Chapter One

The Music Box

"They're very ill. The doctors tell me they have never seen anything like this before, but Helena and Amelia are strong. I know they'll pull through," Lucien's voice was low with the grim feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. As much as he told people that his wife and daughter would be feeling better soon, he couldn't help but feel as if he were lying. There was no denying that without proper medical care for their illness, they were never going to be the same. And until the researchers figure out exactly what they are suffering from, there would be no way to give them what they needed.

"You and your family are in my thoughts, Lord Lucien," replied Garrett. Lucien had recently appointed Garrett as the Sheriff for the area of his namesake garden. Fairfax Gardens was a quiet place where mostly Aristocrats occupied, but one can never be too careful with the safety of the Albion people. Lucien nodded a thank you at Garrett and dismissed him from the throne room, readying himself for the difficult day of research that lay ahead. Recently, Lucien had developed an interest in the Old Kingdom, for an old friend of his, Garth, had been speaking of the magic some artifacts were known to possess. Lounging in his cushioned burgundy throne which was, in his opinion, rather too tall for a chair, throne or not, he began thinking of the book he had found and read several days before.

The book was covered in dirt and dust when it was brought to him. It had been found buried in an old cave just outside of Rookridge. Using a handkerchief to clear the debris off of the cover, he came to the realization that this book was no ordinary research book. On the dark brown cover, a very faint imprint of a strange yet familiar symbol was visible. It looked as if the letter "S" had been turned backwards with a line crossing vertically in the middle of it. Two circles sat at both the top and bottom, giving Lucien the thought of two gems placed in order to connect the two separate parts. It was then that he had the realization that he had this same design on the floor in a part of his study.

He had seen it once before while traveling with Helena about one year before Amelia was born. Helena had mentioned how interesting it was and how much she would love it somewhere in the castle. Thinking is was just a silly pattern for a local club or something, Lucien slowly pulled out a pen and paper and sketched it the best he could considering he wasn't much of an artist. Once home, he showed the interior designer of the castle the exotic pattern that he and his wife had found and instructed the man to place it in a large circle in Helena's library. It took about a month, but it was well worth the wait. Helena was ecstatic to see it in her favorite room, and oddly enough, it was in that spot that Lucien was told he would soon be a father. When Helena and Amelia became ill, Lucien moved his studies into Helena's library, the room she loved so much, and began seeing the design every day.

Yes, that symbol held a lot of memories for Lucien, however he did not realize that it may also hold a lot more. He opened the book, stained with time, and found scribbles of a journal, dated back to the Old Kingdom era. Whether this book would prove to be a waste of his time or not, Lucien knew he must give it a chance. Anything that could bring him closer to helping his family was worth the try. The book spoke of many relics that contained different powers, but there was one that jumped out into Lucien's head. It was a music box that the writer of the journal had heard about from his mentor. This music box, when used by someone with magical blood coursing through their veins may grant one wish to the user, though nothing else was known about it.

One wish. One wish was all Lucien needed. One wish and his beautiful daughter would be running through the halls of the castle again, chanting rhymes she had learned from other children. One wish and he would be sitting in the library with his wife as she told him of the latest book she read. Just one wish and they would not be in the infirmary on their, he hated to admit it even in his own mind, death beds. It was while reading that section of the diary that he knew he must find the ancient music box that would grant him the only thing he wanted in this world. His family.

"Lord Lucien, you must come quick," Jeeves, the butler of the castle, snapped him out of his trance. Lucien had still been sitting in his throne, his body hunched over and his head in his hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked, not really needing to. He knew it was Helena and Amelia. They didn't have long, and his heart was pounding through his head with the understanding that this may have been their last day. He followed Jeeves to the infirmary where, to Lucien's great despair, his daughter's breathing was becoming shorter and more difficult by the second. He knelt to her bed, placed his hand on her head, and uttered the last words he would ever say to his darling Amelia.

"I love you, my dear daughter. Don't worry, Daddy will find a way to bring you back," tears flooded his eyes as Amelia took one last breath and left the world to arrive into the unknown area that is death. He did not remove his hand from her long brown hair until several hours later, when she had to be taken from the castle to Bowerstone Cemetery. It was then that he began to pour himself into his research on where the Old Kingdom music box might be. He would explore Albion after reading cryptic hints in many different books, but to no avail.

A week after the death of his daughter, his wife Helena joined her. He did not see her when she went, it had been in the middle of the night, but when he woke in the morning, his world had collapsed around him. They were gone. Both of them. His family that he worked so hard to please and who he loved so much was gone in the blink of an eye. Helena and Amelia were the only two that kept him going in this world, that gave him drive to be better than anything he had ever been.

Weeks passed and Lucien never left his study. The only person he saw was Jeeves, who brought him the lunches and dinners that went untouched. Lucien lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, not able to find the will to live. He continued to stay buried in his books, mostly the journal that spoke of the music box. He had sent out a message to the guards everyday reminding them to keep on the lookout for odd items and occurrences. Maybe, just maybe, he still had a chance to bring back his family, his life. He hadn't moved from his study or seen anyone other than Jeeves for weeks, until Derek, a guard in Bowerstone Old Town was brought to him.

"Lord Lucien, a guard says he saw something that may be of concern to you," Jeeves bowed and waited for a response.

Hesitantly, Lucien replied, "Send him in."

"Lord Lucien, it has come to my attention that two orphans bought some kind of music box from that man Murgo in Old Town. I was covering my grounds when I found them in a clearing, making a wish. I began walking quickly to see just what they were up to, you never know with children these days, and was greeted by a white light. It was almost blinding it was so bright. I then heard one complaining that the music box was supposed to take them to the castle. It was supposed to grant their wish. It was very odd and I knew you would be interested so I came here," explained Derek. He seemed nervous to be around Lucien when no one else had in quite a while. Lucien put down the pen that was in his hand and turned to the guard. Derek held back his instinct to gasp upon seeing Lord Lucien's face. Dark shadows fell under his eyes, which were once bright with love and kindness, but that were now dull and angry. Wrinkles were forming around his mouth regardless of his young age, and he was about 30 pounds thinner than when Derek last saw him. There were a few moments of silence before Lucien spoke again.

"Did you follow the children to where they are staying?"

"Yes, my Lord," replied Derek. He had found that the children, one about 13 years of age, the other almost 9, were living in an area with a roof but no walls. The "house" had been made of wood and had two tattered blankets laid out for beds.

"Find them," Lucien stated quickly, "and bring them to me, quickly."

"Yes, my Lord."