I'm a bad romance writer, it's true… But for the sake of the wonderful Lief and Jasmine pairing, I'll do my best.

I enjoy CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS! Feel free to send me a long email about this story. I love it when people take an interest and really pick my stories to pieces- but ONLY when it's justified and CONSTRUCTIVE.

Read and Review please! Oh, and I'll dedicate the next chapter to the one who spots the 'Rowan of Rin' cameo! Good luck!

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Chapter One: A Wanted Peace

Lief smiled; his first true smile in a very long time.

Things in Deltora had been hard for as long as Lief could remember. There had been many times before when Lief had thought all was well, then another Quest would begin and terror and danger would restart. Now Lief was sure that everything across Deltora would be calm and peaceful.

Everyone everywhere was celebrating. The townspeople of Del were frolicking, dancing, whistling and singing as they went about their duties for the afternoon; anything to show their joy. Three names were repeated over and over, with absolute honour and delight in the tones of those who said it.

The land of Deltora's three saviours, who risked their lives many times over to ensure that the enemy was defeated and banished into the shadowy land beyond the mountains. King Lief, Barda the Strong and Jasmine the Daring.

Lief was young to be King, at only seventeen, but ruling young had been tradition in Deltora for centuries. Lief had already broken on of the many royal traditions by still being unmarried. At Lief's age, the prior Kings were already fathers.

But Lief squirmed whenever he thought about marriage. He knew he wanted to wed. And he was sure he knew whom he wanted to wed. It was…how…he would go about it that made him uncomfortable.

Still, Lief smiled again as he walked slowly down the street, enjoying the sunshine and the sights and smells of the town. Children ran passed Lief with banners of bright colours to decorate the town, men and woman rushed along with baskets of fruit and vegetables, baskets of flowers and vines and clay pots full to the brim with fresh, sweet water.

Del once was a dead town. Starving people lay almost dying in the gutters, scrambling upon any scrap of food they could find. Houses and businesses lay empty and destroyed; the Shadow Lord's brand upon the doors. Lief shuddered. The Shadow Lord had destroyed so many lives, ruined so many dreams.

But now Del was a place of life.

Lief had finally beaten him. Well, Lief and his lifelong companions Barda and Jasmine. They were a team, the three of them together created a spirit so strong that it could never be broken.

Barda the Strong was a retired Palace Guard. Barda was much older than Lief, and he was a rough and stubborn man with great strength and a great heart. When Lief had first met Barda they had argued all the time. Barda had little faith in Lief, and Lief had not cared much for Barda. But as time went by they had come to respect each other, and now either one would give their life for the other.

Jasmine the Daring was a slender young girl of Lief's age with a wild tangled mess of black hair, bright green eyes and more boldness and recklessness than anyone Lief had ever known. Jasmine was more at home in a forest than in any city, as she had grown up living alone in the Forests of Silence with her animal companions Filli and Kree. When the pair first met, Jasmine was a stubborn and rude girl who bottled up her true feelings inside and was wary of strangers. Now Jasmine was still stubborn, but she had learned tact and openly showed her feelings for others.

…If I could only be so open…

Lief couldn't help smiling as he thought of Jasmine, and he wondered when he would see her next. The young man missed her sorely and he had not seen her for just over a week. Jasmine had gone to Tora, Del's sister city, to lead the procession of Toran carriages filled with the townsfolk.

For tonight in Del a great festival was being held. People from all over Deltora would all be flocking to Del to join in with the festivities. And why shouldn't they celebrate? Deltora had suffered misery for so long. It was about time that they had fine food, drink and company.

Lief skipped quickly up the stone steps of the Palace, easily dodging the constant mass of townsfolk coming and going with their duties for the festival.

The Palace had been given a much-needed makeover. Now it was less of a palace and more simply a Town Centre. There was nothing royal about the Palace now, it was now a place of learning and friendship.

In the hands of the Shadow Lord it had been a place of torture and grief with cold white walls and dark rooms. Lief had felt a sense of foreboding every time he stepped inside.

But Ralad builders came to show their appreciation to their King, and had given the Palace a great transformation. Now the rooms were bright, open and cheerful, shining marble floors and grand sweeping staircases.

On the first floor there was a great library filled with thousands of fascinating books. The librarians Ranesh and Marilen had spent much time cataloguing all of the books, and since the Library had first been re-opened, they had found a great many more books from all over Deltora.

A great room next to the Library was filled with tables and chairs and a blackboard where Timon, Del's new teacher, taught young children and adults alike how to read, write and count. The next generation of Deltorans would all know how to read and write, unlike the thousands before them who had been deprived.

The kitchens in the Palace were warm and inviting and travellers in Del always had a place to grab a mug of ale or a bowl of stew. Indeed, if the travellers wished to stay, then the Palace was the best place in Del to do so. The second and third floors of the palace had been furnished into spare bedrooms and all travellers were welcome to a soft bed.

The top floor was smaller than the others and led off to separate towers that were used for storage and other little uses. Lief had found a secret way to the roof in one of the towers, and so a lot of his time was spent alone sitting on the roof at sundown, watching the busy town of Del settle happily down for the night. That was where he was heading now.

Lief darted in and out of the busy crowds and headed for the long staircase. He would have to avoid Queen Sharn, his mother. Lief wondered where she was. Probably in the kitchen, busy preparing food. Hopefully she was not in her bedroom; Lief would have to walk right passed it to get to the roof…

Lief had been avoiding his mother very regularly lately.

Sharn was a lovely person; she was sweet and kind, and very good. However, as of late Sharn had been nudging Lief in the direction of marriage. And Lief knew he could not marry the girl Sharn suggested.

Belah was extremely beautiful, being a lady of Tora. All Torans had long shining black hair and were slim and graceful. Belah had deep eyes of a warm chocolate colour and her lips were full and red.

Belah also had many talents. She could weave almost as well as Sharn (and this indeed, was a great feat!) Belah was also an excellent cook, and was smart at her studies, being a great lover of books.

Lief had met Belah on a few occasions, and although he liked her, certainly, he could not wed her! Belah may have many talents, but Lief did not love her. How could he marry a girl he did not love? Lief knew that his mother meant well. Sharn was a smart lady, and she obviously knew how Lief cared for…another…

But this…other girl…Sharn did not think it a wise thing to wed her. It would 'complicate' things, Sharn said. As Lief and the…other girl…were already friends and…things would be different if they were married… Lief was very confused about the whole thing, but knew that his mother was wrong. He could not simply be 'matched up' with a girl he hardly knew. Lief wanted to have companionship. He wanted his wife to also be his friend.

But as Sharn said, things were complicated…

Lief sighed as he hurried up the stone steps. Someone called out his name from the crowd of people below but Lief pretended he did not hear and quickened his pace. It may have been Sharn, and Lief did not wish to speak to her now.

Lief hurried up another set of stairs and hurried to reach the next set. He held his breath and crept passed his mother's door, just in case, though Lief was sure she would not be inside.

It took no time at all for Lief to lift a loose board on the wall and climb the ladder up to the roof. At once, Lief was at peace.

The boy scrambled up the stone bricks to his favourite position, a little shady alcove in the corner where two towers met. Here he was protected from any strong winds and out of the sun. Lief had left blankets in the alcove from the night before, so he settled on top of them and comfortably watched the comings and goings below. The sun was just preparing to go down, and Lief could tell it was going to be a warm night, perfect for a festival. Although it was strange, Lief felt he would rather watch the festival from up on the roof, and not go down at all. He still was not used to being King, and the respect people payed him made Lief feel embarrassed. He sighed and lay his head in his hands, still watching below.

"Did you want to be alone?" A voice from behind spoke softly.

Lief jumped up with fright and spun around at once.

"Jasmine!" Lief leapt to his feet and enclosed the girl in a tight hug. "I have missed you." Jasmine returned the hug warmly. "I have missed you too, Lief" The couple stood there on the roof, clutched in each other's arms for one sweet, blissful moment. Lief thought he could have stayed there for the rest of his life, breathing in the sweet, fresh smell of Jasmine's soft hair. When she stepped back and smiled at him in the golden light of sundown, Lief thought he had never seen anyone more beautiful. Of course, to others Jasmine may not have been attractive, still wearing her dusty travelling clothes and black curls a messy tangle. But as Lief returned her smile, he thought that there was no other being that was more beautiful, or who he could ever love more than he loved Jasmine.

Embarrassed, Jasmine walked past Lief and settled herself on the blankets. "It's a nice view."

"I know," he replied, sitting down next to her. "I like to come up here often, and just think about things."

Jasmine smiled mischievously. "Things? What things?"

Lief rolled his eyes. "Never you mind." He teased.

They were silent for a very long time, comfortable not speaking, and merely enjoying each other's company. The sun slowly sunk down and was replaced by a moon, rising just as slowly.

"The festival will begin shortly." Jasmine said softly, breaking the silence. "I suppose we should go down and join them." But she sounded reluctant, as if she would rather stay on the roof, as Lief felt.

Lief suddenly saw Barda, striding up the hill with his wife to be, Lindal of Broome. Barda was waving a small wooden box. "One more lock to go!" Barda called, "Who wants to see me open it?" There were a few cheers and a small crowd of people surrounded Barda, eagerly watching him attempt to find the secret of the little wooden toy. Even a bird, a black crow, had flown down and was perched on a branch nearby Barda, watching him intently.

"He has still got that box." Said Lief to Jasmine, "I wonder why?"

"It frustrates him, but he is curious to know what lies inside." Jasmine replied, "The curiosity pushes him to find the answer."

"Curiosity killed the cat" murmured Lief, without thinking. He hadn't meant to say it, but suddenly felt that it was true. "For some reason I do not like that box." He confessed to Jasmine, "I feel as if it should remain closed."

Jasmine looked surprised. "I agree with you, but I do not know why I feel that way." She squirmed a little and took Lief's hand. "It is strange." She stated.

Lief felt very comfortable with his hand in Jasmine's. It just felt… right, no matter what his mother said. With his free hand, Lief felt in his jacket pocket for a small box covered in satin. Suddenly he felt nervous.

Should he…? Ask her…? Would she…agree…? Did she…feel the same way…?

Jasmine could easily sense his nervousness. She turned to him, surprised. "Are you alright, Lief? You are not that worried about the box, are you?"

In fact, Lief was worried about a different kind of box, the little, hidden, satin one. In it contained the question of his future and everything relied upon the answer. Lief gathered all the courage he could muster and looked into Jasmine's eyes deeply.

"Jasmine, I-"

But all at once, Jasmine sprung up and her head turned sharply downwards, staring at the scene below. Lief followed her gaze, suddenly hearing the cheers that came from the crowd around Barda. The tall man held the open box high in the air, and Lief could see that there was a smaller wooden sculpture inside. It looked like… a bat? No, Lief squinted, it looked like some sort of demon. Like a deformed gnome or goblin with wings like a bat. It was carved from shiny black wood and there were tiny moonstones in place of eyes.

Lief felt uneasy. Although everyone was happy and carefree, Lief could sense something wrong. Something was out of place, clearly Jasmine could feel it too. And then it happened…

The moon had been slowly rising all the time Barda had been struggling to undo the final lock on the wooden box, and now it was high in the air, shining softly down and illuminating the festivities. A shaft of moonlight filtered softly through the trees and shone brightly onto the little wooden demon, glistening in the moonstone eyes. Lief's heart pounded in his chest as he saw the pearly stones turn as red as blood. Jasmine gripped Lief's hand tightly and she screamed with fear, "Barda!"

But it was too late. The crowd had suddenly realised that all was not well and Barda turned to look at the wooden ornament in his hand with fear. All of a sudden, Barda's eyes rolled back in his head so only the whites were visible and he spoke in a voice that was not his own.

"You thought me gone but I am back,
With all my strength in this attack.
Beyond the peaks I sit and wait,
While my servant plots your fate.
She knows your ways, studied you well,
Will soon put you under her spell.
When moon is full and eyes shine bright,
Evil will come to rule the night.
Demons are silent but death is on wings,
Every time the talisman sings.
Each night they will come, until you know,
The reason why their numbers grow.
To end the terror, stop the song,
Only then will you be strong.
Beware! A sacrifice must be made,
Else the demons will never be slayed."

Barda finished his eerie speech and fell heavily onto the ground. Lindal cried out and was by his side immediately. However, the danger had not passed. The demon talisman rose into the air and with a loud crack, sounding much like a whiplash, red smoke began to emit from the crimson eyes. A strange, high pitched wailing was coming from the talisman that hurt Lief's ears. Jasmine cried out and fell to her knees, her sensitive ears making her writhe with pain. The crowd cried out with alarm and began to run away down the hill and into the palace. Everywhere the festivities had ceased and people from all around Deltora were running for their lives.

Lief stood up, his hands on the shining belt around his waist; the magical Belt of Deltora. It had banished evil spirits before, but Lief soon realised there was nothing he could do.

The red smoke had become more solid, and Lief could see it was growing wings. Soon, a bat-like demon creature was flying around, dipping, snapping and swerving in the clear sky. It swooped around, knocking over tables of food, destroying the silken banners and ruining the gardens. Windows were smashed with a slight flick of the demon's pointed tail, tiles off of roofs were knocked off. The city of Del was in ruins within only a few minutes. Around the garden there were candles burning brightly attached to long wooden poles. Lindal had one of the poles in her hand and was waving it around her head, trying to keep the demon away from herself and the fallen Barda. All of a sudden, the demon caught on fire from the lit candle. Then, as quickly has it had begun, the high-pitched wailing ceased and the demon vanished into wisps of red smoke. Lindal fell to her knees next to Barda, exhausted.

All was silent for a long moment. The danger was over, and so was the festival…

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Whew! I've been typing solidly for an hour or so, and now I need some lunch. Well, does everyone like it so far? Is it too clichéd? My rhyme is a little dodgy, but hopefully it's ok. Do you understand the rhyme? Do ya think ya know what it means :D

Poor Lief! He's about to confess his love and the bloody demons show up.

Don't critique Belah for being a Mary-Sue. She's perfect on purpose, but she will not be the heroine of this story.

Please read and review!