Sorry for the shortness of the chapters. Have the feeling that they'll be like this for a while. The inspiration muses have been ignoring me, and no amount of trying to force them is going to have any effect whatsoever. If that makes any sense.

Liam's POV

Chapter Nine

As Emilia and I left Rosalie's tent, Emilia nudged me.

"You really go for the beauties, don't you, Liam. First it was Cracilia, of the Delicate Complexion, then Mary, of the Rosy Lips, and now Rosalie, Princess of Thieves. My, my, Liam. You really are turning out to be a lady hunter." I blushed and she wolf-whistled. "She really likes you, older brother. Do you see the way that she looks at you?" I looked away. Sisters were put on this planet just to laugh at their sibling's secrets, and crushes were a feast for their cruelty.

"I, for one, am glad that you met her. She said that Stefan and I can meet regularly." She sighed, looking dreamy-eyed.

"Now look at the one who has a crush," I told her. It was her turn to blush, and blush she did.

"Brothers," I heard her mutter under her breath.

We arrived at the palace unhindered by anyone. After we changed into our palace clothes, we met in my room, and I asked Emilia when she'd ever met this Stefan of hers.

She looked down. "Three times we've met, behind the big oak tree in the courtyard. You know, the one that's almost up against that big, ugly, stone wall," I nodded. "Well, the meetings haven't been very romantic. We were almost found out the last two times. Because of that, both of us agreed to try to find a safer meeting place. But, now that you've fallen in love with his sister-" I started to protest, but she cut me off. "This won't be a problem any more. I'm so glad that you picked her, Liam." I sighed and rolled my eyes. No amount of persuading would convince her that I was not in love with Rosalie.

But then I had a sudden flash of insight. I realized that the reason that I acted so strangely around Rosalie was because those feelings matched up to the ones that I'd had for Mary and Cracilia, only stronger. And then I realized that Emilia was right- I was in love with Rosalie, more in love with her than I had been with anyone else.

Something didn't match up, though. Things like this- love at first sight- just happened in the ballads that minstrels made up when they were very desperate, and down on their luck. Then I shrugged, and brushed that thought off. Who am I to question the whims of fate? Especially when they caused such interesting things to happen.

I was happy for a second, but then a thought hit me. This sort of thing just wasn't done! I was in love with a commoner- that had gone out of fashion years ago, and my parents would only let me marry a commoner if it went back into fashion (fat chance). Either that or she rescued me from some evil attempt on my life, or the life of one of my brothers or sisters (again- fat chance).

"So, big brother," said Emilia. "Have you met 'just the right one' yet?"

I recalled our conversation. I almost nodded in response to her question but then stopped myself. I refused to give her that satisfaction.

Uh, Liam? Are you all right?" That was Emilia. "You look as white as a sheet, and you're rocking back and forth. Is something wrong?"

Emilia, I thought. You don't have the slightest idea how wrong things are.