*Author's note* Thank you Kristi and Niffum of the Lion's Call for helping me get this story started.

The stars shone down upon the castle of Fenrion. The king was up finishing normal duties while the queen was up in her rooms reading a book. The queen looked up from her book to see her daughter asleep on the couch across from her. The little princess yawned and turned over on her side. Queen Avra turned the page in her book and yawned herself. The queen yawned once again and then marked her spot. She went over to her daughter and picked her up. The princess did not stir as her mother set her down into her bed. Avra kissed her daughter and stroked her auburn hair. She whispered something to her and then turned from the room. As the queen closed the door, she heard a commotion going on out side of the princess’s room.

“Who’s there?” she tried not to too loud or her daughter might wake.

The queen grabbed her night jacket and went towards the noises. She stole one last look at the sleeping girl in the bed before opening their chamber door. Avra hurried off towards the banister to see what the commotion was the darkest part of the night; the queen rounded the coridor as the noises grew louder. Avra gasped as she saw armed guards fighting in what looked to be a heated battle. She noticed that not all of the attackers were fighting. A boy in his early twenties stole away from his compaions and went towards the King's study.

In a quick impulse the queen yelled out; "He's after the king!"

One of the guards looked up from his fighting and saw the stranger take flight down the corridor towards the study room.

The queen didn't know what to do; she decided to take after the guard and strange boy. She tried to stay a few paces behind the two to make sure that she was not spotted. Avra looked behind her; the sounds of fighting were dimming but something ahead made her turn around. Her blood froze as she came nearer to the king's study. Lying on the floor beside the door was the guard, he was dead. Avra could not look at the poor guard's face. His eyes were still open and this made the back of her neck prickle. Avra went inside the study and almost fell; to her horror the attacker had already taken her husband's life. The attacker stood over the body of the king with a bloody knife in one hand and a wild expression on his face. Avra could not find it in herself to scream out for help or more guards. Instead, she thought of her sleeping daughter who was unaware of what was going on. Reading the queen’s mind as if it was map the man sheathed his knife and dashed after the queen. Avra ran towards the entrance hall hoping that the guards were holding the intruders at bay. However, when she came to the entrance hall, all was silent. Bodies were all over the once beautiful flagstone floor. She did not stop to see who they were or if they were any of her guards, the king's killer was fastly approaching. She flew up the flight of stair and reached the sliver handle of the shared chambers. However, the heavy breathing of the man came closer and closer. Avra turned around and stretched out her arms across the door way.

The man stopped two paces away from her and drew his knife.

“Don’t you hurt Alair,” She said hotly.

“You foolish queen; do you think that just because you stand there that I will have mercy upon you or your daughter?" the man laughed a haunting laugh.

The man turned his knife handle and smiled down upon it.

The man laughed and mocked the queen. “We will take over Fenrion now that your pathetic husband is out of the way.” He said, drawing closer and closer to the queen.

Avra’s heart was beating faster and fast as he drew near.

“Do not come any closer!” She yelled at him.

The man stopped and thought about what the queen said but then threw back his head and laughed. Avra took a chance and went towards the princess’s bed chamber but her chance was in vain. As she turned around and ran, the man threw his knife into the queen’s back. Queen Avra crumbled to the floor, her nightdress turning crimson. The man progressed into the room with a hungry look on his face but when he reached the bed chamber where the princess was sleeping, it was empty.