“ My..My Father is going to be tried as a traitor.” Isabelle sobbed against Dianna. Jerold wasn’t sure what to say to Isabelle as he looked down at Kevin.
“ It’s bad enough you sent for her without my knowledge and now she knows this.” Kevin seethed.
“ I did not send for her.”
“ No Kevin, Jerold didn’t send for us. The church where Isabelle was staying had been attacked and was burning, this was the safest place to send all the victims of that fire.” Brian said looking at his cousin.
“ Then how would she have known I was here?”
“ She was brought in to the infirmary to be treated for the burns she has on her arms. And even now she’s not been treated for those.” Dianna said helping Isabelle lay down on one of the empty beds.
“ I’m fine.” Isabelle said trying to get back up.
“ No, you’re not fine. I’ve seen the others that where brought from the church and I was told they found you deep inside where the fire was at it’s worst.”
“ I was hiding.”
“ From what?” Kevin asked looking towards her.
“ The soldiers. I heard their voices.” Isabelle said.
“ Tell us what happened?” Jerold said sitting down.
“ All right.” Isabelle answered.

*** Isabelle’s POV ****

The church was quiet. I was walking threw the halls, listening to choir practice. I heard a strange noise and then glass shattering. I heard screams coming from down the long hallway. I made my way down the hall and saw fire coming from one of the rooms. It was spreading fast and the nuns where screaming and running. A few where on fire, I stood there frozen in fear as I saw a soldier enter the convent. I was so scared, thinking the worst I ran and found myself a hiding place, the far end of the church. There is a small confessional there and I hid inside. I pulled my legs up and heard screams fill the room. I was terrified and unsure if I would even survive what was going on. I heard Brian’s voice calling to me and several of the nuns. I opened the door and looked to see the entire room was on fire, the roof was engulfed in flames. It looked as if hell itself had swallowed the church, flames licked at the walls and the painted glass trying to free itself from the confines of the hall. I heard a scream and turned to see Sister Mary Margaret’s dress was on fire. I saw Brian come from the side and try and put out the fire. She lay sobbing on the floor her body burned from the fire, Brian moved aside as two men entered and helped Sister Mary Margaret from the hall. I looked to see the Mother Superior reenter the hall helping several more injured nuns from there. I knew that there had been deaths, I screamed as the fire touched my arm lighting my dress on fire, I patted the fire trying to get it out when Brian heard my voice. I got the fire out and hid in my dark corner. Brian finally made his way to me and made me leave the hall. We arrived here some a day later.

*** End POV ***

“ Isabelle let me see your hands.” Dianna said looking at the girl. It was the first time any of them had gotten a really good look at her garments; the front of the dress was torn, burned and dirty. Her sleeves where gone, Dianna assumed from the flames. She took Isabelle’s hands in her own and turned them over, she could see minor burns on the palms and some more up her arm. Her right arm was burned pretty bad, showing signs of a second-degree burn.
“ I need some cool cloths.” Dianna ordered.
“ I don’t worry about myself. What of my father?”
“ Your father will be fine.” Dianna said. Isabelle looked at her and she wasn’t entirely sure if that was true or not.



Isabelle moved around the camp, her arms both bandaged from where Dianna had treated the burns, she still wore the dress she had arrived in three days before. Her uncle had offered several changes of clothing and offers of sending her to her grandmother’s home but Isabelle would see none of it. She refused to leave her father in his time of need. Dianna seemed to like her father Isabelle thought; they seemed to smile a lot dispite the world around them. And Isabelle had to admit she loved to see her father smile. Everything in the room seemed to light up when her father smiled. He hadn’t smiled in a long time.
“ Do you care for my father?” Isabelle asked Dianna one afternoon.
“ My goodness we are forward aren’t we?”
“ I asked a question of you? Do you care for my father?”
“ I do. But what is it of your concern if I care for your father?” Dianna asked.
“ You seem to make him happy dispite where we are, what is coming to him soon. Will you stand by him?”
“ I have only known your father a short time. But he seems to be a kind and generous man.”
“ He is. And a fine gentlemen, my father was happy once, long before my mother became ill.” Isabelle said. She stood and hugged Dianna. “ I hope you can bring that sparkle back to his eyes.” She whispered as she pulled away. Dianna smiled and nodded. She had to admit Kevin was a sight to see. A handsome man in his own right, tall and slender, but muscular at the same time. His long dark hair hung well past his shoulders, he now had a slight beard and it looked handsomely on him. His green eyes showed the Irish side of his family, his strong will showed the heritage. Dianna had to admit the few short weeks that Kevin had been there, she had become rather fond of him, even looked forward to her visits to the infirmary.
“ I must go and check on your father, he had a high fever and I wanted to see if had come down.” She said hurrying away from Isabelle.