Sat alone at a large table, Cassandra's thumb anxiously rubbed against the ring that adorned her finger. The phoenix stone, set into the elegant golden band remained silent, even as she again tried to send a message to Avril.

There was simply no answer.

She lifted her head slowly as the doors to room slowly opened and two maids entered, one of them pushing a cart adorned with a large assortment of cakes and biscuits.

"Gem, Min," Cassandra greeted softly as the pair stopped before her with a small bow.

"Good afternoon, your grace," Gem said, the taller of the two. "Tea?"

"Yes, something light.”

Gem nodded. As she began to pour the tea, Min busied herself with setting a selection of sweets in front of Cassandra.

"Thank you," Cassandra said softly as the two girls completed their work and took a step back, hands clasped in front of them. "You may go."

"My Queen." The pair bowed in unison and made their way towards the door.

Cassandra watched them go, her hand moving towards the teacup when a soft breeze brushed through her hair. Her hand slowly fell back to her side.

"Gem, Min, a moment.”

The pair turned around.

"Yes?" Gem said, stepping forward. Beside her Min’s eyes suddenly snapped to a corner of the room. Her lips parted slightly as though she were going to speak before closing again. Frowning, she flicked her eyes around the room before finally nodding her head, seemingly content.

Hidden behind her mask Cassandra followed Min’s eyes, but just like the maid, she saw nothing amiss. "Before you go, would you please prepare another setting?"

"Of course," Gem said, nodding her head to Min and spurring the other girl into action.

"Are you expecting company?" Min asked as she placed down a second setting.

Cassandra nodded. "Possibly. Please, leave the cart as well."

"Will that be all, my Queen?" Gem asked as she stepped back from the table.

"Yes, you may go." Cassandra's gently rubbed the phoenix stone on her hand. "Please make sure I am not disturbed."

"Of course," Gem and Min bowed again before quietly slipping from the room.

The door clicked shut and the room went silent. Cassandra took in a soft breath and tapped her hand against the table.

“I know you’re here.”

“Ah, you don’t miss much, do you?”

Cassandra heard a soft laugh behind her. She turned, but there was no one there. When she faced front again, a woman was leaning against the far corner of the room. Tall and willowy, she pushed off the wall glided across the floor. A large scar stretched across the right side of face, starting beneath her icy blue eye and all extending way down to her slender throat. She stopped beside the table. Reaching out she picked up the teacup, took a small sip and made a face.

“Hello Tairis," Cassandra greeted evenly.

"Yes yes, hello and all that. You wouldn't have anything stronger than this, would you?" Tairis asked.

Cassandra tilted her head towards the cart. "My father used to keep a bottle of something or another hidden in the bottom."

"Wonderful." Tairis' large eyes lit up with excitement as she procured the bottle. Without a word she tipped the teacup over, allowing the tea to splash down to the carpet before replacing it with alcohol. Taking the bottle with her, she took a seat at the table. “You know, your little maid has quite the sharp eye. She was quite close to seeing me. She’s not quite human, is she? Fey? Oh well, that’s what I’m here for anyway.”

Cassandra watched in silence as Tairis drained the cup, then filled it up again and repeated the process. Licking her lips, she held the bottle up to the light and nodded before finally letting her eyes flick to Cassandra.

"Oh, do take that mask off, dear. It's terribly off putting. It's not like I don't already know what you look like."

Cassandra slowly reached up and placed her fingers against the cool ceramic. After a moment of hesitation, she removed the mask from her face and placed it down gently on the table.

Tairis peered at her. "You've gotten older."

"You haven't."

"No, I suppose, not to you at least. I did grow my hair out though. Do you like it?" Tairis ran her hand through her dark grey hair. "I see you're beginning to go grey as well. Don't worry, as Queen it will give you a very refined look.”

"Are you going to kill me?" Cassandra said, her hand tightening into a fist. "Because if you are, I'd rather we do without the false pleasantries and get on with it already."

"False pleasantries? Now is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Tairis reached into her jacket and pulled out a single knife. She spun it around on the tip of her finger. "Do you really think I would kill you, Cassandra?"

"I don't know what you would do, as you very well know."

"I suppose that is fair. But, the task you gave to me was far too distasteful for me to complete. In a way, the failure was your fault."

"Because it was distasteful was why it was given to you." Cassandra warily watched the knife spin in a graceful arc as Tairis began to toss the blade into the air, cleanly catching it by the hilt after each rotation.

"Then that was your mistake. You should have just done it yourself if you wanted it done that badly." Tairis caught the knife and pointed the blade at Cassandra. "All assassinations would be more effective if people would simply handle their own business, actually. Of course, then I would be out of a job, and I do really enjoy being able to eat. Speaking of…" She reached out and grabbed one of the pastries.

"So, you are here for me?" Cassandra's hand drifted to her lap.

Tairis's leaned back in her chair and slowly ate the pastry, the knife in her other hand spinning around idly. “No, not this time. I'm just here to talk today, so you can stop thinking about going for that pistol strapped under the table. It's not there anyways."

Cassandra stiffened for a moment. "You're thorough, as always."

"It's important to be prepared, especially if your target can see the future."

"So, I am your target?"

"Everyone is a target, dear. It's just a matter of getting the right payment to actually go through with the whole killing part."

Cassandra picked up her teacup and took a small sip. "Someone has asked you to kill me?"

"Quite a few people, actually. But you don't need to worry. They could never afford my price, not unless they want to bankrupt their kingdom. I'm not really in the business of killing reigning monarchs. It's not the difficulty, as you can clearly see, but rather the aftermath. Chaos is an annoyance and wars are bothersome, both tend to happen when a monarch dies suddenly. So, for now you are safe. If you ever choose to abdicate the throne, however… Well, that will be a different story."

"Charming," Cassandra reached across the table and took the bottle from Tairis and poured a good measure of the liquor into her teacup. "What is it you are here for?"

"I wanted to talk."

Cassandra drained the cup and refilled it before sliding the bottle back over. "What about?"

"I'm sure you already know." Tairis took a swig straight from the bottle.

Cassondra stared at her. "How much do you know?"

"I know you must truly be desperate if you gave that poor girl the eye."

"It's of no consequence. I called her off."

"You aren't honestly that naïve, Cassandra. You know she has ignored your order." Cassandra's cup emptied again and Tairis leaned over to refill it. "She engaged her target already."

Cassandra looked up sharply. "Did she…"

"Not yet. But she has activated the eye."

The teacup slipped from Cassandra's hand and cracked against the table, the liquid spilled over and across the table. She slumped back in her seat, an unreadable expression settling on her face.

"It's over, then."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell, now."

Cassandra reached up and rubbed at her temple. "Why did you come here, Tairis?"

"I wanted you to have a chance to prepare yourself. I owed you that much, at least. If it weren't for me, perhaps none of this would have happened. Then again, perhaps it would. Impossible to say." Tairis polished off the bottle and stood up. "Either way, as a Seer, perhaps you should consider being less short sighted in the future. Save yourself some heartache.” She tossed the bottle on the floor. “Have a pleasant day, your highness."

"Wait," Cassandra looked up at Tairis.

Tairis paused. “Yes?”

“Since we first met, no, since I first learned about you, there has been something I have wanted to know.”

Tairis tilted her head. "Yes?"

"Tell me how?" Cassandra said. "Tell me how does a once proud goddess end up as nothing more than a lowly assassin?"

Tairis stared at Cassandra for a long time before a small smile filtered onto her face. "That is a good question. I wonder if there is an equally good answer?” Tairis reached up and put a hand to her chin. “I suppose it's the same way that a once proud queen ends up groveling before a lowly assassin… Nothing more than a series of poor choices and easily avoidable mistakes. That said, I've come to terms with who I am now. I wonder, can you say the same?"

A rush of wind whirled through the room and Cassandra lifted a hand to shield her eyes. When the gust subsided, the room was silent and she was alone.

Tairis had not waited for an answer.

Cassandra did not have one to give.