A/N: Me again! This is the last chapter before the epilogue...and then it'll be over! I feel so depressed. Thank you LOADS for the reviews, you made my day. Thank you so much for reading, please review!

"So what happened?" Sonea pressed, "Come on, Aurelia, tell me!"

"Nothing happened" mumbled Aurelia in reply, her eyes glassy, deep in thought.

"Right, so that's why Dorrien's been walking around with the most depressing aura around him for the last three days? Come on. He's so upset, I've never seen him like that. Neither has Rothen. What did you do to him? What did you say?"

"I didn't do or say anything!" Aurelia exclaimed, but she didn't look at Sonea. Sonea sighed heavily. Even Rothen looked a little irked.

"Dorrien's told me everything, Aurelia, so you might as well tell Sonea" he said ruefully. Sonea scowled, Aurelia sighed.

"Fine" she huffed, "We kissed, alright?"

Sonea gaped, "No! Really? Well, what went wrong?"

"I couldn't handle it" Aurelia groaned, running her hands through her long hair, "I mean, it was..." her eyes darted towards Rothen before she spoke, "It was...pretty amazing, if I'm honest. I mean, really amazing. But I've only just been parted from Dannyl, it's exhausting and horrible and I still love him, and I'm pregnant for goodness sakes, and Dorrien just doesn't seem to understand that everything big and scary that's happened in my life is because of a man. My whole life has been ruled by men, and I'm only just twenty! It just doesn't seem right, somehow"

"But you liked being with Dorrien?" Sonea prompted. Aurelia nodded fiercely.

"Oh, yes! We've always got on well, he's fun, easy to talk to...and, well...he is attractive, I'm not going to lie to you. And yeah, I enjoyed kissing him. But if you're going to suggest that I love him, then – "

"And do you?" Rothen smiled slightly, making marks on the essay he was going through as if he wasn't really listening. In fact, he was giving the matter his keenest attention.

"No!" Aurelia cried, "I mean...this is rather embarrassing, but I thought he just, you know, wanted me. And I could handle that, that's fine...maybe I even want him a little bit too - I'm not saying I do, I'm just saying maybe! But love...I love Dannyl, you know that. You can't just fall out of love with one person and in love with another"

"You can if you were in love with the wrong person and then you find the right one" said Sonea gently. Aurelia looked between Rothen and Sonea in confusion.

"Do you really both think that I love him back?"

"Yes" Rothen and Sonea chorused.

"But I don't! I feel affection for him, I'm very fond of him, but that's not love, right?"

"If you're very fond of him and you want him at the same time, that sounds pretty damn close to me" Sonea smiled. Aurelia groaned again and buried her head in her hands.

"I don't know what I feel. I don't even know what I think"

"I do" said Rothen wisely, "Your head is telling you that Dannyl's only been gone for a short while, so logically you must still love him, because that's what's supposed to happen. But your heart...your heart is telling you something else, and you're not listening"

"That sounds too sensible to be true" said Aurelia from behind her hands and hair, voice muffled, sounding slightly sulky.

"We just want what's best for you, Aurelia. And Dorrien" said Sonea, "I mean, if you think that you really don't love him, then we'll stand by you when the baby's born – well, we'll stand by you whatever you decide"

Aurelia looked up again, and she seemed tearful, "I'm going to have to talk to Dorrien, aren't I?"

Rothen nodded and said sagely, "Yes, you are"

"Hey, Dorrien" Aurelia put on a smile for when Dorrien opened the door. Sonea was right, he did look depressed. Oh dear. Maybe she should leave...

"Aurelia!" Dorrien looked surprised, but delighted too, "Come in"

"If I say some...some stuff, to you, will you just listen? I mean, will you let me finish before you say anything?" Aurelia asked awkwardly, sitting down. Dorrien sat opposite her, by the window. Novices were rushing to and from classes, like she should have been doing.

"If that's what you want" Dorrien agreed with a shrug, but his bright eyes told her that he was full of hope of what she was about to say.

Aurelia took a deep breath, "Dorrien...everyone keeps telling me that I'm in love with you, and it's just convention that's making me believe I'm still in love with Dannyl. I'm starting to think that they might be right" she paused, thinking that he might interrupt here, but he was too busy gazing at her, completely enraptured, "I...I really value you as a person. We've always got on well, and I really like being with you. I'm really fond of you, and...and, okay, I admit it, I want you too. When we were kissing it was just...overwhelming. But you've got to understand, I have a lot of issues. And that's an understatement. I've never really been with someone who actually loves me. My father raped me, he didn't love me. He was doing it for his own selfish pleasure; he didn't care a bit about me or what I felt. Dannyl...well, Dannyl was complicated. He didn't love me, I know that now, and he was never really concerned about me, not properly, and it was me seducing him! That's not the way it's meant to be. And I just...I'm pregnant, remember? Combined, that's a lot to handle. Maybe too much. And I would completely understand if maybe you didn't realise what you were letting yourself in for"

When she finished, she felt like she had been talking for hours. She felt slightly uncomfortable, too. Would that really make him understand how unsure she was? Would he understand that she wasn't sure what she felt, and would that be okay?

Dorrien was staring at her as if he couldn't quite believe what she had just said.

"Does that mean...does that mean you want to give it a go? With me?" he asked, slightly confused...slightly scared that that wasn't what she had meant at all.

She gave a lopsided sort of smile, "If that's what you still want...then yes"

Dorrien let out a whoop of delight that, admittedly, startled Aurelia. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up from the chair.

"Does that mean I can kiss you again?" he asked. Aurelia giggled. She had never been asked anything like that before.

"Yes" she replied softly. When they kissed, it was everything she had ever wanted out of a kiss. Kisses from her father had been repulsive, scary, dominating, kisses from Dannyl had actually been from her and had met little response, but this...this was perfection.

They stood there, entwined, by the window, kissing for a very long time. Aurelia was the first to break away slightly, and looked up at Dorrien with the most contented smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Dorrien..."

"Yes?" he ran his fingertips through her gorgeous hair, heard a soft sigh escape from her parted lips. She looked a little awkward, uncomfortable, even.

"I've – I've never been to bed with anyone who actually wanted me for me. Who actually loved me" she hesitated, "I just...I know it's stupid...but if we are about to do this – and I know we should probably wait a while, but I think we'd both explode – it's sort of special for me"

"I'd wait if you wanted me to" said Dorrien, not sure that he really meant it. She looked amused.

"I don't think you would. And do you know what, I don't want to either. Maybe it's time I got over it" she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Dorrien, very lightly, along his jaw line, "Maybe I want to get over it"

Dorrien groaned, very softly, and ran his hands over her body through her robes, "Yeah...I'm definitely good with that"

"You look happy, Aurelia" said Sonea with a little smile, when Aurelia finally returned to her rooms. It was evening, by that point.

Aurelia smiled, a little smugly, "I am happy" she said, scooping up Lorkin and tickling him, making him squeal.

"You were gone a long time" Rothen added slyly. He and Sonea exchanged a glance as they caught Aurelia's grin.

"Was I? We had a lot to talk about"

"Well?" Sonea queried at last, losing patience, "Did you say yes?"

"Well..."Aurelia was enjoying drawing out her answer for as long as possible, "We're going to give it a try. Let's see if he still loves me when I'm fat"

"Aurelia, that's fantastic!" Sonea shrieked, hugging her friend and novice, "Oh, I'm so pleased. He's good for you, Aurelia, really good for you"

"You can say that again" Aurelia muttered with a little smirk, and Rothen shuddered. Yet he was still smiling.

"I'm really glad, too, Aurelia. I'll go and speak to Dorrien" he stood up, and made for the door. Aurelia giggled suddenly.

"Um, Rothen?"

"What?" Rothen asked warily.

"The room is in rather a mess at the minute. Just thought I should let you know"

Sonea laughed. Rothen shuddered again.

"Right. Yes. Um. Thanks, Aurelia"

"You're welcome, Rothen" Aurelia said sweetly, and set about twirling round the room with Lorkin in her arms, the perfect picture of happiness.

Dannyl was sitting in the library with Tayend when he heard his name called through mind communication. He jumped, and dropped the book he was holding. Tayend snorted with laughter, guessing what had made him jump, and looked up curiously.

Dannyl?

Aurelia. How are you?

I'm well, thank you. Very well. And you?

I'm fine. But there's something going on that you're not telling me...I can hear it in your 'voice'. Tell me, now.

Aurelia giggled, Dorrien and I...we've decided to make a go of it. You know. Being together.

Oh! Dannyl smiled to himself, That's fantastic! And it's going well?

Oh, yes. Wonderfully well.

And was I right? Do you love him?

Yes. Yes, I think I do.

Told you so! Cried Dannyl triumphantly.

I have to tell you something else...something good, don't worry. About the baby.

Yes?

I was checked over by a few of the Healers today, they say that all is well. They told me the gender of the baby.

Dannyl grinned, excited, Tell me!

It's a girl, said Aurelia, and he could hear the emotion there, the delight, A lovely little girl.

Well, she might not be lovely. She might turn out to be a brat, Dannyl joked, secretly ecstatic. He had hoped for a girl, once he had come round to the idea.

No child of mine will ever be a brat! Aurelia retorted in mock indignation, I wondered...could I tell you the name I like?

I'd love to hear it. I haven't thought of any.

I like Melody. It's such a beautiful name. What do you think? Do you like it?

I love it! How did you think of it?

I was singing to Lorkin last night – he wouldn't sleep, I was trying to help Sonea out – and she said that my voice was such a lovely melody. And I just thought, oh, Melody! What a wonderful name! So, do you like it?

It's perfect. We'll call her Melody.

Yes. I'm so glad you like it, Dannyl sensed distraction in her mind, Oh, um, I had better shut up now. Dorrien's, er...calling me.

If that's what you want to call it, Dannyl laughed, Speak soon, Aurelia. I'm glad everything's well.

So am I. Speak soon! Give my regards to Tayend...if you think he'll take them.

I'll try. Bye.

Bye!

"Who was it?" asked Tayend eagerly, putting down his book, "Come on, spill the beans! What new scandal has enveloped the guild?"

"I'm afraid I'm still the current scandal. It was Aurelia. The baby is a girl. We're going to call her Melody" Dannyl said all of this in a rush, not sure how Tayend would react, but, to his pleasant surprise, Tayend was smiling.

"I was hoping for a girl. If I have to be some sort of stepfather – wow, that sounds way too responsible for my liking – then I'd like it to be to a girl. We'd probably corrupt a boy beyond repair between the two of us" he paused, then added casually, "And how is Aurelia?"

"She's with Dorrien now. Rothen's son, do you remember him?"

"She moves on quickly" muttered Tayend scathingly. Dannyl smiled.

"To be honest, Tayend, I think she's been in love with him for a while. But I'm really pleased for her. She sounded so happy"

"Good" said Tayend grudgingly, "Tell her I said hello, next time"

Dannyl suppressed a laugh, "I will"