A/n: This is overdue, I know. I'm working on other stories at the moment (my new Ella fic, some stuff on fictionpress, and an update on my story in fairy tales). Anyway, this is a good chapter. Please review! PLEASE!

Chapter Eighteen

By morning, Ophelia was weary and tired, her legs and back aching, her eyes doing all they could to keep from not shutting. But she knew what she had to do, and she wasn't going to sleep until she left March with Nora's aunts with her. And it'd be lovely to see my brothers and sister! It was after dawn, but the land was still waking and covered in cold dew. The sun broke through the trees, rejuvenating her and her task.

"We're almost there!" she called to Jocelyn, riding through the glen where she'd first met Sidney.

Jocelyn nodded. "Are you tired too?" she asked.

Ophelia nodded. "Yes," she replied. "We've rode all day and night, but I believe it's worth it."

"Me too," Jocelyn said.

Ophelia gazed around her. "We're so close!" she whispered to herself. "Where is it?"

Finally, her eyes set on a sunny little cottage, made of logs and mud, a thatched roof, and surrounded by pretty flowers. She took off towards it, ignoring Jocelyn. She grew closer and closer, smiling. She slowed the horse and practically flew off, beckoning for Jocelyn to follow.

"Come on!" she cried. "This is it."

Before Jocelyn could reply, Ophelia burst through the door of the house. She was greeted by a horrified scream and the sound of a dropping bowl. "Estelle!" she cried, running into the kitchen. "Ginny! Allegra! It's me!"

Estelle, standing at the table, smiled. "Ophelia!" she replied. "Oh love, it's wonderful to see you again!"

"Is everything okay?" Ginny said, pushing her into a seat. "Is Nora all right?"

Ophelia nodded. "I'll explain everything," she said, "but first, let me introduce someone. This is Jocelyn Havanera."

Jocelyn approached nervously. She smiled weakly. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she said. "Ophelia and Nora have told me so much about all of you."

"Jocelyn and her brother have been traveling with us," Ophelia explained. "And three bandits…well, they're not really bandits, but they're certainly clever. And Sidney of course."

"Good Lady, Ophelia," Allegra exclaimed. "Sit down, tell us why you're here."

Ophelia and Jocelyn sat down and explained to them their whole journey, beginning with Nora's kidnapping. They went on to tell the burning of the Broken Bottle, the meeting with the Oderians, and how they'd found Chaz, Tom, and Mac in the woods.

"That's wonderful, dear," Estelle interrupted impatiently. "But tell us about Nora. We know that's why you're here."

"Well…" Ophelia said regretfully. "Nora's been captured by the Oderians."

"What?" Ginny cried. "This wasn't supposed to happen, Allegra!"

"Calm down, Ginny," Allegra replied. "Finish, Ophelia, if you'd please."

She nodded. "It was really my fault," Ophelia blurted. "The Lady said that what we all feared was inevitable, and Nora took charge from there. She said that if it was inevitable that she'd be captured, we were going to do it right, so everyone would know what to do when it happened. And so far, her plan has worked. As soon as she was taken, Prince Sidney and Sam, that's Jocelyn's brother, went to the Frellian Castle to tell Ella and Char, Mac, Tom, and Chaz went to find Lucinda's castle, and we came here."

A mutual understanding was met around the table, and for awhile, not a word was spoken. Finally, Allegra spoke. "We must get ready," she said firmly, standing up. "We've got to get to Frell."

"What?" Ginny said. "Why?"

"We've got to see Ella and Char," she replied. "It's time. Go wake the boys."

The house became abuzz with plans, but there were no bags packed or horses prepared. Ophelia knew that there was going to be magic involved in their travels. She was finally reunited, tearfully, with her brothers and sister, and they clung to her for the rest of the day. Even Jocelyn, who hadn't known these women until today, found the gathering joyous. Finally, everyone gathered in the kitchen.

"Join hands, loves, close your eyes." Estelle said. "You should hold tight, too."

"Send them in," she heard a deep voice say.

The guard ushered Allegra, Ginny, Estelle, and the children in, and gave a disparaging look to Jocelyn and Ophelia's dress, but closed the door after they were inside the room. It was an even finer room than the apartments she'd been in. There were four people inside, one of them standing, hand over mouth.

"What are you doing here?" she cried, looking at Allegra, Ginny, and Estelle.

The three of them bowed as King Charmont and Queen Ella came down to greet them. Ella was crying. "It's so wonderful to see all of you," she said, wiping her tears. "Send for Mandy. She'll be so pleased to see you."

"Ella, we've got serious business to attend to," Allegra said. "Nora Rose has been-"

"We know, Allegra," Char replied. "These boys here- Prince Sidney, you know him, and this boy Sam, have already informed us of Nora's circumstances."

"Sidney?" Ophelia cried, looking around, smiling.

He came from behind her and picked her up, twirling her around. "Yes?" he replied, setting her down.

She hugged him and smiled, and then hugged the nearby Sam. "I was so worried about you too!" she cried. "Did everything happen okay?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, of course," he replied. "Smooth as silk."

"Have you heard from the others?" Jocelyn asked hopefully.

"Well, no," Sam said. "But trust me, Jocelyn, I'm sure they're fine."

"Excuse me," Char said loudly, interrupting their conversation. "But we were just in the middle of planning. Would you two ladies care to join us, or would you rather go for a walk on the grounds?"

Ella laughed. "Char, stop being so ceremonial," she said. "If these two girls traveled from March and back in one night, I'm sure they'd want to stay. I know a bit about adventures myself, girls. What are your names?"

Ophelia bowed. "Ophelia of March, your majesty," she said quietly.

"You'll be Lady Ophelia here," Ella replied, winking. "And you?"

"Lady Jocelyn Havanera, your majesty," Jocelyn said. "I'm Sam's sister."

Ella nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you," she said. "Now where were we?"

After a long day of planning, thinking, and arguing, everyone retired to their rooms for some rest. Ophelia was exhausted, and felt herself collapse onto the bed. It's been a really long time since I slept on a bed. She felt her eyes beginning to close, and soon she drifted off to sleep. If she had been awake enough to notice, she would have realized that she was the only one who could fall asleep.

A little while later, she was awakened by a soft shaking. "Get up, Ophelia," someone was whispering. "Wake up!"

"What?" she whispered back, sitting up.

Jocelyn was standing over her. "C'mon," she replied. "I just got a message that Sidney and Sam want to see us. Urgently"

Ophelia rolled off her bed and ran her fingers through her hair. "What should I wear?" she asked. "Or do with my hair?"

"They don't care," Jocelyn said. "They've seen you before, Ophelia, looking much worse than this."

Ophelia smiled. "I guess you're right," she replied.

She put on her dressing gown and pulled her hair back into a ribbon, and left the apartment with Jocelyn. A man dressed in a castle uniform led them down a few corridors to a large door with the Ayorthaian crest on the front. He knocked on the door, bowed, and left us quickly. The door creaked open.

"Ophelia! Jocelyn!" Sam cried. "Thank you for coming."

He ushered them into the very extravagant apartment, where they found Sidney sitting with three very familiar faces. "Oh Lady!" Jocelyn screamed. "Chaz!"

Chaz leapt off the ground and rushed over to Jocelyn, picking her up and kissing her passionately. "It seems like it's been so much longer that two days," he said. "Come sit. We've got so much to tell you."

Ophelia, Sam, and Jocelyn sat down to listen to Chaz, Mac, and Tom explain what they'd seen at Lucinda's castle. "It was really run down," Tom said. "But well protected. Definitely well protected."

"By the time we got there, we figured they would've put her in the dungeon or in a tower. We decided to go with tower first, because finding the dungeons would be quite a task," Mac continued. "If she was in a tower, it was obvious that she'd be in the highest one."

"Which was, lucky for us, on the side we were," Chaz explained. "So we climbed up the side and got to the window, where, sure enough, she was laying on her bed, wide awake."

"Oh, thank the Lady!" Ophelia cried.

"But wait," he replied. "there's more. In the corner of the room was a spindle. Remember the prophecy, Ophelia. It's inevitable."

She nodded. "Okay," she whispered. "Finish up."

"She told us to enact phase two of her plan," Tom said.

"We don't have a phase two," Sidney replied, frustrated.

Mac laughed. "You may not," he said. "But we do."

A/n: Was that a cliffhanger? I can't tell. Review! Review! Puh-lease!