Chapter 2

"Don't worry. We forgive you. We accept you for who you are." Anna's three brothers teased Mason for being too girly. While they had gifted her a bow, a silver dagger, and a book on swordsmanship, Mason gifted her a tiara. They teased him so hard that he blushed, though he tried hard to hide his embarrassment.

Malcom, Morris, Martin, and Mason had come up to Anna's room to give their gifts before the occasion began, and it wasn't going too well for Mason. They were all seated on Anna's bed as they enjoyed some sibling time before the grand occasion.

"I couldn't think of anything else she would like." Mason tried to defend himself but to no avail. His defense seemed to have given more room for the tongue-lashing he got.

"Of course, you couldn't." Malcom capitalized on his statement. "You can't reason contrary to your natural inclination. We accept you regardless." Malcom grinned from ear to ear as the others laughed heartily.

Anna was embarrassed for Mason but couldn't help but join in the laughter. She hadn't always been as girly as her peers, making the tiara a bit out of place for her, but she wasn't going to admit it, not in front of the hyenas surrounding him, waiting to devour him verbally. "That's enough, boys." The laughter subsided a bit. Anna turned to Mason. "Thank you, Mason; I love it. It's beautiful."

There was a brief silence. They couldn't tell why they laughed; they just couldn't hold it in. Mason joined the laughter as he hung his head low.

"Alright, boys, knock it off. We need you all downstairs." Anna's mother barged in on their moment without knocking on the door. "Come on now."

"We love you, brother," Malcom said, putting his arm around Mason's shoulder as they exited the room. Their horrid laughter echoed through the hallways.

"Is Jennifer here yet?" Anna wondered why her best friend hadn't arrived yet. She had a habit of being tardy to all their appointments, but today was turning out worse than regular days. Anna knew exactly the answer to the question she had asked.

"No, she isn't." Hilda noticed the look of disappointment on her daughter's face. "But I believe she will be here soon." She tried to convince Anna, but she wasn't having any of it. Hilda sat beside Anna on her bed, putting her arm on her shoulder. "You have a wonderful evening ahead of you; don't let a foul mood ruin it."

Anna nodded quietly. "Sure, I won't."

"I have something for you," Hilda said as Anna looked expectantly. She put her hands behind her neck and unlocked the amulet she had on. The chain was a glittering metal, and the pendant was an emerald stone. "Here, I believe you are of age now."

Anna was speechless. "What's this?" As long as she had known, her mother had always had that amulet around her neck. Why was she giving it up now?

Hilda proceeded to put it around her daughter's neck. "My mother gave it to me when I came of age." She locked it and stood to see how it looked on her daughter. "It has been a family heirloom, passed down through generations. It fits you perfectly. I'm grateful I finally had a girl child to whom I could pass this on; I wonder what Malcom and the rest would have done with this if I were to pass it on to them."

"They probably wouldn't even want to wear it." They laughed in unison. Anna knew her brothers pretty well. She caressed the beautiful emerald; she hadn't seen anything as beautiful as it was. She wondered if it had any special powers.

"And, no, it has no special powers...." Hilda broke out the spoiler alert without a second thought. "...yet."

"What do you mean?"

"You will understand when the time comes." Hilda smiled at her daughter's confusion. "Alright, young lady, most of your guests are here; you'll be called upon soon to make your grand entrance." She cupped Anna's jaw with her right hand and caressed her tender cheek. "We'll be waiting for you. Put on the dress I showed you. Don't pull any stunts." She knew Anna's tendency to try to get her way no matter what. They had a miniature argument about the dress to wear.

Anna chuckled. "I won't."

With that, Hilda walked to the door. She stopped at the door and took one last look at Anna, smiling. It seemed she was in a good mood. She shut the door behind her as the sound of her footsteps faded away.

With a new sense of optimism, Anna stood and made for the wardrobe. She didn't want to change her mother's unusually cheerful mood, so she overlooked all her favorite dresses and went straight for the elegant black dress her mother had picked out for her.

She took her time to undress in front of her mirror, which hung nearby. She stood there, looking at her bodily features, scrutinizing them for what was wrong and what wasn't, from her slightly broad shoulders to her moderately big breasts, down to her wide hips and thick laps.

She admired her womanly curves greatly; it was what she liked most about her body. ‘You have grown pretty much,’ she thought to herself. The emerald around her neck hung perfectly, and she loved the way it shone on her skin.

Anna was soon clad in the chosen dress. "All for you, mother." She didn't fancy the dress that much. Three taps on the door impeded her thoughts. "Come in."

It was her father, always being a gentleman. "Anna..." He observed her dress as though he knew it from somewhere. "You look elegant."

"I do?" She knew she did, but classical elegance wasn't her style; she loved the more contemporary fancy dresses. "Mother gave it to me."

Troy smiled a bit as he ran his hand through his blonde hair. "Oh, did she?" He obviously knew where the dress had come from.

Anna was drawn to the box he had in his hand. "Is that for me?"

"Oh, yes. This is my gift for you." Troy walked up to her and handed her the box, watching as she curiously opened it.

Anna took out a miniature scroll. "What's this?" She went on to try opening the scroll before Troy interrupted.

"Don't open it now; you'd ruin the surprise. Save the best for later." He smiled as he embraced his soon-to-transition daughter.

"Alright, I will." She was lost in her father's embrace. Her father was more emotionally oriented than her mother. Though they had varying inclinations, they were still a perfect fit for each other.

"Always remember this, Anna," he said, still embracing her, "I will always love you no matter what."

Alright, where's this all going? She knew her father could sometimes be emotional, but not this much, and she couldn't afford to voice it out loud.

The critical attitude toward expressed emotions that her brothers displaced had slowly rubbed off on her. Knock it off already. She could get knocked out if she dared say that to her father. "I love you too." She replied in the spirit of the moment.

Troy finally refrained, scrutinizing her more carefully. "Is that your mother's amulet?"

‘No, you gave it to me, don't you remember?’ Malcom's possible sarcastic responses wouldn't stop ringing in her head. "Yes, it is."

"It looks good on you." Troy was always full of compliments. "We'll be waiting for you." He turned and took his leave.

Anna was all alone again. She resisted every temptation to open that scroll. She sought a place to put it so she wouldn't forget it. Impulsively, she tucked it into the bust of her dress. She took out a moment to thank the Moon Goddess for giving her such a loving family.

"Jennifer," she sighed as she turned to the mirror. She had to reach out to her friend to know what the delay was all about. She wasn't having it if it was some sort of setup for a surprise entrance, though she hoped it was.

The mirror was yet another magical artifact that her mother made available to reach distant loved ones.

"Sha'id." Anna turned to the mirror and said the magic word in desperation, though she tried to keep her composure as much as possible. Jennifer's image slowly formed on the mirror. "Jennifer, you promised..." Anna's rant was replaced with a slight frown when she noticed her friend sobbing; it was supposed to be a day of celebration for both of them. "Jennifer? What's the matter?" Now she was troubled.

She just kept sobbing and could barely say a word. "Anna... I..." Her tears flowed incessantly. "You..."

"What is wrong?" A sense of fear began to grip Anna as she realized that her friend, who seldom felt down, was now in tears. "Talk to me."

Her sobs grew more intense as she struggled to articulate what was on her mind. It appeared as though the words she wanted to say were on the brink of escape, but the burden of their weight prevented them from coming out.

"Anna...  I'm sorry."  She finally said, as though it were with her last breath.

"About?" Anna noticed her image was dematerializing on the mirror. "Jennifer!" Her tone escalated. "Jennifer, what are you sorry about?" She was gone.

Anna was both disappointed and burdened. What was she trying to say?

"Sha'id." No response. "Sha'id!" It was useless. Anna stared at her image in the mirror. What more could she do? She just decided to look forward to the rest of the night, hoping to see Jennifer tomorrow, and she just hoped it wasn't something too serious.

As the minutes ticked by, Anna began to grow restless, realizing she had yet to receive the signal to make her grand entrance. It was already past the agreed time, causing her mind to be rife with unease, leaving her fraught with concern. Impatience gnawed at her, and she found herself unable to wait any longer.

She headed for the door and crossed the threshold into the hallway, which was strangely quiet. ‘Could this be an elaborate surprise?’ Anna mused, feeling a sense of weariness creeping in. She contemplated the various explanations for the unexpected stillness as she descended the stairs and strode confidently toward the living room.

Anna's senses were immediately put on high alert as she noticed that something was amiss. There should have been a cacophony of voices or at least murmurs, but instead, there was only an eerie stillness that sent shivers down her spine.

The aroma of delicious food that usually wafted through the air was replaced by a pungent odor that made her nose twitch - the smell of silver and wolfsbane. What was happening here? She quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest, as she made her way to the living room.

Dread coiled in her stomach as she reached the door, and with a trembling hand, she pushed it open. The sight that greeted her was far beyond her worst nightmares.