Aleia sat on one of the marble benches in the gardens. She watched the colorful flowers sway in the breeze, as the butterflies and bees flew to each of them, drinking the nectar. Enjoying the simple things. That's what she was trying to do. It was coming close to her birthday, though, close to August seventeenth, and it was hard to think of much else.

Aleia saw Queen Lydia coming towards her. The queen sat down next to Aleia.

"You've made this garden beautiful," the queen said, looking around.

"Thank you," Aleia replied. "But the credit must also go to the gardeners. I mostly just planned, while they did the work."

"It is drawing close to your twenty-first birthday," the queen said after a moment.

Aleia remained silent.

"I wanted to have a large party for you, and it is sure to be expected, but under the circumstances...well, what I'm trying to say is, we don't have to, if you don't want one. Perhaps it would be better—less dangerous, if we did not."

"I thank you, Mother, but if it is to be my last night, I think it would not matter where I was or what I was doing. And I would rather spent it doing something than being locked up, just waiting for death to find me."

The queen nodded. "Alright then. We will have a ball and invite—everyone. That is, if it's alright with you."

"Everyone?" Aleia asked, a smile playing at her lips. "That sounds—wonderful. Do invite everyone, Mother, not just the courtiers, but all of the peasants in the city," Aleia said eagerly.

The queen looked slightly shocked. "All the peasants in the city? Darling, that would be—"

"I know, ridiculous, unheard of, completely un-princess-like, I don't care! They're just as much my people as the courtiers are, perhaps even more so, because they rely on me to take care of them. They don't have money to rely on like the courtiers. I want them to share my—" she refrained from saying last night, "birthday with me."

"Well—alright. It will be rather crowded, though. We will have to use the largest ballroom and take everything out of it so we have enough room. Perhaps we can have the orchestra playing from somewhere else, below us perhaps, or in an adjoining room—" the queen was already off on a billion plans. "Oh, and Darling, I'll let you design your own dress, since it is your party. You can have it be however you want."

Aleia nodded. "Thank you, Mother."

"Yes, yes, now I must go, preparations for this ball will take longer than usual, because of the amount of people, of course, and it must be extra special for you."

Aleia nodded and watched her mother leave the gardens. Her birthday party would certainly be an interesting one. She didn't know how she wanted her dress to be. She'd have to think of it more. It would have to be something she'd be willing to be wearing to her funeral. She shook off that thought and got up to do something else.

"So I hear your birthday party is going to be a big shazam," Josh said.

Aleia smiled. They were walking through the halls together, she had wanted to talk to Josh badly. "It is. I might as well go out with a bang."

"I wouldn't put my money on your death. You have quick reflexes. Almost as good as mine. The moment you see a spinning wheel with a sharp needle, you can knock it to the ground."

"Almost as good as yours? Ahem, I think mine are much better than yours."

"Hey. Be nice."

Aleia laughed. "Josh, I really don't want to die," she said more seriously.

"I don't you to die either."

"You're a great friend, Josh. You're a like a brother to me."

"Yup. I pretty much consider you my sis. So, uh, sis, could you maybe lend me some money?"

Aleia laughed again. "Josh, I'm trying to be serious."

"Yeah, well, that never really worked out for me. But as your esteemed brother, I expect you to name one of your children after me," Josh said.

"Who said I was having children?"

"Oh. Well, I just assumed. I figured you'd be getting married soon."

"To whom?"

"Who do you think?"

Aleia turned away. "It would never work out with me and him. Even if I don't die, I'm a princess and he's a spy."

"So you admit that you're desperately in love with him."

"No, but..." she trailed off. "It's hard," she said after a moment.

"I see. But in the rare occasion that you do get to get married and live happily ever after and have children, I expect you to name one of them after me."

Aleia smiled. "Alright, I will!"

"Good."

"At the ball," Aleia started.

"We'll be there. Me and Raoul. And if we see anyone suspicious we'll take them out first, ask questions later."

"I wish I could be there with you."

"Yes, but it is rather difficult to be in two places at once. It would be interesting, though."

"Yeah."

"I'd be on the beach right now. Sitting in the sun, relaxing."

Aleia giggled. "Josh, you always turn everything into a joke!"

"You needed it, though."

Aleia looked at him. "Yeah, I did."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Filler again. Next chapter is her birthday already! That's not the end though, but very close. There will probably be like two more chapters after that or something. Anyways, I have next chapter written already, it's extra long and (hopefully) exciting. I'll probably post it Monday though I could post it sooner or later depending on the amount of reviews I get and how fast I get them.