Palace life had gone into a quiet lull and Alanna sat back to enjoy it.

Winter was coming, and snow adorned the treetops, and quiet started to sink into the palace. It was what Lianne called, "the quiet before the storm".

"What do you mean?" Alanna asked.

"With the Ball, the parties and the faithless husbands, trouble is going to be served in large amounts." Lianne smiled.

Lianne then shooed Alanna out of her room.

Thayet and Thom were out in the snow having fun, while Buri had some fun with Raoul. Cythera and Gary even seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Jealous? Her cat looked at her

"Why would I be jealous?"

In a few years they'll all have a family, and you'll be wandering about.

"What's your point?"

Nothing, I just think you should go and enjoy yourself instead of sitting in your room the whole of winter.

"I'll go visit Myles!" Alanna smiled.

Not exactly what I thought of, but it will do. The cat strolled out with her.

Alanna smiled and held the door open for her cat, as they walk to Myles' chambers.

"Alanna, what a pleasant surprise." Myles, Baron of Olau, hugged his adopted daughter.

"Myles, it's good to see you!" She hugged Myles back.

"Well, sit, I have just the thing for you." Myles took a kettle off his stove.

"Try this…" He poured a little water into a earthenware mug, and added some something for a glass jar in.

Alanna accepted the glass and took a sip.

Cinnamon and ginger attacked her mouth. She could taste something else, though… a creamy flavour

"Well, what does it taste like?"

"Definitely cinnamon, clove and ginger…cream?"

"Cream is right…something else."

"I don't know, it's such a large mix…" Alanna took another sip. "I know, chocolate!"

"Right!" Myles clapped his hands together happily, "I didn't think cocoa and cinnamon would work together, but I was experimenting."

"How did you think of it?"

"It's an old family recipe apparently. In the old days, the natives had large amount of cocoa from the natives who grew it perennially. They had a treaty with those natives, and as show of goodwill, the natives gave their secret ingredients to many dishes, the cocoa bean. Of course, the people in the north took it as a commodity, and only the best had it. They slowly tried many mixtures, one of which was this."

Alanna smiled, watching Myles explain the history in great detail.

"Well, that's certainly interesting." She smiled.

"So Alanna, how goes it with you?"

"Well, as life can go I suppose."

"Come now Alanna, tell an old man the truth."

"Myles, for the first time in my life, the world is peaceful."

Myles laughed, "Alanna, with Midwinter approaching nothing is peaceful."

"Why does everyone think that?"

"Because it's true!" Myles laughed, "Last year Sir Charles got head over heels drunk and started singing a love ballot to Lady Cythera. Then Sir Gareth promptly hit him over the head, causing Charles' friends to attack Sir Gareth."

"Charles had friends?" Alanna put a puzzled look on her face

"I was surprised as you were, but Gareth owed him one after the way he was talking about you after you left."

"What do you mean?"

"He spewed the most rotten things about you…that's not in the story. So Charles' friends attacked Gareth, which caused Sir Raoul and His Highness to join in the fight. In the end the King ordered them all to stop."

"That's it?"

"Hardly dear Alanna, the ladies had tiny bickers that lead out into a full fledged food fight…"

"Really…?"

"Even the dainty Lady Amelia was involved."

"Amelia, but she is so delicate, it looks like she would break!"

"That's what I had thought, but apparently she shoved cake into Lady Orilia's hair."

Alanna laughed.

"Alanna, look at the time, you should go to dinner. I'm sorry for keeping you so late!"

"Myles, really it was a lot of fun!"

She gave her father a hug, "Thank you for the stories."

"It was no problem dear, you should visit more often."

"With the Ball coming up, I'll be here more often with hangover medication."

"Ah Alanna you know me so well!" He smiled, and then gently shooed her.

"I'm bored…" Alanna complained.

"I don't believe it, you don't enjoy dress fitting?" Thayet teased.

"If anything looked good on me, I'd be happy."

"We are short people Alanna, but we just need to flaunt the things that we have." Thayet sat beside her.

"Like what?"

"Your eyes, your hair…your waist is small and with some help you can look taller."

Alanna looked at Thayet like she was a two headed horse.

"What?"

"It's a nice concept, but the ball is tomorrow, and I'm not going to be able to arrange all of that in time."

Thayet laughed, "It's quite simple, but if you insist, I can help." She gave Alanna a mischievous smile.

"This is going to be fun." Thayet smiled.

Alanna looked at her, "I'm getting scared Thayet, very scared…"