Hey guys! CrazyKitCat here!

It's kinda two people's fault that it took us so long to update...mine and our new ghost, Kleimo! The story behind Kleimo is that Ennarre and I were on the phone the other night and I heard someone snoring. I took my ear buds out to make sure it wasn't coming from my house before I asked her who snored that loudly at her place... It wasn't coming from her house either... :-O

We made a joke that our online connection was haunted and that we should name it and thus, Kleimo was born! :P

No, really, it was my fault that it took so long, but I fully intend for us to have the next chapter up before my 100th birthday (which shouldn't be too hard considering I turn 18 in 10 days). Just kidding, I want my 18th birthday present to be a ton of reviews both on chapter 13 of this (which we aim to post sometime on the weekend of February 11) and on some of my own stories.

Finally: We don't own Narnia, that's C.S. Lewis.

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Desires and Destiny

Chapter 12

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Chad woke up very early the next morning. This was nothing new. He had always had trouble sleeping and his body had been used to less hours of sleep since his childhood.

His thoughts wandered off to Lucy, which was nothing new as well. Ever since he had fallen in love with the Valiant Queen, she had always been in his mind. These thoughts were wrong. He was a married man now.

He glanced down at Alianna. She lay on her stomach, her hands under her head, her eyes closed, deep in sleep, her golden locks splayed all around her.

And again, thoughts of Lucy filled his mind.

However, at the moment, he was thinking of how she had treated Alianna last night. Lucy was never rude. Never. It went against all of her central values. Then what had made her speak to Alianna like that?

The only reason he could come up with was that Alianna was now his wife.

But that made no sense. Lucy didn't love him. She loved Harry... And the images returned, images of that blasted night. Memories of her lips on Harry's – of the betrayal, of the hurt, of the tears he had cried after seeing that…

Then why would Lucy be jealous or angry at my wife?

It was too complicated to understand.

Besides, it was a new day, a new beginning. And thinking about his past and what could have been if Lucy hadn't cheated on him would only bring him pain.

With a sigh, Chad got off the bed and walked over to the window, glancing at the dark sky with streaks of orange at the horizon. The sun would soon start to rise. The breakfast wouldn't be ready for at least a couple of hours.

He slowly went to the couch and slumped down.

The day before had been tiring and yet here he was, wide awake before dawn. Why couldn't he get a good night's sleep? He didn't even know how it felt to sleep through the night, let alone some of the day, when others bang on your door, ordering you to get up…

Must be nice – being normal, he thought bitterly.

He stretched, his eyes falling on the bed once again, where Alianna was still fast asleep.

He was glad that he had talked to her in the carriage. And what was more – she understood. That only increased the respect he had for her. She had been crying at first, probably due to fear and nerves, but his lame sense of humor made her smile.

Things were awkward when they reached the room, of course, but he was glad that it was over.

Chad let Alianna enter the dimly lit room before following her and closing the door behind him.

The private chambers of the Lord of Daelhr were large and elegant. A huge four poster bed with white linen curtains was against a wall. On one side of the room was a comfortable looking couch with a low coffee table before it. On another side were a huge closet and a dresser. A large mirror hung over it and Chad could see his and Alianna's reflection in it. The newlywed bride was inspecting the room closely.

Chad had visited this room numerous times before he was the Lord of Daelhr, often to clean it for Alfred, or to be tortured by him. And he had hated it. When he became the lord, he had to live in it. It had been suffocating at first, but he got used to it eventually.

"You have a nice room," Alianna said in a low voice.

"You've never been here before?" Chad asked, finding it strange because Philip had an annoying habit of barging in whenever he had the chance.

But then again, Philip was his friend. Alianna… had barely been an acquaintance.

"No."

The two were silent for a minute.

"The wash chambers are that way," Chad pointed, "If you want to freshen up."

"That would be nice," she nodded with a whisper and walked to the bathroom without another word.

He sighed and walked towards his closet. Pulling out his trousers and a plain tunic, he quickly changed his clothes and then climbed on the bed.

The door to his wash chambers opened and he looked up to see Alianna stepping out, now garbed in a silk nightdress instead of her wedding gown. Silently, she removed the covers on the other side of the bed and slipped in.

Accustomed to sleeping alone in this bed however he wanted, Chad felt awkward for a moment. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, only to find her with a similar expression of discomfort on her face.

"Good night, Alianna," he said, turning so that he was not facing her anymore.

It took a small while, during which he felt her settle into a comfortable position, before her reply came. "Sweet dreams, milord."

Chad looked up when he heard the rustle of cloth. Alianna was stirring in her sleep. And he blinked in surprise – the room seemed much more illuminated than before, despite the curtains that covered the windows. The sun must have risen.

He silently watched as Alianna pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She looked around the room until her eyes came to rest on him.

"Good morning, milord," she mumbled.

"'Morning, Alianna," he replied. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Chad walked to the door and opened it. "What is this?"

"Your breakfast, milord," replied the maid who was standing outside, holding a tray laden with food. "Lady Kayla had it sent to your room."

Chad frowned, but stepped aside to let her bring the food inside. She placed it on the table and then greeted Alianna as she began preparing the tea for them. He noticed how the maid was inspecting his wife closely, with great interest.

Curious, he too glanced at Alianna.

She was sitting on the bed, the covers covering the lower half of her body, wearing a sleeveless nightdress with a pretty low neckline now that Chad noticed. She was staring at the maid with sleepy eyes as she ran a hand through her golden hair that seemed messy, probably because she had just woken up.

He looked back at the maid, who seemed to be taking in her appearance, then back at Alianna, who just sat there looking like she had woken up after a tiring night…

And Chad's eyes widened. The tips of his ears burned due to embarrassment.

No!

The last thing he wanted at the moment was gossip. Having served as a servant half of his life, he knew how it spread like a fire – rumors, gossip, talks, and views. And he did not want himself or Alianna or their wedding night to be the latest topic.

"Umm, that's okay," he quickly said. "You can leave."

"But, milord, the tea –"

"I can prepare it," he assured her. "You may go and attend to your other duties."

The maid seemed unsure but walked out of the room after a curtsy, closing the door behind her. Sighing, Chad dropped down on the couch and pulled the tray towards him, picking up the teapot.

"Let me," Alianna said as she got off the bed and moved to sit next to him on the couch. She took it from him and prepared the breakfast. "Why did you send her away?"

Chad shrugged. "We must get ready after this. The Kings and Queens are leaving this afternoon."

[][][][][][][][]

Chad and Alianna walked out to the courtyard where the carriages were getting ready for the departure of the Kings and Queens. The monarchs were already there with their guards, as was Kayla. They all turned to look at the newlyweds as they stepped down the front stairs.

"I'll be busy for a day or two but after that you will have to tour the city with me," Chad was saying to Alianna, "You're the Lady of Daelhr now so it is expected of you."

She nodded in understanding.

And Chad walked away from her and towards the Peter and Caspian.

"Thank you," he said to both of them, "For attending my wedding. It meant a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," Peter replied with a smile. "You're my friend."

Chad hesitated. "… Are the others angry at me?"

"For what?"

"For getting married."

"I don't think so," Caspian shook his head. "Lucy and you are grown-ups now. You can make your decisions. And we respect them. It is your life Chad, and if you think that marrying Alianna was the right thing, then as friends, we will support you."

"Even Edmund?"

"Even me," the Just King said, walking over to stand next to Caspian. "I'm not happy that things didn't work out between you and Lucy. I mean, we had gotten used to seeing you two together, but…"

"Fate had other things planned for you two," Peter finished.

Chad nodded slowly. "I just don't want to lose you all as my friends because of what happened."

"You won't," Caspian promised.

"Peter!" Lucy walked over to the High King. "I need to talk to you."

Chad stiffened a little but he forced his smile to remain intact.

"Later, Lu," Peter said. "We're saying our goodbyes."

She sighed, clearly annoyed. "Fine," she glanced at Chad. "Later would be better anyway."

Chad hid his frown. What was that supposed to mean?

"Ah, Lady Alianna!" Edmund exclaimed, staring at Alianna who stopped next to Chad. "You look lovely today."

From the corner of his eyes, Chad saw Lucy glare at Alianna. Why is she acting like that?

Alianna mumbled a thank you. "I was asking Queen Isabel to stay." She said.

"I wish we could," Peter smiled. "But we cannot stay away from Cair for a long of time. There is so much that had to be done every day."

She nodded in understanding.

"In any case, I'm glad you're here," Edmund smirked, "Because I was just going to tease your dear husband about your wedding night."

Alianna blushed.

Chad's eyes went wide. "Don't," he managed to say, well aware of King Edmund's sense of humor.

"Come now, what is a wedding without bawdy jokes directed towards the groom?"

"Please, don't!"

"Ed," Peter warned. "Shut up."

"Kill joy," the Just King muttered but did not say anything else.

"Umm, I'll look for Kayla," Chad mumbled and walked away before Edmund decided that he really did want to joke after all.

[][][][][][][][]

"Please see to it that the luggage is secured properly," Kayla said to the servant, "We don't want the Kings and Queens to have any inconvenience on their journey back."

The servant nodded and walked away.

"That is very kind of you." A voice said.

Kayla inwardly groaned and turned around to see Harry standing next to a black horse, a lazy smile on his face as he stared at her. "What do you want?" she asked, irritated.

"I want you to listen to what I have to say," he said as he stepped towards her.

"I thought I made it clear that I -"

"- did not want to talk to me?" he cut her off. "Yes, you did."

"Then why do you keep attempting to start a conversation?"

"Not to start a conversation, milady," he inclined his head as he came to a stop before her. "But merely to give a warning."

"What kind of warning?"

Harry was silent for a short moment. "Be wary and be careful."

"That is a warning?" Kayla said flatly. "That is common sense!"

Harry shrugged. "I just felt the need to remind you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I lack common sense?"

He blinked in surprise. "I did not mean that."

"Then, pray tell, what did you mean?"

"I was just -"

"First, you ruin my brother's happiness by having an affair with the woman he was in love with and now you dare to insult me?" she asked angrily.

"What?" his hazel eyes were wide now. "No. I would never -"

"Never?" she snorted. "Are you denying what you did to my brother? You love Lucy, you kissed her and that broke Chad's heart. And even then you had the guts to actually come to Daelhr and face him? Even more, you go on and try to talk to me when -"

"Enough!"

His voice was not loud. It was not what one would classify as 'misbehaving' as either. But it was so full of repressed anger that it shut her up immediately. She stared at him, her mouth half open in surprise.

"I've had it. I've had it with you and your brother blaming me for things I did not even do!"

"Are you denying the kiss I saw with my very own eyes?"

He paused for a second, probably surprised by this revelation. "I did not deny anything, I am merely saying that I'm tired of being blamed for everything." he said, "Yes, the kiss happened, but you do not know the reason why it happened. You do not know what it meant."

"You two love -"

"Did we say it? No. You presumed it," his tone was firm. "It is not my fault that your brother's love was so weak that one tiny misunderstanding shattered it." he shook his head. "Not that it matters anymore."

"Listen to me, Harry -"

"With all due respect, you listen to me, milady," he said. "None of what happened was my fault so stop insulting me again and again. I'm a human and I can only take in so many things."

She was quiet for a second, probably shocked. Then -

"Kayla?" And the two turned to see Chad walking towards them. His eyes hardened when he noticed Harry. "What are you doing here, Kayla?"

"I... I -"

"Lady Kayla was making sure that the luggage was secured properly," Harry replied, his voice smooth.

"Is it?" Chad asked coldly.

"I believe so, milord."

The Lord of Daelhr turned to his sister. "Then you need not stand here anymore."

"Chad," Kayla began.

Chad took her arm. "Let's go."

Kayla glanced at Harry, her eyes unreadable.

Harry looked at her - a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes - and inclined his head in respect. "Goodbye, Lord Chad and Lady Kayla."

Chad did not reply but instead walked away, dragging Kayla with him.

And Kayla's eyes remained on Harry for a few moments before she, too, turned away.

[][][][][][][][]

Chad smiled and looked around, glad that he didn't have to participate in this conversation for a while. He closed his eyes, tuning out the chitter-chatter that surrounded him.

"Enjoying the warmth of the sun, are we?"

"You can say that."

"Here."

Chad opened his eyes to see Philip holding out a glass of wine to him. He took it, thanking his friend.

"You've been busy," Philip said as he took a seat on a chair across from Chad.

"I had work."

"You always have work."

Chad chuckled, taking a sip of the drink. "You sound like Kayla."

"Well, its true."

"It..." Chad thought for a second, "is!"

Philip laughed. He drank his wine quietly for a minute before a sly smile spread on his face. "So, how does it feel to be a newly married man?"

"Are you going to tease me now?"

"What are friends for?" Philip grinned. "Come on, tell me."

Chad rolled his eyes but replied nonetheless. "It is different and not-so-different in so many ways."

"How come?"

Chad hesitated. "... I don't know."

Philip's smile faltered. "What is it?" he asked. "Are you and Alianna happy?"

The Lord of Daelhr glanced at his wife who stood with a few woman, listening to whatever they were saying. Even though her lips were curved to form a smile, her eyes looked sad.

It had been two weeks since he got married and in these two weeks Chad had preferred to stay alone, spending most of his time in his office. Sure, he was married and he respected his wife, but that didn't mean that he had to be with her all the time.

Thankfully, Alianna minded her own business too. From what Kayla had told him, she spent most of her time in their chambers - doing who knows what.

The most they would see each other would be before sleeping at night or during breakfast – as Chad had developed a habit of skipping his other meals or having them brought to his office, something that Kayla was not happy with. And during that time, Alianna would be awfully quiet - which was nothing new - but he would almost feel waves of discomfort radiating from her.

"Chad?"

The Lord of Daelhr blinked and looked back to his friend, who was still waiting for his reply. "I don't know," he finally said with a sigh. "I don't think she is happy."

Something flashed in Philip's eyes, but it came and went so fast that Chad was unable to figure out what it was. "Did she say that to you?"

"No," Chad replied. "I just know."

"How come?"

"She doesn't do anything, she has almost locked herself in that one room."

Philip snorted. "Now you know why father was always worried about her."

Chad shook his head. "It's not like that. I used to meet your sister occasionally even before we got married." he said. "Now she has changed. It's like... a light is dying in her eyes and it's my fault."

"How is it your fault?"

Because I'm not giving her her rights and the time and the attention she deserves as my wife, Chad wanted to say.

The only time he would talk to her was when someone was around - or at luncheons, like the one today. He had entered the terrace with her, sat next to her during the meal, talked to her in front of all the nobles and the members of the court because it was expected of him, and moved away from her as soon as it was possible for him. Once the guests would leave - he would excuse himself and leave her, like he had done for two weeks.

He wasn't proud of it but he wasn't ready to do anything else either.

He was not ready to be a true husband to her.

He was not ready to forget Lucy... maybe it was too hard to forget Lucy...

Don't go there.

"Chad?"

Chad blinked again. "Sorry."

Philip chuckled. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. "No wait. Let me answer that - you're probably overthinking some issue. Maybe about Alianna."

"Well if you know the answer to everything then tell me what I should do about the situation with my marriage?" Chad asked, voicing one of his many thoughts, "I know I'm not the most caring husband in the world but I want to help Alianna fit in here."

"Love advice?" Philip made a face. "You come to the wrong person. Had I been so good at the matters of heart, I would have had a wife and an extramarital affair by now!"

Chad laughed. "Yes because that is what every man wants!" he commented sarcastically.

"I, at least, do!" Philip winked. "As for Alianna - she is like this, just accept it. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister and I want her to be happy but being married is new for her too. It'll take time getting used to, right?"

Chad nodded uncertainly.

Philip sighed. "If it matters so much to you then why don't you talk to her about it. That will help." he slapped him on the arm lightly. "Stop being so depressing."

Chad chuckled and stood up. "I need more wine."

"Ask the servants to get it."

"They already have enough to do," Chad replied. "I can do this by myself."

"Such a caring boy!"

Chad rolled his eyes and walked over to the drinks table, pouring himself another glass of wine while talking to a noble. Just as he was about to turn back he noticed Alianna standing alone by the railing, staring somewhere blankly.

Without thinking, he changed his direction and walked over to stand next to his wife, who did not notice him.

Her hair, hanging lose at her back, glowed in the sunlight and her violet dress fell to her feet. She was looking at the gardens below, a strange longing in her eyes.

He cleared his throat.

Alianna started but composed herself once she realized that it was only him.

He glanced down at his hands. "How rude of me, I didn't bring you a drink." he held out his drink. "You can have this."

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Are you enjoying the luncheon?"

She nodded.

"And yet you're standing here alone."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly and moved to walk back to the guests. "I'll return to the guests."

He stepped in her way. "I did not say that standing alone was a crime. Stay."

She stopped and turned back to the railing.

"You behaved and mingled with the guests exactly like the Lady of Daelhr would," he complimented her. "Everyone is impressed and so am I."

"Thank you."

The two stood in silence for a while, Alianna looking down at the gardens and Chad looking at the birds flying in the clear sky.

"Those rosebushes need water," she murmured.

He blinked. "I beg your pardon."

"... It's nothing, milord."

"No, tell me. What did you say?"

She hesitated. "I said those bushes need water," she pointed down at the rosebushes.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I can tell."

He looked at her, surprised by this new piece of information he had learned about his wife. "You like gardening?"

"I always have."

"That is a good interest." he paused. Deciding that maybe talking to her won't be so bad, he went on, "The gardens here at Ardross are huge, covering up a large part of the hill on which this mansion is situated. They are taken care of by many gardeners, all of them well trained and well paid for what they do."

She listened quietly, but with interest - that much he could tell.

"There are many types of flowers and plants that are found here - many that are extremely rare," he chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid I do not know much about gardening and flowers but I do know that they are quite a sight to behold."

"I'm sure they are."

"Have you visited the gardens, Alianna?"

"No, milord."

"Why not?"

"I didn't know I could," came her reply in a low voice.

Chad opened his mouth and closed it. Then - "Would you like to visit the gardens?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes."

Chad smiled. "Then you can go anytime you want." he told her. "I can have someone give you a tour, or you can go roam around yourself."

"I can?"

"Obviously!" he said. "This is your home now, Alianna. You don't need permission for these little things."

"Yes, milord." she smiled, glancing back at the gardens, looking excited at the prospect of visiting them.

Chad was happy to see that.

"You should have your gardeners plant bluebonnets in the gardens," she said after a while, pointing to a certain green area. "They'll look very pretty over there."

"... I'll ask them to do so." he paused. "While I was taking a stroll a there yesterday, the gardener was kind enough to inform me that the P-Peony flowers are blooming quite nicely."

Her eyes twinkled. "You have Peony flowers here?"

He nodded.

"What color?"

"I believe they are pink."

"I'd love to see them."

"You can." he said, realizing that this was the most he had heard her talk.

"What other flowers do you have?" she asked.

"Ah, I do not know many names, I cannot even pronounce them properly," he laughed. "But hmm... I do know we have roses, lillies, daisies, tulips and Camellis."

"You mean Camellias," she corrected him.

"Yes, that," he made a face. "Like I said, I cannot pronounce many names properly."

She smiled, her pretty pink lips curving upwards.

"Well," he cleared his throat as he glanced back at the party, "I think we have talked much. It is time to return to our guests."

[][][][][][][][]

Two days later, Chad walked into his stables and came to a stop before a brown stallion. "How are you, Abaccus?"

"Me, I'm perfectly alright." his horse replied.

Abaccus had been a birthday gift to Chad from the Kings of Narnia. As a talking animal, Abaccus had a very dry sense of humor and a very proud personality – but Chad loved the horse nonetheless, even if that meant facing the stallion's strangest moods and comments.

And even though Chad would never admit it out loud, but over the last year, he had come to enjoy his weird conversations with the horse.

"If you're alright then why did you refuse when I asked to ride you today?" the Lord of Daelhr questioned.

"Can't a horse take a break?"

Chad blinked. "Don't horses love riding?"

"You have other horses. You should ride them too."

"But you know that you're my most favorite horse."

"Flattery, eh?" Abaccus made a sound what seemed to be an equivalent of a snort, "Thanks to you, the other horses are jealous of me."

It was Chad's turn to snort. "Oh, really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why would they be jealous of you?"

"Well, I'm the better one amongst them all, hence me being your favorite."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Always the haughty one, Abaccus!"

Abaccus shook his head in what would have been a shrug. "I'm just saying that I'm on a break for today and I'm not going to ride. No matter what!"

"You -"

"Ah, Chad, you're back!"

The Lord of Daelhr turned around to see Philip walking towards him. Next to him was Alianna with a white lily in her hands.

"I am," he replied. "What brings you here?"

"I'm actually just leaving. I came to see Alianna."

Chad nodded.

"How was work?"

"Normal – there are a few things to discuss but we can do that later on. I'm tired right now."

"As you wish. I'll see you two later," Philip shrugged and turned to hug Alianna before motioning to a stable-boy to bring his horse outside.

Once he left, Chad and Alianna stood alone with the horses. And strangely it was quiet – well, as quiet as it could be in the stables.

Alianna cleared her throat. "How was your day, milord?"

"Well," he replied. "And yours?"

Her face lightened up in an instant. "I went to the gardens today."

He smiled slightly. "Did you like them?"

Alianna nodded. "I did not know you had Gerbera flowers here."

"Yes, well..." he trailed off.

"They are very beautiful, don't you think?"

Chad was silent for a short moment. "I'm afraid I do not know which flower you're talking about." He admitted sheepishly. "I like greenery and flowers but I'm no expert."

"The big pink and yellow colored flowers that you find when you go a little lower down the hill." she explained.

"Ah, yes," Chad nodded. "I saw them during a stroll. They're pretty bright."

"Don't mind me, you know," Abaccus suddenly said. "Just keep on talking as if I'm some sort of animal."

Chad couldn't help but laugh at that. "But you are a horse."

"A talking horse," the stallion corrected. "Have some manners and at least introduce me to her!"

"Of course," Chad stepped back and turned to his wife, who seemed surprised and was staring at the horse wide-eyed. "Alianna, this is my horse Abaccus and Abaccus, this is Alianna, my wife."

Alianna seemed to snap out of her shock and moved towards the horse, running a hand over its face. "He is a handsome beast," she murmured.

"Why, thank you, my lady," Abaccus said, his tone pleased. "It is an honor to meet you."

Chad raised an eyebrow but said nothing, watching his wife and his horse with interest.

"Would you like to go out for a ride with me today, Lady Alianna?" the stallion asked.

"Wait a minute!" Chad exclaimed before Alianna could reply. "How come you refused to ride with me today but you are ready to go with her?"

"It's not my fault that she is pretty and you're not," the horse muttered.

Alianna stifled a giggle, her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment.

And Chad glared at his horse. "One of these days I'll cut out that obnoxiously long tongue of yours" he threatened, though both him and the horse knew that he would never do such a thing.

"You will not," Abaccus said. "You love me and you enjoy these obnoxious conversations with me."

"You're very lucky that I do," he agreed grudgingly.

"Now, can I take this charming young lady for a ride?"

"Are you going to flirt with my wife, then?" Chad asked.

"Maybe."

Chad rolled his eyes and in spite of himself, smiled. "What has put you in a bad mood?"

"The fact that it took you so long to introduce me to your wife!" the horse whined. "I'm your best horse, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry," Chad apologized.

"It's alright." Abaccus nudged Alianna. "About that ride…?"

"Umm," Alianna looked at Chad, as if asking for permission. When she saw Chad nod, she turned back to the horse, smiling. "I'd love to, but some other day. It is almost night."

"Fair point."

"Well," Chad said, "We'll see you later, Abaccus. You have some good rest."

"You too."

"Goodbye, Abaccus," Alianna murmured.

And a minute or two later the Lord and the Lady of Daelhr were walking back towards the huge mansion.

"This is great, you know," Chad muttered, his voice filled with mock-irritation, "My horse likes my wife more than he likes me."

Alianna smiled, twirling the lily in her hands.

Chad tilted his head to the side. "Did you pick this from the gardens?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be."

She looked away.

The two walked in silence for a few moments. And then, strangely, it was Alianna who broke it.

"I would like to spend more time wandering in the gardens."

"I told you that day too - you can."

Taking a deep breath in the fresh air, she smiled. "I love Spring. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing a blossoming flower dance in the cool breeze."

He stared at her face that was illuminated in the moonlight – Her snow white skin, her soft pink lips and her mesmerizing blue eyes. Her golden hair were tied in a braid, a few locks that had escaped swayed with the soft breeze...

… And Chad decided that he disagreed to her statement.

[][][][][][][][]

Chad was sitting on the floor, a blanket wrapped around him, as he stared blankly into the fire roaring in the small fireplace.

His mother stood by the window, looking outside, each of her feature filled with worry. "It is late now," she said. "Kayla is not here."

"You worry too much, mother," he said, shrugging. "It is her last day at work. She must be saying her goodbyes to the other servants."

"But it is so late."

Her mother had an old habit of worrying about everything. He shook his head with a sigh that soon turned into a sneeze. Coughing, he wiped his nose on a handkerchief and groaned. He hated being sick.

His sneeze, however, at least diverted his mother's attention. "That herbal tea must be ready," she said, walking to the tiny kitchen.

He sat quietly, waiting for his mother to bring him that disgusting tea when there was a knock on the door.

"Chad," his mother called, "Could you please get that?"

"Yes, mother," he said and got up; the blanket still wrapped around him as he walked to the door and opened it.

The thirteen-year-old boy froze, his stomach churning with horror.

Kayla stood at the doorway, her dress bloody and dirty, torn in such a way that it did not do much to cover her body. Her arms hung by her sides, covered with numerous bruises and mud. Her hair was wild and messy. He could see blood on her legs.

But her face – it was something that he knew would haunt him forever. Her eyes were lifeless, dead and dark, like she was still being attacked by some demons. Her swollen lips trembled. The side of her head was bleeding.

She limped into the house looking like a corpse.

"Kayla?" he had asked, almost scared of what he was seeing.

And her eyes met his.

"Kayla?" he repeated softly.

And she collapsed in his arms, clinging close to his chest. Bewildered, Chad wrapped his arms around her shaking torso and sunk to the ground. As quickly as he could, he took the blanket off himself and used it to cover his sister.

And that was when she screamed. She screamed until her voice went hoarse.

He heard his mother rush out – sound of shattering china following her. He heard his mother's yelp of surprise as she kneeled down next to him, asking Kayla what happened.

But he did not care. All that mattered to him was to calm her down. He held her tight, his own eyes tearing up for some reason.

She managed to say a few words, a few words that were enough, enough to explain what had happened to her.

"Alfred… tore my clothes… Emery and Bayard too… On the street… Hurt… I begged… t-they… NO!"

And then Kayla cried. She cried and cried and cried.

Her voice echoed in his ears and he wanted her to stop. To stop crying.

Those sobs were hurting him.

And he was scared.

And sick.

And it hurt to see his sister like this.

She was hurt.

She was broken.

She was bleeding.

And he had to do something before she died.

Chad stood up, and without bothering to garb himself in warm clothes or even put on his shoes, he stepped out of the tiny hut they lived in, into the chilly weather and ran.

Joseph – he would get Joseph. Joseph loved Kayla, he would help, he would get her healed and he would be able to calm Kayla down…

"Chad!" his mother was calling him, standing in the doorway.

He didn't care, he ran, the stones piercing his skin, the wind and the snow chilling him to the bone. He ran.

"Stop!"

He would save his sister. He would make things right. He had to. He had to.

"Stop!"

Chad's eyes flew open as he pushed himself into a sitting position, breathing heavily. He blinked a few times to let his vision clear.

He was not on the street. He was in his room.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he jumped.

"Milord?" Alianna said, alarmed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine." He managed to say. "Go back to sleep."

"I've been trying to wake you up for a while," she said, concern etched on her face. "You were twitching in your sleep."

He remained quiet, focusing on his breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In -

A glass of water entered his vision. "Drink."

He obeyed, gulping the water that she offered. "Thank you."

She looked at him intently.

"It was just a… bad dream," he consoled. Why was he consoling her when he was the one who was badly shaken?

"Do you wish to talk about it, milord?"

No, he had wanted to say but he surprised himself by nodding slowly. Alianna did not say anything, but waited for him to speak.

It took him a minute or two to calm down when he slumped back against the headboard. "I was reliving some of the bad t-times of my life," he told her in a low voice. "I usually do."

"What did you see?"

"I saw Kayla when she returned home after... She was hurt and crying –" he shook his head, unable to go on. "I'm sorry, I cannot talk about it."

She nodded slowly. "Think of something good, milord." She suggested.

"Like what?"

She shrugged. "Anything that gives you happiness."

Happiness.

Unbidden, the beautiful face of the Valiant Queen flashed before his eyes.

Lucy...

Lucy made him happy. Truly happy.

Lucy and Harry...

But thinking about her only brought him pain nowadays.

No, he couldn't – wouldn't – think of her.

"I don't know," he said miserably and then turned to Alianna. "I'll be fine in some time. You should go to sleep."

"So should you," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and motioning him to lie down. "Try."

Once again, he found himself obeying hiswife.

His head touched the soft pillow and her hand hesitantly moved to his hair. She ran her fingers through his hair, removing the locks from his forehead before she moved her hand away to pull the covers over him.

And that was when he heard it – a tune being hummed in one of the most melodic voices he had heard. It took him a moment to realize that its source was his wife.

He stared wide-eyed at her. "You can sing?"

"I'm a terrible singer," she replied.

"You were singing."

"I was humming. Everyone can."

"Not me," he told her.

"Have you ever tried?"

He shook his head.

"Please do."

"I'll pass." He said, tilting his head to the side, "Though I must say I'm very much interested to hear you sing."

Her eyes widened. "No."

"Come on!"

"I told you," she mumbled, embarrassed. "I'm a terrible singer."

"Let me be the judge of that."

She shook her head.

He took her hand. "Please?"

"N-No."

And there was a tapping on the door. Urgent tapping.

Chad frowned. "Who would it be at this hour?" he asked.

Alianna got off the bed, slipping a robe over her short nightdress, and walked over to open the door. A guard stood outside, out of breath. He bowed.

"Yes?" Alianna asked.

"Milady, milord," he said, looking at Chad. "The market place on the other corner of the city is on fire."

"What?" Chad asked, jumping to his feet in shock. "How?"

"We do not know," the guard replied. "The fire is spreading to nearby houses as well."

"Have the area evacuated and tell them to try to control the fire," Chad ordered. "I'll be get there as soon as possible."

It took Chad about two minutes to get ready and he rushed out of his room.

"Milord?" Alianna called, standing in the doorway.

He stopped and turned to look at her impatiently.

"Take care."

He blinked. Nodded. And walked away.

[][][][][][][][]

The sun was setting. It was the next day and the Lady of Daelhr was in the living room with Kayla.

Chad had left last night and had not returned the whole day. A few servants had informed them that the fire had been taken care of and Chad was fine.

Alianna wondered if her father and her brother had anything to do with this fire.

Of course they had.

Flames bursting out on their own in the middle of the night was highly unlikely...

"Don't worry about him."

Alianna blinked and looked up at Kayla questioningly.

"Don't worry about him," Kayla said kindly, mistaking Alianna's thinking expression as worry for Chad, "I'm sure Chad is fine and busy with his work."

Alianna nodded.

Another hour passed in silence.

Kayla stood up with a sigh. "I'm going to retire for the night." she said. "You should sleep too."

"I will."

"Sleep before Chad returns," she said quietly. "He doesn't like it when someone stays up waiting for him late at night."

Alianna frowned. "Why?"

Kayla shrugged. "That is just how he is." With that, she walked away.

Alianna sat quietly in the living room for a long time, staring blankly at a painting on the wall, when she heard footsteps outside in the hallway.

She stood up and walked out - only to find herself face to face with her husband.

"Alianna!" he seemed surprised for a second.

"Milord Chad," she quickly said, "You're back."

"Why are you up so late at night?"

"I..." she trailed off. "What happened?"

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Would you like to have something to eat?"

He sighed again and looked down at his clothes that were covered in dirt. "Yes."

Without another word, Alianna walked to the kitchens and prepared a tray of food for Chad. Returning to the chambers with it, she found Chad sitting on the couch, his hair wet and now dressed in fresh clothes.

"Here you go, milord," she murmured, placing the tray before him.

"Thank you," he said, picking up a piece of cucumber. "Now, will you tell me why you were waiting for me?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Did you try?"

She shook her head.

He sighed. "I don't want you to do that, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to burden others."

"You were not."

"I still don't like it." he said firmly. "I don't like being an inconvenience or a burden to others."

She nodded slowly. "The fire, what happened?"

"It was huge, many of the shops and two of the nearby houses were burnt to the ground. Their owners have faced much losses."

"Was anyone injured?"

He nodded solemnly. "Two men and one woman injured. Three men died in trying to control the fire." He paused. "I'm going to visit their families tomorrow."

"Why?"

"They were sons, fathers, brothers, husbands," he told her. "And they've died, trying to protect others. I have to meet their families and offer my condolences. It is not much, but I will do it nonetheless. The same goes for the injured."

"Can I come with you," she asked slowly.

"... If you want to."

"I want to." she paused, staring at him intently. "And did you find out the cause of the fire?"

"No." He frowned. "There was nothing that would help us determine the cause. I've asked Philip to investigate the matter."

"Investigate?"

"I don't think that this was just an accident."

Alianna bit her lip, wondering what would happen if Chad found out that her family was behind this.

"Don't worry," Chad said kindly, misunderstanding her expression just like Kayla did. "I'm sure I'll figure it out."

She nodded slowly.

"So," Chad said, eating his food. "What did you do today?"

"Nothing."

He looked at her. "No walk in the gardens?"

She shook her head.

He sighed. "You need not to worry about me."

"Why not?" the question just left her mouth before she could ponder over it.

"Because I don't like it," he told her. "I'm not worth it."

She frowned but did not say anything.

The two were quiet for a few minutes.

"I must say, I expected you to question me about what I said," he said with a laugh. "And you didn't. You surprised me again."

"Again, milord?"

He nodded. "Again." He stated, refusing to elaborate.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked in a low voice.

His green eyes narrowed. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, milord?"

"Talk like that."

She looked at him, clearly confused by his question.

"I've almost never heard you talk loudly, your voice is always low, shy," he explained, "And soft - like a feather's gentle caress. How do you always talk like that?"

"... I do not know."

"It is alluring at times."

She blushed but remained silent otherwise.

"And how come you talk so less?"

"Do I?"

"Yes, you barely talk," he paused. "I met Demetrius today. He said that he saw us talking at the luncheon that day and he claims that that is the most he had seen you speak in one day."

She looked away. "I... don't know how to talk to others."

He blinked, surprised by this answer. "Quite the contrary, I think your manner of talking to others is perfect."

"Not the manner, the content," she explained. "I never had anyone to talk to."

"Friends?" he asked.

"None."

He smiled. "I never had any friends in my childhood as well."

"Why not?"

"I had a hard childhood." he replied with a shrug. "But you didn't."

"No, I didn't."

"Then why didn't you make friends?"

"I don't know," she said. "My brothers were always good at it. Philip had his friends in a village nearby and E-" She stopped, her blue eyes going wide.

Chad's body involuntarily stiffened. He didn't want it to, but his gaze turned into a glare involuntarily, fixed on his wife.

A gasp escaped her lips. "I'm sorry!" she said, her voice shaking. "I didn't mean to... I shouldn't..."

She stood up quickly, moving away from him, tears filling her eyes.

Chad blinked when he saw her fear, his eyes softening when he realized that his anger had scared her. He stood up and took her hand. "Calm down. It was just a mistake," he told her. "Why are you reacting like this?"

"Because I shouldn't have..."

"It's okay," he said. "Forget it."

She nodded uncertainly. Her father and Philip would not be happy if they found out that she had mentioned him.

"Do you miss him?"

Alianna blinked, caught off guard by the question. Her father and brother had not told her what to do if a question like this came up.

And it had. What should she say? What should she do?

She was panicking.

Looking anywhere but at him, she tried to free her hand. "I'll t-take the dishes back to the k-kitchens."

Chad's hold in her hand tightened. "Alianna, look at me," he ordered.

And she found herself obeying. Her eyes moved to his green ones, and she knew that she was trapped in his gaze. Those mesmerizing pools of emerald would not let her look away.

"Do you miss him?" he asked, his voice gentle - almost understanding.

Her lower lip trembled as a tear of hopelessness fell down her cheek. "He was my brother," the shaky words left her lips.

"I know." Yes, his voice was filled with understanding.

And perhaps that is what made her cry. She had not been allowed to cry. She shouldn't. But she wanted to... and for some reason, she found that in front of Chad, she could.

Lowering her head, tearing her gaze away from him, she looked at the floor, silent tears dripping down her chin and he stood there, holding her hand, staring at her intently.

It was a short while later when she felt his fingers beneath her chin, forcing her to look back at him. His thumb wiped away her tears.

"Don't cry," he murmured. A pause, "You should take the dishes back to the kitchen."

Hey guys! Ennarre here...

I just found out that CrazyKitCat is really sick. She is on a heart monitoring device. Please pray for her.

I hope you get better real soon, Cat. Love you! :)

Now, I hate long A/N's but... this one you'll have to read! :P

Firstly, I'm sure you've read about Kleimo and I hope he didn't freak you out as much as he did us. Stupid snoring ghost, I was too scared to go to the washroom that night because of you!

Now, I'm sorry for the delay in updating and I hope the long length of this chapter makes up for it. This chapter was centered in Daelhr, revealing more of Chad's life after his marriage and how Chad and Alianna (or Channa, as Cat named them) are bonding - or at least struggling to. A bit of fluff, a bit of angst, a bit of mystery - trust me when I say this: all of this is important.

Oh and I think that by the end of this chapter, almost a month has passed since the wedding. I hope to make the time span, or timeline or time-whatever more clear in the next chapter.

Some of you have been complaining that I'm ignoring the other characters. What can I say? I'm not. Well, I don't plan to. Cat and I have drawn out a general idea of where this story will go and you'll see everyone on this journey! As for the characters reactions to the situations, I don't know. When I closed my eyes and pictured each of them in this situation (keeping the last two destiny stories in mind) this is how I saw them react. I may be wrong, I may be right - but in any case, this is what my words shaped up and we'll have to live with it!

To those who were wondering: yes, I read each review and when I do, I come up with a perfect reply to every one of them. I'm just too lazy to actually type it and send it. And that is very bad of me. I'll try to reply to the reviews I get from now on, if that is what you want.

Next chapter: we run back and forth between Daelhr and the Cair. At least that is the plan for now... we might end up changing it, considering how crazy Cat and I are, but oh well...!

Thank you for reading. Take care. Aaaaannnndddd:

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