Topic: Consequences

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:46 EST
Itana Royal Palace, Tirisano August 18th, 2014

The royal garden party to celebrate Tirisano's Independence Day was proving to be a success, even without the presence of the Princess Royale. Despite his misgivings about what had occurred in the stables, Prince Julius was a gracious host, enjoying conversing with everyone from an artisan baker to his closest friend. By the time Dru's absence was being noted, Duke Oliver Stuart had already made his way over to where his sons were politely declining the flirtations of various hopeful young women. He lowered his voice as he told them what had happened to delay the princess, hiding his lips behind his wine glass. "Don't react openly," he warned his youngest son quietly. "She'll be here in a few minutes, you can satisfy yourself as to her safety then."

Josh's reaction was more obvious than his brother's, who not only was a little older and wiser and had learned to take things in stride, but who also wasn't romantically entangled with the Princess. James was, in fact, not romantically entangled with anyone at the moment, though his father kept reminding him that it was high time he got serious and settled down. The truth of the matter wasn't so much about sowing his oats but about finding the right woman to settle down with. A hopeless romantic, he wanted to marry for love and had resisted all attempts at an obviously pre-planned and arranged coupling.

"She'll be fine," James, the elder son, assured his younger brother with a touch to his shoulder. He nodded politely to one of many young ladies who tried to catch his eye as she walked by. Though he had yet to settle down, he was not opposed to a little flirtation here and there. He was, after all, the country's most eligible and probably most sought after bachelor.

Despite his abilities as an actor, Josh was obviously having a hard time hiding his worries about Dru. He'd been worried about her all day and only when they finally thought the danger had passed, did it rear its ugly head. Thankfully, she was safe, but he'd been on pins and needles all day and he couldn't see her again soon enough to make sure she was truly all right. "How am I supposed to react, Dad?" Josh countered. He thought he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

"When the romance is outed, you're allowed to show concern openly," the duke told him, every word delivered from between lips that weren't moving. He'd had a lot of practice avoiding lip-readers in his lifetime. "For now, you need to hold it in a little. I have no doubt that time has already been set aside for you to spend alone with the princess after the party is over." He glanced to his elder son. "James, do try not to make every woman here swoon at the thought of a smile from you," he suggested with wry amusement. "You should already have children, you know. Your mother, gods rest her, would have made certain of it by now."

"It's rather fun making women swoon, Father," Jamie, as he was called by his closest friends and family, remarked with a smirk and a sly wink at a passing beauty. His name had been linked to several eligible and respectable young women in recent months, and yet, nothing serious had come of any of them. "There's plenty of time for marriage and children. I just need to find the right woman."

Josh had grown quiet, obviously worried about Dru, though he had not yet taken to hand wringing or pacing the floor.

James bumped his shoulder and nodded over at a particularly pretty redhead who was eying them both. "That's Lady Katherine. She's been asking about you. If you weren't already attached, I'd introduce you. Perhaps I should just go and entertain her myself."

"Or you could follow through on a promise you've been making for months and talk to the museum representatives here about loaning some of our portraits to their gallery for an exhibition," their father pointed out, quite happy to curtail Jamie's philandering out of sheer fun. His hand gently squeezed Josh's shoulder, his head jerking toward the gravel path from the palace, down which a certain princess was advancing with her aide and bodyguard, moving to greet her uncle and apologize for her lateness.

"Such dull work," Jamie replied with a long-suffering sigh. It wasn't that he didn't take his duties seriously - he did - but it was a party and he was looking forward to having a little fun. "Very well, Father," he agreed reluctantly. Though he would have rather spent time with Lady Katherine, he was at least an obedient son who always did what his father asked. "Poor Lady Katherine will just have to wait," he remarked. He flashed a grin as he saw Drusilla approaching. "There, brother," he leaned in to whisper, keeping his voice down so no one caught his words but Josh and possibly their father. "Your lady love has arrived, unharmed." He patted his brother on the shoulder. "Try not to drool," he warned with a wink, and then he was heading off to find the museum representatives his father so wanted him to chat with.

Of course, when Jamie realized that one of those representatives was a lady herself, he might swallow his words somewhat, but until then, Duke Oliver was amused by the fact that his eldest son seemed to think these negotiations were going to be held with the elderly couple who managed the museum themselves. He glanced toward the Prince and his heir, reassuring himself that Dru had come to no harm, fully expecting either Josh to work his way toward her, or for her to come toward them. He didn't have to wait long to find out which - after greeting her uncle and speaking briefly with those he was talking to, Dru claimed a glass of wine and began her first circuit of the guests, slowly but surely making her way toward them.

Josh knew the princess well enough to know she'd been shaken by the day's events, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. The clues were so slight that he doubted anyone would notice them but himself and her uncle. It took all his self-control to remain patiently rooted to the place and not to stare as she wound her way through the crowd toward them, greeting guests and making everyone feel welcome. Josh was trying hard not to betray his true feelings, but the set of his jaw and the frown on his face indicated, at least to her, how worried he'd been.

As Dru reached then, the duke stepped to the side to greet her with a smile and a courteous incline of his head. "A day of triumphs, it would seem, your highness," he said calmly. "Your studies abroad suit you well, I think. You are every bit as lovely as you've been promising to be for years now."

Dru blushed at the overflow of charm from the duke, laughing a little of her tension out as she took a sip of her wine. "And you, your grace, are as much a rogue as your eldest son," she countered his compliments, drawing a loud laugh from the older man. Under cover of the duke's laughter, her eyes turned to Josh, trying to reassure him without words that she was all right, on the whole.

Thankfully, it was Josh who had won the princess' heart, not his fickle older brother with the roving eye. The elder brother's name might have been suggested by some who liked to play at making matches, but for all of Jamie's fondness for women, he took his duties as heir to the Duchy of Roslae seriously. "Greetings, highness," Josh offered a small formal bow, as was expected of him, reaching for her hand to bring it to his lips, well aware of the body language that was trying to reassure him.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:47 EST
Her fingers tightened on his discreetly as he lifted her hand to his lips, her smile just a little softer for him than for anyone else. "Lord Joshua," she greeted him in return. "It is a pleasure to see you here. Did you enjoy the parade?"

No, he hadn't. He'd been on pins and needles the entire time, especially when she reached the place where her mother had been killed, and he couldn't wait for it to be over, but he couldn't very well say that in public. "I enjoyed it very much. I trust you are well?"

"I am, thank you," she assured him. "Unfortunately, unexpected duties kept me from arriving on time, but those pressing loose ends have now been tied up." She hoped he understood what she was saying, glancing first to his father, and then to her uncle. Oh, screw this, her slightly rebellious mind declared. "Would you care to take a turn around the garden with me?"

Josh arched a single brow, the only visible reaction to her question. "If you think it won't cause a scandal," he replied, looking to his father as if for permission. The Duke of Roslae was far more experienced in such matters than was he.

The Duke of Roslae might be more experienced, but he wasn't about to deny a young couple the chance to be certain of one another in privacy. "I would not dream of telling the princess what she may and may not do," he said calmly, lowering his voice to add, "No more than twenty minutes, mind. You have guests, highness."

Dru just about managed to avoid rolling her eyes at the reminder of her duty, but her smile was grateful to the duke. It felt good to have allies in the right places.

Josh looked grateful, not only for his father's permission but understanding and advice. He offered his thanks with a brief nod of his head before turning back to the princess and offering her an arm. He felt like all eyes were on them and all he wanted was to step back through the portal to Rhy'Din so they could just be Josh and Dru again, not the Princess Royale and Lord Joshua Stuart, but this was just another sort of play in which they were playing their parts.

It may have felt as though all eyes were on them, but the truth was very different. Between the entertainment that had been laid on, the buffet, and the sheer myriad variety of people scattered across the garden, it was unlikely more than a couple of people noticed them slip past the high hedgerow and into a little privacy. And even if they were noticed, most of the guests would shrug it off - Josh was of the right rank to be a friend of the Princess Royale, after all. As soon as they were safely out of sight, Dru dropped the cool calm facade and threw herself into Josh's arms, burying her face against his chest, needing just to be held for a little while.

Josh was taken by surprise when Dru launched herself into his arms, though he had already guessed that beneath that seemingly-calm surface, she was more upset than anyone might guess. "Shh," he whispered as soothingly as he could, rubbing a hand gently against her back as he held her close. His father had told him what he knew, though perhaps not in so many details. "It's all right. You're safe now."

She was shaking as he held her, the stress and shock of her encounter suppressed until he was there to calm her down. "I've known him since I was a child," she managed in a trembling voice. "I used to play with his son. And ....and he had a gun to my head. I don't think he even realized that I was the same person until we started to talk."

Inwardly, Josh cringed, his heart leaping at the realization that she'd come so close to disaster. She must have been terrified. How she'd managed to get out of it alive was nothing short of a miracle, as far as Josh was concerned. "Thank the Gods you're safe," he whispered back, his stomach in knots at the knowledge that he'd come so close to losing her. "This is silly, Dru. I don't want to be without you anymore."

She looked up at him, startled out of her shock by the determination in his whisper. "But ....Josh, if we make an official announcement this month, we'll be married by Christmas," she reminded him softly. "That much less time for you to act, for you to get used to the idea of living this life. I don't want you to ever resent me for bringing you into it."

"Don't be silly. No one knows who we are in Rhy'Din. That will always be our refuge. And we still have to finish school, so we can't stay here forever until that's done." He sighed, a little frustrated by his inability to openly show his feelings for her in public, as well as not being able to spend as much time with her as he liked. Back in Rhy'Din, they were inseparable; here, there was protocol to follow. "When do you think it will be announced?" he asked, thinking the sooner, the better, despite the theater.

"If you're sure about it, then ....tomorrow," she said softly. It wasn't that she didn't want this herself, but Dru was mortally afraid that Josh would realize over the next few months that this wasn't the life he wanted for himself. "If the decision has been made and there is no way it'll be changed, then the sooner the announcement is made, the better. Knowing the Parliament - knowing my uncle - we could expect to be married by the end of October."

"I'm sure if you're sure. You're all that matters to me, Dru. Nothing else is as important to me as you are," Josh said, lifting her chin to meet his gaze and see the look of determination and sincerity in his eyes. "I love you," he told her, not much caring who might overhear him. Screw decorum. He had come far too close to losing her today, and he wasn't going to chance that happening ever again.

"Of course I'm sure," she rushed to assure him. "You're about the only part of my life that I am completely sure about, Josh. I love you, I don't want to be without you." She kissed him softly, a gentle, brief brush of her lips to his to confirm what she said. "Are we really going to do this?"

"If we're both sure, then why wait' Nothing is going to change my mind." He smiled a little at the affirmation of her feelings for him, returning her kiss as gently as her own. "Unless you chicken out on me, yes."

She gazed into his eyes, warm and smiling, her fright and shock eased just by being with him. "My uncle is going to kill me," she informed him. "And probably your father, too." This was offered with the smile he'd grown used to in Rhy'Din, the bright, lopsided grin she'd grown into over the months away from Tirisano. Gently, she took her hands from him and carefully slipped his ring back to its rightful place on her left hand. "I love you."

"They can't. You're the rightful heir," he reminded her, though she didn't really need reminding. Once that ring was back in place on her left hand, he lifted that hand to his lips once again and brushed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. "I love you, too, highness. And I'm going to do everything in my power to be the man you need me to be."

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:48 EST
"You already are," she told him, curling her arm through his. "Sod the gossips, this is what we want. They can like it or lump it - I think I've earned a little leeway in public opinion after today." She smiled, finding it easy to dismiss her experience only two hours or so earlier now she was in his company.

He was not trying to make light of her ordeal; just the opposite, in fact. The possibility of almost losing her had only solidified his determination to be together - officially and publicly. No more sneaking around. No more hiding or pretending. No more secrets. "With any luck, they'll like it."

"I hope so," she agreed, taking a slow breath as they began to make their way back to the party. It was unlikely anyone would notice the ring just yet, not unless they made a spectacle of themselves in returning to the gathering. "You tell your father, I'll go and tell my uncle. He can decide whether or not to announce it privately here, and then release the statement tomorrow."

Aware there might be eyes on them as they made their way back to the party, Josh leaned close to brush a kiss against her cheek. Lightly and briefly, the kiss could just as well have been a friendly bit of affection as it was romantic. No one but them knew the truth of it yet, but if Josh had his way, there would soon be no more secrets. "I'm not taking no for an answer," he told her, perhaps for the first time in his life, putting his foot down and insisting his life proceed how he - how they - wanted it to. It was the first step in becoming a man.

She giggled, clearly far more relaxed after just a few minutes with him than she had been when she arrived at the garden party. "I promise, neither am I," she agreed, squeezing his arm as she moved to deliver him back to his father, inverting the social norm. She doubted he wanted to be near enough to hear whatever her uncle muttered when he noticed the ring had moved.

His father more than likely had no idea what was going on or hadn't noticed the switcheroo the ring had made from right to left hand, but from the look on Josh's face, he might have guessed something was up. He watched as Dru departed and headed toward her uncle, his heart pounding with excitement and more than a little trepidation. They had just made what was arguably the most important decision of their young lives and once the announcement was made, there'd be no turning back.

Duke Oliver handed his son a glass of wine as the princess took her leave of them, eying her departure with rather shrewd eyes. "Good gods, man," he murmured to Josh, half-joking and the other half desperately hoping he wasn't serious, "she's not pregnant, is she?"

Josh had to laugh at his father's question, though he wondered how many of the guests in attendance would soon be wondering the same thing. "Gods, no, Da. Do you really think I'd take advantage of her like that?" He wasn't Jamie, after all, though to the best of their knowledge the young Earl had not yet impregnated anyone.

"I had to ask," the duke chuckled, gently patting his son's shoulder. "I take it the plan to take your time has gone completely out of the window, then." He took a sip of his wine, sharp eyes locating Jamie where he was talking with the museum reps. He didn't dare yet glance in the direction of his friend, the Prince. He had a feeling Julius wasn't going to make any announcements until everything necessary for a public declaration was in place.

"I guess you could say that, yes," Josh affirmed, taking a swallow of his wine that was definitely more than a sip. He wasn't normally nervous when it came to his father, but this was no ordinary conversation. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked, curious what his father's true feelings were regarding a possible marriage between them.

Duke Oliver looked into his son's eyes, complete honesty in his gaze showing that he was just a little hurt by the question, no matter how much he understood its necessity. "I want you to be happy, Josh," he told his youngest quietly. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't delighted with the fact that you seem to be very happy with that young lady. But if you had hated each other on sight, I would not have forced you into anything. So long as you are happy with your decisions, then so am I."

Josh recognized the hurt in his father's eyes, and his mood darkened a little. He hadn't meant to hurt him, and his father had only suggested he keep an eye on the Princess, not court her. Still, he had a feeling his father would be thrilled with such a coupling, as would Prince Julius once the initial shock of it wore off. "This is what I want, Father. It's what we want," Josh explained, lowering his voice for his father's ears only. "I love her, Da. That's not going to change. What's the point of waiting?" he explained, gentling his voice. Yes, they were young and impetuous, but they also both knew what they wanted.

"Then I'm happy for you, and yes, I am ever so slightly smug that my son is marrying into such a prestigious family," the duke admitted, his eyes twinkling. "We can talk about this later. I imagine that while you and she have your personal time, I am going to end up deep in discussion with her uncle." He chuckled. "And he's not as upset about it as he is pretending to be, either."

"It's not her uncle that worries me so much as the Parliament," Josh admitted with a look on his face that indicated just how worried he was. One the announcement was made public, it would be difficult for the Parliament to rescind it, and yet, Josh knew he was probably not their first choice for the position.

"Which is why I actually approve of all the ways you're pulling the rug out from under us," his father laughed, taking a sip of his wine. "No plan has been in place for more than a week - even if the committee did get hold of the information, they couldn't prevent what is going to happen tomorrow. And once it is announced, the Parliament has no choice but to acquiesce."

"It's not like I'm a commoner," Josh pointed out. As far as he knew, the Parliament had no reason to contest their engagement. Of course, Josh had nothing against commoners, but if she'd fallen in love with someone who lacked at least some noble blood, it might have caused a royal scandal. Now if they could just stop Jamie from causing one all on his own. "I supposed I should thank you for sending me to Rhy'Din. If you hadn't, none of this would have happened." Oh, he more than likely would have still made the list, but it might not have been as likely that he would have been chosen.

"Stop worrying so much," his father advised gently, nodding toward Jamie. "I'd go and rescue your brother, though, if I were you. I could be wrong, but it doesn't look as though his patented flirtation techniques are working on Lady Keira." He smirked behind his glass.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:49 EST
Josh drained his glass of wine as he turned his head to observe his elder brother, who seemed to be failing at impressing the Lady he was speaking with, which, Josh knew, would only cause him to try harder, refusing to give up. He was nothing if not stubborn. "You have to give him points for trying," Josh remarked, handing the empty wine glass to a passing waiter.

The duke laughed again, thoroughly enjoying the slightly nonplussed look on his eldest son's face as the lady in question appeared to excuse herself politely and leave him standing by the buffet on his own. "That will certainly make your wedding party entertaining," he commented quietly. "I have it on good authority that Lady Keira is one of the princess' few actual friends, despite their difference in age."

James looked as though something - or more accurately - someone had just let the air out of his sails. He spied his brother and father and started back toward them with what appeared to be a pout on his face.

"No decision reached on that art loan, then?" the duke asked innocently as James reached them, somehow managing to make it seem as though he hadn't just been discussing his son's failure to get a young woman's phone number on the first try.

"Oh, that's all set," Jamie replied, still looking a little perplexed. He waved a waiter down to procure himself a glass of wine.

"What's the problem then?" Josh asked, trying hard to hide a smirk from his face and feel some small sympathy for his brother, who had the uncanny ability to attract female attention the same way honey attracted bees, with the possible exception of one female, in particular.

"No problem," Jamie replied. "Who said there's a problem?"

"Indeed," their father mused, letting his own smile be seen now. "You have successfully negotiated a deal that has been in the works for the last four years, and yet you look as though someone just kicked you roundly in the rear end. Do I need to talk to someone on your behalf?"

"Perhaps I should have made a date part of the deal," he remarked, followed by a bit of a mumbled remark mostly to himself. "I'm not a little boy, nor am I fascinated by the contents of my trousers. What does that even mean?" he asked, turning to Josh for an answer. "Who needs the Lady Keira, anyway' There are plenty of women who find me fascinating."

"Ah." Duke Oliver had a decency to swallow his laughter with a mouthful of wine. "It would appear that your reputation has preceded you, Jamie," he said quietly. "A little harsh, perhaps, but you cannot say that she has led you on or given you any reason to continue pursuing her. Perhaps it is for the best," he added slyly. "I doubt you and she are very compatible." Josh knew that tone, though - it was the same tone his father had used to convince him to go to Rhy'Din in the first place.

Josh wished he'd had a glass of wine to hide the laughter that was bubbling up inside him, but instead he only coughed unconvincingly behind a hand to hide it. "I thought it was what?s in your pants they find fascinating," Josh remarked, unable to hide the smirk from his face.

"Are you poking fun at me, brother?" Jamie asked, as he was handed a glass of wine.

"Who, me?" Josh replied. "I wouldn't think of it."

"Perhaps you should be concerned with what you may have said," the duke mused, nodding toward a group not so very far away. Lady Keira had joined the Princess Royale, and the two of them had their heads together like two little girls, the elder murmuring something that made the princess throw her head back and laugh uproariously.

"Now, they are both laughing at me," Jamie said with a pout, his brows furrowing in annoyance. He threw back the glass of wine and handed the empty to his brother. "We'll just see about this," he said, and before either his brother or father could stop him, was marching toward the two young women with a determined look on his face.

His father's splutters might as well have been directed at someone else for all the notice he took of them. "If he causes a scene at the Prince's garden party, I will ground him for a full year," the duke muttered to Josh, rolling his eyes as he watched his eldest approach the Princess Royale and her companion.

"Shall I go rescue him?" Josh asked his father, as startled by his brother's outburst as he appeared to be.

"Only if it looks like he's about to get slapped," Duke Oliver murmured. "You know the princess better than I do, you should be able to pick up the clues."

"....sounds ridiculous," Dru was saying as James Stuart marched into earshot. "And you let it happen?"

Lady Keira Talbot laughed with her, nodding in slight embarrassment. "I couldn't very well say no, could I?" she countered the princess' query.

Josh wasn't too worried about James getting slapped by the princess, so much as the Lady Keira. "Excuse me, your highness," Jamie interrupted with a polite nod of his head, before turning to Keira, just as the orchestra started playing a waltz. "I believe this is our dance," he told her, happy for the lucky circumstance.

The surprise on Keira's face was worth it, as well as the slight narrowing of her eyes that blamed him squarely for putting it to her in such a way as she could not escape the invitation. "Certainly, Lord Stuart," she said, her manners impeccable. "Excuse me, your highness." With a gentle curtsey to Dru, who was grinning like she'd already seen the joke, Keira allowed Jamie to lead her away.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:50 EST
Jamie offered his arm to the Lady Keira as politely and courteously as was her due, though his blue eyes were flashing with annoyance. "Just what, pray tell, were you telling the princess" Bragging about the contents of my trousers, which, I might remind you, you insisted on seeing when you were four. I've grown a bit since then, I'll have you know."

"Contrary to popular opinion, you are not the sole subject of conversation in every woman's mind," Keira pointed out to him, taking his arm reluctantly as he drew her to where others were dancing. "And as I recall, you were the one who insisted on running around naked at every opportunity."

"And as I recall, you weren't so afraid of having a little fun from time to time," he countered as he drew her out onto the dance floor. If anyone were to look their way, they'd only see two young people enjoying a little conversation while they danced. Despite his roguish reputation, which he believed was highly inflated, Jamie knew how to behave in public and had no intentions of making a spectacle of himself or of the Lady on his arm, though he had given her very little choice but to join him. "There was a time when we were friends. What happened to make you hate me so?" he asked, as he drew her across the dance floor, moving as gracefully and easily as a professional dancer.

"Oh, of course I don't hate you, don't be so melodramatic," she informed him, moving easily under his direction. They had learned to dance together - it seemed as though there were some partners your body never forgot. "Things change, James. And our encounters when we were teens did not exactly endear us to one another, did they?" Her brows raised, she looked him right in the eye, reminding him of various incidents that neither of them came out of looking good.

He rolled his eyes at her question, though he wasn't quite sure which incidents she was referring to exactly. "Are you still holding that against me?" he asked. "I was sixteen. My hormones were raging. You can hardly blame me for that anymore. Besides, weren't you the one who insisted you were beneath my station' Which is and always has been ridiculous, you know. Who I choose to spend my time with is no one's business but my own."

"Who you grow up with does not necessarily set in stone who you will spend your life in the circle of," she told him mildly, though her cheeks had flushed a little at the memory of that particular afternoon. "I was referring, rather, to the persistent rumor that I was easy, because of one rather outspoken argument we had in front of your friends from school. Do you have any idea how vindictive teenaged girls can be if they think they've found a weakness?"

Of course he didn't! He wasn't a teenage girl and had never been a teenage girl. The look on his face said it all - shock, dismay, even a little bit of anger. "So, you've been avoiding me all these years because of some vindictive rumors spread by teenage girls who were more than likely jealous?" he pressed her further. He'd never heard such a rumor and if he had, he would have vehemently denied it. "Anyway, everyone knows I'm the one that's easy."

"I haven't been avoiding you, I just ....stopped going out of my way to get your attention," Keira said softly, glancing over his shoulder, feeling awkward and embarrassed, and not particularly wanting to be having this conversation. "It hardly hurt you, did it' You didn't even notice." Surely, if she had been that indifferent toward him, she wouldn't have mentioned that at all. Clearly Keira had not let go of some of those teenaged longings, even if she had convinced herself that it would never have worked in the first place.

His mouth dropped open a moment before he remembered where they were and who they were, recovering quickly, though his expression looked pained, wounded even. "How can you say that' Of course, I noticed. Do you think me completely unfeeling" You've been avoiding me for years. Do you think I haven't noticed" You made your feelings quite clear on more than one occasion."

"Well, then, you obviously can't read women as well as your reputation says you can," she told him, drawing in a deep breath to keep herself from raising her voice. "From what I saw of you, and what I heard, you seemed obviously to have forgotten we were ever close at all, and the last thing I wanted to do was end up embarrassing both of us by having a conversation like this one in a public place. If you wanted to see me so badly, why haven't you tried" You could have called on me years ago, before I ever went to university, but you didn't. I may have hurt you, but you have hurt me, too. We're clearly not suited to one another if the only place we can talk is during a dance at the Prince's garden party."

"You had my attention, Keira. You always had my attention, just as you have it now. What would you have had me do' Get down on one knee and beg your forgiveness" It was one kiss, and as I recall you seemed to have enjoyed it as much as I did until you remembered your station. How was I supposed to pursue you after that' After you made it clear in front of everyone how much you detested me. I know what you think of me. I know what people say about me, but they are wrong, Keira. The only woman who ever even came close to holding my heart was you, and that is the truth."

She couldn't help the faint smirk that rose on her lips as she looked up at him. "Woman?" she queried softly. "I was fourteen. I was still waiting for normal body parts to arrive." But he'd obviously touched something. Her posture had softened, no longer stiff and unyielding as they danced together. "It would not have worked between us. I was a child, in a lot of ways." She bit her lip, glancing down between them for a moment before raising her eyes to his once again. "It was my fault, I accept that. I'm the one who made the mistake. I apologize."

He looked confused by her apology, as if he hadn't expected it. He had, in fact, expected her to react defensively, accusing him of misunderstanding her reaction to the only kiss they'd ever shared. That kiss had haunted him for years. For years, he'd tried to find someone with whom he felt those same sparks, but it had never been the same, and he had finally concluded after all those years that he'd only imagined those sparks. There was only one way to prove himself wrong, but it would be highly inappropriate and scandalous to do it here. "You have nothing to apologize for," he replied with a small frown. "It is I who presumed. You have my apologies." He pulled away from her, just as she was softening toward him and offered a respectful bow. For some reason, all he seemed to have heard was how it wouldn't have worked between them, assuming she had not only meant in the past, but in the present, as well.

If he felt confused, she was right there with him as he pulled away from her. Surely he couldn't have missed that softening of her body as they danced, could he" Surprised, she stared at him as he bowed to her, glancing around at the other dancers still enjoying the music together. "You were sixteen," she reminded him. "I wasn't ready. I handled it badly." Feeling awkward, and aware that curious eyes were turning toward them, she smoothed her hands over her hips, coloring a little under the scrutiny of so many people. "It was never my intention to hurt you, James. Then or now."

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:51 EST
"Nor was it my intention to embarrass you or make a spectacle of you, or create any problems for you." He felt curious eyes upon them, and some part of him that had matured more than most people gave him credit for and understood his responsibility and place in life, realized this was not the time or place for an in-depth conversation. "Meet me in the garden in an hour," he whispered, leaning close so that only she could hear him. If anyone found out, there would be talk, but she wasn't a princess, and once news got around about Dru and Josh, no one would so much as blink an eye at the two of them.

Despite herself, despite years of trying to train herself not to react to any hint of James Stuart in her life, Keira found herself nodding in agreement without conscious thought. "I will," she promised him, fairly sure that she would not be missed. "You should return to your father," she added quietly, glancing that way. "He looks as though he may be about to interrupt us, anyway."

Jamie didn't bother to look around for proof that his father was watching them, possibly wondering if his little plan had worked. Jamie had a feeling it was no mere coincidence that his father had asked him to handle the deal with the art museum. He must have known Jamie would have to come in contact with Keira eventually, and Jamie had learned a long time ago that Oliver Stuart never did anything by accident. There was no doubt in his mind that his father had arranged this whole thing, and Jamie only loved the man more for it. "One hour," he reminded her, just as the waltz came to an end and he bowed to her once again. "Thank you for the dance, my lady," he told her in a formal tone of voice, more for the benefit of those who were watching than for her.

"Thank you, my lord," she answered him, just as formal, just as polite, allowing him to deliver her back to her friends. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but she had a feeling she was going to find out. In an hour.

He returned her very courteously to her friends and left her there before returning to rejoin his father and brother, a slightly smug smile on his face. "She likes me," he told them both once he'd rejoined them.

"Does she now?" his father asked, doing a creditable job of at least looking surprised, even if he was the farthest thing from it in reality. "For a moment or two there, I thought you were going to abandon her in the middle of the waltz. Did she offer to show you her collection of seashells?"

"Seashells?" Jamie echoed with a chuckle. "Unless that's a code word for something else, no. We just talked, that's all." But they'd said more to each other during the time it took for one waltz than they had in years. "Don't bother to play the innocent, Father. I know you orchestrated all of this."

Josh chuckled at his brother's remark. "Not you, too?" he asked.

"I think he missed his calling as a matchmaker, don't you?" Jamie asked his younger brother, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to tease their father.

The duke laughed, caught out by his sons and enjoying their bravery in teasing him. He wasn't half so intimidating as some liked to make out, at least with those he was fond of. "If I were not such an adept, I doubt either of you would be wearing such smiles at this moment," he pointed out, utterly unashamed of his subtle nudges that had put them both where they wanted to be. A servant paused at his elbow, murmuring a message into his ear. He nodded, thanking the man. "Josh, you can relax a little. There will be no announcement until the information is released in the morning. And you are required for photographs this evening."

James knew a little of what was going on between Josh and the Princess Drusilla, but he had been busy bantering with Keira when Josh had returned from the garden with news that he and the Princess had decided not to wait any longer. Despite that, James wasn't stupid, and it wasn't that difficult to figure out what his father was talking about. "Well, well....Should I offer my congratulations now or wait until it's official?"

Josh flushed at both his father's instructions and his elder brother's teasing. "You should probably wait until it's official," Josh replied, having a hard time believing it himself.

"You can wake him up at six tomorrow morning," their father added with a startling amount of mischief. "The press release will go out at four, to ensure all the papers have the information and the pictures to prove it for the early edition." No, he hadn't been told this, but some members of the nobility knew how the palace worked. Oliver Stuart was one of them. "Enjoy your last party in freedom, Joshua. From tomorrow, you are the Prince-Consort Elect."

The flush that had colored Josh's face faded quickly, all the color draining from his face as he realized the full implications of what he and Dru had set in motion. To his credit, he remained on his feet, the color slowing returning. It was like opening night for a new play, he told himself. Nothing to fear or be nervous about. He'd prepared all his life for this, even if it was very unexpected.

"Are you all right, brother?" Jamie asked, looking concerned. "You look a little sick."

"Steady," their father added, one hand against his youngest son's back. "This is why there will be no announcement today. You both need to realize how irrevocable your decision is once it is made public."

Jamie, too, looked concerned for his little brother's well-being, but chose a different method of dealing with it. He lifted a hand to wave over a waiter who was circling the room with a bottle of wine at the ready. "Over here!" he called to the man, while Josh made an effort to regain his composure.

"I'm not going to change my mind, Da." He would have assured him further, but he didn't want anyone else to overhear him.

"All right, then, time for the shock to wear off," the duke conceded, gently steering their group to an unoccupied table as the waiter reached them. He caught the eye of the little princess, noting the tension in her as she looked at Josh. "A smile for your lady would not go amiss, Joshua."

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:52 EST
Josh glanced over at the princess as soon as he reached the table, Jamie right there to place a fresh glass of wine in his hand. If he wasn't careful, he was going to get drunk, and he couldn't afford that when he had a photo shoot later that night. He was feeling a little sick and yet, somehow he managed a smile for the princess or maybe because of her.

Jamie didn't miss the exchange of glances and chuckled under his breath. "You have it bad, little brother."

That little smile was enough to calm Dru's worry, her eyes lighting up in a smile that was only for Josh as she discreetly toasted him before being drawn back into conversation.

Duke Oliver chuckled to himself as he sat down with his sons, groaning in relief as though the change of location had been entirely to do with him. "Ah, that's better," he declared, loudly enough for those around them to hear. "I really should learn to act my age and sit down sooner at these things."

"What about you, Father?" Jamie asked the elder man. "There must be some woman here who you find pleasing." Though he'd loved his late mother and remembered her fondly, he thought his father had been alone long enough. Josh remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the Princess, the glass of wine held tightly in his hand as the two sons joined their father at the table.

Jamie's comment made his father laugh once again, and any concern for the duke that had brought curious eyes in their direction was swept away, leaving them with relative privacy once more. "Don't even think about it," he told his eldest. "Grandchildren, that is the plan. Not to have me die of a heart attack trying to do my manly duty at my time of life."

Josh dragged his gaze away from the Princess to turn a concerned look at his father. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern for his father replacing the nervousness he felt over the impending announcement that would change the rest of his life.

"I'm indulging in the prerogative of all old men with grown children," Duke Oliver told him affectionately. "Complaining about my lot in life and demanding grandchildren to lighten the dark days of my senility." He winked at Josh; that comment was aimed mostly at Jamie, and they both knew it.

"Father, you're almost fifty. That's hardly senile," Jamie reminded him with a chuckle, but Josh looked a little more concerned, the wink not doing much to reassure him.

"Jamie's right. You should start thinking about yourself and stop worrying about us." He didn't dare mention his mother, though they both knew their father had never really gotten over her death.

"I will make a deal with you, then," the duke informed his sons. "If, in one year from now, you're still worrying about me and my poor lonely life, then you may attempt to match-make. Until then, allow me the pleasure of seeing my schemes fall out better than I had hoped."

Jamie laughed at his father's suggestion, blue eyes dancing with amusement. "We're going to hold you to that, Father," he said, nudging his brother's arm with an elbow. "Perhaps we should make him sign an agreement."

Josh smiled a bit at his brother's remark. "You remember what happened the last time we tried that?"

Duke Oliver grinned cheerfully. "As I recall, you were both under twelve, and you didn't understand the importance of binding legal documents," he chuckled at the memory. "You were horrified at the thought of reading forty pages of writing just to make me agree to let you buy a moped each when you were seventeen."

"You tricked us!" Jamie exclaimed. "We never did get those mopeds." Their father's strategy might have stopped his sons from buying mopeds at an early age, but Josh had a motorcycle now, and Jamie had a sports car. He couldn't stop them from growing up all together, no matter how much he might have wanted to.

"I did not trick you," the duke defended himself warmly. "I would have kept my word if either one of you had managed to read the entire thing. As it was, you both ended up agreeing to a full year of driving lessons before ever owning a vehicle of your own. I am fairly sure I won that round."

"And I'm fairly sure we're better off for those lessons, so we're all winners," Josh pointed out, the most youthful among them the voice of reason.

Jamie laughed. "My baby brother is a born diplomat," he said, reaching over to give Josh's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "But alas, I must leave you now," he said as he moved to his feet. "I have a date in the garden," he added with a wink.

"Fountains and high hedges are always your friends when it comes to illicit canoodling," his father informed him, sitting a little more upright as Jamie rose. "Try not to hurt each other too much."

"One can hope!" Jamie remarked good-naturedly. He wasn't sure if there would be any canoodling or not, but with any luck, perhaps he and Keira could at least be friends again. Jamie waved back to his father and brother as he parted company to seek the Lady Keira out in the garden.

"I hope she makes him work for it," the duke murmured laughingly, watching Jamie out of sight, and turned to Josh. "Now then, how are we feeling?" he asked his youngest, sharp eyes taking in every detail. "Fully conscious again, are we?"

"I'm fine, Da," Josh assured his father, the wine in front of him going untouched, at least for now. He needed to be sober for the evening ahead. "Am I being foolish, Da?" he asked, now that his brother had left them alone. "Am I rushing things, do you think?"

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-08-18 08:54 EST
His father sighed softly, leaning forward so that only Josh could hear what he was going to say. "That is your head talking, Josh," he told his son gently. "Your head is trying to rationalize things, to view them from a level of societal normality. Ignore it. What is your heart telling you?"

Josh considered his father's words carefully, but he didn't have to consider his own reply, letting his heart answer for him. "My heart is telling me that I don't want to be without her anymore." And truth be told, if they were still in Rhy'Din, he wouldn't be, but here - in Tirisano - there was a certain protocol to follow, and he'd lost his patience for it. He knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was Dru. "She's my heart's desire, Da. I can't imagine my life without her."

"Then rushing things is something that you simply cannot do," the duke told him in a warm voice. "It is not possible to rush into a lifetime with someone you need so very much. I married your mother within a month of meeting her. Did I rush things, do you think?"

Josh was about to protest when he realized his father was actually supporting their decision to speed things up. "A month?" he echoed, obviously surprised by this little revelation. "You were married that quickly?"

Duke Oliver's smile was half for the past and half for his son's surprise. "We were," he assured his son. "I knew within days of meeting her that she was the woman I wanted to be by my side. I proposed six days after we were first formally introduced. She called me an idiot and said that if I really meant it, I'd ask her again in the morning. So I waited for dawn, drove to her house, and insisted on sitting outside the window of the family breakfast room until she got up and came to eat. And proposed again, through the window."

"Why haven't I heard this story until now?" Josh asked, though he already knew the answer to that question. His mother would have more than likely been the one to tell it, had she lived, but she had been taken from them far too soon, and his father had been too full of grief to speak of it.

His father's smile was sad but warm. "You were too young to have appreciated it while your mother lived," he said regretfully. "She always intended on telling both of you when you first told her about girls you liked. But without her ....we didn't talk as much as I should have allowed when you were growing up, Josh, and for that I am sorry. I should have kept her alive for you both with the stories of our life together. But I never knew how to begin such a retelling. It has some relevance now, beyond the emotional ties we hold for one another. I hope it helps you."

"Da," Josh began, gentling his voice for the only parent he had left and the one who'd borne the sole responsibility for raising both sons after their mother had died. He reached across the table to grasp his father's hand. "You kept Mum's memory alive as best you could. She might be gone, but she still lives in our hearts and our memories, and whether you shared those stories or not, I'll never forget her."

"And you never should," his father agreed, covering Josh's hand on his with his other. "She was a wonderful woman, and I know she would be proud of you. Not just for finding love and grasping it with both hands, but for exploring your love of the theater, for the man you have become. My only regret is that she did not live to see it for herself."

"It's you she would be proud of. You raised us on your own. You were both mother and father to Jamie and me. I won't lie to you. I missed her, and I still miss her, but you were the one who did all the work. You were the one who was there for us whenever we needed you. I know I don't say it very often, but I love you, Da. You're the best father anyone could have ever wanted." He gave his father's hand a squeeze, before adding, "Thank you."

"See if you still feel that way after you're presented to the public tomorrow afternoon," Duke Oliver murmured, lightening the conversation, but not through any dislike of what had been said. His eyes sparkled with wetness risen from his son's unexpected praise. "I love you, too. And I am tremendously proud of you." He smiled at his son, gently reclaiming his hands from their affectionate grasp. His eyes flickered over Josh's head for a moment, a small smirk rising on his lips. "The royals are taking their leave. We'll be able to escape in a little while and join them."

Josh's head turned once again to search for Dru in the crowd. Now that the Royals were leaving, the atmosphere at the party would change. Some people would depart, while others thought the party was only just getting started. As for Josh, he longed to spend some time with Dru - more than just a brief conversation in the garden.

"Twenty minutes at most," his father assured him, understanding that impatience to be close to his lady love once more. "If we are not summoned before then, of course." He glanced up at the others there, the sun still warm in the sky. It was an afternoon's entertainment, but no matter how long this party continued, privacy was guaranteed within the bounds of the palace itself. He had a feeling his son was going to be expected to stay the night at the palace tonight.

Josh nodded to indicate he understood. He felt impatient, and his stomach felt like it was full of butterflies, though he knew not much was expected of him tonight other than a few photos and maybe some questions from the Prince himself. Tomorrow would be the true test of his will and courage as he and Dru were presented before the people and the announcement of their intentions to marry was made public. Still, he tried to tell himself that it was no different than opening night. This was simply a different venue, a different stage, and he'd have to give the most important performance of his young life, thus far.

But perhaps it shouldn't be a performance, after all. This was his life, his future. Dru would tell him to just be the man she'd fallen in love with, certain that the people would love and support him as much as she did. Perhaps she was right. Either way, there would be no way to tell until tomorrow, when there would be no going back. For better or for worse, the die was cast. By the end of the year, he would be a member of the royal family of Tirisano, but more importantly, Dru would be his, irrevocably, for the rest of his life. Put like that, perhaps it wasn't so frightening, after all.

((I have to admit, despite the constant twists and turns, I do like Tirisano and it's occupants - hope you do, too! Many, many thanks to my writing partner for indulging me so eloquently!))