I know, it's been a while again. Work just piled up, exams happened, but I have free time now. I swear, updates will be much quicker from now on (so, no more month-long hiatuses). That's a promise I hope to keep. If you're still reading this... well, thanks for being so patient with me. Also, I don't like abandoned stories, so if I don't update for months on end again, one day I will update. Before you can read the next chapter, here are my responses to your reviews.

LabRatsWhore: Thanks for reviewing! I know - I just needed a reason for Daisy to not have siblings (killing potential siblings was out of the question for me) and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. And yes, I imagine he cares about his honor that way.

Guest: I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing!

CrazyHayniac: Thanks for reviewing! Nobody else was doing it, so why not? There's so much you can do with her character before she went through the time rift. I'm glad you liked it, and I think you're going to like where this might go.

PurpleNicole531: As far as we know, Daisy's an only child, so I wanted to keep it that way - but the parents probably would try to get a son, too. Ademar's going to be loyal till the end. Thanks for reviewing!

Anonymous Girl Gamer: Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!

Enjoy!

-Writer207

One faithful day, one year after the tragedy of losing their child, the mood in the castle was different than before. Daisy, seven years old now, was getting older and soon, her education would start. But before that could happen, they first had to go through this.

Daisy was old enough to realize someone was visiting. The maids were scurrying to make the place as clean as they possibly could while the cooks were hurrying to get the food ready. She had learned to treat all visitors with all the respect she could find. Yet, today it was a different guest. Why else would they be doing their best more than when a duke would come to visit?

"Who is coming to visit?" she asked the maid, Helga, when the two of them were in her chambers, preparing her for the occasion.

"A queen is coming to the court," Helga told her. If you asked Daisy, she would say Helga was the sweetest person she has ever met (excluding her parents and Ademar, that is)

Daisy gasped. "A queen?" But her mother was the queen! How could there be another queen.

"Your father has a sister," Helga said, "She married to the King of South Upswich. She's coming for a visit."

Daisy was rendered speechless for the first time in her life. Once she was readied, there was nothing she could talk about except that the queen was coming and that she was so thrilled to meet her. Ademar told her once that she had come over once, but she had been too small to remember it. This only excited her more, especially when she learned she was allowed to be in the throne room when they arrived.

And then, the time came for Daisy to meet her aunt. She had to stand next to her mother's seat, hands behind her back, wearing a new dress. Her parents looked very royal, she thought. Ademar stood to the side, to the wall. He had told her not to move too much, and so she did. Well, she tried.

The big double doors opened. Daisy counted there were at least five people. There were only two people that caught her eyes. One of them was the Queen. She wore a beautiful dark blue dress that fit her perfectly and her smile was just as beautiful. Even with the knowledge she had, she thought it was strange how much she looked like her father.

The other person was a young man, just a child. With just once glance, Daisy knew that she did not like him. He looked so arrogant, as if he were better than anyone around him. He was even dressed like that. It was hard to ignore him, and she tried her hardest not to say bad things about him.

"Lavinia. Leofrick," the queen said, "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Leofrick started to smile. He and Lavinia stood up from their thrones.

"Likewise," Leofrick said, "welcome to Seanton castle, Cordelia." Cordelia Grundenwald was as a young woman who since the age of seventeen was engaged to prince Reginald Hagen from South Upswich. When she turned eighteen, she married him, taking the Hagen name. Two years later, she gave birth to a son.

Leofrick turned to the boy. "And what is your name?"

"Prince Gilles Hagen," the little prince said. Even his tone was arrogant. Again, Daisy tried not to say anything.

"My husband insisted he'd come with me. To meet Daisy." There were some worrisome undertones in her voice. Daisy had no idea what to think about it, but it worried her. what mother would talk about her own child like that? She never heard her own mother talk with such a tone.

"How nice," her father answered. "Ademar, can you show Gilles-"

"Prince Gilles," the boy interrupted him. He was met with a glare from his mother and uneasy looks from everyone else. The King also looked at him, but did not call him out on it. he turned to Ademar again.

"Please show Gilles the castle. You can take Daisy with you."

Daisy grimaced when she heard her own name and had to spend time with that arrogant child. Ademar nodded respectfully at him.

"Yes, your Majesty." He said, and Daisy walked to him immediately. Gilles did not immediately respond, and only when Cordelia told him to go with Ademar did he walk up to them. The tour was boring, and went by way too slowly for Daisy. Gilles himself did not pay attention to his surroundings or Ademar's explanations. He paid much more attention to Daisy, however, taking any chance to look at her and smile. He may be thinking he was charming her, but Daisy was feeling uncomfortable and thought it was creepy. Ademar noticed, and he tried to make sure Gilles' attention went to the castle instead of its youngest inhabitant. It helped, though only a little.

Needless to say, Daisy hoped this was the only time Gilles would appear in her life. She hoped he would lose interest in her, too, and hoped that people like Ademar would keep them apart.

After trotting for half an hour, the King and visiting Queen went a bit slower. They ordered the guards to remain there while they themselves went deeper into the meadow. They could have their privacy while the guards could still watch over them.

The small descent excited the horse, who hadn't been outside for quite some time now. Leofrick noticed this and calmed him down.

"Easy, Iantho," he said, patting his neck. This effectively calmed him down. Cordelia's horse needed no such treatment. Once Leofrick looked up her again, he saw her looking at him disappointingly.

"Could you not have picked a better name for him than our brother's?"

The King smiled and shook his head, sorrow in his eyes. "He always preferred the company of horses above men. What better way to honor him than name my horse after him?" he remembered it clearly, the day their older brother died. If he hadn't insisted on visiting Seanton without guards, those raiders wouldn't have robbed and killed him. A tragic accident, yes, and the reason why Leofrick became the King of North Upswich.

He turned his head to Cordelia. Her watery eyes confirmed she too thought about their brother. "But we did not come up here to discuss our horses' names," he said, aspiring to learn why Cordelia wanted them to go ride through the fields of Seanton.

"It is about my family," Cordelia said. This prompted Leofrick to consider some things that may have been happening to her. the sad look in her eyes may confirm this, if she did not have Iantho Grundenwald on her mind.

"Does Reginald still treat you right?" he asked her. A smile appeared on her face.

"He does," she said, soothing Leofrick, "I have everything I could ever wish for. Yet, I yearn to live here again. Once a Northerner, always a Northerner." She took a moment to look at the fields of her home, the same fields she looked over when she was young and careless and unafraid. When she was done, she turned her head to him.

"Leo, my husband has been thinking about the future of our son," she told him and Leofrick nodded. He had reached a certain age. He probably had been having some training as well, with all sorts of weapons, but now he has reached an age that prompted them to think about something else entirely.

"About a bride," Leofrick said. Cordelia nodded.

"Naturally," she said.

"And he has picked Daisy, am I correct?" Leofrick wondered out loud. He looked at his sister, and her nodding confirmed his suspicions.

"She is one of his preferred choices, yes."

Leofrick sighed. He had been dreading this day since his daughter was born. The day that someone, not particularly Gilles Hagen, would be presented as a suitor.

"What does he want?"

"He dreams of a united Upswich with the houses of Grundenwald and Hagen ruling together," Cordelia explained.

"And he sent you to bring me the news," Leofrick guessed. He looked aside and saw Cordelia shake her head.

"No," she said, "I suggested to come over and tell you. It was his idea to take my son with me so he and Daisy could meet each other." There was a long silence, in which neither spoke. Leofrick waited for Cordelia to speak; he believed she wasn't finished yet, and he was right again.

"Leo, I do not approve of this betrothal."

"You do not?" he asked her with risen eyebrows.

"No," Cordelia said, shaking her head "I do not want Gilles to marry Daisy."

"For his sake?" he asked her. Again, she shook her head.

"For Daisy's," she responded. "Since his birth, I have noticed he has more of his father's traits than mine. Of course, he has my face and hair, but every day, I feel like I'm losing him a bit more. Every day, he looks more like Reginald. He is already learning how to wield a weapon."

"You're afraid he's turning into a monster," Leofrick said.

"He cannot marry Daisy," she said, confirming what Leofrick thought to be true. "I do not want my nice to have to live with a husband like that."

"He will not," Leofrick said, "I swear to you, Cordelia, as long as I am alive, Daisy will not marry Gilles. And if I do die, I will put her in the care of a man who will keep her away from him."

Cordelia smiled at him. "Thank you, Leo. I will not ask any more from you."

"You can always ask me anything," the King of North Upswich said. "That's what family is for."

Cordelia nodded at him, then looked over her shoulder. "We probably should go back," she said. This prompted Leofrick to look over his shoulder as well. The guards who came along on their trip and who were still waiting at a distance, were starting to become restless.

Leofrick nodded and together, they lead their horses back to the guards, so they could ride back to the castle, back home. Tonight there would still be a feast, but then Cordelia would be travelling back home to North Upswich with Gilles.

The King made the decision what he thought was the best for his daughter. He only did not know what long-term consequences would be connected to this particular decision.