Chapter Six

Wartime is harsh. There is too much loss and too much fear. Families are ripped apart and faith dies. Women are forced to shoulder the burdens their men have born and raise their children alone. These are the things I was left to face alone. 

On the other hand though, wartime polishes and allows the jewels of a kingdom to shine forth. The strong step forward to help the weak and comfort those in need of comfort. Families are formed among those with none. Food is shared and help is given even when there is no guarantee of a return. Faith grows from the broken heart and hope is the pheonix that rises from the ashes. 

My time was consumed with serving and leading my people for the next two years. The war continued in Chambry and father stayed away. Our correspondence was short and rare. We were both very busy, though our work was on two very different sides of the war. 

I learned much and grew more than I can put into words. My appearance may not have changed any more, but my soul was turning into something much more real than the physical would ever be able to show. 

But both good and bad things come to an end and soon the war was over and father was coming home. Nimhold was ecstatic and I could barely pay attention for more than five minutes put together before I made an excuse to rush off to the docks to see if I could catch a glimpse of father's ship. 

One day the fleet came into view. I stopped myself from jumping up and down in excitement and instead waited calmly (to all appearances) while the ship docked and the men began to step back onto Nimholdian soil. 

"Father!" I couldn't contain the shout that came from my lips as father ran towards me. He caught me up in his arms and spun me around as though I were still a little girl. And I clung to him as though I were. 

"Oh father!" I sobbed. The tears streamed down my face and I didn't stop them. I was not the only one crying on the docks that day. 

Father and I spent as much time together as we could get in the next three weeks. I would not leave his side, if I could help it. I wanted to watch his face every moment of the day and hear every inflection in his voice as though I could memorize them all. I felt as though I had been wandering in a desert, thirsty for water, and was just now receiving that nourishing water my soul craved. 

Father told me of the war, though I know it pained him to remember many things, and I told him of his beloved kingdom. He loved most to hear stories of my time in Cascalia and Erston, the towns bordering our castle and the places he had spent much of his growing years. He told me time and again how proud he was of my work and I almost became grateful for the time we had spent apart and the things we had both been compelled to do. 

I wished everything would continue just as it was at that moment. But even good things come to an end. My peace was first disturbed three weeks after father returned, on a beautiful spring day as we were walking in the garden together. 

"Augusta would not hear of my leaving for an entire week," father was telling me. "She planned one celebration after another and would let neither Derek nor I out of her sight for more than a minute." He laughed affectionately. "Though I understand what it is like to be away from one's child for such a long time." He kissed the top of my head and we walked in silence for some time. "Augusta has asked us to come spend the summer in Chambry again," father finally said. I noticed he seemed almost hesitant and I looked up at him with some curiosity. 

"Oh?" I replied noncomittally. "And are we going to?" Father was silent for a moment. 

"Would you like to?" 

"I don't see why not," I said with a smile. I thought perhaps he was nervous that I would not like to be where the war had so recently ended and I wished to ease his worry. 

"You and Derek are no longer children," he said, obviously hesitant now. "And the rumors of your last night together have not entirely abated..." His voice trailed off and he looked towards me with a question in his eyes. 

I laughed the question away and pulled at his arm to force him to continue our walk. 

"There will always be rumors surrounding

Derek, father," I informed him in a light tone. "And until he settles down I suspect every female he's ever danced with will be part of those rumors." I gave him a bright smile. "But I don't want that to keep us away from visiting good friends."

Father sighed and I could feel him studying my face as we walked. I tried to brush it off but I couldn't deny the tension that was growing in the silence. 

"You and Derek have written one another, I understand, since the negotiations have ended?" Father's voice was light and noncommittal now but I could feel he was trying to get at something. 

I nodded. "Yes, he wrote me a few months ago and we have corresponded frequently since." I sighed. "I admit, it makes me miss our time together. Or I suppose it is the innocence of childhood that I miss..." I wrinkled up my nose and shook my head with a sad sigh. "He seems so much like the same prince I've always known in some ways but then at other times..." I sighed again. "War has a way of changing us, doesn't it, Father?"

Father nodded but didn't answer. 

"Has Derek said anything about the rumors?" he asked, still with that light tone that badly concealed his interest in the topic at hand. 

I stopped walking and took my hand away from his arm to place it on my hip as I stared him down with one eyebrow raised suspiciously above my left eye. 

"Yes," I replied slowly. "But only to apologize for the kiss, again, and to say that he hopes the rumors will not prevent me from being his annoying little sister for ever after." Father looked disappointed and I felt my eyes slit even more suspiciously. "What are you trying to get at, Father?" 

"Oh nothing," he said with a wave of the hand as he continued waking. He didn't bring the subject up for the remainder of the day and I did my best to let it go. 

But the short conversation continued to gnaw at me and I found myself lying awake in bed for a good hour that night before drifting off into an uneasy sleep. 

The next morning found me pacing around my room in frustration. All kinds of revelations had hit me during the night and I had arisen with a vegeance, eager to sort them out in the daylight. 

Father had been asking about the rumors surrounding Derek and I because the fact of the matter is that he wanted them to be true! He wanted us to be romantically involved. He had always wanted it!

Of course he had always wanted it. He and Augusta, being such close friends, would want nothing more than for their two children to join the kingdoms through matrimony. Nothing would be closer to their hearts. Oh how blind I had been! 

I slapped my hand to my forehead as I remembered the many looks and happy sighs Augusta had given me during the time following my last night with Derek. I remembered the whispered conversations between her and father and the conspiratorial glances and giggles they would share. And then I remembered the disappointment my father had shown when I got up the courage to tell him that I had only been helping Derek to get a few lady friends off of his case by pretending to be his latest romantic interest. He had made me promise three times over that we were not engaged and when I had done so he had quickly gone off to tell Augusta. I hadn't thought much about it at the time but now it seemed so obvious. Why had I not recognized the signs before?

And now father was asking about my relationship with Derek because, as he had said, he and I were no longer children. It would not be long before we both settled down in marriage. And why not to one another?

Oh it was all so simple and yet so...unbelievable. Never in my life had I considered the very real possibility of falling in love with Prince Derek. After all, he was nothing more than a brother to me. Wasn't he?

The feelings and emotions racing through me were too much to take in at once. I forced them away and then over the next couple of days would pulled pieces out and examine them. 

The conclusion? I was not in love with Derek. I did not see that as much of a possibility in my future, knowing Derek as I did and feeling towards him as a sister might feel to a loved but obnoxious brother. Nevertheless, I could no longer deny the situation we were being placed in and I knew that sooner or later we would have to face the fact that our beloved parents held it very dear in their hearts that we discover if we could love one another. I only hoped the truth would not hurt them too much. 

In the meantime, father and I prepared to travel to Chambry and I did my best to give him little but firm hints that my opinion of Derek had not changed since the time I was a little girl. By the time we left Nimhold he seemed almost resigned to believe me. 

Chapter Five

Derek left for Ocsgard the next morning. Father comforted Queen Augusta and even gave his verbal support to Derek upon learning the reasons of his departure. But despite his reassurances to the queen, I could see the worry behind his pleasant smiles. I was beginning to suspect that this was much more serious than either I or Derek had imagined. Derek was in the hands of a man who could very well declare war on his kingdom, or at least make way for another rival kingdom to do so, and the more time that passed without receiving word from him, the more his poor mother moped and cried throughout the castle. 

It very soon became my lot to comfort the queen. Father was growing weary of her tears, friend though he was, and I kindly but forcefully told him to make himself useful elsewhere while I tried my hand at consoling the queen. Hours turned to days and I spent every minute of them with Queen Augusta. First it was to listen to her grieve and worry and moan. Slowly we moved onto other topics and some days went by with Derek's name only coming up two or three times. Father called me a miracle worker, but I must admit that there were moments in those first few days I wished I could just run out of the room and stop hearing the dreadful things Augusta was imagining had happened to her only living son. We were all worried and though I could understand that her worry was much greater than mine, I still wished she would stop voicing it. 

In the meantime, I was doing my best to avoid the rest of the royal court and the extreme and headache-giving rumors that were already heavy through the palace. Within two days Derek and I had gone from being the perfectly annoying brother and sister pair of the palace to being "secretly engaged for the past two years!", according to the palace gossips. I did my best to let it slide and continue to be as nice as possible to every tittle and tattle surrounding me but it was a hard trial. Fortunately, it made my time with Augusta that much more enjoyable. Actually, I think my time with her was the only thing that saved me from running him after the first week of Derek's departure. 

I learned much of friendship during those few months of summer while Derek was in Ocsgard. What began with Queen Augusta as an act of love for my father and mainly a reason to be useful when there was nothing else to do, soon turned into a real desire to comfort and support the woman who had already suffered the loss of her husband and a son. I truly came to love Derek's mother during that time. And she became a love and support to me as well. I was still too young and insecure to open up to her as I might have, but she found ways to heal some of my own wounds that had long festered from the loss of my own mother. 

The summer finally came to an end and Derek was still in Ocsgard. He had written to his mother only twice and neither letter was very comforting. It was not long before all of Chambry was preparing for war, though not openly. 

Father, Queen Augusta, and her most trusted advisors often sat in council during the last few days of our stay in Chambry and, though I was never privvy to what was said, I knew it had to do with the war and my own kingdom's alliance with Chambry. If Chambry went to war I knew Nimhold would be in the thick of it. 

As it happened, the war did not begin for another six months. Father and I returned   to Nimhold and he busied himself with preparations for the oncoming war while I did my own part to prepare the surrounding towns and villages to survive while the men were away fighting. We corresponded with Chambry regularly, only to hear that Derek was still in Ocsgard and nothing had changed for the better. 

On a cold, clear morning at the end of February, a missive arrived from Queen Augusta. It stated that Ocsgard had broken the terms of trade with Chambry and though they were vowing to remain neutral, they were going to allow passage through their land to the Roths. The war had begun. 

For weeks after the beginning of the war we waited for news from Derek. We knew nothing except that he had managed to escape from Ocsgard. Whether he was heading to Rothsland or Chambry we did not know. We only prayed he was still alive. 

But what concerned me more than Derek's safety was that of my father. He planned to lead our armies himself across the stretch of sea dividing us from Chambry and, though I tried to dissuade him from it, to stay until he could see a satisfying conclusion to the war. 

I was fifteen by this time and the only thing that kept me from feeling like a helpless child in the midst of this adult war was the fact that I no longer looked like one. I had had a rather sudden growthspurt over the last few months, measuring almost five-foot-eight now, and the rest of me had come into bloom as well. As father often told me during that time, I had gone from looking like a very small replica of him to being almost the twin of my mother. And if I had not been so distracted by the war and my own work I most certainly would have been distracted with the changes in myself. My nondescript hair now looked as though it had been dipped in liquid gold and it rolled down my back in curling waves. And my teeth? Yes, even those had straightened (with some help from a string tied tightly around them every night to full them together). I had suddenly become the very picture I had always wanted to be. 

But it didn't seem very important to be beautiful when father was going off to war and my heart was filled with dread and my shoulders weighted down with responsibility. I was to be left in charge of the kingdom for an indefinite amount of time and the kingdom of my childhood summers could very well be destroyed by war, along with my big brother figure and his mother. It was a discouraging time for me, though I did my best to hide the fact from father and to pull my own load. 

All too soon the day came for Father to sai. 

"I shall miss you very dearly," I whispered through my tears as father hugged me tightly. We stood together on the docks while his men had respectfully stepped apart to give us some time. 

"And I you," father whispered back. I heard his voice crack and I felt my own heart break at the thought of what he must be feeling to leave his family and his kingdom. It had occured to me many times during the previous few days that my father was a very good man. He was leaving what he loved most to try and preserve what another loved. I only prayed he would not lose both in the process. I do not think my faith was as great as his at that time. 

He pulled back from the hug and held me at arms length with a tender smile on his face. 

"My golden angel," he sighed. "I am truly proud of you. And I know your mother is too." I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks and I didn't dare say anything for fear they would come so fast I would not be able to see my father's face. He pulled me closer and whispered into my ear "You have your mother's beauty." And I smiled because I knew what he meant. He was not referring to the golden curls or the straight teeth or the height of my stature. He was seeing me, truly seeing me for what I had become. And he thought I was beautiful. Never had I felt so whole before or proud of the good but hard things I had done. 

"I love you, father," I finally managed, though the sound was so small I could barely hear it myself. 

"I love you too, Meglyn." I could hear the tears in his voice and now I didn't want to see his face so I shut my eyes tight and held onto him with all of my might. 

Though I would have stopped him if I could, I let him go. I watched him sail away to do what he knew in his own heart to be right and I stayed behind to do the best I could to keep our kingdom safe and to strive to be as beautiful a woman as my mother had been. 

Chapter Four

Upon returning to Nimhold, life continued in much the same vein as it had in Chambry, minus Derek and Brom. Father began to refer to me as his little "Golden Angel" and soon we had constructed our own Cottage in the garden at Nimhold to keep the animals I had under my care. 

Thus, with my studies and my patients, the year passed by without too much trouble and soon enough father and I were coming upon the coast of Chambry for another summer spent at Derek's castle. 

As we began to dock our ship in Chambry, I noticed a much smaller but faster ship coming in beside us. Five men stood on the bow and I shaded my eyes against the sun to try and make out their faces. 

"Squirt!" one of the men called out, waving his hands in the air. I waved mine back, knowing by the voice that it was Derek, though I still could not see his face. 

As the ship came nearer I could see that Bromley was another of the crew and he gave me a quick wave of recognition before setting back to work on bringing the ship into dock. Derek stood alongside him and did his part, looking as comfortable and casual a sailor as I had ever seen. 

Father came up beside me and we watched as the two ships came closer together, finally giving us a good view of our friends on board the other and allowing us to talk to them. 

"Good evening, Your Majesty," Derek called, bowing respectfully in father's direction. "Princess." He bowed to me as well and then winked. "Welcome to Chambry."

"Its good to see you again, Derek," I called back, blushing at the thought of how well he looked as he stood confidently on the deck of a ship and how much one year had done to his growing frame. 

"And you, Princess Meglyn," he said politely, though I noticed he was sporting a genuine smile and my nervousness at finding him changed melted away. "I do believe you've grown taller."

"A good two inches,"I said proudly. He laughed. "How is Speed?" I asked anxiously. 

"You will have to be the judge of that. He's anxious to see you. As is Puffin, though I can't guarantee he'll be at The Cottage. He's taken to flying off whenever the fancy takes him and staying away for a few days."

"And JeanBob?" Derek's face darkened and my heart dropped. Our ship was drawing apart from Derek's and it was no longer comfortable to converse so I was left to wonder and worry what had happened to my dear little frog friend for some time before we met up again on the dock. 

"Derek," I called, picking up my skirts and running over to grab him by the arm, forcing him to look down at me. "What happened to JeanBob?" He read the worry clearly written all over my face and a small smile softened his face, forming crinkles around his eyes. He reached down and grabbed my hand, holding it in his while he spoke. 

"That heart of yours certainly hasn't changed any, princess," he said softly. "Nothing has happened to harm that dear, devilish frog of yours," he continued with a sigh and a chuckle. "He is living happily in The Cottage, along with his brood of young ones."

"Brood? How many does he have?" Derek laughed at my excitement and pulled me along as he started to walk behind my father as he made his way towards the carriage waiting to take us to the castle. 

"Twelve, though I could be off by a few," he answered as I struggled to keep up with his large strides. "And I could swear they multiply daily. They are everywhere! No matter where I am in the garden I'm certain to see one." 

I laughed but by this time we had reached the carriage so I could not ask any more questions of my dear friend. 

"Augusta tells me there is to be a ball tonight," Father said to Derek after handing me into the carriage. I quickly stuck my head out the window to listen. "Will you be attending?"

"Yes, I will be there," Derek replied politely, though I could see by his long face that he wasn't completely enthusiastic about the prospect. "Sir Trisham will be returning to Ocsgard within the week. The ball is in his honor."

"I see. Well then," Father stuck out his hand and Derek clasped it firmly. "It is good to see you, Derek. Until tonight."

"Until tonight, Your Majesty." Father stepped up into the carriage and then we were off to the castle, leaving Derek standing by the docks with an uncharacteristically solemn look upon his face. 

"Princess Meglyn, may I have the honor?" I turned around hopefully but my heart dropped again at the sight of Sir Gerald of Ocsgard. He was a friend of Sir Trisham, come to join in the celebrations and then escort the popular knight back to his homeland. And this was the third time he had asked me to dance. 

"Sir Gerald," I started with as genuine a smile as I could muster. "Your felicitations for my hand have indeed given me great delight," his mouth opened in a crooked smile (crooked because one side of his mouth was incapable of movement) and looked pleased. I continued. "But I cannot but help feeling that you honor me too much. I have noticed that there are many other ladies who have not had the chance to dance while I myself have barely had the chance to rest." I kept my voice kind and tried hard to get my point across without causing any offense. "Lady Adelia, for example..." I gestured toward the lady sitting just a few feet from where we stood. 

"Ah," Sir Gerald sighed as he glanced over at Lady Adelia. "I see." His lips pursed together (or rather, one side did) and he looked back at me with a saddened but wiser face. "I shall play the rescuing hero then and leave you to rest while I dance with the good lady over there. Good evening, Princess."

He walked away and I quickly sank onto a nearby chair and sighed. My elegant, sparkling dress was heavy and I was getting tired of dancing around in it. And to add to my growing fatigue, the thick bun or hair atop my head was beginning to give me a headache. 

Aside from my personal complaints though, the party was going splendidly. Queen Augusta quite outdid herself in the decorations and the music of the night. Parties had always been her forte, but she seemed to have reached new heights with this glorious ball. Couples swirled around the open area in the center while the musicians played from a platform on the far end of the ballroom. It was glitter and gold and excitement for all involved. Except me. 

I admit, I was being mopey. I had caught glimpses of Derek the whole night through, but each time only served to deepen my frustration, and with it, a growing anger. He was dressed as elegantly as I had ever seen him and though I had sensed a sort of frustration from him in regards to the ball earlier that day, he showed no sign of it now. He was as charming as pleasant and flirtatious as could be. Especially the last part. 

Every time I saw him he was dancing with a new lady of the newest fashion and all of them with golden hair and perfect teeth. He seemed to find them as a bug finds light in the darkness. They were everywhere and wherever they were, there he was. 

Perhaps this would not have bothered me so much had he not compounded his offense by failing to acknowledge my presence. Though I was certain he had seen me, he never once made an effort to approach me or even glance in my direction. And as much as I hoped for it, he did not ask me to dance. Not even once. 

And so the night progressed with me watching Derek dance and flirt from the spot I had secured on the bench by the south door. I refused to dance any more, though I did my best to converse with the ladies around me and try not to appear too out of sorts. 

At last, my patience deserted me and I left the ballroom as inconspicuously as I could. I meandered through the hallway, trying to decide whether or not to go back in or go straight up to bed. I settled on a good brisk walk through the gardens to calm my mind before deciding either way. 

As I entered the gardens, I was startled to find Derek walking just slightly ahead of me. And, shockingly enough, he was alone. 

"Hello, Derek," I managed to say without my voice cracking. I didn't care to be a nuisance but I also wanted him to be alerted to my presence so it would not prove to be awkward if he were meeting someone for a rendevous or....something of that sort. 

He turned quickly around and then smiled upon seeing me. 

"Hey, Squirt," he said, almost fondly. I came up beside him and he took my arm, looping it through his distractedly as he continued to walk forward and pull me along. "I thought you'd be dancing still."

"I'm bored of dancing," I replied honestly. It had always been easy for me to be honest with Derek. Perhaps because I had hated him for so long. Or maybe just because I knew he would always be honest with me in return. 

"As am I," he said in a tired tone of voice. We walked in silence for a while and as we did I took the opportunity to study his face in the moonlight. He looked about as tired as he sounded, and the crinkles around his eyes were more defined, even though he wasn't smiling. His usually bright eyes were dark with worry and I suddenly felt horrid for being so caught up in my own petty worries that I didn't stop to think that he could have troubles of his own. 

I pulled his arm to stop him and he turned to face me with a curious look on his chiseled face. 

"What's bothering you, Derek?" I asked. His eyes flared in surprise and then he chuckled. His free hand reached up to rub my head but stopped as he quickly realized that would not be the smartest idea with my fancy updo. Instead he cupped my chin and pulled my face up so the light of the moon was directly on it. 

"You always were a sharp one, Squirt," he chuckled. He gave my chin a light squeeze and then let it go and we continued to walk while he spoke. 

"Sir Trisham is leaving for Ocsgard in the morning," he began. 

"Hence the party," I said with a nod. 

"Yes, the party," he agreed. "Grand, isn't it?" I acquiesced with an absent nod and he sighed again. "It has to be, for all the good we hope to accomplish." I waited patiently while he gathered his thoughts. Well, I may have been patient on the outside but I was dying inside to know what was eating him up. "King Tarpus, Trisham's great uncle, is unhappy with the way the treaty stands between us. Something to do with the terms of trade between Ocsgard and the East Trade Company, though I don't know all of the particulars."

"And does his unhappiness cause any threat to Chambry?" I could see by his face that whatever was going on was no small thing. 

"Yes, if we do not find a way to settle it soon. It could cause a very big threat. Ocsgard is our safeguard from Rothsland and if they were to break off the treaty as it now stands, we would be open to attack from our enemies."

"War? With Rothsland?" I could hardly believe we were even having this conversation. War seemed like something of the very distant past, not something that the prince of Chambry and I would discuss while walking through the garden on a quiet, peaceful night outside the palace ballroom. 

Derek was silent for some time before he turned and stopped to face me. 

"I have made up my mind, Megs," he said, his face full of determination. "Mother has been trying to convince me against it, but I see what must be done." He paused and I waited with bated breath.  "I will go to Ocsgard with Sir Trisham in the morning and settle the matter before something serious happens." 

"But would that not be dangerous? Putting yourself into the power of the man who might very soon break his treaty with you and decide to hand you over to the king of Rothsland?" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice but I could not stop it from making my hands shake. I took my arm away from Derek and clasped my hands tightly behind my back. 

"Yes," he answered simply. "It could be dangerous. But it could be much more so if I do not at least try to stop him from breaking the treaty. And King Tarpus is an honorable man. I do not believe he would turn me over to the Roths. He will let us fight it out on our own, if it comes to that."

"Then you really must go?" I whispered. He brought his eyes back from where they had been gazing into the distance. He looked at me and his face softened. His hand came up to my face and brushed away a tear I didn't even know I had let escape. 

"Oh, Squirt," he said. "We have been good friends, haven't we?" He stepped right up to me and put his arms around me. "Don't ever change." He held me tightly for a moment and then pulled away just enough to kiss my forehead. "Thank you."

"For what?" I was blushing scarlet and I was certain he must have been able to feel the heat through his sapphire blue coat. 

"For caring." I laughed it off uncomfortably and pulled away so that there was some space between us. 

"I'm just afraid of being bored this summer, without you around to tease," I said lightly, dispelling the mood as best I knew how. It was a new experience to have a conversation with a serious Derek and I wasn't very comfortable with it. He instantly caught on to my desire and gave my head a good pat with his hand, despite my intricate do. 

"You'll manage," he said, his voice dramatically sour but his eyes alight with laughter. "I think I'll be the one left hanging. Who am I to blame misfortune on without you around?"

"Right," I laughed. "Who will take the blame for all your pranks and then get stuck with doing all the cleanup after?" He laughed in response and we started heading back towards the castle. 

"That only happened once," he defended, still laughing. "And I helped you clean up, thank you very much."

"Oh yes, I do remember you coming around at the end to give me some advice on how best to get the honey out of Mattie's hair. Poor thing! She trotted around for days with that goop stuck in her fur."

We laughed together and then we were at the castle doors leading into the ballroom.

"Well," Derek sighed. "I suppose I'd better go back into the ball before I'm missed."

"Yes, I'll bet Lady Arella has been searching all over the castle for you. I'm surprised you even managed to escape in the first place."

Derek groaned and puckered up his face in disgust. 

"Thanks for reminding me. Maybe I'd better just head off to Ocsgard now." He peeked into the ballroom doorway and then pulled back quickly. "She's there," he moaned. 

Lady Arella had been in Chambry the summer before, making it her business to entertain and seek out the charming Prince Derek for her personal pleasure. Although not the most pleasant of company, the royal family was forced to put up with her, due to a close connection with her very rich father. Thus, she daily tormented Derek with her obnoxious laugh and endless pratter. 

Derek suddenly looked over at me with a dangerous glint of mischief in his eyes. 

"Squirt," he began, and in that one word I knew he was up to no good. "I have an idea."

"Oh no, Derek," I said, taking a step back and shaking my head emphatically. "I want no part in your schemes. I all but promised father this was going to be the summer you and I steered clear of trouble and I don't mean to prove myself a liar."

The glint never left his eye, despite my words, and he took two steps towards me and looked down at me. 

"Come on, Megs," he whispered, softly and earnestly. "I need your help." I shook my head and continued to shake it, determined to keep myself strong through the motion. "What are friends for, if not to help them out of their troubles?" he pleaded. 

"Oh, no," I declared. "This is a trouble you've got to rid yourself of. I told you when she first arrived that you should not have flirted with her, no matter how pretty she is. But did you listen? No! You played her game, just as she wanted, and now you've got to lie in your bed, Prince Derek!" 

I started to turn away but he grabbed my arm. I was forced to look at him again and this time his face was completely earnest and inches away from mine. 

"Come on, Squirt," he whispered, his voice so soft I could barely hear it while his breath caressed my face. "One last time." I paused, trying to work up the courage to say no. But I couldn't. I just couldn't resist him. For all the ways he annoyed me or the many times I had sworn to let him suffer from his own foolish choices, I still couldn't say no when he truly asked for my help with such earnest desire. 

"Fine," I finally said through gritted teeth. "One last time." He smiled and his face lit up brighter than I had seen all day. "What do I need to do?"

"Dance with me," he replied quickly, that broad smile still on his face and a wicked glint in his eye now. 

"Dance with you?" I repeated, the disbelief lacing my voice. He nodded and grabbed hold of both my hands, pulling me towards the ballroom as he walked backwards. "How is that supposed to help?" I was resisting the pull on my hands but little good it did. Derek was at least twice my size and that much stronger. 

"It'll help. I promise," Derek said evasively. He winked at me and then turned around and pulled me the rest of the way onto the dance floor. 

Dancing with Derek was not a new experience for me, although we had never done it in public. How else could he have become such a proficient dancer if I had not been willing to coach him through countless hours of practice during the daytime hours? His hands knew mine and our motions were in perfect harmony with one another. It would have been perfectly easy to dance with him if it had not been for the hundreds of people watching us from around the room. Even so, I did an admirable job. 

Derek's dance partners were always a cause for conversation at the palace balls so it was no surprise to me when I heard the buzz begin to circulate around the room and the glances focus towards us. What I was not prepared for was the hateful glances from multiple ladies around the room, both those standing alone and those already dancing. The worst of these came from Lady Arella. 

Derek caught my eye and easily interpreted the worry on my face. He smiled and winked at me with his usual good humor. 

"Relax," he whispered in my ear when he came close enough to only be heard by me. 

"Easy for you to say," I whispered back. "You're not the one who has daggers coming from the eyes of every single lady in the room." I groaned. "Remind me how this is helping you?"

Derek laughed deep from his chest as the dance called for him to encircle my waist with one arm. He leaned in closer than usual and gave my cheek a light kiss. 

"Trust me, Squirt. It's helping."

I groaned again but did my best to smile through the rest of the dance. When the dance finished I fully expected Derek to lead me off the floor and get back to his usual flirting. Imagine my surprise when he instead grabbed hold of my hand, keeping me on the dance floor, and leaned down close to talk to me. 

"This is perfect, Megs," he said with a mischievous smile. "I just need you to keep dancing with me until the point gets across loud and clear."

"And what point is that?" I asked. He laughed and stood straight as the music started up again and a new dance began. He didn't say anything in answer I my question and I almost stuck my tongue out at him. Almost. 

We danced for three more dances before Derek gave into my whispered pleadings and said I'd done enough. But instead of leading me off the floor as the dance ended, he stopped us in the middle of the room and leaned down close to whisper something in my ear. 

"Don't freak out." Not the most comforting request, to be sure, but one I had heard often enough from him to know that whatever was going to happen next was sure to freak me out.

With the slightest movement of his head, Derek brought his lips to mine and gave them a quick but solid kiss. I heard myself gasp as he pulled away and I could feel the imprint of his laughing smile on my mouth before I even saw it on his face. I was too astonished to do anything but stand there and stare ahead with wide eyes and a suddenly pounding heart. 

With his hand on my elbow he deftly maneuvered his way off the floor and towards the doorway that would lead to my apartments. I was still too stunned to do anything but follow obediently. 

He stopped just before the door and, turning towards me, bowed low enough that for a moment I could no longer see the humored expression on his face. 

"For Pete's sake, Derek," I hissed as he came up, finding my voice in the instant I lost sight of his piercing eyes. "What was that all about?"

His bright eyes caught mine again but I was too angry to be intimidated now. He didn't look the slightest bit repentant. 

He chuckled and took a fraction of a moment to glance around the room before grabbing my arm and pulling me outside the door and into the hallway. 

"Look, Squirt," he began kindly. "You're still my little sis and I'm still your big bro." He nudged my chin up with his hand. "I just need a few of those girls to think otherwise so they'll get off my back."

"So you had to kiss me?" I asked peevishly. He shrugged in reply. "And how's that supposed to help anyway? You've kissed other girls before." I blushed with the memory of the time I had found him kissing Lady Olivia in the gardens the summer before and he had the grace to look uncomfortable for a moment. 

"Yes," he agreed, "but never a princess. And never in public."

"So?" I questioned, not seeing the point of his argument. 

"So I am quite certain the speculations will continue at least until the end of the summer, by which time I passionately hope a few of the ladies of the court will have given up on me and married themselves to good husbands who will keep them away from the palace as much as possible."

I groaned loudly and placed my hand on my head to show him he was giving me a headache.

"You're impossible, Derek," I sighed. "And while you're away in Ocsgard I will be the one having to live through the whispered speculations and hateful glares from the entire royal court. I hate you," I ended with finality as I turned my back on him to show him I meant it. 

He merely laughed and placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me back to him. 

"Thank you, Megs," he said with a smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He pulled me into a hug and I couldn't do anything but let him. I finally gave a little squeeze back and then pushed him away. 

"Alright, Prince Derek," I said with a sigh. "Go back in and enjoy your freedom. I'm going up to bed." He chuckled and turned to go. "Oh and Derek," I called, causing him to turn back. "Please be careful."

His face turned grave as his thoughts obviously turned back to the morrow and he nodded slowly. 

"I will," he promised. "Bye, Squirt." I waved a hand and then quickly turned away, afraid of the tears that suddenly threatened to show themselves. I said another prayer in my heart for the welfare of the prince as I raced up to bed and aware from the fast circulating rumors of the ballroom. 

Chapter Three

Father didn't let me get off easily for breaking down the treehouse and injuring Brom and Derek. We spent many hours together talking about my wrong actions and eventually I became truly repentant. 

I wrote Derek a very long letter, asking for his forgiveness and thanking him for carrying me back to the castle after I had been the one to make the treehouse come crashing down on us. I also told him I wished that his shoulder would heal quickly so that he could compete in the upcoming tournament he had his heart set on. Unfortunately for him, that wish was not granted. He was forced to sit the tournament out and watch his rival, Sir Trisham, win for the third year in a row. 

Another letter of apology was sent to Bromley and I was given a little more peace of mind for the next week while I was laid up in bed. 

At the end of the week, when I was just beginning to detest not being able to get out of bed and play, I had a visitor. 

Derek was shown into the room by my father and he looked more nervous than I had ever seen him. He had received my letter and had written a short reply to accept my apology the day before. Apparently he was now coming to take me up on the offer of renewed friendship I had put at the end of my letter. 

"Hi, squirt," he said with a crinkly smile after father had pulled up a chair for him by the side of my bed and then taken himself to the other side of the room to be out of the way while we talked. Derek sat on the chair and I tried not to stare at the sling that held his left arm up to his chest. 

"Hi," I replied shyly.

"How's the leg?" he asked after a moment of silence. 

"Still there," I answered with a shaky laugh. "The doctor says I'm not to walk on it for another week at least."

"That's awful," Derek empathized. 

"I know." I wrinkled up my nose. "I'm already bored stiff." 

"Ah," he said, with a genuine smile now, "that's why I'm here." He reached into the pouch on his belt and pulled out a deck of cards. "Shall we?"

"Yes please!" I squealed in delight. 

After setting up a small lap table on my bed, we began on a game of cards, and then another after that. All in all we played for nearly two hours before father mentioned that Queen Augusta might be expecting Derek for dinner. 

"Oh, nuts," Derek moaned. "I'd best be off then." He stood up and stuffed the cards back into his belt. "Bye, Squirt." He patted my head good-naturedly and let himself out of the room. 

I sighed happily and soon fell into a happy sleep. But not before noticing father's own wide smile from across the room. I wasn't the only happy one. 

The next week wasn't as miserable as it could have been. Derek came often to play cards with me, sometimes bringing Brom, and always careful to let me know if he couldn't come the next day. He never brought any other girls with him. 

In a way, it was just like the summer before. We weren't as rambunctious, as I was still in bed, but we laughed and teased each other just as mercilessly as we had during our time in the treehouse. When not playing cards or chess, I would tell stories while Brom and Derek acted them out beside the bed where I could see. I would laugh so hard that my stomach would hurt and often Derek and Brom would end up in tears as they tried without success to act out a fight with a dragon while laughing. We were all very happy. 

But the week quickly came to an end and I was able to move about with crutches and not in as much need of entertainment. Thus, the boys stopped coming to my room and I was bored again. 

I tried to interact with some of the female company the castle provided, but it was dull after my week with Derek and Brom. We sewed and chatted and did everything useless and talked about everything irrelevant. 

It was about a month and a half into our summer visit that Derek came to visit again, this time with a friend. 

I was walking on the far side of the garden, just having come from inspecting the empty area that had once housed our treehouse. I was no longer on crutches, though walking was difficult and slow. I had just made it to a bench in the garden so I could sit and rest for a while before trekking back to the castle when I heard someone calling my name from the area of the garden nearest the castle. I was too tired to get up so I just called out that I was "over here!" 

Derek came into view a few moments later and then hurried over to my side when he caught sight of me. He was carrying something in his arms but it was covered with his cloak so that all I could see was that it was bulky and rounded on top. 

"Hey, squirt," he said fondly. "Did you see the non-existent treehouse?" I laughed and nodded in the affirmative. "Strange, isn't it?" Again I nodded but before I could get into apologizing again, which I'm sure he guessed I would do, he changed the subject. 

"I brought you a gift." 

"Really?" I questioned doubtfully. "Should I be scared?"

"Deathly," he said, in a tone that conveyed the exact opposite would be my reaction. He pulled back his cloak from the object it had been covering and I found myself staring wide-eyed at a very large turtle. 

"A turtle?" I said dubiously. He knew I was fond of animals, but I couldn't recall ever telling him that I had a particular affinity to turtles. Because I didn't. 

"A wounded turtle." He gently lifted the front right leg of the turtle so I could better see that it had a deep gash across the top. I let out an involuntary "oh" of empathy and he chuckled. "I knew that would get you. Here, hold him." 

I reached out my arms and he set the turtle across them. I sighed over and petted the poor thing for a few minutes while Derek looked on with a small smile upon his face. 

"Where did you find him?" I finally asked, breaking away from my sympathetic murmurings for long enough to look up at the benefactor of my newest patient. 

"Near the dock. I was out swimming this morning and saw him up on a rock. I think he probably got caught in the storm last night and it threw him against something sharp. That cut isn't older than a day." He reached over and rubbed a strong hand across the top of the turtle. "I did what I could to clean it, but I think it'll be a while before he's well enough to be out on his own." 

"So you brought him to me," I stated without accusation. 

"I know of no one better to nurse an aching wound," he said, catching my eye and holding it for long enough for me to realize that he meant it. 

"Thank you." I blushed and looked back down to the turtle to hide the light film of water that had begun to cover my eyes. This moment with Derek was something I had wanted for as long as I had known father wanted us to be friends; sitting together in mutual friendship with an understanding of who the other person was and what meant the most to them. This was finally beginning to feel like that. 

"What are you going to name him?" Derek said, breaking the silence and bringing me gratefully out of my sentimental thoughts. 

"Mm.." I mused, holding the two-foot turtle up to eye level and staring him down. He looked back at me blankly and I giggled. "I shall name him Speed." 

Derek looked taken aback for a moment and then laughed aloud. 

"Very fitting." He laughed again and then placed his hand on my shoulder as I looked up at him. His smile was broad and I thought the crinkles in his face had never looked more becoming than when he had a genuine smile on his face, as he did now. "And I'm sure that, with your tender care and nursing, he'll soon live up to his name and be speeding around the castle under every servants foot." He rubbed my head affectionately and stood up. "I'll be back soon to see how the two of you are getting on." He winked and then left. 

I stayed very busy looking after Speed. And it was just the right medicine for my aching leg and bout of boredom. I felt useful and worthwhile when I was looking after something other than myself and it wasn't long before a crippled bird and a friendly frog had joined my band of misfits and I was forced to set up a temporary shelter for them in the spot where our treehouse had once stood. Queen Augusta gave permission for the miniature house to be built and even set some of her own servants to help with the building. Within a short time there was a cute little structure on the far side of the garden that had been nicknamed "The Cottage" and I was receiving visitors daily, both human and otherwise. 

Derek checked up on us every so often, though not as often as I would have liked. I had set up a small sitting area in "The Cottage" and we would sit and chat while I regaled him with stories of my most recent adventures. He especially liked Speed, and he became fond of the puffin, creatively named Puffin, after a few visits but he took an instant disliking to the frog, JeanBob. I thought it comical but to him it was very serious. JeanBob peed on him the first time they met and attempted to do so every time after. And to add to that, Derek claimed he was always giving him the eye. It was soon decided upon, by Derek, that JeanBob was jealous of any male who spent time with me. Which wasn't completely impossible, as he did tend to only pee on the male visitors and none of my girl friends had ever thought he was giving them the evil eye. 

But regardless of JeanBob and his evil eye, Derek continued to visit and our friendship grew. He listened to my stories of The Cottage and I was endlessly entertained by his stories of the hunts he went on and the goings on of the training ground that sat on the far south side of the castle. Brom came with him most of the time but he generally kept out of the conversation and tried to teach Speed some tricks, which he rarely picked up on. 

And so the summer passed and for once it went too quickly for me. Derek's birthday came and went and then came the day of my departure back to my own kingdom and a cold winter without the friendship of Derek and Brom. 

Father and I had all of our things packed up and loaded onto the ship and Queen Augusta and Derek were waiting in the courtyard to bid us goodbye. I took my time in leaving our rooms and finally father grew impatient. 

"We'll be back next year, darling," he said kindly, though his firm grip on my arm as he pulled me out the door gave away his impatience. 

"I know," I sighed. "But it won't be the same." Father closed the door behind us and we started towards the courtyard. 

"Nothing ever is," he replied softly. "But that does not necessarily mean it will not be just as good. Only different." 

"I know," I said again. I faked a smile and took my father's hand. "Thank you, father."

"For what?"

"Everything. For bringing me here. For being patient with me. For being the best father I could ever hope for." 

He smiled softly and squeezed my hand and though he did not reply I knew all the things he would say if he had. That was just the way father was. He did not feel the need for words. And, knowing that, I did not need to hear them from him. I knew. 

 

Queen Augusta and father walked a few steps away from Derek and I to have some private words so we were left to say our goodbyes without them looking over our shoulders. 

"Well, squirt," Derek began with half a smile, "I'll see you next summer." I nodded in reply and tried to smile. He reached a hand out and bumped my chin up so I would look at him. "Don't be so mopey, Megs," he chuckled. "I promise to keep a good watch over Speed and Puffin and even that nasty little frog. We'll all be here to see you next summer."

That got me to smile and I was so bold as to stand on my toes and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Don't do anything too stupid while I'm away," I said with a smile. "And try not to strangle JeanBob. Even if he does pee on you." 

We both laughed and then father came and took me away. Thus ended my last full summer in Chambry. 

Chapter Two

Derek and I had suddenly become friends. Through that small moment of a shared grief, he had accepted me as an individual and I saw him as human. 

The following two weeks passed more quickly than the previous two and a half months had. Our days were spent mostly in the treehouse, where we could avoid the rest of society and get lost in our chess tournaments and story telling, which we did often. 

Brom was with us and he seemed to take it in stride that I had suddenly become an accepted member of the treehouse. And though he and Derek were closer than ever, I didn't mind as long as I could be a close observer of the friendship. Besides, I would have been a fool if I wanted to separate them now. Though I shared in the grief in Matthias' loss, Brom shared in the experience of his death and I occasionally noted the haunted looks that passed between the two teenage boys. 

Bromley Erinson was a year older than Derek, though you wouldn't guess it on first glance, or even after a long acquaintance with him. He was shorter, for one thing, and bigger in the middle than anywhere else. His hair was blond and curly and surrounded a face that could have been on a two-year-old. He was a marvelous shot in archery but when it came to any other form of physical activity he often found an excuse to disappear. 

But despite his passion for the easy way out - which was about as far away from Derek's character as you could get - and his love affair with food, he was always good company and a marvelous partner in chess and at storytelling. His humor was endless and as the days passed in the treehouse, I began to understand why Derek had preferred his company to mine. Brom had a sharp mind - if not the sharpest body - and was a loyal friend. He never took offense, even if you meant to give it, and he had a wonderful knack for getting a person out of the glums, even in the midst of his own grief. 

In what seemed the blink of an eye, it was time for me to go home. Derek's birthday had come and gone and we had tried to celebrate, though I'm sure I wasn't the only one who didn't feel like celebrating the birth of one prince when we had just lost the other. And then it came time for my ship to sail. 

Derek, Brom and I stood in the treehouse for the last time that summer, looking around the small room without speaking. The boys seemed especially solemn to me and I wondered if I had the same long look on my face. 

"Well, squirt," Derek finally sighed, using the nickname he had given me the week previous when I had first beat him in a game of chess. He had been so dumbfounded by the circumstance of losing to a girl, and someone his junior, that he had chided himself aloud for a full five minutes. "I'll see you next summer." He gave me half a smile and reached over to pat my head with brotherly affection. I nodded, not daring to speak for fear of my emotions spilling out of my open mouth. 

"Of course we will!" Brom said in an attempt at cheerfulness. "And it'll be just as those you never left." He grabbed me in an affectionate hug and I frightened both boys by bursting into tears. 

"No it won't," I choked out through my tears. Brom and Derek looked at me with fearful expressions. Neither of them had learned yet how to comfort a girl in the midst of a storm of emotions. "You two will be back to normal" sniff "and I will be left to sit in my room again while you chase after pretty girls!" More crying. 

I was shocked out of my tears by a hearty laugh from Derek. 

"Silly, squirt," he laughed. He grabbed my hand away from my face and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't you worry. Brom and I will chase all the pretty girls while you're away so that when you come back we can spend all summer playing chess." He almost looked like he meant it and I almost felt better. 

But I sighed, feeling the weight of the certain future pressing upon me. I knew that the past two weeks had been too good to be true. We were friends, true, but how long could a friendship last when Derek took it into his head to notice the rest of the world again, pretty girls included? Our two weeks had been like a chapter out of a fairytale for me but I was pretty certain this one wasn't going to end happily ever after. 

"Now run along, squirt, before I start chasing You," Derek said with a wink. I waved a hasty goodbye to my two friends before scrambling down the ladder of the treehouse and off towards the front courtyard where father was waiting to set off. 

And so ended the summer of our friendship. 

The upside to spending each summer away from home was that the rest of the year seemed to fly by more quickly. My time at home was precious to me and I treasured every moment. 

My own room, my own castle to explore, and even my own studies to pursue. I found an inordinate amount of pleasure in being mistress of a house, rather than a guest. 

And so the next summer rolled around without much strain on my patience and we sailed across the sea once more. 

I should point out that the only thing that changed considerably during the interval at home was my mind. I was particularly taken up with studies of all kinds at this time and I prided myself on the extensiveness of my vocabulary and the readiness of my wit. I could discuss all matters relating to politics (though my understanding then was still no more than could possibly be expected from a thirteen-year-old girl, bright as she may be) and my pet subject was philosophy and the study of things as they should be. I believed myself to be quite the scholar. 

But physically... Nothing had changed. I was still short. Still red, or white, depending upon the circumstance, and even growing rather round in some places I did not wish to be round. My teeth seemed t be taking each other in dislike and they were growing further apart. I wrapped a string tightly around them at night in an attempt to pull them together but they were rebelliously resisting my efforts. 

Looking thus, I arrived back in Chambry on my thirteenth year. 

On arrival, everything seemed to be just as I had left it. Queen Augusta welcomed us as though she had not seen us in years and Derek went so far as to embrace me before patting my head and saying I looked "just like my little Squirt." 

He had grown, an inch or two, and it was obvious that he spent more time in training his body than anything else. Otherwise he seemed much the same as the year before. 

Brom, on the other hand, had grown more than both of us put together - but it was all around the middle. He looked just as young as ever, with that twinkle of humor in his eye, and he gave me a teasing bow before grabbing me up in a bear hug. 

After the formal welcome was over and the adults had gone off to discuss whatever boring matters they thought necessary, Brom, Derek and I raced off to the treehouse.

We played chess all the day through. And when the night came, Derek brought out a picnic he had ordered made up for us. I glowed with pleasure as we sat on the dirty floor and ate the cold meats and cheeses with cook's famous brown bread. 

As soon as the food was gone we began the storytelling. The year had made all of us a little wiser and thus our stories were better. I even managed to earn a round of applause from the boys at the end of mine and I knew right then it was something I would not easily forget. I was in heaven. 

The end of day came too quickly. We stifled a few yawns before surrendering to the inevitable. Clambering down the ladder one after the other, we finally headed to bed. 

I couldn't get to the treehouse quickly enough the next morning. I grabbed a piece of fruit for breakfast and rushed through the castle, heedless of the oncoming bustle of servants and courtiers in the hallway. 

Breathless, I was the first to make it to the treehouse. I climbed up with a smile on my face and sat down to wait. I even contemplated the best way to startle the next person to enter, coming up with all sorts of complex schemes that would most likely win me a girlish scream from one of my two friends. 

The hours passed though and I was alone in the treehouse. Neither Brom nor Derek made an appearance and when it finally reached lunchtime I descended grumpily down the ladder and berated myself for not realizing that they were probably off hunting or doing something very important. I knew only something very important would keep them away. 

I passed the rest of the day in a glum state and when the evening came I could have burst into tears if I had let myself. Fortunately, I had learned to control my emotions somewhat during the past year and instead I devoted my time to listening wholeheartedly to Lady Sylvia tell me every detail of the past year of her life. 

The next morning I was not so quick to make it to the treehouse. I was nervous of the same results as the day before and I thought that if I stalled I would be more likely to find the boys already there when I arrived and thus not have to endure the waiting. I was right. 

I arrived at the treehouse and heard the voices from above. My smile nearly split my face and I started up the ladder with the swiftness of an athlete. As I drew new the top though I suddenly realized that there were feminine voices as well as those of Brom and Derek. I slowed and then stopped a few rungs from the top. 

It was unmistakable. Brom. Derek. And girls. At least two of them, if not more. Laughing, giggling and saying everything sweet and nice to my two scoundrel friends. In OUR treehouse. I squeezed my eyes shut and held back the tears. 

But if I had learned to control my emotions by that time, I had also learned how to use them to my advantage. An emotion expressed at the right moment and in the right way can be a powerful tool. 

I ascended the rest of the way, scrambling as gracefully as I could over the railing around the perimeter of the house and then smoothing my skirts before entering the actual house with a dangerous smile on my red face. 

Lady Ansley and Maria Mynsky sat on either side of Derek on the bench set on the left hand side of the room, while Lady Serena lounged lazily beside Brom on the floor. I entered just as Derek finished saying something smart and Lady Ansley clapped her slender hands together as she giggled in response. This was followed by Derek leaning towards her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. She promptly followed suit, coming in just close enough to place a light kiss on his cheek and then burst into a multitude of becoming blushes. 

I felt sick. I felt as though they were desecrating not only my friendship with Derek and Brom, but all the memories I had stored in the treehouse of that friendship. At least they could have left me that! 

And I was jealous, though perhaps not in the way I would have been had I been a few years older. I was too naive for that. No, my jealously was of the more childish kind, and all the more devoted for that. I was jealous of the flaw in my friends characters that took them away from the privacy of our friendship. I was jealous of things getting back to the "normal" way where Derek chased after the pretty girls and forgot about his little Squirt. 

"Ah, Lady Ansley," I said in my sweetest voice. The occupants of the room were startled and Lady Ansley's blushes turned all the more scarlet when she noticed me standing in the doorway. "Queen Augusta has been looking for you."

"Oh?" Lady Ansley said in a quivering voice. 

"Yes," I replied with a smile. "She says she must consult with you on the Eve Fest. Something to do with a dance..." I shrugged my shoulders but gave her a knowing wink. 

"Oh!" she squeaked. She rose to her feet and smoothed out her full silk dress with shaking hands. 

"Take these two with you," I motioned towards Maria and Lady Serena. "I'm sure they could be very helpful in selecting the attire for the festivities." I smiled and fluttered my eyelashes as the two girls looked at me with daggers in their eyes. Nevertheless, they got up and followed Lady Ansley out of the treehouse and down the ladder. After all, I was a princess, no matter how far apart my teeth were. And it wasn't often I was unheeded, when I set my mind to being noticed. 

When the girls were gone I turned back to find Derek and Brom standing tall before me. They were obviously displeased with how quickly I had disbanded their little party, though they were just embarrassed enough to prevent them from stopping me in the first place. 

"Oh, I almost forget," I said before they could get a word in. I was still smiling sweetly and my tone and manner took them off guard. "I have something for you. Wait here!" I turned and left them standing dumbfounded behind me. 

Quickly climbing down the ladder, I found my hands shaking and my heart hammering in my chest. I vaguely heard Brom say "I thought she would have been furious when she saw the girls up here!" but I was too mad to do anything more than snort in derision and continue down. 

When I reached the bottom I walked to the nearest support and stopped, looking up for a brief moment to find that Derek was peering down at me with a questioning look on his face. 

The treehouse was supported by four support beams, one on each corner of the house. The year before, Brom had jokingly asked us what would happen if someone ran full force into one of the beams and broke it while we were up there. I hadn't thought much of it until I had heard the girls voices and suddenly turned into a very angry and conniving little girl seeking revenge. 

I looked away from Derek and took a few steps back. And then I ran. I ran full force into the beam. Nothing happened. Which, if I had been thinking straight, should not have been entirely unexpected. I was, after all, a small girl, and the beam was rather thick. I tried again though. Still nothing. 

Chagrined, I looked up and saw that Brom had come to stand beside Derek and they were both laughing at me. My anger was fueled. 

I ran to the next beam, throwing all of my weight against what I thought would be it's weakest point. Nothing. I tried the next. And finally the last. And as I did so, I felt something crack. Just a small crack, but still it was loud enough for Derek to hear up above. 

"Megs," he warned, quickly heading towards the ladder. "Wait a minute!"

I was gleeful. I ran back and then headed towards the beam again. Another crack, though it still stood upright. 

"Brom, get down," Derek shouted from above, nearly pushing Brom down the ladder. He started down after him and they were both still on the ladder as I headed towards the beam for the last time. "Meglyn Odette!" Derek warned again, his voice lashing out with both fear and anger. 

Crack. The beam split in two and suddenly the treehouse was crashing down. On all of us. Derek and Brom got the brunt of it, but in my anger I hadn't thought to assure my own escape. 

All I knew was pain, seizing up my body from my leg and enveloping me in a haze. I could barely breath and I knew it wasn't just from the thick boards lying on top of me. 

"Brom, are you okay?" I heard with that tiny conscious part of me. There was a whimper and then a confirmation. "Don't move," Derek urged from somewhere beyond the mass of broken wood and furnishings around me. "Megs!" I finally heard. I thought about answering but my mouth was shut tight as another spasm of pain shot through my upper left thigh. 

Suddenly the board lying across me was ripped away and I had to blink to hold back the tears from the sunlight and the pain. 

"Megs, you idiot," I heard Derek say. He pushed another board off of my legs and I couldn't hold back a little scream of pain. A quick glance down confirmed the aching suspicion I had harbored that my leg was broken. Snapped. 

Derek crouched down beside me with his own grimace of pain. 

"Put your arms around my neck," he ordered. I took a deep breath and followed his instructions. "Good. Now hold tight." He rose to his feet and I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out again as he grabbed under my legs to hold me up. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded, though my eyes were closed against the pain. 

With a few words to Brom, he set off towards the castle at a quick pace, though he was as gentle as possible with the broken girl in his arms. Me. 

The treehouse had been built a few hundred feet past the well-kept gardens, allowing us to play without interruption and keeping us far enough away that the adults wouldn't have to listen to our fighting. Unfortunately, that kept them from knowing that the entire structure had fallen to the ground on top of us, making it necessary for Derek to make the trek back to the castle with the most injured of the party to see that I got immediate care. 

We entered the palace and in less than ten seconds we were surrounded by countless servants and would be physicians and well meaning adults of every kind. Derek wouldn't pass me off to anyone but the doctor himself though and so it was a good while before I was taken back to the north wing to undergo the very painful process of resetting my leg, by which time I had lost consciousness and gratefully grown deaf to the noise of the castle for some time. 

When I awoke, I was in my bed and the doctor was hovering over me. It was then he reset my leg. I screamed and fainted. 

When I awoke the next time I was still in my bed but there was no doctor to be seen. Instead, father was sitting by the window reading and a young serving girl was setting a bowl of grapes on the small table beside my bed. It was nearly heaven to me. 

"Papa," I croaked out. He was at my side a moment later and I started to cry at the look of relief on his face. "Oh, papa!" 

Much later, when I had eaten the grapes and enjoyed the comfort of my father's arms and his consoling words, I asked after Derek. 

"Ah," father sighed, "he has dislocated his shoulder, but is otherwise unharmed."

"His shoulder!" I exclaimed. "But he carried me back to the castle!" 

"Yes," father nodded, "an extraordinary feat. Doctor Wortworth says he has seen warriors in battle do such things, carrying their wounded comrades back to safety while wounded themselves, but it does seem incredible that he managed to carry anything with a shoulder out of joint." He looked deeply thoughtful for a few moments and then apparently set it aside to think on later. His eyes came back to me and though they were full of love (that was unmistakable) they were also a little accusing. 

"Bromley was injured as well, it seems, though he did not break any bones. He is a bit bruised up and will be nursing a sore head for some time, but Derek had pushed him far enough away from the crash to prevent any real damage." His eyes narrowed and he stared me down for a moment. "Do you know what caused the treehouse to fall, sweetheart?" he inquired softly but firmly. I hid my face in my pillow and didn't answer. "I see," he sighed. 

I heard him stand up to go and I reached out a hand to stop him, finally pulling my face away from the pillow. 

"Papa, you don't understand!" I cried. He looked at me patiently and I squirmed. "I had to do something!" 

"Then it was your intention to harm Derek and Bromley?"

"No!" I protested quickly. Then I blushed. "Well, yes. But I didn't mean for them to truly get hurt. I was just so angry with them for bringing the girls into the treehouse and for abandoning me for so many days..." I let the words trail off, realizing how petty they sounded. "They brought the girls into our treehouse," I whispered in a teary voice. 

"And you thought that warranted bringing the treehouse down on top of them?" There was almost a smile in his voice and my heart stopped dragging for long enough to hope that I would get off easy. 

"Yes," I said with a weak laugh. "It was our special treehouse, and no one else was ever meant to enter! And just because they have pretty teeth and golden hair and are everything a real princess should be..." I stopped, realizing I was sharing feelings I never meant my father to know I had. He sat down on the edge of the bed again and took my hand in his. 

"What do you think a princess should be, Meglyn?" he said quietly, searching my soul with his eyes in mine. 

"Beautiful," I whispered, suddenly realizing that that was the one thing I wanted more than all the world. The one thing that would mean the key to my happiness and success for the rest of my life - to be beautiful, as Mathilde and Lady Ansley and every other girl Derek liked to flirt with was. To be worthy of notice and admiration. To be liked and sought after and special. To be a real princess. 

Father's eyes turned sad and there was a very long silence. His mouth opened to speak and then closed again. I couldn't recall ever seeing him struggle so hard for words. At last he spoke and there was a tremor running through his voice. 

"Listen to me, Meglyn Odette," he began. "the worth of a princess does not come because she has golden hair or perfect teeth. It does not come in how tall she is or how gracefully she walks. It is in her heart. It is in the kindness of her actions and the measure of her love. A princess is valued by the leader she is to her people, and the friend she is to her friends. It is in the character of a princess that true beauty is found. The kind of beauty that does not fade with time or change with the color of her dress. The beauty that goes much deeper than what mere mortals can see or men can describe. It is something only the wise can see and the just can appreciate. It is the beauty your mother had." He choked on the last word and took a few deep breaths before continuing. 

"Meg, your beauty is deep inside of you and it will take time to discover it. The thing you see in the girls you think Derek likes is an illusion. And it will not last. If they do not take the time to become beautiful inside, they will soon find that they are left with nothing more than golden hair and perfect teeth. And that will not bring them love." 

I bit my lip and tried not to cry. He was in earnest and I knew he was trying to comfort me. But, despite his best efforts, I could not see the value of his words at that time, though they would stay with me for the years to come and I would eventually come to live by them. 

"But," I said in a shaking voice. "I want golden hair." And then I burst into tears. 

Chapter One

I was four years old when I first met Derek. I'm told our meeting was of the gods. Blessed, they called it. Connived, is more like it. 

I am the first and only daughter of King Rupert the Second of Nimhold and the late Queen Odette. I was called after my mother and hers before her - Meglyn Odette. Megs, to my friends.The few I have.  Which brings us back to Derek, 

My mother died shortly after I was born. My father, being one of the most devoted and loving men I have ever met, was devastated. He mourned for months. Years even, though he tried to put on a brave face. But the year following her death was the worst, so I'm told. There were parties and celebrations that were meant to be held in my honor (though I can't imagine how I was supposed to appreciate them while I was still in the cradle) but Father could never bring himself to do more than mope at each gathering. And so eventually the revelers went home and father was left to wander the castle alone. Almost. 

One queen stayed. Queen Augusta was the widow of father's childhood friend, King Dreyden. She had known father since her marriage to the king five years previous and when Dreyden died shortly after the birth of their second son, Matthias, Augusta had kept the connection in reverence to her departed love. 

She and father couldn't have been more dissimilar. She was full of laughter and always enjoyed pleasure of any sort. She lived for the life of the ball. Father, on the other hand, was studious and serious. It was said that mother was the only person to ever get him to laugh. Not that he did not feel joy. On the contrary, he seemed to enjoy life to an extent that few others could match. But it was kept in his head, where few could look upon it and even fewer appreciate it. He was a thinking man.

Yet somehow these two different rulers came to be great allies in their deepest distress. Father had consoled Augusta when Dreyden died, and now Augusta did the same for father when mother died. I'm not certain he appreciated all of her consoling ways, but in the end he was brought out of his gloomy manner enough to think of the future. Me.

As I may have mentioned, I was yet in the cradle. Thus, I will grant that father had little choice of consulting me in the matter of my future, for which I must forgive him. If I had been able to have a say... well, this would be a very different story. 

Queen Augusta had two sons: Prince Derek and Prince Matthias. Derek, being the eldest, was in line for the crown of Chambry. I was also in line for a crown. This being the case, Father and Augusta hit upon the idea that it would be just the thing if Derek and I were to one day marry and unite the kingdoms forever in peace and harmony! Datata! 

Yes, what a wonderful scheme. Sigh. 

I must give credit to the justice of these two monarchs though. Both had made matches of love for themselves and they would not do anything to destroy that chance for their children. They would allow us to marry for love. 

All that was left to do was make us fall in love. 

Thus began the summers of torment. Augusta and father hit upon the idea that if Derek and I were to spend the summer months together we would sooner or later become so attached to each other that we would call it love and all would be happy ever after. Ha. Ha. 

The original plan was to go back and forth between castles, spending one summer in Nimhold and the next in Chambry. But when I managed to get sick the first summer, and then the next and even the next after that, father decided that the summer planting season in Nimhold was too much for me and that we would be spending every summer in Chambry from there on out. Sigh. 

So on the summer of my fourth year, we traveled across the nice little sea that divided Chambry and Nimhold and went to spend our first summer in the castle called Chambry Castle. Very original. 

The voyage made me sick. So I'm told. I don't remember. 

And then we finally met, Derek and I. This "blessed" meeting took place in the great hall of the castle, where Queen Augusta and her two little princes were eating breakfast together. In front of the dais where the two thrones sat. Yes, Augusta could be eccentric at times. 

I'm told father swept in in his stately manner and Augusta rose to greet him. Meanwhile, little Prince Derek had been distracted by the flight of a bluebird (did I mention the great hall was outside?) and was chasing after it. Matthias was sitting quietly at the table. As usual. 

In the chasing of this bluebird, Derek suddenly stumbled across a section of the floor that had been cracking and was raised in some parts. He fell to the ground and hit his head against a particularly nasty bit of stone. 

And here comes the "blessed" part. 

I have never been one to look upon the misfortunes of others as a thing to gloat over or even walk away from. My father has taught me to come to the aid of every living creature that is in need of my help. I have done my best to live by that creed. Even at the tender age of four, apparently. 

On seeing Derek fall to the ground, I immediately ran to his aid, small though I was. He was trying not to cry, being almost nine years old and quite the little man even then, but he did not push me away. Instead he let me wipe away the small spot of blood that had formed on his forehead with my handkerchief (just as I had seen father do for my little cousin Everett once) and sing to him a little song of comfort. I'm told it was "The Willow Song". I don't recall. 

There. That was the blessed meeting of Princess Meglyn Odette and Prince Derek. 

Five minutes later we were fighting. 

Eight years later and we were still fighting. 

I will take a moment now to describe this young prince with whom I was meant to fall in love. Prince Derek Dreyden Reginald Grant of Chambry. Age: 15 going on 16. His birthday fell on the last week of summer, which always meant a grand celebration before we went away. Height: taller than a fifteen-year-old should be. I'm guessing somewhere between six-foot-one or two. Hair color: dark chocolate. Eyes: light blue. Perfectly set in a face that could have been etched out of stone. Except when he smiled. Then it folded up into a million crinkles that more closely resembled thick folds of silk around his eyes and mouth. Perfect teeth. Excessively thick hair cropped short even at a young age. He always said he had to keep it short so it wouldn't impede his fighting skills. Ha. Body type: warrior. 

Now perhaps a little glimpse of me at the age of twelve. Height: short. Very short. Eyes: green, gray or blue, depending on the day, the mood or the lighting. Set in a round face that alternated between bright blushes or pale nothingness. With freckles. Little teeth with a big gap in the middle. Body type: adolescent girl. 

Thus the stage is set for the worst summer of my life. Up to that point. 

"I hate him, Daddy!" I cried as I stormed passionately into our suite of rooms at the north side of the castle. Father was reading in a chair by the window but he didn't look at all startled by my entrance. 

"Why is that, my princess?" he asked in his usual tone of voice that could have been anything from amused to furious. It never changed. 

"Because!!" I shouted, as though that were all the explanation needed. I plopped onto the floor in front of him and burst into tears. I praise my father now for putting up with my extremely violent and differing emotions at that age. 

"What did he do?" Father inquired as he set his book aside. He always was good at giving me his entire attention, no matter how trivial the matter may have seemed to him. 

"He banned me from the treehouse!" This should have not bothered me at all, seeing as I hadn't even been slightly interested in the creation of the treehouse when it was erected the year before. But as I had now been banned from it, it of course became of the greatest importance that I be allowed in. 

"I see," father said wisely. 

"Yes, and he's been playing with Brom all day and won't even talk to me anymore! As if I'm not as good as that fat son of a priest!"

Father's look scared me before the words had even left my mouth. 

"That is unkind, Meglyn," he chided. There was no anger in his voice but there was a good deal of disappointment in his eyes. 

"I'm sorry, papa," I whispered in a very small voice. It hurt me more than anything to disappoint my father in any way. "I'm sorry."

"Good," he said, lifting my lowered head so I would look at him. "Now why do you want to be allowed in the treehouse? You told me last year it was a stupid idea to build a treehouse when you had a castle to play in."

"It is," I moped. "But I'm lonely and there's no one else to play with." I wiped a tear away and almost told father the real reason why I was mad at Derek. But I knew he wouldn't understand. "And don't tell me to go play with Mathilde, because I won't." If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been so mad at Derek. 

I think father understood more than I would have guessed at the time, but he was wise enough to let it go. Instead, he told me one of his magical stories and then sent for a bowl of grapes that I might munch on while setting down with a good book to forget the day. 

But even the book held horrors for me. The heroine looked just like Mathilde, with her flowing golden hair and bright blue eyes. Red roses sat on her cheeks and lips and her figure was full, as a woman's. And the hero was Derek. And he thought she was beautiful. 

When father wasn't looking, I cried. 

From that day on through the rest of summer I shut myself in my side of the castle, doing all I could to avoid the sight of Derek or Mathilde. I read my heart out and shut my ears to the rumors of what Derek thought or did. He was dead to me. Or so I wished. 

What girl does not ache for love at such a tender age? His words to Brom at the beginning of the summer about Mathilde's beauty, innocent as they may have been, hurt me very deeply. No woman, much less young girl, likes to be compared to someone generally thought to be much prettier than her. Too much value is wrongly set upon outward beauty, but at the young age of twelve how is a girl to know that her worth does not come by the color of her eyes or the shape of her figure? I was very impressionable and too naive to look for wisdom from my elders. Thus, I held the hurt inside and allowed it to build up into hatred for the person I assumed to be the instigator of my suffering: Prince Derek. 

It was near the end of summer, about a week before Derek's birthday and two before our departure, that tragedy struck the kingdom of Chambry. Prince Matthias died. 

Matthias was always a quiet young man, very different from both his mother and older brother. He was shy to excess but abominably sweet and good natured. He had been the saving grace of much of my time in Chambry. When Derek scorned me or we got into fights, I would go to Matthias and he would play games with me or tell me stories or just sit and listen while I ranted about the evil nature of his best friend and older brother. He was endlessly patient with me. 

Matthias was fourteen at the time of the accident. Though not quite the warrior that Derek was already proving to be, he enjoyed the physical activity of the hunt that often took he and his older brother away from the castle for a few days. 

It was on just such an occasion that tragedy struck. The princes had left early that morning, along with Sir Trenton, Sir Maxwell and Bromley, Derek's new best friend. They had been gone only four hours when Derek came galloping back into the castle courtyard with a look of death upon his face. 

Matthias was slung across the saddle in front of him, covered in blood. I cannot forget the sight. 

Though I had been the only one in the courtyard when he came in, the sound of his arrival brought a host of servants and knights running. They surrounded him and he was lost to my view. 

The remainder of that day is a blur. Derek was ushered into the great hall, where Queen Augusta had been enjoying a late breakfast with my father, and the doors were closed on me. 

Doctors of every kind attended to Matthias. But it was hopeless. He passed away later in the day. 

I didn't hear the story until the following morning and, I regret to say, it was from Mathilde. The dashing young courtier was surrounded by her usual retinue of admirers and it was only with great trepidation that I finally approached to hear the story. 

"Sir Trenton was approaching the boar when another appeared at the side of him," she was saying in a hushed, dramatic tone. "Matthias dismounted to assist him but he got too close and was..." she paused for effect, "gored in the side. Prince Derek was so angry that he speared both boars clean through before slinging Matthias across his saddle and rushing back to the palace. Alas..." she sighed. "It was too late." 

One of the handsome young men by her side asked a question but I was no longer paying attention. Derek had entered the courtyard through the west entrance and was coming our way as slowly as though his feet were weighted with lead. His face looked haggard and much older than his fifteen years and it looked as though he was oblivious to the world around him, including the group of curious boys surrounding Mathilde. 

"Derek!" Mathilde called out as she caught sight of him. She pushed away two of the boys that were blocking her view of Derek and stood to go towards him. "Oh, Derek! Do tell us about it!" she gushed as he came nearer with a wan smile. 

Suddenly Derek stopped in his tracks and it was almost as though I could see the horrid scene being played out before his very eyes. He looked so pale I thought he would faint and I rushed to his side to grab his arm and give him what little support I could. 

"Come with me," I whispered, pulling him away from the curious and insensitive eyes of Mathilde and her friends. He followed without complaint and without a word or look to Mathilde. 

We left the courtyard and walked a short distance to the small garden pavilion that stood on the east side of the palace, where the least amount of traffic flowed. I urged him to sit on the bench that was beneath the old willow tree and once more he gave into my guidance without complaint. 

He was looking slightly less pale now but it was obvious that something deep inside of him had been broken and would take a good deal of time to mend. I thought of those few times when the death of my mother had struck home, leaving me to feel as though I had a great, gaping hole inside of my heart, making it hard for me to breath. And I had nothing more than a likeness of her and a fond memory of being held as a baby. I wondered what it would be like to lose someone you had known and loved so dearly - and to be witness to that death! My own heart was nearly dying in grief with the thought of it. 

I sat beside Derek on the bench and watched him out of the corner of my eye, wishing I could give comfort but not knowing how. 

I started to cry, which was very selfish of me, but I couldn't stop myself. My own pain at losing Matthias was so great that it quite consumed me and on top of that I was trying to imagine Derek's grief and the two of those put together only served to make me one big, emotional mess. 

"I'm so sorry, Derek!" I managed to get out through my tears. "I miss him too." 

And finally Derek broke down. His strong shoulders sagged and his face crumpled in tears as he slid off the bench and fell to his knees in front of me. His fingers grasped at the folds of my skirt as he buried his head in my lap and struggled for breath. 

I don't know how long we cried together. I suspect it was a very long time. I was worn out, both body and spirit, by the time my tears ran dry and Derek was barely whimpering in my lap. He finally raised his head and looked at me. He really looked at me. Not just the passing glance I had received from him so often, but a soul searching look that made me think he was finally seeing me - and maybe even seeing inside of me, seeing a part of me I hadn't even seen before. 

"Thank you, Megs," he said slowly. He took my hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze. Then he stood with a shuddering breath and pulled me off the bench and to my feet. "Thank you." He hugged me, good and hard and I hugged him back, with all of my short, little body. 

No words were needed after that. Derek returned back to the courtyard but didn't speak with Mathilde or her friends. I actually don't recall him having anything more than a polite conversation at a party with her after that. I think her careless words to him that day had left a scar on their friendship that he was not willing to forget. Or perhaps it had made him realize that they didn't even have a friendship to leave a scar on. Either way, Derek had finally seen past the beautiful facade of Mathilde.