This is a joint venture of Kaana Moonshadow and myself. We had lots of fun writing it and hope you have as much fun reading.

We don't own Bishop, but we sure as hell wish we did.


Liliana turned her eyes away from the mirror and looked out of the window.

The sky had finally lost its greyblue colour, and the first light of dawn illuminated the distant horizon in a soft, orange glow, indicating that sunrise was near. The birds chirped melodiously in the numerous trees of the vast gardens that surrounded the estate of her family, and she sighed contentedly as anticipation and excitement mingled strongly in her chest. The sky was clear, with only a few white fleecy clouds here and there, and a soft breeze made the curtains of her room blow lazily in the light draught. It was going to be a lovely day.

A sharp pull at the strings of her bodice made her gasp, and she looked back into the mirror, only to see the eyes of her governess twinkle with barely suppressed mirth as the elderly woman continued to fasten the dress of her young charge.

"Nedda, please, don't fasten the bodice so tightly. I cannot breathe."

The woman, whose slightly pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes hinted at her father's elvish heritage, cast her a strange look, half exasperation, half amusement.

"Believe me, child, it would be a lot easier if you could just stand still for a moment without craning your neck or fidgeting around. And I do recall mentioning to you that this kind of dress wasn't exactly the best choice for travelling cross-country."

Nerdanel had been with her family for as long as Liliana could remember. The half-elf had been her nanny and governess since she had been barely more than a toddler, and although she loved the woman just like a favourite aunt and dearest of friends, Liliana couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes, fighting the sudden, childish desire to stick out her tongue at the amused face that watched her in the mirror.

"Yes, I know. But Jeanne did not like the idea of going by horse, and so we're using carriages instead. I won't have to ride or run with it, and it will do for a short walk in the woods."

Besides, she hadn't seen him for weeks. Today, she just wanted to look perfect.

Liliana looked at her image in the mirror. The dress she had chosen was of the latest fashion, made of satin and velvet with a long, wide skirt, decorated with embroideries and small ribbons, its colour somewhere between the deep blue of forget-me-nots and the colour of lavender, perfectly matching her silver blonde hair and blue eyes. Wearing a bodice was rather uncomfortable, but she had to admit that it accented her slender waist and made for a truly gorgeous neck-line, and she couldn't help but smile a little as she imagined the look on Cedric's face.

At the thought of her fiancé, other, much sweeter memories came back to her mind, and the beat of her heart quickened ever so slightly as she remembered how he had lain beside her that night in the shadow of the old boat-house, down by the lake, with his hand in her hair and his lips on her throat, whispering her name lovingly into her ear while his other hand had slowly undone the laces of her dress…

Her eyes fell on Nerdanel again, and Liliana felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly at the sight of the knowing smile that flickered across her confidante's face.

"We still have to decide what to do with your hair.", the elderly woman said thoughtfully, and Liliana felt her cheeks redden even more at the good-natured humour that was very prominent in Nerdanel's deep and melodious voice.

"I thought to wear it open.", Liliana answered with an embarrassed smile.

Cedric loved it when she let her hair simply flow down her back, right down to her waist. It seemed that Nerdanel knew that as well, because her knowing smile widened noticeably while at the same time, the half-elf slowly shook her head, frowning slightly.

"I know that your fiancé likes it when you wear your hair like this, Liliana, but you'll be travelling in an open carriage, and if we don't pin it up, you'll look like a scarecrow by the time you reach the cliffs."

Her stern expression softened somewhat as she saw Liliana's disappointed face, and added with a small smile.

"Here, when we use these hair needles to pin your hair under your hat, you will have no problem to open it again once you've arrived, and it will still look lovely then, all for dear Cedric."

Liliana laughed and threw her arms around the woman, squeezing her tightly.

"Oh Nedda, you're simply the best!"

The half-elf smiled, and her eyes sparkled with laughter as she started to pin up the long, shining tresses of her protégé's silver blonde hair.

"Obviously."

xxx

As soon as Liliana entered the great hall, she was greeted by her mother and one of the watchmen of the estate, a broad-shouldered man called Jackson. Her mother still wore her dressing-gown, due to the early hour of day, and started to lecture her daughter in her soft voice about all the things one should never do while being out of a city, until Jackson finally said with a smile:

"Don't worry, Madame, we'll take good care of the young lady and her friends."

That seemed to reassure her, and she gave Liliana a loving kiss on her forehead before she made her way towards the kitchen to tell the employees to bring out the provisions, and Liliana cast the watchman a thankful smile and hastened to follow her mother as she suddenly heard a deep voice from behind, making her heart almost leap out of her chest in fright.

"Ready to leave?"

Liliana whirled around, her long skirt whispering softly on the polished stones, and saw her brother slowly walking towards her, already dressed in a rich doublet and heavily embroidered breeches, despite the early hour of day.

"Gods, Damian. You startled me!"

He smirked as he sauntered closer, his piercing blue eyes never leaving her face, watching her intently, and his voice was full of amusement as he spoke.

"My apologies, little sister."

She smiled and watched him move towards her until he finally stood right in front of her, staring down into her face.

"I did not know you were up already."

He shrugged, a movement as casual and graceful as that of a cat, and with his shoulderlength blonde hair and rich doublet, he looked like a younger image of their father - and every ounce a gentleman.

"Father's still away for his negotiations with the Neverwinter Trade Guild, and there is… business… I have to take care of while he's gone."

He watched her looking up at him, and a small smile flickered across his face as he lifted a hand to stroke a small curl behind her ear.

"But I thought I could skip these obligations for a short while to wave my little sister good-bye."

She smiled and stepped closer to him, drawing him into a tight embrace. She felt him tense almost imperceptibly at her touch, obviously surprised by her sudden movement, but then she felt him relax and put his arms around her as well, holding her close while she said into his ear.

"That's a really sweet thing to say!"

She felt him smile against her cheek, and his voice sounded truly amused as he replied.

"That's the least I can do. I'm your brother, after all."

Her arms still around his waist, she leaned back a little to look up into his face again, and her voice became somewhat pleading as she spoke.

"Damian, please, will you not give your heart a push? It will be so much fun, and Evelyn would be so happy to see you."

His expression clouded noticeably as soon as she mentioned the name, and he scowled, looking as if he had bitten on something sour and vile, and Liliana could feel him tightening his grip around her while his voice sounded surprisingly sulking all of a sudden.

"The little harpy."

Her stomach clenched almost painfully as she saw the cold expression on his face, but her voice became a little sharper nonetheless as she stepped in to defend her friend.

"Oh, Damian, please don't say that, she really likes you."

His pale blue eyes bored hard into hers, his face now almost expressionless, and Liliana felt a strange shiver run down her spine as she looked up into these suddenly so cold and distant eyes.

"Look, Lily, I know you mean well, but I have told you before - I can't. Another day, I promise, but not today."

Suddenly, the soft voice of their mother echoed through the vast hall, startling both of them.

"Liliana, dear, the carriage has arrived."

She turned around and called over her shoulder.

"I'm coming."

When she returned her attention to her brother, she saw him watching her intently with an unreadable expression on his face, and a strange light shone in his eyes as he addressed her in a surprisingly quiet voice.

"Farewell, Liliana."

She laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with good humour as she leaned forward to give him a quick peck on his cheek, smiling at the strange expression she now saw on his face. "Farewell? It's just two days, you know. You almost make it sound like I'll be gone forever."

For a moment, he simply watched her, his expression unchanged. Then a thin smile flickered across his face, thawing the cool of his stare, but his voice kept sounding strangely distant nonetheless.

"Of course."

He leaned closer to return her kiss, and she caught a whiff of the expensive aftershave he liked to use before he stepped away again, his gaze losing none of its intensity.

"Enjoy yourself, little sister."

And with that, he simply turned around and walked back to his suite of rooms. Liliana watched him go, wondering what had happened between him and Evelyn that had put him in such a strange mood, and so she almost jumped out of her skin as she suddenly felt a small hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie.

"Liliana?"

She turned to see Nerdanel standing beside her, watching her intently, a questioning expression on her face. She smiled at her governess and nodded, but couldn't keep herself from turning around one last time to look in the direction where her brother had disappeared while she and Nerdanel made her way towards the front gate of the estate, where her mother and Jackson were standing, waiting for her.

"I'm coming."

xxx

Although the sun had barely reached the top of the trees, the camp was already a loud and lively place, full of laughter and friendly shouts.

Liliana and her girl friends sat on a large blanket, enjoying the warming rays of the morning sun and watching the boys erecting their tents, while the servants were busy preparing the field kitchen, the smell of fresh bread and roasted chicken tickling their noses promisingly.

"Oh, Lily, please, just tell us one more time!"

At the sound of Evelyn's high, excited voice, Jeanne rolled her eyes, and Liliana had to suppress a smile as she saw the look on her friend's face. Although Cedric's proposal hadn't been completely unexpected, it had caused quite a stir nonetheless, and Jeanne, who always liked to be the centre of attention, couldn't hide the fact that behind all her nice talks and sweet smiles, she actually loathed the fact that for once, Liliana clearly outshone her.

"Oh yes, Lily, please!", Mariella and Rhiannon chimed in, both looking equally excited as little Evelyn. Jeanne looked like she had bitten on something sour, and Liliana laughed.

"There's not much to tell. He asked me for a walk in the gardens, and as we reached the fountain, he asked me to sit down by the waterside… and then he proposed."

"Did he kneel?" Evelyn's green eyes were shining with delight, and Liliana couldn't keep from laughing a second time, regarding to the fact that Eve must have asked the same question for at least a hundred times.

"Yes, he did kneel. And then he gave me his ring."

Liliana lifted her hand a little to watch the piece of jewelry that graced her finger. It was a silver ring, masterfully crafted and shaped like a dolphin, carrying in its snout a teardrop-shaped, rose-coloured pearl, which was shimmering brightly in the light of the sun.

"Oh, Lily, the ring is so beautiful!", Rhiannon said with a sigh. Liliana smiled at her friend and then turned her head to look after Cedric, and found him watching her as well, a smile flickering across his face as their eyes met across the clearing, and she felt the beat of her heart quicken ever so slightly as she watched him turn around and lend a helping hand to Nathaniel, Mariella's brother, who was still fighting with the last tent pole.

"A pity that Damian couldn't come.", Evelyn said sadly, and Liliana put a hand on her friend's delicate shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, Eve, I really tried. But now that father's in Neverwinter, he's responsible for the trade, and so he simply couldn't spend two days out in the woods."

Although she had done her best to cheer the girl up, Evelyn looked still thoroughly unhappy, and so Liliana hastened to add:

"But you'll see him at the barbecue, so don't worry.", giving her friend one of her most encouraging smiles, wondering not for the first time what had happened between her best friend and her brother.

"I'm glad that he couldn't come.", Jeanne spoke up all of a sudden, sounding bored, but her voice faltered a little as she saw Liliana's cool and angry stare. "Don't look at me like that, Lily, I really like your brother, but you have to admit that he would have never stopped working, even out here in the woods, and his secretary…"

The young woman shuddered.

"I mean, the way he can look at you with those dark, piercing eyes, like you were just some kind of cattle… and then the way he wears his greasy hair, along with that thin moustache… He looks shifty, if you know what I mean."

"Greyburgh has been working for our family for years, and he is one of my father's most trusted employees.", Liliana said in a cool voice, and she lifted her chin challengingly as she glared at her friend. "And somehow, I always got the impression that you liked your men shifty."

Jeanne gave a small, affected laugh, but Liliana could see by the stiff way the girl suddenly carried herself that she was angry.

"Oh, please, he's way too old for me."

"Who's way too old for you, dear cousin?", Cedric's deep voice suddenly sounded from behind, and he and his friends sat down beside the girls on the blanket, Cedric sitting close to Liliana and taking her hand.

"No one, dear. Liliana was just telling us of your knightly proposal."

"Oh, did she?", Cedric said with a smile and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it lightly, and Liliana felt the blood rush into her cheeks as she looked into his warm, brown eyes and felt his touch on her skin, while the girls around them giggled behind their hands.

Rhiannon asked something about the tents, and soon everyone was deep in friendly conversation, but Liliana had just eyes for the young man sitting by her side, talking vividly about his recent meetings with the trade delegation of the Moonshae Islands. She looked how the wind played with his short, soft black hair, and admired the proud line of his chin, the elegant arch of his cheekbones, and felt a sudden, painful desire to be alone with him, away from their talking and giggling friends.

"Cedric, love, do you mind if I have a moment of your time? I… would like to show you something."

At the sound of her softly spoken words, he turned around to face her, and his eyes twinkled with amusement as he replied.

"Of course." He stood gracefully and held out his hand. "My lady."

She accepted it with a small smile and did her best to rise as gracefully from the ground as he had, while she heard the excited whispers and giggles in her back, but did her best to ignore them.

"Maybe we could walk over there.", she whispered softly into his ear, pointing with her finger towards a small path that led into the woods and towards the cliffs, and he offered her his arm in a wide gesture, her heart beating faster with anticipation as she saw the loving look in his eyes.

"Whatever you wish, my love."

"Don't fall off a cliff, Lily!", Mariella called after them, and the girls burst out into another fit of giggles. Liliana turned around and stuck out her tongue, which made the girls laugh again, and then returned her attention to the man walking by her side, her heart beating longingly as she heard his amused chuckle.

They followed the small path into the woods, and Liliana was just admiring the way the sunlight played on his dark hair as Cedric suddenly stopped and turned around to face her, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Now, what was it you wanted to show me?"

Liliana answered his smile and moved a little closer to him, her hands now resting comfortably on his hips.

"Nothing. I just wanted to spend some time alone with you."

His smile widened a little at her softly spoken words, but there was a sudden gleam of uncertainty in his eyes that she hadn't expected, and it puzzled her.

"But, love… that's hardly appropriate, don't you think?"

"Appropriate?"

For a long moment, she could do nothing but stare at him, her eyes widening in disbelief, and her heart ached painfully in her chest as she stepped away from him, her voice sounding hurt and accusing all of a sudden.

"Cedric, we haven't seen each other for weeks, with you being so busy with your negotiations with the Moonshae trading delegation, and that's all you can think about right now?"

She saw his eyes widen a little as the young man suddenly realised that he must have said something wrong, and was somewhat pleased to see him hasten to stand by her side again, reaching for her shoulders to pull her a little closer, but she did not miss the glint of disapproval in his eyes as he replied.

"I'm just thinking of your reputation, love."

Obviously, her reaction to his words wasn't as forgiving as he had hoped, because he reached with both hands for her face to caress her cheeks and added with a winning smile.

"After all, we will be married in a couple of weeks, and then we will have all the time alone that we want."

His voice was soft, soothing, and usually, it was enough to make her comply in the end. But right now, it chafed her that he seemed to think that she was nothing but a small, silly girl that he could soothe so easily, and so her voice was thick with indignation as she replied.

"You did not think like that the night down by the lake, when you visited me while my parents and Damian were out!"

Cedric's expression became a little desperate.

"Lily, love, we were alone, then! That was different. What if they follow us? See us?"

She shook her head again, still not able to understand how he could say such things to her in a moment like this, and her voice was full of disappointment as she replied.

"But as you said, we will be married soon. So what can be wrong with a few kisses?"

And with that, she reached up for his face and pressed his lips firmly onto hers. For the length of a heartbeat, he gave in to the kiss, and Liliana enjoyed the feel of his soft lips on hers as his hands wandered down to her shoulders to pull her closer, but as the first wave of pleasure started to spread through her body, she felt him tense all of a sudden, and he quickly turned his face away, breathing heavily.

"Love, please, this is neither the right time nor place for things like this."

His cheeks were a little flushed, and his deep voice sounded unusually rough and strangled, but his words of rejection dampened her spirits, and Liliana quickly averted her eyes, as she did not wish him to see the vast disappointment there.

"Love, I promise, you will see the truth of that in time, and then you will thank me."

He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, in the direction of their camp, and his voice was cool and controlled again as he spoke.

"We should go back now."

At his measured words, her disappointment suddenly turned into a cold-burning anger that seemed to coil and twist inside her like a snake, making her want to scream and throw something in frustration, and so she kept her voice deliberately cool and distant as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring daggers at him.

"Fine. If you must. I will stay here."

Cedric turned to cast her a puzzled look, and for a fleeting moment, she thought that her angry outburst would be enough to make him step up to her and take her into his arms again, whispering into her ear that he was sorry. But he just shrugged, obviously intending to leave without her, and his voice held a disapproving note as he replied.

"As you wish."

He bent down to kiss her on her cheek, but Liliana quickly turned her face away, her anger still burning too strongly within her to let him touch her, and so all he could do was step away from her with a sigh, the look of disapproval now clearly edged across his face.

"Have it your way, then, Liliana. You can follow when you have realised that I have done the right thing."

And with that, he simply turned around and walked back towards their camp. Liliana watched him go, seething inwardly, and in a sudden outburst of frustration, she grabbed a small branch from the ground and threw it against a nearby tree, watching it bounce off the trunk and hit the ground again with a dull, rustling noice, her mind racing.

How dare he talk to her this way? How dare he treat her like she was nothing but a silly, minor child?

You can follow when you have realised that I have done the right thing.

The right thing?

They were engaged, after all. How could he let it sound like she was doing something wrong, when all she wanted was spending some time with the man she loved? Kissing the man she loved?

There was a soft, hissing noise behind her, and Liliana looked around, curious, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a stranger standing under the nearby trees.

He looked like a man of the woods, with his leather armour and clothing in colours of brown and green, and she noticed the tan of his skin, hinting that he was actually spending most of his time outdoors and under the sun. He looked well into his twenties, and his eyes had an unusual colour, a brown so light that it almost shone like amber, and she felt a little uncomfortable as she felt his piercing gaze on her, wandering over her face like a brand.

The look of his equipment, his dishevelled mahogany hair and the dark shadows under his eyes hinted that he had seen better times, but Liliana had to admit that with his sharp features, unusual eyes and that shadow of facial hair, he had just the kind of dangerous good looks that would have evoked an admiring sigh out of most of her friends, although here, alone in the woods, Liliana found it actually frightening rather than fascinating.

He stared at her, his strange eyes wide, and she saw him actually pale under his tan, like he had seen a ghost, and then suddenly reach out with one arm to lean heavily against the tree next to him, as if his knees had just given out beneath him.

His lips moved, whispering a single word, but his voice was too low for her to hear. He kept staring at her, and Liliana felt cool shivers run down her spine as she saw a strange fire ignite in his eyes, and frightened, she half-turned her head to call for Cedric.

His fast move startled her. Before she had even opened her mouth, he was already standing beside her, his hands now closing firmly around her throat and squeezing it tightly, and her startled scream died on her lips as he mercilessly increased the pressure around her throat, choking her. Out of a reflex, she tried to gasp for breath… and couldn't.

A terrifyingly strong wave of utmost panic welled up inside her, and Liliana clawed at his arms and hands with all her strength, desperately trying to free herself, to breathe again, but he held her in an iron grip, and after what felt like an eternity of fear and pain, her vision started to blur while the pain in her lungs became almost unbearable.

She tried to calm herself, her mind screaming at her again and again that the gods would never allow something like this to happen, that Cedric would come looking for her and that she would be saved in the end… but besides the small sounds of their battle, the woods remained silent, and as her eyes darkened, she finally had to admit that there truly was no one else in this part of the woods besides herself… except for the stranger.

Her eyes were pleading with him now, begging him to spare her, to loosen his hold around her throat, but his face remained impassive, unfeeling, as he cooly watched her dying struggles, and the last thing she remembered before she finally lost consciousness were his strange eyes, burning in an almost feverish light, and then everything became dark.