Alex was shocked at Dominic's sudden foul temper. He had always been arrogant around her, parading himself around like he was some kind of God on Earth, but he had never before raised his voice at her.

But it was the same with Rothbart. When Alex had first gotten her memory back, Alex, wanting to make sure everything was there and she remembered everything she needed, had asked Odette to tell the stories to her. Since Alex was a great deal older, Odette added in a lot of details that she had passed over when telling it so many years before.

In the new, more detailed version of the story, Odette had told her that Rothbart had kept a fairly cool temper throughout most of the ordeal. It was only when Odette became angry that Rothbart raised his voice at her. Dominic, Alex had found, was much the same way.

Strange, that Alex should be so much like Odette and Dominic so much like Rothbart. The story had indeed repeated itself. However, and she supposed that this was because she was the one experiencing it, Alex found it much, much worse.

"Come along, darling," Dominic said, regaining his composure and beginning to walk off. "We have to find a church to be wed in. Rokus, stay here and make sure we aren't follow. Anyone who is looking for the princess should be killed on the spot."

Alex tried to stifle a gasp. She had faintly hoped that Joan would ignore her warning and tell everyone what had happened and they would be coming to save her.

"Come on, now," Dominic said, reading her thoughts. Alex had briefly forgotten that he could do so, although he had admitted that it was more or less emotions that he could read, rather than her specific thoughts. "You can't still be hopeful that your foolish family is coming to help you. It's a story, a fairytale. This is real and you will not be saved from me."

Alex said nothing. She wouldn't egg him on… and she knew he was right.

She was truly alone.

XxX

Joan made it back to Swan Lake just as Odette, Derek, and the others were about to go looking for her and Alex. She was panting heavily, unable to get enough air in her lungs as Odette, the first person to see her, ran over.

"Joan! Where have you been?"

"I – I was following Alex," she huffed, her face bright red. "But something terrible happened."

"What happened?" Matthew demanded, meeting her and Odette. "Is Alex alright?"

"She's not hurt but she…" Joan trailed off, trying to find a delicate way to tell him that the woman he loved had promised to marry another man, and for her sake, no less. Immediately, she felt guilty.

"She what, Joan?"

"The man who's been making her go to him… He threatened me. And unless Alex married him, he was going to kill me. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't, but she didn't listen!"

"And now she's going to marry him," Odette finished. The situation had Rothbart written all over it. She wondered if he had somehow survived and was now putting Alex in the same position she had been. This time, however, it was worse. Alex wouldn't refuse him if she even suspected that her family was in danger.

"Yes," Joan confirmed.

"I have to stop her," Matthew declared.

He went to his room, Joan and Odette in tow, and grabbed his sword, a long heavy thing. He remembered laughing at Alex once when she had playfully tried to wield it, but couldn't, due to its enormous weight. Those were better days. He tried to keep his mind off of that and stay on task.

"You can't go alone," Odette said.

"He won't; I'll go with him," Eli volunteered. He had been listening when Joan had explained the situation. While Matthew had gone off to get his sword, Eli had gone to get his.

Matthew looked over to him and smiled; glad he wouldn't have to handle the whole thing alone. Of course, he could count on Joan, Odette, and Derek to go with him, but he couldn't, in good conscience, put them in danger by asking them to do so.

"Let's hurry," Matthew said. "Alex may not have much time."

Eli followed him to the stables. Quickly, they mounted up. Suddenly, from somewhere behind them, someone was clearing their throat.

It was Joan, who had decided that she was going with them.

"Joan, it's too dangerous," Eli said.

Joan rolled her eyes at him; after ignoring her for twelve years of her life – he had only just started paying attention to her after Alex returned – she didn't have much patience for him when he decided to be overprotective. "You'll need to know where Alex was when she said she'd marry that creep. I'm sure they've moved on by now, but you'll need a good start."

Matthew nodded. "She's right. Lead the way, Joan."

"But after you take us there, you should go home," Eli added.

Joan nodded in agreement. "Fair enough… Come on."

She led the way, riding fast, down a seldom used road. They road deep into the forest, so deep, in fact, that Matthew wondered if they would ever get there.

Finally, they reached the old barn.

"This is as far as I can take you," Joan said.

"Thank you, Joan," Matthew said gratefully. He was one step closer to getting Alex back and getting serious revenge on the man who had put her through such misery.

"Not a problem. Good luck!" Joan turned back and rode home.

Eli watched in relief as Joan's figure disappeared in the dark; he was already in danger of losing one sister. He didn't want to have to worry about both.

Matthew and Eli dismounted. Quietly, they checked around the place, trying to find any sign of anyone. There was nothing. It seemed that Alex and her mysterious captor had completely vanished.

"Where do you think they went?" Eli asked after finding nothing.

"Well, if he plans on being married," Matthew replied, "he'll probably be looking for a church that's not too far from here."

Suddenly, a large man appeared in front of them. Eli drew his sword, and though he did not, Matthew was on his guard. With a quick gesture of his hand, he signaled for Eli to stand down a moment.

"Where is Alex?" he demanded.

"You're too late," the man replied haughtily. "The master has taken her away already. She is quite out of your reach."

In a sudden fit of blind rage, Matthew glared at the man, unable to think of words. It took all Eli's strength to hold him back for just one moment.

It was Eli who spoke next, since Matthew couldn't even form a coherent sentence at the moment. "Are you telling us that she is dead?"

"No… but soon, you will be."

The man dashed over and grabbed Eli, and began to hit him. Stunned, Eli dropped his sword and could not move fast enough to pick it up. He soon fell, too overpowered by how fast and strong the stranges was. The man was standing over Eli, kicking the boy while he was down. Matthew, having grown stronger in both his anger and his love for Alex, knocked the man over.

He picked him up by the collar of his shirt and held him about six inches off the ground so that his eyes were blazing upwards into the man's. "Where is she?!"

"I wouldn't tell you. Not now, not ever."

Matthew shook him. "Oh yes you will! Tell me!"

The man laughed. "Do you think I'm actually afraid of you? Hah!"

"Your silence isn't worth your life, sir," Matthew growled.

"Do as he says," Eli advised from afar. "You don't want him to be any angrier than he already is."

Matthew forced the man back and managed to slam him into a tree. "Talk! Where is she?"

For whatever reason, whether it was the look on Matthew's face, or the man's certainty that he would be killed if he didn't say something soon, he began to talk. "They headed north about twenty minutes ago! I don't know where exactly they went, I swear!"

Matthew dropped him as if he were no more than a common piece of trash. He and Eli mounted their horses again and rode off in the direction the man had given him. For his sake, Eli hoped the man was right.

"There's a village up north," Matthew said. "It's not too far and there's probably a church there. We might still have time."

Without another word, he gave the horse a kick and was off.

Silently, Eli prayed they weren't too late.

XxX

Alex and Dominic walked what seemed like forever until they came upon a small church in the country. Alex gulped nervously, hoping the priest wasn't around.

They entered the old church. Inside, there was no sound. Hardly any light came in through the stained glass windows and their footsteps echoed throughout the building.

Because of this, the priest had heard them. He greeted Alex and Dominic kindly. For a moment, he didn't know who the two people were, as they were not a part of his congregation. Then, it hit him. He knew the young woman who stood silently by the man's side, eying the man with an upsetting mixture sadness and anger, her face cast slightly down so that she was not looking at the priest.

For a moment, he wondered if his old eyes were failing him, so he said nothing.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

"We'd like to get married… tonight," Dominic said.

"Well… I… of course, sir. Whatever you like. But if I may have a moment alone with the young lady?" The priest could hardly stammer out the words. He knew the man was up to no good. There was no way that the two of them were in love.

"The girl is of age, I assure you."

"I understand, but I have a few questions for her. And they regard a less than amiable nature. In the meantime, you can freshen up. I'm sure you wouldn't want to look travel weary on you wedding day."

Knowing that he was pretty much invincible at the moment and that Alex wouldn't dare break their agreement, he consented. There was, he was told, a nearby river that he could wash off in, if he so chose. He did so, leaving Alex and the priest alone.

"Sit down, my child," the priest said, motioning to one of the pews.

Alex did so, and for the first time, she really looked at the priest's face. "Father Clarence?"

"Alexandra?"

The girl nodded excitedly.

"So it is you!"

"Yes father! I've missed you."

"And I've missed you. But I can tell that you are unhappy on this night. Tell me, you didn't come here of your own free will, did you?"

"I did," Alex said slowly. She explained her situation, lowering her voice so that she wouldn't be heard. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to my sister, especially after I just got her back."

"I understand," Father Clarence said, smiling a little. "That was very selfless of you. And this Matthew sounds like a good man."

"He is the best, Father. I miss him so."

Father Clarence nodded. "I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"He has great power," Alex said nervously. "I don't know if there is anything you can do.

"I don't know if there is anything anyone can do."

XxX

"Up there!" Matthew called, seeing a lonely church in the middle of the forest. "I am sure they're there."

He was just about to ride ahead and find Alex when Eli stopped him. "Wait!"

Eli led the way as quietly as he could back into the forest. There, out of sight of the church, they hid their horses.

"What was that all about?" Matthew demanded.

"I thought I saw someone walking around behind the church. I don't think we were discovered."

Quietly, they went back to where they had stopped earlier, about 50 yards from the front doors of the church. When they arrived, they could see a man going inside. He had red hair, was tall, and had a barrel chest. Matthew knew that he was the man who was causing Alex so much pain.

His fists clenched in rage.

Eli put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Come on. Let's go get her."

"I'll kill him," Matthew growled. "I swear, I'll kill him."

"You'll get your chance," Eli replied, walking toward the church.

XxX

"Well?" Dominic asked. He was irritable now. He thought he had heard someone outside. He didn't want to run out of time. "Are you finished with your questions? May I marry my love now?"

Suddenly, the doors slammed open.

Standing there, to Alex's joy and worry at the same time, were Matthew and Eli.

Matthew walked in swiftly, his eyes narrowed in outrage. "Let her go."

"She agreed to marry me," Dominic replied confidently. "And if she values your life or the life of that worthless family of yours, she'll keep to her word."

"New deal," Matthew declared. "I will fight for her."

"And you will lose."

The church came crashing down around them as Alex watched Dominic transformed into the Great Animal of her father's memories.