Disclaimer: Sadly, still own nothing.

A/N: Thanks again to Chewie-Fan and Ivy Elizabeth.

Hope you all enjoy this.

Don't forget to let me know what you think.


July 11th morning

Sig wasn't surprised to find the occupants of the room up and on opposite sides of the room when he entered. But he didn't really care what they were thinking. Walking to the bed he saw what he wanted. There amidst the pure white sheets was the stain that proved that things had gone according to plan.

Turning to look at his niece he noticed that she was looking at her husband with something akin to anger but not quite it. "Good morning." When she turned her eyes to him he saw a flash of fear that was quickly buried behind an anger tinted nothingness.

"Uncle." She inclined her head slightly forward.

"A physician shall be called to make sure that everything went well." He heard the chair move before he saw her stand.

"You are going to subject me to that humiliation again? Do you not understand how degrading that was for me? You see the stain clear as day don't make me suffer more than you already have." Sig couldn't be sure what caused her eyes to swell up.

"It will be quick, painless." She shook her head.

"Please Uncle do not make me do that again. I have done all you have asked, is that not enough?" For a moment he saw Anna in her daughters place, the knowing eyes that had seen through everything. In his mind he could hear her asking him to spare her daughter this one thing.

"Fine. I expect both of you to attend breakfast in the hall along with everyone else." He looked at Josh who merely nodded. Leaving the room he decided that he would make a stop at the church.


They entered the room with a grace that Mary hadn't expected from two people who hated each other. The air around them was one of coldness but it gave away nothing of their true feelings. Mary wanted to stand and yell that their marriage was wrong that it should've been her but she didn't. It wasn't a thing a woman of her birth would do.

A quiet growl escaped her as she slowly ate the food in front of her. No one knew that they were married just that their engagement had been solidified beyond the point of return. The people in the court peered curiously at the two teenagers who in turn ignored them.

If things had gone the way they should've she would have been packing for her trip to her new home. But her cousin had ruined it. What was probably her only chance of being Queen was ripped away from her rightful hands. There were no other eligible heirs for her to marry. Okay, that wasn't true. There was always King Phil's younger son but he wouldn't be King. Elizabeth was going to marry a first born son, so why wasn't she?

Had she displeased her father somehow? Had she said something wrong? Done something improper? She racked her brain in silence and came up with nothing. Sighing she ventured a look at Aria. The girl looked so odd, as she scanned the crowd for a familiar face. A smirk graced Mary's face, the perfect revenge resting in her mind.


July 11th 1688 mid-day

Josh couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened. They had lied to everyone. What made things worse was that they all believed them. When Sig had said that Aria was going to be checked out by a doctor he almost spoke of what they did but Aria had remained calm. She had acted like he was sure she would have if they hadn't been lying.

Though he still didn't really like her, he admired her courage. Most girls would've just allowed him to get it over with like he wanted to. What she proposed was so unexpected, not that he was complaining because he wasn't. A few months from now both of them would be free all they needed to wait for was Jacob's eventually engagement. If Josh played his cards right he could push for that happening sooner than expected.

Still he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't going to be worth it. That somehow someone was going to find out making all their hard work mean nothing. What would his father say if he found out? How would King Sig react to his niece betraying him? With a sinking thought he realized that she could be killed for this. That this charade they were playing could be considered treason.

He, as a first born Prince, was safe at least in his own country. But her? She was fair game to everyone for she was neither princess or in line to inherit any throne. With no group of people backing her what would be her saving grace?

Josh decided then that they needed to talk this whole thing through a little more. Every detail, every potential course of action must be accounted for. Their hatred for each other wasn't worth dying over.