The two women left the Attack trak behind and began to walk toward the green forest that spread out before them. They traveled on through the leafy foliage until the older woman stopped and gazed intently at what stood before her.

"Is this the place?" The younger woman asked.

"Yes Arianna. This is where your family lived, long ago."

The young woman let her eyes roam over every crack and crevice in the now crumbling house. The woods were swallowing the house, pulling the roof from the main structure. The windows were all shattered and only broken panes remained. The stone walls were filled with cracks and covered with vines. "Long ago indeed. There is not much left here now." She sad sadly. "I was too young to remember this place."

"Yes." The older woman nodded.

"Marlena, I thought that my parents lived within the palace walls?"

"They did for a very long time but shortly after I met them, they moved into this house. It's less then a mile from the palace so it's still considered part of the palace. An elderly woman gave this house to them as she lay on her deathbed. Your father had done many favors for her over the years and she wanted to repay him and your mother by giving them a place to live in the country. They lived here happily for many years. Your mother and I would often stay out late at night and lay in a clearing that used to be just north of the house. We would lay in the soft grass, looking up at the stars and talk for hours." Arianna smiled as Marlena drifted off into a memory.

"Why did they move away from such a place then? It's lovely here."

"They moved away for a very good reason. Just after you were born we were attacked by the Horde again."

"The ones that kidnapped your daughter, Adora?"

"That's right." Marlena sat down on the edge of a rock and Arianna sat beside her. Her own parents talked very rarely of the past except when they talked of Marlena. "The Horde are evil beings from another dimension. They came to Eternia and were driven from the planet by Randor's army. Your parents were one of the lucky few who had been spared any pain or suffering at the hands of the Horde. Many lives were lost. Your parents decided that they were to pack everything they owned and they would move further into the country, safe from the Horde and away from the palace dangers but away from me as well. I understood why they chose to leave. I knew all too well that they feared for the safety of their daughter who had just turned 2. It was a good thing that they left because soon after their departure the Horde returned and tried to steal my children. They only succeeded in taking Adora, but it was a very difficult time. Adora was taken from my life and your parents had gone. They took two wagons filled with everything they owned and walked out of my life forever."

Arianna who rarely cried sat with tears in her eyes. "Until now." She offered softly.

Marlena turned to her, tears welling in her own eyes. "Yes." she whispered.

Arianna pulled her knees up to her face and rested her chin on them. "I think that my mother regretted leaving for a long time." She let out softly.

"What makes you say that?"

"She always talked about you when I was younger. It was always Marlena this and Marlena that. She always spoke highly of you and it was obvious that she missed you greatly. She had friends in Noteran and she still does but she missed your friendship."

"I missed hers too. I had Adam to raise and he often kept me busy but as he grew older I did think about your parents a great deal."

"I was a bit of a handful wasn't I?" The two women looked up to see Prince Adam standing not far from them with a wicker basket in his hand.

"Adam!" Marlena exclaimed and she quickly wiped her eyes. Arianna smiled and nodded a greeting to the young prince. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to interrupt, but it's growing late and I thought that you two might like some lunch."

"That's very kind of you Adam." He brought the basket to them and they began to open it and empty it's contents onto the rock. Adam turned to leave. "Won't you stay with us?" Marlena asked.

"Well, you two were deep in conversation. I don't want to get in the way."

'Nonsense." Marlena told him as she bit into a raw vegetable that resembled a cucumber. Adam walked slowly to the large rock and sat a small distance from the two women. They ate their lunch in relative silence.

"What were you two discussing, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I was telling Arianna about this house that her parents once lived in. And I was just about to tell her about the friendship her mother and I shared." Adam nodded and listened as Marlena began to talk again. "When I first crash landed on Eternia. I met King Randor and Duncan. Both were young men in their early 20's. Randor had just been thrust into the thrown because his father had come up missing. He was battling an evil Sorceress. Randor was very interested in learning who I was and about my world. I enjoyed telling him. He stayed beside my bed as I rested and soon we began to fall in love with each other. When I had been slightly injured in the crash landing of my ship the Rainbow Warrior, it was your mother, Arianna who attended me. We talked when she came in to check on me and soon we became good friends. We had much in common. She soon introduced me to her husband who she had just recently married, your father. When I was well enough to travel on my own, I sought her company. I loved to be with randor and it was obvious that he liked to spend time with me as well, but he was very busy with his father being missing. After all he had a kingdom to run. I began to fall in love with Eternia and it's people. This simple way of life amazed me. I spent a lot of time with your parents and they became my closest friends. Randor eventually asked me to marry him. Your parents had just moved to this house and your mother was pregnant with you. After you were born, the Horde came and your parents moved away as I told you earlier. I learned I was pregnant just after they left. I sent word to them and we wrote letters many times. Adam and Adora were born. The Horde returned despite being defeated earlier by Randor's army and they kidnapped Adora. I was heartbroken but I had a son to raise and I raised him the best that I could. He continued to grow and as he and I spent less and less time together I began to dwell on the loss of your parents in my life. I'm glad to have found them and a place for them in my life, but I wish that the circumstances were different." She finished her tale with a sad look that she gave to her son. Adam reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Everything will turn out right." He told her.

She turned away from him when tears threatened to cloud her eyes once more. "I keep telling myself that, but there is a part of me who doubts that things will ever be right."

"You've been through a lot lately, Marlena. Things will look better when things calm down. They always do."

"Thank you Arianna." After a long silence she spoke again. Wanting to change the subject she said, "Adam tells me that you are very much into books."

"Yes. I love to read. I always have."

"That's very good. Not enough of our people read and write."

"I know. You would not believe how many people in Noteran can not read or write or both."

"Is that why you were so nervous when I found you at the book seller's tent? You can read and other's can't?" Adam asked, leaning back against a tree.

"I...Well that is to say."

"What is it dear? Surely you can tell us." Marlena pushed gently.

Arianna's eyes were filled with sadness and a small amount of regret. "My, father doesn't want me to read."

"What?" Marlena echoed incredously.

"He believes that women should cook and clean and raise the children like the old days."

"But your mother can read and write? Why shouldn't you?"

"Mother learned to read and write at the palace and long before father met her. It never bothered father before. Mother believes that his views have changed since they moved away from the palace. Most of the women in Noteran can not read or write. Father liked the attention I first received at being a prized student at school, but then many neighbors began to frown upon the idea of a woman who could think for herself. But what the truth boils down to is that they couldn't live with the fact that I was ranked first in the entire county."

"Any man who believes a woman should not think for herself should be reprimanded. I would never think less of a woman if she wanted to educate herself." Adam said angrily.

"The ways of the palace are not the ways of the world, Prince Adam. Not all men think as you do. Although I wish they did." She said with sadness in her voice.

"This is most disturbing." Adam continued.

"I believe that my grandfather was the only man who has not thought less of me because I wanted to read and write and make my life better because of it. My grandfather lived just outside Noteran and his house was filled with books. I would stay with him many times and he would teach me to read and write. When my father learned of it he banished me from my grandfathers house. If I wanted to read I hiked 2 miles to his house and 2 miles back while my father was out working. When my grandfather passed away a year ago my father sold all of the books and put the money away to help pay for my future wedding."

"Arianna, I had no idea your father had changed so much."

Arianna lowered her head. "I'm sorry to change your opinion of my father. That was not my intention."

"I must speak to him about this."

"No! Please Marlena, do not. Talking to him will only make things worse."

"But I am his friend. Surely he would listen to me."

"Please do not say anything. I beg you. Although I wish my father would change his views I love him dearly and I would not want what happened between my father and grandfather to happen to me and my father."

"Very well, I will respect your wishes, but know that I do so against my better judgement."

"That goes for you too Adam." She said turning to the young prince. She could see the anger etched in his handsome features. "No one is to speak to my father about this."