a/n: hello! Back again! Sorry for not updating for so long. Anyway, thank you theNextAlice, for reviewing as always. You know, I think you're the only one who's keeping up with this story! ._. Meh. I don't really care. I just like writing. Anyway, thank you for people who favorite this story, and the other fics too. Looks like people liked Forever Alone Day. What about this fic? 0w0 anyways, this will be the last chapter, it'll be corny and short, with an even shorter prologue attached. Is that okay? Of course it's okay, I'm the author xD. Oh, and yes, I am aware of the fact that I have never yet added on disclaimers, so I'll start now. DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN VOCA OR 1800s ENGLAND! I ONLY OWN RICCIO, MISS NETTLES, UNCLE CRAVEN, AND ELLIE-MAY. AND THIS FIC, OF COURSE. There.

I let go of her hand immediately. This was… awkward. Also, it was against the law for a boy to touch a girl. Even if it was only holding her hand. "Arion! You're a… a girl?" I cried, incredulous.

Eventually, I became aware of the fact that I had been staring at her hand. No wonder it had felt small. Slowly, I forced my eyes up. I saw that her grey-blue eyes were filling up with tears. "I'm sorry. But you didn't know, did you? I-it's not against the law if you didn't know what you were doing," she sobbed, sounding more like she was trying to reassure herself. "Oh, now I've made you sound like an idiot."

She continued sobbing for a bit, and I suppose it was all I could do to pat her shoulder a little. We didn't have as much freedom as when she was still "a boy."

"So… what is your name? I mean your real name. But, I guess what's really more important now is, who exactly are you?"

It wasn't important when she was a boy. Boys were free to wander wherever they liked. Boys from rich families were allowed and encouraged to go to town. It was clear she was from somewhere well-off, but now she was a girl, things were complicated.

Girls weren't allowed in town. They were supposedly of value, but they were supposed to learn elocution and sewing and cooking and cleaning and singing. Rich girls were especially encouraged to stay at home. They had to be returned as soon as possible. What on earth was she doing here?

"My real name is Arianna Fitzburgh. I swear, I'm not lying. I live in the Craven House with my six brothers and uncle, and my cousin, Colin, our on the moors. My parents are dead. But please, don't call me Arianna. It's so stuffy and stuck-up. Call me Ia instead, won't you?"

I nodded, and asked her if she had come to town alone. In return, she told me that she had come to town with her maid, wearing her brother's clothes, even though her uncle and maid had all advised her not to.

A few stalls away, a girl who wasn't much older than Ia and I was waving. She wore a heavy brown coat over her clothes, but she had a maid's cap on her evidently unruly curls. She was trying to get Ia's attention.

Ia turned around for a second, then looked back at me. This time, her expression was deadly serious, even though there were still some tears trickling down her cheeks. "Look, today, you've showed me around town, the one place I have seriously longed to see. And today, I saw that it was nothing like my naïve fancies. Worst of all, there were no gardens. No gardens at all, Oliver! Let me ask you a question: are we friends?"

I had to nod. Even after the chaos of today, I had to admit that I had grown rather attached to her.

"Then do me a favor. In both of the places I've lived, nothing could grow. Nothing. Here," she said, handing me the miniscule music box she had shown me earlier. "Here, they can. So plant me a garden, Oliver, please. I know I shouldn't ask for anything, but please, before you go…?"

"I will, I promise."

"Thank you. The music box is for you. It kept pointing in your direction today, whenever I wound it up. It was meant for you. Keep it, and remember me!" she wiped her tears off with the sleeves of her shirt, and with a smile, she ran off, to the waving young maid.

Watching her skip off, I had to smile. Of course I would.

PROLOGUE

The young woman in the pale rose-coloured and grey dress stepped outside the carriage, followed by a dark haired young man, who was now about a head taller than her. Her ash-blond hair had been braided and coiled at the nape of her neck, and her only a tiny bit of her grey-blue eyes peeped out under the wide brim of her summer hat.

"I hope you'll make the most of your time, dear sister. For you haven't got much left," the man said, checking his pocket watch.

"I know I haven't, but I fully intend to do what I came to do, Riccio."

They walked on for a while, eventually coming to a street that had colour in it. On that street was a small but neat house that was known as the Dove Cote. In it lived a young man and his mother, who was now a rather old widow. The house had garden. It was neatly trimmed garden, with colorful flowers everywhere, and rocks to accent it, but ivy ran over the walls in a wild, uncontrolled way. In the garden sat the house's young mad, blond head bent over his gardening tools.

The young woman and her brother Riccio made a stop on that street, and stood outside the fence. The young man in the garden wasn't wearing a sailor's cap, and didn't have half his face bandaged, but Ia would recognize him from miles away. "Oliver!"

The young man in the garden looked up from his work. "Ia! What's a fine lady like you doing here? I hope you had permission this time!" he grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"I came here to say thank you. I see you kept your promise."

"Of course! I don't break my promises," he got up, coming to the fence where Ia and Riccio were standing. "You must excuse my dirtiness. I didn't know you were coming."

"No, no, that's all right. I can't stay for long, anyway. Happy birthday, Oliver," she smiled, and then walked away, disappearing in the fog.

"Thank you!" he called out after them.

It was quite a few moments before Oliver realised that he had never told her when his birthday was.

a/n: so? How was it? Was the ending satisfying? The prologue okay? Do you think she should have given him a hug, or maybe even a peck on the cheek? I don't know, I was so scared of writing mush! xD sorry, but please please please review! Thank you all so much!