(Prince Jesse is the annoying sweet little brother Lance named himself after. I can't believe I killed him too. (sniffs) I'm soo sorry! Come back Jesse! I forgive your annoyance! Even though I never really wrote about you... By the way, the Ana Maylin here has nothing to do with my other Ana Maylin in It's Not That Easy. I just really like the name.)

Chapter 37

Conrad and Rose were not happy about the idea of leaving, especially since it was midnight. But I put my foot down and told them to pack up, then I went to saddle Ares. He wasn't happy either, neither was the mare he had made friends with. He sidestepped me and even stepped on my foot, lightly, but it hurt horribly with my bad/sad mood.

"Ares!" I cried then swore angrily and wished I could step on his foot. Instead I kicked him and told him to cooperate.

He did so, but reluctantly and kept snorting as if telling me what exactly he thought of me. I could almost detect the bad words in those snorts.

"Rashling, wait!"

Wait? I had waited too long, after the news I had sat for hours thinking, of nothing. I had finally gotten some sense and was getting to work. But still I turned to look down at Ana Maylin, Otto, and Apollus.

"What are you doing up?" I snarled. They stopped in surprise and I immediately regretted my foul mood.

I looked away guiltily, and Apollus said timidly, "Grandmother Hazel said you are leaving?"

"Yes," I am, I said, managing to soften my voice. "I'm sorry I can't stay for long but, I have to go now. It was...enjoyable, my stay here. Thank-you for...for everything."

Ana Maylin dismissed this and got to the point, "You have to take Minerva."

Were they crazy?

More like half asleep and dreaming nightmares.

"No," I said flatly, then suspiciously asked, "Why?"

"Grandmother Hazel said so," said Otto as if that explained everything.

Hang that bossy granny!

Ana Maylin read my expression and explained, "When Grandmother Hazel talked to Minerva, she said she wanted to go with you, and the sound of her voice made everyone not disagree. She is coming, now."

"Talked to Minerva?" I said, confused. "Coming now? But she..."

"It's Friday!" said Apollus happily. Then his face fell. "I only got to say hi to her then she sent me here to tell you to saddle her horse."

"It's Friday?" I repeated dumbly.

Had the time really gone by that fast? I thought it was early Thursday morning.

"Yes, and Grandmother Hazel has given her an herb that will make her stay awake for the whole day. Just now she has woken up and is coming, see."

Unwilling I turned to see a limping figure of a girl. No doubt Minerva.

I ground my teeth. There was no way she was coming with me. And that was that. In my mind I began to think up of a million reasons why she should stay. It was easy; there was no chance she was coming, even the simple I want to wouldn't work here. I braced myself for a heated argument between me and the whole Justice clan plus Rose, though I was sure Wilhem and Frieda would agree with me for once.

But it never came. Instead she came right up and wrapped her arms around me and simply gave me a hug full of sympathy. How she knew that I needed and wanted a hug, I don't know. I had thought you couldn't read minds in the dark, I mean without light you can't read...and my sorrow wasn't that obvious, was it? I returned her hug, and it felt like I was hugging Carrie, really.

I didn't care if the kids and Conrad were gawking, or even if Rose was silently shrieking for joy. Right now it felt very good to be comforted by a friend. I felt a lot better. But when she pulled back, I was still remembering all the reasons she had to stay.

"Is my horse saddled?" she asked.

That is so cool, she didn't even use that dreaded horrible phrase 'I'm sorry', even though I knew she was.

"No," I said firmly, snapping back into my you-will-not-come-no-matter-what mood. "Your horse will not be saddled tonight. You are not going."

Even in the dark I could see her raise her eyebrow. She leaned on the fence for support as she said softly, "Oh? And why is that?"

I started my lecture, "Because you need to stay here with your family. You have barely seen them and you can't be running off when you haven't even seen everyone."

"I have seen everyone."

"I don't care, you still can't come. You haven't seen your family for years and you've been running around with me for weeks, it won't be fair to you and won't be fair to your family. Look at them; they want you to stay."

Apollus widened his eyes and puckered his lips as he listened to me to show that he wanted her to stay. She hardly glanced at him or at Otto's and Ana Maylin's pleading looks. She kept her eyes firmly on mine and didn't waver in the least bit.

What was wrong with her? She wasn't hard hearted, I knew not after she had comforted me in such a meaningful way. It had to be the curse.

"Further more, you are not fit to travel. You may be able to travel for a day, but after that then what? Will we carry you on a litter?"

"I don't know, will you?"

I glowered. "Minerva, we don't have time for that. Face it, you are not coming, and that is that."

Even in the darkness I could see a flash of irritation cross her face. Why should she be irritated? She wasn't the one with a half dead Gaul following her because of love! Okay, that was little harsh, but even you my dear impatient reader must agree that this was too much, and too far. She could not and would not come.

"If you think that the only reason I am only coming is because I am driven by love, then you are sorely mistaken, and more arrogant than I thought. Don't flatter yourself, Lance. That is certainly not the main reason."

"Then why?" I asked suspiciously. I was afraid that she had come up with something that just might get her a ticket to the capitol. Minerva was good at that.

"This is another adventure," she said simply, as if that should explain everything. "I don't want to miss it for the world. And don't think that I will because you, Mr. Prince of Adelfos said I must baby-sit my capable, strong family. And if you don't want me to tag along, then I shall follow at a distance and sleep out my days under a tree. Fair enough?"

Boy, did she know how to hit the nail on the head.

Grumbling I turned away and muttered, "Otto, saddle her horse."

He jumped, willing and reluctant, to obey. He didn't want her to leave, but he was obviously pleased that she had won.

Won. Indeed. There I had been with a firm determination to not let her come, zip zero no. Period. The End! And after she had squeezed a few words I was as weak as spaghetti and let her come. I shook my head at myself as I put on Ares' bridle. He was smirking at me and took the bit willingly to show he was happy I had failed and that Minerva was coming.

I bet if I had won, he would have chopped all my toes off with his huge hooves in irritation. Rose and Conrad were hiding smiles too. Was there anyone here who was unhappy at the thought of Minerva leaving and getting her way?

The Justice family had gathered around to see their daughter off again and I saw Wilhem looking disappointed and almost disgusted. Good, he felt like me.

When I saw that both Rose and Minerva were secure in the saddle, I nodded a curt goodbye to the family of Justice and nudged Ares to hurry up. I didn't say goodbye; I wasn't in the mood, because I was still thinking of the death of my father. Rose did plenty of that. She said good bye enough for two apiece and the sleep-eyed Justices waved and muttered farewells.

Another sudden thought made my mood worse. The next time I would see this family again was when I again brought back thier daughter. But I doubted she would be alive.

I looked back and saw that Minerva realized this as well, because I'm sure I saw a faint gleam of tears in her eyes as she smiled at her proud mother, the upset Wilhem, and doleful Freida. They realized this two, however Grandmother Hazel didn't seem to care. She just smiled and waved and called out, "Good luck, my child."

Minerva need more than luck. She needed a miracle.