The room is filled with silence. Only the sound of the laces that tighten my corset, and the soft brush that pulls through my hair can be heard. The silence is filled on occasion with the soft rustle of fabric, but other than that, no one says a word.

All of the maids work tirelessly to make sure a hair isn't out of place and the dress fits perfectly on me. But with each stitch, I feel my emotions slipping further and further away from me. Even Ismena's small gesture isn't enough to comfort me.

I've been dreading this day while also waiting for it to get here. I go over the plan in my head daily, hoping to miss nothing. Because one false move, one forgotten thing could end the life of everyone who is involved. It's a heavy burden to carry, but it is my burden. My burden as the last Ikniri, and the one that will deliver these men and these people from the clutches of their king.

They all believe in me enough to put their lives in my hands and because of that I haven't been able to eat, sleep, or drink. Each time Cassian would look at me, my heart would seize in my chest. For sure I thought he knows. He must know. But he doesn't. He has no idea that the men he holds dear are all about to betray him.

"Almost done, your majesty," one of the servants says as she places the veil in my hair, and spreads it on either side of my face. She steps around to my face, pushing the stray curls behind my ears, smiling at me.

"There. Perfect." She steps aside and lets me look into the full mirror. I let out a soft gasp when I see myself. I look beautiful. The gown is beautiful. Elegant. And it shines like a thousand jewels have been sewed into it. It's pure white, matching the color of my hair, and I take note that there is a sapphire around my throat, matching my eyes.

"The King is very lucky."

I hold back the remark threatening to exit my lips, and just look at myself. There's a small knock on the door, and one of the servants move to open it revealing Caius. All the maids bow and immediately leave the room. Our gazes meet from the mirror. He steps into the room, not saying a word. Not breaking eye contact until he is standing directly behind me.

My gaze travels to the uniform he is wearing.

"I'm here to escort you to the chapel," he says softly.

I nod my head, looking back into the mirror. Looking at myself one last time, before everything changes. Before the day works for or against me, or before I am responsible for countless peoples' deaths. I turn away from the mirror, looking at Caius. I don't say anything. I just search his eyes for the same emotions that I am feeling, but I don't find it.

"I'm scared," I whisper. A small frown appears on his lips.

"I know," he says. He reaches out, placing his finger under my chin, and bending over so that he is eye level with me.

"I, Caius of the Xindrite, do pledge my undying loyalty to you, Neytiri of the Ikniri. I swear to give my life to you wholeheartedly and live out my days doing your bidding. You are the reason for my existence. I will let nothing happen to you. I will die before I let that happen," he says. He holds his hand out.

"Will you accept me as your vessel, Neytiri?" he murmurs.

I'm at a loss for words. Surely Cassian can hear everything he's saying. He must know. Caius must know the direction of my thoughts. Caius seems to sense the direction of my thoughts, offering me a smile.

"Cassian is far too busy to be keeping tabs on me today," he says softly. His smile drops.

"Will you accept me, Neytiri?" he asks. I slowly place my hand in his. His palm is warm.

"I accept you." No sooner are the words out of my mouth, do I feel a surge of energy. I can feel the difference. I can feel Cassian's already occupying hold on Caius. Call it instinct, but I know how to add my power to it. It's like a floating ball of energy, and I just have to reach out and grab it. Caius feels it too. The moment I engage the entity, he squeezes his eyes shut in pain.

"Caius?" I ask. He drops to one knee. I open my mouth to say something, but I see a white mist forming around him. I watch in fascination as it all draws to one spot, before disappearing beneath his skin. He's breathing heavily, and I place my hand softly on his back.

"Caius, are you alright?" I ask softly. He nods his head, slowly standing. He opens his eyes looking at me and I gasp at the new revelation. His eyes are no longer amber. They're a crystal blue. Like mine.

"Wha-"

"I am now your vessel, Neytiri. My oath is to you. My life is yours to do with as you please," he says softly.

"I am loyal only to you. And whoever else decides to join you when the time comes, the same will be true. That is what it means to be Xindrite. That is our purpose in life, Neytiri. You are now the only thing that is holding me to this world," he says. He holds his elbow out, and I place my arm in the crook.

We walk silently through the halls. I look up at him.

"When the time comes, you will know what to do," he says.

"You can't hesitate. The window will be small. And, Cassian won't be expecting it. The moment you make your move we will be there to defend you and to help you escape. And, we'll head for the mountains," he says. I nod my head, straightening my gaze.

According to Torren, as a part of our wedding vows, Cassian and I will make a blood oath to each other. The moment our bond is complete will be the moment of vulnerability. I will have seconds to emit my full power and take control of my own body. I've been under Cassian's constant control because of the mind games he's been playing with me. But I am one of the Ancients. My power is equal to Cassian's. And, I have to believe that, or he will have control, and the plan will fail.

But for this to be possible, I have to first marry him. And, that terrifies me.

We approach the doors and I notice the guards outside of the doors. None of them seem to be bothered by the fact that Caius' eyes are now a new color. We pause in front of the doors, and I turn to Caius.

I can hear the bells tolling and the music. Beyond those doors is my future. My future that will be decided within an instant. Caius stares at me. A sad smile forms on his lips as he pushes as stray hair behind my ear.

"You look beautiful," he says. He smiles and lightly places his palm against my cheek. "I wish it was for a happier occasion."

"No matter what happens, I'm glad I spared you all those years ago," he turns away from me, nodding his head and the doors open.

The chapel is large, and dimly lit. I can see the large crowd of people that span the pews on either side, but the thing that stands out to me most is the man standing at the end of the aisle. Cassian is dressed in all black, and red, his dark eyes focused on me. I can feel my heart sputtering in my chest as I look at him. I notice that the people on either side stand in their rows and I know its time for me to begin my walk down the aisle.

I place one foot in front of the other squeezing the bouquet in my hands. I can feel the small flicker of energy inside of me. Cassian's hard features morph slightly and that's when I realize he's smiling. At me.

I've rarely seen him smile in the past few days.

I try and catch my breath as I walk up the aisle, towards the man that took everything from me. I hear the soft whispers of the people around me as they take in the last Ikniri. The one they never thought they would see, because the man she is walking towards killed off her race.

The closer I get, the more my instincts are screaming at me to run away. But I can't. Not now. Not ever. I wonder if this is the fate that Gran used to speak to me about. Cassian holds out his hand to me and I notice my hands are shaking as I place mine in his. He pulls me up next to him, and looks me in my eyes. His gaze is burning into mine, yet I find it nearly impossible to look away.

"You're stunning," he murmurs.

He reaches up, pulling a curl from behind my ear, and softly caressing my cheek. He then rubs his thumb over my bottom lip softly.

"Absolutely stunning," he then turns to the priest. I hear everyone behind us, taking their seats, and silence falls over the chapel as the ceremony begins.

"Dearly beloved..."

As the priest says the words, I look at Cassian. He's so focused. So stuck on his will. And doesn't see the terror in what he is doing. I think back to the man that I knew in his camp all those years ago. Was this still his plan even then?

I repeat the words after the priest as does Cassian. His voice is soothing and sure. I look around and see that there are all kinds of guards here and the other creatures that Torren spoke of. This plan has to be crazy, but Caius swore to me that they would help me.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I see the small dagger begin it's role. Cassian places it on his palm cutting a small opening and hands the dagger to me. I place the sharp blade against my flesh, wincing at the light sting of the metal slicing through my flesh. I watch as the blood slowly seeps from my palm.

The priest recites some words in a foreign language and Cassian holds his hand out to me. I know in my head; the time is near. I slowly place my hand in his and I can feel the blood oath as it surges through the both of us. I close my eyes shut at the large amount of energy rushing through me. It's almost overwhelming.

And that's when I feel it. The opening. It's as if Cassian's hold is gone. My eyes open, and I waste no time. I pull my hand out of his grasp holding both my hands out in front of me. Cassian's features morph into that of shock as I open my mouth, releasing a cry from my lips just as a mountain of ice comes rushing from my palms in a mass of power that forces me back. The ice collides with Cassian, and he cries out in pain as it forces him off his feet and up into the ceiling in a rush.

I keep forcing my power out, using my adrenaline to push me until Cassian collides with the ceiling and I don't stop. I keep going until he completely disappears in the massive wall of ice, and there is nothing but a crystal reflection looking back at me. He's frozen in the mountain of ice, but I know it won't hold him for long. I turn, facing the crowd and I hear the gasps but I see faces that I recognize immediately from our travels. Other Dragonborn. I look around and the guards are already running toward me, as well as the Dragonborn that are jumping their seats to get to me.

I hold my hands out, blowing a large wall of ice blocking their paths to me. My gaze whips around as I try and find an exit, my eyes falling on the wall. I aim for the exit, hardening my ice as dense as I can before smashing the wall open with the force. The stone blows away easily revealing the sun's rays. I pull up the hem of my dress taking off towards the new opening. I'm at the opening, when I feel the ground shake. I pause, knowing exactly where it's coming from. I look up, and can see the red embers burning within my ice.

I turn and look out the hole and see Caius and a group of his men waiting for me at the bottom of the hillside. A large group of men. I jump, using my ice as a slope to go down the edge of the mountain. I look around at all the men that are willing to follow me, even if it means death. And I smile when I see who is among them.

Torren, Fendrel, Carak, Merek and Sabon. As I near the bottom, I see Caius's eyes widen when he looks behind me. I follow his gaze to see Krea coming towards me. Her hands hold a menacing aura surrounding them.

Her gaze is narrowed and she seems to be flying towards me.

"You've turned on the wrong one, Ikniri!" She screams as she reaches me. She swings at me and I dodge causing me to miss my footing, and my ice to stop. My stomach drops as I land on my back and begin rolling down the hill.

I take note that the part of my veil that touched her glowing hands is now melted away. I gasp when I see her hand coming towards my face, covering my fist in ice just as her hand comes into contact with it. The ice hisses aloud, melting and I use the opportunity to cover my free hand in ice, releasing as much energy as I can to hit her square in the chest.

My back collides with the rocky cliff side, and I cry out, trying to put more ice between me and the ground when I finally reach the bottom in a messy heap. I try and quickly catch my breath, ignoring the throbbing pain from hitting the mountainside. Caius and his men come running towards me, Caius pulling a horse along with him. He jumps down from his, smiling at me and quickly checks my face. He uses his thumb to wipe the dirt from my cheek, a smile forming on his lips.

"Well done."

He pulls out his sword, slicing off the bottom of my dress, and handing me a black coat. I quickly put it on and he helps me up onto my horse.

"Cassian will be on us in seconds. We must hurry." He slaps my horse.

"Go, go, go!" he shouts. My horse takes off, and I hear Caius shouting orders. I keep my gaze trained ahead heading for the forests. I take note that I can hear the men around me galloping as well. Suddenly, a chill rips through my spine, and that's when I hear it. A loud, piercing roar. It makes me want to cover my ears.

"Show no fear!" I hear men around me screaming to each other and I do what I shouldn't have. I look back. My eyes widen and I feel nothing but fear. I know it's Cassian. He's massive. A large, and terrifying beast. His teeth razor sharp, and black scales cover his form. His wingspan is large enough to cover the sun as he beats towards us. He opens his mouth and a shrill cry rips from his throat. This is the true form of the Dragonborn.

"What have we done?" I whisper. Merek is right next to me.

"Don't fear, my queen. We'll protect you!" he shouts. I then notice the men surrounding me are changing formation. Cassian is joined by two other Dragons. Both of them beating towards us. I turn back facing the front of my horse. I look around me to the men surrounding me. Some have smiles on their faces while others are intensely focused. All of these men, putting their lives on the line for me.

"Cassian's army is not far behind!" I hear someone shout.

"Hoods up!" someone else screams. I reach behind me, pulling up the hood on my coat as do the other men.

"Just keep moving forward!" Sabon shouts at me. I nod my head keeping my gaze forward but I can feel the blood oath Cassian and I share. He's close. Nearly on top of us. And he's out for blood. Their blood. He wants death.

I slowly fall back on my horse, until I am at the back with Caius. He looks over to me in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he shouts.

"I have an idea!" I say. He looks like he wants to fight against it, but changes his mind.

"Ok..."

"Cassian is going attack full force. He means to kill us, and to do that he's going to get in close range," I say. Caius eyes widen. But he nods his head in understanding. I feel Cassian as he is right on top of us. I hear him inside of my head.

"I will burn you all."

I can feel the heat as he breathes his fire, aiming it for the mass of men. I take a deep breath, calming myself. Once the fire is tree level, I jump off my horse, and turn facing the massive ball of flames.

It's as if my mind has been opened, and I know exactly what to do. I hold out my hands and open my mouth, letting the power pour from me in waves, hitting the flames, erupting into a mass of smoke. I use the moment of cover, and form a massive ice wall for the army after us.

My fingers are feeling chilled, but I ignore it. I see Caius coming towards me, and jump on the back of his horse, facing the three Dragonborn that are still pursuing us from the sky. I form a massive wall of ice over us, and aim for one of the Dragons. They disperse in the air, but aren't paying attention. I bring back the ball of ice hitting them in the wings, just in time for us to escape into the forest.

My breathing is ragged, and my arms are aching. I lean back, against Caius, closing my eyes and smiling softly as the cheers erupt around me. Tears fall over, as happiness fills my chest.

"We did it, Neytiri. We did it."