If you knew the secret of life, you too would choose no other companion but love.

- Rumi

Pepper watched Tony ride out of the Keep, like all the hounds of hell were after him. She swallowed hard, feeling the aching despair of fear in her chest.

"I knew this day would come, I knew I would be found out... But I did not want to hurt him! Oh god, will he forgive me for this?", she cried out, standing in the stable door.

Pepper lowered her head into her hands and was going to cry when she heard a serpentine whisper, Virginia...

She raised her head, curious because the sound seemed to be coming from her mind. Virginia, the voice whispered again and she said questioningly, "Dragon?"

Yes, Virginia, it is me... remember this... Anthony loves you... no matter how harsh his actions are... remember... he loves you... do not leave him to his doubts... remind him who you really are... not just a crown...

She nodded and the Dragon snuffed at her gently, You of eternal fire and Anthony of my Fire, are made for each other. Do not let your birthright frighten him away. Make him see reason. After all, you are the sensible one.

It roared with laughter at its own quip and then all was quiet.

Pepper whispered, "Thank you..." and walked back to the house.

Claudia stood up when she came and asked worriedly, "What is it? Why did Lord Stark leave?"

Pepper opened her mouth, unsure what to say, when the King Cusrow said quietly, "He did not know you were the Queen of Cumbria. It has shocked him. He needs time to think."

She stared at the King and he said with a soft smile, "I was looking at him all the while. Lord Stark has eyes only for you. He loves you dearly. But not for your throne, just you as you are. He truly did not know of your royalty. The look on his face..."

Pepper lowered her head, biting her lip in stress. "Lord Stark... Tony has had some bad experiences with royalty. He... he does not think highly of monarchs and queens. I do not know how he will take this."

The King said slowly, "You love him as much as he loves you..."

She nodded firmly and realized Claudia was looking at her and her husband, wide-eyed. Claudia said sputtering, "It is all fine for him to love you, Virginia but you... you do realize that you and Lord Stark have no future together?"

Pepper just looked at her quietly, while Claudia continued, confused, "I mean, the man is a just a lord, and that too, not a lord from a distinguished family. His mother may have been a lady but his father was a soldier, a knight, who fell to the sword. I-"

Pepper interrupted her gently. "My dear Claudia, Lord Stark's lineage does not matter to me in the least. I would not care if he was a lord's son or a butcher's son. He is the love of my life and I do not care a whit for money or propriety."

"What's more," she added firmly, "I plan to marry him. We are engaged. To be wed in Spring."

Claudia gasped comically and the King just smiled at her quietly.

Pepper exhaled, hearing her own words about her and Tony had given her confidence.

Claudia recovered from her shock and rallied her argument. "But Virginia! You are a Queen! You cannot marry a nobleman! Especially one as poor as Lord Stark! You are meant to marry someone of your own class and breeding, someone who will be the next King or Prince of Cumbria! Think of our house, the house of Potts!"

Pepper said softly, "I am proud to be from the House of Potts and proud of my lineage but... would I give up the man I love, to do right by a throne?" She smiled. "I would not. Lord Stark is worth more to me than a crown. Than even Cumbria."

Claudia gasped loudly again and she continued, "I know it seems disrespectful, I know I seem foolish but ... you do not know Lord Stark like I do... we have been through so much together... he saved my life, not knowing who I was, he accepted me as an equal in his home and the battlefield, he has taught me so much and..." she flushed thinking of her gift, the Power of Summac, "he has seen my worst and loves me for it."

She lifted her chin up and said firmly to Claudia, whose mouth had fallen open, "Yes, Tony has seen my power and he and only he has taught me how to accept it, how to be proud of it and how to use it rightly. We are one, Tony and I. I will not leave him because I need to marry according to my station."

"The Elders will not like this," whispered Claudia. "They will not like any of it."

"I do not care for their opinion. In fact, if they remained in Cumbria, then they are not in their faculties as your guardsman mentioned. And I am no longer Princess Virginia of Cumbria. I have no station. I am a runaway and the Iron Knight asked me to be his wife. And I will marry him and will be honored to remain at his side, till the end of my days, come what may."

The King asked, "Virginia, Lord Stark used to be a knight?"

"Yes, Your Highness, he was cruelly cast aside by his own King, whom he faithfully served for many years. His rank may have been stripped from him but he is still a knight in skill, a very powerful warrior and a good man."

"Can he not fight Stane? Free Cumbria from the Necromancer's grasp?"

Pepper sighed and said, "I have no doubt in his capabilities but... I cannot, I will not ask him to risk his life and limb to fight that evil. Stane is a mighty foe and... oh let me speak the truth! Can't you both see?" she appealed to them, "I cannot bear to lose Tony, I cannot! Cumbria is simply not worth the risk of him taking on Stane and dying... It is simply not worth it..." she ended on a whisper.

Then she straightened, determined to make her point. "The Queen of Cumbria is dead, may her soul rest in peace. The Throne has fallen. For all who are concerned, the Princess of Cumbria is lost as well. Please... please accept this and be happy for me."

Pepper smiled at Claudia, tears in her eyes. "I may have lost a kingdom but I found a love worth double its value and I am truly blessed."

The King surprised her by clasping her hands tightly in his. "I heard a wise man from across the ocean, from a foreign land, once say, "Reason is powerless in the expression of Love". I know now what that means, looking at you and your knight. You are truly blessed and not just with wealth."

He looked at his wife thoughtfully. "Who are we to stand in your way, especially after we should be happy, just knowing you are alive and well?"

Claudia rose and came to them, she placed her hand over their joint ones. "Cusrow is right, I am sorry... we should be happy you are safe from that evil and you are with the man you love. Virginia, do accept our happiness at your engagement and please... invite us to your wedding. We will come for it, I promise you."

Pepper hugged Claudia and then hugged Cusrow too.

The King said, "We must leave now, we have a boat to catch from the nearest port, Loros."

Pepper picked up Cyril and kissed him. Then she hugged Claudia tightly, saying, "I thought I had no family but I am so glad that you found me, Claudia. Do not be a stranger."

Claudia said tearfully, "Virginia, if you ever need us, send word by boat and remember, you can come to us always. Come to Nesswadia."

Pepper watched them leave and then signed loudly. Now where has Lord Stark gone to... and more importantly, when will he return?


Tony stared moodily at his glass of ale. It was his second glass and he already wanted a fifth.

I just want to get drunk and forget... forget what I have learnt.

This seems familiar... sitting at a bar, alcohol all around you, waiting to get drunk, so you can fall into a dreamless sleep... Tsk Tsk said the Dragon with a deep hiss. I thought you had put such days behind you, Anthony...

Tony whispered slowly, "I had done so... for a woman... sorry, for a queen..." he snorted. "How did I not see it?"

The Dragon huffed tiredly. There were certain clues about her, that even I see now in retrospect but the past is not important Anthony... the future is... you need to go back to Virginia.

Two days had passed since he had run away from his own house. He had taken up residence at a rather seedy bar on the outskirts of Lorinthia. The young dark-haired girl who was serving drinks, cleaned the bar table and smiled at him.

Tony smiled back faintly and then stared at the shiny porcelain statue, hung close to the ceiling. It was a common cheap statue of a mermaid sitting on a rock.

The statue was poorly crafted but it made him recall his time in the Abyss with the Mer Princess Pepper and he felt his heart clench with pain.

He smirked sarcastically at himself. "Now that dream time seems like an omen... Pepper, royalty... even the Abyss was trying to show me."

The Dragon huffed so loudly that Tony grimaced. Anthony, exactly how long are you going to hide away in this ... shabby establishment?

He grimaced. "I do not know how to face her. Another royal in my life. I feel as if... I don't know her anymore."

It is just a title... it does not change what Virginia is... what you love about her... she is more than just a crown. Deep down, you know that. That is not all you are upset about... admit it, at least to yourself.

Tony spoke slowly to his ale glass. "Yes, truth be told, Pepper being the Queen of Cumbria is a shocker... but how could she keep such a big fact about herself from me? She's been lying for a year."

He pushed away his glass and noticed that there was a commotion behind him. Tony turned slowly and saw a burly patron argue with the skinny barkeeper, catching the smaller man by the scruff of his neck.

"You cocksucking smellfungus, you promised us a wench!"

"I know, sir, it's just... there are none right now."

"Well then," the burly one chuckled evilly, his companions chortled as well. "Who is that then?"

They pointed at the bar and Tony saw the dark-haired girl, who had been polishing glasses, drop a glass in fear. Her hand was at her throat and she was trembling.

The barkeeper stammered out, "That is our cook. She has been working as a waitress today... we are short handed... she is not that type."

The burly one threw back his head and guffawed loudly. He stood up and flung the barkeeper away like a twig. "We do not care, mate... all we want is a hole to stick our bracmard in. Be it willing or unwilling."

At this, the young woman nimbly darted behind the door and ran into the kitchen, locking the door firmly.

Tony stood up as the burly one reached the kitchen door and began pounding on it with his fists.

"Open this door, woman. And I promise I wont hurt you too much."

Tony clenched his fists and felt his Flame surge within him. Looks like you got your wish, Dragon. I am not going to get sloshed tonight.

The barkeeper ran at the burly lout, trying to move him away. "Sir! Please! I implore you! She is no-".

The lout turned and punched the barkeeper hard in the face. He fell to the ground in a heap.

Tony gently pulled the barkeeper away and then stepped up to the burly man as he heard the woman calling for help. He tapped the lout lightly on his shoulder.

The man turned and Tony looked into his thick heavily jowled face. He said softly, "Here now mate, the lady is not willing. Leave her be."

The man turned and smirked at Tony, revealing rows of chipped and broken teeth.

Great... he is a brawler...

"What is it to you, jobbernowl? What are you, defender of the bar?" He laughed loudly at his own joke.

Tony smiled slowly and said, "As a matter of fact, I am a defender of sorts. Perhaps you have heard of the Iron Knight?"

Then he grimaced as he saw a thick trail of snot slowly falling from the lout's nose. The man wiped his nose with the back of his hand and Tony shuddered.

"I have..." said the lout musingly, "But here now! You claims to be the Iron Knight!" He threw his head back and guffawed loudly. "Hear this, boyos, this here pissant claims to be the mighty Iron Knight."

Tony sighed and stretched his neck and his hands out, preparing himself for the fight. The lout eyed him curiously and then smiled. "In any case, tiny man, a bit of exercise always puts me in the mood for a good fuck. So..."

He swung drunkenly at Tony, who easily dodged his punch with a quick step to his left. The lout shook his head and then jabbed at Tony again, who ducked. This time, he punched the lout squarely in the stomach and the man wheezed and doubled over.

Tony shook his fist in pain. "Oh my, you are a solid piece of flesh! Better get my gauntlet."

He turned and moved quickly as the lout's friend, a skinny smelly man, came at him with a stool. The stool crashed to the floor and Tony smartly double punched the skinny man, once in the face and then in the chest.

Where are my gauntlets? Oh wait, I left them at home!

Then he saw stars as he felt a fist hit him firmly in the shoulder, spinning him around with force. Tony took another blow to the chest and then hit back blindly, connecting with something hard that snapped.

He grimaced as he saw he had hit the lout in the nose and it seemed to be broken. The lout was clutching his face now, yowling loudly as blood poured from it.

Then someone shouted raucously, "Fight! Fight!"

Oh shit... that tears it...