I quickly rushed over to check on Le’Nara, and much to my relief she was fine. Apparently, she had simply gotten herself too excited, used too much energy too quickly, and finally passed out. All she needed was a few hours rest and she’d be good as new again. Not wanting to bother her, I simply tugged one of her sheets from where it was tossed on the floor, draped it around her body, and then I tucked one of her pillows under her head.

Since it seemed she was going to be out for a bit, I eased myself out what was left of the door, and used my talent to sense the island for her sister. When I located her, I couldn’t help but smile lightly to myself and head immediately to go see her. De’Nara hadn’t forgotten me – she had gone back to the grove where we’d parted paths last and was waiting for me to come to her. With a light bounce in my step, I rushed to her side, using my gift to help me avoid all the people who were still roaming around the island.

De’Nara’s glade had changed quite a bit in the last five years since I’d been there. The flowers and vines I had planted and nurtured with magic had completely taken over the place. The ground was a blanket of colors, and even the trees and branches were draped in hues of vibrant vines blooming in vibrant colors. The smell of sweet bliss wafted like ambrosia through the air.

And there, a goddess in her own domain, was De’Nara dancing naked with the dappled sunbeams that cascaded through the vibrant canopy around the glade. My heart nearly stopped with the beauty and awe that it felt watching such a scene; though if it had, I could honestly say I died happily. To think that such perfect beauty could exist in this world moved me to tears.

“Dee…” I called out lightly to her and she laughed freely, danced over, wrapped her arms around me, and then gave me a deep passionate kiss.

“You’ve grown just as handsome as I’d imagined you’d become,” she told me smiling.

“And you’re as beautify as ever,” I told her while blushing. “Have you been well?”

With a laugh that lightened my soul, she tugged me down upon the grass and then nestled back up like it was old times again. “I’m fine,” she told me. “A lot has happened, but I’m fine. Should I tell you some of the highlights of the life of De’Nara?”

“Certainly!” I was anxious to hear more about what she’d been doing.

“Well, let’s see. For starters, I got married.”

I felt my heart sink at those words. I’d feared as much since she was a woman of twenty-two years of age now in this world, and most women had already produced several children by her age. “Are you happy?” Even though I was sad, I still wanted to support her.

“I’m always happy,” she told me with a smile. “But, you know, it was a shame. That marriage didn’t last long. My husband was born in Kent, and they’re used to certain stupid things. When he found out I wasn’t a virgin on our wedding night, he said a few things that I didn’t approve of – while inside my house! Unfortunately, his sword was slower than his mouth, and I was widowed before he could even share a night of passion with me.”

She laughed lightly and stretched happily amongst the flowers on the ground. “So after that, his family was informed that he’d died in an assassination attack – those things happen sometimes – and his body was sent back home. His family still wanted a connection to mine, so one of his idiot brothers was sent to marry me.

“I met him, and he told me that I wasn’t going to work my heretical witchcraft any longer. He was going to teach me my place as a woman. After that, he somehow fell out the window of the house and almost died when he hit the ground. It was rather unfortunate that he lived. That meant he somehow bounced back up and impaled himself on the wrought-iron fence a couple of times before he was fully dead.

“It was a terrible scene. I witnessed the whole thing from our balcony. The ground must’ve been quite moist, as he bounced up and down two or three times before impaling himself atop the fence. A terrible accident. His family was notified, and what was left of his corpse after the hounds tore it from the fence – they got to it before we could stop them, you see – was sent back to his family.”

My mind was reeling at what she was saying! To me, who knew her so well, it didn’t sound like an accident or assassination attempt either time. It sounded like they’d annoyed a woman who had spent years training herself for war, and who had embraced the path of the blade fully. If that was an accidental death, I’m certain it’s simply because De’Nara accidently lost her temper with the idiot.

De’Nara giggled as if she somehow found the whole situation rather amusing. “Since then,” she continued, “his family sent their third wife’s second son – or is he the second wife’s third son – whatever he is -- to marry me. Honestly, I have to say I think I can get along with him quite well as a husband. We said our vows, he moved into his own room on the other side of the house, and he does his thing without bothering me, while I do mine. He seems much brighter than his brothers were.”

“So you’ve been married three times, widowed twice, and are still married?” I asked, trying to sort out the details of the tale she’d just finished telling me.

“Not at all!” De’Nara giggled lightly. “What do you take me for? Some cheap floozy!” She sat up, placed her hands on her hips and pouted lightly at me. I couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful roundness that was her naked breasts just a few feet away from me. Lord knows, I’d missed seeing them every day!

“I was only married twice,” she corrected me, “and windowed once. The other one died before we could ever get married.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, my Great Lady. I beg your humble forgiveness. I suppose you aren’t as great a floozy as I’d imagined. I apologize,” I told her while laughing lightly myself. Dead husbands, far away, had nothing to do with me. De’Nara was my first love, she held a special place in my heart, and if she killed those men, they deserved to die. If she asked, I would’ve helped her bury them without question, or without remorse.

De’Nara killed them.

May the bastards burn in hell!

I didn’t care; I still loved her. And if this third bastard ever tried to hurt her, in some idiot attempt to get revenge for his brothers, I’d make certain that he had just as permanent of an accident. No matter how many times he had to bounce across the ground.

Impulsively, I grabbed the back of De’Nara’s head, pulled her forward, and kissed her passionately. Much to my enjoyment, she didn’t resist. I’d heard enough. Whatever had happened in those years she was gone, it didn’t change my feelings towards her one bit. She was still my first love.

And, after a few moments stumbling to get my clothes off, she became my first lover as well.