Morning Glory [oneXone]

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel hadn't quite caught what Rhiandra meant when she asked if he felt any better. Slowly he answered, "Uh... sure..." He shifted awkwardly as he answered, sure there was some meaning behind her question that he just wasn't getting. But still, he did feel better after relaxing with his wife, and he was now fully awake and ready to care for the baby. Maddie seemed to have calmed down some since he had first heard her cries, and he assumed that it was because of Rhiandra's rocking and singing. Slowly, he reached out his arms and took Maddie from her carefully. After she was in his arms, he rocked her a bit with a smile on his face.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Treasa Wayward
☽◎☾

Birds and butterflies,
Rivers and mountains she creates,
But you'll never know,
The next move she'll make

The White Witch
══════════════════════════════════════════════
You can try, But it is useless to ask why,
Cannot control her, She goes her own way,
She rules until the end of time, She gives and she takes

Rhiandra just smiled and nodded as she moved the cloth from her shoulder to Fendrel's. "I found her a wet nurse while you two were busy... I didn't think you wanted to be interrupted after dumping the child on me as quick as you did. She hasn't quite given a good burp yet... The wet nurse's name is Corriane." After that, she started out of the room.

With every breath, And all the choices that we make,
We are only passing through on her way, I find my strength,
Believing that their souls live on, Until the end of time, I'll carry them with me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xbut how do I get there?
xxxxwhat road do we choose?

xxxxFendrel said nothing as Rhiandra said that she didn't think he wanted to be interrupted. Had it been that obvious? He hadn't thought so at first, but now that she said it he was feeling a little awkward. Then again, if anyone were to know what had just happened, it would be the whore. When she said that Maddie hadn't burped yet, Fen began to pat the baby on the back while bouncing, hoping to get a burp out of her. When Rhiandra started to walk away, he called after her, "Thank you." Once she was gone, he continued to bounce the baby slightly, patting her on the back until she burped.

when the season's so high for losing

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

It had been a month and a half since Maddie had been born. There had been battles fought, won
and lost for both sides. Still the Amulet of the New Moon hadn't turned up. Treasa still looked for
it, as did Gwendolyn, but both continued to turn up empty handed. Baylen hadn't been seen or
heard from since he'd brought Elena to Leofwin, and the families there were starting to wonder if
he were ever going to come back, if he were dead, if he knew of Treasa and Fendrel's
handfasting or of Maddie's birth. He never sent a raven, he never came.

He was just fine, however. His dealings with the Ó Scolaidhe family didn't stop with Treasa. He'd
made promises to her mother that he'd intended to keep, even if they were handled back in the
Blue Wood. It was the closing of the first week of November, at sunset, when two horses were
reported approaching the gates of Leofwin castle. Baylen was recognized right away, and they
were allowed entry. The man and the woman who shared the second horse received stares,
particularly the woman- everyone thought that the Lady White was inside the castle having
supper with the rest of the nobles, not riding in behind Baylen sharing a horse with a man not her
husband.

William got down from the horse, then helped Maudaine to slide down, and once she was on her
feet, she drew her staff from the saddle and adjusted her dark robes around an even darker gown
and corset. "Once again, Baylen, I call you liar." She said, looking around a bit, "I don't see
myself come running toward me." It was a wonder to her how Treasa would turn out to look just
like her, but even when she'd seen her last, when Treasa was barely a woman, she was well on
her way to it. "She's inside, and don't call me a liar or I'll never do you another favor again."
Maudaine only rolled her eyes, then wrapped her arm through William's, and followed Baylen into
the castle.

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxFendrel smiled at Treasa as she sat next to him, and he planted a kiss on her cheek. Nearly a year ago he had been running for his life from angry soldiers, and now he was here, with much bigger problems, but also much more to live for. Now Lord Merridan was barely a pawn in the grand scheme of things, and he was amazed to think that he had been his main concern before. Now someone of a higher authority had him on their list, but at the moment he wasn't worried. Instead, he took his wife's hand and kissed the back of it sweetly, then looked to their daughter who was growing up so fast. He couldn't help but wish that his father were there to see his grandchild, as well as her mother. Treasa's mother would surely be touched to know that they had named their only child after her. Then again, if they had had a son he probably would have wanted to name him William, or stick with Silas, his father's favorite character name. But everything else was far from his mind as he enjoyed the company of his family at the table for supper.

xxxxWilliam said nothing as he rode on the horse with Maudaine, yet felt there was nothing that need be said. All that had been needed to be said had been explained earlier, when he had been nursed back to health. She had been the last person he had expected to see, but he was none the less grateful. Maybe even a little more than grateful, knowing that she wasn't dead. He felt terribly guilty towards Elena, since she was still his wife, but she wasn't his love. At least, he didn't love her like he loved Maudaine. Hopefully she would understand. After he had been told that Maudaine was dead by her daughter, he had focused all his attention on Elena out of guilt, as she had soon been nursed back to health. But it still did not stop the horrible guilt he felt, knowing that he loved another woman more than his wife. If he had known about Maudaine at the time, he would have made sure she was well. William decided not to dwell on such thoughts, especially when at the moment he was with Maudaine once more. Once they had reached the hold, he dismounted the horse, helped her down, and stood next to her, wondering how this encounter would go. It would surely be confusing and emotional for everyone, but it was necessary. They couldn't just hide forever. Upon hearing Baylen and Maudaine go back and forth, he grinned, knowing that Baylen was right. He had had the chance to meet her daughter, and had even confused the two at first. But still, he said nothing as they strode forward, arm in arm.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

It wasn't long until they were led to the dining hall, and Maudaine was clearing her throat with a
cheeky grin on her face. She'd let go of William's arm by now, and as they entered behind
Baylen she bellowed in her best, not-quite-so-practiced mum voice, "Treasa Morgana Ó
Scolaidhe! Where is my grandchild?!" It worked well enough. One moment, Treasa was smiling
at Fendrel as he kissed her hand, all the while holding the child in her other arm, the next, the
woman was nearly jumping out of her skin. Then Treasa paled, if it were possible, to a point she
almost matched the shade of her gown. "Gods be good, she knows! She's come back for me!"
Treasa screeched, jumping out of her seat and hiding behind Fendrel's. This only made
Maudaine lift a brow and grin over to William. "Maybe it worked better than I thought it would...
apparently I'm not supposed to know something..."

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxFendrel was just as startled as Treasa, maybe even more so because he was clueless. Barely anyone knew her real name, let alone her middle name. Slowly he turned to look to see who had called his wife, and there stood... his wife? No, it couldn't be. Not possible. His mind was screaming that he was seeing things and going crazy, at least until he heard Treasa. She dove behind his chair, hiding from the woman. It was then that he realized she was her mother. All he could do was stare in disbelief. Wasn't she dead? It was odd that she had just been on his mind, when suddenly, here she was. Once the sudden shock of her mother had passed it's course, he spotted Baylen and his own father standing with her. Was it the night of the living dead? He stared at all three of them for a moment, unbelieving. He would have run forward to his father had it not been for Treasa hiding behind him. Still, that did not stop him from standing up slowly, and taking a step forward. He froze there, unable to bring himself forward, or even seat himself back down. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find any words to say. He wanted to be sure this was real before getting too excited. He was first of all terrified of her mother after hearing all the stories about her, and he was extremely hopeful that this was real and that his father was actually alive and with him.

xxxxWilliam followed in behind Baylen next to Maudaine, not knowing what to expect. He had seen his son seasons ago, as well as her daughter, but from what he had heard things had changed quite a bit since then. And Elena... how would she react? She had fled the town before he had even gone cold, not that he had gone cold. Maybe if she had stayed close she would have known that. How was it that Maudaine had been dead for twenty something years and could still manage to care for him when he was in need, yet his own wife had fled to god knows where as soon as she assumed him dead? It didn't make sense, but he wasn't lingering too much on the thought. Once they entered the dining hall, he stood silent, watching everyone carefully. They all looked like they had seen ghosts, which they might have well been. Watching Fendrel as he rose from his chair, he noticed his hesitation. His son hadn't always been the brightest, and he knew from past experience that confusing situations tended to spook him out, so he knew to proceed with caution. "It's good to see you."

xxxxFendrel was still a bit hesitant, but was at least relieved that his father had said something first. He still wasn't quite sure what to say. What would he say to the father he had presumed to be dead? Instead, he went to Treasa's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, slowly withdrawing her from hiding. Their daughter was still in her arms, and he guided Treasa closer to their parents as he said slowly, "This is Maddie." He wasn't sure if her mother had truly come back from the dead just to get her for marrying, but he knew that she would less than likely want to see the product of their marriage. Although, the marriage was rather a product of the child. Oh well. The less their parents knew about the backwards situation of their relationship, the better. Still, he hoped that the adorable grandchild was enough to distract from how strange this situation was to begin with.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

Maudaine watched with an amused grin as the pair reacted to her and William. It wasn't far off
from what she'd imagined would happen. Everyone else in the room just sat, staring, mouths
agape. Baylen sat himself down and helped himself to a horn of ale and Treasa's now abandoned
mutton. Treasa knew she was being childish when she tried to jerk away from Fendrel getting
her out of her hiding spot, but she didn't care. She was afraid of the smack to the back of the
head she'd get when she got within arm's reach of her mother. Maudaine didn't smack her
though, even if she had already spotted the rings around Treasa and Fendrel's fingers, only
snatched the baby right out of Treasa's arms as gently as a snatch could be and cradled her in
her own. It was amazing how strong the genes were between Maudaine and Treasa... but
between the two of them and Maddie? The only thing Maudaine could pick out that belonged to
them were the child's eyes. "We'll explain everything later... Right now... William and I need to
eat, there's a lot of magic to be made up for..."

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxFendrel was hesitant at first when her mother snatched the baby, but knew better than to argue. Just because he had never met her before didn't mean she couldn't see her grandchild. To be honest, he hadn't even noticed when Treasa tried to jerk away. He was far too busy trying to contemplate what had just happened. It couldn't have been a coincidence. They had just been on his mind, and then poof here they were. That thought freaked him out even more than the fact that they were alive. Maybe he was magical and didn't know it? Highly doubtful. Still, Fendrel said nothing as her mother cradled their daughter in her arms. They may have shared a name, but that was about it. They couldn't have looked more opposite at the moment; a fully grown woman with dark hair and a black dress, holding a baby girl with fair hair and a white dress. The only thing not different were their eyes. Still, the contrast between the two Maudaines was rather amusing to him, yet he continued to say nothing as they mentioned eating. That was probably a good idea.

xxxxThe last time William had seen his son, he had not look nearly as well groomed. His hair was much shorter, and his beard was not nearly as full. And he looked so much... cleaner. He didn't mention it though, assuming that this was probably old news by now. He also noticed the rings on their fingers, which was not so old news. "Congratulations." He said, referring to the marriage and the baby. He assumed they had married before the baby was born, otherwise it would defeat the purpose and their child would be a b*****d child. As Maudaine mentioned needing to eat, he agreed as his belly rumbled. It had been a long journey there, and it deserved a nice meal with his family. For a moment he wondered where Elena was. Hadn't Baylen said he brought her here? Did she leave? He looked around for a moment, but decided that maybe her absence was better than her presence at the moment. Elena had always been jealous of Maudaine, and it wouldn't help that she now had a reason to be.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

Maudaine carried Maddie to the table and sat down, starting to rattle off just about every food
kept in the kitchens. The entire time, Treasa continued to stand there and stare. "Treasa, close
your mouth, you look like a simpleton." She said simply, adjusting Maddie so that she was laid
across her chest as her other hand poured herself, then William horns of ale. She wasn't shy
about being with him anymore, she hadn't been since Baylen had woken her and she'd been the
one to nurse William back from near death. She'd told him all through their younger years, 'when
the dead walk with the living in the land where it snows in summer.' That was when they would
be able to be together, and now, the dead were walking with the living, and they were where it
snowed almost all year round.

After pouring the ale, she slid one of the horns in front of William as he sat down, only giving him
a smile. When he'd woken, she'd finally explained everything to him. All she needed now was to
finish replacing the energy taken from the poisons used to keep her sleeping. She hadn't
expected to see the silver in her hair, Baylen had assured her that she would be frozen between
worlds and that she wouldn't age, but she had, if it were only a bit, and now he was assuring her
that the silver would fade when she had her energy replenished. She doubted it. Baylen never
was as good as he thought he was.

"So, Treasa, when did you throw our family's words to the dogs?" She asked, then picked up her
horn and got a sip before darting her eyes to the ring on the girl's hand. She may have been
thirty-nine, but she would always be a child to her mother. Treasa only rolled her eyes as she
sat down and took her mutton back from Baylen. "Get your own... and I decided to throw our
words to the dogs when you chose to abandon your child." The whole room could see where
this was going by now.

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxWilliam followed Maudaine to the table, looking at the little girl in her arms with a smile. She was definitely a beautiful baby, for sure. She looked just like Fendrel, and it made him smile. There was no doubt that Maddie was his. Despite how Maudaine felt about their marriage, he was rather happy for his son. He was glad that he had the opportunity to marry the woman he loved, instead of settling for someone else. He still remembered Maudaine's words; "When the dead walk with the living in the land where it snows in summer." It all made sense now. He had had a smile on his face ever since reaching Eaglecrest. There was snow everywhere, and summer was nearly over. This was where it snows in the summer. And Maudaine was dead, walking with the living. Although, it could have just as easily been him that had died, if it had not been for Maudaine. It certainly hadn't been Elena to nurse him back to health. She had left as soon as she could, and he hadn't even been dead yet. Even though he had fought to save her, it didn't seem to matter. But that was all in the past now, and William pushed the thoughts from his head as Maudaine handed him a drinking horn. He thanked her quietly and set forth to eating, and not listening to the women go back and forth. In his years of experience he found it better not to place himself between women when they were disagreeing, which was a lesson his son had yet to learn.

xxxxFendrel seated himself where he had been sitting before, next to Treasa, and as he overheard the conversation that was going on between Treasa and Maudaine, he didn't like where it was heading. Next thing you know, they'd be throwing spells at each other or whatever it was witches did. He wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that this conversation was turning sour very quickly, and the best thing to do was to change the subject. "Uh... so, how was the trip?" He couldn't think of anything else to say to his mother in law, who he really knew nothing about. Treasa had told him things about her mother, but he didn't really know her. He caught sight of his father shaking his head, as if he had made a mistake. It was too late to go back now. Meanwhile, while all the adults were talking, Maddie was smiling and grabbing at a few strands of Maudaine's hair that she had found, all the while cooing and gurgling happily. She probably thought that her mother was holding her.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

Maudaine shook her head as Maddie started to gum at a few strands of silver and Treasa got
curt. "I told you all the while that I would have to leave you. It's not my fault you don't-" Treasa
shot her a look and the word listen was mouthed with no sound, and not at Maudaine's will. She
gave a slow nod and passed the child off to Fendrel as she got up, giving him a look that said he
should be as silent as she was being forced to be now. With the child passed off, she cupped
her hands around her own throat and they glowed silver. "Don't start a fight you can't finish child."
Both women's energies started to static around them, however before anything could be done,
Baylen lifted a hand and clicked his fingers. "Both of you stop this nonsense. You're acting like
children." Neither women could voice a word, and neither could control their energies as it
shot back into their bodies, knocking them both on their backs. After that, Baylen simply
resumed eating, then looked to Fendrel. "The trip was easy, it went well."

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxWilliam knew that Fendrel had made a mistake, directly involving himself in their argument when he had no power to back it up. On the other hand, Baylen was qualified to stop their bickering because he had magic, something Fendrel lacked. Fendrel had no power over either of the women, thus giving no reason for them to stop, which was why William had refrained from involving himself. Instead, he continued to eat, eating the mutton at a slow pace like he was reading a good book, because he wanted to enjoy the meal. He didn't bother to watch the rest of the fight, for he knew very well how it would end. It wasn't the first time he had seen Maudaine get into a fight with someone, although it was a first to see with her daughter. Still, it ended the way he knew it would; with both women silent and pacified at the moment by Baylen. Although, pacified was probably not the word to use. More like muzzled. William rose from his seat and helped Maudaine off of her back.

xxxxFendrel didn't know what to say as he was handed Maddie, but accepted her into his arms anyway. He really didn't want his daughter involved in this mess, so it was for the best that he held her. Their arguing was elevating, and he really wished that he hadn't involved himself. Fortunately Baylen seemed to have a handle on the situation, for pretty soon they were both silent. As Treasa fell onto her back, Fendrel passed Maddie to Narcissa, who he at least knew would hold the baby, and leaned down next to her to help her up. His mother in law had just arrived and already there were problems. He couldn't imagine how this could get any worse. And then she walked in.

xxxxElena had been busy making a heavier set gown for the baby, what with autumn and winter fast approaching. Once the tiny gown was finished, she felt how empty her stomach felt and realized that she had probably missed supper. This didn't bother her at all though, they always had leftovers and she wasn't fond about being around a group of people all at once. Deciding that she would leave out of her room to eat, Elena hung up the small dress and decided she would show them later. It didn't take her long to reach the dining hall, and once she reached it, she froze as soon as she arrived. The first thing she noticed was that there were a lot of people. The second, that William was there. Tears started welling up in her eyes, at first thinking that she was dreaming, then thinking that she was dead. That was when he saw who he was helping up. Maudaine. William was back, and so was she.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright

[Neme-Goddess-of-Death]

Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul

No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name

Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?

Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door

I believed it would justify the means
It had a hold over me




Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins

Treasa only kept her mouth shut as Fendrel helped her up. Her arms, shoulders, and chest were
steaming from the energy that was forced back into her, as well as Maudaine's robes. Both
women had the same look of irritation on their faces, and it was obvious they were more alike
than only on a physical level. Still, though, Treasa simply sat herself down as Narcissa handed
Maddie back to her. Maddie started to fuss, and Treasa just got up and walked out with her.

Maudaine only smiled as she took William's hand and he helped her up. She brushed herself off
once she was to her feet, then set to shaking out her robes before she finally adjusted them
around herself. She probably shouldn't have been smiling, but she hadn't been able to stop since
she woke up, and especially not since William had woken up to her. The smile faded awfully
quick though as she watched Treasa pushing passed Elena on her way out of the room.

I'm hoping, I'm praying
I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me

[Sweet Devil Prince]

xcan't find the road to lead us out of this,
xxxxa million miles from where we burned the bridge

xxxxFendrel knew that Treasa was irritated and angry with her mother, and he wanted nothing more than to calm her down. However, like the last time she had been upset, he knew she probably just needed some time to herself. He watched wordlessly as she was handed back the baby and pushed past his mother. The baby was starting to fuss, undoubtedly because of all the arguing. Still, once she was gone he decided to stay put and give her some time to cool off. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. Still, now that his supposedly dead father and mother were in the same room, things were really awkward for some reason. His mother was always saying 'if only your father were here' and now that he was, things took an odd turn. Shouldn't she be happy to see him? But the longer he stood there, the more he realized that she wasn't upset because of his father, but because of Maudaine. It was then he remembered that she had been a close friend of his father's, and he paled a bit, knowing jealousy when he saw it.

xxxxElena stared at Maudaine for what seemed to be an eternity, hoping that it was just a dream. Finally her eyes shifted from Maudaine to William. William hadn't even realized Elena had entered until he watched the smile fade from Maudaine's face. Looking up, he saw Elena standing in the doorway, seething. "What is she doing here?" She asked, barely keeping her voice level. Surely Maudaine would have said something had it not been for William getting to it first. The tone she used irritated him to no end, and he ended up replying curtly, "She is the only reason I am here, alive, right now. Maybe you should be more grateful." Elena was surprised. William never spoke like this, especially not to her. That was when she lost it. "Grateful? Grateful!" She screeched. Turning her attention to Maudaine, she continued, "Yes, thank you for saving my husband. And thank you for making me second best, for putting me on a pedestal! Thank you for breaking his heart and leaving me the mess to clean up! Thank you!" Obviously the tone she was speaking in was making him angry. "Oh yes, poor you. How could I have forgotten? It must have been you that was left to die. Oh wait, no, I took care of you when you were dying. I was thinking of myself." Fendrel stood in horror as he watched his parents go back and forth, finding himself unable to leave.

can't keep pretending that every thing's gonna be alright