A/n: Third chapter, I'm probly dragging the story on but who cares?

Chapter 3: Acceptance

Alanna was hidden amongst the hedge at first she didn't believe the man at the university about 'Thom's secret wedding' but now her eyes bore witness, she had gotten here this morning and since she travelled by ship Alanna was pale and thin.

Watching Thom take Tia's hand and lead her away, she wondered if Tia knew what she had gotten herself into, marrying for love was fine but it wasn't really good to marry your own half-brother. When they disappeared out of sight she decided to follow them and talk to her children about what they had done.

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Thom had taken Tia back to his room and was glad that he had made Tia his wife, so she was his half-sister but in the end all that mattered that he loved her and he loved him.

Alanna stood behind the door between her and her children; did she really want to break them up? Did she want tell them that it was impossible for the to have 'normal' children? What did she want to do once she was on the other side of the door? Tell them off like naughty children? No, she had accepted Tia as what she is and what she did; she can do the same with Thom and Tia as a couple.

They accepted their love for each other however wrong it may seem, it was still love and people who love each other should never be split apart. Turning away from the door Alanna considered writing to her children but dismissed it, she would let them have their own lives after all it was by her hand that what had happened was so and as Alanna boarded the boat towards Tortall she knew that for once she had done the right thing regarding her children.

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Tia was eight months pregnant, she enjoyed the life herself and Thom had made, sure they would never be famous or rich but a life with someone she loved was something she had always wanted, she thought remembering the day when she died in her cell she realized that she had now achieved all she had wanted. As had Thom: he was a black robe mage and was successful in whatever he tried and whenever he was put in the spot light he was always modest and tried to as little recognition as possible, being married to your sister wasn't always accepted.

Shortly after Thom returned home Tia gave birth: it was a beautiful healthy baby girl with likewise purple eyes as her parents. Her hair was a blondish-red hair that couldn't be called strawberry blonde being more blonde than red.

"What she we call her?" Tia asked Thom, holding the baby in her arms rocking gently.

Thinking Thom wondered indeed what they should call her, seeing the horses run around the paddock he said, "Epona?"

"My first horse? Why not?" Tia said smiling down at her newly named baby Epona.

"See there's nothing wrong with her." Thom said remembering Tia's words about the realms of the dead.

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"Epona! Get back here before I call your father!" Tia called after her eleven-year-old daughter, who was running down the edge of the Zekoi River.

"But mother the crocodiles like me!" Epona called back, gleefully dodging snaps dealt by hungry crocodiles.

"Yeah right! Between two slices of bread! Now get back her this instant!" Tia was now chasing her daughter gaining distance quickly for someone who had a child and was in her early thirties.

Epona screamed as she fell into a ditch hidden by long grass, Tia quickly caught up and grabbed and then pulled her daughter out of a muddy ditch.

"Now will you come home?" Tia asked crossly.

"Yes." She said breathlessly.

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Upon arrival at the land that Thom had bought and built a grand house upon, Epona asked her mother, "Why won't you let me go by myself anywhere?"

"Because you're only eleven and something that I'll tell you when you're older." Tia said still cross with her daughter for running away.

"Oh! Come on tell me!" Epona was practically begging.

"No, end of story." Tia said not wanting to tell her daughter that her father was her uncle.

"Oh, your no fun." Epona sat down on a chair looking very much like the spoilt child she was.

"Your in big trouble when your father gets home." Tia said peeling potatoes and putting them in a pot.

"What if he doesn't come home?" Epona asked.

"Don't be silly, of course he'll be home." Tia said looking at her daughter, "What makes you think he won't come home?" Tia asked.

"Oh nothing…just this." Epona held up an opened letter.

"What's that?" Tia had come over to investigate.

"A letter from Emperor Kaddar." She opened it, "Something about a 'buried past' in Tortall and something about being an ambassador job." Epona said looking at the letter.

"Give me that." Tia snatched the letter away and read, "When where you going to tell about this?"

"When where you going to tell me about this 'buried past' thing." Epona asked looking at her now very angry mother.

"I asked you first." Tia said putting the letter in her pocket.

"Oh…sooner or later, maybe sooner than later." Epona was cleaning her nails with a bristle

."Maybe? Epona how long has this letter been in your possession?" Tia had her hands on her hips looking very much like a distressed mother.

"A week maybe more." Epona said not caring either way.

"A week?" Tia shrieked, "And he left yesterday?" Tia was now furious.

"To do his job." Epona stated.

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A/n: Review! I'd like to know if I'm going about this the right way.