I wasn't planning on posting another chapter until I received a third review, but...let's just say today is a wonderful day and I couldn't resist. :D

Thank you Isolde Auckley and Superfan44 for the reviews, you two are the BEST! I love reviews, can't you tell? ;) :D

Also, thank you KnifeInTheCrayonBox for favoriting and following, I'm glad you like the story thus far!

Okay, here's the next chapter! Please review, thank you!

-Shire from CollieandShire

Chapter Four

Secrets Never Stay Secrets for Long…

When Marissa woke up from her restless sleep she found herself staring into three sets of curious eyes. "Eeek!" she squealed, jumping up.

Three mischievous boys giggled and pointed, grinning from ear to ear. Oh yes, the princes. Merida had told her they liked to wake her up in the morning and today was no exception.

"Hello boys." Marissa greeted, swallowing back her doubts. Did they realize she wasn't really their sister? Had they figured out she didn't belong here? What would happen if the royal family realized the girl that was in Merida's room was not Merida? Would they kill her?

Her worries proved to be all for naught as the boys bounced up and down on her bed and laughed. Marissa watched them, dumbfounded and not sure what to do.

She'd always found it unfortunate she didn't have siblings, and now more than ever she really wished she had siblings so she knew how they were supposed to act. Other than her friend Lilly's family, she hadn't spent much time with other families and she didn't know how they interacted. Perhaps I should jump with them. She decided. It seemed logical.

Without another thought Marissa leapt up and began jumping up and down on the bed with the boys, hollering and laughing along with them. Hamish, Harris and Hubert stared at her, their eyes wide. Marissa stopped jumping and glanced at them nervously.

"What?" she asked.

The boys exchanged shocked glances, then whooped and hollered and began to jump again, beckoning her to jump, too. Laughing, the fifteen-year-old began to jump and down with them once more and soon the entire castle awakened to the laughs and shrieks of the four noisemakers.

~oOo~

Fergus was the first one to come into the room and opened the door to reveal his three sons and daughter leaping up and down with hoots of squeals and giggles.

"What's all this about?" he demanded, chuckling. He was surprised to see Merida jumping right along with them and wondered what had gotten into his daughter.

"Oh, Dad!" Merida said in surprise, toppling off the bed and straightening her nightgown sheepishly. The boys continued to jump up and down, waving Merida to jump with them again. She did not, only looked at her feet and then back at her father. "Good mornin' dad, sorry we woke ya, we were havin' fun."

"I can see that!" Fergus commented, his eyes twinkling. "What's gotten into ye lass? I've never seen ye in such a manner before! First yer hoppin' mad about the tournament, enter yerself into it and then yer jumpin' on the bed with yer brothers! I'm guessin' yer feelin' better then?"

"Aye Dad, I am." Merida assured him. Fergus nodded and moved aside as Elinor came bustling into the room.

"My my, what noise at such an early hour!" She admonished as she shooed the boys off the bed to get them to stop jumping on it. "Did ye sleep well, Merida?"

"Yes Mum, fine." She said, glancing out the window and avoiding locking gazes with the queen. Fergus excused himself from the room and ushered the boys out, knowing Elinor had some talking to do with his daughter. I wonder what's gotten into her. He thought as he and the boys stomped down the stairs and into the mess hall. One thing was for sure, he had never seen Merida engage in the morning bed jump before and he was glad to see she seemed to be happier than the day before.

~oOo~

"Merida," Elinor began. She had seated her daughter down and was brushing her long flowing red hair. Instead of making a fuss about having her hair done as she usually did, Merida was quiet and sat still, much to Elinor's surprise. "Merida, are ye alright?"

"I slept fine, Mum, and I'm doin' quite well. Though I must admit I'm nervous about today and I have NO idea what yer goin' to tell the Lords about the marriage. I know she made a mess out of everythin' based on what Mer-err, I did yesterday, but are ya sure this is the right course?"

Elinor stopped brushing Merida's hair and stared at the brush, her thoughts racing. Merida NEVER speaks so openly to me and she never slips up in her speech like that. This was too strange, something was terribly wrong.

"Merida, how hard did ye fall off of Angus yesterday?" she asked, trying not to let her voice shake too much. She glanced down at her daughter's face and saw-fear? That can't be right.

"Uhh, I don't really know." Merida stammered. "I was pretty upset Mum. Gosh, I can't remember much of anythin' now that I think about it."

"Gosh?" Elinor repeated.

"I mean, uhh, goodness." She offered up lamely.

Elinor walked around Merida until she faced her and put her hands on her hips. "Merida, somethin' is not right and I demand ye tell me this instant." Elinor snapped, her hands trembling. Why do I feel this way? Why is this scaring me? Because Merida could not possibly be Merida, this wasn't Merida at all. Merida was either chipper or angry, she was never nervous or fearful or careful with words. This was not Merida!

"Nothin-nothin's wrong, Mum. H-honest." Merida squeaked as she swallowed. Elinor glared at her and took her by the shoulders, staring her straight in the eye. Merida could not look at her and glanced away, but Elinor saw what she wanted to see.

"Yer not my daughter." Elinor hissed. "I don't know who ye are but yer not my daughter!"

The redheaded lass jerked her head around and her mouth dropped open, her eyes showing her shock and surprise. "I told her it wouldn't work!" she wailed.

"What have ye done to me Merida? Where is she!" Elinor was in near hysterics, this was horrid. This girl was impersonating her daughter and that meant something terrible must have happened to Merida! And after all she'd said and done, after all they'd argued over, she might never have a chance to tell her how sorry she was!

"Yer majesty, I'm truly sorry." The girl was in tears now, and she began to cry.

"What happened? Why are ye here? What is goin' on?" Elinor continued to barrage her with questions to ease the burden of her own worries, though her heart softened at the girl's predicament. She may not be Elinor's daughter and she may have impersonated Merida, but she didn't have the appearance of a criminal nor the temperament.

"Oh, I wish this was a dream!" the girl wailed, burying her hands in her face. "I prayed and prayed last night this was a dream and that everythin' that happened was not real, but Merida was right, this is real! Oh, how will I ever get back to me own time and tell me father how sorry I am! What about that German who was tryin' to kill me? Why am I here? What have I done to deserve this? I wish I was home!"

This is strange. Elinor thought as she sat down next to the redheaded child and put her arm around her. Three minutes ago I was ready to call the guards on this imposter, now I'm comforting her?

"There there child, I'm sorry I frightened ye. But ye need to be honest with me, I don't know where me daughter is and ye are obviously not her. Please try to understand, I want me daughter back. We'll find yer home, we'll get ye back to wherever ye belong to yer Mum and Dad, but I need to know where me daughter is."

The girl looked up into Elinor's face, tears brimming down her cheeks. Her eyes were different than Merida's, Elinor noted. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed it before, but this girl definitely had a greenish hue to her eyes, unlike Merida's deep blue eyes. "I'm sorry yer majesty, I can't believe we did this." She choked back a sob and pressed on. "I met up with Merida in the woods, and she convinced me to take her place at the castle."

"Why!" Elinor cried. "How could she be so selfish and not think about her family?"

"She was angry and confused and hurt." The girl defended. "I don't think she was right to runaway but I don't think it's right for ya to force her to get married! From my brief meetin' with her in the forest she is definitely not ready for it. Why would ya force love early on someone who isn't even ready to give love? She isn't ready to commit herself fully to a husband, she needs time! Can't ya see that?"

Elinor stared at this stranger as the words pierced her like an arrow from her husband's bow. "It's tradition in our land." Elinor stated firmly, trying to console her conscience. "We must live up to who we are."

"But Merida just isn't ready! Don't ya understand? She is afraid, she is afraid and the only way she can show her fear is through her anger and defiance."

Suddenly, it made sense. This stranger, this girl who had been impersonating her daughter had suddenly given her the light to see why Merida had defied their traditions to win her own hand.

Poor Merida was frightened of the future, she wanted freedom and she didn't know how to get it without defying her mother. Elinor had expected Merida to be exactly like her when Merida couldn't possibly be. Merida was Merida, free spirited and willful, too strong to show her fear of the unknown. Elinor had never understood that. She hadn't realized that inside, Merida hadn't discovered herself or that longing for a lifelong soul mate. Elinor had just automatically expected her to marry at sixteen, she hadn't ever even considered if it was right for Merida. But where is Merida?

"Lass, ye must tell me where she is. We have to find her." Elinor turned and looked straight at the girl, who by now had dried her eyes.

"Yer majesty, I don't know where she is. She was wearin' me cloths and had said she'd never return." The girl whimpered. "I don't know where she was goin' or what she was plannin' on doin', all I know is she hoisted me on her horse and slapped him and I thought I was goin' to die as he wove between the trees."

Despite all her worries, fears and concerns for her daughter, Elinor had to crack a smile at that. "What is yer name?" she asked. "And do ye think ye can show me the place where you and Merida last spoke to each other?"

"I am Marissa." Marissa answered, brushing a stray strand of red hair behind her ear. "And if ya help me, I think I can show ya where we met."

"How did ye meet anyways?" Elinor asked as she gracefully hustled across the room and opened the door to the hallway. "Fergus, come here! Merida is missin'!" she called. No answer. He and the lords must be down in the wine reserve! She groaned inwardly.

Marissa didn't reply right away and Elinor turned back to see what was wrong. She was impatient to get going and eager to find her daughter and tell her she was sorry. Please tell me I'm not too late. She prayed. The woods of Scotland were dangerous, lurking with wildcat and bear, not to mention the great Mor'du whom still was at large to this very day, always on the prowl.

"That is a long story, yer majesty." Marissa began, but was interrupted by a cry from downstairs.

"Mum! Dad! Marissa! Call the guards, we're under attack!"

Both Elinor and Marissa exclaimed at the same time,

"Merida!"

Who would be crazy enough to attack the DunBrochs and why is Merida the one bringing the news? Review and find out! :D

-Shire