

The Second Life of Magnolia Mae

by Angela Schroeder

published by Blue Tulip Publishing

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 ANGELA SCHROEDER

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
THE SECOND LIFE OF MAGNOLIA MAE

Copyright © 2014 ANGELA SCHROEDER

ISBN: 978-1-942246-11-4

Cover Art by P.S. Cover Design

To my daughter. Remember that you are the hero of your own story. You may have secondary moments but are never a secondary character.

# CHAPTER ONE

The cold bit at her bare arms; she rubbed her hands over them in an effort to fight off the chill. It had not been that cold when she left the house that morning. She should have known better. It was late autumn, and that meant sweaters, hoodies, hot chocolate, and bonfires. No, Magnolia had to wear a blue-ribbed tank and jeans with the knees ripped out. Her long black hair hung down to her waist, blowing slightly in the cool breeze. She had sacrificed being warm to work in the greenhouse after school. Knowing that she would be digging in dirt had kept her from wearing anything nicer. She truly did not care what everyone at school thought about her clothes. There was nothing she could do about the hand she had been dealt in life, not yet anyway. In a few more weeks, she would be eighteen and could finally leave this place behind.

"Why are you standing out in the cold?" A low gruff voice questioned from behind her. A quick glance over her shoulder was all she needed to see the look of disapproval on Bash's handsome face. He had graduated two years before but often came back to help his uncle with the FFA projects. "Are you trying to get sick?"

"Why, yes, Bash, I was hoping that I would catch pneumonia. Then I could get a room at the hospital and watch television." The snarky reply escaped her lips before she had even thought.

Shaking his head, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the greenhouse that was only a few steps behind them.

"Waiting on your brother again?" All the gruffness smoothed out of his voice. His one redeeming quality in Magnolia's eyes was that Bash had been the only one who had not treated her differently after her parents died three years before, leaving her twenty-two-year-old brother to care for her. "I can give you a lift home." His blue eyes held her gaze, blue eyes that had always haunted her. Eyes that she saw even in her dreams. She shook her head, breaking off eye contact.

"He'll be here. He probably just had to work late." It would certainly be handy to have a cell phone at moments like this.

"Mag, I can take you home. It's not a big deal. Here..." He handed her his phone. "...call Jace and tell him that you have a ride home."

She let out an exasperated sigh as she took the phone from him and called the farm store. The ringing on the other end of the line stopped when her brother answered the phone. All she managed to say was his name before he interrupted with a quick explanation of having to stay until closing time.

"It's alright. I got a ride home," she assured him. "I love you. Be careful." Her fingers flipped the phone shut. "I guess it's your lucky day." A lopsided smile crossed her face as she scooped her bag off the floor.

"I suppose it is." His smile seemed genuine where hers had been forced.

She felt a twinge of guilt for treating him the way she treated everyone else at that school. Bash had never treated her differently. He'd never snickered behind her back about her clothes coming from the thrift store. He had never cared that she lived in a small farmhouse on the outskirts of town and had never once teased her for always telling her brother that she loved him. Everyone else had been merciless toward her.

They made sure to lock up the greenhouse before heading over to the large black truck. After she tossed her bag onto the seat, she hoisted herself up into the truck. The engine roared to life, and the lights illuminated the football field across from them. Neither of them said a word until Bash pulled up to the diner.

"I'm hungry, come on."

Magnolia pulled at the frayed strings on her jeans. She did not want to go in to the diner. It was usually filled with her classmates. She hated seeing them in school and tried her hardest to avoid them afterward.

Bash had walked around the truck and pulled open her door. He tugged his hoodie over his head and handed it to her. "Put this on."

Soon she was enveloped in his soft blue sweatshirt. It smelled of him, a mix of Old Spice and hay.

"Come on. My treat." He reached out his hand, helping her from the truck.

All eyes in the diner turned toward them when Bash opened the door. Magnolia held her head high as she walked next to Bash. She heard the whispers, she knew the rumors, and she also knew that Sarah had been eyeing Bash for the past few years. The glare coming toward her from the place where Sarah sat with her cheerleader groupies was almost enough to blind a person.

A foot shot out, throwing Magnolia off-balance. The floor approached her face quickly, and a pair of strong hands grabbed hold of her with her nose an inch from the ground.

"Walk much?" Sarah giggled with her friends.

"Yes, and usually just fine when you're not around." On her feet, Magnolia stared down at the cheerleaders then turned away to go toward a back table. There was no need for a menu. Jace brought her here every Friday on payday. It had become a tradition after their parents died.

Bash slid into the seat across from her. The looks and snickers from Sarah's table reached them.

"What did you ever do to her?"

"Apparently, I was born in the wrong town. Didn't you know that this is Sarah's town?"

"That so?" a smile sounded from his voice.

She bobbed her head up and down and lowered her voice to a whisper. "She's going to be crowned Harvest Queen at the Halloween masquerade with you at her side." Her eyebrows arched when she saw the shock on Bash's face.

He shook his head slowly in disbelief.

"She's made it known through the school."

"I don't even go there anymore. Even if I did, I wouldn't want to go with her. She is evil." The last part came out in a low hiss, causing Magnolia to laugh.

When their food arrived, they ate in comfortable silence. Magnolia dipped her fries into her milkshake. Bash raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything about her odd eating habits. He had his double bacon burger polished off before she'd started on her grilled cheese.

A loud grating voice came from across the diner. "You know she is the reason her parents died, right? Who can blame them for doing whatever it took to get away from her?"

The expression on Bash's face turned dark as he stood, tossing the money for their food on the table. He pulled her up with him, holding her hand tightly in his.

"She's going to do the same to poor Bash."

A low growl came from his throat as he dragged her across the floor toward the door. He paused in front of the pack of hyenas the town called cheerleaders. "She is better than you will ever be."

Sarah's jaw dropped as he walked away with Magnolia tucked close to his side.

# CHAPTER TWO

The house was nearly dark, the only light coming from the bedside lamp in her mostly white-walled bedroom. Her father had painted a mural on one wall of her bedroom the year she was confined to her room with scarlet fever. Every day for a week he came into her room to paint more for her. The scene depicted a young girl walking through a forest filled with red blossoms, instead of grass. She remembered how she had thought it was like watching a private show just for her.

She flipped open her government book and tried to concentrate on the words, but Sarah's words echoed in her head. She was right, though she didn't know it.

If not for Magnolia, her parents would be alive. She'd known they were going to get into a car wreck. She had seen it two nights before it happened. The screams had echoed in her head, the bursts of lightning mixed with the flashes of red and blue from the emergency responders had been forever implanted in her memory even before it had happened. The dream had seemed so real — they always seemed so real — that she'd cried hysterically until her parents found her curled on the floor of her room. They had assured her that it had only been a nightmare. Two nights later, they'd gone out in a storm to pick her up from rehearsal. Trying to avoid the deer had thrown their car into a hydroplane that had connected them with a lone tree in the ditch.

Tears slid down her flushed cheeks as she shoved the government book away from her.

Sarah had been her understudy in the musical. After the accident, Magnolia had stopped singing. Sarah had taken to tormenting her about being the reason her parents had died. She relived that night often. She should have called them and said she'd get a ride with someone else. She could have asked Bash to take her home; he'd had been at the school helping his uncle.

"M&M!" Jace's voice boomed through the house. "Are you up?" He was soon at the doorway to her room. His light brown hair and golden brown eyes reflected the light from her lamp. His shirt was dirty from working a twelve-hour shift at the farm store. "How was school?" He tossed himself onto the old beanbag chair next to her bed.

A groan escaped her as she shifted on her bed, letting her hair hang over the edge so she could see her brother. "It was no different than any other day."

"Why the tear-streaked face?"

"Just thinking about Momma and Daddy. I miss them. Tell me again how they met." Her eyes closed as she listened to Jace describe the day their father had been riding his horse down the side of the road and caught the eye of the beautiful new girl from town. She knew the story by heart; it had been memorized for as long as she could remember. The cowboy on the dancing horse had caught her momma's eye, and she'd known she would marry that man someday. Magnolia let out a sigh. She felt the covers being drawn over her and heard Jace whisper good night.

The howl of the wolf caused her to glance over her shoulder as she ran silently through the forest. Her eyes moved back to the moonlit path before her just in time to see the fallen log. She leapt over it, but her bare foot landed on something sharp, slashing the tender flesh open. With a tug at the bottom of her skirt, she ripped enough material to quickly bandage the wound, but she was not quick enough.

Blue, shining in the moonlight, peered down at her. It took a moment to realize the blue belonged to the eyes of the man who was now looming over her. Panic began to swell.

He swooped down so quickly she did not have a chance to scream. "I'm here to help." A deep smooth voice whispered into the darkness near her ear. His breath warm against her skin. Strong arms scooped her up.

"They're coming. We have to move now." His movements were swift and silent like a ghost, moving through the black forest. It felt like hours before they came upon a fire in the distance. "Your home?"

She glanced from the firelight to the glowing blue eyes and did not want to answer his question. Though she already knew that he was aware of who she was, It seemed that he did not care. He should. He was not of her people. He should not be here with her. Would he find himself in the stocks for helping her? A few more steps and they emerged from the forest to the camp.

Three men jumped, reaching for weapons when they noticed the outsider in their camp. One of the men yanked her from his arms so quickly that she yelled in pain and found herself on the ground.

The blue eyes of the man who had saved her remained calm as the sharp edge of the dagger pushed against his throat.

"No!"

Magnolia shot up in bed trembling for the fifth time in two weeks. Those eyes were nearly always there, though this time she had seen his raven-black hair. She could still feel his breath on her neck. It had been so real.

The sky outside her window was beginning to lighten, so she quickly pulled on a jacket to go meet with her truest friend. Barefoot, she ran across the frosted ground to the pasture fence and perched to wait. After she let out a low whistle, a large black horse with one red hoof appeared before her. Its velvety nose nuzzled at her, trying to find the treats that she tended to bring. Her hand came from her pocket and revealed two sugar cubes for her friend. "You are the sweetest thing, Dragoste."

The horse let out a low whinny and tossed his head back.

Magnolia jumped to his back from her fence perch, and he ran through the fields as the sun peeked over the horizon. All the tension that had been building up within her for the past few days melted away as the sun turned the horizon a beautiful orange. It was going to be a good day.

Dragoste shifted under her taking her back toward the house.

"M&M, get ready for school!" Jace hollered out the front door as she charged in the direction of the house on the back of the horse their father had given her a few months before he'd died.

She slid to the ground and patted the horse.

"How many times do you have to be told not to bring him in the yard?"

They walked into the house. Magnolia was rushed into the kitchen by Jace, who was ready to leave for work. She knew he could not go without her, and a part of her felt guilty for having gone for a ride before school.

"He always goes back to the pasture." The aroma of the coffee drew her to the pot where her mug was already waiting for her. A grin crossed her face when she saw that Jace had actually made breakfast. "So, why the hot breakfast?"

The only answer she got was a shrug of the shoulders and a plate of piping-hot pancakes and eggs.

A few minutes later he looked at her. "The same dream?"

When she raised an eyebrow at her brother, his lip twitched. "I heard you yell out in your sleep."

"They were going to kill him."

Her brother locked eyes with her, ran his fingers through his short hair, and nodded. He understood. From the time she could remember, she had always told him about her dreams.

"Alright. Well, finish getting ready for school." He gently pushed her in the direction of her room. "Wear some shoes next time," he grumbled, shaking his head.

Sarah and her evil minions were practicing next to the football field. With the homecoming game approaching, the cheerleaders were practicing until it got dark. Every time Magnolia looked up from the greenhouse, she could see the glares that were directed at her. What had she ever done to them?

Everyone knew that Sarah wanted to date Bash, but it was not like Magnolia had set her eyes on him. As far as she knew, she had not shown him more than a friendly interest. Bash was the closest friend that she had, and she'd kept him at a distance. She did not date, so they could not possibly hate her for stealing away a boyfriend or love interest, could they? A heavy sigh escaped her as she grabbed the large push-broom to sweep up all the leaves and dirt that had fallen to the floor.

She watched as a storm started to roll in, the clouds dark and heavy with rain. It did not take long for the first fat drops of rain to send the cheerleaders running, screaming into the building. The football team remained on the field until lightning streaked across the sky. Inside the greenhouse, Magnolia's heart began to race as the storm enveloped her without ever getting wet. The lightning cracked above her, sending bright streaks through the air, and the fine hairs on her arms to stand on end. When, the thunder boomed so loudly it shook the fragile building, she jumped off the table she had been sitting on. She searched through the storm wondering when she could get out of the green house and to safety.

With the next flash of light, she caught a glimpse of a lone wolf standing near the woods on the other side of the football field. The animal's eyes bore into her soul, beckoning her to join him. When darkness enveloped the world again, she turned away only to see a flash of blue by the doorway, causing her to jump. She tumbled over a potted plant on the floor. Pain pulsed through her backside as thunder drowned out all sounds except the howling of the wolf. Twin lights pushed through the darkness she noticed the wolf, now in the middle of the football field, stopped in its tracks before turning to run back to the woods. The old beat-up, half-rusted-out red Ford that Jace always drove pulled up in front of the greenhouse. She grabbed her things then ran through the storm to jump into the truck.

"Did you see it?"

"See what?" Jace glanced at her then around them.

"The wolf. It was right there." She motioned toward the football field.

"No, but I wasn't looking over in that direction."

"Did you see anyone when you pulled up?" Her eyes searched the darkness as they pulled away.

"Not a soul. What happened?" Jace turned down the radio and glanced at her with his honey-colored eyes.

"I don't know. I saw the wolf, and when I turned, I saw a flash of something blue, then you pulled up, and the wolf was even closer than he had been before."

The wolf _had_ been closer. She knew she had not imagined it. The wolf had a lonely appearance to it, almost as if it had been searching for something it had lost.

"Do you think I should tell the principal?"

"Nah, why disrupt the game on Friday if it was the only time you saw it? You have been working in that greenhouse every afternoon since school has been back in session, and this is the only time you have seen it. If you see it again then you can say something. No need to have them out hunting for the poor thing."

But she had seen it before — at least she had heard it before — just the previous night and so many nights before that. The same lonely call, hauntingly beautiful, luring her and yet chasing her. The image of the man from her dream flitted through her mind. _"Remember_ ," his whisper echoed in her ears.

Shaking her head to try to get the disturbing voice out of it, she glanced over at her brother who was concentrating on driving through the sheets of rain. His jaw was set in a hard line, eyes glinting with anger, and his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. What had happened to him to cause him to appear so? _Laid back_ was the term she had always thought of when someone mentioned her brother. He was reliable and fun-loving. Though he had her to care for, he did not walk around like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Now, seeing him in the storm, she knew there was something wrong. Something had happened. Had he lost his job? Silence wrapped around them until they were standing safely in their kitchen.

Her hair dripping wet, Magnolia glanced over at the cookie jar then back to her older brother. "Thunder cookies?"

He must have heard the hope in her whispered question because he smiled halfheartedly. "Sure, M&M, you get everything together while I go check on your horse. May as well be sure he has all he needs for the night, since I'm already wet. Doesn't look like it is going to let up out there." The door closed behind him after he walked out into the storm.

Soon, the ingredients were lined on top of the counter, waiting for Jace to come back in. Seated on the counter near the almost-empty cookie jar, Magnolia thought back to the days when making thunder cookies filled the storms with laughter and fun. She had not feared them as much then. Now a part of her wanted to curl up in a corner and hide until the thunder and lightning were over. Images of her parents' deaths haunted her every time there was a storm like this, especially in the autumn. A loud bang brought her out of her thoughts. A puddle had already formed at Jace's feet.

"Why don't you get started on them while I take a quick shower?" A lopsided grin helped to put her mind at ease. Whatever had been bothering him before did not have a complete hold on him anymore. Maybe he had just been remembering the night that their lives had changed. After all, he'd lost not only his parents, but his freedom. The guilt ate away at her as she wondered if she could have prevented it. The storm raged on outside, and Magnolia began to hum while she baked the delicious treat her mother had named thunder cookies.

# CHAPTER THREE

The rain continued through the night, not allowing Magnolia to get any sort of rest. Every time she'd closed her eyes she'd seen flashes of the wolf, blue, and her parents. It was all connected — somehow it was all connected. The distant look that Jace had worn most of the evening seemed to be a part of it all. What was going on?

Lightning zigzagged the black sky before splitting into three long streaks that reached the ground. Thunder echoed through the land. She sat at the mouth of the cave they'd found shortly before the storm hit. How she longed for a fire to take the chill out of her bones. A large heavy cloak was draped across her shoulders, causing her to look up into those blue eyes.

"Cannot have you catching your death here."

The smoothness of his low voice caressed her, and a shiver ran down her spine.

"If they find you with me, I will be sure to catch my death either way."

Her glance flicked from his full lips to his entrancing eyes then back to the storm that wanted to claim the world.

"No person shall lay a hand on you." His voice rose above the thunder and rain.

"It is not a person I am concerned about, it is your mother. What would the queen do if she discovers her son with the likes of me?" A sadness flickered across her face.

"I care not." He reached out to touch her hair but she pulled away.

A lone wolf stood on the edge of the forest. "My people care. This cannot be." She turned from him to stare at the wolf. His nose lifted to the sky, his mouth opened and he let out a long, lonely, heart wrenching howl.

The howling in the distance pulled her to the window. _Remember_ , the word was like a soft caress. What was she supposed to remember? She pressed her forehead to the cold glass and peered into the darkness. Something was near the gate of the pasture; for a moment she wondered if part of a branch had come down in the storm. With the next flash of lightning she saw it, a wolf looking directly at her. "Jace!"

"What?" a sleepy grumble hollered back from across the hall.

"Wolf! Jace, Dragoste is out there." Her eyes locked on the wolf.

Her brother stumbled into her room half-asleep.

"There, see?"

The next flash of lightning illuminated the entire evening sky. A large black wolf with a silver mark over its eye stared in the direction of the house. It stood unmoving, as if the weather had no effect on it. "Dragoste is locked safely in the barn. I checked on him earlier, remember?" His voice sounded hollow. "I don't think it wants your horse anyway. It would have gone after him already."

"Why is it just standing there?" The memories of her dream creeped up on her. "I've seen it before." It came out in a whisper.

Jace reached for her blanket and laid it across her shivering shoulders.

She pulled it tightly around her, searching for a form of comfort. "In my dreams, Jace, that wolf is in my dreams. I know because of the silver over its eye." Her eyes went wide and stared up into her brother's face.

"It can't be."

"I know what I saw." Fire shot through her eyes at the thought of her brother doubting her. "That's the wolf in my dreams. It's always there, in every single one. Why?" The long low howl caused her to jump away from the window.

"I don't know, M&M, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with Dad." His golden-brown eyes looked over at her wall.

The mural had been there for years; it had been studied and memorized by the both of them, especially since their parents died. In the far distance of the forest there was a wolf sleeping. Magnolia had always thought it was sweet that her father had painted animals in the forest, but the wolf was the only one sleeping.

"It is right there. Right there in front of you this entire time. Maybe Dad was trying to tell you something."

"Tell me what? That I would have awful dreams about a wolf? Jace, that doesn't..." Her voice trailed off as she walked to the mural and crouched down before it. The wolf in the painting had the same silver mark. "Tell me what, Jace?" Her voice raised.

He sat next to her. "Maybe we need to start going through their things in the attic. Maybe he had a journal or something."

She knew from the tone of her brother's voice that there was something else. Something he was not telling her. "Jace, what do you know?"

The muscle in his jaw clenched then relaxed. "When we were younger, Dad used to tell us legends of his people. He loved to tell you about a young girl who was thought to save them from a life of being outcasts, running from place to place. A girl who had a wolf for a guardian. She was supposed to save them all. She was their princess. Though they had no kingdom, they were forced to travel from place to place, searching for a land to call their own. Something happened to her, but I don't remember what. It was something terrible, and the wolf has been searching for her ever since."

"The wolf never died?" An eyebrow shot up into the air skeptically.

"It's a legend, M&M. What do you expect?" He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wall. "What if that wolf has really been searching for her all this time?"

"That is crazy." She shook her head while sliding down onto the beaten-up beanbag chair.

"Crazier than you seeing things in your dreams that come true?" It was his turn to quirk up an eyebrow. His head leaned against the mural. "I don't know. I'm not Dad. I don't know much about the legend. I think he would have known about this wolf, though — why you see it all the time in your dreams, why he painted it here on your wall, and why you have seen it twice in one day. He would have known. Maybe there is something in his things that will help us to find out what is going on." He shifted his gaze over to her to see her nodding silently. "Get some sleep."

"Will you stay here?" Her dark brown eyes locked on his, pleading until he nodded. She wrapped the blanket tightly around her as she headed over to her bed. "Just until I fall asleep."

Magnolia folded her body close to itself just like she used to when she was a child. The lights flipped off, and she heard Jace flop down onto the beanbag chair. Her eyes closed as she thought about the wolf and the girl her brother had told her about until she drifted off to a restless sleep.

# CHAPTER FOUR

The rest of the week passed by with more dreams. The diner was not as packed as it normally was on a Friday evening, due to the football game. Magnolia and Jace were able to enjoy their meal without Sarah trying to ruin Magnolia's life. The waitress had just brought over the milkshake that Magnolia always ordered when the diner door swung open, and Bash walked in. His blue eyes flashed at her as he walked toward them. She popped the cherry into her mouth before looking away.

"How have you been, Jace?" he asked as he sat at a table next to them.

"Good. You?"

"Been looking everywhere for your sister. Then I remembered that you always come in on Fridays after you get paid." Bash kept his eyes on Jace while he spoke.

"Why?" Protectiveness edged into his voice, making it harsher than it usually was.

"I found this in the greenhouse the other day and thought it might be yours." Bash shifted his gaze to Magnolia as he pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a ring. It appeared to be a Claddagh ring, but in the heart was an etched wolf.

"That's not mine," she whispered, staring at it.

"It looks familiar. When we were going through the attic, I found a book and started flipping through it. I think I saw this in there." Jace took the ring into his hand to examine it more closely. "I am sure that I did. Come on. I'll show you." His coat was soon on, and he was paying their bill.

Magnolia left the rest of her milkshake behind to follow her brother out to his beat-up truck. She did not realize until they were home and she was getting out of the truck that Bash had followed them. They said nothing as they walked into the house and followed Jace into the living room. Bash sat on the floor close to the fireplace so he could get warm, folding his legs under him, while Magnolia sat on the arm of the recliner.

With an old tattered book in hand, Jace sat in the recliner. He set the ring down on his lap and flipped through the worn pages. "Here." His finger pointed at an old sketch of the ring: a heart with a wolf etched into it, a crown atop of the heart, and a hand on each side of it making the band. "It says here it was the ring of Princess Daciana. It was given to her by a prince of Marcello as a symbol of their love. Daciana was the princess I was telling you about, the one from the legend that Dad used to tell us." Excitement crept into his voice.

"Why did Bash find one like it in the greenhouse?" She peered over her brother's shoulder at the book.

Bash pulled out his phone and was soon on the Internet, searching for information on the ring. "I can't find any store that sells rings like these."

For the next hour they searched different websites and forums for any information they could find about Daciana's ring. Bash's voice broke the silence about an hour later. "How did it get here?" He sounded intrigued.

Jace leaned forward in the chair. "This says that Daciana never took off the ring while she lived. When she was found dead, the ring was gone. Some believe that the wolf took it until he could find her again, to reunite her with her love and finally give her people a true home."

"If she was a princess, why did they not have a home?" Bash leaned back onto his hands to look up at Jace and Magnolia.

"Her people, including the king himself, had been forced from their country by the king's twin about two-hundred years before she was born. While the king was away making treaties with other nations, his brother rallied people to support his claim to the throne. He used bribery in whatever form he could; he even hired soldiers to stand as his guard while he took the throne. The king loved his brother so much that he did not want to be the cause of his death, so he and those loyal to him never returned to fight for the kingdom. Instead they wandered, living like gypsies searching for a home. Wherever they went, they were chased away because they were thought to be thieves. Some accused them of being witches and warlocks. Others believed they were half-human, half-elfin. That's why they had no home —they didn't fit into either race. With Princess Daciana marrying the prince, they would call Marcello home and could finally stop wandering."

Magnolia found herself drawn into the story. "What happened? What was the prince's name?"

"Alistair, and it doesn't say what happened to her. Only that she was found dead with the ring missing. He spent his life wandering the country as if he was searching for something, giving up his claim to the throne."

"That is sad," she whispered from behind her brother. 'Why is it here?" Her hands twisted at the bottom of her shirt.

"Maybe once we figure out the dreams and the wolf, we will figure out how this got here." Jace closed the book gently then set it on the table next to the chair.

"What dreams?" Bash suddenly leaned forward.

She looked over at him and wondered how much she could share. Would he think of her as a freak the way everyone else seemed to? With a deep sigh, Magnolia told him without detail about the dreams and the wolf. He nodded and took it all in. Never had Magnolia been so grateful to hear her brother tell her that she should start getting ready for bed. She left the two of them in the living room. The legend of Daciana echoed over in her mind as if it were on repeat while she showered and dressed for bed. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she combed out her hair

_"Remember..."_ whispered from the darkness.

She shook the word away, fighting off chills and the urge to call for her brother. Deciding that it had to have been her imagination, she pulled out her journal to write about the events of the day. She had started keeping a journal when she was younger as a way for her to put her dreams down and then not have to worry about them. But recently that was not the case. They were becoming a part of her reality.

The days were growing shorter, the nights longer. The leaves had all turned bright shades of crimson, orange, and yellow. She pulled the cloak closer around her to ward off the chill in the air. Her long hair was pulled back from her face to reveal emerald-green eyes. Walking toward the village was not where she wanted to go, but her people were in need of a few items that she planned to trade for. The noise of the village reached her before she saw it. A glance over her shoulder allowed her to catch a glimpse of the wolf, still there. A hint of a smile crossed her face as she squared back her shoulders and walked with head held high into the bustling village. It was like many she had seen before, filled with people and real houses. Not like what she'd lived in. As always, she looked in wonder at the cottages, wanting to know what it would be like to live in a real home.

"Can I help ye, lass?" an older man with tattered clothes asked from behind his cart of turnips.

"No, thank you, sir." She turned to head toward the other side of the street, where she'd seen some warm-looking tartan wool, exactly what she had been in search of.

"You'll be needing something to ward off the evil that is in this land, especially with All Hollow's Eve so near," the man called to her.

"Likely, she will be needing protection from the evil that moved into the woods," another man added gruffly.

She glanced in his direction and noticed a long jagged scar across his face, zigzagging from below his left eye down to the corner of his mouth.

He sneered in her direction as he licked his lips.

Shuddering, she hurried to finish her business.

It did not take long to get what she needed and head back out of the village.

An uneasy chill coursed through her, raising goose bumps across her arms.

"You can't go walking through those woods. Not if you want to come out alive." A deep voice grated her ears as a rough hand grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop. He spun her around to face him. The scar caused his mouth to turn up at only one corner, making him appear even more sinister than he sounded. "It is not safe for a pretty young thing like you to be out there alone with the heathens who are trespassing there."

"Release me." Her voice remained calm, despite the fact that she wanted to scream.

His grip tightened, his dirty fingernails digging into her skin.

She could feel the blood begin to well up as he dug them in further. "Release me, now," she commanded, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.

"I cannot let you go out there alone. It would not be safe."

"As opposed to the safety I have found in the village?" She tried to yank her arm free, but he pulled her toward him.

"Gordon, release her!" The command seemed to echo through the village streets.

Her eyes were drawn toward the voice. The man was tall with dark hair and stunning blue eyes. His crisp white shirt was tucked neatly into his grey trousers.

"Your Majesty." The scarred man bowed as he dropped her arm from his grasp. "I was merely trying to warn her of the vagrants who have taken to the woods."

"Leave now." Those blue eyes bored into Gordon's back as he skulked off into the streets. "Are you alright, miss?" His voice was much calmer as he approached her.

She stepped backward and glanced down at her arm where the blood was oozing out.

"It is a mere scratch," the girl replied with a shaky voice. She watched silently while he took a white cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around her arm. "Thank you," she whispered before hurrying into the woods.

"Your name?" he called after her.

"Daciana." Her smile spread across her face as she disappeared into the trees.

Magnolia found herself staring at the mural as soon as she awoke with the dream still fresh in her mind. There had to be something there, more of a clue. Why were the dreams more frequent? Why were they in more detail? Why was the wolf always coming around? She thought about the ring that Bash had found. Dragging herself out of bed, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before she ran a brush through her hair and then bounded down the stairs in her flannel Star Wars pajamas. She had to know more. Who killed Daciana, and why was she dreaming of her in more detail than she had before? She bounded into the living room at the bottom of the stairs to find Bash sprawled across the floor with his hands tucked under his head.

"Nice jammies." He winked at her.

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"We researched far into the night. Jace said I could crash here."

Jace walked into the room with a pile of books. "Good. You're up. There's some biscuits and gravy in the kitchen if you want some." He plopped down onto the floor then scattered the books.

Magnolia fixed a bowl for breakfast then curled up on the couch in the living room. "What's all this?" she asked before taking a bite.

"I went to the library, searched through the garage, the basement, and the attic. Now, maybe we can get some more answers." Jace was holding a book. "How did you sleep?"

"The dreams are coming in more detail."

"Hmm, I wonder what that means?" Jace's nose was back in the book before anyone had a chance to reply.

The room filled with silence as the morning passed with the three of them flipping through books. Magnolia did not think that the answers she was searching for could be found on their pages. Many of the books from the library did not have much about Daciana, if anything at all. Nobody seemed to know what had truly happened to her. Magnolia had to keep looking. She had to know why.

Bash glanced up when she slammed a book shut.

Dropping the book onto the table next to her, she glanced around the room. Bash's blue eyes met hers, and her breath caught for a brief second. Something in his eyes made her heart beat just a bit faster. Frustration at not knowing why she could not find answers melded with confusion over her rapid pulse sent her out of the room in a huff.

# CHAPTER FIVE

Monday morning seemed to come earlier than normal. The weekend had been spent reading and talking about dead people. Dead people who seemed to have a hold on the future. Walking into the school, Magnolia tried to clear all thoughts of Daciana out of her head.

"If it isn't Little Orphan Annie," Sarah cooed from her locker where she was surrounded by the other cheerleaders.

As always, she was perfectly put together. Not a hair was out of place, because her hair would never defy _her_. There she stood in skinny jeans, heels, and a low-cut blouse — which pushed the boundaries of the school dress code — blocking Magnolia from continuing down the hallway.

"Where did you get those clothes? The church basement?" Sarah's voice carried through the corridor.

Magnolia glanced down at her clothes: a white tee-shirt with a long-sleeve flannel over the top, dark boot-cut jeans, and hiking boots. She didn't think she looked all that bad. "Move, so I can get to class," she finally replied to the girl who enjoyed torturing her.

"Leave Bash alone, and maybe I will leave you alone," Sarah said with a fake smile, her voice dripping with venom. "I heard he was with you at the diner this weekend. That boy is going to the dance with me."

"Hmm, he didn't seem to know anything about that when I talked to him." She watched as Sarah's face turned red with anger.

"He'll know soon enough."

"I'm sure you won't have a problem trying to make him go with you." She pushed through the cheerleaders to head to class.

Sarah stomped off in the other direction, huffing at the underclassman who got in her way.

Magnolia wanted to feel proud for standing up to her, but she didn't. She only felt dread for pre-calculus. After walking into the classroom, she tossed her bag onto the floor next to her seat then plopped down. She pulled out her book and papers. This was going to be a long day. She'd never felt like she belonged here. It was not that she hated school; she just didn't have any friends. Nobody ever sat with her at lunch. Bash had been the only one who'd ever been nice to her here, and he'd graduated, leaving her to fend for herself in this jungle. A collective moan escaped from her classmates, jerking from her thoughts. That was when she saw two dreaded words in large black letters scrawled across the whiteboard: POP QUIZ. The day had just gotten worse.

The horses whinnied loudly when the door to the stables opened. The smell of hay, horse sweat, and manure bombarded her nostrils. The long stable had fifteen stalls on each side of the indoor arena. The lights were not turned on, causing the stables to appear dreary. The place was suddenly illuminated, chasing the shadows away.

Magnolia saw Bash at the far end of the stables, his arm muscles flexing in and out as he maneuvered the full wheelbarrow. She grabbed the handles of another wheelbarrow with a pitchfork inside. She maneuvered it to the door of the first stall. "Hi, Sweeting." She crooned to the horse and stepped into the stall. It was not the most pleasant job in the world, but she preferred to be around animals more than people, especially those her age. Here she didn't feel out of place. When Bash's uncle said that he was looking for some extra help at the stables, she'd jumped at the chance. Soon the manure and wet straw was gone from that stall. Bash would lay down fresh bedding. Quietly, she cleaned out stall after stall, the horses nudging her when she entered. She stopped to rub each velvet nose before beginning. It was perfect, safe. The warm breath of the horse next to her tickled her neck as he nuzzled her.

"I think you have a new friend." Bash's voice was not nearly as gruff lately as it had been. It was more soothing, still with a deep tone, but he no longer sounded angry all the time. "He never lets me get that close to him."

"Maybe he doesn't like the way you smell." She flung a pile of manure into the almost-full wheelbarrow.

"I smell a lot better than what you're cleaning out of there."

"I smell sweet." She tried in vain to hide her lopsided grin. She whispered something to the horse then moved her hand quickly in an attempt to keep Bash from seeing what she was doing.

"You have a pocketful of sugar cubes," he accused as he helped her out of the stall.

"There is no proof to what you say." She dodged under his arm and went to dump the filth outside.

The fresh air was a nice change, and she wanted to breathe deeply the fresh clean scent of autumn a bit longer, but the cold sent her back inside. She knew that once the stalls were mucked out and the feed buckets filled, the smell would be one of clean straw and oats. Another forty minutes passed, and she set aside the dirty wheelbarrow. After washing her hands, she retrieved the wheelbarrow for the oats and filled it. As she filled each stall's bucket with the horse's dinner, Bash brought them all fresh water.

"Your uncle said he'd like to have all the stalls scrubbed out before snow comes."

"Yup, start on that tomorrow. We can let the horses out to pasture to run in the morning and scrub them down. By the time you get out of school, they should be dry."

"All thirty at once?" Her eyebrows shot up.

"No, two a day. That way if the weather turns bad, I can bring the two into the indoor arena." He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at her. "I was wondering what you were doing on Friday."

"Avoiding the dance," she replied, gazing up at his dirt-smeared face. How could a man be so filthy and handsome at the same time? His strong jaw was even more prominent, and his blue eyes shone brighter than normal, if that was at all possible. But his hair was a mess. Still, she found herself looking at his lips, wondering if they were as soft as they appeared. What would it feel like to be kissed?

"Would you... maybe we could...do you want to go to the game with me then the diner?" He kicked at a bit of straw that had not yet been swept up.

She nodded her head and smiled. "That sounds nice." Her hand touched his forearm briefly, then she pulled it away. "I better get this swept up. Jace will be here in a few minutes to get me." She hurried off to find a push broom. He'd asked her out! She was going to go on a date with Bash, the handsomest guy she had ever seen.

Magnolia hummed while she finished up her work and was all smiles when her brother pulled up in his old dented truck. She felt like she was floating on air the rest of the night.

# CHAPTER SIX

"Thank you for the _tartan. I will be able to make many warm blankets with this." An elderly woman with a weather worn face peered at her with dim brown eyes. "So many need something to keep them warm this winter."_

"We would be much warmer if we had real homes. Houses with fireplaces to keep the cold out. Doors to shut out the wind. We will find a place to settle down soon. I am tired of being chased away all the time."

"Dear one, this is the life that we have been given. What can you do to change this? Even you cannot command everyone about." The old woman laid her wrinkled hand on top of Daciana's.

"Is there really nothing that I can do?" She let out a long exasperated sigh. "I could seek an audience with the king here to negotiate a trade for some land. We do not need much. Enough to farm, to live on. Enough for the families that are in our care. With a kingdom as large as this, would they truly object to allowing us to have some land, perhaps in a less populated region? I wonder what's beyond that mountain. Perhaps a valley with soil rich enough for planting."

Her emerald eyes looked into the distance at the jagged peaks. She gathered it would be two weeks' journey to get to the other side, not something they were unaccustomed to. They had been travelling for two hundred years, cast out of their own land. Here she saw a chance at a future for her people, one with no more wandering. With real homes and land to grow their own food. She'd longed for a chance like this her entire life. With her father stricken ill in his old age, she felt the need to settle down even more urgently than she had before. She would go to talk to the King of Marcello, if not for the love of all of her people, then for her father.

"Do not go in assuming that he will deal with you fairly. You are a princess, but you are one without any land or great riches as far as he is concerned. He will want to know what you can offer in trade for this land that you want."

"I understand. I must try, Nonna." She laid a gentle kiss on the old woman's forehead then looked around at the families in the camp. There were several wagons and even more tents strewn about the clearing in the forest. It was time that they had a real home, and time for her to do what she could to make that happen.

Word had travelled quickly about Bash and Magnolia going to the game together on Friday. All of Wednesday she'd gotten dirty looks from Sarah and her friends. When the final bell rang, she grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and rushed toward the exit. She knew that Bash would be waiting for her by the greenhouse to take her to the stables. She simply needed to make it there before the cheerleaders got to the field. It was not going to be her lucky day, though.

Sarah stood in the doorway, a glare of pure hatred marring her normally beautiful face. "I told you to stay away from Bash." She ground out the words.

Magnolia shifted her bag. "I don't recall asking your permission."

"He was going to take me to the dance until you decided to throw yourself at him. Why would he want trash like you?" She spat out the words.

Heat coursed through Magnolia's veins. For years, Sarah had taunted her, calling her names, saying the ugliest things about her parents, and now she had finally pushed her too far. "He has never liked you. Why would he? Did he ever once ask you out, Sarah? No, you assumed that he would be yours because you are used to buying whatever you want. Bash can't be bought! He's better than that. Better. Than. You."

She walked toward the door, despite the fact that Sarah had not moved. She couldn't go back because the other cheerleaders had come up behind her, blocking her retreat. Magnolia needed out of there before she did something she would later regret.

"He would have! If you hadn't gotten in the way. Tramp! You ruin everything. You ruined your own family. You're the reason your parents are dead." Sarah spoke the last words with a deadly calmness.

Before she knew what she was doing, Magnolia had her up against the wall next to the door.

Sarah's eyes grew big.

The cheerleaders behind her were calling out for a teacher.

"Never. Speak. Of. Them. Again." Magnolia's voice was cold as her fist balled up. She allowed it to drop and let go of the girl, but not before she was seen by Mr. Hanson, the assistant principal.

"Miss Romo, come with me," the weaselly-looking man demanded.

Silently, she followed him down the near-empty corridors of the school with her head held high. She had not done anything to be ashamed of as far as she was concerned.

The few students who were loitering near the cafeteria gawked in her direction as he led her into the office.

"Sit down."

Magnolia glanced at the seat he'd pointed at and sat, looking him square in the eyes.

He leaned against the edge of his desk and rubbed his hands together in a way that reminded her of an evil genius in an old movie. "Care to tell me what happened?"

"Does it matter?" she returned, finally fed up with the school and everyone in it.

"Either way, you're suspended. Telling me what happened may decide for how long and whether or not I should call the police."

"She wouldn't let me leave. She said I was the reason my parents are dead." Magnolia tried to keep her voice calm and her tears locked behind her eyes. "I have put up with her calling me names for years. There was no need to say anything about my parents." It came out in a whisper.

"The girls told me that you hit her, unprovoked."

Magnolia's head shot back up, anger in her voice "Did it look like I hit her? She wouldn't have been standing there if I had," she ground out. "Call my brother — call the police if you have to. Get it over with so I can get out of here."

"Miss Romo, watch your tone when you speak to me," he answered before turning to pick up the phone.

She listened as he told Jace that she had attacked and hit another student, was suspended from school for five days, and that they were lucky he hadn't called the police. When he set the phone down, he looked back at her with beady little eyes. "You are not allowed on school property until your suspension is over. Not even for extracurricular activities."

"A shame." Magnolia stood, shouldered her bag, and walked out of the office with Assistant Principal Hanson following her, escorting her out of the building.

When Assistant Principal Hanson and Magnolia reached the greenhouse, located right outside the agriculture room doors, she saw Sarah standing with Bash, trying desperately to keep his attention. Remembering that Bash had offered to give her a ride since Jace had picked up an extra shift, Magnolia tried to catch his attention.

"Miss Clemens, go to practice or go home," Mister Hanson called to Sarah. Then he turned back to Magnolia. "Not a foot on school property until next Thursday."

Magnolia nodded then walked over to Bash's truck and hoisted herself up.

"Thursday?" Bash asked once the truck was started, and they were pulling away from the school.

"Suspended."

"You did beat her up then?" He sounded impressed.

She slid her eyes in his direction to see a faint smile.

"No, I should have though."

"What is Jace going to say?" His voice was serious this time around.

She leaned her head against the truck's window and squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't care." The tears were forcing their way forward. "Bash? Can you just take me home?" Her voice cracked as the first drops slid down her face.

Magnolia climbed the stairs and went to the room at the far end of the hall and pushed the door open. She came in once every other week to dust and vacuum, but other than that, the room was pretty much untouched. She stepped onto the plush carpet, her bare feet sinking into the softness, and crossed over to the dresser where her mother's jewelry box, makeup, and perfume were kept. Magnolia picked up the small bottle of vanilla musk and uncapped it. She spritzed a little into the air and inhaled deeply, memories of her mother flooding back. Her mom's laughter had always reminded her of jingle bells, such a merry and happy sound.

Magnolia crossed over to the bed, pulled the covers back, and slipped under them. In the warmth and safety of her parents' bed, she allowed herself to cry. The sobs racked her body as she cried for the parents she loved so dearly. Could she have saved them? Was she the reason that they were gone? "I'm so sorry." She sobbed into the pillow her father had always used.

"It is going to be alright, dear one."

The voice sounded so much like her mother's that Magnolia's eyes shot open and searched out the shadows of the room. There was nothing — nobody — there. Closing her eyes, she snuggled farther down into the blankets and cried until she drifted off to sleep...

"It's almost time. You need to be ready, dear one. Everything will change soon." The woman before her had long blond locks with natural red highlights and eyes that reminded her of lavender. She was holding the hand of a tall handsome man with black hair, barely greying at the temples. His laughing golden eyes shone brighter when they looked at Magnolia.

"I don't understand. Time for what?" Magnolia held back the tears threatening to flood her cheeks. She could not take her eyes off her parents. How were they sitting before her? They appeared so happy, completely in love. "I'm sorry..." The words came out with a stifled sob. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean for you to get into that accident. I miss you, I need you. Jace needs you. I am sorry." The tears refused to obey her commands to stay behind her eyes.

"My little one." Her father's deep voice wrapped around her. "What happened was not your fault."

"It was! I knew it was going to happen. I saw it in a dream. I could have saved you. I didn't need a ride home from you that night. I didn't need for you to come get me. I was selfish, and it cost me you. I lost you forever because I wanted to get home thirty minutes sooner." Fat tears dripped off her chin. "I cut your lives short. You missed out on so much because of me... I am sorry, so sorry." She dropped down to her knees on the green grass.

Four arms were around her the second she touched the ground. "We did not miss out on a thing. We are always with you and Jace." Her mother stroked her hair the way she had when Magnolia had been just a child who'd awoken from a bad dream. "None of this was your fault. Understand that. Believe it, for you, my dear one, are meant for great things. Great things that you will never accomplish if you are always looking back on that night. Do not allow it to hold you back. Remember that you are loved. Look to your future."

"I don't know how," Magnolia whispered into her father's shoulder as she clung to the both of them.

"Your story will be passed down from generation to generation as it always has been, but now it is almost time for you to finish it."

Her eyes grew big as the tears subsided. "I don't understand. How can my story be one that has been told already? I'm not even eighteen. How can it have been passed down?"

"Wolf Pup, do you still not understand?" her father questioned softly. His finger guided her chin up so that she was looking at the both of them. "You are nearly grown. You are now able to do what you need to do because of the life that you have lived."

"In the closet, under the floorboards you will discover what you are seeking." The melodic voice tugged at her heart. "I love you."

"We are proud of you Wolf Pup and will always love you." They began to fade from her arms.

"No! Please don't leave me. Please. I need you. Jace needs you." She reached out for them, but only emptiness remained where they'd been a few seconds before. "Please..."

"M&M?" Concern filled the voice that called to her.

A light flicked on, illuminating the room. She rubbed the tears and sleep out of her eyes.

"You were calling out in your sleep again. Was it another dream of Daciana?" Jace looked around the room, eyes misting over when his gaze fell on the nightstand that still held the last tie their father had worn. "Why are you in here?"

He did not step farther into the room until Magnolia jumped from the bed, throwing the covers back. She leapt to the floor, yanked open the door to the closet, and dropped to her knees.

"I need a flashlight..." She moved the few boxes that had been on the closet floor out into the room. "...and a flat-headed screwdriver." She felt around the floorboards, trying to feel for a loose board.

Jace handed her the items she asked for without question.

With the flashlight on, she could see that two boards were slightly lighter than the others and appeared to be joined. The screwdriver soon popped the boards up. There, under the floor, was a tin box shaped like a treasure chest. The little treasure chest was about the size of a child's shoe box and had been painted similar to the mural in Magnolia's bedroom. Clutching it to her body, she stood and walked out of the room.

Jace followed her down to the living room. "M&M, what happened? Was it another dream?

"It was Momma and Daddy."

# CHAPTER SEVEN

As soon as the two of them settled down in the living room, there was a knock on the front door. Jace looked at his sister, who was staring at the box as if it held the world inside of it. He shook his head and went to the door to find Bash with a brown bag and three cups in a carrier.

"I wanted to check on Mag. I brought food." He lifted the bag as he spoke, and Jace moved aside to let him in.

"She's in the living room. What happened today?" He stopped Bash from going any farther.

"I don't know the details. I was outside in my truck. From what I understand, Sarah opened her big mouth. We all know that nothing good comes out when that happens. When she said something about your parents, Mag lost her cool and shoved her against a wall. Sarah and her friends claimed that Mag attacked her for no reason. Sarah's parents have the school in their pocket, so they suspended your sister."

"What'd she say?"

"I don't know. Mag was trying to hide tears on the way home. Is she okay?" Bash's eyes filled with concern as he leaned to look around Jace into the living room.

"I found her in our parents' room when I got home. I think she dreamt of Daciana again. She has been strangely quiet since she awoke." Jace took the cup carrier from Bash then led the way to the living room. "Bash is here."

Magnolia glanced up at them and smiled. "It's locked." She lifted the box to show her brother.

He took it from her hands after he'd placed the milkshakes on the coffee table.

"Eat, then we'll figure out how to open it." He set it down next to her before handing her a shake.

Bash passed out burgers then placed the brown bag in between them. It was half full of French fries. They ate in silence, the guys staring at Magnolia and she staring at the box.

Jace was the first done. He picked the box up to examine the lock more closely. It was shaped like a starburst about the size of a dime. He knew he'd seen it before but could not quite place it. "What did you dream about?" he questioned, watching as his sister ate the pickles that Bash had taken off of his burger and left for her.

"Mom and Dad."

"What?"

"They told me where to find that. They said I need it. That it's almost time." She didn't sound upset. Her eyes were dry, which was not normal when she mentioned their parents.

"Time for what?" Bash was the first to ask.

"My future, to finish my story." She barely shrugged her shoulders. "It didn't all make sense, but I think once that's open, it will."

"Mom's necklace!" Jace exclaimed from the chair. They watched him as he rushed from the room. It was not long before he was back with a silver starburst on a chain. "This should do it." He handed the small tin chest to her.

With a trembling hand, Magnolia slipped the necklace into the lock and turned. The lock clicked, and the hinges squeaked as she opened the lid. Inside was an old leather-bound journal. She pulled it out slowly then set it in her lap. A silver armband decorated with a crescent moon with two aligned stars directly above it was sitting on top of a folded piece of paper. Gently, she removed the armband and unfolded the paper as her hands continued to shake. It was a letter from her parents. After she'd read through it, she handed it over to Jace.

Jace began to read the letter out loud as his sister polished the armband with a napkin.

"Dearest Wolf Pup,

If you are reading this, it is almost time for you to take charge of your future and your people's past. When you were born, we knew what the days ahead would bring. The mark on your right shoulder-blade told us that you are Princess Daciana, the one who is to end the suffering of our people. Watching you grow, listening to the stories of your dreams, we knew that you were being prepared for the day that is rapidly approaching, your eighteenth birthday. On that night, you will go back to the night that Daciana was murdered. Your entire life has been a preparation for this. Read the journal that Daciana's grandmother wrote, and you will discover what you need to know to change your fate. Do not be afraid, Wolf Pup. We will see you soon.

Eternal love,

Mom and Dad."

The room was silent.

"This is crazy." Bash was the first to speak. He looked from brother to sister, waiting for one of them to speak. He watched with wide blue eyes as Magnolia placed the armband on the floor next to the journal.

"No," she said softly as she lifted her eyes to his. "This makes sense. It's scary — flying-monkeys kind of scary — but how else do you explain the dreams? The fact that the closer it gets to my birthday the more frequent they become? Then there's the wolf and the ring." Her eyes searched his, but he seemed to shut her down.

"You can't believe this. It's insane!" Bash stood and paced the room.

Magnolia watched him as he stomped back and forth across the floor. It did all seem crazy, absolutely unbelievable, and maybe it was. They'd find out on her birthday, either way.

Finally, Bash walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Jace cleared his throat, startling her out of her thoughts. "It does seem crazy."

"It may be. If nothing comes of it other than this letter from Mom and Dad, then I am happy with that. There is so much that I needed to talk to them about, things I needed to learn from them, that I needed to tell them. With this letter, at least I got to hear them say that they love me." He took the journal into his hand and started to read.

The sun was rising when Magnolia finally closed the journal; she had taken it from Jace before she'd gone to her room. She gazed out the window as the world slowly lightened from blackness to the beautiful illumination that was day. The bright orange ball rose slowly in the sky above the trees. Not a single cloud was in the sky, nothing to impede the beauty of the morning. A sigh escaped her, and she turned away from the window.

Nonna's journal had told Daciana's story in more detail than had been found in any history books. Daciana Magnolia Dietrex had been the only child of Rupert and Vivian Dietrex, therefore, the only heir. Living her life travelling from place to place, seeing how her people were shunned and sometimes hunted as though witches, Daciana had decided they needed a home of their own. Her father had been ailing and she'd been afraid that he would not make it through another winter of travel and harsh conditions. With this in mind, she had gone to the King of Marcello to offer a trade. After days of debate and discussion, an agreement had been made. He would allow her people to live in the valley beyond the mountain, stretching to the coast. It would be her land, a kingdom of her own. But for twenty years, the people would have to give ten percent of what they raised in cattle and crops to him as payment. She'd made arrangements to send men over the mountain ahead of the rest of them with supplies that the king had given them to build homes for the winter.

Magnolia closed her eyes, allowing sleep to finally claim her...

The handsome man from the market appeared next to King Pelonis. His bright blue eyes sparkled as they landed on her. He shoved a hand through his thick dark hair and smiled.

King Pelonis turned to him. "This is Princess Daciana of Avengar. She and her people will inhabit the land over the mountain. You, my son, will oversee the construction of the homes. Help her to get her people settled before the snow flies. Take as many men with you as you need, and as much supply as you think will be needed. I leave you in charge of the alliance between Marcello and Avengar. Do what you see fit to make it a strong one." With that, the king left the room.

"You did not tell me that you are a princess." He bowed to her with an exaggerated flourish.

"Would it have made a difference?" She quirked up an eyebrow at the dashing prince who was now to help her with her people.

"Of course. That poor excuse for a man would have hanged that day. Instead of today." His eyes grew serious.

With a shake of her head, she stepped forward, "Please do not end his life because of me. He did no real harm."

"He was out of line. He should never had set his hands on you, let alone hurt you."

"It is in the past. It is time that I and my people look to the future. Winter is rapidly approaching, and we need to get established soon. I must make them ready for the journey."

"I will send men ahead to begin building. There is a small palace that my great-great-grandfather built. I think there are many houses there that are still inhabitable as long as they get a bit of mending done. It should not take long to get you settled."

"A palace?" The words escaped her mouth quietly.

"A perfect one for you. I have often used it for hunting trips. I shall be sorry to lose it, but I think the reason for losing it is well worth it."

A blush crept up her cheeks as she glanced away from him.

"Please do return tomorrow evening to celebrate our new alliance."

"I would be honored to come again. I must go now Prince Alistair. Thank you for your kindness." She turned and hurried away from him. There was so much to tell Nonna and her father.

The breeze seemed to welcome her when she stepped back outside. She enjoyed the walk to the camp. Nonna was sitting near a near a fire, making blankets for the upcoming winter. Children ran and played, causing laughter to echo through the woods. "Nonna." She sat next to the old woman.

"Did it go well?" The old eyes searched hers.

"It did. We have a home of our own and an alliance with Marcello. We shall start our journey in a few days. I was told that there is shelter there already. We do not have to wander any longer." Her green eyes shone in the sunlight as she relayed the day's events to her grandmother.

They would finally have a home of their own.

# CHAPTER EIGHT

Thursday was lost to dreams of Daciana. Between the dreams and the journals, Magnolia was able to piece together the story...

Daciana had gone back to the castle for a banquet to celebrate the new alliance. It was there that she had met Alistair's mother, the Queen of Marcello. The woman had immediately disliked Daciana, believing her to be nothing more than a beggar. No better than a street urchin trying to cling to whatever she could to get by. In the eyes of the queen, she was beginning to cling to her son, Alistair. She had tried to put a stop to him helping Daciana and her people move to their new home, but King Pelonis would not listen to her. He'd insisted that his son oversee the matter. It had been his hope that the alliance could be sealed forever with a wedding. Then the land which he'd traded would come back to his kingdom, therefore never having truly lost it.

The night before they were to leave for the other side of the mountain, the queen had sent someone after Daciana. But Alistair had chased her down in the woods to get her to safety. She'd known then they should no longer see each other, and that the queen would have her killed.

Alistair had been able to convince her of his growing affection for her. The journey across the mountain to their new home, to Avengar, had been a long two weeks, during which time her father had joined her mother in the afterlife. At the end of that tiring and emotional journey, he had presented her with the ring...

"M&M!" Jace's voice boomed up the stairs, causing her to jump out of her thoughts.

She hurried down to see what he wanted.

He was standing there with the armband polished, shining like new. "Happy birthday." He grinned at her, his golden eyes lighting up.

She glanced at the clock on the wall to see that it was, indeed, after midnight, so it was Friday, and she was now eighteen.

He pulled her into his strong arms and hugged her close. "I can't believe my baby sister is all grown up." He ruffled her hair before plopping into the overstuffed worn-out recliner.

She sat cross-legged on the floor and held the armband close to her. The way it shined in the light brought a smile to her lips once again. It was hers; it had belonged to Daciana's mother then was given to Daciana on her eighteenth birthday. And Magnolia's brother had just given it to her.

"We may as well go bake a cake for you since we're up." Jace jumped to his feet and tugged on her hair as he walked by her to get to the kitchen.

Once her brother was out of the room, she stood and turned to look at her reflection in the window. Her long raven-black hair hung loosely down her back. She wore a white ribbed tank top and fleece Star Wars pajama bottoms. She glanced down at her multi-colored toes. She normally hated socks, but these were almost as good as being barefoot, and her wooden bedroom floor started getting cold this time of year.

She pushed her hair back behind her ear as she peered out the dark window. A flash of black ran across the yard in the distance. She now expected the wolf. It no longer seemed odd to have the animal so near. It never came close to the house though; for that she was grateful. She found herself lost in thoughts about the wolf. Was it the same wolf that was with Daciana or a descendant? If it was the same wolf what had kept it alive all these years? Thinking about the wolf and all she had recently learned, she'd lost track of time.

"Well, I made chocolate since you decided not to come help." Her brother's voice brought her back to the living room. "It is cooling on the counter. What have you been doing?"

"Just looking out the window. A storm is coming." Her emerald eyes glanced in his direction.

He stood with his arms crossed across his chest. "I already made a cake. I am not making thunder cookies." He failed at his attempt to hide a smile as he dodged the small decorative pillow she tossed at him. He ducked out of the room and back to the kitchen just as the rain started to fall.

Music floated to her from where he worked. Jace had put some music on the old stereo that sat in the kitchen. Magnolia joined him there and set the armband on the table. She started dancing around, giggling at how funny her brother looked across the room as he attempted to follow her gyrations. A pair of lights shined through the kitchen window, causing her laughter to stop abruptly.

"Who would come at this hour?" Jace asked as he went to look outside.

Bash was standing at the door, dripping wet. He looked down at his hands then glanced up at Magnolia. "Happy birthday." It was spoken so softly that she nearly missed it. "I didn't want to call and wake you, but I saw the lights on when I was out driving, so I thought..."

"You're just in time for cake." Jace patted him on the back then closed the door behind him.

Magnolia grabbed a towel out of the bathroom for him. She sat at the table while Jace frosted and cut the simple square cake. It was nothing like the beautiful bakery-style cakes her mother used to make, but it still made her smile. The guys sang the birthday song as they brought her a slice to the table.

A blush crept up her face; she was not used to anyone besides Jace being there for her birthday, it being just the two of them since their parents had died. She was not sure how she felt about Bash joining them, but part of her was glad that he'd thought enough about her to drive past her house to see if she was awake just so he could be one of the first people to tell her happy birthday.

After making a wish, she blew out the single candle that had been placed on the chocolate slice in front of her. The three of them ate while listening to the stereo. The rest of the cake sat in the center of the table. She knew it would be gone before the next day. Cake never lasted long, not with the sweet tooth that she and her brother had.

Washing the dishes, Magnolia glanced out the window above the sink to see the branches from the tree swaying quickly to and fro, bending nearly to the ground. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by such a huge boom of thunder that it shook the house. She rinsed the last fork, set it on the towel, then turned to the guys. "I'm going to go grab a few things from my room. Get the lanterns?"

Bash watched her walk away. She had never looked more adorable than she did in her fleece pajama bottoms and tank top.

He followed Jace into the back room to help with the lanterns, candles, and weather radio. He stopped at the fridge to grab them each a bottle of water. Just as Magnolia stepped next to the chair in the living room, the power went out. Bash lit the kerosene lantern that he was holding, while Jace built a fire in the fireplace. Magnolia quietly lit the other two lanterns and placed them at the other end of the room. He watched as she returned to the chair where she'd stopped when she'd entered the room. She picked up a rectangular box and then sat on the floor.

"Risk?" A shadowed smile lit her face. Her eyes sparkled even more brightly with the flickering light of the lanterns and fire. She set out the game quickly. "We should eat the ice cream before it melts." Her crooked smile got even bigger.

"I am sure it will be fine as long as the power comes back on in a few hours, and the door does not get opened and closed."

"I was not planning on opening and closing it more than the one time. Besides, you didn't offer me any with my cake, and world domination makes me hungry." She jutted out her bottom lip toward her brother.

He let out an overly dramatic huff of air. "You get the bowls and spoons. I'll get the ice cream."

"Don't forget the whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and cherries." She batted her large eyelashes and giggled as she jumped to her feet and rushed to the kitchen with a lantern in hand.

Bash had followed them to help carry the items back into the living room. They were soon settled with large bowls of ice cream and the game spread out in front of them. The storm raged on outside, the rain pounding against the windows while they waged battles against each other inside. Bash and Jace finally formed an alliance against her, since she was dominating the board. In the end, Mag defeated them both.

"World domination." She grinned as she put the game back into its box.

"You take that game seriously." Bash kept his eyes on her. She was so beautiful when she celebrated her victory with a little shoulder wiggle side-to-side.

Jace's deep voice responded before her soft one could. "You should see her play chess."

"Oh, do you want to?" Her eyes got big at the prospect of playing the game.

He chuckled low and shook his head, until he saw the hint of disappointment on her shadowy face, then he nodded.

"Really?" It came out almost in a squeal. "Jace never plays anymore, unless I'm sick."

"Well, I swear that is all you and Dad played when you were so sick. That and Risk. You had so much practice that by the time you were well, it was a challenge to beat you. Now, it can last hours."

"That's what makes it fun."

The game didn't last long. Bash was so caught up in watching her that he did not pay attention to where she'd moved her pieces. All too soon, she had his queen, and then he was in checkmate.

After their game, the guys played while she stretched out on the floor to watch. Not long after, Bash noticed that she was sleeping. Gently he scooped her into his arms to place her on the large overstuffed couch. He pulled the blanket down to cover her, stifling the urge kiss her goodnight. He wondered if he would ever get the nerve to tell her how he has always felt about her.

# CHAPTER NINE

The howl of a wolf woke Magnolia. She glanced around her to see that the living room light was back on. The fire was low, and the guys were both asleep on the floor. She wondered how long they'd stayed up after she had fallen asleep.

Quietly, she slipped off the couch and walked over to the window. He was there: her wolf. Staring directly at her from across the driveway. He would easily come up to her waist, and when he sat back on his haunches, appeared even bigger. The storm did not seem to bother him; he was simply looking at her, as if contemplating whether or not he should come over to the door. The lightning flashed bright, allowing her to see him perfectly. She could have sworn that his mouth was turned up in a wolfy smile. Smiling at the thought, she turned away from the window, deciding to freshen up while the guys were still sleeping. She hated showering during a storm, but since it did not look like this was going to let up anytime soon, she thought it best to get one in now, just in case the power went out again.

She dripped onto the little rug on the bathroom floor as the large fluffy bath sheet wrapped around her body. She pulled her hair into an old cotton shirt, twisted it up, and tucked the tail of it back under. With the makeshift turban now covering her wet hair, she hurried across the cold floors to her bedroom, where she entered and locked the door.

A glance at her wall clock told her that it was near eleven in the morning, though it didn't look it. The storm raged on outside, the day nearly as dark as dusk.

Her clothes left her longing to be able to go buy something pretty without worrying about the cost. After selecting a pair a dark washed jeans and a black fitted tee, she dressed then fixed her hair, her long black locks soon in a twisted fishtail. Thunder shook the house, and lightning flashed brightly, allowing her to see the tree across the gravel road just as a large branch broke off, knocking out the power line.

She grabbed the dark hoodie from the back of the chair by her desk then padded quietly down the stairs in the dark. She pulled the sweatshirt on when she stepped into the living room. After tossing a few logs onto the fire, she stoked it until it came back to life, casting its warmth and glow into the room. Her stomach grumbled nearly as loud as the thunder. The guys were slowing starting to grumble, so she went into the kitchen then came back with a tray filled with what would be their lunch. She ripped the package of hotdogs open and thrust two onto the toasting fork. It didn't take long for her to cook enough for the three of them.

"It is about time you got up." She teased them as she fixed herself a hotdog.

Jace and Bash both looked at her then at the food. They grabbed some and started eating as if they were starving.

A long low howl sounded through the room, despite the storm outside, and her voice dropped low. "He's outside. He's been around a lot lately," Jace replied. He reached his hand out to his little sister's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "That doesn't mean anything though."

"No, wolves are loyal to family, to the pack. This wolf would not be here all the time watching us if it were not important. Jace, this means something. Wolves just don't hang around farmhouses for the fun of it."

"Oh, sure they do. Especially if there is something delicious near."

"Well, then let's toss you outside and see if he's hungry," Mag shot back. She felt anxious and looked out the window at him, but what she saw was not what she expected...

The storm raged on, the rain coming so quickly that it pooled on the ground instead of soaking into the dirt. Her feet slipped out from under her a few times, almost causing her to fall. Lightning brightened the darkened sky in time to show her a downed tree limb. With a graceful leap she cleared it, hoping that her pursuer did not see it. That would certainly slow him down.

His loud voice reverberated through the forest behind her. "Princess! I do enjoy a good hunt!"

He certainly was not a quiet and graceful fellow. She could hear him thrashing through the brush behind her. It did not matter though. She had to get far enough ahead of him that she could make an escape or hide. She was not sure what she had ever done to this man, but the blood dripping down her left arm told her that she had indeed angered him in some way. Certainly, he was not after money. It didn't seem that he would pursue her for this long for her purse. If he had more despicable imaginings, she would assume that he could find an easier target. Perhaps he thought that if he bedded her, she would have to marry him to save face. Whatever his reason for pursuing her, she did not plan to stick around to discover it. She turned to her right and ducked under a branch.

The low howl was not far away from her. He was here, not far away now. He would protect her. She simply had to get to him. The howl came again, closer this time. Her foot twisted under her as she landed on the other side of another fallen log. Sprawled on the muddy forest floor, she was soon yanked over to her back so that she was facing her pursuer.

"Get your hands off of me," she demanded, trying to force determination into her shaking voice.

"I have my orders, Princess." He pinned her down under his heavy weight. The lightning flashed to reveal the scarred man from the village. The one Alistair had called Gordon. "You are changing things that need not be changed." He leaned his head toward her, his dagger in his right hand grazing against her chest, drawing blood.

The foulness of his breath made her want to gag, but she lay still as she could. Perhaps she could lull him into relaxing enough that she could get away. She soon felt his hot breath on the left side of her face as he opened his mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut tight when she felt him lean closer to her face.

"It is a shame that you will not live to see tomorrow. You are such a pretty thing."

The urge to vomit quickly surged through her when she felt his tongue slide across her cheek. "Who ordered you to do this?" she demanded quietly. If he was going to kill her, then she wanted to know who was behind it.

"I reckon that I should not reveal that or my head will surely roll. She would find out one way or another. No matter that there is no one about to hear, besides you. You will not be talking to anyone soon." An evil sneer contorted his already-scarred face. The point of the dagger was dragged just lightly enough across her skin to draw blood.

This was it, the end. It was now or never. Die fighting or die like a coward with eyes closed tightly, pretending that this was not happening. Well, this was happening; she had to fight.

Perhaps he would come; he would save her. Her truest friend and most loyal companion, Dragoste. She begged silently for him to come as she struggled under the man who was over her. All she had to do was reach to her boot or even to her hair. If only he would pin her hands above her head then maybe she could reach the hair dagger she always wore. But her hands were pinned at her sides, under his legs.

"Dragoste!" The scream left her lips when she saw the glint of his dagger inch toward her face. Heat shot through her face, and blackness filled her eyes when his palm came in contact with her cheek. She felt his hands go to her neck. Kicking and bucking, she tried to get him off her . Everything was going black. She stared up at his contorted face as he grinned. He was enjoying taking the life from her body, but she had so much left to do. She could not die now. A long low howl reached her then was drowned out by the thunder. All went black, her body limp.

Gordon removed the ring from Daciana's finger. He stood and nudged her body down the side of the hill. Just as he was about to place the ring into the pouch hanging from his belt, Dragoste leaped through the air, seemingly coming from nowhere, and landed on the man who had just taken the life of the only friend the wolf had. Gordon got away, bloody, but with his life. At the bottom of the hill the wolf curled his body up to Daciana's in an attempt to warm her...

Tears streamed down her face.

"Mag?"

"M&M, what is it?" Jace spoke softly. His sister's face was white, her body shook as if she was freezing. He grabbed a blanket from the chair and quickly wrapped it around her. He led her away from the window and back to the fire. "Talk to us."

Bash appeared at her side holding a bottle of water. He quickly uncapped it and handed it to her. He sat with his arm draped around her.

Magnolia's voice shook when she finally spoke, "I saw him kill her. I watched her die. There was nobody there. Nobody to help her, the only one to try was the wolf, Dragoste. She was my age. Her entire life ahead of her." Tears soaked her cheeks, and her body still trembled.

"It was just a daydream," Bash whispered.

"No, it wasn't. She was a real person. She was somebody important. It felt so real I could feel her fear. I could hear her thoughts as she slipped into blackness. Thoughts for her people, for the man she loved." She shrugged Bash's arm off of her shoulders and found herself in her brother's arms.

He mumbled reassurances under his breath. When she finally pulled away from Jace, she glanced at the mantle and saw the ring. Picking it up, she looked at it in the firelight then glanced out the window. Lightning flashed brightly, showing them that the wolf was almost directly outside the window. She slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.

The room began to spin around her. She could hear Bash and Jace yelling, calling for her. The sound of glass shattering caused her to jerk her head toward the window. The wolf was now in the house. Chiming, the clock was striking out the hour: eight, nine, ten, eleven. A strong force pulled at her just as her fingertips came into contact with Jace. She could see Bash reaching for her on the other side. But the three of them were being pulled in different directions, out into the storm, then enveloped in complete blackness and silence.

# CHAPTER TEN

Magnolia felt the bitterly cold rain on her face. The slightest movement caused her shoulder to burn with pain. Her entire body hurt. Her eyes flew open as she hungrily sucked in fresh air. She felt something warm and soft against her and wanted to snuggle closer to it. When she went to move, she groaned in pain, causing the soft warmth to emit a low growl. Turning her head as well as she could, she saw that she was lying next to the wolf.

She allowed her eyes to search out her surroundings, and her heart began to pound as she realized that she was at the bottom of the hill that she had just seen Gordon roll Daciana down. She glanced down at herself to see that she was covered in mud and blood. The panic rose in her, causing her face to tingle. Where was Jace? She called out for him as she tried to pull herself up off the ground. "Jace!" She saw a shadow at the top of the hill. Her hand went to her hair, and she pulled the dagger hidden there. She stumbled up to her unsteady feet then laid a hand on Dragoste for support.

Soon the man was a few feet in front of her, and Dragoste was not growling.

"Daciana, what happened?" the man who looked so much like her brother asked with great concern. The same golden eyes, the same brown hair, the same strong jaw, but he was wearing a leather jerkin over a white linen shirt, and brown trousers that were tucked into boots. A sword hung at his side.

"Jace?" Her voice sounded puzzled, even to herself. Daciana did not have any siblings, so if she was Daciana, now who was this?

The man nodded his head.

"Yes, m'lady. Though you are the only one who calls me that. Jaceson."

"Jaceson? I don't know you," she mumbled as her legs gave out from under her.

He caught her in his strong arms. Jaceson lifted her easily and carried her, Dragoste staying at their side. He walked until he found a cave that was protected from the rain. A few yards inside he found a small pool of water. He gently set her down.

She could hear him moving through the cave, scratches and scrapes of things against rock and dirt. She could only make out his shadow until he started a fire.

She shivered in her wet and muddy clothes as she kept her eyes on him. He looked so much like her brother. Could he be? Did he come with her? Was she dreaming again? The blood that still oozed from her wounds reminded her that she was not dreaming. It was just as her parents had told her; she was back to finish what should have been done hundreds of years ago.

"Who are you?" Her voice trembled when she finally spoke.

He pulled his shirt over his head and draped it across a stone near the fire so it would dry. "Jaceson of Marcello. Did you hit your head when you fell?"

"I did not fall." She raised her chin, though it caused pain to erupt through her body.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"He tried to kill me. I must have blacked out, and he mistook me for dead. He shoved me down the hill, probably hoping to make it look like an accident." She could not tell him that she had died, and now she was back.

"Who?" An edge entered his voice, an edge that sounded all too familiar, like her Jace.

"Gordon." His name was whispered as a chill of fear that he would reappear ran down her spine.

"We will find him and kill him." Hate dripped from his voice like poison.

"You cannot. If you do, then you'll not discover who sent him." She shivered then moved closer to the fire to try to dry her dress and allow some warmth to enter back into her body.

Dragoste stayed close to her, offering her his warmth.

"Where is Bash?"

"Alistair? He is looking for you. You did not come back. You said you were only going to be gone for a short while. He was worried about you being out in this storm on All Hollow's Eve." Jaceson turned his back to her and walked toward the mouth of the cave. "He may be back at the castle to see if there has been any word about you." When he turned back to face her, she saw his eyes lock on the wounds where she could feel the warm blood oozing. With a few long quick strides, he was at the pool behind her. She heard a rip of cloth then drips of water. When he returned to her side, he handed the cloth to her so that she could clean herself. "We need to get you back to the castle. You need to be attended to."

He waited until she wiped the blood and mud off as best as she could, but fresh blood sprang back in its place.

"How far?"

"It should not take long. I will help you, m'lady."

She nodded and followed him out into the cold night. The rain had let up to a light sprinkle. The walk back to the castle was a slippery and tiring one. She had been through quite the ordeal, and Jaceson must have noticed her weariness because he cradled her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. She allowed her head to rest on his chest as he carried her to the castle entry grateful that he was there to help her.

She heard shouts, feet running, and things clattering, but she was so tired she could not look up to see what was going on around her. She was drifting off when she felt the sudden warmth of being inside some place dry with a roaring fire.

"Fetch Nonna." Jaceson's voice boomed. He carried her up the stairway to her chambers. The door was opened before they reached it. She opened her eyes to see a young lady in the room, rummaging about, pulling out clean dry clothes. A fire blazed hotly from the fireplace. Jaceson set her down in a large plush purple chair close to the fireplace.

"I will be back shortly."

She watched as he quickly exited the room, and Nonna entered, closing the door behind her. The old woman was exactly as she had been in all the visions. Long silver hair cascaded loosely down her back and framed her kind face.

She closed her eyes and allowed Nonna and the young lady to attend to her wounds, dress her in warm clothes, dry her hair, and help her get settled into the large bed. Dragoste stretched out next to the fire. Nonna's soothing voice was close by, but Daciana could no longer keep her eyes open. Eyelids slid closed as if they had a will of their own, and soon sleep claimed her.

Pain seared through her body, her eyes still closed tightly. Fear that opening them would reveal to her what she already knew deep in her soul caused her to keep them closed as she listened the quiet whispers around her.

"She will live." The voice of Nonna was close to her bed. She felt the old woman's hand pat her own hand gently. "She does not give up so easily."

"Why would someone want to cause her harm, let alone kill her? She has never done anything to hurt anyone. She is always thinking of others, putting their needs before her own. I do not understand this." The masculine voice sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps someone would say his name, though she was not sure what good that would do her. Certainly, she would not know everyone here, only those she had seen in her dreams and read about in the history books.

A firm soothing voice came next that she recognized as Jaceson's. "She told me who it was. I always knew he was a conniving serpent, but I didn't think he would have betrayed you. It is no secret how you feel for her. Everyone knows of the ring." Feet shuffled across the floor. A cluttering sound reached her ears and a crackle; a log had apparently been tossed on the fire. "We cannot allow someone to get this close to her again."

"Jace?" She finally mumbled, slowly opening her eyes. Her throat was drier than the desert. Her hand shook when she moved it.

She saw the look of confusion exchanged between the men, and the look of jealousy that came from the man with haunting blue eyes. The eyes from her dreams, the eyes of Alistair. Jaceson stepped toward her bed.

"I want to go home, Jace." Part of her ached for the home where she'd grown up, the home of _her_ Jace. Though this man who stood before her was very much like him, he was not her sibling here. She wanted her brother back, but to have that she had to reject this place, forget that she was here for a reason. It didn't matter to her what that reason was if she could not have her brother. She had lost her parents. She was not sure she could stand losing her brother also.

"You are home. This castle is your home now." His words were soft and soothing as he stepped even closer to her.

She watched him as he glanced from her to the pitcher of water. In silence he filled a cup and brought it to her lips. The liquid soothed the dryness, and she licked her lips before accepting another drink.

"Don't you remember?" he asked as he set the cup down, looking at her then at everyone else in the room.

"Remember what?"

"Your journey here. Our journey here, settling everyone into their new homes. This was all because of you, m'lady." Concern filled Jaceson's eyes. "What do you remember?" He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down at her.

Her eyes went from him to the man who moved to stand next to his side. He was tall and muscular. His dark hair and piercing blue eyes screamed at her to remember. She recognized him but only from her dreams and what she'd read in the books. A deep sadness filled her heart as she realized that this man who looked at her so lovingly now was not in love with _her,_ but in love with whom she had been before Gordon came along.

"I..." She glanced at Nonna to see kindness and understanding in her eyes. The old woman's hand held Magnolia's, comforting her. "I remember speaking with Nonna about talking to King Pelonis, seeking an audience with him to have this land for our own home, a kingdom of our own. I remember Gordon in the village hurting me then. A chase through the woods, being followed by someone. Terrified that if I did not make it back to the camp, I would never see my family again." She swallowed and felt the gentle squeeze of Nonna's hand. "Last night, Gordon said he enjoyed the hunt. I remember the struggle." She lifted her hand to her throat, gently touching it.

A dark scowl went across the faces of both men.

"He will pay for what he did." Alistair grated the words out.

"You found me. I wanted Bash." She glanced around the room, looking to see if she had missed anyone else. She thought that Jaceson would have brought Bash here. What was it he had said last night?

"I am here." Alistair stepped forward, a small smile on his face.

Confusion filled her. Was this not Prince Alistair in front of her? She shook her head while looking at him.

"Alistair Sebastian of Marcello. You and Jaceson are the only ones who call me Bash." He dropped to his knees by her bed.

With his face so close to hers, she could see him much more clearly. He had a few days growth on his face, causing a dark shadow that merely enhanced the strong lines of his jaw. His blue eyes shone, and in the depths of them was something she could not describe. It was something that she had only ever seen once before: the night the ring had been brought to her at the diner. Could it be that this was the same man? It seemed highly probable. After all, she had just travelled through time and woken inside of a girl who was supposed to be dead.

Hope flickered in his eyes as they searched her face.

A small smile flirted across her lips before she closed her eyes again.

"She needs a hot bath. She needs to wash so her wounds do not fester. I cleaned the dirt out of the larger ones before I stitched them shut. She will need to wash the smaller wounds, however. She'll rest better once the mud and grime is off."

Jaceson stepped forward as Nonna finished speaking. "I will have a bath brought up for her." His footsteps crossed the floor. "Do you think she will ever remember it all?" Anguish filled his voice.

"In time, my boy. In time."

Magnolia was emotionally drained, and she found herself wondering what happened to her brother before she allowed herself to drift off to sleep once again.

# CHAPTER ELEVEN

Hot water sloshed down over her head, rinsing out the soap that had been lathered in for the third time. The scent of roses filled the room.

Jaceson had ordered two tubs brought and filled with hot water so she could wash the filth off in the one then relax and soak in the other, keeping her wounds from the muddy water. He'd left Nonna and Railynn the young servant, to care for her. She wondered why Jaceson was so attentive here. In this time, in this place, he was not her brother. So why did he look after her?

"What of Jaceson?" She finally broke the silence to ask.

Railynn was across the room changing the bedding to something fresh. Magnolia had left the sheets bloody and muddy. "He's very handsome."

Magnolia glanced in the girl's direction to see a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I know that I should not be looking at Alistair's brother like that, but he is certainly easy on the eyes."

"That he is," was the soft response given. She could not recall a brother being mentioned in the books. She was certain that the King and Queen of Marcello had only born one child.

"He has always been Prince Alistair's favorite companion. It doesn't seem to matter to them that they don't share the same mother. Jaceson is not treated with ill-regards by any, except the queen. They say she is afraid that he will try to take the throne someday."

"Would he?"

"Never! He is loyal to all he cares for. Most loyal to his brother and now to you, m'lady." Railynn turned back to the bed.

With the help of Nonna, Magnolia was able to get out of the tub, dried, and then into some clothing. She stood there in a white, lightweight, very loose-fitting dress, what she could only assume were nightclothes. Dragoste nuzzled her hand as he came to her side, having left the fireside where he had been sleeping.

"Railynn, I need you to please bring some boiling water." Nonna watched her closely for a few minutes after the young girl had left the room. "Magnolia?"

She lifted her eyes to the old woman who was before her.

"My dear Magnolia, you have been through much."

"Why do you call me that?" An eyebrow raised as she asked the question while being led over to the bed.

"Child, it is your name. Do you truly not remember?" Worry filled the kind old eyes that searched her face. "Your father and mother could not agree on a suitable name for you, so you were Christened Daciana Magnolia. Only I call you Magnolia, but now, Jaceson and Alistair have taken to calling you Mag at times, though not often."

The two of them walked over to the window. They overlooked the sea, and Magnolia gazed at the rocky shoreline meeting with the expanse of blue water. The setting sun glinted off of the water, causing it to sparkle. It turned the distant clouds pink and purple, painting the sky just for her, it seemed.

"I don't remember," she finally whispered. She would have to relearn everything, put Magnolia behind her and become Daciana. She knew the memories were there, waiting to surface. Waiting for something to bring them crashing to the front of her mind. Perhaps if she began to think of this as her home, it would make everything easier. Because this was her home now; there was no going back to how things were.

Dragoste crossed the floor in one quick silent leap and nudged her softly as if he sensed her distress.

"I want to be left alone."

Just then Railynn returned with the water that Nonna had requested. Nonna went to the table by the bed and picked up a small pouch. She poured a bit of its contents into a clean bowl then mixed it with water, making paste of some sort. "Come, let me put this on your wounds to take away the pain. Then you may rest.

Magnolia crossed the room and allowed the now incredibly warm mixture to be spread over the stiches that Nonna had already given her to close the knife wound. The pain stopped throbbing, diminishing to only a dull ache.

When Nonna finished, she and Railynn left her alone. Magnolia picked up the brush. She sat and pulled it through her long, damp, knotted hair. Once done detangling, she pulled her hair back into a tight fishtail and used a ribbon to tie it. She looked in the mirror to see that her neck had purple imprints of Gordon's fingers. That explained why the men seemed so angry when she'd reached for her neck earlier.

She crossed the room to her bed, yanked back the covers, then lay down with Dragoste at her side. Although she was cold, she did not bother to pull the blanket back around her. She was no longer Magnolia Mae Romo. Now she was Daciana Magnolia Dietrex. Her people, the people of Avengar, needed her.

But she needed Jace. Tears slipped down her face. Was her brother waiting for her back on the farm? What did he think happened to her? Did he think she was dead? She was dead — Magnolia Mae no longer existed, and she had given her life so that Daciana could live. She had to remember that. When she thought of herself, she would have to think of Daciana. After all, that is who she had been her entire life. Her parents had known that, and a part of her believed that Jace had even known it all along. They had all accepted it; now it was time that she do the same. By coming back here, she had already altered history as she had known it. It was time for Magnolia to accept her true fate, to start ensuring that her people were taken care of.

Darkness surrounded her. She could hear him calling out, begging her to come to him. The more she moved, the harder it was to get anywhere. Tangled in the briars and brush, her body ached as she tried to move forward. Pain echoed in his voice as he called her name. A light shone ahead of her so that she could see his face. His golden brown eyes locked on hers, and a smile began to cross his face, only to be erased when Gordon stepped in front of him. She struggled urgently when she saw the glint of the blade going toward him. "Jace!" The scream left her, and she fell forward hitting the ground...

She opened her eyes when she hit the stone floor. Tears poured out of them. The door to her room flung open, and there was Jaceson. He crossed the room in four long strides and picked her up from the floor. He set her back on the bed, pulled the blanket up over her, then sat down, leaning his head against the edge of the bed.

She angled herself so that her head was closer to his. Loneliness tried to engulf her, but it was not so bad when Jaceson was near. A strand of hair had come out of the fishtail and hung over the edge of the bed. Jaceson tugged on it playfully.

"Nightmare." The soothing quality of his voice washed over her.

A small sigh escaped her as she muttered a yes to his question which sounded more like a statement now that she thought about it.

"Gordon." Again, a statement not a question.

Another muttered response was all she gave.

"It will get better. I will make him pay for what he did to you."

"It wasn't me, not in the nightmare." Magnolia's voice sounded small and fragile.

The fire was dying out, and a chill was creeping into the room. Jaceson moved to toss a few logs onto the fire, restoring it to life. He filled the cup with water then went back to where he had been sitting just a moment before.

"Who then? Do you think he will go after this person?"

She listened intently to his voice, such familiar soothing qualities.

"The man looked like you." It was not a lie, since he did look a lot him. "I couldn't move. I was stuck. I couldn't stop him. It all happened only a few feet in front of me, and I was helpless, trapped." A single tear rolled down the side of her face to her ear.

"Ah, it was just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about." He trained his golden eyes on the door that he had left slightly open. "You should have let me go after him. Then you wouldn't have to be worrying if he came back or not."

"I am not worried for myself." Her voice grew stronger. "If you had killed him, then whoever sent him after me simply would have sent someone else in his place. No, it is better that he not even know that I am alive. Do you think he would have gone back to Marcello?"

"I am certain that is where he's heading. Whoever he was working for would want to know if the deed was done. He's probably on his way to collect his bounty."

Suddenly it hit her. She sat up, causing Jaceson to look at her. "We need to send men to follow him. One or two — more than that would be noticeable. It cannot be any of my people. It would seem curious that they would leave their new home so quickly." She found his golden eyes searching her green ones. "Don't you see? If someone follows him, and he's on his way to collect his bounty, then we can discover who's truly behind this." She nearly exclaimed the last part.

"That may work. I will send two of my men at first light. Get some rest m'lady."

He turned so that he was facing the door. Across the room in less than a second, he flung the door open to reveal an infuriated Alistair on the other side of the door. "Why are you standing there?" he asked as he turned away and took up his self-appointed sentry post next to the bed.

"I should be asking why you are in Princess Daciana's bedchambers alone." Alistair stepped into the room. Shadows fell over his handsome face, concealing it from her eyes.

"I had a nightmare and called out in my sleep as I fell from the bed. Jaceson helped me. I needed someone to speak to. To chase away the nightmare."

"I could have done that, or better yet, Nonna." There was a softness in his voice. He sat in the high-backed chair next to the bed that Nonna had been sitting in earlier that day. His gaze fell to her face. "Do you need anything? Something to eat?"

She shook her head no. She really just wanted to sleep. She felt more at peace now with them all in the same room. It somehow felt normal.

Magnolia closed her eyes as she listened to Jaceson relay the plan to follow Gordon. The two brothers talked in low whispers to try to allow her to get some rest. They had been told by Nonna that she would need to stay in bed for a few days, that she would need to stay warm so as to not catch a chill. Sleep was approaching slowly as she listened to them discuss how they could best protect her until she was well again. It was decided that at least one of them or Nonna would stay with her at all times.

# CHAPTER TWELVE

Days passed with her stuck in that room. Restlessness drove her near crazy. When Jaceson entered the room, he found her sitting at the window, longingly looking out of it, gazing toward the sea and, just off to the side, to the mountains in the distance. The beauty of the land did not escape her. "Are the winters here harsh?" Her voice sounded small and weak.

"They can be. We brought plenty of supplies to see everyone through the winter season." He crossed the room to the small table by the fireplace.

"Are the houses prepared for the cold? When was the last time someone spent a winter here?"

"I believe that everything has been done that needs to be done. Though it has been years since anyone has stayed here for the winter, it's my belief that the houses are sturdy enough to handle it."

"But will they be warm enough?" She finally turned her green gaze from the outside world and looked upon him. "Will the people stay warm in their homes? Is there enough firewood? We cannot have anyone losing their lives because they get caught in a snowstorm while trying to get more wood."

"Unfortunately, those things do happen. You cannot protect everyone."

"I will do my best!" Her voice rose with anger. She was sick of losing people that she cared about. She may not know these people, but she was now responsible for them. She would ensure that they had what they needed. That was why she'd left her home, her family. To make sure that her people did not lose their new home.

"I will take you out to see the houses myself, but we may have to sneak past Nonna though."

"The wood?" She quirked up an eyebrow.

"Aye, we will get more wood." She watched as he moved his hands around the table, but where he was standing blocked exactly what he was doing.

"Come join me for a game." He stepped back, allowing her to see the chessboard he'd set up on the table.

After standing, Magnolia crossed the room, her long green dress barely sweeping the floor. The long sleeves hugged her arms for which she was thankful because it helped to keep the chill away. The fire warmed them for the next few hours as they played the game in thoughtful silence.

Jaceson was a formidable player, but Magnolia had learned things about the game before she'd come to this place. She was able to hold her own and match him for wins. Maybe there was a benefit to being from the future, knowledge that she could put to use.

The air was cold, sending a deep chill into her bones. Magnolia pulled the heavy wool cloak nearer to her body. With Dragoste by her side, she walked with Jaceson, inspecting the houses, and ensuring that the shelters were adequate for the animals. "There are cracks in some of the walls. They'll need to be patched up as soon as it can be done. The people can keep their homes warmer if there is no draft coming through."

"I didn't notice them. I'll get started on that before the sun sets this day."

She nodded her head as she peered at the cracks. They were not large ones but big enough that a draft could seep into the home. She wondered if they could stuff the openings with straw then cover them to create insulation. When she mentioned it to Jaceson, he looked at her thoughtfully before he nodded.

Alistair walked toward them, his dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. "You're supposed to be in your bed, recovering." There was a gentleness to his voice, but stern all the same.

She wanted to protest, telling him that she had a mind of her own. "What are the two of you about?" she heard him ask before she could speak.

"Daciana wanted to check on the houses before winter hits." Jaceson's gaze was steady on his brother.

"She already did all of this when we first arrived."

"Did we?" The question was soft and lost on the breeze. She watched anger spark to Alistair's eyes.

"She doesn't remember that. I thought that allowing her to see for herself, with her own two eyes, may ease her worries and help her to remember." There was a grit to Jaceson's voice.

"She doesn't need to be out in this cold weather," Alistair bit back.

She stepped between the two of them. "What she does not need is the two of you pretending that she is not here." Her voice rose as she spoke, gaining strength and conviction. "I can make my own decisions. I need to ensure that these people will be safe. We could have travelled to a warmer climate for the winter. I moved them here to make a home for them, and, I will make sure that they are safe through this first winter. It's not something that we were prepared for."

Both men looked at her with admiration in their eyes.

She no longer cared what the men wanted. She needed to do what was right for these people. So, she continued on walking and talking at the same time, knowing that Alistair and Jaceson were close beside her. Dragoste, as always, was by her side. "We need plenty of firewood. Each house should have some close by. Do we have any empty houses?" Her green eyes stopped to stare up at them both.

"Aye, some that we could not repair in time for the winter. This was once a largely populated village. A favorite of my grandfather's when he was in his youth."

"Is there anything in those buildings now?"

"Not a thing. We removed the furniture that had been left and repaired it for the other houses that were in need."

She stopped in front of a cluster of large stone buildings. Wondering if they had once been used for the royal family's animals, she cocked her head to one side then the other, taking in the view. Not a single stone was out of place, nor appeared loose. "Good. We can store some wood in those homes. These shelters appear to be sturdy enough for the animals. Did we bring plenty of food supplies?"

"I have the castle storerooms filled with enough supplies to feed the entire village twice over this winter. There's also plenty of tartan and linen so you may make whatever is needed." Alistair spoke with true authority and kindness.

Magnolia realized that he had gone to great lengths to ensure their provisions and comfort.

"More supplies will be arriving any day now. Once the snow starts flying, it will be harder to come and go over the mountain pass. My father informed me that he was sending something extra."

She turned to look up at him; his blue eyes scanned her with concern. A lopsided smile spread across her face, just as she felt a tingling sensation on her chest where the stitches were. She felt herself begin to sway as a wave of dizziness overcame her. Arms were soon around her, holding her close. She could see that Alistair's eyes were the same bright deep blue of the sea in the distance.

"Daciana?" His voice quaked as he cradled her in his strong arms and walked with long hurried strides back to the castle.

"It burns," she whispered before her eyes closed and her head fell against his shoulder, allowing herself to feel its hardness as a safeguard from the spinning world she saw with her eyes open.

A mere ten minutes later, Nonna walked quietly over to the corner of the room where Alistair and Jaceson waited, a darkness in her eyes.

"The wound has festered. I did what I could to drain it. The rest is up to her. Her body fights a fever now, and she needs to sleep."

Alistair refused to leave the room and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Jaceson went out of the room just as sleep finally took hold.

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Alistair gazed down at her lying still in the bed. She'd been shivering from the cold and appeared so tiny among the blankets piled on her. Every time he placed a warm, wet cloth to her forehead, she would moan and try to move her head away. Everything had been different since his brother had brought her back to the castle on All Hollow's Eve. He had nearly lost her that night, and, in some ways, he was certain that he had. She seemed to cling to his brother more and more, confiding in him, enjoying his company. When Alistair had been with her, she'd been more distant, almost as if she was afraid of him. Had Gordon said something to cause her to fear him, to doubt his love for her? Did she believe that it had been he who'd put a bounty out for her life?

He'd loved her from the moment he'd seen her back in the village by his father's castle, her long dark hair blowing gently in the breeze. The simple blue dress had drawn more attention to her delicate features than an expensive gown ever would have. A fierceness had shot from the depths of her deep emerald eyes when Gordon had laid his hands on her. He knew that she would fight for what she wanted.

His heart longed for her. Watching her now, taken with a fever, his heart broke. He would see Gordon punished for this. The cloth he'd pressed to her forehead cooled in his hand. He dipped it back into the bowl of warm water, wrung it out, and pressed it back to her forehead. As he caressed her bright red cheeks with it, he wanted to tell her all that he desired, all that was in his heart. Losing her was not an option.

"She will be awake soon." Alistair turned to face his brother. Jaceson was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes staring at the bed.

"What do you care? You have been out all day. You have not come once to see her."

"I was doing what she asked me to do. Ensuring that her people would be kept warm this winter by fixing their homes. I also instructed the men to start gathering more wood to fill those empty houses so that everyone could stay warm this winter without Daciana worrying if they would have to lose their lives trying to cut more wood in the middle of a storm." Jaceson's gaze dropped to his feet, and his voice lowered. "I did what she wanted me to do, so when she wakes, she can get better and not worry about them."

Alistair sighed deeply, letting out the frustration that he was feeling. "I am sorry, brother. There is nothing that I can do for her. How can I protect a kingdom when I can't protect one girl?"

"This is not something that you could have protected her from. A fever is not something that you can fight."

"It was a man who inflicted the wounds that festered. I could have protected her from him." Alistair's head hung in shame.

"We will know soon enough what to do about him. We just have to wait for my men to return." Jaceson's voice sounded hollow.

They both jerked their eyes to the pile of covers when they heard a low moan followed by a soft cry.

"Jace, Bash..." The mumbled words were so soft but filled with what sounded like desperation. They looked back at each other with determination in their eyes.

The darkness enveloped her, closed around her. She could hear voices, she could imagine their faces, but she could not actually see them. "Why didn't you come with me?" she shouted into the darkness, her words echoing back to her. "Why did you leave me alone?" Sobs wracked her body.

"We didn't." Her head lifted off her chest as she tried to see his face, but she couldn't make anything out. "We are with you, always."

"Jace." It came out as a stifled whimper. "I need you."

"No, you don't. You are stronger than you will ever know. You were meant for great things."

"Don't leave me," she begged into the darkness.

"I have been with you the entire time, from the second you opened your eyes. Everything will be alright, M&M. It will be alright." His voice grew fainter. "I love you."

"Jace!" The sobs came in waves, crashing against her soul.

"Mag, don't cry. Please don't cry. I'm here." Bash sounded so close.

She wondered if she could reach out and touch him. Her hand stretched into the darkness but found nothing. "I love you, Mag. I loved you on the farm, and I love you here. You just have to see me. Like Jace said, we never left you."

She felt something warm on her forehead; she could only assume that he had given her a kiss. It sent shivers through her.

"I have to go now, Mag, but you will find me. Daciana will find me."

"Bash!" Her scream echoed so loudly it hurt her ears. He had left her in the darkness; they both had. Now she was alone. She rocked herself back and forth, feeling uncomfortable — and hot and cold at the same time. Why would they leave her here? Why?

Under the covers, Magnolia tossed and turned. Alistair had heard her call out for his brother and for him. It tore at him that she'd called for Jaceson, perhaps because he had been the one to save her on All Hollow's Eve. Was she beginning to love him? No, his Daciana would never alter her heart in such a way. But was she his Daciana? She did not remember many things; perhaps she did not recall loving him. Could it be that she didn't remember the promises made and she was now falling in love with his brother? He was not sure he would ever be able to look at his brother again if she loved him.

The whimpering brought him out of his thoughts. "Bash... stay." It was so quiet, so pathetic.

It thrilled him to his very core. Quickly, he took up the cup with the now-cooled broth. He slid an arm under her shoulders and lifted her as gently as he could. "Drink, my love." He held the cup to her lips and tilted it slowly.

Her lips parted, accepting the liquid, allowing him to give her nourishment, to care for her. He set the cup down then laid her back onto the pillows as her eyes fluttered closed again. Her skin still burned with fever, but now he had something he did not have before. Hope. She would not leave him.

He fell asleep in the chair watching her restless fits while she slept, almost as if she was fighting something. His last thought, before sleep claimed him, was that she must be fighting off whatever demons were keeping her in this fever, and she would win. She had to win.

Magnolia's eyelids felt heavy, and the insides of them felt like sandpaper. Her hand twitched, fingers bending. She could hear whispers around her. Was that her brother? It sounded so much like him she simply had to open her eyes before he left her in the dark again. "Jace, don't go." Her voice came out in a hoarse croak. Maybe he'd heard it. A hand slipped into her own — firm, strong and holding on to her. A tear slipped out of her closed eyes and ran down her cheek to her ear.

"We're here, Daciana."

A mixture of dread and hope filled her. What was it her brother and Bash had said in the darkness? She could not recall it all now, but she knew that somewhere in the message was the answer she sought.

"Drink something." A cup was soon held to her lips, and she sucked the liquid greedily into her mouth.

"Thank you." Just a whisper, but it was all that she could manage at the moment. Something soft and warm brushed up against her arm. Even with her eyes closed and in the haze that her mind still felt, she knew it was Dragoste. He would never leave her. Her fingers found their way into his fur. Slowly she managed to open one eye and then the other. It was dim in the room, and she wondered what time of day it was. There, gazing at her, were golden eyes, the same golden eyes that had watched over her for years. It dawned on her that if she was Daciana, could her brother be Jaceson? As protective as he was, it seemed that he could. But even if he was not, she found comfort in the fact that there were such great similarities between the two men. Weak as she felt, a smile lit her face.

"You've been drifting in and out for days. We could only get you broth during that time. You must be hungry. Shall I fetch you something to eat?" His voice was soothing as ever.

Magnolia nodded her head. When he left, she moved slowly out of the bed and to the privy room to tend to her needs. On shaky legs, she made it there and back. Days of being in the same clothes while running a fever and sweating had left her feeling less than fresh. Time was not something she had the luxury of though. Grabbing the bowl with now-cool water and rag, she ducked behind the changing screen with fresh sleeping clothes. She wiped herself down as best as she could then slipped on the thin white gown. The fire called to her, and the seat beside it looked so much more comfortable than the bed that she'd just spent days in. Dragoste curled up by her feet. The flames of the fire danced just for her. Fatigue was settling in quickly, but Magnolia didn't want to go back to bed. Her back ached from being immobile for far too long.

Her eyes snapped back open when she felt something cover her. It was a soft blanket, and Alistair stood there tucking it about her.

"My brother told me that you were awake."

His smile dazzled her.

"No need for you to catch a chill and end up right back in that bed."

"What time is it?"

"It's late. We'll let Nonna sleep. She has not been getting much rest while you have been ill, determined to keep the wound clean so it would not fester again. She kept a close watch on you. Finally, Jaceson and I insisted she lie down while we looked after you."

The door opened and closed off to her side. Jaceson came toward her with a bowl and handed it to her.

She eyed the stew hungrily. Slowly, she lifted the first bite to her mouth, savoring the taste of it. A low growl came from her stomach, begging for the food.

Jaceson pulled a chair up next to them. "Nonna fears that she will lose you like she did your parents." His voice was quiet and low. "I heard her talking to you. She told you not to go, that it was not yet your time."

"Was I that sick? Did you think I would die?" She glanced from one brother to the other. "Maybe someone should at least tell her that I am awake then. So she can rest better." In the short while that she had been here, she had grown to love Nonna. The old woman was lively and loving, the grandmother that she'd never had.

Jaceson nodded in agreement then left the room, and she turned again to her stew. He was back before she was even finished eating. "Is she alright?"

"She was very relieved and wanted to come, but I told her you wished for her to get some sleep." When she set the bowl aside, she convinced the guys to tell her stories of their youth. Not wanting to go back to bed, she did her best to keep her eyes open while she listened to them talk of their childhood. Hearing them talk about how they would play morra on days when they were stuck inside or even to decide who had to do some foolish stunt first reminded her of how she and her brother would play it to decide who had to do the chores at night. She longed for nights like that again, to hear him holler _"M &M!"_ one more time. Her heart felt like it was breaking as she thought of him.

# CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Recovery was slow but interesting. The days were filled with Alistair and Jaceson telling her more tales of their childhood, Nonna describing Daciana's childhood to her in hopes that she would remember, and Railynn talking to her about boys. She was growing fond of Railynn. She'd never had a girlfriend with whom she could discuss these things. Back when she was Magnolia, she had been an outcast. It seemed to her, from what she could gather, that Daciana had been respected but not befriended. This young girl who had come with Alistair to help her people get settled was becoming someone she could talk to.

"He is the greatest hunter I have ever seen," the young girl gushed while brushing out Magnolia's hair. They were sitting on the window seat in the late afternoon. The men were outside doing last minute winter preparations. Railynn glanced out the window and down to Jaceson and then back up to Magnolia.

"You seem taken with him." A soft smile crossed her lips. She could see why this young girl talked as often as she could of Jaceson. He was tall and lean with muscles that could hold a girl close to protect her. His golden brown eyes were like honey and when he smiled, he brightened the room. He was strong, loyal, and passionate. He had rescued her. Jaceson reminded her so very much of the brother that she had lost. When Magnolia looked at him, her heart ached, but a hint of something in his manners toward her helped ease that longing.

"When I was a child, he saved my life." Railynn's voice grew soft, and she set down the brush.

Magnolia turned to look at her newfound friend. There was a sadness in her eyes. With a soft smile, she encouraged her to continue on with the story, waiting to be told.

"My family was poor. We did not have much. But the one thing we always had was each other. My father was a skilled bowyer, and Jaceson was his most loyal customer. I believe it was he who kept food on our table, sending people to my father. Early one morning, five years ago, our little house caught fire. Everyone was asleep, and Jaceson had been returning from a hunting trip. When he saw the flames he did not hesitate but ran in, searching for us. He pulled me out first. Shortly after, the house collapsed, trapping my family inside." Tears glistened in her hazel eyes. "He took me with him to the castle and sought out treatment for me. When I was well enough to be of use, he found me a job in the castle as a lady's maid."

Magnolia longed to pull Railynn into her arms, to offer her comfort. Instead she placed a hand over on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze. "I can see why you talk of him as you do."

"Now, turn your head so I can finish your hair."

Magnolia did as she was instructed. She allowed Railynn to put in a braid that made her hair appear to cascade down like a waterfall.

"It does not matter what I think. He will someday find a true lady to be with him. I see the way he looks at you. If it were not for his brother, I think he would have already asked for your hand."

This news shocked Magnolia. She couldn't think of Jaceson that way, and she didn't believe that he thought of her in such a manner either. "He's like my brother, nothing more." She disappeared behind the dressing screen and reemerged wearing a deep blue gown that fit her slender figure like a glove. A simple golden braided cord was around her waist for ornament. "How do I look?" Magnolia was excited. This would be her first night eating in the dining hall since she'd arrived at the castle nearly a month before.

"Like a princess." Railynn giggled.

The girls talked of the winter to come, how they longed to see what the palace would look like with snow all around. The closer they got to the dining hall the more the mouthwatering aromas surrounded them, causing a growl to emit from Magnolia's stomach in expectation.

The hall was filled with people who apparently had come to celebrate their princess's health. When she walked into the room, she felt overwhelmed with the amount of people there. She didn't recognize these people but knew that she should. Nonna was at her side shortly after she entered the large room. They walked together to the table at the head of the room. Sitting down, she looked around her to see that everyone she'd met from the village and those she had yet to meet were there. These were her people now. Children ran and laughed as they came in, excited to be inside the castle. Alistair and Jaceson joined her and Nonna at the table. Large tray after large tray was brought out to fill the tables. Plates never seemed to empty, and cups appeared to magically refill. It did not take long before she realized that those serving had yet to dine.

"Sit and eat." Magnolia stood and reached for an older woman. She was beautiful with brown hair that was just turning grey at the temples.

"No, my princess. I cannot."

"Why? Is this how things were before we had a land of our own?"

"No, Princess Daciana."

"Is there a reason to change who we are? Sit, eat, and rest. All of you." She raised her voice to be heard over the chatter.

A hush fell over the room, Alistair's men looking at her with interest, the people of Avengar nodding as if in agreement.

With her head held high, she spoke steady with a kindness that came from her heart. "Much has changed recently. We have a new home. A home that we do not have to leave, a place that is ours. Avengar can finally rest from its wandering and rebuild. Now that we have such a grand place to call home, yes, we do need people to do jobs that were not needed before, especially when we have such guests as Prince Alistair and Jaceson. However, that does not mean that those who do such jobs are not welcome to sit and eat with us, that you are not welcome to enjoy festivities with everyone. You may do work that may cause the rest of the world to see you as nothing but a servant. Not here. Here you are family, friends, and neighbors. We want to enjoy your company, to celebrate with you. Once the food is set out, then sit and enjoy what you worked so hard to prepare. We are thankful for your labor. If it were left to me, we would all be eating burnt bread this night." She smiled at the faces staring at her.

The people of Avengar nodded and smiled while the men who came with Alistair and Jaceson had shocked expressions on their faces. Jaceson, Alistair, and Nonna all smiled with approval.

Music and dancing went far into the night. Magnolia watched, not feeling up to dancing much herself. Delighted that Jaceson had asked Railynn to dance, she was content to sit back and listen to Nonna tell stories of the history of their people to the children who had gathered around them.

"Our Daciana was always a brave one. She was given her first bow and quiver at the age of four. At seven she joined her mother to gather berries. We were in the Highlands of Scotland that summer by invitation of a friend of King Rupert's. Daciana and her mother were out gathering when Vivian realized that they were being stalked. A wildcat jumped out at them, teeth bared. Vivian backed away, pushing young Daciana behind her as the wildcat leaped into the air at them. As Vivian screamed, so did the cat. An arrow to its heart caused it to fall to the ground dead. Daciana stood proudly with her bow in hand."

"I don't remember that," she whispered softly, her eyes locked on Nonna's.

"Who taught her how to use the bow?" a young, wide-eyed girl asked.

"Her father. He felt it was important for Daciana to be able to protect not only herself but her people. He trained her to be as capable as any man in a battle."

"Girls can't fight," piped up a boy whose face was smeared with dirt. His clothes were just as filthy.

"When you find a woman who can hold her own in a fight, well, that is a woman you should either marry or run away from." Alistair sat down next to the little group and winked in Magnolia's direction.

"Will you be marrying her then?" the girl asked with a large smile on her face.

"Did you not see the ring I gifted her with?"

The children nodded.

"That is more than just a pretty trinket. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty, and the heart represents love. The wolf on the heart, well, I added that just for Daciana. She told me once that wolves mate for life. I think she has the heart of a wolf, don't you?" His blue eyes twinkled as he spoke with the children gathered around.

"Will you live here?" the boy asked, sitting straighter.

"You want me to live in Avengar?"

They all nodded.

"I think that's acceptable. I don't think any of you will allow me to leave with Daciana."

"You cannot have our princess." The boy stood with his hands on his hips, feet aligned with his little shoulders. His head was held high, and several other young boys stood beside him.

"Gwain," the girl groaned at him. "Sit down before you get in trouble."

Magnolia stood and walked the few steps to young Gwain. She kneeled so she was at eye-level with him. "You would protect me?"

"With my life, Princess." Gwain's young face appeared so fierce at that moment that she had to bite back her smile.

"I have not met with such loyalty in a long time. Young Gwain, how would you like to be captain of the junior guards?"

The little boy's dark eyes grew big and his mouth nearly dropped open before he caught himself. "I would like it very much, m'lady."

"Very well. Tomorrow you will meet with Jaceson. He will inform you of your duties and training." She watched as young Gwain bowed deeply then ran off to tell his friends. The other children excitedly followed after him.

"Do you realize what you just did?" Alistair asked, lifting his cup to his lips.

"I made Gwain a very happy young boy. He will grow to be a confident young man." Her eyes followed young Gwain, watching as he excitedly told people of his new position.

"You made more work for my brother."

Her glance flew to Alistair to see his smile broaden.

"Do you find that amusing?" She quirked an eyebrow up.

"Immensely." She enjoyed the smug look on Alistair's face and decided she should talk to Jaceson before morning.

# CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The following day Magnolia was tired but dragged herself from her bed in order to see how things would go for young Gwain. After dressing and fixing her hair, she pulled on a heavy green wool cloak. She'd spent nearly a month in bed, and she was not in a hurry to get ill again. She had done that when she was a child.

The air had the smell of oncoming snow. Men hurried about tending to last-minute items before the first snowfall of the season. She could see that all the homes had been repaired. A few men were carrying firewood into an abandoned house, and, from the looks of it, the others were full, along with the usual stacks of firewood that every family had outside their own homes. She knew from listening to villagers talk that an old building, once used to house animals, had been filled with firewood for the castle. The cellars and storerooms had been filled with food.

Soon, she was in an open area not far from the stables where a group of men were gathered. It was not hard to pick out Jaceson from the group. He was training men. He and Alistair were determined to ensure the safety of Avengar. Finally, she found what she'd come searching for: young Gwain, fresh-faced and clothed in crisp clean garments, stood close to Alistair with his eyes trained on him. A steely look of determination was on the young boy's face. Occasionally, he would nod as if to show that he understood what he was being told. Magnolia watched as the boy picked up his bow and notched the arrow. He was steady, his eyes never leaving the target before him. She could see him breathe out as he released the arrow. How she wanted to cheer when he hit the target, but she stopped herself when she saw the disappointment in his eyes.

"I missed." His voice carried over to her.

"No, lad, you hit the target. Given time and a lot of practice, you will hit the center nearly every time." Alistair stooped down so that he was at eye level with Gwain. "The important thing is that you listened to instructions, you never questioned me, and you tried your best. For never having held a bow before, I believe you have great potential."

Gwain beamed up at him, then went back to practicing.

Magnolia watched them a while before she departed to walk through the village. She stopped to talk to some of the women and asked how they were doing. She wondered if there was anything that they needed. They were all content. Nobody had a single complaint, making Magnolia very happy. Many of the women expressed gratitude toward Jaceson for ensuring that the houses were sealed tight for the winter. Thankful that he had done as he'd told her he would, she went in search of him to tell him so.

Sitting by the fire in the great hall, Magnolia was trying her hand at sewing. Christmas was approaching, and she wanted to give her friends something. Here, whatever she gave would have to be made. She could not simply walk to a store down the road, throw money down on the counter, and walk out with a gift. She knew that things would be different here.

She'd talked to Nonna and Railynn about Christmases past. The holiday had not yet been commercialized; Christmas trees weren't even popular. Railynn giggled about mistletoe, spoke about large feasts where people would be invited, and how at the castle in Marcello there would be dancing. Nonna spoke about church, listening to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, and singing carols.

This Christmas would be a wonderful one for her people. It was the first Christmas that they had a real home, a place of their own. She was going to start new traditions with them, beginning this year. She started planning with Nonna and some of the other women earlier that morning. They were all working on making dolls for the little girls and handkerchiefs for the young ladies and women. Magnolia had spoken to Alistair about having someone make wooden short swords for the little boys, while the women made warm gloves for the older boys and men. She wanted to ensure that this would be a happy time for them.

Supplies from Marcello had arrived while she'd been ill with fever. A list of everything that King Pelonis had sent was brought to her shortly after the fever broke. It was a delight to see that he'd sent chocolate and tea. Railynn told her that the king was trying to secure her alliance even further by offering her such fineries. He was showing her what she would be able to have if she married Alistair. Magnolia decided that she was going to be putting some of that chocolate to good use for Christmas.

Sighing, she ripped out the seams yet again. Sewing was much easier with a machine. This had to be perfect. It was for Nonna. If anyone deserved to have something grand made, it was her. Magnolia practiced on an old bit of scrap. Once she got used to it and figured everything out, she would set to work on the silk. Determined to shove her frustration aside, she tore out seams yet again before trying all over. She had to get the purse perfect the first time once she started on the silk, and she could not even get it with old scraps.

It seemed like hours passed, but finally she was working on the gloves. Knitting was something that she knew how to do. Before the fire, with knitting needles in hand, she felt at home. Many nights had been passed like this before, and it seemed like many nights would continue to pass in this manner in the future.

"What has you in such deep thought?" Alistair plopped ungracefully into a chair close to her.

"Thinking about Christmas, about what we can do for the people here."

"It seems to me that you are doing a lot as it is. Why? What are you thinking of adding to your ever growing list of things to do?"

Her gaze wandered over to the man who sat next to her. He was certainly handsome. He cared deeply for Daciana and was kind and giving and very loyal. Would she ever love him? Could he love her the way he loved Daciana? "Hmm, I was just thinking that we could make a special treat."

"What sort of special treat?" His eyebrow quirked up toward the ceiling.

"Not sure yet, but even if I knew, you would have to wait just like everyone else." She frowned, looking back down to the material that was still on her lap. She had set it there before she'd started to knit. "I am not sure what to do for Nonna. I keep trying to get this right, and I do not want to ruin the silk you gave me."

"You will figure it out. If not, then we will figure it out together. You will be able to give it to her as planned." He smiled, showing a tiny dimple. "Did I thank you for young Gwain?"

Hiding a smirk, she gave her full attention to the knitting. "Thank me? Whatever for?"

"For sneaking around to get Jaceson to send him to me." A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks. "Mostly, for believing in him. He is a very capable young lad. I expect great things from him someday. "

"I expect great things from him now." Her green eyes finally looked at him.

"What do you expect of him now?"

"You will see soon enough."

"What is going on over here?" Jaceson lumbered over to the two of them. He took up the glove that Magnolia had just finished. "The swords that you asked for should be done soon. Do you need help with anything else?"

"Railynn says we need mistletoe to decorate. Other than that, I've found all that we need. It's just having the time to make everything."

"I can get some mistletoe with the help of a few of the lads. We'll wait until a few days before Christmas to gather it though."

She watched as Jaceson picked up the remnants that she had been trying to sew. His hands moved with a surety that she certainly did not feel. "Will there be dancing?"

"That's a good idea."

"It looks like it will snow soon. Then the mountains will be near impassable until spring. Are you ready to be in one place for such a long time without being able to pick up and leave?" Jaceson was still sewing together the purse that Magnolia had been trying so hard to make for Nonna.

A soft, happy sigh escaped her, "Yes, a real home is something these people needed. That is why this Christmas needs to be special. It's a new beginning, a new way of life. This winter will be hard. Nonna said that winters have always been spent in slightly warmer climates. Everyone was able to move on to the next place without worrying about too much snow. Living here is new. Exciting, but scary at the same time." She glanced over at Alistair and smiled. "Thank you for all the help you have so freely given."

Alistair locked his blue eyes on her. "I would do anything to help you." Then his serious expression vanished. "Though, I am thinking that Jaceson just solved your problem about Nonna's gift. Ask him to help."

Jaceson held the newly sewn-together purse. He smiled at the two of them before tossing it onto her lap.

# CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Alistair and Jaceson were standing in the barren library. "This room needs to be cleaned."

"The shipment should be here any day with the last of our supplies from Marcello. We will have it ready by Christmas," Jaceson said confidently.

Upon learning that reading was something that Daciana loved, Alistair had decided that he needed to fill the library with books for her. Someday they would be married, he hoped in the spring, if not sooner. He wanted to show her that he would do what he could to offer her the comforts that she was never able to have living on the road.

A loud knock sounded at the door. When it opened, in walked two men, saddle-weary and appearing that they were about to drop. "We have returned with news of Gordon's betrayal."

"Come sit by the fire and warm yourselves. I will have some food and baths ordered for you."

Alistair went in search of a servant. Finding Railynn down the corridor getting ready to go down the stairs, he asked for rooms to be readied with baths and food for the two men who had just returned. After she hurried off toward the kitchen, he walked back down the long corridor, his footfalls echoing.

When he returned, the men were no longer shivering with cold, though it was evident that they were still chilled. "Now, tell us what you learned."

"It goes farther than even you can reach. I don't know what you can do to stop this." The young man with dirty-blond hair spoke. Dirt smudged his face.

"Tell us what you discovered, and we'll figure out what we can do." Jaceson's voice rang with authority.

"It was not difficult to follow him back to Marcello. He behaved as if the hounds of hell were after him. But he did not travel as quickly as one would expect for a fleeing man. We stayed at a distance so as not to get discovered. When we reached Marcello, we discovered why he'd travelled so slowly. He'd stopped in to seek care from the court physician. My sister was there when he came in, and she said it looked as if he had been attacked by a wild animal."

"Dragoste," Alistair whispered. "Go on, Duncan."

"He was still there when we left. A few of the wounds festered. We did learn of a visitor he had late one evening when the doctor was out. My sister was there, in the back room. Nobody knew she was working." Duncan paused, pushing the hair out of his face. He took in a shaky breath as if he did not want to say any more.

"Who was it?"

"Your mother," Duncan raised his eyes to look at Alistair.

His eyes grew wide with disbelief. "What did she want with that villain?"

"It was she who sent him after Princess Daciana."

"Why?"

"Something about not allowing her only son to be married to a witch. When she asked if the deed was done, Gordon insisted that it was. We made certain to mention to the king that there was a great tragedy with Princess Daciana. That you remained here to help her people through this difficult time. We did not want to alert the queen to the fact that Daciana lives."

Alistair sat in a chair and gazed into the fire. He watched as the flames leaped and licked at the logs. Embers floating up the chimney on occasion.

Jaceson spoke first, "Thank your for your service and discreetness. Hot baths and food will be waiting for you. Speak of this to no one."

The men left the room with heads drooping. The news that they had discovered and carried with them had obviously been a heavy burden. Their queen had tried to murder the princess who'd captured all their hearts. The princess who would soon marry their prince.

"She has always been a little over the top. A little more final with her ways to solve her problems." Alistair never looked away from the fire. "Father will certainly send her to the tower if not worse. After she tried to have you banished for fear that you would try to usurp me, Father warned her that she was not to meddle any more. There would be dire consequences."

"What will you do?" Jaceson's voice was quiet.

"I have sworn to protect Daciana with my life. The day I gave her that ring, I gave her my heart, my soul, my loyalty. I am hers. I will have to deal with this in person as soon as possible." His shoulders sagged a bit as he spoke.

"It's not something that you have to do alone though, brother." Jaceson spoke from behind him. He crossed the room and opened the doors wide. "I am going to get started on all of this. The last of the supplies arrived with Duncan. I will send up a few servants to get this room straightened out so we can begin with the rest of it. I'll tend to the supplies, go through and ensure that everything is there. Why don't you go clear your head?" With that Alistair was left alone.

His mother? How could his mother betray them all like this? It was not the first time she had taken extreme measures, but he never thought she would stoop to murder. What did she think she would achieve with killing Daciana?

Magnolia was working hard on getting all the gloves finished, sewing the handkerchiefs for the women, and planning a feast for everyone. Sitting on the window seat in her room, adding a bit of lace to a handkerchief, she noticed the first large, white, fluffy snowflake falling softly to the ground. After putting aside her sewing, she grabbed her wool cloak and rushed out of the room. It was not long before she was down the stairs and to the main floor. Alistair was coming in when she ran into him.

"Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?" he asked, amused.

"It's snowing!" Her voice was filled with excitement. "I want to see the snow come down. I want to feel it!"

"Well, I'm sure that the children will be outside playing just as much as you, if you hurry," he teased.

She lightly hit him on the arm and darted out the doors. By the time she made it to the courtyard, there was snow covering the ground. Large flakes came down quickly. She was soon joined by children, and they all laughed as they tossed themselves onto the ground to make snow angels.

Dragoste ran and jumped, appearing to be trying to catch the flakes in his mouth. When she realized that the snow had started coming down heavier, she walked each of the children home, telling them to stay inside until the snowstorm stopped.

Thankful that each home had a large stack of firewood close, she made her way to the stables to check on the animals. Men were already attending to them. The chickens had been moved into a little shed of their own so they would have some shelter from the elements. There was at least a foot of snow on the ground by the time she made it back into the castle. Her fingers were cold and stiff. After she shook out her cloak, she went to the fire in the great hall. She knew she should go change her clothes before she caught a chill, but she wanted to warm up just a bit first.

"Daciana, my dear girl." Nonna approached her with a large smile on her face. "I heard you were out playing in the snow."

"I love snow." Magnolia stepped away from the fire, finally able to move her fingers enough that she felt she could maneuver the buttons and laces on her dress.

Nonna walked with her to her room.

"Do you think everything will be ready by Christmas?"

Nonna nodded, her silver hair glinting in the candlelight as they ascended the stairs. "The dolls are nearly finished. I believe only two still need to be made. We have only to finish the handkerchiefs and gloves. With the snow coming down, I think that there'll be plenty of time spent indoors to get it all done in time. Now, go change out of those wet clothes."

Magnolia nodded then went into her room. She closed then latched the door behind her. The wet dress and undergarments slipped to the floor, and she wrapped a robe about her before she crossed the room to stand in front of the fire. The coals sprang to life as she stoked them. There was a lot of knitting left to do, and she still had to finish Nonna's gift. That meant she would be spending a lot of time in her room so Nonna would not see what she was working on. Wondering what to make Alistair, Jaceson, and Railynn, she grabbed some clothes then dressed quickly. With dry stockings on her feet, she walked across the stone floor to the window seat. Winter had certainly come to stake its claim on Avengar. Looking out, she could not see the sea, which she normally enjoyed from this window. A silent prayer was said for everyone to stay safe while the storm lasted.

After turning back toward the fire, she gathered up her things then sat on the rug. She spread out her cloth and wooden slats. Having decided to make Nonna a folding fan had seemed like a simple enough of an idea, since Jaceson would not be able to help her use the silk to make the purse. After all, she had the basic concept of it. She'd owned many growing up, winning them often at the carnival in the summer. But when it came to making one, she had soon realized that she was going to need help. Alistair had made the spokes of it, so all she had to do was sew the lace trim to the silk that had been given her and then attach it all to the spokes. She had witnessed Jaceson do it the other night. Certain that she could obtain his help if she only asked, she decided to go in search of him.

# CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Alistair was a little relieved when Jaceson had finally left him alone. The library was now spotless, not a cobweb in sight. The furniture had been polished until it shone. Along with the two high-backed upholstered chairs, a settee had arrived from what had once been his grandmother's rooms. After it was cleaned up, it looked quite nice in the library.

The room was now filled with crates. After opening one after the other, he began to place the books on the two walls of floor-to-ceiling shelves. He was certain there were enough books brought today to finish filling the library for his Daciana.

While he worked, his mind turned to his mother. How could she betray him the way she had? All his life he'd known that she would do anything for him. The queen was determined to see her only son take his place as king someday. With this had also come the determination to eliminate anyone she thought was a threat to him. Not long ago, she'd accused Jaceson of treason against the crown, claiming that he sought to be legitimized. He'd nearly been banished. His brother would have been forced to leave and never return had Alistair not found the correspondence that his mother and her accomplices had written, detailing what was to be said and the payment that would be made for making such a claim.

Now, she had crossed the line. Attempting to kill Daciana simply so he would not marry her was beyond anything he could imagine. Should he confront her himself? What would his father do if he knew of this treachery? He let out an exhausted sigh and sank into the settee. He could not think of this now. There was time between now and spring. He would enjoy the winter in his new home. Come springtime, he would be married to Daciana, and they would start their life together here.

All the tension melted away from him as he thought of her. He only wished that she could remember everything. There were still pieces she seemed to forget at times. For this, he would make Gordon pay, that is if he lived through the infections he had now festering inside his body, thanks to Dragoste being there to try to protect Daciana.

Snow fell for the next few days. With the help of Jaceson, Magnolia finished the hand fan for Nonna. Several sets of gloves had also been completed.

The third day the snow finally stopped. The world was covered in white, sparkling and shining like a million untouched diamonds. The sea was like a mirror, reflecting the snowcapped mountains. Magnolia had never seen anything like it. This land was untouched by the modern things that she had once known. There was no black slush from cars, and no litter on the ground ruining it all. Not a single power line or utility pole in existence, only pure, untouched, beautiful nature — trees, houses, mountains, and sea. She tore her gaze from the window so she could go about her business.

It was time to head down to the great hall. She needed to check on the families, to see how everyone had faired through their first snowstorm. There had been no news of anything going wrong, but the past few days had been silent except for those who'd stayed within the castle walls.

The night before she had sat down with Alistair, Jaceson, and Nonna to figure out what would need to be done as soon as the storm let up. The guys had said that as soon as it blew over they would ensure that the firewood was replenished. Outside the castle, boys were already replenishing the wood piles near the houses while men went out to cut more wood to restock the storage buildings. Alistair and Jaceson had said they'd arranged a group of men to go out for a hunt.

Magnolia was thankful that everyone had made it safely through the storm. She'd read about harsh winters where people lost their lives; she remembered reading about people who'd left a car that had broken down and then frozen to death. How much harsher it must be here, in the seventeenth century.

Having gone outside to see the progress that was being made with replenishing the houses with firewood and to check on families, she breathed in the cold air. Seeing the children look around in wonder at the cold, wet snow around them, Magnolia decided it was time to build a snowman. With the help of the little ones, not only did she build one snowman but a snowman family. The afternoon was spent running around outside enjoying the snow.

That evening after dinner, Magnolia and several of the women who worked in the castle were gathered in the hall, sipping warm cider and working on Christmas gifts. After enlisting the help of Railynn, she'd decided that the thing for the men in her life was something as simple as new quivers. Since she had never made one before, Railynn helped her with the first one. Seeing the men enter the hall, she stashed away the quivers before they could see what she was working on.

"Daciana, are you up for a game?" Alistair asked as he sat next to the chess set.

She joined him at the table with her cup of hot cider in her hand.

Jaceson pulled up a chair to watch the two of them. "I saw you out in the snow today. You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"I did. Do you really believe that talking to me while we play will distract me enough that you will win?" A crooked smile lit up her face.

"It was certainly worth the attempt. Why do you think Jaceson no longer jumps at every chance to play with you? He says there is no point when you always beat him, that you must have had plenty of practice as a child."

For a brief moment, sadness filled her. She blinked her eyes and looked away in hopes that they would not notice. It seemed like a lifetime ago when her brother had said something similar about playing chess with her. With a bit of effort, she forced a smile to her face and turned back to the game. Magnolia longed for her brother, for her home. Dragoste rubbed against her leg as if sensing her distress. Absentmindedly, she kept one hand on him for comfort. He was the only thing that connected her to both of her worlds — to the life she'd left behind and the life she lived now.

# CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Christmas Eve was a busy evening. Women rushed about the kitchen. The place smelled of fresh bread, plum pudding, and pumpkin pie. The main menu for the next day consisted of roast pig and goose. Magnolia had already decided that hot chocolate would be served at dinner. It was a rare treat for the people of Avengar; some of the children had never had it. She discovered that Railynn had never tasted it either. That had made up her mind; it would become tradition here, that on Christmas, hot chocolate would be served. It seemed the least she could do for them, to give them a treat that she had always taken for granted.

In the great hall, Jaceson had hung some mistletoe. It seemed that the young ladies were looking forward to the dancing that would come after dinner. Railynn blushed severely at the mention of the mistletoe while she was helping Magnolia with the pies, maybe because Jaceson had been mentioned in the same sentence as mistletoe. Magnolia thought it was sweet and wondered if Jaceson was oblivious to Railynn's affection, or if he chose to ignore it because he had known her for so long. Because of him, she had a job and a place to live after her family had died. The more she looked at Jaceson, the more she saw reminders of her brother, and she desperately wanted him to be happy.

"Daciana?" The smooth, low voice brought her out of her own thoughts. Those gorgeous blue eyes were looking deeply into her own green eyes. She felt a blush creep up her neck to her cheeks. "Are you nearly finished in here?"

"All that is left is to clean up the mess we have made. Why?"

"I wanted to give you your gift now."

"Tonight?" She shook her head, black locks coming down from the upbraid and brushing up against her face. "Why not wait?"

"I know you're going to be busy, and I want you to be able to enjoy it." His eyes pleaded with her.

"Go. We can clean without you," Railynn spoke up, motioning for her to leave. "You can clean up tomorrow" The girl winked at her.

Magnolia laughed at her friend then accepted Alistair's arm. She walked beside him through the castle.

Her curiosity was getting the best of her. "Where is it?"

"We're almost there." He stopped in front of a door.

"Is it in there? I don't think I have ever been in that room." She quirked up an eyebrow.

"Your gift _is_ that room." Alistair pushed open the doors and led her inside. Two walls were filled with books, and a fire roared in the fireplace on a far wall. There were two window seats, a settee, and a few upholstered chairs. Her mouth dropped open for just a second. Quickly closing it again, she blinked back tears. A few steps more into the grand library, and she found herself in Jaceson's arms.

"Do you like it?" he asked as he hugged her close.

"It is beautiful." Her reply came in a whisper as a few tears slid down her face. "How did you do this?"

Jaceson released her and stepped back. With a little distance between them, she could look at them both.

"We know you enjoy reading, and we wanted to give you something that you could enjoy. Some are books that have been here a long time, but you will also find newer books."

Silence filled the room as she walked slowly along the bookshelves. Shakespeare, Roger Boyle, John Dryden, and so many more. She pulled down _The Pilgrim's Progress_ and smiled. "This is the greatest gift I have ever received. I don't think anything could ever be better than this." She wrapped her arms around Jaceson and Alistair.

Jaceson slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.

Alistair took her hand into his and led her over to the settee. A new blanket was waiting there for her. "Nonna made it for you. I wanted you to see this tonight. I know that you'll be busy over the next few days. I also wanted to see you alone."

"I see you alone quite often." A smile and slight shake of the head accompanied her answer.

His blue eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at her, causing her heart to race. His thumb drew soft circles on the back of her hand, and her skin tingled at his touch.

"I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you. I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you. Your green eyes drew me in, entrancing me even more every time they looked in my direction. You have such a willful determination —almost bordering on complete stubbornness. I adore that about you." His hand lifted up to her face, brushing aside the strands of dark hair that now framed her face.

Involuntarily her face leaned into his hand, reveling in the feel of him. Though his hands were calloused from hard work, his touch was as gentle as a whispered breeze.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am here tonight, knowing there are many challenges that await us. Difficulties that we can face together if you will allow us to do so. Will you become my wife?"

Her heart raced, trying to rip out of her chest. Her skin suddenly felt flushed, and the room seemed to spin. A slight nod of the head and a timid smile were followed by a whispered "I love you." Tears filled her eyes again as she told him how she felt. Not being able to hold them back, they flowed freely down her face. Her arms went around his neck, and she clung to him for what seemed like hours. He smelled of hay and spices, and her heart ached. "Yes," she whispered into his ear, no louder than her declaration of love. Fear of ruining this moment kept her from speaking louder.

That same fear, however, did not have its hold in Alistair. He wrapped his strong arms around her and spun her around. "Really? You will marry me?" His questions seemed to echo through the room, breaking the silence. He lowered her down as she nodded yes. His mouth found hers, his soft lips gently caressing. The kiss deepened only for a second.

Leaning into him, she wanted more. She wanted him to never let her go.

He broke away from Magnolia, then leaned his forehead against hers, his warm breath tickling her nose. "When?" It was a whisper.

A soft giggle escaped her. "Is there a hurry?"

"I nearly lost you twice now." His voice was grave, his eyes darker than normal. "I do not want to continue on without you by my side forever. I love you." Several light kisses were trailed across the top of her forehead and down to the tip of her nose. "I would marry you right now, if I could."

"As soon as you think appropriate." Magnolia's heart no longer felt like it was going to leap from her chest, though it still fluttered. Her lips grazed his rough cheek.

She stepped back to look up at him, and a soft smile lit his face. "Now, enjoy your gift."

She picked up the book that had been placed on the settee.

"Will you read it to me?" he asked as they settled down. Gently, he covered her lap with the blanket.

Nodding, she opened the book and started to read. Having read the book several times before, she was able to allow her mind to wander a little. She was certain that her face glowed and not from the warmth of the fire. Butterflies fluttered about inside her stomach as she glanced over at Alistair. His dark hair shined in the firelight. He was her prince. It all sounded like a fairytale.

He'd listened to her read until she'd grown tired. Instead of insisting that she stop and go to her room, he'd watched as she'd dozed off, book in hand. Now she lay on the settee with the blanket pulled up around her. The page in the book had been marked and set on a table. They would spend many happy winter evenings here in the future, he was certain. Hearing her whisper I love you had been the greatest moment in his life. Firelight cast soft shadows onto her face. Could she look any more like an angel? He would do whatever he had to do to protect her. She was now his first priority. Nobody would take her away from him.

He reached out with his thumb and traced her jawline.

A frown creased her brow. A deep, low growl came from Dragoste, who lay on the floor as close to her as he could get, just as she whimpered in her sleep. What caused such dreams? Did she dream of Gordon and what he had done to her? Anger leaped to life within him. Anger not only at Gordon but at his own mother. The woman who had given him life had tried to take away the one person he would give up everything for.

Alistair pulled her into his arms, and she nestled closer to him. He stood and shifted her closer into his arms before he carried her out of the library to her own bedchamber. Perhaps she would sleep better in her own bed. It certainly had to be more comfortable. He laid her gently on the soft mattress then pulled the blankets up around her. Dragoste carefully climbed onto the bed and curled up at her side, protecting her as always. With a soft kiss on her forehead, Alistair whispered, "Goodnight," and left the room as if walking on air. He longed for the night when he would be able to hold her in his arms all night. As it was, his heart had stayed behind with her; wherever she was, his heart was sure to be. It only beat for her now.

# CHAPTER NINETEEN

The early hours of the morning had been filled with minor last-minute preparations. The news of the engagement spread so quickly that by the time Magnolia had made it into the kitchen to help with dinner preparations late that morning, everyone knew. She managed to shift the focus off herself and onto Christmas.

As the sun set, everyone gathered into the dining room. Magnolia insisted that they each take a seat, even those who would be helping to serve the meal.

Nonna stood and gave thanks for the meal that they were about to receive.

Alistair, Jaceson, Railynn, and Magnolia went to each person and gave them a gift. Hearing everyone exclaim over the thoughtfulness expressed made the long nights worth it.

After the gifts were handed out, those who had volunteered to help serve dinner stood to go to the kitchen. Magnolia followed them.

"Why are you in here? You should be out there with Prince Alistair," Railynn whispered loudly. "Do you think that once he marries you he'll want you socializing with servants? He won't, especially when you eventually go back to Marcello to rule with him when the time comes."

Magnolia smiled at her friend. "It does not matter what he thinks. I will not turn my back on my friends. I will help when I can. There is no need for me to be waited on hand and foot." She picked up a large platter of meat before walking back out to the dining hall.

After all the food was set out on the tables. Magnolia had hot chocolate placed before everyone. The room was filled with the tantalizing aroma of Christmas dinner, the clattering of plates, and the laughter of those enjoying each other's company.

While she ate, she looked around at the people she had come to know. They were smiling and sharing stories. Gwain sat with his sister and mother. Magnolia had learned that his father had been killed while out hunting a few years back.

"Happy Christmas." Alistair leaned toward her and smiled. His face was nothing but happiness.

She was very thankful there was no darkness in his eyes like there had been the past few weeks.

"I have written to my father. Although, I know he will not object to our marriage, it's something that I must seek his permission for. As my king, he should be the one performing the ceremony, should he so choose."

"Do you believe he will make us wait until spring when a journey to Marcello can be made? Will you wait that long?" She lifted the cup of chocolate to her lips.

"I honestly don't know what he will do. I informed him that it's of the utmost importance that we wed immediately. Perhaps he'll send word to our priest that he may marry us here without him present."

Magnolia bit her bottom lip. "Why? Why did you tell him that we must marry now? He'll think that there's some other reason behind it other than that you don't want to wait. They'll believe that I trapped you into marriage."

A slight chuckle came from him, not the response that she had been expecting.

"That's not something that my father would think of. He didn't ever marry Jaceson's mother. I informed him that there had been an attempt on your life, and that I believe more will follow until we're wed. Once we are united in marriage, the person who is behind this will have to stop or face treason against the crown of Marcello."

"Do you truly believe that?" It took some effort to keep her voice from rising.

"I do, but until word of our upcoming marriage reaches Marcello, that person believes that you're dead. There is no need to worry. I know this person believes you're dead. We know everyone here. These people are loyal to you — they love you. You gave them a home, you gave them hope. They'll do whatever they can to protect you."

"It's not their job to protect me. It's mine to protect them."

As people finished their meals, the plates and cups were carried away to the kitchen.

"If you'll excuse me." Her tone was polite and a bit on edge.

She needed to get away, so she went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. A few tubs had been filled with soapy water. After rolling up her sleeves, she picked up a plate and plunged her hands into the washing basin. It didn't take long for a stack of clean bowls and plates to pile up next to her. An older woman came to dry them and put them away. Looking up when she noticed that the kitchen had grown quiet, Magnolia saw not only Alistair, but Jaceson.

"We believe you ladies have done enough work today. Leave the rest of this to us. Go freshen up for the dance." Alistair's voice commanded the room with a gentleness that Magnolia was certain these people were not used to from someone of his station in life.

The women started to protest, but he quickly reassured them that this was their way of showing thankfulness for the meal they'd spent so much time preparing.

Magnolia refused to leave them with all of the dishes. There was plenty left to do, plus the food needed to be cleared from the tables. With the help of Jaceson's and Alistair's men, the tables were soon cleared, the dishes cleaned and put away, the dining hall swept, and the food covered.

"Thank you for helping so the women could get ready for the dance," she said before leaving to get herself ready. She had been looking forward to this dance and was ready to enjoy it with her fiancé.

Magnolia pulled out a green floor-length gown with white sleeves from the wardrobe. Green laces tied the sleeves at the elbow but allowed the white fabric to flow down to her wrists. More green laces crisscrossed the bodice, leading to a low, straight neckline, lower than she was used to wearing since she arrived here. The outer skirt was of a slightly darker green with white trim. Once the dress and matching slippers were on, she turned to do her hair. Railynn had offered to stay and help her get ready, but Magnolia had insisted that she needed to get ready herself. The idea of someone helping her dress was still something she was not comfortable with. Though when the dresses needed laced up the back, she was grateful for the assistance. It took a while, but when she was finally done, her black hair was in a tightly woven conch-shell braid. After one last look in the mirror, she stood and smoothed down the skirt of her dress.

The great hall was filled with people in their finest clothes. Young children ran around playing with tops and dolls. In a corner a few of the older men were engaged in a game of morra, while the others watched with interest. As Magnolia walked around the room, she heard bits and pieces of conversations. Older women were sitting near the fire talking about Christmases gone by. Young ladies were gathered together, excitedly talking of the men they would like to dance with. Magnolia walked further into the room.

Alistair came to meet her when he saw her enter. Before they could speak, dancers were called to the floor. He took her hand in his and attempted to lead her through a minuet.

Looking around, she noticed she was not the only one to stumble through the step; the only ones who seemed familiar with it were those who had come from Marcello. After the incredibly awkward dance, Magnolia and Alistair walked over to the men who were playing.

Soon the room was filled with music and a lively Highland reel. Magnolia loved dancing with Alistair. Her mother had taught her many of Scotland's old dances, so she felt more relaxed dancing the reel. With Alistair leading her through the dances, she felt lightweight and sure of herself. At that moment, things seemed carefree, no worries about the harsh winter months ahead. There was just a room filled with friends enjoying the holiday.

After several dances with Alistair, a few with Jaceson, and one with young Gwain, she found a seat near Nonna. In the old woman's hand was the fan that Magnolia had made for her, perfect for the warmth in the large room.

"Your parents would have loved to see this. They did enjoy their time in the Highlands."

"You don't talk of them much," Magnolia answered.

"There is not much to say. They loved you very much. They wanted to give you a real home, and that's why, when we were invited to stay in the Highlands for an extended period of time, they agreed. There was no worry about getting run off while we were there. The day you lost your mother, your father's heart broke. He followed her shortly after. I know it was a broken heart that was the end of him. He loved you very much, but she was his heart."

"It must have been very difficult for you to lose your son." A sadness briefly washed over her as she thought back to her own parents.

Nonna reached out her hand and gently patted Magnolia's cheek. A soft smile graced the older woman's face when she finally spoke. "They left me you. I know things have been hard lately. I know that you feel you do not belong here, my little one. You have always belonged here. Always."

She watched in wonderment as the old woman slowly got up and walked out of the great hall. Did she know? After all, she was the one who had written about Daciana returning someday. Is that why she didn't ever push Magnolia to remember?

"Have you had enough of a breather? I'd like this dance, m'lady." Jaceson stood before her with his hand out.

"What about Railynn?" Despite the fact that she had told herself she would not get involved, she wanted to know if there was anything there on his end of things. Then she could let Railynn know to look somewhere else if needed.

"What about her?" he asked as he led her back toward the dancing.

"Will you be dancing with her?"

"It did not occur to me to ask her. She has been dancing all evening." Those golden eyes flicked over in the direction where the auburn-haired Railynn was dancing with one of the guards.

"Well, she is a very pretty girl, and she is easy to talk to. Did you think she would be sitting in the corner all night alone?" She couldn't hide the amusement in her voice.

"Of course not. I just thought that she would save a dance for me. We have known each other for a long time now." His gaze kept going over to where the subject of conversation was currently dancing and laughing.

"Does it bother you that she is not dancing with you?" Magnolia pursued the subject as they began dancing. Only when the dance allowed them to come back together, did they get to speak.

"Perhaps a little. Though, I don't know why."

"Time to look for the reason." She grinned at him. "I think if you pay some attention to her, it wouldn't be unwanted."

Jaceson stared at her.

The rest of the dance passed in silence as Magnolia hoped she had hinted enough for him to ask Railynn to dance.

"Thank you for the dance, m'lady." Jaceson's eyes twinkled at her.

"Go ask her before the next dance starts."

Magnolia walked toward a quiet corner where she found Alistair engaged in morra. The next hour-and-a-half was passed watching chess, with the occasional glimpse toward the dance floor. Jaceson and Railynn had danced several reels together. The room started to empty out as the night drew on. Soon, there was only a handful of people left and they were watching the chess match.

Magnolia excused herself to retire for the night. Dragoste was soon at her side; during the dance, he had been curled up by the fire, being adored by children. Once in her room, she let down her hair and sighed. It had started to give her a headache about an hour before. She slipped out of the hot dress then pulled on a nightgown. Dragoste jumped onto the bed, appearing to be ready to sleep. Magnolia brushed out her hair then went to bed, fatigued from the day's exciting activities.

# CHAPTER TWENTY

The fire danced, flames _jumping hungrily into the air, licking at the logs beneath. Faint music was in the background. Was that "White Christmas" she heard? She turned away from the fire to see her brother sitting there with his stocking on his lap. The candy was flowing out of it, spilling over onto his pants and the floor._

"Merry Christmas, M&M."

Her voice quaked from holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "Merry Christmas, Jace." She scooted forward, wanting to be closer to him. He had been the one constant in her life. "Everything is different now."

"I know, but you're not alone."

"Sometimes it feels that way. I need you. I want Bash."

Jace's golden eyes looked at her with a heavy sadness. "We are there. We have been with you every single day. Not leaving you when you've been sick, even there tonight while you danced."

"What?" Her eyebrows knitted together as she thought about his words.

"I told you before. We won't leave you. You're stuck with us, dear sister." He reached out to tug on a strand of hair. "Open your eyes, open your heart, and you'll understand. You'll find us once you can do that. There are many changes coming soon, things that will test you. Remember all that you learned here. Remember what you learned of Alistair when he lost Daciana the first time. Use that information. It may help you. If all else fails, appeal to the king. He cares for his son, but history has shown that he loves power. Having Avengar there will benefit him more than not. Remind him of this. Remember..."

Jace's image started to drift into darkness as everything around her faded.

"...I love you, M&M."

The dim light from the dying fire was all that illuminated the room as her eyes flicked open. She could feel Dragoste's warm body next to her own. Carefully, so not to wake the wolf, she slipped out of the bed to stoke the fire. It roared to life, casting shadows across the room.

With a blanket around her shoulders, she went to sit on the window seat. The moon was full, bright, and beautiful. It hung high over the dark sea. A glittering reflection of it and the stars made the sea look alive. As the tide moved, so did the stars and moon that were on it.

She thought of the dream that had just awoken her. Jace had told her she needed to remember. Facts from the history books and the journals jumped into her mind, waiting for her to grasp hold of them. Alistair had given up his throne to his brother. That had to be Jaceson, since he had no other siblings. The ring had not been found on Daciana's body. Gordon must have taken it to the person who'd paid him to kill her, perhaps as a trophy or as proof that she was dead. Magnolia didn't have that ring now. If Alistair would need proof that the person who had ordered this was who he thought it was, then the ring could come in handy. She also knew that Nonna had been the one to foretell of Daciana one day returning to save her people from being run off the land that they had finally claimed as home. Nonna could be her truest of allies here. She stayed up for hours, thinking of all that she had learned in the little bit of time before she'd come back to this place, playing the stories her father had told her over and over in her head.

By the time she crawled back into bed then laid her head back down on her pillow, she was exhausted. Her mind kept popping facts out at her. It seemed that the urge to remember had triggered something in her mind. Something that had decided now was the time to flood her with all information that she may have suppressed. A jumble of emotions filled her — anxious, excited, happy, scared — she was not sure what was ahead, but hopefully it would all be for the best.

Alistair watched as the woman he loved worked alongside everyone else, cleaning up from the Christmas festivities. She had invited everyone to come share in the bounty of leftovers that evening. The more he watched her the more he loved her. There was something about her that he wasn't sure he'd ever noticed before. In the time that he'd known her, there had always been a determination to do right by her people. But now he saw a fierceness in her eyes that wasn't there before. Perhaps it was because of what had happened to her on All Hollow's Eve. Whatever the reason, he enjoyed watching the fire hidden just beneath her emerald green eyes. Her attention turned to him after the rooms were all set right, cleaned to her satisfaction.

"It looks like it will snow soon. Would you care to go for a stroll before it does?"

"I'd rather go for a ride." She smiled up at him.

"Get your cloak. I'll meet you outside" He watched as she hurried away.

Walking out to the stables, he found himself thinking of what it would be like once they truly had peace here. He had not told her that he worried that there would be another attempt on her life. Certain that if he told anyone that it was his mother who'd paid Gordon, it would start a war that Avengar would not win. The people here were loyal, but they were few. The country was made up of about twenty families. In time, it would grow just the same as it had dwindled. Now that they had a home, a shelter. They'd be able to provide for themselves. No longer would they be persecuted as witches by those who simply did not want them in their countries. Here they would grow. They would flourish. He had to ensure that they didn't lose the chance to do that.

The ride didn't last very long, just a quick ride down by the snow-covered shore. The cold wind had an even more bitter bite to it coming off the water than it had up at the castle. Soon, he insisted they turn around.

"Do you think the men you sent with the letter to your father will be alright in this upcoming storm?" Her eyes grew dark with concern.

"I do. I sent Duncan, and he, in turn, picked a friend to go with him. They grew up passing back and forth through these mountains to hunt on this land in the winter. It's nothing new to them. If they need to find shelter, they will know where to find it. With it being just the two of them, they'll also travel much more quickly through the mountains than we had on our way here."

"That was about two weeks' journey, wasn't it? It was slower because of the wagons and families."

Hope lit in his stomach as she mentioned this. It may not seem much, but it was one of the rare times she'd spoken of events that had taken place before Gordon. Nobody was there to remind her of what had happened. Perhaps she'd only remembered what they had told her before. He felt the hope begin to die, then she continued.

"It seemed cold then, with it raining so often. It must be even colder now." A grin spread across his face. He knew that nobody had spoken to her of the near-endless rain on that journey.

When they reached the stables, she helped to care for the horses before going back into the castle. Perhaps soon she would remember all of it.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The snowstorm hit with a vengeance. Visibility was almost none. When the blizzard hit, people went inside and stayed there. Magnolia spent her days helping with the daily chores, since some of those who worked in the castle were stuck with friends until the storm let up. While washing bed linens, she started to sing a song that her mother had often sung to her as a child.

"That is an interesting song." Nonna's voice interrupted her.

"My mother used to sing it to me," she replied without thinking.

"Really?" Nonna raised an eyebrow. "Curious that your mother would sing a song about lost love and an untimely end, especially when it is about you, my dear one."

"What makes you think..." A blush crept up her face, burning her. She didn't know what to do, what to say.

"Dear one, I have known. I'm sure this is all confusing to you. I knew that this would happen. When you were brought back on All Hollow's Eve, I saw the marks about your neck, the confusion that you had, not knowing where you were. It all pointed toward my vision having come to pass. You left of us for a moment on that night, during that storm, but you found your way back. I'm very thankful that you did. Our people would have been lost without you. Alistair would have been lost without you. Dear one, I would have mourned you every moment for the rest of my life."

"You know?" Magnolia asked, astonished.

"I know that you are not the same as you were before that night. I also know that the reason Gordon believes he killed you is because when he left you lying there, you were not here. Something happened to bring you back. I am not going to question how or why. I am simply thankful that it's true." Nonna's eyes sparkled at her. "I would watch what you sing though."

"Nonna, I am starting to remember things."

"Given time, you will. The longer you are here with us the more you'll remember."

Magnolia wrapped her arms around the old woman. A weight had been lifted off her, and she felt less alone. Nonna would always understand if she ever felt out of place here. That was good to know. She laid a kiss on top of the grandmotherly woman's head then turned back to the wash.

When the storm finally let up, Alistair checked on each family. While every person was safe, Gwain was upset when he told them of his lost dog.

"It'll be back soon."

"Do you really think so?" Gwain looked up at him with big eyes. He could tell the young boy was hurting.

"They're resourceful creatures. He loved you, so I am sure he'll find his way home as soon as he can." He remembered what it was like to lose a pet at that age. Knowing that the boy would be a bit downhearted, Alistair asked him if he would like to start helping in the stables after his training.

"Yes! I have to talk to my mother about it. I don't think she will say no though, since I would be with you," Gwain excitedly replied. He followed Alistair around while they went about checking the supply of firewood and food at each home.

He knew that in the castle the women were going through their own lists of things that should be sent to certain houses. Jaceson was organizing a hunting party to go out for some fresh meat. They had some cattle, and the plan was to bring more from Marcello in the spring. Eventually, they would have enough cattle to not only feed the people here but perhaps to sell or trade.

Alistair sent the boy on to the castle with the list of supplies and the families who would need them, while he went about taking firewood to the homes of widows, who did not have anyone to do it for them.

He wondered how Duncan had managed through the storm. Did he get to shelter in time? Maybe where he was, the storm was not as strong. He hoped that was the case. Duncan had always been someone that he could count on. He would hate to lose such a friend because he'd sent him on an errand in winter.

As evening approached, Alistair returned to the castle exhausted from the day's work but knowing tomorrow would bring more. A few homes were in need of slight repair that could probably wait until spring, but he didn't want anything to worsen in the next storm.

After a wash, he went down to eat with everyone else in the dining hall. There he found his love, and he longed to be able to hold her. Alistair joined her at the table.

The room was quiet as they all ate. The day had been a tiring one. In Marcello, things like this had been done by others. He now understood why they'd been tired and had gone to bed early. Avengar needed a king who would work beside them in the fields, not someone who would sit in a castle and tell everyone else what to do. Avengar had grown accustomed to its leaders being right there with them, treating them like family, something that his Daciana had taught him. Her actions reinforced it every single day. With the long hours she had worked in order to ensure that everyone received something special for Christmas, she had modeled that doing something for others, even if it did not seem like much at the time, meant more than buying them things like his parents would have done — if they would have given anything to the people at all. Both he and Jaceson would cherish the quivers they had received. Jaceson had already put his to use when he'd gone out hunting earlier.

"Are you alright?" Her voice broke into his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yes. Just a little tired is all." He offered her a smile.

"Do you want to skip the library tonight?" They had been gathering in the library every night for an hour before bed. She would read aloud to him while they sat before the fire, something he hoped they would continue for many years to come.

"No, I want to hear more about this Crusoe."

The night before she'd started a story about a man named Robison Crusoe, which he found quite intriguing.

"Good, I like spending time with you in the library." She slipped her hand into his as the two of them walked toward the library. He enjoyed listening to her read and could think of no better way to end the night.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Magnolia enjoyed the following few days. Already they were a few weeks into the new year. She was aware that Alistair was growing impatient to hear back from his father. There was nothing that any of them could do about that. They would have to wait until he replied. In the meantime, she was trying to get information out of him as to who it was who had sent Gordon after her on that rainy night. He had refused to tell her, insisting that it did not matter because he would take care of it himself. Now they were in the great hall with a few others after a long day, working to make sure everyone would be all right during the storm coming their way. Tired and agitated, she tried again.

"It need not concern you. I will handle it," he responded yet again.

Rage filled her, making her blood boil. Her hands balled up into fists. Green eyes glared at him, refusing to look away. "No concern of mine? I don't need you to protect me." Her voice grew stronger, louder with each word. "I can and will protect myself. You will not always be there. Were you there on that night? Were you? I need to know. I. Need. To. Know."

"Do you think I don't know that?" he yelled at her.

She refused to back down, though she wanted to.

"Do you think it doesn't haunt me that you were out there with him? I've had to watch you walk around for months still affected by that night. What could I have done? What do you want me to do?" He yelled the last words so loudly that they echoed off the walls of the large room.

Everyone was staring at the two of them. As he'd inched closer and closer to her while talking, Jaceson had started walking toward the both of them. Alistair was so close to her now that she could feel his breath on her skin.

With her head held high, she squared her shoulders. "I want you to tell me the truth." She made certain that her tone was low and steady. It had probably not been wise to raise her voice to begin with, and she refused to make that mistake again. A yelling match would not do anyone any good at the moment. "I need you to tell me the truth. How can I be expected to protect my people when you will not allow me to protect myself? Would you allow a soldier to go into war not knowing who it is they are up against? Why then do you think it is alright to keep me in the dark?" Her green eyes locked on his steely gaze. In the corner of her vision, she could see that Jaceson stood within reach of her.

Alistair let out a long low sigh. His shoulders relaxed. She had not noticed that his hands had been in tight fists until the moment he relaxed them. She wondered if he had a history of a temper. Was that why Jaceson had crossed the room? Before she could think on it further, she heard a whisper come from Alistair.

"My mother."

She cut her eyes to Jaceson then back to Alistair. Not certain she'd heard correctly, she wanted to question him, but Jaceson quickly spoke up.

"Why don't we head up to the library? We can get some refreshment and have a nice talk."

Magnolia glanced at him and nodded. "I'll get some tea." She went to the kitchen to prepare a pot and, while there, she filled a platter with some pastries that had been made that morning.

Obviously, the brothers needed a few minutes alone so Alistair could collect himself.

In the library she set the tray down on a table. After pouring some tea for the three of them, she took up her cup and walked over to the window seat. It was a bit chillier over there, but she wanted desperately to look out on the world. Dragoste had followed her into the room. He had spent much of the day outside running through the snow, but he liked to stay close to her at night. She pulled her knees up to her chest. Sipping the hot tea, she looked up at the crescent moon. It matched her birthmark. Longing to be outside, to be free of this life where she had to fight to live, she gazed out to the mountains in the distance. They were nothing more than black shadows in a slightly lighter dark landscape.

For a fleeting moment, Alistair looked defeated. The expression quickly disappeared, leaving in its wake a pensive, controlled look. "I do not know her reasons. I cannot simply accuse her of this out in the open. Once we're married, there will be nothing that she can do."

"Do you really believe she will stop simply because you marry me?"

"She left Jaceson alone after Father threatened her. If she stepped out of line again..." His voice trailed off.

It had to be hard to think about it. Magnolia refused to look at him though. It was easier to look into the blackness.

"...if she tries anything once we are wed, then it can be considered an act of treason. Already she is out of favor with my father."

Keeping her face turned, she heard him pacing back and forth across the floor.

"Since I'm her only child, she's afraid that something will happen to me. Afraid, I think, more for her than for me. Not long ago she hired a man to tell my father that Jaceson planned to take the throne. She nearly had him convinced that his own son was a traitor. We found proof that it was all her doing, to secure the crown for me. Upon showing the proof to my father, he grew enraged. His own wife, his queen, had betrayed him. He informed her then that if she ever pulled something like that again, he would have her tried for treason."

Magnolia finally glanced over in his direction. Jaceson was sitting on the settee with his feet extended toward the fire, crossed at the ankles, eating a pastry as if the conversation was boring him. The thought was slightly amusing. Alistair paced back and forth in the middle of the room. Brows furrowed together the corners of his mouth turned down to a frown.

"You have no control over her actions." Her voice was low and soft.

He stopped pacing to bring his eyes to meet with hers.

"Do you think you could have stopped her if you had known?"

"What then..."

"We think — I think — there is something in all of this, something somewhere that is just waiting to be discovered that will help to ensure that she will never attempt such a thing again." She had to find the Queen of Marcello's weakness quickly. "There's nothing else that can be done at this moment."

His gaze dropped, breaking their eye contact.

A chill went through her, causing her to finally remove herself from the window. Crossing the room to the settee, she walked into warmth that radiated out from the fire. As she sat down, she took up a pastry and bit into it. Junk food had always been her go-to comfort; she needed the tense mood in the room to ease. "This is really delicious, you should try one."

Jaceson stifled a laugh as Magnolia waved her pastry in the direction of Alistair. It certainly did lighten the mood, for he stopped pacing to take a seat next to them and enjoy the tea and pastries.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The doors to the library were thrown open not long after the three of them had finally relaxed. In the doorway was a tall figure covered with cloaks. His face had a few days' growth of beard on it, making him appear even more menacing. His dark hair hung down, shielding his eyes. "I came as fast as I could." The deep voice echoed through the room. "They are coming." The man swayed on unsteady feet.

Jaceson and Alistair rushed to his side and led him to the fire.

"Duncan, who is coming?" Alistair asked.

"Get warm, man, then talk to us." Jaceson spoke at the same time as his brother.

Alistair nodded when he heard his brother speak, the sort of thing that Daciana would expect of him in the future. He went to the chest that he had filled with blankets and shawls as part of his gift and pulled out a heavy quilt. Magnolia removed his wet cloak then moved swiftly to pour him some tea.

"I'll be back with some hot cider and food for you. Just sit there, and don't let them make you talk until you are warm and fed." She smiled kindly at him then hurried out of the room.

"I had to get here before they arrived to tell you." Duncan spoke through now chattering teeth.

"Warm up first, man, or Daciana will blame me for you biting the tip of your tongue off while trying to talk." Alistair looked over at Jaceson with a worried look. He was sure they both knew that Duncan would not have barged in like he had unless the news that he'd brought was important.

By the time food and drink arrived, Duncan had some natural color back to his cheeks. In silence, they allowed him to fill his belly with nourishment.

Duncan set the plate aside then looked at all of them, his eyes going to each one before settling on Alistair. "I took your letter to the king as you had asked. A storm hit shortly after I arrived, so I had to stay a bit. By the time I was ready to travel again, the queen had decided that if her only son was to marry, then she would be here for that marriage. King Pelonis was going to send his blessing and a priest with me to perform the ceremony, but once Queen Kamille made up her mind to come, Pelonis would not tell her no. They wanted me to stay and travel back with them. I got away as soon as I could. They will be here in two days' time if the weather holds."

Worry etched Alistair's brow as he looked toward the mountains. Knowing that his mother was making her way through them now made him sick. There was no telling what she would do once she was here. "Is that all?"

"No. One more thing. The man — Gordon — never recovered from the festering wounds. You have no witness to testify that it was Queen Kamille."

Listening to the men debate about the best way to handle the situation made her head ache. There was nothing that they were saying that could possibly be useful. They had good intentions and merely wanted to keep her safe. But they kept coming back to the same thing: they had no witness.

A soft smile spread across her face. "We don't need a witness." Her voice was so low that they almost missed her words. She turned away from the fire to see the baffled looks on their faces.

"How can we prove it without a witness?"

"Do you really believe that someone would testify against their queen?" Her left eyebrow arched up. "No, the only reason Pelonis discovered her treachery before is because the news of it came from the two of you, with evidence in your hands."

"Yes, but we do not have evidence to back this up." Jaceson spoke from the settee.

"We don't, but she does." Magnolia walked slowly toward the window, looking out to the mountains. "She is the only witness we need."

"There is no way that she will ever let it slip out," Alistair exclaimed. "She cares too much for her power."

"Perhaps she does." Magnolia thought for a minute before facing them again. "There is one thing that she cares about more. We can use that to get her to admit what she's done."

"How?"

"What?"

"It is late. Duncan needs a bath and some rest. Then we need to make sure that things here will be to the standards that your father is expecting." She left the three men in the library, Dragoste at her side. Her hand reached down to stroke his soft black fur. "We will figure this out, won't we, love?"

Once inside her own room, she stoked the fire. After changing into a nightgown, she was finally able to sit down and process everything that she'd learned. Queen Kamille was on her way. Not only was she about to invade her home, but she'd killed her once before. There was no doubt in Magnolia's mind that she would attempt to do so again. But with her coming here, the queen would not be on her own home field. Magnolia had the advantage. History books had taught her that Queen Kamille had forced this place to be forgotten because she did not care to be near the sea in such a desolate place. Magnolia had come to know the area that Kamille despised; she would not give up her newfound home. She would survive this time.

On top of all that, Magnolia had been doing as she'd been instructed. What everyone and everything around her had been whispering at her since before her eighteenth birthday. _Remember._ With the memories and information coming to her, now that she had been tearing down the walls, she would be able to put up a fight.

The next day the castle was bustling with activity. Magnolia found a large spare bedroom that she thought would be suitable for the king and queen. The day was spent boiling water to scrub the floor, walls, and windows. She took the furniture from the room to beat it free of dust. Clean linens and blankets were placed on the large bed. Firewood had been brought up and stacked neatly out of the way. Dried lavender was put into a large basin with some boiling water. Soon the room was shining and had the enticing scent of lavender.

She emerged from the room with dust and sweat streaked across her face. Dragoste had escaped the madness of cleaning by going outside to run free in the snow. It seemed that Jaceson and Alistair had had that same idea. They'd left early that morning to go on a hunt. If all turned out well, they would have wild boar for a feast when Pelonis and Kamille arrived.

Walking through the castle, she saw many women cleaning the halls and scrubbing at windows until they sparkled. They were not going to allow the King and Queen of Marcello to look down their noses at them. This place had become their home, a home that they were proud of. Magnolia found herself in the great hall on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor with several other women. They would move on to the dining room after they were done in here.

The two-day warning wasn't much, but it would be enough. The castle was kept in good order on a daily basis. Magnolia liked to keep it clean. It felt more like home that way. All this extra cleaning would surely impress a woman, who would certainly attempt to kill her, and the man who would welcome her as a daughter so he could call her people his own. It certainly didn't seem like the right thing to do, but she'd decided the night before that she would welcome them with open arms, appearing to be naively innocent of their intentions.

She didn't blame Pelonis for his reasoning. After all, she'd gone to him to find a home for Avengar. By doing that, she'd found Alistair. Some might say that she only wanted to marry him so that her people would be even more secure in this place, but the truth was she loved him. It was not something that she admitted often, but she felt it deep in her heart. The more time she spent with him the more she saw his resemblance to the Bash she'd left behind in the future. Certainly, that was what she was supposed to see when she'd been ill and had been told that they had not left her. They were here with her. It had all started making sense after that last dream.

Now she had to make sure that she didn't allow Kamille to take away her happiness once again. While scrubbing the floors, she was soon lost in her own world. The day passed by much more quickly while she thought back on her happy childhood.

"Daciana?" Nonna's voice broke through the memories. "Dear one, I believe that the floors cannot get any cleaner, though you can. Get to your chambers, and I will have a bath brought up for you."

She put the rag into the basin of now cool water then stood and stretched out her stiff limbs. "Have the men returned?"

"Not yet. They'll arrive soon. I am sure of it." She felt a sense of dread for the days that lay ahead.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The hot water felt amazing against her sore muscles. Soaking in the tub, she decided it was the best feeling in the world, at least at this moment. Finally, she forced herself to pick up the soap to wash her hair and body. Sliding down into the water, she rinsed out her hair then got out of the tub. Quickly, she dried off and pulled on a dress. While brushing her hair, her door flung open, and a ghost-white Railynn stood there.

"Come."

The look on her friend's face told her that whatever it was that had sent her crashing through that door was something urgent. Nothing was said as they ran through the corridors. Railynn led her down the stairs to the entrance. She saw the hunting party coming through the doors carrying someone.

"What happened?" Magnolia pushed her way toward them, forcing herself to walk closer. Blood was covering the men who had Jaceson in their grasps.

"Jaceson, m'lady. He is still alive for now."

"Get him to his bed. Railynn, have someone bring up boiling water and some ale. If you see Nonna, send her. I will go to her room to see if she's there getting ready."

Railynn did not move. The girl stared at Jaceson.

"Now." Her voice was low but forceful enough to send the girl running to do what she had asked. Magnolia ran ahead of the men. She tossed open the doors to Nonna's rooms but did not see her. Once in Jaceson's room, she stoked the fire then pulled the blankets from the bed. She tossed them onto a chair. Rushing back out of the room, she went to get fresh linens, knowing that she would need some. When she returned to the room, they were laying Jaceson on the bed. When she reached his side, she could see that he had a large wound in his thigh.

"The boar impaled him," one of the men said. "What can we do?"

"See what is taking Railynn so long. I need Nonna's supplies and that water and ale now. We do not have time to waste." Carefully she cut the material of his pants with the dagger she had on her. Peeling back the filthy blood soaked rags that had been shoved into the wound to try to staunch the bleeding, she wanted to gag as blood poured forth, too freely for stitches "Get a large metal tong. It may need to be cauterized." Dirt was mingled in with the blood. She picked up a clean rag then applied pressure to the wound.

Nonna and Railynn rushed into the room. Magnolia took the ale from Railynn and poured some on the wound. Dirt and blood flowed away from it. One more time, and she was satisfied that there was no more dirt in there.

"There is too much blood, dear one. I cannot do anything for him."

"No, I will not lose him. Hold this there."

Nonna placed her hand over the blood-soaked rag.

Magnolia crossed the room, took the metal tongs into her hand, poured some ale over it, and then instructed that it be kept in the flames until she asked for it. "When I say, you will hand it over as quickly as possible. It cannot be allowed to cool."

Looking at the other men who had not left the room yet, she saw that they doubted that their friend could make it through the procedure. Honestly, she was not sure that he would either.

"I need him to be held down firmly. He cannot be allowed to move. Is this understood?"

They all nodded and took places around the bed. She said a silent prayer then asked for the tongs. They were in her hand within seconds. Carefully she lowered them to his thigh. The skin sizzled, and his body lurched up. She pulled the tongs back and gazed down at his thigh. The wound was closed up.

Jaceson had stopped moving, and Railynn let out a loud wail. One of the men carried her from the room. Magnolia handed the tongs back to the man who had given them to her. She picked up a clean rag and soaked it in the basin of fresh water. Cleaning the dirt and blood off of him gave her something to do. This was not a helpless moment, and she would not allow it to become one.

As the men started to leave the room, she finally realized that Alistair was not there. "Where is Alistair? Was he hurt?" She could not believe that he would not be here by choice.

"No, m'lady. He and a few others went after the boar."

Anger filled her, burning her when their words sunk in. He had abandoned his brother in his time of need.

"Thank you for bringing him here as quickly as you did and for your assistance. Dinner should be ready. Go and eat." Magnolia pulled a chair close to the bed. After she cleaned him as best as she could, she had one of the men place a pair of clean trousers over one leg. She had cut off the other in order to keep an eye on the wound. The filthy shirt was pulled off and a blanket placed over his body. Nonna had left so quietly that Magnolia had not even noticed she was gone until she returned with some food, drink, and broth.

"You need to eat, dear one." Nonna's kind eyes looked into hers.

"I can't lose him, Nonna. Not again." A sadness filled her.

Nonna's wrinkled hand reached out and touched her cheek.

"You did far more for him than I would have been able to do. You didn't give up."

"I can't. I won't lose him." Her lips pursed together and her brows were drawn down with determination. "I have already lost so much. Losing him would be more than I could bear."

"I understand." Nonna's voice was filled with love, and Magnolia knew that the old woman understood. "You need to eat to keep up your strength." Nonna left her alone in the room.

She nibbled at some food while watching Jaceson. He was so pale and still. Would he make it? He had to — he simply had to pull through this. The chair was getting more and more comfortable as the room darkened, enticing her to sleep. Magnolia reached her hand over to Jaceson's forehead to check to see if he felt feverish, but he was simply cold. After tossing another log on the fire and placing another blanket across him, she settled into the chair. Dragoste had found his way into the room and curled up at her feet. She allowed sleep to claim her.

Magnolia opened her eyes to darkness. After lighting a candle, she went over to the fire to toss another log on. Dragoste lifted his big head and watched as she moved about the room.

At his bedside she reached her hand out to touch Jaceson's forehead. It was warmer than it had been before, causing her to worry since the room was cold. She pulled the blankets back to look down at his cauterized thigh. It was a nasty, swollen, red color. She covered him again and sat gently on the edge of the bed.

"I cannot lose you the way I lost Mama and Daddy. I thought that you had left me, but you were here all along. Jace, please don't leave me now. I need you." Large tears clouded her vision then spilled over, trailing down her cheeks. "If you leave now, who will be there for me on the day that I marry? Who will give me advice? Who will remind me of who I am? There is so much left for you to do here."

Time dragged on slowly through the night. The silence was filled with her talking. When she ran out of things to say, she sang song after song. She needed for him to know that he was not here alone, that she would stay with him just as he had stayed with her.

"How is he?" A smooth voice came from the shadows of the doorway.

"Alive, that's all that I know." She flicked her gaze angrily at the man who should have been there the entire time.

"I was told that you saved him." He stepped into the room.

"What did you do?" Venom dripped from her voice. "You left him to go after the boar?"

"I could not stand by and watch him die." Alistair's voice quaked.

"So you abandoned him when he needed you the most? Is that the kind of king you'll be? Will you always run with your tail between your legs? You couldn't stay with your brother, a man who has done everything that he possibly could for you. You left him to die alone because you could not bear it?" She didn't care that her voice echoed off the walls. "A coward is all that you are. Only a coward would leave someone he loves for fear of how things will end!"

Alistair's eyes darted between her and his brother. "I didn't know what to do."

A smirk flashed across her face. "You think I did? I was scared, afraid that he would die in my arms. There was so much blood. It seemed like it was everywhere. He was so pale, so cold. But I couldn't leave him. I would have never forgiven myself if I had." She turned away from the man who claimed to love her.

"Daciana, what can I do?" His voice shook as he spoke.

"Leave. You're good at that. Your parents will be here soon. It's possible that they will arrive today. Then you can inform Kamille that she need no longer worry about Jaceson or myself. You may return home with them to Marcello where you belong." Her voice was cold as ice.

The sound of the door closing behind him as he left echoed loudly in her ears. Lying gently on the other side of the bed, careful not to touch Jaceson, she wept until the tears seemed to dry up. She had lost the man she loved and was very likely losing her only connection to her brother. Hopelessness wanted to swallow her whole. Dragoste pushed his cold nose up against her face, nudging her softly. She curled over to her side and wrapped her arms around the large wolf. Her wolf would not leave her. Dragoste was a constant in her life. She had discovered from Nonna that Dragoste had been found alone as a pup, near death, when Daciana's father had brought him to his daughter. She had nursed him back to health and he'd stayed with her ever since.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Magnolia didn't want to leave Jaceson's side the next day. The sky was overcast and dreary. Snow would soon be flying. The sea looked angry, and waves crashed to the shore. When she glanced toward the mountains, she swore that she could see them coming, although even if they were there, she knew that they would not arrive until nearly sunset — if they arrived today at all.

But the snow would not hold off simply because she wanted it to. She knew that everyone was prepared for another storm, but she had to double-check just to be certain. When Railynn came in to check on Jaceson, she asked the girl to stay with him until she returned. Railynn seemed both happy and distressed by the request.

"He will be alright. I just want someone here in case he wakes up. He cannot be trying to get out of bed just yet." Magnolia offered a tired smile before leaving the room.

In the entryway to the castle, she saw ladies scrubbing at the floor to clean up the blood that had been spilled there. They had already cleaned up any that had fallen while Jaceson was carried to his room. Magnolia continued past them, out to check on the livestock.

Gwain appeared by her side. "M'lady." He smiled up at her, slipping his little hand into hers.

"Gwain, what are you out here doing?"

"Making sure that the sheep and cattle are safe. I took Genevieve's cat to her when I saw it wandering about. I would hate for her to lose that cat in the snow like I lost my dog." He smiled up at her despite the sadness in his eyes. "I checked on the chickens. They are all safe and warm. Fed and watered them while I was there."

"What would I do without you around?" She was grateful that Gwain was there. His show of responsibility proved that he would grow to be a fine young man.

"Is Jaceson going to be alright? I saw them bring him in." His fingers gripped her hand a little more. So that was the reason he had come to her.

"I believe he will be alright. He needs plenty of rest. You're welcome to come visit with him anytime you want. He enjoys talking to you. Jaceson speaks very highly of your improving skill with a bow and sword. Though I do believe I heard him say something about you not knowing how to read."

"I cannot read, m'lady. Neither can my sister." He looked up at her.

"I think it's time that you learn. I'll see what is in the library. What do you think of one night a week anyone who wants to hear a story can come sit in the great hall and listen to one? Meanwhile, I'll teach you to read. It is a valuable skill that you'll need. What if I needed you to carry out a very important matter for me, and it had to be done in a specific way? You would need to read so you could follow instructions. As long as the weather is not so bad that you must stay at your house to be safe, you may come every day after your training and chores for a lesson."

Gwain beamed up at her. His whole countenance had changed; he stood straighter than she had ever seen before.

"I will try my hardest to learn, m'lady."

"I will try my hardest to teach, sir. Now, go get to any chores that need to be done before snow begins to fly." Watching the boy run off, she was content for a brief moment. That moment ended when she saw Alistair walking toward her, his blue eyes dark and menacing.

"We need to speak, m'lady." He stood in her path.

"Do we? I seem to recall this land being given to me and my people by your father. It was a deal that he and I made. Therefore, I don't think you're in a position to tell me what I need to do in my home, Prince Alistair." Her tone grew cold and clipped with each word she spoke.

"You are right, m'lady. I ask that you forgive my boldness." His eyes darted toward the mountains then back to her. "They will be here this evening, unless my mother insists on making camp to try to stay out of this coming storm. Though, my father would be a fool to give in to that sort of logic when real shelter is not far from them. Are you prepared to face them?" Concern edged into his voice.

"As much as I will ever be." She wanted to stay angry at him. The anger gnawed at her, but it was something that she had to shove down. "Do you think they will reach us before the storm does? I don't want them to get lost in it when they are so very close."

"I have reason to believe that they can make it here safely. The only other option would be to send fresh horses to carry them and whatever it is that they might be bringing. Duncan had said about twenty men rode with them."

"If you believe it will help to ensure their safe arrival, then please do so." Worry filled her, mostly for the men that travelled with them. Though for Alistair's sake, she didn't wish harm to his parents either.

"You would do that, despite what she tried to do to you? Even though you no longer want me here? You would help them?" His expression softened from the hard glare he'd had moments before.

"Of course I would." Her hand reached out and rested on his shoulder. "Be safe. I don't want to lose you."

Hope leaped up into his eyes at her words. Nodding, he went to gather a few men together to go out to meet the party that was on its way.

Magnolia returned to the castle to order a large meal to be prepared for the imminent arrival of the King and Queen of Marcello. Before she headed back to Jaceson's room, she grabbed some food and broth.

The room was eerily quiet, the only sound the crackling of the logs being devoured by the fire. With great care, Magnolia lifted Jaceson's head to put some water to his lips. The water wet his lips, causing his mouth to part slightly. A small tilt of the cup allowed a few drops of liquid to enter. She watched as he swallowed it, then she tilted the cup up again. When he turned his head away, she set the cup down. Pulling the blankets back up around him, she noticed that his forehead had small beads of perspiration, but he was shivering with cold. She wrung out a rag that she had soaked in some warm water then laid it across his head. After, draping a blanket over a chair near the fire to warm it, she returned to keep an eye on the rag, which she freshened and reapplied several times. If there was an infection, it was inside the body, which meant there was nothing that she could do to help him. She prayed that this fever was simply from being out in the cold winter air, lying on the snow-covered ground, and being drained of energy. Certain that proper rest could cure that, she prayed that he would heal.

Once the blanket by the fire had warmed, she covered him with it, noticing that the chills had subsided. She hung another blanket to warm. If she had to, she would stay here changing out the cooled blankets for warmed ones all day and night.

"I brought a book for you. See, you must wake so that you can truly enjoy it. I'll start reading it now though, so you don't have to listen to silence."

Just as she picked up _Gulliver's Travels_ , the door slowly creaked open.

Gwain's head popped quietly through the opening. "My mother said that I may come see Jaceson before the storm. Is he better?"

Magnolia motioned for him to come into the room and shut the door behind him. "He will be fine. He drank some water earlier, so that's good. I am getting ready to read to him. But if you would like to talk to him for a bit first, it's alright with me. I can always go get some hot broth to see if he will wake up for that."

"No, m'lady. I'll go get it if he needs it." Gwain looked anxiously from her to the very still Jaceson.

"The broth can wait until dinnertime."

"I'd like to listen to the story." Gwain's eyes glanced around the room.

Magnolia suspected it was probably twice the size of the little room that he no doubt shared with his sister. She hoped that one day they could all have roomier homes.

"Alright, have a seat." She watched him sit down gently on the chair that was near the window. Then she opened the book and began to read. Though it was something she had read several times and had seen more than one movie adaption for, she had to remind herself that the book was relatively new here. Only taking breaks to switch out the cooled blanket for the warmed one, she read until Nonna appeared in the doorway.

"It is starting to snow. Gwain, you should get home before your mother starts to worry."

The young boy nodded then hurried out of the room.

"It looks like we'll have company very soon."

"Nonna, I must go make sure that everything is perfect for them. Will you sit with him until I get back?"

"Of course, dear one. There's broth waiting for you in the kitchen. In fact, I think it may be a good idea to bring a tray of food, tea, and whatever else it is that you want. Once they arrive, I don't see Kamille allowing you to ignore her to take care of Jaceson."

"Thank you, Nonna." She hurried out of the room to do what needed to be done before her home housed the one person who should never be allowed to set foot inside of it.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

He found his mother's voice grating now that he knew what she'd tried to do. Daciana was the love of his life. He would gladly choose her over his family and responsibilities any day. They pushed their way through the snow flurries. Luckily, it was not coming down terribly hard. Perhaps this would not be the storm they had anticipated but just a few showers of snow.

"Are you certain that this Daciana is prepared for our arrival?" Kamille's voice was practically a shriek probably because she had been forced to endure such harsh travel conditions.

"Mother, you did not give any warning that you would be coming. You will receive the same welcome that would be given to anyone who showed up unannounced."

"Hmph! I will not stand for such insult. Where is she now?"

"She is caring for Jaceson, who was injured during a hunt. She saved his life. The rest is up to him if he pulls through."

Pelonis stared at his son. "What happened to your brother?"

Alistair relayed the details of the hunt and all that he'd been told of what Daciana had done in an attempt to save Jaceson's life. "When everyone else thought there was no reason to even try, she insisted on doing something anyway. Father, if he lives, it's because she refused to give up on him."

"Then I owe her much." The king said solemnly.

Alistair knew that his father cared for both of his sons. He also knew that Jaceson was the favorite. He didn't begrudge this of his brother or father. Jaceson's mother had contracted a fever some years back, leaving Jaceson to be raised without her. Kamille certainly had no interest in the boy who was not her son, who was a constant reminder that her husband had once loved someone else.

"Will you bless our marriage if she will still have me?"

"Why would she not want you?" the queen demanded to know. "Suddenly, she is too good for you?"

He glanced over at her to see a hateful sneer on her face. "There are some things that have occurred, some things that have been brought to light that have put a tension on our relationship." His voice was clipped.

"When we arrive, I want to see Jaceson, and then I would like to talk to her." Pelonis spoke up before Kamille could utter another word.

"As you wish, Father." He urged his horse forward, knowing that they were not far from their destination now.

When they arrived at the castle, they were greeted by Magnolia. She had stayed at Jaceson's side until Railynn came to inform her that the King and Queen of Marcello had arrived. She reached the doors a few minutes before they walked in.

"Welcome to Avengar. Please come warm yourselves by the fire. I will personally show you to your room, King Pelonis and Queen Kamille." On her way down to greet them, she'd ordered two tubs of hot water to be taken to the quarters she'd designated for Alistair's parents.

With Alistair at her side, she led them up to the large bedchambers she had spent an entire day scrubbing just to please them. When she opened the doors, the two tubs were already waiting there for them, a partition up between them. A fire popped and crackled from the hearth, warming the entire room.

"I hope that you find it to your liking. If you would like, I can have dinner brought to you so that you can get some proper rest."

Pelonis stepped forward to look into her eyes. "I am sure my queen would greatly enjoy that. I would like to see my son now."

"Certainly, he has not woken yet, but I will take you to him." Magnolia smiled to see the true concern in his eyes for Jaceson.

"Father..." Alistair stepped forward. "...certainly a bath will not take so long. Then you could stay with Jaceson even longer. I am sure that food could be brought to either your room here or to his room if you want to be with him."

Pelonis seemed to consider the options.

"You're right, my boy. I will clean up first. Then I will eat in Jaceson's room."

A knock sounded at the door though it was ajar. Magnolia glanced over her shoulder to see that someone had brought up their things.

"Now that my clothes are here, I can get to it."

Magnolia left the room to go prepare their food while Alistair stayed behind to carry the two large trunks.

After filling the platters full, she asked for Alistair to take the tray to his mother. "She will want to visit with you. Stay with her. Let her enjoy your company because tomorrow I will no longer be hospitable toward her. I will have the truth out."

"They just arrived." He looked shocked.

"I know, but I'm not waiting for her to make an attempt on my life. She's not welcome here so long as she is a threat." Magnolia turned away from him with her hands full of things to take to Jaceson's room.

Railynn was waiting anxiously for her when she walked in through the door. "I am not sure if he is well or not. He's been moving about, and I don't know what to do." Her eyes were filled with worry.

"Everything will be alright." She set down the tray that she carried then walked over to Jaceson's bed. Placing her hand to his forehead, she smiled because it no longer felt warm. "His fever is gone. He was probably having a bad dream about what happened to him. Thank you for staying with him, Railynn."

Magnolia watched the young girl leave. Then she switched his cooled blanket for a warm one. She ate a little, made herself some tea, then picked up _Gulliver's Travels_. A knock at the door brought her out of the story.

"Daciana? King Pelonis was wanting to see Jaceson," Duncan said from the doorway.

"Thank you, Duncan." She smiled warmly at the man she had come to trust. "King Pelonis, come have a seat. I'll get you something to eat." Quickly Magnolia filled a plate and a cup and brought it to him.

His eyes were on Jaceson's face, which was not as white as it had been the day before, but still very pale.

"He is improving."

"Is he? This happened on a hunt?" he asked, his voice gentler than it had been when others were around him.

"Yes, we heard that you were on your way and wanted to have a feast in your honor. A group of men went out. He was brought back after a wild boar punctured him."

"Alistair told me you saved his life. Everyone else thought he was dead for sure, but you didn't give up. That you cauterized the wound. Did it not make you want to get sick? I've never known a young lady who could stomach such things."

"It would have made me even sicker to sit there and watch him die." She sat in chair on the other side of the bed, her book in hand.

Pelonis nodded. "What is that you were reading when I came in?"

" _Gulliver's Travels_. I don't want Jaceson to think he is alone. I thought if I read to him..." Letting the sentence drop, she thought it probably sounded stupid to him.

"By all means, continue. I have not had time to read in a good long while." He smiled a genuine smile then picked up the plate he had been given.

While reading, she began to lose herself in the story, getting swept up into it. She forgot that Pelonis was in the room until she paused.

"You are a very spirited reader."

"I enjoy books." She set the book aside and crossed the room to grab the blanket that was draped over the two chairs by the fire. After crossing the room, she pulled the other off Jaceson and covered him with the warm one. Then she picked up the broth, lifted his head, and helped him to drink. Jaceson let out a soft moan when she settled his head back onto the pillow. "Well, wake up already if you want to have something else." Her tone was light, but her heart broke watching him just lie there.

"You have a kind way with him. Are you certain it's Alistair that you want to marry and not Jaceson?" Pelonis suddenly asked her.

Her green eyes grew wide when she heard his words. "Jaceson is a great friend. When I was ill, he and Alistair took turns staying at my side. They refused to leave me all alone. We developed a deep friendship. He reminds me of a brother." Tears were forced back. She would not cry in front of this man. "Alistair, well, I do love him, but I'm not sure marriage is best for either of us at this moment."

"What changed? It has only been a few weeks since he wrote to me begging to be allowed to marry you right away." Pelonis leaned forward, seemingly intrigued.

"I am not sure that he can have the life he is accustomed to if he marries me. My people are like family. I will care for them like family. I am with them, working alongside them. I know Alistair is willing to put forth that effort, and he has while he has been here, but I'm afraid in time he will miss the finer things he was used to. Avengar will not have those things to offer him." She paused while she watched the king nod. "Then there is the fact that I believe the only reason he asked me to marry him so quickly is because there is a threat to my life, and he wants to protect me."

She studied him as she revealed this information. While his face remained calm and collected, his eyes told the truth of the news. He seemed genuinely surprised to hear of this.

"When? Do you know who did this? As your ally and soon to be father-in-law, if you will marry the boy, I offer my assistance."

Warmth spread through her. There was more loyalty and character to this man than the history books ever gave him credit for. "I was attacked on All Hollow's Eve. The man who attacked me is now dead. Your sons say they know who paid the man to kill me, but since he is dead, they say they have no proof."

"Do you think you have a way to identify this man?" Why did people always assume that the big bad, hiding in the dark, was a man? Slowly, she shook her head.

"I may have a way, but I think this matter needs to be handled with great delicacy."

Pelonis sat back in the chair and folded his hands. "Such accusations should never be made lightly. Child, will you tell me who they say it is?"

"I cannot. That's something that one or both of your sons must tell you. Unless the person comes forward of their own accord." Magnolia walked across the room and stepped over Dragoste's sleeping form to drape the spare blanket across the chairs to warm.

"Why are you doing that?"

"I don't want him to catch a chill. He had a fever, not from a festering of the wound, but rather from being on the cold, wet ground. Warming the blankets will help to keep any extra chill off of him."

"Daciana, I want to thank you for caring for my son. For loving the other, even if marriage is not for you both at this time. I must retire now." He stood and walked toward the door. Before he closed it behind him, he said goodnight. The king seemed to be a truly kind and considerate man. His sons must have inherited that from him. She could see herself growing to care for him if given the time to do so.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Sometime in the middle of the night, Magnolia heard a sound. Stirring from her nap, she looked about the room, the only light coming from the fire. She quickly tossed another log onto it and checked the blanket that was hanging near it. Grabbing it, she then walked over to the bed and covered Jaceson up.

"Hmmm, warm." A raspy whisper came from the bed.

Excitement coursed through her body, causing every part of her to tingle. "Jaceson, are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere? Feel sick? Need anything? I am so happy." She tossed her arms around him as gently as she could but without any lost enthusiasm.

His golden eyes locked on hers before he spoke again. "I need to uh, take care of some needs."

"Oh." Her eyes grew wide. "Do you think you can stand? I can get you some help."

"Just lend me your shoulder."

She sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he slowly pushed himself up. He moved his legs so that he could stand. Allowing him to use her as a crutch, they moved slowly out of his room.

Duncan was in the corridor sitting in a chair, asleep. When they stepped out of the doorway, he awoke. Surprise filled his eyes, and a smile warmed his face.

"Ah, Duncan, help me walk to the privy so Daciana does not have to."

Duncan was more than happy to oblige.

While they were gone, Magnolia changed the linens on the bed, filled a tub with hot water, and set up a partition that she'd brought from her room so Jaceson could have some privacy. Dragoste did not seem happy about being awoken in the middle of the night just so she could clean up the room. She reached over and rubbed her hands through his fur, smiling at him.

Continuing her preparations, Magnolia laid out some fresh clothes with loose-fitting trousers. His thigh would no doubt be sore for some time. The burn from cauterizing it would have to heal completely, it had finally scabbed over. Fresh blankets replaced those on the bed. She saw no need for him to use the same ones he had been using, now that she planned for him to bathe. She hung one of the new blankets near the fire to warm him after his bath.

"It appears that you did a lot while we were gone," Duncan said as they entered the room.

"I am going to go to the kitchen to get some food. Duncan, can you help him to get into the tub and out again if he needs it?"

Magnolia did not wait for a reply. She hurried down to the kitchen with Dragoste at her side. With the empty platter and mugs in her hands, she walked into the kitchen. There was plenty of food left over from the dinner that had been prepared the evening before. After warming some food up and boiling water for tea, she filled a platter with what she needed then walked slowly through the silent, dark corridors. Her footfalls echoed softly on stone floors.

Duncan was back on the chair in front of the door. "I am not sure if he is done or not," he spoke softly.

"I put up that partition, so as long as he is not walking about naked..." She paused with her hand on the door. "Could you check?" A faint blush colored her cheeks.

Duncan nodded with a chuckle. He opened the door and peered inside.

"All clear, m'lady."

"Thank you, Duncan. Would you mind very much staying in the room at least until he is finished?"

Magnolia moved over to the table near the bed and set down the large tray she'd carried up with her. Dragoste curled up by the window. Large white snowflakes floated softly to the ground, giving a bit of whiteness to contrast the darkness that lurked out the window. Water splashed a bit on the other side of the screen. Muttered words came from the same direction. Soon, Duncan was called on for help.

What seemed like hours later, the men emerged from around the partition. Jaceson looked so much better now that he was clean, and there was a bit more color to his face. His hair was no longer matted down, and a smile crossed his face.

"That smells good," he said as Duncan assisted him back to the bed and was kind enough to take the tub out to be emptied.

Magnolia had placed several pillows on the bed to prop him up so he could sit. She handed him a plate filled with food and watched as he took a bite. Happiness filled her. She had not lost him. He was sitting there eating food as if it were the most wonderful thing in the world.

"It was too much for you being up and about already." She worried aloud, seeing his complexion pale some.

"I'll be fine. Really, I'll be alright. Tell me what happened. Last I remember was the boar running after me when I got down to check on my horse's leg." He reached for the mug she'd filled with tea.

Magnolia retold what had happened when he'd been first brought back to the castle, only to be interrupted.

"You fought with Bash?" He did not call Alistair that often, but when he did, her heart always ached a little.

"Yes."

"Why? Because he went to hunt down the boar? I would have done the same." His golden eyes did not move from hers. They held her locked in his gaze.

"No, you would have made certain he was here safe first. You made certain that I was safe before you sent people after Gordon. I do not believe for one second that you would have left him there in the woods because you thought he was dead."

Jaceson looked toward the fire thoughtfully. "I cannot say what I would have done. I do know that we all deal with grief in different ways. My brother would never wish harm to me. We are as close as two brothers can be. Don't be angry at him because of that." He smiled. "Now tell me what else has happened."

She told him about Gwain coming to visit him, and that she was going to start teaching the boy how to read. Told him of the new story nights that were to be held in the great hall where all would be welcome. When she spoke of Railynn, he seemed to perk up a bit. His smile grew a bit wider, and there was a small glint to his eyes. It caused her to wonder if there was a deeper affection blossoming there. She picked up a cup of tea for herself and paused to take a sip then told of how Pelonis and Kamille had arrived.

She'd relayed the visit that she'd had with Pelonis, and Jaceson simply smiled and nodded as if he expected as much from his father.

"He does love us." The words were soft. "There have been times when it seemed he was harder on us than he maybe should have been, but he has always been there. He did not have to take me in when my mother died. He could have sent me off to live with one of her relatives. Tucking me away would have made life with Kamille easier on him. But he refused. I don't ever remember a time when he was not in my life. Even before my mother died, he gave us a place to live, ensured that we had everything we could need or want, and sent a tutor to me. He insisted that I be educated. I understand that it can seem like he is harsh because he does think about what he can gain from material things, but, unlike Kamille, he doesn't go to extreme measures simply to gain more power."

Magnolia stood, stretched out her limbs, then crossed the room to get the warmed blanket. She laid it over him. "Do you want me to read some more to you? You need to rest so you can get up and about again."

He nodded while reaching his hand out to stroke Dragoste's fur.

Warm relief filled her as she opened the book. She felt like she could accomplish what needed to be done the next day.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Before the sun rose, Magnolia escaped down to the kitchen to assist with cooking breakfast. Once the food was cooked and ready to be served, she gathered a tray of pastries along with some eggs and sausage. With a pitcher of milk in one hand and the tray in the other, she walked slowly out of the kitchen and back toward Jaceson's room. On the way there, she found Alistair looking disturbed. "What's the matter with you?" The question was out of her mouth before she knew it.

"I had a long talk with my mother yesterday evening." He fell into step beside her, clearly lost in thought. "It did not go well. I confronted her about her activities."

"Why on earth did you do that? I told you that we had to have a plan." She glanced at him as they neared the door to Jaceson's room.

"I had to do something, I couldn't sit in that room with her, knowing what she'd done. How could you expect me to do that?" His blue eyes were clouded with emotion. He reached forward to open the door for her. When they stepped inside, he stopped, his mouth dropping open so that his chin nearly touched his chest. "When? It's good to see you awake," he exclaimed, crossing the room quickly.

Magnolia went about setting up breakfast for the three of them before sitting down. It was nice to see the brothers together again. She picked up a pastry before she walked over to the chair by the fire, to sit. She was exhausted. Eating slowly, she listened to the two of them talk while she watched the fire.

"You were with Kamille yesterday?" Jaceson asked between bites of food.

"Yes. She infuriates me. I know she did it. I have no doubt that she did. Of course, she denies having any involvement at all. Claims that Gordon must have acted on his own."

"She'll never admit to anything that would make father think badly of her."

"I suppose she wouldn't, we need evidence. There has to be something that is missing. Something we have not thought of."

"How about thinking while playing a game of chess?" Jaceson smiled.

Frustration edged Alistair's voice as he relayed the conversation, but Magnolia began to drift off to sleep, wondering if she could figure things out on her own.

Alistair and Jaceson lowered their voices when they realized that Daciana was sleeping. "She will never stop unless we make her," Alistair said.

"She won't act now though, not that you suspect her."

"Not for a while. I think she will play nice for a bit, but as long as I am merely engaged to Daciana, she will continue to try to take her away. I need to get Father to push for this marriage."

Jaceson pushed himself up a little straighter. "That won't happen."

Alistair's eyebrow shot up. "Why not?"

"I heard that they had a wonderful visit yesterday. Daciana did not hold anything back except who is suspected of hiring someone to kill her. She informed him that she was no longer certain that marrying you at this time would be the right thing for you. Father, from what I could gather from her retelling, seemed to take her words to heart when she expressed her concerns about your comfort living here. How she believes the only reason you want to marry her now is because someone wants her dead, and you think you can protect her." Jaceson took a drink before continuing. "Father told her that he would help her in whatever way possible, even if she chooses to not marry you."

"Do you think she truly doesn't want to marry me?" He looked over to where she slept. Her long dark hair was loose and hanging over the arm of the chair, her head resting on her hands. A blanket was pulled up around her. She appeared so innocent at that moment, as if she had never seen the hardships he knew she'd witnessed. "I don't want to be without her."

"Prove it to her. Show her that you are here because of her and not to protect her. I think she just wants to be loved for who she is. Think about it. Did she only give you any mind after she found out who you were?"

"No." A smile crossed his face as he remembered their first few meetings. "She did not care for me then either. Not until that day in the woods. I remember running after her when she was chased out of one of the smaller villages. They'd thought she was a witch come to take their children. Men were following her. I ran after her, crashing through the trees in the dark. Dragoste howled nearby. She fell, and I was soon there looking down on her. Once assured that I would not harm her, she allowed me to take her back to their camp."

He turned back toward his brother then continued. "I did not tell her who I was. We got caught up in a storm and hid in a cave. It was that day I knew my life would never be the same. She told me then that things could not be between us for fear of my mother. She thought I was from that village that wanted her dead. She was convinced that if she was seen with me, my family would hunt her down and burn her for bewitching me. Daciana did not know who I was until she talked to Father about this place. The shocked look on her face when she saw me at his side, heard him introduce me as his son... I will never forget it. She appeared hurt. I believe she loved me more when she thought I was nothing more than a commoner."

"If she loved you then, I don't see her turning away from you now. Be that man she loved. Show her that's who you truly are, not this prince. Not the future King of Marcello, but a man who simply wants to be with her. I am certain she will not reject you." Jaceson closed his eyes and leaned back onto the pillows.

Alistair noticed that he looked tired. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not sure. Woke sometime in the night. It was long enough for us to finish _Gulliver's Travels_ though." He tried to hide a yawn. "Really good story. You ought to read it." His eyes closed as he spoke.

"Maybe I will. I better go see to my mother and to Father. Get some rest."

"Where is Princess Daciana? Is this how she treats her guests?" Kamille questioned Alistair sharply.

"Like I told you yesterday, you were not invited here. She takes the duties of her people very seriously. She will not shirk them simply to entertain you. I know she was down here early this morning helping to prepare breakfast for you."

Alistair did not want his mother here. He was not going to welcome her with open arms. This was not her home, and she had no right to waltz in here demanding that things be done her way. All she'd done the evening before was complain about how unhospitable Daciana was. It hadn't occurred to her to look around at all the preparations they'd made for their arrival on such short notice. The room had been scrubbed clean, and there was the soothing scent of lavender. Alistair even noticed that Daciana had given Kamille the lavender-scented soap instead of the kind that everyone else used.

"I am Queen of Marcello and deserve to be treated with respect."

Pelonis had apparently listened to enough back and forth bickering from the two of them. "Alistair is correct. We sent no notice of our plan to come visit. Daciana and her people are just settling in here. They do not have the luxuries that we have in Marcello. If you'd wanted those things, My Queen, then perhaps you should have stayed there."

Kamille's mouth began to drop before she snapped it shut. "I came to see my only son."

"If that's your reason for being here, then you should be enjoying his company instead of complaining about everything else. I find Daciana quite refreshing. She has been caring for Jaceson since he was injured. Yet, according to Alistair, she still finds time to make breakfast for you herself. She saw to you having a hot bath and food brought to you yesterday evening so that you could rest after such a long and weary trip. But have you given any thought to thanking her? This is not the kind of queen I know you to be." Pelonis had an irritated tone in his voice. Certainly, he did not suspect Kamille of what she had tried to do.

Alistair began to wonder if his mother had told his father of their conversation last night. He decided that she could not have. Pelonis would have come to him demanding an explanation. Did he suspect Kamille though? He did know that someone had been hired to harm her. With Kamille's past, did he think she would have done so? Had she ever said anything about Daciana to give away her dislike for her other than her complaints in the past few hours?

"I plan to spend time with him just as soon as he allows me to do so. Running off to be with that illegitimate Jaceson, visiting with the woman who bewitched him, and running around like a commoner!" Kamille shrieked.

Pelonis and Alistair both turned to stare at her.

Anger flashed through her hate-filled eyes.

"Witch?" Pelonis questioned sharply.

Kamille stammered, "The people in the villages talk of how she bewitched animals and the young men of their villages. The men followed her about, offering to do things for her. Just as Alistair followed her all the way out here to be with her. Now he wants to marry her. She is no better than a commoner. She may have the title of Princess, but her kingdom has nothing! She is nothing, not worthy of our son!"

# CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Magnolia stepped into the room just in time to hear the end of Kamille's high-pitched rant. "Avengar..." She spoke calmly and loudly, "...has more than you could ever fathom. My people have great character. They have worked harder than anyone else you will ever come to meet, simply to have a bit of land to call their own. A place to raise their children. They give to others in need, even if it is the last that they have. We may not be rich in coin, but we're rich in heart. That is something that one can hold their head up high about."

They all turned to look at her. She walked slowly toward them, her hands clasped in front of her. "As for being a witch, I have never enchanted anyone. I was raised to be kind to others. Told that if you show kindness to someone, then sometimes even the hardest of hearts can be affected by it. Often times, kindness is repaid with kindness. But I suppose that if a stranger travels to your village, they may seem strange to you. They have different customs, and that can scare those who are filled with ignorance. I never thought you would fall into that lot, Your Highness." A soft smile crossed Magnolia's face.

Kamille's face turned crimson at the words spoken to her. "How dare you?"

"I dare because I know the truth. I know that you believe that I am a witch. You think of me as a threat, someone who will take away your son. You saw Jaceson as a threat to Alistair once. You still do. There is nothing that you can do about Jaceson though, because Pelonis cares for his son. You didn't think anyone cared about me. All you saw when you looked in my direction was a girl trying to take what belonged to you."

When Kamille began to interrupt her, Pelonis stepped toward his wife. "You let her finish." Pelonis then turned his warm blue eyes to her and nodded.

"Gordon was a man who would do anything for you. All he wanted was to have the affection of his queen and a bit of gold to line his pockets. The fact that Alistair had humiliated him in public while defending me only added fuel to the fire for him. When you told him that you believed me to be a witch, he believed you. Why else would his prince humiliate him for someone whom he considered no better than a peasant? At your order, he came here." Magnolia walked slowly toward Kamille. "Hunting me down in the woods on All Hollow's Eve to kill me. To carry out your plan."

"This is absurd!" Kamille backed away, but Alistair reached out to grab hold of her.

Magnolia stopped a foot away from her. She could see the pure hatred in the queen's eyes.

"Dragoste attacked him after he kicked me down the hill, believing he had left me for dead. When he returned back to Marcello, he had several wounds, did he not?"

Pelonis nodded solemnly. "Said it was a wild animal."

"Oh, it was an animal that was in a rage, but Dragoste is anything but wild. He is my most loyal companion." She stroked the large black wolf's head. "Gordon reported back to you. He told you that I was dead. Since Gordon was so very ill, you told him that you would pay him when he was better. He never did get better, so you paid the physician for caring for him."

Kamille glared at her and stepped forward. "What proof do you have of such allegations?" Her voice was low and threatening. "I'll have your head for such false accusations."

"Gordon gave you a trinket, a trophy of sort, to prove to you that he had done what you asked. Something that nobody else would have because your son had it made just for me and paid the man a good deal of money so that he would never make another one like it. My wolf Claddagh ring. The ring that you now have in your possession. If I am correct about you, you have it on you now. Tucked away in a fold of your gown so that you have that constant reminder of how close you were to achieving your goal. To having your son back."

"Do you have it, Mother?" Alistair's voice shook with anger.

"Of course I do not." Her right hand trembled at her side while her left hand slipped into a well-hidden pocket of her gown, seemingly unnoticed.

Magnolia saw her move. She knew what is was she was reaching for.

"Kamille, what is in your hand?" Pelonis boomed loudly, causing his queen to jump in her spot. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her hand out of the hidden pocket in her gown. Her fingers were curled closed. Slowly, one finger at a time, the fingers were coerced open to reveal the ring that had been stolen away on that horrid night. "What have you done?" Pelonis dropped his wife's hand. The ring clattered loudly to the floor.

"She took him away from me! My only child left me to be with this witch! A peasant princess was going to someday sit on my throne! I could not allow such a thing to happen." Her eyes were wide and wild, jumping from person to person.

Magnolia spoke softer than she had before. "You would have lost him either way. Had you killed me, Alistair would not have given up seeking vengeance. He would have given up everything that you call home."

"Never. He would never leave his duties. He would have never left his kingdom to allow it to fall apart." Kamille shook her head quickly back and forth.

Alistair stepped beside Magnolia, and a wave of comfort went through her at his nearness.

"Marcello would not have been left to fall to pieces. Father is there. When the time comes, Jaceson could take the throne. I assure you, Mother, if you had taken away my love, I would never have returned to Marcello." The edge in his voice appeared to drive the truth of his words into the queen like a knife into warm butter.

"You tried to murder Daciana so you would not lose your son? You tried to have Jaceson banished to ensure that Alistair never had his place threatened. Your actions are unforgivable. This is treason against the crown. I promised Daciana and her people safety. My queen is the one who does not listen to my words. The one who threatens them. All with the help of your dear _friend_." Pelonis sneered when he uttered that last word.

Kamille spun around and ran out of the castle before anyone could stop her. The soft snowflakes from the night before had turned into a whiteout blizzard.

"She'll never survive out there," Magnolia whispered. "She doesn't know this land. Get the men."

Pelonis reached out a hand to her arm and placed it gently on her. "You should not endanger the men for her. She brought shame to our kingdom by her actions. She would have been tried for treason and hanged or spent the rest of her life in the tower."

"That may be so, Your Majesty, but she is still your queen and Alistair's mother. I cannot stand by and allow her to perish in this storm if there's something that I can do about it." Magnolia raced off to grab her heaviest cloak.

A few men had gathered at the entry to the castle.

"Hopefully, she's in the village. Check every home, every building. But don't wander out into the blizzard beyond the village. We don't want to lose any of you."

"We'll go with you." Alistair and Pelonis both stepped to her side.

# CHAPTER THIRTY

Flakes were coming down in large white swirls. Magnolia prayed quietly for the snow to let up so that they could see. They needed to find Kamille soon. When they reached the last building in the village, they peered out into the white world. The snow seemed to slow down a bit, and the storm didn't seem as angry as it had been just a few moments before.

Magnolia pushed on toward the sea with Dragoste by her side. He'd refused to leave her. Trudging through the snow caused the horses to slow. She could make out shapes much more clearly now than she could just moments before. It seemed the storm was slowing down for their search.

When they neared the cliffs, they dismounted. Certain that it would be better to go on foot than to have a horse lose its footing so close and pitch forward over the cliff down to the shore below. Late morning turned into late afternoon, and they still walked slowly along the cliffs. A bare brush caught Magnolia's eye. Hanging from one of the branches was a bright crimson piece of fabric. Carefully, they walked toward the edge of the cliff. White flakes gently fell down now, allowing them to see all the way back to the castle. When Magnolia peered over the edge of the cliff, she stifled a scream. Lying on jagged rocks below was Queen Kamille.

"We have to get down there." She forced back the tears that wanted to fall.

"I'll go. There is a path down just over there, wide enough for a horse and rider. I have taken it many times." Alistair moved forward.

Magnolia watched and shivered as he made his way slowly down to the rocky shore below.

Pelonis settled a comforting hand upon her shoulder.

Shortly after Alistair made it to his mother's side, they knew that the queen was dead. She had not survived the fall. They watched as he lifted her body and laid it over the horse's back.

All were silent as they made their way back to the castle. Right before they entered the village, Magnolia stopped. "Wait." She spoke only loud enough for them to hear. "Nobody needs to know what happened. There is no need to speak to anyone about what she paid Gordon to do. Let her people remember her fondly. Tell them that she only wanted to get in a short walk but then got disoriented by a snowstorm. They never need to know why she was truly out there."

Pelonis offered a sad smile before he nodded. "That's what we shall say then."

The solemn party continued to the castle. Once there, the men who had searched the village came out to carry Kamille's body inside. A few others took the horses to the stables to wipe them down and settle them in. Magnolia, Alistair, and Pelonis walked into the castle in silence. She was in shock over what had happened.

The next day it was decided that Pelonis would leave to take Kamille back to Marcello for a proper burial. Alistair merely nodded while listening to his father speak.

"I leave at dawn."

"I am going with you," Alistair spoke up. His bright blue eyes shined with unshed tears. "I have to go with you."

"What of Daciana?" Pelonis questioned.

Alistair turned and smiled at the woman he loved. "She is strong. I will return to her come spring. Right now, you need me at your side. I cannot allow you to do this alone. I am going with you, Father."

Pelonis smiled sadly and nodded.

Magnolia knew then that he would have never placed a punishment of death to his wife. He would have sentenced her to the tower. He would have given her every comfort that she could have ever asked for. It was clear how much he loved her.

"Be safe in your travels." She stepped toward them.

Pelonis wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you. I would be proud to someday call you my daughter. Anyone else would have not bothered to go search for her. I was not even going to go. Despite all that was done to you, you still went out in that storm to try to bring her back safely. I am forever grateful." He kissed the top of her head much the way her own father had when she was a child.

"I will come back in the spring. We will marry then, if you will have me." Alistair pulled her into his own arms the second she had been released from his father's.

All she could do was nod in agreement.

That evening there was a quiet meal and much packing to be done. Magnolia spent the evening in the kitchen, preparing food for them to take with them on their return journey. It saddened her that Alistair was leaving, but it was something that she understood. He would return. Until then, she would have to go on with her life without him. Tears slid down her face as she packed them food. She was going to miss him more than she would ever be able to express. The only thing to do was to ensure that he returned to a thriving Avengar. Magnolia was determined to make it happen.

# EPILOGUE

The cool sea air blew at her long black hair, twisting and twirling it about her face. Magnolia lifted her face up toward the sunlight, allowing it to warm her cheeks. There were times when it had seemed like winter would never end, long cold weeks spent inside. At least she had been able to teach Gwain the basics of reading in that time. She believed he would be reading books like _Gulliver's Travels_ on his own soon. It was his favorite story. Already, she planned to get him a copy of his very own.

Every Friday evening, people gathered in the great hall to enjoy some treats and listen to her read from a book. It was a time where it seemed they were family.

Jaceson and Railynn had grown close in the winter months. When he'd healed enough to walk with the use of a cane, she'd assisted him with some of the chores he'd insisted on doing. By the time he no longer needed the cane, Magnolia could see the blossoming love there.

A shout from young Gwain brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to see the young boy running toward her. "He's coming!" he shouted as he got closer. "Alistair is coming!"

The smile that lit her face showed the biggest pleasure she'd had since before he had left her back in January. Lifting up the skirt to the long white dress she wore, she started running toward Gwain, who pointed in the direction that Alistair was coming from. In the distance was a man on a white horse riding toward them as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. Her hair streamed behind her as she ran toward him, calling his name.

He slid off his horse and pulled her into his arms, crushing her to him as if he was afraid she would disappear if he loosened his hold. "I missed you," he whispered into her hair.

"I didn't think you would ever come back." She turned her face up to his, looking into those penetrating blue eyes. She ran her fingers through his thick dark hair. "I am so glad you are back. Don't ever leave me again."

"Never," he replied vehemently as he slanted his mouth over hers.

She melted into his arms. Her body felt as if it had molded itself into his.

"I'll never leave you again, Daciana Magnolia Dietrex."

#  OTHER TITLES FROM BLUE TULIP PUBLISHING

To Refuse a Rake by Kristin Vayden

Pursued by Kristin Vayden

Knight of the Highlander by Kristin Vayden

The Only Reason for the London Season by Kristin Vayden

What the Duke Wants by Kristin Vayden

An Unlikely Duchess by Nadine Millard

Drown by Jennifer Rae Gravely

Seeking Scandal by Nadine Millard

Hourglass by K.S. Smith & Megan C. Smith

To Tempt an Earl (Greenford Waters Legacy) by Kristin Vayden

Betraying Ever After by Kelly Martin

Phoenix Rising by Elise Faber

Rivers by Jennifer Rae Gravely

Hourglass Squared by K.S. Smith & Megan C. Smith

Out of the Blue by E.L. Irwin

The Forsaken Love of a Lord by Kristin Vayden

Unwilling by KD Wood

The Dark Hour by JF Jenkins

When Ash Falls by Rachel Van Dyken

The Second Life of Magnolia Mae

BOOKS RELEASED AS SECOND EDITION:

Surviving Scotland by Kristin Vayden

Living London by Kristin Vayden

Redeeming the Deception of Grace by Kristin Vayden

Upon a Midnight Dream by Rachel Van Dyken

Whispered Music by Rachel Van Dyken

The Wolf's Pursuit by Rachel Van Dyken

BOOKS TO BE RELEASED:

Dreamweavers by C.C. Ravanera (no release date at this time)

The Mysterious Miss Channing by Nadine Millard

www.bluetulippublishing.com
