[u]Part 45[/u]
"Are you sure this is wise Alex?" Isabel was pacing in front of the heavy door, but she stopped abruptly and glared at the solid piece of English oak. "Why must they meet in there? We cannot hear a thing!"
"I think that is what Maxwell intended. The fewer ears that hear his discussion with the queen, the better," Alex replied quietly, leaning back against the stone wall. "It will all work out for the best Bella. Queen Eleanor is a woman more modern than most and she has a healthy disdain for the sweeping pronouncements of falsely pious men. She will judge Max according to his actions, rather than prejudice." He paused, then added, "She will not forget that Max saved King Richard's throne by stealing those taxes back. It was providential that he chose to do that."
Alexander could see that his words had done little to soothe Isabel's fears as she began to pace again. He breathed a sigh of relief that Max had ordered Michael to stay behind at the cottage to watch over Elizabeth. If Isabel was so restless, Alex did not even want to imagine how Michael was presently behaving. He did not envy his sister one little bit. Although, Alexander reflected ruefully, if Michael was being particularly pig-headed, Mary was undoubtedly enjoying it, likely baiting him to make it worse. Even though he knew for a certainty that his sister was in love with the short- tempered alien, it did not seem to stop her enjoyment at making him explode.
Which Michael almost had the night before when Maxwell had announced to them all that he was going to the queen and that he was going to tell her the truth about everything. For a long while, they had all truly believed that in his grief he had finally taken complete leave of his senses. Even [I]after[/I] his explanation, Alexander was fairly sure that Michael, and perhaps even Isabel, [I]still[/I] believed it.
"What do you mean [I]everything[/I]?" Michael had demanded suspiciously. By the time Max had made his pronouncement, they had all returned to the small cottage in the woods, unwilling to stay a moment longer than necessary at the pod chamber, the site of so much death and destruction. The litter they had fabricated for Elizabeth had been set on the floor close to the fire and Alexander had found his eyes straying to her still form throughout the conversation, willing with every part of his being for his friend to open her eyes, if only to stop Max from committing this act of complete folly.
And, yet, Alexander had been the first to allow himself to be convinced. Because, in the end, he did know Eleanor of Aquitaine and he knew that she loved Elizabeth de Parkeville.
"If my child is born, he will be special," Max reminded them all. His tone was completely emotionless. Whatever breakdown the young king had allowed himself in the pod chamber, it was over. He was now a man with a plan, even if hope was still in short supply. "When we are gone, Elizabeth will need someone with strength and authority to watch over her. And." He paused, swallowed, forcing his voice to remain strong as he continued, "Should the worst happen, the baby will need the queen." Alexander flinched, in spite of the fact that he was already fully aware that Elizabeth's death was almost a certainty. The fact that she still breathed at all was a miracle in and of itself. While Max fully intended an attempt to save his wife by bringing a healer from his world back to her, they all knew that it was most likely merely a foolish dream.
"We told you already that we would take care of him Max!" Mary exclaimed. "Nothing will happen to your child. I swear it on my eternal soul."
Max smiled gently. "I place my complete confidence in your capable hands Mary. You and Alexander will be his true guardians. But this child will be the heir to my throne and I want the most powerful woman in the kingdom to know exactly who he is." His eyes narrowed. "And exactly who she and King Richard will be dealing with should anything befall him." He looked away momentarily, obviously struggling for control. "He is all that I have left of my wife and he will be safe."
"I still don't understand why we don't take them with us!" Michael complained from the corner. "They will be safer with us."
"Under any other circumstances I would agree," Max said. "However Lord Edmund's treachery has made it clear that the situation on Antar is a complete mystery. We do not know what we will be walking into when we return there Michael. It will be hard enough for us and we are of Antarian heritage. I will not bring any human there until we know that it is safe." He looked down at Elizabeth's peaceful visage, a sad smile crossing his lips. "Liz trusted in the queen and I truly believe that Eleanor will protect her child, whatever his father might be."
"Why don't we just tell Eleanor that it is Kyle's child?" Alexander asked. "She does not need to know the whole truth."
"He will be special," Max repeated patiently. "We do not know that the birth will be entirely normal and I cannot have the queen changing her mind when I am no longer here to intervene. She must know and she must know [I]now[/I]."
The glint of hard resolve in Max's eyes had stopped any further arguments, although Michael had seemed inclined to continue his until Mary spirited him off into the forest in order to distract him. Which was why Alexander now found himself waiting with Isabel, trying to forget that this was likely the last day he would be spending in her company for a very long while.
There had been a brief discussion that perhaps one of the Antarians should remain behind but it was finally decided that it could not be risked. While Tess was gone, Max now convinced that she had never truly been one of them anyway, the three aliens had always been intended to operate as a team. They needed to assure that they were as strong as they could possibly be when they arrived on their home world.
Which meant that Alexander and Mary would be responsible for keeping Elizabeth and her child safe until they all returned. Alexander had absolutely no doubt that at least Max would come back. Whatever he faced, Max would not forsake his son.
He also secretly hoped that the other two would come back for an entirely different reason.
Michael's feelings for Mary were now completely out in the open. What had happened to Elizabeth seemed to have broken down his last walls regarding what he wanted from Alexander's sister. They had disappeared into the forest for a lengthy period of time the night before and while Alexander knew that he should be concerned for his sister's virtue, he also knew that it was completely unlikely that Mary would ever accept a human husband now anyway. He would allow her what happiness she could find in the short period before the trio who had so changed their lives left.
As he watched Isabel now, Alexander wished that he had been courageous enough to request some time alone with the alien princess as well. But, despite how close they had become and the indications that she felt as strongly for him as he felt for her, he was still uncertain that were it not for the fact that they were the two odd members out of their sextet, she would ever be interested in him. Certainly she had not seemed to have any great desire to see him privately. She had spent her evening at Max's side, planning the first steps they would take to reclaim their planet upon their arrival. Alexander watched the firelight dance across the spun gold of her hair as she tossed her long mane in exasperation at something Max said at one point, his heart practically breaking.
He knew for certain that he would never love any woman the way he loved Isabel. Should she choose not to return with Maxwell, Alexander also knew that he would spend the rest of his life in a monastery, his duty to his title and his lands be damned. After one kiss from those perfect lips, no other woman would do and he was not the type of man who could doom an innocent to a loveless marriage. Because, were his wife not Isabel, it was what would happen to the poor girl.
It took him an instant to realize that Bella had stopped pacing and was staring at him. "Alexander, you are entirely too quiet. You are supposed to be keeping my mind off the fact that the queen could declare my brother a demon and order him burned at the stake at any moment."
He blinked, forced a grin. "I do apologize milady. What shall it be then? A joke? A saucy tale?"
Isabel tilted her head, then said quietly, "I am not in the mood to laugh Alex."
He swallowed, a lump entering his throat as he thought of Elizabeth and as he felt his stomach clenching at the remembrance that Isabel would soon be gone from his life. "Nor am I," he admitted.
"Why?" Isabel's eyes were strangely bright as she regarded him. "Tell me why Alexander."
He did not speak for a long moment but then decided that he could ill afford to lose this chance. Even were she to reject him out of hand, he [I]needed[/I] to tell her how he felt. "I fear that you will not return."
Isabel's dark eyes shadowed. "Would it sadden you should I not?"
Alexander reached out, taking both of her hands in his. "Of course it would Bella."
"Why?" She repeated. "Tell me why Alex."
"Because I love you and I cannot bear the thought of a life without you." He smiled sadly. "I know that you do not know what lies ahead for you Isabel of Antar, but I would that you understand that I will wait for you forever."
There was a long moment of silence. Isabel lowered her eyes, causing Alex's heart to sink. When she raised them, they were shining with tears. Yet, in spite of that, her lovely face shone with a joyful light he had never once, in his wildest dreams, hoped to cause. "I will come back if it the last thing I ever do," she whispered, leaning forward and touching her lips lightly to his. "For no one else, on this planet or any other, will ever touch my heart as you have Alexander DeLucie."
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"Step into the light where I can see you. I am an old woman and my eye- sight is not what it once was."
Maxwell complied, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. "Your grace."
"Well, you are certainly as handsome as I remember. It is no wonder that my Elizabeth has become completely uncontrollable since encountering you."
Max kept his eyes lowered, trying not to grimace. This was not a positive beginning.
"But, then, I too ran off with a totally unsuitable man," she continued, sounding amused. "Stop bowing and scraping young man and look me in the face. You are at least owed that much for preserving my son's throne, even if you have been entirely too forward with a royal ward."
He raised his head and met the eyes of Elizabeth's guardian.
"That's better." Eleanor tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. "Where is my ward Maxwell of Huntington? Alexander informed me that it was best that I hear the story from you."
Max swallowed, the perpetual lump that had lodged itself in his throat since Lord Edmund had hurt Liz causing his voice to crack slightly. "She is unwell your grace."
"But she lives." He could feel Eleanor searching his face for the truth and Max knew that he had been absolutely right in his assessment that the queen would have been able to sniff out a lie at a hundred paces. If he was to gain this woman's trust and favour, he could not keep anything from her. He was depending on Elizabeth's judgment that she could be trusted. Had his Liz not been the most sound judge of a person's worth after all? Were it not for her, Michael would not have found his Mary, nor Isabel her Alexander. Thankfully his siblings would one day be happy. Even if he was destined to be the loneliest man in the universe for the rest of his life, he could be grateful for that. He was not jealous and did not begrudge them their joy. Even if they had not yet fully claimed it, he knew that they would.
The only joy left in Max's world would hopefully be held fast by the strong woman in front of him.
"Yes. But perhaps not for long," he said quietly.
He watched a spasm of grief cross the old woman's face. "I feared as much. I made a grievous error young man. Sir Kyle DeValence was an unworthy match for Elizabeth."
"Sir Kyle redeemed himself in the end your grace," Max replied firmly. "I am here to tell you the true story of what has transpired and I hope that you will be able to accept it."
Eleanor regarded him for a long moment, then patted the stool at her feet. "Come." Max did not move, sure that once he told her what he really was, she would not want him so close. The queen tilted her head again and then said, "The Bishop's accusations were well-founded then?"
Max straightened his spine. "Yes your grace."
What she did next so surprised Max, he blinked to make sure he was not seeing things. But when he opened his eyes again, Queen Eleanor was indeed still smiling. "Well, it is nice to know that he can actually be right about something, although I'm going to have to make Richard give him a promotion and send him to another bishopric to make sure he never knows it." She paused, then continued, "I do not think that he was quite correct after all though. You are not a demon, are you Maxwell of Huntington?"
"No your grace. I am not." He met her eyes and said clearly, no longer at all afraid. "My true name is Zan of Antar and I am a visitor to this world. And your ward, Elizabeth de Parkeville, is my chosen queen and the mother of my heir."
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[b]Two Days Later - Sherwood Forest[/b]
Michael stared down at the silver book, turning it over in his hands. While this slim volume had provided the answers they needed, he could not help but hate it. And, yet, he would not take this chance from Maxwell. If they could somehow save Elizabeth, he would leave a thousand times over.
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you will return."
He raised his eyes, met Mary's blue-eyed gaze. He could see that she was struggling to keep a cheerful countenance. He knew her so well at this point, he could practically read her mind. She did not want his last remembrance of her to be a face streaked with tears. It irked him. She should know by now that he did not care what she looked like. All he knew was that he did not want to have a last memory of her at all. Or at least not one that was not her wrinkled face staring down at him and yelling in annoyance as he died in his bed at an extremely old age.
He knew [I]exactly[/I] the image of her he would carry in his heart for all eternity anyway. It would be the picture of her standing in the aisle of the chapel in the forest when they had saved Elizabeth from her precipitous first wedding to Sir Kyle.
[I] "Hmmmm. I missed."[/I]
That was what she had said after deliberately parting the hair of one of Sir Kyle's minions with her loosed arrow. The mischievous glint in her eye at that moment, when she had practically made Sir Kyle drop at her feet in fear.To him, it was the essence of Mary of Whitfield. It had taken him a long while to recognize it, but now, as he stood facing her, trying to gain the courage to say good-bye, he knew with absolute certainty that it had been the moment in which he had fallen in love with her.
"And I will return," Michael told her gruffly now, hauling her against his chest and kissing her fiercely. "There is not another man in this universe who can handle you and so I owe it to my sex."
"You think that you can handle me do you?" Her eyes flashed. "Well, we shall see." She kissed him again, murmuring against his lips. "Be careful. And know that, wherever you are, when you look at the stars, I will be looking at them as well and willing you back to my side."
It had been decided that Alexander and Mary would not accompany them to the pod chamber. Max did not want Elizabeth left alone for so long and it would be a long journey for the humans to the convent where Queen Eleanor had arranged for Maxwell's queen's care during her long confinement. They would leave as soon as the Antarians did.
In the end, as always, Max had been right. The queen had listened to the truth and she had accepted the responsibility of caring for Elizabeth and her child while Max was gone. Even Alexander and Mary had seemed slightly taken aback by how completely Eleanor had accepted Max, but, finally, they had realized that it was not so difficult to believe.
Eleanor of Aquitaine had recognized her equal in Maxwell DeHarding. He was a king and she was a queen and they understood each other.
Maxwell was in the cottage with Elizabeth now, saying his good-byes. As difficult as this parting from Mary would be, Michael knew that in comparison to his brother, he had it easy. Max had to know in his heart that it was unlikely that his wife would still be among the living when he returned.
And, yet, they all hoped. The trip they were about to take depended on it.
Isabel and Alexander were huddled together close to the door of the cottage. Michael was pleased that his former betrothed would be leaving behind such a devoted suitor. Isabel deserved the best and there was no question that she and Alexander DeLucie were made for each other.
Just as Maxwell and Elizabeth were made for each other, had been destined to find each other and bring them all together. He pulled Mary more tightly against him, ashamed of his relief that he was not his brother.
And, yet, he knew that he could not be sorry. Because, as much as he loved Maxwell, were he given the chance to give Mary up in order to save Elizabeth, he would not do it.
"Yes, you would," Mary whispered, startling him so, he jerked against her.
"What?"
"You would Michael."
"What are you talking about?" He demanded, although he knew. He was unsure how it had happened, but she had heard him. She had read his private thoughts.
"You are not as selfish and unworthy as you would like to believe because you [I]are[/I] giving me up to save her." Mary smiled up at him lovingly. "Which is why I know that it will work and one day we will all find the happiness we deserve. You will never be rid of me Michael of Antar. We are indelibly stuck."
He smiled. He couldn't help it. "For eternity," he agreed before kissing her again.
*****************************************
Max was holding Elizabeth's still body in his arms, his head bent, his face buried in her silky hair. He was trying to forget that when he came back, it was unlikely that he would even have this much of her left to cherish. He refused to think that way. He and his siblings were embarking on a mission of hope. They would return in triumph to Antar, reclaim their rightful places and then they would come back to their real home to reunite with their chosen mates.
It was a dream of his that Liz would be waiting for him upon his return, whole and healthy - that the healer he meant to bring for her would prove unneeded. He could not forget the image branded in his brain, could not eradicate the vision his son had shown him of his wife in that forest glade. While he had been unable to kill their child to see it come true, he still hoped that it was their future.
He was trying desperately to ignore the small voice in the back of his mind that was warning him to prepare himself - that this would be the last time he would lay eyes on her in this world. His own healing skills had not worked, nor had the healing stones. Why was he so sure that someone from Antar could make all the difference?
Max knew why he refused to think anything else though. Without even a thin ray of hope that Liz would survive, he knew that he could not go on. He would not be able to reclaim his throne, nor would he live for his son. He would allow himself to fade away and he knew absolutely that it was the last thing that Liz would want. He was living now for her and without the hope that she would come back to him, it would be impossible to continue doing so.
[I]Wake up! Please wake up![/I] His mind, his heart, his soul were willing her to hear him, willing her to at least give him a sign that this journey was not in vain, that he would not be coming back merely to claim his heir, but also to claim his wife.
He could feel her thin breath against his neck, but she did not stir. Max closed his eyes, releasing a weary sigh before gently laying his beloved wife on the pallet. He sat back on his haunches, picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.
"The last thing I want to do is to leave you my love. I hope that you will forgive me for it. But it is the only hope left. I will bring you back to me if it is the last thing I do." He whispered it, knowing that she could not hear him, but hoping still that she could. "When I come back, you will awaken and we will return to my home with our son and live happily ever after. Nothing will ever part us again." He kissed her palm. "This is my pledge to you."
Max reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace Michael had brought him from Castle DeHarding, where Max had sent he and Alexander the day before, wanting them to bring anything back that might identify that they were not from this world. It was the betrothal pendant that had been meant for his queen. Lord Edmund had intended it for Tess of course, but Max knew with certainty that he had found the lady to whom it had always truly belonged. He ran his thumb over the image of the whirlwind galaxy, the symbol of his house, kissed it lightly and then reached down, fastening it around Liz's neck. It fell against her breast, rising and falling gently with each breath.
He felt a lump enter his throat at the sight. He could not lose her! Max picked up her hand again and spent the precious last few moments with his wife silently praying that he would see her again.
**************************************************
It was quiet in the clearing around the cottage as Mary exited, closing the door firmly behind her. She threw her head back and stared up at the trees, which seemed to be reaching for the stars twinkling above.
She jumped when Alexander spoke at her elbow. He was closer than she had expected. "Do you think they have arrived?" He asked quietly.
Mary pulled her cloak more tightly around her shoulders, shivered. It was a chilly night, but then the entire world seemed colder since they had left it. And she knew they were gone. She had felt the tearing deep within her when Michael left her.
But she was not alone. He was still there, safely ensconced in her heart. With every beat she felt him saying her name, sometimes sounding annoyed, sometimes amused.
[I]Mary. Mary. Mary.[/I]
No, she was not alone.
"I hope so," she said to her brother now. "If so, it means they are already on their way back." Mary looked around the clearing, frowned. "Where are the men sent by the queen?"
"I sent them ahead," Alexander replied, shrugging. "They await us on the King's Highway." He seemed sheepish when he elaborated, "They did not belong here Mary mine. This place will always be [I]theirs[/I]."
"Maxwell and Lizzy's." Mary nodded, in perfect agreement. "But we will need them to help with the litter Alex."
He sighed. "I know. There are a couple of men waiting within the trees. We will set out on our own and meet them."
"Very well." Mary moved forward, raising her chin. "I'm just going to poke my nose in once more to check on Lizzy."
She pushed the curtains aside, blinked. "Alex!" She exclaimed, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest.
[I]Oh my God. Oh God! No![/I]
"What?" Alexander was at her shoulder an instant later. "What is amiss?"
"What is that around her neck?" Mary demanded. "Alex, what [I]is[/I] that?"
"I think it's something Maxwell gave her," Alex replied, his tone horrified. "Michael found it amongst Lord Edmund's possessions when we went to close Castle DeHarding."
"Alex, it's glowing! What's wrong with it?" Mary knew that she was panicking, but she could not control herself. There was an alien necklace with a strange swirling symbol on it around her best friend's neck and for all she knew, if she touched it, it would burn her up from the inside, as Michael had Tess.
The siblings watched in terrified fascination as the necklace seemed to take on a life of its own.
"Alex!" Mary screeched. "Get that thing away from her!"
Alexander reached forward, tried to grab the necklace, but was thrown backwards by some sort of invisible force.
"Alex!" Mary screamed.
Alexander stumbled to his feet. "Mary, be quiet! We cannot allow the guards to come back! Should they see this, our friends will be betrayed. They will never be able to return."
"But Alex."
Alex was no longer listening to her though. "Mary, I do not think this is a bad."
Mary turned her head, felt her mouth drop open. It could not be!
And, yet, it was.
As Mary and Alexander stared at their friend, Elizabeth de Parkeville opened her eyes.
"Are you sure this is wise Alex?" Isabel was pacing in front of the heavy door, but she stopped abruptly and glared at the solid piece of English oak. "Why must they meet in there? We cannot hear a thing!"
"I think that is what Maxwell intended. The fewer ears that hear his discussion with the queen, the better," Alex replied quietly, leaning back against the stone wall. "It will all work out for the best Bella. Queen Eleanor is a woman more modern than most and she has a healthy disdain for the sweeping pronouncements of falsely pious men. She will judge Max according to his actions, rather than prejudice." He paused, then added, "She will not forget that Max saved King Richard's throne by stealing those taxes back. It was providential that he chose to do that."
Alexander could see that his words had done little to soothe Isabel's fears as she began to pace again. He breathed a sigh of relief that Max had ordered Michael to stay behind at the cottage to watch over Elizabeth. If Isabel was so restless, Alex did not even want to imagine how Michael was presently behaving. He did not envy his sister one little bit. Although, Alexander reflected ruefully, if Michael was being particularly pig-headed, Mary was undoubtedly enjoying it, likely baiting him to make it worse. Even though he knew for a certainty that his sister was in love with the short- tempered alien, it did not seem to stop her enjoyment at making him explode.
Which Michael almost had the night before when Maxwell had announced to them all that he was going to the queen and that he was going to tell her the truth about everything. For a long while, they had all truly believed that in his grief he had finally taken complete leave of his senses. Even [I]after[/I] his explanation, Alexander was fairly sure that Michael, and perhaps even Isabel, [I]still[/I] believed it.
"What do you mean [I]everything[/I]?" Michael had demanded suspiciously. By the time Max had made his pronouncement, they had all returned to the small cottage in the woods, unwilling to stay a moment longer than necessary at the pod chamber, the site of so much death and destruction. The litter they had fabricated for Elizabeth had been set on the floor close to the fire and Alexander had found his eyes straying to her still form throughout the conversation, willing with every part of his being for his friend to open her eyes, if only to stop Max from committing this act of complete folly.
And, yet, Alexander had been the first to allow himself to be convinced. Because, in the end, he did know Eleanor of Aquitaine and he knew that she loved Elizabeth de Parkeville.
"If my child is born, he will be special," Max reminded them all. His tone was completely emotionless. Whatever breakdown the young king had allowed himself in the pod chamber, it was over. He was now a man with a plan, even if hope was still in short supply. "When we are gone, Elizabeth will need someone with strength and authority to watch over her. And." He paused, swallowed, forcing his voice to remain strong as he continued, "Should the worst happen, the baby will need the queen." Alexander flinched, in spite of the fact that he was already fully aware that Elizabeth's death was almost a certainty. The fact that she still breathed at all was a miracle in and of itself. While Max fully intended an attempt to save his wife by bringing a healer from his world back to her, they all knew that it was most likely merely a foolish dream.
"We told you already that we would take care of him Max!" Mary exclaimed. "Nothing will happen to your child. I swear it on my eternal soul."
Max smiled gently. "I place my complete confidence in your capable hands Mary. You and Alexander will be his true guardians. But this child will be the heir to my throne and I want the most powerful woman in the kingdom to know exactly who he is." His eyes narrowed. "And exactly who she and King Richard will be dealing with should anything befall him." He looked away momentarily, obviously struggling for control. "He is all that I have left of my wife and he will be safe."
"I still don't understand why we don't take them with us!" Michael complained from the corner. "They will be safer with us."
"Under any other circumstances I would agree," Max said. "However Lord Edmund's treachery has made it clear that the situation on Antar is a complete mystery. We do not know what we will be walking into when we return there Michael. It will be hard enough for us and we are of Antarian heritage. I will not bring any human there until we know that it is safe." He looked down at Elizabeth's peaceful visage, a sad smile crossing his lips. "Liz trusted in the queen and I truly believe that Eleanor will protect her child, whatever his father might be."
"Why don't we just tell Eleanor that it is Kyle's child?" Alexander asked. "She does not need to know the whole truth."
"He will be special," Max repeated patiently. "We do not know that the birth will be entirely normal and I cannot have the queen changing her mind when I am no longer here to intervene. She must know and she must know [I]now[/I]."
The glint of hard resolve in Max's eyes had stopped any further arguments, although Michael had seemed inclined to continue his until Mary spirited him off into the forest in order to distract him. Which was why Alexander now found himself waiting with Isabel, trying to forget that this was likely the last day he would be spending in her company for a very long while.
There had been a brief discussion that perhaps one of the Antarians should remain behind but it was finally decided that it could not be risked. While Tess was gone, Max now convinced that she had never truly been one of them anyway, the three aliens had always been intended to operate as a team. They needed to assure that they were as strong as they could possibly be when they arrived on their home world.
Which meant that Alexander and Mary would be responsible for keeping Elizabeth and her child safe until they all returned. Alexander had absolutely no doubt that at least Max would come back. Whatever he faced, Max would not forsake his son.
He also secretly hoped that the other two would come back for an entirely different reason.
Michael's feelings for Mary were now completely out in the open. What had happened to Elizabeth seemed to have broken down his last walls regarding what he wanted from Alexander's sister. They had disappeared into the forest for a lengthy period of time the night before and while Alexander knew that he should be concerned for his sister's virtue, he also knew that it was completely unlikely that Mary would ever accept a human husband now anyway. He would allow her what happiness she could find in the short period before the trio who had so changed their lives left.
As he watched Isabel now, Alexander wished that he had been courageous enough to request some time alone with the alien princess as well. But, despite how close they had become and the indications that she felt as strongly for him as he felt for her, he was still uncertain that were it not for the fact that they were the two odd members out of their sextet, she would ever be interested in him. Certainly she had not seemed to have any great desire to see him privately. She had spent her evening at Max's side, planning the first steps they would take to reclaim their planet upon their arrival. Alexander watched the firelight dance across the spun gold of her hair as she tossed her long mane in exasperation at something Max said at one point, his heart practically breaking.
He knew for certain that he would never love any woman the way he loved Isabel. Should she choose not to return with Maxwell, Alexander also knew that he would spend the rest of his life in a monastery, his duty to his title and his lands be damned. After one kiss from those perfect lips, no other woman would do and he was not the type of man who could doom an innocent to a loveless marriage. Because, were his wife not Isabel, it was what would happen to the poor girl.
It took him an instant to realize that Bella had stopped pacing and was staring at him. "Alexander, you are entirely too quiet. You are supposed to be keeping my mind off the fact that the queen could declare my brother a demon and order him burned at the stake at any moment."
He blinked, forced a grin. "I do apologize milady. What shall it be then? A joke? A saucy tale?"
Isabel tilted her head, then said quietly, "I am not in the mood to laugh Alex."
He swallowed, a lump entering his throat as he thought of Elizabeth and as he felt his stomach clenching at the remembrance that Isabel would soon be gone from his life. "Nor am I," he admitted.
"Why?" Isabel's eyes were strangely bright as she regarded him. "Tell me why Alexander."
He did not speak for a long moment but then decided that he could ill afford to lose this chance. Even were she to reject him out of hand, he [I]needed[/I] to tell her how he felt. "I fear that you will not return."
Isabel's dark eyes shadowed. "Would it sadden you should I not?"
Alexander reached out, taking both of her hands in his. "Of course it would Bella."
"Why?" She repeated. "Tell me why Alex."
"Because I love you and I cannot bear the thought of a life without you." He smiled sadly. "I know that you do not know what lies ahead for you Isabel of Antar, but I would that you understand that I will wait for you forever."
There was a long moment of silence. Isabel lowered her eyes, causing Alex's heart to sink. When she raised them, they were shining with tears. Yet, in spite of that, her lovely face shone with a joyful light he had never once, in his wildest dreams, hoped to cause. "I will come back if it the last thing I ever do," she whispered, leaning forward and touching her lips lightly to his. "For no one else, on this planet or any other, will ever touch my heart as you have Alexander DeLucie."
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"Step into the light where I can see you. I am an old woman and my eye- sight is not what it once was."
Maxwell complied, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. "Your grace."
"Well, you are certainly as handsome as I remember. It is no wonder that my Elizabeth has become completely uncontrollable since encountering you."
Max kept his eyes lowered, trying not to grimace. This was not a positive beginning.
"But, then, I too ran off with a totally unsuitable man," she continued, sounding amused. "Stop bowing and scraping young man and look me in the face. You are at least owed that much for preserving my son's throne, even if you have been entirely too forward with a royal ward."
He raised his head and met the eyes of Elizabeth's guardian.
"That's better." Eleanor tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. "Where is my ward Maxwell of Huntington? Alexander informed me that it was best that I hear the story from you."
Max swallowed, the perpetual lump that had lodged itself in his throat since Lord Edmund had hurt Liz causing his voice to crack slightly. "She is unwell your grace."
"But she lives." He could feel Eleanor searching his face for the truth and Max knew that he had been absolutely right in his assessment that the queen would have been able to sniff out a lie at a hundred paces. If he was to gain this woman's trust and favour, he could not keep anything from her. He was depending on Elizabeth's judgment that she could be trusted. Had his Liz not been the most sound judge of a person's worth after all? Were it not for her, Michael would not have found his Mary, nor Isabel her Alexander. Thankfully his siblings would one day be happy. Even if he was destined to be the loneliest man in the universe for the rest of his life, he could be grateful for that. He was not jealous and did not begrudge them their joy. Even if they had not yet fully claimed it, he knew that they would.
The only joy left in Max's world would hopefully be held fast by the strong woman in front of him.
"Yes. But perhaps not for long," he said quietly.
He watched a spasm of grief cross the old woman's face. "I feared as much. I made a grievous error young man. Sir Kyle DeValence was an unworthy match for Elizabeth."
"Sir Kyle redeemed himself in the end your grace," Max replied firmly. "I am here to tell you the true story of what has transpired and I hope that you will be able to accept it."
Eleanor regarded him for a long moment, then patted the stool at her feet. "Come." Max did not move, sure that once he told her what he really was, she would not want him so close. The queen tilted her head again and then said, "The Bishop's accusations were well-founded then?"
Max straightened his spine. "Yes your grace."
What she did next so surprised Max, he blinked to make sure he was not seeing things. But when he opened his eyes again, Queen Eleanor was indeed still smiling. "Well, it is nice to know that he can actually be right about something, although I'm going to have to make Richard give him a promotion and send him to another bishopric to make sure he never knows it." She paused, then continued, "I do not think that he was quite correct after all though. You are not a demon, are you Maxwell of Huntington?"
"No your grace. I am not." He met her eyes and said clearly, no longer at all afraid. "My true name is Zan of Antar and I am a visitor to this world. And your ward, Elizabeth de Parkeville, is my chosen queen and the mother of my heir."
**************************************
[b]Two Days Later - Sherwood Forest[/b]
Michael stared down at the silver book, turning it over in his hands. While this slim volume had provided the answers they needed, he could not help but hate it. And, yet, he would not take this chance from Maxwell. If they could somehow save Elizabeth, he would leave a thousand times over.
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you will return."
He raised his eyes, met Mary's blue-eyed gaze. He could see that she was struggling to keep a cheerful countenance. He knew her so well at this point, he could practically read her mind. She did not want his last remembrance of her to be a face streaked with tears. It irked him. She should know by now that he did not care what she looked like. All he knew was that he did not want to have a last memory of her at all. Or at least not one that was not her wrinkled face staring down at him and yelling in annoyance as he died in his bed at an extremely old age.
He knew [I]exactly[/I] the image of her he would carry in his heart for all eternity anyway. It would be the picture of her standing in the aisle of the chapel in the forest when they had saved Elizabeth from her precipitous first wedding to Sir Kyle.
[I] "Hmmmm. I missed."[/I]
That was what she had said after deliberately parting the hair of one of Sir Kyle's minions with her loosed arrow. The mischievous glint in her eye at that moment, when she had practically made Sir Kyle drop at her feet in fear.To him, it was the essence of Mary of Whitfield. It had taken him a long while to recognize it, but now, as he stood facing her, trying to gain the courage to say good-bye, he knew with absolute certainty that it had been the moment in which he had fallen in love with her.
"And I will return," Michael told her gruffly now, hauling her against his chest and kissing her fiercely. "There is not another man in this universe who can handle you and so I owe it to my sex."
"You think that you can handle me do you?" Her eyes flashed. "Well, we shall see." She kissed him again, murmuring against his lips. "Be careful. And know that, wherever you are, when you look at the stars, I will be looking at them as well and willing you back to my side."
It had been decided that Alexander and Mary would not accompany them to the pod chamber. Max did not want Elizabeth left alone for so long and it would be a long journey for the humans to the convent where Queen Eleanor had arranged for Maxwell's queen's care during her long confinement. They would leave as soon as the Antarians did.
In the end, as always, Max had been right. The queen had listened to the truth and she had accepted the responsibility of caring for Elizabeth and her child while Max was gone. Even Alexander and Mary had seemed slightly taken aback by how completely Eleanor had accepted Max, but, finally, they had realized that it was not so difficult to believe.
Eleanor of Aquitaine had recognized her equal in Maxwell DeHarding. He was a king and she was a queen and they understood each other.
Maxwell was in the cottage with Elizabeth now, saying his good-byes. As difficult as this parting from Mary would be, Michael knew that in comparison to his brother, he had it easy. Max had to know in his heart that it was unlikely that his wife would still be among the living when he returned.
And, yet, they all hoped. The trip they were about to take depended on it.
Isabel and Alexander were huddled together close to the door of the cottage. Michael was pleased that his former betrothed would be leaving behind such a devoted suitor. Isabel deserved the best and there was no question that she and Alexander DeLucie were made for each other.
Just as Maxwell and Elizabeth were made for each other, had been destined to find each other and bring them all together. He pulled Mary more tightly against him, ashamed of his relief that he was not his brother.
And, yet, he knew that he could not be sorry. Because, as much as he loved Maxwell, were he given the chance to give Mary up in order to save Elizabeth, he would not do it.
"Yes, you would," Mary whispered, startling him so, he jerked against her.
"What?"
"You would Michael."
"What are you talking about?" He demanded, although he knew. He was unsure how it had happened, but she had heard him. She had read his private thoughts.
"You are not as selfish and unworthy as you would like to believe because you [I]are[/I] giving me up to save her." Mary smiled up at him lovingly. "Which is why I know that it will work and one day we will all find the happiness we deserve. You will never be rid of me Michael of Antar. We are indelibly stuck."
He smiled. He couldn't help it. "For eternity," he agreed before kissing her again.
*****************************************
Max was holding Elizabeth's still body in his arms, his head bent, his face buried in her silky hair. He was trying to forget that when he came back, it was unlikely that he would even have this much of her left to cherish. He refused to think that way. He and his siblings were embarking on a mission of hope. They would return in triumph to Antar, reclaim their rightful places and then they would come back to their real home to reunite with their chosen mates.
It was a dream of his that Liz would be waiting for him upon his return, whole and healthy - that the healer he meant to bring for her would prove unneeded. He could not forget the image branded in his brain, could not eradicate the vision his son had shown him of his wife in that forest glade. While he had been unable to kill their child to see it come true, he still hoped that it was their future.
He was trying desperately to ignore the small voice in the back of his mind that was warning him to prepare himself - that this would be the last time he would lay eyes on her in this world. His own healing skills had not worked, nor had the healing stones. Why was he so sure that someone from Antar could make all the difference?
Max knew why he refused to think anything else though. Without even a thin ray of hope that Liz would survive, he knew that he could not go on. He would not be able to reclaim his throne, nor would he live for his son. He would allow himself to fade away and he knew absolutely that it was the last thing that Liz would want. He was living now for her and without the hope that she would come back to him, it would be impossible to continue doing so.
[I]Wake up! Please wake up![/I] His mind, his heart, his soul were willing her to hear him, willing her to at least give him a sign that this journey was not in vain, that he would not be coming back merely to claim his heir, but also to claim his wife.
He could feel her thin breath against his neck, but she did not stir. Max closed his eyes, releasing a weary sigh before gently laying his beloved wife on the pallet. He sat back on his haunches, picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.
"The last thing I want to do is to leave you my love. I hope that you will forgive me for it. But it is the only hope left. I will bring you back to me if it is the last thing I do." He whispered it, knowing that she could not hear him, but hoping still that she could. "When I come back, you will awaken and we will return to my home with our son and live happily ever after. Nothing will ever part us again." He kissed her palm. "This is my pledge to you."
Max reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace Michael had brought him from Castle DeHarding, where Max had sent he and Alexander the day before, wanting them to bring anything back that might identify that they were not from this world. It was the betrothal pendant that had been meant for his queen. Lord Edmund had intended it for Tess of course, but Max knew with certainty that he had found the lady to whom it had always truly belonged. He ran his thumb over the image of the whirlwind galaxy, the symbol of his house, kissed it lightly and then reached down, fastening it around Liz's neck. It fell against her breast, rising and falling gently with each breath.
He felt a lump enter his throat at the sight. He could not lose her! Max picked up her hand again and spent the precious last few moments with his wife silently praying that he would see her again.
**************************************************
It was quiet in the clearing around the cottage as Mary exited, closing the door firmly behind her. She threw her head back and stared up at the trees, which seemed to be reaching for the stars twinkling above.
She jumped when Alexander spoke at her elbow. He was closer than she had expected. "Do you think they have arrived?" He asked quietly.
Mary pulled her cloak more tightly around her shoulders, shivered. It was a chilly night, but then the entire world seemed colder since they had left it. And she knew they were gone. She had felt the tearing deep within her when Michael left her.
But she was not alone. He was still there, safely ensconced in her heart. With every beat she felt him saying her name, sometimes sounding annoyed, sometimes amused.
[I]Mary. Mary. Mary.[/I]
No, she was not alone.
"I hope so," she said to her brother now. "If so, it means they are already on their way back." Mary looked around the clearing, frowned. "Where are the men sent by the queen?"
"I sent them ahead," Alexander replied, shrugging. "They await us on the King's Highway." He seemed sheepish when he elaborated, "They did not belong here Mary mine. This place will always be [I]theirs[/I]."
"Maxwell and Lizzy's." Mary nodded, in perfect agreement. "But we will need them to help with the litter Alex."
He sighed. "I know. There are a couple of men waiting within the trees. We will set out on our own and meet them."
"Very well." Mary moved forward, raising her chin. "I'm just going to poke my nose in once more to check on Lizzy."
She pushed the curtains aside, blinked. "Alex!" She exclaimed, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest.
[I]Oh my God. Oh God! No![/I]
"What?" Alexander was at her shoulder an instant later. "What is amiss?"
"What is that around her neck?" Mary demanded. "Alex, what [I]is[/I] that?"
"I think it's something Maxwell gave her," Alex replied, his tone horrified. "Michael found it amongst Lord Edmund's possessions when we went to close Castle DeHarding."
"Alex, it's glowing! What's wrong with it?" Mary knew that she was panicking, but she could not control herself. There was an alien necklace with a strange swirling symbol on it around her best friend's neck and for all she knew, if she touched it, it would burn her up from the inside, as Michael had Tess.
The siblings watched in terrified fascination as the necklace seemed to take on a life of its own.
"Alex!" Mary screeched. "Get that thing away from her!"
Alexander reached forward, tried to grab the necklace, but was thrown backwards by some sort of invisible force.
"Alex!" Mary screamed.
Alexander stumbled to his feet. "Mary, be quiet! We cannot allow the guards to come back! Should they see this, our friends will be betrayed. They will never be able to return."
"But Alex."
Alex was no longer listening to her though. "Mary, I do not think this is a bad."
Mary turned her head, felt her mouth drop open. It could not be!
And, yet, it was.
As Mary and Alexander stared at their friend, Elizabeth de Parkeville opened her eyes.