The room had many windows and should have been filled with light from the outside. But there was no sun outside, no moon nor stars. Even if there it would have been hard for light to filter through the ivy and unknown bushes and trees that had grown over the windows.

The next door opened by the lightest touch. Beyond it was the ballroom. It's windowless walls and floor were a dark, polished stone.

To the side were tables and chairs, stacked together and silver. Behind them was a stage, also made of the dark stone but with a background of mirrors and what Miriam guessed was an assortment of instruments, also silver.

"This is the ballroom," said Davis. "The throne room isn't far."

"The dances were beautiful," said a voice Miriam knew.

They turned awkwardly to face the stage. He walked out of a mirror, with him a little fox following. He was holding a blue gem in his hands.

"Hello again, doll," said Ichabod.

"TAKE ME HOME!" screamed Miriam. She cried out as pain filled her lungs. Ichabod ignored her.

"And Davis. Wasn't exactly expecting to see you."

"What do you think you are playing at?" hissed Davis. "And where the hell have you been? I could have used your help, you know?"

Miriam slowly turned to look at Davis, her eyes wide. He didn't notice.

"What about Ensio? Do you know what he's doing right now? No, of course, you don't. You just disappear anytime anyone needs anything from you. What about Jace? It's a miracle he's not dead. Do you know where the girls are? Because I don't. The one time you could have done something-"

"-I have been doing something. More than you know. Mostly, I've been doing as I have been told. Which is more than I can say for you. And yes, I do know what Ensio is doing. He's an idiot, but a grown one. He can make his own mistakes and hopefully not die before he learns something. And yes, I know where the girls are. As for you and Jace..."

Ichabod walked to the edge of the stage and sat down. He glared at Davis, his eyes glowing from the light of the many glow-sticks that were wrapped around his neck. The little fox sat next to him, looking at Davis in the exact same way. She was still pink.

"By rights, I should kill you where you stand. I would do, except I've been asked not to," he said. Davis's mouth opened as the blood drained from his face.

Then he looked at Miriam and smiled," "Where was I? Ah, yes, the balls. It looks very dark in here now, doesn't it? But before it was full of people and their lights. The men and women would wear the most beautiful clothes; white or silver or twinkling black. And when they danced...a dance of stars. She wanted a better sky than what we left."

"What we have now is not better," came a voice from the top of the room.

It was a sweet voice, sweeter than Miriam would have imagined. She had been sitting there all alone, on the few steps that led up to the throne room.

It wasn't a surprise that Miriam hadn't noticed her before she spoke, the woman sat in darkness and even knowing she was there, Miriam could barely make her out.

"All we have now is dirt and dust and despair," she said.

"It wasn't Jace's fau-"

Davis was thrown back. He managed to let go of Miriam first, but Echo fell from him and landed hard. Miriam fell as well, unable to be supported by her own legs. Ichabod jumped off the stage and walked towards them.

Davis was pressed against a wall, his feet dangling in the air. Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out by a cracking noise. Then he screamed.

"MOTHER!"

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"I could not be the mother of someone so weak."

The woman stood and approached. Miriam was trying to crawl away from Ichabod, but she was frozen in place staring at the shadow that came closer and closer.

Ichabod went to Echo first. He knelt next to her and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Hey gorgeous," he said, with genuine affection. " You aren't looking too great. You going to let me help you out?"

He took off one of his glow-stick necklaces. As he held it, it grew brighter and brighter. There was something different about the light than all the others she had seen.

"What is that?" Miriam asked. "Leave her alone."

"A friend," he said, and placed the ring around Echo's neck. The ring began to sink into her skin.

"ECHO!"

Ichabod looked at her and then at Miriam with a puzzled smile.

"Echo? Did you name her? That was very cruel of you, doll."

The woman walked into the light of his lights. She looked young, maybe in her thirties. She wore clothes, a pants and corset, so old that all trace of colour had vanished, so they were the same yellowish brown as the sand of the desert.

She had sallow skin, curly black hair and lips that were plump and full. The bottom one of these lips was bitten as she looked at Miriam. Her hair fell down to her ankles.

"You did this?" she asked Ichabod. "You brought her here?"

"I had to do something, love."

Miriam looked at the woman. She had to free Davis. The only way of doing that was by getting this woman out of the way.

She couldn't use force against her, even if she wasn't hurt she wouldn't have had a chance. Miriam wouldn't have had a chance against Davis either if she hadn't accidentally stolen his light.

"You want to see my light?" asked the woman. "I'll show you."

She walked back up the hall. Ichabod moved onto Caleb and did some complicated things with his hands and a piece of cloth.

The cat was alert, and staring at the woman, ignoring whatever was being done to him. Miriam wasn't too busy watching the woman ascend the steps to notice that the cat was shivering.

The woman threw open the doors, revealing the throne room and nearly blinding Miriam. The throne was in there but was tiny compared to the huge crystal that hung in the air behind it.

It was so bright Miriam couldn't look at it without his eyes watering. She had to look away, but she could still hear the woman.

"That's my light," she said. "That's my crown. I didn't always have it, and I wasn't given it. But it's mine. Is that why you brought her here, Ich? Did you think she would do better with it than I did?"

Ichabod shook his head.

"I just want to make you happy again."

Davis fell to the floor, released from whatever had held him. The Queen walked back to them, her footsteps echoing through a room meant for hundred of people, and not just five and a cat.

"Happy? How can I be happy when an army sits at my door waiting to kill me? How can I be happy while my people are dying a slow death? How can I be happy when my own children have turned against me? I can't even be sad anymore, Ich. I wish I could. At least then it would rain."

"Well, what do you want more than anything?" he asked.

"I am a Queen. I cannot want."

"Wanting is what made you Queen. Don't you remember?"

"I remember. I remember wanting to hurt the man who killed my sister. I remember burning for that revenge, until every time I tried to think of her, I saw his face instead and forgot her voice, her face. Killing him did not bring her back to me. And now his snot-nosed son sits outside my gate and makes me regret the mercy I showed him...I should never have to regret mercy."

"No. But you have another family now. We still have time to bring them back."

"How? I can't leave here. The crown must be protected."

"That's why I brought her."

They were standing together now, his hands on her shoulders, gazing into each other eyes.

It pissed Miriam off.

"I'm not doing anything for you," said Miriam.

She struggled to her feet and stood very unsteadily, but she was standing. Both of them looked at her, almost impressed.

"I am Queen and you will do as I-"

"-LIKE FUCK I WILL. And you aren't my Queen," said Miriam pointing at the glowing blue passport in Ichabod's hands. "You talk about family. Well, what about my family? Fuck you and what you want. I want to go home."

"That's not the best way to ask a favour, doll," said Ichabod, but he looked amused.

"I AM NOT YOUR DOLL."

"No," said the Queen, stepping towards her, "You aren't."

Davis got up. He struggled to his feet and slowly walked in front of Miriam, grunting in pain with each step. He glared at the Queen.

"I won't let you hurt her."

Ichabod raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to hurt her," said the Queen. "I'll even let her go home if she wants to. But, first, I am going to ask for her help. And, if she doesn't help us, I will kill the cat and the girl... and you."

The Queen looked at Miriam. Miriam couldn't see her way around this choice, couldn;t find the option not given to her.

"The choice is yours," said the Queen.

"That's not fair."

"As you said, I am not your Queen. I don't have to be fair to you. I'm going to act like a true native and grant your wish," she said. "I'll even let you choose the price of it. The lives of the friends who have helped you get this far or you return my children to me? Make your choice."

"Fine," said Miriam, through her teeth. "I'll find your children."

"Don't worry. It won't be all that hard," said Ichabod. "You already have one, and you know where Ensio is. I hid my twin girls somewhere safe, so I can send you to them. All that leaves is little Jace."

"My littlest love," said the Queen. She sounded like saying the words hurt her. She shook her head and began to walk away from them

"Rest well," she said. "You're going to need it."