A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update! I just got back from a trip, but I'm posting this as soon as I could! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Unexpected

For the first time in almost two months, Rosto awoke feeling rested and in good spirits. When he walked over to wash his face in the wash basin, for once he did not curse when the cold water hit his face. He was in far too good a mood for just a bit of cold water to douse it.

As he dressed, he thought over the night before. He had been waiting in the main room of the Dancing Dove when Kora had slipped back in late at night. He had found out from Ersken where she had been at such an hour. When Kora had seen him, she had stopped and smiled with good humor. "It seems not even my Dog can keep secrets from you."

"It's rather difficult when you're just down the hallway from the city's Rogue," he had replied. Then changing the subject abruptly, he had asked, "Did you tell Beka?"

Kora nodded.

With concern in his eyes, he had then asked, "Did she know?"

"She said she guessed as much, said that she half expected it actually."

Rosto had frowned then. "Don't tell me she still plans to-" He had stopped when Kora shook her head.

"No," she had told him. "In fact, she and Dale Rowan are no longer together, so she told me." She had watched him closely as she said it.

With a surprised look, Rosto had looked sharply at his friend. "Then that must be why she's been in such a foul mood," he had remarked more to himself than Kora. "It must have happened recently." He then looked back at Kora, who again shook her head.

"I don't know when," she had replied, "but my bet's as good as yours."

Rosto had then rubbed his chin thoughtfully, wondering what and who had ended the relationship. As he pondered this, he couldn't stop the delighted feeling from welling up in his chest. She and that spintry were no longer together! Without realizing it, Rosto had then whistled his way up to his rooms, leaving a grinning Kora to follow.

Leaving his rooms to go to breakfast that morning, Rosto whistled yet again. A wench that tidied the rooms tried not to stare as he nodded to her as he passed her in the hallway. She looked after him with amazement, soon hurrying to tell the other mots what she had seen.

In high spirits, Rosto entered the dining room they used for their breakfasts every morning. With a quick glance around, he realized Beka was not there. Taking his place among his friends and helping himself to the basket of rolls they offered him, Rosto asked, "Where's our favorite Lady Dog this morning?"

"She had a rough night," replied Ersken. "She and Tunstall tried to break up another tavern fight. She must be sleeping it off."

Rosto nodded his understanding as Aniki handed him a cup of ale. When he took a sip and realized what it was, Rosto handed the cup back to her. "Pour me some cider, please."

Aniki looked at him strangely. "But you've had ale with your breakfast for over a month-"

"It's too early for ale," he told her. "I'd rather have some cider."

She did as he asked, but she couldn't help but look at him oddly. So did everyone else, with the exception of Kora who only grinned.

Suddenly Rosto got an idea and he stood, gathering up his food with him. Then he had Ersken hand him one of the empty baskets and he filled it up with food. After that he headed to the door as the others watched him silently.

"Where are you going?" asked Aniki

"Taking breakfast to our grumbling, and most likely very hungry, Beka," he grinned.

When he shut the door behind him, Ersken looked at his friends. "Is he cracked? With the mood she's been in lately, rose bushes would be considered more cuddlesome."

"So would a bed of knives," murmured Aniki.

"Would anyone like more cider?" asked Kora, grinning widely.

The other two nodded, still puzzling over Rosto's fine mood. Kora, on the other hand, could do naught but smile.

Strolling through Corus' main marketplace, Rosto's sharp eyes took in everything around him. He recognized almost every face he passed, and his good memory even remembered many of their names. Most were rushers and thieves, but some were just cityfolk that often appeared before him at the Dancing Dove.

When he walked up to one of the flower carts, the flower girls smiled prettily at him, their bright eyes bold and cunning. Giving them no more attention than he would give anyone else, Rosto asked, "Have you any gillyflowers?"

"But of course, Majesty," grinned one of the older flower girls. She turned to the cart behind them, opening a closed compartment. Though there were no gillyflowers displayed in the selling cart in front of the girls, the mot pulled a bunch of them from the hidden compartment. "Just for you, Majesty," she said, handing him the bouquet.

Rosto took them with a smile, paying the mots well.

From the other side of the marketplace, a hard-looking cove watched Rosto smile at the girls before he walked away, the tightness that had been a familiar sight on the Rogue's face for almost two months now gone. With fingers that were nicked and scarred, the cove rubbed the long scar across his square jaw, thinking…

Beka awoke with a curse. No matter how many tavern brawls she fought in, she always awoke the next morning tired and aching. That would have been reason enough for her cursing as she rolled out of bed, as would the pounding at the door that had awakened her in the first place, but those were not the only reasons for her colorful language.

No, the pounding at the door had interrupted yet another one of her dreams about Rosto the Piper. Foolishly, Beka wondered if there was some new spell mages could perform that could somehow manipulate one's thoughts and dreams. If so, she would easily accuse Rosto of doing so. How else would she explain those silly dreams in which he appeared? And knowing Rosto, he'd probably think it great fun to torment her in such a way. Other mots might be won over by his good looks and trim body, but he was a rusher first and foremost. She wouldn't allow herself to have such girlish thoughts!

It was too bad her mind didn't seem to agree…

Cursing as she forced herself into a pair of breeches, she yelled to whoever pounded at her door, "Hold on a second, you impatient looby!" Tucking in her shirt hurriedly and combing her tangled hair back out of her eyes with her fingers, Beka plodded to the door, grabbing the handle. "I don't care what your excuse is, I ought to club you on the-"

She stopped abruptly, staring at the man who stood in her doorway. He smiled.

"Now, is that any way to treat an old friend?" he asked, grinning.

For a moment Beka couldn't get herself to speak. Then she said slowly, "Dale?"

The man smiled.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun! The plot thickens… :D I shall update very soon!