A/N- Hey everyone! I'm sure you're all very surprised to see me updating this story! It's been forever since I've uploaded anything, and I'm sorry, but there's no good excuse. I only hope that I still have some supportive fans out there!

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"How was your tour, your Highness? Was Bentworth to your liking?" Lady Evelyn waited for the answer, a smile pasted on her face. Alanna restrained herself from rolling her eyes. Surely her mother could have thought of a more interesting topic to begin their evening meal with.

The prince nodded. "Yes, I found it to be most agreeable. I especially enjoyed visiting the marketplace."

His smile did not quite reach his eyes. It seemed as though he'd rehearsed this scene a hundred times. But after all, Alanna thought, he probably had.

Alanna watched as her mother continued to interrogate Prince Daniel on his doings that day. Picking at her roasted pheasant, Alanna hid a chuckle as Prince Daniel was forced to answer a question regarding the health of the ducks living on the nearby lake. Her mother could really be too much sometimes.

Minutes passed, and Lady Evelyn showed no sign of slowing her one-sided conversation. Alanna grew increasingly embarrassed as Daniel looked more and more uncomfortable. Finally, just as her mother was asking the prince what he thought of the town square's lovely rose garden, Alanna cut in.

"Mother, I'm sure the prince is quite tired," she said, trying hard not to sound too annoyed. "I think I may have worn him out, dragging him all over town as I did."

Lady Evelyn looked extremely put out. Prince Daniel, however, shot her a surprised, but grateful look. She gave him only an apologetic smile as way of an explanation. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of her mother's endless chatter.

"But of course you must rest," Lady Evelyn said, sounding as though she thought the opposite. "Shall I call a maid to take your to your room?"

"No, thank you," said the prince. "I think I can find my way from here."

Alanna stifled another laugh. Of course he could find his way; their manor wasn't that impressive. He caught her eye and grinned, sharing her joke.

Lady Evelyn nodded with a smile. A second later, however, a spark came into her eyes, and her smiled broadened slyly. "Of course, Alanna could just accompany you. After all, it is on the way to her own room."

Alanna glared at her mother. She could see Daniel out of the corner of her eye, watching her with amusement. He cleared his throat.

"I would be glad for the company," Daniel said, a smile threatening to burst onto his face. He thanked Lady Evelyn again for her hospitality, stood and offered Alanna his arm. She, too embarrassed to resist, took his arm and followed him from the room.

They were halfway down the hallway before Alanna gathered her wits. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry about my mother. She's very… enthusiastic, at times."

He shook his head and smiled again. "No need to apologize. I've become quite good at making small talk, if I do say so myself."

Alanna gave a small smile. "Yes, you are quite masterful. I would have lost interest long before the main course arrived."

Daniel chuckled. "I'm sure she was just making sure my trip was going well. It must be stressful enough for her with the wedding plans without having to entertain me as well."

"No, not at all," Alanna countered. "In fact, that's exactly the sort of thing my mother loves."

"Is it?" His hazel eyes found hers. "And are you so different?"

She found it difficult to meet his burning gaze. "Well, yes. We're probably as different as mother and daughter could be."

"In what ways?"

Alanna gave a small shrug. "Oh, just everything. I prefer the outdoors, when she would be happy never leaving the manor. We both like to read, but my selections tend toward history and hers toward homemaking." She laughed. "Just about the only thing we both agree on is Bentworth. We both love the town and people. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else."

He watched her thoughtfully for a few seconds. "You know, I've never met anyone quite like you."

Alanna's mouth parted slightly, at a loss for words for the second time that evening. She blushed and looked away.

Thankfully, they arrived at his room. Alanna took her hand from his arm and smiled weakly. This day had been just too much.

"Thank you for accompanying me," the prince said with a charming smile. Alanna was about to respond, but he shocked her for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He took her hand and raising it to his lips, kissed the back with the lightest of touches.

"Good night, Lady Alanna," he said with a smile in his voice. He entered his room, leaving Alanna standing with her arm partly extended, a confused but pleasant feeling running through her body.

--

Tyson glanced at the clock, the tenth time in as many minutes. He sighed, and again studied the note in his hand. She had said she would be there by noon, and it was already a quarter after.

He sat in the seat by the window, hoping this had been a good idea. After running into Alanna at the bookshop two days before, she had been constantly on his mind. Seeing her with Prince Daniel had alarmed him, much more than he had let her see. Knowing what he did about the prince, Tyson had found it difficult to stop himself from immediately telling Alanna everything. But he had restrained himself, giving Daniel the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the man had changed. Or perhaps not.

His thoughts drifted to Alanna, something that happened a lot these days. She seemed to constantly be on his mind, and he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

There never seemed to be the chance to see her though. He didn't have the time, or reasons, to visit the town just for the chance that she might also be there. Perhaps if he could arrange a meeting…

Then he had it. The manor's library! Surely such a girl as Alanna would love the chance to browse through its many volumes. He had asked around town for a time when the prince would not be with Alanna. When he learned that Daniel would be having tea with the Dontabars, he grabbed at the chance. He immediately sent a note to the Thetchers, which Alanna responded to quickly, saying she would arrive at noon and was eager to see his collection of books.

But here it was, nearly twenty minutes after noon. Tyson impatiently paced the parlor, hands clasped behind his back.

He turned around as the door behind him opened. His butler entered.

"The Lady Alanna," he announced. Alanna entered behind him, immediately lighting up the room with her bright smile.

"Hello again," she said, bobbing down into a small, informal curtsy.

Tyson smiled, and gave a short bow. "It's nice to see you."

"It's my pleasure," she replied with a grin. "How could I resist your invitation?"

She glanced around, and spotting the small clock on the mantlepiece, gave a grimace.

"I'm sorry for being so late," she said, somewhat bashful. "I was held up at home. My mother…" She rolled her eyes. "Well, you know."

Tyson grinned, "Was it your dress again?"

She made a face. "No, dancing lessons. Much worse."

Tyson laughed. "The torture! What will they come up with next?"

"I'm sure embroidery is at the top of the list," Alanna said with a smile.

They stood for a moment, smiling quite obliviously. Tyson mentally shook himself. "Shall we go on into the library?"

"But of course," she replied. He led the way out of the parlor and down the hall, describing the different books they had. They soon reached a set of ornately carved wooden doors. Tyson reached out and took hold of the large iron handles. With a extravagant gesture, he swung the doors opened and ushered Alanna inside.

He was quite pleased with her reaction. She gasped, and then clapped her hands in pleasure. "This is amazing!"

Tyson grinned and watched as she took in her surroundings. The room was large, the largest in the manor besides the ballroom. With a high vaulted ceiling and wide clear windows, there was plenty of room and light. But the stunning thing was not the size of the room, but the quantity of books. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of books lined the walls, filling in every shelf and flat surface.

Alanna went over to the wall closest to the door and ran her hand over a long shelf of books. She looked over at Tyson. "What in the world were you doing at a bookshop when you have this--" she waved a hand at the room, "--in your very own home?"

Tyson shrugged sheepishly, leaning back against the wall. "I was looking for a sequel to a book we have here. I became fast friends with Mr. Branum, and I've just been dropping in whenever I'm in town."

Alanna nodded distractedly, and continued her way around the room, pausing several times to inspect certain books closer. Tyson, thinking it better to leave her to her browsing rather than hovering like a nervous hen, seated himself in his favorite chair in the middle of the room. Picking up the book resting on the table next to him, he began where he had left off earlier that morning.

After a few sentences, his mind wandered and he glanced up at Alanna, who was standing by the fireplace. She tilted her head slightly to read the spines of a row of books, her mouth curved into a content smile. Tyson smiled as well, and looked back down at his book.

A minute later he sighed and set the book aside. He couldn't concentrate, looking up every few seconds as he was to watch Alanna wander about.

She had left his immediate field of vision. He turned slightly in his chair, and had to inhale sharply.

She now stood by the window, skimming through the pages of a small book. The early afternoon sunlight poured over her, giving her skin a luminous glow and creating a golden halo around her head. Her chestnut hair, pulled back in her usual unadorned braid, looked temptingly soft and silky. She wore a pretty blue dress, her slim figure accentuated by the sunlight behind her.

Before Tyson could fully appreciate the view in front of him, Alanna looked up. Seeing him staring at her so intently, she flushed. "What is it?"

Tyson, a bit embarrassed at having been caught staring, recovered quickly and smiled. "It's just fun to be able to show this to someone. My mother and brother have never had much time for reading."

Alanna, still carrying the book, came to sit in the cushy chair beside his. His heart beat a little faster at her close proximity. He caught her scent, something between lavender and vanilla.

"I think its just marvelous," she said, grinning. "I'm glad you invited me."

He nodded with a smile. "It's no trouble."

There was a small silence, before he cleared his throat slightly. "So how goes the wedding preparations? It seems as though the town can talk of nothing else."

Alanna smiled and absently played with a page of the book in her hands. "It really is going well. I might complain a lot about it, but I just have to remember how happy Nicholas is and I can make it through anything." She chuckled. "Even dancing lessons."

Tyson grinned. "Yes, I was wondering when you mentioned that earlier. I thought all women were naturally good dancers. Is this not the case with you?"

She shook her head with a forlorn smile, playing along with him. "Alas, I was born without an innate sense of when to curtsy during a waltz, or the exact position my head should be in during a promenade."

"A sad thing indeed," Tyson said, shaking his head. "Just pitiful."

Alanna laughed. Tyson grinned as well, enjoying the banter.

"Really though," he continued, "to need dancing lessons, you would have to have the grace of an gnome, the balance of an ogre. You can't possibly be that bad." He paused, and glanced at her with a shocked expression. "Can you?"

Alanna tried to glare at him, fighting a smile, but it was futile. She threw her hands in the air and laughed again. "Yes, I am that bad! I've had so many teachers I can't remember all their names." She shook her head with a rueful smile. "I was so bad some even quit on the first day. My mother finally gave up a couple years ago."

"So why the lessons now?"

Alanna made a face. "Because I actually need to know how. As a part of the wedding party I'll be expected to be a part of all the festivities, including the ball."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not a huge fan of balls myself. Too many bad experiences." He gave a grimace.

It was Alanna's turn to tease. "I can imagine! It must be horrible being the most eligible bachelor at a social function."

Tyson grumbled a response, and Alanna laughed again. "Don't worry. One dance with me and you'll be willing to dance with just about anybody to get away."

Tyson leaned forward in his chair. "Honestly, I think your exaggerating. I can't imagine you being that bad at anything."

He gazed into her eyes for a few seconds before Alanna flushed slightly and looked away. "You'd be surprised."

There was a few awkward moments before Tyson changed the subject, inquiring about the book she held in her hand, which she quickly responded too.

Tyson found he was enjoying himself quite a bit. Alanna was a lively conversationalist, witty and continued to catch him off guard. He found himself laughing more often than not, and could not remember a time when he'd had such a good time.

"So when did you become so interested in reading?" he asked her.

"Well, I've always loved to read," she said, arranging her skirt around her. "It comes mostly from my father, I think. He used to read to me when I was younger. After he began to be away longer on trips, I just continued on my own, I guess."

"Is he away often?"

"More than he's at home, most times," she said with a sad tinge to her voice. She gazed at the book in her hands for a few moments, then looked up with a sigh. "But anyways, what about you? When did you discover books?"

Tyson thought for a second. "I'd have to say when I was about ten. Before then, I'd hardly given reading a second thought outside of my schooling. Back when we lived in Frell, we had a library as well, though not nearly as expansive as this one. Well, one day I was hiding from my mother-"

"Hiding?" Alanna interrupted.

He shrugged. "A vase had mysteriously broken near where I was playing at the time. My mother, of course, automatically assumed it was me." He smiled innocently.

She nodded, still grinning. "Of course."

"Anyways, I had some time to kill while I waited for her anger to pass, and so I grabbed an interesting-looking book and started to read. A servant found me a few hours later, completely immersed. I've been an avid reader ever since."

Alanna smiled. "That's a good story." She paused. "Do you miss living in Frell?"

Tyson shook his head. "Not a bit. I never was one for large towns, and it seemed truly stifling. I was glad to leave and even gladder to end up here."

Alanna nodded absent-mindedly. She fiddled with her book for a moment and seemed to be trying to come up with the right words.

"Would you mind very much if I asked about..." She hesitated. Tyson knew what was coming.

"The prince?" he supplied.

She looked relieved. "Well, yes. You don't have to answer, of course, but I am rather curious. When we met a couple days ago, it seemed as though there was some history between the two of you."

Tyson nodded and put his head down to think. After a few moments, he said, "Prince Daniel and I…we've had our differences, I think it's safe to say. We didn't always get along, and seeing as we were always thrown together in society, it was bound to get us in trouble some day."

He smiled. "It sounds worse than it is. We've had our share of confrontations, and neither of us seems to be able to let go." It wasn't the whole truth, but hopefully the time would never come that he would be forced to tell her.

She nodded, apparently satisfied. Changing the subject again, they continued to talk for a long time, and about a variety of subjects. When Alanna glanced at the clock, she exclaimed.

"Three o'clock! The time flew by so quickly." She quickly stood. "I would stay longer, but I promised Mother I'd pick up fabric samples for her in town."

Tyson stood also, sad to see her go. "Well, it was good to see you again. Please feel free to stop by anytime."

Alanna smiled. "I'll be sure to take you up on that. I had fun talking with you."

As he watched her coach disappear behind the trees, Tyson wondered if she had any idea about the feelings he had for her. After all, he himself had only just realized that he had fallen irrevocably in love with Alanna Thetcher.

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Please review and tell me what you think! It's been a while, so I'm worried that this chapter didn't flow as smoothly with the other chapters, but please let me know. Any suggestions or constructive criticism is welcome!