The moon barely began to sink beyond the horizon. Snow birds twittered softly in the trees as they started to wake up. Morning was beautifully serene… until an ear splitting scream broke that magic.
The storm Dragon's woke to it, staring in alarm at the Palace. There was no mistaking their Queen's voice. Inside the palace, the door to the baby's room stood open.
A tiger lay across the floor, blood smeared on the white tile and matted his fur. Kyera stood over the cradle of her son, tears falling from her eyes as she stared at the mattress. Blood coated the sheets, but there was no sign of Gale.
Clovis ran into the room stunned as he saw what lay in the room. It took a moment for him to register his wife was still screaming from the deepest part of her heart. He ran to her side and pulled her into his arms. Her body trembling as the tears poured down her face. All he could do was hold her close, his hand in her hair and the other across her back rocking with her shuddering cries, no longer a scream but pitiful whimpers of a broken woman.
"Tell me it's not true… it's a dream… please? Please Clovis tell me it's not true." Kyera begged but he didn't answer. He couldn't, it took all.he had to force back the tears in his own eyes.
"Kan!" Raina's voice broke the air as she ran to the tiger's side. She dropped down and laid her head to his chest listening for a heart beat. Time seemed to slow as she waited… praying to hear something… anything. Kyera turned back to her daughter then looked at the Oslo and Race standing at the doorway.
"Get her out of here." Kyera demanded as she pulled herself together. She didn't have a choice. There was work to be done.
Oslo gently forced Raina to her feet. "Come now Princess let your mother work." He whispered half guiding half dragging the distraught child away. Kyera set to work healing Kan, her mind praying with everything in her that her father didn't have her son.
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Miles away, in the snow and ice, a baby could be heard crying. A woman cloaked in brown fur hid her face with a scarf, forcing the wolf to move faster. The sled raced over the snow, deeper into the woods.
Hours had passed since she and her precious cargo had stolen away into the night. Hopefully; by dawn they would be far enough away that no one could find them. The baby hadn't stopped crying yet. He would though, soon.
The feeling of danger hit her only just in time to turn the wolf before he could smash into the tree that fell onto the road they had been traveling across. The sled turned too quickly, flipping onto its side, spilling both woman and child onto the snow. His cries intensified as snow seeped into his bundle of blankets.
Two slender hands scooped him up, holding the child up to look at his face. Bright red and tear stained, he had her cheeks, her hair but blue eyes clear as the winter sky. This was indeed their mark.
"Thank you so much for doing the hard part for us. We had no idea how we were going to get the Baby Prince out of that blasted palace." Prim purred as she cradled the baby who decided to start crying again. Gale didn't like this woman either. She was cold and hard, nothing like Mommy's loving warmth.
"Give him back, Primrose… please. You want her to come after you, she will now. I made sure of it. Please let us go." The woman begged a she rolled onto her knees from where the sled through her. The Tiger chuckled at her request as though it was foolish.
"Oh but she won't. You made it look like the baby is dead. Death means revenge and Kyera has proven she's willing to wait a long time for revenge, Akira. However… if she knows I have her baby…" the wicked smile that played across her lips was chilling. It only lasted a few moments though, before the ear piercing screams began to grate her nerves.