Just a short chapter today, I'm in a bit of a rush. Today was the first day of school after Christmas break, and I received a huge load of homework. XcP And what's this? Do I see a glimmer of plotline ahead?

Tiger Lily21: He's utterly charming (at least in her opinion). I love evil little characters. Amanda is such fun to write.

fell4adeadguy: Only two? I have about seven in my entire house, two in my bedroom. I love books. Yay for books!

rainkisser: Who's link, sorry? I've never read Cymbeline. I guess I've only read the more famous of his works. Have you ever read Cyrano de Bergerac? I just finished it, and it was excellent.

Glaze: woot! I'm so exited that someone asked me that. The way mine's set up, is that there are basic royal lines (Dewery, Barrish, etc.). Some lines are stronger than others. For example, a king's line will be stronger than a baron's line. If someone is born into the line there is 'Fer' to show that they are of that line. If they marry into the line'Par' is used instead of 'Fer'. Usually the weaker name will take place of the stronger name, unless the names are of equal weight, (where usually the woman takes the man's name), or the person in line for marriage is going to inherit the position (Baron, Duke, Queen,etc.) then the other person takes the name of the line. I hope you all understand that. And, yes, the cave will appear later.

UruvielTruviel: I'm glad you enjoyed that. :cD

flyinghigh808: Thank you! Danni does have some wit, although she usually couldn't use it because she was so shy. I guess pretending to be a princess is doing her some good.

Loves you all!

See you next update.

-Lulai

Chapter Nine: Picnic

"What is your horse's name again?" Aiden asked.

"Carpet," Danni repeated as Freddy put a saddle on her horse.

"Carpet. That is an interesting name."

Danni sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm sure," Aiden said with a raised eyebrow. Luckily, Danni was saved from having to explain it by Freddy handed Aiden the reins to his horse.

Danni and Aiden led their horses out of the stable into the sun. Danni stared at her saddle in apprehension. She had forgotten that she would be riding in a female version. She chewed on the inside of her lip, figuring out how she would go about it.

"Princess?" Aiden said, snapping her attention to his. "Is there something wrong?"

Danni couldn't keep the blush from spreading across her cheeks. "No, nothing. It's just… oh, this is embarrassing." She looked at her toes. "I guess I'm not a proper Princess."

"Why would you say that?" Aiden asked.

Danni took a deep breath. "I never learned how to ride side saddle," she blurted out.

Aiden grinned. "Is that all? I assure you, my lady, that that minor flaw does not diminish you in my eyes at all."

Danni breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, my lord."

"Can we take Carpet back and put another saddle on him?" Aiden suggested, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I appreciate the thought, your highness," Danni said, "but I'm afraid even that will not be helpful, for my dress is not wide enough to be able to sit in the saddle without the skirt bunched about my hips, exposing my legs for all to see."

"I wouldn't mind," Aiden said innocently enough, but the devilish grin on his face gave his thoughts away completely.

"My lord!" Danni exclaimed, her face going up in flames. Her blonde brows stood out comically against her pink skin.

"I will ride this saddle," she said, her cheeks still hot. "It's probably easier than it looks."

"I'm sure," Aiden said with a straight face. "Would you like a hand up?"

"That would be lovely, your highness," Danni replied.

Aiden held her hand as she sat carefully in the saddle, getting used to the new position.

She wiggled in the saddle for a few minutes, then smiled at Aiden. "There," she said firmly. "I'm all set."

"Excellent," Aiden said, noting that she had not removed her hand from his. "I will be getting on Thomas now."

Danni yanked back her hand, muttering an apology. Aiden allowed himself a small grin and mounted his own horse. They set off at a brisk pace, Aiden leading. They travelled through a beautifully arranged forest, complete with little streams and bridges, lined with trees.

"This is lovely!" she said as their horses' hooves clattered over a small white bridge.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Aiden said, smiling at her. "I have a surprise for you," he said suddenly. "Follow me." He set off at a canter.

Danni was nervous about cantering on a new saddle, but she wasn't about to let Aiden leave her behind. She nudged Carpet into a canter. They immerged in an expansive meadow. Dominating the middle of the field was a giant willow tree.

They pulled their horses up before the tree and Aiden dismounted smoothly. He held out his hand and Danni allowed him to help her down.

"This is exquisite, Highness," Danni said, generally pleased.

"Wait," he said. "It gets better." He whipped out a large red blanket that reminded her of the red blanket she had wrapped her chess board and pieces in and tucked into the corner of her closet.

"An old fashioned picnic," he said, smiling, bringing out the food.

"Delightful!" Danni said, sitting down on the blanket, carefully arranging her skirts around her. "I barely ate a thing at that luncheon today."

"How was the luncheon?" Aiden asked mildly, immediately raising Danni's suspicions. "Any… interesting topics?"

"Now, my lord, I can't tell you. It would be quite unseemly," Danni admonished, accepting a glass of wine. "Especially since you and your possible future bride were the main discussion points."

Aiden winced and set out the crackers and cheese he had brought. "I don't know what you have come to believe, my lady," he started cautiously, "but I really have no interest in marrying."

Danni's eyes widened. Then she relaxed into an easy smile. "Thank goodness, my lord, for I have no interest in marriage either, at least not of a political standpoint."

Aiden paused, open mouthed, at this pronouncement.

Danni took a sip of wine and continued. "If I want to marry, I want it to be for love, not to push my name into a stronger line."

"My sentiments exactly!" Aiden exclaimed, elated at finding someone who shared his viewpoint. He gave her a large smile.

"So, if you do not wish to marry me, and I do not wish to marry you, then there is no reason we cannot be friends," he said, grasping her hand.

"That is quite true, my lord."

He gave her a mock frown. "First thing's first, you must call me Aiden."

"Then you must call me Daniela. Or Danni," she said, smiling. "Yes, I would love it if you would call me Danni."

"Alright, Danni," Aiden said, giving her hand a squeeze.

He picked up a cracker and carefully spread some cheese on it. "Now," he said, taking a bite of the cracker, "a true friend would tell me what happened at the ladies' luncheon today."

Danni laughed. "Like how Princess Amanda said that she'd make you the best Queen because her beautiful elegance would perfectly match your rugged handsomeness?' Or how Princess Cordelia wanted to, how did she put it? 'Sink her teeth into your rump like a ripe ham? Or how Princess Glenda said that she'd like to run her fingers – Aiden, are you blushing?"

Aiden's ears were indeed on fire. "That's all they said about me?" he asked, shocked.

"I defended your intelligence," Danni said, biting into her own cracker, "but I'm afraid they were more interested in discussing your brawns than your brains."

"And that is exactly why I don't wish to marry any of them," Aiden said, laying on his back and looking into the sky. "Can I even respect someone who can't have a decent conversation with?"

"Why do you have to marry at all?" Danni asked.

"It was some old law that Lord Vardon dug up," Aiden said with a snort.

"Lord who?"

"Lord Vardon. He's my father's right hand man." He frowned.

"What?" Danni asked, confused about the expression on his face. "Other than digging up old laws, do you not think that he does a good job?"

"No," Aiden said. "He's very good at what he does. I don't know. The man just gives me a bad feeling, but I'm pretty much alone with it."

"What kind of a bad feeling?" Danni asked, intrigued.

Aiden raised his head slightly to give her an amused look. "I don't know, an eerie feeling, as if something isn't so much wrong, just not… right." He lay his head back down. "I'm not about to say anything, though. At least not without proof."

"What do you think he's doing?"

Aiden sighed. "I don't know. He's lurking around in the library, sometimes, mostly in the history section. I picked up a book after he was gone, and it was the history of the Faeries. It just struck me as odd, that's all."

"That is odd," Danni mused.

"Anyway, you'll meet him at dinner tonight."

"Oh my God, dinner!" Danni exclaimed. "I must be getting back."

"Alright." He stood and helped Danni to her feet. He put away the food and the blanket. She stood by her horse, slightly embarrassed, staring at the sky.

"Oh, right," Aiden said, walking over to her. He boosted her into the saddle.

They made the ride back to the castle in a comfortable silence. They entered the stable and dismounted.

He offered her his arm and they passed back into the castle. He walked her down the hall until they came to the door to her suite.

"Thank you for a lovely afternoon," Danni told him, holding his hands in her own.

Aiden looked over her, smiling. Her ride had blown some of the hair loose from her bun, and it framed her face sweetly.

"Did you see the sky this afternoon?" Aiden asked softly. "That enchanting blue-purple in the deepest part?"

"Yes," Danni replied nervously. Something in his expression had butterflies throwing a party her stomach.

"The exact colour of your eyes," he whispered, looking deep into hers. Before Danni could respond in any way, he cupped her face in his hand and kissed her.

"Thank you for the lovely afternoon, Danni," he said, finally breaking the kiss.

He was gone before Danni's mind could even function again.