She was a lesser Fae, as evidenced by the vines wrapped around her arms like veins, which immediately let Kamora know that she possessed plant magic. Like all other Fae, she was extremely beautiful to look at, her long green hair falling in waves, reaching almost to her knees. She looked at Kamora with shock and another emotion akin to disbelief.

'I can't believe it,' she said, coming closer to her. 'It's really you.'

Kamora instinctively drew the young lord closer to her side, her face etched in a frown.

'Do I know you?' She asked the stranger.

The woman stopped, shocked, the evidence of her heartbreak showing on her face. If she was surprised that Kamora had lost her memory, she didn't show it; rather, grief and guilt flooded her face.

'Oh, heavens,' she exclaimed, her voice hushed. 'What have they done to you?'

She moved closer to her while Kamora took another step back. Finally, the woman's eyes moved to Jarosh, and her face softened, 'Is this your child?'

Kamora didn't answer but held onto Jarosh tighter.

'Who are you?' She asked again.

'He has your eyes,' the woman continued as if not having heard her. Jarosh tugged on her hand, and understanding what he meant, she turned around to leave, but the stranger called her again.

'Kamora, please forgive me,' she said. Kamora was surprised to see tears fall from her eyes, and the woman quickly wiped them away upon noticing the strange stare Kamora gave her.

'I am Gwen,' the woman continued, tapping on her chest. 'Gwendolyn. Your sister.'

A heavy feeling found its way to the bottom of Kamora's stomach, and a chilly cold slowly crept up her skin.

'You can't be my sister,' she said, looking at the woman with suspicion. 'You are a Fae. I am human.' Kamora quickly looked around. 'Is this a new way of swindling people out of their goods in the market?'

Gwen's face squeezed further as if she found herself in uncomfortable pain. 'I swear,' she said, beating her chest as she suddenly choked on a sob. 'I am your sister.'

Kamora still stared at her with suspicion, and so Gwen wiped her face, her gaze determined.

'Please visit the goddess's grove. I will be there waiting for you, no matter how long it takes.' She sniffed, wiping away a tear that had managed to fall from her face. 'I swear that I will answer all the questions you have.' Her eyes turned pleading.

'Please, I beg of you. Come find me.'

Kamora stared at her and slowly nudged Jarosh, and together they both turned around and continued their journey to the entrance. Despite having walked quite a distance, Kamora could still feel the hot stare of the strange woman boring into her back, and her hand which held the young lord trembled slightly.

Is she really my sister? Kamora wondered. No, she shook off the thought immediately. It couldn't be. The woman who had called herself Gwen was a Fae. She was just a plain human. The disparity between them was far and wide.

Strangely, Jarosh didn't speak about the encounter, even after they entered the carriage and began their journey back to the manor.

Trying to dispel the silence between them, Kamora pushed the incident to the back of her mind and smiled at the young lord who sat next to her. 'What do you plan on eating first when we return?'

He had finished eating the bag of cookies he had opened earlier and currently looked like he was battling sleep. 'I do not know,' he said with a yawn. 'I'll probably eat all of them at once.'

Seeing that he was tired, Kamora didn't question him further and remained silent. A short while later, she looked at Jarosh and saw his head bent over in deep sleep. Gently, she pushed his head toward her lap, then stretched her hand and raised his feet so he could lie down horizontally. As he slept, she gently caressed his hair, removing a tendril that had fallen over his eyes.

Lost in thought, her mind went back to the plant Fae. The woman looked far too stricken upon seeing her, and it made Kamora wonder what her life was like before she lost her memory. As she continued to fondle Jarosh's hair, she thought of the place the woman had asked to meet.

The goddess's grove. It was a place where common Fae met to carry out certain rituals and to connect with other Fae. Humans went there at times but considered the activities the Fae carried out there too complex for their liking.

The carriage pulled up at the entrance of the manor, breaking Kamora out of her musings. Gently, she nudged Jarosh, trying to wake him up. 'My Lord, we have returned.'

He groaned slightly, then sat up, looking confused to find that he had lain on her lap. Kamora didn't say anything and instead helped him to his feet. She picked up the bag of goods they had bought and came down from the carriage, after which she stretched out her hand to the young lord to help him down. When that was done, they turned around to walk inside but were surprised to see the huge figure of Lord Maroke waiting for them by the entrance, Claudia standing next to him.

Trying to calm the sudden racing of her heart, Kamora swallowed and walked up to the entrance, holding firmly onto Jarosh's younger hands. 'My lord,' she greeted, bowing slightly when she stood a few feet away from Lord Maroke. He gave a silent grunt, his gaze perusing.

'How was the journey? I see that you returned with quite a number of things.'

She didn't know if he was admonishing her or not, and so she swallowed again, thinking carefully of how to answer. 'We had a lot of fun. The young Lord was curious about a lot of things, so I indulged him.'

She stared at him, trying to see if she could tell what he was thinking from his demeanor, but as usual, his face bore its normal mask of indifference. His gaze turned to his son, who still looked like he was barely awake.

'What about you?' He asked Jarosh, surprising her. 'Did you really have fun?'

The young boy nodded, his eyes lit with excitement though fatigue surrounded him. 'It was the best,' he simply said, and Kamora's heart warmed. Above all else, she had achieved the goal she wished to accomplish. She could only hope that fate weaved out an opportunity for them both to continue their adventures before it was too late.

Why do I have this sudden foreboding thought? Kamora wondered.