"Believe it or not, I've nothing to prove," he said, shrugging against the grass. And he didn't. He was quite content to be amused at this person thinking he was young and saving face.

He waited to see if he'd be asked to continue, at the gesture, he did so. "As Blood we're born with the Craft. Our magic. We train it and Protocol almost from birth. When we are old enough, we have our Birthright Ceremony and gain our first Jewels. That is also where Paternity is acknowledged or denied." He would never admit that there was some small part of him that would always be running scared until his daughter's ceremony. He knew his wife loved him, that he had never done anything and never would, to make her question him. That they served the same Court. That any issues would be addressed in advance. But like all fathers of youngsters he couldn't fully avoid the fear that paternity would be denied. He just chose to bury it and pretend it wasn't there.

"The darker a Jewel the further into the abyss we can go, and the stronger we are, power wise. The ranks go, generally from White to Black. Opal is the dividing line, between Light and Dark."