Neela gazed happily up at Morris and Morris held tightly to her hand. This was something she didn't take lightly and she was going to take all the time she wanted with her, even if it meant hurting people. But of course, Morris would just end up getting whipped in the end if she defied orders, so that was no go. Besides it wasn't like they were on their own, Aren was behind them, watching their movement from on top of his horse. This way if she tried to run away with Neela, Aren would catch up to her in no time and he would deprive her of her oxygen. Aren was an inferni-which meant he had fire as his power and she, without knowing the full extent of her powers would probably die before she could get Neela to safety.

"Mamma?" Neela asked tugging on Morris's dress

"Yes my Love?"

"Why is the sky blue?" Morris smiled and squeezed Neela's hand

"The sky is blue because i-it's the tears of those who have cried. You see when we cry, our tears drop down into the ground, which soaks it up, then the little systems underneath the ground bring them up to the sky."

"But tears are clear, how do they turn blue?"

"With blueberries darling. You see there are little workers beneath our feet working to dye the tears blue."

"Oh. Well I thank them for their service." Neela let go of Morris's hand and ran ahead to the river. Morris thought back to the last night she and Alexander were married.

(Flashback)

"I think you're going to like this song my love."

"We'll see." Morris said as she watched Alexander rise and walk to the record player. It had taken her many years to forgive him after she had woken up a different person, maiming her skin with the thorns. But he had apologized and told her he was sorry and that he had let the greed get to him. It had though taken her a few days to really forgive him, but-

"Come darling, come dance." He said, interrupting her thoughts. She rose, her red gown swishing on the hardwood floor as she went to him. Grateful of the long sleeves that covered her deadly thorns. It had been the only way she could get near to him. He grabbed her gently around the waist and placed her arms around his neck, she hesitated at first.

"What's wrong?" He asked bowing his head to look at her.

"I-I don't want to hurt you." She said softly as she watched his eyes.

"You won't. I-I want to show you something." Morris watched him stop the record player, then he back back and ripped off the sleeves

"W-what are you doing! I'm going to kill you!" She drew back, putting her arms around her body.

"No you won't. Trust me Morris, trust me.."

(End)

"Look mommy!." Her daughter voice brought her out of her reverie. Her eyes glanced around trying to locate her. When she did, her heart jumped for her daughter was walking across a log that was above the rushing river

"Be careful Neela!" Morris warned as she lifted her dress and walked quickly to the edge.

"I will mo-" She said just as the log snapped, Neela began to plummet fast

"Neela!" Morris screamed as she raised her hand towards her daughter. In a matter of moments, Neela jolted to a stop, hovering in the air panting hard. She looked towards the river bank to see her mother's hand still outstretched, her face more pale than usual.

"How is she doing that?" Aren asked as he stepped up next to Morris.

"I-I don't know. I-I think I am." Morris did a test. She moved her hand up and down, her daughter went up and down. She moved her hand side to side, her daughter went side to side.

"It is you!"

"But how, I don't understand how I can do it." Morris mumbled as she brought Neela to herself. Neela giggled

"Again mommy!" And before Morris could say no, Neela was climbing up the tree again. After five more times of jumping and catching, they made their way into a field of daisies and sat in it while they made daisy chains for their heads, Neela even made one for Aren who held it awkwardly. Then they walked to the river and took drinks afterwards, they sat under a tree and Neela asked Morris to tell her a story

"Once upon a time, a little girl helped the needy. She worked hard to serve her kingdom."

"What was her name?" Neela asked clutching her mothers arm

"Her name was peacekeeper and she protected all the kingdoms. One day when the peacekeeper turned seventeen, it was time for her to marry."

"Ohh was it a prince?" Neela's eyes shimmered with curiosity. Morris cleared her throat and glanced at Aren. He smiled at her and nodded to continue.

"Oh yes. Yes, but he was even better than a prince, he was a king. A king looking for his queen." Neela gasped.

"Did he find her!?"

"Yes. He married the peacekeeper and they lived happily ever after." Neela screamed and jumped up and down clapping her hands.

"Oh what a good story Mommy!" She said, unaware of the flash of pain across her mother's face.

"Yes, yes a good story." Morris said as she rose to her feet.

"What should we do now mommy?"

"Uh I-I don't know what do you want to do?" Neela scrunched her nose.

"I-I want to go back."

"Go back? Where?"

"The palace. I want to play with Toria." Neela began to walk away. Morris caught up to her and took her hand in hers

"Who's Toria?"

"S-Sh'es the woman that stays with daddy."

"Oh?" Morris said in a hardened tone.

"Yeah. They do everything together, eat, sleep and have parties."

"Very interesting. Uh Neela, do they kiss?"

"Toria tries but daddy turns from her when she tries." Hope glinted inside Morris's heart.

"Ah! Thank you Neela, you've been most helpful. Now let's get you back to the palace.: They walked slowly back, arriving, a maid took Neela and Aren took Morris back to her cell

"Aren?" Morris said as he closed the door.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for today." Aren chuckled

"I am not the one to thank. It is Him you thank. Remember, we don't provide for you." With a click of his boots, he left. Morris stuck her tongue out then slipped behind the curtain and changed back into her pants and shirt. Then she laid on her bed and her thoughts once again turned to the past, the memory she often thought about when feeling alone.

(FLASHBACK)

"I think you're going to like this song my love."

"We'll see." Morris said as she watched Alexander rise and walk to the record player. It had taken her many years to forgive him after she had woken up a different person, maiming her skin with the thorns. But he had apologized and told her he was sorry and that he had let the greed get to him. It had though taken her a few days to really forgive him, but-

"Come darling, come dance." He said, interrupting her thoughts. She rose, her red gown swishing on the hardwood floor as she went to him. Grateful of the long sleeves that covered her deadly thorns. It had been the only way she could get near to him. He grabbed her gently around the waist and placed her arms around his neck, she hesitated at first.

"What's wrong?" He asked bowing his head to look at her.

"I-I don't want to hurt you." She said softly as she watched his eyes.

"You won't. I-I want to show you something." Morris watched him stop the record player, then he came to her and ripped off the sleeves of the dress.

"W-what are you doing! I'm going to kill you!" She drew back, putting her arms around her body.

"No you won't. Trust me Morris, trust me." Morris sighed deeply. Staring into her husband's eyes which held no spark of fear.

"Alright, I-I trust you." Alexander nodded and placed his hands on her arms, Morris squeezed her eyes shut as his hands came into contact with the thorns. He stepped back, his palms bleeding and she watched in wonder as he stayed upright, he did not fall to the ground dead, the wounds in his palms began to heal.

"But how!?" She gasped out

"You my dear are made from me. You are flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, thorns of my thorns. I cannot be hurt. Your poison does not hurt me and I can never be killed or hurt by you."

"Oh please Alexander, let's dance! Please!" Alexander pulled Morris to himself and they danced around the room. Later that night, for the first time, Morris shed her sleepwear and lay next to her husband, finally able to feel his warm skin upon hers.

(End)

As the memories faded, a tear slid down Morris's cheek. She didn't mean to cry but she simply could not understand how everything had gone awry. Why had he gotten so mad at her when she became pregnant? Why was he forcing her more and more to practice the magic that burned within her veins? What was his end goal? Morris shifted on her mattress and faced the wall, her mind turned to this afternoon when she was finally able to see Neela again, but along with the fun memories, came a new scary one that bored into her mind. The memory of her daughter telling of a new woman within Alexander's walls and with it, questions flooded her brain. What was her purpose here? Was she Alexander's new wife? But most importantly, what was he going to do with her?