Chapter 48.

Robert's jaw dropped as the four appeared in the grand hall. "Linda?" Panicked he turned to the King. "That's my ex-wife you have there!"

The King nodded. "Yes, I know."

"Robert." The flamboyant actress greeted her ex-husband warmly. "Lovely to see you again I hear our daughter is getting married."

Robert looked at Jeremy who was wearing an expression of complete maddening contentment. "He had to come too?" He had tolerated the man's presences for years. A small portion had hoped he'd never have to lay eyes on Jeremy again. "I hope you have good reasons for bringing them here, Sire."

"He's a lower grade Fae, just like Linda is. I haven't got it all sorted out yet, Robert." Quinn said as he passed the Adjudicator. "We have to get them settled." He looked at Sarah. "Be a dear and see to that, while I get this parchment to Anne and Cairbre to decipher."

Sarah gave some thought, "You want them in our wing as well?" she called to him as he started off.

"Yes, please." He waved.

Sarah looked at her mother, "How do you feel about third floor suites?"

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Pacing, Anne looked to the door as the King entered. "That didn't take long."

Quinn handed her the parchment. "Linda recognized me as the Goblin King the moment she touched my hand. You get working on this, I'm going to see if I can coax our dragon Lord into coming out."

"Lots of luck, my dragon is even ignoring mental messages." The redhead said as she sat down to read the parchment.

"Luck to you too." He sighed.

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Sarah opened the door of the suite of rooms. "You have a sitting room, bed, bath and a reading alcove. Those doors open to your own balcony. Is this alright?"

Linda looked at the rooms and smiled. "Yes, very lovely." Her voice was calm and serene.

Jeremy nodded agreement. "Very nice."

Sarah snapped. "What's wrong with you two? Don't you understand what's happened? Why aren't you upset?"

Linda sighed and looked at her daughter with a sad face. "Sarah, we've been expecting something like this to happen for some time. We were not sure of what, but we knew that the Fae world would catch up with us sooner or later. Why should we be upset?"

Jeremy took a seat in the sitting room. "Sarah, have a seat." He pointed to a chair. "We understand completely. But we're resigned to living a new life, and not causing any problems."

"You can do that so easily, so quickly?" Sarah has her doubts. "No one is that good an actor, not even you Jeremy!" The Consort glared at the pair. "I smell trouble! And it's all over both of you." She called for a guard. "They don't leave, and no one enters." She looked at her mother. "I don't trust you."

"Oh Sarah." Linda sighed.

Jeremy placed a hand on the woman's arm. "She has every right not to trust us." He understood. "Would you trust us in her place? Think of all we've kept from her."

The Actress pouted. "You're right. We should have told her some of this when she turned sixteen." She moved toward the doors to the balcony. Opening them she stepped out into air. "I've been a vain and selfish creature, and I never stopped to think of how any of my choices were going to affect Sarah."

Jeremy followed her out onto the balcony. "Sarah will understand," he assured his beloved.

"I am going to miss the accolades and the adoration of fans." Linda confessed to Jeremy softly.

"We'll survive." He placed his arm over her shoulder.

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Cairbre came rushing back to the chamber. "They've returned?"

Anne handed him the parchment. "Yes and the King brought this to us. I've yet to see Sarah."

Cairbre pointed to the board. "We'll need another section of board. I want to write this and then break it down."

Anne motioned Goblins who were bringing in another section of chalkboard. "Already working on just that, Bard."

The Bard smiled. "You and I have similar thoughts."

Once the board was in place, the Bard began to write.

For She who sees beyond held the key to winning the Last Battle. She can wield the Crystal Power. She holds the Sword That Cannot Be Touched. The sword that dances in mists and dreams

He who is dead yet lives. The north and the east must be as one. The west and the south must be as one. The two must be as one. If you would live, you must die.

Daughter of the Night, 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 when she frees the captured soul? The Shining Walls of the old Kingdom shall kneel to her.

Once the Dragon, for remembrance lost.
Twice the Dragon, for the price he must pay Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.
Once for mourning, once for birth. The Dragon Reborn must kneel before the Crystal Throne before the Daughter of the Fallen
Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the Shattered Soul.

For She who sees beyond held the key to winning the Last Battle. She can wield the Crystal Power. She holds the Sword That Cannot Be Touched. The sword that dances in mists and dreams. To her alone shall the dragon bow.

The Bard stood back. "This has already been deciphered."

"Sarah said her Grandmother sang it as a ballad." Anne said. "Who could have deciphered it?"

Cairbre shook his head, "I have no idea. Whoever it was, knew a good deal about prophecy and second sight! The words read strong and true. I wonder to whom the prophecy was given? Who made this a ballad?"

"Who is the Dragon Reborn?" Anne asked. "What is the Sword that can not be touched?"

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Sarah put a good distance between herself and the castle. Something in her mother's manner was giving her troubled thoughts, and feelings of distrust toward her mother and Jeremy. She could not understand why the actress had been so accepting of her new situation. Why had she given the ballad over so swiftly, without so much as a demand for explanations?

Drawing a crystal from the air, something that was still new to her, she gazed into the orb. "Reveal to me the source of the ballad." She said. Her eyes widened as she watched the images form. "Oh my God."

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Quinn stood at the entrance of the Wyrn cavern. "Angus! I demand that you show yourself." His answer was a stony silence. "Angus!" One gloved fist hit against the entrance.

The groom frowned. "They won't let us in either."

Quinn called out one more time. "Angus!" From deep inside the cavern came a belch of acrid smoke and a bit of flame. Frustration began to show on the Fae King. "That's not funny you over grown lizard! I could have you turned into a lovely set of matching luggage you know!"

Sarah heard the threat and bit back the urge to add her own two cents. "Any luck?" she asked knowing the answer.

"He's holed up, won't let us in, and no dragon can come out." Quinn pointed dramatically at the entrance of the Wyrn.

Sarah placed a comforting hand on the arm that was outstretched. "He said he would not talk to us until we had all the words." She had meant to comfort him, yet found touching him gave her comfort. Her fingers slid up over the material of his tunic sleeve. She forgot the subject that had brought her out to the Wyrn looking for him.

Quinn, sensing her disquiet, drew her closer. "Something amiss?"

Accepting the embrace, she sighed. "Linda and Jeremy."

"What now? They don't like the suite of rooms?" Quinn rested his chin on her head.

"That would be a relief…." She looked up. "They are too accepting. Not one complaint. I don't trust them. And that makes me feel like… a brat."

The embrace gave each of them the feeling of peace. "They have no choice but to accept." He said softly. "Sarah, they knew they were not mere mortals. What irks me is that your mother never saw fit to enlighten you." There was another belch of pungent bitter caustic fumes. Quinn began to snicker. "I think that's the old lizard's way of telling us to move it along."

Sarah nodded. "Quinn, I don't want to go back just yet. My feelings are too close to the surface. If I see my mother right now I'll blow up at her."

Quinn took her hands into his. "Then perhaps we could explore a bit more of your relationship to my brother…and in turn your feelings about me." He suggested.

"We've covered the first meetings." Sarah said knitting her fingers into his leather clad fingers. "I don't think going over that again would give you or me any more insight. You know I've thought of both of you as villains."

"I've somewhere else that I'd like to take you, with your permission." Mismatched eyes twinkled. "I want to go to where you first began to think of my brother as something more than a villain."

Sarah felt cautious and voiced a concern. "Quinn, I'm not sure what you're looking for."

"Keys, Sarah. Keys." He teased. "Come away with me?"

"If you already know his thoughts….." She hesitated.

"Sometimes, I need to live the experience for myself." Quinn's voice was touchingly melancholy as he pleaded softly. "Come away with me, Sarah."

She felt a sob in her heart, but looked up and said. "Alright."

Quinn drew a crystal from the air, "Close your eyes, and hold tight." In a flash of light they were gone.