Solaris on one side, Kyouran on the other. If one didn't kill her, the other surely would. Well, if she had her way, it would be neither. If god wanted Shevat to die -- wanted *her* to die -- then so be it, but she would not let her two...... nemeses lay a hand on her body.

Cyrene, Queen of Shevat, almost laughed aloud, finding it difficult to keep her expression composed. That proclomation sounded like drivel even to her!

"Your Majesty?" A nervous voice broke the silence of Cyrene's throne room.

Cyrene opened her eyes, raising her head from the meditative posture she had adopted while waiting for her agent to report. She pushed a button on the throne, parting the curtain for the speaker. "Come forward."

The emmisary came forward slowly. "I have the news you wanted. It's not good, I'm afraid."

She sighed, loosing her good humor -- if it could be called that. "Nisan has refused again?"

"Yes. But they wish safe haven here, if they need it." The man paused. "Your Majesty......" She raised her eyebrow, motioning for him to continue. "Will you refuse them? The way you did Elru?"

"...... No, of course not." she replied after a moment. //Not this time// she thought silently. She owed Nisan more than her life. More than what she was about to give them. "Inform them of our conditions. We will give them what they want...... even if they cannot return the favor."

The emmisary nodded, figeting in his place before her throne.

"And Kislev?" she asked with another sigh, dreading the news.

"They have accepted out conditions. Their spies are already working in Aveh territory. In another month, we'll know every coming and going in the Gebler Headquarters."

Cyrene nodded. "Thank you." She dismissed him with a nod, closing the curtains after the retreating man and surrounding herself with silence. No sound would penetrate that seemingly useless curtain.

Solaris was active again. Too active. What could they possibly want with Kislev? Or Aveh? They did not care about surface wars, or which "Lambs" would rule Ignas. Was it the ruins? Did they know something her agents had not figured out yet?

Or were they up to something else, something more...... sinister?

She clenched her small fists, glaring at the shimmering curtain that separated her from the rest of the dimly lit room. Damn Solaris! The very existence of that accursed city made her skin crawl. To think that she had ever been convinced to deal with them.....! She regretted that decision more than any other she had made in the past five hundred years......

Anger simmered beneath her cool facade. If anyone had seen her expression in that moment, they would have been shocked beyond words to see the hot rage behind Cyrene's pale green eyes. Rage, not at Solaris...... but at the man behind its terrible deeds.

//Betrayal......// she slowly unclenched her fists, gripping the arms of her throne. //Do I have any right to be angry at him, when I myself almost destroyed Sophia with my own deeds?// If she had not made that deal with Solaris...... Nisan may very well have been victorious. The surface dwellers could have been free. Lacan would be at peace...... and so would she.

//My fault......//

Her anger froze, and she pressed another button, summoning one of her aides. //Not this time!// Shevat would not stand by and let Solaris rule any longer.

It was time for another change.