The stars were fading into the sunlight as Dr. Tara Quinn walked to the parking lot of Eaton Hospital. She was Chief of Emergency Medicine and had to deal with every little crisis that surfaced. Tonight she had seen an extraordinary amount of patients, all of them seriously injured. Although not located in a bad part of town, Eaton was a Level II trauma center and got a fair amount of Life Flight and unstable accident cases.

“There must have been a full moon out last night,” she muttered to herself as she fumbled for her keys. They were hiding from her and as she tried to sort through her bag without putting it down, things kept falling out and landing at her feet. Her nerves were shot from the long night and she was finding it hard to keep her temper in check. “Damn it!” she spat out as she dropped her purse and ran her fingers through her hair. Suddenly, she felt tears sting her eyes. She had the insane urge to just throw her bag on the ground, walk away and catch the bus. “Okay Quinn, get it together. You know you can’t let the stress get to you.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could feel the tension and the urge to kill leaving her muscles as she started to relax.

“Definitely time to go home.” She laughed at herself. “I have got to get some sleep,” she muttered to herself as she bent down and started to collect her errant belongings. As she reached for her sunglasses, which had managed to tumble under the car, a man’s hand entered her field of vision. Normally, she would have been frightened at this intrusion but there was a familiarity to this man’s hand, a deep familiarity. In fact, the simple gold band on the hand that gave it away. Slowly, she retrieved her sunglasses and standing, took the man’s hand and smiled, smiling. “Hi Angel. I was beginning to wonder if you were coming. It’s getting pretty close to sun-up.”

“You didn’t think I was going to miss a chance to be with you, did you? No way.” As they straightened up, he stepped closer and kissed her lightly on the lips. “After all, how could I desert the doctor who saved my life,” he paused and got a far away look in his eyes. “What there was of it.” He took her arm and walked her the rest of the way to the car. As they walked, he gave her a sideways glance that confirmed his suspicions. Taking the keys from her, he opened the passenger door and gently settled her inside; he even fastened her seatbelt. “I’ll drive, you look like you’re about to explode.” His soft, full lips curled up in the half smile that always made her melt.

Tara unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. “Thanks Angel, I owe you one.” As he started the car and began to drive to the apartment they shared, Tara laid her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. She took some deep breaths and tried to relax. They were starting their vacation today, she reminded herself, taking off that night and heading to Ireland where Angel was born and where Tara’s family was. She wanted to check out some of the castles there and just spend some quality time with her boyfriend. Her hectic schedule made sure that she spent the barest minimum with him.

Angel seemed to sense the fact that now was not a good time to talk with Tara and let her relax in silence. He slid his hand over and took hers, letting their clasped hands rest in her lap. Stealing a glance at Tara, Angel shook his head. She put everything she had and was into her work and it showed in each exhaustion line on her face. She genuinely cared about each and every patient, taking their problems to heart. Sometimes she got more involved than Angel liked and he worried about her safety and well-being all the time. She had become an innovator in the field of trauma medicine, her work was highly regarded in the medical field and she was making quite a name for herself, but she was wearing herself out. He was glad she had been able to get the time off for them to take a vacation. She definitely needed the rest.

They drove in silence and after a few minutes, their apartment building loomed up in front of the car. Angel pulled into the parking spot and went over to open the door for Tara. When she didn’t immediately get out, Angel knelt down by the door and looked inside. Grinning, he gathered her up in his arms. She’d fallen asleep, lulled by the rhythm of the car. It must have been one hell of a night to wipe her out so completely. Making soft, nonsensical noises, Angel carried her into the apartment and deposited her on the bed. He went around and pulled all the shades, plunging the rooms into darkness. He covered her with a quilt and after a moment, lay down beside her. Instinctively, she snuggled in next to him and sighed contentedly. He wrapped his arms around her and dozed off.

Several hours later, Tara awoke to find that the sun had set and the stars were once again in command of the sky. She felt Angel next to her and propped herself up on an elbow to watch him sleep. She was amazed that she had been lucky enough to find him. She had always said that she would never date a patient; in fact all the nurses teased her about being “Dr. Untouchable”. They didn’t know what she’d been through and how she wished that moniker were true. She never would have broken that rule if Angel hadn’t arrived in her Emergency Room that night. He had been shot and was unconscious most of the time that he was her patient. As she had cleaned and treated his wounds, something between them had connected. She would swear to this day that she had felt an actual spark the first time he had looked at her with his gorgeous eyes.

She had been sewing up a laceration in his forehead when he had opened his eyes. Tara had stopped sewing and been lost in his gaze for a moment. She probably would have continued staring into his eyes if not for the nurse who entered the room at that moment to state his friends were in the waiting room when she wanted to talk to them. The contact broken, Tara could once again function. She’d gone out, spoken with Angel’s friends, assuring them he would be fine in time, and had gone back to find her bandaged patient sitting up and trying to pull a jacket over his injured arm. The bullet had gone into his arm, breaking his humerus but missing all vital vessels. He needed to avoid using the arm for a long while, but he would be fine. Little did she know that later she would be an accepted member and friend of the group.

It took a lot of convincing to get across to Angel that he needed to stay in the ER until she was sure there were no detrimental effects from the wound. It wouldn’t be too long, she assured him. He began to protest, but Tara had “turned on the doctor”, as Angel affectionately called it, and bandaged him, making him comfortable in the bed.

Later, when she was satisfied all was well with him, Tara had released Angel from the ER with strict instructions to return if there were any problems and to have his stitches removed two weeks later. She thought that was the last she would see of him. She was wrong.

Exactly two weeks later Angel had returned to have his stitches removed. He’d been thinking about the doctor who had treated him since he left the emergency room. In fact, he had been talking about her so much that everyone at Angel Investigations could chorus her name along with him. So, he made plans for when he returned to the ER. He had asked her to have dinner with him on her next night off, she had accepted and they had been inseparable since that date two years earlier. She hadn’t found out that he was a vampire until several dates in when she had suggested going to the beach for a day and he had had to tell her why he couldn’t go out in the sun. He had been afraid to tell her for fear of her leaving. He didn’t want to scare her away, he’d said. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone; even as a human. Finally, at her urging, he had told her everything about him. He told her how he had been changed, the story about the gypsy curse and his soul; finishing up with how he ended up in her ER. Given her attitude to not judge a person by their appearance and watch their actions, Angel had never done anything to harm her and something inside her told her he never would. Tara had not even thought about leaving him, she felt safe and secure with him, never fearing him or his actions. “I’ve seen and heard stranger things while I’m on duty. Your story sounds downright believable. I’m not going anywhere,” she’d said before kissing him soundly.

In fact, sharing his story had been cathartic for both of them. Tara had started to tell him about how she became a doctor but ended up spilling the beans about her history. She told him about her school experiences, how she had been teased mercilessly, and why she had not dated much before him. Strangely, she felt totally comfortable telling him this information.

Now, as he lay next to her, Tara couldn’t help but be amazed at how he relaxed in sleep. Over the time that they had been together, Tara had managed to get Angel to be more happy and less brooding. When she had heard about his life, she could understand why he was the way he was, but as she told him, he could not make up for his past transgressions by depressing her. He needed to lighten up and enjoy their time together. He even smiled more now. As she thought about him smiling, a warmth spread through her. It lit up his face and made him even more attractive. The urge to kiss him overcame Tara and she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his lips. That kiss evolved into a more passionate one as they connected. It always seemed as though there was an energy between them just waiting to complete the circuit when they touched. Without opening his eyes, Angel’s arms snaked around Tara and pulled her closer to him. When they broke apart a moment later, their faces barely an inch apart, she smiled at him, “Morning honey,” she said, dropping a quick kiss on his nose.

“Morning,” he murmured. “Feeling better?”

“Much.” She stroked his cheek and brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen in his face. “Ready for some adventure?”

“Wherever you go I will follow,” he said as the smile that she had been thinking about lit up his face and put a sparkle in his eyes. He stood and pulled her up with him. “But you are not going dressed like that.”

She looked down at herself and noticed that she hadn’t even changed out of her scrubs. They were hopelessly wrinkled now, and she smiled at Angel. “I don’t even remember coming into the house this morning.”

Eyes laughing, Angel said, “You fell asleep in the car and I carried you in. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to disturb you by waking you so you could get changed. I figured you could change when you woke up. Now go do that while I finish packing.” Gently, he swatted her on the rear as she disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Angel heard the shower start running and Tara singing happily. She has a beautiful voice! he thought. Plans started to form for the next vacation. Maybe, Karaoke. No...she would kill him! She never believed she was good at anything besides medicine. Mentally, he cursed those students in her school; they had totally destroyed her sense of self-worth. She was only just beginning to let her guard down and try new things.

Twenty minutes later, Tara emerged from the bathroom a changed woman. Gone was the tired, rumpled doctor and in her place was an Irish lass. She was dressed in black jeans and an Irish sweater. Her skin glowed from the shower and soft curls surrounded her face. “Are we ready?” she asked.

Angel turned and just stared at her, she was gorgeous. “Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend? I’m sure you have seen her...5’6”, perpetually rumpled, answers to the name of Dr. Quinn?” he asked, smiling at her as he wrapped her in his arms. Tara couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“I locked her in the closet. She can’t come out until I get some rest and relaxation!”

Angel let out a laugh and kissed her gently. “You look fabulous. Now let’s get going, we don’t want to miss our plane.”

Together they loaded Tara’s car with the luggage and took off for the airport. It took forever, but they finally made it through all the security checks and inspections, they boarded the plane. The butterflies in Tara’s stomach were in overdrive. She couldn’t stop thinking about the hospital and what might be going on. Several times in the airport she had stopped herself from calling and checking in. That was what a staff was for. She knew that there was nothing she could do from there anyway, and Angel would not let her go in for anything. Placing a hand on her stomach, she whispered, “Settle down guys, we’re going on vacation. Yeah, I know we haven’t had one in a while, and you young ones my not know what a vacation is, but this one’s for real. Dr. Taylor can handle anything that may pop up.” She let out a deep breath and leaned back in her seat as the plane began to take off. She was staring up at the ceiling of the cabin, trying to think about things happier than work, when she felt Angel reach over and take her hand. She looked over at him and smiled.

“Relax sweetheart,” he whispered. “This is our vacation and I’m going to make sure you forget all about work.”

She nodded. “I’ll try, honey, I’ll try.” We’ll see, she thought as she opened up the novel she had bought in the airport gift shop. Pushing all thoughts from her mind, she delved into the world of mystery and detectives.

She was just getting to the good part of the story when she felt the plane’s wheels bump onto the runway. “We’re here,” Angel said grandiosely. They disembarked and made their way toward the luggage carousel. As Tara stepped out onto the sidewalk, she saw a stretch limousine and a chauffer with a sign that said “Dr. Tara Quinn”. She looked over at Angel in disbelief, surely he couldn’t have done this! He simply smiled and went to go put the bags in the trunk. The driver helped her into the limo and into the back seat where she found a huge bouquet of fire and ice roses with a card that read,

My darling Tara-

It is not often that a man finds his soul mate, the one he is meant to spend eternity with. Unfortunately it took me until the afterlife to do so. Life with you has been heaven on earth, and believe me I have been to hell and back so I am an authority. I love you with my whole heart and being. You are my life and my reason for existing. I aim to make this vacation a memorable one.

Love,
Angel

By the time she had finished reading the card, Angel had climbed in to sit next to her. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I love you too Angel. You make my life complete. I never knew what I was missing until I met you.” She leaned over and kissed him. “Now let’s get started relaxing. God knows I need it!” The limo pulled out and into traffic, heading for the hotel.

Angel knew her history and was glad that he could do something, anything, to make Tara feel special. Whenever he thought of her so-called “friends”...

It didn’t take long to get checked in and shown to their room. They decided to get a good day’s sleep and then head out for sightseeing the next night. Tara lay in bed wide awake for a long time until sleep claimed her. When it did, she slept hard, her body deciding to take the time to unwind and release the tension she had been harboring in her muscles for the last few months. When the sun set the next night, Angel shook her awake. “Hey sleepyhead. Time to go castle-hopping!”

Tara dressed quickly and grabbing her camera, followed Angel out to the car. They drove to Castle Flynn, once a magnificent castle, now a bunch of magnificent ruins. They spent the next couple hours exploring that rubble. Tara was really getting into the history of the place; she was crawling around and climbing over piles of rocks, imagining what the place must once have looked like. Several times Angel caught her in the midst of a daydream of ladies and lords, battles of good and evil. He never laughed but joined in. They usually ended up giggling anyway. In the moonlight, the flecks of quartz in the granite rocks glimmered like ethereal diamonds. The sight took her breath away. Suddenly, she heard her name being called in the distance. She followed the sound of Angel’s voice to what was once the main courtyard. Her boyfriend was standing in the middle, near a blanket set with a sumptuous picnic.

Smiling, Tara settled down near Angel and they began to eat. “Enjoying yourself Tara?” Angel asked.

“You bet! This place is positively magical, Angel! I can just imagine what it must have looked like hundreds of years ago, when it stood in all its splendor!” Her cheeks were flushed with the joy of exploration and she was breathless with excitement.

“I’m glad sweetie.” He stood and pulled her up with him. “I have something for you.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and opening it, pulled out a delicate silver chain on which dangled a small emerald pendant. “There’s a legend about the emerald in this pendant. It’s called the Zoloft Emerald and is said to have once belonged to Queen Rhiannon of Ireland. It is said that it has the power to bestow eternal life, but only when given to a man’s soul mate.” He fastened the necklace around her neck and ran his hand down her cheek. “Since you’re my soul mate, I thought we would see if the legend is true.” He opened the box once more and pulled out a man’s claddagh ring with a small emerald set into the heart. “It is also said that true lovers share one heart, each owning one half. Following that advice, I had the emerald split and we now each wear one half of the Zoloft Emerald.” He slipped the ring on his finger. “We will not be complete unless we are together.”

Tara hugged Angel hard and whispered, “Thank you, Angel, it is absolutely gorgeous! I hope that the legend is true, then we can always be together.” As Tara looked at Angel, a soft green mist started to gather around him. He began to move away from her. Fear was to building in her stomach as she yelled, “Angel! What’s happening? Where are you going?”

As if hearing him call to her through a long tunnel, Tara could hear Angel saying, “Tara? Tara, where are you going? Don’t leave me!”

She felt like she was spinning and falling at the same time. No matter what she did, she couldn’t control her movements. For what seemed like an eternity, Tara fell. Finally, she hit the ground with a thud! She hit her head as she landed and blacked out. Angel fell next to her, landing in a heap. After a moment, he stretched, crawled over to her. “Tara? Are you all right? Speak to me!” Her eyelids began to flutter and she tried to focus on Angel’s face. She groaned and said, “Yeah, I’m fine, but whoever pushed me over that cliff is going to pay dearly. I don’t take kindly to being manhandled.” Then her attention shifted back to him. “Are you all right?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get all this packed up and head back to the hotel. I think we could both use a good sleep.” He helped her to her feet and began dusting off his jeans. Slowly he stood up, “What the hell...?” he gasped. Tara followed his gaze and her mouth fell open. Where there was only piled of rubble not twenty minutes before, now there was a wall; an intact, clean and sturdy looking wall.

Tara rubbed her eyes and looked over at Angel. “Where are we? Where did that wall come from?”

Angel shook his head. “Believe me Tara, I have no clue.” Taking her hand, he pulled her along. “Let’s see what is around. Maybe we can find a clue.” Together, they walked around until they literally ran into a person.

“Hail good sir and madam,” the man said. He was wearing the dress of a nobleman from the 18th Century. Tara sniffed a bit at the odors coming from the man. He was more than a little inebriated.

She leaned over to Angel and whispered, “He’s drunk. Let’s just play along.”

Angel nodded and they smiled at the man. Angel stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Good morrow sir, we are but simple travelers looking for our way home. Can you tell us where we are?”

The man smiled. “Why, you are in the kingdom of the most generous, kind and benevolent Queen Rhiannon of Ireland. Travelers, aye? That would provide some explanation for the mode of dress. If you would kindly follow me, you will be afforded housing in yon castle.”

Tara looked up, this was Castle Flynn? But only minutes ago it had been a broken down pile of rubble and now it rose stately above her, looking brand new. She came to stand next to Angel and asked, “Kind sir, what year might it be?”

The man looked at her an if she had two heads but said, “1789, madam.” Tara blinked a few times in amazement but didn’t say anything.

Suddenly, a loud cheer rose from somewhere deep in the castle. The man looked back over his shoulder and laughed. “Time to get inside. Come. Her majesty will welcome new guests. At Castle Flynn there is always room for one more!” He took Tara’s arm and began to guide her to the door. She looked back with a “What can you do?” look and stuck out her hand for Angel to take. Her stomach relaxed a bit when she felt the solid weight of his hand in hers.

Part 2

There was no telling what they would find when they went inside. Angel squeezed her hand and smiled at her. They started toward the door and followed the man into the castle. The sight that greeted her was wondrous. Candles twinkled from every table and wall. Shadows flickered on the walls, casting a supernatural feel on the entire place. She tightened her hand around Angel’s.

It seemed like they had been walking miles before seeing another soul. Finally Tara heard another voice. “Hail Edward! Back so soon? I expected you to be passed out in the garderobe by now!” The speaker was dressed in the same style as their guide, Edward. Tara leaned over to Angel, whispering, “Either these people are practicing for the Renaissance Pleasure Faire or something really freaky is going on.” Angel nodded.

“Sweetheart, this is something even I can’t explain and I have seen some very strange things in my life.” He shook his head, opening his mouth to say something when Edward came up to them. “Ye may enter the Great Hall now. Her Majesty, Queen Rhiannon, will receive you.” He gestured toward the open hall. Tara caught her breath and stared unabashedly. The room was a sea of brightly colored bodies. The jewels in the fabrics and adorning their frames twinkled and sparkled in the flickering candlelight. The smells that wafted out of the room were delicious. Her stomach rumbled and reminded her how hungry she was.

The moment was shattered by the sound of trumpets. A fanfare blared out and two guards in red and black escorted Tara and Angel to the head table where a woman not much older than Tara sat. She was very pretty and had waist length red hair held back by a circlet studded with emeralds. Tara did the only thing she could think of, she curtsied.

“Rise,” a lilting voice said. “I am Queen Rhiannon of Ireland. How may we assist you? I have been told that ye are travelers. From where do you begin?”

“Your Majesty, if you please, we do not know. We stumbled upon your grand castle by happy accident. In fact, we are very confused about where exactly we are. We would be most grateful for any and all help you can offer us.”

Queen Rhiannon smiled. “Well met, we shall be most happy to provide shelter to ye and yon man. However, first we must provide you with more suitable attire.” She clapped her hands smartly and several servants melted out of the stone and took them both by the arm. As they were being led away, Queen Rhiannon called, “By what name are you known?”

“If it pleases you, I am called Tara Quinn and this is my betrothed, Angel.” Thank God I read all those historical novels between patients, she thought.

“Aye, well, tis grand to meet you Tara and Angel. Go, rest and return when ye are more comfortable.” With that, she returned to the meal and the hall began to buzz with conversation. Tara knew that everyone who had witnessed their exchange was wondering who the two strangers were. As for her, she was trying to think how they would explain Angel and his......condition.

The servants took Angel and Tara into separate chambers to change. It took a lot longer than Tara expected to change into the dress that was laid out for her. Even with the help of the servant, Tara figured she was in there for an hour. Finally, she was able to check herself in the mirror; she was amazed. Her dress was green satin and brocade with velvet inlays and netting on the sleeves. There was a thin gold belt that hung around her waist, clasped together with a Celtic knot buckle. On her feet were green satin slippers and she wore a green veil. Around her neck was the Zoloft Emerald pendant, the one thing that she would not let the servant remove.

Tara stepped out of her chamber to find Angel leaning against the wall, waiting for her to come out. His eyes widened at the picture she presented. “I knew it!” He stood back, crossing his arms, with a smug smile on his face.

“What?” Tara demanded, checking herself out form all the angles she could. “Is something wrong? Did I sit on something?”

He chuckled and wrapped her in his embrace. “No, I was just right about the fact that you look stunning in anything you wear.” He kissed her lightly. “Me, however...” he trailed off as she stepped back. “Check out the get-up they have me in!” He was dressed in a voluminous, royal blue shirt with the lacings at the neck undone. The color set off his dancing blue eyes. His muscular legs were encased in leather breeches that disappeared into knee-high, black, lace-up boots. He looked very dashing and she said so.

“At least you don’t have to wear a corset! I can see why women complained about these for centuries!” she exclaimed, smiling. It couldn’t possibly be too soon that she would get out of that thing. She decided to change the subject before it went too far. “I think that it is about time for us to go back and see what Queen Rhiannon can tell us, don’t you?”

Angel nodded and took her hand. “Let’s see if we can find one of the servants that always seem to be hanging about and get them to show us to the Queen.” They began to wander the halls, keeping an eye out for anyone who looked remotely like someone who could help. It didn’t take too long. Not five minutes later, they were being shown to the Queen’s chambers, where she wanted to meet with the two travelers.

A whispered conversation between their escort and the person who opened the massive wooden door took place and the doors were opened to admit Tara and Angel. The queen was sitting at a table reading a book. Apparently she had been waiting for their return. She looked up at their entrance. Tara curtsied and Angel bowed. “Your Majesty,” they both said.

“Ah, tis an improvement, I must say.” She took in their new attire and nodded approvingly. “Are ye much recovered?” Both of them nodded and tried not to look as nervous or uncomfortable as they felt. Queen Rhiannon gestured to a bench along the wall opposite her. “Pray, have a seat. I have ordered refreshments to be delivered to us as we speak.”

As they took their seats, the queen shut the book she was reading. Tara could make out the title on the spine. “Anatomies and Physicks of the Corpus Humanis”. So the queen was interested in how the body worked? Maybe that would buy them some points in her favor.

“So, ye are travelers. Ye’re sure ye don’t remember where you started from?”

Tara squeezed Angel’s hand and piped up. “Your Majesty, I am a physician from a far off land and was on a journey when we were...sidetracked. My betrothed and I have so totally lost our way that we are not even sure where north, south, east or west is. We’d not wish to trouble you or your people but we will surely need some help to get home.”

A knock on the great door prevented the queen from responding immediately. One servant opened the door and yet another servant entered and placed a tray on the table, bowing low to the queen as he exited the room. The queen gestured toward the tray. “Please, enjoy. You look like you have not eaten for days.” She watched with a smile an Angel and Tara helped themselves to the food, raining compliments on it as they ate.

“We here in Castle Flynn will help you in any way possible. So long as it is in our power to grant, ye need not be afraid to ask.” Queen Rhiannon smiled at Tara and Angel. “But for now, I think ye could use a rest. Ye look like something the banshee dragged in.”

At a signal from the queen, Tara and Angel were escorted to a chamber that had been laid out for them. It was a huge room, with stone walls and two high oval windows that at this moment were letting in the moon’s rays. An elaborate candelabrum had been lit and dripping yellow candles bathed the room in a soft, amber glow. Each wall had been covered by enormous tapestries depicting placid water scenes and what Tara could only assume were battles between good and evil. All the furniture in the room seemed to be made of the highest quality wood and fabric. Everything was so highly polished that it seemed to glow. They must be in a nobleman’s room, or at least were seen as honored guests.

Tara had not often been treated with such respect or deference. The only person who had ever shown her respect as a person since her parents were killed was Angel. He believed that she could do anything and do it well. That belief was proving to be infectious; she was beginning to feel that way too. Those at the hospital only showed her the respect because she was their superior. She never expected them to see her as a friend or someone you would “hang-out” with. She had forfeited those ideals when she went into medicine. She knew, or rather told herself, that she couldn’t have both worlds and still be a good doctor. No one person had ever said that but she was sure that was the case. She knew she had to blame her low self-esteem for that kind of thinking but it hadn’t been long that she had been rebuilding it, she still had a long way to go. She knew she was lucky to have found Angel. He had helped her to rebuild herself, starting from the ground up.

Looking over, she could see he was trying to absorb their surroundings with the same look of awe as she was. Her heart swelled as she looked at him. She was so glad he was with her. It must have been fate that the two of them had found each other. Seeing him there, she realized just how much she loved him.

After assuring the queen’s guests would be all right for the rest of the night, the servants left Angel and Tara alone. She leaned against the bed, sinking down into the mattress. “There’s no question that we aren’t in the 21st century anymore, Angel. However, I get the feeling we have become honored guests. I mean, look at all of this.” She gestured to the rich surroundings in the room. “They could have stuck us in the dungeon as soon as said BOO.” She looked around again; a plate of fruit and wine had been laid on the table that sat at the end of the monster bed. On the bed were nightclothes for the both of them, several fluffy down pillows and a wonderfully warm looking comforter. She was sure the two of them would sleep well tonight. Purple velvet curtains hung from the top of four ornately carved posts set at each corner of the bed. The curtains were, at the moment, tied back with matching purple ribbons. Looking closer, Tara could see that a fierce battle between writhing dragons and formidable looking knights was wrapping itself all the way to the top of each pole. She looked around the room, trying to take in the majesty and elegance of the place.

Standing with her back to the room, Tara looked out the window at the garden below. She was lost in thought, back, or rather forward, in the 21st century and what they had left behind. A gentle, floral scented breeze blew in the window, making her veil flutter behind her. She wasn’t sure what life would be like in this time, but since she had no clue how they were going to get back, they should make the best of it.

Suddenly, she felt Angel’s arms encircle her waist from behind. “He put his lips close to her ear and whispered. “Where are you? You look a million miles away.”

Tara turned in his embrace and kissed him. “I was just wondering what we could expect from this time and whether we will ever get back to 2002.” Looking into his concerned face and seeing the love for her in his eyes, her internal damn broke. Tears, unbidden began to well up in her eyes.

As they fell onto her cheeks, Angel wiped them away and led her to one of the many small couches that were in the room. “What’s wrong? Is there something I can do?” It hurt him to see Tara so upset, let alone not knowing the reason for it.

Tara shook her head. “I’ve tried so hard to be perfect Angel. I’ve tried to always be in control.” She shook her head and took a shaky breath. “I can’t control this Angel and it’s frustrating me so much! I have no idea how to get us home!”

Angel stared at Tara for a moment and then hugged her to him. Rocking her slightly, he crooned soft tones into her hair until she calmed down enough to listen to reason. He knew the ongoing battle in her. She had told him of it and it still made him mad when he thought of what she had had to endure in her childhood. Her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was 14 and she had been raised by her grandparents. But before that she had been mercilessly teased by her friends about everything, her appearance, her dating status, her lack of real friends. It had left deep scars emotionally. As she had grown up, she had overcome a lot of the feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness and become a wonderful doctor and woman. However, there were times, usually those of helplessness and stress when she reverted to the scared, frustrated young child he knew still was in there. Someday, he vowed he would seek out those “friends” and introduce them to the woman Tara had become and maybe to some of his friends. Times like this made him wish that he had met Tara sooner so that he could have protected her from what she had gone through.

Softly he said, “Tara, no one expects you to be perfect. It’s perfectly normal to be scared, frustrated and upset. You are one of the strongest women I have ever met. Don’t doubt yourself or your abilities. Don’t underestimate yourself. I don’t. In fact, I have the strong feeling that none of us are in control of this situation. There is some other force in command here. I’m just not sure what it is. But I mean to find out.”

Part 3

Tara held onto Angel, drawing strength from him. Normally, she would have been embarrassed about losing her cool in front of someone, but with Angel she wasn’t worried. He never judged her no matter what she did.

Hugging him once more, Tara kissed him and moved toward the bed where some unknown person had laid out some nightclothes for them. Angel scooped up Tara’s sheath and handed it to her. “Why don’t you get changed and we’ll talk. Can’t let that bed go to waste.”

Looking around, Tara spotted a folding screen in the corner of the room. She ducked behind it to change. As she took off each layer of clothing, she tried to remember how each piece fit together. She would have to put it all back on the next morning and she wanted to look like she knew what she was doing.

When she had slipped out from behind the curtain, Angel had not only changed clothes, but pulled down the bedsheets and poured a glass of wine for each of them. Tara gratefully took one goblet and climbed into the bed, drawing the covers up over her knees. She took a sip and savored it, letting the spicy, cinnamon flavor waft up her nose and down her throat. She closed her eyes and let it float over her entire being before she said anything more.

Finally, she opened her eyes and turned to Angel, much more relaxed than she had been before getting into bed. “It doesn’t seem like we’re going to get out of here let alone back to our time soon, so I guess that we are going to have to make the best of it.”

Angel smiled, he could see how hard she was trying to be cheery about this. That was just it, she was trying. She may revert back to the injured little girl that was still hiding inside her, but she never stayed there for long. “That’s my girl! You never get flustered if a situation doesn’t go your way. You just adjust. You’re remarkable, you know that?”

Tara blushed under Angel’s praise. Her flush of color was not entirely due to the wine she’d drunk. She didn’t know exactly what was in the wine, only that it was relaxing her. Suddenly, a large yawn escaped and she barely had enough time to cover her mouth. She smiled at Angel, placing the goblet back on the table before curling up under the covers.

“Well, it seems I’m done for. If I don’t get some sleep now, I will probably fall asleep in front of the queen tomorrow. One probably doesn’t want to do that.”

He laughed. “No, that’s probably a royal faux pas. Can’t have you peeling potatoes for days in the new gown! However, maybe in those ever present scrubs of yours!” He ducked as a pillow was thrown at his head. Try as he might to avoid it, the pillow still caught him smack on the side of the head. His eyes got wide and he growled. He began advancing on her slowly.

“Lady, you are going to pay for that!” Tara shrieked with laughter as Angel dive-bombed her from his side of the bed. He grabbed her in a bear hug. Laughing maniacally, he cackled in a fake Transylvanian accent, “Now, I vill begeen the dreaded Transylvanian kissing torture! You vill be mine!” With that, he descended on her and proceeded to torture her, to her absolute delight.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. The sound of a bluebird’s song woke Tara. Living in the city meant that most of the songbirds and other wildlife had been chased away by “progress”. Tara had not seen or heard more than a crow before and so the beautiful singing woke her. She turned to see that the sun was shining through the windows, creating ever-changing patterns on the floor. Not wanting to disturb Angel, Tara slid out of bed and tiptoed across the cold stone floor to the nearest window. She wrapped her arms around her and stared out the window.

Below their room was a garden, which accounted for the song that woke her. It was filled with rainbows of flowers arranged in bursts of color around a stone fountain located in the center of the area. Water was pouring out in a trickle from the basket of some fairy or other. The rising sun was shining through the random droplets of water as they fell, casting rainbows on the wall of the castle that she could see. She took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air and watched as tiny birds and butterflies flitted from flower to flower and tree to tree.

Tara brought her eyes up and got a jolt of surprise! As far as she could see were trees! There was not another building as far as she could see! It still hadn’t sunk in that they had traveled back over 300 years, so the fact that she couldn’t see any signs of civilization, still shocked her.

She started to check her watch to see what time it was, then remembered she didn’t have one anymore. So, she had no clue as to what time it was. It had to be early, judging by the golden aura surrounding everything as the sun rose. However, it seemed no matter how early it was, there were still people awake and moving. She could see people scurrying to and fro, carrying out the daily duties of castle life. For the hundredth time, Tara wondered how she and Angel were going to fit into that life. Well, they would deal with things as they came.

A knock sounded on their door. Tara wrapped her arms even tighter around her and went to open the door. A servant was waiting there. “Good morrow m’lady. Her Majesty the Queen would like to see you in her chambers. I will await you outside your chambers, please come out as soon as you are ready.”

Tara nodded. “Of course, I’ll only be a minute.” The servant nodded and she closed the door. She went over to Angel and shook him slightly, dropping a light kiss on his forehead. When he stirred and opened his eyes, she smiled. “’Morning. I have to go see the Queen. She has requested that I go to see her. I’m not sure what it is about, but I’ll find out.”

Angel sat up a bit. “Do you want me to go with you? I’ll only take a minute to get dressed.”

Tara put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. “No, I’ll be fine. I shouldn’t be too long, sweetheart. Why don’t you try and sleep a bit more and when I get back, we’ll figure out what we are going to do.”

Angel nodded and kissed her. “Take care of yourself and be careful.”

Tara nodded. “I will.” She got dressed as quickly as possible and slipped out the door where the servant was still waiting. He led her to the Queen’s chambers and when the door opened, bowed and left her there. Tara entered and curtsied to the Queen. “Your Majesty, good morning to you.”

The Queen smiled at her and touched her shoulder. “Good morning to ye as well. Tis a lovely day, aye?”

“Aye, Your Majesty. How may I be of service to you?” Tara’s stomach was roiling waiting for the queen to tell her why she had been summoned. She didn’t have to wait too long though.

“I have summoned ye here to ask a favor of ye, if ye would. Last night you mentioned that you were a physician.” Suddenly, the Queen, leader of all Ireland looked like a little girl as she prepared to ask a favor.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Are you unwell? How can I help?” Tara was trying to figure out how she would treat whatever it was that the Queen had without drawing too much attention to herself.

However, the Queen smiled and said, “The workings of the human body is something of a hobby to me. I was wondering if you would teach me a bit about the body while you are here?” She waited for Tara’s response.

Tara’s whole body relaxed at the Queen’s words. “Of course, Your Majesty. I would be honored.” The queen looked relieved as well. This struck Tara as a bit strange. If she were queen of an entire country, she didn’t think that she would be nervous asking people to help her. But, everyone was different and they had different personalities, she reminded herself. Maybe there was something that she wasn’t privy to that would explain everything.

“Why don’t we start the lessons tomorrow, Tara. I’m sure that you and your man would like to spend the day exploring the castle and meeting the inhabitants. This evening at the Great Hall, I will present you to the rest of the castle so that they may know my new tutor and her betrothed.”

Part 4

After talking with the Queen for a bit, Tara walked back to the room she shared with Angel. She felt like she was walking on a cloud. Queen Rhiannon must have sensed a friend in her to open up to her so quickly. However, Tara was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

In no time at all, Tara was back in front of their room. If she hadn’t noticed in time, she would have walked right into the door, face first. She pushed the door open and entered quietly so she wouldn’t wake Angel. She needn’t have worried, however, when she entered, she saw him relaxing in one of the deep, throne-like chairs in the room. His booted feet were propped up on an ottoman. He was slicing an apple into tiny pieces with one of the paring knives that were on the fruit tray. When she came in he looked up, dropped what was left of the apple on the tray and sat up. “Well?” he asked. He’d been worried when Tara had been called to the Queen’s chambers alone. It was all he could do to stay in their chambers until she returned.

“Is everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine sweetie.” Tara went over and took a seat on Angel’s lap. “In fact, I have been dubbed Queen Rhiannon’s new scientific tutor. It seems that the Queen is an anatomy and physiology enthusiast. When I mentioned that I was a physician, she took an interest. She called me to her chambers to ask me to tutor her.”

Angel blinked and shook his head smiling. “You know, it’s amazing. No matter where you go, you manage to make friends with someone. Okay, so when do lessons start?”

“Tomorrow. The Queen wanted to give us time to explore the grounds today.”

Suddenly, a look of such concern crossed Angel’s face that Tara’s stomach hit her knees. “Baby? What’s wrong? Are you all right?” Recognition dawned as she looked at him. “I forgot, you can’t go out into the sunlight,” she said, smacking her forehead with her hand. “You can’t walk the grounds!” She stopped talking and chewed on her thumbnail like she always did when she was thinking.

“It’s all right Tara, you go and ...”

She stopped him in mid-sentence and placed a finger over his lips. “Shhhhh...let me think.” She sat on his lap in silence for a few minutes more and a smile crept across her face. “I’ve got it. We’re not going to tell anyone that you’re a vampire, okay? You can’t go out into the sun because of your allergy. It causes you to sicken and die if you are exposed to sunlight. They’ll have to believe me, I am a physician and the Queen’s tutor, after all, we can stay in the castle all day and then check out the garden at night. Besides, it’ll be more romantic that way.” She grinned and kissed his nose.

Angel thought about it for a moment and then smiled. “More romantic, huh? I like the way you think! As for your plan....it just might work!” He kissed her thoroughly and then said, “What say we go down and get some breakfast? It’ll give us a chance to see and be seen by the locals. I’ve come to the fact that we will be here until we figure out a way to get back to 2002, which could be a while and it won’t do to have there be rumors about us already. We have to defend ourselves!”

Tara’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food. She looked shocked and clapped a hand over it, blushing. “I guess there’s your answer. Let’s go.” Together, they headed off to the Great Hall where they would be presented later that evening.

The hall was buzzing with activity. Servants bustled in and out bringing trays laden with delicious smelling food. Not sure where they should sit, Tara and Angel stood in the doorway, looking around until a young woman waved at them. “Travelers! Come sit by me and my friends! Come tell us tales of your land!”

Tara shrugged at Angel. “It seems that news of us has already spread through the castle. Well, a few carefully edited tales couldn’t hurt.” They went over and took the empty seats offered by the girl.

“My name is Maeve and these are my friends Colin and Katy. We are pages of Queen Rhiannon’s court. Would ye like some breakfast?” The girl smiled at Angel and Tara. She handed over a platter of sausages and biscuits. Maeve was a rather young girl, probably fourteen if Tara was right. She was dressed simply in tights and a long shirt. In fact, all of the pages that were at the table were dressed in the same way. Tara guessed it must be a uniform of sorts. They sure had a lot to learn in this century.

Tara and Angel helped themselves to the food. It wasn’t until she had taken the first bite that Tara realized just how hungry she really was. Everything tasted so wonderful. She didn’t think she had tasted flavors so pure back home. Before she knew it, her plate was empty. She looked at Angel and blushed, embarrassed to have eaten so fast. Angel just smiled and plopped another sausage on her trencher. “You just want to fatten me up for some evil experiment you have planned don’t you?” she whispered in his ear.

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Why of course! My subjects can’t all be skin and bones!” His hand slid lower to squeeze her knee.

When Tara looked up from their exchange, she noticed Maeve openly staring at Angel with a small, wistful smile on her face. She was smitten with him and Tara could see why. He was a very handsome man, but he was hers and she knew there was no reason to worry he would stray in any way. It was a childhood crush she was sure, after all, she had had her share in her time growing up, John Schneider, Adrian Paul, Johnny Depp, et cetera. All untouchable but worthy of drooling over nonetheless. Sneaking a sideways glance at Angel, she saw that he hadn’t even noticed Maeve’s attention and that his hand was still warm in hers. A cozy feeling spiraled up from her toes to her cheeks. Let her fantasize, she had the real thing.

Together, the group shared a wonderful conversation. They told stories of parks and “towns” (actually cities, but the stories were changed just enough to protect the innocent) and mostly about the people in their lives. The young people seemed to eat up the information, listening to what they were saying in rapt attention. It seemed that the noise of the hall drifted away like the volume on a stereo being turned down. She was really enjoying telling the stories of her time, it made her feel as though she was doing something to preserve the memory of the people she had left behind. She felt, now, that she wouldn’t forget them. That worry had been in the back of Tara’s mind ever since she realized she really couldn’t do anything to facilitate their return for the time being. She didn’t want to forget all the people she knew in 2002. If she got exactly what she wanted, she would be home as soon as possible, but until then, she would not forget.

Through her conversation with Maeve and her friends, Tara and Angel learned a lot about the court of Castle Flynn and most specifically about Queen Rhiannon. From what she heard, Queen Rhiannon was a fair and just Queen, having ascended the throne only a year or two earlier, following the untimely death of her father and mother in a tragic hunting accident. They had been observing a stag hunt, as was the royal yearly custom when her father, the King, was hit by a stray arrow and her mother, the Queen fell and broke her neck running to her husband. There were too many similarities between their stories for Tara to just sit and listen. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized how close their two stories were. The setting and time frame were different but they were more alike than anyone realized.

On top of everything, Tara was right about the Queen being about her age. Queen Rhiannon was only twenty-seven years old; Tara was twenty-eight. It seemed there was more than just a passing connection between them. All her life, Tara had believed there was some unseen force guiding her and laying down her path in life. That must have been why the Zoloft Emerald sent her to this time. The Fates must have arranged it so she could help Queen Rhiannon.

The conversation lasted several hours and when Tara and Angel left the hall to go back to their room to rest and get ready for the Great Hall presentation, there were a million thoughts running through Tara’s head. She didn’t say much on the walk back to the chamber. She was snapped out of her reverie by Angel snapping his fingers in front of her nose and singing “Earth to Tara, Earth to Tara, Come in Tara.”

She blinked and turned to face Angel. “Sorry, just thinking about how Queen Rhiannon and I are so alike. She lost her parents at an early age to a tragic accident and so did I. We are only one year apart in age. I think she is looking for a friend and so long as we are here, I think I could be that friend to her. What do you think?”

Angel opened the door and let them into their chamber. Before he answered, he lay down on the bed and patted the empty side next to him. Tara climbed onto the bed, lay down and put her head on his chest. No telltale “thud, thud” echoed from his chest. Sometimes it still was a shock that he didn’t have a heartbeat, but she was beginning to get past it. She knew he didn’t have to have a beating heart to love her. He had proven it every day since they has gotten together. This led Tara to believe that a heart is not the center of a person, the soul is.

“I think that, if I know you, and I do know you, you have to try. I’ll be behind you all the way as you do. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” He squeezed her with the arm he had wrapped around her. “However, you’re a strong lady; I think that you’ll be fine whatever you decide to do.”

Tara smiled. “I thought so, I just wanted to hear it from your own mouth sweetie.” She snuggled in a bit closer to Angel’s warmth. Usually, she was never cold, in fact Angel was always having to remind her to take her jacket when she left for work. She always teased him that when one had a person like him to come home to and snuggle with, a little cold doesn’t bother you. However, she had been constantly cold since they materialized in the castle. She figured it was the stone walls and the lack of central heating. It was a shame it was several hundred years away from being invented. Oh well, until then, she would hang onto her own personal furnace. “So...I wonder what is involved in this Great Hall Presentation? Do you think we have to make a speech? If so, you’re doing all the talking. I’m no good at public speaking.” She raised her head and crossed her eyes, sticking out her tongue and making a generally stupid face. “Uh....hi...duh!”

Angel looked at her with one brow raised and a smirk on his face. “Anything you say....Einstein!”

Part 5

Tara playfully smacked Angel on the shoulder. “If they want me to give a lecture about performing a bypass of the saphenous vein on a motorcycle accident victim, I can do that. However, ask me to chat about the weather or, worse yet, deliver an actual speech and I'm sunk. I sound like a two-year-old.”

“Well, if they want you to speak, just nudge me and I'll take over. No problem at all.” He laughed and tweaked her nose. “A two-year-old? You certainly don't look like a two-year-old!”

“Well, let's just say I'm precocious. I may look 28, but really inside all I want is my blankee and binky.” They both had a good laugh at this. Glancing up, she noticed that the light was changing from amber to deep orange and red as the sun crossed the sky.

Without a watch to constantly consult and day-to-day stress to confront, the day flies by. She guessed it to be about four-thirty in the afternoon, just about time to start fumbling around getting ready for the Presentation. Tara stood and smiled down at Angel. “I guess it's probably time to start getting ready for the Presentation. C'mon.” Just as they were starting to get ready, a pounding sounded on the door. Tara went to open it and found a red-faced girl standing on the other side, holding a gown and wooden box.

“Her Majesty has said that she would be honored if ye would wear this gown for the Presentation.” The servant did not move when Tara stepped aside to admit her and she realized she actually had to say it.

“Of course. Please, come in. You may tell Her Majesty that I would be honored.” She nodded and set down the gown. Picking up the box and opening it, she held it as if offering it to her for her approval.

Tara blinked at the contents. A choker lay central in the box. It had two rows of white fur split down the center by what looked like a row of very shiny, very real diamonds. Tara's breath caught and her hands shook slightly as she picked up the choker to examine it. It sparkled in the fading sunlight. She set it back into the box and picked up the small velvet bag that also lay with the choker. She untied the knot that held the bag closed and shook the contents out into her hand.

What tumbled out into her palm was a multitude of hairpins topped with small jewels. There were many different colors, enough, in fact, to match those colors cast by the sparkling diamonds in the choker, as the light caught it.

Around the lump in her throat, Tara said, “They're absolutely beautiful. Please thank Her Majesty for me.” She nodded at the girl and turned toward the bed, where the gown lay. As she picked up the gown and began fingering the layers, the girl cleared her throat.

“I was instructed to stay and assist your dressing as ye may need.” Not knowing how to take the two new inhabitants of the castle, the girl fidgeted nervously. Tara could see the uncertainty in her eyes. She knew exactly how the girl felt. She had never been one who easily handled new situations. It always took awhile for her to “warm up to and feel out” the people and things that she hadn't ever encountered. As a result, Tara had developed coping strategies for dealing with it. She decided it looked like the girl could use one of them right now. She sat down on the bed and smiled.

“Listen, just between the two of us, I'm not used to all the pomp and circumstance that's going on. Where I grew up, everyone was pretty equal. I welcome all the help you can give me to keep from making an absolute fool of myself. Oh, and by the way, when we are alone, please, call me Tara, and this is Angel.”

The girl blushed and looked toward Tara's feet. “Oh m'lady! I couldn't possibly do that! Twould be improper!”

“Don't worry, nothing that is said in this room will be repeated outside of it. No one will ever know that we are anything more than Lady and page, all right?” She smiled again. “Now what is your name?”

The girl bobbed a smart curtsey. “Colleen, m'lady.”

Tara smiled. “Well then Colleen, I think we have stalled long enough. Come, let's stuff me into this dress, shall we?” A small giggle escaped from the young girl and Tara couldn't help but laugh right along. “That's the spirit! After all, who can we laugh at if not ourselves, right?”

Tara stood and turned to Angel. “Now take a good look at me now and get ready for the transformation. You will be amazed, astounded, shocked even,” she said in her best Snagglepuss imitation. A small sound between a laugh and a snort from behind caused everyone to turn.

Behind Colleen had entered a smaller, less verbal boy. Almost belatedly, the girl turned and tugged him forward. “This is Michael, he is to help m'lord...Angel dress.”

Angel bowed deeply to Tara and Colleen as they disappeared behind the folding screen Tara had used earlier. “I shall see you soon.”

Feeling in a wonderfully light mood, Tara curtsied back. “Twould be our honor.” She and Colleen got to work. The gown Tara put on was heavier than the green one she had been wearing for two days. It had more layers and ties, but with Colleen's help, she was dressed in no time. It helped to have someone who knew what they were doing. Finally, Colleen guided Tara to a stool by a small table. She picked up a brush and ran it through Tara's hair until it shone a brilliant red. The sun played through it, picking out the more subtle gold and bronze highlights.

Gently, Colleen selected and plaited Tara's hair, securing each with a jewel pin. After what seemed like forever, the girl stepped back and Tara turned to admire her work in the mirror behind her. Her hair had been transformed into an elaborate latticework of braids that were secured with tiny, winking jewels. They were sparkling in the candlelight, making it look like rainbows were floating around her head.

The braids only went halfway back on her head. The rest of her hair had been brushed so that it curled softly at the neck of her dress. Small curls came forward and framed her face. Her bangs lay on her forehead like wispy clouds. In her ears, matching jewels sparkled.

Her dress was another entity all to itself. Floor-length cream velvet danced around her feet. A square neckline edged with the slightest trimming of white fur set off the gold ribbon that trimmed the sleeves and hem. The sleeves themselves were full, going all the way to her wrists. Around her waist, a thin, gold chain rested, loose enough to droop a bit and long enough so that one end of the belt hung straight down the middle to her feet. It ended in a small gold sun and moon pendant. As a final touch, Colleen tied the choker around her neck. Tara gawked at the site of herself all dressed up in the mirror. She looked like a totally different person. She felt she could do anything. The level of self-confidence she had was amazing. Perhaps the old adage “She looks good and she knows it,” was true.

Tara slowly turned in a circle, the layers of delicate petticoats under her skirt making a delightful swishing noise as she moved. She walked silently on gold slippered feet to the main area of the room. When she emerged from behind the screen, she saw Angel. He was turned away from her, but was still a sight to behold. Dressed in royal blue hose, a silver jacket and silver boots, he looked like something straight out of “Camelot”. She noticed that on his hand was the Celtic cross ring. She had had to remove her pendant for the choker but had wrapped the chain around her wrist, bracelet style. It would never leave her person, she vowed.

Stunned by the picture Angel presented, Tara simply stood, staring until he turned around. Finally, he did and she stood smiling. Angel didn't seem capable of speaking either, but bowed and extended his hand to her. Curtseying, she took it and together they walked toward the Great Hall, Colleen and Michael trailing proudly behind them.

“I just can't get over the change in you, Tara. From the moment I turned around, I could sense the difference. And they say the clothes don't make the woman.” He shook his head and chuckled.

“I know what you mean, Angel. When I looked at myself in the mirror, it was as if a power came over me. Every one of my fears vanished and I felt a calm wash over me that would rival the calmness I feel going into a surgery. I don't know what it is Angel, but I like it.”

“Me too, darlin'. Me too.” Angel would have said more but they were stopped at the door of the hall by two red and black clothed guards wielding rather nasty looking swords.

“Ye must wait to be announced m'lady and lord.”

“I guess we have no choice, huh? We'll follow their lead.” He bent down and kissed her. At that very moment, the trumpets blared and when they broke contact, Tara smiled and whispered, “People always talk about fireworks when you kiss your sweetheart. I must be special, I got trumpets!”

Angel smiled and tightened his grip on her hand. “I love you sweetheart,” he said.

Colleen pushed Tara in the small of her back. “Tis time for ye to enter, Tara,” she whispered. The men with the swords stepped aside and allowed them to enter. They walked together down the aisle toward the Queen. When they reached the front, Tara curtsied and Angel bowed.

“Rise my friends.” They stood and turned to face the crowd. “My kinsmen, we have been graced by two new inhabitants of Castle Flynn. They have traveled far from home and had lost their way until they found us. We are glad to have them with us. I am honored and happy to present Tara and Angel. They are friends to this court.” The entire court dropped to their knees in respect. Queen Rhiannon smiled and took Tara's hand. “Furthermore, Tara has consented to educate me in the workings of the human body. As a physician, she is an expert in the field of medicine.”

Everyone shouted “Huzzah” at the news. No one saw, however, the lone figure slip out one of the side portcullis. They didn't see the news of the newcomers as something to be happy about.

“We would love to hear about you both. Would you honor us with a tale while we eat?”

Tara blanched; what would she say? The moment she dreaded was here and she totally forgot about her deal with Angel. Evidently, he hadn't. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth when she heard Angel say, “Of course Your Majesty, what would you like to know?” Tara squeezed his hand gratefully and smiled.

“How did you come to meet? It is so obvious that you are in love.” Rhiannon smiled an almost shy smile at the mention of their love. Tara knew exactly how she felt.

“Of course. Twould be my honor,” Angel said bowing to the Queen and the court. At a signal from the Queen, servants poured into the room bearing plates of steaming meat, vegetables, bread with honey butter and towers of pastry for dessert. Tara started for the table where she had sat with Maeve that morning when she felt a hand under her elbow. She turned and saw a servant. “M'lady the Queen has requested that you dine at her table tonight. If you would come with me?” Tara nodded and noticed Angel being escorted to the table as well.

Once they were seated, Angel began to speak. Everyone in the hall was enthralled by his story, however changed it was. They would never know if the bullet was changed to an arrow and the car was a horse. His conclusion of “And so here we are today” was met with claps and shouts of “Wondrous!”

The rest of the night was spent feasting, listening to music, drinking, and generally having a good time. Tara was sure it was incredibly late when she and Angel made it back to their chambers. Instead of opening the door and entering, Angel pulled Tara past it and out into the moonlit garden. He led her to a small stone circle surrounded by flowers and drew her into his arms. He hugged her and whispered into her hair, “Telling that story to the crowd tonight made me realize just how much I do love you, Tara. I was so lucky to be brought to your hospital that night. I thought life was perfect when Cordy, Gunn, Fred and Wesley accepted you. Heck, Cordy told me that you're like the sister she never had. You don't know how happy that made me.”

He pulled her back to face him, sitting her down on the stone bench near the fairy fountain. Together, they sat watching the stars. Unlike home, there were no lights obscuring the view. It really was a beautiful, pure sight. They covered the sky like silver glitter on black velvet. In fact, she could swear that she saw the Big Dipper and the Milky Way.

Angel took her hand. “This is our time Tara. You really don't know how beautiful a picture you present, all dressed in white and sparkling to rival all those stars. I just wanted to see you like this as long as possible. Call me a hopeless romantic or just a hopeless nut, but there is something about the 18th century dress that suits you.”

Tara felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She leaned in so that they were nose-to-nose and whispered, “I could say the same about....” A piercing pain seized Tara's stomach and she fell backward toward the stones of the circle. She would have hit them in a lump if not for Angel's quick grab. He caught her around the waist and held her to him. Her head lolled back like a rag doll and she let out a small gasp, like the air escaping from a balloon.

“Tara? Tara, are you all right?” Fear was creeping into Angel's voice as he desperately tried to wake Tara. She did not respond and he started getting worried. Her eyes were closed and her lips were a peculiar shade of bluish purple. His hands searched for a pulse, and found it, strong and steady. He let out the breath he had been holding; she was still alive. Her skin was pasty and she was sweating, but she was alive.

Angel scooped her up in his arms and rushed inside the castle. He almost ran smack into Colleen who was making her way to her chambers for the night. Normally, he would have been a gentleman and said, “Excuse me.” But not now, he had to get Tara to their room and find out what happened. He made a beeline for their chambers with Colleen in tow.

Once inside, Angel placed Tara gently on the bed and sat down beside her. Colleen rushed up next to him and cried, “Angel? What happened?”

He barely spared her a glance and said, “She collapsed talking to me. I don't know what happened. I don't think that she ate or drank anything that I didn't.”

Colleen began to look very closely at Tara's complexion. There was something about it that seemed very familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that she didn't have much time. Letting her eyes travel around the room, she spotted a small box of chocolates that was open. She ran over to them and grabbed it. Taking it back to Angel, she showed it to him. “She took a bite of this while I was helping her dress. Did you eat any of them?”

Angel turned at this and looked into the box. “No. I didn't even know they were here.” He touched one of them. “What do we do?” His eyes desperately searched Colleen's face.

“I think I know sir.”

His eyes filled with hope. “You do? Tell me!”

Colleen straightened a bit and said quickly, “This looks like she was poisoned with extract of the bark of the Tribeca plant. If the antidote is not given in time, the person goes into a deep, unwakeable sleep and dies.” Seeing the stricken look that flashed onto Angel's face and the tears that welled up in his eyes, she went on. “The antidote is honey. I'll run and get some.” With that, Colleen took off running to the kitchen.

There was nothing that Angel could do until Colleen came back with the antidote. Never taking his eyes off Tara, he tried to make her as comfortable as possible. He was worried, so worried that it felt like his stomach and heart were tied up in knots. He would change places with her in a minute. It was tearing him up seeing her in this condition. He had never loved anyone quite as much an he loved Tara and he knew that if he lost her, there would be absolutely no reason for him to go on. He would take matters into his own hands and meet her in heaven where they could be together forever.

Just as he was beginning to think that Colleen was never coming back and Tara may not make it, the door burst open and the girl burst through it, stopping just short of the bed with a honey pot and spoon in her hand. Between pants she said, “Get this into her, just keep spooning. Me Ma helped someone who'd been poisoned just like Tara. She gave her honey and the person recovered.”

Angel had been half listening to Colleen's tale while he brought Tara's head to his lap and opened her mouth. He spooned the honey into her mouth, his other hand massaging her throat so that she would swallow. “C'mon, Baby, swallow. Come back to me.” The tears that had been welling up in his eyes spilled over onto his cheeks and ran down his face. He didn't even stop to wipe them away, no matter how it may look to Colleen. Tara was in danger and that was all that mattered. Tara swallowed every spoonful that he put in her mouth, but still didn't open her eyes. Angel lifted his gaze to Colleen when the pot was empty. “Now what?”

Colleen looked stricken. “All we can do now is wait. The honey needs time to work. Would you like me to stay? I would be happy to stay and assist you.”

Angel moved Tara so that she lay on the bed comfortably. He lay down next to her. “No, Colleen. Thank you for all your help, but as you say, there is nothing more that we can do but wait. I will send for you an soon an she wakes.” He stood and hugged Colleen. “Thank you, you have no idea how much I owe you.”

Part 6

Curtseying and bowing her head solemnly, Colleen touched Tara's hand and left the room. What Angel didn't see was the girl taking up a position outside the door. She was determined to be there as soon as Tara woke up.

Inside the room, Angel crossed back to the bed. He started to sit down next to her, but something about her lying there so peacefully caught his attention. She looked like the Princess Snow White from the fairy tales his mother told him as a boy. He wished it would be as easy as a kiss to bring her back. He shook his head, no, that only worked in the stories.

Angel leaned his head against one of the columns supporting the bed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He'd meant to open his eyes again as soon as his lungs were full, but his mind started a slide show of his life with Tara.

She'd thought he was unconscious but he'd heard every word she'd said to him and she stitched up his forehead. She'd kept up a one-sided conversation with him.

“Now, I'm going to numb you up. Don't worry, you won't feel anything. Aside from some pressure as I stitch you up, that is. I've never heard any complaints, but if I hurt you, let me know. However did you get this cut? It's pretty deep but it doesn't look like you'll have much of a scar, it's pretty clean. Okay, all numb. Here we go. I think we'll have to put in about six stitches to close it up. One…two…three…four…five…six. Okay, all done. Let me just cover this up. When you're awake and more coherent I'll explain all of this.”

At that moment, Angel opened his eyes and they made contact with her green ones. It seemed like they had been together forever. If he hadn’t so tired he would have asked her out right then and there.

“Angel?” The voice sounded small and meek, almost as if from a child. He froze, afraid to open his eyes, for fear that he was still dreaming. If he opened them, she would still be lying there, almost not breathing, pale as death. However, there it was again. “Angel? What happened?”

He opened his eyes and looked over at the bed. Tara was lying, very much alive, against the pillows. Her green eyes were round and questioning. She had no idea what had happened. Angel came around the bed and gathered her in his arms.

“God. You don't know how scared I was that I'd lost you. Are you all right? Are you in pain?”

Tara let herself melt into his embrace for a moment. That is, until his words sunk in. Lost her? What did he mean? Although her head was swimming and her stomach felt like someone had been bowling strikes for ten frames, she struggled out of his hold so that she could look him in the eyes.

“Lost me? What do you mean?”

Angel stared at her. “You don't remember having stomach pains? Or passing out in my arms? I thought I had lost you. I didn't know what was going on. Thanks to Colleen, you're here with me now. The only thing that we can figure would have poisoned you are the chocolates Colleen found where you two were dressing earlier. Do you remember where they came from?”

Tara sat for a moment and looked confused. “They were there when I started putting on the dress. I didn't know who they were from; I just assumed they were a gift from someone here at the castle. I guess they were a gift all right, from someone who really isn't too happy that we are here. But, that begs the question, who? I didn't think we had stepped on anyone's toes since arriving here.” She stopped and closed her eyes. The room was beginning to spin. She rubbed her eyes and started over.

“I took one bite and that was all I had time for. I would have eaten them all if Colleen had taken more time. You know how I am about chocolate.” She leaned back against the pillows before she passed out. The after-effects of the poison were beginning to wear off but her head was still spinning.

Angel shook his head. “That probably saved your life. I think we need to see the Queen. You could have been killed, sweetie. There's someone gunning for you and we need to know why. I need to be able to protect you.”

The look on her face changed and Angel knew that he had said the wrong thing. Tara sat up slowly and walked over to the door. “Protect me? The last time I let someone protect me, I ended up in my own ER being treated for a gunshot wound. I was out of commission for weeks. Since then, I haven't allowed anyone complete control over my actions. If I need protection, I'll do it.” With that, Tara walked out into the hall, nearly tripping over Colleen as the girl dozed by the door. The tears of frustration she allowed to fall once she was alone blinded her as she made her way to the garden. It was a quiet place where she could relax. She hadn't meant to react so strongly to Angel's simple comment. It was obviously said out of love and devotion. She'd go back and apologize in a moment. As soon as she got herself together.

As she stepped out into the garden, the scent of night blooming jasmine wrapped itself around her like a blanket. She inhaled the soothing scent and took a seat on the bench facing toward the forest, her back to the castle. Taking several deep breaths, she looked up at the sparkling night sky.

“Okay, so I've been here two days and I've already pissed someone off and I don't know who and I don't know why, but I was lucky that Angel and Colleen were there. If they hadn't been I'd be up there talking to you face to face not hyperventilating down here after making an absolute fool of myself.

In fact, I just overreacted when the man I love tried to help. He'll probably never speak to me again. He's probably so angry with me that I'll bet I've lost him for good.” She paused to take a breath.

“No he's not, and I wouldn't be here if you had.” Tara stopped and let out the breath she had just taken in. Her lips curved into a smile but she didn't turn around. She heard bootsteps on the gravelly stones as Angel crossed to her. A beautiful purple blossom of the very same jasmine appeared in front of her as he said, “I'm sorry Tara. If I had known...”

She cut him off by turning around and standing to face him. “No, it's me that sorry. I overreacted. All you wanted to do was help me and I shut you out. I'm sorry.” He hugged her to him and whispered into the cloud of her hair,

“What happened to you that time Tara? Why won't you trust anyone else with your safety?”

She pulled him down to sit with her on the bench. “Now, you know I work in a hospital that deals with trauma patients. Sometimes, the reason they have had traumas are they pissed someone off and one shot was not enough to alleviate that anger and hatred. Sometimes, they bring it to the hospital with them.

“On that night in particular, there had been a drive by shooting in the local gang run area of town. The victim was brought into my ER. I had just stabilized him when some rival gang members made it past security. They burst into the exam room with several officers hot on their heels. I moved between the patient and the shooter.

“That was enough to change the focus of the problem. I thought I would be able to talk to the gunman but his friend had other ideas. He took a potshot at me but missed. One of the security guards pushed me and the gurney to the corner of the room and told me to concern myself with the patient. He said he would protect me. I believed him. I paid no attention to the scene behind me. I didn't know exactly what was happening. That is until I felt the bullet as it tore into my shoulder and out the other side. I should have paid more attention.

“My rational side knows the guard did everything he could to avoid me getting hurt, but my irrational, emotional side said his was a reason to trust no one but myself when it came to my own protection. You see, the guard who ‘protected’ me was the only fatality that night. Even my patient survived. Something about that isn't right, don't you agree?”

Tara turned a stricken look to Angel. The look hit him directly in his soul. He took her hands, once again wishing fervently that he had been there to save her from situations like that. Hospitals are supposed to be for healing not killing.

“Sweetheart, I know it's hard for you to rely on anyone but yourself since you have been on your own for so long. However, you have me now and I would willingly give up my existence if it would save you.” He brought his hands up to frame her face.

“You almost died tonight. There's someone out there gunning for you. Now, you have to trust me here when I say, tell the Queen. You can't do this entirely on your own, okay?”

She stared at him for a few moments, mulling over what he had said. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. “Okay Angel, you're right. I'll be more open to trusting others. I'll talk to the Queen in the morning. However, can we do something right now?”

“Of course baby, what is it?” He looked concerned.

“Can we go to bed now, I'm exhausted.” She looked at Angel with an innocent smile and large, round eyes. He looked back at her, stunned, sure she was going to say something else. Suddenly, he burst out with a full-throated, belly laugh that was probably louder and more raucous than he intended but it felt good to release the tension in the air. He stood and held out his hand.

“By all means m'lady. Let us retire.” She took his hand and they walked back to their chambers. As they rounded the corner to the room, Tara spotted Colleen dozing against the stone wall.

Part 7

“By all means m’lady. Let us retire.” She took his hand and they walked back to their chambers. As they rounded the corner to the room, Tara spotted Colleen dozing against the stone wall. They had been laughing quietly as they turned the corner and Colleen mustn’t have been sleeping very deeply. It certainly couldn’t have been very comfortable out there on the cold stones. In any event, she looked up when they rounded the corner and jumped to her feet.

“Tara! Oh, ’tis such a relief to see ye up and walking. I was afeared that I had tarried too long in retrieving the antidote. I’m glad that was not the case.” She looked so relieved that Tara went over and gave the girl a long hug.

“Thank you, Colleen. If you hadn’t been there I probably would have died. It is so nice to know that I have friends looking out for me here.” She looked up at Angel and he smiled, nodding. They shared a meaningful look. She was trying to open up and let others help her deal with her problems. It was a first step at least.

Tara knelt down next to Colleen and laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I want you to go get some rest now, Colleen. I am going to talk to the Queen tomorrow before our first lesson. Right now, however, all I want to do is go to sleep; I’m exhausted. However, I won’t get a good night’s sleep unless I know that you are safe in your own bed, dreaming away.”

The girl nodded, a huge smile on her face, and grasped Tara in another long hug. “Of course Tara, I will see you on the morrow to assist you in dressing.” She fairly skipped away down the hall toward her chambers. Tara knew how the girl was feeling. She felt lucky to be alive.

Tara and Angel entered their chamber, shutting the door firmly behind them. Not even three steps into the room, Tara was starting to take off her gown. The fluffy bed was looking more and more inviting as she got closer to crawling into it. All she wanted to do was lie down and fall into a deep and dreamless sleep. She was totally exhausted; so exhausted in fact that she was having trouble undoing the hooks and laces that held her gown together. It seemed her fingers had gotten a mind of their own and were refusing to work. Exasperated, Tara stopped trying to undo her gown and sat down in one of the wingback chair in the corner of the room. She would sit down for a few minutes, gather some strength and give those laces another try.

As she laid her head back on the back of the chair, she noticed Angel had gone behind the screen to change. She never saw him come out, falling almost instantly into a deep sleep. If she hadn’t come so close to dying a few hours earlier, it might be safe to call it the sleep of the dead. Nevertheless, Tara was oblivious to everything that was happening around her.

A few moments later, Angel came out from behind the screen with a smile on his face. He was dressed in his nightshirt, with Tara’s slung over his arm. “I’ll bet you’re exhausted my dear. Do you want some help...” he trailed off when he saw her sound asleep in the chair. His smile turned tender as he gathered her up in his arms and laid her out on the bed. Gently, he undid her gown and without waking her, even he wasn’t sure how he did it, he managed to get her gown off and her nightshirt on. Gently he tucked the comforter around her and blowing out the candles on the bedside candelabra, crawled in beside her. He gathered her to him and held her while they slept.

The night passed quickly and as the first rays of golden sunlight shone into the room and colored the floor like molten amber, Tara’s eyes cracked open. Looking through the bars of her eyelashes, she saw it was morning. “Time to get up,” she muttered to herself quietly. She gently untangled herself from the still sleeping Angel and stood. It took a minute for her to realize she was getting out of bed and not the chair, which was the last place she remembered being. Also belatedly, it registered that she was in her nightshirt, not her gown. A wash of tenderness came over her as she looked down at Angel sleeping soundly. She was certainly putting him through his paces the last couple of days. She’d let him sleep, and she’d go see the Queen by herself.

As quietly as she could, Tara padded over to the other side of the bed. The first night they had been in the castle, the two of them had pushed the bed away from the window so the morning sunshine would not reach Angel and hurt him. Now, that side of the bed was still in shade and quite a bit colder than her side of the bed. Wrapping her arms around her to ward off the chill, she pulled the comforter up over his shoulder and tucked it around him. Tara leaned down and kissed his forehead, lingering a moment over his sleeping form. She loved him so much and would do anything for him. She realized at that moment just how much she had changed in the past few years. She was more self confident, happier and more outgoing. She had Angel and his love to thank for that. A new resolve filled Tara; she was going to find out who wanted to get rid of her and why.

Her new drive made her go try and get dressed herself without waiting for Colleen. She was going to adjust to this time if it killed her. A small shudder ran through Tara as she realized what she had just thought. They wouldn’t succeed; she wouldn’t let them. Even if she had to become a vampire and kill them all, no one was touching her, Angel, or anyone else she had met since coming here. She was too strong for that.

Straightening her shoulders, Tara went over to the armoire and selected a burgundy, homespun dress and ivory hose. She pulled them on, tucking and tying the various laces and buttons. She brushed out her hair so the waves formed by the braids fell around her face, framing it. She was getting better at this dressing thing; it had taken her only fifteen minutes this time.

Tara stepped out from behind the screen and found Angel sitting up in bed. “Going out?”

She smiled. “Yep.” She went over to him and sat down on the bed next to him. “I’m going to see the Queen and let her know what happened. You sleep a bit more, I suspect I wore you out last night and you are probably exhausted.”

A huge yawn escaped from Angel’s attempt to hide his tiredness. “I think I will at that. But, you have to wake me when you get back. Promise?” Tara nodded and stood up as he settled back into bed. She left the suite, heading toward the Queen’s chambers. If anyone asked her where she was going, she would say she was on her way to give the Queen her first anatomy lesson. She didn’t think it was a good idea to let the general castle know there had been an attempt on her life. This might alert the murderer that they had not been successful. No sense in advertising the fact until they figured out who it was.

Finally, she arrived at the Queen’s chambers. The guards at the door stepped out and said, “Halt. Identify yourself.”

Tara stopped short for a second. “I’m never going to get used to this,” she said to herself. Then in a louder voice she declared, “I am Dr. Tara Quinn here to see Queen Rhiannon for her first Anatomy lesson.” The guard stopped, bowed and moved to the side to admit Tara.

The Queen was sitting on a narrow bench when Tara entered the room. Queen Rhiannon looked up and waved her over. Tara curtseyed and came to stand near the Queen. She didn’t want to sit without the Queen’s permission. She may be friends with her but she didn’t want to overstep her boundaries. Queen Rhiannon noticed Tara was still standing and smiled up at her. “Sit, Tara, sit.” When Tara sat but didn’t say anything immediately, the Queen stopped fidgeting and stared at Tara, her eyes narrowing. “Something is wrong, isn’t there? I can tell by the way ye look. Ye’re troubled.” When Tara looked a bit hesitant to speak with all the people in the room, Queen Rhiannon stood and shooed everyone out of the room so it was just the two of them. She pulled Tara over to sit closer to her on the bench.

“Now, what happened to you to make ye so upset?” the Queen prompted.

Tara took a deep breath and decided to let it all out. “Your Majesty, last night I ate some chocolates that were left in my chambers. It turns out they were poisoned. If it had not been for my maid Colleen, I would have died. Luckily, she knew what to use as an antidote. She saved my life.” Tara broke off, took a deep breath and composed herself before the Queen could see the fear and anger the memory evoked. “My question is, what is going on around here? Is there a situation I don’t know about? Something I may have stepped into the middle of unwittingly? I don’t think I have angered anyone by lodging here, so why is someone trying to kill me?”

The Queen didn’t say anything for some time after Tara stopped talking. Her entire face had turned to stone and she sat staring at Tara, the disbelief etched on her face speaking volumes. Her green eyes had darkened to the color of green glass. A red flush was creeping up from her neck to cover her whole face. Placing a hand on Tara’s shoulder, she stood and went to the door. “Guards!” she shouted. When the door opened, she waved them over. “There has been an attempt on the life of my tutor. We will not tolerate this behavior. I want one guard on duty outside their chambers at all times. Also, I want a detail assigned to find out who or what wants to stop her. All other duties are to be forsaken until such people are found. Is that clear?”

The guard saluted smartly, dropping to one knee and thumping his fist over his heart. “Yes m’lady.” The guard turned on his heel and marched out of the room. Outside, Tara could hear the muffled conversation as the orders were relayed. Inside, Queen Rhiannon turned to Tara and impulsively gathered her in a hug. Tara was getting the feeling there was more to the young Queen than she had seen. She didn’t act like all the Queens she had read about in school, sterile and detached. She had a human, personal feel to her. She hoped she would find out more about her soon.

“Are ye all right?” she asked as she let go.

Tara nodded. “I can still feel some of the effects of the poison in my system but as the day goes on, they seem to be diminishing.”

Rhiannon smiled, genuine relief showing in her eyes. “I am glad that ye are all right. We will find out who has taken offense at ye being here and take care of it, I promise. They will pay dearly.” The determination was evident in her stance and the set of her shoulders.

Queen Rhiannon stood and walked over to one of the huge windows that lined the room. She stood looking out the window for quite a while. When she hadn’t spoken for a bit, Tara went over and gently placed a hand on her arm. “What is it? You’re awfully quiet Your Majesty.”

Rhiannon turned around to face Tara, tears glistening in her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, “Can I talk to you as a woman Tara? Not as a Queen but as a simple human being?”

Tara nodded. “Of course you can. What’s bothering you?”

“I became the ruler of this land at a very young age, Tara. I don’t think I was old enough to fully understand what I was getting myself into. I had to give up a lot when the crown was placed on my head.” She paused and a wistful look stole into her eyes. This was obviously a painful memory for her. “At the risk of sounding like I am whining or playing ‘poor me’, but true friends do not come around very often. A lot of the time, the acquaintances I do make are only being friendly to me for the perks that the crown affords them. You and Angel are those rare true friends who see past the power and prestige and see the person. When there is a threat to those friends, it strikes me to the marrow. That one of my subjects would see it as acceptable to attack and try to kill another of my subjects is repugnant.” 

Part 8

Tara knew the Queen had probably wanted to open up and tell someone about her feelings for a long time. She didn’t imagine a person with so much authority had many people they could confide in. Tara felt honored to be that person.

Rhiannon took a deep breath and began tremulously. “Ye know the story of how I ascended the throne?” Tara nodded, not wanting to say anything and distract the Queen from her story. “Aye, yes, well there are a few other details no one knows about. Seeing you and Angel here so obviously in love, brought the memories back to me. Would ye allow me to share them with you now?”

“I would be honored, Your Majesty.”

At this, Rhiannon looked over at Tara, a small smile creeping across her face. “At this point, Tara, I do not wish to be Queen. Please, indulge me by calling me Rhiannon.” Seeing Tara begin to object, she waved her hand hurriedly. “In private only. We will follow tradition when we are in public. It would make me feel better.”

Tara nodded and smiled. “Of course, Rhiannon.” It felt strange to say but she wanted to hear what the young woman had to say.

“When I was a wee princess, I had many suitors. All were after only one thing: my hand in marriage and my dowry in their pockets. I was beginning to think my potential inheritance and I were one and the same. That was until I met Bryan.” Her lips curved up in a smile and a wistful look washed over her eyes as she spoke to him.

“He was a bonny man, he was, quite handsome and strong. From the moment I met him, I knew he was different from all the other suitors who had courted me, or should I say my father, in the past. He never once tried to ply me with jewels or money. Never tried to impress me with his knowledge. He wanted to be with me, Rhiannon, not PRINCESS Rhiannon. Here,” she stabbed a finger into her chest for emphasis.

“We would lie out on the hilltop and stare at the clouds and speak of wondrous things. Like how the clouds move across the sky and why the sun sets in the west. He never asked what my father’s coffers held or how far our land stretched. Tara, I knew he was the one. He was the one I wanted to marry. So, naturally when he asked me, I gladly said yes. But then, that fateful day came.” She bowed her head and sat silently as the tears fell, darkening little areas of her blue velvet skirt. After a moment, she squared her shoulders, looked up and sniffed.

“When I became Queen, Bryan could not marry me. I had become too high standing for tradition and protocol to allow our union. However, even though we were not to be man and wife, I could not send him away. Bryan has remained, albeit anonymously, on my security guard staff. We are not able to do anything about our forbidden love for each other, but I can be near him and, until such day when tradition and protocol no longer dictate present day life, that is the best we can hope for.” Her bittersweet smile suddenly brightened. “Someday, I will introduce ye to him. Ye’d like him.”

Tara sat for a moment, absorbing what the Queen had just told her. So that was why she seemed to lose herself in memory whenever she saw Angel and her together. Tara inwardly sighed; the Queen had had a difficult life. “I would like to meet him someday Rhiannon. He sounds quite nice.”

“Aye, you shall.” Rhiannon nodded.

Tara tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Well, Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern for my safety. I hope to find those responsible for this attempt on my life soon.”

“Never doubt my guards, Tara. They will find the guilty. Now, shall we speak of happier things? There is naught we can do now.”

Tara nodded. “Let’s begin the lesson.” Tara began to explain the basic functions of the circulatory system, beginning with the heart. She drew pictures, described the activity and tried to simplify the medical terms as much as possible.

While Tara taught and Angel slept, deep in the bowels of the castle, someone was unhappy. A lone figure sat on a stool at a small wooden table. A smooth globe of sapphire crystal sat glowing on the tabletop. The figure began to sway slightly on the stool, passing their hands over the globe. A chant became audible over the low hiss that permeated the room.

“As the earth is connected to the soul and the soul to the earth, search high and low, scour the fields and air. Show me the one who will cause me strife and problem.”

The mists that had been gathering inside the globe parted. A smiling, laughing face appeared. A face surrounded by wavy red hair and accentuated by sparkling green eye. A face that had just recently joined the court and its doings....Tara.

A low growl came from the figures’ throat as they saw Tara. “She lives! The poison did not work! I must try something more.” The figure slid from the stool and moved over to the table in the corner. Picking up a necklace with a pentagram pendant on an obsidian background, they moved to place it in the middle of a duplicate pentagram painted on the floor.

One hand slid from the folds of the dark cloak and slipped into a small bag that was hung on the belt. Several gemstones were removed and placed on the points of the star, beginning with the northernmost point and continuing in a clockwise fashion, sapphire, emerald, ruby, diamond, amethyst and peridot. The figure placed a glittering object on the pendant, one of Tara’s hairpins, probably retrieved from the garden after she succumbed to the poison’s effects.

The figure sat at the topmost point of the star, and keeping the hood pulled up, began to speak.

“Nuala, goddess of mayhem, come speak to this unworthy. One has come that will hinder the divine ascension of your power to the throne of Ireland. I have tried to rid you of this interloper with poison but was unable to complete your will. Nuala, I pray you come and assist your faithful one.”

The figure began a low, droning hum that seemed to make the room vibrate. The obsidian stone within the pendant began to glow with a silver light that shot upward in as single, blinding column. When the light hit the ceiling, it fanned out into an arc that mimicked the light from an old-time movie projector. With a muted whoosh, a figure appeared in that light. The woman had her arms crossed and her head bowed. She wore a floor length black and gold dress. The skirt was black and fell. A thick gold belt encircled her waist, fashioned in a “V” with the point lying on the front. It tapered to a thinner band in the back. Several small inverted fans of gold metal hung from the bottom edge all around her waist. On each hip hung three fans in a chain. The bodice of the dress was made of black velvet with gold stripes that followed the curve of her ribs. The sleeves were full, black velvet lined with gold and were secured to her wrists by beaded cuffs.

On the woman’s head was a form-fitting skullcap of black with a flower of gold beads on each ear. Layers of gold beads ran from ear to ear all the way down her neck. The whole effect was rather ethereal.

The figure in the light raised its head. When it spoke, the voice filled the room. “Who has woken me from my slumber? Who has need of me?” The cloaked figure raised its head and slipped off its hood. Dark, gleaming black hair spilled down their back. A slight woman stood and squared her shoulders. Her skin was pale and ghost-like in the lights of the candle and the pentacle.

“I am called Ravyn, and it was I who woke you from your slumber.”

“What is it you need? How can I render services?”

“There is one in this castle who is in the way. As long as she lives, we cannot rise to power. She must be eliminated for this to happen.” Ravyn bowed to the goddess.

Nuala simply blinked and waved her hand. “Do not worry about her, all will be revealed in time. What caused you to be worried about her?”

“I was consulting the Oracle of Kiva and was shown her face. Then again after I attempted to rid us of her. It does not seem that she got the idea. It was then that I called you forth. Can you help me?”

Nuala smiled. “Of course. However, we cannot do anything grand or we shall be caught.”

Ravyn smiled and nodded, an evil glint in her eyes. “Aye mistress, we cannot have that.”

Tara walked back to the quarters she shared with Angel followed by the Queen’s Security Guards. She walked slowly, considering everything that had happened to her. Finally, she arrived back at the room. When she opened the door, the guard took up a position outside. Tara quietly walked in to find Angel sleeping soundly. He must have been more worn out than she thought to still be sleeping. There was only one thing that could wake him when he was sleeping so deeply. Tara climbed onto the bed and crawled over to him. She settled in next to him and gently kissed him. When she drew back, she saw his eyes slowly open and focus on her face. A smile curved his lips and he reached out and tweaked her nose.

“All done with the Queen, sweetness? Did you talk to her about what’s been happening? About the poisoning?” Tara nodded her head and said, “Yep, actually, there is one of her guards posted outside the door right now. It seems that I get an entourage everywhere I go now. However, I still can’t figure out why anyone would be mad at me. I haven’t crossed anyone that I am aware of since we arrived. Why would someone want me dead?”

Angel tightened his hold on Tara. “I really don’t know, sweetheart. There is one thing that is true. There is nothing that we can do right now. We have no leads, no clues and only the poisoned chocolates as evidence. All we can do is sit tight and wait for them to make the next move. I think we need to start an investigation with the Queen’s Security Forces though. That way, when we have any more evidence, we can start piecing the puzzle together.”

Tara nodded. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before answering. She was still simmering that anyone would want to hurt her without her knowing why. She always tried to do the best she could for everyone. She couldn’t for the life of her think of anyone she had offended since she had been here.

Several minutes passed and Angel finally looked over to see why Tara was so quiet. When Angel looked over, he found out why Tara had been so quiet. She was totally and completely asleep. Smiling, Angel slid out of bed and tucked the covers around her. Poor baby, he thought, she’s been through more in the week we’ve been here than in all the time we’ve been together. He decided to let her sleep and flush out the poison before he let her in on his surprise.

Tara only thought that Angel was asleep when she left to tutor the Queen. In fact, he had been working with Daniel, the swordmaster, to learn to fence. He wanted to be able to help protect Tara and he knew that his expertise with firearms would be useless here.

Angel quickly penned a note to Tara explaining he would be back soon and not to worry he was fine.

After leaving the note on the side table so she would see it when she woke up, Angel slipped into his clothes and left the room. He walked quickly down the stone hallway to the spiral staircase. As he descended, he could hear the clink and clank of metal on metal. He knew he was on the right track then.

At the bottom of the staircase was a large wooden door. Angel lifted the latch and entered; Daniel and a young boy were moving crab-like back and forth across the floor. This room was on the side of the castle that moved down the hill, evidenced by the large, open windows, currently showing a large expanse of darkening sky. The sun had not completely set and the stars were starting to come out. The whole effect was an eerie, blood red sky studded with diamonds.

As Angel watched, the boy managed to score a hit on Daniel’s leather padding at the level of his heart. Daniel laughed and panting, stepped back to remove his helmet. “Michael, me boy, you win. And a bonny job you did of it. Ye are becoming quite the warrior. The enemy will fear you one day.”

The little red haired boy’s freckled face lit up with happiness and pride at the swordmaster’s accolades. He bowed as deeply as his short stature would allow. “Thank ye, Master.” Daniel and the boy faced off as tradition dictated and put their swords away. Daniel patted the boy on his head.

“Now go home before your Ma comes and thrashes me again for making ye late for supper.”

The boy ran out of the room with quick “Hello, Angel” as he left. Angel walked into the room and over to where Daniel sat cleaning the equipment and sat down next to him.

“Good morrow, Daniel. Ready to give another lesson?”

Daniel smiled and clasped Angel on the shoulder. He chuckled richly. “Angel, for you anytime.”

While Daniel finished wiping down the equipment, Angel donned all the protective clothing he needed. Finally, Angel selected a sword from the rack along the far wall and testing its balance, faced off with Daniel.

Today’s lesson was about parry and thrust. Daniel taught Angel not only how to advance and attack his opponent but also how to retreat and still keep up the defensive posture while moving backward without falling on his behind. After several false starts and spills, Angel managed to get the hang of this and was moving around with speed and agility, almost an if he had been doing it all his life. What he didn’t tell Daniel was that his “life” had been three hundred-plus years. The only legitimate thing he could say was that he had been born in Ireland.

Two hours later, Angel stood facing Daniel drenched in sweat. Daniel was eyeing him with such interest that Angel finally said, “Daniel, what is it? Have I something on me? Or have I grown a third eye?”

Daniel blinked and shook his head. “Nay friend, no third eye, but I do have a question burning. You fought today as if you were possessed. What has gotten into you?”

Angel grabbed a cloth from a nearby bench and wiped his face. He gestured to the bench and the two men sat down side by side. Angel sat quietly for a moment before he started talking.

“Daniel, ye’ve met my betrothed, aye?” The older man nodded and Angel continued. “Well, someone has taken a dislike to her or something she did, we haven’t figured out which yet. However, there has been at least one attempt on her life, which would have succeeded had I not been with her. My betrothed is a trusting, gentle soul who would sooner die than harm another human being. I want to be able to offer her some protection should the need arise.” Angel thought for a moment and seemed to come to a decision. He turned to Daniel. “May I speak frankly with you Daniel?”

Daniel nodded. “Of course Angel.”

Angel swallowed and started talking. “Tara is a soul who has had a troubled past. She was made fun of, hurt and ignored as a child and a young woman. By becoming a healer of rare distinction, Tara has proven herself to be trustworthy, honorable and talented. It may seem on the outside as if she has it all together and has no need of anyone to help. However, I know that sometimes the old feelings of worthlessness and hurt resurface, taking control. It is at those times that I wish I could erase her pain and suffering and fill her world with rainbows and love. I would gladly take her pain on my shoulders if I could.

“Tara is my world. I did not live before I met her and if I lose her, I will die. I want to stop the threat to her, but I have no idea where to start or how to go about finding the person behind the attempt on her life. I want to stop them before they try again.”

Daniel looked at Angel, unblinking for a few moments before he responded. “If there is anything I can do to help resolve this case, please let me know. Tara is a pure, brave soul whom I like very much. To think that there is someone here at Castle Flynn who would hurt or attempt to hurt her is unthinkable. I am on your side, come what may friend.”

Angel clasped Daniel’s hand. “Thank ye, Daniel. It is good to know I have a true friend.”

Daniel smiled and said, “Of course, but now ’tis time to feed and put these old bones to bed. They don’t work as well as they used to.”

Angel avoided telling Daniel he was not much older than he was. He had to remember that this was the 1700’s and people’s life span was considerably shorter than the 2000’s.

“Aye, ’tis time I woke Sleeping Beauty. She’ll be famished now, I know I am.” Angel took his leave of the swordmaster. He started back up the stairs toward their room when he was stopped on one of the curves by a dagger point poking him in the ribs.

“And just where do ye think ye are going?” the dagger wielder hissed. “My mistress wishes to speak with ye. Ye would not do well to refuse.” The point of the dagger dug a bit harder into Angel’s ribs, making him wince in pain.

“Who is your mistress?” Angel asked through clenched teeth. He needed time to formulate a plan. He needed to keep his attacker talking. However, nothing was coming to mind. Oh well, play along until an opportunity presents itself, Angel thought. Maybe I can get some answers.

“Okay, I won’t fight you, let’s go. You lead.”

“I knew you’d see it our way. Start walking.” The pressure of the dagger let up a bit, but its presence was still unmistakable.

Angel began walking. He continued up the stairs until he was almost at the top, his kidnapper hissed, “Stop. Open the door to your left.”

Turning to his left, Angel could just make out the handle of a door that he hadn’t noticed before. It was cut from the wall so that when it was closed, it seemed to be entirely part of the wall. Unless you looked very closely, you couldn’t pick it out.

He reached out and pulled the door open, revealing a small staircase that disappeared into blackness as it spiraled down. Angel continued walking down the stairs, walking very close to the wall. His superior Vampire sight allowed him to see his way even though there was very little illumination along the way. Finally he reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped in front of the door.

“Open the door and go into the room. She is waiting.” Angel opened the door and walked into the room. There was no one to be seen, nor could he sense anyone. He was about to turn and try and face his attacker when he heard something that made him stop in his tracks.

“Angel, we’re so glad you could make it. It is a pity that you will not be able to stay too long at the party. Just long enough for me to kill her.”

Part 9

Although he was still in shock from being abducted, Angel’s eyes narrowed at the last statement.

“The hell you will,” he ground out. “You’re not going to lay a hand on her. She’s done nothing to hurt you.” The more upset he got during his diatribe, the more animated he got. “Why don’t you,” he stopped in mid-sentence as the dagger that was still poking him in his side dug a bit deeper. “Hey! Watch where you’re poking that thing! You have a license to operate that?”

“Back off, Eric.” The point of the dagger left Angel’s side as the owner took a step or two back. “I think it’s time I introduced myself.” The woman came out of the shadows and curtsied. “My name is Ravyn and I know why you have come. It has been foretold that someone would come to disrupt the life of the castle. There was no problem until you and she arrived. I was the Queen’s confidant until she arrived. I was the one the court spoke of until she arrived. Now, all people can talk about is Tara. ’Tis infuriating to be swept away like so much garbage.” She looked distressed, but brightened suddenly at an idea. “But, I have sent my man, Allen, to take care of that very problem. In fact,” she said, “he should be there now. I wonder what fun he has planned for her? Should be fun for us to find out, but painful for her, I’m sure.” She laughed, an evil, icy, cackling sound that sent fingers of fear dancing up and down his spine.

Ravyn turned, her cloak billowing out behind her. “Come Angel, shall we watch?” She crooked her finger invitingly and began to walk into the shadows. When Angel didn’t follow, she came back and grabbed his hand. Angel would have pulled his hand back if Eric and his dagger weren’t back and pressing into his side. So, whether he wanted to or not, Angel followed Ravyn into the darkness.

Ravyn dragged Angel to the table where the sapphire crystal globe sat quiet now. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing to a stool. Angel sat, anything to buy a bit of time for Tara if possible. Ravyn opened a chest and pulled out an amethyst crystal ball, which she exchanged for the sapphire one. In an almost beautiful gesture, Ravyn waved her hands over the globe. A mist gathered from within; it showed Tara still asleep on the bed, breathing regularly. Silently, Angel’s shoulder’s slumped in relief. She was still alive. It seemed his ploy had worked – so far.

The scene shifted to show the guards still posted outside their quarters. The two men stood at attention, swords by their sides. As Angel watched, a man approached, bearing flowers. He heard Ravyn mutter, “Ah, there he is. Just watch, sir.”

The man, Allen he presumed, walked up to the guards and said something. The guards nodded and knocked on the door. After a moment, Tara opened it a crack. She had a conversation with the man and accepted the flowers from him. Good girl, don’t let him in,” Angel thought. The man bowed, then left, going down the castle hallway without looking back.

The scene once again shifted to inside their room. Tara placed the flowers on the table just off the end of the bed. She stretched languidly, turning her back to the vase as she did so. She had no idea of what was coming.

While Angel watched, a lavender mist gathered around a central purple bud. A figure formed out of the mist, a figure holding a very sharp, wickedly gleaming knife. It was like an old-fashioned horror movie; one that you wanted to shout “Don’t turn around!” to the screen.

As if in slow motion, Tara began to turn around. When she saw the knife, she didn’t scream, only stopped, tensed every muscle in her body and flicked her eyes up to the figure’s face. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before someone moved. The figure feinted to the left and then made a stab to the right. Tara rolled across the bed to the other side, landing on her knees on the stone floor. There wasn’t even time to feel the pain as the sharp stone edge bit into her skin. She quickly crawled to the end of the bed and grabbed the paring knife that was left on the tray with the cheese and fruit. Slowly, she stood and looked to see if the intruder was still in the room. Her eyes scanned the area immediately in front of her. No attacker.

She began to turn in a circle, searching for the intruder. What she didn’t see was the figure disappear in a puff of smoke from the other side of the bed as she flew over it and materialize behind her as she stood. The attacker followed her arc as she searched the room.

As Tara came back to where she started, she stood face to face with the figure. It was dressed in a flowing purple gown with a seemingly innocent face and without feet. That didn’t disconcert Tara as much as the knifepoint that was pointed at her abdomen.

“Disturber, I will give ye one change to escape death. Leave this place and this court to its lives. There are plans and you are destroying them. It has long been foretold.” The figure looked at Tara, holding the knife steady, not wavering an inch while it waited for her response.

Tara was confused. What was foretold? She took a deep breath and faced the figure.

“I don’t care if it was foretold. I’m not leaving. I’m here so deal with it. You can’t scare me with a showy attack and threats. If someone is upset with me being here, let them come talk to me. They DO NOT,” here she stabbed her finger at her attacker, “need to send you, Casper, to persuade me.”

The figure smiled sadly. “My mistress does not need to deign to speak to you. She had been troubled by you long enough. ’Tis up to me to take care of you.” The knife flashed and sliced a bloody slash across Tara’s abdomen. Tara looked down at the slice in wonder – it didn’t hurt!

Her attacker wasted no time however. While Tara was looking down at the wound she had just received, it flung her across the room, slamming her into the door. She slumped down to the floor unconscious.

The ghostly figure laughed eerily. “That will teach you.” It disappeared in a puff of smoke, knife and all.

Tara lay in a heap on the floor, the cut looking angry and bleeding across the light fabric of her white dress. She wasn’t moving.

In Ravyn’s chambers, Angel stared in shock at the globe. For a few seconds, he simply blinked at the image, saying nothing. Suddenly it was as if he became animated.

“NO!!!!!!!” The word was torn from his throat in a ragged cry. He whirled on Ravyn, his face transforming into a vampire face. “What have you done? She did nothing to you, she was innocent!” He started toward the door but was stopped by a glimmering energy field.

“No. I’m not done with you yet.” She waved at her minion. “Eric, if you would.”

Dazed by his impact with the energy field, Angel did not put up a fight as Eric restrained him. After tying him to the stool, Eric bowed to Ravyn and backed again into the shadows.

Ravyn raised her hands high into the air and looked heavenward. “Nuala, please remove the memory of our sacred location from the mind of this infidel. Allow him not to recall your home.”

The same purple mist that had appeared in Tara and Angel’s room, materialized again. It formed into Nuala, once again dressed in the same garb. She pointed a finger at Angel and spoke. “Sibh bhitheas air aagherrym a aite. Blar bhitheas sibh fill. Gabh adhlac sgaoil sibh ais. Airidh sibh gabh.”

“Ye shall not recall this place nor shall ye return. Go, I send you back where ye began.”

Angel’s form shimmered out of existence. He reappeared in a garden located across the castle from their room. “Ravyn,” he growled, “you’ll do anything won’t you.” He remembered meeting the woman and her attack on Tara but that was all. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten where he was, but it seemed that she would use any resource to keep him away so Tara died.

Inwardly scared to death and seething, Angel raced in the direction of the chambers, all the while sending Tara a message to hold on, he was coming. He had no idea if she heard it but it helped him to believe she did. At this rate, it would be a long time before he could reach the room. He hoped it would not be too late.

Angel finally reached the door to the chambers. He hoped it hadn’t taken him too much time to get there. He wrenched open the heavy wooden door, not waiting for it to completely open before he slipped through. He scanned the room for Tara, but he didn’t see her. Panic began to rise in a knot that pushed at his chest and throat. Where was she?

“Tara? Tara, where are you, honey?” Frantically, Angel began searching the room, looking for any evidence that Tara had left or been forcibly removed from the room. The only thing that he could see was a pool of rapidly drying blood on the floor next to the door. He swallowed hard around the lump still blocking his throat. There was no question she was hurt, the only worry was how badly.

Angel stood up from his examination of the pool and ran his hand through his hair. Where had she been taken? Standing in the room, lost in a moment of indecision, Angel stared blankly at, but didn’t really see the door as it slowly slid closed. Harpooned to the inside of it with the paring knife was a piece of paper. It took a moment for Angel to notice the addition to the décor, but when he did, it snapped him out of his daze. He shut it fully and with shaking hands, pulled out the paring knife and caught the paper. He sat down on the bed to read it.

M’lord Angel–

Do not be afeared. Your betrothed Tara has received a grievous wound, to be sure, but she lives. It has become obvious that the castle is no longer safe for her in which to reside. Therefore, I have taken her to a safer place to recover from her wounds. ’Tis the best thing that she remain at this place until the one who wishes her harm is found. I am sorry that I cannot reveal the location of this place as this letter may fall into the wrong hands. I pray this may come to a speedy and happy end.

Ever your servant,
Bryan

Angel stared at the letter. At least she was safe, or so he hoped. That still left the mystery of Bryan. Who was he and where had he taken Tara? There was only one person whom Angel could ask and get direct answers, the Queen. He stood, folded the letter and slipping it into his tunic, headed to the Queen’s chambers.

He reached the Queen’s chambers, skidding to a stop in front of the two guards stationed at the door. His attempts to enter were thwarted by those two guards. The crossed their staffs in front of the door to bar any unauthorized entrance. “Who goes there? Identify yourself.” One of the guards demanded in a deep voice.

“I am Angel. My betrothed, Tara, is the Queen’s tutor. There has been an attack, and I must speak to Her Majesty immediately.” Maybe it was the desperate look on Angel’s face or the fear evident in his eyes, but the guard nodded.

“Wait here. I will inform Her Majesty.” The guard opened the door to the chamber slightly and went inside. A moment later, he emerged and opened the door wider.

“Her Majesty will see you, sir.”

Belatedly remembering his manners, Angel bowed and said “Thank you” Before hurrying into the chambers.

Rhiannon was pacing back and forth, wringing her hands as she walked. She looked up as Angel came into the room and went over to him.

“Tell me, what happened? Is Tara all right?”

Angel nodded. “I believe so. I found this note when I went to find her. It is from a person called Bryan. He claims to have taken her to a safe place. Do you know of such a person in the court?”

There was a slight hesitation in the Queen’s eyes before she answered, but finally she nodded. “Aye, I know a Bryan. Tara is well taken care of. Ye must believe that; he would not let anything happen to her.” She knew then that Tara had kept her word and not told a soul of their conversation. She also knew she had to tell Angel her story as well. Tara’s life depended on it.

She gestured to a low settle that was on their right. “Sit, please. There is something I must tell ye”

Angel sat, not exactly sure what he was about to hear. Rhiannon sat next to him and told him the story of Bryan and herself.

Tara knew she was waking up. Not from the light seeping under her eyelids as she slowly opened them but from the pain. It felt as if her belly was on fire. Slowly, she remembered what had happened. The apparition with the knife, the slice, being thrown against the wall and blacking out all came flooding back to her with full force.

She tried to move her head and was rewarded by a wave of nausea that washed over her. When the nausea had gone, Tara slowly looked around to see where she was. She was sure it was not the castle, but beyond that she couldn’t be sure of the location.

Suddenly, a hand came into her field of view and placed a cool cloth on her forehead. It felt wonderful and Tara let her eyes slip closed again.

With her eyes closed, Tara heard a rustle of skirts and a muted conversation. Slowly, she turned her head in the direction of the voices. Her muddled brain didn’t recognize the woman who was talking but she did remember the man. He was one of the guards stationed outside her room.

Very carefully, Tara tried to sit up. She had not gotten very far when a male voice said, “Lie still m’lady. Ye’ve been wounded and should rest.” He gently, but firmly, pushed her back down onto the bed. Tara let him. She licked her dry lips and asked, “Bryan?”

The man nodded. “Aye.”

Part 10

“How did I get here? Where’s Angel? Am I dying?” A cold knot formed in her chest as she realized she had no clue where she was, and that Angel was nowhere in sight. She squeezed her eyes shut as a tear leaked from the corner to roll down the side of her face. Angrily, she swiped at the tear, upset at herself for giving in and crying.

Bryan sat on the stool next to the bed and put his hands on his knees. “Let me start at the beginning m’lady. Philip and I were stationed outside your room with strict orders not to let anyone in without your approval when a man I did not recognize arrived with flowers supposedly for you from an admirer. I knocked, you answered, accepted the flowers and that seemed to be the end of that. We had once again taken up our positions when I heard a massive thump from the other side of the door. I opened the door and found out what the thump was – your body hitting the door. Ye were unconscious on the floor, bleeding from a knife wound to the belly. I didn’t know what had happened but I knew of the previous attempts on your life so I put two and two together and got you out of there. I have brought you to my mother’s home, far away from the castle.”

Bryan’s expression changed here, taking on a concerned cast. “Ye’ve been asleep for three days. We were becoming afeared that ye would not wake up, that ye had lost too much blood. It had taken quite a while to stem the flow of blood from your wound in the first place. Luckily, my mother knows the uses of many herbs and was able to stop the bleeding.” He stopped and swallowed hard, obviously trying to decide something and not having an easy time of it.

Her stomach hit her knees and knotted up like a tightly coiled snake. She could just feel it in there; waiting to strike and sink its poisonous fangs into her heart. However, deep down she knew there was no getting away from the news, bad or good, so she put a gentle hand on Bryan’s. “Bryan, tell me. There’s something you’re leaving out. It would be better if you just let it out.”

Bryan sighed softly, giving in. “Although we have successfully stopped the bleeding from your wound there is still a problem. There must have been poison or some sort of spell on the knife that cut you. Mam has tended many a person with a wound to the belly and she says that you are too sick. Your wound was not deep enough to have allowed the bowel to be pierced so it is not an infection from that. There should be no fever or other sickness. It seems that not only were the flowers bewitched but the knife as well.” His face was white and there was a sheen of sweat over his forehead. Tara could tell he was scared. There was something going on that none of them seemed able to control.

Finally Bryan continued. “Mam is boiling a bit of marigold and willowbark tea to relax you and ease the pain. Then we will figure out what to do.”

Tara nodded. “Thank you and your Mam, Bryan. If you hadn’t been around, I’m sure I never would have survived.” The reality of that statement suddenly hit her like slamming into a brick wall at 70 miles an hour. She needed to think. “I think I will try to rest a bit now if you don’t mind.” She needed to figure out what to do next.

Bryan nodded and stood, heading in the direction of the fire. Once he had left, Tara closed her eyes and swallowed hard. This was getting to be too much dammit! There had been at least three attempts on her life. She was tired of it, especially since she had no idea what she had done to deserve it. Tara turned to her side to let the tears of frustration she knew were coming soak into the pillow. As she did, she felt something slide on her neck. The pendant! She’d forgotten completely about it. She closed her fist around the small emerald, feeling the edges of the stone and the setting press into the flesh of her palm. Oddly, although it had been against the warm flesh of her body for the last week and a half, it was cold. Tara mentally shrugged, it was odd the things that a person noticed in times of stress.

Not removing her hand from the pendant, Tara closed her eyes and let her mind drift back toward Angel and what he must be going through. She could only imagine what he must be enduring at that moment. He certainly had no idea where she was. If he did, there was no doubt in her mind he would be with her now. He must be frantic trying to find her, and in her condition, there really was nothing that Tara could do to help him achieve his task.

A small sound and the sudden fragrance of flowers near her head made Tara open her eyes. Two tiny women were sitting on the edge of the bed. One woman was dressed in a light green dress with yellow dots on it. The other was dressed in a blue dress with lighter blue dots scattered on it. What was stranger than their small stature was the fact that both of them sported wings!

While Tara stared quizzically at them, blinking like a demented owl, one of them spoke. “Gotten into a wee bit of trouble have we Tara?” Tara didn’t speak, she was still too stunned at the sudden appearance of what she could only explain as “fairies” on the edge of the bed.

The blue fairy, the one who had originally spoken, giggled and went on. “When you held the emerald and thought about Angel, you summoned us. The connection between you two, the true love connection, called us to you. Whether you know it or not, we have been keeping an eye on you both since you put the emeralds on. We are you guardians, Tara. My name is Flera and this is my sister, Emily.”

The green fairy nodded and smiled sweetly at Tara. “Ye needn’t be afraid of us, Tara, we want to help you. Bryan was right. There was an evil spell on the knife that wounded you. It seems someone is indeed threatened by you and what you may represent. It also seems they are willing to go to any lengths to stop you. Now, lie still, this may tickle a bit.” With a flutter of their delicate wings, Flera and Emily came to hover over the gash on Tara’s belly. Instinctively, Tara tensed up and moved to protect her injured body. “Relax Tara,” Emily said soothingly. “We will never harm you. We only wish to heal you.” Although it went against all of her medical training, Tara forced herself to relax against the bed and trust in what the fairies said.

As Tara watched, both Emily and Flera closed their eyes and began to glow. They both lay their hands on the bandaged wound and chanted a soft, rhythmic spell. A tingling started deep within Tara’s abdomen and progressively spread throughout her entire body. As quickly as it started, the tingling was gone and Tara felt a thousand times better.

Very gently, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Tentatively, she moved in different directions trying to see if she was still sore anywhere. No matter where she moved or how hard she tried, there was no pain! Flera and Emily had healed her completely!

With tears in her eyes, Tara looked down at the two little women who were now perched on her knees. “Thank you so much! You saved my life. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Emily smiled beatifically at Tara. “We fairies are created and nourished by the pure love of the world. You and Angel have a rare connection. Your love is steadfast and deep. It does not happen very often in this mortal coil. All we ask is that you be happy with Angel. He loves you with all his being and would gladly die for you, as you would for him. It doesn’t take a fairy to see that.”

Tara got a far-away look in her eyes as she thought back to what her life had been like since she met Angel. The fairies were absolutely right, she was devoted to him. She had to find out who was trying to kill her and why. But first she had to get back to Angel.

Galvanized, Tara squared her shoulders and said, “Flera, Emily, I know what I have to do now. I need to get back to Angel and figure out the who and why of these attacks. There has to be a reason.”

Both fairies nodded and Flera stood. “If you ever have further need of us, Tara all you have to do is touch the pendant and call our names.”

Tara smiled. “Thanks.”

Flera and Emily blinked out of existence, leaving Tara alone in the room. She scooted down in the bed, drawing the cover over her shoulders. Suddenly she was very tired. She slipped into a sleep filled with dreams of flowers and Angel.

A bit later, the door to the room opened slowly. Bryan peeked his head in finding Tara sitting up on the edge of the bed. He came rushing in saying, “M’lady, what are you doing? You should be in bed resting. You are injured!”

Tara looked up at him and smiled. “Actually, Bryan, I am feeling much better. See?” She raised the shirt she was wearing just enough to show him the unmarred skin of her belly. Bryan simply stood in shock, staring at the area.

“What?? How??”

Tara knew she could trust him with the story of Flera and Emily. After all, he was the one who had brought up the subject of the spell on the knife that had been used against her. “Sit down Bryan, you look like you are about to faint.” She patted the area next to her on the bed. “While you were gone, I began to think about Angel and the terrible time he must be going through right now. I unwittingly called my guardians. They are fairies named Flera and Emily and they healed my wound. They also confirmed, by the way, your idea that there was an evil spell on the knife that my attacker used.” She turned to look Bryan in the eye. “Are you all right? You don’t think I’m completely loopy do you?”

Bryan stared at her for a moment and then shook his head slowly. “Nay m’lady, I don’t think you are daft. In fact, it makes sense to me. The only person who could have gotten in to attack you had to be using magic. Phillip and I were in front of your door since the Queen ordered it. Thus, the fact that you have mystical protection seems completely natural. What do you plan to do now?”

Tara considered it for a moment or two before answering. “I need to get back to the castle, Bryan. I can’t let Angel go on thinking that I am dead. Nor can I do that to Queen Rhiannon. She thought about her boyfriend and her new friend. I left them with no information or even a goodbye. They don’t even know if I am alive or dead.” She could feel herself getting angry and upset again and stopped to take several deep breaths.

When she felt in control again, she ran her hands through her hair, she realized that she must look a sight right now, in a long shirt and a pair of Bryan’s leggings. Well, there was nothing that she could do about it right then so she steered her thoughts to more important matters. An idea began to form in her mind.

“However, I don’t think that it would do me any good to just come waltzing through the front door and letting my attacker know that I survived the stabbing. Maybe the element of surprise will be helpful. I’m going to need to dress like a commoner. Can you help me with that?”

Bryan nodded and stood. “Come, let’s go see my Mam. She’ll be able to help I’m sure.

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