror and shock. "But she was with others... And a shadow."

"A shadow?" Xyla hissed. "What do you mean she was with a shadow?"

"I-It wasn't just any shadow, my lady!" Viva spat out. "It was... Was Kabuto..."

"What?" Arlin shouted at the top of his lungs as he stood from his throne. "That traitorous, lowlife, sorry excuse for a shadow is with my witch?"

"And you let them both get away?" Xyla shrieked with just as much fury.

"They had necromancers, a fire mage, a nymph, and a whole ship of that vampire's crew, your highnesses!" Viva pleaded. "Stell's powers have somehow grown stronger since her escape and Kabuto has always been able to escape from right under our noses!"

"Silence!" Alabaster roared as he got to his feet. "This is strike three on the three of you! One for letting that ship leave our trade, two for letting the witch get away, and three for letting said witch get away with that filthy brat!"

"If Kabuto and Stell are traveling together she may tell him everything she knows about us!" Xyla added. 

"She won't tell him anything!" Alabaster swore. "Shadows and witches are at war, he's probably thought of a million ways to kill her by now and I doubt she'll spill anything to a shadow of all people!"

"What if she found out what we need her for?" Arlin asked with a sudden realization that filled his face with shock. "What if a Peace Maker told her what she is capable of?"

"Impossible," Xyla assured, "she doesn't know where the Peace Makers live and they don't just hunt down people and tell them what their destiny is. Whatever Kabuto and however they're traveling together, we have to capture them sooner than later." she turned a deathly glare on the assassins who were close to tears at the thought of being executed for their incompetence. "Unfortunately, we need all the people we can get to cover all of Trapario with our darkness, so as much as I can't stand to look at them, we need these three idiots."

Viva, Chuckles, and Piccolo simultaneously let out silent sighs of release as their shoulders slumped in relaxation. Though they still could feel their king and queen's anger cut them open with a blade.

"You're right," Alabaster looked to his wife before glaring back to his subjects, "you three know which way they were headed, take some men and go after them! Do what you want with the others but kill Kabuto and bring the witch back alive!" he then lowered his voice darkly. "And do not fail us this time!"

"Yes sir!" the assassins saluted in unison before running out of the room, thanking their lucky stars that got to live for one more day.

"That little bitch!" Arlin shouted as he began pacing the room. "Once they get her back, she will face ten times the punishment any version of Hell she can imagine!"

"Relax, darling," Xyla soothed as she rubbed her stomach, "remember, we need her alive long enough to marry you and have a child with you. After that you may do as please with her shell of a body."

"Oh, I'll do everything I can think of to her!" Arlin hissed. "She's lucky I need her to be mine, otherwise I would've slit her throat years ago!"

With that, the prince stormed out, leaving his parents in the throne room. Alabaster sat down with his throne and rubbed his head in frustration. Xyla stood to stand behind him and began rubbing his shoulders, his body relaxing already.

"I don't like this," Alabaster growled, "Kabuto traveling with Stell can only lead to a huge road block for our plans."

"Oh, be calm, my love," Xyla whispered calmly, "there's no way either of them know what she's actually good for. The only reason he's probably traveling with her is because he knows she belongs to us he wants her to tell him everything. But after what we did to her, I doubt she'd ever even want to look at him. Plus, if that foolish boy in Sefloria, the witches and wizards there will take care of our troubles and execute him for touching their land. That is if the dragons don't get to him first."

Alabaster chuckled. "Oh, dear, you know just what to say to make me love you even more." he gently gripped her hand and ran his thumb lovingly over her knuckles.

"Don't get fresh so soon," Xyla giggled, "we still need to wait for our son to arrive before we return to having our fun."

"And once we get Stell back," Alabaster smiled as he wrapped his arms around Xyla's waist, "no spell caster or traitorous shadow will stop what she will create for us."

"Shadows will be feared again," Xyla agreed as she ran her fingers through her husband's hair, "and everyone will pay for thinking we're just a bunch of isolated cowards."