Chapter 12

Ana flinched as the door closed behind her. She knew Mac had not shut it. It must have been the wind from one of the windows. A canary the color of a spring sun paced back and forth on its perch in an iron cage. Ana felt as restless as the bird behaved. She laced her hands together and forced herself to remain calm as she stood waiting for her stepbrother to acknowledge her.

Roderick sat behind a long, copper-edged table that had belonged to her mother. Ana kept her eyes focused on her stepbrother, not on the resentment she felt building inside her. Roderick had no right to her mother’s things. She knew, without looking around the chamber, that there would be other items as well. However, her mother would not have cared. She valued life above material objects. Still, it bothered Ana that Roderick should have them.

His dark head was bent over a leather-bound book as he made precise, clean entries on the parchment. He paused only long enough to dip his quill into the ink pot on the polished oak table. Roderick seemed smaller to her than she had remembered.

She tried to stand quietly until such time as Roderick would acknowledge her. She glanced over at the table. It was littered with loose parchment pages, scrolls, and books.

Ana shifted from one foot to the other. Her shoes still felt too tight, or maybe it was just being here in this room. The walls seemed to close in on her.

Roderick lifted his quill. “Stand still, Ana, until I have finished this document. You might have grown to be a woman, but you still lack patience.” His height and girth were not as large as she remembered, but his disapproving frown had not changed.

She straightened and felt as if twelve years had melted away and she was a frightened young girl again. The canary chirped excitedly in its cage. A plump, gray-and-white cat leapt onto the table. He eyed the bird and licked his lips.

Roderick stroked the cat with long, even movements.

“Constantine, are you hungry?”

The cat meowed as if responding to Roderick’s question and nuzzled against his hand. Roderick reached over and unlatched the door of the birdcage. The canary flapped its wings and skittered wildly on its perch.

The sound pulled her back to her childhood. Roderick’s favorite sport was tormenting animals. But that was not enough for him. He wanted an audience. Roderick would wait until she was near. Ana shuddered as she remembered small kittens thrown from the castle turrets to land at her feet.

The door to the cage squeaked open.

Ana closed her fingers into fists at her sides. She could think of only one way to distract him. “You have named your cat ‘Constantine’?”

Roderick blew on the parchment to dry the ink and folded it into thirds. “I thought the name suited him.” He reached for a candle and dripped a dollop of hot wax onto the document to seal it shut.

Ana shrugged. “You still try to emulate those of royal birth by naming your pets after famous people or places. That was ever your way.”

He rose abruptly. Constantine screeched in fright, leapt from the table, and padded from the room.

Ana smiled to herself. The canary was safe. She watched Roderick’s complexion change from pasty gray to flame red. As a child his transformations had frightened her. However, she had heard Mac tell Jamie it took courage to stand up to a bully. Mac also said the best defense was a good offense.

She continued evenly, “To lose control is a sign of weakness.”

He slammed his fist on the table so hard the pot of ink spilled over a corner of the parchment he had sealed. Thick, black liquid dripped over the wood. He righted the pot. “See what you have caused me to do?”

He ripped the parchment in half and threw it in her direction.

“Roderick, it is your temper that has caused the damage, not I.”

“How dare you talk to me thus.” He moved toward her. His voice lowered. “This is the result of the influence of your mother and her sister, Danu. They never understood a woman’s place.”

Ana raised her chin. “They understand it all too well. The only reason I am here is to secure my mother’s freedom. But first I would see that she is well.”

His lips curled in a smile. “She is well enough. I should have driven her back into Dannon Manor when she set it on fire. She claimed the sword was destroyed in the flames. Our king, Robert the Bruce, mentioned he had seen it at Stirling Castle. When I defeat your champion, he will forfeit the sword and its power, and the throne will be mine.”

“You speak treason.”

He laughed. “And who will believe you? Outwardly I am a loyal subject of the king. He will not suspect, until it is too late. With the sword in my possession, no one can stop me. When I am king, I will have you imprisoned in the cell next to your mother.” He grabbed her arm, and his eyes darkened. “You could save yourself if you were to share my bed.”

“You vile creature.” Ana tried to escape from his iron grasp. “Foolish man. Even if the sword exists, it would not be enough to take possession of it. The blade must be given freely to the person who has been tested and found worthy. Then and only then will its power be released.”

He ground out his words. “You lie.”

She could almost feel the rage within him build. She had not brought a weapon. She had been careless.

The door to Roderick’s chamber banged open. “Ana, there you are.”

Ana turned and saw Mac stride quickly toward her. She knew it was her imagination that he looked nine feet tall. Roderick must have thought so as well. He released his hold on her and backed toward the table.

Mac nodded toward her. “I’ve been looking all over the castle for you. This place is huge. I got lost half a dozen times. Did you get permission from Roderick to visit your mother?” Mac extended his hand toward Roderick, who just stared at it. Mac reached for Roderick’s hand and shook it.

“It’s a gesture of greeting where I come from. My name is Kenneth MacKinnon.”

Ana noted that Mac was applying pressure to his hold on Roderick. Her stepbrother straightened and returned the grip.

Time stretched by slowly as Mac held Roderick’s hand as well as his gaze. Ana knew Mac’s strategy. He had taken control. Abruptly he released his crushing handhold.

Roderick’s eyes narrowed. His voice was devoid of feeling. “I know of no reason to allow you entrance to Rhiannon’s cell.”

“You say no one will believe me if I accuse you of treason against our king, but this court is like all other. I need only to start the rumor. It will find its way back to Robert the Bruce.”

Roderick clenched his fists at his sides. “What do you want?”

“My mother’s freedom.”

“That I will not do. No matter the rumors you start.”

“Then permission for myself and Danu to visit my mother.”

“Done.” Roderick muttered under his breath as he walked over to the table. He opened a long silver box and withdrew a blank piece of parchment. He wrote on it, folded the note, and handed it to Ana. “Rhiannon is being held in the east keep. Show this to her guards.”

His lips curled. “You may regret coming such a great distance to save Rhiannon. She has changed a great deal since you were a child.”

He had voiced her hidden fears. She clenched her fingers around the document. “It will not matter. My love for her has not.”

Mac put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Are you ready to leave?” The tone of his voice was light as if he was asking her permission.

She nodded, imagining that he wore a suit of shining armor.

Mac extended his hand toward Roderick again. “It’s been interesting.”

Roderick shoved his hands in the folds of his sleeves. “We will meet again.”

Mac smiled. “I’m counting on it.” He turned, and together they walked out of the stale air in Roderick’s chamber and into the torchlit corridor.

Ana looked over at Mac. “I am deeply concerned. Roderick made it too easy for us. It is not like him to bend to the will of others.”

“Maybe he thought he didn’t have a choice. You threatened to expose his desire to seize the throne of Scotland.”

“Perhaps, but I do not trust him.” Ana took a deep breath. The air smelled fresh. Mac’s strength seemed to wrap around her in a protective cloak as he held her hand. She felt closer to him than she had to anyone else she had ever known. As though, together, they had challenged the demon and forced him to back down.

The dimly lit corridor wound down uneven steps toward the ground floor. Ana waited as Mac pushed the door open. Bright afternoon sunlight replaced the interior shadows of the castle. Armed guards paced silently back and forth in front of the gate at the far end of the courtyard. Stones, in shades of gray, formed the ground floor and reaffirmed the castle’s appearance as an impenetrable fortress. The whole atmosphere was intimidating.

However, where the castle had succeeded, Roderick had failed. She smiled. It might have been only a small victory, but a campaign was won with one battle at a time.

Mac put his arm around Ana’s waist. “Okay, while we try to find the place where your mother is being held, why don’t you tell me about Roderick. Has he changed?”

She smiled. “Actually, he is not as I remembered. In the past I would never have been able to stand up to him.”

He pulled her closer. “I think you have it all wrong. Roderick is probably the same. It’s you who have changed.”

She rose on her toes and kissed him. “I feel it as well. But you have helped me to become who I am.”

“I can’t take the credit.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe that you bring out the best in those around you?” She smiled. “Are you not aware of the changes you have caused? No one is the same since you arrived. You fear nothing. Courage is as common to you as the air you breathe.”

He shook his head. “You give me too much credit.”

She put her arms around his neck. “You are mistaken. I see clearly. It is you who are unaware of the person you have become.”

“If what you say is true, it’s because when I look in your eyes, I want to be the man you envision.” He cleared his throat. “Enough about me. I need to know as much as I can about Roderick. Is he really as formidable as you once said?”

She nodded. “When I was a child, many men challenged him. Jamie tells me that all those who were foolish enough to fight him were found dead. There was even suspicion surrounding his father’s hunting accident.” She shaded her eyes from the sun. “Perhaps Roderick’s reputation is exaggerated.”

Mac squinted at the sun. “Let’s hope so. How did your mother come to marry Roderick’s father?”

It was a subject Ana had pushed out of her thoughts for a great many years. Calling the memories forth was painful, but she realized the necessity. If Mac were to succeed, he needed to know as much as possible about her stepbrother and her past. She took a deep breath.

“In order to understand Roderick, I must tell you the beginning.” She looked over at him and wondered how he would react. Her words flowed out in a rush. “My mother was about to give birth to me, and my father had disappeared. She felt the only course open to her was to marry. My mother had property, and Roderick’s father’s treasury had been depleted by the war. At the time, my mother thought she had made a good bargain.”

Mac pulled her closer. “Even in my century, it is hard to raise a child alone. I’m sure your mother did what she thought was best.”

She let out the breath she had not realized she was holding. “Thank you.”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “For what?”

She smiled. “Just, thank you.”

A half-dozen riders trotted past her. Knights’ armor reflected the sun, and the rays seemed to dance off the walls of the castle. She nodded toward the men. “When I was a small child, I dreamed of knights, such as these, coming to my rescue.” She smiled. “Perhaps that is why I conjured you.”

“I’m beginning to think I’m the lucky one.” He pointed to a narrow keep adjacent to the gate. “I think that’s the one where your mother is being held. I’ve seen them dragging men in chains in there. Now, what’s the rest of the story?”

She smiled. “You are taking on some of Danu’s characteristics and reading my mind. Well, there really is not much more to tell. My mother and I were quite content at Dannon Manor until Roderick returned home. He was attending the university in London. About a year after he came home, his father died in a hunting accident. Shortly after, we began to fear for our lives.”

Although the sun was as bright as before, she felt a chill wash over her. “We realized that Roderick wanted to take possession of the Golden Sword. He believed the legends that surrounded it. I suspect my mother may have set the fire at Dannon Manor to make him think it was destroyed.”

“What changed his mind?”

“I do not know.”

Mac walked beside her in silence to the keep, no doubt deep in his own thoughts. He had asked the question that plagued her as well. It was possible that Roderick never completely believed the sword had been destroyed in the fire. That might have been the real reason he’d kept Rhiannon alive all these years.

Ana stepped into the dark antechamber where her mother was held prisoner. Candles burned on a ledge overhead, dripping wax onto a stone floor. The air smelled musty. A potbellied guard with rotting teeth slouched before them. He did not look friendly. Her gentle mother had been living surrounded by people who probably did not treat her with kindness. No doubt Roderick was right; she would see a change in Rhiannon—and not one for the better.

Mac reached for her hand “We’ll do this together.”

Perhaps he had sensed her apprehension. Knowing she was not in it alone calmed her and gave her strength.

The guard pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and narrowed his gaze. “State your business.”

Ana shoved the document Roderick had given her toward the guard. “We have come to see Rhiannon.”

The guard spat onto the stone floor. “Did ye now? And what business do ye have with the Fairy Queen? She’s quite mad, for all her fancy ways.”

Mac stepped forward. “Lady Ana has permission to visit her mother. Show us to her room. Now.”

The guard’s expression lightened as he turned toward Ana. “So, ye be her daughter. I thought ye looked familiar to me. Strong likeness. The lady talks about ye so much I think I knows ye myself. Sorry about me temper. Do not want just anyone visiting.” He reached for the ring of keys at his belt and led the way up a winding set of stairs while he continued talking.

“ ‘Witch’ is what Roderick calls her. Figured that must be the reason he locked her away.” The guard pointed a stub of a finger at his forehead. “Roderick claims she has the ‘third eye’…among other things.” He hesitated. “Did not see it meself. Thought the notion a bit odd, if ye know what I mean.”

The expression “third eye” was a common accusation not easily disproved. The meaning could range from the idea of seeing into the future to reading a person’s thoughts. Ana wondered if Roderick believed the theory. Regardless, if he accused her of possessing it, that would have been enough to assure her mother’s imprisonment as a witch. However, her stepbrother had stumbled close to the truth about her mother’s powers.

Ana was glad most people, like the guard, believed it was only nonsense.

Ana and Mac ascended to Rhiannon’s chambers as candlelight flickered over the stone walls. Realizing that the guard was protective of her mother eased her mind a little. A weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. Kind words may have made her mother’s imprisonment more bearable, but it did not alter the fact that Rhiannon had been denied her freedom and Ana a mother’s love, all because of her stepbrother’s passion for power.

He would never free her mother until he had what he wanted. Perhaps not even then. “Do you know why Roderick has allowed the chance to have my mother set free?”

The guard was breathing hard as he reached the top step. He paused and shook his head. “That is the question me wife and I have been asking ourselves. But glad we are. There has been enough burning of innocent women. My own is afraid to talk to anyone, lest they say she curdled the cow’s milk, or some such thing.” He nodded toward Mac. “Make sure ye keep your lady safe.”

Mac rested his hand on the hilt of his blade. “That is my intent.”

“Good lad.”

Mac rubbed the back of his neck. “Is there anything else you can tell us as to why Roderick is allowing this chance to free Rhiannon?”

The guard shrugged. “Some say Roderick is tired of the cost of keeping her imprisoned. Expensive to haul food and the like to these chambers. The lady is always asking for thread for her tapestries. Others say he no longer fears her. Although I never did know why he would be afraid of such a gentle lady.” He shook his head. “But these be strange times.”

The guard turned to the door and shoved a key into the lock. The heavy door creaked open. Ana hesitated, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. Tapestries covered the walls and floors. Gilt-edged furniture was scattered about the room. Against the far wall, a massive bed was enclosed in light-blue velvet drapes. On a table by the bed was a tray of meat pies and a pitcher of wine.

Her mother was well cared for and seemed to lack for nothing…except freedom.

Sunlight seeped through the open window and bathed a woman with pale golden hair in its glow. Ana hesitated at the threshold to the room and watched her mother weave silk threads on a cloth stretched over a wooden frame. Her long slender fingers moved with grace and agility as she wove the small stitches into a pattern. It was as if time had rolled back and Ana was a young girl again, watching her mother work magic into her tapestries.

Her mother paused from her task. Her eyes widened and recognition softened her features. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she rose slowly. “I have been expecting you, my child, and yet there was a part of me that was afraid to hope.” Her voice trembled. “You look wondrous, just as I imagined. What I would have given to be with you as you grew.” She held out her arms.

The years floated away as Ana rushed to her mother and pulled her close. Rhiannon had changed little. It was as if she were under the same spell as Dannon Manor. Ana stepped back to look at her mother.

“Roderick said I would find you changed, but you are as I remember.”

Her mother kissed her on the forehead. “You feared my mind had retreated into the safety of insanity, as happens to so many who are imprisoned. I was more fortunate. Many face the terror of death, while I am only confined to a cage. However, I played the part for Roderick. It kept him away.” Rhiannon smiled. “Your eyes see only with love, but for Roderick it is different. He thought I would do anything to free myself. He was mistaken. But enough of such thoughts. You are here, my daughter, and I have missed you.” She motioned to Mac. “I presume you are my champion? I have been waiting for you as well. Please join us.”

Mac brought two chairs over from the wall by the window and placed them beside Rhiannon. He was so quiet, Ana thought maybe he had also not known what to expect.

Ana sat down and leaned forward. She reached for her mother’s hand. “There is so much I want to ask you.” She glanced toward Mac. “So much I want to share. Mother, I would like you to meet Kenneth MacKinnon. And you were correct, he is your champion.”

Rhiannon patted her cheek. “I can also see he means much to you by the way you look at each other. There is a bond between you. Hold on to it for as long as you are able.” She sighed. “You have grown to be a fine young woman. Danu has done well.”

“As much as I care for Danu, I wish you and I could have spent more time together.” The years believing her mother was dead rushed in on her. Ana felt Mac’s hand on her shoulder. His gesture helped to calm her. She took a deep breath. “Why has Roderick done this to you and to our family?”

Rhiannon leaned back in her chair. “As you have probably guessed by now, Roderick desires to be king. He is consumed with the notion and believes the Golden Sword will bring him the power he needs to accomplish this end.”

A shadow passed slowly over the window and spread toward the chamber. Ana shivered. “He told me as much, but why would he share such a treasonous notion with the both of us?”

“He trusts that no one will believe those who dare to speak out against him. And despite his wealth, and the people who cling to him, he is a lonely man. Roderick will talk to whoever will listen.”

Mac shook his head. “A dangerous flaw.”

Rhiannon smiled. “Or one that we can use to our benefit.”

“If he feels so strongly that he is above the law, why did he agree to the tournament?”

Rhiannon rested her hands in her lap. “Ah, the tournament. It was Roderick’s idea. He has spent the last twelve years researching the legend of the Golden Sword. I believe he hoped to find another.” She straightened. “A little over a year ago, he came into my chamber and informed me he knew the blade still existed. He told me what I already knew. The Golden Sword could not be destroyed by fire; it is fire.” She sighed. “It was then he concluded that if I did not have it, and it was not in the fire at Dannon Manor, then I must have given it to my daughter. The tournament is a way to bring it to him.”

“He never intended to release you?”

“Of course not. He is so arrogant. He believes no one can defeat him.”

Mac leaned forward. “But how did he come to believe the legend was true in the first place?”

“It was a foolish comment I made a few days before I gave birth to Ana. I was feeling out of sorts. It was early January, and the weather was horrid. There seemed to be no end to the snow and ice storms. The midwife had predicted you would be born within the week. My mood reflected the weather. I merely made the comment to Roderick’s father that I would only give birth to you while lying on a bed of wildflowers. Years later he told the story to his son.”

Ana smiled. “I remember you wove a tapestry that celebrated my birth. You were lying on a bed of rose petals.”

“And so I was. The week you were born, the weather turned very warm. It was as if spring had come to the Highlands. Roderick always felt I had somehow controlled the seasons, and because he believes I have that power, he fears me.” She smiled. “Roderick allows me to work on my tapestries. I think he felt that by so doing he would gain my trust and I would share my knowledge of the magic I weave into my tapestries. He soon realized that would never happen. At first, I feared that the loneliness would drive me insane. The only thing that saved me was knowing that Danu had succeeded in getting you to safety.”

Ana remembered the frantic ride from Dannon Manor. Even as a child she knew her mother had magical abilities. Believing her mother dead, more than once she wished her mother had the power to free herself and come home. The wish had gone unanswered. Ana wondered why. “Mother, why have you not used a spell to free yourself from this place?”

“Even my powers are limited. If they were stronger, I would have freed myself long ago.” Rhiannon laughed. “Now tell me about this man who sits so calmly before me.”

Ana smiled, pleased she could share her own accomplishments. She glanced toward Mac. “I conjured him with the spell you gave me.”

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. The one I gave you so long ago?”

“The same.”

Rhiannon nodded toward Mac. “I thought as much.”

A feeling of peace washed over Mac. It was easy to feel calm here. It reminded him of his visits to his grandmother’s home. There was tranquility in the air, as if the burdens of the world were left outside the stone walls.

He could see how the guard didn’t understand why Rhiannon was imprisoned. The man probably felt the same peace he did.

Rhiannon brushed an imaginary speck of dust off the fabric on the loom. “Kenneth MacKinnon, you have come here from a long distance.”

He nodded.

“In the world you came from, did you feel as though you belonged?”

It was an odd question. He was born in Seattle, grew up, went to school, and did all the things that were expected of him. Why did she ask him that question? She waited patiently, as did Ana. He scratched his head.

“I really never gave it much thought, until recently.”

“And do you wish to return?”

The words she spoke broke his feeling of peace. His first impulse was to scream the word “no.” But it would sound crazy. The spell Ana had cast didn’t leave it up to him. He remembered the words perfectly.

If he fails.

He will forever roam the land of the ancient ones,

Alone and without love.

He tried to shake the words from his thoughts. “I really don’t have a choice.”

Rhiannon’s voice was low and quiet. “If you were given the choice, would you remain here in this century?”

He looked over at the candle on the table. It flickered in the breeze. “I don’t know.” He thought of his life back in Seattle and his friends, Jed and Sarah. Then there were the kids he coached. He would miss them. It was odd that football, the one defining thing in his life, was something he knew he could live without.

She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Are you afraid?”

“Only a fool wouldn’t be.”

She laughed. Her smile was exactly like Ana’s. “You are not afraid to admit your fear. My daughter chose wisely. Come, there is something I wish to show you.” She pointed to the tapestry she was weaving. “What do you see?”

It was much like the one Ana had hanging in her room at Dannon Manor, except that this one was more complete.

He looked at it. A manor house stood beside a sparkling stream and wildflowers blanketed a meadow. Among the flowers, a woman who resembled Ana lay on a bed of wild daisies. A man bent over her as if he were about to awaken her with a kiss. His heart beat faster. In Ana’s tapestry, the image of the man was blurred, now it was crystal clear. It was himself.

He stood abruptly, and the chair toppled over and crashed to the stone floor. He’d never met Rhiannon before today, yet she’d woven a likeness of him into her tapestry. Mac looked over at Ana. He wished she had given him a book of instructions when he’d entered her world. Especially the one that explained the magic. He was beginning to think that anything was possible. He combed his fingers through his hair.

“We’ve never met before today. How were you able to create a likeness of me?”

She smiled. “Which explanation are you prepared for? The truth, or one that will settle your mind?”

He swallowed. “The truth.”

She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder and her touch quieted the beat of his racing heart. “There are those who sing their stories and others who write the words down. I weave the pictures in my mind into my tapestries.” She smiled. “There are some who say my stories are a prediction of things to come.”

“Is that why Roderick keeps you prisoner?”

“He cannot see what is right before him. He fears me but does not understand why.”

The chamber door opened. “Ye have another visitor.”

Danu stepped from behind the guard and into the room. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Sister. You look more beautiful than the day we said our farewells.” She hugged Rhiannon to her.

Rhiannon’s chin trembled as she drew away. “You have been in my thoughts each and every day.”

Mac noticed the resemblance between the two as they embraced. Rhiannon looked quite a bit younger, and her hair had not started to gray, but they both had the same warm smile.

Danu wiped her eyes. “Your daughter has grown to be a fine woman. She has a strength of character that mirrors your own.”

Danu smiled and turned to Ana. “We shall inform your mother of the events over the past twelve years. She will be delighted in hearing it firsthand.”

Mac watched the women settle together and felt suddenly that his presence was an intrusion. As if Rhiannon had read his mind, she looked over at him and smiled.

“Perhaps you would be interested in learning more about Ana. I have captured, as best I could, many of the events of her life on the tapestries that line the walls of this dreary cell.”

“Mother, they are beautiful and amazing. You have portrayed much of my life as a child at Stirling Castle.”

Mac moved closer to the wall hangings. He glanced at the images of Ana as a child. But what made his pulse race were pictures of her as a grown woman. He’d heard Rhiannon talk about weaving stories into her tapestries, but this went way beyond that idea. Rhiannon had the ability to see events without being there.

There was more. He paused. On the far wall was a tapestry about the same size as Ana’s. It also had the same image as hers. It was a likeness of him, complete with a Super Bowl ring.

Mac shook his head. He might as well face it. He had dropped down the rabbit hole into the world of Alice in Wonderland. Instead of being afraid, he was rather enjoying the adventure. It was like waking up to a world where you had to learn the rules as you went along. He didn’t mind it, if Ana was his guide.

****

The shadows stretched over the courtyard of Edinburgh Castle as Rhiannon watched Mac and Ana walk toward the Great Hall. The hours had passed by so quickly, and her visit with Ana had been too short. Rhiannon regretted not being able to share all her secrets, but it would only put her daughter’s life in danger. She turned and looked over at her sister. Rhiannon’s heart felt filled to overflowing to see those she loved at long last. If only…

Danu picked up a leather-bound book off the table near the bed. She sighed. “You will have to tell her about the tapestry.”

“I agree. How long have you known?”

Danu set the book down and laced her fingers together. “I suspected the truth when the tapestry first began to change, but when I saw the ones on the wall, I knew my suspicions were correct.”

Rhiannon leaned her elbows on the windowsill. “Conjuring Mac was Ana’s doing. She called forth the kind of man she wanted as her champion.”

Rhiannon remembered the day she realized Roderick was planning to find Ana. He demanded she tell him the location of the Golden Sword. Roderick wanted to gain control of it before Robert the Bruce returned from his pilgrimage. Roderick had spent a long time gathering supporters around him, but no one had the courage to kill the king. Roderick would have to do it himself. He knew he was running out of time, so when he learned there was a possibility the sword existed, he devised the plan for the tournament. He knew someone would get word to Ana.

Danu put her hand on Rhiannon’s shoulder. She shook her gently. “Where have you retreated to, dear sister?”

Rhiannon straightened and looked up. “Memories, all simply memories.” She paused. “Tell me, are your lodgings suitable?”

“Aye, thanks to you.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

Danu laughed. “I am referring to the spell you cast when you were a child of ten.”

“You are not making any sense. How can a spell be connected to suitable accommodations? Besides, you know I am not skilled at casting spells, only weaving tapestries. With spells the words I say become all upside down and backward. It has always been so. Remember the time I wanted to turn a sack of our mother’s flour into a sweet cake? She was most upset with the outcome.”

Danu laughed and sat down on the bench near the window. “Aye, you turned it into a hard white rock. I believe it is still there to this day. Spell-work was never your specialty as a child. But that is no longer true. You have improved since I saw you last.”

Rhiannon shook her head. “I know what you are about to say. However, the tapestry is different from spell-work. I really do not know how to explain it, but…”

“I was referring to Dannon Manor.”

Rhiannon shook her head. “What a great loss. I am sure it is in a sorry state since the fire. It was unfortunate. But it was the only thing I could think to do. And for a time Roderick believed the sword had been destroyed in the fire. It saddens me. Dannon Manor was truly beautiful.”

Danu put her hand on Rhiannon’s shoulder. “Sister, that is the point. It is not damaged. It is just as we left it. We are all residing at your home, and the chambers are as lovely as I remembered. It is as though time were held still, awaiting our return.”

“Do not tease me. How is that possible?” Rhiannon felt her heart beat faster, and a glimmer of hope began to lighten her spirit. There was only one person she knew who had the power to cast such a strong spell. The man she loved, and the man she felt was lost to her.

Danu raised an eyebrow. “If it was not you who cast the spell, then, who?”

Rhiannon looked out the window. “I believe it might have been Ana’s father. He may have had an opportunity, before—”

Danu did not look pleased. “Humph. I never knew why he left or why he did not free you.”

Rhiannon’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Do not be angry with him. There is much that is beyond his control. Where he is, time holds no meaning. To him, our farewell happened only moments ago. I sent him away, saying I never wanted to see him again. He could not survive long in my world, and I did not want to raise a child in his. The only path I thought possible was to tell him I no longer loved him.”

Danu put her hand on Rhiannon’s shoulder. “Ana has a right to know.”

“And what would you have me tell her?” Rhiannon shook her head. “In jest the guards call me the Fairy Queen. They do not know how close they come to the truth. No, I fear the knowledge would only confuse her. Besides, there are times when I do not believe it myself. If it were not for Ana, I would have believed he was a man I conjured in my dreams.”

She looked out the window. Torches lined the courtyard, and she could hear music coming from the direction of the Great Hall. The night had the feel of magic and romance in the air. As did another night, twenty-five years ago.