((Don't give up hope this story is still going! I'm in the middle of a long distance move and other life changing events so please bear with my erratic updating. Thank you to everyone who has stuck it out and reviewed.))

Chapter Twenty One

Nuada walked as quickly as he could to the library hoping to rescue Rhoswen from the Chamberlain as soon as possible. Looking through the door he could see Nuala over by the fireplace reading. She looked up at him when she felt his gaze.

The head librarian rose to greet him as he entered, "Good afternoon your highness. Is there something I can get for you?" he asked coming out from behind his desk.

"No, I have something for you for a change." He held out the book.

"That girl," he said darkly reaching for the book, "No respect for such a valuable work to leave it lying around. Thank the gods you found it my lord or else I'm sure it would have been lost forever. Tell me, where did you find it? Near some fireplace, no doubt about to be incinerated."

Nuada maintained a firm grasp on the book as the librarian tried to pull it out of his hand. "Actually it was right where she said it would be, in the Chamberlain's office."

"Oh," the color of embarrassment crept up the librarian's face.

Nuada let the silence stretch out uncomfortably before continuing, "Perhaps in the future you will be more prone to believing Rhoswen when she tells you something." He let the librarian take the book. "It would behoove you greatly to be more civil towards my future wife. Some one like her, who has a real love of the library, could be a valuable ally for yourself."

The librarian inclined his head and nervously rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet said, "Ah ha, I see, yes."

"In fact there she is now," Nuada said nodding to a pained looking Rhoswen who was being led around by the Chamberlain and now the master of ceremonies as well as they quibbled about the proper way to greet a wedding guest in the receiving line. "I think she would appreciate knowing that she was welcome in the library once again."

He frowned, "Yes a very good idea. Thank you for your sage advice your majesty." He bowed deeply before walking over to Rhoswen.

Nuala came over to her brother as he watched the exchange between the four. She frowned, puzzled, "What have you been up to Nuada?"

He smiled at her, "Nothing much dear sister."

"I see Rhoswen is welcome back. It was getting a bit lonely without her. Was that your doing?"

"In part."

She studied him as he watched Rhoswen from across the room. There was a softness to his face when he looked at her that she had not seen before. Seeing that he was opening up himself to some one made her own heart feel lighter. "You should probably go over and rescue the poor girl or they will have her in their clutches for hours."

"Yes, your right," he smiled at her again, "I'll see you later."

Relief flooded through Rhoswen as Nuada slid next to her. Those idiots were so intent on bickering over their inane trivia that they did not even notice the prince arrive. She leaned close to him, "Your highness-" she whispered.

"Nuada," he whispered back.

"What?"

"We're engaged to be married and partners in crime. I think its past time we stopped being so formal, if that's agreeable?"

"Sounds good to me." She paused before asking, "Was what we did really so bad?"

"Even if it was not treason it was pretty close. At least as the crown prince I could make up some plausible excuse for rifling through confidential state papers."

Her smile faded slightly, "Do you think you can get me out of here? My back is really starting to hurt."

He nodded, "Leave it to me." Carefully he gently put his arm around her. A warm wave of comfort washed over her. A tingling at his touch welled up in her, something she hadn't noticed happening before.

"Gentlemen," he said loudly over their argument, "Lady Rhoswen and I will be taking our leave. We trust you will come to a final decision these very important matters."

"Your majesty," they both bowed as the couple walked away.

Rhoswen was very aware of Nuada's hand sitting gently against the small of her back all the way to her rooms. Disappointment flooded through her that they made it to her door so fast.

Nuada regretfully dropped his hand as they came to a stop. "I hope you feel better after you rest."

"Me too, thanks. And thank you for your help getting that book back and getting me from those two. I would have been stuck listening to them blather on for days."

He gave her a half smile, "Your welcome."

She shook herself from staring at him. She really did not want him to leave but she couldn't think of anything else to say. "Well good night."

She froze as he leaned forward slowly and lightly kissed her forehead. "Good night," he whispered before walking away.

Rhoswen stood in front of her door in stunned elated silence. A few moments passed before she remembered what she was doing outside her bedroom door.

She did not see much of Nuada over the next few days. They stole smiles from each other when they crossed paths, but he was occupied by the preparations for the court to travel to her homeland. No matter what advisor he was speaking to or which orders he was pouring over he always seemed to know when she was looking at him and would return her glance with a grin.

Rhoswen could not believe she was falling for the person she had once vowed to despise for the rest of her life. The part of her mind that had been so set against him before was slowly being eaten away by a new part which felt giddy every time he looked her way. She noticed things about him she hadn't before like how well he filled out his clothes and how his eyes seemed to glow when he looked at her.

Nuala sighed as she sat in the library watching Rhoswen starring into the fire day dreaming. She had been trying without much luck to get her friend's attention. "Rhoswen!"

"What! Oh, sorry. I must have been," she trailed off as the smile bloomed across Nuala's face. "Oh come on don't look at me like that." Rhoswen could feel the blush running up her cheeks.

"No no I'm not making fun of you," Nuala said, "I am just happy for you both. It's no easy thing to find love and a small miracle that you two have found it with each other given your histories."

"I do not know if I would call it love just yet."

"You can not argue that you are headed in that direction though. I can feel that much from the two of you."

"Nuala!"

"Don't worry I haven't delved too deeply in either of your thoughts. Everybody deserves some privacy."

"Well I'm glad you think so," she said in a huff.

"Any way what I wanted was to know if you would like to go out to the markets? You haven't been there yet and I don't know about you, but I could use a change of scenery."

"Yeah that sounds great actually." While the library was still one of her favorite places coming there day after day had gotten kind of monotonous.

"Perfect. How about I meet you on the terrace overlooking the palace entrance in about fifteen minutes?"

"Sounds good. It'll give me time enough to put this away."

Maybe I'll grab a wrap while I'm at it, Rhoswen thought to herself walking quickly to her room. Looking out over a balcony she spied the prince walking below and slowed her pace. She watched him stop when some one called to him and froze when she saw who it was. Despite feeling like she was spying on them she could not tear herself away.

"Nuada," Lavinia called out to him.

He stopped and turned to her even though he really did not want to talk to her right then. He bowed his head slightly, "My lady."

"You keep avoiding me. Why? Are we not still friends?" she asked walking towards him.

"I'm not sure what we are Lavinia. I do not think we can ever go back to the way we were." His conscience flinched at the hurt on her face.

"Why? Why do you say such things? I care for you, I always have. I love you. You are throwing all that we have been through together because of one mistake I made with your sister? I freely admit I was wrong, but what I did was done out of concern not malice. Can you not forgive an old friend for being over careful?"

Rhoswen held her breath as she watched Lavinia passionately make her speech to Nuada. They were too far away for her to hear anything. She wished she could see his face to at least have some clue as to what he was thinking, but his back was to her. Her heart dropped to her feet as the two embraced. I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be watching them. Her mind raced to catch back up to the reality around her. A sense of embarrassment made her want to hide. She spun and made her way as quickly as she could back to her rooms.

"Oh Nuada. I knew you couldn't stay mad at me forever," she said into his shoulder.

He gently pushed her back, "Lavinia I will always care about you and think of you as my old friend, but we are not the same to each other as we once were. We can never be that way again. It is a sad that things have changed between us but neither of us can fix what happened or how we feel about it. Maybe with time and space some of the damage can be repaired, but not now."

Her face fell as what he said hit her. Her voice hardened as she spoke. "So that's it? You're throwing away years of friendship and my love for what? A sister's folly? A passing alliance with the humans? You do not even know what you are tossing away."

Courtesy and a desire not to make a scene kept his temper in line. "Perhaps it is time for you to spend some time away from court my lady. I've heard your family is most anxious to see you and have arranged that you should leave for your home day after tomorrow. I will come to see you off then."

"You can't simply send me away. I am the guest of the king. Only he can banish me from court."

Injecting some ice into his voice he said, "Actually you were the guest of my sister and as neither she nor I want anything to do with you nothing remains for you here. Go home Lavinia."

She looked for a second like she might scream at him. He braced himself for her rage but it never came. She took a deep breath bottling the anger inside her before curtseying, "As you wish your majesty," she said stiffly.