Casper walked into the house behind Bradley and Anne's father. Since he'd learned of Anne's previous betrothal, Casper had been quieter than usual. Bradley knew why, but Anne's father remained in the dark as to the reasons for the obvious changes in their Royal guest. Of course, Casper was hardly surprised that Anne's father didn't seem to care though.

Anne, Jane, and Elizabeth were already in the front room of the house when the three men joined them. Anne's father went to Elizabeth as Bradley joined Jane in the seating area. Casper eyed Anne but remained a few steps away from her. She smiled at him before she held out her hand for him. Without saying anything, Casper clasped his hand in hers before he closed the distance between them to press a kiss to her cheek.

"How was the city?" Anne's father asked, his questioned directly to his youngest daughter. Casper's gaze remained on Anne as she smiled weakly at her father.

"It was fine," she replied simply.

"What's wrong?" Casper asked softly. With his other hand, he touched her waist, his eyes remaining locked with hers after she'd looked to him confused.

"What?" Anne asked, sounding genuinely surprised. She tried to hold Casper's gaze, but her eyes wandered first to Jane and Bradley. Only Bradley matched her gaze, and he knew, too, that something had upset her. When she looked to the other side of the room, her parents watched her and Casper with amazement. They'd never expected a Prince to know their daughter so well.

"Something's bothering you," Casper said finally when Anne's eyes returned to him.

"I'm fine," she lied as she looked away from him and released his hand. She looked to her father and forced a smile before she spoke again. "What did you guy do today?"

"Just the usual," he answered. It was clear to Casper than her father under no circumstances enjoyed tension of any kind. The man changed the subject to less uncomfortable topic whenever need be. "We almost had a bit of a run in with one of the goats."

"It tried to eat me," Casper said bitterly. Anne laughed as she looked up at him, her expression warmer now that a different topic had taken hold.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Casper answered as he held up his arm. Anne looked down at his arm before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"That's a scratch, Casper," she told him slowly. Behind him, Anne could see Bradley grinning, attempting to hold back his laughter. She let her gaze shift to her father for a second, but that was long enough for her to determine that both men were quite amused at Casper's expense.

"No," Casper objected. "It tried to eat my arm!"

"I'm sure," Anne replied as she smiled at him.

"You're just being condescending, now," he accused as he narrowed his eyes at her. She only laughed before she pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. She had noticed, however, that Casper was more reserved than he had been previously. When she met his gaze, she knew something was bothering him as well.

"What else happened today?" she asked as she looked up at him, her face falling.

Casper only let out a breath before he shook his head. "Nothing," he answered. At the sound of somebody approaching the house from the outside, Casper looked up at the front door. The Knights, however, had already gone to the door and opened it. A messenger from Court met their gazes before they let him pass.

"I have word from Court," he said as he approached Prince Casper, taking a second to take in the Prince's outfit.

"Just give it to me," Casper snapped as he held out his hand for the paper. The messenger bowed quickly before he backed away towards the door. Before he left the house, however, Casper looked up at him again. "Hey!"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Not a word, do you understand?" Casper said strongly as he narrowed his eyes at the messenger. "About anything."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the messenger replied with a nod but was unable to wipe all traces of amusement from his face. "Would you like me to stay and wait for your reply?"

"Yeah, just hold on," Casper said simply before he turned to Anne. "Just tell me what's wrong," he told her as he held the folded paper in his hand. He wasn't as interested in the message as he was in Anne.

Anne groaned as she turned to her parents for a moment then to her sister. "Could we have a minute, please?" she asked before she looked up at Casper again.

"Of course, sweetie," her mother answered as she nudged her husband out of the kitchen and towards the stairwell. Bradley and Jane had moved upstairs as well and eventually only the messenger, the Knights, and Guardsmen were left, but all of whom were sworn to secrecy should they hear or see anything personal during their work.

Casper waited patiently for Anne to speak, putting his hands on her waist as he waited. "It was something Jane said," Anne said softly. She was well aware her family could still hear everything, but the idea of privacy made her feel somewhat better.

"What was it?"

"She called me your mistress."

Casper remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. It wasn't exactly a new idea to think of Anne in that way, but Casper had no idea how to handle the situation when it involved her sister. Before Casper seemed to be required to say anything, Anne simply continued.

"And we used to be close. She was my best friend forever, but now everything feels different here. Like I don't fit in here anymore. Did I change that much since we first met?"

"No," Casper answered as he reached up to touch her cheek. "Of course not. But you know I don't see you that way, Anne. And neither do most people. You're one of the Queen's best friends regardless of our relationship."

"Everyone treats me differently. Everyone except my mother and Bradley."

"Well, I believe that," Casper replied before he could stop the response. Anne narrowed her eyes at him as he cleared his throat, silently hoping she'd let the comment slide.

"What does that mean?"

"He told me that you were betrothed," Casper answered simply. Anne's face changed immediately as she started to turn away from Casper. Before she could entirely, he put a hand on her waist, his other reaching up to touch her cheek. "I just didn't know, Anne," he said, hoping she didn't think he was mad.

"I didn't think he would say that," Anne admitted as she met his gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Casper questioned as he looked down at her. "I mean I chased you. For months, and not once did you ever say that. You shot me down in a number of creative ways, and I admit that you're the only girl who's ever managed to embarrass me like you have. But you never said you were to be married."

"Like that would've ever made a difference," Anne replied sharply, suddenly becoming defensive. "It's not like you ever gave up."

"Yes I did," Casper answered. "And I would've stopped chasing you around if I'd known. Betrothed girls are not worth the trouble," he said, sounding almost comic even in the midst of their half-argument.

"You gave up?" Anne asked. Casper remained quiet as he nodded slowly. He cleared his throat as he took a step away from her.

"Yeah, I uh… I decided that I would ask you to that ball after Keiro was back and when you shot me down again, I was going to take someone else. But uh… but you said yes and I went with you. And I waited for you to tell me to go away again for the next few weeks and you never did. Then I waited months for you to say you were tired of me, but you never did that either."

Anne was silent as she just stared at Casper. She couldn't recall a single time she'd ever seen him as vulnerable as he was right then.

"Did you love him?" Casper asked when it was clear Anne wouldn't respond.

"What?"

"Did you love Bradley?" Casper repeated. "When you were going to marry him, were you in love with him?"

"It was different, Casper," Anne answered, but Casper shook his head.

"That's not what I asked, Anne."

"Yes," she said with a heavy sigh. "I thought I loved him. But it's not like it was ever some kind of love match, Casper. Our betrothal was for all intents and purposes an arranged marriage. It was convenient."

"Well, he still loves you," Casper said simply as he shrugged.

"No he doesn't, Casper," Anne replied sharply. Her tone was more like she was arguing her point rather than simply telling Casper. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Casper asked. "Maybe that's why your sister is mad at you."

"She's not mad at me!"

"Really?" Casper asked, ignoring how upset Anne was becoming. "She basically called you a whore, Anne." Anne had stepped forward and stuck Casper across the face so quickly, he'd hardly known what had happened. As he touched his cheek, he met her gaze.

"Your Majesty?" the closest Knight called, but Casper only shook his head at the man before he turned to Anne again.

"That's not what she said, Casper," Anne said strongly.

"Fine," Casper replied with a shrug. "But it doesn't change the fact that you left, picked up a royal, and dumped your fiancé that she's now set to marry. I'm not a woman, Anne, but that sounds like reasonable grounds to be upset to me."

"No," Anne replied as she shook her head. "Bradley doesn't love me anymore."

"How did you break it off?" Casper asked curiously.

"I-"

"Did you even tell him?"

"Not at first," Anne admitted as she looked away from Casper. "I was only supposed to be at Court for a few months. Just to make money to help build a new farm house. Then the months turned into a year and then another six months after that. And eventually, he just… assumed."

Casper didn't say anything as he stared at her. The longer he watched her, the more uncomfortable she became. "I know it's bad," Anne finally said with a heavy sigh. "I know I should've told him. I should've told everyone, Casper, but I didn't and I can't change that anymore."

"When did you tell your family it was me?"

"A couple months ago," Anne answered with a breath.

"Ok, well, I don't have a sister, Anne, but I'm assuming they don't like to marry people who were dumped by their little sister. And they probably don't want their future husband to still be in love with her."

"Why do you think he's in love with me, Casper?" Anne finally asked, feeling a little defeated by the conversation.

"The way he looks at you for one," Casper answered. "I didn't notice it at first until he told me about you and him. And the way he talks about you. And the way he doesn't say anything about your sister."

"That doesn't mean anything, Casper."

"Maybe not, but all I know is when Finn, Keiro, and I are all together, Finn talks about Claudia, I talk about you, and Keiro talks about Attia regardless of who he's been sleeping with. It's a little odd to not talk about the woman you're going to marry."Another tense silence followed as the pair stared at each other. Anne had no idea what to say while Casper wanted desperately for her to say anything before he was forced to continue.

"Did I steal you, Anne?" Casper asked finally. She let her eyes drift for a second, but Casper stepped towards her and put a hand on her cheek.

"Yes," she answered after he'd drawn her attention back to him. "Yes, you stole me, Casper."

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked again.

"I liked it, Casper, ok? I liked you chasing me. Everyone told me to not get involved with you because you were a heartbreaker. Because nobody could ever hold your attention for that long and I wasn't any different from any of the other girls. But I liked it. I liked how hard you tried. I liked being wooed. It's not like Bradley ever tried to win me over. He never tried to woo me like you did, and I liked how it felt. I liked feeling like somebody wanted me. I liked feeling loved even though I knew that you didn't love me like I loved you," Anne spit out as quickly as she could but still unable to conceal her hurt from her last words.

Casper pressed his lips to hers hard, desperate to feel her against him. His arm wrapped so tightly around her, he was mildly aware he might be crushing her. But as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he was urged to continue. As he took steps forward to find the counter, they knocked over a stool, but even the crash didn't distracted them enough to pull apart. Pressed up against the counter, Anne released Casper's neck to brace her hands on the edge of the counter. She pulled from Casper for a moment to push herself up to the counter, their faces now more even matched when he pressed his lips to hers a second time. They continued for only a few more second before Casper forced himself away from her.

"I did love you, and I thought you hated me," Casper said breathlessly as he pressed their foreheads together. "But you should talk to Bradley still," he added as he pulled away from her, only his hands remaining on her waist. "It hurts to love someone who doesn't even see you."

"I know," Anne replied as she held Casper's gaze. He stole another kiss from her before he buried his face in her neck. His arms tightened around her again as she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her own eyes drift shut. As Casper pulled away from her neck, he pressed their lips together in a much slower kiss as one hand reached up to touch her cheek. She returned the kiss as she let one of her hands rest on his chest, her fingers pressing to feel his muscles beneath the thin cloth. Neither heard her family descending the stairs until the fail step creaked, and the pair pulled apart. By then, her mother, father, and sister were already in the room near the staircase. It was Bradley who's stepped on the stair wrong.

Casper looked up at everyone for a second before he recalled the paper in his hand, no crushed and folded from grapping and kissing Anne. As he looked back down, he tore the envelope and pulled the paper from inside.

"We have to go," Casper said simply when he looked up at Anne. Nobody else had said anything in the room, but Casper was wholly unaware of the tension.

"What? Why?" Anne asked, but Casper didn't respond. He'd turned to the Knights near the door instead.

"Get the horses ready," he ordered, turning back when Anne pulled on his arm.

"Why?" she demanded.

"I've been summoned to Court," he answered when he met her gaze.

"Summoned?" Anne repeated. "And why Court? The King is on progress, Casper."

"Finn didn't summon me. Attia did," Casper answered as he started to pull on the strings of his shirt. "Can you get my riding coat?" he asked as he turned to the messenger. The man nodded and Casper simply pointed down the hallway that led to his room.

"I don't understand, Casper," Anne said as she jumped down from the counter and followed him to the center of the room. "Attia doesn't have the power to summon you."

"As Regent, she does," Casper replied.

"No. She'd only be Regent if Finn and Claudia were missing."

Casper turned back to Attia slowly, hoping she wouldn't respond to the news too terribly. Of course, as the realization set in, he face contorted and tears began to form. "No," she said as she shook her head.

"We need to go, Anne," Casper repeated as he turned to the Knights. "Somebody get her things, please."

"No!" Anne yelled, forcing Casper's attention back to her. "Is Claudia dead?"

"I don't know," Casper replied as he touched her cheek softly. "Attia is in control now and I need to go back to Court. If you want to stay, then I'll leave two men for you."

"Is Keiro ok?"

"I don't know that either," Casper answered.

"I can't miss my sister's wedding," Anne said, her voice beginning to break. "Are they looking for her? Do they know what happened? Where they are?"

"I don't know," Casper repeated, knowing Anne feared the worst for her friend. "Finn would never let anything happen to Claudia. You know that. And Attia will look for them."

"What if they're dead?" Attia asked her voice breaking. The tears had slipped from her eyes but Casper bent down to kiss them away.

"Don't think like that."

"If you're King, Council will get rid of me."

"What?" Casper asked a she stared down at her. "I wouldn't be King, Anne. You know that. I'm behind Attia. She'd have to die, too."

"You think Council will put up with her and Keiro? And then it'll be you. And then they'll get rid of me."

"I won't let that happen," Casper replied before he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll send word as soon as I get to Court. Take the carriage back as soon as the wedding ends. Don't forget my trunk. And their wedding gift is in there, too."

"You bought something completely useless for them, didn't you?"

"No," Casper replied sharply. "It's a beautiful gift."

"This is a farm, Casper. There's no room for shinny gold and pretty diamonds.

"Fine, then give them the gold in there, I don't care," Casper answered as he rolled his eyes and began to walk towards the door. The messenger had come from the back room carrying Casper's shirt and coat. He quickly discarded himself of the thin shirt Anne gave him and pulled his own riding shirt over his head before he slipped his arms into the sleeves. Turning to the Guards and Knights, he pointed at two. "You two stay with her. She doesn't leave your sight for any reason at all. If I find out she was left alone for half a second, you both lose your jobs and titles, and lands and everything else I can take away from you short of body parts. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Sire," both replied as they nodded. Casper turned back to Anne, finding her right behind him. He pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss before he forced himself to pull apart.

"Please be careful," she told him. He only flashed his smile at her before he kissed her one last time.