Chapter 3 (part 4)

Just as her fingers brushed against the ball, a tight arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her away. Her father's frantic voice rang though the air.

"Pack only what's needed! We need to leave! They're after us!"

Slowly, panic filled Echo's chest and she clung to her father's arm. "Daddy? What's going on?" She nearly had to yell.

Her father's eyes filled with tears as he looked down at her. "Very bad people want to take you away from us." He said softly as he paused and set her on the ground and kneeled at her level.

For being so young, Echo's understanding was remarkable. She placed a tiny hand on her dad's cheek and he closed his eyes as he held her warm hand to his face with both of his considerably larger hands.

Echo looked at her daddy with love in her eyes. "I'm not ever going anywhere. I promise."

He opened his eyes again and smiled. "I know baby. But we still need to leave. They'll try to find you at this house."

***

The new house was bright and open. They had just finished unpacking everything and filling it with new furniture. It was a perfect little house for a family. The grass was warm and damp as Echo rolled through it.

The wind was light but still blew a scrap of paper that was on the sidewalk. Something playfull in her came to life and she found herself pouncing after it.

A little boy's voice across the street pointed at her and she froze, embarrassed.

"Look mommy, there's a kitten chasing some paper."

It confused Echo until she looked down and found that her hands were not fingers with a thumb, they were tiny furry paws.

***

Echo was racing through the trees, a young elegant tiger. She loved her gift despite not belonging in the croud. Her powerful legs and paws carried her through even the smallest gaps and past saplings.

It was beautiful with the air crisp and clean. So quiet you could hear a leaf fall. The steady breathing and air passing into and out of her lungs.

She was so free. Flying almost. The adrenalin fueled her and she was happy. Entirely happy.

***

Jerry was looking at her with a bored expression. She wasn't sure what to think of what was going on. They had dated for 8 months and now, he just wanted to throw her aside?

"I'm not a fucking ragdoll! You cant do this to me!"

His expression didn't change, he just seemed to look more bored if that was possible.

"I can very well do this to you. We're over. Bye Echo. You're considered a freak in the school. I cant be seen with a freak like you."

That stung. Tears bit in her eyes as she tried to force them back. "F...freak?"

"Duh, Echo. You can turn into a cat. That's really freakish. That isn't even possible. You aren't even human."

There was nothing else to do. Echo stood, shaking with anger and defiance. She wasn't about to let him see her cry. Hell blazed in her eyes and for the moment his bored expression changed to one of fear.

"E..echo?" he was afraid of her. She ignored him, slapped him across the cheek and sprinted off.

***

She slammed the door behind her and was about to go and collapse into a fit of tears on her bed when her mother stopped her.

"They know! How could you let them know! We told you to keep your secret!"

"I can't keep a secret like that forever mom!"

Anger brushed bright pink tones across her mother's cheek. "You are a disgrace. I was never your mom. We never wanted you. No one ever wanted you." Hate iced her voice as she hissed the words.

Echo stood there in utter shock. And then her mom was yelling again. "Leave! Now! We never want to see you again! We never wanted you! Just leave! And never darken our doorstep again!"

Echo didn't even think. She just rushed right back out the door and started to run. Once she hit the trees, she wasted no time in changing back into her favorite tiger form, white with black stripes and blue eyes. And she was gone. Forever gone.

***

Dymetri's face swam in her vision through her tears. He was holding her tightly with the traveling blanket around them. The soft hoof beats is the only thing that could be heard. Dymetri's arms were comforting, made her feel like she belonged. She was home.

Chapter 3 (part 3)

When Carus woke up, she didn't recognize where she was. There were kids screaming and crying from somewhere. There were adults yelling for calm. Feet constantly ran past her door, some were light and some were heavy. The little girl became frightened. She wasnt at home.


When she looked around her room, she became very sad. Her light purple princess bed was gone. Her huge dollhouse was gone. The room itself was smaller. The floors were cement instead of the nice warm wood with soft rugs. Instead, the bedding was gray. The walls were plain white. There was a small desk on the opposite side of the bed and a wardrobe in a far corner. It was a tiny, poorly made wooden wardrobe that looked like it would fall apart.


Carus called out, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mamma! Mamma! Mamma where are you?! MAMMA!" Her voice cracked as she screamed for her mother. She continued crying loudly until someone dressed in a professional gown walked in. She had a stern look on her face and her eyes were cold.


"Why are you crying, Echo?" The woman's voice was a little warmer than her eyes.


Echo? That wasn't her name. Although it did sound familiar. As a matter of fact, everything was looking familiar again. The woman, the room, her clothing.

Echo answered. "Nothing. My lady. I had a nightmare." She remembered that she was in an orphanage. But the memory of her mother and father and the reason she was here was quickly fading. She only seemed to remember them in her nightmares, but like every other dream, it slips out of her head like sand through a seive.

Echo sat back down on her bed, not bothering to try and recall her dream, knowing it would be useless. When the nightmares first started she would sit for hours in the corner of her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest, and trying to think back over her dream. But they weren't there anymore. It was pointless to try now when she knew it wouldn't work.

"Goodbye..." She whispered to herself. She hoped the dreams would be gone for good.

"Echo!" The woman had called her from downstairs.

"Yes'm?" She quickly dashed out of the room, careful down the old, wooden stairs so she didn't slip, and came to a sudden hault.

There were two grown ups looking down at her, soft smiles on both their faces. Then, they glanced back to the headmistress who was speaking.

"You have a months trial with her. She's sweet but can be a handful sometimes as all kids can. But after a month is up we will have you sign papers saying she is officially your daughter. If you do not want her after your one month is up then you must pay a adoption fee as well as a disownment fee." The mistress had a slight frown on her face. She had never liked the system but it was how it worked.

Both man and woman nodded. The woman knelt on a level with Echo and spoke. "Hello Echo, will you like to come live with us in our home?"

***

Echo ran through the grass, chasing after her favorite ball. "Mama! Mama!" She called out, laughing, and crouched down to pick up the ball.

Chapter 3 (part 2)

Echo knew she had shifted into her human form. She could no longer hold the form she wanted. It was her human side that was failing her, so to be fixed, she had to change into that fading form. It's just how it works. She struggled to stay conscious and finally she was jolted awake. She could feel arms carrying her, making it feel like she was flying. That is, until her back touched lightly to a warm bed.



She kept slipping back and forth from being awake and blacking out. She couldnt even remember if she had managed to speak. She thought it was a dream, but she imagined she told Dymetri that she was giving up. After that, the darkness just seemed to swaller her up that much more quickly. It wasnt long until she was plunged into the black and the painfully loud pulse of her heart in her ears slowed and stopped. 'Finally...quiet..' she sighed in her head, and disapeared.



They say that as you die, your life flashes before your eyes...



Echo was falling into the first scene in the many flashbacks.



'Echo was looking into a crib at a baby boy. She, herself, couldnt be more than three. She stared at the sleeping child.



"Mama..? When is Tobi gowing to wake up. I wanna pway with my baby brover." Her voice was high and whiny as she called out loudly to her mother.



"Shh. Let the little guy sleep. You've played with him all day Carus. It's time for the little princess to sleep too." Her mother smiled down at her.



King Zavior's voice floated from down the hall. "Where's my wife? Sanella!" He called. He was angry for some reason.



Sanella looked at her daughter fondly for a minute, an apology in her eyes. "Mommy will be back in a few minutes. Please dont wake up Tobi.." Then she walked out of the room.



Curiosity grabbed hold of Carus' attention and she silently stalked her parents. She finally found them after many minutes, in a heated argument in the library.



The library was a beautiful room, filled with thousands of shelves and many many more books. There were two huge desks at the back by the window and chairs and rugs added colorful splotches to the room. It was Carus' favorite room in the castle. And her mother and
father were in the middle of the sunlit room, yelling.



"DO YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW?" Zavior shouted. "WE CAN'T KEEP HER! IT'S AGAINST THE LAW! NO HALF-BREEDS ON THE THRONE! OR EVEN IN LINE FOR IT! SHE MUST BE KILLED! THE BLOODLINE CANNOT BE TAINTED!" Finally, the king broke down. "Im going to lose my baby girl.." He crumbled to the ground.



Sanella knelt beside him. "The people dont know yet. Not even about me. Do you not think our son wont turn out the same? For Gods' sake Zavior, pull together. This is not the face of the king." She lifted his chin up so he could look up at her. "Zavior..if she dies. I will be right beside her. "



Zavior stared up in horror at his wife. "No....no Sanella. No. Please! GODS PLEASE NO!" He pulled her down and held her like she was his only lifeline. He burried his face in her hair, shaking with broken sobs.



Sanella kept her head up, not a trace of a tear.



Carus stared at her parents for a moment longer before they noticed that they were being watched. Fear flitted across Sanella's beautiful dark features and she raced over to her daughter. Sanella scolded the girl quietly. "Carus. You were supposed to be in bed."



Carus looked at her mother with frightfull eyes. "Mama...what's gowing to happen to me..?"

Sanella looked down at her only daughter, tears welling up, threatening to spill over. "You're going to go on a trip. To visit some friends of ours for a while. They'll take good care of you. But it isn't safe for you to be here right now, sweety. So just trust mommy and daddy. Okay?"

Carus nodded, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at daddy. "When do I have to weeve?"

Zavior looked down at her unsmiling. "Soon. You'll have to leave very soon. By tomarrow. To be safe."

Sanella looked back at him, startled. "Will they really want her gone so quickly? But.." She mouthed the next words. "Who will we give her to?"

He looked down at his tearfull wife. "Yes they will. And Anton will take her to her new place to stay."

"Is it wise to trust Anton?"

"He has not threatened us, he is a guard. He will be faithfull or will be releived of his duties permanently. He knows that."

"I mean...can he know about her being hidden? Wont he tell the others? It will all spread. Our efforts will be for not."

"Nonsense. Now get her to bed and pack the necesities for her. She will leave before first light."

Sanella's tears finally started streaming down her cheeks as she looked back at her confused daughter. "Come on Carus. Let's get you some sleep."

**Scene change

Anton was carrying the sleeping little girl. His master had given him the address of an orphanage. It was where she would stay until the right family came to take her home.

Chapter Three (part 1)

Everything was settled. Echo was staying in the castle, in cat form of course. She had an immense amount of fun strutting around the castle, acting like she owned the place at first. She also found, to her enjoyment, that cat hair clung very nicely to the king's throne. Most of the royals were annoyed with her, but Dymetri's mother relished in the thought of such a beautiful cat. Dymetri was just glad that Echo was still there and his to hold. Kendra had named Echo's cat form Kikii and had a lot of fun pampering the 'furry kitty'.



But even with all this power in such a small black, white booted, form; Echo was becoming depressed. Because she couldn't be of use to anyone, and everyone was still on high alert, looking for 'the whore who jumped,' she was losing her sanity. The wall she had up to block all her bad memories was crumbling. Often times, she could be found padding slowly and sadly down the hallway, her head hanging so low to the floor that her pink nose was almost touching the tile. Kendra, realizing this, tried to get her spunky, princess of a cat back to normal, to no avail. Instead it made Echo feel even worse that she was troubling everyone else.



Even Dymetri began to notice something was very, very wrong. Most mornings he found Echo(Kikii) huddled in a corner in the room, curled as tightly as possible into herself. A couple times he managed to coax her into changing into her human form hoping to find out what was wrong, but even now she was refusing...or she couldnt.



Echo was tempted with food and water, on occasions milk. But she ate and drank nothing. The depression of her past was crashing down on her without mercy. Soon enough, the dying worry filled Dymetri's golden orbs permanently. He watched Echo thin and deteriorate before his eyes. There were many days that she did nothing but hide in the corner, unable to get up.



This morning was different though, she no longer had enough energy to hold her cat form. Dymetri walked into his room that evening to see the girl laying in her corner, her hair unkempt, clothes falling off her once slender frame, and breathing shallow. He rushed over to her, whispering as he went. "Echo? Please Echo, wake up."



The prince picked her up very carefully and carried her over to his bed. She felt very small and breakable in his arms as her head rested on his shoulder. He began noticing things that he never did when she was a cat. Her skin (that he once noticed was getting darker becasue of the colors of fur she chose) was deathly pale, and her night hair had lost it's sheen as it brushed against the prominant bones of her shoulders.

When she was on the bed, he covered her emaciated frame with a light blanket. He looked up in time to see her eyelids flutter open and her breath catch in her thoat. Her voice was barely a whisper when he spoke. "Dymetri? I ca..cant do this anymore." A tear slid down her cheek as her voice broke.

"What? What do you mean?" He leaned down, closer to hear her frail voice and to catch the tear. "Are you sick? What do you mean." His voice was thick with worry.

Echo attempted at a smile, but she could barely turn up the corners of her mouth. "No, I'm not sick. I just cant...live anymore. Everything that has happened...in my ..li..life. It's just...just too...much....I can't go on anymore."

She turned her face away from him, her breathing becoming a pant as she struggled to explain. She new she didn't have much time left and that thought made her almost giddy with releif.

Her breathing pattern stuttered like she had held in a breath, but that wasn't it. She could hardly breathe on her own at this point.

Dymetri lowered his head a little closer to listen to her heart faintly beat. His pain-filled gaze followed her neckline up to her eyes, watching the blue hide behind her lids again. Her heart stuttered. He had little time.

Dymetri rushed to his door and threw it open. He dashed down the long hall to his mother's quarters at a blinding speed. He skidded to a halt, panting. "Come. Please. Quickly." The fear in his voice was enough to get her off her feet.

Kendra held a million questions in her eyes but dared not speak any. She watched him sprint back to his chamber and followed at a quick, human pace.

Dymetri flew to the bedside in time to hear Echo's heart give one last beat, and then the room was completely silent.

Chapter Two (part 14)

Echo padded over quietly to Dymetri who stood confused and curious. A peice of parchment was in her mouth. Dymetri bent down quickly and scooped up the purring cat and took the letter from her.

He didn't open it. Instead, he looked up and glared at Danalia who looked slightly taken aback by the cat's behavior. Dymetri shoved past her, growling. "I don't want to see you again." His tone was murderous.

Dymetri strode angrily to his study, keeping up his show. When the heavy oak door was closed and bolted behind him, he laughed quietly. "Her face....priceless." Echo let the prince laugh for a full minute before she nipped him on the ear.

Still chortling, he called. "Hey..bad cat. No fish." He looked at her in time to see her nose wrinkle with distaste. Fish didn't sound apetising to her at the moment. Clearing her face, she stared at his hand which held the paper intently, not looking up.

It took a minute for the elf to realize what Echo was staring at befor he remembered the letter. He unfolded it gently and read through, a frown line creasing his forhead.

Prince Dymetri,
If you are to find this letter, I have left. I will not be returning. I hate you and never want to talk t you again. Do not look for me. I would rather be a prisoner in my real father's castle than be with you. I would rather go back and claim my crown than to be stuck here a moment longer. Here I am nothing but a person who will be kicked out when possible. Don't spare a single thought for me, I'm not worth it. I will always be running, farther and farther from any memory from my past, including your castle. If you come to find me, I promise you, you wont go home in a single peice. I'm done with this, I've had too much heartache. Goodbye. ~Echo.

When Dymetri looked up, a broken heart reflecting in his eyes, he began to panick. He couldn't find Echo. The little black cat had disapeared. "E...Ech..oo" His voice broke as he sunk onto his knees. -Echo left. She really did. She isn't here anymore. I thought..she would just stay in hiding here. I didn't think...-

Echo heard his sobs. She was just in a corner of the room, basking in the steam of sunlight. Terror washed through her. Did he really believe that letter? Of course he did. She had written that note when Dymetri was asleep after their . . . She had purposly written it with as much hatred as possible. She knew that his family would not take kindly to their little adventure the night before and she would have to say something convincing in order for them to believe that she was really gone.

Quietly, with a swirl of color, Echo changed back into her human form, clad in a simple, silk nightgown. She walked over to where Dymetri was bent, head to the ground. She made no sound that even his hypersensative ears could catch. She knelt by him and lifted his face to hers. Her warm hands carresed away the tears that had flowed from his brilliant eyes. He had only a second to gasp in startlement befor Echo's lips were on his.

It took him a minute to respond, but soon he fell into it. -She's here. Oh. God's please let her stay.- Dymetri pulled her closer to him, moving his lips with hers.

When Echo's lips were free, she whispered in his ear. "That letter was a lie. It was only incase your family or Danalia's family found it so they would beleive me gone with no doubt. Do you think I could ever kill the stars in your eyes?" She chuckled and kissed him a last time.

"Now. We have to get things figured out before someone has a chance to press their ear against the door." Her voice was soft, solumn, and thoughtful.

Dymetri was still in shock, still on the floor. He looked up at her. Awe in his eyes. "When did you put clothes on?"

Chapter Two (part 13)

Dymetri moved so fast that he became a blur. Echo hadn't even blinked once before he was standing at the door, fully clothed, and an unfathomable expression on his face.

"Danalia. Leave. Now. Before I have you banished from here for as long as you may live." His threat was formal sounding but it made it that much more official.

Danalia's violently angry face peered over Dymetri's shoulder back at Echo, but she wasn't there anymore. There was a muffled thump from below Echo's window and Dymetri wheeled towards it.

"No. She didnt jump aga..." He rushed over tot he window and looked down, barely regestering the unmoving cat sitting on the sill. His face filmed over with greif and worry before he heard a quiet purring in the silence. He looked back at the cat, black with white paws. Inwardly, Dymetri sighed but he turned his expression into a scowl as he wheeled on Danalia, a story forming in his head.

"Look what you did. She's gone. AGAIN!" His voice came out strangled as he gestured with his hand towards the window.

Danalia's expression turned cold. "You shouldn't have done this. You'll lose your crown, boy."

"Don't worry about me princess." He spat the word. "Atleast I'm not a whore trying to satisfy a never ending need for power. Or to impress Daddy."

Her face went red, confirming everything he said. His tone was icy with his next words. "Now she wont ever come back. She wasn't going to in the first place until I ran into her in the forest. She was gone for a week. And now she's gone forever." He made his voice break on the last word, using the slightly raw pain that remained from the sudden panick that he had fealt when he thought Echo had jumped.

The guard showed up at that point, looking back and forth between the Prince and Princess' cold expressions. "Can I do anything for you my lady?" He asked in forced politness.

"Yes. These sheets need to be taken care of and washed thoroughly. The peasent who had borrowed this room is gone now. Quickly now." She snapped.

The guard spun quickly and went to retreive a chaimbermaid. Before anyone else in the castle came barging in through the door, Dymetri walked swiftly over to the no longer purring cat and picked her up. Danalia eyed him carefully as Dymetri did this.

Her voice was curious now. "What is that cat doing in this room?"

The elf's voice was icy again. "It was a present for Echo." Echo, in cat form, crawled carefully up onto Dyemtri's shoulder and lept lightly off to hit the floor with a small thump. She darted over to the bedside table to grab something with her mouth.

Chapter Two (part 12)

The sunlight was bright in Echo's eyes that morning when she woke up; her eyes already being more sensative because of her werecat genes. She rolled over, quite warm.

"I didnt know the beds had heaters." She yawned before blinking. Everything rushed back. "Oh."

Dymetri chuckled as he wrapped her closer to his heart. "Goodmorning beautiful." His voice was quiet. Echo smiled into his dark, warm chest.

"Goodmorning." She remember how shy she had been in the begining, but under his touch, her uncertainty drained from her. She was still young, barely out of high school, so she wasn't sure at all what to do. However, Dymetri had been pacient and very gentle. It wasn't out of pleasure for him but simply love. She knew it was right.

She sighed and suddenly felt very small. A deep pur was coming from somewhere and she didn't know where exactly until Dymetri laughed at scratched her behind the ears. 'Crap. I turned into a CAT!'

She decided she might as well play the part, so she stood up and streched. In this domestic cat form, her fur was black except for the white booties which were her paws. Her mouth opened into a huge yawn and it was only a second before her teeth came together with an audible snap.

Still purring, she walked towards Dymetri's face and rubbed her head against his chin. She curled into a ball in the little space between his neck and shoulder.

Suddenly, Dymetri picked her up from her comfortable position and held her in the air. She let out a sqeaky meow as she lost contact with the bed. The shock caused her to transform back into human form. He continued to hold her aloft like she weighed no more than a feather.

Echo blushed. She suddenly felt very self-conscious because of her lack of clothing. The prince knew what was going through her head and lowered her down, kissing her softly as he did.

"Now that was a show. Wasn't expecting to wake up next to a cat." He chuckled, eyes alight.

Echo's voice raised an octave as she protested. "You woke up to my normal human form. I was just thinking things over. Normally when I'm off balance emotionally then I have to concentrate on the form I want to be in. And I wasn't concentrating obviously." She lifted her nose in the air as she pulled the sheets up to her chin.

Dymetri shifted so he was practically half laying on top of her. He kissed her sweetly before he spoke, his voice thick and seductive. "I thought it was very cute. Especially your pur." He rolled the 'r' on pur. Echo blushed.

He kissed her again, more passionatly. And she gave in. However, it wasn't long before the door burst open with a loud BANG.

Both jumped apart from eachother, lifting their heads to stare in shock at the quivering, angry elf in the doorway.

"Shit." Dymetri whispered as he layed his hand against Echo's abdomen as a reminder not to transform. She held his hand in place under the sheet as she shook slighly, fighting the will to change.

The person at the threshold opened their mouth. "GUARDS!"

Chapter Two (part 11)

Echo heard Dymetri walk into his father's office and close the door behind him. Her hearing, however, could not reach farther than the door. She was too exausted to strain herself that much. In fact, she was tired enough, that once the elvin prince was out of hearing range, she drifted into a light doze.

It felt only like seconds later that her door was opening quietly and Dymetri's carefully quiet footsteps crossed over to her bed. Echo kept her eyes closed, not having enough energy to perform the simple task of looking up at him.

Soft fingertips brushed the side of Echo's cheek and down her jaw line. In an automatic reaction to his touch, the woman nuzzled the side of her face into the palm of his hand; cat like. She heard his soft chuckle and her eyelids fluttered and flew open.

His voice was light and soft. "Sorry I woke you. You're just so cute when you sleep." Affection filled his tone as he smiled.

She smiled back at him and patted the bed next to her. "Stay." She whispered. Dymetri pulled back the soft satin sheets that had been put on the bed that morining, the same shade as the bedframe; a dark cherry oak.

He laid on his side to look into Echo's face. He could see the exaustion behind the well masked orbs of baby blue. Echo gazed back into Dymetri's eyes, seeing the stars in the gold that were just for her.

Suddenly, her lack of energy gone, Echo's face fell into a sullen expression. "So what did your father and you talk about?"

He was expecting this question, but not so soon. His eyes darkened. "It's nothing. I'm handling it."

The girl put her warm hand under his chin, pulling his face closer to hers. Her breath was hot and had a floral smell that he could almost taste as it touched his lips. "I'd like to know. And you can't always do things on your own. I should know." Her tone had a shadow to match the dangerous fury hidden in her eyes.

His tone turned light and teasing as the sparkle came back, but the smile he gave didnt reach his eyes. "Yes. You should know. But I have the power to handle my problems with ease. All you had was a set of little claws and tiny teeth." He held one of her hands nearly by the finger tips as his thumb traced her full, pink lips.

"Ohh. Little and tiny are they? Did you get a close enough look, my Prince?" Concentrating closely, the canines in her mouth lenthened to more than double in lengh as she smiled wickedly at him. Shock flitted across his still teasing features for a second before amusement took hold.

"Absolutly tiny." He mocked.

"Your just lucky I dont bite....hard." Her smile widened as her teeth slowly shrank to their normal size.

"And I can just as easily bite back."

"Your teeth might leave a dent in skin. I can decapitate someone's head with a single bite." Her eyes flashed.

"Would you like to test that?" Dymetri smiled in challenge.

She sighed, faking a dramatic display of thoughtful thinking. "But I can think of something so much better to do."

"And what would that be." But he already had a plan of his own.

"Maybe I'll just let your imagination wonde--" She was cut off. Dymetri pressed his lips gently to hers to shut her up.

She kissed back and he pulled her closer. His tongue traced her bottom lip asking for entrance. She gave in with a happy sigh while her fingers intertwined in his soft, dark hair. He deepened the kiss and Echo pressed herself even closer.

She was losing herself in shadows of fire as the kiss grew yet more passionate. Her fingers fumbled on the buttons of his silk shirt, lips still moving with his. He was sliding up her nightgown, a warm hand pausing on her thy.

The woman lost herself completely in her instincts like she so often did when she transformed into a cat form. But this time was different and the world was blocked by black. The only thing in sight was two gold orbs that sparkled with every star in the sky. When she could breathe, she whispered his name.

"Dymetri....I dont....Im...I.....Im still...."

He chuckled as she stuttered, his lips following her jawline and reaching down her neck. "I know." He found her weak spot.

Blackout!

Chapter Two (part 10)

Dymetri stood staring at his father who sat behind a cherry oak desk covered in neat stacks of parchment. Jarel stared back, his face blank.

When he spoke, Jarel's voice was bored. "What do you want?"

Dymetri scowled. "I want Danalia gone." He hissed out, his teeth clenched.

The king's face never betrayed a single emotion. "That is impossible to do right now. Her and her family would end up comming down for the Ball anyways. Why send them away now? Plus I enjoy her parent's company." A flicker of amusment crossed Jarel's features at Dymetri's low growl.

"If you wont send them all away now, I'll throw Danalia in the dungeon." His threat held a promise, one that he couldnt keep.

"You'll do no such thing. They are guests in our castle and will be treated as such."

"Danalia ordered Echo to be thrown in the dungeon just now. I'm not about to have the lo--..Echo thrown into the dungeons."

"Danalia is a Princess. She has every right to give out orders. This girl.." He smirked. "Echo, she is mearly a guest who will be gone before the Ball is here." Jarel gave the order. "To..preserve the peace between you and your fiance."

Dymetri had enough. "She isnt my FIANCE. Will you stop calling her that." And then he mumbled something incoherent, rage gone, and flushed.

"What was that?" The King chuckled.

"I was going to ask Echo to be my bride...just before the Ball." He flushed deeper. "I know it's sudden, and there's a chance of her saying no until later. But I know she's the one I have to marry. The one I love...." He trailed off. In the end Dymetri was talking more to himself than to his father.

"Aaaaaahh." Jarel sighed. "Love. It's a funny thing love." He gave a dark smile. "But love does not come before orders. You are to marry a princess. Not some human girl you picked up out in the middle of nowhere bruised, beaten, and bleeding."

"Mother told you about that?" Dymetri tried to hide his snarl.

"No. But as King, you do tend to pick up on things quickly." He smiled again, laughing internally at his son's anger.

"Marry a princess, son. I will hear of nothing else. Now leave." He waved Dymetri into dismisal.

Chapter Two (part 9)

Danalia stood in the door frame of Echo's room. Angry heat was radiating off of her in waves. Her scarlet cheeks grew yet more red as she shouted over her shoulder.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Danalia. what are you doing?" Dymetri questioned, authority thick in his voice.

One of the gards showed up. He was clad in studded black leather and had a long sword on his right hip, a hand ax looped on his left hip and the tops of his boots were dazzling with the hilts of many daggers and knifes.

Echo looked suspiciously at the guard. If those were all his visible weapons, he must have many many more.

"Take her to the dungons." Danalia sneared, pointing a long manicured finger at Echo.

Instantly, a deep growl issued from Dymetri as he rose to his feet. It was almost a comforting growl to Echo. A familiar growl. An animal growl. Dymetri tightened his hold on Echo and she did likewise. Echo wrapped her arms around Dymetri's neck, facing the door, but tensed incase she needed to shift. She didn't want to hurt him in the process.

Echo also knew that if she did it right, with the bond she and Dymetri had, she would be able to change him into a cat form as well. But it took a lot of energy and she wouldnt be able to hold both their shapes for long. More or less it was an illusion to anyone outside the body but the both the transformed could move and act and sound like animals.

"My Prince? What is to be done?" The guard looked alarmed at the sound that came from his Prince, but he didn't dare disobay a direct order from another royal.

"Danalia if you ever try to send Lady Echo into the dungons I will have you hung from the dungon walls by your ankles. Do you understand?" Dymetri's voice was full of malice and his vicious promise would hold true.

"Stefen. Escort Princess Danalia to her rooms and make sure she doesnt leave until dinner. Once dinner is over, make sure she returns to her room and doesnt exit until next day." Dymetri was being rather cruel about this Echo thought.

Danalia screached as the guard, Stefen, grabbed her upper arm. "You cant do this. I'm a princess and your future bride!"

Echo let out a ferl hiss and turned to bury her face in Dymetri's chest. He stroked her hair, whispering comforting words into her ear.

Danalia was staring at them, eyes wide. "Dymetri you cant be doing this to me. You can not disobay your father either."

The elf holding Echo smirked. "Watch me." Then Dymetri looked pointedly at the guard and nodded.

Without any warning, Dymetri lifted Echo into his arms and carried her over to the bed, her face still hidden in the dip between his neck and shoulder. He laid her gently on top of the cotton blankets.

When he pulled away and looked at Echo, her eyes again held the deep pain and hurt. He smiled slightly but it didn't touch his eyes. "You should get some sleep. " He glanced out the window that portrayed a dark sky as he began walking towards the door. 'How long did we sit there?-

Echo started to go into a panick. "Don't leave, please." She whispered when he was standing at the threshold.

"I need to speak with my father about Danalia, but when I'm done, I'll come back." The smile he gave was her favorite, a crooked kind of grin that made his eyes sparkle with stars.

"Promise?"

"Promise." He chuckled.

She nodded and settled down to wait. Dymetri exited the room, closing the door behind him. Echo heard his footsteps fading down the hall way until another door opened.

"Father?!" Dymetri's voice was distant, but even from this far, Echo could hear the contempt in his tone. "We need to talk. Now."