The days continue slowly, the silence filling the hallways of the palace, and my patience grows thin as yet no word has come out yet with Zion. Zion was declared an enemy of the kingdom just a few days ago and still nothing has happening, no whispers coming from the east as Fiona had predicted. Fiona told me Zion was still in the East, but now whispers grow in the West, whispers of an alpha creating treaties between other packs. 

Being the leader of Crimson Lock, I was the one who made the decision to cut ties with many packs, losing many opportunities to hear rumors from the kingdom and make plans based off of them. I have to acknowledge that my cutting ties and becoming a rogue pack means taking matters into my own hands when it comes to packs, no relying on others. If war breaks out between packs after all of this, Crimson Lock will have few allies, but we are strong, we are willing to fight to the death, and many of the non-warriors in my pack were trained even by Nixon. 

Laraxis spends much of his days listening to the Priestess he has asked to be at the palace, spending much of his time by her side as I sense something else is going on between them. Yet Priestesses are not allowed any form of physical pleasure, nothing of the flesh, and being the Head Priestess, I would expect her to follow the rules set forth by her congregation, but it seems she has little respect for the title which she holds. 

"Thinking?" Fiona asks, pulling my attention away from the view the balcony offers as I am pulled to look at the witch. Her eyes are dark in the moonlight, a creature of the darkness, and the way she holds herself makes me wonder what else in her past still haunts her. She has told me of the curse on her coven, the endings which her children faced, yet I believe there is more to her story which I would love to hear. She brings with her so much knowledge, for she got revenge on many who wronged her. I seek that same form of revenge. I seek that revenge on Zion, on the kingdom which has been tainted for centuries, and for the broken crown kings have worn. The broken crown needs not to be made new, but to be tossed away and forgotten as a new kingdom is brought in. 

"Zion will not come forward," I comment, looking back to the forest stretching beyond the palace. "He has Sybil now, he will not give that up when he believes we will execute him first chance we have." 

"He is not so predictable," Fiona points out, coming to stand beside me as she leans against the balcony railing. "Yes, he will do what he can to keep Sybil safe, but this kingdom was created by his ancestors, he will not let it fall if he catches word of your plans." 

"But we will be unable to catch word. Elijah is with us and Elijah was the only person he truly trusted-"

"Do you trust everyone in your pack, who you keep around you? In the dead of night, whispers run through the air and make their way to ears which were never meant to be reached." 

"Should I trust you?" My voice is stern as I face the witch, meeting her gaze as I raise an eyebrow. 

Fiona offers me a coy smile, jumping onto the marble railing of the balcony as she takes a seat upon it, gazing up to the moonlight. Nixon was a child of the moon, something I once associated with the darkness, but now I associate with a world of endless possibilities. "You should never truly trust anyone but yourself, the world is a cruel place." 

"Can my own daughter trust me?" I bring the topic back to one which has been haunting me for the past few days, something keeping me awake at night as I am unable to predict what could happen next. 

"You bear the Maxwell name, you have become the Luna and Alpha of Crimson Lock during the turning of the tides, and your husband was the one to kill a beloved Queen. The world is cruel to girls...and your daughter will face that cruelness much more all due to who her parents were." 

"I love her-"

"Do you?" Fiona questions, raising her eyebrows as her question insults me. 

"I am her mother. I love her." 

"Some mothers smother their new born children while they sleep because they were too much for the mother to deal with. Being her mother alone does not mean you love her." 

"Be aware of who you are talking to her," I hiss, backing away from Fiona as I wish I was not weak compared to these people I have associated myself with. I have associated myself with powerful witches and werewolves while I am human. 

"I am aware that I am talking to the Alpha of Crimson Lock, a pack either on the brink of extinction or about to be on the verge of greatness when they break the wheel and change the shape of this kingdom. I have respect for what you wish to do, but I believe you are underestimating the affect this will have on your daughter." I am not underestimating anything. Fiona is speculating that I am, she is just assuming that I am being foolish and selfish for wanting to raise my daughter. I will keep my daughter, I will come home to my daughter at the end of all of this.  "But be aware that you are talking to the leader of an ancient witch coven, a woman who has seen mothers lead strong efforts only to make small mistakes which have added up to their demise. I am someone to rely on for advice and aid in this pitch black world." 

Fiona is right, I cannot just ignore what she is telling me. She has seen kingdom fall, men and women slaughter one another for worthless or powerful causes, and some of the greatest moments in history. I must take in everything which she says, to process it, and to make my own decisions based off of it. I cannot be foolish here, for my pack depends on it. If I perish, I already know who will become Alpha until my daughter is ready to take the title, I already have treaties with packs in which we will defend one another, and if this war becomes one between packs, those packs will be our allies. Yet I must have plans for who will take care of my daughter if I die, to raise her until she is fit enough to become Alpha of Crimson Lock. 

"Believe me, Lily, I wish I had let my son be raised by someone other than me, for I may have been able to see him become a great wizard. If someone more reliable had been with him, he would still be here. I was too busy for him, running a cursed coven, fighting to get our curse lifted, and dealing with politics rather than raising my own kin." Fiona holds out her hand, a small flicker of sparks erupting and soon flames dance in the palm of her hand, taking the form of a child, dancing around in her palm. "I remember his eyes still, bright blue like his father's. I do not have pictures of him and I can only recall him in my mind, able to produce projections of him using my magic." 

I watch as the flames become smoke and drift off into the night sky, Fiona looking back to me as she takes in a deep breath. "Sybil remembers who she is and who Zion is. Their bond is strong again. Zion will not leave her to risk losing what could be now." I raise an eyebrow as I wonder what Fiona will say next. "We will need to lead an attack on this palace soon, we cannot lose any more time. The more we wait, the more Laraxis will become suspicious of me looking around the palace and examining the magic protecting it." 

My eyes begin to water with word of Sybil recalling who she is and her memories, the unfairness in everything making me want to throw a fit. I want to find Zion, I want to tear him apart, rip him to shreds, and have him feel the pain I have felt ever since Nixon perished. It should have been Nixon who was brought back to life, it should have been my husband who lived and not Sybil. The world is not fair and I want to burn it because of how unfair it is. 

"Zion is mine," I mutter, looking down to the lake below the palace. "If Zion appears during this siege on the palace or shortly after, I want him to be mine. I want to be the one to kill him." 

I am not stupid. I know Zion was the Alpha King, I know he is a werewolf, but I want him dead. I want him dead by my hands. I will even have Fiona weaken him if I must, but I will be the one who ends him, who makes him feel the last bits of pain he will ever remember. 

"Do you know who will care for your child if things go south?" Fiona asks, bringing the conversation back. 

I shake my head. "No, but I have an idea." 

<><> 

Elijah sits across from me in my home office, looking to the picture on my desk of my daughter. "She's a cutie," he comments, erupting the silence as Fiona looks over where she stands by the fireplace. My Beta and Gamma sit beside Elijah, their books open as we all look to the map of the palace and surrounding grounds on the desk as most things have been cleared off. 

"Thank you," I mumble, looking back to the pieces we have set up on the map to denote Crimson Lock warriors and Fiona's coven. "The royal guards will probably be here..." I continue my explanation to my Gamma as he begins to debate with me what sort of weapons will work best and if using wolfs bane and silver-tip arrows will useful against the magical guard as Fiona's coven tears it down. 

The debate carries on as we go to the topic of storming the palace gate the moment we get the magical shield down and have enough royal guards dead. Fiona begins to explain the process and time it will take for her coven to do their work, along with the types of magic they can preform within the palace when we storm through the palace gates. 

A knock at the door pulls our attention away from the tense debate as Quinn enters in with my daughter in her hands. "I'm putting Leala to bed. Did you want to wish her a goodnight?" Quinn asks, quickly glancing to the map on my table as I know she will keep all of this to herself. She has been a trustworthy babysitter. 

"I'm a little busy." 

"Oh." Quinn looks down to my daughter in her arms, almost a female version of Nixon as she peacefully rests in her arms. I feel all eyes on me as I know my response has been judged. 

"I'll wish her a goodnight," I correct myself, getting up from my seat as I instruct everyone to continue. Following Quinn upstairs, she carries Leala as I twiddle my thumbs together and as we enter the nursery, the room Nixon decorated brings back so many memories. She is a little over a year now, something which pains me as Nixon has missed out on so much. Quinn places Leala into her crib, pulling the pastel pink blanket onto her torso as I watch my daughter let out a deep yawn. 

Looking to Quinn from the corner of my eyes, I notice how her eyes water as she watches my daughter begin to fall asleep. "Have you and Terrance tried for children?" 

Quinn shakes her head, wiping away tears before they can roll down her cheeks. "No...we are unable to have any. I'm barren," Quinn informs, looking back down to Leala. "It's painful, but I've accepted it as a sign for the Moon Goddess I was meant for something else in life. I've given my time to your daughter and a few in the past as well." 

Her heard has always been gentle and kind, something which reminded me of my own sister before we moved to this town and everything changed us. Perhaps I could call upon Quinn and Terrance if anything were to happen to me on the battlefield? 

"I trust that the Moon Goddess has paved way for me to do something out of my barren life," Quinn comments, watching as my daughter begins to drift off. 

"I know you have an idea about what I have been plotting for the months you have been helping to care for Leala," I point out, watching as Quinn becomes tense. 

"I swear, Alpha Lily, I have not told anyon-"

"I trust you, Quinn," I inform, helping to calm her down, "I am only pointing this out because of what I am going to offer you a choice to do if things do not go well for me." Quinn looks confused, awaiting my questions as I take in a deep breath and reach down to brush Leala's black hair, looking down to my child. "I trust you and Terrance very much. If I am to perish, I would like for the two of you to take care of my child, to raise her, to keep her safe, and for her to become the Alpha she will become." 

Quinn looks surprised, shocked as she hears my proposal as she looks back down to Leala, words unable to leave her mouth as she looks back up to me. "I-" She is unable to form any words, still in shock by my offer. 

"Take some time if you need it, but just know that I trust you to take care of her and raise her in a safe world. That you will keep her safe, protect her, and care for her until you think it is her time to become Alpha." 

"I...I don't know what to say," Quinn whispers, her voice very soft as she runs a hand through her hair. "I mean, I've always wanted to care for a child." 

"I am offering you that chance. You said you believed that Moon Goddess has plans for you to do something with your life even though you are barren." 

Quinn nods. "I will let you know soon. I am sure Terrance will not say no." It pains me as I have given someone an offer to raise a child, for I never thought I would go through with this and perhaps let someone else raise my child. 

"I need to go back to my council, but please think through this seriously, for Leala will not have an easy life if people know who she is...she will need to be raised in a different life...believing a different life is hers."