A/N:

Ugh. I'm in a bad mood. I just took the first half of OSSLT…holy! Stupid me, leaving a few blanks in the first booklet. I didn't mean to, of course. I ran out of time. I thought I had four minutes left, but it turned out I didn't. I'm going to fail. Anyway…

Hi! I'm super sorry for the delay. Really, I am! I've been busy, and I just needed a break from this. Anyway, I would put in all your names, but I want to post this a.s.a.p. Except Crazayladay. I have to mention her, or else I'd feel really guilty. Hi, Crazayladay! You know, I seriously didn't mean to forget you! Anyway, comments/answers:

1) On ficpress, I am known as angel-kiss1.

2) I didn't put in that kiss because I felt I was obligated to. I put it in because I wanted to. And this is not Ella Enchanted, this is A Happy Ending? (which is a crappy title…I'm tempted to change it, but it's too late), and I go by my own rules.

3) I honestly don't know how long this story will be. But I'm sure of one thing: it won't be that soon. There are still too many things to resolve. Are you anxious for this to end? I am. I think. Because I want to start that story for Areida. I'm itching to start.

4) Has Daria been in the palace before? Well, in this story, no. At least not yet.

5) I finally saw the Ella Enchanted movie. Very unlike the book. It was all right, I guess. There were corny moments, especially that scene by the fireplace. I just wanted to die. I'm not going to say what happened (I don't want to ruin it for you guys), but the last part was corny. But that's just me…

6) I was going to say something else, but I forgot. Crap, I hate it when that happens.

Chapter Eighteen

In the Pub

Daria couldn't believe it. She kissed him! She kissed him, Prince Jerrold, future king of Kyrria. What made her do it! In fact, what made her respond that way? She could have pulled away the moment his lips were that close, but nooooo…she just had to lean in…and…and…

"Daria!"

Daria snapped out of her thoughts. She turned and gave her governess a questioning look. "Uh…yes?" she said, her voice full of dullness.

Madame Edith scowled disapprovingly. "Pay attention! Now, as I just asked you two seconds ago, what kingdom is well-known for its unicorns?"

"Antares," Daria replied.

Madame Edith smiled in satisfaction. "Good. And why else is it such a well-known country?"

"Because it is ruled by a council consisting of twelve members."

Madame Edith clapped enthusiastically. "Brilliant! I am pleased to know that you are actually capable of learning."

Daria resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Madame Edith was so tactless. She would have been angry at such a comment, but she was too drained to lose her temper at the moment. Not to mention preoccupied.

She wasn't dumb. Madame Edith had the wrong idea. Plenty of times Daria would fiddle with her quill or doodle on a piece of parchment during lessons, and what Madame Edith didn't know was that her pupil would still be paying attention, even if it didn't seem like it. She always believed that paying attention meant sitting straight up, looking interested, and nodding vigorously every two seconds.

"I think it would be all right to end the lesson here," Madame Edith announced happily. "You are dismissed, Daria."

A manservant chose this moment to enter the room. He bowed to Daria and said, "Lady Daria, you have a visitor."

Daria instantly felt her heart freeze. Could it be…? No, it couldn't. He had a busy life, didn't he? Didn't he! He wouldn't have had the time to call on her, right? Right!

Calm down. Calm down.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Who…who is it?" she asked nervously.

"Lord Christian, my lady."

Daria relaxed instantly. She felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders, yet…what was this small feeling inside her? Disappointment? It couldn't be.

"I'll be there in a minute," she said, ignoring the servant's and her governess's curious looks.

The servant bowed respectfully and left the room.

Daria entered the familiar drawing-room and saw Christian, still looking as handsome and arrogant as ever. And casual, too. He was never one to wear elegant clothes.

"So…what brings you here?" she asked the blond lad.

He rose from the green couch, a tiny smirk playing across his features. "Just wondering if you would like to go for a ride," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "A ride? You mean on a horse?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, Daria. On a man-eating dragon," he said sarcastically.

"Sure!" she replied with mock enthusiasm. "I've never ridden a dragon before."

He snorted. "Good. Let's go."

Daria chuckled as they left the drawing-room and headed for the front door. Outside she saw an impressive-looking stallion. It had a shiny brown coat and a jet-black mane. It was standing almost regally, as if it knew it was fine-looking. So like Christian. And Gavin.

And Jerrold, her mind playfully reminded.

Oh, hellfire.

"That's quite an interesting dragon," she commented, while at the same time forced thoughts of Jerrold out of her head.

Christian patted his horse affectionately. "Ah, yes. But don't be fooled. He's very fierce."

Daria rolled her eyes. "I'll go get Ashwin."

"Well…I was hoping we could ride on one horse."

Daria froze mid-step at this comment. Is he serious! She turned around slowly, actually nervous to see his reaction.

She was greeted by his amused smirk.

"I was jesting, my lady," he replied with a deep chuckle. "Go get your horse."

Daria turned and headed for the stables, but not before shooting him one very angry glare.

Daria rode through the streets alongside Christian. The streets weren't that crowded, since dusk was fast approaching. People were getting ready to close their shops (except for taverns, of course), and children were safe in their homes. In truth, Lord Ormond, who was strangely way more protective than Lady Gina, almost not permitted Daria to go out, but after realizing that his daughter's companion was Christian, he consented.

"You know, you should really stop it," Daria spoke up, breaking the companionable silence.

Christian gave her a questioning look. "Stop what?"

"Stop pretending to be interested in me one moment, and then laughing it off the next," she replied. "It isn't funny, Christian. I know you're not interested in me, so—"

"And how do you know that?" he cut in. There was a serious tone in his voice. It was almost scary.

Daria paused. How did she know that? She frowned. "Well…because I know you…sort of…and you're just…not," she finished lamely.

He stared at her with those sharp grey eyes of his. It almost made Daria feel extremely uncomfortable, for there was no hint at all of what was going through his mind. She didn't know if he was actually being serious, or being playful, like before.

But after a moment of all comical moods gone, his face broke into a devilish grin. "All right. Fair enough. We'll be friends."

She stared at him. "Friends?"

"Yes. And you have no say in the matter, so don't bother arguing."

She chuckled. "You're so different from Jerrold."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So it's 'Jerrold' now, eh?"

Daria felt herself flush as last night's events flooded back to her. All in annoying detail. She mentally screamed at herself. Don't blush. Don't blush. Don't blush.

It didn't work. And of course, the rosy hue that swept up her cheeks didn't escape Christian's observant eyes.

"Ah," he said, his lips curving slightly, "I see…"

She shot him a haughty look. "What do you see?"

"Something happened between you two?"

"No," she mumbled, then looked down at the ground.

"Bravo, Daria. You're an amazing actress," he said humorously.

She looked up and shot him a glare. But that glare wavered as she noticed something with Christian's eyes. His voice had been light and cheerful when he spoke, yet his eyes…they were the opposite. Or was she imagining it? After all, the sun had now set, and it was hard to see in the dark…no. It was right there. The expression in them looked strained. Almost…hurt? Angry?

I need more sleep, she told herself. That's all. I'm just imagining things.

"Are…are you all right?" she asked cautiously.

He scowled and urged his horse faster. "Of course," he said gruffly. Daria noticed that he was avoiding her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged. "You just look as if something is bothering you, that's all."

"Nothing's bothering me. I was just…" Christian trailed off as he saw someone approaching him and Daria. Daria just looked at him in confusion…that is, until she realized who that someone was. After that she was just tense.

It was Jerrold. And he was getting closer and closer by the second. He was riding that familiar war horse of his. Thankfully, the streets were almost deserted, so there was nobody there to recognize him.

Daria gulped. "I-I…I have to…"

"Stay, Daria," Christian cut in.

She had no idea why she obeyed, but she did. She stayed where she was, despite the approaching prince. And as she was waiting, she kept chanting to herself one thing: Don't let him see you flustered. Don't let him see you flustered. Don't let him see you flustered.

And by some miracle, her body actually obeyed. Daria took a deep breath, straightened her back, and put on an impassive face. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her troubled. She had had enough of that. It was always him who was expressionless…it was her turn now.

She was tired of being weak.

"Jerrold," Christian greeted, "what brings you here?"

Jerrold's eyes flickered towards Daria for a very brief moment. She didn't notice because she wasn't looking at him, but Christian did. "Just out for a ride." He paused, then: "Good evening, Daria."

She actually had to force herself to look at him. She noticed that he was wearing commoner's clothes. "Good evening," she replied. Her voice was void of emotion, which resulted into Christian shooting her a look and something flashing in Jerrold's eyes.

The entire situation was nothing but tense.

"So…want to join us?" Christian asked his friend.

Daria stopped herself from glaring at Christian. But he wasn't looking at her; he was looking at his long-term friend. Daria turned to Jerrold, waiting edgily—though she was actually able to hide her discomfort—for his answer.

She pleaded with her mind. Say no. Say no. Say no. Say no.

"Yes," Jerrold replied smoothly. He turned his horse around and took his place slightly in front of Christian.

Daria was seriously about to scream in frustration. She glared at the back of the prince's head. Has he forgotten what happened last night! The least he can do is give me some damn space!

Christian grinned. "Great!"

Daria scowled to herself. Not really.

A threatening silence was seriously about to choke the three riders. Christian had run out of things to say (or maybe his throat had gone really dry), while the other two were dangerously quiet. Neither Jerrold nor Daria were searching their brains for things to say. They were just…there, as if they were riding alone.

"I need a drink," Christian announced. "Can we go to a pub?"

Daria shrugged. "Sure."

Christian turned to Jerrold. "You can just pull your hood up, and no one will recognize you."

Jerrold shrugged. "Sure."

It was like seeing déjà vu. Christian wondered if the two realized that they responded the same way.

"You two are fun," he mumbled, almost to himself.

No one answered.

"Ooookay…let's…go."

"Which pub are we going to?" Daria asked.

Christian shot her a look, one that said: "So…she finally talks." Daria decided to ignore it.

"Parker O'Kelf's pub," he replied. "He has the best ale."

This got quite the reaction from Jerrold. He glared. "Are you mad?" he hissed at his friend. "In case you have forgotten, we have a lady with us!"

Christian pretended to look around. "Where?" he asked, feigning confusion.

"Very funny," Daria said dryly.

He smirked. "But seriously, Daria. You don't mind, do you?"

Daria's eyes flickered towards Jerrold for a brief moment. She wanted to see what he was thinking, but of course, his face didn't reveal anything. She frowned inwardly. How did he do that? Did he get some sort of training? It was so intimidating! Why couldn't he show what was going through his mind just once? He was always so…cautious. But then again, he was going to be the king. And kings were always supposed to be cautious.

She shook her head. "No," she said to Christian, "I don't mind."

Christian grinned. "I knew it!"

"Let's go then," Jerrold spoke up. He urged his horse to go faster.

Daria wasn't sure if she imagined it or not, but she was almost certain that there was an admiring and almost amused tone in his voice. But then again, what did she know about noticing the smallest things? That wasn't her forte.

She rode on, with her in between Jerrold and Christian.

The first thing Daria noticed when she entered the pub was the smell. It smelled of alcohol, odour, and cat hair all combined together. It wasn't very pleasant. She held her breath and hoped that she didn't look ready to pass out soon.

"This way," Christian said smoothly. He looked as if he belonged there. Daria supposed that being able to blend easily was a spy skill. And Jerrold wasn't doing too badly either. Except for his hood propped up to conceal his face, every inch of him looked like it belonged there.

She, on the other hand, felt completely out of place. Her dress wasn't extravagant, but it was above commoner's clothes. And she was the only female in there, too. All right, that was a lie. There were barmaids all over the place, but she was the only female there who was fully clothed.

"Let's sit here," Christian said. It was a corner table that was slightly hidden in the shadows. Daria pulled a wooden chair and sat down, followed by her two companions. She noticed that the prince kept his head down.

A barmaid, with a big smile plastered on her face, walked seductively towards them, swaying hips and everything. "Can I get you anything, hun?" she asked Christian. Her voice was disgustingly sweet.

"One mug of ale please," Christian replied. Daria rolled her eyes when she saw him flash the barmaid a charming smile. The barmaid giggled, then turned to Daria. Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sneer.

"And what can I get you?" she asked rudely.

"Um…same?"

Christian chuckled. "I don't think so, Daria."

She shot him a glare, then turned to the barmaid. "One mug of ale," she said firmly. "Just to spite him."

The barmaid sniffed disdainfully, then turned to the cloaked figure. "And what can I get you?" she asked. She leaned over and tried to catch a glimpse of the face hiding beneath the hood.

"Ah, forget him," Christian intervened, pulling the barmaid gently away from the prince. "He's disfigured. Got a really ugly nose and a drooping eyelid. Doesn't want to be seen by people. Just get him the same thing."

Daria resisted the urge to burst out laughing. Christian was such a good actor. She couldn't believe he was actually able to keep a straight face all throughout. Really impressive. He looked convincing.

"Oh?" The barmaid pointedly edged away from Jerrold. "Okay, then. I'll be right back." She smiled seductively at Christian. "Don't go away, doll."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Christian replied suavely.

Daria rolled her eyes again. The barmaid walked away, hips swaying more than usual. Too bad it was all for nothing, because Christian wasn't looking at her. He was too busy smirking at Daria.

"Liked my little act?" Christian asked her.

"Bravo, Christian," Daria said with a smirk. "Impressive."

"Of course you just had to make me disfigured, didn't you?" Jerrold spoke up. He sounded irritated, but Daria could tell that he was just amused.

Christian shrugged. "First thing that came in my mind," he said with a grinning voice.

Jerrold rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Daria grinned. She couldn't believe that she was actually having fun. When she came in, she had expected the rest of the night to be awkward and really tense. But she and Jerrold were actually getting on quite well. If they both ignored what had happened, then everything would turn out fine, right? She sighed inwardly. Could things really be that simple?

She heard a loud scraping of a chair from behind her. She turned and saw a burly man with dark hair standing a few tables away. He was ready to leave. She was about to turn and dismiss him, but something that he had caught her eye.

It was hanging on to his belt loop, clearly visible. Her bracelet. There was absolutely no doubt about it. The chain still looked as golden as ever, and the pendant, with the intricate phoenix carving, was still there.

He's walking away! Stop him! her brain screamed.

It was true. The man was almost out the door.

Daria didn't even stop think. It was as if her body was in control. She stood up, ignoring Christian's "Where are you going?" comment.

"Sir!" She ran and tugged at his sleeve. The man stopped and gave her a look. "I…uh…need to talk to you. Can we sit down and talk?"

The man's eyes pointedly roamed up and down her body. He smirked. "Sure…let's…talk," he said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

She decided to ignore that. "We have to talk," she repeated. She led the way, then motioned him to sit down on an empty table. He sat down, not taking his leering gaze off her. Daria, resisting the urge to scowl at his vulgarity, sat opposite of him.

She began. "I think…"

There was a sharp voice. "Daria!"

Christian and Jerrold stood before her. Both were giving her questioning looks. The man, seeing the two young men, scowled and said, "Who the hell are you?"

"Her friends," Christian snapped.

"Go wait somewhere," the man sneered. "We're talking."

There was a brief moment of silence, followed by Jerrold's deep and quiet voice. "Daria?" he said, his voice filled with confusion.

Daria shrugged. "You two can sit down. I don't mind," she said, which resulted into the man's face contorting into an ugly glare.

"I'm wasting my time," he said furiously as Jerrold and Christian smugly took their place alongside Daria.

"This won't take long," Daria said.

"You have ten seconds," he growled.

"All right," she replied. "You have my bracelet."

There was a stunned silence. Jerrold and Christian exchanged looks, while the man raised an eyebrow. Daria just sat there, calm as ever. However, inside, she was boiling. She wanted her bracelet back, and judging by the look on the man's face, she knew that he would not give it so willingly.

"Oh? This?" he said amusedly as he touched the bracelet.

"Yes," Daria replied. "It was stolen from me." Her eyes flickered towards Christian for a brief moment, which only Jerrold and Christian noticed. "May I ask where you got it?"

"A good friend gave it to me," he replied casually. "He said his leader stole it from this pretty lass." He looked at Daria, then grinned.

Odd the way the leader he was talking about was sitting a metre away from him. A tiny smirk appeared on Christian's face.

"So…he was talking about you? You are pretty." His eyes pointedly roamed up and down again. And he wagged his eyebrows again.

Daria's eyes flickered to the side, and she saw Jerrold's clenched fists. They were clamped so tightly that they almost looked white. She looked up, and her eyes met his. She noticed that they were flashing with anger. She shook her head a bit, and he responded with a soft grunt.

She turned back to the leering man. "Will you please give it back to me?" she asked politely.

The man pretended to frown in thought. "Hmm…let me see…no."

"But it's mine," Daria said, about to lose her patience.

He grinned at her. "And…your point?"

Her face broke into a glare. "It belongs to me!"

"Yes…you said that already. But it's mine now. Get over it, princess."

Daria's eyes flashed with anger. "Look, you—"

Christian cut in. "Daria," he said sharply, "let us take care of this."

Daria quieted at this. She turned and gave him a look. When she saw smug confidence pretty much radiating off him, she sighed in defeat, then shrugged. "Fine."

He grinned at her, then turned to Jerrold. Daria watched carefully as he and the prince shared a brief, yet meaningful look. After this brief communication, Daria noticed mischievous glints appear in their eyes. Her edginess vanished instantly, replaced by curiosity.

What are these two up to? she wondered as she saw Jerrold and Christian smirk in amusement. She shot them a suspicious look, but they ignored her.

Christian turned to the man. "So…are you sure you don't want to give the lady her bracelet back?"

The man scowled. "Yes."

Christian leaned back and stared at him with his sharp eyes, no doubt intending to make the man feel intimidated. Daria saw the man shift in his chair a bit. It was almost unnoticeable, but of course, Christian didn't miss it. He smirked, leaned forward, then said, "I have a way to solve this."

The man sneered. "What's to solve? I'm not giving it, period."

Christian ignored him. Daria watched curiously as her friend dug his hand in his pocket, took something out, then placed the mysterious item on the table. She leaned over to see what it was.

It was a dagger. And an extremelynice one, too. The shiny metal blade looked as if it had never been used. The entire hilt was made of gold, with small gemstones on the pommel. It was, without a doubt, very valuable. The man stared at it with wide, greedy eyes. Daria could have sworn she saw some drooling.

"I have a proposition," Christian said calmly.

"I'm…listening," the man said, not taking his unblinking eyes off the dagger.

"An arm wrestling match," Christian said. "If you win, you get to keep the bracelet and the dagger. But if you lose, you give up the bracelet."

The man finally looked up. He gave Christian a shrewd gaze. "You serious?" He eyed Christian's arm, then smirked. "You're on! But don't worry…I'll go easy on you." He flexed his large biceps to prove his point.

Christian rolled his eyes. "Wonderful," he said dryly. He turned to Daria. "Daria…if you could give up your seat?"

She quickly stood up. "Sure."

The man gave Christian an impatient look. "Hurry up," he growled. "I don't have all day."

Christian stared at him. "Why are you looking at me?"

The man faltered a bit. "W-what?"

Christian grinned roguishly at him. "I never said that I'm the one who will be going against you."

The man glared at him. "Then who is it!"

There was suddenly a scraping of the chair as Jerrold stood up and took Daria's seat. With his hood still propped up, showing nothing but the bottom half of his face, he smirked, then said, "Me."

The man stared at his shadowed face, then at his arm. There was no doubt that he had a stronger build than the blond man. However, he was still more muscular. Surely this cloaked man was easy to beat…?

"Fine," he growled angrily. "It wouldn't matter anyway. I'd still win."

"Whatever you say," Christian drawled.

Jerrold placed his arm on the table, and the man followed suit. Christian, grinning maniacally, began the countdown. "Three…two…"

"Wait!"

All four people turned. They saw many of the people in the bar looking at them in curiosity.

"Who said that?" Christian asked calmly.

"Me," a man said, stepping forward. He was tall and black-haired, with three hoop earrings in each earlobe. He was wearing an apron, which completely looked out of place. "What are you planning?"

"Parker!" Christian said enthusiastically. "Just in time. We're doing an arm wrestling match. Care to watch?"

"A match…in my pub?" Parker paused, then grinned. "Why not?"

The moment he left the counter and headed for the table, activity burst out. People interpreted Christian's invitation to Parker as an invitation to everyone. To them, there was no difference. So, naturally, everyone left their seats and crowded around Jerrold's table, talking animatedly and laughing boisterously. Some clapped Jerrold on the back, which resulted to Jerrold reaching up and pulling his hood down more.

"All right, we're starting soon!" Christian announced loudly. The noise level died down. Christian grinned, then looked at his friend. "Ready?"

Jerrold's brown eyes flickered towards Daria. He gave her a very brief smile, but Daria didn't get a chance to respond because he looked away right after that. Which was probably a good thing…she had no idea on how she would have responded. There was still last night's kiss…she couldn't just forget about that.

Christian started the countdown. "Three…"

The man smirked at Jerrold. "You're going down," he whispered arrogantly. (Two…)

Jerrold smirked back. "You wish."

One.

A/N:

I was going to continue this (it wasn't supposed to stop here), but this chapter is already way too long. And my eyes and brain are tired. :) Oh, and the names Aldaran and Antares were given by Alison! Thank you for that!