Here we go…I'm sorry it took so long! I was gonna try to add fluff to this, but it didn't seem like the right time…

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Elestra was still a bit confused when Flauvic stopped abruptly outside and turned to face her. It seemed like he was going to give her a lecture.

"Listen to me. I know you do not trust me. I know that you do not like anything I am about to do. But for some reason I feel like I need to protect you. I don't know why. All I know is that if I don't, I will be letting myself down. So just cooperate won't you?" With that, he turned back and wouldn't say anything else.

Elestra was stunned. Was this the Flauvic Merindar speaking to her? The same one who kidnapped her two years earlier? Somehow, she couldn't believe that he would be this open with her. What was the matter with him? She stopped him and turned him so that he would face her.

"Hey. You have some explaining to do, sir. Why do you keep coming up and saying that you are the only one who can protect me? What do I need protection from? Who do I need protection from? And WHAT is the matter with you? What happened to the Flauvic who was silent and intimidating? What happened to the Flauvic I knew when we were traveling to the border? Speaking of which, you knew that we could've crossed it sooner. But you didn't cross it. Why?"

"Princess, you have overwhelmed me with many questions. As to who is trying to harm you, I will not say anything until the time is right. You want to know why I am the only one who can protect you? It is the truth."

Elestra snorted. "The truth? Since when has Flauvic Merindar become an honest man?"

Flauvic's eyes narrowed considerably. "Since he met a person who changed his life. He couldn't believe how much she had altered him. So, naturally, he was too shocked to do anything to prevent me from taking over."

"You still haven't answered my last questions. What happened?"

"What happened was this: I met a girl, who I traveled with for a while. She made me realize that I was being ridiculous, trying to take over the kingdom. She also made me realize how alone I was in this world…and it scared me."

Elestra was thrown for a moment. Was this really happening? Flauvic was really opening up to her…unless he was just tricking her.

Flauvic noticed the skeptical expression on her face and said, quite sincerely, "It's true. I don't know how she did it, but she did and I can't thank her enough…I just wish she would stop doubting me. That kills me more than anything else," he sighed and linked her arm through his again. "Come princess. Your guests are waiting."

Elestra was left to ponder his words. She still couldn't believe that he answered her in what seemed like complete honesty. She couldn't help but wonder, Who is the girl he's talking about?

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.:And now, a little bit of first person POV from Elestra:.

Sometimes life is just not fair. The one person you're waiting for finally makes his grand re-entrance back into your life, but it's just not how you expected it. I am confused as to the return of Flauvic. Why is it that whenever he drops into my life, I must fear for my existence?

I honestly don't know what to think. He says he's protecting me, but I cannot let myself accept that. Why can't I? I haven't been attacked by him once. At least, not since he came for a visit. He has done nothing but tried to help me, but I refuse to accept that too. Am I just being paranoid? This had better not get out… I can hear the rumors in the court now: Gutsy Elestra is going mad? I sincerely hope not.

As I look at him now, riding next to me on a beautiful gray (one of my favorites), he seems himself. He's exchanging witty remarks with Galen, keeping an air of amusement about him, and letting none of the frustration of our earlier conversation show. His cool attitude annoys me. I'm going to wipe that smirk off his face later on the practice grounds. I'm desperate to get my hands on a foil. I need somebody to practice on soon.

I stare straight ahead of me, losing myself in the beautiful scent of the trees around me. Why is somebody trying to attack me? Who would be? Everything was just fine. I haven't knowingly offended anybody. If I didn't know about it, I could figure it out later, but it would have to be somebody of Flauvic's party. All this trouble started after he came here with his friends. But I haven't talked to any of them. In fact, I purposely went out of my way to avoid them.

I look at Galen and see the corners of his eyes crinkled in laughter. He has been nothing but charming words and jokes since I met him. His sister, Lady Brenna, has also been very polite. There was no reason to suggest that she had anything against me. Their cousin, Lady Jenna, however has been rather cold to me.

Naturally, she kept polite expressions on her face. She laughs politely at every joke, frowns politely at every mishap, and is just always polite when you see her. But she also tries to get attention. She will talk loudly about her "misfortunes" about how her dress was wrinkled here, or her hair was out of place there, or how her horse was not riding smooth enough for her. She went as far as to ask me if I would mind terribly switching horses with her, seeing as I knew her horse better and could therefore be more comfortable on her horse than she could ever be.

Even after agreeing to switch horses with her, Jenna was cold to me. I don't know why she hates me so. She continuously throws glares in my direction when nobody is watching. She purposefully splashed mud all over me, claiming it was an accident. While we were in the stable, she pushed into me, making me fall. I landed on my wrist the wrong way and it's still smarting. She claimed that she didn't see me there. But every time she does something, I see her grin evilly at me before she does it.

I'm very proud of myself. I haven't let my feelings show. I believe my "Court mask" is getting better and better daily.

"Elestra? Princess Elestra, are you listening?" Lady Brenna sounded concerned.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and answered, "I'm sorry. My mind was on other matters. What happened?"

Galen laughed. "Nothing happened, princess. I was just wondering where there might be a pond to wash in. It's very hot out here." Of course, sometime during our ride, the breeze blew itself away.

"Of course. Follow me." I turned my horse a little bit to the west and brought them into a pretty little clearing where there was a clear blue pond and lots of flat rocks to sit on in the very green grass.

Galen helped Brenna and me off our horses while Flauvic attended to Jenna, who was off on another rant about how something else was going wrong with her life. While everybody else got a drink and washed off a little in the pond, I lay back on a large, flat mass of stone. I stared up into the sky through the branches of the tree that was providing me shade. I closed my eyes and let the patterns of the leaves against the light play against my eyelids.

Then I hear the voice that will haunt all my dreams for the rest of my life disturb my peace. Loudly, the annoyingly high pitched vocals of Jenna ring out with, "I'm starved. Did anybody think to bring some food on this little expedition?"

I wrench my eyes open and sit up on my rock. Flauvic is looking at her coolly, while Brenna and Galen look at her with their mouths wide open. Galen was the first to speak.

"Life, Jenna! You tucked away more than any of us at breakfast this morning and now you're the first one to complain about being hungry? Where do you put it all?"

Brenna took Galen's arm to quiet him and smiled, then turned to look at Jenna and said, "You can't just burst out like this Jenna. It was kind of Elestra to take us this far and now you're going to repay her by complaining?"

I felt it was time to put my share of the conversation into this. "Lady Jenna. I did bring food because I thought that if we didn't return in time to the castle, somebody might get hungry." She looked at me with venom in her eyes, but kept the rest of her face steady as she answered me.

"And do tell, please, where did you put it?"

Lazily, I got up and walked over to the horse that she had taken from me. The packs that I had put there were gone. I turned back to her and said, "I take it you didn't realize that I was carrying packs of food on my horse before I switched rides with you?"

Jenna kept a straight face and said, "No I did not know." But I could see the lie written all over her face. She knew it was there. But where did she put it?

"Well then. I certainly thought you knew. Especially after I told you that they were there."

"Oh? I don't recall you saying anything of the sort."

"Hmm…maybe I should have just kept my horse then. Oh well. It seems like this is just a ride, and not the picnic I was hoping it would be. Shall we go back to the castle so we can get Lady Jenna fed?"

A unanimous vote said yes, let's go back. And so here we are, riding back to the castle of my parents. I have a large headache. Perhaps I should sit out and just watch them on the practice grounds.

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.:Back to me, just following Elestra around… :.

On the ride back, Galen spotted the food packs on the trail. The knots that Elestra had so carefully tied them onto her horse with were expertly undone. So now they knew that the ropes didn't just break.

Elestra brought them all to the dining hall in their wing of the castle and excused herself politely saying she was not hungry…At least, she tried to. Flauvic claimed he was not hungry either and said he would escort her to her room. Elestra forced a smile to her face and thanked him.

In the corridor, he murmured, "You promised me a duel, milady."

"No in fact I did not. But I will oblige you anyway. I am in the mood to use my foil on somebody today."

They smiled at each other and proceeded to the practice grounds.

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Yeah…I'm so weird. I hoped you liked this chapter. I kinda liked it. Now please, pretty please review!!