Reyna led Vex down the vast hallways of the keep, they were in the royal wing so only a few servants bustled about. There were more servants in the wing then what she was used to, but she'd done it for Neena, the Eagle now had a room of her own here in the royal wing. She hoped it would help with Neena's healing, the poor woman ravaged both mentally and physically from her ordeal with the Scalder. Neena had proven to be a fighter, surviving injuries that Reyna was sure would've killed most. The woman was a survivor, and something more, what that was Reyna was unsure, right now her only concern was getting the young woman back on her feet and on the way to recovery. Reyna knew it was going to be a long road, for the Neena that Niko had fallen in love with was gone, what remained was a creature on the brink of despair, a creature searching for meaning, a broken woman with little to live for.

"I want no funny business while were in here Vex," she said sternly, "we're here to help this poor girl anyway we can, so put on your nice boy face."

Vex looked at her quizzically, only nodding. Her usually cheerful jester was rather somber. He seemed to be getting darker, his skin a dark black with white lines drawn from the corners of his mouth frowning downward. Maybe that's why he seemed so somber, the lines were usually drawn in pointing upwards, in a weird, sinister like clown's grin. He had the white face paint all around his eyes as well, with lines drawn in angling down from the corners of each eye as well, making his entire face look sad, as if melting about ready to slide completely off. Now that she thought about it, she probably should've had him wash it off, the face paint disconcerting.

Vex wore a lose imitation of his normal motley, a green and yellow jester's hat with a long tail that ran half way down his back, a pair of loose fitting pants that were baggy allowing him to still perform his acrobats but not the skin tights that he usually wore. His shoes were curled at the ends, but no rings or bells adorned them, the green pants and yellow shoes matching his hat. He wore a green long-sleeved shirt, with a yellow collar, the pale yellow making him look even darker. He carried a box for his Queen, it mostly contained bandages and wraps, but at the bottom was a book of magic, one Queen Lesna had obtained centuries prior, one that she hoped would aid in healing the fallen Eagle.

They were at the door of Neena's chamber, "I mean it Vex, she's in a very vulnerable state, be on your best behavior." She warned him once more, had his hands not been full she was sure he'd of made a 'twwwwthubbbb' fart noise with his mouth and pointed in the air, spinning his hand in a 'I don't care what you say' gesture.

Vex was the only person in the castle other than Gili that she truly trusted. Sure, he was compulsive, unpredictable, rude, dirty-minded, and immature, but he was also very adept navigating the way of her court. He was the one who always seemed to get information that no other could. She wasn't sure if it was his station as court jester that allowed it, people unwilling to take him seriously, or if he was just that good at sneaking about lurking in the shadows. She figured it to be a little bit of both, but either way, he was an invaluable member of her court.

Reyna knocked on the door, "Neena, darling, it's Reyna, I've come to bandage your wounds." She didn't wait for an answer, Neena didn't respond, as was her custom. Reyna opened the door, the smell of dead decaying flesh assaulting her as she peeked in before she entered. Neena lying on the bed, she could just make out her outlines under the sheet in the dimly lit room. This was how she always found her, Neena hadn't left the room since she'd been moved here, some three months ago. The poor girl lying here all alone, depressed and wondering what trials still lay ahead of her. Reyna put on a cheerful face, "I've brought Vex with me, not in his customary role though, he's going to bandage your wounds. You will find him a rather gifted healer, but that is a secret I keep to myself, so I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

Neena slowly turned to look at her before emptily replying, "Yes, my Queen." Her eyes vacant, whatever thoughts going through her head seemed to be taking the life from her soul.

The room was a make shift one, it had been Reyna's sewing room up until Neena's need of it. The Queen, wanting to keep her close for various reasons, not only for Neena's sake, but the crowns also. If the nobles from the court caught sight of her, or if some slack mouthed servant were to inform others about Neena's condition the Queen was sure it'd cause an uproar amongst the nobility, and that in turn would trickle down to all their subjects, which in turn would cause wide spread panic. How was she to inform her subjects that after eight hundred and some odd years that the werewolves were preparing to attack, not only attack, but attack with humans by their sides.

The room was very plain now, nothing adorned the walls, the only furnishings; a bed with a night stand next to it, a large trunk at the foot of the bed, and then a small table stuffed away in the corner with wash basin and towels on it. Reyna had Lott keep the room in near darkness, denying Neena of seeing herself in the Alabastar's reflective sheen. She had made the mistake once, and when Neena had seen her now grotesque reflections in the Alabastar she had nearly lost her mind. She'd had to spend two full days and nights with the injured girl, assuring her that she was doing all she could to make her better, to return her to the way she was, finally getting the girl to start eating and drinking again. But, only after she, the Queen had sworn by her house that she would not let Niko see her before she had figured out a way to cure her. So, not only was Nazra on the brink of war, but she also had to figure out truly what had happened to Neena in order to be able to find a cure.

"Neena, love. Its' been a full day since the Alabastar bath, it's time to proceed with the next step of your treatment." Reyna could see Neena listening but hearing nothing she said, utter despair in the woman's once vibrant eyes. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, and that I couldn't find another woman to perform the bandaging, but these are dark times and I know Vex is one I can truly trust to keep all that we do here a secret. Remember, I will be performing a binding spell while he applies the wrappings, once there on you, they must remain that way till we find a cure." Neena merely nodded, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Lott, darken all the Alabastar, I want her to see no reflections, do I make myself clear?"

His bull-shit momentary lapse or pause before, "Yes.....my..Queen."

"Then light the room, I've a binding to perform."

This time Lott's only response was the gradual brightening of the lights, the Alabastar's sheen darkening, dulling it' vibrant reflective eyes.Vex walked in with the box, kicking the door closed behind him, he then walked over to the bed placing the box down on it. He ruffled through the bandages in the box digging to the bottom of it to pull out the thick spell book, he then turned and handed it to the Queen.

"Neena, this is a book of spells I've entitled the 'Grimore's', it was taken from the dragon upon his defeat by our great Queen Lesna. It is within these pages I was able to find a way to treat you, it will slow the diseases progress, which will give us time to find a cure." She did her best to sound totally confident, even though she was fighting feelings of helplessness.

"Just let me die your Highness, just let me go, please!" Begged Neena, now crying.

Her heart ached for the woman, "If it was that easy child I would gladly grant your wish, but we don't know if what you have will kill you. What if it only destroys your flesh and insides, what if it just decimates you and leaves you a walking corpse?"

"Is that not what I am now?" she asked bitterly.

Reyna remained calm, speaking soothingly, "You were touched by the Forever Fires child, we've no idea what that fully means at this moment. So, we must do whatever we can to save you now, so we can discover truly what has happened. So, please Neena do not give up hope, you mustn't, Niko still needs you." A moments spark crossed her eyes at the mention of his name, she took advantage of it, "Yes Neena, he still needs you, he loves you, so you mustn't lose hope." The moments brief flicker was fading, Reyna feeling desperate pressed on, she needed Neena to have hope and faith in her. She spoke once again, "Neena, you get through all this, and I will perform the wedding ceremony myself, you and Niko...happily ever after."

This lit the fires of love within, and a light in Neena's eyes that the Queen hadn't seen since the injuries had happened, "Do you really think you can find a cure?" hope once again in her eyes.

She had her, Reyna's smile widened, "Of course I do child, if it were not true I would've told you so." She lightly brushed aside a loose strand of hair hanging in Neena's face, "It will happen Neena, just believe and keep fighting for it." Reyna squeezed her had tightly, "Now let's get this spell done and get you all taken care of." Neena squeezed her hand once as she pulled away once again to open the large volume book. She placed it down on the trunk, ruffling through the pages till she found what she needed.

Vex continued to work in silence, taking the wrappings from the box and placing them on the bed. Reyna looked at the writings once again, the root of the spell drawing upon a magic known to very few, she reckoned she was the only human on the planet with the knowledge do so. The dragons had kept the art of magic a secret, with only a handful of them knowing. Grimore had collected books from throughout not only Nazra, but worlds Reyna had never even heard of. The dragon's immense library was another part of Queen Lesna's legacy, containing a vast knowledge that only the Queen and a few chosen scribes even knew about. The library locked away in secret, with only one way to get to it, and that way was by magical, or supernatural means. The knowledge contained in the dragon's vast library enough to tilt the balance of power in favor of whomever possessed them, so it was with this in mind that every Queen kept the library and its knowledge secret. Reyna studied the pages, it was a tricky spell, but she felt confident that she could pull it off, she poured a cup of solvent and placed it on the trunk, the binding began.

Neena watched in silent surprise as the usually jovial jester now worked in business like fashion. His nimble finger lining the rows of bandages along the foot of her bed. His downward painted face paint brought a somber gloom to the room all its own, but Neena sensed perhaps maybe there was some inward sadness manifested on his now solemn face. He backed away from the bed and stood silently next to the Queen as she began speaking words from the book, the language something Neena had never heard before. Vex was nodding, as if following along, with the Queen's words. The Queen seemed to settle in a trance like state, eyes closed, mouth moving but speaking in barely a whisper.

Vex listened a moment longer and then quietly walked up to the bed, he spoke soft and soothingly, "It's time to start the wrappings Mistress Neena..." an uncomfortable look now crossed his face, "I'm going to have to ask you to stand up please Mistress Nee..."

Neena stopped him, "Neena, Vex. Please just call me Neena"

The sad painted eyes seemed somewhat happy with that, his face soft and caring, "Ok, Neena, I'm going to have to ask you to stand and disrobe, it's the best way to do this."

Neena's stomach flipped and tied in a knot, she wasn't nervous about Vex seeing her naked, no she had lost her modesty on that at Wreakers Academy. There the boys would oftentimes sneak into the springs and watch the girls as they bathed. The girls all knew this so many a times they would put on a special show just for the peeping perverts. So, a man seeing her naked wasn't the issue, it was the fact that he'd be looking upon her disintegrating body. The shame Vex was feeling for her modesty made her a little flush, knowing what had to be done she threw back the covers and gently got to her feet with a little help from Vex.

"Once you're okay to stand on your own I'll begin, once the binding starts I can't stop, so you will have to stand a little while on your own. Take your time, we can wait." The jester's soft nature was giving her a sense of peace.

Neena nodded, it wasn't pain that made standing hard, but disuse, she had only recently woken up and been pulled from the vat of keetone venom. She took in a deep breath before saying, "Go ahead and get this going."

Vex nodded and let go of her arm, he gave her a cup the Queen had poured earlier. "Here, drink this." Handing her the cup, she drank it down handing it back, the liquid thin and tasteless as if drinking air. He grabbed a roll of the wrap and knelt in front of her, "Put your legs apart slightly please and hold your arms straight out to your sides." Neena did as instructed, "Reyna, we're ready to begin."

It was a jolt to hear Vex call the Queen by only her name, but then it came back to her what she'd said about trusting Vex more than anyone, so just the mention of her name in a private setting shouldn't surprise her. The Queens voice became louder, so all could hear, but she remained closed eyes in a trance like state, the lights in the room dimmed to a pale, ominous haze, the bluish tint making it hard for her to focus. For a moment she thought she was spinning and about to fall but then felt a wave of peace wash over with the first touches of Vex's hands as he began the wrapping of her body.

She didn't look down, seeing Vex through the periphery of her eyes dead ahead stare. She'd had to see herself as she came out of keetones venom, that followed by an Alabastar bath, and the sight had appalled her, causing her knees to buckle and have the Queen come escort her to bed, sopping and all, and then holding her through her fits of sobs and wailing before she had finally fallen asleep. She was a monster now, a hideous beast of white, rotting flesh, and exposed decaying Alabastar muscle. What skin she had was white and beyond deathly pale, almost the pallor of Alabastar now, the tip of her nose gone, no longer there. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to send her spiraling into despair.

"A poem, for sweet Neena," Vex declared, jolting her from her thoughts,

"The Eagle's beauty wrapped up by me."

"Now within, a world no longer sees?"

"Beauty fleeing her minds believe?"

"Fly, fly, Eagle be free."

"Fly, fly, Eagle be free."

His hands worked gently, his fingers nimbly unwrapping the rolls of Alabastar fabric, while wrapping her from head to toe. She felt strange, her mind swirling but her body stoic and strong as she stood there naked while the Queen's jester continued his task. His fingers gently touching her hips and lower back as he reached around her and grabbed the roll behind her back, repeating it a few more times. In the tinted light his face looked demon like, his dark skin an ebony black in the light, the white face paint florescent bright and sad

"From the ash of Fires, a heart still beats."

"A gift from others, Eagles don't retreat."

She wanted to interrupt him, to stop him and ask what he meant, but her mind unable to make her mouth speak. Whatever she had drank was now fogging her mind, her thoughts garbled, her head spinning.

"A bird of Prey, the Fires couldn't defeat"

"Fly, fly Eagle be free"

"Fly, fly Eagle be free."

He was now starting to wrap her neck and head, she stifled a cry, tears welling in her eyes once again.

Vex paused, about to start wrapping her head, his dark eyes met hers, "Neena, I bind not death in these wraps, but life, rise from these ashes as a phoenix." His voice a plea, his eyes pools of compassion.

She blinked back the tears, "Thankyou Vex."

He nodded, and finished wrapping her face, each strip feeling more suffocating than the last. Each layer taking a piece of Neena with it, with each continuing layer she felt herself fading, and something else taking its place, a darkness, a hunger. She was alone, she'd lost everyone, everything, Niko, it was all gone! How could she live like this? She wanted to scream but still couldn't speak, she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry but couldn't move.

"Neena...Neena!" someone was shaking her, "Neena!" it was Vex. She focused on his silly hat, then followed it down to his eyes, obvious concern in them, "Hey, we're almost done here okay? Stay with me." He was just finishing with her left leg. "I'll finish your feet when you lay down again." He then jumped to his feet and put the extra wraps back in the box before changing her bedding.

Neena's stomach lurched with the balling up of her sheets, the smell of decaying flesh assaulting her nostrils, panic once again flooding her thoughts. She was hideous, cursed, a monstrosity doomed to a solitary life. Why was the Queen putting her through this? Vex finished making the bed, throwing the dirty linens out in the hallway.

"Come Neena, lie down." He said reaching out to give her a hand.

She could hardly move, she tried to put her arms down and it took all the strength should could muster just to put them down halfway. Her legs couldn't bend at the knees, so she waddled and shuffled her way to the bed.

"Sorry Neena, it's going to be stiff for the first few days till the wrap will mold and fit to your body, the Queen gives her assurance that the stiffness is only temporary." Vex helped her sit and then slide onto the bed. "Let me finish your feet then I'll let the Queen know were finished." The Queen still entranced and uttering the spell quietly. Vex wrapped her right foot, and then moved on to the left, before he finished he let out a curse, "Damn! I cut myself snipping the bandage. Hope you don't mind a few red drops on the bottom of your foot." He frowned in shame.

"It's fine Vex," her voice was back! "Your blood isn't going to make me any uglier."

The Jester pivoted angrily towards her, before softening noticeably, "My dear Neena, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." His eyes once again locked on hers, "I thank you for the honor of being able to touch a body as divine as yours." Both the look in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice had her believing he truly felt what he said.

"Thank you Vex, you've been too kind."

He bowed, "Always a pleasure to serve a creature a lovely as you darling Neena. Now I have to let the Queen know we are done." He walked towards the Queen and whispered something in her ear, the Queen immediately crumpled in his arms. Neena went to move to help but couldn't, "Worry not Lady Neena, this always happens when she uses the arcanes. A little rest and she'll be back on her throne in no time." The jester, though scrawny and thin seemed to have no trouble at all gently picking up the Queen and carrying her from the room. "I'll be back to check on you later Neena, m...my Queen needs me."

"Thank you Vex." She said once more, the jester closing the door as he exited. Neena stared at the ceiling alone, feeling lost, Vex had gotten her through the binding but he was gone now, and she was all alone, trapped in her mind.

Neena wept.

________
Neena daub her perfume on the letter, it was Niko's favorite, a rosy blend from the large pedal roses grown south in Elenay. She sealed the letter and left it on the night stand by the bed, Vex said he'd make sure it got to Niko. Neena felt both relief and dread, would Niko understand? Would he wait while the Queen searched for a cure, was she right to ask him to wait? At least she was finally getting word to him, the poor boy was probably going crazy not knowing how she was, if she was going to make it? It broke her heart imagining the pain she'd put him through with her injuries, but she was also a bundle of nerves. Would he even want to be with someone as grotesque as she was now? She rolled over in the bed, tears filling her eyes. He loved her, he'd accept whatever to be with her, she sniffled, tears once again streaming down her face, but this time mixed with joy, Niko loved her, they'd get through this. She began rolling the letter before remember to tell Niko to give Popper a hug for her. Imagining the two giant knights hugging awkwardly bring delight to her heart.
Neena smiled thinking of Niko, and his soft hands and kind heart, the everything man that she loved, she drifted to sleep thinking of a wedding day she doubt she'd ever have with her Alabastar lover.
Vex walked in silently and placed the breakfast tray on the night stand, he seen the letter and picked it up, the smell of perfuming leaving small hints in the air, he tucked it inside his shirt pocket and left the room, leaving Neena with the sweet dreams of hope and love.
Sometime later, deep within the Lance, Vex took out the letter Neena had written, he opened it and read it, craning his neck and feigning a love struck boy, he gave a fake sniffle as he crumpled it into a ball, throwing it up into the air and 'spinning' the fire to consume it, Neena's undying words of love burned brightly as it drifted to the Alabastar floor, spiraling to the floor in a fiery spasm before burning out, it withered and convulsed briefly before the happy clad foot of Vex stepped on it, smashing it to dust.
Vex smiled, mischievously, "I've got some burning love for you Lady Neena." He whispered to himself before thrusting his hips back and forth in lewd motions, grinding the letter into nothing more than dust as his naughty feet shuffled about with his gyrating hips.