Little Red's Riding

Epilogue- Six Months Later

Dahlia turned the letter over in her hand as she bit her lower lip.

She was sitting on the same patio where she had sat with Tansy the morning that they had first met, and she stood and walked out into the garden where that same lady had once tended the flowers. Bending she broke off a piece of lavender and held it up to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent letting the small, brittle piece of greenery fall back to the earth. Unlike her friend, she could not repair it.

Turning she let her hands rest on the bump that was protruding from her waist, letting out a small groan when she was rewarded with a small kick that seemed rather like it was aimed at her hand. A fairy seer had predicted that she was carrying twin boys who would be great leaders. Smiling, she wondered if the woman was right. But the smile disappeared as her eyes returned to the letter.

"Are you alright, Majesty?" Turning her eyes found a gardener that she hadn't seen earlier. He was an older man, with bright blonde hair, and he had picked up the piece of lavender that she had dropped. She saw now that it was growing again in the ground.

So he was Faye, just like Tansy, and blessed with the gift of growing things.

"Yes, thank you. I'm not sure if we met before. If we have I'm sorry that I don't remember. My name is Dahlia."

"Everyone knows who you are Majesty."

"Oh. Of course. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this." she said the words half to herself. "What's your name, my friend?" She found a seat nearby and watched with interest as he worked with the flowers.

"I'm Basil, and we haven't met before. I only came over from the other side of the veil a few months ago. Since it's been safer going back and forth. And I got a job here two weeks ago." He smiled at her warmly.

"Welcome to the palace then Basil. We're happy to have you here. I don't know if you've heard the news, but this says it's public knowledge. That my friend Tansy, well I guess Princess Tansy, I'm not sure what her title is officially at the moment, is expecting a baby."

Basil's eyes widened for a moment.

"Does it say when, Majesty?" At the question Dahlia looked back down at the letter from her friend which had all sort of information in it. It wasn't until the very end that she finally saw the answer to his question. It was the same question that had been bothering her.

"The end of next month, or perhaps the month after. So near the end of summer. Just before my baby is due." Dahlia found herself chewing on her bottom lip again.

It was odd timing. Dahlia felt a bit sick for a moment as her mind raced. Tansy had been a courtesan. The thought flashed through her mind. A part of her wanted to speak to Soren, but she knew he had found his mate before he headed south. She was here now and she and Dahlia had become quite close. So this baby wasn't her niece or nephew.

Tansy had been a married woman, but her husband had been away for nearly a year, although most of the kingdom didn't know that.

A part of Dahlia hoped that Tansy could pass the baby off as the general's, at least if she wanted to. Hell if she could help Tansy do that she would. She wouldn't let anyone shame her friend. This world was hard enough as it was. But there was still that small part of Dahlia that was reeling. She knew that Tansy had an intimate knowledge of the King's sadistically violent tendencies in the bedroom.

What if that child was his? Well, even if the babe was, it wouldn't be through any fault of their own.

Dahlia took a deep breath, a shiver running up the length of her spine.

"Are you alright, Majesty?" The gardener was asking her.

"Oh, quite alright. Thank you. I should get inside. It's just a little warm that's all. Thank you. And it was nice to meet you." Standing, Dahlia hurried through the glass doors, running a hand roughly through her thick dark hair.

She needed to write a letter in response to find out how Tansy was doing and how she was feeling and when they would see each other again. And most especially she needed to know when they could speak so that she could help her friend if she was in some kind of trouble having the King's baby now that he'd been killed. Because that could put her in a very dangerous position. And Dahlia hadn't forgotten that Tansy had been one of her only friends when she had first come to the Capital and she would still do whatever she could to help the sweet natured fairy.

With a sigh she sat down at her desk and picked up her pen, trying to formulate words without giving away too much.

"Dear Tansy.

Congratulations on the happy news. I hope all is well."

She paused and stared at the paper and prayed her friend could read all the words she would write between the lines. Then she set down her pen and stood up. She'd come back to it later in the day after talking with Silas.

"Wonderful idea." The reassuring voice of her wolf was still surprising, even though it had been three months since she had reawoken. "I wouldn't confide in many people about your suspicions, but he should be the first to hear. Besides him I would only trust Soren. It's a shame the Fairy Folk aren't given mates." She could almost feel her wolf shake her head sadly at the thought.

Dahlia nodded as she walked slowly down the hall, thankful for the company and the advice that had been silenced for so many years. Her lips curved up at the corners as she saw Silas coming down the hallway, obviously looking for her, just as she had been looking for him, and the moment he saw her he sped up, and caught her up in his arms as she still weighed nothing at all, instead of looking as she had a watermelon hidden under her finely sewn gown.

And with a laugh she let him crash his lips against hers, caught up in the moment, and their love. No matter what happened she was happier than she had ever imagined was possible that first morning when she had met him on the dusty trail in the woods on her way to her "grandmother's" house. 

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