Hey everybody, I am so sorry it took so long to repost this rather short chapter. But life has been CRAZY! Everybody gets three cookies for being so patient! Any cookie you can imagine, and milk, if you should need it. I think you'll like this chapter… or maybe you won't like this chapter, but I hope you do.

To all my Reviewers:

Princess-Amity: Thanks!

lanna-misssunshine: Yes, I suppose you could say that Finn is a bit like Ron Weasley. Ha ha!

AlienaCooper: Wow, thanks!

i'mobsessivecompulsive: Thanks!

lil.angel.on.earth: Thanks! I can't help being obsessed with Darrow… he's hot. Ha ha!

90sgurl: Yeah, the ending was sad… I couldn't leave it like that. Hopefully everybody will live happily ever after this time… or will they?

JainaZekk621: I assure you, they will meet again. However, it won't be a very pleasant reunion I don't think… hint hint.

TooTicklish: Thanks for the review! Yeah, Anna and Darrow are going to have… difficulties.

Juliard III: Ha ha! I hope you like this chapter.

DaWoot: Thank you! I hope this chapter is good… it's kind of short.

MickeyGee: I'm flattered. I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker.

Sincerity 30: Tee hee… I hope you guys don't hate me for making this so hard on Darrow and Anna. It wouldn't be much of a story if they rode off into the sunset on the fifth chapter.

gracereygoose: I really hope you didn't stay at your computer waiting for me! Ha ha! Well, now you can get up.

RainbowWerewolf: Aww… Finn's not stupid… just a little… slow? Yes, slow, Finn is slow, but he has his moments. Haha!

Chapter Four

Marie-Claire

"There you have it, the entirety of the lovely women of Frell! Take your pick! They're all swooning," Finn teased sitting high on his horse beside Darrow who glared at him.

"Then perhaps we should fetch the smelling salts instead," he muttered in response.

Finn rolled his eyes, "You know, they don't really have cooties you know, if that's the problem."

Darrow chuckled waving diplomatically at the clustering crowd, most of which were young maidens who Finn couldn't help but notice were trying very hard to fix their hair. He suppressed a grin and then turned his attention to the open gates of the palace. They rode into the stables and left their horses to rest heading back out into the courtyard, where they had to wave and smile at the people at the gate peering in and sticking combs in their curls.

"Darrow!" Charmont shouted from across the courtyard, "Come with me to the garden and meet Lord Fowlsan and Lady Vivien!"

"Bet you they have a daughter," Finn whispered as they followed Charmont obediently.

"You don't see me denying that they do," Darrow muttered back darkly.

"Maybe she's.." Finn started only be to cut off by Queen Eleanor.

"Ah! Sir Finnegan! Darrow! Lovely to see you back in one piece, I've been expecting the ogres to report that they'd eaten royal meat!" Ella beamed her familiar emerald green eyes, so much like Darrow's, shining anxiously.

"I have missed you as well mother, and I assure you we are in good health," Darrow replied formally aware of the portly lord and his tall rail thin wife.

Finn could barely get out a greeting and managed to withhold his laughter, the man was short and fat, and he had his hands on his stomach and had large rosy cheeks and was clearly a very agreeable sort. His wife towered over him and her face sagged in a careful expression. Eyes hooded, nose high, lips pursed. She didn't seem quite so jolly, she was actually quite pale, ashen even, and Finn found their differences comical.

"Darrow may I present Lord Fowlsan and his lovely and congenial wife Lady Vivien," Charmont said formally, and Finn had to excuse himself temporary to go have and cough politely into his hand.

Darrow bowed to Lord Fowlsan and Lady Vivien smiling, "Ah, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure."

"He's certainly very handsome Queen Eleanor, and polite as well," Lady Vivien said in a very unpleasant nasally voice that almost made Darrow cringe.

Ella smiled, "I thank you for your praise of my son Lady Vivien."

"Oh, forget all these pleasantries lad! All those pretty words you leave to the women!" Lord Fowlsan said in a jovial voice that Darrow liked right away.

"Oh dear, where has Marie-Claire gotten to? I won't have her wondering about without a chaperone! It's scandalous!" Lady Vivien said with absolutely no feeling in her nasally tirade.

"I do believe I spot Marie-Claire now Lady Vivien, over there by the roses," Charmont offered, "Be rest assured that Darrow and Finnegan will keep a good look after her, won't you boys?"

Darrow shot Finn a dark look and nodded, "Of course father, we would never so much as dream of allowing a lovely maiden stray away from safety." He answered as he knew he was expected to answer.

Finn nodded in agreement, "Shall we go introduce ourselves to the Lady then?"

"Do go, and keep my little Marie out of trouble now lads! Come ,Charmont, let us go and have a conversation without our wives hanging over our every word!"

Charmont nodded in agreement and Ella offered Lady Vivien to retire to the palace for a cup of tea, Lady Vivien who looked Darrow over again as if he were a horse she was considering purchasing before following Ella into the palace accepted the invitation.

"Let's get this over with then," Darrow muttered broodingly before turning toward the rose path with Finn on his heels.

"Let's hope she takes after the father," Finn replied quietly so as not to be overheard.

Darrow grinned, "Let's- ah Lady Marie-Clair I presume?"

A small dainty young woman was knelt over a rose bush with the velvet petals delicately brushing her nose as she breathed its perfume; she straightened allowing the boys the first look at her face. At which point Finn had to remember to keep his mouth closed. Darrow kept his composure though in a state of shock, this girl was positively breathtaking.

Dark brown curls framed her kind and angelic face and her gray eyes surveyed the boys curiously. The way she looked at them in a very unimpressed manner reminded him immediately of Anna.

"That would depend upon who is requesting that information," she replied in a melodious voice that was defiant and still lovely.

Darrow smiled, not skipping a beat, "I am sorry, I have forgotten myself, I am Prince Darrow at your service, and this is Sir Finnegan the most trustworthy knight you are likely to find this side of Frell."

She still looked unimpressed by the grand titles, though she replied to their bows with a curtsey she still had a defiant nature. She was so much like Anna, Darrow found it easy to smile at her and persist upon making conversation.

"I met your mother and father just now, what amazing people they are, you must love them very much," Darrow continued, unfazed.

"Yes, my father is indeed a most lovely fellow, but I suspect my mother walks with a broom up her behind," Marie-Claire replied evenly, as if insulting her mother was a daily ritual.

Finn was positively choking with laughter while Darrow managed to simply smile and bow his head as if ashamed of even thinking such a horrendous thought, this was the polite and courtly way of responding. Finn was still chortling when Darrow offered Marie-Claire his arm.

She was like Anna, somehow Darrow couldn't imagine finding somebody better, he needed to make his father happy, and he needed a queen. Anna was a distant memory, this girl was real, and beautiful, defiant nearly to the point of rudeness. Marie-Clair was as close to happy as Darrow figured he would get. So he offered her his arm, and she looped her delicate hand boldly through it and so they continued their stroll with Finn trailing behind in disbelief.

"Blast!" Anna looked around the vacant forest disdainfully, "This isn't Frell! Heavens! Where did they send me?"

She reached back and pulled her bag over her shoulder crinkling her nose at the desolate trees, "This most definitely is not the stream in the forest behind the manor." She would know, she knew the land like the back of her own hand.

However I had been a long time, so she started of in the direction she would have if it were the stream, and sure enough she stumbled through the underbrush an hour later cursing extravagantly and looked up to see the manor sprawling before her.

"Oh…well then," she muttered, miffed.

"Miss Anna?" A plump lady with a few more gray hairs than Anna remembered appeared at the kitchen door, "Miss Anna! Child! I thought for sure that we'd never see the likes of you again! But sure as day, there you stand! And so beautiful!"

"Oh, hello Bella, well met!" Anna called glancing down at her the skirt of her gown, stained and tattered from her rather rough trek through the forest.

"Well met indeed! Charles! Katherine! Our Anna's come back to us! Come child let's get you bathed and rested and fed! You're so skinny! Oh so pretty! You must be exhausted! So pretty! Tell us all about your little lake dear! Your hair got darker, but still positively gorgeous! That charming prince came by six years ago an told us everything! He's such a handsome lad, so sad though."

All the while Anna was being bustled into the kitchen, she was relieved to see that the kitchen hadn't changed as drastically as the forest had, it hadn't changed at all actually. Bella hadn't either, sure, her laugh lines were more prominent and her hair not as brown, however, she was just as talkative and just as strong.

"Sit down love and I shall run and fetch your parents, for sure!" then she left in a flurry of floury skirts leaving Anna alone in the kitchen.

Anna was surprised by how much she'd missed this manor, she sat down on the familiar stool where she'd often taken her breakfasts and looked around drinking it all in. One month, not nearly enough time to see everything she wanted to before being taken back into exile.

"Anna!" Catherine was around her neck in a shot tears brimming over her mother's beautiful eyelashes, "You look so beautiful, I've missed you so much! Sarah sent us a letter all of six years ago and you'd vanished into the night! The house was attacked! And then the Prince came by and told us you were some, lady of the lake, and you never came back! You've no idea what you have put your father and I through young lady!"

Charles was standing in the background, grayer, but still the same, Catherine pulled back to get a better look at Anna and wiped the moisture from her eyes.

"What Darrow said was true, I am the Lady of the Lake, I came to visit," No need to tell them that she could only stay a month and then she was gone forever.

Catherine blanched at her when she poke Darrow's name with such familiarity but quickly recovered, "I'm so happy to see you! This is wonderful! You look exhausted. Get some rest and get settled back in, we shall talk over breakfast tomorrow and you shall tell us everything!"

Then Anna turned to embrace her father, "Welcome home Annie."