16.

"Michel!" Mirian was off the horse and on the ground faster than Lohen believed possible. "I'm so glad to see you!" Flinging herself at her brother, she clung so tight that he wasn't certain she was planning on letting go.

"It's good to see you too," He mumbled into her shoulder. "You're just in time, too. The seamstresses were starting to despair!"

Mirian laughed lightly. "Well, I'm here now, and I won't be leaving." She shot a mildly irritated look towards Lohen as he stifled a laugh. "You can't make me."

Lohen nodded affably. "You'd be surprised what I can make you do." He smiled. "Two weeks, remember? One of which is already half gone."

"Two weeks?" Michel herded his sister away from the Kalid-Na'in. "That's all?"

"I know! I wanted more, but Thayer refused. He's not even here! I don't see why I shouldn't stay longer." Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Perhaps we can work out a way to see that I do!"

"I wouldn't count on it, Princess," Lohen called from across the courtyard. He had their two mounts by the reins, but had paused long enough to try to shatter her vain hopes.

Mirian glared once more and then turned to her brother. "Why don't you show me around?" She slipped her hand through her brother's arm and clung to him, turning her back entirely on Lohen. "I've never been to Lamar-Kith before, and you've been here for days, haven't you?" She babbled on, until they were out of earshot of her warrior-escort.

"Mirian." Michel interrupted her inane comments, concern in his every movement. "How are you? Really, I mean. Tell me everything."

She sighed, her dark brows diving inwards as she frowned. "It's fine, I suppose. I've not been tortured, if that's what you're asking." Her steps faltered for a moment, as if she would stop and pull him into one of the many alcoves that lined the walls, but then changed her mind. "They've a library, and I may do essentially whatever I please, but it gets so lonely. Books don't talk back and it's only those three there." A smile ghosted across her lips. "Except for sometimes, Prince Corbin is there."

Michel frowned. "Corbin? Of Syrlan?"

"Yes." She bit her lip to hide another smile. "He's nothing but a gentleman to me."

"But he's from Syrlan."

"I know." Her face fell. "But he's the only one who really knows what it's like to deal with the Kalid-Na'in." Mirian sighed. "He's just something new, Michel. Don't worry about it."

"I can't help but worry, sister-mine." He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it to stick up in a thousand different directions. "You're out there all alone with three warriors and no women in sight. What am I supposed to do but worry?"

"Save me." Mirian turned to him. "You could do something."

"Like what? These are the Kalid-Na'in, not just some random bandits who want a little monetary gratification. They are trained warriors, invincible by all accounts. What would you have me do?"

Mirian managed a bitter smile. "I don't know."

Selena, the youngest Princess of Wythin, stood in the guest suite of the greatest palace on the continent, watching her reflection in the mirror. "Does this color make her look sallow?" One of the seamstresses held up a scrap of yellow fabric.

"For the last time, you goose, it does! She cannot wear yellow! Besides, it wouldn't go." The older dressmaker harrumphed and left it at that.

The younger, however, did not. "But won't the yellow look nice with the red? I think it would." She held up the piece again, her blue eyes watery. "And it'd go with the blue, too!"

"Would you have the bride wear motley as well?" The grey-haired matron snorted. "She'd look the fool in more ways than one!"

Selena sighed. This was just not any fun. Though the dress had been made and fitted before she'd arrived, Princess Eleanora, Alejandro's sister, had sent up what were apparently two of the finest seamstresses in Lamar. Selena wasn't so sure.

"Just leave it as is, please." She brushed away the hands and rose, trying to be majestic. She worried that she was simply pompous. "You may go."

"But Princess!" The younger woman began to protest, but fingers quickly reached out and pinched her into silence.

Selena turned a blind eye. "Now, if you please." Her own serving maid looked up, questions in her eyes. "Not you, Adele, just these two."

Adele nodded and returned to her habitual state of half-waking. "Very well then, very well."

Even as the two strangers were leaving, Petra burst in through the door. "You'll never guess what I've just seen!" Tears were welling in her eyes. "I saw Michel, in the courtyard!" She flounced onto one of the cushions the decorated the floor.

"Michel?" Selena tried to be interested, but Petra had been going on about Michel for all of the weeks that they had been in Lamar-Kith. "What was he doing this time?" She sighed. Her brother could get into so much trouble.

At least, according to Petra, he could. "He was walking in the courtyard with a lady on his arm!" She sniffled as daintily as possible. "As soon as he gets to a foreign country, he gets a foreign lady to go with him!" A tear dripped down a porcelain cheek. "I'm in love with him and he knows it, and still, this!"

Selena frowned. Michel hadn't mentioned anything about a new interest. Whenever she had talked to him, which wasn't often enough, she realized, he had always mentioned Petra at least once. Usually more than once. "Petra," she mused, "Did you happen to see who this lady was?"

"No." Petra smoothed her wet face with the palms of her hands. "She was dark, I know that much. Not much more than a slip of a girl." Petra pouted prettily. "Unlike me; I'm just not good enough anymore, not compared to these Lamaran ladies." She twirled some of her skirt between her fingers.

"Petra, don't worry. I'm sure he's just doing it to be kind." Selena smiled. To think of Michel taking up with a Lamaran was ridiculous. He would never desert Petra, she was sure of that now.

"Kind doesn't entail lengthy embraces, now, does it?" Petra asked waspishly. "I certainly don't think so."

The princess frowned, an idea trying to wiggle its way into her thoughts. "What did you say she looked like again?"

"Dark, tiny. I don't know. I don't care!" The younger lady cried belligerently. "If he doesn't care about me, then I don't care about him!"

"Petra, hush. Unless I miss my guess, that wasn't a foreign lady. Come." Selena swept from the room in a few determined strides, leaving a stunned and confused Petra to follow.

Michel and Mirian walked in silence, Mirian's fingers pressing grooves into his arm. Mirian stared openly at the halls' decorations, admiring the fine tapestries and elegant paintings. She almost wanted to run her hands over them, but resisted the urge.

She had been too long away from civilized society, she decided.

Their feet padded quietly through the carpeted palace, carrying them towards their sister. "Do you think she'll be happy to see me?" Mirian asked in a small voice, finally breaking the silence.

"Of course!" Michel reached up and squeezed her hand. "We've all missed you, Mirian. Really."

She smiled softly. "I missed you too."

"There she is! The other woman." Petra snatched at Selena's elbow but missed. "That's who he's given me up for…" She trailed off. "Selena?"

Selena stared in shock. There was her brother, Michel, and the woman on his arm was none other than her sister. "Mirian!" Selena grabbed handfuls of her skirts and practically flew towards her siblings. "I've missed you so much! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! And silly Petra, silly, silly, Petra thought you were some other woman that Michel was courting, but no, no! You're my sister!" Selena wrapped her arms tightly around her sister and held on.

Mirian nodded and mumbled something, holding Selena just as tightly.

"Petra?" Michel reached to touch her arm, but she pulled away, refusing to meet his eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing." The girl took a step backwards, putting even more distance in between herself and Michel. "I should go."

Michel let his hand drop. "But…"

"I'll see you tonight, yes?" Petra smiled wanly, meeting his gaze for one, quick heartbeat.

"Yes." Still confused, the prince watched his lady leave without saying a word.

"Michel, come here!" Mirian pulled her brother closer. "Be happy, for now." She drew him into her warm embrace, sandwiching him between his two sisters.

Selena nodded, her chin bumping his shoulder. "Yes, don't worry. She'll come around." She looked up at him with clear blue eyes. "Now come, we've got to get Mirian introduced to everyone!" Selena grinned, her cheerfulness breaking through the somber mood. "Andro will be so happy to meet you! Oh, and Eleanora will just be so jealous!"

"Eleanora? Andro?" Mirian laughed at her sister's enthusiasm. "Who are these people that have entered into your life?"

"Oh, well, Andro is Alejandro, Prince Alejandro, really and," Selena flushed prettily, "He's the whole reason I'm here." She giggled along with Mirian. "And Eleanora is his sister, soon to be my sister." Selena made a face and Mirian suppressed a smile.

"I don't think it's good etiquette to judge your new family quite so quickly, Selena!" Mirian chastised her playfully, tapping her lightly across the head. "You know, that might make a bad impression."

Michel grinned. "There's been nothing quick about it, Mir. Eleanora's ordered Selena's dress entirely refitted, just to make sure that we did it right. What do you make of that?"

"Oh." She shrugged. "But still, you could be a little more forgiving, I suppose."

Selena sighed. "I supposed. But she makes it so difficult."

"Indeed, she does," Michel commiserated. "But on to happier things!" He grabbed Mirian's hand and pulled her onwards. "We have so much to show you!"

"Oh, yes, I do want to see it. I want to see everything, right down to the dirt!" She laughed. "Well, maybe not the dirt, but most everything."

"Of course, sister dearest, we'll show you all of it." Selena laughed and skipped ahead, leaving her older siblings to walk slightly more sedately. "Come on, hurry up, there's lots to see!"

Mirian thought briefly of Lohengrin as she let her siblings pull her along on an impromptu tour, but quickly forgot all else but them. She was happy, with the people she loved most in the world, and nothing could go wrong on this day.

Author's Note…Hey look at that! I updated in a rather timely manner! How awesome. So this is pretty cool, right, two chapters in a row? I certainly think so. Anyway, please, review and give me some feedback and, as always, I will respond to every review I get, as long as you leave me some way to contact you (whether it be through the site's system or through just plain email.)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter:)