“You’re back,” she whispered, voice coarse and rough.
“And I’m not leaving you again.” I kissed the top of her head before turning my attention to Fabiana. “Thank you for helping me get back to my beauty.”
Cane snorted, sinking deeper into the couch. “Yes, thank you, Fabiana, for returning the beauty to the mangy beast.”
“Now Cane…” Fabiana started.
“Don’t,” Cane interrupted, practically jumping off the sofa. “How do you know he is truly innocent of what he did? Because he said so? How is that compared to all of the physical evidence that…”
“I never told you why I was summoned, Cane.” Fabiana stated in a calm, even voice, the disappointment clear on her face.
Chapter 22
Ina
Fabiana wanted me to stay with her until I regained my strength, at least enough that I could walk from the bed to the living room without fainting.
I understood her worry. When Wolfsbane had been gone, I had lost all interest in anything that had to do with living. I stopped eating, I barely slept, and my interaction with others was kept to the bare minimum needed. I didn’t care what people said, until I saw him, I didn’t think Wolfsbane was coming back.
Then, he was there, in the living room, waiting for me. He had come back, just like he said he would. He hadn’t left my side since.
I sat in the bed, waiting for Wolfsbane to come back from taking our lunch dishes to the kitchen. I had been eating more since he had been back. He was happy, I was starting to look healthy again.
In the weeks that he had been back, my skin had lost its yellow hue, and my cheeks had started to fill out again. My hair, still much longer than when he left, was beginning to gain its shine once more. The pink was back in my cheeks, and my eyes were no longer dull and lifeless.
“How are you feeling?” Wolfsbane asked as he walked back into the room.
“I feel much better,” I smiled as he sat on the bed next to me. “When do I get to go home?”
He chuckled. “You don’t like staying with Fabiana?”
“I love Fabiana, but I like my space. And, with Cane gone, it feels as if everyone is walking on eggshells around here. There’s too much tension.”
He frowned, nodding his head. “I agree, the tension is unpleasant. I’ll talk to her, and see about taking you home soon.”
“Thank you,” I smiled. “I’m glad your back.”
“I am too.”
It was silent for a while. We just sat there, Wolfsbane playing with the end of my braid, my head on his chest. I couldn’t think of anywhere I would want to be in that moment than with him, whether we were at Fabianas hut or at my house. But, there was one thing that kept nagging me in the back of my head.
“Wolfsbane,” I started hesitantly.
“Yes, my love?”
“Why were you taken? I mean, I know that it was because they suspected you of kidnapping, but why did they suspect you?”
He sighed, sitting up a little, moving my head from his chest. “Because, in a way, I did. But, not in the sense that they thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“They thought that I kidnapped the princess on purpose, to get rid of the throne. But, that wasn’t the case at all. You see, I found the princess, alone and scared. I took her to someone that I knew could help her. Because of that, they thought that I had taken her out of spite.”
“But, you were really trying to help her.” I said, finishing his thought.
He nodded. “Exactly.”
“It sounds like the princess had a similar experience to me.” I commented, laying my head on his shoulder.
He sighed again, deeper, and as if in regret. “That’s because, you’re the princess.”
Chapter 23
Wolfsbane
“What?”
I was tense. I didn’t know how she was going to react. I didn’t want her to freak out, to think that I was lying to her. I didn’t want to lose her.
“I realized when I was taken to my first meeting with the Royals when I was arrested. The room they were in matched the picture that you gave me for the great room.”
“It…It is?” She sounded shocked and slightly apprehensive.
I nodded. “Yes, it was. There was a picture above the king and queen. It looked almost exactly like you.”
“But…But, my name…”
“The princess’ name was Sophina. The only part of your name that Fabiana could get you to remember was Ina.”
She was quiet, and I didn’t know if that was good or bad. I didn’t like guessing, and I didn’t want to push her. Finally, she spoke.
“So, I’m a princess?”
“Yes, my dear. It seems so.”
“I don’t want to be a princess.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought every little girl dreamed of being a princess and marrying their Prince Charming.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Not me.”
“Why don’t you want to be a princess?”
She sighed. “Because, I like my life now. I like my house in the woods, and my garden, and my roses, and Fabiana being just an hour or so down the lane from me. I don’t want anything to change.”
“Who says anything has to change?”
“I’ve read the stories, Wolfsbane,” she rolled her eyes. “When they found out about something like this, something that changed their lives forever, the heroine’s lives never stayed the same.
“You don’t have to be like the heroines in those stories, Ina. You can make your own story.” She shrugged, and I sighed. “Now that you know, you have to go see them. Even if it’s only once.”
“I guess you’re right,” she curled into me, wrapping her arm around my waist. “When should we go?”
“When do you want to go?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Will tomorrow work?”
She nodded, but I wasn’t sure that she was completely sure. She seemed hesitant, and I didn’t blame her. She was about to go meet two people that she didn’t even know, two people who are her parents she didn’t remember she had. I just hoped all would go well, and she wouldn’t be put through too much misery.
Chapter 24
Ina
I stood in the great room, nervous as physically possible. I didn’t know why I had agreed to this in the first place. I didn’t want to meet these people, I didn’t know who they were. They might be my parents, but they were strangers to me.
I felt Wolfsbane rub his hands down my arms, and if comforted me a little knowing that he was there. He wrapped his arms around me, and I held them there, resting my head on his chest behind me.
“You need to calm down,” he whispered in my ear, his voice soothing. “You’re starting to worry me.”
I sighed. “Remind me not to agree to something while you’re holding me again.”
He laughed. “You know I can’t promise that.”
I smiled as his laughter rumbled against my back. “I know.”
Just then, a door somewhere in the back of the room opened, the noise echoing throughout the large space. The king and queen walked out, tears in the queens eyes when she saw me. I tensed, and Wolfsbane kissed my temple as he whispered encouraging words in my ear.
“My dear,” the king whispered, tearing up himself. “It’s been so long.”
“I suppose you’re my parents.” I said hesitantly.
The queen nodded. “We are. Don’t you remember?”
I shook my head. “I don’t remember much. Fabiana told me that I had a horrible head injury when I was found, that I probably landed on a rock when I was thrown from the coach.”
“So, you’ve been caught up on what your situation was?”
“It wasn’t a situation, but yes, I have.”
“I told her everything.” Wolfsbane said from behind me.
The king nodded. “Good. Now, my dear, it is time to decide what you would like to do.”
“About what?” I ask
ed, almost positive I knew what they were talking about.
“You have been gone for so long,” the queen started. “We don’t want you to have to change the life you’ve grown accustomed to if you won’t be happy.”
“So, you have the choice,” the king added. “You can either come stay here, in the castle, and be treated as royalty. Or, you can go back to your life you were living. It’s completely your choice.”
“Really? I get to decide?” I was shocked that they would give me that kind of power over my destiny.
“Yes, really. The only thing we ask is that we get the chance to get to know you. You are, after all, our daughter.”
I nodded. “I understand. And, if it’s alright, I would like to stay where I am. I’m happy there, and with the people I share my life with.”
I gave Wolfsbane’s hand a squeeze, and he hugged me tighter, whispering in my ear. “We’ll talk about that later.”
I smiled, knowing what I just signed up for, and hardly being able to wait to see what the future holds.
Epilogue
Wolfsbane
I took Ina’s hand as she laughed.
“Where are we going?”
I looked behind me just long enough to make sure that the blindfold was still firmly in place. “You’ll see, it’s a surprise.”
She kept asking questions, trying to get some sort of hint of where I was taking her. I had told her earlier that morning that I had a surprise for her, one that I hoped she would love. And, if I know my Ina like I think I do, I know that she will.
“Pretty please?” She begged half-heartedly.
“You’re so stubborn,” I laughed, grabbing her other hand and helping her over a fallen log. “What am I ever going to do with you?”
“Love me and take me on grand adventures.” I rolled my eyes, forgetting for a moment she couldn’t see it, thought that didn’t stop her from knowing I did it. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
I chuckled a little. “Well, I’m trying to take you on an adventure, but you keep asking questions.”
“Because I don’t like surprises, you know that.”
I smiled, realizing that we had reached our destination. “I have a feeling you’ll like this one.”
Going around behind her, I untied the blindfold, putting the slip of fabric in my pocket. She looked around the small, wooded area, taking in the run-down cabin and small, wooden swing attached to the tree out front.
“Where are we?” She asked, smiling a little smile.
“This, my dear, is my parent’s cabin.”
“Really?” Her smile got bigger and she started walking towards the cabin, excitement growing with every footstep.
“Yes, it is. This is where I grew up.”
I opened the door for her, watching from the door way as she explored every inch of the house. It had been kept up over the years, although you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside. I had made sure that the inside stayed just as it had when I was a child. All of my mother’s dishes were still in the cabinets in the kitchen, all of the beds still made with the quilts that had been passed down since my grandmother’s mother.
Ina had a look of awe and love in her eyes, curiosity written plainly over her face. She was soaking in every detail of the house, all of the markings on the wall and pictures on the shelves.
When she was done, she stopped in the living room and smiled at me. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
I walked into the house, holding her for a little while. “I wanted too. It is a part of me, and now a part of you.”
“Well, thank you all the same.”
“You know, this is also where my parents first completed their Bond.”
“I thought you couldn’t plan the Bond, it just happened.”
I smiled, noticing that she remembered our conversation about the Bonding that we had a few days before.
“You’re right.” Just then, I noticed the thin, golden strands starting to make their way around our feet. “Ina, look.”
I pointed to the ground, and heard her gasp as she saw the strands of Fate start to get thicker as they made their way higher and higher, before completely cocooning us.
She looked up at me, smiling, and I gave her a small, chaste kiss.
I always wondered if my future would hold Ina, wondered if she would still want me after all that I had done. But, now I realized that what Fate has planned, no one can change. And, while the path may change, the ending will always be the same. And, while not everyone is as they seem, everyone can have a happy ending.
Playlist
Never Let Me Go – Florence + The Machine
All of This – The Naked and Famous
Beautiful Melancholy – Tom Leonard
Out of the Woods – Taylor Swift
Fragile Love – Adam Agin
St. Christopher – Michael Logan
Stay With Me – Daniel
Authors Note
I can’t believe that I’m already done with the third book in this saga! It seems like only yesterday I had the idea for the first book. And, I can say, I never thought that I would get this far! And, I know that I couldn’t do it without you beautiful readers, or the help of my friends and family.
Thank you so much for sticking around this long! It truly means more than you will ever know. I can’t wait to see where Hatter, Peter, Wolfsbane, and Huntsman end up in the next and final book of the series!
Lots of Love,
Rebecca
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