Note from Author: Anything in italics is a thought or a flashback. Based on the context of the story, you'll know which is which.

Also, this chapter is fairly short and somewhat lacking in details. This is a very dialogue heavy chapter because I felt the interaction between the characters was the best way to reveal the history between Serenity, Castor, and a new character, Silvanus.

The stag stood tall beside Maia over shadowing her. His chocolate brown coat shining in the morning sun; his antlers large and think. A scar followed the right side of his face, crossing over his blue eye. "Is this stag giving you any trouble?" He said in a cold, monotone voice.

Maia shook her head, "No, this is the stag I was telling you about. The one who helped me find Constant."

Castor stood there studying the stag. That scar... he thought. Those soulless eyes...I've seen him from somewhere... Castor shifted his weight and stood tall himself, sizing himself up to the new stag. The stag studied Castor back, then smirked.

"What is it?" Castor asked in confusion.

"I've seen you from somewhere before," the stag replied.

Castor gulped while pulling his ears back, "And I have seen you."

The new stag slowly walked around Castor, looking at him up and down, "Yes...I know we've met before. But where?"

Castor shrugged, "I'm not sure."

Two sets of footsteps could be heard from behind Castor, one light and one heavy. He glanced back to see Serenity walking up to him with Kumiko prancing next to her. Serenity then stopped when she caught glance of the stag. Her mouth opened with her lip trembling and her eyes wide. "It can't be..." she said to herself.

The stag's grin widened as he caught sight of Serenity, "Serenity...Oh, how I've missed you. How long has it been? You remember me, right? The one you ran from."

Fear overtook Serenity. She slowly back away with Kumiko standing between her front legs. Castor, sensing Serenity's discomfort, stepped in front of her. Standing between his mate and the stag, Castor stomped his hoof and lowered his head, revealing his antlers. "I thought I recognized you," he snapped, "Silvanus..."

Silvanus chuckled, "Ah yes...I know you now. You're the one who stole her from me." He scratched the ground with his front hoof and lowered his head, revealing his antlers and snorted. "She was rightfully promised to me. I was to own her, not you."

"You talk like Serenity is property!" Castor snorted in return as he stood tall in front of her.

"What's going on, Mom...?" Kumiko asked innocently as she cocked her head in confusion.

Silvanus looked down at her, "So, I see you have a fawn..."

Serenity gently pushed Kumiko behind her, defending her fawn, "Yes, I do."

Maia was now concerned. She stepped beside Silvanus; her glances jumping between him and her friends. "Wait," she said with sadness in her voice, "You know them?"

Silvanus nodded, "Yes, a long time ago..."

High on top of a hill, over looking the moonlit fields, the elders sat in a circle. They were all herd leaders from the neighboring herds who had gathered to discuss the treaty between the two herds at war: the Isi herd and the Wayra herd. A large deer, gray from old age, laid in the grass thinking while his beautiful daughter stood beside him. He arose to his feet, "I- the leader of the Isi- offer my daughter, Serenity, to Silvanus, the prince of the Wayra, as our peace offering."

The doe gasped as she turned to her father. "Father!" She whispered in his ear, "Have you gone mad?"

The stag shook his head, "No, my daughter, this is what is best for the herd."

"Never!" screamed Serenity as she stomped her hooves and shook her head. "I shall never marry him!"

"Serenity..." her father spoke in soothing tone, "It will unite two herds and end the war. Silvanus is very fond of you. He's a good, strong stag. He'll make a nice husband, I promise."

Serenity continued to protest, "But I don't love him! I love Castor."

Her father snorted, "That outsider! Serenity, I raised you better!"

Silvanus stood beside the elderly stag, "Now be a good daughter and listen to your father." He walked over to her and licked her cheek while smiling, "And don't worry...I'll take good care of you."

Serenity pushed him away. She turned away from him and her father, looking out at the forest. In the distance, she saw the silhouette of Castor watching her. Even though she could not see his face, she could sense his concern. From behind her, she could hear the other elders talking amongst themselves.

"What a disloyal daughter..." one of them had said.

"She shall bring much disgrace to the Isi if she does not go through with the marriage," another had stated.

Serenity hung her head low. She loved her father greatly and the herd meant the world to her, but her heart was empty whenever she looked at Silvanus. Yet when she looked at Castor, she felt warm and her heart fluttered. In his eyes, she saw her future. She knew what she had to do but it did not make doing it any easier. She gulped, then let out a few deep sighs, "No..."

The talking ceased as all eyes fell on her. She glanced back at the group with her head still hanging. Tears were in her eyes. Glances were exchanged between all the elders. Serenity's father stood in the distance with sadness in his eyes. She looked away when she saw him.

Silvanus stood in the middle of the group, looking down at her, "If she is this disobedient, then she is not worthy of me."

Serenity looked back at him. Her eyes full of rage, "No...It is you who is not worthy of me."

With those words, she gathered her strength. She quickly ran down the hill in Castor's direction. She never looked back at her father or the herd. She only ran into the forest away from them with Castor beside her.

Tension was high between them all. Serenity was uneased as she felt Silvanus' gaze on her. She could feel his hungry eyes looking over her, longing for her. Castor stood his ground, protecting his family while Maia stood beside them, confused by the situation.

Silvanus looked over at Maia, "But don't worry, my dear, that was long ago."

"Then why do you look at her that way?" she asked.

He shrugged, "In what way? I have you now, don't I? Why would I need her?" He turned and started to walk away.

Maia felt her heart slowly begin to break. Silvanus was her chance at once again having a complete family, but she saw that slowly fade as he looked at Serenity. "I...I don't know what to say..." she had said.

Serenity loosened up a bit, "It is not you fault, Maia. Silvanus and I just go way back..." She looked over at Maia. "Do not mourn over losing him. You can get a better stag than him. You deserve a better stag than him."

Maia sighed heavily. She looked back to watch as Silvanus disappeared into the woods. The leaves in the bushes swayed as he pushed his way through them. Part of her could not help but admire his sculpted body while another part of her was disgusted by how he looked at Serenity. With her head hanging low and her feet dragging, she followed him hoping that his words were true and that he no longer desired Serenity.