DWP FanFic - Queen's Witch - Chapter 11
For notes and disclaimers, see Chapter 1
Chapter 11 - The Reveal
Cassidy opened the tower door and stepped outside. She saw Andy leaning over the crenellated wall looking at something down below.
“Why is it that whenever you disappear in the afternoon, we can find you here?” Cassidy rubbed Andy’s back as she looked out over the valley.
Andy glanced at Cassidy. She was amazed that the cute little girl she remembered would soon be celebrating her sixteenth birthday. She had grown up to become a beautiful young lady. “I like the view and it’s peaceful up here.” Andy stared out at the vista.
“It should be peaceful. Nothing much comes up the south road to this gate.” Cassidy took in the view of the rolling green fields cut by the meandering gray road. White sheep grazing peacefully dotted the fields. Beyond were the forests and beyond them the mountains that marked the extreme southern border of the kingdom.
Andy rested her arms on the ledge and sighed. “A long time ago it wasn’t so quiet. This approach was the most vulnerable.”
Cassidy turned towards Andy and leaned against the wall. “Andy, why here? Why our family?”
“Hmm?” Andy looked at Cassidy and could see the questions beginning to build. Now it comes. Great Goddess, will she ask the right questions? “What do you mean why here and your family?”
Cassidy stared at Andy. She felt a consuming need to ask questions. She could feel herself at the brink of learning something important. She just didn’t know what it was she was looking for. “Andy,” she asked slowly, “why have you visited my family so many times over the years? Do we mean something to you?”
Finally, she grinned. “Of course you mean something. I’ve known your family for a very long time and I’ve cared for all of you.”
“And my family has cared for you. I’ve read the journals of many of my ancestors and you just keep popping up. Why us, why not another family?” Cassidy stopped and noticed the twinkle in Andy’s eye. She was close to something. Without even realizing she was speaking out loud she asked, “Andy, where do you come from? Where were you born?”
With that last question, Cassidy caught her breath. Andy’s face lit up and it was as if the sun had broken through black storm clouds.
Andy started to laugh as she grabbed the girl and pulled her in for a big hug. “Yes! I knew you would be the one. Finally.”
Cassidy held on as Andy picked her up and twirled her around. “Whoa. Andy put me down.” She caught her breath as Andy stopped and took a half step back. “If you’re going to be that excited about a couple of questions, how about some answers.”
Andy grasped Cassidy’s shoulders and laughed again. “Yes, you get answers and a story. I’ve waited a long time for someone to ask the right question.”
“What question? The family one or the where are you from one?” Cassidy gasped. A scene popped into her head. She saw a little girl playing in front of a primitive hovel. There were several of the simple thatch and mud dwellings scattered along the top of a green hill. “Here, you’re from here aren’t you?” she whispered.
Andy laughed and hugged Cassidy again. She stepped back and looked out at the valley. “A long time ago this valley was settled by a dozen families. Our people came from somewhere over the Dolce mountains. They settled on top of this hill and built their homes. I was born here.” Andy turned back to Cassidy. “I’d like to tell you more. Would you like Caroline and Miranda to hear it at the same time?”
Cassidy linked her arm with Andy’s and started to the door. “Come on. They’ll kick my butt if they have to hear this second hand.”
***
Caroline and Cassidy flanked their mother on the couch in the Queen’s Sitting Room. Andy stood in front of the fireplace and sipped her tea. Glancing back at the portrait above her, she smiled wistfully. Setting her cup on the end table she paused and seemed to gather her thoughts.
“A long time ago,” she began, “I decided that I would not share my story unless someone asked.” Andy smiled at Cassidy, “I had a feeling that you with your thousand questions would be the one.” Andy could see the confusion in the faces of three royals.
Miranda pursed her lips, “Andrea, why did you feel that the secrecy necessary?”
Andy paced slowly in front of the fireplace. “It wasn’t really necessary. But I’ve been around long enough to realize that not everyone cares. One day I just decided to keep my mouth shut until someone asked me a direct question. It became sort of a game to me.”
“Oh Andrea,” Miranda said softly, “we cared. Many of my ancestors cared. They just didn’t feel that they had the right to ask. You’ve done so much for us over the years and never once asked for something in return.”
“It figures that I would screw up my own game,” Andy laughed.
“So tell us now,” Caroline asked.
Andy closed her eyes and became very still. Even though it was just after noon, the room darkened. A gray mist gathered in front of Andy and pictures started forming.
“Once upon a time, twelve families crossed the Dolce Mountains.” Miranda and the girls watched as men and women carrying packs and driving wagons came down through a mountain pass. They watched as they crossed the plain and climbed the largest of the rolling hills in the center of the valley. Soon mud and wattle huts sprang up on the hilltop. Sheep and cows could be seen grazing in the valley and on the hillsides.
“One of the women was pregnant. Shortly after shelter was raised, my mother gave birth.” The picture changed to a midwife handing a baby wrapped in a white blanket to a woman in bed. They could hear the faint words ‘I see magic in her’.
“I was the first child born in the settlement. My father was a shepherd and my mother spun wool into yarn. I had a much older brother apprenticed as a carpenter. When I was about eight, my parents apprenticed me to the herb woman. Her magic was being able to find the herbs that would help the sick. Because the midwife also had magic, I received lessons from her too. In fact, many of our people had magic. Although they all had varying degrees of magical talent, none were powerful enough to be considered witches. I was the only witch in the settlement and I did my best to learn from them all.”
The pictures showed a young girl wandering the woods with an older woman gathering herbs, and then the same girl assisted the midwife as she delivered a baby. The pictures continued to show scenes of the little girl with other villagers, helping with livestock, searching creek banks, or watching the skies. Miranda noticed that the scenes started to become darker and felt a sense of foreboding.
“When I was ten, my brother and his friends decided to set up a camp and cut trees for lumber. Their camp wasn’t too far from the mountain pass my people used to enter the valley.”
The pictures showed several young men gathered around a campfire. Axes were propped up against logs stacked to one side of the clearing. Miranda watched as an obviously sick man stumbled into the campsite. The young men jumped up to help him.
“When my brother didn’t return as promised, my father and others went looking.”
The scenes in the mist changed to men entering a quiet campsite. The bodies of several young men were scattered in the clearing. The next scene showed fresh graves with men standing over them weeping.
“It was a plague. The stranger had brought the sickness over the mountains. My father and the others brought it to our village. We didn’t lose everyone but we lost enough. My father and mother were among the first to go.”
More graves could be seen around the edge of the hilltop. Andy paused a wiped a tear from her cheek. “My people believed that the spirits of the dead would protect the village. We set stones to help anchor them to their guard post.” Soon large stone pillars appeared in a semi-circle around the village, marking the gravesites. One pillar was set separately on the south side of the hilltop.
“The herb woman and the midwife were afraid that more plague carriers would come through the mountain pass.” Two women appeared in front of a gathering of villagers. In the next scene, they were at the foot of the mountain pass holding hands with a little dark haired girl. Miranda couldn’t hear the words but she could tell an incantation was being spoken. Soon she saw large boulders come down off the sides of the mountain and fill the pass.
“By using all of our magic, we were able to block the pass. The southern road would never carry a threat to our village again.”
“There are no other acceptable passes through the Dolce Mountains, are there?” Miranda asked. “I know we’ve sent explorers out to scout for routes.”
Andy shook her head. “No, there are none. One or two people could possibly scale the sides of the mountains and make their way over. But there is no route that an army could use to invade.”
Caroline frowned, “Army? I thought you were worried about plague?”
Andy waved her hand and the pictures in the mist changed again. The pictures were now of an army massed at the foot of a mountain pass. “The kingdom on the other side of the mountains sent the plague carrier through the pass to bring sickness to our people. They knew that once the plague ran its course, they would be able to conquer and pillage our village.”
The pictures changed showing armed men moving through the pass when suddenly rocks and boulders started raining down on them. Men tried to turn back but there were too many caught in the pass. Only a few escaped.
“We closed the pass just in time.” Andy waved her hand and the mist disappeared and the room brightened. “The kingdom on the other side of the mountain was called Terlana. The rulers were cruel and taxed their people almost to death. They weren’t happy when they learned that a small village had picked up and moved over the mountains. They wanted to teach us a lesson, but what they did was doom themselves. The plague they thought to control and set on our valley, spread throughout their own lands. With their army destroyed in the pass, the land was soon conquered and absorbed into other kingdoms.
Andy smiled with a quiet pride. “The small village on the hill became Eliasa.” She watched Caroline and Cassidy look at each other and communicate silently.
Cassidy turned to Andy and studied her. “There’s more, I feel it. You’re thinking of the tapestry in the west wing. The one with the three women.” She paused. “We always called them the fates. One woman is spinning yarn, another has a stick, and the last woman is holding a knife. The legend is that first spins our life, the second measures our span on mother earth, and the last cuts our life thread.” Cassidy watched Andy smile and shake her head.
“The first woman is my mother, the second is the herb woman with her planting stick, and the last is the midwife with the knife she used to cut cords. Once people forgot who the women were, I decided I wouldn’t say anything unless asked. I tried telling someone once, but he liked the legend better than the truth.” Andy crossed her arms and eagerly waited for the royals to fill in some blanks. She had waited so long to tell this story.
“All of these women mean something to you,” Caroline added. “But they mean something to Eliasa too.” She looked at Cassidy. “There are more questions you need to ask.”
“I know. I just don’t know what to ask.” Cassidy turned to her mother. “Mom?”
Miranda thought of the tapestry and what she knew of its history. It was said to have been commissioned by the first ruler of Eliasa. She tried to think of a reason the ruler would ask for a tapestry of three women. They were important somehow. “Andrea, did your mother have sisters?”
Andy laughed and sat in one of the chairs. “I knew you guys would figure it out. Yes, the herb woman and the midwife were my aunts.”
“And these women were important to Eliasa because?” Miranda sat back and tried to think of various possibilities.
“Mom, the midwife’s son was the first ruler,” Cassidy blurted out. “I can see him. The herb woman’s daughter gave birth to son. But how does that fit in?” She looked at the witch. “Andy, help us out here.”
“You guys are so close,” Andy grinned. “My cousin Rand became Randal, First King of Eliasa. Before my brother Keel left for the logging camp, he fathered a child with my cousin Cynthia, daughter of the herb woman. That little boy, Corwin, grew up to father children with Randal’s daughter Alyssa. The children of those three women were the foundation of the royal line of Eliasa. And because all three had magic, your line has always had magic.”
“Whoa,” Caroline and Cassidy said together. “That means you’re related to us. You’re like a cousin ten thousand times removed or something.”
Andy watched Miranda’s eyes widen as she turned pale. “Yes, we are remotely related,” she said quickly. “Very, very remotely. But even though it is a distant relationship, I have always watched out for you and your family.”
“What about when you were away,” Caroline asked. “You weren’t here to watch over us then.”
Andy left her chair, knelt in front of the Caroline, and gripped her hands. “I wasn’t here physically, but I always kept an eye of things. Lily, Pick, and a lot of other friends helped me keep your family safe.”
“Andy, there was only one stone pillar on the south side of the hill. That’s the same stone pillar outside of the south gate isn’t it.” Cassidy looked at Andy and cocked her head.
“We called them guard stones.” Andy sighed as she got up and moved back to her chair. “That stone marks my parents’ grave. With the southern pass blocked, the elders didn’t feel that a guard stone was really necessary. But they buried my parents there and set the stone so that they could watch over my brother. It was also a reminder of danger we faced.”
“What happened to all of the other guard stones?” Caroline asked.
“Your castle happened.” Andy waved her hand at the room. “As it expanded, the guard stones were moved or incorporated into the foundation. The town started growing on the north and west side of the hill and down into the valley. The south side was never developed.”
Miranda sat quietly with a pensive look on her face. “I remember reading a prohibition about expanding the walls southward,” she said slowly. Miranda gave Andy a knowing look. “Would you happen to know anything about that?”
Andy ginned and nodded. “I did a favor for Queen Erin and asked that the southern stone not be moved or covered over. She had the southern wall foundation set to give the stone plenty of clearance. She said she was going to leave some sort of instruction.”
“That she did,” Miranda confirmed.
After a quick whispered conference Caroline and Cassidy got up to leave. “Mom, Caroline and I want to move the tapestry to the family wing.”
“Yeah, we think it should be placed where everyone can see it. Not hung in some dark hallway.” Caroline knew of a couple spots that might be suitable.
“That’s an excellent idea girls,” Miranda was pleased with her daughters’ redecorating idea. She wanted to have a few words with Andrea. Alone. “Why don’t you check out a few locations and let me know.”
Smiling, the girls hurried out of the room.
With the girls gone, Miranda crossed her arms and stared and Andy.
Andy wiped her hands on her robe and moved to the end of the couch. “Are you angry?”
“I’m not sure. You don’t realize how shocked I was to learn we are distantly related. You couldn’t tell me before we got involved?” It was the one detail that upset her the most.
“Miranda, you’re not a direct descendent and there are at least 25 generations between us. You’re probably more closely related to the girls’ father than you are to me.” Andy knew for a fact that Miranda and the Duke were very distant cousins.
“Hmm.” Miranda uncrossed her arms and allowed Andy to pull her closer. “Still that was quite a story.”
With her arm around Miranda, Andy rested her head against Miranda’s and relaxed. “Yeah. So much has changed but I still remember playing in the meadow and hearing my mom call me to dinner. Daddy would be coming in from the field and he’d wait for me to catch up. He’d hold my hand as we walked home.”
“Your parents would be very proud of you.” Miranda turned and kissed Andy’s cheek.
“Thanks. I hope so.” Andy smiled as she hugged Miranda
“When did you move on?” Miranda asked.
“Shortly after Randal became king. He said I needed to learn more about my talents. Pickwick was visiting with a trade delegation and offered to take me to Fair Tree. Queen Lillian introduced me to different magic users and offered me a place to learn. Lily and Pickwick became more than my friends. They became my family,” Andy said softly.
“Queen Lillian will be here sometime next week.” Miranda snuggled into Andy’s arms. “I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”
“Me too. Have the two of you met often?” Andy wasn’t sure how well Lily knew the current royal family.
“She’s visited a few times. Eliasa and Fair Tree are involved in many trade agreements. I suppose you could say we’ve developed a friendship over the years.”
Andy nodded, happy that the people that were dearest to her were on good terms. “I’m glad. I’ve missed talking to her.”
***
That evening when Miranda slipped into bed, Andy was all over her, kissing, caressing, and murmuring sweet words. Miranda was soon lost in a haze of feelings and want.
“Andrea,” she moaned. Miranda was almost overwhelmed with the sensation of Andrea loving her body.
“I love you,” Andy whispered into a perfectly formed ear. “I love you with all of my heart.” Andy nuzzled Miranda’s neck before kissing her way down and paying homage to two breasts. “I will love you for the rest of my life.”
The words echoed in the recesses of Miranda’s mind. They were distantly familiar and their meaning was deeply profound. Before she could delve into their implications she was carried away by Andy’s unrelenting attention. ‘Tomorrow,’ she thought as she reached for her lover, ‘tomorrow.’
Chapter 12 - Storms of Change
Chapter 11 - The Reveal
Cassidy opened the tower door and stepped outside. She saw Andy leaning over the crenellated wall looking at something down below.
“Why is it that whenever you disappear in the afternoon, we can find you here?” Cassidy rubbed Andy’s back as she looked out over the valley.
Andy glanced at Cassidy. She was amazed that the cute little girl she remembered would soon be celebrating her sixteenth birthday. She had grown up to become a beautiful young lady. “I like the view and it’s peaceful up here.” Andy stared out at the vista.
“It should be peaceful. Nothing much comes up the south road to this gate.” Cassidy took in the view of the rolling green fields cut by the meandering gray road. White sheep grazing peacefully dotted the fields. Beyond were the forests and beyond them the mountains that marked the extreme southern border of the kingdom.
Andy rested her arms on the ledge and sighed. “A long time ago it wasn’t so quiet. This approach was the most vulnerable.”
Cassidy turned towards Andy and leaned against the wall. “Andy, why here? Why our family?”
“Hmm?” Andy looked at Cassidy and could see the questions beginning to build. Now it comes. Great Goddess, will she ask the right questions? “What do you mean why here and your family?”
Cassidy stared at Andy. She felt a consuming need to ask questions. She could feel herself at the brink of learning something important. She just didn’t know what it was she was looking for. “Andy,” she asked slowly, “why have you visited my family so many times over the years? Do we mean something to you?”
Finally, she grinned. “Of course you mean something. I’ve known your family for a very long time and I’ve cared for all of you.”
“And my family has cared for you. I’ve read the journals of many of my ancestors and you just keep popping up. Why us, why not another family?” Cassidy stopped and noticed the twinkle in Andy’s eye. She was close to something. Without even realizing she was speaking out loud she asked, “Andy, where do you come from? Where were you born?”
With that last question, Cassidy caught her breath. Andy’s face lit up and it was as if the sun had broken through black storm clouds.
Andy started to laugh as she grabbed the girl and pulled her in for a big hug. “Yes! I knew you would be the one. Finally.”
Cassidy held on as Andy picked her up and twirled her around. “Whoa. Andy put me down.” She caught her breath as Andy stopped and took a half step back. “If you’re going to be that excited about a couple of questions, how about some answers.”
Andy grasped Cassidy’s shoulders and laughed again. “Yes, you get answers and a story. I’ve waited a long time for someone to ask the right question.”
“What question? The family one or the where are you from one?” Cassidy gasped. A scene popped into her head. She saw a little girl playing in front of a primitive hovel. There were several of the simple thatch and mud dwellings scattered along the top of a green hill. “Here, you’re from here aren’t you?” she whispered.
Andy laughed and hugged Cassidy again. She stepped back and looked out at the valley. “A long time ago this valley was settled by a dozen families. Our people came from somewhere over the Dolce mountains. They settled on top of this hill and built their homes. I was born here.” Andy turned back to Cassidy. “I’d like to tell you more. Would you like Caroline and Miranda to hear it at the same time?”
Cassidy linked her arm with Andy’s and started to the door. “Come on. They’ll kick my butt if they have to hear this second hand.”
***
Caroline and Cassidy flanked their mother on the couch in the Queen’s Sitting Room. Andy stood in front of the fireplace and sipped her tea. Glancing back at the portrait above her, she smiled wistfully. Setting her cup on the end table she paused and seemed to gather her thoughts.
“A long time ago,” she began, “I decided that I would not share my story unless someone asked.” Andy smiled at Cassidy, “I had a feeling that you with your thousand questions would be the one.” Andy could see the confusion in the faces of three royals.
Miranda pursed her lips, “Andrea, why did you feel that the secrecy necessary?”
Andy paced slowly in front of the fireplace. “It wasn’t really necessary. But I’ve been around long enough to realize that not everyone cares. One day I just decided to keep my mouth shut until someone asked me a direct question. It became sort of a game to me.”
“Oh Andrea,” Miranda said softly, “we cared. Many of my ancestors cared. They just didn’t feel that they had the right to ask. You’ve done so much for us over the years and never once asked for something in return.”
“It figures that I would screw up my own game,” Andy laughed.
“So tell us now,” Caroline asked.
Andy closed her eyes and became very still. Even though it was just after noon, the room darkened. A gray mist gathered in front of Andy and pictures started forming.
“Once upon a time, twelve families crossed the Dolce Mountains.” Miranda and the girls watched as men and women carrying packs and driving wagons came down through a mountain pass. They watched as they crossed the plain and climbed the largest of the rolling hills in the center of the valley. Soon mud and wattle huts sprang up on the hilltop. Sheep and cows could be seen grazing in the valley and on the hillsides.
“One of the women was pregnant. Shortly after shelter was raised, my mother gave birth.” The picture changed to a midwife handing a baby wrapped in a white blanket to a woman in bed. They could hear the faint words ‘I see magic in her’.
“I was the first child born in the settlement. My father was a shepherd and my mother spun wool into yarn. I had a much older brother apprenticed as a carpenter. When I was about eight, my parents apprenticed me to the herb woman. Her magic was being able to find the herbs that would help the sick. Because the midwife also had magic, I received lessons from her too. In fact, many of our people had magic. Although they all had varying degrees of magical talent, none were powerful enough to be considered witches. I was the only witch in the settlement and I did my best to learn from them all.”
The pictures showed a young girl wandering the woods with an older woman gathering herbs, and then the same girl assisted the midwife as she delivered a baby. The pictures continued to show scenes of the little girl with other villagers, helping with livestock, searching creek banks, or watching the skies. Miranda noticed that the scenes started to become darker and felt a sense of foreboding.
“When I was ten, my brother and his friends decided to set up a camp and cut trees for lumber. Their camp wasn’t too far from the mountain pass my people used to enter the valley.”
The pictures showed several young men gathered around a campfire. Axes were propped up against logs stacked to one side of the clearing. Miranda watched as an obviously sick man stumbled into the campsite. The young men jumped up to help him.
“When my brother didn’t return as promised, my father and others went looking.”
The scenes in the mist changed to men entering a quiet campsite. The bodies of several young men were scattered in the clearing. The next scene showed fresh graves with men standing over them weeping.
“It was a plague. The stranger had brought the sickness over the mountains. My father and the others brought it to our village. We didn’t lose everyone but we lost enough. My father and mother were among the first to go.”
More graves could be seen around the edge of the hilltop. Andy paused a wiped a tear from her cheek. “My people believed that the spirits of the dead would protect the village. We set stones to help anchor them to their guard post.” Soon large stone pillars appeared in a semi-circle around the village, marking the gravesites. One pillar was set separately on the south side of the hilltop.
“The herb woman and the midwife were afraid that more plague carriers would come through the mountain pass.” Two women appeared in front of a gathering of villagers. In the next scene, they were at the foot of the mountain pass holding hands with a little dark haired girl. Miranda couldn’t hear the words but she could tell an incantation was being spoken. Soon she saw large boulders come down off the sides of the mountain and fill the pass.
“By using all of our magic, we were able to block the pass. The southern road would never carry a threat to our village again.”
“There are no other acceptable passes through the Dolce Mountains, are there?” Miranda asked. “I know we’ve sent explorers out to scout for routes.”
Andy shook her head. “No, there are none. One or two people could possibly scale the sides of the mountains and make their way over. But there is no route that an army could use to invade.”
Caroline frowned, “Army? I thought you were worried about plague?”
Andy waved her hand and the pictures in the mist changed again. The pictures were now of an army massed at the foot of a mountain pass. “The kingdom on the other side of the mountains sent the plague carrier through the pass to bring sickness to our people. They knew that once the plague ran its course, they would be able to conquer and pillage our village.”
The pictures changed showing armed men moving through the pass when suddenly rocks and boulders started raining down on them. Men tried to turn back but there were too many caught in the pass. Only a few escaped.
“We closed the pass just in time.” Andy waved her hand and the mist disappeared and the room brightened. “The kingdom on the other side of the mountain was called Terlana. The rulers were cruel and taxed their people almost to death. They weren’t happy when they learned that a small village had picked up and moved over the mountains. They wanted to teach us a lesson, but what they did was doom themselves. The plague they thought to control and set on our valley, spread throughout their own lands. With their army destroyed in the pass, the land was soon conquered and absorbed into other kingdoms.
Andy smiled with a quiet pride. “The small village on the hill became Eliasa.” She watched Caroline and Cassidy look at each other and communicate silently.
Cassidy turned to Andy and studied her. “There’s more, I feel it. You’re thinking of the tapestry in the west wing. The one with the three women.” She paused. “We always called them the fates. One woman is spinning yarn, another has a stick, and the last woman is holding a knife. The legend is that first spins our life, the second measures our span on mother earth, and the last cuts our life thread.” Cassidy watched Andy smile and shake her head.
“The first woman is my mother, the second is the herb woman with her planting stick, and the last is the midwife with the knife she used to cut cords. Once people forgot who the women were, I decided I wouldn’t say anything unless asked. I tried telling someone once, but he liked the legend better than the truth.” Andy crossed her arms and eagerly waited for the royals to fill in some blanks. She had waited so long to tell this story.
“All of these women mean something to you,” Caroline added. “But they mean something to Eliasa too.” She looked at Cassidy. “There are more questions you need to ask.”
“I know. I just don’t know what to ask.” Cassidy turned to her mother. “Mom?”
Miranda thought of the tapestry and what she knew of its history. It was said to have been commissioned by the first ruler of Eliasa. She tried to think of a reason the ruler would ask for a tapestry of three women. They were important somehow. “Andrea, did your mother have sisters?”
Andy laughed and sat in one of the chairs. “I knew you guys would figure it out. Yes, the herb woman and the midwife were my aunts.”
“And these women were important to Eliasa because?” Miranda sat back and tried to think of various possibilities.
“Mom, the midwife’s son was the first ruler,” Cassidy blurted out. “I can see him. The herb woman’s daughter gave birth to son. But how does that fit in?” She looked at the witch. “Andy, help us out here.”
“You guys are so close,” Andy grinned. “My cousin Rand became Randal, First King of Eliasa. Before my brother Keel left for the logging camp, he fathered a child with my cousin Cynthia, daughter of the herb woman. That little boy, Corwin, grew up to father children with Randal’s daughter Alyssa. The children of those three women were the foundation of the royal line of Eliasa. And because all three had magic, your line has always had magic.”
“Whoa,” Caroline and Cassidy said together. “That means you’re related to us. You’re like a cousin ten thousand times removed or something.”
Andy watched Miranda’s eyes widen as she turned pale. “Yes, we are remotely related,” she said quickly. “Very, very remotely. But even though it is a distant relationship, I have always watched out for you and your family.”
“What about when you were away,” Caroline asked. “You weren’t here to watch over us then.”
Andy left her chair, knelt in front of the Caroline, and gripped her hands. “I wasn’t here physically, but I always kept an eye of things. Lily, Pick, and a lot of other friends helped me keep your family safe.”
“Andy, there was only one stone pillar on the south side of the hill. That’s the same stone pillar outside of the south gate isn’t it.” Cassidy looked at Andy and cocked her head.
“We called them guard stones.” Andy sighed as she got up and moved back to her chair. “That stone marks my parents’ grave. With the southern pass blocked, the elders didn’t feel that a guard stone was really necessary. But they buried my parents there and set the stone so that they could watch over my brother. It was also a reminder of danger we faced.”
“What happened to all of the other guard stones?” Caroline asked.
“Your castle happened.” Andy waved her hand at the room. “As it expanded, the guard stones were moved or incorporated into the foundation. The town started growing on the north and west side of the hill and down into the valley. The south side was never developed.”
Miranda sat quietly with a pensive look on her face. “I remember reading a prohibition about expanding the walls southward,” she said slowly. Miranda gave Andy a knowing look. “Would you happen to know anything about that?”
Andy ginned and nodded. “I did a favor for Queen Erin and asked that the southern stone not be moved or covered over. She had the southern wall foundation set to give the stone plenty of clearance. She said she was going to leave some sort of instruction.”
“That she did,” Miranda confirmed.
After a quick whispered conference Caroline and Cassidy got up to leave. “Mom, Caroline and I want to move the tapestry to the family wing.”
“Yeah, we think it should be placed where everyone can see it. Not hung in some dark hallway.” Caroline knew of a couple spots that might be suitable.
“That’s an excellent idea girls,” Miranda was pleased with her daughters’ redecorating idea. She wanted to have a few words with Andrea. Alone. “Why don’t you check out a few locations and let me know.”
Smiling, the girls hurried out of the room.
With the girls gone, Miranda crossed her arms and stared and Andy.
Andy wiped her hands on her robe and moved to the end of the couch. “Are you angry?”
“I’m not sure. You don’t realize how shocked I was to learn we are distantly related. You couldn’t tell me before we got involved?” It was the one detail that upset her the most.
“Miranda, you’re not a direct descendent and there are at least 25 generations between us. You’re probably more closely related to the girls’ father than you are to me.” Andy knew for a fact that Miranda and the Duke were very distant cousins.
“Hmm.” Miranda uncrossed her arms and allowed Andy to pull her closer. “Still that was quite a story.”
With her arm around Miranda, Andy rested her head against Miranda’s and relaxed. “Yeah. So much has changed but I still remember playing in the meadow and hearing my mom call me to dinner. Daddy would be coming in from the field and he’d wait for me to catch up. He’d hold my hand as we walked home.”
“Your parents would be very proud of you.” Miranda turned and kissed Andy’s cheek.
“Thanks. I hope so.” Andy smiled as she hugged Miranda
“When did you move on?” Miranda asked.
“Shortly after Randal became king. He said I needed to learn more about my talents. Pickwick was visiting with a trade delegation and offered to take me to Fair Tree. Queen Lillian introduced me to different magic users and offered me a place to learn. Lily and Pickwick became more than my friends. They became my family,” Andy said softly.
“Queen Lillian will be here sometime next week.” Miranda snuggled into Andy’s arms. “I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”
“Me too. Have the two of you met often?” Andy wasn’t sure how well Lily knew the current royal family.
“She’s visited a few times. Eliasa and Fair Tree are involved in many trade agreements. I suppose you could say we’ve developed a friendship over the years.”
Andy nodded, happy that the people that were dearest to her were on good terms. “I’m glad. I’ve missed talking to her.”
***
That evening when Miranda slipped into bed, Andy was all over her, kissing, caressing, and murmuring sweet words. Miranda was soon lost in a haze of feelings and want.
“Andrea,” she moaned. Miranda was almost overwhelmed with the sensation of Andrea loving her body.
“I love you,” Andy whispered into a perfectly formed ear. “I love you with all of my heart.” Andy nuzzled Miranda’s neck before kissing her way down and paying homage to two breasts. “I will love you for the rest of my life.”
The words echoed in the recesses of Miranda’s mind. They were distantly familiar and their meaning was deeply profound. Before she could delve into their implications she was carried away by Andy’s unrelenting attention. ‘Tomorrow,’ she thought as she reached for her lover, ‘tomorrow.’
Chapter 12 - Storms of Change