Blackfeather Woods all those who are not us, are our enemies

Still, he denies her. He denies her in the face of truth and she sees nothing but cowardice. She sees failure, to put forth another who would sooner abandon him for silly dreams than the life she birthed him to give. Astrid had tragically failed to become the woman she hoped her to be; Keelut, too far within his own mind to make something out of him in the time that she had, and Abraxas seemed to be chronically absent as an extraordinary likeness to his father. Atshen was the crowning jewel upon which she was to place on the mantle of her name, the diadem of generations of inheritance that was simply meant to be shone. She could not have him straying from the path of what he was meant; his purpose. Astrid obstructed that. It could only truly mean that either Astrid's presence would now be considered an immediate threat to her bloodline and was to be cut-off at haste, or the current Dark Master would need to pull something so dramactic, the son would have no choicce but to hear her plea.

She could not dispose of the star-speckeled girl so easily as she could give up what little left she had, no matter how tempting the options were.

"Very well," She pauses. "Take my crown," Her brow quirks to her son. "If you cannot believe my warnings to the degree they deserve, take my crown and see just how serious I am, on the condition that you command each and every one of them to the severity the Dark Master must have and I will watch as they pick you apart bit by bit, without my support to back you up. Then you will see the urgency of our leave," The calmness of her tone was rightfully suspicious; he had no choice. It was her decree, and like it or not, he will obey. It was a punishment disguised as a present, and could not be mistaken for vice-versa. Very little joy will come from his reign, and she knows this. He will come to know this. He will know the struggle she faces each day from the disgust they continually show her. And if they do not, she will leave him to face the dark woods alone, and in happiness.

"But you will reserve your mercy for none, absolutely nobody."