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

Mally woke early in the following night. Rolling onto her side she winced, gasping in pain as she put pressure on the clawed marks on her back. The burning pain reminded her of those shapes on her. Freezing for a moment, Mally took a deep breath before slowly easing herself onto her knees then up to her feet. It was not the most pleasant feeling, but she was able to get to her feet. Looking around, heat rose to her cheeks. 


"What in the world did I do last night?" She wondered looking around the room. Her first instinct was to smooth over her dress and make sure it was the same one she came to the palace in last night. There was a fuzzy feeling in her mind as she tried to remember what happened when she arrived. The Tea. She vaguely remembered it wasn't just tea. "No… better yet what did I say?" She wondered looking out the window at the sky. 


For a moment, she was confused. It seemed as though the sun was setting over the horizon. However, she clearly remembered watching the sun set before coming to Report. It dawned on her that she had slept the entire day away in the Prince's Palace… In the Palace of the Dancing Winds. During the Day. how many Maids had seen her here! How many of The beauties she worked beside would hear about this? KYERA! Oh Gods if she found out… 


Mally hurried to gather herself and head for the front door. She looked around almost worried as she found her way outside. A rather unladylike curse escaped her lips as she saw the two people who were walking up the path. There was a certain glow around the two, and it froze her for a moment, slowing her response. 


There was something about how the two moved together. If Mally didn't know better, she would say the Princess was walking beside her mother, not her teacher. There was a glow to Kyera as well, something that made her think perhaps she felt differently as well. It was a bit of a stunning realization as Mally finally realized perhaps she shouldn't be standing in the middle of the road staring when Kyera reached her. However her heart sank as she felt those golden eyes lock on her. There was a flash of concern that gave way to a mother Hen's annoyance. 


"Mally, sister, fancy seeing you here." Kyera greeted, her eyes tracing the dress, widening slightly as she noticed the  wrinkles dancing across the fabric like guilty trails in the fabric. Mally was unable to meet Kyera's eyes. 


"Yes, I came to speak with Prince Clovis about having some time off, but I was too tired to make my way home. The Fourth Prince offered me a bed for the night. It would have been wrong of me to refuse." Mally tried to cover for herself and Kyera seemed to gaze deep into her. The lie was convincing and it seemed as though Kyera believed her. 


"Ahh, I see. Raina, dear why don't you go ahead and let your father know I will be agreeing to the request while I have a talk with my sister dear?" Kyera requested gently. 


"Okay, Kyera." Raina looked between the two women and could sense the tension there. There was more to this than the girls were saying and it seemed to be adult things, once again. She didn't like being left out for certain, but she wasn't going to be a bother. She couldn't help but glow as she realized that Kyera hadn't used her title. Though she wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, it made her feel warm inside. She knew some people had relationships where the other would just call each other by their names but… she only had that with her Father. Hearing it from Kyera was like finding she had someone new in her corner that possibly, just maybe  loved her just as much as her father did. If that was even possible. 


Kyera watched as the little girl moved past them elegantly. She then turned her warm, tiger like eyes on her dear friend. "Mally tell me the truth are you seeing Clovis?" Kyera asked softly in forest common.


What in the World Did I Do Last Night!