Etienne and Mistral found themselves rather forcefully accompanied into the
recieving chamber. Their guards had found them on the edge of their lord's
lands and strongly requested that they come along. Upon a large throne-like
chair on the dais at the other end of the room sat Lord Rhydian and he
looked at the two travellers with a half smile on his face. A murmured
command to one of his guards had Mistral pulled off to the dungeons and
then Rhydian came off of the dais to stand with Etienne, as the rest of the
guards vanished into corners.

"My apologies for the... roughness with which you were brought here. I must
guard this place from many dangers. If you do not mind my asking, why were
you travelling with the Sluagh?"

"To be honest, I was looking for you. I was told that you were on a Quest
in the Deep Dreaming and I was sent to find you with some terrible news.
The Lady Chrysta, whom you were wooing, if I am not mistaken, has
disappeared from her Guardian's care and it is thought that you might want
to take up the search."

Rhydian's face looks troubled. "Indeed, I will look for her. My thanks for
the delivery of your message. And the Sluagh...?"

"He also was looking for the Lady Chrysta. He led me to believe that you
held her."

Rhydian manages to look shocked, and then saddened. "It is as I feared. I
well know that the Sluagh harbor some secret anger against the nobility,
but I thought that I could call this one friend, until one day he attacked
me for reasons I still do not understand. Since that day he has sought to
destroy me, and I know not why."

"Strange things come between friends."

"Aye, that they do. Anyway, I must deal with my former friend, I would ask
that you accept my hospitality for a couple days at least."

"I shall, with thanks."

"Farewell then, for the moment." And Rhydian moves off to follow the
corridor Mistral was taken down only moments before.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mistral was thrown into the small cell with nary a care for how he landed,
and he watched as Rhydian calmly stepped into the doorway. "So, you are now
a guest of my... lower chambers." He smiles. "You don't honestly think you
can still win from me what is mine by right, do you?"

"Chrysta belongs to no one but herself." he whispers. "You killed Erica,
you *won't* take Chrysta."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Still mourning for that Pooka girl? She killed herself, not
I. I had nothing to do with her falling from that parapet. I was...
otherwise occupied at the time, if you remember." His voice was very
smooth, cultured, calculated to drive Mistral crazy.

"You destroyed her mind. Her death lies on *your* hands."

"And where were you when she jumped? What were *you* doing? It's no use,
Mistral, what is mine is mine, and what is yours... is nothing. The month
is over this night, young Sluagh. Chrysta is mine, forever." With that he
left the room and the door was shut behind him and locked, leaving Mistral
with only his pain.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrysta awoke with a start. She had been dreaming of a man, a strange man
with dark hair and pale skin, and she couldn't remember where she knew him,
but she knew that she had known him, once and she wanted to know where he
was, who he was, and why he was in her dreams. She looked over at Rhydian
lying beside her, his blond hair fanned out on the pillow with hers.
Something was wrong here, but she didn't know what.

She carefully sat up and looked around her. Their clothes lay beside the
bed and she saw the crystal that Rhydian used to open the door to her rooms
when he had to leave her. She *really* wanted to do some exploring. Very
carefully she got up from the bed and put on a robe, and then she took the
crystal, opened the door and started down the hallway, unaware that she had
left the door open behind her.

(Comments? Anything?)

Heather (Goldeneyes)(I'm just booking along on this thing. Doesn't anyone
have any suggestions about a second season? Do you even want me to continue
posting this kind of stuff after this story winds down to the inevitable
conclusion?)

With a muttered grunt Mistral finally squirmed free of the cell where
Rhydian had imprisoned him. Damn Sidhe hadn't come up with a cell he
couldn't wriggle out of somehow. He quickly checked both ends of the
corridor and started off, looking for wherever that highborn was hiding
Chrysta, he only had a few hours to find her, or she would belong to
Rhydian forever.

* * * * * * * * * *
Chrysta wandered down corridors after corridors, without any real plan or
reason. She knew she wanted to find the man she dreamed of, if he even
existed, but she didn't know where to look, so she simply kept moving, and
eventually found her way into a darkened throne room, lit only by torches
on he walls and braziers on either side of the dais.

She walked up to touch the throne, curious. It was a strange metal, gold
she thought, but she couldn't be sure, everything was so funny here. An
image flashed in her mind of the dark-haired man's face, eyes filled with
pain, pleading with her to do something, or not do something, she couldn't
remember what. Maybe she should talk to Rhydian... A sound interrupted her
and she turned to see a man with long, dark hair curling about his face,
the darkest eyes she had ever seen and the palest skin. He stood looking at
her with some emotion in his eyes, she thought she saw joy there, and a
little fear, and then she felt something shatter within her mind.

The walls Rhydian had so carefully built up crumbled under the force of
Mistral's eyes and Chrysta remembered, she remembered the nights they had
shared, the pain in his face when he asked her not to trust Rhydian, the
impression she had had of wrongness the morning Rhydian kidnapped her, and
she also knew that she had betrayed him, all unknowing, and that she had
fallen to Rhydian. "Oh, Mistral..." she murmured. "I'm so sorry... I
forgot... I didn't know..." Pain flared up in his eyes and worry, and
suddenly everything was too much and the world swirled around her eyes and
then it all went dark and she fell in a faint.

Mistral felt his heart squeeze as he watched the memories come crashing
back in her eyes. It was happening again, and he couldn't stop it. He moved
forward quickly to catch her crumpling body and lower it very carefully to
the ground. He softly kissed her forehead. At least he had finally found
her.

Laughter drifted out of the shadows and Mistral looked up to see Rhydian
standing there, laughing at the scene before him. "Oh, this is rich. This
is so very rich. I couldn't have planned this any better myself. She is
mine, Sluagh, give up now."

Mistral's only reaction was to pull out his sword, it always came to his
call when he needed it. Rhydian unsheathed his own blade. "Very well,
Sluagh, let us fight. Maybe I'll kill you *before* she wakes up this time."

Mistral said nothing as the fight began.

Watching them very quietly in a corner, Etienne's eyes narrowed as he
watched Rhydian taunt Mistral. Now he knew the truth.

(Comments? Please? Is anyone still reading this stuff?)

Heather (Goldeneyes)(Okay, here comes the next part. I hope you guys like
this stuff. I don't know how long this one will be. Am I really doing a
good job with the story? <hopeful disbelieving look>)

Swords flashing Mistral and Rhydian fight, the battle going first one way
and then the other as the combatants are fairly evenly matched, for with
all his experience and training, Rhydian is facing a man desperate, and in
love, a man who feels that he no longer has anything left to lose, a man
who wants only to take his enemy down with him.

As they fight they slowly creep into the other room, away from Chrysta and
the watching Etienne, and it is then that the girl starts to stir, coming
out of her faint. Etienne walks over to her and helps the confused
Fledgeling to her feet as he explains quickly that there is a duel going
on, or Mistral would be with her. She looks up at him with a bleakness in
her eyes that stabs his heart. She thanks him and asks that he tell Mistral
that she loves him, and not Rhydian, and then the clock strikes midnight.
Etienne reluctantly takes his leave of her and she watches him walk to the
other room, where the sound of swords clashing comes. Then she slowly
starts walking up the stairs to the roof.


"Hear that!" Rhydian taunts. "'Tis midnight and she is mine! You have lost
Sluagh, face it, the best man won."

Mistral's face turns bleak and he slowly stands from where Rhydian had
knocked him down. Rhydian stands before an open window.

"I think not." comes a new voice from the side. Etienne stands looking at
them. "The lady Chrysta just awoke and made her choice, in my hearing, she
chose Mistral, not you, and she wishes me to inform you of the choice. It
was only after she confided the decision that the clock struck."

With Rhydian distracted Mistral makes his move, desperately launching
himself at the Sidhe and knocking him out the window with all the force he
could muster. Rhydian sails out the window and down to the ground below,
shouting something not even Mistral could make out. Then Mistral turned to
Etienne.

"Where is Chrysta?"

"I fear she may not realize the import of her choice. There was a look in
her eyes..." He gets no farther because Mistral is running as fast as he
can to the roof. Maybe he can still get there in time, maybe he can still
cheat Fate.

He arrives on the roof to see Chrysta standing at the edge, looking down at
the ground below, so far down. She looks up at him and there is death in
her eyes.

(Hehehe. Like it?)

Heather (Goldeneyes)(I was wondering if I really wanted to write this one
up so quickly, without waiting for responses to part Thirteen, which I
expect to be nail-biting and fear throughout most of my audience, But since
I have the time, I might as well carry on. Please, send me any and all
comments and suggestions for the second season of this story, up to and
including characters to inhabit the freehold, plot ideas, and plot
complications. I can't do this alone, there is only so much one person can
come up with without resorting to cliches.)

Mistral looked at Chrysta and felt his heart squeeze in absolute and utter
fear. It was happening all over again, and he couldn't take losing Chrysta,
not after he lost Erica. "Please, Chrysta, come away from the edge." he
whispered, holding a hand out to her.

"I betrayed you, Mistral. I forgot and I betrayed you. I don't deserve to
live, I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you are, I would rather die
than live another day with Rhydian, but I don't deserve to stay with you."
She started to cry and started to take another step towards the edge.

"Please, Chrysta!" he whispered, cursing a voice that would go no louder,
"don't! He killed Erica, I can't let him kill you too. He can't take from
me every woman I love!"

Chrysta looked at him, startled, and he realized that in his fear of losing
her, he had never before admitted that he loved her. "You ... love me?"
There was such childlike hope and disbelief in her voice.

Mistral felt his heart break in his chest as words he never thought he
would say rushed out. "Yes. I love you. I love you more than I ever thought
this battered heart could love. I'm not much, but whatever I am, I give to
you, freely. I would die if I were to lose you." He didn't know what else
to say, and so simply reached his hand out as far as he could, and took a
step towards her.

Chrysta looked at Mistral, her heart flip-flopping in her chest. He loved
her. He really loved her. There was such pain in his eyes though, such
terrible pain and fear, and she could never resist the impulse to end his
pain. She reached a hand out to his.

She started to step away from the edge when an errant gust of wind knocked
her off balance and she stumbled, wavering perilously close to the edge.
Mistral felt his heart leap into his throat and the moved more quickly than
he ever had and grabbed her wrist as she tried to regain her balance and
pulled her into his arms, away from certain death. He felt her sobbing as
he held her close to his heart, and realized that he was crying as well.

"Oh, Mistral. I'm so sorry I didn't remember what you told me. I'm so sorry 
I trusted Rhydian and forgot you. I'm so sorry I let him touch me. I'm so
sorry I didn't get away from him earlier." She was sobbing almost
uncontrollably and he simply held her close and stroked her hair, simply
reveling in the fact that they simply were together again, that he could
hold her.

Off to the side, Etienne cleared his throat, trying to get their attention.
It worked. "If I may suggest, we should probably be getting away from this
place as quickly as we can if we wish to get the Lady back to her Guardian,
who is just as worried about her."

The lovers flushed a moment and then quickly made their preparations to
leave, and it wasn't long before the three of them, and Nightshade, were on
their way back to Leonine's court.

Unfortunately a snowstorm developed on the journey back, and the little
company was trapped for several days, once again, in the cave where Etienne
and Mistral met.

Chrysta gloried in the knowledge that Mistral had searched for her for so
long. She had a moment of pique, though, when she found out what Leonine
had promised him in exchange for bringing her back, not because she had a
problem with marrying Mistral, but because Leonine had the gall to presume
to offer her hand as prize. Mistral thought her displeasure with Leonine to
be rather humerous, which she didn't understand.

"If I had been asking you," he whispered, "I would have asked for more than
simply one lunar year, but as I was asking the Baron, I asked for what I
thought I could get."

Chrysta heard his words in suprise and then grew very flushed and shy.
"Oh." she murmured. "I don't know what to say."

She saw Mistral flush as well. "I would ask you, at this time." His
whispered voice faded away and he grew redder. From his corner, Etienne
watched silently.

Chrysta reached out to place her hand on his. "I would give you whate'er
you asked of me. I would like very much to be with you, for as long as you
would have me. I love you, Mistral Wind, and that's all that matters to
me."

Etienne felt a tear trickle out of the corner of his eye and he stood,
startling the lovers, who were so wrapped up in each other that they did
not notice him. "I think I'll leave you two for right now. I'll see you in
the morning." He nodded at both of them and then walked into one of the
other caves, where Nightshade was staying. They deserved some privacy, and
he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Love was such a precious thing.

Mistral was amazed at Chrysta's answer to a question he hadn't intended to
ask. "I would, have you, my Lady, for as long as I could keep you, and I
would want very much for that time to never end." His whispers grew thick
with emotion.

Chrysta reached over to touch his cheek softly. "I give myself to thee, a
gift, forever." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her
lips to his, pulling his body close to hers. "I have loved you and dreamed
of you for as long as I can remember, and I have loved none other as I love
you. Accept this gift, please."

Mistral felt his eyes fill with tears. "I was dreaming of you years before
I met Erica and I continued to dream of you after she died. I thought that
I would never love again after her death, but I was wrong. I accept your
gift and give an equal one. I am yours, forever." He wrapped his arms
around her and kissed her, as she leaned back, inviting him to touch her,
to love her, and he did, slowly, and with careful attention to details.

(Well? Comments anyone? The last part will be coming up sometime soon. Then
we go on to Second Season, if no one minds.)

Heather (Goldeneyes)(Here it is, the last part. I hope everyone liked the
story. If you want more, send me suggestions.)

Chrysta awoke to a humming sound ringing in her ears. She lay in Mistral's
arms and he was still asleep, which meant that whatever woke her up he
couldn't hear. She tried to go back to sleep, but the ringing in her ears
got louder until she couldn't take it anymore and reluctantly slid out of
Mistral's embrace. That woke him up.

"What is it?" he asked in his soft voice.

"Nothing, I just wanted to look around some. I'll be back soon, beloved."
She kissed him and then wrapped a blanket around her and wandered off.

She followed a tunnel back farther into the cave system and eventually came
to a small room where she saw a large bow of the whitest wood she had ever
seen, and beside it a quiver of arrows, and beside that, a shield. The bow
seemed to be calling to her, and she reached out to tentatively touch the
wood with a fingertip, and found herself riding a wave of Fae memories
reaching back almost to the Sundering.

* * * * * * * * * *

Leonine entered the Hall to see the whole Freehold assembled. It was hard
leaving the safety of his sitting room, but Kerrie had finally convinced
him that he had to get his life back in order, and he feared that he had
been losing too much of his control. Every Changeling learned to fear
falling too much into the Dream and not keeping a strong enough tie to the
mundane world. Bedlam was not a pretty sight, about as ugly, in fact, as
the other path, Banality and the loss of the Dream. It never failed to
suprise him how much his people cared, for all that he was of the
Oathbroken House.

He walked slowly up to his ceremonial chair, pausing to thank the Fae he
passed. This was hard, he still missed Chrysta as much as ever and his
grief lived near his heart at all times, but he *had* to carry on, he had
no other choice. Whoever stole her would want to see him fall, either to
Bedlam or Banality, the result would probably be the same.

There was a commotion at the back of the hall, and the doors where thrown
open and three Fae walked in. Etienne deSourvale, Kerrie had told him that
he had been sent to find Lord Rhydian in the Deep Dreaming, Mistral Wind,
the Sluagh who had demanded Chrysta's hand if he found her and brought her
back, and, carrying a covered shield, Chrysta.

With a startled cry, Leonine was standing. He wanted nothing more than to
run and embrace her, but there was something in the way she stood,
something had changed in his little fledgeling.

She kneeled before him. "My Lord Baron. I am pleased to be able to return
to your care, after having been most cruelly stolen from my place by one
who had thought to earn your trust and mine. I was held prisoner in the
Deep Dreaming, confused and controlled by Chicanery, by none other than the
Lord Rhydian who had claimed to seek my love. Indeed, he sought nothing
more than possession, and when I was brought to my senses by the Sluagh
Mistral Wind, I rejected him. Mistral rescued me and Mistral brought me
here, but on the way I discovered my Fae heritage more fully. I know who I
am and who I was, and I take a new name this day." She stands and tears the
cloth from the front of the shield she bore, revealing a silver lion on a
red field. "I am Gwendaline of House Fiona this day, and a fledgeling no
longer. Will any dispute this?"

There was no sound from the assemblage. Leonine found his voice, and
discovered tears in his eyes that were rolling down his cheeks. "I am, and
will be, forever grateful to Mistral Wind for returning you here. You are
more precious to me than my life. I must admit that in my first grief I
agreed to a demand he made that if he returned you that he would earn your
hand in marriage for one lunar year, and I must uphold that promise. Can
you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Chrysta stood, flushing a bit. "In truth, my Lord Baron, I think it was Dan
that lead your tongue that day. For years I dreamed of a strange man, a man
I thought was nothing more than a dream, a man of pale skin and dark hair,
and I knew not whether or not such a man could be real. I found him here
the day of my Chrysalis and he is Mistral Wind. Indeed, he has dreamed of
me for these many years, and he thought that one of my birth was too great
for one of his, but we have come to love each other, and I find that I do
not think this marriage so ill a thing, except that it is for so short a
time. He and I will come to our own agreements for the time after the year
of your promise is up. I will not resist the will of Fate."

There was a rush of murmuring voices, suprised at this turn of events and
then a cheer, for everyone loved a good romance, and Leonine was finally
able to embrace his Heir as he had wanted to do from the moment she stepped
through the doors.

* * * * * * * * * *

While the Fae in Castles-in-the-Air celebrated the return of their lord's
Heir, and the approaching wedding, deep in the Dreaming, a bruised and
broken body finally crawled to the surface of the rubble of his castle. It
had taken two Hopscotches and three Oakenshields cast in mortal terror as
he fell, but Lord Rhydian yet lived, and he vowed that Mistral Wind would
feel his vengeance, and Chrysta would yet be his.

(Well? Did you like the ending? Any suggestions for a continuation in
Season Two? More characters? What did I do right? Anything you want to see
added? Any comments at all?)

Heather (Goldeneyes)