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Sparrow was tired. For weeks she had been away from her family tracking a pack of balverines, which had decided to travel from village to village killing all that stood in their way. When she finally caught up with the pack, she saw that it was definitely no ordinary pack. Since when did balverines travel in packs of fifty? Never had she faced this many balverines before. The most she ever had to fight, at once, was a pack of three or four. Those small packs were no bother. A good blast of electricity was enough to finish them off, but a group of fifty… it would take a lot more than a few blasts of electricity.

Slowly, Sparrow crept up upon a vicious pack, drawing her rifle as she went. She planned to pick off as many balverines as she could. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fight them all at once. Once the balverines were in range, Sparrow moved into the shadows and began picking the balverines off, one by one, with a perfect shot – most of the time – through the heart. She had picked off about twenty when something sent her flying forward, alerting her presences to the confused, but now angry balverines.

Looking around, she saw that it was a balverine that had sent her flying and she realised, with some surprise, that the balverine pack had scouts.

Oh that's just great! thought a bitter Sparrow, focusing on her Will. Maybe she could get enough power to wipe a large chunk of them out.

She got about fifteen of them, and it had left her slightly trained. Will wasn't exactly her strongest talent, melee was. It was melee that she had done the most training with when she was younger.

Seeing as melee was her strongest advantage, she drew her katana, the Daichi, which once belonged to a legendary female warrior monk in Eastern Samarkand. Her friend Garth, the Hero of Will, sent it to her. He found it whilst exploring his homeland. That was, of course, after Reaver had shot him. Thankfully, Garth was able to get immediate attention.

Sparrow slashed the Daichi at the advancing balverines before letting out a cry of pain as one sliced open her back with it razor sharp claws. Growling with anger and pain, Sparrow whipped around and plunged the Daichi straight into the beast's throat. As she fought off the other balverines, she went to her small bag which held her healing potions, only to have one balverine snatch it up and sent it flying off a nearby cliff. Okay, she was in trouble now. She needed those potions for she was taking more wounds than she had ever done so before.

She had no other choice, with a magical blast, she sent the balverines flying and she ran off to higher ground where she could pick them off one by one.

Four hours later, she had succeeded and she sat down under a nearby tree, completely drained. She had never been in so much pain in all her life. No, sorry, that was a lie. The only other time was when she was eight. When Lucien shot her and sent her flying out the tower window, down a cliff, only to collide into the Bowerstone roof tops and to finally come to a halt with an agonising thud on one of the streets of Bowerstone.

Sparrow didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually she forced herself as the sun began to rise. She decided to head to the nearest town to see if she could find shelter, food and healing potions, especially the latter of the three.

She walked slowly and nervously. She had never been so vulnerable in her life. She had no strength to cast even the simplest of spells, nor did she have the strength to swing a sword. Heck, she didn't even have the strength to aim a gun. She just prayed that she wouldn't run into any bandits or mercenaries.

She wasn't in luck.

While she wasn't ambushed by mercenaries or bandits, she was ambushed by a bunch of thuggish pirates.

What the hell are pirates doing this far in? Sparrow wondered as they began to circle her like a pack of wolves, waiting to attack.

They did eventually, and it didn't take them long to overpower her. Moments later they had all of her weapons, after they inappropriately searched her body, had her hands bounded tightly and securely behind her back. They had even gagged her with a foul smelling and tasting rag.

It was at this moment that the last of Sparrow's strength had left her, and as she fell into the world of darkness, she heard on of the pirates say, 'The boss will be pleased.'

-A SECRET ROMANCE-

Several days later, Sparrow awoke in a warm, comfortable bed. She still felt weak and her head was spinning as she looked around the unfamiliar room. The walls were a dark red and had trophy mounts of different guns decorating them. The furniture was a dark mahogany wood. The finniest furniture, and the most expensive furniture, available in Albion; she noticed that a few pieces were actually quite old, ancient even. The bed she was laying in had silk sheets and she was dressed in a white, silk, long, singlet, nightie. Her long, dark red hair cascaded down her back where she now had nothing but scars. In fact, all her wounds were completely healed.

Frowning, she tried to remember what happened.

I was out chasing that strange pack of balverines and once I had defeated them I headed back to the nearest village when… Sparrow frowned as she tried to remember. She soon did. When I was ambushed by the group of thuggish pirates. But, why didn't they kill me? And why are my wounds healed? And why am I in a luxurious room instead of a cage or something?

Sparrow was confused, but then she remembered what one of the pirates had said before she passed out: 'The boss will be pleased.'

The boss. Who was this boss and what did he want from her? Did he capture her for a ransom? Yes, that had to be it. She was the Queen of Albion after all, and she knew that her husband, Adrian, would pay it immediately.

Sparrow's thoughts were interrupted when she hear the sound of a door unlocking. She quickly struggled to sit up and faced the door with a determined look on her face. She was not going to give into this "boss" easily.

The door opened to reveal a young woman, no older than twenty, wearing a servant outfit.

'Oh good; you're awake!' she said happily. 'Would you like some dinner?'

Sparrow just stared at her, before blushing as her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't realised how hungry she was.

'I'll take that as a yes,' the maid laughed, before closing and locking the door behind her as she went off to get Sparrow some food.

How long have I been here for? Sparrow wondered. And when was the last time I ate something?

Around ten minutes later, the maid was back, but she had no food with her.

'Are you strong enough to come downstairs to dine with the Master, madam?' she asked.

'Of course,' Sparrow answered immediately.

She was going to get some answers and she was going to get them now. If she didn't, she was likely to go insane.

Sparrow followed the maid downstairs and into a large dining hall, and sitting right at the far end of the hall, at the head of the table was none other than…

'Reaver!' Sparrow gasped.

She that's where she was; she was at his manor in Bloodstone.

He must have redecorated, thought Sparrow, looking around. So far she was yet to recognise anything familiar.

'Hello, my dear,' a clam Reaver smiled. He was lounging back in his chair.

'Did you save me from the pirates?' Sparrow asked, confused, as the maid led her over to the chair to the right of Reaver.

'Oh no, my dear; it was I that sent them.'

'You what? It was you? You ordered them to ambush and capture me? Why?' Sparrow demanded as the maid forced her into the chair.

'Can't two old friends get together every now and again?' Reaver asked with his famous smirk playing at his lips.

'Sure, but they don't have them ambushed by their men and then kidnapped!' Sparrow said hotly, before looking around the hall.

'Do you like my new lakeside paradise?' Reaver asked, noticing her looking around.

'Lakeside?' Sparrow repeated. 'You mean we're not at your Bloodstone manor?'

'No, will are in Millfields, my dear. I haven't been to Bloodstone in a few years.'

'Millfields? Wait! Are you the noble men that built that huge mansion near Bower Lake and got rid of part of Hero's Hill?'

'Of course I am. Never did like that hill, especially after what happened last time I was on top of it,' replied Reaver, referring to the time he, Hammer, and Garth had transferred some of their energy to Sparrow. 'I made sure to get rid of those bothersome circles on top of the hill, in particular.'

He then fell quiet as a number of maids and servants came out with dinner. Sparrow's tummy gave another embarrassing rumble, which made Reaver chuckle.

'Bon appetite, my dear,' he said as he began to put food on his plate and eat. Sparrow hesitantly followed his example.

'How long have I been here for?' Sparrow asked, after swallowing a mouth-watering slice of pork.

'A week. I was beginning to wonder whether you'd ever wake up,' replied Reaver. 'I'd say it was a good thing my men found you, wouldn't you agree?' he added with a slight smirk.

'What do you really want, Reaver?' Sparrow asked impatiently. She was not going to sit there and play any of his games.

Reaver raised an elegant eyebrow at her bluntness, but answered nevertheless.

'I thought it would be nice if you would stay with me for a while,' he stated calmly, taking a sip of wine. 'Relive some old memories,' he added with a smirk.

'Forget it, Reaver,' Sparrow said, knowing what he meant by old memories. 'I'm married now, with a child. I will not play your ridiculous games with you!'

'But you use to enjoy playing my games,' he said innocently.

'That was ten years ago.'

'You point, my dear?'

'Oh, I think you know what my point is!' snapped Sparrow, standing up abruptly. 'I'm leaving!'

'I thought you might say that,' Reaver said calmly as Sparrow began to storm towards the other end of the dining hall. He snapped his fingers and the door behind him opened, to reveal one of his pirates holding a small boy.

'Mum!' yelled the boy, catching sight of Sparrow's retreating figure.

'Logan!' Sparrow gasped, whipping around and looking at her seven year old, scared son. 'Logan!' she yelled, before hurrying over to him, only to find her way blocked by two more pirates. She wasn't strong enough to fight them off.

'You know, I really dislike children,' said Reaver, who was still eating his dinner. 'With all their whining and complaining… However, I have to say that your son is an exception to those other children. So polite and quite intelligent.'

'What are you doing with my son?' Sparrow demanded, ceasing in her attempt to get to Logan.

'I knew that you would need a little encouragement, so I asked my men to escort the young prince here. I knew that he would be missing his mother,' Reaver said, getting gracefully to his feet and walking over to the scared Logan.

'Let him go!' Sparrow growled.

'I'd love to, but then I would have no power over you,' said Reaver, pointing his Dragonstomper .48 at the side of Logan's head; finger lightly on the trigger.

'Stop! I'll stay with you! Just let Logan go!' begged a fearful Sparrow. Logan was her most precious treasure.

Reaver smirked, put away this Dragonstomper away and motioned for his men to let Logan go, who automatically ran and jumped into Sparrow's arms.

'Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?' Sparrow asked, putting Logan down and began checking for any wounds.

'No, Mum,' Logan answered.

'Are you sure?'

'I'm sure, Mum.'

Sparrow gave a sigh of relief before during angrily to Reaver, who was watching them with a bored expression.

'How the hell did you even get hold of my son?' Sparrow demanded.

'My men found him by the docks at Bowerstone Old Quarter,' Reaver shrugged. 'He was in the water looking at something, when my men shot the two guards he was with and brought him to me. You really should have more bodyguards for the young prince.'

Sparrow glared at him and brought Logan closer to her.

'Adrian will find us,' Sparrow said firmly. 'You can't keep us hidden here forever.'

'I wouldn't be so sure about that, my dear,' Reaver smirked, kneeling down in front of her and grabbing her chin. 'Ever since I first met you, you have interested me. Besides, I let you slip through my fingers once and I will not allow it to happen again.'

'And why's that?'

'You belong to me.'

'In your dreams,' Sparrow snarled.

'Oh, you belong to me then too. And one day, you'll see it to be true.'

Reaver stood up and told his men to escort Sparrow back to her room, before taking Logan out of her grip.


A/N: If you send me an anonymous review, please ADD A WAY OF CONTACT if you wish me to reply to a question. If you were signed in and have asked a question, please have your PM on so I can reply. If none of the above has happened, I will ignore the questions, or will answer it on my facebook page.

Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page: link on profile
Written: 30 January 2012
Updated: 21 July 2012
Beta: wanted