Part One

Fu Naru's palace was known, imaginatively enough, as the Palace of Fu Naru. Situated to the North East in a secluded area, and hidden away from the surrounding villages, not many people knew of the happenings inside those walls. The subjects prospered under good and just leadership, their taxes were light and when crop failure occurred the royalty was always there to aid them, so they didn't trouble themselves to much to question their rulers' secretive, isolated ways. Once in a while the princes would come out to help at the harvest moon and the farmers were grateful for any volunteered labour. The knights patrolled the countryside on a regular basis, never far from any region in the country, in case problems arose.

Overall, Fu Naru lived in peaceful, blossoming times, though the nobility seemed quite in a stir that they never saw those handsome (and more importantly, rich) eligible sons of the King and Queen at the regular noble gatherings. The reason was of course that the Queen was hiding them away for some purpose, some reason no one outside the palace walls knew of, though the nobles had ideas of their own; the most popular of them being that perhaps the rich princes were hideous and therefore had to be kept locked up until they were married. Sad but true, most nobility didn't converse with the farmers, for if they did they would be informed that both princes were not only quite fine looking young men, but strong and capable of putting in a good day's work of labour around the harvest moon time.

Nonetheless the rumours did continue, though no one did suspect the real reason, far more strange and outlandish then anything they had thought up (except perhaps one ridiculous notion that the princes were really princesses, but as the King needed sons as heirs they were raised as boys. Now that particular rumour could be considered even more bizarre than the truth).

So, for whatever fantastical reason the Queen had for keeping her boys out of the public eye, the result was that the daughter of Count Arland Eldree of the Western region began her journey to the Palace of Fu Naru, knowing nothing of either prince, besides the fact that she was now the new candidate to marry the older prince, whom her father speculated to be in his early twenties.

Upon arrival at the palace Sae was amazed, first by the fact that it was hidden in such a secretive place in the country. The carriage she journeyed in had to cross miles of forestry and park, which was all palace property, before she came upon the actual structure. And what a structure it was! Ivory towers and all. The rooftops were made of a pale blue stone and the windows were all stain glass and elegant. This was never a castle that had known warfare; it was a palace built from architectural beauty and baroque fashion. Inside the palace the floors were marble and Sae was caught by her shadow mirrored beneath her feet on the smooth surface.

The servants who came to meet her were all dressed in exquisite shell colours, with pearl coats and white breeches, and they managed to carry her belongings gracefully and effortlessly, though Sae knew her stepmother had packed a weighty trunk. She was led up an expansive crimson-carpeted stairway, then down a long corridor to her right and shown to vacant quarters, which were to be hers for the proceeding time period, or to put it more bluntly, for as long as she lasted.

"The head servant will be here shortly, milady." The servants bowed and left her to her rooms after all the luggage was brought in.

Sae took the opportunity to get to know her new surroundings. The first room in her quarters was set up much like a personal drawing room, with divans and couches to lounge on, richly coloured carpets to soften the wooden floors, a bookshelf against one wall that kissed the ceiling and filled with what looked like varying subjects, and various portraits hung on the opposing walls for inspection. There was even a card table placed off to one side of the room, and a pianoforte on the opposite end lest she find herself in the mood for entertainment.

The door on the left side led to a spacious room painted jade green, with dark cherry-wood furniture, such as an intricately carved wardrobe and an impressively high and wide bed with teal coloured sheets. The stain glass window that the light poured through was designed to portray the folktale of one of Fu Naru's tragic myths. Through the metal and coloured glass the image displayed was that of a young woman with wings spurting out her back. She was turned away from a man, who was kneeling before her and seemed to be begging. It was the fable of the angel who fell in love with a man who was deceiving her, and once she discovered his trickery she left him forever.

Walking back into her drawing room, she explored the other two doors. One led to a private study, which was filled with more books and a writing desk equipped with writing utensils and paper for her use. The final door led to her personal toiletry room, and she was pleased to see that they had fashioned their bath sparing no costs.

When she next walked back into her main room she found a tall man with a nervous appearance but steady hazel eyes placed on her. For a moment she supposed this could be one of the princes, for Fu Naru royalty was known for having famous hazel eyes, not all of them of course, but she had heard at least one of the princes like his father has inherited that trait. However, taking in the man's royal servant garments, she concluded that she must be mistaken, and that this man must be the head servant she was told would meet with her soon. Still, he did seem oddly young to be a head servant.

"Lady Sae, I am pleased to welcome you to the palace, I am the head servant here, Gallagher." He paused watching her expression carefully. "Yes, well I can see you are a bit sceptical of someone my age being promoted to head servant, but—" he added with a nervy lilt in his voice, "but, I assure you, most confidently, that when my father, the previous head servant, broke his back a fortnight ago, no one questioned my taking over until he recovers…which may very well never happen, so it is best we come to a mutual understanding now"

"I—" Sae was a little taken aback by his unprovoked speech—was it really necessary for him to justify his position to her? "I…well yes, I suppose we had better come to an understanding if you are to be the head servant while I am here. You aren't, by any chance, related to the royal family, are you?"

Gallagher clammed up at once and demanded, "No of course not, why would you think such a thing!"

"N-no reason, I'm sorry for asking if it offends you so. It is because you have hazel eyes, but then I suppose not everyone with hazel eyes in the world has to be related to the Fu Naru family."

"Of course they don't!" He snapped. "And it's best you understand that now before you go and start saying such preposterous things to anyone else in this palace! Now then!…now, where was I? Oh yes, Lady Sae, three ladies-in-waiting will be assigned to you during your stay, and I will go and summon them to come to you shortly. I just want to clear some more rules up with you first. While you are here, the Queen will be setting out a series of tests for you. If you pass them all, you will marry her eldest son, the crowned Prince Sevastian. Fail any of them and you are immediately sent home. Do not take her tasks lightly; they are in every bit of the word a challenge. You are also to have dinner with her highness this early evening, or in an hour I should say, and you have be introduced to the rest of the royal family afterwards. Now, is there anything you would like to ask?"

"Am I to call you Gallagher then?" Sae asked.

"If that is what you wish. Now, I must go; I have many things to prepare if that is all you have to ask."

"Yes, thank you Gallagher."

"Milady," He bowed and left, taking his nervous aura with him.

Sae was going through one of her trunks seeking a suitable dress to meet the Queen with, when her three ladies-in-waiting along with a fourth maid made their appearance.

The three ladies who bowed together to her and claimed they were her three ladies-in-waiting seemed all relatively young, the youngest being a sweet fifteen-year-old blonde girl named Phélie. The other two were the crow-haired Beda, and the red-haired Alesia. They were all dressed modestly and they all looked like genuinely agreeable young woman.

The one who stood out to Sae was the remaining lady in the room, who confessed to being the Queen's former lady-in-waiting, for many years now it seemed. She was slightly plump, with salt and pepper hair that clearly used to be black, and the only thing about her that didn't seem warm was her shrewd, sharp blue gaze. She also held her head higher then the other younger girls present, which told Sae she was either very proud to be a maid to the Queen, or that she had spent too much time around the Monarch. It would only be a few weeks later when Sae would mention that all the servants around seemed in some small way to show their pride of serving the royal family, and Mayah, for that was the elder lady's name, would smile delightfully to this and admit that she held her own head high to show she was proud to serve such regal masters. After just the first few minutes of being introduced to and talking with Mayah, Sae felt that she liked her best of all. Perhaps a little too predictably for an elderly palace maid, Mayah seemed to have a natural maternal aura emanate from her.

As the three young ladies-in-waiting set to unloading Sae's belongings and putting everything away into her wardrobes, Mayah took Sae aside and continued to talk to her, and Sae got the impression that the kind old lady was trying to read her character. However, Mayah did do a fair bit of talking of her own.

"Having been the Queen's lady-in-waiting since we were both in our youth, we are actually quite close, perhaps more as friends then as servant-master my dear, and I believe this is why the Queen has taken on younger ladies to tend to her and I have been given the easy task of helping out all the contending ladies, and supervising the maids serving you. It really is a vacation for me, these last months. I do admit however, it is sad to see young mistress after mistress go, none of them ever staying long. I hope you aren't discouraged by this, Lady Sae."

Finding Mayah extremely easy to talk with, Sae opened up. "I'm not discouraged, no. It's funny for me to say this, because I am no believer of fate, I am more of the mind that one must acquire for themselves the life they want by the choices they make, and yet I feel like if it is meant for me then I will pass the tests, and if not then I shall go back home having known I tried."

"That is an interesting answer," Mayah said after a moment's pause, "but Sae, may I just call you Sae milady? Yes, well, Sae my dear, I believe that you must have a good reason to be here in order to get through these tests the Queen has set out. Do you have a good reason? Past princesses have come for money, for power, they have come because their families have sent them. What is your reason?"

"I do not desire power or money, but I have come because my father has asked me to and I know he only chooses what is best for me. I know nothing of the prince so I cannot say anything of attachment or silly infatuation, but I have promised my stepmother that should I find I am completely incompatible with his highness, I should go straight home. I do not pretend not to know that marrying his highness would secure for me a life safe from poverty, as any girl looking to marry hopes for, and I do not look for love because I do not think I was made for the romantic kind. I am only looking for a man whom I can start a new life with, whom I can get on with tolerably well and will have enough wealth that any children we have won't go hungry. Is that not a good enough reason?"

"It is an honest reason, though a little depressing my dear. What of happiness? You did talk of not marrying a man you are completely incompatible with, but what if you marry a man you get along with well enough, but there is no passion, to the point that you find yourself unhappy in the marriage?"

Sae gave a small smile. "I have already told you, I do not concern myself with lust and passion. I scarcely think I was designed for it. I only look for a safe, orderly home, which is all anyone can hope for."

Mayah looked away with a small smile of her own. "You have yet to be awakened then, Sae. Well, let us look for something nice and proper for you to wear tonight to dine with the Queen, shall we?"

Within the hour Sae found herself being summoned down for dinner. Mayah had very wisely picked for Sae a satiny jade evening gown that was both flattering and modest.

"You want to appear graceful and beautiful before the male royalty, but you also must remember the Queen is looking for a humble gentlewoman, not a vain lady. Though, judging by the attire you have brought with you, I doubt she'll have to worry about that. Your clothes all do seem quiet reserved, quiet innocently pretty."

Sae blushed slightly, despite her usual detached manner. "My father was never one for letting his daughters expose themselves to provoke the appetites of men. Besides, my stepmother has always taught me how a lady can be both appropriate and striking in her own right. She was the one who bought this green dress for me, as well as many others I've brought along for my stay here."

"Smart woman." Mayah said softly. "She raised you well. Now, shall I call on the guards to escort you to the dining hall?"

As the door servants pulled the magnificent golden dining hall doors back for her, Sae was quick to take in everything prominent about the new grand room she was entering, before she got too close to the Queen herself. She knew it was better to pretend she wasn't amazed at everything she saw, lest she seem like a simple commoner to the royalty, and gawking at their glorious dining hall would surely create that impression. Taking in the brilliant shades of colour the room exuded and all the warm tones of the refined furniture, Sae forced her eyes away from the surroundings and focused them on the dining table centered in the room and seeming to be a good twenty feet long. The Queen herself had not yet entered the hall.

"Please milady, take a seat next to the head of the table, her ladyship will be here momentarily." One of the servants had come forward and pulled back the chair she was intended to sit on.

Sae sat herself down and he pushed her gently in, returning to his post by the wall. She wondered if perhaps each main room in the palace had it's own special servants. She also wondered what they did to entertain themselves when no one was in that room. Back at home they only had two menservants, three maids and a cook. Sae couldn't help but smiling, thinking how they would fuss if they worked here instead, having to stand in a room all day waiting for people to enter for them to serve. The smile disappeared from her lips. This, that persistent little voice in her head reminded her, was the reason why she was grateful for her lot in life, and this opportunity which her father had gotten for her was more than she could have hoped for. Forget Mealina's fanciful notions of true love, Sae was lucky enough being born with this chance.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your thoughts, my dear girl."

Sae looked up and her scrunched face became relaxed and blank as she took in the woman who has just entered the room. Dressed in a voluminous peach dress with white skirts peeking out underneath, the thin elderly lady with three escorts accepted the hand of one of them as they helped her sit down, her other hand carried an open pearl-shade fan which she covered her lower face with.

Once seated, she closed the fan with a quick snap and placed it on the table next to her. "Thank you, you may all go now. I'll ring when I'm ready.'

The three escorts left and the doormen closed the golden doors, isolating Sae and the queen from the rest of the palace.

Up close, for Sae was now seated to the left of the Queen, she was happy to see the monarch had raven hair like herself, though as the Queen was getting on in years it was greying at the roots. Queen Ryona gave Sae a kind half-smile and Sae noted her green eyes were dull, and the rest of her face looked tired. Even dressed up in dazzling royal clothes, Sae could still see this Queen was worn out. Perhaps it was all this finding her son a consort business, Sae thought.

"So, you are Lady Sae, I take it?"

"Yes your majesty, I am she." Sae answered as the servants brought in plates of food before them.

"That is a peculiar name though. Is it short for something or were your mother and father fond of originality?"

"It is…short for another name, but I confess I do not like to disclose that name, and I assure you your majesty Sae is a lot easier to say and remember than my real, painfully original name."

The Queen grinned. "Very well, I see you choose to keep your secrets. You will find, Lady Sae, that in this palace, everyone is fond of keeping a secret or two, so you will not feel out of place, I'm sure."

Sae wasn't quite sure what the Queen was trying to convey by this, and yet, she doubted if she inquired further she would be told anything more, and so the subject was dropped and a new on introduced.

The food, Sae found, was both similar and different to what she ate at home. Similar in the sense that there were similar dishes served, essential vegetables and fruits, soups and meats prepared after the usual fashion in Fu Naru; only there was a lot more food at the palace, more variety and courses to choose from. Sae was having a hard enough time picking between the dishes in front of her and the dishes being presented to her by incoming servants carrying trays, and she wondered why everyone in the palace was not fat with all this food being brought out at each sitting. Once she was thoroughly fed and feeling more full then she'd ever been before, especially after the dessert was brought out, the Queen called in her escorts and requested that Sae follow her into the East drawing room, where she would be introduced to the two princes.

To say the least Sae was nervous at this point, and having a full stomach suddenly decide to fill up with butterflies was not the most comfortable of feelings. She scolded herself as they made their way down the palace's halls, ones Sae doubted she'd ever memorize, even if she were to end up living here. How could she, realistic girl she prided herself on being, become anxious at this point? This was no time to be getting jittery; this was her chance to size up the man she could one day be married to. There was no need to feel uneasy when this was a matter entirely up to chance, and the last thing she intended on doing was getting any sort of feelings involved in the matter.

They at last came to the cream coloured east drawing room, which seemed to match the servants' shell-palette attire, Sae thought with a small smile. Two young men were already sitting by the card table in the middle of what looked like a game of old maid. The younger one had just picked one of the two last cards from his partner's deck and let out a fervent "no!" while the other laughed and with a big smile stated, "'fraid you lose. Seems my skills of trickery have improved."

"Best five out of seven then." The younger one implored, pulling at the collar of his shirt as if it were too tight.

"Ahem, boys." Queen Ryona cleared her throat.

Their attention was drawn to the lady standing by the entrance, but soon both sets of eyes had rested on Sae. With that continuing big smile, the clearly elder prince who had won the game stood up and made his way to the Queen and Sae, taking both their hands and kissing them.

"A pleasure it is to see you mother. And you, Lady Sae, I believe your name is."

"Yes, thank you Prince Sevastian." Sae found herself returning his infectious smile.

"And this is my younger son, Prince Fabian."

The younger prince followed Sevastian's lead and welcomed both ladies, though Sae noted he was much more awkward in his movements, and he began fiddling with his collar again. He gave her the immediate impression of a caged bird wanting to break out of its surroundings, or in Fabian's case, his uncomfortable royal attire. Fabian she also noted had hazel eyes, the famous hazel eyes of Fu Naru's royals, as well as black hair, which she guessed he inherited from his mother. Sevastian was sporting golden-red locks and warm emerald eyes, brighter then his mother's dull green ones. Both princes were tall and she guessed Fabian to be around her age, and Sevastian perhaps four or five years older.

So far, he seemed normal enough, handsome and in every way the gentlemen, graceful in his behaviour compared to his younger brother, though perhaps a little too happy. She noted this within ten minutes after meeting him as everyone was seated and conversing. Sevastian it seemed, had almost a permanent smile on his face, as if he had something always to smile about, as if he were only too eager to laugh should something funny happen. Though his smile was kind and soft, it did perturb Sae slightly, being a young lady who was not big on emotional expression herself and did not smile unless she had reason to. Perhaps they would complement each other, she found herself thinking, as the Queen asked her younger son where he had ridden that day. Their time together that evening in the drawing room however was not destined to be long.

"Alas, it is getting late Lady Sae," Queen Ryona said after twenty-odd minutes. "I did mean for you to meet with one more person before you retire to bed tonight, and therefore I think it best we end our gathering here for tonight and commence with this tomorrow evening."

"Yes your majesty." Sae said, getting up at once and wondering who else she had to meet tonight. Perhaps it was the King, she thought, though rumour had it he was bed ridden and too ill to see anyone.

Just then the head servant Gallagher appeared at the door, looking as nervy as ever, as if he were a kettle about to go off, Sae noted.

"Your majesties, Lady Sae," He bowed to them all, "I'm here to show Lady Sae to the Royal Advisor, he is waiting in his study now."

"Perfect timing, Gallagher," The Queen said, turning to Sae. "Well, here is your escort to the final person you shall need to meet tonight. I dare say he'll be very important to you during your stay here, he is the man to go to for anything."

"Thank you your highness." Sae bowed to all three of them, bidding them goodnight, and as she turned to leave Prince Sevastian said, "be sure to tell him hullo from his best mate, he hasn't come out of that study of his in a while."

"I…ugh, will." Sae said surprised, as she followed Gallagher out of the drawing room.

"I do not have all the time in the world to be your escort, milady," Gallagher began to say he lead her up to another level of the palace. "So be sure to memorize the way to Roderick's study now, he is usually in there, when he's not out taking care of things in the palace."

"Roderick is…the Royal Advisor, I take it then?" Sae asked.

"He is. He's a busy man, not as busy as me of course, being head servant and all, but as the Royal Advisor he has a lot on his hands as well. That didn't stop the Queen from appointing him in charge of helping the potential consorts, so if you need to know anything, he's the one to go to."

"But I thought that's what my ladies-in-waiting and Mayah were for."

Gallagher turned down the left hall and said, "They are for taking care of you; for making sure you are well fed, well clothed, sleeping well and are generally comfortable here at the palace. His Royal Advisor, Roderick, is in charge of explaining what you must do while you are here, and helping you out with your tasks any way he can. As I said before, if you have a question about anything, he is your man. Now…here we are."

He stopped in front of a pair of dark-stained oak doors and gave a graceless knock.

"Come in," a deep masculine voice said from within.

Gallagher drew the doors open and beckoned for Sae to go in. As soon as she stepped in the head servant closed the doors behind her.

When Sae looked before her the first thing she met with was piercing sea-blue eyes. Taking in the rest of the man who stared back at her from his desk she noted dark brown hair, a young looking face and a very serious expression. The young man stood up from his desk and beckoned for her to sit down. As Sae took a seat across from his study desk she wondered why everyone who worked at the palace seemed too young to be in the high positions they were. She thought Gallagher looked young to be the head servant, but this guy who looked the same age as Prince Sevastian and was already the Royal Advisor. How was that even possible? Didn't the King need old, wise men advising him?

Sitting back down, the young man said, "Lady Sae, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Roderick, advisor to the Crown Prince and in charge of instructing you with all you need to know for the time you are here."

"Pardon me, but did you say Advisor to the Crowned Prince? But, aren't you the Royal Advisor around here, I mean, to the King and such?"

Roderick looked at her for a moment as if reading her expression before answering. "There are two Royal Advisors for the current King at this moment; I am but the advisor for the current Crowned Prince Sevastian. However, seeing as the current King will not be with us for long judging by his health, Sevastian has already named me the new Royal Advisor for when he is crowned. The other two will then work under me."

"That seems a little unfair for those older men. They're being demoted."

"That's palace life." He said, and Sae thought perhaps a little harshly. "Now, if you are satisfied with knowing my exact position in the palace at present, I'd like to move on to why we are here."

So cold, Sae thought, both his sea-blue eyes and his personality. "Yes, please go on."

"You are, up to date, the seventh lady I've had to have this conversation with. Whether or not you are the last is up to…up to your ability, and up to chance, I suppose."

"That I am aware of." Sae answered.

"Good, then you understand this will be no easy time for you. The Queen, in deciding a consort for her son, has laid out six tasks that must be completed in order for you to claim that position."

Finally, Sae thought, as sombre as he is, here is finally someone who talks sense. All this madness about love really amounts to nothing. In the end this is me, testing my abilities to claim a position, and nothing more.

"You will have a ten day period between performing each of the six tasks, making the duration of your stay here, should you successfully complete them all, roughly two months. Then you will be sent back home and settlements between your father and the Queen will take place and a wedding date will be set. Now as for your tasks, you will be informed about them five days before you are to carry each of them out. You will also be allowed someone in the palace to help you prepare for it—anyone but the Queen herself, for she is to be your judge and tester for every task. If need be the person who helps prepare you for each task may also assist you in it, though there is a limit to how much they can do for you. Should you fail any of your tasks you are sent home on that same day."

"How merciless."

"That," he repeated, "is palace life."

"Perhaps," Sae answered, "but who decided it had to be?"

"The Queen did." He answered.

"I'm not talking simply about the task rules. I meant that you seem to equate all the rigid consequences happening here as "palace life" in general, such as those advisors being demoted. I was merely asking you, who decided palace life should be like that?"

Roderick blinked at her as if seeing her for the first time, but he recovered within a second. "Live in these walls for long enough Lady Sae, and you'll find some things aren't as easy to change as your words would suggest."

Sae shrugged. "I suppose you are right. This is my first time in a palace after all. So, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"There is one more thing," He said. "As appointed by her majesty, if you need advice on anything during your stay I am of course here to help. In the evenings I'm always in my study, though during the day you may find me anywhere in the palace tending to whatever work needs to be done."

"Thank you…Roderick, that is duly noted. I may call you Roderick, yes? Or would you prefer his royal crown prince's advisor?"

Roderick shook his head diffidently. "Roderick is fine, Lady Sae."

"Call me Sae. Her majesty addresses me as Lady enough as it is and I am feeling awfully old after being called it so much today."

"I suppose then, you do not get out into society often, if you are not used to being called Lady." He casually remarked, catching Sae off guard.

"Actually I'm mostly at home with my younger siblings."

"Is that so? Well, if you have no further questions Lady Sae, then I have nothing further to say, and you may adjourn for bed."

She paused, momentarily annoyed at his decision to ignore her request and call her Lady anyway, but then pressed on with the question that had been on her mind since her resolution to come to the palace. "Actually, I do have one question."

"And that is…?"

"Of the six ladies who were contenders before me, how far were they able to complete the tasks?"

"I believe it was the fourth young lady, Princess Drelinda of Luthfort who completed the first four tasks but failed the fifth. All the others have done less."

"Then task five must have been hard, what was it called again?"

Roderick, for the first time since she'd met him, half-smiled, and though it wasn't so much of a grin as it was the corner of his mouth turning slightly upwards, she still thought it was an improvement, making his face quite handsome. "I did not say what it was called and I have no intention of telling you before you are meant to know."

"Well, that is a pity then, though you can't fault me for trying."

Roderick was about to say something else when someone knocked gently at the door, making Sae jump slightly in her seat.

"Come in." Roderick said.

Mayah entered, looking as plump and kind as ever. Sae noticed how Roderick's cold serious expression considerably softened and wondered if Mayah emitted that maternal aura wherever she went, so much so that she could even make a detached advisor look like he had just seen his mother. Mayah had, after all, been a maid in this palace for decades, so she supposed by now everyone had warmed up to the kind old lady.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Roderick but I just came to see if Sae was done. I noticed Gallagher took off to take care of something so I supposed she'd need help in finding her room from here."

"Yes, we're done here, thank you." Standing up from his seat, he gave Sae a small head bow as she got up, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow Lady Sae."

"Thank you Roderick, oh and Prince Sevastian told me to tell you he says hi."

Roderick shook his head and it looked to Sae as if he were restraining from rolling his eyes.

"Well goodbye then." She said, leaving the room with Mayah.

"So," Mayah asked as they walked down the corridors, "how do you like it here so far?"

"To be honest, I'm finding it all a little bit strange, but there's nothing I can't handle and I think I'll fit in quite comfortably once I get used to it all."

"Good," Mayah smiled, "that was the answer I was hoping for."