Phoenix

Meanwhile, far from the Maniki Islands, a young, newly married Lydia Belle gleefully makes her way home with a basket full of expensive, velvet ribbons. The sun is shining through the forest trees, the meadows are swaying in a soft, cooling breeze, and the scent of calming lavender rolls through the mountain air. Life for Lydia couldn't be any better! She was young, beautiful, and best of all...titled!

As the youngest daughter of Mr. Belle, Lydia had managed to snag the village (and other surrounding villages) most eligible bachelor at the ripe age of 19, a Mr. Sebastian Augustine. Mr. Augustine was 11 years her superior, wealthy, and the most respected tradesmen around. However, this did not deter Lydia from pursuing him and ensuring she stood out against any other lady he might encounter.

To be fair, she didn't have to do much. Her father was in need of new supplies for his parish, Borgund Stave, and Mr. Augustine was the only man in town who could provide them. It was well known that Mr. Augustine often traveled to other villages, seaports, and the like to discover desirable items for trade, and he never disappointed. He would return home with carts fulls of new spices, livestock, foreign tools, or seeds, and each time the village flourished more fully than before.

Every father desired to have Mr. Augustine as their son-in-law, but he had chosen a life of solitude out of respect for their daughters. He was often heard apologizing profusely to a head of household in the town square. No matter how many father's tried to persuade him, Mr. Augustine always explained that his many departures would leave any wife, lonely and vulnerable. How could he marry in good conscious knowing she would be alone for weeks, or months on end?

However, Lydia was clever in addition to being one of seven beautiful daughters of Vicar Belle. At first she played the dutiful daughter, in sight, but out of the way of the men at Borgund Stave. When Mr. Augustine was around, she would offer a coy smile, a pleasant greeting, and allow the men space to discuss matters of importance. As time went on, she found appropriate moments to bring freshly cooked meals during their breaks, engage in small talk, all the while waiting for the perfect moment to bait Mr. Augustine.

One day, while the men worked, a young boy ran into the church calling for Vicar Belle's help. His mother was ill in the village and she wanted to say her final resting words of peace. Vicar Belle made his apologies to Mr. Augustine, and promised a swift return after he attended to the families needs so they could finish their preparations prior to Mr. Augustine's departure. It was this moment that Lydia had prepared for so carefully!

"Did you hear Mr. Augustine," she began, "that Mrs. Catherine Haugen's husband wanted to accompany you on your next adventure?"

"Surely not!" He said with genuine surprise. "And how did Mrs. Haugen take this news?" He inquired.

"Not well it seems. She said she could not imagine her husband being gone so long, and that she felt ill at ease not knowing when he might return."

"Ah, yes..." He trailed off, no doubt reflecting on why he had chosen not to marry.

"I can hardly imagine begging ones husband to remain at ones side at all times." Lydia started. She could see her words had the desired effect by the expression on Mr. Augustine's face.

"Shouldn't a young woman desire to have her husband at home?" He inquired.

"I suppose many would think so. However, I cannot imagine a more stifling environment for any woman or any man for that matter." She said with conviction. "Everyone ought to have freedom and time spent apart. I believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder and time away allows a couple to embrace their time together more fondly, with the knowledge that it is temporal and therefore, ever the more precious." Lydia explained.

"You make a fine point Ms. Belle." He smiled confidently. "My, you have matured in the years since attending to your Father so diligently."

"Thank you, sir. You are too kind." Replied Lydia with measured modesty.

"To be direct, Ms. Belle, I did not think I'd ever find a woman who would be comfortable with such a life. I was quite resolute than any woman I should marry would feel abandoned and in regular competition with my work." He paused a moment to take in her reaction to his words. Seeing a reassuring smile on her face, he continued. "However, it seems we are quite well matched...would it be too much of me to ask you to wait for me until I return from my next departure?" He inquired.

"Not at all. It will give me something to look forward to very much!" Replied Lydia with just the right amount of enthusiasm.

A month and a half later, Mr. Augustine did return and the two spent many days walking about the forest meadows to get better acquainted. Within a few weeks, Mr. Augustine was in love. He confided in Lydia that she was right, time spent longing for ones company did bring about a greater sweetness in companionship. Without further delay, he soon acquired Vicar Belle's blessing to marry his youngest daughter and to Lydia's glee, Mr. Augustine presented her with a rare, ruby stone in a most unique setting. After that the two were married a mere month later, now only 12 days had past since that wonderful union!

Lydia had already been the towns beloved, youngest, vicar's daughter, a village beauty, and now she was Mrs. Augustine, a most envied and pitied woman! She was envied because no other family could marry their daughter off to Mr. Augustine, and pitied (which she welcomed with dramatic air) since she would soon be left alone for weeks or months on end without her husband. It was the type of attention and title that Lydia had dreamed of all her life!

As she rounded the last hedge of trees before turning to their cabin, Lydia fantasized about the blissful evening she and her husband had planned tonight. Tomorrow, he was going to depart for a far off, seaside village to acquire more goods for their community. Their whispered hope was when he returned, she would have a surprise of her own...news that their family was finally expanding!

With these wonderful musings in mind, she dangled one of her most precious pink, velvet ribbons before her face. It was then that an oddly, out of focus package caught her attention in the distance. A basket, much larger than the one she was holding, with a tan blanket inside had been left outside her door. How bizarre, thought Lydia. Someone must have left her another wedding gift, but why did they choose not to present it in person? Lydia was disappointed that an opportunity for flattery had been stolen from her. Odder still however, was Lydia knew her husband was at home and expecting her. Hadn't he heard someone at the door? If so, why did he not answer?

Yet beautiful, vain Lydia Augustine, was even more surprised when she realized the gift at her doorstep was not indeed a simple, hand woven blanket, but a bubbling, baby girl! She dropped her basket of ribbons to the ground, burst through the door, past the child, and ran to her husband.

"Sebastian! Explain yourself!" She wailed with tears streaming down her porcelain skin.

Taken by her sudden and unexpected outburst, he fumbled for a moment before responding. "Surely, but what for dear wife?"

"That!" She pointed with an excessively dramatic air and then clutched her forehead as if it were all she could do to restrain herself.

"Is that, is that a babe?" He said in astonishment. Shocked as he was by his wife's outburst, and the child abandoned on their doorstep, he could not believe that she had taken the time to step over a poor, helpless child to chastise him. Who knows how long that babe had been waiting outside where any wild animal could have discovered it. He hurried over to the door, picked the basket up, and set the child on their kitchen table. "Lydia, really." He said in an admonishing tone.

"How could you, Sebastian! How could you!" She wailed on.

"Would you compose yourself, it is not my child!" He replied, still stunned by her uncommonly, outlandish behavior.

"Why else would a child be left at our doorstep? Is this why you're really gone for so long? Do you have a family in every village you visit?" She continued on, unable to control herself.

"My goodness, wife. What an accusation! Of course I do not. I've attended Borgund since I was a child! My ventures take long because they are far and negotiations do not happen instantaneously. Really, Lydia be realistic." Sebastian could not believe his wife's accusations after she had so encouragingly discussed his going away as often as his business required. She had never shown even the slightest doubt about his dealings when he left the village, and she had never been so ill composed in all the time he had known her.

"A letter, there is a letter with your child. Let us read it then if you truly wish to prove your innocence!" She continued.

He scoffed but did not hesitate to pick up the letter. Of course there had been temptation every time he left the village, but how could he maintain his reputation as a trusted tradesmen, and man of honor if he bedded a woman in every town he visited. He had made mistakes in his youth to be sure, but he had made his penance, and no child had come from those dabbling's years ago. This child must have some explanation.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Augustine," The letter began.

"Oh, so they do know you have a wife!" Lydia clutched her head once again.

Sebastian pressed on, reading the letter out loud.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Augustine,

Although you do not know me, I know that you are a capable and well-respected couple in your remote village. My child is in danger, and I cannot explain why. It is better if you do not know.

This secrecy and your remote location can protect her, as I desperately need her to be. In your home she can grow with tender care, she can learn to harness her abilities, and perhaps one day, she will grow strong enough to defend herself.

I ask that you take care of my sweet girl, Phoenix. She is helpless and remaining with me, or with her father will only endanger her more.

No money can ever truly compensate for the care and love I know you will guide her with, but I hope this will help lessen your burden as you care for my...your child.

With gratefulness and a mothers love, I thank you."

Lydia turned over the card in which the letter had been stowed and 10 heavy, golden coins poured out. "Oh my!" She exclaimed, no more sign of tears streaming down her face.

"Those are Spanish coins, if I'm not mistaken!" Sebastian said in disbelief. "I've seen a man trade with one, many years ago... they are worth a fortune! At least 10 years worth of labor!" Lydia turned to her husband wide eyed and rosy cheeked now.

It was at this moment that he had realized who he had truly married. Lydia was not a modest, sacrificing, independent woman like he thought. She was an immature girl, desperate for attention, and a title. How had he not seen it before? Did he miss her true nature because he was absent so often from the village? He took a steadying breath and remembered, what had been vowed before their deity could not be undone, and this would take all of his willpower now. "Lydia." He began.

"Yes?" She said now with a glittering smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry my dear husband. I see now the child wasn't yours. We have gold now, we can find her a ho..."

Before she could finish, Sebastian interjected. "The child will remain with us." He said sternly. Lydia's head jerked back, her smile faded, and an appearance of horror replaced her fine features.

"But what will the village think? They will think the child is yours!" She exclaimed.

"The child is mine. This child is in danger and only a desperate mother and father would ever part with their child like this. She is mine and that is what we will tell everyone." He said fiercely.

"Our name will be tarnished! Our reputation, tarnished!" Lydia shouted and the child began to cry.

"There, there little one." Said Sebastian as he gently picked the child up out of the basket and began to cradle her. As he did so, he noted a strange, celestial necklace peaking out from under some padding, undetected by his wife in the basin of the basket.

"To hell with our reputation! This child is ours, and that is that!" He retorted in such a way that Lydia knew he was not to be argued with. She was beside herself and ready to cry out about the injustice, when Mr. and Mrs. Augustine noticed a sudden change in their new infants eyes. Her brown eyes suddenly flickered, with a blazing red and orange, before the embers cooled and returned to their natural warmth. It was like walking up to a window and suddenly being blinded by the sun as it hit your eyes...but after taking a few steps the window was back to its original state.

"The mother said she will learn to harness her abilities..." Lydia trailed off.

"We must protect her at all cost." Replied Sebastian. "Whatever this is. We are her parents now."