A/N: The theme for this drabble might be familiar to some who enjoy watching the Tudors. But when my friend pressured me to watch that one scene I really enjoyed it and wanted to do the same thing for Kalasin of Conte. I wanted to show how much Kally was hurt when her father betrothed her to a man she had never even met without thinking she might have her own sweetheart. I hope I got the message across, and while this drabble isn't original, I really like the idea.

Disclaimer: The characters and plot are Tamora Pierce's creation; the foundation of the scene came from the Tudors.

Prompt: Breaking Hearts

"Happy Midwinter!" Aly cried exuberantly. She offered Kally a package wrapped in blue velvet. The Conte princess smiled as she carefully undidt the ribbons to reveal a stunning diamond-and-sapphire necklace glowing against the velvet.

"It's so beautiful!" Kally whispered in awe. "I'm sorry, Aly, that my gift does not match yours."

Aly laughed. "I love my new mare. She is beautiful and I will enjoy riding her."

"Allow me to grant you a promise," Kally insisted stubbornly. "You deserve it."

"Very well," Aly agreed. "Promise me that you won't break any more hearts. My brother Thom tells me that all the young men are languishing for love for you. I want the title of heartbreaker to be mine when I'm older and I'm sure that it will be great fun. Maude is threatening to start me on more complex embroidery the year after next and I'll need pleasant distractions." She giggled.

Kally thoguht of the young man she was in love with who loved her back. Her father had married for love; she would do the same. She smiled. "I promise not to break any more hearts, Aly," she pledged, her own heart filled with love and hope for the future.

A year later:

"Whenever I see you my world shines with light; and I am filled with absolute and pure delight. But when I get closer I don't know what to say; even when you greet me your eyes slide away. Tell me what I did not do right yesterday; tell me how to make everything all okay."

Alfaric of Hiaotune jumped gracefully from the tree branch where he had leaned and walked over to the slender figure lying on the grass. "Did you enjoy that?" he inquired.

Kalasin of Conte half-smiled. She looked absolutely stunning; her glossy black hair spread out on the emerald green grass and her pure blue eyes half closed. "Am I supposed to enjoy something that accuses me of being an ice-hearted girl?"

"You are an ice-hearted girl," Alfaric replied softly. "And you are a thief. You stole my heart from me and I do not know how to ever get it back again. I can only hope that you take care of my heart instead of breaking it."

The princess's blue eyes flickered and her mouth twisted down. When Alfaric gently brushed his fingers against her cheek, she turned her head away from his touch. "Don't."

His voice was gentle but sad. "I was correct in my guess. You are planning to break my heart. You're leaving." His fingers traced the outline of her lips and this time she did flinch away. "Have I done something wrong? How have I angered you?"

Kalasin sat up abruptly, furious with Alfaric for being so sweet when she wanted him to be nasty so she could feel justified in leaving, and furious with herself that she cared so much about him when she had known all along that romance for royals was a tricky thing, and yet also furious with herself that she was letting him go so easily. Her cheeks flushed and hot guilt and shame flooded through her. But she wouldn't let him see that. "My Father has betrothed me to the Emperor of Carthak."

"So you will marry him?" Alfaric demanded. "After you told me that you loved me?"

"Stop it!" she cried angrily. Her blue eyes blazed. It was impossible to tell whether from fury or tears. "You have no claim on me! All I did was dance with you, and talk with you, and flirt with you. What we shared was nothing more than a playful flirtation; nothing more. Do you understand that?"

"I understand that you told me that you loved me when I kissed you and now you tell me that you're leaving me for the Emperor of Carthak!" Alfaric retorted heatedly. "Are you saying that you don't care about my feelings? That it was just a flirtation to you, and now we are going to part amicably on both sides with pleasant smiles, and you can move on with you wonderful life?"

The princess stood. "Yes," she rapped out harshly. She hated herself for being so hateful, so cruel, to the man that she loved. But maybe if she was unpleasant and hateful then he would hate her. Although she knew it would tear her up inside to think that he detested her, although she knew her broken heart would smash into millions of pieces, she thought that she could do it because it would be a clean break of Alfaric, and he could then move on. "Don't you dare speak with me again. I entered into a flirtation with you for fun. But I'm not having fun anymore. You just stay away from me, Alfaric of Hiaotune!"

With that she whirled around and strode away from him, tears streaming down her ivory cheeks, biting her ruby lip so hard that it drew blood, her heart wrenching as he called, "Are you so heartless to the man who loves you and so eager to leave him for your wealthy Emperor?" She almost staggered from the pain.

Princesses should not break oaths. But Princess Kalasin of Conte had done so. She had broken two hearts. Yet she was not afraid of any punishment that Mithros or the Goddess might dole out for breaking her promise. What could hurt her more than she had already been hurt when one of the hearts she had broken was her own and the other that of the man she loved most in the world?