Hey everyone!

So, now that you girls and guys know what lies at the heart of Bo and Lauren breaking up, is anyone out there still aware of the fact that Rochester and the O'Breens are around and that they're not there for a social tea and biscuits?

Yes? No?

Oh well...

It's about to all come to a head...:-)

Shorter chap this one, but hopefully entertaining!

Reviews at the bottom!

The Heir of Arundel

Chapter 10

The practice courtyards

Bo's brow was pearling in sweat leaning on her wooden sword and inhaling sharply. For the last 45 minutes, Tamsin had been putting Bo through a thorough work-out and the brunette was loving every minute of it. Tamsin's strength was incredible, and now that they were just having good fun, now that the blonde was relaxed, her calm and focus made for a much wilier opponent. As Tamsin approached again, Bo raised her sword again and smiled up at the blonde.

"Stop holding back, kid!" The blonde rolled her eyes as Bo simply blocked Tamsin's attack again.

"You're good, but you need to use more of that offensive skill." "It's like you're only ever waiting for the other party to make a mistake or grow tired."

"Worked with you." Bo smirked.

Tamsin dropped her wooden sword, her shoulders slumped."Yes, it did, but that was the arena" "It's different in real life, kid." "You have AMAZING skills, but you need to make opportunities for yourself, openings." "Open battle isn't the arena, it's not about technique and playing the waiting game." "It's about killing before the other party kills you."

"You've been in battle before?" Bo asked.

"I was in the battle of Crawley." "I had just joined up, I was barely a year older than you are now." The battle of Crawley had been the last big battle between the McKennas and the Giffords before a fragile truce had settled in. The battle had been horrendous with hundreds of dead on the battle field before nightfall. Tamsin hadn't really spoken about it to anyone and she wasn't quite sure why she was talking to Bo about it now. She wasn't the type to go emo on people, instead preferred alcohol and a good deal of suppression to get through life.

"You and Dyson are way too chivalrous." "You can't afford that luxury." "You need a killer instinct." Tamsin was serious. Bo was still young, she was a truly exceptional fighter, but her instinct to be gallant and chivalrous would get her killed on the battle field. Tamsin had seen it before. Bodies of 15 and 16 year-olds strewn across the field, their lifeless eyes looking up at her, seemingly questioning her why she had survived when they had not. Tamsin did not want that for either of the Arundels.

Bo nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." "My teacher always did say I liked showing off too much" Bo added with a chuckle.

"He sounds like an ass."

Bo chuckled. "Nah, she just knows me well, I suppose."

"She?"

"My mother."

"Lady Amelia?" Tamsin asked incredulously.

"One and the same." "When I was in Eolas I had an Elven instructor, but mom could give him a run for his money." Bo laughed lightly. "She could definitely teach him a thing or two about disciplining." Bo laughed harder now.

"She taught Dyson too?"

Bo nodded. "In his case I think there was more disciplining involved than actual teaching." "He never liked fencing or sword fighting."

Tamsin laughed out loud at that. "Go, Mrs. A!"

"She also taught me how to ride a horse and how to shoot a bow." "She'll be in the race tomorrow, she won it last time."

"Are you kidding me?" "I would never expect your mom to be such a badass!" "I was watching her when Dyson was competing in the jousting event." "She looked like she was about to pee her pants!"

Bo laughed. "I know!" "It's weird, because she really does abhor violence, and she can get so scared for us when we compete, but when she does it, she's fearless."

"You're lucky." Tamsin said. "Lord Thomas seems like a nice guy, too."

"He is." Bo nodded. "They're good parents." Bo didn't need to be a mind reader to know that the topic of parents was a sore one for Tamsin. Bo knew Lady Sutton had died over ten years ago, and the Duke was a notoriously strict and unamicable man. It was a good moment to change the subject, and Bo did to something that had been bothering her since Tamsin and her first talked that morning.

"Tamsin,.." Bo began, making Tamsin look up at her when she used a nickname. "I've been meaning to ask: when you saddled Cassius with Liam when was that exactly?" Something Lauren had told Bo about Tamsin's retrograde amnesia had been bothering her.

"Uhm, I guess that was somewhere in between saying goodbye to you at the castle and before the race?"

Bo nodded, her suspicions confirmed.

"That's weird, huh?" "I never thought of that, but it's weird that I remember an event in between parts that I don't." Tamsin murmured.

"Very." Bo said. "From what Lauren told me about your type of memory loss, it shouldn't be possible."

"What does that mean?"

"I think someone did this to you." "Someone made you forget."

"What?" "Who?" Tamsin exclaimed.

"Rochester." Lauren had advised not to tell Tamsin about her suspicions, but Bo threw caution to the wind. If someone had done this to Tamsin, then they were dealing with a whole different type of scenario, and Bo couldn't shake the feeling that they needed answers quickly.

"Brandon?" Tamsin asked incredulously."

"Look, I know you've been ehm..." "I know he's been coming to your room at night." "Did you break up with him or something?" "Would he want to take revenge?"

"Break up?" Tamsin laughed then shook her head. "There's nothing to break up."

"Oh?" Bo frowned.

"I'm a succubus Bo, I need sexual energy to live." Tamsin said in one breath. "I ehm…well, sex for me is kind of like eating."

"So uhm." Bo felt instantly awkward. "You have many eh dining partners?"

"A few." Tamsin cringed. "I need various partners to sustain me." Tamsin always hated explaining that part of her life. She liked sex, it was in her nature to do so, but it didn't mean that she didn't have any morals or standards.

"I understand." Bo just said. "So Rochester is one of those partners."

"Yeah." "No strings attached." "No emotions."

"And you're sure he doesn't have any for you?"

"Positive, the only one he's in love with is himself."

Bo sighed. "Alright." She was racking her brain, trying to think of the options. "Did you see something?" "Something that you shouldn't have seen?"

Tamsin tried to remember, but it was no use, so she shrugged in frustration.

"I don't know!" "Why are you so sure it's him?"

Bo told Tamsin the entire story of her rescue, how she had crossed paths with him, and how her entire body had screamed out Rochester was responsible.

"Obscura have a sense for these things." "It's a gut feeling" "Dyson tells me I shouldn't…"

"I believe you." Tamsin interrupted. "He's bitter." "Very bitter, and jealous."

Bo frowned. "About?"

"He believes he's entitled to more than what he has now." "He can't stand Dyson." "He once told me Dyson didn't deserve to be a Commander, that the Arundels didn't deserve their wealth and power." "Mind you, he was drunk at the time he said that, so I never really did pay too much attention to it" "But…" Tamsin's voice trailed off.

"But?" Bo asked.

"His bitterness runs deep." I do think he's one of those people who would do anything to get what he wants." Tamsin said thoughtfully. "And if I was in the way of getting what he wanted…"

Bo nodded her head. "Which leaves the question: what does he want?

"Let's go find Dyson." Bo said. Her brother had told her that he'd talk to the sheriff if they had more evidence, and Tamsin's weird sense of memory loss was all the proof Bo needed. As the pair set off in search of Bo's brother, the brunette couldn't help but wonder what happened to Lauren. The archery event was only a mere hour away and Bo had expected the blonde to be back by now.

Arundel Forest

Brandon of Rochester sat sharpening his sword. He was in a foul mood. Around him a couple of men were drinking too much and laughing, joking, making too much noise and not taking the task at hand seriously enough. He hated mercenaries, especially unprofessional ones. Brandon flinched when one of the men knocked over a pile of swords making a terrible ruckus, he winced from jerking away involuntarily. His entire body still ached from the beating he had received from Colm, but it wasn't going to stop him from reprimanding the men, especially when he wasn't there. Determined, he walked up to the men and knocked the mugs out of two of the men's hands.

"Stop drinking!" he yelled. "We are setting out in under an hour"

The group mercenaries laughed. 'the little prince is upset!" One of them pointed and mocked. 'throwing a temper tantrum" The man moved quicker than Brandon would have given him credit for and yanked him by the scruff of the neck.

"This isn't our first fight, little Prince." The man said menacingly. "So watch your mouth, unless you want another beating!"

Brandon's eyes flashed yellow as he reversed roles and wrapped a strong hand around the man's throat slowly squeezing the life out of him

"There is a reason why I have a title and lands and you don't, vermin." Brandon hissed. The Rochester heir now had the attention of most of the mercenaries who had turned their heads towards the commotion. "I am a Naga." he said while extending his teeth. "I am on top of the food chain, and I would warn you not to mess with me." Brandon lifted the mercenary up with one hand and threw him back as if he were nothing but a rag doll.

"Anyone who touches another drop of alcohol will have to answer to me!" The Naga hissed. "Do you understand?" The mercenaries around him cowered away in fear pouring out their mugs of beer. Brandon of Rochester smirked. He hadn't planned on showing his strength so early in the game, but O'Breen wasn't there, and Brandon needed to feel better about himself. Beating someone up always did that.

Arundel forest

Lauren stood slumped over, her hands on her knees for support. She still felt sick to her stomach, but she righted herself up again, and leaned against a tree behind her. She took in a sharp breath, and tried to calm her heart, her mind, tried to settle herself so she could do what otherwise came so naturally to her and think clearly. When her breathing evened out the Elf ran her hands through her hair and exhaled. Lauren was not the type of person to shirk her responsibilities, the Vandiir had made that clear to her, and yet at the same time she was as sure about Bo as she was about her role as future sovereign.

The thought of having to do one without the other was crippling, and her heart, her stomach and her entire body, more so than her mind fought the idea again to the point that she was sick to the stomach again. Forget rational thought. Lauren was desperate at this point, and she needed something to cling to, hope, however small it was.

Amelia.

Perhaps Lauren could talk to Amelia, perhaps she could tell Amelia about her and Bo. Perhaps Amelia would understand, perhaps she could take this pain away that was threatening to break the Elf.

Lauren set off towards Arundel at a lower pace than the one that had gotten her deep into the woods. After about ten minutes into her trip back, Lauren recognized where she was, she was near the waterfall where she, Dyson, Bo and Sam would come to play. The Elf veered off course. She didn't want to revisit old memories by going there, but she desperately wanted to splash some cool water on her face, perhaps get rid of the redness and puffiness of her eyes. The Elf sat bent over the clear stream that came down from the waterfall when her Elvish hearing picked up on a raised voice. She couldn't quite place the voice, but there was something familiar about it. In any case, it was peculiar to hear voices this deep in Arundel forest. The closer the Elf moved towards the voices, the clearer their words became. The Elf approached with stealth, when she was close enough she peeled back the foliage that was keeping her hidden. She thought she had been imagining things when she recognized the voice she'd been hearing, but here was visual confirmation. Brandon of Rochester was surrounded by men wearing the green colors of Gifford. The elf quickly counted and swallowed down a gasp. There were easily more than a hundred men around the campsite. Lauren's heart thudded in her chest. This many Gifford supporters and Brandon in the middle, could mean only one thing.

Lauren pulled back intent on warning everyone at Arundel Castle, but before she could she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head.

She blacked out.

Arundel forest: 30 minutes later

Lauren's hands were burying themselves in dirt trying to break her fall. She stared at feet, when she looked up she saw Brandon of Rochester staring back at her with a smirk on his face.

"Caught her snooping in the bushes." a low booming voice said behind her. Lauren turned her head and looked behind her, but the sudden movement made her feel dizzy. It was obvious she'd been hit on the head hard. The large man behind her had red hair, a big nose and a strong jawline with even stronger shoulder and arms.

"Who is she?" Colm O'Breen demanded.

"One of the servants." Brandon lied. He'd recognized Lauren of Eolas straight away, but he wasn't going to divulge her true identity to Colm. The royal Elf was worth a fortune. If he played his cards right he could fetch a very handsome ransom for the blonde, and Colm would never be the wiser.

"Kill her!" Colm gestured to his soldiers offhandedly.

"No!" Brandon intervened quickly. "She's worked at the castle for years!" "She knows all of the servants entries and corridors, we should take her with us."

Colm considered Brandon's words and then nodded his head. "Fine." "But, she is your responsibility, Rochester!" Colm barked. "Don't fuck up again."

Brandon bowed his head in mock respect. "Yes, sir." Brandon picked Lauren up from the ground by her arm. "Come with me." He said as he yanked her with him. When they had turned away from Colm O"Breen, Brandon smiled, things were finally looking up for him again. When they were out of earshot, Brandon's voice was menacing as he spoke.

"Play along, Princess." Rochester flashed his fangs "Or I'll ensure you a painful death."

"You're a Naga." Lauren said taken aback. Nagas were extremely rare and powerful creatures. Their glands could excrete different types of venom that could have various effects on the person they bit. When Rochester threatened with a painful death, he wasn't bluffing.

"Why?" "Why are you doing this?" Lauren asked and got the back of his hand in her face as a reply.

"Why?" Brandon sneered as Lauren lay on the ground again. "Because I am a Naga." "I should be royalty!" "Not those cowardly Arundels!" They are all powerful and yet they refuse to use their power to help us, they refuse to end this war!"

Lauren shook her head, but she couldn't shake her dizziness. Lauren would have taken her chances in a fight with the Naga, but the knock on her head had given her a concussion. She was no match for the Naga now.

"No one can end this war on their own." Lauren said.

Rochester laughed heartily, and when he spoke, his tone was condescending. "So naïve, the Arundels have power beyond what you can conceive." "Why do you think the King married out his daughter to them?" "They just refuse to use it!"

"You're delusional!" Lauren spit back. Brandon hit Lauren again. He could see he had bloodied her lip and he laughed. He loved seeing the high and mighty fall and crawling at his feet. He was developing a taste for this.

"Whatever you believe, Princess, it doesn't matter." "Tonight Arundel will fall." "Your precious Arundels and parents will be no more." "And when you see Arundel burn, when you see your loved ones dead, remember that they were slain by my hand." "And the best thing, the best thing is that there will be nothing you can to do about it." "You'll be sold, like a common slave!" Brandon cackled and Lauren wanted to strike him, but the world was spinning in front of her again and she knew she wasn't going to remain conscious for long.

Not long at all.

Arundel Castle

It took Bo and Tamsin a while to locate Dyson, but when they had, Bo's brother listened attentively to the pair's story. Even Dyson couldn't explain away Tamsin's strange memory loss, and needed to agree that someone, most likely Brandon of Rochester, was manipulating events. They had spoken to the sheriff, and although the bald, corpulent man was all too keen on helping out the Duke's son, his men were out patrolling the surrounding villages and would not return until the next day. Meanwhile the archery event had already started, and Bo's worry for Lauren was only increasing. Lauren had never explained to Bo how long the Vandiir would take, but surely Lauren would have never let it interfere with the tournament. Or had the Vandiir changed her priorities that much?

"Something is wrong." Bo suddenly said, her Obscura senses pulling her out of her train of thought abruptly.

"Not big on specifics are you?" Tamsin commented.

"She's right." Dyson said. The older Arundel sensed it too.

"It's Lauren." The siblings spoke together.

"Whoa!" Tamsin jumped at the double voice. "Neat trick!"

"She's hurt" Bo said. She could feel the Elf's distress from where she was standing. And then, suddenly, the connection was lost, and Bo's heart sunk.

"What happened?" Dyson asked. "He had felt Lauren's fear and despair, however faint, and then there was nothing." He knew his sister's link to Lauren was stronger than his.

Bo was starting to panic. Not being able to sense Lauren anymore, could mean only three things. Either Lauren was out of range of Bo's powers, she was unconscious or she was dead.

"I can't sense her anymore either." "We need to find her." Bo told her brother. Without speaking the pair ran to the stables.

"Where are we.." "Hey!" "Cut a succubus a break!" Tamsin said following the pair mindlessly. "Mind telling the non-telepath what's going on?"

"Lauren's hurt." Dyson spoke as they ran. "She's somewhere in Arundel forest, but we can't sense her anymore"

"Oh." was all Tamsin said, realizing the severity of the situation and increasing her pace.

"We need a search party, Dys!" Bo said. "The forest is too big!" "It'll take days with just the three of us!"

"I know!" her brother replied. When the three reached the stables, Sam and Anne were outside.

"Where were you guys?" Anne asked 'she'd been waiting for her partner to show up so they could start the tournament. "I've been looking all over for you." Anne said to Dyson.

"Something's happened to Lauren." Dyson's tone and eyes spoke of urgency. "She's in the forest and she's hurt." "We need to go look for her."

Anne's eyes widened."We'll help you look for her!" Sam said for the both of them. Anne was already heading inside the stables, and the rest of them followed her inside. There were hardly any people there, just the groomsmen and stable boys tending to their master's horses, but by sheer luck William of Salischester and George of Wilton were there too. Dyson quickly briefed them on what happened, and George was quick to mount his horses to help out. William stayed behind to organize more search parties, and would join up later, Dyson expressly telling him not to alert his parents or the Eolas", he didn't want to cause any panic. The six of them set off in pairs, each pair with their own search area. Bo partnered with Tamsin, while Dyson and Anne set off together, George and Sam were the last pairing. As George of Wilton was a powerful telepath, the three search groups could keep in contact with one another as they traipsed through the forest.

Arundel Forest several hours later

Light was slowly fading, Bo and Tamsin had been combing the woods for hours, and still there was no trace either physical or mental of Lauren. Every half an hour she would check in with her brother and George, but they too had had no luck.

"We'll find her." Tamsin said out of the blue.

"I thought you said you weren't a telepath."

"I'm not." "But your aura is nothing but grey at the moment, and there is nothing as lethal for sexual auras as despair."

"I just want her to be okay." "Right now, I don't even care if she still loves me or not." "I just want her to be okay." Bo's voice quivered.

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Well, suck it up and keep searching, brat." "You're not doing the Elf any favors by moping."

Tamsin was waiting for Bo to shout at her for being insensitive and all of the other comments her observations usually elicited, but instead the Obscura stayed quiet. In fact, when the succubus glanced over she could see Bo stifle a sob and nod her head as if the bobbing movement would clear her mind. Without saying another word, the pair continued.

Arundel forest, O'Breen encampment

Light slowly trickled back into Lauren's field of vision, it was a fragile hold on consciousness, but at least, it was one. Lauren registered it was torch light that had caught her attention, and panic warped through her mind and body. She remembered everything in a dreaded flash, the planned attack, the need to warn Arundel, passing out. How long had as he been out? Where was she? Lauren scrambled to her feet, but quickly needed to pace herself as she was still feeling the effects of the concussion.

She was in Rochester's tent, she recognized her surroundings now. He had left her here? Lauren wasn't going to overthink her luck. For some reason, Brandon of Rochester had left her alone, hadn't bothered to tie her up. Lauren stumbled over to the tent exit and carefully peeled back the thick cloth just enough so she could glance outside.

Lauren exhaled, both in relief and frustration. There were about ten men right outside of the tent, huddled around the fireplace and drinking. In the background, she could see the rearguard of the O'Breen army getting suited up. That meant two things. One thing she was immensely grateful for, the other one making her extremely anxious. It was obvious that the attack on Arundel hadn't started yet, but the troops were moving out and Lauren's window to warn people was getting narrower by the second. She needed to get out of here. As soon as the rearguard had left.

There were only so many things she could do in the physical state she was in: she could draw a little bit of energy from the ground, but not enough to heal herself. Only the ruling monarch was able to do that outside of Eolas. Fighting a whole army or ten men for that matter, was out of a the question. Taking off at high speed was a risk too, she'd probably only manage it for a couple of minutes before passing out again, and that was a risk she couldn't afford to take. She'd have to walk, and hope she'd get in range of Dyson or Bo or any other telepath to warn them. Lauren needed to wait, just a couple of more minutes and the rearguard would be well on their way. The Elf stared intently, the exertion making her balance precarious again, but she saw her opening when the horsemen were moving out and the men around the campfire were watching them leave. As quietly as she could, Lauren snuck her lithe frame out of the tent, careful to move the cloth as little as possible. She made it out to the back of the tent, and then swiftly into the relative cover of the dense forest.

Her consussion made Lauren dizzy, unbalanced, her coordination a mess. The underbrush was thick, her feet snagged behind it. The Elf fumbled and tripped making more noise than she wanted to. Voices rang out from the camp, she'd been found out! Lauren ran as fast as she could, her heart was beating out of her chest, she wasn't fearful for her own life, but the thought of Arundel burning surged her forward beyond what she was physically fit for.

The voices were drawing closer, accompanied by the sound of horses in full gallop not far behind. Lauren looked back, she felt the vibration of the thundering horses from the ground. Fear gripped her again, pushed her, she was breathing heavily. She didn't feel the branches and pins cut into the flesh of her arms or legs, but she did feel her entire arm searing like it had during her Vandiir. Lauren wanted to stay awake, she needed to, the hooves were impossibly close.

"Not now! Not now!" Lauren cried out.

If she passed out now, Arundel would burn.

Sharp pain, her arm burned in white heat. Then the pain was too much.

The men were there.

The pain was blinding, her wrists were glowing, the pain was debilitating.

One of the men had her by the arm that was making her tether on the precipice of unconsciousness again, and then a blinding light when Lauren had expected nothing but blackness. It came a moment later.

A single tear fell down her cheek.

She was going to be too late, Arundel was going to fall.

The Arundel stables

Liam whistled a tune his father often played as he tended to the lords" and ladies" horses. He was almost done for the night, just a quick check and then he'd be free to bask in the memories of one of the greatest days in his life. Thanks to Lady Isabeau and stable master Gerald he had seen all of his archery heroes in action and it had been magnificent. The one disappointment for the day had been that he hadn't been able to cheer on Lady Isabeau, because out of all the archers he had seen today, Liam still thought Lady Isabeau was better.

Yes, Liam was a bit biased, but you could hardly blame him. His Lady Isabeau had taught him the basics of archery. He hadn't been a natural, but that hadn't mattered, Lady Isabeau had still explained everything diligently and patiently, making him feel like he mattered, like it was vital he learnt, and he had listened attentively, done his best, been studious as never before. After that day he had practiced –as instructed- whenever possible and had gotten better and better, and the next time they had gone out, Lady Isabeau had been blown away by his progress. She was the best teacher he had ever had, and she was the best shot he had ever seen, and he couldn't wait to get another lesson from her, and one day, he too would be so good that he could be one of the archers, just like his heroes. Liam was stoked, barely able to contain his excitement as he whistled from one song into the next and walked to the last horse he was tending to today.

Liam was brushing Nox when he scrunched his nose. Red flags went off straight away. Every stable boy was warned about and taught to fear one foe above all: fire. And it was the distinct smell of fire and smoke that was hitting Liam's nostrils. Nox whinnied as if she had sensed something was wrong too. The young boy laid a protective hand on the beast's shoulder. The last thing he needed was for the horse to start bucking.

"Sshh, Nox." He said soothingly. "I'm going to check and see what's happening." "Please stay calm." Surprisingly, the horse did as it was told and calmed down. The Arundel stables were large and accommodating, the building in itself had leant its design from a roman villa, living quarters, in this case horse pens, surrounding a courtyard. The structure was mostly stone, but the wooden beams and the amount of hay that was stored within the stable walls made it as flammable as a torch. Nearing the south corner, Liam's eyes widened as he recognized the stable master's voice. The man was yelling at someone, and then sounds of a scuffle. A gut wrenching scream reverberated through the stables. It instantly halted Liam's step and he pressed his back up against the wall. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, so loudly, he thought someone would hear, and then the smell of smoke hit his nostrils again. Liam peeked around the corner, his eyes widening again, seeing what no one could prepare him for. Master Gerald lay dead in the middle of the hallway, the front part of it was engulfed in flames already and flames were licking threateningly around the pens nearest to him. Fortunately, there weren't any horses this side of the stable, but there were plenty a bit further down. Liam swallowed. The horrific thought of the magnificent creatures he cared for every day perishing in the fire gave him courage beyond his age. With no regard for the danger he was about to face, the boy ran to the nearest pen and quickly opened it, leading the frightened horse out, then moving on to the next before the flames could catch up with him.

The Great Hall

The mood in the Great Hall was jovial and pleasant. Artists and clowns juggling balls, rings and cones were drawing appreciative "Oh!" and "Ahs!" from the audience of nobles. Tonight's entertainment was one of Amelia of Arundel's favorite; she'd handpicked the group to come perform at the Castle after she'd attended one of their performances in town one night, but tonight their skills and abilities could not hold the Duchess' attention. Instead, all of her focus went to the uneasy feeling that her children's behaviour was out of sorts.

Lady Arundel had not seen her three children –she always counted Lauren as one of them- the entire day. On any normal day this would not have worried her. Her children were best friends and often disappeared to do whatever it was teenagers did these days, but for Bo, Lauren and Dyson to miss the archery event, even when they weren't competing themselves, was out of character. The absence of her children preoccupied the Duchess' mind so that when she was being adressed, Lady Arundel only noticed half way

…. I hear Isabeau has grown up into quite the looker, but I haven't seen her today." a voice said. It was Lady Wolburn, a rather plump, podgy woman whose two interests in life seemed to be limited to gossiping and eating cherry pie.

"Excuse me?" The Duchess of Arundel said.

"Isabeau, I hear she's turned into such a fine looking lady, she finally grew out of that gods awful tomboyishness of hers I have been told." She cackled. "I hear she's finally wearing dresses now, what a relief that must be for you, to have a daughter that doesn't…"

Lady Arundel cut in. "My daughter is still very much the tomboy she always has been, Lady Wolburn, I can assure you." "No matter how many dresses she wears." "I hope she never changes." "Perhaps you can find a dress that actually fits you next time you sit at this table, instead of the ones you bulge out of." Amelia of Arundel added crisply, almost shocking Lady Wolburn's eyes out of their sockets.

"Now if you will excuse me, Lady Wolburn, there is something I need to attend to." Lady Arundel said, a gracious smile back on her lips and her tone diplomatic and soothing again, but underneath Amelia was restless. She was no Obscura like her husband and children were, but her mother's instinct was teling her something was very wrong, and she had ignored that instinct far too long. She pushed her chair back and excused herself from the table leaving Lord Arundel to tend to the hosting duties. She quickly exited the Great Hall and stepped into the inner courtyard.

As soon as she did, Amelia's eyes went wide.

And thus it begins...

dundundun...

Replies to reviews

Arrasto: Great instincts there. I haven't yet revealed everything about their break-up, but yeah...it is defnitely one of the reasons Bo is as jaded as she is now. :-/ Very astute! :-)

J: Yeah, with those royals it was often either duty or happiness, and the one king that did abdicate for love, Edward VIII (privately known as David, weirdly enough) so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson was pretty much hated for it by his family. To be honest though, I don't think I want to put Lauren through having to marry Dyson and produce an heir...I'll have to come up with some other way to make it work between Bo and Lauren. ;-)

JCM: The title is The Heir of Arundel for several reasons, some of which aren't revealed yet. The current heir is Dyson indeed, but then again Lauren and Dyson's child would also be the Heir of Arundel...I could have chosen the title based on this non-existant child that a number of key characters in this story so desperately want.

Times lines are very tricky! However, I don't really think twelve years of engagement is that long. After all, these people can live up to thousands of years, what's twelve years? Also, Lauren has been engaged to Dyson since the day Dyson was born, but this isn't common knowledge. She has only been made aware of this stunning fact now, because she came of age and because war is coming to their lands. It might actually still be some time before their engagement is announced and official.

Thanks for the love scene comment. ;-)

Guest 1: It's not a light decision, and it's not like Lauren is over Bo. I suppose for us (these days), it's difficult to imagine being in a situation like theirs where you do have these huge responsilibities and personal happiness is not a priority.

Joan: It is sad, Eleanor does feel conflicted about it too. She cares and loves her daughter, but for her Lauren's happiness is second to the wellbeing of Eolas. I'm not sure what to do about Bo and Lo's inability to have kids together...we'll see...they have a long life ahead of them still.

Guest 2: Lauren doesn't have a sister, that's kind of the perdicament here.

Guest 3: You'll see that confrontation/conversation between Bo and Lauren and what happened in their past. Most definitely. Can't promise there will be kissing involved at that time. ;-)

Guest 4: Will Bo fall in love with someone else? Good question...would you guys like to see that happening? There's definitely room for in it the story...

Guest 5: There wasn't a big understanding yet...but that may be heading their way next chapter.

Guest 6: Babies aren't exactly in the cards for now, and although I'm not exlcuding babies for them, the story will take a different path before babies will get a chance to come into the picture.

Sylvy: You are very welcome! Maybe I should find someway to make that more explicit in the story, I thought it was kind of a given seeing as Lauren grew up with Bo, but that's the thing often I find when I am writing stories. I write them and the next steps/the links all seem logical in my head, but then I find out I didn't really explain it properly, and I just confuse people. :-/ It's also why I am happy with these types of comments, shows me I have to go back and fix my mistake.

Koga: The Arundels and the Eolas' have been friends for a very long time. Their friendship and affection for another is genuine. You'll read a little bit more about that in the next chapter. I also think Eleanor was sincere when she said that she was happy that the Arundels raised Lauren in part because they are better at expressing love and warmth than Elves are, but yeah...there is still that icky part to it too. Lauren and Dyson's union is a business move basically and that was very calculated.

Mulder: Sadness is part of life, but I always end with happiness ;-) Thanks for the compliment, like I said, I was pretty happy how it turned out.