1112 A.D.

It was a beautiful day, the sun was bright in the sky, and the earth around me smelled of rain from the storm that had passed the night before, the birds were singing, and the flowers were vibrant. Thomas and I were walking through the woods. He was escorting me home after an afternoon of picking wildflowers. Along the way I became distracted by a nest of baby birds, they were so tiny, a few days old, maybe. When I came around Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

"Thomas!" I called in to the woods surrounding me.

"Clover!" He called in return.

"Where are you, Thomas?" I heard him laugh from the greenery behind me. I spun around just in time to see him duck behind a tree. "I've spotted you my love." I giggled as he dashed to another tree. I picked up my skirts and went after him.

When I finally caught up to him he was on the dirt path once again. "Thomas, you run so quick-" I was short of breath. Thomas was found helping a woman from the forest floor. "Oh goodness, are you alright?" I asked rushing to her side to assist her to her feet.

When she was standing once more, she dusted off her dress and stood silent for a moment. I stared at her curious, her blond hair which was braided and falling down her back was tousled with a dried leaf or two stuck in it, probably from the fall.

"My lady, you have some leaves in your hair. Would you like me to help you remove them?" She gave me a gentle smile, and nodded as to give me permission. While I did so, I could feel her staring past me.

"He is not as he seems." She whispered to me, leaning in closer.

"Pardon?" I was surprised at her judging Thomas so quickly. "He is a great and noble man, and my fiancé, I must ask you hold your tongue ma'am." I tried to keep my calm demeanor.

She looked at me with a determined eye. She grabbed my hand as I was about to return to Thomas, and whispered some words in a language I did not understand. Her eyes were shut, she seemed to be trying to focus on the words that she was speaking. Her eyes flew open, and she lent me a sorrowful smile.

"I'm sorry, but one day you will look back upon this and you will thank my ancestors." She then rested a dainty hand on the side of my hand and leaned in close, and spoke in a tone only she and I could hear. "Only a true love, the pure kind, will set you free."

I could fathom no response, as she turned and retreated down the path. I stared at her until I was pulled away by the firm grip of Thomas.

"Come, your Father and Mother will be wondering where we are."

Later in the evening as I was helping my youngest sister, Adora, prepare for bed, I told her the tale of the strange woman I encountered. She agreed with her on the matter of Thomas and his intentions, but then again dear Adora was never too fond of him to begin with. After I finally got my sibling to sleep I went to the kitchen to help my mother with some tasks.

"Clover, dear, the story you told you sister-" She paused almost seeming wary of what she had to say next. "Is it truth?"

"It is."

"What sort of language did she speak when she whispered to you?" She questioned.

"Latin? Maybe, I'm not sure. And then she told me that true love will set me free, the pure kind." Mother looked at me with wide green eyes, and suddenly turned, hugging me in comforting way.

"Come child, let me comb your hair as I did when you were young." She placed me in front of her mirror, undid my braids, and began combing through my long orange hair. Moments later my father entered.

"Thomas is a fine young man my Daughter!" His voice was chiming in jovial tones. He came and stood behind my mother and I. "I am blessed to have such beauty in my life." He said, patting the top of my hair and then leaning in to give Mother a kiss.

When I saw my parents together, it made me desire the sort of love they obviously harbor for one another, which seemed to be a rare thing in this day and time where a marriage of convenience was all a girl, especially of my age, could hope for. At my age I was typically considered a bit old to be married, lucky for me, as most would have it, after Thomas lost his first wife, he sought another, specifically one fitting my description. He traveled from a faraway village just to meet me. We were introduced, and after a short courting, he proposed, I of course was excited, and my parents were delighted, but my siblings were all split on the man I would soon call husband.

My mother finished combing my hair, she then braided it back, away from my face. I looked in the mirror and our matching eyes met. She gently smiled, I returned the gesture. "Clover, go and get ready for bed, you will need your rest, and your wedding is soon."

"Of course Mother." I walked to my Father who was sitting in front of the fire reading one of our favorites. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on his scruffy cheek. "Good night, Father."

Before I tucked myself in I remembered I needed to ask my Mother a question. I was about to enter the room, when I stopped hearing my Mother's voice, it was frantic. It frightened me. "What if that wandering Witch put a spell on our child?" She was pacing, I could tell by the quick foot steps on the wooden floor.

"I'm sure she will be fine, my love. Clover is a strong one, I assure her spirit is stronger than any witches spell." Father spoke calm.

A witch? Those are only of fairytales. What could my mother be talking about? I was now worried, if the tales are true then it is possible that, no.

I was unable to sleep, thinking about my Mother's distress, and then the woman from the woods, what of her words? Was Thomas truly a good man? How silly, of course he is. But then again. I must stop these silly notions against my future husband!

The wedding came and went. And I was now living in the village that Thomas hailed from, in his home. I was not accustomed to such grandeur. The village as well was much larger than where I was raised. When we would go out together I could hear the whispers of us, many were delighted to see Thomas happy again, and with such a "beautiful" and "delightful" lady.

But in the years to come that would all come to a halt.

Something must be the matter with me. I could not bear the children my love desired, and this made him uneasy. I was nearly twenty-one, and we had yet to conceive. The whispers had gone from positive to word of how I was a "disgrace." I feared that Thomas would stray and be unfaithful. Day after day as our once seemingly true love became overshadowed, my mind would go back to that woman in the woods so many years past.

Maybe she had been right.

It was my birthday, my twenty-first. Thomas had allowed me to take a horse, and visit my parents for the occasion. I was almost to my childhood home when a flock of birds erupted from a nearby tree, spooking the horse. The reaction of the horse threw me in to the air. When I landed, I felt my leg snap at an odd angle, an as the terrified animal fled it kicked me in the side. I've never felt such pain in my life.

I tried to stand but could not, my leg was certainly broken. Maybe if I crawled I could make it to find help. I made it to the top of the hill when I witnessed, the same blond hair from those years back coming up the trail. When she saw me on the forest floor she picked up her skirts and came toward me.

"Do you need me to alert someone for you?" It was odd how still her attitude seemed to be.

"My Mother and Father, their home is just at the end of the right fork in the trail, please hurry!"

I felt as if I had been laying in pain for hours. My eyes wanted to close, but I would not allow it for if I knew if I did I would never open them again. I had to see my parents before I let that happen. I hear quick steps approach me, and I believed it to be my parents, but it was not.

"Miss, could you use some assistance?" A deep, soothing, accented voice asked.

"I have help on the way, but I appreciate your kindness." I was too weak to even look up at the kind stranger. I heard nothing else from the man, but I was suddenly lifted from the ground.

"Don't close your eyes. Hear my voice, and talk to me, I will find your help." He said as he strode in quick soft steps away from where I had been resting.

"How did this happen to you, Miss..what is your name?"

"Clover, and my horse spooked, and kicked me as it ran off." He chuckled but it was miniscule. "You laugh at my pain Sir."

"Oh, no. But I believe situations such as yours is why my Father never allowed my younger sister to ride horses."

I smiled. "I have two younger sisters. But, my father wanted us to be as educated in as many things as a man would be. He was not one to deny us the knowledge the world had to offer." My lungs had decided that I was talking too much. I released a harsh cough, I felt moisture on my lips, I managed to wipe it off. There was a copper taste lingering in my mouth, I looked at the hand I had just used to clean my face, and my fears were confirmed, blood. I knew at that moment, I was doomed.

Moments later I hear my Mother's voice screaming out to me, and my Father's after her.

"CLOVER! MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHER NO!" I'm sure her hysterics rose at the sight of my broken body. "YOU! YOU, WITCH! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!? I KNOW OF YOUR SPELL CASTING ON MY DAUGHTER! WHY WOULD YOU WISH HER HARM!?" I looked down to see my Mother sobbing on the damp dirt, as if I were already dead.

"This will be the last time you see your Daughter as she is now, but know this, she will have the life, and the love that she deserves, the pure kind." Still speaking in her same soft tones.

"I believe you should go." The man holding me spoke. He was firm, and assertive with his words.

Seconds after, I believed that she had left, because the tension eased. I felt myself being passed from the arms of my Savior to those of my Father. I could tell from the familiar musk and fire wood smell that rushed my nostrils, which instantly calmed me. I closed my eyes, and gripped the fabric of my Father's neckline. I felt him squeeze me slightly, to assure me that he was present.

"Sir-"

That was the last thing I heard my Mother say before my grip slipped and all before me was black and then almost instantly I was greeted with light, but instead of warmth I felt a chill.

I could not tell you, in that moment, if my life had ended or if it had just began.