Chapter One:

"Xeta! Are you even paying attention to me? You must know your history! You were born to stop the Colvent Family! Now! Pay attention to me! What happened next, to Kathryn?" Growled a large orange Bengal tiger to the poor young woman, unfortunate enough to be possessed of a wandering mind.

This was Xeta, the strong and willful, albeit attention-deficit Princess of Tigers. The tiger that stood before her, reciting the struggles of the past was her guardian: Zephethese. And it was with a sigh that she recited the fate of her predecessor to her irate tutor.

"After finding herself powerless, as well as pregnant, Kathryn went to the Council of Royals of Animals and told them what happened to her." The girl stopped with a scoff. "Council of Royals of Animals. Anyone ever tell you guys that you have the worst council name ever?"

"XETA!"

"All right already. Sheesh. Fine... Ok, where was I... oh right... She told the Council what happened to her... and then there was a geas on the spell... after she told the Council what happened she was forced to return to his side, the rest of the spell activating when she relayed his message and said her farewells. Powerless to resist, she was driven to his side," She paused, and her tone took on something that might be termed a mockery of a Shakespearean actor, "Bound to be his slave and lover til the day she passed on to her eternal rest!" She finished with a melodramatic sigh, which earned her a glare, and a much toned down swat from the paw of the great cat.

"Ouch! Oh fine." She huffed. "Can't even take a friggen joke. Damn. The Council then passed an edict that no mortal should ever again be given access to the Council's secrets. Which if you ask me was pretty stupid of them, I mean that should have been the rule all along, kind of a duh to me, oh alright!" She growled at Zephethese, to which he responded in kind, and with a huffy sigh, went back to her recitation.

"No mortal would ever again be taught the Secret Language, nor allowed to be close to the Princess of Tigers, nor even know about the Council at all. Also, it was declared that all of the Princesses of Tigers should take on the same name, that of Xeta."

"... Which means what, once more?"

"Ugh. Which means 'distant,' in our language, thus changing our true names, and binding us away from the Outside world. Also, another Law was passed that each Princess must be fully orphaned to gain the power. Never again would a Princess be permitted to have so much as a sibling within the Council. Fate seems to take care of this on its own, each girl becoming orphaned before the power awakens within her, which is why sometimes it will be one girl and not her doppelganger."

"Very good, Xeta. It would appear you do listen to me, on occasion. However, tell me why the edict restricts family within the Council. Also, tell me about the doppelgangers."

It was a trick question, and they both knew it. Still, she sighed, drummed her long claw-like nails on the table where she was seated, and rolled her orange-hued eyes at him, irritation flashing within them.

"Oh of all the stupid.. oh FINE!" She sighed, as she ducked another blow, this one, she knew, would have hurt. He was losing patience, and for that matter, so was she. She never had been good at the academic stuff.

"Not within the Council in general, which you know very well that I know so that question was a pointless attempt to trick me. The edict in question was only for the Princess of Tigers, due to Kathryn's Brother, whose name has long since been lost to history, who, unfortunately, swore an oath to his sister that he would kill Damien Colvent, and Destroy the Colvent family, leaving none alive to continue the prophecy that so plagued his," She rolled her eyes, unable to resist a bit of melodrama, "Darling sister." She chuckled, straightened, and forced a straight face as she continued.

"This, however, was not to be, for Damien's vile spell required Kathryn to leave the sanctuary of the Council and stay forever at his side. Though it hurt her to choose the man she had once loved, and become his slave, over the brother who loved her, she had no choice in the matter."

She paused for breath, fighting the urge to thump her head on the table in aggravation.

"The brother did eventually locate Colvent Manor, and he did also eventually slay Damien Colvent. But this was where his triumph ended. For this so-called 'Prince of Tigers' had very little magic of his own, and the Tiger's Claw the blade that was granted him by the Council was useless against the very real power of the Colvent family. He had been able to slay Damien because he had caught him by surprise, but the son that Kathryn bore Damien, called Darius, a mere child of twelve at this point, had true, real power, a power that far surpassed either of his parents.

"And it was with this power, that he destroyed the Prince of Tigers, ran the Council out of Colvent Manor, and shielded the Manor House from the Council. Occasionally we find it again, storm in, and destroy everything we can before we're run out again, but for the most part, it remains hidden from us, for decades at a time. Once the battle was over, Darius took the body, having first removed the head, and threw the body into the river, for the Council to find later.

"As for the doppelgangers, there seem to be two girls always born, different families, mirror images of each other, and the Council monitors these girls to see which one will wind up being orphaned and have the power, and become the next Princess."

"Very good, Xeta. Although we could have done without the reminder that the war is not going well for us, thank you. Now, I want you to list out the genealogy of the Colvent Family. Show me that you have your adversary's as it were, on your fingertips."

Another disgusted sigh, and this time, she could not refrain from clonking herself on the head with the table.

"Damien Colvent the Betrayer," She began in a bored monotone. "Darius the Cold, Draull the Seducer, it was he who thought up that stupid death kiss thing they're so freaking fond of. 'Lord' Krystoph, the Cunning, was fond of separating the Council and running everyone who neared the Mannor through some sort of distorted maze. Then we have... Kardian the Cruel... who liked to torture people just for fun. Dephroen the Mad, Nicolai, oh I'm getting sick of listing off the various pet names and titles we've given the assholes! Let me just list the damned names and get on with it. Dryzul, Drago, Vyctor, Kryde, and then last of all, the 'Dark Lord' Thyolyis."

"It's a matter of respect and a way to remember what each man has done to your line."

"Why should I respect a man who intends to rape me, simply because I was born with certain Magic?"

"Because whatever else they may be, The Colvent Family are strong and worthy foes. If they weren't so powerful, we never would have let them near the Council in the first place. And since you brought it up, who is the last one, Thyolyis' son, who will someday seek you out, and challenge you for your power and freedom?"

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"The last name isn't currently known. A child was seen, in the Colvent Manor, the day I slew Thyolyis when I was still young. He seemed to be a little older than me. No name was found, however, there is a rumor that he is known as Solestine."

"Now, one last thing you skipped earlier, that we should go over, and that is courting within the Council, and how it particularly relates to you, as the current Princess of Tigers."

"Oh come on..." She whined, thumping her head repeatedly on the table. "Why can't I go outside and bash stuff around, start my physical training? I'm good at that! I don't want to talk about boys... this is stupid. Going courtin'* isn't going to help me defeat the Colvent family."

Zephthese growled at her, wondering briefly on the fact that a seventeen-year-old girl didn't want to talk about the opposite gender. He briefly wondered about her orientation but refrained from comment. She was getting irritable, and if he goaded her, she was likely to run out on the lesson.

Xeta growled back but dutifully recited anyway, "It is forbidden for the Princess of Tigers to seek to mate outside of the Council, for it was Kathryn's folly that brought Damien Colvent into our midst. Therefore, should a Princess of Tigers wish to seek a mate, she must find one within the Council."

"Good girl." Xeta flinched. The pet name was almost enough to make her gag.

"Now, who are the potential mates for you, young Xeta?"

Xeta growled deep in her throat. She truly hated this subject. "Xercseze, High Prince of Wolves, Souir High Prince of Hawks, Renock, High Prince of Foxes, And Adrial, the High Prince of Serpents." Xeta tried her best to sound bored, rather than irritated, however, the attempt was an extreme failure on her part.

"And on that note, Xeta, have you decided, of those four, which one will escort you to the Ritual tomorrow night?"

Xeta floundered under her tutors' watchful gaze. She felt herself shriveling beneath his gaze, like a daisy under the scorching heat of an August sun. "Um... Well... no... not exactly."

"Always negligent, Xeta! You could lose your power with such negligence! However," He sighed, "I did anticipate as much, and therefore," He paused again.

Xeta could tell, whatever it was, it was going to be bad. Zeph was no great liar, and his voice gave away everything. He knew whatever he was about to say was going to upset her, badly. "And therefore, the council has chosen for you."

Yup. She had been right, it was bad. Now the only question was, how bad was it? She pondered over the list of available young men, disdaining first this one, and then that, as her guardian droned on, listening through all his blather for the actual name, or any other pertinent information through all the ritualized formal speech that accompanied a punishment handed down from the ruling members of the Council, through Zephthese.

"... And so the Council has decreed that by thy own negligence, you shall attend the ritual tomorrow eve with..."

Alright, well this was good, at least he was about to name the poor fool. And if it was one of her friends who she didn't particularly wish to go with, like Xerceze, she could always slip something in his evening wine and insure that he was too ill to dance much tomorrow so she could go with Renock or something. At least he'd be more fun to talk to.

"Adrial."

"What?! Oh HELL no! I'm not dancing with that slimy git!"

"It is not my choice, Xeta. Adrial petitioned the Council. Said he would be pleased to escort you if you did not choose for yourself."

"But- but he's so old!"

Zephthese scoffed at that. "Hardly, he's only a year older than Souir. And you seem to get along with him well enough."

"Well, that's different. Souir's my friend. And anyway Adrial's so... so...."

"So what, my dearest Princess?" Asked a voice from behind her. The words were soft, almost hissed, making the s's almost a lisp. Xeta whirled around, to find Adrial himself behind her. She glared as she looked over her new date. He was tall, willowy, lithe, in short, scrawny, and to Xeta's eyes, not very manly. Effeminate almost, the way he prissed over his long black, greased back hair, and his sharply pointed goatee.

His skin was sallow, pale, and sickly, eyes shrunken into his skull, giving him a desperate, hungry, nervous look. Every gesture was winding, coiling, much like the movement of the animals he represented. But there was more about him, that made her despise him so. He was always charming, always trying to flirt with her, but the charm was fake, calculated, and it oozed from him like some disgusting smell.

He returned her gaze, his bright emerald eyes darkening, as he looked her over, stopping briefly on her hips, and rising to her chest, and finally coming to rest on her face, his eyes locking onto hers, blazing with some intense emotion she couldn't quite identify, but which gave her chills all the same. He smiled, showing his long white fangs, which she knew he did on purpose, being serpentine, they were retractable, unlike hers.

"Handsome, perhaps, my Princess? Charming? Suave?"

"Not quite, the phrases I would have used." She muttered softly.

"How then, would you describe me, now that you've had a moment to think?"

"Creepy." She stared blankly at him, having been as blunt as humanly possible with him.

Adrial didn't miss a beat, but let out a theatric sigh, clasping his hands to his chest, as though in mortal agony.

"Ah! How you wound me, my dearest! Alas! We snakes have always had a bad reputation. But listen, pet, I'm not truly as terrible as all that, my sweet Tiger's Scar." He paused, reaching out to trace the air in front of the four diagonal scars over her right eye, the mark that she was the one from that long ago Seer's Vision. "Look, I shan't even flinch should you dance with one of the others at the ritual tomorrow night."

She paused as she turned to look over at him, over her shoulder. "I- yeah. Sure, whatever, Adrial. It's not as though I have a lot of choice in this, now do I? And don't you use any more of those stupid pet names on me, Adrial. I swear I'll bite you if you do it again."

He smiled, with a dark chuckle at her comment, his eyes lighting with an ill light. "Again? Didn't we learn from the last time, kitten?"

She whirled around and glared at the Snake Prince, her arms crossed, her long nails shining wickedly in the light. "Watch it Snake!" She growled a warning, as her mentor looked over at her, a less than amused look plastered on the tiger's face.

The Prince raised his hands in a pantomime of surrender, "Sorry!" Adrial cried although the smile on his face gave the lie to his words, just as the mentor turned to face Xeta. "Last time? You've bitten him in the past?" He asked, a delighted smirk lighting up the old tiger's face, believing that he was witnessing a hidden attraction on Xeta's part for the Serpent Prince.

"Tch. Yeah, whatever. Look... I'm going to go to the Archives, before training practice this afternoon." And she would, right after she took a detour state-side for some lunch. Maybe she'd pay a quick visit to her own doppelganger, a girl named Autumn. After all, what the Council didn't know, wouldn't get her in trouble. "What? Bitten--- are you insane? Ewww... No! And I'm leaving now. I got other shit to do!"

"Very well," Zephthease called doubtfully after her. "But do not work yourself too hard, nor stay up too late," Xeta swore that tiger must have been somebody's mother in another life, the way he fussed. "For tomorrow night is also the Ceremony to welcome you to adulthood. You are eighteen tomorrow, do you forget?"

Her entire body flinched, and she came to a halt. 'Damn.'

That little tidbit of information simply made everything that much worse. As though the stupid ceremony weren't boring enough already, now they had to add in all that falderall for her becoming the 'High' Princess of Tiger's, on top of it all? The coming of age ceremony also meant that she was of age to choose a mate for herself, and you could bet that twit Adrial would be asking for her hand. Hand? Paw? she wasn't sure which, but that didn't matter at the moment anyway, she could ask the librarians, or look it up for herself.

What was important, was the fact that Adrial looked as though he definitely would be seeking her hand, and you could bet that twitty Council would approve. Because oh wouldn't that be a lovely way to circumvent the prophecy and keep her out of harm's way? No way! She'd trained all her life for this battle, she knew her duty and was more than willing to end the Colvent family line and avenge a dozen women who had fallen prey to their terrible magics. And for that, she needed to remain single, and clear-headed. Lovers were for other girls. Girls who didn't have the fate of the world hanging on the line. Or ancient grudges to settle.

Shaking her head, she waved at both guardian and irritant, acknowledging she had heard the warning and would heed it – to a point. In the meantime, however, and her face lit up as she walked away from Tweedledee and Tweedledum, her thoughts turned to happier, tastier ideas. Turning left instead of right, towards the archives, she made her way to a circular chamber, and a stone pedestal, and transported herself to the United States, for some lunch. Besides, it was fall, tomorrow was Halloween, and she loved to look at the autumn leaves in the northeastern part of the country.