The Tiger Within 531 A Tiger's Call Part 1

"That pyre had nothing to do with why we were attacked. If it had I would have been dead before we ever returned from the Ash Forest." Kyera replied shaking her head. She knew this from the bottom of her heart. They didn't think she would be stupid enough to move on her own and Kan would have sensed it. He was in tiger form, she herself had changed. If they… if HE had been near, she would have known. Some connections take more than time to break.

"You can't say that for sure. Why else would they attack Princesses without their guards?" Fae asked triumphantly as though Kyera couldn't answer her. She seemed so sure but Kyera didn't have a chance. A cold Male laugh filled the room. Kan pushed off the wall, leaving the shadow he had been nested in.

"State your business?" Empress Vivian demanded and Kyera stood.

"Kan?" She asked softly turning toward him.  She recognized that laugh, it was cold and without merriment.

"Permission from the Forest Princess to d.a.m.n myself more than I already am in the eyes of my people?" Kan asked turning to her. As their eyes connected she knew what he wanted and… what he was risking. What he didn't realize was he wouldn't risk it alone. She had too many questions to let him die so easily.

"Permission granted, father bless our souls." Kyera whispered the last sentence but he heard it. He offered her a soft smile and left it at that.

"You act as though these attacks are unprovoked. Do you know how many of the shifter kind have been stolen from the forest and tortured with your mark?" He asked the royals at the table. Clovis touched Kyera's foot with his own for stabilization. "Do you realize how many shifting ones serve your court in constant agony because they can't find a place to change without being seen?" He asked and the Emperor raised a brow.

"What is the meaning of this? There are no such creatures here unless they infiltrated our keep. You talk madness but we will find out what you know. Take him to the tormentors." The Emperor growled and waved the guards to take him away but Kyera stood and moved to his side.

"He is a citizen of the Frost Gate. You have no Power to take him away." Kyera spoke coldly to this man who claimed to once have been Emperor. She had seen nothing good of him, and his decisions were never his own.

"You must know your place, Lady Kyera. I was kind before because of your connection with Shadow Vale but with neither of your protectors's here you have no grounds to stand on." The Emperor warned her.

"Nor do you. You are not Emperor anymore. You drove your Empress to the arms of another kingdom for sanctuary. Your Mother is the crown, not you." Lalia reminded him, her own voice tinged with rage.

"He has made a grievous error is accusing this land of atrocities. We must find the truth." Empress Vivian replied with a heavy heart and Kyera laughed.

"You want the truth?" Kyera asked as she took Kan's hand. "You got my back."

"Kyera what are you going to…" before he could finish the sentence she roared. The sound of the forest tongue ripping from a human throat echoed through the trees. It reverberated off the walls as she stood in the center of the hall. Within moments there were people at the doors, entering to her call. Each prepared to fight or stand beside their Princess. Even the familiar face of Mally stepped through the crowd to stand at the front.  "These are the people you imprisoned. These are the people scared by your hand." She added spatting the words at the Emperor's feet. "Show your marks." Kyera called and they began lifting tunics, and uniting their dresses parting them shamelessly to show the wounded and marred skin of the arcane mark.