"It is as my dream," Lisa says as she looks around at the desolation around her. Dead remained unburied, farms destroyed, houses and forests laid waste. No movement, only the sound of the wind blowing its mournful song. Her tears come unbidden.
Tyler goes over to where Lisa has fallen to her knees and holds her to him tight. As her tears fall they are captured by the wind and carried away. Slowly they find land and where they land it is healed. The magic builds within her, it connects to the tears the wind has carried and healing begins. First where they stand, Prince Tyler and the others then outward from there.
All except the Prince and Lisa watch entranced as the ground is healed, houses restored. Forests are made whole and trees become strong. Instead of death on the wind, the smell of pine and nature overtake them.
Animals come out. Crops are growing once more and not fodder, staple crops for his people.
The guards and her maids murmur in awe and shock at the transformation taking place around them. Tyler and Lisa ignore them as Lisa continues her tears. Until finally she's just too drained.
"In my dreams, there were survivors in the caves." Lisa manages to get out before falling into a deep sleep.
Tyler hadn't intended on stopping this close to the estates, but with Lisa unconscious he decides it would be better to make this trip into three days. He orders her tent to be set up and once things are done he carries her into her tent and sets her down on her cot.
"Tyler, you should get people here to harvest." Lisa says once she's awake enough to see Tyler by her side.
"I sent people to find the survivors. They have already started the harvesting." Tyler hadn't left her side except when absolutely necessary. She'd restored dead crops, there might be enough food for most of his people just in these fields alone. If there are other crops restored as well then they won't have to trade for food. Although it might be a good idea to keep the option open.
"How are you feeling, Lisa? Before you ask you've been out for only a couple of hours this time. I think your body is getting used to handling large amounts of magic. What you have done is cement your place among my people's hearts."
"You said something similar in the capital as well, but I didn't see respect there." Lisa closes her eyes, "How long will you stay with me Ty?"
"With the changes you've made I'll be able to stay longer. I was going to turn and go back tomorrow after I got you settled in. But with food not being such an issue or homes out here some of the problems aren't so severe."
"Good," Lisa says before falling back asleep. Her words bringing a smile and hope to Tyler as well.
"The fields being healed run all the way to the traitor's city, Prince." The guard that had been sent to check out just how much healing had taken place reports. "Houses, streets, fields, forests even streams and rivers have been healed. The only things not healed are the dead. Already survivors have divided into groups, those to harvest and those to deal with the dead."
Tyler sighs in relief. There will be food enough for his people. Food and housing apparently, then his eyes pop open. "The manor on Lady Lisa's estate?"
"Like all else, it has been restored, your manor shows no signs of the fire damage either." The other soldier reports. Tyler's manor had been damaged but not like Lisa's had. Her's had been completely destroyed his had only minor fire damage, now apparently that too has been amended.
Two days they are at the estates, putting things in order. Lisa's new maid and Leo help hire staff to take care of Lisa's estate. Lisa finds the estate lovely, but she can't feel welcome. There was no reason for her to not feel accepted and welcome, the people treated her with far more deference than the nobles did.
Lisa, goes for a walk, she found a place that calms her. Shian quite often joins her on these walks. They are both comforted by the beauty and quiet of nature. "Have you told the Prince yet?"
"No, Shian. What am I supposed to say, 'Oh, by they way Ty, I'm pregnant?' I can just see that going over well." Lisa wants to tell Tyler, but he seems further away from her than ever before.
"Lisa?" Tyler calls out. He's not happy that she has ordered her guards to stay back and goes for these walks unprotected. When he finds Shian at her side it mollifies his feeling only a little.
Lisa looks up and smiles. The first real smile she's given for a long time. "Ty!"
At the sight of her smile Tyler's anger disappears and he has trouble catching his breath. In that moment he realizes that he loves Lisa and wants to marry her.
Shian slips away to leave the two lovers alone. Tyler goes over to Lisa and helps her to her feet. Lisa slips her arms around Tyler and gives him a hug. Tyler uses that opportunity to steal a kiss.
"Lisa I-"
"Ty I-" They both start saying then both stop, laughing and tell the other to go ahead.
"Prince Tyler," a voice hails and they both look over and find a guard at the edge of the clearing.
Tyler is more than a little irritated, he's just about to ask Lisa to marry him and the guard interrupts. "What is it?" He manages to say without letting his irritation show.
"The council has requested that you return immediately to ratify the treaty with the Fey realm." The guard says uncomfortably, the rumor is part of the treaty is for the prince to marry the princess that is the delegate from the Fey realm. The guard owes his life to Lady Lisa and would far rather the Prince marry her. And it looks to the guard that the Prince would rather marry Lady Lisa.
"Come with me, Lisa, you are part of the council now." Tyler begs Lisa, he wants to finish what he started here.
Lisa looks searchingly into Tyler's eyes before nodding. "I have some things to take care of here first. Shian will bring me tomorrow."
"Have breakfast with me then?" Tyler asks smiling.
"Of course," Lisa says with shining eyes.
"What do you mean I'm not allowed in there? Tyler himself told me that I am on the council," Lisa says the next day. Tyler hadn't met her for breakfast and Sandra had told her that the council had been meeting ever since Tyler got back and haven't let up. Now the guards are refusing her entrance.
"I'm sorry Lady Lisa, but the council has forbidden anyone else from entering. We cannot allow you entrance at this time.
Shouting is heard from inside the council chamber and Lisa can feel a great deal of power build up as well.
"You might want to move from those doors. Tyler is furious and his aim might miss." Lisa had felt something like this when Tyler had been attacked on Earth. She hadn't known exactly what she had felt, but now she knows.
The guards move away from the doors and Lisa stands to the side just in time to have the doors miss hitting her. They are so close to her that she feels them as they go by.
"I will not agree to those terms. I've told you before that I will not allow you or anyone to dictate that part of my life. I will deny the treaty." Tyler states as he leaves the room.
"Then we will have you removed from the throne," the new head councilman bravely states.
"You can try, hell go ahead and do it. But there will be anarchy in the streets. Rioting like nothing you've ever seen before. The people will not accept anyone from the council to assume the throne." Tyler says as he starts walking to the now empty doorway.
"Then we will give the throne to Lady Lisa." The council man bluffs trying to get Tyler to stay.
"The hell you will! You won't even allow me in here although Tyler himself has stated I'm part of the council. He," Lisa says storming into the room, "is the only one to rule this land. I will leave Andreamore, should you ever try to make that move."
"Tyler, come you have a breakfast date with me," Lisa says eyes flashing with contempt at each of the councilmen.
"Prince we will be announcing your betrothal tonight at the ball." The council member states although he's shaking so hard he can barely stand.
"Then you will be marrying her yourself, because I would rather abdicate than be forced into a marriage." Tyler says walking out and taking Lisa's hand goes to his room.
Tyler and Lisa go to his private dining room for a late breakfast. Tyler refuses to talk about anything that happened in the council chambers. With one exception, he was furious that they wouldn't let Lisa in.
"We'll go to another realm, Lisa, one that has a portal to Earth. We'll go back together. This has been too much disrespect and not just to you this time. They are skirting treason and I will not tolerate it.
"The people..." Tyler takes a deep breath, "they've been through so much and deserve better." Tyler scoots back his chair once he's finished and goes to Lisa's chair and helps her up. Lisa had finished some time ago and had just listened as he vented his rage.
Tyler escorts her back to the glass room. "What exactly did they do Ty?" Lisa asks gently brushing his hair off his face and caressing his face afterwards.
"They allowed a clause in the treaty that I will marry the princess sent here as emissary. They thought that I would sign the treaty without reading it. I won't do it Lisa. Before we were interrupted yesterday I was going to ask you to marry me. You are the one I want to marry." Tyler pulls her close and holds her.
"Tyler, there's something I've been needing to tell you, yesterday I was going to tell you." Lisa stops she's so nervous, although it helps that Tyler wants to marry her.
"What is it, Lisa?" Tyler pulls back so that he can see her better.
"I'm pregnant. The child is yours," Lisa finishes with a rush, still unsure how Tyler will take it.
Tyler picks her up and twirls her around as he shouts out in glee. Tyler sets her down then frames her face with his hands and kisses her deeply. "I'll find a way for us to get to Earth, Lisa. We'll go there and raise our child."
"That won't be necessary, Prince Tyler, Lady Lisa?" The princess from the Fey Realm steps out from the doorway.
"I must apologize. This mess is my fault, the treaty originally didn't have anything about marriage in it. In fact my sister would prefer it if there is no marriage clause. I had that added in so that I might remain here. Instead I will beg sanctuary or clemency and ask to remain here so that I do not have to go home." The Fey Princess says then continues her explanation.
"My sister is going to take the throne shortly from my father. She is more than a little mentally unstable, but my father either out of love or bewitched by a spell can't see it. The people do and don't wish for her to take the throne instead wish for me to do so. My sister is insanely jealous of this and I know for a fact that she will have me killed the moment I return to the Fey realm.
"In my research, I found no mention of Prince Tyler being partial to any female, so I formed the idea of the marriage clause. I had no idea that you were in love with someone Prince Tyler or I never would have done that. Forgive me both of you?"
Lisa had listened to the princess's story and believed her, but she had also been watching the person stealthily sneaking into the glass room.
Lisa suddenly pushes the princess behind her and the knife that had been meant for the princess instead hits her. It's not an immediately lethal blow, but the knife punctures a lung. Lisa lets out a spell herself even as she falls.
Tyler catches her and pulls her near with tears falling down his face. "Go get the guards princess." Tyler demands and the princess runs to find some guards, she notices one guard dead at the Prince's door.
"I'm sorry Tyler," Lisa gasps out, "I failed you this time." Her tears fall down unheeded on her face.
"You can't die Lisa, I won't let you. I need you." Tyler goes from ordering to begging Lisa.
"Not even you can stop death, Ty. Just promise me you'll find someone to make you happy."
The princess runs back. "I can't heal her prince, but I have a spell that might help. It's a stasis spell. If we can get her back to the Earth realm, their medical abilities might be enough to heal her."
"The portal to the Earth realm is sealed here. I no longer have access, but please I beg you place the spell." Tyler does indeed beg the princess, his own tears falling.
"It is done, she will appear as if dead until such time as the spell is released. I sense that there are many here that ill wish the Lady Lisa, perhaps it will be better to pretend that she did actually die? Hold a state funeral for her and everything."
The princess is talking fast because the guards won't be long in getting there. "Part of the gifts I brought with me is an old Elven book of magic. We were able to decipher that much. Elven is hard enough but old Elven is even more difficult, but I believe there is a spell for making portals in this book." With her words Tyler jerks his head up, giving the first sign of hope he's had since the attack.
"I owe her my life, I will give you this book so that you might save her life. I will change the treaty to take out the clause of marriage."
"Thank you, the only thing I had against that treaty was the marriage clause. But I don't think you'll have much to fear from your sister now." Tyler says, no new tears were falling but he hadn't wiped the old tears away either.
"Why's that?" The princess asks gently.
Tyler gives a small smile, "Lisa sent off a spell. Both the attacker and ALL those behind the attack are dead now. You will likely be called home to take over the throne. Just be glad it wasn't fire this time."
The princess looks at him steadily like she's trying to figure out if he's joking or not. Finally she just gives in, "You're kidding right?"
Tyler just shakes his head as the guards come in. They stop suddenly at the sight of Lady Lisa and the knife in her chest.