Keladry led Kiyo and Elijah down countless corridors and through numerous doorways. Finally she paused at a wide wooden door, her hand resting lightly on the handle.

"The princess is in here" She told them. Kel hesitated, her hazel eyes inspecting the pair carefully. Removing her hand from the door, she walked down the hallway, stopping at a smaller door. She opened it to reveal a dark cupboard. "You can leave your things in here for now," She instructed.

Kiyo was grateful to have the weight from her shoulders removed. As Elijah struggled out of his pack, Kiyo attempted to make herself more presentable; She retied her hair in a leather thong, scrubbed her hands together, and inspected her clothes for any stray twigs. Anxious, she wondered if she should have changed into a kimono. The shirt and breeches which had served so well on the journey to the palace now seemed completely wrong for an audience with a second-rank princess. 'It's too late now,' Kiyo told herself sternly. 'Besides, she is your friend.'

Kel led the way back to the wide wooden door, and made her way through it. As Kiyo made to follow, she felt Elijah behind her, and her heart fell. During the walk through the palace, she had managed to forget that she had lied to Elijah - he still thought she was a scholars daughter who was to study Tortall with a teacher named Nobu. She would have to tell Shinkokami that she had run away, and Elijah would no doubt pick up that something was astray. Swallowing nervously, she wondered how he would react.

The room Kel had taken them to was bright, with the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows. It was a moderately big room, furbished with a unique mix of both Yamani and Tortallan styles. In the center of the room was a low table. Kneeling on cushions around it were several Yamani ladies. They were drinking green tea from dainty porcelain cups.

"I'm not surprised, she always was her own person." A young Yamani woman was saying calmly. She was wearing a pale yellow kimono. Kiyo recognised her as Yukimi noh Daiomoru, a noblewoman.

"If you're not surprised, you should have given some warning then." An older woman spoke sharply. "It would have saved this shameful mess." The speaker's kimono was red and travel stained. She was seemed familiar to Kiyo, but she struggled to put a name to the face.

Seated opposite the two women was Princess Shinkokami. Unlike her companions, she had noticed the visitors enter the room. Kiyo made eye contact with her, and saw the princess's eyes fill with recognition and something else. She felt her stomach twist - was it dismay that showed in the Princess's eyes?

"Excuse me" Kel said politely. She bowed. "Shinkokami, there is someone here to see you."

The other women at the table stopped talking and swivelled around to peer at the visitors. The woman in red jumped to her feet at the sight of Kiyo.

"You!" she hissed. Kiyo backed away, startled by the hatred in the woman's glare.

"Be quiet." Shinkokami ordered sharply. The princess got to her feet, a regal air settling around her. "Sit over there." She pointed to a Tortallan seat at the far end of the room. Very rarely did Shinkokami draw on her royal right to give orders, and the woman seemed to understand it would be a bad idea to argue. Radiating hate, the woman strode across the room and settled herself in the chair.

"What's going on?" Elijah whispered to Kiyo. So far, everything had been said in Yamani. "Who is that woman?" Kiyo shook her head. Try as she might, she could not remember who she was. She couldn't think what she had done to anger her so.

Maids hurried to set cushions on the floor. Kiyo and Kel both bowed and knelt, and after hesitating, Elijah gave a Tortallan-style bow and sat cross-legged beside Kiyo.

"Kiyo, what are you doing here?" Shinkokami asked, kneeling opposite them.

Kiyo swallowed. Boldly, she said in Yamani "I have run away."

Shinkokami didn't seemed shocked or surprised as Kiyo had expected her to be. Instead, the princess's gaze rested on Elijah.

"Who is your companion?" The princess asked in Common. Elijah cleared his throat to answer.

"I am Elijah Thornson" he said. Kiyo closed her eyes as he said: "I escorted Kiyo from Blue Harbour so she could meet with Nobu."

When Kiyo opened her eyes, she saw the princess frowning at her. There was silence. When Shinkokami spoke again, she addressed Kiyo in Common.

"Your running away has caused many difficulties." She said, bluntly.

"What?" asked Elijah, confusion flooding his face. "She didn't -"

"The day before you were discovered missing, Arashino became one of my uncles favoured for his capture and execution of several bandit families" Shinkokami spoke over Elijah as if he wasn't there. "As a favoured family..." Shinkokami paused as she struggled to find the right words. "As a favoured family, it was shameful for them to find that someone betrothed to marry into their family had run away." The princess's expression was serious. "It is like a black mark on them."

Kiyo felt cold, and she fought to keep her face smooth. She knew that Shinkokami was correct. Favoured families tried to keep their public face spotless and free from shame, so as to keep their favour with the emperor.

"That night, at the well" Kiyo spoke flatly, "He was still in uniform...he must have been coming back from the palace." She realised she made no sense to those around her, but she didn't care. She swayed where she knelt. "I refuse to marry him" She said through gritted teeth.

The woman in the red kimono gave an angry snarl, and was silenced by a look from Shinkokami.

"Arashino sent messages to find you as soon as he found out you were gone" Shinkokami continued as though Kiyo hadn't spoken. "He found out that you had left on a ship to Tortall, so he dispatched a loshumo with a message for Prince Eitaro and myself. The messenger is his cousin, Hatsuoki." She nodded towards the woman in red.

Kiyo cursed herself. No wonder the woman had looked so familiar, she was related to Arashino! The loshumo also explained why the message had gotten here before her. It was a boat that travelled fast because it only carried letters and messages, instead of a normal trading ship that carried crates of heavy cargo.

"Princess, I -" Began Kiyo, but Shinkokami shook her head. She wasn't finished yet.

"Your parents found out that you were missing at the same time they found out about Arashino's favour" Kiyo bowed her head. She could only imagine her fathers rage and her mothers quiet disappointment. She felt a stab of guilt mingled with sorrow rush through her. She did not mean to dishonour her family, and she especially did not mean to bring shame on her mother. She had firmly believed that her father would not have cared if she had gone. Perhaps that would have been true, if Arashino had not become such an important man. Through a marriage, the favour would also have spread to Nobu.

Shinkokami continued. "They did the only thing they could..." She cleared her throat and seemed to have trouble saying the words, though her face was smooth and expressionless. "As a princess of the Yamani Islands, I rename you Kiyomuri-jiu." She refused to meet Kiyo's eyes as she whispered "I'm sorry."

Hatsuoki let out a harsh laugh as Kiyo felt her eyes fill with tears. She struggled to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. Jiu meant "no father" or "nameless" in Yamani. Having it attached to your name meant only two things - you were either abandoned at birth, or you had been disowned by your family.

Kiyo took deep breaths until she had her emotions under control. Shinkokami reached out and grasped her hand.

"You can stay at the palace for now" The princess said, kindly. "The marriage contract has been broken, and as you are now formally jiu, Arashino can do no more to you" Kiyo nodded her thanks, not trusting herself to speak.

Shinkokami began giving orders to her maids. She called over a lady Kiyo recognised as Haname noh Ajikuro, and whispered something in her ear. Haname nodded, and walked over to Hatsuoki. Speaking softly to the woman, she coaxed her from the room.

Kel had sat quietly during the affair. Now she stirred herself and stood up.

"Well. I better be going." The lady knight said. Bowing to Shinkokami, she gave Kiyo's shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving. Kiyo turned to the other silent member in the room. Elijah was frowning at the floor, refusing to look up.

"Elijah..." Began Kiyo softly. The young man shook his head, stood up, and strode out of the room. Kiyo stared miserably after him.

"Give him some time. Your lying did him no good." Shinkokami advised her with a sympathetic look.

"I didn't mean to, it just..."

"Of course not. Come...There are some rooms free in the next corridor. I will have to check with the King and Queen, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you staying. There's room for Elijah, too...You can tell him that when you find him."

"That's if he hasn't left yet" Kiyo muttered.

***

The rooms Shinkokami showed her were small but comfortable and furnished tastefully. It included two bedrooms that were attached by a lounge room. Each bedroom had a small privy and changeroom. Shinkokami's maids had moved their packs into the main room. Thankfully, Kiyo noted that Elijah's bags were still there.

"I'll leave you to unpack" Shinkokami said, bowing slightly. "I need to talk to the Highnesses. There is still a while until dinner. I'll have a maid come for you when it's mealtime." Pausing, she added "Find Elijah...Talk to him, make him understand why you did it."

Kiyo thanked her, bowing deeply. When the princess had left, Kiyo sighed and collapsed on a couch. She no longer felt like crying, instead she felt numb. 'It's not like you were taking a holiday' she told herself 'You left your family, it's only right that they leave you too. Your free!' Still, Kiyo couldn't get herself to feel jubilant. She had no idea she would have caused so much of a fuss back at the islands.

Sighing again, she forced thoughts of Arashino out of her head and gathered up her packs. She inspected both rooms before choosing the smaller of the two. 'It's only fair to Elijah' she thought grimly. She unpacked - an easy job since she had so little. The pouch of valuables Meiko had given her she placed in a crack between the floor and the wall. Giving a quick prayer that no rats lived there.

Kiyo washed her face and changed from her dusty travel clothes into a soft pink and white kimono, with a white under kimono, and a pink obi. She hoped the peaceful colours would aid her when she talked to Elijah. Tugging a comb through her hair, she plaited it, copying a common Tortallan style. She didn't want to be too Yamani-like when she saw Elijah. Washing her hands again, she fiddled with her kimono, making sure it fit straight.

'Enough stalling' she told herself sternly.

***

She found Elijah outside the stables, sitting on the grass with his back against the stable wall. He tensed as she crouched next to him. There was silence while the pair looked out over the palace grounds. They watched pages riding their horses. Occasionally a curse would reach their ears as a page struggled to have his mount cooperate.

"Elijah..." Kiyo tried, when it became apparent he would not speak first.

"You lied to me." Elijah's voice was hurt. "You lied to my mother. We gave you so much help, and you didn't even give us the truth."

Kiyo hung her head. "I had to. I was a runaway. Who would have helped a runaway? People would have handed me in for hope of payment." As soon as she said it, Kiyo knew it had been the wrong thing to say.

"You think that's the type of people we are?" Yelled Elijah. He sat up straighter and thumped his fist on the ground. "We don't do that sort of thing! My mother is the kindest soul living, she would have helped you - runaway or not!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I knew that later, but I had already lied, I couldn't go backwards..."

Elijah shook his head. "We still would have helped you."

"Elijah please...I'm sorry!" Kiyo was mortified as a sob escaped her. Elijah sighed and looked at her.

"I know you are" he said, in a kinder voice. "I heard that story in there...That was terrible for you. It's just a bit of a shock to find out you're not who you are." He reached out and took her hand. "Tell me everything. The truth."

Kiyo nodded. Seating herself more comfortably against the stable, she told him the whole tale.

"Well!" said Elijah when she had finished. He paused, looking into her eyes. "I believe you, and...I forgive you."

"Thankyou." Said Kiyo, relief flooding through her. She had no idea that Elijah's forgiveness meant that much to her.

Remembering Shinkokami's words, she asked "Are you staying at the palace? There's a room ready for you if you want it."

Elijah laughed. "Of course I am!" he said. "I'd be a fool to turn down a stay at the palace."

Kiyo grinned. Standing, she dusted of her kimono and offered a hand to Elijah. "I'll show you where they are" She said.

***

Half an hour later, they arrived at their door.

"Here it is!" called Kiyo, happily.

"You better be right this time" grumbled Elijah. "My legs hurt. I didn't know that many wrong turnings existed, and it really wasn't polite of us to barge into that poor nobles room like that."

Kiyo laughed. "This is it, I'm certain." She said. Giving the knob a deft twist, she stepped into the room - and gasped. Fear washed through her, paralysing her.

"What is it? Wrong room again?" asked Elijah. He was behind her, and unable to see into the room. "You're blocking." He informed her.

The sound of his voice brought Kiyo back to her senses. Stepping aside, she allowed Elijah to come into the main room. Like Kiyo, he too stopped suddenly, staring at the couch.

Hatsuoki sat in the main room. She had changed her dress into a dark grey kimono decorated with red cranes. Her mouth was twisted into a sneer.

"Oh no" the woman said, letting out a small laugh. "You definitely have the right room."

************

A/N: Whee..what a fun way to leave a chapter ;) Thanks for all the reviews so far. Esp. For the Yaman/Yamani corrections. Silly me thought she read 'yaman' somewhere in Squire, but when I went back to double check, it had disappeared. The 'I' at the end must have been in my blindspot. I think I got the yamani bits right in this chapter.

As always, your reviews, comments and suggestions are welcomed and treasured. In fact, a lot of reviews for the previous chapters have shaped the way the story is going. Now doesn't that make you feel special! =)

--Edith