AN: Sorry for the long delay! I had to write a research paper, my brother graduated from college, it was my prom weekend, etc etc etc! I was originally going to end the story with this chapter, but then it got so long, and I hadn't updated in such a long time, that I decided to split it! Sorry that I couldn't make good on my promise for Char, but this is better than nothing, right?

I have most of the second part written, so I should be able to get the conclusion up in a couple days! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! 3

I grabbed my dress of the tree branch and pulled it over my head. It was still a bit damp, but it was cleaner. I washed my face the best that I could, but with no mirror I could only hope for the best.

After I gathered all my possessions, I left the stream and turned back towards the quiet town. My bag was slung over my shoulder, and I was carrying the magic book in my arms, my thumb marking one of its pages. Every once in a while, I would stop in a patch of moonlight and double check my course, hoping beyond hope that I was reading it correctly. It must still be a few hours until dawn, and I didn't want anyone to see me. Wandering around the Ayorthian court in the middle of the night was already suspicious; being caught trying to see the prince of Kyrria, in my sooty state, would be grounds for arrest.

But the Ayorthians must not have been too concerned with anyone sneaking around at night, because I saw very few guards. The ones I did see were either asleep or about to be, and I had no trouble remaining hidden.

After a half hour of walking and only getting lost twice, I finally saw it. The window. There was a faint glow emanating from behind the curtains. He was still awake. It was the middle of the night, and he was still awake.

I didn't need to double check the magic book to be certain. The moment I saw it, I felt a knot form in my stomach, and I knew he was in there. The problem now was getting there. I didn't want to shout or make a lot of noise to get his attention, and I didn't have anything to throw. I surveyed the wall, and stepped forward. It was old and stony, with missing stones and stones that jutted out at odd angles. I tested one of the rocks with my hands, and it seemed stable enough.

I swung my bag off my shoulder and leaned it against the side of the wall, and gingerly placed the magic book next to it. Then I looked back up at Char's window, which suddenly seemed impossibly high up. Then I saw a breeze move the curtain, and my stomach flipped over. He was there, he was just up there, he was waiting for me. I didn't come all this way to be stopped by a wall. Gritting my teeth, I began to climb.

It was slow going, especially since I was trying to be as silent as possible. I almost fell once, but I caught myself somehow. Whenever I felt my hand shake, I reminded myself that I just needed to get to his window, and everything would be okay. As long as I didn't fall, it would be okay.

I don't know how long I spent climbing that wall; it seemed to take forever, but at the same time, no time at all. Finally, I reached his window sill, and, suppressing a grunt, pulled myself onto it. I looked down, and my head began to swim, and I clutched the side of the window for support.

I forced myself to look away from the ground and turned my attention to the voluptuous curtains. They were too thick to see even a silhouette. I had no idea what he was doing, if he was trying to sleep, or he was still burning his thoughts about me.

I ran my hand along the curtain's sides, and shifted it just enough for me to see through.

The room was empty!

Doubt and terror gripped me, and my head swayed so violently that I tumbled into the room. What if this wasn't his room? What if he had left Ayortha? What if he was somewhere else, in trouble?

I pulled myself up and looked around, trying to calm myself, looking for evidence to contradict my wild imaginings. Unable to find anything, I walked over to the writing desk, where I saw an open book. His journal! It was open to the page that I had last seen in my magic book, but he had added something else.

Today was hard. And trying to write down my thoughts certainly isn't helping.

[Crossed out words, scribbles.]

I need to take a walk. That's what I'm going to do.

He was taking a walk. It was lucky, I supposed, that we hadn't run into each other on the grounds. Or perhaps it would have been better to for him to see me outside, instead of inexplicably in his chambers. Regardless, I was inside and he was still outside, and I wasn't about to go looking for him. An overwhelming exhaustion overtook me; it felt like I hadn't slept in days, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

I walked slowly over to the bed, and blew out the burning candle. Without its small light, the room was completely dark. As I climbed into bed and felt sleep begin to take over my thoughts, I managed one last small smile.

He wouldn't just find me in his bedroom, he would find me in his bed. I was certainly going to be a surprise.