First, I want to apologize for the hold up in uploading the next chapter. We've been a bit busy but that's not an excuse so I truly am sorry!
Luxah Heart, Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you understand what Mr. Merrigan was talking about. Could you let us know what you found confusing to begin with? Maybe we could try re-writing it so that it's more direct. And Conn is supposed to look a bit like Merida, just older, and not animated, lol. Though to be fair, we started writing this long before Brave came out, lol. Please keep reviewing and thanks for reading!
Autumn-ShinyDragon, thanks for the review and for reading! If you have any specific critiques, Jen and I would love to hear them!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
-Meg

Chapter 6 - Nook Cottage

The next morning Evangeline's eyes fluttered open as the early morning sun poured in. She didn't remember falling asleep but vaguely remembered thanking Mr. Merrigan and abruptly going up to the room. She remembered changing out of her dress and getting into her bed and pulling the covers high over her head and quietly thinking she never thought she would sleep again for the thoughts buzzing in her head.

Her eyes stung as if she had been crying and when she looked in the mirror they were swollen and red. She soaked the wash rag in the basin of water and lay back down on the bed with the rag over her eyes. The coolness brought some immediate relief and she let out a sigh.

She had a family. Edmund and Phoebe Roald were characters in a legend to the people of Tiernan Glenn but to Evangeline they were her parents. She had belonged to them. She had belonged to someone. She had never wondered why her parents had left her on the stoop of that orphanage, they just had. Now she wondered how a man who had asked a master artisan to craft such a specific piece of jewelry for his wife could leave her, Evangeline, the reason for the cuff in the first place. How could a woman give up her third daughter when she had already lost two? Why had she been abandoned by those people?

Evangeline's head began to throb as these thoughts looped in her head. She took the rag and flipped it over so the cooler side was now against her eyelids. She hoped that everyone would just leave her be. That she would have the day to just relax and let the thoughts in her head tire her out again. It wasn't long before she heard the door open and close quietly.

"Eva, come on. It's time to get up. I've convinced Lottie to hold breakfast for you for ten minutes. And we've got a lot to do today." Conlinn said as she bustled around the room.

Evangeline didn't know what Conlinn was doing but she wished she would be more quiet.

"Leave me alone Conlinn." Evangeline moaned, reminding herself of the the girls in Montauk; a lump caught in her throat at the thought of them.

"Now don't go doing that! We've got plenty to do right now." Conlinn said as she took the rag from Evangeline's face and tossed it to the basin. "Like I said, up and at em! Now!"

Evangeline slowly sat up and glared at Conlinn who was still zigzagging across the room. She was picking up various pieces of clothing and tossing them to a bundle near the door.

"Don't you be glarin' at me! Up! Up! Up!" Conlinn said rushing toward her bed. "Lottie's let us borrow some of her dresses until we can get this lot cleaned proper and good . I've been up for hours making alterations so they'll fit and I'll not have you waste my hard work! Here," she said tossing a dress so that it fell over Evangeline's head, "wear the green one!"

"Will you give me a minute!" Evangeline demanded angrily. "I've just found out who my parents are but I'm no closer to finding them than I was the when I started this journey!"

"Who says?" Conlinn asked, her hands on her hips.

"You did!" Evangeline yelled. Then anger was bubbling over -anger that Evangeline knew that Conlinn didn't deserve- but she needed an outlet and Conlinn was there. "You said that no one knew where they went! That that was a legend! And besides, if it weren't for you, I'd still be in Montauk with Chrissy and the girls!"

"No, you wouldn't. You'd be that pig of a man's maid and most likely keepin' his bed warm at night, much to your dislike I'd reckon! And yes, I did tell ya that no one knew what became of The Roald's, but I also said that The Sisters were their kin." Conlinn said with a stern look in her eye. "Now come on! We've got to get a move on if we're going to make it to the Donall Cottage by lunch!"

"What are you talking about?" Evangeline said now thoroughly confused.

"Haven't you been listenin' to what I've been sayin'? The Sisters, The Donall Sisters of Tiernan Glenn are related to Edmund and Phoebe Roald. We're going to see them to see if they know anything about your parents."

"But they don't! No one knows where they are!"

"So the legend says..." Conlinn said. "Legends are based on fact, but they're not completely true, Eva." Conlinn said impatiently. "Now will you get dressed! Lottie won't hold breakfast for ya forever."

The morning had been very busy. Lottie was just about to start clearing the dishes when Evangeline and Conlinn made their entrance. They enticed some toast and a bit of egg from the innkeeper. "Yer lucky I like ya!" Lottie said with a grin as the girls left the room with their hands filled with laundry and their toast clenched in their teeth.

They washed their dresses in the yard under the sun. It was tireless work and Evangeline couldn't wait to be done. But when she finally was done, and she looked at her frock from home, she was amazed at how clean it looked hanging on the line.

"They'll be dry by the time we come back tonight. Come now, we've got a bit a lot left to do today." Conlinn encouraged. Lottie and Conlinn had come to an agreement, they would work for the inn keep in exchange for room and board and a bit of money, just until they figured out their next step. Lottie had asked Evangeline and Conlinn to go into town for a few things. Evangeline didn't mind, it gave her a bit of a routine and it was similar to back home. She even found herself looking forward to immersing herself in the town of Tiernan Glenn.

They walked through the rest of Tiernan Glenn and Evangeline was bombarded with the early morning meanderings of the small town. She pretended not to notice how people stared at her. She wished that it had been cool enough to wear a scarf around her head or a heavy cloak just to hide herself from the prying eyes. It wasn't that they were staring at her with hate, it was just that they stared so intensely. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing just to watch her pass.

"Just look 'em in the eye," Conn suggested. "It makes it easier."

Evangeline tried this without much success. She grew uncomfortable when the men, older and younger kept her eyes with theirs, she felt ashamed when the women who were with those men turned their gaze away. She felt strange when people nodded and smiled in response to her look. Conlinn seemed to be getting just as many looks as Evangeline, but she took it in stride and Evangeline watched Conlinn waltz up the road with ease and confidence. Jealousy of her new friend pricked in the corners of her mind. Determined not to walk hunched over hiding, she straightened her spine, threw her shoulders back and her chin up and walked side by side with Conlinn. But even as she depicted herself as confident, she felt like every set of eyes that fell upon her could see her for the shy girl that she was.

Just when Evangeline started to feel the swell in her throat that came just before an onset of tears, she found herself looking ahead at a group of children leaving the school house. Seeing the smiling faces of the young girls made her long for the girls back in Montauk, but she also reminded herself that they were safe, just as these young girls that came towards her now were. They all seemed unconcerned with the pair of strangers in their town and Evangeline finally felt her confidence gain. She couldn't explain why a group of children would change her mood so drastically but they did and she took full advantage of it. As they passed, she greeted them with a wide smile and even patted some on the heads as they passed in between her and Conlinn. Then, a small girl with hair the color of straw and tawny eyes came walking up to both her and Conlinn. She handed them each a freshly picked wild flower and seemingly embarrassed by her actions, smiled, did a quick impression of a curtsy and ran to her older siblings who looked at her in astonishment.

Evangeline looked at Conlinn who had watched the girl run back into town. "Well, fancy that. Someone fancyin' us. Guess we're not that bad then, eh?" Conlinn said after sniffing the flower. She tucked the purple bloom behind her ear and Evangeline smiled at how beautifully it clashed with her hair as she held her own bloom to her nose.

They cleared the rest of town and Evangeline now made friendly nods to those that held her gaze a little longer than the others. Conlinn was right, acknowledging them made it easier and the smiles she got in return (most of the time), were much more rewarding than watching her feet kick at the pebbles that got in her way. Still, it was a relief when they were clear of town and were walking through down a dirt path that wound through a wooded area. They seemed to be the only two souls for miles.

In the moments of silence, Evangeline thought again of Chrissy and the girls back in Montauk. She remembered what Joanie had said just before she hugged her goodbye, about how Conlinn was as good as a lucky rabbit's foot and she should stick with her no matter what, and she realized that nothing bad ever really did happen to her when Conlinn was around. The thought made her smile and Conlinn, not missing a beat, nudged her with the elbow.

"You gonna tell me what's so amusin' or you gonna leave me in the dark?"

"Well, ever since we've met, bad things have happened but then little good things happen that make the bad things seem less bad. It's an observation that some of the girls noticed right away but I've only just started to realize. Why is that?"

"Why's what? That I'm lucky or that you just realized it?" Conlinn said with a sly grin on her face.

"Both I guess." Evangeline laughed.

"Well, I ain't gonna lie to ya. I've always had my way with things. It just seems that when I want something, the stars align and make a path for me to get what I want. Sometimes there are obstacles, but most times, they're just there to make life a little more interesting." Conlinn said with a smile ever present on her lips. And then suddenly, her demeanor changed. Her gait lost some of it bounce and the light of her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. It was as if a sad memory had pushed itself into her mind. "Of course sometimes you don't overcome the obstacles. Sometimes the stars conspire against you and they get the better of you and there's nothing to do but glance back at the wreckage that was your life and decide to leave it behind as you trudge on." Conlinn continued quietly, sadly.

Evangeline watched her friend from the corner of her eye. She had never seen Conlinn so down trodden before. As if she could feel pity emanating from Evangeline, Conlinn looked up and caught her eye. The sadness in her face all but disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. "But what's life without a bit of risk? Not a lick of fun I say." She said with a smirk.

Her bouncing gait returned and her smile spread her lips but Evangeline noticed that her eyes weren't as bright as she thought they had been originally. She realized that Conlinn was damaged, possibly more so than anyone she had ever met before.

Evangeline was at a loss as to what to say. She couldn't say she understood, the truth of the matter was she wasn't sure what Conlinn was talking about. She settled for trying to make her friend smile: "My life has definitely perked up since I've met you and I never took risks before you came along."

"Well then! Here here my friend!" Conlinn said taking a flask from under the sash of her dress. "To a life full of risks and the laughs that follow the fun and the lessons that follow the sorrow!" She said taking a swig and passing it to Evangeline.

Evangeline smiled meekly, returning Conlinn's grin. She took a tentative sip and was happy to find that it was just water.

During the walk, Evangeline told Conlinn stories of the girls back home. She really missed them so terribly but for some reason it helped to talk about them. Conlinn was shocked at the trouble that the girls managed to get themselves out of sometimes but always grinned with a sort of pride at the end of each story. It wasn't until Conlinn started walking into a darkened wood that Evangeline halted her tales.

"In there? We have to go in there?" Evangeline asked, her voice slightly quivering.

Conlinn paused a few paces ahead of her and turned back toward her. "Well yeah," she said. Then pointing to a wooden sign in the shape of an arrow pointing to the darkened, wooded path she read "'Donall Cottage,' this is the way to go." Evangeline couldn't understand why, but she was getting the distinct feeling that she should not go through those woods. Every second she looked longer into the trees, the more menacing they became.

"Conn, I don't like the look of those woods. There could be wolves or other creatures."

"Of course there's wolves. Or one giant wolf actually." Conlinn said casually walking closer to the looming darkness.

"What?" Evangeline managed to squeak out.

Conlinn grinned back at her friend. "Oh, come now Eva. Don't tell me that the girl who took on the baker of South Hampton is frightened of some trees."

"The baker was just mad that Joanie had taken a bean! You're talking about going into a wooded area where there's nowhere to hide and wild animals are running rampant!"

"Woah there. No need to get all worked up now. Let's sit for a bit and you can take a few breaths." Conlinn said, a look of concern crossing her violet eyes.

Evangeline let Conlinn lead her back into the sunlight and away from the shadowed forest. As soon as she felt the warmth of the sun's rays warm her skin, she felt better.

"You alright there, Eva?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't want to go through there." She said side glancing the woods.

"Why not?"

"What do you mean why not? You said yourself, there are wolves in there."

"No, you were scared before I even mentioned wolves. And by the way, the wolf is just a legend. As far as I know there haven't been any wolves in those woods for over a hundred years. What happened just now?" Conlinn said looking directly into Evangeline's eyes.

Evangeline looked back into the wooded path. It didn't seem so malevolent from the sunlight and she suddenly felt very foolish. "I'm not sure. I just got the overwhelming sense that it would be dangerous. I'm not sure what came over me." Evangeline said not taking her eyes off the path. This was the path that would lead to her family. Even if they didn't know where Edmund and Phoebe were, The Sisters of Tiernan Glen are her family. "Maybe I'm just anxious about what The Sisters will say." Evangeline said shaking her head. When she looked back at Conlinn, she was also looking into the woods, but she seemed to be looking for something. She was scanning the trees, her lips in a thin line of determination and her eyes seemed to have cooled to violet ice.

"Everything alright Conn?"

"Yeah... yeah, everything's fine. Just, uh... stay close will ya? You've gone and given me the willies now." She said, without taking her eyes from the tree line.

Evangeline laughed and linked arms with Conlinn. "Come on silly. We'll be fine."

They walked towards the trees with their heads held high but their eyes shifting from side to side, watching out for the supposed dangers of the wood.

As they walked on, Evangeline began to feel more and more foolish at her initial fear. She marveled at how the early afternoon sun danced through the green leaves and the patterns it made on the path she walked on. She felt more and more at home as she walked further into the woods. And just when her lips began to twitch upwards, Conlinn's arm shot out in front of her and forced her behind her new friend.

"Stay close!" She whispered in a harsh tone that was not meant to be negotiated with. Evangeline did as she was told and peered around Conlinn's bright red hair in the direction her friend was now guarding her from. In some distant part of her mind, Evangeline did find it strange that Conlinn would protect her like this, they had met only a few weeks ago, hardly enough time to take on a wild animal for someone else.

Conlinn had turned towards the north side of the woods with Evangeline at her back. She pulled a dagger from a sheath on her ankle, and Evangeline wondered why she kept such a weapon on her person. "When I say 'go', we run. You understand?"

Evangeline nodded while still peering over Conlinn's shoulder. Then just as she saw a shadow, barely a shadow really, move gracefully but dangerously quickly towards them Conlinn broke the silence: "Go!"

They trampled over the dirt path all the while something could be heard snapping branches in half as it ran alongside them, but it never emerged from the trees. Evangeline thought this was curious but then she suddenly saw sunlight and was blinded.

"Come on!" Conlinn yelled and her pace picked up.

She really is fast! Evangeline said struggling to match Conlinn's pace. Even with her increased speed, Conlinn sped ahead of her and broke through the trees first. When Evangeline emerged from the shade of the branches she found Conlinn doubled over, heaving for breath. Evangeline dropped to her knees and did the same.

"No, come on, we have to walk. If we don't, our legs will lock."

"Give me a sec, huh?" Evangeline said.

"Trust me, you don't want the leg cramps that goes along with that kind of runnin'. At least stand up." Conlinn urged while holding out a hand. Evangeline took her hand without looking up and leaned on Conlinn heavily. When she stood, what little breath she had in her lungs rushed out. The sky seemed more blue than before and it overlooked a lush field that stretched until a sharp drop off and Evangeline could hear the sea crashing on the rocks below. And in the distance, at the end of the continued path, was the cottage. There was a low stone wall surrounding the house and at the path there was a wooden fence that creaked in the sea breeze. Off in the distance she could see a stable and a corral. There were some gray spots off in the distance in the hills that Evangeline realized were sheep. It was all so simple. All so real that it seemed it could only be a dream. Just as she was convincing herself that there could be no way that this could be reality and she would wake up at any moment, the door to the cottage opened.

She watched as an older woman with dark blonde hair and a streak of white on the right side of her head walked through the front yard toward a garden. She had a basket in hand and occasionally would bend and pick something from the plants growing. The wind carried the soft sound of someone humming to Evangeline's ears and the melody comforted her. Her breath returned to normal at the sound of the woman's soft song and for the first time all day, she felt almost happy.

"You ready?" Conlinn asked.

"Absolutely." Evangeline replied as she led the way up the path toward the cottage. The woman was so preoccupied with her herbs she didn't realize the two young women approaching.

"Umm, excuse me?" Evangeline all but whispered. The woman didn't seem to hear her. "Hello?" Evangeline said just a bit louder, she was scared to startle the woman who seemed quite content in her garden.

"Oi! Is this the Donall Cottage?" Conlinn said a bit louder, seeming to lose her patience. Evangeline glared at her from over her shoulder and Conlinn just shrugged in response.

"Oh" she started "I didn't see you there. Aye, this is the Donall Cottage. How can I help you?" The woman said warily.

Now that they were closer, Evangeline saw that the woman had a round face with bright red cheeks and deep crystal blue eyes.

"Oh, well, we were looking for The Donall Sisters. Are they here?"

"Aye, they are. You're lookin' at one as ya speak." She said wiping her hands on her apron and walking to the edge of the gate slowly.

"Oh! Umm, well then... my name is Evangeline Donovan, and I was wondering if I could talk with you and your sister."

"What about dearie?" She responded.

"Phoebe and Edmund Roald." Evangeline responded quickly.

"Ah, heard of the legend have you?" The woman said shuffling back toward her herb garden. "There's not much more that I can tell you. If you've heard the legend, you'd know that no one knows where they went."

"Oh it's not just the legend I've come to talk about I assure you Ma'am. It's just, well..." Evangeline trailed off. Blurting out I'm probably their long lost daughter seemed a bit too blunt and she didn't want to cause the woman to have a fit. She was at a loss as to how to bring it up. She looked to Conlinn who had taken out her pipe and was lighting it. Conlinn tapped her wrist and glanced towards Evangeline's. Evangeline looked down at her cuff and smiled.

"I have this cuff you see, and the jeweler in town, Peter Merrigan -"

"Ah! Dear Peter! I haven't seen that man in ages! How is he faring these days?" The woman said glancing up from her herbs.

"He seems to be quite well, we only just met him last night."

"Good man that Peter. He knows how to make some fine jewelry also! My late husband, Kevin, god rest 'im got me my wedding band from Peter. It was one of his first pieces. Still looks as good as the day I got it."

"He is quite fine at his craft. I know because I have a piece he made." Evangeline said, trying to get the conversation back on track "It was commissioned almost nineteen years ago... by Edmund Roald."

"Come again?" The woman said standing upright, the cheer slowly draining from her face.

"My cuff." Evangeline continued nervously "I've had it since before I can remember and Mr. Merrigan informed me last night that it was paid for by Edmund Roald for his wife." She said holding out her arm. "The marks on the cuff represent the birth trees of their three daughters. They were expecting their third at the time the bracelet was made; the previous two had died you see, or so I was told. Anyway, it's said that you were their kin and the fact of the matter is I was hoping that you knew more of where they were than the legend let on. I was raised in an orphanage you see, in New York -"

"New York? As in America?" The woman interrupted. She had been staring at the cuff, her hands frozen in the process of putting herbs in her basket but at the mention of the orphanage, her eyes found Evangeline's. "Yes Ma'am. I was found on the doorstep by one of the girls that already lived there and she kept the cuff safe for me until I was old enough to keep it safe myself. It's the only connection I have to the people that left me on the doorstep and I was hoping to find them, or at least find out more about them."

The woman kept staring at Evangeline, without saying a word. Her eyes roamed over Evangeline's face as if she were searching for something. Minutes passed in silence and just as Evangeline was about to apologize and take her leave another voice rang out.

"Oi! What's all this? Who're you?" Another older woman who looked very similar to the woman clutching the herb basket was coming closer. She had a basket of her own over her arm and a walking stick in the opposite hand. She looked from Conlinn and Evangeline to the woman behind the gate.

The woman behind the gate looked at the newcomer with a blank stare. "What are you saying to my sister?" The newcomer demanded of Conlinn and Evangeline while walking briskly around them and through the gate. "We never come through to bother any of you! Why can't you all just let us be! Who are you? What do you want with us?" She asked angrily.

"Please, we only came to ask a few questions," Evangeline explained, terrified that she had somehow made a terrible mistake. "I've traveled from New York and I have this bracelet and it seems to be connected to someone I'm under the impression that you once knew. I've only just finished explaining -"

"Hush child! What was that Lucy?" The new woman had her arm around her sister and had started leading her toward the cottage door when she had mumbled something.

"She got past CharIie. She's Edmund's daughter Tildy. The baby. She's come home..." The first woman said a little louder. She picked up her head and for the first time both women were looking at Evangeline right in the eye.

As if given a hidden cue, they both started toward the gate and came around. They stood facing Evangline and staring at her intently.

"She looks an awful lot like both of them." The first one started.

"Her eyes, most certainly."

"His mouth."

"Her stature."

"She could be..."

"It's possible, I guess..."

Evangeline looked from one to the other with a nervous glance.

"You say you came from New York?" The second woman, Tildy, asked as both she and her sister turned and walked back behind the gate clumsily. Tildy's eyes bore into Evangeline's.

Evangeline returned her intense stare and did not look away. "Yes. I was raised in an orphanage. No one was seen leaving me, I was left on the doorstep. No letter, just bundled up in a few blankets. The girl who was living there already found the bracelet with me and kept it safe until I was old enough to take care of it myself."

"Bracelet?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I've explained to your... sister, right? There was a cuff left with me and I've spoken to Mr. Merrigan, the jeweler in town. He said he had it made for Edmund Roald right before I was born."

There was a heavy silence as the four women stared back and forth at each other. Lucy and Tildy could not keep their eyes off of Evangeline.

"Ok, before we go any further into this, how about we move the talk inside. It's much warmer in the house and that way we can all sit down and my sister and I can process all this good and proper and we can try and answer any questions you might have." The second woman suggested.

"That would be wonderful. If it's no trouble of course." Evangeline said a bit dizzy herself by the sudden turn of events. She had been sure they were going to turn her away and tell her that the legend was just a fairy tale.

"Child, we make it a habit to avoid trouble at every turn. Just come in, come in." The second woman said holding open the gate. "I'm Matilda Donall by the by. And this is my sister Lucia Donall. For the sake of sanity, it'd be best for you to call us Tildy and Lucy. We've had guests call us both Mrs. Donall at the same time and it can be quite confusing."

"Thank you Tildy. I do appreciate it. My name is Evangeline Donovan and my companion here is Conlinn Kerrigan."

"I see." Tildy said eyeing Conlinn for the first time. "Well, pleased to meet you both. Now let's go sit and talk all of this over."

They entered the cottage behind the two sisters and immediately Evangeline realized that she had been chilly outside. The inside was warm and comfortable. The walls were made of white stone and it seemed much bigger than the outside depicted. The Sisters had a spinning wheel near the door and two rocking chairs near the fireplace to the right. The kitchen was to the left and directly next to the door there was a hutch with a china tea set neatly displayed. The table had four chairs around it and everything seemed to have it's own place. Just to the right of the wood burning stove was a doorway with a staircase leading upwards. Evangeline glanced upwards and saw a loft above her and she could just see the ends of two beds peeking over the side. She was charmed with the house and felt comfortable even though she had just walked in the door.

"Tea, Sweetling?" Tildy asked as she stoked a flame from the embers in the fireplace. She had set Lucy in the rocking chair and placed a patchwork quilt over her legs. She still hadn't said a word and now seemed to be staring off into space.

"Oh no, thank you. Tea always makes me more thirsty." She said.

"Oh of course! You've must have walked quite a ways haven't you? How silly of me! Water, then? I fetched it fresh from the well this morning and sweetened it with some lavender and cucumbers from the garden. Most refreshing drink you'll ever had, I promise ya that."

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." Evangeline answered while smiling. Tildy then looked at Conlinn.

"I'm fine, thank ya Ma'am." Conlinn said answering the unasked question.

Tildy nodded once and busied herself taking a couple of glasses from the cabinet in the hutch she poured two glasses from a ceramic pitcher that was sitting on the table.

"So" said Tildy as she sat down, bringing a tray of glasses of water over to everyone before sitting down herself "you want to know about Edmund and Phoebe." Lucy looked toward her sister with misty eyes.

"Yes" Evangeline said breathlessly, her heart hammering in her chest. She was about to hear about her parents. "I do."

Tildy smiled. "Well the legends are true.. and not true. Phoebe and Edmund were great nobility. Edmund was our nephew. They met when they were young, probably around your age, and they were instantly taken with each other. Phoebe was exceptionally beautiful, inside and out. She had a warmth that shown through her, as though it were an inner light. Edmund was similar. His laugh could warm you to the bone. They were perfect for each other. We were so glad for him when he married her. We knew he had found his true match in life. We were so glad to welcome her as our niece. They did, in fact, have two daughters before you. Their first daughter, Treasia, was born barely a year after they were married. She was a beautiful baby. Dreadfully smart for an infant. She was so serious, studying every one and everything around her. She walked at 4 months, something that we had never heard of before. Edmund was so proud! They had Gwendolyn a year later. She was such a cheerful, lovely baby. Her giggle was a mini verson of Edmund's. They had you last, two years later, and unfortunately my sweetling, we did not ever get to meet you, as you were born in America. We heard of your birth, not long before we heard of your parent's deaths-"

"Their what?" Evangeline gasped. She felt a tug at her heart. She had thought they could be dead all along, but she had always held the small hope close to her heart that maybe they were not. That maybe she would see them one day. In one fell swoop, that hope had been dashed. She felt her eyes begin to burn.

Tildy's face softened. She reached out and placed her hand softly on Evangeline's knee.

"I'm so sorry child. I assumed that you had known. I should have thought before I spoke." she said gently, looking down at the floor.

"No-" Evangeline said throatily, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I did always think there was a chance that they were. But I also thought there was a chance that they weren't."

Lucy cried softly on Evangeline's other side.

"It was a terrible time for our family. Terrible. We had just received word of your birth a week earlier. We were overjoyed for them. They had known so much heartache for such a young couple. They deserved all the happiness in the world. We saw your birth as a new start for them, for all of us. Then to hear so soon after your birth that they had been lost and that you were nowhere to be found... well you can imagine. We were broken for quite some time." She said wiping tears away from her face, and moving her chair closer to Evangeline.

Evangeline had begun to calm down. As she wiped her tears with the handkerchief handed to her by Tildy she took Conlinn said.a deep steadying breath.

"My sisters were lost in infancy then?" she asked looking from Tildy to Lucy.

The sisters exchanged a dark, pointed glance.

"Well... yes." Lucy said uncertainly. She looked at Tildy beseechingly.

Tildy gulped and moved her chair closer to Evangeline.

"There's.. more dear." She said.

In the corner of her eye, Evangeline saw Conlinn straighten up in her chair, expectantly.

"More?" She said.

"Yes, more to the story of your parents.. of your sisters.. of our family." Tildy said carefully. She looked at Lucy with a grimace. "We are the royal family of the faery kingdom Rosainne." she said tenatively. The room was quiet. When Evangeline didn't react, Tildy continued.

"Your parents were the King and Queen." she said, eyeing Evangeline. "One night, there was talk of an attack, on your mother's sister, your Aunt Aoife's kingdom, Fainox. Your parents rushed to her side. When they had been gone longer than expected, your mother's dear friend Sorcha raced to find them. She was attacked and killed. She was also the wife of Duff Cary, your father's closest friend. Duff was your father's second in command. He blamed your parent's for his wife's death. He had a tenuous blood claim to the throne himself, and in his rage, exiled them from the kingdom. Treasia was still in the castle when your parents were banned from it, a mere babe of a year. She was killed." Tildy's voice trembled on the last word. Evangeline's head snapped upward. When she still didn't speak, Tildy continued.

"Your mother was pregnant with Gwendolyn at the time. They came here to live with us then. Phoebe had the baby, whom we all called Gwen. They lived here happily for almost 2 years. Then one night, we were attacked. Lucy was almost killed" Tildy said, looking over to Lucy who's eyes were closed. She was trembling. "Your parents felt that their presence was putting us in danger. They felt that they were a danger to anyone near them. To them it was only a matter of time before Duff and his forces found and killed them, and anyone with them. He had already killed poor Treasia. What was one more innocent child? They felt she would never be safe, simply by being their daughter. They brought her to a neighboring kingdom, and placed her with a noble but simple family. Phoebe had been close to the wife in her childhood. We watched from afar, through news, of Gwen's childhood. We thought for a time that Gwen would truly be safe. Alas, the castle that she was living in was raided, by "rogue forces"-pish tosh, as far as we knew. We knew that it was Duff's forces seeking out the girl. She was a young girl of 7 by that time. She was lost in the fire of the castle. In the meantime, before Gwen was lost, Phoebe and Edmund moved to America to distance themselves as far as possible from Ireland and the Faery Realm. Your mother left, not knowing that she was carrying you in her belly. When we got the news that she was expecting you, we were overjoyed. When we were sent word of your birth, oh how we celebrated! To hear, a mere fortnight later that you were all gone... well as I said, it more than broke our hearts. It was if our very souls were torn in two. To see you standing before us child... it's a miracle."

There was a heavy silence in the room. Evangeline glanced at the women in front of her. Lucy was looking at her with tears in her eyes, her mouth a thin line, holding back her cries. Tildy was staring at her with moist eyes as well, with a look of sadness on her face. As she glanced over at Conlinn, she saw her friend staring back at her nervously.

"I cannot believe you would do this to me." Evangeline said roughly. She abruptly rose from her chair and ran to the door, throwing it wide open. She ran out into the sunlight.

Tildy jumped up in shock "Oh dear! I've said too much-"

"We have to stop her!" Lucy said anxiously. Conlinn strode quickly to the door. She looked over her shoulder as she went through the doorway.

"I'll get her back. Don't worry." She said. Conlinn ran as fast as she could, and easily caught up with Evangeline at the edge of the forest. She reached out to grasp her wrist. Evangeline pulled her arm back and whirled around.

"How dare you!? I trusted you! How dare you bring me here, to torment these fragile women. These poor women who have suffered so much in their lives. They've suffered so much that it's broken them! Fairies! Fairy kingdoms, Fairy Kings, Fairy Queens. They're mad with grief. You bring me here, with no warning and you knew! You knew-" Conlinn opened her mouth to speak"- don't stand there and tell me otherwise Conlinn Kerrigan! You knew, I knew from the moment I saw your face. Now I have to not only deal with the fact that my family was brutally torn apart, and is almost completely gone but that the only family that I do have left, has completely lost their minds!" she said, with a crushing wail. "I wanted to know. I wanted to. But I didn't want to know this. I didn't want to know this." She said as deep sobs began in her throat. She brought her hands to her face as she began to cry harder. She sank to her knees as Conlinn crept closer to her. She cried into her hands; her wails strangling in her throat. Conlinn knelt next to her and lightly put her arm around her. Evangeline turned into her, putting her face on her shoulder. She cried harder. She was grieving not only for herself, but for the family that she never knew, the family that would never know her. She cried for the women inside who were mere shells of themselves.

"If I had told you... If I had told you all of this, everythin' from your parents, to your sisters... would you have believed me? Or would you have thought me as mad as hare too? Evangeline, in the short time that I've known you, I've learned a lot about you. You are a person who needs to see things for herself. You are a person who needs to experience things to believe them. I knew that the only way that you would accept any of this as real, is if you heard it from them, yourself." Evangeline continued to sob into Conlinn's shoulder. Conlinn squeezed her shoulder and lightly rubbed her back, whispering "shhh, shhh" into her ear. They sat that way for a few minutes. Evangeline's cries began to subside.

"They're not mad Eva." Conlinn whispered. "Look," she said.

Evangeline slowly opened her eyes and gasped. She was face to face with the most terrifying creature she had ever seen. The fur was as black as coal, and it was the size of 2 full grown bears. His fur was full and curly. His eyes were a bright and fiery red. Evangeline started to scramble backward, and felt Conlinn's hands tighten around her shoulders.

"He's a custengel. He's only to be feared by those with evil intentions. You don't have an evil bone in your body. If I'm guessing right, he's the guardian of Donall Cottage, which means, he's your guardian too," she said, eyeing Evangeline's reaction. Evangeline stared at the creature with wide eyes. He was sitting on his hind legs, as if he were a gigantic wolf.

"The wolf... the wolf of the forest..." Evangeline whispered to herself. She looked at Conlinn questioningly. Conlinn slowly loosened her grip on Evangeline's shoulders.

"Aye, he's what the local legends are based on. I've always found it ironic that they look so intimidating because although you never want to be on the bad side of one, all the custengels that I've ever known have been as gentle and playful as newborn pups," she said. "This one's name is Charlie. He's guarded your aunts' cottage for... quite a long time. He's the most gentle of them all. He especially can't stand crying." She said, as Evangeline edged closer to him her hand slightly outstretched. She eyed the beast warily as she got closer to him. When she was within a foot or so, he quickly bridged the gap and sloppily licked the side of her face with his gigantic tongue, licking away her tears. Conlinn sucked in an anxious breath.

"A gigantic, fearsome, fantastical creature, and the best that anyone could come up with is Charlie?" She laughed as she pet the side of Charlie's face.