This will now end up being 29 chapters including the chapter that I posted that lists just the names and descriptions of my original characters.

Chapter 25 - Celestine In The Garden

Darien found Celestine sitting on her favorite bench in the rose garden crying. He sat next to her and she looked up and tears were streaming down her face. He handed her a handkerchief and said, "Dear one, why are you crying?"

She sniffed and wiped at her tears, "I am being silly. I know. I shouldn't cry over a boy, but I really like him." She sighed and said, "I heard that horrible Cleo saying he likes her and she expects him to ask her out soon."

"I hate Cleo! Who is she again?" Darien asked.

Celestine chuckled, "She is the daughter of the Finance Minister for the Western Hemisphere's Agriculture Department."

Darien cringed, "I actually told the truth, I don't like her at all. She is really mean, I think she made one of the guards even cry once. Her tongue is even sharper than the Sword of Mars."

"Yup that is her." She played with the handkerchief. "So why does he like her?"

"First tell me who 'He' is." Darien said.

Celestine looked at him and narrowed her eyes, "Promise you won't kill him. I know you are protective of me."

"I promise to hesitate, that is the best I can offer. Take it or leave it." He said in mock seriousness.

She carefully spread out the handkerchief on her lap and stared at it. "Jasper, I really like him dad. I just don't know why he has to like a girl like Cleo! I know I am 18 and it isn't the end of the world, but it feels like it is." She didn't notice that Darien's whole body relaxed once she mentioned Jasper.

"Dear one, how do you know he likes Cleo?" He asked with a small smile.

She plucked at the handkerchief. "She told her friends that he likes her and I overheard her."

"You mean you were spying on her." He shook his head. "Did you ever think that she could be lying?"

"Why would she lie?"

Darien shook his head and said,"We trained you better than that. You are going to be Queen one day and you already know people lie for all sorts of reasons. Including the fact that she may have known you were spying on her."

"I was so quiet. She couldn't have known." She stated emphatically.

He shook his head, "Where were your guards?"

Her eyes shot wide open, "No! I forgot about them. She could have seen my guards around and known I was nearby somewhere." She grabbed the handkerchief in her hand and crushed it in her grip. "But I have been so careful and I never let on that I have feelings for him, why would she name him?"

"Again, I don't think it's you who gave it away. I believe it's obvious that Jasper has feelings for you. I believe she noticed them and wants to get in your way." Darien reasoned to her.

Celestine looked hopefully at her father, "You really think he likes me? What gave you that idea?"

He chuckled and said, "Well, some reasons I can't tell you yet, but I will give you two. Actually, I will give you three. One, he is always staring at you when you aren't looking at him. Two, you should see how he lights up when you walk into the room. Three, he isn't an idiot."

She smiled when he gave her the third reason. "Dad, you aren't going to kill him are you?"

"It turns out you have fallen in love with the one man that I won't kill for loving you back." He smiled at her. "He is a good man."

She sighed wistfully, "He really is. I am just curious as to what he did to make you okay with the idea of us dating."

"I will just say that he has grown up to be exactly the sort of man I expected him to be. A very good one. I believe he is the type of man who would do anything to protect someone he loves." Darien chuckled to himself. He was positive of that.

He stood and reached out his hand to help her up. "Dry your eyes and think about how funny it will be when he asks you out and Cleo's gang hears about it."

"Her gang?"

Darien nodded, "Tell me that 'gang leader' isn't an accurate description of her."

She laughed and stood up with his help. "You are perfectly right about her. I just hope you are right about Jasper too."

Darien asked, "Have I ever lied to you?" She shook her head no. "He loves you, I promise. You will see."

"Thank you daddy." She kissed him on her cheek and they walked back into the palace together.