My wish to not be around Oskar was apparently unrealistic. All of us, including Lola, Rita, and Juliet, had dinner with the Havarians that night. Thankfully my friends were able to rearrange the seating so that I was the farthest from both Oskar and Daniel as possible.

We were warned to not talk about his time at the Celestial Palace in front of his mother. I busied myself with talking to Daniel's mother and Rita, who made for excellent company. I managed to successfully deflect any attention from the Havarians and I retreated to my room after dinner was over, where Rita, Juliet, and Lola joined me.

"I can't believe Captain Keller is a king!"

Lola groaned. "What a horrible thing to do."

"Be a king?" Juliet asked jokingly.

"After lying to Eloise and telling her that he loved her? Absolutely."

"I really don't want to talk about him anymore," I groaned, leaning back in my chair.

Rita nodded. "That's fine, but we need to come up with a plan."

"A plan?"

She nodded. "In case he tries contacting you or something. In case he tries dancing with you at the wedding ball."

"We'll simply never leave her side," Lola said with determination.

They stayed true to their word. One of them was always with me, from the minute we woke up until we all went to sleep. We didn't have to have another meal with the Havarians, thankfully, and I went two weeks without even a glimpse of Oskar.

We had all gathered in my room one night, gossiping and eating little sweets that the maids had snuck into my room during dinner. Cynthia had joined us, eager to get away from the hectic energy of wedding planning. We were laughing at a joke Rita had told when someone knocked at the door.

"Eloise, go in there. I'll see who it is."

I listened to Cynthia and hid in my bedroom while she checked to see who was knocking. I stayed by the door and listened.

"Lady Warner," I heard Oskar say in surprise.

"What do you want?"

He cleared his throat. "I need to talk to Lady Taylor."

"No, you don't. She doesn't owe you anything."

"You're right, she doesn't, but I do owe her an explanation."

She sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore, sir. I would please ask you to leave. It's highly inappropriate of you to be here."

I cracked open the door just enough to see Oskar. He looked fairly distraught.

"Please, Lady Warner. I just want to see her."

She shook her head. "No. She doesn't want to see you." She began to close the door on him, but he pushed back against it.

"Can I at least leave her a note?"

She huffed. "If you really need to write a note to make yourself feel better, go ahead. But give it to Daniel. He will give it to me and I will give it to her. I can't guarantee she'll read it. Now leave."

He nodded and then looked up, managing to catch my eye for a moment. I expected him to try and talk to me, but instead he walked off.

The next day, Cynthia handed me a letter. "You don't have to read it, you know."

I nodded. "I know. I think I need to be alone."

"Let me know if you need something. We're here for you."

I went to my room and paced around with the unopened letter in hand. I was afraid to open it.

I let it sit on my bedside table for the rest of the day. That night after dinner, I asked my friends for time by myself. They respected my request and I was left alone with the letter and my thoughts. I sat down on my bed and picked it up hesitantly. I turned it over in my hand. Then I looked over and saw the key to the Celestial Library.

I changed into more inconspicuous clothes and left my room with the key and letter in hand. This time, when I got to the library door, I didn't hesitate. I turned the key in the lock and stepped inside.

When I walked in, I knew I had made a mistake. The room had clearly been used since the last time I was here. Papers and half-spent candles littered the desks and tables.

I turned to leave, but it was too late.

Oskar stood in the doorway, looking as shocked as I felt.

Neither of us spoke right away. We just stared at each other. He almost looked ill. He had dark shadows under his eyes and was thinner than I remembered. He looked like he had aged five years at least.

"I'm sorry," he finally said and turned around to leave.

I found myself reaching out for him. He felt my unintended magic use, stopped, and turned to look at me.

"What you did was unforgivable. How could you leave me like that?" I asked.

His face crumpled. "I know. It was awful. I'm so sorry."

I sat down in a chair. "We might as well get it over with. I can't keep ignoring you until you leave."

He nodded and stepped back inside, shutting the door behind him. He took a seat in a chair across the room.

I held up the letter. "I haven't read it yet. What does it say?"

He flushed red. "I apologize a lot in it."

"For what, exactly?"

"For everything. For leaving without giving you an explanation or goodbye. For how you found out."

"Why did you leave me? You told me that you loved me. You asked my mother for her blessing. Then your father died and you just left days later."

He winced. "I hated the thought of taking you away from your family and friends. My family isn't loving and nurturing, not like yours, anyway. They're very pragmatic and methodical. You would have resented me for taking you from your home and into that environment."

A couple tears fell from my eyes. "You don't know that."

He frowned and looked at his hands. "I know. There's no excuse for what I did to you. The best I can offer is that I was grieving my father. I wasn't thinking clearly. Please, forgive me for my mistakes."

I stood up. "No. I can't forgive you. I don't think I could ever forgive you. " Being near him was more difficult than I thought. "Do you still love me?" I wasn't sure why I asked. I just wanted to leave.

He nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but got choked up. He cleared his throat and said in Havarian, "Very much so."

I felt a sob escape my chest. "You hurt me."

"I know," he said, his own tears falling.

"I was still alone, you know. I spent the entire autumn and winter alone. It would have been better if I resented you for trying, don't you think, than letting me resent you for abandoning me? I would have had you, at least. Instead, I had no one."

He pressed his lips together, trying to keep his falling tears at bay. "I know that now. I'm so sorry."

"I have to go," I said, rushing from the room.

When I reached my room again, I did my best to not break down. I placed the key back on the bookshelf and put the letter inside my desk.

The next two weeks went by quickly and soon the wedding day had arrived.

Lola, Rita, Juliet, and I had woken early to get ourselves ready and then helped Cynthia stay calm as a team of experts helped her prepare for the biggest day of her life. Once she was ready, we all gathered in the courtyard and got into the waiting carriages that would take us to the cathedral.

The cathedral was in a nearby city. When we arrived, crowds from all over the country had gathered to see a glimpse of Cynthia. The Ladies of Opportunity went first, followed by visiting royalty, then Cynthia and Daniel's families, and finally Cynthia herself.

The ceremony was long, regal, and beautiful. Cynthia was a vision in a golden dress with an impossibly long train. Daniel looked royal and important in an elaborate dress uniform. Their love was tangible to everyone in attendance, and there were fewer dry eyes than teary ones.

When the ceremony was finally over, they recessed outside to greet the crowd and the guests followed. Juliet, Rita, Lola and I followed behind Oskar and his mother.

As we stepped out into the bright sun, I heard someone yell something, then a loud bang rang out.

There was a moment of silence before cries and screams rose up around us.

"Is it the prince? Cynthia?" asked Juliet in a panic.

"No, it's the captain!" replied Rita, rushing to his side.

I pushed Juliet and Lola aside to see a pool of blood under Oskar. His mother knelt beside him, sobbing and screaming. I dropped down beside Rita and said, "Where is the bullet?"

"Here." She ripped apart his clothes and gestured to his chest. "I don't think it hit his heart, but it's close. Can you get it out?"

My hands shook and my heart was pounding. I took a deep breath. "I can try."

"This bullet has a lot of magic in it," she added worriedly. "Should we remove the bullet or the magic first?"

"Bullet," coughed Oskar, barely conscious.

"Quiet," I demanded. "Hold him still. I'm going to get the bullet out. Rita, try to manage his pain while I work."

I closed my eyes and tried to tune out the screams and shouts surrounding me. I focused on Oskar and the hum of his magic. I searched for the bullet's magic and found it was spreading quickly. I found the source and carefully maneuvered the bullet from his chest. I quickly burned up the magic still contained inside the bullet and then tossed it aside.

"There's a lot of magic in him, and it's still spreading. I'll need your help," I told my friends. Oskar was now unconscious and his breathing was shallow.

Cynthia finally reached us. "They have the attacker restrained. What can I do?"

I gestured to the Dowager Queen of Havaria. "Calm her. Please. We can save him, but we need to concentrate."

She nodded and ushered the woman a few steps away while speaking soothingly to her.

"Hurry," Rita said. "His heart is weak and the magic is strong. He won't last much longer if we don't focus."

I reached for the magic within him and pulled at it. It didn't budge as easily as I had hoped. I frowned and looked to Rita, who was also struggling.

"It's hard to differentiate his magic from the magic of the bullet," Rita said in frustration.

"Who shot him?" I asked Cynthia.

She shook her head. "They don't know. He isn't a magic user."

"Where did he get this magic bullet from, then?!" I cried out.

Daniel rushed up, panting. "It was the Lowendry magic user. Before Oskar defeated him, Nikolas put highly concentrated magic on several bullets and instructed the owners of those bullets to find Oskar and kill him in battle. One particular Lowendry officer decided it was his duty to finish that task."

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my tears from escaping. "The reason why we can't differentiate the magic is because it's Oskar's magic."

"What do you mean?" Rita asked.

I opened my eyes and reached for Oskar's face. I brushed his hair aside. "The Lowendry magic user, Nikolas, had taken his magic when they were students. He wasn't that powerful on his own. He stole that magic. So he used it on specific bullets so that Oskar wouldn't have a chance to survive. We can't just take pieces of his magic like this, not when it's in this state."

"What if we treated the magic like any other body part?"

I turned to Rita. "What do you mean?"

"Why not try and heal his magic? We can treat it like it's infected."

I felt my magic rise up in my chest. "You're right. You're a genius, Rita!"

The four of us set to work using our own magical energy to heal the infected magic within Oskar. To my delight, we began to see results immediately. It was hard work, and Lola had to stop after a few minutes. Juliet followed soon after.

Rita and I poured all of our energy into the task. I wasn't as skilled as Rita, but I pressed on.

I focused on Oskar's face. I couldn't let him die. Not before I read his letter. Not before I-

"It's gone!" Rita cried, falling back. "We did it!"

I left my hands on his chest and felt for the magic. It was true. The affected magic was completely healed, but his wound was still open. I was weak and struggling to stay focused, but I had to make sure he was going to make it.

"Eloise, you have to stop! You're too weak. He'll survive. Let it go. We need to rest before we go back to work."

I didn't even register who was speaking. I ignored them and kept going, healing the area around his heart. Something within me knew he had to be healed immediately. I put every last bit of energy I had into healing Oskar. As the skin on his chest closed up, I finally let go and immediately fainted.

When I awoke, I found myself in my room at the Celestial Palace, surrounded by my four friends.

"Eloise!"

I smiled with relief to see them. Their hair was still the same as it had been at the wedding, but they were all wearing different gowns. "Is it still the wedding day?"

Cynthia smiled. "Yes, thank goodness! You were only unconscious for a few hours."

"What happened exactly?"

"Some man yelled out 'Havarian pig' when the captain- wait, I'm sorry, the king of Havaria- and his mother came out of the cathedral, then shot him," Rita explained.

"Why?"

"We haven't heard."

"How is he?"

Cynthia sighed. "He's well as far as anyone can tell, but he hasn't woken up yet. It may be several days."

"That was very good thinking on your part, Eloise," Juliet told me. "It's a miracle that it worked. I was glad that Lola and I could help, since we can't actually remove magic. I'm glad we were all able to heal it."

"I'm glad, too."

"It's a relief to know you're awake now. The king and queen refused to cancel the wedding ball. They allowed us to delay it, though. We need to go down and join them. You must stay here and rest. I know you bounce back quickly, but please give yourself some time."

"Perhaps we should go check on him," Lola offered.

Cynthia shook her head. "His mother won't let anyone visit him yet."

"That's understandable, I suppose."

Juliet smiled and turned to me. "Would you like me to stay with you?"

I shook my head. "No, there's no need. Go have fun. You deserve it after all you did today!"

"If you say so. Get some rest, Eloise."

I wished them good luck and once they were gone, I changed out of my own bloody gown and into something clean. Then I decided to sit down at my desk and write a brief letter to my mother.

As I finished writing, I remembered Oskar's letter still in the desk. I sighed and took it out, finally taking the time to listen to what he had to say.

"Here we go, Oskar. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Eloise

Lady Taylor

I don't know how to address this letter. I've written fifteen drafts, all awful.

First, I want to apologize for hurting you the way I did. It's unforgivable, but I'll ask for forgiveness anyway. I'm so sorry that I abandoned you. I'm sorry that I left with no explanation about why I had to go. I'm sorry that I left the country without giving you a proper farewell.

I never meant for you to find out who I am the way you did. I had wanted to see you first, to make my plea and then give you a ridiculous excuse about how I never wanted to be king, how the letter from my mother completely threw me off. How my emotions and thoughts were mixed up and kept me from thinking straight. I was grieving and going back and forth on what I should do as the heir to the throne. I had just found the greatest joy I had ever known, only to have one of the biggest sorrows of my life crash down on me days later.

But even though it's all true, that's not a good enough excuse for how I handled things. I was being somewhat selfish too. I didn't want to give you the chance to tell me no. I was afraid if I told you who I was and asked you to come with me… I never thought you would want to come along. My family is cold and distant. You would have had nobody to talk to but me. You would have resented me; I didn't want you to end up being angry with me for the rest of our lives. I see now that what I did accomplished that anyway.

I had so many wonderful plans for our life together. I would have given you everything you wanted. You could do whatever you wanted and be whoever you wanted. If you wanted to become a Scholar, I would have fought their rules by your side. If you wanted to leave society and live on a farm, I would have become a farmer. If you wanted to start your own university for girls and women, I would have been right by your side. I would have built you a house and written you poetry. It would have been awful poetry, but I would have written you poetry.

I'm sorry that we will never have that life, but please know that I still love you and will never stop.

Oskar

Almost to the end! Let me know what you thought. It's 3am and I'm rushing off to a conference with some girl friends, so I may not reply to your reviews right away. Enjoy!