Juno struggled to remain calm as she watched Kelton recede from the tavern. He seemed angry, though not near the boiling rage that Juno was holding in. His descriptions of Serenity failed to include the words stunning or perfection. Juno knew she was not comparable in form, nor did her claim on Kelton have ancient validity. She did not fear the loss of Kelton's heart this day, but what of the days to come.

"Who was that?" Taggert asked.

"No one," Juno said, snappier than she intended. She forced calmness into her expression and rephrased. "An old friend of Kelton's, not unlike yourself."

"Her words..." Taggert began.

"Aye," Juno interrupted. "Best if I speak with her, and you tell the stories you promised." He nodded and reclaimed the crowd, the nearest of them showing the same confusion Taggert displayed. Juno kept her false smile and moved with purpose toward the door.

"It is her?" Sanlina asked as she came alongside, her pace matching Juno.

"Aye," Juno said without expression.

"I imagined a toothless face with crooked eyes," Sanlina said, then shrugged. "It matters not, Kelton will have no other than you."

Juno felt her eyes moisten as a private fear grew to the forefront. "She has not been drinking Darny Leaf tea for the winters I have." She stopped and squeezed her lips together to hold onto her strength. Kelton did not know of her ugly insides.

"Shh," Sanlina said, and steered Juno toward the door. She lowered her voice. "He would not trade little ones for you. It is you he came back for, not her." A soft smile formed on her lips. "It is not unknown for such things to be undone. Mayhap, your belly will grow from this day."

"We have not," Juno said. "It was not the place, and I..." Tears had to be fought back, which she succeeded in doing by taking a deep breath. "I desire it to be different - it must be." They exited the tavern into the growing night. The central village fire burned low, and they steered around it, staying where the shadows began.

"She is in his dreams as he wakes," Juno said with defeated words. "The Goddess must deem it so."

"I have dreamed of men I have no desire for," Sanlina countered. "It does not turn my waking head."

Juno stopped and confronted her friend; at least that is how she saw her now. "It is the same dream every morn, as it was since he first met her. She is the last-of-the-line. It is the will of the Goddess I fight now."

"I shall kill her then," Sanlina said. Her seriousness faltered, and a welcome smile appeared. She raised her hand to Juno's cheek. "Fear not, I have seen his eyes, and they are blind to all others but you."

A whispered argument could be heard off in the trees. A woman was insisting she will not be second and a man equally adamant that duty outweighed her desires. He continued by pointing out that she failed the first meeting, and was now bungling the second.

Juno moved toward the trees and saw two shapes form when the fire flickered. "Serenity?" Juno called. Duty and love were at odds in them all. Maybe a solution that didn't leave the land in turmoil could be found. If not, then perhaps Sanlina would act on her first idea.

"Who knows my name!"

"Shush," the man said in chastisement. "Your anger will not serve here."

"Serenity," Juno said again. "It is best if we talk." Perhaps she will trip in the dark, and this will end before it begins.

Serenity appeared from the trees, her face stiff with anger. She did not stumble. The man followed next to her, gripping her wrist as if he feared she would run.

"I know neither of you," Serenity said, though her eyes glared sharply at Juno and ignored Sanlina. "How have you come by my name?"

"I am Hector," the man said. An attempt to undo the cold introductions.

"Kelton told me of you," Juno said to Serenity. She was surprised her voice didn't crack. Serenity's visible anger kept Juno's weaker emotions at bay. It is easier to confront a rock than a flower. She turned toward Hector, "I am Juno, and this is Sanlina."

"Cursed," Serenity spat. She looked at Hector. "The both of them." The words were spoken as if Juno and Sanlina were of no more consequence.

Juno hated how Serenity's golden hair shone in the firelight, pure - unlike hers. She was about to reply, her throat filling with an ugliness she knew she would regret.

"Aye," Hector replied, cutting off Juno. "And is that not what you are here to end?" It wasn't said as a friend. Authority rang deep in his reply, along with a look of scolding.

Serenity recoiled, then regathered herself. "Aye," she replied with a sigh. She turned toward Juno; her head held higher than it should have been. "You are not the last-of-the-line."

"Nay," Juno replied. "The answer believes it to be you." She smiled, unsure if it looked friendly or evil. "I would have preferred ugly instead of you." Serenity looked confused.

"At least more bulk," Sanlina added with a chuckle. "Mayhap, you could roll in the mud for a bit."

"He...he knew?" Serenity asked.

"The Goddess sends you to him in dreams," Juno said with a nod.

"Juno is his waking dream," Sanlina added.

"Dreams?" Hector asked.

"We should sit and trade words," Juno said. Serenity looked unsure. "Or we could part with our dislike of each other, and let this land suffer in our loathing."

"We will hear your words," Hector said, his hand now grasping Serenity's upper arm as one would an insolent child.

"Aye," Serenity said, shaking off Hector's hand. She looked shocked as Juno sat, and Sanlina followed. "Here? In the dirt?"

"We cursed have little...," Sanlina began. Juno interrupted her with a jab, which ended the coming rudeness.

"It is best if our words are not shared by others," Juno said. "There are no ears here."

Hector lowered himself to the ground and glanced up at Serenity. She followed after a short pause, surrendering to the inevitable, and taking extra care with her skirts. Stubborn, but not un-moldable.

"Kelton wakes each morning from a dream of you," Juno began. "You are unclothed and in a stream, as he remembered from long ago. Unlike his memory, in the dream, you open your arms and call to him. He moves toward you, then wakes. He thinks it a curse."

"I thought him spying," Serenity said. She looked at Hector. "I was not kind to him."

"You were not," Hector told her. This time it was said with compassion.

"I did not know who he was," Serenity said to Juno.

"You are the last-of-the-line," Juno said.

Serenity nodded. "As my mother told me, and her mother before her." Hector nodded his agreement.

"Three more breathe no more," Sanlina said. "A witness has been declared. Kelton is the Answer."

"He loves another," Serenity said, her eyes dropping to the ground.

"Aye," Juno said. "He is mine, and I am his." Serenity looked up, her face troubled, enhanced by the flickering fire's shadows as Juno continued. "Know that I will help you in what is to come, but I will never release my love of him."

"I would not let her near him," Sanlina said with a grunt.

"It is not what I imagined," Serenity said. "I always thought I would see him, and my insides would churn about, everything becoming bright and new." She shook her head. "I felt nothing akin to that."

Juno smiled softly. Those were her feelings Serenity described. "Mayhap, a new meeting." She looked at the tavern, then indicated the road. "Without the crowd. He is on duty down the road. There should be few with him."

"You would dare such a thing?" Hector asked. He sounded as if he were surprised that a woman would risk placing Serenity between her and love. Serenity was beautiful but too haughty for Kelton. He preferred someone softer, like Juno. A risk, but not as considerable as it was before Juno had met Serenity.

"I, like my love, strive to unbreak this land," Juno said. "Are we not risking all now?"

"You will not shift his eyes," Sanlina said to Serenity. A warning, if the tone was any indication. Juno placed a hand on her now dear friend's arm to calm her words.

"He is unseen and will know you approach," Juno said as she and Sanlina stood. "Be wary of his mood. It did not please him to see you." Sanlina chuckled as she and Juno returned to the tavern.

Serenity dropped her head and sighed. "It is not what I imagined."

"Nor I," Hector said. He stood and held out his hand. Serenity took it and rose as well. "Mayhap, there is a reason for this. You would not select another, and now the Answer is among us." He gave her a weak smile. "It could have been worse; you could have lost your heart to some man, and then duty would have pulled it apart."

"Now it is his heart firmly in another," Serenity said. "Is it any better?"

"Aye, it is," Hector said. "I would rather it be Juno's heart broken than yours."

"You mean me to take him from her," Serenity said. It seemed a simple task once voiced. She had never found difficulty turning a man's head, and this man held her in his dreams. Juno's looks were ordinary, not the bright flower Serenity knew herself to be. That, and Juno was cursed. A king among men wouldn't want a woman who had known men beyond count. Purity and legacy was the desire of greatness, and Serenity was the chaste last-of-the-line.

"Aye," Hector replied. "It is but one cruelty to change the land. A small price for a worthy goal."

"It will be a simple thing," Serenity said as she strode forth. Hector walked next to her as they traveled down the road, away from the fire and into the darkness.

The moon was full, and their eyes soon adjusted to the road, making it easier to avoid the ruts. Serenity straightened her skirts and cinched the draw about her stomach. She knew what men wanted to see; curves and a friendly smile. It had been a while since she desired to be sought after, and yet it came back with little effort—a chuckle at the right time to make them feel noticed and a wink to convey permission. Simple things enhanced by the beauty all see in her. Her allure was a gift from the Goddess, and she deployed it well.

Hector stopped her as they turned around a bend. There, in the middle of the road bathed in moonlight, Kelton swung two swords. There was no adversary, no threat Serenity could see. He danced alone with a speed she thought far too dangerous. The blades audibly cut through the air, sweeping close to his legs then circling his head and torso. His body moved as if it had no bones, slipping this way and that, barely avoiding being sliced to ruin. She could hear his steady breathing; almost a chant timed with his movements. It was if he favored no hand, both swords equal and deadly. No one could stand before such an onslaught. He was magnificent - indeed, the Goddess' Answer.

In one swift final move, Kelton's blades disappeared behind his back, and his hands returned to his sides empty. It was then the moon's light reflected off his open eyes. Serenity held in a gasp. He had chanced his movements blind.

"You have need of me?" Kelton asked. It was said as if he knew not who approached.

Serenity stepped forward, Hector following behind. "Aye, my Answer," she said. Awe filled her words, along with a softness she knew men preferred. There is walking, and then there was a saunter that begged attention. She used the latter.

The sigh from Kelton was audible, though his face showed no anger. He bowed his head slightly, "Hector, Serenity. It seems fate would see us meet again." Not the greeting Serenity had foreseen. The smile she expected was lacking. Perhaps, he could not see well in the darkness.

"That thing you do with the swords - I have never seen its like," Serenity said, her words trailing off as she neared. The moon illuminated his chest, a herd of scars lay beneath the leather straps that crossed his chest. Kelton had been through unimaginable horrors. She forced her eyes back to his. "It was impressive."

"It is called shared-wind," Kelton explained. "It settles my thoughts, which were scrambled about when you appeared in the tavern."

"Can it be taught?" Hector asked, the query sounding sincere. It irritated Serenity to have the conversation shifted away from her needs. She meant a compliment, not a discussion on combat techniques.

"In time," Kelton said with a nod, clearly pleased with the question. "It took many moons at a grueling pace to learn." He smiled, but not at Serenity - annoying. "Many of the tribe who taught me would line up and do it as one. A thing of trust."

Hector uttered a strange sound of admiration. "How do you not cut each other in half?"

Kelton chuckled. "Trust."

"Amazing..." Hector began but was interrupted as Serenity stepped in front of him. She was not used to being ignored, and certainly not by her chosen target.

"Aye, amazing," Serenity said. She reached forward, her fingers gracing his chest unbidden. "And these scars, are they from battle."

Kelton stepped back as if her hand held a blade. "Aye, a battle almost lost," he said as if he hadn't avoided her touch. "A beast not seen in this land, all claws and teeth." His smile looking forced.

"Marked by beast," Serenity whispered. "There is much of the tale that is now true. The Goddess has chosen well." Her most welcoming smile graced her lips, the one that could gather a man from across a crowded room and render him simple.

Kelton lost his smile. "I did not choose this tale, nor will I commit to its words. If you claim a part in what is to come, then so be it. You may travel with us, and see this thing's end, but know my heart is claimed. No other shall sully that."

"But I am in your dreams," Serenity said. She moved forward, her hips swaying to draw him in. "Would you deny your desires, deny the purity of what the Goddess demands. Surely, the Answer needs more than a cursed can provide."

Of the reactions Serenity may have expected, laughter was not one of them. She took a step back as her anger began to rise again. Everything she knew about appealing to men was in her words, her movements, and her eyes. He ignored all of it.

"My sorrows," Kelton said as he quieted his laughter. "It is the irony of it all that ignited my laughter. There was a time, many winters ago, when your words would have had me panting at your feet. It is true, you invade my sleep every morn, not that I wish it. Know that Juno provides me nothing; she simply is. For that, I thank all the Gods and Goddess in the heavens."

"She is cursed," Serenity said. She felt Hector's hand on her shoulder, a warning her tone was less than hospitable. She shrugged the hand off. Rejection deserved anger.

"Aye," Kelton said, his words softening. "I care not for the past, only what is to come. You can not blame her for the choice to live, for the Brethren offer no other option to those they curse."

Serenity shook off another attempt by Hector to simmer her down. "You would settle for what other men have used often?"

Kelton's hand shot forward with a speed Serenity never thought possible. She had time only to squint her eyes before the blow came. It didn't. His hand cradled her chin firmly, the shock of it almost as powerful as the strike she had expected.

"I have known princesses and women who swing blades better than I. Each more desirable than I now find you. If they could not turn my head from Juno, what makes you think your hatred will?"

"I...I..." Serenity stumbled. She had never known such rejection. It was if she were lower than the low, the scum upon the pond. He saw only hatred, not the beauty she had meant him to see.

Hector reached out and placed his hand on Kelton's arm. "It is her way," Hector said with a calmness. "She is angry with herself and lashes out at whoever is easiest."

"Aye," Kelton said, lowering his hand. "My sorrows, my lady. It would seem we both have our limits."

"Three meetings, and none to anyone's liking," Hector said. There was some humor in his voice meant to lighten the mood.

"Kelton, you are a fool in such things." The words came from a young man stepping from the trees, wearing the remnants of the King's colors. Serenity blushed, forgetting Kelton was on duty, and another was within earshot. "Know that I find you most beautiful, my lady."

Kelton chuckled, releasing the rest of the anger that had grown around them. "Aye, Gor. She is a flower's flower. Of that, there is no denying." He bowed his head to Serenity.

"But, you will not choose me?" Serenity asked.

"Nay," Kelton replied, shaking his head. "I know not what power connects us, but it is Juno I have returned for, and Juno is why I remain."

"She will be childless," Serenity said. She didn't know why it came from her mouth. Another tiny burst of fury that refused to remain dormant.

"Serenity!" Hector sounded irritated.

"It is a known thing," Serenity added. Her words became weaker as she recognized them as jealousy. It was not so much a desire for Kelton; it was a desire to not lose to a cursed. Or was it the shame of rejection.

"What is known?" Kelton asked.

"It is not our place to say," Hector said, stepping next to Serenity and grabbing her arm in chastisement. "It is the tale we must worry on. You would choose another over the last-of-the-line. Do you desire this land to remain in ruin?"

"I do not," Kelton replied. "I intend to break the hold of the King and Brethren, risking all if I am to fail. The tale is a tool, nothing more. If it gathers others to me, then I shall lead them. Words are only that, words."

"Your hair is red as fire, and your body holds the scars of the beast. One, then three, have fallen to your blades. Do you deny the last-of-the-line, the one to bind your fate?" Hector's voice was rising.

"She is the last-of-the-line?" Gor asked.

"Aye," Hector replied.

"Aye," Serenity said, a small spark of hope returning.

"You are late, my lady," Gor said with a shrug. "My king has chosen another, and by what I saw, she has chosen him. I will follow his swords, not the ancient tale."

"And what part does that leave me?" Serenity asked Kelton.

"That, I know not," Kelton replied. "It is strange, these powers pushing us about. If they come from the Goddess, then she is bumbling about like a new babe attempting first steps. Mayhap, I am but her toy." He sighed. "If she chooses silence, then I will choose my own path, and Juno travels with me." A smile appeared on his face that had a warmer quality to it. "Odd really, I left you long ago, thinking your opinion of me was low."

Serenity smiled back, the memory losing its edge from the passage of time. "You were but a boy. Clumsy, and sneaking about."

"It was not my purpose to sneak about," Kelton said. His smile was more profound. "It is that image in the stream that fills my dreams. If I am to be cursed by such a thing, at least it is not a terror."

"Not a terror?" Serenity said, her own smile growing. "Is that the best you could do?"

"A flower's flower, my lady," Kelton replied. "And that is the best I can do."

"What stream?" Gor asked.

"A tale for another..." Kelton began.

"A tale that will remain between us," Serenity said, not wanting the world to know such things.