When he was practicing the the garden, something startled Seth. This was, of course, a noteworthy occurance and a squirrel paused a moment to take notice. There was the whistle of an arrow, the light "clink" of jewlery and a thunk as the arrow lodged itself in a tree. It took the Silver knight half a second to recognize Erika's bracelet and handwritting he read the hastily scribbled message.

"I weep like a willow

I hold your next clue

the princess is hiding

and waiting for you."

Seth smiled and folding the paper in his breast pocket. This had been Erika's and Ephraim's favorite game as children. They'd ditch Seth, and then leave little messages and clues for him to find them. Sometimes they'd set it all up the night before and have Forde (who was almost always in on their little schemes) leave the first clue on Seth's pillow. And now Erika wanted to play. Well, Seth wouldn't disappoint her.

"I weep like a willow..." Seth said, he mused it over in his mind. It wouldn't be the willow tree. Ephraim always left more literal clues, whereas Erika liked metaphor and symbolism a little more. That of course, left the obvious choice. With a shake of his head, the silver knight wandered inside in search of Neimi.

He found her on the dance floor, trying to teach Colm the steps to a simple court dance.

"This is hard Neimi." The thief complained, she smiled at him and kissed his cheek before lifting his arm up to spin under.

"Stop complaining Colm." She laughed as she spun right into Seth. "Sir Seth!" She happily produced a little piece of paper. Seth nodded in thanks and walked to the banquet table to examine his new clue.

"Found the willow?

this one's not the same

I know all the answers

yet hide from the reign"

Seth scowled at the spelling of reign. This one was either Ephraim, whose childhood was spent trying to convince his father to make Erika the heir, or else a horse. The silver knight spent a moment wondering if wondering wether something was a horse or the king counted as treason and then dismissed it.

"I suppose I ought to check the stables first." he said after a little bit of wandering, and made his way to the stable.

The first thing he noticed was a red breastplate lying on a haystack.

"Forde!" He called, "Take better care of your armor."

"Yes sir." Came a muffled voice from somewhere under a different haystack. Seth watched with partial amusement as the cavalier pulled himself up and out of the hay and dusted himself off.

"What can I do you for?"

"What are you doing Forde?"

"Hiding, from Kyle mostly." The man said with a nochalant shrug. He looked at the piece of paper in Seth's leather gloved hand and chuckled, "One her highness' little games?" Seth smiled in reply,

"Yes, the one you used to help them with. Any idea where the next one is?" The general asked. Forde nodded, producing a small piece of paper from his saddle bag.

"How long has she had this one set up?" Seth asked, shaking his head. Erika and her silly, charming, little games.

"Hrm...I got mine maybe...30 minutes ago?" The cavalier said with a smile. His easy-going face splitting into a grin, "Wonder what the prize is?" he said with a lecherous grin. Seth shot him a little bit of a glare when Kyle's voice boomed into the room.

"FORDE!!!!"

"Crap..." Forde muttered. Seth smiled despite himself and read his latest clue from the stable lights.

"Found Forde sleeping?

new yew wood

I bet a fortune

may it do you good."

The betting part was clearly Joshua...but...new yew wood? He figured that she meant "knew you would" but...Erika had decent spelling so... he ponder for a moment before it hit him. The finest bows were made of yew, Innes! Barely able to contain himself, Seth searched for the Frelian Prince. Chances are Innes would point him in the general direction of Joshua.

The Freilan Prince was wandering along the halls, clearly looking for something.

"Prince Innes." Seth said, approaching,

"Sir Seth." The prince said with a bit on a sigh, "Have you seen my sister and Ephraim?"

"No sire." Seth said, the man scowled.

"Where has the rogue of a king gotten too? And what is he doing with my sister?"

"Prince Innes, do happen to have my next clue?" the General asked.

"Your next what?" Innes asked, looking genuinely confused. Seth, realizing his mistake, bowed and excused himself. So new yew wood wasn't a bow...what else could it have been? He wandered through the halls until he heard Natasha.

"Joshua...what are you doing?"

"Hiding."

"Why?"

"I made bet with Erika...and lost." The Jehenna prince sighed, then he looked up and spotted Seth. Natasha smiled sweetly at him, Joshua dusted himself off.

"Nice work General." He smiled at Seth's obvious confusion. Thats when Seth noticed the doors to the library...new yew wood. The silver knight chuckled to himself.

"Heres the last clue." Joshua said, handing Seth a silver key before scooping up Natasha and wandering off.

Seth examined the key in the torchlight. It was thin and silver with a hole through the middle, it attached to a ring. It looked so familiar, but what did it open? Seth started up the stairs. He walked down a hallway when a memory struck him. One of Erika wearing a necklace. The pendant was a silver key...and the key had been too...Forde nearly tripped over himself as Seth sped past him.

"Was that..."

"General Seth?" Kyle finished for him.

Seth caught his breath outside Erika's door. He knocked once before putting the key in the hole. It turned, the door swung open, and there was Erika.

II

She was wearing a thin white night gown and smiling at him from where she stood, beside the window. Seth blushed, but didn't move. Erike shot him that secret smile and walked towards him. She moved like a ghost past him and pushed the door shut. Then, much to Seth's surprise, she locked it.

"Princess Erika..." Seth said turning around to face her.

"Just Erika, Seth" she replied, "You win. Allow me to reward you." Her slender hands slid up and coiled around his neck. Seth's knees went weak at the contact. He wrapped his muscular arms around her delicate waist. The warmth of her skin seeped into his hands through the paper thin linen of her nightgown. She was standing on her toes, so that he face was almost level with his.

"Seth..." she said softly, blushing ever so slightly, "I...I love you." Seth's heart raced. In answer he bent his face towards hers and kissed her.

It wasn't the kiss Erika had expected. It wasn't an innocent peck, but rather more...passionate. It wasn't what she had expected, but it was what she had dreamed of. Seth pulled her into him, and she melted into his mouth. Her hands busily undid the buttons on his coat, pulling the garment roughly off his shoulders. The silver knight half-carried her to the bed and laid her down.

If King Fado could see me now...a nearly ashamed voice commented in the back of his head. Seth brushed it aside, his attention fully returning to the beautiful woman beneath him. She smiled and slid her hands into his tunic, pulling it up and over his head. Her hands danced gently over his scars.

"Seth..." She asked softly, "How...how many of these are my fault?" He sat up and looked at her with serious and gentle eyes. She knew then that most of them had been gained in her defense. She sat up as well, her left hand resting on the scar Valter had left at their first encounter. She recognized others, lesser wounds from tournaments won for her (though he had been adament that Fado made him enter, which was true in a sense), cuts from bar-fights. Erika nearly wept. She kissed each scar, and each time her lips made contact with his skin, Seth felt a delicious warmth inside of him.

"Erika..." he said with the slightest hint of a smile, "I wouldn't blame a single one of these on you." She looked up at him and smiled, her left index finger traced a scar under his left rib. Seth let out a soft squeak and pulled his arms abruptly to his sides.

"Yes...that one is your fault." He said, attempting in vain to regain his composure. The scar in question was from his days as a recruit, chasing the royal twins around the castle. Erika nearly collapsed with giggles.

"You're ticklish..." she said with a twinkle in her eye and a mischievious smile on her lips. With no further warning her hands wove in and past his defenses, poking his ribs and send the silver knight in to an undignified laughing fit. He grabbed her arms and threw her to the mattress, holding both of her slender wrists in one hand. She laughed and arched up to press her lips against his. Seth let her arms go. One arm pulled her closer to him, the other pulled her loose night gown off of her shoulders. The princess let out a gasp as her lover's hands traveled along her hips and thighs.

. "General Seth, Erika." Ephraim's voice rudely intruded into the room from behind the door. The lovers blushed wildly and groped around for their garments.

"Y-Yes Ephraim?" Erika managed hastily, pulling her night gown back on and grabbing the comb off her bedside table.

"At least get engaged first." The young king said with a laugh,

"We did." Tana's voice lilted. Seth smiled at Erika and walked over to his tunic. Erika looked at him questioningly.

"Well, I think I have his permission now...I had planned to ask him later." Seth said, he threw his tunic on and grabbed something Erika couldn't quite see. Then, he walked over to where his confused but happy Princess stood in the moonlight.

"Erika, will you marry me?" He asked, dropping to one knee and holding up the ring. The princess, instead of answering, tackled him. Both turned bright red as the door unlocked and opened, revealing all their friends laughing and clapping.

Ephraim smiled and nodded his head in approval. Erika looked into her twin's eyes and smiled.

"Happy Birthday General." The young king said, pulling the door closed and shooing off the peanut gallery. Seth shook his head in laughter. Erika smiled and handed him a slip of paper.

"I'd meant to give this to you earlier..." She said softly, Seth nodded and unfolded it, smiling at the paper.

"You think you've won

But you're not right

I've won the best prize

I have the Silver Knight."

Seth looked in Erika's eyes, grabbed her wrist and pulled her on top of him. He kissed her, sliding the nightgown off of her thin pale frame.

"Erika, you won that years ago." He said softly, "You won that long before the war. You won me over shortly after the first time we met." He pulled off his tunic and drew Erika's index finger along the scar under his left ribs.

"You won me when you and your brother caused me this scar and you, unthinkingly, kissed my wound." Erika smiled and kissed it again.

"I love you Seth."