Magical Ties

Astila gets out and walks quietly around the carriage so that he cannot see him. Coming up from behind him, he puts a stick to the man"s side as if it"s a knife.

"I will pay you twenty pounds if you will forget what Lord Hawk asked of you. If not you will be dead before you make it to the house." Making sure that he can"t turn to see him. Astila grabs him by the neck and squeezed the pressure point just enough so that he cannot move. If he holds him like this too long he will pa.s.s out.

"How did you know what I was paid to do?" The man is sweating his heart rate is going up with fear. He will soon be light-headed.

" it doesn"t matter how I know, just walk away or you will die. Do you not know who he asked you to kill. She is the daughter of the queen"s favorite cousin. Do you think that you will survive if you succeed? Not only that I will just kill you where you stand. So what"s your choice. Live or die there is no other option." The man starts to have labored breathing as Astila continues to apply pressure.

"I will live I won"t hurt her I will call my boys off. "Astila shoves a sack he funds close by and places it over his head. Shoving the coins in his hand he slams him against the building. Knocking him unconscious to ensure that he cannot tell Hawk anything. Looking towards the house he sees Aisling being escorted inside. He hopes she can do this without getting hurt or disappearing on him.

Aisling knocks on the large white door. The house is impressive. With its large columns and stonework. The door opens a short red-haired man answers.

"May I help you?" He looks at her unkindly since it"s not normal for a woman to be alone visiting.

"Yes, I have a gift for Miss. Ester. May I come in to give it to her?" The butler opens the door and allows her to come in. Ingrid is walking down the steps Aisling looks at her. She looks so much like Maureen. They could almost be identical. The butler turns to greet her.

"The lady has stopped by to see Miss. Ester. " with that he walks away to summon her.

"h.e.l.lo, I am Aisling I met Ester recently and wanted to thank her for being my first friend in a new city." Aisling puts her hand out for Ingrid to take. Ingrid takes Aisling"s hand and gasps dropping it immediately.

"Who are you really? You are not who you seem to be. What Business do you have with my sister?" Aisling smiles at her hoping she will believe what she has to say.

"Can we go somewhere to talk privately? This is a very sensitive and urgent matter." Ingrid takes her by the hand and they go upstairs to Ingrid"s room.

"Ok spill it, I demand to know what Is going on?" Ingrid is pacing the floor anxiously.

"I"m not sure if I should tell you this or not but I will only in the hope you will help me?"

"I will decide that after you tell me?" She glares at Aisling.

"Ok, I am your decedent I have the gift just like you. I am here to save Ester from turning evil and cursing our family. The man you are about to marry, he is Ester"s lover. She is pregnant with his child. He does something horrible because he does not know that you are sisters. If Ester could marry him instead of you she will never become angry and curse our line. She will never feel the untold pain that will cause her to use evil magic. You must convince the parents to let her marry Lord Hawk." Aisling begs her to help save Ester. By the time she finishes her plea Aisling in on her knees crying with a broken heart. Ingrid sees her compa.s.sion and love for Ester. Even knowing that if they save Ester she could disappear. Ingrid kneels beside her and comforts her.

"My child if we change the past you will disappear and do will my line to date. We cannot change who will be born. What can we do ?" Aisling looks at her and decides she will tell her what will happen.

"So it"s ok for Ester to lose her child and the man who she loves. It will be ok for her soul to forever be trapped in pain. It will be ok for your sons to be murdered by their brother to have him constantly come back to attack and kill for eternity. Why because you are a coward. Your line is strong determined women . Who want what is right not what is convenient. I had already been warned about changing the past. They all want me to save Ester. They all believe that if she is saved so we will be also. Do you not love her?" Aisling is beginning to think that the evil one is not Ester but Ingrid.

"Yes I love my sister but she is weak and did not deserve the gift so why should my line suffer because of her.?" Aisling gets up and stares down her ancestor.

"It"s you not her that needs truly saving. I had been taught she was the evil one because of her pain. It"s you who is undeserving of the gift. You who is selfish and frozen inside. You who turned her so that you could ensure that only your line could ever inherit it. You are the true evil. You will not succeed. I will make sure of it." Ingrid begins to laugh.

"You stupid child you are my blood you will not harm me. Though it will not stop me from harming you." Ingrid starts a spell to try to take Aisling"s power from her. Instead, the crystals sewn in her clothes begin to absorb Ingrid"s power. Ingrid begins to sink to the floor in pain. Aisling begins to chant the secret spell that Moll had taught her.

"I call upon Morrigan

I call upon the G.o.ddess of death and fate

I ask you to take from this place the power she has forsaken.

Drain them from her give to another. She that is undeserving selfish and cruel. " the room begins to be filled with a strong light and electricity. There in the midst of the light, a crow appears.

Ingrid screams covering her face.

When the crow settles a woman dressed in black with vibrant green eyes. Her hair vibrant red like flames. She turns to Aisling and waves her hand. There before Ingrid Aisling stands as her true self. Morrigan looks at her taking in every detail.

" Why does a child from the future call me here?" Aisling kneels before her.

"I called you because I came to save a wronged soul. My ancestor is undeserving of the gifts she received. Her selfishness caused an innocent soul to turn evil and be lost. I came to correct that wrong even if it means I can never be born. "

Morrigan looks at Ingrid looking into her soul.

"I see arrogance, envy, greed, and cruelty in you. Your descendant is correct you are undeserving of the gifts you were given. I shall take them. You will have magic no more. You will be barren from this day forth. Your decedent here though shall still be born. Your line will now become the line of your twin. Neither of you will have magic in this generation. It will be returned when you can learn compa.s.sion and love. The child your sister is caring will bear my promise. " the G.o.ddess then turns to Aisling. She kneels to her.

"You have shown great love and compa.s.sion. Since you have had such unselfishness you shall have a life filled with wealth and love. Your aunt shall now become the mother of your line. Those who suffered shall have a second chance at love and life. May your faith in right always guide you through. May the one you came to save always have the love that"s true. "She stands and places her hands on both women"s heads Aisling feels an intense heat go through her body. When she opens her eyes there stands Ingrid. They are alone in the hallway waiting for Ester. Testing the waters so to speak Aisling looks at her and asks.

"Do you know Lord Hawk?" Ingrid looks taken back by the question.

"He is the man my father informed me I am to marry. How do you know him?" Aisling smiles at her.

"Well, I came to talk to Ester because she is in love with him. He was informed of your marriage as well. Do you think the parents will mind if she marries him instead of you?" Looking at her closely to see if she will be unwilling as before or not.

"I do not see why they would object what is the difference between twins." Aisling giggles and hugs Ingrid tightly. Filled with happiness that Morrigan fixed everything for her. Smiling brightly she gives Ingrid a small kiss on the cheek.

Ester comes down the stairs and sees Aisling hugging her sister.

"Aisling dear what is happening?" Aisling joyfully hugs Ester.

"I ran into Lord Hawk and he was beside himself with sadness because he was informed that his parents arranged a marriage for him. When he told me I just had to come to see you. It turns out that he is to wed your sister. I told her of your love for him and she has agreed that you should be his arranged bride. We just need to get the parent"s approval." Ester looks at her new friend in surprise that someone she barely knew would do something like this for her. Ingrid calls the butler to ask her parents to meet them in the drawing-room.

Waiting for them Aisling looks at the two sisters even though they are twins they are different in hair and eye color. Just as she saw when scrying. Ingrid seems to be different as well than just a few moments ago. The room is beautiful but the one thing that is most stunning is a portrait on the mantle. There is a portrait of Morrigan. She turns and asks the girls.

"Who is this painting of?"

They come over and look.

"Oh, that is a painting Ingrid did as a child. It is a painting of the G.o.ddess Morrigan. " she did such an amazing job of it that mother keeps it on display. "

"It truly is amazing, you are very talented." She looks at the painting again with great admiration. The parents come in for the first time Aisling gets to see who her great great great great grandparents are. They are a handsome couple though her grandmother doesn"t seem to be as bold and brash as her descendants.

"The butler said you wanted to see us." The gentleman looks at their visitor curiously.

"Yes, father on the advice of our friend Aisling we have a request to make. You see Ester has not only already met Lord Hawk. She actually has fallen in love with him. Aisling pointed out that If Ester married him both families would still have the same benefits as if I did. So since the man in question already loves my sister and she loves him. Can"t we just let the two of them be married?" Their mother looks at Aisling with a smile and laughed really joyfully.

"My what a great idea. Instead of having our girls be a means to join the family and business together. We can actually have a wedding out of true love like ours. You will get what you need in business and our daughter will marry for love." She walks across the room to shake Aisling"s hand

"Thank you, my dear, we have been arguing for days about this. I wanted my girls to marry for love as we did. He wanted the same but found no solution for the other matter. Now we have both. " the butler knocks on the door and announces that lady Aisling"s husband had arrived to collect her with Lord Hawk. When Hawk walked in he was in shock to see Ester there with his future in-laws. Looking at the couple and back at Ester. His face turns white with what he almost did. He walks over to the older couple.

"I am Lord Gregory Hawk my parents informed me that I am to marry lady Ingrid. I have come to ask if I could marry lady Ester instead. She is my life and I would die without her. " Ester and Ingrid beam with happiness.

"Get up son we already decided to allow the two of you to wed. Now how does next spring sound?" Ester looks at her father and bows her head. Lord Hawk takes her hand and squeezes it.

"I"m afraid that will not be ok. You see I am not a patient man and I was not able to control my love for your daughter. We may have a little guest arriving before then." Waiting for the older man to hit him he places himself in front of Ester to protect her. The mother begins to laugh at him.

"So you are exactly like your father in law. No worries we will have the two of you married in no time that way no one will ever know . " she walks over and takes both of them by the hand and they head to the dining room to discuss things. Ingrid looks at Aisling and hugs her.

"Thank you for helping us save my sister"s reputation. " Aisling nods and she takes her husband"s hand they say their goodbyes.

She sees a crow as they leave closing her eyes she thanks Morrigan for her help. She also asks that she allow Ingrid happiness and a child. The crow squawks loudly and fly"s off.