Four days passed in the inn and it was time for Thayet to leave with Jack to Port Caynn. It was sad for her to leave Corus so soon; she was used to being in the city and didn't want to be so far away from where she had called home for a year. Jack had a jet black and a chestnut brown mare ready for the trip on the road. Thayet quickly swung herself onto the mare expertly, and attached her saddlebags with her clothing in them on the back of the black beauty. She reminds me of Jon's old horse. She thought, then quickly thought of something else. I'm not about to turn back now. Not for all the work I've done.

"Where did you learn to ride?" He asked suspiciously. Thayet thought quick. Another mind boggling question...

"My masters were nice enough to let me learn. They said it was neccesary for a maid."

"Oh. I've never heard of masters that nice." He swung himself the same way on his horse, and they were off, in silence once again.

The scenery on the road could never have been more beautiful. The ending of summer always made Thayet shiver, thinking of the cold that autumn would bring. The sunrise was beautiful, since they had left so early. The trees were swaying in the small, warm wind and the birds chirped cheerfully at her. It was a perfect day.

"We need a story."

"Hmm?" Thayet asked. She was still admiring her surroundings. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken the road to Port Caynn. It had been long ago.

"A story, Kaden, one that my wife will beleive. I can't tell her the truth, for Gods sake, I have to make something believable about you. What do you think." He hesitated, maybe waiting for an answer, but then he looked like he was thinking about something, not waiting, so Thayet didn't answer. "Maybe we can tell her you're a traveller, that you need a spot to stay for a few days..."

"That won't work. I need somewhere to stay for the rest of my life, Jack." She took a break from talking, and then thought of something. "We can tell her the truth about me."

"Kaden, are you crazy? We can't tell her the tru-"

"No, what I mean is that we can tell her I'm a maid. That's the truth about me." Not true at all... she thought. "We can tell her I'm looking for a job, and I just happened to run into you. You remember me telling you that I was a maid, right?"
"Vaguely. Maybe we were both out of it that night." He smiled at her and she laughed.

"Yes, I guess we were." She sighed. This was more difficult than she thought. "Your wife doesn't have any maids, does she?" When he shook his head, she talked again. "Good. Then it'll work."

"I guess it will."

"Are you doubting the plan? She will need a maid, won't she?"

"Maybe."

"Well, she will now, once I'm there. You'll thank me, later, and she'll thank you too. For me, of course."

George paced the room with a look of concern crossing his face. He was worried and scared for Thayet, and for Jonathan.

"She's a brave lass, she is. Goin' out on her own, it's not like Thayet to be doin' this." He looked up a Jonathan. He was almost desperate for some answers. Alanna and the king had told him all about what had happened. It got him on the edge of his seat just as it had her best friend and her husband. "Why would she do somethin' like this so suddenly?" Alanna and Jonathan exchanged glances, but didn't say anything. "What? There's somethin' yer not tellin' me."
"George, he can't even concentrate on his own work, do you expect him to know what he did wrong?" Jonathan opoened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again, knowing it would only make trouble. "Come on, George, lets go back to our rooms and let the king sort his work out, hmm?"

They started walking out, when a voice from behind called them back.

"Alanna, can you stay behind for a few moments? We need to talk." She looked at her fiancé, and he nodded.

"What is it?" She asked him after the door was closed behind them.

"You can't keep this from George, he knows something's not been told, and he'll do anything to find out, even spy on us." He looked at her pleadingly, and then continued. "You have to tell him."

"How will he take it? I might not have a fiancé by the end of the conversation, Jon!"

"I know, but it has to be told. You don't want him to find out the wrong way, do you?" He smiled at the corners of his mouth, something he hadn't done for weeks. "Do you promise to tell?" His smile was replaced by concern.

"Of course, my king. I'll inform him." Her face was serious and business like, and she walked out of the room, leaving a confused king behind her.

Jack and Thayet came upon a small house in the middle of the woods, in a meadow, with flowers in a garden beginning to fade, and apple trees surrounding a cute, cottage like home. At the front door, a cheerful, young woman with curly, brown hair greeted her husband with a great smile. She had big rosy cheeks and warmth in her smile. She was lovely.

"Olesia, my dear!" He flew himself down from his horse and greeted her with a big, bear hug and a kiss. Thayet slowly lowered herself from the saddle, and stood there with a sweet, fake smile on her face, waiting for their embrace to break and for Olesia to notice her. She did that straight away.

"Jack, who is this?"

"I brought you home a gift." Jack made it sound so strange, like she was an item, and like he didn't really love her, only bought her at a marketplace or something. "A maid, to help you cook, clean and garden. She really needed a place to stay, so I thought I'd be generous, and I knew you'd like her."

"What is her name?" Olesia came up to her and brushed her hair from her face, and looked her over.

"My name is Kaden Verdonn, my lady." She said as she looked at Jack with a bitter look on her face. Then she turned to Olesia and gave her her sweetest smile.

"Why, she's lovely, Jack." She smiled at him, and then looked back at Thayet. "Come with me, dear. I'll show you your room."

Alanna took a deep breath and opened the door to her rooms. George lay on the bed, writing something down on a piece of parchment. She smiled at him, sort of.

"George," She cleared her throat as he looked at her. His eyes were worried for her, because she looked so worried. She hoped this conversation wouldn't end in tears. "There's something I have to tell you about me and Jon."

"Ye still love him."

"Well, maybe... not exactly..." She took a deep breath and sat next to him on the bed.

"If this is really botherin' you that much, it must be somethin' big."

"Thayet ran away because she caught Jon having an affair with-"

"With you." George looked at her with a sad look on his face. "It's still goin' on. If you want to call of the engagement, it's fine. I'll wait."

"Your not mad?" She said, tears welling up in her eyes, stinging.

"Maybe, but I'm just not showin' it. I couldn't just kill the king now, could I?" He smiled a sad smile. "So ye want to call it off, then?"

"No George, no!" She buried her face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and holding his own tears in. "Never, George, I love you."

"And I love you too, Lioness." She looked up into his eyes and smiled. He wiped away her tears, and she kissed his lips.

"I will always love you."