I paced nervously in my suite; well, it wouldn't be my suite for long, for I was to move into the Prince's room that night! I could clearly see our conversation, but what I couldn't figure out was how I had let it get this out of control:

          'Rika, I know you've been running away from me.' Darrek said, still 

     holding me in an embrace; quite frankly I couldn't move, even if I wanted 

     too. I was rooted to the spot. 'I just found Father Bartholomew

     outside...In a...dress,' he whispered, with some obvious discomfort.

          'Stupid, wannabe-priest,' I muttered, recovering some of my wits.

          Darrek looked at me with a stern look, something flashing in his eyes.

     His gaze made me uncomfortable and I fidgeted, but this little movement did

     not escape his trained eye.

          He steadied me by passing his hands down the length of my arms, trying

     to help, but this did more harm than good. 'I've been thinking this over for

     awhile,' he began - it didn't sound good, for me, 'and I think it's time we

     shared a room.'

          My mouth dropped open and in response he clapped it shut by lifting my

     jaw with the tip of his fingers. 'We are husband and wife, last time I

     checked.' His argument was relentless and I could find nothing to say in

     return. I was utterly dumbfounded! But he went on: 'I expect you to have

     moved in by tonight.'

          This was when I finally caught my voice, in a loud - if not obnoxious -

     gasp. 'But! But!' I sputtered as I pushed away from him and dove from his

     arms that were filling me with strange, mixed feelings. 'I can't!'

          That was it. That was my brilliant comeback!

          The Prince shook his head; he had never seemed more prince-like until

     he said these words: 'I'm the husband, and that means that I have the finally

     say. Don't worry...' he said to reassure me, while letting the sentence drop.

     We both knew, very well, what he was getting at, meaning: "'A little bit of

     this and that.'"

          'You're the husband in name only! I was tricked into this.' I nearly

     shrieked. 'You didn't want us to be together from the beginning. What

     happened to that? This isn't something about love, just about "male

     dominance."'

          Something akin to pain flickered in the Princes face. There, I had hit a

     sore spot. If I just kept at it maybe he would leave me alone; or maybe...he

     would forget me.

          'I'm right! Why do we have to do this? We don't love each other! I don't

     love you and you don't love me--'

          'Princess Rika,' he stressed my name and title as I began to speak of

     love. 'Love...has everything to do with it.' And then he left, leaving such an

     air of mysterious nature, that I could hardy recover. What had just

     happened?

     Well, it was all fine for him! He was the Prince, the man, in control of the whole situation, while I could barely gather anything that was going on! I hadn't even recovered from the blow when servants were directed to me and asked which stuff I would move first.

     So there I was sitting on a cream colored divan as two servants fussed over me while I stroked my furrowed brow.

     "What do you suppose he meant by: 'Love...has everything to do with it'?" I stood with indignation.

     "Do you suppose she's alright, Ivan?" Ferrina asked from where she stood watching Rika from her balcony. She turned to the distracted servant.

     "I suppose she will. She's tough." he mumbled.

     Ferrina smiled, "Come now, Ivan, no need to be flustered. You're with a friend."

     "I beg your indulgence, milady," I van said at once, to correct her, "I'm with a fair woman of a higher class and I'm with the woman who was once my..."

     Ferrina cut him off, "We need not reopen past wounds. I thought that the parties involved were satisfied on both ends." Something in her voice seemed jilted, which compelled Ivan to speak further.

     "Ferrina, to refer to the two people - you and I - as merely political parties involved with one another is almost..."

     The Ambassador turned to face him completely when his sentence trailed off. "Finish your sentence, Ivan." She commanded.

     "I can’t, milady, I’ve already said too much. I hope that you will be happy and long with Lord Yavin," he said in a tone that seemed almost devoid of the human counterpart that had created it, then he bowed and left - without another word.

     Ferrina watched him go, but as she departed she whispered this: "'Is almost...heartbreaking.'"

     "Come on, Amy. I already said I was sorry. How long are you going to give me the silent treatment?" Bartholomew asked as the two walked down a garden trail. The two were looking for Father Cassandra, who had been seen last headed in the direction of the outer gates. They were on a hunt to find him and Bartholomew suspected that he was in a ditch somewhere.

     Amy scowled as she stopped where she was, a few steps ahead of him. "Until you tell me why you're here! First the festival and now this! I don't suppose you left those bandits?" she said, bringing up an incident in their past.

     "That's not fair - bringing that up."

     "Bartholomew, you follow me around like a baby chick follows around its mother hen! Of course I'm going to be cross. You promised me it would never happen again and now here I find you conveniently where I am." she said as she squinted to see his face, but because he stood with his back to the sun she could only make out his vague outline.

     "You already know the reason." He said in a low voice that sent chills down her spine; even though she couldn't see his face she knew what it looked like, she had seen it many times - this desperate look. She had pretended to not have seen it, many years ago at the festival mentioned, but now she wished she had addressed the issue.

     "Mother was kind to bring in a wretch like you but I suppose if she didn't brought that starving orphan boy home then I would have the little brother I have today." She feigned a smile.

     "I think it would have been better if she had left me, sister."

     She pretended not to hear, just like she always did, making her think that she was a horrible person. 'I'll never be able to meet these feelings - ever.'

     “Okay, so I have all my stuff and…what else?” I mumbled as I wandered down the halls. I had resigned myself to what was to come but that didn’t mean I wasn’t scared –terrified was more the word.

     If only I could somehow get out of it all. That’s when I found myself wondering what my life would be like if I hadn’t met the Prince or the Ambassador. Life prior to the Prince hadn’t exactly been enjoyable but I was content. I found myself thinking of all the things that had happened to me.

     “Um, excuse me?” I stopped a passing servant. “Do you know when the Prince will retire?” I asked. The maid curtsied and gave me a vague answer that didn’t help at all.

     Of course, my luck didn’t hold out – but that just proved how consistent it was. I entered our room right when Darrek was pulling off his shirt.

     My first instinct was to twirl around and run away but Darrek caught sight of me before I could even react. It was like he had been waiting for me, which wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case. After all, I had a history of running.

     He didn’t say a word and continued with his business, his gaze falling on me every now and then as I shuffled around the room. “I had the servant lay out your night gown, in case your looking for it.” Came the Prince’s voice. I had been, in fact, looking for a way to prolong the inevitable but Darrek had seen through my ruse.

     I laughed nervously as I took it from his fingers, “Oh, that’s where it went.” I stood there for who knows how long, even after Darrek climbed into the bed and slipped under the covers; then I was compelled to ask in a squeak that betrayed my nervousness: “Where do I…sleep?”

     Darrek lifted an eyebrow as he looked up from the book he had been reading; slowly he removed his spectacles and patted the bed cloth right next to him, without a word.

     “Ah, right.” I mumbled as became quiet again; Darrek went back to his reading and when I felt like I needed to be rescued he finally spoke.

     “You know, it might help if you get ready for bed.” He said as he took off his spectacles and placed them and the book he held on the nightstand right beside him.

     I paced the length of the bathroom at least three times. “I can do this; I can do this.” I repeated as I looked at the door. “I just need to get changed and then climb into bed and go to sleep; that’s all. Nothing will happen.” I reassured myself as I slipped into my nightgown.

     Thank goodness the servants chose my simple sleeping attire and not some sexy lingerie that would make boys noses bleed; because, I knew that I had some way in the back of the closet.

     As I looked at my reflection in the mirror for the hundredth time I sighed. I didn’t even know why I cared! I didn’t have to look good; in fact, I wanted to look the exact opposite. So why did it matter? I wondered, as I smoothed out a wrinkle here and there.

     Finally I crept out of the bathroom and a sudden relief filled me. The light on Darrek’s nightstand was off and the room was filled with shadows; it even appeared that the Prince was asleep! If he were , that meant that I could curl up on the couch and he wouldn’t notice, and if he weren’t asleep, at least, he would have to see the hideous blue thing that I donned.

     I sat on the couch apprehensively, afraid that it would creak beneath my weight, as many antiques do. And there I sat, for at least an hour. I didn’t lie down; I didn’t allow myself that luxury. I was even hoping that I could fall asleep in a sitting position, even though it was horribly uncomfortable.

     “This girl is hopeless,” Darrek whispered as he gently lifted up the sleeping Princess and deposited her in the bed. There he stood looking at her for awhile, in the darkness.

     He had pretended to be asleep so that she would be more at ease but he had underestimated how freaked she really was. The two had been in a stand off into the wee hours of the morning and Rika hadn’t even known.

     He sighed, as he returned to his side and tried to go to sleep, but he found that he couldn’t. The object of his thoughts was so close that he could feel the warmth emanating from her body. His arms ached.

     “Rika! Wake up!” A sharp rapt filled my ears as a sting, equally sharp, shot through my hand.

     “Ouch!” I winced as I jolted upright in my seat. I look around to find myself at the school looking up at one of my crow-faced teachers: Mrs. Hardthatch.

     “How dare you fall asleep in my class,” she screeched like a hawk.

     “What happened to the Prince and the palace and the wedding?” I asked with a blank expression as the class erupted into gales of laughter.

     “Order! Order!” Mrs. Hardthatch squawked as she hit my desk with her ruler with enough force that could have snapped it in two if it hadn’t been metal. She glared at me with her tact eyes, “Now, if you are done interrupting my class you may report to the headmistress for detention!”

     I stood up and dashed out of the room: I’m sure that was the quickest I had ever went to get to the headmistress. A couple of seconds later I burst into her office, unannounced of course, but by this point I didn’t care.

     “Headmistress! What’s happening? What happened to the Ambassador? Did she come her? And the Prince!” I babbled for a moment, my mind running in every direction as possible.

     “Miss Rika, have a seat,” the headmistress said in the most amiable manner – contrary to her character.

“Now what is it you want?”

     I wanted to scream but I didn’t know what it was I was trying to get out so I only repeated, over and over: “The wedding! The wedding!”

     The old woman across from me only muttered a few words before she rummaged through the papers on her desk and handed me a paper. It was a news article and the headline was:

          “’Prince Darrek and Lady Dannira to be Married!’”

     “Don’t you remember, dear? It was announced just yesterday. The marriage is to take place in a couple days.”

     “No, why am I sad? This is great. This is what I wanted.” I mumbled as I paced the school grounds. Laughter suddenly wafted to my ears.

     “Is that the girl that thought she was married to the Prince?” jeered a voice. I tried to ignore it but another followed it, more cruelly than the first.

     “Yes, that’s her. Never in a million years would the Prince marry a hag like her! She must have imagined it.” came the demure reply. More laughter came, but I managed to block it out as I look at the article I held.

     “No, Marcus. I said I want to be left alone!” Darrek said as he loosened his tie. “I just need a quiet place to finish my book – that’s all!”

     “But Lady Dannira is looking everywhere for you. What am I to tell her?”

     “That I died of smothering!” the Prince retorted. The faithful servant was taken aback.

     “Prince?”

     “Look, Marcus,” Darrek began as he turned around – said book in hand, “All I need is some space. I don’t even know why I agreed to this farce! It doesn’t feel right and it will never feel ‘right.’ So don’t tell me to give it some time. I have and it isn’t working, but I won’t go back on my word. For goodness sake! I just need some space.”

     “I understand,” replied Marcus as he let the Prince go, but before the two departed indefinitely, he asked, “may I inquire as to the direction the Prince is headed?”

     “To a quiet place – I think on the east side, near the hedges.”

     I looked at the hedge with sharp eyes, at exactly the place I had gotten stuck one morning. This was no doubt the same hedge. I hadn’t given up on the fantastical idea that what I had imagined was unimagined.

     “Let’s see. There should be an opening here somewhere…where I can get through.”  I whispered as I pushed some leaves aside only to come face to face with the Prince himself.

     “Oh!” we both gasped simultaneously. That’s when I heard that familiar voice, that voice that had caused me great torment, her voice.

     “Man, it’s Dannira,” the Prince muttered as he motioned me to move aside, and I did to let him crawl through as we heard Dannira pass by. When all was clear the Prince spoke again. “That woman followed me!” he sighed, “How will I ever finish it?” he asked as I noticed the book he was reading. It was the same one I remembered.

     “Um, you could read it here. I’ll be quiet, so that Dannira doesn’t find you.”

     Instantly the Prince’s eyes lit up. “Really? I had been thinking about it but I thought this was your spot.”

     “What? My spot?”

     “Well, you seem quite familiar with it. I thought I was the only one who knew about this little hole in the hedge but you were passing through when we ran into one another.” He said as he dusted some leaves off his suit and pulled some twigs out of his hair.

     “I…Uh…”

     “Don’t worry; I won’t report you; because if I did I would be forced to reveal my secret exit to that wretched place.”

      “I-It’s not wretched! It’s great, and the people that are there are wonderful and the gardens are beautiful and it’s filled with so many wonderful memories, even though there are bad ones as well!”

     “You sound as if you know the place.”

     I caught myself, “I…Well…It is your home after all. And what a more beautiful place is there to have a wedding.”

     The Prince made a disgusted face, “Don’t talk to me about weddings!”

     “You’re not excited about the wedding?”

      “The Prince is a fool for taking the offer,” he muttered.

     “And why is that?”

     “Because it doesn’t feel right; normally I don’t take offers unless I have a good feeling about them.” His word struck a cord in my heart and made it beat faster.

     “So you don’t want to marry Dannira…” I mumbled with some relief.

     He looked at me, “How do you know who I am? As I recall, you were speaking to me like you knew.”

     “I, uh, saw your picture in this article!” I defended myself as I lifted up the paper like a shield. Darrek grimaced as he pushed it down out of his face.

     “That’s right. Now I remember…”

     Embolden by seeing him again I asked, “So why were you running away?”

     “I needed some space, a place to hide really.”

     “But there are other, better, places to hide in the castle,” I said recalling a certain dark closet.

     “How would you know?”

     I looked away; I needed to be more careful! “Oh, surely there are! I mean, this is a hedge after all.”

     “I suppose you are right, but something told me to come here, and it’s not all that bad. I found you and we’re having a nice chat.”

     “Something told you to come here?”

     “’It was Fate that whispered in my ear.’” He quoted the book, even going so far as to show me where the passage was.

     As I leafed through its pages my eyes began to well with tears. I had seen this book may times in the hands of the Prince, not this Prince, but my Prince. It had always looked interesting but I had never once asked him about it, even though it seemed to be something of great importance.

     He always seemed to have it near at hand, and it looked worn with age and use. Its pages were a stained yellow with the edged a bit ruffled due to fingers passing over them, and the binding with creases which were almost as many as its age.

     The Prince looked at me, “I see you like this work.”

     “I like it very much, “I whispered without really hearing him.

     “Then take it; it’s yours.”

     My gaze met his, “Are you sure? Weren’t you trying to finish it?”

     He shook his head, “At this rate I never will. Besides you can always return it, I wouldn’t mind seeing you again.”

     “But how – ?”

     “Just come to the front gate they’ll let you in if you say you’re to see me.”

     “Stupid Prince, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

     “What was that? Of course, I’ll keep my promise; I always do.”

     At his words I smiled, a knowing smile, “I know you do.”

     He glanced up as another voice came: it was Marcus, and both of them knew. Their meeting would have to end here. Darrek made a move to leave but not before he turned to look at me for a short while, such an intense gaze was in his eyes that I had to ask: “What is it?”

     At first he seemed hesitant to answer, but finally said, “Forgive me miss, but for some reason I just had this strong urge to kiss you but we’ve only just met! It feels like I’ve known you for a long time. I don’t even know your name…” he whispered as he paused and leaned in, as if to really kiss me, but Marcus’ voice interrupted the spell.

     I sighed as I scooted under the covers of my bed and flicked on the flashlight I held and ran the light over the pages of my new book. I flipped through it absent mindedly before I made my way to the end. That’s where my eyes stopped to read the last sentence.

     “Rika, wake up.” came Darrek’s voice.  “Why are you crying?” he asked as I looked at him through half-open eyes, tears sticking to my face.

     “I had a bad dream,” I said, noticing, for the first time, that his arms were around me.

     If I hadn't married the Prince, where would we both be right now?