Anya sat alone in her room in the castle. Her dark brown hair was pulled tightly back, showing of her pale skin, and vibrant, dark green eyes. She sat with her fingers entwined in the miniature lightning she had just conjured up. Forcing the lightning in the bottle, her concentration was broken by the sound of her little brothers and sisters greeting their father.

'About time he came home.' Anya's father had always been gone, for what she could remember about her childhood. Tadrinth, had always been in war and her father, being the realm's greatest knight, had been on the battlefield for most of it too.

'Sure he comes home, sometimes. Yeah and almost all of those sometimes she had gotten a younger sibling.' She already had eight brother and sisters, she didn't know if she could handle any more. Nor her mother. She thought about going down there, but decided against it. 'As if he could count to see that I wasn't there.'

A knock at the door interrupted her experiment once again. "What?"

A head popped in the door. Her fourteen year old brother, Wesley, followed. "Papa's home, don't you want to come down and see him?"

"I have to work on this, I'll see him later."

"You sure?"

"YES, now go and see him yourself, before he rides off again."

"Fine, I'll tell him you said 'hi' and that you were busy."

"Whatever, just go."

Shutting the door behind him, Wesley left. 'Finally some peace and quiet!'

Getting back to work on her school project, Anya felt a hand on her shoulder. It was her father. "You know it works better if you make the bottle go over the lightning like this." In a matter of seconds, the lightning was raging inside the bottle.

"Thanks, now I have to start all over again with new lightning AND a new bottle!"

"Why what's wrong with that?" Her father handed her the bottle.

"You know they test it for other magic, right? So people don't cheat."

"Sorry, sorry, are you going to come down for dinner, it's almost ready."

"Yeah sure."

"Hey, Anya."

"What?"

"It's good to see you." With that, her father ran his fingers through his graying hair and closed her door behind him.

Turning back around, Anya smashed the bottle her father had done, and grabbed a new one, getting back to work.

:::

The next day, Anya grabbed her bottle and other work that her various teachers had assigned the day before break. Her brother Wesley and three more younger than him, John and the twins, were going to go back to the palace to continue training as knights. Anya and her nine year old sister, Julie, had to head back over to the school at Mantras Hall, run by various mages and teachers, where nobles that wanted to learn knowledge and some to learn magic went to school. Anya went for both, while Julie, just for the knowledge. They had yet to find any magic in her, while Anya had a great deal.

"Julie," she called knocking on her sister's door. "We need to go, we can't be late again."

"I'm coming honestly." She knew that voice.

"JULIE!" She went on in, only to find that her sister wasn't even dressed all the way yet. Thankfully she already had her bag packed. "Here come on." Anya finished getting Julie dressed and sent her down to the kitchen to get breakfast.

When she was done with Julie, she went to her four brother's rooms and made sure, each was up and ready to go.

By the time she had the boys ready to go, Anya barely had time to grab two sweet rolls to eat on the way to school.

:::

"I miss him," Julie spoke with tears in her eyes as she and Anya rode in the carriage to school. "He said he had to leave after we left for school."

"Ah, it's all right, he come back soon." She forced the works out of her mouth for the sake of Jules. That was one of the reason's she didn't like her father much. He only had to see his children happy and joyful everytime he came around. He never saw them or what he did to them every time he took off for another battle in a far reach of Tadrinth. Never had to see them cry or to dry their tears. 'No, that's always been left up to me.' she thought bitterly. Being the oldest she supposed she'd have to.

By the time they reached the school, they were almost late, and Anya had gotten Jules to cheer up a bit.

As she walked through the halls to her class, she saw people look at her. She knew that she had a reputation of being a cold heartless person, but she could careless. She had her friends, they knew her. What she was more scared of was that her teacher wouldn't like her bottle. Some of the lighting had seemed to seep out of it last night.

"Almost late again, huh, Anya?" Her friend Christina joked as she took her seat.

She saw out of the corner of her eye, the one girl she despised most, Gabrielle. "So she actually decided to join us."

"Yes isn't it wonderful too." Christina rolled her eyes.

"Why is Angela over there?" Angela was the third in their triumvirate of friends.

"Oh just some friendly spying." Chrissy laughed. "Here she comes."

"Uhh, you will not believe what she said about you!" Angela gazed back at her with spite in her eye. "She was talking about you father and how at least she looked like hers." It was true, Anya looked nothing like her father's light brown hair, blue eyed self, but she had his father's green eyes, and many of the elder's swore, she looked just like his father's mother, or her great grandmother. "She also said we should prick your finger for two reasons."

"What were they?" Anya could feel the rage starting. To distract herself, she played with two lightning bolts between her fingers.

"To see if it was blue, and to see if it was cold, since your heart was made out of ice."

"Oh what I wouldn't love to do to give her a piece of my mind!" But unfortunately class had started and she wouldn't dare try anything in front of a teacher.

:::

After her first class, she wouldn't see Gabrielle until her last in 4 hours time. Forgetting it, Anya went through the school day. Reaching her last class, she arrived just in time to hear Gabrielle talking about her trip and one certain conversation she had with her mother about, Anya. Seeing that there wasn't a teacher in the class, Anya went over and sat in the unoccupied seat next to Gabrielle.

Looking disgusted she said, "Oh, we were just talking about you."

"Yeah, I know, you talk so god's cursed loud, I was wanting to ask you something."

"Uh, whatever, ask away." Was Gabrielle's reply with the flick of her wrist.

"Well hearing you speak and knowing your grades, I was wondering if I could persuade you to become the village idiot. You know they need one, and with a talent like yours, and a brain like yours I thought it would be the perfect career for you."

"Well I NEVER!"

"Just a thought." Grinning Anya got up and moved over to her seat by Angela.

"Nice."

"Not what I wanted to do Ang. I wished I could've hit her with one of these just to make her hair fly up." Anya showed her the lightning bolt she had built up.

"Nice, it took me forever to make mine." Angela dug out her bottle. It contained just about as much as Anya's had this morning. "Where's yours?"

"It's right here..." Anya went looking through her bag. "It's gone! Where is it. It took me forever. My dad messed up the first one and I was tired so this one took forever to do."

Looking up she saw Gabrielle getting up and walking over. "Looking for this?" She was holding up Anya's jar. "It's too bad it slipped." Grinning, Gabrielle raised the bottle above her head and let it smash to the floor.

"You little-" Anya jumped out of her chair and raced over to Gabrielle. Lightning was flickering all over her skin. "You'll pay for that!" She sent little bolts at Gabrielle. She shrieked where they hit her skin and singed some of the hair on her head.

Right at that opportune moment, the teacher/mage walked in the room and put a stop to Anya. "Get out of my class this INSTANT! Your father would be ashamed! Just ashamed. Now get out and I want you to go down to the administrator now, and apologize to Lady Gabrielle this INSTANT!" He bellowed.

"I would sooner be kicked out of this school that to ever lower myself to give apologies to her!" With that, Anya grabbed her books and stalked out of the class. She went to the stables and took the horse her father had left there for her in case of an emergency. She galloped away and out of site from the school, to the astonishment of her classmates and mostly to the teacher.

:::

Riding Moonlight, her horse, through the woods, Anya tried to blow off some steam. Moonlight, thinking that this was one of her weekly rides, was oblivious to his mistresses mood. In no time at all, they both reached Anya's favorite clearing.

"Thanks boy." Anya dismounted and walked over to the grassy patch where she always sat.

It was in this peaceful place that Anya came every week to burn off some of her extra magic. Here she helped the animals of the area and had soon become a welcome site. Not more than a minute after her arrival, a small white bunny limped its way over.

"Ahh, poor thing." She picked it up and began to heal it. The few minutes she spent on it kept most of her thoughts away. Feeling relaxed after she saw the bunny hop around, she began to let her thoughts wander. When a wolf came trotting over, she didn't cringe in fear of being bitten, she instead took pity for the long scratch going down it's face. While she healed the wolf, she thought of why she did it. It just wasn't to help the animals, although she loved to do that, it was partly because, if any of the teachers at the school learned how much magic she really did have, she would be sent to the school for the mages. There she would have to work and study harder than she already did, plus it was 45 miles away from their home, and she wouldn't be allowed to visit. She couldn't do that to the younger ones. They already didn't have much of a father, and loosing Anya who had always been there, would really hurt them.

Deep in her healing trance Anya didn't even notice the men coming up behind her.

:::

Moonlight watched as they loaded his mistress up on the horse. He was taught to be loyal and as soon as he saw they were taking her away he galloped at his full might back to the school.

Lucky for him, about the same time he was riding in, minus a rider, the nobles were all leaving to go home.

The confused students stared at the white horse returning riderless. They all knew it was Anya's and for all Gabrielle hated her, she knew that she was a good horse mistress. Confusion spread as the rumor started. The school was only about 30 miles from the border, but it was considered one of the safest places.

About a half an hour later the search parties started.

:::

Anya woke up only to find herself tied up. Struggling against her bonds, she felt that they were magic proof. Drained from healing, Anya couldn't do more than squirm.

"Good you're up. You've been sleeping for a day young lady." She turned to look at her captor. He was about 6'5" with black hair and crystal clear blue eyes. She couldn't tell if he was in his 20 or 30's. "Remove the one around her mouth."

Anya stared as one of the men came forward and tried to undo the bond in her mouth. When he got near enough, Anya tried to shock him with some thunder. Reeling in pain as the thunder multiplied and shocked her she screamed, her bound undone.

"Ahh just another one of my many perks. We did test you for magic. Surprising, you have very little. I wouldn't have thought it would have shocked you so much." Her captor giggled crazily. "Ahh this is going to be fun. I've got a major major major captive. Tadrinth has no chance now. Daddy would turn himself to me, just to have his little daughter back."

Anya thought and lay still, as if still harmed by the shock. 'If this man had her as a hostage, she would be ransomed, and she knew for all that her father was never there he would indeed sacrifice himself for her well being. A right well daft idiot.'

"Ahh come now, that's not a nice thing to think about daddy now is it." Her captive pulled her up to her feet. "Yes, my dear, I can read your thoughts."

Anya struggled, she almost lost her footing. "Will you take these damned rags off of my ankles so I can at least properly stand up!" She thought acting like the cold-hearted self so many thought of her would work. "And for god's sakes, this dress is ruined! What are you going to give me that is decent to wear?"

"Oh well, Majesty, I think we have a spoiled brat on our hands." One of the knights flanking the king stepped forward. "She is dirty looking, almost like we could go find her twin at some brothel" He also laughed.

Anya made him stop by spitting on his face. "Thank you for confirming my suspicions as to who this man is."

"You little bi-"

"Alexander! Leave at once."

"But Majesty I-"

"Now. And you there. Destria." A woman approached. "Take her to the baths and see that she get's dressed properly."

"I would say thank you but in this case, it just doesn't seem appropriate." Anya with her feet unbound, although her hands still were, found herself being lead by the woman out of the room.

"Wait." The king called behind them. "Alexander, will go with you to make sure you don't do anything rash."

Anya struggled to keep her face calm and dignified, as the knight followed grinning behind.

:::

When the woman led Anya to a bronzish door, she turned and said. "Now Alexander, if you so much as think that you are coming in here, you are wrongly mistaken. Trust me, I reared you, so you will sit politely by this door, if and when I need your help you may come in."

Alexander looked stunned at what this woman had told him. "Yes ma'am." He sat down and started to sulk.

After the woman closed the door she introduced herself. "I am Destria."

"Thank you for getting rid of him, although I didn't think you could go so far as to make him pout." She and Destria both laughed.

"Well now child, you don't look at all like a lady. We shall have to fix that." Destria showed her to a bath filled with lovely scents and full of soap. After getting clean, Destria helped her pick out a lovely dress. The dress was a silken gown, that changed from an aquamarine color to a rich blue, depending on how the light hit it. It accented Anya's eyes perfectly.

"Are you sure this is right; it just seems like it should be worn to a ball and not by me."

"If you haven't noticed you are in a court, and how old are you Anya?"

"Fifteen."

"No, you really do look seventeen and I'm not just saying that. Best not tell them your age. Well in a year you would have been made to wear dresses just like this. Now let's do something with this hair."

After Destria finished primping and curling Anya's hair she lead her over to a jewelry box. "Let's see what will go with this outfit."

"I couldn't possibly wear any of that."

"Well, well they certainly didn't spoil you. Hmm, do you like these?"

"Yeah, but whose are these?"

"Oh just some of the necklaces he has lying around since,"

"Since what Destria?"

"Oh he has never picked a wife and so the jewels that would usually go to her have, well been sitting in boxes. Let's show them off."

After placing a necklace and earrings on Anya, Destria turned her around to look in a mirror. "Gods, I look as if it is my debut."

"And defiantly over 15. Very presentable. Now let's go show those men just what kind of lady you are."

"Hey Destria."

"Yes."

"Thanks."

:::

After walking out of the door, and seeing Alexander's stunned surprise, Anya put on an air of dignity and tried to put up a mental shield so the king would not know her thoughts this time.

Destria and Anya stayed back when Alexander went into the reception room the king was in along with other knights and high ranking nobles.

After a few minutes, a servant came out and gestured for them to go in.

"And now for the girl. Marvelous plan that worked out quite better than we expected."

Anya came into view, the men all around the room showed surprise and awe, which only made her air of even more dignity.

"Now may I introduce Lady Anya of Triton. Yes, yes, this is King Armistice's Champion's daughter."

That even stunned the men even more. "You came just in time, we're going to call up Daddy, would you like to watch?"

Anya went over and sat directly next to the king, who was up until then, alone on the couch. "Wouldn't want them not to see me now, would you."

"What ever, Sir Tyames set up the spell."

A large mirror was moved in front of the couch where they sat. With the knight behind it, it grew and floated in front of them and in a matter of moments, their reflection left only to be replaced by King Armistice and her father in front and a collection of others behind them.

:::

On the other end of the spell King Armistice sat by Sir Larscivious staring back out at the King coming into view next to Anya. The mixture of people behind them started openly at Anya.

Sir Lars sat in awe of his daughter. She had never worn anything like that around him. He didn't know his little girl could have grown up so quickly. That thought alone brought up thoughts of hate and fury over what they could or might do to her. A new sense of protectiveness came over him. If they wouldn't give his daughter back, they would pay.

:::

"Ahh, King Armis, how are you." The King next to Anya grinned.

Anya kept her cool through out the whole ordeal of pleasantries. She looked though the crowd of people collected behind the King. She saw familiar faces of friends and near the back she saw her brother Wesley, angered and protective. She smiled at him and he seemed to see. She also noticed the look of shock of some of her piers. Some who had never even glimpsed at her ever if Gabrielle was a mile away, now almost stood with their tongues hanging out. Looking back at her father, she saw a look of mortal wrath in his eyes. 'Gods pity the fools who have to fight him.'

When the subject of her captivity came up, she listened attentively.

"So as you can see..." The King next to her grinned devilishly. "It's her for Tharia, you know, that nice little border town of yours."

Armistice looked as shocked as her father. "I'm sorry, there can be no deal with that."

"Ahh, well then there can be no deal at all. And I here in my little castle, get to keep a spoil of war." The King grabbed Anya and kissed her, while Sir Tyames destructed the spell.

"You nasty son-of-a-whore! How dare you." Anya made sure that the slap he received, was hard enough to leave a mark for awhile. Anya got up and went to stand by Destria who had remained by the doors.

The King laughed and crossed the room. "Ahh come now, it wasn't that bad."

"Majesty, will you leave her alone, she's young. I remember when you were young, and some of the things I caught you doing... Cause I remember one day in par-"

"That will be enough, now please escort her to her room."

:::

Anya was accommodated with an estate room, posted with guards. It had richly tapestries walls and a four poster bed in one room. A lavishly furnished sitting room in another, and her own personal bath.

"Nice, thanks Destria."

"Oh, don't go thanking me. This was all of the king's doing. He lent you the wardrobe and the jewels and this room and all. I'll be surprised if you don't have some free reign about the palace in awhile."

Thoughts raced through Anya's mind, 'Why was he being so nice to her?' Although the one that was bugging her the most was 'Why did he kiss her,' but more than that, 'Why did she like it?'.

"It's been so lonely here since..."

"Since what Destria?"

"Well I probably shouldn't tell you this, but a few years back... Well the king's 'betrothed' got very sick and it was during the war, so he couldn't be here as much as he would have liked, and then his father was killed and he took on all of those responsibilities and all... He was away a lot and busy most of the time he was here... Now the only known cure for her disease was grown in Tadrinth, and being at war, they wouldn't give any to her. He was away when she finally passed on to the God of the Dead and sadly also missed the funeral, so you can see why it is so important to him to win this war. Oh look at the time, I have many more people to go and see. I will wake you tomorrow. We have a ball to prepare for."

:::

After Destria left, Anya changed for bed and slept all the way until... "ANYA!!! Child it's time to get up. Come on, the birds are signing, the children playing, and all you can do is sleep. Come on, out of bed." Anya was pulled out and was made to bathe and dress and become proper. "The King's a wanting' to see you, so move those lazy bones. Can't keep him waiting."

With that Anya finished and went out to her sitting room where the King sat alone with some refreshments. "Well Destria, did you manage to scare this girl out of her wits and wash them back in?" Smiling he added to Anya. "I used to hate that."

In this light Anya could see that he couldn't be a little more than 23 or so. "I can tell why."

He laughed joyfully some more. "Come sit, have some breakfast, although you know it is almost noon. Sleeping all day. I need to show you off to the kingdom. Let them know I'm not a complete failure."

Anya noticed the way he acted alone was much different. "Well, Majesty, I simply think it's just the magic wearing out, and the fact that I don't have one of my sibling jumping on me and pulling my hair out because they can't find a shoe." Thinking of them, Anya bit back a tear.

"Ahh come now, no crying." He handed her his handkerchief anyway.

"Thank you Majesty."

"Well, enough of that, I'm not going to be Majesty today. I'm too young for that. How about Bob. Nice name Bob."

"I thought your name was Wendell."

"Well it is, it's just I don't rather like the name and well everyone used to call me 'Wendy', so I made them stop. But Bob's fine."

"But your middle name is William. Where are you coming up with Bob if I may ask."

"Oh, he had a dog named Bob, bright young critter, he was." Destria laughed. "Everyone said he looked so much like Wendy, they started calling him Bob instead." Destria walked out of the room laughing.

Anya took one look at him, and cracked up laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just. Okay, I think Will is a safe enough name to call you."

"Ahh, Will it is. That's a change I don't think anyone calls me Will. Have to remember that." He laughed. "You know some of my subjects don't even know my middle name, so how do you?"

"Oh well you know us Tadrinthians..."

Anya and Will had a long talk in which Anya longed for another kiss and the chance to be with him some more. Near the end of their conversation, Will brought up that night's plans.

"Well as I'm sure Destria told you, there is going to be a ball tonight. Everyone should be there. A perfect time to introduce you to the crowd. And since you are my 'captive' I will have to keep special watch over you myself... I know I know, why do it my self?"

"Yes tell me why?"

"Oh, if you must know," he grinned. "I think if you want a job right, you just gotta do it yourself." He grinned and turned back. "Until tonight fair captive." Bowing whimsically he shut the door behind him, with Anya still clutching the handkerchief.

:::

Waiting for Destria to come back, Anya looked through some of the books that had been left in her room. Reading one on the history of Gabardine, she thought she should know something about the country she was in, Anya lost all track of time.

Destria came back and tearing Anya away from her book, they started getting Anya ready for the ball.

After all of the primping and pulling that Destria could do, Anya was just about ready to go to the ball. Now for your dress. She lead Anya over to one of the wardrobes in her room. Opening it Anya found some of the most debonair gowns she had ever seen. "Are these really for me? To wear?"

"Of course younglin. Now if the people had seen the look on Willy's face when he left here, after just talking to you, you will just be showered with the most expensive, gorgeous gowns you'd've ever known existed!"

"I can't choose, you do."

In the end, Destria chose a full bodied, corset dress in a striking blue that looked like the sky on a perfect day. She added some gorgeous Sapphire and Emerald jewelry, to complement her eyes and dress alike, and Anya was ready.

"Gods if anyone back home could see me now, they'd never believe it! I could fit in as one of the court's beauties! Imagine that, me of all people."

"And why is that so hard to believe? You're a nice young girl and I know people would kill for your eyes and your nose and bone structure. What, do you think that you're too ugly or young to be beautiful. Strike that. When you step out there, they will forget you're father's not even 33 and you being his daughter can't be as old as they think. Tisk Tisk, you know you look almost as old as Willy. Hmm, what he's gonna do when he sees you. I'd be surprised if he even looks at another girl, less let you dance with another than him."

"You lie. What do you mean by that. He has no interest in me. I'm 9 years younger than him.

"Hardly 9, he's only 23, so it's more 7 1/2 at best!"

"Now come on, dinner's about to be served. Let's go show you off. Let them know you're not someone to be reckoned with. Let them see you as a court beauty of Tadrinth."

Destria led Anya down through various hallways until she stood outside two massive doors. "Oh darn, we're late. Well at least now you can make a grand entrance. Come on girlie, puff up that chest, stick up that nose, and be that court beauty that's just waiting to be let out." Speaking to the announcer, a messenger was sent into the King.

The two doors were opened. The King himself was standing up. "Now my guests, here is our guest, or shall I say captive, of the moment. May I present Lady Anya of Brenton. Come sit, eat, talk, enjoy yourself while you're here. Your stay should be comfortable, since it will be long."

The King received the compliments and praises that he had thought to receive. Anya crossed the floor during this time, and passed seat after seat, noticing the occasional empty ones and walking past them. The doors were opposite from where the King was, so she had to walk past all of the guests, and there were quite a few, to reach the seat she had known she would sit in from the start. The only vacant one at his end, the one, next to him on his right. When Anya sat down, she noticed the murmurs that started running through the crowd. Eating as small a meal as possible, for fear of losing it she was so scared, Anya opted to listen to the gossip going on around her.

Since she had arrived late, Anya didn't have to endure much of the dinner. She was only addressed by one semi-drunk man, to whom she gave a sarcastic remark and glare and turned her head away again. The man who in his drunken state took this as an insult and the King had to have him removed.

"Well I certainly have made a new enemy." A chuckle of laughter around her, made Anya feel safer that not all of the people around her disliked or hated her.

A short while later, Anya was lead, along with the other guests, into the Grand Ballroom. The King held lead her personally after reaching the room, up onto the platform that he was going to sit on. He gestured her to a seat down to his right, which was a few feet down as well. The dances started up and Anya noted the different dances and variations of the ones that they had at home. More than ever, the sense of wanting to be home took over. She had seen a few balls, and the familiar faces there seemed to be showing up all over the place.

For the most part the King had just sat on his throne and done not more than watch his courtiers. When a familiar tune was played, one from Tadrinth as well as Gabardine, the King slowly got up and gestured for her to dance with him.

Worrying about whether or not she could dance this well, Anya didn't notice the stares she was receiving nor did she know that the King had not danced in quite a long time.

Oblivious to everything around her, Anya was lead away by the music and Will dancing in such a way to make even the most scrupulous instructor proud.

When the dance was over, Will left her to dance with others on the dance floor and resumed his position on the throne.

Anya being thrown into the court head first, accepted dance after dance and managed her way through the semi-familiar dances. After her fifth straight dance, Anya declined and receded to the side to get a drink and catch her breath.

While over there, Anya was greeted by three girls a little older than her.

"So you're the Tadrinthian Girl they captured." The first blond girl said with an air of haughtiness.

"Yes, I am-"

"Well my father was one of those there," the second brown haired girl said. "And he told me, catching you was as easy as stealing a sleeping baby. You didn't even cry out." She and the other two laughed.

"Well maybe that was in their stupidness of the moment, they cast a spell over me and bashed me over the head with a rock just to make sure I was out." Anya touched her head where the lump was growing, hidden by the curls Destria had piled up on her head.

"Ahh, yes, but you have to admit, you were sitting in the middle of the forest all alone, in a clearing, in open view, on the border none the less, and you wonder why you got captured." The last redheaded girl, threw off a fake air of blue-bloodiness, though she looked as though there was more inbreeding than charm in her family.

"Oh, well you do know, the area was considered safe, and well I guess alls a us in the country yonder those hills, musta be reeeal slow compared to yousa. I mean I wonder how I even know more about your country than you do." Anya smiled sweetly. "Now here's a thought, why don't you leave now, and I can go back up to my seat, over there see, by the Kiiiing... Yes, now I don't see you sitting up there." She grinned devilishly as if wanting to accept a challenge from any one of them.

"Well I-" The blond started, but was interrupted by a messenger.

"The King requests that you return to your seat for the performance." With one look back, Anya took the arm of the servant and sat down in her seat by Will's side.

"So who the entertainment for the evening?" Anya still irked, tried to sound sincere.

"Don't fret about them, Anya," he smiled down at her. "They are hauty-taughty inbreed beauties that couldn't even tell you the name of my grandfather."

"King Wesleyan James Thisby of Adrasteia"

"Impressive."

"Thank you, Majesty." Anya hinted a bit of sarcasm in this.

Will laughed and replied. "Well you might like the entertainment tonight... They come from one of your villages, the, the, oh the dancers of some sort from Perth."

"Oh the Perinithian Troupe."

"Yes it's weird, different from the town." He tried to downplay the fact that he had forgotten.

"Don't worry, I won't hold the fact that you can't remember minute details against you, but..." Anya grinned, dropping all of her agitativness with it.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" He grinned like-ly and stared down at her.

"I don't know... I mean what will you give me if I tell you? You know? Hmm what to ask for..."

"Well if you tell me I shall dance with you and you alone tonight, start the rumor mill going, what do you say."

Anya refrained from speaking just to drag the pause out. "Well, I was going to make you dance with me, but since you were going to do that anyway, can you make sure that those annoyances don't have access to bother me?"

"Ahh, something the homely King can do..." He smiled. "It shall be done." He added the last part with seriousness and ended up laughing. "Why I haven't had this much fun since-"

Anya couldn't hear the end of that sentence for the Perinithian Troupe had taken center stage and were beating drums and playing instruments so loud all thought was lost on watching.

When they were done, the ball started to break up, and Anya doubted what she was to do.

Will answered her unspoken question, by appointing two Knights to escort her back to her chambers. The two, Sir Aurthur and Sir Exclisus, showed her kindness and were charming as could be expected and deposited her at the door where Destria stood waiting.

:::

"So, come on, come on, how was the ball." Destria prodded as she helped Anya out of the finery. "Did you dance at all."

"Oh, by the gods, way too much. The way my feet are aching, I don't know if I'll even be able to walk tomorrow!"

Anya started to rub her feet after she was changed.

"So I take it all went well." Destria raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Destria sighed. "Willie, he just never does much during a ball. Mainly sits there and does nothing. Not even facial expressions, like he's off in another world."

Destria went on, describing a completely different man than the one she had seen at the ball.

When Anya told Destria how Will had acted towards her and the dance her danced with her she almost fainted.

"Oh you're going to be in for it now."

"Why, did I do something wrong?"

"No, gods no child. But, no one has even gotten Willie happy enough to make him dance! And that dance was probably put in by him, just so he could dance it with you. Tadrinthian dances are never done here. I mean never!" Destria did some more shuffling around while Anya brushed her hair and thought.

"So why is he acting like this around me? I'm no one special. If he knew my real age, and saw me, how I normally am, he would pass me off as some stupid child and ignore me."

"Ahh, but you're not. You are a prisoner of war and a very radiant one at that. They were hoping to catch a rabbit and they caught a thoroughbred."

Anya blushed and got in bed. As she yawned, Destria put out the lights and shut the doors.

Alone, Anya drifted off into lovely dreams of the ball.

:::

Early the next morning, too early for Anya, Destria almost pulled her out of bed.

"He's wanting to see you and now, so put on a dressing gown brush your hair and get out there." Destria pushed Anya to get presentable and out to her sitting room.

When she made it out there, she noticed that he was not alone. Pulling the robe tighter around her, she sat down.

"I'll just be a second." William dismissed the knights and servants. "I thought that you might like to know from me, that I have to be leaving, I'm already making everybody late..."

"Well considering Wendy," she laughed as he shuddered. "That you are the King, a little time is nothing."

"Well I am now giving you a more free-reign around the palace seeing as there is no way of you getting back to Tadrinth... and hopefully you aren't as eager to get back as you were before..." He smiled and looked down blushing. "There's going to be a battle and from the looks of it, a very large one so I don't know how long it will be before I can come back again..." He got up and pulled her along with him.

"So, you have to do something..."

"Anything Anya..." He stared deep into her eyes.

Anya laughed breaking the mood. "If any of my friends knew that I would be telling the evil King of Garbadine, not to go get himself killed or else I wouldn't forgive him, I don't know what they'd say." Steeling a look back up at him, Anya found herself in a kiss.

"Stay here, I can't assure your safety anywhere but the palace, but here I can at least know you're safe."

"I will."

Destria poked her head back into the room. "Willie boy, they're really itching to get going."

"Alright Destria, I'm coming." He turned back to Anya giving her one more possessive kiss before leaving.

Little did Anya know it would be awhile before she would see him again.

:::

Over the next few weeks, Anya explored the castle and it's libraries and various other rooms, she even made casual acquaintances with other nobles that had to stay home from the war. Weeks turned into months and soon the months had turned into over a year. During this time, Anya had finally started to grow, she was a half a foot taller that she had been the spring before when she was taken, and had now finally taken on a more womanly form. Anyone who had thought she was a beauty before would be in for a surprise. She had now enough beauty to excel any number of court beauties. Her lack before had only been a question of age.

As the summer came around, Anya grew more and more worried. The large battle that Will had predicted had been that and more. No one could have guessed it's affect either. This could be the making and the breaking of the war. All Anya could do, was wait back in the palace for any of the news to trickle down and finally get to her.

Anya's feeling of dread only increased when the summer's harsh heat kicked in. One day Anya was so nervous, she couldn't more than sit without help.

That night, a group of soldiers came in. Among them was the most mortally wounded. Hearing that William was one of them, Anya rushed down to help him with all of her magic she could.

Since Anya had no magical outlet in the palace, she still made regular trips on walks in the forest, a well guarded one at that, and usually burned off her magic. But in the last heat and nerve wracked days, she hadn't managed to get out, so she was more than able to help.

When Anya made it down to where they were keeping the men, she met with little resistance. William had been calling for her and anything to comfort him would be a help.

They were nervous, all of them were. Will was badly hurt, and him having no heir, would surely mean the end of the war with no one to lead him. There were only distant relatives and Will's brother had died in the war before his father and his mother had died giving birth to a younger sibling who had never made it into this world. That alone meant a civil war over title for the King. That was not something that Garbadine could handle now. Not in the least.

When Anya got to his bed side, all she could do was hold his hand and pray to the gods for enough strength for him to not see her cry.

When Will woke, the first thing he saw was Anya, and that alone gave him the strength to fight. He knew what it was like to love someone and then loose them so bitterly. He had lost his beloved Sarai. He didn't want her to go through pain like that.

He shifted, the pain that filled his abdomen forced him back down. Anya laid one of her hands over the area where he had been pierced and the pain subsided into nothingness. She also held his head and the headache in it disappeared.

"But how-"

"Ahh, now you know my secret Will. When you caught me I had used up almost all of my magic. And then when I had it back I put up a spell so you wouldn't notice it. Now lie down and let me fix you up."

He obeyed and in a few minutes, he was far out of danger and all Anya was was dizzy.

When William got up to give a steady hand to Anya, all of the knights waiting vigil got up to swarm about like gnats.

A healer came and shooed them all away, when he saw Will up and walking he called it a clear message from the gods that he was going to live. Through all of this, Anya had stayed steadfast to his side. Will planted a kiss on Anya and whispered in her ear, "Marry me." The thought of her loosing him, and him loosing her was too great, he had to have her as his.

"Ask me tomorrow when there's not so many people around."

:::

The next day after the healers had finished fixing him up as best as could be, William dropped by Anya's room.

She had been waiting for him and stood in one of her nicer new dresses pacing the floor.

When Will came in her room, the first thing they did was exchange a passionate kiss, both sealing the truth that they loved the other.

"Marry me." Will asked again.

"Yes, of course I want to, but can I?" Anya sat down, and Will followed, "I mean, can I really? I am a stranger, an enemy in the war, my father and brothers could die trying to get me back and here I am in love with the very person that they hate..."

"If you told them yourself-"

"What, that they can just forget about me, what if you tried to make peace? What of that?"

"Anya, do you know why this war started? Do you? The principals that we are fighting over and the land that King Armistice just claimed and killed our people because he said it was stolen by us over a hundred years ago?"

"We learned differently, how about how your father murdered women and children in border towns?"

"My father was stupid, he was made for peace and not the war that killed him." William got up hurt and walked around. "Answer me this. Do you love me?"

"Of course."

"Do you want to be my wife, and if I promise you that I will try to make peace afterwards, will you marry me then."

Anya got up teary eyed. "Of course."

:::

The next few days were in a blur. The Summertime Revelry in honor of the Gods would call a halt for a week, for no one to kill anyone, no matter how great the hate was between them, in the week long celebration or be doomed to a terrible death and after life.

This time had been set aside for the wedding and the short notice was no help. Everything was painstakingly perfect. Will would have it no other way. The week flew by and Will spent as much time with Anya as possible.

When the day finally came around the day was impeccable. There was a clear blue sky, and the heat had come down to a bearable level. The birds were signing and everything seemed to be joyful and happy.

The Wedding was on the fourth day of the celebration and everything after was a blur to Anya. Although William had stayed behind after his troops, due to his injury, it seemed all too soon to Anya, when he had to leave again.

The months turned and the autumn came round, and the happy news spread about the battlefield, that their young King was soon to have an heir, and indeed it was true.

The war kept Will away most of the time, but during the coldest parts of the winter, he was a home for a week or two which was some consolidation, after having him gone for over a year before.

When the end of winter was drawing to a close, it was one of those times, when neither side was willing to risk loss of limb, man, and beast to the bitter cold. He was lucky enough that the very night he came home, he was greeted with a son.

Happy and joyous as any new father would be, the news spread like wildfire. People came from all ends of the country to see the little prince and to find out what they were going to name him.

The naming was difficult, but in the end they came to a compromise... They would call him Aristaeus, after William's father, Wesleyan after William's grandfather which was also the name of her brother, and Theodore, for her grandfather.

So the baby was christened Aristaeus Wesleyan Theodore of Adrasteia. The eccentricy of the name sparked some controversy, which eventually died down, for the kingdom felt safe having a rightful heir to take the throne if anything, gods willing not, should happen to William.

In no time at all, it seems as though William had to go back out on the battlefield, and Anya was left at home with their son, Prince Aris.

Destria and Anya raised the little boy and in no time at all, the Summertime Revelry was about to begin marking their anniversary.

When the time came, the feasts were all ready, and the wives more than ready to see their husbands. Now more than all, Anya knew how her mother could love a man that was never there without failing year after year after year.

When William and his army came home they relaxed and caught up with family. William in particular couldn't stay away from Aris. He was all the time playing and making silly faces, all just to see Aris happy and laughing.

It scared him sometimes, to think how perfectly Anya was suited to be a mother. She always seemed to know how to make Aris smile or stop crying which was a wonder to Will. Just watching her hold him, made him swell up with pride. One of the few things that had kept him going on the cold winter nights, was the picture of Anya holding Aris that he had painted twice. One was hung up in the gallery of all of the people in the royal family, and the other he kept with him at the battlefields as a memory, so he wouldn't forget a single aspect of them during his absences.

During the last few days of the celebration, Anya brought up claming peace with Tadrith. "It could only help. Why? Why cannot you even think of the promise you made to me?"

"Because we're winning, it would be stupid to quit now."

"You always are winning, they could come knocking on our door with poisoned arrows and you would shrug it off, because you were winning."

"I will think about it if it gets worse, but now is just not the time."

Will left the castle once again, and Anya was left again, with Aris.

Over the next year, Aris grew and Anya cheered up the palace. It was refurbished and the ballroom was once more made grand. Balls were more frequent now, since Anya the Queen, was in always.

She was acclaimed as one of the most exquisite Matriarchs ever. Only in stories had there been Queens greater than Anya and then those were only stories. There were paintings, but an artist could always lie with a brush stroke here, and a brush stroke there.

Paintings were always being done. William had ordered it. There was to be a painting for any and every occasion. Pictures of her in the garden, pictures with Aris, pictures at balls, pictures for everything.

When Aris had just turned two, the battle intensified. Everyone said that this would be the end of the war. The battlefield had constantly been pushed farther and farther back until it was a mere 100 miles from the castle. Too close for comfort for most of the nobles in residence. The ones that had homes farther out, ran to them, and the ones that didn't went to stay with the ones who did. Not soon after, the officials got worried, they packed up and started to move Anya and Aris out to a summer castle on the opposite side of Garbadine, far away from the battling and from William.

Fight as she could, Anya could no more stay, than join the war. The day before they were scheduled to leave, Anya and her private guards rode out to see William. She was going to try to have him try for peace before he died in the effort of trying to save the kingdom already almost lost.

When she arrived in the morning, she met a grotesque site. There was a battle going on and in the very midst of it, was William and her father battling.

Anya rode free from her guards and into the battle. The soldiers around her stopped what they were doing and just watched. Some Tadrinthians knew who she was, and all of the Garbadines stopped and waited. With both sides stopping as she rode past, she kept on riding. When she was a mere 20 ft away from her father and her love, they each pierced the other with their sword and fell from their horses.

Anya leaped off of her horse and all her finery and ran towards them. By then, all of the fighting had stopped and all eyes were on her. Each of the realm's greatest knights stood at the bloody feat of their fighter. Some Tadrinthians she had heard about and the King around her father, and Sir Thaymes, Sir Alexander, and Sir Exclisus surrounded William.

Torn between her father and her love, Anya didn't know what she could do. She knelt beside her father who lay mere feet away from Will.

He stared up at her with eyes filled with pain and love and all he could croak was, "My baby girl." A tear fell down out of her eye and landed on his cheek washing soot and dried blood away in it's path.

Then she shifted over to Will, lying in a pool of his own blood, the life force draining away from him.

Knowing what she had to do, Anya placed a finger on both her father and Will's forehead and placed all of the loving, healing magic she had inside of her to heal both of them for she could not choose which to save and which to watch die.

Feeling the last bit of life go shooting out of her body into that of her love and of her father, Anya fell down, in a peaceful bliss of nothingness.

:::

Back on the field, both William and Lars got up and felt much better, only William noticed that Anya had fallen and now lay between them. He knew what she had done and all he could do was to hold her in his arms and rock back and forth, tears streaming out of his eyes and his heart crying out in a pain that she could never take away again.

:::

In the realms where the gods walked, the newly appointed Goddess Anastasia, goddess of animals of forest and field, of water and air, and all healing powers to save them with, looked in at the peace delegations between Tadrinth and Garbadine.

She smiled and looked back at the mortal realm and walked off into a forest where she was needed.

EPILOGUE :

It was the Summertime Revelry again, and Anastasia could go anywhere she chose. This year she chose to go back to a familiar castle.

Walking around the halls, she ended up in the gallery where all the portraits were. Thinking she was alone, and would be, for most of the festivities were outside, she shed the spell that kept her invisible by all of the mortals.

Time passed and Anastasia lost all track of the time around her.

"Who are you?" A voice from behind caught her off guard, and she turned around to be faced by a boy of about seven or eight. He had light brown hair with flecks of a darker brown in them. The one thing that stood out about him most was his eyes. They were a bright green that only one in a million have or inherit. They somehow fit this boy perfectly though.

"Oh, just a person." Ana walked on going painting by painting, till she got near the newer ones. She stared out at the unmoving picture of King William and his son Prince Aris.

"That's me and my dad." The boy was still behind her. Following her. It was a very comforting sense.

The boy took her hand and led her down the row of pictures. "Wanna see my favorite."

"Of course." Anastasia walked from the direction she had just come away from.

"That's my mom. She's gone now." He stood in front of the painting. Ana couldn't help herself. She shed the persona that she wore when around mortals.

The boy stared up at awe at the woman who had just transformed into his mother, that he couldn't even remember and had only heard stories about.

"I'm not gone. I will always be here." Ana held a hand over his heart. "And now I'll be here too." She kissed his forehead. "Good-bye sweetling." And with that the Goddess Anastasia left to go back to her home.