Chapter 43.

Quinn walked Sarah though the passage toward the War-room. She wanted to leave the parchment packet there. She looked peaceful as they walked up the stairs. She paused. "Who do the helping hands belong to?"

"Jareth." Quinn said. "Why?"

Sarah shook her head. "No reason." She smirked, thinking of the hand that had just goosed her.

Quinn sat on the table scattered with papers; "Did one of those hands get fresh?" he teased. The rush of color to her cheeks told him he had guessed right. "Can't say I blame them."

Sarah turned so he could not see the smile she now wore. "Good night, Sire."

"It could be." He said following her. "Sarah." He laughed softly as she shuddered.

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Sarah sat on her bed; she missed the sweet songs of the nightingale. She missed all the birds and wondered just how long they would be gone.

Quinn in his rooms paced. 'Jareth, are you there?' he felt the stir. 'You were right about her, all along. She is a wonderful playmate.' He moved toward the windows looking out at the Goblin world. "She'll be a wonderful wife." Quinn sighed. "A wonderful Queen."

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Solea looked at her husband finishing his notes. "So now we know why Jareth behaved as he has over the years."

Cairbre nodded, "Jareth was always more visible a presence." He rolled the scroll and closed the Scrying Pool. He looked to where his wife was waiting for him. "You were very wise to Scry while I was busy deciphering." He let his outer robe fall off his shoulders and he moved toward the bed Solea was already reclining.

"Ours is a marriage that has interesting aspects in and out of the marriage bed, Husband." She opened her arms to welcome his loving embraces.

"I have been so blessed." He praised as he kissed her deeply. "A wife who is wise and loving."

"We are both blessed, Cairbre." Solea pulled him closer, "come to bed, husband."

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Oberon stood in the wood, waiting. He watched as the moon went low on the horizon. The great silence was more disturbing to him than to most of the Fae world. He'd lost one child already, and feared he'd lose the Two-made-one if things did not go well.

"Sire." A voice in the darkness whispered.

"The silence has started." Oberon observed.

"It has." the other agreed.

"My…sons…"

"The Two-made-one has begun his soul journey." The voice confirmed.

"And the Daughter of the Fallen?" the High King asked.

"She too is on a journey." The voice said.

Oberon crossed his arms over his chest, resolving to stay strong. "She has begun the bond with the shattered soul?"

"Both sides are now marked my Liege," the voice confirmed.

"Keep watch…" The High King ordered.

"You have a Bard watching, Master." He reminded the King.

"Bards don't see all." The King warned. "Some things they don't care to see."

"The challenges will come…soon…" the voice sounded sad.

"It is how the challenges are met that will decide this. When the soul is united, it will be how the challenges have been met that will form the man who is forged." Oberon stated.

"How would you have him forged?" the voice asked.

"With the best of both my sons." Oberon said shortly. "However, a king needs not just the best but also the worst." The High King began to walk away. "Keep watch, and report to me."

"Yes, My Liege."

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Robert was reading some notes as the family entered the breakfast room. Karen frowned at him. "Must you read those at breakfast?"

Robert looked at her over the parchment, "Sorry, did you say something dear?" he sounded apologetic.

Karen pointed to the parchment. "I said must you read during breakfast?"

Robert looked back at the parchment. "Yes, dear…I'm afraid I must." He sat down as his wife settled their youngest into her chair. "There's a great deal of work to be done and a very short time until the new Court house is ready."

Giles and his wife were the next to enter the room. "Good morning, Williams family." He greeted.

"Good morning Giles." Karen greeted back. "Lady Celestia."

Robert nodded as they took their seats; he kept reading the parchment as if he had missed some important point. Anne and Ryan then joined them, in much better spirits. Then Cairbre and his wife joined them as well. The last to enter the room were the King and his Mystic.

"Good morning, family." The King greeted.

"Morning Babalouie." Ryan raised his juice to his King.

"Sire, we've a problem." Robert said.

The King looked at the man with a gentle smile. "What now?"

"You recall that back log of cases?" Robert started. "Well some of them are missing."

"The cases?" Quinn asked sipping the juice before him.

"No, the evidence..."Robert passed the parchment to his King.

Sarah watched her father and the King, marveling how things had changed in less than a month.

Quinn felt her gaze and reveled in it. "Don't ask Goblins to find this…we'll send out Elf trackers. Goblin on Goblin can cause more problems than this is worth." He moved his foot to Sarah's food and moved it gently against hers. He looked over at Anne. "Are we ready to tackle the new information?"

"Yep." Anne said with confidence.

Cairbre nodded from his place.

Quinn turned to Ryan. "I need you to take some papers over to Sir Didymus this morning. Giles the new archers assignments are to start when?"

Giles nodded, "It's on my schedule for this morning Sire."

The King nodded, "Good." He looked at Karen. "Is the new play yard working out?"

"Yes." She said happily. "Thank you very much." She had settled in and was now becoming use to the way things in a castle were done. "However, Sire, we could use a room for lessons. I'd like to start Toby on his letters."

Quinn looked thoughtful. "I would think you'll be needing a tutor for the lad as well soon. Allow me to put out a call. We will interview the prospective together. As for a classroom, I've one being set up." He turned to Sarah. "As for you, you and I need to do some work in the tower."

"Not until you fix that book." Sarah said steadfastly.

"I said I would see to it and I will." Quinn said in a challenging tone.

Anne bit back the urge to jump in. She was going to be more on her guard until she read the rest of the prophecy.

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Cairbre, Solea and Anne entered the war-room together. The Bard looked at the Court Scribe. "Would you like to do the honors? This is after all your home turf."

Anne bowed to the Bard. "Thanks but no thanks…I don't trust myself right now. I am part of the on going saga. You open it and read it… then we can start picking it apart." Anne said judiciously.

The Bard smiled, "Someday, Lady Anne, I will have to tell you about a girl I once knew…what seems a lifetime ago." He murmured softly as he lifted the parchment packet off the table. His fingers lightly undid the wrapper, not wishing to damage any part of the original parchment. He read it over, sniffed and then looked at Anne. "Oh dear." He said. "None of us are going to like this…."

"The Reborn One, marked and bleeding,

dances the sword in dreams and mist,

lost and forsaken,

truth long hidden in the ancient dream.

Twice and twice shall he be marked,

twice to live, and twice to die.

wakened to turmoil, strife, and ruin.

The seas rage, and storm clouds gather unseen.

unstained tower breaks and bends knee to the forgotten sign.

The seals that hold back night shall weaken,

winter's heart shall ride a black horse,

and the name of it is Death."

The Dragon Reborn must kneel before the Crystal Throne before Nephilim spawn, or all is lost.

thus are the final days known. When the fox marries the raven.

Luck his soul, the lightning his eye,

He snatches the moons from out of the sky

He turns the Wheel of Time,

Daughter of the Night, she walks again.

The ancient war, she yet fights.

Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die, yet serve still.

Who shall stand against her coming?

The Shining Walls shall kneel.

The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now course, and kill.

One did live, and one did die, but both are.

The Time of Change has come."

Anne's cheeks puffed out as she blew out the wind gathered in her dry mouth. "God in heaven I hope that's a scrambled mess…like the rest."

Cairbre let the parchment fall to the table. "Scrambled or not, it would seem there's going to be a great deal of trouble coming."

Anne felt her palms go clammy and dried them on her skirts. "Let's get to work." She suggested. "And look at the packet, make sure there's not a speck of writing on it…if there's more, we add it."

Solea ponder the words as her husband and the court scribe began to write it out on the chalkboard.