Anna did not want to go, but energy flowed from the ring into her, forcing her to walk to her punishment. Circe made her smile so Father would not notice anything wrong as Anna felt like she was marching to an execution. She silently begged and pleaded to the now-quiet voice in her head as it condemned her with it's silence.
Anna's father smiled and had her sit on the ottman before him.
"Anna Dearest, I have another suprise for you. I may be able to get you a welsh pony to ride. The owner made the offer as I was coming home to-night Isnt' that wonderful?"
Suddenly, Anna screamed in pain as fire raced through her from the ring. Where the ring hand had gleamed at the end of her sleeve, there was a dark hoof with a red streak down the center. Horse forelimbs stretched from her sleeves as her father gaped in terror. Anna screeched in agony, becoming equine squeals. Her sleeves split as her elbows fused to her body. Tightening clothing exploded as time seemed to stop around her. Rippling thighs fused to her swelling body as a naked tail pushed out of her widening rump. Shivering in terror, she voided on the oriental rug, and herself consequently. In moments, she was swishing her fully gown black tail and struggling to stand.
She rubbed her rump on the tatters of her clothing to clean herself before succeding in standing on all fours, like a, like an ..ANIMAL!
Oh dear! Daddy must be insane with fright by now!
She looked around to find time had indeed stopped. Her father's chair was caught in the middle of tipping over backwards, Meershaum pipe hanging in mid-air.
Circe finally spoke again "Now it is as if you had never been. It is time, child. The fates do have a twisted humor, and you may have linked yourself to your brother far too well. If you are not quick in, erm, 'wedding' another... well... either way, you'll have learned a lesson about abusing my power that is not fatal."
Anna cocked her ears questioningly "I dont understand."
Circe sighed as the mess on the floor vanished, and Anna found herself walking out the door to the stables. "you will."
Anna entered a stall that shut behind her, and fell asleep.
Anna awoke in the morning to her father's voice. "Here is the pony I bought you last night, dear wife. Now we can go riding together again." Anna's mother kissed him and thanked him before Donnal the Groom interrupted "M'lord, I think she's coming intae heat, an' I would like permission to breed 'er to yer jack, Kenneth. We're needn' a mule fer heavy work. 'Course we might need a carhorse as bad."
He nodded "Do as you think best. We wont need the pony when she'll be heavy with foal."
Anna shivered as she realized her brother was in the next stall and they meant to.. Oh Heavens!! she cast a look about and saw the bay cob in the loosebox giving her the eye. "...Rather HIM than incest, and he does look so sleek and smells so wonderful..." she thought.
Donnal opened her stall and brought her out, turning her loose to pasture with her brother and the cob carthorse.
The groom grinned "Aye, let nature decide which one we get."