"Who would have thought the house extended this far back into the mountain," Kelsie murmured, looking through every doorway, "there is so much here I need to explore."

"You will," Zander smiled at her reaction to everything found, "do you like your house?"

"I love my house," Kelsie grinned, her eyes sparkling.

Zander swallowed the lump of emotion, "Do you remember the last time you felt this way?"

Kelsie stilled, "I was young... here with Aunt Jezebel. We were picking flowers ... the roses, she brought me to a room back ... here."

Zander followed Kelsie as she pushed open an obscure door, following her in.

"She said it was a library with everything I would ever need to know," Kelsie sighed, "look at all these books."

Zander watched her browse the shelves, happy to see her smiling again, that laughing girl with sparkling eyes. Glancing at a nearby shelf, he stilled. Blinking. Shaking his head and carefully pulled the book off the shelf.

"What did you find?" Kelsie called.

"A book labelled "The Line of the Guard."

"Huh," she said, "I just found one name, The Royal Line."

Looking at each other, they found chairs, Kelsie grinning at him, "We have time."

"Yes," he smiled, "we do."

Silence fell as the two began to read, time ticked by, the rain fell harder, rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning across the sky held at bay any advancement of adversaries.

The House rejected anyone who attempted to come near. The rivers rose, thundering over the falls, the wind whipped at the trees. The danger for those without but calm, peace and time for those within its walls.

The argument amongst the gathered Elders bounced against the walls, each one trying to be heard above the others. A high pitched whistle brought sudden, deafening silence.

"There is information that all of you may want to know," the messenger said, "but it will not be given here, and it will not be given to one specific person. The way of the Order has been reinstated and will be followed through by all."

"Who are you to tell us what will and will not happen," sneered a black-clad Elder.

"I am a descendant of Hafiz of the Order. My name is Chance, and the House has connected," Chance said, "the given gear is the Old Leathers. There will no longer be segregated colours. Change and meet me in the computer room below in fifteen minutes."

He did not wait. He did not fear, for he held the authority, the dream had come, and he had woken with the tattoos on his arm. He had been appointed.

Mumbling among themselves, the Elders retired to their rooms to change and complain about the manners of the young.

"Thank heavens they let you live," a young girl of twenty threw herself against Chance, hugging him, "you know who you have just addressed?"

"They need to learn their place now," Chance said, pulling up his sleeves, "I have it on both arms."

"Chance," she traced the tattoos, "it has happened."

"Yes," he said, walking toward the monitors and pulling up the information found onto a bigger screen, "they will be here in fifteen minutes."

The young woman sank into a chair, her sadness masked by her brother's exuberant energy, "I'm glad for you."

"We will be going to the house," he said, turning to her in joy, but his smile faded at the look on her face, "what is it?"

"You will be going to the house," she swallowed tears, pulling up her sleeves on her leathers, "I have not been chosen."

"No," he shook his head, "there are always two of our line."

"Ah, that is the thing," she swiped at her eyes, "I ..." clearing her throat before continuing, "I am not of your line."

"What are you saying?" he frowned, "that cannot be."

"Mother told me before she ... passed," the young woman inhaled, "I was adopted."

"But if it were from within the Order ..." his words trailed off as she shook her head, "I do not have the capacity for anything in your world."

"I ... don't understand," he said, "you're my baby sister."

"Mother told me of my birth mother's death," she said, a smile warbling across her lips. "Father knew my birth father who was in prison and adopted me so he would be at peace knowing I was raised in a family."

"Who is ... was your father?"

"I don't know," she said, "I was never told."

Kneeling in front of his sister, he grasped her hand, "You are my sister. The way of the Order is inclusion and family. Father never told me anything of your roots; it still stands. You are my sister."

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Swiping at her cheeks, she gave a wet laugh, "Let's get you through this first ... brother."

Nodding, he rose to meet those arriving, shielding her from those who hardly had any humanity and thought emotion a sign of weakness. Dropping his arms, he displayed his tattoos, waiting until everyone looked at his arms before he began addressing the group.

The Elders, now dressed in their leathers, stopped in front of him, staring at his arms. One Elder frowned before meeting his gaze.

"This hasn't happened in decades," he said, "you think you can order us around without repercussions."

"I do," Chance said, "and I can. If you will all come with me, you will see your Queen has taken possession, residence and refuge in Jezebel's House."

"Now we know you speak lies," a grey-haired woman said, stepping forward, "Jezebel's House has been locked for decades."

"If you were paying attention instead of arguing amongst yourselves. You would have known what was happening not far from here," Chance said bitingly. "Realisation would have come regarding your lack of authority, but your Queen will need your help."

"Who is this Queen?" the sneering question came from the back of the group.

"You do not know who the rightful Queen is?" Chance asked, "then I have to question your validity as an Elder."

Silence fell as everyone turned to the tall, grey-haired man at the back of the group.

"That is a good question; Everett care to explain your question?"

"You question me, Caelin?" the man spluttered.

"She has a right, Everett," another Elder stepped forward, "you did adopt the tyrant who is currently dividing our world."

Everett nodded at the accusation, "After he tried to kill us, we had to hide," he sank into a chair, running his hands through his hair. "If I was any kind of Elder, I should have ended him then. Connie tried and look what he did to her."

"You fear him," Caelin whispered, "who are his father and mother?"

"As far as we know a low ranked Assassins, who begged us to help them better their son," Everett sighed, "we didn't know he had killed them until the night of his attempt on our own lives. He is diabolical."

"Then you know who is heading directly toward your Queen," Chance said, "now is when you can step up and do what is right."

Everett nodded, "I owe Connie that much," he whispered, "tell us what the house has to say."

Chance moved toward the computer bank, motioning his sister to follow, "We have come across a strange weather pattern making us think the national forecast is incorrect. Using the satellite to find our brethren, we discovered heat signatures clustered here ... in the mountains."

The Elders gazed at the map on the big screen, some going pale, others blinking away, gathering tears.

"I can see from everyone's expressions you know what that area is," Chance said, "the house has connected with the Queen and is giving her time to rest after the attack against them last night."

"What attack?" Caelin asked.

"You would have known that if you were not arguing constantly into the night," Chance said. "The library has been found, and the House is no longer relying on you as Elders to give the new Queen time to prepare herself. Instead, it displays its anger by keeping anyone who is not there out until the Queen is ready."

"We should be there assisting and teaching," another Elder murmured, "this is a humbling moment. We have been rejected because we were too conceited to be aware of what was happening in our world. It took an alert from Jezebel's House for us to enforce the eviction of enemy forces."

"It's how he planned it," Everett shook his head, "I was too blind to see it."

"What can we do?" Caelin asked, looking from Chance to his sister.

"To redeem yourselves, you need to make your way to the house and show it where your allegiance lies," Chance said. "Only then will you have an opportunity to be part of the brethren admitted."

Nodding, Caelin turned to the others, "Gear up. Our time has come."

The others turned to leave, but Caelin looked at Chance and his sister again, "You," she pointed at Chance, "I know, but ..." she ambled toward his sister, "do I know you?"

The pair glanced at each other. The young girl shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of."

"How old are you?" Caelin asked.

"Twenty," the young girl said.

"Name," the single word came as a question, but the authority behind it was apparent.

"Kaila," she whispered, "my mother named me."

"What was your mother's name?" Caelin asked, glancing between the two siblings, "your birth mother."

Kaila gasped, "How could you know that?"

"You do not look like blood relatives," Caelin smiled gently, "your birth mother?"

"I hear it was Ichtacka," Kaila whispered, looking down at her hands nervously rubbing together.

"I thought it may have been," Caelin nodded, "she was a great loss to us."

"You knew her," Kaila whispered, wide eyes meeting Caelin's soft gaze.

"Yes," Caelin nodded, "she was a secret keeper. Chance's parents were good to take you in and make you their own. Did you ever meet your father?"

Kaila shook her head, "Never. I understand he is dead as well."

"Now, yes," Caelin sighed, "he was an extraordinary warrior and commanded a company in the Guard. He was also Chance's Uncle."

"Why was he in prison?" Kaila asked.

"He gave himself up so you and your mother could get away," Caelin whispered, "he helped the two of you evade capture and confinement."

"From whom?" Chance asked, hugging Kaila to his side.

"The very man we will defeat," Caelin said, a flinty look in her eyes. "I've had more than enough of his duplicity and deceit. The House has made it known it answers to one person alone," she looked up at the screen, "Kelsie cannot die, must not die ..."

"Why are you so adamant about that?" Chance asked, frowning.

"She is the first in the line to be Royal and Guard," Caelin sighed, "Anne was correct in many ways, even though many did not agree. She paired with her love, who was also her Guard and together they have given us someone who can and will defeat the imposter."

"You know where he came from," Kaila said, "you know his history."

"I do," Caelin said, "and I will not give it life by repeating it. Kelsie will learn about it and how to defeat it. We must be there to assist her in doing so."

Turning, she left the room, leaving a wondering pair behind.

"What did I tell you," Chance smiled at Kaila, "but you are wrong, we are related, and you will be coming to the house with me."

Slipping her arms around his waist Kaila rested her head on his shoulder, "I will be coming with you."

"It is good to see you smile again," Chance said, "but we need to get our gear together and change into our leathers."

"When do we leave?" Kaila asked.

"I don't know what the Elders want to do, but we leave at dawn," Chance said, "we have our part to play in reclaiming our World."

Smiling, Kaila left Chance to gather what gear he required while she collected and packed her mother's old books and the remainder of their clothing. A new life awaited at Jezebel's House.