The morning went by quickly as Anya went around and did the hair of all the ladies that she had been promised to. Her magic reserves were not at all depleted by the effort, but she was thankful that she had opted for a non magical assassination tool.

Everywhere she went she could feel the small vial in her pocket with more than its physical weight leaning against her.

When Anya had finished the last head of hair which belonged to a sweet little noble lady, she then went to the servants' dining hall and had a large meal to keep up her energy.

The day was not even half over and she felt tired. There were too many people and events around her and too many worries swirling inside her. She longed for the peaceful solitude of the forest.

A couple of staff she did not know really know sat on the other side of the room talking with each other, but they paid no attention to Anya. She was glad. Anya leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

She heard the door open slowly and Anya looked over to see Hanna. The woman grabbed a plate from the buffet and came and sat beside her.

"You look exhausted," Hanna commented.

"It's just all the magic that I'm maintaining right now," Anya said. It was barely true. The weight on her heart was what was really making the day difficult. Without her ulterior motives, it would probably be rather exciting. Anya sighed.

"Maybe I shouldn't learn magic then," Hanna said.

Anya smiled reassuringly. "Just doing one person's hair is quite easy. You'll do fine. If we have time, we can start tomorrow or the next day."

Hanna smiled and began to eat. Anya leaned her head back again.

When Hanna was finished she spoke. "We should probably get ready ourselves."

"Should we already?"

"Lady Theresa's servant's need to look good, too. The ceremony is coming closer."

"We'll be at the ceremony?" It sounded awful.

"No, just in the room where Lady Theresa will wait. But, we can watch from there." Hanna smiled as if it was a great treat. It probably would be for her.

Anya stood up. No point in delaying the inevitable. "Let's go then."

* * * * *

Hanna helped Anya dress, and it was just as uncomfortable for Anya as it had been the first time. She hoped she never had to endure the process again. Hanna's dress was more practical, but Anya did up the back for her.

"Here, I'll do your hair, now."

Hanna's eyes widened in alarm. "You surely don't have enough strength."

"Of course I do," Anya said crossly.

"But you still have to do your own," Hanna pointed out.

"Hardly."

"You must. It would reflect badly on Lady Theresa if you do not," she insisted.

Anya sighed. "Very well. I can do both. Now sit down."

Hanna obeyed and Anya quickly swept her hair up. The maid did not look much like a servant at all.

"Go take a look," Anya suggested. While Hanna was in Lady Theresa's room, Anya quickly collected the poison vial from her original dress and slipped into the inner sleeve of the one she had borrowed from Lady Theresa.

Hanna came back smiling. "I don't look like me," she grinned.

Anya used the mirror to put up her own brown hair into a simple and unassuming style. She did not want to stand out. She did not even bother to inspect herself in the mirror afterwards. No doubt she looked passable.

"It looks good," Hanna assured her. "Now we must find Lady Theresa."

* * * * *

Lady Theresa was easy to find as she was pacing around in her salon. Hanna and Anya took their places quietly in the background next to Lady Daphne's maid. She too, was wearing a more fine dress than maids typically wore. For the first time, Anya was glad she had been given an outfit. The last thing she wanted to do was stand out wearing her working dress.

Lady Daphne was watching her sister walk back and forth. "Stop that," Lady Daphne said irritably. "You're making me dizzy."

Lady Theresa shot a nasty glare at her sister and continued her pacing.

A few moments later there was a knock at the door. Hanna ran and opened it.

"Your Majesty," Lady Daphne fairly squealed.

"Am I late?" asked the woman who entered the room. She wore a dress the same shade of blue as Lady Daphne, but a crown sat upon her head. Anya realized with some shock that it must be the queen. She followed Hanna in a deep curtsey. Two servants and two guards followed her inside.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," Lady Theresa said as she halted midstride.

The queen glanced at Lady Theresa. "Is something wrong? You're not having second thoughts about my cousin, are you?"

"Of course not," Lady Theresa said, with a shocked look.

"She's just worried that something will go wrong," Lady Daphne added helpfully.

The queen nodded. "Should have let me plan it then."

"That's what I told her," Lady Daphne said cheerfully.

Lady Theresa scowled again. "We should head over to the waiting room."

"Let us go," agreed the queen.

* * * * *

Lady Daphne and the queen kept up a steady stream of conversation as the entire group made its way down to the ceremony hall. By the time they arrived at the room, Lady Theresa looked as if she was going to faint.

The queen smiled kindly at Lady Theresa. "You really are perfect for him, you know."

"What?" Lady Theresa asked, as if startled from her thoughts.

"I did not think that Keaton would ever marry, at least not until he absolutely had to."

Lady Theresa smiled crookedly.

"You were perfect for him. You fell straight into his lap with an interesting enough magical problem that he had to keep you around long enough for him to notice that you were female. And you challenged him, exactly what he needed."

The door to the waiting room opened, and a slightly pudgy man came in. "Good day," he said tentatively.

"Good day, James," agreed Lady Theresa and Lady Daphne almost in unison.

Lady Daphne spoke quickly. "Your Majesty, this is Lord James, Earl of Summersedge. He is our cousin and Theresa's guardian."

"For a few more minutes, that is," he added with a smile.

"Ah, yes, I do remember. I believe we were introduced at my coronation ceremony," the queen said with a smile.

The earl smiled widely as the music began. "That would be my cue. Lord Summersedge, you have my royal order to drag Lady Theresa down the aisle if necessary," the queen added and then swept off. Lady Daphne soon followed.

Lady Theresa glanced around the room and Anya saw a brilliant smile cross her face. She turned to her guardian and said, "Let's go."

Hanna and all the servants crowded around the door and peeked out. The queen's guard's stood by watchfully. Anya tried to look as if she was excited as the rest at the prospect of seeing her lady wed.

Anya imagined what it would be like if she were not there under false pretences. No doubt she would feel exactly like Hanna. She had enough of her own problems in her life, but at least she was not buried under the burden of guilt as Anya was.

Tears of hopelessness pricked at the back of her eyelids, so she forced her attention from her problems and onto the ceremony.

Lady Theresa had reached the end. She was standing next to Lord Wildwood. Lady Daphne and the queen stood beside her. Beside Lord Wildwood stood the Wizard Jim and Sir Thomas.

Anya looked at the Jim. He was no noble, but he was clearly close to Lord Wildwood. She wondered briefly if Lord Wildwood was one of the friends he had made while at the magical academy.

Lord Wildwood was surely more than the shallow noble she had wanted him to be.

Anya wished that Thorne had forced her to try to kill someone else. Someone who was the very incarnation of cruel noble. Someone who grew fat while his people starved, or who beat his wife and abused his people. She wished it were someone who she would feel some sort of satisfaction or justice in killing.

Not someone who obviously inspired loyalty in his people, who made friends with commoners, who gave orphans a place to belong in his castle.

Jim was a good man and he obviously trusted Lord Wildwood. He would probably grieve almost as much as Lady Theresa once Lord Wildwood was dead. They would all hate her so much, if they knew.

Yet she would have to endure their hate, so long as Kallie and Damani were safe. Thorne had promised to let them free, but Anya was certain he would only carry through on his promise if there were of benefit to him.

She realized that she would have to think of a way to escape in case she was caught in the act. They would do everything to hold her and there was little chance that she would be able to escape.

Anya thought of the potion that would theoretically give her wings, hiding under her bed. She had not yet tested it, but in a dire circumstance it would be worth the risk. She would go and fetch it when she had a chance, in case her poison plan went awry.

After the deed was done, she would remain if possible until she was certain there was no suspicion on her, and then she would force Thorne to return the twins. She would kill him if he would not.

Certainly killing a monster like Thorne would be easy after killing a good man. Then she and Sabin would find the twins and they would fly straight from the country. They would find somewhere where her abilities would not be known and they could have a normal life, a peaceful life of lies.

She would learn to defend them all so that no one could ever hold such control over her again.

Perhaps, if everything went well, Anya could browse some books on offensive magic while teaching Hanna how to do magic.

Anya was jolted out of her musings by the music restarting. Lady Theresa and Lord Wildwood were coming back down the aisle. Lady Theresa looked radiant and Lord Wildwood looked incredibly pleased. They exited through the doors, followed by Jim and Lady Daphne, and by the queen and Sir Thomas. The guards quickly followed the queen.

The assembled guest began to be ushered out of the room and Hanna turned to Anya. "There's an informal luncheon for the family. I only think one of us needs to be there."

Anya nodded. Hanna probably wanted the important job and Anya was more than willing to oblige her. "I'm a bit tired from all the magic I am maintaining, so perhaps I'll lie down for a while."

"I'll send someone to fetch you if you are needed," Hanna promised, and then slipped off after their lady.

Anya waited until everyone had left, and then slipped off to the solitude of her room. She lay on her bed, and tried to make her mind blank.

* * * * *

Anya stood in the yard beside her cottage and her mother was with her. Something felt wrong. Her mother seemed shorter, but then Anya realized that it was she who had grown taller.

There was a garden chair beside the house, and as Anya watched her mother sat down in it. "Forgive me, Anya. I'm feeling a bit tired."

"You're very sick, mama," Anya agreed, although it was unnecessary.

Then her father was there, and he was speaking. He looked excited. "I've found another physician. He's one of the foremost and he has created a new technique which will make you well."

Anya realized that her mother looked weaker at the mere thought of another treatment. She did not want to.

"If you believe it will work, dear," her mother said softly.

"I'll contact him right away," her father said, and began to walk away.

Anya felt an indescribable rage well up in her at the words. "Papa! Can't you see that she doesn't want it? She's going to die anyway! You're just making her suffer!"

He whipped around, and his face was pale. "She can't die. I need her."

"Yes, she can! She's already dead! You're the one making her do all these things, because you can't let her go!"

"Elaina!" he cried, and as they watched Anya's mother turned to smoke that slipped away in the wind, leaving the garden chair empty.

"She suffered so much!" Anya shouted at him, uncontrollable anger welling up inside of her.

Her father looked at her with a puzzled expression. "But you thought it was a good idea, too. You didn't want her to go."

Anya sat down in the chair. She had not wanted mama to leave. "I was just a child," she said softly.

Her father looked incredibly sad. "I'm going after her."

"You can't leave me too!" Anya cried and even as her voice sounded he dissolved and blew away.

Anya was all alone. "You should have let her go," she told the empty space where her father had been.

Anya noticed that her hands were looking slightly translucent, and as she watched they became grey and smoky. The wind was blowing her away.

She screamed and tried to run while her body dissolved into the air around her.

* * * * *

Author's Note:

Don't worry, if it was not obvious, she's having a nightmare.

Although her waking situation is barely better.

Hopefully all the hair stays put while she's out, she sure would not want the attention such a catastrophe would bring. ;)

Have a great weekend!