        The sun was just above the horizon, yet the mood in the room was black as midnight.  Ordinarily, Twilight would have enjoyed watching the dance of light and shadow as the morning sun played through the windows, caressing ancient oaken rafters with gold.  Not today; today the sun rose a vengeful weapon.  Instead, she watched the pendulum on the clock swing slowly back and forth, each arc ending in a loud tick.  The second hand lurched forward.  Perhaps it would have been more apropos had it been an hourglass, but the Princess had modernized her chambers.