(Just as a side note, Lark isn't the main male interest in this story. He comes in a little later. Lark is more like Lia's buddy then anything. -Lulai)

Chapter Three: Help

Lia ran and ran, down the dark streets of the town of Numar by the castle. She ran so hard that her heart hurt and she had to stop, lest her old legs give way beneath her. Sliding down a wall into a sitting position, she lay her head down in her hands and wept. She wept and wept until her voice was dry and raspy and her sleeves were soaked.

"What are you doing out here in the dark, weeping, old mother?" a kindly voice asked. Lia raised her head to find a young man peering at her curiously.

"Go away," Lia said, and her eyes filled with tears again. Even her voice sounded old.

"I don't think I will be leaving a nice lady like you out here in the cold when you could sit by my fire and be warm, now could I?" he said jovially. "Come." The man helped her up as she found that her legs could barely support her. He helped her into a carriage, and she felt herself lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking.

Lia woke up suddenly. She sat up, and looked around her at the unfamiliar cottage. Suddenly the events of the night before came back to her. She held up her hands to examine them. They were still wrinkled and veined. But unlike the other night, Lia didn't feel like crying. She felt like tearing her sister limb from limb. Lia was shocked by the amount of hatred she felt for her sister.

"So you're awake," the laughing voice said. The young man that had rescued her last night stood beside the bed, holding a steaming bowl of soup.

"Hungry?" he asked. Lia's stomach gave an answering growl, causing Lia to blush. To cover it up, she frowned.

"What's in it?" she asked. She sniffed. The smells of Morrington herb, Blueroot, and Hoddycop assaulted her nose.

The man laughed. "I think you know already."

Lia nodded and accepted the bowl of soup. The flavour burst full and warm on her tongue and smiled her thanks.

"I must be going," she burst out suddenly. "I thank you for taking me into your home and feeding me, but I must get going, I have things I need to do."

The man looked amused, which annoyed Lia greatly. "What things need doing, old mother?" he asked.

"None of your concern, young lark," Lia responded testily, setting the soup on the floor. The man's smile grew wider, as if her acid remark had pleased him.

He went suddenly to the closet where he pulled out her dress from last night. Remarkably, it showed nothing of her run through the city. She felt sure that it would have at least a little dirt on it.

A sudden thought went through her mind. "How did you get my dress off?" she asked, growing increasingly worried. "Did you undress me?" She threw the covers off, and stood up, at least semi relieved to see that she wore a light blue cotton dress.

"Goodness, no," the man laughed, causing Lia's scowl to deepen until she could almost see her eyebrows. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly her dress was green. Lia's grey eyes widened.

"What the?" She looked closely at the grinning man in front of her. "Who are you? What's your name?"

"I liked the name you called me earlier. Lark, you can call me. I am, what I believe you would call a Fey."

"A Fey?" Lia gasped, sitting down suddenly on the bed. Her heart started beating funny. Lark was immediately beside her, and laid a hand on her chest. Her heart resumed its normal rhythm.

"I'm in a Faery house?" Lia asked, looking around. It was a small cottage, warm and cozy with a small cot and a large fire place. It was delightfully lined with herbs of every assortment.

"Actually," Lark responded, "you're in your house. At least this is the house you can live in until your spell is broken. I hope you come to think of it as your house in any case."

Lia looked at Lark with surprise. "You know I'm under a spell? Can you break it? Oh, confound it, where's my rose?" She started to rise, but Lark pushed her back down.

"Unfortunately, I cannot break your spell. The curse was made under severe hatred and that made it incredibly strong," Lark looked a little disappointed in himself. "But, I can help you. I've extended the life of your rose," he pointed to the rose, sitting in a simple glass vase of water. "It will not start to wilt until your nineteenth birthday. After that, you have two years until it is totally dead."

"But how can I break the curse?" Lia exclaimed. "I don't know the first thing about magic."

"That, I also can help with," Lark said. "You must find someone who can see you with their heart's eye. Only then will the spell be broken."

"But... I cannot go traipsing all over the country side looking for that one person," Lia said, her heart sinking.

"Of course not," Lark replied with a grin. "I shall send them to you. You just need to do what you do best."

"And what is that?" Lia asked skeptically.

"Heal. Soon you'll have a reputation that'll bring hundreds of people to your door. I'll help you." Lark grinned at her.

"Why are you helping me?" Lia asked bluntly.

Lark looked at her with a friendly smile. "Because you danced with me twice at the ball."