A/N: Hi Loyal Readers, Angel Here again. Picked up the Harvest Moon bug and decided to bust out a few more chapters. Reviews have kind of dropped off so I'm not really sure if you guys who were following this still are but I want to at least attempt to finish this. So here's the next chapter. It's a little bit of filler but I introduce a few new characters and kind of show a little into the minds of Chelsea and Vaughn. R&R and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon and all characters belong to Natsume. Hannah is my one and only creation and is not intended to be a character from any other Harvest Moon franchise despite any unintended similarities.

Chapter 9

Vaughn stretched his arms over his head as he sat up in bed. His muscles were sore from the long haul of mucking out the entire barn and reorganizing. He cleaned out the stalls on a daily basis but it was necessary to do a complete changing of the beds once a week. The reason he had planned do so on one of his lesson day wasn't completely an accident either. He'd hoped that it would dissuade her from coming back. Maybe she'd ask for a new instructor.

Still, Chels—Lady Chelsea had handled it quite well. The image of her standing in front of that stall looking irritated at him was fun to remember. And when he had handed her the pitchfork and pointed to the stall instead of getting immediately affronted that he would suggest such a thing she had looked at the fork then at herself and then stall. A look of pure determination had crossed and she handed him back the pitchfork.

That's when he waited for the tirade. The irritated, privileged tirade where she told him exactly what she thought of him and how she wondered why she wasted her time believing he'd change. It was a talk he'd heard many times… for many different reasons. Instead she reached to the end of her perfect braid and pulled out the tie and letting her copper tresses fall down around her face.

And then she reached for her dress, looking up she'd fixed him with her deep blue eyes. He probably looked shocked, or maybe he'd looked normal he couldn't tell. His brain wasn't working. He wasn't even sure why she looked at him challenging him like that until he spoke. "Turn around and be a gentleman won't you?"

He'd immediately turned and faced the stable wall as he felt a small blush steal its way up his neck. Feeling insecure he reached for his hat when he realized that it wasn't there… So instead he'd just stared at the wall as intently as he could as the rustling behind him continued.

"You can turn around, Master Montgomery." She said and as he did he saw that she had used the tie to pull her skirt to just above her knee. That had exposed her ankle boots and a generous expanse of leg without revealing much else. She had nice legs. Taking the pitchfork, she'd walked away then without another word.

He brushed a hand through his hair, banishing that image of her from his thoughts, which flopped right back over his eye and he mused that he needed to get it cut again. Standing up he walked to his window and looked down at the small field in the back of the home he shared with his aunt and cousin. The sun was barely peaking up over horizon in the distance and he knew that he only had a few hours before he'd be needed up at the castle.

Just enough time then. Dressing quickly, he grabbed his hat and vest but didn't don them yet, he took the stairs down two at a time, careful as he could not to make much noise but he knew that she would be in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Vaughn." A cheerful voice greeted him as he rounded the corner to the tiny kitchen. A pot was on the fire in the fireplace and something delicious was boiling away. Not a surprise when Mirabelle Barton was at the helm.

"Morning, Aunt Mira." Setting his hat and vest on the back of a dining chair, he meandered over to the small water pump house in the kitchen and pumped out a bowl of water to wash his face with. Turning back, he saw that she had already ladled out a bowl of porridge for him and was busy counting the eggs she had no doubt rustled from the hens earlier this morning.

As he ate and she counted they sat in relative comfort but he knew it wouldn't last. Mirabelle was one for action, for words. "I always worry when you're not up and about before the Sun." she mused, still busily counting eggs.

"Had a hard day mucking out all the stalls for the stables yesterday is all. A little sore today." He replied as he finished the last of his porridge and walked to the sink to rinse out the bowl.

"Oh?" she replied and he turned to look at her with her warm round features looking intently at the eggs in front of her. "Had nothing to do with the newest edition to the castle then? I heard you're to give her riding lessons."

A small smile curved the edge of his lips. Nothing escaped the notice of his aunt, but this was one thing he refused to discuss with her. "How's Tess feeling this morning?"

Mirabelle looked over her shoulder at him but she saw the look in his eyes and realized that it was as far on the topic that he was willing to discuss. She sighed. She had really wanted to know if the rumors were true… but it looked like there was no way that her loyal nephew would reveal that to her. "She seemed a bit drowsy this morning. She's close to bursting at this point so I think we'll be seeing her drop by next week." She replied and done counting the eggs moved to go down to the shop.

He nodded. "Good. It's been a long wait but that means only good things for us all." He replied and pulling on the vest he grabbed his hat and set it comfortably on his head. "I'll just check in on her before I leave then."

He meandered over and kissed Mira on the cheek before he left.

Mirabelle turned as the door downstairs closed behind him musing that he seemed exactly like him. "I think you'd be proud of the man that your boy has become. I hope that you're up there looking down on him with pride…" she murmured to herself looking up as if she might be able to see her brother smiling down from somewhere. "Mighty proud."

"Julia! Get up, you lazy goose! We've got a long day in the Shoppe today and I'll not have you wasting it away in your bed!" she called as she made her way down the stairs into her shop. She didn't expect she'd get much of a response but she knew that her daughter would be getting up, happy or not.

"…Chelsea…Lady Chelsea." The voice snapped her out of her reverie and Chelsea turned back to look at Sir Nathan who sat across from her his cooling tea gripped in his hands.

His sandy hair was just starting to pull back from his forehead and his blue eyes had paled to an almost grey with his age and despite that it was hard to say his exact age. She did remember Queen Felicia mentioning at least once that Sir Nathan had been the priest on the island when she was a little girl. She wondered silently for a moment if he had looked much the same then as well.

"Um…sorry, Sir Nathan, you were saying…?" she stifled the yawn she always felt when she was in one of her lessons with him. "I'm afraid my mind is just… wandering today."

"Well," he smiled. "No more today than any other… but I was asking how your lessons are going with Master Montgomery?"

"Ah, my lessons…" she looked down at the book that was opened in front of her. Her own cup of tea was always cold. She never really drank it anyway. "They have been very educational for me. I'm learning a lot about myself and about my mount. Evening Light is becoming quite the closest friend I have."

"I see. What are your thoughts on Master Vaughn?"

Chelsea looked up then feeling as if Nathan knew something that she didn't. "His methods are…" she looked down at the table again and felt her mind wander. A few weeks ago she might have said 'domineering' or 'mercenary.' But now… "Innovative is the best word, I think. Because of them I learned things I would never have expected to learn."

She thought about the dream she'd had the other night. "And I feel that I am remembering… something…. I just can't quite grasp it."

Sir Nathan looked up as she said that. "Really? How so dear?"

She looked up at him and saw a spark in his eyes. She explained the vivid dream that she could remember and how pieces of it seemed to be fitting together more. "But every time I see this dream I always know it but I can't remember. It's all so bright like as if I can't remember what the hallway looks like or the castle or place that I'm walking through."

"That's good, that's very good my dear. I knew that I made the right suggestion." He stood and walked to the stained glass window depicting the goddess looking down from the heavens looking down on the representation of the King and Queen with their first son, Elliot.

Sir Nathan stood by the windowsill for a long moment looking staring at the goddess. He stood for so long and the silence was so awkward that Chelsea wondered if she should have mentioned her dreams. Perhaps he was thinking of a polite way to tell her she was crazy or that she should stay within the castle walls or…

"Let's take a walk down by the Goddess Lake, my dear." He said suddenly and Chelsea looked up to see him holding out a warm round hand which had an insignia ring on the pink with a strange 'M' marking just like the necklace he wore around his neck. "The night air will do us both some good."

She nodded mutely promising herself she would stop having inner freak-outs. No one was going to kick her out in the cold. Everyone here cared a lot about her. Even Vaughn did, in his own quiet way, although she hadn't noticed it at first.

Together she and Sir Nathan walked out of his private study and past his small pedestal. Outside a small pebbled path that to the right of the small church from its position on top of the hill at the furthest west part of the castle grounds. The building itself was cobbled and ancient although its walls showed that it was well cared for and the four stain glass windows on either side always glimmered as if they were freshly scrubbed. One set of windows, including the Goddess' Blessing looked into Sir Nathan's private studies but afforded a viewer from the outside no view inside. The other stained glass windows depicted various important events with the goddess watching down over the island.

Just a little further down the way, Goddess Pond was a small, glassy surface in the glittering moonlight. Around the pond, set far enough back so as not to interrupt the tranquility, two small pedestals with torches that were always lit gave the only soft glow.

Keeping a steady tread, the two walked in tandem beside the tranquil waters. "Do you know the legend behind these waters, Lady Chelsea?"

Chelsea looked up at the stars and breathed in a big sigh. She loved the feeling of being outside beneath the stars. It was the one thing she loved about her late lessons with Sir Nathan. But it was rare that Sir Nathan would insist they come outdoors. Typically she could only enjoy the stroll after the lesson. Still she was glad, especially since the topic of study was the one thing she seemed to have retained so easily.

The first day she had been allowed to enter the library she had seen a giant book sitting open on the table. It was legend of the island.

"It's said that the Goddess of Harvest lived high up in the heavens, her only companions the stars. The stars were the goddess eyes and ears for they spent their days watching the people of earth and listening to their wishes. In return they whispered these people's wishes to the Goddess so that she could grant their every desire and see their happiness. But simply watching the lives below was not enough and so the Goddess decided she wanted a place that she could witness the happiness more up close." She paused seeing that the lake seemed to be like the entire sky itself before them.

"So she searched the world and her stars, wishing for her happiness as well, told her that there was an island with a small lake whose waters were the stars themselves. Through the lake she watched over the island and legend says that those who are purest of heart and closest to the earth can summon her by giving an offering."

"Very good, Lady Chelsea, very… accurate."

She couldn't take her eyes away from the waters though she was aware that Sir Nathan was almost shoulder to shoulder with her. Something felt right here. Something felt familiar. It was almost as if she could slip into the waters and wash away with them into the sky, into the universe.

A flower was thrust into her face and she stepped back the spell broken as she looked from the yellow bloom up to Sir Nathan's face. "Shall we test this Legend?" he said and there was that spark again of interest in her reaction.

She looked from him to the flower… a Moondrop Flower. Taking it delicately in her hand she looked at its soft petals and smiled. "But Sir Nathan… it's only a legend. Surely… the Goddess would have more important things to do than answer the summons of mere commoners."

"Ah, Lady Chelsea, I am quite sure that you are not a mere commoner." He said the last words with such stress that she felt uneasy all of sudden. But instead of showing it she smiled and leaning over the lake edge she eased the flower into the water and though its stem sank the flower itself floated.

Crouched as she saw she watch the flower float away a yellow star on a vast tranquil ocean of stars reflecting back from the dark of the waters. She watched it and part of her waited for something to happen. But of course nothing did.

She looked up at Sir Nathan then. His pale eyes fixed on the flower as it floated to the center of the lake. "Well, at the very least, I'm not important enough for the Harvest Goddess this evening…" she said as she stood and straightened her skirts.

"Lady Chelsea."

Whatever Sir Nathan may have said in return he never got the chance as Hannah walked up the pathway her neat tidy hair haloed in the lamplight that was lit at the pathway that led back to the castle. "Ah, Hannah!" she waved and then remembering herself turned back to Sir Nathan. "I trust our lessons are complete for the evening?" she said more formerly.

He turned then almost startled from his reverie. "Ah, yes, yes of course. Good morrow, Lady Chelsea. I will see you next Sunday for our usual lessons."

"Of course, good morrow, Sir Nathan." She dipped a curtsy and sedately walked down to the pathway without looking back.

Sir Nathan remained upon the lake's edge watching as the flower drift back and forth as if pulled by some unknown current. Slowly as he watched and the echo of footfalls drifted away Sir Nathan could see what Lady Chelsea would not allow herself to see. Just at the edges of the flower petals, fireflies had gathered dancing upon the petals as if attracted by some unknown force.

A ghost of a smile inched at the corner of his lips. "Oh no, Lady Chelsea, you are so much more… You just don't… see it. Yet."