"What is it?" Ame asked Gaara suddenly; he had stopped walking and she'd bumped into him. They were almost about to come out of the woods and step into the land owned by Jin's family. They could see the house in the clearing of the wood, at least a few hundred meters away from them and yet they waited, peering through the low branches of the trees, in between the green leaves and white flowers. Gaara cocked his head back to her and sighed, blowing some of the honey-like fragrance away from the flowers as he did so. "What?" She repeated.

"You told Jin you loved him." He said plainly and Ame blushed, unsure of what to say. "And now?" It was strange how in that one question they switched positions entirely: a moment before Gaara had been quietly annoyed and Ame had been scared but now Ame was fuming and Gaara almost cowered under her glare.

"How could you even suggest that I still love him?" She shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, "I love you, only you." He nodded slowly.

"You can tell them that?" There was a moment of silence between them when they could only hear the sound of birdsong a little way away.

"Yes." She said firmly even though, deep down, she didn't know if she could. But when Gaara looked at her with the familiar, innocent-eyed look and slight pout, she knew she could tell the world. "Well, let's go." She encouraged him with a slight push and he took a weary step forwards. They walked towards the house, with each step a sense of dread filled them, but as they came even closer Ame began to feel at home and Gaara saw her face light up as they stepped into the mansion's shadow. The mansion dominated the landscape but beyond it they could see the beginnings of the edge of a town. A gravel path led up to the great wooden doors and on either side of the path a garden lined with white and purple flowers and, just like in Ame's palace, animals ran about the greens. "Look!" Ame pointed to the side and ran off before Gaara did have time to look. He watched her run to the middle of the grass and sit down; he stopped and watched. A small smile spread on his face as she turned to him. He laughed as he saw a small white rabbit was in her arms. She bit her lip and looked up at him; "aren't they cute?" She giggled and he walked over, as he did a peacock wandered towards them, wondering what they were gathering for.

"Ame," he said seriously, trying not to laugh as she "awww-ed" at the animal in her arms, "you know this…this lifestyle, is something you are going to give up for choosing me." She looked up at him and he saw, for the first time, some indecision in her eyes but then they softened.

"I know." She whispered and Gaara leant forwards to kiss her but the doors of the mansion banged open and they both jumped and looked around quickly. "Mother?" Ame handed the rabbit to Gaara who took it without looking for they were both staring at the marble steps as Ame's mother walked down with open arms.

"Ame!" her mother shouted to her and Ame, still slightly dazed, walked forwards into her mother's arms. "Oh, we missed you terribly!" Gaara looked down to his arms and jumped as he realised he was still holding the rabbit, he put it down quickly because, looking over Ame's shoulder, the queen beckoned him closer. As he reached them he bowed to her but had hardly any time to stand up again for the queen grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him into embrace as well.

"Maysun," they heard a weary voice mutter and at the sound of her name the queen let go of them both, held them at arms length and inspected them both. Looking behind her, Gaara and Ame could see the King stood with all six of Ame's sisters, on the marble steps. "Maysun, let them go." He said again for he knew his wife; she'd hold onto them both forever if she could. Gaara bowed to the royal family as Ame walked forwards to her sisters.

"Hi!" They all greeted her with waves and smiles and Ame held her hand up to wave as they walked forwards, but her smile faded as they passed her and walked to Kaze. She turned, open-mouthed to Gaara as he greeted the princesses in his usual, careless way and they sighed as he spoke. Ame rolled her eyes but jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Father," she said and turned to embrace him and there was something odd, some form of melancholy lingered around them as she noticed her father held on tighter and longer than he'd ever done before. In fact, when she drew away she saw there was some sadness in his eyes, "father, what are you all-"

"Ame," her father said quietly and she stopped speaking to listen for it was difficult to hear over the shrieks from her sisters. "This is Jin's father, you have met one of my councillors, Ghassan?" He gestured to the doorway and Ame bowed as a man, short, with greying hair and green eyes, bowed to her. Next to him was a woman, she was stunning, completely different to her husband who was ageing every moment, she was still youthful and elegant. "And Jin's mother, Hasna." The woman did not bow but inclined her head slightly and Ame realised that the elegance she had was similar to that which Jin had; both aware of their beauty but doing nothing to show themselves to everyone.

"Welcome," Ghassan said and Ame looked from her father to him as they shared a meaningful glance. "My son," he said slightly desperately, "is on an errand for me, he shall be back later." Ame nodded, still slightly too surprised to say anything; there was definitely something strange going on for her parents came and stood on either side of her and looked over to Jin's parents expectedly.

"I shall tell the house to prepare for dinner." Hasna said and looked to Ame's mother who nodded and went to leave. Before she walked into the house she turned and hugged Ame who was just getting more nervous.

"And I shall return to my study," Ghassan muttered and Ame expected her father to follow and leave her with her sisters but he held tightly to her arm so she could not move. Ghassan left with that familiar look of "good luck," to Ame that her mother and given her. Ame looked over to her sisters, the group in which Gaara was stood, looking over to her with a familiar expression of bewilderment. She shrugged at him to show she had no idea what was happening, why everyone was acting so strange.

"Ame, will you walk with me?" Her father asked and Ame nodded.

"Of course father." She said and smiled grudgingly. She glanced back to Gaara who was peering around her sisters to see her but as they locked eyes he could see something was up. Something bad.

Ame and her father walked in silence through the grounds of Jin's house. It was indeed as beautiful as Almira had first guessed; they were walking on a path that lined the gardens behind the mansion. A marble path with stone archways and flowers of ivory and pink climbed and twisted their way up the stone pillars and light streamed through their petals. Ame couldn't help but smile, it was a wonderful day, and she was able to finally remove her cloak and walk freely in her dress. Her father noticed her excitement and nodded wisely. They stopped and Ame reached out to touch the soft, silken petal of a pink flower but as she touched it the flower fell from its branch and floated down to her. Before she could catch it her father held out his hand, caught the flower tightly in his fist and unfurled his hand to show it was untouched, he then proceeded to place it behind Ame's ear and she laughed.

"Ame," he said in his ageing, softening voice and she smiled at him broadly. "You know, I have something important I wish to discuss with you?" before she could even attempt an answer he was talking again, "but first I wish to tell you how proud I am of you." He cleared his throat as that uneasy feeling rose up inside of Almira once more. "You have turned into quite a wonderful princess," she tried to smile and nod but no reaction was coming from her; was he going to cry? "And I want you to know that I know." He said the last word as though she should have some clue as to what he was talking about but she had none. "You two have travelled to this place together," he said pointedly and Ame's jaw dropped; he was talking about Gaara! "And since the moment you met, before my eyes at least," he smiled a little, "I have seen what has grown between you. I let you travel to this place alone but now, I, and your mother and sisters, wish to know." Ame blushed; he couldn't really be saying what she thought he was saying? "You love him very much?" He asked and she looked down.

"Very much so, yes." She replied bashfully.

"Then," her father bowed to her so their faces were level, he looked her in the eye, "there is a time in a girl's life where she does something great for both her family and her kingdom." Oh, he was giving her the talk she thought she wouldn't hear for a few years. "You have made us proud and by doing this you have made us even prouder-"

"But father," she said quickly; she had to get this out in the open, "is this really alright? I am of royalty and he-"

"Is not," her father waved her worries away with a hand, "what does it matter when you are in love?" Ame looked up and her father laughed as he saw how happy she was. "You will do this." Her father said, to her surprise, rather sternly, "not for your father. But for your king." He was talking seriously now; Ame knew marriage in royal families was usually out of a desire to expand their kingdom, very rarely was it for love. "Your kingdom depends on you." She nodded.

"I declare it," she said softly, "I shall marry him." She laughed as her father embraced her; this couldn't really be happening could it?

"Thank you," her father said into her hair, "Jin is worthy of your love." Ame broke the embrace sharply and took a step back, shaking her head.

"Did you say-" But she was cut off as the doors at the end of the walkway opened to reveal the two families, hers and Jin's, dressed as though attending a royal event. They all greeted her with laughter and cheering, in the corner her mother wiped a tear from her eye and in the centre of the room stood Jin. A delighted smile painted his face and his eyes were brighter than she had ever seen. And behind him, she glanced, in the shadows of the celebrations, a mess of red hair and aqua eyes glinting through the darkness to her.

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