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She did not know what to do. Her loved ones were dying all around her and no matter what she did, the grim reaper would not go away. Her heart was about to give out; she knew that it wasn’t able to deal with such extraordinary pain in such a small amount of time.

Lady Vivienne no longer mattered. Molly would kill her for what she had just done. She had tried to willfully murder Collin, but Branden had gotten in her way. The woman needed to be stopped before she took more innocent lives.

“Lachlan, what are you doing? We must find a way to take Branden’s body back to Ardara, the Elves there may know of some way to…” Molly forced the words out of her mouth even though her entire being bucked against it.

“Have ye forgotten everything that Lord Merlin ever taught ye? There are ways to trick evil. Many ways, that only the purest of souls are ever able to master. “ Lachlan sprinkled his leprechaun dust on Branden, and then waited while he began whistling. “Molly, you’d better thank your lucky rainbow that I came along with you. It seems I was meant to run into you when I was running away from Morganna,” he continued, whistling his heartbreaking Irish Ballad.

“Lachlan, I do not understand you. I can’t fathom how you can stand there so unaffected by what has just transpired. Get control of yourself, man! Branden has died; this is no time for the whistling of an Irish Ballad. “

“Ye need to listen to me, lass, and take in the words that I say. “ Lachlan jumped up into the air, and dived toward Branden’s still body.

Just as he was about to connect with Branden’s dead body, the body simply vanished.

“I reckoned that would happen. Ah, I’m almost too good. “ Lachlan gave her a smug grin, and sat cross-legged on the ground, with his arms folded arrogantly in front of him.

“Lachlan, you are speaking gibberish again,” Molly pointed out.

“The ancient trick did exactly what Branden wanted it to do. It snapped Lady Vivienne out of her brainwashed haze. He’s a clever one, he is. He has my undying admiration for that little trick…I used to think I was the king of all tricks, but I’ll have to stand down from my throne. “

“Then where is Branden?” Adria demanded, searching the grounds around the lake for him.

“Oh, he’s somewhere around here. Elves can’t be killed easily, especially when they are Elves from Ardara. I’ve seen Ardarian Elves cheat death on more than one occasion. And every single time, they think of a different way of showing off. He’s more than likely hovering around LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 126

us invisible. They have a knack for becoming invisible. Ye wouldn’t even be able to hear them breathing, or feel their presence. Like I said, they are very powerful creatures. “

Lady Vivienne let out a startled gasp mixed with disbelief and outrage. Molly and the others stared up at her, and watched as silvery glowing Elvin rope twined around her midsection, and then wrapped itself around her hands and her feet. Lady Vivienne wouldn’t be able to wreak any more havoc. Elvin rope was impenetrable. No one, but another elf, could untie her. Well, now Molly knew where Branden was. She watched as two feet, followed by a set of green-garbed legs appeared, and then in a flash of light, the rest of Branden’s body followed.

“You scared me out of my wits,” Adria shouted. Branden grinned.

“Thanks for the concern, love,” he said, tugging on the rope that held Lady Vivienne captive. “Come along, Lady Vivienne. Until I know for certain that you still don’t harbor any misbegotten feelings passed onto you by Lord Cardan, I’ll keep you safely tied up. “

“As you should, Prince Branden,” Vivienne relented. “I would have it no other way. “

“Where are you taking Lady Vivienne?” Molly asked, curiously inspecting the woman.

She seemed to have truly turned back into her old self, but Molly had been duped once, and she would not fall for the same trick twice.

“Back to Tintagel, if it meets your approval,” Branden replied. The rope magically lengthened as he levitated Lady Vivienne up onto his horse. He swung up behind her, and reached for the reigns.

“Aye, of course it does,” Molly murmured, not quite believing what had conspired that night. She needed to get back to Tintagel, and take a long hot bath.

“We shall bid you a goodnight now,” Lady Bell said, staring up in concern at Lady Vivienne. “I do not think she truly meant to do any of the wicked things she did. “

“Nay, I do not think she did,” Molly agreed. Lady Bell smiled at her.

“There is a great battle brewing. Our seers tell us that many losses will be suffered.

When the time comes, you may be assured that we water faeries shall be there to support you in your fight against Lord Cardan. But for now, may the grace of the Goddess be with you. “ Lady Bell lifted her hand in farewell, and then vanished, as did the other water faeries.

“Let’s get a move on, back to Tintagel. “ Her words sounded hollow, and her eyes were fighting back stinging tears. She swung up onto Wind Spirit, and kept her eye closely trained on Collin. She didn’t want to let him out of her sight. Far too much depended upon him surviving.

“Are you okay?” Collin asked her for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

“Aye,” she whispered, looking away. For the moment, she couldn’t meet his penetrating gaze. His eyes would bore into her, and be able to tell that she was not telling the truth. For possessing no magic of any kind, Collin was far too perceptive for his own good.

She nudged Wind Spirit with her heels and they tore away from the Lake toward home.

Tintagel. Tintagel harbored its own magic. Some said that it was enchanted, and they would actually be speaking the God’s honest truth. She knew for a fact that Tintagel was filled with Faerie magic. For it had been enchanted by Merlin himself.

Though they had too many people to support, since Lachlan didn’t seem in any hurry to send his army back to Ireland, they would simply have to make do with what they had.

Tintagel would no doubt magically grow to hold the many inhabitants it would soon be accommodating. She just prayed that no mortal would notice how it had managed to hold so many people.

As they rode into the castle courtyard, Molly could hear cackles of delight, and some sort of chanting. Unless her ears betrayed her, she could have sworn that they chanted, “Kill the LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 127

whore! Kill the whore!” Whatever were they going on about? She swallowed. Foreboding yet again plagued her being. Why couldn’t she just have some time to relax?

Confusion slowly turned to clarity. Someone was preparing a stake and heaping wood around it. Her stomach churned as she tried to grasp the situation. Who was planning such a barbaric act?

Several women dragged Gwen to the stake by her hair. Molly winced and dropped down from Wind Spirit. She had known that nothing good would come of switching Gwen and Elyzabel, and now it looked as if everything was about to explode right in her face.

A scantily clad Lancelot came rushing out of the castle, with his sword brandished in his right hand, though he was limping. It didn’t take Molly long to figure out why the enraged mob was calling Gwen a whore. The only good that had come out of Elyzabel’s lust for Lancelot was the fact that he was now awake. No one had thought to rouse him the way Elyzabel had. The only mistake she made was to seduce Lancelot while inhabiting Gwen’s body.

Wonderful. This was just what she needed. The randy knight seducing the King’s wife.

Great. She wouldn’t be getting Gwen, or rather Elyzabel, out of this one very easily. The hour was late; why hadn’t people retired to their own beds?

Molly’s legs nearly gave way beneath her, when she finally recognized the woman in front of the mob. She seemed to be the instigator.

“Gwen,” Molly muttered. Okay, now she was definitely going to wring Gwen’s pretty little neck.

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Molly dashed toward Gwen, for she still thought of her as being Gwen even though her spirit now inhabited Lady Elyzabel’s body.

“What do you think you are doing?” she hissed, gripping Gwen’s wrist, and pulling her toward her. Gwen widened her eyes innocently. “Oh, don’t you dare play that trick with me…I know you, Gwen. I know you concocted this whole damn thing. In this matter, you are about as innocent as a London whore. “

“Language, Molly. What would your father think?”

“He would bloody well think that you were off your bloody rocker. Didn’t you hear about his ban on burnings at the stake? You are breaking one of his most sacred rules! You really need to get a grip, Gwen!”

“I am burning the whore. I went in to see how Lancelot was faring, and I found the rutting pig and my cousin in a most shocking position. I will not tolerate such sin in my household! It is not to be borne! She has sullied my body!” Gwen’s voice was tinged with vehemence, and even Molly was shocked by the strength of it. Gwen’s intolerance permeated the air, and had riled the mob into a fervor that would not be easily quenched.

“Elyzabel,” she said, using the name that Gwen was now for all intents and purposes known as. “Release Gwen, and cease this madness at once. You have stirred the passions of the crowd. I’ve had enough…you talk the crowd down or I’m going to do something you won’t like.” Molly’s throat went dry as they thrust Elyzabel up against the wooden post and began tying her up. She had precious little time to spare. “Listen to me, Gwen. I’m not open to stalling while Elyzabel starts cooking,” she said, lowering her voice so that no one would be able to overhear.

“You do not tell me what to do,” Gwen hissed, her blue eyes filling with a maniacal gleam; that shocked Molly straight down to her toes. “I am your stepmother…I am the one in authority here!”

“I will not allow you to do this, Gwen. You may be my stepmother, but I am my own woman…you have no authority over me anymore. In case no one has taken the liberty to inform you, my father is dead. And with his passing that makes me…” Molly nearly choked on the tears, but couldn’t quite keep her feelings of satisfaction toned down when she noticed Gwen become quite pale. She couldn’t say that made her the High Queen of Britain. She just couldn’t.

It had never been a role that she had ever aspired for…and now…she definitely didn’t want it.

“Nonsense,” Gwen’s voice choked up; her eyes darted behind Molly, obviously seeking out Arthur.

“He will not come, and even if my father were able to be here, he wouldn’t condone the actions you are taking. You have broken one of his laws! He would forgive you anything.

Even, I suspect, this most heinous crime, if you begged him enough, and once he found out that it wasn’t even you in Lancelot’s bed, he would be even more willing to forgive and forget. But even though my father might forgive you…he would not condone this…he would have already put an end to it!”

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“They weren’t in bed,” Gwen’s voice had become dull. “They were on the bearskin rug on the floor. “

Molly wasn’t surprised by that admission though she didn’t see the relevance. Why was Gwen so concerned about Lancelot anyway? If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought Gwen had feelings for Lancelot herself.

“You must put this behind you. So they did the hankie panky. No harm done. Well, not really,” Molly muttered. “Of course that image of them going at it like rabbits, might be burned into your mind, but given time you can get over it. “

“I cannot. She did that reprehensible act in my body. She has always wanted to be better than me. From the first moment my mother sent her to be one of my ladies, I knew what Elyzabel was plotting. Elyzabel has always been insanely jealous of me. She’s always taken what is mine. She has been hankering after Arthur for quite some time, but bless the man, he’s as honorable and true as everyone believes him to be. Despite her advances, and his lack of love for me, he stayed faithful until the very end. So, when this ‘accident’ happened to us, she did the only other thing that she could think of to ruin me. She destroyed every sense of moral respect I could ever command. She lowered me to the ranks of an adulteress. I shall not tolerate her blatant slandering of me. I no longer want my body. As far as I’m concerned it is dirty. “

“And you think that Elyzabel’s body is much cleaner?” Molly scoffed, shaking her head.

“Aye. Elyzabel always knew that she would be worth nothing as a bride if she sacrificed her maidenhood. She had ways of protecting it…ways I cannot speak of!”

Molly could not believe what she was hearing. They were facing the most powerful dark wizard of their age, and yet Gwen was seeking revenge against her own cousin. In the grand scheme of things, this seemed fairly petty. Didn’t Gwen realize that she had an evil twin lurking in the shadows, waiting to bring them all to their doom?

“Then you feel nothing for my father? You never wish to return to his bed or his life?

Gwen, think of what you will be giving up…as Elyzabel you will no longer be…” Gwen gave her an intent stare. She was still referring to her father in the present tense when she had just told Gwen that Arthur was dead.

“Nay. Your father has never loved me. He has been kind and sympathetic toward me, but we have never achieved that burning passionate love that he has for your mother. And besides, this is irrelevant, now. You said so yourself that your father had…shed his earthly body.

In this, I shall have my satisfaction of knowing that Elyzabel will not steal my place as the High Queen of all of Britain. “

Molly stared at Gwen dumbly. She couldn’t believe her ears. Gwen definitely was a real piece of work.

“Do not deny it, Molly. I am not as ignorant as everyone suspects me to be. I would like to spend the rest of my days as a Bride of Christ, if they will have me at Glastonbury Abbey. “