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Heart
of the Tin ManTM
Though it saddened Farren, she accepted her parent's orders without question. Her good intentions had been rewarded by confinement to the palace.
She was no longer allowed to roam in the forest, or accompany her father on his royal journeys, or even mingle with the magnificent horses within the kingdom's stable. Her parents had become paranoid over her 'magical powers'.
Three weeks now. Farren didn't quite see how she could continue in this dreary state. At seventeen, it was a bit cruel to keep one isolated from the things that they enjoyed.
Father had been a bit keyed up these days as it was. King Earl from the neighboring kingdom was hinting of pitting his army against him. The dispute concerned rights to the east end of the stream that ribboned through the forest.
Though father had tried his best to keep the tricky situation at hand, King Earl was very bull-headed and unrelenting. He demanded sole rights to the stream, but that was something that father couldn't condone. After the stream, what next? The next ten miles of land? Then the next - until it ended with father's entire kingdom? So, it was no wonder that he'd become so ill, regarding the affair that appeared to have no solution.
The sun was sinking fast over the horizon, the sky mixing with colors of a rainbow. Farren was growing tired, so she stumbled to her bed, pulled back the netting,then she slipped into the downy softness and drifted off into a deep sleep....
Hours passed. It was after midnight, the bewitching hour, and a bright moon was anchored high overhead, knitted within the blackness of the atmosphere.
A deft noise emitted from her door, and Farren suddenly bolted into a sitting position on her bed. A silhouette blurred before her sleep-washed eyes, then a large hand was capped over her mouth.
Struggling against her intruder was useless. Her tiny hands could feel the naked muscled torso as she attempted to wrestle free.
"Be still! No harm will come to you, Princess Farren. Your help is needed in the forest," her captor rushed out, his voice urgent, soft and deep. The smell of the woods permeated her nostrils as she picked up his scent. "Do you understand?" he asked, issuing a plea to her.
Her fear abated a bit and she nodded her understanding. She was slightly shocked as he withdrew his hand from her mouth.
In a half-daze, she slipped out in a questioning voice, "You said that my help is required. Tell me more?"
"Aye. My sister is stricken ill; fever, chills - I fear she will die without your magic," he informed, his voice deep and sounding very concerned. "Please agree to come with me and save her?"
Farren was touched as he suddenly dropped to one knee, and bowed his head as he awaited her answer. His sword was stationed in one hand, the blade glowing under the strong rays of the moon filtering in through the palace window.
"I...how - how do you know of my magic?" she finally tossed out, confused amid
her sudden arousal from sleep, as well as this warrior's knowledge. Heaven forbid that her parent's fear had come to rest on her shoulders. A condemned witch wasn't an appealing thought.
He simply said, "My sister is Delayla"
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Heart
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