Part I: Old Tim was curled up on the window sill basking his blue fur in the morning sunshine. He opened his eyes and watched his longtime human companion turned Sidhe finish off this morning's breakfast using an unpacked box as a table. The move had been prompted by John's chrysalis. After all, it would be a strain on a Sidhe to be too far from concentrated glamour. Timothy yawned and stretched. Oh, well, that is life. He felt something disturb the warmth of the sunshine on his back and turned to see another pair of feline eyes staring into his eyes and then at his companion. With a thrill he realized this was a fellow gremalkin, and a rather attractive tortoiseshell at that! Before the thought had even completed its course, the other gremalkin was gone. Tim began to wash himself to settle his thoughts. It was disturbing him that the other hadn't stayed or signaled him where to meet. Then he remembered why he had abandoned the territories of Urban Kings and Queens. Some plot was afoot, and he hadn't even been in town for more than two days. He looked over at John as the Sidhe left to become familiar with local nobility by doing some inane ceremony and a bad feeling stirred from the place that birthed his dreams... ******************************************** John wandered down St. Catherine street taking in the sounds and smells. The banality was strong in the city; but it seemed there was enough glamour under the surface to feed even the most starved of banshee. He shuddered at that thought. He finally arrived in front of a boarded up ex-cinema and theatre across from the market cum mall called the Faubourg. Behind the black painted plywood with the signs "DEFENSE D'AFFICHER" posted at regular intervals he could feel the strength of the glamour emanating from the freehold. He wandered around its side and climbed over the boards into a litter strewn alleyway. Now, away from the banal press of humanity, he could see the entryway to the freehold and the bum/ troll acting as sentry. The troll nodded to him as he approached the entryway, waving him through. Once he stepped through the doors, he was caught up in a swirl of kithain who conducted him before Duchess Elana before he could get his bearings. He was briefly wonder-struck by the beauty of the freehold and awestruck by the beauty of the Duchess, dressed in a black and silver gown. By some instinct he went to his knees before her, noticing a couple of cats curled up lazily about her feet. An angelic voice tantalized his eardrums, "Speak, and tell me what brings you to my freehold?" He looked up, "I have overcome the Fior-Righ described by the Baron of Cantons. I humbly request to be Sained in this court and learn from the ways of the Freehold, your Grace." An elderly sidhe of House Gwydion stepped forward to whisper in the Duchess' ear. The Duchess nodded and looked intently at John, her face betraying no emotion. "Very well, follow my Regent, Count Latath of Clairemontagnes and he will conduct the ceremony." A noble of House Eiluned looked up from his conversation with an attractive female Satyr and caught the attention of several other nobles, sighing at the interruption. The Count stepped forward, as well as those he had notified, and gestured for John to follow him into the door behind the throne. John bowed at the presence of the duchess, before excusing himself to follow the Count. There was a flash of fur and a tortoise shell cat was waiting for them by the door. They wended there way into a secret passage which took them into the presence of the freehold's balefire. The group gathered themselves together with John once more on his knees, but in front of the balefire. He noticed the cat sitting and watching the proceedings and his eyebrows knit together. Latath followed John's gaze, smiled and said, "Oh, she's with us all the time. We checked her out and she's just a cat, nothing to worry about. Shall we?" Latath pulled a shield down from the wall and the ceremony commenced... ******************************************** Queen Esmerelda watched the light glint off of the golden bauble she was toying with in her hand. There was an intensity about those crystal green eyes that belied the obvious playfulness of the gesture. A pack of kittlings were staring up at her, eyeing the ball in anticipation. With a grin, she reached down the right side of her throne and rolled it down the Court watching the kittens chase it into an unwary napping greywhisker, who reacted violently and sent the pack scattering, much to the amusement of the Court. She glanced down at her lover, who was curled up in a ball of tawny fur and purring in her lap, letting her black hair fall about her face. "Well, dearest, old Tiger has sent me a message about..." When she started speaking the wild play of kittling and wildlings didn't stop; but it seemed that in spite of the frivolity of their activities they had an ear on the proceedings. Just as the word 'about' passed her lips all of the court turned and looked, almost as one, at the entrance to the lair. What appeared there was one of the court's knights who was on duty in the traitor's lair. She was a tortoiseshell by the name of Lithui. She strutted in, tail held high taking in the attention. With a perfunctory bow intended to mock the furless fae, she began her report. "My Queen, I bring you the news you have long awaited." The Queen sat bolt upright in her throne as did her lover who promptly changed to his Sidhe form. The voice off Esmerelda practically drooled with anticipation and impatience, "Please, continue..." "The Other, Jonold, was sained in the court of Duchess Elana today." The Queen's face broke into a smile that was definitely predatory as she turned to the naked man in her lap, opening her mouth to speak. "My pardon, my liege, there is more. He has a gremalkin companion." The Queen's face clouded briefly from the interruption then her grin turned to one of cunning, eyes narrowing in calculation. "Mmmmm, thank you, return to your post and keep me appraised. Oh, and let old Tiger know all the relevant details. You know the drill." Lithui turned and bounded out of the lair as the courtiers returned to their play. Her consort chose that moment to gather glamour about him for clothing. Esmerelda looked out at him through her eyelashes, toying with his hair, "Now why are you doing that? This calls for some celebration..." Her grin changed from cunning to one of a different form of play... Behind the throne and to the left, guarded by a black tom and surrounded by the tormentors of its captive, was a small cage. In that cage was a mouse looking on the proceedings with fear and worry. In her eyes was the intelligence of a woman, but she could find no way to restore her true shape or breach the heavily warded cage to warn her oldest of friends. ******************************************** Tim spent a couple of hours restlessly exploring every nook and cranny of the new apartment. As the day progressed, he got more and more tense. Soon, the time he expected John back passed, and he really began to worry... Part II: Tim had just given up trying to use his paws to open the door when the familiar pattern of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs to the apartment. He started doing frantic little circles, deciding how best to reproach his recalcitrant companion. A piteous mewl level 4 ought to have expressed his thoughts succinctly. So as Jonold AKA John opened the door he was assaulted by such a terrible barrage of meows that he stopped in his tracks and stared at 'his' Blue Burmese. After looking at his cat bemusedly enduring another five seconds of caterwauling, his already smiling face broke open in a laugh. His arms swept down and picked up Tim, lifting up the feline into the air above John's head. "Well, well... look who missed me." John cuddled Tim scratching behind his ears, setting him down on the kitchen table/ box. The cat responded with a couple more meows showing his indignation and making sure he got his point across. John began the alchemy of preparing both their dinners. For a couple of minutes he was humming a tune until he put Tim's cat food out on the "table." "You're probably wondering why I was so late, eh?" Tim's response to this was simple: ignore him. He sampled the cat food and thought, "Yum, fake tuna tonight." John chuckled, "Well, today I found out I'm really a baron (Tim looked up chewing the cat food slowly, realized how awful it was to chew this slowly and gulped the nibble down) of the noble House Fiona. Mind you, I don't have any holdings or retinue yet, but just you wait! And there was this lovely Lady there that took an interest in me. Things are looking up!" The beeping of the microwave stopped his narrative. When he turned around, plate in hand, he saw Tim looking at him intently. "You know, Cat, sometimes I swear that you know more then you let on." Tim oopsed to himself and let out a long yawn, returning to his food. The only sounds in the apartment for the next little while were food being devoured. "Well, tonight, I'm off to a party to celebrate my impromptu saining so I'll be late, and don't be giving me the welcome you gave me earlier tonight. I don't want our neighbors complaining about 'that Anglo's next door's cat.' You understand" Halfway through that Tim started cleaning himself. John chuckled and started unpacking some of the boxes looking forward to receiving the table from the store tomorrow. Tim started meowing at the back door begging to be let out. John sighed and let Tim out, "Don't get lost or something." He returned to unpacking so that in an hour he had finished and was dressing for the festivities that night. In moments he was locking the apartment and on his way downtown. ******************************************** As soon as Tim stepped out the back door, he recognized the tortoiseshell cat from that morning. She was watching the apartment and got up as he stepped out. Tim meowed a greeting and slowly approached. They both sniffed each other to get the other's scent when the tortoiseshell sat back and said, "There are no ears to hear us. I am Dame Lithui of the court of the Queen of Cats." Tim held back a grin when she mentioned the Queen of Cats. After all, it had been ages since there had been The King of the Cats. "I am Tim. What brings someone so distinguished as you to this neck of alleys?" Lithui purred, "Why it is to meet the most recent arrival within our territory, and perhaps conduct him to the presence of the Queen." There was a warning bell in the back of Tim's mind. She was holding something back. "I wouldn't want to be gone too long from my companion." Lithui's tail twitched. "I wouldn't worry about that too much, now. Why don't you come along?" The warning bell turned into an alarm. Whatever plot this Queen was hatching, it involved John. He groaned inwardly. There wasn't enough time now to bow out of this invitation without insulting the local monarch. Well, at least he thought that he'd be able to find out something from the Queen. Tim feigned purring in happy submission, "All right, then I will come along." ******************************************** The Queen stood up from her throne naked and walked over to her captive, creating loose fitting clothes as she went from the glamour in the air. They clung to the sweat on her body as she leaned forward, poking her finger at the mouse in the cage. "Ah, my dearest Andoris, I'm sure you're looking forward to sharing your cell with your old lover," she practically purred, "Mmmmm, and how my court will love the game of cat and mice I have planned." A wry grin spread across her face. Her gloating was interrupted by the sound of cloth tearing and a couple of mewlings. She chuckled as she stood up and turned around, knowing what had just happened. One of the blue curtains that lined the lair beneath the courtiers boxes had been torn and collapsed. She laughed with the rest of the court at the struggles of a pack of kittlings to get out from under the curtain they had over burdened when climbing. She returned to her throne and reached into the box at the side. From it she pulled a spool of thread and a cloth. Three quick stitches drew upon the glamour that created a new curtain hanging in the place of the old. By the time she was done the kittlings were all out from under the curtain. She tossed them the spool of thread and smiled at their attacking techniques. She turned back to her captive an evil smile toying with her lips, "Can't you tell? They already look forward to the game." Another cat appeared at the entrance to the lair, a Siamese who ran up to the Queen. The Queen watched him approach, "Your Majesty, your... ahem... there's a party tonight at the freehold in your target's honour." She nodded to him, "Very well, return to your post." One of the nobles in Sidhe form who had strawberry blond hair broke from his conversation with a pack of wildlings and strode briskly to his Queen. "Lithui is now bringing the traitor's companion to us. Do you wish for me to implement the plan?" She watched the retreating Siamese and nodded, the venom saturating her voice, "Do it, old Tiger. Do it" Part III: John had been mingling with courtiers for the past half hour accepting various welcomings and congratulations. He couldn't find the Lady he had spoken to that day. John began to think darkly about allowing the Duchess the honour of being the one to start the party. The place was getting filled with kithain from all around. Things were getting crowded. A strange tinkling sound, that was soft, yet drowned out all conversation, filled the room. Everyone turned to look at the doors behind the throne. Out stepped Elana decked out in finest of her gowns, with a silver and black top with a black skirt. She swept up to her throne and looked out over the assembled kithain. "Humble citizens of this fine duchy," she smiled, "We have found yet another excuse to party, that of the saining of Jonold ip Fiona. Please come forward, Baron, to open the festivities with a speech." With that the Duchess stepped down from the throne and beckoned John to the top stair of its base. After a couple moments, he successfully wormed his way through the crowd and stood before them rather self- consciously. Then his noble heritage shone through, mixed with his wilder spirit, and he spoke boldly, "In the Dream, we are no longer strangers. Let the revelries begin!" This was followed by many cheers. The Duchess smiled as she once more stepped up to her throne, "Congratulations, Baron, that was by far the shortest speech at a Saining fete I've heard but very well spoken." With an elegant gesture the walls on either side of the court shimmered to reveal tables and boggans behind buffets. The crowd parted into these, emptying a space on the floor. The sound of instruments earthly and otherworldly teased the air with the intro to a dance. "Since this fete is in your honour, I request the first dance," Elana requested of John. John bowed deeply, "I would be honored to dance with you." As he escorted the Duchess to the floor, the crowd formed a circle to watch the opening dance. Inside John was trembling with the thoughts, "Great! I've never danced this style in all my life, and here I am with the Duchess, @%$#&, @#^$@!" Before he could gather his thoughts they were in the center of the floor and paired to dance. Memories he didn't know he had were soon guiding his feet in the intricate patterns of the dance. He experienced a rush. "Man! I'm actually doing this!" With his original disquiet settled, he let music and glamour flow through him into the dance. His eyes were pulled by some unknown instinct to that of the Duchess'. He quickly started losing himself in their grey depths. He felt that familiar burning sensation of desire in his heart. With alarm, he recognized that same passion in Elana's eyes for him. At the same moment, he became aware of eyes weighing on him. He drew his eyes out of Elana's gaze and looked out amongst the watching throng. What he saw filled him with a coldness inside. A satyr he recognized as Elana's longtime lover was fixing him with a look that would turn the sun cold. With the next quarter turn, he felt that this was not the only gaze fixed on him with intensity. The next turn and he was staring directly into the eyes of an orange tabby, sitting on a window sill. There was something not right... and with the next movement of the dance the strange tabby was out of mind and sight. "Is there something wrong, dear?" came to him in the Duchess' whispered voice. He looked at her and all was gone from his mind. "Nothing," he replied smiling his most charming smile. All there was for him were the eyes of Elana and an internal disquiet buried beneath his yearning. It seemed, for the pair, that the dance ended far too quickly. When they parted they felt disoriented for a brief instant before returning to their comrades in the crowds. ******************************************** Tim was enjoying prowling with Lithui, despite evidence of ill to come. She had a grace and charm about her that spoke of her noble heritage. From the brief, out of earshot conversations they had, Tim knew that John was in serious trouble with the local Queen. He also figured out that this was an Unseelie territory and that his present company was Seelie but honour-bound to the Queen. His distress also grew, for he knew this also meant trouble for himself in spite of Lithui. He twitched his tail thrice and sneezed casting a cantrip for luck. In moments, they were separated.... ******************************************** As Lithui limped into the trod, favoring her front left paw, she knew she was probably going to be in serious trouble from her Queen. Yet, what could she do, but report her failure? How could such a simple task have gone so wrong? Her reverie was caught short by the sight of the lair. No matter how many times she returned it always stole her breath. Rising on both sides were several blue curtains, decorative and practical. For the Cait Sidhe could claw their way up to the booths of the courtiers and no one else. Pillows were strewn haphazardly about the floor some the roosts of napping gremalkin. Yet even these in their materials and colors added to the glory of the lair. The walls were coated with artwork of so many different styles in one massive chaotic collage. Yet, they created a portrait which would have mere mortals and changelings gaping in awe for hours. She sighed realizing that the attention of the Court was on her. The Queen's lover wasn't present, which she thought wouldn't help her position any. The Queen looked up from some intricate knot work in her hands and tossed it at the same pack of kittlings that always roamed the Court. By the time Lithui had arrived at the base of the throne, the knotwork was unraveled and various strings were being chased across the floor or tangled up around a kittling. The Queen growled when she saw her favorite Knight returning without her objective. "What's this? You have returned without the gremalkin?!" A threat implicate in the tone of her voice. The pleading in Lithui's eyes could even be felt from behind her, "If your Majesty would hear me out, I may shed light onto my failure..." As Lithui's pleas echoed down the dome hall, a pack of wildlings were forming a circle about her, ready to exact punishment or enjoy the show of Lithui's punishment at the hands of the Queen. They were stayed by a gesture from Esmerelda. "Speak, and this better be good..." "We were not ten minutes from this Hall when two men from the SPCA mistook us for strays. How this possible I do not know... The result was he was caught, and I escaped with this shard of glass in my paw to prove it." Lithui laid herself on the ground, awaiting judgment. The ice left Esmerelda's eyes quickly. In fact she laughed and stepped down from the throne to ruffle Lithui's ears. "Well, well, this works out just right. That gremalkin is out of the way, and," she continued whimsically, "if I am not mistaken, the SPCA is not technically in my territory. Oh well, I guess Dan will decide the poor fool's fate. Come, now, and I will see that a Greywhisker attends your wound."