The crowds outside the royal palace in Itana had finally dispersed, the workers and their families obeying the suggestions of their union leaders and the Crown Prince to return to their homes and resume their lives as though the difficulties of the summer were only a bad dream. It spoke volumes to them that Prince Joshua stayed until the last of them had decided to leave, only returning inside when there were no more eyes to see or ears to hear. Keira found him easily as he made his way to the private wing, warning him that his wife had been deeply upset by the meeting. She hadn't seen Dru since the princess had excused herself, worried but unable to go looking for her. That was Josh's job, after all; he was the only person Dru could lean on, and the only person she needed when she wound herself up. And he was probably the only person who could guess where she was, too.

Things had been difficult the past few days, and that was putting it mildly. Josh knew it had been hard on Dru - it had been hard on all of them - but especially hard on the one person who everyone looked to, to lead them through this crisis. While the Princess had come through with shining colors and shown them all what she was made of, Josh knew it had cost her. The wife he knew as simply Dru was carrying the weight of Tirisano upon her young shoulders. It was a heavy weight for one person to carry, and he knew better than anyone else how hard these last few days had been on her. He thanked Keira for finding him and assured her that Dru would be fine, despite his own worries.

She'd hardly had time to digest her uncle's illness before the full weight of responsibility had been thrust upon her shoulders. She might not admit it openly, but he also knew she was scared. Who wouldn't be after they'd witnessed their own mother's assassination up close and personal" The first place he'd look was the royal quarters. It was the one place in Tirisano where she might feel safe.

"Dru?" he called as he entered their apartments, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

To anyone not familiar with the princess' habits - that is, to anyone not Josh - the rooms seemed empty. But there were clues for him to follow. A scattering of papers on the floor where she had missed putting the file securely on the table; one shoe resting by the couch, the other in a corner, suggesting it had been kicked off with force. Inside the bedroom, her suit jacket tossed haphazardly on the vanity; the sparkle of diamond betraying a discarded bracelet on the floor; the trail leading to ....the wardrobe. The antique, oak, enormous wardrobe that had once held both of them, his brother, his sister-in-law, and his father, during an unexpected game of Sardines which Prince Julius had lost by being the last person to find the hiding place. And inside it, curled into a tight ball, gasping for breath and shaking like a leaf, was his wife.

Josh followed the trail of clues through their apartment to the bedroom and at last to the wardrobe, his face looking more worried with each and every step. He didn't bother to call her name anymore, knowing that if she'd wanted to answer, she would have by now. He stood before the wardrobe a moment as if to summon his courage, knowing she was in there as he could hear the sound of her breathing. He pulled back the door and knelt down on the floor in front of her, not bothering to say a word, before gathering her into his arms, stroking her hair, and whispering soft words of comfort and reassurance.

She had never made a secret of her anxieties when it came to Josh. He knew her fears and her worries, and he knew that sometimes they could be overwhelming. All she really needed was for him to be there, to know he wasn't going to walk away when she needed him the most. Curling into his arms, she felt herself begin to calm, her breathing growing more controlled as she clung to him. But it still felt like an age until she could speak again. "I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing her face against his chest as she shuddered out the last of that anxious tension.

"No sorries, Dru. You have nothing to apologize for." In a lot of ways, they were little more than children, forced to grow up too soon and shoulder the responsibilities, not only of being an adult, but of an entire principality. "I'm proud of you, Dru," he away just enough that he could brush the tears from her face and offer a reassuring smile. No matter what happened, he would always be there by her side.

"I feel like such an idiot," she admitted, half laughing at her reaction to the stressful meeting. "I was fine. I was in control. And then it was over and they were gone, and I just ....I lost control of myself. I can't help the thought that maybe I've made the wrong decision. The politicians, the businessmen ....they could hurt us, badly, if they chose to. But ....what kind of rulers would we be if we let them exploit our people for their own profit' Oh gods ..." She was starting to hyperventilate again, her fingers digging into his sleeves as she closed her eyes tightly.

"You've got it all wrong, love," Josh said, pulling her into his arms again, as much to comfort her as to keep her from shaking. "The people adore you. They are our shield and our greatest ally. If anything was to happen to either of us, they'd rise up in rebellion, and the council, the politicians, the businessmen know it. Because, when all is said and done, it's the people whose voices were heard here today. You listened to them, you gave them back their livelihood and their dignity, and for that, they will back you straight to hell, if needs be."

"Us." It was barely a word, more of a muffled squeak as she forced herself to calm down once more. But it was a word that meant far more than just correcting his choice of words. Us meant them, together. Us meant their families. Us meant the future they had together, and the plans they intended to put into action as soon as they could. If this went well, they would have a better chance of opening their borders to other races without fearing their people's reprisals against the unknown.

"You're the one who stood up to them, Dru," he reminded her, them being the corrupt politicians and businessmen and members of Parliament. "And no matter what the repercussions are, I'm proud of you for it. The people are already hailing you as a great leader. It's not going to be easy, but we can do this, Dru. We have to. This is what we were born for."

"I thought we'd have more time," she said quietly, raising her head to wipe a hand over her cheeks. She was still shaking, still cold all over, but she was glad only Josh had seen her break down like this. "Uncle ....the doctors says he'll recover, but he might not be all that he was. I don't feel ready for this, Josh."

He laughed a little, but not at her so much as at the thought that had crossed his mind at her words. "Sweetheart, we could be eighty and still not ready for it," he told her, touching his fingers to her face to wipe away her tears. She was not alone in this or anything else, and that was a promise he would keep until his dying breath. "Come on. Let me make you a cup of tea and get you a blanket. You're freezing."

Thank the gods she had already managed to visit her uncle and tell him everything that had happened before having a breakdown. Dru didn't think she wanted to leave this room at all for the next few years, but one night would have to do. "Thank you," she managed a small smile for Josh. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I don't know what we'd do without each other," he corrected her, taking an arm to help her to her feet and out of the wardrobe. "You're lucky I know where your favorite hiding place is," he teased, hoping to lighten her mood a little if he could.

"You're the only person who knows where it is," she pointed out, stepping out of the wardrobe with only a faint pang that she couldn't hide in there forever. "I'm probably the first heir apparent in history who hides in a closet whenever I have to do something even a tiny bit stressful."

She smiled, the flush on her skin not entirely due to the heat of the water. "You'd think they would have given up waiting on me to get pregnant once Keira and Jamie did," she commented, twisting in the water to tug his pants. "All off, your highness, I'm getting lonely in this big tub all on my own."

"They'll never give up until we've produced an heir, but I'm in no hurry, are you?" he asked with a smile, though if they kept going the way they were going, it was going to happen sooner rather than later. He tugged his tie loose as he pried off his shoes. He was dressed as uncomfortably as her, but instead of a pantyhose and heels, he had to wear a suit and tie.

"I don't see any need to rush," she agreed. "Besides, can you really see me with a baby' I have enough trouble putting my own shoes on the right feet some days." Relaxing now she was warming up and in his presence, Dru eased back from the edge of the tub, stretching comfortably. "Anyway, I wouldn't want to steal your brother's thunder. He's so excited about having a baby, it's amazing that Keira's the one carrying it."

"It doesn't take much to excite Jamie," Josh remarked with a chuckle as his discarded clothing joined hers and he climbed into the tab to settle in behind her, his arms around her waist, his chin on her shoulder. "Think we'll have a chance to visit your brothers for the holidays?"

Nestling into his arms, the last of her tension bled away. This was all she needed to calm herself after an episode like that one; just Josh, and the privacy to be completely herself with him. "Oh, I hope so," she murmured. "I want to see the twins, not to mention everyone else. We'll have to be here for the Christmas Ball, but there won't be an opening of Parliament until a new Parliament is elected. We could go the day after Christmas, if Uncle is well enough to be left."

Of course, he had changed the subject on purpose, from matters of politics to that of family and friends. No matter what happened in Tirisano or how stressful things got, they would always be welcome in Rhy'Din. "You know, I think my father was hoping for this all along. Hoping we'd fall in love and get married, but it's never been about politics or power with me, Dru. I'd love you no matter who you are. It makes me mad sometimes when I think about it - to know there are some people out there who think I only married you because you're a princess."

"They're the fools," she told him, twisting a little to look up at him. "I love you, Josh. And I know you have no real interest in the crown, or all these responsibilities that come with loving me. Your father may have jumped the gun a little, but we still would have met, and there is every chance that I still would have chosen you. But what makes you special is that you chose me. You could have said no any number of times, and you never did. So let them think their petty, jealous thoughts. They will never have what we have."

He wasn't too sure who "they" were, but whoever they were, it was their loss. He smiled as he touched a kiss to her bare shoulder. There were those who thought they were too young, and in some ways, they were right, but they didn't know how quickly both Dru and Josh had been forced to grow up, to accept their duties and take responsibility for their own lives and that of their nation. "I'm proud of you, Dru. We're gonna be okay."

"I hope so," she smiled, brushing a kiss of her own to his jaw. "I'm proud of you, too, you know. You've been wonderful during all this, keeping the peace in the square while those idiots shouted at each other over the table inside. No one is completely blameless, but hopefully neither side will see us as the enemy."

He was thankful she couldn't see the frown on his face at her words. He wasn't stupid enough to think they hadn't made a few enemies today, especially that of the dissolved Parliament. They could very well end up with the very same members in a few months, if the people decided to re-elect them, but it seemed unlikely. Yes, they had made some enemies here today, but it had been for the good of the country and, more importantly, for the good of the people. "We didn't make any friends here today, Dru, except maybe the people."

"I know," she said quietly. "But Parliament needed the push. They've forgotten that they are not the ones who hold the power, they simply administrate the country and advise the monarch. My uncle has never shown his teeth, and they assumed that we would be the same. But I will not let business and politicians dictate the way our land should be run."

Josh wondered if any of this would have happened if her uncle hadn't suffered that stroke. Would they have tried to push him the way they'd pushed Dru" Maybe, but he didn't think so. "They're bullies, Dru. They tried to bully us and bully the people, and they failed. Plain and simple. You showed everyone that it's the people that matter, not the Parliament."

"It is possible for us to rule without a Parliament, but I don't want to go that way if we can possibly help it," she said quietly. "I want them to be involved. They're supposed to represent the people. Hopefully the new Parliament will."

"I'd like to see real people running for Parliament," Josh mused aloud, rather than career and crooked politicians like some of those who'd just been dismissed from Parliament. Oh, he knew they weren't all like that, but there were too many who were, and that had to change.

"Well, I think Roslae will be able to set an example there," Dru told him. "Keira was saying something about asking your father to disallow any party politician from standing for this election, and offering a fund to aid independent candidates in their campaigns. If they do that, then several of the other duchies will follow suit, and those that don't will mark themselves out as places not to be trusted."

"Sounds like a plan, but I don't really want to talk politics right now, do you?" he asked, touching a kiss to her shoulder again. Their lives revolved around politics practically from the moment they got up in the morning until they went to bed at night. There were very few respites, and what respites they did have were to be cherished.

She smiled, nuzzling against his cheek as her hand rose to curl wet fingers into his hair. "What would you like to talk about instead?" she asked him teasingly. "Is anything springing to your attention?"

"Yeah, there's something springing to attention," he teased back, taking the bait. It was hard to deny the truth of that statement when they were both naked and pressed up against each other.

She snickered impishly, twisting about to make full use of that attention of his. Hopefully the security detail had by now grown used to the noises their prince and princess made when they were alone, or this was going to be a very awkward hour or so for the men and women on duty at the communications hub.

Here alone in their private quarters, they weren't so much the prince and princess as they were just Josh and Dru, husband and wife. Two of the most important people in the country, and two people who just loved each other.

Would love be enough to see them through all the challenges ahead of them' No one could truly make that prediction, but love was not something that had been shared by a husband and wife in the Tirisano royal family for many generations. It was an anchor to hold onto, a warmth that would keep them grounded. And despite everything, Dru knew she could do anything so long as Josh was at her side. Surviving the next year with the country intact was just the beginning.