Yes dear readers, here is the final chapter a few days early, just because we did not want you to suffer through the weekend without knowing how it all ended. We hope you enjoy your bonus chapter...because unfortunately it is the last one. Please take a few minutes to make sure you review BOTH chapters, it makes us smile.

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Epilogue Part 3

Tapestry and Deceit

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Hours later, the castle quiet and the only sound Erik could hear was the soft breathing of his wife at his side. He should be asleep as well, their amorous activities usually pushing them to the point of exhaustion, and yet Erik was wide awake. He just couldn't get tonight's events off his mind. Had he truly just consented to allowing Karl to court and then marry Helena? It certainly appeared so, and he was pretty sure there was no taking it back now. Oh well, at least Karl was a fine young man, and thankfully he still had a healthy amount of fear for his future father-in-law. That would be most helpful.

Yet as he looked down at his sleeping wife, lying beside him he began to wonder where Helena was. Was she in bed yet? It had been quite a few hours since they parted in the main hall. Erik had been a bit distracted by the thought of ravishing his wife and he had faith that Jacob would serve as a fine chaperone…and yet, this was Helena they were talking about. Willful and rebellious were two words that instantly sprung to mind when describing his eldest daughter. And while he had always admired her spirit, he began to wonder exactly where she was at that very moment.

Unable to sleep until he knew for sure, Erik climbed out of bed very gently, doing his best not to disturb Christine. Once he was safely on the floor he slipped his breeches back on and tossed a tunic over his chest and quietly headed for his children's rooms. Helena had moved into her own room a few years ago, claiming to be too old to share with her sisters, so that was where he headed first. He stood outside her door, debating if he should knock or not. He did not wish to intrude on her privacy, yet neither did he want to disturb her if she was indeed asleep. So he compromised and silently opened the door just a crack, shutting his eyes and counting to ten before opening them. That way if she had been awake she would have had plenty of time to yell at him to get out before he had an opportunity to tread on her privacy. But no sound came so he slowly opened his eyes, allowing them to come to rest on his beautiful daughter…sound asleep in her bed.

She looked so young to Erik, curled up on her side with her hand resting next to her cheek, a small smile playing at her lips. Was she dreaming of rainbows and princesses…or Karl? Erik frowned at the idea of thoughts of that boy dancing in her mind, causing her to smile in such a way. His mind unexpectedly filled with images of her as a baby, as a toddler and then as that wild adolescent who had both frustrated and fascinated him to no end. He was so grateful that she had such a wonderful example as Christine to help her grow, to mature until suddenly he turned around one day and there stood a woman staring back at him, and no longer his little girl. Yes, Erik had to admit that Helena was now on the brink of womanhood, a hairs breath away from becoming…a wife. It would be a difficult day indeed when he would be forced to walk her down the aisle and hand her over to that boy.

Oh, Bernard would pay for this, he swore. He would pay dearly.

Yet he still had her for one more year and he would enjoy every last minute of it, treasuring their time together as he did his best to reconcile himself to the idea of her leaving. He longed to enter and give her a kiss on the cheek, yet he knew it would most likely wake her and he wished to let her keep her happy dream…even if it was of Karl. So shutting the door as quietly as he opened it, he turned and headed towards the next room, the one that held his other three daughters.

Sarah, Sabrina and Josephine were all snuggled in their own beds as well, the youngest having taken over Helena's place when she moved into her own room. He gazed upon the twins and marveled over how much they both had truly taken after Elizabeth in looks…and yet, Erik could see some of Raoul as well. Especially in Sarah. Where Sabrina was shy and demure, much as he remembered her birth mother to have been, in the few short days he knew her, Sarah instead reminded him of Raoul. She was eager to learn and always trying to please, whether it was in cooking, sewing or helping take care of her siblings. It was almost as if she was trying to prove herself, to stand out as an individual, a trait he had once admired in his childhood friend.

The twins had easily taken to the idea that the woman who had given them life had been the Continey's daughter, and over the years Giselle and Thomas told them many things about Elizabeth. Yet true to their word, the never once disputed the fact that Christine was the girl's mother now, even praising her virtues on many occasions. Things had worked out well between them, the girls enjoying their grandparents very much, always eager to spend time with the older couple who were so eager to dote on the girls as they would have their own daughter. Yes, things could not have gone better, yet Erik realized that one day he would still have to tell them the truth about their real father. Perhaps when they turned fifteen…or eighteen…maybe thirty? He gave a sigh and decided he would know when the time was right.

His eyes moved to where the small dark haired child lay and his tension seemed to lesson. He was grateful that there would be no need to discuss any such matters with Josephine, for her mother was currently lying up in their bed and from the appearance of the little girl, there was no doubt at all exactly who her father was. Between her dark hair to her wild and daring sprit, Erik knew she was the spitting image of him. Anne often told both he and Josephine this, describing time after time how his youngest daughter mimicked him in so many ways. Nothing frightened his little Josephine Rose and if her siblings were doing it, she wanted to as well. Be it riding horses to learning to fight with a sword. Erik saw no problem with this, for he had successfully taught Helena to defend herself, and training Josephine proved no different.

Erik found it a bit odd that both Sarah and Sabrina had declined his offer, especially since Christine's game of Knights and Dragons had always been their favorite while growing up. But as they grew, the twins began to lean more towards lady-like activities, ones a woman would need to master in order to make a fine home for her husband one day. But not Josephine, she was like a little dust storm, running here and there, never sitting still and into everything. If it had not been for the help and care of the other children, the little girl might have ran Christine ragged, taking just bout every ounce of her energy to keep up with her. Seeing his tired wife had made Erik glad that little Raoul had waited to make his appearance until several years later, giving his wife plenty of time to recuperate and ready herself for another child of his. But thankfully Josephine had captured the hearts of all her brothers and sisters immediately and they had taken turns keeping an eye on her as she grew. Erik was not surprised by this, since in his eyes, his little terror was impossible not to love…a sterling quality he attributed to all of his children.

His next stop was the boy's room, where he found both Charles and little Raoul also lost in slumber. He smiled as he saw his littlest son reach out and pull his favorite stuffed horse closer to his chest as he slept. It tugged at Erik's heart just a bit to think that the curly haired child could indeed be the last of his progeny. While he would gladly welcome more to his family, if God saw fit to bless them with such gifts, he had to admit that seven was more than enough to keep them happy and busy for many years to come. For that reason alone Erik found he doted on the little boy more than he should. But if he was truly to be his last, he figured no one would fault him for it. He was careful not to let this detract from the amount of time he spent with his other children however, giving each the time and attention needed to assure them that they were all loved equally. But there was just something about that shy little boy that had melted his heart from the very beginning. Erik had been floored when Christine had informed him that she was pregnant once again, and just like before he had sworn he would be on hand for the birth of this one too.

That moment had come in the middle of the night, Christine waking him from sleep to tell him it was time to summon Antoinette. Unlike himself, Christine seemed much calmer for the birth of Raoul, possibly since she knew more of what to expect this time. And while Erik had prepared himself for the worst, this delivery seemed to go much smoother. Of course if anyone asked Christine this, she would disagree quite firmly. Yet when little Raoul was placed in Erik's arms three short hours after she had initially woke him, and he spoke the boy's name out loud, he knew his heart had been lost for the seventh time to a screaming infant. Yes he truly loved his baby boy very much.

It pleased Erik that Charles had been willing to remain in the same room with his younger brother, explaining that he would be leaving for knight school soon anyway, so why bother moving out into his own room. Yet no matter his reasoning, Erik knew the older boy did it to help comfort Raoul when he would wake in the night and become frightened of the dark. Having his big brother in the room with him had been good for Raoul and had kept the toddler from scampering off to his parents room more than necessary. And for that, Erik was truly thankful.

Charles had grown into quite the young man, and while still at the tender age of thirteen, he excelled in so many things that Erik could not have been more proud. It worried him a bit to think of how in just a short time both of his sons would be away from Winterbourne, leaving him surrounded by mostly girls. If it was not for the fact that Josephine was quite the little hoyden, he might have wondered how he would survive until Raoul got old enough to do manly things with him. Yet he could not hold Charles back from perusing his dreams just to keep him at his side. No, he would send his son, and his friend Luc, to knight school the following year, fulfilling the promise he made to Bernard to fund his second son as well. Bernard had served him well over the years, it was his pleasure to help out his children's future where he could. Yet he had to admit that he was glad the last two children his steward had fathered were both girls.

Erik's final stop was at Jacob's room, yet the young man was not there. Puzzled by this he made a quick search of the nearby rooms and found him in his study, sitting at his father's desk and reading one of the family journals.

"Why are you up so late?" he asked Jacob as he came into the room.

"I could not sleep, so I decided to do some reading," he held the book up and Erik quickly recognized it as his own late father's journal. "Grandfather wrote a lot about you in his final years," Jacob informed him as Erik sat down in a chair across from him. "He thought very highly of you."

"Just as I do of you," Erik assured him as he gazed at him fondly. "You have made me very proud, Jacob. No man could ask for more from his son than you have already given your mother and I."

"I had a good teacher," Jacob complimented back, turning a bit red at his father's words. "I too am proud of you, father. For so many reasons, but tonight I was especially so because of your decision to allow Karl and Helena to be together."

"In a year," Erik was once again quick to point out.

"Yes, yes, in a year," Jacob laughed, the sound of it washing away his father's furrowed brow. "But a year and an acceptance were far more than Karl had dared hope for."

"Really?" Erik asked, his voice becoming thoughtful. "Are you saying I could have gotten away with two years?"

"NO!" Jacob said quickly his laughter dying instantly, fearing he might have just planted a seed that could turn into Karl's undoing. "A year is perfect, please do not change your mind or Karl and Helena will both kill me."

"Very well," Erik sighed. "If it will spare your life I will not default on my word." He could tell that his son had seen the glimmer of humor in his eye at this statement.

"Thank you, father," Jacob said, his smile returning. "Karl is a good man, he will make Helena a fine husband. He is already quite devoted to her and her happiness, and will most likely let her have her way in all matters. She will like that," he mused.

"No doubt she will," Erik chuckled.

"Do not worry about them. Bernard and Ophelia did a fine job raising Karl and Helena could not have had better examples than you and mother to pattern her married life after. They will both be deliriously happy." Jacob assured him.

"Since when did you become so wise, my son?" Erik asked looking at him and seeing the true man he had suddenly become.

"When you were not looking," Jacob grinned. "With six other kids to watch over, you do tend to miss things from time to time. Just like you missed the moment when Helena became a woman."

"The jury is still out on that case, I assure you," Erik muttered, not wanting to think about that any more tonight. "And what of you, my son? Should I be preparing myself for the day you bring home a fair maid and claim to have lost your heart to her feminine charms?"

"I do not think you need to worry about that for some time yet," Jacob chuckled. "I have no intentions of settling down just yet. I still wish for my share of battles, not for hearth and home. Once I have achieved my goal of knighthood, I might consider finding a delicate lass to share my life with." Jacob's lips then curled into a sly grin. "I might even agree to share my bed with her, providing she does not kick."

Erik found he could not stifle his laughter at his son's words, recalling to mind the conversation they had many years ago in the hallway after the night Jacob has spent sleeping in their room. Oh what he wouldn't give to have those days back.

"I am willing to bet there are still one or two such mythical creatures out there, though finding her might prove as difficult as capturing the elusive unicorn," Erik said.

"Well you know me, father, I do love the thrill of the hunt." Yet as he said this Jacob's eyes seemed to become distant, as if he were thinking of someone in particular.

"Am I to guess that you may have already set your eyes on such a fairy-tale creature?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow as his son looked away and cleared his throat.

"It was nothing more than a shared glance across the tournament field," Jacob told him, doing his best to sound vague and disinterested, yet Erik could see it had been more than just a simple glance. "Besides I do not think her father would agree to the match, so it does not matter anyway."

"And who is this ignorant man who would deny my son the hand of his daughter?" Erik huffed, affronted to think that someone would think Jacob unworthy to court their child.

"The King," Jacob said, his voice low and uncomfortable, his eyes once more not meeting his father's but instead looking at the floor.

"Oh," was all Erik could find to say, a wave of understanding crashing over him as he realized the reason for his son's reluctance to encourage his feelings for such a lady. "You have set your sights on…" Erik left it hanging, knowing that the King had two daughters very close in age.

"Princess Karoline," Jacob revealed, saying her name as if it were a prayer. "But like I said, we only shared a look when my regiment was there for tournament. I never even spoke with the girl…and yet, I have not been able to think of another since."

"You do aim high my son," Erik concluded, nodding his head as if thinking of anything he could do to aid his boys dreams. "I may be the King's most favored knight, but that alone will not win you the right to court a princess. It will take nothing less than you becoming a decorated knight having won recognition in battle to even be considered as a potential suitor."

"I am fully aware of that," Jacob nodded, a glint of determination in his eye. "Thus my plans to seek a name for myself in the King's service."

"Well, just be careful that you do not risk your life while trying to achieve such status. I do not wish to lose my son in his attempt to win the heart of a lady," Erik warned.

"I will be careful, father," Jacob assured him. "I was trained by the best and now that I have a goal in view, I will not risk attaining it by being careless in battle."

"And I will do what I can to put in a good word for you with the King," Erik said, his mind put to ease by Jacob's assurance. "After all, he has two daughters, surely he can spare one of them to give to my eldest son."

"Oh yes, especially since the King has always been known for his kind and generous nature," Jacob laughed, lightening the mood. "In the meantime, I wish to enjoy my month here at home, perhaps spend more time with Josephine and Raoul, for I hardly got to know my little sister before I left for school and my baby brother is practically a stranger to me. He seems overly shy and wary of strangers, but I think we made some definite progress tonight."

"Yes, he takes after his mother that way, yet when he warms up to you he will be harder to shake than the cockle-burs in the field," Erik laughed, knowing his timid son was also very affectionate when it came to those he loved. "I look forward to spending some time with you as well, Jacob. There is much to catch up on." His brow then furrowed once more. "And I will need your help keeping a close eye on Karl and Helena while they remain in such close proximity."

"You have the services of both my eyes, and my sword arm if there proves a need for it," Jacob assured him. "But yes, I would enjoy your company as well, father. It has been quite a while since we have had time to just sit and talk like this. I have missed it…and you."

"As have I," Erik nodded. "Yet the hour is late and I did not tell your mother where I was going, so I best get back before she wakes and thinks I have gone off to kill Karl." He then rose from the chair and bid his son goodnight, telling him in his most parental voice not to stay up too late.

"Yes father," Jacob agreed. "You know, I have missed hearing you tell me what to do while I have been away."

"Well, you always have a home here and I would be more than happy to order you around all you like," Erik assured him. "Heaven knows Helena won't let me anymore." And with roll of his eyes that left Jacob doubled over in laughter, Erik headed back up to his room, content that all of his children were safe under his keep.

When he entered his room, he saw that Christine was still sound asleep, their love making apparently having exhausted her. The moon was full that night and the glow from the sky drew him to the window. He quietly opened it up and looked out over the ocean and down the beach at the fields of Winterbourne. The sea crashed loudly as each wave made it to shore, pounding against the rocks and sand in a rhythmic sort of music. It was very soothing to Erik. If he turned his head to the left he could see the many rose bushes that now surrounded all of Winterbourne. Seven years of planting and gentle tending by his beloved Christine had yielded rich results, making his castle the envy of many. Where his great-uncle Leonard had torn out every rose bush in heart break, Christine had replaced them with love.

Erik was so lost in thought that he did not hear his wife rise and approach, not knowing of her presence until he felt her small arms encircle his waist.

"Why are you up, my husband?" she asked, leaning her cheek against his left shoulder blade, enjoying how he seemed to fit against her perfectly. "Could you not sleep?"

"I felt the need to check on the children," he confessed, taking one of her hands in his and pulling her around until she was now in front of him, her back resting against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

Christine smiled to herself at his actions. Though he enjoyed it when she called lady's rules in the bedroom, he still preferred being in control much more. And she was not surprised about his sudden need to check on his sons and daughters, it had been a very emotional day for them all, it was to be expected.

"And how do they all fare?" she asked.

"All of them asleep like the angels they are," he assured her. "Well except for Jacob."

"He is not asleep or he is not an angel?" Christine asked in a playful manner.

"It is not wise to tease the Black Knight," Erik warned, leaning his head down as he nibbled on her neck. "He could easily turn back into the Black Dragon quite quickly."

"Could he now?" she mused, not seeing any drawbacks to the idea at all.

"Will you never be satisfied, madam wife?" Erik laughed, praying the answer would be no.

"You satisfy me every minute of every hour of every day, my lord," she assured him, wrapping her arms more securely around his own and snuggling her back into his chest. "You have made me the happiest woman in the world. When I was young I would wish for only two things. One was to have a home where I felt safe and protected, a place I could call my own. The second was to share it with my husband, a man who I loved and loved me in return. For many years I was afraid I would find neither of those things, but then you came riding up to the de Coleville's castle and showed me that dreams could come true. You have fulfilled every one of my childhood fantasies…as well as all the ones I have had as a woman."

Christine wiggled just a little bit as she said her last statement and was rewarded for her efforts as she heard a deep growl come from her husband's throat and felt the evidence of his arousal against the small of her back.

"And you have by far exceeded all of my expectations as a wife as well, little one," he said, his voice now deep and husky. "Just like the maiden in your story, you rescued me by breaking the spell that kept me chained in the darkness. If you had not come into my life I would have never known the meaning of true love. You gave that to me, Christine."

"And I will continue to do so for the remainder of my days, dear husband," she assured him, turning around in his arms as she slipped one arm up around his neck and used her other hand to gently remove his mask, tossing it onto the chair that sat nearby.

Over the years Erik had become more and more comfortable with the exposure of his face, having allowed all his children to finally see what it was that lay beneath. He no longer flinched or cringed when she removed it, knowing without a doubt that she loved him completely, regardless of what his face looked like. What the Jackal had taken from him, Christine had given back with each kiss and smile.

As he looked back, Erik found that even though he despised lies and deception above all else, it was that one act of trickery which had netted him the woman of his dreams. He shuddered to think what his life may have become had it not been Christine there in the garden waiting for him the day he arrived at the de Coleville castle to claim his bride. Or what he would have done if they had not discovered that Christine's tapestry held a secret. A secret proving that she was from noble blood, thus allowing him to legally take her as his wife. So many things had fallen into place in his life, leading him to a single conclusion. He and Christine were meant to be together.

"I love you, madam wife," Erik whispered, leaning down to touch his forehead to hers as he closed his eyes in utter happiness.

"And I will always love you, Sir Erik," she replied back, rising on her toes in order to reach his lips with hers, sealing her pledge with a kiss.

As Erik pulled her to him, his body becoming hard as his abiding love and desire for her grew to monumental proportions, he knew without a doubt that he had two things to thank for this angelic creature he was fortunate enough to call his wife. It had all been made possible by a Tapestry and Deceit.

The End

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And there you have it folks…the end to Tapestry of Deceit. (or at least our version of it)

We would once again like to thank Lady Rosesong for creating such wonderful characters as Erik the Black Knight and the fair Christine and the amazing mystery of the Tapestry. It was a lot of fun putting all her clues together and hopefully coming up with something close to what she had in mind.

Thank you all for your support and reviews – they truly kept us going on this.

I (FP33) have two more stories to write now but I am not sure if I will be posting them under this screen name or my original one 'FantomPhan33'. So if you would like to be notified when I begin to post, please be sure to click the "follow author" box both here and under my other screen name as well. One will be an Erik/Christine at the Opera House story – with a bit of a twist. While the other will be an alternate universe one set in the late 1700s (Jane Austen era) with some mystery and intrigue and lots of fun stuff that goes along with it. So stay tuned…I will write as fast as I can and of course have the amazing PoE99 right there urging me on and adding her insightful ideas.

Thanks again for all your support and kind words – this was a lot of fun! Now...please hit the review button and tell us how we did. ;)

FP33 and PoE99