Hello again! I am very sorry for my last few chappies that i have submitted, i have been a very bad gurl and forgotten to include authors notes and disclaimers ducks and hides behind a conveniently placed boulder from the evil fruit. i know i am very ashamed of myself.

Well, anyway, on a brighter note (though still not a dazzling white one) i know that this isn't the best but i thought the first and last parts were OK and i decided to submit it while i was broiling over the millions of chapters and ideas that i have written/thought of. Hope you don't completely hate it and feel the urge to throw your mouldy lunch at me but if you think thats what i deserve go for it ;)

Disclaimer: a small microsoft word computer assistant hops onto the screen hi im midget glares at the snickering person in the audience thats not nice! i didn't get to choose my name! oh well back to my job - the most magnificent megan reads of mauscript does not claim that, muahaha, any of this is hers, muahaha, though if she has any say her most imperial majesty bows Tamora Pierce will give her the rights to her stories for her bithday but until then she says that she will need to keep putting in these disclaimer things

sighs i live in hope

She was the reason that he got up each morning. She was the reason he had to live out those dreary days on the road. She was the reason why the small balls celebrating the end of the Scanran War held no pleasure for him – because she wasn't there with him. She was the reason he was up so early today. Voluntarily. She was the reason why he was actually happy to be up. She was the reason why he was shivering on top of the gates to the palace. She was the reason why a grin was now spreading across his face. Because she had come into view.

Well not really since he had left his spyglass in his quarters in the Kings Own barracks but still.

A couple of faint yells of joy could be heard as a small figure on a horse emerged out the front of the small riding party. Although they were too far away for features to be distinguished, Dom was sure that it would be his meatheaded cousin, overjoyed at the thought of seeing his wife of three months, Yukimi, who was at that very moment showing uncharacteristic impatience. Apparently the riding party from New Hope was not getting there quickly enough for the Yamanis liking.

Shaking his head in amusement, Dom turned back around and laughed as, now inside the walls of Corus, Neal desperately tried to ride through the busy streets without squishing anyone on the way. Then his gaze fell upon Kel, who appeared to be rolling her eyes at Neal and nudging her horse through the throngs of people that littered the streets, although he could see that there weren't many people in her way as they noticed who the horse was and who was on it.

Walking quickly down the palaces ramparts with Yuki he pondered what had made the people move – their respect for his lady knight or their fear for her infamous mount, Peachblossom.