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What if she is watching over him as well—“ Matthew freed his left hand and went for the dagger by his bed. He lunged it into the forearm of the man holding the blade and retracted it.
    The man gave a painful cry and dropped the blade upon the bed.  Matthew pushed forward, planting the dagger then into the shoulder of the man on top of him and threw him off the bed.  He went for the other man before he could retrieve his blade.  He pushed him against the wall and continued to slam him against the stone until he lost consciousness.
    The other tackled Matthew to the floor and held a hand at his throat. He held Matthew’s dagger with his other hand.  Matthew raised one hand around the stranger’s throat and the other he used to ward off the dagger.  He was losing air.
    “What do you want of me?” Matthew struggled to yell.  “I’ve done nothing to you!”
    “I'm sorry.” The man responded. “But we need to protect our Queen and her Kingdom.  You will bring her downfall!” Matthew tightened his grip around the man’s throat but they were both struggling. Matthew twisted the man’s wrist to free him of the dagger to no avail.  The point inched closer and closer to Matthew’s neck.
    Suddenly, the man’s eyes became wide. He made a gasping sound and released his grip from Matthew’s throat. He placed his hand at his stomach where the end of a sharp sword was visible.  The sword disappeared and the man was pushed aside to the floor.  Matthew coughed for air and looked up to see his brother with a bloodied sword in his right hand.  He pointed the sword at the dying stranger.
    “Who are you?”
    “Forgive me, this was never what I wanted.  We just wanted to protect her.”
    “Who?” John demanded. “Who sent you?”
    “We just wanted to protect the Queen,” The man was fading. “We just wanted to protect her.”
    “Which Queen?  What is her name?”
    Suddenly the man’s body started to convulse.  The unconscious body of the other man did the same.  Matthew and John watched in terror as two dark shadows pulled out of the men’s bodies, flew out the chamber window and into the night sky.

Chapter 4
    You shouldn’t be here.  If someone sees you, if my father sees you—
    Your father cannot hurt me. I do not fear him. Though the kings want me to, I do not fear any of them.  You are the only one who matters.
    Why are you here? I told you I will get my father’s blessing.  I just need time to make him understand.  I want to do this the proper way.  Nycilla, why do you look at me like that? What’s wrong?
    You will have much time, my love.  I need to leave you.  Don’t ask me why.  Soon you will know.  Be patient and wait for me, and I will return to you.  I promise I will return to you.
    Lucinda woke in the morning after a sleepless night. She had told Geenessa about the events in Narka that night the memories returned.  Geenessa considered each word carefully.  “For so many years you did not allow yourself to think of your past, and when you did the sea responded to your grief.”
    “Why did Matthew have to suffer? He was halfway to death when I found him.”  The thought angered her.  She did not punish the Narka islanders enough for their treatment of him.
    “Perhaps the sea wanted you to save him. Perhaps it wanted you to be reunited with him so…” Geenessa’s voice faded as if she was deep in thought. She shook her head and started again. “For years he persistently searched for you even when all the other searches stopped.  Now he has hope that you are alive. Maybe that will give him peace.”  Lucinda looked at her governess curiously.  It was clear that Geenessa was keeping her own accounts of the other kingdoms.  They spoke of it no more as the days went on, but Lucinda would see the governess studying her from a distance. 
    The dreams persisted. Each day she saw more into the life of Nycilla.  Though the memories had returned, the Ancient Queen had not