"Where are you headed off to, Alex?" Joan asked as she watched Alex saddle up her black stallion.

"Mother and I are going for a ride. Do you want to tag along?" She watched as Joan's face lit up in excitement.

"Of course. I need to saddle up. I'll just be a moment."

Alex smiled at her beloved younger sister. "I'll wait."

For a moment, she could hardly believe this was happening to her; finding her family, having a sister to look after, having a kingdom that she would soon be running. It was amazing.

It had been a year since her return and much had changed. There were days when she still felt lonely and confused, but they were becoming scarce. She smiled, gladdened by this thought.

She mounted up and waited a few more seconds for Joan to ride up. Together, they rode out of the stable and met up with Odette, who had been waiting patiently outside. She looked quizzically at Alex; she had not been expecting Joan to be with her.

"We have a tag along," Alex announced, grinning. "I hope that's alright."

Odette smiled at her two daughters. "It's perfectly alright. I'm glad to spend time with my two girls."

"You could've had three if Eli hadn't messed things up," Joan joked.

"Now, Joan, I love all my children equally, boy or girl… but you're right. Eli did mess things up."

Alex chuckled. Yes, her family still amazed her. No, she wouldn't give up her time with them for anything. "So, where are we going?" she asked casually.

"Lead the way, Alex," Odette replied.

Alex complied. She started down the road, having no particular destination in mind. She was lost in her own thoughts, silent. It was fall again. The changing leaves brought back a lot of memories of the year before. Those were the best days of her life.

She thought about Matthew. She missed him. He and Derek had gone to Lincolnshire to visit with his parents and share with them some important news. They were due back in about two days. Still, it felt like a life time for Alex and Odette. They both new what it was like to be separated from the ones they loved, and, even if – for Alex – it was assured that he would return safely, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

But all Alex could do was wait, and trust that things would happen sooner that she thought.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Odette asked, concerned by Alex's silence.

"Just thinking about time, I guess; how it passes, how fast it goes by… pretty dumb, huh?" She didn't really want to admit that she missed Matthew so much, but she guessed by Odette's smile that her mother already new what was on her mind.

However, Odette still pretended not to notice. "Not at all. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Yes I just…"

She stopped short. The horse halted soon after her words. She was completely still, staring blankly ahead at something up the road. Odette and Joan followed her gaze to a house.

"What is that place?" Joan asked Odette, her voice a whisper. She didn't want to ask Alex, as she knew her older sister was disturbed by the house and whoever resided in it. She hoped Odette would be able to tell her what was going on.

"It's where I grew up," Alex answered, having overheard her sister. Her voice became suddenly very quiet. "I didn't realize we were headed this way…"

"Alex?"

As Alex turned around to address her mother, she could see that Odette's eyes were filled with worry.

"It's alright," she assured her. "Really, it is. I just didn't think I'd be seeing this place for a while."

"Did you think you'd go back?" Joan asked.

"No, I just… I tried to forget about it, you know. It represents twelve wasted years of my life. I just wanted to stay away." She was quiet for a moment. "But right now, I want to go closer." She urged the horse forward. Odette and Joan reluctantly followed.

Alex seemed to be in some sort of strange trance, and Odette didn't want to just leave her.

Alex continued forward, faster now. When she reached the edge of the walkway that led to the front door of the old house, she stopped and dismounted.

It was then that two people – two girls about the same age as Alex – appeared in the yard, taking clothes that had been hanging, swaying in the light breeze, on a nearby line. The folded the clothing neatly and placed it in whicker baskets.

Odette watched as Alex smiled and walked over. As if she had been doing it for years – and she had, as Odette thought about it – she started to help the two girls.

They immediately stopped what they were doing and walked around the clothesline where Alex was working to see who was helping them. The first girl to reach Alex, a short young lady with olive toned skin, gasped in shock. The other, a taller blonde, quickened her pace to find out what had startled her friend.

"Alex!" the first girl exclaimed.

"I don't believe it!" the other added.

"Believe it," Alex laughed. "How are you, Mireia? Lydia?"

"Glad that you're here," Lydia replied. "And what about you? You look so… different."

"Different?" Alex asked, cocking her head slightly to the side, her grin fading just a little bit. "How so?"

"You look happy," Mireia explained. "You look like you've found something you've been looking a long time for."

Alex's smile returned. "I… I found my family."

Lydia and Mireia congratulated her. Alex waved Odette and Joan forward. They hesitatingly replied, somewhat unsure of Alex's friends - but then again, what was there to be worried about? Joan led the way, excited to learn about any part of her somewhat mysterious older sister's life.

"My sister," Alex introduced, "Joan. And my mother, Odette."

"Alex…" Mireia dropped into a quick curtsey, bowing her head. Lydia quickly did the same. "You should have announced them better."

"Well you seem to know who they are anyway."

Lydia stood up straight. "Only because we aren't completely ignorant… but that makes you… Princess Alexandra."

"Alex," Odette said, smiling, "maybe you should have been more gentle with telling them…"

"You're right," Alex agreed. "I'm sorry. I'm still not totally used to everything, even though it's been a year."

"I can imagine," Mireia said, understanding. "Things have changed here as well."

"Is Lady Diggs still around?"

"Unfortunately," Lydia answered. "It's not like she was going to just vanish from our lives when you did."

Alex felt a little stung with that. "Ouch. It's not like I meant to just leave and never come back... but I guess I didn't think, when I found my family, that I'd come back at all. I suppose you're right. I did vanish."

"Don't feel bad," Mireia quickly interjected. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You know how Lydia is. She can't just admit that she missed you."

Alex nodded and smiled. "So you said that thinks have changed here. What did you mean?"

"A lot of people followed your example. They left not long after you did, those of them who were able to live on their own, that is."

"Is Lady Diggs really that bad?"

"It was more about freedom than about her."

"That isn't to say that she's not a tyrannical witch," Lydia added. "She is pretty nasty."

"It just surprises me that no one's done anything about her."

"Well, what can we do? It's not like we have the power to stop her."

Alex's eyes lit up. "No, but I do, and with my mother's permission, I can take Lady Diggs out of here."

Odette nodded. "Of course you have my permission, but who will you put in her place?"

"Lydia, Mireia, think you can handle it?"

Mireia gasped. "You mean…?"

"Yes. Do you want to run the orphanage along with Lydia? You'll have my full support. You're friends of the royal family now, remember?"

"But do you think we can handle it?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't," Alex assured her.

Lydia stared at Alex, still in shock. "Alex, this is the best thing anyone has ever done for us… thank you."

"Thank my family."

Mireia and Lydia both curtsied deeply. "Thank you, your majesty."

Odette smiled. "Anything for my daughter's friends. You've taken care of her, so now we'll take care of you."

XxX

They talked for a while longer. Before long, Odette and Joan went ahead and left, as they would be expected back soon by Eli, who would surely worry if they did not return soon.

About an hour later, Alex arrived back at Swan Lake. She had made arrangements with Lydia and Mireia to return to the orphanage with Eli and kindly ask Lady Diggs to leave before she was arrested. It would be hard to argue with two members of the royal family.

Upon her arrival, Alex found nothing out of the ordinary. She led her horse back into the stable and left him in his stall, as he should have been. She walked back inside the main part of the castle. It was here that she found something strange.

There was talking and light laughter… coming from the great hall. It was familiar enough, but the location was strange. Normally, her family would be in a private rumpus room or somewhere like it. The great hall was usually only occupied when the family was waiting on someone to arrive.

Alex walked there, and found that Joan, Odette, and Eli were already there, looking outside the window.

"There they are!" Joan called, pointing.

"Who?" Alex asked, just before the doors opened.

Outside, a carriage pulled up. Alex's heart leaped with excitement. Could it really be…?

It was.

Stepping out of the carriage was first Derek and then – Alex's heart leaped again – Matthew. Odette and Alex were barely able to keep themselves from running to meet Derek and Matthew. Alex sprinted the last fifteen feet to close the distance. She couldn't care less what anyone else thought.

"You weren't supposed to be home so early!" she laughed jocundly.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. We sent word ahead so you would wait here for us. I didn't realize you didn't get the message."

"I had no idea you'd be back so soon."

"But are you not happy to see me?" Matthew joked. "I could leave again."

As if in protest, Alex threw her arms around him. "I don't ever want to be separated from you," she whispered in his ear. "I would never wish you away."

Eli and Joan watched the reunion from the doors.

"They're kind of gross when you watch them," Eli commented.

"You're kind of jealous when I watch you," Joan replied, eying a nearby guard.

Eli stared at her in shock. She burst into peels of laughter, catching everyone's attention.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked.

"The look on Eli's face."

XxX

"So you told your parents about us?" Alex asked.

"Of course I did," Matthew replied. "And they're happy for us."

They were walking along Swan Lake. The sun had set, but the full moon made for a gorgeous reflection on the water. Matthew took Alex's had and lightly squeezed it. "You have nothing to worry about."

"That's easy for you to say. You know your parents."

"So? Who cares what they think, anyhow? Don't get me wrong, I am glad they approve, but, in the long run, it really doesn't really matter, Alex. What really matters is us." He placed his hand under Alex's chin and tilted her head up. "So I don't want you to worry."

He kissed her. All she could feel were his lips on hers and the head rush that the strong, loving emotions that were being passed between them caused. They pulled apart, out of breath.

"Still worried?" he asked.

"No," she replied, breathless. "You sufficiently distracted me."

He laughed. "Don't worry. They're going to love you, as they did before you were kidnapped. They're so glad for us, in fact, that they've decided to have a ball for us."

Alex sighed. "I knew there was a catch."

"Don't worry. It will be just a few close friends of both our families. Nothing to fear, my love."

She kissed him again, smiling in reassurance when they broke off again. "Nothing to fear."