III.

In truth, the Lady Constance's mention of Princesses had triggered in The mind of the Master of the Hunt the name of King Mar'vel. The Lord felt horridly for him, knowing very well that he was not the sort to dally wantonly with a lady; and definately not with his, lord Soril's daughter. But it was all suspicion, not knowledge, so the cards felt self-righteous that they had not actually /lied/ to their mistress. Either way, the land of November was eerily quiet until the time approached for Kassandre's birth. The rooks and the magpies came and tapped on the windows of King Mar'vel's library; hoping to tell him the news, but he was buried in his books in the deeper parts of the crypt; and did not hear them.

As her labor pains began, Lord Soril had his daughter ushered quickly into the special room that he had prepared; chuckling to himself when the midwife, who certainly did not look faerie, could not enter. And it was just as well; for waiting inthe room to serve as midwife was the good Lady Constance, saying soothing things and preparing the mother-to-be. Kassandre, terrified, but helpless, clutched at the moor-witch's hand with eyes wide and white while she stroked her hair and recited the following prayer:

"Eve of the morning; the flighty maiden; the girl is brash and brave and a girl; she is a virgin until her loins bring forth a babe unto the world. The death of the maiden is the birth of the child; and her death song are the cries of new life. One passes, and two are born; new-maiden and Mother, Eve of the apple; who toils in the dust and may bring forth Cain, or Abel. Grey ladies, who are called too the Norns and the Fates, attend this girl in her premminent womanhood; as life starts with screaming."

And scream did the girl Kassandre; as the first head, blond, pushed it's way out of her. Lord Soril stood by, nervous; thinking that he was witnessing things of women that had little enough to do with him. And then the feet of the second child slipped through, and, quick as light; the Morrigan sliced open the girl's belly to remove the dark-haired daughter. The cut was so clean, that the girl did not feel it until it was stitched back up; but her father was white.

The two new Princesses of November did not mind though, howling loudly in the Morrigan's arms. The princess Kassandre examined them in dismay for the first was indeed to be a son, although the second was to be a daughter; which she had meant to send to the King Mar'vel to embarrass him.

"Take your little maidens, Mother, and become thou a woman." Said Lady Constance. But Kassandre refused; renouncing womanhood; begging to be a girl again. Lady constance glared at her and told her in a voice of gentle scorn; the only way to do this was to consent to be her apprentice; and learn the ways of life before hurrying off so foolishly to create it. Sobbing, Kassandre consented, and Lord Soril was very much relieved that he did not have to send kassandre to the bog-woman himself. And the Morrigan oath-bound the sorceress to herself there and then, and, when asked what she wished to be done with the babies, Kassandre told Lord Soril to send them to their father, the King Mar'vel. And so, the Lord of the Wild Hunt summoned his hounds and had them carry the babes in baskets to the door of November's king; and leave them on his doorstep with a charge that he must rear them up well.