Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: The names and places are not mine they belong to Anne Bishop and her world of the Black Jewels.

If you find mistakes or something that is hard to understand please tell me so I may fix it. Happy reading. All reviews are always welcome.

Katarina sat in an overstuffed chair in lady Jaenelle's sitting room. She had been here now for nearly a week. Her once dark bruises were now nearly faded and her knife edge temper was now at ease. Oh, Prince Sadi was still healing and from what she could see would still be for a long while now, but he was alive. It was more then she had ever hoped for.

She had been brought here believing that either she would find him dead or find herself being torn apart for her part in the prince's condition. Surprisingly neither was the case. The lady had welcomed her with open arms. Oh, she was less than pleased to hear everything that needed to be said. More so when she found out that she had bedded her husband… no, that wasn't quite true… well not really. Oh, Jaenelle had been mad but she had been pissed off more so about the why rather the result.

It was partly why she was sitting here now. Jaenelle had declared that she was now under her protection. What exactly that meant she had yet to understand but she knew that for the first time in her life she was safe. And perhaps more importantly she was learning how to be a Queen… a GOOD Queen.

She hadn't been paying attention when a soft hand touched her shoulder. Katarina let out a small squeal then saw who had brought her out of thought. "Oh, Lady Jaenelle I'm sorry you startled me."

With a small laugh Jaenelle spoke, "So I see." She paused then continued, "Tell me are you in here hiding or studying?"

"It's … calming in here."

Ever so softly Jaenelle took a seat on the couch. "Yes, it is. It also is a place that only a few males have the balls to enter without good reason."

"As I understand it the Queen's resident's is off limits to all males except the family or her triangle."

Another smile, "SO you have been studying."

With a shrug, Katarina spoke, "Some." She paused then in a small voice continued, "Is Prince Sadi doing better today?"

Jaenelle rubbed the bridge of her nose almost like to relieve a headache. "He's healing." She paused then in a more pissed off voice she said, "You know he's an idiot. It's his own fault that he needs this much healing. Not to mention Lucivar. Hell, I don't even know what the pain the ass husband of mine did to him."

Everything she had told… everything she knew… "Wait Prince Sadi had been awake before…"

"For a short time, he was well enough to not need to be 'watched' then… ah hell… I shouldn't have told him yet. I knew that but I thought… hoped that he would… it doesn't matter what I thought I was wrong and he's worse now than before."

Katarina blinked. Oh, she understood what she was hearing but the words didn't match the woman saying them. Or at least she didn't think she did. "Um Lady."

A sniffle then, "Oh I'm sorry. Damn hormones making me weepy." A stern mental shake then, "Jaenelle not Lady. Lady implies court business." She scrunched up her nose to make her point."

She nodded, "Jaenelle, he is a male. And I don't know many that would remain abed when the chance to be a pain in the ass would be soo much better."

Jaenelle let out a silvery laugh, "So it would seem." She sat back and looked up at her ceiling, "You know every day you sound more and more like the coven. I'm starting to think that you are older then you are."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Katarina hesitated, "Jaenelle, may I ask what the Prince was told to make him turn on his brother."

A sigh, "I told him that Lucivar was unstable." Well not exactly but it was close enough, "and that there is a young eyrien boy here."

"And the boy shouldn't be here?"

"Well yes and no. He's family but I'm not sure how and since Daemon had such a fit about me consulting with the boy's healing I haven't tried to sneak back in to find out more about him."

"I see. So what is the chance of two people from Terreille both having some connection to being here without you understanding exactly how?"

It was a valid question. One that she had been asking herself every day for the past week. And one as of yet without an answer.

A/N : Thank you StemmedRose for correcting Chapter 1- 23