The following is copyrighted to me and may NOT be reproduced. - Morgana stood in the castle chambers, a feeling of shame washed over her as she heard the true gravity of her crimes. How could this have happened? Why had they waited until now to tell her what she had truly done? Her father, murdered by her own hand. Yet she had been unaware. His death had been an accident. Suriel had assured her there would be no innocents in the way. Though it was evident now this had been his motive all along. The council elder continued on. "Morgana, we can absolve you of the crime, but the conditions are quite clear. The war that is raging beyond these walls, the loss of so many of our men in the flood the Gods unleashed, you must stand and fight. Without your help, we can not win. Even without the training that should have been yours, you are far more powerful than the men that fight now." Sighing, she looked into the faces of those she now knew represented the people she was supposed to rule. The mighty Cabal. "How can you be so sure it is me? It would seem that after I was exiled from those you entrusted my safety to, that someone would have come for me. That one of you would have prevented the exile from the beginning. I spent years in the wastelands doing what I had to in order to survive. Only a few months ago did I join the rogues in Mihr. Even then I held hope that our kind would not forsake us, yet you did. The Lycanthropes..." "Morgana, there has been a treaty with the Lycans for centuries. That had not changed until what all of you did was seen as an act of war. They did not kill Javier. Suriel knew that you would need a motivating factor to join his cause, he gave you one. In doing so, he has taken the safety and security we have known since the war with humans." Looking at the other council members he waited for the sign to continue. "If you need further proof of who you are, I can show you the prophecies. You bear the mark." She needed time to think. To sort out the jumble of information that was coming at her now at an alarming rate. By the look on the faces of the members of the Cabal, that time wouldn't be given. "I have my own conditions before I agree to any of this, Chancellor. The outcasts be freed so they may fight along side me." "Done. That settles..." "I'm not finished!" she interrupted. "It was my hand that struck the fatal blow. As such, if anyone is to stand trail for these crimes, it is only Suriel and I. The others were innocents, manipulated by a madman. He promised them normal lives and never intended them to have them. I wish to make sure that they do. They do not deserve the fate he has damned them to." "Morgana, you will not stand trial. You were manipulated too. He knew you were the chosen one but instead of letting the prophecy play out, he tried to manipulate it. To remove us from power, to instill you into power and wreak havoc on our world. He has managed only one of those. The latter. Your conditions are granted, only because there is no other way." Turning on her heel she walked to the stairway, avoiding the gaze of the woman who had taken a seat in the corner. Apologies wouldn't fix what she had done. Her only hope was to win this war. Then and only then could she face the mother she never knew to ask forgiveness for her crimes. - I do not keep many things to myself where my Fianc