Sorry it took me almost three weeks to get this chapter written! I hit a little writer’s block, but I had to get everything into this chapter. Here it is now!

On another note, I just realized that Gail Carson Levine’s book is set in Ayortha, and am so excited to be reading it now! Also, I have been misspelling Ayorthaian for this entire story, so I will be correcting that from now on. Cheers!

Eleanor was gazing at the rising sun through the window of her new sitting room. She and Peter had returned from their honeymoon early yesterday to find themselves sleeping on a mat on the floor. In his excitement about their new house, and his new job, Peter had forgotten to make any arrangements for furniture in the mansion. Eleanor smiled to herself. It had been quite rustic and romantic, curled up in front of the fire, looking at the empty space that would be their home.

Reality snapped back in when she woke up early the next morning. The servants that had been hired, not to mention Mandy, would be arriving today, and everything had to be in place as soon as possible. Eleanor had tried to prod Peter into action, but he had stubbornly rolled himself in the blanket and refused to move. It wasn’t that long after dawn, Eleanor supposed, but she had things to do. She didn’t feel like getting into another argument, so she simply got dressed and left for the hustle and bustle of the markets. She had arranged for some furniture to be brought from her parent’s home before she left. All of the wedding gifts had to be transported, as well as some of the ancestral belongings that had been promised to her upon marriage—gorgeous tapestries and several large chests of drawers--things like that.

Anything they did not have coming, she purchased. She bought pots and pans, rugs, tables, chairs. It was surprising what one could find if they sought it hard enough. Despite her somewhat reserved nature, Eleanor was an excellent haggler. It was a trait that she was sure would come in handy, since money would be tight after Peter started his new merchant job. Luckily that was not until next week, after the coronation, and so she could still furnish their new home without worrying about running their accounts dry.

She passed bakeries, cheese mongers, butchers and produce stalls. She sniffed appreciatively at the melee of different aromas. She would send Mandy out later to stock the pantry, since she would be the one doing most of the cooking. However, Eleanor stopped to buy some meat pasties so that she and Peter wouldn’t starve until Mandy got to Frell. Her shopping done, Eleanor headed back to the manor to await the arrival of their belongings so she could begin to set up house.

She was surprised when she opened the door to see Peter rushing toward her. He bumped into her on his way out.

“Peter!” she called. He whirled around, still moving towards the stables. “Where are you going?”

“The palace. I forgot that I have to see Jerrold about some important business, and I’m late. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”

“But aren’t you going to help me set up our home? And I brought you something to eat!”

“Thanks darling,” Peter rushed back and grabbed the sausage roll that Eleanor held out. “I’m sure I would only get in the way with the housework. Women are so much better at those sorts of things than men. I can‘t wait to see it when I get back!”

And with that he took off down the path to the stables, stuffing the roll into his mouth as he went. Eleanor sighed as she took out her own breakfast. She sat down in the middle of the floor, looking at all the dust and cobwebs she had only just noticed.

Daria was back at the site of the blocked off hallway. She knew that there was someway to get in there, and see what Jerrold was planning for...after the coronation tomorrow. She could not bring herself to think about the fact that very soon he would be announcing the name of the woman who would be the next queen—Jerrold’s wife. She and Jerrold had spent most of their days together every day since that first meeting back at the palace. Much of the time they spent together was used to discuss affairs of the state. However, Jerrold always invented some excuse for them to go out together, and Daria found that she couldn’t say no. She did not want to. They had gone on tours through the royal city, walking through the marketplaces and sampling the wares. They had taken rides through the surrounding countryside. Daria had even accompanied Jerrold on several inspections of local military facilities and merchant warehouses. He had told her that he needed her opinion on these trips, and she had been all too happy to give it.

She stood on her tiptoes on a bench, and was almost able to see over it. Someone behind her cleared their throat. Daria jumped and spun around, almost losing her balance. Jerrold was standing there with an amused look on his face. Daria blushed. She held her nose high, however. There was not a single reason why she was not allowed to be here. She had as much right as the next person to be curious about alterations to the palace. She held out her hand for Jerrold to help her down, which he graciously did.

Once she had her feet securely on the floor of the hallway Daria felt her confidence grow. When Jerrold did not let her hand go, she tugged at it, trying to pull away.

“Walk with me for awhile Daria,” he said, pulling her hand through the crook of his arm. He smiled down at her as he led her down the corridor in the direction of the summer garden. “We should enjoy the garden while the flowers are still in their last bloom. They’ll be withering soon.”

Daria let him lead her along, lost in her own thoughts for several moments. As they stepped out into the garden, the cool air shocked her back into awareness. She looked up at Jerrold as she planted her feet in the ground. Jerrold looked down at her as he met with resistance as he tried to move forward. He was shocked to see the way she looked at him. Her eyes held a mixture of fear, hope, and something else—something that he had been longing to see again.

“Daria, there is something that I would very much like to discuss with you before I make my announcement at the coronation ball. It has to do with the future queen.”

Daria felt a wave of dread sweep over her, and she tried to steady her voice. “Jerrold… there is something I need to say to you also. I do not think that we should see each other anymore.”

Jerrold’s mouth dropped open. “Daria…”

“No, hear me out. Soon you will have a new queen—and she might not like having someone like me spending so much time with her husband. Of course, I will still be happy to act as one of your advisors. But I suggest that you have one of the other members of the administration accompany you on inspections and such.

“But Daria, if you’d just let me explain…”

“No. You don’t have to. I’m not asking for explanations or promises, or anything. I like you Jerrold, and I think that you will make an excellent king. But I will have my own responsibilities as well. You see, Lord Hartford has all but asked for my hand in marriage. I expect a formal engagement will be set up soon after the coronation ball is over. I will have added responsibilities with this position as well, and will not have time to accompany you as I have this past week. So you see…it has to be this way.”

With that, Daria pulled her hand away, and fled the garden. Jerrold was too stunned to go after her. Did she honestly think that he had forgotten about his own proposal to her? He fumed as he stalked back into the castle. Honestly, it was just like Daria to jump to a conclusion and then rush headlong into a solution without thinking about the consequences, or seeing the bigger picture. Jerrold had been trying to tell her about his decision, and the announcement that he would make at the ball. After the past week, he thought that she would have begun to take a hint. However, whenever emotions are heavily involved, he supposed it was natural that one could not see the situation objectively. If she had only let him talk though, he could have asked her again if it would be alright if he announced his engagement to her at the ball.

Well, if Lord Hartford thought that he could just waltz in and steal Daria, he would be mightily surprised. If he had to carry out his plan without Daria’s consent…so be it. He could only hope that she would forgive him in the end.

Eleanor fidgeted in her seat as the carriage pulled up outside the castle. Banners hung everywhere, and the palace twinkled with thousands of little lights from candles flickering on the walls, in the windows, and anywhere they could find a place for them. Earlier in the day, flowers had been thrown continuously from the walls for an hour, and the ground was still carpeted with the fragrant petals.

She was glad that Peter had insisted that she wear the new gown that he had bought for her. It was a dark orange—not even close to her favorite color—and she had been trying to get out of wearing it. Orange dye was hard to come by at the moment—it was mined by the gnomes, and trade routes had only just opened up. Peter wanted to show off his new status as a merchant. The dress was extremely fancy, and in her opinion, pretty gaudy. However, she was no more dressed up than any of the other women. In fact, she was less ostentatious than some, due to the fact that she had toned down her jewelry.

Peter, who had been staring at the carriage that had just pulled up next to theirs, noticed that her hands were twisted in her gown. He uncurled her fingers, and patted her hands between his. “Darling, be careful. You don’t want to wrinkle your dress. Don’t worry, you look beautiful!”

Eleanor smiled at him, but she was gritting her teeth. Peter had been getting on her nerves the last few days. He had not helped her set up the house, although he had taken care of a lot of the coordination for the maintenance of the grounds of the manor. As Peter got more involved with his new business, however, the time that they spent together dwindled. When he could spare a few hours, he seemed more occupied with her appearance than anything else: how she carried herself, what she wore, how her hair was done. Eleanor feared that the funny and carefree man that she had fallen in love with was becoming absorbed by the new Sir Peter—intent on making as much money as he could. She knew that he was only trying to provide for her and their future family, but what good would money be if he did not know them at all?

Peter stepped out of the carriage as it pulled to a halt in front of the castle. As he helped Eleanor down, her mood brightened. At least she would get to see Daria and Jerrold again. It felt like ages since she had last seen them, and she knew they would have a lot to catch up on.

Daria whirled around the room in Lord Hartford’s arms. He wasn’t actually much of a lead—she had to attempt to lead herself because he had no power or force helping direct her through the intricate turns and spins of the dance. It was exhausting dancing with him.

She was coming to realize that it was exhausting being with him. She always had to put on a façade in order to be comfortable around him. It was the exact opposite of being with Jerrold, whom she had always been completely herself around. It had only been this afternoon when she had last seen him, and she missed him terribly already. She arched her neck to look for him across the dance floor, and saw him effortlessly guiding Lady Amelia through the dance. She was beaming, and he was laughing, boisterously with his head thrown back. They looked happy, graceful, and perfect. Actually, this was the third dance that he had been partnered with Lady Amelia…

Daria frowned. Lady Amelia was pretty, well-mannered, and soft-spoken, yet exceedingly intelligent. She would make an excellent queen, and Jerrold was certainly favoring her tonight. Daria turned her attention back to the dance when she almost whapped Lord Hartford in the nose as he tried to twirl her into a dip. She was sure her face was red—she was fuming. However, she could not bring herself to care about whether this affected Lord Hartford at all. In fact, if he asked her to marry him tonight, she was sorely tempted to say no. She would rather be an old spinster than spend her life with this foppish boor.

She felt her mother’s necklace, the one piece of jewelry she owned, gently swinging around her neck. She wanted to make her parents proud however. An advantageous marriage would gain her privileges that she did not have yet, and she would be able to do a lot of good for the country and the people of Kyrria. She wouldn’t let them down either. Stiffening her resolve, she accidentally stomped down hard on Lord Hartford’s foot when he fumbled a step. He howled in pain—although she knew that he was overdoing it—and she helped him limp off to a chaise on the side of the room. When she would have left to go find another partner, he pulled her down onto the chaise next to him.

“Daria, there is something that I must discuss with you…” he said, as he started patting down his pockets, clearly looking for something.

Jerrold smiled as he saw Daria looking at him. He could almost see the thundercloud growing over her head. He had chosen Lady Amelia because he knew she would elicit this reaction. Plus, she was already attached to one of his knights, so he knew she was a safe choice, and would not be offended when he told her he only wanted to use her to make Daria a little jealous. He just wanted one more sign that she actually cared for him, despite her protests.

As the dance ended, Jerrold turned to look for Daria, but she was nowhere to be seen. After scanning the room several times, he finally spotted Lord Hartford dragging her over to a couch on the side of the ballroom. Daria looked like she was trying to escape, but Lord Hartford kept a hold of her hands as he fumbled around in his pockets for something.

All of a sudden, Jerrold realized what it would be, and he knew that he had to get over their before Lord Hartford pulled out an engagement ring and asked Daria to marry him. This was his last chance. Jerrold bowed quickly to Lady Amelia and all but sprinted over to where Daria was sitting. Hartford had just begun to say something, and Daria looked slightly panicked. She looked up as Jerrold interrupted, and he could swear that he saw relief in her eyes.

“Lady Daria, I was wondering if you would honor me with your hand for the next dance.” Jerrold panted slightly as he said this, and he held out his hand as he tried to catch his breath.

“Of course Your Majesty,” Daria rose gracefully from the couch without a backwards glance. “Lord Hartford, may we resume our discussion after the waltz?”

Lord Hartford glowered at Jerrold, but he gave Daria a simpering smile as he oozed his reply, “you can count on it Lady Daria.”

Jerrold frowned at him, and possessively whirled Daria into the beginning of the waltz. Once they were a safe distance from Lord Hartford, he relaxed and started to enjoy the dance more. The waltz was a good excuse for holding Daria close.

“Your Majesty, the coronation ceremony was beautiful,” Daria commented, unemotionally.

“Thank you. I had absolutely nothing to do with its planning whatsoever.”

Daria smiled, and Jerrold thought his heart might stop. He wanted to see her smile like that always. She looked up into his eyes, and neither could turn away. They spent the rest of the dance in silence.

“Daria…” Jerrold breathed her name. Daria stepped away as the strains of music died away. “Your Majesty, Lady Amelia appears to be looking for you.”

Jerrold did not miss the disappointment in her eyes as she turned away. I must make the announcement now, or my opportunity is lost. Jerrold grabbed her elbow and made his way to the front of the hall and up the steps, pulling Daria along behind him.

“Jerrold, what on earth are you doing?” Daria whispered furiously as she tripped on the hem of her skirt as Jerrold dragged her up the stairs. He kept her from falling, but did not stop moving.

“Lords and Ladies, honored guests,” Jerrold shouted over the crowd. The band had not yet begun the next tune, and so silence fell as soon as he began speaking. “Today I had the honor of formally becoming the next king of Kyrria. I will do my best to serve you with dignity and strength, and to protect the people and lands of Kyrria. It is my belief, however, that a good king needs a strong queen to rule by his side and help him see when he is wrong—as I hope he can also do for her. It is my honor to announce that I have chosen the next queen of Kyrria. I am sure you will all approve of her. She has already served the country so well, most recently as one of my leading advisors. I am sure that she will make the very best of queens, and I hope you will all swear to her your loyalty and devotion, as you have to me.”

Daria’s futile struggles to escape had stilled. Jerrold looked over at her, and she was as white as a sheet. She was not moving at all, not even to blink. Jerrold became a little less sure of his decision to spring this on her, but it was too late to back out now.

“My fellow Kyrrians, I present to you Lady Daria—advisor to the king, confidant, and friend. The future queen of Kyrria.”

He looked over the stunned crowd, and saw in the back of the room, that Eleanor and Sir Peter had entered just in time for the announcement. Eleanor’s mouth fell open, but Sir Peter was smiling broadly.

Stunned silence gave way to uproarious cheering as Jerrold took Daria’s arm, placed it through the crook of his elbow and led her down the steps. She came automatically, and the crowd parted before them, everyone extolling his decision, and wishing them good fortune. He saw Lord Hartford’s beet red face near the edge of the crowd, looking as if any minute he might explode.

Jerrold and Daria reached the end of the hall, and he had the guards there keep everyone back as he led her to the hall that had, until ten minutes ago, been barricaded from the public. Jerrold led Daria through the gate to the garden, out into the starry night. A cool breeze blew as he led her down the path to the special area that he had sectioned off and built just for her. He kissed her hand as he led her through a maze of hedges.

When she remained in a daze, he gently squeezed her hand. “Daria,” he said, starting to worry.

Daria blinked, and turned her face up to look at him. He could see some of the color returning to her face. Quite a bit of color actually. In fact, her face was turning red all over, and he did not think that it was because she was blushing. Her lip started trembling. Then, she pulled her arm from his, put her hands on his chest, and gave him such a hard shove that he went crashing into the hedge behind him.

Daria blinked back furious tears as she tried desperately to find her way out of the maze of hedges before Jerrold caught up with her. She was furious. She couldn’t believe he would do this to her. Again. If he thought that he could just order her to marry him, or think that she would simply submit to his slightest whim just because he was king…well, he had better think again.

Daria came face to face with a wall of green as she hit another dead end, and stamping her foot, she turned to retrace her steps. If this was the surprise that was supposed to be the queen’s...her…wedding present, then she was thoroughly disappointed. How could one enjoy a present when one couldn’t ever find their way out? As she rounded the corner out of the dead end, she came face to face with a livid Jerrold. He hair had twigs and leaves tangled in it from the hedge, and his coat was ripped and muddy in several places from the sharp branches. His face was a brilliant red as he tried to get his angry breathing under control.

“What,” he said, his voice under tight control as he tried not to let his emotions get away from him, “was that for?”

“What do you think,” Daria snapped back, trying to skirt around him. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Stop it!” she yelled. “You manhandle me more than anyone I have ever met! If you touch me one more time I’ll…I’ll punch you!”

“Daria,” Jerrold said, his fist clenching and unclenching, “I have never hit a woman in my life, but you might be the first.”

“Ha!” Daria spat back. “Hitting women is only for weak men, and whatever else you are, you are not weak!”

“Why did you push me into the bush? I thought you would be happy to be queen!”

“You already asked me once,” Daria tried to pull her arm from his grasp, where he still held her firmly by the elbow. “Did you think by telling me to marry you, my answer would be any different?”

“Why don’t you want to marry me?” Jerrold was shaking her now. “I thought, after all the time that we had spent together this past week, your opinion would have changed. It must have. I see how you react to me. I know you see how I react to you. Why won’t you consent to marry me?!”

“I would be miserable married to you!” Daria cried out. Jerrold looked as if she had slapped him in the face. He stepped back from her, completely stunned.

“Am I so loathsome to you that you cannot stand me?” He said, incredulously. “Are my past…misdeeds…so horrible that you cannot even entertain the idea of me as a husband? I was young, I made mistakes. Will you not forgive me for them?” He mouth twisted into a sneer. “Have you been so blinded by Lord Hartford’s ‘charms’ that you have not seen the way that I have changed.”

Daria stared back at him sadly. “A leopard cannot change his spots. Not permanently. After Eleanor left, you had a different escort to every ball. And what about tonight? What about Lady Amelia? After fawning all over her all evening, you announce your intention to wed me! What about her feelings? Or do you intend to keep her around on the side after you have me for the political savoir faire and moral dignity that I will bring to the royal family?” Daria’s voice turned cold and sarcastic.

Jerrold ran his hands through his hair in annoyance. “For goodness sake, Daria, don’t you see that I was trying to make you jealous? To see if you had emotions? To see if you cared for me at all? Good grief, ever since we were young you told me how inadequate I was, sneered at me when I made the wrong decisions, and derided me when I made a decision that differed from yours. Can you blame me for being wary of your affections?”

Daria threw her hands up in exasperation. “Jerrold, you know that I have loved you unconditionally since the first day we met! But you were engaged to Eleanor. Then, you weren’t, and I thought maybe I had a chance, despite the fact that I am an orphan, and virtually the lowest of the nobles at court. But you started dating all those women…I won’t let my heart get broken by being in love with someone who doesn’t love me back! Even when you asked me to marry you, you did not mention the one emotion that should be the foundation of all marriages. Love. I thought once I got back, that I could live without your love as long as I got to be near you. Seeing you tonight with Lady Amelia, however, I realize that I was wrong. That is why, once Lord Hartford asks me, I am going to marry him as soon as I can!” Daria turned away to wipe away the tears that had started coursing down her cheeks.

Jerrold stood in stunned silence for a moment. Then he burst. “You are the most infuriating, unpredictable, frustrating woman I have ever known!” He grabbed Daria’s hand, pulled her to him, and kissed her soundly.

Daria was in too much shock to object. One minute they were arguing, and the next, she felt his arms creep around her waist as her own hands made their way up his back to tangle in his hair. Jerrold broke off the kiss, leaving only enough distance between them to whisper “You silly woman. Don’t you realize that I love you more than anything else on the earth?” Daria looked into his eyes, and knew he was telling her the truth. As they stood so close under the stars, she realized in that moment that he would never break her heart. She had never been so happy to be wrong. She smiled up at him, and he pulled her close for another kiss.

A little while later, Jerrold led her towards the exit of the maze. As they reached the final turn, Jerrold stopped her, smiling. He raised her hands to her lips and kissed them. “I had this made especially for you. I want you to get the full effect.” He turned her gently, and then covered her eyes with his hands. He guided her forward slowly, and gestured her to stop when they were in the right position. “Are you ready?” Jerrold asked. Daria nodded. Jerrold lowered his hands, and Daria gasped.

They were in the middle of a big, open garden, filled with candles. What had been the outer edges of the royal garden had been filled with large, golden cages, and in many of the cages, beautiful parrots of every kind flew around, singing, playing, and eating. The cages each stood in their own small section of the garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees. Daria went up to the closest cage. Inside was a beautiful parrot, and as she came closer to it, it said “.iqkwo pwach brzzay ufedjeE!” Daria gasped in delight and turned to Jerrold, who was beaming at her.

“Do you like it?” he asked, almost shyly. “I remember you saying that you loved the birds that could speak. I left some of the cages empty, so that you could fill them if you wished to.”

Daria smiled at him as she stepped toward him. “It’s the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me.”

Jerrold’s smile broadened. He is so cute when he does that, Daria thought. She rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He took the cue well, and wrapped her in his arms again. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Finally Jerrold took a step back. “Well, I had better get this right at least once.”

Daria looked at him in confusion. Jerrold dropped to one knee. Out of his pocket, he pulled an elaborately engraved, yet simple golden band. The design of the ring was one that her father had engraved on the back of the necklace that he had given her mother as a wedding present—the one that she now wore. She did not know how Jerrold knew what the design looked like, but there could be no mistaking the fact that he had had this ring made for her—only for her.

“Daria, will you please marry me?” Jerrold said, looking up at her. “I love you more than anything, and I want you to be my wife.”

“Yes, of course I will.” Jerrold stood up, and slipped the ring onto her finger. When he looked at her, she could see a playful glint coming into his eyes. “Thank you, light of my life, for ending my torment by finally agreeing to marry me. If you had refused a third time I might have been forced to sacrifice myself to an ogre out of sheer agony!”

She gave him a flick on the nose, and then threw herself into her arms. When she pulled back, she was crying again.

“Don’t cry my love,” he said, gently wiping the tears away from her cheeks.

She shook her head, smiling. “These are good tears. These are tears of joy.”