Valinteena

In a world left with scars from a great war, the humans rejoice in their victory, but also weep at the cost. Unaware of the blind hatred that led to the slaughter, an entire race was nearly erased from the face of their lands. They believed they had wiped the shifters from the face of the planet, little did they know very few lived on in the very forests they visited, and in the villages they traded with. Forced into hiding, the shifters built a new clan, and lived by the old rules, hiding from humanity. 

Kyera Shade of the Moon is a Shapeshifter who takes the form of a White tigress with silver stripes. Alone in the world, and carrying the weight of her clan on her shoulders, she attempts to uphold the law she was born to, and protect the remaining of her kind. Her heart decimated by the deaths of her brothers and the absence of her mother, she finds herself caught in a net and unable to break free. In her moment of desperation, a hand reaches out and catches her. A man who threatens to steal her heart away, but can she learn to forgive herself? Can she find love and salvation in another's arms after the betrayals of so many? 

Clovis of the Dancing Rain is the fourth Prince of the Forest Kingdom. He is a clever man, but had no wish to be king. Perfectly happy to raise is Daughter in peace now that his young wife had passed. There was darkness and secrets in his past, but there was no place for revenge in his future. Not until they took it too far. Pushing his bottom line a need to take the crown lit in his heart. However, he needed one thing more than anything else... the right woman by his side. As if the answer to a prayer, a woman appeared. Beautiful and trustworthy who loved his daughter as much as he did, if not more. Yet her heart was broken, her world surrounded by secrets and shadows, perhaps she was best left alone. However, would he be able to live without her?

The Tiger Within

There is only so much frustration that can flow off of one's aura before it became oppressive. Kyera was struggling not to let her annoyance go that far. She couldn't help but curse herself for letting the comb sooth her so much. Nearly asleep, Raina had been able to attach the hair pin to her fur without her noticing what was happening. It was far too late to stop her without hurting the child's feelings. 


Every fiber of her being wanted to knock the dangling piece out of her fur. The thin chains dangling by her ear, tingling softly as the stones lightly brushed against one another. It wasn't a unpleasant sound, but it reminded her of her gracefulness. Each step affected how the chains moved, making her hyper aware of how she moved. This wasn't a bad thing, par say but it was annoying when she thought about how graceful her mother was compared to her own movements. Years of being a hunter had taught her to be quiet, but elegance had never truly been part of her. Now she wished it had been. 


For the moment, she followed him into the belly of the beast. Even in human form Kyera had avoided coming into the main palace this deep. She knew they were near the main throne room. The smells were consistent with incense burnt in those areas. However, being surrounded by walls and no sign of the sky was making her uneasy. It reminded her of the cell she had been kept in when she was first captured. A involuntary shiver tore through her. 


Clovis observed the changes in his tigress as they moved deeper into the palace. He could tell she was uneasy, and honestly he couldn't blame her. This big palace often was overwhelming for him, more or less a tigress use to open spaces or at least trees and direct eyeline to the sky. He angled his step a bit, letting one leg brush lightly against her side as they entered the throne room. Her golden eyes glanced up at him, her questioning gaze was met by a soft, confident smile. It sent warmth through her. 


"Welcome, My son. I was wondering if you were going to be late to your own party planning. No bother, as long as you arrive on time to the actual event." The Emperor greeted, he was slightly sweaty from playing with the children in the garden. He had made a point of being out there for a short while, before coming to meet his son. In truth he had not been waiting long, and if Clovis had been on time their positions would be reversed and he would be late, but there was no point in admitting that. 


"Party Planning?" He seemed surprised for a moment. Then it dawned on him. "Ahh for the bride thing." Clovis added after he realized what he meant. The Emperor nodded turning to smile at the white tiger at his side. 


"Yes and you need to sign her contract so that pretty Tigress isn't on a magical tether for the rest of her life." The Emperor added motioning to the paper on the table. Kyera's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the papers. There was a hint of magic swirling over the paper, and she had to fight back the urge to destroy it. 


In truth, even if she tore it to bits it would not affect anything. The contract was still etched into her skin with the magic. Contracts when bound by magic, hardly needed the paper component at all. It was the formality of the thing. Ownership of the contract belonged to the human who signed it. She knew it was more convenient for humans to sign then have to find a mage to bind their name to the symbol instead. It was also less permanent. A contract could be signed over the symbols however, could never change hands again once it was altered.  Kyera was more curious as to if her terms would be more plainly stated on the paper version.


Paper Contract