Sholeh shrugged. “I suppose you are right,” she said. Then, “So you have twins! Did you bring them?”

“We left them at the castle with their nurses. They are yet too young to travel,” Lara said. “But the others are with us. Dillon goes to Prince Kaliq in a few weeks for training. His magic is growing of itself.”

“You were wise to take Dillon and Anoush to Terah when you did,” Sholeh said. “Our folk are not used to magic, and find it difficult to accept.”

Lara knew that Sholeh was right. After all she had done for the clan families she had hoped they would be less suspicious of her. But many, despite their kind words, were not. It was their nature, she supposed, and it could not be helped.

Dillon and Liam’s sons were playing with a ball in the meadow. Anoush was helping Noss add more food to the feast tables and Zagiri was helping with little Mildri, who was now walking and chattering away. Zagiri seemed to love the New Outlands even as her older siblings did. It was the freedom to run and play in the sunlight, Lara realized. At the castle the children were mostly confined to a small garden except when they rode.

The whole day long the Fiacre ate, drank and played games in the meadow. There was music and dancing as the day began to come to a close. Shy at first of the Dominus, the women grew less so as he insisted on dancing with as many of them as he could. Lara laughed watching him, but then joined the circle herself to dance with the men of the clan family. Soon the children were emulating their elders in their own dance. Then as the darkness fell the sky was filled with flying stars and everyone stopped to watch the beautiful display as the fires grew dim. And then it was over and they gratefully found their beds.

In the morning, Lara and the Dominus returned to the castle. The children were still tired and Lara was anxious to see her twins. Since their birth she had come to honestly love them both. Taj was a sturdy infant with a serious demeanor. He was, Lady Persis insisted, very much like his father at that age.

“As I cannot remember,” Magnus said with a wry grin, “I cannot dispute it.”

Marzina for all her hot temper adored her mother with an almost slavish devotion. Taj was the only other person with whom she would willingly share Lara. When any of her three older siblings came into proximity with their mother Marzina would begin to whine softly, sometimes so low that it could almost not be heard. But the look on her baby face was one of jealousy, plain and simple.

When Lara saw it she would scold the little one. “Mama has other children, too, Marzina,” she would say. Having gained her mother’s attention Marzina would break into a smile and then laugh.

As for the Dominus, Magnus Hauk loved all his daughters devotedly, Anoush among them, which pleased Lara.

The time was drawing near for Dillon’s departure. Lara had thought to take her son to Shunnar herself, but Prince Kaliq himself arrived on the appointed day to escort his new pupil.

“I thought it better that Dillon bid you all farewell here,” he told them.

“Will Cirillo be there when we arrive, my lord?” Dillon asked excitedly.

“Your uncle will not come for several months,” Kaliq explained. “He has magic, and has lived with it his whole life, Dillon. You will need to get use to living with magic. When you have then Prince Cirillo will join us. But you will have Og as a friend and Amir is waiting for you. And we will have many adventures as I teach you all about the world of magic, my son.”

“Will you teach me about magic one day?” Anoush asked the prince.

“Perhaps,” Kaliq answered her with a smile. “Now before we go I must tell you of Hetar and what has happened in the last months.”

“Yes,” Lara said. “I would know. They are not planning any more invasions, are they? I shall be most put out with them if they are.”

The prince laughed. “Nay, my love, they have far too much to do right now in Hetar to consider entering another land without an invitation. As you know Vilia delivered a son for Jonah. Egon is the light of his mother’s life right now. The elections for a more representative High Council have been put off until next spring. The magnates believe that they can stop the women if they hold them off long enough but of course all they are doing is making Gillian and her party stronger. They have, however, bribed Lady Farah lavishly and she is attempting to work her influence upon the women of the Pleasure Guilds. Sadly, she has not the respect of her constituents. The magnates have yet to learn that. They believe because their influence got her elected to her position that she will be able to wield her power as did Lady Gillian. Of course, she cannot. The Pleasure Mistresses and the Pleasure Women will give her lip service and then do as they please. Lady Gillian is not about to back down. They will get a number of their women elected to this new council but it will not be called High. It will be called the Hetarian Council. The High Council will remain as it has always been with two representatives from each of the provinces. With the Outlands added to Hetar that will mean a total of ten. And the Hetarian Council will also have ten members.”

“What happens if their votes cancel each other out?” the Dominus wanted to know. “How will they break a tie?”

“The head of the High Council will toss a coin and they will leave it to chance,” the prince told them. “Since the High Council head rotates with each term it simply becomes a matter of bringing hard matters up for a vote when you know you can get them passed. With women on both of the councils, common sense should prevail.” He looked to Magnus Hauk. “And what of Terah and your own High Council?” he asked quietly. “You cannot allow Hetar to get ahead of you.”

“We will be moving ahead in the Icy Season, when the children are well settled into their schooling with Master Bashkar. Lara and I will visit the villages along each of the fjords to explain to them our concept for a governing body. By the time Taj is grown it will have long been in place and will not seem as strange to him as it does to me. We will ask for four representatives from each fjord for a total of twenty-eight members. As Dominus I will vote to break any ties should they arise.”

The prince nodded. “Then I will leave you. Bid your mother farewell, Dillon.”

The boy flew into his mother’s arms and she wrapped him tightly in her embrace. “Remember who you are,” she said. “You are Dillon, son of Vartan, lord of the Fiacre, and Lara, Domina of Terah. Your blood is noble and brave and faerie. Listen to the prince and his brothers. You will learn so very much from them. More than I, my son. But most of all, remember that I love you. That your stepfather and your family love you. Love is so important, Dillon. Without it we wither, both mortal and faerie. Without it the darkness creeps into our souls. But that will not happen to you for you are so dearly loved, my son, and you are filled with the light.” She kissed him on both his rosy cheeks and quickly on his lips. Then she said, “Before you go I have a gift for you, my son.” And she brought her walking staff forward. “Verica is now your companion as he was once mine. He wishes to accompany you, for my life has become too dull for him.”

“Indeed it has,” Verica’s ancient voice agreed. “I spend more time in a corner now than on fine long walks, and ’tis no way for a creature like me to live. At least with you, young Dillon, I shall be able to go adventuring once again and escape all this domesticity.”

They all laughed at Verica’s comments, then Lara said, “Make us proud, Dillon.”

Dillon looked up at Lara, his father’s blue eyes shining with happiness. He took Verica from her. “I will make you all proud, Mother,” he promised her. Then gently extracting himself from her arms he went to his stepfather. “Will you give me your blessing, Magnus Hauk?” he asked and he knelt before the Dominus.

Magnus placed both of his hands upon his stepson’s dark head. “You have my blessing, my son,” he told Dillon. “Go with it and return to us when you can. We will all miss you, but like your mother you have a destiny to follow.” He raised the boy up and kissed him on both cheeks.

Dillon then stopped before Anoush. “Be patient with our parents,” he told her softly and Anoush smiled.

“Indeed, young mistress,” Verica put in. “Do not try them too greatly. Your mother is a very wise faerie. Listen to her, I pray you.”

“I think I have gotten better,” Anoush said. “But then you have always been here to remind me of my faults, Big Brother. And Verica, as well.” She patted the staff’s head.

“But now you are the big sister and you must set the example for Zagiri and the little ones. I will think of you often, Anoush,” he told her. And then Vartan’s children embraced tenderly, tears in their eyes, for they had never before been separated.

Dillon knelt before little Zagiri.

“I do not want you to go,” Zagiri said, pouting.

“But I want to go,” Dillon told her.

“Don’t you like us?” Zagiri asked.

“I love you with all my heart,” the boy said. “But I have inherited magic and magic must be taught and nurtured by magic, Zagiri. It is a great honor to be taught by the Shadow Princes. When you are older, you will understand that.”

“Will you come back to us, Dillon?” Zagiri wanted to know.

“I will come back,” he said.

“When?” she demanded.

“One day,” he told her and kissing her gently he stood up. He stopped before the nursemaids to hold his youngest siblings. He kissed them each, smiling at Taj. “Be strong, my brother,” he said. Then he kissed Marzina, chucking her beneath her fat chin. “Be good, my little sister,” he said and she favored him with a smile. Dillon turned now and walked over to the prince. He bowed formally. “I am ready now, my lord.” His fist clutched Verica tightly.