Peredhil had spent most of the afternoon with the ministers. When he returned to Juliane's room, he seemed slightly withdrawn and anxious. Although he had regained his composure by the time the two of them had dinner with the ministers that night and they had enjoyed each other's company in his quarters afterwards, he remained awake long after she had surrendered to sleep. Alternatively pacing out on his balcony and studying his arcane books in his study, it was nearly dawn when Peredhil climbed into bed.

She had stirred off and on during the night, sensing his absence, yet she contented herself to just watch him. There had been so much talk whirling around them the better part of the day, she knew there was little she could add that would not make his compression process that much worse. When his weight settled into the bed at daybreak, however, she could not refrain from rolling towards him, one arm languidly sprawled over his torso.

That simple contact and, eventually, the sound of her soft breathing proved to be a calming presence. Despite his exhaustion, Peredhil lay awake for several minutes, watching her chest heave slightly. Her face held an expression of languid contentment. As his own eyelids fell shut, the day's matters had been pushed aside.

When he opened his eyes a few hours later, he was startled to find that Juliane was nowhere to be seen. Panicked, he wondered if this had all been a dream. Half-expecting to find himself still bound in chains, he sat up quickly, slowly catching his bearings, his breathing coming heavily.

One of Peredhil's dressing gowns had been wrapped around her in lieu of any attire, having only risen a few hours before. Not wanting to go back to her own quarters or make any move for breakfast without him, she had contented herself with a large book, some blank paper and an ink pen. Sitting out on the balcony with the morning sun shining over her shoulder, she sketched rapidly, her head tilted to one side. All around her, crumpled and discarded concepts littered the stone floor.

It took only a couple of seconds for Peredhil to spot Juliane. Grateful that she had missed his desperation, he tossed a robe on and strode out onto the balcony, peering over Juliane's shoulder as he approached her from behind, sidestepping the crumpled papers. "Good morning, love."

Juliane lifted her face towards him, a gentle smile spread over her lips. She had been using the large book as an impromptu desk and her hand moved to cover the work-in-progress at his address. "Good mornin', indeed. Though yer up far sooner than I had expected, yeah?" Her eyes scanned his face for signs of reassurance that he was well rested and not still mulling over their meeting with the ministers or the address to come.

He shrugged, rubbing at the dark bags under his eyes. "Couldn't sleep. Nerves, I suppose." He'd addressed Elessar many times during his brief reign, but tonight would be different. Despite his optimism and 'take-on-the-world' attitude yesterday, today he was wondering if perhaps this wasn't a rash decision. Banishing the doubts from his hide, for the time being at least, he placed both hands on her shoulders and knelt down to kiss her. "I need to get going, Juliane. Make yourself comfortable and I'll have Asa bring brunch."

Trying in vain to get a glimpse of what Juliane was sketching, he finally gave up and gave a good-natured chuckle. "I'll stop by shortly before the assembly."

Giving her another kiss, this one on the forehead, he disappeared into his closet, dressing hastily. Calling out to her as he left, he was met at the door by Ana and Wes, both wearing grim expressions.

The signs of a fitful night were still more than evident and she crumpled the paper beneath her fingertips at the departing sight of him. The task she had been given was one she took seriously. It would have to be 'right' in order to solidify the tack Peredhil had presented over and over again yesterday.

Asa had arrived with a cart of food shortly thereafter. As evening approached, there was still no sign of Peredhil. Asa and a couple of other attendants were busy helping Juliane prepare for the assembly when the door finally opened. Peredhil stood there, resplendent in a dark suit with the green Elessari emblem emblazoned on the front. A matching green cape fluttered behind, but the most striking feature was the Elessari crown, the polished platinum glittering as it sat perfectly on his head.

His tan face creased into a smile when his eyes fell upon Juliane. "Sol'meykara..." he whispered, and she truly was.

Drinking in the sight of him, she could hardly breathe. Or maybe it was the corset of her gown that Asa had insisted on tightening in Elessari fashion. She was draped in an elegant gown of a honeyed amber silk. Her hair had been brushed until it gleamed, the sides pulled back into a intricate knotwork that cascaded to the nape of her neck. Her fingers bore no signs of the innumerable ink stains that had tattooed her skin for the better part of the day as she sketched and revised, all the while being mothered over by an ever changing array of attendants all harking Asa's impeccable instructions.

He glanced at Asa, whose nod indicated that the arrangements had been made. She turned to flash Juliane a final smile of encouragement before departing with the other attendants, leaving the two of them alone.

"Words cannot describe your beauty, Juliane." He closed the space between them, reaching to take her hand.

Hundreds of carats of faceted rock quartz encircled her neck and wrist, and her while all transformed into a proper looking royal consort, when he looked in her eyes, the farm girl remained. Gripping his hand like one on the verge of slipping over the edge, she took a deep breath and smiled. "Ya cut a quite handsome figure yerself, Lord Peredhil An'... thank ya." Cheeks bloomed with color at his compliments. She was so nervous about the upcoming assembly, she did not even realize that she had addressed him formally. After hearing him so called all day, she did so almost instinctively.

Even if unaware of it, there was no way one could look at him at the moment and not acknowledge the air of royalty that enveloped him.

Squeezing her hand, he led her out the room. The ministers waited in the hallway. Anxiety was palpable in the wide corridor as they walked towards the main palace balcony, Juli and Peredhil in the lead, followed closely by Ana and Wes, with the rest of the ministers in lockstep behind them.

The echo of footfall was almost symphonic as the company traveled, each person deep in their own thoughts. Up ahead, the sounds of the assembled crowd floated on the evening breeze.

The announcement was met with a moment of stunned silence.

Her eyes had blurred with tears and it took a moment for motion to take her, and even then, it only came at Wes' gentle nudging. Stepping slowly, as if frozen in time, Juliane came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Peredhil, nearly every inch as tall as he was, twin blonde heads glowing in the torch and lantern light illuminating the balcony.

The crowd buzzed restlessly. Peredhil smiled encouragingly at Juliane, then addressed the crowd again. Despite the clarity and confidence of his voice, Juliane noticed that his hands shook on the podium. "Brothers and sisters of Elessar, this will be my final campaign. Once we return victorious, I will be abdicating my throne."

His hands tightened on the podium. With so much at play, one mistake could send this entire plan crashing down. Shocked cries from the crowd made it impossible for him to speak. Holding up his hands again, he pleaded with them for calm.

It was that point that her knees buckled and her teeth clenched tight behind her expression as she willed herself to stay upright. He had been adamant that this would be the only possible solution, but when face to face with the magnetism and affection shared between him and the people, she struggled to keep the doubts the others had voiced from her mind.

"It was my father's dream that Elessar would become a republic. Sadly, he did not get to live to see that dream fulfilled. It is with great pleasure that I do." He paused, clearing his throat.

"There is no higher honor for me than serving you, good people of Elessar. It is a responsibility that I take seriously, which is why I will not abdicate until this threat is over. While I am away, however, I would ask that you permit Sol'meykara to serve as my replacement. Like myself, she was not born into royalty, but she has more integrity, courage, and determination in one drop of her blood than any king or queen I've ever met."

He proceeded to recount his encounter with the songbird, the hope that Juliane inspired in him while he was locked away by the Dark One, and the inspiration he continued to derive from her. "Without her, my dear friends, I would not be alive today. Fate has sent us Elessar's protector." As he finished speaking, the crowd remained silent, then, as if on cue, they began to chant, "Sol'meykara, Sol'meykara."

"You're up," Peredhil whispered, before announcing to the crowd, "I give you Sol'meykara, the Last Queen." Stepping back, Juliane was left alone at the podium.

This portion of her role had been conveniently glossed over in the dinner with the ministers and for that matter, every other part of the last forty-eight hours. The definition of the phrase being assigned to her left her wide-eyed and she licked her lips in a quick, nervous gesture.

The crowd grew as silent as could be, with pockets of sound bursting as they anticipated her address. Juliane felt as if she were frozen solid, every coherent thought she could possibly have scrambled the moment she tried to piece something together. "P-people of El.. Elessar...."

Her hands clutched at the podium, white knuckled with strain. "The t-time has come for you to begin building the legacy for your children and your children's children. For if you do not choose this day, those who seek to bring ruin upon you will make the choice that pleases them instead."

She took as deep a breath as she could manage, mentally cursing the corset and allowing Asa to have her way about it.

"I will not pretend to understand the depth of your history, for I do not. But what I do know, is that you cannot afford to let the dark that has threatened you to permanently blight out the dawn of a better tomorrow."

She grew in confidence as she spoke, never becoming as enigmatic as Peredhil had been, but still achieving the same affect he had by pretending that she was speaking to only one. The one she loved.

"There will be difficult choices in the days to come. Old traditions will be laid aside in the pursuit of a better way of life. But regardless of what will come to pass, one truth shall always endure -- that you have always been and will always be... " She paused, unintentionally to lick her lips, yet the result was a unintended dramatic moment. "... Elessari."

All of the emotion that charged the air seemed to merge in that moment as Peredhil pressed Juliane back against the door frame to claim her mouth entirely.

His hands held hers splayed out, his body trapping her in place against the door. The stones of her bracelet scraped against the wall as her arm made contact, yet she was blissfully unaware. They both were until a nervous cough sounded behind them. A young page was pushing an elaborate wheeled cart bedecked top to bottom with savories and sweets. Breaking the kiss, Juliane blushed hotly as she peered over Peredhil's shoulder at the grand display of largesse.

Peredhil's glare had the young page trembling with fear, but his attention was turned to Wes when his closest friend appeared in the doorway. An astute lad, Wes captured the scenario in a single glance. Shooing the frightened page out the door, he, on the other hand, made no move for the exit, despite a pointed look from Peredhil. "Forgive me... ah.. Per...Lord Peredhil," Wes began, respectfully lowering his eyes and pretending not to notice Juliane's blush or Peredhil's narrowed eyes. "I think you both should see this."

Peredhil was not one to give a tongue-lashing, especially to those in his tightest circle, yet this might have been one of those occasions if not for something insistent in Wes's voice. Turning to Juliane with an apologetic glance, he shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure what the big fuss is," he grumbled, "but shall we go see?"

She nodded and stepped to the side around the large cart the page had deposited in the hallway. "Surely it must be somethin' of merit fer Wes ta fetch ya." A quick glance to the mirror to verify she was not too dissheveled, she walked out past the two men, leaving the task of shutting the door to Peredhil and of leading the way to Wes.

Juliane could barely hear Peredhil and Wes bickering like two schoolboys behind the half-open door before both entered the hallway, acting as if nothing had happened. Wes led the way and Peredhil fell into step with Juliane. "This had better be good," he muttered.

A low chuckle escaped her as they moved from one hallway and merged into another. "Proof will be in th' puddin', yeah? B'sides, I'm 'fraid this comes wi' th' territory of position."

He stifled a groan as Wes led them towards the large window at the end of the hall. Wes pulled back one of the curtains. "Take a look." Peredhil rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "What exactly am... oh my."

At the reaction, Juliane stepped forward to press her face to the glass, her eyes widening considerably. The plaza remained filled with people, each holding candles, as if celebrating some sort of vigil for Elessar. Peredhil gaped at them in amazement. "When... how..." he stammered. Wes shook his head. "I don't know, Peredhil. Although we have every scribe in the palace taking down names for this campaign of yours. The line's as long as the eye can see."

Peredhil was speechless, his eyes full of wonder as they fell upon Juliane's face. Wes continued, "This plan of yours might just work. I'm beginning to believe myself." The bearded man gazed at Juliane and coughed. "Not that I don't believe you're the Sol'meykara, m'lady."

Juliane laughed at Wes' candor. "No offense taken, yeah? Still find it hard ta b'lieve myself." Her smile was kind as she looked between the two men and then out to the crowd. "So where do we go from here?"

Peredhil exchanged a glance with Wes, their expressions unreadable. Peredhil nodded to whatever had transpired between them. "I think it would be nice to visit with those who are signing up. It would be an opportunity for you to mingle as well. What do you think, Juliane?"

"I think I've trusted ya this far, so I'll keep goin'... " A pause for another glance down below. "Bu' I have this title an' this persona now. What if th' crowds don' like what they see up close? Real difference b'tween shakin' someone's hand or talkin' to 'em from a balcony."

"How could they not like you!?" Peredhil reached out for her hand. "They'll like you even more when they see who you really are."

"Mmmm, I know tha' argument, Peredhil. I jus' don' want ta give them reason ta doubt or second-guess, yeah?" Her hand sought out his warmth. But her smile was sincere. "Guess that will jus' hav' ta be th' chance we take."

He nodded. It was indeed. His grip was reassuring, but this was another test... perhaps just as important as her speech at the assembly. If she were unable to connect with Elessar's citizens on a personal level, word would travel fast and they would be back to square one.

As they descended the stairs, she took deep breaths one after the other in the effort of pushing the idea of how she would be expected to act out of her mind. Her only salvation would be if the Elessari saw her and not some amalgamation of what she thought the Sol'meykara would be.

When they finally reached the first floor, Peredhil and Juliane walked towards the main hall. Entering unobtrusively through a side door, they were overwhelmed by the crowds of young men and women struggling to register as harried scribes tried in vain to maintain order.

A boy of perhaps 14 pushed to the front of the crowd. Tears brimmed in his eyes and his question was more of a challenge. "Why does our King abandon us?" There was no bow or sign of respect offered, and one of the Malonas grimaced slightly, although they were used to Peredhil's informality and, therefore, did nothing to correct the boy's insolence.

Juliane remained cool and collected, moving closer to the boy the way she had approached skittish colts for most of her life. "An' who has said that he abandons you, hmmm?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "He gives up his throne, does he not?" the boy responded, his voice seething with disappointment.

"What he gives up is th' right ta think for you, speak for you... and leave you no recourse. Could Lord Peredhil ever stop being Elessari? Could you?" She took another step forward and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "By stepping from th' throne, he gives you th' chance ta speak for yerselves. Ta give voice ta th' thoughts and opinions ya hold dear, instead of living by th' leave of another." A gentle smile. "Have ya ever broken yer arm, lad?"

He shook his head, a confused look on his face. "No. Why?"

"Have ye ever broken any bone then? Or had a severe bruise?"

The boy nodded, unsure where this was leading. "Yeah, my ankle." A silence fell over the crowd, which was similarly intrigued at what Sol'meykara might be getting at. "And when ya first did it, did it no' smart somethin' awful? Made ya writhe and moan ... and make ya hide yer face so yer sisters couldn't see ya tearin' up?" Her tone was inquisitive, cajoling, and sincere.

The boy's wide-eyed nod gave her the room to continue on. "An' when came time ta' wrap it and set it, so it would heal well, did ya no' get nervous an' try and talk them out of touchin' it so it wouldn't have ta hurt anymore than it already did?"

The lad nodded again. Out of the corner of her eye, Juliane spotted Peredhil standing quietly among crowd, which was so entranced by Juliane that no one even noticed.

Juliane had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from grinning just yet. Looking the lad up and down, noting that he stood firmly on two feet, she presented one final question. "Would ya say that th' pain ya went through was worth it in th' end?"

The crowd chuckled when the boy nodded glumly, staring at his feet. Easing his way through the mass of bodies, Peredhil lifted the boy's chin with his hand. "Sol'meykara's right, lad. Although I give up my title, I'll never stop being Elessari. Nor will you."

The boy's lip trembled. "Promise?" he whispered. "I promise," Peredhil responded, his smile matching the one that appeared on the boy's face. Clapping the boy's shoulder, he announced to the crowd, "Coffee, hot chocolate, and scones are all available at the rear of the hall. Unfortunately, Sol'meykara and I have business to attend to, but we thank you for your support and your confidence. We won't let you down."

Murmurs and snippets of conversation floated around them, as the crowds moved to partake of the refreshments and finalize their enlistments.

Reaching for her hand, Peredhil led Juliane back the way they had come, stopping every now and then to greet someone. When they were out of earshot, he asked, "Did you want to stay?"

She laughed lightly. "Did you?"

He shrugged. "I don't mind, but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much on your first day, Sol'meykara."

"Oh sure, now there's worry 'bout whether or not I'll be overwhelmed." The grin blossomed as she squeezed his hand. "But yer right, I feel like I could jus' topple right over at th' moment."

The patented grin appeared, his eyes dancing with amusement at Juliane's new title. Not that she didn't fit the part... she was perfect for it in every way.

His arm slid around her waist. One look at the people's eyes had told him that Juliane had performed superbly. He had expected as much, which is why he had confidently left her to fend for herself. "You've deserved your rest. And I think there's a cart of food still waiting for us."

"Oh, ya mean th' cart ya nearly cursed when it arrived?" A giggle then, as they began to ascend the steps and trace their way back to his quarters.

Despite his own exhaustion, he could not resist that smile. Sitting up, he motioned for her to move her head closer. As he began to work on her hair, he cast a glance out the window. A full moon shone, the bright light reflecting off the snowcaps to the west. "What a beautiful night."

"Mmmm, I think so." Juliane's head was in his lap and the sensation of fingers working loose pins and braids was hypnotic. She was relaxed in a state of bliss she had not experienced in years.

He added a few more pins to the growing pile on the night table, gently unraveling her long blond locks. "Juliane, do you think my decision to give up the throne was the right one?"

"I'm no' exactly sure tha' it matters wha' I think, but if yer father was dedicated ta th' thought of Elessar bein' a republic, there's no real way ta accomplish it otherwise." She lightly squeezed his knee. "B'sides, like we said yesterday, it's no' like ya are leavin' them or tha' they will no' want ya ta be one of their new leaders."

For someone who usually went out of her way to reassure him, her answer left something to be desired. "I don't think I would accept a leadership role in the new government." He paused what he was doing, his eyes sweeping the room. "I feel honored and privileged, but it's a burden too."

Sitting up slowly, her hair fell about her shoulder haphazardly, some still caught between style and simplicity. "I wish I had all th' answers for ya, love. But since I don't, know ya have every ounce of trust that belongs ta me. If there was ever a man wi' th' ability ta lead an' th' compassion ta make a difference instead of jus' seekin' honors for himself, you certainly surpass him a hundred fold, yeah?" Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. "B'sides, it's no longer a burden ya bear alone."

"I know," he said, cupping her neck as he returned the kiss. "Just having you here with me helps, but the way you carried yourself tonight... I swear, Juliane, that I'm convinced that you're the songbird." He tried not to think about the part of the seer's message that said that she would "hasten" his death.

The same thought flashed through her mind, and she chuckled nervously, trying to dispel it as rapidly as it had appeared. "Isn't it amazin' what a fancy dress an' Asa can do?"

"It wasn't the dress that had everyone 'oohing' and 'ahhing', Juliane. It's just a dress." He winked at her, his smile returning.

"Oh. Ya sure 'bout that?" She batted her eyelashes, a sly grin growing.

"I'll admit that it's a nice dress. But it wouldn't have looked half as good on anyone other than the Sol'meykara."

She preened a bit at the compliment. "Thank ya, Peredhil." Taking his hand, she lifted it to her face and pressed her cheek against his knuckles.

He pulled her close. Tomorrow would bring on new concerns, but he would not let them dampen his spirit. They had the whole night ahead of them. "Shall we see what we have to eat?"

Before she could open her mouth, her stomach grumbled lightly, as if on cue.