The wine of revenge is sweet yet bloody.

It was true when the Shrike was unaware of the enemies he had in the crowd.

The loud crashes of thunder shook the palace, and the lightning flashed through the windows. The lights would dim and shine, but in one particular window, casted an eerie shadow over the faces who were gazing at the shrike. No one noticed the figure for almost 45 minutes, as she slowly stood on the window ledge. Larkin's speech had washed over almost everyone except a few people. She was lost in her own dreaming before the shrike addressed everyone about the Sink. But, she heard. Heard every single word and understood clearly. War. A power hungry official with greedy wishes to over rule. Rule the world. A revolution in any sense.
"Politics.." she whispered, "..are stupid."
Now with all strength and balancing carefully on the thin ledge, she cocked up her head.
"If I were you, Shrike," Miraye yelled from the window ledge,"-I'd stop smiling right now!"

Dead silence had over shadowed the crowd as they all turned to look at who would dare threaten the shrike. Their eyes met the dark window, a pair of brown stars staring back at them. The girl took a step off the ledge and fell, but quickly caught the banner and swung herself to the chandelier. Loud cries and gasps had emitted from below as Miraye let go if the chandelier. Fear was lost in her mind, and the only thoughts of revenge and death bestowed upon her wandering spirits inside. Her white dress flapped behind her and she gracefully landed on the table of flowers below, petals flying everywhere.

"And it's a wonder why you haven't invited-" Miraye took off the white mask, "-Me." Her scar glistened with the lights.
Screams. So many screams had filled the hall, ones of terror and shock.

"The girl! It's the girl who destroyed half the city!"
"Her scar tells it all!"
"She's going to kill us! We're going to die!"
"The shrike lied to us!"

Miraye chuckled to herself, "It's a wonder what can happen when you tell people lies. People so brainwashed to believe a goat fucker, a cheater. I bet under all that make up, you're just an ugly old man." She looked up, a face of extreme anger had reached the shrike's face, wrinkles coursing, and there beside him was Tic. Tic looked at her with suprise and wonder and she smiled at him, but knew that he betrayed his own people. She felt anger towards Stelon; after all, she was flirting with the enemy. Her smile escaped as she looked back to the shrike, his anger causing much glee inside. She couldn't help but break open a wide smirk. It was amusing to watch the shrike turn so sour.

She breathed and muttered to herself, "The prince is here, now... to save the princess."

Miraye felt like the prince from the beginning. She wasn't a princess at all, she did most of the rescuing in her life. And now she was in this elegant castle, trying to rescue the princess. Tic. Trying to rescue the princess from the evil count, the bad guy. She could see it in the back of her mind. Miraye dressed as the French prince and saving a horror-strickened boy. A soft giggle was made inside, that no one could hear.

The girl kicked a bouquet from her steps down the table. It rattled with every foot step she took, her eyes never straying from the shrike. Hatred had finally returned to her atmosphere. The irony of the fact it was raining outside and how much cruelty she wanted to cause made Miraye want to burst in mad laughter. It was still silent, and she felt everyone slowly crawling for the doors that led out into freedom, into life. It was too late for them. Miraye's intentions were strong, and this meant everyone in that castle would have to be sacrificed to Hisheme. No survivors. None. How she thought, how she will act. This was the influence of her teacher, Seryale. No survivors, but blood everywhere. Whether innocent or guilty. Mercy was out of the question.

Death had enveloped the castle in its eyes, her smile upon the building causing the angels to weep and the gods to protest.

"You've caused enough of pain as is, shrike," Miraye spoke as she continued to walk on the table, heading down on the ballroom floor. "Your causes of your pure enjoyment have caused terror and suffering. You wish for more in life, and thanks to this, you steal from the dying..." Whispers of the room could be heard. All in agreement. "Taxes raised. Children slowly meeting their untimely death. Their parents weep every night. And now.." She reached the end of the table. "You wish to destroy the Sink and become even more powerful. You decieved my friend and tricked him. Threatened him. Even.." Her voice dropped low, ".. Even maybe molested him." Sharp gasps echoed. "You only think of yourself, Shrike. I can't understand why people even respect you. There's nothing in that body but a sad, pathetic soul. Well, if you have a soul, that is."

The anger in the Shrike's eyes made everyone squeam.

"Give back the Sink boy," Miraye snarled, ".. or face the consequences."