A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a really long time – the end of school is really busy, ya know, but I'm back anyway. I'll be much more prolific when summer vacation starts, and anyway, this looooooong chapter ought to cheer everyone up. I also apologize to Sherwood Smith and everyone else if this is rather boring, because this chapter has basically nothing of my own invention. Argh!

Kakachipchip: Maybe it was a little confusing, but I didn't mean that Nee was an only child when I said she was lonely. But she was the only girl and not the heir, and her siblings were kind of apart from her in age and personality. Sorry about that little mix-up!

Meghan: Merci! Yeah, as you will see, Nee is kinda confused about the situation. Good anticipating! I wish I could do that…

Stargirl98: Thank you! I thought so, too.

Alqualyne:  Awww, muchas gracias, amiga – I love you too! Bran can be so funny sometimes, although Mel probably doesn't think so about the letter blunder…

JennyT: Thanks! Mel is just waiting for her debut here, and now she's got it!

FelSong: *is exceedingly guilty* I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I used to update like every other day or so, but the past two weeks have been really busy. I know that's what they all say, but it's TRUE! Forgive me? Oh, and thanks!

charmgirl: Yup! Mel is here finally! Hurray!

Danric-Lover: That's a relief, because while Vidanric is definitely in this story, he's not a prima ballerina, or so to speak. (Hmmm…Vidanric doing ballet…now, that would be a funny sight! But you know what I mean. Anyway…) Nee seems to be a little unsure of Mel at the beginning, which is kind of justified by Mel's behavior, even if she didn't mean it. But don't worry, it'll all be okay!

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Sherwood Smith, author of Crown Duel. I take full responsibility for any errors that are not consistent with my own writing or that of that of Sherwood Smith, but I will try to correct them if I am told. This is my interpretation of the thoughts of Nimiar Argaliar, one of her characters.

~ * ~ * ~

Tlanth

Bran handed me out of the carriage and turned to the girl standing there. He strode up to her and enveloped her in a huge hug, saying "Sister! Place looks wonderful!"

Meliara seemed to whisper something to him, to which he replied, "And spoil a good surprise?" I reasoned that she was referring to our sudden arrival. "We have plenty of room, and as you'd told me in your letter the place isn't such a rattrap anymore, I thought why not make the trip fun and bring 'em?"

"Them?" his sister said, puzzled. Then she noticed Vidanric, who had just walked up after putting his horse away. Her eyes seemed to widen and she bit her lip.

"Yes, Nimiar – and Danric there, whom you already know," Bran said. "Life, sister, why are there trees in here? Aren't there enough of 'em outside?"

I saw Meliara grind her teeth and look embarrassed, so I intervened. "But Branaric, you liked them well enough at my home, and I think it a very pretty new fashion indeed." I looked at Meliara pleasantly and held out my hand. "I am Nimiar Argaliar."

She took my hand reluctantly and said, "Welcome. I hope…you'll enjoy it here."

"Do you have a welcome for me?" Vidanric said rather amusedly as he came up.

"Certainly," she said, trying to sound cheerfully courteous, but seeming a bit stiff and confused instead. "Come into the parlor – all off you – and I'll see to refreshment. It must have been a long trip."

"Slow," Bran replied as we went inside, and chattered on about the good work that she had done to the parlor. I also admired it quietly, especially since Meliara had only had about half a year to work the wonders that had been incorporated into the Tlanth castle. Then she went to the kitchens to see about food and drink.

Some of our own servants came to take our cloaks, hats, and gloves. I wondered idly why the Tlanth servants did not do this, but then I realized that I had not seen any chambermaids or valets suitable for the job, only cooks and more practical servants.

Then Bran gave his reckless smile to Danric and me. "I can't wait to see what Mel's done to the library, knowing her," he said cheerfully. "Shall we take a peek?"

He led us into a large room that was slightly warmer than the others, and also better furnished. A large map graced the gleaming wooden walls, and shelves were organized around with about fifty books all together. I remembered Bran saying something about how his father had burnt all the books before, and I admired the new collection upon the shelves.

Even Branaric looked awed. "It's better than I would've guessed," he said.

"It is a very impressive start," Vidanric agreed. "Meliara must have put a lot of effort into it."

"What – into ordering the books, or reading them?" Bran joked. "But seriously, the day I began to teach her to read, she started to devour the few articles with writing that we had here. I wanted to use it to insulate the leaks in the ceiling, but she made me stop!"

I laughed lightly as Meliara herself came in. She looked resigned but rather proud of the library. I was a little apprehensive about getting to know her, since so far she seemed rather unwelcoming of us. I wasn't sure why. But I remained polite and kind, to give her another chance.

"Here y'are at last, Mel. We have something warm to drink on the way?" Bran said as I smiled.

"Soon. Also had to arrange housing for all those people you brought," Mel answered politely.

"Some of 'em are mine. Ours."

"Good, because we plan to put them all to work. The servants' wing is all still open to the sky. We're having it expanded. Had you ever seen the tiny rooms, and half of them with no fire vents? Anyway, the first snows came so early and so fierce we had to abandon construction."

"They can go to the garrison. We saw it on the way in. Looks nice and snug. Where'd you get all these new books?"

"Bookseller in the capital. I'm trying to duplicate what Papa destroyed, though nothing will restore the family histories that no on had ever copied."

"Most of 'em were dull as three snoring bears, burn me if they weren't!"

Meliara did not reply, but looked a little annoyed at her brother. I would have been too. My family lineage, though not incredibly prosperous or rich, is very important to me. Perhaps Bran did not understand that, but his sister didn't like him making fun of it.

A servant brought in a silver tray of spiced wine and apple tarts topped with cream. She set the tray down and left. Bran looked uncertainly at his sister and said, "We serving ourselves?"

"Until we get some people from the inn," she replied.

Bran stood, heaving a light sigh. "You were right, Nee. I ought to have written ahead. Thought the surprise would be more fun!" He began to pour wine, and I went over to help. He handed a stemmed-glass to Vidanric, while I did the same for Meliara.

"To my sister!" Bran said gloriously. "Everything you've done is better than I thought possible. Though why are you dressed like that? The servants look better! Why haven't you bought new duds?"

"What's the use?" Meliara said. I could see her blushing in shame. "There's still so much work to be done, and how can I do it in a fancy gown? And who's to be impressed? The servants?"

I felt bad and had to intervene. "To the end of the winter," I ventured, raising my glass.

We sipped, then Bran added, "To Mel, and what she's done for my house!"

"Our house," she said softly.

"Our house," he repeated sweetly, gazing into my eyes. I couldn't help but smile even though his manner was mildly chauvinistic.

But Meliara seemed astonished at the look that her brother was giving me. Vidanric looked at her, then Bran, and then her again. "My dear Branaric," he said rather reproachfully, "never tell me you failed to inform your sister of your approaching change in status." The statement was also a mild question.

Bran's eyes widened and said, "What? Sure I did! Wrote a long letter, all about it – " Suddenly, he hit himself on the head.

"A letter which is still sitting on your desk?" Danric asked, eyebrows raised.

Bran winced. "Life! It must be! Curse it, went right out of my head."

Lady Meliara questioned slowly, trying to suppress impatience and annoyance, "What is this news?"

Bran took my hand gently and smiled again at both his sister and me. "Nimiar and I are going to be married midsummer eve, and she's adopting into our family. You've got to come back to Athanarel to be there, Mel."

Meliara looked even more shocked, although she tried to hide it with a shaky smile at me. Suddenly, I pitied her. She obviously hated surprises, and her brother had appeared out-of-nowhere, sporting fancy, gentlemanly clothes. He had also brought a polished, pretty (not to brag), courtier lady with him. While I am certainly not the belle of court, unlike Tamara, to Meliara I must have looked very impressive and rather intimidating. And also the fact that we are engaged – well, that was harsh for her. There also seemed to be another problem or difficulty between Mel and our company, but I could not figure out what it was. I threw away my previous, rather negative judgments as she struggled to react to the news.

"I'll talk to you later," she told Branaric. Then she turned to me and said sweetly, "Welcome to the family. Such as it is. Lady Nimiar."

"Please, call me Nee," I said cheerfully as I came forward to take her hands in mine. Although my feelings were better hidden than hers, I did feel rather worried now at her impression of me. I remembered what Bran had told me about her distrust of courtiers and the Court-mask that we all subconsciously wore. "We'll soon enough be sisters, and though some families like to observe formalities, I never did. Or else I wouldn't have picked someone like Branaric to marry," I said truthfully but in a joking tone.

"Would you like a tour through the house, then?" she said a little hesitantly?

"I can show you," Bran said, moving towards me, "for in truth, I'd like a squint at all the changes myself."

I smiled at him and refrained from making an exasperated gesture. Men can be so oblivious sometimes. "Why don't you gentlemen drink your wine and warm up? I'd rather Meliara show me about."

"But I – "

At least Danric seemed a little more in the know. He grabbed Bran and put him into a chair. "Sit."

My fiancé laughed and finally realized, "Oh, aye, let the females get to know one another."
I just smiled and followed his sister out the door.

~ * ~ * ~

First, we went through the ballroom. Every county castle has one, however small or unused they are. This one was fairly small and rather old-fashioned. Meliara, or Mel as she said to call her, explained that most of the dancing was done by the villagers, and they were more like folk dances. I saw her eyes expressing an eagerness to learn the more regal type of dancing even if she disdained the Court.

We roamed through various rooms, where she explained earnestly to me about the changes they had made. Indeed, from what Bran had told me, it was a vast improvement. We even wandered into a beautiful study, where she warmed up a little and laughed about doing taxes in the previously leaking, drafty room.

Finally we ended up in a pretty summer parlor. A large, beautiful harp was sitting in a chair. I gasped in amazement and wonder. " 'Tis a Mandarel – do you play it?"

She shook her head rather fervently and replied, "Was my mother's. I used to dance to the music she made. Do you play?"

"Not as well as the instrument deserves. And I haven't practiced for ages." I sighed. "That's a drawback of a life at Court. One gets bound up in the endless social rounds and forgets other things. May I try it sometime?"

"It's yours," Mel said generously. "This is going to be your home, too, and for my part, I think musical instruments ought to be played and not sit silent."

My eyes widened in gratefulness. I grabbed her hand and kissed it as she blushed embarrassedly.

Then Bran and Vidanric came in, dressed for the outdoors. "There you are. Found Mama's harp?"

"Yes," I said brightly, "and Meliara says I may play it whenever I like."

"A good notion, that. Only let's have it moved upstairs where it's warm, shall we?"

I looked at Mel for agreement, and she replied, "If you wish."

"Now, Mel, go get something warm on, and we'll take a turn in the garden and see what's toward outside," Bran suggested cheerfully.

"You don't need me for that," Mel said abruptly. "I think I'll go make sure things are working smoothly." She left quickly and Bran looked at me, scratching his head.

"She seems rather out of sorts," he said uncertainly. "I think she is upset about something."

Vidanric raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Perhaps the facts that you showed up without warning with Nee and me, and also failed to give her notice of your upcoming marriage. From my experience of Meliara, she does not like surprises."

Bran looked embarrassed and ashamed. "Perhaps not. I guess I sort of expected her to be ready for my arrival any time I came. I do ask too much of her, don't I?" he said ruefully. Both Vidanric and I nodded sadly. "Oh, well." He turned to me. "What do you think of her, Nee?"

I pondered what to say, and decided to tell the simple truth. "I like her very much." I smiled. "I believe that we are going to be great friends."

~ * ~ * ~

We walked through the gardens for some time, Bran showing us around with expertise. But Meliara had disappeared, and that evening a servant told us that she was sick. The three of us had dinner and went to bed without much talk or merriness. The long journey and the Bran's boisterous tour had made us all tired.

The next morning Mel was again absent. This time we took a tour through the village. The peasants greeted Bran in a friendly, casual way, and despite the time that he had spent at Court, he replied in like. Although I was friendly with my maid Ilvet, the courtiers abstained from meeting others who were not of noble blood on social terms. I was amazed and impressed by the connections between them at Tlanth.

That evening, as I began to tune the Mandarel to play that evening, Bran went up to see Meliara to make sure that she was all right. He returned saying that she was feeling much better and would be down in a few moments once she had changed. When she arrived, it was in a bluish-gray gown with a square neck and stiff sleeves. The skirt was dotted with gold birds upon a blue sky. It was a beautiful dress, but rather obsolete. I bit my lip.

"Mel! Where are your wits gone begging?" Bran snorted. "Why d'you have to wear an old gown thirty years out-of-date when you can have anything you want?"

I heaved a mental sigh at my love. Why did he always say the most untactful things? I went up to his sister comfortingly. "This is a lovely dress, and if it's old, what's the odds? A lady has the right to be comfortable in her own home."

"Don't tell me you ever looked like that?"

"Oh, Branaric. Take Lord Vidanric up to dinner. I'll play afterward. The harp isn't ready yet."

"But – " came Bran's almost common refrain.

"Please," I suggested, not pleading, but firm.

Bran went off reluctantly with his friend, who seemed to be trying to hide amusement. Meliara looked outraged and utterly ashamed, standing stiff and trying not to show it.

"Your brother is a dear, and I do love him for the way he never fears to tell the truth," I said softly. "But he really doesn't understand some things, does he?"

"No," Mel whispered, hurt showing on her face.

I thumbed the harp strings, wincing at a truant note. "No one – well, no ordinary person – sits down to a harp and plays perfectly. It takes time and training." I set the beautiful instrument down and turned towards the countess. "When Branaric came to Athanarel, he knew nothing of etiquette or Court custom. Arrived wearing cast-off war gear belonging to Lord Vidanric, his arm in a dirty sling, his nose red from a juicy cold. There are those at Court who would have chewed him like jackals with a bone – " I thought of my cousin Tamara " – except he freely admitted to being a rustic. Thought it a very good joke. Then he'd been brought by the Marquis, who is a leader of fashion, and Savona took to him instantly. The Duke of Savona is another leader. And certain women who also lead fashion liked him." Tamara popped, unbidden, into my mind again, but I knew that she had only followed Savona's cause.

I continued. "Added was the fact that you Astiars have become something of heroes, and it became a fad to teach him. His blunt speech was a refreshing change, and he doesn't care at all what people think of him." I looked at the tears welling up in her eyes that she stubbornly refused to let go of. "But you do, don't you? You care – terribly."

She only bit her lip, but I knew that my conjecture had been right.

I reached out towards her gently and said, "Let us make a pact. If you will come to Athanarel and dance at my wedding, I will undertake to teach you everything you need to know about Court life. And I'll help you select a wardrobe – and no one need ever know."

Meliara looked slightly relieved, but still unsure and apprehensive.

"What is it? Do you mistrust me?" I knew that she had been taught against my kind, but it still hurt."

But my fears were resolved when she shook her head vehemently. "They would know," she said hoarsely, indicating the stairs that Bran and Danric had trooped up.

"They? Your servants? Oh. You mean Branaric and Lord Vidanric?"

"They'll surely want to know my reasons. Since I didn't come to Court before," she said, nodding.

"Don't worry about Bran. All he wants, you must see, is to show you off at Athanarel. He knew you were refurbishing this castle, and I rather think he assumed you were – somehow – learning everything he was learning and obtaining a fashionable wardrobe as well. And every time he talks of you it's always to say how much more clever you are than he is. I really think he expected to bring us here and find you waiting as gowned and jeweled as my cousin Tamara."

"That sounds, in truth, like Branaric," she agreed, grimacing.

"And as for Vidanric, well, you're safe there. I've never met anyone as closemouthed, when he wants to be. He won't ask your reasons." She made a small little noise that sounded doubtful or mocking. "What?"

"I said, 'Hah.'"

I was puzzled at her reaction. "What is it, do you mislike him?" I instinctively fiddled with my fan, opening it slightly for no apparent reason. But though Meliara could not see, I was making the sign for Apprehension.

"Yes. No. Not mislike, but more…mistrust. Not what he'll do, but what he might say. Oh, never mind," she said, sounding slightly confused herself. "It's all foolishness. Suffice to say I feel better when we're at opposite ends of the country, but I'll settle for opposite ends of the castle."

So this was the hidden discomfort that I'd sensed before! Obviously there was some sort of history between Meliara and the Marquis during the war against Galdran. Perhaps she was still upset that he had pretended to be against he and "hunted" her down? I refrained from shaking my head in confusion. Surely she could see by now that it had been the only way for him to help them successfully overthrow the tyrant Merindar. But this certainly wasn't good. "Well, here's a knot," I said regretfully. "But – there's nothing for it."

After a minute she questioned, "Why should it matter? If I don't want to be around Shevraeth, I mean."

I sighed inwardly, tuning a harp string to stall the question. But I had to answer her. "Of course you probably know he's likely to be the new king. His parents are in Athanarel now, his father making his first appearance in years, and he came armed with a Letter of Regard from Queen Yustnesveas Landis of Sartor." I had found all this out after Elenet first telling me about him as the preference for the throne. "It seems that in her eyes the Renselaeus family has the best claim to the kingdom of Remalna."

"Well. So the Merindars no longer have a legal claim. If they mean to pursue one. Meant to pursue one," she corrected quickly.

"Precisely. As it transpires, the Prince and Princess of Renselaeus do not want to rule. They're merely there to oversee what their son has accomplished and, I think, to establish a sense of order and authority. It is very hard to gainsay either of them, especially the Prince."

I was surprised at her knowing nod. "You have met him, then?"

"Yes. Briefly."

"Would that be when you made the alliance? You know how bad Bran is at telling stories. A random sentence or two, then he scratches his head and claims he can't remember any more. And the Renselaeus don't talk about the war at all."

She nodded once more, and for some reason she looked relieved. I decided not to try to guess what else had been bothering her – the business about Danric was still puzzling me.

"To resume – and we'd better hurry, or they'll be down here clamoring for our company before their supper goes cold – Lord Vidanric has been working very hard ever since the end of the war. Too hard, some say. He came to Athanarel sick and has been ill off and on since then, for he seldom sleeps. He's either in the saddle, or else his lamps are burning half the night in his wing of the Residence." In fact, for the past two months or so, he had stopped coming to all social events. We only saw him at Petitioner's Court, and then he looked almost half-dead with exhaustion.

But I decided not to say this. "He's here on his mother's orders, to rest. He and your brother have become fast friends, I think because Branaric, in his own way, is so very undemanding. He wants no favors or powers. He just likes to enjoy his days. This seems to be what Vidanric needs just now." And what I need, I told myself silently. It's partly what made me fall madly in love with him.

Meliara's voice jolted me out of my romantic thoughts. "Do you think he'll make a good king?"

I was surprised at being reminded that our conversation was about Vidanric, but also at the question itself. "Yes," I answered after a pause. "But then I've known him all my life."

She pondered this for a moment. Then suddenly a tap came from the closed door, a subtle, Servants Tap. The servant peeped his head in and said unsurely, "Count Branaric sent me to find out if you're coming?"

"In a moment, thanks," Mel replied.

"Will you agree to my pact, then?" I persisted gently.

She still looked reluctant, as if struggling on a decision with herself. Finally she said quietly, "If you can teach me not to make a fool of myself at that Court, I'll gladly come to see you marry Bran."

"You will like Court life, I promise," I assured her. I could not help a radiant smile on my face at her agreement. But although she probably thought the grin was another one of those courtiers' tricks, it was real.

~ * ~ * ~

A/N: Ta-da! Happy? I am – yippee!

Sorry. Couldn't control my excitement there for a second. But it's like summer! Joy is in the air!

Heheheheheh.

Okay, I'll stop now.

Note: Reviews are not required, but encouraged and appreciated. They boost my suffering ego (just kidding!) and help me to make my story better. Thanks!