A different sort of feeling was in the air. Seiren and Madeleine hardly came out of their rooms at Benover castle, only to eat was when they chose to reveal themselves but then again who could blame them. The day had finally came. The day of Kristen Harred's beheading. King Bolliver Woodbead chose the method of beheading in the palace throne room would be most fitting. Mage Kommora Haigh put it in terms, "I find it poetic that the witch is gonna die at the place she intended to kill all of us. It's quite poetic truly."

Seiren stared out the window of her temporary bedroom, the blonde haired mage fiddling with the petticoats of her dress. "Don't do that Seiren you'll ruin it" Madeleine cried out from behind and gave a light slap on Seiren's wrist. Seiren growled at her sister in response. "I don't know why you even talked me into wearing this anyway." Madeleine frowned and gave her sister a slight pout. "We should at least dress formally and wear the proper clothing", Madeleine explained like it was the most simplest answer in the world. Madeleine was referencing the fact that both her and Madeleine are wearing dresses for the execution and for the private funeral that would be held a few days afterwards.

And while normally Seiren would detest wearing dresses she somehow let Madeleine talk her into it. But what Seiren did not expect was for her to be wearing a midnight black dress with petticoats, Madeleine's former ruby pendant, and of course heeled shoes. While Seiren's dress and expression made her look like a depressing and ominous raven Madeleine chose to wear a similar white dress with petticoats and heeled shoes, her blonde hair naturally curling at the end. Seiren thought her sister looked beautiful. The benevolent white dove to her ominous black raven.

"Okay, do you think I look okay?" Madeleine asked standing in front of Seiren. She gave Seiren a forced smile and for a second Seiren saw past the facade that Madeleine was putting up for everyone, especially for Seiren. On the inside, she's just as broken about this as I am. But Madeleine truly did look like Kristen. Seiren did as well but looking at Madeleine square in the face right now in her fully aged body she almost looked like a carbon copy. If only Madeleine's hair was straightened, it would look like it was actually Kristen standing before her and not Madeleine. The thought actually scared her.

"You look fine", Seiren assured. But Madeleine's mind seemed to be elsewhere. "Maddie?" Seiren said snapping fingers to get her sister's attention. Madeleine jolted back from Seiren's touch and spun her head around to get a look of her surroundings. "Are you okay?", Seiren questioned. Before Madeleine opened her mouth to answer a castle servant opened the door and peaked his head in. "Yes?" Seiren asked, her voice coming out a bit more icy and distant than intended. The servant winced at Seiren's voice before speaking. "King Bolliver requests your presences, Mage Nithercott, Mage Harred." The servants voice was low and quivering as if trying not to stutter with all his willpower.

"Thank you" Madeleine replied with a warm smile putting the servant somewhat at ease. He gave a light nod of his head before closing the door. "Come on, we should head to the throne room, we don't want to be late", Seiren walked over to the desk by the window and grabbed her rainbow lined mage's cloak. Madeleine had her's close to her beside and draped it over her shoulder's. "By the way, I received word last night that no runes or magic talismans are allowed in the throne room." Seiren silently but her lip in frustration. "Great", Seiren breathed sarcastically. "Come on Seiren it's not like you'll need them." And with those words Madeleine opened the chamber doors and walked away, but not before saying, "I'll meet you there."

With Seiren to herself the Nithercott mage grabbed her runes. Just a few slips of red, orange, blue, green, and violet rune papers, a couple of blanks, and three sticks of rune chalk. Carefully placing these in the inner lined pockets of her mage's cloak Seiren patted the barely noticeable lump in her cloak before sauntering out the door, a calm but slow walk in her gait.

Seiren and Madeleine arrived in the throne room almost half an hour after they were summoned. It wasn't because they wanted to be late, but because the castle was such a maze that Seiren and Madeleine got lost on multiple occasions. But once Seiren and Madeleine did reach the throne room, everyone fell silent. A thick and heavy foreboding feeling was in the air. The tension so thick that Seiren could draw a rune in the air with it. Sitting upon the throne was King Bolliver Woodbead. The golden crown of Karma upon his head, her rainbow lined mage's cloak swept beside him, his dark raven hair, and his eyes that zeroed in on Seiren and Madeleine when they walked in.

Standing on Bolliver's right was his father Edgard Woodbead, and on his left was Rowan Woodbead, the youngest giving Seiren and Madeleine a rather narrowed and off putting gaze. And standing right beside Rowan was Mage Kommora Haigh, and Bellamy Southwark. The advisors to King Bolliver and Seiren is happy to say, not trying to kill or overthrow anyone. As Seiren and Madeleine took the stand beside Rowan and Kommora the old hag whispered to them, "your late." "We got lost!" Seiren whispered back. Seiren risked a glance at Rowan who was already looking at her. He mouthed the words, "are you okay?" Seiren couldn't help but snort inwardly. He's the one that was found unconscious in a pool of his own blood and he wants to know if I'm okay.

Seiren nodded her head yes but went silent when Bolliver began to speak. "The time has come" he said in a echoing and emotionless voice. "Bring in the prisoner." The guards nodded as they opened the door and sauntered off. A few minutes later the guards returned, and a strong vice like grip wrapped around Seiren's heart. She felt Madeleine squeeze her hand for support. Their mother was brought forth in shackles. The chains clanked and rattled as she walked. Seiren frowned and her heart nearly tore in two as she gazed at her mother's form.

Her hair was now almost platinum blonde, and completely devoid of color. Her face faced with dirt and her hair in disarray. Kristen was dressed in nothing more than rags, ripped, dirty, and worn out. "Rise Kristen Harred." King Bolliver demanded. Kristen rose but did not look at Bolliver, but instead turned to Seiren and Madeleine. Their eyes connected, and for a few seconds Seiren saw her mother. The one that would clean her nose when she cried, the one that would help bandage her when she got into fights at school, the one who used to sing and read her and Madeleine to sleep before bed. The one who told Seiren and Madeleine that they could be anything they wanted to be in this world.

But the happy thoughts only happened for a few seconds before the new ones set in. The one's of Kristen Harred that was not her mother. The one who caused Loren's death. The one who killed Madeleine and father and did nothing of it. The one who planned to kill all the innocent citizens and Karma to obtain celestial magic. Even though her mind told her that Kristen Harred should bring a deep hatred to her heart, not all of it was filled with hatred. Love for that woman as the mother who raised her still lived within.

But she must pay for her crimes, Seiren's mind spoke to her. Seiren simply stared at Kristen before Bolliver continued to speak. "You have been brought before us for your execution, for your crimes against Karma and it's citizens in a plot of mass genocide. How do you plead?" Kristen again ignored Bolliver's words and turned to look at Madeleine who was on the verge of tears, her rapid face paced breathing could have been heard even by Edgard. "Guilty", she said, Kristen's voice ringing hollow of the white marble walls. Seiren stiffed and looked at Kristen, wild belief displayed in her eyes.

"But...", she added cutting off Bolliver from saying anything else."I would like to say one lady goodbye to my daughter's." Seiren's breath caught in her throats as everyone turned to face Seiren and Madeleine. "My beautiful baby's girls, I'm sorry that I left you two alone when I should have cared for you, I'm sorry for leaving you Seiren, with the guilt that you killed me and your sister. I hope that one day you can forgive me in your heart. And Madeleine", she continued, her voice staring to crack, her eyes becoming glassy. "I'm sorry for binding you to that amulet, I'm sorry for casting you into that endless void of purgatory, I'm sorry that I couldn't save you or your father that fateful night. I hope that one day my daughter's you can forgive me for my sins against you."

Kristen raised her head high, the seasoned mage clearing her throat before continuing her final speech. "And I ask you my daughter's, to forgive me for my sins...one more time." Seiren blinked in confusion. What is she? Seiren soon got her answer as Kristen threw away her cuffs and pulled out a stone. The rock was round and black with bits and flecks of gold. "Stop her!!!" Bellamy cried out as Bolliver rose to his full height. Time slowed down as Kristen turned to Seiren and Madeleine, a look of disbelief and heartbreak written over their faces. "Forgive me my daughter's" she said in almost a whisper before throwing down the stone.

A blast of light emerged, Seiren covering her eyes to protect them from the flash. Seiren gritted her teeth at the lights intensity, and scrunched up her nose when she smelled the familiar scent of--cinnamon?!

The light died down and Seiren removed her hands from over her eyes. Her mother was gone. And in her place was a large lizard creature. An unnatural shade of gold occupied it's eyes. It's gargantuan body made it as tall as the ceiling. It's rough leathery skin matched that of dirt and peppered with dark soil. Seiren gasped as she stared at those large slits of a dark abyss. Every bone in her body screamed that this was impossible. Her mother didn't have anymore magic. She shouldn't be able to cast even the smallest of spells.

She wouldn't have believed it unless she was standing right before it.

Her magic less mother and just conjured a Hannan demon in the throne room of Benover castle!

A/N: Remember to share, comment, and vote.

Always dedicated to Katrin Hollister and the fabulous book, the Rune Mage. The look of the Hannan demon is that of a Komodo Dragon. Picture is above because I did a horrible job of describing it.

Stay tuned for more.