When Lorie was nine years old, she was informed that she was going to get a baby brother. Now, Lorie was nine, so she reserved the right to be at least a little bit jealous, especially seeing as the baby was a boy, and therefore overtook her in line for Father's throne. Not that Avalon or Father would have had any issue with a potential female ruler, so she knew she wasn't being replaced. There was always tradition to uphold. It was just that she was nine, and as a nine year old could understand it her brother that she didn't even know had already taken something of hers, without even being born yet.

It wasn't like she was running around screaming and crying. She was just a little quieter than usual, a bit downhearted. In worried response, her father had put aside time in his schedule to sit down and chat with her about her new brother, and what his arrival would really mean. She learned that his name was to be Terence and he would be much younger than Lorie, and she'd have to be very grown up around him because he would love her very much and it was the way of babies to mimic the people they loved, or so her father explained. By the time he'd left and she'd been summoned to lessons, she was almost looking forward to it.

Of course, everything had quickly changed when Grainne died.

Lorie was destroyed. Grainne had been so kind to her, especially when they'd first met. Lorie had been seven and trying to understand how her father could love someone who wasn't her mother, and she was upset, since she was seven, which had made her act quite rudely. But Grainne had just laughed, that chiming laugh that had helped Lorie understand how Father had fallen for her, and embraced her young faerie stepdaughter. She'd introduced herself, and told Lorie that she was looking forward to getting to know her. Then, then! She'd given her cookies.

Her despair only crescendoed when she found out this meant her brother wouldn't be coming to Avalon until they were both very old. He was to grow up without his real parents, with no knowledge of who he was or the legacy he carried. She couldn't just let him go. She couldn't. While his parental figure was being chosen, Lorie knew for fact he was being kept in Avalon, after all, where else? So, naturally, she demanded to see him.

Father sighed tiredly at her request, probably expecting this to be fair, and brought her swiftly to the makeshift nursery where the young faerie prince was being looked after.

"Here he is," Father murmured softly, gently holding the squealing bundle as he sat beside Lorie on the bench. "Isn't he beautiful?"

Lorie nodded silently, gaping at the child. Babies looked strange, but she could admit that he was a bit cute.

"Hold your arms out. Carefully now."

Lorie gasped, looking up. "I can hold him?"

"Well of course you can, he's your brother after all. But you must be very careful. He's not even a week old." He adjusted her grip, and softly rested the child in her arms. Terence gurgled, and a grin spread across her face.

"Oh, he's adorable. I love him!"

Father smiled sadly.

Terence wasn't breaking the rules per se. He was, after all, sent out to collect firewood. And he was definitely out, he just hadn't quite managed the firewood bit yet. He would of course get to it eventually, but right now he had more important things to do. Such as trying to catch a glimpse of that fawn that should've been born recently, if he'd gotten his facts right.

He liked to keep on top of the population of the woods. He imagine that if a lord could have tenants to look after and care for, Terence could too. Not that Terence was really required to allow the animals to live in the woods that he didn't own, but generally seven year olds aren't expected to understand the ins and outs of lordship, and it wasn't as if he could keep track of everything. For one, the rabbits bred too rapidly, and Terence definitely wasn't their only predator. And in the case of birds, the boy could hardly fly. But larger mammals like deer and foxes were infinitely more manageable, and therefore had become Terence's little pet project. Trevisant had only chuckled, and said nothing when venison stopped appearing at the table.

Finding the fawn had only meant to take an hour or so, but when the sky began to darken Terence had only just begun his firewood search. Panicking, he quickly picked up whatever he could find, not giving the usual care to the type or shape, but still only managed half the journey back before the lack of sun ensured he could no longer find the way.

He walked on, determined not to give in, but instead of the half hour it should've taken to find his way back to the hermitage, Terence found himself wandering around for an hour or more. Dismayed, scared and frozen to the bone, Terence sat against an strong, old tree and pulled his knees to his chest. Despite his best efforts, the fear and hopelessness of his situation reduced Terence to tears, which he tried to muffle as much as possible in the case of more malevolent forest life. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go home.

"Are you lost?"

Terence very nearly screamed, throwing his head up and banging it against the tree in an effort to get a look at the stranger. Soft hands steadied his shoulders, and when Terence's head cleared he noticed the girl attached to them. A teenage girl stared down at him in concern, with the most expensive item of clothing Terence had ever seen draped around her shoulders and head. It was a fur cloak, whiter than Terence even knew was possible, with delicate glass antlers connected to the hood, framing a kind face with hair the same shade (more or less) of Terence's and incredibly green, green eyes, which gave the impression that she would always know more than you, no matter what. Also, she smelled like apples.

Terence shook his head warily.

She raised one perfectly kept eyebrow. "Well, in that case, this seems an awfully strange place for a little boy to call home."

"I... might be a little lost?" Terence conceded, looking down to mess with the dirt at his feet. "But that's only because of the dark! I'd be able to find my way if it was day!"

"If it were day, honey," the mystery lady corrected gently. "Would you perchance like a guide? I know where your home is, and I'd be much happier knowing you were safe and tucked into bed. Leaving little boys alone in woods does hell for the conscience."

"I'm-" Terence sniffed. "I shouldn't be following strangers in the night."

"I'm not a stranger, darling." The lady was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Terence pulled his legs in closer. "But-"

"Here!" She unclasped her cloak, gathering it around Terence and wrapping the boy up. His words, usually quick to the tongue, caught in his throat. It was so soft. "If I turn out to be some sort of, oh, I don't know, evil witch? You now have full permission to kick me in the shins and run. And then at least you'll have something to keep you warm till sunrise. And seriously, that cloak? Anyone would put evil plans on hold for the sake of it. It's gorgeous."

Terence narrowed his eyes, pulling the cloak around him. "But what about the wolves?"

A worried look crossed the lady's face. "Uh, wolves?"

Terence only managed to hold it for about five seconds or so before bursting into fits of giggles. "Oh, you looked so scared! There aren't wolves in this forest!"

This time, she smiled with her eyes too.

The minute the pair emerged from the woods (sooner than he'd imagined), Terence cheered and ran towards the hermitage, only to catch himself when he realized he was still wearing the fine cloak.

"Oh, sorry Miss!" he called back, hurriedly undoing the clasps, only to be stopped by his savior's hand. He looked up, confused, and her smile widened.

"Please, keep it." She kneeled down. "Keep it. It may be too big, but you could use it as a blanket?"

Terence gasped, giddy joy rising in his chest. "Really? Oh, thank you Miss!"

Lorie's breath caught in her throat as Terence hugged her. It took at least a second or two to gather her wits, but once she did she reciprocated as fiercely as she dared. Oh lord, he was small. She struggled to hold back tears because, gods, she wouldn't see him for at the very least five more years, most likely even more.

She watched fondly as Terence separated to embrace Trevisant, who'd emerged from the hermitage to fuss over his missing charge before pulling him safely inside.

Five years, or more, Lorie didn't mind. So long as she got to see Terence again, someday, she found she didn't quite mind waiting.