The servants hurriedly carried the Tanners' and Katsopolis' stuff inside. The old man who welcomed them was the Baron, Jeremiah Saffron. He stays at Aurelie Couture year long to watch the palace and keep everything and everyone in line.

"I must say I'm crushed by the news of Queen Pamela's sudden death, Your Majesty." Jeremiah said softly as they walked to the chambers.

"Yes, all of us are." Daniel polished a gold piece. "It has been hardest for my two daughters."

"Ah yes!" Jeremiah's mood brightened. "You have not been here for so long that I have almost forgotten about the Princesses!"

"Come here please, Stephanie, Michelle." Daniel smiled.

The girls stopped talking to their friends and obeyed.

Jeremiah clapped, "They have grown so much! Why, last time Your Majesties vacationed here at Aurelie Couture Princess Stephanie was but a child and Princess Michelle an infant! And now there's only two because Princess Donna Jo is married! All hail the Queen Of Churchill!"

King Daniel laughed, "Yes, we are all very happy."

"Speaking of Donna Jo, Father, has she recieved the letter yet informing her of Mother's death?" Stephanie asked.

"I believe so. But do not count on her replying immediately. Ships can sink and storms can stop them just the same. It would take one whole month for a letter to go to and then one more month for a reply."

Michelle sighed, "Why did you have to marry her off to a faraway land like Churchill?"

"They married more for love then for status. I think Donna Jo would have never agree to move that far away if she had not loved King Steve." Stephanie told her sister. "I wish I could marry for love..."

"Nonsense! You are a Princess and marry for nothing but the alliance for this country! Donna Jo and King Steve were wed because of an arranged marriage! They grew to love each other. I'm sure you will also with whoever is your future husband. Now stop thinking of love and please do not cause trouble! There is a Prince arriving tomorrow. Look your best and don't turn him down." Daniel turned around. "Lady Gia, Lady Mickey! Be sure Princess Stephanie gets a nice clean bath and a clean gown. Then clean the chambers and clean the throne room where we shall all meet. After that please make sure to clean her hair out so no foul odor can be detected."

The two curtsied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

'God he loves everything clean doesn't he?' Gia thought to herself.

The trio and the other maids walked together into the chamber prepared for them.

"Uh!" Stephanie yelled as she threw herself on the large bed. "Why do I always have to meet these Princes? It's pointless! They always break off the engagement anyways!"

"Perhaps this time, everything will be different." Mickey said.

Gia laughed, "Hahaha! I highly doubt that! Can't you see Steph is practically drooling over scroll boy!"

"Gia! His name is Charles and he's a scholar, not scribe!" Stephanie said.

"Scholar or scribe he is of low status." Gia scoffed.

"Ha! And I thought the idea of gossip was to talk behind someone's back. But you're very couragous to say that in one's face, Lady Gia." Gia spun around to see Charles leaning against a pillar.

"Why should I fear telling the truth? You are not of noble blood, scholar boy, therefore unless you are a very great scholar I would be of higher rank then you."

Mickey pulled on Gia's arm, "Um...I really think you should stop before-"

"And I suppose a man should take insults from a woman?" Charles raises his voice.

"Sexist! That is completely sexist!" Gia yelled.

"Oh my dears, please calm down or else my sister, Countess Lancaster will hear and tell King Daniel." Countess Skeffington warned.

"Yes," Stephanie began as Mickey helped her get out a gown for the evening, "I wouldn't want you two sent away. Countess Skeffington is already stressed. So please do not act in that manner." She sat down and looked at her reflection on the mirror.

Skeffington put Stephanie's hand in her's, "My darling Princess...you really do not wish to marry do you?"

"How did you know?"

"Really isn't that hard. You've always been that kind of girl who wants to control her own life. Princess Stephanie, you don't deserve to have a husband control your life."

"You are right, I do not." Stephanie let her hair down for Mickey to brush it.

"Though as a Princess you must. For the sake of your father's Kingdom. Just like a noble woman marrying so her father can have money and her father-in-law gets a dowry."

Stephanie sighed, "How unfair is that? Not even for love?"

"Not for love, dear." Skeffington shook her head, "At first when I found out about my arranged marriage with Mac Skeffington I didn't know what to think. All I did was cry while my mother and sister scolded me about not being responsible for my duties. That stupid cow Jane only cares about money and estates! She even scared her husband so much that she was the head of the Lancaster family. My family, the Ramirez, never had another child after my mother almost died from her last baby who was a male...but he was a stillborn. Father was devastated and angry at Mother, blaming her for ending our family line. He used to say everyday at the dining table "The Ramirez line will end after Jane marries and Laura also."

"But even those past events don't prevent me from being the happy woman I am! The only child I ever had was Grace. No male. Mac did not care. He still showed Grace the love my father never showed Jane or I. For that I am grateful. Ever since I saw how Mac cared for Grace I realized he is not that bad of a man as woman say husbands are. I grew very fond of him, but only as a friend is fond of another friend. Our relationship was never to the point of love which I regret. I promised myself when Grace got married it would be for love. Now she is dead. Still, I had to fulfill the promise I made to myself. I'm sure Grace would understand. She didn't get the chance to marry for love. Neither did I. But you, Princess, I would make sure of it. Anytime there is a Prince you dislike, you tell me and I'll get Lady Gia and Lady Mickey to scare him away! Haha! It would be such a delight indeed!"

Stephanie, Gia, Mickey and Charles stared in awe.

'After such a horrid childhood Countess Skeffington is still kind to us all and has the patience to deal with my complaints...' Stephanie thought.

'Marry for love...' Charles was now lost in his own world.

"Scholar boy?" Gia snapped her fingers in front of Charles' face but got no reply.

"Countess Skeffington, I am positively sure there is no Prince that has the ability to make me fall in love with him only by giving jewels and gold." Stephanie said confidently.

Skeffington nodded, "I'm sure there isn't. Jewels are not what determine love...happiness maybe."

"But just to satisfy Father, I'll give this Prince a chance...only as a friend and nothing more."

"That's a good girl!" Skeffington embraced Stephanie.

"From which country is this Prince from?" Stephanie asked after they stopped hugging.

Skeffington got out a small journal from her gown and opened it, "Japan I believe...also the heir to the throne, not our's of course. His name is Harry Takyama."

"Yes yes, it is all very interesting now can we move on to another subject? Or perhaps allow Princess Stephanie to have some rest so she wouldn't look like a witch in the morning?" Charles snapped.

Gia glared, "What's wrong with you? I thought you and Steph always get along? Which reminds me if you want to earn the privilage of entering and exiting Steph's room, calling her by her nickname and getting a higher position then fix your attitude! Besides, Madame has gone through a lot these past few days so don't you dare speak to her in such a manner!"

"Here we go!" Stephanie rolled her eyes, "All of you are excused to do as you desire for the rest of the evening. I will talk to Countess Skeffington and have some rest. Good-night everyone!"

"Good-night, Princess Stephanie." The maids, except Gia, Mickey and Charles, curtsied and filed out Stephanie's room.

"Yes? What do you wish to discuss with me?" Skeffington asked when the last maid closed the doors of the room.

Stephanie blew out some of the candles to dim the lighting a bit leaving only three still burning by her bedside table.

"I wanted to ask if you happen to have any information about Harry Takyama?"

"Oh yes of course!" The Governess bent a corner of the journal to mark it, handed it to Stephanie, "Everything's in this very journal, dear."

"Thank you so much, Countess Skeffington! You don't know how much it means for me to know about this Prince."

"And why is that?"

"Do you recall a little boy with black hair playing in my mother's privy garden along with me? Perfect gentlemen for one so young."

"Yes I do..." Skeffington tries searching through her mind for something.

Flashback

"Hurry! My mother says she has made a plateful of suckets! I love the ones she makes more than anyone else's! Hurry! They've set up everything on the table in her privy garden!" A young Stephanie said with glee while running past all the guards.

"Slow down please! It's too hard to run especially since your father's palace is located in such a warm place." A boy with ebony hair panted.

"Come on! I wear so many layers to this gown and you're complaining about the weather?"

"Well you may not know this but my clothing also has many layers to it. Though I am curious as to what is this 'sucket' you speak of?"

Stephanie smiled, "It's a sweet! I promise no one makes them better then Mother! If you like them, I'll ask her if she'll make you some to take back to Japan!"

"If you say so, Princess. But I eat fast and I don't know how long until my parents will come back to the Tanner Kingdom again. Who knows? It could be years before tasting this sweet treat again. That is why I am not going to allow myself to like suckets too much."

End Flashback (For Now)

"That boy I'm certain is Harry Takyama. But that was more than a decade ago, now I can't remember." Stephanie sighed, pulling the covers over her.

"You'll find out soon, I know you will."

"But I really want to know if that boy really was the Prince! What if he isn't and I acted nice towards him making him think I actually like him? What if the Prince really is him and I make Gia and Mickey scare them away? What am I going to do?"

"Calm down, Stephanie. You'll find out tomorrow."

Flashback

"Try it!" Stephanie shoved a plate with a sucket on top to her friend.

"Why?"

"Trust me, it's not poisoned or anything!"

The boy stratched his head, "I'm not very fond of sweets."

"Then what was that you were chewing on the other day? A bee hive?"

"Course not!" He burst out, "That was...uh...a uh..."

"Admit it, that was a cake and you loved it!"

"Yea..."

"Even if you end up loving suckets, I'm sure you won't get attached to them so much that you send your servants sailing back here to get some. Mother might be able to teach you how to make the sweets! You'll have more variety than cakes or pudding or whatever it is you eat."

The Princess brought the plate up to the boy's face.

"Try it."

He stared at it for a while. Slowly, he took it to his mouth and started chewing.

Stephanie jumped a bit when her friend's expression suddenly brightened and yelled.

"I love suckets!"

Princess Stephanie smiled at him, "I told you before, no one can resist my mother's sweets!"

End Flashback

"Sleep now, Stephanie." Skeffington blew out the remaining three candles, "For tomorrow is a new beginning for everyone."


A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sure Harry Takyama is a character reconizable! I checked and Takyama is spelled like that but if you disagree, tell me. But don't just disagree because it doesn't look like it's spelled that way to you. Unless you're japanese then I can't argue. Yes, some words are middle age words. If at anytime there are words you do not understand, tell me and I'll explain cause I don't wanna have numbers in the middle of the fic too often. I understand that Skeffington's story was a bit confusing considering Lancaster and her name was never really used. Jane is Lancaster and Laurais Skeffington. Both came from the Ramirez family. Though I can't remember who's older and who's younger.

Any ideas for the encounter of Stephanie and Harry please tell me and I'll give you credit for them!

Thank you! R & R!