A soft voice called from behind. "Where who comes from?"

Lir turned around and behind him, wrapped in a sapphire cloak, her white hair blowing in the gentle wind, stood Amalthea. He blinked at her and she was caught by the trance-like expression on his face. "Lir, what is it?" She stepped forward and gently laid her hand on his shoulder.

He looked at the woman who he had shared 6 years of his life with and sighed, praying that she would understand. "Amalthea, my love. Do you remember how you came to be in Hagsgate? Or your life before that?"

She looked at him curiously, unsure of what he was talking about. "You told me that Schmendrick and Molly found me by the road out in the country, wandering alone and that you loved me from moment you first saw me. I cannot remember my life before you." She bit her lip and Lir caressed her face. "Please, my love, continue." She looked into his eyes; afraid he'd think her crazy. "Sometimes I dream, but it's never me. I see a forest with animals that I've never seen before, and a beautiful white unicorn running through a meadow. Then the unicorn is in a carnival of some kind being attacked by a horribly ugly bird, and an old woman is laughing cruelly. All of a sudden the unicorn is running through the forest near the beach, being chased by a ghostly red bull and Schmendrick is protecting Molly and casting a spell. Then the scene changes and I see the unicorn standing on the cliff where the castle is, but there is no castle. The unicorn looks out to the sea and it looks so sad. And you're in my dream. You're watching the unicorn from the beach, and you're with Molly and Schmendrick. I wake up and I feel. I almost feel like I was the unicorn in my dream." Lir looked at her in awe. "I'm sorry I never told you about it. It's always bothered me, it ridiculous. Unicorns are fairy tales." She laughed and Lir swallowed the lump in his throat. She became serious once more. Why are you asking me about my past?"

Lir sighed and looked at his wife. "Amalthea. I have to tell you something. You're going to be upset by this, and you'll probably hate me for it, but you have to know. You were." He stopped as a ball of misty white-violet light floated near them. The mist vanished and Schmendrick stood before them. Lir angrily glared at the magician while Amalthea looked startled.

"I will never get used to your magic, dear friend." She said with a smile, but in her mind the words sounded odd. A look of deep pain and sorrow flashed briefly through the magician's face. 'Amalthea, you were once more powerful than even I.' he thought sorrowfully. He looked at his king and spoke bitterly. "Please, continue. I have waited 6 long years for this. Tell her who she truly is. Or I will."

Amalthea looked shocked at her friend's tone, then thought about his words and asked quietly, half afraid of the answer. "What about my past?"

For all Amalthea's fear, her husband looked more frightened than she. 'I've fought dragons, ogres, trolls, and witches without a care. Why now am I shaking?' Lir absently toyed with the sword he had on his belt, a move that Amalthea had seen often when he was deeply troubled by matters of conflict.

Amalthea looked at Schmendrick and asked. "Schmendrick, my dearest friend, what is my king not telling me? What do you know?" The magician only continued glaring at Lir. She turned to her husband and her voice broke as she questioned him again. "Lir what. What do you know of my past?"

Lir looked up and into his wife's deep violet-blue eyes. They had always been the windows of her true emotion, no matter how she spoke or acted. He had seen her scold Aurora for painting on the wall, when her eyes admired her young daughter's talent. He had seen her fighting with Molly, then watched her scream at her friend and handmaiden to leave the castle, yet her eyes pleaded her to stay and forgive her. He looked into those eyes now. They held fear beyond anything he'd ever seen in her.

He turned to face the magician, who had not broken his powerful gaze. For all King Lir's bravery, he had become wary of the magician. Mabruk's presence had unnerved him greatly to the idea of mages, but after the night the Bull no longer roamed the land searching for unicorns, he and Schmendrick had parted in their friendship. Schmendrick was bumbling in the beginning so there was no worry, but in time his powers grew. He was soon the most powerful wizard in the country, yet retained his love for colourful, entertaining parlour tricks. It had been a closely guarded secret between Lir, Amalthea, Molly, and Schmendrick, that the wizard no real loyalty towards the king of Hagsgate. Any loyalty he did have was for show, and purely out of respect for Amalthea, who he would do absolutely anything for.

Schmendrick spoke. "Lir, if you do not tell her who she was- no, -what- she was, I -will- tell her." He stepped towards Amalthea. She remained focused on her husband, hoping whatever he knew he would tell her. Lir looked into her eyes once more, and opened his mouth, but the deep sadness and guilt he felt would not let him speak. He looked at the pair and turned back towards the castle silently, a solitary tear running down his cheek.

"Damn you, Lir!" Schmendrick shouted at the retreating monarch. He didn't pause in his step, but kept walking.

The magician lost his anger when he heard the choked sob of his friend and queen. Tears ran down her face as she watched her husband walk away from her. That he knew more about her past but said nothing disturbed her. That he would walk away and leave another to tell broke her heart. She fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Schmendrick knelt down and held her in his protective embrace. He tenderly stroked her back as she cried into his cloak and whispered words of comfort to his first real friend he ever knew. "Amalthea. I'm so sorry this had to happen. Forgive me for what I tell you."

After several moments she lifted her head up. The magician brushed the tears from her eyes gently.

She took a deep breath and spoke in a clear, steady voice.

"Schmendrick, who am I?"