Over the next few days Pasco and Evvy learned to tolerate each other, and they also noticed that something was different between their teachers. Briar and Sandry were evading each other as much as possible given that they were in the same house, but every once in a while, they would catch each other's eye, blush, and look away quickly.
During the rest period one day, Pasco met Evvy on the roof to discuss their teacher's strange behavior.
"He's in love with her." Evvy explained simply. "That's all there is to it." She was lying down on the thatch roof, eyes closed against the sun's glare.
Pasco, sitting a short ways away, leaned back on his elbows. "And Sandry obviously feels the same for him." He paused, thinking carefully. "We have two problems though; one: they won't admit it to themselves, much less each other, and two: They don't know what to do about their more-than-friendly feelings for one another."
Evvy shook her head. "There's a third problem there. Sandry is a Duchess, and my Pahan grew up on the streets. Not a good match in most people's eyes."
"But Sandry's not like most nobles. If we can get them to admit their feelings to each other, no one else will be able to stop them from being together."
Evvy considered this for a minute or two. An idea suddenly dawned on her. She looked up at Pasco, who was grinning down at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "So all we need to do is give them a little push in the right direction!"
Pasco's grin broadened as she caught on. "Exactly. I couldn't have said it better myself."
For the remainder of the rest period, the two students schemed up various plans to get their teachers together, and with that, a new alliance was formed. Pasco and Evvy returned to barely tolerating each other until it was time to begin their master plan.
Lark and Rosethorn took Pasco and Evvy to the market place the following day, leaving Briar and Sandry to do all of the chores and to fend for themselves for the entire day. By midday, both Sandry and Briar had completed all of their regular chores and settled down at the table for a midday meal before working on individual projects. Briar and Sandry had not been alone together since Sandry spent the night in Briar's room. They ate their food in silence, not even daring to look at one another.
Sandry finished her meal quickly and cleared her dishes from the table before closing herself up in her room as she had been doing a lot lately. Briar took notice of how little she had eaten off of her plate. He walked to her door only a moment after she left and knocked. When there was no answer, he opened the door carefully. Sandry was sitting in a chair staring dreamily out the window. "Is it really that bad to stay here alone with me, Sandry?" When Sandry jumped, Briar apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you. I knocked, but I guess you didn't hear me." He hesitated before speaking again. "What's going on, Sandry?"
The question startled her, and she turned back to the window. "What are you talking about?"
Briar stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He walked to the other side of the room and sat on the bed only a few feet from Sandry's chair. "You're acting strange. You won't look at me, you barely talk to me, and you can't even stay in the same room with me… and you're not eating anywhere near as much as you should. Please, Sandry, tell me what's wrong."
She knew she should tell him how she felt and what was wrong, but she was scared that he wouldn't understand and wouldn't feel the same.
"Sandry?" Briar asked after a long moment of silence. He remembered how beautiful she had looked when he had first returned, but the Sandry in front of him was very pale and had dark circles under her eyes. "Please, Sandry, I'm worried about you."
"I know." Sandry's voice was so small and weak that Briar wasn't sure if she had really spoken, or if he had just imagined it. Looking at Briar, who had just knelt in front of her, she remembered how safe and good it had felt waking up in his arms.
Briar looked up at Sandry and for a few minutes, neither of them spoke or moved. They sat there staring at each other until Sandry had to stifle a yawn. A smile tugged at the corners of Briar's mouth. "Come, Duchess. I think you need a nap." Without warning, he scooped her up and placed her gently on her bed.
Briar straightened up to leave, but Sandry, already half asleep, grasped his arm. "Stay with me." Without delay, Briar nodded and lay down close beside her. He hesitated for only a second before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer. Sandry inhaled deeply and relaxed into him. Before falling into a dreamless sleep, Sandry heard Briar say, "Sweet dreams, Love," and felt him kiss her forehead softly. Soon, he too fell asleep.
Lark, Rosethorn, Pasco, and Evvy returned to Discipline just before dark that evening. Pasco and Evvy found their teachers still asleep on Sandry's bed in each other's arms. They shook hands on a job well done and quietly shut the door.
Rosethorn woke Sandry and Briar up for the evening meal. Afterwards, everyone went to the sitting room to work on individual projects. Lark was sorting through the fabrics she had bought earlier that day, Rosethorn was succeeding in keeping Pasco still while meditating, Evvy was going through her alphabet with Briar's help, and Sandry was weaving an intricate wall hanging. Briar, however, was finding it very difficult to concentrate on what he was doing. His gaze kept falling back on Sandry, who, after their nap looked like herself again and was even more beautiful and perfect while she was weaving.
Pasco opened his eyes when he and Rosethorn were done meditating and almost laughed aloud when he saw how Briar was looking at Sandry from where he and Evvy sat. He met Evvy's eyes, who had also been watching Briar, and they shared a smile. They were proud of themselves for the first part of their plan having worked so well, even though in actuality they had had very little to do with it.
Pasco and Evvy retired to their rooms, soon followed by Lark and Rosethorn going to theirs. Briar sat for a long time just watching Sandry weave her magic into the tapestry. Finally the bright glow of Sandry's magic subsided and she looked around the room. Seeing that she and Briar were the only ones in the room, she asked, "What time is it?"
"After midnight. Everyone went to bed hours ago." Briar yawned and stretched.
Sandry sat back in her chair, tired out from using so much of her magic at once. "Why are you still here, then?"
Briar shrugged nonchalantly. "I like watching you weave. Anyway, you need to get to bed. You tired yourself out."
"Mm-hmm." Sandry was already asleep in the chair, and for the third time, Briar lifted her up and took her to her bed. He kissed her again before turning and leaving.
Pasco and Evvy both gasped inaudibly when they saw Briar kiss Sandry. They had been watching them from the stairs ever since Lark and Rosethorn had gone to bed. They scrambled into Evvy's room when Briar turned to leave Sandry's room.
"I can't believe it's working this fast." Evvy commented in a hushed voice. "I thought it would take a lot longer for him to kiss her."
Pasco rolled his eyes at her. "That kiss didn't count. She was sleeping." He yawned dramatically. "I'm going to bed. Night, Evvy."