"I see," Hugo replied, intelligent enough to fill in the blanks of their plan. The mention of Rolanda surprised him a little, though his only visible reaction was a brief quirk of an eyebrow. "And you wish me to pose as an escort," he said, though he would, in truth, be fulfilling that duty, as well as helping her hold the earl at bay.

"Indeed," Franz agreed. "You will also be traveling with Doctor Steinberger, and the princess' personal cook, both of whom will be remaining in Ansburg when you return."

That got another look of mild surprise from him, but it made sense given what else he'd been told. "You suspect poison, then," Hugo deduced. "It will be hard to prove."

"At this point, proof of the poisoning is desired, but not wholly necessary," the chancellor went on. "However, if proof can be found of the plot itself, and perhaps of collusion between Earl Rivers and the son of Duke Omberto ....that is something that can be turned to our advantage."

Hugo knew proof of the poisoning would fall upon the doctor, not him, unless he was called upon to coerce information from the earl in some way. It was unpleasant work, but he would do whatever his king asked of him and whatever was necessary to keep the royals safe. "You believe Albert is behind the plotting?" he asked, not terribly surprised by this, considering what he knew of the man.

"We believe he has been involved in some manner," Franz said, just as carefully as before. "Though it is highly doubtful that he would have been made aware that the aim appears to put a suggestible child on the throne, rather than himself."

"How high are they aiming?" Hugo asked, bluntly, wondering how deep this plot went and what exactly they were aiming for. If they gained control of both duchies, it wasn't hard to imagine them making a play for the throne. Up until now, both the king and queen had remained mostly silent. Freddie had a grave expression on his face, even as he allowed his chancellor to explain the situation.

Sera's hands had folded protectively over her midriff, a silent but powerful statement that could not be retracted.

Franz sighed quietly. "We fear that they are aiming for this throne, and through the boy's sister, possibly for the High throne in Pomerania."

The knight's brows arched upwards again in undisguised concern and surprise. "That is ambitious," he replied. That was one word for it, anyway, and that was putting it mildly. It didn't miss his notice how the queen was protectively holding her hands over her midriff, but it was not his place to question it. "I am your loyal servant, sire," he said, though they likely knew this already or wouldn't have summoned him. "I will do whatever is necessary and whatever is asked of me."

"Our goal in this endeavor is to make it absolutely clear to Earl Rivers that the crown is watching him, that causing harm to the family is not something he will survive," Franz explained. "It is a warning, and all the better should he heed that warning. Should he not heed it, he will do so with the certain knowledge that he is risking his head."

"The princess will be arranging a marriage, in order to layer protection to the duke's daughter as well as his grandchildren," Sera added gently. "It may well be that they will return with you to the capital."

Yet more intrigues. It was at times like these that Hugo was glad he was only a knight and only had to do what he was told. He was happy with his station in life and did not envy those who wore targets on their backs, simply because of their birthright. "Pardon my boldness, but ..." He paused a moment, as if he was hesitant to suggest what he was about to say. "If what you suspect is true, then the man is a traitor and does not deserve your mercy." He was not suggesting murder exactly, but they would be safer without such a man as a threat.

"But we are not savages, Sir Hugo," Sera said in her soft way. "If the man can be swayed from his course, then it should be encouraged. Mercy is the prerogative of kings."

"That is a very big if, Your Highness," Hugo replied, as he glanced to the queen. He might be young but he had seen enough of wars and plots to know that evil men were rarely persuaded to change their allegiances.

"But the queen is correct, Sir Knight," Franz interjected. Two months was plenty of time for him to have learned what it meant when his young queen flushed and lowered her eyes - that she thought she had spoken out of turn and wrongly. "I would recommend seeking proof of the end result he desires. If it is to put this boy on the throne, then passing that information to Albert Omberto will certainly encourage him to renounce his ambitions and sell his fellow conspirators to us in self-protection."

Hugo had not said that the queen was incorrect; his only concern was for their safety, after all. "My apologies, Highness. I spoke out of turn, but only due to my loyalty to the crown," he said, lowering his head to Serafina in a gesture of reverence and remorse.

"It is because of your loyalty that you have been summoned here, Sir Hugo. There is no question about that," Frederick interjected.

Sera accepted the apology with a shy nod, but her mouth stayed closed. She would likely not speak again unless her quiet sense of embarrassment faded quickly.

Franz looked to the king. "Shall I ask for the princess to be summoned here, sire?"

Hugo was still looking a little remorseful, but the mention of Princess Rolanda had him looking a little worried. "Sire, are you sure it is I you wish to escort the princess?" he asked, not wanting to question the king or his chancellor's wisdom, but they both knew he had some history with the princess in question.

"There is no one I trust more with my sister's safety, Sir Hugo," Frederick confirmed with a small smile.

"No one else who stands a chance at keeping her under control," Franz added, not quite under his breath. He might even have said that just to make the queen smile, smirking to himself as he moved to the door to summon the guard waiting at the end of the hallway and send him to request the princess' presence.

"Might I remind Your Highness that the princess and I did not part on precisely friendly terms," Hugo pointed out, unsure what Rolanda might think of him now or if she had ever forgiven him for whatever offense it was that had set her against him.

"Surely, Sir Hugo," Sera ventured uncertainly, "surely you do not believe that the opinions of a woman at twelve years old are still held close to her heart at two and twenty?"

"I would hope not, Majesty," Hugo replied, with an almost apologetic smile. He had never met the queen before and wanted her to like him, but it seemed they had not started off on the right foot as yet. "I was barely much older than that myself and a bit of a scamp."

"I should think all small boys are more than a little scampish, sir knight," she answered, a shy flicker of a smile showing itself on her face. "I have three younger brothers myself, and I must confess, I was the one who lead them into mischief. My stepmother must be awfully bored with their perfect manners since I left them."

"I hope Rol, er, the princess will overlook the sins of my past," Sir Hugo replied with a smile her way. He found her quite charming thus far, closer to his own age than the king's but he could understand what it was he had seen in her.

"It does not matter whether she does or she doesn't," Frederick interjected. "Princess or not, I am still the king," he said, with the hint of a grin. He did not like to throw his weight around often, but wasn't afraid to do so when it was necessary.

"Perhaps the way to overlook sins of the past is to commit sins of the present," Franz suggested in a teasing tone, laughing at the wide-eyed look that crossed the young queen's face for a brief moment. "Begging your pardon, your majesty, of course."

"That is a dangerous suggestion to make, especially where my sister is concerned," Freddie remarked, with a hint of teasing in his own eyes. His hand reached for that of Sera's, wrapping his fingers around hers with obvious affection.

Hugo did not quite seem to know what to think of the bantering, but managed to murmur, "I can assure you my intentions are honorable, Majesties."

"Hers may not be," Franz began, but was unable to continue, for the door opened to admit Princess Rolanda - wearing shoes this time, thankfully - in all her glory.

"You wanted me, brother dear?"

She laid her hands on her hips with a low laugh. "Well, I certainly don't have buck teeth and pigtails any more," she agreed. Her expression softened. "You've changed, Hugo. I think I like the man you've become."

He chuckled. "You never had buck teeth," he said, speaking the truth as he saw it. He had always thought her pretty, albeit headstrong. Stubborn and willful almost to the point of arrogance, but intelligent and cunning, too. He reached for her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. "You think?" he asked, amusement lighting his face.

"Well, I do not know for certain yet," she laughed, happy to let her fingers tangle with his. She was fairly certain this was definitely not what her brother had considered might happen. "It seems we will have a good week or so to make certain before I ask for your hand in marriage."

Hugo blinked. Of everything she could have said to him in that moment, he was not expecting that, but was she serious or just teasing" She was perfectly within her rights to ask for his hand, rather than the other way around, but he had not been expecting it. "Marriage" You are teasing me now, Rolly," he said, wondering if she would confirm or deny.

"Perhaps," she conceded, knowing she was something of an enigma to many people. "But if you truly believe me to be that much of a tease, why would you have allowed me to kiss you? Would I truly not have kissed anyone until I saw you again?"

"You are asking me questions for which I do not have answers," he told her, feeling a little frustrated, as frustrated as she'd made him feel all those years ago, when they were still little more than children. She had the answers to those questions, not him.

"Then you think me a liar?" she asked, leaning back a little, though her hand did not leave his. "To offer you something that is mine to give - the only thing that is mine to give - and then give it to someone else who would mean far less to me and care no more for me than for my title?"

"No, of course not, but ..." He trailed off a moment, not wanting to offend her, but unsure just how to explain. "Rolly, it has been ten years. Why did you not seek me out' You must have known where I was," he said curiously. If her brother had not summoned him here today, they would not even be having this conversation.

"I have been back in the country for less than a month, Hugo," she reminded him. "I have a new sister, who is ....timid, at the best of times, and not only that, but is expecting her first child. I haven't seen my brother for six years. The land has changed since I left. I would have come to find you in a few weeks, had this not happened. But surely you can understand that I need to reconnect with my family after so long an absence."

"Yes, of course I understand," he replied with a sigh, tightening his grip on her fingers just a little, as if he was afraid to let go. If anyone was listening, they might wonder why there was no sound of blades clashing behind closed doors. "Did you know that I am not yet wed?" he asked, still curious.

She hesitated for a moment. "I ....I made discreet inquiries when I got back," she admitted, glancing down at their joined fingers. "I wish I could say that I am sorry your betrothal fell through, but I'm not sorry at all. You're the only man I have ever even considered worth loving, Hugo, and we both know I'm stubborn enough to force the issue if I have to."

"Perhaps you should wait until we have made this journey to decide for certain," he suggested, not wanting her to rush into a decision they might both later regret. "Give us time to know each other again," he suggested, even as his thumb gently rubbed against her hand.

Hope lit up her eyes as she met his gaze. "That-that wasn't a no, Hugo," she murmured wonderingly. Was she really that lucky' And for that matter, what was her brother going to make of this"

If only she knew how her brother and Franz had hoped and plotted for this very outcome. "When have I ever been able to tell you no, Rolly?" he asked with the hint of a smirk on his face. Even as much as they tormented each other as children, he had almost always given in to her whims and desires.

She laughed, stepping closer to rest her hand against his chest. "You may have to learn how to tell me no," she warned. "I'm quite willful these days, and I don't always know when to stop."

"When have you not been willful?" he murmured, one arm going around her waist as she moved closer. He hardly minded, though, if her stubborn streak was to blame for the fact that he was holding her in his arms. He tipped her chin up, his head dipping downward to meet her lips, all too aware of the soft curve of her body so close to his.

His lips found her smile, soft and ready to be kissed as she leaned into him, ready to learn how to perform this part of being a woman that she had only read about in silly romances and watched from afar in marriages she had been friends with. "So you will come to Ansburg with me?"

"The king has ordered it," he said as his lips parted hers, but even if he hadn't, he could think of nothing he would rather do. His smile faded when he remembered the true purpose of their trip there though. "It could prove dangerous," he told her, though he assumed she knew the reason for their journey. He would not have been surprised to know that all of this had been her idea.

"It could, yes," she agreed. "Which is why you are coming with me. But I am hoping that we will be able to move quickly enough that we will disrupt plans in place and prevent new ones being formed. I am quite capable of being a petty princess if it gets what I want."

"I do not like the sound of this, Rolly," he said, ever a knight of the realm. Protecting the royal line was his duty; it was in his blood. It was what he had been raised from a small boy to do. It was all he had ever known or wanted, other than her. He had long dreamed of making her his wife, but those dreams had been shattered when she'd left for Pomerania. He had, in fact, never thought to see her again. The fact that she was there in his arms was enough to make his head spin, not to mention the plot they were being asked to foil.

"If I want to protect my cousins, my family, Hugo, then this is what I must do," she told him. "I need you to stand with me, to guard my back. I can handle a verbal fight, but if it escalates, I will need you."

He had a feeling she had not chosen him. No, it was likely the king who had done that. It was an honor to be so trusted with the princess' safety, and yet, it was also something of a burden, but a burden he preferred to shoulder himself. "I will, Rolly. I will do my best to keep you and your cousins safe."

"I know," she promised him. "Why else do you think I didn't immediately object when I saw you standing there" I know you will keep us safe."

"I thought perhaps you didn't recognize me?" he teased, a smirk upon his lips, blue eyes bright with amusement. "It has been so long, Rolanda. I did not think I would ever see you again," he confessed with a sigh.

She smiled up at him. "I have never broken a promise, Hugo," she assured him. "I never intended to break any promise I made to you. Although I do believe I only promised you the first kiss ..." Now that was a tease.

He smiled again, amused by her teasing. "What must I do then to earn more?" he asked, willing to do most anything to win her heart, just as willing today as he'd been ten years ago.

Rolanda's smile deepened, glad he was still as light-hearted as he had been when she had left. "Don't treat me like a princess unless you absolutely must," she suggested. "Too many people place emphasis on the crown and not the person wearing it. I trust you to see me, and not my title."

"I see both," he replied, though he understood what it was she was trying to tell him. "Would you like me to tug on your braids again?" he teased with a hint of a smirk. That had been a long time ago, before she had gone away to Pomerania to learn how to be a princess, while he was becoming a knight.

"Maybe on the wedding night." The words were out before she could stop them, but the brilliant blush that lit up her cheeks punctuated her subsequent giggle with charming innocence. She could play the game, certainly, but it was obvious she'd never been an active participant.

There went those brows of his again, arching upwards, wondering if she was really serious about marriage or just teasing him. She could do worse than to marry a knight, especially one who cared for her the way he did, but she could do better, too. She was settling for a knight, when she might have had a prince, and yet, she didn't seem to mind. "Tell me, princess," he said, drawing her closer, one arm around her waist. "Was that really your first kiss?"

Hugo shook his head, looking a little confused, or maybe he was just tired. "I don't understand why that would be a problem," he admitted, unless she didn't want a title, but then, she already was the daughter of a duke.

"She's only just met the man, and I'm going to order her to to marry him," Rolanda told him with a faint smile. "The tone of her letter suggests she likes him well enough, but you know what the women of our blood are like. She might try to claw my eyes out just for ordering her to marry at all."

"It could be worse. She could be forced into marrying someone she hates," Hugo pointed out, as was common in arranged marriages, especially those with a noble bloodline. "Like us," he teased, elbowing her gently, a faint smirk on his face.

She laughed, squeezing his arm fondly. "Oh, yes," she agreed in an impish tone. "It's perfectly obvious to anyone who looks that I simply cannot stand you, Sir Hugo."

"Yes, well, I was not sure you would be very happy to see me again," he said, though it seemed he'd been wrong about that. If anything, she had proved to him just how much she'd missed him - just as he'd missed her, even if he had yet to admit it.

"I was something of a brat when I left," she pointed out in amusement. "Of course, I still am something of a brat, but in a more mature manner, I hope."

"I never thought of you as a brat, Rol-" He broke off before he could finish uttering her name, coming to a halt and turning to face her, though they had not yet arrived in the dining room. She was not Rolly anymore, a nickname given to the princess when she was a child, but she was a child no longer. "We have both done what was expected of us, but we are no longer children, Rolanda. Some things we decide for ourselves."

"And you do not mind that I have decided for us both, without discussion?" she asked curiously. She knew that she had been hasty in declaring her mind so soon, but she knew she would love him in time, as she knew she would not love any other half so well. There were worse ways to begin a marriage.

"Did my ..." He looked around briefly to see if anyone was near enough to eavesdrop, lowering his voice to a whisper before continuing. "Did my kiss not speak for itself?" he asked, wondering how she had not seen how he felt about her before now, even if it had been six years since they'd seen each other. Perhaps there were those who thought they'd forget each other, but Rolanda had proven hard to forget.

She paused, color blossoming in her cheeks as servants moved to lay dishes on the table, keeping her voice low for their sake. "I do not yet understand the language lips may share," she confessed for his ears alone. "I believe you liked it, that you like me. But I could be wrong."

Hugo gnawed at his lower lip, as if debating something, some small secret he had yet to tell her, something he had never told anyone. "Do you know why I am not yet wed" Why the engagement was broken?" he asked, knowing she might have heard rumors, but it was doubtful she knew the truth. And what of herself" Why had she not yet married"

"I could not discern the reasons," she admitted, her hands folding into his grasp as she looked up at him. "I did not want to assume that I played on your mind these past six years as much as you have played on mine. You were my shield at the Pomeran court, and you never knew it. But I came home, prepared to love the woman you married for your sake, only to find a reason to hope."

"The reasons were simple. I could not marry someone I did not love. She sensed it somehow, without me ever saying a word. I tried to pretend, but I have never been a very good actor. Her family was not noble, but they were well off. We would have made a good match, but I could not marry her when I loved another," he told her, quietly, almost afraid to admit the words aloud.

"But you can marry me?" the princess asked. It wasn't that she was slow, or found his point difficult to understand. It was more that she had played the game of love in the Pomeran court too many times not to cherish straightforward words. She had been sixteen the last time she had seen Hugo. She needed him to be clear with her.

"Yes, I can marry you, Ro ....Shall I call you Ro' You are too old to be called Rolly," he said, the hint of a teasing smirk on his face again. He had not quite answered the question in her heart, and yet he had been more honest with her than he ever had before.

Her lips twitched a little at this new nickname, though it suited her far better than the juvenile Rolly ever had. "I think I would like that, yes," she agreed, but returned quickly to the subject at hand. "Hugo ....how it you cannot marry someone else when your heart is elsewhere, but you can marry me?"

"Oh, Rolanda," he said, with a small chuckle and a roll of his eyes, even as he drew her closer. "Don't you know it's because my heart is with you?" he asked, curious to see how she would react to his confession and a little bit afraid she might not share his feelings. But if her lips spoke for her, as his had for him, then he did not need to worry.

A faint trickle of delight poured down her spine, lightening her face as her lips found their smile once again. "I do now," she admitted, her tone more a laugh than a whisper. She tugged at his hands, drawing him close to rest her brow to his. "I will try to be a good wife to you."

Maybe it was strange to admit after all the years apart, but it was those years apart that had helped him to realize what and who it was that had been missing from his life. He smiled at her promise, as she drew him close. There were no sappy promises of love and devotion, but with luck, that would come in time. "As I will try to be a good husband," he promised in return.

Rolanda laughed softly. "I haven't asked you yet," she pointed out teasingly, squeezing his hands for a brief moment. "I do believe you said it was much too soon, and we agreed on a week to get to know one another again."

He laughed, blue eyes bright with amusement. "Then why are you promising to be a good wife?" he asked. If she was talking about being his wife, it stood to reason that they'd be wed. "One week, then. What do you think your brother will say?"

"I don't intend to give him much say in the matter," she admitted, gesturing for him to sit and eat. "But I don't think it will be a surprise. Why else would he have sent for you, over every other knight in the kingdom?"

"He sent for me because I'm the bravest, smartest, strongest knight in the kingdom?" Hugo said with a smirk, knowing there were plenty of other worthy knights, besides himself. But he had been only a day's hard ride away, and the king had known him all his life and knew he could be trusted. It hadn't even entered Hugo's mind that Rolanda might have anything to do with his summons to court.

"Evidently you also have the biggest head in the kingdom, too," she laughed, moving to seat herself at the table. "No wonder Freddie thinks you're a good person for me to hide behind."

He quickly sidestepped toward her so that he could pull out her chair. "Hide behind?" he asked, curiously. He wasn't sure exactly what they were going to do when they got to Ansburg, but he had a feeling Rolanda had a plan.

"I'm teasing you, Hugo," she reminded him. "I have no intention of inviting violence. But I am not allowed to travel without at least a protector, you know that."

Hugo sobered as he took a seat across from her, the smell of food reminding him and his stomach that he hadn't eaten in a while. "I won't let anything happen to you, Rol-Ro. You have my word as a knight of the realm."

She laid her hand over his for a brief moment. "I am not afraid," she assured him. "I can use that sword I was threatening you with, you know. The Crown Prince was quick to offer his wife's ladies lessons in sword play if they wished it, after the former princess of Edessa bested both his brothers for the entertainment of the court during her sojourn there."

"I do not doubt it," he replied, meeting her gaze across the table as she touched his hand. "But it might be best not to let it become common knowledge," he pointed out.

She pulled a face, but accepted that advice. "You may be right," she conceded. "A woman with a weapon is either a dangerous animal to be put down, or a source of mockery in this country."

"Of course, as you reminded me, you have not officially asked me yet," he teased further, laughing a little at her suggestion. "Are you propositioning me, princess?" he asked, blue eyes bright with humor.

"If I was, would it be successful?" she asked with impish good humor. She knew perfectly well that if her brother overheard any of this, he would either send Hugo away quickly or announce their engagement immediately.

"I am flattered, princess, but a knight is supposed to be above all reproach; hence, you will have to wait for the wedding night, if that is what you truly desire," he countered. Hopefully, if Freddie overheard that, he would be relieved.

"Do I have to wait until the wedding night for another kiss?" was her immediate response, storm-cloud eyes sparkling with the same impish good humor that seemed to color everything about her these days.

The look on his face mirrored her amusement, his fingers tangling further with hers. "I am at your command, Princess," he replied, though apparently unwilling to go too far, for fear of a possible scandal that could tarnish both their good names.

"You may regret saying that, someday," she warned laughingly, lifting his hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles. "You'll be invited to share dinner with the king and queen, and I, tonight, but don't worry about dressing for it. It's all very informal here while the court is not in session."

"And we are to leave in the morning. Shall I take it that all the arrangements have already been made?" he asked. At least, here at court, he could relax and let others take care of the details involved in making ready for their journey.

She nodded. "Yes, they have," she assured him. "There is not much of an entourage - you and I, the physician, my personal cook. No carriage; we will ride. And we will stop overnight at inns, not noble houses."

"I take it your physician and cook are capable riders then," he said, making that assumption. Many people knew how to ride a horse, but that did not necessarily make them capable riders.

"Bessie's more used to riding an ass, but she knows my mare well enough to ride well on her," she chuckled. "I have a palfrey I can ride myself. And Doctor Steinberger spends much of his life on horseback, traveling between the villages and estates. I don't think we will have much trouble."

"Very well," he replied, satisfied. After all, he didn't want to spend the entire trip babysitting the cook and physician. He was going as an escort and would do whatever was necessary to protect them, but he wasn't going along to play nursemaid. "We should retire early," he added. "We'll want to get an early start in the morning."

"Of course," she agreed. "We will be traveling light. I do not believe there will be any call for ridiculous fashions on this journey."

"No," he agreed. "We should only need to overnight one night in an inn," he said, though she must have known that already. Would he then be sharing a room with the physician and she with the cook"

She nodded in agreement, folding her hands beneath her chin as she leaned onto her elbows. Her expression was very solemn. "We cannot bandy it about who I am," she said quietly. "For this journey, I will have to be your sister, and the rooms we take will have to be shared, men and women."

"Meaning?" he asked, brows arching upwards. Was she saying they would be sharing a room with each other, as so-called siblings, or that the men will be sharing and the women will be sharing"

"Meaning we may, all four of us, have to share a single room, and you and I a bed," she warned him. "I am told that we may place a bolster down the center of the bed to separate us."

"Uh ..." he stammered, mouth dropping open as she clarified the sleeping arrangements. "Are you sure that is wise, Princess?" he asked. Keeping a low profile was certainly important, but what would the physician and cook think"

"What else can we do, Hu?" she asked pointedly. "I cannot travel as the princess, or word will rush ahead of us. For the same reason, we will not be able to commandeer the entire wing of a coaching house and not cause gossip to rush on ahead. We have very little choice when it comes to this, and lives may depend upon our moving quickly."

There were other options open to them, but she might not appreciate those options. Still, if anyone found out she was the princess, there could yet be a scandal, and he wasn't sure he trusted her physician or cook not to talk, no matter how long she'd known them.

"Or we could be married and travel as husband and wife," he suggested, though he thought that might be pushing his luck. He could have suggested sleeping in another room or even in the barn, but she needed him there to protect her.

Rolanda's mouth fell open. That had not even occurred to her, though she had considered herself privately engaged to him since she'd left to attend the court in Pomerania. It was scandalous, certainly, but it did have a certain charm. And it definitely appealed to her impish side. She bit her lip as a wicked smile touched her face. "You should know better than to think I will take that for just a tease, Hu."

He shrugged, an almost nervous-looking smile on his face. "You are the one who mentioned marriage," he said. "I only suggested waiting because ..." He broke off, as if he had almost revealed too much.

"Because?" Her head tilted, her smile softening. She wanted to hear his reasoning; needed to know if he truly did want to marry her, or if he was just humoring the princess until he could ask her brother to call her off.

"Because I don't want you to make a decision you may later regret," he said, though that wasn't entirely true. What he really wanted was for her to love him and to want to marry him for no other reason than that she loved him.

She held his gaze for a long while. "Of all the decisions I have ever made," she told him, her voice soft and certain, "I have never regretted this one. And it was made six years ago."

A single brow arched upwards at her statement, his heart skipping a beat, almost afraid to hope that she loved him already. "Then ask me, Rolanda. Six years is a long time to wait."

"Will you marry me, Hugo?" she asked then, all hint of smiles gone. She wasn't wearing a mask, or hiding behind a bright face; she truly cared to know his answer, even if she had not yet put a word to why she felt it so deeply. "Will Hu marry Rolly, and not care for the title that comes with her?"

"On one condition," he replied, needing this one condition. The last thing he wanted to do was trap her in a loveless marriage the way so many royals were trapped and unhappy. He reached across the table and took both of her hands in his, meeting her gaze with an expression that matched hers - serious, solemn, and sincere. "Do you care for me, Rolly' Tell me you love me, and I will not only give you my life but my heart."

"Is it love I feel?" she asked him, unwilling to speak a lie. "I've not looked at any man but you, though there were many to tempt me at the High Court. My first thought when I returned home was to discover if you were wedded or promised, but I was afraid to make myself known to you. My heart aches at the thought of you wedded to another but ....but I would endure it, if you truly loved her. Is this love, then, that I feel for you?"

"Is it any different from what I feel?" he asked. There had been a time when he had not understood his feelings either, but he had never been in doubt. Once he was old enough to give what he was feeling a name, he knew there was no other word for it but love. "You have never been far from my thoughts these past years. I tried to forget you, to put you from my mind, but all these years I have never met another who could take your place in my heart or my life. If that is not love, Rolanda, I do not know what is."

It was a rare treat Hugo could not have expected, to be escorted into the king and queen's private chambers. Despite his optimism, he could feel his stomach clenching with nervousness, hoping the king and queen would not see him as an intruder in this their private space. If they approved of the match, he would not be merely a knight of the realm any longer, but connected to the royal family through marriage. He would not only become Rolanda's husband, but a brother to the King and Queen of Carantania.

For possibly the first time, Rolanda's bluster deserted her. There was no flouncing in, no declaration of her intent before anyone else could say a word. No true sign of her intentions at all, but for the wrap of her hand through Hugo's.

Arms wrapped about her own waist, Sera noted the flushed hope on the two faces before her, and glanced to her husband, half-amused by what she expected to hear. She had, of course, told Freddie what she had seen in the ballroom, but she had not expected it to come to a head so soon.

The king was seated in an armchair, sipping a cup of coffee - more invigorating than a nap. There was no book on his lap or papers piled up that needed to be looked over and signed. No, this was the time of day the king and queen reserved for relaxation. It was a short period of time, but much needed for the pair of royals who started their day early and ended late. By the looks of things, it seemed the young couple's arrival was not entirely unexpected. It was hard to read the king's expression, though he had arched a brow at the sight of his sister on the arm of his favorite knight.

"I take it no blood was spilled in your duel?" he said, the merest hint of a smirk hidden behind the cup as he sipped at his coffee.

"Not wounded, sir, but dead," Rolanda informed her brother, glad for the teasing opening that brought her usual humor back to the fore. "I suppose you could say I ambushed him."

"And yet, here you are," Freddie remarked, in his gravelly tone of voice, gesturing to the pair of them with a lift of his cup. Though Sera had already spilled the beans about what she had witnessed in the ballroom, he pretended not to know, waiting for Rolanda and Hugo to speak for themselves. He could not help but hope that he and Franz's plotting was already paying off.

Rolanda's eyes narrowed at her brother. He was a little too at ease with having his privacy invaded, raising her suspicions that he already knew what she was here to say. "Would you like me pregnant before or after I'm married?" she asked him rather bluntly, ignoring the shocked splutter from the queen by the window.

The young man beside her tensed at her question, but held his tongue, deferring to the king. Meanwhile, Freddie barked a laugh, realizing Rolanda had probably guessed his hopes. Why else would he have summoned Hugo, a full day away when any escort would have served"

"After is always preferrable, but I suppose that is up to you," he said, unable to wipe the smirk from his face, risking his sister's anger.

"Then you had better call for the palace chaplain, because I intend to marry Hugo of Aranie and bear his children," the princess said bluntly. A tiny smile was quirking at her lips, relieved that her brother was not in any way going to object.

"Does the knight have any say in your intentions, sister?" Sera asked tentatively.

"Now"!" Freddie sputtered, gaze darting between the pair. While happy their little plot had been successful, he was not expecting his sister to want - no, demand - a wedding so soon.

The look on Hugo's face confirmed his wishes, visibly relaxing at Rolanda's side and looking from the queen to his intended with a soft smile that could only mean one thing - he was in love. "I am not opposed to the idea, Majesty," he replied, eyes on Rolanda.

Whose smile was fixed on the king, and more than a little bit offensive in its smugness. "Weren't expecting that, were you, brother dear?" she asked cheekily, taking Hugo's hand to wrap his arm about her own waist possessively.

At the window, reassured that it was a mutual decision, Sera dissolved into silent giggles, her wide grin hidden behind her hand as she waited to see how her husband was going to handle this.

For a moment, Freddie looked speechless, but he hadn't become king without knowing how to navigate even the most difficult situations. He knew if he allowed Rolanda and Hugo to get married today, there would be talk, and people would be counting the weeks to see if she gave birth before nine months had passed, and yet, he wasn't sure he cared. Rolly's happiness was and would always be foremost in his mind - within reason, at least.

"Well," he started after a brief moment's hesitation. "It could be presumed that these last six years were a sort of long-distance courtship."

"If there are objections raised, we both have proof of our private contact over the time it is known we have been apart," Rolanda assured him. Admittedly, there were no words of love in their letters, but there was a familiarity that few could boast of outside marriage.

"You can hardly object as a brother, my darling," Sera pointed out. "We were married a week after our first meeting."

"Oh, it is not my objection that troubles me, dear heart," Freddie replied with a glance at his queen. Then again, he had dismissed the court and there were none here to spread gossip. Still, he did not wish his sister to bring a scandal down upon herself here or elsewhere. And they could hardly compare his marriage to his sister's, when everyone knew the purpose of the ball had been to find the king a bride. "You know I can never deny you anything, Rolly," he said, turning back to his sister, his gaze taking in both young people who looked flush with excitement and eagerness. There was a look of hopefulness on their faces, and even if they did not recognize it, he could see more affection between them than many couples who had been together for years. "Do you wish to wed before or after your journey to Ansburg?"

"Before," Rolanda told him, "but the haste is more to preserve reputation than through any desire to rob you or the land of a wedding celebration." She looked to Hugo, her eyes soft with tender affection. "I would be happy to repeat my vows before the court when it is back in session, and allow them to think that is our wedding date."

Freddie released a sigh of relief, so slight as to hardly be noticed. Thankfully, his sister wasn't thinking entirely with her heart, but also with her head. He smiled at her proposal, mirroring her affection. She was not just his favorite sister, but his only sister, and there was little he could deny her. "The celebration is for no one but you and your intended, sweetling," he told her, though he understood what she meant. The wedding of a princess was reason for celebration and something to be acknowledged, not only by the court, but the people, as well. "Very well," he said, granting her wish with those two simple words, though he had already granted her wish before she had even dared ask it. "Shall I send for the chaplain or would you prefer to, uh ....freshen up first?" he asked, looking mostly to Hugo, who had only arrived at court a short time earlier and hadn't had a chance to wash and change.

"I could freshen him up afterward," Rolly almost immediately declared, dissolving into giggles at the disapproving look that came from her sister-in-law - a woman who was several years her own junior.

Hugo cleared his throat and shuffled, clearly embarrassed by Rolanda's cheeky remark, his face flushing with color, and yet, there was a smile on his face, albeit a slightly nervous one.

"Rolly, this is serious," Freddie chided his sister gently. "Once you are wed, there is no turning back," he reminded her. Though exceptions were sometimes made and annulments allowed in some cases, he did not want that for her. "You must be sure."

Rolanda sighed, rolling her eyes. "I know," she promised her brother. "And I have been certain about this far longer than you think. But I'm not built to be solemn and stuffy and serious at all times, you know that. I am sure, and I am serious, but I cannot answer a question for my love, nor him for me."

"Esme is not the one who concerns me," Freddie said. It was Earl Rivers and those loyal to him that worried him - a man they suspected not only of treachery, but attempted murder, a man who might very well be part of a plot to commit regicide. "It is Earl Rivers you must be wary of. He is dangerous, Rolanda. I do not like the idea of involving you in these intrigues, but it seems we have little choice."

"If he raises a hand to me in violence, he is declaring himself a traitor," she reminded her brother. "Ansburg is not so far from the capital here that doing so would be a secure decision - there is the standing force here that would march immediately word came to you of any harm done to me. He would not escape."

"Hugo will keep you safe," he assured her, hoping that was so. Not everyone in Ansburg were traitors, but they had not yet determined everyone who was involved in the Earl's scheme. "You are my voice and he is my sword. If Rivers dares raise a hand to you, Hugo is well within his rights to defend you any way he can."

"Exactly. And he would defend me whether or not I was also his wife. Hugo is a good man, Freddie. I love him." She laughed a little as she said this, dropping onto her knees beside her brother once again. "I didn't realise I loved him until he asked me if that was my heart. But now I think about it ....I have loved him since we were children."

"I know," Freddie agreed, smiling. Though he hadn't seen them together in six years, he'd noticed even then the way they had looked at each other and how difficult it had been for them to say good-bye. Six years was a long time to be apart from someone you loved; he knew this from experience. "You need never be parted again, dearest," he assured her, giving her hands a soft squeeze.

"You know he does not take your place in my heart, don't you?" she asked him. Their only true experience of familial love outside one another was their mother and father, and with the death of their mother, their father had pushed them both from his heart, if they had ever been there to begin with. "I will always love my Freddie."

The smile on his face assured her that that was something she did not need to reassure him of. "Just as Sera does not take your place in my heart," he returned. There was no one he loved more than his sister, save Sera, but the love for his sister was far different from the love he held for his wife. "I do not mind sharing you with Hugo," he assured her. "In fact, there is no one I would rather have for you than him." He had not exactly chosen Hugo for her husband, but he had not discouraged it either.

She laughed softly. "How long have you thought to matchmake me with Hugo?" she asked, curious to know just how well her brother knew her. "Did he say something in my absence, or are you just that clever?"

Freddie shrugged, neither denying or confirming her suspicions. "He did not need to say anything. Every time your name was mentioned, his expression gave him away," he said, proving he was not quite as unobservant as some might think. "As for matchmaking, well, you might want to talk to Franz about that," he added with a smirk.

"Oh, I'll get him married off yet," she threatened in amusement. "To some lovely woman who will bring children of her own to the marriage so he doesn't have to worry about taking his clothes off around her."

Freddie laughed. If there was anyone who could make good on that threat, it was Rolly. Franz had sacrificed much for his country and king, but Freddie had never intended for him to sacrifice that of having a wife and family. "Now, that I would like to see," he replied with a grin. "Ah, Rolly, how I've missed you," he said, glad she was there and that she intended to stay.

"I won't be away long," she promised him fondly, rising to hug her brother again. "But I suppose I should at least wash a little for my bridegroom, shouldn't I" I refuse to dress in anything ridiculous."

Freddie chuckled again. Grown or not, she was the same old Rolanda he had always loved. "You could wear a potato sack and your knight would still find you mesmerizingly lovely," he pointed out with a fond smile.

"Hmm, I'm not sure I could lay hands on a potato sack at such short notice," she teased, though they both knew she would at some point, if only to say that she had done it.

He chuckled again before moving to his feet and pulling her up with him to draw her into a brotherly hug. "I am so very proud of you, Rolanda," he told her, calling her by her full name and not the silly nickname he'd given her when she was still a child.

Hugged into her brother's arms, for a moment she felt sixteen again, saying goodbye on the dock before she stepped into the coach that would take her Pomerania for six long years. But this wasn't so much a goodbye as a farewell, and one that would not last anywhere near so long. "I love you, big brother."

He smiled as he held her safe in his embrace, happy to hear those words from her lips, even if he already knew as much. "As I love you, little sister," he replied, touching a kiss to the top of her head, as he'd so often done when she was a child. Nothing had changed between them really, except that they'd grown bigger and older and hopefully a little bit wiser.

Rolanda squeezed him gently before she raised her head, drawing back with a warm smile untouched by her usual flicker of impish mischief. "And you don't mind that we won't be sharing dinner tonight?"

"So long as you promise not to leave without saying farewell," he told her. He wouldn't even make her promise to breakfast with them, suspecting she might want to linger in bed with her new husband a little while longer come morning.

"We won't disappear," she promised him, bouncing up to kiss his cheek. "But I have to wash and find something less complicated to wear. And you should find your wife and make sure she isn't arranging anything ridiculous for what is supposed to be a short, sweet ceremony."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a grin, as he finally released her to send her on her way. He was sure Sera wasn't planning anything ridiculous or complicated, but he thought he should probably find her and have a few words himself with the chaplain.

An hour was not so very long a span of time to fill, crackling as it did with excitement from at least two of those within the palace. But when the hour was up, Rolanda found herself standing outside the chapel doors, a last moment of sudden nerves somehow preventing her from going inside.

And there was Hugo hurrying to get to the chapel on time, looking and smelling a lot fresher than he had when he'd arrived. "Apologies, Princess! I fell asleep in the bath," he said, his hair still damp, a wayward lock stuck to his forehead.

"Oh ..." Relieved and laughing, Rolanda turned to him, raising her hand to gently smooth that wayward hank of hair off his brow. "I have just arrived myself," she assured him affectionately. "Are you ready?"

"I have been ready for years," he told her, smiling as she smoothed his hair back, away from his brow. That statement was telling in that he'd had plenty of opportunity to marry since they had parted. He had even been betrothed at one point, but it seemed no one but Rolanda would do.

"Shall we, then?" she asked, biting her lip as she stepped back from him. She knew the king and queen, and Franz, were waiting with the priestess who served as chaplain to the royal household, but she would not enter without her Hu.

He reached for her as she stepped back to draw her back to him, a serious look on his face. "Rolly, wait. Before we do this, there's something you should know." He frowned, worried what he was about to tell her might make a difference, though it was hardly unheard of. There were few men his age who had never been with a woman, though he had never loved anyone but her. "I-I have not been exactly virtuous," he admitted, with a hint of shame clouding his eyes.

Even Freddie was smiling, but he only quietly shushed his wife before turning back to witness the couple exchange vows, trying to look as stoic as possible, despite the giggles erupting around him. Hugo's expression changed as soon as Rolanda started saying her vows, turning serious, blue eyes bright with happiness.

As she came to the end of those vows, the laughter had fled from Rolanda's voice, her gray/green eyes lifted to Hugo's with absolute sincerity.

The priestess gently touched his arm. "To claim your lady, lay your ring on her finger, and repeat these words," she told him softly. "With this ring, I thee wed; with my body, I thee worship; and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow. In the love of the Goddess, Her wrath, and Her ruin, I take thee as mine own as long as life endures."

So lost was Hugo in his beloved's gaze that he almost missed the priestess' instructions, until she touched his arm, drawing him back from his thoughts. "Oh!" he exclaimed, blinking a moment before reaching for Rolanda's hand to slide that circlet of gold upon her finger. "Ahem, with this ring, I thee wed," he repeated, hoping he remembered all the words right. "With my body ..." He had to pause to stifle another round of laughter before continuing. "I thee worship," he said, emphasizing the word and arching his brows upwards to give it meaning. "And with all my worldly goods, I thee endow. In the love of the Goddess, Her wrath, and Her ruin, I take thee as mine own as long as life endures." He let out a breath as he finished, hoping it got it all right.

Freddie leaned toward Sera and whispered, "Did we giggle that much?"

Sera squeezed her own husband's arm between her hands affectionately, whispering back to Freddie, "I think I was too nervous to do anything but mumble."

To her credit, the priestess gave him as much time as he needed to get the words out, despite the fact that Rolanda was almost crying with laughter at the emphatic eyebrows Hugo added to certain lines in the recitation.

The priestess let herself smile as she raised her hands in benediction over the laughing newly-weds. "What the Goddess has blessed, let no man tear down. I name thee man and wife."

It wasn't the first time Hugo had heard these words or witnessed a wedding, and yet, somehow it was different now that he was the one getting married. It was at once both serious and hysterical for some reason, but he wasn't sure if it was because some of the words were so silly or if he was just too happy to keep a straight face. Rolanda's laughter was infectious, but then, that was one of the things he'd always loved most about her. He didn't wait to be given permission to kiss his bride, sliding an arm around her waist to draw her close and press an enthusiastic kiss against her lips.

She threw her arms about his neck, meeting his kiss more than halfway, as enthusiastic as he was in this first gesture of marital affection. Behind her, she heard Franz chuckle and turn to thank the priestess; behind Hugo, she heard Sera murmur to Freddie.

"How do we explain it if they suffocate one another before they even reach the marriage bed?"

Freddie had no answer for that. He merely shrugged. "At least they will have died happy," he said, leaning close to brush an affectionate kiss against his own wife's cheek.

Hugo smiled against Rolanda's lips, amused at hearing the queen's question and in complete agreement with the king. He could not deny that he was happy - happier than he'd ever felt in his entire life. Even happier than the day he'd been declared a knight of the realm.

Who would have thought that a summons to be escort to the princess would result in his becoming a member of the royal family' Rolanda could not have predicted it, but she would not have it any other way. There was a strange sort of peace that came with knowing she was his, that he was hers, that she never needed to fear him loving and marrying anyone else. Smiling, she drew back from Hu's kiss, nipping the tip of his nose before letting herself drop to her heels. It took a moment longer before she remembered the protocol, gently urging him to turn and bow to the king.

Hu mirrored her smile, almost forgetting they weren't alone, until she nudged him into remembering. He couldn't help but chuckle a little as she kissed his nose - something he couldn't remember anyone ever doing before, since he was a small child. He offered a grateful and respectful bow to the king and queen, who were now officially family.

"It would appear I have a new brother," Sera commented softly, her smile shy but pleased for them both. "I've never had an older brother before."

Rolanda laughed, surging forward to hug the younger woman. "You haven't been the eldest since I got home!"

As for Hugo, he'd never had a brother or a sister, the only child of a knight who'd been killed in battle, leaving behind a wife who'd never remarried and their young son. It was strange to know he was part of a larger family now, and even stranger to know that family was royal.

"She said brother, Rolly, and that you most certainly are not," Freddie pointed out with a grin. He stepped forward to congratulate the young couple, clasping a hand against Hu's shoulder. "Welcome to the family," he told the younger man before turning to his sister to touch a kiss to her cheek. "Rolly, I trust you are happy now."

"I was happy before," Rolanda assured her brother. "I am incandescent with delight now!" She squeaked, bouncing over to throw her arms around her brother with a loud laugh.

Left behind, Sera touched Hugo's shoulder with a light hand, daring to kiss his cheek. "Her effervescent energy is your problem now."

Freddie laughed at his sister's exuberance, remarking, "I'm not even sure what that means!" He returned her hug, not quite as exuberant as hers, but warm and brotherly. "We will have a proper wedding when you return," he told her quietly.

Hugo chuckled at Sera's form of congratulations. "I'll consider myself warned," he replied with a grin. He drew back a little to look at both royals, his hand searching for Ro's beside him. "Thank you both," he said. "I shall never forget this kindness."

"You will never have cause to regret it," Sera assured him, leaning into her own husband's side. "But please remember to eat this evening when your dinner is delivered to you."

At Hugo's side, Rolanda blushed deep crimson, aware that the ceremony was just a small part of being a wife.

"I shall try, Majesty," Hu assured the queen, with a grin. He and Ro would definitely need to be rested and well, not only for their journey, but for the task that lay ahead of them when they reached Ansburg. But tonight was their wedding night, and he planned on enjoying it and making sure his young wife enjoyed it with him. He looked to his new wife, noticing her blush, and offered her a playful wink and a grin.

"I'll have copies of the official documents added to the dossier you will be taking with you to Ansburg," Franz added as the priestess took her leave of them. "A precaution against unfounded accusations."

"Thank you, sir," Hugo told Franz, relieved they would have official documents with them to serve as proof of their marriage, if it became necessary. "If there is nothing else, we shall retire to our rooms," he said, eager to share more than just kisses with his new bride, though it was unclear which rooms they would be sharing.

She blinked, concern flickering across her face. "Was it supposed to hurt?" she asked him in turn, nuzzling to him as he kissed her. "Does it make me awfully wicked that it didn't?"

He arched his brows, a little surprised for a moment, but also relieved. He had heard that sometimes a woman would not have pain or even bleeding the first time, even if she was a virgin, especially if she was accustomed to riding a horse. While some might find it suspicious, he felt only relieved. "No, dearest. It does not make you wicked," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her brow.

"Truly?" Perhaps it was strange that the mischievous princess should worry about being wicked, but Rolanda was deeply devout in spite of her mischief. It worried her that perhaps there was something wrong with her.

"Rolly," he started, propping himself up by an elbow. "You have been riding a horse almost since you could walk, have you not?" he asked, though she might not have been told enough about her own anatomy to understand what he was getting at.

"Of course," she answered, bemused by the question. "I'm an excellent rider. I even beat Prince Felipe in a straight race once - he was terribly put out to lose to a girl."

"There you have it," he said, though he still wasn't sure she'd understand why this should make a difference. He didn't really want to give her an anatomy lesson, when he didn't understand it all that well himself. A thought came to mind. "Perhaps you should ask the queen ....or Esme," he said, thinking this was a conversation between had between women.

That did not make one jot of sense to her, but Rolanda tried to make it stretch. "Hugo ..." she said slowly, rolling onto her back, the sheet tucked over her chest. "Are you saying I've been deflowered by my own horse?"

"Er ..." Hugo stammered. He would not put it quite like that, but that was essentially what he meant. "Yes?" he asked, trying hard not to laugh. "But don't worry, love. I'm not jealous," he said, lunging forward to leave a trail of kisses against the side of her neck.

"But I - oh!" His lunge knocked the thought from her tongue as she dissolved into giggles at the sudden onslaught of affection, a moment of concern forgotten as she arched to him, fingers gripping at his hair. "I think you are teasing me, sir knight."

"Try not to think so hard, princess," he told her, before his lips grazed her neck again, slowly inching lower. He drew the sheet down, so that his kisses could follow, teasing her flesh with lips and tongue and teeth. He was gentle but persistent, following the cues she gave him with every moan and sigh of breath, learning how to love her, equally willing to be teacher and student.

Certain it was that no one would ever see her quite so vulnerable, nor so pliant, as she was with him, here where time meant very little and intimacy was in everything. She gave him those moans, those sighs, half-afraid to give more but unable to stop herself as she writhed under his touch. Learning and learned, and loved.

Love her he did, to the best of his ability. As inexperienced as he was, he did not lack for effort, learning and teaching each other the ways of love. It was a good thing they were having dinner brought to their rooms, as neither seemed willing to leave the bed for long.

"You know," Rolanda volunteered a few hours later, dripping chocolate from the last of their dinner over his chest to chase it with her tongue, "I'm fairly sure that some of what we are doing here is probably illegal in parts of Pomerania."

He grinned up at her as she licked the chocolate clean from his chest, hoping she didn't get any chest hairs in her mouth, but she seemed unconcerned. "But we are not in Pomerania," he pointed out. "And even if we were, who is going to tell?" he asked, tracing the curve of a breast with a fingertip.

She giggled, no longer covering herself from his eyes as she grew used to this ease with him. Crawling up, she set the spoon back in the dish on the side table, leaning over him to press a slow kiss to his lips. "I'm told that a gentleman never kisses and tells."

He licked the last of the chocolate from her lips, growing easier in each other's company, even after only a few hours. Then again, they had known each other since they were children, and there were very few secrets between them. "Who said I was a gentleman?" he countered, eyes dancing with mirth and mischief.

She let out a gasp of laughter, prodding at his side even as she traded kisses back and forth with him. "Are you saying that you will discuss our marital acrobatics with the king at the very first opportunity you get?" she giggled teasingly.

"Don't worry, Your secrets are safe with me, love," he assured her, touching a kiss to the tip of her nose. He drew her down to lie beside him, wrapping her in his embrace and sighing contentedly. "Are you happy, Ro' Truly happy?"

She thumped down into his arms, wrapping her own arms with robust affection about him as they sighed together. "I am," she told him with absolute confidence. "Very happy. I never thought to wish for this, but I am so glad it's real."

"Really?" he asked, tilting his head toward her, brows arched upwards in curiosity. "You never thought what it might be like to be with me?" he asked, a little surprised by that, since he had often wondered that about her. Thankfully, she had not disappointed him.

"I never thought that you would want me," she admitted softly. "Why waste dreams and break my own heart on wishing for something that I never thought could be mine" You know me, Hu. I am no good at wearing a smile when I'm sad. If I'd let myself hope, and come home to find you married" I'd have been the saddest princess in the thirteen kingdoms."

He frowned a little to know he might have caused her sadness. "You should know, I never loved Salome," he confessed, though he had admitted as much earlier. "Nor did she, me. And she had loftier ambitions than of marrying a mere knight." There was some irony in that now that he had won a princess for a wife, but that was not what he loved about her. Rolanda could have been a commoner and he would have still loved her. "I was never going to be good enough for her or her parents. It was my mother who made me see it, but it was Salome who broke it off. She married a count."

"She may end up on Freddie's list of courtiers," Rolanda warned him. "Do you think she will cause trouble for us" Some people forget that certain titles only come through marriage."

"She is a countess now. She would not have had such a title had she married me," he said, with a slight shrug. He didn't much care what his former fiancee thought or did, but he didn't much like the idea of running into her at court either. "I think she is happy with her count, and if she is not, she has no one to blame but herself."

A rather wicked little grin flickered over Rolanda's face. She was about to demonstrate that not all her education in Pomerania had been exactly appropriate to her station. "Tell me," she mused, trying not to laugh, "is he a massive count?"

He couldn't help but smirk at her insinuation. "That depends on what part of his ....anatomy we are talking about," he said, as wicked as she was where gossip was concerned, especially where a possible adversary was concerned.

She cackled impishly, brushing a kiss to his lips as her fingers travelled over his skin. "I'd much rather talk about your anatomy, husband."

"Which part' My pomegranates?" he teased, grinning broadly. She had yet to complain about his anatomy, whatever the size.

Rolanda giggled, nose to nose with him as her hand found the prize she had been seeking. "Let us ....see what crops up first, shall we?"

He drew in a breath as she found that prize. "Hmm, I think it's already up," he replied, smothering any more giggles or chatter to claim her with a kiss, not in the least bit chaste.

As would they both be for some hours yet, celebrating a marriage neither one had looked for but neither one regretted. The next day's journey might be a long one, and wearisome, too, after a long night before, but as far as Rolanda was concerned, safe and warm and loved by a man she loved in turn ....it was all worth it.