Chapter 2

Snow wanted the matter of Duke Drake resolved. Her daughter's party continued as she took her leave to the royal library. Once there she went through her father's papers, looking for anything that may tell her of this arranged marriage.

Eric watched from the door, Hope asleep on his shoulder. "Snow, can't this wait till later. Hope needs her mother and I my wife. Come back to the party and let Lily handle this."

I stand outside the library, waiting for Snow to calm down. Eric looks at me, waving for me to enter. I stand by the door watching her go through scroll after scroll, her mood determined.

Snow throws a narrowed glance at Eric, her green eyes blazing. "No, it has to be here. Not here but here, I have it Eric. I knew I could find it. There are the scrolls that my father kept for my Aunt Victoria. Father handled all of her affairs after Uncle passed."

Rolling out the scroll it states the indeed Lord Lynus Aston had promised his daughter's hand to Duke Drakes eldest son. Upon her sixteenth birthday their courtship would commence with a wedding by her seventeenth. Snow reads these words, her blood boiling.

"How could Uncle do this, to his own daughter? Father would have never done this to me, would he? Lily is married now and a woman, surely the church would uphold her union with William." Snow gazes up to see me waiting by the door. "Lily, I'm sorry. Come and we shall see what else we can find."

Hope wakes, becoming restless in her father's arms. "Alright little one, we'll go back."

Snow looks up at her babe, smiling sweetly at her husband. "I will hurry husband, I promise."

"Snow, what does this mean?" I take a scroll, my hands shaking.

"Nothing, this means nothing." Snow covers my hand with hers.

Continuing the scroll, it reads of the union between the two lands. Lord Aston and Duke Drake agreed upon the promise of marriage that the Duke would bind all that is his to the King.

Snow takes a large book from the shelf, turning the pages rapidly. "This pact was made before the great war Lily. It would seem that Duke Drake feared his land would be taken and his people enslaved if he did not join with my father. I'm sorry that yet again you are faced with a secret your mother kept from you. I think we should seek out Duke Edmond, he seems to know more than we."

Finding Duke Edmond at the party Snow asked him to tell us what he knows of Duke Drake.

"Queen, I was there when the agreement was made. Your father knew of his sister's concerns. Princess Victoria pleaded with King Magnus to find another way to gain Duke Drakes loyalty. Lord Lynus convinced the king that this was the only way. The northern territory in the mountains is part of your kingdom my Queen, given to your father by the promise of this union. The young Duke Drake can demand the hand he was promise or take back the land. You risk making a strong enemy my Queen." Duke Edmond speaks in a hushed tone, never looking at me.

Snow squares her shoulders, glaring back at the Duke. "If he was one of my father's subjects then his land was already under my father's rule."

"Duke Drake's land was not in your father's boarders. The king he served was dark and power hungry, he was the king your father drove back during the Great War. After the war your father made accordance with the king's son and the two lands have lived in peace. Ravenna devoured that land, before she took your father's. We did not know that Duke Drake still lived or that his mother had told him of this union. I think it best you take this matter to the Royal Council my Queen." Duke Edmond excuses himself, going back to the party.

"This man has no hold on me Snow. I am William's wife and nothing will change that. I'm sorry if this will cause a hardship upon the land." Snow's lips press together hard as she takes my hand.

"To me, the matter is solved. I will talk to this Duke Drake tomorrow. All will be well cousin. Go, find your husband and enjoy the party." She sounded assured but her body language gave her true feeling away.

Going back to the party, I find Eric with Hope in his lap. The little girl looked at her father with such love. Her big blue eyes shining so brilliant, her hands tucked into Eric's.

"Eric, have you seen William?" Eric looks up to me, the biggest smile on his face.

"Aye, he is with your children. Iris demanded his attention. I must say Lily, he does spoil her. Spoiling my Hope is so easy, she is my heart. I have my wife and my daughter that is more than I ever hoped for." He kisses Hope's small cheek, making the babe giggle.

"One day Eric you are going to have to give her hand away. William as already said no man will ever be good enough for his little girl. I tell him he will not have a choice once she is grown." Eric gives me a scowled look.

"Aye, I agree with William. I say let them come and they just may find an axe waiting for them." Eric chuckles, his blue eyes smiling.

"You are serious Eric. I can tell already that when Hope is of age and she means to take on suitors you will forget that you are king and the huntsman will take over." I take a set by him, stroking Hope's soft dark hair.

"I am always the huntsman Lily. These clothes and this title are not me; I am Snow's husband and Hope's father, nothing more." His soft tone is something I wasn't use to.

He lifts Hope in his lap, the little girl hugging her father tight. "Da…Da." She pressed her face against his beard, scrunching her face.

William brings the children over to us, Hunter crawling in my lap. He hands me a wooden horse he is playing with, wanting me to play with him. I make the sound of a horse making him laughing so gleefully. Eric turns Hope around, her eyes going wide when she sees William. The babe reaches up, clapping her hands. "Will…Will." William takes her making Iris pout.

Eric takes Iris, tickling her belly. "Hello my little flower." William dances with Hope in his arms, her little head resting on his shoulder.

Snow walks up behind me, love glowing from her eyes. "Look at this cousin. No long ago I would have said this would have been impossible. Hope loves William so, much as I did when I was younger. Do not worry cousin, I will right this wrong. If I lose the northern lands, then so be it."

Snow stands beside William, her hand rubbing Hope's back. I look at the scene before me, hoping this happiness is not an illusion. My baby boy wiggles out of my arms, playing in the floor.

I gaze out over my shoulder to see Duke Drake talking to Duke Edmond in the hall. A wave of nausea rolls over me, as I see the smile on his lips.