NO: Er, thanks for reading… so, yeah…

Chapter 3: Love like Rain, Passions like Rivers

Someone was poking something in his side. Squinting his eyes, he wished it would go away.

"Stop fidgeting. It makes my job harder." A kind voice said. Opening his eyes, he found the sun too bright and quickly shut them again. Sighing, the woman continued. "At least you didn't bleed to death. The prince would kill me if I had to bring back your dead body."

Keeping his eyes shut, Tristan started to talk. "Ditri?" He asked.

"Yes, smart one. What ever possessed you to take on two Furdians by yourself? Never mind, don't answer. Go back to sleep." A cool rag touched his fevered forehead and Tristan quickly slipped into a calming sleep. Prehaps, it was Ditri's presence, but Tristan quickly pushed that thought away. His prince's bride couldn't comfort him; that was implausible as well as absurd.

-later-

Two hours later, Tristan re-awoke. His eyes were normal and he could sit up. Ditri was boiling water. "I see you're awake." She said. How had she known he wasn't sleeping?

"Yes." Looking down, he saw silk bandages wrapped around his side and forearm. They were the same silk as Ditri's dress. "Thank you for the bandages."

"It was nothing, I can't find herbs or I could make it a lot less painful."

Barely keeping the pain from showing. "No, its good. How far did you drag me?"

"They took everything. I wanted to save the driver, but he was dead."

She was intentionally changing the subject. "Ditri, how far did you drag me?"

"So, then, I checked the Furdian, but he was dead. So I took some of the things he had-"

"Quit changing the subject." Tristan ordered.

Ditri rounded on him. "Don't you dare order me around, valet. I am a princess. You have no authority to command me to do anything!"

Biting his tongue, Tristan rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. It was denied to him. Ditri's mutterings kept him from the land where there was no pain. He dared not order her to stop again.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I spoke out of turn." Tristan quietly said.

It seemed her fit of anger was over. "I accept your apology. Please drop 'my lady'. It grates on my nerves."

Ditri brought over the newly boiled rags. Her red-gold hair spilled over onto her shoulder, she was looking bedraggled. His eyes widened in recognition. "You." He whispered. "You are the woman that gave those things to the children!"

Looking down, She spoke. "Yes, my parents do not know that I run around the city. Please don't tell them!" He promised he wouldn't tell. "Thank you Tristan." She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. He rolled his head to catch her on the lips. She appeared shocked, but gave in to the kiss. Tristan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. They broke apart. Ditri blushed and turned away to boil more rags.

"Didn't you just boil those?" Tristan asked. Privately wanting another kiss. There was a nagging feeling in his mind. He knew he shouldn't kiss the princess, but she had captured his heart.

"Go to sleep." Ditri whispered. "You're too restless."

Tristan gladly carried out the order. Just before sleeping, he felt a light kiss on his forehead. He quickly fell asleep, but he found it wasn't the sleep he had wanted.

"Why are you taking so long?" Perhin asked Tristan.

"I got hurt, the princess it binding my wounds. Furdians attacked us."

"I see. Should I send a new carriage?"

"No thank you. We are almost to the border, we will most likely reach it sometime tomorrow or the day after that."

"That wasn't an option, Tristan."

"Then, sure. We will walk along the road."

"Walk! How do you plan on getting to the border tomorrow if you are walking?"

"My lord, I do not know by what power, but the princess appears to be able to move long distances in a very small amount of time."

"Hop to it, you are waking back up. You know, it is a lot easier to contact you if you would sleep lighter."

"I'm sorry, prince, but the injuries keep my in deeper sleep than normal."

Grumbling, the prince broke the contact between his valet and himself. It was dark outside and Perhin took to his bed.

A servant girl entered the room. "My lord?"

"Yes, Meishe?"

"I was wondering if you wanted me to build up the fire before you went to bed."

"Very well." Perhin watched as Meishe put more logs onto the dying fire and blowing air onto it. She went to the door.

"Sleep well, my prince."

"And you, Meishe." He yawned and fell asleep on the down-filled mattress.

-The next day-

Perhin woke to the sun shining. Today, he thought to himself, I will know if the princess has entered my kingdom or not. Today, is a wonderful day.

"Prince Perhin?" Meishe asked. "Your father asked me to check in on you. He told me to tell you that breakfast is on the table."

"Thank you, Meishe. You have an hour of off-duty. Spend it well." Meishe bobbed a curtsy and went off.

Dressing in a light vest and pants, Perhin made his way to the grand table. He saw his father, the king, and his mother, the queen, sitting and talking.

"Morning, Mother. Morning, Father." He kissed his mother's hand and sat down.

"Your cousin is coming over to spend time with you before you get married. Then she will depart after you are married. Is that clear?"

Bowing his head. "Yes, Mother. I am glad Juliana is coming over. She loves this castle."

"Good, because you had no choice in the matter." His father said.

"Kind of like my marriage." Perhin muttered.

"What was that?" the king asked.

"Nothing, Father. I want to spend the morning riding horses, if that is okay?"

"Yes, dear." The queen replied.

Perhin spent the morning just as he said he would, but that afternoon, he contacted Tristan.

"How is the traveling going?" He asked.

"We are at the border, we have hired a carriage. We are just leaving town now."

"Thank you, it will be what, five days at the most until you reach the capital?"

"Yes, my liege."

"Send another image of her, Tristan."

Perhin received a beautiful mental picture of Princess Ditri. She was dressed a long lavender dress with her red-gold hair piled on her head in a bun. The smile she wore lit up the room.

"Thank you, Tristan. See her safely here." Perhin stopped the mental conversation. It seemed every time he asked his valet for a mind-picture; she got more beautiful. But, Perhin barely noticed. He had fallen in love with the princess. Yet, he didn't even know her.