Heirs of Merlin: The Hidden Princess and the Tree of Life

Chapter 1

Aunt Valeria was weird. Samantha, Alex and Lana could all agree on that. Samantha, almost 15 years old, liked to think – at least sometimes – that she was too old for her silliness. On the other hand, her younger brother and sister – both still little kids at eleven and seven, respectively – absolutely adored her, quirks and all.

She saw "magic" everywhere. She'd talk to trees and leave cookies for faeries. She also told the most fantastical stories they had ever heard. Samantha had thought for the longest time that she should write a book series and become a millionaire with the sales. But Aunt Valeria always brushed it off. "Maybe someday," she'd say.

Still, none of the three siblings had been too thrilled when their father Luis had told them that they'd be spending the summer vacation at her house in the middle of nowhere. All their friends were in the city. Adults never understood how difficult it was to keep in touch with only letters and phone calls. They complained about the phone bills too much too.

They also knew that the reason they were shipped off was that Dad wanted to spend time alone with Uncle Thomas. Thomas wasn't really their uncle, although he always insisted they call him so. He was a close friend of their father who lived just next door. That was, when he wasn't staying over.

~*~*~

First, they had driven through countryside for two days. Then they had turned into a dirt road barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other that ran through a vibrant forest. And finally, the forest had given way to a meadow with grass growing wild and tall.

"Sam! Alex! Look, look!" Lana hollered from the window seat when a huge house – it could even be called a mansion – came to view. It was two stories high – not counting the attic - and at least three times as wide, with walls of dark brown wood and a gray-tiled, slanted roof.

"That's...pretty cool," Samantha admitted.

Thomas turned on his seat to address the trio in the back. "That's where your dad grew up. I bet all his old stuff is still there."

"Really?" Thomas talking to him made Alex put down his Game Boy and focus on the house they were getting closer to every second. Unlike Samantha, he barely remembered their mother, and Thomas had filled that empty spot in his life. Alex admired him a lot too. He was both brave and gentle, and his motto was that the real measure of a man was how well he treated others.

Aunt Valeria was already waiting for them at the front door. The middle-aged Latina woman was a little on the plump side, no doubt because she was a great cook and loved good homemade food. She always scoffed at diet ads and super-thin models, saying that a woman could be attractive – and healthy - without looking like she was starving herself.

"Good to see you, sister," Luis greeted her with a smile as he stepped out of the car. "And sorry about the sudden notice."

"Don't be silly! Your family is my family too. You're always welcome."

"Hi, Aunt Valeria!" Lana piped in.

"Oh, my angel!" Valeria swooped the little girl up and gave her a big, big kiss. "I'm so glad to see you!" Then she looked at the other children with her usual beaming, motherly smile. "Samantha. Alex. You have grown so much too."

Alex silently prayed that he had grown enough in her eyes to avoid that greeting. It was embarrassing. Especially with Dad and Uncle Tom watching.

Next, she focused on the four-legged member of their family that Thomas had just let out of the back of the car. Fluffy, an American Eskimo Dog that had joined their family soon after Lana had been born, instantly took his place at the girl's side.

Valeria smiled as the dog looked at her with deep black, intelligent eyes. "Good to see you too."

Luis smiled too. "He's been a great guard. Never leaves the kids alone. But I do wish he wouldn't try to share my meals all the time."

"Can you blame him?" Valeria teased him. "I'm certain your food looks much more appetizing."

He laughed. "I'm sure it does. But it's still mine." Then he turned more serious. "It would be nice to chat and catch up, but we are in a hurry, so do you mind if...?"

"Not at all!" Valeria waved him off. "Get going already! We'll be fine."

Thomas unloaded the last of the children's suitcases from the car. "We'll be back before the end of the month. Maybe sooner." He petted Fluffy's head. "Please watch over them for us."

Fluffy barked like saying "Yes, boss!" and wagged his tail.

Alex tried one more time to plead that they'd take him with them, but their father firmly refused. Samantha just said a disinterested "bye", and Lana gave both Luis and Thomas a long hug before returning to Valeria's side.

"This isn't fair!" Alex complained once the departing car was out of sight. "If they're going to a road trip, I want to go too."

Samantha smacked him upside the head. "Do you really want to watch them being all lovey-dovey?"

She was happy that Dad had found someone with Mom gone, but it was still a little weird. In TV, gay people were either comic side characters or downright crazy. Nothing like Dad or Thomas. If anyone at school knew actual gay couples, they kept their silence. So she did too. Uncle Thomas was just a family friend as far as anyone knew.

"Now, now, I promise there's plenty of interesting things to see here too," Valeria stepped in. "And you'll have some great adventures in the woods. Maybe you'll even see some faeries or magical beasts. I could introduce you to the dryad of the weeping willow by the lake too. Oh, and the home gnome who has lived here ever since my great-great-grandfather built this house. And how about..."

Neither Alex nor Samantha believed a word shewas saying, but there could really be some interesting stuff in this old house.