Because the king was staying at the castle, Annalise found it increasingly easy to sneak out of the compound. Michelle had not seen a thing of when they had been married in the opening in the woods, and had been simply picking flowers and playing near the brook. Later in the week, while the king was still present, who Annalise had yet to meet, and she had a very good feeling that she wasn't going to meet him, she exited her bed and dressed herself in her old Celtic war garb, putting a long woolen coat on over top of it to hide what she was wearing and to keep her warm as she heard the wind rushing in a fairly fast manner against the windows of her chambers.

She took a small dagger that she had earlier acquired from the armory, and it was actually her fathers, and his intention had been to give it to Fergus, her deceased husband, but that would never happen now. As Annalise made her way out of her wing and down a pair of back stone stairs, and out of a side door into the cold dark night she swore that she heard someone following her and even turned back, checking over her shoulder frequently but never finding anyone, thus proving that she was alone.

“Where do you think you are going?” a voice called out, causing Annalise to turn in shock, afraid she clutched the collar of her coat against the wind with the one hand and with the other, she grasp the dagger tightly behind her back.

“Who-who is it?” she called out to the voice, "what do you want?" and after a few seconds when no one answered, she moved the dagger from behind her back to her side. "Show yourself!" she shouted in command, but instantly relaxing when she saw that it was only Macon.

"Who did you think it was milady?" he said walking up to her and taking her hand, kissing her knuckles gently, before holding her hand.

Annalise shook her head and smiled at him happily, "I do not know, but I am happy that it was not anyone else. If we were found out," she began.

"Hush," he said putting a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Do not say such things, you would not want to curse us would you?

At this Annalise laughed and smiled, "my dear husband, have you not understood? By now you should know that I am the one who will be dealing curses, and none shall we receive."

They made their way to the stables and mounted up Molly, Annalise's horse and drove her out of the stables and took her outside of the castle grounds, riding her hard in the night to the spot in the woods where they first met.

Several days later, one the king's last day they went out on the largest hunt of the visit. They went and shot deer, boar and foxes, stringing them together, corpses piled on top of each other, in a wagon, arriving back at the castle before night fall, giving the dead game to the cooks in the kitchen and instructing them what to make for dinner.

Annalise was up her in chambers with Michelle, Annalise was sewing a few rather large pieces of material together, creating a cloak, while Michelle braided her hair in extravagant sections tight against her head.

They were both to make an appearance at dinner tonight so that the king could see how Baron Arawn tamed an unruly heathen and made her into his obedient wife.

In Annalise's opinion of the feast when she arrived in a tight corseted black dress with gold and white lacing on it, the party and amount of guests were already too much for her to handle and she was tempted to turn and run, and she would have, if Michelle had not been standing behind her looking radiant in the light blue dress that Annalise had insisted she wear. Michelle's hair was held up with one of Annalise's golden bun clips and she could have padded for much higher than an ordinary hand maiden.

When Annalise met the king he was not what she had expected. She had honestly thought that all royals were like Baron Arawn or Lady Isabella, or even Lady Brianna, but she was wrong, this man had kind eyes, it was the first thing that she noticed about him and immediately knew why this man was king. She was not allowed to speak to him, as she had been instructed by Baron Arawn who did not want her making him look bad in any light, and she was soon dismissed therefore Michelle and Annalise excused themselves to their chamber, to retire for the night, but something seemed off. Annalise held a feeling deep in her gut that some evil plot was afoot tonight, and sometime after midnight, when everyone had retired to their chambers to rest up for their journey back home tomorrow, Annalise heard laughter and footsteps.

She pulled back the covers and dressed herself in a sleeping gown quickly with a think robe over top, heading out into the hallway, seeing a pair of children round the corner of the hallway, giggling and laughing quietly, but enough to echo all around her.

Annalise's curiosity got the best of her and she followed them quickly. All through the castle in a sickening game of hide and seek, she finally heard the laughter slow, until she head the soft squeaking of a door being opened, and as she came within sight of it, the door stood open, and the two children looked like her youngest and she followed them hurrying into the room.

They were standing next to each other, looking over a sleeping figure in a bed. Annalise entered the dark room and walked over, standing behind her children and looking down at who they had been staring at and Annalise immediately recognized the man as the king. A shadow appeared over his body and he gasped as s dagger was plunged deep into his abdomen.

Annalise gasped and back away nearly screaming until someone covered her mouth with a cold and calloused hand. He breathed harshly in her ear, hollering at her to shit her mouth and she bit down hard, but all that earned her was a hard shove in a cold and solid wall. Blood trickled down from a spot on her forehead and she hit the ground and collapsed.