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A/N: Thanks to Archermusician and Chewie-Fan for their reviews.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

August 6th 1688, Dawn

Jake knew who the letter was from the moment it was handed to him. The King understood that there was only person that could possible reason with him, and that was why it took as long as it did for the letter to be sent. He walked to the desk near the window and broke the seal.

My dearest friend,

It brings me great pain to learn of your refusal to marry my cousin, and I pray that it is not due to me. Mary will make you a good wife if you only gave her the chance to be. Please Jake, you must reconsider your stance on the issue. If you do not I fear that the agreement between Elizabeth and Prince Liam shall be dissolved.

Do you have any idea what this would mean for our home? It will be attacked, its people butchered, innocents lost all because of this one act. If you can live with that on your conscious, with that blood on your hands then you are not the boy I fell in love with. You will merely be some stranger, some false shadow of the kind boy you once were.

This is not just about you anymore. You see that, you know that. So why do you still refuse the match that could make your sons Kings? It will bring your family honor. As an only son it is your obligation to do so.

I understand that you do not love her but it matters not. Marriage at this station is not about love, but politics. What is best for the whole outweighs what is best for the individual. I learned that lesson the hard way.

I do not know if I am the reason behind your stance but if I am then I must tell you my husband and I have sealed our fate. There is no longer a chance for me to turn back. No other man would want me if I were to leave now.

Though we do not love each other Josh and I are content. I am sure that if you and Mary were to be wed that you would feel the same, and maybe after awhile love could bloom. You are lovable so I do not see Mary not falling for you. And though she has her moments Mary too is quite easy to love. She is my cousin, my blood, and despite all the evil she has done I love her as such.

Please Jake, if you must blame anyone for this predicament then blame me. I am far away and therefore the best target for your rage. This is not Mary's fault, nor my Uncle's. The Wizor King demands that she is married and so that is what must be. Go back to court, accept the match, marry her. You will save so many people by doing this. And that is better than having their blood on your skin.

Be safe my friend,

Aria

He wanted to burn the letter, to ignore the sentiment that it spoke of. But he knew that he couldn't. No, Aria was right. He hated to agree with her, hated to have to in this regard. Jake loved her and she had used that feeling to her advantage.

Her short time away had changed her. It was molding her to be something she never wanted to be. But what choice did she have in the matter? And really, what choice did he possess?

Folding the letter he placed it in the pocked above his heart. He would ride back to court and beg for the King's forgiveness. If he was lucky he would get it. And then he would speak to Mary. Jake felt disgusted with himself for agreeing to marry her but Aria was right. The plan had failed and he needed to get on in order to protect his family.

August 6th 1688, Mid-Afternoon

Lily pulled her knees to her chest as she watched her younger brothers chased each other around the gardens. Her father had been the one to tell her the news. In three years she would leave her home to marry a Prince. A small smile formed on her face. At least she would know Aria so she would be near some family.

Aria would make sure she learned of the traditions, the culture. Her father had asked her not to write to Aria just yet. He said that with war looming it was safer to not have any letters go out unless they had to, in fear of them being intercepted. Why a letter from one cousin to another should be considered a dangerous thing to lose was beyond her. But that was the world of men, a world she knew nothing of.

She could not help but wonder what her future husband was like. Was he kind? Was he a pig? Would he treat her well enough? King Phil had written that he wanted to send his son to meet her but with a war going on would he still want to? Would she be forced to wait until she set sail herself before she met the man she was to marry?

They could hate each other, what then? Lily knew that she could not turn back from the arrangement, not when it was better than anything else she could get. In the future she could be a sister to two Kings. An aunt and cousin to future ones.

But of course half of that equation depended on whether or not Mary had any sons. If she did than James would not be heir apparent. She was not sure which she preferred. She knew that her brother did not want to be King. But by blood he was bound to. As he was bound to his duty to wear the crown she was bound to follow the orders of men, and she was not convinced that she liked that.