Thank you reviewers! I really need to work on updating faster. Anyways-

On to Chapter Eight!

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It had been three months since I'd returned from finishing school. Grandmother and I were sitting in her room, each of us sewing a side of a new dress for Itsi. Grandmother was telling me a wonderful story full of princes and dragons, romance and happily ever afters.

I sighed blissfully. "If only such stories were true."

"Oh, but they are," she assured me.

I looked at her curiously. "They are?"

Grandmother smiled. "But of course! Why, the very story I just told you is about King Jerrold's grandfather."

I sat back in my seat. I had thought such stories were just that. Stories.

We began sewing again. A few minutes later a voice called up the stairs.

"Areida! There's a letter from Thomas!" Mother called.

I jumped to my feet, tossing my side of the dress to my chair. But before I could rush downstairs, Grandmother's widening grin stopped me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You seem very excited," she said, setting down her needle.

"Thomas promised to write me as soon as he had news of his father," I explained. "He and I are hoping that during the Earl's last visit, he proposed to Lady Albia."

"Oh, is that it?" Her eyes twinkled.

I nodded eagerly. "And if they do marry, it is likely that Thomas may move here to Amonta to live with Lady Albia."

Grandmother smiled. "Well, you had better go and see."

I flew down the stairs. I immediately made for the sideboard table in the front room, where Mother always left my letters.

I opened the envelope as fast as I could without ripping the letter. I unfolded the letter and began to read.

Dear Areida,

Father did it! He proposed! Lady Albia will be my stepmother! Father and I are coming to visit her. We'll be there for a few days. Father and the baroness need time to arrange the wedding. They have set a date for three weeks from now.

And here is the biggest news yet. Father and I will be coming to live with my new stepmother! Albia does not wish to leave her estate, and Father does not care where we live so, we shall sell our home and move to Amonta.

I've never been so happy. All at once, I'm gaining a new mother and moving to live close enough to you we can see each other whenever we want!

See you soon!
Thomas

I lowered the letter, grinning widely. Thomas was moving to Amonta! I couldn't wait!

I began listing all the things we could do. Horseback riding, pranks, spy on people, talk in the garden. The list was endless! What fun we would have!

I rushed off to tell Grandmother.

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It was early morning two days later before Thomas came by. He and his Father had arrived at Lady Albia's manor the night before, tired but excited.

The first thing we did was settle down in the garden under the cherry trees. We talked for hours, stopping at lunch to eat. After our meal, Thomas and I helped Father in the stables, taking care of our cow and two horses.

"Would you like to come visit the manor tomorrow?" Thomas asked as we were petting my favorite horse, Sunrise, a honey colored mare. "Father and Albia are busy with planning. I don't have anything to do."

"Alright," I said, turning to smile at him. "I'll ask my parents, but I'm sure they'll let me."

He grinned at me. "Great! Albia has a lot of wild land near her estate where we can go riding."

"Really? Should I bring Sunrise?" I asked, stroking the mare. She neighed softly and nudged her head against my hand.

"Sure!" he said, reaching out to give Sunrise a carrot. She gobbled it up greedily. "We can pack a picnic and go exploring."

"Sounds like a deal," I agreed. We gave Sunrise one more carrot and headed to the inn for supper.

Father and Mother decided to let me go to Lady Albia's manor. They figured I'd done enough work during the past months that I'd earned a break.

Thomas left after the meal, promising to come for me the next morning.

As soon as he was gone, Mother began lecturing me on how to act around nobles. I listened to her for almost twenty minutes before calmly explaining, while trying not to laugh, that I had been to finishing school. If I hadn't learned how to behave by now, I never would.

Mother finally let me go to bed. When I got to my room, I tried decided what to where. Since we would be riding, I should wear a work dress. But I didn't want to look shabby.

Finally I decided on my second best dress, a purple one with a low neckline and flowing sleeves. The skirt was long enough that I would be able to astride the horse. I hated riding sidesaddle.

Eventually, I blew out my candle and settled in to sleep.

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"I'll race you to that next tree," I called out to Thomas, as we cantered across the meadow.

It was late the next morning. Thomas and I were riding on the outskirts of Lady Albia's land. We had brought a delicious lunch with us for a picnic and were now searching for a spot to eat.

We had stayed for a few minutes at the manor with Thomas' soon-to-be stepmother, Albia. She wanted to know all about me. She seemed especially interested in my talent of embroidering, which Thomas praised until my face was flushed pink.

After a while, the baroness was called away on wedding business. Thomas and I grabbed some food and headed for the stables.

Thomas grinned, accepting the challenge. He leaned over and whispered to his horse, Misty. Immediately, the mare jumped ahead, easily pulling ahead.

I laughed, and also leaned to whisper encouragement in my horse's ear.

A couple minutes of intense riding later, we reached the tree at the same moment. Laughing, we dismounted and unpacked our lunch.

After securing our horses we walked for a minute or two before deciding on a grassy knoll overlooking a small spring. We jested playfully as we spread a blanket wide and set out our meal.
"Do you think your father will allow you more time to yourself when he's married?" I asked, tucking my legs under me as I took my seat.

There was a thoughtful expression on his face as he sat across from me. "I think so. Mum Albia is much less strict about those sort of things."

He helped himself to a cold ham sandwich, then continued. "I think she'll help father realize there's more to the world than books and business."

I smiled. "That will be good. Then we can have more time together."

"What? You don't have any other friends?" he teased me.

I grinned. "Nope. Just you and Ella."

Thomas took a drink from one of the flasks filled with juice before asking, "Have you heard from her yet?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Nothing. I must have written her four or five times, but I never got an answer."

"Maybe she moved," Thomas suggested.

"That has crossed my mind," I admitted. "But I'm more worried that something happened to her when she left finishing school."

"I'm sure she's fine," Thomas said, unconvincingly.

I smiled thankfully. We finished our meal in comfortable silence; each of us lost in our own thoughts.

Finally, Thomas began cleaning up. I joined him, and soon we were back with our horses, preparing to mount.

Suddenly, Thomas grabbed my arm.

"What?" I asked, turning to him . He was staring off to his right, focusing completely on something in that direction.

I followed his gaze. To my full surprise and delight, I saw a dazzling brightness, in the shape of a pure white horse.

I spotted a horn on its forehead. A unicorn!

Thomas and I watched in stunned amazement as the mighty beast shook its flowing white mane. Its gaze settled directly on us.

For a few moments we just stood there, gawking at it. Then the creature gave another toss of its head, and neighed. Then it was gone, disappearing into the forest foliage behind it.

Thomas and I turned and looked at each other, our mouths wide open. We'd seen a unicorn! A real, live unicorn! The chances of seeing one were one in a million!

Thomas shook his head slowly. "That was the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen."

I nodded my head in agreement, not being able to speak.

"No one is going to believe us," Thomas said, staring hard at the spot the unicorn had disappeared into.

I leaned against my horse, breathing excitedly. "I don't expect anyone to, but Thomas," I paused. "We just saw a unicorn. A actual unicorn."

We were giddy for a few minutes, laughing in wonder. We decided not to tell anyone, but to keep this glorious event to ourselves.

Eventually, we mounted our horses. We spent the rest of the afternoon riding through the wild lands just on the outskirts of Amonta. Nothing as exciting as the appearance of a unicorn occurred, but we still had a wonderful time.

All too soon the sun began its final descent. Thomas and I parted ways just inside town. He promised to visit the inn in a couple of days.

"And I'm sure you and your parents will be receiving a certain invitation in the mail," he said, his eyes twinkling. "That wouldn't be for any wedding I know about, would it?" I asked teasingly.

He scoffed playfully. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

We laughed and bid farewell, each of us riding into the growing darkness of night.

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