"No!" Elspeth's response was loud enough to draw attention from the steps, but her blush as she subsided was enough to make that attention fade with fond smiles from their cousins. "Don't be ridiculous, why would anyone want to marry me?" she said, a little more quietly. "No, I was talking about Thomas and Jane. Thomas is betrothed, to Lady Louisa Hawten. They're to be married before the new year."

Why would someone not want to marry her, he wanted to ask. Though she was not a high-born lady, she still bore noble blood and she was just as beautiful and deserving as any princess. He knew she would make someone a fine bride one day, but he only gave her hands a soft squeeze, a small frown on his face, only in part due to her news. Henry secretly hoped Lady Louisa would not mind moving to Carib one day, as he planned on taking Thomas with him. "I see, and what of Jane?" he asked, having only now noticed that Thomas wasn't there to greet him.

Elspeth's smile was decidedly mischievous. "She's in love with Felipe," she told him, her voice almost a whisper as she leaned close. "Even better, he's asked her to wait for him. He wants to ask the king for permission to marry her."

"Felipe?" Henry echoed quietly, turning a brief gaze to the circle of people greeting the king, which included Felipe. He remembered how Jane and Felipe had been flirting with each other, not so very long ago. She had even flirted with him a little, but it was clear she seemed taken with the king's youngest son. "Do you think he will allow it?" he asked, making sure to keep his voice low.

"I don't know," Elspeth murmured worriedly. "No one seems to know one way or the other. On one hand, Jane is a high-born lady, and more than suitable to be a prince's bride. On the other hand, if Felipe marries a lady from Pomerania, he can't be used to cement an alliance with another land in marriage. Not even Maksim can guess what the king might say."

"Does Stephan know?" Henry asked of his cousin, and Felipe's older brother. If Stephan knew, he might be able to plead Felipe's case to their father. And Maksim was still unwed, in case another prince was needed to secure an alliance through marriage.

"I don't know," his sister admitted softly. "The only reason I know is because I've been chaperoning them when they're alone together." She glanced up at the steps, where Felipe was standing behind Maksim, both of them watching as Stephan spoke with the newly arrived princess. "I don't want to be selfish," Elspeth said quietly. She didn't need to go on. Jane was her best friend, her only friend. She didn't want to let her go, but she knew that love would always come first.

Henry frowned at his sister's confession, knowing something she didn't yet know. Still holding her hands, he drew her further aside so that no one overheard their conversation. "You're not selfish. You're the most selfless person I know, but if Jane marries Felipe, she will go where he goes, and ..." He trailed off, pausing a moment to look over at the king and his family, knowing he and his sister wouldn't be overlooked for long. "I have much to tell you," he told her quietly.

"I know," she whispered, understanding that marriage would change a great many things for her friend. Henry's pause made her frown a little as she followed his glance. "Something bad?" she asked worriedly, her grip tightening on his hand.

"No, sweetling," he replied with a warm and reassuring smile. "It is not something bad, but there are those who may not like what is being planned. I will explain later when we're alone. Promise," he said, leaning in to touch an affectionate, brotherly kiss to her brow. "Now, shall we go join the others?"

Reassured, Elspeth smiled as he kissed her cheek, wrapping her hands about his arm. "Let's," she agreed, drawing him toward the steps in time for them both to see what happens when an overly-confident prince attempts to flirt with a princess who doesn't hold with that sort of thing.

Whatever Maksim had said to Brynhilde, it earned him a punch - not a slap, but a true punch that made him stagger, and set his parents and brothers to laughing at him.

With good grace, Maksim inclined his head to Brynhilde, chuckling at her rebuttal. "Forcefully put, highness."

Henry was perhaps the only one who was not laughing when he and Elspeth rejoined the group. Though he knew Brynhilde was perfectly capable of defending herself, he felt an unexpected surge of jealousy well up inside him. Thankfully, it passed quickly, and no one seemed to have noticed, as everyone was too busy laughing at Maksim's expense. He said nothing but stood quietly aside, with Elspeth on his arm until they were noticed.

It was just as well Henry stayed quiet, because Elspeth was visibly shocked by the sight of a woman hitting a man. And perhaps she was a little envious, too, of the confidence Brynhilde had to be able to land the blow in the first place, or the way the princess knew exactly how to do it.

"My apologies, your majesty," Brynhilde apologized to queen. "If he tries again, I will attempt not to break his pretty nose for the effort."

Henry was not the type to simmer, but simmering was exactly what he was doing, not because Brynhilde had defended herself or even that she'd called his cousin pretty, but because Maksim invariably had to flirt with every female who crossed his path, no matter who she was, and a princess was likely a tempting prize. He cleared his throat at last, not to gain their attention so much as to change the subject.

"Ah, Harry!" Stephan said, noticing them at last. "Welcome home. I trust it was a good trip?"

Stepping out of range of the princess, Maksim turned a grin onto their cousin, surprised to see the banked anger in Henry's eyes. He glanced at Brynhilde even as she was lead into the castle by the ambassador, the king, and the queen, one brow rising curiously.

Felipe, however, was the next one who spoke. "You look as though you've experienced some of the wilds of Edessa for yourself," the youngest prince chuckled, jerking his head to gesture for them to come inside.

"It is a wild and beautiful place," Henry said, his gaze following Brynhilde's retreat for just a moment before darting back to his cousins. He wanted to ask how much they already knew or had guessed, but it was not his place to do so.

Stephan gave Henry's shoulder a squeeze, a warm smile for both his cousins. "Come inside and warm yourself. You've had a long journey."

"Your friend Thomas is engaged with his betrothed at the moment," Maksim offered, falling into step on the other side of the siblings to Stephan as they walked into the castle. "He said to welcome you for him, and to invite you both to share dinner with them sometime in the next couple of days."

Behind them, Felipe smothered his own grin. "I daresay we will have to entertain Lady Jane while you are busy with her brother," he added, nudging Henry's back cheerfully. He knew perfectly well that Elspeth would have shared her intimate knowledge the moment she had the opportunity.

"Just who is we?" Henry countered, letting go of Elspeth's hand so that he could turn and face Felipe, an amused grin on his face. "Are you both vying for her hand then" And here, I thought Maks had his sights set on someone of higher rank," he said, teasing the two of them good-naturedly, now that the king had departed.

Stephan chuckled at Henry's remark. "I don't think a woman exists that can tame our dear Maksim."

"Oh, I prefer women who don't hit me at the slightest provocation," Maksim assured him with a low laugh, touching a hand to his sore jaw.

Felipe rolled his eyes as Elspeth wrapped her hands about Stephan's arm instead - their pretty little cousin tended to hold on to them when eyes were watching. "Maybe someone should arrange a marriage for sweet little Maks so he'll start behaving himself around other women," he suggested.

Maksim snorted with laughter. "Or someone should arrange a marriage for you so you don't run a mile in the other direction whenever a woman smiles at you."

"I think that might actually work," Marianne agreed, sitting Katerina up on her lap. Though the triplets were still small, at only two months old, they were capable of sitting up if supported, and the little princess was very eager to look around at everyone as they made themselves comfortable.

Elspeth still looked mildly horrified at the idea. "But what if I can't?" she asked unhappily, lifting Christophe out of his cradle to sit down on the floor with him. "I would hate to be the cause of a negative answer."

Jane looked very much at ease with the remaining little princess cradled in her arms, peacefully asleep while Jane rocked the chair slowly back and forth with one foot. Her expression, however, betrayed her worry at the discussion at hand. It was no secret that she had fallen hopelessly in love with the youngest of Stephan's brothers, but she was not sure the king would agree to a courtship, much less a marriage, quite so readily. "Perhaps Felipe and I should be the ones to ask. It is, after all, our lives, and the king might appreciate our courage and honesty in beseeching him," she pointed out.

Stephan drew off his cloak and hung it on a chair to dry before taking a seat beside his wife and leaning over to tickle his daughter's toes, affectionately.

"We aren't asking Elspeth to make the request for us, sweetling," Felipe said gently, moving to stand near the rocking chair - close enough to show his preference, far enough not to raise eyebrows should anyone else enter unexpectedly. "Simply to be present beforehand, and perhaps during. I will make the request myself, but I am wary of placing you in the room for fear he will not be tactful should he say no."

"Your father is not a man who gives out cruelty," Marianne pointed out, half-smiling as Katerina kicked at her own father's tickling and cooed for him. "I still maintain we should tell the queen and let her drop the hints before you approach him, though."

"Here, let me ..." Stephan murmured, eager to hold one of his children in his arms, and while any of the three would do, he naturally gravitated toward his wife, who just happened to be holding his mother's namesake. "I agree with Mari," he said as he reached for his daughter. "If we can convince Mother, she will convince Father." The queen was a powerful ally, and though that did seem a little devious, it seemed to him to be the best course of action.

Henry remained standing, looking just a little off-kilter, with news of his own weighing upon his heart, amidst all the talk of romance.

Marianne handed little Kat easily into Stephan's arms, smiling as the baby girl cuddled in affectionately.

"Do you truly believe that?" Felipe asked them in concern. "Do you truly think that Mother could influence Father toward saying yes?" His hand lay gently on Jane's shoulder, reminding her that no one in this room had any objection to their hopes.

Marianne nodded firmly. "Your mother has more influence over the king than anyone," she said with confidence. "As it should be in all marriages. She is the one person he can talk to without judgment or blame, so of course he listens when she speaks." For some reason, her eyes flickered toward Henry curiously as she spoke, but then, she had known before he had left for Edessa what the plan was.

"You already know the answer to that question, brother," Stephan replied, his attention turning to that of the wee girl in his arms, tickling her tummy and cooing back at her affectionately, unconcerned that the others might see him doing so.

Jane met Felipe's gaze, quietly considering all that was being said before speaking again. She looked to Marianne, who had become like a sister to her, along with Elspeth. "Do you really think the queen would be willing to help our cause?"

Henry had moved closer to his sister, but thus far, had said little.

Marianne smiled gently. "The queen loves her sons," she said simply. "And your love makes Felipe very happy. I cannot see how she would object to such a match, especially since he's been running away from women for years."

Behind Jane, Felipe blushed starkly at his sister-in-law's very blunt assessment of the situation.

"Then ....then perhaps you will not need me at all?" Elspeth asked hopefully, shaking a rattle for the prince as he rolled around on the floor.

Henry looked more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. Though it hardly involved him directly, there was something he knew that the others in the room did not - something that might or might not have anything to do with the problem at hand. "If you are worried that the king might deny your request because he has other plans for Felipe, I have reason to believe that is not the case," he offered quietly.

Of all of them in the room, it was Felipe's head that turned the quickest toward Henry. "What do you mean, cousin?" he asked, a concerned frown on his face. "What has happened?"

Marianne glanced at Stephan briefly, turning her own eyes to Elspeth, who seemed unconcerned. The redhead was playing with the baby prince, and didn't appear to have noticed anything portentous in her brother's words.

Henry's gaze drifted from Felipe to Stephan to Marianne and back, as if he was wondering which of those present already knew what had transpired in Edessa. "You might as well know, as it will become common knowledge before long. Princess Brynhilde is to be married to Peter of Carib," he started, though that hardly had any bearing on the subject at hand.

"What has that to do with anything?" Jane asked, curiously.

"But he's an old man!" Elspeth protested, offended on behalf of a princess she had only just exchanged words with. "He's almost a hundred years old!"

"Eighty-nine," Marianne corrected her gently. "And close to his deathbed."

"Yes," Henry confirmed, with a serious expression on his face. "But he will not live forever, and I have agreed to marry her once Peter has ....expired," he explained, not entirely happy with this arrangement, though nothing could be done for it. "Peter has no heirs, and without a strong queen to take his place, there will be war." There was more to it than that. He didn't bother to explain about the conflict over the crown in Edessa, though they were all likely aware of it.

"Agreeing to take Peter's place will ensure a strong alliance between Carib and Pomerania, and with Brynhilde as Queen, that alliance extends to Edessa," Stephan added, alluding to the fact that he had prior knowledge of the possibility of such an agreement.

Marianne was watching Elspeth as Henry offered his news, and she saw the way the young woman's expression crumbled, the old fear and sadness shining forth briefly before the redhead drew herself under control. Though this news meant that Elspeth was looking at a future without a best friend or a brother, she was not going to show either of them how much that hurt her.

"Do you want to marry her, Harry?" she asked softly, ignoring all the political implications in favor of understanding the personal ones.

Henry had hoped he could have broken the news to his sister in private in a gentler way, but perhaps this bit of news would somehow help Felipe and Jane realize their own hopes of being together. Admittedly, Jane could have agreed to be Felipe's mistress, but Henry had reason to believe the king might grant his youngest son's wish, in lieu of the fact that Henry had agreed to marrying the future Queen of Carib. Leaving the others to mull this news over, he turned to his sister, reaching for her hand. "I did not want you to find out this way, but yes, dear heart. I do not love her yet, but we have become good friends, and it comforts me to know she will not have to suffer this alone for long. I would very much like for you to become friends and for you to go with me, when the times comes, but that is for you to decide." His expression was one of worry mingled with some feelings of guilt.

Though Stephan could not read minds, he though he knew where Elspeth's thoughts were going. "Do you trust me?" he asked her plainly. Not us, but me. Though Marianne, too, had known about this plan almost from the start, Stephan was willing to take responsibility for it.

Elspeth nodded, heartsick though she was. Stephan had never been anything but unfailingly kind to her. "Of course I do, your grace," she said softly, clinging to Henry's hand tightly as though expecting someone to tear him away from her.

"Then, you must trust me in this, too," Stephan told her, gentling his voice. "Trust that we will not allow any harm to come to either of you. We are not throwing Harry to the wolves, as some might think, nor are we sending either of you away. Your fates are entirely up to both of you. I do not think Harry would have agreed if he did not wish to, is that right?" he asked, looking to his cousin for confirmation.

"It is true," Harry replied, turning to Elspeth again. "I only wish I had been able to tell you in private."

She nodded once again, at a loss for what she could say.

Marianne cleared her throat quietly. "I think you both need to talk," the crown princess said softly. "Take the time to understand each other, and your reasons. But try to remember this. It may have been a political decision, but the choice was given and made in free will. You should not hold each other's natures against one another, if you possibly can."

Henry wasn't so worried about his sister being angry with him as he was about disappointing her, but they had both known that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. "Thank you, Majesties," Henry said, offering them both a respectful nod of his head, even as he gave his sister's hand a squeeze.

"Go on," Marianne told them, dismissing them even as Elspeth began to edge away from them. A moment later, and the crown prince was alone with his wife and children.

Outside in the hallways, Elspeth moved slowly at her brother's side, her eyes fixed on the flash of her feet as they appeared with each step from the folds of her gown.

Once they were in the hallway, they were, for the most part, alone, except for the people who they passed in the hall, but who had little reason to interrupt their conversation. "Is it really so terrible, Els?" Henry asked his sister quietly, needing to know her thoughts, even if they were not what he wanted to hear.

"No, it isn't terrible," she assured him softly, shaking her head. "But ....when Jane marries Felipe, she won't have time for me any longer. The same thing will happen when you marry. Stephan has Marianne; Maksim isn't very good company for me. Everyone is forging a future with someone. Everyone but me. Whether I am in Carib or here, I'll be alone."

"You will never be alone, so long as I live," Henry insisted, coming to a full stop so that he could face her, his expression showing his determination and desire to make sure she was never alone again. "I will always have time for you, and so will Jane and Marianne, and I'm sure you will become friends with Bryn, if you will only give her a chance." Whether he left Pomerania or not, Jane was going to marry Felipe, and Marianne had Stephan. Neither of these things were going to change if he stayed.

"I will try," she promised him faithfully. "I swear that I will. But she is ....so different, Harry. What if she doesn't like me" What if she thinks I'm too weak" She's a strong woman, and she will be queen. Why should she give her time to me?"

Quiet footsteps behind her heralded the arrival of someone who really should have known better than to be eavesdropping. "Because you will be my sister," Brynhilde said gently. "And I have never had a sister before." She reached out, gently raising Elspeth's chin to look into the other girl's eyes. "You are not weak, Elspeth of the House Hasperan. You have endured, and you are not broken. But I would like to learn how to be soft, and you, I think, are the best teacher I could ask for."

"She's not as different as you might think. She's ..." Henry started, but before he could finish, they were joined by the woman in question, and he turned quiet, allowing Brynhilde to put into words what it seemed he could not and reassure his sister that she would not be as alone as she feared.

Elspeth swallowed the urge to curtsy and hide her face, torn between her brother and the woman he would marry when the time was right. She couldn't help but feel intimidated by Brynhilde, and yet the princess spoke so kindly to her. "Will you teach me to be strong?" she asked the princess uncertainly, glancing at her brother as though asking for his permission.

Brynhilde smiled. "I will teach you whatever you ask of me," she promised. "And I am sure we will have lessons together while I am here. If you decide to come to Carib at the right time, there are things we will all need to learn." She looked at Henry. "Forgive me, I did not mean to interrupt. I was actually looking for my own rooms - I believe I am lost, already."

"It's all right," Henry assured Brynhilde, a smile on his face that was just as warm with affection as the one he had for his sister, but different. "We can show you the way," he said, looking to Elspeth to see if she was in agreement. He was tired from the journey and in need of some rest, but there would be plenty of time for that later.

The redhead nodded, curious about the princess who fell into step with them, one hand about the handle of the axe that hung from her belt. "Thank you for the guidance," Brynhilde chuckled. "This castle is so big. I know my way about the royal apartments, but I am not living there for now, am I?"

The comedy in her voice was enough to make Elspeth laugh softly, at the thought of Brynhilde walking in on the king and queen, or Maksim, in their private rooms.

"No, but your apartments are not far from ours," he told her, thinking it might reassure her to know that. He fell into step toward said quarters, with Elspeth between him and Bryn, mostly for propriety's sake.

"Your rooms were once mine," Elspeth offered shyly. "They offer a beautiful view of the gardens." She glanced curiously at the woman beside her, a little in awe of the tall, pale-haired princess who thought nothing of punching a prince for his bad manners or going about the place armed.

Brynhilde smiled at her warmly once again. "I am grateful to know they are comfortable rooms," she assured Elspeth, looking over the girl's head to Henry. "I am told that the King of Francia is expected within a few days?"

"Christian, yes," Henry confirmed. "I have never met him, but I am told he is a good man. He is Marianne's father. He and Stephan are good friends." Christian was also Stephan's father-in-law, of course, but Stephan preferred to think of him as a friend and ally.

Brynhilde nodded thoughtfully. "And I shall be married as soon as is possible," she mused quietly. "I am told I will have to wear a dress for the ceremony and the feast."

Elspeth looked up in surprise. "Do you not like dresses?" she asked curiously.

Brynhilde's smile was a little mischievous. "I have never worn one," she told the redhead. "I dread the thought of it."

"I should think there are worse things than wearing dresses," Henry remarked, though, of course, he'd never had to wear one. Getting married to a man old enough to be her grandfather didn't seem like a very pleasant fate, but Henry took comfort from the fact that at least Peter was likely too old to be able to consummate the marriage. He exchanged a brief glance with Brynhilde, just as they arrived at the door to her rooms. "Well, here we are."

"I like her," Elspeth told him with a gentle nod. "She is different, but I think I like that she is. And she makes you happy, which will always give me a reason to like her." She smiled, leaning close to lay her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I did not respond very well when you first told us. I did not mean to dull your news with my fears."

He turned his head to touch a kiss to her forehead as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I did not want for you to find out that way. I wanted to tell you myself, but I did not have a chance. I am glad you like her, and it will be some time still before we are summoned to Carib."

"But less time before she has to leave," his sister reminded him gently. "I will chaperone you, if you need me to. But you and she should talk. You should know where you stand before she has to leave, as much for her sake as for yours."

"I will talk to her," he promised, though he wasn't quite sure when. Maybe he'd find her sneaking into his room again some night, like she'd done in Ede before they'd left. For some reason, that made him smile, as dangerous as it had been. He had a feeling she wouldn't take such a chance here though, where everyone's eyes were upon her.

"Then I suppose I now know what my tutors can teach me," Elspeth said in her soft way. "I want to know about Carib. I want to be able to speak their language, and understand their ways. I don't want to walk into a country not knowing anything about them."

"I should do the same. Learn their language, their customs. If I am going to be ..." The words died on his lips. King" Was he really going to be a king" "Goddess, Elspeth. What do I know about being a king" Is Philippe mad" Why me" Why not Felipe or Maksim' Does he believe in me, or is he just trying to get rid of me?"

"Why do you think you are not suited to it?" his sister countered, raising her head to look into his eyes. "You have a good mind, and a good heart. You understand justice and mercy, and you understand ruthlessness is sometimes necessary. And you will not be alone."

"I am no warrior, Els," he was quick to point out. He was nothing like Stephan where that was concerned. Brynhilde was far more warrior than he was, but then, she came from a place where men and women were equals. How could he ever hope to be her equal" What did he know abotu being a king"

His sister rolled her eyes. "You don't need to be a warrior to be a king," she pointed out. "Look at Peter himself. He is an old, old man, and he is still a king. Not a very good king, but still a king. You know how to make friends; surely making allies is the same thing?"

"Perhaps," Henry replied, though he wasn't too sure. Philippe, at least, seemed to believe in him, and he had told his uncle that he hoped to make him proud. Now, all he had to do was figure out how to accomplish that. "We will learn about Carib together," he said. "We will learn the language and the customs and the history. We will learn all we can, so that when we go there, we will know what to expect and what is expected of us." And he wanted to learn more about Edessa, too, so that he could better understand the woman who would one day be his wife and Carib's Queen.

"Oh, good!" Despite her tendency toward solemnity, it was easy to make Elspeth happy, especially if it was her brother doing it. She smiled, pleased with his sudden determination. "Perhaps, if I learn well, I might be able to do more than just look pretty," she suggested, an almost impish look on her face. She knew perfectly well that looking pretty was all she did here, that was for certain.

"You do much more than just look pretty, Els," Henry told her, an adoring smile on his face as he took hold of her hand. "Do you not know how important you are" How fond everyone is of you? Marianne and Jane adore you, and Bryn will adore you, too. I love you, Els. I do not know what I would do without you," he told her, gushing a little. Though he wasn't very good with words, he was trying to explain just how important she really was, not only to him, but to everyone around her.

"Then perhaps you should marry me to your nastiest political opponent when we reach Carib, and I can make him feel awful every time he upsets you by being disappointed with him," she suggested, shaking her head with a smile. "I would do anything for you, Harry. As much as I love Jane and Marianne, and our family here, I won't let you leave me behind. If your home is to be Carib, then so will mine."

"I could never do that!" he told her, though he knew she was not serious. He frowned a little with worry though, his self-doubts prickling at him again. "It's a little scary. What are they going to think of three foreigners taking charge of the country?" he wondered aloud. He knew enough about Carib to know it would not be easy, and he just hoped his uncle knew what he was doing in sending them there.

"I am sure our uncle would not have arranged it this way if he thought there would be trouble over it," Elspeth said thoughtfully. "And Brynhilde is marrying the current king. They will have to acknowledge her authority, and perhaps she will take steps to ensure their loyalty before Peter dies."

"Perhaps," he admitted with a sigh. "Sometimes I think life was easier when I was just a carpenter." Though if that was the case, they would have never known their father or their father's family, and he would have never met Brynhilde. He had often wondered what would have happened if their mother was still alive, but he said nothing of it, knowing it would only upset his sister to mention it.

"Simpler, perhaps," Elspeth said in her quiet way. "But not easier. Life is hard on the common folk, we both know that. Less complex, less ruled by customs and traditions and alliances. But hard, nonetheless."

"Simpler, yes," Henry agreed, though if given the choice, he would not go back to being a commoner.

Despite everything, despite all his doubts and worries and fears, if he was honest with himself, he would admit that he did not want to go back to being a commoner. He did not want to just be a carpenter. Maybe he'd never be as brave as Stephan or as wise as Philippe, but surely, he had something to offer Meringia besides a well-made table and chairs, and perhaps with Elspeth and Brynhilde's help, he'd find out just what that something was. Something with a crown, and a warrior queen, and the beginning of his own royal dynasty, far away to the east.