Ulfrik Norseman left his second wife, Tarja, to slumber in their bed, while he met with her serpent father, Thulsa Doom…

"My wife has a bruise on her face. She mentioned nothing about it but I take it you are the cause of it?"

"She was impertinent…" Doom began but Ulfrik interrupted him.

"Tarja is my wife now. If and when she is 'impertinent' you will leave her to me. Are we clear?"

Doom said nothing to that and Ulfrik continued on.

"Some of Kefu's men killed two of mine on our journey here. I take it he is still upset over Tarja's marriage to me instead of him?" Ulfrik asked.

"One of Kefu's men disappeared. Meaning my daughter made him disappear and I think Kefu believes one of your men, or myself, had him killed." Doom said casually.

"That would have been the very large man that was given as a wedding gift by Kefu? His name escapes me at the moment…"

"It was Bombaata. He was a servant of Zaid Kefu's but the talk was that he was more a brother than a subservient." Doom told his new son-in-law.

"And Tarja killed him?"

"Probably. If he cannot be found anywhere then it is her handiwork." Doom replied.

Ulfrik nodded.

"I will be taking Tarja and leaving soon. I want to make sure that the other part of the marriage contract is honored."

Doom gave Ulfrik a withering look.

"You mean the part where in which I give you access to my troops so you can retrieve your son from that Fae?"

"No." Ulfrik said.

"Oh, then you must be referring to the public execution of your straying wife and the fae known as Dermot, on these grounds?"

"No." Ulfrik said coldly. "I think you know of what I speak."

Thulsa Doom nodded slightly.

"Yes. Though I would suggest that you tell my daughter of it. So she can prepare herself."

"Tarja has nothing to be concerned about as long as she gives me sons. But I will not tolerate daughter, half serpents. You and Queen Leticia will raise them."

"Tarja is half serpent and is able to to give you children, while containing great power. I think you are being short sighted." Doom told him.

Ulfrik smiled coldly.

"I am not stupid, Your Grace. You have sired many children from the women you have stolen over the sands of time. All of them showed serpent qualities. That is fine quality in boys but not girls. And NONE of them held any great power such as you or Tarja. You only get children like her every three hundred years."

"Yes. That is true. And that is why I am telling you that if you do not tell Tarja that any daughters you have with her, will be given to her parents, you will end up either at the bottom of the ocean or beyond the stars." Doom told Ulfrik with awful finality.

Meanwhile, Tara was awakened by handmaidens and escorted to some cave like installations in the lower part of the palace. Steam rose up and she saw that her 'mother', Queen Leticia' was already in the steaming water, amidst the cave darkness. Leticia was being washed by her own handmaidens, but Tara kindly told her own, that she could wash herself. They disappeared into the backdrop of steam and Leticia signaled her own servants to leave them.

Once they were alone, Leticia spoke first.

"You cannot leave a king. And Ulfrik Norseman is a king."

Tara was tempted to tell her mother, who was not really her mother, that she understood that. But she found herself just nodding to her.

"I am pleased that you see that, Tarja. I know that you cared for Zaid. But your father found him to be false and he could not put him with you."

Tara, who had been scrubbing herself, eyed Leticia.

"What do you mean by 'false'?"

"You know what I mean, girl. He was not who he said he was."

"Meaning what?" Tara asked, now interested in this other suitor that wanted to marry her.

"Your father did not tell you? Of course not." Leticia sighed. "Your King father told me that Zaid Kefu was really a man named August Robitaille. A man who's wife the King took for his own. She died during childbirth and both she and the child were lost. Your king father was unable to fathom how this Robitaille had come to be here or even how he was still alive, since he…"

But Tara had tuned her mother out. What in the fucking hell? She had been engaged to Candyman's father? Why? How? Daniel had said something about his father making a deal with Thulsa Doom for money and prosperity. Doom had wanted Daniel's mother and his father let him have her. Tara could see why King Doom had been cautious about the whole thing.

"Tarja, I sensed he had real feelings for you and you for him. But you had seemed to accept your marriage to King Norseman so I do not understand why you came back here? How did you think your father would deal with you?" Leticia asked.

"I didn't think." was the best answer Tara could give her. Leticia nodded.

"I know. I do not know if you are aware that Zaid Kefu or August Robitaille, as he is known by in another realm, attacked some of your King's husband men on their way here. I think he is here."

Tara eyed Leticia.

"Here like around the palace someplace?" she asked.

"I do not know. But while Ulfrik Norseman is not a man to trifle with, the man known as Zaid Kefu, will not be denied you, Tarja, unless you make it clear to him that he is to be denied. Your dalliance with his servant did not help matters either." Leticia said, standing up out of the water. Tara looked away a bit embarrassed at seeing her supposed mother naked. It brought back memories of seeing her fuck Doom with his snake like cock. She had told her 'King Father' to not fuck her mother like that and she wondered if Doom was keeping his word on that, considering Tara had sent him to the bottom of the ocean recently?

Probably not, Tara theorized. King Thulsa Doom did what he damned well pleased and…

Tara heard a noise like shuffling or something and she looked around, suddenly very aware that Leticia had left the cave baths and that she herself was alone in steam and…

A large hand suddenly covered her mouth and Tara began screaming and wailing! She could not summon any power in her fright and she was appalled when strong hands lifted her out of the water, shoved her into a burlap sack and carried her off! Tara writhed and thrashed until the sack came open and she fell onto the ground of a forest!

She looked around wildly to see that she was face to face with a large man with silver dreads that sparkled with tinsel! He wore a brown leather vest and clothe breeches, but the woolly matte of hair on his chest, also looked sparkly with silver!

Somehow, Tara knew she was looking at August Robitaille. She locked eyes with him before turning to run, but she had not divested herself completely of the burlap sack she had been thrown in, and Tara tripped and fell! August Robitaille, also known as Zaid Kefu, took the opportunity to help Tara up quickly, before pushing her quickly up against a tree and molding his body against her naked one!

Tara started to scream but found she could not, as she stared into his eyes and saw events play out in them. She scarcely noticed when August raised and locked her arms above her head against the tree with one hand, while using the other to divest himself of his breeches. Seconds later, his bloated penetration buried itself deep inside of Tara and began using her with fury! Tara's heavy breasts slapped against August's matted chest and she found herself moving with him again and again, as she saw herself in his eyes…

Tara saw herself dressed in late 1800's clothing, standing on the deck of a riverboat. Standing next to her was August Robitaille, his large arm draped around her waist as she held a baby that she knew was their daughter. A baby they had named Violet.

Standing next to them was Daniel and Caroline, looking happy…openly. Black and white people strolled by and did not seem fazed when Daniel and Caroline kissed.

The scenery changed again, only this time Tara was back on that train terrace with Eric, and was holding a different baby. Their clothing was modern and his arm dwarfed her middle, as their child, another girl, who's name was Astrid, fed from one of her breasts. Tara wore an emerald green halter dress and had parted the opening, so that the daughter that she and Eric had, could receive nourishment. The train they were on stopped in Bon Temps and Tara saw Sookie and Bill Compton, waiting for them at the station.

The visions in August's eyes disappeared, and his lips suddenly covered Tara's in a hungry kiss that she found herself unable to keep herself from responding to with equal fervor. And at one point, August reached down to cup one of Tara's buttocks and lift her leg slightly, so that it was dropped around his waist, as they continued their frenzied lovemaking. It was only as they convulsed together, that August bellowed like a beast and Tara screamed out her erotic anguish. She should have used her powers on this man who had taken her in such a powerful manner in the woods. But she had wanted him just as much as he had her. She could feel they had history when she had not known anything about him before.

But even more telling, Tara either had or would, give Candyman a little sister. This was not a future she was sure she wanted or desired. And there would have been a time when she was very sure that she wanted nothing to do with Daniel Robitaille, Celia Linfey or anyone else connected to Candyman.

Shouting could suddenly be heard and Tara whispered for August to go before he was seen! He gathered his clothing and Tara got a look at his muscular buttocks that flexed as he hurried off. Tara wrapped the torn burlap around herself before stumbling back towards the caves. Inside, she hurried to the water and began to wash away signs of her encounter. She did not have the time to think about what the visions she had seen in August Robitaille's eyes meant. She just knew that she could not allow him to suffer the same fate his son had, for whatever reason.


Two more of 'Zaid Kefu's men were found on the grounds and a public execution took place, at Ulfrik's insistence. King Doom did not mind since he was enraged that Kefu was seemingly determined not to take no for an answer, with regards to his broken betrothment to Tara.

Ulfrik and Tara stood behind Doom and Leticia, as they watched the two men get set on fire. The crowds cheered and Tara kept her expression stoic. Ulfrik's hulking arm cloaked her waist as if he sensed the spectacle was be upsetting to her. Tara pulled out of her husband's hold, feigning exhaustion and made her way back to the rooms she shared with Ulfrik. It was not long before he joined her.

"We will stay another night and then be off in the morning." Ulfrik told her, eyeing her. Tara nodded.

"The executions were troubling to you, weren't they?" Ulfrik asked.

"I don't see a lot of them." Tara admitted.

"Your father never demanded you be present at an execution? I find that hard to believe, Tarja."

"Can we not talk about it?" Tara asked, turned away from him. But Ulfrik strode over to her and turned her back to him.

"Tarja, those men were here to abscond with you. Why? Why is it that Zaid Kefu cannot accept that you are my wife now?"

"I can honestly tell you I do not know. I barely knew him." Tara said, thinking that was sort of true. Ulfrik's large hands left her shoulders and one hand slid down to one of her breasts. He proceeded to kneed it through the thin fabric she wore.

"Your father told me that you sent that barbarian servant of Kefu's away. He thinks that he is the reason we have been having so much trouble out of Kefu lately. Your father also said that this man was inappropriate with you. Your sending him to his death was the right thing to do. If you hold such great power such as that, Tarja, then you have to be able to watch men die right in front of you, as well."

Suddenly, Tara didn't want to be torn between two men from a past she did not know. She had wanted to come back to this time to be with Ulfrik Norseman and August Robitaille, had made her feelings all the more confusing. She had willingly made love with him in the woods hours ago and yet, she needed to know what he knew about those visions she had seen. Would she give him a child named Violet?

Or even more telling, would she have a baby by Eric Northman named Astrid?

Tara responded to Ulfrik's caress by throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him to her for a long, fever filled kiss! Right now, this was the husband she wanted. And she had seen nothing in August Robitaille's eyes that said she would give Ulfrik a child. Moments later, Ulfrik and Tara had shed their clothing and felt to the floor in front of the fireplace, where Tara saw only Ulfrik Norsemen, as he thrust into her quickly and Tara's lean hips found the rhythm and caught on to it. There was a fire between Tara and Ulfrik that had never been there between her and Eric Northman. And she was through denying it.


Back in the real world, Lucas Hood closed Celia Linfey's diary and then did something that he knew could cost him his life.

"Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman…Candyman." Lucas called out. He soon turned towards Tara's front door and saw Daniel Robitaille standing there, his hook hand poised for slaying.

"You called me to die? And after Tara returned you here?" Candyman asked.

"I called you here for some answers." Hood said, waving Celia's diary. "How about you tell me about this 'Hell Betrothment' that Doom set up for poor Tara."

"Tara is anything but poor. She could smite you to where she wanted, in a second." Candyman reminded Hood. "And Celia was half crazy from her own abilities. She would not have even known Tara."

"Oh I think Celia knew a whole lot. She knew a whole lot about what a fool you were making of her." Lucas noted. "I mean you just did what you wanted, cheating on your wife…"

"I WAS IN LOVE!" Candyman roared. "Now if there is nothing else, it is time for you to die!"

"Yeah actually, there is." Hood said coolly. "Your wife here wrote that she met your father…his name was August, right?"

"What of it?" Candyman asked blithely.

"Well the rest of the conversation is in another language. Like Celia knew that someone might read this part someday and she wanted it to be in code or something." Hood noted.

Candyman suddenly rammed his hook into Hood's chest and Lucas dropped the diary in a flutter, as he sank to the ground in death. He gurgled as Candyman kept the hook in him and he only removed it from the faux sheriff's chest, when Eric Northman suddenly entered!

"Damn!" Eric hissed as Hood died on the floor and Candyman used a cloth to wipe the blood off of his hook, before regarding Eric.

"I did you a favor just now. He would have kept you from Sookie and me from Caroline." Candyman said.

"I cannot allow Tara to stay where she is. I will not abide her sleeping with my father."

"Because?" Candyman asked with feigned puzzlement.

"Because I am her maker and she will damned well begin doing what I say, Robitaille! I will not tolerate it." Eric snapped, now eyeing the diary. He began to move towards it when Candyman said something.

"You will not be able to pull Tara out of the realm she is in, by using Celia's diary."

Eric eyed Hood's body on the floor. Everyone thought he was lost or dead anyway, so his death now, did not matter so much. What did matter to him was why Robitaille felt the need to slay him?

"Did Hood call you?" Eric asked.

"He did. And when I am called, people die."

"But that's not why you killed Hood, is it?"

"As I said," Candyman rumbled, "he was about to destroy everything we wanted here. And in order to get what we want, we need to let things play out where Tara is. Going there will only pull our desires further out of reach."

And with those words, Candyman disappeared. Eric clenched his jaw and reached down to pick up Celia's diary. Hood had called Candyman after reading something in this book. And Eric intended on finding out what that was, while discovering how to bring Tara back and keep her here for good.