TWT Chapter - 2

9 years later . . .
 

Brietta Caprice crept slowly through the forest, peeking around each tree and under each bush. The summer sky was cloudless and the hot sun warmed her bare shoulders where her tank top straps didn’t cover. She wiped the sweat from her brow, re-adjusted her ponytail and sighed. There were better things a 16 year old could be doing aside from goofing around in the forest with her sister and cousin. Though she would never admit it, she secretly enjoyed it. The kids at school were sometimes unkind to her, as she never quite broke free from her childhood stutter. But, it didn’t hold her back; she was an excellent student, and first chair clarinet in band class. Placing her hands on her hips, she cried out, “Ok! I give! Where are you guys?” A giggle came from a nearby hollow log, and out crawled 13 year old Dovie. “Hah! I w-would have never thought to l-look for you there!” Brietta laughed. Dovie grinned and brushing herself off she asked, “Where’s Bo? Bet you didn’t find him! You knew wouldn’t, cause I know where he hid.” Brietta shrugged as Dovie took off running to the large tree Abbott had climbed minutes before. “Ok you little stinker, time to come down!” Dovie called from the bottom of the tree. No leaves rustled, and no branches shook to indicate that he was climbing down. “Where has he run off to?” she huffed. “Looks like we’re b-both seekers now” Brietta said in a snarky tone. Dovie shot her a look, and the two went searching for their cousin. 

Abbott Winterdale was affectionately known as “Bo” by his family and friends, and had grown into a tall skinny boy of nine who now sported his auburn hair in a shaggy style. He spent his days tinkering with lego’s and building small models. “What a great architect you will make someday” his Aunt Giana often told him. Mostly he was a happy boy, but always felt a space in his heart for his lost sister. After 3 years of searching, hoping, and waiting, his poor mother couldn’t handle the sorrow of her daughter any longer and fell into a heavy depression. Rarely leaving the bedroom, a nurse was brought in to care for her. With Lance working the farm single-handed, there wasn’t much time to raise little Abbott, and so he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Gentry Talbot threw a fit when learning this, and suggested that the boy come to live with them. Lance knew Mira would hate the idea of him being brought up in that lifestyle and refused his mother’s offer. There was also suggestion of hiring a nanny, but Lance refused this as well, for he didn’t want a total stranger raising his son. His family also offered to give him money so that he could stay home and raise Abbott. All he had to do was help Preston cover up some legal documents that he may or may not have lied about. “I will not be a part of your illegal scandals!” he had shouted the moment the horrible idea was mentioned. So it was that little Abbott was sent to northern California to live with Denver and Giana Caprice. Of course he saw his parents often throughout the year, all of the holidays, birthdays and school breaks. It broke his heart to see them though, tired and careworn. He remembered his promise to find his sister and he read many books that were close to the circumstances with her disappearance, hoping to find anything to help him find Arista.

“There you are! You’re not even hiding, and you left the game area we talked about!” Dovie shouted playfully. Bo simply stood stiff as a board at the edge of the forest staring. Brietta shrugged and exchanged confused looks with Dovie as the two made their way over to him. The forest looked out onto a small meadow, and across the way by the river stood two figures. “W-what are you doing?” Brietta whispered to Abbott. As he snapped out of his stare he replied, “I think I just saw…Let’s get closer.” He turned on his heel and walked around the meadow, taking care to stay hidden in the envelope of the thick forest tree’s. Dovie and Brietta followed quickly behind him as he hopped from stone to fallen tree branch, and over roots in the ground. Finally slowing down, the group carefully peered around the trunk of a huge tree. Bo pulled them out of sight and softly said, “There were three of them before. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but something strange happened to one of them, and then he fell to the ground.” Davita shrugged, “They were probably just playing around.” Bo frowned, “No Dovie…I think they died or something.” Brietta ruffled his hair and he ducked from her reach. “Hey! D-don’t worry little cuz. If it makes you f-feel better we can stay and c-check it out.” Dovie thought for a moment, then agreed, and Bo gave her a nod. 

They inched over to another tree, closer to the unknown couple. Once within earshot they could make out a guy and girl, both appeared to be in their early 20’s and were clearly having some type of disagreement. “Will you not heed the warning, and end up like Pearson? How sad that she sends such weak messenger’s!” the guy scoffed. His slim frame wore some strange type of business suit and he was dressed all in blue with a small raindrop emblem on the chest pocket. He stared at the girl, waiting for her response, but she scowled at him, and the two seemed to stare at one another for several moments. Her long brown hair hung past her waist, and she too wore a strange outfit; a deep maroon jacket with large pointed shoulders paired with black pants. On her jacket there was a flame-like patch, and she placed her hand over it, closing her eyes before she answered. “You should know that her first instinct was to ignore your requests. She however felt it to be helpful to at least learn how and why you are able to rally on land now, and what plans there are on your side. Presenting your request, and then slaughtering one of my kind is not the smartest way to get your point across” she said with her head held high. She glanced down at a man lying on the ground, he wore the same uniform as her, and was dead as a door nail. 

The man in blue thought for a moment, then spoke again, “My apologies Veeda, your higher up made the wise decision to have you meet me here. All Eleck wants is to form a legion between us; Fluxian and Thermic. Though I can’t fully disclose the details, if the people of Thermo join forces with us I can guarantee our leader will discuss granting you all immunity.” Veeda frowned angrily and folded her arms before grunting out, “How dare the people of Flux insult us with this proposal after our ancestors violent history! No, Arlo! I won’t even dare mention this to the leaders of Thermo, or anyone else for that matter!” She now placed her hands on her hips in a no nonsense sort of way. “Then, I’m afraid you will end up like our friend Pearson…” Arlo snarled as he pointed to the dead man on the ground. He then extended his arm out and made a scooping motion toward the river. As he did this a sphere of water shot at Veeda, and upon hitting her flesh it stretched and completely surrounded her. She was suspended inside the water bubble, and appeared to be drowning. Her eyes grew wide with fear as her lungs filled with water, and a black smoke billowed in the water. The smoke, it seemed was coming from her hair and fingernails; as if they would be on fire if not submerged in water. She clutched her throat in panic, then placed both palms against the edge of the water bubble. With her last bit of air she screamed, “STOOOP!” Arlo rolled his eyes and thrust his pointer finger into the air, as though popping a bubble. In this motion the water bubble burst, shooting water every direction. Veeda collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, and whispered, “Ok…I’ll do it. I’ll give her the message.” Arlo smiled a twisted smile and snidely replied, “There’s a good girl.” He brushed off his shoulders, and started to walk toward the river calling out over his shoulder, “We’ll set up a time to hear her decision.” As he reached the river’s edge he walked straight in, and disappeared.

Finally catching her breath, Veeda stood sopping wet where Arlo had left her. She huffed angrily and mumbled something to herself. All of the sudden the ends of her hair and fingernails indeed caught on fire and she spun in a slow circle. When she had finished it was clear that she was totally dry once again, and she walked over and gazed down at Pearson. The flames now left her, all but her pointer fingernail and she crouched down to the man. “Dear friend and fellow messenger, you will be missed”, she said softly. Then pressing her flaming nail against his heart, his whole body was immersed in flames, and he vanished into a little puff of black smoke. Quickly Veeda caught the smoke in a little vile and tied it around her neck, “Great! Just great! Wait til Sloane Winterdale hears about this!” With that a smokey circle appeared, she stepped through it as it closed behind her, and she was gone.

The three of them stood perfectly still, unable to even speak. Dovie tried to finally talk, but it came out in merely a whisper, “What…just happened?” Brietta thought for a moment, then made a guess, “M-Maybe it was a magician?” Dovie raised her eyebrows and scoffed in disbelief, “A magician?…Really? Did that look like a magician to you?” She gazed at her sister in disbelief, and Brietta shrugged her shoulders. “It w-was just a guess.. I have n-no idea what that was” she answered. Dovie nodded, “Yea I know…at least you had a guess. Sorry for snapping at you, I just…” “You were scared” Bo cut in. Dovie looked sheepishly at Bo, she was almost never scared of anything! But, this…this strange other world stuff, yea it scared her a bit. “What? I’m not scared!” she lied. “It’s ok to be scared, honestly I’m quite worried as well. I’ve read about something like this, but I don’t remember much about it. Whatever it is, I don’t think we should mention it to your mom and dad just yet. The thing that concerns me oddly enough, is that my Aunt Sloane is somehow involved” Bo stated. “W-why not? They s-should know about this!” Brietta exclaimed. “I think he’s right. They have enough to worry about, and if his other aunt is involved who knows what’s going on” Dovie added. “Are you suggesting that Mom and Dad are p-part of this!?” Brietta said in a shocked voice. “Of course not, but we have no clue what this is about and I think we should just be careful” said Bo. Brietta sighed, “Ok, but I d-don’t think it’s a good idea!” Brietta thought being the oldest she should have the final say, but she hated conflict and decided that the others were right, and they should wait to talk about it with any one else. 

As they walked back home, they talked fervently about what they saw. Wondering what the man Arlo was talking about, how Sloane Winterdale was somehow part of this, and of course about the mysterious power over the water. “He said about working together, F-Flexus and something…” Brietta mentioned. “Yea! Only that wasn’t the name. What was it?” Dovie chimed in. “Fluxian and Thermic” Bo answered. “What does that mean?” Dovie asked. She was sure whatever it was, wasn’t good. “I’m not sure…but we’re going to find out! I just remembered where I read about this kind of thing. There’s a book in the town that had something similar” He replied. “W-well let’s go there! C’mon, let’s see if M-Mom will give us a ride!” Brietta told them. “Ah, yet another perfect example of why you should’ve gotten your driver’s license by now” Dovie taunted playfully. “Hey! I’m working on it!” Brietta laughed slightly. “Race ya!” Bo shouted and they took off running towards the house.

The sun was still shining brightly by the time they reached home, and a positively lovely smell was floating through the air as they entered. Giana had been baking some tasty treats and was singing in the kitchen. Her tone was way off and her awkward singing danced through the front hall to where the children stood. They exchanged pained looks before making their way to the kitchen to silence the dying bird. “Well, my ears are bleeding, but at least she’s in a good mood” Dovie whispered, and Brietta clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Upon entering the kitchen, they found Giana hovering over some delicious looking cupcakes with sparkly blue icing and topped with little yellow sprinkles. “I knew you were home! I could smell you when you came in!” she joked, “You kids want some cupcakes? I just finished them.” They all nodded and reached for a treat, but Giana popped them each on the hand, “My word! It’s like I’ve raised heathens! Go wash up first, did you forget?” She fussed at them to “Wash them good!”, and took the basket of blackberries the kids picked earlier. 

“Ya know, I was thinking why do we have to go all the way to the library to look in some old book? Why don’t we just try to look it up here at home?” Dovie questioned. “Trust me I’ve tried. Every time I do research on it I just get referred to that book” Bo replied as he washed his hands. He stared at the water as it continuously ran across his hands, and Brietta gently turned the tap off. “I think they’re clean buddy” she said offering him the hand towel. Bo was always intrigued by the water; the way it flowed, the way it felt as it trickled across his skin. Such an interesting element water was to him. One minute it could be like a mirror, still and smooth. Another minute it could be strong and sharp, crashing its way through. Other times it was steady, soft and gentle, easing itself along. His mind shot back to the unexplainable happenings from earlier, then to the book they were supposed to be studying. His family was used to him sort of zoning out like that sometimes when he was using water, and they tried to get him to snap out of it. They chalked it up to being some kind of traumatic moment due to his current situation with his parents and twin. “C-Come on! I want one of those cupcakes!” Brietta smiled. Noticing Dovie had already left the bathroom, Bo grinned. He knew she would already be on her second cupcake by the time he and Brietta returned to the kitchen.

Sure enough, upon entering the kitchen, the two found Dovie laughing happily as she slid her finger across the icing of her second cake. Giana reached over and collected the first cupcakes wrapper and shook her head, “Honestly Davita what will I do with you?” she asked playfully. Abbott and Brietta took their seats as Giana offered them glasses of milk. “Those are some great looking blackberries.  I was thinking of making a meatloaf for dinner, and following it with a delicious blackberry cobbler!” she smiled at them. “Mmm….with vanilla ice cream?” Dovie asked hungrily before sucking the icing from her pointer finger. Giana raised a brow, “No ice cream this time…and I think, missy that you’ve had enough sugar for one day!” Dovie frowned and shrugged then looked at her Mother eagerly. “Now what?” Giana said with a laugh. Brietta caught Davita’s eye and Giana looked back and forth at them curiously. “M-Mom we were wondering if you might drive us into town. We’re wanting t-to visit the library” Brietta stammered. “There’s a lot of great books we want to take a look at” Bo piped up as he finished his treat. Giana’s face lit up in surprise, “Wow! Now that IS a request! Not a lot of kids want to spend their time hanging out at the library nowadays. I’ll be glad to take you…” “Yes!” the children cheered in response. “Tomorrow afternoon we can all take a trip to the library. You never know, I might find something I like as well” Giana continued as she began preparing the cobbler.

That night after dinner, the children got their showers and into their pajamas. Bo went to Brietta’s room to discuss how they would look up what they needed without her mother noticing. He gently knocked on the door and heard her welcome him in. Brietta’s room was the largest of the three children’s rooms, it was always neat and tidy, and had a large bay window. When he entered the room, he found her pulling back the fluffy purple comforter of her canopy bed and she asked him what was going on. “I was just thinking…how are we going to research this weird stuff with your Mom right there? I mean, what if we wanna check the book out?” he wondered. Brietta thought for a moment, “S-Should we just tell her?” Seeing the look on Bo’s face though, she quickly offered an alternative idea. “D-Did you ask Dovie? Maybe she has a good idea.” Bo shook his head but suggested that they go ask her. 

Down the hall in Dovie’s room they found her hunched over a large piece of brown paper in the middle of the floor. It was a wonder she had found a space to work in all that mess. Davita was interested in art, and like most artists her room was a complete disaster zone. An easel was situated by the big window and art supplies were scattered from wall to wall, well except the space she had cleared on the floor. “I know why you’re here, and don’t worry, I have a plan. I’ll mention to Mom that the library has a lot of great cookbooks she can take a look at. That will keep her busy, meanwhile we go grab the book and check it out. Then, we’ll take this book cover I’ve made, and slide it over it. Problem solved” she smiled. “Yea, that will work great! Good thinking cousin!” Bo excitedly added. Brietta felt strange in her gut about this whole business, but knew the other two wouldn’t listen. Maybe she should just tell her parents anyways, after all what were two little kids gonna do about it. On the other hand, she wasn’t the type of girl who liked to get mixed up in matters like this and so she simply instructed them that it was time for bed. 

Once in his bedroom, Abbott’s mind was filled with thoughts and questions about the strange people they saw earlier. “How could my aunt be involved with such things” he asked himself. The dark green walls of his room were covered with posters of space and glow in the dark solar systems that shown brightly in the darkness of the night. As he lay in bed the moon shone down on him through his bedroom window, his thoughts turned to his sister, and he wondered if these peculiar events had something to do with her. “I know you’re out there somewhere Arista…” he whispered softly before he dozed off to sleep.

Bo opened his eyes, and sat upright in his bed. He glanced at his bedside clock that read 4:02am. Something was wrong, he never woke up in the night like this. What he didn’t know however was that on occasion he would sleep walk around the house. Most of the time his Uncle Denver would hear him, and gently guide him back to bed. But, sometimes Abbott would do strange things before wandering back to his room, like the time he left the bathroom sink running. Water had seeped all the way into the hall before Brietta had awoken for a restroom break, and saw the mess. This sleepwalking had only happened a handful of times, and such as it’s not uncommon, no one thought anything of it.

Strange it was though that he should awake tonight. Something caught his eye in the mirror, but when he turned to see what was creating the reflection, nothing was there. Suddenly he realized that he was drenched from head to toe, completely soaked with water. “Ugh…” he mumbled in half asleep confusion.  As he dried himself, and changed into some new pajama’s he tried to think of what could have happened. “Surely you didn’t wet yourself” he thought he heard someone say. He spun around quickly, but there was no one there. “Great now I’m hearing things” he thought to himself before crawling back into bed.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to his cousin shaking him awake. “C’mon get up Mom’s ready to go! She said she needs to talk to you about something. Get up sleepy bones!” Dovie said shaking his shoulders. “Ok, ok I’m up” Bo said rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Dovie popped out of his room, and he threw on some clothes. Once everyone was ready to leave, Giana pulled Abbott to the side and told him that they needed to have a quick talk. Denver was already waiting for them when they entered the study. Bo never went in his uncles office, none of the children did, only his uncles building clients were allowed. Sometimes very important people would come by to discuss work for large buildings. “Can’t have you guys underfoot when I’ve got business to take care of” Denver would often tell Abbott and the girls. So, when Giana brought him in there Bo might have guessed it was something important..

Denver’s expression was serious as he gazed out the window through the maroon curtains. “Yes Uncle?” Bo asked curiously. Denver’s gaze broke and he turned to the boy. He stood up tall and got right to the point, “It appears that your grandparent’s want you to come live with them. Your aunt and I refused but, they pressed us and said they never get to see you. With your parents permission, we’ve reached a compromise. We’ve all decided that you can go out for a visit to your grandparents place, but will be returning here a short time after. How do ya like that?” Abbott thought for a moment, “But I like it here…and there is no one to play with there. Do I have to go?” Giana stared at the floor quietly, and subtly wiped a few tears from her eyes. Denver pressed his lips together and he wore a frown. It was clear that his aunt and uncle were unhappy with this news, and after a moment, Denver respond to his nephew. “Well Bo, sometimes life gives us new experiences, and new adventures to be part of. Sometimes it’s tough when you’re a kid, most of these decisions are made for you. But, just know that the people that care about you always have your best interests in mind. Of course, we love having you here, but this is how it must be for now” Denver replied downheartedly. The thought of living with his grandparents made Abbott’s heart sink. He barely knew these people, and had only spent time with them a few hours here and there for holidays when visiting his parents. Cold, strict and status driven he knew the type of life that awaited him, and he shuddered at the thought. “There now, it won’t be so bad dear, and you will be returning soon after. Your father talked as though it was just for the summer” Giana added in an attempt to comfort the boy. “Yea? Well I know how father feels about them, and I know mother wouldn’t have it! What says she about this?” Abbott snapped before he could stop himself. 

His eyes stung as he fought back the tears that were trying to break free. “How could they do this? First he lost his sister, then he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, and now he’s being shipped off to his grandparents? What next!?” he angrily thought. “Your father felt that in her fragile condition, perhaps it best if your mother isn’t bothered by these events” his uncle explained. Bo could feel the blood being pumped forcefully through his veins. He dare not speak, for fear of what he might say. Giana gently stroked his hair lovingly, “You will leave in a few days. I thought while we’re in town today I could pick out some nice clothes for your visit. Won’t that be nice?” his aunt asked him. Abbott gave an apathetic shrug, and rose heading toward the door. Denver grabbed his arm and pulled him into a tight hug, “We’ll get ya back boy, don’t you worry.” Giana kissed his forehead and wrapped her arms around the both of them. “We love you nephew, love you like we would our own son” she whispered. 

Abbott decided he wouldn’t mention his going away just yet. He wanted to enjoy the day and occupy his mind with finding out more about the mysterious people in the meadow. Too soon his days would be filled with lessons on how to be a proper gentlemen, and a successful businessman. He knew they would never let him leave, with his being the only grandson of the family. Denver kissed Giana goodbye, and left to make his way to a job site. “Ok everyone, let’s go” Giana called as she rounded up the kids. On the way into town Bo stared out the window and gazed at the ripples on the lake as they were passing. The sun reflected brightly on it’s shining surface. He thought how great a swim would be right now, diving into the crisp clear water, gliding through the water weightlessly as it carried him. “OW!” he cried as a pain erupted in his side. “I said what’s going on with you?” Dovie repeated. “Oh nothing, I’m just tired is all” Bo lied. “Well get focused! We need your help today” she whispered. “What are you two whispering about back there? Trying to decide on a song for me to play?” Giana playfully guessed. Davita rolled her eyes and whined, “Moooom!” Brietta laughed from the front seat, “C-Come on it will be fun!” She reached over and switched on the radio, and turned up the volume. As soon as the first beat sounded, Giana gasped. “Oh my! I love this song!” she cheered before singing along loudly. 

The car sped along and soon they had reached town. Quailsburg was an average sized town, perfect for day to day activities. Every so often the family would take a trip to the big city an hour or so away. Those trips were always fun because they would stop at Neilson McDoogals. It was the best comic book store in the tri-county, and Abbott loved it there. He sat day dreaming about it’s rows and rows of comic adventure, and wished they were going there As Mrs. Caprice pulled the car up to the library, Abbott’s thoughts left the comic book store. The group of them climbed the stone steps to the front of the library, and entered the large wooden doors. The library had two floors with books filling every shelf, and right down the middle there was a grand staircase. “Look at all of these books!” Giana smiled. “They even have a whole section just for cooking, did you know?” Dovie explained enthusiastically. “Ooo! How wonderful! I bet I can find a ton of recipes… Ok you kids have fun! Meet me at the front desk in 2 hours” she whispered as she took off for the cookbooks. 

The children made a plan to split up and search the library for anything even slightly related to what they saw in the meadow. They agreed that Brietta and Abbott would go to the non-fiction and history section upstairs. “What about you?” Brietta asked her sister. “Fairytales, that’s a good place to start. Surely there is something in one of those books that is similar to what happened” Dovie explained before she made her way to the fiction department. 

Upstairs Abbott cracked open a book called, “H2O: Water Powered Mills”. Brietta dove into a few promising looking books about creatures of the ocean. But almost an hour later they were no closer to finding out any information. Dovie had joined them upstairs and shared her findings. “Heh, not a lot of people up here. I guess it’s not as popular as downstairs. Anyhow, I know it’s a stretch but I found some old storybook that talked about mermaids and people of Atlantis; an underwater community” she told them. “Hmm t-that is a stretch, but something in history must have happened t-to make someone think there might be mermaids and such”  Brietta mentioned. “That doesn’t really talk about water control though…” Bo added.

 “Sounds like you need to visit Carrigan’s” a man’s voice whispered. All three of them jumped from the unexpected arrival of someone else. The man was old and balding, he was frail and his face weathered but his eyes were kind. “The antique shop? What’s there?” Dovie asked. The three of them were baffled by this man. They wondered what he could possibly know about the strange effects they witnessed. “Saw somethin’ strange with water, didn’t ya? Yep, that’s why you need to go to the antique shop. There’s a book there called “The Legend of the Stars”, well that is, if it’s still there. Read that, it’ll have your answers” the man explained. With that he turned and walked around the corner to the next aisle of books. “Hey, wait! That was pretty vague! Tell us what you know!” Dovie called after him as she darted around the corner. 

“That was weird…” Brietta said under her breath. “C’mon” Bo said grabbing her arm. A few aisles down they found Dovie standing dumbfounded, and she threw her hands into the air. “Surely the old man didn’t go too far..” she said in confusion. As they stood wondering, Abbott went over things in his mind. Finally he said, “Let’s go to the shop!” The girls spun around and gazed at him as if he had lost his marbles. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s just down the street and we still have a little over an hour before we have to meet your mom. I have to know more about this. It’s not natural, and…” Bo trailed off. “…And?” Dovie said to encourage him to finish his sentence. “…And, I have an odd feeling that it might have to do with my sister” he finished. Brietta glanced at the ground, and Dovie tried her best to hold her tongue. “Bo, your sister has been gone a very long time. It’s best to live for the future, and leave the past in the past. Everyone has stopped looking for her by now, and tried to move on the best they can” Davita gently explained. Abbott clenched his fists together tightly, “Well I haven’t!”, he said through gritted teeth. He turned on his heel and stormed off quickly. “N-Now you’ve done it! Sometimes you’re too honest with him, he’s j-just a little kid” Brietta snapped. “I didn’t mean it to sound so harsh, you know I mean well. Just, sometimes the words come out before I have time to really think about them” Dovie said downheartedly. “Well c’mon on then, let’s go find him” Brietta huffed as she tugged her sister by the hand. 

The girls knew exactly where to look for their cousin first. Carrigan’s was the only antique shop in their little town, but it had much to offer. The front of the shop was a modest size, but as one ventured towards the back, it grew wider and one almost felt as if they were in a huge warehouse. Renwo Carrigan was a kind middle-aged man who took over the antique shop when his father passed away a few years back. Organization however, was not his forte, and the shop remained intriguing, but disorganized. Everything was sort of placed where ever there was space for it, and sometimes you really had to do some digging if you were looking for something specific. Large windows allowed the sunlight to pour in, and it gave the illusion that the merchandise was a shimmering golden hue. “Welcome! Carrigan’s welcomes you!” Renwo greeted them as the girls entered the shop. They waved and asked if a young boy had been through. Mr. Carrigan raised his bushy brown eyebrows, and stroked his beard as he replied, “Little red-headed guy? Yea, he came in a few minutes ago asking about some old book. I told him most of that sort of thing is kept in the back corner of the shop.” 

They thanked him, and wandered towards the back end of the store. Dovie wondered why they didn’t go there more often, as she gazed at beautiful paintings, and crystal animal figures. Brietta even spotted some antique jewelry that was glittering in a glass case. After getting a little side tracked, they found Bo rummaging through some old chests, in search of the book. “Bo…” Dovie carefully called to him. He turned to face her but then frowned and continued looking through an old toy chest. “You found me I see” he mumbled. Dovie continued “Look, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. It didn’t come out right. I-” “Yea, no kidding! You know if Brietta was gone you would never stop looking for her! Am I the only one that even cares about Arista? Everyone else has given up! Well, not me! I know she’s out there somewhere, and I’ll never stop looking for her, ever!” he said as his voice shook. “Aw, Bo! You’re right, and of course we care! We’ll help you find her” Davita said softly. Then she wrapped her arms around her cousin and held him tightly as Brietta joined in on the hug. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a tear slip out of Abbott’s eye, and she kissed him on the head. “We are here for you b-buddy! Brietta added.

The three broke out of the hug and Abbott turned away from them, continuing to sort through a stack of old books. Brietta turned her attention to a desk a few feet away, and Davita wandered down the aisle even further. A very large, very interesting painting had caught her eye. The paint was smeared thickly across it’s rugged canvas, and a dark bronze frame displayed it beautifully. Wicker furniture was placed nearby, and a tall lamp with fake vines twisted around it stood just in front of the painting. Carefully Dovie moved the lamp so she could get a better look. The range of purple hues displayed on the painting made her eyes light up. She absentmindedly ran her fingertips along the hand-carved frame as she gazed at the paintings brush strokes. “Ouch” she suddenly said in a hushed voice. She held her pointer finger up and noticed it had been pierced by something sharp. Gazing around the side of the frame she noticed how quite deep this frame was; more like a box. A small latch seemed to be holding it together, and she reached out to open it. “That’s what I must’ve pricked my finger on” she thought to herself. 

Slowly she lifted the latch, and the front of the painting opened slightly. Dovie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She opened the frame quickly, eager to see what she might find. But, something heavy fell out and landed on her foot. “Ouch!” she muttered for the second time in five minutes. What ever fell onto her foot was the only thing that seemed to be behind the frame, and she bent down to pick it up. She stared at it a moment, and slowly called out, “Um, guys…I think you need to see this.” Abbott and Brietta rushed over to her, eyes wide with interest. Dovie told them about the painting, and showed them what she had found. “No way…” Abbott breathed. “I d-don’t believe it!” Brietta chimed in. For in Davita’s hand was a very old looking book titled, “The Legend of the Stars”.

Chapter 46

The vision of Luke, Arthur and Jax has all of us in complete horror. Roonie goes into total panic at the thought of losing her husband, and we all try our best to comfort her. None of us know whether or not Luke is alive, but we do our best to stay positive. Another day passes, while grief and concern wash over the castle. But soon I see the front doors swing open, and the group of them come staggering in. Muddy and soaked to the bone, they traipse across the foyer and I hear one of the maids let out a scream. "Get Tulip quick!" Jax shouts. "Ay, sir" the maid Colette nods as she takes off to find Tulip. He gently lays Luke on the foyer floor, and helps Arthur get Parfon to the dungeons. 

Moments later Tulip, flies down the stairs and into the foyer. She takes a look at Luke and rushes to his side. "Oh my dear friend..." she trails off. "Is he...dead?" I ask frantically. Before Tulip can respond, Roonie enters the room and shrieks in terror, "Noo! Oh my darling!" She flings down beside his lifeless body, running her fingers through his hair as her warm tears fall. "I can't feel a pulse, and his skin is cool to the touch" Tulip whispers to me. "Oh no...please tell me you can help him. I don't think Roonie can handle losing him" I whisper back in a shaky voice. Tulip glances at Luke with a worried expression, and quietly answers "I'm not sure." Roonie now slumps over Luke's body, her shoulders shaking as she sobs. I gently place my hand on her shoulder and crouch down next to her. "Nora! I didn't want to believe it when you told us of your vision, but just look now at my darling husband!" she cries. "I know my sweet friend, and Tulip is going to do everything she possibly can for him. Let's get you a nice cup of tea hun" I soothingly offer. 

"I'll take her. Someone's gotta help Tulip" Shelly says arriving in the foyer. "...Are you sure Shel? I mean, are you ok?" I ask. "I've got to stay strong for my family, and this poor girl is barely into adulthood. I do better keeping busy, I have so much pain I'm dealing with right now...I just feel like if I am helping someone else, at least I'm doing something positive" She replies. "Ok then, if you're really sure...I'll help Tulip out while the guys get Parfon taken care of, and you and the other girls can help keep Roonie calm" I suggest as I step away from Roonie. Shelly gives a nod and whispers something to Roonie as they head for the kitchen.

Tulip mentions that we need to get Luke moved somewhere comfortable. "I'm not really sure how long this will take, or exactly what can be done. I will check every spell book in the enchantment room and see what I can find." I think for a moment then ask, "Is Melina still with Nerissa in the village?" Tulip nods, "Yea they are both still helping Clover and Derrick with the new baby. Why?" I give a shrug, "I just figured she would want an update on everything that's been happening, and the news of her brother. I'm sure Luke would want to be nearby if she was the one that was hurt, ya know?" Tulip agrees, and suggests that we can send someone to fetch her from the village. "Oh, good! There you are! Can you boys help us move Luke to the bed in the enchantment room? I'm going to do everything I can for him" she tells Arthur and Jax. "Absolutely! If anyone can help him, it's you babe" Jax tells her confidently.

Later on we gather around the dinner table to take part in our meal. Though no one's appetite is very strong, Midi keeps pleading with us all to eat and keep our strength up. "Tulip won't be joining us, she is working diligently to help Luke. I told her I would take a plate to her" Jax announces, as he takes a seat next to me. "Neither will poor Roonie. She's too upset to even think about eating. I'll take her something in a bit. That girls gotta eat something" Shelly adds. "What exactly happened on your journey to Parfon Fortress? I mean Mom told us of her vision, but perhaps she can only see so much?" Bonnie asks. Jax starts in about the details of the attack, and of Arthur's bravery. "...and without hesitation there he was! Sliced that nasty Parfon troopers head clean off!" Jax recalls. Bonnie eyes widen, and she grows oddly quiet. Staring at Arthur without so much as a breath. "Y-Yes, dear?" he says curiously. It is unlike her not to have something to say, and her unusual silence makes him uncomfortable. Bonnie shakes her head clearly realizing that she hasn't said a word. "I just...well, I guess I never knew you were so brave!" She manages to get out. Arthur smiles and says, "Maybe I'm full of surprises!" Bonnie giggles and actually blushes, but tries to hide it.

After dinner I go with Jax to bring Tulip some food, and see if she's made any progress with Luke. We find her in the middle of the large round rug of the enchantment room, with dozens of books encircling her. "Knock, knock!" Jax calls as we enter the room. Tulip looks up from her books and gives us a tired smile. "We brought you some food, you've gotta eat something" I tell her. Jax kisses her tenderly on the cheek and asks if she's been able to find out anything to help Luke. "Well I have him stabilized for now. The good news is, he is alive, but only just. He is unconscious but he has a pulse. I'm trying to find a spell to re-attach his arm, and bring him out of this state. I tried the spell I used for Nora, but it had no effect on him" she explains. "At dinner Shelly told me that her daughter Melina knows a bit of magic. If you think she could help, we can have her come help you" I suggest. "Hmm well I could use a hand with some of the potion making. I wonder if she knows how to do that?" Tulip wonders. "I'm not sure but it wouldn't hurt to see what she knows. Shelly was going to head down to the village to tell Melina about her brother. I will go down there with her and see if Melina can help you" I suggest. Tulip agrees "Thank you guys. Also thank you for the food. I promise I will eat something in a little bit." I pull Tulip into a hug, "Please do! I'm going to go check on Roonie. I will be back later." Leaving Jax with her in the enchantment room, I slip out the door.

Down the all I arrive at Roonie's door and give it a gentle knock. However, no sound comes from within. I slowly crack open the door and peer into the room. Snuggled in blankets I see Roonie sound asleep, her shiny maroon locks now a frazzled mess. Her make up is smeared across her face from crying, but I don't have the heart to wake her. "Poor darling" I think to myself, as I sit her food on the bedside table, and gently shut the door. "How's she doing?" I hear Shelly ask from behind me. "She's sleeping now, but I left some food for her. Have you talked to Tulip?" I ask eagerly. Her eyes light up as she says, "No...what's going on? Is Luke-" Grabbing her hands I interrupt her, "He's alive! Tulip says he's unconscious right now, but he has a pulse! She is looking to see if there are any spells for his arm, and getting him out of the unconscious state he's in." Shelly breathes a little sigh of relief, "Thank goodness! I'm so glad he's alive...I just know she can pull him out of this!" I give a nod, "Yes! Well actually Jax said he remembers you saying something about Melina knowing a bit of magic. Do you think she could help?" I ask. 

Shelly thinks for a moment, "Well she does...but it's not really the sort of magic most people want to go poking around in. But, I suppose if it can help save Luke then it's worth a shot! Do you want to come to the village with me to give her the news about Luke and see if thinks she can help?" "Absolutely! I was actually about to offer to go with you!" I tell her. She gives a little smile and motions for me to follow her. "C'mon! I want to hurry, isn't there a faster way to get there? The main street always takes so long" she states. "Yea, there's a short cut by the pond, it's usually muddy so people don't often take it, but it hasn't rained in awhile, so it should be fine" I explain as we walk down the hall stairs. "Matthew! Your presence is requested as we journey to the village" I tell the the guard. We slip our cloaks on and take off into the evening light.

The night is crystal clear, with a million stars in the sky glittering like gems. A warm gentle breeze greets us as we pass over the large bridge that leads into the village, and I take a moment to gaze up at the brilliant night sky. At the end of the bridge the path widens gradually and becomes the villages main road, but off to the right there is a small path that leads to the lake and loops around the village. The tree's bow in, creating a tunnel-like feeling and we make our way down the mossy path. "What a beautiful night" Shelly mentions as she too takes a long look at the beautiful sky. 

As we round the corner, we notice the moonlight reflecting in ripples across the lake, the cattails and wild flowers dance in the wind. A small pennisula juts out from the shore and on it stands a large tree. Three figures stand under the tree, and as we approach closer, Shelly and I try to see who it is. "That little sneak! I can't believe she wouldn't even tell her own mother!" I exclaim in a hushed voice. "I can't believe that boy! Is this the way these kids treat their parents? Eloping!?" Shelly says stamping her foot in the ground. We exchange a smile that says "I can't be mad" and turn to watch as the village priest stands with Arthur and Bonnie by the giant tree. They take each others hands, and we can faintly hear the priest say, "I now pronounce you man and wife..." before they share a kiss. I place my hand over my heart and smile warmly. "C'mon lets not ruin their elopement. We've got to find Melina!" Shelly tells me as she tugs my arm.

In no time we've reached Clover and Reed's house, and Shelly gives the door a knock. "Coming! Just a moment please!" we hear Nerissa call. She opens the door with a smile, "Your majesties! Good evening!" We greet her back, and she welcomes us inside. Though the home is quaint, it's cozy, and a fire roars in the fireplace. Clover sits in a rocking chair feeding Harper, and Melina is cleaning the dishes from their supper. They greet us cheerily as we take a seat in the armchairs near Clover. "It's good to see you girls! Reed should be along shortly, he's just grabbing some more firewood. What brings you out?" Clover asks. "We unfortunately come with unwelcoming news, I'm afraid" I tell her. "Melina, would you join us please? Nerissa, you too" Shelly says as she motions them over. The back door swing open and Reed comes in with an arm full of firewood and grins with surprise, "Majesties! What an honor to have you in our home!" "Thank you, and good evening" Shelly and I greet politely.

Once everyone has taken a seat, Shelly and I fill them in on the happenings with Parfon, the battle, and Luke. "Now Melina, we were wondering if you could assist Tulip as she tries to help Luke. You brother is unconscious and Tulip needs a spell to bring him out of it" Shelly explains. "But I- I don't know. What help could I be anyhow?" Melina says nervously. "You know how dear, we need your help. For your brother's sake!" Shelly tells her. "Please, Melina if there is anything you can do that could be of help, we would really appreciate it. Roonie is a mess right now..." I softly say. "My heart is heavy with sorrow for my dear brother, but what do you honestly expect me to do? I know, not of enchantment skills, or how they work. I am not a magician after all!" Melina cries. Nerissa places her arm gently around her, "There now don't cry my friend. We'll figure something out." Shelly calms herself and speaks again, "I thought you would remember.." 

Melina stares into the fireplace and slowly speaks, "That was a long time ago. There is only one thing I remember from that night. When I saw those witches in the woods I only saw a portion of what they were doing. Some of it, most of it was gruesome. I don't like thinking of it." Nerissa gasps, "Oh majesties please forgive me but surely you don't intend on using a witches spell to aid your son?" Shelly glances to the side hesitantly, "Under normal circumstances I would never even consider it. But...my Luke, we must save my son! I'll try anything if it means he will live. My daughter in law can't survive without him, it would break her heart! Not to mention Learia would be left in shambles! There's too much hurt for me right now, I can't handle another loss..." I gently place my hand on Shelly's shoulder and offer her support as best I can. "I had no idea that this magic involved dark magic. From what Cade tells me of faerie magic, it's the purest kind. I want to save Luke as well, but I don't think it would be wise to mix these magics." 

The mermaid speaks again, "Aye majesty, these two magics conflict with each other greatly. True, you could use dark magic to save your son, but he would have a life long fight with curses, illness, turning dark himself, or even death. I don't think it wise to chance it." I give a frustrated sigh, "I just wish Cirrus was here! She would surely know what to do!" Shelly throws her hands into the air, "I know! She was an amazing enchantress." Shelly places her head in her hands, clearly trying to think of some other way to help Luke. "Even the villagers miss her highness Cirrus. We were devastated at the news of her death" Reed adds. The baby cries and Reed lifts her from Clover's arms, "Better get this little one to bed. So nice to see you, majesties." "Likewise Mr. Banks, good night to you" Shelly and I tell him. "I always liked her majesty Cirrus. She came to the village a lot to get herbs. Why can't she just crawl out of her grave and help us one last time" Clover says stupidly. Shelly, who's in no mood for nonsense, glares at her and snaps, "I have no time for silliness right now Clover. Please at least offer an idea that is possible!" 

Nerissa smiles strangely, "Ah, but your highness, Clover might have just found your solution." Melina gives a little shrug, while Clover beams with pride. But the looks on Shelly's face and mine are a look of total bewilderment. Clover having a good idea is about as likely as a tomato turning into butterflies. "Don't look so surprised majesties! Merfolk have secrets just as the fae do. With magic of the light we can call back to earth your dear enchantress Cirrus. She will only be able to stay until sundown, so make sure she arrives right at dawn. That will give you the maximum time with her." Speechless we all stare at Nerissa, and finally Shelly blurts out, "H-How is that even possible without using dark magic?" 

Giving a little chuckle, Nerissa replies, "In Castlerock there were special shells that we could use for this purpose. There weren't many, and of course they were all destroyed since Castlerock was taken down. But, luckily I snagged one before I left. I thought it might come in handy." Excitedly we gasp, "Nerissa you're amazing!" Nerissa looks a little nervous before she speaks again, "The only thing is...this is the very last one. We must make sure that we use it wisely." Shelly thinks for a moment, "Oh, Nerissa...I can't ask you to use it. What if you need to call back someone for yourself?" But, Nerissa shakes her head, "No my friend that is not what I mean. I meant we should use it wisely, out of sight of unwanted company. See, to perform the call back I must take the shell and fill it with sea water, then wait for the light of the midnight moon and sing the Song of Sorrows. Then call out who you wish to see and voila!"

"What are we waiting for! Let's go to the castle and share the news, get Cirrus and save Luke!" Shelly shouts. "Shh... the baby!" Melina scolds her mother playfully. Shelly claps her hand over her mouth then quietly says, "Sorry!" "If you two have things under control here I think I would like to return with my mother to the castle. I want to be there for my brother, ya know?" Melina tells Clover and Nerissa. "Actually I think I've got the hang of this baby stuff. I think I can do it by myself...but maybe you guys can come check in during the week?" Clover suggests. "Well sure! You've got to learn to manage by yourself anyhow, and Melina and I can come back when ever you need a hand!" Nerissa smiles. "I think I will join you at the castle as well. We will want to perform the calling back to light near Sir Luke" she explains to Shelly and I. "Sounds great, let's go! Thanks for letting us interrupt your evening Clover" Shelly says eagerly. "Thank you Clover, I'm glad to see you're doing well. G'night" I tell her rising from my seat. Nerissa and Melina gather up their belongings, and Shelly and I grab our cloaks. "G'night!" Clover calls rather loudly, and from the other room we can hear baby Harper's awakened cries. Clover frowns and sighs, then retreats down the hall to the nursery. Melina stifles a giggle, and we are on our way. 

Back at the castle we quickly head to the enchantment room, to check in on Tulip. "We'll have to hurry friends, it's almost midnight" Nerissa reminds us as we open the door to the enchantment room. Luke remains still in the bed nearby, and the room is in shambles. Books are sprawled across the floor, enchantment spells scribbled on papers lay sprinkled across the room as if a there was an explosion of confetti. Tulip snores softly half buried under a pile of books and papers, and Jax is found sleeping nearby, slumped in an armchair with an open book across his face. "Shall we let her sleep?" wonders Melina. "I suppose so, we can wake her after we have brought Cirrus back" Nerissa answers. "What about the other's? Shouldn't we wake them, and tell them? Cirrus is a dear friend to all of us" Shelly explains. "Yes, but that's just it, you see? Everyone knew Cirrus and loved her dearly. We want first for her to help Sir Luke. If everyone knows of her presence surely she will be bombarded with visitors" Nerissa mentions. We agree to proceed with having Cirrus help with Luke first, and Nerissa motions for us to go out to the balcony. 

With 2 minutes until midnight, Nerissa take from her bag a shell that is as black as tar, and covered with wart-like bumps. She places it gently on the balcony floor. Next, she retrieves a small vial apparently filled with sea water, and fills the ugly shell with the water. The moon light reflects brightly in the sea water and Nerissa tells us not to speak while she sings.

"When darkness thus surrounds, and light will beam no more;

Those now who are departed, will walk again on shore.

Descended tears will gather, to bring back what has went;

All the dark will shatter, to us again be sent.

Light will come together, and shine in life again;

One day of breath you will have, at midnight it begins."

When Nerissa finishes the song all is quiet, and nothing even happens. She whispers to the shell, "Cirrus Wisteria of Brendlewood", stands and takes a step back. For a moment everyone seems to be wondering the same thing, "Did it work?" The shell suddenly cracks open and the ugly pieces fall away, revealing a shining shell glittering in the moonlight. The moons reflection becomes so strong that we can't stare directly at it, and in an instant the beam of light transforms into our dear Cirrus. The shell bursts into a thousand pieces of fragmented light and disappears, leaving Cirrus standing in front of of just as we remember her. Her eyes remain closed for a moment, and slowly she opens them, and blinks appearing to get them focused.

She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come from her lips. Her eyes dart around quickly in confusion, and Nerissa calms her. "There now majesty, you have been called back to us by the power of the sea. You will soon be able to speak, just relax" she tells her. Cirrus nods in understanding then clears her throat. Her voice comes out in the same silky tone it always did, and she smiles broadly. "My dears!" she says and begins to move her body around, finally reaching her arms out for us. "Cirrus...I can't believe it's really you!" I exclaim. "Oh sweet Cirrus, it's so good to see you!" Shelly says wiping away a tear. The three of us embrace and we smile happily at one another talking a million miles a minute. "Whoa, now! Who are these lovelies?" Cirrus asks. "This is my daughter Melina" Shelly answers. "Yes, and this is the mermaid Nerissa from Castlerock. It is she we must thank for you being here right now" I tell her. Cirrus grins and greets them both, "Thank you child", she tells Nerissa. 

Quickly we fill in Cirrus on everything that has happened since she died, and the night of her murder. "Well we knew, thanks to Nora's visions" Shelly adds. Cirrus raises a brow, "Visions? You must have the amulet. I've heard many stories about a special amulet that creates visions of loved ones." "Yes! I have it, it was given as a gift to me, but I'm not sure how to work it" I tell her. "Ah, that's the wonder of it! There is no controlling it. It simply reads the heart and determines what it will show. Although, it's been noted that the visions are created when great emotion is present. Now, take me to Master Luke and I shall see what can be done" she says warmly.  

We decide to wake Tulip and Jax, with Cirrus out of sight, so as not to alarm them. Once we explain the situation, Cirrus emerges and greets them happily. After looking things over she calmly speaks, "Now then, I see that poor Luke is in a grave state. I must say Tulip, I am very proud of all that you have learned with enchantments. Keep at it, and you will be an incredible enchantress one day! As for Luke the spell for bringing him out of his slumber is tricky but can be done! His arm unfortunately will not be able to be restored. The nerve endings have been frayed beyond any help of magic. There are still some working nerves though...we might be able to do a little something." "I'm so sorry Cirrus. I tried the only reattachment spell I knew" Tulip says in frustration at herself. "No need to apologize! You did a wonderful job, but there is a different spell for the severity of this particular injury. It's very old magic you see.  With this spell, and a bit of luck, Luke's arm can be reattached and partially functional" Cirrus replies. "Partially functional? What exactly does that mean?" Jax says somberly. "Well, he will be able to perform simple tasks with repaired arm. Things like eating, bathing and so on. No heavy lifting, or using two handed weapons. Other tasks such as saddling a horse, tying knots and so forth, could be possible but it's uncertain." "I see, well thank you Cirrus. I'm just so happy that he will be alright. It's not ideal about his arm, but I'm sure he can overcome the challenge of it" Shelly responds. Everyone nods in agreement, and Cirrus gets to work.  

"First things first, this room is a mess!" Cirrus smiles and waves her arms around as books and papers fly through the air. They rearrange themselves neatly on the bookshelves and in tidy stacks. "Much better. Ok first, the arm" she states. In old Elvish she speaks, and from her finger tip spills a strange liquid that resembles the appearance of lightning. It dances through the air and loops itself arm Luke's arm where the injury occurred. It glows brightly, and looks as though it dissolves right into his skin. "That should do it! Now we will be needing a little of this and a little of that" Cirrus says in a sing-song voice as ingredients fly off of the shelves and into a nearby cauldron. She mixes it all together into a very smelly paste, and starts to smear it on Luke's chest. She stops abruptly and exclaims, "Oops! Goodness, it's been awhile since I have done this. We just need some-" We glance around at one another in confusion. "Some what?" Melina pipes up. "Well I need some crushed sunflower, but it looks like we're all out. Once I have that I can mix it together and serve it to Luke" Cirrus tells us. "Well there are some sunflowers that grow down by the village" Nerissa points out. "Ah, but they must be a certain kind. I planted them in the meadow. They were fed special healing herbs that were mixed with their water" Cirrus explains. 

As the morning sun begins creeping through the windows, Cirrus requests that Tulip goes to fetch the sunflowers. "Of course! Anyone care to join me?" Tulips asks. Some of the girls agree, leaving Shelly and myself with Cirrus and Luke. "I really should check on how things are going with Parfon. I will be back up here shortly to check on our sweet friend" I tell them. Roonie creeps into the room to check in and gasps at the sight of Cirrus. "W-What's going on?" Roonie squeaks. I smile and give her shoulder a little pat, "Cirrus and Shelly will explain. Luke's going to be alright."

Later that evening, after we had all enjoyed our dinner and visiting with Cirrus we gather back in the enchantment room. "Midi will you please tell Cookie we will be taking our dessert in the enchantment room?" I instruct her before joining the others. As I open the enchantment room door I find the group sitting comfortably around the room talking with each other. Cirrus and Tulip are crowded near Luke checking to see if he has improved. "How is he?" I ask Cirrus. "Well, no news just yet, but not to worry dear. Sometimes this enchantment can take several hours to work" she explains. Shelly and Roonie look on with worried expressions nearby, but I ease over and hug them tightly. "Don't worry so, my friends. He's in the best hands" I softly tell them. 

  "All we can do now my children is wait. But, I do believe there is some happy news to be shared, am I right?" Cirrus says with a wink to Arthur. Bonnie's face goes completely red and everyone notices instantly. "My, I never knew she could be so sheepish!" Roonie giggles. "Bon? What's happened?" Tulip inquires. "Oh you must tell us!" Nerissa says, eager to hear good news. "I found out just before dinner...so tell 'em!" Jax teases as he playfully gives Arthur's arm a punch. Shelly shoots me a grin, I return it cheerily, though careful not to give away that we know of this news. Arthur and Bonnie glance at one another and he takes her hand in his. "Tonight my friends, I've made Bonnie my wife. Welcome Mrs. Bonnie Lioncourt" he proudly announces.

With that the room erupts with cheers and squeals of delight! "Well it's about time!" Tulip says as she claps her hands together. Jax catches her eye and smiles with a little wink, and Tulip blushes before embracing Bonnie. The group exchanges their congratulations for the newly weds, as Shelly and I playfully scold them about not inviting us. "We didn't want a big fuss, just the two of us, under the stars, proclaiming our undying love" Arthur tells his mother. "Yea plus I knew we'd never make it through a ceremony with this squealer makin' all kinds of noise anyhow" Bonnie laughs as Roonie throws her arms around her in a tight hug. "It's nice to see you two have grown close" Cirrus chuckles at Roonie and Bonnie. "Those two are a mess! They're either butting heads or their the best of friends" Shelly laughs.

"Excuse me majesty" Tinette sweetly says. One of my best housemaids, Tinette also made an excellent server, and I'm glad Cookie sent her up to us. "Yes, come in now" I call to her. She smiles and eases into the room with a silver cart full of goodies. "May I now serve Master Luke's favorite dessert; Chocolate Mousse with raspberry garnish. Of course there is coffee as well for each of you" she smiles. "That has always been my favorite" Luke says with a huge smile, "Now, brother get over here so that I might congratulate you!" Jax jumps up from his seat and punches the air happily, "Tinette on a night like this we call for the best champagne!...With the Queen's permission of course." "Yes! Of course! It's truly a night of celebration!" I exclaim. 

Roonie gasps with joy as tears leap from her eyes, and she races to her husband's side. Luke's eyes shine brilliantly as he looks into his wife's eyes, "My beautiful Maroon, darling I-" But Roonie stops him with a kiss, and the two passionately kiss. The group let's out a sweet sigh in near unison, "Aww." Luke and Roonie continue kissing...and kiss some more...and kiss more...until he runs a hand along her backside firmly caressing her bottom. The group blinks awkwardly and looks away, as we pretend to be very intrigued with the chocolate mousse. As things escalate between Roonie and Luke it becomes difficult to ignore and Cirrus pulls the curtain around the bed to give them some privacy. Suddenly a Roonie let's out a moan and Shelly nearly spills her coffee down the front of her dress. "Um...this should help" Tulip says nervously as she shoots an enchantment upon the curtain thus soundproofing it. "They must've have missed each other... seems like there's no complaints about his arm" Nerissa snorts as the room erupts in laughter. "He seems just fine to me" Cirrus smiles. Everyone gets back to mingling happily as a guard enters the room and whispers in my ear, "Your highness the King has returned."