A/N Merry Christmas! I almost made this chapter take place at a mid-winter party for the sake of the season, but birthday party just fit better. Hope you enjoy it!

Alanna and George spun across the dance floor with self-conscious laughter and smiles. They were the worst dancers at Jonathan's birthday party, and they knew it. But they were also in love, and Alanna enjoyed feeling like a girl while George enjoyed having her in his arms for the world to see. So they danced on, aware of their poor dancing, but not really caring.

As the song ended, they went to go join Raoul, Thayet, and Buri who were clustered together by the punch bowl.

"Traitor," Raoul mumbled with a look at Alanna as she poured herself a glass of punch.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're supposed to hate these things. The two of us were always a team in our anti-social grumpiness," he explained.

Alanna laughed and replied, "Buri seems to be filling my spot well."

"You don't understand. We want to grow our numbers, not retain the status quo. Then one day maybe we could hit a critical mass and...and… well, I'm not sure what we'd do with a critical mass, but now we'll never know with traitors like you!" Raoul exclaimed.

Buri patted his arm in mock sympathy. "She's in love, Raoul, and therefore a lost cause. We'll have to recruit elsewhere."

"Or you both could just decide to stop hating parties and be more social," Thayed chimed in.

Both of them just looked at her.

"I think they're the lost causes, your majesty," George said with a wink.

As they spoke, Thayet suddenly noticed Lord Klobashar approaching quickly and purposefully. A look of dread past over her face. George saw the look but hesitated. It was customary to dance with a variety of partners at these gatherings, even if you were married, but George usually only danced with Alanna. He had learned the dances, but not nearly as well as the nobles who had grown up with them. But, he had to act.

He took Thayet's hand and bowed over it, asking, "May I have this dance, your majesty?"

She smiled politely and curtsied to him while whispering just loud enough for their little group to hear, "Gods, yes! I don't think I could handle another dance with Lord Klobashar."

"Happy to be of service, my queen, but I warn you, you may change your mind when you remember how poor my dancin' is," George responded with a sheepish smile.

"You have clearly never had to dance with Lord Klobashar," Thayet responded.

They danced silently for a while as George focused on the steps. Once he was more in the rhythm, Thayet asked, "How is the Swoop treating you?"

George smiled broadly, "Quite well. I've decided I like the sea."

"And married life?" Thayet asked, guessing the main reason behind the smile.

"And married life," George agreed as he twirled her, nearly knocking into Gary who was dancing opposite them. "How about you? How has life been for you and Jonathan?"

Thayet frowned. "Busy. I love my life with Jonathan, but I'm afraid he hasn't had a real rest since the coronation, and it's wearing on him," she said with a sigh. "Today is his first birthday without his parents, and I think he's feeling their absence more than usual. I wish I could have given him more than just another court function."

"Looks like he's not the only one it's been wearing on," George said with a sympathetic smile. "What did you want to give him?" George inquired, as he tried very hard this time not to bump into Gary.

"I don't know…a chance to sleep in, breakfast in bed, some alone time with just the two of us, some time for him to just be by himself and read something just because he wants to, and then an evening with just his close friends who he doesn't have to act kingly around," she said with increasing speed and assuredness.

"Sounds like you know exactly what you wanted to give him," George said with a smile.

"Well, yes, but you know how court is. The kingdom's problems won't take a day off for his birthday, and if he had an exclusive party on his birthday the nobles would be furious," she explained.

"Right. I'm still getting used to all that," George said thoughtfully as he escorted her off the floor. The song had just ended.

They rejoined their group, and before long, Thayet was swept away by another, though far more agreeable, nobleman.

After a little while, Alanna saw her chance and got Jonathan's attention. "There's the birthday boy!" she said with a teasing look in her eye. "Come out to the balcony, we want to give you your present."

Jonathan let George and Alanna escort him outside to one of the wide balconies. Once George had shut the door behind them, the King took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"Long night?" George asked.

"You have no idea. I know this party is supposed to be for me, but that means that every person in there is going out of their way more so than usual to get my attention. It's quite wearisome."

"Oh, well we won't bother you then. You can go back to your adoring fans," Alanna joked, moving to open the door.

"Don't you dare. This is the first respite I've had all evening," he said, stopping her from reaching the door and pulling her into a side hug in the same smooth movement. "And I was promised a present."

"That you were," George said, producing a pouch from this jacket, "although I must admit that it is a bit of a re-gift."

Jonathan gave him a quizzical look before opening the pouch and finding a very familiar-looking sapphire ring. He held it up to the light that was coming from inside the ballroom. "Is this...?"

"The ring you gave me eight years ago to help cover the cost of Alanna's horse. See the thing is, that horse is now back in my household, so I thought it only fair I give it back," George explained with a grin.

Jonathan tried to slide it onto his ring finger but realized it no longer fit, and slid it onto his pinky instead. "It was for Darkness too… one ring to purchase them all. You kept this?" he inquired.

"I did. I suppose meeting the crown prince would be memorable for anyone, but there was something about that day that felt important. I can't imagine there are many princes in the world who would meet the likes of me and then offer his friendship. And then you felt so honor-bound to look after this one," he said with a look towards Alanna. "Some feeling about that meeting I couldn't shake stopped me from selling it. And then at some point we truly became friends, and I kept it because I wanted to."

George walked over to Alanna and put her arm around her. "She told me it had been a birthday gift from your parents, and we thought it may now mean even more to you than it does to me."

Jonathan studied the ring on his finger.

"Happy birthday, Jon," Alanna said softly.

Alanna thought for a second that she saw an unshed tear in his eye as he pulled them both into an embrace.

"Thank you for this," he whispered. "That day will always stand out in my memory as well. And this ring... when my father gave it to me, I was in a phase where I was terrified of becoming king, and he told me he couldn't ask for a better heir. I hadn't thought about that day in a long time. This really means-" he swallowed hard and was silent for a moment as he mastered his emotions. "I can't express how much this means to me," he concluded as he prolonged the crushing hug.

"They would be so proud of you, Jon, as we are," Alanna replied.

"Me too!" Thayet chimed in as she slipped out onto the balcony.

Jonathan moved his arm to include her in the embrace.

Suddenly Buri, Gary, and Raoul appeared in the doorway, and Raoul called out "group hug" as the three new-comers wrapped their arms around the group.

The serious moment dissolved into laughter, and their conversation turned jovial.

After a few minutes, Jonathan took a step back and watched his wife and his friends as he felt the ring between his fingers. So much had changed in just a year, and while he still keenly felt the loss of his parents, he had a moment of pure joy as he let himself realize how wonderful his life was with those he had left.