19th February

Even with new members of the company in place, the rehearsal schedule for Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat picked up at the same gruelling pace every other production was put together with. Two weeks of rehearsal before going on was all the cast could expect, and under the watchful eyes of director, musical director, and choreographer, the Shanachie Theater Company worked themselves hard to come up to scratch. They snatched breaks when they could - the chorus often lining the mirrored walls of the attic rooms to watch as the principals were blocked and made to run through scenes, switching places with those principals when it came time to block the bigger numbers. The rehearsal rooms were hot and humid, but held a welcoming atmosphere. Everyone was here because they wanted to be, no matter how hard they were being worked. Even a princess who was trying to keep it quiet.

Graceful thanks to years of ballet lessons, Dru hadn't quite made it as a principal actor this time around, but she had made it as a principal dancer, one of the highlighted performers in the big musical numbers. Dressed as simply as everyone in tank, leggings, and split-soled sneakers, she threw herself into the rehearsal along with everyone else, and with everyone else in that small group, stumbled at the first hurdle. Joliss, the choreographer, had produced a move that sent the entire line up of eight principal dancers stumbling sideways and ending up in a pile on the floor, each of them laughing at their own clumsiness as they helped each other up to try again. One by one, the move was demonstrated and repeated, and much to her embarrassment, Dru found herself with her heel on the shoulder of one of the male dancers, blushing as he grinned down at her.

As nervous as Josh had been for his audition with the company, it had gone off without a hitch. That's not to say it had been a perfect audition, but it had apparently been enough to impress those who'd been judging his performance. Imagine his surprise when he'd not only been hired on, but offered the part of Pharoah in the upcoming production of Joseph. Not only was it a plum part, but for the young man who had arrived in Rhy'Din a few days prior, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream come true.

Looking very much like nearly every other young hopeful wannabe star, Josh was similarly dressed in t-shirt, leggings, and sneakers, which did very little to hide his youthful, athletic physique. He had always been a tall boy, but at six feet and three inches, he towered over nearly everyone in the company, male and female alike. Waiting for his crack at rehearsal, he took an easy lean against the wall to watch the chorus, chuckling along with them when they stumbled and fell and got up and did it all over again. He had an easy-going, friendly way about him and had already made a few friends in the company, despite only having arrived a few days earlier - and it didn't seem to bother the girls that he was easy on the eyes either.

"All right, all right," Joliss called out, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Joseph and brothers, you're wanted next door. Everyone else, let's run through the The Song of the King, shall we?" The elven choreographer turned her piercing gaze onto Josh, gesturing for him to take his place. "I'll be standing in for Joseph during this run through, Josh, just imagine me male, human, and significantly taller." She flashed a grin, and snapped her fingers. "And ladies - your pharoah is the sexiest thing on two legs you've ever seen. I want to believe it this time!"

Josh jumped to attention when he was addressed, not quite expecting to be called to rehearse so soon. There were some butterflies flitting around in his stomach, but he was confident that once he got through a couple of rehearsals, he'd fit right in and have his part down pat. "I'll do my best!" he promised the choreographer, resisting the urge to point out how very unlike a man she looked.

Of course, they wouldn't be rehearsing with the full band up here - band and company didn't come together until two days before the show went on. They'd just have to do with Gabriel playing his piano for now. Flicking the loose strands of hair out of her eyes, Dru found her place with the rest of the chorus, each of them positioned to put Pharoah directly in the spotlight for the opening of his big song. And yes, like the other women and girls in the line up, she had noticed that the newcomer to the group was very easy on the eyes. What she'd also noticed was the very faint trace of an accent that pegged him as being from Tirisano, which made him fascinating and a little bit dangerous to her. But there was no helping it now - for the next four minutes, she was going to have to get up close to the new boy, and hope like hell he'd never paid too much attention to her face splattered all over newspapers and magazines in their home country.

Elvis was, admittedly, a little before Josh's time, but he was familiar with the musical - what serious student of musical theater wasn't' And while it was a decidedly Earth-based play, it was one of his favorite all-time musical productions, and he was thrilled to be part of it. It didn't hurt that they'd done this particular musical back home once already, but in that particular production, he'd had a lesser role as one of Joseph's brothers. It would take more than a little practice, but the boy from Tirisano had potential. With a little practice and the right makeup and costume, he would make a pretty convincing Pharoah. To his credit, he put everything he had in to the performance, though it was only rehearsal. If he was going to make any mistakes, now was the time, rather than in front of a packed audience.

And mistakes were being made, all over the group. It was the first full run through for all of them, which never went smoothly. As far as Dru was concerned, it was embarrassing enough to be watching herself in a mirror doing some of these moves - in particular, the moment when she was required to shimmy and draw attention to the newly arrived bust she'd spent the last couple of months hiding under sweaters - but it was somehow worse to be doing it now there was a cute boy - man - less than three feet away.

Josh's voice was not quite Pharoah's yet, but with a little work, he'd get there. He rolled his hips as he belted out the lyrics, gesturing to his assembled entourage with a sweep of an arm to the left and the right as he sang of the dream that was troubling his character. Being surrounded by so many pretty girls was distracting at best, especially when one of them was the reason for his trip to Rhy'Din to begin with. He'd expected to find a girl barely out of puberty, but had instead found a pretty young woman in her place - one that was shimmying her stuff not more than three feet from him.

Unlike Dru, Jose was one of those stragglers, but whether it was just a case of first-day jitters that made him late or whether he'd spent too long in the shower was unclear. When he finally did emerge from the theater, he looked as much like a duke's son as Dru did a princess. His hair was still damp from the shower and falling in unruly curls across his forehead. He wore a black leather jacket over a gray sweater and jeans, a gray scarf slung loosely around his neck, black boots on his feet. He stood taller than most of the cast and had little trouble picking Dru out of the crowd, even if she didn't look the part of a princess. If he was going to keep an eye on her, as promised, he figured he might as well introduce himself sooner, rather than later. He had to admit she wasn't quite what he'd expected, at least, so far.

He drew a deep breath, unsure why he was so nervous. He wasn't used to being nervous, especially not around girls, but he was the new kid in town, and he wasn't known by everyone as the self-assured, handsome duke's son here. Here, in Rhy'Din, he was no one, just another face in the crowd, and he wondered if that was what Princess Drusilla liked about this place. "Hey," he greeted her with a friendly smile, just as he might greet anyone who was a friend or a potential friend - not a royal princess.

She actually jumped, obviously not expecting to be addressed directly, since she was doing a pretty good job of lurking on the sidelines of someone else's conversation. Of course, it probably didn't help that she had to crane her head to look up at him, pushing off the wall awkwardly. "Hell-, uh, hey," she greeted him in turn, still just getting used to the more common turns of phrase she'd always been told were unladylike. One delicate hand reached up to tuck her hair back behind her ear as she met his gaze. "You're Josh, aren't you? The new boy?"

He looked down at her from his height - nearly a full foot taller than her - blue eyes dancing with life. "New man," he corrected with a playful grin. He had left boyhood behind a few years ago, or so he thought. He shrugged to adjust the duffel on his shoulder before offering a hand. "You're Dru," he countered, choosing the informal version of her name, as he'd heard others in the group address her.

Well, he was right about the man thing, anyway. Feeling her cheeks starting to burn with the hated blush, Dru pinned it down and produced her public face, offering him a smile that was as confident as she was nervous. Her hand curled into his with a gentle but firm handshake. "That I am," she confirmed, glancing away as the group started on the short walk toward one particular little cafe not so very far away. "Dru Granger," she added, not sure why she wanted to get that in there so quickly, but going with it.

He arched a brow at the introduction, his only show of surprise, noting the formal demeanor she was having a hard time suppressing, despite her best efforts. It was so slight that if he didn't know who she really was, he might not have noticed at all. He wondered if he should come clean and tell her who he was, but he thought her first reaction to that news would be to accuse him of spying on her. "Any relation to Jonathan?" he asked, falling into step behind the small group that was already proceeding toward the cafe, silently inviting her to walk along with him.

Tucking her arms close about herself, she moved into step at his invitation, rolling her eyes at the teasing giggle that came from ahead of them as Clora glanced back and winked at her. "He's my brother," she told Josh, seeing no reason to keep that a secret. Anyone could find it out, after all. But there was one thing she had to know. Eying him curiously, she decided to just jump straight in. "Where in Tirisano are you from?"

Brother" Josh thought to himself, hiding further surprise from his features, a few years of acting serving him well in that regard. So, that meant that Jonathan Granger's father had slept with Drusilla's mother. No wonder the matter of the princess' parentage was such a highly-kept secret. He was about to comment on that when she surprised him again, this time with a very pointed question, and this time he couldn't hide that surprise from his expression. "Roslae," he replied without hesitation, knowing she was going to find out sooner or later anyway. "I'm from Roslae," he repeated, giving her only the information she asked for, at least for now. Baby steps.

"Roslae," she repeated. She had no memory of that duchy - the only time she had ever visited it was when she was a baby, on the tour that introduced her as her mother's daughter. The Duke was always nice to her, though; he was a friend of her uncle's, one of the few in power who could say they were actually the Prince's friend. He made a point of talking to her whenever the occasion presented itself. Vague suspicion touched her expression for the briefest moment, hidden away out of years of long practice. "Rhy'Din's very different from home, isn't it?"

He offered a brief shrug in the lift of broad shoulders. "Yes and no. I haven't been here very long, so it's hard to say." He shifted the duffel on his shoulders, almost nervously, telling himself that this was just another role to play, nothing more. Though he'd come here for her benefit, there was no mistaking the fact that it was benefiting him, too. He felt an awkward silence settle between them and knew he had to break it somehow. He wasn't used to awkward silences. He was well-known and well-liked back home, but here it was like starting all over again. He realized that she had just confirmed for him that Tirisano was her homeland, though he had not asked. "What brings you to Rhy'Din?" he asked, curiously. That was the big question, after all.

"I ran away." It was the truth, too, it just didn't encompass all of the truth that had sent her running for the only person she could take her anger out on. The fact that the only person she wanted to yell at had already been gone for six years when she arrived was another matter entirely. The smile on her face as she said it, however, spoke volumes. Her first act of defiance in sixteen years had brought her a whole new family who didn't care that she was a princess, though as yet she couldn't be sure he'd put all that together. "I ended up finding out a lot about myself and my dad's side of the family."

That bit of information wasn't too surprising really, considering what had happened just before she'd disappeared. Who wouldn't want to run away from home for a while after losing the people who loved you the most and worrying that you might be next on the list of targets. He had seen it all on TV, as horror-struck as everyone else in the nation had been for the royal family. He felt sympathy well up inside him for all that she'd been through and found himself having a hard time not letting it show on his face. He turned his face away from her so that she would not see the hint of sadness that wanted to make itself know. "All good, I hope."

She wasn't entirely sure what he meant there, but chose to take it at face value. "No, I just ....it's funnier if the smallest person in the chorus is the biggest personality without lines," she shrugged, a little embarrassed by the way she'd been singled out. "Ludo threatened to split the Narrator's role so he could have more female leads, but thankfully Gabriel shot him down on that one. He keeps winking at me when he talks about female leads." She shrugged again, eying Josh thoughtfully as the waitress picked her way over to them. He wasn't your everyday, run of the mill actor, but nor was he pretending to be interested in the profession. So what was he, she wondered. Was a newspaper paying his way here in Rhy'Din to get the scoop on her, or was there something else going on' Rather than ask outright, she paused to order a latte with a shot of peppermint and watch as the waitress turned on her not inconsiderable charms for Josh's benefit.

He seemed either unaware or uncaring of the waitress' charms, though he was friendly enough, ordering a club sandwich and a cup of coffee for himself. Though he was as much a noble as she was, he had broken away from home and gone off on his own to college, where he'd learn to be independent and to take care of himself. Once he was finished ordering, he looked back to Dru with that friendly smile on his face. "Maybe he has a role for you in mind."

"Maybe." Dry shrugged again, not really sure whether she wanted to be thrust that much into the spotlight. She enjoyed acting, certainly, but she also liked being just one among dozens. "Of course, you are going to be on his radar for life now." She smiled encouragingly, glancing up as the waitress finally took the hint and moved away.

"Well, maybe not for life," he laughed. Though he enjoyed the theater, he didn't really plan on spending his entire life in Rhy'Din. He had bigger aspirations than that. "So, what?s it like being Jonathan Granger's kid sister?" he asked, changing the subject and turning the attention back on her.

"I don't know what you mean," she admitted openly, genuinely uncertain as to what he was asking her. Leaning forward onto her folded arms, she considered him for a long moment. "You ask a lot of questions," she said quietly, her smile faded into seriousness. "Do I need to be worried that you're asking so much about me and not volunteering much about yourself?" Do I need to stop being friendly to protect myself"

"Jonathan Granger," Josh repeated. "Quite possibly the most famous and successful actor on Rhy'Din. He just got a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, and he's nominated for an Oscar, isn't he" Are you going" To the Oscars, I mean," he rambled on, hoping to distract her from her suspicions by gushing about her brother, who he didn't have to lie about admiring.

A small frown touched her brow as he gushed about her brother, not because he was gushing, but because he had failed to answer what was a very important question to her. She leaned back as the waitress brought over their order, grateful to have something to distract her attention as she felt herself close up. The last thing she wanted was to put her uncle in a position where he would have to order her home for her own safety. "No, I'm not going."

He sensed her mood turn, though he wasn't sure if it was because he hadn't answered her question or because she hadn't been invited to attend the Oscars. He frowned thoughtfully, wondering how he could build some trust between them without telling her the truth. He hadn't lied exactly; he'd only omitted information and played dumb in hopes of gaining her trust and friendship, but maybe this wasn't the way to go about things. "You okay?" he asked, nudging her with an elbow playfully.

Steeling herself, Dru lifted her public face to him, the smile every bit as reassuring and welcoming as she could make it. "I'm fine," she lied with convincing assurity, and just as quickly pulled the rug out from under any false sense of security she might have just given him. "You can't prove anything I've told you, you know," she informed him, the sharpness of her tone hidden behind the sweetness of her smile. "No newspaper or magazine is going to pay for my secrets without proof of any kind, and you can be picked up long before you contact whoever it is you're working for. But pretending to try and be my friend" That is a despicable tactic."

Whatever skill he possessed as an actor abandoned him in that moment, his mouth dropping open in undisguised shock. He thought she might suspect something, but he hadn't expected her to attack him the way she did and completely misunderstand his intentions. "I am trying to be your friend," he insisted, looking a little insulted by her attack. He looked around again at the small crowd of people surrounding them. He didn't want to make a scene, not here, and he was pretty sure she didn't either, but he wasn't sure if she'd trust him enough to let him take her somewhere a little more private. "Look, I..." He sighed, clearly distraught. "I can't explain here."

Her brow rose at his response, knowing he had just given himself away with his reaction to her sharp stab toward the truth. The insulted look on his face, however, was a bit of an insult in itself; she was the one in danger if he wasn't above board, after all. "And where can you explain?" she asked him, prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt within reason. "I believe you know who I am, and if you do, then you know I'm not going to put myself willingly into any situation where I might come to harm."

"I'm not who you think I am," he said, leaning forward and dropping his voice to nearly a whisper. Like her, he didn't really want people here knowing who he really was. He didn't want the extra attention, and he wanted to earn his way on his own merits, not because he was of noble birth. "I haven't lied to you," he appealed to her sense of honesty and integrity.

She considered him for a long moment, forcing herself to look past the good looks that were so distracting to the solid sincerity in his expression. "No, I don't think you have," she agreed softly. Her gaze flickered to the rest of the group, who were engaged in their own conversations a fair distance away, and she seemed to come to a decision. With a shy touch of pink on her cheeks, she drew her chair up beside his, far closer to him than she was entirely comfortable with but close enough to converse quietly without anyone hearing them. "Tell me why I should trust you," she said softly, soft brown eyes asking him for a reason not to make herself an isolated no one.

Distracted from her ruminations on her own unexpectedly jealous streak, Dru blinked in surprise as Josh resumed his admiration for her brother, feeling herself relax as she realized that he really was more impressed by that than by her natural position. "Imagine how I felt when I got here, then," she found herself teasing quietly, her smile once again a natural, genuine curve to express her amusement.

"I've seen all his movies," Josh laughed, adding. "Even the bad ones!" Though he didn't really want to emulate his idol, he had followed Jon's career pretty closely, especially over the last few years. Like Jon, Josh was in love with the theater, though he preferred musical theater to drama. "You know, some people don't take musical theater seriously. I don't think they realize how much hard work goes into it," he mused aloud, turning the subject to one he was more comfortable with and better suited to discuss than matters of state. "I don't know about you, but I worked my *ss off today!"

"Did you see Swan Song"" she asked him, her tone warming as he praised her brother to the skies. The change of subject, however, made her giggle softly. "Maybe next time you should rehearse without your pants on, rather than just suggest that people imagine it."

"Swan Song was brilliant!" he gushed again with a bright smile on his face, chuckling at her remark. "Then they'd have to change the title to The Emperor's New Clothes," he teased back with a smirk of his own, alluding to another story that involved a King who was tricked into walking around naked by telling him he was wearing magically-rendered invisible clothing.

Another giggle made itself known as she leaned away, enjoying his company despite the urge to blush that kept having to be pushed away. "You never know what the costume is going to look like," she warned him. "For all you know, you might only be allowed to wear a diaper and a necklace for this part."

"Then you might be fainting for real," he teased, thanking the waitress again when she dropped off the sandwich, which was wrapped up neatly inside a paper to-go bag. He pushed away from the table and grabbed hold of the duffle bag to tug it on over one shoulder. He waved to the others to bid them farewell, at least for now. "See you tomorrow!" he called, in a friendly tone.

"You are not that attractive," Dru lied through her teeth, just about managing to hide the wince as he drew attention to the fact that they were leaving together. Tugging her own heavy bag over her shoulder as she stood up, she sighed as Clora and Anette called out a couple of variations on the theme of don't do anything we wouldn't do. "Yes, yes, good night," she waved to the group, giving Josh a prod to get him moving before the goodbyes became more risque.

"Seems like you've made a few friends," he said, unable to help noticing that fact. Maybe she didn't need his friendship, after all, though he assumed he was the only one in the company who knew the truth about her background. He started toward the door at her prodding, pulling it open for her like a proper gentleman, whether she was a princess or not, before stepping back outside.

Stepping out into the darkness, Dru turned automatically toward the theater, already planning on catching a ride with Jon back to the Grove rather than make her own way in the dark. "They're not really friends," she told Josh quietly. "I mean, I'm the youngest person in the company, so they look out for me, but to have a friend you have to be honest with them, don't you?"

"Maybe," he said, considering her question, the point of which wasn't lost on him. "But I think maybe you're an exception to the rule. I mean, you can't really go around telling people who are you. Neither can I, for that matter," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I don't want any special favors. I don't want anyone treating me different just because I'm....you know. I want people to base their judgements on my character and my achievements, not on my father's title." Not his title, but his father's. He was only the second son to the duke. So long as nothing happened to his brother, he didn't have to worry too much about politics, except maybe where she was concerned.

"I understand," she nodded, and she was one of the few who could understand what he meant, as constrained as he was by rank and position. "It's just difficult. If I let myself make friends, none of them will be approved of by Parliament, and I'll probably never see them again once I ....get promoted. It's a question of being lonely now, or being hurt later. That isn't a decision that is fun to make."

Josh quieted again, lost in thought a moment before responding to her statement. He didn't know about that kind of loneliness firsthand. As the second son, he hadn't had to deal with the same kinds of constraints that his elder brother and father had, but there was still a part of him that he kept private, protected within himself, a piece of himself he let no one else see, not even his father. "Why'd you really come here, Dru?" he asked as he tilted a glance to her, not so much curious as it was sympathetic. There was something she wasn't telling him, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

She paused as they turned into the street behind the theater, leaning back against the wall as she looked up at him, considering what her answer should be. Just how truthful she should be. "I told you I ran away to hide from the country," she said slowly. "I didn't run away because of that. I ran away from me, from the Princess Royale, the heir to the throne. I ran away from friends who were approved before I ever met them, and the promise that I have to get married before I'm twenty, and knowing I won't be left alone in my personal life until I've produced at least two children to secure the line. I don't have any choices open to me. Before the summer, there was always the chance that I might someday have a cousin, and I'd have a safety net, I'd be able to abdicate. I don't have that any more. And I can't cope with it."

He paused beside her, turning to face her as she opened herself to him, telling him the truth of her escape from Tirisano, opening her heart to him and sharing the burden of her secrets. Suddenly, she wasn't just the Princess Royale, some girl he'd seen at a distance or on TV that he hardly knew and had no hope of ever getting to know; nor was she the shy, innocent girl who was struggling to find her place in the world of theater and make her family proud. She was neither and yet both of the things, more complex a creature than he ever could have imagined, and he found his heart going out to her, hoping he could become a friend to her, not so that he could spy on her, but because she seemed to need a friend, more than anyone else he'd ever met.

She shrugged, her eyes on the actors below them as they whispered back and forth, just quiet enough not to put anyone off. "It never really occurred to me until I came here to try it," she admitted ruefully. "Jon told me I should try it, and I didn't want to let him down. But I enjoyed it. Maybe I'm fooling myself by having a job that I enjoy here, but I'm never going to have this chance again. I might as well get the most out of it that I can."

There wasn't much he could add to that, frowning a little in the darkness at the realization that her whole life had been laid out for her, practically since the time she'd been born. The same could be said for Jamie - James, his elder brother, his only brother. He was the one who'd take his father's place one day as Duke of Roslae. Not Josh - he'd been the spoiled younger son, the one who'd made his mother laugh with his little plays and antics as a boy, before an untimely illness had taken her away from them. "You could have done worse," he whispered back, not bothering to mention again that acting was all he'd ever wanted to do.

"I know," she whispered, inching a little closer as her eyes followed Jon's progress across the stage, laughing a little at the well-enacted jokes in the script. "I'm very lucky. But I'm also seventeen. I wouldn't be normal if I wasn't rebelling, would I?" She flashed him an almost teasing smile, her delicate features uplit by the rig that poured illumination onto the stage.

"I guess not," he admits, unable to hide his uncertainly. He was only just out of his teens himself, only a few years older than her, still little more than a student who'd been yanked from drama school and offered the chance of a lifetime, so long as he agreed to keep an eye on the most important person he'd ever met. "I never rebelled," he said, offhandedly, almost more to himself than to her. "I never really had to. After Mom died..." He broke off, not really wanting to go there. It would only stir bad memories for them both. He turned his attention back to the stage, admiring the way her brother commanded the stage, effortlessly took charge of the performance, or so it seemed to an admiring onlooker. "He's really amazing, your brother. I'd be happy just to have a fraction of his talent."

Under cover of the audience's laughter, she nudged her way right up beside Josh, not daring to offer an overt touch, but pressing her arm to his as they both looked down. It was a gesture of sympathy and solidarity, of understanding that particular loss in her own way without putting it into words. "You know, I'm sure he would be happy to talk to you about performing, if you would like his advice," she suggested softly. "He doesn't make much of it, but Jon loves to encourage people."

"Maybe," he said, feeling the warmth of her presence close beside him. It felt strange, knowing that she was trying to cheer him up now that his mood had turned, when things were supposed to be the other way around, but maybe that's what being friends was all about. "We should have more theaters back home. More opportunities for people to hone their craft without having to leave." It was a small observation, but one that maybe she'd be able to do something about, or maybe even something her brother could help with. "Does he know who you really are?" he asked quietly, nodding his head toward the tall, handsome man occupying center stage.

She nodded in agreement at his mention of the theaters. Tirisano lacked public performance spaces, but more than that, it lacked a thriving arena where people could enter that profession and gain practical experience. It was exactly as she had said - unless you sang opera or danced ballet, there was nothing for you in Tirisano. Josh's nod toward Jon made her smile reappear briefly. "Yes, he knows," she whispered. "It isn't exactly common knowledge, but there are a few of the Grangers who know the truth. Humphrey, the head of the family ....he's the reason I'm allowed to stay. If he hadn't argued my side, I would have been ordered back to Itana."

There was a small piece of the puzzle that didn't make sense, and a small piece of her brother's life that he knew nothing about. After all, everything he knew about Jon Granger, he knew from the papers, and a good deal of what had been written wasn't even true. "What about your father?" he asked, realizing she had yet to mention him, except in passing, as if he wasn't important or didn't exist.

"He's dead." And there it was, offered with absolute detachment, no sense of loss or bereavement at all. Dru had never known the man, had blamed him for all the gossip and rumor her mother had had to endure throughout her lifetime, and had come to Rhy'Din wanting only to give him a piece of her mind. He was no loss to her.

Unlike the grief that he couldn't hide for mother's death, the same grief she must have felt when her own mother was killed, there was no grief, no emotion of any kind at the mention of her father. Well, what did he expect' She had not even known the man. It seemed the mystery of Princess Drusilla's paternity had been solved, but at what cost' He glanced her way, studying her profile a moment, searching for the right words. He'd offered no sympathy or remorse about her mother's death - a woman she had cleared loved. What should he say about her father" "I'm sorry," he told her abruptly, not so much for her father's death as for his ignorance in asking a question that was clearly none of his business. "I shouldn't have asked."

"The world's a better place without him," she murmured, glancing to Josh as she shared this. "He didn't treat anyone particularly well, my mother was no exception." She bit her lip, frowning as a thought occurred to her, twisting to face Josh in the half-light of the wings. "I know I probably don't have to say this, but I need to be sure," she whispered carefully. "Only my uncle knows I'm half Granger. He didn't share it with anyone. You're one of a very few people who knows my parentage. Not even your father knows who sired me." Slender fingers gripped Josh's sleeve. "I can trust you with that knowledge. Can't I?"

He met her gaze head-on, seeing the desperation in her eyes, the need to trust someone, the grave importance of her request to keep her secret, and he nodded in agreement. "Yes," he replied without hesitation. "You can trust me." With this secret, anyway. There was no reason his father - or anyone else for that matter - needed to know the true identity of her father. Maybe it would come out eventually, one way or another, but it wouldn't come from him.

He mumbled something incoherent beneath her hand, blue eyes dancing with amusement as he watched her. It was so tempting to tease her in return, to catch her in his arms, and tickle her until she begged for him to stop, but this wasn't just any girl but the Princess Royale of Tirisano, and he had to remember that his place was beneath her, even if he did make the short list of suitors. He pried her hand from his mouth, his smile softening, but some of the light going out of his eyes at the sobering thought. "If anyone hears us, they'll just think we're practicing lines for some play. I am a King, after all," he boasted, a little playfulness coming back into his eyes at the statement, enjoying teasing her, despite his own worries.

"And I do adore you," she countered through her own smile, surprising herself with how playful she could be, given the right encouragement. Laughing once again, she drew back from him, taking up a lean once more. "I think my brother might think we're smooching up here, you know," she mused as the thought occurred to her. "He might decide to talk to you about how fragile I am." It couldn't be more obvious that she didn't consider fragile to be a word that could be applied to her, the amusement on her face infectious.

He knew she was only teasing him, but her teasing was having some kind of effect on him, which was an odd feeling for him. He was used to being the one doing the teasing, not being teased. "Fragile isn't a word I'd use to describe you, Princess," he said, using the word like a nickname, so that if anyone happened to overhear them, that's all they would think. Who would ever suspect that royalty had infiltrated The Shanachie Theater, after all"

She'd always hated being called that, but for some reason, the way Josh used the word didn't spark off irritation in her. Instead, her smile softened as she looked up at him, startling herself with a sudden realization of just how much taller than her he was. He loomed, but in a good way. "You're more observant than anyone else, then," she complimented him cheerfully.

He shrugged modestly, as if it was nothing. "It's one of my better traits," he agreed, not bothering to list the rest of them, good or bad, as he perceived them anyway. "So, do you just hang out here until your brother is done, and then he drives you home?" he asked, changing the subject again as he dropped his duffle onto the floor, the sandwich devoured, the waitress' phone number forgotten.

"Not always," she conceded, twisting her hair back off her face as finally the heat of the lighting rig nearest to them started to get to her. One hand fumbled for a hair tie, wedged into the tight pocket of her skirt. "I mean, today I got a ride into town with one of my cousins, so I either have to call someone or wait for Jon, but most days I drive myself. I'm not used to having so much free time."

"What do you do for fun" That is, when you're not at school or rehearsal." He assumed she was still in school, though she might be done by now and had decided not to pursue college. She'd run away from home, at any rate, and for the time being, wasn't under the watchful eye of her uncle, though he assumed her family here wouldn't allow a seventeen year old to run rampant and wild either.

Dru blushed awkwardly. "That's not really something that comes up," she admitted in embarrassment, glancing down as the automated call for the audience to return to their seats went out. Her voice lowered automatically to a whisper as she went on. "I read, or I visit my brothers. I'm not in college, but I still have a lot of studying to do. Politics and stuff."

He nodded his head mutely, realizing they were going to have to start whispering again as Act II was about to start. Either that, or go somewhere else where they could talk without disrupting the play or anyone overhearing them. "Come on," he said abruptly, reaching for her hand. "There must be someplace we can go to talk while we wait for your brother."

She nodded, a little annoyed with herself when the butterflies started up as he took her hand. She jerked her head toward the steps down to stage level, turning to lead the way once again. In time, he'd get to know the theater as well as she did, but for now, Dru was going to have to take charge. The only place she could think of was the dressing rooms two floors below the stage - that would be private enough, and allow Jon to know where she was.

He picked up his duffle and slung it over a shoulder before turning to follow her lead down the stairs into the bowels of the theater. It was one way to get a tour of the place, anyway. He held his tongue while she led the way, respectful of the drama that was taking place on stage, idly wondering what Dru's brother would think of him. Would he see right through him' Would he think him an eligible suitor" Would he think they were just a couple of lonely kids trying to make friends" In the end, it didn't matter what Jonathan Granger thought; only what Drusilla thought.

They narrowly avoided Jonathan himself in the corridor, heading up to take his cue for his first entrance in the second act. Down on the level where the dressing rooms were, the lighting was easier on the eyes, the play being broadcast in muted tones via the intercom. Dru led the way into the common area, and thumped herself down onto one of the comfortable sofas there, stretching her legs out once again. "This is better, yes?"

Josh spied a few vending machines in the common area and decided he could use a soda. He jerked a thumb over one shoulder to roughly indicate the location of the vending machine. "I'm gonna get a soda. You want anything?" he asked, as he remained standing.

"I should probably drink something," she conceded, moving to reach at her feet for the bag she'd left with the doorman. A very unladylike curseword escaped her lips before she could prevent it. "Or not." Sitting back, she shrugged. "I'll live."

"Do you really think there's a demand for a mainstream theater in Tirisano?" she asked him suddenly, sitting up a little as she sipped her soda. "I'm supposed to be a patron of something, but opera and ballet are done to death, and I'm really not that interested in poetry. Apart from the children's hospital, my name isn't attached to anything at home. It's one of the main things I'm continually being badgered about."

"My mother thought so, but there are those who think we should only do original works, nothing that's been done already. I think what people are missing is that theater is supposed to be entertaining. What does it matter if it's an original work or something that's been done elsewhere so long as it's entertaining?"

"It never really occurred to me until I came here," she admitted ruefully. "But then, I thought Itana was huge until I saw Rhy'Din. Our capital city could fit comfortably in the WestEnd with room to spare."

"We're part of the Nexus, Dru. We're at the center of the universe here on Rhy'Din, whether we live in Tirisano or here. This is where everything comes together - every world, every time, every universe. There are so many possibilities, so much potential. And yet, we hide in our little nation and pretend no one exists but us." He knew there were those who wouldn't like what he was saying, but it was true. He knew there were those who might even think it treasonous or anti-national, but he believed that to hide like an ostrich with its head in the sand and ignore the worlds and the universes around them would get them nowhere. "I'm not saying we shouldn't be proud of our own heritage and our own culture, but there's so much more out there to explore."

Dru smiled with shy delight at his words. Tirisano was a xenophobic nation - yet another reason why her parentage could not become public knowledge - and it was rare to come across anyone there who thought the way she did. As much as her uncle was considered a liberal ruler, the country and Parliament were in for a shock when she took over. "Maybe one day I'll change that," she mused softly. "I don't want my children going to school in Itana. They should come here, and learn how to be themselves in a place where just walking down the street is an education."

He nodded in agreement, apparently a little deeper and more passionate about certain things that anyone gave him credit for. He wasn't just a pretty face, and his interests didn't only revolve around the stage. Though he kept most of his opinions on such things to himself, that didn't mean he didn't have the intelligence to form an opinion. "The world is bigger than just Itana and Roslae and Tirisano," he remarked in agreement.

She giggled softly. "I'm living proof of that." Sitting forward, she let her elbows come to rest on her knees as she went on. "It isn't as though Tirisano insists that everything beyond our borders doesn't exist. If we can maintain profitable trade agreements with companies like the GrangerGuild, and diplomatic relations with Rhy'Din and the other city states, then there must be room to open our borders to all the differences that make places like this so wonderful. Of course there'll be conflict at such an integration, but we have conflicts of our own. Maybe injecting fresh perspective into the population at large will smooth some of those disagreements."

"Just so long as Itana doesn't become a haven for vampires," he pointed out, reminding her that opening the borders could cause other problems. "It's a tricky business, but it's time people see that Rhy'Din has as much to offer us as we have to offer them." And that was about as far as his opinions on politics went. He really didn't like discussing or debating politics and generally avoided it, but for some reason, he felt comfortable with her, like he could tell her almost anything.

"I think opening the borders that much won't happen until long after I'm in the royal mausoleum," she shrugged lightly. "Change doesn't happen fast. I think the most I can hope for is to lead by example, and establish some way for our people to see other cultures and other ways of life without exposing them to the dangers of that. And I think ....I think establishing a nationalized theater that invites performers from all over and puts on productions like the ones here ....I think that might be the way to go."

"It's a step in the right direction anyway," he agreed. He wasn't sure whether they agreed because they were both young and idealistic or because they just thought alike. There were certainly others who thought like they did, but it was a topic of conversation he was rarely comfortable having with anyone, including his own father and brother. "It sounds like you've given a lot of thought to what you'd like to accomplish."

"I've had a lot of time to think." Again, this was offered without any sense of bitterness or resentment, but touched with the loneliness of being an only child in the royal household. "I know how the Parliament works. If I can present them with something that seems innocent and purely for the entertainment of the people, they won't think twice about allowing it. And once it's established, they can't abolish it without making enemies of their own population." It was very sneaky, betraying the intelligence that had been cultivated by an unsuspecting government who were going to regret the decision to have her educated at all in the future.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he realized something. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to ask for my help in this little venture?" he asked, stretching out on the chair and hoisting his feet onto a table, crossing his legs at the ankles as he leaned back and took another swallow from the bottle of soda.

Her smile twisted into something impish that seemed to highlight her youth, and at the same time made a feature of the delicate beauty she was growing into, very much her mother's daughter. "Well, I'm going to need some support from within the nobility," she pointed out sweetly. "And your family is very highly respected. Besides, I'm sure that between us we can persuade, guilt, or blackmail your brother into presenting the idea to Parliament when the time comes."

"Oh, so that's it!" he exclaimed with a teasing grin. "You're just using me to get to my brother. The truth is out!" Of course, he was mostly teasing, though it wouldn't have been the first time it had happened. It was no big secret that his brother was one of the most eligible bachelors back home in Roslae - maybe in all of Tirisano. He was going to be a duke someday, after all, while Josh's only ambition was to become an actor.

The little princess' face had softened as he shrugged. It didn't occur to her in that moment that he might have an ulterior motive for offering, though it would no doubt come to mind later on. All she saw was a good man offering to sacrifice his entire future for her sake, and though it was a touching gesture, she couldn't countenance accepting it. "You're not what I would call a desperate measure," she told him gently, reaching over to touch his hand, her soft brown eyes alight with the attraction she felt to him after a single day's acquaintance. "Not by a long shot."

"You shouldn't have to..." He trailed off, frowning thoughtfully as she touched his hand. Was he reading her wrong or was he sensing some kind of attraction' And who was he to talk about what she should and should not have to do' She was the heir to the throne of Tirisano. She had more duties and responsibilities than he could ever imagine. It saddened him that she might have to marry someone twice her age, someone she didn't even find attractive, just to ensure a successor to the throne, though at least she had a little choice in the matter. He wasn't sure why he'd offered his own name up. It certainly wasn't because he was politically ambitious, but the thought of her being forced into an unpleasant marriage irked him for some reason.

Whatever might have happened next between them was interrupted as actors and actresses started flooding the common area as the play had reached its end. Josh slid his hand away from Dru's just as a familiar face was approaching. Josh slid his hand away from Dru's and moved to his feet as Dru's brother approached, cheeks flushing a little as he realized he was most likely about to meet his idol.

Quite what passed between them in the quiet that followed the touch of her hand on his was beyond Dru to grasp or put words to. She only knew that she felt warm and chilled, eager for something unknown, and yet shy of that unknown something happening at all. Part of her was relieved by the sudden influx of actors from the stage above, passing through the common room toward their dressing rooms, but there was that part of her that was also intensely disappointed by the interruption. Looking up as Josh rose to his feet, she felt herself smile happily at the sight of her big brother, bouncing up off the sofa to congratulate Jon with a warm hug.

Distracted by the sudden flood of actors into the common area who were busily chatting with each other, making plans for the evening and congratulating one another on a job well done, Josh watched as Dru lit up on seeing her brother. A few shouts were offered to Jon, and he waved and returned the camaraderie before wrapping his sister in a warm, brotherly hug. "Hey, squirt! Been waiting long?" he asked, dropping a fond kiss against the top of her head. She looked like a midget compared to him, though Jon couldn't help but notice that her companion was even taller.

"Oh, about two hours," Dru grinned, drawing back from the hug it had taken her a while to get used to but now was something she actively sought out whenever she was around her brothers and sister. "We caught the end of Act One from the wings. You had the audience eating out of your hand tonight." With another warm smile, she glanced to Josh, realizing that he was probably a bit nervous all of a sudden. "Oh ....Jon, this is Josh, a new friend," she moved to introduce the two of them, who towered above her in their various ways. "Josh, allow me to introduce my brother, Jonathan Granger."

Jon shrugged at the compliment, as if it wasn't a big deal, though the praise - especially from his little sister - meant a lot more to him than he'd ever admit. He released her from his embrace to turn to the young man, who he deemed was maybe in his late teens or early twenties, to offer another friendly smile and a shake of his hand. "Nice to meet you, Josh. Keeping my kid sister out of trouble, I hope?" Jon asked with a playful sparkle in his blue eyes. His cheeky wife had been a good influence on him.

"A pleasure," Josh echoed, returning the handshake and becoming suddenly tongue-tied now that he was face to face with his idol.

"Josh thought that it was more socially acceptable to stalk you in my company," Dru offered up innocently, knowing that neither one of them was going to take that tease without objecting one way or the other. Jon wasn't the only one Vicki had an influence on. To Josh, she added, "Which buttock did you decide you wanted him to sign?"

"I'm not stalking him!" Josh exclaimed, as that blush deepened, hoping Dru's brother didn't take it the wrong way. He wasn't interested in him in a romantic or sexual way; he was just a fan and admirer of Jon's work and had been especially impressed with his roles in A Murder of Crowes and more recently Swan Song.

Jon arched his brows, looking startled momentarily before realizing Dru was only teasing her friend. It only took a moment before the look faded, but if one was observant enough to notice, it spoke volumes of some of the troubles he and Vicki had experienced over the last few years. "I'd be happy to give you an autograph," Jon said. "But I think you might prefer to have in on paper."

Dru dissolved into giggles, her revenge for Josh teasing her about as absolute as she could possibly have made it. If she'd known about those troubles Jon had navigated, she might have chosen a different route with which to tease her new friend, but such things were very personal to her brother's relationship. She nudged Josh in ....well, given her height, in the hip, grinning up at him. "So having women all over you doesn't make you blush, but meeting Jon Granger does?" she continued to tease playfully. "Are you like this with all famous actors" Should I introduce you to Mataya De Luca, or Max Yako, next?"

Jon chuckled, taking pity on the poor young man who his sister was teasing. "Come on. I think Liv left some photos in my dressing room for me to sign. You can have one of those." He turned to start toward his dressing room, presumably with the pair of youngsters in tow.

Josh glared at Dru, her teasing doing nothing to alleviate that blush. "I don't have women all over me," he insisted under his breath, grateful than her brother had chosen to mostly ignore his sister's teasing.

"You did at rehearsal," she pointed out cheerfully, giving him a gentle tug to follow her brother. It must have been a little strange for him to see how she blossomed around her brother, after their quiet evening. "Come on. I promise, I'll behave myself."

"Has he?" Jon flashed that dimpled, Granger grin he was so well known for. He looked between the two young people again, gaining a slightly better understanding of the situation. "Welcome to the Shanachie, Josh," Jon said with a warm, friendly smile. "I'd be happy to give you some advice, but I'm afraid it's going to have to wait. I have a wife and baby girl at home who get a little worried if I don't show up on time. Why don't you bring Josh around to the big house for dinner this weekend and we'll talk," Jon suggested, not giving either of the young people a chance to apologize or make any excuses.

Josh flushed a little again and glanced to Dru, as if to ask her permission. Only a few minutes earlier they were arguing, and he wasn't quite sure where he stood with her now.

Put on the spot with the full knowledge that Jon had done that precisely because he knew her well-bred manners wouldn't allow her to object, Dru blinked, looking between Josh and her brother rapidly for a moment. "Very well," she agreed, those beautiful manners hiding her uncertainty at extending an invitation to someone who seemed to want to spank her for being a tease. "Josh, it would be a very great pleasure if you would join us for dinner on Sunday. I do hope you'll agree."

Josh wasn't quite sure if she really wanted him there, but he couldn't very well turn down an invitation that had been put to him so nicely as this one, as it would be rude. Besides, it would be an opportunity for him to get to know Dru and her family better, and that was, after all, in part, what he was supposed to be here to do, not to mention that he was interested in any professional advice the great Jon Granger might be willing to offer. "It would be a pleasure. Thank you for the invitation," he told them both, inching his way toward the door. "If you'll both excuse me, I'll just be on my way. I have a costume fitting early in the morning."

Dru glanced at her brother briefly, turning before Josh could make his escape, the fidget of her fingers at her waist enough to share her edge toward anxiety even without the concern that colored her expression. "Will you be all right to get home on your own?" she asked Josh softly, the shy, quiet little princess in evidence once again as she met his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Josh replied, the soft smile returning to his face, though it was edged with a bit of nervousness now that they'd had their first argument. At least, he thought they'd had an argument; he wasn't quite sure. "I, um....I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he asked, edging a bit timidly closer. Though neither probably noticed, Jon had a smirk on his face as he watched the other two.

A tiny smile lit up her face as Josh edged a little closer to her, brown hair swaying about her cheeks as she nodded. "Yes," she assured him, and very quickly bounced up to kiss his cheek again, a silent thank you for being truthful with her and wanting to be her friend. "I hope you have a good night, Josh."

She was rewarded for that kiss with another smile, a genuine one, relieved that maybe she wasn't so angry with him after. "You, too, Dru," he said, turning to her brother one last time. "Nice to have met you, Mister....Jon. Thanks for the autograph!" And with one final glance at Dru, he ducked out the door to collect his duffel and make his way to the apartment he was calling home for now.

"Good night!" she called after him, and for a long moment, Dru just stared at the door that had closed after her friend, working up the courage to turn around and face her brother. When, finally, she did, it was to raise a brow in Jon's general direction. "I know you're bursting to say something," she accused fondly. "Out with it."

Jon went about removing his makeup while Dru and Josh said their goodbyes and his sister stared after him a little longer than necessary. "He likes you," Jon said, with a slightly amused smirk as he finished up wiping the stage makeup from his face.

She shrugged, dismissing that thought. "Doubtful," was her answer. "I think he's been sent here to keep an eye on me, to be honest. But he's trying to do it for my sake, rather than because he's been ordered to."

"So?" Jon continued, tossing tissues into the trash and turning to face his baby sister. "That doesn't mean he doesn't like you, Dru. What were you two arguing about?" he asked further, moving to his feet so he could change into his street clothes.

She hesitated, frowning as she considered the question. "I don't actually know," she admitted a little awkwardly. "I think I offended him with my teasing, and he got angry with me. It was my fault, I'll apologize for it tomorrow." Realizing that Jon wanted to change, she stepped back toward the door. "I left my bag with the doorman. Should I go and get it while you change?"

"What were you teasing him about?" Jon pressed further, wondering what it was she could have said to make the younger man angry. Though he wanted to get home to Vicki and Emily, he paused a moment to hear her answer before changing to go home.

"Well ..." Again, Dru hesitated but this time it was entirely because she was genuinely embarrassed to be sharing this, as evidenced by the bright flush on her cheeks as she looked away. "All I said was that he could have any woman in the chorus if he snapped his fingers. And it isn't as though he doesn't know he's handsome, is it?"

Jon contemplated that a moment before answering. He was pretty sure Vicki might have nearly said the same thing to him once, but there was only one woman he'd wanted, and that was her. "You ever think maybe he doesn't want just any woman in the chorus?" Jon asked, as he started to undo the buttons of his jacket.

"No," she shook her head, those infernal good manners of hers prompting her to turn her back as her brother worked his way out of his layers of costume. "It wouldn't matter, anyway. He as good as said he doesn't want anyone from the chorus."

Jon chuckled, a little amused by his sister's misunderstanding of her friend's remark. "Of course he did. What did you expect him to say when you put him on the spot like that?" He drew the jacket over his shoulder and laid it against his chair. "Tell me something, Dru. Do you like him?"

"Oh yes, because that's a helpful thing to say to someone who has only ever fancied one other person, and he's married to her cousin," Dru pointed out with a wry turn to her smile, waving goodnight to the doorman as she followed her brother out into the darkness. "Please, Jon, I'm only asking for your opinion. I'd like to know if I've missed something important because he's so ....Josh."

Jon chuckled at her admission, having already guessed she'd had a bit of a crush on Jack - or more accurately, having been told as much by Lena. He was actually relieved Dru had met someone closer to her own age that she found attractive, but whether it would ever become more than a crush, he couldn't say. "Okay," he agreed, as they started toward the garage where he had parked the Bentley. "It's a little soon to form an opinion, but so far, he seems like a nice guy. A bit shy, maybe. You said he's from Tirisano, as well?"

She nodded again, one slender finger moving to tuck her hair back behind her ear as she walked along beside Jon, her dance bag hanging heavily from her shoulder. "His father is the Duke of Roslae," she told him quietly. "I can point the Duke and Josh's older brother out on that recording from the Christmas Ball. I danced with both of them. But I'd never met Josh until today. I never thought I would meet him, to be honest."

"So, if he's a duke's son, isn't it acceptable to be dating him?" Jon asked further, having very little knowledge of Tirisano and the rules of court and royalty. He could understand why she might be discouraged from dating a commoner, but Josh was no commoner.

"I suppose it is," Dru mused thoughtfully, a small frown on her pretty face. "And perhaps just the fact of dating me would be enough to get him on the list Parliament will give me next January, but it still comes back to the fact that I couldn't ask him to give up a promising future just to marry me. If it got that far. Which it probably won't. He doesn't want anyone from the chorus line, remember?"

"Maybe he just doesn't want anyone else from the chorus line," Jon pointed out, though he had not been privy to the conversation and wasn't sure what exactly had been said. "Besides, take it from me, love changes everything."

"Love?" His little sister looked at him as though he had grown a second head. Love was the furthest thing from her mind at any time - she'd resigned herself to spending her life without a true lover. The best she would let herself hope for was someone who would become her friend over time. She snorted a little derisively. "I don't expect I'll ever fall in love, Jon."

"Uh huh," Jon replied with a smirk. "I've heard that before," he said as they strolled down the street toward the parking garage, which was only a short walk from the Shanachie. Who he'd heard it from, he didn't say. Plenty of people, actually, but he was not one of them. It was no big secret that Jonathan Granger was and always had been a hopeless romantic, but it wasn't until he'd met Vicki that everything had fallen into place.

"Not everyone is as lucky as you are," Dru said, the envy obvious in her voice. She'd been privy to enough of Jon and Vicki's relationship to understand that they had something very special, something she would never have. "You have a wonderful wife, and a beautiful daughter, and a lovely, if somewhat insane, dog. Goodness knows what the next baby is going to be like."

Jon couldn't help laughing at Dru's summation of his life, especially at the part about Cosmo. "It wasn't always like that, you know. We almost weren't a couple at all."

She smiled up at him. "You know the magazines in Tirisano call Vicki a Cinderella without the ego," she informed him sweetly. "No one knew who she was before she started dating you, and now no one can imagine a time when you weren't with her. That is magical, Jon. I refuse to believe it was ever a case of almost not happening."

"Well, believe it. If she hadn't showed up at my trailer one day, practically seducing me into dating her, we might have never become a couple." He knew it was a lot more complicated than that, but he didn't want to go into the whole story about his travels into her past that had been Dom's idea. "The point I'm trying to make is that you never know, Dru. If someone had told me I'd end up this way when I was your age, I probably wouldn't have believed them." And considering who he was at seventeen, that was a pretty good bet.

"What a difference a decade makes, hmm?" She shrugged, blowing out a brief huff of breath. She understood where he was coming from, what he was trying to tell her. She just wasn't quite ready to believe it. "All right then, tell me this ....how do I find out if he likes me?"

"Ask him," Jon replied as they arrived at the parking garage and he led the way inside toward where he'd parked his beloved Bentley. He knew it wasn't quite as simple as that, but it was a start. "He agreed to come to dinner with you. Think he'd do that if he didn't like you at least a little?"

Again, Dru rolled her eyes. Everything was so simple in Jon-world. "Jon, if I just come out and ask him if he likes me, he'll think I'm asking if he likes me as a friend, and I already know that he does, because he asked me to be his friend earlier today," she pointed out. "Besides, how much more obvious can I make myself" I know I light up like a pink lantern when I'm shy of someone."

"Maybe he's a little scared, too," Jon suggested as they wandered through the rows of parked cars. "How long has he been here?" he asked, curiously. He knew very little about Dru's latest boy-crush, though it seemed he was might find out more at dinner on Sunday.

"About a week, I think. He came to the auditions for Joseph the day after he got here, I know that much." As she spoke, her eyes scanned the rows of cars, faint nerves at being in an enclosed space with so many hiding places all around her making her walk just a little faster. "So not very long. Not long enough to have made many friends, at least."

Jon seemed to sense his sister's nervousness and wound a protective arm around her shoulders. The garage was as secure as a garage could get, with security on duty keeping watch via cameras. Besides his family and home, the Bentley was Jon's most prized possession, and you could bet he wouldn't be parking it here if he wasn't confident that the place was secure. "I think you're worrying for nothing, Dru. Why don't you just take things one step at a time and see what happens?"

Grateful for the reassurance offered by the arm that wrapped about her shoulders, Dru tucked herself close into Jon's side as he offered her some very sound advice. "Because that would be the sane, sensible thing to do?" she said with wry humor, shrugging as she looked up at him with a smile. "Thank you, Jon. I appreciate your patience with me."

"Dru," Jon started as they finally found the car, turning to face her, his hands on her shoulders to meet her gaze with brotherly love and devotion. "Things have a way of working themselves out. If it's meant to be, it will be. If you really like this..." Jon paused, realizing Josh was no boy, nor was his sister a girl. They were practically adults, no longer children. "If you really like Josh, then just let things happen naturally. Worry about being friends first, and then see where it goes from there."

Which essentially cut down to stop worrying about what happens in the future and enjoy the moment. Good advice, especially for a princess who couldn't escape the future. She smiled again, warm and affectionate for the brother who tried so hard to help her enjoy her life as it was. "I'll try," she promised Jon softly, rising up on her toes and simultaneously pulling on his jacket so she could kiss his cheek. "Love the me that is in the now. I can do that."

"Something like that," he replied, Jon beaming a smile back at his sister, pleased and touched by the affection she freely offered. Though he hadn't known her very long he had already grown very fond of her and even a little protective. His father might have been a cheat and a philanderer, but Jon and Lena were definitely benefiting from it in the way of an additional brother and sister they'd never known before. "Come on," he told her, tossing his arm around her shoulders once again to lead her toward the passenger door. "Let's go home." Home to Maple Grove, not to Tirisano - to the home that Jon and Lena had grown up in, a home where the bad memories of the past were being replaced with good memories in the present.

A home that would always be there for Dru, no matter her rank and station or the responsibilities laid upon her by her birthright. A home that would always be home, no matter the mistakes the future would bring. Home and family, safe from the intrigue of the court she had grown up in. No matter how trapped she might feel, Dru knew she would always have a place here, where there were brothers and sisters and cousins, where she was just one of many. And where, someday, she would bring her children, whoever their father turned out to be.

((How's that for a scene that ran away with us" Huge thanks to the awesome Josh and Jon!))