Alanna watched as the stable hands and footmen tied her boxes onto the carriage. She thought of all that had passed within the few days of her stay in the palace of this strange, cold country. Though it had only been a few days she had made a good friend in Gary, Raoul and their various, rather large, friends. In her hands she clutched a letter which had arrived only this morning from her mother.

I trust that you are well my dear and the prince, my soon to be son in law, is well also. I knew you would grow to love him as much as I have.

'yes' Alanna thought bitterly, 'we are both well but as to the latter of the letter however...'

'Alanna, wait'

A shout came from the courtyard interrupting Alanna's thoughts. She turned to find Gary running at her.

'So, all packed and ready to go?' he asked, glancing at the boxes.

'Yes' replied Alanna, glancing at Gary who looked rather nervous and anxious to say something. 'Is something the matter?' she asked.

'Well', he replied shuffling his feet, 'there is something I have to tell you. It concerns Jon and maybe why he behaves as he does to you'.

'Really' retorted Alanna, 'so there is a reason for his arrogance and conceit is there.'

'He truly isn't that bad' replied Gary, 'I've known him since birth and I had never seen him behave in the way he had these past days. He's merely concerned with great matters at present.'

'Come Gary' sighed Alanna, 'I didn't believe that when you told me before and I don't believe it now. What great concern of his could make him hate me so much?'

'Well,' he replied glancing at her 'you understand as well as anyone that the bane of a prince's life is the marriage process. I mean, for the whole of their lives they had never been denied anything yet when it comes to making the biggest decision of their lives they have no choice on the matter.'

'Yes' interrupted Alanna impatiently, 'but I have learnt to live with that so why can't he?'

'Well, a few years ago something happened on his birthday to make him somewhat disdainful of this matter. And to be fair it was quite a shock that had come to him.'

'What could you possibly mean,' asked Alanna, curious.

Gary opened his mouth to answer but was soon stopped as a shout came from behind them.

'Gary' The prince stood before them, 'a word?' he asked and swiftly moved away without a second glance at Alanna.

'You see' demanded Alanna, 'he clearly despises me yet he wants me to go and stay a month alone with him? Why would he do that unless he wanted me to be miserable?'

'All I'm asking is for you to try and live with him' Gary pleaded, 'get to know him and you would find a prince and friend loved by many.' With that, Gary ran to his cousin. 'I'll visit you soon,' he shouted as a farewell to Alanna, 'remember what I said.'

Later that day Alanna sat silent in the carriage facing the prince. They had been travelling for an hour or so and the silence was being to become unendurable. Purely for something to do, Alanna reached and pulled her mother's letter from her purse, rereading it she frowned at her mother's optimism at her marriage to the prince being a success. It seemed that everyone had only praises to sing about the prince yet what he had done to deserve it was a mystery to Alanna. Thinking, she remembered what Gary had asked of her. To get to know the prince, to understand why he behaved the way he did, to get some answers. She after all had to spend a month with him, perhaps even a lifetime. Sighing she turned to the prince with a forced smile on her face.

'Your highness,' she said sweetly 'I believe that we had not started our acquaintance well and I wish to make amends. I understand that you were pressurized in the palace and that various factors had prevented our getting to know each other better. I would like to form a truce with you. We after all would be in each other's company exclusively for a month and the least we could do was to be civil to each other. Would you do me the honour to agree to my request?'

Jon gave her a searching look and after a few moments consideration replied that that was possible. With that they returned to silence.

'Wonderful,' thought Alanna 'I am to spend a month with a mute.'