The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux
A/n Soon we are coming to the end of Part I. It will have a definite end. Enjoy it. I have finished it, just waiting to be posted. Be well. Due to a comment, I tried to explain who everyone was, once again.
A Reunion
Revelations and Young Businessmen- A Found Way to Demands
Elizabeth was happy to have her sisters living with her. They would be residing at the Dower's house with Mr. Bennet, and they hoped later to reunite with the younger Bennet. Kitty and Lydia were at a young ladies academy, one recommend by Lady Fitzwilliams. They would come for holidays and other breaks.
Frederick was staying for several weeks; he was to work with Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth. Darcy sent George with the Bennet and Frederick to Pemberley. The new seedlings would be planted in both estates. Elizabeth's brothers turned down the invitation, they wanted to stay to protect their sister. The travelers had been gone for a couple of weeks and were coming back any day.
They were sitting in the Darcy's receiving room. Both brothers seated on each side of Elizabeth. She had her head on Otto's lap which was covered with pillows, he was playing with her curls, and she was slapping him. Bert had her barefoot feet on his lap. He knew how to rub her feet. Once in a while, he would tickle her, and she would get mad. They were playing, Darcy knew. The brothers were telling him that she was their sister, first. Darcy let them, he had her at night. Besides he enjoyed looking at her, she was happy. They were siblings, no doubt. So, Lizzie, have you decided who will be the godfather?" Bert asked.
Darcy looked mischievous, "Yes, Lizzie, I want to know."
Otto was annoyed, "Nein, no need, she has already said it, I will be the one. I am the oldest, the end."
Dax was sitting nearby and looked at his daughter, she was caught in a rabbit's snare. She wished for her uncle Gardiner to be the godfather, and for her friend Charlotte be the godmother. When Elizabeth saw her brothers expectant eyes, she sighed, "William is right, two or more godfathers are possible. You two will be, together, the godfathers. That way, the baby will be more protected. It is a boy, maybe you two can see it."
Bert and Otto looked cross, neither wanted to share, but when Lizzie made the offer, their eyes opened, "How will we see him?"
Nobody else was in the room with them. Lizzie's father stood to close the door to make sure someone wouldn't step in. The brothers stood up. Jak, Darcy's cousin stood in front of Lizzie and placed his hands over her stomach.
This time, a baby, already turned, appeared floating over Elizabeth. The image, a little blurry, floated in the air. The baby was sucking his thumb. The boy pulled the thumb out his mouth and turned his head towards Otto and Bert. Both stretched their arms, wanting to touch him.
Dax stopped them. "Stop, don't touch. No, not sure why, but it is forbidden."
Warrior was barking, wagging his tail fast. That was his master. Warrior waited for permission to jump and lick the baby, but the image disappeared. Warrior whined and started smelling around.
Elizabeth and William held hands. Everyone was excited, happy. Dax didn't think and said, "My grandchild is perfect, thanks, my dear." He went to Elizabeth and kissed her cheeks, then sat and had her sit on his lap. He caressed her face and the baby bump.
The room was in complete silence, Jak raised his eyebrows, looking at Dax; the young brothers also looked at him. Elizabeth prepared herself with a barrage of insults from her brothers. Well, everyone did. Dax sighed, he wasn't perfect, the emotion of seeing the child so near his time made him forget who was around.
Otto looked at Bert, the hawks were perched on their heads, both brothers shrugged their shoulders. "We suspected that was the case. Your eyes betray you, you see, you love our sister very much. It doesn't matter; you are very nice to us. Since you are with our mother, take us to see her while our father is not here," Otto stared at Dax. He was a businessman.
Bert agreed, "We aren't angry with you; after all, father made her unhappy always gone with other women. We hope she is happy now, but we want to see her. Otto is right, now that we are sure who you are, you can take us to her."
Jak looked at Darcy and grinned. Darcy nodded, they had Dax.
"We do," Elizabeth demanded, "bring her or take us so we can see her."
"I cannot allow Penny to come. I have too many enemies, in here, she would have human frailties and could be easily killed. But we can go to a meeting place where time runs like here, or nearly. Hours in here will seem like days there. And darling," Dax looked at Elizabeth, "sadly, you cannot go, not while you are carrying a baby. You would have to stay until the child is at least ten of your years. Or after you had him, you could leave him behind."
"Oh, I see," Elizabeth dried a tear, "I will wait."
Jak asked Darcy, "Will you go with them? My parents are anxious to meet you. I must stay to protect our Lady."
Darcy looked at Elizabeth, "Yes, you may, when?"
"After lunch? We will say that we are going for an outing. Zia will be 'arriving,' I want her to be your shadow. Another hawk will take her place. Stay with the Hurst, keep them around you. We will be back before it gets dark."
The brothers were beyond happy, Albert and Otto went to shake Dax's hand, but he hugged them.
"What a day, one of the best ever." Both brothers agreed, letting Dax hug them. He was with them most of the time. He was teaching different archery techniques to never miss and how to use a knife during a fight.
Elizabeth was surly, "So you say."
As planned, Zia, with her looks slightly changed, her hair and eyes human-looking, 'arrived.' When Albert saw her, he went straight to her. Tony Hurst, Hurst's cousin couldn't believe her eyes, Albert never flirted.
"Such a pleasure to see you again. This promises to be a good day. I am Lord Albert Hurst," he winked, "my title is meaningless."
Jak was bringing her to Lizzie, but he blinked, totally surprised at Zia, the former hawk, smiling, the fiercest commander under his command never smiled. Not only was she smiling, but when she spoke, her voice was soft, alluring, "Yes, it is a good day. I am going to our Lady, but we can talk later."
Albert bowed, "Cannot wait."
Tony's mouth was wide open, Jax had to chuckle and winked at Tony who blushed bright red.
Albert noticed and joked, "I would say we both had been pierced by Cupid's arrow."
"Perhaps," Tony smiled coyly.
When they were far enough, Jax asked Zia, "Who is Cupid?"
"We can ask the young men later, it will be safer," was Zia's response.
The Deep Forest
Warrior, the fierce terrier insisted on coming along. The terrier had fallen hard for Otto and Albert. Darcy told Lizzie it was a passing fancy, he was right. Dax told Elizabeth, "Let Warrior come, I have a gift for the loyal canine, but it must be given away from here, where we are going. I am behind his new behavior; he is no longer an ordinary dog, and you'll see a bigger change when he is back."
When they left, Lizzie lay on her bed, sulking. "May I do something for you?" Zia asked.
"Go ahead."
"Sit by the bedside."
Zia sat on her calves behind Lizzie to massage her neck, shoulders, and back. Tony sat to watch. Listening to Elizabeth's groans of pleasure and looking at her relaxed face, she asked, "Would you do the same to me. I want to learn how to do it."
Zia agreed. She had Tony lay on her stomach and gave her a quick massage, explaining what she was doing. Soon the three of them were talking and laughing. Zia asked Tony, "Are you interested in my Lord Jak? In all the time I've known him, he has never shown a particular light for any females. You would be lucky, the envy of many."
Tony chuckled, "Yes, I must say I have never seen someone like him."
Elizabeth asked, "If he asked you, would you follow him far away?"
"My father is dead, the title will go to Albert or Tobias, but both said it should go to the other one. My father was a Duke. If I loved him, I would. Tell me, he is not, err, human?"
Both Zia and Elizabeth were taken aback. "I see, did you know out grandmother, I mean my cousins and my own, had four sons. My father's brothers all died accidental deaths, just like my grandfather's. My grandmother mourned each one of them. When my father died 18 months ago, she came to me and said it was time to accept her fate before more died. She told me that she was going back to wherever my grandfather found her.
When she said that, two cloaked individuals appeared in the room, "You brought this upon yourself," they touched me. Then they said, "At least you had the good sense to do something to them. You were promised; we told you he was bad and wicked, but you were blinded by his looks and promised yourself to him. Sadly, soon after that, you found your true love. Now, you need to go to him. Otherwise, he will kill all those you love here, and we also care for them, too may deaths already. Maybe one day, we can defeat him." And just like that, my grandmother looked like me, young, a little different, but I don't remember. She kissed me, and they disappeared."
Tony looked at Zia, "You and my cousin? Albert is called Lord No-smiles. If he ever liked a lady, I don't know about it."
Zia laughed, "I never smile around those I command, nor with the ones above me. Jak is my cousin and my commander. Yes, I had short relations, but never liked anyone like I like him. He has a nice hint of darkness and is a formidable warrior."
Tony nodded, "A cousin, hmm."
The three of them laughed together. Lizzie felt better.
"May I call Jak?" Zia asked.
"Please do so," Tony seemed nervous.
Zia repeated the story. Jak nodded, "I knew it, Reginald's hair is slightly darker, but he hardly has any hair. I saw Albert, he moves at great speed; as for Lady Antonia," he took Tony's hand, and a ring of light went around their hands.
Zia exclaimed, "How? I thought that wasn't true," she stood up, staring at the still visible ring that moved around the wrist.
Jak was shellshocked, "My Lord Dax said it happened to him with Lady Penelope, your mother." He also stared at the ring.
Tony looked surprised. Elizabeth sat, looking amazed. Her earlier cramps gone; she moved to a chair. The weather was pleasant, the windows just cracked not to let all the heat go out. This was turning out to be an enjoyable day. She wished that her sisters would also find a good husband.
"What happened, I saw the ring of light going around your wrists? '"Elizabeth asked.
"It means we are one, we are what you call married. It happened to your father when he met your mother. He should tell you, not I. My heart and life are tied to Lady Antonia, I will never be happy without her, under our laws, I won't be able to marry another." Jak looked lost, he was afraid.
Tony smiled, "I guess we need to make this official."
Elizabeth chuckled, she was happy to have witnessed such event.
Jak's smile said it all, he no longer looked troubled. "You mean you will honor this union?"
"Uhu, but a wedding first." Tony looked at him, smiling.
"Maybe you should know, my father is one of the seven kings, all serve my Lady's father. Only the children of his kings are allowed to serve his family." Jak said and looked at Zia.
"Zia, are you?" Elizabeth asked, was she a king's daughter?
Zia nodded. "Everyone here is a child of one of the kings, or a nephew or a niece. It is a great honor to guard you; you are his only daughter and his spouse' s child. The birds that you see around, most of them are high ranking. Some competed for the honor to be here. Any of us would give our lives for yours."
Lizzie shook her head in amazement. Her father was an emperor or equivalent. If only her mother, err, Mrs. Bennet would know. It still hurt once in a while, but not often and not much. She felt sorry for her.
"My father is one of Lord Dax's sons. Three of the kings are," Zia added.
"I wonder if it happened, I mean the light ring when William first held me. If it did, nobody noticed," Elizabeth told them of the day William Darcy had met her.
Zia chuckled, "I was there," she stopped. "I was outside the window when he took you in his arms, it was romantic. Oh, yes, I thought it was the glare of the sun, but there was light around you. Now, I am certain."
"Tell me what you saw, and thank you for attacking Bartlett," Elizabeth told her.
Zia told her, making Elizabeth happy. Zia recalled Darcy holding her and not wanting to give her back and repeated the words he had spoken to his uncle and his aunt.
"He said that? He must have, he loved Richard so." Elizabeth sighed.
"Indeed, your husband looked like a madman, his clothes in disarray, his eyes red. He held on to you and carried you to your bed. He sat for days watching you. I wanted the same for me. Everyone who heard about, wanted to be wanted so much."
Elizabeth knew she was fortunate to have been loved twice by good men.
Darcy meets his Family, Lizzie is surprised.
Elizabeth had fallen asleep, she wasn't feeling well; she was cramping. Her father had failed to tell her the gestation of their babies was sometimes shorter. Whereas he wasn't sure how long her mother had been pregnant, when he asked Penelope later that day, he worried.
The riding group, Dax, the brothers, and Darcy, along with Warrior and several birds, took a turn into the deep forest. In minutes all changed, the trees formed a canopy over them; the light barely filtered thru the dense forest.
Dax and the others rode for a few minutes on a narrowing path and arrived in a meadow surrounded with thick trees. Every tree had elaborate doors. Nothing looked familiar, nor the trees, nor the vegetation, nor the sky. The birds descended and turned into males and females dressed like warriors. They moved away as they landed.
Penelope Nee Bennet came out one door, dressed in men's trousers, with a mid-length tunic dress, narrow around the waist. She had a wide belt with metal plates, knives hung from them. Darcy was surprised to see the resemblance, but Elizabeth was taller.
Elizabeth's wild hair was Dax's.
Dax now looked different, like on the day Elizabeth had first seen him. His spotted coloring made him blend with the forest, just as his hair did. Everyone else had Dax's coloring and appearance. Their narrow faces and different facial characteristics were not human, alien, yet beautiful.
At home, Elizabeth opened her eyes, she was seeing her mother standing on a meadow...
Her mother ran to her sons. Bert and Otto held her together and covered her with kisses; all the while, tears ran down Penelope's face. This was an emotional day; when many were crying. Seemingly these people were able to show their emotions.
Elizabeth realized she was seeing thru someone's eyes, either her father or William's. Elizabeth saw a couple with a young woman in her teens, approaching William. They looked like Jax and like William, but their coloring was like her father's, the day Lizzie met him.
The woman was crying when they reached William. The woman and her husband hugged him. "Our baby lives in you, our Alen." Elizabeth thought the name sounded like Alen. "She is not all gone, we have you. My son was right. It no longer hurts so because we can see parts of Alen in you. Lady Sil failed, and our child had a life."
"I also have a sister, maybe a little older than her, or about the same age," Darcy pointed at the young woman.
Elizabeth groaned in pain, a violent cramp had stopped the vision. Jax, who sat on a chair looking out a window turned around. He thought that he had heard something outside or approaching, but he forgot about it. Zia was already by her, Tony, who sat by her bed, also stood.
Before they could ask, another pain seized her. Tony said, "It is too soon, I heard she is not to term. She told me maybe short of seven months."
Jax approached her, apprehensively, to touch her belly. He looked worried at once. "Your son is coming. We were not sure since you half-human. Lady An..."
"Tony, we are married, or something like that," she interrupted him and grinned. Since the ring of light appeared, he hadn't approached her or tried anything else. He was still in shock. Yes, he was interested, but this?
"Tony, go and get her aunt, have a healer come. But maybe not, Zia, send for one of our healers. I think there..."
The puppy, Thor, stood up. He was no longer a dog but a young healer, Dax had thought it useful. His name was Xohl, "I can help," he told Elizabeth, "but call her Aunt, they can help. We will need cloth, clean, warm water. I can clean it from impurities."
Tony just sat, she had seen a dog turned into a man. Only in front of her eyes, she understood now, they were Fae, or something else. Just like her grandmother. That was the talk about foreign kings. Was Jak different? How exciting. "Tony, go."
The healer had a small cylinder pointed at Elizabeth's stomach, Jak could see the baby was already entering the birth canal. It had gone down a lot since hours before. Something was off.
He sent a mental message to the birds to inform Dax. It was urgent, Lady Sil had found them.