Author's Note: Sorry about the problems, I hope this fixes it. There's a bit of a spiel down below dealing with the secret admirer. Just wanted to let you know that that note is different little bits of Shakespeare, and entirely not me. I'll cite it better at the end. :) Also, it took a while to get any reviews for the last two chapters, so this one took a while to post. But thanks for all the reviews I did get!!! *Emma the NazgulQueen* Oh, and P.S. I don't know if there are chaises or rogue in Middle-earth, but I kinda had to include them, so there you go. :) Thanks!

Venitia woke to a frosty wind blowing through her room. She got out of bed and went to the balcony, and was greeted by ice covering the whole palace grounds. It's only November, she thought in astonishment. Closing and locking the doors, she shook her head in disbelief.

The gray, dreary day seemed to cover her whole room, including Venitia herself. In an attempt to light up the room, she lit some candles, but to no avail. She sat back down on her bed and sighed. The miserable weather seemed to dampen her spirits, and she no longer had the determination she had last night.

Still in her nightgown, she left the room and went to the kitchen. The halls were dark and empty; the servants had the next two days off because of the exhaustion caused by the party. She plopped herself gloomily onto a stool in the empty kitchen, and started to eat the bread lying there, without bothering to slice it.

Winter had come swift and surely. Venitia tried to remember another winter coming so quickly, but couldn't think of one. It usually stayed mild until at least the beginning of December.

Looks like we'll be stuck inside today, she thought bleakly. Which meant no leaving on journeys to find frightened-away men. She sighed again.

After finishing an entire and very large loaf of bread, she abandoned the lonely kitchen. Not knowing where she was going, she ended up in her father's study.

He was not in it, but she sat down at the great wooden desk anyway. She curled up in the large chair and pulled out some maps. Maps that had been drawn lifetimes ago when no one knew for sure what the world looked like. They always seemed to fascinate Venny, though all she would ever do is just stare at them. As a little girl she used to steal the maps from the study and pretend she was her father, just pointing at random places and reciting a bunch of facts. Or she would sit, unnoticed, next to him at his desk and mimic his hand movements and gestures until he would finally see her.

"Do you remember when you used to stand outside my study door and demand information from anyone who wanted to get inside?" her father said, suddenly appearing at the door.

She laughed. "Even Mother," she said, smiling.

He smiled as well. "It is quite a dismal day, is it not?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's horrible. You haven't tried to go outside, have you?" she said, worried.

He chuckled. "No, dear. The ice is nearly an inch thick. The whole city is deserted."

"No going on journeys, I suppose," she mumbled.

"Pardon?" he said, confused.

"Nothing," she said, and sighed.

"I, uh, got a peculiar message today," he said.

She froze. She tried to do some very quick thinking.

"The lieutenant came to me and told me that Donovan has left. Is it true?"

"What?" she said, trying desperately to sound bewildered.

"Donovan left, during the party, I'm told. You did not know?"

"Um, no. Why would he leave?" she said, standing up and acting baffled.

"The lieutenant said something about reconnecting with his family?"

"Oh! Well…he did once tell me that he had a rather bitter parting with his family. But why would he leave so sudden? Without saying good-bye?"

The king only shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me. I thought I saw you two leave the ball to go outside last night."

"Well…yes, we did, but…but then we went back inside and he said he was…um, tired, so he went to bed," she not-so-quickly lied.

"Strange," he murmured.

"Yes, strange," she murmured in the same tone, nodding her head in thought as her father was doing.

"Where is his family?"

"Oh, well the lieutenant told-" she stopped abruptly. "I mean, um, I uh, think the lieutenant…would know!" she finished hastily.

Her father furrowed his brow in thought, not noticing she was breathing heavily in nervousness.

"You're right, he would know. Perhaps we should go ask him," he said.

"No! I mean, um, no, you stay here, I'll uh, I'll go ask him," she said. "I'm very worried," she added stupidly.

He looked confused, but nodded. She bounded out of the room and closed the door, making sure he sat down at his desk first. Then she quickly ran aimlessly around the castle, calling for her mother. I hate this stupid castle, she complained while she ran down yet another vacant corridor. She finally found herself at her mother's sitting room, which of course was the one room she should have gone to first.

"Mother! Mother…I…need…to…talk…to…you," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"My goodness! What is wrong, darling?" her mother said worriedly.

"Father…knows…Donovan…gone," Venny tried to say.

Her mother nodded. "I won't say a word," she said, smiling.

"What should I tell him, though?" Venitia asked, regaining her composure.

"Well, I suppose my advice from last night is useless, considering this dreadful weather," Arwen said. "We'll tell your father that unless Donovan comes back willingly, we will go retrieve him in the spring."

"The spring!?" Venitia said startled.

"Yes, dear. If the winter starts out like this, I doubt you will be going on any journeys soon," she said. "I am sorry, dear."

Venitia only sighed heavily. Just my luck, she inwardly groaned. He just had to leave right at the beginning of winter, didn't he, she said, irritated.

She lay down on a chaise in the purple sitting room, the only room in the whole place that wasn't dark and dreary. Well, anywhere her mother was couldn't seem dark and dreary. Her mother came over and sat down next to her.

"Oh, honey. I am sorry. I know you are disappointed," she said. "But love takes time."

Venitia sighed. Time, she thought. The one thing I thought I could deal with.

Her mother smiled. "Come on. I'll draw a nice, hot bath for you. You still have rouge all over your face," she laughed.

Venny looked in the mirror on the wall and saw that her mother was right: her face was completely red. She laughed as well and stood up. Her mother and her left and went to her room.

Once there, Arwen drew her daughter a bath and then said, "I think I will go check on Almira. I have a bad feeling she is either still asleep or on her balcony staring into space." She laughed.

Venitia smiled. She had completely forgotten about her sister and Teagan. She was somewhat still reeling in shock, but no so much as she was reeling about herself. She got into the bath and stayed there a long time.

I hate winter, she thought angrily. And it is only November. We still have months and months to go.

And Almira! That is so not fair, she thought, feeling annoyed and silly. She just has a birthday and POOF! she falls in love. Why does she get it so easy?

She suddenly laughed at herself. I am being so childish! I should be happy for her. Right? I mean, she deserves it; she's a good person. A very good person. But still…

She couldn't help but feel that she deserved it just as much as her sister. So why did she have it so hard? First Thaddeus, then that stupid flirtation with Teagan, and now Donovan…maybe I should just give up, she thought hopelessly. She laughed cynically at her bad and very strange luck. Teagan and Almira…that is just bizarre. I never would have guessed that…now all I need is for Thaddeus to show up and then I would have seen it all! She continued laughing at that odd idea. She imagined what it would be like if Thaddeus just suddenly showed up. That would be the limit. I think then I should just lock myself in a room and wear old spinster clothes for the rest of my life.

Feeling not much better but very pruny, she left the bath and reached for her warmest clothes. She started her own fire in the fireplace and lay back down on her bed. She stared up at the top of her tall canopy bed. The only thought running through her mind was Why me?. Every so often she would attempt to shake herself out of her self-pitying reveries, only to fall back into them. She stared around blankly at her large room. It was mostly blue, since that was her favorite color. Cerulean blue wallpaper went until it met either the gold ceiling or the hardwood floor. A silk dressing screen stood in the right-hand corner next to a blue velvet chaise. Her closet spanned nearly a whole wall where it stopped abruptly at the door to her bathroom. On the same wall as the bedroom door was a very large gilded mirror, and her bed was on the connecting wall. If you walked straight in, you would see the balcony straight ahead, with the bed to the left. The now-roaring fire was to the right, next to the chaise. She got up and went to lie on the chaise, next to the fire.

She stared into the flames and tried to imagine what would have happened if Donovan had stayed. Hopefully we would have taken it slow, unlike some people…she thought bitterly about Almira. But she really wasn't sure of what would have happened. Struck by this thought, she continued to stare into the fire, even though she felt as though her eyeballs were burning up. What would have happened? she thought. Would we have kept it a secret? What would we tell everyone, Hi everybody, guess what? We're in love! She shook her head at that idea. No! Definitely would not have done that, she thought. She continued in this vein for some time, still staring almost unblinkingly into the flames.

Suddenly, she felt as though her whole body was on fire, so she broke her gaze with the flames. She flipped onto her back and something caught her eye. The doors to her closet weren't fully closed, and she noticed some papers poking out. She reached for them.

She gasped. It was those supposed 'secret admirer' letters. She had completely forgotten them! She chuckled as she glanced through them. Abruptly, she stopped. What's this? she questioned as she pulled a small note out of the pile. It was a paper she hadn't seen before.

Princess,

I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

O, learn to read what silent love hath writ

To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit

If I might teach thee wit, better it were,

Though not to love, yet, love, to tell me so

Nay, if you read this line, remember not

Who writ it, for I love you so.

That I should love a bright particular star,

O queen of queens! how far dost thou excel,

No thought can think, nor tongue of mortal tell.

Venitia stared, stunned beyond belief, down at the small note. It was so…poetic. So beautiful, that she found a tear coursing down her cheek. Wow, was the only thing she could think of. Who could have written this? Her secret hope of Donovan being her secret admirer had been somewhat diminished before; he wasn't exactly the kind of man to leave behind little notes of admiration. But, maybe…maybe he has a hidden talent for poetry, she thought hopefully.

Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. She looked quickly at the clock, which read half past noon. She hastily put the note in her pocket and left the room.

Rounding the corner, she ran right into her sister.

"Venny! I was just coming for you, we're making lunch," Almira said. Venitia noticed a dreamy look about her, but maybe she was just imagining it.

"Great! What are we making?" she asked.

"Soup," her sister answered, although Venitia had already guessed the answer. Soup was about the only thing anyone could make.

They walked together, Venitia fighting the insane urge to shake her sister and make her tell her everything that had happened last night, but she managed somehow.

They reached the kitchen, where the whole family was gathered around the wooden table in the middle. It was a curious sight, but it was funny in a way. The entire family was dressed in their warmest wool, and no one looked the least bit royal. They all had circles or bags under their eyes, and seemed extremely tired. Except for Almira, of course, who was bouncing around as if it was spring.

"Alright," Amira was saying to no one in particular. "Potatoes, carrots, beef… where is the?…oh, here it is," she muttered.

Venitia joined the rest of her family and sat down on a stool. Muriel was trying to cut the carrots, and although Arwen was supposed to be peeling potatoes, she was mainly watching Muriel with a very worried look on her face.

Aragorn plunked some potatoes in front of Venitia and handed her knife.

"Start peeling," he said. "It seems as if Almira is going to make soup for the whole month," he said quietly, but Almira heard him.

"Well, if we make enough now, we won't have to make it again tomorrow!" she exclaimed.

Venny and her father laughed, and Venitia picked up the knife and started to peel. She peeled twenty potatoes before she finally stopped.

"This ridiculous, Almira. We aren't the entire army, you know," she said. Besides her potatoes, there were at least thirty-five between her parents, and poor Muriel had cut at least forty carrots.

Almira, who had been slicing pieces of meat, sighed in resignation.

"Alright," she said. "You can stop."

"Yes!" Venitia said, meaning to be quiet but not quite succeeding.

"Finally," muttered everyone, and Almira glared at them all.

"Why is everyone so dead today?" she asked innocently.

Everyone either snorted or made a face. She was so oblivious.

"What?" she questioned.

Since everyone still only rolled their eyes instead of answering, she shrugged and started to throw everything in a huge water-filled pot. Aragorn started a fire, on Almira's command, and placed the pot on the hook so it would boil.

Almira finally sat down, and didn't notice when everyone started to stare at her. When she did notice, they all turned away and examined something insignificant. This happened several times, before she finally said,

"What is with you people?"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"I was just…"

"I just was thinking…"

They all started making excuses at the same time.

"Alright, what is going on?" Almira demanded.

"Nothing, dear," her father said, although everyone's face gave them away.

Suddenly she understood. "Ohhhhh, I know what this is about. This is about last night, isn't it?"

"Um, no," everyone started to mutter, but she shook her head.

"All I will say for now is that I had a good time."

"A very good time," Venny mumbled under her breath, but Almira must have guessed what she said.

"Yes, alright, a very good time," she said, glaring at her sister.

Arwen started to giggle as the two girls glared at each other. Venitia was trying very hard to hide her bitterness, but Almira must have sensed it somehow.

"Oh, you two. You both have reasons to be secretive, I'm certain. Let's not let it ruin our lunch, though," Arwen said.

As if on cue, the soup started to boil very noisily. Almira leapt up and took it off the hook very carefully. She dished out a bowl for everyone, and they all started to eat ravenously. No one spoke, for they were too busy eating.

After she finished, Venitia had the insane urge to reread the poetic note, so she excused herself quite gracefully, and then got up to leave.

She hurried to her room, and once there, she shut and locked the door. She rekindled the dead fire, and reached into her pocket.

She only felt cloth.

"The note!"

Alright, so I won't be sued for plagiarism, here's is my "works cited" for the 'poetic note':

First line: Much Ado About Nothing

Second and third: Sonnet XXIII

Fourth and fifth: Sonnet CXL

Sixth and seventh: Sonnet LXXI

Eighth: Alls Well That Ends Well

Ninth and Tenth: Love Labour's Lost

All Shakespeare :)