chapter three

" Are you the one?"

The woman in front of her didn't seem much older than she. Two or three years give or take. She had thick red hair and eyes that sparkled. The woman was to Hannah's eyes, very Beautiful.

" Forgive me, the One?"

" Are you not Hannah, princess of Brone?"

She bit her lip, she didn't know if that which was in front of her was friend or foe, so she stayed mute.

" I am who God says I am." she finally replied, "what do you want with me, why did you bring me here?" she asked, annoyed.

" They told me your light was hot and burned through. I see this for myself. " the woman smiled,

" I am rose, keeper of ten thousand secrets, I watch over the floral patch, I give you these as a token of my friendship and loyalty." a bouquet of white, red and yellow roses appeared at Hannah's feet, she had to admit, they were beautiful. But she eyed their giver cautiously,

" you may accept them as token of your friendship, " Rose said kindly. Hannah looked at them, nodded, but not yet.

She looked at rose again, and asked wearily,

"what do you seek from me?"

" I seek nothing but friendship milady, you have my friendship." Hannah looked at her, really looked and then looked down at her feet, before slowly bending to the roses. She smiled as inhaled the scent of them and then picked them up.

"yes." she finally sighed, and a big smile split Rose's face, Constructing Hannah's heart.

Friendship, she thought with a smile.

°°°°

Hannah held the bouquet of roses in her hand as she and Rose walks around seemed to a Hannah a very colourful garden.

"This garden is called The floral patch. I am it's guardian." Hannah looked at her,

" Are you a fairy? " Rose smiled,

" No, I am not. But this place is home to several fairies, both full bloods and half bloods. The man you love is an half blood, am I correct?"

Hannah nodded,

"How did you know? "

" His essence surrounds you." she replied simply, Hannah nodded again.

" I don't mean to be rude, but why did you bring me here? How did you bring me here?"

" As for the How, I can't say for now, but trust me when I say it is nothing dark. And for the why, it is like I said from the very beginning, I offer my friendship and my loyalty. "

" To what end?"

Rose looked at her with sad eyes, it made Hannah cringe,

" The Dark hour cometh, the time when Demons arise against the light, Your light. They come. " Rose's eyes clouded with the vision and then cleared. She brought a hand to her head.

" I'm sorry, they come like sudden flashes. "

" seer."

Rose nodded, placed a Hand on Hannah's cheek,

" The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness overcomes it not."

°°°°

" I know Aunt Anastasia, I know, but give me a break, I haven't seen her in forever." said Cephas as he walked to the stables, The Queen's hand resting on his forearm. Word was, the princes spent good time in the stables, with the horses, Cephas knew what that meant. They were cousins but she was more less his sister. His little sister. And he knew her, knew if she spent more time that usual with the horses, she brooded, knew as he felt it in his very own blood, that she needed more then herself, needed all that was within herself, he was here to give himself, his fellowship. His cousin, his little sister, the chosen one.

And when he saw her walk through the door, a man right behind her, when he saw the man put a protective arm around her, when the mam watched him, regarded him, as did he with the man, he thought "my cousin, my sister. In love."

"Cephas? Cousin Cephas?!" She she shrieked, turned around to look at Jasper with wonder and joy in her face, and then ran to him. He met her halfway and picked her off the ground, twirled her around.

" I've missed you little one." her laughter rang out like waters trickling down a fountain, he truly had missed her,

" Well, I'm not that little anymore, am I?" she put her hands on his cheek and felt his warmth and light, just like when they were children.

" you must not be, if what I hear is true." she screwed up her nose,

" And what have you been hearing, Dear cousin?" He looked up at Jasper who watched them with kindness, who watched the little woman between them with love,

" The man. You wed the man. Soon" Hannah smiled, turned around, looked at Jasper, felt her heart rise with love, Grateful, so grateful, then looked back at Cephas, her cousin, her brother, who watched with a smile, with the love she knew, she shared,

" soon."

~~~~

"how long will you be here, cousin?"

"Depends on how long you need me." he looked down at her, as the walked the lands together. the little girl he played tag with, whose hair he tugged at, who he played hide and seek with, was all grown up. she had grown up into the beautiful young woman who stood beside him, who was standing up for her people, and how proud he was to stand beside her. Literally.

she screwed up her face and looked up at him, raising a hand to her face to block the worst of the sun glare.

"I thought this was just a visit."

she wasn't eager to send him on his way, he knew that. he also knew she'd never ask him to stay if he did not want to. so he gave himself.

"consider this, an allegiance."

"hmmm. ypu know of the dreams.' she did not know what had made her ask, she just did."

"I know of you being troubled. by what, by who, for what reason, in what way? i know nothing of. all i know is, you need me, and i'm here."

his words made her weepy, but she swallowed her tears and gave him a watery smile.

"Thank you."

turning to stand right in front of her, he took her small hands in his big ones,

"Again and Again, little sister, Again and again."

~~~~

"she -rose- says she comes with friendship. she gave me these flowers." Hannah walked to her dresser table. she screwed up her face as she looked at them, her expression softening as she inhaled them,

"I do not know how you could have brought them back."

she turned to Jasper a smile on her face,

"Me neither, I woke up and the were there on my dresser, the sweet scent of them filling my room."

"was she kind?" He had to know.

" And a sweetheart too." Hannah plucked a rose, went to her bed, sat.

" But in the end, I dont know what all this means."

he went to her and put his arms around her, and she leaned in.

" I am happy cousin Cephas is around, but I also know this isn't an odinary family visit. I am grateful for Rose's friendship, but I know the circumstance surrounding it, at this given point in time, isn't one to be merry about. I dont want to be negative Jasper, but I know what comes isn't happy with me, I know what comes is ready to see the end of me." she let her head fall against him.

"what did i tell you, Hannah?"

" That i'm not alone." he rested his chin on her head,

" The creator brought Rose and Cephas to you. At a time when you need them. so you know you have more than just me. someone up above is looking down on you." she heard the smile in his voice, and pulled away to look up at him to see him smiling.

" you think so?"

" I know it. i don't know what comes, but nonne of it, do you do on your own, and i think God is trying to show you that. you're the chosen one, Hannah. i don't kow what all that entails." he reached for hand, placed on his chest, " but believe me this, and if not in me, then at least in God, the creator, that npne of this, do you do on your own. "

she jumped him, tears stinging her eyes, and placed kisses all over his face, making him laugh.

"what would I do without you, Jasper?" she said after a while, her arms,wrapped around his neck, his arms wrapped around waist.

" Thank God, now you don't have to know."

she smiled. " Thank God."

~~~

"when do we move, when do we begin?" the woman spoke, behind the man who faced the fire. And the eyes of the man reflected the fire. And the fire, the fire was the only light in the room.

" patience. we don't want to make mistakes."

" But we're wasting so much time, I want that little idiot to suffer."

" I never said you could insult her." He didn't raise his voice, but the coldness in his voice was enough to make her shiver, enough to make her wonder if things had changed. As if reading her thoughts, he turned to face her.

" priorities have not change, the girl will suffer. but all in due time. do you understand this? "

she nodded.

" now go, I need to think."

she nodded once again and turned to leave.

he turned to face the fire, with only one name in his head, the way it always was, Hannah.