Bite is Worse Than Her Howl(open for one)

[AngelofDeath]

Calista sighed as she touched the ruby pendant at her throat. Her hair had been brushed and teased until it was a riots of curls about her head and shoulders. Thick and feminine perfume clung to her shoulders and the valley of her breasts. The dress she wore wasn't salacious, but it did its best to highlight her assets. Her corset was cinched tightly and place her breast on display and there was only one layer under her dress, showing off rather than hiding her form. Violet eyes, black hair and silk smooth skin mad her look like any palace courtier, but Calista was far from that. No she was a shapeshifter and she was looking for revenge. The knew king had made a decree, making it legal to hunt down and kill all shifters even those that had never harmed anyone.

Her family had been exterminated except for her and her youngest brother. Her brother had barely draw his first breath before he had been shoved into the arms of his teenage sister and the two of them sent running into the night before the hunters came with their dogs and their weapons. Calista had watched from a hidden alcove as her parents and older siblings were slaughtered and their bodies and her family's home was burnt to the ground. She had walked all night to the only human family shew knew that would take them in and give them shelter. The older couple had no children of their own and had accepted the orphans with open arms. Kale was now happy and safe and as she grew Calista had formed her plot of revenge. Of course her adoptive parents had done thir best to discourage her bid for revenge, but understood her reasoning. She knew they would die to protect her and young Kale.

It didn't matter to her that the king had been not much older than her when the decree had gone out, but she would still hold him responsible for the death of her family and all the other innocents who had suffered for his hateful law. Over the years as she grew her anger grew with her beauty. Under all that beauty though was a she panther who would do anything, even seduce a King to protect her cub. Now she was a lovely and confident woman of 24. The King was just a few years old er at 27. Ten years had passed since that fateful night, but to Calista it felt as if no time had passed whatsoever.

Taking a deep breath Calista sighed softly and pushed away from the hall mirror and began to head for the main hall. On the outside she looked calm and collected, but inside she was trembling with fear. What if someone knew what she was? She shook her head, what was she thinking? Unless she changed no one would ever know she wasn't human.

The only reason she was going with this idea of seduction was because the king while single and having no present plan to marry was known for his love of the ladies and his renowned lust. Calista would earn his trust, and once she had him relaxed and vulnerable she would show him what it meant to be hunted. To live in fear of the unknown. As she walked into the hall, several heads turned her way; men in obvious appreciation and the other ladies in slow anger at the thought of more competition. She had no interest in the men of the court though. Lifting her head and pulling her shoulders back, the shifter strode confidently to where the king stood across the floor at the balcony. When she was within a few feet of him, she softly cleared her throat as she curtsied, "Good evening, your highness. Hopefully I am not disturbing you." Her voice carried on the air like a rose petal, thick, but soft. She swallowed softly, her plan would not work if she couldn't impress him and catch his eyes. At the very least she hoped to tempt his lustful side.

[ARNeil1832]

Dorian Wanhope had been king for ten long years, his reign had begun baptized in blood, and he had no doubt it would end the same way. Upon his coronation Dorian has passed a law he believed had been for the good of his people. To allow the destruction of Shapeshifters, at the time his chief counselors had all agreed that they were a dangerous group of unpredictable heathens. Worse they were heathens who could at will become any number of dangerous and violent creatures murdering and pillaging at their leisure. And so the law had been passed.

The shape shifters hadn't even had time to fight back as the dogs and soldiers descended on their homes. Slaughtering them like animals and burning everything in their paths. Dorian had mistakenly insisted on seeing on the carnage firsthand, he would never forget the sight of the burned houses, charred corpses and dirty blood. Despite his best efforts to drown the memories in women and wine his duties kept him from overindulging or being able to forget.

Tonight as he prepared to face the court once again, he thought about that distant night. Something had to be done, for the thousandth time he promised himself he would make amends.

Turning to look at himself in the mirror Dorian frowned, and fixed his crown once again. He was an average sized man, lean from years of training with a sword and drawing a hunting bow, but without the wear and tear of a soldier or working man. Fixing his crown and short dark hair one last time the King left his chambers to face the court.

Hours later he finally escaped onto a balcony for some much needed fresh air. He felt like some sort of human dart board, everyone just threw all their wants and desires at him trying to strike the right spot.

"Good evening, your highness. Hopefully I am not disturbing you."

Shaken from his thoughts Dorian turned to address the speaker, and was rather delighted to see a young woman standing not far from him with a tantalizing smile on her face.

"Not at all miss, I was merely lost in thought how can I be of service?"

He expected her to simply be another airy empty headed noblewoman, probably sent by her father to hunt for his hand in marriage to increase her families position. Did they never give up?

[AngelofDeath]

"I merely wished to introduce myself, Your Highness." Calista gave him a warm smile, despite the fact she wanted to claw his eyes out right then and there. She didn't know what she expected, but this was not it. In her mind she had pictured a soft faced, spineless and over indulged man. Instead she found a lean and somewhat handsome man. No he wasn't devastatingly handsome, but there was something there. Youthful, but rough on the edges.

Pulling her thoughts back to where they should be, Calista rose back up, just a few inches shorter than he as she walked fully onto the balcony and took a deep breath of the crisp and clean night air. The heavy perfume and the musk of the women and men had her ready to sneeze. "My uncle's good friend, Lord Braynor spoke highly of your kingdom and your court and so I wished to see it for myself."

The uncle part was a lie, but Lord Braynor was very real. The old man had taken a shining to the panther shifter, though he knew her as only human. In exchange for his knowledge she had let the old man paint several nudes of her. The urge had been there, but the will had not for him and so he wanted a lasting memory of her beauty. "Please forgive my forwardness, I am sure you have many things on your mind and many who wish to have your ear."

Hopefully from what she had learned of women constantly throwing themselves at them, her more subtle approach would pique his curiosity. He would think she wanted nothing from him when she did. Her hand came up to stroke the red stone that hung about her throat. The bottom of it resting just above the rise of her breasts.

[ARNeil1832]

"Ahh well if you are new to our land please allow me to welcome you here" Dorian said with a smile. "I am not so busy as to be unable to become acquainted with a young lady, what is your name?"

Her beauty and grace, the subtle shift of her form, it was all so sensual without being outright flirtatious, the young king found it refreshing.

"And how is Lord Braynor? I haven't seen him in court for sometime now! Though I hear his border skirmishes with the Janzanese keep him quite busy" Dorian thought little of the old man personally, but he had been a good friend of his father, and a strong advocate of the Anti-Shifter laws when Dorian had taken the throne. He was a rather rich and very necessary nuisance. Dorian's eyes flickered to the red gem hanging around her neck something about it was vaguely familiar, he had seen it or something like it once before. Forcing his eyes back to hers he tried to explain his apparent lewdness.

"That necklace it is familiar to me, what did you say your family name was? Is it an heirloom?"

[AngelofDeath]

"Calista, my lord," She smiled as he went on about the older man. She had used him for all the information she could get from him, whether she had plied him with wine or her body. Lord Baynor may have been loyal, but he also had a very nasty habit of talking far too much. King Dorian's eyes ran up and down her form, but stopped at her neck.

The ruby pendant was a family heirloom of sorts. Everyone female if her family once she came of age and had her first shift was given the ruby to wear. It was a sign of her readiness to find a mate, to leave her parents soon.

"It is Panthelis and somewhat your highness. Traditionally all of age women in my family wear the ruby. And now...now that my family is dead I suppose you could say this is an heirloom." Hers had been the only panther shifter family in the kingdom and even before the law had taken place and many fled or were killed she remembered her father saying that they were one of the smaller groups when it came to sorting shifters by their animal.

[ARNeil1832]

"I am quite sorry to hear you lost your family" Dorian said slowly, he understood her pain. Not that he would say as much, but his own father had been killed by assassins and his mother had died giving birth to his younger sister. It was a terrible thing to lose ones family. "And I understand that a sparkling stone would do little to soothe the pain, may I ask how they died?"

Dorian motioned for his guards to close the balcony doors, and the men did so silently. It was a warm evening and he was thankful for his simple choice of clothes this evening. It may have caused a stir with the more old fashioned nobles, but he couldn't be forced into the traditional trappings of the king by a enraged dragon let alone his body servants or tailor.

Waiting for her answer he looked out at his kingdom and sighed. It was a beautiful country, fertile, green, and pure. The forests were carefully maintained, and the rivers kept clean by both the magical mundane efforts of his people. Lights across the landscape burned brightly, shining from the many marvelous structures of the city and the romance of the setting was not lost on him, and he dared not believe his beautiful companion missed it either. It was not a perfect place by any means, corruption lurked in the city, beasts stalked the countryside, and vile sorcerers hid amongst the people, but he loved it with all his heart and simply wanted to protect it.

[AngelofDeath]

'They were killed by your men,' she answered silently, but she spoke aloud, "Bandits. I barely managed to get away to the home of family friends that night. And you are right, it does little to ease the pain, but it is all I have of them and so I wear it, even if its a reminder of what I have lost." No they had been stolen from her. Calista sighed softly and turned her gaze out over the kingdom. From this vantage it did look truly beautiful. Down below was different though. People, shifter and human toiled and suffered day in and day out. All for a king who was intent on killing off his subjects who weren't quite normal.

"Its beautiful," her hands came to rest on on the balcony rail, the warm night air was stirred by a soft breeze. It sent a few wisps of her hair into her face and she reached up to push them behind her ear. Dorian's scent filled her nose. Her mind was still dealing with the issue of him not fitting what she expected. Not to mention, holding back the kill. No killing him now served no purpose and he wouldn't understand why she was doing it. There was also the fact they were high enough up that Calista would be injured jumping down. The presence of his guards on the other side of the doors was also deterrent enough for the moment.

No when Dorian met hi end it would be with full knowledge of why and with no one to save him from her claws and fangs.

[ARNeil1832]

As Calista spoke Dorian's eyes caught something in the city, a flickering orange light, it seemed to be growing. FIRE. A slum fire at that.

"Guards!" Dorian boomed, the doors swung open immediately as the king whirled around. "Take the royal magi and whatever servants are available there is a fire in the city!"

"Yes sire" The guards replied there was no hesitation, when fire erupted in Dorian's city every man woman and child worked to quench it's powerful thirst.

"Calista if you'll excuse me I need to go" Dorian turned and offered her an apologetic smile as the ballroom behind him burst into chaos. "Please allow me to invite you to stay here in the palace, I will send for you in the morning but for now I'll need to join my magi, Fires in the slums tend to spread very quickly they will need help"

Dorian was a powerful mage in his own right, and he had been trained as extensively in magic as he had in swordplay or leadership. With a final wave at Calista he stormed out off the balcony and through the ballroom. Nobles were scattering back to their various households some to find help, others to hide out until the danger had passed. Magic flared in Dorian's eyes as he joined his troop of Royal Magi, in the palace courtyard. Ten powerful men and women trained to be both bodyguards and magical enforcement for the king they were all bursting with anticipation. Turning back he waved a servant over and said:

"There is a young woman named Calista in the palace please show her to the guest room and ensure she is not too furious with me for storming out like this"

With that the King and his Magi mounted their horses, and rode out into the night. The fire had spread already as Dorian feared, consuming an entire street within minutes and setting a whole neighborhood alight by the time their response teams reached the flames. Magi lept from their horses and began to battle the flames with powerful sweeping gusts of magical energy. Dorian himself joined the fight his eyes literally glowing blue as his magic flowed forward to combat the raging inferno. Consumed in his work he did not see the danger around him, as two shifters stalked him in the night.

[AngelofDeath]

The fact that Dorian rushed to see that the fires were taken care of was surprising and she simply nodded as he strode off. After being shown to a room however Calista knew she couldn't just sit around. It wasn't a matter of helping but she did wish to see what he did. She had felt the prickle of his magic as he strode from her. Shifters were sensitive to magic, the very nature of their being was magical in nature after all. She locked the door of her room and was glad to see there was tree near her window. Stripping the dress off along with her pendant, she let the change take over her. Tan skin was first spotted with dark rosettes before her skin seemed to melt away as her bones shifted and contorted. Where once stood a beautiful woman now stood a a large black panther. Had her parents not been black of fur they would have lived amongst the Jaguars, but even they were not above their animal cousins in excluding their much darker kin.

With a stretch she artfully jumped from her balcony to the tree and then to the ground. With everyone worrying about the fire and their own safety she had no problems catch up to Dorian. At first she simply stuck to the shadows, watching, surprised to see him battling the first, but then he was saving the homes of the poorest humans. He would not do the same if he knew shifters lived there. No he would have let them burn to bone and ash.

As she made to drop from her hiding spot a shift in the wind brought the smell of shifters to her. Two males, wolves from the smell of them. Walking along the branch her eyes soon found them. They were watching Dorian as well. Calista did not have to guess what their intent was, she could read in in their bodies, from the tense muscles to the raised hackles. They planned to kill him.

"Can't have that. He's mine." Dropping down downwind of them she stalked them, feeling them out. She would not let anyone take her prey from her, but she would not allow them to be killed either, which is what would happen with that many soldiers and magi around.

She skirted around them just as they made to take him down from behind. With a snarling hiss Calista leapt from the darkness, and tackled the smaller of the two as he made for Dorian. The King was spun about from the swipe of a paw, the smell of blood filed the air. The wolf let out a yelp of pain as he rolled away from her fangs and claws.

~Are you stupid or just ready to die? Do you not see how many there are? Besides he is mine!~ She hissed at the wolves as the other pulled back to his companion. Calista kept herself between Dorian and them.

~Stay out of this kitty. We don't want to hurt you, but this bastard has earned his death!~ The larger of the two gray wolves growled, shaking himself

~And I intend to see him to that death. I have planned and waited to long for this. What if you fail to kill him? You two will be dead and your families left without your strength.~ They began to circle each other.

~And what of your family? You are old enough to be mated, have cubs~

~Dead. Save for my younger brother and he is safe, protected. I have a plan and I will not let you ruin that. I am closer to him than you will ever be~ she let out a snarl, lashing out at the one closest to her.

"Your Majesty!" All three whipped around at the sound of raised voices. Obviously the growling and snarling had drawn people's attention. Dorian had been watching their exchange though it had gone unnoticed.

~Leave this place and leave him to me. I swear on the blood of every dead shifter his evil will be stopped~ Calista let her human eyes show to them. ~Go~ They stopped and looked at each other before turning and running and the guards burst through the bushes.

She just barely managed to dodge a blast of magic with a loud hiss. There was no time for this, with one last look to make sure Dorian was in fact alive, Calista turned and bounded off into the trees as fast as her legs could carry her. She had to get back before someone noticed she was gone.

[ARNeil1832]

Dorian wrestled hard against the fires, dreading the thought of searching the wreckage. Suddenly his concentration was interrupted by the sounds of beasts. Twisting around he barely had time to lift his arms to block the wolf lunging for his throat. Razor sharp claws tore through his sleeves with ease and left deep gashes along his arm. Pain blissfully dulled by adrenaline seared through his arm, as blood quickly seeped through his sleeve. The distraction caused his magic to fail, and brought several magi to his aid.

A gorgeous, powerful black panther had his would be attackers held easily at bay, the big cat seemed to intimidate the two smaller animals but it was his reinforcements that seemed to drive home that the attack was a failure. After a moments hesitation one of his mages stepped up to kill the animal, Dorian's boot colliding with the man's chest caused the would be magical assault to fly high and to the left of the cat.

"What are you doing fool?" Dorian roared, "That animal saved my life!"

The mage looking quite stunned both by his King's apparent rage and obvious speed simply gaped for a moment.

"Sire the panther was a shifter!"

"Yes Jaril, but a life for life, it saved mine so we will spare it back to work, this blaze won't end itself"

"Sire your arm, we'll have the healers come at once"

"No, they will be need here I will wait and see the physician at the castle"

No man or woman dared at argue with him, Jaril was a close companion of Dorian and if the man could be put in his place by force so could they. Tearing off a strip of his tunic Dorian wrapped his arm in cloth, and returned to the battle, his mind raced with the possibilities. A shifter had saved his life, surely the creature had no love of him, but why would it do such a thing? Might this be a sign? A chance for redemption? An opportunity to be remembered as a fair and progressive ruler rather than a tyrant with a hatred for shifters? Or perhaps was it simply an omen of his impending doom, a symbol of agony and failure to come?

Moments of pondering dragged on into hours as he swiped again and again at the flames, his success was limited and as dawn approached he forced himself to push aside his fleeting hope and crushing doubts. Dorian began to draw in magic. Pooling his power in the center of his mind the wounded king release all his remaining energy in one massive push. A churning tsunami of power swept aside the center of the blaze extinguishing and dividing the flames at last. Exhausted he sank to one knee and reached for the flask of water he'd had the wisdom to bring along taking a long drink he struggled to rise again.

Dawn broke, and as light cast across the sky and the fire divided into sections his dedicated men and women had it under control, waving for his horse he mounted with difficulty and ordered his guards to take him around to see the extent of the damage. Satisfaction filled his thoughts as they did so, the fire had done less damage than he had feared, and only one street had been destroyed. Fortune had been on their side, after a long hot day most of the people had been outside visiting friends or at the pub, they had only found two bodies so far. Both elderly men who simply weren't able to escape fast enough.

"Sire we really ought to get you back to the castle, your physician will have our heads soon" Jaril had reappeared at his side mounted, with an apologetic look on his face.

"Yes of course, thank you Jaril" With that he allowed himself to bed led back to the castle.

[AngelofDeath]

Calista sighed as she stood in the shadow of the curtains of her window watching the King's entourage return. Smoke still hung on the air, but the fires were out. She touched the stone at her neck as her eyes followed Dorian's every mood. He looked exhausted and weary. It would be too easy to pick him off in his sleep and she wonder what he planned for the day. Stretching and yawning Calista turned and headed for the bed. She never saw Dorian look up to where she had been standing at the window. Once again she pulled her dress off, through she left her undergarments on and crawled onto the bed.

The bed was softer than any she'd ever laid on before. Though she didn't mean to fall asleep within two blinks of her eyes. Saving Dorian had seemed both the right and the wrong thing to do. He would have been dead and there would have been no blood on her hands. Calista had meant what she said. She had come to far, waited and planned too long for someone to take her vengeance from her.

Her chest rose and fell softly as she slept. And while it started out a peaceful slept when the wind shifted and carried the scent of the smoke into her room, Calista began to toss and turn.

//10 years ago//

Calista wrapped her infant brother in his blanket before adding the deer hide one over that. Her mother still lay in bed, the sheets unchanged from Kale's birth. "Mother I don't want to go."

"Calista you must. They will come tonight, you two must survive. Come here." Calista held the sleeping infant close as her mother undid the strap holding the ruby around her neck and pushed it into her hand. "Take your brother and live."

Her brothers and father were at the front of their home, waiting. The cold winter night carried scent very well. They knew the soldiers were coming. Calista hugged all of them before she wrapped her cloak around them and went running from the back door. The sound of dogs mad her run faster. Kale was clutched insider her cloak, hopefully he would stay asleep until they were well away. At the first roaring snarl she turned.

Even in the dark she could see what was going on. She clapped her hand over her mouth as her eldest brother was struck down. Hiding behind a tree, Calista watched as one by one her family was killed. The scream of her mother rung in her ears just before their home was set on fire. While she didn't scream that night, Calista did scream for her family in her sleep.

[ARNeil1832]

Dorian's arm was throbbing by the time he had returned to the palace, and his physician was enraged. The small elderly man had been a second father to Dorian all his life, and he was quite protective of his king. As he was being led to the doctors small clinic in the east wing of the palace he caught a glimpse of Calista. So she had stayed. A smile broke across his face, something to look forward too!

"It is INFECTED my lord!" the little man seethed once they were alone in the clinic. "Why did you not have it attended to immediately?!"

"I was busy Sebastian! The city was aflame!" Dorian never argued or ordered the old bastard about, not because he couldn't, but because the doctor had a way of making him feel ten years old again with nothing to worry about but what he was being lectured for.

"I don't care if the church was in flames you could lose your arm!" Sebastian roared at him. Turning away from the king he busied himself with his jars and bowls mixing and mincing herbs and chemicals together. "How would it look if I let that happen milord?"

Dorian rolled his eyes as the old man went to work cleansing the wound and binding it in a healing poultice.

"Now don't be using your arm for any-"

*SCREAM OF TERROR*

The king was on his feet and running before the doctor could finish, rushing out the door he came to skidding halt in the foyer. Another panicked scream issued forth from the guest room not far from where he was and drawing a short sword from an ornamental suit of armor Dorian raced up the stairs servants trailing behind him. When he reached to the door and found it locked, he stopped hesitant for a moment, but a final rasping cry made up his mind. Booting in the door he stepped into the room sword at the ready.

"Calista what's wrong?!"

"What is going on?"

[AngelofDeath]

It was a small miracle that kept Calista from shifting and lashing out at Dorian. Instead, waking in a panic she scrambled away from the sight of him, sword at the ready and his servants behind him. Her back hit the wall with a loud smack as she gasped loudly, her chest heaving. She wiped at her face, drying the tears that had fallen in her sleep. She sucked in a deep breath looking away from him. The nightmares hadn't happened in many years and now was the worst time. She didn't want anyone least of all the man she intended to killing, seeing her at a weak point.

"Just...just a very bad dream. The smoke...my home...my family." Calista shook her head and buried her face her hands. This was not how she wanted to start her grand plan; weeping, eyes wide in and Dorian with a sword in hand. He smelled of smoke still and...healers herbs and salve. You were either born a shifter or were turned into one by magic. While bites and being clawed wouldn't turn you, they could get infected and the pain would make you wish you were turning into a beast rather than suffering because the wound hadn't been dressed properly.

Despite the fact she was sitting in her undergarments she made no move to get up. One because she wasn't ready to and two because there were far too many eyes on her at the moment. "I didn't mean to disturb you your highness with my problems. It's an old wound that will never really heal." Not as long as he was around. The next breath she drew came out as a hiccup, thanks to how hard she had been crying.

[ARNeil1832]

"Everyone out!" Dorian ordered, handing the sword to the nearest servant and shooing them out of the room. Closing the doors he walked to the bed and pulled off the blanket. "I am quite sorry Calista, I didn't mean to barge we- I mean I thought you were under attack, in need of rescuing from something or another, a kings fancy I suppose"

He held the blanket in between them offering it as a covering. His eyes wide with concern, he desperately tried to keep his eyes off of her, and his willpower was such that he managed it. She was vulnerable right now, and upset, sexual thoughts should be the last thing on his mind.

"Why don't you go up and rest in my quarters? I'll arrange for a servant to run you a warm bath and ensure your not disturbed, when your done you can come down to my study we'll have breakfast and you can tell me whats troubling you?"

With a sigh he sincerely wished he could scratch his wound, but he knew better than to try. Sebastian would beat him within an inch of his life.

"Honestly I could use the distraction, and I think you could do with someone to talk too"

Dorian was tired, but sleep could wait he'd have some tea brought up with breakfast, maybe that would give him a little energy. Magic was draining, he didn't know what he'd intended to do with the sword if Calista was being attacked, he was in no condition to fight a kitten, much less an assassin or murderer.

[AngelofDeath]

"You do not have to do that your highness," she took the offered blanket after she turned her head to look at him once the door was closed and they were alone. Calista saw the bandage, knew she should ask if he were ok, first she wrapped the blanket around herself. Later she could tempt his lust, for now her mind was not on it.

"You were hurt last night?" She gestured to the bandage, partly curious to see if he would tell her what had happened. Of course Dorian had no way of knowing that it had been her that had saved his life last night. Calista knew it was probably bothering him to distraction.

"And as for what is bothering me, that night is best not discussed over food." Slowly Calista got to her feet. In her tossing and her turning the strap around her neck had come lose so when she bent over slightly, the ruby slipped from her neck and fell the the floor. They reached for it at the same time and the blanket gaped open around her at the same time.

"Thank you," was her soft reply as she took the jewelry from him. Curling her fingers around it the shifter turned to wipe her face once more. "My mother gave this to me before she was murdered with the others. Even though its a silly tradition I cannot bring myself to part with it." Using her free hand to sweep her hair back, Calista went to collect here dress before she moved behind the privacy screen that had been set up in the room.

"So you were saying about last night?" She was deliberately changing the subject, she didn't care. Composure and control demanded they talk about something else while she dressed.

[ARNeil1832]

"Yes I was careless and allowed myself to be cornered alone by two very unhappy wolves" Dorian sighed, running his hands through his hair and sitting on the end of the bed. "The shifters in this kingdom hold a great deal of hatred for me I'm afraid, the wolves were clearly men in the form of beasts, no animal would go so near, a fire though I was rescued by a most beautiful panther, another shifter oddly enough though how I came to deserve such a rescue is beyond me"

Flopping carelessly back on the bed the young king stared at the ceiling. His clothes were ruined by ash and had been burned right through in many places, but he had yet to take the time to replace them. There was far too much to do.

"I regret so many things..." he sighed quietly to himself, his voice lower than any normal human could have heard.

Now he only had to start rebuilding the area that had been burned with actual structures instead of the hovels the slum dwellers had been living in which meant expanding the city again to accommodate all the others that would ask for help, and finding a way to pay for it all! The kingdom's funds weren't unlimited after all. Perhaps the church would help pay. God knew the priests did little enough for the people of this city as it was despite all their righteous bullshit charity and generosity.

With a low growl Dorian sat up and looked toward the privacy screen behind which Calista had disappeared, he was hoping for another glimpse of her body before she was fully clothed but it seemed he had missed his chance.

"So M'Lady what now?" Dorian asked, "If not a bath and meal what would you prefer to do?"

[AngelofDeath]

'Beautiful'? He though her other form was beautiful? Calista shook her head. Now she couldn't let herself be distracted. As she finished dressing, she heard his softer deceleration. It would give her away if she answered considering how softly he had spoken. Instead she finished dressing and replacing the ruby about her neck. Walking around the Calista thought about his question.

"Well I would like to here more about you, your kingdom. Tell me just why do the shifters hate you? I've only heard rumors in passing, but I suppose I prefer to hear it from the actual source so to speak." She swept her hair back and looked at him, wondering once more how he would respond.

Dorian was starting to be like nothing she expected. Calista was going to have to change her plan of attack. She wasn't going to change her mind though. She would stop him from ordering the death of any more shifters. With his death and no heir, the kingdom would be thrown into small chaos, there were be more important issues of state to worry about than the non human part of the population.

"You say you were saved by a shifter as if you would have expected it to allow the others to kill you or to help, why?"

[ARNeil1832]

Dorian looked at her for a moment, and then sighed. He was the King, and was bound by duty to be honest with and forthcoming with his subjects.

"When I took the throne, a law was put forth in the general assembly by a Lord Markus Aureli, he wanted to legalize and promote the hunting of Shifters" Dorian explained, "Aureli was a close friend of my father and my chief advisor at the time, I was rather convinced at the time that it would be in the best interest of my people to remove these 'monsters' and have them executed, but Aureli's law was going to make a sport of it, which I thought simply sadistic and dangerous"

Dorian watched her eyes carefully, he knew his next few words would be damning in her eyes.

"But the church countered, disgusted with the idea of selling licenses to hunt 'near-humans' as they called them establishing that all shifters were heretics to be executed or removed from the city depending on whether they were active or latent shifters" his gaze dropped to the floor, and shame burned his face. "I made it the duty of the city watch, imperial guard, and royal Magi to kill Shifters, a small step up for the Law Aureli proposed but still a travesty in itself"

He made no excuses, refused to place the blame on pressure from his advisers and subjects. He was the king after all, no law could pass without his consent. It was his fault. His crime.

[AngelofDeath]

"So rather than protect all of your subjects you chose to allow your men to seek out and murder innocent men women and children? People who trusted their new king would protect them as your father and those before him had." Dorian may have wanted to keep it from turning to sport, but that had obviously failed. She had seen that much for herself with her own family and the stories of others.

Calista tried to not look at him or hear what sounded like remorse in his voice. If she looked at him he would probably see the hatred she had for him as well as the animal lurking inside of her.

"Near human? I have met shifters who were more human than any human. They live, work, have families, love. How is that any different? Because they can change their shape? Fear and hate are all I ever hear about them, but have seen no cause for it."

Clearing her throat she walked to the window, "Why have you done nothing to fix this? Its been 10 years since you took the throne correct? 10 long years of children and infants being killed and burnt to ash. 10 years of women being raped before they are killed, their sons, fathers, husbands, brothers, all dead or unable to save them." She tired to speak without emotion filling her voice, but was doing a poor job of it. "Forgive my harsh tone, I know it is not my place to question the actions of a King, but I cannot fathom how a good man does this and sleeps well at night."

[ARNeil1832]

Her words didn't shock him, but they hurt. He knew their was no excuse, but nor was is that simple.

"I have tried both publicly and privately to revoke it but the law was put forward by the church, and voted in almost unanimously, while it needed my final approval, I cannot simply undo it without sparking a civil war as I go against our countries constitution" Dorian frowned. "I don't have the support to win a civil war, I control very little of the nations army directly, only my imperial guard and royal magi could really be counted on"

Was he really openly discussing going to war to save a group of men and women who wanted to kill him? Yes. Why? He wasn't sure, but the truth of it was he hadn't slept through the night in ten years, and he'd allowed people to be butchered like animals.

"I would like to save everyone Calista, and I will continue to try, I've been gathering support for sometime but none of the noble houses will pledge to my cause for fear of being destroyed House Aureli controls most of the army, and their allies the Corceri hold the church, as their eldest son is the archbishop, so far the only ones to express interest is the Magi Academy"

[AngelofDeath]

She wondered how much of what he said was true. Then again it could be a very polished and practiced speech meant to console the fears of a woman and make him once more seem a good choice to welcome to their bed. She took a deep breath and was about to reply when her stomach growled loudly. Calista blushed hotly. She hadn't eaten before their encounter last night and after expending all that energy with changing and tracking him down she was almost ravenous.

When her stomach rumbled again quite loudly in the silence of the room Calista let her head hang forward a bit. "I suppose eating would be a good idea. In my nervousness last night I did not eat before coming her and," she waved her hand vaguely.

"I am sure you will manage to do the right thing your Highness." Calista had no clue where this was going. In less than a day she was beginning to second guess her plan. Was he really the one to hold to blame?

[ARNeil1832]

"The 'right' thing could be a death sentence for thousands more people" Dorian sighed, "So how am I to justify it? I think there is more enough of my countries blood on my hands"

Rising to his feet he gave her a weary broken look. He wouldn't blame her for thinking him a coward, but his hands were tied. If he had some way to remove the church's stigma on shifters perhaps he could undo the laws that haunted his steps, but without more support, even the support of the shifters themselves what was he to do?

"I believe a meal would do us both some good" Dorian said, struggling to rise from the bed, and stumbling toward the door. He was exhausted, vulnerable, weak and he hadn't been so filthy since he was boy. "And I am in dire need of a bath"

Dorian took a few more steps, and his vision began to blur. His entire being throbbed in pain and every stride was a battle with his body to stay upright.
Had he really exerted so much power? Or was it the infected wound catching up with his body? Sebastian's poultice burned against his arm like hot steel pressed to skin. What was happening...?

"Calista... help me please?" Reaching for the wall he managed to steady himself. "Calista!"

[AngelofDeath]

Before the first stumble Calista could tell something was wrong with him. When he asked for her help, she hesitated. Torn between taking some small pleasure in seeing him in pain and going to hep him. As much armor covered her heart and held back most of her emotions there were holes in it and seeing him stumble managed to find its way through one of those holes.

Walking over she wrapped her arm around his waist. Looking at him she could see and smell the faint layer of sweat on his forehead. He was running a small fever and looked dazed. She had never seen any wound get this infected this badly. It was the only explanation she could think of. She also couldn't remember clearly if he had been clawed by her or the wolf she had tackled.

"We should get someone to look at you, your highness. You look ill." Truth was he had suddenly gone from looking fairly healthy looking to looking like death warmed over. She wondered if he noticed that she was supporting much of his weight with far too much easy for a woman her size, but Calista didn't think loosening her grip was a good idea.

"Which way you to doctor? Better you pass out there than here alone with me."

[ARNeil1832]

Her hands were warm and strong, and her help was very welcome. He felt terrible, but her presence gave him some comfort.

"Ca-Call Sebastian" He managed, his vision was beginning to blur again. Dorian clutched at the salve bound around his arm "Some-Somethings wr-wrong with the poul-"

Dorian's world was rapidly turning black, his mind began a spiraling descent into absolute darkness. Staying conscious was battle, let alone supporting his own body weight. He felt his knees hit the floor, Calista must have let him go for some reason, voices called out to him muffled and unintelligible from beyond a thick veil of pain.

Was this what dying felt like? He'd always imagined it would be less painful, and not so damn hot! His arm was ready to catch flame for gods sake. Why on earth was this happening? Sebastian was an excellent doctor, this shouldn't be possible. But here he was lost in darkness and agony. Frustration seeped into his mind, he was always so helpless, since the day he'd taken the throne he'd been a slave to the demands of the court. Why? Because he was afraid of them? He was the King goddamn it! His only fear should be the wrath of his queen.

Clawing his way back toward consciousness was impossible, and finally his mind knew silence.

[AngelofDeath]

One minute Dorian was speaking although strained and the next he was blacking out. The sudden dead weight of the king caught her off guard and Calista let go enough for him to drop to his knees. Of course couldn't drag him back to his feet, well she could, but that would start too many questions. instead she turned her head and did as he asked, "SEBASTIAN! Some one fetch the King's doctor." She was impressed at the rather quick response of his servants, but not with the way she was nearly shoved aside as his guards lifted him up and began to carry him.

Dorian was like a sack of flour in their arms, silent and unresponsive. She honestly would have thought him dead, if not for the fact his chest rose and fell. The older man whom she assumed was Sebastian took one look at Dorian and pointed off toward Dorian's room. "Take him to his room." The old man set his eyes on her and looked her over slowly.

"He was with you?" he questioned as he began to gather all that he thought he would need.

"Yes we were talking and were leaving to get breakfast when his steps faltered. We had just left the guest room we he collapsed. He looked as if he was in pain, his wound was bothering him....no the poultice he said there was something wrong with it before he blacked out."

"Talking you say?" Sebastian took another look at her, his eye brow raised as he he doubted her word.

"I've barely been here at court for a day, sir. I don't know what sort of women usually catch your King's eyes, but I fall into no one's bed that fast." Calista wasn't going to deny that she had every intention of using her body to lure him into false security if need be though. That is if he managed to survive whatever was bothering him.