Jacques awoke, and for a moment he could almost believe that he was back in the quaint little village. But as the last vestiges of his deep slumber finally fell away, he realized that he was still in the dark stone chamber in which he had fallen asleep.

In many ways, he wished this whole ordeal was just some horrible dream.

As he stirred, Gabrielle emerged from the shadows and stood by his bed. She looked shaken, nervous. On edge.

“What is it?” Jacques asked, looking into her agitated face.

“Oh, everything is wrong!” she whispered urgently, trying to hide the tears she felt pricking at the corners of her eyes. “Roland’s power is as strong as ever, but his greed and his ambition are not what I expected at all!”

Gabrielle paced back and forth across the chamber, her hair fanning out behind her like a vast, golden cape.

“I need to know what’s going on!” Jacques said severely.

“Well, your brother Roland-”

“My brother?”

Gabrielle gasped. “Oh dear. This is far worse than I feared.”