I woke rather late the next morning, but I didn't get out of bed. I couldn't bring myself to face the day. Instead, I stared blankly at the curtains that separated me from the bitter cold of reality, lost in thought.

"Arrania?" Carilana pulled the bed curtains aside and peered down at me. "Goodness, girl. Still abed?"

I nodded.

"Come on, girl, get up. I brought breakfast for you, but you have to get dressed before you can eat it. It's terribly improper to eat meals in your nightclothes."

With a sigh, I sat up and let Cari help me dress. "Why are you so glum, Arrania?" she asked, doing up the laces of my blue gown. "You're soon to be betrothed to a rich, generous nobleman."

"But he's the wrong nobleman," I whispered.

Carilana spun me around. "What did you say?'

"Nothing?"

"I see the guilty look on your face, girl. Is Villien unsatisfactory in some way? Well, he is self-serving…and overbearing…and pompous…but he is rich, and he is generous. You just need to learn to love him."

I sighed. "Cari, I—I…Edmund told me something yesterday…I—I don't think I can marry Villien."

"Oh, Arrania, dear," Cari said, patting my cheek. "You made your father very happy when you agreed to we Villien. He knows that Villien is not very likable or desirable, but he's known him for many years, and understands that you will be well-taken care of."

She reached out and began running a comb through my hair. "You do realize that I will be your matron of honor after you are married? I will help you through the rough patches."

"I'll never get rid of you, will I?" I sighed.

"Afraid not, child. Now, hold still…this marriage is best for your entire family. You'll be a tarkheena, your children will have valuable roots in both Calormen and Archenland—a imperative trait in many ambassadors—and your entire family will have connections in Tashbaan."

"I suppose you are right…"

"Of course I am. Now, go ahead, eat your food. I won't have you wasting away."

"I'm in no danger of that, Cari, have no fear."

"Hurry, hurry, the day is growing late, and you know what happens if you don't eat breakfast on time—you're not hungry for lunch, but then you're likely to faint with hunger mid-afternoon, and you wile me into fetching you some victuals, which spoil your appetite for supper, but by midnight I'm up again getting you more food, but then you aren't hungry for breakfast…"

As Cari continued to rant about infinitely circling poor eating habits, I wondered if it was really such a good thing she was coming with me to Calormen.

After my meal, I migrated into my sitting room to rehearse the new song I'd learned for my lyre, hoping that it would distract me from the worry of the inevitable decision that I would have to make. I attacked my music with a fresh vengeance, practicing for nearly an hour until my fingers were red and raw. But I couldn't stop, for whenever my fingers fell still, I would begin to fret. I couldn't help it! Soon I would have to make a difficult decision, one that would change my life, possibly forever.

However, it came as a welcome deviation when Cari wrenched me away from my lyre. "Come on, Arrania, it's time you got some blood flowing in those pallid cheeks of yours."

"But—" I protested.

"No, come on." She took my hand and led me out of my chambers.

"Cari, where are we going?" I asked as she pulled me down the corridor.

"Somewhere sunny," she replied. "You've spent too long pining around in those dark, stuffy rooms."

"They aren't dark, Cari. The windows let in all the sunshine."

"Well, fine. We're going somewhere where we can feel the wind on our faces."

"The battlements?" I asked hopefully.

"If you want to."

"Oh, I do."

"Well, we'll go there, then. I—" Cari stopped midsentence as two people rounded the corner ahead of us. "Why, what do you know? It's your father! But who's that he's with?"

My heart sank and landed somewhere near my feet. "It's Villien."

Father and Villien stopped still when they saw us. "Lady Arrania!" Villien exclaimed, coming toward me with his arms spread wide in a genial way. He'd finally gotten my name right.

"Good day, Lord Villien," I replied nervously.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you," Villien continued. "You've been on my mind often of late. What a pleasure it is to finally see you again!"

"The…pleasure is mine, Lord Villien," I said with difficulty.

"I am bursting with so much anticipation that I cannot contain myself," Villien went on. It seemed as if we were talking to two separate people instead of each other, our sentences were so unrelated. "The moment I got your father's message, I turned right around for Cair Paravel."

Something dark and heavy settled in the pit of my stomach.

"I just had to see you. And now, without further ado—" To my utter horror, Villien sank down to one knee and took my hand in his. "Arrania Ileana Dorovan, will you marry me?"

I hesitated, and Father gave me a pointed look.

Then, around the corner came none other than Edmund. He froze when he saw what was going on, but our eyes locked over Villien's head.

And in that instant, I knew what I had to do.

"I can't!" And I tore my hand out of Villien's grip.

Cari gasped and grabbed my arms. "What are you doing, Arrania?" she shrieked.

Villien wobbled precariously on his knees, knocked unsteady by the way I'd wrenched my hands free. "What—" he wheezed.

But I was looking at Edmund, who had a tentative smile on his face.

Suddenly, Villien whirled around. He gaped at Edmund for a few seconds, his doughy face red with anger, and then he began to shout. "Aha!" he bellowed. "So it's you!"

Edmund stepped closer. "Calm yourself, man. There's no need to shout."

But Villien refused to listen. "Hearken to me, Narnian brat. No one—no one!—makes a cuckold of Lord Villien Rudolphius Torial!"

"No one's making you a cuckold, Villien," Edmund snapped. "And I won't have you speaking about Arrania in that vulgar manner, either."

"How dare you tell me what to do!" Villien shouted, nearly apoplectic with rage.

"I believe I am the king here," Edmund replied, his voice rising dangerously.

"'I am the king here'," Villien said in a mocking voice. "King? Bah! It was you who purloined my bride!"

"'Purloined'? Purloined?" Now Edmund was shouting. "I broke no one's trust! Arrania's not even your betrothed, Villien! Didn't you hear? She rejected you!"

"Because of you!" Villien roared, spittle flying from his mouth. "Because of you!" Out of the blue, he leapt forward and took a swing at Edmund.

Ed ducked Villien's fist easily, but when he straightened, his eyes blazed with wrath. "How dare you attempt to harm the king of Narnia!"

"Oho," Villien said, dancing back and forth with his fists raised. "Afraid I might beat you, eh? Afraid I might win? Well, then I challenge you to man-to-man combat! Swords only! Winner gets the spoils." Villien gave me a covetous glance.

"Agreed!" Edmund spat. "Tomorrow afternoon—two o'clock."

They stared at each other for another minute, their eyes shooting sparks, and then both of the men whirled around and stomped off in opposite directions.

Silence reigned for a full minute, and then I dropped my head into my hands. What had I done?