《Tales of Regventus Book Four: The Ring》


 Prologue

    Ansel sat in the Ring of Nine meeting room next to Griffa. He stared at her, seeing she looked pale and tired. Her eyes looked almost black. She was so young, much too young to have lost all of her family. At just sixteen she had lost both her mother and father. She was now the head of a great family. She was the rightful leader of the Ring.


    Griffa was the most important thing in Ansel¡¯s life. He would not let her be harmed. He would make sure she was not taken advantage of. Her father, Renweard, had asked Ansel some time ago to watch out for his only daughter if something ever happened to him. He would honor his promise he made to Renweard. He would do it for Renweard and for Griffa. Ansel took Griffa¡¯s hand. She looked at him and smiled slightly.


    ¡°Hector, you were Renweard¡¯s closest friend, can you take the girl?¡± asked a man named Gorm.


    ¡°I could. If Gryphon wants to stay in Delis House, she would be welcomed.¡±


    Griffa looked at Ansel with wide eyes and lightly shook her head. Ansel understood her. He did not want Griffa in Delis house. He would not have her under the watch of Hector¡¯s wife and daughter.


    ¡°Gryphon should come to Wendell House in the Valley. She will be very cherished there. I am very fond of Gryphon, so is my wife. My son is a close friend of hers,¡± said Ryker Wendell.


    Ansel sighed. He did not want Griffa spending years in Wendell house with the rascal that was Talon Wendell. Ansel had seen the young man and how he acted at festivals. He knew Ryker would love to unite the Keene name with his own. Ansel would not have Griffa used in such a way. She would make her own decisions when she was ready.


    ¡°Gryphon will be the leader of the Ring when she is of age,¡± said Madam Sidora. ¡°She needs to stay in Abscon.¡±


    ¡°Is it Delis house then?¡± asked a brown-haired witch.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa quietly. ¡°I will not leave my home.¡±


    ¡°You are not of age. You can¡¯t live on your own,¡± said Helmer angrily.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be alone,¡± said Griffa looking up. ¡°I have Maybelle, Jonthon, and Wallis. Ansel is there most of the time, too. I want to stay in Keene Manor.¡±


    Hector smiled at Griffa. ¡°Of course you are attached to your home, but Gryphon, at sixteen, it is not proper that you live on your own without family. You need someone to watch over you.¡±


    ¡°I can watch over her,¡± said Ansel. ¡°I promised her father I would. I will let nothing happen to her. I can stay in Keene Manor permanently.¡±


    Hector shook his head. ¡°It is not proper, Ansel. Perhaps if you married, it could work.¡±


    Ansel leaned back and rolled his eyes. ¡°I have no plans to marry any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, then we are back where we started,¡± said Hector. ¡°Griffa, you can come stay with me and my family. You will not be far from Keene Manor. In a couple of years, you will be of age and you can live as you wish.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I will not go to Delis House,¡± said Griffa firmly. ¡°I will not go anywhere but my own home.¡±


    ¡°You can come to the Valley for a few years, Gryphon. You can still learn how to lead the Ring from there. You know you will be very much loved by all of us,¡± said Rikard.


    ¡°You will not take her to the Valley, Rikard,¡± said Hector. ¡°I know it is very attractive to have your family united with the Keene¡¯s, but she is still a girl.¡±


    ¡°I will not push her to do anything,¡± said Rikard with disgust. ¡°I was very close to Renweard. I am offended you would suggest such a thing.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t think about it,¡± said Hector. ¡°I know you had mentioned it to Renweard a few times what a grand thing it would be if Gryphon and Talon married one day.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± asked Rikard. ¡°The Wendells and the Keene¡¯s are the most powerful families left in our kingdom. Why wouldn¡¯t my son be appropriate to marry Gryphon one day?¡±


    Griffa turned bright red and covered her face with her hands.


    ¡°I can think of many reasons I would never let your son come near Griffa again,¡± said Ansel, dangerously quiet.


    Rikard looked at Ansel with narrow eyes. ¡°He is young. He will settle down by the time Gyphon is of age.¡±


    Ansel scoffed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Valley,¡± said Griffa taking her hands off her face. ¡°I want to stay in Keene manor. I will stay there. You will not stop me.¡±


    ¡°She should stay at Keene Manor,¡± said Sidora supporting Griffa. ¡°Let the girl stay in her home. She has those who live with her. Ansel is the protector of the kingdom. He is to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I can check in on Gryphon every day,¡± said Hector. ¡°She should stay in her home. Renweard would want her to stay in Keene Manor. He trusted Ansel with his daughter. Between the two of us, we can keep an eye on her.¡±


    There was a multitude of voices arguing loudly. Hector slammed his hand down. ¡°Until Gryphon is of age and takes her place in the Ring, I am the leader. This is my command. Gryphon will stay at Keene Manor.¡±


    Griffa turned and smiled at Ansel. Ansel squeezed her hand as the meeting concluded. After thanking Hector, Ansel and Griffa left the room with most of the others. Outside Ansel offered his arm to Griffa to escort her home, when her hand flew to her throat.


    ¡°My necklace is gone. The one father gave me for my birthday this last spring. The falcon with the jeweled eyes. I must have lost it in the meeting,¡± said Griffa as she turned back towards the building.


    ¡°I will go see,¡± said Ansel. ¡°Stay here, I will be right back.¡± He watched Griffa walk over and sit by the statue of the Gods. She looked up at them and closed her eyes.


    Ansel walked quickly back into the meeting hall. He looked on the floor of the hallway for her necklace as he walked slowly. He got to the meeting room¡¯s doors to find one slightly ajar. He heard Helmer talking with Hector.


    ¡°Do you think this is wise, leaving the girl with the protector?¡± asked Helmer.


    ¡°What other choice do we have? She has been through enough. She needs to be in her own home.¡±


    ¡°You should have let Rikard take her to the Valley. She could marry that Wendell boy. Perhaps she would have stayed there forever. We could have gotten rid of her for good,¡± said Helmer.


    ¡°No, after all that has happened, I couldn¡¯t do that to her. I couldn¡¯t do that to Renweard.¡±


    ¡°She will be the ruin of us all if she figures out her rightful place,¡± said Helmer with disgust. ¡°You know this.¡±


    Ansel walked into the room and looked hard at Helmer.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± said Hector quickly. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    Ansel stared at Helmer. ¡°Griffa has lost her necklace, and I came to look for it.¡± Ansel waved his hand, and the necklace flew to him. He caught it. ¡°I want you both to know that Griffa is under my protection. If anyone threatens her in anyway, I will see to it quickly.¡±


    Hector nodded. Helmer glared at Ansel.


    ¡°You better keep her in check, then,¡± said Helmer. ¡°That girl is wild and dangerous.¡±


    Ansel felt his magic rise to his skin. He was ready to curse Helmer where he stood.


    ¡°You know nothing about Griffa. She will be your leader one day. She will be the leader of the Ring when the king comes of age. I have a feeling she will be the making of this kingdom.¡±


    Ansel turned and walked from the room. His only thought was getting back to Griffa and keeping her safe.

 Chapter 1

    Ansel woke up as the sun came through the curtains of the bedroom.  He looked over at the empty side of the bed next to him and sighed. It was so painful to wake up each morning and realize the past two months had not been a nightmare.  Each morning he work up hoping to turn over and find Griffa smiling at him, but each morning he just faced an empty space.


    Ansel¡¯s hand went to the pendant on his chest, and he pressed it to his skin.  He waited, holding his breath for a few moments before he felt his pendant warm.  He let out his breath.


    ¡°Good morning, Griffa,¡± he whispered to himself.


    Ansel got up from the bed and dressed for the day.  It would be a hard day.  It was the first day of spring.  It was Griffa¡¯s birthday.  Ansel walked downstairs to the dining room.  Talon, Kedan, and Issa were at the table quietly eating.


    ¡°Good morning, Ansel,¡± said Issa smiling slightly at Ansel.


    Ansel nodded to her.


    ¡°How are you this morning?¡± asked Talon after taking a sip of tea.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± answered Ansel taking some toast.


    ¡°I know this can¡¯t be an easy day for you,¡± said Talon.  ¡°I¡¯m rather low myself.¡±


    Kedan looked at Talon with a puzzled look.


    ¡°It¡¯s Griffa¡¯s birthday,¡± said Talon to Kedan.


    Ansel looked at Talon.  ¡°You remembered today was Griffa¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have known Griffa for a very long time.  She actually spent her twentieth birthday we me in the Valley.  It was a memorable time,¡± said Talon smiling.


    Issa stop lifting her fork halfway to her mouth. Kedan looked between Ansel and Talon.  Ansel gave Talon a little smug grin.  He knew Talon like to bait him for fun at times.  He also knew Talon and Griffa had a history.  It didn¡¯t bother him, much.


    ¡°She is a very memorable woman,¡± said Ansel casually.


    ¡°She is,¡± agreed Talon.  ¡°We will have to celebrate in a few weeks when she is with us, both her and Max.¡±


    Ansel nodded and ate his toast.  That is what kept Ansel going.  Every day was one day closer to the Spring Festival in Aurumist.  Kedan had told them it would be the perfect day to sneak into the castle and grab Max and Griffa without much interference.  It would be the best chance they had to get Max and Griffa out safely.


    ¡°We have a Ring meeting in a few days,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I would like you to go with us, Kedan.  You can help us lay out our plan for the rescue.¡±


    ¡°I will be happy to attend,¡± replied Kedan.  ¡°Before we go, I would like to look at the map you have here again, if one of you could help me. I would like to be able to go over plan visually before I explain it to your Ring.¡±


    ¡°I will be happy to show you tonight,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I had planned to check in with my guards today but after dinner we could take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°I will join you as well,¡± said Talon. ¡°I don¡¯t have to go back to the Valley until tomorrow.¡±


    They all finished breakfast in silence.  Ansel noticed things were much more tense and quiet these days.  He missed hearing Griffa banter with them all.  He missed Max making silly comments.  Ansel felt incomplete without both of them.  He knew part of it was his bond with Griffa.  His magic continually reminded him she was away from him and in danger.  It was bigger that, though.  He missed both Max and Griffa because of whom they were.


    He missed training with Max.  He missed his conversations with him.  Ansel didn¡¯t realize what good friends they had actually become.  He wasn¡¯t Max protector, but he still felt responsible for him.  He had brought him into this world of danger and magic.  He had watched Max grow and change.  Max was almost of age.  He had turned into a wise, capable sorcerer.  He would one day be the Diviner on the Ring, and Ansel was proud of who Max had become.


    Ansel tried hard not to think of Griffa constantly, but he failed most of the time.  She was everywhere in Keene Manor.  He had watched her grow up here.  He had fallen in love with her under this roof.  He had shared her bed every night since last summer.  He missed her so bad, it hurt.  It wasn¡¯t the protector magic within him, it was a different ache. It was the ache of missing the best part of himself.


    Griffa brought out a different side in Ansel.  She could make him laugh like no other.  She could make him feel lighthearted when he was usually grounded in worry.  She made him feel strong and loved.  He felt more loved by Griffa than he had ever felt before.


    Ansel had spent many nights reading on protector¡¯s magic the past two months.  He knew there should be no way he could be in love with Griffa.  It was unheard of for a protector to love his sovereign.  When the magical bond was made, it was made so that love would not get in the way of duty.  A protector was devoted to his sovereign because it was his duty.  There was no way Ansel should love Griffa, but he did.


    He sometimes wondered if Griffa¡¯s feeling for him had changed.  Did she know who she was?  Did she understand that she was his queen?  If so, had she felt a change in their relationship?  Did she still love Ansel as she did before?  Ansel didn¡¯t know, but it didn¡¯t matter to him.  He would love Griffa until the day he died. He would have no other.


    If she didn¡¯t love him after this, he would serve her well.  He would devote his whole life to her and not just with his protector¡¯s magic.  He would do everything to keep her safe and happy.  Even if that meant, seeing her with someone else.  The thought gave him great pain, but Griffa¡¯s happiness and well-being would always come first.


    Ansel finished breakfast and went to train with his guards.  He had some new recruits from the Valley who had come to train in Abscon.  He wanted his guards, Griffa¡¯s guards, to be in top shape for what was to come. He would do everything he could to make sure Griffa sat on the throne.


    After a long day, Ansel came home, cleaned up, and ate dinner with the rest of the house.  Maybell seemed to be having a very difficult time with the day.  She made all of Griffa¡¯s favorite dishes like she always did when Griffa was home on her birthday. She looked on the verge of tears as she sat down.


    ¡°Maybell,¡± said Ansel looking at her.  ¡°Do you remember Griffa¡¯s tenth birthday?  Renweard had planned a nice dinner with friends to celebrate her.  Several Ring members were there.  It was time for dinner and Griffa was nowhere to be found.  Renweard sent me to go find her.  He was worried sick.


    ¡°I found her in a barn at the edge of town.  She had been out walking, and she heard a farmer calling for help.  All of his pigs had gotten out.  Griffa helped him catch them with magic and with her bare hands.  She was sitting in the middle of the pig pen when I found her, covered in mud, and petting a young pig.  I took her home.  She was so dirty, I had to help her sneak up the stairs and go get you so you could clean her up quickly.  I think she might have still had a little mud in her hair when she finally came down for dinner.¡±


    ¡°That girl always seemed to come home covered in dirt,¡± said Maybell laughing.  ¡°She ruined so many dresses, I thought Renweard was just going to start putting her in pants.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ansel smiled as Maybell shared more stories about Griffa.  Talon even had a few interesting stories from when she would visit the Valley as a child.  By the end of the meal everyone was smiling.  It was a nice change from the regular quiet, solemn mealtimes.


    Even when you aren¡¯t here, you make everything livelier, Griff, thought Ansel to himself.


    After dinner, Ansel went with Kedan and Talon to the strategy room to look over the large map that was there on the table.  Ansel stood on the side closest to the palace, ready to show Kedan whatever he might want to see.


    ¡°The entrance to the tunnels for the castle is right about here,¡± said Kedan pointing to a place on the river near the castle.  ¡°We will need to travel there.¡±


    Ansel raised his hands, and the riverbank came to life.  They could see reeds and grass growing on the bank.  Trees spring up along the edge of the river.  There were small mounds of dirt in different places a little ways up from the water¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Here, I believe the entrance is here by this dirt mound,¡± said Kedan pointing.  ¡°I remember seeing that trio of trees by it.  That is where we will go to enter the castle.¡±


    ¡°And this tunnel goes where?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°To my old rooms,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°It comes out in my old bedroom.¡±


    ¡°You are sure it will be empty the day we go?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°It should be.  If my wife is still living in these rooms, she will not be in during the festival.  The queen will be expected to make an appearance,¡± said Kedan.


    Ansel looked at Kedan.  Kedan had only mentioned his wife a couple of times since joining them.  He had said she was with child, and he regretted leaving the child behind, but he showed no signs of fondness for his wife.


    ¡°If she is there, will there be trouble?¡± asked Talon.


    Kedan hesitated.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  She did help me escape the palace, but I don¡¯t know where we will stand since I abandoned her.¡±


    ¡°Was this an arranged marriage?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°I hate to pry, but I would just like all the facts.  Was there no love?¡±


    Kedan looked at Talon.  ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have time.  Let¡¯s go into the study and have a drink. You and Ansel can look at this map some more later.¡±


    Kedan looked at Ansel who shrugged. ¡°Alright,¡± said Kedan.


    They walked into the study.  Talon ran out to the parlor to grab some wine and glasses.  Ansel sat down in one of the large chairs by the fireplace, Kedan sitting down next to him.  Ansel waved his hand and a fire lit up, warming the room.


    ¡°I have a hard time getting used to that, still,¡± said Kedan looking at the fire.  ¡°Everyone here just using magic so casually.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a part of everyday life here.  I suppose we might take it for granted,¡± replied Ansel.


    Talon entered the room.  He sat two large carafes of wine on the desk and poured three glasses.  He gave a glass to Ansel and Kedan, and grabbed his own glass and a chair by the desk.  He brought it over to sit by the fire.


    ¡°So, tell us about your wife,¡± said Talon, getting to the point.  ¡°What was she like?¡±


    ¡°I met Teryn when I moved into the palace at twelve.  I was training to be the Lord of the Kingdom.  She was training to serve the future Lady of the kingdom, my future wife.   We had lessons together.  She was adventurous and mischievous.  She would skip lessons and get out of being in trouble every time.


    ¡°She figured out most of the secret passageways in the palace.  She started coming into my rooms at night. We just stayed up talking at first, but as we grew up, so did our feelings.  After we both reached the age of maturity, we became more intimate with each other.¡±


    ¡°So, you did marry for love?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°I never thought I would marry Teryn.  I was expected to choose a wife from the most prestigious of the first ring of Aurumist.  Teryn was from the first ring, but her family was very much below my own.  I enjoyed her company, but I knew I could never marry her.¡±


    ¡°But you did,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°I did.  Golnar, the one I told you about earlier, found a way to release magic in folk with magical blood who couldn¡¯t use their magic before.  He started with himself.  I believe he used Teryn¡¯s blood for the first batch of the elixir.  He released his own magic, Teryn¡¯s, and my mother¡¯s.  I don¡¯t remember much about the time after that.  They next thing I knew was I was married.  I remember being happy, but it was all a blur.¡±


    ¡°Why, what happened?¡± asked Talon drinking his wine.


    ¡°He was enthralled,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°His wife is an enchantress.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°My mother as well.  How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my own experiences with an enchantress.  I don¡¯t wish to repeat them,¡± answered Ansel draining his glass. Talon refilled it for him quickly.


    ¡°There were some moments of clarity.  We went to the river together last summer, and m¡± head felt so clear.  I started to look at my life and realize I was not a good person. I was certainly a horrible leader.  I wanted to do more.  Teryn was too sick from carrying our child to have the energy to enthrall me.  I learned much about the kingdom and what was going on.


    ¡°When we got back to Aurumist, they crowned me a king, and Teryn and mother went right back to enthralling me when I became too much trouble.  When I visited Daracha, your spy, my eyes were opened.  I went back to the palace to try to get Teryn to come with me because of our child, but she wouldn¡¯t go.¡± Kedan paused and took a large swig of wine.


    ¡°How do you feel about her now?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  How do I know if my feelings of love were real?  How do I know if she felt anything for me?  She could have been using me to get what she wanted.¡±


    ¡°Never get involved with an enchantress,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°They can¡¯t be trusted.  I¡¯ve only met one I like, and she doesn¡¯t have full use of her powers.¡±


    ¡°Will you tell us about your enchantress, Ansel?¡± asked Talon smiling.


    ¡°She was never my enchantress, and I will not tell you a thing,¡± said Ansel drinking his wine.  ¡°She¡¯s an awful woman that I have no use for.  I wished I had never crossed paths with her.¡±


    Kedan raised his glass at Ansel. ¡°I understand.¡±  He drained his glass.  As Talon refilled Kedan¡¯s glass, Kedan¡¯s eyes went to the mantle over the fireplace.  Something caught his eye, and he got up and grabbed a portrait there.


    ¡°So, this is Griffa?¡± asked Kedan showing the portrait to Ansel.


    Ansel looked at it.  ¡°It is.  It was taken for her sixteenth birthday.  I believe it¡¯s the last portrait taken of her.  She hasn¡¯t had one taken since her father died. She doesn¡¯t think much of her own appearance.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Kedan drinking from his glass looking at the portrait. ¡°She is lovely.¡±


    ¡°She also isn¡¯t good at sitting still for a portrait,¡± said Ansel thinking he wished she had sat for a more current painting.


    Talon leaned over to take a look at the portrait.  ¡°It¡¯s nicely done, but her eyes are a darker blue than that. Her hair is redder.  She has grown since then.¡±


    ¡°What is she like?¡± asked Kedan as he asked for a refill of his glass.  Talon poured the last of the wine into his glass.  He raised his hand and another carafe of wine zoomed to him from somewhere in the house.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± said Talon refilling his own glass. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful as you can see.  She¡¯s very brave and outspoken.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s kind and generous, but also infuriating at times.  She doesn¡¯t like being told what to do,¡± said Ansel taking the carafe from Talon to refill his own glass.


    ¡°No, but she likes to tell others what to do.  Everyone usually does as she says, too.  I know I always have, and I¡¯m not complaining about it,¡± said Talon laughing slightly.


    ¡°She sounds like she will be a good queen,¡± said Kedan.  He got up shakily and put the portrait back on the mantle.


    ¡°She will be,¡± said Ansel with certainty.  ¡°Once she gets used to the idea.¡±


    ¡°How will it work with you being her protector?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°Can you be her consort and her protector?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible that I would event want to be with her.¡±


    ¡°But you do,¡± said Talon.  ¡°You still love her.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel.  He drained his glass.  ¡°I thought I might feel different about her once I realized who she was, but I don¡¯t. I just wonder if she will feel the same about me. Perhaps you can be her consort, Talon.¡±


    Talon smiled slightly.  ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be opposed.  I am very fond of Griffa as you know.  Marriage to her would come with many benefits, but I don¡¯t think you have anything to worry about, Ansel.  Griffa is stubborn and once her mind is made up, she doesn¡¯t change it.  I imagine her heart is the same.¡±


    ¡°I would ask one of you to explain this protector thing to me, but I don¡¯t think I would understand much of it tonight.  Perhaps another time.  Maybe we should go to bed,¡± said Kedan with his hand over his eyes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s early yet,¡± answered Talon refilling Kedan¡¯s glass.  ¡°It¡¯s a special night. Just because she isn¡¯t here, doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t celebrate Griffa¡¯s birthday.  She would want us to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°If Griffa were here, I don¡¯t think this is how I would be celebrating,¡± said Ansel with a grin.  He drank from his glass.


    ¡°Do you want to tell us how you would celebrate?¡± asked Talon. Kedan took his hand off his eyes and looked at Ansel.


    Ansel said nothing but looked at Talon with a stern look.


    ¡°Perhaps after some more wine, Ansel?¡± asked Talon holding up the carafe of wine.


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t enough wine in the kingdom for me to tell you that, Talon.¡±


    ¡°Well, then maybe I should tell you how she and I celebrated her twentieth birthday,¡± said Talon as Kedan laughed.


    ¡°There is definitely not enough wine in the kingdom and beyond for me to endure that story,¡± said Ansel looking harshly at Talon.  Kedan laughed harder joined by Talon.


    ¡°Fine, a toast then.  We should have a toast to Griffa,¡± said Talon enthusiastically.  ¡°To Griffa, never has there been a woman more kind, brave, and infuriatingly enticing.¡±


    ¡°To the queen,¡± said Kedan slurring and raising his glass.


    Ansel raised his glass and quietly said, ¡°Happy birthday, my love.¡±  He drank and then pressed his pendant against his chest.  A few moments later he felt his own pendant felt warm.

 Chapter 2

    Griffa¡¯s world was one of darkness and pain.  She spent most of her days sitting or lying on the hard floor of her cell.  She was filthy, hungry, dizzy, and very tired.  She hadn¡¯t seen Max in what seemed like a long time.  Griffa had no idea when a day began or ended.  She saw only soldiers and Philo.


    Soldiers came in what she thought was probably twice a day with a meager meal, water, and an elixir they made her drink.  It made her head spin and her eyes heavy.  Philo seemed to only come down to heckler her or hurt her.  Griffa had experienced so much pain since she had gotten there, that she forgot what it was like to not hurt constantly.


    She sat in the back corner of her cell with her head down and her eyes closed.  She worried with the ropes on her wrist, letting the pain they cause help her to stay awake.  If she let herself sleep as much as she felt like, she knew she would give up.  It would be so easy to just lay down and let herself stop trying.  She could stop eating and drinking, and she could just lie still until she drifted off never to wake again.


    It was so tempting to give in, but then she would finally see Max, or she would feel her pendant from Ansel would warm against her skin.  Her resolve would harden, and she would force herself to stay awake and eat.  She had promised Max she wouldn¡¯t give up. Sometimes when she would see Max, he would touch her hand, and she would be reminded of the magic inside of her.  She hadn¡¯t had the strength to think how she could use their connection to their advantage. Somehow, she needed to focus.


    Her pendant would remind her that Ansel was out there.  He hadn¡¯t forgotten them.  He would come. She didn¡¯t doubt it.  No matter how much time passed, she knew he would not leave them there.  Still, the longer she remained in her cell, she wondered when it would be.  She might have to find a way to save herself and Max.


    Griffa thought of Ansel often.  She missed so many things and so many people, but she missed Ansel so much it hurt worse than the ropes or any of her injuries.  As she sat in the cold shivering, she imagined being held by Ansel.  He always made her feel warm and safe.  She thought about how he would chuckle slightly and give her a sly smile when she did something ridiculous.  She remembered the look in his eyes right before he would kiss her.  His look made her feel wanted and loved.


    Griffa raised her head and laid back against the wall.  Would Ansel still feel the same about her now that she was the queen?  As much as she didn¡¯t want it, she knew who she was.  She was the true Queen of Regventus, and Ansel was her protector.  She had studied about protector¡¯s magic all winter.  She knew what kind of relationship a protector had with his king or queen.  A protector did not fall in love with their sovereign.  Their sovereign did not fall in love with their protector.  It was impossible.


    She did love her protector, though.  Nothing had changed.  She loved Ansel so very much.  No matter how he felt in their new reality, she could not stop loving him.  She tried not to dwell on what would happen if he didn¡¯t love her now.  She had other things to worry about, but she still worried about it.  She shed tears over it.  She sometimes despaired thinking about it.  Even now she could feel the tears in her eyes.  There was nothing she could do about it.  She would just have to hope and wait.


    Griffa heard a door open at the end of the hall.  She stayed where she was wondering if it would be pain or food and sleep.


    ¡°Good morning, Gryphon,¡± said Philo coming to look at her.


    Pain it is, thought Griffa looking at Philo silently.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t learned manners yet?¡± asked Philo with a twisted smile.


    He raised his hand, and Griffa was forced onto her feet. He brought his hand forward, and she was thrown into the bars next to him.  Griffa winced but she did not cry out.


    ¡°Just do whatever it is you came down here to do and let me be, Philo,¡± said Griffa angrily.


    Philo smiled bigger and pushed his hand down.  Griffa slammed down on the ground.


    ¡°We are actually going on a little walk today, so get on your feet,¡± said Philo.


    Griffa slowly rose to her feet, and steadied herself on the bars.  ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Golnar would like a chat with you,¡± said Philo has he placed his hand on the bars.


    A small portioned opened up, and he reached in and grabbed Griffa by the upper arm. He pulled her close and whispered into her ear, ¡°You will behave.  If you try anything, you will regret it.¡±


    Griffa looked at him defiantly.  He pushed her way.  ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re a mess.  You smell awful.¡±


    ¡°Ask someone to draw me a bath and bring me some fresh clothes then,¡± said Griffa with false sweetness.  ¡°I would hate to offend you or Golnar with my appearance.¡±


    Philo threw her roughly in front of him. He pushed her forward with a boot to her back. ¡°Walk and stay silent.¡±


    Griffa walked slowly down the hall.  When they got to the door, Philo reached over her to place his hand on it and open it.  She walked up the long spiral staircase.  By the time they got to the top, she was exhausted.  She leaned against the wall as Philo opened the door.  He grabbed her and threw her through the open door.


    ¡°¡¯I¡¯m afraid we have quite a few more steps to travel, Gryphon.  If you can¡¯t make it, I guess I could levitate you to the top.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it,¡± Griffa said quietly.


    They walked down the hall and turned down another hall by the throne room, where  they came to a large staircase.  Philo pushed her towards it and Griffa started ascending the stairs.  Halfway up she thought she might faint, but she put her head down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.  She thought of all the awful things she wanted to do to Philo.  She thought of all the spells and curses she wanted to throw at him.


    Eventually they reached the top and came to a door.  Griffa was breathing heavily and her head swam.  Her vision was blurry.  She felt sweat running into her eyes from her forehead.  She wanted to lie down and sleep, but she kept on her feet with her head held up. Philo knocked on the door.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Come in, please,¡± came a voice from the other side.


    Philo opened the door.  Griffa walked in and saw that they were in a large circular room.  There was a fireplace on one wall with a kettle over it.  The walls had many shelves with different books and potion ingredients. Four soldiers stood against the wall in various areas.  In the center was a sitting area with a sofa, four chairs, and some small tables.  Max was sitting in a chair staring at her.  His hands were still bound in rope.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max standing up with wide eyes. ¡°What have you done to her?¡±


    Griffa had no idea what she looked like, but she knew it couldn¡¯t be good.  She could imagine her hair was one frizzy tangle that fell down her shoulders.  She knew she was filthy.  She had dirt and blood caked on her arms.  She probably had bruises and cuts on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Max,¡± said Griffa with a voice as strong as she could muster.  She was glad to see that Max looked uninjured.  He was even mostly clean with different clothes on than the ones he arrived in.


    Max walked over to look closer at Griffa.  ¡°You said she wouldn¡¯t be harmed,¡± said Max angrily looking at Golnar.


    ¡°Miss Keene¡¯s time here will be more comfortable when she starts cooperating,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Now come sit, both of you. I have some food here I think you might enjoy.¡±


    Max walked to the sofa and sat down.  Philo shoved Griffa, and she walked over and sat next to Max on the sofa.


    ¡°Eat, please, Miss Keene.  I know you must be hungry,¡± said Golnar sitting down in a chair close to her.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± said Griffa dryly. ¡°I¡¯ve been poisoned before and I don¡¯t wish to go through that again.¡±  Griffa stared at Philo who stood by the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude to not accept our hospitality.  I can assure you the food is safe.  I will show you,¡± said Golnar. He reached over and took a bit of bread and ate it.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max under his breath.  ¡°Please, just do as they ask.¡±


    Griffa sighed.  She leaned forward and grabbed some cheese off a plate and ate it.


    ¡°Good, now the young king tells me you are quite talented with potions,¡± said Golnar smiling at her


    Griffa took a bit of bread and looked at Max.  He nodded encouragingly.


    ¡°I suppose you could say that I am proficient with potions,¡± replied Griffa eating a bit of the bread.


    ¡°I have something I would like you to look over for me.  I would like your opinion on it.¡±


    Griffa nodded.  Golnar got up and grabbed a book off a table near the fireplace.  He walked over and handed it to her as he sat back down.


    ¡°I have the page marked as you can see, ¡°said Golnar.


    Griffa opened up to the marked page and looked at the potion instructions found there.  She ran her filthy bound hands down the page trying to focus and read what it was saying.  It was an old blood potion.  Griffa had never seen it before, but some of the ingredients looked familiar.  She looked up at Golnar.


    ¡°Is this what you have used to release magic in the folk of the city?¡± Griffa asked.


    Golnar didn¡¯t respond.  Griffa looked back at the page.  At the bottom was some ancient writings. She understood some of it.  Her father had taught her a little from some of the potion books he had back at the manor.  It was a language used even before King Nathin took the throne.


    ¡°What exactly is it that you want to know about this?¡± asked Griffa as she tried to make out what the language was saying.


    ¡°Is there anything that would make this elixir not work correctly on some, but work fine on others?  Is there a way it could be made incorrectly that would affect some in a different way than others?¡±


    Griffa looked at the ancient writings.  There was something about a bind between magic users.  She could make out the word curse and responsibility.


    ¡°This is what you used to release magic throughout the city isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Griffa looking up at Golnar.  She took a breath and listened for Golnar¡¯s magic.  ¡°Your magic is very unstable.  Has anyone told you that?  Philo should have at least noticed it.  I¡¯m not sure why he hasn¡¯t said something.¡±


    Golnar snapped his head around to look at Philo who was walking towards them.  ¡°She is lying, Golnar.  I told you she would never willingly help us.  I better take her back to cell, or let¡¯s just get rid of her permanently.¡±


    Max made a noise as Griffa looked at Philo.  ¡°What reason do I have to lie?  You know it¡¯s true.  This man¡¯s magic is not stable.  I¡¯d be surprised if he could lift a feather off of a table with magic.¡±


    Philo looked at Golnar as Golnar looked around at the soldiers in the room.  Golnar turned to Griffa with hard eyes, ¡°She is lying.  You are right, Philo.  Taker her back to her cell.  I will decide what to do with her later.¡±


    ¡°You said you would treat her well if I did everything you asked,¡± said Max loudly standing up.  ¡°I have done everything.¡±


    Golnar looked at Max.  ¡°She will be fine in her cell. I won¡¯t have her killed yet.  I have other things I need your help with, young king.  When I have what I need, we will talk again about Miss Keene¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    Philo came and grabbed Griffa and lifted her off of the couch.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max frantically. He reached for her hand.  Their fingers touched, sending a ripple of magic through Griffa¡¯s body.  Philo pulled her away.


    ¡°Max,¡± said Griffa as she was being forced from the room.  ¡°Stay safe, I will see you soon.¡±


    Philo walked quickly forcing Griffa to stumble down half the steps.  He took her back to her cell, dragging her most of the way.  When they got to her cell, he opened the bars and threw her down hard onto the floor, slamming the bars shut.


    ¡°You know that man¡¯s magic is not working properly,¡± said Griffa looking up Philo.  ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told him?¡±


    ¡°What could I do about it?  Making him angry will do me no good. He knows he is powerless right now.  I rather like him that way.  The question is, what good did it do for you to tell him?¡±


    Griffa sat up and moved back to lean against the wall.  ¡°If he used that potion on the folk of the city, it will not end well.  I didn¡¯t get to finish reading, but I believe that old blood magic elixir can come with some harsh consequences.¡±


    ¡°So, how does that affect me or even you, really?  These new magic users are useful for now, but eventually even if they can¡¯t do magic, what will it hurt?  Those of us with old magic can rule as we should, as we always should.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°We were not meant to lord over people simply because we have use of magic.  We were meant to help one another no matter what magical ability we have.  We will only destroy the kingdom if we disregard each other.¡±


    ¡°Your father taught you that, didn¡¯t he?  He always was such a weak man.  He even married a non-gifted woman. He was very proud of her for some reason.  Then came you.  He let you do whatever you please.  He said you were intelligent, strong, and independent.  You were actually a wild, unmannered, spoiled little girl.


    ¡°Look at you now.  Do you think Renweard would be proud of you now?  Giving yourself to that lowly protector. The Keene name used to mean something.  Marcus loved you for some reason.  He would have married you and taken your name. He would have wanted a child of yours to take the Quick name, but your first born would have been a Keene.  He would have brought some respect back to your family. Instead you spurned him to have Ansel in your bed for a few months. Where is Ansel now?  I guess he got what he wanted from you, and has left you here to die.  Now the Keene name will die with you.¡±


    ¡°If it does, it will die with dignity.  It will die standing up for what is right.  You have spoiled the Quick name with your grab for power.  None of our folk will ever be able to think of your name without thinking of an evil traitor.¡±


    ¡°You think everyone back in Abscon holds your values, Gryphon?  You are the leader of the Ring, and you don¡¯t even know what a pit of vipers you lead.  It¡¯s a pity you¡¯ll never get to go back and face them.  You could ask those Ring members what really happened to your father, ask them how Renweard really died.¡±


    ¡°You are lying,¡± said Griffa vehemently.  ¡°You are poisoning me with your words.¡±


    ¡°Believe that if it makes you feel better,¡± said Philo.  He turned to go.  ¡°Your medicine will be here soon.  Be a good girl and drink it without too much struggle this time.  I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Philo left as Griffa laid down on the floor.  She took deep breaths as she could with the rope fastened around her stomach.  Was what Philo was saying true?  Did it even really matter at this point?  Griffa didn¡¯t expect she would ever be in a position to ask anyone in Abscon anything ever again.  Griffa closed her eyes and waited for sleep to overtake her.

 Chapter 3

    Kedan was getting used to his new life in Abscon.  When he first arrived in Abscon and was taken to Keene Manor, he was not trusted.  He couldn¡¯t blame any of them.  Ansel had put him in a bedroom and magically locked his door.  Later he and Talon had come in and questioned Kedan for hours.  Kedan told them his whole life¡¯s story. He admitted the mistakes he had made.  He knew he had many faults.  He wanted to be different now.  He wanted to help do what was right for the kingdom and its folk.


    Talon had put some sort of spell on him that would prevent him from lying, and Kedan hated it.  He understood why Talon did it, but he hated it.  It reminded him too much of being enthralled by Teryn and his mother.  He got through it.  Afterwards, Ansel let him have free roam of the house, but Kedan could see Ansel still watched him closely.


    Kedan wasn¡¯t sure where he fit in with the group that lived in the manor.  The owner of the house wasn¡¯t even there.  Gryphon Keene, the leader of the Ring and the true Queen of Regventus, had been taken to Aurumist with the presumed king, Max.  She and Max were currently held somewhere in the palace.  Kedan didn¡¯t know them, but he still felt sorry for what they were probably enduring under Golnar and Philo.


    Kedan couldn¡¯t think of Aurumist and the palace without thinking of Teryn.  He wondered how she and his mother were doing.  Did they face repercussions because they helped him?  Had Teryn had his child yet?  It must be soon; she would be due any day.  Kedan hated that he had left Teryn behind.  He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about her, but she was the mother of his child.  He should have worked harder to convince her to go, or taken her by force.  He didn¡¯t believe Teryn or his child was safe in the palace.


    He would be going back to the palace soon.  He had promised Talon and Ansel he would help them save Max and Griffa.  He had thought maybe he could find a way to see Teryn while they were there, but he knew he couldn¡¯t jeopardize the rescue.  Maybe he would run into Teryn accidently, and he could convince her to grab their child and run with them.


    He knew the folk here in Abscon would take care of them all.  He had no doubt of that.  While everyone in the manor was on edge and sad, they were still kind to Kedan.  He had only been there two months and Maybelle already knew his favorite dishes.  Issa helped him find things to read on the kingdom.  Talon drank with him and taught him things about the magical world.  Ansel remained mostly indifferent to Kedan, but Kedan got the idea that Ansel was not an open person to begin with.


    Kedan found himself this morning walking with Ansel to a Ring meeting.  They walked in silence for most of the way.  As they got close to the town center, Kedan glanced at Ansel.


    ¡°So, is the meeting today just about the rescue plan or do you have other business to attend to as well?¡±


    ¡°There will probably be some updates on the gathering of forces.  Many in the Ring have been out and about in the kingdom, trying to find magical communities who will join us in our fight,¡± replied Ansel.


    They had arrived in the town center, and Ansel stopped by the statue there.  He bowed to it and then turned to the other statue by the temple and bowed to it as well.


    ¡°I noticed you did that last time.  Is it some sacred ceremony?¡± asked Kedan looking up at the statue before him.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Griffa¡¯s father always did it before leading Ring meetings.  Griffa kept the tradition.  She is my queen and I lead in her stead.  I will keep her good luck ritual, as well.¡±


    Kedan gave Ansel a small smile.


    ¡°Good morning, Kedan, Ansel,¡± said Talon walking up.  ¡°I¡¯m glad I made it in time.  I¡¯ve had council meetings both days I¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    ¡°How are things in the Valley?¡± asked Ansel.  ¡°Have you rebuilt from the attack?¡±


    ¡°Most things are put back to rights,¡± said Talon.  ¡°You can¡¯t replace the folks who were lost.  I know you understand that here in Abscon as well.¡±


    Ansel nodded. ¡°We probably need to go in.  I think most of the Ring has arrived.¡±


    They walked into the meeting hall together.  Most of the Ring was already talking around the table.  Ansel had a chair brought over for Kedan and Talon and asked them to sit.  Kedan sat and looked around the table as Ansel called the Ring to order.  Ansel sat and looked around the table at the Ring.


    ¡°As we all know, our queen and Max have been held in the palace for two months.  We have been working on a rescue plan and waiting for the perfect moment.  It is almost upon us.  I have brought Kedan Belles with me today.  Kedan was the Lord of Regventus at one time.  He lived over half his life in the palace.  He knows how to get us in and out quietly and quickly.  We plan to go in during Aurumist¡¯s Spring Festival which is in two weeks,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°How many will you take with you for this rescue?¡± asked a dark-haired woman.


    ¡°Not a large party, myself, Kedan, Talon, a few of my guards.  We don¡¯t want to draw attention,¡± answered Ansel.


    ¡°Do you think you can really do this, Ansel?¡± asked a man a couple of chairs down.  ¡°I mean you are talking about going into the palace in Aurumist.  Won¡¯t there be soldiers everywhere?¡±


    ¡°Helmer, I know the risk.  We all do, but we can¡¯t leave Griffa and Max there any longer than we have already.  If we want them alive, we will have to go soon,¡± said Ansel.  Kedan thought he sounded irritated.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°And we are sure they are still alive?  It¡¯s been a long time,¡± said Helmer.


    ¡°I know my queen is still alive,¡± said Ansel definitely sounding irritated now.  ¡°Do you doubt me as her protector?¡±


    ¡°No one doubts you, Ansel,¡± said the man next to him.  ¡°I am praying that Gryphon and Max are still alive and well.  I think Helmer is trying  ask if it is worth it to go in now and get them?¡±


    Ansel looked at the man furiously.


    ¡°Are you really asking if it is worth it to save our queen, Hector?¡± asked Talon incredulously.  ¡°And Max, you had him brought here.  He may not be your king, but he is your responsibility.  Besides, they are the only two folk in the kingdom with Adalwen blood on both sides of their line.¡±


    ¡°That we know of,¡± said Helmer. ¡°Madam Sidora was wrong once, she could be wrong again.¡±


    ¡°This is not an argument I will hear,¡± said Ansel fiercely.  ¡°There is no debate.  Griffa and Max will be saved from the palace.  I don¡¯t need your permission.¡±


    ¡°You do to take the guards, I believe,¡± said Hector.  ¡°Ansel, we all know that Griffa and Max are important to you, but we are trying to save the kingdom.  We need to weigh every decision very carefully.¡±


    ¡°You think you can win and save the kingdom without your queen?¡± asked Madam Sidora staring at Hector.  ¡°And the young diviner, what of him?  You are willing to sacrifice them both for what?¡±


    ¡°What if there was a chance for reconciliation with the powers in Aurumist,¡± asked Helmer.  ¡°What if after all is said and done, what they are planning isn¡¯t really that bad.  It might not affect us.  Why are we planning to fight a war for those who have ignored our existence for 300 years?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what they are planning at all?¡± asked Kedan quietly.  ¡°They have been releasing magic in magical blooded folk whose powers are dormant. They are doing this against some folk¡¯s will. They are planning to displace all who are not gifted.  They are planning to eradicate all those who are not deemed useful by the Council of the Ancients.  Do you want all those deaths on your head?  If this is what your side stands for, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what we stand for.  It¡¯s not what Griffa would stand for in her Ring, and this is her Ring, make no mistake about that,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I will replace every single one of you for her, if that is what it will take.¡±


    ¡°The Valley and it¡¯s council stand on the side of our queen.  They will not stand for this,¡± said Talon loudly.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down,¡± said Hector.  ¡°We are not wanting a reconciliation with Aurumist, Helmer. That is not on the table.  This is Gryphon¡¯s Ring, Ansel, we know that.  We only wanted to go over all the options we have.¡±


    ¡°The only option we have is to save Max and Griffa as soon as possible,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°If anyone disagrees with that, they can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Helmer, do you have any more to say on the subject,¡± asked Talon staring at the man.  ¡°If you truly feel the way you just said, maybe you should step down. I¡¯m sure you could catch a good price in Aurumist for any services you might provide for them.  Your friend Philo Quick can help you.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ll talk to your man Devland.  He is the one who handed over your queen,¡± spat Helmer back at Talon.


    ¡°Quiet,¡± said Ansel loudly.  ¡°This bickering gets us nowhere. Helmer, you can stay if you like.  I will let Griffa decide what to do with all of you when she returns in a couple of weeks.  Discuss whatever you want from this point on, Hector.  I will not be meeting with the Ring again until I attend with my queen. I will keep you informed of our plans, and I will let you know when they are successful.  Good day.¡±


    Ansel got up and motioned to Kedan.  He rose as well.


    ¡°The Valley will not recognize this council¡¯s authority until Queen Gryphon, or her protector is sitting in the first chair.  We will continue to organize forces as our queen commanded. If you want any information from us, you may send me a message at Keene Manor,¡± said Talon.  He rose from his chair and walked out with Ansel and Kedan.


    They walked together towards Keene Manor.


    ¡°Do you think that was wise?¡± asked Kedan.


    ¡°I will not sit there and listen to them debate things that Griffa would never support.  They think they can do as they please because she is gone.  I know at least a few of them would like it if she never came back.  I¡¯m disappointed in Hector.¡±


    ¡°Protector, Protector,¡± said a voice behind them.  Kedan turned with the others to see the old Diviner of the Ring walking towards them.  She was surprisingly nimble for her age.


    ¡°I want to apologize for the Ring for that display.  I like you, will not be returning until our queen is in her rightful place.  I¡¯m afraid the queen might have to form a new Ring sooner than she thought.¡±


    ¡°We will let Griffa decides when she is back here with us,¡± said Ansel.


    Madam Sidora turned to look at Kedan.  She took his hand.


    ¡°Kedan Belles, you will serve our queen well.  You need to get to know her as soon as she returns.  You will have to make sacrifices, but you will serve your queen and your kingdom.¡±


    Madam Sidora let go of Kedan¡¯s hand and turned and walked off.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Kedan bewildered.


    ¡°That was the Great Diviner of the Ring,¡± said Talon watching her go.  ¡°She must have had a vision about you.¡±


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t give more me more information than that?¡± asked Kedan.


    Ansel shrugged.  ¡°I guess sometimes vision aren¡¯t clear.¡±


    ¡°So, will it just be the three of us going to Aurumist?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°Unless you have someone else in mind, Talon,¡± replied Ansel as they walked.


    ¡°I do, but you aren¡¯t going to like it.  He came to see me in the Valley to ask how he could help with Griffa and Max. He wasn¡¯t sure of your reception,¡± said Talon as they turned slightly to go towards the manor.


    ¡°Who is it, Talon?¡± asked Ansel with trepidation.


    ¡°Marcus Quick.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Ansel adamantly.


    ¡°I was just as skeptical as you. I know what he did almost cost Griffa her life, but he sounds sincere. It really sounds like he didn¡¯t know what he was doing when Griffa was poisoned, Ansel,¡± said Talon.  ¡°We can use another person.¡±


    ¡°Who are we talking about?¡± asked Kedan confused.


    ¡°Marcus Quick, son of Philo Quick, you know him, right?  Marcus almost killed Griffa accidently.  Ansel holds a grudge against him,¡± said Talon quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him, Talon.  His father is working for the palace in Aurumist.  You saw how Philo treated Griffa.¡±


    ¡°Do you blame the son for the faults of the father, Ansel? Marcus cares about Griffa and he wants to help.   If he causes problems, we can just leave him in Aurumist or kill him,¡± said Talon.


    Ansel sighed as they turned to onto the pathway to the manor.


    ¡°You want to get Griffa and Max back, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Talon


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°Then we need every advantage we can get.  Marcus wants to help. We don¡¯t know where Griffa and Max will be in the palace.  We might have to split up.  It would be good no one has to go alone.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but he¡¯s your problem if we do have to split up,¡± said Ansel as they reached the front door.


    ¡°Great,¡± said Talon patting Kedan on the shoulder.  ¡°You can have the non-magical one here.  I guess if worst comes to worst, you can use him as a shield.¡±


    Talon walked into the house as Kedan looked at Ansel.  Ansel rolled his eyes and walked in after Talon.  Kedan walked in after, half wondering if Talon was serious.

 Chapter 4

    Max laid on a bed in a bedroom in the palace of Aurumist.  He had been there for two days now, with no one coming to see him except someone who would bring him his meals.  Golnar had sent Max away after the visit with Griffa.  He had told Max he had more things for Max to do, but since sending him away, Max had not been called.


    Max worried constantly about Griffa.  When he had seen her last, he hardly recognized her.  She was gaunt and very pale.  Her face was covered in bruises and cuts.  Her eyes looked half open and dazed.  She hadn¡¯t lost her fire though.  Max wished she would just cooperate a little more.  He wanted to keep her safe, but she continually angered those around them.  Max wished they would have left him in the cell with Griffa.  He wanted to be near her.  He wanted to be able to remind her how important she was to the kingdom.


    Max was treated like the young king by Golnar and the others.  He would not tell them differently.  He couldn¡¯t imagine what they would do with Griffa if they knew who she was.  She would surely not cooperate with them.  They would kill her quickly and probably Max as well.  Max kept his head down and answered when he had too.  He tried not to give away too much, but he would do what he had to do to keep Griffa alive.


    Max wondered how much longer they would have to stay there until Ansel would come for them.  He knew Ansel would come.  Max was surprised it had been so long.  He didn¡¯t know how much longer Griffa or even him really had.  He supposed Ansel was waiting for a plan or a certain time, but Max wished he would just get on with it.


    Max missed life in Abscon.  He missed Ansel and Nora.  He missed Issa especially.  He often wondered what she was doing.  Was she reading books to try to help Ansel with a plan?  Was she practicing her archery?  Was she thinking of him often?  He was sure she was.  He hoped she hadn¡¯t given up hope.  Max hoped she knew he was still alive and well.


    Max stretched his fingers, trying to see if he could feel any of his magic, but his magic remained silent. He hadn¡¯t realized just how much he depended on his magic for his senses and his mood, until it was gone.  He felt empty and disoriented without the familiar hum of his magic speaking to him.  He felt unusually still without the familiar flowing of magic throughout his body.


    Max thought about how it felt to touch Griffa¡¯s hand with his own.  Even with the special ropes, his magic would come alive at Griffa¡¯s touch.  He thought it must be their bond through their mutual Adalwen blood.  He supposed their magic spoke to one another in a special bond that was stronger than the spell on the ropes.  Max wished they could be alone long enough together to use the bond to their advantage.


    The door of the bedroom opened and Philo Quick entered.


    ¡°Come on, young king, you are needed,¡± said Philo.


    Max sat up on the bed, turned, and stood up.  ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? You will come wherever we want you to go,¡± replied Philo.


    Max walked to the door and followed Philo down the hall.  He took him to Golnar¡¯s room in the tower.  Max walked in to find an unconscious Griffa being held up by two soldiers.  She stood next to the fireplace that had a kettle hanging over it. Golnar stood near her.


    ¡°Good evening, young king,¡± said Golnar smiling.  ¡°I¡¯m glad you could join us.  I¡¯ve been working on something all day, but there is one more ingredient I need.¡±


    Philo grabbed Max and brought him closer to Golnar.  Max could see something gold bubbling in the kettle over the fire. Whatever it was made Max¡¯s nose burn and turned his stomach.  He felt the urge to run as far away as he could from whatever was brewing in the kettle.


    ¡°Now, young king, come close to me.  What I need from you isn¡¯t a lot, just a little of your powerful blood.  It won¡¯t hurt much,¡± said Golnar holding a knife.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Max.  You don¡¯t want your blood involved with anything in that kettle,¡± said Griffa opening her eyes.  Her voice was weak.   Max could see she was shaking.  He couldn¡¯t tell if she was affected by the potion brewing or if they had given her something. It was probably both.


    Philo walked over and grabbed Griffa¡¯s face with his hand.  ¡°Please be silent unless you are asked to speak.  It¡¯s only good manners.¡±  Philo squeezed and then let her go. Griffa closed her eyes and her head went down.


    ¡°Come now, it¡¯s just a small slice in your palm and it¡¯s over,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Of course, if you would rather I take Miss Keene¡¯s, that can be arranged.  She is not a king though, so I will have to take quite a bit more from her.¡±


    Max saw one of the soldiers had a sharp dagger.


    ¡°No,¡± said Max quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.  I will, just don¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Very good, come here and give me your palm,¡± said Golnar holding out his hand.


    Max walked over and put his bound hands out to Golnar.  Golnar grabbed Max¡¯s hand and instantly dropped them.  Golnar held up his hand to see blisters forming on the surface. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°What is this?  What are you doing, young king?¡± asked Golnar angrily.  ¡°Are his ropes not working?¡±


    ¡°They should be,¡± answered Philo.  Philo pulled a pair of gloves from his pocket and put them on.  He came over and checked the ropes on Max¡¯s arm.  He stood back and stared at Max.  ¡°They are working, his magic is blocked.¡± Philo took his gloves off and put them back in his pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± said Golnar.  He grabbed Max¡¯s hand slowly and again reached back quickly.  Max could see that Golnar¡¯s hand was red all the way up to his wrist now with boils forming.


    ¡°Philo, you get blood from the boy.  Use your gloves,¡± said Golnar cradling his hand.


    Philo put his gloves back on and got the knife from Golnar.  He grabbed Max¡¯s hand and immediately pulled away.  Philo¡¯s gloves had burned away, leaving red raw skin underneath.


    ¡°You think this is funny, boy,¡± said Philo angrily.  He turned to his soldiers. ¡°Cut her throat.  Her blood is from old magic.  If we get enough, it should do.¡±


    Max saw the soldier raise his dagger.


    ¡°No!¡± said Max loudly.  ¡°I will do it. I will.  Give me the knife.  I can manage it.¡±


    Philo looked at Golnar, and Golnar nodded.  Philo gave the knife carefully to Max.  ¡°Don¡¯t try anything stupid, young king.  I will have her killed faster than you can manage to even cut your ropes,¡± said Philo pointing to Griffa.


    Max took the knife.  He winced as he wiggled his hands enough to point the blade at his palm.  He pressed down until he cut into his skin.  He dragged it down until there was a line of blood in his hand.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Now, come here and place your hand over the kettle.  Let the blood mix in with the potion.¡±


    Max dropped the knife and walked over with both of his fist clenched.  He put his hands over the kettle and unclenched his fist.  His blood flowed down into the kettle, mixing in with the golden liquid.  The potion sizzled and smoked.  The smell was awful.  Max gagged and walked backward, trying not to wretch.  The potion started bubbling over the cauldron into the fire below, as great black clouds formed and spread throughout the room.


    ¡°What is happening, Golnar?¡± asked Philo coughing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we need to leave,¡± replied Golnar using his arm to shield his mouth and nose.  ¡°Grab the young king.  Have your soldiers get Miss Keene out of here.¡±


    Philo reached out and grabbed Max.  He dragged him to the door and threw him out into the hallway.  Golnar followed quickly, and then the two soldiers dragging Griffa. Philo closed the door as the smoke slowly made its way through the cracks in the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs.  We can close off this tower.  Take Miss Keene and the young king to the cells.  Let them have some time together,¡± said Golnar looking at Max with disgust.


    Max didn¡¯t know why.  He didn¡¯t plan on that happening.  He did what he was told.  Still, he wouldn¡¯t complain.  He would be with Griffa for a while. Philo took Max¡¯s arm and led him down to the cells.  Max looked back to see the soldiers dragging Griffa behind him.


    When they got to the cells, Philo used his hands and opened the bars.  He threw Max in.  He went to the cell next to Max and opened it.  The soldiers half carried Griffa in and left.  After closing Griffa¡¯s cell, Philo turned to Max.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did that, but there will be repercussions.  If you want to keep your friend here alive, you are doing a poor job,¡± said Philo angrily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± said Max.  ¡°I did what I was told.  I¡¯ve done everything I¡¯ve been told and all you¡¯ve done is torture Griffa.  If you are going to kill us, go ahead and do it.  I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for something unless you really mean it, young king.  Besides, there are worst things than death.  I can show you if you keep this up,¡± said Philo menacingly.  He turned to go.


    ¡°Have a good evening.  I¡¯ll see you whenever you are needed again.¡±


    Max heard the door close behind Philo.  He walked over as close as he could to Griffa¡¯s cell and sat down. He leaned his head against the bar and looked at Griffa to see she was stirring slightly.  She turned her head and looked at Max with half opened eyes.


    ¡°Max,¡± Griffa said uncertainly.  ¡°What happened? How did we get down here?  Did they get your blood?¡±


    ¡°They did, but I don¡¯t think it worked.  The potion overflowed and made a horrible black cloud that caused everyone to leave.  They think I did it on purpose, but I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Griffa quietly.  She closed her eyes.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max urgently.  ¡°Griffa, are you alright?¡±


    Griffa¡¯s eyes opened slightly.  ¡°I don¡¯t know, Max.  I¡¯m so tired.  I don¡¯t think I can do this anymore.  I just want it to be over.¡±


    ¡°You can do this, Griffa, you can,¡± said Max.  ¡°You have to for the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Someone else can lead.  You can still be king, Max.  I¡¯m not irreplaceable,¡± said Griffa quietly.  She closed her eyes again.


    ¡°You are to me,¡± said Max sadly.  ¡°You were my first friend is a strange new place.  I know Ansel brought me to Abscon, but it was you who made me feel welcomed.  It was use who showed me how wonderful magic can be.  I don¡¯t want to go back there without you, Griffa.¡±


    ¡°You have so many friends, Max.  You have Ansel and Issa.  You will be a great king.¡±


    ¡°No, Griffa, I won¡¯t.  I won¡¯t do it,¡± said Max thinking of something to say to her.  ¡°Griffal, think of Ansel.  He won¡¯t make it without you. You don¡¯t know what he was like when he thought you were going to die from that poison.  He¡¯s going to come for us.  He will.  You know he will.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Max.  It¡¯s been a long time.  We¡¯ve waited so long,¡± said Griffa.  Her voice sounded far away.  Her eyes wouldn¡¯t open anymore.


    ¡°Griffa, wake up,¡± said Max loudly.  ¡°Come here close to me, take my hand.  You need to be reminded.¡±


    Griffa lay motionless.  Max could just make out her breathing slightly.


    ¡°Wake up, Griffa, you have to wake up.  Come here, now!¡± said Max even more loudly.


    Griffa made a small noise.  She raised her head and opened her eyes slightly.


    ¡°Yes, now come here, Griffa,¡± said Max holding his bound hands on the floor slightly through the bars.


    Griffa looked at him and then crawled slowly to where he was.  She got there and laid down.  She moved her hand slightly so that it touched Max¡¯s.  Max could feel his and Griffa¡¯s magic meet.  It flew through him, making him feel more alive than he had in a long time.  Griffa sighed and smiled slightly.


    ¡°See, Griffa, there is still hope.  Listen to your magic.  It¡¯s telling you that you have to go on.  You are the best hope for the kingdom.  Hang on for a little longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very tired, Max,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°Then rest, Griffa.  Rest, but don¡¯t give up.¡±


    Max saw Griffa nod.  She fell asleep still touching Max¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 5

    Griffa was standing on a cliff overlooking the river behind the palace of Aurumist.  She was clothed in a black dress with a full skirt.  A silver sun was stitched on the bodice.  Her hair was loose and was blowing behind her in the wind.  Griffa looked down and saw the river rolling angrily far below her.  The water flowed over sharp rocks and half submerged trees.


    She heard thunder.  She looked up and the clouds were very dark, lightning flashed all around her.  She felt a raindrop hit her head, and soon the sky opened up.  She was quickly drenched as the rain fell heavily  Griffa looked behind her at the palace.  She turned to walked into the safety of indoors when something pulled at her from the cliff¡¯s edge.  She struggled against it, but it would not let her go.


    Griffa fell down on her side.  She rolled over on her stomach and clawed her way away from the cliff slowly. She could not make up much ground.  She was losing her strength. Soon she would be dragged over the cliff.  She could see blood coming from her fingers as she tried to grip on to the sharp edges of rocks on the cliff¡¯s surface. Her arms ached and her back was on fire.


    She looked towards the castle and saw someone walking towards her.  She couldn¡¯t make out who it was in the rain.  She called for help, reaching out to the approaching figure.  As the figure approached, Griffa realized it was Ansel.  He was looking down at her with a cold look in his eyes.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± she cried.  ¡°Please, help me.¡±


    Ansel stared at her and made no movement.


    She held out one had to him, using one to keep her grip on the ground.  ¡°Please, I¡¯m going to fall,¡± Griffa said frantically. ¡°Ansel, can you not see me?  Will you not help me?¡±


    Griffa felt her grip slip. She felt herself slowly being pulled to the edge of the cliff.  She reached out for Ansel with both of her hands.  He looked at her and turned away.  As she slipped further and further towards the edge, she watched him walk back towards the palace.  Griffa put her hands down and let herself be taken.  She felt herself go over the edge of the cliff, and then she was falling.


    Griffa sat up quickly, breathing heavily.  She looked all around her.  All she saw was darkness.  She wondered if she was dead.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max somewhere next to her.  ¡°Are you alight?¡±


    There was one torch lit along the wall of the hall in front of her.  It cast just enough light so Griffa could make out Max sitting in his cell close to the bars of her own.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max more urgently.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Griffa took a deep breath and looked at Max.  ¡°I¡¯m fine, Max.  I just had a nightmare.¡±


    Griffa stretched out her arms as best she could.  They ached terribly from the ropes and her awkward sleeping position.  Her head felt dizzy and heavy like it always did since she got to Aurumist.  She scooted herself closer to Max and leaned her head against the bars.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about your dream?¡± asked Max looking at her.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa shakily. ¡°I¡¯d like to try to forget it.  We have enough terrors that are real all around us.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think we have been here?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± answered Griffa.  ¡°I don¡¯t even know when night and day begin anymore.  I would say at least many weeks, maybe months.¡±


    Max nodded.  ¡°When I look out the window of the palace, I can see the snow has melted.  Do you think its spring?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Griffa, thinking if it was spring, she was another year older.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they come?¡± asked Max sadly.  ¡°Why doesn¡¯t someone come help us?¡±


    Griffa had started wondering that herself.  She thought Ansel at least would try to help them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Max.  Maybe they are waiting for a certain thing to happen.  Maybe they tried and failed, or maybe they weighed the cost of trying to rescue us, and found it wasn¡¯t worth it.  I think we might need to deal with the possibility that no one may be coming.¡±


    Max put his head down. ¡°How could Ansel leave you here, Griffa?  You are his queen, more than that he loves you.¡±


    Griffa smiled slightly at Max.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if he does anymore.  Me becoming queen could change everything about our relationship.  He shouldn¡¯t be able to love me as my protector.  I shouldn¡¯t love him, either.¡±


    Max looked up at Griffa.  ¡°Still, as your protector, shouldn¡¯t he come?  Will his magic let him just leave you here?¡±


    Griffa shrugged. ¡°My magic is cut off at the moment.  Maybe he thinks I¡¯m already dead.  Maybe the kingdom has already chosen another in my place.  I think we might truly be alone in this.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  My mood usually goes between giving up completely and planning to escape and probably getting killed in the process.  Neither are really good options.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, do you think there is a chance we could escape?  We have to try, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to think of a way when my head is clear enough.  That¡¯s not often, but it does happen from time to time.  If we can find a way to combine our magic at the right time, I think we could escape our ropes.  We will have to wait for the right opportunity.  We will only get one try at it.  Once they realize what we can do, they will probably keep us a part for good, or most likely kill me.¡±


    Before Max could speak again the door opened at the end of the hall.  Philo came in carrying a torch with four soldiers behind him.


    ¡°Hello, you two.  Are you having a nice visit?¡± asked Philo with a wicked smile.  ¡°It¡¯s time for your medicine, Gryphon.  We have a little something new for you tonight.¡±


    Griffa looked up at Philo with hatred.  ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  Golnar sent it for you, said it was something he wanted to try,¡± said Philo motioning to his soldiers.


    Two soldiers opened her cell and grabbed her.  They brought Griffa to the center of the cell and held her arms.  A third soldier came with a small cup holding a thick black liquid.  He grabbed Griffa¡¯s face and forced her mouth open.  He poured a little of the liquid inside.  When the liquid hit Griffa¡¯s tongue, she almost wretched.  She spit it out by instinct, spraying the solider in front of her.


    The two soldiers behind her released her momentarily while the solider in front of her pushed down his hand.  Griffa slammed to the floor on her chest.


    ¡°Come on, Gryphon, don¡¯t make this harder than it has to be.  Be a good girl,¡± said Philo with exasperation.


    The soldiers dragged her up again, holding her arms.  The third soldier held the cup up to her mouth as he forced it open.  He poured the rest of the liquid into her mouth and then held her mouth closed, forcing her to swallow. The soldiers released her and let he fall to the floor as they all three left her cell.


    The black liquid burned as it went down Griffa¡¯s throat.  She felt convulsions hit almost immediately.  She jerked on the ground, before propping herself up slightly, to turn her head and vomit.  When she was done, she closed her eyes feeling nausea continue to roll over her.   She then turned her head again and vomited once more.


    ¡°Interesting side effects,¡± said Philo watching her.  ¡°I will have to let Golnar know.  Come on, young king, time for you to go.¡± Philo opened Max¡¯s cell door and grabbed him.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Max.  ¡°What did you give her?  Will she be alright?¡±


    ¡°I imagine so. Golnar has a plan he needs her for, he won¡¯t kill her, yet.  Come on, you have places to be.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Griffa crawled to the back corner of her cells and sat against the wall.  She watched as Max was dragged down the hallway by soldiers with Philo following.  She was all alone again.  Griffa closed her eyes and fought against the overwhelming nausea she felt.  She didn¡¯t think she had anything left in her to wretch, but it felt like something might come up.


    She slowly laid down in her cell.  She tried to lay completely still as she closed her eyes.  She wondered if she and Max really where all alone.  Would no one ever come for them?  Griffa felt herself drifting off, and she happily succumbed to sleep.


    She was awoken by someone whispering to her.


    ¡°Miss Keene,¡± said a voice quietly.  ¡°Miss Keene, wake up.¡±


    Griffa rolled over and opened her eyes.  Everything was blurry, she could see two people at her cell bars looking at her, but she couldn¡¯t make them out.  Griffa pushed herself up into a sitting position.  Her body hurt worse than ever before.  She thought she had become immune to pain, but she was wrong.  She lightly shook her head and looked up again.


    A pretty blonde woman in a nice dress was staring at Griffa.  Next to the woman was a soldier.


    ¡°Miss Keene,¡± said the woman urgently.  ¡°Do you have any healing abilities?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Griffa trying to clear her mind, so she could try to understand what was going on.


    ¡°Are you able to heal with your magic?¡± asked the woman.


    ¡°I can manage some healing spells.  I¡¯m not a healer, but I¡¯ve had some experience.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could help with the delivery of a baby?  I¡¯m afraid the mother and child are in trouble and our midwife has no idea how to help.¡±


    Griffa looked at the woman and realized it was one of the woman who stood on the dais with Golnar the day Griffa was brought to Aurumist.  She remembered another woman was standing there as well.  She had been with child.  Golnar had used the woman to shield himself form Griffa¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°I have been present at a few births,¡± said Griffa uncertainly.  It was true, as she traveled the kingdom, she had helped a few woman in need as they gave birth.  She was no expert.


    ¡°Good, you will come with me,¡± said the woman.  She turned to the soldier and looked in his face.  ¡°Now, let Miss Keene out of her cell as you should.  You are doing a wonderful job.¡±


    Griffa could see that this woman was enthralling the soldier.  She was an enchantress.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± asked Griffa looking at the woman as the cell was opened.


    ¡°I am Camelia Belles.  I am the mother of our king, Kedan Belles.  His wife Teryn is having their baby.  It is not going well.¡±


    ¡°You know my folk do not have your son, don¡¯t you¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°I do know you did not take him,¡± said Camelia looking at Griffa.   ¡°I know he went wherever he was going on his own accord.  Now, please come with me.  There isn¡¯t much time.¡±


    Griffa hesitated.  She could just stay where she was.  What could this Camelia do to her that hadn¡¯t already been done?  Death at this point might be a relief.  Still, there was an innocent child in need.  Could Griffa really just ignore this need and let the child die?


    She slowly got up off the ground and nodded.  She walked out of her cell and followed Camelia down the hallway.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try anything,¡± said Camelia warningly.  ¡°I will not hesitate to call every soldier in the palace and tell them you escaped on your own.¡±


    ¡°I have no plans or the strength to try anything at the moment,¡± said Griffa truthfully.  She doubted she could run down one hall without collapsing.


    They walked up the staircase and to the entry hall.  From there, they went up a flight of stairs and down another hall to a door.  Camelia knocked lightly and then walked in.  Griffa followed her.  They walked through a dark sitting room, leaving the soldier there, and walked through another door that was slightly open.  Inside there was a large bed, with a very pregnant woman lying in the middle.  Griffa moved closer and could see in the candlelight, the woman was not well.  She was feverish and thrashing around.  She was mumbling, but didn¡¯t seem to be making sense.


    Griffa turned to Camelia.  ¡°I need you to take off my binds.  This rope blocks my magic.  I will not be able to help her without my magic.¡±


    Camelia hesitated.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure that is wise.¡±


    ¡°I swear to you, I will not do anything but help this woman and the child.  As soon as the child is safe, you may call in the soldier and have him tie my hands back up.  Call him in here and have him take off my binds¡±


    Camelia looked at Griffa and then turned and went to the sitting room and came back with the soldier.  He went up to Griffa without saying anything and quickly untied the ropes around her hands.  Griffa let out a small cry of relief.  She loosened the rope around her stomach herself. Griffa felt her magic flow through her body.  She breathed in and closed her eyes.  She listened to it sing to her with a soft, familiar, beautiful tune.  She stretched slightly and felt the magic move through her, taking up every bit of space, infusing her with a feeling of power.  Griffa opened her eyes and smiled slightly.


    ¡°Now, is there somewhere I can wash quickly,¡± said Griffa, holding up her dirty, raw, blood stained hands.


    Camelia nodded and brought her into a small washroom.  There was a bowl and a pitcher of water.  Griffa poured the water in the bowl using a quick spell to warm the water.  She washed her hands as well as she could, quickly.  She winced as the water and soap hit her raw skin and cuts.  After she was done, she dried her hands on a towel and walked back into the room.  She went up to the woman in the bed.  Griffa put her hand on the woman¡¯s forehead, feeling heat radiating off of her.


    Griffa looked up at Camelia.  ¡°What is her name?¡±


    ¡°Teryn,¡± said Camelia.


    ¡°Teryn,¡± said Griffa quietly, bending down close to the woman¡¯s ear.  ¡°I¡¯m going to help you feel less pain.  It will be a little disorienting at first, but then you will feel better. It will help give you the strength to have your child.¡±


    Griffa kept her hand on the woman¡¯s forehead and hovered her other hand over the woman¡¯s stomach.  She closed her eyes and performed a spell.  When Griffa opened her eyes, she saw Teryn open her eyes wide and sit up slightly.  Teryn then slid down into the bed with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Good, ¡°said Griffa looking at Teryn.  ¡°Now you rest for one moment while we see what¡¯s going on with your babe.¡±


    Griffa walked down to the end of the bed where the mid-wife was sitting at Teryn¡¯s feet.


    ¡°What is the issue?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°Why can¡¯t she deliver her baby?¡±


    ¡°The child is breach.  He is stuck, and I can¡¯t turn him,¡± said the mid-wife.  ¡°The queen is starting to bleed, and the child has been stuck too long.  I¡¯m not sure there is any hope for either of them.¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± said Griffa with conviction.  She had seen this before in a small village in the Lowlands. She had figured out how to help then, and she knew she could do it again.


    Griffa moved slightly over and placed her hands over Teryn¡¯s lower stomach.  Griffa closed her eyes.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± asked Teryn fearfully.


    Griffa opened her eyes and smiled kindly at Teryn.  ¡°I¡¯m going to try to turn you baby, so we can get him out.  I¡¯m going to try to save you both.¡±


    Teryn nodded and Griffa closed her eyes again.  She concentrated.  Her mind still felt foggy, but the magic within her and the adrenaline she felt kept her focused.  Griffa moved her hands slightly.  She imagined what she wanted to happen.  Griffa could feel sweat forming on her forehead, but she kept concentrating, and moving her hands.


    ¡°There,¡± said the midwife excitedly.  ¡°Now push, my queen.¡±


    Griffa opened her eyes and moved to Teryn¡¯s side.  She bent down and took Teryn¡¯s hand.  ¡°Camelia, take her other hand.  Now, Teryn, you have to push.  Your child is almost here.¡±


    Teryn sat up slightly and pushed.  She pushed again and again as she squeezed Griffa¡¯ s hand.  Finally, Teryn gave out a cry and fell back.  The mid-wife looked up at Griffa and shook her head.  Griffa let go of Teryn¡¯s hand and walked to the mid-wife.  She looked down to see the mid-wife tying off the cord.


    ¡°The babe did not survive,¡± said midwife sadly.  She held the baby up for Griffa to see. ¡°He is not breathing.¡±


    Griffa heard Teryn cry and Camelia shout.


    ¡°Hand me the child,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked the woman staring up at Griffa.


    ¡°Just give me the child,¡± said Griffa urgently.


    ¡°Do it,¡± said Camelia forcefully.


    The midwife handed Griffa the baby.  Griffa carefully held the boy with one hand.  She took her other hand and placed it on the child¡¯s chest.  She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.  She felt her hand warm slightly.  Griffa opened her eyes and saw the child shudder.  She took the child in both her hands and held him against her chest.  She rubbed his back forcefully, until the child gave out a wail.


    Griffa smiled and brought the child down.  ¡°Hand me a towel,¡± said Griffa looking at the midwife.


    The midwife quickly handed Griffa a towel.  She softly cleaned off the child.  ¡°You are a fighter, little one,¡± said Griffa tenderly.  The child was crying softly as Griffa wiped him clean.  She could feel magic pulsing through the baby.


    ¡°How is the mother?¡± asked Griffa quietly to the midwife


    ¡°She will be weak for a while, but she will live,¡± said the midwife.


    Griffa nodded.  She took the baby to Teryn.  Teryn sat up against her pillows looking up at Griffa.


    ¡°Your son,¡± said Griffa placing the baby into Teryn¡¯s arms.  ¡°He is very handsome and will be a powerful magic user.  You will have to watch him.¡±


    Griffa wiped her hands on a nearby towel and watched Teryn marvel at her new son.


    ¡°I wish Kedan were here,¡± said Teryn looking at Camelia.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Camelia looking at the baby.  ¡°Kedan looked just like that when he was born.¡±


    Teryn then turned to look up at Griffa with tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°You are welcome.  Take good care of him,¡± said Griffa.  She looked at Camelia.  ¡°I should probably go back now, before someone misses me.¡±


    Camelia nodded.   She motioned for Griffa to follow her.  They walked into the sitting room, and Camelia had the soldier retie Griffa¡¯s binds.  Camelia watched as Griffa winced in pain.  Griffa felt her magic slip away.  Her energy was automatically drained.  She wanted nothing more than to sink into one of the chairs by the fireplace and sleep, but she had to go back to her cell.


    Griffa walked back to her cell with Camelia by her side and the soldier behind them. They walked in silence until they got to Griffa¡¯s cell.  The soldier opened the bars and Griffa walked in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you, Miss Keene.  I don¡¯t feel right putting you back in your cell.  I owe you a great debt.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing,¡± said Griffa looking at Camelia.  ¡°I could not let a child die, or a mother suffer without trying something.¡±


    ¡°Still, you have given me a great gift.  I will not forget it,¡± said Camelia as the solider closed Griffa¡¯s cell.  Camelia turned to go.  She stopped and turned back to Griffa.  ¡°My son, Kedan, he left here saying he was going to go find those who fight for the truth. I think he might have been going to your folk.  If you do leave here and see him, will you tell him about his son?¡±


    ¡°I doubt I ever see anything outside of the place walls again, but yes, if I see him, I will tell him,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°And tell him, that I do miss him.  Teryn does as well.¡±


    Griffa nodded.


    ¡°Good night, Miss Keene,¡± said Camelia.  ¡°I will not forget your service.¡±


    Griffa sat down at the back of her cell exhausted, but satisfied with what she had done.

 Chapter 6

    Golnar sat at the desk in the study by the throne room.  He looked over some notes he had made about releasing magic users in the fourth and third ring of Aurumist.  He had hoped to be ready to start in the outer rings right after the spring festival, but he had been distracted lately.


    He had been entertaining the young king from the old magical folk.  Golnar didn¡¯t know quite what to make of the boy.  He was quiet.  He only seemed to talk when he had something important to say.  Golnar could tell the boy was intelligent.


    The young king was very careful in his actions and words, especially for a young man who had not reached his majority.  He had a wisdom and patience beyond his years.  Most answers the young king gave seemed very calculated. Golnar didn¡¯t think the boy every lied to him, but the answers he gave were formed in such a way to not reveal much. Golnar found he rather liked the young king.  He wished there was a way to sway him to side of Aurumist. The young king remained loyal to his side and especially Miss Keene.


    Golnar did not care for Gryphon Keene.  She unnerved him. Her demonstration in the throne room when she first arrived in Aurumist was impressive.  Her magic was powerful, and she knew how to use it.  Golnar would love to find a way to use that kind of power to his advantage, but he didn¡¯t know how to work with the woman.  When he was near her, Golnar felt nervous and unsettled.  He felt like she could see through him.  He felt like she knew all his secrets and shortcomings.  She made him feel weak.


    He had kept her sedated with different potions. The last one he had sent was meant to make her more persuadable.  Golnar had hoped to make her easier to deal with, so he could use her knowledge and ability.  The potion had made her violently ill.  Golnar didn¡¯t know why, he had made it correctly.


    He knew Philo was probably crueler to Miss Keene than he needed to be, but Golnar let him do as he pleased.  Golnar only had the woman brought to him lately when the young king needed to be reminded to do as he was told.  The young king seemed very attached to Miss Keene.  That was the problem with caring about people, it was a weakness that others could exploit.


    Now Golnar had grown tired of his guests.  The young king¡¯s blood did not work out in the potion Golnar had made for himself.  The potion had destroyed itself, making Golnar¡¯s living quarters unlivable even now.  Golnar would try one more time to use the king¡¯s powerful magical blood for himself, then he would find other ways to use having this king to his advantage.


    Golnar had just thought of a plan the other day, and he was ready to use it. He wondered why he had not heard from Abscon.  He wondered why there had been no rescue attempt for the young king and the woman.  Golnar had a feeling the leaders of Abscon weren¡¯t about sticking their necks out.  He had a feeling he might be able to strike a bargain with them.


    But first, Golnar had a visitor in the study.  He had heard that Teryn had delivered her child a couple of nights before.  Golnar was happy that Camelia had come to see him.  He hoped it meant she was ready to go forward with his plans.  He hoped she had thrown out any of her weak stomach ideas of right and wrong.  Golnar needed Camelia on his side, especially with how weak his magic was.


    He looked up at Camelia from the desk.  ¡°So, the babe is well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, said Camelia happily.  ¡°A very healthy baby boy.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Golnar. ¡°How is Teryn?¡±


    ¡°She is tired and weak, but the midwife says she will pull through.  She had a rough time.¡±


    ¡°The cost of motherhood,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°At least she didn¡¯t pay the ultimate price.¡±


    ¡°Easy for a man to say,¡± said Camelia. ¡°You see women as the weaker sex, but we endure more pain than you could ever imagine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°You¡¯ve decided to stay in Aurumist, I take it. You are still wishing to be involved in our plans?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still mulling it over.  How can I be sure of the safety of my grandson if we stay?¡± asked Camelia.


    ¡°I give you my word, he will be safe.  I have no plans to hurt a child.  In fact, I have great hopes for your new grandson.¡±


    ¡°Nothing you just said makes me feel any better about staying in Aurumist,¡± said Camelia with a scornful laugh.  ¡°You gave me your word that Kedan would be safe, and look now.  Where is he?  We don¡¯t know.  If he hadn¡¯t escaped from the palace you would have had him in the cells with Miss Keene, or dead.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to keep Kedan safe.  I wanted him to be a part of our plans.  He chose poorly.  I cannot control your son, Camelia.  I thought you and Teryn would have controlled him.  Perhaps his predicament is more your fault than mine.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t send him off with a spy to fill his head full of nonsense,¡± said Camelia fiercely. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what was going on right under your nose on the Ancient Council.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Golnar, ¡°We both are at fault for the failure with Kedan, but I will not fail you with your grandson.  We can raise him as a king.  We can make him powerful.  He will lead the kingdom after you and I are gone.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure kings have very safe lives.  Kedan¡¯s life didn¡¯t improve with the title.  You have a young king here now.  Tell me, is he enjoying his stay?¡±


    Golnar chuckled. ¡°Power always comes with risk, Camelia, but if we can go forward with our plan, we can create a new Regventus that will minimize those risk for our future king. Your grandson will make better choices.  He will learn from you and from me.¡±


    ¡°How are the plans going for the kingdom, Golnar?  You seem to be at a standstill at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I have been a little distracted, but my plans are still on schedule.  After the spring festival we will start moving into the third and fourth rings of the city.  You will be necessary.  Teryn would be helpful.  We can wait until she is feeling up to helping,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°She will need a few weeks still, maybe a couple of months,¡± said Camelia as she picked something off her skirt.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.  We can wait until then.  I am busy at the moment with my guests.  I have plans for them that need to happen first.¡±


    ¡°What are your plans for the king and Miss Keene?¡± asked Camelia looking at Golnar closely.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    Camelia gave a small shrug of her shoulder. ¡°You want my help in your plans, so I think I should at least know what they are.¡±


    ¡°The young king might still be useful to us soon.  He is valuable to the other side.  Miss Keene has long outstayed her welcome. I have a plan to get rid of her one way or another,¡± said Golnar smiling.


    Camelia looked at Golnar with narrowed eyes.  ¡°You talk of taking a life as if it is nothing.¡±


    ¡°If a life is not useful to the kingdom, what good is it?  Miss Keene will cause nothing but trouble for us if she is allowed to live much longer.  If we want to make Regventus the kingdom it should be, we must do what we need to do.¡±


    Camelia looked like she would say more when there was a knock at the door.  Philo walked in with the young king.


    ¡°Here you go, Camelia.  You will hear my plans, now,¡± said Golnar standing up. ¡°Good day, young king, come and sit at this desk.  I have a task for you.¡±


    Philo brought the young king over and plopped him down in the chair behind the desk.


    ¡°Now, do you know how to address a message to someone in Abscon?  If you write a message and address it, will it make it to its destination?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max looking up at Golnar.


    ¡°If I wanted to contact the Ring in Abscon, could you send it to someone who would make sure they read it?¡± asked Golnar putting a quill and piece of paper in front of Max.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max.  ¡°I believe so.¡±


    ¡°If I get it to a bird today, how long does it take to get there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  Probably tomorrow evening at the latest.  It usually takes not quite a day for a message to reach Clarton form Abscon, but Aurumist is a little further away.¡±


    ¡°Very good.  So, one week would be plenty of time for a deadline, especially since I¡¯m sure everyone on the Ring can travel quickly,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Now, young king, I want you to write a letter for me.  I am going to tell you what to say.  Will you do this for me?¡±


    ¡°It will depend on what you want me to say,¡± answered Max. ¡°I won¡¯t lie for you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to lie, young king.  I would like to meet with your Ring.  I am issuing an invitation,¡± said Golnar walking to the front of the desk.  He sat down next to Camelia.


    Golnar watched as the young king prepared his paper and dipped his quill in the ink pot.  He paused with his quill over the paper and looked up at Golnar.


    ¡°You can write this in your own words.  Write a greeting of some sort.  Tell them you are alive and well,¡± said Golnar folding his hands together.  ¡°Tell them Miss Keene is alive and well too.¡±


    Max looked up at Golnar.  ¡°You told me you wouldn¡¯t ask me to lie.¡±


    ¡°Very well, tell them Miss Keene is alive.¡±


    Golnar waited as Max wrote quickly and evenly.  When he was ready, he raised his head.


    ¡°Write that I would like to meet with the Ring, at least three members one week from today.  I would like to meet with them outside the fifth ring of Aurumist one hour before sunset.  I will guarantee their safety.  I am willing to enter into a magical bond if that is what it takes.¡±


    Golnar paused again to let Max write.


    ¡°I will meet with them about your and Miss Keene¡¯s future safety.  I will be willing to talk about a deal for at least one of you.  We will talk about how Aurumist and the old magical folk can co-exist together. Let me know when you have gotten all that down.¡±


    Golnar looked at Camelia as Max wrote.  She was looking at the young king with a curious look on her face.  She must have sensed Golnar looking at her because she turned and looked at Golnar.


    ¡°I am done,¡± said Max looking up.  ¡°Is there anything else you would like me to write?¡±


    ¡°Do you think your people will come meet with me?¡± asked Golnar.  ¡°Do you think they will take the chance and come to Aurumist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Max.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Ring is interested in a deal with you.  They have been working to stop you.¡±


    ¡°True, perhaps we should give them some incentive.  What do you say?¡± asked Golnar looking at Max.  ¡°Write this, young king.  Tell them if they do not meet at the appointed time and place, I will have the leader of the Ring, Gryphon Keene, executed the next day at sunrise.¡±


    Max looked up with anger in his eyes.  Camelia turned her head sharply and stared at Golnar.


    ¡°Write it, now.  Would you rather I go get Miss Keene and have her killed in front of you this moment?¡± asked Golnar.


    Max looked back down and started writing.


    ¡°Good, I will have her executed for crimes against the powers of Aurumist.  She killed two soldiers and injured many on the Council of Ancients.¡±


    Max wrote quickly and furiously, looking up at Golnar periodically.


    ¡°You would have an execution the day of the spring festival?¡± asked Camelia quietly.


    ¡°I hope not.  I hope they choose to meet with me.  If they don¡¯t, we will kill Gryphon Keene in front of the palace at sunrise,¡± said Golnar.


    The room was quiet as Max wrote.  The only noise came from Max¡¯s quill and his breaths that were coming hard and fast.


    ¡°Let them know that both you and Miss Keene will be kept in a secure, hidden location during the meeting.  You both will have over one hundred soldiers watching you.  If they try to harm me or anyone of my party, I will kill both of you.  If they try to rescue you and Miss Keene, they will be faced with the full wrath of the city¡¯s army.  I think that will do,¡± said Golnar.


    Max finished the letter and held it out to Golnar.  ¡°I am done, would you like to read over it?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to?¡± asked Golnar in response. Max shook his head.  ¡°Good, now address it correctly and I will have it taken to someone to send it on its way.¡±


    Golnar turned to Camelia, ¡°Now you know my plans, Camelia.  Do you have any objections?¡±


    In response Camelia gave him a venomous look, but she responded with a simple, ¡°No.¡± She then stood up, and walked quickly out of the room.

 Chapter 7

    Ansel sat up in bed and looked at the light coming into the window.  It was another day closer to rescuing Max and Griffa.  Ansel touched his pendant and waited.  There was no warming response.  Ansel touched it again, and still nothing.  Ansel closed his eyes and listened to his magic.  He knew he would be able to feel it, if Griffa died, but she had not responded to his pendant in almost a week.


    He didn¡¯t know if she had lost it or wasn¡¯t in a condition to respond.  He wondered if maybe she had given up hope, and had stopped responding to him.  Whatever it was, it made him want to go get her more than ever.  He didn¡¯t know how he had waited so long. Every day, it became harder and harder to ignore the panic he felt inside as his magic demanded his queen.


    He also missed Griffa terribly.  Ansel had few people he was actually close to. As he was not one to make friends easily.  He didn¡¯t mind.  He liked keeping to himself.  He didn¡¯t like letting people know his secrets and weaknesses.  Griffa probably knew him better than anyone in the kingdom.  Even as a child she could read his mood and his thoughts better than anyone.


    Ansel thought back now to all the time he had wasted denying his feelings for Griffa.  He remembered their first kiss back during the spring festival before he had to collect Max.  He had run from her.  He had stayed away from her all through spring, summer, and most of the fall.  He used his duty to Max as an excuse, but he was actually afraid to see her.


    He should have known then he loved her.  He had tried to deny it.  He fought it, believing himself not good enough for her.  He was too old and serious.  His position would not be an ideal for any woman to be his wife.  How could he ask Griffa to take up that position in his life?  But she had loved him anyway.  She had loved him and showed him that love wasn¡¯t about finding or being the perfect person. She loved him despite his deficiencies.  He loved her despite her few flaws.  He had a hard time remembering her flaws at the moment, but she always assured him that she had many.


    Ansel wondered now if he resisted her for so long, because of who she really was.  Did his protector¡¯s magic recognize her in some way even before she took her position as the leader of the Ring?  Did it try to guard his heart before his queen could take her place?  If it did, it didn¡¯t matter.  It didn¡¯t stop him from loving her.  Once Ansel realized he loved her, he knew he would never love anyone else.  He still felt that way.


    Ansel got up and prepared for the day.  Talon would be coming to the house today to stay until they would go to Aurumist.  They would plan and prepare.  Kedan would teach them all about the passageway into the palace.  He would go over the different places they could be keeping Max and Griffa.  He would tell them the best ways to get around the palace without getting caught.


    Ansel walked downstairs to eat breakfast.  He sat down at the table to find Issa by herself eating some bacon and looking at a book.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± said Ansel sitting down.  ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    Issa looked up and Ansel and smiled slightly.  ¡°It¡¯s an old book on the palace in Aurumist.  I found it last night in a box in the closet of the strategy room.  I was seeing if it had anything useful in it.¡±


    Ansel took a piece of toast and looked at Issa to see she looked very tired.  ¡°Did you read that book all night?  Have you slept at all?¡±


    ¡°I did a little,¡± said Issa marking her book and closing it ¡°I¡¯ve not slept well in a while, so I might as well do something useful while I¡¯m up.¡±


    Ansel put some butter on his toast.  He hadn¡¯t talked much to Issa since Max and Griffa were taken.  He knew she was hurting.  She was very close to Max.  They had known each other almost their whole lives.  She had left all she knew and come here to live amongst people she didn¡¯t know just to be close to Max.


    She had been very kind to Ansel these past two months.  She had fetched him tea after he was out training all day with his guards.  She had shooed him to bed when he stayed up too late. She asked how he was doing almost every day.  She would remind him to take care of himself.  He wondered who was taking care of Issa.


    He supposed Nora and Maybelle had been seeing to her.  They would probably make sure she was eating and taking time to care for herself.   Still, Ansel felt guilty.  He had spent most of his time ignoring Issa.  He had ignored the pain she was going through and focused on himself.  He was ashamed of himself.  He could hear Griffa¡¯s voice in his ear, telling him to be kind.


    ¡°We are going to get Max back, Issa.  I promise you.  I won¡¯t leave Aurumist without him,¡± said Ansel.


    Issa looked at Ansel and smiled wider this time.  ¡°I know, Ansel.  You will bring Griffa back as well.  I miss them both.¡±


    ¡°I do too,¡± said Ansel quietly.  ¡°It won¡¯t be long now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they are alright?¡± asked Issa.  ¡°Do you believe they are still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel ¡°I know Griffa is still alive.  I would be aware if she died.  They still think Max is our king.  If they killed him, they would let us know.¡±


    Issa nodded.  ¡°I¡¯m still scared for both of them.¡±


    Ansel sighed and ate his toast.  He was as well.  He worried how they were being treated.  Just because they were alive, didn¡¯t mean they were well.  He imagined all sorts of horrors for them.  Ansel wasn¡¯t a optimist.  He couldn¡¯t imagine they wouldn¡¯t endure some pain.  He wouldn¡¯t tell Issa that.


    They heard a quick knock at the front door and then the sound of it opening.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s Talon,¡± said Issa.  ¡°I¡¯m surprised he knocks at all at this point.¡±


    Talon walked into the room and sat down next to Ansel.  ¡°Good morning Ansel, Issa,¡± said Talon casually.  He poured himself some tea, adding a large amount of sugar.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± said Issa smiling at Talon.  ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡±


    ¡°I know. I had no plans today, so I figured I would go ahead and come here so we could start planning as soon as possible,¡± said Talon drinking his tea.  ¡°Where is Kedan?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not down yet,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°He usually only sleeps this late when you are here to drink with him, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s keeping him.¡±


    Ansel finished eating.  Issa left the table with her book, saying she would be in the conservatory reading.  As she left, Kedan came in and sat down at the table.  He poured some tea and filled his plate with food.  Ansel could see that his eyes looked tired. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Did you not sleep well?¡± asked Talon ¡°You weren¡¯t drinking without me, were you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Kedan ¡°I had trouble sleeping last night.  I had a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± asked Talon


    ¡°Why do you always have to know everything about everyone?¡± asked Kedan testily. ¡°Can¡¯t I have any secrets?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a curious person.  I ask because I care.  You¡¯ll feel better if you tell me.  Now what¡¯s wrong,¡± said Talon before popping a bite of  toast into his mouth.


    ¡°I was thinking of my child if you must know.  He should be born by now.  I was wondering how he was doing, he and his mother,¡± said Kedan looking at Talon.


    Talon gave Kedan a half smile.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I pried into your personal affairs.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± said Kedan looking down at his plate.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not, but I am sorry you are having a tough time.  I¡¯m sure your child is fine.  I bet your child is a healthy boy who looks just like you,¡± said Talon merrily.


    ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll ever see him,¡± said Kedan sadly.  ¡°I should have done more for them.  I should have made Teryn come with me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t change the past, my friend,¡± said Talon sympathetically.  ¡°Don¡¯t give up on seeing him.  One day when our queen is on the throne, you will see your son.  Probably your enchantress wife as well.¡±


    Kedan ate some bacon and then propped his head on his hand.  ¡°You¡¯re right.  I can¡¯t do anything about it now.  We will all need to focus if we are going to bring your queen and friend home.¡±


    Talon nodded as Nora and Cillian walked into the room.  Nora stopped and looked around.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you would all have eaten by now.¡±


    ¡°Cillian,¡± said Talon looking up at him.  ¡°Did you arrive this morning?  It¡¯s early for a visit.¡±


    Ansel saw Nora¡¯s cheeks go red.  Cillian shuffled slightly where he stood.  Ansel looked at Talon who had a wicked smile on his face.


    ¡°Some of us were late rising, Nora.  Talon showed up pretty early himself as you can see.  I¡¯m glad Cillian has joined us today,¡± said Ansel throwing a warning look at Talon.


    ¡°Yes, Cillian, I¡¯m glad you could come so early to see your friend today.  I think we are about done here, aren¡¯t we?¡± asked Talon looking at Kedan and Ansel.


    Kedan looked at Talon with his mouth full. He looked at Nora and Cillian and then swallowed.  ¡°Yes, of course.  I can take my tea to the parlor.¡±


    Ansel, Kedan, and Talon stood up and walked together to the parlor.  Ansel stopped by the sofa and couldn¡¯t help giving a little laugh.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Talon. ¡°Are you actually laughing?¡¯


    ¡°I was just thinking what Max what have said if he had been here.  He would not have let that one go.¡±


    Ansel, Talon, and Kedan spent most of the day in the parlor talking.  They moved into the study to look for some books.  After lunch, they went into the strategy room to look at the map.


    ¡°I wish this map could show us the interior of the palace,¡± said Kedan looking at the walls of the palace.


    ¡°You lived there for a long time.  Don¡¯t you know the interior pretty well?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°I do, but there are hidden passageways in many different areas.  I think Teryn found most of them, but she didn¡¯t show me them all.  If we could find where all the passageways are, we would have an easier time getting around the palace to find Griffa and Max,¡± answered Kedan.


    After dinner they had a visitor.  Marcus Quick came on Talon¡¯s invitation. He walked in the parlor and looked at Ansel with worry.


    ¡°Good evening, Ansel,¡± said Marcus looking at him.


    Ansel nodded at Marcus, giving him a cold look.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you agreed I could join you to help Max and Griffa.  I like Max, what I know of him.  You know how I feel about Griffa.¡±


    Ansel didn¡¯t respond.  He turned slightly in his chair and looked at the fire.


    ¡°Sit down, Marcus.  We are just talking about our strategy a bit,¡± said Talon pointing to a chair next to him.


    Marcus made his way to the chair and nodded at Kedan.  ¡°I¡¯m Marcus Quick,¡± he said looking at Kedan.


    ¡°I know.  I¡¯ve heard about you,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°You¡¯re the one who poisoned the queen, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°My father did that.  He just used me.  I would never intentionally hurt Griffa,¡± said Marcus quickly.


    ¡°You were stupid,¡± said Ansel looking at Marcus.  ¡°You should have known better.  You almost killed her.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t, Ansel.  Bickering over it won¡¯t help get Griffa back now,¡± said Talon.  ¡°We need Marcus to pull this off, so find a way to get along with him.¡±


    Ansel rolled his eyes as Issa ran into the room.


    ¡°Ansel, I think I¡¯ve found something you may want to see,¡± said Issa coming over to Ansel and handing him an open book.


    Ansel looked down at the pages. He looked up at Issa.  ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it continues on for four more pages,¡± said Issa excitedly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Talon


    ¡°Issa has found a map of all the secret passages in the palace,¡± said Ansel smiling.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± said Kedan jumping up and walking over to stand next to Issa.  Ansel handed Kedan the book.


    ¡°This looks like it¡¯s correct.  Here is the one I used to escape the palace,¡± said Kedan.  He looked at the cover of the book.  ¡°This book seems very old, where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Here in the manor.  I believe the Keene¡¯s brought many old books out of Aurumist when they had to evacuate after Queen Agatha was overthrown,¡¯ said Issa as she walked over and sat on the couch.


    Kedan took the book back to his chair.  He continued to study it.  Jonthon, one of the residents who worked in the house walked in with a message.


    ¡°This just came for you, Ansel.  The bird was at the back door. It took off after I detached the message.¡±


    Ansel got up and met Jonathon close to the parlor door.  Ansel took the message, and Jonthon turned and left the room.  Ansel opened the letter where he stood, and skimmed over it.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Max,¡± said Ansel looking up at the group in the parlor.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Talon loudly.  He jumped up and walked over to Ansel.


    Ansel read the letter.  He felt his blood run cold as he read it.  He took deep breaths, reading until the end.  He looked up Talon.


    ¡°What is it, Ansel?¡± asked Talon worriedly.   Ansel handed Talon the letter as he processed what he had just read.


    Talon got to the end and looked at Ansel.  ¡°Your Ring won¡¯t agree to this.  Even if they did, we wouldn¡¯t want them representing our folk and our queen in Aurumist.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on telling them about this,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Talon, we can¡¯t wait any longer.  We have to go.¡±


    ¡°Sit down for a second, Ansel.  We still have a few days,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Did you read it?  Did you see what Max said?¡± asked Ansel anxiously.


    ¡°I did, but it says they won¡¯t kill her for another week.  We have a few days,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Kill who?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Issa quietly.  ¡°They¡¯re going to kill Griffa, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Talon nodded.  ¡°They want representatives from the Ring to meet with them outside the fifth ring of Aurumist.  They want to discuss a trade for either Max or Griffa.  They also want to discuss a way to work together.  If the Ring does not show up, they will execute Griffa they next day at sunrise.¡±


    ¡°We will have to go at least a day earlier than planned. maybe when this meeting is supposed to take place,¡± said Kedan.  He got up and took the letter from Talon, reading it himself.


    ¡°We might need to go earlier than that.  They will have Max and Griffa under heavy guard the day of the meeting,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°We need to go right now,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Did you read the first part of the letter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s says they are alive and well,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°No,¡± said Ansel, ¡°look again.  It¡¯s says Max is alive and well.  Max only wrote that Griffa is alive. He underlined the word alive. Max wouldn¡¯t omit that Griffa was well unless she wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that, Ansel,¡± said Talon emphatically.  ¡°He was writing this under pressure. It probably doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    ¡°Max is extremely clever and careful.  He would not do that on purpose, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t underline alive unless it meant something.¡±


    Issa walked over and took the letter from Kedan.  She read it quickly.  ¡°I think Ansel is right. This is something Max would do on purpose to prove a point.  Griffa is alive, but she is not well.¡±


    Talon blew out a puff of air.  ¡°We should prepare tomorrow and leave the next day.  I know it will be hard to wait, Ansel, but we are only going to get one chance to do this right.¡±


    Ansel didn¡¯t want to wait another second.  The thought of Griffa being hurt or worse was unbearable, but Talon had a good point.  If they really wanted to help Griffa, they would have to have a good plan that would work.


    ¡°Fine, we leave the day after tomorrow, but I will not wait one more day.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Max was led out of his bedroom two days after writing his note.  Max knew it was getting late in the day, but it was still light out.  The three soldiers who took him did not speak.  Two walked in front of him and one walked behind.  He followed the soldiers as they led him down the stairs and into the entrance hall.  Max expected them to take him to the study off of the throne room, but instead he was led through the front door and outside.


    Max blinked in the late afternoon soon.  It had been so long since he had been outdoors.  The light wind that blew felt so good, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.  He kept following the silent soldiers as they led him out of the palace gates and to the left.


    They walked down the streets of the first ring of Aurumist.  Not many people were out, but the few who were stopped and stared at Max.  He looked at a few of them, wondering if they knew who he was.  It didn¡¯t matter really.  No one in Aurumist except for Griffa knew who Max really was.  They all thought he was the king of the magical folk.  They didn¡¯t realize they had the actual queen, a powerful one right in their midst.


    The soldiers took Max to a large building that he thought must be a temple.  They walked in and there was a fountain in the front room of the building.  It was a statue of twelve faceless people all in an outward facing circle.  They all had their hands positioned in different ways, looking like they might send a spell or a curse.  Max looked at it as he walked by, and it made him uneasy.


    They walked into the main room of the temple.  There were rows of benches in a circle facing a blank place in the middle.  There were high windows all along all four walls of the temple, letting in light.  The light filled the middle circle.  The soldiers led Max through the large room to the very back of the temple.  One of the soldiers kneeled down and opened a door that was made into the stone floor.


    Max looked down and saw that the door led to very steep stairs.  The soldiers pushed him towards it and Max carefully and slowly walked down the stairs.  As he walked down, he entered a dark, large room.  The floor was stone, the walls seemed to be made of stone as well. The ceiling was high.  It was painted blue with yellow suns and stars.  The room was cold and musty.  Max waited at the base of the stairs for the soldiers.


    When the soldiers made it down the stairs, they urged Max on.  Max could see a light up ahead, and he walked towards it.  As he got closer, he could make out a large statue.  The statue sat in the middle of four large smooth columns that seem to be supporting the ceiling.  The columns each had a burning torch on it.


    As Max walked towards the statue, he realized it was a statue of the gods.  The same as was in Abscon and the Valley, but larger.  Max felt as if the air was different closer to the statue.  He could feel the electricity of magic all around him.  His own magic struggled to ignite within him.  Max walked on looking up at the statue, not noticing others were around.


    ¡°Welcome, young king,¡± said Golnar.  Max¡¯s eyes snapped to Golnar.


    Max saw that Golnar was not alone.  Philo stood close by with a tight hold on Griffa.  Next to Philo and Griffa a fire was burning at the base of the statue.  A large kettle was placed over it.  Max could see something gold was brewing in the kettle, and  Max wondered if it was the same potion as before.


    ¡°I need your help, young king,¡± said Golnar walking over to Max.  He grabbed Max by the arm and brought him over close to Griffa.  ¡°I still need this potion made.  I know last time did not go well.  So, I brought you down here to your gods.  These are your gods, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max quietly looking at Griffa. She had a fresh cut above her eye.  The blood was running down her face, as she stared back at Max.


    ¡°I think they might help our little situation.  I¡¯ve been reading about your gods and blood magic.  You may not know this, but your folk were quite fond of blood magic at one time.  There were a couple of blood magic spells that were very important to your folk.  You should look them up sometime.¡±


    ¡°You have no business doing blood magic,¡± said Griffa angrily.  ¡°You are poisoning everyone in the city, you included.  This potion isn¡¯t the answer to your problems.  Our folk may have used blood magic in ancient times, but it has been perverted and misused since then.  It is used mostly for evil now.  Your evil intension taints every potion you make. You will fail again and again.  They gods won¡¯t stand for evil.¡±


    ¡°Philo, please help our guest hold her tongue,¡± said Golnar harshly.


    Philo raised his hand and threw Griffa down on the ground.  She hit the stone floor on her side and stayed down.


    ¡°What is it you want?¡± asked Max angrily to Golnar.  ¡°Just tell me what you want, and I will do it.¡±


    ¡°I want you to finish the potion for me.  You can use Miss Keene¡¯s blood. Philo, take that bowl there and get some of her blood,¡± said Golnar nodding at a bowl on the ground next to the fire.


    Philo grabbed the bowl.  He placed it next to Griffa. He kneeled down and grabbed Griffa off the floor, so she was sitting up.  Max could see her eyes were half open.  Philo took a long sharp knife out of his belt and grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand.  He sliced her palm open quickly.  He laid her hand in the bowl and her blood flowed from the wound into the bowl.  After a minute Philo took the bowl and pushed Griffa hard to the floor.  He placed the bowl next to the kettle.


    ¡°You will finish the potion with Miss Keene¡¯s blood.  All have to do is add the blood and then stir it a few times tonight.  You will not add the blood until Philo and I have left this room.  You will stay here overnight with the potion.  I will come back in the morning to let you out,¡± said Golnar.


    Max nodded.


    ¡°I will leave Miss Keene and the soldiers with you.  Oh, Philo don¡¯t forget to give Miss Keene something for her pain from her injuries,¡± said Golnar as he walked by Max.


    Max watched as Philo pulled a vial out of his pocket.  He raised his hand and Griffa sat up with her eyes closed.  Philo opened her mouth and poured the liquid from the vial down her throat.  He pushed Griffa lightly, and she dropped to the floor on her side.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Now if you try to run, you will have to leave your friend.  She will sleep for some time if she wakes up at all. I have given these soldiers full authority to use any force necessary if you try anything.  Now, come along Philo, let¡¯s go so the young king can complete the potion.¡±


    Philo and Golnar walked out together.  Max watched them walk up the stairs and through the trap doors.  The soldiers stood around the supports watching Max.  Max walked over quickly and kneeled down by Griffa. He made a show of picking up the bowl of blood.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± whispered Max.  ¡°Griffa, you need to wake up.  This could be our chance.¡±


    Griffa didn¡¯t move.  Max moved the bowl closer to her slightly as the soldiers watched. Max moved his body to try to shield his movements from the soldiers.  He slowly placed his hands next to Griffa¡¯s and connected his fingers with hers.  Max felt his magic wake up.  He felt Griffa¡¯s magic pouring form her hand and mixing with his.  He looked at Griffa as she made a small noise.


    ¡°Griffa, wake up, please.  I know it¡¯s hard, but we can do this.  We can do it together,¡± said Max quietly in a pleading voice.


    Griffa¡¯s eyes slowly opened.  She looked up at Max.  ¡°Can you hear me, Griffa?¡± asked Max in a whisper.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°We can do this; I know we can.¡±


    She nodded and sat up slowly keeping her fingers interlocked with Max.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± asked the soldier closest to them.


    Griffa looked up at Max and nodded her head.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.  She waited a few seconds and then her eyes opened.  Max watched as the bonds around her wrist fell to the ground.  She reached with her hands and touched the rope around her waist, and tt fell loose against her body.


    Griffa jumped up and turned and moved her hand.  The first soldier was slammed against the support he was by.  Griffa turned and pushed out her hand, another soldier flew into the back wall, his head smacking hard against the stone.  One of the soldiers had caught on and threw a curse at Griffa. She blocked it easy and threw a curse back at the solider.  The soldier crumpled down and did not move.  She then turned and quickly a threw a curse over her shoulder.  The fourth soldier spun in the air and fell in a crumpled mess on the floor.


    Griffa looked around frantically, checking for any more soldiers.  She stumbled slightly, but steadied herself.  She walked over to Max and raised her hand, and Max¡¯s ropes fell from his wrists.  He quickly took the ones off his stomach.


    ¡°We have to get out of here, Griffa,¡± said Max as he kicked over Griffa¡¯s bowl of blood.  ¡°Are you alight?¡±


    Griffa had a wild look in her eyes, but she nodded at Max.  Max grabbed her arm to get her to follow him, but she wouldn¡¯t move.  She turned to look at the statue of the Gods.


    ¡°Griffa, we have to go,¡± said Max.


    Griffa continued to stare at the Gods.  She stumbled over to the statue. She fell on her knees before it, breathing hard.  She raised her cut hand that was bleeding and reached out, touching the foot of the sister, and closing her eyes.  Max could feel the electricity in the air, as magic was swirling all around them.  Griffa stood there with her eyes closed, touching the statue as her hair blew around her as if moved by a strong wind.


    Max watched as Griffa held out her other hand towards Max.  He grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand.  He instantly felt a strong bolt of magic flow through his body.  The magic created a song within him.  It sang the history of the magic folk.  It sang of a time before King Nathin, when the world was new.  Max closed his eyes.


    Max saw a vision of Griffa.  She was clothed in a black dress. She was whole and healthy.  Her hair was blowing in the breeze all around her face.  She held her staff by her side.  She was on top of a tower in the palace. The sides were open with no windows or roof.  She looked over Aurumist with a benevolent smile, taking a deep breath and raising her staff.  Max felt a peace like he had never experienced before.


    He opened his eyes to find Griffa looking at him.  Her arms were by her side.  She was standing straight with clear, bright eyes.  Max could feel magic radiating off of her, as she nodded at Max and grabbed his hand.  They ran together to the stairs.  Griffa went up the stairs with Max following.  She opened the trap door and looked around, before going up with Max following her.  They were in the temple alone.


    ¡°Where do we go, Griffa?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°We need to try to make it out of the city,¡± replied Griffa.  ¡°We can travel to the gates of Abscon from there. We are probably going to have to fight our way out.  Whatever happens, Max, I will not go back to that cell.¡±


    The walked together through the temple to the front doors.  Griffa inched the door open and looked out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone.  I guess we have to try, Max.  I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, but we have to try.¡±


    Max nodded.


    Griffa pushed open the door and they walked out.  To the left was a high stone wall, that Max knew led to a high cliff that overlooked the river.  The only way to go was back towards the palace.  They tried to stay close to the edge of the road, so they could hide in trees if needed.  They had almost got to the path away from the palace when a curse came flying at them.  Griffa¡¯ pushed Max out of the way and threw up a block.  The curse knocked her back, but she stayed on her feet.


    Griffa pushed her hands out and two soldiers flew out from a behind a tree.  They fell onto each other.  More soldiers came out of the first ring towards Max and Griffa.  They were trapped between the palace gates and a line of soldiers.  Griffa threw curses and blocks as soldiers fell around them.  Max tried to help her by blocking curses where he could and taking down soldiers when he had a chance.  They retreated back to the palace gates.


    ¡°What do we do, Griffa?¡± asked Max wildly.


    ¡°Only thing we can, Max.¡± said Griffa.  She raised he hands, and Max could feel a shield appear around them.  She turned towards the gates and pushed both her hands out.  A stiff wind blew, and the palace gates moved.  Griffa pushed harder and the gates cracked open.  Max put his own hand out and pushed.  The gates blew open just as Griffa¡¯s block weakened.  She pushed Max through the gates.  She threw a couple of curses behind her as she ran through the gates herself.  She shut them with a push of her hand.


    Griffa looked up and threw her hands in the hair.  On both sides of the tower, soldiers fell out of the open windows.  She looked around and grabbed Max.


    ¡°We have to try to find a way out of the palace from a different side, come on,¡± said Griffa.


    She ran to the palace doors, and Max followed her.  She placed her hand on the door, and the door opened.  Max had no idea how she knew the wards for the door, but he didn¡¯t question it.  The ran into the deserted entrance hall. Griffa stopped Max and looked around, before running into the throne room.  It was empty.  They ran the length of it to the large doorway in the front of the room by the raised dais.


    They ran through the doorway and looked around.  Griffa grabbed Max and pulled him to the left down a hallway.  They had just made it to the door at the end, when soldiers came running into the hallway behind them.  They threw curses and spells as Griffa put up a shield around them.  She took down soldiers with her own spells and curses.  Max threw spells at the soldiers as well.  He raised his hand and a large shelf against the wall fell on two soldiers.


    Griffa looked at Max.  ¡°Max, I¡¯m going to get you out of here.  You are going to find a way out.  Don¡¯t look back.  Just keep going. If you go straight and turn to the left, you will find a set of stairs.  Those stairs will lead you to the kitchens.  You can find a door that leads to the outside.  If you make it to the cliffs you should be able to magically travel. Get to the cliffs and travel to the gates of Abscon,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°What are you talking about? How do you know how to get to the kitchens?¡± asked Max.  Griffa turned and opened the door.


    ¡°Griffa, come on,¡± said Max loudly.


    ¡°I will stay and fight.  Go Max, get out of here,¡± said Griffa. She pushed Max in and then closed the door.


    He tried to open the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.  He threw different spells at it, but he couldn¡¯t open it.


    ¡°Griffa!¡± called Max. ¡°Griffa!¡±  The door would not open.  Max turned and saw an empty hallway before him.  He ran down it trying to find a way to get back to Griffa.

 Chapter 9

    Kedan walked quickly by Ansel as they made their way out of Abscon to the gates. He looked up at Ansel to see his face mostly hidden by the hat he wore.  Kedan could see Ansel¡¯s mouth sat in a hard line.  He breathed heavily as they walked.  Kedan knew Ansel wanted to leave earlier in the day, but Talon had convinced him they should leave in the late afternoon to escape in the cover of coming darkness.


    Behind them walked Marcus and Talon.  Talon was uncharacteristically quiet.  Kedan glanced behind him and Talon had a determined look on his face.  Marcus looked uneasy.  Kedan wasn¡¯t sure how he felt.  He didn¡¯t know Max or Griffa, but he did know two of the men he was with.


    Kedan found that he liked Talon.  Talon was easy to talk to. He was fun and carefree most of the times, but could be serious when the situation called for it.  Kedan was even warming towards Ansel.  Ansel was often distant, but he was not unkind.  He could even be funny when he tried.  It was clear Ansel cared deeply for both Max and Griffa.


    Kedan felt right in what he was doing.  He felt he was doing a good thing.  He had not had that feeling much in the past, and he liked it.  He liked feeling truly useful.  He liked knowing others had his back.  Kedan had never had many real friends.  He is not sure he ever had any.  Now, he felt a comradely with Talon and Ansel.  Kedan didn¡¯t really know Marcus, but he respected him for joining them today.


    They soon walked through the gates of Abscon.  Ansel stopped, and they all gathered around in a small circle.


    ¡°You all know where we are going.  Kedan, you will travel with me.  Envision where we are going.  You will have to have complete trust in me,¡± said Ansel looking at Kedan.  Kedan nodded at Ansel.


    ¡°We will meet at the river entrance and go to the palace together,¡± said Talon in a commanding voice.  ¡°We will cut off from the main passage to the left and take the one we found in Issa¡¯s book.  We will exit close to the throne room in the back by that statue that Kedan says is there.  We will try to stay together as we look for Max and Griffa, but if we have to split up, Marcus will come with me. Is everyone clear?¡±


    Kedan could see why Talon was able to lead the Valley.  He had wondered how someone like Talon could lead a great village council.  He could understand now.  Talon could be commanding when he wanted to be.


    ¡°I believe we are ready,¡± said Ansel.  He put his hand on Kedan¡¯s shoulder.


    Kedan closed his eyes and felt the strange sensation of traveling.  He had only felt it once before when he had traveled to Abscon with Ansel and Talon.  He had been terrified then, and this time wasn¡¯t much better.  Soon he felt his feet slam into the earth.  Kedan stumbled forward, but caught himself before he fell.  Talon and Marcus joined them.


    Kedan led them to a dirt covered mound.  He pulled off some moss and sticks, to reveal a small wooden door.  Kedan opened it and looked in. He looked behind him to see Ansel and Talon holding out their hands. A small fire burned there in their palms.  Ansel moved Kedan slightly out of the way and entered the tunnel.  Kedan followed behind him, as Talon and Marcus came right after.


    The moved quickly through the long tunnel, not saying much to each other.  The only sound was the slight crackling of Ansel and Talon¡¯s magical fire and all of their heavy breaths as they jogged down the tunnel.  The tunnel seemed to go on forever.  It felt much longer than Kedan remembered.


    Finally, they came to an old stone door.  Ansel opened it and looked in.  He moved through it, followed by the rest of them.


    ¡°Now, up here a ways to the left, should be another door.  We need to take that door,¡± said Talon.


    The walked on swiftly.  Kedan looked for the door that should be there.  He thought the map might have been wrong as no door appeared.  Finally, they all stopped. Kedan was just about to suggest they go back and turn towards the passage he knew.   Ansel held up his fire and looked to his left.


    ¡°What is it, Ansel?¡± asked Talon impatiently.


    ¡°I think there is something here.  I don¡¯t know why, but I know there is something here.¡±


    Ansel held up his fire.  He put his hand on the wall and closed his eyes.  Kedan watched as a large etching of a tree lit up on the wall.  A door appeared and opened before his eyes.


    ¡°How did you know about that?¡± asked Talon looking from behind Kedan into the door.


    ¡°Protector¡¯s instincts, I guess,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Come on.¡±


    Ansel walked in the door with the rest following behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t close it.  It will be easier to find on our way out,¡± said Ansel.


    They all kept close together as the passage twisted around.  It slanted down at some point.  They all stumbled along quickly, trying to keep their footing on the slant.  The passageway eventually ended in a door.


    ¡°I guess this is it,¡± said Ansel.  He pushed open the door.  The hallway was scatted with soldiers¡¯ bodies lying around, and shelves were turned over everywhere.  Decorative items and books were strewn up and down the hall.


    ¡°What in the kingdom?¡± asked Talon as he emerged behind Kedan and Ansel.


    Kedan could hear noises coming from the throne room.  He looked at Ansel who had a strange look on his face.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± Ansel whispered.  ¡°It¡¯s Griffa. She¡¯s close by.¡±


    Ansel started to walk off when Talon caught his arm.


    ¡°Ansel, wait,¡± said Talon.  ¡°You can¡¯t just walk off by yourself.  Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Ansel ripped his arm away from Talon. He tilted his head up and looked at him.  Kedan could see that Ansel had a strange, possessed look in his eyes.


    ¡°I must go to my queen,¡± he said coldly.  He walked quickly away from them towards the throne room.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marcus quietly.


    ¡°Go after him,¡± said Talon pushing Kedan forward. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    They all followed Ansel.  Ansel had stopped in the entry way to the throne room. The one that was right by the dais that Kedan had often used himself.  Kedan looked over Ansel¡¯s shoulder to see chaos.  A woman was in the middle of the room, and she was constantly moving.  Kedan knew she was sending spells and curses every which way even though he couldn¡¯t see them.


    Kedan watched as soldiers went down all around, but there was still plenty standing. More came in from the entrance hall as she took four down with a swipe of her hand. It seemed the woman had some sort of shield up as even Kedan could tell no spells were getting through to hit her.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon breathlessly.  ¡°Where¡¯s, Max?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± answered Ansel, ¡°but I must help her.¡±


    "We will all help her," said Talon as he looked into the room.


    "No," said Ansel.  "I need you to go find Max.  I can handle this."


    "Ansel, there are too many of them.  You will need help," said Talon.


    Ansel looked sharply at Talon.  "You must go find Max.  I can defend my queen.


    Talon nodded. ¡°Kedan, stay with Ansel.  We will go see if we can find Max.  If we are successful, we will come back here to the passage.  If you get Griffa just head for the river.  We will not leave without Max. We will see you at the river.¡± Talon went to leave, but Marcus continued to stare at Griffa.


    Talon grabbed Marcus¡¯ arm.  ¡°Come on, we have to go now.¡± Marcus stared at Griffa for a moment more and then went with Talon.


    -- Ansel looked at Kedan.  ¡°You can stay here, or you can stay close to me, but I have to help her.¡± Kedan nodded.


    When they turned back, Griffa was on her knees still try to send curses at soldiers.  Kedan could tell she was almost finished.  Ansel ran into the room, and moved his hand to the side causing three soldiers in front of the dais to fall.  Kedan followed Ansel, not knowing what else to do.


    Ansel pointed his hand towards Griffa.  Griffa who had her head down, looked up.  She then turned and looked at Ansel and Kedan.  Kedan saw her shudder, and then she jumped up on her feet.  She took a deep breath and then raised her hands and pushed them both down.  She then swept them out.  All soldiers on the left side of the throne room crumpled down on each other.


    Ansel and Kedan reached her, and she looked at Ansel and nodded.  They stood back to back.  Kedan swore he could see them glowing.  Kedan kept close to them as they threw spells and curses. Even though, Kedan knew spells and curses where being thrown at them, none hit them.  Finally, Griffa jumped up and landed with her foot out and her hands up. The last of the soldiers were thrown against the wall.


    Griffa looked at Kedan and swayed.  She closed her eyes and started to fall.  Kedan caught her.


    ¡°Pick her up,¡± said Ansel. ¡°Follow me close in case any more soldiers come in.  We need to get back to the passageway.¡±


    Kedan picked up Griffa.  He could see she didn¡¯t look good.  Her face was bruised heavily, and a cut above her eye was bleeding.  Her arms were raw and cut up, and both of her hands were covered in blood.  She was filthy and her clothes were rags that hung loosely off her frame.  Kedan carried her easily.  He followed Ansel back the way they came.  They stopped as they encountered more soldiers being led in by Philo. Ansel held his hands up, ready to strike.


    ¡°Ansel, I was wondering when you would finally get around to visiting.  King Kedan, this is a surprise.  I see you have meet Gryphon.  I don¡¯t think she has enjoyed her time here,¡± said Philo.  He raised his hands.


    Ansel backed into Kedan and Griffa.  He held up both his hands as Philo and the soldiers threw their hands out.  Kedan closed his eyes waiting for the curses to hit, but nothing happened.  Kedan opened his eyes to see Philo looking confused.  He raised his hands again, and Ansel kept his hands up.  Philo looked at his hands as Ansel smiled slightly.  Ansel pushed his hands out. Philo put up a block but was still pushed to the ground hard.  Ansel swept his hands, and the soldiers fell where they were.  They all tried to untangle from each other and get back on their feet.


    ¡°There¡¯s another way to the river, isn¡¯t there?¡± asked Ansel to Kedan.


    ¡°Yes, through my old rooms,¡± said Kedan as Philo sat up.


    ¡°Are you going to run away, Ansel?¡± asked Philo loudly.  ¡°Don¡¯t you want to talk about how sweet Gryphon spent her time here?¡±  Philo started to try to stand up.


    Ansel looked at Philo and then glanced back at Griffa.  ¡°Let¡¯s go, now,¡± said Ansel.  He pushed his hands out at Philo as they ran.


    ¡°This way,¡± said Kedan motioning towards the doorway to the entry hall.  Ansel kept his hands up as he backed out with Kedan walking quickly to the entry hall.  When they got to the hall, Ansel pushed his hands forward causing the doorway to crumble down, blocking off access.


    ¡°Go,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Quickly, Philo will get through that soon.¡±


    Kedan ran with Griffa in his arms up the stairs. Ansel followed behind them.  When he got to the second floor, Kedan turned towards his old rooms.  He was stopped by his mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Kedan?¡± she asked coming from the opposite wing.  ¡°Kedan, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Kedan, we have to go,¡± said Ansel urgently.  He was looking down into the entry hall.


    His mother ran over to him.  ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Camelia. She looked at Griffa in his arms.


    ¡°Mother, we have to go.  Don¡¯t try to stop us,¡± said Kedan looking at her.  Ansel hovered by looking like he was ready to curse his mother.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.  Kedan, you have a son.  He is perfect.  Teryn will be well.  Now go, get Miss Keene out of here.  You owe her a great debt.¡±


    ¡°Is Teryn in my old room?¡± asked Kedan.


    ¡°No, she has moved to the other wing since you left. Go, now.¡±  Camelia turned and fled back from where she came.


    Kedan watched her for a second and then walked quickly to his old rooms.  When he got to the door, Ansel opened it and looked in.  The room was dark.  Ansel walked in followed by Kedan.


    ¡°Where do we go?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°Here,¡± said Kedan. ¡°Take Griffa, and I¡¯ll show you.¡±  Kedan passed Griffa carefully to Ansel.  She made a small noise and burrowed into Ansel¡¯s chest.


    Kedan walked to his old bedroom. He went to the wall Teryn had shown him.  He moved his hand all around, but he couldn¡¯t get the passage way to appear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find how to open this wall.  I know it¡¯s around here somewhere.¡±


    Griffa started stirring in Ansel¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let me,¡± said Griffa quietly. She struggled to sit up.  Ansel gently put her down and steadied her on her feet.


    Griffa walked over slowly to the wall.  She moved her hands until she found the right spot.  She pushed lightly and the doorway appeared.  Griffa fell against the wall with her eyes closed.


    Kedan grabbed her gently before she fell and lifted her back up in his arms. Ansel held out his hand making his small fire appear.  He walked into the passageway, followed by Kedan.  Ansel shut the door, and they began walking down the passageway.


    Ansel walked quickly, and Kedan tried to keep up.  Griffa was not heavy, but after a while, Kedan was struggling.


    ¡°Do you think the others found Max?¡± asked Kedan breathlessly.


    ¡°I hope so.  If they didn¡¯t, I will have to go back in.  I promised Issa I wouldn¡¯t leave without him.¡±


    They walked on until they took a right and then walked further and took a left.  After that they walked straight until Kedan wasn¡¯t sure he could walk any further.  He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.  He adjusted Griffa in his arms, and she gave a small cry.  Ansel looked back at him.


    ¡°How much further?¡± asked Ansel


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, hopefully not far,¡± replied Kedan.


    They kept on walking until Kedan could see a small light in the distance.  Ansel pressed on until he came to the old wooden door.  He pushed it open and walked out into the moonlight.  Kedan followed him and looked around.  Talon, Marcus, and who Kedan supposed was Max were standing together. Max looked agitated and was pacing slightly.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± gasped Talon.  ¡°Is she alright?¡± Talon looked closely at Griffa in Kedan¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Kedan breathing hard.  ¡°She¡¯s making noises and breathing.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± said Ansel. He walked over to Kedan.  Ansel carefully took Griffa from him, and turned to Talon. ¡°You found Max.  Is he injured?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Talon.  ¡°He was up one floor wondering the halls trying to find a way back to help Griffa.  We grabbed him and brought him back to the passageway.  I think you had already moved on.¡±


    ¡°We need to get back,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°We will have to travel to the gates of Abscon.  Max, are you alright?  Can you travel?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max looking at Ansel angrily.


    ¡°Talon, take Kedan.  I will see you there,¡± said Ansel as he disappeared.


    Talon patted Kedan¡¯s shoulder and smiled.  He left his hand on Kedan.  Kedan closed his eyes and felt himself travel.

 Chapter 10

    Ansel walked quickly through Abscon towards the manor with Griffa in his arms. The others were close behind him. His felt his magic surrounding Griffa in an anxious circle.  She was alive, and Ansel thanked the gods for that.  She looked like she had been through the underworld, but she was breathing.  When they got into viewing distance of the manor, Griffa stirred a little in Ansel¡¯s arms.  He looked down at her to see her looking up at him with half opened eyes.


    ¡°Ansel?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes, my love, you are safe,¡± said Ansel.  He kissed her on her forehead, and she closed her eyes, burrowing her head back into his chest.


    Ansel walked up to the manor door.  Talon jogged in front and opened the door for Ansel.  He walked in to be greeted by everyone left in the house.  Ansel heard Maybell shout Griffa¡¯s name.  He was aware that Issa ran to Max and threw her arms around him, but Ansel was only focused on Griffa.


    ¡°Maybell, we will need some water right away for baths for both Griffa and Max,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Marcus and I can help you.  Someone will need to go find a healer to have them both checked out as well.¡±


    Ansel walked past them all and went up the stairs.  He took Griffa to her room and laid her gently on her bed.  She shifted a little on the bed, and then lay still.  Ansel looked at her as she was lying there.  She was almost unrecognizable from the Griffa he remembered. Her hair was tangled down her shoulders.  Her body and face were bruised and cut.  Her face looked so thin and her cheeks hollow.


    Ansel removed the ratty cloak she wore carefully to expose the threadbare, filthy dark red dress she wore underneath.  He remembered she was wearing it the last morning they spent together in her tree dwelling.  Ansel threw the cloak into the fireplace.  He looked at Griffa¡¯s arms and wrist.  They were red and angry.  Where she had worn the ropes that subdued her magic, the skin was burned.  Ansel flipped her hands carefully.  One was cut open and still slightly oozed blood.


    Ansel took off her boots.  He then started to remove her dress when there was a knock at the door.  He looked at Griffa laying still and turned to walk to the door.  He opened it to find Maybell and Talon.  Talon had two large buckets levitating by his side.  Ansel let them in.


    Talon went to find the bathtub as Maybell walked towards Griffa.


    ¡°Gods, Ansel, look at her,¡± said Maybell quietly.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°She is home now.  I will take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go downstairs and rest for a moment.  I will get her in the bath and let you know when she is clean and dressed,¡± said Maybell not taking her eyes off of Griffa.


    ¡°I will take care of her,¡± said Ansel forcefully.  ¡°I will not leave her.  Go check on Max and then wait for Chiron.  Send him up here as soon as he comes.¡±


    ¡°But Ansel¡­¡± began Maybell.  She was cut off by Talon.


    ¡°Come on, Maybell, let¡¯s go make sure Max has everything he needs.¡±  He escorted Maybell out of the room.


    Ansel turned back to Griffa.  He bent down and started taking her dress off when she sat up slightly.  She opened her eyes slowly.


    ¡°Ansel?¡± she asked confusingly.  ¡°Are you really here?¡±


    Ansel smiled at her.  He sat down next to her on the bed.  He tried to take her hand, but she snatched it away from him. She moved away from him slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m really here, Griffa.  I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°We are in your room in Keene Manor.  You are home,¡± said Ansel.


    Griffa looked at Ansel with unfocused eyes.  ¡°Where is Max?  He is alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fine.  He is in his room getting cleaned up.¡±


    Griffa tried to get up.  ¡°I need to see him now.¡±


    Ansel gently put his hand on her shoulder.  ¡°He is fine.  He is with Issa and Nora.  You will see him soon.¡±


    Griffa looked confused but nodded.


    ¡°We need to get you in a bath.  I¡¯m going to help you get undressed.  I will try not to hurt you,¡± said Ansel softly.


    Griffa nodded.  Ansel started taking her dress off.  She stared at Ansel as he peeled it off of her, wincing at every little movement. Ansel saw that she still wore his pendant.  She sat in her filthy underclothes as Ansel threw her dress on top of the cloak in the fireplace.


    ¡°We just need to get the rest of this off of you, and you can take a warm bath.  Then you can rest, Griffa,¡± said Ansel carefully.


    She nodded again.  Ansel took off the rest of her clothes as she shifted to allow him to take them off of her. She gave a small cry as she laid back down.   Ansel tossed her underclothes quickly in the fireplace with the rest.  He moved his hand and set them all aflame.


    He turned to look at Griffa and he nearly wept.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± he whispered with pain in his voice.


    She laid still with her eyes closed. She was shivering,  curled up on her side. Her poor battered body was so thin and bruised. She was covered in dirt and dried blood. He knew she had to be in a great deal of pain.  He wondered what all that had happened to her to get her in this state.


    Ansel walked over to stand next to her.  ¡°Griffa, I¡¯m going to take you to the bath.  I¡¯ll try to be careful and not hurt you.¡±


    She opened her eyes and looked up at him.  Ansel carefully put his arms under her and picked her up.  She didn¡¯t struggle.  He carefully took her to the bath and placed her in the water.  She sat there looking at Ansel, as he kneeled down and started to clean her gently.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°You are home,¡± answered Ansel washing her arm.


    She reached up and touched his face with her wet hand.  ¡°Are you sure this is real?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°Yes, Griffa, it¡¯s real.  You are home and safe,¡± replied Ansel.  She dropped her hand as Ansel continued to wash her.


    She sat still, not saying anything, but her eyes followed Ansel.  He tried to carefully wash her body over bruises and cuts.  She would jump every now and then has he passed over a dark bruise or a fresh cut.


    There was a knock at the door.  Ansel ignored it at first, but there was another knock, this time louder.  He sighed loudly, looking at Griffa.  ¡°I have to go see who that is. Will you be alright here by yourself?¡±


    Griffa nodded.  ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine.  Will you come back?¡±


    ¡°I will be right back.  I won¡¯t leave you,¡± said Ansel.


    She looked like she was going to cry, ¡°You¡¯ve said that before. I don¡¯t want you to leave. What if you don¡¯t come back?¡±


    There was another loud knock.


    ¡°Griffa, I promise.  I won¡¯t leave you.  I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    She stared at him with tears in her eyes.


    Ansel hesitated, but he got up and went to the door.  He opened it to find Nora and Issa looking at him.


    ¡°Max would like to talk to you, Ansel,¡± said Issa.


    ¡°He can wait until later.  Tell him to rest.  I¡¯ll talk to him in the morning.¡±


    ¡°No, he wants to talk with you now.  He won¡¯t calm down until you talk to him,¡± said Issa.


    Ansel looked at her.  ¡°I¡¯m sure he can wait.¡±


    ¡°Please Ansel, he won¡¯t do anything until you talk to him.  He sounds half mad.  Just go see him,¡± said Issa as tears formed in her eyes.


    ¡°We will take care of Griffa until you come back,¡± said Nora.  ¡°We will come get you if you are needed.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll talk to him for a moment, but make sure Griffa knows I will be back soon. Tell her I haven¡¯t left her.¡±  He let Nora and Issa in the room as he left.


    Ansel walked down to Max¡¯s room and knocked.


    ¡°Come in,¡± said Max.


    Ansel entered the room to find Max sitting on his bed.  He was still dressed in the clothes he had on in Aurumist.


    ¡°How is Griffa?¡± asked Max as Ansel sat in a chair near the foot of the bed.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake.  She seems confused, but she is talking a little.  I would like to get back to her, so say whatever it is you need to say to me.¡±


    Max stared at Ansel with a cold look. ¡°Do you remember the battle in the Valley?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± answered Ansel.  ¡°I have replayed it in my mind constantly.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I kept trying to tell you?  I told you we couldn¡¯t leave Griffa.  You wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know what you were talking about.  I thought you were just worried.  I didn¡¯t know who she really was,¡± said Ansel narrowing his eyes at Max.


    ¡°I begged you to go after her.  I begged you to keep her close, and you wouldn¡¯t listen. I told you she was in trouble, but you wouldn¡¯t go find her.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I do. I thought about that every hour while you were in the palace.¡±


    ¡°How long were we in Aurumist?¡±


    ¡°A little over two months,¡± replied Ansel.


    ¡°You left us there for two months?  You left Griffa there for two months?¡± asked Max.  He was quiet but there was an edge to his voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel hanging his head.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry it was so long. It took some planning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry?  Do you have any idea what our lives have been like while you were here planning?  Can you even guess what Griffa¡¯s been through?¡±


    ¡°Looking at her, I have an idea. I know it wasn¡¯t pleasant.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± said Max in a venomous whisper.  ¡°I saw her get beaten by Philo regularly.  Of course, I didn¡¯t see her for days at a time so there is no telling how many times he hurt her when I wasn¡¯t around. He didn¡¯t even have a reason to do it.  He would just toss against the walls for fun.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Griffa wouldn¡¯t do what they wanted.  She fought back. They gave her different potions to keep her docile.  She was constantly violently ill. She would sleep for days at time.  I was sometimes scared she wouldn¡¯t wake up.  They threatened me daily with her life.  They said they would kill her if I didn¡¯t do as they asked.  I would do as they asked, and they would still hurt her.  I woke up every day thinking they were going to kill her.¡±


    Ansel felt his rage grow.  His magic came to the surface of his skin.  He knew he wasn¡¯t mad at Max, not really, but he was getting to the point where he couldn¡¯t control himself.


    ¡°What is your point, Max?¡± growled Ansel.


    ¡°How could you just leave us there?  Griffa gave up on you.  She said you weren¡¯t coming.  She thought maybe you thought she was dead.¡±


    ¡°I knew she wasn¡¯t dead.  I worked every day to find a way to bring both of you back.  It was agony knowing you were both in the palace,¡± said Ansel fiercely.


    ¡°All that planning and what you came up with was to come on a late afternoon with four people.  One of them without magical ability.  If Griffa and I hadn¡¯t escaped ourselves, you never would have found us.¡±


    ¡°We had planned to get you out during the spring festival when the palace would be empty, but we got your note. We had to improvise.  I don¡¯t know what you want me to say, Max.  Do you want me to apologize?  I will.  I will beg for your forgiveness if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to say you¡¯re sorry, because I don¡¯t want to forgive you.  You should go beg to Griffa.  She¡¯s the one who spent every day in a cell in a dungeon.  She¡¯s the one who was constantly terrified Philo would come see her and knock her around.  She¡¯s the one who was forced to swallow strange elixirs every day.  Ones that caused her to vomit or have nightmares.


    ¡°Not to mention neither of us could use magic.  Have you ever been cut off from your magic before, Ansel? It¡¯s a terrible feeling.  I can¡¯t imagine how Griffa felt since she has been using magic her whole life.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to stay and let you berate me all night or can I go?¡± said Ansel standing up.


    ¡°I guess Griffa was right.   Things have changed, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Ansel looking down at Max.


    ¡°You don¡¯t love her anymore.  You¡¯re just her protector now, that¡¯s it isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re not even a very good protector.¡±


    Ansel glared at Max. ¡°I won¡¯t discuss this with you.  Get cleaned up, Max.  Chiron will be here soon to look you over.¡±


    Ansel turned to walk out of the room.


    ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t forgive you.  You don¡¯t deserve her forgiveness,¡± spat Max.


    Ansel opened the door and hung his head.  ¡°I probably don¡¯t, but I will ask it all the same.¡±  Ansel left the room and closed the door.


    Hel walked out into the hall, and stopped and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing.  He was almost shaking with rage.  He wasn¡¯t angry with Max.  He knew almost everything Max said was true.  Ansel was angry at himself.  He was angry at Philo Quick and all the powers in Aurumist.


    He opened his eyes to see Nora and Issa walking past him.  Issa knocked and then went into Max¡¯s room.  Nora stopped and looked at Ansel.


    ¡°Max is angry, Ansel.  He had to take it out on someone.  It will take some time, but he will realize he¡¯s not really mad at you.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s right.  I didn¡¯t listen to him in the Valley.  I should have kept Griffa close to me.  I shouldn¡¯t have let her run off looking for Devland.  I shouldn¡¯t have let Max and Griffa stay in Aurumist so long.¡±


    ¡°You had reasons.  You did what you thought was best. Now, they are home.  You can¡¯t change what¡¯s happen.  You will just have to deal with what has happened,¡± said Nora.  She walked on to Max¡¯s room.


    Ansel pushed himself off the wall and walked to Griffa¡¯s room.  He saw that the door was slightly ajar.  He opened it to find Griffa in the bed wearing a clean nightgown. She was laying on her side facing away from Ansel. Talon was kneeling down next to her.  He was holding her hand and smoothing her damp hair back from her face.  Ansel could see he was whispering to her.


    Talon looked up and saw Ansel.  He bent over and rested his forehead against Griffa¡¯s.  He then kissed Griffa¡¯s forehead and pushed himself up.   He walked over to Ansel.


    ¡°It will take some time, but she will be alright, Ansel.  Griffa is strong,¡± said Talon quietly.


    ¡°You care about her, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Ansel looking at Talon.


    ¡°Yes, very much,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Then take care of her for me while I¡¯m gone.  If I don¡¯t come back, keep her with you.  Marry her if you can convince her. Don¡¯t let her be alone.¡±


    ¡°Ansel, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to Aurumist.  I should have killed Philo Quick when I had the chance, but I won¡¯t fail this time.¡± Ansel turned to go, but Talon grabbed his arm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go back to Aurumist, not now.  You can¡¯t leave her,¡± said Talon quickly and quietly.


    Ansel stared at Talon. ¡°Do you know what he did to her?  Can you see what condition she is in?¡±


    ¡°Griffa was asking over and over again, where you are.  If you go now, you may lose her.  We may all lose her.  There will be a time for vengeance.  When the time is right, I will go with you and we will take down Philo together, but right now you need to stay here and help Griffa heal.¡±


    Ansel nodded and Talon let him go.  ¡°I understand how you feel.  I really do, right now we just need to get Griffa and Max through this.¡±  Talon walked out of the room.


    Ansel walked over slowly and kneeled by Griffa¡¯s side.  Her eyes were open, and she smiled at him slightly. Ansel took her hand and stared at her.  She gripped his hand and looked back at Ansel with tears swimming in her eyes.  Ansel was about to say something when there was a knock on the door, and Chiron entered.  Ansel stood up and greeted him.


    Chiron looked over Griffa.  He looked at her arms.  He put some balm on her wrist and bandaged them.  He waved his hands over her.  He closed some of her cuts. When he was finished, he smiled down at her.


    ¡°How do you feel, Gryphon?¡± asked Chiron.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she answered quietly.  ¡°This seems like some strange dream.  I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to wake up back in my cell in the palace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.  It will take some time to work things out.  You need to rest for a while, and let others take care of you.¡±


    Griffa nodded. ¡°Are you sure this is real?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s real.  You are in Keene Manor in your bed.  You need to sleep.  I think you will feel better about things in the morning.¡±


    ¡°If I sleep, I might wake up and this will all be a dream,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°You should take something for your pain, Gryphon. I healed up what I could, but you will be sore for quite a while.  I also left something to help you sleep.  Why don¡¯t you take them both?¡± asked Chiron.  He took two bottles off of her bedside table and tried to hand them to her.


    ¡°No,¡± she said vehemently.  ¡°No, I won¡¯t take them. I can take the pain.  I¡¯ll sleep when I¡¯m sure this is real.¡±


    Chiron sighed.  ¡°I¡¯ll leave them here, just in case.  Try to sleep.  I can assure you that you are safe and at home.¡±


    Chiron looked at Ansel as he walked out for the room.  Ansel followed him out.


    ¡°She has suffered some obvious trauma. Whatever was on her wrist have left her with some nasty burns. They may scar a bit.  She is bruised very badly.  A few of her ribs were broken, and I have set those to right.  All of her physical injuries will heal.


    ¡°I am worried about her mental state.  You will have to reassure her constantly that she is safe.  Don¡¯t be offended if she pulls back from you or anyone else.  Give her some time and support.  I¡¯ll check on her in a few days.  Now can I go see the young man?¡±


    Ansel nodded and showed him where Max¡¯s room was located.  He left Chiron at Max¡¯s door and went back to Griffa¡¯s room.  She was in bed and laying on her side facing Ansel as he walked in.  She followed him with her eyes as he walked to the bed.


    ¡°May I lie next to you?¡± asked Ansel.  He didn¡¯t want to scare her.


    Griffa nodded.  Ansel laid down on the bed and turned towards her.  He left space between them.  Griffa stared at him.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take anything for your pain or to help you sleep?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t make me,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I was given many different things while I was away. I don¡¯t think I could drink any potions right now.¡±


    ¡°Can I get you anything?  You must be hungry or thirsty?¡±


    ¡°Talon brought me some water and some food.  I wasn¡¯t very hungry,¡± replied Griffa.  ¡°I just want to lie here and hope this is real.  I just want to feel safe.¡±


    Ansel knew he could help her with that.  He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but he knew he could.


    ¡°Griffa, give me your hand,¡± said Ansel.


    She looked at him curiously. She reached her hand out to him.  Ansel took her hand and looked at her.  He felt his protector magic flow to her.  It felt like it was in a hurry to get to her, and it felt pleased.  Griffa¡¯s eyes went wide and then she sighed.  She closed her eyes and took a breath.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said quietly.  Ansel watched her as she fell asleep.  He hadn¡¯t felt so at peace in a long time.  Sometime later still holding her hand, he drifted off as well.


    Sometime in the night something woke Ansel up.  He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but his eyes snapped open.  He reached for Griffa and realized she wasn¡¯t there.  He sat up panicked, worried that it had all been a dream.  He worried she was still in Aurumist.  Then he saw the potions Chiron had left for her on the table.  He noticed her side of the bed had been slept in.


    Ansel got up and looked for Griffa in the room, and she wasn¡¯t anywhere.  He left the room and walked down the stairs.  He went into the dark parlor and it was empty, but he saw a small light in the study.  He opened the door and found Griffa sitting at the desk with a large book open. She had lit one candle on the desk.  Her eyes were frantic, and her mouth was slightly moving as she read.


    ¡°Griffa, what you doing?  Come back to bed,¡± said Ansel looking at her.  ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.  I have to find something for you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?  Whatever this is, can wait.  You have been through so much.  Come back to bed.¡±


    ¡°No, I have to find a way to break this bond between us,¡± said Griffa.  Ansel walked over to the desk.  He picked up the book she was reading and looked at the cover.


    ¡°You are reading about protector¡¯s magic?  Why?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°I have to find a way to release you.  I always knew I was burden to you; I just didn¡¯t realize why.  You¡¯ve been tied to me my whole life because of my blood line.  I have to find a way to deny myself as queen or help you to break your bond as my protector,¡± said Griffa reaching for the book.


    Ansel looked down at her. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, Griffa.  You have never been a burden to me.¡± Ansel tucked the book under his arm and walked over next to her.  He sat the book on a shelf behind them and kneeled down at her side.


    Griffa looked at Ansel.  ¡°I want to help you.  I want to release you from this pull you have towards me.  I¡¯m sorry.  I¡¯m so sorry it ended up being me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing to me? You have done nothing wrong.  It is I who can¡¯t apologize enough. I have failed you.  I left you in Aurumist for two months while you were tortured.  I have failed you in every way.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t talk like that,¡± said Griffa as tears fell from her eyes.  She cast her eyes to the floor.  ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like you¡¯re my protector. I know you are, but don¡¯t talk like that.  I don¡¯t think I can stand it.  I can¡¯t stand it.  Everything we were was just because you were drawn to me because I¡¯m the queen.¡±


    ¡°No, Griffa, that¡¯s not true.  I¡¯m not talking to you as your protector.  I¡¯m talking to you as the man who loves you.  I failed you, my love.  I let you be taken, beaten, and poisoned.  I asked you to be my wife, and then I failed to keep you safe.  I love you, Griffa.  Nothing has changed.¡±


    Griffa looked at Ansel.  ¡°But things have changed.  You are my protector.  Protectors can¡¯t love their queens.¡±


    ¡°But I do love you.  I am your protector; you are my queen and I love you.  It¡¯s not supposed to be possible, but it¡¯s true.  Do you love me?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I love you as much as I did before I knew the truth.  I may love you more now, but Ansel, we can¡¯t be together.  We can never marry.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Ansel.  He took her hand.  ¡°Why can¡¯t we marry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not done.  I¡¯ve read the history of protectors.  It¡¯s not done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never been done before, but that doesn¡¯t¡¯ mean it can¡¯t be,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Griffa, what was your favorite book growing up?  I remember it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do, but it was a fairytale.  It¡¯s not real,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°And we aren¡¯t supposed to love each other, but we do.  What happens in your book?¡±


    ¡°The queen and protector fall in love.  They run away together in the end,¡± said Griffa.  Tears were falling steadily down her face.


    ¡°We can run away, Griffa.  We can get far away from Regventus.  Tell me you want to go. Tell me, and I will take you to the West Sealand. We will get on a boat and we will sail away from this place.¡±


    ¡°Ansel, you don¡¯t want to run away,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I do.  I¡¯ve been thinking about this.  I have almost lost you twice now.  I won¡¯t let it happen again.  I choose you over everything else.  I won¡¯t lose you to this kingdom.  I won¡¯t sacrifice you or our love for duty or for the throne,¡± said Ansel forcefully.


    Griffa smiled sadly at Ansel as tears flowed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Please, Griffa, tell me you want to leave.  We will go tonight.  Please,¡± said Ansel begging.


    ¡°We can¡¯t run away.  I am the rightful Queen of Regventus. I know it, I can¡¯t deny it.  I have a responsibility to the kingdom and my people.  You are my protector.  It is who you are.  I won¡¯t ask you not to be who you are.  I told you once that real love will never ask you to do something that isn¡¯t true,¡± said Griffa quietly.


    Ansel hung his head down.  He took deep breaths.  He couldn¡¯t lose her. He looked back up at Griffa.


    ¡°Then we will find a new way.  You have said we can create a new kingdom not based on the past.  Let¡¯s not let the past define who we are to each other. I will never stop loving you.  If you don¡¯t choose me, I will accept it, but I will always choose you,¡± said Ansel.  He felt tears fall from his eyes.


    Ansel reached up and stroked her cheek.  Griffa leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. ¡°I choose you too.  I want to find a way, but is it possible?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel with certainty.  ¡°It has to be.  I don¡¯t believe the gods would have me love you this much just to take you away from me.¡±


    ¡°The gods won¡¯t stand for evil, but they do reward love,¡± whispered Griffa.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.  No one can tell us we can¡¯t be together,¡± said Ansel quietly.


    ¡°I said I would marry you one day. I promised,¡± said Griffa. She leaned her forehead against Ansel¡¯s and closed her eyes.


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°If you still want me, we will find a way,¡± said Griffa.  She leaned up a bit and opened her eyes. She smiled at Ansel.


    Ansel opened his arms, and Griffa slid from the chair down into them.  He carefully held her as she rested her chin on his shoulder.  After a moment, she leaned back and looked at Ansel.  ¡°I do love you.  I knew you would come for me.  I may have lost hope for just a moment a few times, but I knew you would come when you could.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, I¡¯m so sorry.  I will never forgive myself for all you¡¯ve had to go through.¡±


    Griffa shook her head.  She leaned forward and kissed Ansel.  She leaned back a little.  ¡°I will forgive you if you want, but I don¡¯t blame you for anything.¡±


    Ansel kissed her.  ¡°You are too good, Griffa.  I don¡¯t deserve anything as good as you. I will work every day to make this up to you.¡± He kissed her again.  ¡°Now you need to sleep.  Will you come to bed with me?¡¯


    ¡°Yes,¡± Griffa said quietly. Ansel stood up and helped her to her feet.  He carefully picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the study, waving his hand slightly to blow out the candle.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± said Griffa quietly as he walked with her up the stairs. ¡°If you wanted to use your protector¡¯s magic again to help me sleep, I wouldn¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Ansel chuckled slightly. ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Griffa sat on the back lawn in the late morning sun with her legs out in front of her.  She closed her eyes as the breeze hit her face.  It was a perfect spring day.  She put her hands on the grass and dug into the earth.  She felt the magic all around her as it swirled inside her.  She listened to it sing to her softly.  Griffa had taken so many things for granted in her life.  She vowed to never do so again.


    As she listened to her magic she couldn¡¯t decide if it felt so strong because she was cut off from it for so long, or if her magic had really grown in power since her realization, she was the queen.  Either way, she felt connected to her magic in a way she never had before.  She was aware of its presence at all times.


    It had been almost a week since she had left Aurumist.  She still felt like she was waking up from a long, dark nightmare.  Her injuries were healing.  She didn¡¯t ache all the time as she did before.  She was beginning to have an appetite again.  Her mind still felt cloudy at times.  She was scared of things that never frightened her before, things like the dark, loud noises, and someone touching her without warning.


    Sometimes at night when it was dark, she could still smell her cell and feel the hard, cold stone underneath her.  She would wake up shivering and crying.  Ansel would hold her possessively and cover her in his protector¡¯s magic, and she would feel fall back to sleep feeling safe and loved.


    Her relationship with Ansel had changed.  It had become something more.  She still loved him as she did before, but she was connected with him in a whole new way. There was a new dynamic in everything they did together.  She was aware when he was near at all times.  She wondered if all kings and queens felt the same about their protector or if her and Ansel¡¯s connection was enhanced due to their love.


    As though she had summoned him, Griffa felt Ansel approach even before she heard his footsteps on the grass.  He came and sat next to her.  She turned slightly and leaned into him.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± he asked after kissing her quickly on the forehead.


    ¡°Just enjoying the day.  I wasn¡¯t able to be outside for so long.  I forgot what the sun felt like,¡± answered Griffa.  She sat up and raised her face to the sun.


    She saw Ansel give her a sad smile.  He covered her hand with his own, and Griffa felt the now familiar spark of his protector¡¯s magic mingle with her own.


    ¡°Has Max spoken to you yet?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°No, not since the night you came home.  He avoids me at all times if he can.  I¡¯ve tried to talk to him, but he won¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°He will,¡± said Griffa turning to look at Ansel.  ¡°We have to give him time.  It was very hard for him in the palace.¡±


    ¡°It was hard for both of you,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°You were there too long.¡±


    ¡°One day would have been too long,¡± said Griffa darkly.  ¡°What¡¯s done is done.  You got us both home safe.¡±


    Ansel looked at Griffa and it seemed like he wanted to say something.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°I can tell you want to tell me something, so please do.¡±


    Ansel took a deep breath.  ¡°You haven¡¯t talked about your time in Aurumist.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I would like to forget it.¡±


    ¡°Every night you wake up after a nightmare, shivering and crying.  You can barely stand to be in the dark at all.  Do you think talking about what happened will help?¡±


    Griffa pulled her knees to her chest.  She wrapped her arms around them. ¡°I don¡¯t know.  I don¡¯t know if I can talk about it.  It was awful.¡±


    ¡°Is it me?  Could you talk to someone else, maybe Issa or Talon?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°No, if I was going to tell anyone how it made me feel, it would be you.  I just don¡¯t want to hurt you, Ansel.  I know how you still blame yourself for all that happened.  Why would I tell you what happened to me and make you go through it?  It will change nothing.¡±


    ¡°Max has already told me plenty of what you went through.  I have very vivid images in my mind that haunt me, Griffa.   I saw how you looked when we brought you home.  I see you now and what they have done to you.  You aren¡¯t going to be able to shield me from my shame.¡±


    Griffa rested her chin on her knees.  ¡°I would tell you there is no reason for shame, but I know it won¡¯t do any good.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t,¡± said Ansel quietly.  They were both quiet for a moment.  ¡°Will you tell me something that happened?  Something that still scares you.¡±


    Griffa thought about all the things that had happened to her.  She was beaten regularly by Philo, but at some point, in her time in Aurumist, she became numb to the pain.  She thought about all the elixirs and potions forced upon her, and how humiliating it was to sit in the filth of her cell.  She remembered how frustrated she was to be cut off from her magic.  She could have told Ansel about all of these things, but there were two things that bothered her worse than anything else that had happened in the palace.


    ¡°There were many things that haunt me still, but there are two that particularly frightened me.  One you already know,¡± said Griffa.


    She saw Ansel turn to look at her out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°When I realized who I truly was, I was scared I would lose you.  I was scared you would no longer love me.  I would lie half awake, drunk on some poisonous elixir and imagine a life where you were nothing but my protector.  I thought you might be cold and aloof to me when we met again.  I know it sounds like a silly thing to worry about when you are afraid you might be killed every day, but I had a lot of time to dwell on silly things.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, look at me,¡± said Ansel.  Griffa turned her head to see him staring at her.  ¡°It¡¯s not silly.  I worried about that as well. I knew I loved you, but I was so worried I would lose you.  I was scared we would get you back, and you would see me as nothing but your protector. I even started thinking of who would make you a good king consort.¡±


    Griffa gave a small smile.  ¡°Who did you have in mind? It wasn¡¯t Talon was it?¡±


    Ansel just looked at her.  Griffa laughed ¡°It was Talon, wasn¡¯t it?  Well, it wouldn¡¯t have been so bad, I suppose.  If I couldn¡¯t have you, I might as well have someone fun by my side.¡±


    ¡°But you will have me, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± said Ansel quickly.


    Griffa leaned over and kissed Ansel lightly on his lips. She moved back to sitting down and rested her head on Ansel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You said two things scared you.  What was the other?¡±


    ¡°I was beaten regularly, usually by Philo.  He seemed to have some personal vendetta against me and my family.  The beatings I got used to, but his words still hurt me,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Philo like to taunt me.  He like to say horrible things to me about you, my father, and my mother.¡±


    Griffa could feel Ansel¡¯s magic become agitated.  It surrounded her in a protective circle.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t listen to him.  He was always envious of your father,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°He did say one thing, and it nagged at me. I still dwell on it at night. I know it can¡¯t be true, but it was horrible.  He said my father was murdered.  He implied someone on the Ring was responsible for my father¡¯s death.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Ansel tensed up, causing Griffa to lift her head off his shoulder.  He turned to look at Griffa.


    ¡°What is it, Ansel?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°What did Philo say exactly?  Do you remember?¡± asked Ansel urgently.


    ¡°He said the Ring was a pit of vipers. He said I should ask them about my father¡¯s death,¡± said Griffa looking worriedly at Ansel.


    Ansel looked out over the back lawn and sighed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Griffa. ¡°Please tell me, Ansel.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk about the Ring soon.  You aren¡¯t strong enough yet, but you might have some work to do there.  While you were gone, I led the ring in your stead.  It did not go well.  I ended up walking out of a meeting and not going back.  They were talking about leaving you and Max in Aurumist.  There was talk of negotiating a peace with the palace.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± said Griffa incredulously.  ¡°They didn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Griffa stood up quickly and started walking back to the house.  Ansel jumped up and caught her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing, Griffa?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go call a meeting this instant,¡± said Griffa fiercely.  ¡°I will remind them who leads them and what our values are.¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t do this now.  You¡¯ve barely had time to heal,¡± said Ansel as he pulled her to him.  He took both her hands, and she looked up at him.  ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to wait long.  Just wait one week, maybe two.  We need to come up with a strategy.  Talk to Talon, he is on your side.  The whole Valley council is yours, Griffa.  Rest for just a while longer, and then we can deal with the Ring.¡±


    Griffa looked up at Ansel and nodded. ¡°Fine, I will wait no more than two weeks.  I will talk with Talon, and we will come up with a plan.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ansel. He bent down and kissed her.  ¡°It¡¯s almost lunch time, and you aren¡¯t allowed to miss any meals.¡±  He offered her his arm, and she took it.  They walked together towards the back door of the manor.


    ¡°Speaking of the Valley council, did I see Cillian here this morning?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°You did.  You¡¯ve missed out on some developments.  I will fill you in over lunch.¡±


    Two days later Griffa was sitting on the sofa in the parlor after dinner reading a book while Talon and Kedan watched her.  They pretended to read, but every time she looked up at least one of them was staring at her over a book.  Ansel had gone to the Valley to check on his guards there.  He didn¡¯t want to go, but Griffa encouraged him. She told him to go, so he went.  He would be back late that night.


    Griffa put her book down and looked at Talon and Kedan.  ¡°You two don¡¯t have to sit there and pretend to read.  Aren¡¯t there other things you need to be doing?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we wanted a quiet night of reading, Griffa,¡± said Talon.  ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to read this for ages.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been wanting to read about the different species of forest toadstool found in the kingdom?¡± asked Griffa looking at Talon¡¯s book.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I have a wide variety of interest,¡± replied Talon.


    ¡°Ansel told you to watch me, didn¡¯t he?¡± asked Griffa. ¡°If you are going to insist on watching me all night, let¡¯s at least have a little fun.¡±


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± asked Talon throwing his book on a nearby table.


    ¡°Well, I hardly know you, Kedan.  You live in my home.  You came and helped fetch me from that wretched place.  We should at least get to know one another.¡±


    ¡°What would you like to know?¡± asked Kedan.  He put his book down.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Talon.  ¡°We should have drinks first.  Trust me, Kedan, if you want to get good stories out of Griffa it only takes a few glasses of wine.¡±


    ¡°I am not opposed,¡± said Griffa smiling at Talon.


    Talon got up and grabbed some wine.  He poured Griffa a glass and handed it to her. He poured two more and sat down next to Griffa on the sofa.  ¡°Come sit closer to us Kedan.¡±


    Kedan got up and sat on the chair closest to Griffa.


    ¡°From what Ansel has told me,¡± said Griffa looking at Kedan.  ¡°You were the Lord of the Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°I was.  I was chosen before I could walk.  I grew up being trained as the Lord of the Kingdom.  I moved into the palace when I was twelve.¡±


    Griffa took a drink from her glass.  ¡°Did you enjoy your life as lord?¡±


    ¡°I thought so at the time.  Now I¡¯m not so sure.  It was very dull, and not very fulfilling,¡± replied Kedan.


    ¡°You were crowned a king, I believe.  I met your wife.  She is called a queen,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I was crowned a king, but it was an empty title.  I found out what was planned by Golnar and the council, and I couldn¡¯t stand for it.  I ran away.  I was given your name,¡± said Kedan.


    ¡°Ansel told me,¡± said Griffa.  She looked at Kedan as she took a drink.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± asked Kedan looking at Griffa.


    ¡°Yes, what would you like to know.  I¡¯ll tell you if I can answer it,¡± replied Griffa with a sly smile.


    Kedan smiled back.  ¡°We ran into my mother as we were leaving the palace.  She told me I owed you a great debt.  What did she mean by it?¡±


    Griffa waved her hand at Kedan as she drained her glass.  She held it out to Talon who refilled it.  ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡±


    ¡°But what did she mean?¡± asked Kedan.


    Griffa took a breath.  ¡°I helped deliver your son.  Your wife was having troubles. and I helped things along.¡±


    Kedan looked at Griffa and took a long drink.  ¡°You were there for the birth?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your mother came and got me out of my cell and asked if I would help.  I couldn¡¯t let an innocent child die, or a mother suffer.  She took me to Teryn, and I used a little magic to help out.  I¡¯m glad I was successful.  You have a very beautiful son, Kedan.  I was supposed to tell you.  I was also supposed to tell you your mother and wife miss you.¡±


    Kedan refilled his glass and took a drink.  ¡°Griffa, may I call you Griffa?¡± Griffa nodded. ¡°Griffa, you may not want to believe it, but I owe you a great deal.¡±


    ¡°You risked your life to save me.  I would say we are even.¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± said Kedan, staring at Griffa.


    ¡°This is too serious of a conversation,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Yes, let me ask something else,¡± said Griffa smiling.  ¡°Kedan, what do you do for fun?¡±


    ¡°I like to fence.  I like sword play.¡±


    ¡°Do you really!¡± said Griffa excitedly.  ¡°We shall have to match one another.  I adore sword play.¡±


    ¡°Careful, Kedan, Griffa is good at almost everything she does.  She doesn¡¯t like to lose. Quite a temper, too.¡±


    Griffa rolled her eyes at Talon and took a long drink.  She turned to Kedan as Talon refilled her glass.


    ¡°Talon and I have a little bit of a history.  He tends to think the worst of me,¡± said Griffa as she leaned on Talon.


    ¡°That is not true at all.  I take offense.  I have the highest opinion of you, Griffa.  I don¡¯t think you wanting to win is a fault. I rather like how determined you are,¡± said Talon.


    Kedan smiled at both of them.  ¡°What kind of history do you two have?¡±


    Griffa looked at Talon with one eyebrow raised.


    ¡°A rather nice one,¡± said Talon smiling at Griffa.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of it,¡± said Griffa.  She felt rather good after a few glasses of wine.  ¡°Talon and I were very good friends.  It was a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°It was barely two years ago, Griffa.  That last time had to have been less than two years ago.¡±


    ¡°I said a few years,¡± said Griffa sipping her wine. ¡°I will say, I remember the times we spent together very fondly.¡±


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon with a sly smile at Kedan.  ¡°Where do I rank on your list?¡±


    ¡°My list?  My list of what?¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± said Talon.  He flashed her a seductive smile.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Hmm, let me think.  I would say second, but don¡¯t get too excited. I don¡¯t have a very long list.¡±


    ¡°So, I was first until recently,¡± said Talon sounding delighted.


    ¡°You¡¯ve became second let me see how many months ago?¡± said Griffa thinking. ¡°Eight or nine months I believe.  You became a very low second just this week.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Talon. He glanced at Kedan who leaned in.


    Griffa gave them both a sly smile. ¡°I¡¯m just going to say that it¡¯s a shame other sovereigns didn¡¯t get to experience their protectors and their magic in certain ways.¡±


    Kedan staring laughing as Talon said, ¡°You want to elaborate?¡±  Griffa shook her head and giggled.


    ¡°Ok, quiet down.  Let me ask you a question, Talon,¡± said Griffa turning to Talon and swaying slightly. She placed her head on Talon¡¯s shoulder and looked up at him.


    ¡°Of course, my dear.  Ask whatever you like,¡± said Talon looking down at her.


    ¡°Where am I on your list?  Be honest, I know it¡¯s a much longer list than mine.¡±


    Talon looked at Griffa with a small smile.  Griffa raised her head and looked at Talon expectantly.  He drained his glass and stared at her.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?¡± asked Griffa. ¡°You can be honest, Talon, I can take it.¡±


    Talon opened his mouth when Max came into the room.


    ¡°What is going on in here?¡±


    ¡°Max!¡± said Griffa excitedly.  ¡°Come join us!  Have a drink.¡±


    Max walked over and looked closely at Griffa.  ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough, Griffa.¡±  He turned to Talon.  ¡°Did you do this to her?¡±


    ¡°No one did anything to me, Max,¡± said Griffa looking at Max.  ¡°I¡¯m just having a few drinks with my new and old friend.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go to bed,¡± said Max.


    ¡°Who needs to go to bed?¡± asked Ansel as he walked into the room.


    ¡°Ansel!¡± said Griffa jumping up.  She walked over quickly and threw herself into his arms. She leaned up and kissed him.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± said Ansel smiling at her.  ¡°Drinking with Talon I see.¡±


    ¡°And Kedan,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I think I like him.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright with this?¡± asked Max angrily.


    ¡°Griffa can spend her time as she pleases,¡± said Ansel moving Griffa to his side.  She snuggled up against him and put her hand on his chest.


    Max shook his head and walked out, as Ansel sighed.


    ¡°Do you want a drink, Ansel?¡± asked Talon.


    Ansel looked down at Griffa.  She smiled up at him suggestively. ¡°No, I think I will take this one to bed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure your queen needs your attention tonight, protector,¡± said Talon laughing.


    Griffa bent over laughing.  Ansel looked at her.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Griffa standing back up.  She wasn¡¯t sure why everything was so funny.


    ¡°Do I want to know what they are laughing about, Kedan?¡± asked Ansel


    ¡°Probably not.¡±


    Ansel and Griffa turned to leave the room, when Griffa turned back.


    ¡°Talon, I¡¯m just going to assume I am number one on that list we were talking about.¡±


    Talon responded by raising his glass to her.

 Chapter 12

    Golnar stood on the balcony off of the ballroom of the palace.  He looked down at the first ring below him. He was angry.  He had been angry for a while.  Everything had been going extremely well until recently.  Now, his magic would barely work, he was behind on his plans, and he had lost the young king and Miss Keene.


    He still didn¡¯t know how they did it.  He had left them under the temple under guard.  He had practically poisoned Miss Keene to the point she shouldn¡¯t have survived let alone run through the palace massacring soldiers.  He had them bound in special rope that took away their magic.  Still, somehow, they had both managed to escape the temple.  What was it that made them so powerful?


    Kedan had come to help them.  He had led their rescuers into the palace.  He had carried Miss Keene out himself.  Golnar had seen some of it.  When he heard the fighting, he hid in the study.  He had no magic. He could not fight.  It was Philo¡¯s job to lead the soldiers, and he had plenty of them.  Golnar had thought for sure Philo could stop one woman and a boy.  Even when the rescuers came, there were only four, yet somehow, they escaped.  Now Golnar had nothing but a plan that was far behind.


    He would restart his plan in a few weeks.  When Camelia and Teryn were ready, the fourth and third ring would start having its own gatherings, and magic users would be released.  Once they were through, they could start reordering the city.  Perhaps they could start with villages in the Great Surrounding, soon after.


    Golnar also needed to find out what was wrong with his magic.  The Keene woman had said she could tell his magic was weak.  She had said Philo could tell as well.  Golnar wondered if she was telling the truth.  He thought she probably was.  She was many things, but he didn¡¯t think she was a liar.


    Golnar turned and entered the ballroom.  Philo walked in with Till trailing behind him.


    ¡°So, you lost them both,¡± said Till as they met in the middle.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± asked Philo testily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to run a city as you two played host,¡± spat Till.  ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to arrange the next group of gatherings.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how they escaped,¡± said Golnar pacing.  ¡°How did they even get out of the temple?  The Keene woman shouldn¡¯t have even been able to crawl.  I¡¯m surprised we hadn¡¯t killed her with the amount of elixir you gave her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there was a problem with the potion,¡± said Till.  ¡°Was it made correctly?¡±


    ¡°I made it myself,¡± answered Golnar. ¡°Perhaps you would like to try some?¡±


    ¡°What about when they ran back into the palace?  How did they escape the palace, Philo?¡± asked Till turning to look at Philo.


    ¡°They had help.  Somehow, the protector, Ansel, the leader of the Valley, Talon, and my son got into the palace.  They had the help of Kedan, so he must have known a secret passage to get in,¡± replied Philo.


    ¡°But there was just four of them, and only three of them magic users.  There were soldiers everywhere,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°They split up.  I¡¯m not sure where the young king went or how they found him.  Gryphon was in the throne room.  We would have killed her if Ansel hadn¡¯t shown up,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°Still two magic users, one of them injured, against all of our soldiers and you.   How did they escape alive?¡± asked Golnar angrily.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it.  We threw everything at them.  It was all blocked somehow. I don¡¯t know how it happened.  I don¡¯t know how Ansel did it, but we couldn¡¯t get a single curse through,¡± answered Philo.


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t let them escape?¡± asked Till.  ¡°You didn¡¯t have a momentary flash of sympathy for your old friends?¡±


    ¡°No, they never were my friends. The Keene¡¯s have always thought themselves high above everyone else. Ansel has been their pet for years.  I would love nothing more than to be rid of both Gryphon and Ansel,¡± said Philo.  ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I couldn¡¯t do it, because it wasn¡¯t possible.  I have never seen a magical shield like that.  I¡¯ve never seen anyone do half the things they did in the throne room.  There has to be something else going on.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± asked Golnar as he stopped pacing and looked at Philo.


    ¡°No, not yet.  I am going to meet with Gorm later today and see what he has to say about it.  I will let you know if he has any interesting insights.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Gorm, your friend from Abscon?  Do you think he will have anything useful to say?¡± ask Till skeptically.


    ¡°He was on the Ring for many years.  He isn¡¯t a fighter, but he is intelligent.  He knows much about the history of the magical folk.  I think he could help us,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°Very well, Philo.  Meet with him.  If he does come up with something, I would be very interested to know what it is.  Now, if you both will excuse me, I need to go check on my living quarters.  I believe they are finally back to being livable.¡±


    Philo nodded and Till moved out of Golnar¡¯s way.  Golnar made the way up to his tower.  He hadn¡¯t been in the room since the incident with the young king¡¯s blood and the potion.  He had sent soldiers up to check on it, and last night was the first night the air had been reported as tolerable.


    Golnar opened his door and stepped into his room.  The air still had an odd smell to it, but it was breathable.  Golnar looked in the fireplace.  The kettle there was half melted.  He moved closer to get a look at it.  On one side where the potion had bubbled out, the kettle was melted from top to bottom.


    Golnar still didn¡¯t understand what had happened that day.  Why couldn¡¯t he or Philo touch the young king?  Why did the potion react this way when the young king¡¯s blood was added?  Golnar would need to do some researching.  He had some very old books on blood magic he had found last winter in Aurumist¡¯s library.  He had not gotten to them yet, due to dealing with the young king and Miss Keene.


    Golnar went to look for them and found them on a shelf.  He grabbed them and sat down in the middle of his room in a large chair.  He read for hours.  He could not find one elixir or spell he was looking for.  Of course, if he wanted an actual spell, he would have to ask someone like Philo to preform it for him.  At this point, he was not above asking.  If what Miss Keene had said was true, Philo would already know Golnar¡¯s limitations.


    Golnar put down his book and wondered about Gryphon Keene.  What did she enter his thoughts so frequently?  Why did she rattle him like no one had ever before?  Golnar had been in the presence of other powerful magic users.  He had dealt with dangerous folk from all over the kingdom.  He had seen hunger and death throughout his life, yet nothing frightened him like Gryphon Keene.


    He should have destroyed her when he had the chance.  He should have had her killed directly after her performance in the throne room when she first arrived.  Something made him wait.  Something, made him want to keep her around.  He wanted to understand what made her so powerful, so frightening.  Now, she was out there in the kingdom.  He knew he would see her again, and he doubted it would be a friendly visit.


    Golnar went back to his reading.  He was reading some very interesting material on plagues of non-gifted folk, when there was a knock at his door.  Golnar looked up.  It was rather late for visitors.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Golnar towards the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s Philo, I have some news.¡±


    ¡°Can it wait until morning?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°You will want to hear this information, Golnar,¡± replied Philo.


    Golnar sighed angrily.  He got up from his chair and walked over to the door.  He opened it to let Philo in.


    ¡°This better be important, Philo.  I am in no mood visitors,¡± said Golnar walking back over to his chair.


    Philo followed him and sat down across from Golnar.


    ¡°What I have found out, is very important and interesting.  I have been to visit my friend Gorm.  He was on the Ring in Abscon for many years,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°Yes, I remember you telling me that.  Did you go talk to him about the young king and his escape?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°I did,¡± said Philo staring at Golnar.


    ¡°Did he have any interesting insights on the matter?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± said Philo.  ¡°I was particularly interested in how Ansel managed to block all of our spells by himself with seemingly very little effort.¡±


    ¡°And what did Gorm have to say?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°Gorm thinks it had to do with his protector¡¯s magic.  Protectors are particularly powerful when their sovereigns are in danger.  Sovereigns likewise obtain great power in the presence of their protectors.¡±


    Golnar nodded but looked curiously at Philo.  ¡°I thought the young king was elsewhere in the palace during your confrontation with the protector.  I don¡¯t recall the young king being anywhere close to Kedan, Miss Keene, or the protector.¡±


    ¡°The young king wasn¡¯t anywhere near us at the time.  I believe he may already have fled the castle by then,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°So, how does that explain the protector¡¯s magic being used?  I would have thought the protector would have gone to look for his king, instead of going after Miss Keene.¡±


    ¡°I think we might have been misinformed, Golnar,¡± said Philo slightly smiling.


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Golnar confused.


    ¡°What if the young king wasn¡¯t a king at all?¡± asked Philo.


    ¡°What are you talking about?  All of our sources have said this boy is the one.  Your friend Gorm agreed, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He did at the time, but the new information made him tell me something that happened years ago.  Something I knew about, but never knew the reason,¡± said Philo slyly.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the point to all of this, or are we going to have a guessing game?¡± asked Golnar who was becoming annoyed.


    ¡°I am going to tell you, but the story is a long one.  It will make for a late evening.  I can come back in the morning,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s hear this now.  I¡¯ll order some food,¡± said Golnar standing up.  He walked over and pulled a cord to summon a servant.


    Golnar sat back down and gave Philo and expectant look. ¡°Go, on,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°The young king is of Adalwen blood, but he is not the only one.  There is another one who is older.  One who has been leading her people for a few months now.  It turns out the magical folk don¡¯t have a king.  They have a queen,¡± said Philo. --


    Golnar swallowed.  He knew what Philo was going to say next.  He knew the name of their queen.  He didn¡¯t even want to say her name.  To say it, would make it real.


    ¡°You know who I¡¯m speaking of don¡¯t you?¡± asked Philo quietly.


    Golnar looked at Philo and nodded. He swallowed again.  He could feel fear creeping up in his veins.  His stomach felt uneasy, causing bile to collect in his throat.  Golnar closed his eyes and whispered, ¡°Gryphon Keene.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Max sat in the study of Keene Manor in front of the fireplace, after dinner.  Almost two weeks had passed since their escape from Aurumist, but Max still felt unsettled.  He was still angry.  He couldn¡¯t believe Griffa had forgiven Ansel so quickly.  Ansel had left her there, left them both there to suffer for two months, and Griffa acted like Ansel had nothing to atone for.


    Max would not forgive Ansel.  He would not forgive him for Griffa¡¯s pain.  He would not forgive him for the worry and dread Max felt every day for two months.  He would not forgive Ansel for not listening to him in the Valley.  Ansel would never gain Max forgiveness.  Max would never trust Ansel to protect his queen.


    Max looked over in the other chair to see Issa reading a book on protector¡¯s magic.  He gave an angry snort that caused her to turn and look at Max.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Max?¡± asked Issa with concern.


    ¡°Why are you reading that book?¡± asked Max angrily.


    ¡°Griffa asked me to help her look into protector¡¯s magic.  I believe she wants to train with Ansel to better understand how it works.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother.  No matter how much information you help Griffa find, he will never be able to protect her, not like he should.¡±


    ¡°Max, I know you are angry.  I know a lot happened to you in Aurumist, but this anger you have for Ansel is not something you can hold on to for much longer¡± said Issa adamantly.


    ¡°Why not?  It¡¯s his fault Griffa was taken in the Valley.  It¡¯s his fault Griffa and I had to endure over two months in the palace.  Issa, you don¡¯t know what it was like.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Issa compassionately.  ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how awful it was for you and for Griffa.  I know she is still struggling as well.  She has nightmares every night, and she can¡¯t bear to be alone.  I think she wants to start training with Ansel to feel some sort of power she feels she has lost.¡±


    ¡°She seemed fine with Talon and Kedan the other night, drinking and laughing.  She carries on with Ansel like nothing ever happened,¡± said Max sulkily.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell Griffa how to deal with her pain,¡± said Issa, angrily.  ¡°She is just trying to get through it, same as you.  If her friends can help her feel some relief even just for a few moments, why would you criticize it? She loves Ansel, Max.  He loves her.  Whatever they did to work out their relationship is none of your concern.  You should be happy they have each other.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re on his side?¡± asked Max.  ¡°You think he did nothing wrong?¡±


    ¡°I am on everybody¡¯s side, Max, especially yours.  I love you and I can¡¯t stand to see you acting like this.  I understand you are hurt and angry.  I want to help you get through this, but you can¡¯t blame everything on Ansel.  You have no idea what he went through while both of you were gone.  He worried about both of you every hour.  I¡¯m not sure sometimes how he was still able to function.  He barely slept.  We had to force him to eat.


    ¡°He wanted to go get both of you the moment he came back from the Valley, but he knew he only had one chance to get you out.  He had to find the right moment and the right way to do it.  I agreed with him.  I wanted to help him.  Do you blame me for the time you spend in Aurumist?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± answered Max.


    ¡°Then it makes no sense to blame Ansel.  You will have to forgive him, Max.  You care about him, and he cares about you.  What¡¯s more if you care about Griffa, you will have to forgive him, because whatever happens she will choose Ansel over everything else,¡± said Issa passionately.  She took a deep breath and stood up.  ¡°I¡¯m going to bed, Max.  I do love you.  I want to be here for you, but there are some things you are going to have to work out yourself.¡±


    She started to walk away when Max grabbed her hand.  He stood up and pulled Issa close.


    ¡°I know you are right,¡± he whispered.  ¡°Everything you say makes sense, but I just can¡¯t forgive him.  I don¡¯t know why.  I close my eyes at night, and all I can hear are Griffa¡¯s cries of pain.  I can still feel the dread that I would do something wrong and they would kill her.¡±


    ¡°It was awful,¡± said Issa.  ¡°You have every right to be angry, but be angry at the right people.  Be angry at Philo Quick and that Golnar man.  Be angry at the powers in Aurumist who are wanting to destroy our kingdom.  Don¡¯t push away someone who cares about you.¡±  Issa leaned up and kissed Max softly.


    Max pulled Issa into a hug and held her tightly.  ¡°It will take time,¡± said Max in a whisper. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Issa ¡°But you have to start trying.¡±


    Max nodded and let her go, and watched her walk out of the study.  Max sat looking at the fire burning low in the fireplace.  He knew he would have to forgive Ansel at some point, but he didn¡¯t know how.  He had thought of talking to Ansel several times in the past week, but every time he made up his mind to do it, Max wouldn¡¯t be able to go through with it.


    For some reason Max could not let go of his anger towards Ansel.  He was angry at all those in Aurumist, but they were far away.  Here, he saw Ansel every day.  He was reminded that Ansel, who said he cared about Max, Ansel who said he loved Griffa, sat around the manor for two months while they both suffered.


    Max waved his hand and put out the fire.  He walked through the dark parlor, to the stairs, and up to his bedroom.  He took off his shoes and fell on his bed fully dressed.  He didn¡¯t even bother getting under the covers.  He was tired.  He was tired of being angry, and tired of remembering the horrors of Aurumist.  He lay on his stomach, and laid his head on the pillow, and cried.  He cried for Griffa who would never truly get over what had happened to her.  He cried for himself because he didn¡¯t want to be angry anymore.  He cried because even though he was back in Keene Manor in Abscon, he didn¡¯t truly feel safe.  Max cried until he fell asleep.


    Max was standing in darkness.  He was somewhere outside, but there was no light from any sun, moon, or star.  He could see nothing.  It was cold and the air was still.  Max started walking with his hands out. He walked slowly, trying to make sure he didn¡¯t run into anything, or stumble.


    He walked on for a long while.  He didn¡¯t know where he was going.  No matter how far he walked, he only saw darkness.  After what felt like hours, Max heard a sound.  It was someone crying.  He looked ahead and there was a small pool of light.  In the middle of the light, Griffa was on her knees.  She was weeping.  Max ran towards her.


    ¡°Griffa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Max.  He kneeled down beside her.


    Griffa shook her head and kept weeping.


    ¡°What is it? What has happened?¡± asked Max.


    Griffa took deep breaths.  She looked up at Max and whispered, ¡°Regventus.¡±


    ¡°Regventus?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Griffa sadly.  ¡°The kingdom is sick.  Here you can see.¡±


    Griffa held out her hand, and Max took it.  Griffa squeezed his hand lightly.  Max felt nausea hit him hard.  He closed his eyes and saw many different folk suffering.  Some were weeping and some were laying on the ground in pain.  He saw people mourning.  Max felt intense grief.  It was too much; he could not bear it.  He let go of Griffa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I must help them.  I must save our kingdom,¡± said Griffa looking at Max.


    Max looked at Griffa, and he felt intense sadness.  He felt like his heart was breaking.


    ¡°What will you do?¡± asked Max.  He didn¡¯t know why, but he was scared of her answer.


    ¡°I will do whatever it takes,¡± said Griffa simply.


    The light faded around them.  Max sat up in his bed.  He could see the early morning light coming through his window.  His heart was beating wildly.  He felt sick and cold.  Above all, he wanted to see Griffa.  Without thinking, Max jumped up out of his bed.  He walked quickly out his door and to Griffa¡¯s room.  He knocked loudly over and over until the door finally opened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ansel looking at Max in the half-opened door.


    ¡°I need to see, Griffa, now,¡± said Max breathing hard.


    Ansel looked at him closely.  ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until later.  She didn¡¯t have a good night.  She finally just went to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Please, I just need to see her for a second, Ansel,¡± said Max pleadingly.


    Ansel looked at Max with concern when Griffa called out from the bed.  ¡°Ansel?  Where are you?¡±  She sounded scared.


    Ansel walked quickly away from the door.  He went to the bed and laid down next to Griffa.  He put an arm around her.  ¡°I¡¯m here.  It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Max walked in and went to the side of the bed Griffa was on.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°She usually has at least one nightmare every night since you both returned, but tonight has been much worse.  I usually use my protector¡¯s magic to sooth her, but tonight she keeps waking back up. She has cried almost the whole night.¡±


    Griffa opened her eyes and looked at Max. She reached out to him.  Max kneeled down by the bed and took her hand.


    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Yes, I have seen it,¡± replied Max.  He squeezed her hand, feeling her magic mingle with his own.  He could feel her despair and her pain. ¡°Griffa, it¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it, Max.  I can¡¯t take their pain and suffering.¡±


    ¡°We will fix it, Griffa.  We will fix it together,¡± said Max. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you to do it alone.¡±


    Griffa nodded and let go of Max¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What is wrong with her?¡± asked Ansel quietly as he looked at Griffa.  She turned and burrowed herself into Ansel¡¯s chest.  He wrapped his arms around her. She made a little noise and then lay still.


    ¡°There is something coming.  Something that will hurt he people of the kingdom,¡± said Max.


    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t clear, but I think it¡¯s going to be bad.  I had a vision.  There was so much pain and sickness and death. I am frightened for the kingdom.  I am scared for Griffa as well.¡±


    Ansel sighed and tightened his hold on Griffa.  ¡°I can¡¯t lose her, Max. What can we do?¡±


    ¡°Just wait,¡± said Max quietly.


    ¡°Do you know why it affects her like this?¡± asked Ansel. ¡°She¡¯s already weak from Aurumist. I don¡¯t know how much she can stand.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know why this affects her,¡± said Max standing up.  ¡°But I¡¯m going to find out.  There has to be something in the history of Regventus that explains a sovereign¡¯s connection to the kingdom and it¡¯s folk.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t go on like this. Neither can you,¡± said Ansel looking at Max as he held Griffa.


    ¡°I know,¡± I¡¯ll find something,¡± said Max.  He turned to walk away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this alone.  I want to help you, not just for Griffa.  I care about you, Max,¡± said Ansel.


    Max looked at Ansel.  ¡°Just do whatever you can to help her.  Keep her calm, help her to sleep.  I¡¯ll let you know what I find.¡±


    Ansel gave a slight nod and kissed Griffa on top of her head.  Max walked out and shut the door slowly.  He went to his room and laid on his bed, quickly falling asleep.

 Chapter 14

    Ansel looked at Griffa as he walked by her side to the Ring meeting hall.  He thought she looked every bit a queen today.  She was dressed in a new dark blue dress with the sun of Adalwen stitched on the bodice.  Her sleeves were long and sheer, with a Keene falcon making up each shoulder.  The skirt had darts in the waist to help disguise how thin she still was from her time in Aurumist.  The skirt was full and finished just at the tips of her black boots.


    She had left her hair down, her long wild curls tumbling down her back. Ansel caught her looking at her face in the mirror and worrying over the few light scars that were there.  Ansel had assured her it did not mar her beauty.  He thought it showed she was a survivor and a warrior.  She still powdered them lightly.  She could not hide the dark circles under her eyes or her sallow cheek bones.  Ansel hoped she would start resting better and eating more soon.  He knew it would take time for her to heal.


    ¡°Are you sure you are up for this today?¡± asked Ansel as they walked.


    ¡°Yes, I want answers.  I have waited long enough.  Have you notice that not a single one of them has come to see me since I¡¯ve returned?¡± asked Griffa.


    Ansel had noticed.  He had written to Hector to let him know they were successful.  They did not receive a letter or a visit in return.  He wondered if the Ring would even show up to a meeting under Griffa¡¯s summons.  If they didn¡¯t, she could unseat all of them for treason.  He would like to say he hoped it didn¡¯t come to that, but he dreaded the confrontation that would be had if they all showed up.


    Ansel glanced behind him to see Talon, Kedan, and Max walking together.  Max had not spoken to Ansel since the two mornings ago when he came into Griffa¡¯s bedroom.  Ansel had hoped that Max had let his anger go for Ansel, but there were no signs of reconciliation yet.  Ansel wondered if Max had any luck figuring out anything about Griffa¡¯s connection to the kingdom and its folk.  Ansel wanted answers soon.  Griffa had slept better last night, but she had still woken up twice crying and shaking.


    They had a plan for today¡¯s meeting.  Ansel and Griffa had met with Talon several times.  They would go in with strength and certainty.  They would go in demanding answers.  They would find out whom they could trust.  Those they could not trust would be asked to leave.  They would be replaced.


    They approached the statue of King Nathin and Griffa stopped.  She looked up at the statue and gave a small smile.


    ¡°All this time I¡¯ve been bowing to him, and I didn¡¯t realize he was of my family,¡± said Griffa.


    She bowed to him and then looked at the gods.  Instead of bowing, she walked over to the statue.  She put her hand up and touched the foot of the sister, closing her eyes.  Ansel looked at Kedan, Talon, and Max.  They were all watching Griffa silently. Ansel wondered if they could all feel the power that surrounded Griffa.  He wondered if they could all feel her pull.  After a minute, Griffa let go off the statue and opened her eyes.  She walked away.


    ¡°I am ready.  Whatever happens, I thank you for all of your support,¡± said Griffa looking at them all.


    Talon grabbed her hand and kissed it.  ¡°I will always be here with whatever you need from me, my queen.¡± Talon let her hand go.


    Kedan grabbed her hand and bowed over it.  ¡°I owe you more than my own life, Griffa.  I don¡¯t know what I can do, but whatever you need, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Max came up and took both of Griffa¡¯s hands.  ¡°You are the queen Griffa.  No one in there can truly deny that.  Whatever you decide today, I know will be right.¡±


    Ansel walked up to Griffa and looked at her. He took her hand.  ¡°I am your protector.  I promise to be at your side and keep you from harm.¡±


    He pulled her to him and kissed her.  ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered.  She held his hand in hers.  She kissed it and let it go.


    She looked at the others and nodded.  Ansel stood at her right side and Talon at her left.  Max and Kedan stood side by side behind her.  They walked into the meeting hall.  Griffa did not stop to talk to the little man who saw to the front door. He only bowed and stayed down as they all passed.  When they got to the double doors that led to the room, Griffa paused for a moment.  She looked at Ansel who smiled slightly.  She looked at Talon who winked at her.  She opened both doors and the group walked in together.


    All members of the ring were there gathered around the table.  They were all standing behind their seats silently.  Griffa came in and stood behind the first chair.


    ¡°I would like a chair to my right for my protector, a chair to my left for the leader of the Valley, a chair next to him for my friend, Kedan, and Max the young diviner will sit by Madam Sidora.  Chairs were brought in as Griffa requested.


    ¡°You all my sit,¡± said Griffa in a commanding voice.  ¡°I will not call this Ring to order, because I am not sure you are my Ring.  I have heard disturbing reports from my protector and the leader of the Valley of what happened in my absence.  There is another matter I would like to discuss as well. You will all speak true to me.  If I find any word of falsehood spoken, you will be accused of treason.¡±


    ¡°Gryphon, I think maybe things got too heated during our last meeting with Ansel.  We were all under quite a bit of stress with the situation.  No one ever considered actually leaving you and Max in Aurumist,¡± said Hector looking at Griffa.


    Griffa turned to Talon, ¡°Is that true, Talon.  Do you remember it that way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Talon looking around the Ring. ¡°I believe the word options were used.  The Ring was definitely weighting the option of leaving you and Max in Aurumist.  Though only two brought it up, no one of the Ring but Madam Sidora spoke up.¡±


    ¡°Ansel, protector, what is your opinion?¡± asked Griffa looking at Ansel.


    ¡°I agree with Talon.  There was also talk of finding a way to settle a peace with the powers of Aurumist.¡±


    Griffa looked around the circle.  ¡°Let me be clear, there will be no peace with the powers of Aurumist.  They are evil.  They are against everything our gods stand for. We cannot be the folk we say we are and try to negotiate with the palace.  If you think that is an option, I ask you to leave now.  You have no place in my Ring, and you have no place in Abscon.¡±


    ¡°What right do you have to come in here, and talk to all of us like this?¡±asked Helmer angrily.  Ansel felt his protector¡¯s magic rise to the surface of his skin.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I have every right as the leader of the Ring and your queen,¡± said Griffa looking at Helmer.


    ¡°So, you decide you are the queen, and we fall in line, is that it?¡± asked Helmer.


    ¡°There is no doubt that Gryphon Keene is the true Queen of Regventus,¡± said Madam Sidora looking at Helmer with disdain.


    ¡°Forgive me, Sidora, but you have been wrong before.  You told us that the boy next to you was our king,¡± said Hector


    ¡°She did,¡± said Griffa standing up.  ¡°I believe she told you of that vision almost seventeen years ago.  Is that correct, Sidora?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen.  After the boy Maxwell was born.¡±


    ¡°What do we know of visions?  Are they always clear?¡± asked Griffa.  She walked around the circle towards Sidora staring at Helmer.


    ¡°No,¡± said Sidora.  ¡°Sometimes I have to interpret them the best I can.¡±


    ¡°Do you think anything could ever alter them, or make you see things that aren¡¯t there?¡± asked Griffa


    ¡°I am not sure,¡± said Sidora.


    ¡°Max, you have been studying about being a diviner in the last few weeks since we returned.  Have you found anything like what I just said?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are several spells and potions that can alter visions.  Especially after they are told.  I can show you all the books I have found if you would like,¡± said Max.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Max.  I think at least one or two men in this room are already familiar,¡± said Griffa still staring at Helmer.


    Sidora looked startled.  She looked at Griffa and then Helmer.  Ansel could feel the animosity towards Griffa radiating off of Helmer.  Ansel closed his eyes to compose himself and keep his magic contained.


    ¡°You see, I believe my father knew exactly who my mother was.  I think he knew who I was the moment I was born.  I think he told all of you at some point.  He trusted all of you. You were his Ring, but as time went on, I didn¡¯t fit your description of what your queen should look and act like.  So, you needed to find a way to keep things quiet.  I believe some of you went as far as to kill him.¡±


    ¡°No, Gryphon it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± said Hector with feeling.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Helmer angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.  This has gone on long enough,¡± said Hector.  He looked at Griffa.  ¡°Your father did not tell us who you were.  I think he wanted to protect you.  You were his only daughter.  He didn¡¯t want you to be queen.  He knew how dangerous it would be for you.  He hid your identity from all of us.


    ¡°He must have been the one to alter the vision, to protect you. He was a very gifted potion master. I think only he could have made that kind of magic to alter a vision.  I think the secret became too much for him.  You were the rightful queen of Regventus.  I think dreams plagued him.  It got to the point where he had to tell the truth, so he came to me.  He told me the truth one night at my house. He was in agony over it.


    ¡°I went to some of the other members here and discussed it with them.  We didn¡¯t know what kind of queen you would be, Gryphon.  You were so wild as a child.  At sixteen you were still so hardheaded and opinionated.  Your father let you do as you please.  He let you run wild around the kingdom.  He never once checked you.¡±


    ¡°What you are saying is you knew you couldn¡¯t control her,¡± said Ansel angrily.  ¡°You knew Griffa would never bend to your will as the Ring.¡±


    ¡°We knew she would get us into trouble, just as she has,¡± said Helmer angrily.  ¡°She has brought us to the brink of war as just the leader of the Ring.  Imagine what will happen now that she is calling herself a queen.¡±


    ¡°Be silent, Helmer,¡± said Hector.  ¡°The biggest mistake I ever made was going to you with the information.  It¡¯s your fault Renweard is dead.  You said you could make the potion.  You said you could use blood magic to make him forget.  How did you even get Gryphon¡¯s blood to begin with?¡±


    Ansel looked at Helmer and saw him looking at Griffa.  ¡°It was easy.  I found her out in the village, running around wild like usual.  I had her trip and fall.  She cut her knee, and I helped her out.¡±


    ¡°You made a blood potion to have my father forget who I really was?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°You tricked him into drinking it somehow and it killed him.  Is that what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Helmer.  ¡°I made the potion to have him forget you were the queen.  I did it for Abscon and for our folk.  I knew what kind of queen you would be, and I was right.  I¡¯m sorry Renweard died, that wasn¡¯t my intention, but I did it for our folk and the kingdom.¡±


    Ansel could see Griffa was breathing very heavily.  She walked back to stand behind her chair.


    ¡°You say you didn¡¯t mean to kill my father, but you did,¡± said Griffa as she gave Helmer a cold stare.  ¡°You are banished from Abscon.  I want you to leave this second.  You will not be able to reenter the village once you leave.  I don¡¯t care where you go.  You can go join your friend Philo in Aurumist if you like.  Your family may stay, but your seat on the Ring will not go to your son.¡±


    Helmer stood up and walked towards Griffa.  Ansel stood up and met him.  ¡°If you come one more step closer to my queen, you will never get the chance to leave this room alive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all just going to sit there and let her do this?¡± asked Helmer looking around.


    ¡°You are not welcomed in the Valley, either,¡± said Talon standing up.  ¡°You are banished from the Valley and any holdings you may have there.  I have full authority of the council to do this, so don¡¯t test it.¡±


    ¡°Go, Helmer. I will not tolerate you in my presence another minute.  Go before I have you taken away, and made to pay for your crime.  Take the mercy I am offering you,¡± said Griffa.


    Helmer looked at Griffa with so much pure hatred it almost made Ansel curse him where he stood, but Helmer turned and fled the room.


    Griffa turned to Hector.  ¡°Hector Delis, you knew of this crime all these years.  My father trusted you beyond all doubt.  He loved you as a friend. You betrayed him and me.  I will not banish you from Abscon, but you will remove yourself from the Ring.  You will never serve on my Ring again.¡±


    ¡°I would not go to the Valley, Hector,¡± said Talon.  ¡°They are a bit on edge at the moment since their queen was taken and tortured.  Once they learn what you have done, you will not be welcomed.¡±


    Hector got up and walked over to Griffa.  Ansel looked at him, but Hector kneeled before Griffa.


    ¡°I am truly sorry, my queen.  I should never have doubted you or your father.  I have lived with the knowledge that I as good as killed my best friend all those years ago.  I can never make up for what you have lost, but I will serve you however you see fit.  I accept my place on the Ring is lost, but I will not turn against you.  I will fight for you when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Griffa looking down at Hector.  ¡°You can tell your wife and daughter they are safe in Abscon as are you.  If your son decides to come back to Abscon, he will be welcome.¡±


    Hector stood up. ¡°Thank you, my queen.¡±  He looked around and then left.


    ¡°Who else knew of this?  Who else knew Helmer killed my father? Did you all know?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said a brown-haired witch sadly.  ¡°We did, my queen, except for Sidora I think.  It was wrong. I will excuse myself from the Ring.  You do have my support Gryphon and my apologies.¡±  The witch left.


    One by one, the Ring members left after swearing their loyalty to Griffa.  When it was over, Griffa sat down in her chair and laid her head on the table.


    ¡°Well, Griffa,¡± said Talon patting her shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you could have done.¡±


    ¡°I know, but now I have an empty Ring except for Madam Sidora.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Sidora.  ¡°I see at least four others here.¡±


    Griffa looked around, and Talon smiled.  ¡°Yes, Griffa, you have a good start to a new Ring right here.  I will serve.¡±


    Griffa smiled.  ¡°I believe I promised you one more from the Valley, Talon, so I will defer to you to choose someone.¡±


    ¡°I will do whatever you need of me, you know I will help you,¡± said Max standing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can serve on the Ring.  I have no magical ability, but if you still want me on your Ring, I will serve,¡± said Kedan.


    ¡°I do want you on my Ring. Our kingdom is made up of magical and non-magical folk.  All should be represented on the Ring,¡± said Griffa smiling at Kedan.


    ¡°There is no where I would rather be than right here by your side, Griffa.  I will serve on your Ring,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°Thank you, all,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°We can fill out the rest of the Ring as we go along.  Now, everyone take your seats.  We have things to discuss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure a protector has ever been on a Ring before,¡± said Ansel as he settled into his seat.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you¡¯ve done that a protector¡¯s not done before,¡± said Talon with a sly smile.

 Chapter 15

    Two days after his first official Ring meeting, Kedan sat on the sofa in Keene manor after lunch.  He was all alone which was a rarity in the manor when he was not in his room.  Kedan knew Ansel was out training his guards this afternoon.  He wasn¡¯t sure where Max and Issa disappeared too, but they were both carrying a large number of books when they walked through the parlor after lunch.  Griffa and Talon were taking a walk together outside, talking of whom to add on the Ring from the Valley.


    Kedan sat on the sofa holding a book and not reading.  When it was quiet, his mind tended to drift to Aurumist and his son.  He wondered how the child was doing.  What did the boy look like?  Did he have Teryn¡¯s eyes or his own.  Kedan tried not to think of Teryn often.  He was still confused on his feelings for her.


    He had spent so much of his young life with Teryn, it was hard to completely dismiss her from his mind  She had been his lover, then his wife, and now the mother of his child.  She had lied to him and enthralled him, but Kedan still had memories of loving her.  He still had moments where he thought he might still be in love with her.  How could he ever be sure?  He couldn¡¯t ever really know what was the truth and what was just a spell with Teryn.


    Kedan was still married to her.  She was still his wife, but Kedan wasn¡¯t sure he ever really wanted to see her again.  He wanted to see his child badly.  He wished he could think of a way to bring his child here to Abscon.  He knew that would probably mean Teryn would have to come with the child, and Kedan would make sure she was safe and provided for.  He didn¡¯t think he could ever live with her as man and wife again, but he did not want her to suffer.


    Kedan wondered if Teryn and his mother were still helping Golnar with his plans.  He wondered if his child was included in those plans.  Kedan shuddered to think of his child growing up in the palace of Aurumist under Golnar¡¯s guidance.  He hoped that Griffa would win the throne before long, and he could be reunited with his son. Kedan didn¡¯t think he would mind living in Aurumist if Griffa was the queen.


    Talon and Griffa walked into the parlor interrupting Kedan¡¯s thoughts.  Griffa sat next to Kedan on the sofa and gave him a small smile.


    ¡°Did you have a pleasant walk?¡± asked Kedan.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Talon refused to be serious when helping me pick folk for my Ring.¡±


    ¡°That is not true at all,¡± said Talon.  ¡°I was very serious at first.  I do think we should ask Clara Vin from the Valley to join the Ring.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what did you try to get me to do after that?¡± asked Griffa giving Talon a frown.


    ¡°I just said it would be funny to see how he would react, I didn¡¯t say you should actually do it,¡± said Talon sitting down in a chair close to Griffa.


    ¡°What did Talon want you to do?¡± asked Kedan.


    ¡°He wanted me to tell Ansel I was thinking of asking Marcus Quick to join my Ring.  Which I would never do.  I don¡¯t blame Marcus for my accident, not really, but he is the last person I want on my Ring.  He is nice enough, but I¡¯m not sure how much wisdom he would add,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I know you would never do it, but just tell Ansel you are thinking about it.  I bet his face changes color five times,¡± said Talon laughing.


    ¡°Why do you like aggravating him so?¡± asked Griffa. ¡°The poor man worries enough as it is.  He already has to deal with me daily.¡±


    Talon rolled his eyes, ¡°Fine, don¡¯t let me have my fun.¡±


    ¡°What have you been up to this afternoon, Kedan?¡± asked Griffa


    ¡°I tried to read, but I just ended up thinking about my child instead.  I don¡¯t even know his name,¡± said Kedan sadly.


    Griffa gave him a sympathetic look. She grabbed Kedan¡¯s hand.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kedan.  I wish there was some way to help you.  One day, you will see your son.  I will find a way.¡±


    ¡°Until then, we need to find something to do to keep your mind off of things,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°I know what we could do,¡± said Griffa excitedly.  She jumped up and ran out of the room.


    ¡°Where did she go?¡± asked Kedan.  Talon just shrugged.


    Griffa came back in holding two swords.  ¡°I said we should match soon, and I have no plans today. The weather is perfect.  Let¡¯s go out onto the back lawn, and you can show me your skills with a sword.¡±


    Kedan gave Griffa a dubious look.  ¡°I don¡¯t know.  I am not sure Ansel would like you sword fighting.¡±


    ¡°You think Ansel has any control over me?  We will be safe.  Talon can put up a safety ward for us when we get outside.  Besides, I can hold my own I believe,¡± said Griffa.


    Talon stood up.  ¡°Come on, Kedan.  When Griffa has her mind on something, you won¡¯t be able to change it.¡±


    Kedan stood up.  ¡°You are sure you feel up to this, Griffa?  You are healed?¡±


    ¡°I have felt much better this week. I need some exercise.  I will stop when I get tired. Come on, I¡¯m the queen and it is my command,¡± said Griffa giving Kedan a very pretty smile.


    ¡°Alright, but promise me you will stop if you begin to hurt or feel tired.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±  She walked out the back door with Talon behind her.  Kedan followed.


    He met Griffa on the back lawn.  She gave him one of the swords with a smile. ¡°I know these aren¡¯t the finest quality, but they should work fine for what we are going to do.¡±


    Kedan moved his sword around to get the feel for it as Talon sat on the ground to watch.


    ¡°Talon, will you put up a safety ward?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°As you command, my queen,¡± said Talon.  He raised his hand.


    Griffa walked over close to Kedan and swung her sword at his arm.  The sword stopped a hair from his arm.


    ¡°No matter where you strike at me or I at you, we will not truly hit one another.  You can¡¯t hurt me no matter how hard you try with the safety charm on, so don¡¯t hold back,¡± said Griffa as she turned from him and walked away.  She got about six feet away and turned towards Kedan with a saucy smile.  ¡°I know I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you both ready?¡± asked Talon.  Kedan saw Griffa nod, and he nodded as well.  ¡°Very well, swords ready, and begin.¡±


    Griffa circled around Kedan with her sword ready.  It became very clear to Kedan, very early in their duel, that Griffa was a very skilled with a sword.  Her movements were smooth.  She wasn¡¯t overly predictable.  What she lacked in power, she made up for in speed and flexibility.  She would have landed two hits without the safety charms, before Kedan decided he should try a little harder.


    ¡°Griffa, I don¡¯t think you are as fast as you used to be,¡± said Talon as Kedan just missed landing a blow


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come up here and fight me next then?¡± asked Griffa as she circled around Kedan.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather sit her and watch you bend like that, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Talon brazenly as Griffa avoided Kedan¡¯s blow by bending down.


    They dueled for at least twenty minutes.  Kedan was sweating by the time he ended the duel by disarming Griffa.  Griffa sat down on the grass and wiped her forehead.  ¡°Well done, Kedan.  You are quite skilled.¡±


    Kedan sat down next to her, putting both swords to his side.  ¡°Thank you, but I imagine you would beat me easily if you used magic.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t having a magical duel where we?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°You do have skill, Kedan.  You should be proud.¡±


    ¡°What good does it do me in this world?  I would like to be able to help and fight, but how can I against magical spells and curses.¡±


    Griffa gave Kedan a look as Talon moved to sit closer to them.  ¡°You know you aren¡¯t less than us just because you can¡¯t use magic, right?¡± asked Griffa.


    Kedan shrugged.  ¡°I don¡¯t know.  What good would I be in a fight?  At the palace all I could do was follow Ansel around and stay out of the way.¡±


    ¡°It would have been hard for Ansel to escape while dragging me around.  I don¡¯t think I would be back here in Abscon without you,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°Still, what good will I be in the coming war?¡± asked Kedan.


    Griffa scooted close to Kedan.  She turned to him.  I discovered something while I was in Aurumist.  I don¡¯t know how.  I¡¯m not even sure if I remember where I learned this, but I think all of us have magic in us somewhere, whether we can wield it or not.  The gods created us all using magic, so it should settle somewhere in all of us.¡±


    Griffa looked at Kedan.  ¡°Close your eyes, Kedan.  Close your eyes, and listen.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Griffa?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°Just watch and listen.  Be quiet for once in your life,¡± said Griffa.


    Kedan closed his eyes.  He listened to the sounds of the day around him.


    ¡°What do you hear?¡± asked Griffa softly


    ¡°I hear birds.  I hear the wind blowing the leaves in the tree.  I hear you breathing.¡±


    ¡°And in all those things there is magic,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Now I¡¯m going to touch you.  I will not hurt you, or do anything to spell or curse you in anyway.  I just want to see if you can feel my magic respond to yours.¡±


    Kedan felt Griffa put her hand on his chest.  He could hear her breath close to his ear.  He could smell her interesting scent.  He couldn¡¯t place it, but it was comforting.¡±


    ¡°Now, somewhere inside you is magic left over from when you were made by the gods.  You may not be able to use it, but I believe you can still feel it if you look hard enough.¡±


    Kedan felt a warmth come from Griffa¡¯s hand.  He felt safe and relaxed.  He felt the warmth growing as if it was trying to look inside of him, like it was seeking something.  Griffa moved her hand slightly, and she sighed.


    ¡°It is there, Kedan.  There is magic there.  It may take a time for you to realize it, but it¡¯s there.¡±


    Griffa removed her hand, and Kedan opened his eyes. She was looking at him with a kind smile.


    ¡°I can show you how to defend yourself against magic if you would like.  It won¡¯t be easy, but you can learn how to see spells and curses.  I can even give you something to defend yourself. If you want to take the time, I will help you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kedan softly looking at Griffa.  He knew she hadn¡¯t performed any spells on him, but he felt a little in her power.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Griffa.  She moved back slightly and stood up.  ¡°Now, my protector is home, and I think he is wondering what we are doing out here.¡±


    Griffa offered Kedan a hand, and he took it.  Talon stood up and offered Griffa his arm.  Kedan watched them walk into the house together.  He shook his head to clear it, and then followed them inside.


    Later that evening, after dinner, Kedan was reading in the parlor with Talon, Ansel, and Griffa.  Ansel was sitting on the sofa reading, and Griffa was leaning against Ansel with her own book.  Talon sat near them drinking a glass of wine and holding a book.  Kedan looked up from his book to see Talon staring at Griffa and Ansel.


    At one point, Griffa laid her head in Ansel¡¯s lap.  Ansel held his book with one hand and placed his other on Griffa¡¯s waist.  He made lazy circles with his fingers against the bodice of her dress while reading his book.  Kedan watched Talon as he watched Griffa and Ansel.  Talon had an interesting look on his face.  Eventually Kedan could see that Griffa had fallen asleep.  Her book had fallen to the floor.  He knew she hadn¡¯t been sleeping well.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± said Talon quietly.  He motioned to Griffa.


    Ansel looked down and smiled.  He put his book down on the table next to him and carefully got up, using his hands to cradle Griffa¡¯s head. He laid her head down softly and then bent down and scooped her up off the couch.  She made a soft noise, but did not seem to wake.  Ansel nodded to them both and then left the room with Griffa in his arms.


    Talon watched them go and then took a sip of wine.  He picked up his book.


    ¡°Talon, can I ask you something?  You don¡¯t have to answer,¡± said Kedan


    Talon put down his book and looked at Kedan.  ¡°Go on.¡± Talon took a drink of his wine.


    ¡°Are you in love with Griffa?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Talon choking on his wine a bit.


    ¡°Do you love Griffa?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I love Griffa.  I love her very much.  I can¡¯t think of anyone still living I might love more. I can¡¯t imagine anyone not knowing Griffa. I mean really knowing the true Griffa, and not loving her.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret her then?  Do you wish you had found a way to keep her two years ago?¡±


    ¡°I never had Griffa. I tried to get her to marry me, but she wouldn¡¯t take me seriously.  I made some mistakes when I was younger. She didn¡¯t feel the same way about me that I felt about her. She loved Ansel by the time I asked her.  I think she loved him before that.  She just didn¡¯t know it.  I won¡¯t say I don¡¯t regret her, but she is where she needs to be.  She needs Ansel, and he needs her. I do love her though. I think I always will.  I would do just about anything she asked of me.  You will see what I mean once you get to know her better.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m already starting to understand,¡± said Kedan with a small smile.

 Chapter 16

    Griffa lay in bed in the middle of the night.  She was wide awake, but she didn¡¯t want to wake Ansel.  He had lost enough sleep because of her.  She turned over and looked at the candle that burned on her bedside table.  She couldn¡¯t stand the dark anymore, not after Aurumist.  Griffa took deep breaths as the feelings of fear came over her.


    She hated that she still could be bothered by memories of laying in her cell half asleep and sick.  She hated that she could still smell the foul air.  If she lay still at night, she could still hear the door open at the end of the hallway of her cell.  She could hear Philo¡¯s footsteps coming towards her.  Griffa put her hands over her ears and closed her eyes tight. She would not go through this again.  She would not let the fear and the memories control her.


    When Griffa did sleep, she would find herself in strange dreams.  She would see herself walking through the kingdom.  She would see the folk suffering and sick. She could feel their pain and misery.  They would call out to her to help them, but she didn¡¯t know how to ease their suffering.  She didn¡¯t know how to cure their sickness.


    Griffa felt the tears form in her eyes.  She felt herself shake.  She felt bile rising in her throat.  She swallowed hard, trying not to vomit.  She needed to get out of there.  She needed to go do something useful. She needed to go help her kingdom.  She sat up and was about to get out of bed when Ansel¡¯s hand grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ansel asked sleepily.  He raised up and looked at Griffa.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep I, and didn¡¯t want to wake you.  I¡¯m just going to go read for a bit,¡± said Griffa trying to sound calm.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± said Ansel.  He pulled at her arm until she relented.  She laid down next to him.  He pulled her to him, and she could feel the familiar sensation of his protector¡¯s magic cover her.  She breathed in deeply, feeling relaxed and at peace.


    ¡°Maybe you should sleep in your old room,¡± said Griffa sleepily.


    ¡°Why would I sleep in there?¡± asked Ansel.  ¡°Do you not want me in your bed?¡±


    ¡°I feel bad at your lack of sleep because of me.  Maybe if you were further away from me, you wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by my bad dreams or feelings.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, I¡¯m still going to know when you are agitated even if I¡¯m four doors down.  You think I would just lay there happily asleep, if I knew you were in pain or scared?  I¡¯m not sure I could actually sleep at all without you by my side.  I would keep waking up, worried you were back in the palace and this had all been a dream.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go on with me waking you up three or four times a night,¡± said Griffa.


    Ansel rolled her over gently, so she was looking at him.  ¡°What about you?  I¡¯m certain you may get half the sleep I¡¯m getting.  Now, what¡¯s keeping you awake.  Is it your experiences in Aurumist, or is it about the kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°When I¡¯m awake at night all I can think of is my cell in the palace.  When I sleep, I dream of the kingdom. I hear the cries of the folk in pain.  Ansel, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.  Why am I still controlled by what happened to me in Aurumist?  What can I do to help the kingdom to make these dreams go away?¡±


    Ansel pulled her into his arms, so she was against his chest.  She could feel his magic surround her.  Her own rose to meet it.  It settled in her chest, making her feel warm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°but we are going to figure it out.  I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you.¡±


    Ansel kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes for a moment.  ¡°There is one thing that takes my mind off of things for at least a little while.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Ansel looking down at her.  Griffa climbed up so she was hovering over Ansel.  She leaned down and kissed him.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Ansel smiling. He pulled her down and kissed her.  ¡°I live to serve my queen.¡±


    The next morning Griffa woke up alone.  She could tell it was late in the morning by the amount of sun coming through the window.  Griffa stretched and considered lying in bed all day, but she knew she would get bored quickly.  She forced herself to rise and go to her closet to dress.  When she got downstairs, she found only Ansel in the parlor.  He had a plate of food for her by the sofa.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± asked Griffa sitting down on the sofa.


    ¡°I believe Max and Issa were talking about going on a ride earlier.  I imagine they are somewhere in the field.  Talon took Kedan with him to the Valley yesterday afternoon if you remember.  They should be back this afternoon sometime.¡±


    ¡°What are your plans today?¡± asked Griffa eating some bacon from her plate.


    ¡°I have none.  Do you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± replied Griffa.  ¡°I¡¯ve been reading more about protector¡¯s magic.  I¡¯m trying to understand how it works, especially in a battle.  I don¡¯t remember much about escaping the palace, but I do remember when I felt you come in the room.  I felt stronger.  I performed magic that wouldn¡¯t have been possible by myself.  Do you think it¡¯s always like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reading some of the protector¡¯s journals.  Most of the protectors served during times of peace.  The only times it is talked about is during attempts on a king or queen¡¯s life.  That happened a few times in the past,¡± answered Ansel.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Do you think there is even a way to practice it?  If I¡¯m not in danger, can you use your magic to protect me?  Will my magic be advanced just by having you around or does it have to be a situation where I need more advanced magic?¡±


    ¡°Your guess is as good as my, Griff,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°We could try it later if you like.  Maybe when Talon gets back.  See if he will lob a few spells at us.  I would ask Max, but he still isn¡¯t talking to me.¡±


    Griffa sighed.  ¡°You two will have to figure this out eventually.  You can¡¯t go on avoiding each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding him.  I am ready talk whenever he is.¡±


    ¡°Try to be understanding when he does get around to talking with you.  He went through a lot in Aurumist.  It¡¯s not easy to get back to normal life.¡±


    Ansel looked at Griffa sadly.  ¡°I know.  Have you talked to Max about it much?  Maybe you could help each other.¡±


    ¡°I can try again.  I tried once, and he was just angry.  He wouldn¡¯t get passed his anger with you.¡±


    ¡°Try again when you can,¡± said Ansel.


    They spent the rest of the morning in the back yard.  Griffa read for a while from a book on the kings and queens of Regventus while Ansel watched her.  She would occasionally bring up something she had read and ask his opinion.  Before lunch, Maybell came out to see them.


    ¡°Max and Issa took lunch out with them, so I don¡¯t expect them for a few hours.  Cillian came to see Nora and they have been gone for a while. I¡¯m going to walk into town.  I put some sandwiches out if you are hungry,¡± said Maybell.


    After she left, they walked into the house through the backdoor.  They went from the kitchen to the entrance hall.


    Ansel took Griffa¡¯s hand and stopped her.  ¡°Are you hungry?¡± asked Ansel.  He grabbed her other hand and drew her close to him.


    ¡°No, not yet.  I had a late breakfast,¡± replied Griffa looking up at Ansel.


    ¡°I¡¯m can¡¯t remember the last time we¡¯ve had the manor to ourselves,¡± said Ansel.  He pulled her through the parlor door and brought her close to him.  He leaned down and kissed her, and she responded eagerly.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t expect us back so soon?¡± asked Talon.  Griffa drew back from Ansel a little.


    ¡°No, we did not,¡± said Griffa leaning around Ansel and looking around the parlor.  ¡°And I see we have company.¡±  Griffa looked to see a wide-eyed Desmona staring at both of them.


    Ansel turned around and pulled Griffa to his side.  ¡°What are you doing here, Desma?¡±


    ¡°I came here to speak with Gryphon.  My father had told me what had happen in the Ring.  I¡¯ve been working up the nerve to come speak with her for some time,¡± said Desmona.


    ¡°You are here, now.  I will meet with you.  I hope you haven¡¯t been waiting long,¡± said Griffa. She walked over and sat on the sofa. Ansel stood behind her.


    ¡°No, not at all.  I¡¯ve been talking with your charming guests here. I¡¯ve met Talon a few times, but I had not had the pleasure of meeting Kedan,¡± said Desmona.  She turned her eyes to Kedan and smiled.


    Griffa could see Kedan¡¯s eyes take on a cloudy look.  He smiled at Desmona and walked towards her.  Griffa cleared her throat.


    ¡°Kedan!¡± said Ansel loudly.


    Kedan shook his head and looked at Ansel.  Ansel looked at him with raised eyebrows.  Kedan looked at Desmona with realization that quickly turned to disgust.  He went to the chair closest to Griffa and sat down.


    ¡°Enthralling my friend is not a good start, Desmona,¡± said Griffa harshly.  ¡°Come have a seat and tell me why you are here.¡±


    Desmona sat in a chair opposite Kedan.  Kedan turned toward Griffa and would not look away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gryphon, old habits and all.  I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    ¡°You never do, do you,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Now I think you should start talking before I run out of patience.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to come and apologize for my father¡¯s behavior.  I know what he did was wrong.  He is very upset by it.¡±


    ¡°He practically caused the death of Griffa¡¯s father,¡± said Talon.  ¡°A man to which he pledged his loyalty and friendship.  I should hope he would be more than upset.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but we can¡¯t change the past, can we?  I want to start again with the Delis family.  I want you to know I support you, Gryphon.¡±


    ¡°You should start addressing her with her proper title then,¡± said Talon ¡°She is your queen after all.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± agreed Desmona.  ¡°I have no doubts about it.¡±


    ¡°So, you came here to pledge your loyalty?  Is that all?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°I came here to tell you I want to serve you, Gryphon, I mean, my queen.¡±


    ¡°How so?  You must know I will not put you on my Ring,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I do know, but I have skills that could benefit you.  I know things.  People tell me things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like how you get your information,¡± said Griffa.  She was getting annoyed by Desmona and wanted her out of her house.


    ¡°Come now, I don¡¯t force anyone to tell me their secrets.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you though?¡± said Kedan angrily.  ¡°You enthrall unsuspecting folk with your magic.  Isn¡¯t that forcing them?¡±


    ¡°The folk I meet with know what I am and what I do.  I am only offering to my queen knowledge I receive from those I meet with regularly.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°If you come across information, you think I need, you can come share it directly with me.  Don¡¯t go to Ansel or anyone else on my Ring.  You will come directly to me.  Is that clear?¡±


    Desmona looked up at Ansel.  She must not have liked whatever look he gave her because she glowered and then looked at Griffa.  ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°What about when we go to war?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°Will you fight for you queen and your folk?¡±


    ¡°I will.  I will do whatever my queen requires of me.  I want what all of you want.  I want a better Regventus and if that is with Gryphon on the throne, I will do what I can to make it so.¡±


    ¡°Good, let me walk you out, Desmona,¡± said Griffa getting up.  Ansel started to follow, but Griffa turned around and gave him a look.


    Desmona stood and walked with Griffa to the entry hall.


    ¡°Gryphon, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may?¡±


    ¡°Ansel is your protector, correct?¡± asked Desmona standing by the door.


    ¡°He is,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I just thought that meant,¡± started Desmona, but she was cut off by Griffa.


    ¡°I know what you thought.  You are intelligent.  I am sure you have studied the same histories of our folk that I have, but we are not going by the rules of history.  We are making a new Regventus.  Many things will be different.¡±


    Desmona looked at Griffa and nodded.  ¡°I see.  I hope to see you soon, my queen.¡± Desmona opened the door and left.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t,¡± said Griffa watching her walk away.


    Griffa walked back into the parlor and sat down on the sofa.  Ansel sat next to her.


    ¡°That was odd,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Not really, I think she had some false information about me, and my protector is all,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°So that was your enchantress, Ansel.  I can see the appeal at first, but didn¡¯t she get old quickly?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°She was never my enchantress, Talon.  I grew tired of her. I don¡¯t understand what I was thinking at the time.  I was young and stupid,¡± said Ansel.  He turned towards Griffa.  ¡°I¡¯m guessing her misunderstanding was cleared up after today.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Griffa.  She turned to Kedan.  ¡°Do you have a talisman you can wear, Kedan?  Something that can protect you from enchantments?¡±


    ¡°I do, Daracha gave me one when I left her home,¡± answered Kedan.


    ¡°Wear it all times, please.  I don¡¯t want you being vulnerable.  You and I will also start training almost daily.  I will make sure you can defend yourself against magic.  I will make sure you are never powerless against someone like her again.¡±


    Kedan smiled at Griffa and took her hand.  He kissed it quickly.


    ¡°See what I mean?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°I do,¡± said Kedan smiling at Griffa as she looked at Talon very confused.

 Chapter 17

    Golnar sat in his room in a large chair, holding a large, old book. It had been in a forgotten room in the great library in Aurumist.  Some of the text was in a language he could not understand.  The part he could understand was interesting.  It talked of the great plague of the times before King Nathin.


    Golnar had always assumed the plague was naturally occurring.  It was taught that the Ancients sent it as judgement against the non-gifted. a way to eradicate the non-gifted from the kingdom.  Golnar didn¡¯t know how much of that he believed, but he did not expect to learn what he had learned from reading the book. The plagues were not naturally occurring.  They were caused by a group of magical blooded folk, who believed as Golnar did, that non-gifted folk were a curse in the kingdom.


    Non gifted folk took up resources.  Allowed to flourish, they could gain power and riches.  They could become more influential than those who should rule, those with magical blood.  Golnar refused to live any longer in a kingdom where those with magical blood would suffer.  It didn¡¯t matter than Golnar¡¯s own magical abilities were lacking, he still had magic in him.  He would use it again at some point.


    There was a knock at his door.  He put down his book and walked to the door., answering it to find Philo Quick staring at him.


    ¡°Good morning, Philo.  Please come in,¡± said Golnar letting Philo inside.


    Philo walked over and sat down in a chair in the middle of the room. Golnar followed him and sat across from Philo.  Philo crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, looking expectantly at Golnar.


    ¡°How are our numbers in our army?  I know you lost a few folk during the escape of our guests,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°We lost a few.  We still have a sizeable force in the city.  I am hoping to gain some new recruits as soon as the gatherings in the fourth and third rings begin.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Golnar nodding.  ¡°Would you have enough soldiers to do some containment and aid of the folk?  If we had a tragedy happen, would we have enough soldiers to go out in the kingdom and keep the peace?  Maybe help with care of sick and injured if needed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean,¡± said Philo looking confused.  ¡°Can you be clearer?¡±


    ¡°If we had a plague in the kingdom, and we wanted to set up central locations for the sick to go for aid, could your soldiers set up those locations?  Could they keep the peace if some tried to get out of line?  Could some give out medicines and elixirs to the sick?¡±


    ¡°It would be possible,¡± said Philo slowly.  ¡°Is there a sickness spreading in the kingdom?  Has there been reports?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± said Golnar smiling slightly, ¡°but I am looking into possibilities.¡±


    Philo raised his eyebrows at Golnar.  ¡°I think you are going to have to tell me what you have planned if you want my help.¡±


    ¡°In a second.  I¡¯m expecting Till in a moment.  I want him here for this.  My plans have changed, and I will need his help in the city.¡±


    Philo nodded.  There were a few moments of quiet.


    ¡°Where do you stand on your son, now?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot.  I can¡¯t believe he came to rescue that boy and that Keene woman.  Maybe he is a loss cause, but I don¡¯t want to give up, yet.  If I could just get him here, I could convince him.¡±


    ¡°How do you think you could arrange for him to join you here?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°I might have to take him by force.  If I could find him outside of Abscon or the Valley, it wouldn¡¯t be hard.  He is weak.¡±


    ¡°You always mention what a foolish, weak idiot he is.  Why do you want him at all?¡±


    ¡°He is my son, my only child.  My wife wasn¡¯t able to have another. I need someone on which to pass my name and legacy,¡± said Philo.


    ¡°Why not find another wife to give you more children?¡± asked Golnar.


    Philo looked at Golnar with narrowed eyes.  ¡°I am rather fond of my wife.  She has been good and loyal to me.   Marriage for magical folk isn¡¯t the same as other places in the kingdom.  It is a magical bond you share with someone.  It¡¯s not as easy to break as one you might be familiar with.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°I never had much reason to find someone to marry.  It seemed a burden and an obligation I did not need, another person to worry about besides myself,¡±


    ¡°Marriage can bring many comforts and pleasures.  If you choose the right partner with similar interest, it can be very beneficial.  Do you not get lonely, at least at night?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°If you are talking of carnal pleasures, I do not need them.  I have tried them. They were not to my taste.  I am content by myself with my work.¡±


    There was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± called Golnar.


    ¡°It is Till.  I came as soon as I got your message,¡± answered Till.


    Golnar stood up and Philo gave him an odd look.  ¡°Would you like me to answer the door, Golnar?¡±


    Before Golnar could answer, Philo raised his hand.  The door swung open, allowing Till inside.  Once Till had entered, Philo waved his hand and the door slammed shut.  Golnar stared at Philo and slowly sat down. Till walked over and sat near Philo.


    ¡°So, what news do you have, Golnar?¡±


    Golnar sat in silence for a moment staring at Philo before turning to Till and answering him.  ¡°I have a change in our plans.  It will mean you will need to take more responsibility for the gatherings in the city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already working non-stop dealing with questions from both gifted and non-gifted folk in the first ring.  I also have questions constantly about Kedan.  How do you expect me to handle the fourth and third ring transformations?¡±


    ¡°You will have to find a way.  Camelia and the queen will help you in a few weeks.  They will do the real work.  You will need to make sure to make appearances and that the city soldiers do their jobs to those who get out of line.¡±


    ¡°You want me to control the city soldiers?  Why can¡¯t Philo do it?¡± asked Till.


    ¡°Philo will be helping me with something else.  It will be a much larger operation.  He will take half the city forces with him.¡±


    ¡°Half!¡± exclaimed Till.  ¡°You will leave Aurumist vulnerable.  The magical folk have already proven they can infiltrate our palace with no problems.  What if they decide to attack while half our forces are gone?¡±


    ¡°The magical folk will have other problems to deal with,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°What problems?¡± asked Philo.


    ¡°I have found a way to expedite things in the kingdom.  The goal is to thin the non-gifted folk from the kingdom.  I have found an interesting book that outlines the plague that happened before King Nathin took the throne by force from the true gods and leaders of the kingdom.  The plague was not a naturally occurring sickness.  It was created by magical folk who knew they were meant to truly rule the kingdom,¡± said Golnar excitedly.


    ¡°You are thinking of unleashing this sickness on the folk of Regventus?¡± asked Philo looking at Golnar with confusion.


    ¡°I am.  It will take some time, but it will be a very effective way of eliminating many of the non-gifted folk.  It is a potion.  We will need to find a place to send it.  We will need to find a way for people to drink it.  Once it is in the population, it can spread in other ways.¡±


    ¡°What does the city¡¯s army have to do with this?¡± asked Till.


    ¡°Once the sickness spreads, we will need to show compassion, Till.  We will need a place for the folk to go for help, somewhere they can gather in peace.  We will need the army to make sure they are not bothered by anyone who might offer them a false hope of a cure.¡±


    Philo nodded his head.  ¡°I think I understand you.¡±


    ¡°Will this sickness only make those with no magical power sick?  What if it spreads to magic blooded people?¡± asked Till.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it would.  I have read everything on it.  It only worked on those with non-magical blood.  You need not worry for yourself or any of your non-gifted friends.  We will keep it far from the city.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is the best way to go?¡± asked Till.  ¡°You are talking about killing thousands and thousands of people.  People who have families, some with magical blood.   People who perform services.¡±


    ¡°Not all non-gifted folk will die.  The disease isn¡¯t always fatal.  There will still be plenty who will live on to do whatever work needs to be done.  This way will assure we have enough resources for all in the kingdom, especially those the Ancients deem worthy.  We will be doing the work of the gods.¡±


    Till looked at Philo.  Philo looked at his nails. ¡°I will do whatever you need, Golnar.  You do realize there will be trouble when this starts.  Do you really think the powers of Abscon, and the Valley will let this go unchecked?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Golnar with a small smile.  ¡°I expect them to act.  They will not be able to engage us in a full out war with so many vulnerable, sick people around.  I think we might have some opportunities come up to solve many of our problems.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they would actually be foolish enough to let their queen out of Abscon when you unleash this?¡± asked Till. ¡°Surely, they will pull back and protect their leadership.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t spend much time around Miss Keene while she stayed with us, Till.  What¡¯s your opinion, Philo?  Will the queen stay in the safety of Abscon?¡±


    Philo chuckled. ¡°No, Gryphon will not stand by while folk suffer in the kingdom.  How many she can convince to help her is another matter.¡±


    ¡°Like I said there may be opportunities.  That is why I believe the first place we will start is The Great Surrounding.  I will brew the potion.  It can be added to supplies the villages get from Aurumist.  We can set up a place for the sick in Clarton and another village or two.  We will bring the plague to the queen¡¯s front door,¡± said Golnar happily.


    ¡°You will want me to stay with the army in Clarton?¡± asked Philo.  ¡°I could be gone for some time from Aurumist. I don¡¯t know if I want to do this.¡±


    ¡°I can offer you something for your service,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Our King Kedan is too far gone under the influence of the magical folk.  His child is too young and will not be able to reign for many years.  We will need a regent.  Someone to help our king learn how to rule the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You want Philo to do this?¡± asked Till incredulously.  ¡°He hasn¡¯t been in the city for a year.  Why him?¡±


    ¡°He has skills that we don¡¯t, Till.  If you aren¡¯t happy with this plan, I hope you remember the last time you faced the wrath of powerful magic user.  We have no hope against the magical folk without Philo.  If he does as he is asked and does it well, he will be our regent.¡±


    Philo grinned.  ¡°Fine, start working on the potion.  Keep me updated on its status.  When you are ready for the army to move to Clarton give me notice.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± said Golnar.


    ¡°One more thing.  If I can dispose of Gryphon Keene for you, you will name me and my lineage as first advisor to the King of Regventus.¡±


    Golnar looked at Philo and nodded his head.  ¡°Yes, if you find a way to get rid of the queen, I will gladly give you what you ask.¡± Golnar would love nothing more than finding an easy to way to dispose of Gryphon Keene.  He would be happy to never set eyes on her again.

 Chapter 18

    Ansel walked into the parlor to find Griffa, Issa, and Max reading quietly. He walked over and sat down next to Griffa on the sofa glancing at the book she was reading. Ansel saw Max glanced up at him before lowering his gaze to his book.


    ¡°Still studying protector¡¯s magic, I see,¡± said Ansel to Griffa.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m trying to figure out how it exactly works in different situations. Obviously, you can control it in some ways, but I can¡¯t find much on it in battle.¡± Griffa put her book down at looked at Ansel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of what happened the day I left Aurumist. I do remember you coming in the throne room. I remember feeling your protector¡¯s magic wash over me. It gave me strength. If you hadn¡¯t had come in when you did, I don¡¯t think I would have lasted much longer.¡±


    Max made a noise and closed his book. He stood up and walked out abruptly. Issa shut her own book and shook her head.


    ¡°I thought maybe he was getting past all of this,¡± sighed Issa.


    Griffa looked at Issa with a frown. ¡°We will have to give him more time. I will talk to him soon.¡± Griffa turned back to Ansel. ¡°What do you remember about that day in the palace?¡±


    ¡°I remember walking out of the passageway, and I knew you were close. I couldn¡¯t control myself. I had to get to you. I felt like I was being drawn to you. When I saw you in trouble, I just knew what to do, and my magic responded. It set up a barrier around you,¡± said Ansel. ¡°I remember it well, but it almost feels like some odd dream.¡±


    Griffa nodded. ¡°I think we need to go out on the back lawn tomorrow and try some training exercises. I don¡¯t know how much you can, or I can control it, but we should find out.¡±


    Griffa yawned and blinked her eyes.


    ¡°You should go take a nap,¡± said Ansel looking at Griffa. ¡°I doubt you slept much last night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ansel,¡± said Griffa stretching. ¡°My eyes are just tired from reading.¡±


    Ansel looked at Griffa closely. She was still so thin, and her eyes had dark circles underneath them. He was tempted to pick her up and take her to bed. She needed to rest. ¡°Go to bed for a while, Griffa.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa adamantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be up there alone. I won¡¯t have you lying in bed in the middle of the day for me.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, just rest your head there on the couch for a bit,¡± said Issa kindly. ¡°You won¡¯t be alone. I¡¯ll be here even if Ansel is needed somewhere.¡±


    Griffa sighed and nodded. She nestled down into the corner of the sofa, curling her feet under her. Ansel watched until her eyes closed, and her breathing became even.


    ¡°She¡¯s still not sleeping well?¡± asked Issa quietly.


    ¡°No,¡± whispered Ansel. ¡°I doubt she wakes me up half the times she can¡¯t sleep. She says when she¡¯s awake she remembers Aurumist. When she¡¯s asleep she has nightmares of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Issa sadly. ¡°Max has talked to me about it. I know he¡¯s trying to find some way to help her.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think Max went?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°Probably the conservatory,¡± answered Issa.


    ¡°Can you stay here with Griffa until I get back? I don¡¯t want her to wake up alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t leave her. Are you going to go try and talk to Max?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel standing up carefully. ¡°I know he is angry with me, but if he can help Griffa I will let him rail at me all he wants.¡±


    Ansel walked out towards the conservatory. As he walked in the room, he saw Max reading, facing the large windows. Ansel walked over and sat down next to Max. Max glanced at Ansel and went back to reading his book.


    ¡°I know you are still angry at me, and I¡¯m not going to ask you to forgive me. I¡¯m not going to ask you to relent in your anger.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Max no looking up. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do you any good.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Ansel. ¡°I also know you care about Griffa. She is not well, Max. If there is anything you have found that might help her, I need to know.¡±


    Max put down his book and looked at Ansel. ¡°I have been reading all the books I can find on the kings and queens of Regventus. I have found a few things that might explain what is going on, but I have found no solutions except one.¡±


    ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°There have been several time throughout history where the kingdom was suffering from war or sickness. The sovereign at the time would have terrible dreams. They would feel suffering for their kingdom. Even Queen Agatha knew what was coming. She suffered for many months before she was driven from the castle. I think there is a magical bond between the sovereign and the folk of Regventus.


    ¡°I believe King Nathin made it so. When he took the throne, he swore to all the people he would prosper and suffer as they did. He swore it for his entire line.¡±


    ¡°You said there was one solution. What is it?¡± asked Ansel.


    ¡°Griffa will have to fix the problem in the kingdom. She will have to work towards helping the people.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know what the problem is, Max. How can we fix it, when we don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming?¡± asked Ansel desperately.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Max. ¡°I expect we will know something soon. Until then, we will have to support Griffa. I will keep looking for any way to give her some relief.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ansel standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you,¡± said Max.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Ansel. ¡°You are doing it for Griffa and the kingdom, but Griffa is my life. If you can help save her, I will spend the rest of my days in gratitude towards you no matter how much you hate me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± said Max quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t. I know how I feel isn¡¯t rational. I just can¡¯t get past it, not yet.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Ansel. He turned to leave


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Max. He held up a book to Ansel. ¡°I have marked a section of this book. It is on the original protector of the kingdom, the first of your line. It explains the bond you have with the line of Adalwen. You should read it, and show it to Griffa. It explains many of your responsibilities to Griffa. It also explains your ability to protect her and advance her magic.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Ansel took the book, and saw that it looked very old.


    ¡°Do not fail her, Ansel. Whatever you do, you have to keep her safe. She thinks she is replaceable as queen, but I know she isn¡¯t. I have had dreams and visions. If we want Regventus to survive, Griffa has to sit on the throne.¡±


    ¡°I will never fail her again or you. I know I¡¯m not your protector, Max, but when I brought you here, I pledged to keep you safe. I will keep that pledge.¡±


    ¡°Keep the queen safe and you can consider that pledge fulfilled,¡± said Max. He went back to his book.


    Ansel looked at Max for a moment and then left. He walked back in the parlor to find Griffa sleeping on the sofa. Issa was silently reading in a chair. Ansel sat on the end of the sofa softly.


    ¡°Has she slept the entire time?¡± asked Ansel quietly.


    Issa nodded. ¡°She mumbled something earlier, but since then she seems to have slept soundly.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°How was Max?¡± asked Issa


    Ansel shrugged.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go check on him, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Issa.


    ¡°You should go. I¡¯ll stay here with Griffa,¡± said Ansel as He opened the book Max gave him, flipping to the marked pages.


    King Nathin was crowned the king of the magical folk of Regventus during the great war of Regventus. Etan of the line of Raya pledged his life and line to the line of Adalwen three days before the battle of Aurumist. Etan pledged that no other would come before Raya¡¯s sovereign. The line of Raya would be the protector of the kingdom and the protector of the sovereign of Regventus. Raya would defend the line of Adalwen with their life. Etan put the full trust of himself and his descendants into the hands of Nathin and Nathin¡¯s descendants. This was sealed with a blood oath under the guidance of Maxen Keene.


    Nathin in turn pledged he would rule his folk with fairness and goodness. If he or any of his descendants broke this promise, the protector would be able to break the magical bond. Until then, the protector submits to the ruler of the line of Adalwen. No threat to the sovereign can be denied or dismissed. No order from the ruler can be denied by the line of Raya. The magic of each will know each other. They will work with one another to protect both the line of Adalwen and the line of Raya.


    Ansel looked up. He could feel magic in the air as he read these lines. He could almost feel the magical bond he shared with his descendants. He could feel the bond he shared with Griffa and the line of Adalwen.


    Griffa stirred in her sleep. She sat up with her eyes half closed. ¡°Protector,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± said Ansel automatically.


    ¡°Do not leave me.¡±


    Ansel felt himself compelled to answer her. ¡°Yes, my queen. I will not leave you.¡±


    Griffa moved over and leaned on Ansel. He put his book down and took Griffa into his arms. She burrowed her head into his chest.


    ¡°I will never leave you, Griffa,¡± he said quietly as he kissed the top of her head.


    After dinner, Griffa had read the book Max had given Ansel. There was much in the passages about how they could use their magic together. Ansel could protect Griffa from most attacks if he was close to her and concentrating. Griffa¡¯ s magical power would increase in his presence.


    There were other things in the passages as well. Ansel could never ignore a direct order from Griffa. He could not hurt her in any way, not that he ever would. He would know her moods if she allowed him. She could shield him if she tried. Griffa could know Ansel¡¯s mood anytime she liked. The protector could heal the sovereign. He could also soothe his sovereign in times of distress. They would both be aware of each other¡¯s presence if they were close. They stayed up late talking over all the information, as Griffa read the book in bed.


    ¡°The more I learn of our bond, the more I am not sure of it,¡± said Griffa looking over the book again.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Ansel


    ¡°I don¡¯t like having any control over another person, especially you. I don¡¯t like the idea I could force a command on you,¡± said Griffa with distaste.


    ¡°Griffa, you are a queen. You will have to get used to having control over people¡¯s lives. Besides, I think you are looking at this wrong. This is a magical bond of trust. The line of Raya trusts the line of Adalwen. I trust you completely. There are also safeguards. If a sovereign tried using their powers for evil, it negates the bond.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± said Griffa. ¡°I do want to try out our magical bond tomorrow on the back lawn. Talon said he will help us.¡±


    ¡°Very well, but that means you need to sleep,¡± said Ansel. He took the book out of Griffa¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired, though,¡± said Griffa. ¡°I napped too long on the couch.¡± She glanced mischievously over at Ansel who was putting the book on a table by the bed.


    Ansel looked at Griffa, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Protector,¡± said Griffa with a smile. ¡°Come kiss your queen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is this a command? Are you already abusing your power?¡±


    Griffa raised one eyebrow.


    Ansel grinned and pulled Griffa to him. He kissed her soundly.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Griffa purred.


    She reached up and stroked his cheek and kissed his jaw. Ansel sighed and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Protector,¡± said Griffa quietly. ¡°Will you love your queen?¡±


    Ansel opened his eyes and looked at Griffa. ¡°Is that a command?¡±


    ¡°Do you want it to be?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    The next day Ansel stood on the lawn with Griffa by his side. Talon stood about twenty feet away from them, as Kedan sat on the grass watching. They were outside trying to see if they could understand more about protector¡¯s magic.


    ¡°When shall we begin?¡± asked Talon calling to Griffa and Ansel.


    ¡°One moment, Talon,¡± said Griffa raising her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll signal to you.¡±


    Talon nodded his head.


    ¡°Alright, Ansel, are you ready to try this? Just concentrate and see what kind of barrier you can put around us. I¡¯ll give you a few moments before I signal Talon¡±


    Ansel nodded. He took a deep breath and stood close to Griffa. He felt his magic reach out and search for her. When it found her, he felt it surround her. He willed it to shield her from harm, as he put his hands up and opened his eyes.


    Griffa nodded to Talon and stood at the ready with her staff up. Talon raised his hands and pushed out, and a spell shot at them. Ansel concentrated on Griffa and kept his hands up. He felt the spell deflect before it hit them. Talon sent two more spells their way, and Ansel kept his hands up. They were deflected.


    Ansel turned to look at Griffa. Her eyes were bright. Her hair was blowing even though there was not much wind that day. She pushed her hand out lightly, and a spell shot towards Talon. He put a block up, but was knocked down anyway. He fell on his back, but quickly sat up. Ansel put his hands down, and he turned to Griffa. Her hair was now lying still against her shoulders.


    ¡°That was definitely something,¡± she said with a smile. She looked over at Talon. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that was quite a spell. I thought you said you would hold back, Griffa,¡± answered Talon rubbing his back and walking towards her and Ansel.


    ¡°I did,¡± said Griffa still smiling.


    ¡°I guess we know that protector¡¯s magic can work at any point you want it to, Ansel,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°As long as my queen is near, I can manage it. I wonder how many people it can cover. In the palace Kedan was able to be protected,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°It probably has to do with how close someone is to me,¡± said Griffa. ¡°Kedan, come here a moment, please.¡±


    Kedan got up off the ground and walked over to Griffa.


    She smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to try something, but if you don¡¯t want to do, please tell me so. I want you to stand by me while Ansel protects me. I want to see how well you are protected. We can try with you right by my side, then you can take a few steps away. Whatever happens, Talon won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Kedan smiling at Griffa. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Griffa taking Kedan¡¯s arm. She stood him very near to her. ¡°Talon, go back and try again. I won¡¯t fight back this time.¡±


    Talon nodded and walked away from them. When Talon got into place, Griffa turned to Ansel.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked him.


    Ansel nodded and put his hands up. Griffa nodded to Talon, and he sent a couple of spells their way. They deflected off of them. Ansel looked back to see Kedan still standing by Griffa¡¯s side.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Griffa. ¡°Now, Kedan take a few steps away from me, not too far.¡±


    Kedan took two steps to the right. Griffa nodded at Talon. He sent two more spells their way. Ansel kept his block up, and the spells deflected. Kedan still stood.


    ¡°Dare we try a couple more steps?¡± asked Griffa looking at Kedan. Kedan shrugged and walked a few more steps away.


    They repeated this cycle until Kedan was about ten feet from Griffa. Ansel held up his block, Talon threw two spells. This time Kedan went down hard on his side. Griffa walked over quickly to him and knelt down beside him.


    ¡°Are you alright, Kedan?¡± asked Griffa helping Kedan sit up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°My shoulders a little sore where I fell on it, but I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Griffa put her hand on Kedan¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes. Ansel watched as Kedan¡¯s eyes went wide, and then he smiled slightly.


    ¡°Better?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kedan marveling at Griffa. ¡°Thank you.¡± Griffa got up and offered Kedan her hand. He took it and stood up.


    ¡°I think that is enough for today,¡± said Griffa. ¡°I think we have learned quite a bit from our time.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Ansel as he walked over and offered Griffa his arm to escort her into the house.


    Griffa called over her shoulder, ¡°Come on, Kedan. Eat lunch, and then I will meet you back out here for our training.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Max read furiously in the conservatory.  It was dark outside, and he had  lit a couple of candles to give him light.  Issa had left ages ago after she tried talking to him.  Max couldn¡¯t talk.  He had too much research to do.  He had to figure this all out.  He had to figure out a way to help Griffa.  A way to make his own dreams stop.


    Max could not sleep without dreams coming to him.  Some were nightmares of his time in Aurumist.  He would be in the palace pleading for Griffa¡¯s life to watch Philo kill her in front of him.  He would be laying in a dirty, cold cell feeling hopeless.  He would be back in the temple of the gods in Aurumist, and he would watch Griffa put her hand on the statue of the gods.  Blood would poor from her hands until she fell to the floor dead.


    If he wasn¡¯t dreaming of Aurumist, he was dreaming or having visions of the kingdom.  He would walk through the kingdom, sometimes alone, sometimes with Griffa and  pass by thousands who begged him for relief.  Sometimes he would find Griffa all alone.  She would be heartbroken over something.  Max would try to comfort her, only to be overcome by her pain and grief.


    Max wasn¡¯t sure why he was so connected to these dreams of the kingdom.  He didn¡¯t know if it had to do with his status as a diviner or the fact that he was of full Adalwen blood.  He had a feeling it might be a combination of the two.  Whatever it was, it haunted him day and night.


    Issa tried to talk to him about it.  He told her a little of his time in Aurumist, but didn¡¯t want to plague her with all the grizzly details.  He told her of his connection to the kingdom, but it was too hard to explain in full.  She would sit with him.  She would hold him.  She would distract him, but nothing could fully take away the pain he felt.


    As Max read, he heard someone come into the room.  It was late, and he wondered who it might be. He turned to see Griffa walking towards him.


    ¡°Hello, Max,¡± she said smiling slightly and sitting down next to him.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°I could ask you the same question,¡± replied Griffa.  She looked at the book he was reading.  ¡°Is that another book on the kings and queen of Regventus. I would think you have read them all by now.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty more in the library of Abscon I haven¡¯t seen yet,¡± said Max still looking at his book.


    ¡°Max, put the book away for a bit.  I want to talk to you.¡±


    Max sighed loudly, but he closed his book, and  looked over at Griffa. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    Griffa studied Max for a moment.  She took his hand.  He felt the familiar spark of her magic mingle with his own.  He gripped her hand automatically, looking down at their conjoined hands.  He could see light scares around Griffa¡¯s wrists from where the ropes burned her skin.


    ¡°I never thanked you for all you did for me in Aurumist,¡± said Griffa quietly.  ¡°You saved me so many times.  I wouldn¡¯t have made it without you.¡±


    ¡°You would have.  You are strong, Griffa,¡± said Max continuing to stare at their conjoined hands.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°You reminded me time and time again why it was worth it to go on.  You are so important to me.  It¡¯s funny, I¡¯ve known you for not even two years, but I couldn¡¯t imagine my life without you now.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way, Griffa.  Whatever happened, I knew I couldn¡¯t come home from Aurumist without you.¡± Max looked up at Griffa.  Her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°I know you are suffering.  I know you haven¡¯t really recovered from Aurumist.  I can feel how much pain you feel right now from our conjoined magic,¡± said Griffa sadly.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.  I can take one look at you and see the pain on your face,¡± replied Max. He took his hand away from Griffa.


    ¡°It¡¯s true.  I haven¡¯t fully recovered. I don¡¯t know if I ever will, but I must go on.  You must go on.  We cannot let our time in the palace define the rest of our lives.  It will take time, but we will heal.¡±


    Max felt tears come to his own eyes.  He held them back and looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t know.  I don¡¯t know if I ever will.  When I sleep, I sometimes have nightmares of the palace.  I have nightmares where you die over and over again.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die.  You did everything you could to make sure I stayed alive, and it worked.  We are home, and we are safe.  We can heal, but we have to want to heal.  We have to accept what happen to us. It was horrible, but it¡¯s over.  We will never forget, but we have to move on. We have so many people here who care about us.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Max as a few tears fell from his eyes.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel this way. I don¡¯t.¡±


    Griffa took his hand again.  ¡°Then let me help you somehow.  Talk to me when you are having a hard time.  No one will understand like I will.  Don¡¯t keep it all inside. I will do the same with you.  I will tell you now that I have nightmares as well.  I can¡¯t be in the dark anymore.  I have to sleep with a candle lit by my bed.  I can¡¯t be alone at any time.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°At night, I can still smell the cells.  I can still hear Philo taunting me.  There are times that all I want to do is travel to Aurumist and face Philo.  I want to do awful things to him. I want to kill him.  I want to take the power back he took from me, but I can¡¯t.  I have a larger responsibility.  I have people here that care for me and I for them.  I can¡¯t throw my life away on revenge or regret.


    ¡°You can¡¯t either, Max.  You have so much to offer.  I can¡¯t save this kingdom without you. Please, tell me you¡¯ll try. Tell me you¡¯ll try to heal. You¡¯ll try to open up and let me and the others help you.¡± Griffa gripped Max¡¯s hand tight.  Tears fell from her eyes and ran down her face.


    ¡°I want to try, Griffa.  I want to, but I don¡¯t know,¡± said Max.  He felt his tears fall freely, and Griffa reached over and took Max into her arms.  He cried as she held him.  He could feel her magic swirl with his, comforting him.


    She leaned back and kissed Max on the forehead.   ¡°You can do this, Max.  You have to for Nora, for Issa, for the kingdom, and for me.  You swore you would serve me and the kingdom.¡±


    Max nodded.  He pulled away and took both of Griffa¡¯s hands.  ¡°I will try.  I will.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Griffa.  She squeezed both of Max¡¯s hand and let them go.


    ¡°What about the problems with the kingdom?¡± asked Max.  ¡°Are you still having dreams of suffering in the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Griffa sighing.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what we can do about it.  I hope soon we will know what is happening.  I am thinking we may have to go out and see for ourselves, soon.  We will discuss it at our next Ring meeting. Now, there is one more thing you have to do.¡±


    Max looked away.  He knew what she was going to say.


    ¡°You have to make peace with Ansel.  He cares for you deeply, Max.  You¡¯re anger for him is not good for either one of you.¡±


    ¡°I know.  I don¡¯t want to be angry at him anymore.  I don¡¯t know how to let it go.¡±


    ¡°You will have to find a way.  I know it might take time, but you will have to figure it out.  You are two of the most important people to me in this kingdom.  I can¡¯t have you at odds. Will you try to talk to him about it soon?  If not for any other reason, than for me?¡±


    Max looked at Griffa with a small frown.  ¡°I will speak with him.  I will try for you, Griffa.  I can¡¯t make any promises.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Griffa.  She stood up and held out her hand.  ¡°Come on, we both need to go to bed.¡±


    Max took her hand and stood up.  She led him from the conservatory and to the stairs, which they walked up together.  At the top, Max turned to walk to his room.


    ¡°Max, if you have any bad dreams, please let me know.  Don¡¯t suffer alone.¡±


    Max nodded and walked to his room.


    The next day after lunch, Griffa took Kedan out on the lawn for his training.  Ansel stood at the back window watching.  Max walked up to stand next to Ansel, watching Griffa work with Kedan.


    ¡°What is she trying to do with Kedan?¡± asked Max


    ¡°She is trying to make it possible for him to see spells and curses.  I don¡¯t know if it will work, but she seems to think it will.  After the things I¡¯ve seen her do, I¡¯m not going to question her,¡± replied Ansel.


    ¡°Would you like to take a ride, Ansel?  I think it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been on a horse,¡± said Max.


    Ansel turned and looked at Max.  ¡°You will come with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max.  ¡°I enjoy riding.  I like to take Echo out at least twice a week.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, now,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I have some time.¡±


    They walked down to the stables together.  Griffa stared at them as they walked by, giving them both a small. The ready their horses without much talking.  After mounting, they rode fast out into the fields and to the stream.  When they reach the stream, they slowed their horses down to a walk.  They rode by the stream following its path through the back of the field.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± said Max looking forward.  ¡°I promised Griffa I would try to talk with you.  I don¡¯t know where to start, but I said I would try.¡±


    Ansel looked at Max.  ¡°I know you are angry with me still, and I don¡¯t blame you.  I¡¯m not happy with myself either.¡±


    ¡°I am angry with you.  I¡¯m not sure that I should be, but I am.  I¡¯ll think I¡¯m getting over it, and then I remember what it was like spending those two months in the palace.  I remember Griffa¡¯s screams of pain.  I remember not knowing what the next day would be like.  I was so sure you would come for us, but day after day, you didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I would lie awake at night, thinking about the battle in the Valley.  You wouldn¡¯t listen to me.  I tried to tell you about Griffa, and you wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Ansel took a deep breath.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, Max.  I could apologize.  I could tell you how awful I feel about it all.  I could tell you that I still have nightmares about Philo taking you and Griffa.  I could tell you all of that, but it doesn¡¯t make it any better.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± said Max.  ¡°Griffa could have died, Ansel.  I don¡¯t know how she survived as long as she did.  I tried to get her to cooperate with those in the palace, but she wouldn¡¯t.  There came a point where they didn¡¯t even give her the chance.  I was sure each day would be her last.¡±


    ¡°What can I do, Max,¡± said Ansel quietly.  ¡°I can¡¯t change the past.  I wish I could, but I can¡¯t.  What can I do to help you?¡±


    Max was quiet for a long moment.  ¡°Give me time, Ansel.  I think I can get past this, but I need time.¡±


    ¡°I can give you time.  I can give you all the time you want.  I¡¯ll be here if you need me. When you are ready, you let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Max patting his horse.  ¡°Can you promise me you will do everything possible to keep Griffa safe.¡±


    ¡°I promise you I will do everything to keep her safe.  I am her protector, and  it is my duty.  More than that, I love her,¡± said Ansel looking at Max.  ¡°I can¡¯t lose her.¡±


    ¡°None of us can,¡± whispered Max.


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Let¡¯s head back.  Our queen is wondering about us.¡±


    They rode back to the stables to find Griffa standing outside, waiting for them. They both dismounted and handed their horses to the stable master, Wallis.


    ¡°Did you two have a nice ride?¡± asked Griffa as Max and Ansel walked up to her.


    ¡°We did,¡± said Ansel.  He took Griffa¡¯s hand and put it on his arm.  He started walking with her slowly back towards the house.  Max fell in step at Griffa¡¯s other side.


    Griffa looked at Max.  He smiled back at her and asked, ¡°Do you remember when I first came to Abscon? You two spent half your time fighting.  I guess a lot has changed since then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, Max,¡± said Ansel. ¡°Griffa, still does things that aggravates me.  We still argue.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Griffa happily, ¡°But now I always have the upper hand.  I¡¯m your queen, you can¡¯t win an argument against you queen.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong, Ansel,¡± said Max laughing slightly.  Griffa grinned at Max.  She took his hand as they all three walked to the house together.

 Chapter 20

    Kedan walked out onto the lawn after lunch.  He had been training with Griffa for a while now, but he didn¡¯t feel like he was making much progress.  He still couldn¡¯t see spells or curses.  He couldn¡¯t feel any magic inside himself.  He had mentioned yesterday to Griffa that perhaps they should give up.  She was very adamant that they proceed.  Kedan relented and said he would keep trying.  Spending a couple of hours with Griffa wasn¡¯t a bother.


    It had been a rainy morning, but the rain had stopped just before lunch.  The clouds were starting to part, letting little streams of sunshine through.  As Kedan stepped out onto the lawn he scanned the area for Griffa.  He spotted her at the very edge of the lawn, staring out over the open fields.  The wind was blowing her hair back.  A small ray of sunshine had broken through, illuminating her wild red curls.


    Kedan stopped to watch her for a moment.  He sometimes wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Griffa.  She was a mixture of moods.  She could be silly and fun, seemingly carefree at times.  She could be commanding and intimidating in other situations.  She could also be caring and gentle when the situation called for it.  Kedan thought he was probably a little in awe of her.


    As Kedan watched her look over the fields, he wondered if this is what it was like to be in the presence of one of the great kings or queens of old.  He had read stories of the true history of Regventus since he had been in Abscon.  All the early kings and queens where written as awe-inspiring sovereigns who forged a new kingdom.  Kedan could think of no better word to describe Griffa than awe-inspiring.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why.  She was a beautiful woman, but he had been in the presence of women who had more allure.  She wasn¡¯t tall or large.  She wasn¡¯t perfect.  She sometimes had a temper.  She was a little impulsive at times.  She was prone to melancholy, but Kedan thought that probably had to do with her stay in Aurumist.  Even with all of this, there was something about Griffa that made Kedan want to pledge his loyalty to her.  He wanted a better way for the people of the kingdom, but he might have been ready to just fight for the fact of Griffa reigning.


    Kedan slowly walked towards Griffa.  As he approached her, he realized until Griffa had befriended him, he had never had any kind of relationship with someone who didn¡¯t want something from him.    His parents used him to gain power.  Golnar used him to subdue the folk.  Teryn, his wife, used him to gain her position in the kingdom. Even Ansel and Talon only took Kedan in because he knew how to get them into the palace.


    Griffa never asked anything of him, not really.  She would ask him to help her from time to time, but she always gave him the option to not do something.  Instead of asking something of him, she offered a service to him.  She wanted him to be able to protect himself.  She wanted him to not feel vulnerable in this world of magic.  He had nothing to offer her in return, but his meager service.  He said he would serve on her Ring, but that had been by his own choice.  After all Griffa had done for him, he would have gladly done much more for her.


    As he approached her side, she turned and smiled at him.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I got lost in my own thoughts.  Ever since I was released from the palace, I treasure these moments outside.  I will never take them for granted again.¡±


    Kedan looked at Griffa.  She had never really talked about her time in Aurumist with him.  ¡°Was it awful, Griffa?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± she said sadly.  ¡°It was the worst time of my life.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea of what you went through.  I know the men who held you.  Golnar does not put much value in people¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°No, he does not,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I am worried about this potion he has been spreading around the city.  I am worried it could have repercussions for those who took it.¡±


    ¡°Like my wife,¡± said Kedan softly.  ¡°Teryn took that potion.  I think he made some with her blood.¡±


    Griffa took Kedan¡¯s hand and held it.  ¡°I am sorry I said anything.  I don¡¯t really know what will happen. Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°Teryn?¡± asked Kedan.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  Sometimes I think I might.  I have known her over half my life, but she tricked me.  She enthralled me.  I cannot trust her ever again.¡±


    ¡°Do you still love her?¡± asked Griffa squeezing Kedan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  If I do, it does not matter.  There is no trust between us.  I could not love her as I once thought I did.  I value her as the mother of my child.  I would like to meet my son.¡±


    ¡®You will,¡± said Griffa with conviction.  ¡°I will find a way to reunite you with your son.  Teryn as well if you decide that is what you want.¡±


    Kedan smiled at Griffa.  ¡°I believe you.  I don¡¯t think there is anything you couldn¡¯t do.¡±  He meant what he said.  He thought Griffa might be capable of anything.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started with your training.  I know you are feeling discouraged, but I don¡¯t want you to give up.  This will take time.¡±


    Kedan nodded.


    ¡°Now, I want you to just stand here and look out over the field.  I want you to try to empty your head of your worries and fears.  Just focus on the kingdom around you.   It is spring.  There is so much new life all around us. After the rain, the grass of the field looks green and new.  Feel the cool breeze.  Watch the new buds on the trees as they sway in that breeze.  All of this around you was created by the gods for all of us.  It was made for you, Kedan.  All of it has a touch of magic in it.  It was left there by the gods.¡±


    Kedan looked around.  He never gave much thought to the outdoors.  He had spent most of his life in the city of Aurumist.  Out here in Abscon, everything was different. He was surrounded by open fields and orchards of trees.  The houses and shops were not jammed together in rings.  They were spread out with lawns and groups of trees between them.  There were small farms in the village.  Kedan was reminded of the beauty of the river house he stayed in with Teryn.


    ¡°Griffa, when you take the throne, you will have to live in Aurumist.  How will you handle it?¡±


    ¡°The palace is my true home.  I will feel as though I belong.  I will miss Abscon and the forest, but I imagine I will travel as much as I can.  What about you?  You agreed to serve on my Ring.  Will you be able to go back to the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you are queen, I believe I will like the city very much.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Griffa. ¡°Now, back to our training.  I want you to close your eyes.¡±


    Kedan closed his eyes.  The wind was picking up.  He could feel it blow through his hair, lifting his curls off his neck.  He felt Griffa put her hand on his chest.  She was very close to him.


    ¡°Kedan,¡± Griffa whispered in his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t think, don¡¯t worry, just be.  Stand here and just be.¡±


    Kedan took a breath.  He tried to clear his mind of all his worries.  He focused only on his own heartbeat and the feeling of Griffa¡¯s hand on his chest.  Where she touched him was warm.  He could feel something in his chest.  It was like a second heartbeat.  Its beat was a little faster than his own.  It seemed to be running through him searching for something.


    Kedan took another deep breath.  He felt another spark of life inside him.  This beat was in tune with his own heartbeat, but was different.  It rose within him.  He felt it come to the surface of his skin.  He felt it run up and down his arms.  He could almost hear it.  It was like a faint melody.


    Kedan took another breath and opened his eyes.  Griffa¡¯s hand was still on his chest, and her face was very close to his.  She was staring at him with her large dark blue eyes. He felt pulled to her.  He felt connected to her.


    ¡°You feel it, don¡¯t you,¡± she said smiling.  ¡°You feel the magic within you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± whispered Kedan staring at Griffa. ¡°I feel it. It is running through my body.¡±


    ¡°You may never be able to use it, but it is there.  Remember the feeling, and remember how you found it.  It will help you recognize magic when you see it.  Now, let¡¯s see if you can use it to recognize spells.¡±


    Griffa took her hand off his chest and took his hand.  She led him to the center of the lawn, and walked away from him about ten feet.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hit you with any spells. I will send them close to you.  See if you can see them.¡±


    Kedan nodded and Griffa put her hands up.  She pushed one out.  Kedan looked but couldn¡¯t see anything.  He shook his head.  Griffa pushed her hand out again.  Kedan looked closely, but still couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Close your eyes for second, Kedan.  Remember what it felt like to recognize your own magic.  Focus on that for a second,¡± said Griffa putting her hands down.


    Kedan closed his eyes.  He tried to remember what his magic had felt like.  He tried to feel it on his skin.  He looked for the tiny second heartbeat within him. He stood there with his eyes closed for what felt like several minutes.  Suddenly he felt it.  It was small and quiet, but inside him was a second heartbeat in tune with his own.  Kedan opened his eyes and nodded.


    Griffa pushed her hand out.  Kedan looked, and he saw a slight golden disturbance fly by him.  He looked up at Griffa with wide eyes, and nodded.  She smiled and pushed her hand out again.  Kedan looked to his other side and again saw the golden disturbance.  He looked up at Griffa with a large smile.


    She ran to him and hugged him. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡±  She released him. ¡°Now, we are just beginning.  Let¡¯s spend the rest of today helping you recognizing spells.  Tomorrow we will see how you are at dodging them.  When you are skilled at that, I have a present for you.¡±


    Kedan raised his eyebrows at this statement.  ¡°What is it?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You will see when the time is right.  Now, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    They spent the next two hours together.  Griffa sent different spells close to Kedan, and he would tell her if he could see them.  By the end of the two hours Ansel had come out to watch.  Kedan had gotten to the point where he could see almost every spell Griffa threw at him.  After Griffa threw four different spells at him, Ansel walked over to her.


    ¡°Griffa, I think that is enough for today.  You are getting tired. It will be dinner soon,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°Yes, I think that is enough for today. Do you agree, Kedan?¡± asked Griffa as she walked towards to him, Ansel following her.


    ¡°I do.  I didn¡¯t realize how long we had been out here.  I didn¡¯t mean to fatigue you in any way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother.  I have enjoyed our afternoon,¡± said Griffa. She hooked her arm around Kedan¡¯s.  ¡°I am actually hungry for the first time in a while.¡±


    They continue to train almost every day for the next week.  Kedan had gotten very good at recognizing spells.  After a time, he got better at dodging them as well.  Talon had joined them the last two days to shoot spells at Kedan.  One hit Kedan, and he fell hard on the ground.


    ¡°Talon,¡± said Kedan sitting up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so rough.  Griffa never hits me with anything like that.¡±


    ¡°You will be better at dodging spells if they hurt.  It¡¯s called incentive,¡± replied Talon with a grin.


    Griffa hit Talon lightly on the arm. ¡°Play nice, Talon.  We don¡¯t need Kedan injured.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my queen,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Are you ready to go again, Kedan?¡±


    Kedan jumped up and nodded.  By the end of the lesson he had managed to dodge every spell Talon could throw at him.


    Griffa clapped and smiled.  ¡°Very impressive.  You have come a long way.  We have two days before our next Ring meeting. I have a meeting the day after tomorrow, so we will have one more full day to practice this week.  I have something to give you tomorrow, Kedan.  It will take more training for you to use it, but it will be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Are you really not going to tell me what it is?¡± asked Kedan as he walked to stand next to Griffa.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t you like surprises?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°Not really, but if it pleases you for me to wait, I will do so.¡±


    Griffa grinned at him and twirled away. ¡°Come on you two.  It will be dinner soon.  You will both have to keep me company tonight as Ansel is out visiting the Valley.¡±


    ¡°Is that a command, my queen?¡± asked Talon taking Griffa¡¯s arm and putting it on his own.


    ¡°Yes, it is a command, and you will follow it.  We need to have some fun after a hard few weeks of work.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± said Talon smiling down at Griffa.  Kedan followed behind them into the house.


    After dinner, the three of them sat in the parlor together.  Talon and Kedan sat on the sofa, Griffa sat in a chair nearby.


    ¡°Where are Max and Issa?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°They have gone to the conservatory to do some research.  Funny thing though, I didn¡¯t see any book in their hands,¡± said Griffa slyly.


    Talon smiled as he poured three glasses of wine.  He gave one each to Kedan and Griffa.  He lifted up his own. ¡°I think that calls for a toast to young love.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Griffa raising her glass.


    ¡°I hope they are luckier in their love than I was in mine,¡± said Kedan raising his glass and then draining it.


    ¡°No, none of that tonight,¡± said Talon refilling Kedan¡¯s glass.  ¡°There will be no talk of your enchantress wife.  That is a rule for the night.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the queen.  How can you make rules?¡± asked Kedan looking at Talon.


    ¡°I serve at the queen¡¯s command and every knows Griffa has put me in charge of fun and drinking.¡±


    ¡°I can think of no one more fit to serve,¡± said Griffa after taking a drink. ¡°If you are in charge tonight, what do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°A game,¡± said Talon.  ¡°We will play a game called confessions. We will take turns confessing things to one another.  They have to be true.  While one confesses, the other two must keep a straight face.  If you don¡¯t keep a straight face you have to drink. You can¡¯t react at all.¡±


    ¡°You just made that up,¡± said Kedan looking at Talon.


    Talon shrugged.  ¡°Griffa, come sit with us here on the sofa.  It will be easier if you are closer.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Griffa.  She got up and plopped down between Talon and Kedan. ¡°It¡¯s your game so you go first, Talon.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Let¡¯s see, I didn¡¯t have my first kiss until I was 18.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± said Griffa rolling her eyes. ¡°You said these confession had to be the truth.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Griffa.  There is no way that¡¯s true,¡± said Kedan, leaning over Griffa to look at Talon.


    ¡°It is true.  I swear on my life.  Now both of you have to drink since you reacted.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± asked Griffa after taking a drink.  ¡°I know you very well, Talon.¡±


    ¡°I had a late start, but don¡¯t worry I made up for lost time,¡± replied Talon flashing her a smile.


    ¡°I have no doubt about it,¡± said Griffa rolling her eyes again.  ¡°So, it¡¯s my turn now.  Hmmm, oh I know!¡±  She turned slightly to look at Talon. ¡°Every so often I still have a dream about one of our times together.  They are very vivid.¡±


    Talon raised his eyebrows and smiled.  Kedan snorted.


    ¡°Both of you drink,¡± said Griffa proudly.


    ¡°Is there a specific time you dream about, or is a different time each dream?¡± asked Talon after taking a long drink.


    ¡°That¡¯s now how your game works,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°It¡¯s Kedan¡¯s turn.¡±


    ¡°When I was twelve years old, I almost burned down half the palace.  I wanted tea one night and didn¡¯t know who to ask.  I went down to the kitchens and tried to start a fire on the stove.  It did not go well.  The whole kitchen had to be rebuilt.  I had only been in the palace for a week.¡±


    Talon said nothing, but Griffa smiled at Kedan slightly.  She took a drink and said, ¡°I would say it¡¯s pity you didn¡¯t burn down the whole building, but it does belong to my family so I¡¯m glad it was saved.¡±


    ¡°My turn again,¡± said Talon as he refiled Griffa¡¯s glass. He smiled wickedly at her.  ¡°I think either you or Ansel need to check on your sound charms at night.  I¡¯m usually the last to go to bed and when I come up the stairs, I can hear¡­ disturbances.¡±


    Griffa¡¯s mouth popped open, and then she looked at Talon with narrowed eyes.  She took a drink and then looked at Kedan.  He knew he had a small smile on his face.  He took a sip of his wine.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we never needed sound charms in our times together, Talon,¡± sighed Griffa.


    ¡°Yes, because we were usually in an empty house together,¡± said Talon with a laugh.


    ¡°If that makes you feel better, go ahead and believe it.  Now it¡¯s my turn.  Ansel told me when I was in Aurumist, he was afraid I would come back indifferent to him.  He thought of who would make me a good consort.  He thought of you, Talon.  I think I would rather have Kedan if he wasn¡¯t already married.¡±


    Kedan looked at Talon with a smug smile.  He drank from his glass.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, Griffa,¡± said Talon adamantly. ¡°You are just trying to punish me for my confession.¡±


    ¡°Once again, believe that if it makes you feel better,¡± said Griffa leaning slightly on Talon as he took a swig of his drink.


    ¡°Go on, Kedan.  It¡¯s your turn,¡± said Talon after nudging Griffa slightly. She turned and looked at Kedan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been with one woman my whole life,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°I¡¯ve only really kissed one woman.¡±


    Talon laughed slightly.  ¡°You are serious?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s rather sweet,¡± said Griffa smiling kindly at Kedan.


    Kedan shrugged.  ¡°I met Teryn when I was twelve.  We had our first kiss at fifteen.  We made love for the first time on my eighteenth birthday.  I have known no other woman.¡±


    Griffa and Talon both drank.


    ¡°We will have to see about changing that number for you, Kedan,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really interested, at least not right now.  I¡¯ve had enough of that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still married.  I think you still love your wife,¡± said Griffa softly.


    ¡°After what she did to him?¡± asked Talon incredulously.  ¡°Come on, we aren¡¯t supposed to be talking about this.  It¡¯s a rule.  Let¡¯s move on.¡±


    The played a couple more rounds.  At that point, Griffa was leaning on Kedan smiling up at him lazily.  Talon had pulled Griffa¡¯s feet up in his lap, and had removed her slippers.  He looked like he might nod off at any time.  Kedan felt more alert than he expected.  ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Griffa,¡± said Talon with a yawn.


    Griffa looked up at Kedan.  ¡°I think you are one of it not the most handsome man I have ever met, Kedan. I love Ansel and no one could come before him, but you are rather lovely.¡±


    Kedan smiled at her and took a sip of wine.


    ¡°Really, Griffa, I¡¯m right here.  You are really going to say that in front of me?¡±  asked Talon sitting up slightly and looking at Griffa.


    ¡°You think enough of your own looks without me telling you how handsome you are.  You are very good-looking Talon, but I think Kedan has you beat.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Talon leaning his head back.  ¡°Your next, Kedan.¡±


    ¡°I think we need to go to bed,¡± said Kedan putting his glass down.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa softly.  She yawned and sat up slightly.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone.  I wonder where Ansel has gotten too. I thought he would be back by now.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to be alone, Griffa?¡± asked Talon.  He leaned up to look at her.


    ¡°Ever since my stay in the palace, I can¡¯t stand to be alone for too long.  I start remembering things. I also can¡¯t stand the dark anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then we will all stay down here together, until Ansel returns,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°Would you like me to move so you can rest here on the sofa?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  She laid her head back on Kedan¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°I¡¯m comfortable as I am.¡±  She closed her eyes. Talon laid back his head on the sofa.


    Kedan looked down at Griffa.  He shifted his arm so her head would lay on his chest. She snuggled into him a bit with her eyes closed.  Soon her breathing was even.  Kedan looked over at Talon.  He had fallen asleep and slumped down where he was laying on Griffa. His arm wrapped around her waist.


    Kedan looked back at Griffa and watched her sleep.  She looked very young.  Sometimes Kedan forgot how young she really was.  She was only 23.  She was too young to have gone through all she had.  She had lost both her parents.  She had become the leader to her people. She had been tortured in the palace.  Still with all of that, she still seemed to find joy in many things.


    Kedan felt protective of her.  He couldn¡¯t imagine what horrors she faced in the palace.  It made him angry to think of Golnar and Philo hurting her.  He knew she had been poisoned and beaten. Even with all she had gone through in the palace, Griffa had still found a way to save Teryn and his son.  Kedan tightened his arm around Griffa, and kissed the top of her head on impulse. She sighed slightly in her sleep.


    He held her for a long while.  She cried out a couple of times, but never fully woke up.  Kedan tried not to move in case he disturbed her.  He knew she had not slept well in a long while.  Eventually, Ansel walked hurriedly into the room.  Kedan wondered how he would react seeing Griffa asleep in his arms, and Talon spread on top of her fast asleep.


    When Ansel spotted Griffa, Kedan, and Talon his shoulders seem to sag in relief.  He came over and sat next to Kedan in a chair.


    Kedan looked at Ansel with worried eyes. He quickly said, ¡°She fell asleep like this. I didn¡¯t want to disturb her.  I know she hasn¡¯t been sleeping well¡±


    Ansel held up a hand.  ¡°I¡¯m just relieved she isn¡¯t alone.  When I realized how late I would be, I was afraid she was all alone.  She can¡¯t stand to be by herself for long.  I¡¯m glad you and Talon kept her company. I got held up in the Valley.  Two of my guards got into a tiff with one another, and one was injured.  He will be fine, but I had to see to him and discipline the other.¡±


    Talon adjusted his head on Griffa¡¯s back and snored lightly.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve all been drinking again.  I would say Talon is a bad influence on her, but I think it might be a mutual thing.  I think in some ways, they are cut from the same cloth.¡±


    ¡°Talon could never be as good as Griffa,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°She has so much goodness that Talon could never have.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let his act fool you, Kedan. I haven¡¯t always been very enthusiastic about Talon, and I hate to admit it, but he is a very good man.  I owe him a lot.  There are few people I trust with Griffa¡¯s safety, but he is one of them.¡±


    ¡°I would like to earn that trust from you,¡± said Kedan softly.


    ¡°You might get there,¡± said Ansel with a half-smile.  ¡°I think I will get her up to bed.  You and Talon should head up as well.¡±


    Kedan nodded as Ansel got up.  He walked over and slightly nudged Talon a couple of times.  Talon looked up at Ansel with bleary eyes.  He sat up slightly and stretched.  ¡°About time you showed up.  You missed all the fun tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed yourself. Do you mind moving so I can collect my queen?¡±


    Talon looked down and smile fondly.  He gently pushed up from Griffa and sat up.  Kedan loosened his arm around Griffa as Ansel picked her up from the sofa.  Kedan stood up, stretching his legs.


    Griffa blinked and opened her eyes.  She looked up at Ansel and touched his cheek.  ¡°I was wondering when you would come home.  I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    Ansel kissed her forehead and walked with her towards the stairs. Kedan and Talon followed.


    ¡°It looks like you were well entertained while I was gone,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Griffa sleepily. ¡°Though I think you will need to work on your sound charms or let me do it from now on.  Evidently we¡¯ve been disturbing Talon.¡±  Griffa closed her eyes and burrowed her head into Ansel¡¯s chest.


    Ansel stopped on the stairs and turned to look at Talon and Kedan.  Kedan tried to keep a straight face.  Talon waved his hand at Ansel.  ¡°Don¡¯t even ask.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Griffa sat at the desk in her study reading a message she had received earlier in the week.  She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.  It was from Malchom Delis, Hectors son.  He hadn¡¯t lived in Abscon since before he was married.  He lived out in a small community of magical users who lived in the Lakelands. Griffa hadn¡¯t seen him in many years.


    She had written him to come see her as she had an offer for him.  She wanted to see if he would be right to serve on her Ring.  She needed people to fill her Ring, and the Delis family had served on the ring since the days of Nathin.  While she wasn¡¯t big on tradition, she could not keep the Delis line completely from the Ring without first seeing if Malchom might be worthy.


    In her message to Malchom, she had not told him about the Ring.  She only said she wished to meet with him if he could come to Abscon.  He had responded that he had no wish to return to Abscon at any time, but as a courtesy to her and the memory of her father, he would meet with her.


    Griffa wondered what had caused Malchom to flee Abscon and never come back.  Perhaps she would find out in their meeting tomorrow.  She put her letter away as Ansel came into the room carrying a long wooden case.


    ¡°You found it, then?¡± asked Griffa standing up.


    ¡°Yes, just where you said it would be,¡± replied Ansel.  He laid the case on the desk.  ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°I am.  Why wouldn¡¯t I be sure?¡±


    ¡°This has been in your family since before Nathin ruled.  I wasn¡¯t sure you would want to give it away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it away; I¡¯m letting him borrow it.  It could be returned to the Keene line at any time.  Of course, there isn¡¯t really a Keene line anymore, not since Brien Keene.¡±


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± asked Ansel watching as Griffa undid latches to open the case.


    Griffa stopped and looked up at Ansel.  ¡°Does it bother me that I¡¯m not a true Keene by blood?¡±


    Ansel nodded.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa shaking her head.  ¡°For one I am sure there is Keene blood in the Adalwen line somewhere.  I believe there were a few consorts that came from the Keene family.  Also, does blood always make you family?  I believe the ideas and values of the Keene¡¯s were passed down from Brien to me.  In everything that matters, I am a Keene.¡±


    Ansel smiled at her.  ¡°Being of the blood of line of Adalwen might not be a bad trade off, either.¡±


    ¡°No, but it does make things more complicated.  I never dreamed I would be here trying to figure out what it means to be the queen of the kingdom.  I knew I would have responsibility.  I knew I would have to lead the Ring, but nothing like this,¡± said Griffa softly.  She looked up at Ansel.


    He must have felt her uncertainty because he walked to her and pulled her into his arms.  She felt the comfort of his protector¡¯s magic wash over her.


    ¡°Griffa, if I¡¯m being honest and selfish, I would do almost anything to change your fate,¡± said Ansel as he held her.  ¡°Being a queen is not easy, and it is not safe.  I can¡¯t stand the thought of you being constantly in danger.¡±


    Griffa sighed against him.  ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the danger.  I¡¯m worried if I am good enough.  Can I do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°I know you can.  If I put away my selfish desires, I can think of no one among us who can do this better than you.  I think the gods knew exactly what they were doing when you were born and chosen.  You will be a glorious queen.  I will do everything in my power and beyond to keep you safe.¡±


    Griffa pulled back and looked up at Ansel.  ¡°Do you think you are biased as my protector?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Ansel smiling down at her.  ¡°Perhaps more so as the man who loves you, but there is a house full of people here who would agree with me.  They all want to serve you, even Kedan, and he has not known you long.¡±  Ansel leaned down and kissed her gently.


    Griffa stepped back and went back to opening the case.  ¡°Can you go get Kedan for me?  I want both of you to meet me on the back lawn.  If Talon is around, he can come as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± said Ansel.  He turned to walk out of the room.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an order.  It was a request,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I know, but you will need to get comfortable giving orders, even to me,¡± said Ansel.  He opened the door and left.


    Griffa blew out a puff of air and focused on opening the case.  When she finally got the lid off, she looked down and smiled.  She had not seen the sword inside since before her father died.  He had shown it to her one day when they were rearranging books in storage.  It was a long sword.


    The pommel was gold and looked like the tail of the falcon.  The hilt was smooth brass.  The cross guard looked like the head and wings of falcon.  The falcon eye was a red gym that gleamed in the light.  The blade¡¯s steel still looked sharp.  Griffa slowly picked it up, and she could feel the magic in the sword move through her hand and up her arm.


    Griffa moved her free hand slightly and sent a small spell at the sword.  It seemed to absorb the spell, and she could feel it join the magic already encased within the steel.  Griffa gave the sword a little flick and her spell rebounded out of it, knocking over a small picture on the desk.  Griffa smiled.  It was perfect.  She quickly left the study, walking towards the back lawn.


    When she reached the back lawn, she found Kedan, Ansel, and Talon standing in a group.   They turned as they heard her approach.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Kedan, here is the gift I have promised you.  I am giving it to you as a loan.  I hope one day you will restore it to the Keene line, if there is a Keene line to restore it to.¡±


    She saw Ansel¡¯s head snap up, and he gave her searching look.  Griffa responded with a small smile.


    Kedan walked over to Griffa, and she handed him the sword.  ¡°This has been in my family since before the time of King Nathin.  One of my ancestors wielded it in the battle of Aurumist.  After reading the books Max has found, I believe it may have been used to forge the blood bond between Adalwen and Raya.


    ¡°It is not an ordinary sword.  It is enchanted with old magic.  It will offer you protection from magic in battle.  I believe it will also give you a way to fight back.¡±


    Kedan looked over the sword.  He held it in his hand and looked up at Griffa.  ¡°I don¡¯t think I can accept this.  I don¡¯t feel worthy to even hold this sword.¡±


    ¡°It is mine to give to whoever I wish. I believe you are worthy, Kedan.  I will not require you to fight for me, but if you wish to fight for your kingdom, I will have you well equipped.¡±


    Kedan took Griffa¡¯s hand and kissed it.  ¡°I will fight for our kingdom, but I will also fight for you, Griffa.  I will give my life it that is what it takes to put you on the throne.¡±


    Griffa squeezed Kedan¡¯s hand and let it go.  ¡°I don¡¯t want it to come to that. This sword is able to absorb curses and spells.  You can also throw the spells and curses back.  I think you can deflect as well if you learn how.  You will train with this sword daily.  If I am not available, you will find someone else to help you.¡± She turned to Ansel and Talon.  ¡°I am asking you both to help him when you can.¡±


    Ansel nodded.  Talon smiled at Griffa.  ¡°If I knew you were handing out such nice gift¡¯s, maybe I would have waited to pledge myself to you.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve given you plenty, Talon,¡± said Griffa boldly, ¡°but if you can think of something, I can do for you, you let me know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Griffa,¡± said Talon with a wink as Ansel looked at Talon harshly.  ¡°I¡¯m only joking, Ansel.  You can turn your protector¡¯s magic elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Talon, nothing I am thinking right now has anything to do with me being Griffa protector.¡±


    Talon smirked at Ansel.  ¡°Come on, Kedan.  Let¡¯s see how that thing works.¡±


    Griffa watched with Ansel as Talon threw spells at Kedan.  Kedan worked on learning how to block with the sword.


    ¡°I noticed you insulated there might not be a Keene line after you,¡± said Ansel quietly.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I have to be realistic.  Many things could cause me to be the last Keene.  I could easily die in the upcoming war.  I could not have children or only have one or two.  I¡¯m still not sure how it will work if we have children together.  Will the line of protectors go on as before with Adalwen and Raya blood?¡±


    ¡°You will not die in war.  I will see you seated on the throne,¡± said Ansel with conviction.  ¡°As for the rest, we will figure it out.¡±


    Griffa sighed as she watched Kedan shoot a curse back at Talon with his sword.


    Ansel grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand. He pulled her to his side, and whispered to her, ¡°Griffa, I need you to understand that no matter what we will figure this out.  I need you to believe it.  I will not give you up for anything.¡±


    Griffa looked up at Ansel and nodded. ¡°I believe you, Ansel.  I do.  I will still worry about it at times, but I know we can figure it out.¡±


    Ansel squeezed her hand.  He continued to hold it as they watched Kedan and Talon.  Griffa wanted very much to believe what Ansel was saying.  She did not want to have to give Ansel up for anything, but she knew who he was.  She knew how important his duty was.  He was a protector of the kingdom and the line of Adalwen.  It was in his blood.  He would want to continue the line on.  If it came to it, could she really ask him to give that up for her? It was a problem for another day, so Griffa tucked it away for now.


    After an hour, Kedan was sweating and looked tired.  Griffa called Kedan and Talon back to the house, saying it was enough for today.  Kedan walked besides her into the house looking at his sword.  Ansel fell behind to walk with Talon.


    ¡°This sword reminds me.  I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about the falcon I see around the manor.  I notice you wear it on your clothes.¡±


    ¡°It is the sigil of my family line.  The falcon has long represented the Keene¡¯s,¡± said Griffa as they slowly walked to the house.


    ¡°I only ask because I have seen the symbol before. It was etched above the door of my home in Aurumist.¡±


    Griffa stopped walking, making Kedan stop with her.  He looked at her closely.


    ¡°I believe you may have grown up in my ancestral Aurumist home.  The Keene¡¯s had a large manor in the first circle of Aurumist before being forced to flee the city.¡±


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Kedan sounding stricken.  ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Griffa smiling as she began walking again.  ¡°It¡¯s no bother, really.  It could never be home again.  If there are Keene¡¯s after this war, they will live here in Abscon as village leaders.  It is interesting though.  It seems we are more connected than we thought, Kedan.¡±  Griffa threaded her arm in Kedan¡¯s and lead him to the manor.


    The next day, Griffa sat in her study, waiting for Malchom Delis to arrive.  Ansel sat in front of the desk looking at her.


    ¡°Why is that you want to meet with Malchom Delis?¡± asked Ansel


    ¡°I want to see if he would be suitable for the Ring.   The Delis¡¯ have held a Ring position since it was created.  I won¡¯t just throw that away without seeing if Malchom is capable and willing.¡±


    ¡°You usually aren¡¯t one for tradition,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°Why even bother?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame Malchom for what his father did.  Should Malchom lose his place just because of the actions of Hector?  I will talk to Malchom, and we will go from there.¡±


    Ansel nodded.  There was a knock at the door.  Ansel got up and opened it to find Talon with Malchom Delis.  Malchom looked much like Hector in many ways.  He was handsome with dark hair and eyes.  He was a little older than Ansel, but like other magical folk, he looked young for his age.  Griffa stood as he entered.


    ¡°Hello, Malchom.  I am glad you could meet with me.¡±


    ¡°Gryphon,¡± said Malchom, ¡°Or should I refer to you as my queen?¡±


    ¡°Gryphon is fine, or Griffa if you prefer.  Please have a seat.¡±


    Griffa sat down, and Ansel stood next to her. Malchom and Talon each had a seat in the chairs in front of the desk.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you since your father¡¯s send off,¡± said Malchom.  ¡°I would ask you how you have been, but I already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°Your father keeps you informed?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°He does.  He wrote to me and told me the truth of what happened to Renweard.  I don¡¯t know if my apologies will do any good, but you have them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apologies; you had no part in any of it.¡±


    ¡°Unless you knew, of course,¡± said Talon looking at Malchom.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.  If I had, I would have come forward years ago.  I admired Renweard very much, much more than my own father.  Renweard was very kind and helpful to me.  It grieved me when he died.  When my father took over the Ring, I wanted no part of this place.¡±


    ¡°I have always wondered why you left Abscon,¡± said Griffa


    Malchom gave a short laugh.  ¡°Gryphon, you know my mother and sister.  I know you know Desmona very well, Ansel.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ansel. ¡°I know her far better than I would like.¡±


    ¡°You are a much smarter and stronger man than my father.  You have chosen much better for yourself from what I can see.¡±


    Ansel nodded slightly.


    ¡°So, you left to avoid your mother and sister?¡± asked Griffa disbelievingly.


    ¡°Partly, but there are other reasons.  My father is not a bad man.  No matter what large mistakes he has made, he is not one who wants to do wrong.  Some would say he is even an intelligent man.  I can agree that in many areas he has knowledge.  When it came to setting up his life, he had no sense.


    ¡°He married an enchantress, not just any entrances.  He married a fairly nasty one.  I love my mother because she is my mother, but she is a piece of work.  She craves attention and power over others.  She used her charms to work her way through half of the powerful men here and the Valley.  She trained her daughter to be just like her. Desmona may have set her sights on you, Ansel, but she would never have been faithful to you.


    ¡°My mother made a joke of my father.  He let her do as she pleased.  My father is weak.  You have probably figured that out by now, Gryphon.  Why would he allow others to harm his best friend and his leader?  I could never live here amongst my family.  I felt nothing but shame, so I ran far away from Abscon.  I¡¯m glad I did.  I met a faithful women whom I love, and we have a family now.  We are safe.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry you feel that way about the place you grew up, Malchom,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°What I have to talk to you about may not be appeasing to you in any way, but I hope you will hear me out.¡±


    ¡°I am here, aren¡¯t I?  Please tell me whatever it is you would like to say.¡±


    ¡°Your father betrayed my father and me.  He practically killed Renweard himself by letting Helmer proceed with that potion.  What¡¯s more while I was being tortured in Aurumist, he actually considered leaving me there.  I could not allow him to continue to serve on my Ring.¡±


    ¡°If you want my blessing for your decision, you have it.  I would have done the same thing,¡± said Malchom as he stared at Griffa.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to come all the way here for your blessing.  I don¡¯t need them.  I am the Queen of Regventus, and the Ring is mine.  All who serve, serve at my pleasure.  What I brought you here for is to see if you would be a good replacement for your father on my Ring.¡±


    Malchom¡¯s eyes widened a little at this.  ¡°You barely know me.  You would ask me to serve on your Ring without seeing me for seven years?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I brought you here to try to get to know you.  The Delis family has served on the Ring since it was formed. I am not one to follow tradition, but I could not completely throw off your family without seeing if there was at least one deserving Delis family member left.  I was hoping you would consent to stay here tonight and come to the Ring meeting tomorrow.  We could all spend time getting to know one another.¡±


    Malchom frowned.  ¡°You would want me to consider living here in Abscon and serving on the Ring?  I¡¯m afraid that doesn¡¯t sound very appealing, Gryphon.  I ran away from everything here.  I am quite happy where I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°Are you happy knowing your family lives in partial disgrace here.  I don¡¯t say that to give you pain.  I say it because it¡¯s true.  Everyone knows what your father did.  Like you said everyone knows who your mother and sister are.  Doesn¡¯t it bother you that your family name is losing all credibility amongst your folk?¡±


    Malchom gave Griffa grim smile. ¡°I¡¯d being lying if I said it didn¡¯t bother me, but it doesn¡¯t bother me enough to risk the safety of my family.¡±


    ¡°How safe do you think your family will continue to be if the forces in Aurumist continue to gain power?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°You should ask Griffa what happens to those who oppose them.  I assume you oppose the followers of the Ancients?¡±


    ¡°I do.  I follow the true gods of our folk.  My father has written to me that Gryphon is the true queen.  I do not dispute it, but our community is hidden away.  We have many wards.¡±


    ¡°So did the Valley when we were attacked,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Our queen and her kin were taken right in the middle of the village.  It only takes one thing to go wrong before your whole community will be vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°If you join my Ring, you can help us fight the powers that would destroy us and everything decent in the kingdom.  I know moving back to Abscon is not what you want to do, but I ask you not to dismiss it.  Please come tomorrow to the meeting.  See and hear what we are doing.  Then go back and talk it over with your wife, while we will discuss your placement here.  We can then see if we can come to some sort of agreement.¡±


    Malchom folded his hands together and leaned on the arm of his chair.  ¡°May I stay here tonight?  I have no wish to stay with my family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have a room we can give you for the night.  You can use a falcon to send a message to your wife.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Malchom.  ¡°I will stay tonight and go with you to your meeting tomorrow.  I make no promises.¡±


    ¡°Neither do we,¡± said Griffa smiling.  She stood up.  ¡°Ansel, will you show Malcom to your old room.  I am sure we have some clothes he could borrow between you, Talon, and Kedan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± said Ansel with a small smile at Griffa.


    ¡°We will eat dinner in two hours.  I hope you will join us.  There should be some paper and quills in your room.  As soon as your letter is ready bring it downstairs and I will send it directly.¡±


    Malchom stood up.  ¡°Thank you, Gryphon.  I will see to it now.¡±


    Malchom walked out with Ansel.  Talon looked at Griffa with an interesting smile.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Griffa sitting back down.


    Talon shifted a little in his seat. ¡°I like watching you when you are all queenly.  You are quite a site.¡±


    Griffa waved her hand at Talon.  ¡°Please, I barely know what I am doing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, you are good at this.  You are our queen, Griffa.  You are going to have to realize this is what you were meant to do.  You are magnificent, my dear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you; will you be the second chair on my Ring?  Will you be my second in command?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would offer that to Ansel,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°Ansel is my protector, he will lead meetings if I am unable and he is available, but I need you to be by my side helping me make every decision.  Besides Ansel, there is no one in this kingdom I trust more than you. You are also a very capable leader.  I believe you have skills that Ansel nor even I have.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall serve you as you wish,¡± declared Talon.


    Griffa stood up and Talon did the same. She walked over to him and grabbed his arm, escorting him from the room. ¡°Good.  Now, let¡¯s go see if we can find Kedan.  You can spend an hour or so shooting spells at him.¡±


    Talon stopped her before they made it into the parlor.  He bent down and kissed her cheek.  ¡°Thank you for your trust, Griffa.¡±


    ¡°You have earned it.  I hope yours in me is just as well founded.¡±


    ¡°It is, my queen,¡± said Talon tenderly.  ¡°You have never let me down. I do love you, you know.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Griffa giving Talon¡¯s arm a squeeze.  ¡°I love you, as well.  You are my dearest friend.¡±


    They walked on to the parlor towards the back door.


    ¡°You were lying when you said you would rather have Kedan as your consort, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Griffa laughing.  ¡°He is very handsome.¡±


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon pleadingly.


    Griffa smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d rather have you.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Ansel sat on Griffa¡¯s left at the Ring of Nine table.  They were waiting for Clara Vin from the Valley to show up, so they could start the meeting.  Ansel glanced at Griffa.  He could see she was looking at Malchom Delis.  He wondered what she was thinking.  Ansel wasn¡¯t sure why Griffa wanted to give Malchom a try on the Ring of Nine.  He had nothing against the man. he just wondered at Griffa¡¯s reasoning.


    The Delis family was the only one getting a second chance on the Ring.  Griffa had not made the offer to the other families who had been forced to leave.  When Ansel pointed this out, Griffa had said no one had served as long as the Delis family except the Keene¡¯s.  Ansel asked why that mattered.  She said she had a feeling it did.  Ansel would have to trust her.


    ¡°I wonder what is keeping Clara,¡± said Talon looking at the clock on the wall.  ¡°She is usually early to everything.¡±


    ¡°I hope she is alright,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Why don¡¯t we start the meeting.  If she gets here soon, she won¡¯t miss much.  If she doesn¡¯t show up, you can check on her after the meeting.¡±


    Talon nodded.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s begin. May the gods guide us in our discussions, and may we always remember the responsibility we owe to one another.  I would like to start by recognizing our guest today, Malchom Delis. He is here at my invitation.  I believe you met most of us last night.  I trust you know Madam Sidora.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Malchom.  ¡°It is good to see you again Madam.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Malchom.  I am glad you agreed to come.  I think your presence here could be useful.¡±


    ¡°We will see,¡± said Malchom giving Sidora a small smile.


    ¡°Our main focus of this meeting is trying to figure out what is going on in the kingdom.  We all know the forces in Aurumist have been executing their plan in the city for months now.  We know they have completed the first ring.  I am sure they are working on the fourth and third rings now, or are very close.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can do much for the city at the moment, but we can¡¯t assume they are stopping there.  They will turn their eyes to the other lands.  I expect they will look either to the Great Surrounding or the area by the Valley.  They will want to affect us.  We will need to come up with a way to get news from around Regventus.¡±


    ¡°We have contacts in the forest,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°We should check in with them regularly.¡±


    Griffa nodded.  ¡°We need contact with the villages in the Great Surrounding as well. We might need to see if we can get folk in the in the forest to check in with the villages they are close to.¡±


    ¡°Issa¡¯s father lives in the West Village.  We could tell him to let us know if something happens,¡± said Max.


    Griffa looked at Talon who was writing furiously.  ¡°Are you getting all this down?¡±


    ¡°I am, ¡°said Talon not looking up.


    ¡°What about the area around the Valley¡±  Do you have contacts in the mountain pass and beyond?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°I do have a few.  I will write to them this evening,¡± replied Talon.  He made another note.


    ¡°The magical folk of the Lakelands can be counted on to let you know of anything amiss there,¡± said Malchom.  ¡°They will want to help the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Malchom.  If you join the Ring, I trust you can handle that contact.  If you don¡¯t, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I write to you.¡±


    ¡°Either will work depending on what happens,¡± replied Malchom.


    ¡°I wish we had eyes and ears in the city,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°If we knew more of their plans, we wouldn¡¯t always be a step behind.¡±


    ¡°I could write to my mother,¡± said Kedan softly.  ¡°I don¡¯t know how she will receive the letter, but I could write to her.  I could travel to a village in the Great Surrounding and send her a letter. I can ask her to write back to me in that village at a message house.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel comfortable sending her a message?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°It can¡¯t hurt.  She could ignore it or respond.   It won¡¯t track back to Abscon so no danger there.  I don¡¯t think she has any love for Golnar.¡±


    ¡°No, but she loves your son.  She will do anything to keep him safe,¡± said Griffa looking at Kedan.  ¡°One of us can take you to a village soon.  You can write if you like.¡±


    The door to the meeting hall opened and Clara Vin walked in quickly.  She moved to an empty seat next to Max and sat down.


    ¡°Clara, where have you been?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°It¡¯s not like you to be late.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had some news from a friend near the East Village of the Great Surrounding.  I wanted to check in to see if it was true.  I¡¯m afraid to say it is.¡±


    Griffa looked at Ansel startled.  ¡°What was the news, Clara?¡±


    ¡°There is a sickness spreading in the kingdom.  It seems to only affect non-gifted users.  It is centered around the Great Surrounding.  Most of it is in the East Village, but there are reports of it spreading to Clarton and the West Village.¡±


    Ansel turned to Griffa.  He could feel the frantic feeling inside of her.  He could feel the nausea rising up in her.  He quickly grabbed her hand, sending a protective wave of magic to her.  Ansel watched as Griffa closed her eyes and took deep breaths.  She nodded at Ansel slightly and he removed his hand.


    ¡°Do we know how widespread the sickness is in the villages?¡± asked Griffa still breathing fast.


    ¡°From what I could see, there was enough sick for a makeshift healing center to be set up in the second ring by the forest.  I could also see graves being dug in the field outside the village. I¡¯m not sure of Clarton or the West Village.¡±


    ¡°We have a priority as of now,¡± said Griffa.  Ansel could see she was gripping the table.  ¡°This sickness must be stopped before it spreads further.  We must see what this sickness is and snuff it out.  I will go out into the kingdom and visit the villages.  Once I see what this is, I should be able to come back and figure out a cure.  Is there anything else before we dismiss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you going out on a scouting trip in the kingdom right now is a good idea, Griffa,¡± stated Talon.


    ¡°My folk are suffering. I will go to them and find a way to ease their pain,¡± said Griffa strongly.  ¡°My only duty as queen is to see to the safety of my folk.¡±


    ¡°We can send scouts.  Ansel has plenty of guards who can observe and report back.  Griffa, you have to remain safe in Abscon.  We don¡¯t know where this sickness came from.  We don¡¯t know if this is a way to draw you out.  If you go out and get yourself killed, where will we be then?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Talon,¡± said Max standing up.  ¡°She can¡¯t just let this be.  The kingdom won¡¯t let her sit and wait.  She will have to take action.¡±


    ¡°I have to see for myself.  I have to visit the folk and see what is happening,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°Ansel, this is madness.  You cannot let her do this,¡± shouted Talon.


    Griffa turned and looked at Ansel. She had a wild look in her eyes.  ¡°I will go out to my folk tomorrow.  You will not stop me.  You will accompany me, protector.¡±


    Ansel felt her pull.  He could not disobey his queen.  He didn¡¯t want Griffa out in the open in danger, but what could he do?  He heard himself whisper, ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Ansel!¡± yelled Talon as Griffa stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut this meeting short, but I must prepare.  Malchom, I know this didn¡¯t go as planned.  I do hope you will still think about joining the Ring.  Maybe you can come back soon and sit with us in another meeting.  Until then I wish you a safe journey.¡±  Griffa turned and walked out of the room.


    Ansel stood up and follow her.  Talon swiftly followed Ansel.  Outside the room, Talon caught up with Ansel in the hall.


    ¡°What are you doing?  You can¡¯t let her go out there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disobey an order from my queen.  If she declares she is going and orders me to come, I must go,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°It does not matter how much I do not like it.¡±


    ¡°I will have to talk some sense into her then.  We can do this another way.¡±


    The walked out of the meeting to hall to find Griffa sitting by the statue of the Gods.  She had her hands on the sister foot.  Her eyes were closed, and she was crying.  Talon and Ansel stood close by and watched her.


    ¡°What can we do?¡± asked Talon quietly.


    ¡°You can let her do what she needs to do,¡± said Max as he came up to join them.  ¡°She has a duty to the kingdom.  She cannot watch the folk suffer and do nothing.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°If something happens to her, what chance do we have?¡± asked Talon irritably.


    ¡°None,¡± said Max.  ¡°We will have to make sure she stays safe. She will go.  You can¡¯t stop her. Ansel knows this.  If you want to really help her, Talon, go with her.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but we will only go to the East Village.  We will get in and get out as quick as we can.  If there is any sign of trouble, we will leave immediately,¡± said Talon.  He walked away from them, and sat next to Griffa.  She took her hand of the statue and turned to Talon.  He held his arms open, and she collapsed into them.


    ¡°Is this sickness what has been plaguing her dreams and yours?¡± asked Ansel as he watched Talon hold Griffa.


    ¡°I believe so.  I think this is the start of the real war.  I think this is Aurumist¡¯s opening battle.  We will have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°You think they caused this sickness?¡± implored Ansel.


    ¡°I can¡¯t prove it, but I have a feeling they have,¡± answered Max.  ¡°I also think they know I am not the real king by now.¡±


    Ansel sighed. ¡°We need to go prepare for tomorrow.  I will see Griffa home and then go talk to some of my guards. We will not need a large party. We won¡¯t want to draw attention.  You will stay in Abscon, Max.¡±


    ¡°Ansel, I would like to go.  I don¡¯t want to leave her,¡± said Max angrily.  ¡°I promised I would never leave her.¡±


    ¡°You can serve her best by staying here and protecting those left behind.   Issa¡¯s father is in the West Village.  She will be worried about him.   You need to stay and support her.¡±


    Max opened his mouth to argue.


    ¡°Please, Max, do as I ask.  I know you aren¡¯t happy with me right now, but I am begging you. Stay in Abscon and take care of Issa and the others. You can serve Griffa in this way.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Max harshly, ¡°but if you let anything happen to her, you will face me.¡±


    ¡°If anything happens to her, I don¡¯t think I will make it back,¡± said Ansel.


    He left Max and walked towards Griffa and Talon.  As he approached them both, Talon and Griffa stood up.  She dried her tears with her hands and looked up at Ansel.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry with me.  I need to go do this, Ansel.  I¡¯m sorry I commanded you.  I don¡¯t know what came over me,¡± said Griffa sniffling.


    ¡°You are the queen.  You may command me at any time.  We will go tomorrow morning.  I will go with you, and we will take two guards.  I assume you will want to come, Talon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will come. I imagine Kedan will want to as well.  I don¡¯t think he will be a liability this time.  He can fight if needed.¡±


    "If the disease is affecting non-gifted folk, should Kedan be around it?" asked Ansel.


    "He has a talisman he wears that should help protect him," answered Griffa.  "His sword should give him some protection as well."


    Ansel nodded.  ¡°Let¡¯s go home and prepare.  We will all need to retire early tonight.¡±  He gently pulled Griffa close to his side, and walked home with her leaning on him.


    The next morning, they were up and dressed, ready to go at first light.  Ansel tried to get Griffa to eat something, but she refused.  She drank a little tea as she waited for Ansel, Talon, and Kedan to finish a quick breakfast. Ansel saw Talon continually looking at Griffa.  As they left, Max came down the stairs and saw them off.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be gone long,¡± said Ansel. ¡°We will be back before lunch.  Have everyone stay in the house just in case.  I don¡¯t think there will be any trouble.¡±


    ¡°What if you don¡¯t come back by lunch?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°Give us some time.  If we don¡¯t come back by mid-afternoon, go talk to my guards in the town center.  Take some with you to the East Village,¡± replied Ansel.   He opened the door.


    Max walked over and stood in front of Griffa.  ¡°Be careful, Griffa, and don¡¯t get far from Ansel.  When you get back, I will help you figure out a cure.¡±


    Griffa nodded and hugged Max.  She took her staff that rested by the door and walked out.  Talon patted Max on the shoulder and followed her.  Kedan walked out with his sword in a sheath strapped to his back.  Ansel put on his hat and nodded at Max.  He walked out closing the door behind him.  Ansel caught up with Griffa and walked by her side.


    ¡°Clara¡¯s friend should meet us outside of town,¡± said Griffa as they walked.  ¡°We will have a hard time not sticking out, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really an issue anymore.  I want the folk to know who we are.¡±


    ¡°Word could get back to Aurumist that you visited,¡± said Ansel.


    ¡°Let it,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°We cannot avoid them forever.  I will have my folk know I care for them.¡±


    They walked to the gates of Abscon and met two of Ansel¡¯s guards.  They arranged themselves to travel.


    ¡°Griffa will need to stay close to me the whole time we are out,¡± said Ansel. He turned to his guards.  ¡°I expect you to be at the queens back at all times.  If you see anything out of place, you will let me know immediately.¡±


    His guards nodded.  He turned to Kedan and Talon. ¡°If something happens and I cannot get to her, your only move will be to cover and protect the queen.¡±


    ¡°Kedan, you should stay close to me at all times,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I know you have a way to protect yourself, but you will still be vulnerable.  I would feel better if you are in range of Ansel¡¯s shield.¡±


    ¡°I will do as you wish,¡± said Kedan.


    ¡°Hopefully, none of this will be an issue.  If there is any sign of a problem, we need to leave.  Griffa, I will grab you myself and travel with you if there is any trouble,¡± said Talon.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Talon, take Kedan.  You told him what to look for, I assume?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Talon putting his hand on Kedan¡¯s shoulder.


    Ansel grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand, and she nodded to him.  Ansel closed his eyes and felt himself travel.  He opened his eyes as he hit the ground.  Griffa let go of his hand to catch herself.  Ansel looked around and could see the second ring of the village through the trees in the distance. His guards appeared, followed by Kedan and Talon.


    Griffa looked around and then started walking towards the village.  Ansel walked quickly to catch up to her, his guards following in their wake.  Talon and Kedan jogged slightly to walk besides Ansel and Griffa.  Kedan walked next to Griffa.  Talon walked next to Ansel.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Kedan suddenly.  He stopped, causing them all to pause.  ¡°Did any of you see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± asked Talon looking around.


    ¡°I just saw something dark fly by us.  It was like a very large shadow, but it moved on its own.¡±


    ¡°It was probably just the sun shining through the tree branches.  It was just a trick of the light,¡± said Talon looking around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°It felt strange.¡±


    Ansel looked around.  He wondered if Kedan had actually seen something.


    ¡°You¡¯re just on edge.  We all are.  Come on, we need to go meet Clara¡¯s friend,¡± said Griffa.


    Kedan didn¡¯t look convinced. He looked at Ansel with a worried look in his eyes.  They walked on to just outside the second ring of the East Village.  They met an older woman wearing a dark green dress.  He dark hair was lose down her back and had streaks of gray throughout.


    ¡°Are you Emer?¡± asked Griffa as she approached the woman.


    ¡°I am.  You must be the queen. I am glad to serve as I can.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us what has been going on?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°The sickness started two weeks ago.  It has spread fast.  No one is sure where it came from.  It causes a horrible fever, vomiting, and intense coughing.  Many with the disease cannot eat or drink.  Those who die have done so in usually four days.  They have tried to move the sick out of the village and into a healing center on other side of the second ring.  It has not helped the spread lessen.¡±


    ¡°You have heard of it spreading to other villages?¡± asked Griffa.  Ansel noticed she was breathing heavily and leaning on her staff.  He moved closer to her and took her hand.  Griffa squeezed it and seem to steady herself before letting it go.


    ¡°Yes, there are reports in Clarton and the West Village.  I¡¯m not sure what steps have been taken there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the information.  We will travel around the second ring and visit the sick.  You are welcome to join us if you like, or you can go home,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I will go home if you don¡¯t mind, my queen.  I have been up half the night trying to ease suffering where I could.¡±


    ¡°Go rest, Emer.  Thank you for your service.  If you are needed again, Clara will contact you,¡± said Griffa as she nodded and then walked on.


    They all followed Griffa around the outer ring of the village in silence.  Soon a large canopy was seen in the distance.  As they got closer the smell of sick started to overwhelm them.  Griffa stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.


    ¡°So many are sick,¡± she said quietly.  ¡°There is so much suffering.¡±


    ¡°If this is too much, we can turn back.  You know of the sickness now.  A few of us can go on and look, but you could go back to Abscon,¡± said Ansel looking at Griffa.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa opening her eyes and straightening up.  ¡°I will see my folk.  I will see for myself what is happening.¡±


    She walked on with a seemingly new strength and purpose.  Ansel and the others walked quickly to catch up with her.  As they approached the tent, Talon stopped them.


    ¡°What do you think, Ansel.  Do you think it¡¯s safe?¡± asked Talon looking ahead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything unusual.  We should all stay close to Griffa.  If anyone feels anything off, we will go immediately.¡±


    They walked into the large canopy to see hundreds of people lying on makeshift pallets on the ground.  There were healers and apothecaries running around, but there wasn¡¯t near enough to help all those who were suffering.  Many were all alone, sitting in their own sick.  A few had family members with them to take care of them.


    Ansel watched Griffa as she took it all in, seeing tears form in her eyes.  She looked all around, and  her gaze settled on a little girl a few feet over.  Griffa walked to the girl and sat down next to her.  Ansel walked close by, but gave her room.  Talon and Kedan kept watch all around as Ansel watched Griffa.   Ansel¡¯s guards stayed back.  Griffa put her hand on the little girl¡¯s forehead.  The little girl opened her bleary eyes and looked up at Griffa.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the little girl.


    ¡°I am a friend who has come to help you.¡±


    ¡°You look like a princess from my story books,¡± said the little girl.  She reached up and touched Griffa¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I am a queen, actually.  I have come to make things better,¡± said Griffa.


    Griffa laid down her staff.  She kept her hand on the little girl¡¯s forehead and put her other hand on the little girl¡¯s chest.  Griffa closed her eyes.  Ansel watched as the little girl looked at Griffa and smiled.


    ¡°You need to drink some water, little one,¡± said Griffa.


    Griffa turned to Ansel.  He found a pitcher and some cups on a nearby table that was set up.  He quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to Griffa. Griffa helped the little girl drink the full cup.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± asked Griffa after the girl had finished drinking.


    ¡°Mama came here with me, but I haven¡¯t seen her since yesterday.  She was sleeping when I last saw her.  Papa couldn¡¯t come.  He had to stay home with my brother.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest now,¡± said Griffa putting her hand back on the girl¡¯s forehead.  ¡°Close your eyes, and I will make sure you have good dreams.¡±


    The girl closed her eyes as Griffa closed hers, and soon the girl was fast asleep.  Griffa removed her hand and kissed the girl on her forehead.  She stood up, and moved on to an older woman who was obviously suffering.  Ansel watched as Griffa put her hand on the woman¡¯s forehead and chest, and shook her head.  Griffa closed her eyes and took deep breaths.  Ansel watched as the woman passed peacefully.


    Griffa went around to many different sick people. Some she talked with.  A few more she helped ease their passing.  After she had helped a little boy eat some cold stew that was being passed around, Talon came up to Ansel.


    ¡°We need to get back.  We have stayed too long.¡±


    Ansel nodded.  As Griffa stood up after helping the boy sleep, Ansel grabbed her arm.  ¡°We need to go, we will be late getting back to Abscon.  Max will worry.¡±


    ¡°We can leave.  I know what I need to know now.  I can help these people, but it will take some time.  I will need to start today.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to Abscon then,¡± said Ansel.


    Griffa grabbed Ansel¡¯s arm as he walked her towards the exit of the canopy.  They were stopped by a middle age woman who looked exhausted.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked incredulously.  ¡°I have watched you as you worked your way amongst the sick.  Are you a healer?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  She took the woman¡¯s hand.  ¡°I am the queen of this kingdom.  I will make this right.  You need to rest.  I know this is overwhelming, but you won¡¯t be able to help folk unless you rest.¡±


    The woman nodded.  She bowed slightly and walked on.   Griffa, Ansel, and the rest of their group walked to the edge of the forest.


    As they prepared to travel to the gates of Abscon, Ansel turned to Griffa.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright, Griffa?¡±


    Griffa smiled.  ¡°I am.  I feel better than I have in a long time.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Golnar sat in a chair in his room with his head in his hands.  He was exhausted, he felt weak.  He had not slept well in weeks.  He could not close his eyes without dreaming.  The dreams woke him up several times a night.  They haunted him even during the day.  They were always different.  Some took place in the palace, and some out in the kingdom.  They all had only one thing in common.  Every dream he had included Gryphon Keene.


    In one dream, she was constantly asking him questions.  In another she was only staring at him with her dark blue eyes.  In another, he was making her drink poison after poison, but she would not die.  Even now in the bright light of mid-day, Golnar shivered remember last night¡¯s dream.


    He had been standing outside the temple looking towards the palace.  The sun was just starting to set when she came up and stood beside him.  She was wearing a dark blue gown with a golden sun stitched on the bodice.  Her hair was down, and she wore a golden crown with tips all around.  She seemed to be giving off her own light.


    ¡°Why do you insist on doing this?¡± she asked looking at Golnar.


    ¡°It is the only way to balance the kingdom.  It is the way it was meant to be.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even believe what you are saying,¡± said Gryphon with a harsh small laugh.  ¡°Tell me why you are really doing this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say,¡± Golnar said harshly.  ¡°Why can¡¯t you let me be?¡±


    ¡°You are destroying my kingdom.  You are hurting my folk, yourself included,¡± said Gryphon sadly.  ¡°Golnar, look at me.¡±


    Golnar didn¡¯t want to, but he turned slowly.  He looked at her to see her dark blue eyes swimming with tears.  He felt conflicted.  At first, he wanted to reach out and touch her.  He wanted to fall at her feet and beg for her forgiveness.  Quickly those feelings faded away.  He wanted to flee from her presence.  He wanted to find a way to destroy her.


    ¡°I know what you suffered. I know how she suffered, but what you are doing will not make things right,¡± she said as she reached out her hand towards Golnar.


    Golnar moved out of her reach.  ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± he said angrily. If she touched him, he wasn¡¯t sure he would survive.


    Gryphon put her hand down and looked at him sadly.  ¡°You are too far gone.  I wish I could have helped you, but you are out of reach. I ask for your forgiveness. I am afraid I have failed you.  I would grant you mercy, but it is not mine to give.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want or need your mercy, Miss Keene,¡± said Golnar looking up at Gryphon with defiance.


    ¡°Miss Keene, indeed.  You know who I am,¡± said Gryphon. She held out her hand and a staff flew to her.  Her eyes turned dark as she took a deep breath.  Her hair blew all around her.  Golnar found himself trembling with fear. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be this way.  You are of my folk, but you have gone too far.  I will find you, and I will stop you.  There will be no mercy whether you think you need it or not.  The gods will not stand for evil.¡±


    She turned, and she was gone.  Golnar had woken up shaking.  He wasn¡¯t sure why the dream scared him so much.  He wasn¡¯t sure why she frightened him.  Who was she but some woman who called herself a queen now? She was nobody. She was mortal.  He had seen her bleed.  He had seen her sick.  He had seen her nearly die.  Even as Golnar said it, he knew it wasn¡¯t true.  She was not just some woman.  She was much more.  She must be dealt with.  She was in Golnar¡¯s way. He had to find a way to get rid of her soon.


    He had hopes for his sickness plan.  He had heard reports that the sickness was spreading in the Great Surrounding.  He doubted Gryphon could ignore it much longer.  He hoped she would come out of her hiding place.  He hoped she wouldn¡¯t send scouts.  He needed her to come out into the open for his plan to work, his and Philo¡¯s plan.


    They did have a plan.  They realized that if they had a full force of soldiers out at all times, the queen¡¯s protector would never let her go to the folk.  They needed to be more discreet.  They would let the sickness spread unchecked.  They would let the old magical folk see the sick folk first.  Then after a time they would unleash a trap that would rid the kingdom of Gryphon Keene for good.


    They would have to find a time when her protector wasn¡¯t being vigilant.  The protector would either have to let down his guard, or be distracted, hopefully both.  They would find her when she was vulnerable and end her.  Hopefully when she was gone from this kingdom for good, Golnar could finally get some peace and sleep.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Golnar flexed his fingers, finding they still felt cold and empty.  His magic had not reappeared this time.  He searched within himself for the now familiar sensation of magic coursing through his body, but there was nothing. He wished he could have made a potion of Gryphon¡¯s blood before she left.   He had tried to go down below the temple after Gryphon and the boy had escaped. He wanted to see if her blood was still there.  He couldn¡¯t make it down the stairs.  Something wouldn¡¯t let him enter.  He tried, but found it impossible.  Philo tried as well, but could not get much farther than Golnar.   They ended up nailing the trap door shut and putting a small table over it.  Golnar wished they could burn the whole building.


    A knock on his door interrupted Golnar¡¯s thoughts.  He got up and answered it to find Till and Philo both at the door.


    Golnar nodded and let them inside.  He supposed it was time for their daily meeting.  He wasn¡¯t sure what time it was really.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± said Golnar walking to his chair.  They all sit down in the sitting area in the middle of his room.


    ¡°Do you have any news for me?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°The next gatherings in the city are scheduled for next month.  Camelia says Teryn will be well by then.  We will start with two community meals for our poorest folk.  Teryn and Camelia will oversee them,¡± said Till sitting back in his chair.


    ¡°Very good,¡± said Golnar. ¡°We do not need to lose sight of what needs to be done for our magical blooded folk as the sickness spreads. What news have we heard of the sickness?¡±


    Philo shrugged.  ¡°We have reports it is spreading wildly in the East Village.  It has made its way to Clarton and the West Village as well.  Soon it will be all over the Great Surrounding.  Beyond that, I have heard nothing.¡±


    ¡°So, we don¡¯t know if anyone from Abscon has visited the villages?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°No, I have heard no reports.  Of course, how would the folk in the villages recognize anyone from Abscon.  If they come, any magical folk will try to blend in, surely,¡± replied Philo.


    ¡°They can¡¯t stay hidden forever,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°They will want support for the coming war.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Philo.  ¡°Hopefully, we will get word soon, so we will know when to strike.¡±


    ¡°Why are we so bought in to this plan to kill this so-called queen?  What harm can she really do?  She is just one woman.  Even if she has the forces of Abscon behind her, they won¡¯t just quit if you kill her.  They will find a new leader,¡± insisted Till.


    Golnar grunted in response.  How could he explain to Till that she was not just some woman.  She was a force.  If they didn¡¯t stop her, she could ruin everything Golnar had been working towards.  Golnar wanted nothing more than to never see Gryphon Keene again.


    ¡°You will have to trust me on this, Till. We need to rid the kingdom of Gryphon Keene,¡± said Golnar passionately.


    Till turned to Philo.  ¡°What do you have to say about this?  Aren¡¯t we using too many resources to kill one person?¡±


    Philo looked at Golnar searchingly, and Golnar stared back.  He wondered what Philo wanted to know from him.  Philo turned back to Till. ¡°We are accomplishing more than killing one woman.  We are helping to weed out the non-gifted.  If we can kill Gryphon while doing that job, it is not a waste.  Besides, if she dies, I suppose the boy will be king, but who will protect him?  I¡¯m not sure Ansel will recover if we will kill his queen.  Perhaps we can kill him at the same time.  Then we will be done with the line of Protectors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it, I suppose,¡± said Till.


    ¡°You just worry about Aurumist,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°Do all you can to make sure we keep releasing magic users.  We will need the city ready for the coming war no matter what happens.¡±


    Till nodded.  There was a tapping at Golnar¡¯s window.  Golnar looked over to see a dark shadow slowly making its way through the cracks in the windows.


    ¡°What in the kingdom is that?¡± asked Till.  He quickly stood up.


    ¡°It is only one of my shadow spies.  It will not harm you,¡± said Golnar.  He walked over to the window, watching the shadow slowly enter the room.


    The shadow fell through the cracks in the window like streams of water.  After it was completely through it formed together in a large black mass.  It hovered before Golnar.  Golnar reached out his hand, and the shadow reached towards Golnar.  Suddenly the shadow surrounded Golnar with its mass.  It swirled around him, causing a breeze to fill the room.  Golnar saw Till watch in fear.  Philo watched in mild fascination.


    After circling for several moments, the shadow flew through Golnar.  It disappeared inside of him, speaking to him.  Golnar listened to its whispers.  He felt a smile come upon his face as he heard what the shadow told him.  After it was finished talking to him, the shadow exited his body and hovered before Golnar once again.


    ¡°Well done,¡± said Golnar to the shadow.  ¡°Go back to the forest and keep watch.  If you see anything I need to know, come to me.¡±


    The shadow flew back to the window and slowly made its way outside.


    Golnar went back to his seat.  Sitting down he looked at Till.  ¡°Sit down, Till.  It is over.  You were never in any danger.¡±


    Till sat down and stared at Golnar.


    ¡°That was one of my shadow spies, and it brought us interesting news.  The queen left Abscon to visit the East Village.  She traveled with her protector, two guards, another man, and Kedan.¡±


    Philo smiled.  ¡°I think we can assume this won¡¯t be her only trip.  I suppose it¡¯s time for me to travel to Clarton.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Golnar.  ¡°It¡¯s time to see if our plan will actually work.  Remember if you can rid me of Gryphon Keene you will get what you want and possible more.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± said Philo.  He stood up and walked from the room.

 Chapter 24

    Max sat with Griffa in the cellar of Keene Manor, both sitting on low stools in front of the fireplace.  A large kettle was hanging over the fire, and Griffa had a thick old book open.  She was furiously reading the directions she found there.


    ¡°Do you think this is the right potion?¡± asked Max as he leaned to look at what she was reading.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said not looking up.  ¡°I think this is it.¡±


    It had been two days since Griffa had come back from the East Village.  She had gone immediately to her study.  She had Ansel and Talon bring her boxes and boxes of books from storage.  Max and Issa joined her in reading book after book after she told them what they were looking for.  They read for hours.


    Ansel forced them to take a quick break to eat a few times, but they would not leave the study.  Max finally sent Issa to bed late the first night, but he and Griffa kept reading and searching.  At some point Max had drifted off in his chair.  When he woke up the next morning, Griffa was still reading.


    The next day, Ansel tried several times to make Griffa rest, but she would order him away.  Talon eventually came in and took her books away.  He made her tell him what to look for, so she could rest.  She finally relented when Ansel came in and pleaded with her.  She was soon back.  Just this morning, she had finally found what she had been looking for.


    She spent the rest of the day collecting ingredients she needed.  She got what she could from town.  She sent Talon and Kedan out to the forest to find what they could. Now, late at night, she and Max sat in the cellar putting the potion together.


    ¡°Max, grab those toadstools there on the table and add it,¡± said Griffa looking up.


    Max did as she instructed as Griffa stood up.  She grabbed a large stick by the fireplace and stirred the potion.


    ¡°How long does it take to brew?¡± asked Max.


    ¡°It should be done by mid-morning. I will have to watch it tonight to make sure it doesn¡¯t boil over,¡± said Griffa.  She stopped stirring and put the stick by the fireplace.


    Griffa sat back down on her stool and rubbed her eyes.  Max looked at her and saw that she was very pale.  Her eyes looked tired with dark circles under them.  He watched her sway a little in her seat.


    ¡°Griffa, why don¡¯t you rest a bit on your cot or go on up to bed.  I can watch the potion.  I¡¯ve had more rest than you,¡± said Max.


    ¡°No, it is almost done.  I will see it through.  Hopefully, we can start delivering this late tomorrow or the next day,¡± answered Griffa stretching.


    ¡°If you want to take this potion to the folk, you will need to rest first.¡±


    ¡°How can I rest when my people are suffering?¡± asked Griffa.  ¡°I will rest when I am done.¡±


    ¡°Griffa,¡± started Max.


    ¡°Please, Max.  I know how I look.  I am tired, but I don¡¯t think I could rest even if I tried.  I need to do this.¡±


    Max grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand.  He held it, letting their magic swirl together.  ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it alone,¡± said Max staring at Griffa.  ¡°Let us help you.  I can stay up and do this.  Talon could do this.¡±


    Griffa squeezed Max hand as there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°I heard my name. Go on and let me in,¡± said Talon from the other side.


    Max let go of Griffa¡¯s hand to open the door.  Talon and Ansel both stood in the doorway, and Max let them in.


    ¡°Come on, Griffa,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Enough is enough.  You are going to bed.¡±


    Griffa looked up at Talon and sighed.  She shook her head lightly. Ansel pushed past Talon and walked over to Griffa.  He knelt own by her side, and took her hand.


    ¡°Come to bed, Griffa,¡± said Ansel.  Griffa looked up at him and opened her mouth.  ¡°Please, don¡¯t order me away.  Others can help you with this.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± said Talon.  ¡°Tell me what needs to be done.  You have named me the second chair of your Ring.  Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with him for a while, Griffa,¡± said Max.  ¡°I can show him what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Griffa quietly.  ¡°I am tired, but if you have any questions, you will come find me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Talon.


    Ansel stood up.  He held his hand out to Griffa, and she took it.  He pulled her up and to him, wrapping his arms around her.  Max imagined he was comforting her with his protector¡¯s magic.  Ansel kissed the top of Griffa¡¯s head and let her go.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said to her.  ¡°A bath is ready for you.  You can rest for a while and come back early tomorrow morning.¡±


    She nodded.  She smiled at Max and walked up to Talon, taking his hand.  ¡°Thank you, if you need anything at all tonight, please come get me.¡±


    Talon brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.  ¡°I will, I promise.  Now go rest.¡±


    Ansel put his arm around Griffa and swept her from the room.  Talon sat down on Griffa¡¯s vacated stool and looked at Max.


    ¡°What needs to be done?¡±


    ¡°It just needs to be watched overnight to make sure it doesn¡¯t bubble over.  The fire will need to be kept in check, and it will need to be stirred several times,¡± replied Max.


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± said Talon leaning up and looking at the potion. ¡°This will work to cure the disease?¡±


    ¡°It should according to the books.  Griffa says it is the same sickness that plagued the kingdom before King Nathin.  I don¡¯t know how she knows, but she seemed certain,¡± said Max shifting on his stool to get more comfortable.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be the one to question her.  If she says this is the cure, I believe her.  I suppose she will want to go deliver the first batch herself.¡±


    ¡°At least the first,¡± said Max.  ¡°I know you don¡¯t like her out in the open, but she can¡¯t help it.  The kingdom calls for her to care for the folk.  She can¡¯t ignore it.¡±


    ¡°If she is killed, then where will we be?¡± asked Talon.  ¡°Would you step in as king?¡±


    ¡°If Griffa dies, I¡¯m afraid the hope for the kingdom dies with her.  I would do what I could, but I have seen visions.  Without Griffa, I don¡¯t know how the kingdom will be healed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot to put on one woman,¡± said Talon quietly.  ¡°It hardly seems fair.¡±


    ¡°She not just any woman.  She is the queen.¡±


    Talon nodded.  ¡°Sometimes, I wish she wasn¡¯t.  Queen¡¯s lives aren¡¯t usually easy.¡±


    ¡°You care for your friend, and you want to keep her safe.  I do as well, but we can¡¯t deny who she is.  We can only support her and do everything we can to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°How old are you, Max?¡± asked Talon


    ¡°Seventeen.  I will reach my majority when summer comes.¡±


    ¡°You seem so much older.  It makes me rather sad.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Max as he peeked at the potion.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have all these cares on your shoulders this young.  You should be chasing young women around, finding ways to get into trouble.¡±


    Max smiled slightly.  ¡°I have no reason to chase young women, I have been lucky to find someone to love.  I never did like trouble very much.¡±


    Talon chuckled. ¡°I wish I had been more like you in some ways.  I was always rather fond of trouble and chasing young women.  I think it might have come back to hurt me in the end.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have made it alright.  You are the leader to a great village.  You are the second chair of the Ring.  You don¡¯t seem to have any regrets,¡± said Max stretching his arms.


    ¡°Everyone has some regrets, Max,¡± said Talon seriously.  Talon watched the fire with a frown.


    Max sat silently watching Talon.  He wasn¡¯t sure what to say.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Do you really have visions?¡± asked Talon not turning his eyes away from the fire.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max.


    ¡°Do you see Griffa in your visions?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Will she make it?  Will she live?¡± asked Talon.  He turned to look at Max.


    Max thought about this question.  He really didn¡¯t know.  She had not perished in any of his real visions, but sometimes when she would talk about saving her kingdom, Max would feel a sense of dread.  He worried about the fate of Griffa constantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You must have some sort of feeling,¡± said Talon.


    Max¡¯s cast his eyes down to the floor.  He did have a feeling.  He hoped he wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked,¡± said Talon clearly reading Max¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Visions aren¡¯t always set in stone.  I¡¯m also new at this.  I could misinterpret things.  You shouldn¡¯t give up on her.¡±


    ¡°I will never give up on her,¡± said Talon with conviction.  ¡°She will sit on the throne in Aurumist.  I will give my life it that¡¯s what it takes.¡±


    Max smiled at Talon.  ¡°I feel the same, but I hope it doesn¡¯t come to it.¡±


    ¡°You should go rest, Max,¡± said Talon. ¡°Maybe go check in on your Issa.  I can watch the potion tonight.¡±


    ¡°I will go if you don¡¯t mind.  You can come get me if anything is needed.¡±


    ¡°Go, I can take care of this.¡±


    Max stood up and stretched.  He walked by Talon and something made him stop.  He reached out and put his hand on Talon¡¯s shoulder.  Max felt his vision go hazy.  A thousand different visions flashed before his eyes, all including Talon and Griffa.


    ¡°Talon Wendell,¡± Max hear himself say. ¡°You must stay near our queen.  She will need you.  It will not be easy for you, but she cannot do what she needs to do without you.   You cannot abandon her.  Even when she pushes you away, you cannot leave her.¡±


    ¡°Max,¡± said Talon looking up at Max.  ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Max blinked his eyes quickly.  ¡°Yes. Please remember what I just said.  I think it was important.¡±


    Talon nodded.  Max walked from the room.


    The next morning, Max woke up early.  He looked at his window and saw Issa sitting on the back lawn watching the sun rise.  He quickly dressed and walked outside.  He sat next to her on the grass.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± asked Max glancing at Issa.


    ¡°I woke up early and couldn¡¯t sleep.  I came out here to clear my head.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s worrying you?¡±


    ¡°My father.  The sickness is out there.  It¡¯s in the West Village.  I worry for him and his wife Meriam.  I haven¡¯t heard from him in a few weeks.¡±


    Max laid his hand on hers.  ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine.  Griffa thinks she found a cure last night.  It should be ready today.  We will start taking it to the folk very soon.  This will all be under control.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of sick people, Max.  It could take a long time,¡± said Issa looking at him.


    ¡°I know.  Write to your father.  If we hear he is sick, we can make sure and send him potion quickly.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very fair to the other people who are sick,¡± said Issa with a small smile.


    ¡°There are benefits to being friends with the queen.¡±


    Issa smiled wider.  ¡°Max, are you ever disappointed you aren¡¯t the king?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± said Max.  ¡°I know who I am now.  It has helped me in many ways.  I have much more control over my magic, and I feel settled. Are you disappointed I won¡¯t be a king?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± said Issa.  ¡°I feel guilty because I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t.  I love Griffa.  I would hate for anything to happen to her, but the thought of you being in danger is too much to bear.¡± She scooted closer to Max, and Max put his arm around her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty.  I love you.  I can¡¯t stand the thought of something happening to you either.¡±


    Issa put her head on Max¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°Is something does happen to me, do you promise to go on?  I know it would be hard, but if something happens and we aren¡¯t together, I need to know you will do all you can to make things right.¡±


    ¡°Nothing will happen to you, Issa.¡±


    ¡°I know, but if something did happen, do you promise to keep fighting?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Max.  ¡°If you make me the same promise. You will keep fighting for Regventus and for Griffa no matter what.  You would have to watch out for Griffa for me.  I know she has Ansel and Talon and even Kedan, but sometimes they get caught up in arguing with each other about what¡¯s best for her and the kingdom. Someone needs to keep an eye on Griffa and remember she is more than just our queen.¡±


    ¡°If something happens to you, I will do everything I can to make the kingdom right again for you, Max.  I promise.¡±


    Max looked turned to face Issa.  She turned towards him.  Max leaned down and kissed her. After a moment, she pulled back and smiled at Max.  ¡°Do you realize that less than two years ago, you were planning on working in a stable your whole life?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe it wasn¡¯t that long ago.  If none of this had happened, I wonder where I would be.¡±


    ¡°I would have talked you into advanced lessons.  Then when we both hit our majority, we would have gotten married. People would have talked, saying we were too young, but we wouldn¡¯t have cared.¡±


    ¡°You want to marry me?¡± asked Max


    ¡°Of course, you want to marry me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Max quickly.  ¡°After this war, the first thing we will do is get married.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good plan.  If you are really asking me, my answer is yes,¡± said Issa.


    ¡°I am really asking you.  So now we are betrothed.¡±


    Issa kissed him quickly.  ¡°That was rather easy.¡±


    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t very romantic.  Should I try again and ask proper?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Issa laughing lightly.  ¡°I think it was perfect.¡±


    Max leaned forward and grabbed her bringing her close to him.  He kissed her for a long time.


    Issa and Max came in for breakfast.  Kedan, Ansel and Griffa were at the table.  Ansel was buttering some toast as Griffa drank some tea.  Kedan sat on the end and looked sleepy.


    ¡°Where have you two been?¡± asked Griffa putting her cup down.


    ¡°Thought we might catch the sunrise this morning,¡± said Issa sitting down.


    Griffa gave them both a small smile as Max sat down next to Issa.  ¡°When I looked out the back window, it looked like you two were having a nice chat.¡±


    Ansel cracked a grin and looked at Griffa.


    ¡°You looked refreshed this morning, Griffa,¡± said Max putting some bacon on his plate.  ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± answered Griffa as Ansel handed her some toast.  ¡°Better than I have in a while.¡±


    ¡°Have you checked on the potion this morning?¡± asked Max before he bit into a piece of toast.


    ¡°I have.  I sent Talon to bed, and the potion is ready.  It¡¯s cooling in the kettle as we speak.  It will be ready to bottle this afternoon,¡± answered Griffa.


    ¡°Will we go today to deliver it?¡± asked Max.


    Ansel and Griffa looked at each other.  ¡°It will be delivered today,¡± said Ansel. ¡°But, you will not be going.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Max dropping the bacon in his hand.  ¡°Why should I not go.  I helped make it.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you will stay here,¡± said Griffa looking at Max.  ¡°You will start the next batch of the potion.¡±


    Max huffed and picked his bacon back up.  He bit into it angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯t go.  Talon could stay behind and start the potion.¡±


    ¡°Talon is the second chair of my Ring.  He will go with me to visit the sick people,¡± said Griffa.  She smiled at Max.  ¡°You are our next great diviner of the Ring.  We will need your wisdom in the war to come.  I need you to stay here and keep safe.¡±


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t one for prophecy, Griffa?¡± asked Max tartly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get all the information I can,¡± answered Griffa.  ¡°You are also young.  You aren¡¯t even at your majority yet.  Better you stay here and keep safe.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your opinion when we went to the Valley,¡± said Max.


    ¡°And look what happened,¡± said Griffa. ¡°You could have easily been killed. It was foolish of me to suggest you come.¡±


    Max looked at Griffa angrily. He started to stand up.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Griffa putting her hand up.  ¡°That came out wrong.  I have every belief in your capability to defend yourself.  Nothing in the Valley was your fault.  Max, if something happens to me you are the last hope for the kingdom.  You are the only one besides me who has the full blood of Adalwen in your veins.  If I die, you will be king.  You are also the only one I trust to brew the potion that is the cure.  If I am incapacitated in anyway, you will have to make sure the cure is sent out.¡±


    Max sat down. ¡°Nothing will happen to you, Griffa.  It can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being realistic.  It would be foolish for both of us to go out of the safety of Abscon at the same time.  Please stay here and watch over the manor.  Start working on the potion if you can.  We won¡¯t be gone long. Will you serve in this way?¡±


    Max huffed again.  ¡°Yes, if that is your wish.  I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Griffa.  She held her hand out across the table.  Max hesitated, but then took her hand.  He felt the familiar combining of their magic, as Griffa looked at Max and smiled slightly.  He could feel her worry, and her fears.  He could feel the anxiety she had for the kingdom.  He could feel the love she had for him, and he softened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Griffa,¡± said Max taking his hand back.  ¡°I know you are probably right.  I don¡¯t want to add to your worries.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± said Griffa as she stood up.  ¡°I¡¯m going to go for a walk on the back lawn if anyone would like to join me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Kedan standing up.  Griffa smiled and nodded, and together they walked to the back door.


    Ansel looked at Max.  ¡°I hope you know she is only trying to do what is best for the kingdom and you.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Max. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I understand.¡±


    ¡°You will do as she asked, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Max.  He went back to eating his breakfast.


    Ansel stood up.  ¡°She is right you know, Max.  If something happens to her, you will have to be king.  It is best we keep at least one of you safe here in Abscon at all times.¡±


    ¡°If something happens to her, the kingdom will fall.  Don¡¯t let anything happen to her, protector,¡± said Max.


    Ansel nodded slightly and walked out to the back lawn.


    By late afternoon, Griffa had bottled all of the potion.  She, Talon, Kedan, and Ansel left together to deliver the potion to the East Village, saying they would be back in a few hours.  Max sat in the parlor with Issa, and she cuddled against him on the sofa. It was quiet in the house, except for the wind that whistled outside and a distant rumble of thunder.


    ¡°It sounds like it might rain,¡± said Issa.  ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t delay Griffa and the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t.  I suppose I should go start a new batch of potion. If it works, there will be much demand for it.¡±


    Issa leaned up and kissed Max lightly on his lips.  ¡°You should go.  I¡¯ll come down a bit and visit you.¡±


    Max smile and stood up.  As he walked out of the parlor, he heard the bell of the front door.  Max opened it to find a pigeon standing there with a message around its leg.  Max took the note, and the pigeon took off into the fading light.


    ¡°Issa,¡± said Max walking back into the parlor.  ¡°There is a message for you.¡±


    Issa got up and met Max halfway, taking her message.  She quickly opened it, reading it.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Meriam,¡± said Issa with a frown.  ¡°Father is sick.  He has been taken to Clarton for treatment.  Miriam could not go because she is well and with child.¡±  Issa looked up at Max with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°He will be alright, Issa,¡± said Max quickly.  He walked to her and pulled her into his arms.  ¡°As soon as the others come back, we will let them know.  There are still some vials of the cure here.  When they get back, somebody can take some to Clarton.¡±


    ¡°This message is from two days ago,¡± said Issa tearfully.  ¡°The bird must have been lost.  Father may not have much time left.  He might now be able to wait another day.¡±


    Max hugged her tighter.  ¡°Then I will go now.  I will go to Clarton with the potion, and I will find him tonight.¡±


    ¡°Max, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will do this for you.  It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°I will go with you,¡± said Issa pushing back form Max gently.  ¡°I want to see my father.¡±


    ¡°Issa, I don¡¯t know if that is wise.  You should stay here safe.  You can trust me, as I will not leave until I find your father.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to go.  I need to go,¡± said Issa, begging. ¡°Please, Max.  We will find my father, give him the potion, and then get him home.  You can take us quickly.¡±


    Max looked at Issa.  ¡°Fine, but we have to go now so we can get back.  I will leave a quick note telling the others not to worry. I will tell them we will be back by tomorrow mid-morning. That way you can stay with your father and make sure he is well.¡±


    Issa nodded.


    ¡°Go get your cloak, it looks like rain,¡± said Max.  ¡°I will go get a vial of the potion.¡±


    Issa nodded and ran out of the room.  Max walked quickly towards the cellar, wondering if what he was doing was wise.

 Chapter 25

    Kedan walked besides Talon as they made their way through Abscon and back to Keene Manor.  Griffa and Ansel walked in front of them.  It was getting dark, and the air smelled like rain.  Thunder rumbled around them.


    Kedan could hear Talon taking deep breaths.  He looked over, and Talon was smiling and flexing his hands.


    ¡°Storms always put me in interesting moods,¡± said Talon. ¡°being a mage and all.¡±


    Griffa turned back and smiled at Talon.  ¡°Is interesting the right word?¡±


    Talon gave Griffa a smirk and asked, ¡°Do you think the potion will work, Griffa?¡±


    Griffa glanced back again.  ¡°I do.  I hope it works rather quickly.  Emer will contact us tomorrow to let us know of any changes.  I hope Max has gotten started on the next batch.  If the cure is successful, we will have to find ways to make more, quickly.¡±


    ¡°We can get others in Abscon to help,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°You and Max don¡¯t need to do all the work by yourself. You will work yourself to death without help.¡±


    ¡°We will see,¡± said Griffa.  She increased the pace of her walking.


    When they got to Keene Manor, Ansel opened the door and let everybody in.  They all walked into the parlor together.


    ¡°I wonder if Max and Issa are in the cellar,¡± said Griffa looking around.  She picked  upa slip of paper off a nearby table.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a note,¡± said Talon looking at the mantle.  He picked up the note and opened it. ¡°It says that Max and Issa have gone out.  They will be back by tomorrow before lunch.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone out? Where in the kingdom could they have gone?¡± asked Ansel grabbing the note from Talon.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say,¡± said Talon. ¡°It just says they are out.¡±


    Kedan heard Griffa blow out a loud breath.  Everyone turned to look at her. She shook her head and headed back towards the entrance hall.  They all followed her.


    ¡°Griffa, what is it?¡± asked Talon.


    Griffa looked up at Talon with her hand on the door. ¡°I will need to go collect them.  I believe they have gone to Clarton.  Issa¡¯s father took ill in the West Village, and he was transported to Clarton for treatment.  I am sure Issa and Max traveled there to take her father some of the potion.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they actually traveled to Clarton alone, do you, Griffa?¡± asked Ansel doubtfully.


    ¡°I do. I don¡¯t see where else they could be. I will need to get them quickly, before they run into any trouble,¡± said Griffa opening the door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Talon as he put his hand on the door and closed it.  ¡°Why do you have to go get them?  Let me go.  I can take Ansel or Kedan.¡±


    ¡°I will not wait here, while Max is out and could be in danger,¡± insisted Griffa.  ¡°Issa has non-magical blood.  She is susceptible to this sickness. Why would Max take her out into the kingdom? We must go get them now.¡±


    ¡°Griffa, this is not wise.  You should stay here,¡± said Talon looking down at her.  There was a rumble of thunder and Kedan could see Talon¡¯s eyes flash.


    Griffa did not back down.  ¡°I will go, and you will not stop me. I cannot lose Max.  If we go now, we can do this quickly.  Do you want to argue about it some more, or do you want to get it done?¡±


    Talon shook his head but took his hand off the door.


    ¡°Ansel, ¡°commanded Griffa.  ¡°Go see your guards, tell them to go to the gates of Abscon. We will leave immediately.¡±


    Ansel looked at Griffa for a long moment.  He looked like he would say something, but he only nodded. He opened the door and walked out.


    Talon sighed.  ¡°Fine, put your cloak on.  It will be raining on us at some point.¡±  Talon grabbed Griffa¡¯s cloak and handed it to her.  ¡°Are you coming, Kedan?¡±


    Kedan nodded.  He grabbed a cloak by the door.  He took off his scabbard that contained his sword and put on his cloak, refastening his scabbard over the cloak. He noticed Talon did not put on his own cloak.


    Talon grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand as she grabbed her staff.  He walked with her out the door.  ¡°You will stay by me, until we meet Ansel by the gate.  You will not leave his side the whole time we are out,¡± said Talon angrily.


    He practically dragged Griffa along.  Kedan walked out and closed the door behind him, jogging to catch up with Talon and Griffa.  Lightening was more frequent now in the sky, as thunder boomed around them.  Kedan heard Talon make a noise.  He looked and Talon was breathing heavily as he walked quickly with Griffa in tow.


    They were soon at the gates of Abscon.  They exited and waited for Ansel to appear with his guards.  Griffa threw her hand away from Talon.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be so rough, ¡°said Griffa messaging her hand.


    Lightening flashed close to them, and Talon grabbed Griffa and pulled her close. She looked up at him defiantly. Talon sighed and touched Griffa¡¯s cheek with his hand.


    ¡°Griffa, please just do as I ask.  Do not put yourself in unnecessary danger.  It¡¯s bad enough you are out here. I don¡¯t know why, but I have a terrible feeling about this.   Keep Ansel close to you.¡±


    Griffa grabbed his hand and took it from her face, bringing it to her side.  ¡°It will be fine.  You are just feeling the effects of the weather, and it has you all worked up.  We will be back here before you know it.¡±


    Ansel appeared with five of his guards.  Griffa let go of Talon¡¯s hand and walked to Ansel¡¯s side, as the guards stood behind her.


    ¡°We will travel to the forest outside the third ring of Clarton.  I know we are all familiar with the area.  We will make sure the village looks quiet before we enter.  Our only goal is to find Max, Issa, and her father, and get them out.  If anything appears out of place, we will need to get the queen back to Abscon. If I am unable, one of you will have to make sure she leaves.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself, Ansel,¡± insisted Griffa.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she gets out safe,¡± said Talon breathing heavily, staring at Griffa.


    Ansel nodded.  ¡°Talon you take Kedan.  We will see you there.¡±  Ansel grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand.  They both closed their eyes and disappeared.


    Talon put his hand on Kedan¡¯s shoulder roughly.  ¡°Are you alright, Talon?¡± asked Kedan.


    ¡°I will be when this is over.  I don¡¯t like any of this.  Now, concentrate, I would hate for something to happen to you while we travel.¡±


    Kedan closed his eyes and concentrated on the area outside of Clarton.  He felt himself travel.  Soon his feet hit the forest floor, and Talon let go of his shoulder.  Kedan saw that Ansel and Griffa were right in front of him.  The guards appeared soon after.  The air in Clarton was charged. The ground was wet from an earlier rain, but a storm appeared to be brewing close to the village.  Kedan could see flashes of lightening in the distance, as thunder rolled around them.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Ansel told two of guards to join them. He instructed the others to stay in the forest just outside the village, watching.


    ¡°It seems quiet,¡± said Griffa looking ahead in the third ring.  ¡°I wonder where they are keeping the sick?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get closer and find out,¡± said Ansel. ¡°Griffa, do not leave my side.¡±


    He grabbed Griffa¡¯s hand and started walking, everyone following behind them.  They entered the third ring to find it was very quiet.  Kedan could see a burned out house and stables.  As they walked past,  Griffa looked at it closely.  The walked on around the third ring until they could see several canopies set up in the distance.


    ¡°That must be it,¡± said Griffa. She started walking faster.


    They all walked quickly towards the canopies.  When they got close, Kedan heard someone crying.  Griffa stopped in front of him and turned towards the noise.


    ¡°Issa?¡± she asked quietly. Griffa walked towards the noise, and they all followed. Up ahead two torches hung on the wall of a large cottage.  In the torch light, Kedan could see Issa sitting on a small bench. Max was standing over her and holding her hand.


    ¡°Max!¡± said Griffa urgently.  She walked quickly to him.  ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Issa¡¯s father is ill.  We had to help him.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait a few hours until we got back?¡± asked Griffa ¡°This is very dangerous.  Why would you bring Issa out here?  She could catch this sickness!¡±


    ¡°I begged to go,¡± said Issa sadly.  ¡°I had to see my father. Don¡¯t blame, Max. I don¡¯t know if my father would have made it another two hours.  He still might not make it.¡±


    Griffa sighed.  ¡°How is he?¡±  She sat down next to Issa and put her arm around her shoulder.


    ¡°He is very sick.  We gave him the potion, but we don¡¯t know how long it will take to work.  We don¡¯t know if we gave it to him in time.  He can¡¯t travel like he is.¡±


    ¡°We need to get both of you out of here.  Take me to him, Issa, and  I will help him.  Between all of us, we can get him out of the village so we can travel with him.  We can take him back to the manor until he is well.¡±


    Issa looked up at Griffa and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Griffa.¡±


    Griffa hugged Issa and stood up.  Max took Issa¡¯s hand and hauled her up off the bench.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly,¡± said Talon.  Lightening flashed nearby, and a loud rumble of thunder seemed to shake the ground. Kedan could almost feel Talon vibrate next to him.  Talon seem to be looking all around. He looked like he expected something to happen.


    Issa walked next to Griffa as Ansel walked on Griffa¡¯s other side.  Talon and Kedan followed with Max.  They were getting close to the canopies when a small child ran by Ansel.  Ansel and Griffa stopped abruptly to avoid hitting the child.  They both turned to look at where the child was going, when Kedan heard Talon gasp.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon urgently.


    He grabbed her arm from behind and turned her slightly towards him.  Kedan saw a curse skim by Griffa making her hair move. It slammed into Issa, causing her to fly back towards Kedan.  He heard Griffa yell.  He heard Max scream Issa¡¯s name.  Kedan looked down and knew there was nothing that could be done.


    Issa lay on her back, her lifeless eyes staring up at the night sky.   Griffa fell on her knees at Issa¡¯s side, and took Issa¡¯s hand in hers.  She put her other hand on Issa¡¯s chest.  Max walked over quickly and stood behind Griffa.  Kedan watched as Griffa closed her eyes and shook her head.


    Griffa looked up at Max with tears in her eyes. ¡°Max, I¡¯m so sorry.  I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Max stumbled backwards.  He looked like he couldn¡¯t catch his breath.  He started looking around hectically in a circle before he stopped, and his eyes narrowed.  Kedan looked and could see an Aurumist soldier staring at Max.  The soldier took off running, and Max followed after him.


    ¡°Max!¡± yelled Griffa. ¡°No!¡±  Max did not turn back.


    ¡°Somebody go get him,¡± said Griffa loudly. Kedan saw Ansel and Talon look at one another. ¡°Will none of you go?¡± Griffa moved to run towards Max, but Talon caught her arm, stopping her.


    ¡°Ansel,¡± said Griffa firmly.  ¡°Go get him.  Go get Max.¡±


    Ansel hesitated.  He looked at Griffa like he was in pain.  He shook his head at her. ¡°No, please, no, Griffa.¡±


    ¡°Go get him,¡± she said with authority.  Ansel shuddered and then nodded.  He ran after Max.


    ¡°Ansel!¡± yelled Talon.  ¡°You cannot leave Griffa!¡± Talon turned to Griffa.  ¡°Call him back, now, Griffa.  You must call him back.¡±


    Griffa shook her head and kneeled back down by Issa¡¯s side. She closed Issa¡¯s eyes, and bowed her head saying, ¡°Journey well, dear one.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t help her now.  We have to go, Griffa,¡± said Talon kneeling down beside her. ¡°We have to go now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± said Griffa quietly.  ¡°We can¡¯t travel.¡±  She stood up, and Talon did likewise, as curses shot out of nowhere.  Talon put up a block quickly, but the two guards fell and did not move.


    Kedan looked around to see Aurumist soldiers encircle them.  They came out from behind cottages.  They came out from the forest.  There were so many of them.


    ¡°Kedan,¡± said Talon as thunder rumbled around them.  ¡°We have to protect the queen.  Do not leave her side for any reason.¡±


    Talon backed into Griffa, and Kedan did the same. They formed a triangle facing the multitude of guards before them.  ¡°We will have to fight as well as we can until Ansel gets back,¡± said Talon as she held up his hands.


    Kedan pulled out his sword from his scabbard strapped to his back.  Griffa held up her staff and slammed it down as curses and spells flew at them from all sides.  Griffa¡¯s shield blocked most spells and curses from getting through.


    Rain started to fall as lightening flashed before them, and the wind blew hard. Talon raised his hands and flung them out.  Lightning streaked from the sky and took out a large group of soldiers on one side.  Griffa raised her hand and pushed out, causing several soldiers to fly back into a cottage wall.  Their bodies made a crunch noise as they hit, falling lifeless to the ground.


    Griffa and Talon continued to take down soldiers.  Kedan could tell Griffa¡¯s shield was faltering. He stood at the ready with his sword.  More soldiers appeared to take the place of those who had fallen.  Curses and spells flew at them, as Griffa¡¯s shield faded.  A spell broke through and slammed into Griffa¡¯s shoulder.  She fell back slightly as she cried out in pain.  Talon looked back at her.  She quickly recovered, throwing a curse to take out two soldiers. Talon blocked several curses at once by summoning a large wind to surround them.  They were in a protective wind tunnel for a time.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± yelled Talon.  ¡°You have to get to cover.  You cannot stay out here. We cannot keep fighting forever.¡±


    ¡°Where can I go?¡± she asked as she pushed her hand out, sending three soldiers flying through the air. She winced and grabbed her shoulder.  Kedan could see a steady stream of blood seeping down the sleeve of her cloak.


    ¡°Run between those cottages.  We will cover you.  Either hide yourself until Ansel comes back, or try to get to the forest so you can get back to Abscon.¡±


    ¡°I will not leave you and Kedan,¡± said Griffa.  She raised her staff and pushed it out.  Two soldiers fell over immediately.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon pleadingly.  ¡°You have to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Griffa said angrily. She turned to face Talon, her face close to his. ¡°I will not leave you.  I will fight with you. I can¡¯t leave you, Talon.  I can¡¯t. Do not ask it of me.¡±


    Kedan watched as Talon grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. His arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her into him.  He rested his forehead against Griffa¡¯s, and closed his eyes as she closed hers.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± he whispered in anguish. ¡°Please go find safety. I can¡¯t lose you.¡±


    Griffa shook her head lightly against Talon¡¯s. ¡°I will not leave you. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t.¡±


    They stayed close together for several moments as they both opened their eyes and stared at one another.  Finally, Talon groaned and pushed Griffa behind him as the wind tunnel faded.


    ¡°Kedan, cover her with me.¡±  Kedan walked back until he was back to back with Griffa.


    They fought for what seemed like an eternity.  Talon sent lightening and wind everywhere.  Griffa sent soldiers spiraling and flying.  Kedan blocked curses and sent them back, hitting soldiers where he could.  Kedan was getting tired. A curse hit him in his leg, and it burned, but he stayed upright.   A curse skimmed his sword and hit Griffa¡¯s back.  She slammed into Talon, and Talon reached behind him, steadying her.


    As they continued to fight, Kedan could hear Griffa breathing hard behind him.  He could tell by Talon¡¯s grunts he was struggling to continue to fight.  Kedan turned and noticed Talon had a nasty cut on the side of his face. Griffa was leaning on Talon, pain apparent on her face as she could barely keep her eyes open.


    A large curse from above came and hit them.  Talon was flung to the side, and he rolled and laid face down on the ground.  Kedan fell forward about 10 feet, hitting the ground hard.  Griffa was slammed on her side where she was.   Kedan quickly turned towards Griffa. She wasn¡¯t moving, and her eyes were closed. Kedan could see her breathing.  About twenty feet away, he saw Philo Quick land on his feet, jumping out of a tree, looking towards Griffa with a nasty smile.  Kedan lept to his feet.


    Philo walked forward with his hand out, starring at Griffa the entire time.  Kedan looked at Talon who was slowly getting up. Griffa was slightly stirring as Philo walked towards her.  He moved his hand, and Griffa flipped over on her back roughly. She slightly sat up, breathing heavy, looking at Philo through half opened eyes.


    Kedan heard Talon yell Griffa¡¯s name in panic. Talon raised his hands, but Kedan knew it wouldn¡¯t be fast enough.  Kedan ran forward as Philo pushed his hands out.  He lunged with his sword out in front of Griffa.  He felt a jolt of magic hit his sword, and he fell to his side.

 Chapter 26

    Ansel ran through the third ring of Clarton.  He was angry.  How dare she send him away from her.  She was so vulnerable out here.  He needed to be by her side, protecting her.  He wished he could have sent Talon or Kedan to collect Max.  He should have taken Griffa with him. There was nothing that could be done about it now.  He would need to find Max quickly, so he could get back to Griffa.


    Ansel looked up ahead for Max, but he could not see him.  He was worried about the boy.  Max had just suffered a tremendous loss, and he was probably in shock.  Ansel knew he himself hadn¡¯t processed what had happened yet.  Issa had been killed in front of them.  She was a brave, sweet girl, and she had been killed so quickly.  Ansel knew Max loved Issa very much.  He didn¡¯t know how the boy would go on.


    Ansel kept running, looking all round him in the darkness and rain, trying to see a glimpse of Max.   He finally heard something up ahead and to his left.  He increased his pace until he came to a space between two cottages.  There were a few trees there, and Ansel ran towards the noise he heard.  He found Max battling the Aurumist solider.


    Max was swinging his staff around blocking curses and sending curses back on his own.  The solider was well-trained, and Ansel could see Max was fighting frantically.  Tears were coming out of his eyes.  Ansel sent a curse at the solider and ran to Max¡¯s side.  Max glance at Ansel and threw another curse at the solider.  The soldier blocked it and sent one back.  Ansel raised his hands to block the curse, while Max struck out his staff, causing the solider to fall on his back.


    Ansel pushed out his hand and moved forward, making it where the solider could not get up.  Max ran up to the solider and held his staff over the solider throat. Ansel walked up to stand besides Max.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Max.  ¡°Why kill her?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to kill the queen,¡± said the solider with a grin.  ¡°It¡¯s not my fault the queen was moved at the last minute. It doesn¡¯t matter though.  She will be dead soon enough if she isn¡¯t already.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Ansel.


    The soldier only grinned.  Max slashed his staff across the air above the solider.  The solider jerked twice and then and moved no more.  Max stood over the solider looking at him, breathing very hard.


    ¡°Max,¡± said Ansel quietly.  ¡°We need to go.¡±


    ¡°I did this, Ansel.  I killed her,¡± whispered Max.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.  This man killed Issa.  This is not your fault.¡±


    ¡°I brought her here.  I shouldn¡¯t have come, or I should have come alone.  She is dead, and it¡¯s my fault.¡±


    Ansel put his hand on Max¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°You can¡¯t think like that.  You made a decision.  You did not know this would happen. It shouldn¡¯t have happened. Issa shouldn¡¯t have been killed no matter where you took her.  There shouldn¡¯t be this much evil in the world.¡±


    Max looked up at Ansel, tears were falling from his eyes.  ¡°What do I do now, Ansel?  How will I live without her?¡±


    Ansel didn¡¯t know how to answer him. There was no good answer.  He grabbed Max and brought him close to his side, and Max broke down and cried.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Max.  I really am.  I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t know what to say to you, but you will get through this.  You have so many people who care about you.  We can¡¯t go on without you.  Griffa needs you.¡±  Ansel felt his body tense as he mentioned Griffa.  His magic came to the surface of his skin, and it burned.  He felt a sickness in his stomach.


    Max sensed the change in Ansel.  He pushed back lightly from Ansel. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?  Is it Griffa?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel.  ¡°We have to go back now, Max. I hope we aren¡¯t too late.¡±


    Max nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    They ran back together towards where they had left the others. Rain fell hard around them as the wind blew, and thunder rumbled loudly.  Lightening flashed through the sky, and Ansel could barely see in front of him.  He kept running towards where he knew Griffa was.  His magic was unsettled, searching for its queen.  Ansel knew she was in trouble.  He would not lose someone else tonight, especially not Griffa.


    As they approached where they had left the others, Ansel stopped and grabbed Max. They moved over to the side, close to a cottage.   There were Aurumist soldiers everywhere.  Ansel looked to see if he could spot Griffa, Talon, or Kedan, but there were too many soldiers.  He knew Griffa and the others were fighting back. He could see soldiers fall.  He could see curses and spells being flung at the soldiers.


    Ansel needed to see what was going on.  He looked around, and saw a tree nearby the cottage.  He ran over and quickly climbed the tree to the first branch.  He looked over the soldiers to see Griffa between Talon and Kedan.  Talon was shooting lightening at soldiers taking out large groups, but more soldiers would appear.  Griffa was waving her staff around and pushing out with her hands, causing soldiers to fall all around.  Kedan was blocking curses with his sword.  He was flinging back spells the best he could.  Ansel watched Griffa.  He saw she was leaning heavily on Talon.


    Ansel was about to hop down and run towards them, when he saw a spell hit all three of them.  Talon was flung to the side, and Kedan flew forward.  Griffa fell hard on her side, as Ansel lost his breath for a moment. He stared at Griffa; she did not get up.  Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Philo Quick hoping down from a nearby tree.  He started walking towards Griffa.  Ansel felt rage build up inside him, and his magic surged.  He jumped out of the tree, landing low.  He caught himself with his hands and ran towards the ring of soldiers.  He heard Max running behind him.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Ansel flung out his hands and a large group of soldiers in the ring they had made, fell.  Ansel jumped over their bodies.  He landed and saw Philo send a curse towards Griffa.


    ¡°No,¡± he yelled.


    He put up his hands trying to send a block, but he knew it would be too late. The curse would hit her, and he had no doubt it would be lethal.  He watched as Kedan jumped in front of Griffa with his sword out.  The curse hit the sword, and Kedan was flung to the side.  Ansel ran forward, raising his hands.  He saw Griffa sit up.  She turned to look at him from the ground before jumping up.  Talon ran up to stand by her side. He held out his hands, ready to strike.   Philo put out his hand again, but Ansel got there in time, putting up a protective shield around Griffa.


    Griffa took a deep breath and raised her staff.  She then lowered it and swept it outwards.  Philo put up his hands to block her curse, but he still flew into the night towards the forest.  Griffa turned and threw out her staff and her hand.  The soldiers around them crumpled to the ground. She pushed out her hand.  The soldiers¡¯ bodies flew back. Thunder rumbled, and lightening flashed, but there were no soldiers on their feet.   Griffa looked out into the forest where Philo had flown, and she took off running.  Talon tried to grab her, but he missed her hand.  Ansel followed her.  He ran fast to catch her.  He reached out as he got close to her and managed to grab her arm.


    ¡°Griffa, stop,¡± he said urgently. She stop and turned to look at Ansel.   He pulled her to him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Griffa winced and looked up at him.  Ansel looked down at her hand to see blood running down her wrist, mixing in with the rain.


    ¡°I have to get to Philo.  I can end him tonight,¡± said Griffa.  Ansel saw she had a wild look in her eyes.


    ¡°No, not tonight, Griffa. You are injured.¡±


    ¡°He will keep causing pain and misery.  He must be stopped.¡±


    He¡¯s probably gone by now. You are exhausted.  You are hurt and in shock.  We need to get back to Abscon.  You need to be healed. You need to be there for Max.¡±


    Griffa looked out into the forest and then her shoulders dropped.  Ansel brought her into his arms.  She put her arms around him, and she cried.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I sent you away. I shouldn¡¯t have sent you away.  I wasn¡¯t thinking.  I just couldn¡¯t lose Max.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not angry, Griffa.  It¡¯s alright. Where are you injured?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°It is nothing.  It can wait,¡± said Griffa pushing away slightly.


    ¡°Griffa, let me see,¡± said Ansel.


    Griffa unfastened her cloak, and pulled down the shoulder of her dress.  Ansel moved her wet hair and looked to see a large wound on her shoulder.  Blood ran freely from it.  Ansel looked up at Griffa concerned.


    ¡°How are you even standing with this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°It can wait.  I need to check on the others.  I need to get to Max.¡±


    Ansel placed his hand gently on her wound.  He closed his eyes and willed his magic to help her.  Griffa hissed and then was silent, closing her eyes.  Ansel watched as the wound closed up, leaving rough skin in its place. He covered up her shoulder and refastened her soaking cloak. Griffa opened her eyes and leaned forward onto Ansel. He put his arm around her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked quietly in her ear.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just very tired.¡±


    ¡°We have to get home,¡± said Ansel kissing her forehead.


    They walked back to Talon who was sitting by Kedan on the ground.  Griffa quickly walked to Kedan¡¯s side and kneeled down.


    ¡°Kedan,¡± she said taking his hand.  ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I think so.  My leg, side and back are killing me, but it¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    Griffa smiled sadly at him.  She put her hand on his chest and closed her eyes.  Kedan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Griffa opened her eyes, and put her hand over the wound on his leg.  After a moment, the skin knitted together.  ¡°Can you get up and walk?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kedan.  Griffa and Talon stood up, Talon helping Kedan to his feet.


    Griffa carefully hugged Kedan, and he put his arms around her.  ¡°Thank you,¡± she said against his chest.  Kedan responded by quickly dropping a kiss on her head and letting her go.


    Ansel put his hand on Kedan¡¯s shoulder and smiled at him. Ansel couldn¡¯t put into words the thankfulness he felt towards Kedan at the moment.  Kedan smiled and nodded, seeming to understand what Ansel was trying to say.


    ¡°I will always do everything I can to protect my queen,¡± said Kedan to Ansel.


    Ansel saw Griffa looked at Talon.  It looked like he had attempted to heal his own wounded face.  The skin looked very rough. Ansel watched as Griffa reached up and touched it gently.


    ¡°You could have waited for me to do that,¡± she said.  ¡°I¡¯ll have to put something on it, when we get back.¡±


    Talon grabbed her hand and held it, looking at her with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am, we need to get home,¡± said Griffa, as she let go of Talon¡¯s hand.


    They all walked over to Max who was sitting next to Issa¡¯s body.  Griffa knelt down next to Max, and put her arm around him.  ¡°Let¡¯s get her home, Max,¡± said Griffa softly.  ¡°We can come back for her father tomorrow.  He will be alright after the potion.¡±


    Max looked up at Griffa and nodded.  ¡°I will go with Max and Issa,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Ansel, I¡¯m afraid your two guards didn¡¯t make it.  I never saw the other three.¡±


    Ansel kneeled down next to Griffa. ¡°I will travel with you, Griffa.  I won¡¯t leave your side until we get home. I will send some guards back to check for the other three.¡±


    Griffa nodded.  ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    They traveled to the gates of Abscon. The storm had passed there, leaving a clearing sky.  Max carried Issa through Abscon, as Ansel walked with his arm around Griffa.  Kedan and Talon followed them in silence. Ansel looked at Griffa to see silent tears falling down her face.  He felt tears in his own eyes.  He tightened his arm around Griffa, bringing her very close to him. When they got to the manor, Ansel saw them to the door.  Max walked in with Issa¡¯s body, and Talon and Kedan followed him.  Ansel stopped Griffa before she went in the house by grabbing her hand.


    ¡°I will go tell some of my guards to  go check on the three we left behind.  I will also check in at the temple about Issa.  I will see if they can come get her tonight to prepare for her send off. Will you let Max know what is going to happen?¡±


    Griffa nodded with tears in her eyes.  Ansel took her other hand and made her face him.


    ¡°I will not leave you long.  I will be back tonight.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Griffa tearfully.


    She looked up and put her hand on Ansel¡¯s cheek.  He grabbed it with his own hand, kissing it slowly and bringing it down to his side.  He leaned in and gently kissed Griffa.  He then brought her into his arms and held her.  He had come so close to losing her once again.  He did not want to let her go.  He wanted to hold her like this forever, keeping her safe in his arms.


    ¡°I hate to leave you.  I will try to come back as quick as I can. Stay in the manor.  I know we should be safe here, but while I am gone, do not be alone.  Stay with the others,¡± he said as he held her.


    Griffa nodded into his chest. ¡°I love you,¡± he said quietly


    He could feel her body shaking from crying. He kissed the top of her head and held her as she cried.  She finally pushed back and wiped her tears with her hands.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said smiling slightly.  ¡°Go do what needs to be done.  I will go take care of Max.¡±


    Ansel turned to go, when Griffa stopped him.  ¡°I love you, too, Ansel. I love you more than anything in this kingdom. I really do, never doubt it.¡±


    Ansel gave her a curious look, but she only smiled sadly at him.  He turned and walked towards the temple.

 Chapter 27

    Griffa watched Ansel walk away towards the town center.  She loved him so much. Their relationship was so complicated and strange now, but she knew she loved him completely. She turned to the door and took deep breaths, preparing herself for what lay ahead.


    Issa was dead.  Griffa could scarcely believe it.  Issa, who had quickly become a good friend of Griffa was gone. Issa was everything that was good.  She came to Abscon with no magic.  She helped them in every way she could.  Issa had saved Griffa¡¯s life with her blood, and now, she was gone.  Griffa felt a fresh wave of tears threatened to hit her, but she held them back.  She needed to be strong for Max.


    Poor Max, how would he go on?  Griffa wondered what she would do if she lost Ansel or even Talon.  Could she keep going?  She wasn¡¯t sure, but Griffa needed Max to go on.  She needed Max close to her.  She depended on his strength and his wisdom.  She loved Max in a way she didn¡¯t love anyone else.  They were connected by magic and by blood.  She could not do what she needed to do for the kingdom without him.


    Griffa opened the door and walked in.  Talon was waiting for her in the entry hall.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked as she hung up her soaking wet cloak.


    Griffa pushed her wet hair out of her face.  ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just tired, like you must be.  Ansel went to the temple to see about preparing Issa for her send off.  Where is Max?¡±


    ¡°He took Issa¡¯s body to the music room.  He said he wants to be alone for a little while.¡±


    Griffa nodded.  ¡°I will go see him in a bit.  I will need to explain to him what is going to happen. He has never lost anyone in Abscon.  Let me go see about something for your face.¡±


    Griffa turned to go to her cellar, and Talon followed her.  They both entered the cellar, and Talon sat on a low stool by the fireplace.  Griffa searched her shelves until she found what she needed.  She moved her other stool in front of Talon and sat down.  She touched his face lightly to move it where she could apply the salve she had. Talon closed his eyes as Griffa treated his cut.


    He sighed and opened his eyes looking at Griffa. ¡°That¡¯s much better, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t scar,¡± said Griffa leaning back and putting her salve on a nearby table.


    ¡°If it does, it¡¯s no bother,¡± answered Talon.  He looked at Griffa like he wanted to say something.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°I want to apologize for tonight, for what happened in Clarton.  I didn¡¯t mean to put you in that position.¡±


    Griffa smiled slightly at Talon.  She knew what he was talking about.  ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize.  You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I did,¡± said Talon looking down.  ¡°I thought I had put away my feelings for you.  I knew I loved you, but I convinced myself it was only in an old friends¡¯ kind of way. I should have known better. I know you love Ansel, and I know he loves you. You need each other.  I have no plans to disrupt what you have with him.  I know I couldn¡¯t even if I did.


    ¡°I thought we were going to die out there.  All I could think of was how much I care for you.  I only thought about how much I love you. If I was going to die, I wanted you to know it somehow. I can¡¯t fool myself anymore.  I do love you, Griffa.  I have for a long time.¡±


    Griffa thought about what to say. When Talon grabbed her in the battle, when he put his forehead on hers, there was a moment she wanted to kiss him. If he had kissed her, she would not have resisted. She would never choose him over Ansel, but that did not mean she didn¡¯t love Talon.


    ¡°I understand, Talon, I do.  I love you, too.  I cannot love you in the way you may want as my heart is already thoroughly engaged, but the love I feel for you is very real and it is strong.  If we were going to die tonight, I would want you to know how much I care for you. You are so important to me. I can¡¯t imagine my life without you.¡±


    Talon looked up at Griffa.  He took her hand and held it. ¡°I can¡¯t stop loving you.  I don¡¯t want to stop, but I will never do anything to hurt you. If you want me to go, I will.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa forcefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go. I need you by my side. I made you the second chair of my Ring for a reason.  You are the dearest friend I have ever had. You have pushed me to be who I needed to be in ways no one else has.


    ¡°I have gotten so used to you being around, I don¡¯t know what I would do without you. I don¡¯t ever want to be the cause of your pain. If you need to leave, I understand, but I will hate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave.  I¡¯m not sure I could if I tried, so I don¡¯t know why I offered,¡± said Talon smiling. ¡°The only thing that would truly pain me, is to be sent away from you.¡± He stood up and hauled Griffa up with him, bringing her into his arms.  She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.  Talon kissed her forehead and held her.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± Talon whispered as he held her even tighter. Griffa gave a small sigh, feeling a moment of guilt for how right it felt to be held by Talon.  They held each other in silence for several moments.


    ¡°How will Max ever get through this,¡± she asked sadly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Talon not letting her go.  ¡°I can¡¯t imagine losing someone I love as much as he loved Issa.¡±


    ¡°She was so good, Talon.  She didn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±  Griffa started crying again.


    ¡°I know, dearest.  I know,¡± said Talon as he leaned downed and kissed her head. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. It isn¡¯t, but we will go on.  We will do everything we can to make things right again for Issa and others who have been hurt or killed by the evil in this world.¡±


    Griffa stepped back slightly and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°How is Kedan?¡±


    ¡°He is in the parlor resting.¡±


    ¡°I owe him my life,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°He could have died jumping in front of me like that.¡±


    ¡°He knows. He knew at the time, but he did it anyway.  It seems you inspire much devotion, my queen,¡± said Talon with a small smile.


    They walked up the stairs together to find Maybell sitting at the kitchen table crying.  Griffa stopped to comfort her.


    ¡°That poor girl,¡± said Maybell sadly.


    ¡°Yes, it is awful,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°Where is Nora?¡±


    ¡°She went to Max. She hasn¡¯t come back.¡±


    Griffa nodded. She kissed Maybelle¡¯s cheek and walked on to the parlor with Talon to find Kedan relaxing on the sofa drinking a glass of wine.  Griffa sat down next to him as Talon sat in a nearby chair.


    Kedan smiled slightly at Griffa. ¡°You are alright, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Physically, yes, thanks to you.  I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did.  I really don¡¯t want you to do it again, but I know I owe my life to you.¡±


    ¡°I would do it again and again, Griffa.  I owe you so much.  The kingdom needs you and I find that I don¡¯t want to live in Regventus unless you are on the throne. I¡¯ve grown rather attached to you.¡±


    ¡°I am very fond of you, Kedan, so you will need to not throw yourself in front of dangerous curses very often,¡± said Griffa.  She leaned up and kissed Kedan on his cheek before standing up.


    ¡°I should go check on Max. He needs to know what is going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to come with you?¡± asked Talon.


    ¡°No, I should talk to him alone.  If you both want to go clean up and go to bed, I understand.¡±


    ¡°I will stay here and wait for you,¡± said Talon as Kedan handed him a glass of wine.


    ¡°I will do the same,¡± said Kedan.


    Griffa walked to the door of the music room and knocked quietly.  The door was answered by a teary-eyed Nora.  She reached out and hugged Griffa.


    ¡°I am glad you are safe, Griffa,¡± said Nora quietly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Griffa as Nora let her go.  ¡°How is Max?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t say much.  He only sits by her and stares.  Will you speak with him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Griffa. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I will go help Maybell get you all something to eat and maybe some water for baths.¡±


    Griffa took Nora¡¯s hand and squeezed. Nora left the room, shutting the door behind her. Griffa quietly walked over to Max.  He had moved a small chair by the sofa where Issa¡¯s body lay.  Griffa picked up another small chair and moved it over to sit by Max.


    ¡°Max,¡± said Griffa softly.  ¡°I know there is nothing I could say that would be helpful, but I am here for you.  I love you, and I am here for you.¡±


    Max nodded, reaching out his hand towards Griffa.  Griffa took it and felt their magic swirl together.  Max closed his eyes and gripped her hand.  She could feel his despair and grief.  She could feel his hopelessness.


    ¡°You may not believe this, Max, but I know a little of how you feel, ¡°said Griffa not letting go of Max¡¯s hand.  ¡°I know it¡¯s not the same, but when I lost my father, I felt the things you are feeling.  It was awful, sometimes I still feel that way when I think of him.¡±


    Max nodded as tears leaked out of his eyes.


    Griffa looked at Issa laying on the couch.  She was such a lovely young woman.  Griffa imagined she would have become even more beautiful as she grew into herself.  Griffa reached out with her free hand and brushed some of Issa¡¯s blonde hair away from her face.


    ¡°I loved her,¡± said Griffa sadly. ¡°She was so kind, funny, and wonderful.  Everything she did was for someone else.  I don¡¯t know if I have ever met anyone as perfectly good as she was.¡±


    Griffa felt tears fall from her eyes.  They ran down her cheeks, but she did not wipe them away.


    ¡°What happened was wrong.  She should never had died tonight.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± whispered Max.  ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.  I never should have let her go to Clarton.¡±  Max released Griffa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa. ¡°This is not your fault.  If it¡¯s anyone here¡¯s fault, its mine.  I am the one that soldier was trying to kill.  If Talon had not grabbed me, I would have died, and Issa would still be here.  You are not to blame, Max.¡±


    Max looked at Griffa. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, Griffa.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t blame yourself either.  You know who is to blame.  We have plenty of experience with the evil that did this.  We have to stop it.  We have to stop it for Issa.¡±


    Max turned towards Griffa. ¡°What if I can¡¯t go on?  What if I can¡¯t do it anymore?¡±


    Griffa leaned forward towards Max. She put her hands on his. ¡°You can.  You have to go on.  You will mourn Issa, we all will.  You will grieve for her your whole life, but you will go on.  You will learn to live with it, and one day you will remember her and smile.  You can never give up because I need you, Max.  You know I do.¡±  Griffa¡¯s tears flowed freely.  ¡°Please say you will try, Max.  You won¡¯t do it alone.¡±


    Max looked at Griffa, and shook his head as his tears fell.  Griffa got off of her chair, and kneeled beside him.  She opened her arms, and he fell into them.  She held him as he cried.  He gripped her tight and cried.  After a while, his cries stopped, but he did not let go of Griffa.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give up, Griffa.  I will go on for her and for you.¡±


    Griffa kissed the top of his head.  ¡°Thank you, Max.  I love you.  I will be here for you through all of this.¡±


    Max nodded and leaned back as Griffa let him go. They sat on the floor and looked at each other.


    ¡°Ansel went to the temple to talk to the clerics.  They will come get Issa¡¯s body tonight to prepare her for her send off.¡±


    Max looked at Griffa with confused eyes. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Our lives do not end in death.  Our gods did not create us to live just in this kingdom.  When we die, we go on a new journey.  Issa has started a new adventure.  The clerics will take her body, and they will prepare her for her journey.  We will have her send off in a couple of days, and we will release her to the magic around us.  We will call on those who have already left for their own adventures to travel with her.  I will ask my father and mother to come for her if that is alright with you.  We can ask for Issa¡¯s mother and Danin as well.¡±


    Max nodded.


    ¡°It will not be easy, Max.  I will not lie to you.  Hopefully, you will have a long life here in Regventus.  You will miss her terribly. Goodbyes are not easy, but one day I believe you will see her again. When you go on your next adventure, she will come for you. I don¡¯t say that just to comfort you.  I say it because I believe it.¡±


    Griffa stood up and offered Max her hand. He took it, and she pulled him up.  She hugged him one more time.


    ¡°Would you like to be alone with her until the clerics come?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± answered Max.


    Griffa kissed him on the forehead and turned to leave.  Max grabbed her hand.


    ¡°I love you, too, Griffa.  Thank you.¡±


    Griffa squeezed his hand and walked out of the room. She walked into the parlor to find Kedan and Talon on the sofa. Griffa kneeled down and took off her wet boots, placing them by the fireplace near to where Talon and Kedan had placed their own boots.  She looked at Talon and Kedan to see they were eating sandwiches from a tray in front of them.  Talon looked at Griffa as she turned from the fireplace.  He patted the space on the sofa between himself and Kedan.  Griffa walked over and sat down.


    Talon handed her a glass of wine.  ¡°You should drink and eat something.¡±


    Griffa took a sip of wine. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could eat anything right now.¡±


    ¡°You should at least try.  You haven¡¯t had anything for a while,¡± said Kedan as he handed her a sandwich.


    Griffa took the sandwich and bit into it.  She wasn¡¯t hungry, but it felt good to do something normal.  She finished her sandwich and took a sip of wine.  She placed her glass on the table in front of her.


    ¡°Well, we are a mess,¡± she said.  ¡°We should probably go take baths.¡±


    Talon turned to her.  ¡°I thought we would wait here until Ansel came back.  I know you don¡¯t like being alone.¡±


    Griffa sighed.  She really didn¡¯t want to be alone, but she was filthy and still wet.  She knew Talon and Kedan must be exhausted.  She didn¡¯t want to make them wait on her.


    ¡°I will be alright,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°I know you both must be exhausted.  ¡°I¡¯m sure Ansel won¡¯t be much longer.¡±


    Talon put his arm around Griffa.  She leaned into him and pulled her feet up underneath herself.


    ¡°We can wait a while longer,¡± said Talon.  ¡°I¡¯m quite comfortable where I am.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will get off this sofa for a week,¡± said Kedan.  ¡°I don¡¯t think I could make it up to my room tonight at all.¡±


    Talon pulled his arm down slightly so Griffa was laying on his chest.  ¡°Rest for a bit, Griffa.  When Ansel gets here, we will all find a way to go to bed.¡±


    Griffa snuggled into the warmth of Talon, as he moved his arm down to wrap around her waist.  Her eyes felt very heavy.


    ¡°You both know you are wonderful, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Griffa sleepily.


    ¡°We know it,¡± said Talon quietly.  ¡°But it¡¯s nice to hear you say it.¡±


    Griffa smiled as she fell asleep.  She woke up later in Ansel¡¯s arms.  He was carrying her up the stairs.  She blinked and looked up at him.


    ¡°This is becoming too common of an occurrence,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± said Ansel smiling down at her.  ¡°I never mind it when you are in my arms.¡±


    ¡°Did the clerics come?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ansel as they reached the top of the stairs.  ¡°They have taken Issa to the temple.¡±


    ¡°How is Max?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say much.  He went to his room.  He wanted to be alone.¡±


    Ansel waved his hand slightly and the door to their room opened.  He walked over and sat Griffa down on the bed.


    ¡°Would you like to take a bath?  There is water you could easily heat up.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Griffa.  ¡°What about you?  Don¡¯t you want to clean up?¡±


    ¡°I will go to my old room and clean up quickly while you bathe,¡± said Ansel


    Griffa nodded as she started taking off her dress.


    ¡°Do you need anything before I go,¡± asked Ansel watching her.


    ¡°No, go take care of yourself and come back quickly,¡± replied Griffa.


    Ansel hesitated for a moment and then left the room, closing the door behind him.  Griffa quickly undressed and went to the bath.  She did a quick charm to heat the water and then entered the tub.  She sighed as she sat down in the warm water. Her body was very sore. She cleaned herself, plunging her head under the water to wash her hair.  She closed her eyes and rested for a moment.


    Everything that had happened that evening, felt like a bad dream.  She knew it was very real, but she wished it wasn¡¯t.  She couldn¡¯t believe Issa was really gone. Griffa thought about the fear she felt when she, Talon, and Kedan were surrounded by Aurumist soldiers.  No matter how many they took down, more seem to come.  She thought about the moment with Talon in the wind tunnel, when she was sure they were going to die.  She remembered watching Kedan fly in front of her.  She thought of the hope she felt when she saw Ansel run towards her.


    She felt his presence when he entered the room. She turned her head to see him walk over to her.  He knelled down next to her and touched her cheek.


    ¡°Are you alright, Griffa,¡± Ansel whispered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed. ¡°I was about to get out.¡±


    Ansel walked over and grabbed a towel as Griffa pushed herself up out of the tub.  He wrapped her in the towel as she stepped out.  He kissed her on her neck as he dried her off. He pulled down her towel to look at her back.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked looking back at him.


    ¡°Hold still one moment,¡± he said as he gently placed his hand on her back.  She winced as where he touched was very sore.


    She felt the warmth of his magic cover her back, and the pain she felt floated away.


    Ansel kissed her upper back lightly. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said quietly.  ¡°Much better.¡±


    She walked into the bedroom and found a nightgown, slipping it on.  Ansel came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her face.


    ¡°I was scared I would lose you tonight,¡± said Ansel in her ear.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not a very good protector.¡±


    Griffa turned around and looked up at him.  ¡°You are an excellent protector.  You just serve a very foolish, stubborn queen.¡±


    Ansel bent down and whispered.  ¡°I serve a bold queen who cares about others above her own self.  I would not want to serve anyone but you, Griffa.¡±  He kissed her hungrily, and held her tight to him.  Griffa felt tears fall from her eyes as she kissed him back.


    Ansel pulled back, and wiped her tears with his thumbs. ¡°Did I do or say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa.  ¡°It was perfect. I just love you.  I feel like I don¡¯t deserve your devotion and your love, but I do love you so much.¡±


    ¡°We will have to disagree.  You deserve so much more than I can give you.  It doesn¡¯t matter because I will not give you up now.¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t let you,¡± said Griffa smiling. She took Ansel¡¯s hands and brought him over to the bed.  She sat down, and he sat down beside her. ¡°I feel so guilty.  Max has lost the person he loves most in the world, and I get to be here with you.¡±


    ¡°Why would you feel guilty?¡± asked Ansel.  He gripped Griffa¡¯s hands.


    ¡°That soldier was trying to kill me.  If Talon had not turned me, I would have been hit and not Issa.  She died because I moved for a split second.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t feel guilty for this.  It is not your fault an evil person killed Issa.  Do you blame Talon for grabbing you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Griffa quietly.


    ¡°Should I feel guilty because I am glad Talon saw what was coming?  Should I feel guilty because if you really pressed me, I would choose you over Issa? I would choose you over everyone.¡±


    Griffa stared at Ansel with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°None of us are to blame for Issa¡¯s death.  The only one to blame are the evil powers that control Aurumist.  I know you know this.  Issa would not want you to sit here and feel guilty for living.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Griffa.


    ¡°I do feel terrible for Max.  I will miss Issa, but all I can think of right now is how relieved and happy I am you are next to me.  Do you know how easily you could have died tonight?¡± asked Ansel.


    Griffa nodded. ¡°I thought I was going to die with Talon and Kedan.¡±


    ¡°Then be relieved for one moment that you are here with me,¡± said Ansel.  He leaned forward and took Griffa¡¯s face in his hands.  ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty.  Make a vow to be grateful for every day you have, for every day we have together.¡±


    Griffa nodded as Ansel leaned forward and kissed her.  She pulled him closer to her.  She wanted to feel safe and loved.  She wanted to end this terrible night with Ansel.  She wanted to end all of her nights good, or bad with him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered against his lips.  She felt his lips move into a small smile.


    ¡°Griffa, will you let me love you,¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered.  ¡°There is nothing I want more.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Golnar sat in the big chair behind the desk in the study off the throne room.  He was very tired.  He had not slept much the last two nights.  The first night he waited up, hoping to hear that Philo was successful. He had waited on edge, hoping to hear that Gryphon Keene was no more.  Instead, he was meet with the news that the queen had escaped.  Philo had come in to Golnar¡¯s room late that night, wet and filthy.  He dropped down in a chair in Golnar¡¯s room looking angry.


    ¡°I take it you weren¡¯t successful,¡± said Golnar disappointingly.


    ¡°We were so close,¡± said Philo rubbing his face. ¡°There is no way the woman should still be alive.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°She came with her protector, Talon Wendell, and Kedan.  They picked up the false young king and some girl in Clarton. One of our soldiers almost killed her, but she was moved at the last second.  We killed the girl in their party.  It did manage to make the false king run and the protector, Ansel went after him. Gryphon was vulnerable with only Kedan and Talon Wendell to help her.¡±


    ¡°Why is she still alive then?¡±


    ¡°Talon Wendell and Gryphon are not unskilled.  They were able to fight well, but if you want to know the real reason Gryphon is still alive, I will tell you.  It is Kedan.¡±


    ¡°Kedan?¡± asked Golnar disbelievingly.  ¡°He has no magic. What could he have possibly done against you?¡±


    ¡°I sent a curse to kill Gryphon.  Kedan jumped in front of her with some kind of sword, and the curse did not hit her.  By the time I was ready to strike again, Ansel had made his way back.  She killed most of our remaining forces and threw me into the forest.  She is too powerful for us in the presence of her protector.¡±


    Golnar hung his head down.  ¡°We cannot win if Gryphon Keene survives.  I don¡¯t know how to make you understand it, but she will destroy us.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Philo staring at Golnar.  ¡°I can feel her power. She is beyond anything we can face. I have known the woman all her life, but she is different now.  If you want to recreate Regventus in the image of your plans, you cannot go forward while she breaths.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡± asked Golnar.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, yet.  We must find a way to get to her when Ansel can¡¯t protect her. Find a time when he is away from her.¡±


    ¡°Is there ever such a time?  When she is out in the kingdom, he is always with her.¡±


    ¡°We will have to find a way to strike her where she feels safe,¡± said Philo thinking.  ¡°We may need to think about this in a different way.  Magic is not the only way to kill her.¡±


    ¡°What ideas do you have?¡±


    ¡°A few.  I will think on it and get back to you.  I need to go see what soldiers made it back from Clarton.  Gryphon and her group took down a large number.¡±


    Philo had quit the room, and Golnar stayed up through the night thinking of ways to rid the world of this queen.  He stayed up through the rest of the day.  The next night he was exhausted, but he was too frightened to sleep.  He knew the dreams would come.  Golnar had dozed off a couple of times.  Each time he awoke quickly when Gryphon Keene would appear in his dreams.  Now, in the light of the mid-day his eyes ached to close.


    Golnar laid his head back against his chair and tried to fight the sleep that wanted to overtake him.  He would not succumb.  He could not look at Gryphon.  He could not stare into the queen¡¯s eyes anymore.  He blinked several times, but eventually he could not win.  His eyes closed and he felt himself nod off.


    Golnar was in the throne room.  He walked up to the dais to find Gryphon Keene sitting down on the dais with her legs over the edge.  She wore a dark blue gown with the sun of Adalwen stitched on it.  Her crown was atop her head with her dark red hair flowing down her shoulders.  Golnar stared at her.  He had never seen anyone look so beautiful and terrifying.


    ¡°I can see you still don¡¯t have your magic figured out,¡± said Gryphon looking down at Golnar.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°No, my queen, it¡¯s still not working.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t ever work for you.  You¡¯ve ruined it for yourself.  You poisoned yourself with your selfish, evil ways.  Your magic won¡¯t respond to you now.¡±


    ¡°I can think of ways to make it respond,¡± said Golnar angrily.  ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    Gryphon laughed. She smiled down at Golnar. ¡°You like to tell yourself things that aren¡¯t true just to make yourself feel better.  You know your magic won¡¯t wake up.  It¡¯s still in you, but you have no control over it. You¡¯ve tainted it too much. I should take your magic from you. I should set it free.¡±


    Golnar sneered at Gryphon.  ¡°I will find a way to end you.¡±


    Gryphon smiled.  She hopped down off the dais and landed on her feet lightly.  She circled around Golnar her long dress dragging on the floor of the throne room.


    ¡°You cannot kill me, Golnar,¡± said Gryphon.


    ¡°You are mortal.  I can and will kill you.¡±


    Gryphon laughed at him again. ¡°Once again you love to comfort yourself with lies, don¡¯t you? I want you to be honest with yourself.  You know you cannot kill me.  I could give you a knife right now, and you could not kill me with it.¡±


    Gryphon stopped circling Golnar she stood right in front of him.  She had a small smile on her face as she studied Golnar. He stared at her.  He wanted to look away, but he could not.  It hurt to look at her, but he could not look away.


    ¡°You could give up.  You could stop what you are doing and accept your fate.  If you keep going it will not matter, you will fail.  Save yourself from the future pain and end this,¡± said Gryphon.


    Golnar felt drawn to Gryphon.  He could not stop staring at her.  He wanted to submit to what she was saying. He could give up.  He could stop what he was doing.  He could fall down and beg for mercy.  Maybe she would find a way to give it to him.


    ¡°Golnar,¡± said Gryphon quietly.


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± he responded staring at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this. You want rest.  Let me help you.¡±  Gryphon reached out for him.


    Golnar felt something cold in his hands.  He tore his eyes form Gryphon and looked down.  He was holding a long sharp knife.  He looked at Gryphon. She had one eyebrow raised like she was daring him to try.  Golnar grasped his hand around the knife, and held it up.


    ¡°Will you do it, do you think?¡± asked Gryphon.  ¡°Do you think you really want to do it? Do you think you actually can?¡±


    Golnar drew his arm back.  He stared at Gryphon, not knowing what to do. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her.  He wanted to drop the knife.  He wanted to cry at her feet, but he could not let himself feel that week and vulnerable.  He finally closed his eyes and lunged forward with the knife towards her.  He was stopped when someone caught his arm.  Golnar opened his eyes to find Kedan holding his arm.


    ¡°Kedan, what are you doing?¡± asked Golnar.  Kedan¡¯s grip on Golnar was tight.  It hurt.


    ¡°You will not hurt my queen,¡± said Kedan smugly. Kedan tightened his grip until Golnar dropped the knife.


    ¡°I made you, Kedan. I made you and this is how you repay me?¡±


    ¡°You almost destroyed me,¡± said Kedan vehemently.  ¡°My queen has healed me. You will not touch her.¡±


    ¡°Come along, Kedan,¡± said Gryphon as she held out her hand.  Kedan took her hand and placed it on his arm.  ¡°We will go now, Golnar.  We will back soon to take what is mine and the gods.  Regventus will be saved from you.¡±


    Golnar watched as Gryphon and Kedan walked from the room. His eyes popped open, and he saw he was in the study.  The light was fading.  He had slept half the day.  Golnar rubbed his eyes and straightened up in his chair.  He felt cold and shaky.  His dream had unnerved him.  He could still feel Kedan¡¯s firm grip on his arm.  He looked down and expected to see a bruise forming where Kedan had held him.  His arm was free from any marks, but it ached.


    Golnar groaned and put his hands on the desk.  How long would she plague him with these nightmares? Had she cast a spell on him to slowly kill him with terror and no sleep? Was there any way to stop these dreams except for killing her?


    Yes, he heard Gryphon¡¯s voice in his head.  You can give up.  Come to me.  Fall at my feet and tell me you will end this.  I can ask the gods for mercy for you.  Give up, Golnar.


    ¡°No!¡± Golnar shouted.  ¡°You are nothing.  You are not my queen. You are nothing but a problem I need to solve.¡±


    He could hear Gryphon laughing in his head.  More comforting lies, Golnar.


    Golnar propped his elbow on the desk and rested his head in his hand.  He would not be destroyed like this.  He would persevere.  He would not let her undo him.  There was a knock on the door.  Golnar jumped, and his heart beat faster.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there,¡± he called out fearfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s Philo,¡± came the reply.


    Golnar took deep breaths, willing his heart to calm down.  ¡°Come in, please.¡±


    Philo opened the door and entered.  He came and sat down in front of Golnar, looking closely at him.


    ¡°What is the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept well lately, but it is no matter.  Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I have some good news I think might cheer you up,¡± said Philo excitedly.


    ¡°Unless you came to tell me you have the body of Gryphon Keene to show me, nothing will cheer me up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the body yet, but I have a way to make sure I can bring it to you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Golnar.  ¡°Is this another one of your plans that will not work?¡±


    ¡°I feel good about this one.  I think I can get us into Abscon,¡± said Philo with a smile.


    ¡°How will you do it?¡±


    ¡°A few of my soldiers came back from Clarton.  They came back with guests, three of Ansel¡¯s protector guards.  I think with some persuasion we can convince at least one of them to get us into Abscon.¡±


    Golnar smiled.  ¡°Do whatever you have to do to get into Abscon. Do whatever you have to do to kill the queen.  I don¡¯t care how many men it takes.¡±


    Philo smiled.  ¡°I will not fail this time.¡±

 Chapter 29

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    Max sat on his bed early in morning. It was the day of Issa¡¯s send off. Griffa had explained to him what would happen, but he wasn¡¯t really sure what to expect. The last two days had passed in a blur. Everyone had been kind to him. Everyone wanted to help him. Max thought he was beyond help. There was no help to be found when almost everything you lived for was taken from you.


    He was grateful for those around him. Talon and Ansel had gone back to Clarton for Issa¡¯s father. Griffa had wanted to go, but Talon and Ansel both convinced her to stay in Abscon with Max. Max was glad. He wanted Griffa safe. If he lost her, Max knew there would be no way back for him.


    Talon and Ansel returned after several hours. They had gotten Issa¡¯s father back to the West Village. They had sat with him and told him about Issa. He was devastated, not really understanding what had happened. Griffa had immediately gone to write him a letter expressing her sorrow and promises to do anything for Edan Finn and his family that she could.


    Max looked down at his dark tunic. It was black with a silver sun stitched on the chest. He picked a white thread off of it and let it fall to the floor. He watched as it floated down, thinking of nothing but his own sorrow. He knew he had many people to care for him, but at the moment he felt all alone.


    There was small knock at the door.


    ¡°May I come in, Max?¡± asked Griffa.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Max.


    Griffa opened the door and came into the room. She was wearing the dark blue dress she now wore for Ring meetings. Max looked at the silver sun stitched on her bodice and then looked down at the sun on his own tunic. Griffa sat down gently on Max¡¯s bed and took his hand. Max felt their magic join together. He closed his eyes and leaned slightly on Griffa. Even though he cared about everyone in the house, Griffa was his family. She was who he was depending on in the time of loss.


    ¡°How are you?¡± asked Griffa softly. ¡°I know that is a stupid question.¡±


    Max opened his eyes still leaning on Griffa. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t seem real. I almost expect to go downstairs and see her reading on the sofa.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Griffa gripping Max¡¯s hand. ¡°I miss her very much. Would you like me to speak for Issa today, or would you like to do it?¡±


    Max could feel Griffa¡¯s sorrow through their magic. He could feel her love for Issa and her overwhelming love for him. He felt tears form in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could get the words out,¡± said Max. ¡°Will you do it, Griffa? Will you do it as Issa¡¯s friend and queen?¡±


    Griffa nodded. ¡°I feel honored to do it. Max, this will be the hardest thing you will ever have to do. I don¡¯t want you to think you have to be strong for any of us. We all know this is an impossible thing to go through, but we will get you through it. I will get you through it. I won¡¯t lose you, too.¡±


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Max sniffling. ¡°I know everyone here cares for me, but all I know right now is I need you. You are my family, and you are my strength. You have to promise me you will do everything you can to keep yourself safe. If I lose you, I won¡¯t go on. I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Griffa released his hand. She turned slightly towards him and threw her arms around him, crushing him into her. ¡°You won¡¯t lose me, Max, I promise. I will be wiser in my decisions. I will still have to do everything in my power to help the folk of the kingdom, but I will be better at remembering the responsibility I have to make sure the line of Adalwen goes on.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the kingdom or what happens in the future. I just want you to be here with me,¡± said Max sadly.


    Griffa let go off Max and sat up. She took his face into her hands and kissed his forehead. ¡°You do care about the kingdom. You are the most caring person I know. You will help me make everything right again. You are of my blood. Together we are the hope for this kingdom.¡±


    Max looked into Griffa¡¯s eyes, and he felt her pull as his queen. He felt the power and strength that came from her as the leader of the kingdom. He felt the love she had for him and all of her folk.


    ¡°You are our hope, Griffa. I will not let you fail,¡± said Max quietly.


    ¡°Will you come downstairs and eat breakfast before the send off?¡± asked Griffa.


    Max nodded. Griffa stood and held her hand out to Max. He took it, and Griffa pulled him up. She hooked her arm with his and walked with him down to the dining room. When they got to the table, everyone else was already there. Griffa sat down between Ansel and Talon. Max sat on the other side across from her and next to Kedan.


    As Griffa sat down, Ansel took her hand and squeezed it. She grinned at him. Talon leaned lightly brushing his shoulder against her. She turned and smiled at Talon. Max watched all three of them and got a strange feeling. He didn¡¯t know what it was or even if it was real, but he couldn¡¯t shake it. Griffa encouraged Max to eat, so he ate what he could.


    As breakfast ended, Griffa stood up.


    ¡°It is time to go to the temple,¡± said Griffa.


    Everyone stood up around her and started to quit the dining room. She waited for Max. She took his hand and walked with him to the entry hall. Everyone parted as they made their way to the door.


    Griffa put her hand on the doorknob and looked at Max. ¡°Remember, I am here with you. We all are. We will not let you go through this alone.¡±


    Max turned to look at Griffa as she gave him a small smile. Max felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ansel looking down at him. Max nodded, and Griffa opened the door. They walked silently to the front of the temple. Max felt sad, but no tears came. He held onto Griffa¡¯ s hand as they walked, feeling her strength and love through her magic that joined his.


    They came to the statue of the gods where they were met by two clerics who held a small silver box. Griffa walked up to them. They bowed before her as she curtsied. They handed her the box, and Griffa took it reverently. She turned to face everyone.


    Max looked around and saw that other folk from the village and beyond had joined their group. Clara Vin stood by Kedan. Hector Delis and his wife and daughter stood in the crowd. Madam Sidora stood by Hector. All the dismissed Ring members except Helmer joined behind Hector. Max saw Hector turn slightly as Malchom Delis came to stand next to him. Malchom nodded slightly at his father.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Griffa nodded at one of the clerics, and he led the group in a prayer and a song. Max knew he wouldn¡¯t remember what prayer was said or song was sung, but he remembered Talon coming to stand beside him. He remembered Ansel putting his hand on his shoulder. He remembered looking over at Nora to see her supported by Cillian.


    After the song, Griffa addressed the crowd. ¡°Isolde Finn was very special. She was a non-gifted folk, but I think she spread magic in this kingdom better than even most magic users. She was kind and strong. She loved freely. She saw the best in all of us. She came to live with us in Abscon without family, without really knowing anyone here. She became a part of our community and our lives.


    ¡°She was brave as she fought for her kingdom and those she loved. She was intelligent. She found information that has and will continue to save Regventus. She was witty and adventurous. She loved Maxwell of the line of Adalwen above all, and he loved her. Their love is real, and it unites them beyond what we can see.


    ¡°As we say goodbye and send her on her way, we will remember her as one who fought for what is right. We will remember her as a reason we must fight the evil in this kingdom. She will not be forgotten.¡±


    Max saw tears start falling from Griffa¡¯s eyes. Griffa took a deep breath and went on. ¡°I call upon Renweard Keene, Lynette Keene, Elspeth Finn and Danin Blyth to come and accompany our dear Issa on her journey. Help her to find her next great adventure. We call upon our gods, the brother and sister, to watch over her and us. We trust that one day we will meet with Issa again on our own journeys.¡±


    Griffa opened the silver box, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, Max saw ashes fly out of the box and high into the air.


    ¡°Journey well, dear one,¡± said Griffa closing the box. ¡°May you find your next adventure.¡±


    Griffa walked over to Max, Talon moving over so she could stand next to Max. Griffa handed Max the little silver box. She put her arm around Max and held him close. Max felt tears fall down his face as the clerics said a closing prayer.


    As the prayer ended, many people came to give Max condolences. He nodded and mumbled his thanks. Griffa and Ansel stayed by his side. He held onto Griffa¡¯s hand with one hand and to the box with the other. Finally, everyone had gone except Max, Griffa, Ansel, Talon, and Kedan.


    Max let go of Griffa and walked to look at the statue of the gods. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes. ¡°I will see you again, Issa,¡± said Max softly. ¡°You are safe now.¡±


    Max smiled to himself a little. He felt his words were true. He stayed looking up at the statue of the gods for a long while. Eventually he turned to see Griffa standing between Ansel and Talon. Kedan stood next to Talon, and they were all watching Max.


    Max started walking towards them when he got the strange feeling again. He stared at Griffa, Ansel, and Talon wondering why he was feeling this way. He couldn¡¯t understand it, but it felt important. He walked up to Griffa and looked at her. He looked into her eyes, and he felt his vision go hazy.


    Max was transported to the throne room in Aurumist. He was looking up at the dais. Griffa was standing with a crown on her head and by her side was Talon, he took Griffa¡¯s into his arms and kissed her. He pulled back and looked at her with a look of pure love, as Griffa smiled sweetly at Talon. Ansel was at her back, wearing his protector¡¯s tunic. His expression was unreadable.


    Max blinked. The scene changed. Griffa was still standing on the dais, but Ansel was the one who took her into his arms and kissed her. Griffa laughed as Ansel pulled back. She leaned in and kissed him quickly one more time. Someone else stood at her back, but Max couldn¡¯t make out whom it was.


    He blinked again and Talon ad Ansel were sitting on the dais with their heads down. Ansel looked lost. Talon had tears running down his face as he held Griffa¡¯s staff. Max could feel their sorrow. He could feel the despair they both felt. Max heart broke as he realized Griffa was gone forever.


    He blinked and found himself in the middle of the throne room. It was dark, but he could see Talon and Griffa standing close together facing each other. Griffa leaned into the Talon as he put his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she whispered before Talon leaned in and kissed her gently. He could feel the relief and joy Talon felt as he kissed Griffa.


    Max blinked and the throne room changed. It was decayed. The roof had holes all in it. The walls were crumbling. He called for Griffa, but she did not come. He knew she would not come. She was gone. Her magic was not in the kingdom.


    ¡°Max,¡± said Griffa loudly. ¡°Max, are you alright?¡±


    Max blinked rapidly and Griffa came into focus. He was back in the middle of Abscon. Talon, Kedan, and Ansel were all gathered around Griffa looking at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Max. He shook his head to clear it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Griffa asked.


    Max shook his head again. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He looked at Griffa, Ansel, and Talon standing together. He could feel the tie that bound both men to Griffa. He gasped slightly as he realized both Ansel and Talon loved her.


    They were both bonded to her in some way, Ansel as her protector, and Talon as something else. Max couldn''t tell what the bond was Talon share with Griffa, but it was strong. Max stared at Talon. He then shifted his gaze to Ansel.


    ¡°Did you have a vision?¡± asked Griffa


    ¡°Yes, I think I had several,¡± several whispered Max. He kept looking between Talon and Ansel. He gaze stopped on Talon, trying to figure out how he was bonded to Griffa.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Griffa. ¡°Please tell me, Max.¡±


    Max shook his head again. He closed his eyes. He could see Talon kissing Griffa. He could see Ansel standing behind them. He realized the look on Ansel¡¯s face was one of pain and acceptance. He could feel the relief Talon felt as he kissed Griffa in the middle of the throne room. He could remember the despair both men felt when Griffa was not there.


    ¡°Max,¡± said Griffa begging. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°It would do no good to tell you. They were all different. I think they all depend on yours and other¡¯s choices. You¡¯ve been right all along, Griffa. Prophecy doesn¡¯t define the future, our choices do. The choices you and others make will decide your fate and the fate of Regventus.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me anything you saw?¡±


    Max thought about his vision, and he did realize one that that was true no matter what choices were made.


    ¡°You will have to save the kingdom, Griffa. It will have to be you. I¡¯m afraid you might have to give your life, but I hope you do not. If you fail, there is no hope.¡±


    Griffa looked at Max curiously. Max saw Talon give Ansel a look of concern. Ansel placed his hand on Griffa and immediately pulled her to him. He spun her around to face him.


    ¡°You will not die for this kingdom, Griffa,¡± said Ansel adamantly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    Griffa pushed back lightly. She walked over to the statue of the gods and put her hand on the sister¡¯s foot, closing her eyes. Talon and Ansel followed her and stood behind her. Max watched as the wind picked up around them. Griffa¡¯s hair danced in the breeze as she held onto the statue.


    After a few minutes she let go and opened her eyes. She gazed up at the statue and then turned. She started walking in the direction of Keene Manor. Ansel and Talon looked at each other and walked quickly to catch her. Max and Kedan followed.


    ¡°Griffa,¡± said Talon. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Griffa smiled up at him. She touched his arm. ¡°I am.¡±


    Griffa reached for Ansel¡¯s hand, and held it. He looked at her sharply, and stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe it, Griffa. Please.¡±


    She smiled up at him. ¡°I am not afraid, Ansel. I know what must be done, but as Max said our choices define our future, not visions. I need you to help me make wise choices.¡± She turned to look at all of them. ¡°I need all of you to help me.¡±


    Max walked up to Griffa. ¡°I will never leave you, Griffa. Whatever you have to do, I will help you do it.¡±


    Talon took Griffa¡¯s hand. ¡°I will see you through this safe. I will not live in this kingdom without you as queen.¡± He kissed her hand and let it go.


    Kedan gave Griffa a small smile. ¡°If I have to jump in front of a hundred deadly curses, I will do it for you.¡±


    Ansel pulled Griffa to him. He held her. ¡°I will not let you down, my queen.¡± He pulled back and kissed her gently and whispered, ¡°I will not lose you, my love.¡±


    Griffa stepped back. She took Max¡¯s arm. ¡°I want to go home. We will need to plan and prepare soon, but today I just want to be with all of you.¡±