Catching Up

'Where did he go?' Silver wondered for a moment.

He hadn't seen the young man leave. It was just as well though. The Guardian wanted time to get to know his sister without distractions. It seemed that Ethyn had sensed that and slipped away without a fuss.

Rose's breathing became stable and she explained the misadventure of her journey to visit the man before her.

Many things had gone wrong for her, and were it not for the death of two people, some of it would have been quite funny.

Even with the tragic details, Silver could not help but smirk at the incident with the bandit and the Fireball.

"Serves him right," the Guardian mumbled. "What did you say he looked like? He should lose more than his manhood for what he has done!"

Rose described the man in as great of detail as she could as well as the man at the inn with the strange accent. Silver's countenance grew dim. 'It cannot be who I think it is...surely not.'

Yet he had also just seen Ingrid only a few days before. Somewhere in his gut, it was not a coincidence. If the band who had almost killed Ethyn and him was also on the loose, then Borit was intentionally releasing dangerous criminals and letting them wreak havoc. The Guardian decided to look into the matter further.

As the princess told her story, she felt much of the weight being lifted from her. While she would carry the burden with her forever, somehow sharing the story also helped her bear it better.

"After Hanna disappeared, I almost thought I was imagining things. Yet her advice about how to use the Seeker is exactly what I needed to bring me to you. If I make a wish to find something, it helps me. The little fairy left its chain and led me along like a tiny guide." Rose walked her fingers through the air to demonstrate the Seeker's movement.

"That's amazing!" Silver had been in possession of the necklace for years and never known its power.

Though he shouldn't be surprised. It was a gift from Hanna at the same time as his cloak. And the Guardian rarely wished for anything at all aloud, so activating the Seeker by accident was nearly impossible, if it would have even worked for him at all. Silver was very glad the magical jewelry was back in the hands of the rightful owner.

"I am happy she showed me the way or I'd probably still be lost." When Rose was finally finished, she wiped her eyes.

"Maybe you should rest a moment," Silver suggested, his voice full of concern.

Rose pulled away from her brother and reached for the cup on the table. She sipped at the water and shook her head. "If I try to rest, I will simply wish I was out here talking to you. I came to ask questions and yet all I have done is speak about my trouble getting here..." the princess paused, realizing she was about to go off on another tangent. "Please, Sean, tell me about my...our parents."

Hearing her say his real name for the third time almost made the Guardian break down. The word had the power to tear down every wall he had put up to protect himself. He was feeling things that he never thought he would again. It was overwhelming.

Silver tugged on the edge of his cloak as he adjusted himself in his chair. A small smile appeared on his own lips as his eyes fought against a growing amount of liquid in them.

"On the day you were born, our father, Gareth, and I were so anxious to meet you that we nearly ran a trench in the front yard of our house. Gareth was a good man: strong, honest, kind and wise." The image in Silver's mind was so vivid that he could almost swear he was back in that time from years before.

"It was the middle of the day," he continued, "and the moment we heard you cry we rushed inside. When the midwife let us in, our mother, Alexis, looked so tired yet was glowing more beautifully than a fate. Alexis was beautiful. You may have our father's hair but you certainly have your mother's eyes and beauty. She was one of the best people I have ever known."

"Really?" Rose placed her good elbow on the table to support her chin. The surface creaked slightly but did not give way.

Ignoring the offending furniture, the Guardian nodded. "Really. Mother let me hold you right after you were born. I thought for sure I would drop you, but she had faith in me. I was the one who got to name you."

The princess remembered this fact from when her mind was flooded with memories. "You chose to name me Haven" Rose smiled as she said the word.

"Yes, Haven. You and our family were my safe haven. I notice you did not keep the name." Silver tried and failed to hide his sadness.

"It was not on purpose. You can still call me Haven! If you like, I will even change it when I get back to the palace..." the princess wanted to fix her great error.

Silver shook his head. "Allowing me to call you Haven is enough, sweet sister. Do not fret."

Relief washed over Rose. Her brother did not seem angry about her name change. It hadn't been her choice, yet she still felt guilty. His instant forgiveness calmed her. "I do want you to call me Haven. It makes me feel closer to my mother and father. They clearly trusted you deeply to let you do something so important as choose my name."

The Guardian's silver irises swirled like storm clouds. "Alexis and Gareth always had faith in me, even when I doubted myself. I owe them everything. They took me in when no one else wanted me."

"What do you mean?" Rose wanted to know.

It was a painful subject, but a necessary one. Like a vase being poured out on dry ground, Silver spilled the details of his past for the thirsty princess to soak up. He looped back and told her the rest of her birth story, her early years and the tragic night their parents died. That part of the story was particularly hard.

Rose recalled the report she had read. She was the child that escaped the massacre. "Borit killed all those people--our parents--because they were protecting you?"

"I am afraid so. I hope you do not hate me for it." The Guardian looked away, afraid to read her face.

"It is not your fault. Why would I blame you for another man's evil deeds?" Rose would not let her brother take the blame.

Finding out that Silver was adopted had not deterred her affection for him. In fact, it made her feel closer to him because she was also raised by someone not related to her. They were bonded in a way that was deeper than blood.

"There's more," Silver said somberly. He went on to detail their harrowing escape and how close Borit had been to killing them both.

Rose looked on the verge of tears when the Guardian suddenly switched tacks.

"It wasn't all bad, you know." Silver realized he had been painting a bleak picture for too long. "We eventually made it to Rynnlee. Did you know Conall thought you were my daughter when we first met?" the Guardian chuckled.

The world that her brother painted now was more familiar to Rose. Some of the names she recognized and some of the memories were ones she could actually recall. She found herself adding details to the man's story that even he did not know.

"You mean that is what happened to the honey pot? I had thought you were a little crazy for wanting to bathe in a barrel." The Guardian's mouth hung open.

"I was trying to get off the stickiness before you caught me. I am surprised you didn't see the shards that I buried so poorly." Rose's cheeks flushed.

"And all to feed a poor hungry creature. You could have just told me." Silver said.

"I felt terribly guilty, and I planned to tell you, but it happened the day before we ran. I guess I haven't had the chance until now." They both fell silent for a second.

"Ah yes...that day." The Guardian's eyes flashed. "You know who chased us out of town that day?"

"It was Borit, wasn't it?" It wasn't a big leap. Who else would want Silver gone so much?

Nodding, the Guardian told of how they had fled and made it to safety only for the girl to disappear right under his nose. "That was the last time I saw you was when you went to get some coins. I thought I had lost you forever until I found you at the palace." The man paused. "Hanna assured me you were safe, but I have imagined every type of horrible ending in my nightmares. So please tell me: what happened that day?"

Rose pressed her lips together. It was time to reveal the truth.