Disclaimer: Anything you recognise by Gail Carson Levine is not mine… (go figure!)

A/N: Thank you for your very lovely and encouraging reviews – I certainly got a lot more than I expected. I hope you like the next chapter.

Chapter 2:

The Plan

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Daria stomped out of the study in defiance. "They cannot possibly force me to marry that spoilt, selfish, annoying, spoilt, selfish, annoying, spoilt, selfish-"

"Let me guess, annoying?" interrupted a smug voice from behind her.

"Urgh. What do you want? Want to come here and torture me even more?" She heatedly paced around in the practically empty hallway. A miniature chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting shadows on the walls and making Daria's hazel eyes sparkle in anger.

The rest of their families still remained in the study (excluding Katie), discussing their children's futures. Daria could not believe the nerve of them. She guessed that it explained why Jerrold had been so nasty to her, though she did not see why he was that cruel to her. It was not like she had begged her parents to make them engaged.

"We need to talk." Jerrold told her. Daria was about to make some rude comment when she saw the earnest expression in his eyes and thought better of it.

She sighed. "Fine, what is it?"

"Look, we both know that we do not want to marry each other. It is as if my worst nightmare has just come true but," Jerrold paused. Daria snorted.

There was silence for a while until Daria spoke up in impatience, "Well, what was it that you were going to say?"

"I was hoping that you would interrupt me with some great idea to get us out of this mess." He admitted. "Besides, it is your entire fault that I have to marry you."

"My fault? Please explain." Daria said in a droll voice.

"If you were not born, then none of this would have happened."

Daria let out a cry of frustration. "Why? Of all the men that I could have been forced to marry, why this one? What did I do wrong?"

"Let me see. First you were born…" Jerrold retorted.

Daria clenched her fists. She was going to end up killing him before the month was out. At least she would not have to marry him if she did.

Daria tried to clear her head. She had to think. There must be some way that they could not get married. Or maybe, just maybe, they could get married, and then for some reason get a divorce or an annulment.

"That's it!" Daria almost jumped up and down with glee. "Lets get divorced."

Jerrold threw a superior look at her. "Just one problem. How can we get a divorce if we are not even married?"

Daria rolled her eyes. "After we are married, you numbskull, we can get a divorce."

Jerrold looked at Daria as if she had suddenly transformed into an ogre. "Our parents would never let us get divorced. We need permission from the King and Queen of either Valrie or Kyrria to get a divorce and neither would grant us one. So much for your idea." He gloated.

Daria sat down on the floor in the middle of the hallway, stumped. She must have looked a bizarre sight. Her skirts were creased under her legs, her hair was all messy and she kept on knitting her brow, a habit that she had whenever she was in deep thought.

At length she gave up. "I guess we will just have to resign ourselves to the fact that we are to be married. Maybe if we protest enough to our parents they will cancel the wedding, but I seriously doubt it. My father is as stubborn as a mule, and whatever he says my mother usually goes along with it."

"Same with mine." Jerrold agreed, soon realizing that he had actually agreed with something Daria had said and he instantly regretted it. Daria seemed to grasp this as well, for she suddenly smirked.

Jerrold quickly added, "But it is not so bad for you. At least you are marrying somebody as handsome and charismatic as me. As for me, I have to marry you."

Daria clicked her tongue. "Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"

"Do not insult my mother." Jerrold said in a quiet yet dangerous tone.

"So you are admitting that you have no manners?" Daria persisted.

Jerrold bent over Daria so that his lips were almost touching her ear and whispered, "I usually do not strike females. But…there is always a first time."

Then he swept away and went back into the study. Daria was all the while trying to control the sudden shivering of her body. She did not miss the threat in the Prince's voice.

Something then occurred to Daria. When Jerrold said, "if you were not born, then none of this would have happened," it would then be Katie that he would be marrying instead.

Could it be that that was what he meant? He actually wanted to marry Katie? Daria could not help feeling slightly rejected. She by no means felt anything for Jerrold, that would be too ridiculous, but the fact that somebody preferred Katie to herself was something that Daria had never experienced before. Usually men clambered over Katie to get the other girl's attention, now it was the other way around.

Daria returned to the study to once again attempt to convince her parents to change their minds…

Later that afternoon, Daria's sister Katie, her eyes filled with tears, walked around the Palace gardens quietly thinking to herself. She knew that Daria hated Jerrold and did not want to marry him but it still hurt. For once, somebody had actually paid some attention to Katie and appreciated her for who she was. Not because she was the King and Queen's second daughter, or Daria's sister. Somebody who liked her for her. So many times she had met men who would talk with her for a few minutes and then ask to be introduced to Daria. It was a scenario that Katie knew all too well and after many years of the same thing at public functions, it was something she had to just be accustomed to.

Katie continued walking past the menagerie, past the apple courtyard and past the flamingo park. She kept on walking until she reached a small glass gazebo, hidden away behind the elf playground and the Old Castle. She had reached her secret hiding place.

Katie often came here to think things over when she was upset. Today though, she was not alone.

"Prince Jerrold? What are you doing here?" she gasped, for there in front of her standing in the gazebo was Prince Jerrold himself, with a frown on his handsome dark face.

"It's Jerrold, forget about the Prince. I was walking around and just happened to find this place. I needed to think about what happened this afternoon."

Katie nodded to show that she understood what he was referring to. "You must be terribly upset."

"Yes, but it seems so are you." He stepped closer towards her. Katie blinked her blue eyes, trying to rid them of the tears that had been ready to pour down her face just a moment ago.

"I am upset that my sister has to be forced into a marriage that she does not want." She lied.

"Your sister…is a conceited brat." Jerrold spat.

"No she isn't!" Katie protested. She loved her sister, the pest that Daria was. Daria had always looked after her when she was scared or miserable. She was always the outgoing likeable one. The confident one.

"Come on. You and I both know that she has an inflated head. Standing around all the time, acting like she is too good for anybody." He continued, ignoring Katie's protests.

"Well, sometimes it can seem that way but it is only because she can be very shy at times. Though you may think that she is anything but shy." Katie conceded.

Jerrold sniggered.

"She can." Katie insisted.

"Katie…" he began, Katie loved how he caressed her name like that. "I do not want things to change between us once Daria and I are wed. We can still be friends, can we not?"

"I guess."

"Then let's not allow something like a stupid wedding to ruin the friendship we have and act like everything is still normal. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Katie smiled happily.

Neither of them knew the full meaning of their words until much later on…

That night, Daria was tossing around in her sleep. Her cotton sheets were soaked with sweat as she hurtled from one end of her bed to the other.

The Palace Clock struck midnight. It chimed loudly once, twice, trice. On the twelfth chime Daria jolted awake.

"Oh my goodness." She had just had an idea. An idea to prevent her and Jerrold from marrying. And it was a marvellous idea at that.

The King, Queen and heir of Kyrria had been invited to stay at the Valrie Palace. Daria decided that she would inform them of her plan at breakfast. She would make them an offer that they could not refuse…

At breakfast the next day, Jerrold sat stonily spooning his porridge into his mouth. He glared at Daria (she was sitting next to him), who was serenely humming a tune to herself. She looked almost happy. Jerrold blinked just to make sure he was not going insane. Daria almost seemed as if she was not worried about getting married.

"What the devil is the matter with you?" he hissed.

"Cannot I eat a meal in peace for once without you ruining it? Nothing is the matter. At least not with me."

Jerrold ignored the last jibe. "You are humming." He pointed out, accusingly.

"Was. You interrupted me."

Jerrold slammed his spoon down in irritation. This earned a reproof from his father, King George.

Daria hid a smile and stared down at her bowl. When she thought that it was safe to look up again, she decided to put her plan into action.

Jerrold had rested his arm on the table and in full view; Daria placed hers on top of it so that everybody could see.

Katie's mouth dropped open. Jerrold had to restrain himself from hitting out at Daria. The adults just exchanged glances with each other, confused.

Daria tried to catch Jerrold's eye and let him know that this was part of a plan that she had made. She guessed that Jerrold must have come to that conclusion because he said nothing. Just to make sure, Daria kicked him in the ankle. Jerrold made a choking noise as he tried to yell in pain. That had hurt. He grimaced at his parents. He was going to get back at Daria, she had better watch out.

"Dear Jerrold and I have been thinking. We are not in love with each other but we are hoping that with time, this will come about. After all, love in a marriage is just luck. Not necessary." Daria swallowed as she said the words that she had rehearsed at least twenty times beforehand.

"It is an ancient custom in the land of Valrie, that when a man wants to marry a woman, then he must prove himself that he is worthy."

She saw Katie grin in surprise. At least somebody had worked out what she was going to say, everybody else just looked nonplussed.

"For Jerrold to prove himself to me, I request that he go on a journey for me. In Valrie, the quest traditionally bestowed is this: Jerrold," Daria turned to face her betrothed. His face had dawned in realisation. "Find for me the Swan Flower. Then we can be wed."

Jerrold puckered his brow. "Swan Flower. What is that?"

"A unique flower that is said to have been given birth from an old weed when a tear falls upon it. They are very rare. Find one for me. It has been a quest given to many men in the past, and men have returned with a Swan Flower." Though very few, but Daria decided to neglect that piece of important information.

Daria's father, King Robert, nodded in agreement. "What my daughter proposes is fair. My own father went on a similar quest for my mother."

Daria's smile broadened. She knew that this plan would work for the above reason. The King based a lot of his opinions on those developed from his parents. So if they had done something, then it must be all right for Daria to do the same.

Jerrold's parents were not as ready to please. "Why must Jerrold undertake this quest? Is it because you indeed do not want our son to marry your daughter? Is he not good enough already?" King George glowered accusingly at King Robert.

Yet Daria's mother, Queen Henrietta, was ready with an answer. "I am not saying that he is not good enough. It is a test to see whether he can survive one problem. It is in itself a test in preparation for kingship. It is also a test of his endurance and willingness."

Jerrold's mother, Queen Eliza, readily agreed. "It will be good for him George. It will be a test of his manhood. And we can keep an eye on him through the Oculoscope."

Daria opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself just in time. No! That was not part of the plan. Jerrold was supposed to hide away for a few weeks and then return empty handed. Then she would not have to marry him. Now with the Oculoscope, they could check up on Jerrold. He would actually have to make a decent attempt to look for the Swan Flower.

It was too late, for all rulers agreed. Jerrold once again scowled at Daria, clearly telling her with his eyes that he thought she was a bumbling oaf.

At least she had bought them some time. The wedding had to be postponed until Jerrold returned. Until then, all Daria could do was wait.

And come up with another plan…

Replies:

Ruby: Thanks for the great advice. I love constructive criticism so that is something that I will try to work on.

awaiting impatient person: lol, Jerrold is pretty demented. I seem to make my male characters a lot like that. I think it is due to all those cheesy romance novels – you know, where they hate each other at first and then fall in love…

cutie20: yep, Daria and Jerrold will fall in love. But later. Thanks for the lovely review!

Also, thanks go to:

Lilyclio (my first reviewer!), MapleRose, Mizz Breadstyx, PrettyGal1212, baby blue gal, evil6, Llamabalooza, anonymous, Blue-hello-kitty, JellyBelly391 and LilliannaRose (sorry I took so long – I just got back from Thailand a little over a week ago).