"Sire, I heard from one of the servants that Princess Sabina was ill. Is that true?" Johan slipped into the gallery where the royals were going to watch the joust before anyone else had arrived. His mentor sighed.

"I've tried to keep things quiet until we can find a healer who can tell us what's wrong, but it's true, she's very ill."

"It's not...life threatening, is it?" Eleven years prior, a plague had swept through the land, striking down old and young, rich and poor. The healers and doctors had been powerless to stop it, and by the time it had subsided, Johan's mother and the King's brothers and sister were dead, leaving Sabina and the kingdom in his care, and Gerard an orphan at the mercy of his mother's people. A new mysterious disease was something that terrified them both.

"No, it doesn't seem to be. But we're keeping her in her suite until we know. Truth be told, she's too weak to go anywhere." The king saw the grave look on Johan's face.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Johan. Don't let it distract you today. She'll be…fine." The King didn't look convinced. He looked older and thinner, and Johan knew weeks of concern for his niece had taken a toll on him.

"Why didn't you tell me? Peewit and I could have gone to Homnibus, or old Rachel, or Papa Smurf, or…" Don't let it distract him? Hiding his concern for her since she'd been locked away had been torture enough, and now she had come down with a mysterious sickness!

"I don't know if they could help her."

"You don't know? What would it hurt to ask?"

"You can go see them if you want to. You're right, it wouldn't hurt anything."

"We'll leave tomorrow first thing, with your permission, of course."

"Of course. Oh, here, I was supposed to give this to you at the feast, but other things came up." He handed Johan a scarf that had been clumsily embroidered with what sort of looked like a woman holding a basket of fruit, though Johan couldn't be sure.

"Maenad made this. You're going to be her champion this time."

The King had his breakfast brought to his niece's rooms, as he did most mornings. She sat on her bed wrapped in a blanket. She was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. The maidservants had already set a small table and chair and set out plates of bread, cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut.

"Good morning, Sabina, I brought your favorite."

"It's not my favorite, it's what I can keep down," she snapped. Her uncle looked hurt, and she softened her voice.

"I'm sorry Uncle Pepin, I'm just so tired…"

"I understand." The King sat down and began to butter a slice of bread. He uncovered the meat and sauerkraut. The smell wafted into the crisp morning air, and Sabina covered her mouth and ran to the adjoining room. The king tried to ignore her and attempted to eat, but when she wobbled back into the room, he set his food down without taking a bite.

"I hate feeling like this. I've never been so miserable. I'm missing everything."

"I know my dear, I know."

"It's like my punishment never ends."

"You're not being punished any longer. You know that; we want you to be safe...especially now. There's nothing I wish I could celebrate more than having you back here safe." He sat down next to her and gingerly put his arm around her.

"I just wish you'd tell us how it happened, so we can help you move past this. If you were forced…"

Sabina shook her head 'no' and wiped away tears with the corner of the blanket. The same response as always. There was something she didn't want to tell, and the King was terrified of what that was, as much as he wanted to help her to heal. But he also did not want to upset her any further.

"What on earth possessed you to disguise yourself and hide with thieves and scoundrels?"

"They're not scoundrels. They're just simple people who want to live their own lives."

"And you wanted to live your own life, too, is that it?"

"I didn't want to get married, Uncle."

"That wasn't your choice to make, Sabina. You've put the fate of the Kingdom and our line in danger. I know it's hard, but it's something you need to learn."

"How am I supposed to make decisions for a kingdom when I can't make decisions for myself?"

The King made a thoughtful noise and changed the subject.

"Do you need me to bring any more books, perhaps some sewing to do? Or a musical instrument to entertain yourself with?"

"Do you have any more books about fencing?"

"I'll see what I can find. Though you know Dame Barbara doesn't want you reading anything like that, especially not after you went and nearly got yourself killed...twice, if remember correctly. But…I'll see what I can do."

A bell chimed in the chapel tower.

"Oh! I should get going. I'm supposed to meet Sir Edelhart. He's interested some of the young Ladies who came to the festival this year."

"Sir Edelhart is getting married? I knew he wanted to retire from crusading, but…"

The king chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't make myself very clear, did I? It's not for him; I don't think he'll ever marry again. He's never gotten over Lady Yvette's death, I'm afraid. No, we're going to discuss a suitable wife for Johan."

Sabina felt her heart drop to her feet, and the rest of her uncle's words began to fade away as a horrible coldness filled her. No no no. After all the suffering she'd endured, to see him promised to someone else, while she…

"Lady Maenad will need to be told, and I hope they won't be too upset, but you know as well as I do she's absolutely unsuitable as a wife. An upstanding young knight needs a proper young lady."

The tears she'd fought back came pouring down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" the King asked, rushing to her as she shook with sobs.

"I can't….he can't….I…no…"

"Who can't? Who is he?"

Sabina took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"It's…It's him. Please…don't be angry…"

She watched her uncle's expression shift from confusion and concern to realization, then to a hurt she had never seen on him before, save for when she was brought back from the marshes and confessed that she had deceived and lied to everyone.