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[Firedancer77]

[Firedancer77]

Username: Firedancer77

Name: Desiree "Di"

Desiree is French, meaning "the one desired." Seeing as her parents had so desperately wanted a child, Di always assumed that that was the reason for her name. In fact, her father had even told her that was why; she was the answer to their wish, the daughter they had desired all this time finally given to them.

Gender: Female

As the firstborn to the royal family of Altalab, Di's gender was known the moment she was conceived, for the firstborn is always a female.

Pride: Isle of Roses

Di is specifically a member of the Scarlet Crew, one of the subprides, and sails on the White Cutlass.

Pride Status: Sea Artist

Though by no means the expert that a sea artist on a pirate ship typically should be, Desiree has taken to the role quite well. When Captain discovered just how much the cheetah enjoyed the navigation side of sailing and coupled it with her knack for reading the ocean to know if a storm was brewing or whether there was a hidden coral reef, he couldn't resist offering her the position. She has loved learning how to use the different tools her position requires, studying hard to try and master them so she can be of the most assistance. Di is very dedicated and passionate about her role, even enjoying the tasks her position required that many might consider mundane, like reading and correcting charts. It is not a life that Di would have imagined herself living as a cub, but it has been more than fulfilling to her so far.

[Firedancer77]

"Princess!" The cheetah cub currently being called for didn't look up from her sculpture of rocks and flowers. At least, that's what she called it. Whether it could actually be defined as a sculpture, seeing as it was ultimately a collapsed stack of rocks with some flowers thrown around it, was up for debate. "Princess Desiree, please! Come along now!"

When she just continued to push her rocks around, a look of intense concentration on her face, the cheetah calling for her heaved a sigh and approached, grabbing her by the scruff and tugging her away. "Anaïs!" Di whined, kicking and struggling but ultimately failing to even come close to freeing herself. "Let me go! Put me down!"

Nearing the exit of the small park, Anaïs set the cub down, using her paw to keep Desiree from immediately rushing back in to continue playing with her sculpture. "No," she said sternly, though she quickly became panicked as the young princess looked like she was about to begin crying. "The King and Queen, your parents, told me to come and fetch you, Princess. It is time for the ceremony, and we need to go."

"I don't wanna!"

"Why not?" Anaïs asked, obviously trying very hard to remain patient with Di. "There's gonna be singing."

"I don't wanna sing," Desiree pouted.

"There's gonna be antelope. You like antelope, don't you?"

However, that reminder also did nothing to get the young cub to cooperate, and she shook her head furiously as she defiantly responded, "I'm not hungry!"

Anaïs was quickly losing it, opening her mouth only to shut it, close her eyes, and take a deep breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes again, and through gritted teeth, used the ace up her sleeve. "If you don't go, you will disappoint your parents."

Sure enough, Di immediately ducked her head, cowed by that threat. "Okay," she mumbled, dejected but resigned to the fact that she would have to attend the ceremony.

Breathing a sigh of relief and throwing up a prayer to the goddess above, Anaïs shepherded her out the rest of the way, making sure not to get ahead of her as they made their way to the chapel. She did not want to let the princess out of her sight, in part because the maid had no intentions of suffering the punishment that losing the princess or allowing her to get hurt would result in her receiving, but also because she did not trust the girl not to go scampering back off to play if she left Anaïs' line of sight. Despite her current exasperation with the princess, Anaïs liked Desiree. She was a sweet girl and generally incredibly obedient, but she was still a cub, and cubs were not overly fond of having to stay still and listen for long periods of time. The fact that she was expected to do so once every few days - that all of the cubs were expected to do so every few days - was honestly rather ridiculous, not that the maid would ever admit that belief to anyone. At her age, Anaïs had been just as uninterested in Altalab's ceremonies, so she couldn't really fault her, especially when, for the most part, the princess cooperated and was well-behaved.

That was part of the reason Anaïs forgave her for briefly being distracted by a butterfly, calmly redirecting her in the direction of the chapel and nosing her along for a few steps so that Di wouldn't be tempted by it again.

As they reached the chapel, Di straightened up a bit, stretching a little as they neared the entrance of the chapel. "Are we late?" She whispered, anxiously looking up at Anaïs.

The maid shook her head. "No, we are early." At that, the young princess pouted, though she quickly lightened up as she looked inside and spotted her parents.

"Mama! Papa!" Di scampered down the aisle to the front of the chapel, where her mother and father were currently speaking with one of the masters of ceremony.

Her father glanced towards her, offering a small smile before focusing back on the conversation he was already participating in. Her mother, however, stepped away from it to meet her daughter a few steps away from the other two, smiling widely at her daughter.

"There you are, my darling Di," she cooed, nuzzling her daughter and giving her an affectionate lick on the head.

Di pulled away, sticking her tongue out as she shook her head. "Gross!"

Her mother just laughed, the perfect picture of regal grace even as she acted as a mother to her daughter. "Let's go get your tiara, okay, sweetie?" The queen gestured with a flick of her tail to the crown adorning her head.

Desiree immediately brightened at that. "May I bring Anaïs too?"

"Yes, Anaïs may come along too. Your aunt Lunete has it, so let's go back to where she's waiting and get it."

"Auntie Lunete?" Desiree looked a bit disheartened at that.

"Is something wrong with that?"

Di quickly shook her head. "No, let's go!"

In truth, the cub would have preferred that she not have to see her aunt. It wasn't that Lunete was particularly cruel or unkind to her; on the contrary, she was quite kind to Desiree. Having no children of her own, or even a mate, Lunete often showered her niece with gifts. When she wasn't doing that, she was asking Desiree about her life, or complimenting her. Her aunt always had nothing but praise for the young princess; even when her mother was upset with her, Aunt Lunete never was. To be honest, it was a bit disconcerting for Di. Having at least one new sibling on the way, she half-hoped that her aunt's attention would shift off her once they were born, or at least lessen. As kind as it was, the way her aunt looked at her made Desiree uncomfortable, like there was something Lunete knew that Di didn't, but the princess didn't know what it could even be.

"Come along, Desiree," her mother said, tail flicking a little impatiently.

The young cheetah cub nodded, moving to follow her before whirling around on her paws and rushing over to Anaïs. "Come with me!" She said with a wide smile.

Anaïs smiled back, Desiree's happiness being infectious. "Lead the way, Princess Desiree."

The little cub raced ahead as she led the way to the back of the chapel and into the living quarters of the church, where the masters of ceremonies and other religious figures lived and spent most of their time. Along the way, she stopped several times and skittered back to Anaïs and her mother to ensure that they did not get too far behind, though each time she quickly ended up rushing ahead all over again.

This occurred at least five times before the trio finally arrived at their destination, a small room that was a little ways off from the main hallway down a second corridor. Upon arriving at the door, Desiree came to a swift halt before scurrying back one more time to Anaïs and her mother, weaving between her mother's legs and hiding behind her.

"Now's not the time to be silly, Di," the queen of Altalab gently scolded her daughter, sidestepping away from the princess and flicking her tail towards the door. "We want to be ready for the ceremony. Come now, let's step inside. Anaïs?"

"Yes, my queen?" The maid asking, dipping her head in respect.

"Please, tell my sister that we are here to see her."

Nodding, Anaïs approached the door, gently pushing it open and waiting a moment before stepping inside. Desiree took a step forward, ears flicking as she listened to the maid say, "Lady Lunete, Queen Régine and Princess Desiree are here to see you."

Her mother nosed her forward, and Di shyly stumbled into the room, ducking her head as Lunete rose from her seat by the window. "Oh, my lovely ladies! I was beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost."

Régine chuckled. "I was wondering the same thing about Di, but Anaïs brought her on time after all, and safe and sound on top of that."

Anaïs gave both an uneasy smile. "Of course. One of my duties is caring for the young princess. I would be failing if I let anything happen to her."

"Speaking of our young princess," Lunete turned back to her seat for a moment before turning to Di, a tiara delicately held in her mouth, "Di, my sweet, come here. Let me put your tiara on your beautiful head." Desiree slowly walked over, nervously looking up at her aunt as she was told to sit and had the tiara set atop her head. "There we go. Don't you just look precious? Such a pretty girl. The most beautiful princess Altalab has seen!"

"You're going to spoil her," Régine teased.

"Nonsense. And even if I do, then it's because she deserves to be spoiled." With a smile, Lunete affectionately nuzzled her niece. "Now, my darling, tell me all about what you've been up to."

Desiree loosened up soon after she began talking to her aunt about the sculpture she'd been building before having to leave the nursery. From there, she told her all about the game she'd been playing with another cub, Hamlin, where one of them would pretend to be a gazelle and the other the hunter who was going to catch it. Like many children do, Di included plenty of unnecessary details, like the fact that Régine had tried to suggest they play a different game because neither of them were going to be hunters when they grew up. However, she quickly reassured Lunete that they had continued to play, proudly telling her aunt that she had explained to her mother that they were just pretending. She completely missed the look of amusement Lunete wore as she looked at Régine, who shook her head in silent exasperation (though even she had a twinge of amusement in her expression).

Desiree was just beginning to talk about Régine's pregnancy, and how excited she was at the prospect of being an older sister, when there was a knock at the door. Anaïs quickly got the door for them, and a young cheetah in the typical garb of a student under one of the master of ceremonies peered in. "Your Ladyships?" He said timidly, obviously embarrassed to be addressing the royal family. "The ceremony is about to begin."

"Thank you," Lunete answered with a nod, and he nodded in return before quickly dashing off. When he was gone, she looked to Di with a small smile. "Would you like to sit with me for the ceremony, my sweet Di?"

Desiree's eyes went wide. "Up front? In front of everyone?" Lunete nodded, and she furiously shook her head, ducking behind her mother.

Régine chuckled. "Nonsense. Aunt Lunete will be right there, so there's no reason to be scared. A princess should not be scared of responsibilities. Go on with her, Desiree." Despite her initial laugh, her mother obviously meant business, and the cheetah cub didn't try her luck protesting again.

Desiree pouted but nodded, timidly stepping out from behind her mother and returning to Lunete's side. "Okay, Auntie Lunete."

"It'll be fun," Lunete promised in turn, gently nudging her towards the door. "This way!''

Di glanced one last time to her mother and Anaïs before walking along with her aunt. They didn't go back the same way Desiree had entered with her mother, instead walking down two other hallways and even a staircase before reaching a rather ornate looking door. Di stared at it, hesitating to make any move forward. Lunete didn't push her, however, just smiling and giving a soft chuckle before she opened it.

"This way," she whispered, taking a few steps forward before turning to the right. Her tail brushed in front of Desiree, keeping the cheetah cub from going any further. "We must wait till they announce me," she explained, as if she could sense the confused look on Desiree's face despite the fact that she wasn't even looking at her.

Once she said that, Di remembered that her aunt never took her seat till the master of ceremonies had acknowledged her. After all, Lunete was the Mouthpiece of the Goddess, the cheetah who the pride's goddess, Keket, chose to speak her messages to the mortal world through. Her aunt had chosen that position over becoming the queen of Altalab, feeling called by Keket herself to take on the position. With that role, of course her aunt Lunete was an important part of the ceremonies. She was seated on a golden throne on a balcony in the front of the chapel, elevated so that every citizen of Altalab could look to her during the ceremonies if they wished to have somewhere to focus their attention and prayers. She was, in essence, a physical representation of Keket. That was no doubt part of the reason why she often intimidated Desiree. After all, if she messed up in front of Lunete, did that mean Keket knew too? She didn't want to be in trouble with the goddess because of any mistakes she made.

"Mouthpiece of the Goddess, Voice of Keket, Sister to the Queen, Firstborn Daughter of Juste, Lady Lunete, please make your presence known."

"That's our cue," Lunete whispered to Desiree before stepping out from behind the throne, smiling widely and waving her tail in greeting to everyone below. Di nervously followed after her, blushing when her aunt helped lift her up onto the throne before taking a seat beside her on it. It was huge, big enough for at least two full grown cheetahs, so Desiree was able to sit comfortably beside her aunt. Lunete looked down and winked at her, easing Di's nerves a little, before looking out at the crowds again and loudly declaring her typical greeting. "Keket welcomes you!"

She and the master of ceremonies speaking that day looked to each other, and once Lunete nodded, he continued onward with the typical greetings before calling for the choir to come to the front to lead them in worship. "You're doing great," Desiree's aunt whispered to her as the choir filed up to the front. "You'd be a natural for this role."

Di just quietly (and nervously) giggled. "I don't think so," she answered, missing the odd look in her aunt's eyes as she stared down at the choir, admiring the difference in perspective being up on the balcony gave her.

[Firedancer77]

It was the day before her coming-of-age ceremony. Desiree could barely contain her excitement. The ceremony was a very private affair, especially for the royal family, but afterwards, there was a huge celebration as the cheetah revealed what path they had chosen to follow as an adult. Of course, friends and family most often already knew what choice a cheetah intended to make before they entered the chapel to speak with a master of ceremonies, but there was the occasional surprise.

In Desiree's case, however, everyone already knew what she was choosing to be. The young cheetah had spent her entire life devoting herself to being the best princess that she could be to the citizens of Altalab; moving forward, she officially be claiming the title of heir, confirming that she would one day take over for her parents and rule, unless an unfortunate accident were to occur. Her parents and aunt had tried to convince her to follow in Lunete's pawprints; they all thought she would make an excellent Mouthpiece of the Goddess. However, Di did not feel the call to serve Keket that her aunt said she had, and she had insisted time and time again to her family that that was not the path meant for her. They did eventually relent, though they still made references to it from time to time. Desiree chose to ignore them, knowing that she was making the right choice. She was certain Keket would honor her ability to discern what path was laid out for her.

For the first time in forever, Di was actually given the day off. The cheetah had no responsibilities for the day; all of her princess duties had been relieved so that she could have a day to herself before the ceremony, one of the most important days in her life. She had spent some time with her younger brothers, Loup and Perrin, but they were called away to help with the preparations for the party after Desiree's decision. Since Di was not allowed to see the preparations yet, she was left to her own devices, and now, she had decided to go exploring in the chapel. Lunete was busy with plans for the ceremony, plans Di could not be a part of, as only a master of ceremonies or the Mouthpiece of the Goddess could be privy to the most intimate details of its execution. Di had tried to stay in the room Lunete had brought her to, but there was nothing to do in it except stare out the window at her city, and as much as Desiree liked seeing the subjects she would one day serve as ruler for, she did not like watching them from afar. Surely no one could blame her for wanting to do something more interesting, could they?

Besides, Desiree had always been an obedient daughter. She was a paragon of perfection, the best daughter her parents could have asked for. As the princess of Altalab, she did everything that was required of her; some might have even said she was obedient to a fault. For once, Di wanted to break the rules. If this was her one rebellion, then her parents were quite lucky.

Checking to make sure no one was around so that she didn't get immediately ushered back into her room, Desiree crept down the hallway, passing several familiar doors before heading into an unknown area of the chapel. Di had never gone very far, having no business within the chapel when she had no intentions of pursuing a path in life that would have her studying or participating in it. Now, however, she was intent on exploring, especially since this would likely be her only chance to do so.

She followed a turn at the end of the hallway, and, looking ahead, spotted a staircase headed downwards. "That seems promising," she whispered, creeping forward and listening intently to see if she could hear anyone.

Luckily, the staircase was silent. Smiling to herself and reveling in her success, Di headed downwards, eager to see what might be kept in the levels of the chapel beneath the ground floor. It was darker and colder as she went down the spiral staircase, but it wasn't too far, and there were torches to light the way. Di didn't hesitate to head through the archway that the spiral staircase ended at, spotting two directions she could now go in.

"Sir, how would you answer someone who questions why we are required to pray to Keket over our meals when we are the ones who catch our prey?" A young voice echoed down the hallway to the right.

"Pose them this question in return: who do you think provides the animals that you catch, or allows you to successfully hunt them down?" This voice was older, and had a slight edge of cockiness to it. They were obviously a master of ceremony.

There was definitely still some distance to be cleared before the two cheetahs (at least, Di assumed it was just two cheetahs, though she supposed there could be others in the group) reached her, the princess knew she had to move past. Her decision on which way to go was decided, however; there was no way she could go down the hall she knew two other cheetahs who were supposed to be in this part of the chapel were coming down.

So, after a few moments more of glancing around just to take it all in, Desiree turned the corner and hurried to the left. She took three more turns - a left, then a right, then another left - before finding herself at a dead end. Taking this to be a sign, she approached the door at the end of the corridor. Her heart beat in anticipation. What sort of secret was she about to uncover?

The nonexistent sort, apparently, because the door was locked.

With a huff of disappointment, Di tried the other two doors on the hall, but they were also locked. Frustrated but not ready to give up, Desiree returned back to the previous hallway, sneaking around and making two more right turns and a left one before finally deciding to check the doors around her in hopes that one of those would be unlocked.

The first one was a bust, locked like the other three had been. Her second choice, however, seemed promising. Unlike the other doors, it was not just a simple wood door with a bronze handle; it had little golden scarabs - creatures that were one of Keket's personal creations - painted along the sides and two golden handles in the center. Desiree could only assume that meant this room in particular was special, and it made her all the more eager to open it. To her delight, it was unlocked, and she rushed to get it open, all the while wondering what might be inside. Documents detailing pride customs? Lyrics to the songs of worship? A family tree for the royal family's lineage?

On further reflection, Di realized all of her ideas were actually boring and not at all what she wanted to find, causing her to pause in the middle of opening the door because she was pretty distressed that those were the best options she could come up with for what could be inside. This was a special room, obviously, and she could only think of some papers they might have inside? What about something like a statue of Keket, or an artifact she'd blessed? That was already a much more interesting line of thinking.

However, even the documents that Desiree had imagined might be inside would have been more interesting than what the princess of Altalab found. The room, as it turned out, had had a special door because it was not a room. It was a storage room where a number of robes were piled up; in short, it was small and not at all exciting. She quickly shut the door again, spirits dampened significantly.

How is there nothing interesting down here? Di groaned to herself, taking a few more steps to reach the end of the hallway before kicking the door there to express her frustrations.

As if Keket herself had heard about Desiree's boredom, the door swung open. The young cheetah stared, slack-jawed at the staircase the doorway presented her with. Instinctively, she stepped forward, eying the walls with some hesitancy when she saw how cracked and faded they were. They had obviously seen better days; Di had to wonder when the last time anyone had gone down the stairs were. It creaked under her paws with each step she took, and she had to resist the urge to cringe each time. Thankfully, no one was around to hear, or if they were, they were not at all concerned by it. Di could only hope it stayed that way.

When she reached the bottom, she glanced around, eyes immediately drawn to the only thing there: a door. The room the staircase ended in was small, and the door in the wall straight ahead was the only thing besides stone to even look at it. Unlike the doors on the floors above, this door was a darker color of wood, and it looked cracked and worn; its handle looked like it wasn't even properly attached the door anymore (and probably hadn't been for some time now), and was instead just sitting in the hole it had once been secured in.

This was exactly what Di had been looking for.

Stepping forward, the cheetah nosed the door open, jumping when the doorknob fell right out and clattered to the ground. Heart pounding from the sudden loud noise that had reverberated in the room, she looked back up, honestly shocked that the door had actually opened. With the door open, she hesitated for a moment longer in the doorway before stepping inside, surprised to see torches burning inside. The stairs and door had looked decrepit enough that she had assumed it was from disuse, but if that was true, how were the torches inside still lit?

Desiree shook her head. That didn't matter. What did matter was seeing what was in here, because if this room didn't contain anything noteworthy, Di was certain nowhere in the chapel did.

She immediately got her answer when she glanced around the room, her gaze ultimately landing and staying on the ceiling when she happened to look above her. Red paint (at least, she hoped it was paint) had been used to scrawl out a message, one that felt more threatening than Desiree would have liked.

Remember, they die so we might live.

The words were faded; in fact, "remember" had barely been decipherable, though that might have just been because of the angle Di was standing in. However, it gave the room an ominous feeling, only added to by its lack of any real light (save for two torches on either side of the door and some candles laying around). There was also the smell, which was nearly overwhelming. It was rank with the scent of decay, so much so that Desiree was almost inclined to just leave.

But her curiosity won out. After all, why did an old room in the chapel where they worshiped Keket smell like death? Their dead were buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of the city, so it wasn't like the chapel had a crypt to keep them in...right?

She glanced around the room again, surveying the different shelves with candles sitting on them. How often did someone come down here? At least often enough to replace the candles, but how often was that? In fact, why even bother doing it at all?

Going to the rightmost side, Di examined the boxes on the shelves there but resisted the urge to peak inside any of them. To be honest, she was afraid of what she might find. However, when her eyes caught on a small plaque sitting beneath the box, she realized she had to check inside. What was written there...it begged too many questions to just be ignored.

"Oda, Son of Yvon and Margaux," she whispered the words out loud to herself, frowning as what was written there seemed off.

In her studies as a princess, Desiree's tutor on Altalab history had always made a point to quiz her on the royal family's genealogy. Di had never been very good at remembering all of the names and connections, however, something about Oda seemed off to her. She couldn't quite trust her judgement on the matter, as she'd always struggled in remembering the names of her ancestors and their relationship, but she didn't remember King Yvon and Queen Margaux having a son by that name.

And yet, the smell that came from the box - that came from all of the boxes - made one thing clear. There was something dead stored in there. When Desiree nosed the lid off, gagging at how much stronger the smell was, she nearly fell back into the shelf behind her upon seeing what was inside.

The skeleton of a small cub. That was what was inside.

What is this? She asked, gagging again as she regained her footing and approached once more to confirm she'd seen. What is this doing down here?

Desiree carefully picked up the lid again, setting it back on the box before moving forward again. She went maybe two tail-lengths forward before stopping at another. The name on this one's plaque was even more confusing than the last.

"Albert, Son of Juste and Emmy." Di read it aloud once more in a strangled whisper, her blood running cold.

King Juste and Queen Emmy. Those were her grandparents; it could not be a coincidence that this boy's parents shared the same name. But how was that possible? Aunt Lunete and her mother, Régine, had no siblings. They were the only two cubs their parents had born, so why then was there a boy down here with the same parentage?

It had to be a coincidence. But if it was, why was Desiree feeling sicker and sicker by the moment?

She didn't even bother placing the lid back on the box, instead rushing forward a few more tail-lengths, as past that point the shelves were bare.

Please say I'm wrong, please say I'm wrong, the young princess begged as she came to a stop in front of a box.

And yet, there it was, plain as day: Campion, Son of Clovis and Régine.

Despite knowing what she'd find inside, Di still took the lid off the box and still gagged when a skeleton was inside. Her heart began to pound once more as she frantically glanced to the others around it. Éloy, Son of Clovis and Régine. Off the lid went. Ignace, Son of Clovis and Régine. The lid was once again removed. Étienne, Son of Clovis and Régine. The box itself was knocked to the ground in Di's spastic movement.

A shriek slipped from her mouth as she fell backwards, furiously shaking her head as she frantically tried to scooch away from all of them.

King Clovis, her father. Queen Régine, her mother. The royal family always had a single daughter as their firstborn. Her father had told her that they had even worried for a time that her mother was barren when it took her so long to have any children. They'd begged Keket to give them a child, because they were so unlucky. But her mother had had Loup and Perrin fairly soon after her, and now she was pregnant once again. They had ascribed it to Keket as a miracle, but that didn't explain these cubs.

"This is crazy. This is crazy." Di fought to get to her paws, furiously shaking her head as she slunk backwards.

At the end of the shelves, she turned around, hoping desperately that there would be an exit that she could go through so that she could forget everything she was. Instead, she just saw a table with the words "Sacrifice Remembered" written above it. Covered with a white tablecloth, the table extended almost the entire width of the room. Candle holders sat about two paw lengths apart all along the table, though they stopped abruptly a bit before one got to the center of the table. It was such an odd display that, despite knowing where her curiosity had just gotten her, Desiree couldn't help creeping closer to check them out. The last candle on the table was unlit, so Di skipped over it and looked at the one to its left.

The plaque sitting in front of it was somehow even worse than anything she could have read on the boxes, that she did read on them.

Lunete, Firstborn Daughter of Juste and Emmy. Her aunt. Why was there a candle down here in honor of her aunt? What did they mean, 'sacrifice remembered?' What sacrifice did they mean? It wasn't like Aunt Lunete was dead. Did they mean her sacrifice to become the Mouthpiece of the Goddess? But she had wanted to take on that role, had felt personally called by Keket to do so.

Confusion mounting, she looked to the other candles. The names all melded together as she continued to look down the line, but there was one thing she kept noticing: each one was noted as being the firstborn daughter. And, of the ones she'd remembered from her genealogy (ones she'd considered at the time to be notable for various reasons, whether it be an odd name or the fact that they died shortly of mysterious causes shortly after their tail was mangled in a parade accident), they had all been a Mouthpiece of the Goddess. Dread steadily mounting, she returned to her aunt's candle before looking to the one beside it, the one that had yet to be lit.

Desiree, Firstborn Daughter of Clovis and Régine. The words greeted her almost tauntingly, but Di couldn't move, couldn't breath. What was her name doing down here with an unlit candle? She had no plans to be the Mouthpiece of the Goddess. She had specifically declined such a request. So why was she listed down here alongside all the lionesses she presumed held the role before her? Why were they all firstborn daughters? What had all the shelves upon shelves of boxes of skeletons been for? Why were they listed as being children of previous kings and queens when they were nowhere on the genealogy? What did any of this mean?

Whatever the case, Di didn't want to be down here anymore. It couldn't mean anything good, and she wanted nothing to do with it. She had to talk to someone, to ask what it all meant. But who? Her father would never have been a consideration, but her mother would have been Desiree's first thought. Now, however, Régine was obviously out of the question. Aunt Lunete didn't seem like a valid option either. What about one of the masters of ceremonies? Desiree didn't know any of them well enough to ask, and besides, would she get in trouble for sneaking around the chapel? After all, it was obvious she was never meant to come down here. She could ask a student, who would be far less likely to consider the fact that the princess wasn't supposed to be exploring freely (at least, she assumed they wouldn't think of that), but how would she get to speak with one privately? And even if she did, how was she to know who would or wouldn't know what was going on down here?

No, Desiree had no one to turn to. The only thing she could think of was to continue trying to hunt down the truth once she had officially chosen her path as the heir to the throne, but she suddenly had a horrible feeling about her ceremony tomorrow. It was obvious she did not know the full truth behind the royal family or Altalab's religion, and Di was starting to think that might be far worse than she ever would have guessed.

The door creaked open at the front of the room, and in a flash, the young cheetah princess dove under the table. The tablecloth thankfully was long enough to almost reach the floor, and she just prayed whoever was coming in wouldn't think to look underneath it, because why would anyone be down here that wasn't supposed to be? No one had any reason to go exploring the chapel, no one except a bored princess looking for some entertainment. On top of that, she hadn't taken the most intuitive route to go here. But had she covered her tracks well enough? Di prayed she had; the last thing she needed was for someone to find her down here. However, she couldn't remember if she shut every door behind her - in fact, she probably didn't out of fear that they might lock, because she didn't know which doors locked from which side - and even if she had, if anyone noticed she was missing from her room, no doubt others would have been alerted to look for her. For all she knew, that might be why anyone was entering the room now.

Holding her breath, she crouched and waited as the pawsteps came closer, just continuing to pray to Keket that they were not searching for her.

[Firedancer77]

After what felt like years, the princess of Altalab let herself breath as the door finally swung shut behind the two chapel caretakers. Despite having not moved an inch the entire time the two were in the room (the fear of the consequences for if she was caught was a great motivation to stay as still as a statue), Desiree couldn't help but feel like she had just run a marathon, panting as she crawled out from beneath the table. She glanced back at the candles set on the table, resisting the urge to drag her paw along the top and knock every single one off. Seeing the tablecloth catch on fire? That would be a satisfying conclusion to her time in this room, even if she didn't understand why it upset her as much as it did (though the skeletons and creepy phrases written in red paint justified her discomfort just fine). Whatever the table and its candles represented, it was nothing Di wanted to be a part of; she had to find out why her name was on an unlit candle, the last one currently on the table, and what sacrifice each lioness on there had made that they were being remembered for.

And whatever the answers to those questions were, they weren't going to be found down here. She had to get out so she could hunt around for more information, and she couldn't leave any sign that she'd been there behind. She had a feeling that they would put two and two together if they realized Di had gone missing and then found that the table in their secret room had been destroyed in a fire that developed from candles that had previously shown no sign of being likely to cause such a mess.

Di hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her before bolting up the stairs. As she reached the top, however, she forced herself to come to a halt. This wouldn't do. She still had to be quiet and careful; she couldn't just go bolting through the chapel. She had to look as if she hadn't seen something she likely wasn't ever meant to see, let alone give anyone any ideas that she had been skulking around the chapel when she was meant to stay in one room.

If she didn't give them a reason to suspect her, they wouldn't. After all, she was the obedient princess, beloved by the citizens of Altalab. Desiree had no previous recordings of wrongdoing. She would just have to pray that that was considered enough of a testimony to her character, because if it wasn't, avoiding the trouble she might get into over what she saw would be much, much harder.

Breathing now at a much steadier rate, Di stepped out of the stairway, shutting the door behind her before pausing to listen. Thankfully, it didn't sound like anyone was nearby. However, as she crept to the edge of the hallway and peeked both ways to ensure someone wasn't simply too quiet on their paws for her to hear approaching, Desiree was struck with the horrible realization that she had no idea where she was. She'd chosen which way to go on a whim, wondering the chapel with no real thought of how she was meant to get back.

Granted, before she hadn't thought that she'd actually stumble across anything that could get her into trouble. At worst, she thought she'd get scolded for scaring anyone who looked in on her only to find that the princess was gone. Now, however, the stakes were much higher, and she cursed her earlier carelessness. Of all the times for her to be reckless, it had to be the time where it could have terrible consequences.

Shooting prayers up to Keket that were really just desperate pleas, Di weaved her way through the halls. Everything looked exactly the same; every sound caused the cheetah to jump. Was she paranoid? Maybe, but who wouldn't be after what she'd just stumbled across? She was trying not to think about it, but she couldn't help it. What were the religious figures in Altalab hiding down there?

She got turned around several times, though luckily she only had to duck for cover on two occasions. Thankfully, Keket smiled on her, because Di was able to hide from those walking by, and the chapel caretakers showed no sign of realizing anyone was there that wasn't meant to be. By the goddess' grace, she made it back to her room in one piece without being caught.

Desiree didn't know how she did it, but she did, and she couldn't feel more relieved as she nosed the door to her waiting room open and slipped inside. By some stroke of luck, she hadn't been missed. Di had made it back safely, and now she could finally breath.

All of her relief was thrown right out the window to her right when she shut the door and turned around.

A cheetah laid on the chaise by the window, tail slowly swinging back and forth as they eyed Desiree. Their face was expressionless, but Di couldn't help gulping and cowering a little under their intense gaze. It didn't help, of course, that she immediately recognized the cheetah waiting for her.

After all, how could she not recognize her own aunt?

"I was beginning to worry, my sweet Di," Aunt Lunete said sweetly as she got to her paws, hopping off the chaise and making her way over to the princess. Desiree braced herself, fighting against her instincts, which were screaming at her to back up and get as far from her aunt as possible. "I was worrying you'd gotten yourself into trouble."

Despite her best efforts to maintain her cool, Di still struggled for a moment to get her voice to work. "Who, me?" She squeaked, inwardly cursing how awkward she sounded as her aunt finally reached her, standing in front of her and staring down at her. "Auntie Lunete, what sort of trouble could I get myself into?"

"That's what I thought too. When Jori told me you were missing, I was sure he must have been wrong. My little niece?" Normally Desiree would have protested being called such things, but at the moment, she didn't have the nerve to. She didn't care if that only made her more suspicious; she did not want to risk angering her aunt, not when she wasn't sure if Lunete was to be trusted. "She would never go wandering off like that. She'd never disregard the rules in such a fashion. I attested as much, and told Jori he would find himself in plenty of hot water if he was sullying your good name. And yet, when I came to see for myself, I found that he had told me the truth: you were gone."

"I can explai-"

"Don't interrupt me, Desiree." The sharp tone her aunt took left no room for argument, and Di sat down on the ground, though that only served to make her feel even smaller under Lunete's gaze. "I wouldn't have known where you were if I hadn't overheard two of the temple caretakers talking while I paced outside of the meeting room, the room I was supposed to be in for a meeting." Desiree winced, ducking her head. "They mentioned that one of the boxes in the Room of Remembrance was knocked from its shelf, and that its contents were spilled all over the floor. Now, who would go and do something like that?"

Di was frozen under her aunt's gaze, unable to even squirm as she realized how screwed she was. She had been caught. How could she have forgotten about that box? Though, she supposed wryly, it wouldn't have done me much good even if I did. Unless I had cleaned it up before the two caretakers entered, it would have been evidence against me regardless of whether or not I put it back before I left. She swallowed as she forced herself to meet Aunt Lunete's gaze, praying to Keket that she could convince her aunt that what she believed wasn't what had happened.

However, instead of righteous anger or even disappointment, when she looked at her aunt, the princess of Altalab was greeted with a look of pity. "You saw it," she repeated, but this time her aunt's voice was quieter and more comforting, filled with concern rather than disapproval.

And just like that, Desiree began to cry, unable to keep the dam holding back her emotions from breaking any longer. "What was that place?" She whimpered as her aunt sympathetically wrapped her tail around her, gently nuzzling Di. "I'm so confused, a-and scared."

"I know, I know," Lunete answered, gently guiding her back over to the chaise by the window so they could both take a seat. "You would have found out eventually...but I still wish I could have protected you from what you saw."

"But what did I see?"

Her aunt sighed in response, looking away from her niece and staring out the window. "The religious figures of Altalab...they are not what they appear to be, sweet Desiree. The royal family is caught in their paws, powerless to go against them. After all, they are the ones who lead the worship of Keket. If they say Keket is against the royal family, the majority of our citizens would believe it, even if the Mouthpiece of the Goddess tried to protest otherwise. They keep a tighter reign on me than one would think."

Di's tail flicked in agitation as she shook her head. "I don't get it. What are you saying, Auntie?"

"It was the religious leaders of Altalab who announced that the royal family's first child was always a daughter, the single cub born to that litter. They claimed it was Keket's sign of approval for the family. Otherwise, the queen would remain barren, unable to have cubs. That, however, has never been the case. It was by chance that the first two royal couples had a single daughter for their first child."

"And after that..." Desiree's eyes went wide.

"Yes, after that, they just made sure the citizens of Altalab would see it that way." Lunete focused her gaze on the young princess again before continuing. "And if a queen did not produce a female heir that they could hold up as the firstborn daughter, then, when the masters of ceremonies lost their patience, they would level charges against them, saying they were from Keket. Any time a royal pair has been taken off the throne, Keket's priests have always had something to do with it."

"But...those cubs...the rightful firstborn sons...to kill..." The young princess of Altalab's voice quivered as she trailed off, unable to continue.

"It gives them power. That's the only explanation for it. They also ensure the firstborn daughter is within their clutches so they can use them as leverage against the royals, not to mention have credibility. And they keep all the firstborn sons down in the room you found to avoid anyone unintentionally stumbling across them, since no one is meant to wander the chapel that wouldn't know what was down there already. After all, if they just buried them, there would be the risk of them being unearthed."

"Then...why do you know about that room?"

Aunt Lunete sighed, looking away again. "I'm...not proud of it, sweet Desiree. Please understand that." She glanced at her niece, and when Di nodded, the older cheetah looked out the window and continued. "I found that room, just like you. Unlike you, however, I had no one to talk to about it. So, instead, I chose to become the Mouthpiece of the Goddess. I thought that if I did what they wanted, that would let me figure it out. And it did...but it came at a price. I say what the masters of ceremony want me to say, claiming to everyone that it is really Keket speaking through me. I am their tool to manipulate the masses, and I don't fight them on it because I can't. I wouldn't have a leg to stand on if I did; I don't have the necessary leverage. I've even allowed them to punish innocents in Keket's name by claiming it is what our goddess wants..."

Di could see the guilt shining in Lunete's eyes, and so she decided to shift the topic of conversation. After all, how was she supposed to respond to the information her aunt had just presented her with? She had just confessed that she was lying to the citizens of Altalab each time - or most of the times - she claimed she spoke in Keket's name. But did Desiree have room to judge? She didn't know what she would do in that situation. From the way Lunete spoke about it, it sounded her life, or the lives her loved ones, were on the line if she didn't dance when they pulled on her strings.

"And what about the table? With the candles?"

The young cheetah could see her aunt's relief that she had allowed the conversation to move on and not continue to dwell on what Lunete had allowed to happen by being passive and complicit. "As I mentioned previously, the firstborn daughter of each king and queen becomes the Mouthpiece of the Goddess. This gives them leverage against the royal family just in case any try to go against them, and it also gives them a religious figurehead for the people to turn to, one they can puppet and manipulate with threats like they do to whichever royal couple is currently ruling. The candles are lit in honor of each daughter that has taken on the mantle."

Di flexed her claws, anxiety pooling in her stomach. "Which is why everyone has been telling me I ought to choose to be the next Mouthpiece...and why they already had a candle down there for me. It was primed and ready for lighting." Lunete nodded, and Desiree bit back tears. She would not cry. She had to be strong. Aunt Lunete had no one to turn to when she discovered this secret, but now? Now, there were two of them who knew the truth and opposed the chapel's practices. Together, they could fix this. "What do we do now?"

"Now?"

"We have to put an end to this. They can't be allowed to keep doing this, to keep using Keket's name to fulfill their own agendas." Getting to her paws, Di began to pace, her aunt's eyes tracking her as she went back and forth across the room. "So, how are we going to do that? What's our plan moving forward?"

"We have to do what they want," her aunt said after a few minutes of silence, "and have you take on the mantle as the next Mouthpiece of the Goddess."

The princes of Altalab froze in her tracks, abruptly turning to face Lunete as if she would see that her aunt had made a terrible joke. Instead, all she saw was serious sincerity. "What?"

"I've told you that they are manipulative. If you do not do as they wish, they will do everything within their power to remove both you and your family from the throne. However, if you cooperate and do what they want, pretend to play along with their plans, you are far less suspicious; they won't see you as a threat if you don't portray yourself as one. Besides, if you become the Mouthpiece of the Goddess, you will be in a position to gain more information from them till you have built a compelling enough case to expose them."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Desiree argued, tail flicking in annoyance. "I have been confident since I was a child in my decision to become the heir to the Altalab throne; I have done everything in my power to be the best princess I can be for the people."

"And you are beloved by them for it."

Di flicked her ear in acknowledgement, but otherwise continued onward in her argument. "To change my mind now would be beyond suspicious."

Lunete was quick to counter with, "They want you to become the Mouthpiece of the Goddess, Desiree. They are hardly going to question the means by which you were convinced. If they do, I can easily quell their concerns by explaining we had a conversation, and after I gave a very compelling case and told you what Keket desired, you changed your mind."

"Even so, I don't want to be Keket's Mouthpiece, especially if I'd be nothing more than a fraud." Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought. "And I definitely don't want anything to do with the ones who created that room. We shouldn't have to play along with their games. The two of us know what they are capable of doing; we can be prepared for their manipulation as we work to take them down. They should not be allowed to have a hold on the citizens of Altalab any longer when their intentions are not even rooted in the foundation of our religion, the goddess Keket."

"Do you truly think we could be prepared to go up against the masters of ceremonies and their entire congregation? How many of the citizens do you think would believe us and stand beside us? How long do you think we would have to gather information? If you become the new Mouthpiece of the Goddess, you have access to-"

"If I become the official heir, I will have access to resources that the Mouthpiece of the Goddess does not. It would make much more sense to have someone on our side in both of those important positions so we can pool our intelligence and information, that way we can uncover the truth. How does it help us if I become the new Mouthpiece while you simply, what, retire?"

"You following in my pawprints is far less conspicuous."

"And what if that is playing directly into their paws?"

A knock on the door kept Di from getting to respond as she froze. Thankfully, her aunt was far more at ease, probably because she was used to the anxiety that knowing a truth you weren't supposed to know brought on. With practiced grace, the older cheetah hopped off of the chaise and made her way over to the door, an easy smile on her face as opened it.

The cheetah who had knocked jumped back in obvious surprise at the Mouthpiece of the Goddess opening the door rather than calling for them to enter, and he looked rather nervous as he said, "I was sent to ask you if you and the princess would like something to drink." Despite his best efforts, the statement still sounded like a question. However, he seemed to realize he ought to also officially ask it, for he quickly scrambled to say, "Would you? Like something to drink, that is." Now quite flustered, he took a deep breath before saying more calmly, "Would Lady Lunete and Princess Desiree enjoy something to drink?"

It was obvious the poor boy was terrified that he would get into trouble for his floundering as he attempted to ask the question, but Desiree's aunt seemed to take pity on him. Instead of scolding him for his disrespect and general lack of understanding for protocol when addressing the royal family, she just answered, "Yes, the princess and I would very much enjoy something to drink."

He nodded, relief evident in his eyes as he scrambled off, only to return a moment later to say, "Yes, your Ladyship! Right away!" before darting off again.

Her aunt shut the door, chuckling as she returned to her seat on the chaise. "So many of them are jittery like that when they first start out. But that poor boy? He's been here for some time now, and he still acts like he hasn't been here before. If it's not out of place, I may speak with one of the masters to discuss whether he ought to pursue a different position? He doesn't seem cut out to be an errand boy, now does he?"

"No, he doesn't," Di said, curt but polite. She wasn't really in the mood to discuss the inner workings of the chapel's staff. She just wanted to continue their planning.

However, Lunete continued to speak on it, not giving Di a single moment to shift the conversation back to its prior topic. Instead, they discussed Loup and Perrin for quite a length of time, with Lunete ultimately getting quite deep with her questions about Di's relationship with her two brothers. When they wrapped that up, her aunt moved on to asking about Desiree's parents, Clovis and Régine, and what sort of relationship the younger cheetah had with them. Despite her initial attempts to be as straight to the point as possible, Di did eventually begin to give much lengthier answers the deeper and more probing her aunt's questions became.

By the time there was another knock on the door, Desiree had almost forgotten the conversation she was trying to steer them back towards, and she cursed under her breath as Lunete made her way to the door. Taking deep breathes and pawing the ground to calm herself, she didn't look at the door at all as her aunt thanked the boy - who was far calmer and more respectful this time around - and walked back into her line of vision carrying a tray.

Setting it on a table by the chaise, the firstborn daughter of Clovis and Régine flicked her tail to get Di to walk over to her. "We should drink before we continue our discussions, my sweet Di. I find it is never good to have a debate when one is nervous. A fresh drink of water will help put us both at ease."

Relieved that Lunete hadn't simply decided to pretend the conversation never happened, Desiree nodded and approached, sitting down on the ground and taking a long sip out of the bowl closest to her. "I just am not sure your plan is the most sound," she began as respectfully as she could before pausing to take another sip of her water. "I understand why you would see things the way you do, but..."

Her words trailed off as Di lost her train of thought. Her nose scrunched up as she tried to remember where she had been going with her words, taking another sip of her water before finding herself at the bottom of the bowl. Feeling a little light-headed, she got to her paws.

"Desiree?" Lunete prompted, sounding concerned but making no move to help Di as she tried to keep her balance.

"I..." Di began, struggling to find the words, "I..."

Her paws crumpled beneath her, and Desiree slid to the ground. Her eyelids drooped closed as darkness encompassed the young princess of Altalab, and her body felt fuzzy and limp. From somewhere far away, she could hear her aunt say her name and paw at her side, but it was as if she were listening from underwater. Di's vision - or maybe her head - felt like it was spinning, and she couldn't even see, so she shouldn't have been feeling like that in the first place. The princess was disoriented and confused, and when the darkness wished to take her, she obliged.

The last thing she thought before her consciousness faded into the dark was that her aunt had never taken a single sip of her water.

[Firedancer77]

Desiree's body felt heavy. Too heavy. Her thoughts were muddied and confused as she blearily blinked her eyes, trying to string something coherent together so she could make sense of the situation she was in. However, as her mind began to settle, everything came rushing back to the young princess of Altalab like a flood.

The bones. The candles. The chapel. The tea. It all swirled together in Di's head before coming together to form one undeniable conclusion: Aunt Lunete could not be trusted.

Too bad she was realizing that now instead of earlier when she was talking with her.

Forcing her eyes to remain open rather than drooping back closed into the warm embrace of darkness, Desiree looked around herself, hoping for some sort of clue as to where she was. However, despite her eyes being wide open, there was nothing around her except for a pitch black void. She was floating, adrift with nothing to tether herself to. Where was she?

She knew she should be feeling more panicked about the bizarre circumstances currently surrounding her, but the young princess of Altalab actually felt quite calm. That fact should have made her even more concerned, but Di just felt at ease drifting in the blank expanse she had found herself in. Though everything had flooded back to her, she couldn't bring herself to care. It was alright. Everything was alright.

"Princess!" A hiss broke through her blissful bubble, briefly stirring panic up in her as she glanced around. There was no source to be found, however, and Di began to relax again. "Princess, please! Fight it!"

Not too far away, a hulking figure began to take form. It was huge, far larger than Desiree, and an oddity. Three heads occupied its neck, each distorted with disconcerting features. It was an amalgamation, its features not quite feline but also not quite not. Its deep blue coat seemed to blend into the backdrop surrounding them, but its glowing gold features made sure it still stood in stark contrast, unable to completely blend in and be lost to the surrounding void to be forgotten. Desiree had never seen anything quite like it before. Its golden claws, fangs, horns, and eyes all begged for your attention, riveting you to the spot. The creature had a remarkable presence, one that radiated power and commanded your attention. Di couldn't look away as it spread its wings, tail swishing behind it. Six legs moved to carry it forward, helping it to slowly approach.

The mouth on its central head moved, saying something that Di could not decipher. Though she knew it was speaking, no words seemed to come out. All she could hear were three voices, entangled together and sounding almost godly in nature.

Is this Keket? Di wondered dully, the question quickly losing relevance in her mind as she tried to sink back into the relaxed state she had been in.

"Not yet!" The voice from before, still having no source, echoed out, stopping the creature's movement forward and once again briefly allowing Desiree's panic to stir up inside her again. They were pleading, obviously desperate, but it didn't seem to do any good. "Not yet, EON, please!"

The three-headed being stilled, stopping in its tracks and seeming to give attention to whatever had called out. Is that thing EON? The question faded from Di's mind as quickly as it offered itself, unimportant to the cheetah princess in the grand scheme of things. Thinking about it, and trying to figure out what that creature's deal was, was just stressing her out. There was no reason for her to be so worried when she was in such a relaxing place...

Something flickered in the edge of her vision, begging for her attention, and so she looked away to see just what it was. A brief distance from where she floated, a fire had sprung up. It didn't seem to have any source fueling it; it just danced, seeming to wave almost invitingly to Di. She felt a tug pulling at her and urging her to approach it, but she couldn't seem to get her paws to cooperate with her. She just found herself floating in place, no matter how hard she tried to move towards it.

Behind the flames, a cheetah flickered in and out of Di's vision, as if it wasn't quite there but wasn't quite not there either. The princess of Altalab frowned a little, eyes narrowing as she identified who it was. Granted, she could be wrong, but she was almost positive it was Aunt Lunete winking in and out of existence. That mattered, but the haze that filled her mind was making it hard for Di to remember (or care about) why.

"What is taking so long?" Though her aunt's mouth was the one moving - as far as she could tell from the brief glimpses she got of her - it was not Aunt Lunete's voice that came out. There had always been something off-putting about Aunt Lunete's voice, as if it didn't quite fit with the body it belonged to, but while it bore a few similarities to the one now speaking, it was definitely not the same. This one was loud, demanding your attention and having a commanding tone. It belonged to someone who obviously had a presence, who was self-important and authoritative. It was harsh, not at all understanding, and left no room for argument. "Raphaël, tell me you have a good excuse for this."

The haze cleared a little as another voice spoke in return, deep and calm with a slightly malicious edge to it. It was similar to a voice one might associate to a puppeteer, seemingly capable of shifting on a whim to portray plenty of characters. "Some souls are more stubborn than others, my lady. You just need to give me some time." Despite the obvious respect for who they were speaking to, treating them like a higher authority, that edge of malice manifested itself as slight annoyance, lying just beneath the surface so as not to be obviously annoyed. "If I concentrate, it should be wrapped up in a few more minutes."

The haze tried to slip back in and fill her head again, but Di fought against it. She recognized the voice; it had taken her a moment, but she had managed to place it as Raphaël. He was the Royal Magician, and an anomaly within Altalab. Lions were not common within the kingdom, let alone as members of the royal court, and yet Raphaël had made a name for himself, rising up in the ranks till he secured a position for himself in the palace. It helped that Keket herself had spoken in favor of him, speaking through the Mouthpiece of the Goddess to confirm that she favored him and had blessed him with his abilities. That was why he was so intrinsically linked within the church too. After all, if Keket had given him magic, it made sense that he would be a devoted follower. Still, the gems that sprouted off his body always felt unnatural to a further degree than they ought to have.

"Do not trust him, Princess Desiree," the first voice that had spoken within the void, the one she still could not identify or assign a source to. "Just hang on for me."

"I sense another presence." This time when Raphaël spoke, there was the faintest hint of another, deeper, more gravely voice underneath his that spoke the words as well, reminiscent of how Di assumed death itself would sound like if it had a voice.

"He comes to fetch souls. He will not trouble us; he has never properly interfered before." Her aunt's answer was quick and matter-of-fact, leaving no room for debate.

All the voices were becoming too much for Desiree to keep track of. She still had no clue where she was, and the young cheetah was beginning to wonder if she had simply lost it. Where was this dark void she had found herself in? Who was everyone talking to or around her? Who was the hulking creature off to the side? What was her aunt doing in this place? What did Raphaël have to do with all of this? Why did it even matter?

Maybe I'm dreaming. That was beginning to seem like the only logical explanation for the current happenings.

Raphaël spoke again, but this time, his words were to Desiree directly. They were gentle and soft, almost sounding as if he was about to croon a lullaby to her. When she heard them, she honestly wasn't even sure they came from him, because they sounded so different from his previous tone. "Just relax for me, Desiree."

And Desiree did relax. Despite already floating in nothing and essentially not having anything to ground her, Di could feel her body go limp as Raphaël's words rolled over her, putting her at ease. Everything was alright. She just needed to listen to Raphaël. He could be trusted; he wouldn't be a member of the royal court if he wasn't. His gems were off-putting, sure, but that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. They most likely had to do with his magic, and were just one more thing to set him apart from the rest of the lions that lived within Altalab.

"Come towards the fire. Warm yourself. It's so cold here."

He was right, it was cold. She hadn't noticed it before, but now, Di found that her body would not stop shaking. With only the faintest inkling niggling at the back of her mind that this was not right, the princess of Altalab found herself drawing nearer and nearer to the flames. They really were entrancing, the way the tongues of fire leaped up and danced for attention. She had always been taught to be careful of fire, but these flames seemed harmless, friendly even. And why would Raphaël lead her astray? He could be trusted. That meant the flames could be too.

She stretched out a paw to touch them, but just before she did, something loomed up from behind them, and Di stumbled backwards. Her eyes went wide as the haze in her mind disappeared all at once, leaving her brain to immediately scramble to recover and take in what she saw. She swore she saw her aunt there, but now she was gone. Aunt Lunete had definitely been there.

And she had determined that her aunt could not be trusted. If Lunete was by the fire, and had been speaking with Raphaël, that meant that he could not be trusted either. They had done something to her, perhaps used Raphaël's magic, but whatever it was, Di was wide awake and aware now. She would not be lulled into a false sense of security again.

Glowing red eyes floated against the empty backdrop as the voice that was decidedly not Aunt Lunete's, despite containing remnants of it, crooned and echoed into the surrounding nothingness. "Princess Desiree of Altalab, where do you think you are running off to?"

Di flinched, scooching backwards and looking about wildly as if she would somehow find an exit, but there was still nothing around except an empty, black expanse. "Who are you?" Those three words were the only ones the young cheetah could form, that question being the only one she could think to ask at the time.

Despite expecting to hear the answer that she was given, it still did not make it any less surprising when it was answered by both Aunt Lunete's voice and the voice that had seemed to come from her aunt's body when it was popping in and out of Di's vision. "Keket." It was only one word, one that didn't even get an explanation afterwards, but that one word was all Desiree needed to understand the gravity of her situation.

"Your body is mine, my sweet Di. It always has been. Ever since you were born, you belonged to me as a vessel. It is your destiny." Despite her attempts to scramble away, Di just found herself getting dragged back towards the fire she had fled from, the giant red eyes continuing to bore into her, unblinking, from where they floated.

"No!" She shouted the words with all the ferocity she could muster, but it did nothing to slow her approach.

"Saying no does nothing. You have no power here." Keket chuckled. "You are a mortal, one that was always meant to be cast aside for me. It is an honor, one you should be proud to receive."

Right before she reached the flames, Di sunk her claws down, and despite there being nothing to stabilize herself on, the cheetah managed to resist closing the final gap between her and the fire. "I said no."

Keket just responded with clear amusement. "Then I will bring the fire to you."

"You cannot have her!" The first voice to speak to her in this place, the one that had no source she could ascribe to it, now sounded as if it was right beside her, loud and defiant towards the goddess baring down on Desiree.

Suddenly, she felt herself being launched backwards, and a chill ran down her spine. It felt as if every part of her had just been pricked by thorns, and Di cried out, wishing to kick and squirm but finding herself unable to. It was as if she was rooted to the spot, unable to move no matter how much she willed herself to. Everything felt cold, and a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the abyss as Di's eyes shot open.

It was only then that she realized that Keket, not her, had been the one to scream.

[Firedancer77]

Di's eyes flew open, revealing a room she had never seen before. She was on a dais of some kind, or perhaps an altar, which was sitting on top of a small platform. The surrounding walls and floor were made of stone, showing all the signs of being worn from simply existing for years. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering shadows on anyone within the room.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting in terms of occupants, but she wasn't expecting the several cloaked-figures seated on the platform and surrounding the dais she was resting on. She definitely hadn't expected to see Raphaël, with his gems glinting as they caught bits of light from the fire lighting the room, standing by a candle and staring wide-eyed as she rose to her paws. She had no idea what to make of the sight of Aunt Lunete's body, slumped over on the platform, limp and lifeless.

It was too much to take in, and yet she only had seconds to observe it all before her body moved on its own accord. The princess of Altalab didn't even realize what was happening till her paws had sent her leaping down from the altar and rushing forward. With little grace or concern for what lay in her path, Desiree barreled through the circle of cloaked figures, ears barely registering Raphaël crying out, "Stop her!" as she rushed through the archway ahead of her and down the hall.

What is happening? Di thought, looking down with wide eyes as her paws continued to lead her forward. Despite her best efforts, she could not get them to stop their progress; she felt like a passenger in her own body, unable to do anything but watch what was unfolding around her, and it was terrifying.

There's no time to explain right now. The second voice that echoed in her head, one that was very obviously not Desiree's, nearly caused the young cheetah to shriek. It was only due to her current inability to move her own jaw that she was saved from making any sounds that would broadcast her whereabouts to anyone that might currently be searching for her (after all, Raphaël and the others in that room were obviously not making decisions with Desiree's well-being in mind). I promise, I will later.

I've gone mad, Di whimpered to herself as her body continued its mad dash forward, turning left at the end of the hall and barrelling ahead, I've completely lost my mind.

The foreign voice did not ordain a response that time, if the voice hadn't simply been her imagination in the first place, and her paws took her down another hallway that was an offshoot of the one she had been traversing. Taking it, Di found herself making a sharp turn to the right into yet another hallway, only to spot a very familiar looking door.

There had to be more than one of them within the chapel, because Di was sure she would have found the room she'd just been in on her previous excursion if she really was this close. Two doors down and to the left, there were the same doors that had previously led to the closet full of robes that she had thought would contain something far more interesting. Its two golden handles looked a bit more worn than the other, and some of the golden scarabs painted along the sides looked chipped and faded, further suggesting this was a different one, but it had to contain something just as similar and equally as boring.

Still, her out of control body approached, throwing the doors open and examining the storage room within. This one was just as small, if not slightly smaller, than the one Di had found before. However, when she stepped inside, she found herself striding with a purpose over to the back, going to the left corner and nudging a stack of cloaks out of the way. They tipped over, but she didn't care, and neither did whatever force that was currently controlling her body. Both were far more interested in what had been sitting underneath the stack: a trapdoor.

It was just as worn, if not more so, than the doors that lead into the closet. Who had made this? Desiree had never seen it before, and she had to wonder if she would have found something similar had she examined the storage room she'd found previously. Did they all have that, or was it just this one? More importantly, why was it here, and how was it of any help? Why had her body dragged her here, not allowing her to have a single moment to control her actions and plot a course for what to do next? Di didn't know, but she still found herself unable to take control, instead still being relegated to just watching as she leaned down, tugging on the handle and pulling the trapdoor open.

As disgusted as she was about whatever was controlling her not even trying to wipe off the handle of the obviously old and dirty trapdoor before tugging it open with her jaws, Desiree was far too interested in what the door opened to to keep dwelling on those feelings. So, she pushed them aside and watched in slight horror as her body didn't hesitate to jump down the hole, barely even looking to see where it was taking her. Internally screaming, she was sure she'd find herself falling for a bit before splattering against the ground, or worse, falling for the rest of her life. After all the other bizarre things she'd found and experienced within the chapel, a hole that had no end was not even close to the top of Di's list of strangest things Keket's worshipers might have within their church.

However, instead of a long fall, Di barely dropped for a few seconds before landing on her paws. It took her eyes a moment to adjust, but her body was already moving to reach up and pull the trapdoor shut behind her. With that done, she glanced around, and the princess of Altalab was able to make out a slight curve to the walls, suggesting she was now within a tunnel of some kind.

"Where am I?" she muttered, before her eyes went wide as she realized she had actually chosen what she was about to say.

I don't have the strength to remain in control, especially when you're fighting me along the way. The cheetah jumped, almost hitting her head against the roof of the tunnel - cluing her in to the uncomfortable fact that the space they currently occupied was quite small - in the process. I know you're scared, Desiree. I'm sorry that there isn't time to explain things properly. Right now, I just need you to trust me. Just start walking straight ahead. I'll do my best to guide you out of here, so just...please cooperate with me.

"Sure," Di said under her breath, shaking her head but beginning to walk forward nonetheless, grateful that she at least had control over her body again, "let's just listen to and obey the random voice in your head. What could be better idea at the moment?"

Is the sarcasm really necessary?

Di decided not to answer that particular jab, instead turning her attention to the crossroads that they had just arrived at. Well, voice? Which way do I go?

It hummed a little in response. Um, try going straight ahead?

Wow, it's great to know you're confident in your abilities.

The voice didn't answer, so, with a reluctant sigh, Desiree forced herself to continue, following the directions she was given and ignoring the two offshoots that she could take if she simply turned. She let her tail slowly flick back and forth between the two sides of the tunnel as a reminder of how much space she had to maneuver in, an idea she was quite proud of herself for having. Granted, it didn't really do that much in the grand scheme of things, but it made Di feel like she wasn't just blindly trusting something she could very well be hallucinating, and that was all that mattered to her.

After one right turn, one left turn, two more right turns, a left turn, continuing straight past two crossroads, turning left because it was the only way to go in that direction, doubling back to the second crossroads because straight ahead had been a dead end, one left turn that would have been a right turn when they were first walking in this direction, another right turn, and another left turn, Di was successfully lost. She had forgotten some of the steps she'd taken to get to the spot in the tunnels where she currently was standing; she had to have. Not only that, but she was certain she'd mixed up a few as well, meaning there would be no easy way to go back. Currently, that was proving to be an issue; the voice in her head was just as turned around (oh, how she wished to never hear or think the word "turn" ever again) as Desiree, and it's only thought was that it might be able to give the right directions this time if they made their way back to where they started.

Sadly, neither was quite sure of the path they took to get to the spot they were currently at and had already argued over some of the finer details, so Di did not have high hopes for them. "Look," she said, staring at her reflection in the water that had pooled into a puddle at the end of the dead end she was currently occupying. Looking at her reflection had so far proven to be the best way for her to feel comfortable speaking to the voice in her head, probably because it gave her a visual reference point when speaking to them, "I have no clue how to get us back, and neither do you. So instead of wasting our time trying to get back so we can move forward, which would really just be us waddling around like a sitting duck till someone decides to open a trapdoor and find us...how about we follow my gut?"

"And what does your gut say?"

"Well, my gut says-" Di froze, and though she had no way of actually knowing that it had, she was certain the voice had too, because whatever had just answered the young cheetah was not whatever creature was currently around occupying her headspace.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned herself around, legs shaking a little as Di braced herself for what she was about to see. However, she accidentally opened her eyes - or so she originally assumed, but after a moment of reflection she did have to wonder if the voice in her head, which had apparently seized control of her to get her here in the first place, had forced her to peak - and what she saw quickly left her wide-eyed all over again.

Light green eyes met hers as the speaker approached. It certainly wasn't a cheetah; Desiree was inclined to call it a lion, but that didn't seem quite right either. After all, though she'd seen a few lions with exotic coloring living in Altalab - Raphaël came to mind right away - or even just passing through, she had never seen one with bright blue scales on their legs and muzzle. That wasn't even mentioning the creature's horns, which were blue like its scales and very obviously real, as opposed to Raphaël's horns, which were clearly made of the same gems that grew around his neck and front paws.

Di instinctively took a few steps back as it drew nearer, and it stopped in its tracks, chuckling a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wasn't expecting to see the princess of Altalab down here, and talking aloud to herself at that."

"I'm not the prin-" The look on the sort-of-lion-sort-of-something-else's face caused Di to give up midsentence with a sigh. This creature obviously knew who she was, and frankly, she was too tired to try and convince him otherwise. "Fine. Yes, I am the princess."

"And what are you doing down here all alone?" The question should have sounded threatening - and it did make Di feel slightly apprehensive - but it ultimately sounded like it came out of a place of concern rather than having any sinister intentions. Maybe Di was just too tired of suddenly distrusting everyone she knew to also suspect this white and blue mystery of foul play, but whatever the case, she didn't mind his questioning. "Besides talking to yourself, that is."

She rolled her eyes at the amused smirk on his face, not caring if it was undignified or unladylike. None of that seemed to matter anymore anyways. "The followers of Keket are-"

An unreadable expression fell on the stranger's face as he interrupted. "Say no more."

That took Desiree by surprise, and she paused, fixing him with a questioning look. "What? But I haven't even told you why I..." She trailed off as he shook his head at her.

"Just the name of that goddess," he spit the word like it was poison, "and reference to her followers is enough to prove you are in need of help. Please, your Highness, follow me. I know somewhere you can hide, at least for now."

Are you seriously going to trust this lion? The voice in her head asked as he turned and began to walk forward. We know nothing about him. He could be working with Keket and the church.

Do you have any better suggestions? Desiree shot back as she began to walk after him, only managing to offer her guide a tired grimace when he glanced back to check on her and ensure she was indeed coming.

As expected, the voice had no other solutions to give, and so Di basked in the temporary reprieve, savoring the silence since she did not know when it would end. The only noise that could be heard was their paws as they touched the floor of the tunnel, a steady rhythm as the two made their way to wherever Desiree was being led. She didn't know, and at the moment, she didn't care.

If it was away from Keket and the church of Altalab, she would take it.

[Firedancer77]

Yves. That was the name of Desiree's strange savior. They hadn't talked much while they walked (even the new voice in her head had gone surprisingly quiet), but they'd exchanged a few words, which was how she'd found out. He'd also told her a bit about where they were going, stating it was somewhere Keket and her followers had no clue existed.

And, when they arrived, Di was certain he was right. She had never even heard whispers of the place they were now standing, though she had never found herself out of the royal palace or chapel all that frequently (even when she did, there was always a guard close by to ensure she was safe, though now the princess questioned just what purpose those guards had served). There was nothing that seemed to directly connect the spot to the surface; Desiree was certain Yves and anyone else staying down here had to navigate the tunnels she had just been in to get out, which did make her wonder just how well they all knew those tunnels. They had to be capable of navigating and memorizing their layouts to live down here, didn't they?

The large cavern they had stepped into was filled with small tents. It looked like a maze all on its own, the various colors of the tents blending together to create one of the most colorful tapestries Desiree had ever seen. The cheetah stopped in her tracks, just staring at everything and listening to the clamor of different vendors and citizens of the underground town. The cavern itself did not seem all that different from the streets from Altalab above; it was as if someone had taken them and simply shifted them down below.

Yves cleared his throat, and Di blushed as she looked to him, embarrassed to have been seen gawking like that. "This is the main area," he explained, gesturing with his tail for him to follow her, "but we occupy a few other caverns too."

"We?" She echoed curiously.

The blue and white male nodded. "Altalab is a large city, Princess, but plenty of us don't roam the streets above. Those like me don't fit in up above, so we find refuge down here. Normal lions," Desiree tucked that bit of knowledge away, silently promising herself to pursue that idea later to find out what made him abnormal, "also often spend their days down here. We are a minority in Altalab, after all."

"These are all lions that live down here?"

Yves paused to smile and greet a cheetah passing by to enter the tunnel they'd just exited before turning back to her and answering. "No, no. There are some lions that live up above, and there are some cheetahs that live down here. Some of the felines down here aren't permanent residents either; several are just vendors who like the extra money that comes from this place being unregulated in comparison to the shops above. They're either too greedy or too compassionate to give us away to the officials."

Desiree was certainly shocked that such a sprawling set up could exist with no one who would detest it knowing. "But what's the point?"

"Protection. Lions also are a lot more welcome down here." Yves said with a shrug, frowning before he added, "Some also find their way down here looking to upset the balance up above."

"What?"

"Princess, you're not the only one that knows the truth. There are more of us who know parts of what goes on behind the scenes in Altalab. Together, we've managed to piece together some of the puzzle, but we obviously don't know everything. What we do know, however," Yves' gaze grew intense as he looked at her, seeming to see something she couldn't, "is that Keket and her followers need to be removed from power. We just don't know how."

There was something more to his statement, some silent expectation that Desiree didn't understand. Instead, the young cheetah looked around at the tents they passed. Currently, they were walking along the edge of the cavern, and Di noticed that, for the most part, each row seemed to contain shops or homes, not both. The only difference she could really notice between the two was that the shop tents did not have a front, though some probably doubled as homes for the permanent vendors. It was impressive organization, and she was still surprised by how much life was bustling around, not to mention how friendly everyone was (though she did get a few odd looks).

Finally, Yves' tail blocked Di's path, forcing her to stop so he could direct her down a specific row of tents. They only had to walk a few tail lengths before reaching a tent of varying shades of blue that he lead the way into. It was small, not containing much furniture to mark it as a home, but somehow that seemed fitting of this strange lion.

"Please, make yourself at home." Yves said, actually seeming a little nervous to have someone seeing the place where he lived. Desiree had to wonder if he'd never actually had a guest over before. "There are a few people I need to speak with about your arrival here. Harboring the missing princess...that's a very different game than just having the less fortunate take refuge here. It won't be long. Is that alright?"

The princess of Altalab nodded, hoping that her presence wouldn't be an issue. Where was she meant to go if it was? "Of course."

Looking relieved, Yves smiled. "It won't be long," he repeated, and Desiree had to keep herself from chuckling at his awkwardness as he awkwardly scrambled out of his tent, obviously hoping to get the discussions he had to have with others over and done with as soon as possible.

Thank goodness. I thought he'd never leave. She had almost forgotten the presence of the strange voice in her head, but there it was, clear as day.

"I wish he'd never left," she muttered, "if that's what was shutting you up."

Aren't you at all curious about me? What I am? Who I am? Those were good questions, but Di didn't want to admit it. Sadly, since the thing was occupying her head, it knew all about the curiosity she refused to acknowledge. You are. Stop denying it so we can have a proper discussion. I told you, I need you to trust me. And I got you here, didn't I?

"So you were the one controlling me?"

The voice chuckled. We'll get there. Come on, ask about me first. It's the polite thing to do.

With a sigh, Desiree decided to oblige them. "Fine. What's your name?"

The speed of the response made Di wonder just how desperate her new, unwanted companion was for conversation. Faye. The name was feminine, as was the lilt of the voice, so unless she was corrected, Desiree would assume the voice was a female.

"Faye?" She repeated, making sure she had it right. "That sounds like a name someone would have around here."

That's because I used to live in Altalab.

"Used to?" Desiree didn't love Faye's insistence on giving her bites of information and forcing Di to prompt her for a response, but if that's what it took, the princess was willing to bite back her frustration and play Faye's games.

Mhm. For a moment, Di thought that was all she was going to say, and she had to bite back a scream. Thankfully, she elaborated. I was a citizen of Altalab. One of the firstborn princess' personal guards.

"What happened?" Desiree's frustrations were forgotten; she was genuinely intrigued now.

There was a beat of silence before Faye finally answered. I learned the truth about Keket and the church, learned the truth behind the Mouthpieces of the Goddess. I tried to interfere with the ritual...and so I was killed.

Di's breath caught in her throat. "W-when?" She barely managed to choke the words out. Had the church really gone so far as to kill to protect their secret?

You're surprised that they killed someone? Please. Faye snorted. Your intended fate was far worse. Desiree's stomach twisted as her new companion continued. I was killed during the last ritual, for trying to interfere and save my best friend, Princess Lunete.

"My aunt," Di whispered, needing to actually voice the words for the truth to sink in.

The very same.

"And what-" Desiree cut herself off, throat going dry, before managing to force herself to continue. "What did they intend for me?"

Have you seen the room with the table and candles? Di nodded. Those are no ordinary flames. The candles are magic, created by Raphaël, and they are meant to capture souls.

So the fire I saw in that dark place...

If Faye had a physical form, Desiree was certain the cheetah - well, she assumed Faye was a cheetah - would be nodding. Yes, you would have been captured like all the rest. They take the soul from the sacrifice's body, and once it is removed, Keket possesses the body and uses it as her physical host.

Desiree's eyes went wide. "Then the position as Mouthpiece of the Goddess...it isn't simply taken by a lioness who feels particularly close to Keket. That is really Keket using them and speaking through them."

Ghastly, isn't it?

"Why would they do that?"

Faye sighed. I never found out for sure, but I suspect that the souls fuel Keket in some way. They might help Raphaël use his magic as well; he is far too involved in the ritual and the truth to be a simple Court Magician. Keket has her paws in that.

"And my parents..."

The royal family knows the truth. I went to the king and queen, your grandparents, when I found out the church's plans for Lunete. They had me locked up; a friend of mine who believed in me helped me escape, but my efforts to save the princess were fruitless. I failed her.

"But that still doesn't explain why I can hear you, or how you can control my movements," Desiree said, trying desperately not to think about the implications that came from her parents knowing the truth, despite already considering that fact before. Somehow, the knowledge that they did indeed know made the entire situation that much worse. "How are you able to do that?"

Because I took up residency in your body instead.

That simple answer left Di floundering. "What?"

She was grateful that this time Faye didn't require more direct prompting, because she wasn't sure she could manage that at the moment. A soul does not have to leave its body for another to take residency in it. Possess it. Whatever you want to call it. That's why I assume the candles offer some sort of power to Raphaël or Keket; why else do they need to capture the souls? There's an argument to be made that, by removing them, they ensure there is no one there to try and battle for control, but that doesn't explain why they don't just let their sacrifices die. After a pause, perhaps because she was waiting for Desiree to comment on her explanation, Faye continued. I still don't know what it was that broke you free from the trance Raphaël had you in; I certainly didn't succeed in doing so. It didn't help that EON showed up and-

That name struck a chord in Desiree's mind as she remembered the three-headed feline she'd seen in that dark place, so out of place that even the magic-induced haze she'd been in couldn't make her forget it. "Wait. I remember him. I remember EON." The princess of Altalab frowned as she pictured him, the sight of him still making her uncomfortable. "What is he?"

He comes to souls in great distress or pain so he can lead them to the afterlife. At least, that's what I've gathered.

"Why didn't he take you?"

She could imagine Faye shrugging as she answered, I chose not to go.

"Why would you choose not to move on?" Di was trying to wrap her head around it, but she couldn't think of any reason for it.

For this exact situation. I may have failed to save Lunete, Faye paused, and her voice wavered a little before she continued, but I will not fail a second time. I had to keep trying to save others from that same fate.

She chose not to move on to the afterlife so she could stay here and wait for the next firstborn daughter. The realization was rather humbling. How long was she forced to wait before I was born?

Too long, Faye retorted, reminding Desiree once again that her thoughts were no longer private, despite her best efforts to talk aloud with Faye so that it was less disorienting.

The cheetah got to her paws, pacing for a few moments before finally asking, "What do I do now?"

Faye was silent for so long that Di was considering repeating the question before she finally answered, Get out of here, and get out of here fast. If Keket doesn't have you, she and her followers are going to be navigating unfamiliar territory. As far as I know, they have never failed to complete the ritual. I don't know what that means, but the farther away you are from her, the better.

As if on cue, before the overwhelmed princess could properly digest the advice Faye had for her, the tent flap shifted as Yves reentered. "Princess?" He asked cautiously, looking relieved as he glanced over to see she was still there.

"Desiree is fine," she responded with a practiced smile, trying to keep from showing how stressed she was, "or you could call me Di."

Yves didn't acknowledge her comments beyond a simple shake of the head, immediately launching into the results of his meeting. "I've talked with some of the others in charge, and they have all agreed that you are welcome here, provided you don't go out onto the streets of Altalab alone."

Is that for your safety, or to ensure that this place isn't found out? Desiree resisted acknowledging Faye beyond a simple flick of the ear.

"You could be an invaluable asset to our efforts; I'm sure you have had access to information we would never have otherwise. If we want to take down the system that has put Altalab into its current state, we need to take down those in charge. Having a member of the royal family, someone who has had access to the chapel and the palace, among us would be a miracle."

"A rebellion." That was the summary of what this lion was trying to propose, wasn't it? Desiree wasn't sure what to make of it, and Faye (thankfully) had nothing to add.

Yves nodded. "Alternatively, there is a harbor town not too far from a tunnel exit. A small group is actually planning to leave tomorrow so they can make their way there. If you wanted, you could leave with them and hitch a ride on one of the ships there." It was obvious that he was not enthusiastic on the idea, and that he did not believe Desiree would be either.

But he was wrong. "When does this group leave?"

The blue and white lion looked a bit taken aback. "E-early morning," he stammered, looking confused, "but why-"

Desiree had heard Faye's advice loud and clear. She'd already seen just how dangerous Keket and her followers were, and Faye's account simply confirmed this. She had been murdered by the church because she attempted to disrupt the ritual and save her friend. Desiree was not going to share that fate, nor was she going to let her soul be removed so that Keket could use her body. Whatever consequences her family might face for her running away would be well-deserved; the only ones who might bare any innocence would be her younger twin brothers, and even then, had Keket been successful, they would both have gone on to further perpetuate the cycle.

It was a cold truth, but that was the harsh reality Desiree had currently found herself faced with. Their safety was not her responsibility. Stopping Keket was not her responsibility. She didn't owe anyone anything, except Faye, who had saved her life. It was her advice that had saved the princess' life so far, no one else's. She had taken control of Desiree's body after the ritual, had lead her trough the chapel to the tunnels so that she could escape. Faye was the only one who had any right to give Di orders, and she had not even insisted on the younger cheetah taking one course of action or the other.

She had simply given her advice, giving her reasoning for it but not pressing Desiree on the matter. Faye had told her plain and simple that staying was quite possibly a death sentence, and Di was not eager for either of them to die, or to put herself in Keket's path once more. The goddess' rage was enough to terrify anyone; why would Desiree want to go up against it again when she had barely survived the first encounter?

No, the former princess of Altalab was quite confident in the decision she was about to make. If she was honest with herself, it was the only one she really could make, all things considered. Faye was right, and Desiree was going to let Yves try to sway her otherwise.

"I'm going with them."

[Firedancer77]

Despite Yves' best efforts, Desiree could not be swayed. He had plenty of arguments for why she should stay in the underground refuge and help the rebels' efforts rather than leave Altalab altogether on a ship at the nearby harbor. For one thing, Desiree was the princess of Altalab, one that had wanted to claim the title of heir so that she would one day rule. Didn't that then make it her duty to stay, her responsibility to do everything within her power to save her subjects? Furthermore, didn't she want revenge on those that had tried to sacrifice her? Against those who had decided that her life was worth nothing, and was something to simply be cast aside? Didn't Desiree want to be a hero?

But Di was tired of the notion that she could be a hero. She had taken that approach when she spoke with Aunt Lunete, and where had that gotten her? It had just lead her to the same place she was headed regardless: a ritual that was meant to result in her soul being trapped, unable to move on and unable to occupy her own body as a goddess stole her identity.

And what good would revenge do her? What could she do, what could any of them do, when they were going head to head with a goddess? Perhaps it would be satisfying to lash out against Keket and the church that followed her, but it would ultimately do nothing to satisfy Di. Besides, she would put herself directly into the line of fire if she stayed, risking ending up right back where she started the day, trapped in a haze in her mind as the ritual commenced and she was forcibly removed from her body. Revenge was only appealing if there was even a chance of winning, and Desiree did not see that.

As for responsibility, Desiree renounced it. She was tired of feeling responsible for the fates of the citizens of Altalab. Had they done anything for her? The answer was a resounding no. Now that she had fled the palace and their plans for her as the firstborn daughter, she had all but renounced her claim to the throne of Altalab anyways. She wanted no part in a kingdom that bowed to a corrupt goddess, and she doubted she would ever be viewed as a princess by her family again. Had she ever been? Any moment her parents had spent with her, that anyone who knew her spent with her, had they been genuine? Everything Desiree believed had either fallen apart or been thrown back in her face. Aunt Lunete certainly held no genuine feelings for her; that had been Keket all along, and she was only invested in Desiree's life because she intended to claim it for herself.

No, Di owed it to herself to save herself (and Faye) by leaving on a ship and getting as far from Altalab as possible. No matter what argument Yves tried, he was wrong; she owed nothing to Altalab or its citizens. This was not her battle to fight.

"So you're just going to run away, Princess?" The tone Yves took with her the next morning when he had continued the argument, accusing and disappointed (with just a hint of shock), certainly stung her pride, but Di refused to change her mind.

"I am not the princess anymore," was all the response she gave before exiting the tent and making her way to the caravan.

Despite his disappointment and anger, the blue and white lion had still told her where to go to meet up with them. No matter how upset he was with her choice, he didn't take it from her, and Desiree respected that. It was one of the few things that made her feel guilty as she reached the caravan. They were preparing to set off, but had no issues welcoming another into their midst, although some gave her odd looks over her attire.

You ought to take off your accessories, Faye had murmured in her head, seeing as they are all signs of your status as a member of the royal family.

Desiree had agreed, but could not bring herself to do so. They were the only things she had left of the cheetah she once was; there was no other reminder of the life she'd left behind. Wherever Di went next, she would make sure to go far enough that no one would recognize the status that they denoted. Perhaps she'd even trade them for the currency of wherever she ran to, so that she could survive. But right now, the former princess could not bring herself to part with them.

Despite everything that being the princess of Altalab had caused, she was not ready to fully relinquish that title, no matter what she said to Yves or Faye. That small part of her that silently wallowed in guilt over her decision to abandon her people - that would have been her people, she had to keep reminding herself that they weren't anymore - clung to the few things she had left from her time as princess, and Di couldn't bring herself to completely cut those ties.

She wasn't sure how long they'd walked through the tunnels before emerging outside of Altalab, so far from the city that she couldn't even see its walls, leaving her guessing as to how far away they actually were. She also wasn't sure why those tunnels even existed; who had gone about making them, and what purpose had they served before they'd been forgotten and left for the less fortune of Altalab to take residency in and claim as their own? But those questions ultimately did not matter. Nothing about Altalab mattered anymore; Desiree was no longer part of that city, that kingdom, that life. She didn't know who she was, but she knew one thing for certain: she was not the princess anymore, and what happened in her former home was no longer her concern. Her only concern moving forward was fleeing as far from Keket as possible.

Yves was not lying when he said the harbor town was nearby. It took them two days to reach it, even though Faye had been certain it would take longer. Upon arriving, the other members of the caravan had bid each other (and Di) goodbye before going their separate ways, leaving Desiree alone on the side of a street as she wondered what to do next.

"You look lost." The comment made her jump, and she turned to see a brown lion chuckling as he looked her over.

Claw him in the face, Faye suggested.

Di decided to ignore her companion's recommendation and instead shrugged. "I'm not lost. I just...am trying to figure out where I'm going."

The lion tilted his head, considering her answer. "Looking for an adventure? No..." His eyes narrowed before his face lit up in a grin. "An escape?" Her face must have given away that he was right on the mark, because he grinned even wider. "You don't need to look so insecure about it. I bet half of the cats around here came to get away from something. Family, marriage, you name it, and someone here is running from it."

"Is that so?" The cheetah responded, tail flicking behind her.

"I'd say so," the blue-eyed lion responded, stretching a little. "My name is Amir. Yours?"

Desiree weighed for a moment whether or not she should lie, but ultimately decided there was no reason to. He was obviously a stranger to these parts, and the harbor town had some decent distance between it and Altalab. It wasn't like he'd recognize her.

So, allowing herself to loosen up a bit, she straightened and smiled back at him. "My name's Desiree, but you can call me Di. It's a pleasure to meet you, Amir."

"The pleasure is mine, Di," he answered, bowing in an exaggerated fashion to her before straightening up and looking rather thoughtful. "So, you're looking to get away from here?"

"That's the plan."

"Tell you what. I might know someone who can get you a ride out of here."

"Really?" Desiree flushed a little when she realized how hopeful she sounded.

Amir grinned, obviously resisting the urge to tease her about her eagerness. "Yep, I do. Me."

"You have a ship?" Somehow, Di couldn't picture it.

"Not exactly..." He admitted, which made Desiree feel a bit better. Maybe he was an entirely different character when sailing, but at the moment, she could not envision Amir sailing a ship, "but I am a member of a crew. Captain has had us ferry those in need of a lift before; I don't see why he'd have any issue with it now. If you're willing to come with me, we can talk with him and work something out."

He certainly seems trustworthy, Di mused, and he sounds genuine.

I know I said to claw his face before, but I think you can trust him, Faye added. He's a lion, and definitely not from around here. This seems like an opportunity you should take.

Relieved that Faye was in agreement, Desiree focused back in on Amir and nodded. "If you think your captain might be willing to let me travel on your ship, I'd be more than grateful for the opportunity to talk to him and find out for sure."

The former princess sensed some relief over not being shot down in the brown lion's expression as he bounced on his paws. "Awesome. Awesome!" He grinned widely again. "I'll race you."

While Di was fully processing the words, the lion spun on his paws and took off. Her jaw dropped, but then the cheetah took off after him, giggling. "That's no fair!" She called after him, slowly closing the distance. "I don't even know where we're going!"

He flashed a cheeky grin back at her before turning a corner, one Di nearly missed because of how quickly it came. "We're going to the White Cutlass!"

"That doesn't help. I still don't know where that is!"

"Think of it as your penalty for having a natural speed advantage over me, cheetah!"

Di huffed in exasperation, but she couldn't help grinning as she continued to race after him. This really did seem like a promising opportunity. If Amir was to be believed, the captain of the ship would let her hitch a ride, and that would open up a whole world of possibilities for where she could flee to. This couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity.

During their racing, Desiree did overtake Amir, but she kept having to double back due to not knowing where she was going. So, despite the fact that he technically won (which he was eager to flaunt in her face), the cheetah personally counted it as a win in her books.

"Here it is," Amir announced once he'd finished prancing about and bragging about beating a cheetah in a race (thankfully, he was simply jesting and not legitimately boasting about his great victory, obviously not taking it seriously), gesturing with his paw towards the ship they had arrived at, "the White Cutlass. Come aboard, and I'll introduce you to the crew. I know Captain won't have an issue taking you onboard."

Desiree couldn't help smiling; his excitement and simple enthusiasm over something as small as a fun race were infectious. "Lead the way."

[Firedancer77]

Faye - ???
There is no one word to describe Desiree's relationship with Faye. How can one sum up their relationship with another being that knows all of their deepest thoughts and secrets, exists within their body and can control it for short periods of time, and is more emotionally intimate with them than any other being ever will be? No label will ever encapsulate every aspect of their relationship. Di feels like she has felt every which way for Faye; she's loved her, she's hated her, she's ignored her, she's trusted her. As infuriating as it can be to have someone constantly in your head, who you will never be able to keep any thought secret from, the constant companionship has its upsides. Di is never without someone to consult with; she will always have someone there who is just as invested in keeping her safe as she is. Even at the worst points of their time together, Desiree knows that Faye only has her best intentions in mind. At this point, she can't even imagine what life would be like if she was back to being the only soul taking residency in her body. Faye is such an intrinsic part of her routine that Di doesn't know how she'd function if she'd lost her; it'd feel like she'd lost a part of herself. Though she does not broadcast Faye's existence to others - she does not want to be deemed crazy, seeing as she has no way to actually prove her friend's existence to anyone else - Desiree considers her to be her most trusted confidant who has seen every part of her, raw and unfiltered, without rejecting her. Their friendship is deeper than anything Di has known or heard of before, and if she is being honest, part of her doesn't want to tell others about Faye because she likes having that private relationship that no one else will ever be able to experience.

Amir - Best Friend
Amir is Di's best friend, mainly because Faye is so much more than that. He is absolutely a goofball, but after being raised so strictly and being forced to behave and conform to the boxes her parents and society set for her for so long, Desiree finds every bit of his behavior refreshing. Does he take it too far sometimes? Of course, but who doesn't? The cheetah trusts him with her life, knowing that he has her back and she has his. He is the only member of the Scarlet Crew who knows the truth about her life in Altalab, save for Faye and some of the finer details of Keket's plans, and despite his general lack of serious attitude, he has kept that story secret from everyone. Desiree's respect for him was truly cemented when she saw how tight-lipped he was about it. He is the one who got her onto the White Cutlass, which ultimately led to Desiree finding a proper home for herself when Captain offered her a position in the crew, and the former princess of Altalab has not forgotten that. She loves adventuring with him and looking to the next horizon to see what will come next. He is constantly facing forward, never looking back and dwelling on what he's left behind, and a part of Di hopes that if she continues to stand beside him and emulate him, one day she'll properly be able to do the same, and not feel like she failed to protect the kingdom that were never hers to protect.

Captain - Father Figure
Captain is an authority that Desiree trusts and respects, seeing as he is the captain of the White Cutlass and the one who extended the invitation to join his crew. However, their relationship is far more important to Di than that, even if she hasn't fully realized it. Although Clovis was present in Desiree's life, he never really played a large part in it. Though the young cheetah does not resent her father for this (even if the fact of the matter is that he likely did not invest much time in her because he knew she was just going to be sacrificed to Keket), it has left the spot a paternal figure would occupy empty. This is where Captain has stepped in. He has essentially been the father to Desiree that she never had. He is protective of her, is always there to offer guidance to her, and calls her out when he thinks she could be doing better. Di looks up to him and hates to disappoint him; though he does not know nearly as much as Amir, Desiree has told him parts of her story, and he has been able to discern certain bits and pieces on his own. She knows he is looking out for her and only wants what's best for her, and Di would do anything to make him happy (she's seen how melancholic he is, and has heard a bit about the snow leopard that entranced him only to leave) and keep him safe.

Amity - Crewmate
Amity and Desiree certainly don't dislike each other. They can get along just fine, but neither seeks out the other's company. Di does wonder if Amir's sister feels like Desiree stepped on her paws a bit, since she had previously done some of the work with charts and maps before Di joined the crew. Still, the two are amicable and have had pleasant conversations, but Desiree feels like Amity can at times be pretentious and arrogant, and she has to assume the brown lioness also has some negative perceptions of hers. When she was still the princess of Altalab, her concerns about being disliked by someone she was meant to lead would have eaten her alive, but Amity was not under her jurisdiction, and even if she was, Di was no longer the princess. It's freeing, knowing she doesn't need to impress felines like Amity and prove herself to them; it is okay to simply be disliked by someone and not attempt to do anything to change their mind or prove their feelings towards you are unwarranted.

Slither - Friend
Although Slither is nowhere near as good a friend to Desiree as Amir is, he is still more than a crew member to her. He is more mature, and is someone Desiree knows she can go to for advice. He is not quite an older brother to her - Slither doesn't do enough to tease and annoy her to be an older brother, nor is he overly protective - but he does look out for her, and she does the same for him. He's intelligent, maybe the most intelligent member of the Scarlet Crew (save for Captain), and Di has a lot of respect for him and his status as Captain's first recruit. She knows he won't hesitate to call her out if he thinks she's out of line, and though she loves the freedom that has come from being out of Altalab and not having any rules and restrictions for her behavior, she appreciates having someone who she knows will reign her in if she steps out of line, especially because Slither won't hold back.

Yves - Guilty Crush
The only regret Desiree will admit to having about leaving Altalab is that she left Yves. Not only that, but she didn't even leave him on the best of terms. There was no denying that there was something attractive about him, something that drew Desiree to him, and because she didn't stay, she did not get a chance to pursue that mystery and see where it led. She disappointed Yves, she knows she did, and she has to wonder if that ruined her chances, even if she did one day return to Altalab. Besides, she doesn't believe she ever will return, and from the way he was acting, she doesn't believe Yves has any plans to leave, and even if he did, the chances of them meeting up again would be slim, if not next to none. Faye has brought it up a few times, but Desiree is always quick to deflect, even if she knows that Faye will be the one who knows; if she's honest, Faye will probably know before Di even does. Yves' words about responsibility did resonate with Desiree, no matter how much she denied them and held firm to her stance on the matter, and it is his face that she considers when she considers returning back to Altalab. Would he even be okay with her returning and allow her to try and help, or had she squandered those chances? With Keket still running the show, Desiree couldn't return. It was a proper dilemma, one that Desiree knows she'll one day have to confront, but for now, she will run away from those feelings, just like she is running away from the future that had been set out for her and towards a future of her own creation.