For nearly as long as Katarina could remember, she had been in love with Prince Jeord Stuart.

Granted, sometimes her love burned so brightly, even her closest friends became worried. Sienna, in particular, had told Katarina that she worried that Katarina adored a man who did not deserve her. And though Katarina had to disagree with her closest friend – for how could she somehow deserve more than a handsome and charming prince who was a genius and the probable future king of their country? – she had to privately admit to certain… doubts about the way that Prince Jeord treated her.

After all, though Prince Jeord had never treated Katarina with anything less than perfect courtesy in public and was an impeccable escort whenever they attended social gatherings together, he never made any time for her in private. Though Katarina sent him weekly invitations to partake in all sorts of activities – from hunting to watching operas to taking a trip to the beach – he always turned her down with polite notes that she suspected his secretary wrote. And though she had tried to engage his attention in all sorts of ways – from bombarding him with poetry to attempting to engage him in various games and even to challenging him to duels – she simply could not get him to spend time with her.

It was, to say the least, distressing in the extreme. After all, Prince Jeord was the man that Katarina had been engaged to marry for the last ten years – and she knew very well that even if she wanted to leave him, she would not be allowed to. Her family and the entire Claes Duchy needed her to marry him and become a future queen or at least a power within the royal court. Otherwise, their power would be dwarfed by other ducal houses over the next few years.

So Katarina loved Jeord as much because it was the only way to survive his indifference as anything else. And yet, though she was as stubborn as the summer day was long, she had to admit that his lack of reciprocation wore down on her. And even as she finished adjusting her dress – she had chosen a slinky, low-cut, rose-colored gown that she hoped would make up for her plain appearance – Katarina tried to be optimistic about the night to come.

It will be fine, she tried to reassure the anxious young woman she saw in the mirror. My first day at the Academy went so well – save for the nonsense with Keith – and perhaps my strange streak of luck will continue. Perhaps Prince Jeord will finally realize how devoted I am and return my feelings. Surely a decade of love cannot go unanswered entirely!

Or perhaps, a sad voice in Katarina's head softly said, he merely wants to use you for something. Did you think he could ever care about you, no matter what you do? Aren't you just his future source of money and political support?

But Katarina had long practice in quashing that voice whenever it arose – as it did all too often in the last few years. Instead, squaring her shoulders, adjusting her cleavage, and trying to tell herself that Prince Jeord's dinner invitation was a reason for optimism, Katarina turned to look at her invaluable maid Anne once more.

"Do I look decent?" she asked, trying not to sound like the sad, scared, needy little girl that Anne had once known. "Please tell me if there is anything I need to adjust – I cannot afford to look a mess tonight, after all!"

Anne simply looked at her with the same calm with which Anne did everything else – the same calm that made her so valuable to Katarina, who knew she tended to overreact to events.

"Lady Katarina," Anne said firmly, "you look lovely – and anyone who would think otherwise would be a fool. Honestly, I am grateful that Lord Keith was so… preoccupied that he could not make it to campus tonight. You certainly would not be able to go to dinner with Prince Jeord were he near."

And though Katarina had no idea what her half-brother had to do with anything – unless Anne was implying that Keith would try and abduct her like the fiend he truly was! – that only made Katarina more determined to make this dinner work.

So by the time she swanned into her dinner with Prince Jeord, her head was high, her spine was straight, her bosom was upright, and her fiancé was –

Well, her beloved fiancé of a decade was currently rising from his seat at the beautifully set dinner table to greet her. But even as he did so, his eyes seemed to widen at his first glimpse of her and – much to her shock – he almost staggered as he made his way over to her.

And as he did so, Katarina dove into a deep curtsy worthy of the royal court – knowing both her manners and the fact that doing so showed off her bounteous cleavage to its best advantage.

When she rose, she was all smiles, even as both giddiness and desire rose inside of her.

"My dear Prince Jeord," she said, trying to be demure but practically vibrating in her excitement. "How happy I am to see you once more!"

(Then again, she was carrying several implements under her dress – some of which did vibrate with a little earth magic. So perhaps she was not entirely at fault).

Perhaps it was because she and Prince Jeord had not spent much – oh, fine, any – time alone together, but he looked positively pole-axed as she rose from her curtsy. Indeed, for a moment, he stared at her again before he took his hand like the gentleman that he was and kissed it. And as Katarina relished the feel of his lips on her skin – he always ran so wonderfully warm as he was a fire mage – he gradually raised his astonishing blue eyes to hers.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Katarina," her love murmured, though his smile still looked a little off kilter. "I could eat y— your wish, that is, whatever it is that you wish tonight. I can only hope I have accurately remembered all of your favorite dishes."

That her beloved Prince Jeord even realized that Katarina had a favorite meal, let alone taken the time to remember what it was, was such a surprise that for a moment, all Katarina could do was blink at him like a startled deer in the woods.

But only for a moment – for soon, her native enthusiasm took over her again and she took the arm that he gallantly offered her as he escorted her to her seat and even spread her napkin over her lap with care and delicacy.

And as Katarina gazed enraptured at her wonderful prince as he took his own chair across from her, the table they were in close enough to see the flickering candle flames sway as they cast soft light on his lovely face, it was all that she could do not to sigh.

Never mind that he had somehow known of her secret lust for beef bourguignon, fine red wine, and a panoply of desserts. That he would even take the time to arrange for all of this was amazing!

"Prince Jeord," Katarina said, trying not to swoon, "this meal is perfect. I can only be grateful for all the trouble you have taken to make me happy!"

For a long moment, Prince Jeord just blinked at her, as though shocked not only by her enthusiasm for the meal but also her absolute gratitude at the care he took with her.

Finally, he smiled with a sweetness she had never seen before and murmured: "It is never any trouble to make you happy, Katarina. After all, your happiness is my own as well."

After she fully registered his words, only Katarina's deep desire to hold onto some semblance of dignity kept her from face-planting and splattering her meal all over herself and her loved one.

Be calm, she sharply reminded herself even as she felt her heart tremble within her breast. I am a high-born lady! And I will not shame myself – or make myself seem like an inept bride – by swooning all over Prince Jeord just as he is finally opening up to me! I must be calm, collected, dignified, elegant...

"That is so good to hear!" Katarina cried, even as she held her spoon so tightly in her hand that it was a wonder the fine metal did not bend. "For if I could, I would consume you as though you were the beef bourguignon set before me!"

And then, she wished as she had never before that she had the sort of earth magic that could call an indoor rockslide upon herself.

Prince Jeord, quite sensibly, responded to her words by staring and saying nothing at all.

And then, to her horror, he slowly raised his hand to his opposite arm and pinched himself.

Hard enough so that even Katarina winced.

"Well," he murmured to himself. "That does hurt. So this must not be a dream after all."

"In fact," Prince Jeord mumbled under his breath, even as Katarina strained to hear him. "I must be misinterpreting her words yet again. Yes, that must be it. She could not have possibly meant…"

Eventually, Prince Jeord's inner monologue died, and he raised his eyes to her own and managed a shaky smile.

"Katarina," he said politely, "I am glad that you are interested in consuming my meat."

And Katarina herself released her own breath, grateful that her perfect prince had found a socially appropriate way to smooth over her folly.

Of course, that did not mean that Katarina was not deathly embarrassed about her treacherous tongue. In fact, until now, Katarina had not known that she was strong enough to bend metal spoons. But she certainly was learning!

Hastily dropping the spoon that she had mutilated onto the floor and kicking it beneath the table, Katarina plastered on her most delicate – and surely not manic! – smile and tried to remember what she had read about seduction.

Be demure, she remembered reading from several manuals. Let the man chase you, instead of vice versa. All men are meant to be hunters, while all women ought to mimic prey. And it is only once the man feels he has won the woman over that the woman should reveal that the hunt went both ways.

So, blinking hard and trying to calm herself from her obvious state of overheated excitement, Katarina looked down at her untouched meal and shyly said: "Prince Jeord, I would be glad to consume your meat in any meal going forward. I would do so daily and nightly, however you would like me. It is my duty as your future bride, after all."

There, she thought triumphantly, as she looked him in the eye and tried to subtly rearrange her cleavage to gleam in the candlelight. Now how was that for demure?

That led Jeord to choke on the spoonful of beef bourguignon that he had been helping himself to. Perhaps it was because he was so captivated by her social grace and manners?

Yet before Katarina could come to his rescue by leaping up from her seat and thumping him on his back, her prince soon collected himself. And then, managing a smile even after he had nearly choked on his food, Prince Jeord weakly said: "That… that is an interesting proposition indeed, my dear Katarina. I… I had no idea you were prepared to do as much so very soon."

"Of course I am," Katarina said stoutly, even as she beamed at Jeord in an attempt to highlight her complete sincerity. "I would do whatever I could to make you happy and to help our marriage thrive going forward! Indeed, Prince Jeord, I have so many plans for what we could do over the next two years at the Academy to prepare for our future!"

And then, realizing that perhaps she had been too presumptuous, Katarina blushed and hastily said: "If – if such plans meet your approval, of course!"

After all, Katarina knew she mustn't scare Prince Jeord off with her sheer enthusiasm – even if some small part of her was rather… annoyed at having to tamp her desire to secure their future simply because he could not handle her taking charge.

But thankfully, Prince Jeord did not look annoyed at all. Instead, his face went from looking startled to intrigued, even as he asked: "You did? I – I had no idea you had such – such care for our future – and – I would love to know more, if you are comfortable with sharing!"

And since Katarina wanted nothing more than to share anything she could with her cherished fiancé, she allowed herself to reveal her plans at last.

"Well," she said in the most confident tone of voice she could muster, even as her heart beat like a drum, "I was hoping that this year, we could spend our time cultivating our power base at the Academy. I know that you are already close to Lord Nicol Ascart and several other possible courtiers, and I would do anything I could to support you in cultivating them further."

Jeord looked astounded at her words.

"You…" he said slowly, "know or care about politics? At all?"

Katarina had to stare at him in turn, surprised he did not realize something so simple about her.

"Of course I do," she finally replied. "I am the daughter of a duke! I took in politics along with the milk from my mother's breast. And I know my primary duty as your wife is to ensure that our family will rise as high as we can once we are wed!"

Then, deciding perhaps that he was not yet convinced that she was savvy enough at supporting him as he angled towards the title of Crown Prince, she went on.

"Indeed, I just met with your brother, Prince Alan, to befriend him and have him closer to us in the future. And I will be sure to look after my ladies and match them as appropriate to others. Of course, Lady Sienna Nelson is the dearest of all my friends – but I also met with Lady Mary Hunt and Lady Sophia Ascart and am sure to grow closer to them as well. That will please Prince Alan and Lord Nicol, no doubt – and help them become better friends with us."

Prince Jeord just blinked at her. For several very, very long moments.

It was only after such that Katarina realized her blunder. After all, she had just spent so much time talking about politics that he might believe that all she wanted from him was the crown of the queen. He probably had no idea that politics aside, she truly did wish to become closer to him!

After all, as hard as the last few years had been, Katarina would always love the kind young boy who had proposed to her even after their disastrous first meeting had scarred her. She had clung fervently to the hope that they would have a long and happy future together even during the worst of her childhood. Indeed, sometimes her future as his bride had been the only part of her life that gave her hope even as her childhood home dissolved into acrimony and strife.

And even if her beloved prince had become less… considerate of her as they aged, Katarina held onto the fervent hope that he would see and return her devotion someday.

So now, she decided, was the time for her to strike!

"Even beyond all of that," she boldly declared, staring him straight in the face and abandoning all attempts at demureness, "I also want to spend as much time with you as I can! We are not children anymore – we are adults. And I want to know you as you are – not as you have been or even will be in the future."

Prince Jeord's eyes widened and so, not sure whether her sincerity would work, Kataria blundered on.

"I want to do everything I can to possibly learn more about you! I want to go hawking and hunting with you and bring down whatever prey we can find in whatever woods come our way. I want to go riding with you into new adventures each and every day that we can get away. I want to talk with you every night about whatever troubles you have and do whatever I can to soothe your worries. I want to help you with all your plans and ease any of your strife! I want to be your perfect bride!"

And then, staring at Jeord with all the sincerity in her heart and all the warmth in her soul, Katarina confessed: "I want to love you until we have finally reached the very ends of our lives!"

For a moment, heart caught in her throat, Katarina allowed herself to hope that her romantic declaration – however forward and inappropriate it might be from a woman to a man – would be enough to sway Prince Jeord toward her. After all, she had done nothing more than unburden her heart's deepest desires – and could only hope that the sweet, caring little boy that she had fallen in love with was still somewhere beneath Prince Jeord's perfect and icy surface.

But of course, she should have braced herself for rejection more than support.

For when had he – past the age of eight – given her anything else?

So he broke her heart by staring at her and then asking her: "Who are you?"

Even as Katarina froze at the absurd question, he went on.

"Katarina would never know or care about politics… she has few hobbies besides agriculture and romance novels and desserts… and she would never confess her love to me with such eloquence, if only because romance never crosses her mind. You are telling me everything that I ever wanted to hear from her lips and yet –"

And then his eyes – once so soft and brilliant – turned as hard and cold as the waves of the stormy ocean.

"Lady Mary," he said, his voice flat and freezing, "if this is a joke, I would ask that you leave this room before I call down several severe consequences upon you. How dare you imitate Katarina like this? I know you want to keep me away from her – but she has not done anything to deserve this kind of – of mockery of how I would like her to act toward me. And I thought you loved her well enough to not hurt her this way."

Katarina could not be more surprised if Prince Jeord had risen from the table to slap her with the fish course that was sitting before them.

One moment, she thought they were getting along splendidly at long last, her little blunder of being over-eager thankfully overlooked by his chivalrous instincts. And she had even harbored the hope that perhaps her passionate declaration of love would show him just happy they could be in the future if only he would stop avoiding her!

But now he was accusing her of being... Lady Mary?!

Her cleavage was nowhere near as bounteous, for one thing!

And yes, it was true that the Ministry of Magic was rumored to be able to use intricate magical runes to change people's appearances... but to accuse someone she barely knew of play-acting as her was beyond the pall!

Was this because Prince Jeord was so amazed that once he finally made time for his oft-ignored bride, she turned out to be decent company? Or did he truly think her so stupid and vile that she could not even converse politely with him privately?!

And that was when the thin thread of hope that Lady Katarina Claes had always carried inside of her finally snapped.

After all, though she was loyal, she was also a young woman whose decade of love and devotion had long gone unrequited. And even the memory of that gentle young boy she had once loved and dreamed of a future with was not enough to tamp down the sudden inferno of rage that rose up inside of her.

Because at last – after being disregarded and disrespected for so long – Lady Katarina Claes stood up and finally felt something inside of her snap.

And in all truth, it felt glorious.

"Listen up, you little shit," she snarled, in a voice that made the tone she previously used on her half-brother seem calm and gentle. "I am none other than Lady Katarina God Damned Claes and I always will be! And I am sick and tired of being treated as though I am a scullery maid and not a woman who deserves far more than you ever gave to me! My days of tolerating your disrespect are over! And if you ever, ever, ever speak to me so rudely again, I am going to take my riding crop from beneath my dress and teach you a lesson that you would not believe!"

Katarina would have thought by now that she had seen all the shock that Prince Jeord could fit onto his handsome face. But in fact, it turned out that he had even more ways of looking surprised than she knew.

"I," he breathed out softly, even as he gazed at her with eyes that seemed both terrified and enraptured, "have had dreams like this for so many years. Please tell me that I am not still sleeping."

"I," Katarina snapped coldly in response, "am far too angry to be a dream."

Then she stalked over to him, grabbed his golden crop of hair in one of her hands, and turned his handsome – and now somehow enraging – face to her view.

"Neither am I," she said softly, even as she stared down at her beloved's face and contemplating slapping it thoroughly, "an illusion or an apparition of any sort. I am the woman you are due to marry very soon. And I am not going to tolerate being further disrespected either."

Then – to her surprise – suddenly she could see a slight film of tears in her prince's eyes.

"I am sorry," he said, closing his eyes tightly although she had already seen the telltale gleam. "I have tried to conceal my desire for you for so long because I knew that it made you unhappy… and I cannot apologize enough for not being a gentleman when you told me everything I always longed to hear. I promise, it will not happen again. I will be nothing but friendly and polite and only your – your friend."

Even as she stared at him in shock, he went on.

"Please," he whispered, his voice desperate and lost as she had never heard before, "please, whatever you do, do not leave me. Katarina, I have loved you from the time I was a child – and I will be whatever you want me to be. Just please – please do not leave."

And even as Prince Jeord's words penetrated Katarina's mind, a collision of sheer joy and astonishment began to course through her entire body.

Was he telling the truth after all these years?

Did he truly stay away from her for so long because he was so deeply attracted to her, he could not help himself when she was near?

All this time, had his distance really been his attempts to be friendly and polite – not to usher her away because he found her to be a dull and tedious bride?

And if that was the case, what was she waiting for?! Here, at last, was her chance to strike and demonstrate her undying loyalty!

So with a heart that ran from rage to romance at a lightning-fast pace, Katarina grabbed her beloved prince by the hair again and kissed him passionately.

Luckily, though he froze at first, he soon responded to her with as much enthusiasm as she could have hoped for – and if his lips were clumsier than she had imagined in her dreams, she was more than willing to show him how best to please.

After all, whatever they both lacked in experience, they more than made up for in sheer enthusiasm as they explored each other's lips and hair and chests with a ferocity that left Katarina surprised that she did not spontaneously combust in the aftermath.

Then, after many long moments had passed, the last shred of sanity in Katarina's mind asserted herself and she hastily pulled away from writhing on her beloved prince's lap.

"My dear prince!" she cried, even as she stared at his kiss-swollen lips. "If I am no dream, you had best not be one either! And – and I hope you were not jesting about your feelings! For I swear to you, I am just as enamored as any woman could possibly be!"

"My sweet Katarina," her prince said in turn, looking both dazed yet astounded himself, "I am equally enamored! But… but before we proceed further…"

He gently ran his fingers through her dark waterfall of hair, as though still amazed she allowed him so simple a liberty.

"Could you please tell me," he asked, his voice slow and cautious, "how you spent the rest of your day before you came to see me? You did say you encountered Mary, Sophia, Nicol, and Alan. What did you discuss with them all? And how did they… respond to you?"

She must have looked astonished because he added: "I simply ask because knowing their… reaction to you is critical to understanding how swiftly I must act."

And though Katarina still did not understand what he meant, it was simple enough to talk about her day – even as she wistfully wished she could dive back into the heaven of his lips and hands.

So, adjusting himself on his lap – and feeling the delightful evidence that she could affect her Jeord (no longer Prince Jeord!) once again – she began to talk about the strange day she had had.

She reviewed everything from Keith's bizarre attempt to seduce her – which of course she had shut down with the threat of corporal punishment – to her befriending Lady Mary and Lady Sophia by promising them more information on certain... techniques that she had been practicing, to her promising Lord Nicol a wonderful bride in her dear friend Sienna, to her becoming closer to his brother by promising to write love music together.

And yet, though Katarina had thought she had rather a successful day at forming all sorts of wonderful new friendships and alliances, Jeord somehow looked less than pleased when she finished talking.

"So, let me try and review what you went through in just one day alone," Jeord murmured, a sudden blaze lighting up in his eyes. "First you met your brother Keith… and you threatened to spank him for trying to seduce you?"

"But of course," Katarina said proudly, happy to show off her strength. "I would never give in to any of his plans. And dignity be damned, if he truly does try another move on me again, I will undo his trousers and punish him so hard, he won't be able to sit afterwards! And I will make sure to tell him what a naughty little brother he is during the entire time!"

Oddly, Jeord did not look very thrilled at her plans. Perhaps he was not a fan of corporal punishment? Then again, was not a treacherous half-brother a worthy victim of it?

"After that," Jeord said, "you met with Maria and Sophia and promised that you would show them how to use various… seductive techniques to win over the lover of their dreams?"

Katarina had to blush… right before she shyly raised her skirt to show the short riding crop that she had strapped to her garter belt.

"There is nothing that helps women bond more than sharing amorous secrets together," she admitted, even as she flushed at the look that her beloved was giving her. "Anyway, Lady Mary could use all the help she can get in to have Prince Alan pay attention to her… while Lady Sophia must do something to attract a fiancé! And they were both so enthusiastic about me demonstrating what I learned to do. I am even going to teach them about how to combine lingerie with magical implements soon!"

To her delight, Jeord looked as though he were ready to pounce on her once more. But then, to her dismay, he held back to go onto his next point.

"After that," he said, "you met Nicol in the student council room and promised that you would bring him the love of his life as a bride? And that she would give him unending marital delights?"

"Yes, of course!" Katarina said, sure that Jeord would be cheered upon knowing that his closest friend and ally would be settled soon. "I know how dear he is to you… and since my sweet Sienna is just as precious to me, they would make for a lovely couple indeed! Though of course, I will tease him with her identity first, to heighten the intrigue. The more I hold him in anticipation, the more amorous he will eventually be!"

Jeord did not quite look as though he agreed. But then, he had been spoiled by Katarina over their last decade together. For when had he ever had to woo her, when she offered all of herself so freely?

"Finally," Jeord concluded, "you approached Alan in the music observatory and told him that you would make beautiful music that would seduce your audiences for the rest of the year?"

"Naturally," Katarina said, pleased that Jeord could see how dearly she held his family. "If needed, I will work with Prince Alan day and night to help him develop his talents and shine. Not only would that help me bond with my future brother, but it will also help him woo Lady Mary. Perhaps we could eventually have a double wedding! And for that wedding, Prince Alan and I will work on many passionate love duets together!"

But far from looking pleased, Jeord looked as though he were experiencing a migraine. Perhaps he was not convinced of her musical talent? If so, Katarina would spend even more time honing it with Prince Alan in the future!

"So as you can see," she cheerfully concluded to a Jeord who looked as though he was experiencing new depths of astonishment, "in one day, I made headway on several new alliances. I truly had no idea how friendly Lady Mary, Lady Sophia, Lord Nicol, and Prince Alan would turn out to be. I will be sure to spend far more time with all of them in the future. What good friends and companions we will all someday be!"

Looking irritated, Jeord replied: "Good friends and companions indeed. Would that friendly companionship be all that they wanted from you."

Then, clearing his throat, he added: "I can see now that you are somehow even more seductive and dangerous than you used to be. An enthusiasm for agriculture and tree climbing was enough when we were all young but now… now I truly do fear what would happen if I let you roam freely…"

Yet though Katarina had no idea what Jeord had to fear – after all, she was simply becoming closer to her future in-laws and his close friends – she wanted to wash away any silly fears he might be happy.

So she gave Jeord another passionate kiss that he happily returned and then murmured: "My dearest Jeord, I can only hope to develop the sort of wonderful support that will help us both with our lives as we move forward. I wish only to be the best bride I can, after all."

Then, blushing, she admitted: "And that includes the special techniques that I will demonstrate to Lady Mary and Lady Sophia. I... I would not mind showing them to you as well once we reach our wedding night."

Because of course, Katarina would not show them even to her beloved Jeord beforehand! She was supposed to remain demure and pure, after all. And from all that she had read, men did not purchase cows that gave away their milk for free. Katarina might not know a great deal about farming, but she certainly held that aphorism to heart.

Then Jeord astounded her one last time for the night – and in the happiest way imaginable.

"So why," Jeord said in a voice that cracked with eagerness, "should we wait for our marriage or wedding night any longer? We have both established that we desire marriage – and thus, if you are amiable to the notion, I can find a priest to bribe – I mean, persuade – to marry us tonight. If you do not mind forgoing the frippery, I will make sure that no one else will take you away – I mean, come to delay our wedding."

Then Jeord grinned, a certain feral light in his eyes, and added: "Or the bedding. After all, I cannot wait to see how you will use those implements of yours either."

Awestruck at his genius, Katarina murmured: "My dear Jeord, I do believe that you truly are a genius! For that is the best plan that I have ever heard of – and I am more than happy to forgo gold threads on my dress or diamonds around my neck to wed you as soon as I can. For you are all I have wanted – and the rest of the pomp and circumstance can go hang!"

Thus fortified by her future as her beloved prince's bride, Katarina dove in for another deep and passionate kiss. And it was only when she finally disengaged a long, long time later that her dear, dear Jeord looked at her with hazy eyes and whispered:

"My God, I am never letting you go. And I'll be damned if I let you demonstrate those interesting techniques you learned on anyone other than me."

And though Katarina did not quite know why – after all, she had only wanted to do so with new lady friends who had nothing on their mind but receiving an education – she was more than happy to please her future husband by sharing her skills with him and him alone.

So it was that the long and happy marriage of the future King Jeord Stuart and his future queen began on their first day at the Magical Academy. And though their surprise union was scandalous at the time – with the Stuart and Claes family alike irritated by the couple's fevered flight and the bride's friends lamenting Prince Jeord's speed at claiming his bride – one fact remained clear.

That was that the bride herself was very satisfied by her rapid wedding and bedding – and the groom showed no signs of being troubled by his hastiness either. And after the newlywed couple had an illicit honeymoon that found them racing to the coast of Sorcier on horseback to enjoy an amorous and anonymous month together, they came back tanned and triumphant.

It turned out that Princess Katarina's many techniques were indeed well received by her new husband – and their joy in taking up mutual hobbies such as hunting, hawking, swimming, riding, and dancing bonded them whenever they were not bonding in other ways on the nearest horizontal (and sometimes vertical) surface.

Indeed, so successful was their bliss – and so poorly thought out were other aspects of their education – that the prince's new bride became pregnant with their first child just a few months after their wedding. And though Princess Katarina lamented that she had spent so much time learning how to inflame desire that she had forgotten to learn about avoiding its consequences, Prince Jeord had been overjoyed to learn that he would soon be a father – and did all that he could to make sure his wife's education did not get interrupted.

Thus, even in the last few months of her pregnancy, Princess Katarina attended as many classes as she could with her doting husband by her side. Indeed, though it flouted every rule in their society, Prince Jeord demanded that he stay by her side even as she went into labor and pushed their firstborn child – a golden-haired girl that they named Carolina – into the world. And after a short period of convalescence, Prince Jeord ended up being his young daughter's most constant companion.

Indeed, even as an indulgent Princess Katarina oversaw them both, Prince Jeord became notorious for strapping his young daughter to his chest with his once-ornamental cape and showing her off to her future subjects around campus. Even the most skeptical or surprised students of the Academy had to admit that he made for the most doting father they had ever seen. And Princess Katarina was a loving mother who supported all of Prince Jeord's efforts to be close to their daughter, with both united in the belief that good parenting meant that they would never allow others to do for their child what they could do themselves.

Eventually, thanks to Prince Jeord's unending advocacy of his young daughter's genius and beauty, Princess Carolina even became the youngest President of the Academy's Student Council. Prince Jeord simply menaced all of her rivals until she carried the title – and the other members acknowledged that at the very least, she was very efficient at dispatching paperwork.

(Granted, this was because sweet little Princess Carolina tended to ball paper up in her hands and drool on it until the details were unrecognizable. But under the looming threats that Prince Jeord generated, the council and the administration alike greatly appreciated her work).

Certainly, Princess Carolina's final speech to the Academy's student body on the eve of her parents' graduation was a memorable one. By that time, she was a little over a year old and had learned to say several phrases with great enthusiasm – and both Prince Jeord and Princess Katarina ensured that everyone in attendance patiently sat by while she ran through them at the side of her very proud parents.

Soon after graduation, the family of three began living on their own estate and establishing their power-base, even as they doted on their lively young daughter. Between raising Princess Carolina in the warm and loving home that neither had experienced before, managing their extensive estates and holdings, delving into the complex politics of the court, and maintaining their marriage, Prince Jeord and Princess Katarina had their hands busy. And their hands only became more occupied when Princess Carolina was joined by three other siblings – Prince Gerald, Princess Rosamund, and Prince Jeremy – over the years. Yet though the future King Jeord and Queen Katarina sometimes struggled to maintain order amidst so much loving chaos, their determination to be a happy family and rule over an equally happy kingdom carried the day.

And to the end of his life, once Prince and then King Jeord maintained that his wife was ever the woman he knew and loved. For even though several of her concerned family members and friends murmured about her… transformation, King Jeord would simply say:

"Katarina is my wife and the love of my life. And while some of her aspects might have developed over the years, she is still the wonderful, passionate, warm, and caring woman I have loved since my youngest years. However strange our journey through life was, I will not have aspersions cast on it either."

He often added, with a small smile: "Besides, no matter what, there are some aspects of life that any version of her will be blind toward. And that always keeps our relationship interesting!"

(In particular, to the end of his days, King Jeord remained amused by how his wonderful wife would unconsciously 'seduce' others. Once he felt fully secure in her passionate and loyal love, he enjoyed hearing details about what she had threatened to do to her stepbrother Keith… and how Keith continually fainted in reaction to her, even after they managed to reconcile).

As for the princess-turned-queen herself... Queen Katarina Stuart always maintained that she was the most blessed lady she knew – and that she had always had faith that love would find a way to rule the day, should it be dogged and persistent enough.

So it was that from that one simple wish she made the night before she entered the Academy, Katarina and her husband lived happily ever after.

Author's Note:

Once again, I thank any readers who take the time to write comments for this tale. Also, please do note that this chapter was co-written by Palhinhaea, who writes an amazing array of Jeord's and secretly has quite the soft spot for his amazingly variable character. Thanks again for being such an invaluable cowriter!

And honestly, I had so much fun writing an actually *happy* OG Katarina/Isekai-Timeline Jeord pairing that I'll be putting up a rather long and far more complex fic for them starting next Wednesday (3/17/21). If you enjoy these two together, I hope you will consider giving that story a read!

Finally... I just can't resist the thought of DILF Jeord parading around campus proudly with his daughter strapped to his chest and making her the President of the Academy! And yes, the daughter he has with Katarina *is* the same Carolina from Regret and Time. After all, Caro deserves at least one completely happy life in one (admittedly odd) timeline! And she would make for a wonderful future queen, wouldn't she? Who would dare deny her, considering she's had leadership experience from infancy? ;)